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Out & About: Your Guide to the Lively Arts

It's a Wonderful Season- Theater Performances Become Holiday Traditions
By Nadja Maril

You know how a song sometimes gets stuck in your head? I've got the song “Tradition” from Fiddler on the Roof playing over and over again in my mind when I'm taking my morning jog, washing dishes, or sitting at my desk reading e-mail. But I suppose that's a good thing, because it's a sign that I, and the rest of the cast of the Pasadena Theatre Company (PTC) show in September, knew the song well so we could focus on our acting and our dancing.

This month another PTC show is playing at the Kerr Performing Arts Center in Severn— It's a Wonderful Life. And, like the title and the meaning of the song stuck in my head, it is a tradition.

“In 1997 it was my wish to produce a holiday show that wasn't overdone, something that was family oriented and that audience members would relate to,” says PTC President Sharon Steele. “Our first production of It's a Wonderful Life was performed at Woods Memorial in Severna Park. Every year thereafter, we performed in the Humanities Recital Hall in Anne Arundel Community College. Our new challenge this year will be performing and projecting voices in a larger space (Kerr Performing Arts Center).”

Scrooge, played by Jim Rieter, boosts Tiny Tim, played by AJ Atkins, on his shoulder.

December is always a hectic time as we shuffle our schedules to create time for shopping, cooking, attending parties, and school vacation. Yet community theater actors gravitate toward performing in local plays that celebrate the season. “ It's a Wonderful Life is a play with a valuable message for everyone, regardless of race or religion, that needs to be retold year after year,” says Steele, who is directing the production again this year. “It is a constant reminder that ‘Life is a precious' gift and, as Clarence reveals to George, ‘what a mistake it would be to throw your life away . . . no man is a failure who has friends.' I personally feel It's a Wonderful Life jump-starts my holiday season.”

Another play has been a local tradition for even longer—26 years. A Christmas Carol, play and lyrics by Richard Wade and music by Dick Gessner, is performed by Colonial Players in Annapolis. This year, the production is directed by Mark Hildebrand, with choreography by JB McLendon. The Colonial Players' production is so popular that enthusiastic theatergoers line up early on the November morning when tickets go on sale; cast members serve them warm cider while they wait. As with It's a Wonderful Life, Dickens's classic story of Scrooge's miserly selfishness reminds us our lives are ultimately defined by what we give, not by what we get.

While Colonial Players' A Christmas Carol and Pasadena Theatre Company's It's a Wonderful Life may feature different cast members from year to year, many local thespians delight in returning to play the same character numerous times. Yet, each time a play is performed it is always slightly different. Chuck Dick has been playing Henry Potter and Marty Hayes has been playing Clarence since the very first production of It's a Wonderful Life in 1997 and they will be returning again this year. Even among film stars, the memory of special roles is carried on.

“During our 2002 production of It's a Wonderful Life two of our cast members, Uncle Billy and Mr. Gower, shared personal written notes they had received from Jimmy Stewart (George Bailey) and Karolyn ‘Zuzu' Grimes, who made guest appearances while celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the movie version of It's a Wonderful Life at the Senator Theatre in Baltimore,” says Steele. “We actually printed these in our program.”

While it's way too late to audition for a part in one of these local productions, it is the right time to plan to buy tickets to at least one holiday theater performance. For a complete listing of all the theater performances this month go to page … And enjoy!

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The community processional last year featured local groups and fantastic floats and puppets.

“ New Year's means so many different things to everyone,” says Robert Keil, executive director of the First Night Annapolis Committee, “we decided to let the fun and happiness of the occasion speak for itself.” To usher in 2007, the citywide celebration will feature eclectic and diverse activities and performances in more than forty-five venues.

There will also be street performers and window acts visible from the streets. “We have to consider that everyone downtown on New Year's should feel as though they are part of the celebration,” says Keil. “We may only sell 8000 buttons, but we entertain 22,000 people!” he adds.

