I'm in love with this tap sequence... someone please teach it to me.
Kthanks.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
It is my pleasure to announce...
... that a musical has won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama after a 14 year hiatus! Yes, that is correct. This award has not been won by a musical in 14 years, the previous winner being RENT. Without further ado... the winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama is...
NEXT TO NORMAL
Now this is even more amazing to me than it may seem to others because this happens to be one of my favorite new shows. It is a rock musical written by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey and opened on Broadway in April of 2009, after a run at the Arena Stage in Crystal City, VA. It is about a married woman's struggle with coping mechanisms, bi-polar disorder and depression as well as a family's despair in the middle of an emotional crisis. The show also won Tony Awards in 2009 for Best Score, while Tom Kitt earned the Best Orchestrations award. The show's star, Alice Ripley, also earned a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Here's a taste of the show.
On another note, my dear friend Kylie Oosterink did a fantastic job in her high school's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie! She portrayed the role of Miss Dorothy Brown as well as anyone I've seen. She is definitely leaving at the top of the playing field and I couldn't be more proud! All in all, the production as a whole was good considering it was a high school group. Of course, you could tell who really wanted to be there and who didn't, but what else can you expect from a large group of hormonal teenagers. Alina Stone played a convincing Millie Dillmount and definitely had the vocal chops for the role, which was surprising considering her age. Another stand-out performer for me was Tony Oblen. He played an adequate Jimmy Smith, and although I did get very nervous for some of the higher parts in his songs, he did pull them off very well (with some modifications, but that's okay, we've all done it).
That is pretty much all I have for today, just decided to stop in with that amazing news about the Pulitzer. Soooooooooo... keep it classy!
NEXT TO NORMAL
Now this is even more amazing to me than it may seem to others because this happens to be one of my favorite new shows. It is a rock musical written by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey and opened on Broadway in April of 2009, after a run at the Arena Stage in Crystal City, VA. It is about a married woman's struggle with coping mechanisms, bi-polar disorder and depression as well as a family's despair in the middle of an emotional crisis. The show also won Tony Awards in 2009 for Best Score, while Tom Kitt earned the Best Orchestrations award. The show's star, Alice Ripley, also earned a Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Here's a taste of the show.
On another note, my dear friend Kylie Oosterink did a fantastic job in her high school's production of Thoroughly Modern Millie! She portrayed the role of Miss Dorothy Brown as well as anyone I've seen. She is definitely leaving at the top of the playing field and I couldn't be more proud! All in all, the production as a whole was good considering it was a high school group. Of course, you could tell who really wanted to be there and who didn't, but what else can you expect from a large group of hormonal teenagers. Alina Stone played a convincing Millie Dillmount and definitely had the vocal chops for the role, which was surprising considering her age. Another stand-out performer for me was Tony Oblen. He played an adequate Jimmy Smith, and although I did get very nervous for some of the higher parts in his songs, he did pull them off very well (with some modifications, but that's okay, we've all done it).
That is pretty much all I have for today, just decided to stop in with that amazing news about the Pulitzer. Soooooooooo... keep it classy!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
One Singular Sensation!
As I enter the throws of a new quarter of college, I have so much stuff coming up that I need to start working on. I got my exit portfolio back from pre-assessment and was happy to find to find out that it is a passable book! However, that's not good enough for me, so I have decided to work extra hard on it, as well as my other book, to make them AMAZING by the time I graduate in December. This quarter I will be taking a Conceptual Thinking class which seems like it will be a really interesting class that will get me to think outside the box, as well as a Science of Light class (BOOOOORING) and my exit portfolio class so I can work on my book for graduation. I will still be working on my theatre stuff throughout the quarter in order to have as much prepared as possible for my other book to put up in December with the rest of my show, so please let me know if you know any performances I can photograph or if you're an actor and want to be a character from a show for my series! I need to do as many as possible so I can have a strong collection.
In other theatrical news... for those of you who have been keeping track of what I've been doing, we have cast ...Spelling Bee and we could not be happier with our cast. The show will be going up at the end of May/beginning of June so hopefully some of you can make it out to see! The show is being produced by Leslie Luense, directed by Banafsheh Wallace, music directed by KJ Jacks, with choreography by Yours Truly, Scotty Beland. We had a really small turn-out of auditioners, but we were extremelyfortunate to get the exact auditioners we needed to fill the roles. This cast has a really high amount of energy, which is perfect for a show about a bunch of pre-pubescent kids competing in a county-wide spelling bee, and plenty of talent to boot. And without further ado... here is the cast list.
