Imagining the Madoff within us

An Interview with Rick Foucheux

The actor’s stock-in-trade is his ability to empathize with the character he plays, in order to make that character recognizably human, with clear motivations. The actor must be nonjudgmental: “if you comment, and judge your character, you’re not coming at it the right way,” 4-time Helen Hayes Laureate Holly Twyford said in an interview in Asides Magazine. So how do you empathize with a man who has stolen a fortune estimated at $65 billion, mostly from people who had entrusted them with their pensions? [Read more...]

A Connecticut Yankee: 1955 Television Adaptation

The new release on DVD of a 1955 telecast of Rodgers and Hart’s A Connecticut Yankee is more of a curiosity than a must-have addition to your theatre shelf. There are highlights, of course – it is Rodgers and Hart after all! Any show that has “Thou Swell,” “My Heart Stood Still” and “To Keep My Love Alive” deserves a look or a listen from time to time. [Read more...]

This Labor Day’s Free Page-to-Stage Festival schedule

The Kennedy Center hosts its 10th annual Page-to-Stage new play festival from Saturday, September 3, 2011 to Monday, September 5, 2011, featuring works presented by more than 40 theaters from the D.C. metropolitan area, all with a mission to produce and support new work. [Read more...]

Two Univ of Md Grad Students begin their careers with Book of Mormon

 Ariel Benjamin and Jonathan Dillard get their start as  ”Assistants To Mr. MacDevitt”

If you happen to be lucky enough to get a seat to Broadway’s hottest ticket of the year, The Book of Mormon, turn to the back pages of the Playbill. You’ll notice two names listed as Assistant to Mr. MacDevitt. “Mr. MacDevitt” in this case is Brian MacDevitt, who won his fifth Tony Award designing the lighting for this award-sweeping musical, and is now teaching at the University of Maryland. [Read more...]

Theatres remain open this weekend

With Hurricane Irene concentrated on DC area coastal regions, theatre companies have reported that they will continue with scheduled performances this weekend. The only events we have found which have been officially postponed are: Repertory Opera Theater’s performance Saturday night ‘Grand Night of Opera’, and Washington Improv Theatre’s picnic, WITnic on Sunday. And Olney Theatre, while continuing with their production of Grease,  is offering free ticket exchanges; call the box office at 301.924.3400.  [Read more...]

Finalists in the 2011 Audience Choice Awards announced

The finalists of the Audience Choice Awards have been chosen, and we are about to open voting for the final round to select the winner in each category. [Read more...]

Helen Hayes Awards seeks new judges

Deadline for applications is Wednesday, September 6th.

The Helen Hayes Awards is seeking an unspecified number of new judges for a three-year cycle of evaluating professional productions in the Washington metropolitan area.  [Read more...]

Earthquake brings down ticket prices to Signature previews

Inspired by the DC area’s 5.9 earthquake  today, Signature Theatre quickly responded with a salute to  the fact that we’re still standing with this incredible offer: Just $5.90 tickets for performances for the world premiere previews of two new musicals:  The Hollow (Aug 23 and Aug 24) and The Boy Detective Fails (Aug 25). These are Rush tickets, available at the box office  2 hours before show time. Questions? Call the box office 703 820 9771. Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave, Arlington, VA. in Shirlington Village.

For more ticket deals, click here.
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Lend Me a Tenor – The Musical

The stars seemed to be in magical alignment when the opening of this new musical on the West End, London’s equivalent of Broadway, was announced. A big, bold, colorful musical based on Lend Me A Tenor, Ken Ludwig’s farce, was to open this June in the same theatre where the play, which was his first and so far his most successful comedy, had its premiere way back in 1986. The theatre was then called The Globe. Since then it has been renovated and retitled The Gielgud. When the farce had its premiere there, it ran for over ten months. A subsequent Broadway production ran for over a year. [Read more...]

Chance to sign up for Audience Choice ends Wednesday night

Registration to vote for the 2011 Audience Choice Awards closes Wednesday, Aug 24th at midnight. Everyone signed up by then will have the opportunity to vote both in the first round, which closes Thursday night, Aug 25th, and in the final round to choose among the top 3 winners, which opens Friday, Aug 26th with the final audience picks announced Monday afternoon, Aug 29th.

[Read more...]