DC Theater Arts

Tag: Gollum

‘Charles Ross One Man Lord of the Rings’ at The Birchmere by Jenna Miller

Charles Ross One Man Lord of the Rings, written and performed by Ross and directed by TJ Dawe, is exactly as the title says: Ross reenacts the Lord of the Ring trilogy of films on stage by himself. You may ask yourself, how can one person possibly recreate an effects laden epic, starring dozens of actors and thousands of CG created extras? The answer is: extremely well. Charles is an ingenious mimic of actor’s voices, gestures, and even sound effects. Dressed in black coveralls with an attached microphone and a bare stage he was able to bring across the imagery of the story.

I have only seen the trilogy once. I never read the books, and I’m considered a bit of a novice in the “Middle Earth” cult world of fans. I went with a friend who has not only read the books but has seen the films multiple times. Because of his LOTR expertise, he was better at catching all of the jokes. But we both agreed that Charles hit the major beats and plot points. You don’t need to be an encyclopedia of knowledge on J.R.R. Tolkein to follow along.

Director TJ Dawes set the pacing very quickly so as to encapsulate each film into 20 minutes of action. A lot flies by so quickly that it can be a lot to handle – but I was thoroughly entertained because Ross is charming with a great sense of humor. And I really enjoyed the light banter between ‘films.’

With his astute vocal mimicry, Charles evoked the persona of the films characters like Frodo, Gandalf, Sam, and Gollum. I was freaked out by Gollum in the films, who spent much of it saying, “My precious…my precious…” in a creepy voice. Charles hit that spot on, as were the voices and mannerisms of Frodo and Sam. He even teased about (as my friend explained is a common joke for the diehard fans) the ‘gay undertones’ of the two characters. And at one point, he skipped onstage saying, “Follow your nose..follow your nose.. a complete breakfast” to which some of the audience clapped. Ross broke character for a moment and laughed and said, “Glad some of you got that. I did that joke in China and it went over their heads. It’s good to be back home.”

Watching the show brought back some childhood memories and enhanced the enjoyment. My sister and I traveled a lot as children having to entertain each other in the car or motel rooms. We would each reenact a movie suggested by the other. While we were never be able to do something as detailed as LOTR, I admired his creativity as I thought of my sister twirling around the room as she reenacted Cinderella for me. Charles moved around the stage with ease as produces vocal sound effects for the sword fights, the screech of the flying beasts, or conveying various characters through his posture and hand gestures.

I thoroughly enjoyed Charles Ross’ clever and hysterical performance. After the show, Ross spoke to the audience and gave some background information on how the show was created and he spoke about meeting Sir Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf in Lord of the Rings. I left with a smile on my face having been joyfully and thoroughly entertained by Charles Ross and his cast of characters.

Running Time: 70 minutes, with no intermission.

Charlie Ross in ‘Charlie Ross One Man Lord of the Rings.’

Charles Ross One Man Lord of The Rings played for one night only on January 18, 2014, at The Birchmere – 3701 Mount Vernon Avenue, in Alexandria, VA. For future performances at Birchmere, check their website. For future performances of Charles Ross One Man Lord of the Rings, check the show’s website.

January 19, 2014
Hot Night Productions’ “Stocking Stuffers” at the Bier Baron by Lucrezia Blozia

Hot Night Productions Stocking Stuffers December 20th at the Bier Baron
Burlesque is a lot of things – it’s sexy, it’s funny, it’s retro, it’s smart, it often relies on the performer’s other talents and training in theatre, dance and costuming. Sometimes it’s performance art and sometimes it’s just plain old charming. Hot Night Productions’ Stocking Stuffers on December 20 at the Bier Baron, while still possessing all the other qualities, was heavy on the charm. It felt like hanging out with a group of friends just doing what they love to do … some kickass burlesque!

Imagine Duckie, Jon Cryer’s character in Pretty in Pink all grown up and having worked out his romantic issues. Now dress him like a zoot suit hepcat and you’ve got MC Hot Todd Lincoln who warmed up the crowd, walking that fine line of self-deprecation and old school standup.

Cherie Sweetbottom opened the show with a “nerdlesque” (burlesque for the fan boys/geeks) number for all the Tolkien heads, transforming from Bilbo Baggins, hairy feet and all, to the lizard-like Gollum.

Dainty Daindridge. Photo by Crystal Swarovski.

Next up was Dainty Dandridge who says the dirtiest things imaginable in the most adorable, sweet-voiced way, singing an old Lucille Bogan number, “Shave Me Dry.” Spinnabel Lee came on like a broken ballerina doll from the Isle of Misfit Toys. Watching her hoop it’s hard to imagine she has bones, or at least not those solid kind of bones you and I have. It’s always fun to see a classic balloon act and it’s always fun to see Gilded Lily’s Maria Bella, especially when she’s delivering a PSA (Particularly Sexy Act) on the effects of good hygiene on the flu bug!

There was a brief intermission while the stage was set with a shiny red bicycle and a bottle of Tequila. Uh huh it was Pee Wee time!!! Cherie Nuit “uncovered” that little known Christmas classic, Pee Wee’s Burlesque Adventure. Spinnabel Lee followed her with some more rubber-boned hooping and then it was time for the “Pants Off Dance-off” which was a little misleading as everyone remained panted throughout but still fun anyway with audience members competing to see who could best work a Santa hat. Then Dainty came out in a choir robe and showed us the spirit most definitely moved her, taking it into the house while performing to an amazing gospel cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer.” Yes, “I want to ___ you like an animal” that one… gospel styley.