Cast:
Rona Lisa Peretti - Kate Dehnis
Chip Tolentino - Frank Brizzi
Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre - Jennifer Blanton
Leaf Coneybear - Charles Watley
Willam Barfee - Davey Jones
Marcy Park - Aimee Bonnet
Olive Ostrovsky - Samantha Battersby
Douglas Panch - Robert Rausch
Mitch Mahoney - Kenny Waters
For more information go to http://www.tantallonstage.com
I also would like to take this time to announce that I got cast in Wildwood Summer Theatre's production of A Chorus Line! The show will be going up in July/August and I will be playing the role of Zach. Zach is the choreographer/director of the show that all the dancers are auditioning for... So, I pretty much get to be in the entire show and will have tons of lines to learn! The role doesn't sing or dance much, so I still haven't figured out if I got the role because they hate how I sing/dance hahah, but I'd like to think I got it because I'm good at what I do. A good friend of mine also got cast and she will be playing the role of Cassie (who happens to be Zach's ex) so that will make the show about a million times more fun that it's already going to be.
Here is the rest of the cast list... http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/notes/wildwood-summer-theatre/cast-list-a-chorus-line/106788402692216
Anywho, that's pretty much all I have for now that is new... but check back soon for a review of a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie which I will be seeing on Saturday, and hopefully for some new pictures!
In other theatrical news... for those of you who have been keeping track of what I've been doing, we have cast ...Spelling Bee and we could not be happier with our cast. The show will be going up at the end of May/beginning of June so hopefully some of you can make it out to see! The show is being produced by Leslie Luense, directed by Banafsheh Wallace, music directed by KJ Jacks, with choreography by Yours Truly, Scotty Beland. We had a really small turn-out of auditioners, but we were extremelyfortunate to get the exact auditioners we needed to fill the roles. This cast has a really high amount of energy, which is perfect for a show about a bunch of pre-pubescent kids competing in a county-wide spelling bee, and plenty of talent to boot. And without further ado... here is the cast list.
Cast:
Rona Lisa Peretti - Kate Dehnis
Chip Tolentino - Frank Brizzi
Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre - Jennifer Blanton
Leaf Coneybear - Charles Watley
Willam Barfee - Davey Jones
Marcy Park - Aimee Bonnet
Olive Ostrovsky - Samantha Battersby
Douglas Panch - Robert Rausch
Mitch Mahoney - Kenny Waters
For more information go to http://www.tantallonstage.com
I also would like to take this time to announce that I got cast in Wildwood Summer Theatre's production of A Chorus Line! The show will be going up in July/August and I will be playing the role of Zach. Zach is the choreographer/director of the show that all the dancers are auditioning for... So, I pretty much get to be in the entire show and will have tons of lines to learn! The role doesn't sing or dance much, so I still haven't figured out if I got the role because they hate how I sing/dance hahah, but I'd like to think I got it because I'm good at what I do. A good friend of mine also got cast and she will be playing the role of Cassie (who happens to be Zach's ex) so that will make the show about a million times more fun that it's already going to be.
Here is the rest of the cast list... http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/notes/wildwood-summer-theatre/cast-list-a-chorus-line/106788402692216
Anywho, that's pretty much all I have for now that is new... but check back soon for a review of a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie which I will be seeing on Saturday, and hopefully for some new pictures!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Stardust!
I haven't made a post for a while, so I figured I would post something. I have been SO busy lately. Between my birthday a couple weekends ago, school, work and theatre. I just haven't had time to breathe much lately.
