A Holiday Photo Flash - 2011

LIMITED EDITION HOLIDAY CANDLES FOR SALE!

After a two year hiatus, I have decided to come out of retirement and make two rounds of holiday candles this year. Part of this is because I haven't made them in such a long time that I had an itch to make them again, and had a design in mind that came to me a month ago that was unlike any that I had ever done. The other part was for some additional Christmas income, which everyone needs, but especially actors!

These color families are the traditional red and green, and a more winter/ Hanukkah inspired purple and blue and white. The red and green are scented with Douglass fir and Macintosh apple. The purple are scented with fireplace, winter night, and winter berries. I can ship these if you will include an extra $6 (for local shipping), for distances greater, contact me and I will figure the postage out. The sooner you place orders, the quicker you will receive them, so email me at stephenishome@yahoo.com and I will get your order to you as soon as possible. These make fantastic and unique gifts, and by purchasing from me, you are supporting a local artist!

Pricing is as follows:

Extra Large Pillar= $25

Large Pillar=$20

Star Pillar=$15

Oval Pillar= $12

Medium Pillar= $12

Sphere= $8

Thank you for choosing to order my handmade candles for your holiday gifts! xoxoSGS

PRE-ORDER HOLIDAY CANDLES NOW!!!

In a rare moment of insanity, I am offering holiday candles for sale again for the first time in over 2 years. Themes are red and green and purple and blue. Photos will be up in the next day or two. Pre-order here by emailing me at stephenishome@yahoo.com. Give to a local artist by ordering candles made by a local struggling actor. Photos/prices will be posted in the next 2 days. I will be making a limited amount, so reserve your candles ASAP.

xoxo

SGS

A Matt Conner Christmas!

Just wanted to let you all know that my partner's holiday CD, "Snow" is available for sale not only in the Signature Theatre lobby, but also in Shirlington's Le Village Marche, and both "Snow" and last year's album, "Winter" are available on itunes! Check out Theatremania's 12 CDs of Christmas list, in which "Snow" is listed as one of the top 12!

And here is last year's Metro Weekly 4 star rave about "Winter", for good measure! They are both the most soothing and relaxing Christmas albums that I own, and you can also buy both CD's in a special deal in the Signature Lobby for $30! So whether you download them or buy a hard copy, make sure you get your own copy soon! You don't want to spend the holidays without it! xoxoSGS

It's HAIRSPRAY!!!

Tonight is the Final Dress Rehearsal for Hairspray at Signature Theatre! I can't even believe that it is November, let alone that we start official previews of Hairspray tomorrow! Where does all the time go? I feel like we were just doing Boy Detective!

The show is going to be really amazing, everyone. Everyone in it is giving their all, and it shows!

Here are some photos of some of us in our 60's get up:

Below we have Erin Gardiner and myself as Amber Von Tussle and Corny Collins.

And below we have Sherri Lynn Edelen Simpson and Erin Gardiner and Velma and Amber Von Tussle!

We start previews tomorrow, and if you don't have tickets now, I would get them soon while they still have some!

More pictures and details to follow!

xoxosgs

UP NEXT THIS WEEK!

This week in the wild world of Matt Conner, we have three big events...

First, our new children's show, "Eddie Allan Poe" opens November 4th at Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, VA.

I wrote the book and lyrics, and Matt wrote the music and lyrics. The cast is a wonderful and very talented group of children, anchored by the fantastic Dani Danger Stoller as the head mistress of the Edgar Allan Poe Academy. Join the lovable little terrors as they learn an important lesson about being true to yourself, no matter what people might think about you. www.creativecauldron.org

Then, Sunday brings us the CD Release party for Matt Conner's second album, Snow. This collection of timeless holiday classics also features two original songs written by Matt. There will be CD signing and then a live performance from Matt at 6pm. Start your holiday season out right, with the music of Matt Conner! Come enjoy some wine and cheese and some Holiday Cheer!!!! CD's will be available for purchase at $20.00 OR purchase a Gift Set of WINTER/SNOW for $30.00! Matt will be available to autograph each and every one with a personalized note to make each gift special!!!!

And finally, on Monday brings us a concert presentation of Matt Conner's Nevermore in New York City at The Duplex at 9:30pm!

