Happenings at MetroStage

Savage in Limbo Opening MetroStage's Season

2011-08-26T14:56:00.007-04:00

In spite of earthquakes, hurricane warnings and the like, the show must go on. At least the rehearsals must go on. Savage in Limbo is looking great—great script, the amazing playwright John Patrick Shanley, exciting cast doing great work with terrific director. Postcards are going out today, ahead of the hurricane, so be on the look out.

Pay What You Can (though minimum of $10 requested) is Thursday Sept. 8 at 8 pm. This contemporary classic is a must see. Check out our new website and exciting season of plays and musicals. And we look forward to seeing you at the theatre. I will post news of the season next and some news about what MetroStage has been up to this summer, but wanted to make sure you had Savage in Limbo on your radar screen.

Carolyn

(The photo of Veronica del Cerro, Michael Kevin Darnall, and Natascia Diaz from the cast of Savage in Limbo was taken at the H Street Country Club, a bar on H St. NE that was kind enough to let us set up one afternoon in their upstairs bar.)

WETA's "Around Town" review the play, The Real Inspector Hound

2011-05-16T14:43:00.000-04:00

Watch the full episode. See more WETA Around Town.

Thank You to MetroStage Intern, Ellys Abrams

2011-05-16T08:30:00.000-04:00

Ellys R. Abrams began work at MetroStage this past season in August and will complete her internship before The Real Inspector Hound closes June 5th.

Ellys is a graduate of Smith College as a theatre major with concentrations in directing and stage management. A newcomer to DC, her previous NYC credits include: The Assistant Company Manager for the Directors, member of Emerging Artists Theatre and intern for Broadway producer, Richard Frankel.

Since coming to MetroStage, Ellys has shown great initiative and ambitious drive. She worked directly with Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin helping with office work and maintaining the phone lines. She also assisted Production Manager Kevin Laughon with whatever he needed to get done and she was on-hand to assist directors during the rehearsal process.

Since her internship has ended, Ellys moves on to become the Assistant to Managing Director Jeffrey Herrmann at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company. We are grateful for all the work (and odd jobs) she has done here at MetroStage and wish her continued success.

Corpse actors at MetroStage knock 'em dead

2011-05-14T08:17:00.006-04:00

(Bryant Centofanti, Devin Shadid, Jim Epstein and Larry Levinson)

"The role of a lifetime, for four men, involves playing dead. That's it, for the whole 75-minute-long play: No lines, no movement, no deep breathing, just 75 minutes of motionlessness, while MetroStage's The Real Inspector Hound happens on the stage around them. And according to the four corpses, it's the best role they've ever played..."

CLICK HERE to read the full article at TBD.com >

What the Critics are Saying about The Real Inspector Hound

2011-05-03T08:10:00.014-04:00

"[Actors Ralph Cosham, Michael Tolaydo, and John Dow with director John Vreeke] are all back at MetroStage this spring with another (and superior) Stoppard work... and they're better than ever."
- TalkinBroadway.com

"[Director John] Vreeke’s production features a number of zesty performances, and most of the cast appears to be having a blast — but it’s Cosham’s brooding Moon who seems to live most fully in Stoppard’s delectably language-drunk, hall-of-mirrors world."
- Washington Post

"...get carried away by the pleasure of the performances, especially Miss Flye’s deadpan double-takes and deliciously demented spins on the hackneyed dialogue. Mr. Cosham’s hound-dog demeanor and high-falutin’ expressions of inferiority perfectly embody Birdboot’s splintered spirit and Mr. Dow has his moments as the speed-racing Magnus, a wheelchair-bound guest at Muldoon Manor."
- DC Theatre Scene

"...the farce immediately tumbles into nonstop, high-octane entertainment."
- Washington Examiner

"It is a delightful show with marvelous performances and if you've seen a few English manor mysteries you'll enjoy it all the more."
- Alexandria Gazette Packet

"With a crack cast and a dizzying plot, it’s another winner for MetroStage."
- Alexandria Times

"This is a great family show particularly since Tom Stoppard is such a wordsmith that he doesn't resort to vulgarisms typically found in current drama."
- AllArtsReview4U

"...it is an entertaining romp that will make both critics and regular patrons laugh."
- WeLoveDC.com

"The play is such unmitigated fun that you are almost certain to sit tingling on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next unexpected twist and unforeseen turn."
- Fairfax Times

Upcoming Free Showcase

2011-04-29T07:25:00.006-04:00

(Artwork by Jim Colwell)

Join
Alliance for New Music-Theatre
in a FREE showcase of its new work

A Woman Changed Into a Fox
a chamber opera

Conceived by Susan Galbraith
Based on a novella by David Garnet
Music by Robert B. Johnson
Libretto by Susan Galbraith
with Musical Direction by George Fulginiti-Shakar

Part detective story part magical fairy tale,
the showcase features
Phil Bender, John Boulanger, Chris Flint,
Cindy Hutchins, Laura Lewis and Kara Morgan

Wednesday, May 18 at 7:30pm
Tuesday, May 24 at 7:30pm
at
MetroStage
1201 North Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314

Seating is limited
To reserve a space, call 703-548-9044

Or go online to http://www.newmusictheatre.org/

Jahi Kearse, from MetroStage to Broadway debut in Baby It’s You!

2011-04-27T07:57:00.003-04:00

Jahi Kearse is a hoofer, a singer, a musician, a powerful actor, and a songwriter who critics and DC area theatregoers have enthusiastically embraced his performances in MetroStage’s Cool Papa’s Party, Round House Theatre’s Pippin, and The Studio Theatre’s Slam!, Top Dog/Underdog, and Passing Strange.

On April 27th, Jahi will be making his Broadway debut in the new musical Baby It’s You! In Joel Markowitz's interview at DCTheatreScene.com, he tells us how Cool Papa’s Party helped to land him on Broadway.

CLICK HERE to read the full interview >

Opening Night Reception Photos

2011-04-24T11:48:00.000-04:00

(Photos by Jeanne Theismann)

Our Heroes Meet Again

2011-04-23T08:30:00.005-04:00

By Jane Horwitz
April 19, 2011

“Torture — it’s agony,” jests director John Vreeke when asked what it’s like to reunite with veteran actors Ralph Cosham, John Dow and Michael Tolaydo. In spring 2009, he directed them at MetroStage in a well-received production of “Heroes.” The play by French dramatist Gerald Sibleyras, translated and adapted by Tom Stoppard, featured the actors as cranky World War I veterans finding friendship in an old soldiers’ home.

Now he’s directing them in another Stoppard play, an early-career farce, “The Real Inspector Hound,” running Wednesday night through May 29 at MetroStage. Turning to the three actors during a rehearsal break, the director asks, “How many years between the three of you — experience — do you have? Three hundred and fifty years?” He adds dryly, “It’s all about keeping the insults going.”

Vreeke had suggested the play to Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin as a vehicle for bringing the three actors back together, albeit this time within a larger cast that includes well-known Washington actors Catherine Flye, Kimberly Gilbert and Emily Townley.

Stoppard’s play and its play-within-a-play spoofs stage whodunits like Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap,” as well as pretentious theater critics. It opens with a corpse on the floor in the drawing room of Muldoon Manor — a body no one notices for half the play.

Cosham and Tolaydo play theater critics Moon and Birdboot, who sit at the far end of the stage, facing the murder mystery that’s unfolding before them and also facing the audience. They comment on the performance and digress extensively into Birdboot’s philandering ways and Moon’s inferiority complex about being a second-string critic at his paper. Playing someone with an inferiority complex “requires a great deal of acting on my part,” Cosham observes.

Dow plays Magnus, who, he explains, is “a heavily disguised cripple that we later realize is . . .” well, that would be telling. Suffice it to say that Magnus is “a guy in disguise, in disguise, in disguise . . . so I don’t know what I’m doing,” the actor concludes.

For Tolaydo, playing the more self-confident, if equally clueless, critic Birdboot is not an act of revenge. “I don’t think of critics as the enemy, but I don’t read them, if I can help it, until after.” And not even then, if he can avoid it, he says.

Notes from the Producer

2011-04-19T11:00:00.001-04:00

Eclectic theatre in an intimate theatre space is our "mantra" here at MetroStage. We love our small musicals, our quirky little plays, our parodies of Broadway composers and, of course, Tom Stoppard, the playwright who has been called the "master of the English language." Several years ago we produced a little gem of a play called "Heroes." Although only translated by Stoppard from the French, it had Stoppard’s signature style and language. The three old soldiers played by Ralph Cosham, Michael Tolaydo and John Dow, captured the hearts and imagination of our audience, as well as the Helen Hayes judges who attended. Our brilliant little ensemble of three received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Ensemble in a Resident Production, in a field of over 180 eligible professional productions in the Washington, D.C., metro area, and the award is proudly on display on our box office counter.

This spring our "heroes" have returned to MetroStage for another Tom Stoppard play — this time with five supporting actors (if you include the corpse) to help solve this classic English manor murder mystery. Over 40 years ago Stoppard wrote "The Real inspector Hound," which is a send up of a murder mystery best exemplified by Agatha Christie’s long running play "The Mousetrap," but also skewers the classic overbearing theatre critic so it is really grand fun on many levels. Since we have all been skewered at one time or another by theatre critics, it is particular fun for theatre producers and playwrights to turn the tables on the critics on occasion.

John Vreeke, a favorite MetroStage director, is back to direct another Stoppard with a remarkable cast of characters played by some of Washington’s favorite actors. Every English mystery has to have a Manor, in this case Muldoon Manor, and, of course, it is "secluded" and surrounded by "desolate marshes." In fact, it is said that there are "no roads leading from the manor, though there are ways of getting to it, weather permitting." Theatre critics Moon and Birdboot review this "play within a play" and unwittingly become involved. The audience will get to know the Lady of the Manor, Lady Cynthia Muldoon, and her younger friend, Felicity Cunningham, Major Magnus Muldoon, " the crippled half-brother of her ladyship’s husband who had turned up out of the blue from Canada just the other day," a mysterious stranger Simon Gascoyne, an Inspector Hound who arrives in swamp boots but is he Real (?), and the ubiquitous housekeeper, Mrs. Drudge. And last but not least a Corpse because there is a mystery to be solved. It is quite a collection of characters and a wonderful cast. MetroStage will be hosting this house party through May, and you won’t want to miss it because how else will you find out the true identity of the Corpse!

- Carolyn Griffin

"A Must See" by Joel Markowitz from BroadwayWorld.com

2011-03-31T08:29:00.009-04:00

(6) FROM APRIL 20TH TO MAY 29TH, THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND, AT METROSTAGE, IN ALEXANDRIA, VA.

Tom Stoppard is coming back to MetroStage! John Vreeke returns to direct Ralph Cosham, John Dow, and Michael Tolaydo, who were awarded a Helen Hayes Award for their ensemble work in Heroes (which John directed and Tom Stoppard translated) at MetroStage last year. Joining them are local favorites David Elias, Catherine Flye, Kimberly Gilbert, Doug Krehbel, and Emily Townley.

"Two theatre critics, Moon and Birdboot, watch a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery. By chance, they become involved in the action causing a series of events that parallel the play they are watching."

CLICK HERE to read full article, "A Theatre Lover's Guide to DC/Capital Area Theatres - April 2011 Offerings" >

A look at the design for The Real Inspector Hound

2011-03-14T11:36:00.031-04:00

Below is a picture of the model that set designer Daniel Pinha created, depicting a "theater in the round" and the English manor house setting for the play within a play. It concentrates more on architectural elements and the furniture.

Below are some research images that were used as reference to get a feel for what the script called for - a mysterious quality; a light touch; the "fanciful, farcical and satirical nature of Stoppard's writing; an "Agatha Christie" depiction - and to spark a conversation among the production team.

Costume designer Ivania Stack created these preliminary sketches and had many reference pictures.

MoonBirdboot

"I believe Moon/ Birdboot should either be contempory to our time, or to the time that Stoppard first produced the play - the late 1960's."

Mrs. Drudge

"She could go a couple of different ways. Since this is a Manor House, she could have a more formal uniform, as depicted in some of the research. On the other hand, she seems to have a somewhat more slattern character, and she is not a live in housekeeper. She says on page 12: 'I don’t live in but I pop in on my bicycle when the weather allows to help in the running of the charming though somewhat isolated Muldoon Manor.' This could indicate that she is somewhat more informal, perhaps in a 1930’s country style day dress with an apron and cap?"

The movie, Gosfard Park, was brought up for its similar look and feel.

Tickets are ON SALE NOW for The Real Inspector Hound

2011-03-14T11:27:00.007-04:00

By Tom Stoppard
Directed by John Vreeke

Two theatre critics, Moon and Birdboot, watch a ludicrous setup of a country house murder mystery. By chance, they become involved in the action causing a series of events that parallel the play they are watching. Featuring our "heroes" Ralph Cosham, John Dow, Michael Tolaydo and MetroStage favorite Catherine Flye as Mrs. Drudge.

"Stoppard is the master comedian of ideas in the English language."