We will start with my birthday, which was absolutely FANTASTIC in every sense of the word. Everyone should enjoy their 21st birthday as much as I did. I went to New York City and spent some time with my two best friends on the face of the Earth, Kelly Colburn and Pamela Morris. I hung out with Kelly the first couple of days, and went to some of her classes at the glorious New York University where I learned a lot in just a few hours. Maybe this makes me a nerd, but I loved it. And I also got to watch her act in some of the classes, which was awesome because she's amazing and has come so far since high school (Mrs. Meers!). And then I was with my friend, Pam, for the rest of the weekend. She hooked us up with the NICEST hotel room I've ever been in (the bed was SO comfortable). And we spent all of Saturday walking around the city in the pouring rain. I went to the Museum of Modern Art, ate New York pizza, went to Ripley's Odditorium in Times Square, then to Madame Toussaud's Wax Museum right next to it, got hit on by some guy at the gelato place ("what country are you from?" followed by me saying "...really..."). We were supposed to take a train out to Brooklyn to catch a show after that, but the power was out on the ACE line, so we got stuck in Manhattan. I was pissed. We went to Ellen's Stardust Diner as a plan B and that gave me a complete attitude adjustment. I love that place, I'm going to work there at some point. Our waiter kept bringing me free drinks that I didn't ask for, so that was fun, but I think he had alterior motives (just ask Pam). The next day, we packed up our stuff and headed out to Long Island for Pam's concert that night. It was a concert for the Oceanside Concert Series. It's a series of concerts (duh) presented by Broadway pianist and all-around amazing musician Donny Jones with the goal of connecting amateur performers to performers who have been on Broadway, in National Tours, and recording studios. Act I is comprised of 6 to 8 amateur performers who each sing two songs, while Act II is where 1 or 2 professional performers sing a set of 10 or more songs. The group I saw was absolutely spectacular! There was a little girl, Rachel Krevans, who was absolutely adorable and definitely a gold-mine of talent waiting to be discovered. Andrea Arias-Martin and Stephanie Horowitz offered a lovely and fresh take on some opera classics. And of course, my friend, Pamela Morris, entertained the small crowd with "At Last" by Etta James, and "Astonishing" from the musical adaptation of Little Women. It was SO GOOD. And then the pro's took the stage. This time it was Scott Barnhardt who appeared in the Broadway revivals of Big River and Bye, Bye Birdie, and Erick Devine who appeared in Broadway's Ragtime, Seussical, Cats and Sid Caesar & Co., as well as the National Tours of Big River, Annie Get Your Gun, Grand Hotel and others. Great voice and amazing stage presence from both performers! Alas, the best weekend of my life had to come to an end, so I went home the day after. Sadface.
Upon getting home, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had a lot of school work to do, some choreographing to do for one show, and some audition preparation to do for another show. Talk about a wake up call. The entirity of the last week has been jam packed with stuff to do! Luckily, I am all caught up and ready to turn in my final projects for the quarter. As for choreographing, if you read my previous post, you might remember that I am choreographing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for the Tantallon Community Players this spring. I put a really cutesy, fun, physical movement piece together to "Pandemonium" for the audition and was thoroughly happy with the auditioners ability and how fast they picked it up, and honestly a little surprised at how decent the piece looked when everyone was together. Yes, I am patting myself on the back. It was a very small turn out of auditioners on Saturday. However, based on the actors who did audition, the show CAN BE CASTED. That's a definite sigh of relief, because we were definitely nervous for it. I have to teach the choreography again tonight for a small group of auditioners, and then there is callbacks tomorrow. Good times. In addition to working and choreographing for ...Spelling Bee this weekend, I had auditions for A Chorus Line with a group called Wildwood Summer Theatre. I was not sure how I did after my dance audition on Saturday, but I felt pretty confident about the singing portion. Apparently, I did well enough, because I got a total of three callbacks! The roles I got called back for are Mike (which is one of my dream roles), Greg and Mark. So I went back up to Bethesda yesterday to dance and sing some more as well as to do some readings. I got there at around 2 to get warmed up and stretched out and did not end up leaving until 715. It was a long day to say the least. The combination I was taught for Mike was AMAZING. It definitely sealed my craving to BE Mike. I really hope I get that role. I sang for that role later, as well as sang and read for the roles of Greg and Mark. They also asked me to read for the role of Zach before I left, so I technically got 4 callbacks. All in all, it was a lot of fun and definitely a learning experience, and I got to meet some new people. If offered anything, I would probably take whatever they offered, but I'm REALLY REALLY holding out for Mike.
Anywho, I need to actually starting getting prepared for auditions to night and getting dinner ready for myself... sooooooooooooooo check back soon for more!
