District Beat

Something You Didn't Do

2010-09-17T06:04:00.002+01:00

I really wanted to like Something You Did, the season opener at Theater J. On paper, it sounds really interesting. The play, by Willy Holtzman, fictionalizes from real life events to tell the story of an anti-war activist, who was put in jail in the early ‘80s after one of her protests took the life of a police officer. Now, in present day she is up for appeal and trying to decide how she feels about her crime as she confronts her victims and her comrades, some of whom have switched sides. The story draws liberally from the lives of Kathy Boudin and David Horowitz, both members of the Weather Underground movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s. Boudin ended up in jail for their violent protests, while Horowitz remained free and became an outspoken neo-conservative. The playwright, Holtzman, imagines these two personalities actually getting the chance to confront each other and the people they have become, 20 years later. See what I mean. It’s got all the trappings of a play I’d like. History, relevance, interesting characters, and an opportunity for change to happen in a crucible. And yet, I left feeling that the show was mostly a dud. I guess the fact that it worked better on paper is a sign that I would have liked the book better (if only it had been a book!)

And thus I’m torn about Something You Did. On the one hand, I feel like it has, at its core, a kernel of an idea that is quite interesting to explore. But on the other hand, I’m not sure these ideas translate well to the stage. Perhaps they would work better in a book, or film, but on stage they get a bit lost. For me, theater is most powerful when it is about people, and emotion, and most of all change. The problem with this play is that people change a lot, but it has all happened before the play starts. And this would be ok if we got to see how people reacted to these changes or how they were affected by them. Instead, in this play, people just sort of talk about these changes. It all seems quite cerebral (and not in the good way) and straight forward (and not in the good way). In movie we might get to really peer into their eyes, and see how they looked at each other. And in a book we would have gotten to read more about their history, and their inner struggles. But on stage, when all we have to go on is what they say and how they behave, everything felt quite flat.

This situation was not helped by the acting, which I felt was almost universally lacking. Each character needed a little more something. Deborah Hazlettt, who plays Allison the imprisoned activist, needed to either be more indignant and fiery or more withdrawn and introspective. Norman Aronivic needed to be more wise and charming as her lawyer. Aakhu Freeman could have been angrier and more impassioned as the daughter of Allison’s victim. And Rick Roucheux needed to be a lot more pompous and emboldened as the Horowitz character. Everybody oscillated between a 4 and a 7 on the “intensity scale” and I was always waiting for someone to turn it up to 11. Not for the whole time, but for a few moments it would have been nice. Lolita-Marie was probably my favorite actor as Uneeq, the prison guard, but she was there more as a plot device to move the conversation along than as a real character, so that doesn’t count either.

So it’s hard for me to tell if my complaints were mostly about the play or mostly about the production. The two are so interdependent that I won’t be able to tell. And more than likely it was a combination of the two. I’m sure that they influenced each other in some sort of self-negating prophecy. Now I’ve just read back through my review thus far and it sounds like I hated the show. I certainly did not. I just didn’t love it as much as I’d hoped to. I was disappointed and, worse than that, bored. I’m not saying don’t see it, and I know that other people have liked it a lot, but I am saying you may be better off seeing something else. But if they ever make this play into a movie or a book, definitely check it out.

Shakespeare in the... err... theater, but still free

2010-08-31T04:00:00.002+01:00

Performance: Free For All: Twelfth Night
Theater: The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Sidney Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW
Metro: Gallery Place-green/red or Archives/Navy Memorial-Green. Directions here.
Genre: Comedy
Cost: FREE! (see below for details on the lottery)
Dates: Through Sept. 5
Rating: 5/5 Starving Artists

There are few things more enjoyable than seeing Shakespeare performed excellently. Seeing Shakespeare performed excellent for free may be one of them.

Every summer for the past 20 years, DC’s Shakespeare Theater Company has offered a free show to the DC community in their annual Free For All. And this year’s offering is Twelfth Night. What’s exceptional about this program is that they offer their highest caliber work to the community. Although you might expect a no-frills production, they don’t skimp in any noticeable way. They present their usual beautiful set, fantastic directing, and stunning acting, but they do it free of charge.

Twelfth Night is brilliantly acted across the board. Each performer is excellent, with standout performances by Chuck Cooper, Tom Story, and Nancy Robinette as Sir Toby Belch, Sir Andrew Aguecheek, and Maria respectively. Everyone did a great job of connecting the audience to the material. The show was quite funny and the actors struck a nice balance between bringing out the humor in the script and creating a few hysterical moments of their own. But the show was completely stolen by Floyd King as the Jester, Feste. His report with the audience, his knowing looks, and his impeccable timing would have been worth the price of admission even if there was a price of admission. We saw King at Studio in The Seafarer in 2009 and back then I described him as “stirring”. Here he’s not so much stirring as just plain brilliant. As the Jester, King gets to be hysterically funny throughout, but he also gets to be the one character who gets it, the one who knows, like the audience, that he’s surrounded by fools. And the connection that he creates with us as a result creates that special kind of theatrical magic that is electrifying. If you’re skeptical about seeing Twelfth Night, see it for King.

It’s easy to see why STC chose Twelfth Night for this year’s freebee. It’s easy to get into. It’s one of the funnier of the Bards Comedies, and with only one set of twins, it’s easy enough to follow, no matter your Shakespeare proficiency. The cast does a wonderful job of opening the play up to the audience and keeping them involved. The set and costumes are beautifully simple, and simply beautiful. There’s one week left to see this show for nothing, and it’s not to be missed. How fun to be able to give out a 5/5 Starving Artists this early in the season. And you don’t have to go hunting for deals, because this one is free for all!

VERY IMPORTANT INFO FOR GETTING TIX:

The way the lottery works: Instead of having potential theater patrons stand in line for hours in the DC summer heat, The Shakespeare Theater Company has created a lottery system. You can enter the lottery online in a matter of seconds by creating an account with STC. For evening performances, you need to enter the lottery between midnight and 1pm on the day of the performance. For matinees, you need to enter the day before.

STC will send you an email letting you know if you have won tickets. If you have, congratulations, you can pick up your tickets between 4pm (or 11:30am) and 30 min before the start of the show. However, if you have not won tickets, you still try to get tickets via the standby line. All of the tickets that are not pick-up by winners 30 minutes before the show are released to the standby line. On the night we went, there were tons of empty seats so you should certainly still be able to get in.

What All the Buzz is About

2010-08-31T01:21:00.005+01:00

Performance: In the Next Room or (AKA)The Vibrator Play
Theater: Woolly Mammoth Theater,641 D St, NW
Metro: Gallery Place-green/red or Archives/Navy Memorial-Green. Directions here.
Genre: Sex-omedy
Cost: Regular price tix range from $30 to $65, Under 25 tix are $15, Rush tix (sold 2 hours before showtime) are also $15
Dates: August 23 – September 19

Rating: 4/5 Starving Artists

When you go to a play called The Vibrator Play you know you’re going to have a lot to talk about afterwards. There’s really no way a play about the invention of the vibrator isn’t going to spark some intriguing dialogue. And Woolly Mammoth’s new production of Sarah Ruhl’s hot new play (fresh off its 2009 run at the Lincoln Center in New York) does just this. In the Next Room, or The Vibrator Play leaves you talking about enlightenment and science and (of course) sexuality. It inspires some fascinating conversations, and I think this, more than anything, is the best part of the play.

