Tickets For Rise, An Acrobatic Play At Dr Phillips Center, Orlando Now On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for “Rise, An Acrobatic Play,” a show that combines theatre and acrobatics for a completely unique experience.

Written and directed by four-time NCAA Gymnastics Champion Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons and choreographed by former U.S. Tumbling and Trampoline National Team Member Jeffrey Brown, Rise tells the story of high school students who hope to become world-renowned entertainers. The show will be performed at 7 p.m. on Jan. 16, 2016 in the Walt Disney Theatre at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445 South Magnolia Ave., Orlando, Florida. Tickets start at $33.75.

The story is told through dance and acrobatics and immerses audiences in an entirely new theatrical experience. A coming-of-age tale with a futuristic setting, “Rise” follows the adventures of students competing for two paid understudy roles with the Dream Empire, a famous traveling circus.

A new Diverse Physical Talents teacher, Sam Simon, directs them and each student hopes to make his or her mark on the world. One of the students, Max Murdock, the student body president, is among the likeliest candidates for an understudy position, but he must remain focused. This can prove difficult, given his relationship with a beautiful young woman, Courtney, and his rivalry with another student, Dexter.

Tiffany Lamwatt and Felix Betancourt play the lead roles of Max and Courtney. Shayla Worley, the 2007 World Gymnastics Champion, makes a special appearance as Julie.

Abdullah-Simmons, who wrote and directs the play, had a standout career as a gymnast, from winning a junior national all-around title in 2002 at the age of 15 to becoming the first African-American gymnast to win the NCAA All-Around title in 2007, while a student at Oklahoma University.

When asked to explain what the play was about, Taqiy Abdullah-Simmons said: “RISE is about the constant struggle of life. We all have stories of setbacks and unfulfilled goals, but every day we are rising back from these circumstances. Rising in life happens only once we have fallen. The beauty of life is that we do rise. We do have stories of people who accomplish amazing feats after tragedies. RISE is about rising from life’s challenging circumstances and was inspired by someone who needed to rise fom his own life’s setback.”

The Walt Disney Theater is the largest venue at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, with seating for more than 2,700 people. The theater offers exceptional sightlines and offers unmatched intimacy for such a large space.

More information, including ticket purchase, is available at www.risetheplay.info