DC Theater Arts

Tag: Britney Spears

What’s ‘Once Upon a One More Time’ doing at the Shakespeare?

It was high time for a pop culture intervention in the roles that fairy tales prescribe for girls. For centuries these stories have idealized a disempowered female identity. As Andrea Dworkin wrote in her 1974 book Woman Hating,

Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow-white, Rapunzel — all are characterized by passivity, beauty, innocence, and victimization. They are archetypal good women — victims by definition. They never think, act, initiate, confront, resist, challenge, feel, care, or question.

To this day fairy tales promise young women a happily ever after that is contingent on being desired and a debilitated sense of self.

That subtext is the crux of Once Upon a One More Time, a fun, feminist new musical just opened spectacularly at DC’s Shakespeare Theater Company on its way to Broadway. It wakes up centuries of bedtime stories, and I predict it will be an intergenerational smash.

The plot (book by Jon Hartmere) is nearly as outlandish as the fairy tales it critiques, and it’s delivered with sensational musical theater performances and stunning stagecraft to the tune of music made mega-famous by Britney Spears. Some have wondered what such a piece of work is doing at a theater renowned for doing the Bard. And therein too lies a tale.

An assortment of storied princesses — Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Rapunzel, plus Snow White, Belle, Princess and the Pea, Little Mermaid, Gretel, Goldilocks, and Little Red Riding Hood — dwell in a fabula rasa dreamland (set by Anna Fleischle, lighting by Sonoyo Nishikawa, projections by Sven Ortel, special effects by Jeremy Chernick) where they must play out their prescripted stories at the command of an overlord male Narrator. In a nod to modernity, the princesses all have hip nicknames (Cinderella is Cin, Rapunzel is Pun, Little Mermaid is Little, Red Riding Hood is Red, etc.), they’re dressed in snazzy storybook chic (costumes by Loren Elstein, wigs by Ashley Rae Callahan), and their vocals and dance moves have the pulse and polish of a pop star tour (Keone and Mari Madrid choreograph and direct, music direction by Britt Bonney). But the princesses can’t move on; their stories must be told as is.

Michael McGrath as Narrator, Adrianna Weir as Little Girl, and Briga Heelan as Cinderella in ‘Once Upon a One More Time.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

Cin is first to balk. For starters, the smarmy and egocentric Prince Charming does not charm her. He wants her to marry him and have a baby. She wants more. Then lo and behold, who should appear but “the Notorious O.F.G.” — Original Fairy Godmother! She comes bearing a gift: Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique (the 1963 book that catalyzed the second-wave women’s movement). Cin — who besides being unswayed by princely wooing is incessantly demeaned as a menial domestic by her imperious stepsisters (“You better work, bitch!” they sing) — is intrigued.

CINDERELLA: Ugh. I know, as a woman, I’m supposed to love housework, but…
FAIRY GODMOTHER: No. You aren’t. Chapter 2 deconstructs that.

As Cin’s consciousness elevates, she’s moved to share the book’s message of female empowerment with the other fairy tale princesses. She tells Snow, for instance:

CINDERELLA: I mean, “true love”? That starts when a guy you’ve never met kisses you? An anonymous guy who basically assaults you in the woods —
He discovers you, unconscious in a clearing, and instead of calling for help, he decides to take advantage of you.

Later, with equal zeal, Cin runs it down for Red:

CINDERELLA: You get EATEN. By an apex predator. You spend half your story stewing in lupine stomach acid.

Aisha Jackson as Snow White, Morgan Weed as Princess and the Pea, Briga Heelan as Cinderella, Ashley Chiu as Sleeping Beauty, Lauren Zakrin as Little Mermaid, and Wonu Ogunfowora as Rapunzel (above) in ‘Once Upon a One More Time.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

A diverting subplot has Prince Charming caught two-timing three different princesses (“Oops! I did it again” he sings in one of the show’s many showstoppers). A hyperkinetic chorus of princes dances in and out. An incidental gay male romance blooms. But the show’s focus is the passel of princesses, who own the stage like gangbusters whenever they’re on it, as when they charge Prince Charming with being a “Womanizer/ Princessizer.”

By the end of Act One, the princesses have united and gone on strike. And in Act Two, inspired by “Princess Betty,” they determine individually and collectively to change their narrative.

CINDERELLA: WE can be in charge of our own stories!
Women. Can. Write!
….
If we can be the authors of our own destinies, I demand that we, all of us, get a voice — be the voice — in our stories.
…
Once upon a time there was a girl who demanded to be heard!

Lauren Zakrin as Little Mermaid, Selene Haro as Gretel, Ashley Chiu as Sleeping Beauty, Adrianna Weir as Little Girl, Wonu Ogunfowora as Rapunzel, Aisha Jackson as Snow White, Jennifer Florentino as Little Red Riding Hood, and Amy Hillner Larsen as Goldilocks in ‘Once Upon a One More Time.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

This pop feminist messaging is a far cry from the passivity and victimization promoted to girls for eons in classical fairy tales (“Well-behaved princesses rarely make history,” as Cin reminds Snow). But not coincidentally this specific message of female self-reliance and empowerment is also the most foundational raison d’être for mounting this production at the estimable Shakespeare Theatre Company.

Here’s why.

Theater as an art form has a particular power to shape human understanding of gender and gender relations. That’s because theater can show gender in action, which is where gender happens. Gender can’t exist in stasis; it is told and acted out in stories that reveal character — the very stuff of theater. We mistakenly think of gender as an appearance, a costume, an esthetic. It’s actually an identity that transpires transactionally in the ethics we enact: Who does what to whom and why and with what consequence.

Shakespeare in his own time, and in his own way, was bending and extending contemporary cultural conceptions of gender. To be sure, he inherited tropes about how men and women are supposed to act, and he stuck with some of them, but with others, he shook them up, reconceiving gendering meanings and empowering women in tragedy, history, and comedy where gender as identity in action can clearly be seen.