The play is a historical drama set in the late 1800s about the invention of a new medical device, designed to relieve woman of an affliction known as “hysteria” (what we would call in a modern woman being “anxious,” “stressed out,” or just plain “horny”) by giving her a “paroxysm” (in modern parlance, and orgasm.) As hard as this is for modern Americans to believe, this process was, at least in its inception, in no way sexual. This was a treatment performed by a doctor with a medical instrument. It’s just like getting your blood pressure checked or having your tonsils looked at. But as the women in the play discover, this particular procedure is not that similar to having your BP measured or your tonsils examined. There is something deeper, more personal, more sacred going on. This dawning realization that sexuality is a natural human condition provides the play with its driving force. The linking of this paroxysm to sex and sexuality is a revelatory experience for each of the women in the play.

The play is well written and well acted. It’s funny without ever being vulgar, and the occasional double entendre keeps the play interesting at its slower moments. It gets, at times, riotous laughter from the audience, but it never feels as though it’s being played for laughs. And the facial expressions on the actors when they have their paroxysms and when they hear others having one are priceless. As always, Woolly company member (and this blogger’s favorite DC actor) Sarah Marshall, steals the show with hysterical and animated facial gestures.

The play is not without a few faults. The lead actress, Katie deBuys, plays her character, Mrs. Givings, with an exceptional amount of earnestness that is usually endearing but occasionally offputting. She does from time to time feel like she’s trying a little too hard. And the staging, which relies on an imaginary wall between the living room of the house and the doctor’s office, would benefit from a little more intentionality. The wall’s presence is rarely acknowledged, so that when the actors dramatically “break through” it at the end of the play, this symbolic gesture is more confusing than powerful. But these issues are really minor when compared to the play’s strengths: humor, depth, and charm.

The play is definitely worth seeing. If you’re not put off by a few orgasms and some brief and tasteful male nudity (yes folks, only the men get naked in this one) then I think you’ll really enjoy this show. And more than that, you’ll enjoy talking about it after. I know Lady AWesome (shall we change her name to Mrs. 20something?) and I did!

Quick Hit: Theater J's new show and blogger discount

2010-08-25T16:09:00.008+01:00

Performance: Something You Did
Theater: Theater J, 1529 16th Street NW
Metro Stops: Dupont Circle – Red line or U Street/Cardozo-Green line. Directions here.
Genre: Political Drama
Dates: Aug 28-Oct 3
Cost: All 35 and under tickets are $15.
PWYC: Aug 29 and 30. Also, they have a $30 preview on Aug 28, but I’m not sure why anyone would go to that if they offer $30 rates for all Sunday night performances.

Blogger Special: Theater J has a new special for blog readers. Enter the code DCBLOGGER when you order tickets, and all tickets are $15 for the following nights:

Saturday, August 28, 8:00

Thursday, September 2, 7:30

Saturday, September 4, 8:00

Sunday, September 5, 3:00 AND 7:30

Monday, September 6, (Labor Day) 7:30 pm

Even if you are under 35 and would usually just use that discount, 20something and I encourage you to use the blogger discount code instead as a way to encourage Theater J to continue to offer discounts for blog readers. It’s great that they are reaching out to the community and recognizing the publicity they can get on DC blogs. Spread the word and encourage your friends to use the code and thank Theater J for offering the special.

Now about the show itself:

They say: A stellar student from a famed, leftist family, Alison Moulton (Deborah Hazlett) is serving her 30th year behind bars for an anti-war bombing that resulted in the death of a police officer. Once a member of a radical activist group much like the Weather Underground, she now spends her days volunteering in the prison library and providing legal counsel to her irreverent young prison guard Uneeq Edmunds (Lolita-Marie). The play opens only days after the death of Alison’s father, as his pugnacious law partner Arthur Rossiter (Norman Aronovic) comes to Alison with a new plan to petition for her parole. Alison, however, has a different idea of how to win the case: Over the objections of others, she's gotten in touch with Lenora Renshaw, the slain officer’s daughter (Aakuh Freeman) who has grown into a formidable woman. The encounter between the two goes badly. Alison is also visited by Eugene Biddle (Rick Foucheux), a former comrade and lover, turned neo- conservative author and media star. Biddle, who's been sent by Arthur ostensibly to help Alison appeal to a more conservative constituency, not only argues against her, but implicates a past associate who once worked on Alison's legal defense, now a public official. As the debate unfolds, secrets are revealed and battles revisited. Smear politics, ‘60s revisionism, and the desire to rejoin society form the driving, conflicting forces in this “fluid and eloquent play” (The New York Times).

We say: Theater J is offering a series of post-show discussions on various themes of the play. They have been offering these discussions for at least the past couple seasons, and this time around they definitely seem worth checking out. The topics range from religious perspectives of prison to the changes in political activism from the 1960s to now. If you have been missing the heated political discussions during the August recess and are looking for some political and philosophical discussions, Something You Did is just the play for you. 20something and I will probably check it out in order to see how Theater J is kicking off the season. Let us know when you are going, and we'll tag along.

Quick Hit: The Vibrator Play

2010-08-22T14:51:00.004+01:00

Performance: In the Next Room or (AKA) The Vibrator Play
Theater: Woolly Mammoth Theater, 641 D St, NW
Metro: Gallery Place-green/red or Archives/Navy Memorial-Green. Directions here.
Genre: Sex-omedy
Cost: Regular price tix range from $30 to $65, Under 25 tix are $15, Rush tix (sold 2 hours before showtime) are also $15
Dates: August 23 – September 19
PWYC: Aug 23 and Aug 24
We're going: Monday Aug 23. Want to join us?

They say: At the dawn of the electrical age, a new medical device is developed to treat and pacify "hysterical" women, but it unknowingly produces a very different result. Pulitzer Prize-nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl, author of The Clean House and Dead Man's Cell Phone, shares this story of repressed sexuality and physical exploration with equal doses of humor and emotion.

Their upcoming season: The 2010–2011 season begins with a Vibrator and ends with Bootycandy — need we say more? It's a focused and poignant exploration of our attitudes toward gender, age, race, and sexuality in a manner that's uniquely Woolly.

