Picture this! Princess Diana and the Royals at Tysons Corner!

At the Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition, Tysons Corner/Photo by Patricia Leslie

 Princess Diana: Accredited Access Exhibition by Anwar, Samir, and Zak
Hussein

 

Diana, about one month before William was born in 1982, at an Aston, a favorite car of Charles. Photo from Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition by Anwar, Samir, and Zak Hussein

Unless you've been hibernating in the English Channel for the last 40 years, you have likely seen most of the photographs (or ones very much like them) on display at the Princess Diana (1961-1997) exhibition at Tysons Corner Mall.

It requires a royal fee to get in and only hardcore, extreme Royal watchers need apply.

Adults can buy weekend tickets for $32; seniors, $24; children, $21; or a family pass, $84.  (Weekdays and groups are cheaper. Please see below.)

It takes about 30-45 minutes to walk through and look at blown-up pictures.

Some new pictures are found here and there, but are they worth the entrance fee? 

At the Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition, Tysons Corner/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition by Anwar, Samir, and Zak Hussein

At the Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition, Tysons Corner/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition by Anwar, Samir, and Zak Hussein

Hats in likenesses of those worn by British royalty are featured in one gallery at the Diana exhibition, this one created by Pauline Loctin, a "paper sculptor."/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition, Tysons Corner/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition, Tysons Corner/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Souvenirs available for purchase at the exit range from $5 for a postcard to $35 for a tote bag, $60 for a sweatshirt, a baseball hat ($40), t-shirt ($40), notebook ($30), and compact mirror ($15)/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition, Tysons Corner/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The title of the display is a misnomer since many of the photographs are not of Diana but other Royals, including the now "non-Royals," Harry and Meghan, some of my favorite people. 

The curator Clifton Skelliter explained to me that the pictures were taken over decades by a family of "official Royal photographers," Anwar Hussein, and his sons, Samir and Zak. Royal photographers are those who are "approved" by the Royals to take pictures of the Royal Family, pictures the photographers are then free to sell.

In 2016 Anwar Hussein became the longest serving "official" Royal photographer.

When Diana's dresses and gowns come to town, now that's another story. Do write, love, with all the details when they are known.

What: Princess Diana:  Accredited Access Exhibition

When: Through Sept. 8, 2022. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. 

Where: Ground floor, Tysons Corner, across from H&M, near Barnes & Noble. 

How much: Prices range from $25 (weekdays) to $46 (weekends), adults; $20 to $35, seniors, military and students; $17 to $31, children; $68 to $84, family of 2 adults and 2 children; groups of 10 or more, less, all with audio guide and some with a souvenir program which sells at the show for $25.

Metro station: Tysons Corner 

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Nashville rocks me baby, all night long ....

Before you go to Music City, better get some jean shorts and cowboy boots.  We didn't get the email in time to pack the right gear/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

Downtown Nashville was "a-go-go" last week, jammed all over (and jamming!) on four floors of this restaurant and everywhere else on Broadway with music lovers/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 9, 2022

Dancing flowed from one bar to the next with live music galore!  Talk about a mixed sound!/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

Dance with me, Henry!/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

Another multi-leveled bar where everybody can hang out on Broadway/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

In Nashville, you could even sit in a potato, like the woman here who's trying to climb out of one!  (Nashville has all kinds of new experiences.) The crew at the "Idahoan" promised free eatins', too, but, darlin', potatoes and margaritas do not a good mix make! It's drinkin' and carousin' I'm chasing right here on Broadway in Music City!/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 9, 2022

Forget your boots?  Come on in and try on a new pair! I think the task for the guy on the left was to make sure the shop didn't get too crowded/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

This was my favorite of the party trucks: bare-breasted men waving their shirts around in strip-tease fashion. Maybe it was a groomsmen party.  Whatever it was, it was a hearty party!/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

Nashville is a wild place, a mixture of Bourbon Street and Times Square on New Year’s Eve, with lots of country music thrown in, and bridesmaids galore!  We saw seven or eight (the number got so high, it was hard to keep up) bridesmaids' parties, identified by their matching outfits, some in purple and white jeans, the bride often wearing a long veil with the word "bride" stringing down her back in rhinestones or sequins.  She sparkled, that's for sure.

