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Running time 1:10 - no intermission
A simple children's tale with a moral set to a bright  musical score
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Storyline: Lazlo S. Gasky joins the second grade at Brookhaven School where all the kids find his blond, blue eyed appearance, his strange name and his thick middle-eastern accent just different enough from their own traits to make him seem altogether too different to be accepted as one of the gang. But classmate Ellie McSnelly, seeing the sorrow their reaction causes him and his family, befriends him and gets the other kids to do so too.

The name above the title isn't the only thing that might have been different. Perhaps the title should have been "Befriending The Brand New Kid" for the key element here isn't really how different young Laslo is but the lesson young Ellie McSnelly learns as she gets beyond Laslo's newness. It is a fairly standard story of first day of school conflicts. Stock characters such as the bully and the nerd flesh out the collection of youngsters and parents; teachers, a telephone operator and a "cafeteria lady" complete the mix. The songs are serviceable and director Nick Olcott sets the pace at a bright, energetic level that nonetheless allows key pieces of the story to be clear to even the younger members of the audience.

The strength of the production is in its cast. James Gardiner is the new kid with the differences that bother the kids in the story, but they certainly don't bother the kids in the audience. He's bright, open and likeable. Erika Rose, fresh from her marvelous work in The Bluest Eye at Theater Alliance makes a friend any kid in the audience would want. All the kids are good and all the adults are as well. All the adults are Donna Migliaccio, proving again - as she did at the Arden in Philadelphia in The Dinosaur Musical - that she can shine in a broad-brush role in a kids' show. She's a "blah, blah, blah" teacher, a mother, the Cafeteria Lady and even a "Guy Telephone Operator."

The set and costume designs don't don't try to duplicate the light, airy and rather sketchy water-color illustrations that Marjorie Priceman drew for Couric's book. Instead, they are a bit more concrete and substantial but not lacking in either color or whimsy. With a puppet poodle and a walking tree-house, the world of these kids is childlike enough and very bright. The bottom line is, kids have a fine time at this show - whether they are young theater-going veterans or are, themselves, "The Brand New Kid" in the audience.

Music by Michael Friedman. Lyrics by Melanie Marnich and Michael Friedman. Book by Melanie Marnich based on the children's book by Katie Couric. Directed by Nick Olcott. Choreographed by Parker Esse. Music direction by Derek Bowley. Orchestrations by Michael Freidman and Gabe Kahane. Design: Alex Cooper (set)  Rosemary Pardee (costumes) Dreama Greaves (properties) Ingrid Crepeau (puppets) Al Guban (lights) Tony Angelini (sound) Scott Suchman (photography) Brandon Prendergast (stage manager). Cast: Cristina Flagg, Games Gardiner, Michael Grew, Donna Migliaccio, Diego Prieto, Erika Rose.

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Running time 1:15 - no intermission
A bright and happy children's musical about bright
 and happy children

Storyline: Three of the children of President Teddy Roosevelt discover a treasure map in a copy of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, and follow the clues throughout the White House in search of the treasure, much to the delight of the President, but not necessarily of the President's valet or of their new governess. 

Tom Isbell's book is a bit like the structure of a Mark Russell routine - quick, interesting, humorous, filled with references (in this case, historical rather than current events commentary) and imbued with a positive attitude. It, like Russell's work, is also literate in that it plays intelligently with words. The work of the two men mesh nicely so there aren't spots where the book is put on hold while a song is delivered. Some of the melodies are based on recognizable ditties ("My Own Family" to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Number 7" to the tune of "Frère Jacques") but others seem completely new. Even here, however, such as in the case of "We Haven't Got A Clue,"  the lyric takes precedence over the music.

Isbell works the history of both the White House and the Teddy Roosevelt family into his story. The lead trio of Sokolowski, McGloin and Alexander Strain work as if they really are as close as brothers and sisters. They attack the adventure at hand with a chipper spirit and face such dangers as the stuffed bear from whose "pooper" a significant clue emerges. (It is a kids' show after all, so you need some immature humor.) Paul Morella makes a strongly virile Teddy Roosevelt with a soft spot for his children and a longing for adventures in the great outdoors (as he tells us in "The Strenuous Life For Me") while Jennifer Mendenhall is fun as the up-tight new governess who seems as flummoxed by her first encounter with her new charges as Julie Andrews did early in The Sound of Music. The difference here is, being a one-act kids' musical, she isn't given a chance to develop "Confidence."

