From Girls in Green to the Great White Way

Posted by Bruce Miller
Those who may wonder why Barksdale and Theatre IV are so pleased to partner with the Girl Scouts (see Curtain Up, Lights Out, Fun’s ON! [Sat Oct 31, 2009] and How We Help … Girl Scouts [Wed June 18, 2008] should consider the case of Toni-Leslie James (pictured to the right).

Who? Toni-Leslie James. Start getting used to hearing that name, even here in little old Richmond. In fact, especially here in Richmond. Toni-Leslie James, you see, is beginning her third year as Director of Costume for Theatre VCU. Simultaneously, she is earning rave reviews as the Costume Designer of Finian’s Rainbow (pictured below), which opened on Broadway last week to some of the most glowing reviews I've read in years.
VCU Communications and Public Relations issued a press release about Ms James last spring that reads as follows: “The seed for (her) illustrious career was planted years ago on a fateful field trip to see Jack and the Bean Stalk with her Girl Scout troop. From that moment, she was hooked.”

So as our historic Empire filled last weekend with a hundred or so young ladies in green, who knows what super-star of the future was in our midst.

If you’d like to catch a videotaped interview with Toni-Leslie James, you can watch her in a 1992 edition of American Theatre Wing Seminar - Working in the Theatre: Design. Before taping this show, she had just won the American Theatre Wing Design Award for the costumes she created for her Broadway debut, Jelly's Last Jam. She was also nominated for a Tony for the same show. http://americantheatrewing.org/wit/detail/design_09_92

Since that auspicious beginning, Ms James has won great acclaim for her costumes for 14 Broadway productions, including both parts of Tony Kushner’s landmark drama, Angels in America (1993), and Michael John LaChiusa’s two Broadway musicals, Marie Christine (1999) and The Wild Party (2000). Ms James has also dressed many of Off-Broadway’s most memorable plays and musicals.

All told, in addition to her Tony nomination, she has earned three Drama Desk nominations and an Obie Award for Sustained Design Excellence last spring.

Ms James lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Australian lighting designer David Higham, and divides her time between NYC and Richmond. After the opening of Finian’s last week, she may once again be the toast of Broadway, but she’s also a Richmond treasure!

And it all started with a Girl Scout field trip to a local children’s theatre.

That’s the kind of story I LOVE to tell.

I hope to see YOU at the theatre, real soon! And when you come, look around. Maybe you’ll be sitting down the row from Richmond’s newest Tony nominee—Toni-Leslie James.

--Bruce Miller

Crazy Doin's Up Malibu Way

Posted by Bruce Miller
In 1959, the movie Gidget became a major hit starring Sandra Dee. The film was about a slowly developing girl (half girl, half midget, hence Gidget) who tries to get the boys on Malibu Beach to teach her how to surf. One of the boys, the Great Kanaka, is a surfing legend. His pal, Moondoggie, becomes Gidget’s boyfriend. Two sequels, Gidget Goes Hawaiian and Gidget Goes to Rome followed in 1961 and 1963.

In 1965, Sally Field made her debut as the TV Gidget, in a one-season series that went on to enjoy immense popularity as a cult hit. It also established Sally Field as a star. Gidget’s brother-in-law in the series, Peter Duell playing John, was a psychiatry student.

In 1976, Sally Field won an Emmy Award for playing the title role in the television movie Sybil. Sybil is about a young woman who suffers from multiple personality disorder as a result of the psychological trauma she suffered as a child.

Charles Busch was born in 1954, grew up on Sally Field as Gidget and Sally Field as Sybil. In 1987, he wrote the Off Broadway hit Psycho Beach Party as an answer to the question, what if Gidget and Sybil were the same girl? Psycho Beach Party is set in Malibu in 1962. The slowly developing girl who wants surfing lessons is now named Chicklet, the surfing legend is now known as the Great Kanaka, the soon-to-be-boyfriend (who is a psychology student) is now named Star Cat instead of Moondoggie. And Chicklet has a few surprises up her psyche.

