Charm City Call Board: March 11 - 17

Welcome to Charm City Call Board for the week of March 11 - 17, keeping you up to date each week with all that is theater in Baltimore and the region.        

Discounts and contest notices are listed first.  "On Stage" listings follow in this order: opening this week, in previews, current running productions, closing this week and upcoming productions.  Audition and help wanted notices will be next (arranged by date), followed by "Backstage Babble" - news bites, your letters and book/CD recommendations and "Theatre Events" are at the end.   I hope you find this format even more user friendly! 

Please feel free to send me suggestions/comments at jameshoward@broadwayworld.com.  

NEW THIS WEEK!:

• BEST BET: Noises Off at Towson University!
• NEW SHOWS: CENTERSTAGE, Laurel Mill Playhouse, CCBC Catonsville!
• AUDITION NOTICES: Once Upon a Mattress and the National Tour of Rumplestiltskin's Daughter!
• COMPLETE LISTINGS:  How to get tickets for all of the local shows!

 

If you have some news or an event you'd like added, please contact me at jameshoward@broadwayworld.com. 

 

BROADWAYWORLD.BALTIMORE DISCOUNTS!

• Camelot at The Hippodrome Theatre: Get $20.00 off per ticket at Price Level 1 for the March 25, 26 and 30^th performances!  This offer good at the Hippodrome Box Office, ticketmaster.com or by calling 410-547-SEAT.  For all of the above, use Password: ARTHUR to receive your discount!
•  4 By Tenn at Spotlighters:  BWW readers get $5.00 off per ticket!  Just go to www.spotlighters.org, click on "Tickets" and enter code BWW-4T, or mention this code when making phone reservations at 410-752-1225.

CONTESTS

• Coming soon!  Win tickets to the opening Night performance of Camelot, starring Lou Diamond Phillips at the Hippodrome Theatre!

 

ONSTAGE THIS WEEK!

A five star system will be utilized in order to differentiate between the various levels of success: artistry and entertainment value.  This system is not directly numeric, however.  That is, a 4 rated show isn't necessarily twice as good as a 2 rated show; neither is a 4 rated show a "B" or an 80%.

◊◊◊◊◊ - The absolute best theatre has to offer!  Missing this should not be an option!
◊◊◊◊ - This is excellent theatre!  Do not miss this show!
◊◊◊ - This is a good production.  Try to get to this one!
◊◊ - This is a fair production.
◊ - Save your money.

Be sure to contact the theatre directly for show times, dates and prices.  All shows subject to change.  

IN PREVIEWS!

Kiss of the Spider Woman at Signature Theatre

• Kiss of the Spider Woman (Musical): Signature Theatre.  3/11 – 4/20.  Review to be posted 3/18.  703.820.9771 or www.signature-theatre.org. See article below!
• A Little Night Music (Musical): CENTERSTAGE.  3/13 – 4/13.  Review to be posted 3/20.  Look for an interview with Barbara Walsh tomorrow!  410.332.0033 or www.centerstage.org.
• The Wizard of Oz (Musical – Dinner Theatre): Toby's Dinner Theatre of Baltimore.  3/15 – 6/8.  Review TBA.  1.866.99TOBYS or www.tobysdinnertheatre.com

 

CURTAIN UP!  Shows opening this week.

Sects and Violins at Single Carrot Theatre; Three Days of Rain at Fells Point Corner Theatre

• ◊◊◊◊Sects and Violins (Sketch Comedy): Single Carrot Theatre.  3/13 – 29.  Review to be posted 3/16.  443.844.9253 or www.singlecarrot.com. See article below!
• Three Days of Rain (Play): Fells Point Corner Theatre.  3/14 – 4/13.  Review to be posted 3/17.  410.276.7837 or www.fpct.org.  See article below!

 

NOW PLAYING!  Shows currently open. 

