Aug 29 - Yesterday morning, DCTS launched its new Hot Ticket Deals column with more discounted and free tickets than ever before. New listings are posted daily by Zoltar, Destroyer of Planets (Retired), the pseudonym of a well known theatre personality. There are 12 ticket offers posted today.
Zoltar says there will be special DCTS-only offers coming soon so ”Bookmark the page and check back often, puny humans.”
By A. R. Gurney
Produced by RepStage
Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson
Mrs. Farnsworth now playing at Rep Stage in Columbia, is a clever if somewhat light-weight satire of fictionalized early “indiscretions” of the current Commander in Chief. The story unfolds in a creative writing class in New York City and the entire 90 minute spoof highlights the enormous power of the individual, his/her pen, and the increasing importance of the ever expanding, even omnipresent media. The play touches on issues that have been hashed out over the years (the controversial 2000 election, Iraq, etc), and while it doesn’t add much new or refreshing, the timing alone makes it a perfect fit for this political hotbed Washington D.C, told at an ideal time as the country lurches towards the 2008 election. (more…)
Encores. They don’t happen often but at the start of this year’s season, two companies have been able to fit two recent popular productions into their schedules.
You have until Sept 16th to catch Pangs of the Messiah which re-opens tonight at Theater J. Opus, last Spring’s hit for Washington Stage Guild, opens on September 6th with its original cast: Krytzov Lindquist, Ritchie Porter, Carl Randolph, R. Scott Williams and Kathleen Coons. Mr. Williams’ last performance in the role of Dorian will be Sunday, Sept 9th. He leaves to play Whit in Olney Theatre’s Of Mice and Men, which opens September 26th. Director Steven Carpenter assumes the role of Dorian on September 13th. Opus is slated to close September 30th.
Best to plan to see them now. Second chances don’t come around very often.
Annie and Jekyll Casts Show Their Stuff
By Joel Markowitz
Listen for yourself to see why two Act Two musicals from this past season made it into my Top 10 for the year
JEKYLL AND HYDE
What an honor to hear three vocally incredible young singers in Act Two’s stunning production of Frank Wildhorn’s Jekyll and Hyde which was part of a double header with Annie Jr. on Saturday, August 18th.
Tracy Ramsay (Lucy) and Elizabeth Askins (Emma) sing their duet, “In His Eyes,” and Miguel Amaguana (Jekyll/Hyde) sings “This is the Moment,” then talk about their characters, the vocally challenging score, their vocal training, and their appearances in local productions. Listen here. (more…)
Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (241) Standard Podcast: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (234)
An interview with director Michael Stock and actor Joshua Markowitz
by Joel Markowitz
I trecked up to NYC to see Mr. Baseball in the NYC Fringe Festival at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in Greenwich Village. My nephew Josh, an aspiring actor, was playing Smitty in the show and I was eager to see this Kosher Ham perform. (more…)
Private Lives
By Noel Coward
Produced by Washington Shakespeare Company
Reviewed by Janice Cane
Washington Shakespeare Company is serving up a bite of fun almost as delectable as the fare offered just beyond the stage at 1409 Playbill Café. Almost. A day later, I’m still salivating over the meal I enjoyed before seeing Noël Coward’s Private Lives, but the play itself is quickly becoming a memory. (more…)
HITTING ALL THE RIGHT NOTES:
THIS YEAR’S BEST MUSICALS!
By Joel Markowitz
I am a musical theatre crazy, and this year we were blessed with many wonderful productions in our local theatres. Here are my top ten musicals of the year, my top ten musical performances, and the musical performer of the year.
