Performing Arts

By Ajani Jones

This article was first published in DC Theater Arts on November 17, 2022 here.

What would you do if you were stranded on a deserted island?

At some point, many have been asked this strange yet common ice-breaker at one social gathering or another. Despite the seeming randomness of the question, the scenario itself is just enough within the realm of possibility to yield genuinely thoughtful, more often than not satirical, responses.

This uncanny hypothetical has somehow crept its way into all facets of pop culture, from books to movies and even theater. In his own unique attempt to capture the unique blend of satire and insight that this odd question breeds, Writer/Director Andy Weld has repurposed the time-honored desert island scenario into the wonderfully hilarious but equally insightful Stranded.

Stranded follows two couples cast away on an uninhabited island following a freak plane accident. After four months of surviving together, the two couples, while navigating the immense stress that comes with such a life-changing accident, have fallen into a strangely comfortable rhythm. However, this new routine is put to the test as the couples continue to learn about one another and face new challenges in their relationships that threaten to exacerbate the stress they are already facing.

The play opens as Serena (Isabelle Solomon) makes yet another, ultimately fruitless, attempt to leave a message for passing planes to come to their rescue while her partner, Jack (Drew Larsen), watches amusedly. As the play progresses, the other couple, Harry (Griffin Duy) and Emma (Sabrina Shahmir), join the pair, and the two couples continue to navigate their strange new dynamic together. It’s later revealed that Harry and Emma have an open marriage, and the fallout of this revelation is felt throughout the rest of the show.

From the play’s opening minutes, it’s clear that these two couples have genuine chemistry. Within each pairing, the actors convincingly portray the tender love and care that exists for them: as Harry gently reassures Emma after she kisses Serena, the audience is easily roped into the sincere love and appreciation the pair has for one another. Furthermore, although each couple is unique in their individual dynamics, their interactions are equally endearing to the audience. While Jack and Serena seem to be the strait-laced couple that eventually learns to explore past their mutual comfort zones, as opposed to Harry and Emma’s innate spontaneity, both pairs seem to deeply care for each other, which helps the audience invest in their journey.

Even on their own, the cast of Stranded is wonderfully charming. Each of the four castaways has a moment in the spotlight where their unique personality is on full display: from Jack’s dry delivery to Harry’s outrageous humor, each member of the cast brings something different that is undeniably compelling and perfectly complements the others, resulting in an incredibly cohesive and fun-to-watch show.

Although marketed as a comedy, Stranded is a surprisingly multifaceted and sincere experience. Weld’s comedic prowess is undeniable as there are countless hilarious moments throughout the show that had the audience genuinely amused. But as the play delved into its themes of polyamory, sexuality, mental health, and trauma, Stranded tactfully explored what it means to love beyond the typical heteronormative experience, and in doing this, adopted a tone of genuine sincerity that elevated the show from just another comedy to a genuinely heartfelt experience.

The technical aspects of Stranded are also rather delightful and work well within the context of the play. In spite of the small stage, the set design by Sara Hussey feels as large as the characters’ dilemma: the scene is set with scraps and driftwood that really sell the deserted island locale. The play also makes creative use of lighting and props to further enhance the audience’s experience. The lighting direction by Jaimie Swann is absolutely stunning and, when paired with the charming fireplace that features as a central gathering point for the couples during night scenes, really helps immerse the audience.

As a whole, Stranded is a delightful experience. In spite of its (unfortunately) short run, its charming wit, charismatic characters, compelling story, and tactful treatment of its themes all work together to cement a wholly positive audience experience.

By Ajani Jones

This article was first published in DC Metro Theater Arts on 9/21/22 here.

It is no easy task to strike the perfect balance between sincerity and hilarity. The typical production tends to choose one over the other, as more often than not, these two tones are at war, resulting in a messy tonal disaster. However, as the steady click of heels drew all eyes forward when Peaches (Jon Hudson Odom) took the Woolly Mammoth stage, all expectations for the “typical” performance were quickly abandoned.

With a series of witty remarks delivered by a stunningly clad air hostess, Ain’t No Mo’ began boldly, a momentum that would hold strong for the remainder of the night’s performance.

