Culture worthy of your calendar

Proving that Florida can be a great place to live in the late summer, the Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” at Downtown Disney is offering a very special $50 ticket price for Florida residents now through Oct. 29. Beginning as a group of 20 street performers in 1984, Cirque du Soleil has grown into a huge entertainment corporation with 5,000 employees from more than 50 countries. More than 8 million spectators have seen “La Nouba”, our Central Florida production of Cirque du Soleil. The show features high wire and flying trapeze acts, amazing gymnasts and other acts of coordination and strength in a unique story format. The music is created with its own language and features the artistry of Central Florida singing legend Sisaundra Lewis — reason enough to attend “La Nouba” over and over again. Call 407-939-7328 or visit cirquedusoleil.com/lanouba

Celebrity impersonators in Orlando

Where else but Orlando could you walk into a bar and run into Elvis Presley, George Bush, Lady Gaga and Tina Turner? It could happen if you find yourself at the Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort (formerly the Grosvenor) at Disney World on Aug. 19 or 20. That’s when the public is invited to attend the 2011 showcases of the Annual Sunburst Convention of Celebrity Impersonators, where 100 professional impersonators appear on stage and perform for two days of showcases. Each day features different stars, with each of the unique talents putting their best foot forward for talent agents from across the country. These professional entertainers are booked at corporate events, festivals, casinos, cruise ships and night clubs across the U.S. Greg and Jackie Thompson have produced the convention since 2004, and during that time the convention has been featured on CNN, “Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Daily Buzz” and many other TV shows. It is currently featured in a documentary called “Just About Famous,” which is winning awards at film festivals across the country. Most importantly, the individual performances run the gamut from inventive to amazing — and always fun. Visit sunburstconvention.com or call 407-226-9088

The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)

It’s a musical and it’s a satire on musicals and it’s being presented at the Winter Park Playhouse. No one handles the combination of music and satirical comedy better than the wacky crew at the Winter Park Playhouse, so this “Musical of Musicals” is a not-to-be-missed performance. Scheduled from Aug. 19 - 28 and Sept. 9-17, “The Musical” is presented in five acts, each of which is a short musical taking satirical shots at the style of a famous composer. “Corn! Corn!,” in the style of Rodgers and Hammerstein, takes place in “Kansas in August.” (I know — you’re beginning to get the picture.) “A Little Complex” channels the work of Stephen Sondheim, set in a New York apartment building full of neurotics. “Dear Abby” parodies the work of Jerry Herman, (think “Mame” and “Hello, Dolly!”) in which Aunt Abby is an unconventional Manhattan socialite. “Aspects of Juanita” is a pop-opera — including a phantom character and a chandelier. Yes, Andrew Lloyd Webber is skewered in that one, and finally, “Speakeasy” (as in “Chicago” and “Cabaret”) takes us to Chicago, where — for some reason — half the characters are German! “Speakeasy” parodies the work of John Kander and Fred Ebb. The incredibly talented cast includes Natalie Cordone, Kevin Kelly, Todd Allen Long and Kate O’Neal — actors graced with great voices and a gift for funny, all of which makes this production a non-stop laugh sensation. See it at the Winter Park Playhouse at 711 Orange Ave. in Winter Park. Call 407-645-0145 or visit www.winterparkplayhouse.org

Who is Garrick?

Josh Garrick is a writer, photographer, educator, and fine art curator. He is a member of the Curatorial Council for the Museum of Florida Art. Garrick can be reached at [email protected] or 407-522-3906.