- Newsweek

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEW
($10 minimum)
Wednesday, April 20 at 8pm

Please come directly to the theater
and check in with the Box Office upon arrival.
Box office opens one hour prior to performance.

Seating is general admission. Space is limited.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES:
Thursday, April 21 at 8pm
Friday, April 22 at 8pm
Saturday, April 23 at 5pm

$25 tickets are available from BoxOfficeTickets.com.
USE CODE: Preview

OPENING/ PRESS NIGHT:
Saturday, April 23 at 8pm

NO PERFORMANCES ON EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 24th

Performances:
Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm,
Saturdays at 5 & 8pm
and Sundays at 3 & 7pm

Tickets:
$45-50 (Students: $25)

Tickets are available by calling 800-494-8497
or CLICK HERE to order online.

A Message From The White House

2011-03-05T08:01:00.005-05:00

An invitation was sent to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama to come see His Eye Is On The Sparrow. Below is an excerpt of the letter to the First Lady:

"It would be an honor and a privilege if You and The President could attend one of our performances. Not only would it be a humble thrill for our entire cast, crew, volunteers and staff to perform for you, your attendance would also be a much needed boost in exposure to the local public as to the amazing work we do to further the arts in the DC metro area.

As are most non-profit organizations like us, we have been experiencing falling attendance to our performances due to the challenging economy. You and The President coming to one of our shows would surely result in a breath of renewed public interest in our theatre and the arts in our region."

Production Manager Kevin Laughon received a phone call last week from the White House and, later, a note in the mail (see below) saying they regretfully could not attend.

2011 Helen Hayes Awards Nominations Announced

2011-03-01T05:52:00.013-05:00

CONGRATULATIONS

to Lauren 'Coco' Cohn on her Helen Hayes nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress, Resident Musical in Glimpses of the Moon!

What a wonderfully funny performance!

Donald Bogle: "Heat Wave"

2011-02-16T10:35:00.003-05:00

From The Diane Rehm Show, which is produced by member-supported WAMU 88.5 in Washington DC:

Famed gospel singer Ethel Waters was given a standing ovation after she spoke at the Billy Graham crusade in Seattle's Kingdome on Sunday, May 10, 1976 . The famed singer sang "His Eye Is On the Sparrow." (AP Photo/Brownell)

Few American entertainers have rivaled the success of Ethel Waters. Born to a teen mother as the result of a rape, she began her career in Black Vaudeville and reached new heights in the nightclubs of Harlem in the 1920’s. Her unique singing style ushered in the age of the modern popular song – and made her the highest paid woman in show business. Not content with just a recording career, Ethel Waters wowed audiences on Broadway and won an Oscar nomination. In her later years, however, she was best known for singing with Billy Graham’s crusade and spurning the civil rights movement. Diane and her guest, biographer Donald Bogle, discuss the complex life and career of Ethel Waters.

CLICK HERE to listen to the February 15th segment >

A look at Ethel Waters

2011-02-07T08:01:00.004-05:00

Watch "Sweet Mama String Bean" sing "Bread 'n Gravy" with Diana Ross and then Ms. Waters performs "Suppertime.". Originally aired March 8, 1969 on Diana Ross & The Supremes Host Hollywood Palace (3 of 5).

Review from AllArtsReview4U.com

2011-02-07T07:56:00.001-05:00

At MetroStage, Bernadine Mitchell gives a masterful performance as Ethel Waters from her being a "Philadelphia bastard" to her ending her life as a "child of God" in the company of preacher Billy Graham. The show is titled after her most famous song "His Eye is on the Sparrow" (To 3/20). It is a wondrous two hours as Ms. Mitchell follows the life of Ethel Waters in all of her feistiness as a child as well as an adult in show business. It is also a very sad story as it pictures the tortuous life of all Black entertainers in their show biz life in the United States. (Ms. Waters always wanted to be referred to a "colored" and, of course, it was Billy Graham's saying that God is multi-colored which turned her towards religion at the end of her life). Ms. Mitchell has a golden voice of superb range and her renditions of "Suppertime" ...with a back- wall picture of a lynching...that is totally poignant. And her renditions of "Stormy Weather" and "Am I Blue" brings tears to the eyes. But there is lots of bouncy and comedic songs that completes this picture of a very accomplished "colored" entertainer. Music director and pianist William Knowles is top rate in his accompaniment and his solo of a stride jazz piece brought forth strong audience applause. The mostly senior-citizen audience raved with a standing ovation at the end of this concert. Take your seniors to the show as well as the rest of the family for a very inspirational two hours of musical theater.

- Bob Anthony

What the Critics are Saying About His Eye is on the Sparrow

2011-02-03T08:05:00.003-05:00

"Bernardine Mitchell 'soars' in His Eye is on the Sparrow… Mitchell's singing is first-rate. The musicality is rich and soulful, framed by humble gospel but ready to rumble with touches of blues... the infectious bounce of Mitchell’s phrasing in the jaunty 'Frankie and Johnny,' her controlled joy in 'Sweet Georgia Brown,' the simmering ache that Mitchell (accompanied throughout by William Knowles on piano) brings… Her vocal control in pinpoint, and her understanding of this musical territory goes deep.”

- Nelson Pressley, Washington Post

“...it's a hallowed story wrapped in the glorious vocals, tender expressions and captivating style of Sistah Bernardine. It’s a blessing waiting to happen… Bernardine Mitchell embodies the deep resonance of the vocal quality that relays years of struggles while she tells the story with passion and grace… One of the several show stoppers is 'Black and Blue'... which Mitchell captures and delivers in an amazing tour-de-force. When her voice crests and flows into a crescendo, there simply is nothing like it and her commanding presence in a solo show showcases her inspiring gifts. Thanks to (the playwright Larry) Parr, we are able to bask in the presence of yet another nearly forgotten treasured artist, and this portrait is a gift that can keep on giving… Bernardine Mitchell is absolutely divine and her performance may as well be a ministry - she touches people, they leave transformed, mesmerized, and come back for more. All I can say is God Bless the Child because His Eye is on the Sparrow and the remarkable Bernardine Mitchell.”

- Debbie Jackson, DC Theatre Scene

“Mitchell, who triumphed at MetroStage in another ‘Mahalia,’ dons her roles like a second skin as her lush contralto voice and commanding presence take the audience on a journey of pain, triumph and redemption…”

- Jordan Wright, Alexandria Times

From the Sunday, January 30th performance at 7pm

2011-01-31T11:23:00.003-05:00

Press Photos

2011-01-30T09:45:00.006-05:00

Photos by Colin Hovde

More images of Ethel Waters

2011-01-30T09:33:00.002-05:00

Ethel Waters and John Bubbles perform Birmingham Bertha in On With the Show (1929)

http://songbook1.wordpress.com/pp/fx/features-2-older-2/ethel-waters/

Donald Bogle's biography of Ethel Waters, 'Heat Wave'

2011-01-30T09:28:00.002-05:00

By Wil Haygood
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, January 28, 2011

Toward the end of her beguiling life, the onetime vaudevillian Ethel Waters was schlepping around small college campuses. She was performing the Carson McCullers drama "The Member of the Wedding," which had brought her fame many years earlier on Broadway. But this was now the '60s, and Waters - in her own 60s - was a mysterious figure to many, an obese woman with a vicious temper who moonlighted with evangelist Billy Graham's traveling revivals. She had purposely distanced herself from the civil rights movement. The black college kids, in love with their rising cultural pride, wanted nothing to do with her during her campus tours. The white kids thought her an intriguing relic from the past. In 1972, Waters had been introduced to an audience as a legendary "black" performer. "Please, not the word 'Black,' " she said. "I'm a Negress and proud of it."

Waters, whose career spanned radio, Broadway, musical recordings, TV and film, has long demanded a major assessment. Donald Bogle's "Heat Wave" goes a long way toward putting her career in perspective and detailing her tortuous and enigmatic journey.

She was born on Halloween in 1896 in Chester, Pa., her birth a result of the rape of her teenage mother. While growing up, Waters became fond of music and musicians. It would be the way to escape poverty. "In time," writes Bogle, "Ethel got to see performers like the Whitman Sisters, the comedy duo Butterbeans and Susie, dancer Alice Ramsey, the ventriloquist Johnny Woods, and the great blues singer Ma Rainey." It was her education. She watched, she imitated, she learned.

Her voice was mature, and her stage presence aggressively sexy. (Waters never was a classic beauty like Lena Horne or Dorothy Dandridge, but in the old show-business adage, she worked well with what she possessed.) In time, Waters made her way to Baltimore, where she joined the lively Negro vaudeville circuit under the umbrella of the Theatre Owners Booking Association. It was an amalgamation of businessmen and hucksters who sent black performers throughout the country. Performers had another name for the group: Tough on Black Actors. The theater owners could be crooks, the pay paltry, the hours long and cruel. But Waters was nothing if not a hard worker. Harlem was a mecca for black entertainers, but it was also risky for newcomers. "There was too much Negro talent around," Bogle - the author of, among other books, "Dorothy Dandridge" and "Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams: The Story of Black Hollywood" - tells us of that Harlem.

Waters stormed Harlem. She waltzed into the offices of Black Swan records in 1921. They liked her style. On show billings, she was referred to as "Sweet Mama Stringbean." She traveled with the Black Swan Jazz Masters and a lesbian lover. (A brief marriage had gone bust.) Onlookers gawked as she galloped atop a horse through Central Park. She was becoming one of the highest-paid Negro performers. She made it to Broadway in "Blackbirds of 1930." The show flopped, but theatergoers would remember her singing, especially the song "My Handy Man Ain't Handy No More," whose lyrics included: "He don't perform his duties like he used to do/. . . He says he isn't lazy, claims he isn't old/But still he sits round and lets my stove get cold." Mae West had nothing on Ethel Waters.

But every success Waters had she seemed to undermine. She cursed managers. She had lovers' spats that ended up in the tabloids. Domestic chaos was always at hand. She operated, certainly, in a racist environment. But charm was not her metier, as it was Lena Horne's. During rehearsal for a play, Waters confided: "I'm still a mite savage, I guess. Maybe there's real craziness in me. I'll say things I don't mean. I can't help it."

Her Hollywood foray was as dispiriting as every other black entertainer's at the time. "Generally," says Bogle, in wicked understatement, "Hollywood did not know what to do with its Black glamour goddesses." Here Bogle clearly becomes too enamored of his subject: Ethel Waters was no glamour goddess.

She performed well in "Cabin in the Sky" but did not, as Bogle proclaims, steal the movie. The newcomer Lena Horne did. Waters was mighty fine on-screen in "The Member of the Wedding." Her signature songs live on, among them "Am I Blue" and "St. Louis Blues." But the ending of her life is all too familiar. There were troubles with the IRS. Then health problems because of her weight. There were appearances in forgettable episodic TV dramas: that old lady sitting over there waiting on her cue.

Those who lived on higher ledges were never to her liking. "Though she could appreciate the attention of nobility," Bogle tells us, "she would always respond most to others like herself who crawled out of the pit, be it an economic or emotional one, and made a name or place for themselves."

One finishes this overlong chronicle wishing that Bogle had cracked the question of her mixed emotions about her race. It would also have been enlightening if he had delved deeper into her relationship with Billy Graham's crusading. Much of it, one is led to believe, comes down to the fact that entertainers are needy souls; they wish to be loved. Happy and functional romantic relationships seemed to have been beyond Waters's grasp. Upon meeting Eleanor Roosevelt, Waters said, "Mrs. Roosevelt, please hug me." But Donald Bogle has wrapped the life of Ethel Waters in empathy, and that is no small achievement.

Haygood, a national reporter for The Washington Post, is the author of three biographies, the latest of which is "Sweet Thunder: The Life and Times of Sugar Ray Robinson."

CLICK HERE to purchase HEAT WAVE: The Life and Career of Ethel Waters by Donald Bogle (Harper, 624pp, $26.99)

Note From The Producer

2011-01-28T23:36:00.002-05:00

It has become a tradition at MetroStage. Every January we open a show featuring an amazing cast, telling an amazing story, featuring and celebrating African American artists from our collective history. And did I mention the incredible music and gifted musicians on our stage? This season is no exception. Miss Ethel Waters, one of the most acclaimed blues, jazz and gospel singers, is being featured in the play entitled "His Eye is on the Sparrow," her favorite gospel song and the title of her autobiography.

Waters led an extraordinary life, born at the turn of the century to a 13-year-old mother, living under impoverished conditions, and traveling the vaudeville circuit, performing at the Cotton Club in Harlem and, at one point, becoming the highest paid performer on Broadway. She was one of the most influential jazz and blues singers of her time and an actor earning great acclaim on Broadway, film and television. She was nominated for an Emmy, an Academy Award, received a Drama Critics Award, and introduced some of the most famous songs of the era: "Stormy Weather" by Harold Arlen and "Supper Time" by Irving Berlin.