Ain’t No Mo’ is at its core a satire built upon the Black American experience. The play by Jordan E. Cooper, which primarily takes place in a nebulous “any day now,” is broken into several scenes, all tying back to the imagined mass exodus of African Americans from the United States on African American Airlines’ final departure to Africa, Flight 1619. Following the monumental election of former President Barack Obama and the hilarious yet reverent funeral of Mr. Right to Complain, the show continues as it simultaneously depicts Peaches’ readying for the flight between scenes of various passengers’ reactions and preparations.

As directed by Lili-Anne Brown, the cast, despite being small in number, awes the audience through their collective larger-than-life stage presence. Each one delivered a compelling and thrilling performance. As the sole connecting thread throughout the play, Odom’s portrayal of Peaches was stellar. As the sole performer on stage during his scenes, Odom commanded the audience’s attention through his infectious energy and unwavering charm. His performance wowed the audience into throes of joyful laughter and reflective sorrow resulting from his equally captivating and complex emotional range.

The remaining five other actors in Ain’t No Mo’ played a colorful cast of passengers as they processed the news of the departing flight. Each scene, while entirely different, felt equally captivating due to the cast’s phenomenal performances. It would be easy to imagine that the cast was far larger than a meager six. The fact that the many different characters remained distinct yet equally compelling was a testament to the actors’ incredible abilities to devote themselves to the individual stories they were conveying.

Although operating across a wide tonal and thematic range, Ain’t No Mo’ never once falters in its presentation, but rather allows its drastically different tones to complement one another. The show is undeniably hilarious, each well-timed joke drawing resounding laughter from its audience. Even though much of the show’s humor could not fully resonate with the non-Black members of its audience, the show managed to keep its audience laughing, an indication of its excellent comedic timing and genuine hilarity.

While Ain’t No Mo’ is a satire at its core, the show also does not shy away from more serious subject matter but rather fully embraces it. There are several more somber and heartwrenching scenes laced throughout the play that leave its audience appropriately reflective on the severity of the situations faced by the characters. These scenes do not detract from the humor, nor does the humor detract from them. Rather, the show’s duality helps to highlight the severe reality faced by Black Americans across the United States. Amid its grandiosity and camp aesthetics, the show gives an incredible amount of care to the stories and messages it delivers, using humor effectively to shed a light on reality.

The more technical aspects of Ain’t No Mo’ are also impressive. The show makes excellent use of the space. While the set remains mostly the same throughout, the changes that are made (as small as they may be) were deliberate and methodical, completely transforming the stage and ensuring that no two scenes felt physically the same. In addition to the expert use of space, the play’s seamless sound design and creative use of lighting perfectly emphasized the mood for each scene, even further enhancing the already incredible performances of the show’s stellar cast. The strategic use of popular and foundational music by Black artists also helped create smooth transitions as well as creatively tie scenes together through their poignant and thematically appropriate lyrics.

To its credit, Ain’t No Mo’ is a show deeply rooted in its Blackness. Interwoven within its expert implementation of Black pop culture, the play gives a meaningful glance into the many wonderfully diverse facets of Blackness and the Black experience through its distinct framing of scenes and characters. These characters, united by their desire to find a seat on Flight 1619, are all so incredibly different because, as the physical manifestation of one family’s repressed Blackness profoundly proclaims, Blackness is no singular experience. Blackness is wonderfully complex and different for each person. The play is able to effectively emphasize this beautiful message through its distinct portrayals of different Black experiences.

By Ajani Jones

This article was first published in DC Metro Theater Arts.

A surge of barely contained excitement washed over the audience as those first few iconic notes of “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You” blared to life. When Gaby Albo took the stage, it was as if we were watching Gloria Estefan, the legend herself, perform. Albo’s electrifying presence filled the room as her energetic performance perfectly set the tone for what would be the next two hours of captivating performances and cathartic storytelling.

On Your Feet! La historia de Emilio y Gloria Estefan !En Español! captures the awe-inspiring legacy of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. GALA Hispanic Theatre’s completely Spanish rendition of the 2018 Broadway musical, directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado, managed to perfectly recount the couple’s hard-fought rise to fame as their band, the Miami Sound Machine, became the first Latin-inspired band to cross over to mainstream pop success in the United States.