“What’s possible when women raise their expectations” (in the words of Red and Pun) can be said abstractly to be the aspirational theme of Once Upon a One More Time. But it is only by what the princesses do during the show — they think, act, initiate, confront, resist, challenge, feel, care, question — that they and we see who they become.

Artistic Director Simon Godwin, explaining this show’s relevance to the mission of Shakespeare Theatre Company, writes in a program note:

Like Shakespeare taking old stories and making them new, this show continues our glorious tradition of reworking the classics for now.

But this show’s take on “reworking the classics” is only part of what makes it an apt fit for STC. Even more salient is this show’s deliberate interrogation of gender expectations as handed down in male-supremacist lore. That’s a job theater is uniquely suited to do (and ought to do more often) — and that’s what Once Upon a One More Time does delightfully.

Princesshood is powerful. Who knew that could come true?

Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.

Once Upon a One More Time plays through January 9, 2022, at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC. Tickets ($35–$190) are available for purchase online. Premium seating is also available for weekend performances. Special discounts are available for military, students, seniors, and patrons age 35 and under. Contact the Box Office at (202) 547-1122 or visit ShakespeareTheatre.org for more information.

COVID Safety: Through the end of the run of Once Upon a One More Time, all patrons must provide proof of vaccination to attend any performances or events. In addition, COVID-19 vaccinations are required for all performers and theater staff. For full guidelines about providing proof of vaccination, visit the theater’s Health and Safety page. Only performers and people invited onstage for talkbacks may be unmasked. Venue attendees must remain masked, including during performances, unless eating and drinking in designated lobby areas.

SEE ALSO:
‘Once Upon a One More Time’ is wacky but it works (review by Nicole Hertvik)

CAST (in order of appearance)
Narrator: Michael McGrath
Little Girl: Adrianna Weir, Mila Weir (alternate in the role)
Original Fairy Godmother: Brooke Dillman
Snow White: Aisha Jackson
Sleeping Beauty: Ashley Chiu
Belle: Belinda Allyn
Rapunzel: Wonu Ogunfowora
Princess and the Pea: Morgan Weed
Little Mermaid: Lauren Zakrin
Gretel: Selene Haro
Little Red Riding Hood: Jennifer Florentino
Goldilocks: Amy Hillner Larsen
Cinderella: Briga Heelan
Stepmother: Emily Skinner
Belinda (stepsister): MiMi Scardulla
Betany (stepsister): Tess Soltau
Prince Charming: Justin Guarini
Clumsy/Prince Ebullient: Raymond J. Lee
Prince Erudite: Ryan Steele
Prince Suave: Stephen Brower
Prince Affable: Stephen Scott Wormley
Prince Brawny: Joshua Johnson
Prince Mischievous: Kevin Trinio Perdido
Swings: Salisha Thomas, Diana Vaden, Matt Allen, Matthew Tiberi

December 20, 2021
‘Once Upon a One More Time’ is wacky but it works

It works. Somehow, Once Upon a One More Time and its improbable storyline featuring Britney Spears, Betty Friedan, and fairy tale princesses works. The incongruous musical that opened at Shakespeare Theatre Company last night is as thought-provoking as it is toe-tapping, as clever as it is hilarious, as bold as it is shiny. It sounds like the world’s wackiest idea for a musical until you’ve seen it, but by golly, it works.

People have been scratching their heads over the peculiar mashup of subject matter ever since Broadway’s Nederlander Group announced their acquisition of Britney Spears’ songbook several years ago. (COVID has delayed the show’s premiere by about two years.) The plot was vaguely described as fairy tale princesses questioning their own stories after reading Betty Friedan’s 1963 feminist manifesto, The Feminine Mystique. And they do it all while dancing to the music of Britney Spears.

Huh?

Michael McGrath as Narrator in ‘Once Upon a One More Time.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

If you are thinking “hmmm… those things don’t sound like they should fit together,” you are not alone. The general consensus was that Once Upon a One More Time had equal chances of being the next Mamma Mia! (a hit) or the next Diana (a flop). The stakes were high and the risks were great. And that is why I am so happy to report that Once Upon a One More Time is a full-fledged, grade A, gold star success and exactly the party we need after 21 months of COVID. The gamble is already paying off for Shakespeare Theatre Company, where the musical is playing to sold-out audiences who are dancing in their seats nightly. Rumors of a future Broadway run are circulating, and if last night’s performance was any indication, the show will enjoy a bright future.

Jon Hartmere crafted the show’s successfully bonkers storyline. He also accomplished another highly improbable feat: upstaging Britney Spears. Because while it’s fun to see Spears’ music onstage, what propels this show from good to great is Hartmere’s 21st-century re-examination of fairy tales that girls have grown up with for centuries, fairy tales that subconsciously teach girls that their self-worth is tied to their beauty and their ability to snag a husband. Not so, says One More Time. Let’s put those tired old tropes to bed. It’s time for the ladies to tell their own stories. And so, with just the right amount of philosophizing in between the exuberant dance numbers, this show is raised from a mere spectacle to an inspiring interrogation of social norms.

Starting with Cinderella. Played with quick wit and stellar comedic timing (but questionable pitch on the higher notes of the score) by Briga Heelan, Cinderella has been trapped in her storyline for, well, forever. She lives in a fairy tale world where a narrator (Michael McGrath) controls the stories. Each time a child opens a book, the princesses must act out their tales. With a smile. Over and over. The ending predetermined. Until Cinderella finally starts to question things.

Brooke Dillman as Original Fairy Godmother, Briga Heelan as Cinderella, and the cast of ‘Once Upon a One More Time .’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

The Original Fairy Godmother (in a charismatic comedic performance by Brooke Dillman) has been waiting for a princess to go rogue. She appears on the scene with a copy of The Feminine Mystique and pretty much blows Cinderella’s mind. Imagine living with one version of reality your whole life only to find out that everything you’ve been taught since childhood is problematic. It’s a realization familiar to many people, and it leaves us rooting for Cinderella and her fellow princesses as they muster the courage to change their own stories.

