The cast of 'Company' at Silhouette Stages. Photo by Steve Teller.

Company, currently playing at Silhouette Stages (Slayton House Theatre), is not a musical that will appeal to everyone. The curtain rises to reveal a cityscape at twilight, a platform, and a grand piano. The set never changes, though the lighting alters effectively to show not only twilight but daylight and sunset. The orchestra consists of four musicians seated in darkness behind the piano. If you’re expecting a flashy, Webber-esque affair, you’ll be disappointed—it’s Stephen Sondheim’s first major solo effort, based on a series of 11 one-act plays about ten married couples and their single, thirty-five-year-old friend Robert. As far as true-to-life goes, however, this is probably the most realistic musical ever written.

The Silhouette Stages’ production is funny, heartbreaking, moving, and at times a little too close to reality—perfectly communicated, thanks to the consummate direction of Debbie Mobley and Connie Ross, and the musical direction of Michael Tan.

Company deals with the very real fear of being alone, and the insufferable existence of being surrounded by (presumably) happy couples. The couples, of course, are not all happy—one pair gets divorced specifically to be single, one pair constantly bickers, one thrice-married wife lives in the perpetual shadow of her self-doubt. The music is full of that rare Sondheim talent, simultaneously moving and funny and occasionally glorious. The choral orchestration, much of it between eleven or fourteen people at once, is exceptionally well-done, and it was a good move to ensure that the actors were miked.

Joanne (Conni Ross) singing "The Ladies Who Lunch" in Stephen Sondheim's 'Company.' Photo by Steve Teller.

The theme might grate on some people, but no one can fault the actors, who were consummate professionals. Ashley Gerhardt (Amy) in particular was riotously funny during her mile-a-minute rendition of “Getting Married Today,” and Danielle Sherry’s comedic timing was perfect for her role as the unapologetically ditzy flight attendant April. Lead Ryan Geiger’s singing voice is fantastic, especially belting out the notes to “Being Alive,” Company’s anthem for the single and yearning. If I had one issue, it was that the dialogue was not always presented realistically. In many musicals, dialogue is basically filler between numbers, but this originated as a series of one-acts, making the words just as crucial as the music. Some of the scenes came off as unnecessarily jovial and inauthentic.

There were no technical issues, and despite frequent scene changes, the blackouts were efficient and not remotely tedious. The actors need to do a little more work coordinating dance numbers and timing, but no one missed a line or a cue, and everyone was so invested in their roles that the various conversations resonated as authentic. That is 90% of what makes a show run smoothly.

I personally would have seen Company as a stage play—many musicals, by virtue of people randomly breaking out into song, have too much frivolity for such a serious topic—but Stephen Sondheim decided to write it as a musical. The Silhouette Stages’ production is funny, heartbreaking, moving, and at times a little too close to reality—perfectly communicated, thanks to the consummate direction of Debbie Mobley and Connie Ross, and the musical direction of Michael Tan.

Company plays through May 20, 2012 at Silhouette Stages at The Slayton House Theatre, located in the Wilde Lake Village Center, 10400 Fox Cross Lane, in Columbia, MD. For tickets, purchase them at the door or online.

Mark Beachy interviews Stephen Hendel. (The person who co-conceived and produced FELA!

The cast of 'Anything Goes' at Riverside Center Dinner Theater.

From May 4^th through July 22^nd, the glamour of Riverside Center Dinner Theater is doubled in the production of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes, directed by Justin Amellio and Rollin E. Wehman.

If you were planning on staying home some night and getting your Broadway fix on Netflix when no one else is around to see you watching those old movies (you know who you are), give up the game.  I’ve got a better use for your time.

Glitter, glitz and glamour are all brought to life in this wonderful play by legendary composer and songwriter Cole Porter, whom you may have seen recently portrayed by Kevin Klein in It’s De-Lovely.

The cast of 'Anything Goes' at Riverside Center Dinner Theater.

Anything Goes is set aboard an ocean liner called the S.S. American during the 1930s.  Sailor suits and tap-dancing?  You bet.  A host of colorful characters find themselves aboard trying to find everything from love to notoriety.  There are the lovers, of course: Billy Crocker (Mason Reich), con man who has not been able to shake off Cupid’s arrow, and Hope Harcourt (Brittany Taylor), a good girl who’s just bad enough to find herself in love with the right man and marrying the wrong.  Overbearing Mrs. Harcourt (Anne Lloyd), Hope’s mother, is a piece of work all her own, for she’s brought aboard Hope’s unfathomably unglamorous fiancé, Sir Eeeeevelyn (Robert Beard), a gentleman from England who likes to run around the deck in the most horrible plaid shorts you’ve never wanted to see.

