This playful goose is more than a one-trick pony; it’s an original puppet, created by Robert Perdziola and Disney Imagineers, specifically for Orlando Ballet from the great mind of Artistic Director Jorden Morris. This adorable goose comes to life in The Nutcracker, thanks very much in part to his talented puppeteer and company artist Cameron Bailey. Photo By Emily Jourdan
FOR GENERATIONS, ORLANDO HAS INVITED PEOPLE TO STEP INTO OTHER WORLDS. SOME ARE BUILT FROM CASTLES, FUTURISTIC LANDSCAPES AND CAREFULLY ENGINEERED THRILLS. Others emerge from a dancer balancing beneath the lights, an actor speaking words written centuries ago, a musician drawing unexpected emotion from a familiar score or an artist transforming an empty gallery into a place of discovery.
During the 2026–2027 arts season, those worlds feel more ambitious, immersive and distinctly Orlando than ever.
Across Central Florida, cultural organizations are entering milestone years, introducing original works, welcoming internationally recognized artists and finding inventive ways to bring audiences closer to the creative process. Ballet companies are reimagining beloved classics. Museums are examining Florida’s landscapes, histories and cultural identities. Orchestras are transforming concert halls. Theaters are telling stories of generosity, ambition, tragedy and hope.
Taken together, the season reveals a city increasingly comfortable with its own artistic identity.
Orlando is no longer simply a place where touring productions make a convenient stop between larger cities. It has become a destination where artists develop new ideas, institutions take creative risks and audiences expect cultural experiences worthy of a major metropolitan center.
Broadway blockbusters settle into the Walt Disney Theater for multiweek engagements. Legendary musicians perform in intimate rooms. Major exhibitions arrive at local museums, while homegrown organizations collaborate across disciplines, expand educational programs and create opportunities for emerging artists.
Perhaps most exciting is the variety.
Orlando Ballet moves from the classical grandeur of The Sleeping Beauty to Alice in Wonderland and Artistic Director Jorden Morris’ dramatic Moulin Rouge® The Ballet. Opera Orlando enters a new era with Wagner, tango opera, Italian classics and its first full musical. The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra marks Eric Jacobsen’s 10th anniversary as music director with Beethoven, Gershwin, Handel, a new commission and the return of violinist Itzhak Perlman.
This is an arts season that reflects Orlando itself: ambitious, imaginative, increasingly confident and always ready to build another world worth exploring.