MetroStage favorite Bernardine Mitchell returns to our stage as Ethel Waters. Our patrons know Miss Mitchell from her Award-winning portrayal in "Mahalia" and also her role in "Three Sistahs." She lives in Atlanta but considers Alexandria and MetroStage her second home. William Knowles will accompany her on the piano. Knowles is also well known to MetroStage audiences, most recently, as composer and conductor for "Cool Papa’s Party," for which he won a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Music Direction.

In addition, we will be introducing to our stage Mary Millben, an Alexandria actor who will be playing Ethel Waters in select performances. Miss Millben has an impressive resume, having appeared at Arena Stage in "Crowns" and "Sophisticated Ladies" with Maurice Hines (another favorite here at MetroStage), and has also performed at the White House, the 2008 Kennedy Center Honors, the XLIII Super Bowl, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Obama’s Lincoln Memorial inaugural concert. She is another exceptional talent we are pleased to introduce to our audiences.

The stories and history of the African American artist in the first half of the 20th century are part of our mission here at MetroStage. In past seasons we have featured Alberta Hunter, Bricktop, Mabel Mercer, Pearl Bailey, Nat King Cole and Duke Ellington, to name a few. First and foremost, the music and their journeys are important for future generations to understand and appreciate, and the entertainment value from the stage is unsurpassed. We believe it is important to share this work, entertain our audiences, and honor the ground-breaking artists whose stories we are telling and whose music we are singing.

Oftentimes we will have three generations in our audience: a grandmother who grew up with these artists and their music, a daughter who had always heard the stories and a grandchild to be introduced to the era and the music. In fact, my 9-year-old granddaughter, Annalise, still sings "Baby Its Cold Outside" from our "Pearl Bailey … By Request," and had an opportunity to interview Miss Mitchell when she was here playing "Mahalia" for a school report. Theatre is to entertain, enlighten and enrich. These stories, these artists, and the actors on our stage accomplish all of the above, and we are proud to present this work on our stage during our celebration of Black History Month and beyond.

Excerpt from an Interview with Playwright Larry Parr

2011-01-28T14:09:00.005-05:00

Ethel Waters: His Eye Is On The Sparrow was commissioned by Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota as part of its New Play Development Program and premiered in 2005. It is the third in a trilogy of one-person shows playwright Larry Parr has written about influential African-American women in show business that began with “Hi-Hat Hattie,” (1991) about Hattie McDaniel, and continued with “My Castle’s Rockin’,” (1996) about singer Alberta Hunter. Parr first discovered Waters when he was given a copy of her biography by a friend in high school. “I loved Ethel Waters when I was a kid. It seemed to me she would be my ideal mother or grandmother. As I learned more about her, I was astounded that someone who came from such an awful beginning, and who grew up in such a horrible situation, with no one to love her, could rise to such magnificent stardom and become such a strong symbol of faith. How did this happen? Well, that’s a story I wanted to tell.” Parr wanted to do more than highlight Waters’ early struggles and ultimate successes. “I thought it was extremely important to tell the story of a woman who had every right on earth to be a racist, yet who overcame that racism with a strong sense of will and faith. To me, that story gives hope to the rest of humanity.”

Ethel Waters: His Eye Is On The Sparrow finds Waters in a later, happier period of her career, singing with the Billy Graham Crusades. She recounts the trials and accomplishments in her life while singing many of the hits for which she is so well known. “One goal I set for myself in writing [the play] was to use the wonderful music associated with Ethel Waters in a way that would help illustrate her compelling story,” says Parr.

SNOW IS COMING DOWN...

2011-01-26T17:53:00.005-05:00

Due to the inclement weather,

TONIGHT'S PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEW IS CANCELLED.

$25 tickets are available for Thursday and Friday's performances at 8pm.

CODE: Preview

Call 800-494-8497 or CLICK HERE to order tickets online.

Who was Ethel Waters?

2011-01-19T07:54:00.009-05:00

Ethel Waters was the first black Superstar...an innovator who opened all the theatrical doors hitherto closed to black performers of her day, to attain the towering position she reached as a headliner. She fought hard and long to achieve solo star status in the white world of vaudeville, night clubs, Broadway theater, radio, films and television. More than any other black performer of the century, Ethel Waters was a woman of the theater, and the celebrity she attained in maturity as an actress tended at times to overshadow-at least in memory-the importance of her accomplishments and influence as a singer.

Her talents defied categorical limits. She was the fountainhead of all that is finest and most distinctive in jazz and popular singing. Widely imitated during the 30's and 40's, one still hears echoes of Ethel Waters in many singers who came after her. Joe Turner, Bing Crosby, Ivie Anderson, Lee Wiley, Mildred Bailey, Connie Boswell, and Ella Fitzgerald have acknowledged their debt to her. Her range soared easily from a low, chest tone to a high, clear head voice: on records she sang from a low E to high F, just over two octaves, and on "Memories of You" she hits a spectacular high F sharp. Her diction was clear and impeccable, coloring the lyrics with the proper emotion necessary to express the feelings she wanted to convey.

Born October 31, 1896, in Chester, Pennsylvania, her eighty year life was a turbulent one filled with low valleys and high peaks. In her autobiography, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, she frankly detailed the squalor of her sordid childhood and early struggles. Her singing career began with amateur night performances in Philadelphia, then slowly moved in the black theater circuit, where she was billed as "Sweet Mama Stringbean."
She began recording in 1921 for the Black Swan label, continuing with that company through 1924. When she introduced "Dinah" at the famous Plantation Club (Broadway and 50th Street) in New York City in 1925, she met with such success that she was signed by Columbia Records, for whom she was to make many of her most famous recordings during the next decade. Her career continued to escalate in such black shows as Africana, The Blackbirds of 1928 (and 1930) and Rhapsody in Black. In 1929, she made her film debut in the new talking films, singing "Am I Blue?" and "Birmingham Bertha" in On with the Show, remade a few years later as Forty-Second Street.

In 1933, her sensational rendition of "Stormy Weather" at the Cotton Club made her the talk of the town; when Irving Berlin heard her sing it, she was signed for his As Thousands Cheer, a revue starring Marilyn Miller and Clifton Webb. She stopped the show with "Heat Wave" and "Suppertime" and was elevated to co-starring status. At the same time, she became the first Negro to star in a sponsored coast-to-coast radio show, accompanied by the Jimmy Dorsey orchestra. Her Broadway career continued its spectacular ascent with the hit shows At Home Abroad, Mamba 's Daughters, Cabin in the Sky, and Member of the Wedding. Later, she filmed the latter two, appearing also in Gift of Gab, Cairo, Tales of Manhattan, Pinky, and The Sound and the Fury. These films and her numerous recordings remain a legacy for audiences too young to have been or heard this legendary performer at her peak.

Her last years were spent touring with the evangelist Billy Graham, still performing occasionally, until her death on September 2, 1977, in Chatsworth, California.

Ethel Waters remains a towering figure in the history of jazz and American music.

Source: Text by Larry Carr; http://www.jazzateria.com/roots/ewaters.html

Ethel Waters sings "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" from the 1952 movie The Member of the Wedding with Ethel Waters as Bernice Sadie Brown, Julie Harris as Frankie Addams, and Brandon De Wilde as John Henry.

For more information, check out:
PBS - JAZZ, a Film by Ken Burns: Selected Artist Biography - Ethel Waters
http://www.pbs.org/jazz/biography/artist_id_waters_ethel.htm

The Museum of Broadcast Communications - Ethel Waters
http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=watersethel

Press Release

2011-01-15T13:49:00.003-05:00

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce the return of Helen Hayes Award winning actor and MetroStage favorite, Bernardine Mitchell, to MetroStage in the one woman musical, His Eye is on the Sparrow, based on the life of Ethel Waters. Written by Larry Parr, directed by Gary Yates, under the musical direction of S. Renee Clark, and accompanied by William Knowles on the piano and keyboard, the production will run from January 26th through March 20th. MetroStage is proud to welcome to its stage Mary J Millben, who will perform in selected performances.

His Eye is on the Sparrow is an inspirational musical about the life of the renowned African American, groundbreaking jazz singer and actor, Ethel Waters. From humble beginnings, she made her mark on Broadway (As Thousands Cheer -the first black woman in an all white cast-and Member of the Wedding -with Julie Harris, receiving the New York Drama Critics Award for her role), film (Pinky-receiving a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination, and Member of the Wedding) and television. She is considered one of the most influential jazz and blues singers of her time.

Director Gary Yates' credits include performing in regional theatre, film and television and directing on stages across the United States. He is chair of the Speech Communication and Theatre Arts Dept. at Clark Atlanta University and directed Ms. Mitchell in His Eye is on the Sparrow last season at Theatre in the Square in Marietta, Georgia. He has also directed Blues for an Alabama Sky, The Piano Lesson, Hambone, Gee's Bend and many others.

Bernardine Mitchell is well known to MetroStage audiences having performed on our stage in both Three Sistahs (nominated for Outstanding New Musical) and Mahalia, for which she received the Helen Hayes Award with her portrayal of Mahalia Jackson. In both cases, she reprised the roles in second productions by popular demand! She performs internationally (Gospel at Colonus) and regionally: A Christmas Carol (Alliance Theatre), A Cool Drink of Water (Black Arts Festival), Bessie's Blues (Studio Theatre), Blues in the Night (Arena Stage, Helen Hayes Award), and many others.

Mary Millben will be performing the role of Ethel Waters for select performances. She has been seen locally in Crowns and Sophisticated Ladies (Arena), has toured for the Kennedy Center, and has sung at the White House, The Congressional Black Caucus, The Kennedy Center Honors, the Super Bowl, the National Symphony Orchestra and President Obama's Lincoln Memorial inaugural concert. We are delighted to be introducing her to our audiences.

At MetroStage, S. Renee Clark has music directed and performed in Mahalia (twice) and was the music director for Bricktop. In Atlanta she has played piano or keyboard for Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris and Jesus Christ Superstar (Alliance Theatre), and has extensive music directing, performing, arranging, and composing credits. She has also performed world-wide.

William Knowles, who will be playing piano and keyboard for His Eye is on the Sparrow, was the composer and conductor/pianist for MetroStage's Award-winning Cool Papa's Party (he received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Music Direction) and has played and music directed at MetroStage in numerous productions: All Night Strut, Ellington, Bricktop, Pearl Bailey...By Request, and elsewhere: Dinah Was (Arena Stage, Helen Hayes Award) and Tambourines to Glory (Lincoln Theatre, Helen Hayes nomination).

Performances for His Eye is on the Sparrow will be Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 3pm & 8pm, Sunday at 3pm & 7pm, January 26-March 20 (no performances on February 2 and no matinees on January 29 and 30). Wednesday, January 26 at 8pm will be a Pay-What-You-Can Preview. Press night is Saturday, January 29 at 8pm. For ticket reservations, call 800 494-8497 or go online to www.metrostage.org. For information and group sales, call 703-548-9044. MetroStage is located at 1201 North Royal St. in North Old Town Alexandria. There is a free parking lot and fine dining nearby. The theatre is handicap accessible.

Joining the cast...

2011-01-14T08:30:00.006-05:00

Mary Millben (Sophisticated Ladies, Crowns at Arena Stage) will be performing the role of Ethel Waters in select performances throughout the run of His Eye Is On The Sparrow.

Starting February 9th, we will be adding a Wednesday performance at 8pm.

Tickets are on sale now

by calling 800-494-8497

or CLICK HERE to order online.

Minor change in our upcoming schedule

2011-01-04T09:27:00.008-05:00

Due to scheduling conflicts, His Eye Is On The Sparrow will now open Wednesday, January 26th.

The Real Inspector Hound will open April 21st (one week later than originally announced).

Please note the new dates & times below...

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEW
($10 minimum)
Wednesday, January 26 at 8pm

Please come directly to the theater
and check in with the Box Office upon arrival.
Box office opens one hour prior to performance.
Seating is general admission. Space is limited.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES:
Thursday, January 27 at 8pm
Friday, January 28 at 8pm

NOTE: There will not be a 3pm matinee on Saturday, January 29th or Sunday, January 30th.

OPENING/ PRESS NIGHT:
Saturday, January 29 at 8pm

Performances:
Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm,
Saturdays at 3 & 8pm
and Sundays at 3 & 7pm

Tickets:
$45-50 (Students: $25)

Tickets are available by calling 800-494-8497
or CLICK HERE to order online.

Coming this Spring...

Tickets are now available for His Eye Is On The Sparrow

2010-12-30T20:59:00.011-05:00

By Larry Parr
Directed by Gary Yates
Music Directed by S. Renee Clark

The inspiring story of actress/singer Ethel Waters, who rose from a downtrodden life in Philadelphia's back alleys to become a celebrated talent. Aside from the title song, other Waters hits include "Stormy Weather" and "Am I Blue."
Starring Helen Hayes Award-winning Bernardine Mitchell (Mahalia, Three Sistahs) with William Knowles on the piano.

