Articles Tagged With: Fuzz Roark

A Christmas Carol at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews December 11, 2022 Erin Tarpley

“God bless us, every one”

Tis the season for holly, mulled wine, and curing any case of “Bah humbug.” Returning for the second year in a row (and deservedly so!), this one-man show, adapted and edited by Sherrionne Brown and Phil Gallagher returns to Baltimore’s own Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre through December 18th to reprise this wonderful rendition of Charles Dickens’ beloved classic: A Christmas Carol.

It is difficult to find anyone in the English-speaking regions of the world who are not,

Bah! Humbug! An Interview with Phil Gallagher on his one-man performance of A Christmas Carol at Spotlighters Theatre

Interviews December 5, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

“It is required of every man… that the spirt within him should walk abroad among his fellow men, and travel far and wide; and, if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death.” ~Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.

It’s…that…time of year…when the world seems to do… all the Christmas things… on screen, on stage… every play you see…is A Christmas Carol… well,

Five Women Wearing The Same Dress at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews June 2, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Dum-dum-daaah-dum. Dum-dum-daaah-dum! Always a bride’s maid and never a bride, right? But who needs to be the bride when you can be one of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress? The penultimate show in Spotlighters’ mainstage season, this oddly-out-of-sorts-with-itself comedy by Alan Ball is a unique examination of five women in the mid 90’s who all have one thing in common: they’re the bride’s maids in a wedding where the bride herself seems none too popular.

A Christmas Carol at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews December 14, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

There have been songs, dances, parodies, and even Muppets. But in all my travels— these 35 and a half years upon this earth— making merry and keeping the spirit and tradition of Christmas alive in my heart not only during the season but all the year, I have never heard of a visit to a lighthouse during the travels of The Ghost of Christmas Present with Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Scharf’s Shorts at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews October 26, 2021 Mark Briner

Friday night, October 22, 2021, was a very big night for a small but important theatre, one of a select few that are the very soul of Baltimore theatre history. After nineteen months of darkness thrust upon them due to Covid-19 lockdowns and mandates, The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre, that diminutive little workhorse in the step down basement on St. Paul Street, opened again with a light fanfare and a comfortable crowd of faithful patrons to kick off their 59th Season.

Laura and Larry Malkus on their wedding day

Love Letters: Spelling Marriage One Married Couple At A Time- Larry & Laura Malkus

Interviews July 25, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

“Love is oration, like an elation, love speaks to us in
tongues. Natural as teething, simple as breathing, air in the love-starved
lungs.” Andrew Lippa’s take on love through the morbidly delightful lens of
Gomez Addams. Everyone has their own approach to love. A.R. Gurney probably
never imagined that his words of love would be used as a benefit fundraiser for
the theatergoers of Baltimore to show their love of theatre and in particular
their love of Spotlighters Theatre.

Steel Magnolias at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews June 25, 2019 Joseph R. Kennedy

I wasn’t sure what to think about
seeing a play I had only ever heard of as an acclaimed movie. Director Fuzz Roark assuaged those fears by
allowing us to experience the story in a setting not only made more intimate by
being kept in the same room as Alan Zemla’s set designs, but also brought to
our senses by virtue of Spotlighters Theater being a cozy space. Being so very close to the action made you
not an audience member at a play,

Vinegar Tom at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews May 30, 2019 Mark Briner

Sometimes, it’s all in the
timing. When the circles of life coincide with your best efforts, everyone
wins. There is a history of shows that premiered to little or no hoopla, but
when revived later in a different political or social climate, felt way more
relevant and meaningful. The most popular example is Kander & Ebb’s classic
musical Chicago. Opening in 1975
under the direction of Bob Fosse and starring dual leading legends Gwen Verdon
and Chita Rivera,

Blythe Spirit at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews December 25, 2018 Cybele Pomeroy

Amanda N. Gunther | TheatreBloom

Looking for an evening out? Like something a little more
1940’s than 1840’s? Tired of the trifecta ghosts of Christmas? Spotlighters
offers a more blithe spirit this holiday, Noel Coward’s Blythe Spirit, a witty little farce to bridge the transition from
2018 to 2019.

