Family Festival Line Up at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
Today is the day when the public gets its first opportunity to take a look at the brand new Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Open from noon today until 6pm, visitors can take a leisurely self guided tour around the new facility. At 8pm Sheryl Crow will then take the stage outside the new building to give a free concert. In between time, visitors can enjoy sampling some food, beer or wine at various locations around the area.
The Dr. Phillips Center will open again at noon tomorrow until 4pm for further viewing and enjoy some great entertainment.
The Seneff Arts Plaza will come to life with alternating acts from music groups on the stage to drummers, jugglers and performers interacting throughout the lawn. Performances include Legacy!, Rico Monaco Band, Orlando Concert Band, and Far Young. Discounted tickets to the hospitality suite for the November 9 Family Festival are also available for $30.00 either in advance or on the door. Tickets give guests access to a climate-controlled hospitality area with private restroom facilities, high top tables and chairs, lunch from Bubbalou’s Bodacious BBQ and three drink (beer/wine/soda) tickets.
“The Family Festival on the Seneff Arts Plaza and the Open House tours of the Dr. Phillips Center are in the spirit of Arts for Every Life,” says Scott Gailbraith, vice president of programming and education. “We want the variety of styles of performances to reflect that vision and reflect the mosaic of our community.”
Open house tours of the Dr. Phillips Center will be ongoing throughout the day. Guests will take self-guided tours and explore the Della Phillips Grand Lobby, the Walt Disney Theater, the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater and the Seneff Arts Plaza. The tour includes spots for photos and the opportunity to purchase tickets for upcoming shows and events.
Legacy! opens the event, with Broadway and Jazz tunes that everyone will enjoy. Legacy! is a professional group that serves as the vocal ambassadors of Central Florida Community Arts. They perform at corporate functions, private parties and other special events. Legacy! performs a broad variety of styles, including Broadway, gospel, Christmas, 60’s, patriotic and jazz.
Rico Monaco Band will heat up the afternoon with their “red hot Rock band” with Latin influences. Based in Florida, they have performed around the world. The band will perform their unique original songs and stylized remakes of classic songs.
The Orlando Concert Band is a 65-member wind ensemble founded in 1989 and composed of both professional and amateur musicians. The band performs throughout Central Florida for concerts plus a variety of ceremonies and other special events. Some of their recent venues include the St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Oviedo concert series, the City of Orlando’s “Fireworks at the Fountain” 4th of July celebration, the Winter Park Arts Festival, Memorial Day Ceremonies at Woodlawn Cemetery, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s commencement ceremonies, and NASA’s 50th Anniversary at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
Far Young is the explosive new boy band featuring Eben Franckewitz, Jackson Owens and Christian Wossilek. The boy band will close out the day of performances. The band released its first original single, “#Everything,” internationally in Summer 2014 and is now producing their first E.P. Far Young has performed across the U.S. in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, New Orleans, and Orlando. In 2012, Eben was the youngest contestant ever to become a top-12 male finalist on “American Idol” in the show’s 11th season. Christian won a two-year management contract after being named overall winner of a talent hunt competition in his home state of Alabama. And Jackson became known as a singing prodigy of his native New Zealand at age 10, earning international attention as a contestant and live audition qualifier on “New Zealand’s Got Talent” and New Zealand’s gold-medal winner at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Los Angeles. He was also hand-selected by “Australian Idol” winner Stan Walker as an opening act during his nationwide winner’s tour.
It promises to be an exciting weekend in Orlando. Hope you can take in some of it!
More photographs of the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts at www.FloridaLeisurePhotography.com
