I’m reviewing— the situation! Or as the case may be— the production! Of Oliver! at Tidewater Players this spring. And it is not your grandma’s Oliver! which is arguably one of the best things that can be said for a production of this show, as so many people write it off as either a children’s show or Annie with boys. This production is neither of those things and I’ll raise all the flagons of ale in the tavern in a grateful cheer to that!
The grass is green and dense! On the right side of the fence! And it’s a fine life! A fine life— to be doing Oliver! at Tidewater Players this spring. You’re always going to get the raw and nitty gritty of a dark show when it comes to one directed by Bambi Johnson and that’s what we’re here for! Sitting down with Ryan Geiger and Emily Jewett, playing Bill Sikes and Nancy, respectively,
Reset your mind to island time. Because it’s five o’clock somewhere. And for the next two weekends, it’s five o’clock in Havre de Grace as the Tidewater Players presents Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville. Directed by Dickie Mahoney, with Musical Direction by Chris Rose, and Choreography by Evyo (and tap-choreo by Bambi Johnson), this ‘throw-your-cares-away’ silly good time show is just what the doctor ordered in these chilly winter months. And if you really want to be on “island time”?
I’m going to be honest. I’m not Adam Sandler’s biggest fan— or even really a fan, period— by any stretch of the imagination. I don’t like most of his movies, I think he thinks he’s funnier than he actually is, and on the whole, although we’re living in the golden “Oprah Era” of musicals (“…you get a musical, you get a musical, you get a musical, everybody gets a musical!”) and this particular one is not ‘new’ per se,
This a Bronx Tale and just like they all do, it starts right here on Belmont Avenue. Well, the mockup of Belmont Avenue by way of Dundalk Community Theatre. Making its area premiere, A Bronx Tale: The Musical (Book: Chazz Palminteri, Music: Alan Menken, Lyrics: Glenn Slater) is based on the play of the same name and has the musical atmosphere of Hairspray and Jersey Boys with some plot structures along similar lines.
Doors and sardines! On and off! That’s farce. That’s theatre. That’s life! And it’s farcical live theatre at Players On Air this October with their production of Noises Off directed by Michael Livingston. It’s a madcap comical farce of actors acting, drama being highly over-dramatized, and bloody sardines pulling a spectacular Houdini act! It’s a barrel of laughs, a bucket of fun, and a show you won’t want to miss.
Anyone familiar with Michael Frayn’s iconic play Noises Off will immediately recognize the set as a chaotic character and law onto itself.
It’s all about the time tables! You’ve got to get yourself a
time table! Check your time tables and you’ll see that they’re telling you it’s
time to board Flight-519 on Heritage Airlines and enjoy their in-flight
entertainment: Boeing Boeing by Marc
Camoletti. Directed by Ryan Geiger, this flight-based French farce will whisk
audiences away to Paris, France circa 1962 and give them an inside look at an
American bachelor in Paris who has landed himself a fiancée.
Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Children of all ages! Step right up to The Heritage Players and see The Greatest Show on Earth! Why it’s a miracle! Of course, miracle is a pretty fancy word for humbug, or so Mrs. Barnum will tell you. But a bit of brass and humbug is just as good as silver and gold, Mr. P.T. Barnum will tell you than himself! Barnum, the musical of the circus legend tumblesaults its way up the aisles of the Thomas Rice Auditorium at the Spring Grove Hospital Campus and onto the stage of The Heritage Players,
Close your eyes and try to conceive, the most outrageous story to ever be believed! If you can just believe, it’s beautifully bizarre, a story about a boy— and a giant peach, and that’s just the way things are! Right before your eyes— James and The Giant Peach is now appearing on stage at The Heritage Players as their summer engagement. Directed by Elizabeth Tane Kanner with Musical Direction by Emily Taylor &
You may know what you need, but to get what you want, better see that you keep what you have! And what Memorial Players has is an extraordinarily talented production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into The Woods. And what they want is for everyone in Baltimore to come and see it. So they need you to do exactly that! Running just two weekends, and as always at Memorial Players, a free performance for all in attendance,
Hey Big Spender! Spend a little time… with Heritage Player’s latest production, Sweet Charity! Based on Federico Fellini’s screenplay Nights of Cabiria, with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon, Sweet Charity is the 1966 musical about a starry-eyed young woman who’s looking for love in all the wrong places. The show revolves around the ever hopeful and aptly named Charity Hope Valentine,
Once upon a time at a theatre just outside Baltimore a director had a wish, to bring to life a production featuring some of the most beloved fairytale characters of our childhoods. His tale is one full of magic, woe, and cows. Does he succeed or is this just a moment better left in the woods? Well you will just have to read on as I share with you my journey at The Heritage Player’s performance of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapines’ Into the Woods Directed by TJ Lukacsina.
