Culture worthy of your calendar

Free outdoor concert by the Orlando Philharmonic

The long winter of our discontent is finally ended, and there is no better way to celebrate the return of warm weather than with a free concert in the park by the Orlando Philharmonic. The Philharmonic invites friends and families to their annual Spring Pops concert at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 14 in Winter Park's Central Park. Presented by the Hollander Trust, the concert will be led by Maestro Dirk Meyer in a program called Musical Postcards. The musical selections for these concerts always include beautiful, popular music, and this year's 'trip around the world' includes Espana by Chabrier, Salute to the Big Apple by Calvin Custer, Miss Saigon by Claude-Michel Schönberg, and the Overture to Gypsy by Jule Styne. A special added treat is guest artist Susanna Diaz, who will join the Philharmonic to sing "Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen and "I'll Take Manhattan" by Richard Rodgers. It's beautiful music in a perfect setting at the best time of year — and it's free — the perfect family event. For information, call 407-896-6700.

All of Shakespeare — shortened — really shortened!

The good folks at the beautifully restored Garden Theatre (in downtown Winter Garden) love their comedy, and you can only imagine the potential for laughs in a performance of "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)," which will open March 12 and run through April 3.

Three actors — Jay Hopkins, Christopher Prueitt and Will Hagaman — play all the parts, and they will be directed by the brilliant and witty Richard Width, who recently directed Hamlet for the Shakespeare Festival. This parody (of all the plays written by Shakespeare) are 'performed' — or at least referred to — during the show. The actors speak directly to the audience and audience participation is encouraged. Even the director and stage crew become involved in the performance. The script is a lovingly farcical, tongue-in-cheek look at Shakespeare with humor, footnotes, spontaneous conversations and references to pop culture are an integral part of the fun. As a result, each performance varies … keeping the actors (and audience) on their toes. For tickets call 407-877-4736 or visit gardentheatre.org. Tickets may also be purchased at the Theatre Box Office at 160 W. Plant St. in downtown Winter Garden.

Richard Marx at the Plaza Theater

He has sold more than 30 million albums and has written 13 No. 1 hit songs. His self-titled debut album kicked off his career in 1987 selling three million copies; his 1989 follow-up CD, "Repeat Offender", became even more successful, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide. From 1987 to 1990, Richard Marx became the first male solo artist in history to have his first seven singles reach the Top 5 on Billboard's singles charts, including the hits "Hold On to the Nights", "Satisfied", and "Right Here Waiting", an achievement that remains unchallenged today.

Through all of this — and a host of awards — Richard Marx has remained a fixture on pop and contemporary radio. From his earliest success, Marx has been involved with charitable organizations, donating royalties and building hospital rooms for pediatric cancer patients. He wrote and recorded the song "Children of the Night" about homeless children, donating the song's royalties to a foundation that houses and reforms street kids. Now we have the chance to hear him sing those hits live as he brings his memories and his tuneful honesty to the Plaza Theater in Downtown Orlando at 8 p.m. Friday, March 19. The Plaza is located at 425 N. Bumby Ave. Call 407-228-1220 for tickets.