We say: Now that 20something and I have officially tied the knot, we are so excited to get back into DC theater. And just in time for the 2010-2011 season! What better way to kick off the season than a Pay-What-You-Can performance at Woolly? The Vibrator Play received praise during its run in New York, so Woolly has brought it down to DC to start a season sure to provoke discussion and a little controversy. We attended their preview of the season earlier this summer and Artistic Director Howard Shalwitz said that following a season focused on issues of society and race, they decided to go all the way and focus on something a little more intimate. 20something and I are looking forward to the season and are thrilled to be back. We hope you'll join us as we return to regular blogging and theater-going

Our annual Fringe round-up: enjoy

2010-07-20T23:12:00.007+01:00

We've entered the last week of Fringe, and just like last year, I've put together my roundup of the show's that got 5's from DC Theatre Scene and still have showings left. When available, I've also added reviews from the Washington Post and Fringe and Purge (Washington City Paper's Fringe blog). Fringe and Purge posts end with a "see it/skip it" line so I've given you that too.

If you're thinking about seeing one show this year (or one more) you might start with this list:

A Walk in the Woods

July 24 @ 3:00 pm
Drama
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it: If you’re a fan of great acting and great dialogue.
Skip it: If you need an action-driven plot to hold your interest.

Black & Kinky Amongst Brown Waves

July 23 @ 8:15 pm
July 25@ 4:00 PM
Solo Performance
DCTS Review

Case 22

July 22 @ 9:15 PM
Drama
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it if: You take a socially conscious interest in the child welfare system.
Skip it if: You like your metatheater a bit more transcendent.

Chlamydia dell'Arte: A Sex-Ed Burlesque

July 22 @ 8:00 pm
July 24 @ 10:30 pm
July 25 @ 1 pm
Comedy
DCTS Review
Washington Post Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See It If: You refuse to believe that there is ever more than one way to teach a sex-ed class.
Skip It If: You still have nightmares from having watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show on your high school class trip to Florida.

Edible Rex

July 21 @ 6:00 pm
July 24 @ 10:00 pm
Solo Performance
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it: If you’re a foodie, a fan of great storytelling, and/or want to see one of the best shows at Fringe this year.
Skip it: If you’re on a diet or immune to the joys of food.

Eight

July 24 @ 7:00 pm

Fool for a Client

July 20 @ 9:00 pm
July 23 @ 10:30 pm
Solo Performance
DCTS Review

Freud Meets Girl

July 22 @ 8:00 pm
July 23 @ 10:00 pm
Comedy
DCTS Review
Washington Post Editors Pick

Galactica in Irrelevant Acts of Entertainment

July 23 @ 8:15 pm
July 24 @ 4:00 pm
Musical Theater
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it if: You yen for an intimate Dolly Parton concert, but are looking for more affordable tickets. You won’t be disappointed.
Skip it if: You like your Galacticas preceded by Battlestars.

Handbook for Hosts

July 24 @ 8:00 pm
Comedy
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it if: You’re prone to powerful fits of nostalgia for the Golden age of radio and fedora-wearing.
Skip it if: You reject out of hand the notion that sometimes style is substance.

How to Be a Human

July 23 @ 10:30 pm
July 24 @ 5:30 pm
July 25 @ 6:30 pm
Experimental
DCTS Review

iSchool Musical

July 23 @ 8:00 pm
July 24 @ 2:00 pm
July 24 @ 8:00 pm

Musical Theater
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See It If: You believe the best playwrights do their work on stage while the play is happening.
Skip It If: You enjoy watching Hamlet because you know there is only one way for it to end each time.

Logic, Luck and Love

July 21 @ 6:00 pm
July 22 @ 6:00 pm
July 25 @ 6:00 pm

Comedy
DCTS Review

Medea

July 20 @ 6:00 pm
July 22 @ 10:30 pm
July 25 @ 1:00 pm

Drama
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See It If: You’ve always been frustrated that the grandest excesses of Greek tragedies traditionally happen offstage. (Because Burke puts ‘em downstage center — vividly.)
Skip It If: You can’t keep your Furies and your Fates straight — or even a brisk hour devoted to infanticide is more than you want your Fringe to include.

Padrevia

July 21 @ 6:00 pm
July 24 @ 6:00 pm

Musical Theater
DCTS Review

Pushing Boundaries

July 24 @ 2:00 pm

Solo Performance
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it If: You don’t know much (or do know a whole lot) about the campaign to pass the Equal Rights Amendment and think personal narratives can make for thought-provoking theatre.
Skip It If: Tales of lobbying, political jockeying, the ethics of leadership, and fundraising with movie stars bores you.

Queer in the USA

July 22 @ 10:00 pm
July 23 @ 11:00 pm
July 25 @ 7:00 pm

Solo Performance
DCTS Review

Red Hood: Once Upon a Wartime

July 25 @ 7:00 pm
Puppetry
DCTS Review

Romeo & Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending

July 20 @ 6:00 pm
July 24 @ 10:00 pm

Run Away With Me! A Contemporary Caberet

July 23 @ 7:15 pm
July 24 @ 12:30 pm
July 25 @ 3:15 pm

Musical Theater
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See It If: You are equally devoted to the tunes of “the American songbook” as WNYC’s Jonathan Schwartz.
Skip It If: You believe that any music without a drumbeat is archaic, if not downright awful.

The Imaginary Autopsee

July 20 @ 8:00 pm
July 23 @ 6:00 pm

Comedy
DCTS Review

The Tea Party Project

July 22 @ 8:00 pm
July 25 @ 5:00 pm

The Water Plays

July 20 @ 6:00 pm
July 24 @ 1:30 pm

Drama
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See It If: The melancholy-yet-menacing siren song of the sea calls to you. Or you’re just a bargain hunter looking for the best minutes-per-dollar deals that Fringe has to offer.
Skip It If: You always thought Meat Loaf was kind of full of it when he claimed that “Two out of three ain’t bad.”

Tis A Pity She's A Whore

July 25 @ 6:30 pm

Drama
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it if: VC Andrews-brand siblings + “Have at you!” + Post-mortem dismemberment = Your winning formula.
Skip it if: You’re unwilling to wait a bit to get your visceral ya-yas out, and routinely eat dessert first.

TWISTED: A Collection Of Urban Fairytales

July 22 @ 8:00 pm
July 24 @ 6:00 pm
July 25 11:30 am

Experimental
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it if: You’re ready for Little Red to come of age.
Skip it if: Birds help you get dressed in the morning.

Un-Natural History of an Old Town Wife

July 21 @ 8:00 pm

Drama
DCTS Review

When ET Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

July 25 @ 11:00 am

Musical Theater
DCTS Review
Fringe and Purge Review

See it if: You like music and high quality performers with ‘Rent’-esque moments.
Skip it if: You don’t want to hear even a second of Toad the Wet Sprocket meets Nelson. (Look ‘em up for a laugh.)

Two More reviews from Tzvi

2010-07-20T23:06:00.002+01:00

Hours gets a 3. Here's the review.

7 Lessons on Suicide gets a 4. Here's the review.

If you want to read the rest of tzvi's reviews, click here.

Check out the rest of our Fringe coverage here.

Another fringe review from Tzvi: Case 22

2010-07-15T04:26:00.003+01:00

Our friend Tzvi raves about Case22:

In a pivotal scene in the second half of Case 22, a judge tasked with assessing a case of alleged child abuse engages in careful deliberation, reaches a verdict, assembles the courtroom, raises his gavel and – sorry, scratch that.

