CREATIVE CAULDRON - SONDHEIM TRIBUTE REVUE

October 5 - October 27, 2024

“A scintillating musical revue celebrating the work of the legendary Stephen Sondheim, one of the most influential and innovative composers and lyricists in Broadway history. Eight standout performers will take you on a incomparable journey through songs from the Sondheim songbook including; Anyone Can Whistle, Assassins, Company, Follies, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, and the recent Tony Award Winner, Merrily We Roll Along.”

Ben joined this supremely talented ensemble in performing the songs of the late virtuosic titan of musical theater. The revue had sixteen performances at Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, Virginia, performing from October 5th through October 27th, 2024.

ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC - SING DOWN THE MOON: APPALACHIAN WONDER TALES

April 26 - May 26, 2024

“Journey into the Appalachian Mountains in this award-winning musical that deftly weaves four traditional tales and original music into a keepsake quilt of mountain lore and wisdom for the whole family. Jack who lands himself a job despite his foolishness. ‘Catskins’ is a spunky Appalachian Cinderella. ‘The Enchanted Tree’ is a beauty-and-the-beast love story between a lost girl and a frightening crow. And in a zany, sung-through ‘Sow and Her Three Pigs’ plucky Nancy the pig outsmarts the hungry fox. This play with music incorporates singing, mountain dances, music, and puppets to create a highly theatrical storytelling style. The score, which interweaves music throughout the tales, is inspired by ‘Old Time’ Appalachian music featuring fiddle and banjo that drives the play’s action and makes music itself a character in the play.  ”

Ben played the conniving fox Hess along with several other characters in this deeply powerful show for all ages filled with authentic Appalachian music and strong direction by its writer, MaryHall Surface. This Helen Hayes-Recommended production performed at Adventure Theatre MTC in Glen Echo, Maryland.

CREATIVE CAULDRON - CHICKS IN HEAVEN

April 13 - April 28, 2024

“When four friends come together in a rural southwest Virginia town for a reunion, it's a happy gathering filled filled with remembrance and ritual. But when some religious crusaders stage a book-burning and a local boy sets fire to one of the friend's van, their friendship is tested. Can the same magical activism that forged their early feminist bonds bring them together now to fight patriarchy and racism at a time when the fight is needed most? A Bold New Voices premiere that celebrates the resilient power of the feminine spirit.”

Ben played the role of Conrad, the troubled and lovelorn teen in this world premiere production filled with beautiful music- written by Carol Campbell and her band Favorite Child- and powerful leftist energy. Performances took place at Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, Virginia.

ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC- THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

NOVEMBER 17, 2023 - JANUARY 7, 2024

“In a two-person version of the classic tale, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy discover a secret portal to a magical world called Narnia. With an evil White Witch ruling the kingdom, can Lucy, her new friend Mr. Tumnus, and her family band together to save this land from the eternal winter?”

Ben understudies the role of Peter (as well as the entirety of the rest of the male cast!) in this wildly imaginative retelling of C.S. Lewis’ classic novel, equipped with a few props, a mostly bare set and, yes, only two performers!

This holiday-time show- directed by DC-area staples Tom Story and Shanara Gabrielle- performed at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, Maryland from November 17th, 2023 through January 7th, 2024.

TAPAWINGO

OCTOBER 28, 2023

“Tapawingo follows a 30-year-old oddball named Nate Skoog who works a dead-end mailroom job and still lives in his mom’s house. When Nate’s boss orders him to pick up his social misfit son, Oswalt, from school— it becomes clear the kid is being bullied. Nate finally gets the opportunity to do what he’s always wanted: mercenary for hire. Nate forms a team of crack-shot wackadoos to protect Oswalt from the town’s family of bullies who seem to have taken an especially keen liking to his client.”

Ben joins the cast of this star-studded comedy, featuring Napoleon Dynamite’s Jon Heder, Titanic’s Billy Zane, John Ratzenberger, Gina Gershon, Chris Gethard, Jay Pichardo and many others. The film is written and directed by award-winning filmmaker Dylan K. Narang.