I went to see Psycho Beach Party this evening at TheatreVCU. It was a crazy ride. Here’s what I enjoyed:

It was great to see a play without a serious bone in its body. Charles Busch employs a light touch as he spoofs Hollywood’s beach party and psycho movies/TV shows simultaneously. He uses the innocent background of 1960s teen flicks to skewer all the sexual mores in sight (or not in sight as the case would have been in the early 60s). My good friend Steve Perigard’s direction, likewise, is lighter than air.

I laughed out loud in several places, and the VCU student audience LOVED the play’s irreverence and tongue-in-cheek raunchiness.

From the second she walked on stage as B-movie starlet Bettina Barnes, my friend Sarah Pruden understood and exemplified the style of the piece with every ounce of her being. She nailed it from her first word to her last. Not an easy task for someone born decades after the work being spoofed.

Tommy Callan and Kyle Cornell played two young women in a completely effortless (and effective) manner. There was nothing self-conscious or campy about their performances, which seemed just right.

My buddy Richie Gregory and Dallas Tolentino had a touching chemistry as the two young men who, midst their macho beach maneuverings, discover that they’re more than just friends.

The terrific set by Adam Karvatakis established just the right sea, sand and surfer shack ambiance, and the wonderful period music (selected by Sound Designer Susan Ralmo?) served the action beautifully.

The high energy of the entire cast and the hard work of all involved made this a real crowd pleaser. Psycho Beach Party was never meant to be great theatre—God forbid—but it was a hoot and a holler and a breath of fresh Pacific air. There’s one more performance tomorrow afternoon for those who want to join in on the fun.

--Bruce Miller

The Real Transylvania Mania

Posted by Bruce Miller

Very quickly (it's past my bedtime), I attended TheatreVCU's production of Dracula this evening, written by Steven Dietz, directed by Barry Bell, and produced by David Leong. It was an exciting, impressive and creepy ride.

I especially appreciated the five leading men: Brandon Crowder as Dracula, Joe Carlson as Renfield, Joseph Sultani as Seward, Landon Nagel as Van Helsing, and Andrew Donnelly as Harker. All five inhabited their characters with distinct personalities and histrionic expertise, creating some heart-pounding suspense.

Of the five, Landon Nagel is the Barksdale vet, having played the minister and other roles in The Full Monty a couple summers ago.

Ron Keller's set, Toni-Leslie James's costumes, Mike Mauren's lights, and especially Thomas Vecchione's sound were all chill inducing. Ron Keller is another Barksdale and Theatre IV vet, having designed The Laramie Project and supervised the designs of countless other shows at Willow Lawn, including our upcoming productions of Doubt and The Little Dog Laughed.

The two leading ladies, Jaci Camden and Marie Weigle, spent most of the show as young lovelies, but became more interesting after becoming "unclean." Barry Bell staged it all with style, classical titillation, and a fun sense of the unexpected.

More than half the seats were empty this evening, which is a terrible shame. Students can attend for only $7 (adults are something like $18). This evening was further proof that even when exciting theatre is presented super-cheap in their own backyard, it's really difficult to convince the majority of university students to come to the theatre.

The last two performances will be tomorrow evening (Friday) at 7:30, and, if you want to be really creepy, Saturday evening at MMIIDDNNIIGGHHTT - AHH HHAA HHAA!! (That's me using my deep Transylvania voice with lots of reverb.)

Anyway, for an eerie good time, you won't go wrong with this new edition of Dracula. The VCU theatre department is full of talent. And you can't beat the price.

--Bruce Miller

In Memoriam: Curtis Morrisette

Posted by Bruce Miller
We were saddened to learn yesterday of the recent passing of actor and theatre enthusiast Curtis Morrisette, who died on Saturday, Nov 17, after a spirited battle with lung cancer. Curtis last appeared on the Barksdale stage as the crusty old stage door manager, Pops Bailey, in The 1940's Radio Hour.