Here are the details:

"NEVERMORE" Music by MATT CONNER Book by GRACE BARNES Lyrics adapted from the writings of EDGAR ALLAN POE... Orchestrations by JONATHAN TUNICK Music Direction by KEVIN B. WINEBOLD Directed by DAVID NORWOOD

CAST

Edgar ... DAN COONEY

The Whore ... ELEASHA GAMBLE

Virginia ... MARGO SIEBERT

Muddy ... MARY PAYNE

Mother ... NATASCIA DIAZ

Elmira ... WHITNEY BASHOR

“Nevermore” sets Edgar Allan Poe’s writings to music, telling the story of his relationships with five women in his life. The Washington Post described it as “a dreamscape of a musical” and called Cooney’s performance “robust” and “virile.” Conner’s score has been universally praised, attached to words like “hauntingly beautiful” (Theatermania.com) and “dark, lush and swooningly romantic” (Washington City Paper). Tickets: $15, available at http://www.theduplex.com/~thedup/webcalendar/view_entry.php?id=6282&date=20111107

And all the while, we are rehearsal for Hairspray at Signature Theatre, where I am hosting the Big Hair Ball this Saturday night.

So needless to say, this is a very busy week in the Smith/ Conner household. I feel like all that I do is promote different events constantly. I hope to see some of you at one of these many upcoming events. Until then, buckle up! November proves to be just as bumpy as October was! Children's shows, CD's, Concert Presentations, and lots of Hairspray!

xoxosgs

SHIRLINGTON ZOMBIE WALK 2011

FRIDAY NIGHT- SECOND ANNUAL SHIRLINGTON ZOMBIE WALK!

Friday night the 28th, get ready for the second annual Shirlington Zombie walk. Bar will be open at 7, come on by for some Happy Hour specials on drinks and food, and get zombified in the lobby! Bring your own zombie make-up, and one of our zombie experts will give you tips, if you need them. Then the walk begins! We walk the Shirlington Strip, then return to Signature's "Club Blue" for a zombie dance party!

Respond to the Facebook invite HERE.

4 Performances of Boy Detective Fails left!

We close on Sunday matinee, everyone. You have 4 more chances to see this amazing show. And no, I don't water ski in it, but I should.

Shows tonight, Friday night, Saturday night, and Sunday at 2pm.

Hope to see you there.

xoxosgs

Nevermore Opening Night!

Nevermore opens tonight at Creative Cauldron! Tonight's performance is a benefit to save the Edgar Allan Poe house in Baltimore. A portion of the proceeds will go towards saving the house! Visit www.creativecauldron.org for ticket info, and come on out and see this amazing piece of theatre. It runs October 7th through the 30th on Fridays through Sundays.

xoxoxsgs

Hump Day Check In - Nevermore will the Boy Detective Fail...

Good Morning, interwebs! I am writing this blog from my new laptop! Yes, folks, the blog will lurch back from the dead now that I have a tool to write on again!

So what is going on? As always, very much.

The Boy Detective Fails is still running for 2 more weeks, so I have about 8 more performances as Billy Argo, Boy Detective. This makes me incredibly sad, and this role has been 2 years in the making. Letting go of this show is going to be like ripping off a very large band aid. Not looking forward to it.

Matt is directing a production of his first show, Nevermore at Creative Cauldron. It features many area favorites, including Priscilla Cuellar, Mary Payne Omohundro, Karissa Lynn Swanigan Upchurch, Katie Culligan, Dani Danger Stoller, and Sean Thompson. I had the priveledge of seeing a run through last wee, and am seeing another one tonight, and can assure you, it is money WELL spent.

It is, first of all, an incredibly SEXY cast. Secondly, the talent of the cast is overpowering. Matt has done some really amazing directing as well! So all in all, I am verrrrry excited about the entire production. Check out www.creativecauldron.org for details and tickets!

And in further Nevermore news, Musically Human Theatre Company, a new emerging company in NYC is looking to produce it's initial season using all Matt Conner shows! They are kicking this off with a concert version of Nevermore, featuring the original Edgar Allan Poe, Dan Cooney, and also Eleasha Gamble! The Concert is November 7th at the Duplex in NYC. Details will follow. After the concert, the group will do a reading of NightoftheLivingDead in December, followed by full productions of both in the spring/summer! The company is raising funds for the Concert over at our favorite fundraising page, Kickstarter - visit their Nevermore event page and donate anything you can!

In other news, I will be posting a look back at the summer, sharing some atrocious movies that I have had the pleasure of discovering, and much more, including coverage of the opening of Nevermore at Creative Cauldron, to coverage of the closing of the AMVP Rep at Signature next week! Please stand by!

xoxosgs

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

The Boy Detective Fails Trailer!

AMVP Rep at Signature Theatre - NOW PLAYING!

For the first time in known theatrical history, Signature Theatre is offering two world premiere musicals running in rep with each other. One is called The Hollow, with music and lyrics by Matt Conner, and book by Hunter Foster. The other is called The Boy Detective Fails, with music and lyrics by Adam Gwon, book by Joe Meno.

