Alexandria has greatness thrust upon it

Noah Mutterperl is Shakespeare in Little Theatre of Alexandria's ''Something Rotten''/Photo by Matthew Randall

There's nothing "rotten" in Alexandria recently named by Travel and Leisure to the nation's Top 15 Best Cities to visit,* but Something Rotten at Little Theatre of Alexandria has got the whole crew and townspeople eggstraeggcited (?) and happy.

Theatregoers, this show is LTA's best musical comedy ever!  

Chuck Dluhy (left) is Nostradamus and Matt Liptak is Nick Bottom in Little Theatre of Alexandria's 'Something Rotten'/Photo by Matthew Randall

Immense will power to bring this off was required of director Frank D. Shutts II and choreographer Stefan Sittig who met the challenges with wondrous excellence.

The centerpiece is one William Shakespeare and the competition to beat him, can it be?

Evan Zimmerman, left, is Robin with ensemble members, Daniel Boos, center, and Josh Mutterperl in Little Theatre of Alexandria's 'Something Rotten'/Photo by Matthew Randall

Never fear, Shakespeare sufferers:  Knowledge of the bard's works is not required.  But, surely, you've seen at least one of 30-odd shows mentioned in the production?**

The title, Something Rotten comes from one of the bard's plays***, but this Rotten of 1595 finds two brothers in England with a sad last name (Bottom) competing to top the best and write the world's first musical.

As soon as laugh-a-minute Nostredamus (Chuck Dluhy) makes his appearance, it's non-stop hilarity, amplified by the increasingly wild gyrations of eggomaniac Elvis Shakyspeare (Noah Mutterperl) who rattles and roils the stage.  

He bears a charmed life.

Evan Zimmerman is Robin, another favorite actor, who never abandons long frocks to dance with delight and glide across the stage as if hopscotching the clouds,  floating across the sky in new apparel each time.  

Speaking of frocks, costumers Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley, aided by wardrobe coordinator, Robin Worthington, skilfully outfit the cast of 23, most in multiple scenes and most in different dress.

Hair and makeup artist Robin Maline has her hands full, perfecting the looks of Elizabethan characters in exceptional manner.

Lighting designer Ken and Patti Crowley are busy, giving the audience an "aaahhhh" moment when brother Nigel Bottom (Jack Dalrymple) and Portia (Katie Conn) realize in a starstruck milli-second, that the other is their one and only. Lights flicker, hearts flutter and pounding pulses could be heard, or maybe that was just the effect created by sound designer David Correia.

Christopher A. Tomasino leads an orchestra of nine  unseen-but-well-heard-and-received musicians who add tremendous depth and enjoyment to the show.  

These performers are Gwyn Jones, Terry Bradley, John Fargo, Emilie Taylor, Tom Fuller, Francine Krasowska, Mila Weiss, and on alternate nights, Randy Dahlberg, Ruben Vellecoop, Bill Wright and Scott Fridy. 

In real life, brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick spent years talking about this play before they finally got down with John O'Farrell to put it all together and write the book, music and lyrics. 

(Read about their odyssey here.)

"We know what we are, but know not what we may be."

In 2015 Rotten received nominations for nine Tonys, eight Drama Desks, and 11 Outer Critics Circle Awards and I wondered why it only lasted for 708 performances on Broadway, but it's here now, and that's what counts.

Other cast members are Brian Ash, Marcus Barbret, Brittany Bolick, Daniel Boos, Paul Caffrey, Peter Fannon, Odette Gutierrez del Arroyo, Julia Hornok (dance captain), Matt Liptak, J.P. McElyea, Luke Martin, Amanda Mason, Josh Mutterperl, Eddie Perez, Anna Phillips-Brown, Mary Rodrigues, Andrew Sanchez, and Lourdes Turnblom.

The production and technical crew:  Russell M. Wyland, technical director, rigging and co-producer with Rachel Alberts and Robbie Herbst ; Helen Bard-Sobola and Margaret Chapman, properties; Robert S. Barr Jr., sets; Myke, set dressing;  Luana Bossolo, Jim Hutzler, Mary Hutzler, Jeff Nesmeyer, set painting and construction; 

Also, Jennifer Rhorer and Sherry Clarke, stage managers, and Jacquanna David, assistant to the director.

The Kennedy Center might just want to cross the Potomac, take a look and import this cast and crew!