Co-presenters, the Kennedy Center and the White House Historical Society, seem to have kept an eye on the potential for touring the show. The size of the cast is manageable, the set is spare and the principal requirement is enough stage space to accommodate a good deal of running around looking for clues. The President's desk under which the children clamber even comes with the full story of the HMS Resolute from whose timbers it was said to have been built. Such details tend to enliven rather than burden Isbell's storytelling.

Songs by Mark Russell. Book by Tom Isbell. Directed by Gregg Henry. Music direction and orchestrations by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Choreographed by Ilona Kesell. Design: Nicholas Vaughan (set) Deb Sivigny (costumes) Dreama Greaves (properties) Nancy Schertler (lights) William Burns (sound) Carol Pratt (photography) Lindsay Miller (stage manager). Cast: Michael J. Bobbitt, Matthew McGloin, Jennifer Mendenhall, Paul Morella, Richard Pelzman, Jenna Sokolowski, Alexander Strain.

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Reviewed March 19
Running time 0:55 - no intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for an unblinkingly honest presentation of a difficult subject

Storyline: Twelve year old Ben and his father, mother and sister are among the 110,000 people of Japanese descent imprisoned in ten "internment camps" in the deserts and mountains of the American west from shortly after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor until after the war ended four years later. Through the entries he makes in his journal the audience learns not just the facts of the internment but its impact on the lives of Ben and his family, a family of American citizens given the internment number 13559, and shipped off from their home in San Francisco to a barren desert encampment surrounded by barbed wire and patrolled by armed soldiers.

Iizuka's adaptation of the book by Barry Denenberg takes some one hundred and fifty pages of story and distills it into less than an hour of stage time. The result is a tight, dramatically effective piece.  An impressive Jon Norman Schneider in the title role never talks down to the youngsters in the audience. Instead, he draws them into his confidence with an open honesty, making the most of the humor of the text, while at the same time, showing both the confusion and the pain imposed on the young man.

Nelson Mashita carries himself with a good mix of dignity and affection as Ben's father who can't absorb the blows he and his family are dealt in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor and the proclamation of Executive Order 9066. Jeanne Sakata's proud posture as Ben's mother is pronounced in two exceptionally affective scenes - once as she breaks an heirloom rather than see it become plunder, and again when she instructs her children in the necessity of fighting the never-ending battle with the dust of the desert. Mia Whang carries some of that proud posture as well in a younger incarnation as Ben's older sister.

The apparently bare stage on which half a dozen chairs sit when the audience enters is actually a platform, which, with the addition of a few strands of wire and the presence of armed guards makes a memorable image of confinement, especially when backed by the painted drop which makes a shocking appearance when the family arrives at the camp. Simple staging effects such as turning chairs accompanied by clanging sounds to represent the shutting of the family into the train for transport, communicate eloquently the essence of the impact on the family once known as the Uchidas but officially treated as simply family 13559. 

Adapted by Naomi Iizuka from the book by Barry Denenberg. Directed by Chay Yew. Design: Myung Hee Cho (set and costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (properties) Martha Mountain (lights) Matt Nelson (sound) Carol Pratt (photography) Brandon Prendergast (stage manager). Cast: Parker Dixon, Susan Lynskey, Nelson Mashita, Jeanne Sakata, Jon Norman Schneider, Mia Whang.

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Reviewed December 16
Running time 1:05 - no intermission
An energetic staging for kids 5 and up
Price $15
Click here to buy the book

Storyline: A young girl receives a notice that her ticket in a sweepstakes is a "winner" and that she must bring her "winning ticket" to the offices of the sweepstakes in New York City. Accompanied by her friends, she goes to the big city, but finds that having those friends in the first place is the real wealth.

