2022 UCF Celebrates the Arts: 5 highlights to check out

Started in 2015, UCF Celebrates the Arts continues to grow with this year’s festival. As always, the annual fest takes place at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Orlando — but that means there’s a new venue for 2022, the recently opened Steinmetz Hall.

UCF Celebrates the Arts runs April 5-16 with a mix of free and paid performances, exhibits and lectures. You can find the complete schedule and ticket information at arts.cah.ucf.edu/ celebrates; register for the free events at the same website.

Here, representing various artistic genres, are five key programs at the festival to check out.

THEATER: ‘Shrek, the Musical,’ various times, April 14-16. Based on the hit animated movie, this stage show takes place in a fairy-tale kingdom where a green ogre looks for love, assisted by his wisecracking donkey pal. Tickets: $15-$60

CLASSICAL: National Young Composers Challenge Composium, noon April 10. Selected through a national competition,

composers ages 13 to 18 have their original pieces performed and recorded by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Christopher Wilkins. Free

JAZZ: ‘Jazz and the American Spirit,’ 7:30 p.m. April 8. The Flying Horse Big Band performs a concert inspired by Jeff Rupert’s

weekly radio program on WUCF89.9FM. Tickets: $15-$60

SPOKEN WORD: ‘A Celebration of the Poet Laureate,’ 6 p.m. April 9. Celebrate the art form with University of Central Florida graduate Shawn Welcome, who is Orlando’s poet laureate, and others. Free

OPERA: ‘Mozart First & Last,’ 8 p.m. April 8, 3 p.m. April 10. Opera UCF presents “Love in the Garden State,” a one-act adaptation of Mozart’s comedy “La Finta Giardiniera” performed in English, and a one-act adaptation of “La Clemenza,” performed in Italian. Tickets: $15-$30

Find me on Twitter @ matt_on_arts, facebook.com/ matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Want more theater and arts news and reviews? Go to orlandosentinel.com/arts. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

WILLIE J. ALLEN JR./ORLANDO SENTINEL Orlando Poet Laureate Shawn Welcome, pictured speaking in January in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Day, will participate in a UCF Celebrates the Arts program.

YOUNG COMPOSERS CHALLENGE Conductor Christopher Wilkins addresses participants at the 2015 Young Composers Challenge Composium.