Charm City Call Board: September 4-10

Welcome to Charm City Call Board for the week of September 4-10!    Beginning this week, the column will be fresh every Tuesday!  That means you are up to date each week with all that is theater in Baltimore, AND you can go back to previous weeks to catch up or revisit past articles!  

If you have some news or an event you'd like added, please contact me at jameshoward@broadwayworld.com.

Discounts and contest notices are listed first.  Show listings follow in this order: current productions and upcoming productions.  Audition notices, news bites, and book/CD recommendations are at the end.  

A five star system will be utilized in order to differentiate between the various levels of success: artistry and entertainment value.

◊◊◊◊◊ - The absolute best theatre has to offer!  Missing this should not be an option!
◊◊◊◊ - This is excellent theatre!  Do not miss this show!
◊◊◊ - This is a terrific production.  Try to get to this one!
◊◊ - This is a fair production.
◊ - Save your money.

Be sure to contact the theatre directly for show times, dates and prices.  All shows subject to change.  

BROADWAYWORLD.BALTIMORE DISCOUNTS!

Titanic: The Musical at Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia: Click on "Titanic Discounts" above in Related Links for details!

• Saturday, September 15 BroadwayWorld Night at Toby's!  Half-price tickets!
• Wednesdays, September 19, 26 and October 3 Two for One Tickets!

CONTESTS!

There are no contests running currently.  Look for a new one soon!

PREVIEWING!

• Dreamgirls at Toby's Dinner Theatre of Baltimore.  Opens 9/16.  Through 11/11.  Review to be posted 9/17.  www.tobysdinnertheatre.com or 1-866-99TOBYS

CURTAIN UP!  Opening this week!

Delta at Theatre Project and Titanic: The Musical at Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia

• Delta at Theatre Project.  Opens 9/6.   Through 9/9.  www.theatreproject.org or 410-752-8558
• ◊◊Rooms by the Sea at Mobtown Players.  Opens 9/7.  Through 9/15. 90 minutes, plus intermission  Review posted 9/9.  www.mobtownplayers.com or 410-467-3057
• Chicago at Phoenix Festival Theatre at Harford Community College.  Opens 9/7.  Through 9/16.   410-836-4211.
• ◊◊◊◊◊◊Titanic: The Musical at Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia.  Opens 9/8.  Through 11/11. 2 hours, 30 minutes, plus intermission.  Review posted 9/10.  www.tobysdinnertheatre.com or 1-800-88-TOBYS.  See above for discount information!
• Naked at Everyman Theatre.  Opens 9/10.  Through 9/25.  Adult content and language.  www.everymantheatre.org or 410-752-2208

CURTAIN DOWN!  Closing this week!

There are no shows scheduled to close this week.

NOW PLAYING!  Shows that are currently running.

Mrs. Farnsworth at Rep Stage and Sight Unseen at Everyman Theatre.

• ◊◊◊◊Mrs. Farnsworth at Rep Stage.  Through 9/23.  90 minutes, no intermission.  Adult language.  Review posted 8/27.  www.repstage.org or 410-772-4900
• Fences at Vagabond Players.  Through 9/30.  Review to be posted 9/11.  www.vagabonplayers.com or 410-563-9135
• ◊◊◊Sight Unseen at Everyman Theatre.  Through 10/7.  2 hours, 15 minutes including intermission.  Adult language and situations.  Review  posted 9/4.  www.everymantheatre.org or 410-752-2208  See related article below.
• Tom, Dick and Harry at Timonium Dinner Theatre.  Through 11/4.  Review to be posted TBA.  www.timoniumdinnertheatre.com or 410-560-1113
• ◊◊◊Menopause: The Musical at M&T Pavilion at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center.  Open Run.  Tickets currently on sale through September 2007.  90 minutes, no intermission.  Adult language, content and sexual themes.  Review posted 7/20. www.france-merrickpac.com or 410-547-SEAT

Fences at Vagabond Players.

COMING SOON!  Shows opening later this month!

