The Fairy Tale Courtroom is a delightful story that puts the Big Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch (which Wicked Witch? It turns out there’s only one. She keeps moving, from the forest after children eat her house, to a different enchanted land, finally ending up in Oz) on trial for various injustices that the jury (the audience) then gets to vote on to decide the fate of said criminals. The show opens with the theme to “Law & Order” as the District Attorney, (Liz Mykietyn) entered the courtroom determined to win her case. With much determination and force she made a strong case against both the Big Bad Wolf (Andrew Lent) and the Wicked Witch (Jackie Davis) in the two trials. The Judge (Jim Johnson) had a rather loose command of the rules of order and seemed easily swayed, using games of rock, paper, scissors, choose-a-number and Twinkies to make decisions.

The Bailiff (David Segal) held the final say as the audience voiced their decision as to the guilt or innocence of the Big, Bad Wolf and the Wicked Witch. No unanimous decision here! At the performance we attended, the Big Bad Wolf was found guilty, while the Wicked Witch was not. When you go see this show, the verdict your audience gives could be different. Many performers played multiple roles, which was a surprise to some of audience members as they tried to get an autograph after the show and were told who they needed to find.

The entire cast seemed to enjoy themselves, and the young audience certainly had a grand time. A bit of overacting was necessary to keep the little ones engaged and focused, but there were enough puns and subtle adult references to keep the grownups entertained as well. Performers also had to be ready when audience members would interact with them. Costume Designer Kathy Dunlap had the outfits pegged quite well. Sound Designer Ben Allen added many clips from songs and tv shows to help introduce the characters as they were called to the stand.

The Fairy Tale Courtroom was engaging and fun, aimed at elementary-school aged children. Our niece enjoyed it. She, too, felt the Wicked Witch was just misunderstood!

Cast

• Judge: Jim Johnson
• Bailiff: David Segal
• District Attorney: Liz Mykietyn
• Defense Attorney: Jeffrey Moen
• Little Red Riding Hood: Laura Moody
• Witch: Jackie Davis
• Pig #1: Michelah Desnai
• Pig #2: Sue Klein
• Pig #3: Nikki Pope
• Hansel: Rodney Collins
• Gretel: Annie Begley
• Boy Who Cried Wolf: Rodney Colllins
• Big Bad Wolf: Andrew Lent
• Sleeping Beauty: Nikki Pope
• Snow White: Christina Talhame
• Granny: Sue Klein
• Flying Monkey: Christina Talhame
• Scarecrow: Shanelucus Ramsey
• Prince: Shanelucus Ramsey
• Magic Mirror: Sue Klein
• Bossy Dwarf: Michelah Desnai
• Not So Short Dwarf: Lisa Moen
• Badger: Annie Begley
• Dorothy: Laura Moody
• Short Order Cook: Sabrina Begley

Production List

• Director: Leah Daily
• Assistant Director: Karen Schlumpf
• Producer: Mary Ann Hall
• Stage Manager: Karen Schlumpf
• Costume Design: Kathy Dunlap
• Props: Holli Tippl
• Sound Design: Ben Allen
• Fight Choreography: Karen Schlumpf
• Fight Captain: Jim Johnson
• Crew: Sabrina Begley
• Graphics: Ginger Kohles

Disclaimer: Elden Street Players/Theatre for Young Audiences provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp is a story adapted by Jack Neary based on a tale from 1,001 Nights. A bored Queen demands a “good story” from her resident storyteller or face death. The teller, under great pressure, relates the tale of Aladdin and his lamp with members of the Queen’s court playing the characters in the story. Including some audience participation, this kid friendly tale was well done and is an easy way to introduce children to the world of theater.

Matt Takane played Aladdin. His high energy was necessary to keep the children engaged and the story moving along. He did this well by using big hand gestures and great facial expressions. The Narrator was played by Luke McDade. He was subdued, but managed to keep all the parts of the story moving together. He was calm, yet showed emotion (mostly fear) when the Queen threatened to remove his head if she did not like his story. The Genie, Patrick Graham, kept his character upbeat and related well to Aladdin and his mother (Katie Klopfer). Klopfer and Graham had clear tension that kept up well during their scenes together. This production allowed for audience participation at several points. There were also a few unexpected humorous bits, such as the Angry Birds tribute, and the surprise twist at the tale’s conclusion.

The costumes by Kathy Dunlap were all very bright and colorful with lots of sparkles when needed. The set made great use of the space at the Industrial strength Theater, allowing the characters to spread out and use the entire stage. The chairs, sofa and cushions were colorful and a nice touch to the set.