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEW
($10 minimum)
Thursday, January 20 at 8pm

Please come directly to the theater
and check in with the Box Office upon arrival.
Box office opens one hour prior to performance. Seating is general admission. Space is limited.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES:
Friday, January 21 at 8pm
Saturday, January 22 at 3 & 8pm
Sunday, January 23 at 3pm

$25 tickets are available from BoxOfficeTickets.com.
USE CODE: Preview

OPENING/ PRESS NIGHT:
Sunday, January 23 at 7pm

Performances:
Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm,
Saturdays at 3 & 8pm
and Sundays at 3 & 7pm

Tickets:
$45-50 (Students: $25)

Tickets are available by calling 800-494-8497
or CLICK HERE to order online.

Tis the season...

2010-12-24T15:20:00.002-05:00

Give The Gift Of Live Theater For The Holidays

2010-12-13T18:30:00.005-05:00

Gift Certificates Are Available

Let the recipient choose which performance

they would like to attend.

CLICK HERE to view our upcoming productions >

$45.00/ each

(up to $5 savings per ticket
for Friday & Saturday evenings)

To purchase a gift certificate for someone

with a credit card,
CALL 703-548-9044.

Checks may be mailed to:
MetroStage
ATTN: Gift Certificates
1201 N. Royal Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(Include also: recipient's name, how many tickets you are requesting and the address where you would like the gift certificate mailed.)

FREE for ALL - From the Washington Post

2010-12-04T15:00:00.005-05:00

Peter Boyer and Donna Migliaccio in MetroStage's production

of "A Broadway Christmas Carol" (Photo by Colin Hovde)

Your lump of coal

Reading the largely unfavorable review of MetroStage's glorious production of "A Broadway Christmas Carol" ["A blah humbug from MetroStage," Style, Nov. 25] reminded me of why I enjoyed it so much when I saw it last month.

The reviewer grudgingly acknowledged some of the delightful shenanigans - and there are many more - that the multi-talented actors engaged in. But these were not enough to overcome her major objection to the production: the fact that it manages to "simultaneously lampoon and celebrate Charles Dickens' classic ghost story."

As a fan of both Dickens and Broadway tunes, I would not have it any other way. I found the combination of sentiment and satire to be - in the words of Goldilocks - just right.

Jo Ann Browning Seeley,

Alexandria

What The Audience Members Are Saying

2010-12-03T10:27:00.001-05:00

"Excellent acting and singing, very talented people. Loved the piano player. The songs were great with clever take-offs on broadway hits. Really enjoyed the show. Not like the typical Christmas fare. Lots and lots of fun. MetroStage never lets me down!" - Anonymous

"Okay, I literally just got home from seeing this show and found [the Washington Post's] review in my inbox (because I run a blog about Dickens, I have a Google News Alert on his name). And I think we must have seen two different shows, because I thought it was brilliant. The songs fit perfectly, the rewritten lyrics were hilarious, and the cast handled it all beautifully. I had a blast and would love to see it again." - Gina D.

"This was a fantastic production. If you want to laugh, this is a must-go-see." - Anonymous

What The Critics Are Saying

2010-12-03T10:24:00.002-05:00

Click on the image to enlarge

Review by Bob Anthony from AllArtsReview4U

2010-11-23T08:46:00.001-05:00

The holidays opened with a "bang" with MetroStage's "A BROADWAY CHRISTMAS CAROL" (To 12/19) which one hopes would last through 2011! Three highly professional comedy singers (Matthew A. Anderson/Peter Boyer/Donna Migliaccio) present parodies of Broadway tunes adapting them to the script of the old chestnut "A Christmas Carol" with Scrooge and his cohorts. The costumes changes are fast and furious as these three must switch into many characterizations...it must be not unlike the "Tuna Folks" with the dressers backstage. Anyway, it is a howl every minute as this zany tale about the old miser is recreated with so many farcical bits. Thanks also goes to the book and lyrics by Kathy Feininger and the superb comedy direction by Larry Kaye. Aaron Broderick was superb at the lone piano but even he plays his bit parts well. Janine Gulisano does wonders with the period costumes and Allison Campbell does a superb Christmas set to get one into the holiday mood. Nancy Harry gets kudos for her fine choreography which is half of the fun of the show. This is a highly recommended show that word-of-mouth should prove a sell-out. So get those tickets as holiday presents.

Press/ Opening Night - Sunday, November 21

2010-11-22T10:29:00.014-05:00

Sandra Buratti, Richard Gutting and Jimmie CookTrudy Levy, Jeanne Theismann and Sally Cooper

An Audience Member's Review

2010-11-21T09:05:00.002-05:00

MetroStage's "Carol" is just fun, and funny. Yes, it weds Dickens's classic "Carol" with Broadway tunes, lyrics re-written. Dickens would have sharpened his writing if he had known that Kathy Feininger and Donna Migliaccio were going to get his story into a half-nelson then tickle it.

Arrive early (its general admission, and some patrons will have their view obscured by the on-stage piano), and feast your eyes on the set. Allison Campbell used an elf's paintbox to create a colorful Christmas-time treat. Just sit for a few minutes . . . and enjoy. Pick up a few pointers for the color scheme in the den.

Donna Migliaccio is an award-winning force of nature. She reminds us that not all terrific comediennes are going to get the Mark Twain prize. Just wait until you see her act the role of . . . a doorknob!

I see from the notes that Migliaccio toured in the 50th anniversary version of "Guys and Dolls." That would explain her knock-'em-dead rendition of "Belle's Lament" which was borrowed from Miss Adelaide. As for her Mae West in chains, well, you'll just have to go up and see it sometime. Terrific. Ditto her Peggy Lee who – what else? – is seeking alms for the poor.

If I had daughters who wanted to work on the stage (wait! I do), I would want them to see Miss Migliaccio's work. Her joie de vivre and talent are infectious and, perhaps, inspiring. Theater majors and acting classes, take note, and get the ticket office on the phone.

Matt Anderson is a pal of mine, so everything I write about him is colored by the fact that I am uttering the absolute truth. His Ghost of Christmas Past is a hoot, and he wields his prop to perfect effect. (Hint about the prop: four tennis balls.) His take on "Annie" and his role as Tiny Tim are perfect, and he has set a pole-vaulter's high bar in his pas de deux with a chandelier. Note the small touches in that scene: energy-efficient bulbs and a traditional, Home-Depot-aisle-14 extension cord in this season’s fashionable color, road-cone orange.

If you are a delicate soul, prepare to be stirred by some politically incorrect lines about Tiny Tim's disability. On the other hand, being politically incorrect, funny, and brightly performed gets the lines a triple word score. (Can someone check to see if Miss Feininger, the author, is still in residence at the Sunny Valley Care Facility for madcap playwrights? I would hate to think she had been turned loose to drop another script like this on an unsuspecting, but grateful, public.)

There was some ad hoc-ery between Anderson and Migliaccio in the performance I saw – and there ought to be more (even if the ad hoc-ery needs to be scripted!). These two work beautifully together in what might be called slapdashitude, squared. They have been on the same stage before, and they'll be together at Ford's Theatre in the spring, and this synergy ought to be encouraged by all theater-goers.

Peter Boyer is Scrooge. He is said to be "introduced" by this play, as if he had been discovered waiting tables in Old Town. No. He has been perfecting his craft in Baltimore.

When the call went out for two zany actors and one rock-solid nucleus that the zanies could revolve around, he answered the call for the nucleus. He combines that always-on-stage stability with a sense of humor and a fine voice. His acting in the early scenes (before the ghosts-of-silliness get hold of him) makes you think that he is sour enough to be Marley's penurious partner.

Aaron Broderick provides the music, but don't miss his helpful, long-fingered contributions for the Ghost of Christmas Future...

Congratulations to Larry Kaye (Director) and Nancy Harry (Choreographer) for getting this madcap trio to move around the stage with brio and relatively few collisions -- which is not to say that more collisions might not be even more fun! (One of my favorite bits of business is Migliaccio playing a boat's figurehead – although the prop manager might need to oil those wheels. I don't know if her acting is improved by having to work like a stage hand with that "boat.")..."

This is a personal review (written without request and certainly without remuneration of any sort) by Lincoln Oliphant on November 20, 2010. The author sent it to MetroStage and asked them to post it on their site, as he thought potential ticket buyers would find it useful. The author is proud of his reputation (just created) as an independent – yet incisive – critic, and any attempt to influence his judgment or any monetary offer, from any source whatever, whether high or low, whether Hollywood or Podunk, will be strictly reviewed for amount.

Notes from the Producer

2010-11-20T09:17:00.003-05:00

A legendary Washington tradition is returning. "A Broadway Christmas Carol," the classic Dickens’ tale told using uproarious parodies of favorite Broadway show tunes, is returning to the area this month. And this time it will be in Alexandria. After seven years of sold- out performances in Silver Spring, Md., ending in 2004, "A Broadway Christmas Carol" is returning to the area to be performed at MetroStage beginning Nov. 18 and running through the holidays.

MetroStage is delighted to be bringing it back to its loyal audience and introducing it to a new wave of theatregoers who are looking for holiday entertainment and who also just happen to love Broadway musicals and anything that parodies the most beloved songs of that great Broadway tradition. (The MetroStage production of "Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)," which was a parody of five renowned Broadway composers, broke all box office records not once but twice!)

CLICK HERE to read entire article from the Alexandria Gazette Packet >

Special Added Performance

2010-10-24T08:43:00.009-04:00

A delicious holiday treat, A Broadway Christmas Carol tells the classic Dickens' tale with uproarious parodies of your favorite Broadway show tunes.

A legendary Washington tradition returns (seven straight sold-out seasons at Round House Theatre, last seen in 2004) with an all star new cast, featuring "the one and only" Donna Migliaccio, with Matt Anderson, one of her co-conspirators in The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) and introducing Peter Boyer as Scrooge.

Laugh out loud, roll in the aisles funny. Call now for tickets and start a new holiday tradition at MetroStage.

SPECIAL ADDED PERFORMANCE

Wednesday, November 24 at 7pm

All tickets for this added performance: $25

Call 800-494-8497

or CLICK HERE to order tickets online.

Set Items For Sale

2010-10-20T17:19:00.007-04:00

Bargains are available from MetroStage.
Interested in purchasing something you saw
in a previous production?
Check out what's for sale...

CLICK HERE to see items for sale >

Tickets are now available for A Broadway Christmas Carol

2010-10-18T08:45:00.005-04:00

By Kathy Feininger
Directed by Larry Kaye
Choreographed by Nancy Harry

Christmas just got a whole lot funnier! A delicious cross between the classic Dickens tale and uproarious song parodies of your favorite Broadway show tunes, this irreverent and boisterous alternative to traditional holiday fare will leave you rolling in the aisles! With the creative team from The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!).

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEW
($10 minimum expected, more greatly accepted)
Thursday, November 18 at 8pm

Please come directly to the theater

and check in with the Box Office upon arrival.
Box office opens one hour prior to performance.
Seating is general admission. Space is limited.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES
Friday, November 19 at 8pm
Saturday, November 20 at 3 & 8pm
Sunday, November 21 at 3pm

$25 tickets are available from BoxOfficeTickets.com.
USE CODE: Preview

OPENING/ PRESS NIGHT:

Sunday, November 21 at 7pm

Performances:

Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm,
Saturdays at 3 & 8pm
and Sundays at 3 & 7pm
(No show on Thanksgiving)

Tickets:

$45-50 (Students: $25)

Special Added Performance:

Wednesday, November 24 at 7pm

All tickets for this added performance: $25

Tickets are available by calling 800-494-8497
or CLICK HERE to order online.

A Standing Ovation! Performances to Cherish

2010-10-15T18:33:00.005-04:00

(l-r) Charlotte Akin, Noah Chiet, Lauren 'Coco' Cohn, Ben Cunis and Chris French

"In the last three months, there were many performances that moved me, made me laugh, and made me stand up and cheer at the final curtain. One of my favorites is Lauren ‘Coco’ Cohn as Ursula Gillow, Coral Hicks, and Maid in Glimpses of the Moon at MetroStage.‘Coco’ Cohn arrived at MetroStage with a week to go before the critics arrived to review Glimpses of the Moon. In a short time, Coco had to learn the numerous lines for three kooky characters she was going to play in the show. Talk about laughing myself silly! If you’re a member of my generation – think Ruth Buzzi from “Laugh In”. I heard several members of the audience whisper, “Who is she? She’s so funny!” Local audiences and critics may not have known who she was before the lights went down that night, but after the lights came up after the final curtain bow – audiences and critics were yearning for more Coco. Bravo!"

- Joel Markowitz, DC Theatre Scene

CLICK HERE to read the full article >

And All That Jazz

2010-10-14T11:00:00.005-04:00

Recording artist Lori Williams launched her debut CD, "Healing Within," with a standing-room only concert at MetroStage Oct. 11. Guest artists included Sylver Logan Sharp, Allyn Johnson and Divine Order and dancer Rita Burns. Williams performed songs from her CD that ranged from R&B to jazz and included a cover of Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" to a soaring version of "Amazing Grace." "It's such an honor to host an event like this," said MetroStage Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin. "What a gift Lori has given everyone with this CD."

