The main character, prison parolee Jean Valjean, who is unable to find work after years in a labor camp, must steal in order to survive.  But his victim gives him a second chance when Valjean is caught by the police.  He takes the gift and changes his identify and his life.  Spending most of his life attempting to avoid being identified as to who he really is, he leads a life of the straight and narrow.

While Valjean is able to find redemption and becomes a productive and respected man, he must continue to hide his true identity. Especially when a new police inspector, his old prison guard, comes to the town where Valjean has risen to become mayor and a wealthy business owner.  Yet the ruthless and single-minded police inspector is determined to discover Valjean’s true identity and return him to prison.

Valjean also must shield his adopted daughter Cosette, from the world of crime and French revolution, while she falls in love with a young revolutionary.

The production of Les Mis at Signature Theatre in suburban Arlington, Virginia, is led by Greg Stone, from the national touring company in the lead role of Jean Valjean.  Tom Zemon, is a believably wicked and powerful Police Inspector Javert.  And Felicia Curry (who has incidentally performed with DC’s Capitol Steps) delivers the most powerful singing of the performance, as the unnoticed and hopelessly in love Eponine. Although not all the voices of some of the lead characters were consistently strong, the ensemble delivered a powerful singular voice.

The production boasts a cast of 30 actors and incorporate over 100 stylishly dramatic costumes.  Some of the most elaborate and stunning lighting and effectively unique barricades as part of the environmental staging , made up of scrap metal, makes for a production that thrusts the action into the audience’s seats. 

The seating is three-quarter in the round with the actors also entering and exiting the stage between rows of seats, making the production significantly more intimate.

The 14-piece live orchestra playing the Broadway score is a strong addition, but at times so loud, it was hard to hear the words of some of the songs.

Les Misérables
Signature Theatre
MAX Theatre
4200 Campbell Avenue, in Shirlington Village, just off I-395
Arlington, Virginia  22206 (map it)

Dates and Times – Tuesdays – Sundays, December 2, 2008 – February 22, 2009. Matinees on weekends. And make sure you arrive on time, as late-comers wait until the first production break to be seated (a GREAT policy).

Tickets – $65.00 to $87.00, and are available online or by phone at 703-573-7328. Try for seats in the middle section, if available.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Pentagon City – Blue and Yellow lines, then a $7.00 – $8.00 taxi ride.  Look for a cab in front of the Ritz Carlton Hotel.

Parking – Two free parking garages are located across the street and behind the theatre.

Images – courtesy of Signature Theatre – Photos by Scott Suchman _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

With the familiar musical score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim and songs such as "America," "Maria," and "I Feel Pretty", adds to the story on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

The production coming to the National Theater in Washington, DC starting December 15th should be a wonderful production of song and dance.

“America”, From the film West Side Story.

West Side Story
National Theatre
1321 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC  (map it)
202-783-3372

Dates and Times – December 15, 2008 – January 17, 2009.

Tickets – $46.00- $96.00 and are available online or by phone at 800-432-7250.

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. ___________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

The Elephant Deal explorers the gap between military life and civilian life in the United States. Taken from Man Equals Man and The Elephant Calf, it explores how the common man is transformed though the breaking and recreating of the recruit, from a civilian into the perfect fighting machine.

500 Clown and The Elephant Deal
Ina and Jack Kay Theater
University of Maryland
Route 193 (University Blvd.) and Stadium Drive (next to the football stadium)
College Park, Maryland  (map it)

Dates and Times – Thursday – Sunday, December 11-14, 2008 at 8:00 p.m., except Sat. and Sun. at 3:00 p.m.

Tickets – $35.00, Seniors – $32.00, students with ID – $7.00 and are available online or by phone at 301-405-2787.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – College Park-University of Maryland – Green line, then a 2-mile cab ride. The theater can call a cab for you to get back to the Metro.

Parking – Garage parking across for the theater is $5.00.