Actually, after exhibiting zero signs of deliberative exertion, the judge raises a hammer and proceeds to wield it with the veritable absence of subtlety that its actual function implies. It’s a wickedly clever flourish that speaks to the pitch-black comedic sensibility of Case 22, a play that seamlessly operates on multiple levels of meaning and structure even as its central theme, the decidedly unfunny subject of child abuse, remains undiminished by the attendant shenanigans.
Click here to read the rest of the review.

If you want to read the rest of tzvi's reviews, click here.

Check out the rest of our Fringe coverage here.

My fourth fringe review: Miss Teen Jesus Pagent

2010-07-12T16:00:00.003+01:00

This is one of those reviews I had to disclaim. Here's what I said:

Final score: 1 out of 5

Disclaimer: This show clearly has a target audience. I am not in that target. If you enjoy jokes about drag queens, jokes about ridiculous evangelical preachers, or jokes about JR’s Bar on 16th Street, this show might be for you. There were clearly people in the audience tonight who enjoyed it (some even gave it a standing ovation.) But …
Holy Crap! And by that I mean that Miss Teen Jesus Pageant is a lot of crap about some holy stuff. This play is a 120-minute bout of silliness that has liberated itself from the “pointless” confines of plot and structure and intentionality. To say this play is a rough draft is generous. It feels more like an idea that seemed really funny at 3:00 am and which got turned into a play later that same day. Miss Tean was high school-ish in all the worst ways. There were more missed cues than laugh lines. There were more inexplicable plot points than there were coherent moments. The playwrights (Ferinelli Sensino and Lobo Lagodi*) may had had a point to make, but they have hidden it beneath so many unintelligible twists and turns that it was impossible to discern.
Click here to read the rest of this review.

Check out the rest of our Fringe coverage here.

Fringe Review: the hunchback Variations

2010-07-12T15:25:00.003+01:00

Score: 3/5

The Hunchback Variations feels like a production of Waiting for Godot performed by the Marx Brothers. It is simultaneously high-brow and silly. Although I would have to say it’s less effective than Waiting for Godot, and the comedy is less refined than the Marx Brothers. The effect can best be described as “puzzling”.
Click here to read the rest of this review.

Check out the rest of our Fringe coverage here.

Fringe review number two: Showcase Showdown

2010-07-12T15:22:00.004+01:00

Score: 5/5

It was clear that the sizable and chatty crowd in the Burke Theatre was ready to have a blast. The Fringe goers who were looking for a subdued evening of theatre had gone other places. This was going to silly fun. And Speakeasy DC did not disappoint with The Showcase Showdown...
Click here to read the rest of this review.

Check out the rest of our Fringe coverage here.

Friend of DB's fringe reviews

2010-07-12T15:16:00.005+01:00

Friend of District Beat and fabulous writer, Tzvi, is also reviewing Fringe for DCTS. Here's his first review:

Score: 4/5

“My name is Slash Coleman. I’m a Jewish scientist – in my mind.” With these opening words, the performer of the one-man show Chaidentity articulates ground rules that, not surprisingly, he quickly defies. For as Coleman well knows, the quest to establish a coherent Jewish identity in the American melting pot – an effort so ubiquitous in American Jewish life and literature that it has become a cliché of a cliché – cannot succeed by positing a series of evidentiary propositions that lead organically to logical conclusions. Instead, science gives way to the messier whims of historical consciousness, collective memory and subjective human experience, which in Coleman’s case encompass primarily – what else? – the Holocaust, intermarriage, assimilation, aging rabbis with Yiddish inflections, and a healthy dose of confusion and agonized introspection.
Click here to read the rest of this review.

If you want to read the rest of tzvi's reviews, click here.

Check out the rest of our Fringe coverage here.

Fringe review 1: Losing It

2010-07-11T04:52:00.006+01:00

Here's my first Fringe Festival Post of the season:

Final score: 4/5

Losing It begins with a tantrum. Madeleine Russell, the play’s author and star, storms on stage, bellows, and throws a chair, a stack of books, some trash and a potted plant to the ground. She comes close to chucking a laptop before calming down. It was, needless to say, an abrasive start and, frankly, I was skeptical. Would this play would be more yelling than acting? I am happy to report that, over the next hour, Russell did a lot to win me over.
Click here to read the rest of this review.

Check out the rest of our Fringe coverage here.

I'm back (for a few)

2010-07-11T04:46:00.003+01:00

Hello faithful readers,
As you have probably noticed, DistrictBeat has been on a bit of a haitus. Wedding planning... need I say more. But in 36 Days, that will all be wraped up, and I can go back to being a blogger.

But I am taking a hiatus from hiatus and helping out DC Theatre Scene with their coverage of the 2010 Capitol Fringe Festival (July 8-25) As you may remember, this is my favorite summertime event (besides my wedding, of course). So, I'll be reposting my reviews here over the next few days. I hope this will tide you over until 20Something, LadyAWsome and all your DB friends make their triumphant return at the end of the summer.

Thanks for your readership.

20Something

Music Monday: Rock Out At A Synagogue (Venue Review)

2010-03-22T18:28:00.000Z

Getting to see top notch musicians up close and personal is usually reserved for those with deeper pockets that we have at District Beat; front row tickets can ofter cost upwards of $100 - enough for about three months of groceries if you live outside the beltway, or three mixed drinks if you live in the Dupont neighborhood. I can't justify paying more than about $50 to see a show unless I am seeing one of my absolute favorite bands, so I often seek out venues that host real talent and leave ticket prices low enough that I can still eat during the week of a show.

6th and I Historic Synagogue, which is located in Chinatown, is just such a venue. I've gone there to see Matt Nathanson (an acoustic rocker who was great), Imogen Heap (a less than acoustic alternative-er who was less than great), and Hadag Nachash (an Israeli hiphop and funk band that was utterly fantastic).

The venue is actually a synagogue (place of Jewish prayer), but don't let that scare you - it is set up for serious music. It seats about 600 (I'm not sure about this - this number is based on my visual estimate only) on two levels that form a "U" shape around the stage. Every show I've been to has had pro sound and a big concert vibe - similar in many ways to the size and vibe of the 9:30 club.

So why should you check out 6th and I? A few reasons:

The "U" shape of this smaller space allows every seat to be within 100 feet of the stage.
They find absolutely kickin' talent that people in their 20s and 30s (read: you) should love (upcoming shows are HERE)
Ticket prices are totally reasonable - most shows cost between $11 and $40.

Insider info:

You don't have to pay rip off Ticketmaster fees - Call their box office and they can give you a lower total price as long as you are willing to pick up from will-call. Man! I am not friends with Ticketmaster.
Get there early or get burned - If you check out the 6th and I site, you'll notice that many of their shows sell out. That means that the place will be packed and there definitely are bad seats in the corners of the room - and they don't sell tickets with seat numbers. Your best bet is either the standing area and first few rows of seats or the first few rows in the center area of the balcony - to get those seats, you'll have to show up more than 30 minutes before the show.
Hang out to meet the band - Because 6th and I wasn't originally a venue, the bands don't have a huge area in which to hide. Hang out by the back exits if you want to meet them after the show.

