A Theatre Lover's Guide to DC/Capital Area Theatres – June 2010 Offerings

SPECIAL EVENT:

Source Theatre Festival, from June 12th to July 3rd.

The 2010 Source Festival, now in its third year, will present 25 new works in its three week festival. Over 100 theatre professionals selected the 18 ten-minute plays, and two full-length plays from over 600 submissions from all over the US. You never know what you’re going to see, but from my past experience, you will be treated to many of DC’s best actors and directors paired with playwrights from across the country. So, if you are coming to celebrate Independence Day with us, come a few days earlier and immerse yourself in this exciting theatre festival, described as “From a bar where astronauts bring the drinks to a world where secrets are kept in Tupperware, audiences will be exposed to winning work by playwrights from across the country and theatre artists from the DC-metro area”.

OPENING IN JUNE 2010 - MUST-SEES:

(1) R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe, through July 4th, at Arena Stage in Crystal City, in Arlington, VA.

Rick Foucheaux is one of my favorite actors in the DC area and I can’t wait to see him in D.W. Jacobs’ R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe, which ends “arena restaged” – a 2 year festival of American Voices’ performances in Crystal City, in Arlington, VA, before they return to their renovated Southwest DC home –Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater - this October.

R. Buckminster Fuller is the inventor of the geodesic dome, which according to Britannica Online is “the only large dome that can be set directly on the ground as a complete structure”. It sounds really interesting and friends who have seen the show on the West Coast have told me that it’s hysterical. Arena Stage’s press release describes the show as an “unforgettable journey inside one of the most remarkable minds of the 20th century in a dazzling, virtuoso multimedia performance. A hero of the green movement, Bucky framed many of the great environmental ideas of his time and ours… It may not only change your life but the life of our planet as well”. Every time I see Rick Foucheaux perform he is unforgettable.

(2) Othello, from Synetic Theater, from June 3rd to July 3rd, in the Family Theatre in the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC.

They are advertising their "art of silence" production as "Synetic Pulls the Sheets Off Othello! Scandal is fueled, families and friendships destroyed, as Othello's world comes crashing down, until a 'trifle light as air' - a handkerchief - undoes them all." I can only imagine the amount of energy and spectacular dancing and athletic feats we will see when we attend Paata Tsikurishvili and Nathan Weinberger’s adaptation of the Shakespearean tragedy with Synetic Theater regulars and multi-Helen Hayes Award winning director Paata Tsikurishvili, choreographer Irina Tsikurishvili, composer Konstantine Lortkipanidze, and Lighting Designer Andrew F. Griffin at the helm. We are in for a spectacular and visual stunning time in the theatre.

Company members Roger Payano and Salma Shaw star as Othello and Desdemona. Also in the cast are the talented Irina Koval as Emilia, and Scott Brown as Cassio, Philip Fletcher, Alex Mills, Vato Tsikurishvili, Natalie Berk, Armand Sindon, and new company member Greg Anderson, who is an accomplished deaf actor. What "moor" can you ask for in the theatre but to watch this amazing troupe burn up the stage with so much energy and beauty.

(3) A Man of No Importance, from June 12th to July 11th, at Keegan Theatre at Church Street Theater, in Washington, DC.

When I saw A Man of No Importance in the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center, in September 2002, it brought me to tears, especially during the song “The Cuddles Mary Gave”. The original cast was filled with Broadway stars including Roger Rees as Alfie Byrne, Sean McCourt as Sully O'Hara, Faith Prince as Lily Byrne, Sally Murphy as Adele, Charles Keating as Carney/Oscar Wilde, and Steven Pasquale as Robbie Fay. I listen to the fabulous cast CD and Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s (Ragtime) all the time, and I was so thrilled when Keegan Theatre announced that it was going to produce it this year.

