Dinner: Pork Chop Fillets with sauteed Mushroom Gravy over mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes.

 

Crocus in Bloom

 

Olney Theatre: "Lend Me A Soprano"

 What is there not to love about an over-the-top farce full of crossed lovers, mistaken identity and Bizet's Carmen?  When the ensemble is this committed and amazing?  Absolutely nothing!  What Joy was had at Olney Theatre's current production, and gender-reversed redo of his 1980's smash hit "Lend Me A Tenor" titled, rather obviously, "Lend Me A Soprano."  First performed at the Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas back in 2022, what a brilliant choice for a mid-season comedy.  

The moment I entered the theatre to the spectacle that is Andrew R. Cohen's magnificent sets I thought--this is a set that won't be easy to live up to!  However, when you have such a fabulous ensemble of fearless actors, a lesser set would have been unable to contain them.  

Within the ensemble was a lovely mix of familiar faces and new talent.  Certainly #1 on the list of amazing familiar faces was Maboud Ebrahimzadeh.  The man is new and fresh in everything I see him in be it Shakespeare or some lame new work that was, save his presence, abysmal.  Here as the star-struck Jerry Wiley who pines away for a fantasy love while his true love is dancing her heart out all around him.  Other wonderful recognized players included Dylan Arredondo as Pasquale, and Donna Migliaccio and Julia.  Donna brings a presence to every roll that just feels like it was written with her in mind.  And Dylan is the very essence of fearless.  He grabs the bull by the horns and rides through the China Shop with abandon.

Of the new to me side of the ensemble, two actors stood out.  Tina Stafford as Mrs. Wiley was a whirling dervish of delights taking her character from a faux socialite to a conniving mud-wrestler all in the service of her ego--it was delicious.  But the super glue at the center of it all was Rachel Felstein as Jo.  Everything about her performance from her commit timing and physical slapstick to her operatic vocals was A-#1!  At one point the idea of a young Carol Burnett came to mind, such was the genius of her performance.

I cannot recommend this one enough!  On stage through March 10th--you DMV-er's have time to put this one in your "win" column.

The worrisome-ly late Italian Diva arrives with husband in tow to the relief and celebration of her host.  [L-R: Mrs. Wiley (Tina Stafford) the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera and her assistant, Jo (Rachel Felstein), Pasquale (Dylan Arredando) and the celebrated Italian Diva, Elena Firenzi (Carolann M. Sanita)

Elena and Pasquale engage in a passionate argument over Elena's infidelities with Mrs. Whiley and Jo trapped in the middle.

Elena and Jo share a moment of bonding over their passion for opera.

Rachel Felstein as Jo.

Elena and her Dutch "Carmen" Co-Star, Leo (Tom Patterson), on the cusp of one of those legendary infidelities.

L-R: Beverly, the Bellhop (Natalya Lynette Rathnam), Julia (Donna Migliaccio), Mrs. Wiley (Tina Stafford), Jerry Wiley (Maboud Ebrahimzadeh) and Jo (Rachel Felstein) impersonating Elena Firenzi.

Mischief afoot as the plot thickens!

Tina Stafford and Rachel Felstein

Keegan Theatre: Merrily We Roll Along

 On my quest to see all of Sondheim's musicals performed live on stage, "Merrily We Roll Along" is #10.  This puts at halfway--if you count "Evening Primrose"--which was written for TV and I'm not sure if it gets produced for the stage, or just past halfway if you don't.  Before attending the performance I didn't know that much about it.  I did now that it's the current "hot" ticket on Broadway with featured performers Daniel Radcliff, Jonathan Goff and some woman I don't know.  That the story revolves around their friendship.  And that the story line is in reverse chronological order, which is often cited as an explanation of it's dismal initial performance on Broadway and subsequent legendary "flop" status.  I was also familiar with on of the songs, "Not A Day Goes By."  I adore it.

General, observations.  The show is an ensemble caste which is vintage Sondheim.  In some aspects, this ensemble reminded me a little "Company."  The music is full of his signature "patter-songs," witty phrases, and interwoven melodies.  I couldn't help by hear foreshadowing of music from "Pacific Overtures."  Keegan Theatre is an intimate house: 12 seats across (6 on either side) with a shotgun aisle straight up the middle from row A at the stage to row H which has an extra seat on the stage right side--97 members for a packed house.  My seat: E1, stage right on the aisle was the farthest up seat I've ever purchased.  It was perfect.