I'll let you all know when I go there next.

- TheClubScout

PS - Has anyone been to 6th and I for a show? What did you think of the venue?

Josh Kornbluth: Good for Theater J?

2010-03-18T04:18:00.006Z

Performance: Andy Warhol: Good for the Jews
Theater: Theater J, 1529 16th Street NW
Metro Stops: Dupont Circle – Red line or U Street/Cardozo-Green line. Directions here.
Genre: Daddy's little monologue
Cost: All tickets are half price for people 35 and under (and the Sunday shows are only $30 to begin with). Anyone can get half price tickets before with promo code WARHOL. Also goldstar has tickets starting at $15.
Rating: 2/5 Starving Artists

When Josh Kornbluth takes the stage at the beginning of Andy Worhol: Good for the Jews? at Theater J, he begins by saying "I don't get it". I left this world premiere saying the same thing. Well… maybe that's not entirely true. I think I got it. I'm just not sure why he thought I needed to see it.

Kornbluth's monologue tells the story of how he was asked to write a monologue responding to Andy Worhol's controversial Ten Portraits of Jews of the 20^th Century when the paintings were on display at the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Yes, it's a monologue about writing a monologue. Deep, I know.

My primary concern with the play was that the whole thing felt a lot more like a drash than theater. A drash, for those who don't know, is a Hebrew term for a short sermon, most often about the bible. A drash usually attempts to relate the biblical themes to modern life. It would seem as if Kornbluth set to utilize this structure to relate his own life to Warhol's Jews (and in this, I quickly learned, I have almost no interest). For eighty minutes, Kornbluth goes portrait by portrait, using each as a jumping off point to talk about seemingly random parts of his life.

Well, not entirely random. He tells us in the beginning that he was surprised to be asked to do a play about Andy Warhol because his work has a "very specific niche": talking about his relationship with his communist father. The rest of the play seems like an unabashed attempt to make sure that this play is no exception. The result make the work feel a little… strained. Some of the connections he draws seem surprisingly natural, like his discussion about how his grandparent's wanted their son to grow up to be the next Louis Brandeis, and how this was a major part of the reason them finding his father to be such a disappointment. But others seem forced to the brink of absurdity. A few (most notably Sigmond Freud) were too difficult to even attempt, so he gives them only a passing reference and hopes we won't notice. And so, in the story that he weaves, threads are picked up and dropped at random, with no regard for a larger aesthetic. It creates a tapestry that is less than beautiful.

All of this might be forgivable, if the performer were a particularly compelling storyteller. Unfortunately, he does not deliver in this regard either. He is a notably nebbishe presenter. He stands awkwardly on stage, playing with his fingers and giggling at his own jokes, and then he turns to saunter to another part of the stage to stand awkwardly there for a bit. The play seems well written, there were a few thoughtfully worded jokes and comparisons, but delivered in a sort of improv/storyteller format that could be charming but isn't. I think, perhaps, that this play would be more interesting if I was familiar with Kornbluth's work. It seems like the "Kornbluth doing Kornbluth doing Warhol" might have a certain kind of appeal to a "very specific niche" audience, but it was lost on me. Maybe this is a lot like Warhol; I've always felt like his work was particularly interesting in light of his other work.

All of this contributes to a play that is decidedly unmemorable. It was not in any way offensive. I didn't need my time back. I just didn't think much of it. At the end of it, as I looked back on the title, I thought, "is Andy Warhol good for the Jews?" And I had to answer, "Who cares?" Josh Kornbluth didn't seem to care much. He spent almost no time trying to answer this question. So why should I? I think Andy Warhol's Jewish portraits had as much impact on the Jewish people as Josh Konbluth's play had on me: Little, if any.

Music Monday: Music @ The Kennedy Center - For Free?

2010-02-15T17:32:00.016Z

So when you found out that DC has the world class Kennedy Center in its back yard, you might have written it off (as I did) as a super-classy home of super-classy music, theater, and dance with super-classy pricing to match - far beyond the financial reach of the pockets of 20something (our fearless leader) and you (our fearless reader).

The Kennedy Center does indeed have that super-classy (and date-worthy) feel to it, but the good news is that... wait for it... there's a way in for free!

Behind the Kennedy Center's four theaters, opera house, and concert hall (all of which are amazing venues in their own ways), lies a long hallway with a stage at either end. One of these stages hosts a show every day of every week, 365 days a year (including Christmas, Arbor Day, Take-Your-Daughter To Work Day, you name it). The show is always at 6pm and is always completely free. Put that in your pipe and smoke it!

While I have gone to see shows at the Millenium Stage before (Manhattan Transfer and Koolooloosh come to mind) I recently went to a show with my pal Z so I could scout the venue with the intense discerning eye that DistrictBeat requires. Here are my intense discerning thoughts (and insider tips) on the experience:

The Kennedy Center is about a 7-8 minute walk from the Foggy Bottom (Blue and Orange) Metro (Insider Tip: There is a maroon Kennedy Center Shuttle that picks up every 5-10 minutes from the top of the metro escalator - it drops off right at the front door).
The stage is situated at the end of a long and narrow hall way with about 20-50 rows of chairs, and steps that are used as bleachers on one side. Get there early if you are going to see a popular act as the seats do fill (Insider Tip: No matter how late you show up, there are always good views available from the side steps/bleachers if you are willing to have a hard seat).
The sound is quite good and the experience is almost always worth the cost - which is really just the time it takes to get there and back.
You can chat with the artists after the performance - there is no real "green room", so they are usually willing to hang out right there. Performances usually run about an hour.

We saw John Jensen on the night we were there. He was an absolutely fantastic player (though a bit short with us when we met him afterwords) and made playing really tough classic Jazz pieces seem like a piece of cake. He had that BB King-esque air of choosing notes so well that we waited for each one and felt what each was meant to convey. His band was also great - each contributed tastefully and stood out when the moment called for it. Check out a video of the performance Here. Jensen is a DC/NoVa local, so he's worth seeing if you are into classic jazz and love performers who feel every note they play.

The Millenium Stage has not let me down yet. I wholeheartedly recommend checking out their calendar of upcoming shows HERE.

Have you seen anything at the Millenium Stage? Please share any comments below...

Also - don't forget to add us to your RSS reader - that little orange box in the URL window at the top of this page - click it. We dare you.

Finally - A few shows I'll be at in the next few weeks (!). Shoot me an email (theclubscout@gmail.com) if you plan on going...

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Ave. at the State Theater in Arlington on Thursday of this week - http://www.thestatetheatre.com/events/e1274.xml?
HaDag Nachash at 6th and I on March 2nd - http://www.sixthandi.org/EventDetails.aspx?evcatID=1&evSubCatID=1

- theClubScout

District Beat turns 100!