The listing of this show as "Alice by Whoopi Goldberg" may lead many a parent into thinking this is a Whoopi Goldberg show. If so, they will be disappointed, as there are no references to that legendary comedienne in the show itself. Instead, it is a show based on a book she happened to write. It may bear a bit of her persona in the sensitivity of the material but there is no "Whoopi" stamp on the production and no "Whoopi" character in the story. Had the book not been written by her, it is doubtful that it would have been as good a seller as it has been or that it would have been adapted for the stage. For those considering attending, however, the question is how much fun is the show itself and in this it passes the test - kids will have a good time.

There are lots of pleasures to be sampled here. There is a certain sense of attitude to the presentation epitomized by the energetic enthusiasm of Audra Alise Polk in the title role, the fine body language of James Konicek and the chipper score of incidental music by Mitch Greenhill which drives the pace and spirit of the piece through its short duration. With the exception of Polk, each of the cast doubles up to create a total of a dozen characters in the space of just over an hour.

This re-furbished space is handsome and functional indeed. No more are the walls decked out with hoods from old cars, which, when the space was the American Film Institute Theater, always invoked the atmosphere of a drive in movie. Now, rich woods enclose the space with comfortable seats arrayed on risers that are steep enough to keep one row from blocking the view of even small children in the row behind. There aren't any blocked-view seats or extreme-side areas so everyone should have a fine view.

Written by Kim Hines, based on the children's book by Whoopi Goldberg. Directed by Shirley Jo Finney. Design: James Kronzer (set) Timm Burrow (costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (properties) Dan Covey (lights) Tony Angelini (sound) Mitch Greenhill (incidental music composition) Kristin Capuano Cullari (stage manager). Cast: Nehal Joshi, Scott Kerns, James Konicek, Jason Lott, Audra Alise Polk, Erika Rose.

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Reviewed April 8
Running time 1:25 - no intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for kids showing
unadulterated joy in performing
Click here to buy the book on which
this production was based

Storyline: A youthful dance musical based on Debbie Allen's 2000 children's book tells the story of twelve year old "Sassy" who wants to be a ballet dancer, but at 5' 9" with feet to match, her friends and schoolmates think she's too ungainly for classical dance. Her uncle tells her that being tall simply means "you can see all around, so you can always find the right path to take." She decides to audition for a visiting ballet master and wins the competition.

As one glance at the list of cast members below will prove, Allen amasses quite a crew of youngsters for her now ten year old tradition of getting kids from the area, from age about seven to the upper teens, to strut their stuff in amazingly focused performances that exude excitement and pride as well as talent. Fifty three of the sixty four credited cast members are kids from Washington (11) Maryland (27) or Virginia (15). It is a trademark of Miss Allen's work that not one of them ever seems not to know exactly what they are supposed to be doing at each moment on stage or have the slightest doubt that they are fully capable of doing it with panache. Key roles like the narrator "Lil Sassy" (Taylor Parks) and the dancing Sassy (Kristin Taylor) are filled by tremendously talented kids who have worked with Allen before, either here or at her dance academy in Los Angeles.

The kids aren't alone on stage, however. Spirited performances come from Monique Cash as Sassy's dance teacher, Jeffrey Walker as her uncle, and Egheosa Igbinoba as her mother. The score is by James Ingram, Wayne Linsey and Allen's brother Andrew "Tex" Allen. It is a thumping, modern gospel-rock combination that gives many of the kids solos to shine in and reason to shout, stomp and let loose in pairs, trios and groups. They get to strut their stuff as playground kids, a drill team, football players, "bad girls" as well as ballet students and ballerinas, not to mention ants and redbirds.

The designs of Ray Klausen (set) and Timm Burrow (costumes) match the feel of the book's original illustrations which were by long time Allen collaborator Kadir Nelson. The double page illustration of Sassy's dream of being a ballerina in the book comes to life with dimly lit dancers with fiber optic tutus against a curtain of stars in an effect enhanced by Dan Covey's flexible lighting. Eric Chichester adds magical projections. The whole theater rocks to the pre-recorded musical accompaniment and the sound of the soloists and the entire ensemble in Tony Angelini's effective audio coverage.

