And all that jazz 👐

Hello pen pals of mine,

What a whirlwind of a month. It feels like May is flying by!

Sam here, back to bring you the latest on Central Florida’s arts and entertainment scene.

I feel like I’ve just been trotting along, spending some much-needed quality time with family and friends, catching up on the best books and shows in my downtime (Hello, “The Great” Season 3!!) and all that jazz.

But I always aim to have something exciting up my sleeve and it seems Central Florida and I have that in common. There’s so much going on just this weekend, from Daytona Beach’s Welcome to Rockville music festival to the Orlando Fringe Festival to a New Smyrna Beach jazz event taking over the city.

And that‘s only some of the arts and entertainment news in the area. To find out what’s going on over the next few weeks, keep reading!

Orlando Fringe 🎭

Local theater fans won’t be surprised to hear that the 32nd annual Orlando Fringe Festival officially kicked off this week!

The 14-day festival, which is based in Loch Haven Park and features venues sprinkled around the Orlando area, runs until next weekend.

It’s got everything — well, except bad times, awful food and uninspired international performances. See what I did there? (It does have all those things... Did I just ruin it by overexplaining?)

Here’s everything you need to know.

Closer Look Q&A: See the Stars ✨

Ever wanted to see Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers live? What about the Beatles, Led Zeppelin or Supertramp? Well, Melbourne’s Maxwell C. King Center for the performing arts is giving audiences a chance to with its “Classic Albums Live” series.

I got to speak with two of the rockers behind the cover band that will take the stage to do these legendary albums justice.

To find out more, click here.

More Music, Movies and Mayhem Near You 🎶📽️🤯

📜 Are you or do you know an artist ages 16-24 in need of funds for a performing arts project/education? If the number of starving artist friends I have is any indication, I’d say the answer is yes. It can be hard to get a head start as a performer, but this LGBTQ+ Central Florida scholarship, named after famous Broadway legend and Orlando Fringe favorite Sam Singhaus (aka Miss Sammy), is here to help. Find all the details on how you can apply here.

🥁 What better way to improve the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival (well, besides making the food and wine free — are you listening Epcot?!) than with dozens of your favorite musicians in concert? Eat to the Beat, a concerts series at the festival starting in July, features Boyz II Men, Billy Ocean, Air Supply, Hanson and more. Who’s “and more?” Click here to find out.

🎹 Ever heard of hip-hop duo Smilez and Southstar? In Riff On This’ edition of “Where Are They Now?” host Samara Cokinos caught up with the Orlando musicians, who have done a lot since their top 40 smash hit “Tell Me” came out. Want to know what they’ve been up to? Click here.

End Credits 🎬

Thanks for sticking around to hear about the latest arts endeavors bringing Central Florida to life!

If you have anything you would like to hear more about or if you’re an artist or know an artist that has an upcoming project you want to see shimmer in the spotlight, please email me, Sam Dunne, at sdunne@wkmg.com.

Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Only sing and dance.