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 Showplays 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.
“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 Showplays 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.
The Warehouse Theater seems to be the performance space that won’t die. A main venue for the Capital Fringe Festival since its inception, it’s also been home to countless performances for a variety of theater companies. Once slated for destruction, it keeps rising from the ashes – much like some of the productions slated there for this year’s Fringe.
Perhaps due to its somewhat gritty interior, great acoustics, and overall industrial fee, Warehouse happens to be the perfect setting for a solid rock show or two. DCTMA spoke to two writer/directors who share a lot more in common than their performance space.
Andrew Lloyd Baughman, Writer/Director of ROCK BOTTOM [A ROCK OPUS]
What is the premise of Rock Bottom [A Rock Opus]?
Andre L. Baughman.
It’s the story of the final days of a band named Blood Orphans – a seriously dysfunctional group that has been put out to pasture on tour in Amsterdam. At the heart of the piece is a love story between drummer Darlo and manager Joey, and Darlo’s struggle to break a generational cycle of sexual abuse and deviance.
How did you come up with the idea for the show? What was your inspiration?
The musical is based on the novel by Michael Shilling. I think all of my rock theatre projects tend to be born out of the fumbles of the project before, which seems rather fitting for rock theatre. In this case, we were coming off our third run of DIAMOND DEAD at New York Fringe Festival. If you’re not familiar with DEAD, it’s a tongue-in-cheek comedy about a rock band that is killed in a freak accident, only to achieve superstardom as zombies when resurrected from the dead. It’s highly interactive, the gimmick is that the show casts the audience in the role of crazy, obsessed fans. Well, sometimes audiences didn’t want to play along, and that tended to “kill” a performance. As it happens, after about seven years, we did develop a little cult following (even won Best Musical at the 2008 Capital Fringe Festival). But I didn’t want our next project to take seven years to work. When I read Michael’s novel, I was tickled by the thought that the audience should actually hate Blood Orphans. There was also a surprising amount of substance beneath the Spinal Tap surface premise, and I liked the idea of taking a dramatic turn. Fortunately, Michael and his agent were game for the project!
Is this the first production of the play? Walk us through the process of taking this play from paper to the stage.
We had a first workshop production at DCAC a few years ago with Vaughn Irving (Disco Jesus) and Judith Baichich (Cherry Red Productions) in the central roles of Darlo and Joey, and directed by my wife Melissa Baughman. It was a remarkable team that really helped me see where the script needed tightening and revision. I think we have a much leaner and meaner show this summer.
Did you work with any collaborators?
Michael and I co-wrote the book. Nearly all of the dialogue is taken directly from the novel. I also teamed up with my friend Talia Segal as lyricist and composer on some songs. There is one character who has to bring in a entirely different kind of music into the story, and I was lucky to have Talia write those songs – and perform them in the show.
Were there any challenges along the way?
There are actually days when I ask “why did I think this would make a good musical?” There’s no question that Michael’s novel “sings” and naturally lends itself to musicalization, but it is so dark. It has been a constant challenge to try and strike a balance between making the material palatable for the theatre crowd, while at the same time remaining authentic to the music scene depicted in the novel. I’ve even had hate mail from respected friends who were offended by some parts of the original script.
Describe the music the audience can expect to hear. Who are your songwriting influences?
I generally compose music with piano, but for Rock Bottom I ventured into the realm of guitar. I drew upon a lot of my grunge influences from growing up in the 90’s. The Blood Orphans sound is sort of a hybrid of Motley Crue “bro rock” and White Stripes garage rock. The Doors influence a lot of the music written to evoke flashbacks to the 70s porn scene.
Tell us a little about your cast members and the roles they play?
Other than Talia Segal and Thomas Jackson, who are returning from the original production, everyone else is new to the show, and there’s an exciting raw energy this time. Greg Bowen and Devin Gaither take on the roles of Darlo the sex addict drummer and Joey the manager, they have tremendous chemistry, and give very interesting portrayals of two complicated characters. Rob Bradley plays the Blood Orphans lead singer Shane, and he is the best power metal vocalist I have ever known. Marshall Stack plays Adam, the sheepish guitarist, and he brings some sick instrumental and vocal contributions to the show. My friend and past-collaborator Jen Tonon cracks me us as the quirky “everywoman” Sarah. Kathleen Burnard, Matt Farkas, Jonathan R. Lovins, and Steve Custer bring musical and character diversity to a number of roles, and Steve’s fight scenes are some of my favorite parts of the show.
Are you working on any other projects? What’s next for you after Fringe?
Well, I’m excited to be recording some vocal tracks this week for Shawn Northrip, who is one of my favorite local playwright-composers. I’m also writing a Hope Opera about witches who run a DC cupcake shop. For Landless, I’m working as one of the arrangers on our Prog Metal Version of Sweeney Todd, and will be playing Sweeney in our production also at Warehouse in August. It has been incredible corresponding with Mr. Sondheim and his representatives about the project, I’ve learned so much from the experience already. It will be surreal to sing the role in a way that has never been done before.
What do you think makes your show stand apart from the crowd at Fringe?
I don’t know, most musicals I’ve seen at DC and NY Fringe seem to be workshops for Off-Broadway or Broadway, it’s a stepping stone in the development of commercial work. I think Rock Bottom is a true fringe show in its dark content and experimental form. Fringe feels like home for Rock Bottom.
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Carolyn Agan, Writer/Director of THE 27 CLUB
What is the premise of The 27 Club?
The 27 Club is a docu-theatre style piece about the lives and legacies of a handful of the famous rockstars who died at the age of 27.
How did you come up with the idea for the show? What was your inspiration?
Carolyn Agan.
I have been fascinated with the idea of The 27 Club for as long as I can remember. As a life-long fan of classic rock, it’s something you come across early and often. In the summer of 2013 I first thought about creating a show about their lives and seeing the things that brought them together as well as made them stand out. I was teaching summer camp at The Shakespeare Theatre Company with one of my high school best friends, Megan Thrift, who is a prominent stage manager and acting teacher in town and she was really the one who lit the fire and said, “just go for it.” And she has been on this crazy ride with me ever since! We decided to narrow down the list (of over 50!) to the big, recognizable names, also considering we only get 75 minutes to do it in! So we chose: Amy Winehouse, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix. It was especially meaningful for me to bring this show to life this year as I am approaching my own 27th birthday and as an artist who has a life-long struggle with an emotional disorder, I find so much of myself in these stories. But I think that’s the most interesting thing about them, I think we can all find a little bit of ourselves in each of these stories.
Is this the first production of the play? Walk us through the process of taking this play from paper to the stage. Did you work with any collaborators?
