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

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

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

Next Up...Billy Argo, Boy Detective.

If the Rapture doesn't ruin my next gig, you will see me at Signature Theatre in The Boy Detective Fails, opening August 25th. This photo appears in the program for Side by Side by Sondheim at Signature (ON SALE NOW).
Details to follow. I am more excited about this show than I can say. Also pictured to my right is Sam Ludwig, who will star in The Hollow, which will run in rep with The Boy Detective Fails. The Hollow is written by Matt Conner and Hunter Foster, and The Boy Detective Fails is written by Adam Gwon and Joe Meno.
More to come soon.
xoxo
SGS

Signature Theatre Season Announcement

Signature has announced their new theatre season, and I personally think that it is quite an exciting line up! On top of everything else, Matt Conner's The Hollow will be produced, and we all know how happy that makes us both! Read the Washington Post article for the details HERE.

COMING UP!

FROM SIGNATURE THEATRE'S NEWSLETTER...

Page To Stage Monday: December 6

Conversation with STEPHEN GREGORY SMITH

Monday, December 6
7:00 – 8:00 PM

Arlington Public Library, Shirlington Branch
4200 Campbell Avenue

Arlington, VA 22206

Stephen Gregory Smith has performed on the Signature stage for over ten years! In 2004, he received the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor for his performance in 110 in the Shade. He was also a member of the Helen Hayes Award-winning cast for Best Ensemble in Les Misérables and in 2009, Stephen played the lead role in Signature's eagerly anticipated new musical The Boy Detective Fails, based on the book by Joe Meno.
Other work at Signature over the last decade has included Kiss of the Spider Woman, Into the Woods, Assassins, One Red Flower, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and numerous cabaret performances.
Recently, Stephen has branched out in areas other than acting. He is the book writer for a new musical NightoftheLivingDead which had a reading at Kensington Arts Theatre in October. Stephen has been instrumental not only in the creation of the musical, but also in bringing it to life financially. He launched a Kickstarter online fundraising campaign that resulted in raising close to $10,000 to support the show. In addition, Stephen teaches art, creative drama, and improvisation to Fairfax County students through Creative Cauldron in Falls Church.
Now, Stephen Gregory Smith can be seen again on the Signature stage in Sunset Boulevard. Take this opportunity to talk with Stephen about any aspect of his varied career endeavors.
Page to Stage Mondays are free to the public. No tickets or reservations are required.





For tickets to see Stephen in Sunset Boulevard, click here or call 703 573 SEAT.





AND ALSO...



Matt Conner's Debut CD

Matt Conner, a Signature Theatre composer, actor and our lobby pianist, has recorded his first album, entitled WINTER. This Signature-produced CD of holiday favorites with two original songs by Conner is a perfect holiday gift for family and friends. If you've enjoyed Matt's music in the Signature lobby or saw his musical Nevermore, you'll love this mix of holiday songs played by Matt in his Signature style. The CD features 14 melodies including "Jingle Bells" and "O Holy Night" and is available in the Signature Shop beginning November 15.
Be one of the first to purchase this album by attending Matt's WINTER CD signing and release party on Monday, November 15 from 6:30 - 8:30pm in the Signature Lobby. Matt will be on-site to autograph CDs. Join us for a glass of wine and a special concert of the songs from 7:15 to 7:35pm.
WINTER is available for $20. If you purchase 4 CDs, you get one for free.
It's the perfect holiday gift for friends and family!

Surfacing...

Wow. This has been an incredibly hectic Summer! Singing in 4 different cabarets, Performing in a Fringe Festival show, teaching camp for 12 weeks, bar tending at Signature, and writing a show! Wow!
No wonder the blog posts just sort of evaporated on here. Now that most of that is done, things are returning to somewhat normalcy. I have many pictures to share with you, and we have much to talk about. For now, my next performance will be at the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, singing a few songs from The Boy Detective Fails on Labor Day. After that, the next thing definitely on the books is a reading of me and Matt Conner's new musical, Night of the Living Dead on Monday, October 18th at Kensington Arts Theatre. I start rehearsals for Sunset Boulevard on November 8th at Signature Theatre, and am incredibly excited to be a part of all of these amazing projects.

Everything else is fine, Buddha is as funny as ever, and is doing well. (As you can see from the picture above).

So more posts will be put up here this week. Summer is almost over, and the blog is back!

xoxoxo

sgs

SIGNATURE THEATRE OPEN HOUSE 2010 - JULY 17th

I will be singing some songs from last summer's The Boy Detective Fails at the annual Open House on July 17th at 5:15pm in the Ark Theatre. Songs from this musical, by Joe Meno and Adam Gwon are being presented in tandem with other songs by composers awarded by the American Musical Voices Project, including Matt Conner. This event is free, as always, and has always been a great deal of fun for everyone, so come on down and check it out! Full schedule of events is listed HERE at Signature's Website.