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia

• ◊◊ Hatful of Rain (Play): Vagabond Players. Through 3/30.  Review posted 3/3. www.vagabondplayers.com or 410-563-9135
• ◊◊◊Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Musical – Dinner Theatre): Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia.  2/21 - 6/5.  Review posted 3/9.  www.tobysdinnertheatre.com or 1-800-88TOBYS.

 

CLOSING THIS WEEK! Your last chance…

Noises Off at Towson University

• ◊◊◊◊◊ Noises Off (Comedy): Towson University.  Through 13.  Review posted 3/10.  410.704.ARTS or www.towson.edu.  BEST BET 3/11!
• Three Irish Plays (Drama): Performance Workshop Theatre. Through 3/16.   www.performanceworkshoptheatre.org or 410-659-7830.

 

OPENING SOON! 

From tel Aviv to Ramallah at CENTERSTAGE

• Gem of the Ocean (Regional Premiere Drama): Everyman Theatre.  3/19 – 4/27.  Review to be posted 3/22.  410.752.2208 or www.everymantheatre.org.
• From Tel Aviv (Performance Piece): CENTERSTAGE.  3/20 – 29.  410.332.0033 or www.centerstage.org.
• Love, Sex and the IRS (Comedy): Laurel Mill Playhouse.  3/12 – 4/6.  Review to be posted 3/23.  301.617.9906 or www.laurelmillplayhouse.org.
• 4 by Tenn(Drama): Spotlighters Theatre.  3/21 – 4/13.  Review to be posted 3/24.  410.752.1225 or www.spotlighters.org. See above for BWW Discount!
• Camelot (Musical): Hippodrome Theatre.  3/26 – 4/6.  Review to be posted 3/26.  410.547.SEAT or www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.  See above for BWW Discount!
• Thom Pain (One Man Play): Rep Stage.  3/26 – 4/13.  Review to be posted TBA.  410.772.4900 or www.repstage.org.

  

AUDITION NOTICES: 

Rumplestiltskin's Daughter: National Tour

• CASTING IN DC/BALT FOR UPCOMING US NATIONAL AND CANADA TOUR OF THE MUSICAL RUMPELSTILSKIN'S DAUGHTER FOR 2008/2009 SEASON.   
• SEEKing Strong MALE & FEMALE SINGERS & DANCERS FOR TIGHT ENSEMBLE CAST PLAYING MULTIPLE ROLES - ALL TYPES/DIVERSE CASTING - TAP A PLUS. NON UNION – ALL ROLES PAID 
• SEND HARD COPY OF PHOTO & RESUME TO: RUMPELSTILTSKIN'S DAUGHTER, RNM PRODUCTIONS, PO BOX 66, SIMPSONVILLE, MD 21150 

Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter recently completed a successful run at the historic Empire Theatre for THEATRE IV in Richmond, Virginia. This fun family musical has previously been presented to consistent critical acclaim at the prestigious Assembly Rooms for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, as part of the Saturday Morning Series at The National Theatre in Washington, DC, and with workshops in Maryland and at the Boys Choir of Harlem in New York. 

Currently booking with Windwood Theatricals, tour dates will vary throughout the season and is due to open approximately July 2008. We anticipate shorter trips of several days up to longer multi-week circuits with variable time off in between gigs. All dates will normally have from sixty (60) to ninety (90) days advance notice prior to bookings.  Rehearsals will be scheduled in the BALT/DC area around May or June.  Directed by Terry J. Long with Musical Direction by Jason Brown. Executive Producer, Robert Neal Marshall. 

For more information visit our website www.Rumpelstiltskinsdaughter.com

 

Once Upon a Mattress 

• WHO: Phoenix Festival Theater, a community theater at Harford Community College
• WHEN: Saturday, March 15, 12 noon – 3PM
• WHERE: Chesapeake Theater. 
• PERFORMANCE DATES: The play, with musical direction from Russell Gartner, the choreography of Bambi Nevel Johnson, and directed by John Desmone, will be performed June 6-8 and 13-14.
• DETAILS: Auditions are on a first-come, first-served basis; no appointment is needed.  All roles are open; anyone 16 years of age and older may audition.
• WHAT TO BRING: Those auditioning should bring sheet music; an accompanist will be provided.  Comfortable clothing and footwear should be worn for musical/dance auditions. 
• FOR MORE INFORMATION: The Chesapeake Theater is located in the Chesapeake Center on the campus of Harford Community College.  For further information, contact Cultural Events Director Susan Nicolaides, at: snicolai@harford.edu or 410-836-4340.

