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House Seats: JUST FOR US is Just for Everyone

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In 2023, I had the pleasure of witnessing Alex Edelman perform live on stage. He was opening for Ted Lasso ’s Nick Mohammed who was playing his character Mr. Swallow, at New York City’s Town Hall. He was so funny, and so relatable. He was nothing like the main event, but from his work in England, he had a similar sensibility. A few weeks later, he announced his solo show Just for Us would be premiering for a limited engagement on Broadway, after touring for more than a year in the US and the UK. I needed to be there.  I knew very little going in, but was excited to see him perform again. If you know nothing about J ust for Us , it’s a difficult premise to wrap your head around. Roughly Just for Us is the story of a conservative Jewish man who decides to attend a meeting of white nationalists. Jokes ensue. The idea seems almost inconceivable. Why would anyone choose to walk into a group of humans who are primed to hate him strictly because they don’t fit into their reprehensible ...
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House Seats: The Magic of Live Theater at Home

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  Let’s be clear. You can’t really top the magic of live theater. One specific set of people witnessing a performance that will never be exactly the same again is a concept that’s hard to explain to non-theater-lovers. Anything is possible. An actor could flub a line. A prop could break. An ensemble may nail the complex choreography for the very first time. Whatever happens, it’ll be memorable for sure.  In the last few years, the powers that be in the entertainment industry, hoped to harness a little of that magic by filming these incredible productions and streaming them across networks and movie houses to mixed reviews. I always think that more theater is a good thing. But, I’ve learned there are some exceptions to this rule. Some productions don’t need to be filmed, and some productions, no matter how incredible they are live, just don’t translate to a television screen.  In House Seats , I’ll explore these productions to determine what makes a production fabulous in ...
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Learning Through Theatre: 'Evita' at New York City Center

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The most shocking thing about New York City Center's production of Evita isn't the incredible cast and the stunning sets (I've been to NYCC before, their work is always impeccable), it's an offhand comment uttered by the character of Che towards the end of the show. Let me be clear, I've never seen  Evita (somehow) and I can't say I know much about Eva Peron either. So when Che says (spoiler alert!) without further explanation, "and her body went missing for 17 years", I was a little taken aback.  I had more than a few questions. How does such an important figure's body just disappear? Also, how did I not know this? Granted, I had never seen the show, but I do read. I feel this is something I would have seen in some random article I decided to peruse. Nope - this was definitely news to me. Thankfully, I was able to look into it, as well as lots more about the Perons. (Yay Google!) And I have to say, while Evita the show is beautiful if ...
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Gavin Creel: A Joy-filled Evening at the Kennedy Center

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Few performers exhibit the sheer joy of performing, and basking in the air of doing what they love, like Gavin Creel. Each time he steps on the stage, you can see his love for the arts and his desire to share it with the audience. That was no different when he joined Mary Mitchell Campbell at the Kennedy Center on Thursday as part of the Renee Fleming Voices series. Gavin is undeniably talented, and unabashedly himself, and the audience (and I) loved every moment of it! For those who may not know him, Gavin is best known for his work in the theater starring in Thoroughly Modern Millie , She Loves Me , and The Book of Mormon (in London), and later winning a Tony for his role as Cornelius Hackle in 2017's gorgeous production of Hello Dolly!   Throughout this time, he's been writing music, sharing his favorites in concert, and just being an all around wonderful performer and champion of the arts.  I first saw him in She Loves Me , and though he didn't win a Tony for t...
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Book Worm Wednesday: Bookshops To Love

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One of my very favorite things to do when I travel is find an independent book shop. Some cities have loads, while others may not have any. When I do find a treasure, I'm always ridiculously happy. Instead of just giving these shops my money, I thought I'd give them a bit of good press while I was at it. First up is: The Book Tavern 936 Broad Street, Suite 101  Augusta GA, 30901 About The Book Tavern The Book Tavern is a new and used book shop on the main shopping street in Augusta GA, Broad Street. While there isn't much shopping to be had here, this shop seems to be thriving.  What I Loved Their inventory is insane! Every shelf is positively overflowing with books. Even the tiny second floor (don't you just love an extra floor?!) contained a ridiculous number of treasures. This is where I found the Theatre and Arts section; usually about 2 shelves in most shops. Here there are about 10 shelves with everything from Biographies to Shakespeare's plays....
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What's New in Theatre?: DMV Edition

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One of the joys of living in the area of DC, Maryland, and Virginia is the access we have to all types of magnificent theatre. From small independents to large equity houses, the DMV positively overflows with great productions. Though, the overabundance of houses makes it difficult to plan a season. Because if you're a theatre lover like me, you just want to see every show produced, which at this rate, would put you in a theatre almost every evening. While that sounds awesome, my wallet thinks it may be a bit much.  That being said, there are some definite shows to be seen this season. Shows that if I haven't already purchased tickets to, I've marked the dates those tickets go on sale in my calendar so I can be online at 10:00 am that day to purchase. It may be a mild obsession, but hey, it could be worse! Without further ado here are the shows I'm most excited about this season in the DMV. * Murder on the Orient Express at Everyman Theatre: I've been to...
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Book Worm Wednesday: Literary Travels

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One of my very favorite genres to read is travel writing. Not travel guides, that show you all the best places to visit when you reach a place, but travel writing. It's those first hand accounts of travelers and tales of writers heading to far off places that I just love. I've read these stories to plan trips, but also to dream about places I'll probably never reach (I'm looking at you Bhutan...) While I've read many - there are three entire shelves devoted to these wonders alone in my library - these are my top 5. And because I'm not so good with the narrowing down, I've also provided you a few books that I liked, similar to my favorites.  Happy (Literary) Travels! 1. A Cook's Tour by Anthony Bourdain  Every Bourdain fan knows this is his least favorite of the books he wrote. But for me, it was the first of his I'd read, and I fell in love with his unique philosophy on food, travel, and life itself. It will always hold a special place in ...
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