2007 Christmas Revels

In a production "fit for a queen", the Washington Revels brought to life the world of Elizabeth I and William Shakespeare in a merry romp through Renaissance England. Mark Jaster was the irreverrent clown, William Kemp, whose feat...or is it his feet...is celebrated as Katrina van Duyn (an utterly delightful queen) prepares to honor him for his nine day Morris dance from London to Norwich...the setting for this serio-comedy. Oran Sandel is her strict Lord Chamberlain who proves to be a marvelous comic when he is thrown as a hapless doctor into the celebrations of a mummer's play. The costumes were suitably regal for them as contrasted with the more charmingly peasant costumes of the townspeople. Music and staging were again outstanding. Despite a few failures of the lighting system for this performance, the actors managed to keep in character which shows a fine professionalism for a primarily amateur group...although some of the actors have been with the "Revels" since the getgo. This year's "Revels" mingles historical characters in imaginative scenarios which offers insight not seen in scholarly works about the Bard as it creates the people and the music that he knew. Who realizes that Shakespeare refers to some 150 ballads and dance tunes in his plays? This is the 25th anniversary of "Revels" and like the Elizabeth II's visit to the area earlier this year ..this production will definitely be one to remember. This is grand family Yule entertainment. (To 12/16) (Reviewed by Celia Sharpe)

AllArtsReview4U (the best of the best...) - 12/10/07
http://allartsreview4u.com/performing_and_visual_arts_review

2006 Christmas Revels

The days are getting shorter and darker, and now come the Washington Revels to remind us, with traditional celebrations of the winter solstice, that the sun will indeed reappear and once again light up the world. This year's Revels are focusing their considerable energies on traditions of the Eastern United States in the early 19th century, and if the show seems overly inclusive (with nods to Native Americans, Puritans, Shakers, Moravians, Jews, mountain folk and slaves, and an apologetic mention in the program that Latinos will get their turn), it is still wonderful fun.

This is not a tidy, polite celebration. The stage is always crowded with instrumentalists, large groups of volunteer singers, dancers and the odd bit of set here and there. There are dancing and buffoonery and even bathroom humor (this year it's a "horse" -- two boys under a blanket -- that poops onstage). At Lisner Auditorium on Friday it was the children who stole the show. There were two groups -- a chorus of little ones and one of teenagers -- in many of the 47 scenes, singing, dancing or acting, and they were terrific at all of this. Their timing was smooth and confident (director Roberta Gasbarre runs things well) and they exuded joy in everything they did.

This year's production features powerful Native American storyteller Dovie Thomason, Peter and Mary Alice Amidon (who spin tales, call square dances and sing), fiddlers, a brass group and the Jonkonnu singers and dancers, whose stomping and drumming recalled a moment of cheer in the hard lives of North Carolina slaves.

There was a mummers' play, some singalong carols, and the chance to shout "Welcome Yule" together and, of course, to dance out at intermission singing "Lord of the Dance," led by baritone (and Revels executive director) Greg Lewis. The traditional sword dance was missed, but the makeover of a whip-snapping "Belsnickel" into a jolly St. Nick while "The Night Before Christmas" was being read was a great compensation.

Performances continue Friday through Sunday.

-- Joan Reinthaler, The Washington Post
    Monday, December 11, 2006

What Reviewers are Saying About "Roads of the Roma"

From Bob Anthony, Free-Lance Arts Critic on the Web and Foggy Bottom News...

The Washington Revels outdoes previous shows with this year's spectacular production of "Roads of the Roma" which follows the trail of the gypsy clans
from India and through Eastern and Western Europe as they apparently follow the spice and the silk routes. So we have a most exotic flow of dance and story telling and solstice songs for a solidly packed 150 minutes of top entertainment. The journey is wonderfully led by Oran Sandel as Old Rom, the archetypical leader of the gypsies, with a fantastically charming highlight of the contributions the gypsies made at the birth of Christ in the manger. With a cast of well over a hundred actors and musicians, it is impossible to give individual credits to the fine ethnic musicians and dancers. And, of course, top credit goes to the wonderful work of Mr. Sandel and the group of Revel adults and children who learned so many languages and dances to ethnic perfection. This year there was also a most perfect flow of story line and performance that was outstanding. Compliments are due to the fine work of artistic director, Roberta Gasbarre, the flamboyant costuming by Rosemary Pardee, and the producer (Cindy Speas) and production manager (Autumn Wilson). Every child in the area deserves a ticket to this most educational and enjoyable spectacular. (To 12/14)

-- Bob Anthony

From "The Washington Post" ...

Christmas Revels

Just about this time of year, when the days have gotten short and the sun seems to have disappeared forever behind the clouds, along come the Christmas Revels, marking the common experience of death and renewal woven around the winter solstice and reminding us that people of all times have greeted the sun's disappearance with ceremonies of magic and buffoonery, and rejoiced in its rebirth with music and dancing. As the snow was falling on Friday, the Revels opened for a two-weekend run at Lisner Auditorium.

