Ask the Locals: Central

HÄOS OF LOVE:

HÄOS on Church owner Blue Star (L) knows the arts.

PHOTOS BY DYLAN TODD

Pride in Arts & Entertainment

JEREMY WILLIAMS

you can't go very far in Central Florida's art and entertainment community without hearing the name Blue.

. While she is known by several names — Blue Star, Baby Blue, she's even called Mama by many of the performers she has taken under her wing — she, like Cher or Madonna, is that rare entertainer who can command all the respect she deserves with a single name, Blue.

Blue came to Orlando in 2000 to attend Full Sail University. In 2012, she opened The Venue, a community theatre with an emphasis on "community" in Orlando's Ivanhoe Village. After it closed in 2019, Blue went to work and opened downtown Orlando's newest dining, arts and entertainment hot spot, HAOS on Church, in 2020.

In her 20+ years here, Blue has helped to define what art, theater, dance and performing mean in Central Florida. "I love the sunsets here," Blue says. "The skies here are so beautiful and so intense. And I love the arts in Central Florida. The expansion of art in this city has been really cool to watch."

Blue calls it unassuming art. Beautiful images and pieces in and around the city, in locations that you normally wouldn't think to find art. "There were no murals when I moved here and now we have murals everywhere; inside parking garages, on the sides of buildings, I think the city really took the lead in that," Blue says. "One of my favorite art moments was when they city let artists paint those electrical boxes on the sides of roads. One of my biggest moments was when Miss P was featured on the side of one of those boxes in Ivanhoe Village. I thought that was amazing. I know it doesn't seem like a lot to a lot of people but the more color we add in these unexpected places creates energy where we need it the most."

We have gathered a list of some great community theaters, venues, art galleries and more to get you started on your own list of favorites. We also asked Blue to weigh in on a few categories and share some things she enjoys in Central Florida's arts and entertainment.

FAVORITE PLACE FOR COMMUNITY THEATRE:

"It would have been The Venue. Rest in Peace. That was such a cool place. Even removing myself from that situation, that would have been my number one. It was just a cool movement taken on by the community," Blue says. "More than where I see a show, I think it's about when a director or producer chooses an unexpected place to put on a show. Somebody like Cole taking downtown Orlando and creating a space that is out of the box. It's not a destination but what artist's make out of a destination and to create art."

FAVORITE PLACE TO WATCH

A MOVIE: "I don't really get a chance to watch movies myself, but the Enzian Theater is a really cool spot," Blue says. "They host the Florida Film Festival and do a great job with it." Enzian Theater 1300 Orlando Ave., 407-629-0054, Enzian.org

FAVORITE CENTRAL FLORIDA

FESTIVAL: "There are so many great festivals here, but two that are amazing are the Orlando International Fringe Festival and Come Out With Pride," Blue says.

Orlando Fringe at the Lowndes Shakespeare Center 812 E. Rollins St., 407-648-0077, OrlandoFringe.org Come Out With Pride festival at Lake Eola Park Downtown Orlando, 407-246-4484, ComeOutWithPride.org

FAVORITE PLACE TO LISTEN TO CLASSICAL MUSIC: "The Dr.

Phillips Center because that's what it was designed for," Blue says. "It is technically driven to make sound sound amazing." Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts 445 S. Magnolia Ave., 407-839-0119, DrPhillipsCenter.org

FAVORITE PLACE TO WATCH

A CONCERT: "Amway Center because, like with the Dr. Phillips Center, it was technically designed to make concerts amazing," Blue says. Amway Center 400 W. Church St., 407-440-7900, AmwayCenter.com

FAVORITE MUSEUM:

Orlando Museum of Art

2416 N. Mills Ave., 407-896-4231, OMArt.org

FAVORITE PLACE TO HAVE DINNER

AND WATCH A SHOW: "HÄOS on Church, of course," Blue says. "That's what we do here." HÄOS on Church 123 W. Church St., 407-203-4099, HAOSonChurch.com

FAVORITE ARTS VENUE THAT SCREAMS CENTRAL

FLORIDA: CityArts 39 S. Magnolia Ave., 407-648-7060, DowntownArtsDistrict.com

FAVORITE ARTSY THING TO DO ON A SATURDAY

AFTERNOON: "Winter Park on a Saturday at their Farmer's Market," Blue says. "I love a good farmer's market." Winter Park Farmers' Market 200 W. New England Ave., 407-599-3397, CityofWinterPark.org

ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE PLACES IN CENTRAL

FLORIDA: The Abbey. "It's a second home to me," Blue says. The Abbey 100 S. Eola Dr. Unit 100, 407-704-6103, AbbeyOrlando.com

FAVORITE PLACE FOR UNASSUMING ART GALLERY:

"Pom Pom's, The Hammered Lamb; they feature artists from the area and change it up every month or so. I love unassuming art spots like that," Blue says. "Create don't hate, keep making unassuming art." Pom Pom's Teahouse & Sandwicheria 67 N. Bumby Ave., 407-894-0865, PomPomsTeahouse.com The Hammered Lamb 1235 N. Orange Ave., 407-704-3200, TheHammeredLamb.com Check out these other Central Florida Arts & Entertainment venues, and keep an eye out for Watermark's Fall Arts and Spring Arts guides, published in August and February, respectively, for show listings to these and more entertainment venues in Central Florida and Tampa Bay.

