In the lobby at the Philadelphia Theatre Company. Photo by Pam Harbaugh

By PAM HARBAUGH

This is the time of the year for you to try something NEW and DIFFERENT. Head out of town to fill up your cultural needs. And, don’t forget to take the little ones to a show or two as well.

Here are some ideas for some cultural fun. First, let’s head west. Go on. Get in the car, plan to stop at a restaurant, hit Bloomingdales at the Mother Ship (Mall at Millennia). Make a day of it.

Be sure to click onto the ads along the right side of this page to show your appreciation of those organizations supporting Brevard Culture.

Orlando and Environs

UNTOLD STORIES — CULTURE POP! exhibition opens today and runs through Sept. 4 at the Art & History Museums in Maitland. It includes work by Trent Tomengo, a very talented artist who I’ve followed for decades now. He has the INSPIRED STORYTELLING: TOMENGO’S MAITLAND PROJECT comprises a oil paintings inspired by late 19th century and early 20th century working-class residents of Maitland and its surroundings. Also on view is AFRICAN AMERICAN NARRATIVE: SELECT WORKS FROM THE POLK MUSEUM OF ART. That exhibition includes pieces by highly recognized artists like Faith Ringgold, Radcliffe Bailey, Howardena Pindell and Lorna Simpson. Friday’s opening night festivities include music by the Daniel Heitz Band, a discussion between Rebecca Sexton Larson and Mr. Tomengo, art making activities, readings by local writers and poets from Central Florida’s LGBT community, appetizers and a cash bar with fine wines and craft beers. Opening night runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. tonight, $5 admission. The A&H Maitland Art Center is at 321 W. Packwood Ave., Maitland. Call 407-539-2181 or click here.

AVENUE Q has been held over until July 31 at Mad Cow Theatre in Orlando. As the theater’s web site describes the show as follows: “A gang of eclectic puppets burst onto the scene in 2003 creating the worldwide phenomenon known as Avenue Q. Taking on the lessons of life without the fluff, these colorful characters advise their new friend Princeton on everything from getting a job and finding an apartment to hangovers and internet porn.” Tickets start at $32. Mad Cow Theatre is at 54 West Church Street – Second Floor, Orlando. Call 407-297-8788 or visit MadCowTheatre.com.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST runs through next weekend (July 24) at Orlando Shakespeare Theatre. Look below for a little video about the show. Tickets are $14 to $18. Orlando Shakespeare Theatre is at 812 E. Rollins St., Orlando. Call 407-447-1700 or visit OrlandoShakes.org.

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Theater, local

SHREK THE MUSICAL, JR. runs this weekend at the Henegar Center. The production is the culmination of the 2016 Summer Middle School Workshop. It performs 7 p.m. today and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $8 children 18 years and younger and $10 general. The Henegar is at 625 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne. Call 321-723-8698, visit Henegar.org or click onto their ad.

FEARLESS IMPROV BRIGADE: Life’s a Beach takes centerstage at Surfside Playhouse beginning 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $7 at the door. Surfside is at 301 Ramp Road, Cocoa Beach. Call 321-783-3127, visit SurfsidePlayers.com or click onto their ad.

Nightclubs, et al

COMEDY ZONE at Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach features stand up comics Paul Lyons and Roy Haber tonight and Saturday. Mr. Lyons has appeared on “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Showtime’s “Love at Stake,” and several Comedy Central promos. Patrons to the Comedy Zone can also enjoy free music before the shows. Tonight, it’s Soul Jam and Saturday it’s Swingstation Salsa Dance Party. Casino games in the lobby. The shows start 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. tonight and Saturday at Riverside Theatre, 3250 Riverside Drive, Vero Beach. Get there early and buy a burger and a beer if you like. Tickets begin at $16. Call 772-231-6990, visit RiversideTheatre.com or click onto their ad.

CLASSIC ALBUMS LIVE will perform “The Allman Brothers: A Decade of Hits! 8 p.m. Saturday at the King Center. These are simply terrific shows and will get even the most stubborn up on their feet rockin’ and rollin’. Tickets start at $29.75. The King Center is at 3865 N. Wickham Rd., Melbourne. Call 321-242-2219, visit KingCenter.com or click onto their ad.

Exhibits

EXPOSURE photographic exhibit runs through Aug. 8 at the Art Gallery of Viera, 2261 Towne Center Avenue, Suite 111. Call 321-504-4343 or visit ArtGalleryOfViera.com.

MONOTYPES IN RED exhibit runs through July at the Fifth Avenue Art Gallery is at 1470 Highland Avenue, Melbourne. Call 321-259-8261 or visit FifthAvenueArtGallery.com.

RADICAL ELEMENTS and A VIEW WITHIN: The Collaboration of Two Fiber Artists runs through Aug. 27 at the Ruth Funk Center for Textile Arts. “Radical Elements” comes from the Studio Art Quilt Associates and is sponsored in the memory of Judy Roach. “A View Within” is a collaborative project by Paula Chung and Karen Rips, two artists fascinated by the human body. The Ruth Funk Center, is on the campus of Florida Tech, 150 W. University Blvd., Melbourne. Admission is free. Call 321-674-8313 or click here.

RAY TURNER: POPULATION exhibition is also sponsored in the memory of Judy Roach. It runs through Aug. 6 at the Foosaner Art Museum. Read more about it by clicking here. The Foosaner Art Museum is at 1463 Highland Ave., Melbourne. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission is free. Call 321-674-8916, visit FoosanerArtMuseum.org or click onto their ad.

Something Completely Different

OLD & IMPROVED 2 revisits the similar exhibition which ran a while ago at the Derek Gores Gallery with a new exhibition scheduled to open July 22. If you want to get involved turning old items into something contemporary, then visit DerekGores.com.

PERFORMANCE AND AUDITION MASTERCLASS with the incomparable Daniel Klintworth is scheduled for 7 p.m. July 19 and 20 at the Historic Cocoa Village Playhouse, 300 Brevard Ave., Cocoa. Mr. Klintworth, who has performed as a musician for national tours of big Broadway shows, will offer classes to students to help them prepare for the professional world of theater and to help them put their best foot forward when auditioning for a musical. Class is for those 15 years and older. For more information, click here or click onto the ad for Cocoa Village Playhouse.