Lori William, seated, is joined by Tabitha Pearson, Robert Person, Sylver Logan Sharp and William Knowles at the launch of Williams' new CD Monday night at MetroStage.

Lori Williams signs copies of her new CD at the MetroStage launch party October 11.
Lonnie Rich, Donnan Wintermute, Marcia Rich, Carolyn Griffin and Adron Krekeler celebrate the launch of Lori Williams' CD at MetroStage Monday night.

Customer Feedback Survey

2010-10-13T10:03:00.000-04:00

Please take a few moments to complete MetroStage's Customer Feedback Survey.

You will remain anonymous and your answers will help our theater continue to grow better and stronger.

Thank you to those who saw the posting and have already responded.

Click on the link below to answer the questions, then click "Submit."

CUSTOMER FEEDBACK SURVEY

Pictures from Lori Williams "Healing Within" CD Release Concert

2010-10-12T11:07:00.009-04:00

Allison Seymour, from Fox 5 News
Sylver Logan Sharp

Ellys Abrams, Jessica Winfield, Lori Williams, Dannielle Hutchinson,

Kevin Laughon and Carolyn Griffin

Lori Williams "Healing Within" CD Release Concert

2010-10-01T10:00:00.001-04:00

From Joel Markowitz at DC Theatre Scene...

2010-09-29T13:13:00.002-04:00

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

2010-09-21T10:30:00.019-04:00

"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

2010-09-13T10:47:00.015-04:00

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

2010-09-10T08:30:00.000-04:00

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!

2010-09-08T12:35:00.002-04:00

MAJOR SCHEDULING AND CASTING ANNOUNCEMENT

2010-09-06T07:21:00.007-04:00

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

2010-09-02T07:10:00.005-04:00

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

Glimpses of the Moon begins September 8th

2010-08-31T08:30:00.011-04:00

Gia Mora and Stephen F. Schmidt as Ellie and Nelson Vanderlyn

in Glimpses of the Moon (Photo by Colin Hovde).

A Jazz Age Musical

based on the novel by Edith Wharton

Book and Lyrics by Tajlei Levis
Music by John Mercurio
Directed and Choreographed by David Marquez

A sparkling romantic musical, Glimpses of the Moon follows the jazzy whirl of New York society in 1922. Popular but penniless, Susy Branch and her friend Nick Lansing devise the ultimate fundraising scheme -- to marry and live off the wedding presents, while they help one another look for suitable millionaires. The plan works perfectly -- until they fall in love.

SCHEDULE, PERFORMANCE TIMES

AND TICKET INFORMATION

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEWS
Wednesday & Thursday, September 8 & 9 at 8:00pm
($10 minimum expected, more greatly accepted)

NO SHOW FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10

$25 PREVIEWS
Saturday, September 11 at 3pm & 8pm
Sunday, September 12 at 3pm

PRESS/ OPENING NIGHT
Sunday, September 12 at 7:00pm

PERFORMANCES THRU OCTBER 17:
Thursdays & Fridays at 8:00pm
Saturdays at 3:00pm and 8:00pm
Sundays at 3:00pm and 7:00pm

TICKETS:
$45 - $50

Call 800-494-8497
or CLICK HERE to order tickets online.

READ MORE ABOUT THE PRODUCTION

"one of the best new musicals I've seen in ages...a well-crafted, witty musical comedy...a sparkling valentine to the Jazz Age." -BroadwayWorld.com

CLICK HERE to read about the Cast & Crew

CLICK HERE to read the Press Release

For more information, visit http://www.glimpsesofthemoon.com/

Calvin Ramsey returns to Washington with The Green Book

2010-08-25T08:45:00.000-04:00

In 2007, MetroStage produced Bricktop which had the book and lyrics co-written by Thomas W. Jones II and Calvin Ramsey. Mr. Ramsey is returning to Washington this September to participate in a staged reading of his play The Green Book at the Lincoln Theatre on September 15.

We would encourage our MetroStage patrons to take advantage of this opportunity to experience this important play about this historic time. The fact that Julian Bond is participating in the reading makes it even more historic. We hope to see you there.

CLICK HERE to read Celia McGee's article, "The Open Road Wasn't Quite Open To All" in the August 23rd edition of The New York Times >

In memory of our dear friend and colleague, Jane Pesci-Townsend

2010-08-12T08:42:00.006-04:00

Dori Legg, Carolyn Griffin and Jane Pesci-Townsend

I worked with Jane as an actor (Parallel Lives, 1994) and as a director (Last Five Years, 2004)— I only wish I had witnessed her as a teacher/mentor/friend and colleague for the thousands of students at Catholic University who will carry on her spirit and artistry and life lessons for generations to come. Jane was truly the most honest, authentic, genuine, generous --- there are simply not enough adjectives to describe her --- artist and, more importantly, person we will ever have the privilege of knowing. She was the funniest and the most heart-breaking— whether she was acting or singing or just being Jane --- which only comes from a place of absolute honesty and vulnerability. The loss for her friends, colleagues and students is immeasurable, but we can all be thankful that we knew her because her beauty and talent will live with us in our daily lives, in our art, and on the stage and will influence generations to come.

Carolyn Griffin
Producing Artistic Director

MetroStage's New Season

2010-08-08T10:24:00.000-04:00

OH, LOOK: Glimpses of the Moon, opening in September at MetroStage, will feature Gia Mora and Stephen F. Schmidt. (Photo by Colin Hovde)

MetroStage in Alexandria will open its next season with a new musical, Glimpses of the Moon (Sept. 8-Oct. 17), based on the novel by Edith Wharton. The book and lyrics are by Tajlei Levis and the music by John Mercurio. Director-choreographer David Marquez will stage the show with a cast that includes Stephen F. Schmidt and Gia Mora.

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin says the "Jazz Age musical" will be a world premiere, because its earlier incarnation was in cabaret form at Manhattan's Algonquin Hotel. Griffin hopes Glimpses of the Moon will have a life after MetroStage. "There's every reason in the world to think that it might be a viable show for other theaters looking for small musicals," she says.

Other MetroStage-nurtured shows that have gone onward and upward include Rooms, a Rock Romance, which moved off-Broadway and has been produced at other theaters, and Pearl Bailey . . . by Request, starring Roz White. Cool Papa's Party, with a script by Thomas W. Jones II, music by William Knowles and choreography by Maurice Hines, premiered at MetroStage in 2009, and Griffin says there are plans afoot for a Broadway staging.

It should be interesting for audiences to see shows in early and evolving stages, she says, as they will with Glimpses of the Moon. "The writers and the composer are revisiting the script and the music and will be making minor changes for this next stage of the development of the musical."

MetroStage's holiday show will be A Broadway Christmas Carol (Nov. 18-Dec. 19), a spoof by Kathy Feininger, directed by Larry Kaye and choreographed by Nancy Harry.

Singer-actress Bernardine Mitchell will return to MetroStage as the legendary performer Ethel Waters in His Eye Is on the Sparrow (Jan. 20-March 13) by Larry Parr, directed by Gary Yates.

The stars of MetroStage's 2009 hit Heroes, a three-character piece adapted by Tom Stoppard from a French play, will reunite in Stoppard's farce The Real Inspector Hound (April 14-May 29). John Vreeke, who staged Heroes, will direct.

CLICK HERE to read the full Washington Post story by Jane Horwitz

A Special Offer to MetroStage Patrons for Super Claudio Bros.

2010-07-30T08:18:00.003-04:00

SUPER CLAUDIO BROS EXTENDS
Best Musical 2010 DC Fringe

"Bright as a pack of skittles, loopy as a Loony Tunes cartoon."
- DC Theater Scene

6 MORE SHOWS THIS WEEKEND ONLY

"The casting reads like the DC musical theater producer's wish list it likely was."
- Glen Weldon, Washington City Paper

In fact, four of this dream cast are in MetroStage's production of Glimpses of the Moon, beginning September 8th.

STARRING:
Stephen Gregory Smith, Sam Ludwig, Lauren Williams, Gia Mora, Matthew Anderson, Harry Winter, Chris Sizemore, Karissa Swanigan and Gillian Shelly

THE WAREHOUSE THEATER
1021 7th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001

Thursday, July 29 @ 8pm
Friday, July 30 @ 8pm
Saturday, July 31 @ 8 & 10:30pm
Sunday, August 1 @ 3 & 8pm

Friends of MetroStage get tickets for $15
(Regular prices are $25 in advance/ $30 at the door)

Use CODE: Metro

Get your tickets by calling 866-811-4111
or going to www.claudiobros.com

Come see SUPER CLAUDIO BROS. and see a great show with a great cast and save money!!!

A sneak peak at the set design for Glimpses of the Moon

2010-07-27T09:30:00.004-04:00

Daniel Pinha, set designer, "became very interested in those big luxurious spaces from the beginning of twenties, where all aspects of wealth can be found, and the materials are rich and ornate." He had the idea that, "money created big 'jewelry box houses' from the chandeliers to floors and the characters are kept in this luxurious environment, but are perhaps fragile like the glass that surrounds them. There are a lot of rooms with different entrances that lead to different places, perhaps almost like our characters are looking for their true value - the love that they find at the end."

From the research photos below and input by David Marquez, director/ choreographer, Daniel worked on incorporating the tone and imagery into the unit set idea pictured above.

Gary E. Vincent LIVE!

2010-07-26T09:10:00.005-04:00

THANK YOU to everyone who came out and supported Gary E. Vincent (and MetroStage) for his one-man show, making a life-long dream come true.

One customer stated it was "a seamless and invigorating mixture of recital, broadway musical and church service. Gary and William are AMAZING!!!"

To those who asked at the box office if a CD of Gary's singing was available, unfortunately nothing's been produced.... YET.

Below is a video segment from show, featuring William Hubbard, with Gary performing "You've Got A Friend."

MetroStage's 2010-11 Interactive Season Calendar from Google

2010-07-16T11:35:00.001-04:00

Announcing the cast of A Broadway Christmas Carol

2010-07-12T08:55:00.002-04:00

Matthew A. Anderson (The Man Who Isn't Scrooge) took part in MetroStage's raucous revival of The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) and will be seen in Glimpses of the Moon this Fall. Mr. Anderson has also worked locally with the Kennedy Center (Youth and Family Programs as well as Shear Madness), Theater J, Signature Theatre, Imagination Stage, and Ford’s Theatre. This Summer, he is currently taking part in the exciting new musical Super Claudio Bros: A Video Game Musical for the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival.

Peter Boyer (Scrooge) is currently on stage with the Baltimore Shakespeare Festival for their Summer outdoor productions: The Comedy of Errors and Moliere's Scapine. He recently was seen in Sylvia at Bay Theatre and A Chorus Line (Zach) at Howard Community College, where he taught an acting course last Fall. He directed A Spell of Cold Weather for the Red Branch Theatre. REGIONAL: Olney Theatre: 1776 (Lyman Hall); Ford's Theater: Shenandoah (Sgt. Johnson); Imagination Stage: Heidi, Sleeping Beauty; Theatre IV: The Secret Garden (Archibald Craven). Mr. Boyer has also done the occasional commercial/ industrial/ extra work.

Donna Migliaccio (The Woman Who Isn't Scrooge) reprised her role as radical anarchist Emma Goldman in Ragtime at Broadway's Neil Simon Theater last Fall, a role she first played in the Kennedy Center's critically-acclaimed production. KENNEDY CENTER: Broadway: Three Generations, The Brand New Kid and Sunday in the Park with George. NATIONAL TOUR: Guys and Dolls - 50th Anniversary (General Cartwright). REGIONAL: Theatre on the Square, San Francisco: DirtyBlonde; Philadelphia Theatre Company: Elegies: A Song Cycle; Arden Theatre, Philadelphia: The Dinosaur Musical - world premiere; Signature Theatre: Assassins, Urinetown, Sweeney Todd, Pacific Overtures; Theater J: Shlemiel the First; Ford's Theater: A Christmas Carol. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award winner and recipient of ten additional nominations, including one for her performance in MetroStage's original production of The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!). UPCOMING: Ruthless! (Totem Pole Playhouse), Sabrina Fair and Liberty Smith (Ford's Theater).

ONE WEEKEND ONLY THIS SUMMER - GARY E. VINCENT LIVE!

2010-06-29T13:48:00.002-04:00

Gary E. Vincent, who has been seen on our stage in Two Queens One Castle and Cool Papa's Party, performed his one man cabaret GARY E. VINCENT LIVE! at the famous Triad Theatre in New York City a few weeks ago. MetroStage's own William Hubbard accompanied him on the piano. It was so fabulous that at the end of the show I told Gary that we had to bring it to our Washington area audiences.
So here is your chance this summer to see GARY E. VINCENT LIVE!. On July 23, 24 and 25, Gary and William will be performing their show at MetroStage for your enjoyment.

Please put this on your calendar and call us now to reserve your seats (they filled the Triad and they will fill MetroStage). I saw it. It is fabulous, and I want you to see it here on our stage. Gary and William are very special friends and artists here at MetroStage and I am very proud to be sharing their exciting show with you this summer.