• The Wedding Singer at Hippodrome Theatre.  9/11-9/23.  Review to be posted 9/12.  www.broadwayacrossamerica.com or 410-547-SEAT   See related article below.
• Arsenic & Old Lace at CENTERSTAGE.  9/14-10/14.  Review to be posted 9/20.  www.centerstage.org or 410-332-0033
• Anna in the Tropics at Fells Point Corner Theatre.  9/21-10-21.  Review to be posted 9/22.  www.fpct.org or 410-276-7837
• And Then There Were None atLaurel Mill Playhouse.  9/28-10/20.  Review to be posted 10/8.  www.laurelmillplayhouse.org or 301-617-9906
• The Pillowman at Mobtown Players.  9/28-10/20.  Review to be posted 9/30.  www.mobtownplayers.com or 410-467-3057

AUDITION NOTICE!

WHO: Catonsville Theatre Company
FOR WHAT SHOW: Rounding Third by Richard Dresser
WHEN ARE THE AUDITIONS: Sunday, September 9, from 2-5 PM and Monday, September 10, from 7-9 PM
WHERE: Barn Theatre on the CCBC Catonsville Campus at 800 S. Rolling Road 21228
BACKGROUND: Rounding Third is the story of the relationship between two Little League coaches through an entire season. Don is a rough blue-collar, win at all cost coach, and Michael, a corporate executive, is a newcomer to baseball, coaching, and their small town.  Over the course of the exhilarating victories, heartbreaking defeats, and rainouts, the two men battle over how to run the team.  This endearing comedy asks what is important in the game and life?
WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR: Director Vic Cheswick will cast two men.
WHAT TO PREPARE: He will ask you to read from the script.
PERFORMANCE DATES:  November 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 23, and 24th in the Barn Theatre
INFORMATION: 410-455-4400 and/or catheatrecompany@aol.com

BACKSTAGE BABBLE!  News, Best Bets, etc.

SPOTLIGHTERS' RENOVATIONS CONTINUE!

Thanks to much planning and hard work by Roy Hammond and Sherrionne Brown (Project Coordinators), and volunteers from the Spotlighters Board of Directors and theatre patrons all props, costumes and set pieces have been successfully moved from the backstage area into the lobby and theatre.

The flats and set pieces have been moved and un-needed items have been dismantled so that the materials may be used by future productions.  The props have been sorted and categorized. The costumes are in process of sorting and categorization.

Spotlighters still needs volunteers to assist with this process.  The projects ahead include: the organization of the flat and set piece storage area, and the creation of an inventory list for all props and set pieces.  There will be tasks and projects for volunteers throughout the next 4 weeks. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Roy Hammond (Hammond_Balt@excite.com).

Meanwhile, the contractors are scheduled to arrive today, and begin the re-building of the dressing rooms, kitchenette, costume shop, and props and equipment storage area.

Check out the progress at www.spotlighters.org/renovations.htm

THE WEDDING SINGER AND THE JUNIOR LEAGUE TURN GOWNS INTO TICKETS!

Before the Broadway hit musical, The Wedding Singer, arrives at the Hippodrome on September 11, the company and the Junior League of Baltimore are gathering wedding gowns and more, and proceeds from the resale of these garments will be for the benefit of the community and the Junior League's numerous programs which benefit women in the Baltimore area.

Gently used wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses, mother of the bride dresses, and other formal wear (cocktail dresses and even prom gowns) will be collected on Monday, September 10 from 10AM-3PM at The Wise Penny at 5851 York Road, Baltimore, MD 21212.  In exchange for donations, a pair of opening night tickets to The Wedding Singer will be given.  These tickets will only be valid for the Tuesday, September 11th performance at 8PM.

Information about the Junior League can be found at www.jlbalt.org.  Information about the Baltimore engagement of The Wedding Singer can be found at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

YOUNG ACTORS SCENE STUDY PRESENTATION!

Celebrate the excellent work our young actors have accomplished this summer on Friday, September 14, 2007 at 8PM at the Performing Arts Theatre at University of Baltimore on 21 West Mount Royal Ave - 5th Floor.  During the five week Young Actors' Academy at Spotlighters, several young actors studied various acting methods and techniques, explored ancient theatre styles and the progress of theatre into its modern form. They also participated in workshops on topics from Stage Combat, to Dance & Movement, to Voice & Musical Theatre, to Make-up Design. The culmination of their study and work is the presentation of specific scenes that each actor chose for their scene study and presentation.

