Holly Twyford (Desiree Armfeldt) and Bobby Smith (Fredrik Egerman) . Photo by Christopher Mueller
The most difficult reviews to write are the ones in which there is nothing to critique – where the music washes over you like a waterfall, the Noel Cowardesque repartee is both witty and snarky, the voices luscious and the costumes, sheer Victorian elegance. How do you argue perfection? That’s the quandary I find myself in with Director Eric Schaeffer’s production of A Little Night Music. Schaeffer has kicked off the new season with an eye-popping, ear-swooning production that will knock your socks off. Not only is the cast superlative but the 13-piece orchestra led by Jon Kalbfleisch soars.
Bobby Smith (Fredrik Egerman) and Will Gartshore (Carl-Magnus Malcolm) . Photo by Christopher Mueller
Four-time Helen Hayes award-winning actress Holly Twyford stars as the glamorous femme fatale Desiree Armfeldt, a Swedish actress who is both feisty and vulnerable and comes armed with a rapier wit. Twyford, who has never done a musical before, proves she can sell a song purely through tenderness and raw emotion. Neither sharp, nor flat, nor off-key, her delivery of the iconic number “Send in the Clowns” is poignant, wry and edge-of-your-seat at the same time. The entire show is, but for different reasons.
Maria Rizzo, Kevin McAllister, Tracy Lynn Olivera, Nicki Elledge, Sam Ludwig, Holly Twyford, Will Gartshore, and Florence Lacey. Photo by Paul Tate DePoo III
Pulling from some of the finest singers in our area the range of voices from baritone to tenor and alto to soprano is breathtaking – their harmonies flawless. It’s every singer’s dream to perform in this show, and Schaeffer has cast the best of the best. There’s Bobby Smith as Fredrik Egerman, a well-heeled attorney in the throes of a mid-life crisis and married to the virginal Anne, played by the adorable Nicki Elledge, and Sam Ludwig, just coming off of Jesus Christ Superstar, who garnered a well-earned Helen Hayes nomination for last year’s lollapalooza Titanic, here playing the angst-ridden cellist Henrik Egerman.
Florence Lacey, who lays claim to a string of Broadway hits, plays the curmudgeonly sentimentalist, Madame Leonora Armfeldt. Lacey was also in Signature’s Titanic – as well as another alum from the show, Tracy Lynn Olivera, here as the beleaguered, but shrewd, Countess Charlotte Malcolm.
Maria Rizzo (Petra). Photo by Christopher Mueller.
The sheer schadenfreude deliciousness between the characters creates the necessary tension behind some of the comic encounters, such as Petra’s tempestuous seduction of Henrik in “Soon”. (Petra played by the voluptuous Maria Rizzo) and Fredrik’s suggestion to his old flame Desiree, “You must meet my wife.” To which she sarcastically replies, “Let me get my hat and my knife!”
Holly Twyford (Desiree Armfeldt) . Photo by Christopher Mueller.
Scenic Designer Paul Tate dePoo III gives us a stately banquet table that lowers from the rafters and a massive bed that features prominently as seducers and the seduced frolic with abandon in merry games of chase all choreographed by Karma Camp. Lighting by the brilliant Colin K. Bills and the dreamy costumes by legendary designer Robert Perdziola.
Highly recommended. Five stars, if I gave out stars, which I don’t. Just go.
Through October 8th at Signature Theatre (Shirlington Village), 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206. For tickets and information call 703 820-9771 or visit www.sigtheatre.org.
Getting schooled by Thomas W. Jones II, aka “Afro Joe”, is a lesson in growing up Black, Catholic, and urban hip – “sticky leg” and all. Jones is a poet with a fusillade style of comedic delivery that gets under your skin with its beat-bopping rhythms and déjà vu tales of adolescence. It’s a story about being Black in modern culture that transcends Blackness and goes to the heart of teen angst and family dynamics. Jones is already cool. At 60+ he’s still got all the moves including a dip in the hip (he assures us it’s not about hip replacement), when he’s demonstrating the art of getting the girl. Or, at least, trying to get the girl, which doesn’t go well for Jones as a teenager until he realizes that making a well-rehearsed, slow-rolling, wordless entrance into a dance club isn’t at all the kind of approach that his target has in mind. “You enter on an angle,’ he advises, twisting his agile frame into a slow-walking, undulating gait. After a few rookie moves in which the women rebuff his advances, he switches gears and tries a little tenderness. Cue the adoring girl.