THE GARDEN THEATRE

160 W. Plant St., Winter Garden, 407-877-4736, GardenTheatre.org HARD ROCK LIVE

6050 Universal Blvd., Orlando, 407-351-7625, HardRock.com/ Live/Locations/Orlando MAD COW THEATRE

54 W. Church St., Orlando, 407-297-8788, MadCowTheatre.com MAXWELL C. KING CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

3865 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne, 321-242-2219, KingCenter.com HARRIETT'S ORLANDO BALLET CENTRE

600 N Lake Formosa Dr, Orlando, 407-426-1733, OrlandoBallet.org HOUSE OF BLUES

1490 E. Buena Vista Dr., Orlando, 407-934-2623, HouseOfBlues.com/Orlando ORANGE COUNTY REGIONAL HISTORY CENTER

65 E. Central Blvd., Orlando, 407-836-8500, TheHistoryCenter.org ORLANDO REPERTORY THEATER

1001 E. Princeton St., Orlando, 407-896-7365, OrlandoRep.com THE OSCEOLA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

3141 N. Orange Blossom Trail #1137, Kissimmee, 407-931-1496, OsceolaArts.org THE PLAZA LIVE

425 N. Bumby Ave., Orlando, 407-228-1220, PlazaLiveOrlando.org THEATER WEST END

115 W. 1st St., Sanford, 407-548-6285, TheaterWestEnd.com

The Fountain in Orlando's Thornton Park.

PHOTO BY JOSH HALLETT, FROM FLICKR

It's all a Gayborhood

"What do you want to do where you live?"

DAVID DORMAN

“W hen people think of Central Florida, they tend to think of Orlando proper or Disney World. As a realtor, I frequently get the question "Where are the gay areas of Orlando?" - aka the gayborhoods.

Unlike Fort Lauderdale and Wilton Manors in South Florida or The Castro in San Francisco, Central Florida doesn't really have a gayborhood, rather it is very much a melting pot of diversity. I attribute this to our many theme parks and gay-friendly businesses.

When a buyer asks me this question, I counter them with a question of my own: “What do want to do where you live?” and then follow their lead. Some folks may want walkability, in which case I would say let’s look in Downtown Orlando. Others may want hometown community, in which case we are heading to College Park. And still others — like me — may prefer to be closer to the suburbs and theme parks. Ultimately for most folks it boils down to location and price. Downtown Orlando can be much more expensive than the outer areas of Central Florida but if you want the high-rise condo, then Downtown Orlando it is!

The good news is there are plenty of places to consider. I always recommend a client do some driving on their own whenever possible. Knowing the lay of the land can be helpful when deciding which area you want to live and can also identify areas you might want to avoid. If you are seeing things that ring anti-LGBTQ, you may decide that area is not right for you. It’s important to note that real estate agents CANNOT steer you one way or another, by law. That is why I always recommend clients check things out for themselves. Overall, I think it’s fair to say, and having lived here since 1985, most of Central Florida is LGBTQ friendly and should you decide to commit yourself to a very specific area, you might just miss out on some great places to live.

I love the fact that on my street we have five same-sex couples. I don’t live downtown but on the outskirts. The great thing is that overall, most folks can get to Downtown Orlando within 20 minutes or so. My husband and I will often take an Uber so we can relax and enjoy ourselves.

Outside of Orlando are some great unknown cities such as Ocoee, Winter Garden, Windermere and Clermont. All offer larger homes for less than you would pay downtown, and often are newer and more energy efficient. My days of going out bar hopping have slowed a lot, so for my husband and I, the house and its features matter more than location. I love that I can get to Disney World in about 15 minutes and also downtown to see a show at the Dr. Phillips Center.

It’s all about living the life you want to live, so if you are considering Central Florida, I’ll ask again — “What do you want to do where you live?”

David Dorman is an award-winning realtor in Central Florida. Dorman has been a licensed realtor since 1999 and with CENTURY 21 since 2003. He has worked diligently to become one of the top 100 agents in the U.S. for the brand. He became an owner for the company in 2012 and still continues to help buyers and sellers from around the world with their real estate needs. Locally, he works with various charities and has been recognized both locally and nationally for his sales and customer service. He was recognized in Orlando Magazines Real Estates Hot 100 and named one of the top 100 realtors in Orlando.