THE YEAR IN PICTURES: 2010

Wrapping up 2010 this week, and taking a look back at the photos that say the most about my particular journey through the past year...

JANUARY
I started tending bar at Signature on nights off from High Fidelity...





















I was getting ready to open High Fidelity at the DCAC...











FEBRUARY
And then came the blizzard...


























But High Fidelity opened, nevertheless...























Every show, I would dodge "Icicles of Death" in Adams Morgan to get to my stage door...























The "hawk".


















...and Buddha and his cousin Nicky had some bonding time...

























MARCH

High Fidelity at the DCAC...


Photo by Amanda Williams




Photo by Amanda Williams



Photo by Amanda Williams













And Buddha, ready for St. Patrick's Day...


















APRIL






















James Thurber's "Many Moons" at Creative Cauldron...























The Helen Hayes Awards...























And a visit to Winchester with Matt brings one of my favorite photos that I have ever taken...


















MAY


The workshop of Parade at Ford's Theatre...
















The raucous Gillian Shelly Luau Party...


















JUNE
A trip to the Zoo with Matt brings me another favorite photo...


















We met the legendary Tommy Wiseau from the legendarily horrible film, "The Room"...

























I also had the pleasure of choreographing "How I Became a Pirate" at Imagination Stage...


















JULY
July was one of my busiest months ever...the major project of the month was a DC Fringe Festival Production of Super Claudio Bros...






















We had the Open House at Signature, where there was a Hedwig Reunion Concert...
























...and Karissa Swanigan and I opened our cabaret act, "Least Complicated" at Signature Theatre's Ark Theatre.
























AUGUST

..oh, plus I was teaching camp for the entire Summer....so there was that...


















SEPTEMBER
...saw us deep into writing NightoftheLivingDead the musical, and the photos that I took of Karissa Swanigan as Barbara are still some of my favorites ever...




















OCTOBER
...saw the reading of NightoftheLivingDead the musical...






















NOVEMBER
















DECEMBER
(Photo by Chris Mueller)...was the month of Norma Desmond, as we opened our still ongoing production of Sunset Boulevard at Signature Theare... Florence Lacey is amazing.















Happy New Year to all!
XOXOXO
SGS

Conner and Smith in the News!

Matt and I are featured in an article by Kris Coronado that appears in the Washington City Paper this week. The article is about NightoftheLivingDead the musical, and the long process of writing it, and the actual reading of it at Kensington Arts Theatre this past October.

We could not be happier with the piece, and cannot thank all of our supporters enough. The article can be found HERE.

And in further Matt Conner news, his CD, WINTER was reviewed by Metro Weekly, placing it one star behind Annie Lennox, but 2 above Mariah Carey...yes, that's right...Annie Lennox= 5 stars, Matt Conner= 4 stars, Mariah Carey= 2 stars. Not bad placement for a first CD at all. The review is located HERE.

Check these out, and thanks so much for your continued support of both of us!!

xoxoxox

SGS

SHOWS YOU SHOULD GO SEE NOW!

I had the pleasure of seeing several amazing shows at the theatre recently, and wanted to take the time to recommend them to you in case you have not yet had the pleasure of seeing them.

1.) Walter Cronkite is Dead at Signature Theatre.

With amazing performances by Sherri L. Edelen and Nancy Robinette, this piece kicks in from the first flight delay announcement, and takes off from there. Written and directed by Joe Calarco, this play concerns two women stuck at Reagan National Airport due to weather conditions. These women are from two very different walks of life and have totally different belief structures, yet make touching connections in their time spent together at a table at the airport. The play goes to so many different and fascinating places, and makes you think about the people that make up the "blue states" or "red states" as just what they are...people. If only such meetings like the one between Patty and Margaret would happen on a grander nationwide scale, we might all become more of a shade of purple. Wouldn't that be amazing? Don't miss this show, running until December 26th at Signature Theatre. Visit HERE for details.

2) The Odd Couple at Theatre J.

This hysterical revival of the Neil Simon play only runs another 3 performances (Saturday evening, 2 shows on Sunday) and if you have not seen it, do yourself a favor and go! Starring a top notch cast of character actors headlined by Rick Foucheux and J. Fred Shiffman, you will not stop laughing from the first poker game forward.

But to say that The Odd Couple is funny is not a piece of breaking news, what is interesting about seeing this play, besides the uproarious humor, is the fine technique of the actors on the stage. Each of these characters were finely nuanced and layered. I felt like I knew each one of them within a few lines of dialogue, which only highlights the skill of this talented cast. Go, get there now. 3 more shows left! GO!

For info, click HERE.

3) Oklahoma! at Arena Stage.

I had the pleasure of seeing Arena Stage's production of Oklahoma! a week or so ago, and it has been on my mind much of the time since. With knockout choreography by Parker Esse, a fantastic ensemble who dance their legs off, and a core of fantastic leading characters, it was truly a great night in the theatre.

