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


patricialesli@gmail.com

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.

patricialesli@gmail.com

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

patricialesli@gmail.com

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

Patricialesli@gmail.com 

Music for an exhibition!

  

The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Chamber Players performed at the National Gallery of Art, Oct. 2, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Washington's joys include free concerts at the National Gallery of Art every Sunday afternoon in the West Building. 

In celebration of the exhibition featuring Joanna Hiffernan and James McNeill Whistler which ends Sunday at the National Gallery, the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Chamber Players played a concert last week by composers associated with the artist.

The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Chamber Players performed at the National Gallery of Art, Oct. 2, 2022. Listening are cherubs (center) who play with a swan in a fountain sculpted 1672-1673 by Jean-Baptiste Tuby (1635-1700)/Photo by Patricia Leslie

James Miller on alto flute and Nadia Pessoa on the harp were two members of The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Chamber Players who performed at the National Gallery of Art, Oct. 2, 2022/Photo by Patricia Leslie

Whistler often gave his works musical titles such as symphony, harmonies, arrangement and  nocturnes, and one of the featured pieces at the concert was Trois Nocturnes by Claude Debussy (1862-1918), inspired by Whistler, according to one source.

The Chamber Players also played another Nocturne, this one in B major by Frederic Chopin (1810-1849). 

Not to be ignored given Whistler's affinity for the Japanese and their influences on him, was music from that nation. The chosen composer was Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996) and his romantic Toward the Sea III  which was commissioned by Greenpeace for its "Save the Whales" campaign. 

For Sea, Chamber Players James Miller played alto flute and Nadia Pessoa was harpist.

The best was saved for last and the thrilling and dynamic Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor by Amy Beach (1867-1944) whose second movement brought me to tears.

Ms. Beach gave her first concert at age 16 and was the first female composer to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra, the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She was 29 years old.  

Back in those dark days when wives followed more the dictates of their spouses, she obeyed her husband's requests (they may have been demands) that she cut her annual performances to only one per year which she did, giving the proceeds to charity and focusing on composition. 

With death can come freedom, and in her case, after her husband's demise in 1910, she took off anew, performing in Europe and elsewhere to great critical acclaim.  

Her reputation grows!

Upcoming concerts at the National Gallery include performances by the New York Opera Society (Dec. 4), Connor Chee on piano (Nov. 20), and Ignacio Prego on harpsichord (Oct. 30). 

Go here for a listing of the concerts and register at the tab (required). 

Other members of the Chamber Players include Nicholas Starr and Christopher Schmitt, pianists; Catherine Gerhiser and Annette Barger, violinists; Erica Schwartz, violist; and Benjamin Wensel, cellist. 

What:  Concerts  

When:  Sundays through Dec. 18, 2022

Where:  West Building, West Garden Court, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

How much:  No charge at the National Gallery of Art!

Metro stations:  Smithsonian, Federal Triangle, Navy Memorial-Archives, or L'Enfant Plaza

Parking:  Street parking is free on Sundays.

For more information: (202) 737-4215

Accessibility information: (202) 842-6905

patricialesli@gmail.com

The woman behind Whistler's 'woman in white' exhibition

James McNeill Whistler, Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl, 1861–1863, 1872, National Gallery of Art, Washington, Harris Whittemore Collection.  This work is one of the National Gallery's most famous and popular paintings.

At The Woman in White:  Joanna Hiffernan and James McNeill Whistler, National Gallery of Art/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 29, 2022

For their first group appearance in the U.S., James McNeill Whistler's three "symphonies" of "women in white" are hanging out together in splendid fashion on a wall at the National Gallery of Art.

James McNeill Whistler, Symphony in White, No. 2: The Little White Girl, 1864, Tate, London, Bequeathed by Arthur Studd. Image: © Tate, London 2017.

James McNeill Whistler, Symphony in White, No. 3, 1865–1867, oil on canvas, The Henry Barber Trust, The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, The University of Birmingham, Bridgeman Images.

The women greet you as you enter the chambers to learn more about Joanna Hiffernan (1843-1886*), the gorgeous redhead, the "woman in white" who spawned countless other likenesses and whom James McNeill Whistler (1834-1903) painted time and time again. 

The pair are joined in a romantic tour of 60 paintings, drawings, prints, documents and letters linking the female subject and the artist who were a twosome for more than 20 years. 

James McNeill Whistler, Wapping, 1860-1864, National Gallery of Art, Washington, John Hay Whitney Collection.

Gustave Courbet, Jo, la belle Irlandaise, 1865–1866, oil on canvas, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, H. O. Havemeyer Collection.

The lady played key roles in Whistler's life, and it was to her that Whistler left his estate and gave her power of attorney. And the National Gallery's show has got the papers on display to prove it!

This is the first exhibition "to delve deeply" in their relationship and offer explanations, wrote Kaywin Feldman, director, the National Gallery of Art, in a press statement.

Alas, Hiffernan died 17 years before Whistler, and his estate was left to his sister-in-law.  

At The Woman in White:  Joanna Hiffernan and James McNeill Whistler, National Gallery of Art/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 29, 2022

At the opening of The Woman in White:  Joanna Hiffernan and James McNeill Whistler, National Gallery of Art/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 29, 2022

Behind the enchanting show which reveals some of the mystery of the glamorous woman in white, are the credentials of Dr. Margaret MacDonald, a world renowned Whistler authority who came over from Scotland for the National Gallery's opening and delivered a public lecture.