As I mentioned before, Megan Thrift has been collaborating with me all along. To call her just my Stage Manager would be a gross understatement as she is also serving as Assistant Director, splitting musical staging duties with me, lighting designer, and costume designer to name a few. She has read every draft of the script and given her input along the way. We also roped in the fabulous Jake Null who is a company member at Keegan Theatre, alongside Megan, and their resident Music Director. For anyone who saw the YouTube video of the cast of Keegan’s Hair singing The National Anthem at Nats Park, you have gotten a taste of this man’s awesome arranging skills. His insight and input on all things musical has really brought this story to life. Rounding out our crew are Dan Deiter and Jon Harvey. Again, to put one title on either of them would be a disservice but both have helped create the look and sound of this show both on stage and off stage. All four have been constant guiding voices in all aspects of this process and I wouldn’t have a show to put on without them!
Were there any challenges along the way?
Oh my, a ton. This is my first time writing, producing, or directing in any sort of professional environment, as well as my first time being involved in the Fringe Festival so there were a LOT of learning curves to surpass. I would say my biggest challenges have been learning to accept I can’t do it all myself, being accountable to my own deadlines, and learning when enough is enough. When you start delving into a research project this large it’s easy to jump down the rabbit hole. A whole musical could easily be written about any one of these people’s lives (and a few have been!) so to focus down to a 75-minute musical about all six took a lot of focus and an ability to let go of some parts, even if I loved them. I have been a professional actress in the DC theatre ccene for over seven years now and this experience has given me an added respect for the jobs of everyone on the other side of the table.
Describe the music the audience can expect to hear.
The music is all from the artists being featured in the story-telling. Sometimes we stay very true to the original versions, but a lot of time’s Jake had fun with it! Some examples are an awesome mash-up of “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, “Rehab” with six-part harmony, and a female duet of “Paint It Black.” We tried to keep a good mix of the songs you know and love as well as some of their lesser-known material.
Tell us a little about your cast members and the roles they play?
When I first wrote the show, I wrote it for five actors. However, throughout the audition day it became clear there was no way we we’re going to agree ourselves down to five people, so I rewrote the show for six and couldn’t be happier that I did as I have six of the most creative, hard-working, talented, honest, and heartfelt people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I knew from the beginning I wanted this show to be collaborative, allowing every artist to feel they had a hand in its making and you have to find a special group of actors to go on that journey with you and I am so lucky I did! Some are old friends of mine and well-known entities in the local theatre Scene; including Kurt Boehm (Keegan’s The Full Monty, Arena Stage’s Oklahoma, and Olney Theatre’s A Chorus Line) and Tina Ghandchilar (Keegan’s Working, Theatre Lab’s Les Miserables). Some I knew from a distance but had never worked closely with such as Jade Jones (Elden Street Player’s Ain’t Misbehavin’, Keegan’s Hair), who I still remembered winning our high school “idol” competition as a Freshman my Senior year and Ian Anthony Coleman (Keegan’s Hair, Kensington Art’s Theatre’s Parade). The final two are newer to DC audiences but will surely become names you will see time and time again: Alex Piper (Shakespeare Theatre’s Henry VI pt 1 & 2) and Paige Taylor (Gaithersburg Art’s Barn’s The Producers). Between the six of them they take on over 25 roles including the artists themselves, their bandmates, family members, rock journalists, as well as their own narrative entities.
Are you working on any other projects? What’s next for you after Fringe?
I am currently starring as the title character in Pinkalicious at Adventure Theatre MTC. After that I plan to give myself a well deserved break before heading back to my home turf of Ford’s Theatre for their annual production of A Christmas Carol and spring musical Freedom’s Song.
What do you think makes your show stand apart from the crowd at Fringe?
I don’t know if “stand apart from the crowd,” is the phrase I would use, but rather I think our show becomes a great addition to the tapestry of creative and valuable art seen during the festival. The great thing about The 27 Club is there is a taste of the familiar; tunes you know, some stories you have heard. But, they are woven together in a new and exciting way that hopefully will make you look at each artist in a new light as well as reach into yourself a little bit more and think about how much of yourself you are sacrificing for your art, your job, your family, your friends everyday and when it’s time to save a little for you. I always say the best compliment I could get from this show is someone telling me they want to know more.
I am a huge Woody Allen fan and not just for his films. I’m a fan of his early plays and it was a treat to watch two talented casts having a blast yesterday performing two of his plays: Central Park West and Honeymoon Motel in The Montgomery Playhouse’s Woody Allen, Woody Allen, as they performed in the intimate Gaithersburg Arts Barn.
This is a tough review to write because I have to be careful not to give away the one liners, the jokes, the outrageous and, at times, jaw-dropping, in-your-face, snarky, back-stabbing and utterly hysterical verbal exchanges in this well-performed two hours of pleasure. It’s a feast for Woody fans like me. And it reminded me that this is a multi-talented guy!
Top: John Reece, Joe Mariano. Bottom: Lisa Holland, Gemma Davimes, and Meredith Fogle in ‘Central Park West.’ Photo by David Jones.
In Central Park West, a prickly shrink finds out that her husband is dumping her for another woman. She immediately believes it’s her best friend and as she gets tipsier and tipsier all hell breaks out and as we are introduced to their two meshuganah husbands-all hell breaks loose. And on the way all the dirty laundry is unveiled and everyone is put through the wringer. It’s an emotional roller coaster and there are some great performances by the talented cast, helmed by Director Bruce Hirsch and his Assistant Director Susan Click.
Joe Mariano is terrific as the slimy putz of a husband (Sam) who shtups anything that moves. Lisa Lorraine Holland is perfection as the accused friend/slut/whore Carol-the so-called best buddy. Gemma Davimes is adorable as the very spaced out and unsuspecting ‘new kid in town’, and Meredith Fogle is perfection as Phyllis the ‘analyst’ who is so filled with anger and despair that you’d like to send this shrink to a… shrink. But my favorite performance was delivered by John Reece as Howard, Carol’s ‘shocked’ husband. Reece could have made his character into a one-dimensional manic nutcase, but instead, his performance as the cuckold husband is multi-leveled and full of humor and pathos. I loved this guy and this actor! There was great chemistry among this family of actors and I loved every minute of their performances.
Left to Right: Susan R. Paisner, Scott D’Vileskis, Kryss Lacovaro, John Allnutt, Marsha Rehns, and Mark Shullenbarger in ‘Honeymoon Motel.’ Photo by David Jones.
In Honeymoon Motel, a recently married bride and groom arrive at a seedy hotel’s Honeymoon suite to consummate their love and are joined by members of both mishpachas and their wedding party. Oy vey! More lies, more craziness, more barbs, funny one-liners, and more skeletons to come out of the closet. Spending time with the Spector and Roth families will make you want to join a convent an order some pizza.