After their huge success of its Helen Hayes Award-winning production of RENT, I am so glad that the team that helmed that production is working on this one, including co-directors Mark A. Rhea and Christina Coakley, music director Aaron Broderick, choreographer Kurt Boehm, set designer George Lucas, and costume designer Kelly Peacock.

A Man of No Importance "celebrates Oscar Wilde, the streets of Dublin and the joys of making live theatre… This compelling story by playwright Terrence McNally brims with passion, humor and sexual awakenings, coupled with a gorgeous score filled with Irish-inspired music. It’s a musical that tells the story of an amateur theatre group in Dublin. The St. Imelda’s Players are led by Alfie Byrne, a local bus conductor. As a dedicated fan of Oscar Wilde, Alfie is determined to stage a version of ‘Salome’ at his church, in spite the strong objections of church authorities. As Alfie fights to put on the play, he is forced to confront his own sexuality and stand up for who he is."

And what an amazing cast they have assembled including Brian Cali as Rasher Flynn, Buzz Mauro as Alfie Byrne, Kristen Jepperson as Lily Byrne, Deb Gottesman as Mrs. Curtin, Harv Lester as Carney and Oscar Wilde, John Robert Keena as Robbie, Gannon O’Brien as Breton Beret, Charlie Retzlaff as Sully O’Hara, Chris Gillespie as Father Kenny and Rasher, Jane Petkofsky as Mrs. Grace, Joshua Dick as Ernie Lally, Kaitlin Hitchings as Miss Crowe, Katie McManus as Mrs. Patrick, and Madeline Botteri as Adele. Understudies for the show are Michael Toth, Paige Felix, and Tim Lynch.

No one in our area does Irish theatre better than Keegan Theatre, and I have waited all season to see this production.

(4) Always…Patsy Cline, from June 12th to July 25th, at Toby’s Baltimore, in Baltimore, MD.

It’s a small intimate show about the late and great country legend Patsy Cline, who died in a plane crash in 1963, and chronicles the real-life story of Patsy’s encounter in 1961 with a fan named Louise Seger. They met at The Esquire Ballroom in Houston before one of Patsy’s performances. A friendship began, the two corresponded back and forth until Patsy’s untimely death. The title of the musical came from Patsy Cline’s closing at the end of each letter – "Always… Patsy Cline."

Toby’s, a Dinner Theatre that has won numerous theatre awards in the DC and Baltimore area, is fortunate to have director Daniel L. McDonald at the helm, music direction by Cedric Lyles, choreography by Laurie Newton, costume design by Lawrence Munsey, scenic & lighting design by the inventive David A. Hopkins, and sound design by Corey Brown. I have seen their wonderful work in many other productions at Toby’s in Columbia, and in Baltimore, MD, so I know I am in for a real treat.

Tiffany Walker Porta is recreating her 2005 Baltimore Theater Awards-winning performance as Patsy Kline, and Toby’s veteran Lynne Sigler plays Louise. The Recliners are played by singers extraordinaire Kelli Blackwell, Elizabeth Hester and Sarah Beth Pfeifer. Hearing some of Patsy’s big hits such as “Crazy”, “I Fall to Pieces”, “Sweet Dreams” and “Waking After Midnight”, will bring back memories of one of my favorite singers and thoughts of “what might have been.”

(5) LEGENDS!, from June 16th to July 4th, at Studio Theatre, in Washington, DC

American playwright and author James Kirkwood, Jr. who wrote the book for A Chorus Line wrote LEGENDS!.. and Mary Martin and Carol Channing and Kirkwood traveled with the play to 24 cities. Well, as theatre fans know – the two stars hated each other. Kirkwood “documented” this in a book “Diary of a Mad Playwright: Perilous Adventures on the Road with Mary Martin and Carol Channing”. The production resurrected the tradition of touring the country before taking the play to Broadway, and although the show was a success on the road, it never reached Broadway. This production is thankfully edited by John Epperson and James Kirkwood, Jr.