Reno Sweeney, (stage veteran Kathy Halenda), is the element of divine chaos, come to shake everyone up with her irresistible charisma.  A successful evangelist turned beloved showgirl, she has brought her girls along as companions, and Purity, Chastity, Charity and Virtue (Taylor Paige Boyle, Kylie Clark, Sally Roehl and Maggie Wilder), the poor things, are only too happy to make their long trip surrounded by nothing but sailor boys as enjoyable as possible.  But wait, there’s more…the ambitious gangster Moonface Martin (Alex Balian), disguised as a minister and completely in the wrong line of work, is accompanied by his capable accomplice and would-be Reno showgirl, Bonnie (Kimberly F. Knight).  A determined ship’s captain (John Maher), overly responsive sailors (Christopher Hlusko, Jonathan Litalien, Michael R. Colby, Calvin Register, Jr., and a Chinese Bishop with two Chinese converts (Maher, Hlusko and Litalien) round out the wackiness.

Come see Kathy Halenda play Reno Sweeny in 'Anything Goes!'

From star to ensemble, the whole cast of Anything Goes at the Riverside Center Dinner Theatre is full of spirit and will sweep you off your feet.  (No, really; I took my mother for mother’s day, and she almost got up and danced with them.)  Award-winning actress Halenda brings with her the Manhattan style, draped in glitter sequins and seeming to channel Porter through her beautiful, powerful and warm voice.  Reich is hilarious and even gives Miss Piggy a run for his money as Billy takes on several disguises, but shines especially in his gorgeous ballad, “Easy to Love.”  Knight owns the stage in her powerful rendition of the seductive “Buddie, Beware” number.  Taylor’s duets with Reich are dulcet and lovely, and she is compelling as the sweet but independent Hope.  The Chinese converts are far from forgettable as benign but mysteriously skilled gambling enthusiasts.  Even with a cast of so many already loveable characters and talent, Beard as Sir Evelyn and Balian as Moonface are utterly adorable simply from the pure enjoyment they have in their ridiculous roles.

From star to ensemble, the whole cast of Anything Goes at the Riverside Center Dinner Theatre is full of spirit and will sweep you off your feet.

A clever set by David P. Stock that somehow manages to get changed without you even noticing it adds a powerful touch, as we see the cast frolicking around a giant ship deck of three levels.

Finally, there’s just something about seeing a red velvet curtain falling on a cast of beaming, talented people who have just tap-danced for you in the footlights, that leaves you feeling transported.  Don’t let this show go without you seeing it, and don’t let the family miss out, either.

Anything Goes plays through July 22nd at the Riverside Center Dinner Theater, 95 Riverside Parkway, Fredericksburg, VA 22406. For tickets, call 888-999-8527.

Below is a video promo, produced by Riverside Center Dinner Theater.

Cliff Eberhardt

Cliff Eberhardt is currently making his theatrical debut as The Blind Baladeer in The Taming of The Shrew at Folger Theatre for which he composed and performs the original music. His songs have been recorded by Ritchie Havens, Shawn Colvin, Russ Taff and Buffy Sainte Marie. You might have heard his voice on commercials for products like Coke, Miller Beer and Chevrolet (“The Heartbeat of America” campaign). He has recorded eight solo cds all of which can be obtained through his website. I urge you to see Cliff in The Taming of The Shrew at Folger Theatre. His songs are a welcome addition to the production. If you like what you hear you can purchase his cd of songs from the show called Shrew Songs.

As a kid were you interested in music?

Yes. Music has always been a large part of my life. My father played guitar and my mother played piano. I took up the uke at age 4, guitar and piano at age 6, and started performing live with my two brothers at age 7. That’s when I told my parents I wanted to be a professional musician. Soon after that, my father gave me a toy dentist kit!

What was your first professional job as a musician?

It was singing with my older brother Geoff. I was 16, and the gig was in a coffee house on the campus of Dennison University in Granville, Ohio.

The Taming of The Shrew is your first foray into composing for a theatrical piece. Is it harder to score for the theatre than say writing a commercial jingle or a pop song?

