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 and her editor, Connell (Guy Paul).','pp'))
Reporter Ann Mitchell (Heidi Blickenstaff) and her editor, Connell (Guy Paul).
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Last fall, Ford’s Theatre revived the 1946 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “State of the Union” that provided the basis for a movie version directed by one of Hollywood’s greatest filmmakers, Frank Capra. Now, Ford’s is presenting the premiere of a smashing musical adaptation of Capra’s most ambitious and controversial film, his 1941 Christ allegory, “Meet John Doe,” which starred Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck.
Based on the screenplay by Capra’s most frequent collaborator, Robert Riskin (which, in turn, was inspired by a short story by Richard Connell), and set in Depression-era New York, “Meet John Doe” begins when reporter Ann Mitchell (Heidi Blickenstaff, in the Stanwyck role) is fired because the newspaper she works for has been bought out by media mogul D.B. Norton (Patrick Ryan Sullivan). As a parting shot, Ann fabricates a letter from an unemployed man who promises to commit suicide on Christmas Eve to protest current conditions.
When the public buys her ruse hook, line and sinker, Ann talks editor Connell (Guy Paul) into taking her back and hiring someone to impersonate the fictional “John Doe.” The perfect candidate turns out to be John Willoughby (James Moye, in the Cooper role), a former baseball player in need of an operation on his pitching arm. Willoughby becomes a nationwide sensation but has a crisis of conscience when he discovers Norton is planning to exploit this popularity for his political ambitions.
The score by newcomers Andrew Gerle (music) and Eddie Sugarman (lyrics), who also wrote the book, is wonderfully catchy and, for the most part, faithful to the period. (The one exception is Willoughby’s solo “Perfect Days,” which sounds far too contemporary.) Most of the dialogue is taken verbatim from Riskin’s script, which makes it all the more infuriating that he is not given proper credit in the program.
Eric Schaeffer’s inventive and visually impressive direction keeps the show moving at a fast clip. All of the actors do fine work, especially Blickenstaff, who possesses a gorgeous singing voice and commanding stage presence. Kudos also to Derek McLane’s set and Karma Camp’s musical staging.
Hopefully, Ford’s production of “Meet John Doe” will do well enough for the show to move on to New York, because this is one of the best new musicals in years and definitely deserves a wider audience.
‘Meet John Doe’
Through April 29
Venue: Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th St. NW, Washington
Performances: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday; 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; noon Thursday
Tickets: $25 to $52
More info: 202-347-4833, www.fordstheatre.org
Comments from Examiner Readers
12:06 AM MST on Mon., Oct. 6, 2008 re: "Wicked ‘Witches’"
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12:15 PM MST on Sun., Sep. 9, 2007
re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"
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5:18 AM MST on Sat., Sep. 8, 2007
re: "A ‘Macbeth’ in the Macbuff"
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2:03 PM MST on Wed., Jun. 13, 2007
re: "A trifle of a ‘Tempest’"
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10:45 AM MST on Wed., May. 30, 2007
re: "A harrowing choice at Theater J"
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9:33 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 23, 2007
re: "Shakespeare’s bloodiest"
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re: "Shaking up Shakespeare"
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Examiner Reader said:
GOOD
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Bessica said:
The government should get out of marriage entirely. Straight or gay, we need good family law to protect children, we need contracts for interdependent relationships. Marriage is an important institution. Rename the legal part something else for EVERYONE. Many GLBT on the site **bisexualmingle c o m** want the same-sex marriage.
8 agree | 8 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I thought it was a great production and both Alexa Ortega and Adam Barry were absolutely fantastic.
23 agree | 16 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Government Inspector: Quite poorly done. Actors unprepared. Line delivery mishaps. Overpriced. Prop failure at the end. It reminded me of sequels such as Oceans v11 - v13, where a group of well known actors use their names to draw a crowd and sell tickets. Uk. The result is a mediocre performance, in part because of too many cooks -- and some of these cooks, e.g. Geoff Hoyle are really good. Hopefully this review will save someone else the time and money.
24 agree | 17 disagree
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Parkside Poulegene said:
Re: High School Musical I just took my daughter Sharmuta to this show and we had to leave early! When we got home I took away all her "High School Musical" CD's and tee-shirts. If she even mentions the show again she's grounded for a month, and that goes for her other mother too. This show is really racist, homophobic and pro-Zionist and pro-Bush-Terror. There's too many white people in it. This show needs to be shut down and outlawed.
18 agree | 18 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Thank you for the first honest review that I have read on this production. The length of Act two was tortuous to sit through.
391 agree | 338 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
I bet the scene where Macbeth and Macduff are branishing their CLAYMORES is a hoot!
307 agree | 321 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Playing naked? Not really - the main character's body is covered by fur! As the reader before wrote the actor playing Macbeth is extremely hairy. It is quite strange to see how hairy a mans body can be... His body hair was the most impressing thing of the whole play.
330 agree | 299 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Bloody, Bold, Resolute, and Naked - AND HAIRY!!! I read an article that all actors were not allowed to shave any body hair three months before the play started to look "naturally". So it is impressive how hairy the actor playing Macbeth is - he has a furry chest and even a quite hairy back and bushy pubic hairs. It is very unusual today to see such a hairy actor fully nude, because normally an actor shaves at least his back hairs doing a nude scene on stage or in a movie... So big compliments to Daniel Eichner for presenting us his great furry body fully nude!
359 agree | 314 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Good review... one of the few critics able to articulate some of the problems with this show. I left at intermission and the lighting was troublesome. sometimes I wonder what the other critics are thinking --- if you are still curious fgo on Saturday afternoons when the tickets are "pay what you can."
393 agree | 351 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Munch claims "there is no denying" that the nudity in WSC's "Macbeth" "does little to enhance or elevate Shakespeare’s Scottish play." Well, the critics at www.PotomacStages.com and www.DCTheatreScene.com have taken the opposite view. Potomac Stages, in fact, wrote: "in no uncertain terms that this is a quality production that presents "the Scottish play" in a new and very effective light (or is that a new and very effective darkness?)." DC Theatre Scene wrote: "The actors’ nudity provides an extra dimension to their presentations...By being physically naked, these actors become emotionally naked as well. This production of Macbeth is a great gift to those who have the will to receive it. We are unlikely to see anything like it in the foreseeable future." So it seems the only thing there is no denying is that Munch doesn't speak for everyone.
411 agree | 320 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Tonight's performance of "Macbeth" started at 8:05 pm and was done precisely at 10:30. I'm not the best at math, but that seems like under 2 and half hours...not over 3 hours, which the critic claims the play to be.
397 agree | 362 disagree
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JaimeK said:
Shame Fat Pig wasn't given an actual review on the acting. There were some pretty phenomenal performances. Especially Erin Riley as Helen and Courtney Ryan as Jeannie. Very VERY good show.
523 agree | 411 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Closes in 4 days
455 agree | 406 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Why review it a few days before it closes and not mention its closing in the review?
447 agree | 436 disagree
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EdnBetty said:
We just returned from Titus Andronicus, the play that Kenneth Tynan called "the worst play Marlowe ever wrote". We expected gore and got it! Tsoutsouvas was also great, but Valerie Leonard was vamping it over the top. And that voice set my teeth on edge!
751 agree | 486 disagree
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Reader said:
Yes, "She Stoops to Comedy" at Woolly Mammoth is a treat!
551 agree | 470 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Oh, we just a-DORed this show!
578 agree | 463 disagree
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