Written, adapted, directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen. Score by Debbie Allen (lyrics) Andrew "Tex" Allen (music and lyrics) James Ingram (music and lyrics) Wayne Linsey (music). Design: Ray Klausen (set) Timm Burrow (costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (properties) Dan Covey (lights) Tony Angelini (sound) Carol Pratt (photography) Selena Anguiano and Marjie Hashmall (stage managers). Cast: Courtni Abell, Ali Al-Zaidi, Audra Avery, Erin Avery, Ayanna Bria Bakari, Noble Bradley, Emily Brown, Monique Cash, Cody Cooley, Kylie Cooley, Colby Dezelick, Dylan Dixon, Monica Douglas, Alexis Engelhardt, Kimberly Faure, Blair Galiber, Kelsey Garibaldi, Samara Green, Daniel Harder, Alexander Jabari Harris, Turrelle Le'Quan Harris Jenkins, Corey-Antonio Hawkins, Marissa Horton, Ta'Quan A. Howie, Egheosa Igbinoba, Allison Kelly, Vladimir Kolesnikov, Arrington Lassiter, Sarah Locke, Alexx Macedo, Madeline McCabe, Alexia McGowan, Kendra McNeal, John Mercke, Jodeci Milhouse, Daniel L. Moore, Obinna Morton, Dante Antonia Troese Niosi, Chase O'Connell, Taylour Dominique Paige, Taylor Parks, Graham Pitts, Noah Robbins, Amber Alexis Ross, Marjay Ross, Jon'Nai Russell, Allison Sale, Teria Sands, Jackson David Schulz, India Ter'e Simms, Malik Simms, Mekiel Simms, Ariella Steinhorn, Brianna Stinebaugh, Kristin Taylor, Kristin Turner, Jeffrey Walker, Daryan Ware, Dion Watson, Bethany Whitley, Krystle Whitley, Johannas Williams, William B. Wingfield, Whitney Woods.

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Reviewed March 4
Running time 1:15 - no intermission
General Admission Seating
t A Potomac Stages Pick for an excellent introduction to classical theatre for kids ages 9 and up
Click here to buy the complete script

Storyline: Feuding brothers, young women disguised as young men, faithful servants and court intrigue all come together in the forest of Aden where a Duke has banished his predecessor. One young man, in love with a young woman he believes is still back at the court, pens love letters which he leaves on the trees of the forest. The object of his love, however, has followed him to the forest disguised as a boy. All ends happily when love overcomes adversity, confusion and hatred.

This first-ever co-production of a children's version of a Shakespeare play by the Kennedy Center and Michael Kahn's Shakespeare Theatre was a project of Jef Hall-Flavin, an Associate Director of the Shakespeare Theatre. His faithfulness to Shakespeare's words is the mark of the show. An abridgement such as this could have retained a good deal more plot and characters if the adaptor was willing to jettison much of the poetry and imagery that made it as successful in its full length as it has been. Instead, Hall-Flavin retains the beauty of language and relies on the skills of his seven member cast to communicate missing plot points through glances, gestures and a good deal of physical humor.

With only seven performers to handle the dozen major parts retained in Hall-Flavin's version, the quality of the cast is an important element in the success of the production. With Erika Rose as the lovely Rosalind who follows her love into the woods disguised as a boy, and with Allan Care as her love, the play is in good hands. James Beaman handles four parts, careful to create distinctions where necessary but without overdoing idiosyncrasies. There is a sense of camaraderie in the ensemble that is appealing and no off-putting grandstanding.

Jesse Terrill has composed accompanying music for the production which has the intriguing virtue of being incredibly brief. Some of his passages can't be more than eight bars and yet they establish a lilting, Elizabethan feel for scene after scene with amazing economy. They are matched by Cynthia Thom's costumes which have the equal virtue of being changeable in a brief moment. With as much doubling as is going on - not to mention the importance of cross-dressing disguises in the plot - the ability of cast members to switch identity so quickly is crucial. All of this works in part because it never seems frantic or even overly hurried, but rather, the pace often matches the flow of the story. For that, Hall-Flavin deserves credit for his direction just as he deserves kudos for his adaptation.

Written by William Shakespeare. Adapted and directed by Jef Hall-Flavin. Incidental music composed by Jesse Terrill. Fight choreography by Brad Waller. Design: James Kronzer (set) Cynthia Thom (costumes) Colin K. Bills (lights) Kevin Hill (sound) Carol Pratt (photography) Karen Storms (stage manager). Cast: James Beaman, Allan Care, Daniel Harray, Cheryl Resor, Erika Rose, Tony Simione, Jenna Sokolowski.