YES! You have to read the script and know it well enough to not only find places for songs, but also find lyrics that fit the moment.

How did you go about deciding which moments in the play were going to be musicalized?

I discussed them with Aaron Posner, the director, but most were obvious to me. I chose moments that stood out to me emotionally (“Some Call Love”) or philosophically (“Oh Lord What Fools These Mortals May be”).

After The Taming of The Shrew where can we see you in action?

You can go to cliffeberhardt.net and click on “tour” to see all my upcoming live performance dates.

The Taming of The Shrew plays through June 10, 2012 at Folger Theatre, at The Folger Shakespeare Library which is located at 201 East Capitol Street, SE, in Washington, DC. For tickets, call 202-544-7077, or order them online.

The cast of 'Young Frankenstein' in the big production number, "Puttin' on the Ritz." Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Fans of Mel Brooks, the comic genius behind such movies as Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, and The Producers, will enjoy his live stage musical, Young Frankenstein.

Of course, Young Frankenstein and his smash hit musical, The Producers were first motion pictures with Blazing Saddles, the musical in the offing.

What I took away after having seen Young Frankenstein on Broadway was that I expected this touring show to be A., Funny and B., to have a Great Set.

Though the national touring production, produced by NETworks based out of Columbia, MD, would have been greatly enhanced by having a star vehicle, the leads in the cast did a fine job at recreating the roles from Broadway.

The story begins as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (A. J. Holmes) is a lecturing about the brain at Johns, Miriam, and Anthony Hopkins School of Medicine when he receives word from a solicitor that he has inherited his family’s estate in Transylvania.  Frankenstein comes from a long line of nutty scientists, including his grandfather whose experiments in re-animation led to the creation of a monster.

Traveling to Translvania to inspect the property, he meets the hunchbacked servant named Igor (Christopher Timson), housekeeper Frau Blücher (Pat Sibley), and a young, blonde servant named Inga (Elizabeth Pawlowski).

A. J. Holmes as Frederick Frankenstein and Rory Donovan as The Monster in 'Young Frankenstein.' Photo by Paul Kolnik.

Throughout their adventures, Brooks has interwoven fun songs like the Vaudeville-like tune, “Together Again” and the spooktacular “Join the Family Business.”  The song “The Brain,” where Frankenstein teaches about the brain is, at times, a fast-paced patter song, not unlike the style of song that comic legend Danny Kaye used to sing.

At the performance that I attended, I saw many young families, thinking that this was a family show.  In fact, this is not a show that you can take your young family to enjoy.  Mature audiences, however, will enjoy the typical Brooks humor, as showcased in the songs “Roll in The Hay” and “Deep Love.”

The song that practically stopped the show was the one song not written by Brooks.  It was the classic song by Irving Berlin, “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”  Rory Donovan as The Monster gained the biggest laughs of the evening while singing the lyrics “Puttin’ on the Ritz” and “super duper!”  This production number is where everything about the show seemed to work to optimal quality.  I won’t be giving away any surprises here, but I can say that the ensemble looked dapper as they tapped in their top hats and tails.

The touring set was a woefully scaled-down version of the Broadway set. Not that I can expect it to be practical to have the same set as Broadway on a tour but I was expecting to at least have the operating table in the laboratory rise up to the roof as seen on Broadway and any movie of Frankenstein.  Instead, the table was just stationary on the ground. I also missed the brightly colored greens that were in the laboratory set on Broadway.

I wonder how musicals ever survived without having computers in the pit orchestra.  This production was compiled of a 7 piece live orchestra with a computer adding to the mix with “digital enhancements.”  The computer created the illusion of a full orchestra, but took away from the idea of live theatre, where, in my humble opinion, everything should be done LIVE!  I jokingly said to the person selling CD’s of the show that the sound operator might as well just play the CD cast recording and have the cast lip-sync.

All in all, with the talented cast, fun songs, and clever comedy, fans of Mel Brooks won’t be disappointed, but may have a few stomach pains from laughing so much!

Young Frankenstein is only in town for two days, with only one show left TODAY, May 13th at 1 PM.  It is playing at Modell Performing Arts Center at the Lyric, 140 W Mount Royal Ave, Baltimore, MD 21201.  For tickets call 410-900-1150 or purchase online.

WATCH a video preview below, produced by NETworks.