Jones and his two, talented singer/actor sidekicks, Jasmine Eileen Coles as Lady Doo Wop 1 and Kanysha Williams as Lady Doo Wop 2, blast out street-funky, free-style, free-verse poetry filled with the pain and glory of growing up and growing cool in Queens, New York. They dance, slide and do the funky chicken to James Brown, Sidney Poitier and other Black towers of power from the 1950’s rock n’ roll era as archival photos of the period, including Dr. J and Willie Mays, are projected behind them.
The Wizard of Hip – Photo credit Chris Banks
Filling the black box stage, the indefatigable Jones peels off in warp speed with riffs on his youth. One episodic piece delves into the sanctity of mamas and papas, as in “don’t talk about my mama”, a multi-character piece in which he is pitted against street toughs while defending his mother’s honor. In it he goes from getting beat up (he’s a genius at morphing into two or more characters at once) to slip sliding off in dishonor with a panoply of excuses to go home – homework, dinner, mow the lawn.
In fact, “mow the lawn” becomes a particularly notable euphemism in the troubles he has with his father (whom Jones also plays). The father figure is seen as a model of ineptitude and intransigence – forever diverting punitive decisions back onto mama while urging his son to step up his game and be a man. This impossible balance of constantly maintaining peer-pressure hipsterness while trying to score with the ladies, is what keeps our hero rocked back on his heels as he deciphers what everyone wants and where he fits in. Because in the gospel of Cool with a capital ‘C’, “You gotta be John Wayne in a Shirley Temple world.”
The Wizard of Hip – Photo credit Chris Banks
Jones is familiar to MetroStage as writer, director and choreographer on Three Sistahs, Ladies Swing the Blues and many other original productions that had their premieres here. He’s also known for his performances at Studio Theatre and more recently at Woolly Mammoth Theatre.
Two veteran musicians keep pace with Jones high energy. On keyboards is William Knowles, known to MetroStage aficionados as Music Director for his work on the Helen Hayes’ award-winning Cool Papa’s Party as well as Three Sistahs, Blues in the Night, Ella Fitzgerald: First Lady of Song, Blackberry Daze and more. Knowles also provides original music to syncopate Jones’ kinetic style. Keeping the backbeat is Greg Holloway on drums – a staple of many of MetroStage’s original productions.
See it, if you want to keep your cool.
Through September 17th at MetroStage, 1201 North Royal Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
For tickets and information call 703 548-9044 or visit www.metrostage.org.
Jordan Wright August 8, 2017
Photo credit: J. Wright
Sofitel Launches Summer Menu – Baba Bar: A Sexy Speakeasy Sans Password – Japanese Embassy Hosts Travel Writers – Peter Chang Opens Rockville Outpost – Silver Debuts Summer Menu – Hank’s Oyster Bar Proves Great Pairing for Nederburg Wines
Let’s Play the French Way at Sofitel
The lobby at the Sofitel
One of the most enjoyable ways to while away the hours is at the Sofitel Hotel DC where luxury is part of the brand. Whether on the patio (large fans provide a breeze), in the intimate, modern-chic iCi Urban Bistro with its wraparound street-facing windows, or in the plush, loungy Le Bar, the hotel is a calming retreat, and a mere stone’s throw from the ongoing chaos of the White House.
(l-r) Salmon tartare with pickled Amish vegetables ~ Grilled octopus
Executive Chef Gyo Santa for prepares everything with great care and delicacy using the freshest ingredients with a perfectionist’s eye to alluring presentation. Santa’s Asian-influenced spin on modern French cuisine is unlike anything being prepared in the city. And we love it!
(l-r) Classic Bouillabaisse avec rouille ~ Classic Bouillabaisse avec rouille
This summer he imagines the dreamy lavender fields of Provence and the fruits de mer of the Côte D’Azur to conjure up flavors to pair exquisitely with rosés from Aix-en-Provence. A bouillabaisse with rouille, a whole grilled branzino a la Provencal with sauce vierge or roasted moulard duck breast with sliced Brussels sprout, rainbow carrots and poached pear in a sweet wine glaze – each dish could sing “Le Marseillaise”!
