A cheery look at the underside of old London
At this time of year it can be difficult to remember that Charles Dickens wrote anything other than "A Christmas Carol," but another Dickens classic, "Oliver Twist," was the source for Lionel Bart's popular 1960s' musical, "Oliver!", which begins a one-week run at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave., on Tuesday.
Directed by Dallett Norris, this touring production maintains the musical's cheery look at the underside of 19th-century London. Curtain times are 8 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with matinees at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $20-$42.50. For more information, call (410) 889-3911.
@ Charles Balthazar Julien Fevret de Saint-Memin was an officer in the French palace guard who was exiled at the start of the French Revolution. He emigrated to New York and taught himself the art of engraving to support his family. Beginning in 1796 he executed about 1,000 drawn and engraved profile portraits of Americans, using a device called a physiognotrace, which helped make an exact likeness. He worked not only in New York but also in Baltimore, Washington, Richmond and Charleston, S.C. Most of the sitters are now unknown, but his subjects included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall and Meriwether Lewis. More than 220 of his portraits are now on view in "Federal Profiles: Saint-Memin in America, 1793-1814," at the National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets Northwest in Washington, through May 29. For information, call (202) 357-2700.
John Dorsey Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II may have been the best-known creators of American musicals in the history of the genre, but "A Grand Night for Singing" is the first Broadway revue of their songs. Directed by Walter Bobbie, the five-person revue begins a three-week run Tuesday at the Morris A. Mechanic Theatre in Hopkins Plaza.
Built on the framework of a romantic evening, "A Grand Night" includes songs from all 11 Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, ranging from mega-hits like "Oklahoma!" to the short-lived "Allegro" and "Me and Juliet." Show times are 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, with matinees at 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays, through Jan. 15. Tickets are $17.50-$42.50. For more information, call (410) 625-1400.
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J. Wynn Rousuck