Best Of 2022

Best of Orlando® 2022: Arts and Entertainment

Best of Orlando® 2022: Arts and Entertainment

Local Legends: Felichia Chivaughn + Meka King

These righteous forces for change and diversity in Orlando's theater scene are both multi-hyphenate talents — acting, directing, singing and writing are just a few of the lines on their résumés. King and Chivaughn-Ellison achieved the near impossible: They started the long-overdue conversation about systemic racism in Central Florida's art institutions when they founded the Central Florida Entertainment Advocacy Forum, and they've gotten results. Much respect.

1st: CityArts, downtownartsdistrict.com

2nd: College Park Gallery, collegeparkgallery.com

3rd: Jeanine Taylor Folk Art, jtfolkart.com

Best Arts Event or Art Festival
photo courtesy Orlando Fringe

1st: Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, orlandofringe.org

2nd: Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival, wpsaf.org

3rd: Immerse, immersefest.org

1st: Dancers Royale, dancers-royale.com

2nd: Rachel's North Men's Club and Steakhouse, rachelscasselberry.com

3rd: Thee Dollhouse Orlando, theeoriginaldollhouse.com

Best Burlesque Troupe
Photo by Maia Monet, courtesy Les Vixens

1st: Les Vixens Burlesque, lesvixens.com

2nd: Bad Witch Burlesque, badwitchburlesque.com

3rd: Corsets and Cuties, corsetsandcuties.com

1st: SAK Comedy Lab, sakcomedylab.com
The decades roll on and SAK never lets up. The improv theater is nothing if not a reliable place to catch some laughs — and the interactive nature of the make-it-up-as-you-go skits and sketches guarantees surprises every time.

2nd: Improv Orlando, theimprovorlando.com

3rd: Bull & Bush, bullandbushorlando.com

Best Comedy Night
photo by Sarah Kinbar

1st (tie): Shit Sandwich, Bull & Bush, bullandbushorlando.com

1st (tie): Teachers Night at the Improv, theimprovorlando.com

2nd (tie): Bull & Bush Underground Comedy Show! Wednesdays, bullandbushorlando.com

2nd (tie): Open Mic at The Falcon, thefalconbar.com

3rd: Open Mic at Game On Avalon, gameonavalon.com/open-mic-night

Best Dance Company
photo courtesy Orlando Ballet

1st: Orlando Ballet, orlandoballet.org

2nd: Phantasmagoria, phantasmagoriaorlando.com

3rd: Varietease, bluelalaevents.com

Best Drag Event
churchstreetstation/Instagram

1st: Drag Bingo at Hamburger Mary's, hamburgermarys.com/orlando

2nd: Southern Nights, facebook.com/southernnightsorlando

3rd: Off the Record Wednesdays, facebook.com/otrwednesdays

1st: Florida Film Festival, floridafilmfestival.com

2nd: Orlando Film Festival, offvirtual.com

3rd: Love Your Shorts Film Festival, loveyourshorts.com