The musical wastes no time captivating its audience. The opening scene encapsulates the brilliance of the entire show as Albo’s stunning vocals and dazzling stage presence are immediately on full display. Her performance as the magnificent Gloria Estefan was a wonder throughout the entire show. Albo perfectly portrayed the star’s thrilling journey to fame, seamlessly capturing her charisma and determination as well as her otherworldly stage presence and killer voice.

As the scene transitions into a short exchange between Gloria, Emilio (Samuel Garnica), and their son Nayib (Winsley de Jesús), the sheer chemistry among the cast is highly apparent. The three easily bounce off one another, resulting in a convincing and heartwarming portrayal of the love they have for one another, a kind of overwhelming chemistry that would continue to shine through as the show went on.

The supporting cast of On Your Feet! also delivered equally strong and compelling performances. Fran Tapia and Madelin Marchant, who played Gloria’s mother and Grandmother, Gloria Fajardo and Consuelo respectively, worked excellently together in their portrayal of the mother figures in Gloria Estefan’s life. While their characters were strong complements to the story of the primary focus of the show, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, they were also able to undeniably hold their own as fully fleshed-out characters for the audience.

In her showstopping performance of “Mi Tierra,” Tapia delivered her lines with immeasurable fervor and grace. She stunned the audience with her breathtaking vocal performance and stage presence, while also maintaining their complete interest in the backstory of her own character. Like her, many of the other cast members delivered wonderfully charismatic and vocally thrilling performances that kept the audience invested and served to fortify the strength of the show and its emotional impact.

Due to the undeniable strength of its cast, the show does an excellent job of showcasing the highs and lows of Gloria Estefan’s rise to fame. In its entirety, On Your Feet! is a rather joyful experience filled with countless moments of laughter and cheer. The audience cannot help but celebrate alongside Gloria and Emilio as they are finally able to carve their way onto the U.S. music scene. However, alongside these cathartic and joyous moments also come low moments of conflict and despair. Whether it be Gloria’s conflict with her mother or the journey toward recovery following her accident, the cast maintains their strong portrayals of their characters.

While the musical was performed almost entirely in Spanish (with screens on either side of the stage providing English subtitles for non-Spanish speakers in the audience), the sheer power and emotional weight of every scene and musical number were not lost. Each cast member gave it their all, resulting in poignant performances that transcended any potential language barriers. The undeniable power of the cast’s performances left the audience, even non-Spanish speakers like me, hanging onto every word, purely captivated by the world created on the stage.

The performances of the cast and the compelling narrative of On Your Feet! were definitely high points of the night. However, these elements were complemented, and arguably enhanced, by the captivating dance and musical performances throughout the show’s duration.

Walter “Bobby” McCoy’s musical direction was exceptional as the musical elements of the show, paired with the wonderful sound design of Matthew Rowe, were immaculately crafted. The sheer amount of care and time that went into the music behind each scene was clear as each note paired perfectly with the action on stage. Salgado’s choreography was fluid and energetic, adding an additional layer of life to the already electrifying musical performances.

In tandem with the musical and performance elements of the show, the light and staging design of On Your Feet! also added to the show’s interest. The lights (Christopher Annas-Lee) and projections (Patrick Lord) transport you into each scene, enhancing that electric feeling of every musical number and allowing the audience to feel as if they were actually watching Gloria Estefan perform. Jeannette Christensen’s dazzling costumes added flair.

On Your Feet! was a brilliant glimpse into the journey of Gloria and Emilio Estefan. The great care that went into the show’s production really shined through as it delivered a heartwarming story, captivating performances, and electrifying beats that would leave the audience dancing along as the cast gave their final bows.

Running Time: Two and a half hours, plus a 20-minute intermission.

On Your Feet! en español plays through June 5, 2022, at GALA Hispanic Theatre – 3333 14th Street NW, in Washington, DC. For tickets ($35–$65), call the box office at (202) 234-7174 or go online. In Spanish with English surtitles.

by Michael Sainte-Andress

This article was first published in DC Theater Arts here.

This Hairspray was the third go-around for me! I saw the show first on Broadway, with R&B star Tevin Campbell as Seaweed, then at Kennedy Center, and last night at the National.