2010-01-29T05:01:00.004Z

Wow, what a year it’s been. I’ve been blogging for just over 14 months now, and we’ve arrived at a very exciting milestone. This is officially our 100th post to District Beat! And what a long, strange trip it’s been, both personally and for the blog. In the past year, I got a new job, moved, and got engaged (the last of those items I hope goes to explain my slowness to post these last two months). And on the blog side, my intrepid team of reporters and I have brought you information about 110 shows (yes, I counted). We’ve written about all the plays, concerts, events, and food we could get our hands on (much to the chagrin of my budget and my waistline). We’ve written about the good, the bad, and the just plain weird. We've reported on all different kinds of arts, as well as important world events. This whole thing gone from being a crazy idea that TheClubScout and I had at a concert to a real thing, with real readers (who sometimes even comment). It has been an honor to be on this journey with all of you, and I can’t wait to share with you all our future journeys: both personal and artsy. But before we go any further, I think this is a fantastic opportunity to restate our thesis. As I look back on my first post, where I outlined my vision for this space, I realize that our concept has grown and changed in the last year. I think this is a great chance to take a step back and restate who we are and why we do what we do.

Let me start with what am not. I am not a reviewer. I have the greatest amount of respect for reviewers. I have learned so much from the pros and from our fellow bloggers. It has been a great honor to be taken under the wing of some of DC’s Veterans. I continue to learn so much from them. And we do, often review the performances that we see. But this is not the purpose of our posts. So what, then, is the purpose? If I’m not a reviewer, what am I?

I am an evangelist. Let’s ignore any connotations, either positive or negative of that word for the moment. Let us especially ignore all religious weight of it for a bit. In esscane though. evangelists just love something so much that they can’t help but share that excitement with you. Evangelists share their joy with everyone they meet. Evangelists have seem some sort of light, and they want you to see it too.

I love the DC arts scene. I feel so blessed to be living here and living here now. Did you know that we have more theater companies than any other metropolitan area outside of New York? How cool is that? That is my joy and my light, and I hope to share with you.

I noticed at a certain point, back when I thought that I was a reviewer, that I rarely if ever reamed a show. Instead, I always seemed to find something to like. At first, I thought this was a failing. A true critic, must be critical. It's in the name. But I was saying things like "well at least the set was cool," or "this might be some one's cup of tea, just not mine." Lady AWesome can tell you that I was really stressed because I thought that I would loose all my credibility as a reviewer if I was being too forgiving. And then I realized why I was going so easy on everyone and I forgave myself. I love going to shows, and so I am inclined to find the good in each one. And more importantly, I want you to love going to shows. So, for instance, if cool sets are your thing, far be it from me to discourage you from checking some out. I just want to be your information broker. I want to help you all find things that will get you as excited as some of them get me. So I'll find the good in almost anything, just in case that one little part was exactly what you were looking for.

I also realized something else about myself. While I am a general fan of the arts, apparently I am particularly passionate about theater. I have been a theater buff for as long as I can remember (I was the only kid in my kindergarten class who wanted to be a set designer. No joke). But I didn't realize, when I started this project, that I would want to focus on it so much. But, as a good evangelist, I know that theater won't ring every ones' bells. So I am trying to branch out, and to add in a few writers who can share their passions. Hopefully, you will find some light in all of this that makes you as happy as it makes us.

So there it is. That's who I am. I'm not a reviewer and I'm not a critic, though I do review and criticize. I have the utmost respect for those professions, but please tell me if I err to much in that direction. Our job is to get the word out, to share the love. We've got our ear to the street, so that we can share the beats that we hear with you. And if it strikes your fancy, leave us a comment. Tell us what you thought. That's what the comments section is for: It's a place where you too can evangelize about the things that moved you. And hopefully we can bring you along with us for the next show.

And the Beat goes on...

-20Something

They did not Stick the landing.

2010-01-22T05:09:00.005Z

Show: Stick Fly

Theater: Arena Stage, Crystal City. 1800 Bell St. Arlington, VA.

Metro: Crystal City (Blue and Yellow Lines). Directions here.

Genre: Living room Drama

Cost: $12 YA tickets for people under 30. $25 "new deal" tickets for anyone who calls ahead, Goldstar also has $35 tix.

Dates: Through February 7

Rating: 2.5/5 Starving Artists

The hardest shows to talk about are the ones about which I did not have strong feelings. I’d be happy to share with you my icy dislike or the warm glow of my enjoyment, but what do I say when I was just lukewarm? How do I describe a play that was good, but barely good enough?

As for our recent outing in this category, Stick Fly was… interesting. I was intrigued by the story, and wanted to see how it ended, but I can’t say it wasn’t predictable. The playwright, Lydia R. Diamond, tells the story of an particular American minority: the “Black Upper Class”. I liked where that was going. That’s a world I know nothing about, and I’m always excited to learn about people about whom I know nothing, especially in a theater. My favorite parts of the play were passing references to their world, like Jack and Jill, a sort of high society club for African American children. These little bits of culture were quite captivating, but they were too sparsely interspersed in a larger web that was much less captivating.

Lady AWesome and I were having trouble deciding what made it so bland. At first we thought it might be the acting, but I’ve decided that I was impressed by the acting, but not blown away. Amber Iman was particularly good as Cheryl, especially in the second act. Then we thought it might be the story, but that was intriguing enough. So we have come to the conclusion that it was the writing. The dialogue was hard to believe. People seemed to say exactly what they meant at any given time. Characters were able to receive hugely revelatory information and then joke about it in the next moment as if it were old news. Everybody seemed upset most of the time, but nobody talked as if they were surprised by much. The actors were doing the best they could with material that made them hard to believe. All this left us with a play that was just ok. Certainly not as great as the last few things we saw at Arena.

As is often true, my reviews of the uninteresting shows are the shortest. There are much better things playing right now, and I’ll write about them in a few days. But my next post is going to be VERY exciting, so stay tuned…

Music Monday: Utopia? That's Setting The Bar Pretty High...

2010-01-11T16:23:00.008Z

Greetings DB readers and Happy New Year! The first month of the year can be the hardest; The holiday season is behind us, the biting cold has decided to stay, and musician's are all taking time off - so there are only a few shows to see.

Now that I've bummed you out, let me bring a ray of musical hope: DC has tons of amazing places to get warm and hear weekly performances. Many bars and coffee houses have great house bands who cannot be deterred by bad weather and the doldrums of the first quarter of the year. "I have not found them!" you say? "Where, oh where can these band be found?" you ask? You didn't think I'd keep you out in the cold, didja?

U-topia Bar and Grill (Link)

Utopia is located right in the heart of the U St. neighborhood's jazz corridor and is a welcoming cavern of music, drinks, and art. The medium sized two room establishment serves up date-worthy ambiance; red brick walls, dark woods, high ceilings, and candle light create nice ambiance. Drinks are reasonably priced and the beer selection will keep all but the Brickskeller crowd happy.