We will start with my birthday, which was absolutely FANTASTIC in every sense of the word. Everyone should enjoy their 21st birthday as much as I did. I went to New York City and spent some time with my two best friends on the face of the Earth, Kelly Colburn and Pamela Morris. I hung out with Kelly the first couple of days, and went to some of her classes at the glorious New York University where I learned a lot in just a few hours. Maybe this makes me a nerd, but I loved it. And I also got to watch her act in some of the classes, which was awesome because she's amazing and has come so far since high school (Mrs. Meers!). And then I was with my friend, Pam, for the rest of the weekend. She hooked us up with the NICEST hotel room I've ever been in (the bed was SO comfortable). And we spent all of Saturday walking around the city in the pouring rain. I went to the Museum of Modern Art, ate New York pizza, went to Ripley's Odditorium in Times Square, then to Madame Toussaud's Wax Museum right next to it, got hit on by some guy at the gelato place ("what country are you from?" followed by me saying "...really..."). We were supposed to take a train out to Brooklyn to catch a show after that, but the power was out on the ACE line, so we got stuck in Manhattan. I was pissed. We went to Ellen's Stardust Diner as a plan B and that gave me a complete attitude adjustment. I love that place, I'm going to work there at some point. Our waiter kept bringing me free drinks that I didn't ask for, so that was fun, but I think he had alterior motives (just ask Pam). The next day, we packed up our stuff and headed out to Long Island for Pam's concert that night. It was a concert for the Oceanside Concert Series. It's a series of concerts (duh) presented by Broadway pianist and all-around amazing musician Donny Jones with the goal of connecting amateur performers to performers who have been on Broadway, in National Tours, and recording studios. Act I is comprised of 6 to 8 amateur performers who each sing two songs, while Act II is where 1 or 2 professional performers sing a set of 10 or more songs. The group I saw was absolutely spectacular! There was a little girl, Rachel Krevans, who was absolutely adorable and definitely a gold-mine of talent waiting to be discovered. Andrea Arias-Martin and Stephanie Horowitz offered a lovely and fresh take on some opera classics. And of course, my friend, Pamela Morris, entertained the small crowd with "At Last" by Etta James, and "Astonishing" from the musical adaptation of Little Women. It was SO GOOD. And then the pro's took the stage. This time it was Scott Barnhardt who appeared in the Broadway revivals of Big River and Bye, Bye Birdie, and Erick Devine who appeared in Broadway's Ragtime, Seussical, Cats and Sid Caesar & Co., as well as the National Tours of Big River, Annie Get Your Gun, Grand Hotel and others. Great voice and amazing stage presence from both performers! Alas, the best weekend of my life had to come to an end, so I went home the day after. Sadface.
Upon getting home, it hit me like a ton of bricks that I had a lot of school work to do, some choreographing to do for one show, and some audition preparation to do for another show. Talk about a wake up call. The entirity of the last week has been jam packed with stuff to do! Luckily, I am all caught up and ready to turn in my final projects for the quarter. As for choreographing, if you read my previous post, you might remember that I am choreographing The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee for the Tantallon Community Players this spring. I put a really cutesy, fun, physical movement piece together to "Pandemonium" for the audition and was thoroughly happy with the auditioners ability and how fast they picked it up, and honestly a little surprised at how decent the piece looked when everyone was together. Yes, I am patting myself on the back. It was a very small turn out of auditioners on Saturday. However, based on the actors who did audition, the show CAN BE CASTED. That's a definite sigh of relief, because we were definitely nervous for it. I have to teach the choreography again tonight for a small group of auditioners, and then there is callbacks tomorrow. Good times. In addition to working and choreographing for ...Spelling Bee this weekend, I had auditions for A Chorus Line with a group called Wildwood Summer Theatre. I was not sure how I did after my dance audition on Saturday, but I felt pretty confident about the singing portion. Apparently, I did well enough, because I got a total of three callbacks! The roles I got called back for are Mike (which is one of my dream roles), Greg and Mark. So I went back up to Bethesda yesterday to dance and sing some more as well as to do some readings. I got there at around 2 to get warmed up and stretched out and did not end up leaving until 715. It was a long day to say the least. The combination I was taught for Mike was AMAZING. It definitely sealed my craving to BE Mike. I really hope I get that role. I sang for that role later, as well as sang and read for the roles of Greg and Mark. They also asked me to read for the role of Zach before I left, so I technically got 4 callbacks. All in all, it was a lot of fun and definitely a learning experience, and I got to meet some new people. If offered anything, I would probably take whatever they offered, but I'm REALLY REALLY holding out for Mike.
