Interview: Chris Miller and Brian Usifer On Orchestrating The Avett Brothers For The Stage by Elliot Lanes - December 8, 2023 Chris Miller and Brian Usifer are currently living their theatre lives as the co- Music Arrangers/Orchestrators of The Avett Brothers’ new musical Swept Away. Brian also serves as the Musical Supervisor for the show which runs through January 14th in the Kreeger Theater space at Arena Stage. Interview: Theatre Life with Jeanine Tesori by Elliot Lanes - December 3, 2023 Today’s subject Jeanine Tesori is a two-time Tony Award winning composer whose work spans the gamut from large scale and chamber musicals for Broadway to grand opera and beyond. Her holiday children’s opera The Lion, The Unicorn and Me premiered ten years ago at Kennedy Center as a commission for Washington National Opera (WNO). The work will be returning to Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater for a one weekend four performance engagement on December 8th through 10th. Interview: Theatre Life with Erin Driscoll by Elliot Lanes - November 20, 2023 Today’s subject Erin Driscoll is someone you are most likely familiar with if you have been inhabiting productions in our area theatres for any length of time. Her memorable leading performances include the title character in Violet at Ford’s Theatre and Cloak and Daggar at Signature Theatre. You might be saying to yourself that you have not seen Ms. Driscoll onstage for a while and that you’ve been missing her superb soprano sound. Well, the wait is over because Erin Driscoll is back onstage in Signature’s current production of Ragtime where she is not only in the ensemble but also covers the role of Mother which she will be performing for both shows on December 10th. The production runs through January 7th in the MAX. Interview: Theatre Life with Marcus Yi by Elliot Lanes - November 17, 2023 Today’s subject Marcus Yi is living proof that you can do it all and succeed in the theatre. Currently he is living his theatre life as the book, music, and lyric writer of the World Premiere Musical The Dragon King’s Daughter. The show runs from November 18th through December 17th in the Family Theater at Kennedy Center. Interview: Theatre Life with Don Michael H. Mendoza by Elliot Lanes - November 14, 2023 Today’s subject Don Michael H. Mendoza is a local artist now living his theatre life as one of the Co-Producers of the Immersive Broadway musical Here Lies Love. The show is slated to close on November 26th at the Broadway Theatre in New York and to be perfectly honest, it’s a shame that it is. More about that in a bit. Interview: Theatre Life with Sir Bryn Terfel by Elliot Lanes - November 13, 2023 Today’s subject Sir Bryn Terfel is a Grammy, Classical Brit, and Gramophone Award–winning recording artist with a discography encompassing operas of Mozart, Wagner, and Strauss, and more than 15 solo discs including Lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs, and sacred repertory. He is, rightfully so, considered one of the greatest bass baritones in the world. On Sunday November 19th, Sir Terfel will be performing in recital at Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall at 2:00pm for one coveted performance only and is co-presented by Fortas Chamber Music Concerts and Renée Fleming Voices. Interview: Theatre Life with Teal Wicks by Elliot Lanes - November 8, 2023 Today’s subject Teal Wicks has what is known as the WOW factor. Every time I see her onstage in something, I can’t help using that expletive to describe her performance. Currently, Teal is living her theatre life onstage at Signature Theatre playing the role of Mother in Ragtime. The production runs through January seventh in Signature MAX space. Interview: Theatre Life with Danielle A. Drakes and Kelsey Mesa by Elliot Lanes - September 29, 2023 Today’s subjects Danielle A. Drakes and Kelsey Mesa are currently living their theatre lives as the director and playwright respectively of Taffety Punk Theatre Company’s World Premiere production of La Salpêtrière. The show runs through October fourteenth at the company’s artistic home Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW). Interview: Theatre Life with Erin Davie by Elliot Lanes - September 8, 2023 Today’s subject Erin Davie is currently living her theatre life in Signature Theatre’s excellent production of Jason Robert Brown and Marsha Norman’s The Bridges of Madison County in which she plays the lead role of Francesca. The production continues through September 17th in Signature’s MAX space. Interview: Theatre Life with Francis Jue by Elliot Lanes - August 23, 2023 Today’s subject Francis Jue is currently living his theatre life performing the role of Duch in Cambodian Rock Band at Arena Stage. The production continues through August 27th in Arena’s Kreeger Theater space. The production will then continue without Jue on to Seattle’s ACT Contemporary Theatre as a co- production with 5th Avenue Theatre. Interview: Theatre Life with Liz Mikel by Elliot Lanes - July 5, 2023 Today’s subject Liz Mikel is currently living her theatre life on tour playing Dr. Benjamin Franklin, delegate from Pennsylvania, in the Roundabout Theatre Company production of 1776. The show is currently running through July 16th at Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theatre. Interview: Theatre Life with Lea Salonga by Elliot Lanes - June 14, 2023 The term Broadway royalty can only be given to a handful of performers. Today’s subject Leas Salonga is one of those people. You probably know her best as the singing voices of Princess Jasmine and Mulan in Disney’s Aladdin and Mulan, but she is also an