Dr. MacDonald is professor emerita of art history at the University of Glascow, and I was lucky enough to interview her. She's about as charming as I would imagine Ms. Hiffernan to be.

Dr. Margaret MacDonald, professor emerita of art history, Glasgow University, with Whistler's Wapping, 1860-1864, National Gallery of Art, John Hay Whitney Collection/Photo by Patricia Leslie, June 29, 2022

While we sat on a bench at the National Gallery with the three ladies in white behind us, the professor told me a bit about her Whistler background.

She became interested in the American expatriate when she spotted a job posting for a university research assistant, and she laughed. 

"Many years ago I needed a job and was in Glasgow doing teacher training, actually, and a job came up" duties which included working on Whistler's 7,000 letters. 

"And I thought that sounds interesting.  So I read a book on Whistler and got the job!" and she laughed again.

The job was a one-year contract which lasted 12 years. (Rather like some federal contractor jobs in Washington, D.C. which sometimes extend into the next century.)

"One thing led to another over the years, another good project; some good ideas," and the work is ongoing with "a helluva big collection; it's a wonderful collection" with always things to do.

"We're still finding out more, as you can imagine," Dr. MacDonald said.

In Whistler's paintings, Hiffernan appears as a quiet, acquiescent  partner, with shimmering red hair touched by a golden halo.  

No one knows for sure how they met, according to Dr. MacDonald, but "we guess."  It was 1860.

"She was living with her sister near the British Museum in London" where there were many shops selling artists' materials. 

"Some models lived near there so it depends whether he was looking for a model. She could have been in a shop when he was there, buying paints.  We don't exactly know."

But Ms. Hiffernan was a model who was not confined to Whistler. She also modeled for Gustave Courbet (1819-1877) some of whose works of her are in the exhibition.  

In the 19th century, models were often associated with prostitutes, but she was not a prostitute, Dr. MacDonald is sure.

"She may have looked like one. Because she was a model, she was not considered as respectable." 

"Hiffernan died young [of bronchitis]. Everything changed when she died." 

Whistler later married the artist Beatrice Godwin whose family may become a future exhibition by some of Dr. MacDonald's colleagues. 

Not too long ago, Hiffernan's great-great-grand-niece contacted Dr. MacDonald who showed me a picture of the niece who bore a remarkable resemblance to her great-great-grand-aunt Joanna.

Dr. MacDonald said it was about 2014 whe she "probably began talking to Charlie" [Brock, associate curator, department of American and British paintings, National Gallery of Art] about the current show, and "he says about six years ago we seriously began [work] and began to make a list."

The famous Symphony in White, No 1: The White Girl, 1861-1863, 1872, the centerpiece of the exhibition, portrays Hiffernan standing on a bear skin on a Japanese rug. 

What is the meaning of the bear? 

"At the time," Dr. MacDonald said, "nobody mentioned the bear."

Why did Whistler paint Hiffernan in white?

It "showed off her red hair.  Very appealing and white is purity."

Dr. MacDonald pointed out that in Hiffernan is holding an orange blossom, which symbolized marriage, but Ms. Hiffernan never married.

Why is she wearing a wedding ring?

 

"She looks respectable. Or, maybe she wore it for a while.  There might have been objections from both families." It is not known if they wanted to get  married. 

 If Joanna was going to be at dinner, Whistler's brother-in-law would refuse to come. 

No one knows where Hiffernan is buried although many have searched, Dr. MacDonald said. 

A recognized world authority on Whistler, Dr. MacDonald is the author of several Whistler books and articles, including the stunning book for this exhibition with 232 pages of the couple's story, history, controversies, and plates, many in color ($50 in the museum shops).  

At Encyclopedia. com, Dr. MacDonald's web listing has drawn almost four million views.

I think the Hiffernan-Whistler (Courbet?) affair would make a marvelous movie, along the lines of The Girl With A Pearl Earring (Vermeer).  

Dr. MacDonald: Do you write screenplays, too?

*For a Wikipedia mistake about Hiffernan's death date, Dr. MacDonald wrote me:  "The book/catalogue spells this out. Her death certificate is beyond doubt and gives bronchitis and 1886, and it’s registered by her sister Agnes. And it would have been Agnes Hiffernan (by then Mrs Singleton) who accompanied Whistler’s son to his funeral in 1903 and was mistakenly identified as her sister Joanna, leading to the 1903 misinformation."

Ann Dumas of the Royal Academy of Arts, London, and Dr. Brock were co-curators.

The National Gallery will host free Whistler-Hiffernan talks and a concert inspired by Woman in White on the following:

Saturday, Sept. 17 at 12:00 p.m. with Eric Denker

and

Friday, Sept. 23 at 1:00 p.m. with David Gariff

Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, 3 - 4:20 p.m. The  U.S. Army Band Chamber Players will play compositions by Chopin, Debussy, Takemitsu, and Beach. (Required registration for the concert begins Sept. 23, 2022 at 12 p.m.) 

Thank you to the Terra Foundation for American Art for helping make the exhibition and the book possible. 

What:  The Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan and James McNeill Whistler

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

Where: East Building Mezzanine, 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

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