The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Is Loaded with Mega-Broadway Stars in an Uproarious Comedy at the Kennedy Center
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Jordan Wright October 15, 2024
The cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
For those whose middle school memories harken to a time of crushing insecurities and the dread of not fitting in, have I got a musical for you! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will remind you that nothing has changed in the challenging world of teenage angst. Adorably lovable dorks, dweebs, do-gooders, nerds and overachievers will be your new BFFs in this uproarious production featuring the oddball world of spelling bee competitions. (Note to parents of aspiring qualifiers. The annual Scripps National Spelling Bee is held right here in Washington, DC.)
That the characters in this delightful musical are not exactly unique in the world of middle school kids doesn’t get in the way of composer William Finn and conceptualizer Rebecca Feldman tapping into universal kiddie neuroses. We really do feel their pain, squirming and agonizing over obscure words like capybara or hasenpfeffer. “Can you use that in a sentence?” they query the pronouncer.
Beanie Feldstein and the cast of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
The twist is that actual audience members are brought on stage to join the “bee”. Opening night had the celebrity chef, Carla Hall, who played along good-heartedly till her elimination with the word ‘pineapple’ described by Vice Principal Panch as “a popular safe word for couples.” Another volunteer spelled a difficult word correctly, surprising everyone. Panch asked her to miss a word so “we can move this along.” Gales of laughter from the wildly enthusiastic audience who seemed prepped for the 2025 Project jokes and the drag-queens-reading-to-kids-in-libraries references.
Along with the six quirky students and their super-cool, jive-talking “Comfort Counselor”, Mitch Mahoney (Alex Joseph Grayson), the kids share the stage with Vice Principal Douglas Panch (Taran Killam) “It’s annoying what micro-dosing of Ketamine can do,” he quips. Secretary Rona Lisa Peretti (Bonnie Milligan), a former bee winner, keeps the antsy students well in hand while Panch reminds the audience that, “The best way to alleviate stress about an upcoming election is to see a musical comedy.” This reviewer totally agrees.
Bonnie Milligan and Taran Killam_Photo by Matthew Murphy (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
You’ll meet Chip Tolentino (Phillippe Arroyo) whose budding adolescent crush will dredge up all the awkwardness of early testosterone unpredictability in “Chip’s Lament” and Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre (Beanie Feldstein), a goofy pig-tailed conformist who boasts a pair of bossy gay dads. Her fail-safe technique: To pre-spell words on her arm.
Then there’s the pretty and terminally insecure, Olive Ostrovsky (Nina White), whose abandonment by her ashram-trotting mother and distant father, bonds her to the dictionary. Olive talks into her hand to puzzle out the words, while the user-friendly, Leaf Coneybear (Noah Galvin) taps into eleventh-hour visions as his memory aids. Leaf is home-schooled and makes his own capes. Meanwhile, I’m having visions of writer Charles Shultz “Peanuts” characters writ large.
Nina White in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
For the sestalingual Marcy Park (Leana Rae Concepcion), rocking her Catholic school uniform, it’s all tediously beneath her. The hyper-accomplished, classical piano playing nerd informs us, “I’m sick and tired of being the best!”
You’ll meet the adorably gawky, spells-out-words-with-his-foot, William Barfée (Kevin McHale), “It’s pronounced Bar-fey,” he corrects Panch, employing the Gallic accent aigu. He’s the personification of teenage bluff and bluster plus a shoo-in representative for the “Lollipop Guild”. At some point in the proceedings his peanut allergies get the best of him until he’s given the word “antihistamine”. “Luck of the draw,” he stammers before acing it.
Noah Galvin and the company of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
The cast is loaded with big Broadway stars inhabiting their character’s kooky childlike personas. These pros sing their faces off through sixteen riotous numbers backed by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Cue in on Nina White who tears the roof off with the heart-breaking “The I Love You Song”.
Directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford; Music Direction by Robert Sinha; Costume Design by Emily Rebholz; Lighting Design by David Weiner; Scenic Design by Paul Tate dePoo III; Sound Design by Haley Parcher.
Hurry! It’s a short run and it’s nearly sold out.
Through October 20th at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 467-4600 or visit www.Kennedy-Center.org.
MAMMA MIA! Delivers ABBA’s Massive Hits at the Kennedy Center
MAMMA MIA! The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Jordan Wright August 17, 2024
Special to The Zebra
(L to R) Jalynn Steele (Tanya), Christine Sherrill (Donna Sheridan), and Carly Sakolove (Rosie) Photo by Joan Marcus
The show’s program describes the story as a mother, a daughter and three possible dads plus an unforgettable trip down the aisle that is set in a taverna on a Greek isle. That’s it in a nutshell. What it doesn’t tell you, but more than likely you already knew, is this jukebox musical is loaded with 22 of ABBA’s greatest hits and tells a sweetheart of a story. Not unexpectedly the audience was filled with mom or dad ABBA fans along with their daughters, accompanied by a gaggle of the daughters’ besties… and then there’s the rest of us musical theater fanatics. The score reflects the long history of ABBA’s huge impact on rock music and especially disco scene of the 70’s and early 80’s. For the parents my guess is it’s both a teachable moment about maintaining friendships and a trip back in time they can share while they reminisce to the catchy tunes that backgrounded their youth.
(L to R) L’Oréal Roaché (Lisa), Alisa Melendez (Sophie Sheridan), and Haley Wright (Ali) Photo by Joan Marcus
When Sophie finds her mother’s diary and refers to the time she was conceived, she finds three entries regaling three epic nights spent with three different men. Hoping to discover which one is her birth father, Sophie (Alisa Melendez) invites all three to her upcoming nuptials without revealing her devious plan to her mother, Donna Sheridan, played by Christine Sherrill. Meanwhile Donna has invited the glam Tanya (Jalynn Steele) and cut-up Rosie (Carly Sakalove), gal pals (from her former girl group Donna and the Dynamos), to the wedding. They’re a tribute to the lasting friendships formed as a girl band. Circling in the sexy (potential) dads, Bill, Sam and Harry, creates this rock musical – a cross between the Marx Brothers comedic high-jinks and a romcom.
The “dads” are the mystery Sophie hopes to solve in order to find the right one to walk her down the aisle. Her fiancé, Sky (Grant Reynolds) is not so hot on the her plan and thinks Sophie doesn’t trust him to accept her as she is.
(L to R) Jim Newman (Bill Austin), Victor Wallace (Sam Carmichael), and Rob Marnell (Harry Bright) Photo by Joan Marcus
Harry Bright (Rob Marnell), Bill Austin (Jim Newman) and Sam Carmichael (Victor Wallace) are the one-night stands who have no clue why they are there, imagining Donna, not Sophie, has invited them after 21 years. Sophie is 20. You do the math. They don’t know about a daughter or that Donna got pregnant by one of them. There are some terrifically hilarious and sexy dance numbers as when Sky’s bros create a bachelor party clad in blue Spandex unitards, swim goggles and flippers singing “Lay All Your Love on Me”. Later, at Sophie’s hen party the women reenact one of their biggest hits, “Super Trouper” in their signature, spangled, bell-bottomed jumpsuits. In another wild scene Josie seduces Bill with “Take a Chance on Me”, which he agrees to in a wild and crazy love scene.
Not to leave out the fabulously snarky and sophisticated, three-times married, Tanya, who is propositioned by Pepper (Patrick Park), one of the juicy cabana boys. In the number “Does Your Mother Know”, she both lures him and blows him off in fine, comic fashion getting one of the biggest applauses of the night.
