Sandy Hook remembered at NRA headquarters

At National Rifle Association headquarters today in Fairfax, VA, protesters gathered on this sad day of the 10th anniversary of the murders of 20 school children and six educators at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. Activists direct attention to the lack of gun control in the United States, fostered by the NRA and compliant legislators. Those who want to help reduce violence in schools may contact Sandy Hook Promise/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie
 

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Aalayah Eastman, a survivor of the 2018 Marjorie Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland, Florida addresses the crowd at NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Fairfax County Public School Board member Karl Frisch from Providence District holds a sign "Graduations NOT Funerals" at NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA where he was a speaker/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member James R. Walkinshaw (center, green scarf) from Braddock District addressed the crowd at NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA, calling the NRA, "morally bankrupt"/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Was it coincidence that VDOT's construction crew came during the hour of short speeches at the anti-gun violence rally at NRA headquarters in Fairfax, VA to unload a heavy piece of equipment at the speakers' tent and compete with speakers, attempting to drown them out? Had the NRA sought help from the state agency?  

As one speaker said:  "Nothing will keep us quiet!" Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

It was odd, or maybe it wasn't, that VDOT unloaded a heavy piece of equipment at NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA at the speakers' tent to compete with speakers/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

On the 14 of every month at NRA headquarters in Fairfax, VA,  protesters gather to remember the slaughter of the 26 innocents at Sandy Hook Elementary School. One "regular" said today's crowd on Dec. 14, 2022, was about double the usual number who come. Protesters lined both sides of the street/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The names and ages of the innocents killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT on Dec. 14, 2012. On the hearse are two signs: "10 years" and "Are We Safer?" At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA/Photo by Patricia Leslie

About half the drivers which passed the scene at NRA headquarters Dec. 14, 2022, Fairfax, VA, did, indeed, honk/Photo by Patricia Leslie

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Renaissance prints at the National Gallery of Art

Daniel Hopfer, Hieronymus Hopfer, Emperor Charles V, 1520 (1521?), etching (iron) with open biting and unique contemporary hand-coloring in green, red, yellow, pink and brown, Purchased as the Gift of Ladislaus and Beatrix von Hoffmann, National Gallery of Art. Charles excommunicated Martin Luther (below) for his radical teachings. 

Albrecht Dürer, Saint Jerome Penitent in the Wilderness, c. 1496, engraving on laid paper, Joan and David Maxwell Fund, Pepita Milmore Memorial Fund and The Ahmanson Foundation, National Gallery of Art

If you missed the exhibition of Renaissance prints at the National Gallery of Art, here's a look at a few of them which held the most fascination for me.

The show celebrated NGA's recent acquisition of works by printmakers from Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands who drew religious and allegorical scenes, Martin Luther, Emperors Maximilian I and Charles V, and more.

I love allegory and its hidden messages which we don't see enough today.

This fellow who looks like he's wearing a chef's cap is Martin Luther, 1523, who, in the drawing, wears a monk's cowl and a theology professor's cap. The artist has framed his head with a halo. The Latin translates: Luther's figure will decay, his Christian spirit will never die. The label copy says the artist was Daniel Hopfer after Lucas Cranach the Elder, From the 

Ruth and Jacob Kainen Memorial Acquisition Fund, National Gallery of Art

 
Lucas van Doetechum, Johannes van Doetechum the Elder, Hans Vredeman de Vries, Hieronymus Cock, Perspective View of a Street, 1560, etching with engraving on laid paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, National Gallery of Art. Since the four artists identified with Perspective are all Netherlandish, one suspects the street is Netherlandish, too, although its location is not listed. 

Jan Sadeler I, Joos van Winghe, A Pleasure House, 1588, engraving on laid paper, Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund, National Gallery of Art.

Debauchery galore! See the woman on the right accepting money while she looks the other way at the man who's involved with another woman while simultaneously attempting to lure the first woman.  Harvey Weinstein in the 16th century!  Even the statue in the center contributes to the melee.  It's always the woman's fault.  The Latin inscription at the bottom reads: Wine and women will cause the wise to apostatize and he who joins in formication will be unrighteousness. My words! The devil enters at left to lead them to Hell's hinterland.  You better watch out; you better not cry.