accomplished Broadway and concert performer who wows audiences all over the world with her dynamic voice and excellent acting. Interview: Theatre Life with Andrew Veyette by Elliot Lanes - June 6, 2023 Today’s subject Andrew Veyette is currently living his theatre life as the longest running dancer with New York City Ballet. The company begins a two-program week-long engagement at Kennedy Center this evening that continues through June 11th in the Opera House. Interview: Theatre Life with Peter Salem by Elliot Lanes - May 25, 2023 Today’s subject Peter Salem is currently living his theatre life as the composer of Scottish Ballet’s production of The Crucible. The show runs now through May 28th at Kennedy Center in the Eisenhower Theater. Interview: Theatre Life with Sarna Lapine by Elliot Lanes - May 5, 2023 Today's subject Sarna Lapine is currently living her theatre life at the directing helm of Signature Theatre's upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim's gothic musical masterpiece Sweeney Todd. The production begins performances on May 16th and will play through July 9th in Signature Theatre's MAX space. It is the fourth time Signature has produced the show, making it Signature Theatre's most produced Sondheim musical overtaking Assassins and Into The Woods with three productions each. Interview: Theatre Life with Susan Rome by Elliot Lanes - April 7, 2023 Today's subject Susan Rome is currently living her thetre life in an epic way. She is currently playing four very different roles in Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches at Arena Stage. The production runs through April 23rd in Arena Stage's Fichlander Theatre Space. Interview: Theatre Life with Sophia Manicone by Elliot Lanes - April 3, 2023 Today’s subject Sophia Manicone is currently living her theatre life on Broadway playing Iola Stover in the acclaimed revival of Parade. The show’s limited engagement, which stars Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, runs through August sixth at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The production marks Sophia’s Broadway debut after playing this same role at New York City Center a few months prior. Interview: Theatre Life with Jason Ma by Elliot Lanes - March 29, 2023 Today's subject Jason Ma is currently living his theatre life telling us all about 'The Advantages of Floating in The Middle of The Sea' in Signature Theatre's current production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's underappreciated masterpiece Pacific Overtures. Jason plays the lead role of Reciter plus other characters as well. The production runs through April ninth in Signature's MAX space. Interview: Theatre Life with Justin Huertas by Elliot Lanes - March 3, 2023 Today’s subject Justin Huertas is currently living his theatre life as the composer/lyricist of Kennedy Center’s World Premiere Commission Musical The Mortification of Fovea Munson. The show begins performances March fourth and plays through the nineteenth in Kennedy Center’s Family Theater. Interview: Theatre Life with Dani Stoller by Elliot Lanes - February 10, 2023 Today's subject Dani Stoller is currently living her theatre life as the playwright for Girlhood at Round House Theatre. The production is Round House's 21st Annual Sarah Metzger Memorial Play and as always, is performed by Round House's Teen Performance Company. The show performs February 17th through 19th. Interview: Theatre Life with Jessica Vosk by Elliot Lanes - February 8, 2023 Today's subject is one of those performers that proves you can reinvent yourself to great success. Many of us locally came to know Jessica Vosk when she blew into the Kennedy Center with the national tour of Wicked in the role of Elphaba. After touring with the show she took Broadway by storm in that same role. What is interesting about Jessica's professional performing carer is that it really didn't start until age 30 as she had been working on Wall Street up until then. Lucky for us, she made that career move. Interview: Theatre Life with Thomas Floyd by Elliot Lanes - December 29, 2022 Today’s subject Thomas Floyd is someone you probably know if you are a regular reader of The Washington Post. Thomas is an arts journalist who contributes features on theater, movies, television, books and comedy for the Weekend and Style sections. He also writes theater, film, and literary criticism. That is more than enough for one person right there, but Thomas has another side to him as a writer and it’s one you might not think of. Interview: Theatre Life with Norm Lewis by Elliot Lanes - December 22, 2022 Today's subject Norm Lewis is probably best known for his rich baritone sound and superb acting in several Broadway musicals. His tour de force performance opposite Audra McDonald in Porgy and Bess is still one of the great modern-day performances. Interview: Theatre Life with Michael Urie by Elliot Lanes - December 20, 2022 Some of you might know today's subject Michael Urie from his work on the tv series Ugly Betty but his career as a stage, film and TV actor goes far beyond that one famous TV show. He can currently be seen onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) in Jane Anger playing the role of William Shakespeare. The production runs through January 8th at STC's Klein Theatre. Interview: Theatre Life with Lissa DeGuzman by Elliot Lanes - December 16, 2022 Today's subject Lissa DeGuzman is currently living her theatre life on tour as the belting green faced witch Elphaba in Wicked. The show runs through January 22nd in the Opera House at Kennedy Center. |
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