Grant Reynolds (Sky), and the Company of MAMMA MIA! 25th Anniversary Tour Photo by Joan Marcus
On a more serious note, in a stirring number Donna confronts Bill, an Australian journalist and adventure-seeker. She wonders why he wants to get back with her in the number “The Winner Takes It All”. Throughout, ABBA’s hits dovetail seamlessly into the plot even the number “Mamma Mia” which Donna sings after freaking out when she sees the three men arrive at her taverna.
Whatever you do, don’t be one of those audience members who race down the aisle when they see the cast take their bows thinking it’s over. The wildest party is at the very end when the house lights are blazing and they all come out in glamorous ABBA costumes to sing a reprise of “Mamma Mia”, “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo” cueing the audience to sing along. You wouldn’t want to miss that!
Alisa Melendez (Sophie Sheridan), and the Company of MAMMA MIA! 25th Anniversary Tour Photo by Joan Marcus
With Haley Wright as Ali, L’Oréal Roaché as Lisa, Louis Griffin as Eddie and Blake Price as Father Alexandrios. Ensemble members are Gabe Amato, Caro Daye Attayek, Adia Olanethia Bell, Tony Clements, Emily Croft, Madison Deadman, Jordan De Leon, Nico DiPrimio, Patrick Dunn, Stephanie Genito, Jasmine Overbaugh, Blake Price, Dorian Quinn, Xavi Soto Burgos and Amy Weaver.
Directed by Phyllida Lloyd; Book by Catherine Johnson; Music and Lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus with some songs by Stig Anderson; Production Design by Mark Thompson; Lighting Design by Howard Harrison; Sound Design by Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken; Choreography by Anthony Van Laast; Musical Supervisor, Additional Material & Arrangements by Martin Koch with the MAMMA MIA! Orchestra and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra.
Highly recommended! A terrific cast makes it a fun night at the theatre for teens and adults.
Through September 1st at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 467-4600 or visit www.Kennedy-Center.org.
Kennedy Center’s “Nine” the Musical Brings Broadway Stars Center Stage
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Jordan Wright August 6, 2024
In the 1960’s Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini burst upon the scene with his fantastical Italian movies and the fashion and film world went wild. Suddenly everyone wanted to go to Italy, eat pasta like Sophia Loren, wear Gucci designs, ride a Vespa and be as cool as Marcello Mastroianni. Heady days indeed. Nine the musical is based on Fellini’s iconic 1963 film 8 ½ that drew on his psychological and artistic struggles to repeat his early successes.
Steven Pasquale (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
The story turns on Guido Contini (Steven Pasquale), a successful filmmaker and serial womanizer who has promised his producer, Liliane La Fleur, former owner of the Folies Bergères, another successful movie. Liliane (played by Broadway legend Carolee Carmello) wants a musical. The trouble is Guido, who harbors a messiah complex, hasn’t got a fresh idea for a script and is bereft of inspiration. In despair, Guido takes his adoring wife, Luisa (Elizabeth Stanley another of Broadway’s greatest stars) to the deluxe Fontana di Luna spa only to be hunted down by his mistress, Carla (Michelle Ventimilla). As his tortured childhood memories surface, he recalls his earliest introduction to the seductress, the lusty Sarraghina (Leslie Margherita from Broadway’s Zorro the Musical and Matilda the Musical)), whom he encountered on a beach near his parochial school. The adorable Charlie Firlik plays Little Guido as a boy. These flashbacks feature Guido’s Mother (film and stage star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio), his cinematic muse, Claudia Nardi (Shereen Ahmed) and other characters who peppered his life. The show’s title, Nine, comes from Little Guido’s ninth birthday.
Lesli Margherita and Company in Be Italian (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Bringing it to the stage is another matter entirely. Having the seen the film version, which is better able to portray the paparazzi mania Fellini lived under (echoes of the hounding of Princess Diana) as well as the juggling act he maintained keeping his paramours secret from his long-suffering wife, I had a hard time trying to make the stage version as visceral as the film.
