BWW Features: Editor Picks - Best of DC in 2013

In 2013, there was no shortage of DC theatre and performing arts wonders to behold and the BroadwayWorld DC writing team was there to cover much of it. Looking back on the year, given the depth of the DC theatre company and the fact that there's certainly not a lack of national tours and other events that pass through our area, putting together a "Best Of" list is no small feat. Nonetheless, here's our attempt. I asked the DC writing staff to give me their picks and added a few of my own. Whether massive festivals, unique productions, or simply an amazing take on a classic we all know well, the DC arts community rose to the challenge this year and offered something pretty great for everyone.

From Jennifer Perry:

In 2013 alone, I reviewed - for one website or another - over 120 productions, and saw probably closer to 150 additional productions. That's a lot of theatre and concerts! For one reason or another, the following events stood out to me as being the most memorable.

Nordic Cool and American Voices Festivals at Kennedy Center: I have to tip my hat to the Kennedy Center for putting together two simply unforgettable festivals this season.

As your resident international affairs junkie, the mere thought of getting to see some imported productions from Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland as part of the Nordic Cool Festival in February 2013 was enough to get me very excited. However, once I saw many of the productions - first and foremost Finland's Tampere Workers' Theatre production of The Warmblooded - I was astounded at the array of talent at play and how each production provided insight on the human condition at a global level, while also drawing attention to characteristics that may be unique to that region of the world.

Yet, my music-loving soul was also elated over the ambitious November 2013 American Voices Festival, hosted by Renée Fleming. There's something rather unique about having the opportunity to experience the eclectic nature of American music in a matter of three days. The festival showcased the best of American music talent in genres as diverse as musical theatre, classical music/opera, country, jazz, pop/rock, and gospel in a concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra. It also offered a glimpse at upcoming artists in master sessions taught by leading artists, and allowed those in the business and those that follow it to address issues of contemporary importance in a series of moderated discussion sessions. It lived up to the hype and the concert, in particular, featured top-notch performances by Broadway artists like Sutton Foster and Norm Lewis, opera diva Renée Fleming, and the musician's musician Ben Folds. The most memorable moments, however, came when Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles took the stage to give an inspiring and thoroughly original take on Elton John's classic "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." Please Kennedy Center, do this again (and give Ms. Bareilles her own concert)!

Showboat and The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me at Washington National Opera: The Washington National Opera (WNO), under the artistic direction by Francesca Zambello, can never be accused of not thinking outside of the box. While it certainly offers your traditional offerings from Mozart, Verdi, and others, this year it convincingly made the claim about the compatible relationship between musical theatre and opera.

There's probably no question that any production of Show Boat will draw in the musical theatre-loving crowd. Yet, Zambello's production made a good case for the idea that this work - if done properly - can defy the labels and simply be viewed as a powerful artistic masterpiece. Featuring stunning visual pictures and memorable vocal performances by Andriana Chuchman (Magnolia Hawks), Angela Renée Simpson (Queenie), Alyson Cambridge (Julie LaVerne), and Morris Robinson (Joe) among others, the production fundamentally reminded us all why this show has endured for so long.

With WNO's commissioned, world premiere The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me, also directed by Zambello, the renowned company offered its first work by a female composer. Award-winning musical theatre composer Jeanine Tesori and librettist J.D. "Sandy" McClatchy took us on a unique trip to Bethlehem at the time of Jesus' birth. While the production offered a glorious confection of strong music and a strong story that blended perfectly together, it also introduced me to angelic, natural, and infinitely charming boy soprano Henry Wager as an angel and strong, singer-actor John Orduña as the Donkey. Both have talent in spades and I look forward to watching their careers from here on out.

Strong Socially-Conscious Offerings from Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, Ford's Theatre, and Shakespeare Theatre Company: 2013 saw a set of three plays that proved particularly memorable for many reasons. These three offered strong acting and crisp direction. Yet, just as important, they offered thought-provoking and nuanced examinations of issues of race, identity, and social justice set in historical time periods or remote locations that are still incredibly relevant to American audiences today.

Danai Gurira's The Convert at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company was set in Zimbabwe, but she didn't so much explore the effects of colonial imperialism in the country and larger African region from a socio-political perspective - a subject that's oft discussed in many a book and play - as she does the impact of 'cultural' imperialism through an engaging story. The script was remarkably centered for a story so complex and even if one knew little about the country going in, one was likely to leave with a new appreciation for the historical struggle that still impacts the lives of people in that country today. More broadly, it provided important insights about how identity is shaped by social forces that are applicable far beyond the Zimbabwean context. Featuring a particularly compelling and raw performance by Nancy Moricette and strong direction by Michael John Garcés, the production brought out the best of the script and then some.

