Raise the Curtain
by Jill Duff-Hoppes
The Roth Family Jewish Community Center of Greater Orlando will present an array of cultural arts programming for all ages in the coming months, with offerings designed to educate as well as entertain. Some programs are brand-new while others are longtime favorites that are returning, much to the delight of JCC officials and the arts-loving community.
In the We’re Back! category are two programs – the Central Florida Jewish Film Festival and a reboot of the beloved Center Players community theater. The JCC is also leaping into a new partnership with Orlando Ballet to offer several dance programs geared toward preschoolers and the senior community. Here is a sneak peek at what’s in store at the J over the next few months:
Fall Flicks
Organizers of the Central Florida Jewish Film Festival are thrilled to announce that the 23rd annual event will return to in-person screenings this year after being a virtual-only affair in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The popular festival, a partnership between the JCC and Enzian, is a cinematic celebration of Jewish life, culture, and history. This year’s films will be screened from November 13-16 at the Enzian cinema café in Maitland and the Orlando Science Center’s Digital Adventure Theater.
Although this year’s movie lineup hasn’t been finalized, the festival typically features a compelling variety of comedies, dramas, and documentaries submitted from the United States, Israel, and other countries around the world. Occasionally, one or two short films are also added to the mix.
Longtime JCC volunteer Harriet Weiss, who chairs the film selection committee, says audiences can be assured of seeing six high-quality, new films that are not yet available to the general public in theaters or on streaming services such as Netflix. Each year, the committee watches 60 to 80 feature-length films, plus about 20 short films, before making their final selections with input from Enzian staffers.
“To pick six films out of that many is quite a feat, and the committee is very proud to find the best films that we think will be right for our community,” Harriet says. “We’ll have some great stuff this year.”
Over the years, the festival has expanded from two days to three days – and now, it has a four-day run. The opening- and closing-night films will be screened on November 13 and 16 at the Orlando Science Center. In between, two films will be shown on November 14 as well as on November 15 at the Enzian. Individual tickets and a limited number of festival passes will be available once the lineup has been announced.
To purchase tickets or passes, visit Enzian.org.
You’re a Star!
Community theater is making a welcome comeback at the JCC, starting with a stylish cabaret show designed to give audiences a taste of Broadway’s most famous tunes.
The show – with the catchy title of Cabaret at the J – will be the first production in what JCC officials hope will become a full relaunch of the Center Players community theater, which has been on hiatus in recent years. Rather than starting with a large-scale musical or comedy – like the ones the Center Players presented in years past – the theater program will kick off on a smaller, more intimate scale with the cabaret.
Carla DelVillaggio, an award-winning Barbra Streisand tribute artist and an adjunct music professor at Valencia College, has been tapped to direct the cabaret. Auditions will be from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on November 9 and 11 at the JCC, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on February 12 and at 2:00 and 6:00 p.m. on February 13.
Harriet, who launched the JCC’s theater department when she was on staff there years ago, is happy to have Carla on board.
“Carla is terrific and she’s very talented,” says Harriet, who once hired her to perform as Barbra at the JCC. “She’s so much fun, and she’s got a great personality.”
Plans call for the show to resemble a New York City cabaret, with a small cast of performers dressed in cocktail attire, a sparkly curtain as the backdrop, and patrons seated at round tables. The work of Jewish composers will be well-represented in the song selection, and Carla will also take the stage to perform as Barbra. In addition to the musical treats, patrons will be served wine, cheese, and dessert.
“I love working in this format – it’s fun,” says Carla, who has produced cabaret shows at Valencia College and Orlando Fringe. “I’m looking forward to putting it all together. Audiences will be in for a magical night of music paying tribute to the best of Broadway from over the years.”
For audition information, contact Carla at SimplyStreisand2@gmail.com.
Dance, Dance, Dance!
Preschoolers and seniors alike will soon have the opportunity to experience the joy of dance at the JCC, thanks to an emerging partnership with Orlando Ballet. The arrangement will bring three dance programs to the JCC’s campus in Maitland this fall:
FIRST STEPS – an early childhood arts education program for preschoolers who are potty-trained. A highlight of the 13-week program will be a visit from a ballerina and ballerino (male dancer) who will give a short performance in costume for the students.
BeMoved – for younger seniors ages 50 and up. The program will inspire participants to embrace dance and fitness as a path to health, enjoyment, and fulfillment while ensuring a safe, body-friendly movement experience.
Gentle BeMoved – for mature seniors (think the JCC’s 39ers club). The program is designed to improve strength, balance, and flexibility and is tailored to participants with limited mobility due to age, health, or injury. Classes begin with a seated warm-up and progress to upright dancing that can be modified to seated if needed.
“These programs are really cool and exciting and are what we hope will be the start of a lot more collaboration with Orlando Ballet,” says Keith Dvorchik, CEO of The Roth Family JCC. “There’s been a lot of interest in dance here, particularly with our younger children and with our enrichment programming. Dance is a very popular activity for both boys and girls, and with our seniors, they want to have some sort of exercise and movement.”
The JCC has offered Israeli dancing classes for adults for years, but this new collaboration will offer even more opportunities for the community to learn about the art of dance, stay active, and have fun. Plans are also in the works to bring Orlando Ballet’s STEPS program to the JCC in January. STEPS is a 13-week program designed to introduce elementary-age children to classical ballet and other dance genres.
The Orlando Ballet programs at the JCC are being sponsored by the Pargh Foundation, a charitable trust that enhances Jewish life in Central and South Florida and supports noteworthy Jewish organizations elsewhere in the United States.
For more information about arts programming at the J, visit OrlandoJCC.org. Avivit Erlichman, The Roth Family JCC’s cultural arts director, can provide more details about Orlando Ballet classes, the Central Florida Jewish Film Festival, and Cabaret at the J. Avivit can be reached at AvivitE@OrlandoJCC.org.