Ray Ficca News

The 3rd installment of the offbeat backwoods trilogy will premiere at the Majestic Theater in Gettysburg followed by stops in Iowa City, IA and York, PA.

Crash of Rhinos, an endangered little theater company, announced today it was bringing back "Sacred Cows" - Charter Theater's hit comedy from 2005 - for a limited-engagement run this May. An evening of irreverent comedy that skewers religious intolerance, "Sacred Cows" takes theatergoers on a hilarious rollercoaster ride to Heaven, Hell and all points in between. The show runs for three Saturdays only - May 3, 10 and 17 at 7:30 pm - in the black-box theater at the National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts in Georgetown.

The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts - the only accredited acting studio in the Greater Washington Area - announced today that the award-winning TV and film director (and Pennsylvania native) John Putch was returning to DC to offer a special seminar for East Coast filmmakers, screenwriters, producers and actors that reveals his unique strategies for making and marketing micro-budget movies the anti-hollywood way. The half-day seminar - called 'Making the Anti-Hollywood Movie' - will be held today, March 22, from 11 a.m. till 3 p.m., at the Hyatt Arlington, VA.

The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts – the only accredited acting studio in the Greater Washington Area – announced today that the award-winning TV and film director (and Pennsylvania native) John Putch was returning to DC to offer a special seminar for East Coast filmmakers, screenwriters, producers and actors that reveals his unique strategies for making and marketing micro-budget movies the anti-hollywood way.

Have you seen enough of Scrooge, His Imperial Crankiness? Are you ready for another take on the old tale? Herndon, Virginia's Next Stop Theatre has just the thing: a production of 'Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol' a one-man marvel performed. As performed by the lithe and wily Ray Ficca, Marley takes us through the trials and tribulations of being not just Scrooge's long-suffering partner, but also his eternally-suffering guardian angel.

NextStop Theatre Company's 2013-2014 season continues with the holiday repertory performances of Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol and The 12 Dates of Christmas Performances begin on December 3rd and 4th, respectively, at the Industrial Strength Theatre in Herndon. Celebrated DC actor Ray Ficca (President, The National Academy of Dramatic Arts) will take on the role of Jacob Marley while DC actress Kari Ginsburg will star as Mary in The 12 Dates of Christmas.

A musical adaptation of a beloved children's book, a co-production of a fairy tale favorite, and the regional premiere of a zany new kid's comedy will all be featured in the first season of the rebranded NextStop Theatre Company, formerly known as Elden Street Players. Under the new program banner of NextStop Family, the company will dedicate even greater focus and funding to producing high quality plays and musicals for kids and their parents.

Rowan Joseph, a nationally-recognized producer and director with over 30 years of experience working in the American Theatre has been named as the new Producing Artistic Director of the Totem Pole Playhouse.

The newly elected chair of the Totem Pole Playhouse Board of Directors announced today changes in the composition of the board. Assuming the position of Chairperson is Dana Witt, of Vice Chairperson is Rose Tripi, and of Secretary/Treasurer is Karl Shreiner. Mary Louise Lucas will serve as Recording Secretary. Martha Walker, Esq. and Jake Kauffman CPA, have offered their professional services in an advisory capacity. The board expressed appreciation to William Gindlesperger, Maxine Gindlesperger, Nathan Rotz, and David Black for their contributions to the board during the past year.

You may not recognize her name, but if you know anything about rock and roll in the mid 1960s, you'll know her songs. Ellie Greenwich wrote or co-wrote many of the songs that became hit records for popular vocal groups produced by Phil Spector and his famous Wall of Sound technique and the legendary production team of Lieber and Stoller. Greenwich's rise from aspiring singer-songwriter and college student from Long Island to writing some of rock and roll's most iconic hits is portrayed in the musical Leader of the Pack, playing at Totem Pole Playhouse from August 20 through September 1.

The show will go on at Totem Pole Playhouse in 2014 as the Board of Directors has announced that the theater will pursue its 64th season next year.

Director JJ Kaczynski and a stellar lead cast bring the circus -- the three-ring and the marital variety both -- to Totem Pole Playhouse

P.T. Barnum, arguably American history's most celebrated showman, said in his 1880 book The Art of Money-Getting, or, Golden Rules for Making Money, 'Let your motto then always be 'Excelsior,' for by living up to it there is no such word as fail.' To say that Barnum did everything the biggest and best he possibly could would be an understatement. From his earliest days in show business to becoming king of the circus big top, everything Barnum did was over-the-top. There's only one way to tell the story of the life and loves of the man behind the greatest show on earth - with jaw-dropping spectacle and unprecedented grandeur - the way the award-winning Broadway musical Barnum, playing today, August 6-18 at Totem Pole Playhouse does.

The former Sally Bowles talks about music on and off stage, her parents' influence on her, and how acting, music, and parental influence resulted in her volunteering for ASTEP (Artists Striving To Eliminate Poverty) in Ecuador

Ray Ficca, the artistic director of Totem Pole Playhouse, released a statement yesterday confirming that he'd be stepping down from his post in September.

P.T. Barnum, arguably American history's most celebrated showman, said in his 1880 book The Art of Money-Getting, or, Golden Rules for Making Money, "Let your motto then always be 'Excelsior,' for by living up to it there is no such word as fail." To say that Barnum did everything the biggest and best he possibly could would be an understatement. From his earliest days in show business to becoming king of the circus big top, everything Barnum did was over-the-top. There's only one way to tell the story of the life and loves of the man behind the greatest show on earth - with jaw-dropping spectacle and unprecedented grandeur - the way the award-winning Broadway musical Barnum, playing August 6-18 at Totem Pole Playhouse does.

A musical adaptation of a beloved children's book, a co-production of a fairy tale favorite, and the regional premiere of a zany new kid's comedy will all be featured in the first season of the rebranded NextStop Theatre Company, formerly known as Elden Street Players. Under the new program banner of NextStop Family, the company will dedicate even greater focus and funding to producing high quality plays and musicals for kids and their parents.

Departing today, July 23 from Fayetteville, Pennsylvania for a non-stop flight back to the swinging era of jet-setters, martinis and scintillating mayhem in the early 1960s is Totem Pole Playhouse's production of the classic Tony and Olivier Award-winning bedroom farce Boeing Boeing. Written by acclaimed French Playwright Marc Camoletti in 1962 and adapted into Paramount Pictures' 1965 blockbuster comedy film starring Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis, Boeing Boeing has been in near constant production since including recent Broadway and London revivals and national tours in both the United States and United Kingdom.

Departing July 23 from Fayetteville, Pennsylvania for a non-stop flight back to the swinging era of jet-setters, martinis and scintillating mayhem in the early 1960s is Totem Pole Playhouse's production of the classic Tony and Olivier Award-winning bedroom farce Boeing Boeing. Written by acclaimed French Playwright Marc Camoletti in 1962 and adapted into Paramount Pictures' 1965 blockbuster comedy film starring Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis, Boeing Boeing has been in near constant production since including recent Broadway and London revivals and national tours in both the United States and United Kingdom.

Richard Hellesen's production for Ford's Theatre is on stage at the Majestic for Gettysburg's 150th anniversary.