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Running time 2:50 - one intermission:
t A Potomac Stages Pick for a powerful story set to a stirring score
Click here to read our review of the Original Cast Recording
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Storyline: Celie, a fourteen year old poor black girl in rural Georgia in the early years of the twentieth century, considered ugly and already pregnant twice, is married off to an abusive man who terrorizes all who come near him. He demands a submission amounting to servitude, sends her sister away and prohibits any contact. As the years pass, however, her inner strength helps her persevere and overcome all obstacles. She develops a sense of self worth, breaks free of her abusive "Mister," achieves success and is reunited with her sister and her children.

The story is one that many people already know from the novel, or the movie by Stephen Spielberg. Here it is told so clearly with characters so sharply defined that it catches your emotional commitment anyway. Most of the audience knows exactly what is coming at key points - especially the later half of the second act - but there are plenty of handkerchiefs dabbing at teary eyes and cheeks as Celie achieves her dreams. The score progresses through the decades of the story, reflecting the changing musical styles from early in the century, the roaring twenties, the depression wracked thirties and into the post-war forties.

At the center of the piece is the marvelous performance of Bayardelle, who plays Celie from an early age to nearly 60 with no noticeable assistance from makeup, just wig changes to help her grey. The show calls for a number of very strong performances from the supporting cast including that of Felicia P. Fields as a woman who won't let her husband beat her. Her "Hell No" is the highlight of the first act. Angela Robinson, who was the understudy for the glamorous flapper when the show opened and then went on to take the role full time later in the run, repeats her work as the love interest whose affection is the key to Celie's emergent sense of self worth. Rufus Bonds, Jr. takes on the role of the despicable "Mister" and delivers it with energy but somehow misses the depth of depravity that should make his descent into failure and his ultimate reform more touching. Two of the three ladies who originated the trio of chirping biddies that help move the story along are still twittering with syncopated humor. Kimberly Ann Harris and Virginia Ann Woodruff have been joined by delightful Lynette Dupree.

Broadway veteran designers create a satisfying on-stage atmosphere. John Lee Beatty's sets and Paul Tazewell's costumes are again well served by Brian MacDevitt's lighting. A full sounding orchestra delivers the orchestrations of the legendary Jonathan Tunick utilizing two keyboards. Keyboards haven't been the strength of Tunick's work in the past, but this time out there is a very good blend of electronically augmented sound and the acoustic instruments. The entire package is first rate.

Music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Book by Marsha Norman. Directed by Gary Griffin. Choreographed by Donald Byrd. Musical direction by Sheilah Walker. Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. Dance music arrangements by Daryl Waters with additional arrangements by Joseph Joubert and incidental music arrangements by Kevin Stites. Design: John Lee Beatty (set) Paul Tazewell (costumes) Charles G. LaPointe (hair) Brian MacDevitt (lights) Jon Weston (sound). Principal cast: Jeannette Bayardelle, Bridgette Bentley, Rufus Bonds, Jr., Alex de Castro, LaTrisa Coleman, Tiffany Daniels, Quentin Earl Darrington, Lesley Terrell Donald, Lynette DuPree, Felicia P. Fields, Rhett George, Kimberly Ann Harris, LaTonya Holmes, Trent Armand Kendall, Grasan Kingsberry, Keith Byron Kirk, Angela Robinson, Stephanie St. James, Adam Wade, Diamond White, Anthony Williams II, Virginia Ann Woodruff,

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March 25 - April 6, 2008
Camelot
Reviewed March 25 by Brad Hathaway

Running time 2:40 - one intermission
A disappointing recreation of a famous musical
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Storyline: The legend of King Arthur and the Round Table is set to glorious music with lively literate lyrics. Arthur loves his queen Guenevere and he loves Lancelot, the Knight he would like to have as a son. But his real passion is his dream of a new order where might is used only for right. Guenevere loves him, but falls for Lancelot. Lancelot loves Arthur as a father-figure, Guenevere as a woman and the concept of Arthur’s new brand of chivalry. These passions tear the court apart.

Camelot has been a problem for producers and directors ever since its legendarily disastrous out of town tryout in Toronto in 1960. What with Frederick Loewe suffering a heart attack in the final stages of composing the music, Alan Jay Lerner having to take over directing despite his own health problems when director Moss Hart suffered his own heart attack and other problems, the fact that the show ran four and a half hours on opening night didn't seem the only problem the production faced. Once it got to Broadway it still had difficulties due to the mismatch in tone between the first act which is predominantly a light romantic comedy, and the second which is a heavy romantic tragedy. Still, the score became so popular as a result of its original cast album and the vocal performances of stars Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet (not to mention the impact of a performance on the Ed Sullivan television show) that it ran over two years and entered the pantheon of famous musicals in part due to the Kennedy mystique after Jacqueline Kennedy was quoted saying the title song was her late husband's favorite bed-time listening.

Phillips' wavering, unsteady and unfocused performance is a surprise to those who saw his other stint as a king when he was nominated for a Tony Award for Broadway's best leading man in 1996's The King and I. There he was majestic. Here he is distracted. There he was emotionally complex and touching. Here he is simple and uninvolving. There he sang acceptably. Here his pitch wanders distractingly. What a shame, for it distracts from his co-stars' nice work. Rachel de Benedet sparkles early on in such numbers as "Simple Joys of Maidenhood" and "Lusty Month of May" and holds her own when things turn more serious in Act II. Bogart, as Potomac Region theatergoers know full well from his portrayal of this role under Molly Smith's direction at Arena Stage in 2003-04, makes an ideal Lancelot, bringing the physical appearance, impressive presence and full voice to the part. Again this time out, he inhabits the character fully and each moment on stage is well thought out and under complete control. He also benefits from the fact that the joust, which was staged as a dance with prancing chorus boys as "horses" in the Arena Stage version four years ago is now staged as an exciting sword fight.

At its core, Camelot rises or falls on the shoulders of its Arthur. For this legendary love triangle to capture the audience requires a young Arthur with the sexy charm of a teen heartthrob when first he meets his Guenevere, the charisma of a great leader when he first brings Lancelot into his circle of Knights, and the passion of a world statesman as a mature man faced with the torment of the conflict between his duty and his heart. Without charm and sexuality in Arthur, Guenevere's plight is a text book thing, not a heart tugging conflict. Without passionate commitment to a new view of chivalry in the King, Lancelot's loyalty seems misplaced. To be fair to Phillips, Arthur is no easy role. It is one that a Richard Burton or a Richard Harris could pull off through pure personal magnetism as well as the art of acting. No such magnetism and unfortunately little acting skill is on display this time out.