Cherie Nuit and Hot Todd Lincoln. Photo by Stereovision.

Cherie Sweetbottom reminded us there’s more than one reason for the season with a naughty Santa act and Maria Bella closed the show with a classic tease to an old Elvis Presley song, “Let Yourself Go.”

As the performers came out for their curtain call Cherie Nuit’s boyfriend surprised her with a dozen red roses celebrating her fiftieth show of the year, a goal she had set for herself at the beginning of 2013. This sweet little moment once again reinforced the feeling that we weren’t just the audience; we were among friends.

For more Hot Night Productions join Hot Todd Lincoln and Cherie Nuit every first Friday of the month at the Bier Baron.

Poster/flyer is by Hot Night Productions.

January 6, 2014
‘The Hobbit’ at W.T. Woodson High School by Terry Byrne

Calling all J.R.R. Tolkein geeks. If last year’s Hollywood blockbuster The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey left you dangling, W.T. Woodson High School Theatre Department’s lip-smackin’ The Hobbit, a 1968 dramatization by Patricia Gray, has come to your rescue. And thank goodness live theater is naturally in 3-D, so you won’t need any nerdy glasses.

Trolls Rea Wilson, Faith Johnson and Laura Baker accost Jake Krauss (Bilbo Baggins, the hobbit). Photo by Barbara McCracken.

Charting Middle Earth in a swift two hours, this 100-plus-member troupe mesmerizes by summoning dwarves, goblins, trolls, elves, a wizard, a dragon, a hobbit and whatever creepy creature Gollum is without resorting to clunky technological gimmicks. Their undiluted stagecraft works like a charm. From the riotous colors of the set decoration (Anna Phillips-Brown) and lighting design (Killian Rodgers and Laura Muse) to cinematic stage combat choreography by Craig Lawrence — you’d swear those swords could do serious harm — much of the adventure seems to be in the students’ learning

The plot is middle-school simple: Gentle hobbit Bilbo Baggins (a perky Jake Krauss) is drafted by grizzled wizard Gandalf (droll, 6-foot-3 Jack Carey) and 13 motley dwarves, led by the dashing Thorin, to reclaim treasure from a fearsome dragon thunderously voiced by Carey. Krauss seems born to the title role with outsize bare feet and impish pizzazz, but Nick Loney as Thorin is The Man. He commands the role with Shakespearean dignity, while shades of Rick Astley’s sonorous bass and charisma somehow sneak in.

Among the comically gifted in this cast of nearly 60: Sean McCracken as the portly dwarf Bombur, and Faith Johnson as Bert the troll, who drills the audience, club in hand, on house rules (don’t even think about shining cellphones her way). Also notable: Lara Taylor and Talia Pekari as the inseparable tweedle-dee-dum dwarves, Emily Bubeck as a plucky Dwalin, and Will Everett’s lanky Gollum, a weird cross between a Great Dane and Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs possibly speaking in parseltongue.

The Great Goblin (Matan Widawsky) battles Thorin (Nick Loney) in a stunning combat scene. Photo by Barbara McCracken.

Artistic Director Terri Hobson stitches it all together with a facile hand and deceptively simple set design: Mountainous train-set tunnels get reconfigured into fantastic landscapes and spooky lairs. Original music by Ryan Taylor impregnates lagging scene changes with more cinematic suspense. Sound design by Zach Hutcheson adds depth with cavernous echo. Technical Director Katie Sosa oversees fog and lighting cues that never miss, such as the hobbit’s bluish followspot to signify when he’s wearing the magic ring.

Isabella Valdes’ well-delineated costume design also dazzles — dwarves wear buccaneer beige blouses and tan pantaloons with capes of hierarchical hues (Thorin in royal blue); goblins appear like gangs from Lord of the Flies but with convincing non-human touches from the hair and makeup department (Derya Pekari and Robyn Smith); Gandalf is in a gradating gray-to-cream cloak with crooked wizard’s hat; frisky elves prance in shades of blue or green; mischievous trees are wrapped in laurels; and trolls date to Neanderthal times with wildly teased locks. Don’t expect to be bowled over by anything akin to storm giants from the movie, but the ghost-puppetry of Smaug the dragon might just follow you home. One is reminded that Woodson won a 2003 Cappie Award for its Little Shop of Horrors puppetry

Director Hobson has a reputation for unexpected delights, including cameos by well-known members of the community like state Sen. Chap Petersen and U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly. For one brush-up rehearsal, eight faculty members, all self-confessed Tolkein geeks, stood in for Baggins, Gandalf, Gollum, the Elven-Queen, Smaug, and trolls. It was not only “fun, but good for the kids,” Hobson said — a lesson in improv as the teachers flubbed or fabricated lines (turning Mirkwood references into Tysons Corner gags, for instance) and the students picked up the slack.

No slacking now: Here’s your chance to see how the story unfolds, without waiting for Peter Jackson to wrap things up in 2014 with six more hours of milking it.

From left, Bombur (Sean McCracken) eats, Bilbo Baggins (Jake Krauss) is baffled by the home invasion, and Gandalf (Jack Carey) and Thorin (Nick Loney) plot their adventure. Photo by Barbara McCracken.

Running Time: Two hours, including one 15-minute intermission.

The Hobbit plays through May 4, 2013 (two performances remain, at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.), at W.T. Woodson High School’s Joan C. Bedinger Auditorium – 9525 Main Street, in Fairfax, VA. Purchase tickets online, or buy them at the door.

May 4, 2013