Bette Davis at the National Theater

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 09:08:50 +0000

With over 100 films to her credit and ten Academy Award nominations, plus two wins for Best Actress in Jezebel and Dangerous, Bette Davis is one of Hollywood’s most recognized icons.

Over the summer, the National Theatre in Washington, DC is screening some of her more famous films in their free Summer Cinema 2008 series.

Films in the series include:

July 7 – Jezebel
Davis plays a Southern Belle who enjoys publicly breaking social rules of “proper” behavior and thus loses her banker fiancé. She then goes on a mission to win him back.

July 14 – Dark Victory
The carefree and hedonistic New York socialite, Judith Traherne, after learning she has an inoperable brain tumor, must face her dark and frightening future.

July 21 – The Letter
Set in Singapore, the wife of a plantation administrator shoots a man to death, claiming self-defense. But was it?

July 28 – All About Eve
Davis plays Broadway star, Margo Channing, who is starting to show her age. Approached by an seemingly adoring fan and aspiring actress named Eve Harrington, the scheming woman plots to steal Margo’s career, fame friends and even her lover. In the Best Picture Oscar winner, Davis delivers her famous line, “Fasten your seatbelts; it’s going to be a bumpy night.”

August 4 - Mr. Skeffington
Marring a man she doesn’t love in order to save her brother from a financial scandal, Davis plays a manipulative New York beauty who stings along multiple lovers and has countless affairs. But after contracting a disease that ruins her looks, she must face the reality of finding love without after losing the only asset she had.

August 11 – Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?
This cult classic pairs two of Hollywood’s best actresses, one as the evil sister Jane (Bette Davis), and the other, the innocent but wheelchair bound sister Blanch (Joan Crawford). Acting as caretaker for her sister, Blanch terrorizes, controls and goes on a rein of psychological horror against her sister, as they live as recluses in an old mansion.

National Theatre Summer Cinema 2008
National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC (map it)

202-783-3372

Dates and Times – Mondays July 7 through August 11, 2008, at 6:30 p.m. Click here for a printable schedule.

Tickets – FREE, but tickets are required. Tickets are distributed ½ hour before show time.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Metro Center – Blue, Orange or Red lines, or Federal Triangle – Blue and Orange lines, then a 3-block walk.

Parking – Paid garage and limited metered street parking is available.

Images – public domain

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Post from: The DC Traveler

Take a Chance on… Mamma Mia!

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:33:50 +0000

Here’s the challenge – take one of the most globally successful pop band’s library of hits, and make a high-energy, campy, fun musical that makes people smile, laugh and leave feeling great.

Try it with just about any band and the expected result would be total disaster.

Nut take the music of Abba, and add some ingenious choreography, mixed with a funny storyline and you end up with the global sensation, Mamma Mia.

Mamma Mia just opened at the National Theatre in Washington, DC for a 3-week run and I had a chance to see the opening.

WARNING – Plot Spoiler

Mamma Mia revolves around Sophie, a 20-year-old who is planning her wedding on the Greek island where she grew up, with her single and very independent hotel owner mother, Donna.

Sophie wants her father to walk her down the isle, but doesn’t know who he is. She finds her Mom’s diary and discovers that her Dad might be one of three men, from one of her Mom’s “wild” summers.

She secretly mails wedding invitations to all three men, who haven’t seen or spoken to Donna in 20 years, without either her mother’s or fiancés knowledge, or explaining to the guys why they are being invited.

The day before the wedding, the three possible fathers and Donna’s two best friends show up and they all start to reminisce. Emotions and lost romantic feelings are rekindled, behind the backdrop of the women reenacting their teen singing act while catching up on life and falling back into their teen roles.

Sophie’s quest to find her father takes some twists as she tries unsuccessfully to hide the fact that one of the men is actually her father. While Sophie examines the concept of love, family and marriage, Donna must deal with abandonment, loneliness and lost love.

Add in some spandex Elvis outfits, dancing snorkelers, silver platform boot, 70 lavish costumes, some campy dialog, witty humor, a plausible storyline and about 20 Abba hits, including SOS, Dancing Queen, Knowing Me, Knowing You, and Take a Chance on Me, you can understand why over 30 million people globally have attended this high-energy smash musical hit.

The leads, Rose Sezniak playing Sophie, has a powerful and beautiful voice, and Susie McMonagle who plays her mom, effectively showed her range delivering pop powerhouse tunes through poignant love songs.

The rest of the cast was exceptionally high-energy with a special note on Donna’s two friends, Tonya, the rich three-time divorcée (Michelle Elizabeth Dawson) and Rosie, the bawdy but never married but still hoping (Kittra Wynn Coomer) who added even more spark and laughter.

And don’t rush to leave at the end of the show. Some some of the best singing numbers and costumes are saved for the encore.

Mamma Mia will be the hot ticket of the summer. Plus, it’s a perfect summer date idea (trust me guys). Even if you are not a fan of Abba’s music or a Dancing Queen.

And if you are still not convinced, I walked into the theater knowing nothing about Mamma Mia, other than I didn’t care for Abba’s music. I left 2 hours later with a new insight to their music and a smile on my face.

The only downer, the opening music before both acts is highly overly-amplified, be warned.

Comment Contest:
Share your thoughts on the DC production of Mamma Mia by 7/14, by making a comment below and one lucky random winner will receive a Mamma Mia! four-song CD of selected songs from the touring company.

Mamma Mia!
National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, DC (map it)
202-783-3372

Dates and Times – Through July 13, 2008, nightly at 8:00 p.m except Sundays (7:30), with weekend matinees at 2:00 p.m. no performances on July 4th or 7th.