Tapawingo premiered at the Virginia Film Festival in Charlottesville, Virginia on October 28th, 2023 and at Dances with Films in New York City on November 27th, 2023.

Toby's Dinner Theatre- Something Rotten!

JANUARY 20 - MARCH 19, 2023

“Nominated for 10 Tony Awards! Set in the 1590’s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of a ‘Renaissance Rockstar.’ When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theatre involves singing, dancing and acting at the same time, they set out to write the world’s first MUSICAL! Critics and audiences alike went wild for SOMETHING ROTTEN, an outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce that received several Best Musical nominations and was hailed by Time Out New York as, ‘the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.’”

Ben plays the role of Nigel Bottom, the sensitive lovelorn poet, in the Washington, D.C.-area premiere of this hilarious show! Filled with heart, toe-tapping musical numbers and a plethora of references to musical theater and the works of William Shakespeare, this is one you won’t want to miss!

EVERYMAN THEATRE- THE LION IN WINTER

OCTOBER 18 - NOVEMBER 13, 2022

“A family feud of imperial proportions! Set during Christmas 1183, Lion tells the wickedly amusing tale of King Henry II, his imprisoned queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their three entitled, double-dealing sons who vie for the throne. Best known for the film adaptation starring Peter O’Toole and Katharine Hepburn, this viciously funny drama is a high-stakes chess game where the pieces constantly change and no one is spared the sword. Betrayal, treachery, and fights to the death – just another joyous Royal Family Christmas!”

Ben plays the role of Prince John in this hilarious drama at the esteemed Everyman Theatre alongside some of Baltimore’s strongest acting talent.

NEXTSTOP THEATRE COMPANY- LUCKY STIFF

MAY 20 - JUNE 12, 2022

“Harry Witherspoon is an unassuming shoe salesman with a truly boring life. That is, until his uncle dies and leaves him $6 million in his will...provided that Harry takes his uncle's corpse on one final holiday to Monte Carlo! If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn... or else his uncle's gun-toting ex-girlfriend! An offbeat, hilarious murder mystery farce, complete with mistaken identities, a ton of diamonds and a corpse in a wheelchair.”

Ben plays the lead role of the meek Brit Harry Witherspoon in this wacky comedy filled with charm, thrills and ‘80s cheese. With laughs-a-minute and music by the duo that brought you Ragtime, Seussical, Anastasia and Once on This Island, you know you’re going to have a great time at the theater!

THE KENNEDY CENTER - DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS! THE MUSICAL!

MARCH 4 - MAY 23, 2022

“Whatever you do, don’t let the Pigeon star in his own musical production! It’s not easy being the Pigeon—you never get to do ANYTHING! But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird CAN do something. Starring an innovative mix of actors, puppets, songs, and feathers, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical) is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping.
With a script written by Mo Willems, the creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling, Caldecott Honor award–winning “Pigeon” picture books, along with longtime collaborator and Disney Jr.’s Muppet Babies executive producer Mr. Warburton, and featuring music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, the composer behind Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!, this comedic musical production is even more fun than staying up late and having a hot dog party!”

Ben understudies both the Nerdy Teenager and the Businessman in this exciting Theatre for Young Audiences production, performing as the Teenager for the Nashville leg of the touring production’s run.

ADVENTURE THEATRE - MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS

FEBRUARY 18 - MARCH 27, 2022

“Mr. and Mrs. Mallard are exhausted from their search for a starter home when they land in the Boston Public Garden as a potential home. Surprised by a few conditions in the Garden, the Mallards move on to continue their search until their baby ducklings are born. When the ducklings begin to explore the world around them.  The challenges of parenthood in the busy Boston environment create a fun bit of family drama.  A classic story for all ages, this world premiere musical celebrates family, Boston, children, and the beings who make an unfamiliar place a home.”

Ben plays the role of Mr. Mallard in this intelligent, heartwarming and beautifully composed new musical based on the celebrated children’s novel.

IMAGINATION STAGE- THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

NOVEMBER 23, 2019 - JANUARY 20, 2020

“A remount of Imagination Stage’s Helen Hayes award-winning 2012 production, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tells the story of four siblings who journey to a magical land where the powerful lion Aslan leads them on a journey to discover their destiny. Music, modern dance, and breathtaking puppetry tell a story of love and redemption. Ages 5+.”