Steven Pasquale and Lesli Margherita (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Bearing in mind this particular production is a visually condensed version of the Broadway musical, didn’t help matters either. Only recently did Kennedy Center give us the lavish Moulin Rouge in all its visceral Broadway splendor, and I suppose I expected the same lavish costumes as in the Moulin Rouge scene from the movie version of Nine, however, apart from two feathered and sequined dancers and Liliane in a red sequined gown, there’s none of that. The choreography in this iteration is delegated to the female ensemble clad in sexy black costumes. Oddly, Costume Designer Alejo Vietti allows for no costume changes for them. Choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler who also directs, grants them dance routines that find them surrounding the other characters in a constant swirling motion. If you’re satisfied with a storyline sung by a host of divas and one handsome divo, played by Steven Pasquale as the tortured Guido you’ll be well entertained. The score alone is electrifying.
Elizabeth Stanley and Steven Pasquale (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Respectfully, this is not a full-on staged production with changing sets and fabulous costumes. I get that. It does have all 23 numbers backed by the brilliant Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. And though I’ve enjoyed and raved about many earlier “Broadway at the Kennedy Center” iterations, this one had me wanting to see the original Broadway stage version.
Charlie Firlik and Steven Pasquale (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
With Sasha Hutchings as Asa Nisi Masa, Haley Fish as Diana, Georgina Pazcoguin as Annabella, Jenn Sese as Stephanie Necrophorus, Allison Blackwell as Mama Madellena, Paloma Garcia-Lee as Maria, Marina Pires as Sister Vicenza, Lucia Giannetta as Giorgia, Yani Marin as Camilla, Morgan Marcell as Norma, Kamille Upshaw as Leonor, and Dylis Croman as Dr. Ernst.
Through August 11th at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information call the box office at 2o2 467-4600 or visit www.Kennedy-Center.org.
Kennedy Center’s Funny Girl Has All the Razzamatazz of the Original
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Jordan Wright July 5, 2022
Katerina McCrimmon as Fanny Brice (Photo/Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade)
If you hadn’t noticed before, revivals are having a moment. Merrily We Roll Along, Sondheim’s early 1981 musicalrecently garnered a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and although Cats had its final NY bow in 2017, shows like the latest B’way versions of Cabaret, Once Upon a Mattress and The Wiz are red hot.
Enter Funny Girl, in its latest iteration, now on tour and spending a few months at the Kennedy Center. Until I saw it again, I had no idea how much I’d missed it. The story of a Jewish Brooklyn girl’s rise to the pinnacle of the Broadway stage to star in Flo Ziegfeld’s biggest revue, is one that inspired many a singer/actress with Barbra Streisand’s star-making performance.
Katerina McCrimmon and Stephen Mark Lukas (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
I’m unapologetically predisposed to fiercely loving this story. My maternal grandmother was a Ziegfeld “girl”, as they were known. Betty Morton (née Elisabeth Mortensen and 100% Danish) wore the massive headdresses in awe-inspiring vignettes, modeled for the leading fashion magazines of the day and married a millionaire – as there were very few billionaires in that gilded era. Forget chocolates and rose bouquets, these highly sought-after beauties were courted by kings and scions of American fortunes who would send diamond bracelets and ermine coats backstage just to procure a dinner date where they could be seen with these beautiful young women. But I digress.
In true Broadway fashion, this production has a phenomenal cast of hoofers and belters – precisely the splash, dash and razzamatazz you’d expect from a show about Broadway and played by ace performers. Katerina McCrimmon plays Fanny Brice, a sassy, take-no-prisoners chorine who by dint of chutzpah and her pal, Eddie Ryan (Iziah Montaque Harris – with standby, DC local, John Manzari), a choreographer and top-drawer hoofer, quickly scratches her way to the top under at the New Amsterdam Theatre. There’s tons of schtick, a kickin’ 17-piece orchestra enhanced by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and all the familiar tunes by Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. God, help me, I knew all the words and so did much of the audience who properly refrained from singing aloud.
