From Joel Markowitz at DC Theatre Scene...

Glimpses of the Moon: they saved the show

A glimpse into the ‘big switch’ at MetroStage:
Lauren ‘Coco’ Cohn and Natascia Diaz on Glimpses of the Moon

It’s a great 42nd Street-type story: the lead gets sick and another cast member assumes her role and saves the show. Then bring in a talented actress/comedienne who comes down from The Big Apple to play the roles that the new lead actress was performing – and give them only have a very short time to learn their new roles before the critics arrive to review the show and their performances. WHEW!

It’s a great story, so here’s Lauren ‘Coco” Cohn and Natascia Diaz to fill us in.

CLICK HERE to read the full interview >

Critics and Audiences Love Glimpses of the Moon

"Pop, fizz and deliriously good. Mash up the sensibilities of Gatsby and Thoroughly Modern Millie; pour over jazz-kissed show tunes laced with interesting harmonies [by John Mercurio]; stir in a witty book and lyrics [by Tajlei Levis]... and before you can say, "Gilded Age" or "Roaring Twenties," you have MetroStage's 'champagne cocktail' season opener."
- Gary McMillan, DC Theatre Scene

"Oh, those shimmering parts... Performances are hardly Glimpses of the Moon's only charms. Composer John Mercurio has penned some appropriately bouncy '20s-ish tunes. And Tajlei Levis has framed them in a pleasantly smart-ass libretto that mixes musical comedy directness with James Joyce jests."
- Bob Mondello, Washington City Paper

"This show is a treasure and should not be missed. The cast was exceptional -- strong script and score helped make this a wonderful evening for "glimpses of the moon" under a magical harvest moon in Washington."
- Anonymous

"Modest, tuneful and amusing... John Mercurio's music is generally peppy and the book and lyrics by Tajlei Levis are often cute, so Glimpses of the Moon shapes up as an undemanding entertainment... Director-choreographer David Marquez's aggressively energetic show really does glow... Cohn's terrific at what she does, generating laughs as an aggressively lusty, comically unlikely second banana... Natascia Diaz supplies a formidable shot of star wattage as Susy... Gia Mora consistently performs with the effervescence of a champagne bubble... and she seems to adore her slinky, shimmering costumes."
- Nelson Pressley, Washington Post

"MetroStage puts on a dazzling, transporting show... Glimpses of the Moon crackles with wit and barbed cultural references... [It] confirms that real love is blind and can overcome financial hurdles -- and also that new, quality theater isn't just the preserve of the better-known, better-funded and better-located institutions... John Mercurio's very contemporary score... is buoyant. Lisa Zinni's sumptuous costume design will captivate you. Also richly aiding the story, making it glow, is a strong cast. Particular praise is due to Diaz, whose voice calls to mind Bernadette Peters, [and] has the star power to suggest we'll be seeing and hearing a lot more from her... 'Until we find love, we'll have a lovely time' perfectly captures the feeling you'll have leaving the theater, stepping out into the moonlight..."
- Doug Rule, Metro Weekly

"As Susy, [Natascia Diaz] is bright and beautiful, a triple threat of acting, singing and dancing talent, enchanting in the romantic scenes but equally as adept at comedy of the vintage madcap variety. Gia Mora embodies sophistication, but with enough brass beneath the class to add an interesting edge to the philandering Ellie Vanderlyn... [Lauren] Cohn fits the bill as society matron and maid, but pulls out all the stops when playing Coral Hicks... Sam Ludwig makes a very dashing leading man... Matthew A. Anderson as Winthrop "Streffy" Strefford... can't help flying into a joyous jig... to the very funny song "Terrible News." Stephen F. Schmidt as Ellie's deceived and abandoned husband, Nelson, fills the role with pathos in his standout moment of song, "Tell Her I'm Happy."
- Gary McMillan, DC Theatre Scene

"Beautiful little theater with it's own parking. Show was excellent with very professional singers and actors. I had never been to this theater before but will return after the great theater experience I had."
- B.R.

"A charming piece of work, worth seeking out because of its richly talented cast... The songs are pleasant if evanescent... Director-choreographer David Marquez makes the most of the theater's small stage, and musical director Darius Smith keeps things lively as part of a three-piece onstage band."
- Susan Berlin, Talkin' Broadway

"Head-off for a splash of a jazz-age romantic musical with first-rate, cabaret style voices to delight and a three-piece band to add to the pleasure. Metro Stage’s "Glimpses of the Moon"... is soft-edged entertainment like a shimmering water-color painting of moonlight reflecting off a rippling lake... With a closely knit cast directed and choreographed in an unfussy style by David Marquez... The score carries the show along winningly... The six-member cast is exceedingly likable. Natascia Diaz... and Sam Ludwig each have clear voices and a delivery that lets the lyrics and the melody sink in without bombast. The duets between the two are polished and soulful... The set designed by Daniel Pinha has a stylish look; done up with visual details columns in a French blue color scheme giving a sense of luxury to the intimate MetroStage decor. The luxury look is carried forward with the radiant costume design."
- David Siegel, Alexandria Gazette Packet

"Wonderfully witty and whimsical, Glimpses of the Moon retains its histrionic bite through David Marquez's shrewd management of timing and temperament... The music is sparkling and the jazz smolders with fluid music direction from Darius Smith. There's not a weak performance in the ensemble cast... It's Lauren "Coco" Cohn's zany interpretations of three distinct characters that ultimately steal the show... MetroStage's giddy and game production [is] a lovely tribute to 'modern' matrimony and the charming chicanery of the wealthy, both old and new."
- Jolene Munch Cardoza, Washington Examiner

