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K Eids
How long does it take you to get dressed in the morning? Could you do it in less than a minute? If that sounds impossible to you, imagine this: For a new production of “Around the World in 80 Days,” which opens tonight at Round House Thea- tre in Bethesda, some actors have to get dressed in only a few seconds. That’s because just five actors play all 39 characters! “Early on, there’s a whole lot of, ‘Are
we going to be able to make it?’ ” said James Konicek, who portrays 17 char- acters in the play. “Then you kind of calm down and realize you’ll have people helping you backstage to get dressed.”
But pulling off the kind of light- ning-speed changes this production requires means some very careful planning, especially because of the types of costumes the play requires. “Around the World in 80 Days” is based on a novel written by Jules Verne in 1873 and tells the story of a wealthy Englishman who bets his fortune that he can travel around the world in 80 days, launching an ad- venture through India, oth- er parts of Asia and the United States. The cos- tumes in the play are com- plex and varied, including those of a 19th-century gentleman, a military offi- cer, a train engineer and many other people. For weeks, Round
ABOVE BY DANISHA CROSBY; LEFT BY ROSEMARY PARDEE
The play’s cast includes James Konicek, above left, Sasha Olinick, Tuyet Thi Pham and Ethan Bowen. They wear costumes such as this prince outfit, left.
House costume designers have been trying to figure it all out. Clothes have been specially constructed for speedy dressing (and undress- ing), using lots of short-
If you go
Round House Theatre’s version of “Around the World in 80 Days” is a fun, sometimes zany production recommended for kids age 8 and older. The theater is at 4545 East West Highway, Bethesda. Parents can call 240-644-1100 or go to
www.roundhousetheatre.org for more informa-
tion. Tickets for anyone younger than 30 are $10 and $15. Other tick-
ets range from $25 to $60. The show runs until May 30.
cuts, such as putting snaps under a jacket’s buttons and attaching mili- tary medals with magnets sewn into the fabric. “It’s called ‘rigging’ anytime you make a costume go off and on in a way
KLMNO
FRAZZ
WEDNESDAY,MAY 5, 2010
JEF MALLETT
TODAY: Sunny and nice
HIGH LOW
82 65
ILLUSTRATION BY MADI FLINN, 8, BURKE
Read about books for kids on the mysteries of Stonehenge and a poet’s childhood on Page C4.
The costumes fly in ‘80 Days’
With 39 roles to play, actors have just seconds to change quickly and get back on stage
other than the way it’s usually done,” said Rachel Schuldenfrei, the costume shop manager for the theater. But shortcuts aren’t always enough. Another way to make super-fast cos- tume changes is by layering different outfits on top of each other. In one scene, Schuldenfrei said, an actor will have to wear three pairs of pants, so during the next quick costume change he can just strip off a pair to create the look of a new character. It’s
tricky, though. Schuldenfrei
stepped into a custom-made gold fab- ric jumpsuit that will quickly trans- form an actor into an Indian prince, but her sneaker got caught in the leg opening. “This is something that’s go- ing to have to be fixed,” she explained, “because the actors will have their shoes on.”
Dress rehearsals are timed with a
stopwatch. The director has to plan the action so that an actor who exits as one character has time to change into a new character’s costume and get back on stage. And backstage, ac- tors have to let others take charge. “When actors come off the stage out of the bright lights, they are kind of blind,” Schuldenfrei said. So to quickly put on a jacket, Konicek would just ex- tend his arms straight out behind him and let a costume person slip it on rather than do it himself. In order for it to work, of course, everyone has to be in the right place at the right time. “It’s a carefully choreographed
dance,” Schuldenfrei said.
— Margaret Webb Pressler
QUARTER FROM JOSEPH MENNA AND DON EVERHART; PENNY FROM LYNDALL BASS
Hot Springs National Park quarter and new back of penny.
New quarters are a thing of beauty
The U.S. Mint recently began the America the Beautiful Quar- ters Program. The series of 56 quarters features natural wonders from a national park or site in each state, plus the District and five U.S. territories (including Puerto Rico and Guam), released in the order the sites were estab- lished. Several quarters will be re- leased each year for the next 10 years. The first coin shows Hot Springs National Park in Arkan- sas. Maryland’s quarter, with Fort McHenry, will come out in 2013, and Virginia’s coin debuts a year later, with Shenandoah National Park. The District quarter, out in 2017, will show the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site. Check your pennies, which got
a new design on the reverse side a few months ago: a shield. The Lin- coln Memorial was the “tail” of the penny from 1959 to 2008. In 2009, scenes from Lincoln’s life were shown.