John Allnutt and (the charismatic Jerry Spector) and his alleged bride-the impulsive Nina Roth (Kryss Lacovaro) are a hoot as the play opens and before all hell breaks loose as the shocked visitors start filling up the room. Susan R. Paisner (The castrating Judy Spector) and Marsha Rehns (The ditzy Fay Roth) are perfectly kvetchy and domineering Jewish Mammas and mothers-in-laws and Mark Shullenberger (Sam Roth) is the perfect Jewish husband-a mensch-who doesn’t wear the pants in his family.
David Gross is hilarious as the confused and schnapps-filled Rabbi Baumel who tries to make sense of it all: “A man who loves the sound of his own voice,” and Scott D’Vileskas is the perfect ‘Mamma’s Boy’ groom who thinks he knows his bride well.. but… Ed Silverstein is funny and wise as the smart Eddie-Jerry’s best friend-the man who tries to calm everyone down and does a great job at throwing guilt Allnut’s way in the opening scene. Dan Silverman is outrageous as Jerry shrink (Dr. Brill), and Jena Stone (Sal Buonacotti) delivers with his Pizza guy perfomance.
Frankly, I liked Central Park West better. The laughs came easier and the audience, first shocked at some of the adult humor, [My favorites: (I am paraphrasing.. “You All-American whore…they should put your diaphragm in the Smithsonian,” and, “I cheated with Howard’s collaborator… He wanted to check the shock absorbers.”] finally relaxed and then laughed consistently though the piece. With Honeymoon Motel there were too many characters trying to outdo each other’s funny lines. It got a little ‘humor-crowded.’
David Jones’ (who took the above wonderful pictures) effective, yet simple, set design and Set Dressers and Properties by BJ Angstadt and Kay Coupe created the proper ambiance and venue for both plays utilizing furniture pieces, a bar, flowery wallpaper, pictures of NYC and chinese sayings, a bed in-the-round, and some Egyptian sculpture, among others. Paul Shoop provided the lighting and Director Hirsch provided the crisp sound design.
Woody Allen, Woody Allen is a fun fun time time in the theatre theatre.
These are two great casts playing off each other well and having a hell of a good time-and you will too! it will bring you nachas and maybe a good Jewish divorce lawyer to the rescue.
Running Time: Approximately 2 hours, including one 15-minute intermission.
Woody Allen, Woody Allen plays through May 18, 2014 at The Montgomery Playhouse performing at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn-311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
The Montgomery Playhouse in partnership with The City of Gaithersburg presents:
Woody Allen, Woody Allen Two Woody Allen comedies directed by Bruce Hirsch
May 2 thru May 18, 2014 at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn 311 Kent Square Rd. Gaithersburg, MD Fridays & Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays at 2 PM $16 Nonresidents / $14 City of Gaithersburg Residents
In Central Park West, a psychiatrist has learned that her husband is leaving her for another woman. Believing it to be her best friend, she gets thoroughly soused and confronts the friend.
They are soon joined by their husbands and secrets and lies are revealed. Chaos reigns.
With: Gemma Davimes, Meredith Fogle, Lisa Holland, Joesph Mariano, and John Reece.
Woody Allen.
In Honeymoon Motel, a loving couple comes to the “Honeymoon” suite of a tacky motel to consummate their love but are interrupted by members of the wedding party. The room is soon overrun by the groom’s parents, the brides parents, a family friend, the Rabbi, a psychiatrist and the pizza delivery girl. Secrets and lies are revealed. Chaos reigns.
With: John Allnutt, Scott D’vileskis, David Gross, Kryss Lacovaro, Susan Paisner, Marsha Rehns, Mark Shullenbarger, Dan Silverman, Ed Silverstein, and Jena Stone.
NOTE: These plays contain adult themes and adult language.
A weekend in the country is exactly what you’re in for if you head up to the Damascus Theatre Company’s production of A Little Night Music at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn this month. The Sondheim classic is being revised to have a more modern feel with D. Scott Richards and Musical Director Keith Tittermary at the helm. Will the romantic entanglements of the well-known period musical still shine through, well the only way to find out is to go and see it for yourself.
Bill Brown and Dru Harwood as members of the quintet, Mr. Lindquist and Mrs. Nordstrom. Photo by Elli Swink.
Having no set or costume design to speak of, except for Bill Brown’s ingenious use of the accordion chair, the play depends solely on the actors’ abilities to sing, dance, and tell the story of these characters. Brown’s brilliant notion of having a single piece of multi-purpose furniture (and it truly is one of the most incredible pieces of furniture I think I’ve ever seen on or off the stage) really allows for a myriad of scenes to unfold in this otherwise minimalist setup.
Musical Director Keith Tittermary does a relatively impressive job working the complex rhythms and intricately woven convoluted harmonies that are an elemental signature in any Sondheim musical into this production in a successful fashion. Tittermary’s biggest success in the show is the quintet: the show’s five strongest vocalists coming together in rousing harmonies that really showcase the depths of emotion in just the score alone in this Sondheim piece. There are other moments, though sparing, throughout the production where the harmonies are not as clear and do not work as well, but overall Tittermary achieves a great deal of success with this difficult musical.
Director D. Scott Richards’ approach to modernizing the musical is ineffective. Stating that the musical is no longer relatable to modern audiences in his director’s note, Richards’ concept of bringing the modern audience a step closer to these characters, and their lives, is incomplete. While the actors are no longer wearing the period piece costumes there is a lack of general theme or cohesive idea to tie their modern look together. The setting falls to the wayside with characters still keeping all their original titles, mannerisms, and speech patterns, and what gets left behind is a group of performers outfitted somewhere from the late 90’s to the present day with nothing solid in the minimalist/modern design choices to bring them together.
Richards’ use of the quintet—while they are vocally superb and incredibly emotionally connected to the music that they sing—is also confusing and creates a layer of separation that pushes the audience further away from these characters. It feels like Richards’ is creating a secondary play within a play; having the members of the quintet guide the main play characters into place, and tap them out of freeze frame once a scene is finished. His purpose in doing this is unclear, and as an overall framework to the show it detracts from the quintet’s main purpose of being a ‘guiding chorus’ of sorts.
The quintet, despite their misdirection, have the best voices in the production and delivered every number they sang flawlessly. Consisting of Bill Brown, Cheryl J. Campo, Daniel Fleming, Dru Harwood, and Sarah Sylvia Johnson, their voices are lyrical perfection that carries these Sondheim songs as if they were written for them. Both “Night Waltz I” and “Night Waltz II” are perfect examples of their ability to create vocal beauty while infusing passionate emotion into the song. Brown and Harwood are often featured in duet snippets of the quintet’s number, having a subtle but lovely chemistry between them, especially during “Remember?” and both of their voices are sensational; ringing out as solid and vivacious sounds throughout the production.
