Winter Garden Heritage Foundation and Orlando Opera to debut "Patriotism on Plant"

Opera Orlando, in partnership with the Winter Garden Heritage Foundation, currently is producing a patriotic performance centered around Winter Garden’s history. 

“Patriotism on Plant: A Musical Journey Celebrating America’s 250th,” which will take place Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, July 26, is about uniting, inspiring and connecting community members while honoring America and Winter Garden’s histories as well as those who fought for the country. 

“Winter Garden is an older city, and (WGHF) has photos from the 1800s, early 1900s, so I thought it’d be cool to have music over the different decades, the different generations going all the way back to the 1800s, and then show footage of historic Winter Garden over the decades as well, so you can see how the town has developed,” Opera Orlando General Director Gabriel Preisser said. 

It will be a one-of-a-kind performance. 

WGHF Executive Director Kristi Karst Gomen said the Garden Theatre was the perfect place to host the performance, too.  

“The Garden Theatre is the absolute cultural heart of historic downtown Winter Garden,” she said. “As our nation approaches its 250th anniversary, it felt essential to celebrate our great nation in a space that carries its own rich, local history. Bringing this performance here grounds national history in our local spirit, reminding us that America’s story is ultimately built by communities exactly like ours.” 

Lead vocalists include a quartet from Opera Orlando, as well as a narrator, who will walk the audience through the decades through vocals. 

Songs such as “God Bless America,” “America the Beautiful,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Born in the U.S.A.” will have the audience singing along, Preisser said. 

“The music is going to be a blast,” he said. 

Planning for “Patriotism on Plant: A Musical Journey Celebrating America’s 250th” began in December, right after Opera Orlando performed “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914” at the Garden Theatre. 

Karst Gomen said seeing how moving and historically grounded the performance resonated with Winter Garden residents, she knew she had to bring Opera Orlando back to celebrate Independence Day and America’s 250th birthday. 

“Gabriel Preisser and his team share our deep commitment to storytelling and community enrichment,” Karst Gomen said. “They don’t just put on a show, they create a transformative experience.” 

There will be instruments, vocals, visual tributes, costumes and lighting, but more important, veterans also will be recognized. A portion of the proceeds from the performance will be donated to Challenge 22, a Winter Garden nonprofit dedicated to ending and preventing veteran suicide while providing resources for those in need. 

“The mission of Challenge 22 is life-saving, and as we celebrate the freedom of our nation, it is our duty to support and honor the veterans who stepped up to defend it,” Karst Gomen said. 

The rest of the proceeds will benefit WGHF to ensure the protection of archives and that history remains alive for generations to come, she said.

“Our residents have an immense pride in their heritage and a profound respect for our country,” she said. “Being able to bring world-class entertainment right to their backyard to celebrate America 250 is a dream for our foundation.” 

Preisser is just as honored. 

“I hope it gives back in some way,” he said. “That’s always the goal with this — is to share our talents, share our music and hopefully touch other people’s lives.” 

Preisser said the performance will not be a lecture. 

“This will be a really fun concert with music, love and just a real celebration,” he said.

Karst Gomen and Preisser both hope the audience leaves the performance with a heart full of love, gratitude, patriotism and joy. 

“There are a lot of trials in the world today,” Preisser said. “A lot of challenges, a lot of negative things out there, but I think when you know Winter Garden is a beautiful place to live in, it’s a beautiful community, I think we can all come together and be unified around that, and be unified around the people that have fought for us over the past 250 years, so we can celebrate the freedoms and liberties that we enjoy today.”