Detail of A Pleasure House

Detail of A Pleasure House

Philip Galle after Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, c. 1560-1563, Rosenwald Collection, National Gallery of Art. The label copy said we'd better prepare for Judgment Day. On the left five virgins ignore the enticements of the musician above to work on their handicraft and keep their lamps lit while awaiting the groom (Jesus Christ). The women on the right are sinful creatures who've given up their lamps to enjoy the bagpiper's music and dance. The Latin inscription at the bottom reads something like: We extinguish our lamps with your oil and it is not enough for us and you which means...? Keep the lamps lit (?)! Fascinating, whatever the meaning and intention. Something for the preachers to talk about on Sunday.

Hans Lützelburger, Master NH, Battle of Naked Men and Peasants, 1522, woodcut on laid paper, Ruth and Jacob Kainen Memorial Acquisition Fund, National Gallery of Art.  Lützelburger had been a blockcutter in Augsburg on several projects for Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and after the emperor died in 1519, Lützelburger made this sheet as an advertisement of his abilities as an artist of the human form. Note the amputated limbs at the bottom. While fierce battle ensues, see the calm discussion on the right. 

Detail of Battle of Naked Men and Peasants

The drawings depict national military prowess and moral messages, demonstrating popular themes and the leaders Northern European Renaissance artists of the 15th and 16th century drew for growing audiences.

The prints were relatively inexpensive and easy to transport for more to see and to buy.

In Pleasure House, alcohol loosens societal and personal constraints to allow excuses for the search for carnal pleasures! It's interesting to delve into them and find what you may.

The NGA's Brooks Rich, associate curator of old master prints, curated.

More examples of the works may be found at the link above. For personal viewing, you may enter titles and/or the artist's name at NGA's website to find their current locations at the Gallery.


What was: The Renaissance in the North: New Prints and Perspectives


When: The National Gallery hours are 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. daily.

Where: National Gallery of Art, 6th and Constitution, 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 

Olney's 'Beauty,' a delightful holiday gift!

From left, Bobby Smith as Lumiere and Jade Jones as Belle in Olney Theatre  Center's Disney's Beauty and the Beast/Teresa Castracane Photography 

If there are one or two words to capture the essence of Olney Theatre Center's Disney's Beauty and the Beast, I would choose "adorable" and "charming."

Not a theatre lover? You will be.

Folks, it's Broadway comes to Olney in the revival of Beauty and the Beast which was cut short last year by a Covid variant, of course.

From the start, the show dazzles with action, verve, and terrific choreography (by Broadway star Josh Walden) which never stops.

My fav (per usual whenever he's on stage) is the hilarious Bobby Smith as Lumiere whose light fantastic on national and New York stages becomes obvious in short order.

How did he hold up those lights, candles, lamps whatever they were for so long? An arm support, maybe?

The show has lots of comedy, including Lumiere's slapstick partner, a (cuckoo) clock named Cogsworth (Dylan Arrendondo). The two are a natural duo of fast conversations, dancing and jumping around opposite each other to often steal a scene.

From left, Kelli Blackwell as Mrs. Potts, Jade Jones as Belle, and Tracy Lynn Olivera as Madame de la Grande Bouche in Olney Theatre Center's Disney's Beauty and the Beast/Teresa Castracane Photography

Another amazing "hold" is found in the right arm of Mrs. Potts (Kelli Blackwell), frozen as it were in the shape of a teapot (that's what she is) whenever she's on stage, tottering from side to side.

From left, Jade Jones as Belle, Evan Ruggiero as the Beast, Bobby Smith as Lumiere, and Dylan Arrendondo as Cogsworth in Olney Theatre Center's Disney's Beauty and the Beast/Teresa Castracane Photography

Speaking of perpetual physical demands, I found myself silently applauding the skillful maneuvering by the "Beast" (Evan Ruggerio) who kept his peg leg well hidden behind his knee and the long coats he wore. Little did I know what truth lay under the garments! More than meets the eye! A surprising feat!

Ruggerio was mysterious and stooped in all the moments that demanded a hunchback until...

It wasn't only the "beast" whose looks are deceiving but the beauty's, too, acted by Helen Hayes' two-time nominee Jade Jones as Belle, the centerpiece of the story with a vibrant, stellar voice to undercut any doubts for those who judge by appearances only.

She has lots of competition when it comes to stars in the show.

Where to begin? 

The dimmer ones almost outshine the brightest ones!

Like another of my other favorites, Tracy Lynn Olivera who is Madame de la Grande Bouche (French for "madam of the big mouth"). This multi-Helen Hayes winner has a sharp delivery and effervescent humor in addition to an excellent voice whose high notes never faltered and always peaked with ease.

