Happy New Year! Hope your holidays were as great as mine.
If you don't have anything planned this weekend, you should take a trip to see The Shakespeare Theatre Company's newest play, The Two Gents of Verona. They are hosting 2 open rehearsals, which of course means they're FREE. The play is scheduled to run January 17 - March 4, 2012, but this is your chance to see it before everyone else, plus it's free.
Here's a brief description of the play, "...Directed by PJ Paparelli, a bold staging of Shakespeare’s classic play of excess, young love and shape-shifting selves." Sounds interesting, right?
For more information about the play visit:
http://tinyurl.com/savvy0106b
The Two Gentlemen of Verona - Open Rehearsal Sunday, January 8, 2012Seatings: 2:30PM & 3:50PMCost: FREE (seating is first come, first served)
Lansburgh Theatre450 7th Street NWWashington, DC202.547.1122
A few months ago, I was excited to hear Mary Poppins would be making its way from Broadway to Washington, DC's own Kennedy Center this summer. Well, the time is finally here. As I'm writing this "a spoon full of sugar..." is constantly playing in my head.
The legendary tale of Mary Poppins everyone's favorite nanny will run from July 1 - August 22 and tickets range from $35 - $105. I was just on the Kennedy Center's website and tickets are still available but in very limited quantities. I'm sure it would be safe to say, it's sure to be sold out within the next week or two. If you're interested in checking out this must see musical, click here to see the schedule of upcoming performances and to purchase your tickets.
Savvy Deal: As posted on the Kennedy Centers website, a limited number of $25 tickets may be available for this engagement. They are available for purchase in-person only at the Kennedy Center Box Office with a limit of two (2) tickets per person. Prior to coming to the Kennedy Center, please call (202) 467-4600 to check availability.
For more information or to purchase tickets.
Last week, I ran into several alums from college at a happy hour. I was connected with one by the name of Roger Payano, who informed me that he would be starring in an adaption of the legendary play Othello. The play is currently being performed at the Kennedy Center and will run through July 3.
From what I've read, this version of Othello is very unique. The performance is being put on by the Synetic Theater, DC's Premier Physical Theatre. Each year 1 out of their 4 stage plays is a Shakespearean play, the twist is that it's completely "SILENT" meaning that the story of Othello is told by dance, music, fight choreography and emoting through the body.
The play has received numerous rave reviews from local outlets including, The Washington Post, The Washington City Paper, and The Examiner.
To catch a glimpse of the essence of this unparalleled performance, view the trailer here. For more information and to purchase tickets for one of the last remaining shows (July 1-3), please click here.
Last week, I was presented with an opportunity to see a play called "Thurgood" written by George Stevens, Jr. and starring the famed actor Laurence Fishburne at The Kennedy Center. I'm a huge fan of the arts and pride myself on knowing all about the latest plays and musical performances, both locally and on Broadway.
Surprisingly, I had not heard anything about this play, a one-man show about the life of late Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, until I was offered the tickets. (After doing some research I found out the show first premiered on Broadway in April 2008)
When I entered the theater, the first thing I noticed was the show had to be sold out and how diverse the audience was, one of the reasons why I love DC. Laurence Fishburne walked onto the stage looking very much like the Thurgood Marshall I remember seeing in history books growing up. He began to tell the story of how Thurgood ('Thorogood' as his name was actually spelled upon his birth) Marshall became the man he was destined to become.
Prior to seeing this performance, I admit the only thing I really knew about Thurgood Marshall was he was the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of The United States of America. Laurence Fishburne vividly reenacted his life, including showing us a different side of Mr. Marshall, as a man with a sharp tongue and a serious sense of humor. A large amount of time was spent on him telling of his many accomplishments including being the defense attorney in the legendary Brown v. Board of Education case, which eventually lead to desegregation of public schools.
This one-man show had me enthralled in every word from start to finish. I'm not usually one whose attention span can handle a 90+ minute monologue (with no intermission) but he captivated me along with the rest of his audience by enabling us to envision each and every story. His voice was booming, the story telling was vibrant and at the end I felt like I had actually learned something new. It's not often I see something and feel like I really got much out of it, that was a pleasant surprise.
"Thurgood" starring Laurence Fishburne will be at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts until June 20. I'd highly recommend it. For more information, visit http://www.kennedy-center.org or call 202-467-4600.
Happy New Year! Hope your holidays were as great as mine.
