Charm City Stage Door

THANK YOU VERY MUCH

As of tomorrow, the BroadwayWorld.com Baltimore page will be a month old! I'd like to thank everyone who has supported the page by reading articles, posting comments, and adding to the brand new Baltimore Message Board. I'd especially like to thank those of you who have taken time to email me personally with your thoughts and news for me to post.

If you have comments, questions or a news tidbit you'd like me to post, please email me at jameshowardbww@yahoo.com.

BELLE

Everyone's favorite Disney/Broadway heroine, Belle, loves to read. Me, too. A lot of ink has been spilled over the fact that Broadway is full of movie-based shows (The Wedding Singer starts previews in Seattle today, and we still have Hairspray, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Producers and Spamalot running) Not as much has been said about musicals based on books, and we currently have The Color Purple, and soon, Tarzan, Mary Poppins, and, possibly, Lestat (all 4 a hybrid of movies and books), The Woman in White, and, the longest running show of all time, The Phantom of the Opera (the 3 longest-running shows in Broadway history are based on literature), The Pajama Game, and at least partially, Sweeney Todd are all based on books. 

What are some books that you think would make great musicals? Let me know, and I'll post your ideas in future columns!

A WEEKEND IN THE COUNTRY

• I'd like to second my colleague, Charles Shubow's, recommendation for spending your evening without the State of the Union by seeing (at half-price, no less) tonight's performance of Damn Yankees at DC's Arena Stage. It is a fantastic production all the way around (literally) and features great performances by Meg Gillentine, Brad Oscar, Kay Walbye, and one of my favorites, Matt Bogart (as Joe Hardy). The half-price sale also continues tomorrow, February 1^st. Call 202-488-3300 for tickets and information, and be sure to mention the "Damn Yankees Home Run offer" to receive the discount. The show ends its acclaimed run this Sunday, February 5^th. And just think, you are still being a good citizen – what is more American than bargain hunting, baseball and a Broadway musical?!

• Also, all this week, and ending this weekend is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, at the Hippodrome Theatre. Students with ID can get same day half price tickets at all price levels. Tickets at the discount are cash only at the box office, located at

  12 N. Eutaw Street in Baltimore. Show times are Tuesday – Saturday at 8PM, Saturday at 2PM and Sunday at 1PM and 630PM.

• The Creative Alliance is presenting the "aerial performance" Amelia's Air Heart this weekend, February 2 -4 at 8PM. Tickets are $15.00. The performance will be held at the Creative Alliance's space on

  3134 Eastern Avenue in Baltimore. For tickets and information, call 410-276-1651.

• TowsonUniversity will be presenting an original puppet theatre piece called East of the Sun, West of the Moon at its Center for the Arts, in the Studio Theatre. This family-friendly piece (recommended for ages 8 and up) runs this weekend and next, Fridays and Saturdays at 7PM and Sundays at 2PM. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children and seniors. Information and tickets: 410-704-2787 (Look for my review of this piece next week.)

• Finally, the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company begins its 3 weekend run of Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid at the HowardCountyCenter for the Arts, located at

  8510 High Ridge Road in Ellicott City. Another family-friendly show, tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for seniors and $15 for children under 18. Tickets are available at www.chesapeakeshakespeare.com or 866-811-4111. Information is available by calling 410-752-3994. (Look for my review of the play later this week.)

GOOD MORNING, BALTIMORE

For those of us still smarting from the fact that Baltimore's own Hairspray did NOT world-premiere here, news this week that only some, if any of the film version of the musical will be filmed here doesn't sit too well either. The producers claim it will be too costly. If that is the case, then something needs to be done to lower the prices so that a Baltimore movie can be affordably done IN Baltimore. Did we learn nothing from the debacle of the recently opened Annapolis, filmed in Philadelphia!!?? And at a time where the murder rate so far this year equals more than one death a day, couldn't the city use some good publicity? Hairspray is a Valentine to Baltimore. What a shame if it can't be done here…

On the other hand, if casting is what they say it might be, Baltimore will be well represented no matter where it is filmed -- not only is it based on a John Waters film, but if Queen Latifah is cast as Motormouth Maybelle, she has Baltimore roots (pun intended) and so does potential Edna Turnblad, John Travolta, who filmed Ladder 49 here, and by all accounts loved his stay in Charm City.

THE ACTRESS HASN'T LEARNED THE LINES YOU"D LIKE TO HEAR

 Kudos to the Colonial Players for making the right artistic choice, even at the peril of the all mighty dollar, in canceling this past weekend's performances of the acclaimed and controversial play, Splendour. This decades old community theatre institution made the collective choice to suspend performances until another actress could be found to replace Vivian Gist Spencer, who reportedly went on opening night with notes in hand. While the decision must have been a difficult one, ultimately it is the right one. The Colonial Players has a wonderful, hard-earned following in the Annapolis (and all around the area) who has come to expect high caliber productions. They are to be congratulated for putting their audience first; knowing ones lines, even at the community theatre level, is not even a minimum standard, it simply must be.

 Even with the opening weekend problems, the Baltimore Sun reviewed it favorably, and it sounds fascinating. Information and tickets for the remaining performances may be obtained by calling 410-268-7373.

JOHNNY and the Beast

 One of my faithful new readers passed this tidbit along: The recent Off-Broadway hit musical, Johnny Guitar, will be presented by Shadow Block Productions in Columbia, Maryland, with performances February 16, 17, 18, 24, 25 and March 3, 4 at 8 PM and a matinee at 2PM on February 26. A special gala performance, starring the original star of Johnny Guitar, and Broadway's current Beast, Steve Blanchard, will be held on February 23^rd at 8 PM. Mr. Blanchard will be appearing in that one performance only as "Johnny Guitar" and local actor Dean Davis will play the role at all other performances.

 Opening Night, February 16^th, tickets are $10.00. The February 23^rd gala will be $25.00, and all other performances are $15.00. The theatre is located at The Drama Learning Center,

SORRY-GRATEFUL

 And finally, a correction. In my review of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, I inadvertently made a word processing error, deleting praise for actor Craig Cady, who played the Butler. Here is the sentence as it was originally supposed to read:

Newest cast member Ken Nelson (as Reuben) dazzles as the country-western singer dropping the bad news bomb on his dad in "One More Angel in Heaven," and in the small, but plum roles of the Butler and the Baker, Craig Cady and Timothy A. Fitz-Gerald show a fine sense of timing, humor, and outright silliness.

My apologies to Mr. Cady. Keep up the good work!

Questions, comments, news tidbits, or story ideas about Baltimore area theatre are welcome! Please contact me at the email address above.