"Hadestown" tix, DC theatre update
Join me for "Hadestown" by reserving your seat by Friday, 5/12!
Hello, play-goers! I hope everyone is enjoying the springtime weather and finding time for that entertaining window into humanity: theatre!
Join me for “Hadestown”!
You’re invited to join me and 15 other readers for “Hadestown,” playing at the National Theatre in DC on June 18th at 2pm! Hit “reply” to this message to grab your seat by Friday, May 12th.
Hadestown is my favorite musical! I love the incredible score, the enchanting love story, and the many deeper environmental, economic, and psychological themes. I never see shows more than once, but I’ve seen this one four times! I have reserved a block of 15 seats for the touring production of the show and will host an optional discussion about the themes of the story at my home right after the show (about 5-6:30p). Tickets are $113 each for great orchestra seats—see location on seating chart below.
Name the Show
Here are answers to the “Name the Show” quiz I posed last time. I realized these were pretty difficult—no one got all of them, or even half! But my friend and former co-performer Leah is the winner—congrats! Here are the answers, and here are the videos if you want to see them again. I’ll try another round soon :)
#1 - "42nd Street” - “I’m going back to Allentown,” is said by the lead when she wants to give up on a Broadway career, just before they sing “Lullaby of Broadway.”
#2 - “Sunday in the Park With George” - George sings this song as he paints in “Color and Light.” The music expresses the dots of his pointillist painting in the staccato notes!
#3 - “Into the Woods” - Jack’s mother declares early in the show that “slotted spoons don’t hold much soup,” but later she expresses more optimism by realizing “they can catch the potato.”
#4 - “Chicago” - At the end of the opening number, “All That Jazz,” Roxie shoots her boyfriend after he breaks up with her. I think it’s hilarious that she says “I gotta pee” right afterwards!
#5 - “Urinetown” - In this meta-theatrical moment, the narrator warns another character to slow down on the “exposition” she’s giving the audience, because “nothing can kill a show like too much exposition.” (Quite true! But you do need some to establish time, place, relationships, etc.)
#6 - “Carousel” - This quote is from a magical moment at the climax of “If I Loved You,” when the characters realize the blossoms on the tree are coming down even though there’s no wind. “It’s just their time to, I reckon.”
DC Theatre Update
I was delighted to attend an improv show put on by Washington Improv Theater as part of their residency at Studio Theatre. They did two “long form” improv shows (about 30 minutes each). For the first, “Broken Bones,” they took a story from the audience of an injury they sustained, and improvised an entire mini-play about the incident. For the second, “iMusical,” they improvised a musical—complete with songs! I’m not sure which was more impressive: seeing people making things up on the spot, the great acting, or the truly high quality of the songs and storyline—it had a real arc to it, themes, etc! And it was riotously funny. The troupe is starting up their next run of shows May 19th—I recommend it!
Here are two other shows I’m looking forward to:
Sweeney Todd at Signature Theatre: The always-quality theatre with the super-intimate space is taking on Sondheim’s masterpiece, and one of my all-time favorite shows. I give it a 100% chance to be fabulous. Playing May 15 - July 9.
Good Bones at Studio Theatre: This is a new play from the Pulitzer-prize winning playwright behind “Fat Ham” (reviewed in last month’s issue), James Ijames, which explores “gentrification and belonging, displacement and upward mobility.” Playing May 10 - June 18.
That’s all for now! What do you want to see in these newsletters? Let me know! :)