Nearly two-thirds of the size of Annapolis, that number includes tourists and locals of all ages. To appeal to such a large audience, Keil and his team are fostering a sense of togetherness for everyone downtown. “First Night is a family-centric celebration,” he says, and it works best when everyone involved feels as though they are part of the First Night family.

Last year's efforts to integrate the public into the celebrations were a rousing success, and First Night Annapolis plans to keep the momentum going.

The community processional, which appeared for the first time in 2006, included countless volunteers and civic groups marching in a fantastic display of colors, costumes, and floats. According to Keil, it “was truly a collage of the many parts of the Annapolis image. . . . What we didn't expect were the hundreds of sidewalk bystanders joining the parade as it wandered down West Street!”

Scotti Preston, program manager for First Night Annapolis, says, “For me, one of the concerns has been educating people about First Night.” To accomplish this, the free button program for Anne Arundel County public school elementary children will continue. Also, the AACPS wide art competition, which last year attracted hundreds of entries, takes place again at the Maryland State Teacher's Association. “The projects to reach out to kids have become more and more successful,” says Keil.

The biggest incentive to reach out to untapped groups is a new pricing system. “Before, kids 12 and above were paying adult prices,” says Keil. Not anymore: discounts for children, seniors, and teens, as well as an early bird special, are designed to bring new attendees into the celebration.

Volunteers in Boston organized the first First Night in 1976 as part of the city's bicentennial celebrations. It quickly became an annual event and spread to other cities. First Night Annapolis, founded in 1989, is part of First Night International, the nonprofit group formed to organize similar events worldwide.

First Night has always been a “celebration of the arts,” bringing together the people, artists, and businesses of a city. Keil, who has led the Annapolis organization since 2004, believes our First Night should become a “very real piece of the Annapolis community fabric” by including everyone in the festivities. That means reaching out to different communities, further involving local merchants in the planning and execution, and providing entertainment that appeals to everyone.

Keil praises his team and all the volunteers for their job last year. He is confident they can make the show even better, saying “First Night always is on the search for new and exciting things for our New Year's guests and their families to participate in, be surprised by, and enjoy as part of their New Year's experience.”

—Conal Darcy

Button Prices This year, advance button purchases range from $10 (children 6—12) to $18 (adults 18—64). Seniors (65+) and teenagers (13—17) cost $14. On the day of the event the adult button price increases to $22—all other prices remain the same. Children 5 and under are admitted free. To purchase your button visit www.firstnightannapolis.org or www.whatsupmag.com.

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Ralph Stanley

The Live Wire: Concert Previews
When, Who, Where, and What You’ll Dig . .
.By j.s. houck

12/1 Allen Toussaint at Avalon Theatre, Easton (410) 547-SEAT Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (1998) Allen Toussaint is one of the most influential New Orleans R&B artists. The piano/keyboard is his instrument of choice but he is also an extremely gifted lyricist and composer, having collaborated with many of the music industry’s most tried and true artists.

12/7 Raq at 8 ´ 10 Club, Baltimore (410) 547-SEAT Raq is one of the most smoking jam rock outfits yet to make it big. While an arena tour may be a ways off, be happy to see this Vermont four-piece rock band in such an intimate and fun venue as the re-christened 8 ´ 10 Club. This is also a CD release tour for their newest, Ton These. Check ’em out.

12/9 Bob Schneider at State Theatre, Falls Church (410) 547-SEAT Folky, rocky, funky tunesmith Schneider graces us with his presence once again. This everlast touring performing makes music set to the tone of life, which is to say it’s sometimes serious speak and sometimes ludicrous and funny. You can also catch him on12/10 at Rams Head OnStage in Annapolis (410) 268-4545.

12/14 Kenny Rogers at the Hippodrome, Baltimore (410) 547-SEAT The country crooner is back! Legendary country superstar Kenny Rogers has been the center of attention of late with a new album, Water & Bridges, and new concert DVD, The Journey, among other things. Perhaps best recognized for “The Gambler” and “Island in the Stream,” among his more than twenty number-one hits, Rogers might doff the “hat” he’s best known for wearing and perform a Christmas concert.

