author: Leonard Taube
Few singers can boast the title of one of the most influential vocalists of the 20th century, as well as one of the first country music artists to cross over into pop music. Of course I’m talking about the legendary Patsy Cline, an American singer from the state of Virginia who had several major hits during her 8-year recording career including two number-one hits on the Billboard Hot Country and Western Sides chart.
author: Leonard Taube
It’s odd how things sometimes just tend to work out in the world of theatre. Take Neil Simon’s play The Odd Couple for instance. Following the shenanigans of mismatched roommates Felix Ungar and Oscar Madison, Simon’s comedy not only premiered on Broadway in 1965, but went on spawn a film version in 1968 and a popular television series in the 1970’s. Since then, it’s spawned several revivals,
author: LEONARD TAUBE
Call me crazy, but in today’s world sometimes it feels good to do something out of one’s ordinary routine. Skydiving anyone? Maybe mountain climbing. Too extreme? Well, here’s a crazy idea that I think suits the bill. Go see Laurel Mill Playhouse’s production of the Gershwin musical Crazy For You. Not only will it take your mind off things (for a couple of hours at least),
author: Leonard Taube
“I want a divorce”. So begins the play Grand Horizons which Cockpit in Court Summer Theatre is putting on in their upstairs In-The-Round space which opened tonight to rousing applause and enthusiastic reception. A relatively recent play written by American playwright, screenwriter, and actress Bess Wohl, Grand Horizons began previews on Broadway on December 23,2019 and opened on January 23, 2020. This play marked Wohl’s Broadway debut and was nominated for the 2020 Tony Award for Best Play.
Somebody hold me too close. Somebody hurt me too deep. Somebody sit in my chair and ruin my sleep and make me aware of being alive. Being alive. That’s the plea of protagonist Bobby in Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company (book by George Furth) which is currently gracing the stage in the elegant Opera House at The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts in our nation’s capital. Originally produced in 1970 Company was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won six.
There are few things in the theatrical world that are “forbidden”. Those of a certain age might remember the Sci-Fi cult classic film Forbidden Planet, or the TV show Forbidden Island. But there’s one Broadway phenomenon that has stood the test of time and, while not “forbidden” in the technical sense of the word, has sparked legions of loyal followers over the years, and that is Forbidden Broadway.
By now most of us have heard of the musical RENT and may have even seen a production (or more), and/or possibly even caught the movie version of Jonathan Larson’s brilliant masterpiece which chronicles the lives of several struggling young artists/activists/musicians in New York set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic. With roots loosely in the 1896 opera La Boheme, Larson’s tale is set in the then-thriving Alphabet City in Lower Manhattan’s East Village in New York.
In 2003 actor/comedian Will Ferrell oozed his way into the hearts and minds of people worldwide as Buddy the Elf in the Christmas smash motion picture Elf. So popular was the film that, worldwide, it grossed $223.9 million…quite a feat for a film with a production budget of $33 million! A few years later it was turned into a musical with a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, and book by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan.
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet the kindly old Polonius sends his son, Laertes, into the world with some wise, fatherly advice. “Neither a borrower nor a lender be.” “Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice.” And, my personal favorite, “to thine own self be true.” However, I would have given my son one more piece of advice. I would have told him that, above all, it is important to be earnest. And no such lesson could have been better taught than Oscar Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest showing for one weekend only at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore (Rosedale,
Forget Sister Act (no nuns belting out rousing choir songs). Move over Nunsense (even though it is “habit forming”). No comedy tonight. Take a seat, open your mind, and get ready for one of the most powerful, well-acted and thought-provoking pieces of theatre you will see this year. Maryland Theatre Collective’s (Brooklyn Park, MD) production of Agnes of God will leave you speechless with contemplation and full of emotion by curtain call.
A documentary, cloaked in a musical, peppered with vignettes and duets, sprinkled with group song and dance numbers, and topped off with a dazzling set and live on-stage pit. That is as close as I can come to describing one of the most moving and glorious productions that I have seen recently. Silhouette Stage’s (Columbia, MD) production of Sondheim on Sondheim opened Friday June 2nd to a well-deserved standing ovation. This is a show that needs to be seen.
Every story is a love story. That’s the message being preached by Artistic Synergy of Baltimore’s (established 2012) production of AIDA which opened on a rainy night in Rosedale, MD. Based on the Italian language opera of the same name, Disney purchased the book rights in 1994 to turn it into an animated feature film. However, it was instead reborn as a Broadway musical with music by Sir Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice.
Hey guys! Sup?! I had the most awesome, freakiest experience last night. Actually, it was a good kind of freaky and I think you should get your freak on too! What am I talking about? Glad you asked! I think you all should come and, well, you know, like chill with the cast and crew of Freaky Friday presented by The Maryland Theatre Collective at The Chesapeake Arts Center in Brooklyn Park. I guarantee you will laugh,
What do you get when you mix three actors clad in colored and patterned tights, a giant prop box filled with an assortment of goodies, and a script full of comic gold? Hilarity, that’s what. Baltimore’s Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s (CSC) production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) [Revised] [Again] opened to a boisterous house, complete with a swanky after-party in their upstairs lounge.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) was conceived and written by Adam Long,
OK, listen up folks. Do you believe climate change is real? Do you have a penchant for HGTV? Do you secretly binge watch “Real Housewives of New Jersey”? If the answer is yes, have I got a show for you! Even if the answer is no to all or at least one of those questions, Iron Crow Theatre’s production of Hurricane Diane is one that promises to please nonetheless. And make you laugh.
Listen up folks! Have you got “the beat”? No? Well then you better get your tickets and pay a visit to The Baltimore Theatre Project in Baltimore where resident company Iron Crow Theatre is putting on Head Over Heels, a jukebox musical comedy based on the songs of the 1980’s female rock bad The Go-Go’s. But before we talk about the show, we must talk about both the company and the venue,
In today’s crazy world, it’s no wonder that sometimes you just feel like you need to get away. No, not to someplace where everybody knows your name but, let’s face it, couldn’t we all use an excuse to rouge up our knees and roll our stockings down? Well, if that sounds appealing, I know a place where the gin is cold and the piano is hot. The Kander/Ebb/Fosse musical Chicago roars into DC this week at The National Theater in the heart of our nation’s capital.