What are you doing this weekend?
The weekend is here and it's time to have a little springtime fun. We've compiled a list of Northern Virginia events for all ages. Enjoy! Feel free to add an event not included here in the Comments box below! (Events compiled from Fairfax County and Fairfax County Visitors Guide.)
In this Article:
The performance will be the end of 11 senior students' high school drama careers.
The Robert E. Lee High School drama club will perform Steven Sondheim musical "Into The Woods," according to a recent news release. The performance will take place at 7 p.m. April 18-20 in the school's auditorium For 11 of the performers, this will be their last high school performance before they move on to other future endeavors. Danielle Payne, who plays Cinderella’s stepmother, has performed in 12 plays at Lee High School in the past four years, and she said she found a thrill in performing and has formed many friendships with castmates. “There are so many amazing memories that I have about my time in the theatre department of Lee,” said Payne. "Meeting one of my best friends, being able to grow as an actor and a person with the help …
Rated R for language, violence, nudity.
Director Danny Boyle, fresh off being dubbed a national hero for his triumph directing the Olympic ceremonies in London, took another big directorial risk with his new release Trance. It is a frenetic, haunting genre-bender that grabs hold of and keeps your attention from its first moments to its last with such force you'll feel like you're falling through Alice's rabbit hole after being hurled into it by two burly six-foot bunnies in kilts. This cinematic journey is one filled with confusion, illusions, violence and moral ambiguities, and not a head trip everyone will be willing to surrender to or appreciate. Much like the somewhat similarly convoluted Inception, it is a love it or hate it kind of flick. Whether it will be enjoyable for…
Multiple performances are scheduled in May.
The Edison High School drama club will perform "Once Upon a Mattress" in May. There will be four separate performances at 7 p.m. May 3, 4, 10 and 11 and a matinee at 2 p.m. May 11. "Once Upon a Mattress" is an interesting take on the classic tale of the "Princess and the Pea." The group is directed by drama teacher Larry McCormick. Music is by Mary Rodgers and lyrics are by Marshall Barer. The story is by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer. Tickets are currently on sale online, priced at $8 for adults and $6 for students and seniors. Contact edisondrama@yahoo.com for parties and large groups. Edison Drama previously performed a production of "The Man Who Came to Dinner."
The students will perform 'The Enchantment of Beauty and the Beast' at Edison High School May 17-18.
As the parents and volunteers rounded up the student performers known as the Rose Hill Players for rehearsal Monday afternoon, director Danny Adams pointed out that the production couldn't go on without the parents' contribution. "They give us their kids, which is the ultimate contribution," Adams said jokingly. "They also chaperone, build sets, play piano and find props. I have always known that parents will always come through." Jordan Reynolds, assistant producer and a senior at Hayfield Secondary School used to be a part of the Rose Hill Players and volunteers her time to help with production after school. "It was so much fun and an easy way to make friends," she said. "I loved the experience, and wanted to make sure other students …
The 3D enhancements make it worth seeing again on the big screen.
Once again we are at an old vs. new and purist vs. innovator crossroads. Why in the world would anyone go out to see Jurassic Park in the theatre for $12+ when they can snuggle at home and watch it on their own 40-inch HDTV? What could make this release worth the time of movie fans out there when my own Siren spouse couldn't be cajoled into seeing it with me at the multiplex? It all comes down to the experience. We haven't seen Jurassic Park in the movie theaters since its release in 1993. They could have rereleased it without the new bells and whistles and I'd have been halfway there. With all the mediocre new 3D releases depending on the new technology to fill the gap of good story, I really wanted to see one of the favorites of my…
Elvis, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Alfred Hitchcock fill this Easter collection.
Last month, I got a chance to meet Ben Mankeiwitcz, the Turner Classic Movies host and curator, who is actually from the DC area, and was here promoting this year's TCM Classic Film Festival, running from April 25-28 in Hollywood. If you haven't heard, they have a festival, and Cinema Siren can attest to the fact that they feature both great movies and great guest stars. This year, they'll include Polly Bergen, Ann Blyth, Mel Brooks, Jane Fonda, Mitzi Gaynor, Tippi Hedren, Max Von Sydow, Eva Marie Saint and Mickey Rooney, just to name some of my favorites. When I talked to Mankeiwitcz, he said those who attend are some of the most knowledgeable movie fans in the world, but surprisingly diverse in age. He said one fan who expertly …
Fun happenings in and around Northern Virginia Friday, March 29-Sunday, March 31.
It's Easter weekend, and still spring break for many in Northern Virginia. Time to have a little fun! We've rounded up some area weekend events — be sure to get out there and play! Hidden Oaks Nature Center, Annandale: Easter Bunny at Fair Oaks Mall: George Mason University, Fairfax: Workhouse Arts Center, Lorton: Farther Afield: Know of another event this weekend in Northern Virginia others should know about? Feel free to tell other readers about it in the comments box below.
The local band will have a show March 29.
Local power rock band Convictus will play a live show with '80s rock icons Kix at 7 p.m. March 29 at Empire in Springfield. Tickets for the show are currently on sale for $27, and the show is appropriate for all ages. Convictus is made up of local musicians, John Patrick (drums), John Bevans (guitar), Stephen Sellman (bass), Rick Irby (guitar/vocals) and Mark Ellmore (singer/song writer) who was a candidate for the U.S. Congress in 2008. The band hails from Alexandria and performs shows throughout the D.C. metropolitan area. Convictus is known for mixing old classics with their original music that is reminiscent of '80s metal, and they are considered the area's premier concert band. All members have a day job in the music field except …
Bezi Yohannes, 16, published her first book 'Secrets of Meynch' in December.
At the age of 11, Bezi Yohannes irritated her parents because all she ever did was write. It's not that her parents didn't want her to write, but she dedicated hours of her time to writing and seemed to have little interest in anything else. At a young age, Bezi said she fell in love with reading — mostly fantasy and medieval-inspired novels. Because she was enthralled with the tales of adventure in the books — specifically C.S. Lewis' The Chronicles of Narnia — Bezi set out to create her own fantasy world. "I feel complete when I'm reading. And when I'm writing I can communicate these different experiences and go into my imagination and create a detailed fantasy world," she said. Bezi credits C.S. Lewis' ability to create a "realistic …
Mary Ann Barton
4:06 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013
Thanks for the info Mark! more ›