Susan Lynskey

Susan Lynskey is currently getting a nightly workout at Olney Theatre Center where she is playing nine bazillion roles in The 39 Steps. By day she is on the staff of the Department of Performing Arts where she teaches Theatre and Performance Studies at Georgetown University. She performs regularly at area theaters including The Kennedy Center, Center Stage, Round House, The Studio Theater, Signature Theater, Arena Stage (where she is an Affiliated Artist) and soon Theater J. Her radio/voicework has been featured on NPR, PBS and the CBC. (She is also known to turn up in roles in film and on television.) Lynskey is a proud member of Actor’s Equity, The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and (SAG) the Screen Actors’ Guild. Lynskey has received special recognition in the Washington Post, the Washington Times, Washington Theater Review Magazine, and American Theatre Magazine. Her work as an actor has also garnered a Helen Hayes nomination, the Art and New Media Award, and two Artist Fellowship Awards from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. I was privileged to have seen a show Susan directed at Georgetown called Visible Impact which took an unflinching look at people with disabilities and how people treat them. I came out saying one thing- WOW!!

What was your first professional performing job?

I earned my Equity card performing at the Folger Shakespeare Theatre in this smart, funny, poignant play by the brilliant local playwright, Caleen Sinnette Jennings; it was titled Playing Juliet/Casting Othello. It was one of the first (and only) non Elizabethan/Jacobean plays allowed to perform at the Folger Library. I played both the roles of Wendy and Desdemona herself. However, the very first professional production for me here in Washington, (while I as still earning my AEA ‘ stripes’), was a haunting little play by Jeffrey Hatcher, called Scotland Road at the Source Theatre. Like so many actors who are grateful to call the DC Metro area their artistic home, it was the Source which gave me my first professional opportunity.

A kiss can mean many things in Hitchcock's suspenseful farce, THE 39 STEPS starring Jeffries Thaiss & Susan Lynskey. Photo by Stan Barouh.

You are on the staff of Georgetown University. When you are in a production at one of the area theatres how do you balance both jobs?

I have been on the Faculty now eight years, teaching Theatre and Performance Studies. And frankly I love it. It is a balancing act, indeed, when it comes to sleep sometimes, but acting and the teaching of it, fuel and inspire each other. Said simply, I ‘practice what I preach’– so as both an educator and artist it keeps me sharp. The teaching and learning happen both in the classroom and from the stage, which I hope can provide both inspiration and assistance for my students in forwarding their own dreams and achievements.

Can you please tell us what your inspiration was for creating the wonderful piece I saw at Georgetown called Visible Impact?

Oh thank you. I’m thrilled you were moved by the work. I, too, loved that show for so many reasons: its creativity, its collaboration and its community-building. The quick-back story on Visible Impact: I have been very fortunate in my tenure as an artist here in DC to have fostered a strong connection with the Deaf Community. (One of my first jobs in Washington was ‘voicing’ for Gallaudet’s ASL productions.) I was also fortunate to have become friends with playwright/actor Willy Conley, when we performed in a show together at CenterStage. It was The Hostage performed with a mixed deaf and hearing cast. We have remained friends all these years. Present day: He, now teaching at Gallaudet and I at Georgetown, so we thought about ways of bringing our work together again, of bringing our students together, and of bringing d/Deaf and hearing theatre together. I have also been very close with Susie Richard, Artistic Director of Open Circle Theatre since a production of Pericles we acted in together many moons ago at WSC. She has been doing exemplary work with her theatre company, integrating disabled and able-bodied actors in productions, and I thought why not bring all these worlds together; Theatre can do that. So Visible Impact was born. Thank you for your acknowledgement of it. It was an extraordinary piece to work on— ground-breaking and community-building, changing the way I think about language, culture, the human spirit and theatre.

Susan Lynsky in 'The 39 Steps.'

The 39 Steps has tons of quick changes for all of its performers. How do you keep it all straight?

It’s a roller-coaster, indeed, but very fun to ride. Into costume. On stage. New character. Run offstage. Out of costume. Into new costume. Back onstage, in a matter of seconds. New character. Run Offstage. Run back Onstage. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat-throughout-show! (And for my fellow comedians, Jason and Evan– they so often have their ‘changes’ without ever leaving the deck!) And it’s not just costume changes… (which if I may just take a moment to acknowledge how beautiful the costumes are—Designer, Pei Lee and Seth Gilbert have built some truly beautiful period clothes), it’s new dialects, new locations, new objectives, and new character relationships in rapid succession.