*Alexandria was #8 in readers' choices. 

** At the theatre, ushers give theatregoers a list of 31 musicals referenced in Something Rotten, but there's more.  Which four did it omit?  

***Hamlet has the reference to "something rotten."

What: Something Rotten

When: Now through August 13, 2022, Wednesdays through Saturdays, 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 p.m.

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

Tickets: $29, weekdays; $34, weekends. 

Duration: About two hours plus one 15-minute intermission.

Fowl language: Many "s" words

Masks and vaccine cards or proof of a negative covid test within 48 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

Rush to see 'Afro-Atlantic Histories' before they close Sunday!

Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art, welcomes visitors to Afro-Atlantic Histories, April 5, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

You may thank me later for steering you to this outstanding show, if you have not been or, if like me, you go again.

Honestly, my second visit to the National Gallery of Art: Afro-Atlantic Histories made more of an impression with the size, scope, and contents covering the 17th to 21st centuries and spanning four continents, than my first time there.

More than 130 works are represented in graphic stories of Blacks and their histories from all sides of the Atlantic.  It is  astonishing and one of those exhibitions I wish would never end, but it's soon moving to Los Angeles.

The show has something for all and will open eyes wide, no matter how much education you have or think you have.

George Morland, European Ship Wrecked on the Coast of Africa, known as African Hospitality, 1789, oil on canvas, The Menil Collection, Houston 

Emanoel Araujo, O navio [The Ship], 2007, polychromed wood and carbon steel, Collection Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand, gift of the artist

James Phillips, Description of a slave ship, 1789, woodcut, Rare Books, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library. 

Description of a slave ship is really too small to see here so you must visit the exhibition and see it firsthand. Each of the 600 prisoners aboard the ship, the Brooks, had a 16-inch space for two months, the time it took to sail the Atlantic, bound for the West Indies from Britain, according to the label copy.  Mr. Phillips, a fervent abolitionist, printed more than 8,000 copies of this plan. Britain outlawed slavery in 1807 but it wasn't until 1833 that slavery was abolished in the British colonies.  Read more about it here and figure the size of 16 inches. 

Johann Moritz Rugendas, Slaves in the Cargo Hold of a Slave Ship (detail), c. 1835, lithograph with watercolor, Instituto Ricardo Brennand, Recife, Pernambuci, Brazil

Kerry James Marshall, Voyager (detail), 1992, acrylic and collage on canvas, National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Collection (Gift of the Women’s Committee of the Corcoran Gallery of Art) © Kerry James Marshall

The National Gallery of Art hosted an exhibition of Mr. Marshall's works in 2013 which you may read about here and see him there. 

Nona Faustine, From her body sprang their greatest wealth, 2013, photographic print, artist's collection

The photographer, shown above, wants to make a statement, according to label copy, that it wasn't just in the South where slavery was practiced but on this Wall Street spot, the first place in New York City where slaves were bought and sold for more than 50 years in the 18th century. Like many others who were trafficked, purchased and handed down to heirs, Ms. Faustine pictures herself nude as a reminder of life for the enslaved.

John Philip Simpson, The Captive Slave, 1827, oil on canvas, The Art Institute of Chicago, purchased with funds provided by Mary Winton Green, Dan and Sara Green Cohan, Howard and Lisa Green and Jonathan and Brenda Green, in memory of David Green

Samuel Raven, Celebrating the Emancipation of Slaves in British Dominions, August, 1834, oil on canvas, The Menil Collection, Houston

Ernest Crichlow, Harriet Tubman, 1953, oil on masonite, courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York

Wikipedia says Ms. Tubman (1822–1913) was an American abolitionist and social activist who was born into slavery. After she escaped slavery twice in 1849, Tubman made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the "Underground Railroad." 

During the Civil War, she was a cook, a nurse, an armed scout and spy for the Union Army and was the first woman to lead an armed expedition in the war. 

In her later years, Tubman was an activist in the movement for women's suffrage. She met John Brown in 1858 and helped him plan and recruit supporters for his 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry. 

Last year President Joe Biden resumed the effort to have Ms. Tubman’s likeness placed on the $20 bill to replace that of President Andrew Jackson, action the Trump administration had blocked.

John Adam Houston, The Fugitive Slave (detail), 1853, oil on canvas, The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, SC. One of my favorites in the exhibition. 