Aladdin and the Magical Lamp ran a little under an hour with no intermission, and was a fun, family friendly show appropriate for ages 2 to 8 or so. Our niece said she enjoyed it very much, and did enjoy meeting the cast and collecting their autographs afterwards.

Cast

• The Queen: Holly McDade
• Shahryar: Luke McDade
• Musician/Aladdin: Matt Takane
• Cook/Aladdin’s Mother: Katie Klopfer
• Jester/ The Magician: Shad Itschner
• Porter/The Genie: Patrick Graham
• Chancellor/The Grand Vizier: Andrew Lent
• Accountant/The Grand Vizier’s Son: Stuarrt Orloff
• Dancer/The Princess: Annie Begley
• General/The Sultan: Jarrett Goldfedder
• The Duchess: Melinda Goldfedder
• Tumbler/Fruit Merchant: Nikki Pope
• Ribbon Twirler/Merchant: Yvonne Ramirez
• The Rock, as itself: Agents, J&J Roberts

Production Crew

• TFYA Executive Producer: Mary Ann Hall
• Directors: Laura Fontaine & Meredith Walker
• Producer: Richard Durkin
• Stage Manager: Don Petersen
• Costume Design: Kathy Dunlap
• Sound Design: Stan Harris
• Light Design: Chris Hardy
• Set Construction: Marty Sullivan
• Set Properties: Theresa Bender and Mike Smith
• Set Painting & Assistant SM: Sabrina Begley
• Headshot Photographer: Laura Moody
• Lightboard/Soundboard: Jared Jackobson and Laura Moody
• Fight Choreographer: Kevin Robertson
• Fight Captain: Patrick Graham
• Box Office: Sandy Sullivan
• Postcard & Graphics: Virginia Kohles
• Music Credit: Kevin MacLeod

Disclaimer: Elden Street Players/Theatre for Young Audiences provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review, and we purchased one ticket at the door.

• Twinderella, October – November 2011 Schedule
• Heidi the Musical, December 2011 Schedule
• Three Prince Charmings, February 2012 Schedule
• Aladdin and The Wonderful Lamp, March – April 2012 Schedule
• The Fairy Tale Courtroom, June – July 2012 Schedule

Schedule is subject to change due to performance rights conflicts or other issues.

Something Different is an original work by Holly Harrington. It tells four different stories in under an hour. Both educational and lively, these stories will entertain children and adults of all ages. Something Different is a new collection of stories each year.

All four tales were delivered by a group of enthusiastic people with lots of energy and spunk. They talked slow enough to be understood and loud enough to be heard throughout the audience. Each story was told with bright costumes and big, bold hand motions and exaggerated expressions. The longest story, which was told in several parts, was the story of “The Gingerbread Man.” Other stories included “The Cracked Pot” (which few people we’ve spoken with were familiar with), “The Pied Piper of Hamlin” and others.

Besides a few small props, the main set piece was a huge book. It had a door and a small window used by the actors for entrances and exits. The side of the “book” was also used. There were also several large blocks of various sizes which were quickly rearranged for each story. The actor’s entrances were always grand and the exits were equally so. The actors all seemed to enjoy what they were doing and put all their heart and soul into entertaining the children and the parents. The performance the Pied Piper featured snippets of songs from Broadway and popular culture.

Something Different did run just over an hour so there was no intermission. The cast even hung around afterwards to give autographs, which was exciting for the children in attendance. This original family friendly group of stories will delight and entertain the young folks and may even educate the older patrons who attended. Either way, it was a fun show not to be missed.

Cast

• Erin Gallalee
• Matt Takane
• Anne Kight Lloyd
• Rachel Kennedy
• Vnessa Moir
• Alex Turner
• Marie Turner

Production Team

• Director: Holly Harrington
• Stage Manager: Mary Ann Hall
• Costumer: Kathy Dunlap
• Box Office: Sandy Sullivan
• Set: Marty Sullivan
• Graphics: Ginger Kohles
• Postcard: Ginger Kohles
• Advertising: Rich Klare

Disclaimer: Elden Street Players/Theatre for Young Audiences provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

This adaptation of the classic novel tells just the beginning of the story, making it both the ideal length for young audiences and minimizing some of the more tragic elements of the novel. Like the book, we meet the four March sisters while their father is off to war and see them through until his return. Overall, the production was decent.