Another bar. Come on in and sit (drink) a spell on Broadway!/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

You've heard of Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, surely!  It's only been around a zillion years and here 'tis!  There's one at Nashville's airport, too, but there's no beating Swett's, my all time-fav meat and two or three (also at the airport)./Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 9, 2022

He was singing the blues at the outdoor bar on Broadway/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 9, 2022

 In the center is a "pedal wagon" filled with party goers  pedaling the wagon to make it move, the riders not on the wagon themselves. It's a BYOB affair and Nashville's pedal wagon spaces were all sold out for the entire month of June except for Flag Day, June 14, but Claire says Clarendon has these party wagons.  I wish my birthday were this weekend so we could party up! Write if you want to join us!  We're trying to fill a wagon/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 11, 2022

Meanwhile, the place gets wilder with the night!  Here's the "Ultimate Party Bus" cruising on Broadway/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 11, 2022

Music City makes good use of its fire engines when they're not on duty.  Here's one decked out for a party on Broadway/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 11, 2022

 A fire engine party truck on Broadway in Nashville/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 11, 2022

Tattoos are abundant, too. (Surprise!)/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 11, 2022

See!  What did I tell you?  Bring on the boots and the cut-offs!/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 11, 2022

Nashville Party Wagon on Broadway.  Looks like another bridesmaids party on deck.  Nashville is the Bridesmaids Capital of the World, and we saw several of the parties, plus part of a real wedding, too!/Photo by Patricia Leslie,  June 11, 2022

Whatsis?  Three-wheelies with flashers on Broadway/Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 11, 2022

 And away they go on Broadway in Nashville/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 11, 2022

For the more sedate and/or those tourists looking beyond Broadway, look no further than the fabulous Victorian Belmont Mansion on the Belmont University campus ("Nashville's largest antebellum house museum!") or ... /Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 12, 2022

Centennial Park, the home of the Parthenon, modeled after the original in Athens/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 10, 2022

The Parthenon in Centennial Park in Nashville/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 10, 2022

Photo by Patricia Leslie, Nashville, June 10, 2022

Suffragettes protect the Parthenon at Centennial Park. This statue was dedicated August 21, 2020 in celebration of the 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which gave women the right to vote.  A Tennessee legislator, Harry T. Burn, who listened to his mama, was the deciding vote in the Tennessee General Assembly whose action made the 19th a reality.  Thank you, Mr. Burn!

The statue honors these suffragettes who were instrumental in the fight for women's rights: Anne Dallas Dudley of Nashville, Frankie Pierce of Nashville, Carrie Chapman Catt (national suffrage leader who came to Tennessee for the final battle), Sue Shelton White of Jackson, and Abby Crawford Milton of Chattanooga.  Thank you, suffragettes!

And thanks, Nashville, for a great time in Music City!!

Patricialesli@gmail.com

Alexandria's 'Prelude to a Kiss' ain't your sweet nothin's

Smithchai Chutchainon is Peter and Brianna Goode is Rita in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Prelude to a Kiss/Photo by Matthew Randall

The title of the newest show at the Little Theatre of Alexandria, Prelude to a Kiss, made me think I was in for a "rom-com" of a night.

Or, I was hoping for one.

It was likely that my mood and delight in the romantic picture used for the promotion (a bride and groom embracing) led me to believe the play was going to be a lighthearted evening of laughs and fun, a prescription to help relieve, however momentarily, days of trials and tribulations. 

Not.

The plot involves a speedy relationship that develops between Peter (Smithchai Chutchainon) and Rita (Brianna Goode).

With adult humor, adult language, and adult content, it proves to be serious, contemporary stuff, not for the carefree, the blithesome or anyone needing respite.

Fun? 

It's a "thinking person's play" necessitating brain work (but I didn't want to think!).

What's going on?

From left, Jon Radulovic is Dr. Boyle, Liz Leboo is his wife, and Smithchai Chutchainon is Peter in Little Theatre of Alexandria's Prelude to a Kiss/Photo by Matthew Randall

The couple "falls in love" (or infatuation) and the bride suddenly takes on a new identity, given to her by a sci-fi creature (Cliff Rieger) who shows up at the wedding, uninvited, and just happens to kiss the bride on the lips with permission, mind you, and presto! New person.

You know the kind: Wedding crashers everywhere.

Chutchainon's strong acting and voice are critical elements which carry the play, especially since Goode is at times hard to hear, when she turns from the audience and speaks fast, sometimes in a whisper.

Thank goodness for her "dad" (Jon Radulovic is Dr. Boyle) who provides humor which director Maggie Mumford flushes out with exaggerated expressions and animation to sharply contrast with the dark script.

