Elliot Lanes

Today’s subject Peter Salem is currently living his theatre life as the composer of Scottish Ballet’s production of The Crucible. The show runs now through May 28th at Kennedy Center in the Eisenhower Theater.

Today's subject Sarna Lapine is currently living her theatre life at the directing helm of Signature Theatre's upcoming production of Stephen Sondheim's gothic musical masterpiece Sweeney Todd. The production begins performances on May 16th and will play through July 9th in Signature Theatre's MAX space. It is the fourth time Signature has produced the show, making it Signature Theatre's most produced Sondheim musical overtaking Assassins and Into The Woods with three productions each.

Today's subject Susan Rome is currently living her thetre life in an epic way. She is currently playing four very different roles in Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches at Arena Stage. The production runs through April 23rd in Arena Stage's Fichlander Theatre Space.

There are several things I can always depend on at this time of year in DC. The cherry blossoms blooming, me having to give lost people directions to the zoo when they are standing in front of a sign that says “Zoo, this way”, and for theatre lovers, DC’s best kept secret One Destiny at Ford’s Theatre.

Today’s subject Sophia Manicone is currently living her theatre life on Broadway playing Iola Stover in the acclaimed revival of Parade. The show’s limited engagement, which stars Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond, runs through August sixth at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre. The production marks Sophia’s Broadway debut after playing this same role at New York City Center a few months prior.

The art of Flamenco dance has been around since the 15th century. This passionate dance form, when performed properly, can keep an audience entranced from the first note of a flamenco guitar to the last fiery stomp from the dancer.

Today's subject Jason Ma is currently living his theatre life telling us all about 'The Advantages of Floating in The Middle of The Sea' in Signature Theatre's current production of Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman's underappreciated masterpiece Pacific Overtures. Jason plays the lead role of Reciter plus other characters as well. The production runs through April ninth in Signature's MAX space.

A few weeks back, I wrote a feature on the Production Apprentices of Studio Theatre. The piece also talked about Studio Theatre’s Apprenticeship Program and how it also focusses on other areas besides the performance side of things.

Those of us in the DC area have known about the talents of Dame Felicia Curry for many years. I’m sure you remember her recent star turn in My Lord, What a Night at Ford’s Theatre where she played the famous opera star Marian Anderson or maybe you saw her blow the roof off of Arena Stage in Nina Simone: Four Women or possibly you and your kids enjoyed her as the lead character in Mirandy and Brother Wind at Adventure Theatre. My point here is that there is a good reason why actor and Curry’s unofficial manager Rick Hammerly elevated Felicia Curry to Dame Felicia Curry. She truly is DC Theatre royalty.

Today’s subject Justin Huertas is currently living his theatre life as the composer/lyricist of Kennedy Center’s World Premiere Commission Musical The Mortification of Fovea Munson. The show begins performances March fourth and plays through the nineteenth in Kennedy Center’s Family Theater.

Something I have said many times is that I wish audience members would fully realize the amount of work and the amount of people it takes to put on a production. The things I have heard in theatre lobbies are both scary and laughable at the same time. Things like 'Oh, I want a chance to crash that chandelier. It's just one button!' or 'Wow, that didn't look hard at all. I could do that easily'. Well folks, working in theatre is not an easy profession. It comes with lots of stress and long days but if you have the drive and passion, it can be very fulfilling.

We all know that Jessica Vosk is best known for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked. It’s how many of us first became familiar with her talents. When the tour came here to the Kennedy Center in 2016, Vosk effectively blew a hole in the roof of the Opera House. Her performance was that good. After touring, she was rightfully chosen to perform the show on Broadway for its fifteenth anniversary.

Today's subject Dani Stoller is currently living her theatre life as the playwright for Girlhood at Round House Theatre. The production is Round House's 21st Annual Sarah Metzger Memorial Play and as always, is performed by Round House's Teen Performance Company. The show performs February 17th through 19th.

Today's subject is one of those performers that proves you can reinvent yourself to great success. Many of us locally came to know Jessica Vosk when she blew into the Kennedy Center with the national tour of Wicked in the role of Elphaba. After touring with the show she took Broadway by storm in that same role. What is interesting about Jessica's professional performing carer is that it really didn't start until age 30 as she had been working on Wall Street up until then. Lucky for us, she made that career move.

A new local podcast, Creativists in Dialogue: A Podcast Embracing the Creative Life, launches February 1, 2023, at Creativists.substack.com. Supported in part by a fellowship to producer Elizabeth Bruce from the DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities, Creativists in Dialogue features thoughtful, in-depth interviews with people from all walks of life about the role creativity plays in shaping who they are. 

Today’s subject Thomas Floyd is someone you probably know if you are a regular reader of The Washington Post. Thomas is an arts journalist who contributes features on theater, movies, television, books and comedy for the Weekend and Style sections. He also writes theater, film, and literary criticism. That is more than enough for one person right there, but Thomas has another side to him as a writer and it’s one you might not think of.

Today's subject Norm Lewis is probably best known for his rich baritone sound and superb acting in several Broadway musicals. His tour de force performance opposite Audra McDonald in Porgy and Bess is still one of the great modern-day performances.

Every once in awhile I go to a concert and say “Wow! He/She is very talented but is trying too hard to win over the audience”. That was my impression after watching one of the stars of the current Broadway revival of Into The Woods Joshua Henry this past Saturday night at Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater.

Some of you might know today's subject Michael Urie from his work on the tv series Ugly Betty but his career as a stage, film and TV actor goes far beyond that one famous TV show. He can currently be seen onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) in Jane Anger playing the role of William Shakespeare. The production runs through January 8th at STC's Klein Theatre.

Today's subject Lissa DeGuzman is currently living her theatre life on tour as the belting green faced witch Elphaba in Wicked. The show runs through January 22nd in the Opera House at Kennedy Center.