First National Touring Company of Funny Girl (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
First there’s the mavens, Mrs. Brice, Mrs. Strakosh (Eileen T’Kaye) and Mrs. Meeker (Christine Bunaun) – a group of well-meaning mothers who pass the time meddling in the affairs of the neighborhood, and especially laser-focused on Fanny’s future. You’ll never guess in a million years who plays the part of Mrs. Brice – Melissa Manchester. Yes! That Melissa Manchester – the R&B songstress, actress and Carole Bayer Sager co-composer, who sang the hit song “Midnight Blue” back in the 80’s and “Come in From the Rain” in the 70’s. I was gobsmacked! She’s still got the stuff in spades.
When romance comes to Fanny, it comes in the form of gambler, Nick Arnstein (Stephen Mark Lukas), a slick, handsome mountebank who charms her, marries her and enjoys her new-found wealth as the biggest star on Broadway.
Melissa Manchester and Izaiah Montaque Harris (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
So many of the numbers from this show are not only memorable but unforgettable – “I’m the Greatest Star”, “If a Girl Isn’t Pretty”, “His Love Makes Me Beautiful”, “Sadie, Sadie”, “Don’t Rain on My Parade” and the iconic “People” covered by, well, nearly every female singer in the world and made famous by, of course, Barbra.
So, if you’ve a mind to see fabulous costumes – feathered headdresses worn by sexy showgirls dripping with diamonds – the best hoofers and belters on stage today and a story that will melt the hardest heart – this one’s for you. God knows, it was for me!
Stephen Mark Lukas (Photo/Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade)
Leah Platt as Emma/Mrs. Nadler, Ryan Rodino as John, David Foley, Jr. as Tom Keeney, Jackson Grove as Piano Player/Tenor/Actor/Porter, Jack Bianchi & Jackson Grove as Cornet Men, Jordon Taylor as Polly, Missy Marion as Bubbles, Dot Kelly as Maude, Walter Coppage as the iconic impresario, Florenz Ziegfeld, Kate E. Cook as Virginia, Alex Hartman as Vera, Sean Thompson as Bartender/Mr. Renaldi, Jack Bianchi & Travis Ward-Osborne as Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat Men.
Book by Isobel Lennart based on Directed by Michael Mayer, Tap Choreography by Ayodele Casel, Choreography by Ellenore Scott, Scenic Design by David Zinn, Costume Design by Susan Hilferty, Lighting Design by Kevin Adams, Sound Design by Brian Ronan & Cody Spencer, Orchestrations by Chris Walker, with Music Director/Conductor Elaine Davidson.
Highly recommended!!!
Through July 14th at the Kennedy Center, 2700 F Street, Washington, DC, 20566. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 416-8000 or visit www.Kennedy-Center.org.
The Kite Runner at Kennedy Center Proves Relevant and Compelling
The Kite Runner The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Jordan Wright June 28, 2024
The Kite Runner (Photo Via The Kennedy Center)
‘I became what I am today at the age of twelve,” recalls narrator and protagonist, Amir (Ramzi Khalaf) in the The Kite Runner. Itopens in 1973 when Ari was a child living in a large house in Kabul with his father, Baba (Haythem Noor), a successful businessman. Young Hassan (Shahzeb Zahid Hussain also in the role of Farid) lived on the grounds in a nearby hut and was close to Amir’s age. The boys become inseparable, until Amir betrays him, abandons him and suffers from the guilt.
For a production that has enjoyed numerous versions since 2007, The Kite Runner is surprisingly relevant. This latest version landed at the Kennedy Center at the end of its national tour with a very short four-night run. If you didn’t catch it (there are two more nights) or have never seen it, I hope you can snag a few tickets. Set in Afghanistan after the fall of the monarchy, the Russian army’s ten-year occupation and battles against the mujahideen and other foreign factions, and the subsequent occupation by the ultra-conservative religious Taliban, who found new ways to suppress the culture while claiming they were helping the country get back to its roots, it recalls the struggles of a country that already had suffered from internecine religious and tribal conflicts.
