Here is Part 2 of our list of Fall Scene Stealers. Feel free to leave a congrats and comment in the Comment Box below.
From Joel Markowitz:
Eymard Cabling (Lun Tha) and Yoonjeong Seong (Tuptim) Singing “I Have Dreamed” at The King and I at Olney Theatre Center
Eymard Cabling’s sweet tenor and Yoonjeong Seong’s thrilling operatic soprano combined to produce beautiful harmonies when they sang “I Have Dreamed” at The King and I at Olney Theatre Center. Filled with passion the duet was thrilling and when Seong suspended the note in ‘lover’ in “Behold how my lover loves me” – it was simply stunning. A royal treat!
From Jessica Vaughan:
Mark Harelick as Autolycus singing “Pantaloons of Doom” in The Winter’s Tale by Shakespeare Theatre Company
What made this a scene stealer is the fact that he, and the entire cast of this dramatic comedy, played dual roles. As Leontes, a jealous king whose actions cause the death of his son, he is grave and heartbreaking, which makes his onstage transformation into the fool of the second act so mind-blowing and that’s before the singing starts. He casts himself as a wandering minstrel and engages in a battle to make up songs. The creations are truly awful. I can only imagine the bard gleefully crafting incompetent rhymes and ridiculous lyrics, and Harelick milks them for all they are worth.
Dani Stoller as “HER” singing “Can That Boy Foxtrot’ in Marry Me a Little at Creative Cauldron
Dani Stoller delivered a sultry performance of the song “Can That Boy Foxtrot” in Marry Me a Little in October at Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, VA. Her solo “Can That Boy Foxtrot,” originally from Follies, is about a grocery store clerk she hooks up with before she gets together with “HIM.” The relationship between HIM and HER is the focus of the musical, which features lesser-known songs of Stephen Sondheim. But it is her recollection of the clerk in a local bodega that is so memorable. Her vocal slides make the implication clear, while her native Brooklyn accent makes it understandable. Above all, the “f” in “Foxtrot” is not overdone, which makes it the double entendre all the more hilarious. An absolute Scene Stealer.
From Jessica Vaughan:
Jeffrey Tarr as Osmund singing “I’m so happy that I’m singin'” for Abduction at the Seraglio at the In Series
Jeffrey Tarr is a bass with a booming voice in this comic opera by Mozart with the In Series. His turn at this put-upon sheriff is generally hilarious, but the verbal acrobatics of this song were truly impressive He must sing the lowest notes recorded by a human voice all the while clowning around and tripping over his own feet. This song also included some yodeling opera – which is a mix of musical forms I’ve never really heard before, but are nevertheless hilarious. I think what made the main difference is his obvious enjoyment of his role and his voice. I really believed him as he sang, “I’m so happy that I”m singing.”
Nick Verina (Hero) and Lora Lee Gayer (Philia) singing “Lovely” in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum at Shakespeare Theatre Company
This silly song became so endearingly hysterical when it was performed by Nick Verina (Hero) and Lora Lee Gayer (Philia) in Alan Paul’s very funny production at Shakespeare Theatre Company. Gayer had me in stitches all through the production and she convinced me (and other audience members) that Philia really didn’t have much ‘upstairs.’ But with “Lovely” she wrung a new laugh out of every lyric from me, and I still can’t stop smiling how wonderful her rendition with Verina was. It was simply hilarious. And quite lovely.
Sean Watkinson singing “Apology to a Cow” in Bat Boy The Musical at Act Two @ Levine
Sean Watkinson of Rockville delivered an explosive performance as Edgar/Bat Boy in April 2013 at The Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company’s Rehearsal Hall. His performance for Act Two @ Levine was so good, I had to include it in this new list of Scene Stealers.
Watkinson, trained as a dancer, used great physicality to portray both a wild bat and a sensitive young man. The half bat-half boy has been found in a cave and taken into the home of a veterinarian. Once out of his cage, he scuttles around the stage like a wild animal, twisting and turning so fast that one false move would have taken out someone in the front row. As he is gradually tamed by the veterinarian’s wife, he becomes attracted to the vet’s daughter but still shrinks from human contact despite the pull of racing hormones. In both sides of his character, Sean’s face and eyes told the story too, taking it beyond pure athleticism into the realm of raw emotion. And all these emotions came to a head while Sean sang “Apology to a Cow.” I will not soon forget it.
LINKS:
Fall 2013 ‘Scene Stealers’ Part One by The DCMetroTheaterArts Staff.
Read the DCMetroTheaterArts Staff’s Best Scene Stealers of 2012-2013.