For all of us, it requires a smart, sharp, savvy understanding and honoring of those ol’ comedic rhythms of the Vaudeville tradition, heightened listening, and generous ensemble-playing. It’s my favorite kind of work. It’s a ‘Tour de Farce’, really; and so delightful to take all the steps!

After The 39 Steps ends its run at Olney Theatre Center where can we see you perform next?

Next, I will be performing at the Kennedy Center in their New Visions/ New Voices Series—then into rehearsals for the opening play of Theatre J’s 2012-2013 Season: Body Awareness. It will run through September.

Olney Theatre’s production of The 39 Steps plays through May 27, 2012 at the Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD.  For tickets call 301-924-3400 or order online.

Managing Director Lesley Malin and Founding Artistic Director Ian Gallanar

Founded in 2002 with a mission to create innovative performance and education programs that bring the works of William Shakespeare and other classics to life, Howard County–based Chesapeake Shakespeare Company is getting ready to expand their audience with the acquisition of the historic Mercantile Trust and Deposit Company building in downtown Baltimore.

I spoke with Sandra Maddox Barton from the Chesapeake Shakespeare Company about this big addition.

Mark: Why Baltimore City? When did you decide that you needed your own space?

Sandra: We have always looked for ways to connect with new audiences. Our Summer Program in the Ruins has been so successful, but we have always wanted to find a place to expand where we can do more year-round programming. The opportunity for the Mercantile Building came up in January and, upon first glance, we knew that was our space. Baltimore is a great city with very little access to classical theatre and we look forward to sharing what we do with the city’s already vibrant theatre scene.

Mark: Do you think you will lose some of your audience members who are used to you being in Ellicott City?

Sandra: Not at all. The Patapsco Female Institute will remain our summer home for outdoor productions. For over ten years we have been serving an ever growing audience in Howard County and they love what they do.

Mark: How will having your own space benefit the theatre and the community?

The landmark 1885 Mercantile Trust and Deposit Company building located at 200 East Redwood on the corner of Calvert and Redwood, is just two blocks from Baltimore's celebrated Inner Harbor.

Sandra: A ten minute walk from the Hippodrome and the exciting new Everyman Theatre space and a fifteen minute walk from CenterStage, our new cultural home will help create a “theater triangle” in downtown Baltimore. We have been so delighted by the enthusiastic support of Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, The Downtown Partnership of Baltimore, the Baltimore Development Corporation, VISIT Baltimore, and the Baltimore Office of Promotion and the Arts.

Mark: Tell me about the design plans for the facility. When will the space be ready?

Sandra: Our 250-seat “modern globe” theatre will be designed by Cho Benn Holback and Associates Inc. The stage area will be the center of activity and will also serve as our rehearsal space. The facility will also include office space, scene/costume shops, lounges and storage space. We will start renovations in January of next year and intend to start programming in 2014.

Top 5 Publisher’s Picks:

1.   The Taming of The Shrew at Folger Theatre

Director Aaron Posner takes us to the wild west where it is anything but tame.

READ Elliot Lanes’ review of the play.

Synopsis: Shakespeare’s comedy The Taming of the Shrew pits the spirited Katherine against the fortune-seeking Petruchio in a quintessential battle of the sexes. Petruchio has agreed to woo and marry Katherine as a favor to his old friend Hortensio, who is in love with Bianca, Katherine’s younger and more popular sister. The younger sister can only be married after the older one, but Katherine has a notorious temper and thus far no man will have her… until Petruchio comes along to “tame” her.

Danny Scheie, Cody Nickell, and Kate Eastwood Norris in Shakespeare’s 'The Taming of the Shrew' at Folger Theatre. Photo by Jeff Malet.

2. Ruined at Fells Point Corner Theatre

See why this play by Lynn Nottage won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Synopsis: In war-torn Congo, Mama Nadi Keeps the peace between customers on both sides of the civil war by serving everything from coldbeers to warm beds. This shrewd matriarch both protects and profits from the women whose bodies have become battlegrounds “ruined” by the brutality of government soldiers and rebel forces alike. This play is inspired by interviews conducted in Africa.

Del Vaughn Rooks and Yakima Rich. Photo by Ken Stanek.

3. The Big Meal at Studio 2ndStage

Following one family through multiple generations, this play is relatable and enjoyable.