I have the honor of portraying the title role in The Boy Detective Fails, and my partner, Matt wrote the music and lyrics to The Hollow. So, as you can imagine, this rep is of some great importance in our household.

Both of these pieces are very cutting edge and challenge the viewer in many different ways. Not all people will like being challenged, and some will prefer that their evening ends wrapped up in a nice and neat bow. But if theatre that makes you think, talk to friends, and have heated discussions is your cup of tea, then what are you waiting for? Plan your trip now!

Listen to what people are saying: THE HOLLOW

"...a dark gem...entirely engrossing and deeply powerful..."

-

Theatremania

"sing all

the power of

myth, Foster and Conner effectively address the negative effects bigotry and small-mindedness have on a community. Through their

characters, story and music, they have created a dynamic new legend in "The Hollow," a valid contribution to the cause of the new American musical, a cause to which Signature Theatre is firmly dedicated."

- Washington Examiner

"Henriette Van Brunt,

played with voracious self-righteousness by Sherri Edelen, one of the show’s vocal powerhouses, who whips her contemporaries up into a frenzy against Crane."

- Washingtonian

Also with both shows, it seems that everyone is seeing 2 different things...

"The music too often doesn’t

illumine the characters

very well or move the story along with conviction."

- Roy Maurer -

DCtheatrescene

"...But those characters have all been transformed in the

musical, fleshed out and made to illuminate even more clearly

than the original..In addition, Conner's music and lyrics move the action of the musical along."

- Barbara Mackay - Washington Examiner

Come decide

for yourself!

"Captivating...Spellbinding...Perfect"- MD Theatre Guide

"the story’s tragic resolution, with many questions still left unanswered, proves more unsettling than the thought of a ghostly figure and his horse with glowing red eyes."

- Washingtonian

"The Hollow shares some of the ambiance of Conner's previous musical,Nevermore, but

here, some of the lyrics are unadorned, while others blossom into an eerie dimension, sometimes carried by wafts of classical-sounding music. The effect is almost unremittingly hypnotic...Director Matthew Gardiner harnesses his cast's energies, allowing them a measured, deliberate energy at first that suggests there is vast power

being held at bay. When the force is finally released, it explodes in psychological violence. Yes, The Hollow is a horror show, but it's the horrors found within us which

do the scaring here, not monsters or special effects."

- Theatremania.com

THE BOY DETECTIVE FAILS

community."

ton Examiner

"Smith is onstage almost nonstop for 2 1/2 hours, and his singing is superb every .

"The thread that does hold things together, to the extent the material allows, is Billy himself. Stephen Gregory Smith achieves what every actor aspires to, but few can do consistently: he makes us believe, completely , that he IS the person who he’s portraying. It’s that simple, and it’s that complex. Smith is that boy."

- Kyle Osborne - EntertainmentorDie.com
"Smith is mostly fine, exploring an odd character who is both high-strung and tense, yet engaging. However, he occasionally strays into cartoon territory -- which director Joe Calarco should rein in." - Theatremania

COME AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF!

"Though "Boy Detective" is based on a book,

what makes the show successful is that

it's not a singular vision. There is a clear meeting

of minds: everything from

the acting to the music to the precise

choreography hits the same perfect

one-two note of sadness and joy, that

weird melancholy of childhood

spinning into adulthood.

"Boy Detective" never just hands you the story,

but requires you to assemble it

clue by clue. As a result, what would

otherwise be just a sweet bildungsroman

becomes instead something much more moving

and complex as we confront

with Billy the maddening riddle of growing up."

- BrightestYoungThings.com

- actually - that entire review is written so well

and is so insightful that you

should probably go to their website and

read the whole thing HERE.

There is also another commentary piece from "AskMissA" over HERE.

In closing, these are two incredibly young and

spunky children who were just

birthed over at the Signature Theatre.

They have quite the journey ahead of them,

and I highly reccomend that you come and see them!

There are student tickets available -

read about that HERE.

""As brought to life by director Joe Calarco,

Smith gives a winning performance as Billy,

with a shuffling posture and shyness that vividly

demonstrate the dislocation of a child trapped in

a man's body. "

- TalkinBroadway.com

Contact the box office at 703-820-9771 or at Signature's website.

And ps, sorry I haven't written on here in awhile,

but my computer has crashed

and burned, and in addition,

I've had my hands full,

as you can see. I promise

to get back on here more this fall, as Matt and I

have many things up our collective

sleeves to tell you about! xoxosgs