Michael Burrell is Gaston whose sidekick, LeFeu (French for "the fool") make an energetic team trying to win the girl. (John Sygar is LeFeu whose acrobatics with Mr. Burrell made me envious of their abilities to leap, sprawl, rock and roll.)

The ensemble couldn't have been better! From dancing to vocals, they enlivened every scene with their performances and costumes (by Ivania Stack whose stunning, luxurious gown for Belle drew gasps when Belle first appeared in it on stage, sometimes with sharp utensils which could bend at every angle (? You have to be there.).

Wig designer Ali Pohanka had her head full of creations for the many 18th-century wigs which never fell or slid from the tops of any actor. 

How did they keep them attached amidst all the gyrations?

Helen Hayes winner Walter “Bobby“ McCoy leads the hidden nine-piece orchestra, the live music which is critical to increased enjoyment of the production even while sometimes competing with voices onstage.

If you've never seen the show, it's about a missing father (Sasha Olinick is Maurice) whose daughter, Belle, goes in search for him and stumbles upon a mysterious and cobwebbed mansion filled with all things ghastly. (Applause to Narelle Sissons for her magnificent sets.)

The story may be a bit predictable, but it's marvelous entertainment and sure to enchant all who come (save the very youngest).

Alert: Do not judge a book by its cover. There's more than meets the eye. Especially if horns are attached. 

Others in the show are Hailey Ibberson, Connor James Reilly, Michael Wood and ensemble members,

Jessica Bennett, Ariana Caldwell, Selena Clyne-Galindo, Miya Hamashige, Erica Leigh Hansen, Ariel Messeca, David Singleton, Megan Tatum, and Tyler M. White.

Tony-nominated Marcia Milgrom Dodge directs.

Other creative members are Colin K. Bills, lighting; Matt Rose, sound; John Keith Hall, production stage manager; Phillip Snider, Cat Moreschi and Conri Connell, assistant stage managers; and Robb Hunter, fight choreographer who achieves immense success with the various physical conflicts.

What: Disney's Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Linda Woolverton


When: Through Jan. 1, 2023, Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. except Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve; matinees at 2 p.m. Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesday, Nov. 30, Dec. 21 and Dec. 28.

A sign-interpreted performance Thursday, Dec. 1st at 8:00p.m. (Email wbrown@olneytheatre.org.)

Draw Yourself Into the Story! For children, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2022, 11 a.m. Olney provides the paper, colored pencils, and lots more! $5 each or free for members.

Where: Olney Theatre Center, 2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, MD 20832.

Tickets: Start at $42-$99 available at olneytheatre.org and 301-924-3400.

Ages: For all, except toddlers

Language: G

Masks: Required at Wednesday and Sunday performances; recommended at other performances.

Parking: Free, lighted and plentiful on-site

For more information: 301-924-3400 for the box office, Wed. - Sat., 12 - 6 p.m. or 301-924-4485


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The best audio book ever! 'Be My Baby'

I have listened to many audiobooks but none as great as Be My Baby: A Memoir by Ronnie Spector, the lead singer of the Ronettes who released the song, "Be My Baby" in 1963.

The record shot to the top of the charts and upended the lives of the Ronettes, some for good, some for not-so-good, but worth it!

The trio gained instant, unending fame.

For all the music fans who remember the song or hear it on the radio, this is a "must listen" book.

It’s delightful, heartbreaking, and one I never wanted to end.

I couldn't wait to jump back in my car and turn it back on again.

Earlier, I had tried reading the book but it failed to "grab me" after a few pages, and I put it down.

But the audio is different. It's the opposite!

Most audio books are not read by the author and many voices just don't fit. I shut them off early and return the copy to the library.

But Rosie Perez is something special. She is perfect on this score, the New York voice on the audio who delivers the memoir in a personable, first-person account of Ronnie's life with all its ups and downs and harsh realities, including her six mostly agonizing years as the wife of Phil Spector, music producer extraordinaire. (If you thought he was weird, you ain’t heard nuthin’ yet!)

Ronnie describes the prison-like conditions she endured as his wife which took her mother to rescue her (again).

In the book (co-written with Vince Waldron), John Lennon, Keith Richards (who wrote a forward to the 2022 edition) and several more "big" stars make more than cameo appearances, and it's reassuring to find out they are/were "normal," more or less, like you and me (although with a bit more in their wallets!).