Music by Frederick Loewe. Book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner based on the novel "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White. Additional materials by Michael A. M. Lerner. Directed by Glenn Casale. Choreography by Dan Mojica. Fight direction by Sean Boyd. Orchestration and musical direction by Craig Barna. Design: John Iacovelli (set) Marcy Froehlich (costumes) Tom Ruzika (lights) Julie Ferrin (sound) Craig Schwartz (photography). Cast: Rachel de Benedet, Matt Bogart, Lawrence Cummings, Chris Warren Gilbert, Melina Kalomas, Perry Ojeda, Lou Diamond Phillips, Vince Rimoldi, Juli Robbins, Jean Michelle Sayeg, Shannon Stoeke, Christian Whelan, John B. Williford, Time Winters, Vincent Zamora.

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Running time 2:15 - one intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for a not to be missed delight
2004 Tony Award for Best Musical
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Storyline: The residents of Avenue Q, a low rent area in an outer borough of New York, are young adults just out of college trying to find their purpose in life, make it in the world and connect with each other. The show is structured around an only slightly updated version of the traditional “boy meets girl, boy wins girl, boy looses girl, boy and girl get back together” story that has driven hundreds of musicals. It is decked out with a number of subplots involving the friendship between a gay man and his straight roommate, an interracial marriage, a “monster” who stays cooped up in his apartment surfing the net for porn, and the apartment house super, who was a television child star but is now a has-been.

As unique as this show is, and it is truly one of a kind, its roots are in the time-tested traditions of the Broadway musical, and therein lies the key to its success. Not just a string of clever songs and sketches, this plot driven evening has more in common with The Producers than the episodic kid’s show it emulates. It takes an incongruous concept to the extremes of silliness and fills it with a score featuring drop-dead funny lyrics set to music that is catchy and superbly appropriate for each individual moment. Then, just when you think it has reached the limit of absurdity, it introduces elements of schmaltz involving the relationships between characters about whom the audience has come to care. The concept works every time it is used by creators who know their craft, and here it is clear that songwriters Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who came up with the concept while studying this craft at the legendary BMI Musical Theatre Workshop, playwright Jeff Whitty, and director Jason Moore, each know theirs quite well indeed.

Most of the cast in the touring company have been in the Broadway or the Las Vegas companies of the show. Robert McClure is sharp as both the gay man who tries to avoid detection by singing about "My Girlfriend Who Lives in Canada" and the newly arrived college grad who wonders "What Do You Do With A BA In English?" Kelli Sawyer brings a chipper persona to the teacher he asks out on a date ("What are you doing tonight?" "Grading term papers. But its kindergarten so they're short.") and a sultry touch to Lucy the Slut who promises to slip him her phone number when his date goes to the bathroom. Both are great at manipulating their puppets as well as selling their songs and scenes. Carla Renata is new at the impersonation of Gary Coleman that is more than a running gag, but she's got it nailed. Angela Ai is the better half of the team of the unemployed comic and his Japanese wife who objects to the term "Oriental" but prefers "Asian-American" in the song "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist." Her partner in that is a player with the notable name Cole Porter who is the one cast member who sometimes seems a bit bored with the proceedings. The cast-wide average for involvement, energy, enjoyment and straight out pizzazz is boosted, however, by the work of David Benoit as the gay Republican stockbroker's roommate, the monster who insists that "The Internet Is For Porn" and one of the bears who are the personification (or is that bearification?) of temptation.

Since all but three of the dozen main characters are puppets, puppet design is critical. These designs are by Rick Lyon, who also appeared in the original cast manipulating a number of his creation. They are cleverly derivative, affectionately mimicking the clean, clear characterization of the best of the late Jim Henson’s work for Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. Anna Louizos matches his whimsy in her set design with touches such as a forced perspective view of the top of the Empire State Building complete with wind to blow the hair of one puppet. Touches like this keep the show fresh all evening long.

Concept, music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx. Book by Jeff Whitty. Directed by Jason Moore. Puppets conceived and designed by Rick Lyon. Choreographed by Ken Roberson. Musical direction by Andrew Graham. Music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Stephen Oremus. Incidental music by Gary Adler. Design: Anna Louizos (set) Mirena Rada (costumes) Howell Binkley (lights) Robert Lopez (animation)  Acme Sound Partners (sound).  Cast: Angela Ai, David Benoit, Minglie Chen, Robert McClure, Cole Porter, Carla Renata, Kelli Sawyer.

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Running Time 2:55 - one intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for a glorious revival of one of the great American musicals
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Storyline: The musical version of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion adds personal romance to the original’s love affair with the English Language as Henry Higgins, a dialectician who believes that the way a person speaks "absolutely classifies him," takes on the challenge of teaching Eliza Doolittle, a flower girl from Covent Garden, to speak well enough to be accepted as a princess at a court function. He (and she) succeeds. But in the process, he "grows accustomed to her face" and wants her in his world permanently, despite his protestations that he would "never let a woman in my life."

This show is legendary for the success of Lerner and Loewe's adaptation of a play many thought could not be made into a musical. No lesser talents than Rodgers and Hammerstein themselves had tried and abandoned the project. Hammerstein told Lerner "It can't be done." But, to paraphrase the second act opener "They Did It!" With respectful but absolutely necessary changes to the plot of the original, careful alterations of character traits and with the near-perfect placement of some superb songs with wonderfully literate lyrics set to gorgeous and superbly functional music, Shaw's creation became not just a good musical, it became a better play than its estimable source. "Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?" "I Could Have Danced All Night," "On The Street Where You Live" and "I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face" are some of the premiere romance songs to emerge from the golden age of the American musical. The sub-plot involving the flower girl’s father provided the opportunity for such classic music-hall style production numbers as "Get Me to the Church on Time" and "With A Little Bit of Luck" while the concentration on elocution, enunciation, pronunciation and all things linguistic gave them the chance to produce some of the finest patter songs since Gilbert and Sullivan with "Why Can’t the English (teach their children how to speak)?" "I’m An Ordinary Man" and "A Hymn to Him" which poses the time honored question "Why can’t a woman be more like a man?" Add to all this the terrific release of exuberant joy in "The Rain in Spain" and you have a score with more beauty, wit, depth and charm than a dozen more mundane musicals.

In the revival, director Trevor Nunn has taken more liberties than necessary, but the strength of the material survives most of the tinkering. In London the only design element that seemed to misfire was the choreography of Matthew Bourne who turned some of "With A Little Bit of Luck" into a scene from Stomp and has the aristocrats at Ascot gavotte-ing as if they were horses. Fergus Logan has faithfully recreated that choreography, weaknesses and all. Nunn used all of the technical advances in stagecraft of the last half century without seeming to show off simply because lights can be refocused remotely, projections can be made to move and massive set pieces can fly or slide more or less silently. Shaun Kerrison re-directs for the tour without missing a beat. Nunn's designer, Anthony Ward, produced stylized stage pictures that were all together appropriate and provided that sense of heft that makes this feel a very substantial show. Matt Kinley and Christine Rowland successfully adapted those designs for the tour. While the touring company's sets have been simplified just a tad (no opposing treadmills for the traveling stage), nothing seems cheap. Neither the cast nor the orchestra has been reduced for the tour.

