The Last of the Red Hot Lovers is a play in three acts by Neil Simon. It is the story of one man’s attempt to try and have a fling with three different women. Each one comes with her own set of baggage and Barney finally comes to realize that he is a decent guy who loves his wife.

This was your typical Neil Simon comedy, featuring lots of barb and witty banter with a touch of physical comedy thrown in for good measure. Once again this was a situation that involved comedic timing that was not always present in the opening performance at The Candy Factory in Manassas. Perhaps it was just opening night jitters, but the pacing just seemed too slow. Barney Cushman played by Daniel Purcell, the restaurant owner who married his high school sweetheart twenty plus years ago seemed hesitant. Not a scripted hesitant, but more like Purcell was still thinking and trying to remember his lines. His best scene was in the second act with Bobbi Michelle, a wanna be actress who had really bad luck, played by Hannah Marie Malinowski. Malinowski had some line problems as well, but was actually pretty funny. Her “true stories” she told with such drama that they left Barney and the audience speechless. Except for the audience’s laughter which was huge. The ending scene in the second act actually was really well done when Barney and Bobbi got high. Then their characters really relaxed.

The first woman Barney met upstairs, Elaine Navazio, was a cold hard live-in-the-moment woman played by Christine Lowry. Lowry entered the apartment of Barney’s mother and immediately took control. Of course poor Barney had no idea how to handle this. Some of the blocking seemed a bit forced and stunted. However, Lowry did a fair job of trying to get down to business by talking faster all the while showing disdain for “such a prude” as Barney came across. Their physical comedy on the sofa was surprising and humorous.

The last woman Barney took upstairs was a family friend, Jeanette Fisher played by Penny McKee. It was obvious that McKee was not into having an affair, just wanted to vent a little bit and have a good cry. This was the moment when Barney realized that he did care for his wife. McKee had played her part well. She had the nervous gestures and timid movements that showed she was new at this. The pacing was still slow, but this was the sweetest scene of all three.

One of the most interesting things about this show was the use of the costumes. Costumes were by Val Nelson and were really true to 1970s. The bright colors, lace and frills made the contrast to Barney’s blue traditional suits all the more stand out. Even the last act when he wore a pale checked suit made him seem kind and everyday, which he really was. The set by the show’s director Sallie Willows was well done and tasteful.

A Neil Simon comedy that despite some pacing issues was still a delightfully fun evening.

Cast

• Barnet Cashman: Daniel Purcell
• Elaine Navazio: Christine Lowry
• Bobbi Michelle: Hannah Marie Malinowski
• Jeanette Fisher: Penny McKee

Crew

• Director: Sallie Willow
• Set Design: Sallie Willows
• Lighting Design: Scott Bailey
• Costumes: Val Nelson
• Sound Design: Sallie Willows
• Producer: Christine Lowry
• Theatre Arts Director: Anne Ridgway
• Graphic Design: Louise Noakes

Disclaimer: Rooftop Productions provided a complimentary media ticket to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Frost/Nixon is a historical play about a series of interviews between David Frost and Richard Nixon in 1977. During the interviews Frost gets Nixon to admit he was wrong and to “apologize” to the people of America. In an interesting twist the play is narrated from the point of view of a man hired to do background research on Nixon. His name is James Reston, Jr. It is through his eyes that Nixon’s wrongdoing and attempted cover up are revealed.

Richard M. Nixon was played by Bob Sams. Sams was calm, cool and collected throughout the evening until the “gotcha” happened. Then Sams gave a believable performance of falling apart. His countenance fell, his shoulders tensed and his eyes said “Oh crud what else do they know?” Sitting opposite him was Sir David Frost played by Derek Bradley. Bradley was younger and much more a free spirit. As Frost, Bradley was not in control most of the time. During his interviews Sams was clearly the leader until the end. You could see Frost’s face light up when he realized he had the Former President against a wall at that point the tide turned and Frost took the lead.

As the Narrator James Reston Jr was played by Jesse Baskin. He gave a commanding performance. His voice was strong and his story was compelling in that you saw a human side to the president that was not there before.