Of course, Phil Spector was not "normal" in the "normal" sense (geniuses seldom are), but extremely possessive and controlling of Ronnie, such that (for  one example), he refused to let her accept the Beatles' invitation to tour with them and fly on their plane, but, wait...Spector permitted himself to fly on their plane.

In 2021 he died of Covid in a hospital where he was taken from prison, serving 19 years for the murder of actress Lana Clarkson at his mansion.

Ronnie Spector died last January of cancer right after she had updated her 1990 best-seller Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness. In a 2021 postscript she talks about the impacts of Covid, and according to her publisher, she was getting ready for a book tour.

At YouTube two years ago, the video of Ronnie Spector and the Ronettes had recorded 19 million views.

After her death, Cyndi Lauper posted a comment: "We love you Ronnie!"

We miss you, Ronnie!

Excellent 'doubts' are sown in Vienna

 

From left, Gayle Nichols-Grimes as Sister Aloysius and Danielle Comer as Sister James in Vienna Theatre Company's Doubt: A Parable/Photo by Matthew Randall

From left, Danielle Comer as Sister James, Jacquel R. Tomlin as Mrs. Muller, Bruce Alan Rauscher as Father Flynn and  Gayle Nichols-Grimes as Sister Aloysius in Vienna Theatre Company's Doubt: A Parable/Photo by Matthew Randall

This is about a nasty nun on a tirade to get rid of a priest, all because of her suspicions.

With prescient timing, the Vienna Theatre Company presents Doubt: A Parable about the spoils of innuendo and rumor.  It doesn't take much to apply the message to the inhospitable environment in today's world.

One must ask: What role does doubt play in today's society?

"They look smug like they have a secret," says a nun, castigating even poor old Frosty the Snowman who can't escape the malicious net. 

From the beginning, Father Flynn (Bruce Alan Rauscher) delivers a convincing message from the pulpit, an introduction to serious matter.  

With her strong performance and from her first appearance on the stage, Gayle Nichols-Grimes as Sister Aloysius is immediately able to stir audience wrath.  We can only guess at her background and insecurities to want to take down a priest and create more madness in her world. 

Enter Sister Aloysius's weak sister, Sister James (Danielle Comer) who offers her doubts about actions of the father towards a student, the only black pupil at the parochial school where Sister Aloysius is principal. 

And here comes the student's mother,  Mrs. Muller (Jacquel R. Tomlin), another weakling, at least, at first.

Momentum builds as the story advances; battle lines are drawn. The roles call for each actor to gain force and they succeed, amidst powerful silences which increase the tension.

Who would you suppose is the victor at the end?  It's left to the audience to ponder its own doubts and insecurities.

More than once during the performance I was reminded of the Salem Witch Trials and suspicion in the late 17th century which killed 19 persons.

That a large attendance surrendered a beautiful Sunday afternoon for a darkened hall of serious theatre in Vienna was surprising and worth it.

Applause to Tom Epps (co-producer with Laura Fargotstein) and his lighting, always right on target to the second.

Beverley Benda's costumes are appropriate, mostly all in black (surprise!) save Mrs. Muller's lovely hat and lavender outfit which contrast like springtime flowers on this stage of unhappy people.

The nuns' caps brought to mind the Salem Witch Trials' costumery which may match contemporary Catholic costumery for the little I know.

Director Joanna Henry has the performers use their hands to wring, wither, grasp and point to emphasize their words, and they work!

Steve Ross and Helen Bard-Sobola have designed Sister Aloysius's office in harsh design and properties, a stark reminder of her unforgiving character. Her domicile counterbalances the pleasant garden which lies nearby and serves as a place of reflection.

The experience of live performance becomes more enjoyable with Alan Wray's sounds of an approaching storm, bells, and children laughing, in hallways, and in the gymnasium.

I look forward to a reversal of the play when the priest is the antagonist and the nun, the moral superior. Is it always the woman's fault? Beginning with the Garden of Evel (sic), the scripts are written that way. By men.

Other production staff members: Anna-Kathleen Camper, Lauren Markovich, Nick Friedlander, and Heather Plank, stage managers; hair and make-up, Kendel Taylor.

Doubt: A Parable is a 2004 play by John Patrick Shanley which won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.  It won all five Drama Desk awards for which it was nominated. The play was adapted as a movie in 2008 and starred Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman. It was nominated for several Academy Awards.

