Romance. Tragedy. Primal Murder. The urge of revenge. This looks like a job for—
Well it isn’t Sherlock Holmes, that’s for sure! In a Christie? He would never!
Hercule Poirot, but of course! And ooh la la, ooh la la, ooh la la, does he have a case for you! Er— a show. Yes, that’s it! A show! Murder On The Orient Express, based on Agatha Christie’s novel of the same name and adapted to the stage by Ken Ludwig,
The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances! That feels a little like any given week of theatre in the Baltimore area theatre scene! At any one time it feels impossibly like 100 shows are opening, closing, mid-run, in tech, or about to start rehearsals! So it’s no wonder that we found the second person ever to be featured in our “Local Limelight” series— Kelly Rardon, a well-known area performer for quite some time— at the start of her tech-week for the show she’s currently performing in,
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.
Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? You can’t handle the truth! Though I might be mixing up my courtroom dramas as this one seemed to be skirting all around the truth, only revealing parts of the truth, and there was a lot of questionable truths floating in the ether. In true Agatha Christie style, Witness For the Prosecution splashes onto The Vagabond Players stage to kick of the 2024-leg of their 108th season.
What does a divorcee look like? Zsa Zsa Gabor? Megan Markle? Elizabeth Taylor? How about a 19-year-old groovy chic from Los Angeles slumming it in a New York City apartment in the 60’s? That one fits the bill for Butterflies Are Free the 1969 play by Leonard Gershe (not to be confused with the 1972 film-adaptation starring Goldie Hawn.) Directed by Jason Crawford, this romantic-dramady tells the story of Don Baker, a young man living in his first solo apartment in New York City after fleeing his overbearing mother’s house in favor of newfound freedom.
I am standing here with poison in my pocket…one eye on the
target, one eye on the clock— which is running out— only three more chances to fancify
your theatrical endeavors with this refined production of gruesome murder and
grisly mayhem. Why, it’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, a
serious undertaking for Dundalk Community Theatre this autumnal season. Directed
and Choreographed by Todd Pearthree with Musical Direction by Catina McLagan,
Phone rings, door chimes, and in comes a charming and comical production of Company, Sondheim’s musical comedy, presented by Just-Off Broadway in Baltimore! Company, one of the first successful Broadway musicals written about adult themes and relationships, was the winner of 1971 Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Score, Best Lyrics, and Best Musical. The themes of bachelorhood, marriage, and how to form and maintain relationships are enduringly relevant more than three decades later.
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!),
When family is involved there’s never a dull moment. Add death into the mixture and the calamity of chaos becomes an uproarious and heartfelt comedy about putting the ‘fun’ in dysfunctional. Just Off Broadway Baltimore presents their seventh production of Daddy’s Dyin’ Who’s got the Will this spring and it’s a hoot. Directed by Jason Crawford Samios-Uy, the laughs come rolling out of Lowake, Texas like tumbleweed scooting across the dessert at high noon.