But back to Britney: 23 of Spears’ songs are interspersed throughout the show, and it’s fun to see which characters get to sing which songs. Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters get “Work, Bitch” (an obvious choice) while Prince Charming is the new voice of “Oops, I Did It Again” after he is caught being… less than charming. Spears’ songs seem to fit seamlessly into the story Hartmere crafted around them. Maybe because the story of princesses fighting for self-autonomy in One More Time so closely parallels Spears’ own public struggles as she fought to end the conservatorship that allowed her father and others to control her finances and even her body. Has a rallying cry for self-autonomy been the subtext of Spears’ songs all along? OK, probably not — Spears has a writing credit on only three of the songs in the show — but there is no denying that the creators of One More Time had a bounty of material to choose from in crafting a musical from her songbook.

The husband and wife team of Keone and Mari Madrid choreograph and direct One More Time. New to theater, but not to cutting-edge choreography, the pair is known for choreographing music videos for Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, and Justin Bieber (to name a few). Their choreography can also be seen in just about every dance competition show out there. For One More Time, their choreography is crisp, vibrant, and contemporary. Take the mashup of two Spears songs, “Boys” and “Pretty Girls,” which plays out in a dance-off between highly synchronized male dancers on one side of the stage and the female dancers on the other. The dancing also contributes to the most spectacular curtain call I have seen in a while and a number of dances that showcase the sublime talents of Justin Guarini.

Justin Guarini as Prince Charming and the cast of ‘Once Upon a One More Time.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

The rest of the cast is very good, but Guarini (of American Idol fame) rises to a Britany Spears–quality, diva-level performance. It’s like the rules of gravity don’t apply to him when he dances, and his smile will light up the darkest recesses of your cold COVID-hardened soul. The magic starts straight out of the gates when Guarini, who plays Prince Charming, performs “Make Me” while, among other things, swinging from a chandelier.

Guarini is joined by a bevy of princesses. In addition to Cinderella, there is Snow White, played by Aisha Jackson, a princess whose lack of schooling has left her spelling challenged, but not vocally challenged. Jackson lets out a whopper of a solo in “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart.” Lauren Zakrin stands out as The Little Mermaid, who gives up her voice for a man and then gets it back in time for an exuberant solo. Morgan Weed is great as a sarcastic Princess and the Pea. As Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood, Selene Haro and Jennifer Florentino’s dance moves light up the stage in the curtain call.

Lauren Zakrin as Little Mermaid, Selene Haro as Gretel, Ashley Chiu as Sleeping Beauty, Adrianna Weir as Little Girl, Wonu Ogunfowora as Rapunzel, Aisha Jackson as Snow White, Jennifer Florentino as Little Red Riding Hood, and Amy Hillner Larsen as Goldilocks in ‘Once Upon a One More Time.’ Photo by Matthew Murphy.

And then there are the stepsisters. Mimi Scardulla (as Belinda) and Tess Soltau (as Betany) are festooned in the exaggerated foppery you have probably seen in past incarnations of Cinderella’s jealous siblings. (Costumes by Loren Elstein.) The duo is perfectly cast as comedic foils, playing off one another and simpering under the biting acidity of their mother, a deliciously conniving Emily Skinner.

The other fun storyline in One More Time is the love story between Prince Erudite (Ryan Steele) and Clumsy (one of Snow White’s Seven Dwarves played by Raymond J. Lee), an adorable subplot and a nod to Spears’ large gay fanbase.

The lyrics to Spears’ songs have been gently massaged to fit into the storyline of the show. The opening number, “Baby, One More Time,” which serves as an introduction to each princess, features lyrics tweaked from “My loneliness is killing me/hit me baby one more time” to “my lonely quest is killing me/pick my once upon a time.”

The set is minimal and, much like Old Mother Hubbard’s cupboard, it feels a bit bare. More extravagant trappings will be required to satisfy a Broadway audience (and to justify Broadway pricing). A large orb hovers above the stage holding the “quill,” the ancient writing instrument used to write each princess’s story. Large screens cover the rear of the stage end to end and top to bottom (scenic design by Anna Fleischle). Projections (by Sven Ortel) are utilized to create a variety of backdrops while the screens seem to magically take on different colors depending on the mood of each scene (lighting design by Sonoyo Niskikawa).

Once Upon a One More Time is a bona fide success. Catch this one, DC, before it hightails it to Broadway.

Running Time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 20-minute intermission.

Once Upon a One More Time plays through January 9, 2022, at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC. Tickets ($35–$190) are available for purchase online. Premium seating is also available for weekend performances. Special discounts are available for military, students, seniors, and patrons age 35 and under. Contact the Box Office at (202) 547-1122 or visit ShakespeareTheatre.org for more information.

COVID Safety: Through the end of the run of Once Upon a One More Time, all patrons must provide proof of vaccination to attend any performances or events. In addition, COVID-19 vaccinations are required for all performers and theater staff. For full guidelines about providing proof of vaccination, visit the theater’s Health and Safety page. Only performers and people invited onstage for talkbacks may be unmasked. Venue attendees must remain masked, including during performances, unless eating and drinking in designated lobby areas.

SEE ALSO:
What’s ‘Once Upon a One More Time’ doing at the Shakespeare? (column by John Stoltenberg)

December 19, 2021
2016 Capital Fringe Review: ‘BRYCE: Hydrogen Blonde’

Bryce walks onstage wearing a sequined jacket and spandex jumpsuit. He’s backed by two phenomenal dancers, Nia Calloway and Zhane’ Davis Smith. His first original pop song, Best Diq blasts through the theatre declaring to the audience exactly what to expect: spectacle, and lots of it. After all, the art of the pop concert is all in the spectacle. And Bryce, self-styled as “DC’s newest pop star”, delivers throughout his show BRYCE: Hydrogen Blonde.