Whenever Lypsinka comes to Studio Theatre - it’s a real event! Here’s how Studio is advertising the show, “The wigs are ready, the heels are out and the claws are sharpened! Lypsinka returns to The Studio Theatre in a brand new adaptation of LEGENDS! In order to revive their dying careers, two aging divas, Leatrice, played by John Epperson (aka Lypsinka) and Sylvia played by James Lecesne, must battle it out in this hilarious comedy full of glitz and glamour. Unparalleled style! Epic catfights! A performance to remember!”

Co-starring with John and James Roz White as Aretha, (I hope she gets some R-E-S-P-E-C-T John and James!), Tom Story as Klemmer, and Leo Christopher Sheridan as Boom-Boom. Kirk Jackson directs, and the designers are Dan Conway (Set Designer), Michael Giannitti (Lighting Designer), Fabio Toblini (Costume Designer), and Gil Thompson (Sound Designer). What fun this will be. I’m sure we’ll see some legendary performances.

(6) The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s Completely Hollywood (abridged), from June 22nd to July 11th, in the Terrace Theatre, at The Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC.

It’s exhausting and head-shaking as lunacy abounds whenever The Reduced Shakespeare Company perform one of their “abridged” productions, and this month, they are bringing, as the Kennedy Center calls, “ The madness! The method! The images! The implants! Armed with the theory that every Hollywood movie is just a combination of two old movies, the Reduced Shakespeare Company unleashes such unlikely mash-ups as Kevin Bacon teaching a disabled writer how to dance in My Left Footloose, Jessica Tandy and Robert DeNiro in the feel-good movie of the year Taxi Driving Miss Daisy, Rosie O'Donnell starring in the new musical My Big Fat Fair Lady, and Akira Kurosawa directing Disney's next hit Snow White and the Seven Samurai. It all culminates in the summer's biggest blockbuster with no stars, no budget, and no popcorn - but plenty of laughs!

Completely Hollywood (abridged) is written and directed by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor with additional material by Dominic Conti. All three of these original cast members will be performing in the production at the Kennedy Center. Sounds crazy – don’t you think? – and lots of fun. So count me in! I’m ready for my close-up Mr. DeMille.

(7) How I Became a Pirate, from June 23rd to August 15th, at Imagination Stage, in Bethesda, MD.

I loved pirate stories when I was a kid. There were so many bullies in my neighborhood (many to become future “convicts”) that I dreamed of making them walk the plank and push them into the sea - never to be seen and heard from again! Since I’m still a kid at heart, I’m looking forward to Imagination Stage’s adaptation based on the book by Melinda Long, with illustrations by David Shannon of “How I Became a Pirate”, adapted by Alyn Cardarelli, who also penned the lyrics, and by Steve Goers, who wrote the score.

“Imagine Jeremy Jacob’s surprise when he’s accosted on the beach by a motley crew of pirates. They need a digger to bury their treasure and Jeremy, clutching his little sand spade, is recruited. At first, the pirate life is all fun: swabbing decks, counting ducats and singing shanties. But when night falls, Jeremy gets no bed time story and no tucking in. And when there is a storm, they get very wet! At last, Jeremy comes up with a novel idea which both pleases the pirates and allows him to return to his “regular” life in time for his next soccer practice. A light-hearted summer musical romp!” Is this a kid’s fantasy or what? Paul McEneaney directs.

I was so happy to learn that the choreography and musical direction are by Helen Hayes Award-winners Stephen Gregory Smith and Christopher Youstra. The talented cast includes the husband and wife team of Michael John Casey and Colleen Delany, David Frankenberger, Jr., Tim Getman, Phillip Reid, and Josh Sticklin.

Maybe those pirates and Jeremy will let me walk the plank without pushing me off. I’m looking for that eye patch right now!

(8) Courage, from June 2nd to June 26th at dog & pony dc, at The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, in Washington, DC.