While many of the principle players in the production were not strong singers, the acting was executed with style; emotions were packed into each delivery and this carried the musical forward with a great deal of excitement. The Count (Rich Shegogue) and his Countess (Jenni McGinnis) were two stunning performers that really crafted sharply focused characters in this show. McGinnis, though giving a convincing rendition of “Every Day a Little Death,” should be commended for her sassy and sarcastic delivery as Countess Charlotte. The zingers and sharply witted humors zipped out of her mouth with flare. Shegogue gives an equally impressive and thoroughly developed character with his rendition of the jealous count.
Really crafting a character that put the audience on edge was Alexa Soriano, playing the ingénue Anne. Constantly in hysterics, be they of elation or of dreadful woe, every move Soriano made, every breath she drew was played to the peak of melodramatic. While at times this approach bordered on unbearably obnoxious, it was perfect for the way the character is written into the show, and was an effective choice, as well as one that was delivered with total commitment.
Petra (Kristina Friedgen) gives the best well-rounded performance in the production. A vocal knockout for her number “The Miller’s Son,” she has a fierce command of her vocal range, presenting an enigmatic yet majestic sound that begins subdued and jaded in jazz, rolling quickly into a blast of something exhilarating. Her saucy and salacious approach to the character makes her wild and fantastic to watch. Friedgen easily delivers the most compelling number in the show with this solo and is sensational as an actress.
The most moving number of the performance comes from Desiree (Liz Weber). Her rendition of “Send in the Clowns” sheds the unabashed flare and zest that her character has shrouded herself in up until this point, revealing a vulnerable and delicate woman filled with love, longing, and a life of disappointment. Weber creates such a dynamic versatility between this point in the show and where her character has previously come from that there is no better word for it than stunning. With a keen grip on how to imbue moments of humor into her character’s existence, and how to properly balance experience with interest, and sensuality with tenderness, Weber delivers a rendition of this character that would make Sondheim proud.
(l to r) Desiree (Liz Weber), Madame Armfelt (Rachel, Hickson), Count Carl-Magnus Malcolm (Rich Shegogue), Fredrik (David Fialkoff), Anne (Alexa Soriano), and Countess Charlotte Malcolm (Jenni McGinnis). Photo by Elli Swink.
There are several good reasons to enjoy this production even if conceptually it is not everyone’s cup of tea. Damascus Theatre Company will open your eyes, and give you a new way to look at Sondheim, giving you the opportunity to discover some of the subtler nuances built into this show.
Running Time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, with one intermission.
A Little Night Musicplays through February 23, 2014 at Damascus Theatre Company at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
Montgomery Playhouse will hold auditions for Woody Allen, Woody Allen, two of Woody Allen’s one act plays:
Central Park West and Honeymoon Motel Feb. 17 & 18 – with call backs Feb. 19 Please note special location for the auditions:
The Kentlands Mansion 320 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg (Across from the Gaithersburg Arts Barn) AT 7:30 PM.
HERE ARE DIRECTIONS.
Director Bruce Hirsch is looking for 9 men and 6 women ages 20-60, although most are 40-60.
Woody Allen.
Performances are May 2nd thru May 18th at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn
Additional information can be found at he Mintgomery https://www.montgomeryplayhouse.org/auditions.htm or contact the director at: bruceshirsch@gmail.com
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Montgomery Playhouse is non-profit, all volunteer community theater serving the community since 1929.
We will take pictures for those who do not have head shots.
-You will sing a portion of a song, a cappella for initial auditions that best shows off your voice.
-Be dressed in comfortable clothing and ready to move.
-You will learn simple choreography, and then be asked to perform it.
-Ensemble rehearsals will be held in DC.
Tech week and performances will be at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn.
SYNOPSIS
Max Bialystock was once one of Broadway’s most successful producers, but a string of flops has thrown his career into a tailspin, and now he struggles to raise the cash to stage new shows by playing gigolo to lonely old ladies. While going over his books, accountant Leo Bloom notices that Bialystock raised more money than he spent for one show, and points out that if one raised enough money for a show that closed in one night, you could make more off a flop than a hit. This strikes Bialystock as a brilliant scheme, and he decides to give it a try, persuading Bloom to join him in staging the world’s greatest flop. After discovering a truly vile script, “Springtime for Hitler,” a musical set in the Third Reich written by Neo-Nazi pigeon fancier Franz Liebkind and giving a key role to the secretary Ulla, a drop-dead gorgeous blonde with only a tenuous understanding of the English language, Bialystock and Bloom are certain they have the disaster they need for their plan to work. But the scheme unexpectedly goes wrong when “Springtime for Hitler” becomes a “so bad it’s good” hit.
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CHARACTER BREAKDOWN (Dancers)
3 CHARACTER ACTRESSES (Females, 25-45) Several featured roles, including Hold Me-Touch Me, Lick Me-Bite Me, Kiss Me-Feel Me, usherettes, and Shirley Markowitz. Strong comic actresses who sing. Vocal range: Alto-mezzo.
ENSEMBLE (6 MEN, 6 WOMEN) Must be able to dance and sing well. Will play various roles, including little old ladies, chorus girls, Roger’s team, auditioners, prisoners, accountants, etc.
Ever wonder what goes on–not behind the scenes–but beneath the surface of the performing arts? Such as what might have led to a Bolshoi Ballet star dancer’s conviction for throwing acid on the artistic director’s face, leaving him virtually blind?
Chris Hawkins (Mike), Linda Hirsch (Tina), Emily Sucher (Heidi), and Nick Sampson (Jim). Photo by David Jones.
Blame it on Beckett opens a window on that world, but in a seemingly tamer setting: that of a regional theater company in New England. Written by Maryland playwright John Morogiello, this smart satire was staged Off-Off-Broadway in 2011 and in L.A. in 2012. David Dossey directs a cast of four exceptional actors: Chris Hawkins, Linda Hirsch, Nick Sampson, and Emily Sucher.
The Beckett in the title refers to playwright Samuel Beckett, whose most notable work is Waiting for Godot (1953). Sparse and introspective, it features rambling dialog that goes in circles until it becomes delightfully absurd.
Blame it on Beckett features dramaturge Jim Foley (Nick Simpson), who selects plays by new authors to be performed at the theater. He blames Beckett that he can’t find a good script, although his desk is stacked with submissions.
“Don’t give me issues. Don’t give me experiments. Give me the perfect dramatic structure,” Jim says. Preferably, something with a plot.
Sampson portrays Jim as a cynic who rants about predictable programming, season ticketholders, big-name playwrights, the bottom line or anything else that might plague a regional theater company. Sampson executes these revealing monologs with a wry resignation.
Enter the ambitious Heidi Bishop with a graduate degree in dramaturgy. She works in the box office and finagles an internship with Jim, whom she fully intends to unseat.
Emily Sucher brings a predatory nature to the role, but masks it with authentic-seeming naiveté, making Heidi into a potentially dangerous character. She is good at projecting barely concealed emotions when the characters’ job prospects are in question.