READ Jennifer Perry’s review of the play.

Synopsis: The Big Meal follows a young couple, Nicole and Sam, from first date to first fight, their first kiss to their newly wedded life at a single restaurant table. The years pass and Nicole and Sam start building their own family—a son and daughter—who come enthusiastically and then reluctantly to family meals at the restaurant. Sam’s parents visit and accompany the family on their big meal tradition. More years pass and the children become adults with families of their own, as other loved ones fade away. Both familiar and surprising, and observed with aching accuracy, The Big Meal shows a family in all their embarrassment and heartbreak.

Matt Dougherty, Sam O'Brien, Hyla Matthews, Chris Genebach, and Maya Brettell in 'The Big Meal.' Photo by Carol Pratt.

4. Urinetown: The Musical at HCC’s Arts Collective

Don’t let the title of the play scare you.  This show is good, clean fun!  Well, as much as can be expected…

READ Steve Charing’s review of the play.

Synopsis: In this smart and hilarious satire of American business, no one – and no musical theatre genre – remains unscathed. Due to a 20 year drought, the poor are forced to scrounge for pennies to pay for the privilege to urinate. Bobby Strong has the courage to stand up to a tyrannical empire, rousing the poor with musical numbers that parody Broadway’s biggest shows.

The cast of 'Urinetown: The Musical' at HCC's Student Arts Collective. Photo by Nate Pesce.

5. Working at The Keegan Theatre

If you could break into song at work, it would look like the musical, Working.

READ Elliot Lanes’ review of the play.

Synopsis: The hopes, dreams, joys and concerns of the average working American are the focus of this unique, extraordinary musical. That the everyday lives of “common” men and women should be so compelling and moving will surprise and inspire anyone who has ever punched a time clock.

The cast of 'Working' at Keegan Theatre. Photo by Jim Coates.

David Muse

David Muse is completing his first season as the Artistic Director of The Studio Theatre. He is currently directing Bachelorette which begins performances at The Studio Theatre on May 23rd. In 2005 Muse came to Studio Theatre and began directing at The Studio 2ndStage, The Studio Theatre’s producting wing dedicated to the nurturing of rising talent with The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow and Frozen. Select Studio Theatre mainstage credits include The Habit of Art, Venus in Fur, Circle Mirror Transformation, Blackbird and Reasons to be Pretty. Other area credits include Terrence McNally’s Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune (Arena Stage, 2007), Julius Caesar (The Shakespeare Theatre Company, 2008), and most recently, Henry V (The Shakespeare Theatre Company, 2010). Muse has also directed at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, the New York City Summer Play Festival, Source Theatre Festival and Theatre Alliance.

Did you go to school for directing?

I did. In a way, twice. I did my MFA training in directing at Yale drama. And I worked for Michael Kahn for seven years, which wasn’t classroom instruction obviously, but was intense apprentice-style training.

What was your first production as a director at The Studio Theatre?

I directed The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow at Studio 2ndstage in 2005.

There are four stages to fill at The Studio Theatre every season. How do you decide which shows go into which space?

I think those decisions are some of the most important decisions I have to make, actually. Sometimes it’s obvious to me which space best suits a play. Other times it’s a tougher call, and requires careful advance thinking about the style of the production and its likely design. Plus there are scheduling issues, order-of-the-season concerns, artist availability complications.

Of the four stages in The Studio Theatre which is the most challenging to stage a production in?

Each of the spaces poses its own unique challenges – it’s impossible for me to pick the hardest. Ask me in five years, maybe i’ll have a better answer.

The Studio Theatre has always produced at least one show that recently closed in NYC during its season. Of the shows playing currently in NYC are there any that you would like to produce at The Studio Theatre?

Best that I not talk publicly about specific titles for the future. Stay tuned.

Eric Jones (Ian) and Madeline Botteri (Monica) in 'Rooms: A Rock Romance' at Kensington Arts Theatre. Photo by Stephanie Gross.

The Kensington Arts Theatre production of Rooms: A Rock Romance, is now playing at the Kensington Town Center.  Directed by Dani Stoller and Lenora Spahn, this ambitious production tells the story of the budding love between a pair of equally-talented musicians at the cusp of adulthood in 1970’s Scotland, when punk and new wave are the rage.  While the story covers only a short period of their lives (early twenties), both Ian (Eric Jones) and Monica (Madeline Botteri) manage to undergo several life-changing transformations both as individuals and as artists.