British headliners have the principal roles and they are simply marvelous. Christopher Cazenove makes the misogynistic elocutionist completely consistent and thoroughly infuriating in his attitude toward Lisa O'Hare's loverly flower girl who blossoms into a lady. O'Hare carries off the transition with charm, intelligence and spirit. Tim Jerome is perhaps the best music hall comic of all we've seen handle the role of her father, the unique moralist who is proud of his position as a member of "the undeserving poor." Broadway veterans handle the marvelously crafted supporting roles including Justin Bohon who sings "On The Street Where You Live" most memorably and whose delighted laughter brightens the Ascot scene deliciously. Walter Charles is a fine, consistent Colonel Pickering whose bet with Higgins sets the story off on its delightful way. Of interest is the casting for the role of Mrs. Higgins, that grand dame who is the image of all that a gracious lady really should be. Here it is Sally Ann Howes, who died-in-the-wool theater buffs will find fascinating for she was the actress who took over the role of Eliza in the original Broadway production in 1958 so that Julie Andrews could open the London production at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the very same house where this revival was such a hit. Things do come full circle ... and Howes is as good in the smaller role as reports are that she was great in the lead nearly fifty years ago.

Music by Frederick Loewe. Lyrics and book by Alan Jay Lerner. Adapted from the play by George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Trevor Nunn. Redirected for the US tour by Shaun Kerrison. Choreography and musical staging by Matthew Bourne. Musical direction by James Lowe. Choreography restaged by Fergus Logan. Orchestrations by William David Brohn. Dance arrangements by Chris Walker. Design: Anthony Ward (original set and costumes) Matt Kinley (tour set associate) Christine Rowland (tour costume associate) David Hersey (lights) Oliver Fenwick and Rob Halliday (tour lighting design adaptation) Paul Groothuis (sound) Ed Clarke (tour sound associate). Principal cast: Justin Bohon, Christopher Cazenove, Walter Charles, Sally Ann Howes, Tim Jerome, Lisa O'Hare or Dana Delisa.

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Running time 1:30 - no intermission
Four women sing about aspects of "The Change"
Performances in the M&T Bank Pavilion
Reviewed August 2, 2007
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Storyline: Four women on a day in Bloomingdales share their menopausal experiences and other concerns of life for women "of a certain age" in skits and songs, most of which use melodies of well known pop songs of the baby-boomer generation with the lyrics altered to fit that generation's newer concerns. "Heat Wave" becomes "Hot Flash" and "It's A Sign Of The Times" becomes a litany of symptoms.

This good natured hour and a half collection of sketches and songs got its start in, of all places, Florida where it seemed perfectly positioned to pull in its intended audience. What is more, it has a title that is perfect for communicating to potential ticket buyers just what is being offered. The theme can only be stretched so far and not all the revised lyrics are all that clever. Still, six years after that Florida opening, productions have been mounted with success in Europe, Great Britain, Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand not to mention the US from California to Connecticut. An Off-Broadway version ran for over three years. The show requires only one set (architecturally suggestive of Bloomies) and a band of keyboard, percussion and guitar.

The stock characters are played with energy, humor and a wink. There is Lisa Mack as the "Power Woman" whose transformation into Tina Turner is a highlight. Jennifer Timberlake is the star of a soap opera who fears her run as a daytime television actress may be coming to an end. Barbara Pinolini is the former hippie who can't quite recall the 60s but can sing about them with flair. Most fun is Monica Lijewski as an Iowa housewife on a New York shopping spree. Her effort to fit her ample frame into a flimsy see through teddy gets the audience howling as the show approaches its climax.

The show has taken up an open-ended residence in the M&T Bank Pavilion, a large meeting hall/ballroom facility within the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center which houses the Hippodrome. (We list it on our Hippodrome page because we don't have a page for the meeting hall/ballroom and it isn't likely that this will become a venue for many shows.) With a stage set up at one end and twelve rows of seats on risers at the other, tables have been set up in between. You can purchase tickets in the seats on the risers for $45 and arrive for the show or table seating with a buffet dinner starting 90 minutes before curtain for $65.

Book and Lyrics by Jeanie Linders. Directed by Michael Larsen based on the original direction of Kathryn Conte. Choreography created by Patty Bender and staged by Daria Lynne Melendez. Musical direction by Mike Devito. Score and arrangements by Alan Plado. Design: Bud Clark (set) Sue Hill (costumes and properties) Jen-Yves Tessier (lights) Jonathan Bobo (sound)  Danyela Marks (stage manager). Cast: Monica Lijewski, Lisa Mack, Barbara Pinolini, Jennifer Timberlake. 

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Running time 2:30 - one intermission
The non-equity tour of the recent Broadway musical
Price range $26 - $71
Click here to buy the Broadway Cast CD

Storyline: The lead singer in Simply Wed, a band specializing in playing wedding receptions in and around Ridgefield New Jersey, is stood up at the altar for his own wedding. A waitress who also works these gigs tries to cheer him up. She's engaged to be married and wants him to work her wedding reception. But they fall for each other and he has to find a way to keep her from making the mistake of marrying the wrong man so she'll be free to marry him.

The last time we heard a score by Sklar and Beguelin it was at Signature Theatre in Arlington with The Rhythm Club, a 1930s jazz- tinted musical drama set in Nazi Germany. This time it is a 1980s rock-tinted musical comedy. Anything in common? Yes: tunefulness, lyric inventiveness and a certain respect for the function of a show tune. The score here is a frolic through Broadway conventions - an up-tempo, goodtime piece of escapism. On Broadway, it relied on the pace of the cast under the director, the energy of the chorus under the choreographer and the whimsy of the designers. (Click here to read our review of the Broadway production.) The book is by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, the "Saturday Night Live" writer/producer who wrote the script for the movie. Its "Saturday Night Live" sensibility shows through, especially in the use of semi-free standing bits like the "Dear John" letter song that the Wedding Singer's intended bride sings, or the rap that his horny grandmother spouts. The plot is carried farther here than in the movie (which ended with the wedding singer, his lady love, and her fiancé on the airplane headed to Las Vegas). Here, the couple-to-be actually make it to Vegas where the climax takes place in a wedding chapel populated by impersonators, not of Elvis but of Billy Idol, Tina Turner, Imelda Marcos and - yes - Ronald Reagan.

