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A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Synetic Theater
Jordan Wright
July 7, 2022
Special To The Zebra
 Philip Fletcher as Oberon and Stella Bunch as Titania (Photo/Chris Ferenzi) Under a Maxfield Parrish moon faeries morph into fireflies casting a magical glow and transporting the audience into a stunning adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic love story. World renowned Synetic Theater presents a highly creative pantomime version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream with an evening of visual drama, extraordinary athleticism and Chaplinesque slapstick. Performed around the world since its debut in 2009, this mega-sensory fantasy is one of Synetic’s premiere productions. For those unfamiliar with the company’s many wordless productions of reinterpreted classics such as The Servant of Two Masters, Phantom of the Opera, The Tempest (performed in six inches of water!) and countless mind-blowing presentations over their 20-year history, this richly visual production will make you a convert for life.
 Lev Belolipetski as Lysander and Aaron Kan (Photo/Chris Ferenzi) Set to a mix of electronika, tango, waltzes and original music by Koki Lortkipanidze (who as Starveling plays silent film music on an upright piano onstage), this beloved dramedy is directed by visionary co-founder Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by brilliant co-founder Irina Tsikurishvili. A sensory explosion of color and action, it transports the audience on a phantasmagorical voyage.
Surprises and plot twists will keep you in both suspense and amusement. In the scene where the lovers hide from one another they are discovered in the woods beneath golden lotus leaves in what is typically set in an English garden. Themes of the play-within-a-play are cleverly remixed and so is the relationship between Oberon and Titania. Here we find them as a sexy, belly-dancing Titania (Stella Bunch) and Oberon (Philip Fletcher) as a gladiator-inspired, superhero whose relationship reveals jaw-dropping fight scenes and sensuous tangos.
 Katie DuBois as Flute, Vato Tsikurishvili as Bottom, and Pablo
Guillén as Snug (Photo/Chris Ferenzi) As the devilish Puck, tiny redhaired Ariel Kraje’s sinuous and athletic moves reminded me of a Cirque du Soleil artist in flight. Clad in sky blue chiffon tendrils, she is as captivating as a butterfly on the wing. In yet another star turn as one of Synetic’s finest performers Vato Tsikurishvili (in dual roles as both the goofy donkey Bottom and conflicted Egeus) displays a breathtaking range of flips, leaps, fight skills and deadfalls enhanced by his comic facial expressions.
Frothy and fierce and highly recommended. Grab your tickets now!
 Nutsa Tediashvili as Hermia and Anna Tsikurishvili as Helena (Photo/Chris Ferenzi) With Irene Hamilton as Hippolyta/Snake; Kim-Anh Aslanian as Cobweb; Alissa Zagorski as Peaseblossom; Nathan Weinberger as Quince; Katherine DuBois as Flute; Pablo Guillen as Smug/Theseus; Josh Lucas as Snout; Lev Belolipetski as Lysander; Nutsa Tediashvili as Hermia; Anna Tsikurishvili as Helena; Aaron Kan as Demetrius; and Bengt-Erik Nelson as Tom.
Fight Choreographer Ben Cunis; Scenic Design by Phil Charlwood; Costume Design by Anastasia Rurikov; and Lighting Design by Andrew Griffin.
Through July 24th at Synetic Theater, 1800 South Bell Street, Arlington, VA 22202. For tickets and information visit www.SyneticTheater.org or call the box office one hour before showtime at 703 824-8060 (Extension #117)
The Band’s Visit
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Jordan Wright
July 10, 2022
Special to The Zebra
 Sasson Gabay and Janet Dacal. (Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade) The Band’s Visit is a timeless musical, a romantic intrigue and a wryly funny tale based loosely on a true story. You may have seen the movie, but the musical allows the story to be fully fleshed out bringing to life the story of a 7-piece Egyptian classical music band known as the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra, and its conductor, Colonel Tewfiq, and their mistaken journey to a tiny, desert town in Israel where no one is expecting them. Winner of ten Tony Awards including “Best Musical” and “Best Original Score”, the sultry number “Omar Sharif” was performed on the night of the 2018 awards. Countless other prestigious theater awards have showered down upon this tenderhearted tale with original screenplay written by Eran Kolirin, book by Itamar Moses, composer/lyricist David Yazbek, and soulfully directed by David Cromer. It stars Sasson Gabay, who played Tewfiq in the 2007 film version and Janet Dacal as his love interest, Dina.