12/16 Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys at the Birchmere, Alexandria (410) 547-SEAT Listening to Stanley perform is like taking a step back into early nineteenth century Appalachia. An icon and a seer of bluegrass and folk music, Stanley also preserves in song the stories of generations long past. Born in 1927 in Stratton, Virginia, Stanley has made the most of his gift, having recorded more than 200 albums—and at 79 years of age, he’s still a strong performer.

12/17 Dark Star Orchestra at the Recher Theatre, Towson (410) 547-SEAT Are you feeling a little tingle up your back—maybe an itch to get back on the bus to never-ever land? Grateful Dead fans have good reason to be excited as the tribute band rolls into town. DSO not only plays the Dead catalogue, it recreates an actual show, selecting a set list from years past and performing its entirety with deadly accuracy.

12/21–23 Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes at Rams Head OnStage, Annapolis (410) 268-4545 A Rams Head favorite, Southside returns for a 3-night run. One of the bands considered to have originated the “Jersey Shore sound” (the other being Bruce Springsteen), Southside and company effuse a mix of rock and blues, driven by solid drums, keys, and guitar and a horn section.

Raq

12/26 Good Deale Bluegrass at Rams Head OnStage, Annapolis (410) 268-4545 Local bluegrass buffs Good Deale Bluegrass grace the Rams Head stage, one night only. Boasting renowned resonator guitarist Mike Auldridge, this six-member band offers a potent show. This will be a special holiday performance with plenty of special guests joining the fun.

12/29 Tea Leaf Green at State Theatre, Falls Church (410) 547-SEAT The San Fran sound, circa 2006, hits the State Theatre in Tea Leaf Green. You may have read about this four-member rock band in the Live Wire previously and with good reason—it’s worth revisiting because of its smooth delivery and ability to push to the limits of a song.

Museums and Galleries
Can't Miss Exhibits

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669), Self-Portrait, c. 1637, red chalk on European paper, Rosenwald Collection, 1943.

Strokes of Genius: Rembrandt's Prints and Drawings
Through March 18, 2007
National Gallery of Art, D.C.
(202) 737-4215

Celebrating the 400 th anniversary of Rembrandt's birth, the National Gallery of Art presents its collection of Rembrandt's masterworks, combined with loans from American private collections. Infamous for his paintings, Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) is equally well known for the extraordinary creativity in his etchings and drawings. From his teens until his death at age 63, Rembrandt explored in graphic art the most intimate human observations as well as the most formal representations of his own self-portraits, scenes of his family and ordinary life around him, fresh visions of landscape in panorama and in detail, and portraits of friends and dignitaries, as well as grand biblical histories and touching reinterpretations of religious stories.

Hidden Codes: Genetic Code Paintings by Dennis Ashbaugh
Through May 10, 2007
National Academy of Sciences, D.C.
202) 334-2436

Dennis Ashbaugh's large, vibrant paintings, which he terms “gene portraits,” explore the traditions of abstract art and DNA imagery—he has created series of paintings since 1987. His series of “rust” paintings, whose structure is inspired by genetic code, contain charred areas suggestive of cosmic black holes, as well as the decay of the industrial “rust belt” destroyed by the outsourcing of American factory work. The exhibition also includes the colorful “camouflage” series, which is based on ways nature conceals living creatures, such as when tropical fish change color in relation to their environment.

El Lissitzky
Through January 21, 2007
The Phillips Collection, D.C.
202) 387-2151

Nineteen prints by Russian artist El Lissitzky comprising two complete lithographic portfolios will be shown in conjunction with the Société Anonyme exhibition. Lissitzky (1890–1941), also an architect and theorist, created the Victory over the Sun portfolio as designs for a futurist opera, and the Proun portfolio ( Proun is the Latin acronym for design for the confirmation of the new ) to embrace utopian ideals through the use of abstract architectural forms. A gallery will be designed as a Proun room to convey some of Lissitzky's concepts in three dimensions.