Image – Flickr – 500 Clown
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Post from: The DC Traveler

Four years later, WGN-TV in Chicago, broadcast a 3-minute holiday short, that brought Frosty the Snowman to life.

In 1969, a 30-minute television cartoon was broadcast and is today, an annual holiday classic.

Adventure Theater in suburban Glen Echo, Maryland bring to live the story of how the mischievous Frosty comes to life, thanks to a magical top het, and quickly becomes everyone’s favorite snowman.

Adventure Theatre
Glen Echo Park 
7300 MacArthur Blvd.
Glen Echo, MD 20812  (map it)

Dates and Times - December 5, 2008 through January 4, 2009.
Saturdays at 11:00 a.m., 1:30 and & 4:00 p.m., Sundays at 1:30, additional afternoon performances on December 26, 29, 30, and January 2 and 7:00 p.m evening performances on December 5, 16, 17, 18,19, and 23.

Tickets – Adults – $15.00, children 12 & under – $12.00 and are available online.  this is an all ages shop.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Bethesda – Red line, then a 3-mile taxi ride.

Parking – Free parking is available in the park’s lot at MacArthur Blvd and Oxford Road. The theater is a short 5-10 minute walk though the park.

CLICK READ MORE BELOW TO READ TO WORDS TO “FROSTY”

Image – Flickr – Frosty

Frosty the Snowman

Frosty the snowman was a jolly happy soul,
With a corncob pipe and a button nose,
And two eyes made out of coal.

Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say,
He was made of snow but the children
know how he came to life one day.

There must have been some magic in that
Old silk hat they found.
For when they placed it on his head,
He began to dance around.

Oh, Frosty the snowman
Was alive as he could be,
And the children say he could laugh
And play just the same as you and me.

Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Look at Frosty go.

Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Over the hills of snow.

Frosty the snowman knew
The sun was hot that day,
So he said, ‘Let’s run and
we’ll have some fun
now before I melt away.’

Down to the village,
With a broomstick in his hand,
Running here and there all
Around the square saying,
Catch me if you can.

He led them down the streets of town
Right to the traffic cop.
And he only paused a moment when
He heard him holler ‘Stop!’

For Frosty the snowman
Had to hurry on his way,
But he waved goodbye saying,
‘Don’t you cry,
I’ll be back again some day.’

Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Look at Frosty go.

Thumpety thump thump,
Thumpety thump thump,
Over the hills of snow. _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

In a play perfect for children ages 4 and up, Imagination Stage brings back this musical comedy about the “worst behaved class in whole school” – the fifth graders of Room 207 at Horace B. Smedley Elementary School.

The unruly and spitball shooting students are so bad, even during story time, that their behavior drives their beloved and sweet Miss Nelson away. The next day, the appearance of the dreaded and not-so-sweet substitute, Miss Viola Swamp, changes everything.

Desperately trying to create an excuse for their teacher’s disappearance, they come up with several implausible stories, including a trip to Mars and a deadly shark attack. But later decide to engage in a mission to find and bring back their wonderful teacher, by hiring a bumbling detective named McSmogg.

Perhaps a bit predictable for the adults, kids are sure to smile at the silly, innocent and funny characters, as well as the discovery that the substitute teacher may not really be who they think.

Miss Nelson is Missing
Imagination Stage – Lerner Family Theatre
4908 Auburn Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814 (map it)

Dates and Times – Weekends from November 22, 2008 – January 4, 2009 – Performance times – Saturdays and Sundays 12:30 & 3:30 p.m., with an additional show on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. Additional weekday matinees on Dec. 24, 26, 29–31, and Jan. 2, 2009

Tickets – $10.00 – $21.00 and are available by phone at 301-280-1660.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Bethesda – Red line, then a ½-mile walk or take the free Bethesda 8 trolley to Auburn and Norfolk Avenues.

Parking – Free parking is available in the area.

Image – 5th grade class – Flickr
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Post from: The DC Traveler

Boom

So deciding to be safe, he selected a second major, marine biology, based on his love of scuba diving .  And that’s where the two subjects started their collision course, and a discovery of the cycle that eventually kill all living things on the planet.