Shaelyn Jae Photography The cast of Blythe Spirit at Spotlighters Theatre. Photo courtesy of Shealyn Jae Photography

The neighborhood of Mount Vernon,

Songs For a New World at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews November 9, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

A new world calls across Charm City! A new world calls across street. A new world whispers through Mt. Vernon— time to see— time to see…it is time to see Songs For a New World at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre. Co-Directed by Andrea Bush and Michael Tan, and Musical Direction by Michael Tan, four talented voices come together on the stage to sing songs of love and hope. Fitting well into the Season57 theme of ‘Strong Voices’,

Judy and The General at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews July 6, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Are you ready to go back in time? It’s not about history or geography (though it’s important to note the current dates— through July 29, 2018— and the exact location— The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre—) it’s really just about a he and a she, but don’t get caught up in the details. Because the big important detail is that this show— this world premiere musical— is the closer of Season56 at Spotlighters. Judy and The General,

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews March 30, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Let’s not talk about anything else but love! It’s worth repeating, let’s not talk about anything else but love? Why? Life is fleeting, because pleasures come, pleasures go, love can come and go in one throw! Let’s not talk about anything else but love! Love that launched a thousand ships! Love that causes war and famine! Love is love is love is love is love. Love of the theatre— is certainly what The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre has going on with their unexpected production of I Love You,

First Date at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews December 22, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther 3 Comments

How does it start? With a meet-cute little musical number featuring the cast of seven. How does it last? Those same seven sing and dance and talk and laugh and cry for 100 minutes every Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon* so that audiences all over Charm City can have an adorable feel-good alternative to the Christmas season’s traditional musical theatre offerings. Despite an unsuccessful run Off-Broadway, the current cast of the Spotlighters Theatre production of First Date is finding second life,

Two Trains Running at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews September 9, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

You got love and you got death; it’s all you got. And death will find you, but you’ve gotta find love. And believe you me, you’re going to find it when you fall in love with this stellar production of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre this fall. Kicking off their 56th season— A Place Where We Belong— this 7th play of the 10-play Pittsburgh Cycle by the renowned and award-winning playwright,

Spring Awakening at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews July 11, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

11 July and the question is shame. Will you feel shame if you don’t go and see Spring Awakening at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre this summer? The answer is yes. Shame is a product of education, but do not remain ignorant to this impressively evocative and intimate piece of highly charged sensual musical theatre. Directed by Jillian Bauersfeld with Musical Direction by Michael W. Tan, this gripping and moving musical drama traverses the controversial plains of adolescence blossoming into maturity despite the deliberate ignorance engrained from the religious and parental rule that governs the time.

The Wiz at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews April 11, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

Come on and— ease on down, ease on down the road! Pick up your left foot when your right foot’s down, and head to the Mt. Vernon side of Charm City Town. You’ve got to— ease on down, ease on down the road! It’s time to ease on down, ease on down the road! Pick up your tickets— for this show that is— come on down to Spots and see their show of The Wiz!

The Women at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews March 2, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

Pride is a luxury a woman in love cannot afford. And the devilish lengths a woman in love will go to in order to maintain that love is unseemly and unsightly to the modern feminist. But in the world of Clare Booth Luce’s The Women, where the utmost priority for the women of society was maintaining a marriage and quashing scandals before they could rise, it’s quite a different story. Directed by Fuzz Roark,

Review: The Game’s Afoot at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews November 23, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther 1 Comment

Madhouse doesn’t begin to describe the utter shenanigans happening in William Gillette’s New England mansion on Christmas Eve. Scandal! Mystery! Murder! For god’s sake, there are actors present! What else could be expected from Ken Ludwig’s bitingly humorous and boisterously bloody play The Game’s Afoot? Directed by Fuzz Roark, this scintillating madcap comedy with just a dandy drop of blood for the murder mystery enthusiast in us all is the perfect way to ring in the holiday season.

Review: Marx in Soho at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews September 2, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Is there anything more outrageous than an honest critic? It might be the way that The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre is kicking off their 55th season with Howard Zinn’s Marx in Soho. Directed by Sherrionne Brown, with Phil Gallagher in the titular role, this evening of socialist banter is an engaging theatrical endeavor that will grip the audience and give them pause to think about whether or not society is going in any direction at all,

Review: Tick Tick BOOM! at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews July 11, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Stop the clock. Take time out. Hear the Tick Tick BOOM! as it explodes on the stage of The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre to close out their 54th season. Jonathan Larson’s pre-Rent musical arrives under the Direction of Jillian Locklear Bauersfeld with Musical Direction by Michael W. Tan and features an intimate cast of three just living the real life of 1990 New York City. Big dreams, big goals,

Review: Evita at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews April 16, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

A year lasts forever and a day when you’re on top of the world. The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre production of Evita will only last five weekends but will strike a chord in the hearts of theatergoers across Charm City that will easily resonate for a year. The music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics of Tim Rice come together under the Direction of Fuzz Roark and Musical Direction of Michael Tan in a pure and sublime performance of one of the most dizzying historical tales ever told in musical theatre.

