Spring Starts with a Winter's Tale

American Shakespeare Center - Alden Theatre - McLean, VA

April 7, 2012

Brad: A
Chelsea: A

McLean, Virginia, is known for two things:  Shakespeare traveling shows and barbecue.  We can now say we've enjoyed both.

So, Chelsea and I have developed an amazing ability to arrive at a theatre, park the car, retrieve tickets from will call, and be seated within seven minutes.  We have developed this skill out of necessity because, most of the time, we arrive at the theatre about seven minutes before the play starts.  This day, however, we were determined not to be the last people to be seated.

To ensure timely arrival, we left for McLean an hour and a half early for our six mile drive.  Once we located the theatre we looked for a quick lunch spot and we stumbled upon Boss Hog's Barbecue. This restaurant is known for McLean style barbecue.  Such barbecue has a unique combination of pulled pork, ketchup based sauce, and conservative ideology.  Needless to say the barbecue was as delicious as it was fiscally responsible. 

After lunch, we arrived at the Alden Theatre at the McLean Community Center.  Because we showed up with plenty to spare --- read 10 minutes --- we got to look around a bit, and we found an amazing piece of art:

I think it should be named:  "Life in Panem?" (Yes, the question mark is part of the title.)

We also got to enjoy the pre-show music.  Like the show we saw in Staunton, Virginia, at the American Shakespeare Center, before the show, the cast performs acoustic versions of modern songs that relate to the play.

Here, the cast was singing, Guns n Roses Sweet Child of Mine.  It was actually really, really good.  But what does this song have to do with A Winter's Tale? 

Well, A Winter's Tale starts out with King Leontes of Sicilia and King Polyxenes of Bohemia fawning over each other.  The Bohemian King is preparing to return home after a long stay in Sicilia, and the Sicilian King does not want him to leave.  The Sicilian King then urges his pregnant wife, Hermione, to convince the Bohemian king to stay a bit longer.  She succeeds, and the Sicilian King begins to think she succeeded because she and the Bohemian King are having an affair.  He goes crazy with jealousy.  He instructs one of his underlings to kill the Bohemian King and he sends his wife to jail.  They consult the oracle to determine whether Hermione has been unfaithful, and the oracle acquits Hermione of any wrongdoing.  King Leontes ignores this finding, and he promises consequences.  But before he actually does anything both Hermione and her adolescent son die, though at King Leontes' instruction, Hermione's newborn daughter is left on a mountainside to fend for herself.  After he has nothing left, King Leontes realizes he was wrong and promises to repent everyday for the rest of his life.  While King Leontes' man who was charged with leaving the newborn on a mountain to die is killed --- wait for it --- by a bear.  Yup. A random bear.  Just eats him.  An old man and his son discover the newborn daughter (and the mounds of money left with her), take her to Bohemia, and raise her as a sheep farmer.   Sixteen years go by and Leontes' daughter has fallen in love with the King of Bohemia's son.  In the end, the two elope to Sicilia and meet King Leontes.  He eventually discovers that this bride is in fact his daughter.  He takes his daughter to see a statue of Hermoine, and Hermoine (somehow) comes back to life.  And everyone lives happily ever after...

This production was fantastic! Every actor was great.  And every actor could sing and seemingly play an instrument.  During the second act, there is a dance.  Out of nowhere, the entire cast performed the climactic dance scene from Dirty Dancing (RIP Swayze), complete with an acoustic rendition of "I had the time of my life."  I know this sounds cheesy, but it was great.  The American Shakespeare Center is great. There was no difference in the quality between this show and the show we saw in Staunton.  The play, however, was a bit weird.  The first half of the play was very serious, somber even.  But the second half was hilarious.  Very strange dichotomy.  But I kinda felt like I got to see two plays for the price of one.  So, all in all, not bad!

The next day was Easter, so Chelsea and I decided to go to the Obama's church, the National Cathedral:

Doesn't she look excited?  Here is the inside:

But the most important part is us inside:

It was definitely a neat experience. The church was packed; the music was great; and I wasn't the only person there in a bow tie.  It was a good Easter.

I also got  to go see my Cincinnati Reds play last week.  It was the Nationals' home opener, and accordingly, the Reds let the Nationals win it.  They are so classy.  And the Nationals' had a giant flag:

But you heard it here first: The Reds will win the 2012 World Series.  Trust me.  It is their year.  This isn't a popular prediction amongst the Shakespeare/Baseball fan sites.  But it will happen.  It will.  And of course, keep checking into our littel blog for all of the Shakespeare/Reds news this season.  

Brad of Bohemia