According to the program: "The Vienna Theatre Company has been inspired by recent events to intensify our efforts to be a vibrant diverse company dedicated to fine entertainment."

Special free Post-Show Talk Back this Saturday following the Nov. 5 show!  9:30 - 10:15 p.m. with the director and actors.

Language: All "G" at the church!

Audience: For mature children and adults

What: Doubt: A Parable

When: Friday and Saturday nights, at 8 p.m., Nov. 4 and 5, 2022; Sunday matinee, 2 p.m., Nov. 6, 2022,

Where: Vienna Theatre Company, Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry St., SE, Vienna, VA 22180

Tickets: Online at Vienna, VA – WebTrac Ticket Search (myvscloud.com) or in person at the Vienna Community Center during open hours or before each performance, if available. $15.

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Alexandria stages a 'murder' or two

From left: Erin Gallalee is Martha, James Lorenzin is David, and Kathy Ohlhaber is Celia in Design for Murder at Little Theatre of Alexandria/Brian Knapp Photography 

Go ahead!  Pick out the killer. If you get it right, set up your own detective agency.

As for me:  I was a bit off-key.

At the Little Theatre of Alexandria, there are so many murders and so little time, it's an unusual production, Design for Murder, from the happy-go-lucky shows LTA usually throws, but well worth your time and money.

We need some edge every so often, right?  This one will keep you guessing. 

Who dunnit?  (Or, them?) Let’s play "Clue" in this play by George Batson (c. 1916-1971).

Wait a minute!  Isn't David (James Lorenzin) engaged to someone else besides Kathy (Elizabeth Loyal)?  They're in Design for Murder at Little Theatre of Alexandria/Brian Knapp Photography

The show has fantastic costumes as always (by Judy Whelihan), and an elegant, sophisticated set (by Julie Fischer), the home of a wealthy Hudson River Valley family who have paintings on the walls to match their residence. (Shelby Baker, property designer.)

The rich are different from you and me and they were different back in the 1930s of this Design when manners mattered.  Besides, it's always fun to peer in and grasp a bit of the haute affluent.

The stars are Celia Granger (Kathy Ohlhaber) and her son, David (James Lorenzin), their mansion suddenly swamped with murders in the first degree, following David's engagement party.

He does love his fiancée, doesn't he? Then, what's he doing making moves on the housemaid? 

And another housemaid?  This is love?  Ahem.

Lorenzin's performance strengthens from scene to scene as he gains more self confidence in dialogue with his overbearing mother whose superb acting commands the spotlight.

Two older ladies, Martha (Erin Gallalee) and family friend Louisa (Janice Zucker) both always dressed to the nines, provide infrequent and much desired comic relief to match those of Mrs. Hamilton (Patricia Spencer Smith), the family cook, of nearly the same age who teeters, totters, and bends with the best of them in short step shuffles.  

The arrogant chauffeur, Moreno (Denny Martinez-Barrera) seems to have a hold on most of them and you wonder what his story is. Where did he get that attitude? For a chauffeur?

Blackmail, anyone?  Too obvious, right?

I couldn't help but wonder if it were his character or Director Jessie Roberts just letting him go and show off his sauntering self.  Whatever, Moreno is a saucy servant, a mystery, and a likely perpetrator, but what are the goods?

Jon Roberts is the sound man and projectionist, busy during the show with vehicles hitting the gravel driveway. (A gravel driveway for a mansion?  It happens.) 

All the characters are suspect, and all the world's a stage! 

Go for it.

Also in the cast: Elizabeth Loyal,  Brendan Chaney, Pete Leggett, and Frank Cooper

Other crew members:  Hilary Adams, assistant producer; Kirstin Apker and Deborah Remmers, set decoration;  Brittany Huffman, stage manager; Jim Hutzler and Jeff Nesmeyer, master carpenters;  Stefan Sittig, fight choreography.

And, Cleo Potter and Jay Stein, lighting and (Stein) master electrician; Lanae Sterrett, hair and makeup; Carol Strachan, producer; Robin Worthington, wardrobe; Russell M. Wyland, rigging; Dierdre (De) Nicholson-Lamb, set painting.  

When: Now through Nov. 5, 2022, Wednesday - Saturday nights, 8 p.m.; Sunday, 3 p.m.

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

Tickets:  $21, weekdays; $24, weekends

Covid policy:  LTA has returned to full seating and no proof of vaccinations are necessary, however, masks are required in the theatre.  No exceptions. 