The hour long set consists of six original songs, three covers, and even more costume changes. The songs, written and produced by combinations of Bryce Sulecki, Hilary Morrow, Julia Kaufman and Rebecca Taylor, are pop music in the style of Britney Spears and even Rihanna. “Undress Me” and “Cabana Boy” (featuring Hilary Morrow) are especially fun to watch. “Stepping Stone,” a country-inspired song accompanied by Matt Winton on the guitar, has memorable lyrics about a sour break-up.

Almost as fun as Bryce’s songs, is the repartee he has with the audience in between each set of songs. These small bits include a story about why he wrote the song “Stepping Stone”, an invitation to the audience to join him for a drink after the show, and a particularly amusing riff about Facebook’s new “live” feature.

The real spectacle, however, manifests in the lighting, and of course the dancing! Tyler D. Dubuc’s fantastic lighting design set the scene with rainbow colors and a wild strobe effect. Sara Herrera’s choreography brought the songs to life and helped to give a distinct vibe to songs that would otherwise start to blur together.

Bryce’s provocative show will have you dancing in your seat and shouting “Yaaas Queen!”

Running Time: 60 minutes with no intermission.

BRYCE: Hydrogen Blonde plays through Sunday, July 24, 2016 at Logan Fringe Arts Space: Trinidad Theatre – 1358 Florida Ave NE Washington, DC. For tickets, call (866) 811-4111, or purchase them online.

LINKS:
Check other reviews and show previews on DCMetroTheaterArts’ 2016 Capital Fringe Page.

Read the preview of ‘BRYCE: Hydrogen Blonde’.

RATING: BEST OF THE 2016 CAPITAL FRINGE!

July 9, 2016
‘Metromaniacs’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company

Zowie! Pop! Slap! Holy Cow. Karabonga! I write to highly praise Metromaniacs as a wild, wonderful, built-for-speed, audaciously performed game-of-deception, fantasyland comedy based upon a multi-century old French farce. Hightail it to the Lansburgh. You will not be disappointed.

Dina Thomas (Lisette) and Adam LeFevre (Francalou). Photo by
Scott Suchman.

The night I saw the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Metromaniacs, the Washington Wizards were playing basketball just up the street at the Verizon Center. The Wizards fans missed plenty of fast-break action and slam-dunks at the Lansburgh. Director Michael Kahn must have taken his cast for some special early spring training to get them in physical and verbal shape for this high-speed, full court, electric evening of exquisite fun. The ensemble cast were the Harlem Globetrotters as a team, out to give their fans a great winning evening of entertainment, and without a score board or ref in sight.

What is it about? It’s a chaotic verbal rhyming feast; full of multiple plots and hilarious poetic rhymes about wooing, love’s eagerness for connection, no matter what. It is propelled with high octane, wily servants, masquerades, and gender-bending, set-off by a well-to-do-father who wants what is best for his daughter. Well, at least what he thinks is best in his own mind. It is David Ives’s marvelous fare-thee-well of an adaptation of Alexis Piron’s mid-18th century French comedy but with plenty of modern references including the likes of Britney Spears, Twitter and words like “girlatude,” sugar-daddy and suck-up, if I heard correctly.

There is good-natured theatrical madness as things get tangled, untangled and resolved through the seemingly effortless work of a crackling ensemble who are completely in the moment. As we all have heard in our lives, it is not how long it takes to get to a destination, but who is taking you that counts. Well, as an ensemble, this group is a dream team full of sparkle and luster. Sure, some shine a bit more than others, but so what. Together they bring sunny delight in the usually cold, dark month of February.

There is a wanna-be poet Damis (Christian Conn with a laudable take on an ambitious penniless “genius”) who has fallen in love with the poetry of a woman he has never met. We learn that the unseen woman poet is actually a well-to-do, middle-aged gentleman named Francalou (totally praiseworthy and enjoyable Adam LeFevrer). Francalou attempts to have Damis believe the unseen poet is really his own daughter Lucile (a precious, valley girl pop-tart dreamy Amelia Pedlow). Why? Seems he wants to separate his daughter from a suitor named Dorante (a sweetly earnest, appealing Anthony Roach), who is the son of his sworn enemy Baliveau (Peter Kybart).

What sets this topsy-turvy world on its head is that the upper classes meet their match and then-some with some striving servants who are far from being second-class citizens. They include the cunning Lisette (a sparkling quick-witted diamond played by Dina Thomas who made me think of Bette Midler) and a shticky character Mondor (played by funnyman Michael Goldstrom).

Beyond the break-neck speed of articulate elocution of verse, Kahn has provided the audience with smart physical movement choices including any number of long distance slaps across the face, clever use of props and only one scene of dropped pants.

The set by James Noone has the audience visually focused on the knock-out theatrically playful forest built dead-center in an opulent home. The action swirls around, into and hidden away in this play forest along with some cute set pieces such a rubbery rock. Murell Horton’s costumes are rich stock of 18^th century garb that allow any number of breast, leg and butt jokes to become visibly displayed if the audience misses any particular speeding-by word or rhyme. With sound design by Matt Tierney, lighting design by Mark McCullough, coaching from movement consultant Frank Ventura, and voice and text guidance from Ellen O’Brien, Metromaniacs is a Valentine’s Day and beyond confection for the eyes and ears.

Metromaniacs, which I now know means a mania for writing verses and poetry, is a subversive slap at authority, class, power and society’s more conservative mores. It is a comedy where everyone invents themselves in a day before multi-player, on-line, digital games like a theatrical Second Life or lively cos-play convention. To review each line of rhyme or facial gesture would be a disservice to you. I hope you will take this review and go see the show.

In its day Metromaniacs was considered a disruptive force of theater. It still is. Metromaniacs brings to mind that delightful classic movie Some Like it Hot. So much good-natured fun and laughter on the surface, but, oh, how truly seditious it was during an outwardly conventional, conservative time.

Christian Conn (Damis) and Anthony Roach (Dorante). Photo by Scott Suchman.