Anywho, I need to actually starting getting prepared for auditions to night and getting dinner ready for myself... sooooooooooooooo check back soon for more!
All images owned and copyrighted by Scotty Beland.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
New Developments
I figured I would take some time to write about some new theatre projects I'm working on in addition to some photography projects.
I have not been able to do anything in the way of performance since December when I did the USO Christmas Show with the Tantallon Community Players in Fort Washington, MD. I have auditioned for a few things here and there, but I've either just been too busy to do the show or flat out haven't been cast (which is new to me, but I'm learning to deal with it hah). Most recently, I have been asked to Assistant Direct and potentially choreograph The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee with the Tantallon Community Players. The show will be directed by Charla Rowe with auditions on March 20th and 22nd with callbacks on the 23rd.
A friend of mine teaches an acting class and is putting together a production of For Colored Girls, which her students will act in, and she asked me to help cast the show and run auditions with her. This actually turned out to be a lot of fun. We played good cop-bad cop because she is really hard on her students in order to get them to act, and there were some good moments through out the audition process. I was impressed by a couple of the students abilities, and I think the show will turn out in the end. I've also been asked to understudy the role of Mr. Lindner in A Raisin in the Sun, which will be opening very shortly, also with the Tantallon Community Players. You won't want to miss this talented cast!
Cast:
Walter Lee Younger - Terry Spann
Ruth Younger - Lolita Marie Clayton
Mama Lena Younger - Robin Dorsey
Travis Younger - Kerrington Banks
Beneatha Younger - Christine Champion
Joseph Asaigi - Jivon Jackson
Karl Lindner - Casey Hebert
Mrs. Johnson - Shemika Berry
Moving Man 1 - Derris Banks
Moving Man 2/Willy - Tim Traylor
George Murchinson - Jeremy McShan
Bobo - Marquis Fair
Production Team:
Producer - Larry Carbaugh
Assistant Producer - Leslie Luense
Director - Rikki Howie
Stage Managers
John Battersby
Derris Banks
Additional Production
Temple Fortson
Anya Nebel
Charla Rowe
On the photography side of the spectrum, I've just been trying to line up shoots for the "Playbill" series I am working on. I need to do two more editorial-narrative shoots and I have to shoot at least three more live productions. I know I definitely need someone to portray the Emcee from Cabaret for one of the shoots. Please give me a shout out if you're interested in helping! And aside from that, I've just been working on portfolio stuff for my personal work and for school, and getting my web-site up and running. It is still a work-in-progress, but you can see what I have so far at www.sbeland.aiwsites.com. Feedback is much appreciated :-)
Unfortunately, thanks to the snow and other extenuating circumstances, I have not been able to check out any productions in the area lately. However, a friend of mine and I are planning to go see In The Heights at the Hippodrome in Baltimore, MD in the next couple of weeks. I recently listened to the original cast recording and I am officially in love with the music, which is written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Not to mention, my girlfriend Karen Olivo played Vanessa in the original cast (love that woman!). And speaking of Miss Olivo. I'm going to NYC for my birthday! My friend Pam and I plan on seeing West Side Story again while I'm there and perhaps another show. I can't wait! It's gonna be absolutely ridiculous amounts of fun!
Well thanks for checking in! Come back soon for more!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
If You Got It, Flaunt It!
This past Saturday, I made an addition to my "Playbill" series. Many people, theatre-loving or not, are familiar with the Mel Brooks movie, "The Producers". Many people are also familiar with the character Ulla Inga Hansen Benson Yonsen Tallen-Hallen Svaden-Svanson (and yes, that is the full name) made famous by blonde bombshell Uma Thurman, and Leo Bloom as potrayed by Matthew Broderick. I decided this would be a fun shoot to do... so that's what I did :-)
Meet Ashley Edmiston! I had met Ashley a couple of times before I even decided to do this shoot through mutual friends and other theatrical adventures. Casting her as Ulla for this shoot was an easy decision! I actually got the idea when I was reading her bio when I went to see West Side Story with Rockville Musical Theatre (she was Consuelo). Since she had played the character, I figured it made sense, plus she physically fits the part, so it was pretty much a win-win. She channeled Marilyn Monroe for most of the shoot, and what she came up with was perfect. Not to mention she pretty much directed herself... I hardly needed to say a word!