Linda Hirsch portrays Tina Fike, the playwright whose work is currently being staged, as a grand dame whose past popularity is the ticket to the theater’s success. The production will move on to New York, which means that someone will get a job. Hirsch’s exchanges with Sampson are engaging, especially when she tells the story of an actor who shot and killed the wrong character.
Chris Hawkins plays Mike Braschi, the general manager who started as an usher and plans to go straight up to Broadway. He is believable as the only non-artist in the group, and his scenes with Sucher feel very natural, even when he explains how he did not, in legal terms, solicit sex from her.
But it is the interplay between Sucher and Sampson that has the potential to reveal the most about theater. They should be more competitive, show more teeth and claws, reveal their character by riffing off of each other, because when they do that it is with love and it is then that we know they are kindred in the dramatic arts.
The sound by Roger Stone included snippets of radio interviews during scene changes. The authentic-feeling set designed and dressed by BJ Angstadt featured a homey 1980s-era office. Props showcased a screened play poster from a previous show. Costumes by McKenna Kelly included a pair of red-soled Louboutin pumps for Heidi, and all went together very nicely.
Chris Hawkins (Mike) and Nick Sampson (Jim). Photo by David Jones.
You will only have yourself to blame if you miss Montgomery Playhouse’s excellent production of Blame it on Beckett.
Running time: Two hours with a 15-minute intermission.
Blame it on Beckettplays through January 26, 2014 at: The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Reservations can be made by calling: (301) 258-6394 or by purchasing them online.
This Sunday January 12th, Montgomery Playhouse presents a special performance of Blame it on Beckettat the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. There will be a Q & A after the show with the cast and director and they will be joined on stage by the playwright of Blame it on Becket – John Morogiello.
Playwright John Morogiello.
JOHN MOROGIELLO is a Playwright in Residence at the Maryland State Arts Council and a member of the Dramatists Guild. His plays have been produced at theaters in New York, North America, and Europe. He is a regular contributor to Flagpole Radio Cafe. His articles have been published in American Theatre, Dramatics, Washington Independent Review of Books, and in study guides for Long Wharf Theatre, Huntington Theatre Co., and Everyman Theatre.
More information on John and his plays can be found on his website.
Chris Hawkins (Mike), Linda Hirsch (Tina), Emily Sucher (Heidi), and Nick Sampson (Jim). Photo by David Jones.
Make your reservations now for a fun afternoon by calling: (301) 258-6394 or by purchasing them online. Tickets are $16 for non-residents, and $14 City for Gaithersburg residents.
Blame it on Beckettplays from January 10-26, 2014 through at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD.
NOTE: The play contains mature language and themes.
Montgomery Playhouse is a non-profit community theater serving Montgomery County since 1929.
Blame it on Beckett, presented by Montgomery Playhouse in partnership with the City of Gaithersburg opens this Friday, Jan. 10th at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. Written by John Morogiello, the play is a biting comedy that examines the effort to get a play from regional theater to New York. Like any work environment, there is ambition, manipulation, love, hate, conniving, shifting alliances, and backstabbing;in short, all the things that make theater fun
Chris Hawkins (Mike), Linda Hirsch (Tina), Emily Sucher (Heidi), and Nick Sampson (Jim). Photo by David Jones.
Director David Dossey is the perfect choice for this project having spent many years working in professional theater. He is also friends with the playwright, John Morogiello, and has directed his work before.
The cast is an interesting mix that showcases community theater ‘s wide draw. There are actors with years of experience performing alongside actors who haven’t been on stage in years.
Nick Sampson plays Jim Foley the cynical dramaturg/literary manager. Nick has been performing in the area for more than 30 years. Having done his share of contemporary comedies and Shakespeare over the years, the role of Jim appealed to him. Nick describes Jim as a “jaded cog in the theatrical machine who doesn’t handle stress well, especially when a young idealistic MFA graduate joins the staff.”
Chris Hawkins (Mike) and Nick Sampson (Jim). Photo by David Jones.
Emily Sucher plays Heidi Bishop, that “young idealistic MFA graduate” who works in the box office but has ambitions to take over the literary office and transform it. Emily, who is also a singer, received her training at and is a graduate of John Hopkins University.
Chris Hawkins is Mike Braschi the ambitious, opportunistic business manager who sees his job as a stepping stone to better things. Chris last appeared on stage in the seventh grade, some thirty years ago. The intervening years included 20 years in the Navy. “I originally wanted to see how I could help around the Arts Barn. I was told there was an audition so I thought I would give it a try. I have found the role to be both challenging and fun.”
Linda Hirsch has the role of Tina Fike, a famous playwright. Linda has been involved with The Montgomery Playhouse for forty plus years. “I have worked primarily backstage in the role of stage manager, assistant director, and a props person. It has been many moons since I have ventured on stage but when I saw the audition notice for Blame it on Beckett, I knew I had to give it a go. The part of an over 60 year-old lady who could command a room would be a challenge. This character is so not me.”
Emily Sucher (Heidi) and Nick Sampson (Jim). Photo by David Jones.
The playwright, John Morogiello, is also a local resident. He is a Playwright in Residence at the Maryland State Arts Council and a member of The Dramatists Guild. John says, “I wrote the play back in 1998, I believe. I had been commissioned by a Tony Award-winning director to write a different play, and devoted myself exclusively to its development for a couple years. Then, one week before a backer’s audition in Manhattan, the director suddenly left the project, effectively killing it. My then agent dropped me and it seemed as though my career was at an end. The resultant fury inspired me to write Blame It On Beckett. I laughed maniacally throughout the writing process and purged a great many demons.” John will be joining the cast onstage after the Jan. 12th performance for a Q & A.
Blame it on Beckettplays from January 10-26, 2014 through at:
The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Reservations can be made by calling: (301) 258-6394 or by purchasing them online. Tickets are $16 for non-residents, and $14 City for Gaithersburg residents.
Start the New Year with comedy! Blame it on Beckett by John Morogiello
Directed by David Dossey and starring Chris Hawkins, Linda Hirsch, Nick Sampson, and Emily Sucher.
The Gaithersburg Town Courier says, “With heart, comedy, and acerbic wit, not to mention great doses of anxiety, it reveals a play’s harrowing journey to the stage and the difficult path chosen by the people who work to get it there. Playwright John Morogiello’s dialogue vibrates, so finely strung that its delivery by the play’s four characters is almost music, the sort that is knocked out in staccato beats”
Playing January 10-26, 2013 at: The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD
Tickets are $16-Non-residents, and $14 City for Gaithersburg residents.
Our last production, God’s Favoritehad a number of sell-outs, so make your reservations early.
