Arts & Entertainment
A ‘Wardrobe’ for young and old alike
Washington Ballet, Imagination Stage team up for classic show
‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’
Through Aug. 12
Imagination Stage
4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD
$10-$27
301-280-1660
imaginationstage.org
Lucy (Justine Moral) exits the Wardrobe in ‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage, with The Washington Ballet. (Photo by Scott Suchman)
In joining forces to create Imagination Stage’s summer show, “The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe,” the Washington Ballet and Imagination Stage have upped the bar on local children’s theater. Based on C.S. Lewis’s familiar novel, the charming world premiere production uses music, dance and sophisticated puppetry to retell the classic in a way that appeals to kids and not-so-young theatergoers alike.
It’s London, 1940. World War II has begun, and Adolf Hitler’s Luftwaffe is bombing the capital. After a particularly bad air raid, the four Pevensie children are evacuated to the relative safety of the English countryside. Their host is a dotty professor whose old house is filled with magic and mystery. While playing hide and seek, the two younger children, little Lucy and Edmund, pass through a wardrobe into a faraway, wintry land called Narnia.
During their curious visit, Lucy befriends Tumnus the faun, while Edmund is swayed by the White Witch, self-styled queen of the land, to betray his family. The brother and sister travel home only to return to Narnia again via the wardrobe on a rainy English afternoon, but this time bringing their siblings, Susan and Peter with them. And here begins the perilous battle of evil against good. Like the book, this musical version is rife with lessons of courage, forgiveness and loyalty.
Each of the four children is played by both an actor and a dancer. Lucid staging by Imagination Stage’s artistic director Janet Stanford eliminates any possible confusion, and bolstering the musical’s terse libretto (also penned by Stanford) with angry, playful and restless dance gives further insight into the young characters’ motivations and feelings.
The dazzlingly evil White Witch is danced by the charismatic Washington Ballet vet Morgann Rose, and her courageous adversary and Narnia’s rightful sovereign, Aslan the lion, is portrayed by a larger-than-life puppet. Made mainly from yards and yards of basket reed, the agile cat (designed by Eric Van Wyk) is operated by three puppeteers including Michael John Casey who also supplies the puppet’s powerful voice. Casey plays the professor and a helpful, big-toothed beaver too.
The production is co-choreographed by the Washington Ballet’s artistic director Septime Webre (who is gay) and associate artistic director David Palmer. Their inventive and athletic choreography executed by topnotch dancers coupled with Van Wyk’s designer efforts, make this production eminently watchable.
Standouts in an energetic, diverse young cast include Justine Moral as Lucy, and dancer Robert Mulvey as the cheeky faun.
Matthew Pierce sets the mood with an original melodic score that alternates from dreamy to suspenseful. Music director George Fulginiti Shakar (also gay) prompts strong vocal performances from the actors, particularly Sarah Beth Pfeifer who sings several of the women’s roles
Here and there, the plotline becomes a tad murky, but the good v. evil gist of the story is never lost. Throughout, the audience is rapt. There are sinister wolves, a suit of armor that comes to life, action-packed stage combat, and Aslan, the impressive puppet. Even Father Christmas and one of his little elves make an appearance. If children’s productions are judged on how well they hold their audience’s attention, then “The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe” definitely succeeds.
The 2026 Mr. Mid-Atlantic Leather competition was held at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill on Sunday. Seven contestants vied for the title and Gage Ryder was named the winner.
(Washington Blade photo by Michael Key)
Theater
Voiceless ‘Antony & Cleopatra’ a spectacle of operatic proportions
Synetic production pulls audience into grips of doomed lovers’ passion
‘Antony & Cleopatra’
Through Jan. 25
Synetic Theater at
Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre
450 7th St., N.W.
Synetictheater.org
A spectacle of operatic proportions, Synetic Theater’s “Antony & Cleopatra” is performed entirely voiceless. An adaptation of the Bard’s original (a play bursting with wordplay, metaphors, and poetic language), the celebrated company’s production doesn’t flinch before the challenge.
