Athens Theatre: Beauty & the Beast

If you live in DeLand, you do not have to travel to Orlando to see a professional theater production. You just have to go downtown to the Athens Theatre!

Local Theater has been prominent in the DeLand community for countless years. Year after year, the whole community gets involved in Community Theater. From Craig Uppercue's Youth Theater to the Sands Theater professional productions, the people of DeLand have been there giving their  support by either being behind the scenes, on the stage, or in the audience as spectators there to cheer on their friends and family. In small town America, DeLand has proven to support the arts.


Many have been fully involved in the Dance & Fine Arts Preparatory Academy's spring production of Beauty & the Beast including one of our close friends at Personal Best Gym who has volunteered his precious time to be part of our production playing the role of Gaston. Butch McCowen, a former Mr. Florida, is playing the handsome villain who will do anything to get Belle's hand in marriage. Mr. McCowen has been a great sport learning all the dance steps required to be a part of our show. All of us at Dance & Fine Arts thank him for his support!

This is Dance & Fine Arts Preparatory Academy's first full theatre production as one of the up and coming dance schools in the local community. Performing an adaptation of Disney's animated film "Beauty & the Beast", this classic musical love story is filled with timeless music, memorable characters, and remarkable dancing. Come join us for an unforgettable weekend, June 16th & 17th, featuring dancers of all ages. *Athens DeLand*

Tickets are on sale now for our production of Beauty & the Beast and are selling quickly. Please visit the Athens website Athens DeLand to purchase your tickets. There is also a link on our website Dance & Fine Arts to buy tickets. Unfortunately, we will not be selling tickets at Dance & Fine Arts or at Personal Best Gym. All tickets must be purchased through the Athens Theatre. 

All of our dancers have worked very hard all spring to put on a spectacular performance. Now lets fill those seats to show our support!

On Mother’s Day

If you are in the central Florida area on Mother’s Day, there are other options than just going to church and lunch or doing a BBQ in your backyard.

               There are many other options on Disney property including Downtown Disney, the Beach& Yacht Club, or Disney’s Boardwalk. Some Additional options include some more of Disney’s hotels. As a child, we use to spend Mother’s Day with my mother and her mother, my grandmother, and we use to walk around the Grand Floridian Hotel lobby, have lunch on the premises and walk the gardens afterward. If we were feeling overly ambitious, we would walk to the Cinderella themed wedding chapel to watch the bride and groom leave in the white pumpkin carriage.

Photo taken from The Disney Food Blog

               Without spending a dime in a Disney theme park, you can have a nice afternoon at Disney on Mother’s Day and enjoy the beautiful atmosphere. Many of the Disney hotels are the perfect place to bring you mother because they are filled with pretty flowers and happy people. The whole idea behind the Disney brand is to take its visitors out of reality and into a fantasyland.

               The Grand Floridian Hotel will remind you of scene from Mary Poppins or Hello Dolly. Clean lines and white accents, this Victorian style resort is a refreshing blast from the past of simpler times. Disney says it best:

               “Disney'sGrand Floridian Resort & Spa is a Victorian-style Disney Deluxe                       Resort distinguishedas the flagship hotel of Walt Disney World Resort and offering world-class dining, entertainment and luxurious accommodations in shores of SevenSeas Lagoon.”

               The Grand Floridian Hotel has several great restaurants like Victoria & Albert's, Narcoossee's, Citricos, and many more. 1900 Park Fare has Disney characters, including those from Alice in Wonderland and Marry Poppins, come in for both breakfast and lunch if you are looking for a more kid-friendly environment. BE AWARE: The Grand Floridian Hotel is Walt Disney’s World premiere resort and the price tag matches the prestige. Most of the restaurants are $30 plus. The Grand Floridian Café and Gasparilla Grill & Games are less expensive, but they are similar to the other restaurants you can find in your neighborhood. 

               If you do not want to stop and have a full meal, you can have tea at the authentic English Tea room. After tea, there are options to rent paddle boats where you can sit and relax with your mom while paddling around near the shore. The spa is also a great option; however, it is currently closed due to renovations until the month of September of this year. Whatever you decide to do, this is a good alternative to your Mother’s Day plans without paying a hefty price for admission to one of Disney’s theme parks.    

Links used:

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/resorts/grand-floridian-resort-and-spa/

http://travelwithkids.about.com/od/disneyworld/tp/Disney_World_vacations.htm

http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2012/01/30/guest-review-grand-floridians-afternoon-tea-at-the-garden-view-lounge/