On the right we have Mark Hamberger, a friend I met when I did Hello, Dolly! this past summer with Rockville Musical Theatre. When Ashley and I decided to make it a paired shoot, we wanted someone with a boyish charm and an expressive face to portray Leo. Mark was one of the first people we thought of, (for obvious reasons). Mark definitely had the more difficult character to portray between the two and still did a great job with it. Ashley and Mark had both performed together in West Side Story, so it was definitely a good choice, especially when it came to the coupled shots. The chemistry was very natural and they were both very comfortable in front of the camera.
Meet Ashley Edmiston! I had met Ashley a couple of times before I even decided to do this shoot through mutual friends and other theatrical adventures. Casting her as Ulla for this shoot was an easy decision! I actually got the idea when I was reading her bio when I went to see West Side Story with Rockville Musical Theatre (she was Consuelo). Since she had played the character, I figured it made sense, plus she physically fits the part, so it was pretty much a win-win. She channeled Marilyn Monroe for most of the shoot, and what she came up with was perfect. Not to mention she pretty much directed herself... I hardly needed to say a word!
On the right we have Mark Hamberger, a friend I met when I did Hello, Dolly! this past summer with Rockville Musical Theatre. When Ashley and I decided to make it a paired shoot, we wanted someone with a boyish charm and an expressive face to portray Leo. Mark was one of the first people we thought of, (for obvious reasons). Mark definitely had the more difficult character to portray between the two and still did a great job with it. Ashley and Mark had both performed together in West Side Story, so it was definitely a good choice, especially when it came to the coupled shots. The chemistry was very natural and they were both very comfortable in front of the camera.
Thanks Ashley and Mark for an awesome shoot!
All images owned and copyrighted by Scotty Beland.
Monday, January 18, 2010
The Stuff
So. My name is Scotty Beland and I am an artist in the DC Metropolitan area. I am currently going to the Art Institute of Washington in Arlington, VA to get my BFA in Photographic Imaging. I'll be graduating within the year and a lot of my portfolio is theatre-related, because I am also a performer. I've been working on a series of images where I get an actor to portray a character from a show, and I wanted to have a written bridge between the two subjects so that's what this will be for. As I do shoots for this series, I will be uploading images from the shoot to this blog and will talk about the character/actor/shoot itself as I go. I will also be writing about shows that I have seen in the area, which brings me to my next subject... Reefer Madness!!!
What better a way to kick off a blog than by writing about the fantastically hilarious musical comedy that is... Reefer Madness. The show is a satire of the cult classic film from 1936 with a book by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, with music by Dan Studney and lyrics by Kevin Murphy. It opened in Los Angeles, CA in 1998 and opened off-Broadway on September 15th, 2001. Closing shortly after, a movie was made in 2005. This production was done at Dominion Stage in Arlington, VA and I went to see it on the Saturday of opening weekend, January 16th. It was produced by Helen Bard-Sobola and David Moretti with direction by Matthew Randall and music direction by John-Michael d'Haviland. All in all, the cast was very well put-together and the orchestra was also pretty stand-out.
As soon as the curtain opened, the set grabbed the audiences attention. The set, designed and painted by Jared Davis, was skillfully painted in a style remniscent of Roy Lichtenstein, minus the bendet dots and served several purposes and we easy to move and set. The show was choreographed by Catherine Oh, and she did not disappoint. The opening number was expertly crafted and kept the audiences attention, and was also expertly danced by an extensively capable ensemble. Another number that stuck out in my mind was the 1936-swing style number, Down at the Ol' Five-and-Dime. Oh used authentic jitter and swing dance steps in the number and creatively tied them in to the dialogue and lyrics throughout the song. The ensemble was FILLED with talent from the get-go. Their dance abilities have already been discussed, but this was one of the most vocally capable casts I have heard recently in the area. All the vocal parts could be heard, but blended together wonderfully and never got over-bearing and help just the right amount of camp to serve the show justice.