Each time I was thoroughly entertained, and each time it felt fresh and inspiring. So I was trying to come up with a word that truly expresses my affection for this show and it is rousing!

Because of technical difficulties, there was a 30-minute delay before the curtain, which seemed like an eternity. But the wait was well worth it. The energy and exuberance were front and center and remained throughout the show. You would think my familiarity with the show would render it without the surprises one hopes for in musical theater. However, this performance gave tremendous witness to what talent, expertise, imagination, and highly skilled technical production values can do to “an old chestnut.”

Let’s start with the casting: the lead role of Tracy Turnblad, the plump and cruelly maligned teenager who just wants to be on a local TV dance show was portrayed by Faith Northcutt, the understudy. Seeing her it was hard to imagine how much better the original lead, Niki Metcalf, could possibly be. From Northcutt’s initial appearance getting out of bed and singing “Good Morning Baltimore,” she draws you in with her vocal clarity and melodic playfulness (much like you would expect of a 16-year-old). In the script, Tracy’s physicality brings her scorn and criticism from her peers, showing how senseless and cruel body shaming can be. But the vulnerability Northcutt conveys really underlies her true strength of character. Brava!

The second standout performance is the role of Tracy’s mother, Edna, a more mature version of her daughter. This role was originated by the inimitable Harvey Fierstein, and his brilliance designated drag casting for all future productions. Edna is portrayed by Andrew Levitt, a standout of Season 11 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. His comic sensibility and physical adroitness (for a 6-foot-4-inch man in women’s clothes) are a joy to behold, and the interplay between him and Tracy as well as with Edna’s husband, Wilbur (Christopher Swan), is a touching portrait of familial love, support, and understanding. Wow!

Then there is Motormouth Maybelle (Sandie Lee), a proud, middle-aged Black mother who hosts a dance show for Black teenagers but who is also a proud and stalwart crusader for racial equality in her community. She is authoritative, without being domineering, and is a woman who has learned the hard lessons of racial discrimination. She brings it out forcefully in her beautifully rendered “I Know Where I’ve Been,” a song that gives the show a stirring moment of insight and poignance not generally expected in musicals. Kudos!

Finally, this company of performers is all accomplished as singers, dancers, and definitely actors, and their ensemble enactments are a director’s satisfaction and an audience’s joy. The technical support is equally outstanding. The direction of Matt Lenz, the choreography of Michelle Lynch, the costumes by William Ivey Long, the scenic design by David Rockwell, the wigs and hair design by Paul Huntley and Richard Mawbey, the lighting design by Paul Miller, and the sound design by Shannon Slaton are all top-notch and make the telling of this timeless story all the more believable and meaningful.

It all ends with a celebratory, spirited, and jubilant rendition of “You Can’t Stop the Beat!” Yeah, rousing is just the right word for this stellar production.

Running Time: Approximately two hours 30 minutes, including one intermission.

Hairspray plays through May 15, 2022, on tour at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington DC. Evening performances each day are at 7:30 pm. Matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15, are at 2 pm. Tickets (starting at $50) are available online.

By Ajani Jones

This article was first published in DC Theater Arts here.

Campy in the best way possible, Xanadu is a goofy and lighthearted yet strangely heartwarming tale that pushes the boundaries of how much an audience is willing to suspend disbelief amidst bursts of laughter.

Xanadu, a Tony-nominated musical based on the 1980 film of the same name, delivers an inspiring story wrapped in a fantasy romance adventure. Workhouse Arts Center’s take on the show, directed and choreographed by Stefan Sittig, captures its whimsy and gut-busting comedy.

Xanadu follows the Greek muse Clio (Jessica Barraclough) as she travels to Earth disguised as the Australian Kira to help struggling artist Sonny (Pat Mahoney) overcome his creative block and achieve his dreams. Hijinks, both mortal and divine, ensue as the pair grow closer, ultimately learning the value of chasing one’s dreams despite potential obstacles.

The cast delivered magnetic performances. Each of the nine muses was bursting with personality. While Barraclough definitely embraced her role as head-muse–turned–girl–from–“down-under,” moving with grace and charming with her sweet and melodic voice, her sisters were equally up to the task of portraying their divine characters, filling the stage with near godly charisma every time they entered a scene.