 The company of The Band s Visit North American Tour. (Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade.) Tel Aviv 1996: Egyptian music and movies are now banned even though generations of Israelis have thrilled to the haunting voice of the internationally famous singer Umm Kulthum and films starring the suave Egyptian box-office idol, Omar Sharif who starred in Lawrence of Arabia and Dr. Zhivago. It is a fraught time, not so different from today, when cultures separated by politics or war and borders, real or imagined, are redrawn or redefined. It is where Tewfiq and the beautiful and exotic Dina find their mutual connection to music.
 Joe Joseph. (Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade.) When the flirtatious Haled (Ali Louis Bourzgui), distracted by a pretty ticket seller, miscommunicates the wrong name for their destination, it sends the musicians on a bus to Bet Hatikva, translation “House of Hope”, a tiny town where nothing ever happens and where the hilarious song “Waiting” describes the residents’ unrelenting boredom. At the café the Arabs meet the lovely and fiery Dina, owner of the town’s sole eatery. Dina finds the men homes to stay for a single night till the next day’s bus can take them to their correct destination in time for them to give a concert dedicated to Arab Israeli cultural exchanges.
 The company of The Band’s Visit (Photo by Evan Zimmerman, MurphyMade.) The musicians who play traditional Arab instruments perform all the numbers onstage in a sort of musical ballet upon a rotating stage. The beautifully expressed musical accompaniment weaves together the characters’ personal stories and enhances their shared communion with their temporary hosts. This deeply emotional, sweetly comic story centers around the initial awkwardness of the two cultures attempting to understand each other’s cultural differences, ultimately discovering that they are more similar than not, and that love, family and the universality of music are at the heart of the human connection.
With Clay Singer as Itzik; Coby Getzug as Papi; Yoni Avi Battat as Camal; David Studwell as Avrum; James Rana as Simon from the original Broadway cast; Billy Cohen as Zelger; Ali Louis Bourzgui as Haled; Joshua Grosso as Telephone Guy; Kendal Hartse as Iris; Layan Elwazani as Julia from the Broadway cast; Marc Ginsburg as Sammy and Ariel Reich as Anna.
The Band: Conductor/Keyboard – Adrian Ries; Associate Conductor/Keyboard – Jeff Cox; Violin – Yoni Avi Battat; Cello – Wick Simmons; Clarinet/Saxophone/Flute – Brian Krock; Darbouka/Riq – Roger Kashou; Oud/Guitar – Kane Mathis; Electric & Acoustic Bass – Mark Ziegler; Drums/Arabic Percussion – Shai Wetzer.
Choreography by Patrick McCollum; Scenic Design by Scott Pask; Costume Design by Sarah Laux; Lighting Design by Tyler Micoleau; Israeli Dramaturg and Dialect Coach Zohar Tirosh-Polk; Orchestrations by Jamshied Sharafi.
Through July 17th in the Eisenhower Theater at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information visit www.Kennedy-center.org or call the box office at 202 467-4600.
Hot Wing King
Studio Theatre
Jordan Wright
July 6, 2022
Special to The Zebra
 Bjorn DuPaty, Brian Marable, and Blake Morris (Photo/Jati Lindsay) At the top of her game, Pulitzer prize-winner and Tony nominee, Katori Hall, has written a staged sit-com about five roommates entering the Hot Wing Festival contest in Memphis. All five men are African American gays living in the same house. And although their personalities are very different, their aim to win the $5,000 top prize with Cordell’s tried and tested Blueberry- and Bourbon-infused Cajun Alfredo Wings with Blue Cheese and Crumbled Bacon Wings keeps the men in collective disharmony.
 Derrick Sanders III, Michael Kevin Darnall, Bjorn DuPaty, Brian Marable, and Blake Morris (Photo: Jati Lindsay) The group, calling themselves “The New Wing Order”, gather in the kitchen the night before to prepare for the contest. Isom (Michael Kevin Darnall) is the reigning queen of the quintet alternately flinging barbs and hugging his roomies. As a New Orleans self-proclaimed Cajun expert, he is a bit of a lost soul who covers it up with his flagrant flightiness. To his erstwhile lover, a local barber they call Big Charles (Bjorn DuPaty), he sadly admits, “People only want me for one night.”