TODAY’S NEWS
6
An online guide to events, night life and entertainment
The Going Out Gurus highlight the week’s best DJs, bands, dance nights and parties
Search Going Out Guide on Facebook
twitter.com/goingoutgurus Search Going Out Guide in the App Store
ON STAGE
YOUNG ARTISTS PERFORMANCE
The Washington National Opera has quite a lineup for young people looking for their first taste of a Mozart opera. Eighteen- to 35-year-olds who sign up for the free Generation O program are eligible for deeply discounted tickets to see “The Marriage of Figaro” by the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists on Thursday at the Kennedy Center. The tickets, from $15 to $35, also include a pre-performance lecture starting at 6:15 p.m. to give opera newbies a little background on the work. After the show, Generation O will host a swanky soiree with the cast at Circle Bistro, including DJ Sharkey spinning tunes and “Figaro”-themed beverages. Tickets to the party, which also cover entry to the performance and lecture, start at $100.
BACK IN THE SWIM:
The Capitol Skyline Hotel’s pool will resume last year’s Summer Camp parties on Saturday.
The Ocho
The biggest party of summer 2009 was Summer Camp, the weekly pool party thrown by the hipsterer-than-thou Brightest Young Things posse at the Capitol Skyline Hotel. Diverse crowds of 20- and 30-somethings came out to lounge on deck chairs, check out live bands, dance to DJs and spend plenty of quality time in the massive pool. This year, the crew is dialing back and hosting the events “sporadically.” Your first chance to show off your new bathing suit is Saturday, when the belated Cinco de Mayo party, “The Ocho,” features multiple DJs (including Will Eastman of Bliss and the Fatback DJs), a mariachi band, a nacho-eating contest, special margaritas created by D.C. bartenders and other craziness. Tickets for the all-ages event are $15; BYO towels and get there early to claim the best seats.
Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. Capitol Skyline
Hotel, 10 I St. SW.
www.brightestyoungthings.com. $15.
Madonnarama
Since 1995, D.C. clubgoers have been expressing their love for Madonna (and expressing themselves) at Madonnarama, an annual party that pays homage to the Material Girl all night long. DJs spin three
c
Nightlife agenda
BY DAKOTA FINE
decades of hits and remixes, and videos play on large screens. The crowd’s outfits run the gamut: Madonna-inspired costumes (everything from cowboy hats to “Like a Virgin” T-shirts) here, shirtless men there, all vogueing and shimmying until the wee hours. The party starts with a drag show at 10:30 p.m., then DJ Ed Bailey is on the decks until 4 a.m.
Saturday. Doors open at 10 p.m. Town Danceboutique, 2009 Eighth St. NW.
www.towndc. com. $8 before 11 p.m. and $12 after.
YahZarah
When YahZarah finally gets music industry accolades as a “new” artist, those of us who have been following her career will applaud, then shake our heads at the omission of years of quality work out of the public eye. This Washington native paid her dues performing with Erykah Badu, then released three solo albums that showed off her diva-quality voice. In college, YahZarah crossed paths with rapping vocalist Phonte Coleman, and their creative partnership is now maturing after a long development period. YahZarah contributed vocals to Coleman’s Grammy-nominated Foreign Exchange project, and now they have crafted her most anticipated work to date, “The Ballad of Purple
St. James.” The coming-out party for this album also features extended Little Brother/Foreign Exchange family member Darien Brockington.
Saturday at 9:30 p.m. Liv, 2001 11th St. NW. www.
livdc.com. $15.
Salad Days
In just a couple of months U Street Music Hall has made itself a favorite spot for dance-music lovers who want every fiber of their being to be rattled by bass. Now it’s looking to fill another niche — matinee punk-rock spot. During D.C.’s peak punk era a couple of decades ago, weekend afternoon shows featuring lineups of fast and loud bands were common. Salad Days is an attempt to re-create that, with a bit of a twist. John Stabb of punk originals Government Issue will serve as host while DJs Dave Nada, Stereo Faith and Denman will spin slam-dancing tunes. Live music will be provided by Baltimore’s the Death Set, who play an iPod-party-punk-hip-hop hybrid that always results in manic pogoing. Best of all, the throwback event has a throwback price — $5.
Sunday at 3 p.m. U Street Music Hall, 1115 U St.
NW. 202-588-1880. $5. — Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz
Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW. 202-467-4600.
www.dc-opera.org. $15-$35. Source code: FIGARO. — Stephanie Merry
KARIN COOPER
‘FIGARO’: Emily Albrink sings the role of Susanna on Thursday.
TODAY’S ONLINE TIP
Washington is celebrating a first ladies’ literary festival of sorts, with several former occupants of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in town to discuss their books. Find out more at
www.goingoutguide.com.
THESE ARE JU ST A FEW OF OUR PICKS FOR THE WEEK’S N IGHTLIFE EVENTS. READ THE FULL A GEND A A T GOINGOUTGUIDE.COM/B ARS
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