What's Hot in CF: Madame Butterfly, Theatre Downtown, Florida Film Fest & Sunday Morning Coming Down




There have been times I’ve been so broken hearted that I’ve thought that if people could see physically in me what I felt had happened to me emotionally no one would have been able to identify the body. 
That’s the kind of heart break we see in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly presented by the Orlando Philharmonic this weekend, a tragedy of trust that is no less painful to watch if you know exactly what’s going  to happen. The title role is played by Shu-Ying Li who won an Emmy when she sang it with the New York City opera in Madame Butterfly Live. Li’s voice is a natural wonder: she  transmits Butterfly’s love with such exquisite power and delicacy you’re right in it with her; I found myself holding my breath in that way that you do when you don’t want something to go away. The full cast is certainly wonderful but of all the moments in the show it was Li’s “Flower Duet” with  Mika Shigematsu, who plays her devoted maid Suzuki that was one of the high points of the night for me. The music is so simply pretty and their voices mingled so poetically (speaking of which, the libretto is chock full of quotable poetry) it was a true standout.
The show, conducted by Christopher Wilkins and directed by Robert Swedberg, runs Friday, April 5 and Sunday April 7 only - for fans of opera, classical music, good story telling, poetic dialog, and painful romanticism it’s a can’t miss.

But wait! There’s more! What’s Hot in Central Florida on 90.7 FM WMFE this weekend also includes Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club at Theatre Downtown. which I haven’t gotten to see as of this writing but will soon and I CAN’T WAIT because there’s nothing I love more than a good British mystery. This show combines two classic author’s talents, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Lewis Stevenson in a darkly comic script that was nominated for an Edgar Award in 2012. No mystery whatsoever about what show I’m seeing this weekend.
On Sunday there’s a long line-up of Orlando entertainers celebrating country, blue grass and folk at theSunday Morning Coming Down Picnic Jam  on the grounds of the Mennello Museum of American Art. This is the brainchild of Joseph Martens of the Hindu Cowboys and promises lots of excellent acts plus a karaoke dunk tank - whether you get dunked for being awful or being good remains to be seen, but in any event it should be warm enough out there to make a dip feel pretty good.

Finally the Florida Film Festival starts TOMORROW 4/5/13 and runs through next weekend with special guests Tippi Hedren, Cary Elwes and many others including two films I’d like to give a shout out to that come highly recommended -  The History of Future Folk  (pictured, right) a sci fi musical comedy (seriously? is it my birthday? is it Christmas already?) in which music just might save the universe and Putzel a coming-of-age comedy about a young man whose dream of taking over his uncle’s deli is threatened by The Other Woman. Midnight Shorts are always awesome (if the title Cockney’s Vs. Zombies doesn’t get ya I don’t know what will) and the animated films, both shorts and features, are always way up on my list. Check ‘em all out at the Florida Film Festival website. 
See yez out there! 

Comments

  1. hbehrApril 4, 2013 at 5:24 AM

    All sounds good! Don't forget McRae Open Studios on Sat 4p-9p in Winter Park- 21 artists, beer and wine and food, USC, art of sale from $25-$2,500! Something for everyone. Plus their studios are just so cool.

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