People everywhere! A sense of expectation hanging in the air! Giving out a spark! This theatre’s glowing and they’re shining in the dark— it’s Mamma Mia! and it has landed at Beth Tfiloh Community Theatre for three performances only this summer! Directed by Diane M. Smith, with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans, and Choreography by Rachel Miller, this ABBA-sensation splashy Broadway hit is not your grandmother’s Mamma Mia! With a more realistic,
Plastic, glitter, and rhinestones don’t shine like these stars do! And Children’s Playhouse of Maryland is closing out their 2023/2024 season with some of the shiniest stars around with their production of Mean Girls (High School Edition). It’s so phenomenal— IT’S FETCH!! Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans, and Choreography by Rachel Miller, this fabulous and cautionary tale is an extraordinary way to end their season and showcases some of the area’s brightest and most talented stars making their way out into the theatrical universe one twinkle at a time.
Get in, Losers! We’re going— interviewing!? And Shut. Up. NONE OF THEM WORE PINK. Except Regina George, of course. That is so FETCH!! Just like these fabulous, five performers that I was fortunate enough to snag before their rehearsal this morning at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland! If you haven’t figured out whether or not butter is carb by now, you probably have no idea what we’re talking about…like— DUH— MEAN GIRLS (High School Edition) which is closing out the CPM mainstage 2023-2024 season!
Dancing youths…painted scenes…things I almost remember… then a song— someone sings… once upon a…September… when the Children’s Playhouse of Maryland presented the area premiere of Anastasia, the much-anticipated, full-length musical. A sparkling gem, a radiant endeavor, this delightful and charming show is both beautiful and serene, full of humor and heart, and a spectacular start to the 2023/2024 season at CPM. Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans Crowley,
I go to the theatre, when my heart is lonely. I know I will hear what I’ve heard before. And my heart will be blessed with The Sound of Music… and I’ll review once more! Bel Air, Maryland may not exactly be the hills or the mountains, but Phoenix Festival Theater (currently across the street in the Amoss Center at Harford Technical High School) will bless your heart and your ears with Rogers &
If you reach for the stars, all you get are the stars, but The Suburban Players of St. Demetrios have found a whole new spin! They have reached for the heavens— and they got the stars thrown in! Their current production of Mary Poppins is heartwarming, impressive, loaded with love and with talent, and above all it’s— Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! That fantastical nonsense word which means great joy, fantabulosity, and all things wonderfully excellent! Produced by Smaro Cook &
Illusions may shatter, but memories stay… important lessons learned are all along the way! No strangers to Poppins, they’re giving their thanks! It’s Jim Gross and Suzi Eldridge— playing Mr. and Mrs. Banks! In a tale of what almost was once upon a time, these two area actors finally get to play opposite one another— this time for St. Demetrios’ Suburban Players— as the matriarch and patriarch of the Banks’ family in Mary Poppins.
Dazzling.
In a word. To add another, dizzying and astonishing, though technically that’s two. As a writer I often find it a challenge, though one I’m ready to embrace, to put the right words to paper (digital though it may be in this day and age) in order to describe an experience, relate a situation, review a performance. I cannot recall a time in recent memory (even before the Pandemic) where such a challenge befell me and I was honestly at a loss for words.
In every job that must be done there is an element of fun! And what job could be more fun then getting to be Jane and Michael Banks in Mary Poppins? TheatreBloom was given the exclusive chance to sit down and chat with Miss Bella Comotto and Mr. Elijah Tsakalos, currently playing Jane & Michael Banks (respectively) in the upcoming production of the St. Demetrios’ Suburban Players’ Mary Poppins.
They got all the ways to be W-I-C-K-E-D! Just get your tickets and you’ll see them be W-I-C-K-E-D! Children’s Playhouse of Maryland is bringing the house down this holiday season with their production of Disney’s Descendants. And it is living up to its wicked namesake! Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans and Choreography by Rachel Miller this thrilling, high-energy, totally upbeat and wildly twisted tale of the children of Disney’s finest ‘evils’ will have you recognizing that bad is the new good all through the holiday season.
Hey— y’all hear? CPM is doin’ a show! Children’s Playhouse of Maryland is doing a show! So get ready to come and meet those dancing feet— on the avenue they’re taking you to—42nd Street (youth edition.) All the glamor, glitz, and glory of your favorite tunes, with all of the dusty treacle trimmed out for a succinct bullet (over-Broadway) point version of the iconic musical with a sensational score of tap-dancing youth ready to knock your socks off!
They’re soarin’! Flyin’! There’s not a star in heaven that they can’t reach! Because they’ve got their heads in the game! That’s right! Cockpit in Court Jr. is bringing you millennial Grease AKA— Disney’s High School Musical. Serving as the high-school show of the early 00’s, this Disney show gives agency to characters who are too often pigeonholed into a particular stereotype. Two things can be true and when you live your best life?
When I grow up… I will be smart enough to know that the real
cool place to go is Children’s Playhouse of Maryland to see all these awesome
kids before they grow up! And now’s your chance to change their story— by
coming to support some of Baltimore’s most talented young performers in their current
full-length production of Matilda, the Roald Dahl story turned stage
musical opening the 2019/2020 theatre season for CPM.
Life! Pain! Love! Grief! Hope! Faith! You! THAT is why they
tell the story! What story, you ask? Once
On This Island Jr.! Who’s telling it, you ask? Children’s Playhouse of
Maryland! Their incredibly talented cast of young performers presents a
whimsical tale of two worlds that were never meant to meet, joined together by
the island they share. Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, with musical Direction
by Charlotte Evans,
With all of the shows round the town running loose,
Who’d ever have guessed there’d be one about Seuss?
Oh the things you must think when you this wild musical
Which one, you ask? Why the musical called Seussical!
And not just Seussical, it’s Seussical Jr. you know
Minus one butter-battle, it’s still a really great show!
Of all the days in all the year that I’m familiar with— there’s several very important ones leading up to— December the 25th! Correct! And those important days are any days between now and December 17, 2017 wherein The Children’s Playhouse of Maryland has a performance of their holiday musical, Scrooge. Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans and Choreography by Amanda Poxon, this classic and musical spin on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will put you in the holiday spirit for certain with all of its spry and spirited youngsters skipping and spinning about!
Nants ingonyama bagithi Baba! Sithi uhm ingonyama. You may not recognize it in print, but when you hear it? You know it. And the English translation? Here comes a lion! Oh, yes, it’s a lion! And oh yes— here comes The Lion King Jr. to The Children’s Playhouse of Maryland this spring! Breaking onto the stage for a sold-out run, CPM delivers the stellar children’s community theatre area premiere of one of Disney’s finest musical stage adaptations.