He meets Jo, a female journalism student in his underground biology lab for an erotic and casual hookup. But the encounter is anything but casual, as doomsday and the end of civilization as we know approaches.

Can a young gay man and a single woman who hates babies, rebuild humanity?

With darkly humorous dialogue and the help of a puppet-master narrator, Boom takes you on a Twilight Zone-like apocalyptic ride that includes self-discovery and all the typical fatalistic issues common in younger people. 

Boom
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
641 D Street, NW at 7th
Washington, DC 20004 (map it)

Dates and Times – Wednesdays – Sundays, through December 7, 2008 at 8:00 p.m., except 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets – $38.00 – $60.00, with additional discounts on most shows for Seniors and people under 25 years of age. Tickets are are available online.  Appropriate for ages 16 and over.

The theater also places at least 10 side balcony tickets on hold for most performances that are sold 2 hours before show time. These discounted tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis, limit 2 per person for $15.00 each.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Archives/Navy Memorial – Green and Yellow line, then a 1-block walk or Gallery Place/Chinatown – Red line, then a 2-block walk. Or use the DC Circulator.

Parking -  Limited street parking, $10.00 theater patron parking at the Interpark Liberty Place garage across the street or other paid garages in the area.

Image – test tube – Flickr, production image BOOM-A Deeker,K Gilbert,S Marshall – credit-Stan Barouh and poster courtesy of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
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Post from: The DC Traveler

One of my favorite Washington, DC theaters, Arena Stage, is offerings a special deal for one day only — Tickets to 7 upcoming show for only $25.00 per ticket.

Starting midnight Thursday, Nov. 13 through midnight Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, ALL TICKETS for only $25.00 each for the remaining 7 plays in the season will be available .

Tickets are available for the first week of performances only, so act fast. These tickets offer theater-goers up to 60% off standard Arena Stage ticket prices. 

Performances:

• Next to Normal, November 21 – 28, 2008
• I Love a Piano, January 29 – February 4, 2009
• A Delicate Balance, February 6 – 11, 2009
• Crowns, March 27 – April 1, 2009
• A Long and Winding Road, March 31 – April 5, 2009
• Legacy of Light, May 8 – 13, 2009
• Sweet Bird of Youth, May 29 – 3, 2009

Tickets – $25.00 plus applicable handling fees. To order tickets anytime during the 24 hour period, call, visit or order online.

• By phone -202-488-3300
• Online, visit www.arenastage.org
• Box Office sales – Arena Stage Sales Office – 1800 S. Bell Street, Arlington, VA 22202.

Image – Flickr
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Post from: The DC Traveler

Here’s an interesting FREE symposium on Monday for musical theater lovers…Where are you taking me?: What’s next in musical theater?

This free, day-long symposium with musical theater practitioners from both DC theaters (Signature Theatre, Arena Stage) and from around the country, will participate in a day long event, that lets the theater-going public the opportunity for a behind the scenes trends, strategies and challenges of creating and producing a new musical play.

The symposium includes:

• Roundtable discussions of trends, challenges and best practices in developing new American musicals – 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Performance of  over ten songs from up-and-coming musicals currently in production – 8:00 p.m.

Where are you taking me?: What’s next in musical theater?Gonda Theatre/Davis Performing Arts Center
Georgetown University
37th and O Streets, NW
Washington, D.C. (map it)

Dates and Times – Monday, November 10, 2008, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., musical performance starts at 8:00 p.m.

Tickets – FREE, but required. Contact Arena Stage at 202-488-3300.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Dupont Circle – Red line or Roslyn  -Blue and Orange line, then take the GU GUTS bus to campus (runs every 10-20 minutes) or the G2 Metrobus from the Dupont Circle Metro station.  

Parking – Metered street parking (free after 9:00 p.m.) and paid campus garage parking ($3.00/hr.) is offered at two university garages about 2 blocks from the theater, located on both Canal St. and Reservoir Rd.