In the process of making 387 wings for the next day’s big contest, the drama ensues. Will Cordell (Brian Marable) defeat his inner demons? Will his faithful lover, the fashion-conscious Dwayne (Blake Morris) keep their relationship alive? Will TJ (JaBen Early), the streetwise dope dealer, lead his innocent son EJ (Derrick Sanders III) into a life of crime? EJ is Dwayne’s nephew and he’s got a stake in the decision to keep EJ out of trouble.
 Blake Morris and JaBen Early in (Photo/Jati Lindsay) Within this serio-silly comedy peppered with verbal jousting, there is an emotional backstory as the men alternately cast blame on one another for their failings, then manage to work together to resolve their differences.
Sprung out of a conversation Hall had with director Steve H. Broadnax III about her brother and his partner, living in Memphis, Broadnax told her, “That’s your next play!” For Hall it’s a love letter to the complexities of a gay, stitched-together family living in the heart of the American South.
 Perfecting their wing recipe: (l to r) Derrick Sanders III, Blake Morris, Brian Marable, Bjorn DuPaty, and Michael Kevin Darnall. (Photo: Jati Lindsay) Dramaturg Adrien-Alice Hansel; Costumes designed by Ivania Stack; Lighting designed by Alan C. Edwards; Props by Amy Kellett; Dialect Coach Caroline Stefanie Clay; and Intimacy Choreographer Raja Benz.
Through July 31st in the new Victor Shargai Theatre stage at Studio Theatre, 1501 14th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005. For tickets and information visit www.StudioTheatre.org or call the box office at 202 332-3300. Parking is tricky in this busy neighborhood. If you are coming after 5pm, park at the Washington Plaza Hotel a few blocks away and be sure to pay for your $13 discount voucher at the Box Office before leaving the theatre.
Richmond in Two Days and Two Nights
July 3, 2022
Jordan Wright
Special to The Zebra
 The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.(Photo/Jordan Wright) Nothing about Richmond is static. This ever-evolving Virginia capital offers top universities, art exhibitions, notable restaurants, breweries, world-class gardens, and leading museums that keep evolving with vibrant and exciting experiences.
 Carrara marble statue of Thomas Jefferson in the Palm Court lobby of The Jefferson Hotel.(Photo/Jordan Wright) One place stands out as the destination for guests looking to experience Richmond’s glorious Golden Age and to wonder at the magnificent architecture and rich history of The Jefferson Hotel. It is one of America’s grandest hotels. Built by tobacco heir Lewis Ginter in 1895, the Jefferson has welcomed such notables as Sarah Bernhardt, Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, Charles Lindbergh, Elvis, John D. Rockefeller, and Ray Charles. Bill “Bojangles” Robinson was discovered waiting tables in the dining room. (www.JeffersonHotel.com)
 Halibut Almondine with Almond Crust and Sauce Meunière at Lemaire.(Photo/Jordan Wright) A recent stay had a packed schedule of a whirlwind of activities but allowed time to take in the hotel’s amenities between adventures. Pro Tip: Book the famous champagne Sunday brunch, sumptuous tea, or seasonal haute cuisine at the hotel’s Lemaire, where Executive Chef Patrick Willis riffs on New American Southern-influenced dishes. Pro tip: When making reservations, and you must, ask to sit on the terrace if it’s a nice evening or in the Grand Dining Room resplendent with crystal chandeliers, heavy silk draperies, and exquisitely carved period architecture. Consult knowledgeable Sommelier Nick Montes and request server Sean. Be sure to visit the hotel’s gift shop, where I found a chic garden ornament and magnolia sachets. (www.LemaireRestaurant.com)
After coffee and freshly baked breakfast pastries at Roastology (www.roastologycoffee.com), we headed to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. This extraordinary museum hosts world-class exhibits you will never see in Washington or New York. “Whistler to Cassatt – American Painters in France” is on through July 31, featuring over 100 paintings by James Abbott McNeill, Whistler, Mary Cassatt, John Singer Sargent, Childe Hassam and others.
A very different but no less thrilling experience is “Tsherin Sherpa: Spirits,” which features the Tibetan artist’s visionary Asian-influenced sculpture and paintings mixing traditional images with contemporary themes. While there, take in the museum’s fabulous Fabergé collection and if by now you’re hungry, grab a quick bite at the cafeteria or dine at Amuse Restaurant, where reservations are recommended.
