Even if you’re originally from Central Florida (or have been living here for a while), you may not know that we have a great community arts program that produces many wonderful orchestral, theater and choir productions throughout the year. If you’re a theater lover like me, I highly recommend you check out the many programs put on by CFCArts!
Established in 2011, CFCArts is a volunteer-based community program that has over 500 choir members, a 155-member community Symphony Orchestra, and over 100 registered children and youth in their programs for school-age performers. Their central mission is to build and serve our community through the arts.
A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend their concert-style production of “Into the Woods” at Northland Church in Longwood, FL. I purchased my tickets online and selected the “will call” option.
I had never been to Northland Church before, so I didn’t know what to expect in regards to parking and facility layout. On the day of the show, I was pleasantly surprised to find a large, well-lit parking lot with plenty of free parking spaces. Volunteers were on hand to direct traffic and parking was done smoothly and efficiently.
Inside the church, it was fairly easy to locate the will-call table and my tickets were printed in less than 2 minutes. Before doors open, you can hang out in the church’s lobby – equipped with lots of seating spaces, accessible restrooms, and a small café offering sandwiches, salads, and drinks. When the doors open, CFCArts has plenty of volunteers helping out with tickets; handing out playbooks and helping you find your seat.
Our $10 seats were right at the front on stage right. It offers a somewhat “limited” side view of the production, but being right next to the stage made up for any “front” viewing we were missing. The orchestra was set right in the middle of the stage, with the choir split into two groups on either side.
After a short introduction from one of CFCArts founding members, the lights dimmed and the show started! The cast quickly filled the stage in front of the orchestra, and the beautiful sounds of this beloved musical filled the theater with laughter and applause. Having seen this particular show before, I was pleased by the production in its entirety. From the event description, I was expecting more of a concert experience, but instead, we were treated to most of the musical in play form – just without a proper set. The talented cast performed each song perfectly. Costumes were on-point, and lighting was done well. There were a couple hiccups with the sound, but they were corrected efficiently. The show was split into two acts, with a 15-minute intermission in between.
I thoroughly enjoyed my night of musical theater and could not recommend the talented company of CFCArts more. For the price of a movie ticket, we were able to enjoy a live orchestra, wonderful choir and talented performers. And the fact that proceeds benefit their many community programs made the experience even more special. For upcoming shows, or more information, please visit https://cfcarts.com/events/.