No, I will not give away the final curtain or details of Metromaniacs happy-ever-after denouement. A hint though; think Joe. E. Brown and Jack Lemmon in that cigarette speedboat heading who know where, with the fade away to Brown’s cherubic face with bright smile saying, “Well, nobody’s perfect…!” This is as close as you can get.

Running Time: One hour and 45 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission.

Metromaniacs plays through March 8, 2015 at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Lansburgh Theatre – 450 7th St., NW, in Washington, DC. For tickets, call the box office at (202) 547-1122, or purchase them online.

RATING:

February 10, 2015
‘Breast in Show’ at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn

Poignant. Sophisticated. Elevating. Witty. These are just some of the adjectives to describe Breast in Show, now appearing at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. First conceived in 2009 by Executive Producer Eileen Mitchard, it is a show designed to reach people far and wide, to educate and empower audiences about breast cancer and its “warriors.” A musical about breast cancer? Morbid? Absolutely not. It is a tasteful production that will move you and amuse you all at once.

Left to right (top row) Matt Dewberry, Chris Rudy (bottom row) Ayanna Hardy, Megan Westman, Jennie Lutz, and Gracie Jones. Photo by Betty Adler.

Mitchard astutely brings on Playwright Lisa Hayes and Composer and Lyricist Joan Cushing to write the book and to compose the score and they deliver a heartfelt and humorous and poignant book and score. Hayes and Cushing use the true stories of patients to craft the new story of five breast cancer patients and their loved ones.

Bringing the words and music to life are Director Kathryn Chase Bryer, Musical Director Deborah Jocobson (on keyboards with Dana Gardner on Reeds), Choreographer Ilona Kessel and their ideal cast. The director and her team make unique use of the intimate Arts Barn stage. Their staging and choreography is meticulous and genteel. I particularly enjoyed the choreography and movement in the opening number “Breast in Show,” where all cast members were moving together yet apart -each in their own realm, yet totally in sync.

Playing 16 different characters throughout the show, the ensemble of six veteran actors is superb. Megan Westman, as Nurse Desiree, is caring and cheerful, and always the eternal optimist. Jennie Lutz, as the grandmother is fun and bawdy, singing “I am in Love with My Oncologist.” Playing the male patient, something more common than most realize, is Chris Rudy. Rudy is sympathetic and entertaining, quipping along with his fellow patients, keeping their moods high. He is joined by Gracie Jones, Darren McDonnell and Ayanna Hardy in one of the most gripping songs of the evening, “Normal.”It’s a song about two couples and their desire to feel normal again after the surgery, and the delivery is stunningly beautiful, filled with gorgeous harmonies.

Ayanna Hardy plays the strong willed attorney, Wendy. The only ensemble member not wearing a shade of pink, she refuses to yield to her diagnosis. Her breakdown in the song “Pink” sent shivers up my spine. By the end of the show she has fully embraced her diagnosis and her fight, and the transformation of this “warrior” is joy to watch.

Gracie Jones ( Chelsea) sitting sings the song “A Nurse Named Desiree.” Megan Westman (Desiree) is standing. Photo by Betty Adler.

Darren McDonnell is touching as Wendy’s supportive and encouraging husband. His short monologues about his struggle caring for his wife are affecting and heartwarming. McDonnell then effortlessly transforms into the jovial Freddy, a friend of Nurse Desiree who helps to heal Breast Cancer patients by supplying glamorous wigs and prostheses . His rendition of “Freddy’s Prosthesis Emporium” is one of the scene stealing moments of the evening.

One of the most powerful performances of the evening comes from actress Gracie Jones. She plays multiple roles, but her portrayal of the young single mother Chelsea is remarkable. From her demure introduction to the group of cancer patients in the ‘Chemo Café,’ to the subtle interaction with her therapist regarding her “bad dreams” and her future is spot on. He heart-wrenching rendition of “A Nurse Named Desiree” is incredible – so real, so raw.

Breast in Show is a little gem waiting for you this month at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. Shows like Breast in Show do not come often, so don’t miss it.

Running time: 90 minutes, with no intermission.

Breast in Show plays through September 27, 2014 at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn -311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Tickets range from $20 to $25. For tickets and information call (301) 258-6394, or visit the Gaithersburg website, or purchase your tickets at the door.

Schedule of Performances:
Friday, Sept. 12th at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 13th at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 14th at 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 19th at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20th at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 21th at 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 26th at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27th at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27th at 8 p.m.

The Friday, September 19th 8 PM performance will be sign interpreted.

LINKS

Arts on the Green Sees Pink by Sharon Allen Gilder in The Town Courier (Gaithersburg).

Breast in Show website.

‘Breast in Show’ Begins Run at Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD Tonight and Runs Through September 27th.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 1: Gracie Jones.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 2: Jennie Lutz.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 3: Matt Dewberry.

Capital Fringe 2014 Scene Stealers-Part 2 And DCMTA Names its ‘Bestest Show’ and Performances. Cast of Breast in Show and cast member Gracie Jones are honored.

September 13, 2014
‘Breast in Show’ Begins Run at Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, MD Tonight and Runs Through September 27th

Breast in Show opens tonight at Arts on the Green at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn with the critically acclaimed cast from this year’s Capital Fringe Festival. The show was honored as ‘Best of the Capital Fringe’ on DCMetroTheaterArts and the Ensemble was honored for their moving performances. Gracie Jones was honored as a ‘Capital Fringe Scene Stealer’ for her beautiful and life-affirming rendition of “A Nurse Named Desiree.”

Gracie Jones ( Chelsea) sitting sings the song “A Nurse Named Desiree.” Megan Westman (Desiree) is standing. Photo by Betty Adler.

In her review on DCMetroTheaterArts, writer Terry Byrne praised the show:

“At last. A show that has taken the Capital Fringe Festival 2014 theme to heart: Move Me.