  

BACKSTAGE BABBLE!  News, Best Bets, etc. (New items in RED.)

BEST BET: Noises Off at Towson University

This fantastic production has only THREE performances left – tonight, tomorrow night and Thursday night, so TiVo American Idol and run, do not walk to the Towson University Mainstage at the Center for the Arts and snatch up any remaining tickets for Noises Off.  This production is nearly flawless and features a company of young actors who are sure to be tomorrow's stars!  See above for ticket information.

 

NEWS: Laurel Mill Playhouse presents a Fundraiser Weekend

• CRP Concert: Saturday, March 15, 8:00-10:00 PM 

Take a trip back to the time of bell bottoms, gas lines, and great music and spend An Evening of Classic Rock with CRP in their first concert in more than two years!  Hear songs     from Peter Frampton, Thin Lizzy and MUCH more, as well as their own stuff, including the WHFS staple "Counting The Minutes".  Showtime is 8:00PM on March 15th at the Laurel Mill Playhouse, located at 508 Main Street.  Doors open at 7:00PM and tickets are only $15.00 for an evening you won't soon forget.  Come on down and Feel Like We Do! Call 301-617-9906 and press 3 to make reservations

• SPICE of LIFE with special guests The Stu-dio Singers: Sunday, March 16, 8:00-10:00 PM 

The SPICE of LIFE is pleased to appear at Laurel Mill Playhouse for their annual Spring Fundraiser Concert. Noted as "The finest trio DC has seen and heard!" the group will be performing with their special guests, The Stu-dio Singers. Directed by Stu Knazik, the a cappella ensemble promises a night full of songs you will sure to be humming all the way home. $10.00 general admission will benefit Laurel Mill Playhouse. Doors open at 7:30 PM. Call 301-617-9906 and press 3 to make reservations.

Both concerts will be held at Laurel Mill Playhouse, located at 508 Main Street, Laurel, MD., 20707. For more information about concerts please contact Maureen Rogers at maureencrogers@gmail.com or 301-452-2557. For more information about Laurel Mill Playhouse visit their website at www.laurelmillplayhouse.org.

 

THEATRE EVENTS (New items in RED.) 

 

March 11 – April 20: Signature Theatre Opens Kander and Ebb Celebration with Kiss of the Spider Woman; Broadway Stars Featured  

Signature Theatre kicks off its four-month Kander & Ebb Celebration on March 11 with the Tony Award®-winning musical Kiss of the Spider Woman.  The tale of two persecuted men — a window dresser and a socialist rebel — who come to share a prison cell, the horror of torture, and the escape of movie fantasies, Kiss of the Spider Woman stars Broadway actors Will Chase as the radical Valentin, Natascia Diaz as the mysterious Spider Woman/Aurora, and Hunter Foster as the gay, movie-obsessed prisoner Molina.  The creative team for the new production is Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, Signature music director Jon Kalbfleisch, and Signature resident artistic associate choreographer Karma Camp, with scenic designer Adam Koch, costume designer Anne Kennedy, lighting designer Chris Lee, and sound designer Matt Rowe.  Kiss of the Spider Woman runs March 11 – April 20, 2008 in Signature's 260-seat MAX Theatre. 

