Central Florida arts events in May: Theater, art and music

Central Florida’s May arts scene is dominated by the annual Orlando Fringe Festival, which takes over Loch Haven Park for two full weeks, from Tuesday, May 12 through Memorial Day, May 25.

But if the Fringe is not your jam, or you crave other artistry to complement your Fringe-going, here’s a quick look at other cultural happenings during the month.

First, more theater.

Theater on the Edge will revive its acclaimed “Birds of North America,” an Orlando Sentinel critic’s pick through May 31.

A poignant, two-character drama that unfolds over more than a decade in a Baltimore backyard , the play follows John, a scientist and avid birder, and his daughter Caitlyn, a copy editor for a conservative news outlet, as they reconnect each year through their shared ritual of birdwatching.

I like this poetic, yet accurate description of the show, provided by the theater: “Their conversations range from climate change to career ambitions, relationships, and politics, revealing both deep ideological divides and unspoken love. As they track the birds that migrate through the yard, they also navigate the shifting seasons of their own lives, sometimes in sync, often at odds.”

Marco DiGeorge directs the production, which again stars Elaitheia Quinn and Allan Whitehead.

"This has been an audience favorite, and our intention was always to bring it back," said artistic designer Samantha DiGeorge. "We had so many patrons tell us that they couldn't see it the first time around."

Theater on the Edge is at 5542 Hansel Ave. in Edgewood, south of downtown Orlando. For more information, go to theaterontheedge.org.

Arts notes: Theater updates, dance moves, retirement and deaths

In Sanford, life is a cabaret, ol’ chum, as the Kander and Ebb musical “Cabaret” plays its final weekend at the Ritz Theatre. Set in the rise of Hitler’s Germany, the musical offers a warning as to what happens when the populace doesn’t proactively fight to preserve democracy but instead fritters its freedom away.

The Ritz is at 201 Magnolia Ave. in Sanford; go to ritztheatersanford.com for more information.

Meanwhile in Lake County, the Sonnentag Theatre at the Icehouse opens “Theatre People, Or the Angel Next Door,” a comedy by Paul Slade Smith. In the show, a husband-and-wife writing team is forced to concoct an elaborate ruse to save their careers as they try to launch a new play. A young novelist, vain baritone and A-list ingenue are among the characters going for laughs.

The show opens May 15 at the IceHouse, 1100 N. Unser St. in Mount Dora; go to icehousetheatre.com for more information.

And though we don’t have space to write a lot about children’s educational theater programs, here’s a shout-out to a new kid on the block. The PaperMap Theater & Co. will open in Orlando’s Thornton Park neighborhood on May 14. Its first production will be the Harry Potter spoof “Puffs,” with a cast of youths ages 11-18.

"At PaperMap, rehearsal is the work," says founder and artistic director Richie Akers. "It's where the story actually takes shape. Same room, same group, showing up and paying attention to each other. That's where confidence grows, and where people start to trust their own instincts."

After “Puffs,” the theater will offer summer camps and prepare production of “The Outsiders” and “Shrek the Musical Jr.” The PaperMap Theater is at 2 N. Summerlin Ave.; get more information at papermaptheater.com.

Turning to the world of art, here are a couple of new exhibits to check out.

The Mennello Museum of American Art opens “Our Orlando: Tasanee Durrett, Martha Jo Mahoney and Mado Smith” on May 15.

This fourth iteration of the “Our Orlando” series presents works by local artists to support their unique contributions to our cultural scene.

“Our goal is to highlight outstanding work,” says executive director Shannon Fitzgerald. “Three artists from two generations, with diverse backgrounds, interests, and experiences, offer meaningful reflections on our community.”

Tasanee Durrett examines relationships among humans, plants and our oceans across cultures and history, visually emphasizing human connections across societies and our reliance on natural resources.

Martha Jo Mahoney creates emotional abstract paintings with subtle references and symbols, depicting life’s fleeting nature through bold gestures, dynamic lines and vibrant colors. And Mado Smith highlights the human figure in harmony with nature.

The city-owned Mennello is at 900 E. Princeton St. in Orlando; go to mennellomuseum.org for more information.

Solana Fine Art in Winter Park also has a new exhibition for the month of May, the first solo show for Cuban-born artist Carlos Gamez de Francisco.

Growing up in restrictive Cuba, the artist found an outlet in his work.

"Art became my language of freedom," says Gamez de Francisco. "Through images and symbols, I could invent new realities and say what words could not."

The show, titled “Myth & Majesty,” draws inspiration from portraiture, fashion and the decorative arts.

"Carlos's work is both deeply human and profoundly joyful," says Bob Jimenez, founder and gallerist of Solana Fine Art. "There is an incredible sense of freedom in his work - freedom earned, not assumed. His story, his materials and his vision align beautifully with our belief in art as a vital, expressive force."

Solana Fine Art is at 1104 Solana Ave. in Winter Park. Go to solanafineart.com for more information.

Turning to music, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s season is not yet finished. May 9 and 10 will see the sounds of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, with its famous “Ode to Joy” finale, filling Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Music director Eric Jacobsen conducts the program, which features the University of Central Florida University Choir and also includes the word premiere of James Lee III’s Symphony No. 2 "Resolute Souls."

Later in the month, the Orlando Philharmonic presents “Cirque Musica: Heroes and Villains” as part of its pops series. The circus arts are celebrated against a backdrop of orchestral music in a “symphonic spectacle of good vs. evil,” according to the show announcement. There are matinee and evening performances on May 23, also in Steinmetz Hall.

Find more information at orlandophil.org.

The fifth annual Orlando Sings Choral Festival is titled “Threads of Freedom” and will offer three concerts.

“Voice and Flame,” at 4 p.m. May 16 in the Pugh Theater at the Dr. Phillips Center, takes a musical journey from pre-Revolutionary France to Soviet-era Estonia to occupied WWII Paris in a look at humanity's struggle, resilience and hope in times of upheaval.

Then, at 8 p.m. and also in the Pugh Theater, “Stand Tall” is centered on Andrea Ramsey's groundbreaking Suffrage Cantata, which weaves together original music with historical speeches, letters, banners and songs of influential American figures in the fight for women’s suffrage such as Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells, Sojourner Truth and Mary Church Terrell.

The final concert in the festival, “Celebrate 250 Years of the United States,” will take place at 7:30 p.m. May 19 in the arts center’s Steinmetz Hall. Presented in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday and featuring patriotic music, the concert has Brandon Boyd's “Redeem the Dream” at its center.

‘Show Boat,’ ‘Butterfly,’ Wagner headline 2026-27 Opera Orlando season

That work, which is rooted in the Declaration of Independence and inspired by Langston Hughes' poem “Let America Be America Again,” invites audiences to reflect on the promise that all people are created equal and to consider how each generation carries forward the American dream.

Also featured on the program is “US,” by Michael Bussewitz-Quarm, a work that draws from the wisdom of American voices across the centuries.

For more information, go to orlandosings.org.

Finally, Opera Orlando wraps up its 10th-anniversary season with a one-night-only special concert titled “A Decade of Divas.”

Stars from the company’s first nine seasons, accompanied by the Orlando Philharmonic, will perform opera and Broadway favorites, including selections from “Rigoletto,” “The Magic Flute,” “La traviata,” “Carousel,” “Les Miserables” and others.

The celebratory show, in the arts center’s Steinmetz Hall, is at 7:30 p.m. May 16. For more information, go to operaorlando.org.

Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment or sign up to receive our weekly emailed Entertainment newsletter.

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 5:09 AM.