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Reviewed December 22
Running time 1:10 - no intermission
t A Potomac Stages Pick for introducing kids to musical theater

Music and lyrics by Don Schlitz. Book by Ken Ludwig. Directed by Nick Olcott. Choreographed by Michael J. Bobbitt. Fight choreography by Brad Waller. Music direction by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Design: James Kronzer (set) Rosemary Pardee (costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (props) Martha Mountain (lights) Tony Angelini (sound). Cast: Mark Bush, Steven Joseph, Philip Olarte, Janet Patton, Amy Sheff, Danny Tippett, Steve Tipton.

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Reviewed October 22
Running time 1:05 - no intermission
Appropriate for children age 9 and up

Storyline: Arthur's tutor, Merlin, travels through time (as he was want to do) to get a bright teenager with extraordinary skills at a computer game to go back with him to help teach Arthur some of the rudiments of the struggle for justice and honor. She finds as many lessons to learn from Merlin and Arthur as she has to teach them before she returns to her own time to face the problems she left behind with a fresh, broader perspective. 

Allen mixes humor with humanity to keep a light touch that avoids any sense of preachiness and holds the interest of his audience. He lets the basic concept of the story, the interplay between modern and ancient times, provide most of the humor. The light touch extends to the performances as well. Michael Kramer's solid stage presence as Merlin works nicely, Ralph Cosham does smooth work as Arthur's missing father Uther and Tuyet Thi Pham provides both a sympathetic portrayal of the young girl's cancer-ridden mother and Arthur's nemesis Morgause.

The adults in the cast are strong indeed but Allen well knows that a show aimed at young audiences works best when the focus is placed on younger actors in the central roles. He has written the roles of Arthur and Agnes, the young computer wiz, with a youthful flippantry combined with an earnestness that younger audiences can identify with and appreciate. Cast in these central roles are two young performers with the charm and energy to carry off Allen's intent. Scott Kerns is a young innocent as Arthur and Rana Kay is as good this time out as she was in Dreams in the Golden Country in this hall two years ago under the same director. Again she proves to be the linchpin in a satisfying ensemble.

Director Gregg Henry has reassembled some of the design team from Dreams as well. Tony Cisek is back with a set design featuring multiple risers and a wheel-on, wheel-off hospital bed that facilitates the quick time-change of the show. Dan Covey also returns to provide lighting effects which, with Jesse Terrill's original incidental music, underscore those changes. So to do the attractive medieval-feeling costumes and contrasting modern garb designed by Cynthia Abel. The result is a package with lots to offer for kids and parents alike.

Written by Norman Allen. Directed by Gregg Henry. Incidental music by Jesse Terrill. Fight choreography by Brad Waller. Design: Tony Cisek (set) Cynthia Abel (costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (properties) Dan Covey (lights) Kevin Hill (sound) Carol Pratt (photography) Kurt Hall (stage manager). Cast: Ralph Cosham, Ted Feldman, Rana Kay, Scott Kerns, Michael Kramer, Tuyet Thi Pham.

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Reviewed April 5
Running time 1 hour 15 minutes
Recommended for ages nine and above
t Potomac Stages Pick

Storyline: The twelve children of Reverend Knight steal out every night to dance to their heart’s content even though the Reverend doesn’t approve of dancing. Every morning their shoes show the marks of the evening revels, they are torn, tattered and tacky. The Reverend hires a housekeeper to keep his children under control but she puts on a cloak to make herself invisible and accompanies them on their revels. At break of day, she magically substitutes clean shoes for the evidence, hiding all the old ones in a closet. When the Reverend discovers the fraud he fires the housekeeper but his children confess to the dancing and accept the “blame.” The Reverend values their honesty, re-hires the housekeeper and even does a few neat steps of his own.