Rosé is perfect with the summer menu
Summer-inspired cocktails are decidedly South of France – “Tango St. Tropez”, “Cannes Cachet” and “Carte Blanche”. Of particular note is the luscious sounding, “St. Maxime Side” made with Absolut Elyx, lime juice, in-house made strawberry syrup and fresh basil.
Heavenly chocolate bombe
Pastry Chef Samantha Meissel is killing it with her Chocolate Almond Bomb made with gluten free almond sponge cake, amaretto syrup, dark chocolate mousse, honey almonds, and chocolate Chantilly. Other scrumptious desserts include, a fantastic salty caramel ice cream and refreshing summer sorbets, plus Tropical Pavlova with meringue cookie, Chantilly, mango and strawberry, tropical sorbet, and mango gel; the Bourbon Vanilla Crème Brûlée with citrus Madeleines; and the Valhrona Caramelia Sundae with chocolate sauce, and Chantilly.
And if you’re coming in later in the day, the hotel has refreshed their delightful Le Goûter program. It’s a French concept, used to break up the afternoon, and consists of light, small bites desserts. This delightful interpretation incorporates a mini Napoleon, a macaron, two small fresh fruit tarts, a mini vanilla brulee, and a Valhrona dark chocolate panna cotta. It is served between 2:00pm and 5:00pm every day with coffee, tea, or champagne.
Le Gouter
Sofitel Hotel DC, 806 15th Street, Washington, DC 20005 – 202 703.8800 www.Sofitel.com
Baba Bar – Clarendon
Baba Bar’s intimate lounge
Down a dark stairway and into the candlelight, Baba Bar is the super, sexy, small plates speakeasy where you don’t need a password to get in. Brought to you by the Ambar folks, who are right next door, this is a cozy hangout with banquettes and comfy armchairs, small tables and phenomenal cocktails where you can tuck into flavor-forward Balkan nibbles that, dare I say it, are healthy with lots of vegan and vegetarian options to go along with steak, salmon and seared scallops. You can even find the famed “Forest Gnocchi” here.
“Forest Gnocchi” dessert
Cocktails are listed under “Light & Refreshing”, “Strong & Boozy” and “Spicy & Smoky” to suit your mood. The spirits range from cachaça to rum, pisco to barrel-aged bourbon. Mezcal makes an appearance as does slivovitz and the Balkan firewater, rakia, of which they have more than half a dozen flavors.
Cocktails
Fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables, many from Amish farms, are used in the preparation of these cocktails, or “mocktails” if you prefer. It is one of the most excitingly diverse bar programs around. Of course, you would know this if you had visited Ambar’s two other outposts, the one on Capitol Hill, or the other next door.
That this hip spot serves brunch from 8am till 3pm blows my mind. Coffee is from the fantastic Philadelphia-based La Colombe. It doesn’t get any better. Good Morning, “La Colombe Martini”! I’m serious. Order one.
(l-r) Wild mushroom toast with kajmak ~ Beet salad
Little known secret – the kajmak, a type of butter used in the “Wild Forest Mushrooms” on toast and also the “Scallop Trio”, adds pulverized nori, bacon and parmesan cheese to this addictive spread. It is to die for!
(l-r) Salmon tartare ~ Seared scallops
Baba, 2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 – 703 312.7978 www.baba.bar
Silver
Ype Von Hengst, Executive Chef
Chef and Nutrition Guru Ype Von Hengst and Bob Giaimo have forged a powerful partnership with their Silver Diner restaurants. Last year we wrote about their latest venture, Silver, a stylish Art Deco-inspired restaurant in Bethesda that is a hugely popular neighborhood destination. The night we visited was “Meet the Chef” night and Ype was there in full-on gracious mode – charming guests and overseeing details. The monthly program was instituted this summer to introduce patrons to the congenial chef and it’s caught on – chiefly because of the Dutchman’s engaging personality.
Silver aims high. Hoping to be everything to everyone it boasts a menu jam packed full of nutritionally-dense ingredients, many sourced from local farms, elevated diner fare and upscale casual dishes. (Read more here – https://whiskandquill.com/nibbles-and-sips-around-town-december-26-2015)
(l-r) Goat cheese bruschetta ~ Avocado toast
On the night we visited the energetic Chef Ype, who has clearly discovered the fountain of youth, was dropping by each table with greetings for all the patrons. He made a few suggestions which we were glad to follow – the menu is enormous! – and we tried his recommendations beginning with the excellent Goat Cheese Bruschetta and Avocado Toast. Now I know they are ubiquitous these days, but these are exceptional. The bruschetta is made with a pine nut pesto, tomato, sunflower seeds and balsamic drizzle. See how many healthy ingredients are involved in this simple offering! Ditto for the avocado toast which incorporates queso fresco, thinly sliced radishes, tomatoes, pomegranate seeds and basil oil with the smashed avocado that is then served on slices of fresh country bread.