This is only a portion of the painting and does not show the star directly above the escaped slave, similar to the Star of Bethlehem on the night the Three Wise Men visited the Baby Jesus.  Mr. Houston lived from 1812-1884 primarily in Edinburgh and London and likely never visited the U.S. but the Johnson Collection says he may have been inspired "by the poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1842, The Slave in the Dismal Swamp, and by Harriet Beecher Stowe’s 1852 novel, Uncle Tom’s Cabin."  You can see the star at the John Adam Houston link above or at the exhibition.  Look at these colors!

Lois Mailou Jones, The Green Door (detail), 1981, watercolor over graphite, National Gallery of Art, Corcoran Collection Museum Purchase, William A. Clark Fund

William Walker, Noon Day Pause in the Cotton Field, c.1885 oil on canvas, The Johnson Collection, Spartanburg, SC

Archibald John Motley Jr., Nightlife (detail), 1943, oil on canvas, The Art Institute of Chicago, purchased with funds provided by Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Field, Jack and Sandra Guthman, Ben W. Heineman, Ruth Horwich, Lewis and Susan Manilow, Beatrice C. Mayer, Charles A. Meyer, John D. Nichols,  and Mr. and Mrs. E.B. Smith Jr.; James W. Alsdorf Memorial Fund; Goodman Endowment.

I see this and want to get up and dance!  They are having so much fun!  It makes me happy.  A large painting, full of life and vigor which tell me that life's moments  pass too quickly, and we must seize opportunities to get up and dance and carpe diem!

Eugène Delacroix, Portrait of a Woman in a Blue Turban, c. 1827, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., in honor of Patricia McBride

Osmond Watson, Johnny Cool, 1967, oil on canvas, National Gallery of Jamaica

He's a cool cat, isn't he?  You don't need to look at the title of this work to know he's one cool dude, or almost that with that slouched position and arm swung over the chair, but, wait!  After a closer look, his eyes seem to lose their confidence and his posture undermines his original cockiness. Even on canvas, the painting changes.  Now, how does this artist do this?  That's one cool artist!

Daniel Lind-Ramos, Figura de Poder (Power Figure), 2016-2018, mirrors, concrete blocks, cement bag, sledgehammer, construction stones bag, paint bucket, wood panels, palm tree trunk, burlap, leather, ropes, sequin, awning, plastic ropes, fabric, trumpet, pins, duct tape, maracas, sneaker, tambourine, working gloves, basketballs, boxing gloves, acrylic overall, National Gallery of Art, New Century Fund

What's there to say except it's big and full of meaning which is...?

Alma Thomas, March on Washington (detail), 1964, acrylic on canvas, courtesy of Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, LLC, New York.

The painting above was recently on view at Washington's Phillips Collection which hosted an exhibition of Ms. Thomas's works, Everything is Beautiful. The artist (1892-1978) became a lifelong resident of Washington after moving here with her family from Columbus, Georgia where her father thought the environment was not the best for his family. 

This painting was an outlier in Ms. Thomas's portfolio since she usually drew abstracts of non-political suasion, but for the March on Washington, Ms. Thomas put brush to canvas to capture a moment when Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, galvanizing his supporters and the artist, too.

A morning in spring at the National Gallery of Art/Photo by Patricia Leslie, April 5, 2022

Afro-Atlantic Histories is adopted from a much larger show from 2018 (on which the catalog is based) presented at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo and the Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo. The latter was the 2014 site of the origin of the 2018 show in a presentation called Histories of Slavery.


A Brazilian team curated Afro-Atlantic Histories, which is fitting, the essayists note in the catalog, given that Brazil, for more than 300 years, received about 40 percent of Africans forcibly removed from their homes, and today has the second-highest population of Blacks in the world, after Nigeria.


Included above are the portraits, paintings, photographs, sculptures which I found most intriguing, but there are many, many more to whet appetites for learning and see Black history and culture come to life.


The label copy is in Engish and Spanish.


And the catalog! Oh, my! Published by Museu de Arte de São Paulo, it has 400 pages in color of 400 works by 200 artists ($69.95). Not to miss and see and read time and time again.


And don't forget Artle! It's lots of fun!

In conjunction with the exhibition, movies by international filmmakers will be presented at no charge through July 17 in the West Building Lecture Hall. Registration is required at nga.gov/film. Go here for more information.


From Washington, the exhibition moves to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, December 11, 2022–April 30, 2023, and next to the Dallas Museum of Art with dates to be announced.