Carolyn Griffin, Producing Artistic Director

Open Call Equity Principal Auditions, Round 3

2010-06-25T20:43:00.004-04:00

MetroStage 2010-11 Season
SPT 6 (pending approval); $357/week minimum

Friday, July 2, 2010
11:30am - 3:30pm

Call 703-548-9044 or email info@metrostage.org for appointment.
Equity members and EMC's without appointments will be seen throughout the day, as time permits.

Please prepare 16 bars of a Broadway song and a two-minute comic monologue.

Bring sheet music; accompanist provided.

Please bring a picture & resume, stapled together.

Metro Stage
1201 N. Royal St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
(directions at www.metrostage.org, free parking lot)

A Broadway Christmas Carol
by Kathy Feininger
Producing Artistic Director: Carolyn Griffin
Director: Larry Kaye

Music Director: Aaron Broderick

DATES
First rehearsal: October 26, 2010
First preview: November 18, 2010
Closing: December 19, 2010

SEEKING:

Scrooge:
AVAILABLE ROLE.

The Woman Who Isn’t Scrooge:
AVAILABLE ROLE. Playing multiple roles that include Marley, Mrs. Cratchit and Marie. Vocal range: "high belt" as well as some soprano chops.

The Man Who Isn’t Scrooge:
Role is CAST. Auditioning performers will be considered as possible replacements, should any become necessary. Playing multiple roles that include Cratchit, Tiny Tim and Fred.

Note: No housing is available to out-of-area performers.

Announcing the cast of Glimpses of the Moon

2010-06-22T09:04:00.000-04:00

Matthew A. Anderson (Winthrop “Streffy” Strefford) is excited to be back at MetroStage after taking part in their raucous revival of The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!). Mr. Anderson has also worked locally with the Kennedy Center (Youth and Family Programs as well as Shear Madness), Theater J, Signature Theatre, Imagination Stage, and Ford’s Theatre. This summer, he looks forward to taking part in the exciting new musical Super Claudio Bros: A Video Game Musical for the 2010 Capital Fringe Festival with fellow Glimpses of the Moon castmates Lauren, Gia and Sam.

Natascia Diaz (Ursula Gillow/ Coral Hicks/ Maid) is delighted to return to MetroStage where she won the 2009 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical in the world premiere of ROOMS, a rock romance. Natascia has been recognized by Chicago’s Joseph Jefferson Award and St. Louis’ Kevin Klein Award for her performance as Anita in West Side Story. Natascia’s Broadway credits and original cast albums include The Capeman, Seussical, and the 2002 revival of Man of La Mancha. Off-Broadway, she performed in Jonathan Larson’s tick, tick…BOOM! (receiving an LA Ovation Award nomination), in Stephen Sondheim's first musical, Saturday Night, and in the 2006 revival and recording of Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris. In August 2010, Ms. Diaz will perform the lead role of Esmeralda Agron in the concert performance of Paul Simon's The Capeman, produced by The Public Theatre at the Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.

Sam Ludwig (Nick Lansing) SIGNATURE: [title of show] (Jeff), Sweeney Todd (Tobias), Show Boat, The Hollow (21/24 Workshop) (Ichabod), A Fox on the Fairway Workshop (Justin), Partial Eclipse, Curveball Workshop (Ludwig), Les Misérables. RED BRANCH THEATRE: Urinetown (Bobby). OLNEY THEATRE CENTER: Big River (Huck), 1776 (Courier). THEATRE J: The Playdoh Golem Workshop (Sam). TOBY'S DINNER THEATER: La Cage Aux Folles (Jean-Michele), Titanic the Musical (Barrett).

Gia Mora (Ellie Vanderlyn) METROSTAGE: Cool Papa’s Party--Helen Hayes Nomination, Ensemble; REP STAGE: God’s Ear; SHAKESPEARE THEATRE: The Imaginary Invalid; ARENA STAGE: Christmas Carol 1941, She Loves Me; WOOLLY MAMMOTH: She Stoops to Comedy--Helen Hayes Nomination, Ensemble; ROUND HOUSE: A Prayer for Owen Meany--Helen Hayes Nomination, Supporting Actress. JAZZ/ CABARET VOCALS: Blues Alley, Bethesda Theatre, Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret. UPCOMING: Sunset Boulevard (Signature Theatre), Liberty Smith (Ford’s Theatre).

Stephen F. Schmidt (Nelson Vanderlyn) most recently appeared as Hermocrates in Triumph of Love at the Olney Theatre Center where he also performed in Call of the Wild, Stuff Happens, Saint Joan, Crave, and She Loves Me. He also recently appeared in Ford’s Theatre’s A Christmas Carol and One Destiny. Last year, he played Harold Hill in Music Man with The Washington Savoyards. At Arena Stage: Death of a Salesman, Noises Off, Damn Yankees, and Guys and Dolls. At Center Stage in Baltimore: Arsenic and Old Lace, Sweeney Todd, The Winter’s Tale, The Investigation, As You Like It, H.M.S. Pinafore and Midsummer Night’s Dream. He received the Helen Hayes Award for his performance of Lockstock in Urinetown at Signature Theatre. Other Helen Hayes Nominations-- Kennedy Center: Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka (Wonka); Toby’s: Wonderful Life (George Bailey); Woolly Mammoth: Rocky Horror (Brad).

Lauren Williams (Susy Branch) SIGNATURE THEATRE: Into the Woods (Little Red, Helen Hayes nomination), My Fair Lady, The Happy Time, Nevermore, Allegro, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Philia, Helen Hayes nomination). THE KENNEDY CENTER: For the Love of Goldfish, The Phantom Tollbooth. STUDIO THEATRE 2nd STAGE: Reefer Madness, Dog Sees God (Ensemble, Helen Hayes nomination). REP STAGE: God's Ear, Butterfinger's Angel. ADVENTURE THEATRE: You're a Good Man Charlie Brown. DC FRINGE FESTIVAL: Super Claudio Bros. UPCOMING: Snow White, Rose Red and Fred at the Kennedy Center and Liberty Smith at Fords Theatre.

SUBSCRIBE NOW TO METROSTAGE'S 2010-11 SEASON

2010-06-15T08:15:00.001-04:00

Welcome to MetroStage's 2010-11 season of entertaining, inspired, oftentimes, hilarious theatre offerings. There are many reasons to jump on board this season and join our MetroStage family of subscribers. We are committed to entertaining you with an eclectic range of musicals and, of course, the occasional play--all with music, dialogue and the best actors in the DC area and beyond. Join us this season because we are offering a great season and by subscribing you will be supporting a professional theatre that is making a difference--in the lives of our patrons, our artists, playwrights, composers, designers and crew.

Many of our recent productions have moved to other theatres (ROOMS to an Off Broadway theatre and many regional theatres around the country, and Pearl Bailey...By Request to Milwaukee Rep. Cool Papa's Party is continuing to be in development en route to Broadway. In addition, our productions are getting significant recognition from the Helen Hayes Awards. In the past few years we have received Helen Hayes Awards for Lead Actress (Natascia Diaz), Outstanding Choreographer (Maurice Hines), Outstanding Music Director (William Knowles) and Outstanding Ensemble (HEROES). In fact this past year MetroStage won three Helen Hayes Awards. (We did earn some bragging rights since the only theatres to win more Awards were the Kennedy Center and The Shakespeare Theatre---pretty impressive for a theatre in a converted lumber warehouse.)

So don't delay, we have some very exciting shows for you this season. Subscribe now and tell your friends. Commit to us as a lover and supporter of the arts, and we will commit to giving you exciting shows with some of the best ensemble casts in the metro area.

Carolyn Griffin
Producing Artistic Director

Announcing MetroStage's 2010-2011 Season

2010-06-11T08:59:00.006-04:00

MetroStage has an entertaining season planned for 2010-2011.

We start off with Glimpses of the Moon, a sparkling romantic musical. It ran for 9 months (2008/2009) in the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel in New York City. BroadwayWorld.com said, "One of the best new musicals I've seen in ages... A well-crafted, witty musical comedy... a sparkling valentine to the Jazz Age."

For the holidays, we're happy to bring A Broadway Christmas Carol to MetroStage, after playing 7 consecutive seasons at Round House Theatre with audiences coming back to bring friends and family members so they could experience the good time together. The same creative team that brought the hilarious The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) is working their magic again on this production.

Bernardine Mitchell and S. Renee Clark (Mahalia) return in His Eye Is On The Sparrow after having performed it in Atlanta this Spring. "Mitchell unquestionably has the soaring vocal prowess and the stage presence for the part [of Ethel Waters]," wrote Creative Loafing.

And, we're delighted to bring back the Helen Hayes Award-winning ensemble from HEROES (Ralph Cosham, John Dow and Michael Tolaydo) plue Catie Flye (For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, Sea Marks) for Tom Stoppard's The Real Inspector Hound.

Glimpses of the Moon
September 8 - October 17, 2010

A Broadway Christmas Carol
November 18 - December 19, 2010

His Eye Is On The Sparrow
January 20 - March 13, 2011

The Real Inspector Hound
April 14 - May 22, 2011

For complete details, CLICK HERE >

*NEW* SUBSCRIBE NOW ONLINE...

For a subscription form, click on the image below for the form to pop-up in another window.
This *NEW* online feature is now available to our patrons.
Fill out the information (sections marked with a "*" are required) and click "Submit."
Checks may be mailed separately to MetroStage.

Open Call Equity Principal Auditions, Round 2

2010-05-21T09:15:00.006-04:00

MetroStage 2010-11 Season
SPT 6 (pending approval); $357/week minimum

Tuesday, June 1, 2010
11am - 7pm
Lunch: 1-2pm

Call 703-548-9044 or email info@metrostage.org for appointment.
Equity members and EMC's without appointments will be seen throughout the day, as time permits.

Please prepare a 2 minute monologue and 16 bars of contemporary American song or Broadway song.

Bring sheet music; accompanist provided.

Actors should be prepared to move if asked.
Please bring a picture & resume, stapled together.

Metro Stage
1201 N. Royal St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
(directions at www.metrostage.org, free parking lot)

Glimpses of the Moon,

A Jazz Age Musical based on a novel by Edith Wharton
Book & Lyrics by Tajlei Levis
Music by John Mercurio
Producing Artistic Director: Carolyn Griffin
Director/ Choreographer: David Marquez

DATES (may change)
First rehearsal: August 23, 2010
First preview: September 23, 2010
Closing: October 24, 2010

SEEKING:

Ellie Vanderlyn:
(late 40s) Self-absorbed wealthy society matron. She is attractive, ambitious, generous when it suits her purposes, used to getting whatever she likes.

Nelson Vanderlyn:
(50-60) Successful banker, he has endured 20 years of marriage to Ellie. And somehow, despite her mistreatment, remains steadfastly in love with her.

Susy Branch:
(20s) Susy is bright, pretty and practical. Effortlessly elegant, graceful, charming, witty, fun. She has a natural intelligence and enthusiasm. Though born into society, her father’s gambling habit and untimely death, left her dependent on her wealthy friends.
Dance experience a plus.

Winthrop “Streffy” Strefford:
(40-50) Fourth in line to inherit a title and large fortune in England. In the meantime, he is a career freeloader. Though gossipy and a bit mean, he is fun to have around and can be a good friend.

Nick Lansing:
(25-30s) A scholar of classical archeology who dreams of writing historical novels, Nick is romantic and passionate, well-traveled, curious. He appreciates beauty and the finer
things, but has an old fashioned moral strength.

Dance experience a plus.

Coral Hicks / Ursula Gillow / Maid:
Role is CAST. Actors auditioning will be considered for understudies and/or replacements if needed. One actor to play the following: Coral: (20s) Frowsy over-educated heiress. Her parents own a Midwestern department store chain. She is serious, overly intellectual but socially inept and awkward. She knows everything in books and nothing about human interaction. Ursula: (late 40s) A vain society matron. Maid.

The Cabaret Singer:
This is a guest starring part with a one-song walk-on and a few lines, requiring minimal preparation. Ideally, each performance would boast a different ‘name’ performer in this role. The Cabaret Singer will be played by a series of singers throughout the run.

Video Clips from Son of a Stand Up Comedian

2010-05-18T12:42:00.002-04:00

Below are 3 promo video clips

from Son of a Stand Up Comedian,

produced by Blue House Productions:

Open Call Equity Principal Auditions by Appointment

2010-05-08T09:17:00.005-04:00

MetroStage 2010-11 Season
SPT 6

Sunday, May 16, 2010
11am - 7pm
Lunch: 1-2pm

Metro Stage
1201 N. Royal St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
(directions at www.metrostage.org, free parking lot)

The Real Inspector Hound, by Tom Stoppard
Producing Artistic Director: Carolyn Griffin
Director: John Vreeke

DATES
First rehearsal: March 22, 2011
First preview: April 14, 2011
Closing: May 29, 2011

Call 703-548-9044 or email info@metrostage.org for appointment.
EMC's without appointments will be seen throughout the day,

as time permits.