The set was amazing.  Designed with multiple levels all covered in newsprint with historic images and a series of suspended placards upon which images could be projected.  It was versatile and gave actors multiple vantage points from which to perform.  The choreography was likewise suited to the space and the performers and what I liked best was that it was not simply interesting, but appeared to be effortless on the part of the actors who represented a range of ages and body-types.  It's a kiss of death to see a show that leaves actors looking foolish and out-of shape, even as it is a gold badge to see a group that to not initially appear to be dancers, move so well together.  Kudos to choreographer Jennifer J. Hopkins.

As to this performance: I brought with me the inevitable shadow of a comparison of these actors with Radcliff, Groff and the other women.  It took me about 15 minutes to forget them.  And they never clouded my thoughts again.  This cast will be my "Merrily We Roll Along" cast.  Every other will be judge against them, and I am completely comfortable with that.  The supporting members who's role grew as they digressed in time were delightful.  In particular, Sumie Yotsukura as the ambitious, take no prisoners actor, Gussie Carnegie, who's lifetime of using others finally (or initially) discovers karma was deliciously portrayed.  Brigid Wallace Harper's performance of Beth Shepherd, the ex-wife, wife, and protege of principle friendship member, Frank Shepherd was energetic and captivating.  Her rendition of "Not A Day Goes By"--everything I could have hoped for and more.

All three members of the central triad were wonderful, but I am going to focus my attention on only on of them.  Harrison Smith was a member of the cast of "Urinetown"--the first show I attended in my modern iteration of Theatrical living back in September 2016.  Since then, I seen over two hundred shows and nearly 500 actors.  Around 30 are repeat offenders such that I recognize their names and can associate them with their body of work in the past 7+ years.  Of those, I can divide them into three categories: 1) Journeymen (solid performers, no worries, I still see the person in the performance), 2) Utterly Evolved, a revelation with every role, and 3) On the Road to Revelation.  The first group earns a burger and enjoys a burger--job well done!  The second dines on steak, because steak is what they've earned.  The third group isn't satisfied with a burger, longs for steak and perhaps even wonders what comes next.  Harrison Smith's performance as the nerd-ly, bookish, socially awkward, Charley Gringas was in all things and every way not short of Filet Minon!  The evolution of his voice (both as a singer and actor), his courage, his commitment, his physicality...I was mesmerized by the entire performance.  He was the best part of an amazing production without flaws.

If I had one disappointment, it was with Keegan.  They never told the audience that roll of Mary Flynn was performed (amazingly!) by her understudy, Allison Fitzgerald.  Or that Allison's rolls were being covered by "swing" Emily Levey.  And, I not sorry, there's no excuse.  They have a PA system.

03:35 Hours - 17 FEB 2024 - View From My Bedroom Window

 

U.S. Federal Courts: Review #1

INTRODUCTION

Federal Courts are my passion--correction, one--just one--of my passions.  Putting Judges into seats across the 94 District, 13 Appellate and 1 Supreme Courts of the Federal System that look like the rest of the United States is a dream coming true under President Biden.  What one would have hoped had been true of President Obama's appointments only now is coming to pass with President Biden. It's seems that President Obama was constrained by a fear of "scaring the horses".  President Biden, with the gift of mortality staring him squarely in the face, has no problem burning the goddamned barn down.  

Within the system we all know that there are just 9 seats on the Supreme Court.  Moving down to the Appellate Courts, there are 179 seats across 11 Circuits, the District of Columbia and the Federal Appeals Court.  The first level of Federal Courts are the District Courts of the 11 Circuits and the District of Columbia home to 677 seats.  That means that all told within these three levels of the Amendment III Federal Courts there are 865 full-time judgeships with one thing in common: every Judge is subject to confirmation by the United States Senate.