Ben plays (and sings) the role of Edmund Pevensie, along with a separate dancer in the same part, in this artistic interpretation of C.S. Lewis’ classic novel.

WASHINGTON STAGE GUILD - CANDIDA

SEPTEMBER 26 - OCTOBER 20, 2019

“Subtitled ‘A Mystery,’ the Shavian comedy Candida follows a preacher and a poet who are in love with the same woman. The former is her husband, the latter wants to woo her away, and both are shocked by her ultimate choice and the reasons for it.”

Ben plays the role of Marchbanks, the dreamy poet who vies for the married Candida’s hand, in this breezy and beloved Play Pleasant by legendary playwright George Bernard Shaw.

Read Celia Wren’s rave review for The Washington Post here!

MONUMENTAL THEATRE COMPANY - BE MORE CHILL

JULY 11 - AUGUST 2, 2019

“Jeremy Heere is a loser, or so he thinks. He’s bullied by his peers, tongue-tied in front of his crush Christine, and his only solaces are video games and fellow loser Michael. But when Jeremy is presented with a Squip, a supercomputer taken by pill that can tell him how to be cool (or even chill), Jeremy’s life will suddenly change.”

Ben plays the role of Jeremy in Monumental Theatre Company’s production of this exciting new musical. Filled with incredible songs by Joe Iconis, a delightful video game aesthetic and powerful vocals galore, this is one you won’t want to miss!

Read Peter Marks’ rave review for The Washington Post here!

STUDIO THEATRE - P.Y.G., OR THE MISEDUMACATION OF DORIAN BELLE

APRIL 3 - 28, 2019

“Dorian Belle is a big deal. He’s a Canadian pop sweetheart, and he’s ready to be taken seriously. So his people hire his favorite hip-hop artists—Black and Alexand, the ‘bad boy’ rappers of Petty Young Goons—to help him toughen up his image. They’re black, he’s white. They’re from Chicago, he’s from Canada. It’s all on reality TV. What could go wrong? Inspired by Shaw’s Pygmalion, this world premiere is a blistering and entertaining look at cultural and racial appropriation in a fictionalized exchange of ideologies, vernacular, and alleged street cred.”

Ben joins the cast of this hilarious and insightful new play in its world premiere, understudying the title role of Dorian Belle. Filled with parodies of pop idols, injections of black history and its deft treatment of race in both the media and outside, this is a show you won’t want to miss.

CONSTELLATION THEATRE COMPANY - THE MASTER AND MARGARITA

FEBRUARY 4 - MARCH 10, 2019

“In the streets of Moscow, Margarita is destined to meet a brilliant writer, the Master of her heart.  Meanwhile, the Devil and his demonic crew descend on the city to wreak havoc on the literary elite.  When Soviet censors imprison the Master to silence him, Margarita joins forces with the dark side in a courageous effort to save her lover.  Supernatural, satirical, and darkly comedic, Mikhail Bulgakov’s celebrated Russian story is a powerful indictment of corrupt government and authoritarian rule.”

Ben joins the cast of this wickedly witty production, understudying the roles of Ivan- the thinker gone mad- and Fagott, the devilish trickster with a love of the macabre.   

ARENA STAGE - THE GREAT SOCIETY

FEBRUARY 2 - MARCH 11, 2018

“Robert Schenkkan’s Tony Award-winning play All the Way set the stage for President Lyndon Baines Johnson’s sudden ascent to the White House. In its D.C. premiere, The Great Society brings the second half of Schenkkan’s epic story to its harrowing conclusion. As America is divided by civil rights protests and the anguish of the Vietnam War, LBJ struggles to maintain his relationship with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., keep his political opponents in check and complete a raft of impossibly ambitious social policy projects. Jack Willis reprises his “stunning performance” (Broadway World) in this political thrill ride that explores the America of our past to better understand the America of today.”

Ben joins this incredibly talented ensemble as various characters, including a riot cop, political aide, hippie protester and many more in Arena Stage’s fiery production!