Love! They’re doing this for love! And love will see them through— the incredibly talented cast of Legally Blonde at Silhouette Stages! Yes, love! They’ve got a lot of love— and with love on their side they can’t lose! Now appearing in the Slayton House Theater of Wilde Lake Village Center, Silhouette Stages’ final production of the 2016/2017 season— Legally Blonde is here to show you a thing or to about pop-modern movie-musicals!
Ready or not, kids, the Bee is back in town—and this is one laugh riot you do not want to miss! Directed by Ryan Geiger, with Musical Direction by TJ Lukacsina & Robin Trenner, this production is a journey back to our awkward adolescence with quite a few stand-out moments and a solid cast of dynamic characters. Geiger leads the group to victory with his attention to scene-work and Lukacsina aides in finding a beautiful harmony across this vocally awesome cast.
Catonsville’s Heritage Players have created a joyful jazz-age romp in their production of Thoroughly Modern Millie now appearing through April 24th at the Rice Auditorium on the campus of Spring Grove Hospital Center. Directed by TJ Lukacsina with Musical Direction by Carolyn Freel, this musical will bring you some feel good music to tap your toes to all throughout the evening. Based on the 1967 film, Millie is a delightful song-and-dance melodrama by Dick Morris and Richard Scanlan which unapologetically demolishes the boundaries of political correctness in its depiction of Chinese white-slavery.
Are you certain what you wish is what you want? What you want is to have a moment in the woods. And that moment can be had at Reisterstown Theatre Project this April as they present Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods, but remember that opportunity is not a lengthy visitor and you shall need to move quickly if you wish to go into the woods with RTP for all of the dark and twisted realities that come after “happily ever after.” Directed by Eric Besbris with Musical Direction by Matt Elky and Lynn Graham,
This is just a moment in the woods! Again, please. Every theatre wants to take a stab at Sondheim, and the Reisterstown Theatre Project is no different. TheatreBloom takes that moment in the woods to sit down with Director Eric Besbris to uncover his vision behind the current RTP production of Into the Woods.
If you want to tell us who you are and what of your work people might recognize,
She’s the hitch…she’s what no one believes…she’s the witch! Kristen Zwobot sits down in a TheatreBloom exclusive interview to discuss tackling a Sondheim Bucket-List role as she takes on The Witch in the Reisterstown Theatre Project production of Into the Woods.
If you could give us a brief introduction of who you are and what of your work the readers might recognize, we can get started.
Kristen Zwobot: So I’m Kristen Zwobot and I’m playing the witch.
Take me out to the ballgame! Take me out to the crowd! Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! I don’t care if I ever come back! And it’s root— root! Root for The Heritage Players as they pitch a wild one onto their stage at the Rice Auditorium with their production of Damn Yankees. Directed by Michael Hartsfield with Musical Direction by Stephen Michael Deininger, this classic musical with a time stamp of fond nostalgia slides into home plate under these two dedicated men and the company they plant onto the stage.
Move over, Saturday morning cartoons! Rosie and her hoi poloi crew are shaking up the Rice Auditorium with Heritage Players this summer! From the celebrated mind of Maurice Sendak comes the fantastical musical Really Rosie. With Books and Lyrics by Sendak, and Music by Carole King, the story of Rosie, Chicken Soup, Alligator and other illustrated icons of the imagination roar to life for young audiences in the Catonsville area. Directed by Stuart C.
Life is really up to you, you must choose what to pursue! Set your mind on what to find and you’ll find an epically entertaining production of Monty Python’s Spamalot at Silhouette Stages in Columbia. Directed by Debbie Mobley and Conni Ross, with Musical Direction by Michael Tan, the humor of Monty Python, Book and Lyrics of Eric Idle, and Music of John Du Prez come shining through to the brighter side of life on the narrow stage of Slayton House.
Life is but a moment? Or life is what you make of it. Heritage Players are making life out to be a hilarious evening of comic curiosities with their summer production of David Ives’ All in the Timing. Co-Produced by Ryan Geiger and Stephen Deininger, this grouping of six one-acts is a hilarious series of unrelated vignettes that examine the minutia of life in an absurd fashion. Treating the project like a theatrical incubator of sorts,