The message this time of year is that Christmas is a time for good tidings of great joy, for not only the youngsters but those young at heart and everyone in between. We never have enough time to say or do all that we wish to say and do, so we must do as much as we can with the time that we have. And this Christmas season that includes traveling up to the Gaithersburg Arts Barn to see the Sandy Spring Theatre Group’s production of Scrooge! The Musical. Directed by Ken Kemp with musical direction by Lauren-Nicole Gabel, this musical adaptation of the Dickens’ classic (with Music, Book, and Lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) will give you all the hilly-ho good nature you need at this festive time of year.
Bob Schwartz as Scrooge. Photo by Joey Rushfield.
How easy it is to forget that the classic A Christmas Carol story takes place in a time long before our own, London town in 1843. This charming period in history comes with certain expectations in the way it appears and Costume Designer Kristie Milewski lives up to those expectations with a tremendous effort to ensure that each filthy little street urchin and merchant looks as if they were swept straight up from the streets of Victorian London and transported for the audiences’ viewing pleasure onto the stage. The ill-fitting rags on the children and the subdued yet warm tones in the gowns for the women are a wonderful touch that make watching the cast of nearly 30 mill about during the crowded city-street scenes quite wonderful.
Set Designer Britney Mongold takes a slightly whimsical approach to her scenic paintings that decorate the street. Shop fronts, looking as if they’ve sprung from the pages of Dickens’ novel—if Dickens’ novel had been illustrated in full color—flank either side of the stage, including the butcher and the baker and of course the toy shop! It’s Mongold’s clever use of a fading screen at the back of the stage that makes for some rather intriguing ‘special effects’ throughout the production, perfectly suitable for the arrival of various apparitions. After all, this is a ghost story, and what better way to make a ghost appear spooky than to highlight him in the shadows of a screen, present one minute and gone the next?
Musical Director Lauren-Nicole Gabel works exceptionally well with the principle performers to ensure that they imbue their characters with rich emotions and crystal clear notes. The opening and closing numbers to the production were a bit of a struggle for the ensemble; difficult harmonies and notes off-key, but this might easily be chalked up to ‘opening night jitters.’ There were also times when the musical track unfortunately drowned some of these talented singers in smaller group numbers like “Father Christmas” and “The Milk of Human Kindness.” But for the most part the ensemble was engaging and very enthusiastic, smiles all around especially for “Thank You Very Much.”
Director Ken Kemp mounts a fine production with his balance of ensemble verses principles in the show. More often than not a musical of this caliber is overrun with additional children or adult ensemble members which crowd the stage, but Kemp chose the perfect number of small children to make the chorus numbers lively without feeling cramped and the right number of adults (including some brilliant double-casting) to make the street scenes feel crowded but not squashed. Having all of the right singing principles in the right role as well is a mark of excellence on Kemp’s production.
Hilly-ho and cheer is widely spread when the Fezziwig family take to the stage during “December the 25th.” Master Fezziwig (Gary Carl Fackenthall) and the Missus (BJ Bergman Angstadt) give a robust and hearty rendition of that particular number, spreading jolly good tidings all across the stage. Fackenthall’s generously loud sound echoes that of Angstadt’s and the couple make merry adding a great deal of levity to the performance in just this one scene. They could truly be called ‘scene-stealers,’ especially Angstadt and her swaggering sway as she tries to get every man on stage to dance with her.
Jacob Marley (Tony Pisarra) who was dead to begin with, brings a new meaning to being “haunted by a Christmas spirit.” Pisarra takes a rough and dark interpretation to the character which makes him terribly frightening; eking out the true nature of Dickens’ ghostly visit in hopes of terrifying old Scrooge into changing. Pisarra’s rich and gravelly voice is perfect for this role and listening to him patter and roar his way through “Make the Most of this World” sends a little shiver up your spine.
It is the gentle Ghost of Christmas Past (Kaycie Goral) that sheds a more delicate light on the situation. With a pristine voice, her solo “Love While You Can” is a bittersweet reminder that time is short and life is precious. Goral’s voice adds a wonderful fourth to the four-part harmony of “Happiness,” by far the most beautiful and well executed song in the production. This number features Young Ebenezer (Gabriel T. Potter) and Isabel (Lauren-Nicole Gabel), as well Scrooge and the aforementioned apparition. Together their voices float daintily through the melody, blending angelic sounds that truly ring the bells of happiness for all to hear.
Potter and Gabel give a touching, if not heart-wrenching scene when she is forced to break the young fool’s heart, which leads into a stunning duet, “You-You,” sung by Potter and Scrooge (Bob Schwartz). Potter’s gently wounded emotions seep into his glistening tenor tones while the deeply regretful Schwartz carries the baritone lines of this number, making it the second best song in the production.
The Ghost of Christmas Present (Jim Eustice) is a jolly good soul with a slightly snarky sense of humor. From the moment he sweeps onto the stage in his enormously fabulous robes and holly crown there is a good sense of giddiness that follows in his wake. Eustice leads Scrooge and company in a rousing rendition if “I Like Life” inspiring bursts of love and true Christmas spirit as he does. Guiding Scrooge to the Cratchit family home, Eustice is the epitome of perfection in this role.
Bob Cratchit (Chris Penick) while not the strongest of singers, is a talented actor who uses his gestures and facial expressions to carry the joviality of his song, “Christmas Children.” His accent, excepting Scrooge’s, is the most clearly articulated in the production. Cratchit’s children Kathy (Rebecca Korn) and Tiny Tim (Clara Harney) have exceptionally gifted voices that are clear like bells and soft like angels. Harney is precious beyond compare and leads the Cratchit family in the delightfully dulcet carol “The Beautiful Day.” Late in Act II when the inevitable becomes Tiny Tim it is Penick’s moving performance in the churchyard that strikes the hearts of the audience, drawing forth tears for a future that may yet still come true.
The cast of ‘Scrooge! The Musical.’ Photo by Joey Rushfield.
But the man of the hour, Mr. Bob Schwartz, truly understands the finer and more subtle nuances of playing Ebenezer Scrooge. There is a pinched flare of anger, but not fury, which burbles in his earlier numbers like “M.O.N.E.Y.” and “I Hate People,” that is also infused with a hint of humor as he bemoans his existence among the dreary and impoverished people of London. Schwartz digs deep to find raw emotions and expose them for solos like the reprise of “Happiness.” And it is truly touching, albeit haunting and sorrowful, when he sings “A Better Life.” Schwartz has a stunning voice that isn’t truly revealed until his duet and quartet just before the end of Act I, making for a brilliant surprise when you finally hear him sing as a singer, rather than singing as a character singer in the beginning of the show. Balancing the transformation against all of his other textually defined characteristics; Schwartz has a handle on the miser, making him see life and love in a brand new light.
Don’t miss this heart-warming Scrooge! The Musical. It is recommended that you purchase tickets in advance for this festive merriment as several shows have already sold out.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 20 minutes, with one intermission.