The costumes and props were all very true to the 1970s. Costume Designer was Susan Boyd and Set Dressing were Terry Yates and Dinnie Whitson.

There were some interesting lighting choices during the afternoon that may have detracted some from the mood of the show. At one point the lights were on Frost and Nixon and all the other actors were basically in darkness, but were still acting. So your focus was kind of split between the two. Then at the end of the performance the lights went out while the cast was reaching out to thank the lighting crew. They deserve credit, too.

Overall an interesting historical piece that was well acted.

Director’s Notes

When I was first approached to direct Frost/Nixon I was very excited. I had never had the opportunity to direct a “historical” play before. As I became more involved in researching the background of this play, I learned that while Frost/Nixon focuses on the series of televised interviews that former US President Richard Nixon granted David Frost in 1977, it is not totally historically accurate. For example, the “drunk dial” phone call that Nixon makes to Frost did not happen. That said, it is still a fabulous play that shows us a human side of these famous, historical people. I think it is important to look at all sides of a person to understand fully a person’s motivations and to make sense of the seemingly senseless. I hope that this play will encourage you to delve further into the historic events on which Frost/Nixon is based. Enjoy the show!

Photo Gallery

Bob Sams as Nixon	Bob Sams as Richard Nixon
Mario Font as Swifty Lazar Bob Sams as Nixon	Jesse Baskin as James Reston, Jr
Bob Sams as Nixon, Marshall Henderson as Jack Brennan	Derek Bradley as David Frost (2)
Jesse Baskin as James Reston, Jr (2))	Derek Bradley as David Frost
Mario Font as Swifty Lazar, Bob Sams as Nixon, Marshall Hend	Derek Bradley as David Frost, Mario Font as Swifty Lazar, Mar

Photos by Traci J. Brooks

Cast

• Richard M. Nixon: Bob Sams
• Photographer: Teri Lee Edwards
• Studio Manager, Oval Office: Mario Font
• Technician: Steve Izant
• James Reston, Jr.: Jesse Baskin
• Makeup Technician: Jessica Bates
• David Frost: Derek Bradley
• Jack Brennan: Marshall Henderson
• Evonne Goolagong: Paula Rich
• John Birt: Alex Avila
• Manolo Sanchez: Mario Font
• Swifty Lazar: Mario Font
• Caroline Cushing: Paula Rich
• Stewardess: Jessica Bates
• Bob Zelnick: Stephen T. Wheeler
• Mike Wallace: Steve Izant
• Studio Manager, Monarch Bay: Steve Izant
• Waitress: Teri Lee Edwards

Crew

• Director: Zina Bleck
• Producers: Cathy & George Farnsworth
• Stage Manager: Douglas F. Yriart
• Assistant Stage Manager: Shayne Gardner
• Deck Manager: Annie O’Neill
• Set Design: John Downing
• Technical Director: Bill Glikbarg
• Set Dressing: Terry Yates, Dinnie Whitson
• Lighting Design: Bob Zeigler
• Master Electrician: Chris Hardy
• Master Carpenter: George Farnsworth
• Assisted by: Bill Glikbarg, David Johnson, Dick La Porte, Linda and Brent Stone, Justin Weyant, Bob Zeigler
• Costume Design: Susan Boyd
• Makeup Design: Paul Mitchell, The School
• Sound Operators: Anna Hawkins, Zack Sanders
• Backstage Running Crew: Emily Besuden, Tula Pendergrast, Mary Renschler
• Publicity: Mike Scott, Tula Pendergrast, Cathy Farnsworth, Columba Brumby, Jennifer Levy
• Photographer: Traci J. Brooks
• House Manager: Columba Brumby
• Webmaster, Playbill: George Farnsworth

Disclaimer: McLean Community Players provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

The Boat Never Leaves is an interactive mystery developed by the cast and crew of the Nova Woodbridge Theatre Group. The basic story concerned a group of people stranded on a deserted island for the reading of a will. There were the right amount of twists and turns that made you wonder what was going on. Because of the improvisational nature it will be interesting to see if the ending changes each night or stays the same.

However, the acting was a drawback to the performance. The actors did not develop their characters and appeared to simply play themselves onstage in front of an audience.

Iago Andko, the dead man’s business partner, was played by Andrew Roberds. He did pull off a Russian accent respectably throughout the show. There were a couple characters who tried to elicit some emotion other than annoyance. The slapsticking comedian Rebecca Times (Jasmine Bull) could not enter a room without falling over, knocking something over, or throwing up. It was funny the first few times, but then grew old. Diamond Castro as Josephine Helmsley cried believably with the right touch of over dramatization.

The set changes went quickly and smoothly. There was an ax used in several scenes, but unfortunately the actors didn’t respect the weight of the prop as the evening wore on, which made the gag less funny than it could have been. The show ended abruptly, with the audience unsure if the play had actually concluded completely.

This was an interesting script that needed more time for character development to make it a believable production.

Cast

• William Helmsley: Michael Green
• Savannah Helmsley: Jessie Barnett
• Iago Andko: Andrew Roberds
• Marque Helmsley: Josh Bryant
• Scarlett Manson: Rebecca Pfister
• Rebecca Times: Jasmine Bull
• Barnes: Brian Bardwell
• Thorton Helmsley, IV: Michael Green
• Josephine Helmsley: Diamond Castro

Crew

• Director: Ashlee Reynolds
• Technical Director: Brian Bardwell
• Consultant: E. Trumbell
• Lighting/Sound: Myron Rahynes

Disclaimer: NoVa Woodbridge Theatre Group provided a complimentary media ticket to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Zero Hour is a one man play that highlights the ups and downs of Samuel Joel “Zero” Mostel better known as “Zero Mostel. From his two rocky marriages, his blacklisting in 1955, to his rise to Broadway in Forum, Fiddler on The Roof, and The Producers and later tv and movie roles, and his escape into the world of his paintings.

Told from the point of view of an invisible NY Times reporter coming to interview Mostel, Jim Mitchell portrays Zero Mostel with strong emotion and and a passion to get the true story told. You could see and feel the despair in his mood when he told about his family disowning him when he announced he wanted to be an actor and brought home a non-Jewish woman to marry. He played his character with strength, but also tenderness. His recollection of his friend who was also blacklisted and later jumped off the building to his death was told with a lot of strong emotion and Mitchell pulled up a lot of sadness to end the first act.

Since Zero Mostel was also a comedian, Mitchell also was able to bring out quite a bit of humor. His mood changed again to a much more lighthearted and laid back telling of his bus accident that crushed his leg. When he was saying something funny his speech was slower and maybe a bit more uneven than when he became angry. Then his speech became faster and louder. Always Mitchell got his point across.

Zero Hour ran one hour and forty minutes with one intermission. It is playing through July 17, Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM at the Lyceum in Old town Alexandria. A fascinating look at a dark time in American history played by a talented actor.

Photo Gallery

Photos provided by Zemfira Stage

Cast

• Zero Mostel: James E. Mitchell III

Crew

• Producer/Director: Zina T. Bleck
• Sound Design: Becky Farris
• Lighting Design: Zina Bleck
• Original Painting: Mary Hrabe
• Technical Staff: Katherine Bisulca, Becky Farris, Lynn Lacey
• Front of House/Box Office: Erin DeCaprio, Erin Gallalee, Margaret Snow
• Publicity: Harry Kantrovich

Disclaimer: Zemfira Stage provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Plaza Suite is a play in three acts by Neil Simon. Each act takes place in room 719 of New York’s Plaza Hotel, with each act introducing us to new characters and situations, the only commonality is the hotel room itself.

Generally this humorous production was hampered by uneven performances from the actors. Almost everyone needed to be louder, several audience members near my seat also had trouble hearing the dialogue. Also, there were several scenes where the actors struggled with their lines.

Plaza Suite‘s “gimmick” is that it gives the lead actor and actress the opportunity to shine as a sharply different character in each of the three acts. Mary Brick was more successful at crafting her three characters than Greg Crowe was. Brick’s mannerisms as the wife, old flame, and harried mother were distinctive. Crowe’s characterization of the husband and frustrated father were fairly similar, while the producer was unique. In the supporting roles, Rich Prien and Melanie Gibson fleshed out each scene, without a lot of material to work with.

The unit set of the hotel room was adequate. While the set was definitely a hotel room, it was far too simple to suggest the opulence of the Plaza Hotel. The costumes and hair design fit each character’s attitudes pretty well, with a great deal of attention paid to each character. For example, Miss McCormack was in a colorful short dress, Kiplinger had long hippie hair, Mrs. Tate wore a conservative dress with gloves, and Mimsey’s wedding dress was eye catching, and fit in well with her mother and father.

Plaza Suite was another of Neil Simon’s trademark humor, a cerebral humor rather than slapstick comedy. The run time was two hours and fifteen minutes with two fifteen minute intermissions. It is playing through May 16. Fridays and Saturday at 8 PM at the A.J. Ferlazzo Building in Woodbridge, Virginia.

Once you’ve seen Plaza Suite, please share your thoughts about it. We’d also like to invite you to join our free mailing list so you can stay informed with theater happenings in the DC region.

And now on with the show.

Cast

• Karen Nash, Muriel Tate, Norma Hubley: Mary Brick
• Sam Nash, Jesse Kiplinger, Roy Hubley: Greg Crowe
• Bellhop, Waiter, Borden Eisler: Richard Prien
• Jean McCormack, Mimsey Hubley: Melanie Gibson

Crew

• Producer/Director: Jan Dylewski
• Stage Manager: Lynn Lacey
• Set Design: Gavin Tameris
• Master Carpenter: Gavin Tameris
• Set Construction: Gavin Tameris, Lynn Taylor, Cast
• Sound Design: Lynn Lacey
• Light Design: Jan Dylewski
• Sound Tech: Lynn Lacey
• Light Tech: Lynn Taylor, Zina Bleck
• Stage Crew: Amanda Howells, Justin Kyker, Sam Young, Casey Young, Cast
• Front of House Coordinator: Kathy Sahlberg
• Publicity: Don Wilson

This review is also available as an audio version. [MP3 2:43 2.5MB]

Oleanna is a drama by David Mamet. A university professor and one of his female students clash over what should be said to others and how people should be treated. Emotions run high in this tense drama. Who is “innocent”? Who is “guilty”? Both? Neither? You decide.

This was an intense drama that will give you lots to discuss after seeing it. The two performers created a tension that held the audience’s attention throughout the show. The fast pace allowed the two actors to talk over each other. However this may have been done on purpose to heighten the ultimate fireworks which occurred between the two characters.

Carol, the confused and frustrated college student, was played by Christine Lange. Her character changed the most in this play. Lange’s Carol started out shy, rarely making eye contact with her professor until the second act. Her demeanor was withdrawn; almost like a whipped puppy dog. In the second act you could see an almost visible change. Lange was much more self aware and strong. The defiance and disdain in her eyes when confronting her professor was very apparent.

John, Carol’s college professor was played by Jay Tilley. Lange and Tilley complemented each other well. Whereas Lange became more confident and angry throughout the play, Tilley seemed to grow less confident and sure of himself. It was interesting to watch Tilley’s overbearing demeanor and used car salesman attitude in the first act change to depression and despair in the second act. The final scene his rage took over which was unsettling to watch, but powerfully performed.

The technical aspects of the show, the lighting and the sound, helped keep the mood tense. The set was the professor’s office and had the right amount of books and papers on a desk to make it all look fairly realistic. The Technical Director and Light Board Operator was Melissa Jo York-Tilley.

Oleanna ran an hour and a half with one intermission. It is closing this weekend. The final performances will be Friday at 8 pm and a Saturday matinee at 3 pm and an evening performance at 8 pm at the Lyceum in Alexandria, Virginia. This is a powerful drama that was well acted. This show involves mature themes and contains strong language. It is not recommended for anyone under 16.

Once you’ve seen Oleanna, please share your thoughts about it. We’d also like to invite you to join our free mailing list so you can stay informed with theater happenings in the DC region.

And now, on with the show.

Photos

Christine Lange as Carol and Jay Tilley as John	Christine Lange as Carol and Jay Tilley as John
Christine Lange as Carol and Jay Tilley as John	Christine Lange as Carol and Jay Tilley as John

Cast

• Carol: Christine Lange
• John: Jay Tilley

Crew

• Producer/Director: Zina T. Bleck
• Original Music: Herb Tax
• Technical Staff: Melissa Jo York-Tilley
• Publicity: Jay Tilley
• Flyer Artwork: Kaya Andoque-Walton
• Publicity Photography: Dave Harback

Laura: This is the ShowBizRadio.net review of Natural Theatricals‘ production of Will You Know It’s Me? performed at the George Washington Masonic National Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. I saw the performance on Tuesday, October 16, 2007.

This was a really good show. It was a little edgy, but overall I enjoyed it. It was an art gallery where they displayed artists’ works and did custom framing.

Will You Know It’s Me? is an original work with book, music and lyrics by Paula Alprin. Musical direction and arrangement by James D. Watson and choreography by Tosia Anne Shall. A woman, alone in her little art gallery late at night, is accosted by a mysterious stranger who may or may not be from a small merchant town in medieval England. Blending song with oral storytelling and drama, Will You Know It’s Me? explores the collision of two strong wills who eventually find their common ground.

Tina, the shop owner, was played by Paula Alprin. She did a very good job. She was very emotional and put a lot of heart and soul into it. The “Mysterious Stranger” Margery, was played by Deborah Rinn Critzer. She also did a really good job. She had a lot of emotion. She could cry at the drop of a hat, which she did. The dialogue scenes between Tina and Margery were very good. They were deep. Tina got pretty angry at Margery and Margery got just as angry at some points in time. They really played together well.

The Course is composed of Andrew Vergara Retizos, Geneveive James, Laurie Geigel and Spencer Mickelson. They also did a good job. They had some really good dance numbers, and really good singing. The only downside was because there was a live orchestra. The conductor was James D. Watson who also put the music together. When more than one of the men would sing it kind of got lost in the guitar and the piano that was being played. That was one downer, but they all did a good job. They all looked like they were having a good time and really put their heart and soul into this musical. It was a little different, a little bit edgy, but it was an enjoyable evening. I think you will enjoy it and you will like the music.

And now, on with the show.

Photo Gallery

The members of The Course await the arrival of a mysterious stranger.	Derangement or visions? Tina is baffled by Margery’s behavior.
Strong wills and opposite world-views collide.	The foreign and the familiar vie for the upper hand.
The members of The Course enact the fable that Tina is writing.

Photos provided by Natural Theatricals.

Cast

• Margery: Deborah Rinn Critzer
• Tina: Paula Alprin
• “The Course”: Laurie Geigel, Genevieve James, Spencer Mickelson And Andrew Vergara Retizos

Orchestra

• Violin: Marcia Mcintyre
• Cello: Katie Chambers
• Guitar: Rob Weaver
• Bass: Marc Dion
• Keyboard: James D. Watson

Designers And Other Artists

• Set Designer: Todd F. Edwards
• Lighting Designer: Jason Cowperthwaite
• Costume Designer: Cat Martin
• Properties Designer: Theoni Panagopoulos
• Stage Manager: Maggie Clifton
• Assistant Stage Manager: Quentin Nash Sagers
• Lighting Technician: Denise Shrader
• Chief Scenic Artist: Jodi Lieburn
• Scenic Artist: Alex Gutierrez
• Gallery Artist: Melissa Tenney

Laura: Friday evening I saw the opening night performance of Wait Until Dark performed by Fauquier Community Theatre in Warrenton, Virginia.