Afro-Atlantic Histories was organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Museu de Arte de Sāo Paulo in collaboration with the National Gallery of Art.

What: Afro-Atlantic Histories

When: Now through July 17, 2022, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: Main floor of the West Building, National Gallery of Art, Washington

How much: Admission is always free at the National Gallery of Art.

Metro stations for the National Gallery of Art:
Smithsonian, Federal Triangle, Navy Memorial-Archives, or L'Enfant Plaza

For more information: (202) 737-4215

Accessibility information: (202) 842-6905

patricialesli@gmail.com

Reston's got a "Newsie" hit in Tysons!

The cast in Reston Community Players' Newsies, now at Capital One, Tysons/Heather Regan Photography

Some of the shows are already sold out which is easy to understand since I came away awestruck by the enormous talent of local teens starring in Reston Community Players' new musical, Newsies.

It's fun, it's delightful and solid entertainment at the Black Box Theatre at Capital One, Tysons.

Newsies has a huge cast, all who shine and capture us for more than two hours in a story based on the true newsboys' strike against the greedy Joseph Pulitzer when he tried to exact more money from the poor boys way back in 1899.

Led by "Jack Kelly" (Kyler Neville), the "boys" (and girls) dance and prance around the stage all night amidst scaffolding which triples and quadruples in set roles, including an escape from thugs, led by one bad boy, named, what else? "Mr. Snyder" (Anoushka Sharma).

Snyder leads the chase for the evil and conniving Mr. Pulitzer, one of my favorites of the night, exquisitely portrayed by Haydyn Dollery who can command a city, mind you, with his haughty demeanor and steely confidence, girded by a tall black hat and intimidating black suit.

In Pulitzer's first scene, an impish, silent barber, Nunzio (Allie Blanchet) tries to cut the hair of the newspaper publisher while he's seated at his desk and then stands, all the while yapping, yapping, yapping, followed by Blanchet who follows him around from desk to standing and back again, flopping back and forth from one of the publisher's arms to the other in an hilarious scene which also featured an impromptu hair balancing act by "Hannah" (Hadley Smith), who never seemed a trifle amiss that her hair was a muss.

Another of my favorite characters was Ms. Medda Larkin (Caitlyn Quigley) in colorful, flashy garb who makes several appearances "va-va voom!" a friend of the newsboys, and quite willing to hide them in her "venue."

Jane Keifer is "Les," a pesty newsboy who hops around non-stop with funny lines and antics. Elizabeth Cha is a lead dancer with plenty of energy to deliver "paps" 24 hours a day!

What would a show be without romance and sex? Not a good one, and sparks ignite early on between the melancholic Mr. Kelly and an initially mousy woman, "Katherine Plumber" (Gwendolyn Ihdt), who undergoes a blossoming transition when love strikes!

Costumer Lori Crockett and her assistants, Lisa Leary and Jackie Tidball, have delivered a splendid assortment of apparel for the cast, all decked out in period clothing of caps, suspenders, vests, trousers, and ascots (a time or two).

The choreography, duets, quartets and ensemble singing were outstanding, and it doesn't matter that the songs are not familiar; they grow on you.

Like the taped music which seems very present.

The fight scenes (by Ian Claar, choreographer) were almost too realistic, the effects heightened by Richard Bird's sound, causing me to wince more than once at the "blows."

Based on the 1992 Disney film, the show was a bit of a dud when it first screened, but over time,gained cult status on home video and was adapted for the stage 20 years later.

On Broadway, Newsies ran about two years and was nominated for eight Tony Awards in 2012, winning Best Choreography and Best Original Score.

The actors and seven apprentice technicians are part of RCP's new apprentice program from New York, which "includes pre-professional performance and technical opportunities for students ages 13 to 18, providing them with exposure to the process of building a theatrical production from the ground up," according to a RCP press release.

Kate Keifer, RCP’s president and Newsies' hair and makeup designer, expounds:

"The ability for our young performers to work with professional teaching artists from New York City and to perform at a brand new venue like Capital One Hall is a one of a kind experience. We aim to give each participant in our program a 360 degree view of everything that goes into mounting a theatrical production as they gain in depth knowledge in the areas of stage craft, theatrical design and production elements.”

With an upbeat message, Newsies will put some pep in your step to enjoy another day. After all, carpe diem!