John Rando's inventive direction has been fairly well recreated here and Rob Ashford's sparklingly effective choreography is only semi-successfully re-staged while the witty visual design of Scott Pask which was such a highlight on Broadway has been reduced to merely serviceable, somewhat dull and occasionally ugly elements. Still, the material's Hairspray-type musical comedy sensibility comes to the fore most of the time and the tour is aided by a very strong pit band establishing strong rocking rhythms for the up-tempo numbers and clear, tuneful counterparts for the more sentimental numbers. The faux-Pachelbel for "A Note from Linda" was nicely done, indeed.

Merritt David Danes makes the part of the wedding singer his own, affecting just a touch of Bruce Springsteen in his demeanor. Erin Elizabeth Coors is just a bit pale beside him as the pert and wholesomely pretty waitress who falls for him. Mark Raumaker is suitably nasty as her soon to be jettisoned fiancé, who breaks into energetic dance to explain his greedy mantra "All About the Green." Both Sarah Peak and Justin Jutras do very good jobs as the secondary couple, the would-be bride's best friend and the side man in the Wedding Singer's band. Penny Larson mugs the little-old-grandma with a healthy sex drive routine for most of what it is worth.

Music by Matthew Sklar. Lyrics by Chad Beguelin. Book by Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy based on the screenplay by Tim Herlihy. John Rando's original direction recreated by Paul Stancato. Rob Ashford's original choreography recreated by Chris Bailey. Orchestrations by Irwin Fisch. Conducted by John Mezzio. Dance arrangements by David Chase. Design: Scott Pask (set) Gregory Gale (original costume design) Barry Lee Moe (hair and make-up) Brian MacDevitt (lights) Lucas J. Corrubia, Jr. (sound). Cast: Joel Abels, Carrie Cimma, Erin Elizabeth Coors, Kevin Faraci, Zach Frank, Merritt David Janes, Justin Jutras, Penny Larsen, John Jacob Lee, Kimberly Marable, Ciaran McCarthy, Rebecca Lynn Miller, Lindsay Moore, Sarah Peak, Mark Raumaker, Rebecca Riker, Jason Samuel, Marco Antonio Santiago.

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Running time 1:35 - no intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for a superb play
 with performances to match
Winner of the Ushers' Favorite Show Award for March
Price range $27 - $67
Click here to buy the script

John Patrick Shanley examines the essence of doubt in ninety minutes of intense and absolutely absorbing human drama. He certainly gets to his point right up front. The opening line of the play is "What do you do when you're not sure?" He never takes the easy way out and never gives the audience a chance to either, with no revelations, no certainties and no easy answers. When you leave the theater, you too will still have ringing in your ears the final line: "Oh, I have such doubts!" Indeed, you may find yourself debating long into the night whether the priest is guilty or innocent and whether the sister was right in her actions. There is no correct answer and there is no end of justification for either side of either question. What isn't debatable is the quality of the play or the quality of the performance. Both are superb.

Storyline: A Roman Catholic nun who runs a parish school suspects that the young parish priest has established an inappropriate relationship with one of the boys in the school, but she has no proof. How should she deal with the situation?

The storyline above doesn't tell you exactly what the "inappropriate relationship" might be - neither does the author. He's not setting up a concrete "whodunit" or even a "what's-he-done." Instead, to see what Shanley's intent is, look to the the subtitle: "A Parable." The moral dilemma facing Sister Aloysius is that she has doubts, not proof. She has duties and responsibilities too. The time is 1964. Today's revelations of pedophilia among clergy dating to that period make this a highly topical play but its approach to the central question is timeless. No wonder Shanley received both the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for best play.

Shanley's script presents just four people as it lays out its conundrum. There's the sister herself. What a role! No simple stereotype of a set-in-her-ways, officious official. This nun is a widowed woman with a strength based on her discovery late in life of the certainty of the church, a certainty tempered by a lifetime of seeing how temporal things work. Cherry Jones' performance is every bit as strong and impressive as its reputation has led Potomac Region theatergoers to expect - she won a Tony in this role and it is a rare thing for a Tony winner to then travel with the play. Chris McGarry is new to the role of the priest, but he plays it with great intensity, charm, humor and dignity. Intensity and dignity are the adjectives to praise the performance of Caroline Stefanie Clay as well. She's simply marvelous in her one scene as the mother of the boy Sister Aloysius suspects is the priest's victim. Lisa Joyce is the young teacher in the school who surfaces the initial suspicions. She was a bit hard to understand at times and she stepped over a few of Jones' lines but her innocent reactions were right on.

John Lee Beatty's sets combine archways and utilitarian file cabinets in a construction that slides on and off smoothly and quickly so the fast paced play is never delayed by so much as a minute. Pat Collins' lighting gives each location and time a different feel. His' leafy, late afternoon shadows in the garden are fabulous. The entire package -- design, direction, acting and that marvelous script -- is first rate.

Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Doug Hughes. Design: John Lee Beatty (set) Catherine Zuber (costumes) Pat Collins (lights) David Van Tieghem (original music and sound) Craig Schwartz (photography). Cast: Caroline Stefanie Clay, Cherry Jones, Lisa Joyce, Chris McGarry.

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Running time 2:35 - one intermission
The national touring company of a Broadway revival of the 1966 musical comedy
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Storyline: A dance-hall girl with a heart of gold always looks on the bright side of every situation and always believes she's about to have that big love that will let her live happily ever after. She finally does seem to find "Mr. Right" when they are stranded in an elevator, but this relationship falls apart as well. She's hurt but picks herself up one more time with the conviction that happiness is still just around the corner.

Neil Simon's script offers vintage musical comedy. Its blend of outrageous situations and understandable, if somewhat stereotyped characters, provides comedy routines similar to the sketches he used to write for the Sid Cesar's Your Show of Shows, emotionally touching moments of hope and romance and a host of spots for song and dance. The leads are given material with which the strongest can really shine and even smaller characters are treated to great musical material. For example, the almost negligible part of the operator of the dance hall is given a musical number of his own, "I Love To Cry at Weddings" (Richard Ruiz makes the most of his opportunity) and a one-scene character, Daddy Johann Sebastian Brubeck, gets a chance to sell "The Rhythm of Life." (David Glaspie does less with this than one suspects its composer and lyricist intended.)

Ringwald sings well, carries off the limited dancing required in this staging and throws herself into the project with commitment. She plays the part as a bit more downtrodden than did Applegate, seeming just a touch closer to desperation and a tad less hopeful, but she still shows the spunk and spirit required. Guy Adkins is particularly good as the man who may be "Mr. Right." His physical comedy in an elevator stuck between floors is funnier and his voice stronger than Denis O'Hare's performance on Broadway. Aaron Ramey, on the other hand, is fine but not as strong as his Broadway predecessor, Paul Schoeffler.

