The Winter Park Playhouse will be housed within the Lowndes Shakespeare Center for the 2025-26 season as the regular theater undergoes major renovations.
A unique arrangement means Winter Park Playhouse will only present musicals in the center’s Mandel Theater. The Mandel Theater will accommodate approximately the same number of audiences as the company’s regular venue. The Playhouse’s shows will continue to be held for several weeks at a time, and will be held five times during the season from August, when the Orlando Fringe begins using the center for its annual festival, to the end of April.
The Shakespeare Center, home of the Orlando Shakes, has multiple theaters, so the Orlando Shakes and the smaller groups that rent space there have other options for their shows.
Heather Alexander, the theater’s executive director, said multiple locations were considered for temporary housing during the renovation project, but the Shakespeare Center’s location and facilities were the best choice.
“We were very conscious of being close to where we are for the comfort and convenience of our patrons,” she said.
Orlando Shakes designed the Mandel, the first theater to the left of the center’s main entrance, to be as close as possible to the Playhouse’s auditorium.
Upcoming attractions: Scoop on Immers, fun ‘Be My Neighbor’ and more
During performances, Winter Park Playhouse will operate a box office directly in front of the theater doors. There is also a bar nearby. The main bar in the center’s lower lobby will also be open when Orlando Shakes performs on the same night.
“They were extraordinary,” Alexander said of working with the Orlando Shakes staff. “They were very kind and very excited to spend nine months together.”
Jim Helsinger of Orlando Shakes welcomes guests to the complex, called the Playhouse.
“We are excited to have Winter Park Playhouse residents back next season,” he said. “We just performed off-site while we were doing renovations, so we understand that we need a place to perform during construction.”
The Shakespeare Center recently underwent a multi-million dollar renovation, during which the Orlando Shakes performed shows at local schools and the Orlando Family Stage, across the street from Loch Haven Park.
The stay will also give patrons of each company an opportunity to get to know each other’s companies, both leaders said.
“Their audience and our audience mixing and interacting will create great synergy in our lobby,” Helsinger said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”
Josh Gad shows us why he’s such a funny friend | Review
While renovations are underway at the North Orange Avenue Playhouse, the theater company will relocate its administrative offices to an adjacent two-story building that will now be part of the theater complex. The renovations were made possible through an agreement with the City of Winter Park to purchase the Playhouse building from its current owner, funded primarily by Orange County’s tourism development tax on hotel and other lodging stays.
Alexander said the Playhouse’s budget will take a hit this season because it will produce one less show than usual and Orlando Shakes will be running the bar and collecting revenue. Typically, Winter Park Playhouse brings in about $65,000 a year.
But some assistance is already available through Orange County’s rent subsidy program, which will help the theater company pay Orlando Shakes to rent the space.
“We’re going to really need community support,” said Alexander, who believes the end result will be worth the temporary relocation. The renovation project is scheduled to run from July 2025 to June 2026.
Winter Park Playhouse offers multiple ticket purchase options. Full subscriptions for Season 5 shows ($195-$220) are available now for current subscribers and starting February 11th for new subscribers. Three-show subscriptions ($123-$138) will be available starting March 18th. Single tickets ($20-$47) go on sale April 1st. For more information, call 407-645-0145 or visit Winterparkplayhouse.org.
Manuel Balse Senator/AP
Winter Park Playhouse pays tribute to legendary Broadway composer Jerry Herman, who passed away in 2019. (Orlando Sentinel file photo)
The five musicals for Winter Park Playhouse’s 23rd season are:
Jerry’s Girls: August 8th to August 31st. This musical revue celebrates the timeless songs of Jerry Herman, composer of the hits “Mame,” “La Cage aux Forts,” and “Hello, Dolly!” And others.
Forever Plaid: September 26 – October 19. A tribute to the 1950s Harmonic Guy group, this show features one of the quartet’s return from the afterlife for one last shot at musical glory. Masu. Songs include “Three Coins in the Fountain,” “Heart and Soul,” “Rags to Riches,” and “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing.”
Honky Tonk Angels’ Holiday Hoedown: Nov. 14 – Dec. 20. This upbeat musical comedy makes its regional premiere and features four female country singers performing holiday classics, Motown Christmas medleys, and country hits.
From Home: Celebrating the American Dream with Classic R&B: January 23 – February 21, 2026. This penniless-to-riches story focuses on three young men from Philadelphia, Memphis, and Detroit who meet at the world-famous Apollo Theater in New York City’s Harlem. The musical features 24 classic soul songs by James Brown, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson, and more.
Pinup Girls: March 20-April 25, 2026. Featuring music from the Andrews Sisters to Beyoncé, the show boasts a parade of hits inspired by 100 years of letters returned from overseas troops. Funny, sexy, romantic, and touching.
Follow me at facebook.com/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. See more entertainment news and reviews at orlandosentinel.com/entertainment.
First published: January 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM EST
