Elliot Lanes - Page 3

The latest entry into Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage series is one that you don’t see produced professionally very often which is a good thing. The 1960 Charles Strouse/Lee Adams/Michael Stewart musical Bye, Bye, Birdie was at one point the most produced musical by high schools and community theatres but strangely it has had very few large-scale revivals. Roundabout Theatre Company’s production in 2009 marked the last time the show was seen on Broadway in a major production.

Nowadays orchestra size has become more and more of an issue for me. Even when seeing productions of classic Broadway musicals, there is a tendency to reduce the size of the orchestra for more in the way of production elements. It’s even worse when a production “reimagines” the charts completely and wipes away the work of Robert Russell Bennett, Don Walker, and even Jonathan Tunick. The latter should be deemed sacrilege.

Today’s subject Simon Godwin is currently living his theatre life as the Artistic Director of DC’s Tony Award winning Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). He assumed the position in 2019 succeeding the company’s founder Michael Kahn after a stunning 33-year reign.

Today’s subject Stephen Cole is an accomplished lyricist, performer, and book writer. You can now add novelist to that already impressive list of accomplishments. Stephen Cole’s latest literary endeavor takes us back to the Golden Age of Broadway with his first novel entitled Mary & Ethel…and Mikey Who?. The book is now available everywhere for purchase in both hardcover and digital versions.

As we all know, the 23/24 Broadway theatre season has been one of the busiest in a very long time with many new plays and musicals opening within a short period. One of those shows was The Notebook. It features a score by pop writer Ingrid Michaelson and a book by Bekah Brunsetter. The show had a pre-Broadway tryout in Chicago where it was met with unanimous rave reviews.

Today’s subject Nora Palka is currently living her theatre life at Signature Theatre playing Jeanie in their current production of Hair. The production runs through July seventh in the MAX. Hair is a homecoming for Nora to be sure. She grew up in the DC area and as you will read, credits Signature with her wanting to become a professional performer.

Today’s subject Katherine Goforth is someone who can definitely be called a breakthrough artist to be sure. She is the inaugural recipient of Washington National Opera’s True Voice Award for transgender and non-binary singers. She will be making her Kennedy Center debut on May first at 6:00pm with a recital on Millenium Stage.

Today’s subject Judy Kuhn is known to musical theatre aficionados from her performances in Rags, Chess, Fun Home and more on Broadway. Currently this off the charts performer is living her theatre life at Arena Stage in Unknown Soldier in the role of Lucy Anderson. The production runs through May 5th in the Kreeger.

Today’s subjects Alex Bechtel, Grace McLean, and Eva Steinmetz are currently living their theatre lives as the creative team for the DC premeire of Signature Theatre’s latest piece of musical greatness Penelope. The Greek myth inspired solo performer musical runs through April 28th in Signature’s ARK space.

Today’s subject Peter Anastos has been living his theatre life as one of the co-Founders of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. The all- male dance troupe has been parodying the classics of ballet for 50 years now. You can see the company in action for three performances only from April fourth through sixth in the Opera House at Kennedy Center.

Composer Andrew Lippa is probably best known for his musical The Addams Family but his work spans far beyond that one show. He wrote additional songs for the Broadway production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown and wrote the off-Broadway version of The Wild Party.

Today’s subject Psalmayene 24 is someone we can aptly classify as the whole package when we talk about artists in the DC theatre community. He is an accomplished writer/actor/performer and educator whose work has been enjoyed by audiences of all ages over the years. Currently Psalmayene 24 is the director of Arena Stage’s current Power Play entitled Tempestuous Elements. The show is currently playing in the company’s Fichandler space through March 17th.

Today’s subject Amelia Hensley is currently living her theatre life at Signature Theatre as The Storyteller for the World Premiere musical Private Jones. The production runs through March 10th in Signature’s MAX space.

Today’s subject Stephen Oremus has been living his theatre life for many years now as a music director/pianist/orchestrator/arranger/musical supervisor. His career is something many of us dream of having but very few of us actually achieve. His current project brings him full circle. Stephen is the Musical Supervisor/Arranger/Orchestrator for Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage production of tick, tick..BOOM! which is running through February 4th in the Eisenhower Theater. Stephen was the show’s original Orchestrator/Arranger/Musical Director in 2001. His work can be heard on the original cast recording.

If you have been following my writings over the years, you know that when someone asks me about what arts in education to go to in the DMV, The Theatre Lab School of The Dramatic Arts is the ONLY one I will recommend. For over thirty years, The Theatre Lab has been helmed by co-Founders Deb Gottesman and Buzz Mauro. Their philosophy of arts education for all makes them an organization that just keeps raising the bar for what arts education should look like across the country and the world.

If you have been around DC theatre for any length of time, you are very familiar with the writing of Chief Theater Critic for The Washington Post, Peter Marks. He has been the definitive voice of theater for the DMV and beyond for 21 years. On December 31st, Peter Marks’ stunning reign at The Washington Post will come to an end. After almost 30 years reviewing in DC and elsewhere, one of the most important voices in theatrical journalism will be absent from print. That is not a good thing!

Today’s subject Faith Seetoo is currently living her theatre life on the conductor’s podium as the musical director of the North American Tour of Disney’s Frozen. The show is currently running in the Opera House at Kennedy Center continuing through January 21st,2024.

Today’s subject Gaelyn D. Smith is currently living her theatre life onstage at Studio Theatre in the show that just seems to keep going and going Fat Ham playing the role of Opal. The show is now running through January 14th in Studio’s Mead Theatre. For those of you thinking, “I’ll wait because the show will extend its run again”, please be advised January 14th is the definite final performance.

Ten years ago, Washington National Opera (WNO) premiered a family opera about the events leading up to the birth of Jesus in a manger. This past weekend, The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me returned to Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater for four performances only. I reviewed the premiere, and it was as good as I remembered – and possibly even better on second listening.

The annual National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Holiday Pops always puts its attendees in the holiday spirit with both orchestral and vocal delights. This year’s edition featured Broadway star Norm Lewis with special guests and the mighty NSO under the direction of the always wonderful Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke.