Signature Theater’s “Sweeney Todd” – well worth the snowy wait

This past week, Washington D.C. and all the nightly performance art offerings were canceled or rescheduled because of Snowmageddon 2010.  Signature Theater’s February 9th preview of “Sweeney Todd” was no exception.  This Valentine’s weekend served as the opening weekend for the run, and what better way to spend the lover’s holiday than with your sweetie and a couple of Mrs. Lovett’s meat pies?

This was my first time to Signature Theater since moving to the D.C. area this past July.  I also brought along some theater loving friends of mine who also just moved here this weekend.  All of us Signature Theater “newbies”; all of us without a clue as what to expect.  Having experienced Angela Lansbury in the role of Mrs. Lovett, the expectations were needless to say, high.

Staged this season in Signature’s Max theater, the environment was intimate yet with a cool, dark and industrial style.  From the initial screeching chords and flash of light, I was devilishly intrigued. Sherri L Edelen as Mrs. Lovett brought a sinister humor coupled with motherly charm that had me laughing out loud and feeling the pain of her internal struggle.  Pair her acting ability with her extraordinary musicianship, and she easily, in my opinion, stole the show.  Accomplished Shakespearian actor Edward Gero played Sweeney Todd, and although he met a couple high notes on the flat side, he more than made up for it with his fanatical energy and command of the stage.

Other notables included Sam Ludwig as the lost yet innocent boy Tobias Rag, Chris Van Cleave as the sinister Judge Turpin, and Erin Driscoll as the sweet and songbird-like, Johanna.

Overall, the entire ensemble was strong, both in presence and musicality.  They sounded well blended and obviously ate their Wheaties while snowed in this past week, because vocally strenuous Sondheim cluster chords sounded as wonderfully dissonnant as ever.  Think you know this musical?  I can assure you there are some surprises in this one that will have you jumping more than once.

Kudos to director Eric Shaeffer and scenic designer James Kronzer for a brilliant vision and use of space.

Sweeney Todd runs now through April 4, 2010 at Signature Theater.

Classical Music meets 2010 Winter Olympics

Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) recently launched a new interactive online contest springing off of the excitement from the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.  

Participants who register can make their predictions on which classical music stars from the 2009-2010 WPAS season will win various Winter Game events.  The winners of each event are randomly selected, and those participants who had the most correct predictions become eligible to win such prizes as tickets to WPAS concerts, meet and greets with artists like Joshua Bell, spa packages and dinners at area restaurants.

Will Gustavo Dudamel one-up Michael Tilson Thomas in the Men’s Giant Slalom category?  Will Wynton Marsalis take the gold in the Snowboarding competition?  Naturally, these aren’t REAL events.  The agent relations alone would be a nightmare, to say the least.

What this contest DOES do, however, is create further awareness of WPAS as a brand. And, it provides an interactive way for WPAS fans to mix interests; sports and music.  Ideally, it will also build new interest and buzz around the WPAS name.

Full disclosure: I currently work for WPAS as a marketing intern.  You have to admit though, it is a pretty cool idea.

Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium – Mark your calenders!

Save the date for the American University Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium, April 11, 2010.

All essential details and registration information can be found by visiting the event site.

There will be panels covering topics such as cultural policy, arts business models, and career development.   Panelists will be experts  in both academia and the arts management field.  The keynote speaker is Ben Cameron from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. The keynote last year was given by Robert Lynch, CEO of Americans for the Arts.This symposium falls on the Sunday before the 2010 Arts Advocacy Day, and is considered the ‘kick-off.’ This is a GREAT networking event, and a wonderful opportunity for those in the field under 35 to keep updated on best practices and refine their skills in the workplace.

We will be having a networking happy hour on March 4th, location TBA.  REGISTER NOW!  And, STAY TUNED!