The brooding, solitary Ian and the starry-eyed, driven Monica meet over a collaboration for a song Monica wants to perform for a batmitzvah.  Although they are nothing alike, they both notice there’s an instant “click;” for now, though, they’ll keep it professional.  When it becomes clear they make a great musical team, however, Monica is taken up in the dream of success and drags Ian first to London, then Manhattan.  Along the way, they discover their feelings for each other, but also the way their very different needs, desires and musical endeavors have gotten entangled in “us.”  Changes in the world of the music industry and their environments seem to mirror the changes that are occurring between them, and within, and it is not clear if there is still a place in their respective worlds for the other…

Eric Jones (Ian) and Madeline Botteri (Monica). Photo by Stephanie Gross.

Rooms is a two-person show whose set is constructed around various “rooms” that make up Ian and Monica’s world: bedrooms, clubs, apartments, and stages.  The rooms are loosely but effectively constructed with the use of a door that is swiveled around the stage depending on the given setting.  Although we only ever see Jones and Botteri, their families, professional contacts and audiences are included and brought to life through Ian and Monica’s imitations of their parents, some telephone calls and sound effects.  In fact, their gesturing and physicality alone, especially during the performance numbers, create the vast world around them, while they always remain the focus.  A lively pit orchestra, doubling as a band at times, plays behind a darkened screen at the back of the stage.

At first glance, I had two reactions to going to see this show: 1) Sweet!  It’s a rock musical! And 2) Uh oh, looks like the same-old, same-old for storyline.  Afterwards, I found I had a lot to think about.  There is a wonderfully mature attitude of hope and determination that balances out the drama and angst, and none of these characteristics overwhelm the show.  The fact that the period covered in Ian and Monica’s lives is so short speaks to real life experience, and helps avoid the tendency that similar shows have of over-emphasizing periods of drama and tragedy.

Most importantly, however, the performances of Jones and Botteri are absolutely superb.  The instant they take the stage, these actors own it.  Botteri has a dynamic, infectious energy that never drops (she must be exhausted after each performance), and her voice is refined, clear and powerful in both the rock and ballad numbers.  Jones is complex as Ian, skillful and remarkably capable of being both a gentle complement to Botteri’s character and a compelling, forceful Ian when he is on stage alone.  Jones’s voice is a beautiful, soaring tenor, equally skilled, and even plays guitar onstage.  Both demonstrate in every moment of their performance that they are multi-talented, and they are remarkably well cast.

Overall, this production is professional quality, from stage to music to acting.  I enjoyed the performance a lot, and enjoyed coming away with many things to think about.  The humor, drama, optimism and love of Rooms is true-to-life and does much justice to the trials of various stages of adulthood.

Rooms: A Rock Romance plays through May 26, 2012 at Kensington Arts Theatre, 3710 Mitchell Street in The Kensington Armory/City Hall, in Kensington, MD. For tickets, call 206-888-6643 or order them online.

Madeline Botteri and Eric Jones

About the Cast:

Madeline Botteri (Monica) is thrilled to be making her KAT debut! Past credits: Signature Theatre – Sunset Boulevard, Brother Russia (u/s), Side by Side by Sondheim (u/s), [title of show] (u/s), The Hollow (u/s), The Boy Detective Fails (u/s), I Capture the Castle 21/24 (u/s); Keegan Theatre – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, A Man of No Importance; Kennedy Center’s Page-to-Stage Festival – The Greenwood Tree; Catholic University – Sunday in the Park with George, Nine, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Jason Robert Brown Cabaret: Journey.

Eric Jones (Ian) is honored to be making his fifth appearance at KAT in this incredible show! A native of Frederick, MD, he was last seen here in Sunday in the Park with George (Soldier/Alex), Violet (Monty), and RENT (The Man et al. – 2010 WATCH Nomination for Outstanding Cameo). Other favorites: MET – The Eight: Reindeer Monologues (Donner), A Clockwork Orange (Minister of the Interior et al.); OOH – City of Angels (Stine); GS – The Triangle Factory Fire Project (Steuer et al.); GAC – Children of Eden (Cain/Japheth), The Rocky Horror Show (Frank-N-Furter). Eric has also worked as a dialect coach and makeup/hair designer, receiving the 2008 WATCH Award for his work on GAC’s The Rocky Horror Show.