While the Ford's Theatre production of Tectonic Theater Project's The Laramie Project may not have opened the way the creative team and cast wanted it to on account of the federal government shutdown, the experience highlighted the relentless and determined nature of the DC theatre community and the power of this particular material to stand on its own. As a result of the shutdown, the press performance for The Laramie Project was moved to a rehearsal hall at Woolly Mammoth and the cast performed the show without much of a set and no theatrical lighting on little notice. Several subsequent performances were cancelled until a local church offered a space for it to be performed in until the theatre reopened. With perceptive direction from Matthew Gardiner and strong performances by DC theatre luminaries like Holly Twyford, Kimberly Gilbert, Craig Wallace, and Mitchell Hébert among others, the presentation got to the heart of what the show means and why the message of love, forgiveness, and acceptance is still relevant today. Raw, impassioned, and compelling, it will continue to be among my greatest theatergoing experiences ever.

Although I did not review Yael Farber's Mies Julie from the Baxter Theatre Centre at the University of Cape Town (in association with the South African State Theatre) that was presented at the Shakespeare Theatre Company, it counts as among the top five best productions I've seen in my many years of theatergoing - local or otherwise. A reimagined take on August Strindberg's classic play set in post-apartheid, contemporary South Africa, the production offered some of the most unflinching and riveting performances I have ever seen from Hilde Conje (Julie) and Bongile Mantsai (John). The added racial dimension only added to the power of the tragic story.

Maria Rizzo in Cabaret at Keegan Theatre and Gypsy at Signature Theatre: There's certainly no shortage of musical theatre in talent in our city, but this year one young talent caught my eye in two classic musicals. Whether taking on Sally Bowles in the Keegan Theatre production of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret or Louise in Signature Theatre's Gypsy (featuring lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Jule Syne, and book by Arthur Laurents), Maria Rizzo offered truly heart-wrenching emotions, a thorough understanding of her character, and powerful singing. I truly, truly look forward to watching her career develop. She's an undeniable talent with a stage presence that defies her years.

From Jeffrey Walker:

Of the shows I saw in 2013, two really stand out of a field of very strong productions.

Torch Song Trilogy at Studio Theatre: In the realm of non-musicals, Torch Song Trilogy was top to bottom a fantastic production. Direction by Michael Kahn and the phenomenal leading performance of Brandon Uranowitz as Arnold were reason enough not to miss this crystal clear rendering of Harvey Fierstein's three-act play. I am glad that after 30 years, I have finally gotten the chance to see Torch Song Trilogy. When I was 17, I doubt I would have appreciated the play or the characters. Now, as an adult, I get it. Fierstein's work speaks to the heart and the heart is neither gay nor straight. It only knows to keep beating, especially when we have someone to love and someone to love us back. And that's more than enough.

Company at Signature Theatre: As for musicals, I must give it to Signature Theatre's Company for my pick for best of 2013. Company at Signature Theatre is electrifying and brilliant. Director Eric Schaeffer has already made his mark with the works of Stephen Sondheim. His return to Company - after 20 years - may well be considered among his finest directorial achievements.The clarity of the storytelling, the sterling ensemble of Signature favorites and some of DC's most accomplished performers (Sherri L. Edelen, Thomas Adrian Simpson, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Bobby Smith) and brilliantly sung and acted Bobby of Matthew Scott came together in a winner on all counts.

From Benjamin Tomchik:

The Apple Family Plays at Studio Theatre: No piece of theater has more accurately captured the mood of the United States in the first decade of the twenty-first century than The Apple Family Plays. Studio Theatre's exquisite production of That Hopey Changey Thing and Sweet and Sad, the first two plays in Richard Nelson's Apple Family series, were master classes in acting and playwriting. The plays were performed in repertory at Studio Theatre using the same set and cast to great effect. Exploring issues without prejudice or bias, Nelson's script and Studio Theatre's production made the audience feel a part of this small family as they discussed during two separate dinners the impact of the Obama presidency and the September 11th terrorist attacks on the American psyche.

The Velocity of Autumn at Arena Stage: Eric Coble's hysterical and wonderfully touching play The Velocity of Autumn gave credence to that old saying, "Never judge a book by its cover!" Because once the homemade explosives were removed from the stage, The Velocity of Autumn poignantly explored what happens when someone we love can no longer care for themselves. Estelle Parsons and Stephen Spinella gave touching performances as a mother and son trying to make sense of the aging process. This Broadway-bound production is certain to resonate with anyone who's had to be a caregiver and thrill any theatergoer who enjoys terrific performances!

From Audrey Liebross:

If/Then at National Theatre: The newly renovated National Theatre scored a coup in obtaining the pre-Broadway tryout of If/Then, a musical dramedy by Tom Kitt (music) and Brian Yorkey (book and lyrics), the same team responsible for Next to Normal. Although the story is confusing to those who are unaware that the action consists of alternate time lines involving the same characters, Broadway buzz and additional explanation will probably solve that quibble by opening night in New York. With a strong cast headed by Idina Menzel, several songs that seem destined to become hits, masterly direction by Michael Greif, and a brilliant set by Mark Wendland, the show is a likely winner.

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