Melpomene (Jolene Vettese) and Calliope (Audrey Baker), Kira’s scheming muse sisters, stood out throughout. Calling back to the Greek myths their characters are drawn from, Vettese and Baker portrayed the wicked muses with an air of villainous grandiosity. As they pranced and sashayed across the stage, cackling and delivering every line with charisma and malice, the two worked together to sell the entertaining over-the-top villainy of their characters, enhancing the overall humor of the show.

Every minute of Xanadu was a pleasure to watch, delivering the show’s heartwarming story and inspirational themes with welcome humor and cheer. From visual gags and clever puns to eccentric mannerisms and fourth-wall breaks, almost every scene leaves the audience nearly doubled over in laughter.

Through its hilarity, Xanadu maintained a surprisingly heartwarming tone, a welcome element attributable to its wonderful cast and the sheer chemistry they had with one another. From Melpomene and Calliope’s delightfully villainous antics to the budding relationship between Kira and Sonny, the cast painted each scene with believable charm and cheer.

The songs of Xanadu also worked perfectly as the cast delivered vocally captivating performances. The musical elements of the show, directed by Merissa Martignoni Driscoll, were thematic, enhancing each scene with lively riffs and melodic chords while supplementing the characterization of the show’s star players.

“Evil Woman,” Melpomene and Calliope’s primary villain song, showed off the cast’s vocal prowess as Vettese hit impressive notes amidst Baker’s hilarious (yet just as impressive) adlibs and riffs. “Suddenly” was equally captivating as Barraclough and Mahoney wowed the audience with their sweet harmonies and conveyed their characters’ growing connection to one another.

The choreography in Xanadu was energetic and thrilling, pairing perfectly with the music. Sittig’s choreography was especially mesmerizing when the muses danced in unison, all while managing to maintain their individual quirks in every movement. The cast gracefully glided across the stage, often literally as Barraclough and Mahoney spent much of the show in rollerskates.

Tying the choreography, vocals, and portrayals together were the show’s wonderful costumes. Almost the entire cast acted as background dancers and scene fillers whenever their primary character was not needed, each time sporting sparkly and timely costumes. The dresses the muses wore were especially captivating as each muse wore a Grecian gown in a different color and cut to match her personality.

Overall, Xanadu was incredibly entertaining and a worthwhile watch. Filled to the brim with charisma and humor, the show boasts a well of creativity and charm that is sure to impress its audience, leaving them nostalgic for the ’80s and hoping for their own divine strange magic.

Running Time: 90 minutes with no intermission.

Xanadu runs through June 11, 2022, at Workhouse Arts Center—W-3 Theater 9518 Workhouse Way, Lorton, VA, 22079. Tickets ($20–$30) can be purchased online.

The Xanadu program is online here.

By Michael Sainte-Andress

This article was first published in DC Theater Arts here.

When I reviewed the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s concert Brand New Day in mid-March at the Lincoln Theatre, I extolled its virtue of showcasing inclusivity and equality with its wonderful renditions of songs on the subject. In that concert, each of GMCW’s five components performed, and I was introduced to GenOUT Youth Chorus, its outreach ensemble of LGBTQI+ and allied 13- to 18-year-olds.

Well, this time around the spotlight was squarely on GenOUT’s concert Youth Invasion, which I attended at THEARC. The program also featured the Mosaic Harmony community choir, a seniors group committed to “empower choirs to fully entertain, inspire and engage audiences by both moving music and uplifting messages.”

The concept of supporting youth — who are coping with not just being young but also the pressure of understanding their sexual orientation and coming to grips with self-acceptance — is a powerful mission of the GMCW. Achieving that goal through music is liberating and inspirational and lends itself to providing these young people with a means to gird themselves with pride, self-understanding, and a profound sense of worth..

C. Paul Heins, GenOUT’s director, provides the training and artistic inspiration for these young people to flourish and, through artistic expression, develop confidence and self-affirmation that will enable them to better face the challenges that will come before them.