If the story sounds just a bit like the Brothers Grimm fairytale “The Twelve Dancing Princesses” it is no mistake. Allen adapted the story and joined with popular singer/composer James Ingram to write nine songs ranging from rap to gospel which support a wide range of dance styles from tap to ballroom and street routines to specialty turns. In addition, Allen and Ingram take on the key roles of the housekeeper and the Reverend. Ingram may not be much of an actor but his honey sweet voice is a major asset while Allen acts, sings and dances, all with equal finesse and pizzazz. Lacy Darryl Phillips recreates his role from the original production here at the Kennedy Center as the family’s dog who narrates the story, a comic role that brings even the youngest child in the audience into the story quickly.

For all the strengths Allen, Ingram and Phillips contribute, it is the performance of the kids that really sets this show apart from other family-friendly fare. They are extraordinarily well coached by choreographer/director Allen so that every one of them knows exactly what is expected at every moment on stage and clearly believes doing the assigned move, look or pose contributes to the whole. Everyone brings energy and style and everyone, whether a child seemingly too young to take the stage or a teenager on the verge of adulthood, is clearly enjoying exercising his or her extraordinary talent. The result is entrancing, captivating and just plain fun.

Despite the requirement of a large empty floor for the dances, set designer Ray Klausen came up with a number of striking elements that give the production a big-time, professional feel. He slides the tops of buildings across the back of the stage as the kids dance “across the rooftops,” he gives lighting designer Michael Gilliam a mirror ball set in a half curtain/half framework structure for a ballroom scene and even comes up with a stage-wide bed for the twelve children to share that is covered and uncovered by a single sheet in a delightful little bit of whimsy. 

Adapted from the Brothers Grimm, directed and choreographed by Debbie Allen. Words and music by James Ingram and Debbie Allen. Associate Director/Choreographer Stephen Smith. Associate Choreographer Undré Revis. Design: Ray Klausen (set) Reggie Ray (original costume design) Timm Burrow (costume coordinator) Dreama J. Graves (properties) Kadir Nelson (book design) Denise D. Saunders (stage manager). Cast Debbie Allen, James Ingram, Lacy Darryl Phillips, Maud Arnold, Audra Avery, Elaine Bowers, Trent Jamal Covington, Jazz Domingo, Richard Freeman, Blair Galiber, Desiree Hall, Daniel Harder, Corey Antonio Hawkins, Charlene Hoffman, Jason Holley, Marissa Horton, Antonio Hudnell, Marcus Learwinson Jackson, Saudia Jenkins, Ericka D. Kelly, Anastacia King, Carey Lair, Arrington James Lassiter, Noelle Sudan Lindsay, Devon Louis, John Thomas Manzari, Leo Alexander Manzari, Madeline McCabe, Amanda McCormick, Alexia McGowan, Kendra E. McNeal, Elizabeth Moreton, Joshua Morgan, Chase O’Connell, Charity Danielle Payne, Sebastian Poffet, Abigail Pribble, Noah Robbins, Fredic K.L. Rogers, Nadia Danielle Ross, Anthony D. Silver, Jr. Darian Tyee Kai Smith, Stephen Smith, Elizabeth Steele, Tanairi Vazquez, Dion Watson, Michael Alvin Weems, Bethany Michelle Whitley, Krystle Monet Whitley.

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Reviewed December 20
Running time 1 hour
t Potomac Stages Pick

Before David Maddox and Mary Hall Surface created the charming family musicals Sing Down the Moon, Perseus Bayou and Mississippi Pinocchio at the Theater of the First Amendment, they collaborated on this equally charming dance/theater piece for the Kennedy Center. The 1997 production was a success and now a traveling version has been prepared for the Imagination Celebration’s 2003 tour. The same artistic and design team has prepared this production but an entirely new cast dances and tells Hans Christian Anderson’s tale in a colorful, entrancing 60 minutes.

 Storyline: An Emperor of China believes that he possesses the absolute best of everything. But he learns that a nightingale in a neighboring forest sings more beautifully than any bird he owns. He sends his courtiers to find the bird. They entice the nightingale to come sing in the palace and the Emperor pleads with the bird to stay. Later, a mechanical nightingale is delivered as a gift from a neighboring court and diverts the attention of the Emperor. The live bird, heartbroken, flees back to the forest. When the mechanical bird malfunctions, the Emperor falls ill and can only be saved by the generosity of the live nightingale.

