The ArtsFest Finale

It was the last day of ArtsFest, and I couldn’t think of a better way to bring these ten days to a close than to watch one of the most beloved plays of all time: The Kind and I.

The King and I, a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, is a tale about an English school teacher named Anna Leonowens as she travels with her young son to Siam to tutor the many wives and children of King Mongkut. I’d heard nothing but good things about the musical, so when finally presented with the opportunity to see it, I knew I couldn’t pass it up!

So off I went to the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center in Sanford. I was excited, I was anxious and I was ready to be dazzled!

I entered the building and took my seat, but as I was waiting I came to be a little bit confused. There was music playing, but the curtain was down. And it stayed down. For a while.

I was beginning to question whether this was a play at all or just a musical performance when finally the music came to an end, and applause erupted. A moment later, the curtain was drawn and the show began.

The first scene was lovely enough; as Anna and her son sailed to Siam, she broke out into the first song in her beautiful voice and I was immediately drawn into the story. But the part that truly amazed me was what came next.

The first second curtain was drawn and the stage was illuminated to reveal what easily rivaled the beauty of any set I had ever seen. The King of Siam’s palace was filled with rich reds and golds and purples and blues, and large curtains draped to the floor behind golden screens. In the middle of the stage stood a tall throne of gold, and on it sat the King himself, dressed in blood red robes trimmed in gold..

The glory of the set was absolutely astonishing. I have never seen anything like it, and I was unable to tear my gaze away for even a second. The live orchestra in front of the stage only added to the richness of the performance. Between the witty, humorous and genuine dialogue between the characters, the beautiful music and the breathtaking set, this was easily the best play I have seen in a long time.

The last event on my to-do list was the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in Avalon Park. Now, when the location in my ArtsFest pamphlet said “Avalon Park”, I was expecting to arrive in an actual park. Apparently I assumed incorrectly.

I turned into the entrance of Avalon Park and found myself driving not through a wooded glen or clearing or anything quite so quaint, but instead an actual neighborhood. There were apartments and flats on one side, houses on the other and all sorts of little shops in between.

I parked on the lawn next to a long line of other vehicles and was greeted by a group of kids that ran past with squirt guns. This was my first indicator of what was to come...great fun.

I meandered on over to a small amphitheater in front of which countless families sat in lawn chairs, on top of towels and sprawled out across the soft grass. The lazy Sunday afternoon sunlight was filtering down warmly on the audience as children laughed and screamed and soft tunes from string voices filled the air.

All around the edges of the lawn was a sidewalk down which people were walking their dogs and chatting softly. There were booths set up as well, some that served coffee and hot cocoa and others that sold tropical smoothies, knitted hats and everything in between.

When I finally found a seat on the lawn amidst the other concert-goers, I was pleasantly surprised at how soft the grass was. It wasn’t like the stereotypical Florida grass that poked my feet and was filled with fire ants; it was soft and green and cool from the breeze. It was REAL grass!

Things only got better from there as the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra selected the song Green Sleeves as their next number. And as I sat on the cool lawn with the sunlight warming my back, I took the chance to reflect on the last nine days I’d experienced.

I’d had a little taste of everything on my plate, from sculpture to improvised comedy, to symphonies and plays and dance and African folklore and pottery, and if there’s one thing that I can take away from all of it, it’s this:

No one should be intimidated to pursue art in any avenue. There are so many different mediums to try, and there are so many chances every day to create something beautiful. And that’s what is important to remember; it doesn’t matter what you do or how you do it, but it’s crucial that you simply DO. In context of the universe, our time here on Earth is fleeting, and the most significant thing we can do as human beings is to leave behind a beautiful mark upon the world, and the way we do this is simple:

We create Art.

These ten days have been absolutely magnificent, and I’ll be biding my time waiting for next year’s ArtsFest to come rolling around again.

Until then, I hope that everyone has had a happy ArtsFest 2010, because without a doubt, I know I did!