 Kehinde Wiley’s portrait of Dutch industrialist Willem van Heythuysen re-imagined as a Black man from Harlem sporting Sean John streetwear and Timberland boots at the VMFA. (Photo/Jordan Wright) At the entrance to the museum, view the massive Kehinde Wiley statue “Rumors of War.” Wiley was President Obama’s official portrait artist. The VMFA sculpture re-imagines the statue of Confederate General Jeb Stuart that stood on Monument Avenue before it and other statues of Confederate military men were removed. The figure strikes a heroic pose on horseback, but in Wiley’s work, the rider is a young Black man with dreadlocks in a hoodie.
Inside the museum, check out Wiley’s hyper-realistic portrait of Dutch industrialist Willem van Heythuysen re-imagined as a street-smart Black man from Harlem sporting Sean John streetwear and Timberland boots. (https://vmfa.museum/)
Across the sculpture garden is the recently renovated $30M expansion of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. It houses an array of Virginia-sourced artifacts and dioramas showcasing the Commonwealth and features lots of kid-friendly interactive exhibits and an immersive film centered on Virginia’s history. In the small gift shop, I snagged a few bags of a favorite coffee from Red Rooster Coffee, a terrific roastery in the Virginia highlands of Floyd, VA. (virginiahistory.org)
If Shakespeare is your jam, the Quill Theatre and Agecroft, an iconic Tudor mansion, are presenting the Richmond Shakespeare Festival in the mansion gardens from July 7 through July 31. (www.AgecroftHall.org)
On day two, we took a short hop over to Shockoe Slip, where the Poe Museum houses truly fascinating, super quirky exhibits of Poe arcana. Check the website for their special Poe-themed events in the home’s charming garden. It’s the museum’s 100th Anniversary and lots of activities are planned throughout the year. Author of classic Gothic horror tales, Edgar Allan Poe was a Richmond native. Many of these fascinating artifacts were donated by city residents, including the gold pocket watch that ticked away while he wrote “A Tell-Tale Heart.” Black cats stroll the property, adding magical realism to the overall aura. (www.PoeMuseum.org)
 One of the black cats roams the Poe Museum gardens. (Photo/Jordan Wright) Lunch beckoned, and we headed to the historic and very hip district of Scott’s Addition, where you’ll find breweries, distilleries, and cideries. Housed in an old warehouse is the upscale casual Pinky’s with Mediterranean-influenced menu items and craft cocktails. (www.pinkysrva.com)
If you want to shop, you’ll find plenty of cool shops in Carytown. One of my favorites is La Petite Boutique, with edgy designer collections of unique hats, accessories, and Krista Larson and Rundholz clothing. (www.LaPetiteBoutiquerva.com)
Insiders know The Stables, and our dinner there didn’t disappoint. The intimate restaurant and bar in the Museum District is in a building purportedly once used as stables and a carriage house for the Richmond Police. The asparagus vichyssoise soup was a standout, as was the Brown Butter Scallops served with Carolina Gold rice. (www.TheStablesRVA.com)
 Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. (Photo/Jordan Wright) On our last morning we had to choose between the extraordinary Lewis Ginter Gardens, a 50-acre dreamscape with a colossal Victorian glass conservatory, live butterfly exhibit, musical events at night, or the lavish 100-year-old mansion and 100-acre estate gardens plus Arboretum surrounding the magnificent Maymont. Both are eye-poppingly amazing. Whichever you choose, plan to visit the other on a return trip. (www.lewisginter.org), (www.Maymont.org)
To Kill a Mockingbird
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
Jordan Wright
June 28, 2022
Special to The Zebra
 (l to r) Justin Mark (“Jem Finch”), Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Steven Lee Johnson (“Dill Harris”). (Photo/Julieta Cervantes) In what is referred to in the program as a “New Play” by famed playwright Aaron Sorkin, Harper Lee’s celebrated novel To Kill a Mockingbird takes on fresh meaning in a world still struggling with racial injustice. Sorkin propels the narrative of a Black man unfairly accused to a relevancy we’d have to be deaf, dumb and blind not to recognize as still capturing today’s headlines. Set in 1930’s Alabama in a plot laden with weighty themes and laced with levity, Sorkin’s laser-focused version of the courtroom drama crackles with the raw power and profound honesty intended to galvanize an audience’s emotional response.
 Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Jacqueline Williams (“Calpurnia”) (Photo/Julieta Cervantes) In it, dramatic actor Richard Thomas plays Atticus Finch, a folksy Southern lawyer with the instincts of a coonhound treeing a possum. Thomas delivers a rock-solid portrayal so determinedly fresh and riveting it will make you forget you’d ever seen Gregory Peck in the 1962 movie version.