The crowd on the night of my visit was in their young 30's and was interested in music - the room where the band plays was full, but the other room (where conversation can more readily happen, but the band is a bit further away) was mostly empty.

As for the music - the important part of this review - Wayne Wilentz, who plays every Sunday and Thursday, was really great. Those who have read my last post know that I am a fan of "understandable jazz", or jazz that is accessible to those who need to tap or hum along to make sense of what they are hearing. I'm happy to report that Wayne's style is understandable while still complex (I know that sounded like an ad for whiskey, but I mean it) and is fun to listen to. He played a few songs that I have heard before as well as some that were new to me. I'd love to go back and check out his Brazilian Jazz Trio there on Thursdays.

I would absolutely recommend Sunday evening (in particular) at U-topia as a nice stop on a date or as a place to meet up with friends for a drink. I had no problem getting a seat or talking to my date and we enjoyed the experience immensely. We'll be going back.

A few insider tips:
1. Mondays are "industry night" and the bar gets a bit more clubby. Not recommended for those looking for a quiet evening.
2. Sundays and Tuesdays are the quietest for conversation. I have not yet been on a Tuesday, but I'll be going to hear Bill Heid (who plays every week) in the not-so-distant future.
3. They have a couch area in the back that is open on Fridays and Saturdays or by request during the week. Ask for this area to be away from the music (though it is audible anywhere in the bar), particularly if you are with a group of four or more.

Have you been there? Feel free to leave a comment below with your two-cents.

I'll be checking out more places with house bands soon. In the meantime, stay warm!

Here's a video of Wayne you might want to check out:

Belated Snow Day post #3: A cover for every pot, (but this was not my cover)

2009-12-29T20:46:00.002Z

Performance: Mommy Queerest
Theater: Theater J, 1529 16th Street NW
Metro Stops: Dupont Circle – Red line or U Street/Cardozo-Green line. Directions here.
Genre: Gay? Jewish? Seinfeld-ian? Definitely a comedy
Cost: All tickets are half price for people 35 and under (and the Sunday shows are only $30 to begin with). Get $10 off tickets before Dec 16^thwith promo code TJ10. Also goldstar has tickets starting at $15.
Rating: 2/5 Starving Artists.

In the history of popular culture, there have been a number of things that I didn’t like, even though everyone else seemed to. Skip-it, Halo 2, 30 Rock, and LOLcats are just a few examples. So I have considered the possibility that I am not to be trusted as an authority on all things popular. It is with this caveat that I tell you how much I didn’t like Mommy Queerest, the newest show at Theater J. Much of the rest of the audience seemed to be really enjoying themselves while I twiddled my thumbs. The crickets in my head were befuddled by the laughter around me. So take my word for it, if you want.

Mommy Queerest is the new one-woman show by the humorist Judy Gold. This is the second time she’s brought a show to Theater J (the first was 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother). This production is a world première and it certainly feels pretty rough. The basic premise is that Judy has always felt that her life would make a great sitcom. She is a huge fan of the sitcoms of her childhood. All the hits of the 60s and 70s get a mention. And so she makes references to The Brady Bunch and The Waltons, with which she draws loose parallels with stories about her life. Judy want to make it very clear that she is a 6 foot tall, Jewish, lesbian, mother of two, and so she repeats this phrase a number of times, to diminishing humorous effect. The TV executives she parodies seem to think that these characteristics that would be fitting for a quirky neighbor on a sitcom, but wouldn’t not make for a great principal, and I’m inclined to agree (sorry Judy). I can only hear how her life was a little bit like Bewitched, or strangely similar to Gilligan’s Island so many times before things start to get repetitive. There were a few funny lines, but nothing memorable. The whole thing feels like a gimmicky standup routine; a boat with too many holes in it to safely carry us for an hour and fifteen minutes.

But then again, everyone else was laughing (or at least it felt like it). And these weren’t courtesy laughs. People seemed to legitimately enjoy it. The girl next to me said she loved it, and that Judy had basically described her childhood. Other than the tired clichés and stereotypes from the bottom of the comedy barrel, I didn’t identify strongly with her story. Comedy is an interesting beast. When performed well, a routine’s specificity is universal. More than once I’ve heard stories where Jewish comedians are told that their familial reminiscences are perfect descriptions of someone else’s Korean family. And I’ve heard this story told using any two ethnicities (which I guess goes to prove the point even further). But I couldn’t really find my life in Judy’s because hers felt like an amalgamation TV’s least funny stereotypes.

The whole thing left me with a feeling of simulated nostalgia. I got that she was reminiscing, but I wasn’t able to go there with her. And I did not think this was generational, as that girl next to me that I mentioned before was younger than me. So, the whole thing felt like C-rate material in an A-rate venue. Kinda disappointing.

But don’t take my word for it…. DC Theatre scene called it a warm and funny delight.

Quick hit: From AWesome to SOmething

2009-12-29T16:59:00.006Z

Hey all you DB fans. By now you've eaten your fried food, ham, harvest items, or similarly appropriate holiday food or you've demonstrated your feats of strength, and now you are bored and waiting for that New Year's celebration to come around.

While you wait, I write to provide an exciting news item for fans of the blog:

Lady AWesome is going to become Lady SOmething!

Last Wednesday, DB's founder and primary writer, 20something, asked his girlfriend and and DB contributor Lady AWesome to marry him (and she said yes of course)! Fear not - they will both continue to provide you the low-down on all things cool in the District. Oh, and she's not actually going to change her handle to lady SOmething. We just thought that was funny.

There isn't to much else to report as most of the acting and music worlds are celebrating the holidays as well. We look forward to sharing "All The News That's Fit To Print" on DC arts and culture on the cheap as soon as 2010 is official.

Have a happy and safe new year.

- theClubScout

Snow day review #2: Maybe bronze, probably not Solid Gold

2009-12-20T21:48:00.005Z

Performance: The Solid Gold Cadillac
Theater: Studio Theatre. 1501 14th St, NW
Metro stops: Dupont Circle -Red line or U Street/Cardozo-Green line
Genre: $inderella meets Wall $treet
Cost: Tickets are $50+. There are student rush tickets (when available) 30 min before the show for $19 or you can usher (more here). Also, keep your eyes open for Goldstar discount tix.
Dates: Through January 10
Rating: 3/5 stars

I'm going to keep this one brief. My basic point is that if you are going to see a play this season, and you are deciding between this show and the one I just posted about (the Fantasticks), then definitely see the latter. Studio Theatre's Solid Gold Cadillac was nothing special. It was good, and interesting, but didn't stand out in any way. Nancy Robinette was definitely the strongest part of the show in the leading role as Laura Partridge, but even she didn't blow our minds. It seems that everyone is pretty excited about how well this 1953 Broadway hit holds up, and how relevant it seems to be. I too, was impressed with this, but after about 15 minutes, that fact lost its luster. Then we were left with a play that was funny, but not riotous, and relevant but not specific. Ultimately, though there was nothing wrong with this play, there wasn't anything particularly special about it either, and for that reason alone, I think you have better options around town this season.

