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SUPPORTING PLAYER BECOMES LEAD PLAYER FOR DC THEATRE SCENE

Dec 28 — Broadway quadruple-threat - actor, agent, author and librettist - Richard Seff will join the staff of DC Theatre Scene effective January 1, DCTS Editor Lorraine Treanor announced today. Seff, the author of the well-received Broadway autobiography, SUPPORTING PLAYER: My Life Upon the Wicked Stage, will write a column entitled “Broadway His Way”. (more…)

Fri, Dec 28 - Avery Brooks, whose recent injury halted production of the Shakespeare Theatre’s production of Tamburlaine, has recovered sufficiently to rejoin the cast and the play will resume production on Saturday, December 29.Brooks plays the title character in the Christopher Marlowe play, which inaugurated the company’s new Harman Hall space.Brooks’ injury, the nature of which the company did not specify, stopped production because his understudy had recently left the cast to attend to a family emergency. The new understudy, Bill Christ, had not been on board long enough to learn the immense part.

Tamburlaine will continue through January 6. You may obtain tickets to see Tamburlaine, (or Edward II, with which it is running in rep) by visiting http://www.shakespearetheatre.org/ or calling 202.547.1122.

My End of Year Schmooze

by Joel Markowitz 

So none of my readers can accuse me of being listless, here are my two end of the year lists:

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• Shlemiel the First
• Based on the story by Isaac Bashevis Singer
• Conceived & adapted by Robert Brustein
• Music by Hankus Netsky & Zalman Mlotek
• Lyrics by Arnold Weinstein
• Directed by Nick Olcott & Michael Russotto
• Produced by Theater J
• Reviewed by Gary McMillan

Shlemiel the First is a triple threat: a “ho hum” score, a ham-handed book treatment, and a single set apparently last seen on the Hee Haw soundstage. The directorial baton was passed from Nick Olcott to Michael Russotto during the rehearsal period, so some of the unevenness may stem from lack of continuity.

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Schmoozing with Theater J’s Mrs. Shlemiel

Joel Markowitz sat down with local actress/singer Amy McWIlliams to talk about her role as Tryna Rytza, the ever suffering and forgiving Mrs. Shlemiel, in Theater J’s Klezmer musical Shlemiel The First, now freylaching  (dancing) on the Aaron and Cecile Goldman Theater stage.   (more…)

 

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• A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant
• By Kyle Jarrow
• Directed by Andrew Baughman
• Produced by Landless Theatre Company
• Reviewed by Tim Treanor

David Sedaris had a routine in which he played a theatre critic who passed judgment on grade-school Christmas pageants. “A cloying, preening stage presence,” he sniffed, dismissing a six-year old playing the Virgin Mary, “her performance seemed based on nothing more than an annoying proclivity toward lifting her skirt and on rare occasions opening her eyes.”

None of that for me. The Very Merry Pageant uses young kids in all of its roles, and thus effectively immunizes itself from criticism - mine or anyone else’s. (more…)

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• A Disgruntled Elf Lightens Up

By Joel Markowitz

He’s a two-time Helen Hayes Award Winner and one of  Joel’s favorite actors, so what better way to deck the halls than to schmooze with the ever moving, energy-filled Santa’s helper extraordinaire  Bruce Nelson, who finishes his reprise starring role in The Santaland Diaries Sunday, Dec 23rd. (more…)

• Breath, Boom 
• By Kia Corthron
• Directed by Rahaleh Nassri
• Produced by Studio Theatre
• Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson

The children’s slide sitting upstage would recall sweet memories of innocent children’s games except that it is dwarfed by a towering 7ft caged fencing traversing the stage. The dark lighting foretells of lurking present dangers yet unseen.  At rise, hip hop music blasts us into the story of a young girl’s journey from playing on the playground to girl gang rites and initiations, family violence, criminal retribution and spent, worn, weary lives.  (more…)

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• A Holiday Pageant, Landless-Style
• By Joel Markowitz

Director Andrew Baughman tells us about Landless Theatre’s holiday show A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pagaent.  It’s packed with sweet, sincere kids telling the story of Scientology. With a Hedwig and the Angry Inch-type sound. Or maybe it’s Godspell.

Thanks to Pageant composer Kyle Jarrow, we have backed this interview with snips from his original cast recording of the Obie-winning show.  Listen in here.

 

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• Treasure Island
• By Ken Ludwig
• Adapted from the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Directed by Blake Robison
• Produced by Round House Theatre
• Reviewed by Hunter Kieserman

Ahoy Mateys!

Since I was a baby I’ve always had an interest in pirates and treasure. My mother used to tell me stories of the notorious Captain Hook or of the fearsome Blackbeard. My favorite pirate was the villainous yet lovable, one-legged Long John Silver from Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island. (more…)