As everyone in the world knows by now, Eleasha Gamble stepped into the role of Laurey just days before the opening of the show. Her work in this show is the best work she has ever done. And believe me, I've seen her in EVERYTHING. She is a spit fire of a Laurey, and has (as we also all know) the voice of an angel. She is matched perfectly by Nicholas Rodriguez as Curly, and E. Faye Butler as Aunt Eller. These three find levels to their characters that are so grounded in reality that the pay off is huge. By the end, you would riot of they didn't have a happy ending. Nehal Joshi as Ali Hakim made things funny in the script that I have never even thought of as funny lines. That, my friends, is skill. Everyone is truly fantastic. The show has extended to December 30th, so hop on your horse and ride on down to Arena's new space and see for yourself! You won't regret it!

For info, visit HERE.

Support live theatre, folks! Now is the time to do so more than ever!

XOXOXOXO

SGS

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

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!

Photos - Shirlington Zombie Walk

A few shots from the 1st Annual Shirlington Zombie Walk!

1ST ANNUAL SHIRLINGTON ZOMBIE WALK!!!

On Sunday, we begin a tradition in Shirlington. Silver Spring has one. DC has one. Now Virginia has one! The First Annual Shirlington Zombie Walk will begin on Sunday, Halloween Night at 9pm. We will meet at Ali's Bar in the lobby of Signature Theatre. Come to the sky bridge entrance on the second floor and bang on the door to get in. There will be drink specials on "Zombies" - my special recipe called the "Shirlington Zombie" - Gold rum, clear rum, agave nectar, pineapple juice, orange juice, amaretto, lime juice, triple sec and sour mix - $9 a drink. after we have hoarded our legions (and protest posters with blood spatters, no words, are recommended), we will walk to Capital City Brewing Company, have a round there, and work our way to Bungalow Billiards. Once finished, the final act of zombiedom will commence; we will walk en mass to Harris Teeter and purchase raw meat. Bring your cameras especially for this facet of the night. This tradition will be kept alive each year, so let's make the start of this one special. Bring your best zombie self, prizes awarded to the top 2 zombies.

For more information, email me at stephenishome@yahoo.com

xoxo

SGS

Snapshot

NOTLD Kickstarter Article

NightoftheLivingDead the musical was featured on DC Theatre Scene in an article about how the project was funded through Kickstarter.com. I was interviewed alongside another creative team who also raised funding for their show in the webite. To read the article, click HERE.

Johnny and Me - music video

Here is a music video of "Johnny and Me" from NightoftheLivingDead the musical featuring Karissa Swanigan. Music by Matt Conner, Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith and Matt Conner.

The reading of our show is Monday, October 18th at 8pm. It is free and open to the public. Visit www.katonline.org for details.

The final fund raising total was $9,520.00!!!! Thanks to all who helped fund this project. Your donations will help to give it life after the 18th!

Till tomorrow, (which is now today), goodnight.

xoxoxo

sgs

Only hours remaining...

Only 4 hours remain in our Kickstart fundraising event! It is unbelievable to me that about one month ago we started this fund raising page on a whim. 30 days later, we have more than reached our goal, and are inches away from reaching $10,000!!! There is still time to donate to the show, if you can find it in your heart and your budget.

We have been having some music rehearsals here and there, and things are sounding amazing. I am so excited to share this piece with an audience on Monday, October 18th at Kensington Arts Theatre.

To donate (and you only have under 4 hours left to!) go to THIS LINK.

Thank you all, and more details will follow soon!

XOXOXOXOXO

SGS

CHICAGO OPENS OCTOBER 8TH!

Chicago opens at Kensington Arts Theatre on October 8th, directed by my friend, Diego Prieto, and starring another friend, Dani Stoller as Roxie, who also will be appearing as Judy in our reading of NightoftheLivingDead the musical on October 18th. Please check it out! Dani is nothing short of amazing! Here is their press release:

Opening Oct. 8th: Chicago – Cabaret Tables and Speakeasy Parties

In roaring twenties Chicago, chorine Roxie Hart murders a faithless lover and convinces her hapless husband Amos to take the rap...until he finds out he's been duped and turns on Roxie. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and another "Merry
Murderess" Velma Kelly, vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately
joining forces in search of the "American Dream": fame, fortune and acquittal.
This sharp edged satire features a dazzling score that sparked immortal staging
by Bob Fosse. You can also now enjoy the show from reserved cabaret-style
two-person tables, with full service before the show and during intermission and
a bottle of wine (red or white). We will only have eight tables per performance,
and they are available online for $60. Click on the Buy Tickets button and look
for the cabaret-style tables link for the date you want to attend (tables for
10/23 performance are SOLD OUT!). Finally, on two special evenings, you can come
for the show, and then stay and party with the cast of CHICAGO! Relive the
Prohibition era as KAT presents a speakeasy-themed afterparty following the
performances on Saturday, October 16, and Saturday, October 23. Join our host,
Tony Award-nominated actor Brad Oscar (who will also provide some
entertainment), as well as KAT regulars for a night of reverie. Mingle with the
cast and enjoy a glass of wine along with all that jazz. Tickets: $10, includes
entry to the party and one drink. Additional drink tickets available for $5
each, or 3 for $10.

Find tickets HERE!