This is a bright and colorful production with a simple but striking visual impact due to Scott Pask's semi-abstract sets (the elevator scene is a small square elevator car half way up a curtain wall, the Ferris wheel set is a suspended two-seat car mounted between light-festooned poles.) William Ivey Long provides his usual vividly colored outfits. The new orchestrations by Don Sebesky sound quite full and bright as performed by a pit band of 14, all but three of whom are local hires. They will only get better as the two-week run progresses and they have had a chance to play these charts more times.

Music by Cy Coleman. Lyrics by Dorothy Fields. Book by Neil Simon. Directed by Scott Faris. Broadway revival directed by Walter Bobbie. Choreographed by Wayne Cilento. Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings. Orchestrations by Don Sebesky. Additional musical and vocal arrangements by Michael Rafter. Additional dance arrangements by Jim Abbott. Design: Scott Pask (set) William Ivey Long (costumes) Bernie Ardia (hair and makeup) David Grill (lights) Peter Hylenski (sound) Andrew Eccles (photography) Deborah D. Raulerson (stage manager). Cast: Guy Adkins, Nova Bergeron, Jessica Leigh Brown, Ben Cameron, Colin Cunliffe, David Glaspie, Francesca Harper, Kathryn Mowat Murphy, Rhea Patterson, Adam Perry, Michelle Pruiett, Keven Quillon, Aaron Ramey, Molly Ringwald, Richard Ruiz, Laquet Sharnell, Tonya Wathen, Amanda Watkins.

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Running time 2:25  - one intermission
The 30^th anniversary touring company
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Storyline: In the depths of the depression of the 1930s, a Billionaire by the name of Warbucks sends his secretary to a New York City orphanage to select a lucky youngster to spend the Christmas holiday in his mansion. She comes back with "Little Orphan Annie" who charms everyone in the place - the staff and the billionaire. He decides to adopt her, but she still holds out hope that the parents who left her on the steps of the orphanage as an infant will fulfill their pledge to come back for her. Warbucks enlists the help of the FBI to track them down and offers a reward, which the mean mistress of the orphanage and her brother plot to collect. But no second rate crooks can outwit J Edgar Hoover, FDR, Daddy Warbucks and Annie!

Since the show was here eight months ago many of the flaws that were pointed out then remain. Alene Robertson, in the role of Miss Hannigan, has taken some feedback and is now funnier, but some of her scenes are still troubling given the target age of the audience. At one point a thin wicked looking knife is brought out to indicate that once their scam on Mr. Warbucks is complete, it will be easy to dispose of the little orphan girl. This could have been easily portrayed without the prop of the knife since it isn’t even mentioned as a method of execution, but the silent motion of slicing a finger across Miss Hannigan’s throat leaves little doubt to its purpose. It’s intimidating and unexpected in such an upbeat, optimistic show.

Marissa O’Donnell and Conrad John Schuck seem to have lost some of their chemistry together, though each still gives excellent solo performances. The evening is completely stolen though in every scene featuring six year old Anastasia Korbal, the new Molly, who is so perfectly cute and charming that it makes you happy just seeing her on stage. The sets by Ming Cho Lee also continue to amaze. Seeing the Hoover-ville set up under the freeway is impressive, and as mentioned in the Wolf Trap review, the snow globe effect on Christmas eve is stunning. Also appealing is the way the spotlight focuses on Kelly Ann Lambert, the female conductor in a profession normally filled by men. She is a dynamic presence in the pit and is now probably responsible for a number of little girls wanting to grow up with a baton in their hand that isn’t twirled on the sideline of a football game.

Even given its small problems, and the running length that puts some small children to sleep before its finish at 10:25 pm for an evening performance, this still remains an outstanding show by which to introduce children to the magic of musical theater. This is especially true in showing small girls that they can be independent free thinkers who have a profound impact on the world around them. There is still the startling contrast between the plight of orphans victimized by an uncaring system and the unemployed homeless residents of a "Hooverville" -- the song "We'd Like To Thank You (Herbert Hoover)" remains an angry protest -- on the one hand, and the fairy tale story of wealth, influence and optimism with its "spirit can overcome difficult situations" message on the other. However, It’s a feel good show that is big enough to fill the large space of the Hippodrome and still have enough room left over for small girls to have really big dreams.

Music by Charles Strouse. Lyrics by Martin Charnin. Book by Thomas Meehan. Directed by Martin Charnin. Original choreography by Peter Gennaro. New Choreography by Liza Gennaro. Musical Direction by Keith Levenson. Design: Ming Cho Lee (set) Theoni V. Aldredge (original costumes) Jimm Halliday (additional costumes) Bernie Ardia (hair) Ken Billington (lights) Peter Hylenski (sound) Chris Bennion (photography). Cast: Natalie Backman, Alan Baker, Amanda Balon, Elizabeth Broadhurst, Julie Cardia, Gabi Carrubbs, David Chernault, Jason Collins,, Kelly Linn Cosme, Antoinette DiPietropolo, Ashley Puckett Gonzales, Brian Michael Hoffman, Aaron Kaburick, Allen Kendall, Anastasia Korbal, Marissa O’Donnell, Brandi Panfili, Monica L. Patton, Katherine Pecevich, Liz Power, Alene Robertson, Conrad John Schuck, Lisa Tucker, Harry Turpin, Christopher Vettel, Casey Whyland, Scott Willis, Madison Zavitz, and Lola (Sandy the Dog).

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Running time 2:15 - one intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for an accurate re-creation
 of Broadway's current hit
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Storyline: A musical comedy loosely "ripped off" from the Monty Python movie adds one more item to the quest that Arthur, King of the Britons, and his hardy band of knights of the round table must tackle at the command of the Knights who say "Ni". (If you understood that, keep reading. If not, just go see the show and enjoy the energy, color and the over-the-top humor.) They must put on a show on Broadway, a street in a country that hasn't even been discovered yet!

The original touring cast was chosen for the ability to portray the same characters as the original Broadway cast that won the 2005 Tony award for Best Musical. The new additions to the touring company stick close to the original interpretations but bring some personalization to the roles that tilt it ever so slightly away from the better show seen at the National last year. This is still a fantastic production, and the new performers versions of their characters are not necessarily bad, they just result in very slight moments of awkwardness as they grow into their roles and timing. Pia Glenn remains a force of nature as The Lady of the Lake, especially funny wearing a dressing gown and singing “The Diva’s Lament” where she asks, “What ever happened to my part?” King Author’s faithful sidekick Patsy, played with a wry humor by Jeff Dumas, still has some of the best deadpan moments in the show.

The design team is a veritable who’s who of phenomenal Broadway talent. Featuring the direction of Mike Nichols, it goes without saying that the show moves along at a brisk pace. Nichols has won eight Tony Awards, an Oscar, and has received the Kennedy Center Honors award for his lifetime of work. Set design by Tony award winner Tim Hatley is a thing that must be seen to be believed. With a Show Portal weighing in at 2800 pounds, the Camelot Hanger at 6000 pounds, even the Feet of God (oh just trust me, that’s what they are) weigh 1700 pounds, this is a heavy show in every sense of the word. The production hires 50 local crew members at each venue just to load the show in and out of the theater. (It must be nice when you can afford to hire someone else to do all the heavy lifting). Even the orchestra is unique, featuring the Spama-horn, an instrument developed for and used only in Spamalot.