BEST MUSICALS
#1 THE MUSICALS OF MUSICALS: THE MUSICAL (MetroStage)
The Musical of Musicals-The Musical was non-stop craziness, with great singing, hilarious lyrics, and a cast from heaven -Janine Gullisano-Sunday, Russell Sunday (her husband), two-time Helen Hayes winner Donna Migliaccio and Bobby Smith, hurling lots of corn (”Aw Shucks!”) getting hit by swinging chandeliers, parodying Sondheim (”A Little Complex”), Rodgers and Hammerstein, (”Corn!”), Jerry Herman (”Dear Abby!”) and Kander and Ebb (”Speakeasy”). (more…)
Joel Markowitz Interviews Songs for a New World actors Rob McQuay and Joe Peck
Three-time Helen Hayes nominee Rob McQuay who had just finished his demanding role in Songs for a New World, talked with me about what its like to be part of a working theatre couple (his wife Channez was most recently seen in Studio’s Reefer Madness), his career as a wheelchair-bound actor, (a swimming accident left the actor a paraplegic), his call to the ministry of a busy Baltimore church, and his involvement with Open Circle Theatre.
Actor Joe Peck slid in to visit Rob and me, and we talked about his roles in Songs For A New World, his busy year in local productions, and our experience as judges in Musical Theatre Centers (MTCs) Broadway Idol.
To listen in, click the speaker icon.
Songs for a New World closes Sunday, August 26th at Round House, Silver Spring. Tickets are $15 and $30. More information at Open Circle Theatre.
Lazarus Syndrome
By Bruce Ward
Produced by Theater Alliance
Directed by Paul Douglas Michnewicz
Reviewed by Tim Treanor
In 1983, concert pianist Elliott Liteman (Michael Kramer) discovered that he had contracted AIDS. He watched in horror and helplessness as dozens of his closest friends, and tens of thousands of other people, died. How did he, among all the sufferers, manage to survive until the discovery of medicines sufficient to control the disease’s worst effects? Who knows? Yet here he is, nearly twenty–five years later. He no longer gives concerts. Instead, he lives in his apartment with his spouse-in-fact Stephen (Kevin Boggs) on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, receiving disability, morose and loaded with survivor’s guilt. (more…)
Sept 5 -
The results are in. To celebrate, we recorded the Audience Choice Awards show. Tune in to hear James Konicek as host, DCTS staff announce the nominees, and the winners accept. Listen here.
Here are the top 5 finalists, and the *winners.
Best Play
Best Musical
Best Performance by an Actress
Best Performance by an Actor
________________________
Our First DCTS AUDIENCE CHOICE Awards
Aug 18,2007 - The first plays of the new season have already opened, but we find we haven’t bid a proper goodbye to that glorious 06/07 season.
We recently asked our reviewers and staff to rank their favorite top 5 productions and performers. Now we are asking all of our site visitors to help choose the Best Play, Best Musical, Best Actress and Best Actor for the 2006/2007 season. The result we will call our Audience Choice Awards.
Included: All professional productions in the DC area between August 1, 2006 and July 31, 2007 (Productions mounted solely for Festivals, and Children’s Theatre productions were not included). The nominations, listed below, were taken from our staff’s top 3 of 5 nominations. Their full slate of nominations follow the list of nominees.
How to cast your votes
It’s easy to vote. The polls are in the column to your right (scroll down). Details that may be helpful for voting are below. The polls close at 6 pm on Wednesday, September 5th. The results will be announced soon after.
Thanks for voting!
THE NOMINEES ARE
BEST PLAY
BEST MUSICAL
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
DCTS STAFF: How They Voted.
Best Play
Debbie Jackson, Reviewer
Gary McMillan, Reviewer
Janice Cane, Reviewer
Joel Markowitz, Columnist, Featured Podcasts
Lorraine Treanor, Editor
Ronnie Ruff, General Manager, Reviewer
Rosalind MacLennan, Reviewer
Tim Treanor, Reviewer
BEST MUSICAL
Debbie Jackson
Gary McMillan
Joel Markowitz
Lorraine Treanor
Ronnie Ruff
Rosalind Lacy
Tim Treanor
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS
Debbie Jackson
Gary McMillan
Janice Cane
Joel Markowitz
Lorraine Treanor
Ronnie Ruff
Rosalind MacLennan
Tim Treanor
BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR
Debbie Jackson
Gary McMillan
Janice Cane
Joel Markowitz
Lorraine Treanor
Ronnie Ruff
Rosalind MacLennan
Tim Treanor
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Mrs. Farnsworth 