Mike: Wait Until Dark is a play by Frederick Knott. It’s a mystery thriller. The main character is Susy, a blind housewife. She’s become a target of three thugs who are looking for a hidden doll that has some drugs inside. There are lots of twists and turns as the con men change their identities to try to trick Susy into helping them with the doll.

Laura: This was a pretty intense show. It was a youngish audience that was there last night and had not seen the show before. Listening to their reaction was actually a lot of fun to see the gasps and the “Oh my goshes” as the play progressed was really interesting. Everybody did a pretty good job. There was a bit of a wide range of acting in lasts nights show. It was opening night so there were some opening night jitters. It took them a little bit to warm up to the action going on on stage. Over all they did a good job.

Sgt. Carlino was played by Sam Hale. He did a pretty good job. He was one of the thugs that had broken into the house to try to steal the doll. He did a good job in trying to make Susy believe he was a sergeant, but watching the expression on her face about what was going on. He was wanting just to find the doll and get the heck out of there were really believable.

Susy Hendrix, the blind woman, was played by Angelica Reeve. She did a pretty good job. I didn’t quite believe that she was blind. I know if you’re not blind that’s hard to do. There were times when I felt that she was looking at the other actors instead of kind of off into space.

The set for Wait Until Dark was well done. It was pretty detailed. There was a raised platform that showed the kitchen area. Then you had the living room and the doors going off into the bedroom and bathroom and places like that. They did have a screen that was sort of like a window shade that the bad guys used to signal each other so that the bad guys would know when to come in and out. All in all it was pretty interesting. The set designer was Tommy Dickerson. It was really well done and very detailed.

Mike: The show runs almost two and a half hours long with one intermission. It plays through Sunday the 22nd. Friday and Saturday nights at 8 and Sunday matinee at 2 pm at The Theatre at Vint Hill.

Laura: And now, on with the show.

Cast

• Mike Talman: Zak Ellington
• Sgt. Carlino: Sam Hale
• Roat Jr, Sr.: Blake Wood
• Susy Hendrix: Angelica Reeve
• Sam Hendrix: John Weathers
• Gloria: Hannah Abeel
• Police Officers: Brandon Dawson, Drew Pendergast, Richard Perryman

Crew

• Producer: Stephanie Duval
• Director: Richard Perryman
• Stage Manager: Kaichen McRae
• Stage Hands: Teresa Gray, Katie Yancey
• Set Designer: Tommy Dickerson
• Set Foreman: Jess Ashby, Richard Perryman
• Set Dresser: Liz Wyld
• Set Painter: Teresa Gray, Kaichen McRae
• Special Painting: Bethany Ellington
• Set Construction: Jess Ashby, Richard Perryman, Colin Pierce, Evan Pierce
• Props Manager: Sarah Schneider
• Costumes: Cast
• Mke-up: Erin Briner & Cast
• Light Designer: Jess Ashby
• Light Technician: Colin Pierce
• Sound Designer: Teresa Gray
• Sound Technician: Evan Pierce
• Music Composer: Zach Hale
• Music Director: RJ Haynes
• Orchestra: RJ Haynes, Zach Hale
• FCT Liaisons: Evelyn Rice, Rich Mulder
• Box Office: Dee Faulconer
• House Manager: Krista Lawler
• Opening Night Reception: Katie Childers
• Photography: Chris Moorehead
• Poster Design: Ian Heflin
• Program Design: Mike Waters

Laura: This is Laura with ShowBizRadio.net and I’m talking about Prince William Little Theatre‘s production of Driving Miss Daisy in Manassas, Virginia.

Driving Miss Daisy is the story of an elderly southern woman who is no longer able to drive. So her son hires a driver for her, much to her displeasure. The play takes place in and around Atlanta, Georgia, from 1943 to 1973. The friendship between Miss Daisy and her driver, Hoke, starts out very uneasy. There is some early conflict. But as the years progress their friendship grows very strong.

The play is about two hours long with a small cast, only three characters.

Miss Daisy, the matron of the house is played by Mona Kay Helper. She did a really good job. She was a spitfire. There were some scenes between her and her driver where she announced that she was in charge and would do things her way and that was it.