The two photos that begin and end this post are from the Yellow House film, Hitiro the Peasant, in which Curtis appeared. Thanks to Stephanie Kelley and Justin Dray for use of the photos.

The bio Curtis wrote for the playbill of The 1940's Radio Hour read as follows:

“CURTIS MORRISETTE (Pops Bailey) is pleased once again to be on the stage of Barksdale Theatre. This is his third production with Barksdale. It has been his distinct privilege to work with Barksdale, Firehouse, CAT, HTC, RPAC, Jazz Actors, as well as the VCU Writers, Directors and Actors groups over the past several years. He gives grateful and heartfelt thanks to the present and past directors, stage managers, casts and crews with whom he has had the pleasure to work. ‘They are, and have been, my mentors. If I display any talent in my craft, it is because of their willing and unforgettable help.’”

In addition to his work as an actor, Curtis was a faithful Barksdale usher and friend.

Since 1940's Radio Hour, Curtis appeared as Vincentio with Susan Sanford as Kate in The Taming of the Shrew at Richmond Shakespeare Theatre. Susan was Curtis’s director in The 1940's Radio Hour, and both actors are pictured together in the Shrew photo to the left. The photo was taken by Eric Dobbs. Andrew Hamm, who worked with Curtis on Shrew, has written a thoughtful remembrance of Curtis on his blog, http://andrewhamm.blogspot.com/.

Curtis was subsequently scheduled to appear in Flowers for Algernon at the Mill, but had to leave the show when he was diagnosed with lung cancer and required by his doctor to undergo immediate treatment.

As many times as I talked with Curtis, I have to admit we never discussed his family. Sadly, no one thus far knows if Curtis had any family members with whom he'd been in touch. That being the case, his final arrangements are being tended to by the Veterans Administration Hospital and the manager of the Berkshire Apartments downtown, where Curtis lived. Jil Wilson-Robinson, Vice President of the Virginia Actors Forum, is working with the apartment manager. If anyone knows anything about Curtis’s family, please contact Jil at jwrobinson@toast2.net. Or you can call the apartment manager directly at 804-644-7861.

Jil and others are also planning a memorial service for Curtis. More word on that will be coming.

Curtis seems to be best remembered for his good natured feistiness, his comical way of inventing a line when he had trouble remembering the one that was written, and his frequent visits to Lift, the coffee shop down the street from the Empire. In every instance, he was a positive force in our community and lots of fun. There’s not a minute with Curtis that we don’t remember with a smile, and not a jot of this vital, clever, generous man that we won’t miss.

With respect and affection, Barksdale's upcoming production of Doubt will be dedicated to Curtis's memory.

--Bruce Miller

Taking Stock, Giving Thanks

Posted by Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway

Thanksgiving is one of our favorite holidays. All of us at Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV have many reasons to be thankful.

We are thankful for:

the legacy of hard work, unflappable commitment and uncompromising artistic passion that is our birthright, a gift beyond measure that has been passed on to us by Pete and Nancy Kilgore and Muriel McAuley

a family of theatre artists whose number and talents belie the size of our community, who constantly challenge us to lead and to serve

an intelligent, energized audience that bucks all national trends and continues to grow year after year—an audience that celebrates our successes and pardons our turkeys—an audience that encourages us to risk failure and expects us to do our best

a large and vigilant staff that works selflessly and creatively behind the scenes to generate the energy needed to sustain a major institution (unless you’ve seen them work their magic first hand, you probably have no idea)

financial contributors who believe in the necessity of what we do and are willing to put their money where their hearts are—corporate and foundation donors who understand that it is only through their support that nonprofit arts organizations can work to ensure that everyone has a seat at the table (or at least in the theatre)