Staged by Paata Tsikurishvili and choreographed by Irina Tsikurishvili, this worthy remount is currently playing at Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Klein Theatre, the same venue where it premiered 10 years ago. Much is changed, including players, but the usual inimitable Synectic energy and ingenuity remain intact.
As audiences file into the Klein, they’re met with a monumental pyramid bathed in mist on a dimly lit stage. As the lights rise, the struggle kicks off: Cleopatra (Irina Kavsadze) and brother Ptolemy (Natan-Maël Gray) are each vying for the crown of Egypt. Alas, he wins and she’s banished from Alexandria along with her ethereal black-clad sidekick Mardian (Stella Bunch); but as history tells us, Cleopatra soon makes a triumphant return rolled in a carpet.
Meanwhile, in the increasingly dangerous Rome, Caesar (memorably played by Tony Amante) is assassinated by a group of senators. Here, his legendary Ides of March murder is rather elegantly achieved by silver masked politicians, leaving the epic storytelling to focus on the titular lovers.
The fabled couple is intense. As the Roman general Antony, Vato Tsikurishvili comes across as equal parts warrior, careerist, and beguiled lover. And despite a dose of earthiness, it’s clear that Kavsadze’s Cleopatra was born to be queen.
Phil Charlwood’s scenic design along with Colin K. Bills’ lighting cleverly morph the huge pyramidic structure into the throne of Egypt, the Roman Senate, and most astonishingly as a battle galley crashing across the seas with Tsikurishvili’s Antony ferociously at the helm.
There are some less subtle suggestions of location and empire building in the form of outsized cardboard puzzle pieces depicting the Mediterranean and a royal throne broken into jagged halves, and the back-and-forth of missives.
Of course, going wordless has its challenges. Kindly, Synectic provides a compact synopsis of the story. I’d recommend coming early and studying that page. With changing locations, lots of who’s who, shifting alliances, numerous war skirmishes, and lack of dialogue, it helps to get a jump on plot and characters.
Erik Teague’s terrific costume design is not only inspired but also helpful. Crimson red, silver, and white say Rome; while all things Egyptian have a more exotic look with lots of gold and diaphanous veils, etc.
When Synetic’s voicelessness works, it’s masterful. Many hands create the magic: There’s the direction, choreography, design, and the outrageously committed, sinewy built players who bring it to life through movement, some acrobatics, and the remarkable sword dancing using (actual sparking sabers) while twirling to original music composed by Konstantine Lortkipanidze.
Amid the tumultuous relationships and frequent battling (fight choreography compliments of Ben Cunis), moments of whimsy and humor aren’t unwelcome. Ptolemy has a few clownish bits as Cleopatra’s lesser sibling. And Antony’s powerful rival Octavian (ageless out actor Philip Fletcher) engages in peppy propaganda featuring a faux Cleopatra (played by Maryam Najafzada) as a less than virtuous queen enthusiastically engaged in an all-out sex romp.
When Antony and Cleopatra reach their respective ends with sword and adder, it comes almost as a relief. They’ve been through so much. And from start to finish, without uttering a word, Kavsadze and Tsikurishvili share a chemistry that pulls the audience into the grips of the doomed lovers’ palpable passion.
Out & About
Love board games and looking for love?
Quirk Events will host “Board Game Speed Dating for Gay Men” on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 7 p.m. at KBird DC.
Searching for a partner can be challenging. But board games are always fun. So what if you combined board games and finding a partner?
Picture this: You sit down for a night of games. A gaming concierge walks you through several games over the course of the night. You play classics you love and discover brand new games you’ve never heard of, playing each with a different group of fun singles. All while in a great establishment.
At the end of the night, you give your gaming concierge a list of the folks you met that you’d like to date and a list of those you met that you’d like to just hang out with as friends. If any two people put down the same name as each other in either column, then your gaming concierge will make sure you get each other’s e-mail address and you can coordinate a time to hang out.
Tickets cost $31.80 and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
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Voiceless ‘Antony & Cleopatra’ a spectacle of operatic proportions
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