Turn your face toward Cockpit in Court…let your memory lead you…open up enter in (to the F. Scott Black Theatre inside the Robert & Eleanor Romadka College Center) you will find there…the meaning of what happiness is… and a new show…will begin. If it was mystical the first time, magical the second, it will certainly be memorable, magnificent— truly Jellicle— the third as Bambi Johnson (who has become synonymous with Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S.
Riffraff. Streetcat. I don’t buy that! Man, I’ve been spending too much time on the Disney channel. But announcing in this corner, the talking-weight-champion of the Cats interview series, weighing in at 9 minutes and 24 seconds… a record previously held by Rob Tucker in the 2022 production of Cats (8 minutes and 9 seconds though while holding the role of Quaxo/Rumpus Cat…not Mungojerrie, which he did play in the 2016 production of Bambi’s Cats…anyone need a graph-chart yet?) We are pleased to present MUNGOJERRIE!
Which one is which? Is it Mungojerrie? Or Rumpleteazer? Rumpleteazer? Or Mungojerrie? (Well, we’ve learned that if you’ve ever or are currently playing Mungojerrie you have the potential to have had…or hold…the longest ‘talking cat’ record… IYKYK) So this must be…
Thank you for joining us! Why don’t you tell us who you are and which one of the frick-n-frack twins you happen to be playing?
Veronica Lane: I’m Veronica Lane and I play Rumpleteazer!
A pinch of sugar— and spice— and everything nice— and that’s how you get— whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up. Is this cooking class or Cats? I think we got ourselves a little mixed up on account of this cat’s particular, more dignified name!
Thank you kindly for sitting with us this morning and giving us a few moments of your time. Would you tell us who you are and who you play in this production of Cats?
author: Erin Klarner
The Wedding Singer at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore, the company-in-residence at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Rosedale, is directed by Bryan Brown, assistant directed by Lou Otero, and music directed by Darwin Ray, with choreography by Suzy Zacker. This stage musical – book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, music by Matthew Sklar, and lyrics also by Chad Beguilin – is based on a popular 1998 movie (of the same title) which this reviewer has never seen,
If you find yourself short on cheer just think about that special year (no, not 2019 that was a different year…same story) that Tidewater Players reached up on their shelf…and put up on their stage a musical called Elf! It’s sparkle-jolly-jingle-twinkly! Or however it goes (this Christmas Grinch over here still hasn’t finished writing out her Christmas cards…) but however it goes— it goes with lots of razzle-dazzle seasonal pizzazz! Elf at Tidewater Players is a heart-warming,
Hey. I gotta prediction. You wanna hear it? Tidewater Players production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is going all the way! Don’t write off this jukebox musical, featuring the music & lyrics of Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil (and a book by Douglas McGrath) because its actually a heartwarming story that reads extremely well on an intimate stage, like the one Tidewater Players is working with at The Opera House.
It’s life affirming to own multiple accessories! Even if you don’t have the exact shade of lime-green stilettos to match your green, green dress. (Which has neither the 20 buttons nor the strap!) You know what else is life-affirming? Good, obscure-ish musical theatre at affordable prices! It renews the hope and faith in the theatrical world as we know it. If you want to feel life-affirmed, State Theater of Havre de Grace has got you covered with their production of Tick,
The county known as Harford is so wide, mein Herr. They’ve got theatres up and down and side to side, mein Herr. I don’t always get them all, at least I tried, mein Herr. So I see… and I go… play by play… night by night…show by show… and this show— a truly remarkable and superbly stunning production of Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret is waiting to welcome you through its doors at Phoenix Festival Theatre.
Well, who’d have thought? Well, bless my soul! Well, who’d have guessed? Well, who indeed? That Phoenix Festival Theatre would be sold out before you could be their guest? Just wait and see— standing room at least— that’s all that’s left for their stunning production of Beauty and The Beast. Disney has a funny way of enchanting ticket buyers to purchase tickets before the run even truly gets underway. Good luck finding someone who wants to give up their ticket to this sold-out performance.
With Cats some say one rule is true: get your tickets for Tidewater Players’ production this fall. It is like no other production of Cats ever seen or that will ever be seen. The stunning immersive world of T.S. Eliot and Andrew Lloyd Webber come swirling together in a mystical, magical, Jellicle production directed and choreographed by Bambi Johnson with musical direction by Chris Rose. There are singing cats, there are dancing cats,
Oh well I never! Was there ever a cat so clever? You might even call this cat…Meow-gical! Hehe. MEOW!
Thank you for giving us a few moments of your time! Please tell me who you are and who you play?
Sammi Flickinger: My name is Sammi Flickinger and I play Mr. Mistoffelees.
What is it like getting to play Mr. Mistoffeles?
Sammi: It’s really fun! I don’t usually get chances like this;
Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats…the hypnotic poem of T.S. Eliot blended with the mesmerizing music of Andrew Lloyd Webber…coming very, very soon to a stage near you! Tidewater Players is tackling the monumental challenge of staging the iconic, second-longest-running Broadway musical Cats this fall— featuring an all-star cast and renowned veteran director Bambi Johnson. In a TheatreBloom exclusive series you’ll get to meet all 27 cats— MEE-OOW! Instead of using traditional actor headshots to identify each performer,
Freak,
slut, burn out, bug eyes, poser, lard ass, loser, short bus, bull dyke, stuck
up, hunchback, white trash! Names. Labels. Words used to describe people who
are different or don’t fit our image of what we consider the “norm.” Words that
one might associate with high school, but all to often are used far more common
in our everyday speech. In fact, if I am being honest, although I didn’t speak
the words,
Now is the time seize the day! Or in this case, “Carpe scaena!” And seize the stage like they did! Street Lamp Productions presentation of Disney’s Newsies, Directed and Choreographed by Bambi Johnson, is well worth the drive to Rising Sun, MD. I reckon it may be a bit out of the way for some Baltimore City folk, (Admittedly, had my mother not lived in Colora for over eleven years, I may not have known about it either.) but I promise you it’s worth the trip.
Territory folks should stick together! Territory folks should all be pals! The cowboys dance with the farmer’s daughters; the farmers dance with the rancher’s gals! Now I’d like to say a word ‘bout Artistic Synergy…they set up in the church basement and that’s fine! They do shows to make us smile, and they’re dancing’s real in style, and they’re doing Oklahoma! by Rogers & Hammerstein! Oh— territory folks should stick together— territory folks should all be friends,
Aha! Oui, oui, mah friends! The day we have waited for may be at hand! The Tidewater Players are producing Disney’s Beauty and The Beast. Ah…Beauty and The Beast. Think what that means! They’ll be singing again! They’ll be dancing again! They’ll be dressing up in glitter galore! They’ll be acting again! They’ll be living again! They’ll be entertaining audiences by the score! And The Tidewater Players,
If you’ve brains in your head and you’ve feet in your shoes
Then hurry up quick! There’s no time to lose!
For two hours of whimsy! For two hours of fun!
You must take a journey up to Rising Sun!
There’s a little black box theatre there, tucked away in a corner
And if you need a great show, they’re what the doctor ordered!