Joel Piper as Jimmy Harper and Jaclyn Young as Mary Lane played very well off one another which definitely added to the comedy of the show without making a farce out of it. They were both vocally up to par to handle the roles and were almost perfect in their delivery. Piper did a great job with a high energy performance with just the right amount of over-the-top-ness overall. And Young played the naive Mary Lane to the tee and made the dominatrix scene between her and Ralph one of the funniest scenes in the show. Ralph was played by Sam Nystrom and did a great job, as well, seeming completely comfortable with all the quirks and strange characteristics that make up Ralph's persona. Tom Flatt was the Lecturer and narrated the show. His expressions could be seen from the back of the theatre, and his stern tone matched his expressions perfectly. The dark and mysterious villain of the show, Jack, was portrayed by Michael Reid. Reid did a fantastic job making the character as unlikeable of a person as possible. He was slimy, greasy, violent and mean and it worked perfectly for his conniving, reefer-peddling character. He also played the bit-part of Jesus, which was absolutely hilarious, showing his versatility as an actor. Cassandra Hodziewich portrayed the role of Sally hilariously! She gave Sally the sexy edge that was needed to lure Jimmy into trying reefer. Last, but certainly not least, possibly my favorite in the show was Amy Baska as Mae. This was her return to the world of musical theatre and it certainly was a good one! Her voice had a great smoky quality that added a quaint sex appeal to her character and was technically very sound. The role was also acted well between trying to get Jack to do the right thing and her addiction to reefer; it truly showed a definite struggle in a real-life situation instead of it all being funny.
The show was very well-staged and the director did a lot of justice to the satire that makes this show so enjoyable, and the communication between all the members of the production staff made the show seamless. This show is clearly for a mature audience, given the subject matter and some of the language, but all-in-all could be enjoyed by a wide variety of audience members. If you'd like to catch the show... the performances are as follows:
Thursdays - Jan. 21 and 28 @ 8 p.m.
Fridays - Jan. 15, 22 and 29 @ 8 p.m.
Saturdays - Jan. 16, 23 and 30 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday - Jan. 24 @ 2 p.m.
For more information, go to http://www.dominionstage.com/
Cast:
Mae - Amy Baska
Lecturer - Tom Flatt
Sally - Cassandra Hodziewich
Ralph - Sam Nystrom
Jimmy - Joel Piper
Jack/Jesus - Michal Reid
Mary Lane - Jaclyn Young
Ensemble
Melissa W. Bailey
Julia Fu
Peregrine "Pippin" Herlinger
Tyler Herman
Sally Kiernan
Gerard Maurer
PJ Mitchell
Maureen Reed
Dana Robinson
Michael Schaaff
Jack Solano
Erica Wisniewski
Production Team:
Producers
Helen Bard-Sobola
David M. Moretti
Director - Matthew Randall
Music Director - John-Michael d'Haviland
Choreographer - Catherine Oh
Assistant Choreographer - Mark Hidalgo
Stage Manager - Colleen Stock
Assistant Stage Manager - Anika Codispoti
Technical Director - David M. Moretti
Scenic & Painting Design - Jared Davis
Lighting Design - Jeffrey S. Auerbach
Special Effects
Jeffrey S. Auerbach
David M. Moretti
Sound Design - Ben Allen
Costume Design - Jacquin Pierce Allen
Assistant to the Costume Designer - Bill Hoyt
Properties - Christine Spata
Set Dressing Design - Patrick M. Doneghy
Hair & Makeup Design - Cast
Projection Design - Michael Sheman
Director Apprentice - Phillip Archey
Rehearsal Accompanist - Chris Byer
Dance Captains
Sally Kiernan
Michael Schaaff
Combat Choreography
Pippin Herlinger
Michael Reid
Master Carpenter - Hector Lorenzini
What better a way to kick off a blog than by writing about the fantastically hilarious musical comedy that is... Reefer Madness. The show is a satire of the cult classic film from 1936 with a book by Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, with music by Dan Studney and lyrics by Kevin Murphy. It opened in Los Angeles, CA in 1998 and opened off-Broadway on September 15th, 2001. Closing shortly after, a movie was made in 2005. This production was done at Dominion Stage in Arlington, VA and I went to see it on the Saturday of opening weekend, January 16th. It was produced by Helen Bard-Sobola and David Moretti with direction by Matthew Randall and music direction by John-Michael d'Haviland. All in all, the cast was very well put-together and the orchestra was also pretty stand-out.