Breast in Show, conceived and produced by Eileen Mitchard, is arguably the best titled and best marketed show in this season’s lineup. (Collecting Fringe buttons? Patrons get their own pink Breast in Show button to proudly pin to their chests.) It’s also likely the most aptly named, as it shall prove prophetic when it comes time to clinch the Best of Fringe.

A musical about cancer, you ask? Or as it’s billed: the musical that ‘puts humor in the tumor.’

When the six veteran thespians first hit their marks in various pink-splotched costumes to belt a brassy opener, you gotta wonder: To whom is this targeted? The Pink Ladies gang? Is this some twisted evolution of the candy-stripe crew come to cheer the sick with one-liners about a codified, institutionalized disease?

…“Every 69 seconds, someone dies of cancer.” In the race for the cure, there are 2.5 million victors of every stripe. The show speaks for each of them and to those yet undiagnosed, as well as those who love them. Turns out it’s a show for the masses — and not just the metastasized kind.

We appreciate the irony of how a fight for survival interrupts “life.” And discover a new definition for “the 1%.”

Then full onset of the drip, drip, drip. We submit to Director Kathryn Chase Bryer’s well-managed care through some difficult themes. One minute we’re laughing at a scene set in the Chemo Café, where nurse Desiree (Megan Westman) is serving prescription cocktails to patients dancing with IV poles (delightful choreography by Illona Kessell). The next, the audience is wiping eyes in unison and blubbering with nasal drip like a Greek chorus. Or filled with queasy suspense wondering who among them, and us, will beat the odds. Or railing with anger, along with the people onstage we’ve come to love: Wendy (Ayanna Hardy), a tough-as-nails lawyer whose lack of pink in her wardrobe at first belies denial; her husband (Matt Dewberry), who god-love-him is the first to push our visceral buttons; Chelsea (Gracie Jones), a 29-year-old for whom the disease runs in the family; a saucy, seasoned gal (Jennie Lutz) with the hots for her oncologist; the aforementioned dutiful nurse, who is also stricken; and a young father (Chris Rudy), who must endure the taunts of suffering a “lady’s cancer” not only from his buddies but from his daughter’s playground bullies.

All six impeccable actors play multiple roles. Suffice to say, they are top-flight talent ranging from New York stages to major local marquees (Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, KenCen). Pros all, who turn trenchant prose to poetry. It was Maya Angelou who said: “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”

As channeled through Dewberry and Jones especially, playwright Lisa Hayes’ words will slay you. Jones simply works magic. Playing a 29-year-old mother of two who is stricken with breast cancer, Gracie Jones manages to flash all of life’s fragrance before our eyes. And that synesthesia reference (cross-linking of the senses — in this case, sight and smell) is intended. This is an actress whose work is like watching a flower burst open in time-lapse motion. She actually plays multiple roles in Breast in Show — a cancer patient, the wife of a cancer patient and someone who has lost a loved one to cancer. In each case, she recruits every muscle to tell a different story from a fresh perspective.

At the Chemo Cafe, while undergoing chemo treatment and struggling to stay warm under a blanket, Gracie Jones sings a torch song tribute to her nurse, Desiree: ‘A Nurse Named Desiree.” It is the show’s defining moment.

The way Gracie Jones walks, sits, flips her hair or tweaks her tone belies a polished actress who takes time to craft, from flesh and fiber, rich and resonating characters. She juggles a crone’s wisdom with a child’s rawness, because she can play old or young convincingly. Truly a breathtaking performance, and one that will connect with everyone in the audience, as if she’s speaking just to you.

Dewberry, who doubles as Freddy, the proprietor of Freddy’s Prosthetic Emporium, is also immensely gifted, from gut-wrenching drama to burlesque — and if you had any doubts that cancer is natural fodder for musical theater, imagine the joy of the wig and makeup folks whose calling it is to bring out the best in their subjects. So, too, with Freddy’s ebullient makeover dance.

And how refreshing to witness singers whose vocal powers can forgo those Britney Spears-esque lavalier mics. Their singing wells up from within — they sing because they can’t express themselves any other way. What’s beautiful is we get so wrapped up in it, we forget we’re being manipulated. And that, my friends, is theater.

Above all, hats off to composer/lyricist Joan Cushing. Along with Chase Bryer’s direction, I cannot summon enough praise for Cushing’s creations. There is Hardy’s sucker-punch soliloquy, “Pink,” in which she vomits (not literally) vitriol over her circumstance (“I feel shitty” is a great counterpoint to Sondheim’s lyrics in I Feel Pretty); the exploration of relationships in “Toxic People,” led by the sympathetic, kinetic Rudy; Jones’ climactic “A Nurse Named Desiree”; and the melancholic ensemble anthem, “Time.” (I’m improvising on titles.) Let’s put it this way: The percentage of Fringe shows surviving this first round of treatment is slim, but Breast in Show definitely has a positive prognosis.

Musical Director Deborah Jacobson handily supports the actors with piano accompaniment that bounces and bellows. On reeds and horns, Dana Gardner helps one imagine how this will sound fully orchestrated when it translates to larger stages. Oh, yes, this is merely Stage 2.

If I had any criticism it would be the set design: all that pink glitter and the three gigantic breast cancer awareness ribbon cutouts serving as costume racks seem like overkill; the show sparkles enough on its own. Perhaps the idea is to hit you over the head with it, the way the Big C pummels its prey. But Zac Gilbert’s lighting design helps tone it down, and Frank Labovitz’s costume palette (pinks, grays, blues and browns, and black-and-white for the central couple) is inspired in its coordination.

I welcome a second opinion, but mark my words, Breast in Show deserves 5 stars. It will move you. Time is running out. Get a move on.”

Running Time: 90 minutes.

Breast in Show plays tonight September 12, 2014 through September 27, 2014 at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn -311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Tickets range from $20 to $25. This show contains mature themes and is appropriate for those 13 and older. For tickets and information call (301) 258-6394, or visit the Gaithersburg website, or purchase your tickets at the door.

