The Arts Connection - February 14, 2008

 Click here to listen to Part 1

OlaFest opens tonight with a free concert by Otros Aires at the Lake Eola Ampitheatre.  The Orlando Latin American Film and Heritage Festival offres close to 50 films, including a series of "green" films called Ola Verde.  There's also a series of films and concerts that pay tribute to Venezuela.

Chaz Mena is a New York City-based actor and writer who stars in a film that will premiere at OlaFest.  He also wrote a 1-man play on Jose Marti, who is known as the father of Cuban independence.   A Chat Wtih Jose Marti will be performed during OlaFest.  In this report, Bill Dudley of the Florida Humanities Council talks with actor about his research on Marti.

 Click here to listen to Part 2

The annual Winter Park Bach Festival begins its 73rd installment on February 15. This festival is a powerful and stirring multi-week program of events, which includes world-class soloists, and ensembles. Highlights of the festival include the opening performance by Anonymous 4 on Feb. 15, and pianist Leon Fleisher on Feb. 23-24.   In addition, the Society offers opportunities to learn more about the music through interactive events, pre-concert lectures before performances, and an Open Rehearsal for a "behind the scenes" look at concert preparation.

See a complete schedule of concerts

The Orlando Opera opens Johann Strauss's Die Fledermaus at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center February 15, 17 and 19. The operetta uses an evening of lavish celebration and dance in the form of a masquerade ball as a backdrop for the plot of mistaken identity to develop. A simple prank goes awry, and a wife attempts to expose her philandering husband, amidst the melodies and glitter of the masked gala.

 Click here to listen to Part 3

Tonight on WMFE-TV's Arts Connection, Secily Wilson will report from the stage of Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba.  There are 8 live musicians in the show - the female vocalist is Sisaundra Lewis-Reid.  She grew up near Winter Haven singing in her father's church.  Later she toured around the world with R&B artist Peabo Bryson and pop singer Celine Dion, but returned home in 1998, where she has performed with her jazz band, The Sounds of Soul, sung at Universal Studios' CityJazz and now in La Nouba. 

 Click here to listen to Sisaundra's song, Emotional  or to  Shout -- she wrote the lyrics to Shout the day the troops were deployed to Iraq.  And, to hear my entire interview with her, Click Here. 

 CASTING CALL -
Auditions and other artist opportunities can be found at the Arts & Cultural Alliance website.   Auditions are also listed on Elizabeth Maupin's blog, Attention Must Be Paid.  Elizabeth is the theatre critic for the Orlando Sentinel.