All of the performances were decent. They were a little artificial, came across more like caricatures than characters, and were a little big for the small space. Since this was across the board, it may well have been a directorial decision rather than one made universally by the actors. It worked ok for the audience of children, but it would have been a stronger and more emotionally gripping piece, while still engrossing young audiences, if the performances had been more realistic and nuanced. Still, they were good caricatures, and there were no weak links in the cast. The strongest performances and scene was the Christmas play. In this instance, the over-the-top acting was perfect. That, in combination with strong, comical staging, made for a perfect scene. Other than that, no one really stood out as being stronger or weaker than the rest of the cast.

The set was beautiful. Mike Smith did an excellent job of set dressing. Every little item was period, detailed, and in place with the décor. The room felt homey. It really made you feel like you had been invited into the March’s living room. The costume design by Judy Whelihan was equally excellent in representing the period, as well as the unique personalities of the different characters. The lighting and sound were decent; as in, they mostly went unnoticed. There was no specific moment in which either stood out as being exceptionally good or bad.

Basically, it was a very middle-of-the-road production. However, it is important to mention that the box office and ushers were extremely friendly; there were child-friendly refreshments; and the entire cast stayed on stage afterwards to sign programs and were wonderful in taking their time to interact with their young audience members and make them feel special. It was those above-and-beyond measures to make the experience child-centered that make this into a trip worth taking with school-aged children.

Cast:

• Meg March: Susanna Todd
• Amy March: Caroline Peterson
• Beth March: Allie Backer
• Jo March: Bethany Goodell
• Marmee: Leslie Peterson
• Aunt March: Barbara D. Carpenter
• Hannah: Janet Devine Smith
• Laurie: Asher Miller
• Mr. March: Richard Durkin
• Sallie Gardner: Katie Rees
• Rose: Caitlyn Sullivan
• Annie Moffat: Annie Durkin
• Carolyn: Amanda Holsinger
• Emily Jane: Danielle Holsinger

Production Team:

• Executive Producer: Mary Ann Hall
• Producers: Theresa Bender & Mary Ann Hall
• Director: Kat Brais
• Stage Manager: Mary Ann Hall
• Assistant Stage Managers: Laura Baughman & Gina Gabay
• Lighting Design: Al Fetske
• Sound Design: Stan Harris
• Costume Design: Judy Whelihan
• Property Design: Lillian Colquitt
• Set Dressing: Mike Smith
• Set Construction: Marty Sullivan
• Master Electrician: Micheal J. O’Connor
• Set Painter: Sabrina Begley
• Assisted by: Cathy Rieder, Catherine Messerly
• Sound Board: Beth Atkins
• Light Board: Sallie Hall, Sue Klein
• Box Office: Sandy Sullivan
• House Management: Dave Sinclair
• Playbill: Ginger Kohles
• Graphic Design: Michael Sherman
• Photographer: Traci J. Brooks

Disclaimer: Elden Street Players Theatre for Young Audiences provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

]]> /2010/12/review-esptya-little-women/feed/ 2 /2010/10/review-esptya-excalibur/ /2010/10/review-esptya-excalibur/#comments Mon, 18 Oct 2010 20:49:21 +0000 http://www.showbizradio.net/?p=5721 Excalibur! was a fun piece, just long enough that young audience memebrs can get an introduction to the theatre and be entertained without being spoken down to.]]> Excalibur!, by Michele L. Vacca
Elden Street Players Theatre for Young Audiences
Industrial Strength Theater, Herndon, VA
Through October 31st
1:15
$7
Reviewed October 16, 2010

The beloved English legend of King Arthur is brought to life through the tale of the fabled master of Wizardry and Wit, the Magical and Mysterious Merlin the Enchanter! Raised by the noble Knight Sir Ector with his two children, Kaye and Elaine, Arthur has a happy family and is tutored by Merlin who is waiting for the right time for the boy to take his throne. But his evil Aunt, Morgan Le Fay, and her sidekick Dragonfly would use Arthur so she can rule the kingdom. When a magical sword appears stuck in a stone at the palace courtyard, it is time to test Arthur and see if he is the true King of England! Can Arthur pull the sword from the stone? Can Merlin beat the evil Morgan Le Fay in a duel of magic?

I was able to take my seven year-old niece to see Excalibur! at the Industrial Strength Theater on Saturday afternoon. I was hoping she’d be more receptive to it than she was to Sleeping Beauty back in 2007. And she was. She stayed focused on the action on stage, without being scared (although she didn’t like Dragonfly’s laugh). She said it was a funny play, and “sort of” romantic. The magic tricks were enjoyable as well, with her favorite being Merlin’s fan trick. Her favorite character was “Lady Elaine.” She also really liked being able to get all of the cast’s autographs afterwards.