trustees who provide the expertise we need to provide ongoing and effective management, who serve as our eyes and ears in the community, who take personal responsibility for the care and feeding of our mission, and who form a bulwark that protects us when times get tough

volunteers who contribute that most precious commodity—time, and who lend encouragement with an unwavering smile

the Virginia Commission for the Arts, under the exemplary leadership of Peggy Baggett (pictured to the right), always caring, always communicating, always holding us to the highest standards

institutional partners like Greater Richmond’s many senior centers and retirement living facilities (Barksdale’s Bifocals Theatre Project); the Hanover Tavern Foundation (our Country Playhouse Season at Hanover Tavern); James River Writers and the READ Center (Virginia Arts & Letters Live); the Latin Ballet of Virginia (Latino Theatre Project); Prevent Child Abuse Virginia and the Virginia Dept of Social Services (Hugs and Kisses); Second Presbyterian Church (the Acts of Faith Festival); Bon Air Presbyterian, Forest Hill Presbyterian and Tabernacle Baptist (rehearsal space); and the Steward School (our summer High School All Star Musical)—all of which help us build capacity to better meet the needs of our community

esteemed colleagues at the African American Repertory Theatre, the Carpenter Science Theatre, the Chamberlayne Actors Theatre, the Firehouse Theatre Project, the Henley Street Theatre, the Richmond Ballet, the Richmond Shakespeare Theatre, the Richmond Symphony, the Richmond Triangle Players, Swift Creek Mill Theatre, Sycamore Rouge, the Virginia Opera Association and many other nonprofit performing arts organizations who help to create the critical mass that keeps all of us afloat

thriving university theatre programs at Randolph Macon, the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University—their faculty expertise and student talent adds to the lifeblood of our theatre

remarkable youth training programs including the Christian Youth Theatre, HATTheatre, SPARC and many others—enabling children to engage in the arts both as participants and appreciators

and most importantly, the hundreds of thousands of individuals who go nameless here, who buy the tickets, book the tours, assemble the groups, make the contributions, and simply do their part each year to ensure the success of Barksdale Theatre and Theatre IV.

Thank you. We couldn’t do it without you.

Have a blessed and peaceful Thanksgiving.

--Bruce Miller and Phil Whiteway

Majesty, Magic and Mayhem at Agecroft Hall

Word on the street is that Henry IV, Part I may be Richmond Shakespeare Theatre’s best effort to date. I know plenty of theatre lovers who would fight for their own favorite, but it's good to see that this new entry is so clearly joined in the competition.

I’m ashamed to say I haven’t seen enough RST productions to assert which one may or may not be the best of all. But I can say this. Henry IV offers pleasures to spare, and if other productions have been better, then they must have been pretty sensational.

I love seeing theatre at Agecroft. I loved Henry IV, Part I.

I wish I were smart enough, or educated enough, to be able to watch Shakespeare and actually understand all the language. That’s a criticism of me, not of Shakespeare or any particular production—certainly not this one. Truth is, I fully understand about 50%—particularly if we’re talking about the histories and the tragedies.

In my youth, I used to hang on every word, trying to cogitate my way through each sentence. I learned long ago that that was just too exhausting. Now I let the language flow over me like beautiful music and through me like red wine, understanding all the words I can and feeling fulfilled by following the characters, emotions and story. That is fulfillment aplenty.

With this production, I was captivated. I still couldn’t understand every word, but I certainly understood the story. And the rest didn’t matter. There are four reasons why.

In alpha order, they are Phil Brown, Jack Parrish, Daryl Clark Phillips, and James Ricks.

I don’t want to take away from the many other fine actors on stage, or the capable direction and fight direction, or the beautiful setting, or Grant Mudge’s growing expertise as a producer, etc etc etc. But I don’t think I’ve ever before seen four such capable actors in a Shakespearean play in Richmond, VA. Unless maybe it was an As You Like It at VCU in the early 70s that may have starred, now that I think of it, Jack Parrish. Forgive me, Jack, if I’m wrong. The main thing I remember about that gorgeous production was a radiant Roxanna Prosser as Rosalind.