As soon as the curtain opened, the set grabbed the audiences attention. The set, designed and painted by Jared Davis, was skillfully painted in a style remniscent of Roy Lichtenstein, minus the bendet dots and served several purposes and we easy to move and set. The show was choreographed by Catherine Oh, and she did not disappoint. The opening number was expertly crafted and kept the audiences attention, and was also expertly danced by an extensively capable ensemble. Another number that stuck out in my mind was the 1936-swing style number, Down at the Ol' Five-and-Dime. Oh used authentic jitter and swing dance steps in the number and creatively tied them in to the dialogue and lyrics throughout the song. The ensemble was FILLED with talent from the get-go. Their dance abilities have already been discussed, but this was one of the most vocally capable casts I have heard recently in the area. All the vocal parts could be heard, but blended together wonderfully and never got over-bearing and help just the right amount of camp to serve the show justice.
Joel Piper as Jimmy Harper and Jaclyn Young as Mary Lane played very well off one another which definitely added to the comedy of the show without making a farce out of it. They were both vocally up to par to handle the roles and were almost perfect in their delivery. Piper did a great job with a high energy performance with just the right amount of over-the-top-ness overall. And Young played the naive Mary Lane to the tee and made the dominatrix scene between her and Ralph one of the funniest scenes in the show. Ralph was played by Sam Nystrom and did a great job, as well, seeming completely comfortable with all the quirks and strange characteristics that make up Ralph's persona. Tom Flatt was the Lecturer and narrated the show. His expressions could be seen from the back of the theatre, and his stern tone matched his expressions perfectly. The dark and mysterious villain of the show, Jack, was portrayed by Michael Reid. Reid did a fantastic job making the character as unlikeable of a person as possible. He was slimy, greasy, violent and mean and it worked perfectly for his conniving, reefer-peddling character. He also played the bit-part of Jesus, which was absolutely hilarious, showing his versatility as an actor. Cassandra Hodziewich portrayed the role of Sally hilariously! She gave Sally the sexy edge that was needed to lure Jimmy into trying reefer. Last, but certainly not least, possibly my favorite in the show was Amy Baska as Mae. This was her return to the world of musical theatre and it certainly was a good one! Her voice had a great smoky quality that added a quaint sex appeal to her character and was technically very sound. The role was also acted well between trying to get Jack to do the right thing and her addiction to reefer; it truly showed a definite struggle in a real-life situation instead of it all being funny.
The show was very well-staged and the director did a lot of justice to the satire that makes this show so enjoyable, and the communication between all the members of the production staff made the show seamless. This show is clearly for a mature audience, given the subject matter and some of the language, but all-in-all could be enjoyed by a wide variety of audience members. If you'd like to catch the show... the performances are as follows:
Thursdays - Jan. 21 and 28 @ 8 p.m.
Fridays - Jan. 15, 22 and 29 @ 8 p.m.
Saturdays - Jan. 16, 23 and 30 @ 8 p.m.
Sunday - Jan. 24 @ 2 p.m.
For more information, go to http://www.dominionstage.com/
Cast:
Mae - Amy Baska
Lecturer - Tom Flatt
Sally - Cassandra Hodziewich
Ralph - Sam Nystrom
Jimmy - Joel Piper
Jack/Jesus - Michal Reid
Mary Lane - Jaclyn Young
Ensemble
Melissa W. Bailey
Julia Fu
Peregrine "Pippin" Herlinger
Tyler Herman
Sally Kiernan
Gerard Maurer
PJ Mitchell
Maureen Reed
Dana Robinson
Michael Schaaff
Jack Solano
Erica Wisniewski
Production Team:
Producers
Helen Bard-Sobola
David M. Moretti
Director - Matthew Randall
Music Director - John-Michael d'Haviland
Choreographer - Catherine Oh
Assistant Choreographer - Mark Hidalgo
Stage Manager - Colleen Stock
Assistant Stage Manager - Anika Codispoti
Technical Director - David M. Moretti
Scenic & Painting Design - Jared Davis
Lighting Design - Jeffrey S. Auerbach
Special Effects
Jeffrey S. Auerbach
David M. Moretti
Sound Design - Ben Allen
Costume Design - Jacquin Pierce Allen
Assistant to the Costume Designer - Bill Hoyt
Properties - Christine Spata
Set Dressing Design - Patrick M. Doneghy
Hair & Makeup Design - Cast
Projection Design - Michael Sheman
Director Apprentice - Phillip Archey
Rehearsal Accompanist - Chris Byer
Dance Captains
Sally Kiernan
Michael Schaaff
Combat Choreography
Pippin Herlinger
Michael Reid
Master Carpenter - Hector Lorenzini
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