Her driver, Hoke, was played by Ardith Collins. I liked his performance. He had some really easy going mannerisms about him. He just kind of let things happen, but they had some really good scenes driving together in the car that I think helped to develop their friendship.

And then Miss Daisy’s son Boolie, was played by Bryan Marsh. He was a really fun character. He was trying to take care of her and get this driver for her and still run the bank and try to have a marriage. He had a really fun role with that.

The over all pace of the show I thought was slow. They kind of appeared nervous a little bit. I don’t know if it was opening weekend jitters, but they seemed to wait until they had finished their line before the next person said their line. So the pace of the show was kind of slow.

It was a simple set. It was one set with three different parts. There was kind of a living room set with a telephone, a table, and chair. Then in the middle you had two chairs that represent their driving. Miss Daisy and Hoke did a really good job of mimicking getting in and out of the car the way they opened and closed the door. I thought that was a really nice touch. And then the third area of to the right was kind of a little office where Boolie hired Hoke to drive Miss Daisy around. So it was good. It was a simple set, but you knew where everything was.

The lighting was ok. There were a few glitches that happened. At one point the lights came up and then went right back down. I think a cue was missed there.

One thing I found out was that throughout this thirty year period, nobody aged. Although I will say at the end of the play when they had Miss Daisy in a nursing home, they did make her look much older. Although they didn’t specifically age the characters they did age them in a sense by mannerisms and things like that.

This play had many scenes, however you found out through the context kind of a timeline of what was going on. There was a reference made to Martin Luther King, Jr. so you know that was in the 60’s.

Driving Miss Daisy is playing through October 28th at Baldwin Elementary School in Manassas, Virginia. I do recommend you go see this show. It was really well done. They did a lot of hard work with it.

And now, on with the show.

Laura: This weekend I saw American Music Stage in cooperation with Northern Virginia Community College production of Aida. Music and Lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice. It was produced by Steve West and directed by Hans Bachmann.

Laura: It was a fabulous show. I enjoyed it very much. The singing was spectacular. The dancing was also really good. There was a live orchestra, but because of the way the stage was set up you could easily hear the singers over the orchestra. They really blended in well.

Laura: The basic story of Aida, not to give the story away too much, takes place in Egypt. It’s the story of a woman who is captured by the Egyptians. She is Nubian and has a secret that she doesn’t want anybody to know about. It is a love story, so you have love, lover’s lost and that kind of thing. You really need to see the show to get the full experience.

Laura: Aida was played by Jade Wheeler. She had a really great voice. She did a spectacular job acting. She was very outspoken and didn’t keep her opinions to herself. It was really a lot of fun to watch her perform.

Laura: Radames was played by Tim Adams. He was a little more stiff, but he was in line to become Pharoah one day so he had to be a little more stiff. He also had a really good singing voice and he did some good dancing also.

Laura: The set was simple, it did leave a lot to the imagination. They had enough things on there, big pillars, Pharoah’s throne, that you knew what was going on, but you got to fill in the details.

Laura: They had a good use of lights. They did a lot with colors. They had spotlights as well as lighting on the sides and center stage. They used colors in lights and used some special effects with colors which was good.

Laura: As I mentioned before the dancing was spectacular. They had some really good dance numbers. They had one number where the soldiers came out with big sticks. They then danced with those big sticks and that was really impressive.

Laura: The only down thing was that some of the scene changes were a little slow. They were moving pyramids and you can only go so fast with those. They were smoothly done when they had scene changes on and off the stage.

Laura: At the end of the first act Amneris, played by Lori Staley, something happened to her mic. Their mics were over their ears and, I don’t know if she brushed her hair, but something happened. All of a sudden she started to get really staticy. Every time she moved you heard this funny rustle. It was fixed in the second act because I never heard it at all during the second act.

Laura: Aida is playing for one more weekend at the Northern Virginia Community College Annandale Campus Friday through Sunday. Again I recommend you go see it because it was a terrific show.

Laura: And now, on with the show.