Did we stop there? No, because my dinner partner had a hankering for a fine steak, while I had my eye on pan-seared ocean scallops with lemon garlic sauce. All the dishes listed on the menu are annotated with their respective calorie, fat, cholesterol, carb, fiber and protein counts. You know what you’re getting even if the dish you choose might compromise what limits you set for yourself.
But we weren’t there to enumerate our caloric consumption, so we dug into dessert with abandon. (Warning: Desserts do not come with calorie counts. You’re on your own here, though “Hand-Spun Shakes” can be ordered low-fat.) These are of the super yummy, over-the-top variety. Both the “Campfire Sundae” and the “Pistachio Mousse + Chocolate Brownie” plus fresh raspberries were satisfyingly delicious.
(l-r) Pistachio mousse ~ Campfire sundae
Check out “Pups on the Patio” every Thursday from 4pm till 7pm.
Nederburg Wines at Hank’s Oyster Bar Prove a Winning Combination
Thanks to Nederburg and their we had a chance to revisit Hank’s where they paired their South African wines with some immaculately fresh seafood dishes and a heaven-can-wait lemon merengue pie.
(l-r) Assortment of local oysters ~ Fried scallops and calamari and shrimp seviche
Hosted by Andrea Freeborough, the Cellar Master of Nederburg, we heard the story of Nederburg and got a primer on the latest vintages. Established in 1791 the historic winery is on the Western Cape province of South Africa where they use a progressive and pioneering approach to winegrowing and winemaking that has earned them a wealth of respect worldwide.
We loved how nicely their wines from the new ultra-premium “Heritage Heroes” line sidled up to the seafood dishes as we tasted vintages from Nederburg’s latest vintages which includes The Brew Master, named for Johann Graue, a brew master in his native Germany who bought Nederburg in 1937 and adapted his experience to pioneer viticulture and winemaking in South Africa; The Young Airhawk that pays tribute to Johann Graue’s son, Arnold; and The Anchorman named for Nederburg’s founder, Philippus Wolvaart, who bought the farm in 1791 and planted Chenin Blanc, amongst other varietals such as the Winemaster’s Reserve Chenin Blanc. These vintages dovetail seamlessly into the summer season.
Japanese Embassy Offers Culture and Cuisine to Travel Writers
The display from the Japanese National Tourism Organization
The Japanese Embassy and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) along with JAL and purveyors of fine food and spirits presented a dazzling array of authentic musicians, sushi chefs and other traditional Japanese cuisine to excite travel writers and travel agents.
Kyoto musician
Held at the magnificent Ambassador’s residence on Nebraska Avenue, the seminar and reception was to celebrate the International Pow Wow (IPW), one of the country’s largest events to promote travel. The focus was on Tohuku, and featured some of their regional sakes. Tohuku is an area hard hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and which is now welcoming tourists to their charming
(l-r) Waterfalls in the Japanese tea gardens ~ The formal gardens at the Japanese Ambassadors’s residence
The event host was Kelley Ferro, an award-wining travel journalist and filmmaker who visited Tohoku and created videos of her experience. Watch here – Tohoku.
Representatives from Shiki-Shima, Japan’s new ultra-luxurious, high speed sleeper train that travels from Tokyo to off-the-beaten track places like Tohuku, greeted visitors. H. E. Ambassador Kenichiro Sasae gave opening remarks before turning over the microphone to Keith Kirkham, Incoming Minister for Commercial Affairs for the embassy.
(l-r) Buffet supper features Japanese delicacies ~ Sakes from Tohoku
A toast was made, “Kanpai” followed by Kelley Ferro and a lavish dinner reception before Ryoichi Matsuyama, President of JNTO, gave closing remarks.
