Ellen Burns - Page 2

The bustle and chaos of the Friday evening pre-show crowds on West 47th Street on Broadway are a fitting contrast to the calm that emanates from venerable DC-based actor, Nancy Robinette, who kindly agreed to chat with me about making the move to Broadway as Mrs. Alexander, in the Tony Awards® Best Play of 2015, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. We met up in front of the Barrymore Theatre, Nancy's current professional home, but DC is very fortunate to call Nancy one of our own; she was raised in Arlington, graduated from Yorktown High School, and has graced the stages of Washington's most well-respected theaters over the years, including The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Woolly Mammoth, Ford's Theatre and Studio Theatre. She's a Helen Hayes Award-winner for her work in Washington, and now the work has taken her a few hours north to make her Broadway debut; although to hear her tell, no matter the city or the theater, good work is good work, and Nancy is definitely familiar with lots of good work, having performed in every major DC theatre, Off Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop and Roundabout Theatre Company, among others, Papermill Playhouse (New Jersey), at The Williamstown Festival (Massachusetts), and in cities around the country, including San Diego at The Old Globe.

'People are complex,' muses Aimee K. Grant, who plays Akeelah's mom, Gail, in AKEELAH AND THE BEE, the new musical at Arena Stage when I sat down with her and her on-stage daughter, 17-year old Johannah Easley (Akeelah) to talk about their experiences with the show. Increasing understanding within and among people is the power of theater, we agree, and Akeelah definitely offers up a story of complex people, young and old. Based on the wildly popular 2006 film of the same name, it's the story of a determined young girl from a difficult situation, competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Akeelah's life is filled with challenges, as are many people's, and that's where this story resonates. Although a tale of triumph over adversity may not seem a new one, each person's story is different, and Akeelah's has layers that will be relatable to many in the audience.

One thing is certain, when the lights go down in the Synetic Theater space, they will not come up on the expected; the imaginative company's signature is their unique and creative approach to storytelling on stage. They are known for their physicality and elaborate staging (you might have already experienced one of their silent productions; particularly memorable is The Tempest in 2013), and ALICE IN WONDERLAND is classic Synetic. Alice in Wonderland is one of those tales that lends itself to as many interpretations as there are people who read/hear/see it, and is thus fertile ground for the stage. 

The energy and passion emanating from playwright Karen Zacarías is evident immediately upon meeting, and bodes well for a conversation about a genre of storytelling known for its intensity. Zacarías' new play, DESTINY OF DESIRE, having its world premiere at Arena Stage this month, is inspired by, and crafted in the style of a telenovela, a Latin American style of televised series, and one of the first things I wanted Karen to do as we began our talk, was clarify just what was meant by the term “telenovela,” as a storytelling genre.

Lettuce and laughter were being tossed in abundance at last night's opening, and world premiere, of playwright Sheila Callaghan's new play, WOMEN LAUGHING ALONE WITH SALAD, the inaugural production of Woolly Mammoth's 36th season. The play is among the more than fifty works by women being featured in DC theaters during the Women's Voices Theater Festival this fall. Woolly Mammoth has a well-earned reputation for presenting bold works that challenge audiences, and push the boundaries of how stories are being told on stage. WOMEN LAUGHING is a perfect fit for Woolly Mammoth, and for the cast and creative team who have crafted this piece.

There are many gifted vocalists in this world (more about that later) and many gifted vocalists with charming personalities, but the sheer volume of gift and charm packed into the diminutive Kristin Chenoweth is a wonder to behold. She can sing, my word, can she sing, but when she is on stage, as last night at Wolf Trap, what particularly strikes you is her openness, sincerity and ease with herself and her audience. Chenoweth is a generous performer, warmly sharing the stage with local DC artists and musicians, and her music director, Mary-Mitchell Campbell, a talented vocalist in her own right.

Dancers touring like rock stars might invoke some doubt, but the motto of Derek and Julianne Hough's Move Live on Tour is "Motion=Emotion," and it's a safe bet that the audience at Wolf Trap on Friday night was feeling it. One of the great trends over the past decade, has been the emergence of a measure of fame for dancers who, in the past, would have been nameless talent backing up the headliner. Even in the most hallowed ballet companies, it is the principal dancers who get the billing. But with the advent of shows like Dancing With the Stars, where the Houghs gained their reputations, to So You Think You Can Dance, and America's Best Dance Crew, we're now getting to know the names and faces of a multitude of dancers in more dance styles than most of us knew existed, and these performers are finally getting their due.

The team of Benj Pasek & Justin Paul was literally “on the move” when I had the chance to chat with them about Dear Evan Hansen, their latest project, for which DC is fortunate enough to be the host for the world premiere, thanks to Arena Stage's dedication to nurturing new work. Benj and Justin were, in fact, driving to DC to begin the final stages of preparation for the July 10 first preview of the show. As it turns out, this was their very first visit to Arena Stage, and they were excited, and more than ready to be there. But first, we talked.