Images – Flickr – performers _________________________________________________

Post from: The DC Traveler

The only word to describe KOOZA is… AMAZING!!!

I’ve seen several Cirque du Soleil productions and KOOZA was by far, the most physical, high-energy and awe inspiring show of all. 

The audience’s reaction to the gravity defying, body contorting, magical balancing, and fearless performances resulted in at not several, but many moments during the show, of audible group gasps, screams and shrieks. The story, led by a team of very funny clowns made for a slap-stick, party-like feel, intermingled with spectacular circus acts. 

The clowns kept the show funny and moving, allowing people to catch their breathes and slow their pulses between acts.  Be ready for some fun audience participation, but be warned…watch your wallet. 

The show’s opening artistic act, three contortionists, set the stage for the acts to come.  They seemed to made of rubber and virtually boneless as they intertwined and balanced themselves on top of each other.

Just a few of the performances during the 3-hour tightly produced show included a Zen-like performer who balanced himself on a stack of chairs a couple stories into the air while performing unbelievable feats of balance. As he reached the pinnacle of his performance, the audience became memorized into total spellbound silence. 

The double high wire act ended with cheers from the audience as a pyramid of bicycles crossed the tight rope without even a waver of mistake.  At one point, an aerialist leapt over another tight rope walker and just missed his landing, almost falling.  Was it part of the act to build additional tension or was the stunt so challenging that it took two tries to complete? Either way, the crowd applauded loudly when he landed his second attempt. 

The graceful solo trapeze aerialist made the crowd gasp numerous times as she seemed to freefall away from her trapeze, only to catch herself at the last instant.

Other acts included a fast-handed juggler, a game of acrobatic “blanket toss", a duo that tangoed gracefully on a unicycle, and several aerialists being launched high off of a teeter-taughter.  The highlight was watching stilt walkers catapulted skyward and landing on thick mats after completing seemingly impossible twists and flips.

READ MORE AND ABOUT MY PERSONAL FAVORITE ACT—>

For me, the highlight of the show was the Wheel of Death (see photo). Two artists, dressed as devils, ran inside and outside of the spinning stainless steel wheels, at times free falling ten or more feet as gravity took over. this act caused almost continual gasps and shrieks from the audience. It appeared they were just inches away from a misplaced footing or grasp and falling to a possibly death.

The set is a two-story bandstand, draped in richly colored canopies, created a dreamlike experience.  The athletic performers made multiple colorful and artistic costumes changes. throughout the show. The live music was an eclectic blend of new age, pop, jazz, and traditional middle-eastern/sub-continent sounds, led by two female vocalists who were spectacular.  The show’s length, at about 3 hours, seemed to fly by and included a ½-hour intermission.

KOOZA effectively combines slap-stick buffoonery, fast-paced and amazing performances and a live music score that delights. Sir Isaac Newton would have given up on his theory of gravity if he had seen KOOZA.

The show can only be considered the ticket of the season to get in Washington, DC.  I just hope you don’t get the magic seat.

In the next couple days, I’ll be posting on my preshow backstage tour, so stop back for more on KOOZA.

Cirque Du Soleil – KOOZA
Under the Grand Chapiteau at the Plateau
201 Harborview Avenue
National Harbor, MD 20745  (map it)

Dates and Times – October 30 – extended until December 14, 2008, daily, except Mondays. 

Tickets – Adults – $55.00 – $215.00, kids 2-12 – $38.50 – $150.50, Weekday Senior and student discounts available for some shows – $49.50 – $112.50. Tickets available online or by phone at 800-674-5440.

Nearest Metro Subway Station – Branch Avenue – Green line, then a 20-minute bus ride (NH-1 Metrobus).

Parking – Event parking is $10.00.

Images – All courtesy of Cirque du Soleil, © Cirque du Soleil 2007 – photos by Olivier Samson Arcand & costumes by Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt.
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Post from: The DC Traveler