Peter Chang Opens Q in Rockville
A soft opening at Q
Peter Chang’s empire keeps growing. This is his seventh restaurant and all are located within Maryland and Virginia – all the better for Chang and his partner Jen Lee to check on their cooks and keep the standards up to snuff.
Peter Chang (right) cuts up with his Chef de Cuisine at Q
Their latest venture Q by Peter Chang is in a tony section of Rockville and boasts a glitzy outpost tailor made to showcase Chang’s fine Szechuan cuisine. A large sunken slate patio, with spaciously arranged tables, dresses up the street side. Inside it is ultra-modern with geometrically-shaped chandeliers and a concrete floor befitting Chang’s contemporary approach. Walls are paneled with carved dark woodwork and angular wood tables run alongside the green leather banquettes.
The sunken patio at Q
If you’ve ever dined in Chang’s other locations you’ll know that he doesn’t hold back on the heat. Seasonings can be fiery hot. Tiny Szechuan red chiles take center stage in many dishes, but ask and your server will point you to milder fare.
Chicken with chiles
I’ve learned that when the salt factor rises, it ameliorates the ferocity of the spiciness somewhat, as does the addition of some sweetener to the accompanying sauce. But don’t be surprised, even if you think you know Szechuan cuisine, if you’ll have to recalibrate your palate to adjust to these authentic dishes. And be sure to check out the dim sum platter. Served only at lunch, it consists of nine samplings rotated seasonally.
(l-r) Pan-fried scallion and scallop dim sum – Scallop dim sum
Samantha Lee Contributing Food Writer
Photos by S. Lee
I discovered Shangri-La, a Nepali and Indian Restaurant, at the Taste of Bethesda. Though opened in 2008, it went under new management in January 2016 and is named after the Nepalese paradise of Shangri-La with its stunning white peaks in the Kunlun mountains.
From the outside, you’ll notice the front window frames of the modest spot are neon-lit with the orange and green colors of the Indian national flag. Inside the décor reveals framed pictures of life on the hillsides of Nepal, temple scenes, and the signature wooden windows of the old heritage houses in Nepal. On top of the cash register there sits a golden statue of Ganesha, the god of prosperity. Though small, the dining room can seat up to 60 people comfortably and can accommodate larger parties with some advance notice.
General Manager Babu Subedi and Chef Singh Maharjan co-manage the restaurant. Babu Subedi, who received a BBA and a MBA in Hospitality, has been here since it opened. Prior to working at Shangri-la, he worked in European and Indian restaurants. Chef Singh Maharjan is from the Newari ethnic group in Nepal. With over 15 years of culinary experience, his passion for cooking was learned from his mother. Prior to cooking at Shangri-la, Maharjan worked at Tandoori Nights from 2006 to 2015.
Chef Singh Maharjan
The menu is broken down into several categories: Appetizers, Soup, Salad, Specials, Thali, Seafood, Tandoori, Chicken, Rice/Biryanis, Lamb, Vegetable, Breads, Sides, Children’s Menu, Dessert, Tea/Coffee, Soft Drinks, and Wine. Each dish is made with high quality fresh ingredients, locally grown organic produce and blends of Nepalese and Indian spices.
We started with drinks. My friend ordered Kingfisher, the world’s number one selling Indian beer while I ordered the Masala Chai, a Darjeeling milk tea served with sweetener on the side, and Mango Lassi, a sweet yogurt drink with mango pulp. The Kingfisher tasted like a generic beer with a fuller body than an American lite beer and a hint of sweetness. The Masala Chai, served hot, has a sweet aroma and creamy texture. The Mango Lassi was semi-sweet, refreshing, and not too thick.
Kingfisher Beer – Mango Lassi
We started our meal off with the Cho-E-La, a boneless duck marinated in a blend of ingredients that includes Nepalese herbs and spices. This dish was cooked with onions in a clay oven and served with beaten rice. It was good but bitter at times when you combined the meat with beaten rice.
Cho-E-La
We also shared the Chicken Momos, steamed dumplings filled with minced chicken marinated with fresh ginger, garlic, and Nepali spices and paired with a mildly spicy tamater chutney. It was served with shredded lettuce, cucumber, carrots, and julienne of red bell pepper. The Chicken Momos had strong, sweet overtones of fenugreek.