Language:  All "G" rated.

Duration:  Two hours with one 15 minute intermission

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:  Call the Box office, ph. 703-683-0496, the main office, 703-683-5778, or email:boxoffice@thelittletheatre.com

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Extended! Immersive Van Gogh is impressive Van Gogh!

It is a starry night at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

One of the artist's self-portraits at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A huge bust of the artist at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A huge bust of the artist at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. Note changes from above as colors deepen/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A huge bust of the artist at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience covered in a likeness from one of his paintings/Photo by Patricia Leslie

I went, expecting far less and came away exceptionally surprised at the all-encompassing show where visitors seemingly float through without worries or stress. 

It's a family affair, 360 degrees of digital art and quite the introduction to classical art for the youngsters and for adults, too, who may not know as much about the artist as they thought.

Like me, for instance.  Several Van Gogh paintings on display were new to me!

Guests admire one of his vases at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. He reportedly painted 11 vases in all/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Another vase at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

In the galleries at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

The darkened atmosphere is relaxing. Gallery going is at your own pace. No worries about elbow bumping! 

Let's just celebrate art and have a good time, shall we?

From the first revelation at the entrance of a gigantic bust of the artist (1837-1890) (correction: which is half the size of the JFK bust at the Kennedy Center) until you exit at the shop, you are ensconced in all things Van Gogh.

His bust is covered in images of his paintings which evolve into other images while you stand in awe.

Guests may sit in the artist's Bedroom at Arles at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Immersion at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Immersion at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Immersion at the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

At the Van Gogh Immersive Experience/Photo by Patricia Leslie

A nearby timeline on the wall tells major events of the artist's life and then it's off to the first room where copies of his works (most in the same size) hang on both sides of the hall with a three-dimensional "room" off to the side.

On an adjacent wall, copies of his sunflowers hang and allow close inspection of differences.

A large vase spins with constant color changes and renditions of the blossoms which fuse one into another. 

Flowers spring up while visitors proceed to the next gallery and more images, and there is Van Gogh's bedroom at Arles which beckons guests to come in and sit for a while.

Make a picture or two.

Sight sensations and music fill senses in a pleasurable way while surround sound echoes with Van Gogh's spoken quotations:

What would life be like if we had no courage to attempt anything? 

and

If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.

The last gallery is the "immersion" room with his works illustrated on all sides in double, triple life sizes, constantly melding into another image. 

It's like being in a Van Gogh aquarium (!), beginning with the carpeting on the floor and extending to the high ceiling spanning 20,000 square feet with comfortable beach chairs, benches, bean bags, and pillows for guests to use and move about for a better spot to think, dream, meditate, and give thanks for an artist like Van Gogh.  

At the end, for $5 more, visitors may put on virtual reality headsets and attend a computer art show of Van Gogh places.

The VR hall opens to a large shop of Van Gogh merchandise at mostly reasonable prices.  Try umbrellas, earrings ($10), brooches, t-shirts (the skeleton head will be great for Halloween), posters ($14), and lots more.

What's missing here is the present location of each original work, but we are lucky in Washington, D.C. to be able to see some of them at the Phillips Collection  and still more for free at the National Gallery of Art!

Van Gogh is not dead; he lives! At the Van Gogh Immersive Experience. Come and see!

When:  Now through Thanksgiving weekend  Feb. 26, 2023. Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m; Saturday, 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays.

Where:  The Rhode Island Center - 524 Rhode Island Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002

Tickets:  A family pass for two adults and two children is $31.90. Separately, children under age 4 are admitted free and older children are $29.90; adults, $49.90; seniors, students and military, $37.90; groups of 15 or more, $44.90 each. ccc 

Masks are encouraged, however, not required.

Metro station:  Rhode Island-Brookland Station.  Take the ramp/pedestrian bridge directly from the Metro exit over Rhode Island Avenue  to land just steps from the show. (Ignore Google's directions which take you waaay off yonder and around several blocks.) 

Park for two hours free at the Bryant Street West lot, 514 Rhode Island Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. ccc.  Ph. 844-236-2011. 

Timing: Allow 60-75 minutes.

Let us go then, you and I

To see his works spread against the sky

Like the paintings on the walls

We'll enjoy van Gogh and all.

Oh, do not ask, "What is it?"

Let us go and make our visit.

Where the people come and go

To see the art of Vincent van Gogh*

 

*With apologies to T.S. Eliot

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