It’s a dog-eat-dog summer at Cockpit in Court this year,
with a Disaster! downstairs on the
main stage and Sylvia upstairs in the
cabaret space. A.R. Gurney’s strange comedy about a dog originally set in the
80’s is meandering into modernity this 2019 summer season under the direction
of Robert W. Oppel. It’s definitely an intriguing show and the titular
character is by far best in show!
The show is a bit of a struggle on multiple levels;
This
review can practically write itself. Let’s face it, there is nothing disastrous
about Cockpit in Court’s current production. Of course, I am talking about Disaster! the 70’s disaster movie
musical written by Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick and directed by Todd
Pearthree. Pearthree and his production team (Music Director Michael DeVito,
Technical Director Jason Randolph, Set Designer Michael Rasinski, Lighting
Designer Thomas Gardner, Costumer Designer Will Crowther, Sound Designer Corey
Sekulow, and Stage Manager John Chrzanowski) have put together THE smash hit of
the summer.
And The World will
know! And The Sun will too! ‘Bout
these Newsies and the awesome job they
do! The things they do today will be tomorrow’s news! And you heard it here
first— right in black in white— front page ABOVE the fold! That’s right— read
all about it! Right here! Children’s Playhouse of Maryland does Newsies and makes Disney proud with all
of their energy,
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,
At words poetic, they’re not pathetic; they’re always at their best!
They’re getting those songs up off their chest
And they’ve got lots of things to express— The Children’s Playhouse of Maryland that is with their fall opener of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes! They’re a stellar show, they’re a must see-n-go, they’re the farthest thing from a flop! Yes, baby, they’re not the bottom— they’re the top! Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans and Choreography by Amanda Poxon,
In the final days of the summer of 1955, a definitive cultural event rocked teenaged America when screen idol James Dean was killed in a car accident at the age of 24. Having starred in only three major films (Rebel Without a Cause. East of Eden, and Giant), he defined the prototypical rebellious, misunderstood teen and resonated with American youth unlike any actor ever. Despite his minimal time in the public eye,
Look at their set; isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you think their set design is so sweet? Wouldn’t you think Michael Rasinski’s the guy— the guy who’s designed everything? Look at those lights— colors so bold! How many wonders can Lighting Designer Thomas Gardner behold? Looking around the stage you’d think— the creative team’s done everything! They’ve got James Hunnicutt designing the properties. They’ve got Brent Tomchik making splashes with sound. You want Choreography? That’s Karli Burnham.
Your entire future depends upon you finding a voice for your comedy! And there’s no truer a statement when it comes to Neil Simon’s Laughter on the 23rd Floor opening the cabaret series at Cockpit in Court this summer. Directed by John D’Amato, this zany, albeit dated, comedy finds purchase in today’s society with its striking relevance to the bullying process of censorship in media and entertainment.
Hayden Muller is at the top of his game with simplistic Scenic and Lighting Design (except for one slightly mis-angled overhead light which casts somewhat of a blinding beam of irritation into just one small section of the in-the-round spacing) for this production.
Moses supposes that of all of the showses, that this one is roses, so Moses supposes. But who needs Moses and his supposes when the Children’s Playhouse of Maryland has got Singin’ in the Rain Jr. Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt and Musically Directed by Charlotte Evans? It’s a glorious production! You’ll be happy again to be back with CMP for the 2017/2018 season, this production being first of this season, and you’ll love every minute of this timeless Hollywood style movie musical stage show.
Hallelujah for Sister Act at Cockpit In Court! CCBC Essex presents a family musical with sincerely praise-worthy voices and a lot of spirit in the F. Scott Black Mainstage Theatre. The stage musical of Sister Act is based on the Whoopi Goldberg movie of the same name, but while audiences loved hearing familiar Motown tunes used innovatively in the context of a cloister, the stage production got Alan Menken— you remember Alan Menken?
Funny Foursome Performs Fabulously: Forever Plaid pleases crowd at Cockpit in Court
If you should have the urge for an evening of happily cheesy doo-wop Pennsylvania white bread happiness, you’ll enjoy Forever Plaid at Cockpit in Court on the Essex campus of CCBC, (Community College of Baltimore County), part of Cockpit in Court’s Summer Theatre lineup. The lyrics are crisp, the personalities fresh but familiar, the packaging is child- and senior-friendly,
Madness, thy name is Brewster! Me thinks the aunties doth protest too much! Oh— wait a minute— the season of Shakespeare and all’s well that goes with that has concluded. Let’s try this again. Madness runs in the Brewster family; it practically gallops, though it isn’t quite the truth either. Madness doesn’t run through the Brewster family, it meanders slowly taking its time to get intimately acquainted with each and every member! And you’ll find out just how intimately insane the Brewster clan is but only if you venture out to Cockpit In Court for the first mainstage show of their 2017 season!
When you’re a CPM Kid— you’re the top cat in town! You’re the gold metal kid, with the heavyweight crown! When you’re a CPM Kid— you’re the swingin’est thing! Little boy, you’re a man! Little man, you’re a king! You’re never alone, you’re never disconnected! You’re home with your own, when you’re company’s expected— you’re well protected! Then you are set, with a capital ‘C’, which you’ll never forget til they cart you away,
The Children’s Playhouse of Maryland is putting some cheery folderol on ev’ry wall and ev’ry nook, and they’ve tinsel’d up ev’ry corner, ‘til it’s Christmas ev’ry where you look! That’s right— they’re having a sparkly, jolly, twinkly, jingly production of Elf Jr. The Musical! Based on the major motion picture, new line cinema film written by David Berenbaum, this razzle-dazzle-ringle-lingle-shiny-showy-cheery-kringle-holly-jolly-very-merry-sparkly-jolly-twinkly-jingly show is rearing up and ready to go just in time for Christmas!
Prepare ye the way of the Lord as it paves its path up the aisles of the main stage in the Theatre Building of the Community College of Baltimore County Essex Campus with Cockpit in Court’s production of Godspell. Celebrating its 44th season, the Stephen Schwartz musical kicks off the summer for the community theatre and preaches a message that is poignant now more so than ever in today’s world where hatred seems to be common place and violence is overlooked as a part of the daily routine.
There’s a suggestion of gunpowder in the air, one small spark might set off an explosion upstairs in the Theatre Building this season at Cockpit in Court as they present what is quickly becoming an annual tradition of murder mystery on their stage. Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero is the latest play to fall victim to this yearly tradition and although there’s nary a gun in the show (not even so much as mentioned!),
Friends! Romans! Countrymen! Countymen! The day of coming together for brutal group stabbings has most recently passed! But the day of coming together for group giggling, or more aptly, group laughter-induced-explosions is upon us! A heavier task could not have been imposed than I to speak my praise unspeakable— for there be so much of it, I risk stealing the thunder right out from Prologa herself when she starts the same indescribable task of priming the audience for the uproariously delightful screamingly scandalous good time they are about to have when they attend the limited-engagement production of The Menaechmi Twins now appearing in the colosseum— well,
Can you believe in something or relive something that never actually happened? Do you know how to live your life? The students involved with the Academic Theaters of CCBC certainly seem intent on proving that you can and that they do, and so too can you if you attend their current double-feature production of Edward Albee’s The Zoo Story and Pullman, WA written by Young Jean Lee. Directed by Julie Lewis,