There is some stellar acting happening over at McLean's1st Stage Theatre right now. The Good Counselor is a taut, stirring story of family, that peels off the veneer, and shows us the layers of love, heartbreak, success and failure of which life with one's family is made. And it's a firm reminder that our own backyard is home to great theater.

The Pirates of Penzance, Gilbert and Sullivan's classic romp of an opera is pleasure enough; but the lovely open air setting of Wolf Trap Performing Arts Center on a pleasant summer's eve makes the frolics of tender-hearted pirates, not-so-naive maidens and a constabulary force who seem to have misplaced their resolve, all the more of a treat. 

'MM-MMM...and that's spelled M-M-M-M-M' says the quirky and charismatic, renegade radio DJ Huey Calhoun as he struggles with his limited literacy to read a beer advertisement on air. The audience might be echoing that 'delicious' sentiment after seeing this touring production of 2010's Tony Award winner for Best Musical, Memphis, currently at DC's Warner Theatre through tonight, May 2.

It's evident upon meeting Nikiya Mathis and Afi Bijou to talk about their roles in Arena Stage's world premiere production of The Blood Quilt, currently in previews, how much they love what they do.  Some tangible evidence? The women gave up a good part of their dinner break on one of the final days of rehearsals to talk with me.  

There's a full house of sexy talent holding court over at Studio Theatre these days, and it's not limited to the four actors starring in Murder Ballad, an immersive work of theater being given an impressive DC production through June (the show was produced Off Broadway by the Manhattan Theatre Club in 2012). Credit must first be given to Director David Muse, and the creative team that has transformed Stage 4 at Studio's 14th St. venue into what feels remarkably like a rock music club that's been around for decades, and surrounds you with the music and story.

If you happen to be looking for a role model for making the most of your particular strengths and talents, I'd like to introduce you to actor/composer/writer/musician/director Nick Blaemire. Lucky for us, Nick, whose new musical, Soon, is currently making its world premiere at Arlington's Signature Theatre, was gracious enough to share some of his secrets for a successful creative life with me, even as he works on three of his own shows in three different cities at once.

There's no question that Reno Sweeney, the bad girl with a good heart and a big voice is steering the madcap cruise known as Anything Goes, on the stage of The Warner Theatre for two nights, February 25-26 '15. The ship (show), currently sailing (touring) around the country, is based on the 2011 Broadway revival, directed and choreographed by the venerable Kathleen Marshall, and does a good job of bringing Cole Porter's irresistible songs, a good dose of slapstick comedy and lots of true (or not?) love together into an evening of song and dance fun, led by the charismatic Reno.

Thanks to the team at Signature Theatre, audiences in the DC-area are being given the opportunity to see another world premiere of a new musical, Kid Victory! John Kander, legendary composer, along with his late composing partner, Fred Ebb, of such beloved musicals as Chicago and Cabaret, and of the iconic anthem, New York, New York, is behind this new work, and Kid Victory is Kander's second offering in partnership with playwright Greg Pierce [nephew of actor David Hyde Pierce]. Their previous new musical, The Landing, premiered Off Broadway at NYC's Vineyard Theatre in 2013.

Anything Goes, the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival of 2011, is touring the country, and now brings its light-hearted fun, and classic Cole Porter tunes, to audiences in Washington, on February 25 & 26 [7:30pm each evening] at The Warner Theatre. One of the tour's cast members, Richard Lindenfelzer (Lord Evelyn Oakleigh) shared some of his thoughts with me on why it's 'de-lovely' to be part of this tour, and about his journey as an actor. A Massachusetts native, Richard is a 2013 graduate of Ithaca College with a BFA in Musical Theatre, and is an avid Stephen Sondheim fan!

As “Cookie,” the charming, mischievous troublemaker-with-a-heart in the national tour of Broadway's Nice Work If You Can Get It, Reed Campbell has a sweet deal: he gets to do work he loves and travel the country at the same time. Touring, Reed admits, is physically demanding, and taking on the role for which original Broadway cast member, Michael McGrath won a 2012 Tony award, gave him pause, but he loves the Nice Work cast and creative team, that are “so cohesive, kind and energetic,” all important qualities for taking a production of this scale on the road.

Need some laughter in your life during this sometimes hectic season? Love the classic holiday shows, but want something different that will have the entire family grinning together? Or just love a show that embraces its roots but isn't afraid to grow tall and, dare I say, flash a little…color?? Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, running through January 4 at The Kennedy Center's Opera House, might be just the cup of cheer you need.

Combine Broadway melodies with literature's most famous miser, and instead of 'Bah humbug,' you might be saying 'Encore!.' The good folks at Alexandria's MetroStage are in their fifth season of what has become an annual tradition of presenting A Broadway Christmas Carol, the madcap musical version of the classic Dickens tale, which tells the story by way of well-known Broadway tunes with [liberally] altered lyrics. From the opening number, set to 'Comedy Tonight,' from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, to a rousing finale set to the title tune from Oklahoma, there's something for everyone in this 'comedy tonight.'