Grammy Award-winner and Opera Orlando general director, Mr. Gabriel Preisser, will perform Baritone to Broadway on May 14, 2026. This one-hour special event performance will take place at The University Club in Winter Park, located at 841 North Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789.
Join Gabe for an evening to remember as he performs a stirring selection of songs from opera favorites to Broadway's best! Selections include "Largo al Factotum" (The Barber of Seville), "Hamlet's Aria" (Hamlet), "Bring Him Home" (Les Miserables), "The Impossible Dream" (Man of La Mancha), "Soliloquy" (Carousel), and more!
Gabriel Preisser is a Grammy-winning operatic baritone who has been praised by Opera News and The New York Times for his "handsome voice, charismatic energy, timbral allure" and "wonderful" performances! This season, he made his Lincoln Center debut as the bassist soloist in Handel's Messiah with the National Chorale. His resume includes over 50 operatic and musical theatre roles, including Billy Bigelow in Carousel (Minnesota Orchestra), the Father in Hansel & Gretel (Utah Opera), the title role in Sweeney Todd (Helena Symphony), Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Tommy in Brigadoon (Gulfshore Opera), Silvio in Pagliacci (Opera Naples), and Harold Hill in The Music Man (Colorado Symphony).
Mr. Preisser made a name for himself as a versatile, cross-over performer and has been especially active in new works. He created the role of Lt. Gordon in Kevin Puts' Pulitzer Prize-winning Silent Night at Minnesota Opera, with subsequent performances at Opera Philadelphia, Cincinnati Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre. He can be heard on the official audio recording playing Farmer Bean in Tobias Picker's Fantastic Mr. Fox under the baton of Gil Rose with the Boston Modern Orchestra Project which won a Grammy Award for best new opera recording in 2020.
Tickets are $30 and are general admission seating. This is a first-come, first-served seating choice. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7:30 p.m. show.
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As part of their Sounds of the World Series of events, The Winter Park Playhouse and Barbara Chandler Productions present United Groove: An Evening of Funk, Blues and Soul on Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 7 p.m. This event celebrates Black Music Month and features the popular band United Groove. The performance is free of charge and will be held at the Winter Park Library's Edyth Bush Theatre at 1052 West Morse Blvd, Winter Park, FL 32789.
Founded in 2023 by Ed "Smooth Fingaz" Wilson and Ashton "Tuba" Cain, United Groove specializes in R&B, Soul, Reggae, Smooth Jazz, Motown, and Funk, with high-energy crowd interaction and excitement. After adding Jay Umlauf on guitar, James Johnson on saxophone, and Alvin "T.E.C." Colbert on drums, the band was complete.
The Winter Park Playhouse is pleased to continue its partnership with Barbara Chandler Productions to shine a spotlight on the diverse and unique talent of the Central Florida community. The Sounds of the World Series celebrates different cultures, heritages, and musical styles as part of the Playhouse's community outreach programming.
Sounds of the World is sponsored in part by the Orange County Government through the Arts and Cultural Affairs program, the Winter Park Community Redevelopment Agency, Division of Arts & Culture, and United Arts of Central Florida. The Winter Park Library is donating the use of the Edyth Bush Theatre to help make the performances accessible to all.
Admission is free for this event; no tickets are required. Seating is first-come, first-served and is limited to approximately 90 seats. The library auditorium will open for seating beginning at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show.
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The Winter Park Playhouse will return to its home at 711 N. Orange Avenue in Winter Park this summer and open the doors to a completely renovated theatre. The building purchase and renovations were made possible by a generous grant from Orange County. The facility will boast increased seating capacity (from 123 to 172), a larger stage, dedicated cabaret space, expanded restroom facilities, and a renewed lobby.
A Grand Opening Gala will take place on July 17, 2026, to christen the new space. Tickets for this exciting gala event are $150 per person. The evening will begin at 7:30 p.m. and include a dessert and cocktail reception, live music, a champagne toast, ribbon cutting, and a special one-hour show celebrating the renovated theatre.
Net proceeds from this special event go to support the quality musical programming presented by The Winter Park Playhouse, a non-profit 501(c)(3) arts organization. Along with events at the theatre, our mission-based non-profit brings fully-funded, free arts programming to underserved children at Title I elementary schools in the area and to the facility-bound and economically-disadvantaged senior citizen population in our community.