I never wanted Dr. Boyle to leave! Could he go with them on their "honeymoon"? 

Mrs. Boyle, his wife, is acted by Liz Leboo, an understudy who held her own quite well with all the forces at work, thank you very much.

The stark set (by Peter Mumford, the director's husband and her "favorite set designer") has different levels of long flat boards which quickly transition to seats, a bed, a home, apartment, the beach, and a bar with simple props (by Shelby Baker) which complement the sad and flat tempo.

On their honeymoon, a backdrop of Jamaican palm trees and sky enhance the mood with desired visual changes.

JK Lighting Design skillfully targets the groom's soliloquies while Peter searches for the truth and questions the meaning of events. The few seconds of "the kiss" exude a remarkable halo effect with a golden bouquet.

For de rigueur elements in contemporary drama, the two men kiss as well.

There's something here for everyone, but don't expect to go skipping out LTA's doors with a song in your heart. It's not a happy-go-lucky night, but one you'll want to "live now" or forever hold your peace.

Whatever happens, don't kiss any strangers on your wedding night!

The play by Craig Lucas was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play in 1990 and the Pulitzer Prize in Drama in 1991.

Alternative title: Postlude to Confusion

Other cast members are:

Brendan Chaney, Deja Elliott, Amber Kelly-Herard, Casey Kniseley, Joey Pierce, and Kelly Trott.

Other creative team members:

Carol Strachan and Alan Wray, producers; Donna Kenley, production assistant; Melissa Dunlap and Cleo Potter, stage managers; Tom O’Reilly, master carpenter; David Correia, sound.

Also,  Russell M. Wyland, rigging; Mary Ferrara and Ramah Johnson, assistant stage managers; Mary Wallace, costumes; Robin Maline, hair/makeup; Deborah Remmers, set decoration; Diedre (De) Nicholson-Lamb, set painting and Ruben Vellekoop, intimacy choreographer.

What: Prelude to a Kiss

When: Now through June 25, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m.

Where: The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Tickets: $21, weekdays; $24, weekends.

Duration: About 1.5 hours with one 15-minute intermission.

Adult language: Lots

Adult theme: Yes

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 72 hours of show time are required. No exceptions.

Public transportation: Check the Metro and Dash bus websites. Dash is free to ride and has routes which are close to LTA.

Parking: On the streets and in many garages nearby with free parking during performances at Capital One Bank at Wilkes and Washington streets.

For more information: Box Office: 703-683-0496; Business: 703-683-5778.
boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com or Asklta@thelittletheatre.com

patricialesli@gmail.com

 

 

'Michael Jackson' is alive and onstage in New York City!

From the  MJ  playbill, 2022

Dynamite!  

Myles Frost must win the Tony!

Electric! 

On fire! 

I swear Michael Jackson had "returned" from the dead for a concert with all his hits!

The audience's screaming and yelling were louder than any theatre performance I've ever attended, but there was no problem hearing the show.

MJ The Musical at the Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, April 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

It was the best theatre performance I've seen and with a few decades of experience, I've seen one or two.

Attention, Michael Jackson fans: Yes, it's worth a trip to New York City from Washington, D.C., and I may go again. You will not be disappointed.

From MJ The Musical at the Neil Simon Theatre, New York City, April 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Times Square, New York City, April 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie 

The music is fantastic!

The dancing is fantastic!

The lighting is fantastic!

Did I leave anything out?

The costumes! They're fantastic, too!

Some have pooh-poohed: "But he was a pervert." 

I was not going to the show to condone what he did. I was going to the show for the music!  Music!  Music! And it may take me there again. 

Had I not had a ticket for Tina the next night (which was almost as good, but hurry!  Closing August 14), I would have paid $175 to see MJ  The Musical again. (Besides, Tina is coming to the National in October for almost three weeks. Must see!)

Kayla Davion was Tina at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, New York City, April 2, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

MJ will last for years (if Mr. Frost can hold out), and the actress from The Prom  road show, who sat beside me, said he came out of nowhere to get the role.

He taught himself how to sing;

he taught himself how to dance;

and he taught himself how to be Michael.

You may think Michael Jackson is dead. I tell you he's back and on stage every night at Neil Simon.

Write if I am wrong.

patricialesli@gmail.com

John Dean, Watergate, and Jim Acosta

John Dean, left, and Jim Acosta at National Archives, June 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

It was a Washington crowd, after all, where most of us think alike (no friends of Trump) and groaned and laughed at the best of lines.