Scrooge! The Musical plays through December 22, 2013 at the Sandy Spring Theatre Group at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn—311 Kent Square Road in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
LINK
Watch the entire film of the 1970 film Scrooge! The Musical with Albert Finney.
https://youtu.be/yg6_TNyGfPU
Montgomery Playhouse, in partnership with the Gaithersburg Arts Barn, will open its 2013-14 season on November 8th with the bible as you’ve never imagined it. God’s Favorite is Neil Simon’s take on what a modern story of Job might be, complete with a wise-cracking household staff, a drunken bum of a son, the nervous but ever helpful twins, and a resourceful wife.
Ted Culler and David Jones rehearse a scene from ‘God’s Favorite.’ Photo courtesy of Montgomery Playhouse.
Joe, the family patriarch, is visited one night by a most curious and somewhat sinister figure, who challenges Joe to renounce his faith in God. As Joe remains steadfast in his belief, his world falls apart. Not the usual approach for a comedy, but the story is full of surprises, one-liners, and physical comedy that we all look forward to in a Neil Simon play.
Director Ed Starr says, “Neil Simon does something that very few playwrights do. He puts people in very unpleasant, very difficult circumstances and makes these people funny. They don’t know they are funny, but they are. The original author of the book of Job was not funny. It is grim, it is difficult, it is unpleasant. (Simon) has written this play and made it funny. And he is able to do that like no other playwright I know of.” Starr says that what draws him to any play he gets engaged with is the writing and the story. “The book of Job has been around for a long time. It’s part of our culture. We talk about the ‘patience of Job.’ That’s what brings me to this project”
Ted Culler and Marc Pardee rehearse a scene from ‘God’s Favorite.’ Photo courtesy of Montgomery Playhouse.
Ted Culler plays Joe Benjamin.(Job) He describes Joe as a “very fine, upstanding religious man who trusts God and holds his family accountable for living an upstanding life.” Ted says he came to acting late, around 1995. He has an undergraduate degree in speech and drama but chose a career as a speech and language pathologist and never did anything with the drama. When he was around 40 his church put on a Thanksgiving show and asked him to to a monologue. It got laughs and he was hooked. He started auditioning and his first community role was Doc Gibbs in Our Town.
Interestingly enough, David Jones also started acting with his church and then went on to community theater. In fact, in 1992 Montgomery Playhouse was the first community group to cast him and he’s worked with them ever since. He is an award -winning actor and set designer, is a past President of the group, and is currently it’s executive Producer. Dave plays Sidney Lipton, a movie-loving resident of Queens who also happens to be a messenger from God.
The talented cast also includes Kim Busch, Thaddaeus Fillmore, Ed Klein, Marc Pardee, Anne VanDercook, and Joyce Wright.
God’s Favorite opens November 8, 2013 and plays through November 24, 2013 at The Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. For tickets, call the box office at (301) 258-6394, or purchase them online.
The Montgomery Playhouse in partnership with The Gaithersburg Arts Barn is holding auditions for: Blame it on Beckett by John Morogiello
Directed by David Dossey
Oct. 21st and 22nd. Callbacks on Oct. 23rd
at 7:30 PM
At the Gaithersburg Arts Barn
311 Kent Square Road – Gaithersburg, MD 20877
The Play:
Heidi Bishop is a wide-eyed dramaturgy intern, eager to better American drama. What she encounters instead is an endless stream of bad scripts by desperate playwrights and an office filled with cynicism and turf battles. When Heidi’s efforts to improve things run into unintended consequences, she is forced to confront idealism with reality to save her career, reputation, and relationships.
Characters: Heidi Bishop: Approximately 25 – an intern in the literary department. She is energetic, efficient, ambitions but somewhat naive in her desire to help people and immediately improve things.
Jim Foley: Approximately 40 – dramaturge. Fast-talking, bitter, and irreverently hilarious. He has become jaded due to a lack of appreciation. Hates that his life consists of reading bad scripts.
John Braschi: Approximately 35 – the general manager of the theater. Desperate to escape non-profit theater for the lucrative potential of Broadway. On the surface he is all smiles and charm. Beneath that veneer, he is ruthless and manipulative.
Tina Fike: Approximately 60, a famous playwright. Little patience for anyone who isn’t supporting her, but quick to appreciate those who do.
Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script.
Performances are Jan. 10 – 26, 2014
Please be prepared to identify any conflicts.
The LA Times says: ‘Blame it on Becket‘ mines the theatrical world for laughs”
For additional information, please contact: thedosai@gmail.com
Montgomery Playhouse is a Non-Profit Community theater. All participation is volunteer.
www.montgomeryplayhouse.org
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH YOUR FRIENDS HECK, WE ENCOURAGE IT!
I’m sure you’ve heard about the infamous War of the Worlds radio broadcast incident in the 1930s, where H.G. Wells’ novel was adapted for a radio broadcast read by Orson Welles and caused chaos and panic because many people thought the fictional broadcast was real. I’d always wondered how people fell for that. On a rainy gloomy October night at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn, Sandy Spring Theatre Group’s double-billing performance of War of the Worlds and When Welles Collide, both performed as live radio broadcasts, had me so engaged that I could totally understand how those listeners in 1938 were fooled.
Philip Stamper, Daniel Santiago, and Joseph Mariano in rehearsals. Photo by Anne Vandercook.
The War of the Worlds broadcast, directed by David Dossey, starts at the Columbia Broadcasting Studio (CBS) with an introduction to the novel, describing the intentions of the aliens and continues with a musical selection which is interrupted by a news flash, where the announcer (Joseph Marino), reports that there were strange explosions on Mars, seen by the famous astronomer and Princeton professor Richard Pierson (Stephen Swift). The news grows increasingly menacing and then a strange “meteorite” crashes in rural Grover’s Mill, New Jersey. Reporter Carl Phillips (Daniel Santiago) reports from the scene of a Martian emerging from the meteorite, full of weird ominous sounds by sound engineer Matthew Datcher and Karen Petersen. As the crowd of onlookers scatter, the Martians incinerate the crowd with a heat ray. Martial law is declared, the broadcast is interrupted as the studio struggles with reporter casualties, and destruction of the studio. A tripod alien fighter ship appears the news grows increasingly more desperate, more horrific with the studio reporting the obliteration of an army of 7000+ soliders, the invasion and destruction of New York. One of the highlights of the broadcast was when Jena Stone’s heart-wrenching plea for a response from the New York studio to report back is met with eerie silence.
While War of the Worlds was fascinating, the best part of the night was after the intermission when the cast performs When Welles Collide, written by Nat Segaloff and John de Lanice based loosely on Wells’ War of the Worlds. I laughed for a full 30-minutes, from start to finish of this hysterical show narrated by Daniel Santiago about the destruction of the CBS studio and the Southern California coastline by a sea-faring Martian/alien force.