I like a wacky and in-your-face musical and Brechtonian, and I can’t wait to see what the very inventive theatre group dog & pony dc do with their musical version by David Hare, based on Brecht’s play Mother Courage and Her Children. The musical is directed by Rachel Grossman, with original music by John Milosich.

Director Rachel Grossman says that her production asks: “What does Brecht look like in America in the 21st century?” Her answer is to “take the fundamentals of what we understand as Brecht’s theory and what he was trying to do with his performances and bring it to a contemporary audience… Prepare yourself for game shows and other gambits to recreate Brecht’s attempts to shake audience members from passivity and slumber….

It’s an anti-apathy play... “There was a call to action that came with the election, and 18 months later, that message seems to have been dropped. We’re entering a period where there is apathy toward making change. Courage is pointing the finger at ourselves and everyone else.

We’re responsible for making change happen.” Scary isn’t it? John “Milo” Milosich’s score “mixes up traditional American music - folk/gospel, and a touch of Cajun - with the Old World music-influenced sounds of Beirut and Gogol Bordello to create a fresh and vibrant aural palette for Brecht that is a universe away from fierce declamations and cabaret usually associated with Brecht productions”. Director Grossman adds that “The music aims to bring together the feel of a garage band and the deep emotional swell that you feel when you are singing for your faith and your God,” Grossman observes, “Eastern Europe meets Appalachia. Something that’s the sound of everyday people.”

The talented cast includes Wyckham Avery, Josh Drew, Jonathan Gadsden, Ariana Hodes, Colin Hovde, Farah Lawal, Jessica Lefkow, Augie Praley, Jon Reynolds, Betsy Rosen, Mitch Mattson, and Jacob Yeh.

I like the musical clips from Courage score, which you can hear by clicking here. I will be courageous and see this “Hare-raising” new musical.

OTHER SHOWS OPENING IN JUNE 2010

From June 1st through June 20th, Thurgood, in the Eisenhower Theatre, at the Kennedy Center, in Washington, DC.

From June 2nd through June 27th, The Goat or Who is Sylvia? At Rep Stage, in Columbia, MD.

From June 3rd to June 6th, Sweeney Todd, at Act Two Performing Arts at Georgetown Prep - Figge Theatre, in North Bethesda, MD.

From June 3rd to June 27th , Bola: El embajador de la canción cubana, at Gala Hispanic Theatre, in Washington, DC.

From June 3rd through July 3rd, Gretty Good Time, at Theatre Alliance, in Washington, DC.

From June 4th to June 18th, Oleanna, at Dark Horse Theatre Company, at DCAC (District of Columbia Arts Center), in Washington, DC.

From June 5th to August 15th, Adventure of Tio Conejo, at Synetic Family Theater, in Arlington, VA.

From June 8th through July 11th, Mrs. Warren's Profession, at The Shakespeare Theatre’s Sidney Harman Hall, in Washington, DC.

From June 9th through July 4th, Trumpery, at The Olney Theatre Center, in Olney, MD.

From June 10th through June 13th, Annie Get Your Gun, at Act Two Performing Arts at Georgetown Prep - Figge Theatre, in North Bethesda, MD.

From June 11th through July 11th, Much Ado About Nothing, at Chesapeake Theatre Company, at PFI Historic Park, in Ellicott City, MD.

From June 15th through July 7th, There Are Little Kingdoms at Keegan Theatre’s New Island Project at Church Street Theater, in Washington, DC.

From June 24th through July 17th, Johnny Meister and the Stitch, at Solas Nua, at Flashpoint, in Washington, DC.

From June 25th to June 27th, Jason Robert Brown’s 13, at Musical Theater Center (“MTC”), at The Rockville Civic Center’s F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, in Rockville, MD.

From June 25th to July 25th, Hamlet, at Chesapeake Theatre Company, at PFI Historic Park, in Ellicott City, MD.

From June 26th through July 25th, New Jerusalem, at Theater J, in the DCJCC, in Washington, DC.