John Dean was in town at National Archives to talk about the upcoming CNN series Watergate: Blueprint for a Scandal beginning Sunday night, June 5, at 9 p.m. and CNN's Jim Acosta was there with him to ask a few questions.

John Dean, left, and Jim Acosta at National Archives, June 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Dean looks healthy and about ten years younger than his 83 years.

He said he had saved lots of his papers and goods which he pitched to CNN a while back as the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in on June 17, 1972 nears, and CNN took the idea and ran with it.

If the first show is an indication of the quality, it'll be an excellent series!

National Archives, June 1, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Dean was the personal lawyer for President Richard Nixon hired when he was only 31 and advised not to take the job by then U.S. Deputy Attorney General, Richard Kleindienst (1923-2000), but who's going to reject a White House job offer?

Not Dean.

Not anybody!

Nixon knew he was breaking the law, but that didn't stop him from breaking the law, Dean said, and Nixon sicced the IRS on various "enemies" which his team thought was “great stuff [to use], but I thought it was awful,” Dean says.

Nixon’s team sabotaged the 1972 presidential campaign of Edmund Muskie (1914-1966) with a fake letter which led to Muskie's withdrawal from the race. 

Dean described G. Gordon Liddy (1930-2021), a Nixon deputy who directed the Watergate break-in, as “radioactive.”

Walking near the White House with Liddy one day after Watergate was discovered, Dean said he'd never forget a conversation they had. Liddy pleaded with Dean that if it became necessary "to take him [Liddy] out," to please do it anywhere but his house where his children were.

Before Watergate, the Nixon gang came up with other grand schemes to obtain sources of leaks and find damaging information about their opponents, Dean said, like "firebombing" the Brookings Institution and hiring prostitutes to lure secrets from attendees at the 1972 Democratic National Convention in Miami Beach. 

The absurdities of the ideas produced loud guffaws from the Archives' audience. 

Dean took credit for single-handedly killing the Brookings plot when he told H.R "Bob" Haldeman (1926-1993), a chief Nixon lieutenant, that it was "insane."

At times in the show, Dean's heroics make him seem grander than he was. He did spend four months in prison and was disbarred in Virginia and the District of Columbia (which go unmentioned, at least in the first show).

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post reporters who broke the Watergate story, lead the show, aided by memories from CBS's Lesley Stahl who describes Nixon's henchmen John Ehrlichman (1925-1999) as personable and likeable, but, Haldeman, his partner in crime, was "dark" and "humorless." (No surprise to anyone who lived during the era.)

Nixon later denied pardon requests to both because he was annoyed by their tactics and unfaithfulness to him.

After only a year of working in the White House, “I was losing my respect for these people,” Dean said to audience laughter. When he broached the idea of leaving, Haldeman threatened him with inclusion on Nixon's enemies list.*

During the evening, laughter, moans, and/or groans often greeted the name of Donald Trump whenever it came up, which was probably more often than any other contemporary's.  

At the conclusion of the film, Acosta asked Dean, “why is this story so relevant now?” and the audience sighed loudly.

Dean: “It's impossible to look at Watergate now" and ignore comparisons to the Trump administration. In “an understatement,” Trump does or did not want to follow the law, and the audience laughed again.

“Nobody made ignoring standard operating procedures illegal until we get to the Trump years,” Dean said.

He spent 4.5 years with graduate students transcribing the Watergate tapes, and Archives has much of the material.

Acosta: “Did this country learn its lesson from Watergate?” and the audience, with mixed ages, groaned again.

Dean thinks Washington was sensitized to Watergate’s lessons for the first ten years after the scandal, "but since then….My hope is that they [the January 6 Committee] have witnesses who quietly come forward.”

Acosta: What will happen to our democracy?

Dean: “I worry much more about it now. During Watergate, I never worried about a constitutional crisis,” but things are different now with the Republicans carrying Trump’s water.

The show's music is fitting, if sometimes harsh and overpowering which may have been due to acoustics in the Archives' McGowan Theatre where almost every seat was filled.

The interview lasted about 15 minutes and no questions from the audience were taken.

*Some of the names from Nixon's "enemies list" floated on the screen including that of U.S. Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-NY) (1994-2005), whose 50th anniversary of her presidential launch is celebrated this year, too. Last week she was featured in an excellent talk by Ashleigh Coren at the National Portrait Gallery which, alas, has no planned exhibitions on Ms. Chisholm.

This is also the 50th anniversary of the founding of CNN.

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