With a book by Terrence McNally based on the novel by Manuel Puig, Kiss of the Spider Woman won seven Tony Awards® in 1993 including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, and Best Costume Design.  It also received five Drama Desk Awards.  The musical, called "dazzling" by Newsweek and "thrilling" by The New York Times, weaves A tale of persecution into a spellbinding theatrical web.  Two men — both jailed by Argentina's dictatorial system for their differing beliefs and lifestyles — come to find comfort in the other's company as the line between reality and fantasy blurs. Contains mature subject matter. 

The cast includes Helen Hayes Award winner Erin Driscoll as Marta, Channez McQuay as Molina's mother, Helen Hayes Award winner Steven Cupo as Warden, Christopher Bloch as Esteban, Helen Hayes Award winner Andy Brownstein as Marcos, and the ensemble:  Danny Binstock, Kurt Boehm, Matt Conner, James Gardiner, LC Harden, Jr., and Helen Hayes Award winner Stephen Gregory Smith. 

Tickets to Kiss of the Spider Woman are $40 - $69 and are now on sale at Ticketmaster at (703) 573-SEAT (7328) or by visiting www.signature-theatre.org <http://www.signature-theatre.org/ Kiss of the Spider Woman is sponsored by the Bernard Family Foundation.

 

March 12 – 15: CCBC Catonsville presents Beyond Therapy 

Theatre at CCBC and The CCBC Catonsville Office of Student Life and Barnstormers proudly present Beyond Therapy by Christopher Durang.

This farcical comedy focuses on Prudence and Bruce, two Manhattanites who are seeking stable romantic relationships with the help of their psychiatrists, each of whom suggests the patient place a personal ad.   Bruce is a highly emotional bisexual who tends to cry easily, a trait homophobic Prudence sees as a weakness. Their first meeting proves to be disastrous and the two report back to their respective therapists - libidinous Stuart, who once seduced Prudence, and eccentric Charlotte, who stumbles over the simplest of words, references the play Equus as a good source of advice, and interacts with Bruce and all her patients with the help of a stuffed Snoopy.  Clearly the two are more troubled than their patients. Charlotte suggests a revised ad, which once again attracts Prudence, but this time she and Bruce manage to get past their initial loathing and discover they actually like each other.  Complications ensue when Bruce's jealous live-in lover Bob decides to assert himself and do everything possible to maintain his status quo.

Performances are March 12th, 14th and 15th @ 8pm, March 13th @ 2pm, and March 14th @ 10am in the Q-Building Theatre.   General Admission: $7/Students, Seniors, Faculty and Staff Admission: $2.  For tickets call 410/780-6369 or get them at the door.

 

March 13 – 29: Single Carrot Theatre Presents Sketch Comedy Show, Sects and Violins

Single Carrot Theatre presents Sects and Violins, an original, collaboratively written sketch comedy show based on the difficulty of communication, at Load of Fun Studios, March 13 to 29. 

Sects and Violins deviates from Single Carrot's previous shows this season. The piece is similar to Saturday Night Live, incorporating live music, storytelling, and short scenes. Sketch comedy is rarely done in Baltimore, and Sects and Violins is an opportunity for local audiences to see an original sketch script written by the cast.

Single Carrot is taking the unique opportunity to use a purely comedic approach to dissect everyday issues with communication.

"Sects and Violins goes beyond slap-stick comedy, which is a common stereotype of sketch comedy. The characters are invested in what they are trying to accomplish, and they all have something to root for and fight against," the director, Jessica Garrett, said.

The performance space at Load of Fun is intimate, which allows the audience to experience the nuances of the comedy. The 45 seat space gives the cast an opportunity to connect to the audience on a more immediate level, and brings them closer to the action.

Navigating through communication breakdowns, innuendos, and societal misinterpretations, this comedy-cocktail hits you in a series of short, hilarious bursts. Speaking of cocktails, SCT will be serving free beer and wine to audience members with a valid ID, ensuring your night with us will be a special one. And the best part is, when you're with us, you won't need to imagine anyone else.

