Theatre Schmooze — DC Theatre Scene

The Side Show interviews

September 1, 2010 By Joel Markowitz 4 Comments

Shelly Work, Amanda Rife on playing Daisy and Violet Hilton, and David Gregory on directing Side Show at Teatro 101

Whenever I hear that Side Show is being produced in our area, I find a way to see it. I was so impressed by Teatro 101’s production of Violet, (which I recently named as one of the Best Musicals of 2009-2010), that I knew they would do a wonderful job with one of my favorite musicals. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Theatre Schmooze Tagged With: teatro 101

Matthew Schleigh and Ray Hatch in Buddy Holly

August 31, 2010 By Joel Markowitz Leave a Comment

Until September 12^th at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore, Matthew Schleigh is re-rocking the house in his Helen Hayes Award-winning performance as the late-great Buddy Holly and Ray Hatch is not only recreating the bundle of energy MC at the Apollo in Buddy—The Buddy Holly Story, but he is also co-directing with Toby Orenstein and providing the choreography. [Read more...]

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Best Musicals and Best Musical Performances of 2009-2010

August 16, 2010 By Joel Markowitz 31 Comments

Musicals are my life and I saw a lot of them on DC-area stages in the past year – in professional theatres, community theatres, family theatres, children’s theatres, high schools, and programs that train young actors. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Audience Choice Awards 2010, Theatre Schmooze Tagged With: Audience Choice Awards

Gavin Lee on playing Bert in Mary Poppins

August 10, 2010 By Joel Markowitz Leave a Comment

Kennedy Center audiences love Gavin Lee’s heart-warming, lovable performance as Bert, the chimney sweep in the national tour of Mary Poppins. Gavin originated the role in London, performed it on Broadway, and has been playing Bert all around the country on this tour. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Interviews, Theatre Schmooze

Personal reflections on this year’s Fringe musicals

July 26, 2010 By Joel Markowitz 18 Comments

It wasn’t hard to select my favorite musicals of this year’s Capital Fringe Festival ( I’ll get to them in just a minute) because so many of this year’s so-called musicals sucked. The majority of them had poorly written scores, books, and lyrics, and casts that couldn’t sing in key if their lives depended on it. [Read more...]

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Favorite 2010 Fringe Musical Performances – Part Two

July 22, 2010 By Joel Markowitz 7 Comments

The second week of the Capital Fringe Festival brought ten musical performances that I enjoyed immensely. Many were by local artists who I have never seen or heard before. I am hoping that many of our directors and casting directors will audition these incredible actors/singers. I look forward to seeing them in future performances. [Read more...]

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Favorite 2010 Fringe Musical Performances – Part One

July 17, 2010 By Joel Markowitz 4 Comments

Every year I eagerly await the musicals at the Capital Fringe Festival. I know that I will sit through some awful, so-so, and enjoyable ones – but I also know that at these great, good, bad, and “don’t go there” musicals – I will hear some wonderful singing and see some performances that will knock my socks off. [Read more...]

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Charlie Ross on his One Man Lord of the Rings

July 8, 2010 By Joel Markowitz Leave a Comment

I saw it with my partner Alex and we still can’t believe how Canadian actor Charlie Ross condensed almost 12 hours of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) trilogy into a little over an hour of non-stop hilarity. Here he was twisting and turning and humming and singing, falling on the stage – and quickly getting up – as he transformed himself into 42 characters, and performed dozens of hysterical sound effects. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Interviews, Theatre Schmooze Tagged With: woolly mammoth

Playing Patsy Cline

July 2, 2010 By Joel Markowitz 1 Comment

Tiffany Walker Porta on Always…Patsy Cline

I’m a big fan of Patsy Cline and when I saw Always…Patsy Cline on press night at Toby’s Baltimore, I was amazed how Tiffany Walker Porta’s renditions of many of Patsy’s hit songs - including “I Fall to Pieces”, “Crazy”, and “Walkin’ After Midnight”, had that unique Patsy “sound”. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Interviews, Theatre Schmooze Tagged With: toby's

Musical Scene Stealers – June 2010

June 23, 2010 By Joel Markowitz 25 Comments

This new group of Scene Stealers says a lot about how much talent we have in the DC area and is a tribute to the up-and-coming group of young actors, singers, and dancers who graced our local stages with scene stealing performances, sprinkled with great performances by two of our local theatre veterans. [Read more...]

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