Examining a Stressed-out Teen’s Life
Hub Theatre brings world premiere of "Abominable."
Life as a teenager can be fraught with anxiety. Now Fairfax's Hub Theater is bringing a premiere production inspired by "the regularly escalating violence that is being perpetrated in and on our schools" said Hub artistic director and playwright Helen Pafumi. The play is "Abominable."
Life as a Comic Frenzy
Providence Players present Neil Simon's farce, ‘Rumors.’
Women in lovely evening attire and men in snappy tuxedos were walking about the stage of the James Lee Community Center theater. It was an early dress rehearsal for the Providence Players (PPF) production of "Rumors," a farce by award winning playwright Neil Simon. The PPF cast was getting a feel for the set as final touches were being made to a tastefully decorated, contemporary two-story New York City apartment.
Mason Presents Artistic Discovery
Center for the Arts at George Mason University announces season of great performances.
The arts are an integral part of the quality of life in Fairfax County. The coming 2014-2015 season for the Center for the Arts at George Mason University will once again provide diverse arts and entertainment of national and international quality for the community. For George Mason University President Dr. Angel Cabrera, "our responsibility is to serve others, to enrich the life of our community culturally and economically. We encourage lifelong learning, and the programming at the Center for the Arts is one of the ways in which we live out that mission.
‘Carmina Burana’ at Mason Stage
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and Fairfax Choral Society join forces to present ‘a compelling piece of music.’
The heat of musical fire is arriving soon thanks to the combined artistic forces of Fairfax County's own Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) and Fairfax Choral Society (FCS). Together, the partnership will bring musical and vocal hip and cool into our own backyard. Both Fairfax-based organizations have been entertaining audiences in the area for over five decades.
Disarming Musical
‘The Fantasticks’ comes to the Workhouse.
With over 20,000 performances in New York City since it opened in 1960 and countless numbers of regional, community and school-based productions, the melodic and oh, so mellow musical, "The Fantasticks" is coming to the Workhouse.
Bittersweet to the Core
Hub Theatre presents area premiere of the ‘Failure: A Love Story.’
"Failure, A Love Story" by Phlip Dawkins "is unique, funny, whimsical and has so much heart," said Helen Pafumi, Hub artistic director.
‘Carmen’ Comes to Area
Virginia Opera brings "Carmen" to Center for the Arts.
Virginia Opera, the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, will present Georges Bizet’s sultry tragedy about opera’s most famous femme fatale, "Carmen." The opera has enthralled audiences for more than a century and is one of the most popular. "Carmen" follows Don José and his ill-fated obsession with the alluring Carmen who tosses him aside for another man leading to jealous rage.
Be Dazzled
The now and the future of dance comes to Mason.
The dancers are coming! The dancers are coming! The Winter Olympics isn't the only venue to see agility, power, speed, strength and beauty. And you won't need to know the difference between a double Lutz and a triple axel. Soon Fairfax County will be welcoming five hundred of another type of athletes: 500 dancers from dozens of colleges and universities showcasing and competing with dreams of appearing at the Kennedy Center this May. It is the American College Dance Festival with a grand opening by the famed Joffrey Ballet. "We are very excited to be hosting this year’s mid-Atlantic festival and opening our beautiful facilities to our talented guests," said Susan Shields, professor, Mason School of Dance. "At Mason, the arts are highly valued throughout the campus and the curriculum."
‘Something Completely Different’
Max Raabe & Palast Orchester come to Center for the Arts.
And now for something completely different for the Northern Virginia area entertainment scene. All the way from Europe to tantalize.
An Evening of Enduring Music and Song
"MJO's Simply Swingin' with Sinatra and Friends."
It will be a memorable evening for the golden age of pop standards and tin pan alley as the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra (MJO) and vocalist Steve Lippia bring the Great American Songbook to life at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. It will feature music that has "depth and weight ... the kind of event that will stay with you long after it's over," said Jim Carroll, MJO artistic director.
An Evening of Enduring Music and Song
"MJO's Simply Swingin' with Sinatra and Friends."