Meditations on African Art: Light
December 17 through April 1, 2007
Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore
(443) 573-1700

This first exhibition in a three-part series explores light, color, and pattern in objects from the Baltimore Museum of Art's (BMA's) distinguished collection of African art. Light features more than 40 works, including a recently acquired bead painting by Yoruba artist Jimoh Buraimoh and the world-renowned Baga D'mba (seen in the round for the first time in decades). The BMA has also invited internationally renowned Ethiopian video artist Theo Eshetu to create a contemporary light-based work for the gallery. Varying light levels in the galleries will reveal the objects as they were meant to be viewed, including vibrant works of art intended to radiate spiritually, those that were meant to dazzle during sunlit performances, and pieces intended for the shadows or nighttime performances.

Dennis Ashbaugh, FlavrSavr, 1992–1993, mixed media on canvas; El Lissitzky (1890–1941), Announcer, from Figurine portfolio Victory over the Sun, 1923, lithograph. Collection A. Fenner Milton; Theo Eshetu. Brave New World, self-portrait, 2000. Courtesy the artist.

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Bay Theatre’s A Man of No Importance begins December 1 and runs through January 13. The cast from left to right: Kathryn Falcone, Kim-Scott Miller, Zehra Fazal, Judson Davis, Debbie Barber-Eaton, Aaron Reeder, Karl Kippola, Gillian Shelly, Joe Thornhill, Erin Kennedy, and Russell Maitland.

On Stage In December

A Christmas Carol is a musical version of the story of spiritual transformation of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, retold with a bright score and brisk pace that brings the Christmas spirit to one and all. At Colonial Players, 108 East St., Annapolis. December 7-17. Call for tickets. (410) 268-7373.

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas at Ford's Theatre, Washington, D.C. December 1-30. $25. Call for tickets. (410) 547-SEAT.

A Man of No Importance is an Irish musical celebrating art, love, and love of the theater. At Bay Theatre, 275 West St., Annapolis. December 1 through January 13. $17-22. Call for tickets. (410) 268-1333.

Noises Off. As a third-rate theater troupe tours the third-rate farce Nothing On, the actors create a first-rate farce of their own--forgetting lines, dropping trousers, and losing countless plates of sardines. At Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. December 15 through January 28. $47-66. Call for tickets. (202) 488-3300.

Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. A boy named Charlie Bucket and four other Golden Ticket winners get the tour of a lifetime in a candy-maker's fantastical factory. For ages 5+. At The Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. December 23 through January 7. $15-18. Call for tickets. (800) 444-1324.

She Loves Me. Georg and Amalia can’t stand each other. Intensely competitive clerks in a shop in 1930s Budapest, they are constantly at odds with one another. Each secretly finds solace in an anonymous pen pal—totally unaware that they are actually writing romantic letters to each other. At Arena Stage, Washington, D.C. December 2-31. $47-66. Call for tickets. (202) 488-3300.

Shear Madness is Washington's hilarious whodunit that lets the audience solve the crime. At the Kennedy Center Theater Lab, Washington, D.C. Continues indefinitely. $40. Call for tickets. (800) 444-1324.

Sizwe Bansi Is Dead/Statements After an Arrest Under the Immortality Act. During a period of increasingly compromised civil rights worldwide, these plays examine the role of the state in the lives of all its citizens. At Run of the Mill Theater, Baltimore. Sizwe Bansi Is Dead, December 21-31; Statements After an Arrest Under the Immortality Act, December 1-17. $11-16. Call for tickets. (410) 410-796-1555.

The Beaux’ Stratagem. After squandering their fortunes on drink and gambling, Tom Aimwell and Jack Archer seek refuge in the countryside. They hope to seduce two ladies of status and fortune, but true love and a band of thieves soon complicate their scheming. At Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, D.C. December 1-31. $30-69.50. Call for tickets. (202) 547-1122.

The Boys From Syracuse. Antipholus and his hapless servant Dromio are thrown topsy-turvy when their long-lost identical twins sail into town and run afoul of perplexed wives, red-hot courtesans, and the law. At Centerstage, Baltimore. December 8 through January 14. $15-50. Call for tickets. (410) 332-0033.

