The arts needs our support, attendance

The arts needs our

support, attendance

Almost any given weekend,  there are cultural events that can be attended right here in the Ocala/ Marion County area.

The programs are varied but include classical music, Broadways music, barbershop music, fine art, comedy and plays. We have a history museum, several art museums, a civic theatre and numerous privately-driven arts venues just short drives away.

The Marion Cultural Alliance has had its Brick City location for years – a place to browse different art exhibits and hear entertainment several times a week – has opened its second location. They now have a storefront at the Circle Square Commons too.

Circle Square Cultural Center brings a wide variety of entertainment to keep us humming. If we’re humming, we’re not complaining.

Area churches even offer a variety of events that focus on music. If they are not hosting the event themselves, they are allowing the use of their buildings for someone else’s event.

The Ocala Symphony Orchestra, ocalasymphony.com, offers four different weekends of musical programs plus various special events during the year. Their first program of the year is Oct. 2, 3 and includes both Tchaikovsky’s March Slav and John William’s Cowboys Overture.

The same weekend, the Big Sun Chorus of Ocala is hosting the Barber Shop Society District Fall Convention at West Port High School. The public is invited to hear the competition. The quartet competition starts at 7 p.m on Friday, Oct. 1. Chorus competition starts at noon on Saturday.

This weekend the Kingdom of the Sun Concert Band, kingdomofthesunband.org, presents Broadway favorites during two concerts.

As we near the Christmas season, the Marion Civic Chorale will present songs of the holiday.

The Ocala Civic theatre, the Appleton Museum and the Webber Center also brings their variety of art to our community.

Certainly worth noting too is the caliber of students coming from West Port High School. As the county’s school for the arts, it offers many art programs, a dance program and their theatre program. Their music department adds another dimension on the arts in our county.

Programs and shows at the school are well worth attending. Mark your calendar to see Hairspray on Nov. 18, 19 and 20.

Putting on fine shows takes lots of practice and handwork by those involved in the production – seeing an audience makes those efforts worthwhile.

And you might have been forced to laugh a little or tap your foot a bit.