Women were beaten in the streets if any parts of their bodies or hair were showing, school for females was shot down, flouters of the new rules were decapitated in public stadiums where attendance was required, dancing, radios and TV were banned and one of the nation’s most popular pastimes, kite flying was forbidden, which is what brings us to this compelling story from best-selling author, Khaled Hosseini.
The Kite Runner (Photo Via The Kennedy Center)
The parallels to current religious wars, massive refugee horrors, internecine tribal warfare and the slaughter of innocent civilians are all too familiar. In this gripping drama we have the advantage of gallows humor to ameliorate the horrors of war.
If you’re a news hound and have followed the trajectory of these stories over the years, you will find yourself satisfied and even amused by how everyday people navigate the most horrific situations. It’s somehow rewarding to appreciate the bravery and resilience of the ordinary citizen caught up in a insidious battle by forces craving domination of an entire culture.
The Kite Runner (Photo Via The Kennedy Center)
With a remarkable cast, several from the original Broadway cast, this production is a can’t miss. Compelling, gripping, slyly acerbic and, above all, necessary. You’ll wonder how Ari, a most unlikely hero, was able to escape the war, find a new life in America, a loving wife, Soraya (Awesta Zarif) and redemption from his past cowardliness under the most dangerous conditions.
With Jonathan Shaboo as Rahim Khan/Dr. Schneider/Omar Faisal; Haythem Noor as Baba; Hassan Nazari-Robati as Ali/Farid; Wiley Naman Strasser as Assef; Danish Farooqui as Wali/Doctor; Jade Zian as Kamal/Zaman; Sophie Zmorrod Ensemble/Pomegranate Lady/Andrews; Kevin Stevens Ensemble/Merchant/Russian Soldier; James Rana as General Taheri; Salar Nader as Tabla Artist.
Adapted by Matthew Spangler; Directed by Giles Croft; Scenic and Costume Design by Barney George; Lighting Design by Charles Balfour; Sound Design by Drew Baumohl; Projection Design by William Simpson; Composer & Music Supervisor Jonathan Girling.
Through June 30th at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 467-4600 or visit www.Kennedy-Center.org.
Bye Bye Birdie Knocks It Out of The Park With Broadway Headliners at the Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Broadway Center Stage Jordan Wright June 11, 2024
Christian Borle and Krysta Rodriguez (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Music publisher slash songwriter, Albert Peterson, is in love with his secretary, Rose Alvarez. Head of Almaelou Music Corp. Named after his mother Mae, Lou his beloved dead dog and Al his late father, Albert’s a momma’s boy and as much as he loves Rosie, his super savvy, gorgeous Latina girlfriend, he has commitment phobia. After eight years of devotion to Albert, Rosie is ready to move on.
Albert’s biggest star is rocker Conrad Birdie, an utterly unmanageable sot with a massive fan club of nubile teens. Dreaming up a clever publicity stunt, Albert orchestrates a press event culminating with Conrad kissing the president of Conrad’s fan club on the Ed Sullivan Show. From a stack of fan mail, he chooses the beautiful but recently pinned, Kim Macafee, proud resident of Sweet Apple, Ohio, and President of the Conrad Birdie Fan Club.
Ephram Sykes and Company (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
Predictably, things go south, but not before we meet Alberts’s mother, Mae, Kim’s mom, Doris Macafee, her cranky, authoritarian dad, Harry Macafee, little brother, Randolph, her fellow fan club members, her steady, Hugo Peabody, and a host of truckers in Charles Maude’s low-down bar in Sweet Apple, fondly known as “The Bellybutton of America”.
