Theresa Smith-Levin, executive director of Central Florida Vocal Arts and Opera Del Sol, has long wanted to tackle Sunday Afternoon in the Park with George, which was inspired by Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, the iconic 1884 painting by French pointillist Georges Seurat. | Courtesy Rafael Tongol
Theresa Smith-Levin, executive director of Central Florida Vocal Arts and Opera Del Sol, was a student at Winter Park High School when she first heard the music of Sunday in the Park with George at the school’s annual Night on Broadway.
Now she’ll have a chance to introduce the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical to new audiences when CFVA takes the stage for three performances in the Alexis & Jim Pugh Theater at Dr. Phillips Center. Showtimes are Friday and Saturday, November 7 and 8, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 9, at 3 p.m.
It’s part of CFVA’s 14th season, which is dubbed “Picture Perfect: Idealism on Stage.” Sunday Afternoon in the Park with George, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, was inspired by French pointillist painter Georges Seurat’s 1884 painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
The plot revolves around George, a fictionalized version of Seurat, who in the first act is immersed in painting his masterpiece. In the second act, set a century later, George’s great-grandson (also named George) is a conflicted and cynical contemporary artist who struggles with his own identity and creative process.
Both Georges will be played by Chase Williams, whose most recent CFVA performance was as Dr. Jack Seward in the company’s staging of Dracula The Musical at CityArts in 2024.
Over the years, CFVA has proudly billed itself as “where the voice takes center stage” and has been heavily defined by the singing and acting skills of its talented performers. This show, however, presents a new challenge for a company without a permanent venue: more elaborate stagecraft.
But Smith-Levin is undaunted: “I think with our own growth trajectory and our own organizational capacity, we’re ready to take on this show, which we’ve wanted to do for a while.” Directing the show will be Ayòfémi “Ayo” Demps, who most recently helmed CFVA’s 2024 production of Light in the Piazza at the Plaza Live.
With a striking set that suggests Seurat’s iconic painting, complex lighting that represents the fusion of art and technology, and emotionally nuanced direction, this production will serve as the season’s center-piece, capturing the enduring power of art and the tension inherent in the artistic process.
“We try to find shows that speak to a shared experience among people,” adds Smith-Levin. “This will be a heart-rending, emotional, honest, authentic, artistic expression paired with the iconic painting that this show and the title subject are known for.”
Dr. Phillips Center is located at 444 South Magnolia Avenue, Orlando. For more information, call 844.513.2014 or visit drphillipscenter.org.
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