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June 10, 2022 • Volume VII, Number 36
“You only live once. But if you do it right, once is enough.”
-- Mae West (Aug. 17, 1893 – Nov. 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer and sex symbol whose career in entertainment spanned over seven decades. Known for her lighthearted double entendres, often delivered in her husky contralto voice, she was active in vaudeville and on stage in NYC before moving to LA to pursue a career in film. In 1999, the American Film Institute posthumously voted her the 15th Greatest Female Screen Legend of classic American cinema.
At Virginia Rep, we have two major awards. One is the Virginia Excellence in Theatre Award, presented to a Virginia theatre artist who has achieved greatness over time, either here in Richmond or nationally. Previous recipients include Vienna Cobb Anderson, Pat Carroll, Suzanne Pollard, Corey Reynolds, DeVeaux Riddick, Meredith Scott, Reshma Shetty, and Blair Underwood. Another is the Founders Award, presented to a former Board leader who has demonstrated commitment to Virginia Rep equal to that of the Founders. Recipients have included Roy Burgess, Carrie Galeski, and Neil and Sara Belle November. At tomorrow’s Anything Goes Gala, the 2022 Founders Award will be presented to Cal and George Jennison. “Their selfless support, their intelligence and business savvy, their perseverance, kindness and hard work all have contributed to make us who we are today,” states co-founder Phil Whiteway. Please join in thanking these irreplaceable leaders for nearly 3 decades of support.
It may sound like a mad rush at Target on Black Friday, but Virginia Rep’s upcoming FREE-FOR-ALL revival of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, starring our original cast who performed the title last holiday season at Hanover Tavern, is actually a free-of-CHARGE gift to the community. Joy Williams, Joe Pabst, Rachel Rose Gilmour, and Trevor Lawson will reunite this summer to reprise their hilarious performances at Dogwood Dell—3 shows only—Thurs., June 30 through Sat., July 2. And it won’t cost a penny to join in the fun. “We’ve been wanting to produce a FREE summer theatre initiative for years,” explains Desirée Roots, Artistic Director of Community. “This summer, this show, and this venue provide the perfect chance to launch this new friend-raising initiative.” The fun’s on us, and our partners at Richmond Parks and Rec. Like all Dogwood Dell shows, it’s FREE! Please join us.
Sometimes you’ll hear that Mamma Mia!, the Broadway sensation we’re producing this summer at our historic November Theatre, was the first “jukebox musical”—a show in which the songs are well-known tunes from the popular music canon, rather than original songs written for one particular show. Theatre buffs argue that that distinction more accurately belongs to The Beggar’s Opera by John Gay, first produced in London in 1728. (The Beggar’s Opera is a “ballad opera” best known by today’s musical aficionados as the inspiration for Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera, which opened in Berlin, Germany in 1928.) The Beggar’s Opera parodied well-known songs of its time by performing them with modified lyrics. To explore this conversation further, we are considering rebooting our wildly popular Coffee & Conversation salon series this summer, to spend a fun-filled hour exploring the background of contemporary theatre topics with in-house experts. If this sounds like music to your ears, please let us know!
“What a pity that the Richmond Times-Dispatch can no longer see fit to review professional theatre,” wrote C. Parker, in response to a post in last week’s GNF bemoaning the current shortfall of critics. “And to fail to send a reviewer to something as newsworthy as a World Premiere, that’s deeply regrettable.” We agree, C., BUT, in fairness to our T-D friends, we mourn with them the losses suffered by print media nationwide—a dilemma with no easy answers. “I have (and regularly use) all my old Theatre IV and Barksdale coffee mugs,” emailed R. Delaney, inspired by last week’s post relating the reappearance of a vintage Theatre IV Family Playhouse t-shirt. Thanks also to Jackie Jones, for her pic of a long-cherished Wiggle Club t-shirt. Ah, the memories.
We encourage your comments, corrections and feedback. Please email your thoughts to mhaber@virginiarep.org.
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