The great Bartlett Sher, who won a Tony Award in 2019 for “Best Direction of a Play” for the Broadway production, has found a way to stage this new production by leaning in on the threads of the story that matter most. Even on a stage as vast as the Opera House, he creates a space that reads like an intimate encounter. Brilliantly acted by a collaborative cast, Lee’s words fairly jump off the page with their universality.
 Melanie Moore (“Scout Finch”) and Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”). (Photo/Julieta Cervantes) When asked if she had plans to write another book, Lee cynically postulated to a reporter, “When you’ve hit the pinnacle, how would you feel about writing more?” Many years later, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Lee declared, “Honey I already said everything I wanted to say.” And with weighty themes ranging from racism to alcoholism, justice, pedophilia and even murder too, the iconic Southern novelist had covered it all.
Notwithstanding Harper Lee’s reticence to discuss her work and her decision to abandon further writing, she had penned a forceful novel that burst off the pages with a trunk load of quotable lines tailor made to be spoken aloud. Sorkin’s treatment extracts the essence of her words to lend a new and exciting gravitas to this great American novel. Blessed with a tremendous cast to support Thomas, it stars Yaegel T. Welch (from the original Broadway cast) as Tom Robinson; Melanie Moore as Scout; Steven Lee Johnson as the tender-hearted Dill Harris (said to be fashioned after Lee’s friend Truman Capote); Justin Mark as Jem Finch, Scout’s brother; Jacqueline Williams as Calpurnia the formidable, no-nonsense housekeeper to the Finch family; Anthony Natale as Link Deas; Travis Johns as Mr. Cunningham and Boo Radley; and Richard Poe as Judge Taylor. Imbued with worldly wisdom, they are the heroes that battle the play’s villains played by Joey Collins as the antagonist Bob Ewell and his tragically victimized daughter Mayella Ewell played by Arianna Gayle Stucki. Take note of Mary Badham in the small yet pivotal role of Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose, the cranky octogenarian who harasses the children as they pass her porch. Badham won an Oscar for her role as Scout in the movie.
Highly recommended. A defining production of what has been called America’s Greatest Novel.
 Richard Thomas (“Atticus Finch”), Yaegel T. Welch (“Tom Robinson”) and The Company of To Kill a Mockingbird. (Photo/Julieta Cervantes) Additional cast members include David Christopher Wells as Sheriff Heck Tate; Luke Smith as Horace Gilmer; Greg Wood as Mr. Roscoe/Dr. Reynolds; Travis Johns as Mr. Cunningham/Boo Radley; and Liv Rooth as Dill’s Mother/Miss Stephanie.
Scenic Design by Miriam Buether; Costume Design by Ann Roth; Lighting Design by Jennifer Tipton; Sound Design by Scott Lehrer; Original Music by Adam Guettel.
Through July 10th at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20566. For tickets and information call 202 467-4600 0r visit www.Kennedy-Center.org
Jordan Wright
June 17, 2022
Special to The Zebra
 Photos Courtesy of Restaurant Associates Freedom Day, Juneteenth, marks the moment in United States’ history on June 19, 1865 when the remaining 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Confederate states were legally declared free two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. In the century-and-a half since, the Juneteenth holiday represents a time to gather with family and community, to honor the present and to reflect on shared history and tradition. This year’s commemoration explores the “sense” of freedom by highlighting the music, food and experiences of African Americans.
For the first anniversary of this federal holiday, the museum plans include a variety of family-friendly virtual and in-person events and programs to celebrate Juneteenth. As you stroll through the galleries you will hear a newly created playlist by music curator Steven Lewis and see the museum’s display of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s original speech from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on view from June 9th through June 20th in the “A Changing America” exhibition curated by NMAAHC Curator Joanne Hyppolite.
Head to the Sweet Home Café where Executive Chef Ramin Coles of Restaurant Associates has created a special menu to celebrate Juneteenth. The Café will be offering a number of delicious choices including Whole Hog BBQ, Yeast Rolls, Smoked half Chicken with Cherry BBQ sauce and House-made Pickles, St Louis Ribs with a choice of BBQ Sauces and White Bread, Louis Armstrong Red Beans and Rice with pork, Stewed Tomato, Okra and Corn, Coleslaw and Potato Salad. For a sweet home finish, two tempting desserts are on the menu with both Cherry Cobbler and Red Velvet Cake. Iced tea and Cherry Lemonade are available.
*Photos Courtesy of Restaurant Associates
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