• WHERE: Load of Fun Gallery, 120 West North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21201 
• WHEN: March 13th – 29^th; Thurs – Sat at 7:30PM, Sat at 2:30PM 
• TICKETS: Box Office: 443-844-9253; $10 for students, seniors, children*, and artists, $12 for adults  

Free beer and wine for ticket holders with valid ID 

*Adult content – parental discretion is advised. 

 

March 14 – April 13: FPCT Presents Three Days of Rain by Richard Greenberg

Walker, Nan and Pip come together for the reading of the will and in the process, delve deep into their parents' history. Discover the story behind the words, "three days of rain," written over 30 years before in this Drama Desk Award-winning Pulitzer Prize nominated play. 

Three Days of Rain will be directed by Sherrionne Brown, whose directing credits include The Odd Couple, named one of the five best plays in 2005 and All My Sons, which was nominated for Outstanding Direction with the Greater Baltimore Theater Awards.  She also directed After Dinner and Burn This at Fell's Point Corner Theatre.  At Spotlighters, she directed Mary, Mary and most recently, The Lion in Winter, which was named "Best Play of 2007" by Broadwayworld.com.  She has also been involved in over fifty productions as a scenic artist and set designer, in addition to being an accomplished actress.  

Appearing in Three Days of Rain is a stellar cast of local veteran actors, which includes Michael Leicht, Karina Ferry and Warren Hemenway. 

Performances of Three Days of Rain are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $17 General, $15 Seniors/Students.  Call 410-276-7837 for reservations.  Go to www.fpct.org for more details. 

March 15 – 16: Theatre Project Presents Us 

When his partner of 13 years couldn't get a green card, Tim Miller just didn't get mad – he wrote this play. On Mar. 15 and 16, Theatre Project presents Miller (2005 New York Drama Desk nominee) in Us, his wild and funny one-man-show that skewers the gay-marriage debate via Broadway show tunes and a striptease. Called "sweet-spirited, honest and funny" by The New York Times, the show ricochets between his childhood love affair with Broadway musicals and an exploration of home, exile and the injustices gay and lesbian couples face in the United States. 

Denied all the rights of marriage – including immigration rights for their foreign partners –  that only straight Americans enjoy, Tim Miller and his Australian-Scottish partner, Alistair McCartney, face the grim certainty that they will be forced to leave the United States at the end of 2008 in order to maintain their relationship.  

"Teetering here on The Edge of exile, it has been really fun to do this exploration of how musicals informed my queer identity and politics as we grow up," says Miller. "But then, I was once an eight-year-old boy who did stripteases for his brother with Gypsy on the record player!"

Us is a funny, sassy and pissed-off exploration of these most American contradictions as the piece careens from memories of a ten-year-old's plan to flee to Canada to escape the war in Vietnam, to a mediation on why a Southern California child spoke in an English accent, to a surreal wedding day tug-of-war at The Edge of America. Miller takes the audience on a whirlwind journey that re-thinks the American musical as inspiration for radical politics and queer identity. No stranger to controversy, Us marks a new challenge for Tim Miller to speak as an American artist in exile about the human rights violations in the United States. 

Us plays at Theatre Project Mar. 15 @ 8pm and Mar. 16 @ 7pm. This show contains nudity. After the show on Sunday, Mar. 16, there will also be a free reading, reception and book signing for Alistair McCartney's new book, The End of The World Book. McCartney's book combines fiction, memoir and cultural history, recreating the story of the world and one man's life as they both hurtle toward a frightening future.    

Tickets for Us are $20 general admission, $15 seniors and artists and $10 for students. Tickets can be purchased at www.missiontix.com. To make a reservation, call (410)752-8558. 

  

Through March 16: Peter Pan at Children's Playhouse of Maryland 

Children's Playhouse of Maryland, Inc., in residence at CCBC Essex, presents Peter Pan, 1 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 1 and 2, 8 and 9 and 15 and 16 and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 15 in the J Building Lecture Hall (J-137) on the Essex campus, 7201 Rossville Blvd. All seats are $10 each. This production stars Bradley Bowers of Towson as Peter and Jamie Watson of Beverly Hills in Northeast Baltimore as Wendy. Bowers recently appeared in the off Broadway play Crossing Brooklyn and was young Tarzan in Tarzan on Broadway. For tickets and information, call the CCBC Box Office at 410-780-6369.