Within many states are Districts that subdivide the state into two or more geographic districts.  Of the 50 states plus DC and 4 territories; 24 are divided.  The least populated state to be subdivided is West Virginia.  The most subdivisions within any state are 4 found in California, Texas and New York.  The largest state without subdivisions is New Jersey.  So population alone is no indicator for how or why states are subdivided.

WHAT IS BROKEN ... EVENTUALLY, NEEDS FIXED

One of my favorite anomalies is a comparison between Maryland and Louisiana.  Both states have mid-sized populations sizes: Maryland approximately 6,180,000 (2023) and Louisiana approximately 4,574,000 (2023).  However, Maryland's is larger by over 1,500,000 people.  You might expect that both states would at the very least have similar sized Federal judiciaries.  But they do not.

Maryland is a single District in spite of its geographic challenges (the western mountains, the eastern shore).  Louisiana has 3 Districts (only the Mississippi River seems to be a geographic barrier).  Maryland has 10 seats.  Louisiana as a combined 22 seats.  No matter how you cut it, there's no logical or rational reason for the disparity that doesn't land firmly on some degree of historic and racist foundation.  In practical terms it means that there is one Federal Judge for every 618,000 Marylanders, compared to one Federal Judge for every 216,091 Louisianans.  Are citizens of Louisiana 3 times more likely of committing a Federal Crime?  

So the system needs an honest overhaul apart from political influences and racists paradigms.  Don't hold your breath.  

STATE VS DISTRICT

While the Districts are independent of one another, and hold equal status in interpreting the United States Constitution and setting possible precedent with their rulings, the road to obtaining a seat by an individual nominee runs through each state's Senatorial delegation.  It matters who's party each Senator is a member of, and how partisan they are.  It's never matter more, given the hyper-partisan state of politics today.

Of the 50 states within the first Congress (2021-2022): 22 were Republican, 6 were split delegations, and 22 were Democratic.  During the first two years of the Biden Administration, 4 Judges were agreed to in both Ohio and Pennsylvania (Split States), and 1 Judge was agreed to in a Republican State, Iowa.

In the 2022 elections, the status of one state shifted: Pennsylvania became a fully Democratic delegation.  Since then, a range of Judges from Republican States have been been agreed to by their Senators.

Confirmed:

• Idaho - 1 Judge
• Indiana - 3 Judges
• Louisiana - 3 Judges
• Oklahoma - 2 Judges
• South Carolina - 1 Judge
• Texas - 1 Judge
  

Nominated, Awaiting Confirmation:

• Florida - 4 Nominees
• Nebraska - 1 Nominee
• South Dakota - 2 Nominees
• Texas - 2 Nominees
• Utah - 1 Nominee
• Wyoming - 1 Nominee

Open Seats

• Alabama - 2 Seats
• Alaska - 1 Seat
• Arkansas - 1 Seat
• Florida - 1 Seat
• Kansas - 1 Seat
• Louisiana - 1 Seat
• Mississippi - 1 Seat
• Missouri - 4 Seats
• North Carolina - 1 Seat
• Ohio - 1 Seat
• Tennessee - 1 Seat
• Texas - 5 Seats
• Wisconsin - 1 Seat
• 
  

Theatre J: This Much I Know

 "This Much I Know" by Jonathan Spector is a play about ideas.  It bounces between eras, and characters and continents on a journey to discover the nature of culpability.  In one corner you have a married couple who work for a university and whose lives are up-ended when the wife kills a young man on a bicycle are the way to work.  The accident is deemed unavoidable and not her fault, but she cannot let it go.  On her path to reconciliation she travels to Russia in search of a family mystery involving Svetlana Iosifovna Alliluyeva, Stalin's daughter.  Her husband is left alone, still teaching a seminar on meta-cognition and coaching a young man named Harold who reveals to the professor that he is the hear apparent of the largest white supremacist cult in the country.  While three actors move the play along, they do so in the service of dozens of characters.

