author: Anthony Case
Sometimes, you just really need to escape the world for a while, sit in a dark theater, and pray you’re about to see a great show. That was certainly the mood I was feeling sitting in the dark theater at the Opera House in Havre de Grace last night, waiting for Scottfield Theatre Companyâs production of The Drowsy Chaperone to start. While not a huge fan of the wink-wink nudge-nudge nature of some similar musicals,
Iâm reviewingâ the situation! Or as the case may beâ the production! Of Oliver! at Tidewater Players this spring. And it is not your grandmaâs 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 childrenâs show or Annie with boys. This production is neither of those things and Iâll raise all the flagons of ale in the tavern in a grateful cheer to that!
Reset your mind to island time. Because itâs five oâclock somewhere. And for the next two weekends, itâs five o’clock in Havre de Grace as the Tidewater Players presents Jimmy Buffettâs Escape to Margaritaville. Directed by Dickie Mahoney, with Musical Direction by Chris Rose, and Choreography by Evyo (and tap-choreo by Bambi Johnson), this âthrow-your-cares-awayâ silly good time show is just what the doctor ordered in these chilly winter months. And if you really want to be on âisland timeâ?
The county known as Harford is so wide, mein Herr. Theyâve got theatres up and down and side to side, mein Herr. I donât always get them all, at least I tried, mein Herr. So I see⌠and I go⌠play by play⌠night by nightâŚshow by show⌠and this showâ a truly remarkable and superbly stunning production of Kander & Ebbâs Cabaret is waiting to welcome you through its doors at Phoenix Festival Theatre.
âI donât want to start a riot. I donât want to blaze a trail. I donât want to be a symbol or a cautionary tale.â Musical theatre is story first. Always has been. Itâs the lyrics in the music which transports the story to the audience and at the end of the day, the story at the heart of The Prom is just about a person wanting to live their life like any other normal person and get to have all the things that any other normal person has.
With Cats some say one rule is true: get your tickets for Tidewater Playersâ production this fall. It is like no other production of Cats ever seen or that will ever be seen. The stunning immersive world of T.S. Eliot and Andrew Lloyd Webber come swirling together in a mystical, magical, Jellicle production directed and choreographed by Bambi Johnson with musical direction by Chris Rose. There are singing cats, there are dancing cats,
A sensible, everyday name for a catâŚdepending on where in the world you are atâŚcould be perhaps⌠Jubalong⌠Cattivo⌠and Sambal⌠or perhaps something a little more adult, and a little more tomcat like. Something with bravado but not too certainâŚmeow?
Thank you for giving us a moment of your time! Can you tell us who you are and which cat you play?
Stanton Zacker: Iâm Stanton Zacker and I play Alonzo.
âYou work real hard and the pays real low⌠and every hour goes oh so slow⌠and at the end of the day thereâs nowhere to goâŚâ but to Cockpit in Courtâs production of Avenue Q! This raunchy and hilarious musical by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx is a modern adult take on the classic Sesame Street formula: adorable puppets living their day-to-day lives⌠It just so happens that these puppets live in the real world,
I say this with humility in thisâ online open space! Theyâre your responsibility inâ good olâ Havre de Grace! If you want to see their show and all the feelings that they spill, in Havre de Grace Opera House thatâs halfway down the hill, then for God sakes get thee to it! For Congress never will! Yes, yes, itâs not even July and the Tidewater Players are calling to order the second continental congress of America with their production of 1776.
Territory folks should stick together! Territory folks should all be pals! The cowboys dance with the farmerâs daughters; the farmers dance with the rancherâs gals! Now Iâd like to say a word âbout Artistic SynergyâŚthey set up in the church basement and thatâs fine! They do shows to make us smile, and theyâre dancingâs real in style, and theyâre doing Oklahoma! by Rogers & Hammerstein! Ohâ territory folks should stick togetherâ territory folks should all be friends,
Youâve gotta beâ sincere! Youâve gotta see it here! Cause when you see it hereâ at Artistic Synergy of Baltimoreâ youâre honestly going to seeâ sincere! If youâre seeinâ it hereâ at Artistic Synergyâ then itâs really sincere! And if youâre seeinâ it hereâ Bye Bye Birdie that isâ then itâs gonna be right, oh baby! Directed by Jeff Baker, this fast-movinâ 50âs feel-good musical is showing the east side of Baltimore that thereâs such a lot of living to do!
If you trust in your soul, keep your eyes on the goal, then the prize you wonât failâ youâll find your grail at Cockpit in Court this summer with their second mainstage production, Monty Pythonâs Spamalot. Directed by Laurie Sentman Starkey with Musical Direction by R. Christopher Rose, this instance of comedic musical theatre has a little something for everybody. Be you a Monty Python fan, a musical theatre fan, neither,