Chicken Momos
For entrees, I ordered the Butter Chicken – boneless white meat chicken prepared in a deliciously creamy tomato sauce. It was sweet and savory, and mild enough for people who don’t care for spicy food. In addition to the Butter Chicken, I ordered Garlic Naan, freshly baked white bread topped with garlic, butter and fresh herbs. It was salty and savory and paired nicely with the chicken.
My friend ordered the Lamb Biryani, which consisted of lamb cooked to perfection and served with basmati rice richly flavored with saffron, nuts and raisins. The dish gave off a floral aroma and was served with Raita, a fresh yogurt sauce of cucumber, tomatoes, onions and herbs. When consuming the Lamb Biryani, the raita brings the heat of dish down.
Clockwise from the left – raita, naan, lamb biryani, basmati rice, butter chicken, and chai tea
Unfortunately, we didn’t save any room for dessert. Overall, the service was very good and our meal was delicious, leaving us with the urge to return.
Shangri-La is located at 7345-A Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814. Buffet style lunch is served on weekdays from 11:30am to 2:30pm, regular lunch on weekends from 11:30am to 2:30pm, and dinner daily from 5:00pm to 10:00pm.
Ryan Sellers (Cain), Philip Fletcher (God) ~ Photographer: Johnny Shryock
In his apocalyptic vision of the end of the world Georgian-born Director and Adaptor Paata Tsikurishvili offers up a slo-mo intro to the birth of Evil. In it he provides God (Philip Fletcher) with a large mobile Modernist statue with serpentine arms from whence to rule his kingdom. This Tree of Knowledge representation is where Adam (Scott Brown) and Eve (Tori Bertocci) meet their fate in the Garden of Eden.
Synetic has long been a theatrical vehicle for the interpretation of world politics and has consistently sought out ways to parallel their productions to the ills of modern society. Describing his inspiration for The Mark of Cain with Machiavelli’s immortal words, “Absolute power corrupts absolutely. We see this popping up everywhere,” he adds suggestively. Tsikurishvili’s latest fantasy after a five-year dry spell, reads like a graphic novel of the world’s ills.
In committing their original sin, the doomed couple bite into the shiny red apple symbolized by a balloon in a cage. We see God’s tears begin to fall from white balloon “eyes” encased in a pyramid – like the eyes on the U. S. dollar – and backlit by flashlights. There will be many more balloon symbols indicating sadness, death and destruction. It’s an awkward device at best, but you’ll get the drift.
Ryan Sellers (Cain), Dallas Tolentino (Abel) ~ Photographer: Johnny Shryock
Our jeans-clad lovers soon encounter the Dark Angel (Kathy Gordon) and her minions before running off to give birth to their twins, Cain (Ryan Sellers) and Abel (Dallas Tolentino). This colorless Garden of Eden may augur the evils to come, but it seems an unnecessarily grim setting for paradise. Abel is the sensitive one of the two, representing Culture and the Arts – playing stringed instruments woven from strips of white fabric. Cain is the penultimate destroyer, torturing the dancers that frolic to Abel’s music. More balloon eyes “cry” and a death is symbolized by the popping of a red balloon filled with red dust. We will come to see this again and again as it depicts Death symbolized by black balloons. After Cain kills off his entire family and appears to briefly mourn their loss, the use of dancers carrying helium filled black balloons is yet again employed while God marks Cain for life with red powder, a device used to symbolize blood, anger and/or defeat.
Kathy Gordon (Dark Angel), Ryan Sellers (Cain) ~ Photographer: Johnny Shryock
When the Dark Angel again returns she anoints Cain with a wreath of golden laurel leaves. As his conquests mount ever more elaborate “crowns” serve to describe the level of power that Cain has achieved. In a banquet scene in which all the guests wear crowns, they kill each other off in a dramatic fight scene. Some inexplicably return to march to Music Director Irakli Kavsadze’s choice of Ravel’s “Bolero” as Cain becomes power mad and the wars increasingly militaristic. The music is perfectly timed to mirror the staccato sounds of machine guns. At this point we have transitioned into modern day warfare and thankfully there are no balloons to distract from this electrifying scene.
Tori Bertocci (Ensemble), Ryan Sellers (Cain), Megan Khaziran (Ensemble) Photographer: Johnny Shryock
I don’t want to be the spoiler, but let’s just say Cain appears as Trump in elongated red tie and aviator sunglasses spewing executive orders and looking noticeably smug. You don’t want to know what miseries he has in mind to wreak upon the world at large. As with Synetic’s famous “Silent Shakespeare” series, this play is wordless which is hardly noticeable for the wealth of dance expression choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili, the fierce battle scenes by Vato Tsikurishvili, and the use of electronica composed by Konstantine Lortkipanidze. Trust me. You’ll get the picture.