The namesake movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, was made for a meager budget of $400,000. Featuring chain-mail armor made of silver painted wool, a cardboard castle backdrop and coconuts instead of horses (yes, it was a lucky break that they were too broke to afford to use real horses), it is amazing that it has developed into a cult phenomenon and now this multimillion dollar musical extravaganza. There are few tickets left during this run, singles and limited view, but try to get out and see this fantastic show. And remember, “What happens in Camelot, STAYS in Camelot.”

Music by John Du Prez and Eric Idle. Book and lyrics by Eric Idle. Directed by Mike Nichols. Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. Music direction by Ben Whiteley. Music arrangements by Glen Kelly. Vocal arrangements by Todd Ellison. Orchestrations by Larry Hochman. Design: Tim Hatley (sets and costumes) David Brian Brown (hair and wigs) Joseph A. Campayno (makeup) Gregory Meeh (special effects)  Hugh Vanstone (lights) Acme Sound Partners (sound) Joan Marcus (photography). Cast: Matt Allen, Jonathan Brody, Kevin Crewell, Jeff Dumas, Pia Glenn, Christopher Gurr, Erik Hayden,  Patrick Heusinger, Anthony Holds, Naomi Kakuk, Jamie Karen, Amy F. Karlein, Angelina Mullins, Robert Petkoff, Shobhan Santapaola,  Darryl Semira, Michael Siberry, Christopher Sutton, Paula Wise  and the voice of John Cleese.

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Running time 2:50 - one intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for a big, bold, musical spectacle
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Storyline: Glinda, who would ever be known as “The Good Witch” and Elphaba, who would always be known as “The Wicked Witch of the West” as a result of the movie The Wizard of Oz, were in fact, college roommates in their youth. How that came to be, why Elphaba was green, what the Wizard’s reign was like and how other characters from that famous story/movie came to be a tin man, a lion and a scarecrow, is the basis for this musical extravaganza staged as only Broadway could present it.

Stephen Schwartz's score sounds very much like something we would expect from the composer/lyricist of Godspell and Pippin who collaborated on songs for the movies Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. They are folk-rock flavored show pieces with a tendency to lushness in the melody, pop influence in the rhythms and spirituality in the lyrics. All of this works well for this show. Wordplay with puns, repeated rhymes and multiplying meanings has always been a feature of Schwartz' work, and here he has the additional material of the unique vocabulary of Oz to spice up some of the songs -- he fits in words like “braverism,” “rejoycify” and “swankified.”  The numbers have the virtue of making effective scenes for the show, establishing story or character clearly and providing designers and cast members with opportunities to shine -- opportunities which are never wasted in this carefully constructed concoction.

The cast of the tour has changed since the Kennedy Center stop. Victoria Matlock is now the green Elphaba, a role she performs with energy, a good sense of dignity and a fine pop-rock-belting voice. Opposite her is Christina DeCicco as the white-clad, blond Glinda. She handles the mixture of the coloratura soprano demands of the score and the valley-girl comedy of the script nicely. Stepping into the role of the wizard is P.J. Benjamin who at time looks just a bit like Ed Wynn, but Wynn never sang a comedy song as well as Benjamin does. His rendition of "Wonderful" deserves its title.

The brightly colored world of Oz makes the transition to the Hippodrome stage fully intact in Eugene Lee's concept and is filled with the visage of Susan Hilferty's endlessly inventive, if sometimes downright silly, costume designs. (Madam Morrible's bustle gets a laugh, just as it is intended to do.) Special note should be made of both Kenneth Posner's bright color reinforcing lighting design and Tony Meola's all-encompassing sonic world. New music director Dominic Amendum maintains the quality of the musical performances, both of the pit orchestra with its three keyboards creating a pop-synth sound supported by heavily miked acoustic instruments, and of the cast with a large chorus also heavily miked.

Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by Winnie Holzman based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Directed by Joe Mantello. Musical staging by Wayne Cilento. Music Direction by Dominick Amendum. Design: Eugene Lee (set) Susan Hilferty (costumes) Tom Watson (hair and wigs)  Alex Lacamoire and Stephen Oremus (music arrangements) James Lynn Abbott (dance arrangements) William David Brohn (orchestrations) ZFX, Inc (flying effects) Kenneth Posner (lights) Elaine J. McCarthy (projections) Tony Meola (sound). Principal cast: Leslie Becker, P.J. Benjamin, Christina DeCicco, Tom Flynn, Clifton Hall, Deedee Magno Hall, Kyle Hill, Lori Holmes, Josh Lamon, Victoria Matlock, Paul Slade Smith, Barbara Tirrell. 

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Running time 2:30 – one intermission
A satisfying professional production
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Storyline: A vaudeville of songs and skits, each of which adds to the narrative of a simple story about two women in prohibition-era Chicago who achieve celebrity from jail as they await trial on their separate murder charges. Their notoriety is ultimately eclipsed by even more spectacular crimes but they manage to break into show business when their sleazy lawyer gets them off by doing a little razzle-dazzle on the jury.

The star of the show in a role that seems it was created for her remains Michelle DeJean as Roxie. She embodies the role, filling it with energy, pizzazz, and a level of verve that invites the audience along with her for a great ride. She has only gotten better since her performance in the region last summer, and it is a joy to watch her on stage. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for her co-star, Terra C. MacLeod, in the role of Velma. This is a show that requires the two women be of equal talent and energy levels and this isn’t the case with this production. Seeming tired or perhaps under the weather, Ms MacLeod renders a by the numbers performance, from the start with the classic “All that Jazz” to the duo with Mama, or her finale duo with Ms DeJean, she performs well, but doesn’t allow the numbers to be the show stopping performances they were meant to be. She plays the hard bitten, cynical star role well, but as casts change on Broadway to keep shows fresh, this National Touring company could possibly benefit from a similar change.

During its time in Baltimore, the show has brought in Tony award winning Melba Moore in the role of Matron “Mama” Morton. This was a good choice character wise, as she is instantly recognizable in the role, but her power in the character’s signature songs does not quite match that of the normal star, Carol Woods, who while not as endearing as Ms Moore, is able to lift the songs into great moments. A surprise addition to the Baltimore cast is Christopher McDonald in the role of Billy Flynn. It was so much of a surprise that he was not even listed in the program on opening night and was announced just prior to the show’s start, sounding much like an understudy standing in. Fortunately the audience quickly recognized him as familiar (mostly from his hilarious performance in Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore”), and by intermission the buzz was spreading through the audience as to his identity. He gives an enjoyable performance as Flynn, and the lawyer comes across with some of the slick oiliness that defined his character in Gilmore.