From my viewpoint, I enjoyed the production. Maybe it was just our audience, but it seemed there were a few times when the characters were waiting for feedback from the audience that never came. Merlin (Jon Roberts) and Morgan (Laura Moody) got into a magic duel that had some surprising tricks done by each of them. Robert Bouwmeester was the magic consultant. Morgan’s sidekick Dragonfly’s (Rhianna Meko) grating voice as she trailed behind Morgan helped to define Morgan as the “bad guy.” The kind Sir Ector (Andy Plummer) was chosen by Merlin to raise Arthur as his own son. Sir Ector’s children Kaye (Stuart Orloft) and Elaine (Jackie Plummer) bickered convincingly, while they all practiced for the knight’s tournament. Arthur (Blake O’Brien) was innocent and supportive of his older brother Kaye, but was able to portray kingly qualities duing his lessons with Merlin.

There did appear to be a lot of times when a character, usually Merlin, would stand center stage and lecture. While he did prevent himself from getting ahead of the story, at times it was difficult to stay focused on him. This was most obvious during scene changes, which occurred without changing any of the stage lights, so it was easy to be distracted by the change.

The sword in the stone was a prominent set piece. All of the knights and ladies who tried to pull the sword from the stone were amusing, and presented small subplots as they were kidded and joshed in the background. My niece was surprised that the stone itself was actually much lighter, all of the actors successfully sold the idea that it was a real stone.

The set was built around the set for the Elden Street Players’ Murder in Green Meadows. Excalibur! director Phillip M. Archey was able to incorporate the various set elements into his show. Kathy Dunlap’s costumes were well done.

Excalibur! was a fun piece, just long enough that young audience memebrs can get an introduction to the theatre and be entertained without being spoken down to.

Cast

• Merlin: Jon Roberts
• Arthur: Blake O’Brien
• Sir Ector: Andy Plummer
• Elaine: Jackie Plummer
• Kaye: Stuart Orloft
• Morgan: Laura Moody
• Dragonfly: Rhianna Meko
• Archbishop: Ray Daniels
• Woman, Lady: Amanda Jones
• Knight: Chris Chapin
• Knight: Erik Dulik
• Lady: Catherine La Valley
• Lady: Grace McCarthy
• Lord: Robert Bouwmeester

Production Crew

• TFYA Executive Producer: Mary Ann Hall
• Producer: Richard Durkin
• Director: Phillip M. Archey
• Stage Manager: Hahhah R. Rohlfs
• Costume Design: Kathy Dunlap
• Set Construction: Marty Sullivan
• Set Painting: Cathy Reider & Sabrina Begley
• Properties: Lillian Colquitt & Gaye Freese
• Magic Consultant: Robert Bouwmeester
• Light Design: Al Fetske
• Sound Design: Phillip M. Archey
• Lightboard Operator: Luke O’Brien
• Soundboard Operator: Ben Roberts
• Run Crew: Carla O’Brien
• Box Office: Sandy Sullivan
• Publicity: Janet Orloff
• Graphic Design: Virginia Kohles

Disclaimer: Elden Street Players Theatre for Young Audiences provided two complimentary media tickets to ShowBizRadio for this review.

]]> /2010/10/review-esptya-excalibur/feed/ 1 /2008/12/review-esptya-anne-of-green-gables/ /2008/12/review-esptya-anne-of-green-gables/#comments Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:00:40 +0000 http://www.showbizradio.net/?p=2773 Read our review of Elden Street Players Theatre for Young Audiences' production of Anne of Green Gables.]]> Anne of Green Gables
Elden Street Players Theatre for Young Audiences
Industrial Strength Theatre, Herndon, VA
$10/$7 Child age 10 or younger
Through Dec. 21st

This is the Show Biz Radio review of Anne of Green Gables performed by the Elden Street Players Theatre for Young Audiences in Herndon, Virginia. We saw the performance on Sunday afternoon, December 14, 2008.

Anne of Green Gables is a play by R.N. Sandberg, adapted from Lucy Montgomery’s novel. Just in time for the holidays comes this family story of a high-spirited orphan girl who is mistakenly sent to a childless couple that thought they were getting a boy to help on their farm. What follows is a series of trials and tribulations that almost cause them to send Anne back to the orphanage. However, her constant chatter, romantic imaginings and irresistible charm convince them that she is the best thing that ever happened to them, and Anne finds a loving family.