Please prepare brief comedic monologue.

Please bring a picture & resume, stapled together.

CAST BREAKDOWN [ALL must have great facility with English dialect(s)]

Birdboot: Male, 40-60 - robust, full of himself, egocentric but with great comedic timing. Smart, theater critic. Philanderer

Moon: Male, 40-60 - tight, nervous, smart, self effacing, theatre critic. Full of a life time of resentments and second place only.

Mrs. Drudge: Female, 40-70 - very dour, tight, cliche mysterious housekeeper.

Cynthia: Female, 30ish - tall, thin, beautiful, aristocratic.

Felicity: Female, 20-30 - shorter, smaller, pert, spoiled and pretty.

Magnus: Older male, 40 - 70 - angry, resentful, in a wheelchair...grouchy.

Hound: Male - younger, overly eager Scotland Yard inspector-type.

Simon: Male - young, good looking, tall, matinee idol.

Joe Barber's Best Bets (from WTOP)

2010-05-02T14:04:00.003-04:00

What do haggis, Arthur Miller, Yom Kippur and rock music have in common? Well, if you head to Metro Stage in Alexandria by May 9 — and I strongly urge you to do so — you’ll find out when you see Paul Scott Goodman’s delightful one man show, “Son of a Stand-Up Comedian.” Goodman composed the music for and wrote the musical “Rooms: a rock romance,” that played at Metro Stage last season. He’s returned with this funny and poignant tale of his Scottish/Jewish roots, his arrival in New York to seek his show biz fortune and the women — including his wife, mother-in-law and daughter — who’ve helped shape his life, on and off stage. Goodman’s music services the telling of his tale quite effectively, reminding me both lyrically and melodically of the late Harry Chapin. Lasting just 75 minutes, the piece has moments that ring familiar in comparison to other struggling artist’s stories. What enlivens this production is Goodman’s engaging personality and emotional sincerity. “Stand-Up Comedian” will vigorously tickle your funny bone and make you glad you took the time to hear this talented man’s story. “Son of a Stand-Up Comedian” runs at Metro Stage through May 9. It gets Three and One-Half (***1/2) stars from me.

STAY TUNED!!

2010-05-01T08:38:00.005-04:00

Our 2010-2011 season will be announced

in the middle of May.

Stay tuned for details on the productions

and how to subscribe to MetroStage online...

Backstage: Paul Scott Goodman and the rebirth of 'Son of a Stand Up Comedian'

2010-04-28T08:32:00.002-04:00

"Quadruple threat Paul Scott Goodman, singer-songwriter-scriptwriter-jokester, shambles over to a little cafe table at MetroStage. He's performing his solo show 'Son of a Stand Up Comedian' there through May 9. Goodman did the music and lyrics and co-wrote the script with his wife, Miriam Gordon.

Sipping a Scotch on the rocks after a Sunday matinee, he explains that the funny little song he just performed as an encore, all about his need for an audience, is titled 'The Ham Song' and originated in 'God Save the New Wave,' an early show of his and Gordon's.

The 52-year-old Goodman, a Scottish Jew whose burr remains intact (though peppered with Yiddishisms), grew up in Glasgow, the son of a 'semi'-professional stand-up comic who played bar mitzvahs on weekends and worked in the clothing business on weekdays. Goodman came to New York in the early 1980s, where he met and married Gordon. They now have two daughters in college, a 15-year-old son and a double-size apartment in SoHo. Their punk-inspired show, 'Rooms: A Rock Romance,' played at MetroStage in 2008, earning six Helen Hayes nominations, including a win for co-star Natascia Diaz. The show went on to a well-received off-Broadway run in spring 2009..."

CLICK HERE to read entire Washington Post article by Jane Horwitz >

What the Critics are Saying about Son of a Stand Up Comedian

2010-04-25T09:19:00.003-04:00

"Directed by Michael Baron, the show is swiftly paced, punctuated with short breaks between the musical numbers. Lighting designer Jessica Lee Winfield's colored projections behind Goodman provide an ever-changing backdrop of bright, gentle colors. It's a testament to Goodman's ability to marry his lyrics and music that, by the end of the short evening at MetroStage, he creates an even clearer image of the lyricist, composer, singer, husband, father and survivor he is today."

- Barbara Mackay, DC Examiner

"...it takes a fresh look at a fundamental Jewish musical theme: the importance of family... It's a new Jewish musical for a new generation."

- Lisa Traiger, Washington Jewish Week

"...it is Goodman’s sanguine, Scottish-accented, musical introspection that keeps the audience humming and toe-tapping along with him."

- Jordan Wright, Whisk and Quill

"Paul Scott Goodman is a very likeable entertainer and his show is definitely recommended for an evening or afternoon to stimulate positive recollections of one's own family and occupational history. The cabaret-style MetroStage offers greater intimacy with the performers than any other stage in the area and it works beautifully with this production."

- Bob Anthony, AllArtsReview4U.com

"MetroStage... is hosting the very talented and very ingratiating comedian and playwright, Paul Scott Goodman [who] is a genuine guy who knows how to share his feelings with an appreciative audience."

- Rich Massabny

"...a winning autobiographical one-man show. [Goodman is] an entertaining storyteller and a fine rock guitarist and singer, with strong support from Greg Holloway on percussion."

- Susan Berlin, Talkin' Broadway

And the winner is ... MetroStage

2010-04-24T09:55:00.005-04:00

Alexandria's MetroStage may have come in third in the final tally at the 2010 Helen Hayes Awards, but that's just fine with Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin.

"This will probably never happen again," said Griffin, still on a high from the ceremony that took place April 5 at the Warner Theatre. "Only two theatres garnered more awards than MetroStage — the Kennedy Center and the Shakespeare Theatre and they had actors like Cate Blanchett and Stacy Keach. That was the level of our competition."

CLICK HERE to read the entire Alexandria Times article >

Carolyn Griffin, Producing Artistic Director, and William Knowles, Music Director, at the Helen Hayes Awards (Photos by Joel Markowitz)

Stardust Restaurant closed Saturday, April 3rd

2010-04-13T08:13:00.009-04:00

From their website... "Well, it's been a 'fabulous' run and we thank you for letting us be a part of your lives for the last 12 years, but it's time for Stardust to give 'last call'."

In Memoriam

2010-04-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Donna F. Bergheim of Alexandria, who served on the board of the Virginia Commission for the Arts from 1993 to 1998, passed away on March 27, 2010. Dr. Bergheim, a devoted arts advocate, was a former Foreign Service Information Corps officer and former professor of English. She was a major supporter of MetroStage, the award-winning professional theatre that performs in the Donna Bergheim Theatre at 1201 North Royal Street in Alexandria. She was an advisory panelist for the Virginia Commission for the Arts before being appointed to the board of the Commission by Governor L. Douglas Wilder. Peggy Baggett, Executive Director of the Virginia Commission for the Arts, said: "Donna had a great passion for all of the arts, and during her five years on the board of the Commission she and her husband Mel traveled to all corners of the state attending performances and exhibitions. Donna had a warm and loving heart; and she had a strong commitment to the artists, administrators, technical staff, and volunteers who work so hard every day to bring the arts to the people of Virginia. She will be greatly missed.

- from the Virginia Commission for the Arts

"Donna F. Bergheim, a onetime Foreign Service officer and college professor who became an advocate for the arts in Alexandria and throughout Virginia, died March 27 of congestive heart failure at Capital Hospice in Arlington County. She was 84.

Dr. Bergheim became active in various arts groups soon after moving to Alexandria in 1960. She served on the board of directors of MetroStage and helped convert an old lumber warehouse into MetroStage's 150-seat theater. The theater was named for her in 2001.

In 1993, Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder named Dr. Bergheim to a five-year term as a member of the Virginia Commission for the Arts. In that position, Dr. Bergheim evaluated arts programs and helped award grants to organizations throughout the state..."

- Matt Schudel, Washington Post

CLICK HERE to read entire Washington Post article >

Congratulations MetroStage On Receiving 3 Helen Hayes Awards April 5th

2010-04-06T08:25:00.003-04:00

Congratulations to the 2010 Helen Hayes Awards Recipients!

Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production
♦ Maurice Hines, Cool Papa's Party

Outstanding Music Direction, Resident Production
♦ William Knowles, Cool Papa's Party

The Canadian Embassy Award for Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
♦ Heroes

To see all the results, CLICK HERE

Read what the artists told DC Theatre Scene in their "Meet the 2010 Helen Hayes Nominees" article, prior to the Helen Hayes Awards:

William Knowles

Cool Papa’s Party

Why this show?
I’m always interested in new work. I like being a part of creative team.

Greatest challenge…
There was a lot of information to teach in a short amount of time. This was the first time the show was on it’s feet. There was hardly any revision time.

Your best contribution…
With today’s technology, one is able to mock up examples of the work. In other words, you have a good idea of what it sounds like before you have to pay lots of people.

If you could work with anyone…
There is a strong connection between jazz musicians and theater. I would have loved to look over Eubie Blake’s shoulder for Shuffle Along, or Fats Waller’s for Hot Chocolates.

Is there a particular work of art you would like to see turned into a musical and why?
I’d like to do a piece on Nina Simone.

Next?
Cool Papa’s Party has legs. I intend to see where they carry me.

Heroes

John Vreeke, Director

When did you first realize there was something special about working with this cast?
After about a week of table work discussions and getting on our feet. This cast, the three of them together, have, well, let’s say over 100 years of experience in theater collectively.

- They work without ego…being beyond, past those needs…no time for ego…it’s stupid and counterproductive…never a moment of neediness or self doubt. – They know how to work…no teaching, no cajoling, no caretaking needed – They respect, love language…Stoppard’s is great for them…they know about music in language and how to make it sing – They have, again, years of technique experience so they know how to deliver the language. – They genuinely like and respect each other…love being in each other’s company…which pays off for the three way friendship in Heroes.

What moment(s) in the play do you think best exemplify the ensemble’s work?
The entire play.

To see the full story, click on the links below:
http://dctheatrescene.com/2010/03/28/meet-the-2010-helen-hayes-nominees-1/
http://dctheatrescene.com/2010/03/28/meet-the-2010-helen-hayes-nominees-2/

COMING SOON: Son of a Stand Up Comedian

2010-03-31T10:10:00.007-04:00

Son of a Stand Up Comedian
A Scottish Jewish Rock Musical
starring Paul Scott Goodman
begins April 15 at MetroStage

PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN PREVIEW

Thursday, April 15, 2010
8:00pm

($10 minimum expected, more gratefully accepted)

Please come directly to the theater
and check in with the Box Office upon arrival.

Box Office opens one hour prior to performance.

Seating is general admission. Space is limited.

PREVIEW WEEKEND

$25 TICKETS

Friday, April 16 @ 8:00pm
Saturday, April 17 @ 5:00pm
Sunday, April 18 @ 3:00pm

PRESS/ OPENING NIGHT

Saturday, April 17 @ 8:00pm

Performances thru May 9, 2010:
Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 5pm & 8pm, Sundays at 3pm

Tickets: $45-50
PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN (4/15): $10 minimum
Previews (4/16, 4/17 @ 5pm, 4/18): $25

CLICK HERE to order tickets online >

OR call 800-494-8497

CLICK HERE to read the Press Release >

A Theatre Lover's Guide to DC/ Capital Area Theatres - April 2010 Offerings

2010-03-31T10:05:00.002-04:00

"He's a Scottish Jew, always dressed to kilt, a funny guy, a great storyteller, guitarist extraordinaire, and composer of one of my all-time favorite musical scores - ROOMS, which had a successful run last season at MetroStage. This month, Paul Scott Goodman brings his one-man show to this intimate venue, and knowing this unique and talented man, it will be a swell time. Paul's songs tell stories of love and hope, and I want to know how Arthur Miller fits in with all of this. I can't wait to interview him and see this show full of his unique humor and beautiful music." - Joel Markowitz

CLICK HERE to read the full article at BroadwayWorld.com >

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW for Son of a Stand Up Comedian

2010-03-27T09:22:00.008-04:00

Music and Lyrics by Paul Scott Goodman
Book by Paul Scott Goodman and Miriam Gordon

Acclaimed singer/songwriter Paul Scott Goodman tells his story of living and surviving as an artist, lover, and ultimately a father in the searing hot summer of Manhattan in 1988. Goodman's songs tell a story of love and hope with wry wit and uncompromising honesty, capturing the unique sights and sounds, challenges and complexities of life as a songwriter and performer in New York City.

Goodman returns to MetroStage after his award-winning musical ROOMS, a rock romance premiered here last season.

Performances: Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 5pm & 8pm and Sundays at 3pm

Call 800-494-8497 or CLICK HERE to purchase tickets online at BoxOfficeTickets.com.

From Carolyn Griffin for the Alexandria Gazzette Packet

2010-03-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

Bernardine Mitchell and the original cast of "Mahalia, a gospel musical," which includes Alexandria’s own award-winning artist William Hubbard, have returned to MetroStage (after a five-year absence) to cheering, clapping, swaying audiences. The story of Mahalia Jackson, gospel music and the civil rights movement has touched the hearts of everyone who sees it.