Mention should also be given to R. Bean who continues in the role of Mary Sunshine; an outstanding performance as always. The stage is simple with a few special effects throughout the show allowing the audience’s attention to remain on the actors. The dance company continues their energetic performances, and though they are thankfully in the relative comfort of the Hippodrome (last summer at Wolf Trap one member was replaced at intermission due to heat exhaustion) they still amaze with their fortitude to complete the 2.5 hour show. With over 10,000 performances worldwide and the huge success of the recent movie production, there are probably not many who haven’t experienced this powerful musical, but find someone who hasn’t, or some other excuse, and see it again to enjoy the moments you loved the first time.

Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Directed by Walter Bobbie. Choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse recreated by Gary Chryst. Supervising musical direction by Rob Fisher. Music direction by Vincent Fanuele. Orchestrations by Ralph Burns. Dance music arrangements by Peter Howard. Design: John Lee Beatty (set) Ken Billington (lights) William Ivey Long (costumes) Scott Lehrer (sound) Paul Kolnik (photography), Andrew Neal (stage manager). Cast: R. Bean, Nicole Bridgewater, David Bushman, Christophe Caballero, John Carroll, Stephenos Christou, Theresa Coombe, Kelly Crandall, Michelle DeJean, Ivy Fox, Mike Jackson, Kevin Neil McCready, Christopher McDonald, Terra C. MacLeod, Erich McMillan-McCall, Melba Moore, Jill Nicklaus, Roy Orbach, Jessica Perrizo.

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Running time 2:40 – with one intermission
A good night of laughter in the Hippodrome
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Storyline: A suave and sophisticated con man is the king of scams along the French Riviera when an interloper known as "The Jackal" threatens his turf. A rough-around-the-edges young operator approaches the dapper master and a competition ensues to see which can be the first to con a young American woman out of $50,000.

Given all of the similarities in the design team between the touring version and the Broadway production, the show comes with the usual pizzazz expected of a national touring company. There are girls in tight dresses and bright colorful costumes. Lots of dance, song, and some funny moments when the actors acknowledge they are on stage in a show. Clever use of a spinning dolly allows for rapid set changes and the props master must have his hands full keeping track of the countless pieces and parts that go into making the Riviera come to life. Still when the night is finished it is mostly relief as the show should have been finished three scenes sooner.

What failed to work on Broadway (see our review here) continues to fail to work on the road. The dance numbers are uninspired, save for one 10 second duo that seems completely out of place given the mediocrity of the remaining numbers. Individually the performances are good, especially those of the leads and their immediate support, but the whole never seems to gel into a finished product, leaving the audience with a lot of individual laughs and sight gags (the scene where the younger con becomes the retarded younger brother is enough to bring tears of laughter to the eyes) but never truly making it the show it could be.

There is a partial Monty, clever reference to The Full Monty for which composer/lyricist David Yazbek is better known. There are also some incidences of adult humor, adult situations, and quite a bit of innuendo, so younger children would probably best be left at home. Yazbek's score includes a different opening number for the tour than was used on Broadway. The version which was captured on the original Broadway cast recording opens with "Give Them What They Want." For the tour, Yazbeck restores a number he had written for the slot, "The Only Game in Town."

Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek. Book by Jeffrey Lane. Directed by Jack O'Brien. Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Orchestrations by Harold Wheeler. Vocal music arrangements by Ted Sperling and David Yazbek. Dance music arrangements by Zane Mark. Music direction by Ted Sperling. Conducted by Steven Bishop. Design: David Rockwell (set) Gregg Barnes (costumes) Kenneth Posner (lights) Acme Sound Partners (sound). Cast: Tom Hewitt, Timothy Gulan, Laura Marie Duncan, Hollis Resnik, Drew McVety, Jenifer Foote, and ensemble.

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Running time 1:35 - no intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for intelligent,
emotional drama
Reviewed at the Kennedy Center 10-05-2006
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Storyline: In a hot and humid, non air conditioned jury room in New York in the 1950s, an all male jury deliberates over the fate of a teenager accused of killing his father. At the start, they are split eleven for guilty and one lone juror raising reasonable doubts.

There are lots of whodunits and quite a few courtroom dramas, but a jury play is a rarity. That's a mystery since this, the most successful and most famous of the extremely unusual genre (go ahead, try to think of another one) is so successful it seems that it would have stimulated a flood of imitations. Maybe a lot of playwrights tried it since it looks like it should be so easy, only to find that its awfully hard to give life to a single-location and single topic argument. It began life on September 20, 1954 on CBS Television when Studio One telecast the play by Reginald Rose who had, himself, served on a manslaughter jury and based the teleplay on his own experience. It was later made into a movie with Henry Fonda as the juror with doubts.

A strong ensemble piece, the juror with doubts is the key, and in the hands of Richard Thomas, the chemistry works well. He's such an intelligent actor. His body and his face seem to reflect his thought process and he seems to think of his lines as he speaks them. With colleagues like the eleven others in the jury room, that process can be fascinating. The key is that Thomas doesn't hog the spotlight. Indeed, for much of the early going, he plays most of the time with his back to the audience addressing his fellow jurors. George Wendt is the best known of the other jurors - he's a fine jury foreman and his frustration over the unruly debate contrasts with his sense of the importance of the jury's duty to explore all factors. Most notable among the debating men are those most stridently anxious to convict, Randle Mell as the father whose problem with his own son flavors his interpretation of the crime, Julian Gamble as a big, loud bigot and Mark Morettini as the baseball fan who will go either way just as long as the verdict comes down in time for him to get to the game. There's lovely work from Jeffrey Hayenga as the least emotional weigher of the evidence, David Lively as the immigrant juror, Alan Mandell as the elderly one.

The single, highly naturalistic set creates the feel of confinement even as it stretches across the Eisenhower's broad stage with windows on the right shining late afternoon light into the drab room, a fan that isn't working and florescent light fixtures hanging over the long jury table. (Actually its two tables shoved together in a nice touch - obviously, this courthouse wasn't supplied with custom made tables for its jury rooms.) The audience enters to see the set on the stage, violating what should be a cardinal rule of theater: never dispense with a curtain. Not only does it rob the audience of that valuable moment when the world outside yields to the world on stage, it lets critics examine the space at close range and notice things like the Kleenex box with a design not yet adopted in the 1950s.