Left to right (top row) Matt Dewberry, Chris Rudy (bottom row) Ayanna Hardy, Megan Westman, Jennie Lutz, and Gracie Jones.

Schedule of Performances:
Friday, Sept. 12 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 13 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 14 at 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 19 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 21 at 2 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 27 at 8 p.m.

The Friday, September 19 performance will be sign interpreted.

LINKS

Breast in Show website.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 1: Gracie Jones.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 2: Jennie Lutz.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 3: Matt Dewberry.

Capital Fringe 2014 Scene Stealers-Part 2 And DCMTA Names its ‘Bestest Show’ and Performances. Cast of Breast in Show and cast member Gracie Jones are honored.

September 12, 2014
Capital Fringe 2014 Review: ‘Breast in Show’

(Best of the Capital Fringe)

At last. A show that has taken the Capital Fringe Festival 2014 theme to heart: Move Me.

Breast in Show, conceived and produced by Eileen Mitchard, is arguably the best titled and best marketed show in this season’s lineup. (Collecting Fringe buttons? Patrons get their own pink Breast in Show button to proudly pin to their chests.) It’s also likely the most aptly named, as it shall prove prophetic when it comes time to clinch the Best of Fringe.

A musical about cancer, you ask? Or as it’s billed: the musical that ‘puts humor in the tumor.’

When the six veteran thespians first hit their marks in various pink-splotched costumes to belt a brassy opener, you gotta wonder: To whom is this targeted? The Pink Ladies gang? Is this some twisted evolution of the candy-stripe crew come to cheer the sick with one-liners about a codified, institutionalized disease?

Granted, many breasts and breast forms had gathered on opening night; possibly 90% of the audience had a vested interest, even if they held things close to their vests.

It takes no time for the drugs to take effect, though. You’re all in as soon as what I’ll dub the “Blah Aria” begins (the program did not include a song list). This is pure-cut medicinal theater, where starkly drawn characters like cards in a deck get tossed at the audience who then must calculate the odds. “Every 69 seconds, someone dies of cancer.” In the race for the cure, there are 2.5 million victors of every stripe. The show speaks for each of them and to those yet undiagnosed, as well as those who love them. Turns out it’s a show for the masses — and not just the metastasized kind.

We appreciate the irony of how a fight for survival interrupts “life.” And discover a new definition for “the 1%.”

Then full onset of the drip, drip, drip. We submit to Director Kathryn Chase Bryer’s well-managed care through some difficult themes. One minute we’re laughing at a scene set in the Chemo Café, where nurse Desiree (Megan Westman) is serving prescription cocktails to patients dancing with IV poles (delightful choreography by Illona Kessell). The next, the audience is wiping eyes in unison and blubbering with nasal drip like a Greek chorus. Or filled with queasy suspense wondering who among them, and us, will beat the odds. Or railing with anger, along with the people onstage we’ve come to love: Wendy (Ayanna Hardy), a tough-as-nails lawyer whose lack of pink in her wardrobe at first belies denial; her husband (Matt Dewberry), who god-love-him is the first to push our visceral buttons; Chelsea (Gracie Jones), a 29-year-old for whom the disease runs in the family; a saucy, seasoned gal (Jennie Lutz) with the hots for her oncologist; the aforementioned dutiful nurse, who is also stricken; and a young father (Chris Rudy), who must endure the taunts of suffering a “lady’s cancer” not only from his buddies but from his daughter’s playground bullies.

All six impeccable actors play multiple roles. Suffice to say, they are top-flight talent ranging from New York stages to major local marquees (Signature Theatre, Olney Theatre Center, KenCen). Pros all, who turn trenchant prose to poetry. It was Maya Angelou who said: “Words mean more than what is set down on paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with shades of deeper meaning.”

As channeled through Dewberry and Jones especially, playwright Lisa Hayes’ words will slay you. Jones simply works magic. Playing a 29-year-old mother of two who is stricken with breast cancer, Gracie Jones manages to flash all of life’s fragrance before our eyes. And that synesthesia reference (cross-linking of the senses — in this case, sight and smell) is intended. This is an actress whose work is like watching a flower burst open in time-lapse motion. She actually plays multiple roles in Breast in Show — a cancer patient, the wife of a cancer patient and someone who has lost a loved one to cancer. In each case, she recruits every muscle to tell a different story from a fresh perspective.

At the Chemo Cafe, while undergoing chemo treatment and struggling to stay warm under a blanket, Gracie Jones sings a torch song tribute to her nurse, Desiree: ‘A Nurse Named Desiree.” It is the show’s defining moment.

The way Gracie Jones walks, sits, flips her hair or tweaks her tone belies a polished actress who takes time to craft, from flesh and fiber, rich and resonating characters. She juggles a crone’s wisdom with a child’s rawness, because she can play old or young convincingly. Truly a breathtaking performance, and one that will connect with everyone in the audience, as if she’s speaking just to you.

Dewberry, who doubles as Freddy, the proprietor of Freddy’s Prosthetic Emporium, is also immensely gifted, from gut-wrenching drama to burlesque — and if you had any doubts that cancer is natural fodder for musical theater, imagine the joy of the wig and makeup folks whose calling it is to bring out the best in their subjects. So, too, with Freddy’s ebullient makeover dance.

And how refreshing to witness singers whose vocal powers can forgo those Britney Spears-esque lavalier mics. Their singing wells up from within — they sing because they can’t express themselves any other way. What’s beautiful is we get so wrapped up in it, we forget we’re being manipulated. And that, my friends, is theater.

Above all, hats off to composer/lyricist Joan Cushing. Along with Chase Bryer’s direction, I cannot summon enough praise for Cushing’s creations. There is Hardy’s sucker-punch soliloquy, “Pink,” in which she vomits (not literally) vitriol over her circumstance (“I feel shitty” is a great counterpoint to Sondheim’s lyrics in I Feel Pretty); the exploration of relationships in “Toxic People,” led by the sympathetic, kinetic Rudy; Jones’ climactic “A Nurse Named Desiree”; and the melancholic ensemble anthem, “Time.” (I’m improvising on titles.) Let’s put it this way: The percentage of Fringe shows surviving this first round of treatment is slim, but Breast in Show definitely has a positive prognosis.