Just Listen to That! The Voice of Argentina: An Interview with the Leads of Evita at Spotlighters Theatre

Interviews April 13, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Oh what a circus! Oh what a show! It’s quite a sunset, but don’t cry for the Argentinians just yet, Charm City! Not until you’ve read this riveting TheatreBloom exclusive interview with the actors in the lead roles at the upcoming production of Evita The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre. With a wealth of knowledge on their characters, and great opinions on how this “old school” musical is surging with relevance today’s audiences, we sit down to talk over the characters of Eva Duarte de Perón,

Review: Southern Baptist Sissies at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews February 13, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Everybody has their truth. Yours may be different from mine, but there’s only one way to the promised land…of theatre…and for the moment that way is through the gates of Spotlighters Theatre as they warm up the winter with their production of Southern Baptist Sissies. Written by Del Shores and Directed by Fuzz Roark, this evocative, heartbreaking tale of reconciling religious truth with reality tugs the heartstrings hard and doesn’t let go until the show’s stirring conclusion.

Review: A Tuna Christmas at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews November 23, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Well yeehaw, y’all! It’s a rootin’ tootin’ Christmas time down in ol’ Tuna, Texas, yes it is, why yes it is! And for a limited holiday engagement you too can visit with Aunt Pearl, Didi and RR, Vera Carp, and all the rest of those zany southern characters from the lone star state at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre as they take up residence to celebrate the festive season through December 20th.

Sensational! Volume III: An Interview with Director Michael Blum and Musical Director Erica Rome

Interviews September 25, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Something sensational is cooking up over at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre. Gilbert before Sullivan! Unheard of, right? This fascinating work marks the American premier of A Sensation Novel: A Musical Play in Three Acts, that was previously lost to time. In Volume III of the TheatreBloom exclusive interview series, we sit down with Director Michael Blum and Musical Director Erica Rome, conceptual artists who have worked to reconstruct the missing pieces of Gilbert’s work and get it up on its feet as the opening show of the Spotlighters 2015/2016 season.

Review: A Sensation Novel at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews September 14, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Piece together, for a moment if you can imagine, all of the fancy finery that floats to mind when you utter the words Victorian London. Let those images of haughty parlors, high cinched collars, and stodgy outfits with miles of lace drift dreamily through your mind along the delectable operetta-style story telling of W. S. Gilbert. Add the accompaniment of Music by Michael Nash, T. German Reed, and a little hint of Arthur Sullivan.

Review: Altar Boyz at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews July 13, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Peace be with you, Baltimore! Are you ready to raise the praise with this funky fresh new sound? It’s Mary Magdalicious and it’s dropping down faster than Sunday morning parishioners on their knees in the pews over at Spotlighters Theatre this summer! That’s right, fathers, sons, and holy ladies— appearing for an extremely limited engagement in the halls of the St. Paul sanctuary— Altar Boyz are live for your praying pleasure!

Comments from the Peanut Gallery: Voices Against Bullying with Reed DeLisle

Interviews June 12, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

When theatre is evocative and moving, audience members can’t help but wonder what it’s like for the actors who help to make it so, particularly when the subject matter is intensely poignant and relevant to the outside world. Spotlighters Theatre’s current production of Dog Sees God, addresses a great many issues that plague today’s adolescent culture, everything from homophobia and bullying in the LGBT+ community, to teenage substance abuse and mental health.

Review: Dog Sees God at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews June 5, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and the world laughs harder. A tough but true learning lesson of life that all too often gets brushed by the wayside in favor of a more optimistic approach to finding the bright side of existence. The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre is tackling its most evocative and poignantly moving drama to date with their current production of Burt V. Royal’s Dog Sees God.

Review: Jacques Brell is Alive and Well and Living in Paris at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews May 7, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Bienvenue sur le carnaval! Where the broken sands of time and fairy floss floats o’er the fairgrounds of The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre. You won’t recognize a single song in this flash of 21 vignettes, at least not by their lyrics, but the iconic melodies of Jacque Brell tinkle blissfully under each song inviting the audience into a cantering calliope of romanticism, cynicism, and jingly jaunts of whimsy. Directed by Timoth David Copney with Musical Direction by Michael Tan,