Anyway, all four of the gentlemen noted above knocked my socks off. Anyone who loves theatre in Richmond is CRAZY to miss their performances.

Phil Brown came over from England to play Prince Hal and I wish he would stay in Richmond forever. Are there any other roles you’re dying to play, Mr. Brown? Have your people call my people.

Phil is a good looking guy, and he fits the rake to champion character to a tee. He and Jack Parrish, who plays King Henry IV, have a wonderful father son chemistry, and he and Daryl Clark Phillips have an equally wonderful Hal / Falstaff chemistry. It starts out with Falstaff being the dominant force, leading Hal down the rosy path of debauchery, but then reverses in a really moving role-playing scene, when Hal begins to mature into the princely presence he will so fully inhabit by play’s end.

And then there’s James Ricks. I was prepared to be in a snit with James, because as I read the playbill before the show I noticed he failed to mention in his bio that he first came to Richmond to work at Barksdale, and that’s just how petty and persnickety I am. But about five sentences into his performance, all was forgiven.

In an ideal world, Hotspur should be a strapping lad, a physical equal to Prince Hal. At least in my ideal world. And James is not what one would call physically imposing. But once he started speaking, who cared. For my money, he completely mastered the language and, even when I couldn't instantly translate a 17th century sentence into my 21st century vernacular, I could read his inflections and his face like a book.

All four of these guys were terrific, and I selfishly hope they all four work at Barksdale sometime really soon. Three of them have in the recent past, and it's time for their return.

Before going, I want to say that the final fight between Hal and Hotspur was really well staged. It was gasp-worthy. If you don’t believe me, ask Jackie Jones.

I know how hard it is to assemble four such expert actors in one production. Thanks to Grant and everyone on the Henry IV team for a wonderful, rejuvenating evening.

--Bruce Miller

Photo captions: top center - James, Phil, Jack, Daryl, Grant; first right - Agecroft Hall; second right - portrait of King Henry IV

Tia James Continues to Soar

Great things are in the works for an amazing Richmond woman, and our community has every reason to celebrate. Tia James, who most recently appeared in Theatre IV’s mainstage production of Lyle, Lyle Crocodile and is working crew on The Wizard of Oz even as I type, has taken a major step forward in achieving her life’s dream.

Tia is someone to watch. Read on, and you'll find out why.

For those of you who don’t know her—yet—Tia is one of the nicest, most humble, giving and talented women you’ll ever meet. She graduated from VCU with a BFA in Theatre Performance, and VCU must be mighty proud.

While a student, she performed in Breath, Boom directed by Broadway veteran Michelle Shay, and Playboy of the West Indies and The Trial of One Shortsighted Black Woman vs. Mammy Louise and Safreeta Mae, both directed by the late, great Marvin Sims.

VCU entered The Trial… into the American College Theatre Festival, and the production thereafter received rigorous professional scrutiny from regional adjudicators. In the ACTF, the nation is divided into eight regions; Richmond is in Region Four. After viewing all the productions submitted by colleges and universities in our part of the country, the adjudicators selected the approximately 300 actors with whom they were most impressed. These 300 were then nominated for the prestigious Irene Ryan Award. Tia was one of the 300 in Region Four.

At that point, Tia and her fellow nominees were asked to pick a scene partner and then perform a scene and a monologue for additional review. Out of the 300 couples, two were selected to represent the region at the Irene Ryan finals at the Kennedy Center. Tia and her partner, Aaron Holland, were one of the two couples selected to represent Region Four.

They went to the Kennedy Center for a week, took master classes and had a wonderful time. At the end of that week, there was a night of public performance, and the 16 finalist pairs from around the nation performed their scenes and monologues. Decisions were made immediately, and many awards were given. The last two awards were Best Partner, which was won by Aaron Holland, and, finally, the Irene Ryan Award for Best Actor. In this national competition, Tia won the Irene Ryan in 2003.

