On the Town - Orlando
On the Town Orlando
© JAMES LEMASS/PHOTOLIBRARY
Our Town
Four intriguing locals tell us about the dynamic city they call home.
BY JENNIE HESS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY PRESTON MACK
Sisaundra Lewis Reid
VOCALIST, LA NOUBA BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
NUMBER OF SHOWS SHE HAS PERFORMED: NEARLY 2,400 IN FIVE YEARS
What do you like most about performing in La Nouba? “The show itself! To be able to share the stage with gymnasts, Olympians and world-class dancers—wow! I am amazed every day that I can be a part of it, coupling my voice with their gymnastics and aerial acts.”
Is there something about the show that people may be surprised to learn? “People don’t think the vocalists perform live, and let me just say this: We are not lip-synching. [Cirque founder] Guy Laliberté is adamant that the band and singers are live. As a result, what you get is real passion from the artists.”
Besides the show, what are a few must-do activities? “Orlando has some of the most amazing shopping. I can find everything I want at the Prime and Premium outlets. And I love the jazz brunch at the Grand Bohemian Hotel, where you can hear beautiful music from the Bosendorfer piano.”
Kevin Fonzo
CHEF/OWNER, K RESTAURANT WINE BAR
FAVORITE CULINARY INDULGENCE: ITALIAN WHITE TRUFFLES
How has the local culinary scene evolved since you opened K? “The biggest thing is that we have quality restaurants away from the Disney area. When I first opened, there were no other chef-owned restaurants other than Le Coq Au Vin. It was an educational process for my customers, who hadn’t seen a new menu printed every day.”
What’s your favorite dish on the menu at K? “My filet is by far my most famous dish. I will never change it, and I’ll take it with me wherever I’ll go. It’s a wild mushroom-dusted filet mignon on a white-truffle potato gratin with a cabernet sauvignon sauce.”
What are some of your favorite local restaurants? “Julie and James Petrakis at the Ravenous Pig have one of the city’s most creative kitchens. Jim’s one step ahead of the rest when it comes to charcuterie, and Julie’s desserts are always impressive. Le Coq Au Vin is probably the most consistent; it serves very classical country French cooking. I like the sweetbreads, foie gras and rabbit. I like to order something that I don’t make.”
Pamela Landwirth
PRESIDENT, GIVE KIDS THE WORLD VILLAGE
NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE VISITED THE NONPROFIT: 100,000
What is the mission of GKTW? “We are a destination for children with life-threatening illnesses who dream of visiting Central Florida. We give these children and their families a week of ‘yes,’ such as ‘Yes, you can have a banana split for breakfast.’ Hopefully, after a week with us, their spirit will be renewed so that they can go home, continue to battle their illness and beat it.”
What makes Orlando the ideal place for these families? “So many of our families come from communities where there are no nighttime activities, no theme parks, no beaches. But for one week, these special families get to do it all! The coolest thing is seeing the families set foot in the village and think, ‘Wow, we’re in our own Candy Land game! We’re in a fairy-tale village.’”
What is your personal “Candy Land”? “I love strolling through Leu Gardens. It’s absolutely wonderful. They have a horticulture therapy garden, and we are going to replicate a small one here at the village, where children of all abilities can enjoy themselves. For example, for sight-impaired children, there will be plants that they can touch and smell, and even some that will make sounds.”
Robert Hill
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ORLANDO BALLET
NEXT BALLET: BATTLE OF THE SEXES, MARCH 19-21
You like to take chances with performances, like casting a male as one of Cinderella’s stepsisters. What is the theory behind that? “I’m trying to make ballet more relevant to today’s audiences. My plan is to continue to explore what will create a unique identity for the Orlando Ballet so that we become interesting to presenters and producers around the world.”
Is Battle of the Sexesunconventional as well? “It will be a really good example of taking the classical ballet vocabulary and turning it upside down. You take the existing images of ballet and inflate it by trying to make the lines go longer in each direction and taking it to a different plane than just on the floor. I think my experience in gymnastics and diving has influenced the way I see movement.”
This month marks your first anniversary in Orlando. What’s the best part about living here? “I really like living right on Lake Eola. It is downtown—and it does have a downtown feel to it—and it is just beautiful. I live within walking distance to the Mad Cow Theater company, and I think that the level of performances there is comparable to any Off-Broadway show in New York City.”
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