Musical Director Deborah Jacobson handily supports the actors with piano accompaniment that bounces and bellows. On reeds and horns, Dana Gardner helps one imagine how this will sound fully orchestrated when it translates to larger stages. Oh, yes, this is merely Stage 2.

If I had any criticism it would be the set design: all that pink glitter and the three gigantic breast cancer awareness ribbon cutouts serving as costume racks seem like overkill; the show sparkles enough on its own. Perhaps the idea is to hit you over the head with it, the way the Big C pummels its prey. But Zac Gilbert’s lighting design helps tone it down, and Frank Labovitz’s costume palette (pinks, grays, blues and browns, and black-and-white for the central couple) is inspired in its coordination.

Some of Chris Baine’s sound effects are funny, perhaps not as intended, and there’s some questionable product placement: Coca-Cola is allegedly a big supporter of the cause, although BPAs in its cans have been linked to, yes, cancer, not to mention its link to a host of other American-prone conditions. Applause for Properties Designer Daniel Mori for NOT using a Mac as the laptop prop — lately, that icon seems to carry its own baggage.

Another nit: Although Lutz performed it riotously, the song “My Oncologist” echoes too clearly “Who’s Crazy/My Pharmacologist and I” from the Tony-winning Next to Normal. Still, the lyrics are clever: “He’s aggressive with my disease … impressive with all those degrees … I love the way he treats me.” Then there’s that song “Normal.” Hmmm. Perhaps it serves as a tribute.

I welcome a second opinion, but mark my words, Breast in Show deserves 5 stars. It will move you. Time is running out. Get a move on.

Running Time: 90 minutes

Breast in Show plays through July 27, 2014 at Mountain – at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20001. For information and to purchase tickets, visit the production’s Capital Fringe page.

LINKS

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 1: Gracie Jones.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 2: Jennie Lutz.

Capital Fringe 2014 Preview: Meet the Cast of ‘Breast in Show’: Part 3: Matt Dewberry.

July 14, 2014
‘THE VOCA PEOPLE’ at The Music Center at Strathmore by Nicole Cusick

A monochromatic sensation landed in Bethesda on Thursday night at The Music Center at Strathmore. The Internationally known-Israeli based group, THE VOCA PEOPLE, wowed the audience with their fast paced a cappella show.

The VOCA PEOPLE. Photo courtesy of The Music Center at Strathmore.

THE VOCA PEOPLE were on a journey back to their planet, VOCA, and crashed on planet Earth. They needed the “energy” of the audience to boost their machine back to life. However, the audience would give them “energy” (applause) if they sang, and by the end of the show a standing ovation that demanded an encore was certainly enough energy to send them back to VOCA.

The show was a non-stop riot. All eight cast members were so into their world that the audience had no choice but to join in on the fun. The gang was led by Beat On (Mark Martin) and Scratcher (Tiago Grade). These Abbott and Costello-type pair seemed to narrate the show, as Scratcher was the only one who could speak English, everyone else only spoke in “VOCA” or song.

Early on the audience learned that “life is music, and music is life” it was as simple as that. The life of music for the evening began with the group giving everyone the history of American music which spanned over several decades like Abba, Michael Jackson, the Macarena, and of course a little Britney Spears.

The rest of the evening was non-stop laughter, mainly because in between their different medleys there was a lot of audience participation, which quickly grew into how many audience members can singled out, dragged on stage and sung and run back to their seats with a beat red face crying of laughter.

The Strathmore stage is rather accommodating for the actors to come into the audience, wide isles, and stairs on either side of the stage allowed the VOCA PEOPLE to spend just about as much time in the house as they did on stage. It was truly charming and kept the audience very involved. Although the music was a cappella it seemed like a jazz concert at times because at any moment it was very appropriate to hoot and holler, clap, or just get up and dance along. The show was described by Composer-Arranger-Music Director Shia Fishman as,”entertaining for anyone from 6-106,” which is no exaggeration. Every recognizable song sung resonated with different audience members.

Other medleys of the evening included movie soundtracks and Queen, which featured the other members of the group: Soprano (Michal Reshef), Mezzo-soprano (Sapir Breier), Alto (Adi Kozlovsky), Tenor (Omer Shish), Baritone (Chris Dilley), Tubas (Bryant Charles Vance), who all dazzled the audience.

A memorable moment was the sort of “Guys vs. Girls” medleys when the two sides battled it out with some of those classic catchy love songs like “My Girl” and “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a man after midnight).”

The costumes of the VOCA PEOPLE seemed a little distant at first; it was not easy to distinguish between them. They were solid white from head to toe except for their painted bright red lips. The actors wore white skin tight hoods, gloves, and were in white painted faces, and they each took on such different personalities and came into the audience so frequently, that the audience conneced to them individually.

The Marriott Concert Stage at The Music Center at Strathmore was rather a unique space for this show. The venue has four tiers to it, and when the THE VOCA PEOPLE left the stage, it created a completely different experience for those who were on the orchestra level compared to those on the top tier. The top tier was almost forced to stand to see the VOCA PEOPLE in the house.

THE VOCA PEOPLE. Photo courtesy of The Music Center at Strathmore.

There is no doubt that THE VOCA PEOPLE is an international sensation for a reason. It was a truly entertaining evening and unfortunately they were only in town for one night. I’m hoping they will return soon!

Running Time: 90 minutes, with no intermission.

THE VOCA PEOPLE played for one-night only on April 13, 2013 at The Music Center at Strathmore – 5301 Tuckerman Lane, in North Bethesda, MD. For future events, check their calendar.

LINK:
THE VOCA PEOPLE website.

https://youtu.be/QIaVPHRU1kE

April 19, 2013