 Surface directs this production just as she did the original and Dana Tai Soon Burgess, who conceived the project in the first place, recreates his choreography. Between the two of them, they find ways to make the story crystal clear to young audiences. Of course, it helps that the youngsters are already entranced by the colors of Tom Donahue’s sparse but distinctive set. Being a dance piece, he confines himself to a backdrop and a few side pieces, leaving plenty of room for dancing.

 The dance is to Maddox’s lilting music. There are moments when Lisa Woo, who establishes direct rapport with the audience as the servant/narrator, sings explanations accompanied by the movement of multiple dancers. But it is the pure dance music that works most of the magic. It is atmospheric and rhythmic so that, when it meets the children’s ears at the same time that the dancers' movements meet the children’s eyes the effect is mesmerizing.

 At the performance we attended we pulled our eyes away from the stage periodically to survey the audience. Everywhere we looked we saw children ages 4 to about 11 enraptured by the spectacle before them. No one seemed to be bored or asleep or fidgeting. That is quite a testament to the success of a piece designed specifically for children of that age group.

 Written and directed by Mary Hall Surface. Composed by David Maddox. Conceived and choreographed by Dana Tai Soon Burgess. Design: Tom Donahue (set) Jane Schloss Phelan (costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (properties) Lynn Joslin (lights). Cast: Lisa Woo, Elizabeth Coker, Rahel Merga, Rahmein Mostafavi, Miyako Nitadori, Leonardo Giron Torres.

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Reviewed November 22
Running time 1 hour 5 minutes
Price $13

Written by Ken Ludwig. Songs by Don Schlitz. Directed by Nick Olcott. Music direction by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Choreography by Michael J. Bobbitt. Design: James Kronzer (set) Rosemary Pardee (costumes) Martha Mountain (lights) Tony Angelini (sound). Cast: R. Scott Thompson, Sean MacLaughlin, Amy Sheff, Amy McWilliams, Morgan Duncan, Michael Tilford, Britt Prentice.

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Reviewed October 19, 2002
Running time 1 hour 15 minutes
Price $13
t Potomac Stages Pick

Written by Barbara Field from the novel by Kathryn Lasky. Directed by Gregg Henry. Design: Tony Cisek (set) Catherine Norgren (costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (props) Dan Covey (lights) Seth Kibel (music) Kevin Hill (sound). Cast: Rana Kay, Lee Mikeska Gardner, Michael Laurino, Terence Aselford, Larua Giannerelli, Jeremy Goldman.

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Reviewed April 7
Running time 1 hour 25 minutes

Written, directed, choreographed, co-composed and starring Debbie Allen. Other composer include James Ingram and Diane Louie. Musical direction, arrangements and sound design by Diane Louie. Design: Ray Klausen (scenery) Timm Burrow (costumes) Dreama J. Greaves (properties) William H. Grant III (lights.) Cast: Debbie Allen, Vivian Nixon, Matt Dickens, Danny Tidwell, Phyleia Rashad, Jason Ingram, Melike Konur, Alexia McGowan, LeAnna Longerbeam and the "Dwowns" – Audra Avery, Noah Robbins, Marcell Wildy, Alec Clawson, Arrington Lassiter, Rebecca Martin, Ta’Quan Howie and Samantha Dehner.

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Reviewed December 21
Running time 1 hour
Performed in the Terrace Theater

Based on three books by Kevin Henkes. Adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling. Directed by Jerry Manning. Tour version staged by Elizabeth Pringle. Choreographed by Christopher Marlowe Roche. Design: Tony Cisek (set) Howard Vincent Krtz (costume) Ayun Fedorcha (lights) Tony Angelini (music and sound) Dreama J. Greaves (Properties.) Cast: Silinea Hilliard, Rob Bauer, Scott Hampton Cooke, Ian Le Valley, Lynn Blackburn Lush, Kerri Rambow.

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Reviewed November 30
Running time 1 hour

Music and libretto by Ric Averill. Directed by Graham Whitehead. Musical Director Deborah Wicks LaPuma. Design: Tony Cisek (set) Timm Burrow (costumes) Martha Mountain (lights) Tony Angelini (sound) Dream J. Greaves (properties.) Cast: Ross A. Dippel, Kathryn Rice, Scott Sedar, Tom Sellwood, Schatar Sapphira White.