Now, I'm going to go make grilled cheese and tomato soup, because that's what you do on snow days.

Snow day review #1: Do you believe in magic?

2009-12-20T19:44:00.007Z

Performance: The Fantasticks
Theater: Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theater ( 1215 U Street, NW,)
Metro: U St station. Directions here.
Genre: Musical
Cost: $10 for the under 30 if you call the week of the show. $25 “New Deal” tickets for anyone (call for these as well). And there are $35 tix from Goldstar for those who are over 30 and miss new deal.
Dates: Through January 10
Rating: 4/5 Starving Artists

I’ll start out by saying that I’m a big fan of magic. I always have been. In fact, there was a time when I aspired to be an armature magician (“aspiring to be an armature” about explains how good I was). So, the new production of The Fantasticks at Arena Stage had me at “tah-dah”. From the very first moments of this play, when the narrator conjures flowers and actors from nowhere, you know this is going to be a very different theater experience. Was it an amazing theater experience? No, probably not. But it sure was different.

Arena offers an intriguing reimagining of the play that holds the distinction of being the world’s longest running show (17,162 performances off-Broadway from 1960 to 2002). Director Amanda Dehnert has set all of the action in an abandoned amusement park. This accomplishes two things: first, it let’s the fairytale elements of the show flourish in a more imaginative, less literal environment. Second, it gives her an excuse to infuse the whole show with magic. Not the “magic of theater” mind you. Like real, excellently executed, Vegas style magic. These are more than just parlor tricks; they are startlingly grand illusions. Lady AWesome pointed out that the magic was so good that it occasionally distracted from the rest of the show. I too spent entire scenes trying to figure out how they did this or that. But all told, I thought the illusions were the strongest part of the show.

Which is to say that the production is not without its flaws. The original staging was in a theater small enough to spit across. In U St’s beautiful Lincoln Theatre (which is probably too big to shout across) the play gets a little lost. It feels as if it was stretched to fit the space, and in some places it’s been pulled a little too thin. Not all of the singing was as strong as I wanted it to be. Most notably, Sebastian La Cause seemed to really struggle as the play’s narrator and trickster, El Gallo. He, and most of the others give solid performances, but the music seems to have been made subservient to the more technical aspects of the show. I should say that Addi McDaniel was quite good as Luisa, but If you’re going to direct an iconic musical like the Fantasticks, I’m not sure you should sell the music part so short.

But when all is said and done, I’m happy that magic is appearing in more DC theaters. Lady AWesome and I LOVED the version of Macbeth we saw at Folger last year, which was directed by Teller (yes, of Penn and Teller). And in both cases, the magic was more than just a trick to keep your attention. It added to the sense of fantasy and mystery at the heart of both shows. I think that this unique take makes this production worth seeing, in spite of its occasional failings. So go take a look and then make some comments appear below to tell us what you thought.

And yes, I was ashamed of some of those magic puns back there.

Keeping You In The Musical Know (Holiday Edition)

2009-12-16T16:23:00.016Z

Life is busy. We’ve all been buying holiday presents, making travel plans, watching Glee (yup, so what if I like it?), and (hopefully) filling ourselves with holiday cheer. While I’m pretty on top of all of that stuff, I often forget to plan what to do with that extra evening, day off, or free time that seems to magically appear at the last moment. If I had a nickel for every time I was left looking for an activity or show at the last second, I’d have – somewhat ironically – more money to use for activities and shows.

So – in keeping with my goals, I humbly submit for the approval of the midnight society a list of upcoming musical events that I’m betting you have not yet noticed that might peak your interest. I hope to attend a few of these. See you there!

- theClubScout

PS - Feel free to leave a comment below if you know of any other awesome music coming to DC in December or January. I'm always listening...

Fri 12/18 - The Greyboy Allstars @ the 9:30 Club ($25) - Make yourself a sandwich with funk and jazz spread all over two slices of jam band and you can taste what these guys do. I’ve never seen them live, but I have their CDs and I’d really like to go to a show.

Web: http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?orgid=3595&pid=6628498

Go if: You love meandering jams, you love an awesome groove.

Fri 12/24 @ 6PM – All Star Jazz Jam @ the Millenium Stage at the Kennedy Center (Free!!) – I’ve had real hit or miss experiences going to jazz. Its like a conversation – I often leave a show saying either: “We really connected” or “I don’t know what the hell he was talking about”. For this reason, I love when jazz is cheap or free – if I don’t get it, I can call it “a learning experience” rather than “an expensive way to feel dumb”. These dudes are all really good, the singer will keep them from going too far into Coltrane weirdness, and the price is right. Free shuttle from the Foggy Bottom Metro.

Web: http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=searchDay&bmonth=12&byear=2009&bday=25

Go if: You’ve got some time on your hands, if you love jazz, or if you live nearby.

Tues 12/29 @ 7PM – The Roots @ the 9:30 Club ($45) – These guys are currently the house band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. They have a rapper and a tuba guy – need I say more? They are a true hip-hop band (rather than a group with pre-recorded music) and have won a Grammy (I think for being the coolest guys out there).

Web: http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?orgid=3595&pid=6640937

Go if: You love hip-hop, but really appreciate when the beats and melodies are created on something other than a computer.

Thurs 1/7 @ Time TBD - THE GRAHAM KEIR GROUP FEATURING LENA SEIKALY @ Twins Jazz ($TBD) – A Jazz Guitar based quartet with an added vocalist – I’ve been looking for a great player who recognizes the classics (Wes Montgomery, George Benson), but has a modern touch. Rumor has it that Graham Keir is that kind of player and I intend to find out for sure. Lena Seikaly is the guest vocalist.

Web: This show is still somewhat secret. Check the Twins Jazz site for updates here: http://www.twinsjazz.com/performances.htm

Go if: You get jazz – this one is less for the "Oh jazz - what's that?" type and more for the "check out those dissonant chords!" type.

Sat 1/9 @ 8PM – Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band @ the Rock and Roll Hotel ($15) - Chopteeth is a 14-piece Afrofunk orchestra with lots going on. They do songs that merge African and American style with funky guitars and a horn section and have former members of Busta Rhymes, Toots and the Maytals, The Temptations, The Four Tops, and Gladys Knight & the Pips. I have a live recording of theirs and really like it. Tickets are cheap and this place is right in the heart of town.

Web: http://www.ticketalternative.com/Events/8719.aspx

Go if: You love Jackson Browne, African Music, and all things in between.

Sat 1/16 @ 7:30PM - Eddie from Ohio @ the Birchmere ($35) - These guys do something along the lines of alternative folk music (if that genre even exists) and do it really (really) well. They have phenomenal voices and are fun to watch.This show is a little far off, but tickets will be gone before too long so I thought I'd pass it on.

Web: http://www.ticketmaster.com/search?keyword=Eddie%20From%20Ohio

Go if: You love great harmonies, acoustic stuff, and a wholesome good time.

Happy Chrismahanaquanzika (or Festivus!)