Baltimore/Washington Backstage - November 16, 2007

By Charles Shubow

 

As we approach Thanksgiving, it has been my tradition (since the invention of the VCR) to videotape the first hour of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  This has traditionally given theater-lovers their first glimpse of upcoming Broadway musical productions.  Well, sorry to say, but at the moment, the shows selected (and I would LOVE to find out how this happens) only include two new shows: Young Frankenstein and Xanadu.   Also included are Legally Blonde, Mary Poppins, and High School Musical.  Nikki Blonsky from the film of Hairspray and Sarah Brightman will be performing.  Spring Awakening's  Lea Michele and Jonathan Groff will sing "Give My Regards to Broadway. Is the strike over yet?

Why can't the parade feature Off-Broadway shows like the magnificent musical The Glorious Ones at Lincoln Center? Highly recommend this piece by the composers of Ragtime.

Looking for a terrific holiday film over Thanksgiving? Well…take in  Enchanted. It stars Amy Adams and James Marsden (so terrific in the film Hairspray as Corny Collins). The songs by Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken are wonderful. Wait till you see the scene in Central Park.

 

If you can pick up a copy of the Nov. 9 issue of Entertainment Weekly (with Johnny Depp on the cover), you can a nice sneak preview of the film of Sweeney Todd.

 

The area is losing two wonderful managing directors, Michael Ross at Center Stage and Sam Sweet at the Signature. Both are terrific individuals who have done masterly work in their respective theaters. They will both be sorely missed.

 

I was in attendance last Saturday night to see a terrific production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the Ward Center for the Arts at the St. Paul's Schools. The costumes, sets (castle made by the students) were all first rate. Congratulations to the cast, crew and directors.  And who happened to be in the audience? Hall-of-Famer Cal Ripken, Jr. watching his daughter perform.

 

WYPR-FM featured the cast of My Fair Lady last week on the Marc Steiner show and today featured the Center Stage production of Hearts.  Interviewed were Tim Vasen, Director, playwright Willy Holtzman accompanied by his father Donald (who's experiences led to the play), and the actor portraying Donald, Jordan Charney. You can log onto www.wypr.org and listen to both of these interesting interviews by Steiner. This terrific play is a masterpiece. The four actors perform a tour d'force.  Charney is on stage for the entire 90 minutes.  Special mention must be made to Director Tim Vasen who does a miraculous job pulling this production together. According to the playwright, this is the "definitive" production of his play. The run ends Dec. 2.  410-332-0033 or visit www.centerstage.org.

 Closing this week at the Hippodrome is My Fair Lady.  I disagree with many of the local critics and highly recommend the Lerner and Loewe masterpiece. Warning: the show starts immediately at 8 p.m., I mean immediately. Why? It runs close to three hours. Believe it or not there were two intermissions when the show played Broadway in 1956. But, do not be put off but its length. See this show with an amazing cast.  410-547-SEAT.

Also, congrats to the Hippodrome for the lovely art exhibit in the lobby where on display are wonderful works from the "Very Special Arts" program.

 MPT's "Artworks This Week" features the Everyman Theatre's production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. It will repeat Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and Monday morning at 5:30 a.m.  The show runs through Dec. 16. I am probably in the minority here as well, but the show did not excite me.  It could have been some of the casting. I did love Will Love's performance as Dogberry and seeing Vivienne Shub in a beard is worth the price of admission alone. Shakespeare can be tough to do. I applaud Everyman for attempting it. But, to this observer, it seemed slow. Maybe it will improve in time. 410- 752-2208 or visit www.everymantheatre.org.

 

Arena Stage opens today with Christmas Carol 1941, adapted from the Dickens' story by James Magruder, Associate Artist Dramaturg at Center Stage. What a deal for you…the Target Family Fun Pack. Four tickets, four snacks, four drinks, and a surprise for $100. That won't pay for one orchestra ticket on Broadway.

 

Continuing at the Arena Stage is the World Premiere musical, The Women of Brewster Place.  Do not miss this musical which features a marvelous cast, one that I call has the best ensemble of any musical this year. It runs through Dec. 30. 202-488-3300.

 

Fiddler on the Roof!!!  Here's an opportunity to take the kids who haven't seen it. At the Olney Theatre Center through Dec. 31. Finally, a show to see on New Year's Eve??? 301-924-3400.

 

I saw The Studio at the South Coast Rep in Costa Mesa, CA and really enjoyed this dance play about the process of choreography. You can see it at the Signature through Dec. 2. 202-397-7328.

 

Remember the terrific film The Lion in Winter? Well, you can now see the play at the Spotlighters which opens tonight and runs to Dec. 16. 410-752-1225.

 

Shakespeare Theatre Company has The Taming of the Shrew (through Nov. 25), Edward II  and Tamburlaine through Jan. 6. 202-547-1122.

 

As You Like It continues through Nov. 25 at the Folger Theater. 202-544-7077.

 

Current Nobody (based on Homer's The Odyssey) through Nov. 25 at the Wooley Mammoth. 202-393-3939.

 

David Mamet's Speed the Plow is at Theater J through Nov. 25. 202-777-3229.

 

Jason Robert Brown's Last Five Years  should not be missed. It runs through Nov. 25. 410-563-9135.

 

Neil Simon's Broadway Bound is at the Fells Point Corner Theater through Dec. 9.  410-276-7837.

 

Liberty Showcase Theatre presents Richard III  November 16-20 at Franklin Middle School, Reisterstown. 410-340-0821.

 

College Theater:

 

The Trial of the Catonsville Nine at (where else?) Catonsville Community College. Through Nov. 18. 410-780-6369.

 

Sweeney Todd at George Mason through Nov. 18. 703-993-8888.

 

A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum through Nov. 18 at U. of Mary Washington. 540-654-1124.

 

Bernard Alba arrives at Towson University Nov. 30-Dec. 2. 410-740-2792.

 

The Three Penny Opera comes to UMBC Nov. 28 to Dec. 9. 410-455-2476.

 

High School Theater:

 

The Pirates of Penzanceat Severna Park High School Nov. 16 and 17. Visit www.sphsdrama.com.

 

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare  in Woodbridge. 703-730-7000.

 

Auditions:

 

Little Shop of Horrors at the Suburban Players. Nov. 17 and Nov. 19. 410-661-1000.

 

A New Brain (by William Finn) at the Spotlighters. Saturday Dec. 1 11-3 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 3 from 7-10 p.m.  Contact david@ciastudio.com.  See the play at the Foundry Players through Nov. 18. Visit www.foundryplayers.com.

 

cgshubow@broadwayworld.com

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