The production of "Mahalia, a gospel musical" is a beautiful example of the power of theater. Whether audiences grew up with Mahalia’s music in their homes and gospel music in their churches, or know Mahalia in name only, and have only a limited connection or knowledge of gospel music, one thing is certain. Everyone responds to the extraordinary story of Mahalia Jackson and is moved by her story, her faith, her music, and her heart. Mahalia rose from humble beginnings in New Orleans, moving to Chicago during the Great Migration of the 1920’s, singing at churches with professional gospel groups.

Many of her most famous gospel songs are included in this production, including "Take My Hand, Precious Lord," and "Move on up a Little Higher." As the "Queen of Gospel Music," Mahalia performed at Carnegie Hall to great acclaim. But she also played an important role in the Civil Rights movement, as a friend of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and performing in front of 250,000 at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. With Mitchell’s extraordinary contralto voice, critics and audience alike find that Mitchell is literally channeling Mahalia Jackson in both her music and her spirit.

In addition to showcasing some of the most talented artists in the country, MetroStage is committed to producing plays full of heart and soul that touch our audiences deeply and embrace the diversity of our population. There are only two weeks remaining in this run of "Mahalia, a gospel musical," but there is still time to experience Bernardine Mitchell and the multi-talented cast of S. Renee Clark and Alexandria’s beloved William Hubbard as we celebrate the music of Mahalia Jackson and her contribution to both the rise of gospel music and her role in the Civil Rights movement.

Additional Mahalia Review

2010-03-07T08:42:00.002-05:00

"What makes Mahalia the musical so satisfying is its energy. Each note of music is like a song unto itself, so eloquently executed that the urge to clap or tap in time is irresistible. What is more is that the full songs themselves speak to a body’s heart and spirit. So much so that audiences have shouted and exclaimed with delight at nearly every turn of a phrase in a song. Mahalia is a powerful show."

See the rest of what Donna Ledbetter wrote at BellaOnline.com >

What the Critics (and some audience members) are Saying about Mahalia

2010-02-15T12:00:00.002-05:00

"The vibrant power of Mitchell's performance leaves the audience mesmerized. Her voice remains rich and forceful as she completely inhabits the role of Jackson. Mahalia is an uplifting, exhilarating evening filled with joy and bursting with song. It is a musical that defies description and is a must-see, must-hear, must-experience show for all ages."

- Alexandria Times

"Bernardine Mitchell channels Mahalia Jackson when she hits the stage with that incredible voice in the role she was born to play. Mitchell has rock-solid presence... and can wrap her remarkable voice around a phrase to belt out a stirring message through song like no other. Her deep vibrating resonance... can send chills down spines."

- DC Theatre Scene

"This was terrific - the telling of the story, the acting, the singing and most especially, the music."

- Karen E.

"Mahalia... soars to new heights and raises the roof of the converted lumber warehouse."

- Alexandria Times

"This theatrical biography... showcases performers with enough charisma and vocal and acting prowess to send a shiver through the walls of some latter-day Jericho. The many musical numbers... are so rousing that theatergoers... couldn't help clapping in time to the beat."

- Washington Post

"A joyful, entertaining production... Mitchell... has an amazing voice, and her rendition of gospel songs had tears streaming down my cheeks... The play isn't just about song - it's about life, faith, Jim Crow, and doing what you love. Run, don't walk, to this play."

- Anonymous

"You will find two divine Miss M's: Mahalia Jackson and Bernardine Mitchell. Mitchell is the captivating centerpiece, with her full-throttle, booming voice that will no doubt inspire you to clap your hands and shout words of encouragement."

- MetroWeekly

"Clark and Hubbard keep the place a'rockin'. Author Tom Stolz has a playful way of expression, captures poignant moments between songs and generally progresses the story. The creative mind of director Tom W. Jones II, who in addition to assuring a steady pace and humorous sketches, added the visual slide projections helping to place the action and anchor the scenes."

- DC Theatre Scene

"A touching, energizing and crowd-pleasing event!... You could not help but be caught up in the passion and love of gospel music exuded by the performances. All three performers were terrific, but one cannot deny the charisma & stage presence of the lead actress who played the title role! See it and enjoy!"

- Louis S.

"[Mitchell's] expressive voice boasts a lapidary gleam [and] also displays comic aplomb and a nice sense of timing. Clark, hitting the right demure, [is] spunky. Hubbard, who does a stately cameo as Martin Luther King Jr., is also enjoyably idiosyncratic as the exuberant, ambitious and bow-tied Dorsey."

- Washington Post

"Clark is commanding as Jackson's devout Aunt Duke. But it is as... Mildred Falls where Clark's talents as both actor and musician are in full force. Hubbard is back and more engaging than ever [and he] is most commanding in his stirring portrayal of King."

- Alexandria Times

"Bernardine Mitchell rocks the socks off this show, blending in perfect harmony with her impeccable ensemble, well, she gets the job done, touches hearts and souls, whips up a frenzy, and leads an adoring crowd to their feet every time."

- DC Theatre Scene

"Fantastic! All three cast members are superb musicians. Ms. Mitchell captures Mahalia's voice and phrasing exactly! Ms. Clark is a marvel as a singer and on the piano and organ. I enjoyed listening to her improvisations. Mr. Hubbard is very successful in his portrayal of a variety of roles. The play is witty and very funny, as well. Play-goers who are not familiar with the life of Mahalia Jackson will learn a lot about her and about the times she lived in. The music is unforgettable. GO SEE THIS!"

- S. Cowles

Weather Cancellation

2010-02-11T10:03:00.002-05:00

Due to the weather/ road conditions,
and out of concern for the safety

of our cast, crew & patrons,
tonight's performance has been CANCELLED.

Snow/Inclement Weather and Performance Update

2010-02-09T08:27:00.002-05:00

A Winter Storm Warning is in effect from noon today to 7 PM Wednesday with accumulations of 10 to 20 inches. The combination of snow and strong winds will make travel very hazardous.

Stay tuned for an update regarding Thursday's performance.

SNOW EMERGENCY

2010-02-05T12:30:00.001-05:00

Due to the snowstorm, tonight's performance (Friday, February 5th) has been CANCELLED.

Both performances on Saturday, February 6th and Sunday, February 7th have also been CANCELLED.

Please call 703-548-9044 to reschedule and we will be glad to exchange your tickets for another date.

Mahalia runs until March 14th.

From Storm Watch 7 Weather... A Winter Storm Warning is in effect for the entire area and lasts until Saturday night at 10pm. This storm has the potential to drop 18 to 24 inches of snow with some locally higher amounts possible. As compared to the December snowfall, we think this snow will be more of a heavy, wet snow and will have the potential to severely impact the region.

ROOMS, a rock romance cast album CD is NOW AVAILABLE

2010-02-04T09:39:00.004-05:00

ROOMS, a rock romance cast album is now in stores and on Amazon.com, BarnesAndNoble.com, TowerRecords.com and iTunes.

Broadway World.com review >

TheaterMania review >

PROMO for Mahalia

2010-02-03T13:28:00.003-05:00

Check out this commercial using clips from Act 2
of Mahalia, a gospel musical at MetroStage.

Starring Bernardine Mitchell, S. Renee Clark and William Hubbard.

January 21 - March 14, 2010

A Note From The Artistic Director

2010-01-28T08:22:00.010-05:00

MetroStage is proud to announce that Cool Papa's Party, which premiered at MetroStage January 2009, has received six Helen Hayes Awards nominations: Outstanding Director Thomas W. Jones II, Outstanding Music Director William Knowles, Outstanding Choreographer Maurice Hines, Outstanding Lead Actor Jahi Kearse, Outstanding Supporting Actor Anthony Manough and Outstanding Ensemble in a Resident Musical. Congratulations to Tom, William and Maurice and to this remarkable ensemble of Jahi, Roz, William, Anthony, Gary, Lori, Gia, and Ben who tapped, sang and acted as they told the story of the "world's greatest entertainer." Since its premiere, Cool Papa's Party has continued to be workshopped in Atlanta, here at MetroStage and later this spring in New York in anticipation of future productions prior to a New York run.

Heroes, translated by Tom Stoppard and starring Ralph Cosham, Michael Tolaydo, and John Dow who so exquisitely portrayed three old soldiers passing their time on a park bench and displaying their camaraderie with wit and poignance, was recognized by the Helen Hayes judges with a nomination as Outstanding Ensemble in a Resident Play. Congratulations to Ralph, Michael, John, and to director John Vreeke who was so instrumental in creating this amazing ensemble. Heroes received four Moliere nominations in Paris and won an Olivier in London. This Helen Hayes Awards nomination is another honor for this lovely "little gem" and its wonderful cast.

Carolyn Griffin

2010 Helen Hayes Awards Nominations Announced

2010-01-25T23:18:00.012-05:00

We are pleased to announce that two MetroStage productions have received recognition from the Helen Hayes Awards. The 2010 nominations were announced this week and Cool Papa's Party and Heroes both received nominations. Congratulations and thanks to the casts, the creative teams and the crews that made these productions possible!

Outstanding Choreography, Resident Production
♦ Maurice Hines, Cool Papa's Party

Outstanding Director, Resident Musical
♦ Thomas W. Jones II, Cool Papa's Party

Outstanding Lead Actor, Resident Musical
♦ Jahi Kearse, Cool Papa's Party

Outstanding Music Direction, Resident Production
♦ William Knowles, Cool Papa's Party

Outstanding Supporting Actor, Resident Musical
♦ Anthony Manough, Cool Papa's Party

The Canadian Embassy Award for Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Musical
♦ Cool Papa's Party

The Canadian Embassy Award for Outstanding Ensemble, Resident Play
♦ Heroes

The 26th Annual Helen Hayes Awards will be presented on Monday, April 5, 2010 at 8:00pm, a gala celebration bringing together 2,000 theatre makers and theatre lovers to The Warner Theatre and JW Marriott Hotel in the heart of downtown Washington, D.C.

Click here to see the complete list of nominees >

Click here to read Tim Treanor's article "Small is big..." from DC Theatre Scene >

A Special Offer from MetroStage this weekend

2010-01-22T16:05:00.008-05:00

Mahalia, a gospel musical opened last night to cheers
and a standing ovation.
Some performances are already sold out.

This weekend only for the next three preview performances
(Friday, Jan. 22 at 8pm

and Saturday, Jan. 23 at 3pm & 8pm)
We are offering $25 tickets (regularly $50).

Call the theatre 703-548-9044 or 800-494-8497
and mention CODE "Preview" to order your tickets.
Click here to purchase tickets online.

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW for Mahalia, a gospel musical

2010-01-10T08:14:00.005-05:00

by Tom Stolz

Directed by Thomas W. Jones II

Music Directed by S. Renee Clark

Starring the incomparable Bernardine Mitchell (2005 Helen Hayes Award for this role).

A joyous celebration of the life and music of the world's greatest gospel singer. From her beginnings in the segregated South to her debut on the stage at Carnegie Hall, Mahalia became "The Queen of Gospel Music." Standing beside her friend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Mahalia became the voice of the civil rights movement. A stirring, humorous musical tribute with many great gospel numbers.

With piano and organ accompaniment and multiple roles played by S. Renee Clark and William Hubbard (2005 Helen Hayes nomination for this role).

Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 3pm & 8pm

and Sundays at 3pm & 7pm

Call 800-494-8497

or visit BoxOfficeTickets online today

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-30T20:49:00.004-05:00

Metro Stage hopes everyone has a HAPPY and PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!!! Thank you for being such loyal patrons as we look forward to providing you with exciting productions in 2010!!!

From Joel Markowitz and BroadwayWorld.com, Mahalia: A Gospel Musical is a MUST SEE in 2010. "Don't pass up the opportunity to hear the gorgeous and powerful voice of Bernardine Mitchell"...

BWW Blog: A Theatre Lover's Guide to DC/Capital Area Theatres – January, 2010 Offerings

Two of MetroStage's productions were listed in Washington City Paper's 2009 Year in Theater Highlights - Heroes and The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)...

The Year in Theater

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-21T09:48:00.000-05:00

UPDATE

2009-12-20T10:04:00.003-05:00

Both performances have been CANCELLED today due to the snowstorm.

If you had tickets for Saturday's or Sunday's performances, we can exchange your reservation for a future show date - call 703-548-9044.

Unfortunately, Pearl Bailey...By Request must close today, December 20th...

WEB ALERT

2009-12-19T09:19:00.005-05:00

Due to the snowstorm in the DC area... Both performances on Saturday, December 19th have been CANCELLED.

If you have tickets for either of Saturday's performances, we can accomodate your reservation Sunday at 3pm or 7pm (assuming the roads get cleared) - just show up at the Box Office and let the manager know or call 703-548-9044. Unfortunately, Pearl Bailey...By Request must close December 20th...

A look at Pearl Bailey...By Request

2009-12-02T15:23:00.003-05:00