With this in mind, I imagined a repertoire that would be evocative, celebratory, and, yes, rousing. The program selections were certainly appropriate and hit the mark in terms of intent and appropriateness but tended to be more somber and reflective. All of the songs — “Build Me a World,” “Reflection” (from the animated film Mulan), “Imagine” (based on the poem by long-time LGBTQI+ activist Donna Red Wing), “Write My Own ‘Story,” “The Human Heart” (from the musical Once on This Island), “How Could Anyone?,” “I Was Here (Beyonce), and “You Are the New “Day” — beautifully conveyed the hopes, dreams, aspirations, and reflections of these young people. The one song that could have surely been a showstopper, “Corner of the Sky” (from the musical Pippin), was only quietly delivered. Near the end, GenOUT performed with Mosaic Harmony in a straightforward rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (the Negro national anthem).

Ironically, it was the guest group, Mosaic Harmony, that got things shaking. Under the foot-stomping, hand-clapping, roof-raising direction of Rev. David North, Mosaic Harmony’s performance became a glorious celebration with spirited versions of the gospel songs “Love in Any Language,” Hezekiah Walker’s “Better,” and “One World.” Rev. North said that he wanted to bring a “new flavor” to the gospel staple “Soon I Will Be Done,” made popular in the 1959 movie Imitation of Life sung by the great Mahalia Jackson. Man, did he deliver! He infused this deeply spiritual anthem with jazzy inflections and uptempo flourishes that had the audience clapping and rejoicing with abandon. (Mahalia wouldn’t want to hear it anymore!) This closing number was just the right touch that the whole affair should have reflected.

That it was shared with this wonderful, young, and talented group I am sure will make it an experience and lesson learned that they will never forget. This was a great example of how reaching across needless barriers and constrictions can bring about tremendous connection and mutual appreciation. It was an afternoon I would gladly spend over again.Youth Invasion was performed by the GenOUT Youth Chorus with special guest Mosaic Harmony on April 23, 2022, at THEARC Theater, 1901 Mississippi Avenue SE, Washington, DC, and on April 24, 2022, in the Auditorium at MLK Library, 901 G Street NW, Washington, DC.

By Michael Sainte-Andress

This article was first published in DC Theater Arts here.

What to do on a cold, overcast, snowy Saturday afternoon? Well, I had the good fortune of having a ticket to the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington Brand New Day concert at the Lincoln Theatre.

GMCW has been a cultural fixture in Washington, DC, for over 40 years and is one of the oldest and largest LGBT choral organizations in the United States, with over 300 members. It has a history of entertaining performances and has a large multidimensional following. I have enjoyed many of those past shows.

Brand New Day has moved the group a step up the ladder of socially conscious, inspirational, and diversity-focused quality entertainment. The GMCW ensembles (Potomac Fever, Rock Creek Singers, Seasons of Love, 17th Street Dance, and the GenOUT Youth Chorus) delivered a program that from beginning to end was razor-focused on the issue of inclusivity, equality, and the basic idea of recognizing the worth of all human beings in their infinite variety.

The songs and musical numbers were a delightful potpourri from different genres: Paul Negron singing “Human Heart,” the theme song from the Caribbean musical Once on This Island, about enduring and persevering life’s hardships; “We Are,” lushly underscoring the text of Maya Angelou’s poem “Human Family” (“We are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike”); soloists Matt Holland and Cooper Westbrook’ rendition of, “Perfect/Just the Way You Are”; Native American Linthicum Blackhorse’s arrangement of a traditional Lakota Sioux American Indian spiritual; the rendering of a Korean folk song, “Arirang,” about finding one’s way; and the Spanish folk song “Luz y Sombra,” about appreciating the simple things in life. Arresting arrangements of classics like “Through the Fire,” ” Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and “Purple Rain” were newly imagined and invigorating.

The finale was a rip-roaring, Las Vegas–style choreographic sequence from the movie The Wiz, after which the concert was named: “A Brand New Day (Everybody Rejoice).” Magical and thoroughly entertaining, it was a great way to convey the idea of living in a world free of bigotry, hatred, and lack of understanding.

This was an afternoon well spent, and the joy of it swept the dreary day away.

Running Time: Approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.

Brand New Day was presented by the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC, on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at the Lincoln Theatre – 1215 U Street, in Washington, DC. For future GMCW concerts and events go to their website.

The program for Brand New Day is available online here.