The Little Prince is the adaptation of Antoine de Saint-Exupery's classic children's book that tells the story of a world-weary aviator whose sputtering plane strands him in the Sahara Desert and the mysterious Little Prince he meets. At Round House Theatre, Bethesda. December 1-10. $25-55. Call for tickets. (240) 644-1100.

The Santaland Diaries is a one-man show that follows "Crumpet," a slacker employed as Santa's helper at Macy's Department Store. See how he bears the indignities of Elf School, the crush of pushy parents, and the demands of whiny children with all the patience of a sugar plum curmudgeon in jingle bell hell. Penned by author David Sedaris. At Rep Stage at Howard Community College, Columbia. December 2 through January 7. $18-24. Call for tickets. (410) 772-4900.

The School for Scandal. Richard Brinsley Sheridan ponders what matters in life with more innuendo, shifting alliances, and shocking revelations than a modern-day soap opera. Can there be wit without malice? Can virtue be anything but dull? Will true love outwit fashion? At Everyman Theatre, Baltimore. December 1-17. $18-30. Call for tickets. (410) 752-2208.

The Talent Machine: Home For the Holidays features local talent from ages 6-18. Includes Santa, Frosty, Rudolph, dancing bears, toy soldiers, and many more holiday characters. At St. John's College Key Auditorium, 60 College Ave., Annapolis. December 15-23. $8-12. Call for tickets. (410) 956-0512.

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Jason Wright, author of the best-selling novel Christmas Jars.

Quick Six: Author Jason Wright

Jason Wright, author, speaker, and political consultant, answers our questions this month. Wright has authored two successful holiday-themed novels and is the president of the Institute for Liberty, a nonprofit think tank based in Northern Virginia. Among his many accomplishments, he also humorously notes that he had a major film role in the horror cult-classic Troll II (1990). He currently resides in Fairfax, Virginia, with his wife and three children. It being the holiday season we decided to focus on his latest novel, Christmas Jars (Shadow Mountain) which is currently being made into a major motion picture slated for a 2007 release. For more on Wright, visit www.jasonfwright.com or www.christmasjars.com.

What’s Up? Annapolis: With the holiday season upon us, could you discuss the inspiration for writing not only Christmas Jars, but also The James Miracle, your first novel? Did the first inspire the second?

Jason Wright: The inspiration for Christmas Jars came in the shower. (True story) I was thinking about the upcoming holidays (2004) and wondering what tradition my wife and I could start that would involve the children. We had one [tradition] already that my parents passed down, but it’s a “mom and dad thing.” We wanted something the entire family could feel a part of. Knowing we all generate so much spare change every day that ends up in ashtrays, couch cushions, etc., I wondered what would happen if we put every single spare penny, dime, nickel, and quarter in a jar at the end of the day. The twist was that instead of buying a new TV, we’d find someone to give it to, anonymously. It was an experiment that worked so well for us, I decided to fictionalize the entire experience. Where might the very first jar have come from? What good could come from thousands and thousands of jars? We’re just now starting to see, and it’s miraculous!

As for my first novel, The James Miracle, it’s a simpler, shorter story that was written for my wife as a Christmas present in 2003. She let a few people read it, they let a few more people read it, and before I knew it we had a publisher interested. The rest, as they say, is history!

WUA: From pen to paperback, how long did the writing and editing processes take for Christmas Jars? Are there plans for a third novel of this kind?

JW: The writing took a couple of months, but the majority flew out of me in about a 3-week span. However, the entire process was much longer. It took about 9 months from the day I penned the last page to the day I held the paperback in my hands for the first time. Truthfully, that’s unusually fast for a novel. Kudos to the publisher for believing in the book and in the spirit of the jar and fast-tracking it to store shelves!

While seeing the paperback was a thrill I’ll never forget, seeing the new hardcover this year was equally exhilarating. The publisher and designer did an amazing job. They’ve created the kind of book that looks like it’s meant to look at, not touch!