 

March 19 – April 27:  Everyman Theatre Offers Local Premiere of Gem of the Ocean 

Everyman Theatre will sweep audiences away with their upcoming production of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean directed by Jennifer L. Nelson. The show features an experienced cast including Everyman Resident Company member Dawn Ursula, Lizan Mitchell, Jefferson Russell and Keith N. Johnson. Performances run March 19 – April 27, 2008 at Everyman's North Charles Street location. Tickets range in price from $18 to $35 and may be purchased by calling the Everyman box office at (410) 752-2208 or by visiting the website at www. everymantheatre.org. The production is supported by Lee & Bea Robbins and Jonathan Melnick to honor the memory of J. Tyson Tilden. The media sponsor is Baltimore Style magazine. Everyman Theatre welcomes patrons with disabilities. 

The ninth play in August Wilson's ten-play series chronicling the African American experience in the 20th century, Gem of the Ocean introduces Citizen Barlow, a weary young man who appears on the steps of Aunt Ester's house on the eve of her 287th birthday. In her mystic role as healer and oracle, Aunt Ester sends Barlow to find a magical city in the middle of the ocean thus beginning his journey of spiritual discovery and redemption. Set in 1904 after the collapse of slavery, Gem of the Ocean blends history and myth to tell this compelling story.

Director Jennifer L. Nelson is taking what she describes as a divergent path to Wilson's story. "I want to mine the magic in Gem…," said Ms. Nelson. I believe that this story reflects a mythical supposition of what happens at this point in history at this particular place and each character has his or her role to play – Aunt Ester as shaman/oracle, Black Mary as heir apparent and, of course, Citizen Barlow as the seeker," continued Ms. Nelson. 

Lizan Mitchell makes her Everyman debut playing the pivotal role of Aunt Ester, a role she has played before at Pittsburgh Public Theater and Syracuse Stage. She has appeared on Broadway in Having Our Say and Electra and in regional theater at Woolly Mammoth as Frieda in Starving among many other roles. Her television and film credits include The Wire, Law & Order and The Human Stain.

 

March 20 – 29: CENTERSTAGE Presents From Tel Aviv to Ramallah

BALTIMORE: CENTERSTAGE is pleased to announce a special limited engagement of From Tel Aviv to Ramallah: A Beatbox Journey—a striking Helen Hayes Award-nominated drama from writer/director Rachel Havrelock featuring award-winning solo performer Yuri Lane. Called "an acrobat with sound" by The Washington Post, Lane brings more than 20 characters to life through the art of beatbox in this dynamic hip-hop documentary of two young men leading surprisingly similar lives: Amir, an Israeli motorcycle messenger and club DJ, and Khalid, a Palestinian entrepreneur with a thriving Internet café. Splicing the hectic sounds of traffic with calls to prayer, Amir's and Khalid's struggles in their divided homeland are conjured against a kinetic videoscape—designed by Sharif Ezzat—as their lives inevitably intersect at a West Bank checkpoint.  

From Tel Aviv to Ramallah… plays CENTERSTAGE's Head Theater March 20–29, 2008; official Opening Night is Friday, March 21^st. City Paper is the production's media sponsor. It's the Middle East Conflict like you've never seen it: one man, one body, one voice, one human beatbox.

General admission tickets are $25, with CENTERSTAGE subscribers paying $20 and students just $15. Tickets are available now: online at tix.centerstage.org or by calling the CENTERSTAGE Box Office at 410.332.0033.