Since graduating from VCU in 2004, Tia has spent the last three years touring nationally with Theatre IV, and, this year, interning with our Richmond operations. Throughout the last several months, she has also concentrated on her next goal, which is to relocate to NYC. Along with 800 other actors, Tia has been working this year to gain admission to the three-year Graduate Acting Program at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, one of the top masters programs in the nation. Of the 800 applicants, 18 were admitted—the best of the best.

The entire staff at Barksdale and Theatre IV went nuts when, a couple weeks ago, Tia received the phone call saying that she was one of the eighteen. Best of all, they loved her so much that, in addition to her admission, she has been offered $18,000 per year in scholarship funds!

This blog entry would not be an accurate reflection of Tia if I did not immediately add, as she herself does repeatedly every time she admits to her many achievements, that she gives all thanks and credit to God.

Without taking anything away from that spiritual attribution, I give additional and enormous thanks and credit to Tia. She has worked incredibly hard and thanklessly throughout the time I’ve known her. She has kept her sights set on her dream. And, by sharing her talent and good will, she has contributed enormously to
Theatre IV, Barksdale Theatre and the audiences we serve.

We will miss Tia when she moves on next fall. But she'll always be part of the Barksdale / Theatre IV family. We CAN’T WAIT for the moment that we know is sure to come—the moment when we can turn to the rest of the country that will only be beginning to fall in love with her, and proudly say that we knew her when.

God speed, Tia. All of Richmond theatre is behind you 100%.

Meet the Cast of "Intimate Apparel"

During a recent focus group that was a part of our marketing research, I was surprised to hear a Broadway Under the Stars subscriber say that she always went to BUTS (that’s the acronym, sorry) and never to Barksdale because she liked knowing that “all the BUTS actors were on Broadway last week, and the Barksdale actors are local amateurs.” Her comment, of course, could not be further from the truth. Many of the BUTS tours featured not a single Broadway actor; many of them were non-Equity tours produced in Maryland. On the other hand, Barksdale’s Signature Season features many of our nation’s top professional talents, veterans of Broadway, Hollywood and America’s leading regional theatres.

The acting company of Intimate Apparel by Lynn Nottage is a perfect example. This wonderful show is up next in our Signature Season at Willow Lawn, and it features an amazingly talented cast of professional actors working at the top of their game. We’re proud to include each of them in our Barksdale family. Intimate Apparel is written by Lynn Nottage, one of the most popular playwrights working in our country today. It's the latest show in our Women's Theatre Project. Richmond theatre lovers of both genders would be crazy to miss it.

Adanma Onyedike plays the leading role of Esther. She last appeared at Barksdale in To Kill a Mockingbird. She is a brilliant actor at the beginning of her professional career; her performance in Intimate Apparel will uplift your heart. She is a member of Actors’ Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers in the U.S.A. Adanma’s other stage credits include Luminosity at UVA, The Tempest with the Richmond Shakespeare Festival, Northstar Light with the Carpenter Science Theatre, and Tribute 9/11 with Sycamore Rouge. Adanma is now an MFA Theatre Pedagogy candidate at VCU, where she teaches Black Theatre. She also teaches at the Henrico High School Center for the Arts.

Chris Lindsay plays her love interest, George. Chris is making his Barksdale debut after just starring in the national tour of I Have a Dream – The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., produced by Theatre IV. Chris is also a member of AEA. Based in Florida, Chris played Valentine in Twelfth Night, the Apothecary in The Imaginary Invalid, and Shere Khan in The Jungle Book—all for the Orlando Shakespeare Festival.

