Josh Garrick: Culture for Your Calendar

Dec. 31 – Ring in the New Year at the Dr. Phillips Center with Kristin Chenoweth

What better way to ring in the New Year than to join Glinda the Good Witch as she shares her goodness at the Dr. Phillips Center? Kristin Chenoweth is the Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress who created the role of Glinda in Broadway’s smash hit “Wicked.” Joining Ms. Chenoweth is actor/singer Cheyenne Jackson. Your ticket includes: show, champagne, after-party entertainment, desserts, and two drink tickets. Doors open at 8 p.m.; show time is 10 p.m.; and the after party runs until 2 a.m. Tickets start at $110. Call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org

Dec. 31 – Get ready to ‘drop the orange’ in downtown Orlando

The party on Church Street is where thousands of revelers take over a downtown city block for Church Street’s New Year’s Eve Party including Antigua, Latitudes, Rok Room, Big Belly and Chillers opening their doors at 8 p.m. Come out for fireworks, a video wall, and the famous midnight countdown to the Orange Drop. Visit churchstreetbars.com

Now to Jan. 3 – Christmas at Gaylord Palms … with ICE!
Gaylord Palms, famous for its Holiday ICE! Show will create ‘The Night Before Christmas’ in 2 million pounds of hand-carved ice. Accompanied by four ice slides, live ice carving stations, and an adult-only On The Blocks Ice Bar, Gaylord Palms has holiday offerings for every age. New this year is The Elf on the Shelf Scavenger Hunt, and a 25-minute Cirque Dreams show for the entire family. Christmas at Gaylord Palms is open daily in Kissimmee. Visit ChristmasAtGaylordPalms.com

Now to Jan. 3 – ‘Harold Garde: Mid-Century to This Century’

Harold Garde is a living legend. A brilliant working artist who still paints every day, Garde’s extraordinary career spans over 70 years. Graduating from Columbia University in 1951, Garde was immersed in the New York art world just as abstract expressionism brought the world’s attention to New York City. As the spirit of creativity has remained central to Garde’s work, “Harold Garde: Mid-Century to this Century” brings together 35 paintings that highlight the breadth of the painter’s career at the Orlando Museum of Art. Call 407-896-4231 or visit omart.org

Now to Jan. 3 – ‘Peter and the Star Catcher’ at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre

Young "star catcher" Molly Aster enlists the help of three orphan boys to return a trunk of precious "star-stuff" to her father in this new play by Rick Elice. Pursued by a pirate captain and a giant crocodile, the children must come face to face with the scariest enemy of all – their looming adulthood. This somewhat familiar story, with music by Wayne Barker, is the wildly theatrical, hilarious, and innovative story of the young orphan who would become Peter Pan. Call 407-447-1700 or visit orlandoshakes.org

Now to Jan. 15 – History-making art exhibit at Henao Center Gallery

Two years ago I had the unprecedented honor of making history as the first non-Greek artist in the world to exhibit in the National Archaeological Museum of Greece. The exhibit has returned from a two-year tour of Europe to open the new Henao Contemporary Center in Orlando, and continues through Jan. 15. Please consider this a personal invitation to visit the exhibit in its new home. Call 407-522-3906 or visit henaocenter.com

Jan. 5 to 10 – ‘The Sound of Music’ at the Dr. Phillips Center

Fifty years after the film version of this musical made it one of the most beloved musicals of all time, a brand new production of “The Sound of Music” is coming to the Dr. Phillips Center. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien, the musical story of Maria and the Von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony, Grammy, and Academy Award-winning score. Audiences in Central Florida will be among the first to see this all new production. Call 800-448-6322 or visit OrlandoBroadway.com

Jan. 5 to June 5 – ‘Behind Closed Doors: The Collection Revisited’

The Maitland Historical Society was founded in 1970 as a result of a Women’s Club initiative to preserve Maitland’s history. Early members of the Society collected stories and artifacts from local pioneer families and in 1977, the Maitland Historical Museum opened its doors. As the Society grew, it opened three additional museums to better serve its goal of bringing Florida history to life. See some of the rarely displayed pieces when the Art & History Museums – Maitland’s Maitland Historical Museum opens an exhibit filled with historical treasures. Call 407-539-2181 or visit ArtandHistory.org

Jan. 6 to Feb. 7 – ‘Dancing Lessons’ at Orlando Shakespeare

When a socially awkward professor is forced to attend an event with dancing, he seeks an injured Broadway performer for help. As their relationship grows, both loners are caught off guard by the discoveries they make about one another. Presented at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, Mark St. Germain’s very contemporary odd couple tells a love story mixed with the reality of human disabilities. Note: “Dancing Lessons” contains strong adult language. Call 407-447-1700 or visit orlandoshakes.org

Jan. 7 to Dec. 31 – Zora Neale Hurston 125: A Yearlong Celebration

The most significant interpreter of Southern, African-American culture, Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960) is the dominant female voice of the Harlem Renaissance era. In her works, she celebrates her hometown, Eatonville, as representative of the dignity and beauty of rural African-American life. A consummate folklorist and anthropologist, Hurston’s works educated the public about Eatonville’s cultural significance. “Zora Neale Hurston 125” is a special opportunity to remind a national audience of the impact of her writings. Call 407-647-3307 or visit zorafestival.org

Jan. 8 – The Toronto Symphony at Daytona Beach

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Canada’s foremost symphonic ensemble, celebrates its 94th season in 2016. Five million Canadians tune in to concert broadcasts on CBC Radio each year while the Orchestra’s international presence, built by a history of touring, is enhanced by programs such as the one to be presented at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona. Peter Oundjian conducts and Jan Lisiecki is the piano soloist in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 on Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. The program concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov’s brilliantly sensual “Scheherazade.” Call 386-671-3460 or visit PeabodyDaytona.com

Jan. 9 – (Ballet) stars of today meet the stars of tomorrow

The crown jewel of dance galas returns for a spectacular evening featuring star dancers from the world’s best companies and the award-winning ‘wunderkinds’ from the Youth America Grand Prix, the largest international student ballet competition. Included in this collection of exceptional ballet talent, see Orlando’s own Austen Acevedo – a true star of tomorrow – as he shares the stage with a glittering array of ballet stars of today. At the Straz Center in Tampa, call 813-229-7827 or visit strazcenter.org

Jan. 9 – ‘Beatlemania Now’ at the Bob Carr Theater

The Beatles changed the world in the ’60s and now we can “flashback” to that historic time of space exploration, protests in the streets, the war in Vietnam, “flower power,” and peace and love as “Beatlemania Now” performs incredible note-for-note renditions of Beatles' classics from throughout their career. In performance at the Bob Carr Theatre, call 844-513-2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org