Written by Reginald Rose. Directed by Scott Ellis. Design: Allen Moyer (set) Michael Krass (costumes) Paul Palazzo (lights) Brian Ronan (sound) John Gromada (original music) Rick Sordelet (fight direction) Joan Marcus (photography) Paul J. Smith (stage manager). Cast: Charles Borland, Todd Cerveris, T. Scott Cunningham, Julian Gamble, Jeffrey Hayenga, David Lively, Randle Mell, Alan Mandell, Mark Morettini, Patrick New, Jim Saltouros, Richard Thomas, George Wendt, and the voice of Robert Prosky.

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Normal running time 1:40 - no intermission
A small musical touring as a big Broadway show
Contains material appropriate for teens and above
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Storyline: As six precocious school kids compete in a local high school gymnasium, songs and scenes reveal some of their inner thoughts, hopes and fears.

The story of the evolution of the show is by now a bit of a legend on Broadway. A tiny comedy troupe in Manhattan's lower east side was doing a small improvisational piece. One of the performers happened to be the nanny of playwright Wendy Wasserstein, who came to see the show, liked it, and passed the idea that it might make a good musical to William Finn, composer/lyricist of Falsettos, A New Brain and Elegies: A Song Cycle. He got involved and brought in James Lapine, director of Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, and Passion with Stephen Sondheim as well as Falsettos and  A New Brain with Finn. The resulting show with a cast of nine and a pit band of five opened in a 296-seat Off-Broadway theater and wowed audiences, winning the Lucille Lortel award for outstanding Off-Broadway musical of 2005. It transferred to Broadway's 684-seat, nearly theater-in-the-round, Circle in the Square Theater where it drew a slew of awards, including the Tony Award for Best Book for a Musical and it is still going after over a year. It is a show for adults, not one for kids, despite the cartoonish nature of the show's logo.

The touring version looks very much like the Broadway incarnation - a single set of a high school auditorium stage with a curtain at the back that opens to reveal various additional locations, slightly oversized costumes for the grown actors playing children, all just a bit more colorful than reality under bright lights. (There's no way to say if it also sounds like the Broadway version.) The cast includes two actors who impressed on this night. Miguel Cervantes, who was bright and strong all evening as the Boy Scout uniformed contestant, apparently did some quick improvisation to tie things together when an unscheduled intermission was taken in the middle of this one-act musical due to the technical problems. Another impressive moment for him was his big number, "My Unfortunate Erection," the title of which demonstrates the age group this show is intended to reach. Alan H. Green commanded attention as the "comfort counselor" who, as part of his community service requirement for parole, is available to help the losers cope with their elimination.

One gimmick that seemed to work this night was the show's use of recruits from the audience. Unlike some shows that draft unwilling participants during the performance, Spelling Bee asks for volunteers some half hour before the show, selects a few and gives them the benefit of some instruction on what they will do on stage. They then serve as additional contestants to make the bee seem more competitive than simply a six person contest. One of the features of the script is the collection of one-line introductions for each contestant each time he or she approaches the microphone to spell a word. These, and the definitions and sentences read by the "pronouncer" (James Kall, as the assistant principal returned after a five year absence, apparently as a result of some unspecified pedophiliac behavior) get most of the laughs of the evening.

Music and lyrics by William Finn. Book by Rachel Sheinkin. Conceived by Rebecca Feldman. Directed by James Lapine. Musical direction by Jodie Moore. Choreographed by Dan Knechtges. Orchestrations by Michael Starobin. Vocal arrangements by Carmel Dean. Design: Beowulf Boritt (set) Jennifer Caprio (costumes) Natasha Katz (lights) Dan Moses Schreier (sound) Joan Marcus (photography) Brian J. L'Ecuyer (stage manager). Cast: Kate Boren, Miguel Cervantes, Alan H. Green, James Kall, Eric Petersen, Jennifer Simard, Sarah Stiles, Lauren Worsham, Michael Zahler.

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Running time 2:35 - one intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for pure fun
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Storyline: 22 of Abba’s greatest hits are used to tell the story of a young girl on a Greek island who is getting married and wants her dad to give her away. The difficulty is that her single mom never said who her dad might be. From mom’s diary she determines it could have been any one of three of her mom’s former boy friends, none of whom she has ever met. So she invites all three to the wedding and tries to figure out which one should walk her down the aisle.

The cast of this touring version is fully up to the task of giving the audience a great time. Laurie Wells delves into the part of the free-spirited mom, who is dismayed to find the three men from her past show up for the wedding, with more attention to the dramatic aspect of the role than some of her predecessors. Lisa Mandel and Laura Ware are both a kick as her two best buddies from her younger days. The daughter is Carrie Manolakos, who carries off both her songs and the story very well. The gals have all the best numbers, but there are fine performances by the three men as well. Indeed, Sean Allan Krill is both quite appealing as the architect who really was the mother's long lost love, and in fine voice for some of the more challenging vocals. Ian Simpson and Milo Shandel do nice work as the other two potential dads.

It is all colorful, up-tempo and delightful with songs that will be familiar even to those who don’t think they remember who Abba was. (From 1974 to 1984 the Swedish pop group had an amazing string of hits ranging from "Dancing Queen" through "Thank You For The Music," both of which are featured in the show.) Half of the fun is figuring out how book writer Catherine Jones worked each of these well known songs into the story she created. Since the lyrics are instantly familiar to most of the audience, it is amusing to see how they fit the circumstances of the scene. Jones does this cleverly, and it is to her credit that she chose to place them in a traditional musical romantic comedy structure rather than go the easy route of staging a loosely connected string of songs in a disguised concert.

Nothing is taken too seriously in this clever and energetic show. The set, the costumes, the lighting and – most of all – the performances are all strong and stylish. The same design team that was responsible for the current hit at the Winter Garden on Broadway repeated their work for the tour. The show here looks and feels very much as it does 193 miles to the north. They may travel with fewer lights (the white Greek taverna seems a little less sun bleached) but there are still a full 300 light cues and who knows how many sound cues for the system that delivers a live-performance quality that captures the Abba sound. The band in the pit is the same composition as on Broadway: four (count ‘em, four) keyboards, two guitars, a bass, drums and percussion. They capture the Abba sound and the entire evening ends with the audience on its feet, bouncing to the music. So don’t even think of leaving to beat the traffic when the curtain calls begin. There’s a lot more show yet to come and plenty of good times yet to be enjoyed.

Music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus (and some songs with Stig Anderson). Book by Catherine Johnson. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Choreography Anthony Van Laast. Music direction by Susan Draus. Musical supervision, additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch. Design: Mark Thompson (set and costumes) Howard Harrison (lights) Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken (sound) Joan Marcus (photography). Cast: Tiffani Barbour, Karla L. Beard, Corey Greenan, Chauncey Jenkins, Sean Allan Krill, Lisa Mandel, Carrie Manolakos, Robert Pendilla, Milo Shandel, Ian Simpson, Laura Ware, Laurie Wells, Brad Wills.

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Running time 1:35 - one intermission
A high quality musical entertainment for girls four to nine
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