A third novel, The Wednesday Letters, is in the works and should be complete on November 1 for publication next fall. Fingers crossed!

WUA: Have you seen your novel inspire real acts of generosity during the holiday season or otherwise? Do readers send you their personal stories of triumph over adversity? Is there one story that sticks out above all others?

JW: Indeed, I have had quite a few folks communicate with me in the last year.

It’s by far the most rewarding aspect of this adventure. Knowing people are filling jars across the country each and every day with an eye to a Christmas Eve anonymous delivery brings me goose bumps the size of tennis balls.

The neatest story, by far, can be seen on the Web site: www.christmasjars.com/miracle.htm

Christmas jars cover.

WUA: Plans are for a 2007 major motion picture release of Christmas Jars. How involved with the development are you and could you offer us a prognosis?

JW: I’m fairly involved, but I’ve willingly turned over much of the control to the producers and screenwriter. I love film, and I’d like to work my way into screenwriting at some point, but I felt more comfortable letting the pros handle the delicate process of adapting the novel to the big screen.

The script is finished and everyone who has read it thinks it’s simply beautiful, myself included! There is still much to be done, but it’s a very exciting process and I feel like a kid in a candy shop with a $100 bill. I plan on spending quite some time on set in February and March when shooting is scheduled to begin. (I’ve even lobbied successfully for a small role! Let’s hope I don’t muck things up too badly!). The movie Web site is here: www.thechristmasjarsmovie.com

WUA: Your novels could be considered one branch of your body of work. Could you describe your day-to-day work and writing? What projects do you constantly juggle?

JW: In addition to writing fiction, I serve as president of the small nonprofit, the Institute for Liberty. Among other things, I write op-eds for newspapers on the pressing policy and political issues of the day. I also write for Glenn Beck’s magazine and radio show. But my favorite gig, aside from writing fiction, is managing my political Web site, PoliticalDerby.com, home of the original 2008 White House Power Rankings. Seeing how many political nuts there are has been reassuring for me. I’m not alone!

WUA: Has there been a driving force or philosophy within you that led to a successful career as an author? What motivated you to pursue your career?

JW: I credit my parents and high school teachers for my career today. They encouraged me to write, but never took away options, and I dabbled with all sorts of other things before coming back to my first love. I ran several businesses, had a major role in the worst movie ever according to IMDb.com, ran for Congress, ran a think tank, and even dreamed of being an NFL punter!

But writing is where my heart is, and I’m realistic about my talent. I think I’m a better storyteller than a writer. Those are two very different things.

--j.s. houck

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Street Talk
by Kimi Raspa

Once the month of November hits, the holidays are in full force, thanks in part to local businesses that decorate their stores with colorful wreaths, lights, and holiday cheer as early as September. Before you know it, plans to visit with family and friends, along with gift exchanges and holiday parties, flood the calendar, and then the new year is pounding at your door. In the midst of all the excitement, we wanted to learn how you like to celebrate the holidays, by asking this month's question:
What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Alicia Klug, 31, of Crofton, Administrative asst. & mom —“Lighting the candles on the menorah at Hanukkah.”	Danny J. Canham, 19, of Bismarck, North Dakota/United States Naval Academy, 3 rd Class, Midshipman —“Singing carols at Christmas.”
Laurine Kandare, 34, of Davidsonville, Homemaker —“Christmas morning we put gifts on the end of our kids' beds to start their mornings off.”	Usman Cheema, 19, of Crofton, Student —“Thanksgiving, because all of the family gathers around and we have so much fun.”
Limin Carter, 32, of Bowie, Manager —“I get together with my family and we always have a family dinner, open presents, and watch a family movie.”	Andrew Hendricks, 21, of Charlotte, NC/United States Naval Academy, 1 st Class, Midshipman —“Fireworks on the fourth of July.”

Questions about Street Talk? Contact Kimi Raspa at kraspa@whatsupmag.com or (410) 267-9390 x117.

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