This was a delightful play, well cast and nicely staged. All the actors were comfortable on stage, and the chemistry between Sarah Chapin as Anne Shirley and Maggie Solo as Diana Barry was palpable. Overall the pace of the show were well done. There were a few minor spots that had either a dramatic pause or else the timing was a bit off.

As Marilla Cuthbert, Lisa Anne Bailey gave a strong performance. She was on the outset very cold and unemotional. Bailey portrayed a rather dour older woman. However, she and Anne taught each other some life lessons that included using one’s imagination, and not giving in to your temper (at least not often). By the end of the show Bailey allowed us to see Marilla’s warmth.

Her brother Matthew Cuthbert was played believably by Allen McRae. McRae was kind-hearted where Marilla was more abrasive. Matthew was a simple man, but even on the ride home from the train station with Anne, McRae started showing us the power of Anne’s exuberance. He wanted the best for Anne even if there were times he had no clue what she was talking about.

Sarah Chapin played the feisty red-haired Anne excellently. Chapin was emotional and fiercely loyal to her friends. For example, her histrionics when apologizing for insulting Mrs. Lynde (played by Susanne Jones). She had a kind heart towards children and a fiery temper when teased.

Her bosom friend Diana was played by Maggie Solo. Solo and Chapin seemed to have a great rapport and got along famously together. Diana liked Anne’s imagination, and easily got caught up in Anne’s adventure’s even though she, like Matthew, did not always know what was going on. Solo had a real innocence about her that made her quite likable.

The set for Anne Of Green Gables consisted of several playing areas; Matthew and Marilla’s dining room and Anne’s bedroom remained on stage throughout the show. The rest of the stage was used to represent the school, train station, the river, a front porch. Set changes were handled quickly and imaginatively.

Anne of Green Gables ran two hours and fifteen minutes with one intermission. The Sunday afternoon matinee was almost sold out. This was a fun and uplifting story you won’t want to miss. Anne of Green Gables is playing for one more weekend. Friday at 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 pm and closing on Sunday the 21st at 2:30 pm at the Industrial Strength Theatre in Herndon, Virginia.

Once you’ve seen the show, please leave your thoughts about it here on our website at Show Biz Radio.net. We’d also like to invite you to join our free mailing list so you can stay informed with theater events in the DC Region.

And now, on with the show.

Director’s Note:

Ever since I can remember, I have been a fan of this story and I have been thinking about directing this show for over two years. What is it about this piece that gets to me every time? Is it Anne’s lust for life despite the adversity she must overcome? Could it be Marilla and Matthews’ gradual and eventual unconditional love for this girl? Is it Diana and Anne’s beautiful, simple and enduring friendship? Is it the unspoken feelings between Gil and Anne? It is a little of all of these things. After all, do we not all have things in common? Do we all not overcome adversity? Don’t we all want and need to love and be loved in return-unconditionally? Haven’t we all just wanted to fit in and belong?

As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lucy Montgomery’s literary masterpiece, we have assembled for you a first rate cast and production staff to bring to life one of my favorite stories. They are a dedicated, talented and generous bunch that couldn’t be more grateful or satisfied with our production. I hope you will leave this theater with a tear in your eye, joy in your heart and a smile on your face. During this process I have experienced all three – many times over. I am a happy director indeed.

Cast

• Mrs. Lynde/Mrs. Blewett: Susanne Jones
• Marilla Cuthbert: Lisa Anne Bailey
• Stationmaster/Mr. Phillips /Doctor: Andrew Plummer
• Anne Shirley: Sarah Chapin
• Matthew Cuthbert: Allen McRae
• Mrs. Barry: Leta Hall
• Diana Barry: Maggie Solo
• Gilbert Blythe: Michael Bunting

Crew

• Executive Producer: Mary Ann Hall
• Producer: Gina Gabay
• Director: Kat Brais
• Stage Manager: Laura Baughman
• Asst Stage Manager: Joyce Gillogly/Laura Moody
• Costume Design: Kathy Dunlop
• Lighting Design: Jeff Boatright
• Box Office Manager: Sandy Sullivan
• House Manager: Mary Ann Hall
• Property Design: Eileen Mullee
• Set Dressing: Mike Smith
• Sound Design: Stan Harris
• Crew: Tony Aiello, Greg Scali
• Publicity: Rich Klare, Ginger Kohles
• Cover Design: Michael Sherman
• Playbill: Ginger Kohles
• Box Office: Sandy Sullivan, Rich Durkin
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