Guest of Honor - Michelle Obama

Last night was a rare treat. The Shakespeare Theatre hosted an event for the new Obama administration to introduce them to the performing arts in DC. Nine theatre’s brought a sampler-size version of their current or upcoming works. Sprinkled in were a number of short speeches advocating for the arts. In attendance were first lady, Michelle Obama, Mayor Fenty, a couple senators, at least three Supreme Court justices, and Selena and I.

Here are a few thoughts coming away from that event:

• Signature Theatre gambled by singing classics from Les Miz and Showboat and they delivered. Those guys really are the tops of local musical theatre.
• Nobody uses movement as stage craft like Synetic. They really have quickly become an elite DC theatre.
• And you are? Neither Harolyn Blackwell or the Washington Bach Consort introduced themselves. I hope it was inadvertent and not ego.
• Quote from Kareen Dale, the new Special Assistant to the President on Disability Policy “The Arts are back .” Advocating for both disabilities and the arts, I was inspired. I would go work for him, y’know if I decided to go into public service.
• Great job Michael Kahn and Floyd King putting numbers behind the stats about how the arts are thriving in DC. Loved Floyd’s observance that more people fill the seats to watch theatre in DC in a year than the Redskins, Wizards and Capitals combined. Ha!
• Avery Brooks and Patrick Page performing a scene from Othello? Yes please. Those two were magnificent a few years back when this show won Helen Hayes awards and were just as good tonight. Thanks STC for the encore performance.
  

  Bringing Down the House - Step Afrika

• More Avery Brooks – he was one of the first of nearly a hundred actors out for bows, and planted himself front and center and made everyone move around him. Classy.
• The Washington Ballet could have made things a bit sleepy, but instead performed a series of Celtic jigs that were toe-tappingly awesome.
• But the performance of the night was Step Afrika!. I had never heard of that group before, but they brought the house down. Just fantastic.

Want more on the event? Here’s articles Selena found from The Washingtonian, The Examiner and Women’s Wear Daily.