Each and every one of the actors are comedic geniuses, timing their quips and hysterics perfectly. Favorites included Santiago’s hilarious high jinxes, Yvonne Paretzky’s French, Jamaican, British, Scottish bag lady, and Philip Stamper as the radio show call screener, Josh. Michael Abendshein and Phil Kibak round out this 10-person cast.
War of the Worlds and When Welles Collide at the Gaithersburg Arts Barn is a great fun night out!
Running Time: 90 minutes, with one intermission.
War of the Worlds and When Welles Collideruns Fridays-Sunday through October 27, 2013 at Sandy Spring Theatre Group performing at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn–311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Purchase tickets by calling (301) 258-6394.
Auditions for Scrooge, the Musical atSandy Spring Theatre Group will be held on Saturday and Sunday, September 7th and 8th, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM.
Scrooge, the Musical by Leslie Bricusse Produced by Jim Eustice Directed by Ken Kemp
SHOW DATES: Weekends (Fri./Sat. night and Sun. matinee) from 12/6/13 through 12/22/13
AUDITIONS: Saturday and Sunday, September 7th and 8th, from 5:00 – 8:00 PM
CALLBACKS: (if needed): Wednesday, September 11th, from 7:00 – 10:00 PM
LOCATION: Gaithersburg Arts Barn (in the theatre) – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD 20878
WE ARE LOOKING FOR ACTORS OF ALL AGES – FROM YOUNGER CHILDREN (age 6-ish) AND TEENS TO ANY AGE ADULTS. All roles are open (and unpaid) and EVERYONE is welcomed to audition.
NOT A SINGER? There are a substantial parts that can be played by non-singers, so don’t let that stop you from being a part of what promises to be a fun show and a great experience.
There are great parts available for every age group, and plenty of supporting roles for people with limited experience on stage.
THE SHOW: Scrooge is the Leslie Bricusse musical adaptation of the classic A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and features a large cast of delightful characters, including Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, Jacob Marley, ghosts and phantoms, and all the residents of Cheapside. Due to the large cast size, most actors (except those cast in a few principal roles) will play multiple roles. Everyone will stay busy in this production!
INFORMATION FOR AUDITIONERS:
Auditions will consist of a vocal audition, cold readings from the script, and a simple/basic dance/movement routine. (Don’t panic – it’s not a “dance show” but there are some dance/movement numbers). Please prepare a song (musical theatre preferred, but not from the show) that best showcases your voice. Piano accompaniment will be available, as well as a CD player. Younger children will receive special assistance if needed.
AUDITIONERS ARE ADVISED TO ARRIVE EARLY, SO THAT WE CAN ASSIGN SIDES FOR COLD READINGS AFTER YOU SING. Be prepared to list any conflicts you have with rehearsals being held from 9/15 through 12/1(including day and evening times for Saturdays and Sundays).
Adapted by George Seaton.
Based on the story by Valentine Davies
-DC Theater Arts
NOVEMBER 30 – DECEMBER 16
-DC Theater Arts
DECEMBER 1 – 23
Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm
Sunday, Dec 16th matinee at 2:00pm
Sat & Sun matinees only – 11:00am and 2:00pm
(Dec 16th, 11:00am ONLY)
A staged radio play production of the classic holiday movie: At the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the actor playing Santa is found to be drunk by a white-bearded old gentleman. Doris Walker, the store’s no nonsense special events director, persuades the old man to take his place. The mystery man proves a sensation and is quickly recruited to be Macy’s store Santa. While he is successful, Ms. Walker learns that he calls himself Kris Kringle and he claims to be the real Santa Claus. But of course he couldn’t be… could he?
Cast includes: Mara Bayewitz, Maya Gensler, David Landstrom, Kristie Bryant Milewski, Kathryn Murphy Ryan, Mark Shullenbarger, Ed Silverstein, Bill Spitz, John Van Eck.
In The Arkansaw Bear, the young Tish meets the World’s Greatest Dancing Bear and an apprentice dancing bear. The three of them, with help from Star Light/Star Bright, a majestic Ringmaster, and an energetic mime, discover new things about each other, learn how to remember loved ones together, and revel in the joys of family both present and past. Suitable for children 7 and above.
Performances at The Arts Barn, 311 Kent Square Rd., Gaithersburg, MD, 20878.
For tickets, go to www.gaithersburgmd.gov/RecXpress,
or call 301-258-6394.
One of my favorite holiday memories as a child was putting on a pretty dress and going to stand in the line at Macy’s in Herald Square with my cousins for our annual visit and photos with Santa. My cousins and I would get a group picture with Santa and then take our turns on his lap telling him what we wanted that year. As I got older, and my wonderment and firm belief in the existence of Santa started to waver, it was the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Streetmovie that for many years helped me to continue to believe in Santa. Miracle on 34th Street has been a staple in many of our holiday seasons growing up and it continues to do so.
Maya Gensler (Susan) and Bill Spitz (Kris Kringle) work on their scripts from the radio version of “Miracle on 34th Street.” Photo by Bruce Hirsch. Courtesy of Gazette.Net.
The Gaithersburg Arts Barn in partnership with The Montgomery Playhousepresents an interesting twist on Miracle on 34th Street. The entire show, directed by Bruce Hirsch, is done as a live radio broadcast reminiscent of those done in golden age of radio (1920s-1940s). There are even vintage commercials in between each “Act” of the show.
Miracle on 34th Street, for those not familiar with the movie, tells the story of a man hired by the cynical and no nonsense Doris Walker (Kathryn Murphy Ryan) to work as the Macy’s Department Store Santa. His insists that his name is Kris Kringle (Bill Spitz) and that he is the real Santa Claus. When he gets into a minor scuffle and comes to notice of the police, he has to prove that he is, “the one and only Santa Claus” in order to keep from being committed to a psychiatric hospital. Kris’ lawyer, Fred Gailey (John van Eck) and Doris’s young daughter, Susie (Maya Gensler) need a miracle to help free Kris. For those of you who haven’t seen the movie, I won’t ruin the ending!
L to R: Kristie Milewski and David Landstrom. Photo by Bruce Hirsch. Courtesy of Gazette.Net.
Kathryn Murphy Ryan’s sarcastic and deadpan tone as Doris Walker and Maya Gensler’s endearing portrayal of Susie Walker are the highlights of the show. They are supported also by David Landstrom, Mark Shullenbarger, Ed Silverstein, Mara Bayewitz, and Kristie Milewski in various roles. There is even a chance for audience participation. Just like in a real radio or live taped show, there is a sign that reads “Applause” and when lit, the audience is expected to applaud.
Miracle on 34th Street at The Montgomery Playhouse at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn is great for a fun night out, and it’s child friendly!
Running Time: 60 minutes, with no intermission.
Miracle on 34th Streetruns Fridays and Saturdays through December 16, 2012 with a special Sunday December 16, 2012 matinee at The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – 311 Kent Square Road, in Gaithersburg, MD. Purchase tickets by calling (301) 258-6394.
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