It will be a memorable evening for the golden age of pop standards and tin pan alley as the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra (MJO) and vocalist Steve Lippia bring the Great American Songbook to life at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. It will feature music that has "depth and weight ... the kind of event that will stay with you long after it's over," said Jim Carroll, MJO artistic director. The Great American Songbook is the short-hand name for the influential and well-loved popular songs of the mid-20th century. The enduring music and lyrics were written for Broadway shows, Hollywood films and touring artists. They were songs about love and life, with a rhythm and rhyme all their own.
Benny is Back!
Arriving soon for your entertainment.
Jack Benny was a classic comedian of stage, screen, radio and television. He spanned decades and generations. He is even considered a forerunner of what is now called situation comedy. Some suggest that the comic styles of Jerry Seinfeld and Kelsey Grammar ("Frasier") have Benny-like qualities. Soon there will be a golden opportunity to see him again. Well, not "the" Jack Benny, but award-winning actor Tim Newell in a one-man performance of "Mister Benny" at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia in a production for all audiences, non-members and members alike.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Promises ‘Intense, Personal, Intimate Experience’
Concerts at GMU’s Harris Theater to celebrate the 100th birthday of Benjamin Britten.
Have you heard? The next performance of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) chamber series, will be in a special location; the Harris Theater at George Mason University.
When Books Are Outlawed and Knowledge Discouraged
Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" comes to Center for the Arts.
Continuing a series of enthralling professional touring theater productions, George Mason University's Center for the Arts is presenting "Fahrenheit 451" by renowned science fiction and fantasy writer Ray Bradbury. It is another in an "amazing assortment of performances," said Tom Reynolds, Center for the Arts director of artistic programming.
Great Theater for a Great Cause
Providence Players present 'A Christmas Carol.'
It is that most wonderful time of the year; Christmas is coming. And the Providence Players have "a new fresh approach to that Holiday icon, 'A Christmas Carol'," said Brian O'Connor. “The Players have found a new adaptation by Janet Allard and Michael Bigelow Dixon that will give families great enjoyment along with being a new take."
Attraction and Desire Meet in ‘Café Variations’
Seductive romance is in store as "Cafe Variations" explores how longing for love, finding love, and even losing love makes us visible to ourselves in unexpected ways.
Beauty Found After a Catastrophic Event
Hub Theatre presents ‘Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave’
Finding new plays for local area audiences is something Helen Pafumi, Hub Theatre, artistic director relishes. She seeks out plays that will fascinate, rivet and enthrall.
Charming, Smart, Comedic
Cabaret duo “Marcy and Zina” arriving in Fairfax.
"Neurotically optimistic songs about love and life" are coming to Northern Virginia audiences as the award-winning Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich pull into the Northern Virginia Jewish Community Center (JCCNV). You may not know their names right off hand, but Kristin Chenowith, Audry McDonald and Michael Feinstein regularly sing their compositions.
A Show That ‘Rocks’
Providence Players of Fairfax open 16th season with musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.”
With fresh faces, the Providence Players open the theater season with only the second musical the company has done in its 16 years. It is the brash, bright, delightfully dark musical comedy, "Little Shop of Horrors."
Short Film Fest Comes to Fairfax
DC Shorts Film Festival to be held at Angelika Film Center.
With its motto, "keeping it short, keeping it reel," the DC Shorts Film Festival returns for its second year at the Angelika Film Center. The multi-day festival gives Fairfax County residents a nearby, easy-to-reach opportunity to sample and enjoy new works right in their own backyard. The Angelika will present short films from Monday, Sept. 24 through Sunday, Sept. 29.
An Artistic Evening Like No Other
“ARTS by George!” returns to George Mason stage.
With an open invitation to the community, the George Mason University College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is holding its eighth annual "ARTS by George!" event. It has quickly become one of the premiere arts events in Northern Virginia. The mission of "ARTS by George!" is to showcase and support Mason students in a wide range of artistic fields including arts, dance, music, theater, computer game design, film and video studies and arts management. The gala raises funds to provide for student scholarships. It is capped off this year by the headliner performance of Tony Award winner Laura Benanti.
Celebrating Diversity Through Music
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will be presenting bilingual master classes and outreach presentations at various Fairfax County venues.
With grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will be presenting bi-lingual master classes and outreach presentations at various Fairfax County venues in the coming weeks.
Play That ‘Lifts Your Soul’
Hub Theater to present “Act a Lady.”