Each actor is an utter joy to watch, and you have to watch them all like a hawk to keep pace with the intricate ballet of ideas presented.  Fourdis Bamji is new to the DMV though he has a long and distinguished resume with major theatre companies all across the US and London.  I knew him from a pair of guest roles on Law and Order from just over 20 years ago.  In some ways the play revolves around his main character of Professor Lukesh.  His performance ran the gamut was affable to sinister as he jump from the professor to Stalin and others.  Dani Stoller plays all of the female roles notably managing her own split personality between Natalya the contemporary English Prof/writer and Stalin's daughter.  I recently saw her play Emma Goldman in Signature's production of "Ragtime" and the glimpse of her tremendous stage presence there and fully blossomed in this play.  She is a joy to watch.  The best, however, goes to Ethan J.Miller.  I first saw young Mr. Miller in "Watchers on the Rhine" at Arena Stage in 2017 when he play one of two teenage sons of the Muller family.  A nothing role with little dialogue.  Then he resurfaced this past October in "The Chosen" at 1st Stage and it was WOW!  In the interim Little Ethan went off to the University of Minnesota and got tangled up with the good folks at the Guthrie Theatre there and learned himself some acting skills.  As impressed as I was with his performance at 1st Stage--his chameleon-like snap of your fingers transitions between over a dozen characters of many ages and a woman or two tossed in for good measure were simply mesmerizing.  He's quickly joined the ranks of a small handful of actors whose roll in a play or musical make it a must see for me.  I will not be surprised if this young man outgrows the DMV in short order.

The staging and set design were simple and effective.  This is a play that I am going to give a shout out to the director, as well.  Kudos to Hayley Finn.  Without someone to steer of through line up the middle of this play, it would be easy to get lost amidst the web of ideas and circus of characters.  

In the program, after the dramaturg's notes there was a short essay by Rabbi Atara Cohen specifically addressing the play's connections to Theatre J and its mission of presenting plays with Jewish themes, which "This Much I Know" on it's face would seem to lack.  However, she contends that in both it's conception and execution it is very much an exercise in Talmudic practice.  Specifically, she illuminates the history of the Rabbis of the Talmud's evolution of the understanding of the accidental death within a community.  I am so fortunate to live in the DMV with so many amazing theatre companies, actors, directors, designers--recently I read that there are 63 companies of varying sizes operating in the greater Washington, DC region, a number that frankly surprised me!  I follow about 35 of them and I knew there were a few more out there, but almost 30 more.  Such crazy good fortune.

Update: Press Photos are now available:

The cast: [L to R]: Firdous Bamji, Dani Stoller, Ethan J. Miller

Ethan J. Miller and Dani Stoller

Stoller as Natalya speaking to Svetlana Stalin, her alter ego.

Ethan J. Miller as Harold speaking to his White Supremacist father after he renounces his association with the movement.

Dinner: Lightly Breaded Pork Bites with Noodles & Spinach in a Butter Sauce seasoned with minced Garlic, Lemon zest & Pepper

 

2024: Federal Judiciary in January

 The fourth year of any presidency, even a first term presidency, is a time of looking hard at one's legacy.  It is safe to say that President Biden will go down as one of the most successful presidencies to date.  Like Jimmy Carter who was much maligned and written off at the end of his presidency in 1980, only to rise in esteem over the intervening quarter century, I predict that time will be on Biden's side.  Unlike Carter, Biden's abiding success will be be built more on his policy and legislative victories, than his human decency--even though the latter is not in question in this man's mind.

Chief among his accomplishments will be the economic investment in the obsolete infrastructure of the United States, the normalization of tax policy that transformed the welfare of millions of children, and the "Americanization" of the Federal Judiciary--aligning it's composition to better reflect that of overall gender, race, ethnic and sexual orientation demographics of the citizens of this nation.

by the end of 2023, Biden had nominated and the Senate had confirmed 39 Judges to the 13 Article III Appellate Courts, and 126 Judges to the 100 Article III Districts and 4 Territorial Courts.

Of these 165 Judges:

• 108 are women (MORE than any other President has ever nominated)
• 52 are African American (MORE than any other President has ever nominated)
• 33 are Hispanic (MORE than any other President has ever nominated)
• 24 are Asian (MORE than any other President has ever nominated)
• 3 are Native American (MORE than any other President has ever nominated)
• 9 are LGBTQ+ (Just two shy of Obama in 8 years)
  

Eight more Judges were confirmed in January of 2024, adding to the number of women by 4, White by 5 and African American by 3.