Through August 13th at Synetic Theater, 1800 South Bell Street, Arlington in Crystal City. For tickets and information call 1 800 494-8497 or visit www.synetictheater.org.
(l-r); Carlie Smith as Delta Nu, Ashley Kaplan as Delta Nu, Benita Adams as Pilar, Halle Kaufax as Serena, Rachel Cahoon as Margot, Courtney Caliendo as Delta Nu, Rebecca Weiss as Delta Nu, Heather Gifford as Brooke. Photo courtesy of LTA.
The Laurence O’Keefe/Nell Benjamin frothy musical comedy of the airhead blonde with smarts who goes to Harvard and makes good, is an inspiring tale for young women who sublimate their dreams to snag a man. Elle Woods (the effervescent Morgan Arrivillaga) is the adorably peppy sorority president who gets dumped by her rich beau, Warner Huntington III before he goes off to college. Warner, whose old-line family have chosen a Kennedy-style future for him that doesn’t include Elle, is played convincingly by Brendan Quinn. No stretch for the suavely handsome Quinn, who is a Harvard Law student offstage too.
Unfortunately for Malibu-bred Elle she’s not in his league, (NOCD – Not our class, dear, as the upper crust say), or so he tells her, “My future’s all planned out. Time for me to get serious.” Elle, believing she can win him back, tells her parents she will follow him to Harvard Law, and with a razzle-dazzle in-person dance routine assisted by her Delta Nu sorority sisters, she convinces the Approval Committee to grant the Fashion Merchandising major acceptance to the ivied halls. “Pink is my signature color,” she perkily pronounces.
(l-r); Brendan Quinn as Warner and Morgan Arrivillaga as Elle Woods Photo credit LTA.
The 25-person cast is impressive giving us a slew of Elle’s high-energy sorority sisters (all of who look like they are out of Central Casting for cheerleaders) as well as her fellow Harvard students most of whom snub the party princess. There’s Enid Hoops, the Brainiac activist (Karen Kelleher), Vivienne Kensington, Warner’s snooty new girlfriend (Elizabeth Gillespie) and Emmett Forrest (the silken-voiced Kaylen Morgan) the handsome African American student on scholarship who helps Elle get serious about studying rather than man-chasing.
(l-r); Row 1 Morgan Arrivillaga as Elle Woods, Shawn Cox as Callahan, Marcelo Guzman as Ensemble; Row 2 Ryan Walker as Ensemble, Rebecca Weiss as Delta Nu, Carlie Smith as Delta Nu, Maria Ciarriocchi as Mom Track. Photo credit LTA.
The gritty Elle soon realizes that there is more to life than pom-poms and Warner’s affections and shows her supporter and love interest Emmett she’ll get down to business while planning to nab a prestigious law internship with the crusty Professor Callahan (Sean Cox). Meanwhile she meets Paulette (played hilariously by the very talented Katherine Lipovsky), owner of the Hair Affair who commiserates with Elle over their lost loves. Elle teaches Paulette how to get a man with the “Bend and Snap”, a bend-at-the waist-stick-out-your-fanny move that’s one of over 23 lively musical numbers. One of the funnier moments is when Paulette falls for the UPS guy (the hunky Sean Garcia) and she puts her new-found skill to good use.
(l-r); Katherine Lipovsky as Paulette and Sean Garcia as “UPS Guy” Kyle. Photo credit LTA
Director Hans Bachmann (who doubles as Elle’s Dad) has assembled a fine cast of actors/singer/dancers to pull off this stage-filled romp and Stefan Sittig delights with complex choreography, managing lively dance and cheerleading routines that often demand the entire cast to be on LTA’s challengingly-small stage at the same time. Numerous set changes are smoothly accomplished thanks to Set Designer Dan Remmers and crew, while Orchestra Director Christopher A. Tomasino’s 14-piece band keeps the party rocking.
A fun and frothy musical comedy that aims to beat the summer heat.
Through August 12th at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street. For tickets and information call the box office at 703 683-0496 or visit www.thelittletheatre.com