This huge revival with its 50’s costumes, 50’s mores and 50’s technology is just as relevant today as it was when it opened on Broadway in 1958, one year after Elvis was drafted into the U. S. Army. So, yes, it has elements of the phenomenon of crazed teenage fans high on their idol, but this Tony Award-winning blockbuster has brilliant choreography, buckets of laughs, unforgettably catchy numbers by the Tony Award-winning collaborators – Composer, Charles Strouse and Lyricist Lee Adams and a Broadway cast that delivers in spades.
Sweet Apple Teens (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
You’ll either recall or swoon to the big numbers – “A Healthy, Normal American Boy”, Rosie’s big song-and-dance solo, “Spanish Rose”, “Honestly Sincere”, “One Last Kiss”, “A Lot of Livin’ to Do”, “Kids”, and the beautiful ballad sung by Albert to Rosie “Baby, Talk to Me”.
Backed by the Kennedy Center’s Opera House Orchestra, 22-strong members who remain onstage, it is a song and dance fest, featuring some of the most amazing voices from both stage and screen. The acting chops are spot on, the comedic timing unparalleled, the dancing hyper-energetic and the story – absolutely irresistible. This tremendously loveable musical has everything, and I adored every minute of it.
Miguel Gil and Ashlyn Maddox (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
You’ll recognize many of the cast – Christian Borle as Albert, who has garnered several “Best Actor” Tony Awards and starring TV roles (he reminded me of the mega-star Dick Van Dyke the ace dancer and comedian); Richard Kind as Kim’s dad, Harry, whom you’ll recognize as the award-winning character actor from stage and screen with his memorable roles in A Serious Man, Young Sheldon, The Producers, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Goldbergs and many more; Krysta Rodriguez, a brilliant hoofer with a mega-watt smile who has starred on Broadway, TV sitcoms and film in such blockbusters as Argo and Tick, Tick… Boom.
Ditto for multi-Tony, Drama Critic and Outer Critics Circle nominee, Ephraim Sykes, as Conrad who was seen on Broadway in Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations, Hamilton and Newsies.
1Ephraim Sykes and Company (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
And featuring the queen of the slow burn, Caroline Aaron, who plays Mrs. Mae Peterson, Albert’s mother and the consummate “New Yawker” Jewish mother whom you’ll recognize as Shirley Maisel in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, plus far too many top roles on stage and screen to mention here.
It’s not just a host of big-time singers, hoofers and comedians, but a cast that meshes magnificently in one cohesive, laugh out loud, crazy-wonderful show.
Five Stars (if I gave out stars which I don’t) for Best of the Best Musicals on a DC stage!
Christian Borle and Caroline Aaron (Photo/Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
With the stunning voice of Ashlyn Maddox as Kim Macafee, Sarah Chu as Helen, Dori Waymer as Nancy, Kelly Lomonte as Margie, Jalen Michael Jones as Freddie, Luke Kolbe Mannikus as Karl, Maria Cristina Posada Slye as Penelope, Victor De Paula Rocha as Harvey, Rennell Taylor as Charlie, Evan Kinnane as Mike, Jackera Davis as Ursula Merkle, Miguel Gil as Hugo Peabody, Jennifer Laura Thompson as Mrs. Doris Macafee, Kevin Ligon as Mayor, Allison Blackwell as Mayor’s Wife, Kevin McAllister as Mr. Merkle and Charles F. Maude, Linda Muggleston as Mrs. Merkle, Megan Sikora as Gloria Rasputin and Mrs. Johnson, and Henry Kirk as Randolph Macafee.
Director Marc Bruni, Music Director John Bell, Choreographer Denis Jones, Music Director John Bell, Book by Michael Stewart, Scenic Design by Lee Savage, Costume Design by Linda Cho, Lighting Design by Cory Pattak, Sound Design by Haley Parcher, Production Design by Nathan Scheuer, Hair & Wig Designer Tom Watson.
Through June 15th at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 467-4600 or visit www.Kennedy-center.org.