Information on the scenes and participants as well as tickets ($15) can be found at www.spotlighters.org.

FREE READING OF NEW GURNEY PLAY AT REPSTAGE!

Rep Stage Reading Series presents A.R. Gurney's Screen Play, on Monday, September 17, 2007 at 7 p.m. in the Monteabaro Recital Hall, Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, Howard Community College. The Rep Stage Reading Series is free and open to the public, and includes a post-reading discussion with the cast and director.  For more information, contact the Box Office at 410-772-4900

A.R. Gurney's first critical and popular success was in 1982 with The Dining Room, and subsequent plays have included Love Letters and Sylvia. Screen Play is set in Buffalo, New York in the year 2015. Cynical bar owner Nick nurses his broken heart with help from pianist Myrna until his old flame, Sally, walks into his bar and re-ignites the passion they felt during the 2000 Gore campaign. They'll always have New Hampshire in this barbed look at a post-election American landscape littered with liberal exile-seekers, idealistic freedom fighters, and corrupt border patrols. Gurney's riff on the 1942 film classic Casablanca describes a future America in which the ruling religious majority tries to close the borders to fleeing liberals, just as the film's Nazi forces attempted to stop Resistance workers. Like Gurney's play Mrs. Farnsworth, currently being produced on the Rep's main stage, Screen Play explores, in a comic key, the drive for activism and idealistic values in the face of corrupt political practices.

Screen Play, directed by Lisa A. Wilde, features Elizabeth Darby; Michael Stebbins, producing artistic director of Rep Stage; and Tim Pabon last seen at Rep Stage in Two by Pinter: The Collection and The Lover.The Rep Stage Reading Series extends the theatrical experience of the Rep Stage, Howard Community College and Howard County community by presenting free staged readings outside the Rep's production schedule. With minimal production values and the opportunity for open discussion among artists and audience, these readings provide a rare opportunity to focus on the words and ideas of the playwright.

REMINDER: A NIGHT OF A THOUSAND STARS TO BENEFIT CHILDREN'S PLAYHOUSE!

A reminder from August's Call Board:

A Night of a Thousand Stars is being held on Saturday, September 15, 2007 at 8PM at CCBC (Essex Community College) and all proceeds are going to The Children's Playhouse of Maryland.

Children's Playhouse of Maryland, Inc. is a nonprofit community theatre organization dedicated to youth performers ages 18 and under. The Children's Playhouse was founded in 1986 by Diane Smith where it set up residence in The Towson Dinner Theatre. In November of 2004 CPM was offered and accepted a residency on the campus of CCBC Essex where they moved into a newly renovated performance space with new lighting and sound systems.  This is where CPM resides and performs today.

The evening features Margie Willbanks, who has performed in film, regional theatre and on Broadway, most recently in Disney's Beauty and the Beast. In addition to her considerable musical theatre and acting talent, Margie is currently studying opera and has received accolades for her operatic interpretations.

For A Night of a Thousand Stars, she will be joined by five of Baltimore's most highly regarded musical theatre performers - Edward J. Peters, Rob McQuay, Jeff Burch, Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, and Elieen Aubele - for an evening of musical theatre not to be missed.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 410-780-6369 (Tuesday through Friday, 9AM to 3PM)

COMING SOON TO BALTIMORE.BROADWAYWORLD.COM!

• Interviews with two of the stars of CENTERSTAGE's Arsenic and Old Lace – Ian Kahn (Roundhouse Theatre, Arena Stage, TV's Dawosn's Creek) and Brynn O'Malley (Broadway's Beauty and the Beast and Hairspray, Vegas' Avenue Q)
• BPF 26: The Wrap Up
• Reviews of Sight Unseen, Titanic: The Musical, Rooms by the Sea and Fences
• Plus!  More discounts, contests and local theatre news! 

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