The cast includes James Abidin, Bryson Begg, Henry Carter, Kidlat Keen Gant, Mayumi Raine Gant, Jahlil Greene, Ela Howard, Danielle Kessler, Mikayla Kirr, Josh Lewis, Myriah Miller, Sydney Schneider, Wyatt Unrue, Lana Vittor, Alexis West, and Elizabeth Wolfert.

Apprentice production members are William Daly, Caroline Firestone, Jaeden Kunkel, Rae Palma-Rivas, Kyle Ratner, Anna Schoenborn, and Morgan Weis.

RCP’s production of Newsies is directed and choreographed by Alisa Claire and Brian Collier, visiting teaching artists from NYC’s The LMproject.

Other members of the production team: Merissa Driscoll, musical director; Dan Widerski, technical director and set designer, assisted by Anna Mintz; Mary Jo Ford, properties and company manager; Franklin Coleman, lighting; Jack Rollins, stage manager and Dom Monette, assistant.

Newsies' music by Alan Menken; lyrics, Jack Feldman; book by Harvey Fierstein.


What: Newsies

When: 2 p.m, Sundays, July 10 and 17; 7 p.m. July 15 and 16, Friday and Saturday

Where: Black Box Theatre ("The Vault"), Capital One Hall, 7750 Capital One Tower Rd, Tysons, VA 22102

Tickets: $20 each

Masks: Required

Parking: Pay to park at Capital One. Get two hours free with validation at Wegman's (no purchase necessary) inside the center, and $2/hour thereafter.

Reston Community Players receives funding from ArtsFairfax, Virginia Commission for the Arts, and National Endowment for the Arts.

patricialesli@gmail.com

A final week to see Baltimore's guard art

At Guarding the Art, Baltimore Museum of Art

The catalogue* ($22.95) may be sold out, but the show of artworks selected by museum guards is still available through July 10 at the free Baltimore Museum of Art.

Art enthusiasts, young and old, will find this a delightful and fascinating exhibition with its enormous versatility, outstanding color, and just plain intrigue.

AtGuarding the Art, Baltimore Museum of Art

At Guarding the Art, Baltimore Museum of Art

From BMA's vast collection of 95,000 works of traditional and modern paintings, sculptures, and much more, the museum's security guards chose the works they wanted to display in this special exhibition. 

Security members helped produce the whole show, from curating to marketing, research, the catalogue, public programs and more. 

At Guarding the Art, Baltimore Museum of Art

Why was this one included?  The guards explain their choices.

Consider the difficulty of choosing just one, two or three pieces of art to show! A hard task, indeed!  

The museum says all members of the security guard staff were invited to participate and 17 decided to go the the full mile, all whose biographies are included in the catalogue and here. 

The guards have varied occupations:  They are artists, chefs, musicians, philosophers, singers, poets, composers, scholars (including a college art instructor), writers, and much more.  

BMA says the idea grew from discussions by the museum's professional staff and a trustee seeking "ways to fulfill the Museum’s commitment to be more diverse, more inclusive, and more representative of the community it serves."

For time off from their jobs for this endeavor, each guard was compensated by funds from a lead grant from the Pearlstone Family Foundation. 

Guard curators are Traci Archable-Frederick, Jess Bither, Ben Bjork, Ricardo Castro, Melissa Clasing, Bret Click, Alex Dicken, Kellen Johnson, Michael Jones, Rob Kempton, Chris Koo, Alex Lei, Dominic Mallari, Dereck Mangus, Sara Ruark, Joan Smith, and Elise Tensley.

The exhibition has drawn phenomenal press coverage and will, no doubt, serve as inspiration to other museums. BMA:  Leading the Way!   

*Reprints likely

What: Guarding the Art 

When: Wednesday - Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. with Thursday evening hours until 9 p.m., now through July 10, 2022.

Where: Baltimore Museum of Art,  10 Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218

How much:  It's free! 

Getting there: From Washington, D.C., it's an easy, comfortable, and economical one-hour ride on the MARC train. Plenty of departures. Once at the Baltimore Penn Station, take the free Circulator shuttle north up Charles Street, get off at 31st and walk up the short hill. Directions and parking. 

Reservations and masks are not required (but, for the latter: optional and encouraged). 

For more information, call: (443) 573-1700
TDD: (410) 396-4930 and/or visit artbma.org.

patricialesli@gmail.com