There are tough times in a small Prohibition-era Midwestern town. What is to be done to keep everyone and everything going? Well, in the Hub Theater's next production, “Act a Lady,” the townsfolk come together to explore their lives in rather unexpected ways. Even gender gets exuberantly blurred. And there is even hip accordion music.
A Shear Madness of an Evening
1st Stage presents "Blithe Spirit" by Noel Coward.
Light-hearted fare has arrived at Tysons 1st Stage in the guise of Noel Coward's 1941 hit, "Blithe Spirit." It is a lovely dessert-like confection of escapist froth and meringue. But its age—it was written during the "keep calm and carry on" times of the London Blitz of World War II—is beginning to show even under the assured direction of Lee Mikeska Gardner.
Bringing to Life ‘Is He Dead?’
Providence Players present recently unearthed Mark Twain comedy.
It is rare that a play written by one of America's iconic writers is found and produced a century after it was written. But the Providence Players are bringing to life "Is He Dead?" written by Mark Twain in 1898 and first published in print in 2003.
Grown-up Play About Grown-up Things
Providence Players of Fairfax present "Dinner with Friends."
Sitting around a table at a recent rehearsal, Providence Players of Fairfax Director Tina Thronson and some of her cast discussed the troupe's funny yet bittersweet Pulitzer Award winning next play, "Dinner with Friends" by Donald Margulies.
Love Keeps You Grounded
Hub Theatre presents "A Man, His Wife and His Hat."
Fairfax's professional Hub Theatre continues to delve into delightfully complicated aspects of love by playwrights often new to the D.C. area. Now the Hub is bringing on Lauren Yee's play described as a "klezmer-inspired love triangle between a man, his wife and a hat."
Riverbend Opera to Open New Season
"The music of opera takes me to beautiful places in my imagination, with swirling passions and languid times of reflection," said John Turner (McLean) in describing his love for the art form. He is one of the artistic forces behind Fairfax County's own Riverbend Opera Company. With its 2013 season, Riverbend will have a double-bill of one-act works by Giacomo Puccini. Puccini's operas are some of the most performed such as "La Bohème," "Madame Butterfly" and "Tosca." Each of the one-acts, "Il tabarro" and "Suor Angelica" has "almost achingly beautiful music" said Turner.
A Passion for Dance
Richmond Ballet II to perform and teach master class.
The importance of dance is clear to Stoner Winslett, artistic director of the Richmond Ballet. "Dance is the expression of the human spirit through movement. It is the instinctive language of our hearts and minds," she wrote.
Providence Players of Fairfax County Receive 19 WATCH Nominations
The Providence Players of Fairfax County have been nominated for 19 Washington Area Community Honors (WATCH) for artistic and technical excellence in Community Theater.
Wonderful Tunes, Wonderful Voices
The Gay Men's Chorus of Washington comes to the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia.
Continuing to expand its Performing Arts Series, the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia (JCCNV) is bringing the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington (GMCW) to the local area for an evening of entertainment of Broadway show tunes, pop music and traditional choral music.
Local Dancers Perform With Renowned Group
Mark Morris Dance Group, Dance Gala at Mason.
The celebrated Mark Morris Dance Group will soon bring its energy and style, its live music repertoire and several local dancers to enthrall audiences at the Mason Center for the Arts.
Holiday Favorites at GMU
American Festival Pops Orchestra to present “Holiday Pops: Songs of the Season.”
Under the direction of founder and artistic director Anthony Maiello, Northern Virginia’s very own 60-member American Festival Pops Orchestra (AFPO) will soon be performing a sparkling musical celebration befitting the Holiday Season at the Mason Center for the Arts.
A Premiere of Hilarity and Weight
The Hub Theater presents “How I Paid for College.”
"My life is a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle I have to put together while wearing mittens" is one of the off-beat lines that powers "How I Paid for College," by Helen Hayes Award-winning playwright Marc Acito. The premiere play opens Friday, Dec. 7, at the ever-adventurous Hub Theater in Fairfax.
Buoyant Holiday Fare
Providence Players present “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
A delightfully boisterous, but controlled chaos lit up a recent rehearsal of the Providence Players' next production, the family-friendly holiday treat "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." Over a dozen joyously energetic middle school and high school students were rehearsing their roles under the watchful eye of Director Beth Whitehead (Mantua).
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