{"id":317474,"date":"2026-06-23T23:28:46","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T23:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/317474\/"},"modified":"2026-06-23T23:28:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T23:28:46","slug":"new-garden-theatre-team-has-big-plans-high-hopes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/317474\/","title":{"rendered":"New Garden Theatre team has big plans, high hopes"},"content":{"rendered":"

When the leaders of DNA Productions<\/a> presented the city of Winter Garden with their plans for the Garden Theatre, city officials were shocked at the breadth and scope.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were beyond surprised,\u201d said Marc O. Hutchinson, economic development director for Winter Garden. \u201cWe were thoroughly impressed. \u2026 We appreciated their assertiveness and thoughtful intentionality to do the necessary background work to assemble such a plan so quickly and, of this scale, in year one of our partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for DNA founders Dennis Morgan and Alina Williams, the robust schedule for year one \u2014 with more than a dozen plays, musicals, concerts and special events<\/a> \u2014 is just the beginning. They are already mapping out seasons two and three in their minds.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re super excited,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cWe want to honor the space, honor the town and welcome people back.\u201d<\/p>\n

DNA was chosen in April to revive the theater, in the heart of Winter Garden\u2019s downtown. It had been used only sporadically since the nonprofit that previously ran it for the city abruptly went out of business in 2024<\/a>, leaving some residents with worthless tickets to future shows. That nonprofit, Garden Theatre Inc., had struggled for years in a public dispute with some in the theater community\u00a0over the theater\u2019s\u00a0direction and the <\/a>treatment of those<\/a> who worked there.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know people were hurt, I can tell. People were disenfranchised, and I hate that,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cWe want everyone to feel welcome here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both the city and the DNA leaders are focused on the future.<\/p>\n

The city has rebranded the venue as the Garden Theatre on Plant, to distinguish it from the failed nonprofit. Morgan and Williams point out that they were not involved with the previous company that ran the theater, that none of those who were connected with their firm are, and that, as a for-profit company, they have a completely different business model and strategy.<\/p>\n

Part of that is engaging the community through partnerships with restaurants, shops and other downtown businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything we do, we want to reach out,\u201d Williams said. \u201cThat\u2019s the \u2018events\u2019 part of us. The experience isn\u2019t just when you scan your ticket at the door. It\u2019s before and after, too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Partnership plans<\/p>\n

The city was particularly impressed by DNA\u2019s emphasis on strategic partnerships, Hutchinson said.<\/p>\n

\u201cDNA is acutely aware of what a theater means to a community in terms of the quality of life, sense of local pride and the economic spillover impacts on surrounding stakeholders,\u201d he said. \u201cLifting every boat in the harbor is a good clich\u00e9 at the heart of their programming proposition.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garden Theatre reveals 2026-27 season of plays, concerts<\/a><\/p>\n

The pair said community involvement matters to them because Winter Garden is their home, too.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe live here, we walk by the theater,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cThis is our community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Williams was born and raised in Orlando. In a true Central Florida fairy-tale romance, her parents met and fell in love while working at Disney\u2019s Polynesian resort. She graduated from Dr. Phillips High, an arts magnet school where drama teacher Karen Ruggiero gently pushed her from performance to backstage leadership: \u201cI think you would be really good at telling people what to do,\u201d was the advice Williams remembers.<\/p>\n

She later graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor\u2019s degree in stage management and worked on the business side of the touring Broadway series and at Orlando Shakes before moving into the world of corporate and special events programming.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where she met Morgan. A California native and graduate of the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, he had spent years on the touring theater circuit, including a stint at Orlando\u2019s old Mark II Dinner Theatre. He made Central Florida his home when he was hired to star in the live musicals based on \u201cThe Hunchback of Notre Dame\u201d and the \u201cDoug\u201d TV show at Walt Disney World.<\/p>\n

After working as a show director for Disney, he moved into event production. He and Williams formed DNA Event Creative in 2020. The business partners are also life partners, each bringing two children to their blended family.<\/p>\n

Business changes<\/p>\n

To emphasize their commitment to the Garden, the pair is branding their work for the theater as DNA Productions \u2014 separate from their corporate work on conventions, conferences, and other happenings in the business world.<\/p>\n

Running the Garden will require them to hire some contract workers around each show, they said.<\/p>\n

PRT does 1st musical with \u2018Flaming Volcano Bed and Breakfast\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Already on their staff is someone who knows the venue inside and out: Alauna Friskics, who, as executive director of the now-defunct nonprofit, helped get the theater off the ground nearly 20 years ago. Friskics, who departed before the organization\u2019s troubles began, has worked part-time for DNA in operations management for the past two years; her job isn\u2019t changing, Williams said.<\/p>\n