This year's Revels trace the wanderings of the Roma (more commonly known as Gypsies) from their origins in India to their travels through the Middle East, Eastern Europe and finally through Western Europe to Spain.

Along the way they absorb and assimilate the ceremonies of their host countries -- the Indian festival of nine lights, the festivities of Eid al-Fitr that end the month of Ramadan, New Year's celebrations in Turkey, dances and rituals from Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary, a procession saluting a favored saint in France, where most of the Roma were Catholic, and, completing the circle, the exuberant flamenco dancing of Spain, which in turn has influenced contemporary Indian dance.

This is a somewhat darker version of Revels than usual. The Holocaust, which claimed so many Roma lives, takes its place as the traditional "darkest day," and the audience's singing of the hymn "O Come, O Come Emanuel" is a subdued lightening of that darkness. Some silliness about horse training, splendid galloping music emanating from sticks and an odd assortment of percussion followed, and the sun, in the guise of a banner, at last made its appearance.

A fine cast has been assembled for this celebration: The Budapest band Khanci Dos gave exuberant performances; a trio of Indian musicians and the large troupe of Nritya-Tarangi Dancers wove sinuous magic; Alexander Fedoriouk beat out soulful music on his cimbalom (a Romanian hammer dulcimer); flamenco dancer Anna Menendez was accompanied stylishly by guitarist Richard Marlow; and tenor Amer Tobing sang a Muslim call to prayer with gorgeous simplicity.

Also featured were the fine Zlatni Vetar Brass ensemble and timpanist Don Spinelli, as well as a large adult choral contingent, and teen and children's choruses. Greg Lewis led the audience singing with his usual joie de vivre, and Oran Sandel, as the old "Rom," held the show together with a sure hand. Needless to say, the stage was often a very crowded place.

-- Joan Reinthaler

From "The Washington KidsPost" ...

'Tis the Season for Christmas Revels, 'A Christmas Carol'

Wednesday, December 3, 2003; Page C16

Once December rolls around, most kids start to daydream about parties and presents and other special holiday events. But fourth-graders Brian Riemer, 9, of McLean and Blair James, 9, of Northwest Washington don't have much time for daydreaming. They're working hard onstage in two of the Washington area's favorite holiday shows. Brian plays Tiny Tim in "A Christmas Carol," the classic Dickens story at Ford's Theatre. And Blair will be one of 15 kids in the children's chorus of the Christmas Revels 2003 show at Lisner Auditorium.

Brian's acting career started when he was 6, in plays at a local library. He calls acting "tons of fun" and after starring in community theater and performing at Arena Stage in "South Pacific," he wants to act more and more.

Being in a play isn't all acting all the time, though. In "A Christmas Carol," Brian has a long break in the second act "because Tiny Tim is supposed to be dead," he said. When he's offstage, he passes the time by reading or drawing. "I have a book about learning to draw superheroes, so I'll probably do that," he said. When it's time to go back on, "I run into the dressing room and say some of my lines into the mirror" to get back into character.

Brian, who is home-schooled, also is involved in other activities. He plays on a soccer team, rides his bike around the neighborhood and has two brothers and a sister to keep him busy.

Did his parents always know Brian would be an actor? His mom, Melissa Reimer, knows her son isn't shy. "We joke that he was born speaking sentences," she said.

Blair, on the other hand, is a quiet girl who had performed only in school plays when she tagged along with her big sister to an audition for the Christmas Revels (a word that means celebration). She tried out, singing a song and reciting a poem, and "they called and said I was in." The Revels put each kid with some adults on stage. So if a kid panics or forgets a line, he or she can turn to someone in their "stage family" for help. But Blair is not worried about forgetting her lines. "Whenever I ask her if she needs to practice," said her mother, Sandy James, "she just says, 'Mommy, I already know it.' "

And it's a lot of work. This year's Revels is about Gypsy holiday celebrations. Blair and the other kids had to learn songs in foreign languages, including Hungarian and Bulgarian. They've been practicing since September. The other members of the children's chorus are Anna Cerf, 8; Taliah Dommerholt, 9; Johannes Dzidzienyo II, 8; Jody Frye, 10; Armelle Goreaux, 10; Katie Kleiger, 10; Amy Miller, 10; Benjamin Names, 11; Jason Noone, 8; Jamie Sandel, 9; Bridgett Slater, 10; Lindsey Smith, 10; Vidya Srinivasan, 8; and Casseia Todd, 10.

It may be hard to get into the holiday spirit when there are still leaves on the trees, but because Blair and Brian and the other kids did, this holiday season we can enjoy not just presents and parties, but also plays.

-- Suzanne Tobin