Reston Community Players’ performance of “Gypsy” took home five honors Sunday night at the annual Washington Area Community Theatre Honors (WATCH) awards ceremony.
In addition to the awards won by “Gypsy,” the Community Players were also recognized with an award for their performance of “Mary Poppins” to bring their total number of wins for the 2016 season to six.
The full list of awards won Sunday night by Reston Community Players:
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical: Jennifer Lambert (as Rose) in “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Lighting Design in a Musical: Ken and Patti Crowley, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical: Joshua Redford, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical: Kathy Dunlap, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical: Chris Dore, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Special Effects: Greg Steele, Sara Birkhead and Rich Bird, “Mary Poppins”
The troupe was nominated 23 times, second-most among the 27 participating theater companies.
The next production by the Reston Community Players, “Rock of Ages,” will open Friday night at CenterStage (2310 Colts Neck Road).
Local Meeting on County Budget is Saturday — Residents of the Hunter Mill District will have their chance to weigh in on the proposed Fairfax County FY2018 budget from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Frying Pan Farm Park visitor center. [Reston Now]
‘Monsters’ to Be on Stage at Herndon HS — The Herndon High School Drama Boosters will present “From the Mouths of Monsters,” a Kennedy Center Production inspired by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein,” March 17-19. [Herndon High School Theatre]
Wolf Trap Summer Lineup Features Big Names — Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, John Mellencamp and Sheryl Crow are just a few of the many top acts who will perform this year at Wolf Trap. Mary J. Blige will kick off the summer season with a show May 25, followed two days later by Fifth Harmony. [Wolf Trap]
Reston Association Elections About to Begin — Ballots can be cast starting Monday in this year’s Reston Association Board of Directors election. Eleven candidates in total are vying for four seats on the nine-member board. No incumbents are running. [Reston Association]
Reston Community Players will bring rock ‘n’ roll to life next month, as “Rock of Ages” comes to the stage.
The show, a celebration of rock bands with big guitar solos and bigger hair, will hit Reston on March 10. It features songs from Styx, Whitesnake, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister and more favorites from the ’80s.
“It is a privilege to direct the very talented cast of singers, dancers and actors in ‘Rock of Ages,'” said Joshua Redford, director of the production. “This is a show unlike any other.”
The musical is the story of Drew and Sherrie, an aspiring rock star and an aspiring actress, who try to prevent developers from turning the Sunset Strip into a strip mall.
The cast of the Reston production consists of the following performers:
- Russell Silber (Drew)
- Claire O’Brien Jeffrey (Sherrie)
- Brett Harwood (Lonny)
- Joey Olson (Dennis Dupree)
- Ben Peter (Stacee Jaxx)
- Brent Stone (Hertz Klinemann)
- Rich Farella (Franz Klinemann)
- Bruni Herring (Justice)
- Evie Korovesis (Regina)
- Melrose Pyne (Ensemble)
- Kendall Mostafavi (Ensemble)
- Jenny Girardi (Ensemble)
- Chris Dore (Ensemble)
- Philip Smith-Cobbs (Ensemble)
- Erich DiCenzo (Ensemble)
The band includes Matt Jeffrey on keyboards, Christopher Willett on bass, Matt Robotham on drums, and Noah Dail and David Smigielski on guitars.
In addition to Redford, the creative team includes producer Jocelyn Steiner, stage manager Colleen Stock, music director Matt Jeffrey, choreographer Chris Dore, sound designer Seth Sacher, lighting designers Ian Claar and Sam Andrews, set designer Dan Widerski, costume designer Carol Steele, and hair and makeup designers Molly Hicks Larson and Kat Brais.
A number of these members of the Reston Community Players team were recently nominated for Washington Area Community Theater Honors awards for their work with the troupe in 2016.
“Rock of Ages” will be performed on the CenterStage at the Reston Community Center (2310 Colts Neck Road), March 10 through April 1. For showtimes, tickets and more information, call 703-476-4500 (ext. 3) or visit the Community Players online.
Reston Community Players is now in its 50th season. It is currently staging “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” through Saturday.
Reston Community Players will have their productions all over the annual Washington Area Theatre Community Honors awards in March.
The troupe’s productions received 23 total nominations for the 2016 season, second-most among the 27 participating theater companies. Only the Little Theatre of Alexandria (26) received more.
Among the nominations are 17 for the Community Players’ performance of “Gypsy” last fall. The group also received five nominations for its performance of “Mary Poppins” (February-March) and one for its staging of “Master Class” (January).
Paul Tonden, artistic director, said the Community Players are humbled by and grateful for the recognition.
“We strive to offer our patrons high-quality productions, which would not be possible without so many talented volunteers,” Tonden said. “We consider ourselves lucky to be part of such a vibrant DC Metro-area theater community and congratulate all the nominees.”
The full list of RCP nominations is as follows:
- Outstanding Musical — “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical — Jennifer Lambert (“Rose”), “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Musical — Shaina Murphy (“Mary Poppins”), “Mary Poppins”
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play — Lisa Anne Bailey (“Mary Callas”), “Master Plan”
- Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical — Erich DiCenzo (“Tulsa”), “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Direction of a Musical — Paul Tonden, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Music Direction — Mitch Bassman, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Choreography — Andrea Heininge, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Choreography — Andrea Heininge, “Mary Poppins”
- Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical — Kathy Dunlap, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Costume Design in a Musical — Charlotte Marson and Judy Whelihan, “Mary Poppins”
- Outstanding Hair Design in a Musical — Chris Dore, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Light Design in a Musical — Ken and Patti Crowley, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Makeup Design in a Musical — Chris Dore, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Properties in a Musical — MaryJo Ford, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Set Construction in a Musical — Dan Widerski, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Set Design in a Musical — Bart Healy, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Set Decoration in a Musical — Jerry and Bea Morse, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Set Painting in a Musical — Cathy Rieder, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Special Effects — Greg Steele, Sara Birkhead and Rich Bird, “Mary Poppins”
- Outstanding Sound Design in a Musical — Joshua Redford, “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Cameo in a Musical — Jaclyn Young (“Electra”), “Gypsy”
- Outstanding Cameo in a Musical — Phillip Scott-Cobbs (“Neleus”), “Mary Poppins”
Last year, Reston Community Players took home four awards on 17 nominations.
The Community Players are currently presenting “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” through Feb. 4.
This year’s awards ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, March 5 at The Birchmere in Alexandria.
Thursday is opening night for the South Lakes High School’s interpretation of the classic comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
The show, which features music by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, is about a slave’s pursuit of freedom. The slave, Psuedolus, has been offered his freedom on one condition — that he get his young master “the girl.”
Unfortunately, “the girl” has already been bought by an army captain, so Psuedolus is forced to do some very quick thinking. It’s a show of disguises, mistaken identities, long-lost children, and much more.
The musical, directed by longtime SLHS Theatre Arts teacher Maria Harris, will run for two weekends – April 28, 29, 30 and May 5, 6, 7.
Performances begin at 7 p.m. in the South Lakes HS Little Theatre. Presale price: $8, student/senior; $10,adult. Box Office price: $10, student/senior; $12, adult.
Save $2/ticket by purchasing tickets in advance online.
Photo courtesy of SLHS Theatre Arts
