ORLANDO ARTS SEASON PREVIEW 2020-21:
Three to see
A trio of theater highlights selected by Orlando Sentinel arts writer Matthew J. Palm.
AS IT IS IN HEAVEN: Mad Cow Theatre’s recent production of “Last Train to Nibroc” reminded us of just how lovely a writer Florida native Arlene Hutton is. And while the coronavirus pandemic has delayed future Mad Cow installments of the “Nibroc” trilogy, the Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College has a treat to tide us over.
Hutton is the nom de plume of Beth Lincks, a 1975 Rollins College alumna and she will return to the Winter Park institution to direct one of her works “As It Is In Heaven.” The all-woman show debuted in 2001 and was well received by critics. It’s set in an austere Shaker religious community in 1830s Kentucky and uses hymns and songs as part of the storytelling.
The Shakers are rocked when a newcomer claims to see angels, opening a discussion about faith and community.
“As It Is in Heaven” will be staged Feb. 12-20, 2021, at the Annie Russell Theatre, 1000 Holt Ave. in Winter Park. For more information, go to rollins.edu/annie or call 407-646-2145.
BARE BARD: The plan for Orlando Shakes’ ambitious “Fire & Reign” series has been thrown out of whack by the coronavirus shutdown. But the next installment, a “Bare Bard” production of William Shakespeare’s “Henry IV, part 2” is back on the schedule.
The “Fire & Reign” series presents seven of Shakespeare’s history plays chronicling the rulers of England through multiple generations, complete with all the intrinsic love and loyalty, battles and betrayal.
“Henry IV, part 2” deals with a young royal’s growing pains. Presenting it “Bare Bard” style means the show will go on without lengthy rehearsals — or a director. The actors will fend for themselves, as they would have done in Shakespeare’s era.
The show will be staged Feb. 5-14, 2021, at Orlando Shakes, 812 E. Rollins St. in Orlando. For more information, go to orlandoshakes.org or call 407-447-1700.
THE PROM: This year’s Broadway in Orlando series has some big names: “Hamilton,” “Wicked” and newer hits such as “Hadestown” and “The Band’s Visit.” But don’t miss out on “The Prom,” an underrated Broadway musical that combines modern sensibility with old-school theater fun.
Catchy songs and kicky dances help tell the story of what happens when a quartet of narcissistic actors (redundant?) descends on a sleepy Midwestern town to rally behind a teen girl who wants to take her girlfriend to her highschool prom — something the PTA is dead-set against.
The young women’s story is poignant, the actors’ story is silly, and yet, it jells into a cohesive look at modern life with plenty of laughs. For more information, go to orlando.broadway.com.