"For an intimate show, the production values are wonderful. The set design [by Daniel Pinha] in blue and white, complete with crystal chandelier, is the hallmark of elegance, namely simplicity. Andrew F. Griffin's lighting design complements the set. Lisa Zinni's costumes... capture the glamour of the era. There would be no beautiful music with the terrific three-piece band. Steve Baena's sound design ensures that voice and instruments blend and fall clear as day on the audience's ears. If this production is any indication, Glimpses of the Moon will find its way into the repertories of regional, professional and community theatres across the county."
- Gary McMillan, DC Theatre Scene

Opening/ Press Night

Sunday was the official opening/ press night for the world premiere of Glimpses of the Moon. Take a look at photos from the production and the reception afterwards."Dinner Party With Friends"
Gia Mora as Ellie Vanderlyn and Lauren "Coco" Cohn as Coral

in Lord and Taylor's Fur Boutique

Natascia Diaz as Susy, Sam Ludwig as Nick and Lori Williams as the Cabaret Singer performing "Right Here, Right Now"

New York producer Sharon Carr, Composer John Mercurio, Natascia Diaz, Gia Mora, Lauren "Coco" Cohn, Writer Tajlei Levis, Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin and Lori Williams

Writer Tajlei Levis, Composer John Mercurio and Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin

Natascia Diaz takes over the lead in Glimpses of the Moon

Pay-What-You-Can Preview
Friday, September 10 at 8pm

Award-winning actress Natascia Diaz (Helen Hayes Award for ROOMS at MetroStage) has taken over the lead in the world premiere of Glimpses of the Moon.

As a result of the last minute cast changes, we had to cancel our first Pay-What-You-Can performance.

Natascia was most recently seen in New York at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park in the highly anticipated revival of Capeman by Paul Simon where she played Esmeralda Argon. Also this Summer, she played the role of Aldonza in Man of La Mancha at the Hanger Theatre in Ithaca, New York. MetroStage is delighted to welcome Natascia back to Washington and our stage.

Natascia's previous roles in Glimpses of the Moon (Ursula, Coral, Maid) will be played by New York actress Lauren Cohn (The Drowsy Chaperone, Legally Blonde 2, Desperate Housewives). We are most appreciative of Ms. Cohn for stepping into not one, but three roles at the last minute.

There will be $25 PREVIEWS this Saturday at 3 & 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm - followed by a talk back with the composer and playwright.

UPDATE - The Pay-What-You-Can Preview on Thursday, September 9th has been CANCELLED!

MAJOR SCHEDULING AND CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT

PAY-WHAT-CAN PREVIEWS

ARE NOW

THURSDAY & FRIDAY,

SEPTEMBER 9 & 10 AT 8PM

($10 minimum expected, more greatly accepted)

NOTE: This a change from our original schedule. There is no performance on Wednesday, September 8th.

The role of Susy Branch will now be played by Natascia Diaz.

Joining the cast is Lauren "Coco" Cohn in the role of Ursula Gillow/ Coral Hicks/ Maid.
REGIONAL: The Drowsy Chaperone (Drowsy, Gateway Playhouse); Into the Woods (Witch, Neurotic Young Urbanites); Taking Steps (Kitty, Dorset Theater Festival ); Company (Jenny, West Coast Ensemble). TV: Royal Pains; Bored to Death; Desperate Housewives; House; The Suite Life of Zach & Cody; Monk; ER. FILM: Morning Glory, The Bucket List, Catch Me If You Can, Secretray, Legally Blonde 2. EDUCATION: NYU, Circle In The Square.

About Edith Wharton, author of Glimpses of the Moon

EDITH WHARTON wrote the novel Glimpses of the Moon in 1922. It was an international best-seller at the time and was made into a film in 1923. The 1922 New York Times review of Glimpses compared it to her previous novel, The Age of Innocence, which had received the Pulitzer Prize in 1920, “I think The Glimpses of the Moon a much better book; it is more interesting, more memorable and closer to the heart of things.”

In her long career, which stretched over forty years and included the publication of more than forty books, Edith Wharton (1862-1937) portrayed a fascinating segment of the American experience. She was a born storyteller, whose novels are justly celebrated for their vivid settings, satiric wit, ironic style, and moral seriousness. Her characters, such as Ellen Olenska in The Age of Innocence, Ethan Fromme, and the charming but ineffectual Lily Bart in The House of Mirth, are some of the most memorable in American literature. Often portrayed as tragic victims of cruel social conventions, they are trapped in bad relationships or confining circumstances. Her own life stands as an example of the obstacles that a woman of her time and place had to overcome to find self-realization. 1

Wharton designed and built The Mount in 1902 (Lenox, Massachusetts, overlooking Laurel Lake) based on the principles outlined in her influential book, The Decoration of Houses (1897), co-authored with architect Ogden Codman, Jr. This classical revival house represents the only full expression we have of Wharton’s architectural interests. The Mount is the only U.S. monument to Edith Wharton. 2

1 “Edith Wharton’s World - Portraits of People and Places, an exhibition at The National Portrait Gallery” http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/wharton/whar3.htm
2 “The Mount, Estate & Gardens,” www.edithwharton.org