A lot of what theatergoers experience will be familiar: Concessions, including a bar, will be offered, the upstairs restrooms will remain available and volunteers who will be compensated with tickets to shows will help usher patrons to their seats.<\/p>\n

All-ages appeal<\/p>\n

DNA\u2019s philosophy for programming the theater is to appeal to multiple generations by creating a sense of wonder through live entertainment and elevated experiences.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want a lot of variety,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cWe want it to be entertainment for every age.\u201d<\/p>\n

They\u2019ve built in kid-friendly offerings, such as two animal shows<\/p>\n

\u201cThe line-up of \u2018Mutts Gone Nuts,\u2019 showcasing hilarious canine stunts, and the live onstage feature of \u2018Wide World of Animals\u2019 come to mind, which I believe might be a first for Garden Theatre on Plant,\u201d said Hutchinson from the city, in praising the lineup.<\/p>\n

Winter Park Playhouse surprised with $10,000 national award<\/a><\/p>\n

The plan is to avoid recorded music and instead employ musicians for every show. The theater has an orchestra pit built into the front of its stage. The concerts on the schedule will feature high-end costumes and often include dancers to make them more theatrical experiences, the pair said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something about a conductor, about seeing musicians play,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cThat\u2019s what this theater needs. We want to bring in working actors, working musicians, working dancers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Morgan and Williams are also looking for shows that haven\u2019t been seen before in Central Florida: They point to a touring Elton John tribute, for example, that hails from the U.K. and stars a friend of John\u2019s who wears his actual costumes. It will be DNA\u2019s first show of the season, on Aug. 1.<\/p>\n

The idea for this first season was to honor the theater\u2019s heritage as a moviehouse, dating back to 1935, with all the theatrical titles having a connection to the cinema.<\/p>\n

The four-show theatrical series will open Sept. 24 with \u201cFootloose,\u201d staged by TheatreWorks Florida, a Polk County-based company with a proven track record. Other shows will be produced directly by DNA, with local directors at the helm.<\/p>\n

Holiday show announced<\/p>\n

Finishing touches are still being put on the schedule, with a holiday show just finalized. \u201cIt\u2019s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,\u201d based on the beloved movie and presented in an imaginative and nostalgic format, will take the stage in December.<\/p>\n

A new website, gardentheatreonplant.com<\/a>, has launched with season and ticket information. A four-show concert series package is available, as well as four- and six-show theatrical packages. Prices start at $212. Individual show tickets go on sale closer to performance dates, starting July 1.<\/p>\n

City officials are involved in the programming choices.<\/p>\n

\"Dennis<\/a>Dennis Morgan and Alina Williams say programming the Garden Theatre on Plant is important to them because Winter Garden is their community. (Joe Burbank\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cGarden Theatre on Plant is the property of the residents and citizens of Winter Garden. It is, therefore, the fiduciary responsibility of the city to ensure that the collective will and interest of our residents are honored and reflect the spirit of this community,\u201d Hutchinson said. \u201cThe city will have oversight and a voice at the table regarding the entertainment quality and economic impact of all theater programming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shows will be \u201creviewed on the merits of entertainment quality and local economic impact, including synergistic opportunities for community engagement,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Working with the city so far \u201chas been a pleasurable experience,\u201d Morgan said. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s no different than a theater that has a board. I don\u2019t know any business that doesn\u2019t have oversight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The DNA-Winter Garden partnership is good for two years, with an option for an additional two five-year extensions.<\/p>\n

\u201cConsistently delivering desirable performances with positive economic return for our Winter Garden community\u201d will determine whether the deal will be renewed, Hutchinson said.<\/p>\n

Morgan and Williams are looking to a future with an even wider range of fare, such as serious plays designed for adult audiences: \u201cYou will see G, PG, PG-13 and R\u201d content, Morgan said. \u201cSomething for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

They say they are keenly aware of the theater\u2019s importance to the lives of Winter Garden residents. As an example, Morgan recounts an encounter he had with two patrons eager to see the venue back in business.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey talked about their first kiss happening in the theater,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was beautiful to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow me at facebook.com\/matthew.j.palm or email me at mpalm@orlandosentinel.com. Find more entertainment news and reviews at\u00a0orlandosentinel.com\/entertainment<\/a>\u00a0or sign up to receive our\u00a0weekly\u00a0emailed Entertainment newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When the leaders of DNA Productions presented the city of Winter Garden with their plans for the Garden…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":317475,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[2813,104,28,114,266,2609,1335,139,141,140,109,76687,3478,106,25863],"class_list":["post-317474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-arts","tag-entertainment","tag-florida","tag-latest-headlines","tag-local-news","tag-music-and-concerts","tag-orange-county","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-social","tag-social-entertainment","tag-theater","tag-things-to-do","tag-winter-garden"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=317474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/317474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/317475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=317474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=317474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=317474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}