Kelle Long - Page 6

I cannot fathom willingly undertaking the escalating catastrophes of The Play that Goes Wrong night after night. The potential for disaster is, of course, the masochistic thrill of live theater. Anything can happen but how often do you actually see anything go wrong in a play? Yet, we are all tethered by this morbid curiosity for the possibility that things could at any moment fall apart.

Mozart's Don Giovanni is a must in every opera goer's repertoire. If you are looking for a first encounter with the Don, you could be in no more responsible hands than the Virginia Opera. The material and musical mastery are deliciously indulgent in equal measure. Director Lillian Groag's rendition is a vibrant and youthful take on the infamous playboy invigorated by lively performances. The work may be named for the relentless philanderer, but the ensemble offers a rich bounty of characters.

Craig Pettinati's staging of Sweeney Todd at the Kensington Arts Theatre is bursting with bright, young talent that promises theater traditions will be faithfully kept by a new generation. Most of the cast members are likely a decade or two younger than the 1979 Broadway debut of Stephen Sondheim's bloodiest musical, but they have a command of the material that is refreshing. The community theater favorite is staged in an intimate, and sometimes interactive, setting that offers an exciting new experience for fans and newcomers alike. The reward, however, is viewing a production featuring a number of fresh performers who feel primed to command any equity stage they choose.