Elliot Lanes - Page 10

The 19/20 theatrical season has seen several milestones for many of its area theatres but the biggest by far is the 70th anniversary of the company that helped pioneer the regional theatre movement in this country Arena Stage.

Every once in a while you run across a big dilemma with a production. What happens when everything falls into place except one big thing? For the answer to this question look no further than the latest installment of the Broadway Center Stage series at Kennedy Center Footloose.

Today's subject Chris Clark is currently living his theatre life in a big way. He is making his national tour debut in the Jimmy Buffet extravaganza Escape to Margaritaville. The tour plays here in DC through October 13th at the National Theatre.

DC Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) visionary Michael J. Bobbitt left us to start a new artistic chapter in his life a few months ago. The season opener at Adventure Theatre shows that even though he isn't here physically his vision for the company will be felt all season. Bobbitt made his picks for the company's 19/20 season before his departure.

Today's subject Matt Torney is currently the Associate Artistic Director of Studio Theatre. Their excellent current production of Doubt: A Parable is helmed by Torney and plays through October 6th in Studio's Metheny space.

The newly opened REACH at Kennedy Center continues the institution's promise set forth by President John F. Kennedy of arts for all.

Signature Theatre and Stephen Sondheim have been a winning combination in the DC theatre scene since 1991when the company presented Sweeney Todd at Gunston. In 1992 it presented the Stephen Sondheim/John Weidman collaboration known as Assassins. The show was produced again by Signature in 2006 in their garage space.

We are now at the midpoint of summer and you are most likely looking for something a little bit different to do with your kids before sending them back to school. What if I told you that the Kennedy Center is currently producing a World Premiere Commission that is both entertaining and educational? I hope you'd say 'Tell me more!' because I have plenty to say about this brand new musical for all ages called Earthrise. The production was created to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 launch.

In order to pull off a successful solo show there are a few things you absolutely need to have.

The Theatre Lab School of the Dramatic Arts as part of their Summer Musical Institute for Teens presents a World Premiere Musical entitled Alix in Wonderland: A Gender Journey Down the Rabbit Hole.

Today's subject Mike Daisey is probably best known here in the DC area for his many magnificent monologues that he has performed at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. These appearances include The Agony and Ecstasy of Steve Jobs, How Theater Failed America, and The Trump Card. He is currently living his theatre life at Arena Stage where he is performing his epic A People's History as part of Capital Fringe's Curated Series. The show runs through July 21st.

Today's subjects Dana P. Rowe and John Dempsey are currently living their theatre lives as the writing team for the excellent swashbuckling World Premiere Musical Blackbeard at Signature Theatre. The production runs through July 14th in the MAX.

Master monologist Mike Daisey is known locally for his many performances at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. When you go to a Mike Daisey performance you expect to continue the conversation afterwards. His stuff is that thought provoking and is always spot on.

This past week marked the 50th anniversary of the passing of the iconic entertainer Judy Garland. Can you believe she was only 47 when she passed? Think of the body of work she left us in such a short life.

Today's subjects Deb Gottesman and Claire Schoonover are currently living their theatre lives onstage at Keegan Theatre playing two very resourceful and cutthroat senior citizens in the DC area premiere of David Lindsay-Abaire's Ripcord. The production runs through July 6th.

Signature Theatre concludes its 29th season with a World Premiere musical written by, in my opinion, one of the most underrated writing teams working in musical theatre today. Blackbeard written by John Dempsey (Book & Lyrics) and Dana P. Rowe (Music) has everything you could ever want in a musical. It features a high quality score, a great cast, excellent production values, and swordplay. What more do 1you need?

Today's subject Alexander Strain is living testament to the old adage that you can come home again. You probably remember Alexander from his many wonderful performances all over town at places like Theater J and Round House Theatre. Recently he took a break from acting to get his Masters in Psychology and many of his fans myself included were wondering if he would ever return to the stage.

Today's subject Eden Espinosa is currently living her theatre life as part of the national tour of the William Finn/James Lapine musical Falsettos where she is portraying the role of Trina. The show is currently playing in the Eisenhower Theater at the Kennedy Center and will continue through June 23rd. The tour will then travel to Charlotte, North Carolina for its final stop where it will end on June 30th.

When an actress has a long and distinguished career they are sometimes referred to as a Grande Dame. Today's subject Holly Twyford is what we call the Grand Damn! of DC Theatre. Throughout her many years of performing at pretty much every large theatre in town she proves time and time again that she is a force of nature every time she steps onto an area stage. Holly can currently be seen in the Round House Theatre production of A Doll's House Part 2. The show is running through June 30th at the Lansburgh Theatre while Round House Theatre completes its renovation for a fall re-opening.

Throughout theatrical history many great ladies of the theatre have tackled the role of Thornton Wilder's famous matchmaker Dolly Gallagher Levi in the musical Hello, Dolly! In 2017 a brand new revival of the show hit Broadway starring Bette Midler (with Donna Murphy alternating in) and later on in its run Bernadette Peters. That production is now touring the country with Tony Award winning actress Betty Buckley in the starring role and veteran actor Lewis J. Stadlen as the well-known half a millionaire Horace Vandergelder.