Josh Garrick: Culture for Your Calendar

Final week through June 29 – Elton John's ‘AIDA’

Elton John and Tim Rice took a timeless love story from Egypt and created a rock musical that won both Tony and Grammy awards on Broadway. Now Director Derek Critzer has created a new production at the Venue on Virginia Drive. We are fortunate to have the level of talent displayed by this company — especially lead actor/singers LaDawn Taylor, Tony Flaherty and Emily Grainger. This is the final week to see this fully staged Broadway musical with extraordinary local talent. The show comes highly recommended. Tickets are available at clandestineorlando.com

Final week through June 30 – Breakthrough Theatre’s ‘Once On This Island’

From the Tony Award-winning songwriting team of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (“Seussical,” “Ragtime”) comes the Olivier Award-winning “Once On This Island,” the story of a peasant girl on a tropical island who uses the power of love to bring together people of differing social classes. This is the final week of performances through June 30 at The Breakthrough Theatre in Winter Park. For reservations, call 407-920-4034.

Through Aug. 31 – The Allure of Ancient Rome

Showcasing prints, drawings, and an illustrated book from the Cornell Museum’s permanent collection, the Cornell’s new exhibit highlights the significance of Roman antiquities in Europe and the role played by printed images in sharing knowledge about those antiquities. This exhibit coincides with the loan of a Roman sarcophagus to the Cornell with the print-works dating from 1540 to 1750. Admission is free. Call 407-646-2526 or visit Rollins.edu/cfam

June 27 – Summer family programs begin at the Morse Museum

Each summer the Morse Museum organizes free programs for elementary-school-aged children. The series begins Friday, June 27, with a family-friendly film showing including clips from the documentaries “Expo: Magic of the White City” (The Chicago World’s Fair of 1893) and “The World’s Greatest Fair: Saint Louis 1904.” After the films, children and parents will take guided tours of the galleries to see objects actually exhibited at these fairs. How cool is that? Reservations are required. Call 407-645-5311 or visit morsemuseum.org

June 27 – ‘Despicable Me 2’ at Lake Eola

Movieola combines the beauty of Lake Eola Park and the fun of family movies. On the last Friday of every month, a free family movie will be shown on Lake Eola’s East Lawn. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. with games, music and food available for purchase, with the movie starting at 8:30 p.m. “Despicable Me 2” will be shown on June 27, and “Muppets Most Wanted” is slated for July 25. The series will conclude on Aug. 29 with “Lego Movie.” Visit cityoforlando.net/parks/movieola

June 27 – Wine dinner at Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster

The peerless Christner’s Prime Steak & Lobster will join with Republic National Distributing for a five-course dinner and wine tasting on June 27 for an intimate group of 20 food and wine enthusiasts. For $115, guests will gather in a private dining room for an interactive wine experience led by Sommelier Dan Colgan. The dinner, introduced by Alice Christner, will highlight the history of the food and wine pairings. Visit christnersprimesteakandlobster.com or call 407-645-4443.

June 28 – Priscilla Bagley channels Linda Ronstadt’s Victory Tour

Direct from New York City, local songstress Priscilla Bagley presents “When Will I Be Loved?: The Linda Ronstadt ‘Hall of Fame’ Victory Tour” celebrating the hits of her vocal icon Linda Ronstadt. Like Ronstadt, Ms. Bagley is a crossover diva who can sing folk, rock and pop hits, Big Band classics and even a touch of operetta. Ms. Bagley will be at the Abbey for one night only on June 28 at 8 p.m. Visit AbbeyOrlando.com

June 29 – Classical guitar at Casa Feliz

Described as "smooth jazz on caffeine,” classical guitarist Luis Alfredo Garcia will perform at Casa Feliz in a free program of classical guitar on June 29 at noon. Garcia received his formal training at the Conservatory in Puerto Rico and has performed in Central Florida for nearly 20 years, offering the full range of classical guitar, while developing his unique sound of Latin-Jazz-Flamenco fusion. Casa Feliz is located at 656 N. Park Ave. in Winter Park. Visit casafeliz.squarespace.com

June 29 – Comedian Artie Lange at Plaza Live

The words comedian, actor, writer, producer, entrepreneur and radio personality all describe the prolific Artie Lange, a member of “The Howard Stern Show” for a decade, followed by his current gig on “The Artie Lange Show.” Lange sold out Carnegie Hall in three hours, his book “Too Fat to Fish” debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list, and he recently starred in his own special – “Jack and Coke.” Lange will perform at Plaza Live in Orlando on June 29 at 7:30 p.m. Visit plazaliveorlando.com

July 1 – Terry Olson hosts Charles Dickens Trivia Night

While it’s not all about Dickens, it is fun to see how something about SunRail is related to something about Dickens in this Charles Dickens Trivia Night fundraiser for the homeless, hosted by Terry Olson. Each table of four forms a team with an entry of $10 per team ($2.50 per person). Half of the money goes to the homeless and the other half goes to the winning team. Mr. Dickens would be proud. Trivia Night is July 1 at 7 p.m. at the Stardust Coffee Shop at 1842 E. Winter Park Road in Orlando. Visit WhattheDickensOrlando.com

And looking ahead …

Aug. 9 – Taste of the Nation – Orlando

“For 25 years, Taste of the Nation has provided a meaningful outreach for hungry kids and families across Central Florida,” says Dave Krepcho, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank. On Aug. 9 at 6:45 p.m., Taste of the Nation brings together the area's top chefs who donate their time, talent and passion to end childhood hunger in Central Florida. Along with extraordinary food, guests sample select wines while enjoying auctions and entertainment. Please know that every dollar raised fights hunger and homelessness in Central Florida. Tickets are $150. Visit tasteofthenation.org/orlando or facebook.com/OrlandoTaste