Here is Part 2 of DCMetroTheaterArts’ Scene Stealers ending March 31, 2015. Congrats to our honorees!
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Charles Edwards as Charles in a Ghostly Encounter he National Theatre
“Not even Angela Lansbury as Madame Arcati could eclipse the comical predicament in which character Charles Condomine found himself in Blithe Spirit. British actor Charles Edwards refused to surrender to the Lansbury juggernaut. He was especially effective in the scene when the ghost of free-spirited deceased wife Elvira first arrived and Charles found himself pulled between her youthful abandon and the comfort of his current marriage to the over-controlling Ruth. Edwards masterfully showed us the funny side of male vanity, flayed and dissected through the genius of Noel Coward; call it the deconstruction of an English stick-in-the-mud. He reminded us that the play’s strength is in its characters’ psyches and not in its ectoplasmic distractions.” –John Harding
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“The Bare Necessities” at When You Wish by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC
“The Bare Necessities” (from The Jungle Book) was a novel and amusing satiric look at the “Bear culture” of the Gay scene and, indeed, the audience was treated to a collection of bears from Smokey the Bear to Paddington Bear and beyond. Congrats to Soloists: John Knapp and Matt Thompson, and to the Bears: Brent Almond, Jarrod Bennett, Marcus Brown, Phil Evans, C. Mo Hanners, Matt Komornik, Sean Lyons-Burke, Clint Novotny, John O’Brien, Ryan Poirier, Sean Robinson, John Santell, Mark Uhen. Soloists John Knapp and Matt Thompson sang with fierce bear-like power amidst the merriment.-David Friscic
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Jane Lynch and Kate Flannery Sing “Something Stupid” at See Jane Sing! An Evening With Jane Lynch at The Birchmere
“Just when the evening couldn’t get any funner or funnier, Lynch and Flannery sang “Something Stupid,” a song originally sung by Frank Sinatra and his daughter, Nancy Sinatra. In the prefacing patter, Lynch casually made clear that though she and Flannery go back decades they’re not, you know, lovers or anything. That set up what became a laugh-out-loud episode during which each time the lyrics intimated a relationship of affection, Flannery and Lynch would avert their eyes and abruptly turn away from each other. The gag kept running and killed.”-John Stoltenberg
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Gregory Maheu as the Union Private Singing “Sarah” at Freedom’s Song: Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War at Ford’s Theatre
“The highlight of the show was the musical number based on one of the most famous letters of the Civil War. It was written by Major Sullivan Ballou of the Rhode Island militia to his wife, Sarah, just a week before he was killed at the first battle of Bull Run. In the show, the letter inspires the song, “Sarah” sung by the incomparable Gregory Maheu as the Union Private. Maheu brings to life the sweetness of romantic love with his strong and confident vocal range and his impressive vocal dynamics that begin with a whisper and smoothly crescendo to an explosive climax. The beautiful words and beautiful performance tugged at our heartstrings and brought tears to our eyes.”-Paul Bessel and Barbara Braswell.
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Sasha Olinick as Rabbi Dov Delivering a Powerful Sermon in G-d’s Honest Truth at Theater J
“The real-life Youlus story is the jumping-off point for G-d’s Honest Truth. Calarco created a fictional Rabbi Dov, who uses his intuitive knowledge that “we all want to leave a legacy” to work his magic over impressionable adults. In one scene, as Dov, a charismatic Sasha Olinick delivers a High Holiday Days sermon about Isaac that had me in hushed silence of respect and admiration.”-David Siegel
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Carlos Ramirez as Peter and Emma Gwin as Mary Magdalene Singing “Could We Start Again Please?” in Jesus Christ Superstar at Prince William Little Theatre
“The two performers who revealed their emotions best were Carlos Ramirez as Peter and Emma Gwin, as Mary Magdalene. Gwin’s rendition of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” was lovely but her duet, with Ramirez, “Could We Start Again Please” was the most beautiful musical moment of the production.”-Chuck Leonard
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Sophia Riazi-Sekowski Singing “I Whistle a Happy Tune” at 65 Years of Broadway! The Best Musicals, Abridged at 2nd Star Productions
“The scene-stealer in this show, no doubt about it, is the younger Sophia Riazi-Sekowski, who is not yet into her tween years.
The young talent sings with the conviction, emotion, passion, and knowledge of a person at least twenty years older. Her acting chops are right up there with the older members of the 13-member ensemble. She adroitly handles “I Whistle A Happy Tune” from the 1952 winner The King and I as if she attended its premier. Later on, she takes the reins with 1977’s winner Annie with her wistful version “Maybe” and the “The Letter” from Billy Elliot the Musical (2009).”-Wendi Winters
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Matt Wetzel Singing “Here You Are” in Monty Python’s Spamalot at Silhouette Stages
“A wonderful community staging of Spamalot by Silhouette Stages in Columbia was blessed with epic casting, direction, costuming and sets. But the spirit of perfect zaniness was captured again and again all evening by the loosey-goosey Matt Wetzel, a pint-sized dynamo of ticklish accents, comical expressions and slapstick fun. As Prince Herbert, Wertzel even managed to turn the throwaway solo “Here You Are” into a near-showstopper. Talk about a scene-stealer!”–John Harding
“I adored Matt Wetzel in his numerous roles as Not Dead Fred in the number, “I Am Not Dead Yet,” and later as Prince Herbert.”-Susan Brall
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Anthony Warlow as Don Quixote Singing “The Impossible Dream” at Man of La Mancha at Shakespeare Theatre Company
“Anthony Warlow’s skillfully layered portrayal of Cervantes and Quixote is nothing short of spectacular. He brings to life the scattered, self-deluded psychology of Quixote, and his impressive vocal range and dynamics provide a thrilling and defiant rendition of the title song which introduces “Don Quixote” to the audience. Warlow soars in the heart-rending ode to his fantasy lover, “Dulcinea” and he truly brings the house down when he sings the classic ballad, “The Impossible Dream.’-Paul Bessel and Barbara Braswell
LINKS:
DCMTA Scene Stealers-Week Ending March 31, 2015 Part 1.
DCMTA Scene Stealers-January and February 2015-Part 2.
DCMTA Scene Stealers-January and February 2015-Part 1.
In the Moment: ‘A Tip of the Hat to Mary Stuart’s Todd Scofield‘ by David Siegel.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week Ending 11/27/14-Part 1.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week Ending 11/27/14-Part 2.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week Ending 11/7/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week Ending 10/24/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week Ending 10/12/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 9/28/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 9/18/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 9/11/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 9/1/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 8/24/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 8/17/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 8/9/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 8/2/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 7/5/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week- Week Ending 6/28/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 6/21/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 6/13/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 6/06/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 5/29/14.
Top Scene Stealers of the Week-Week Ending 5/22/14.