Performance Schedule:  Thursday, March 20^th, 8 pm (Preview); Friday, March 21^st, 8:30 pm (Opening); Saturday, March 22^nd, 5 pm; Saturday, March 22^nd, 9 pm; Sunday, March 23^rd, 3 pm; Wednesday, March 26^th, 8 pm; Thursday, March 27^th, 8 pm; Friday, March 28^th, 8:30 pm; Saturday, March 29^th, 5 pm; and Saturday, March 29^th, 9 pm.

 

March 21 – April 5: Laurel Mill Playhouse Presents Love, Sex and the IRS

Laurel Mill Playhouse, located at 508 Main Street in historic Laurel, MD., is proud to present the reunion show of Love, Sex and the I.R.S written by William Van Zandt and Jan Milmore. Directed by Jay Balcar and R. Brett Rohrer and produced by Maureen Rogers, this hilarious comedy opens March 21. Last presented in 2005, this sidesplitting comedy has been brought back by popular demand and is sure to tickle the funny bone of everyone who sees it. 

The original ensemble cast includes Jay Balcar, Melainie Eifert, Maureen Rogers, R. Brett Rohrer, Larry Simmons, Jack Wassell and Jessica Wieder. LMP is pleased to introduce Michael Hartsfield to the reunion play, previously appearing in Six Degrees of Separation at Laurel Mill PLayhouse.

 
Produced by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc. performances run weekends through April 5 with Friday and Saturday evening performances at 8 p.m. and one Sunday matinee which will be held on Mar 30 at 2 P.M. A special Pay What You Can performance will be held on Thursday April 3 at 8 P.M. Tickets are $13 for general admission, $10 for students (18 and under)  and seniors (65 and over). For reservations, please call 301-617-9906. For further information visit the web site at www.laurelmillplayhouse.org or contact Maureen Rogers at maureencrogers@gmail.com or 301-452-2557.

 

Through April 19: The Fun Company at MET presents Children's Show 

Hold on to your Pasta Pot!  The Fun Company is proud to present their first production of the new year, Strega Nona.  Full of slapstick comedy, boys in dresses, magic potions, bad Italian accents and PLENTY of Pasta to go around, Strega Nona promises to hit the spot.  Don't miss out on the party, the fun starts March 1st! 

Based on the popular children's book written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, Strega Nona follows an elderly lady who helps her fellow villagers by curing their troubles with her magic.  These problems could range from headaches to finding husbands to ridding people of their hideous warts.  All is calm in their tiny Italian town until Strega Nona, in desperate need of help, hires a bumbling Italian vagabond named Big Anthony to be her house attendant.  A simple man, Big Anthony is only in need of something to eat and a place to sleep.   Until he finds out that Strega Nona is handing out free magic lessons.  If you know magic, you don't have to work right?  Jealousy gets the best of him as he watches her beautiful pupil, Bambelona, training to be a Strega (Italian for Witch).  Unfortunately for Big Anthony, boys can not be Stregas, only girls. Hilarity ensues as Big Anthony digs deeper and deeper to fulfill his dream in becoming the first male witch in history. 

"This show is extremely fun to do", said Amy Easton, who plays Bambalona.  "I think kids are really going to have a blast watching it."   

Matt Baughman, who plays Big Anthony explains, "The physical comedy that I do can be hard on the body but the toughest part of this show are the Italian accents."  According to Baughman, the director wanted every character to have Italian accents.  "I think it actually adds a little more comedy to the play.  Luckily, since I am in 'disguise' for some of the show, I get to do other voices." 

Fun Company Founder and Artistic Director Julie Herber and Fun Company Producer & Production Stage Manager Brian Irons have assembled an All-Star who's who of Frederick favorites. Joining Baughman and Easton are James MaGarvey as Papa Bamba and Karen Paone as the notorious Strega Nona.    

Strega Nona performs every Saturday at 2:00pm from March 1st – April 19th at The Maryland Ensemble Theatre (31 W. Patrick Street, Frederick, MD 21701).  All tickets are $12.  For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit our website at www.marylandensemble.org or call 301-694-4744.  BIRTHDAY PACKAGES ARE AVAILABLE!