Elliot Lanes - Page 7

One of my favorite holiday traditions is attending the yearly A Holiday Pops! concert at Kennedy Center. Hearing YOUR National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) under the always superb direction of Maestro Steven Reineke play some familiar holiday favorites mixed in with some newer pieces is a great way to get in to the holiday spirit. This year’s edition featured Broadway/recording star Jessica Vosk and The Heritage Signature Chorale. Trust me, the program was so good it could even turn a Grinch or a Scrooge into a Tiny Tim.

Today’s subjects Chris Nee, Michael Kooman, and Christopher Dimond are the creators of a fantastic World Premiere Commission Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) musical at Kennedy Center called Finn. The show runs through December 22nd in the Family Theater. The trio collaborated on the book, music, and lyrics with Michael Kooman providing the dance arrangements and the underscoring.

With the holiday season now upon us, there are many theatrical viewing options. Many of them have a holiday theme, but for those of you that want something off the tinsel and caroling path, I am about to tell you about a world premiere commission musical that the Kennedy Center is running at this festive time of year.

For many years, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company has had a long standing relationship with Chicago’s legendary comedy troupe The Second City. This holiday season, they are back with Dance Like There’s Black People Watching. The production runs through December 22nd.

As the holiday season gets ready to kick into full force, Ford’s Theatre once again will be presenting their always excellent production of A Christmas Carol. This year’s production runs from November 21st to December 31st.

Today’s subject Christopher Bloch is currently living his theatre life onstage at Signature Theatre playing the role of Senex in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. The production runs through January 12th in Signature’s MAX space.

Today’s subject Soloman Howard is currently living his theatre life onstage at Kennedy Center in the role of Banquo for Washington National Opera’s (WNO) production of Macbeth. The production plays through November 23rd in the Opera House.

Over the last eight years, I have been fortunate to interview pretty much every theater critic at The Washington Post for this column. Now I have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to another stellar journalist that joins the list.

Maestro Steven Reineke never ceases to amaze me with the wide range of artists he brings to DC to play with YOUR National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). In the past he’s featured everything from such Broadway stars as Norm Lewis and Megan Hilty to Grammy winning Latin performers Ozomatli. He always introduces his audiences to music they might not be familiar with, and I very much appreciate that both as a reviewer and as an audience member.

With the size of theatrical orchestras being drastically cut, one of the few places left to hear a full string section is at a symphonic concert. What better symphony is there than YOUR National Symphony Orchestra (NSO)?

Judy Kaye has been living her theatre life for over half a century. The Tony Award winning performer has been seen on Broadway, on tour, in regional theatres and has been heard on many recordings. Currently Ms. Kaye can be seen onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) in Babbitt where she plays a plethora of roles. The show runs through November 3rd at Harman Hall.

The latest entry into Kennedy Center’s Broadway Center Stage series is the crowd pleasing quirky musical by William Finn (Music and Lyrics) and Rachel Sheinkin (Book) known as The 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee. The 2005 musical also features additional material by Jay Reiss. See what our critic had to say.

Today’s subject Alex Brightman is currently living his theatre life onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) in Comedy of Errors in the role of Dromio of Syracuse. The show plays through October 20th in STC’S Klein Theatre.

Today’s subject Alina Collins Maldonado is currently living her theatre life at Folger Theatre where she can be seen as Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet. The production runs through November 10th.

Solo theatrical pieces are probably among the hardest sells to an audience because there is only one performer keeping you interested in the subject. These theatrical offerings require a delicate balance between educating and entertaining audiences. Olney Theatre Center’s current attraction, Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground, unequivocally accomplishes this through with Tony Award winner John Rubinstein’s outstanding portrayal of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Hellesen’s well written and engaging script.

Today’s subject Kate Kilbane is currently living her theatre life as one of the most important positions in the theatre. She is the Production Stage Manager for Primary Trust at Signature Theatre. The show runs through October 20th in Signature’s ARK space.

Today’s subject Anita Yavich is currently living her theatre life both locally and on Broadway. Her costume designs can currently be seen in Roundabout Theatre Company’s current production of Yellow Face and starting October 25th her work will be onstage at Kennedy Center in the Opera House with Washington National Opera’s (WNO) production of Fidelio. The show runs through November 4th.

Today’s subject actress Joanna Glushak is currently living her theatre life on tour in the rip-roaring good time board game gone theatrical version of Clue. She plays the wealthy socialite Mrs. Peacock. The show plays through October 6th in the Opera House at Kennedy Center.

The Four Seasons had a hit song many years ago with a lyric that went “Oh! What a Night!” That is how I can best describe watching singer/songwriter/actress Sara Bareilles with YOUR National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), under the always stellar direction of Maestro Steven Reineke in Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall.

Every once in a while, you see the billing for a concert and think to yourself “That’s an interesting combination”. This was my exact thought at Wolf Trap with Broadway superstars Kristin Chenoweth and Alan Cumming on the same bill. Don’t get me wrong, their talent is not to be questioned. It’s more the fact that Kristin Chenoweth has a very squeaky clean Christian raised wholesome personality while Alan Cumming is more no filter. Based on that, the evening felt like two different concerts with me and my wife enjoying one half of the program more than the other.