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates is also making her Barksdale debut as Mrs. Dickson, but she brings to our stage the wealth of experience she has gained during a stellar international career. Dr. T, as she is known by her students, is the Head of Performance on the faculty of the VCU Theatre Department. She appeared on Broadway in For Colored Girls … before moving to the West Coast to appear on stage at Seattle Rep, the Intiman Theatre, and ACT, and on film in David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, Life or Something Like It with Angelina Jolie, and Under One Roof with James Earl Jones.

Jennifer Massey returns to Barksdale in the role of Mrs. Van Buren, after starring with us previously in Fifth of July and Light Up the Sky. Jennifer’s other regional stage credits include performances with The Alliance Theatre (Atlanta), Flat Rock Playhouse (NC), and for the new playwright’s project at Arena Stage (Washington D. C.). In Los Angeles, she appeared in numerous productions with the acclaimed Deaf West Theatre. Her extensive film and TV credits include The Wedding Crashers, One Tree Hill, The Practice, 7th Heaven, and Melrose Place. Since moving to Richmond, she has also appeared with the Firehouse Theatre Project in Dinner with Friends and The Secret of Madame Bonnard’s Bath.

Andy Nagraj is pleased to be playing the Jewish fabric merchant, Mr. Marks. A graduate of the University of Richmond and the Steppenwolf Theatre Company’s Professional School in Chicago, Andy has performed in concert in France, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and, most recently, Spain. Previous Virginia credits include one of the titular roles in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Theatre IV, Forever Plaid at Swift Creek Mill, and A Midsummer Night’s Dream with the Virginia Shakespeare Festival in Williamsburg.

Last in this cast listing, but near and dear to our hearts, Katrinah Carol Lewis returns to Barksdale after starring as the Girl in our smash hit production of Crowns. A BFA performance grad from VCU, Katrinah also studied at the Levine School of Music in Washington, D. C. She was a featured soloist at the opening of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain with the Children of the Gospel Mass Choir. With the same group, she sang at the Kennedy Center and at the Inauguration of President William Jefferson Clinton. This summer, she will be singing with Barksdale again in Into the Woods.

In an upcoming blog entry, I’ll discuss the non-actor members of our award-winning company of Intimate Apparel. Please support Barksdale Theatre and our wonderfully talented professional cast by buying your tickets today. You’ll be glad you did.

The Joint is Jumpin' at VCU's "Smokey Joe's"

I had the greatest time last night at the opening of Smokey Joe’s Café at TheatreVCU. Everywhere I turned I bumped into another longstanding friend (notice I no longer use the word “old”). David Leong (VCU theatre chair) and Patti D’Beck (director and choreographer extraordinaire) were practically bursting with pride as their talented students brought back to life the era of my very early youth (notice I use the words “very early”). David and Patti are two national theatre treasures whose abundant talent is surpassed only by their friendliness.

Patti’s clever and joyful direction and choreography showcased all of her young performers’ many strengths. The unending highlights included:
· You’re the Boss, featuring the stylish vocals of Gerron Atkinson and Joy Newsome—two dynamos who have everything it takes to perform this show on Broadway tomorrow;
· Ryan Murvin’s channeling of Elvis’s spirit in Jailhouse Rock, while avoiding an outright impersonation;
· the powerhouse and performance-savvy voices of Jaci Camden and Calvin McCollugh;
· the blond bombshell shimmy of Katie Bradley;
· the read-his-face-like-a-book attractiveness of Joshua Boone;
· the gentle giant tenor of Joshua Grace; and
· the knock-it-out-of-park determination of Margie Mills, even as her mic decides to take a break at the outset of her biggest number.

Be sure to catch this terrifically entertaining show during it's three-week run. Tickets are only $18—what a bargain for a first rate musical! Richmond’s theatre community is immeasurably enriched by the contributions of the great theatre programs at VCU and U of R, and more Richmonders should take advantage of these wonderful resources. When they produce a crowd-pleaser as rousing and beautifully performed as Smokey Joe's Cafe, you're crazy to miss it!