Shining as Alexandra in Arlington

The Whiteways and the Millers made it up to Signature Theatre yesterday, and had a grand time seeing Emily Skinner’s terrific performance in The Witches of Eastwick. We were dazzled by (and envious of) Signature’s beautiful new home, which opened in Arlington in January.

Within a great cast, Emily stood out as Alexandra Spofford, the earth mother among the three “witches.” Her acclaimed singing, her accomplished dancing—I’d forgotten how good a dancer Emily is, and especially her engaging acting abilities provided a warm heart and open arms at the center of what is, for the most part, a musical burlesque.
In the original 1980s Witches novel, John Updike kept the three women at its center, and had satiric fun imagining what witchcraft would look and feel like in the 20th Century. It's been a long time since I read the book, but if memory serves, the attractive man (Darryl Van Horne) who moves to Eastwick in the book seduces readers with his charms just as he seduces the three women, and it's not until we're well into the story that we knew for sure that he's not just a devilish rake, but the Devil himself.

In the musical, as in the Jack Nicholson movie from the 1990s, it’s Darryl Van Horne who takes center stage. Particularly in this production, we’re completely aware of his satanic identity from his first entrance, with all that such an identity implies. And as directed by Eric Schaeffer and performed by the very talented Marc Kudisch, Van Horne is one hell of a Devil. A full evening of snakelike tongue flicking, Elvis-like pelvic thrusting, genital grabbing and profane proclamations ensues.

There is fun to be had, to be sure, with a large number of crowd-pleasing songs and dances. The Devil is one funny dude. Eric Schaeffer is a great director—I still fondly remember his Passion, one of the highlights of the Kennedy Center’s Sondheim Celebration. In my opinion, it was a much better Passion than the original version that James Lapine directed on Broadway. And Marc Kudisch is a dazzling and magnetic actor. Maybe it was because I saw Kudisch play the Snake in The Apple Tree on Broadway only a few months ago, but I tired of all the satanic shtick before show’s end. And I kept wishing for the three women to be returned to the center of the story.

A show about the three women would be much more interesting to me than a show about how devilishly cute Satan can be. I had read a couple of reviews comparing Witches to The Music Man. To me, the much more apt comparison would be Damn Yankees.

Three cheers and countless more to Signature for their continued commitment to producing new work. What an amazing asset they are to Virginia and the nation. When we spoke with Emily after the show, she said that there was considerable interest from New York regarding a 2008-09 Broadway production. We wish all involved the greatest success.

Most of all, it was GREAT to see Emily. Having watched her grow up in Theatre IV’s productions of To Gillian on her 37th Birthday, Quilters, Biloxi Blues and several more, we’re incredibly proud of her and all that she has achieved. Watching her greet her many fans after the show, people she’d never met before, and seeing how exceptionally gracious she was with everyone, we realized why she’s one of the ones who’s made it so far. She’s not only a world-class talent; she’s a genuinely good person.

--Bruce Miller

Photos: Emily's headshot, Signature's new exterior, Signature's lobby, and the "sculpture" Emily's character creates in Act II of The Witches of Eastwick. The "sculpture" is on display in the lobby as the audience leaves the theatre.

We're Off to See the Witches

In April, someone commented on the Where Are They Now blog entry I wrote about Clay Jackson, a former Theatre IV touring actor who was named the new Maytag Repairman. “If you're going to do a Where Are They Now column, why not do one on Emily Skinner?” the anonymous commenter asked. “I LOVED her when she used to act in Richmond with you guys, and I haven't heard much from her since her Tony nomination for Side Show.”

Well, it may have taken me three months, but I’m proud to offer a little on Emily’s latest project, and state with considerable excitement that Phil and Donna Whiteway, my wife Terrie and I will all be going up a week from Saturday to see Emily on stage.

Emily is currently starring in the American Premiere of The Witches of Eastwick at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. Signature is a terrific regional theatre led by Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. In addition to being a nationally acclaimed Sondheim specialist, Schaeffer is a stage director with a considerable international reputation. He was Artistic Director for the Sondheim Festival at the Kennedy Center a few seasons back, and directed the World Premiere of The Witches of Eastwick on London’s West End in 2000.

Based on the novel by John Updike and the Warner Bros. motion picture that starred Jack Nicholson, Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer, The Witches of Eastwick features book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana Rowe. Dempsey describes the plot as follows: “In the tiny New England town of Eastwick, Rhode Island, three modern day witches innocently plot and conjure over a heady brew of weak martinis and peanut butter brownies. But when their longings are made flesh in the arrival of one Darryl Van Horne, all hell breaks lose. Quite literally.”

Emily’s co-stars at Signature are Christiane Noll and Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as the other titular witches, and acclaimed Broadway leading man Marc Kudisch as Darryl Van Horne.

The reviews have been very favorable. “Witches of Eastwick spells wicked fun … carnally enjoyable,” states The Washington Post. “A funny and enjoyable show with obvious audience appeal and a laudable ability to laugh at itself,” adds Variety. “It definitely gets an A for attitude.”

“The Witches of Eastwick is a bewitching musical,” continues the Baltimore Sun. “An exuberant production” was the descriptive phrase used by the Arlington Sun Gazette.

Emily herself has received unanimous praise.

Among those few Richmond actors who have gone on to national success, Emily and Blair Underwood are certainly the two who have gone the farthest. In Richmond, she appeared in numerous shows at Theatre IV, Swift Creek Mill and, to a lesser extent, TheatreVirginia, throughout her teens and twenties. She spent her college years in Carnegie Mellon’s prestigious theatre program (as did Underwood, by the way, and as does Zak Resnick, now appearing in Into the Woods), and she achieved almost immediate success in New York, culminating in her Tony- nominated leading performance in Side Show.

I’ve enjoyed Emily in every show I’ve ever seen her in, from her earliest work as a high schooler through her recent performance as Gooch in Mame at the Kennedy Center. She is one of America’s treasures, and I can hardly wait to see her in Witches.

Best of all, Emily continues to be as gracious and down to earth as she’s always been. We hope you'll continue to keep your eye on Emily. We certainly will. She’s truly one of our nation’s great musical theatre stars, and every Richmond theatregoer should be enormously proud of this exceptionally talented home town girl made good.

--Bruce Miller