Creative Cauldron Closing its Season with Thunder

Special to the Falls Church Times

Creative Cauldron’s founder, Laura Connors Hull, says their final production of the season is “fixing to blow the roof off the cauldron!” Directed by Helen Hayes Award winning actor, Stephen Gregory Smith, Thunder Knocking on the Door is “a musical fable that is filled with humor and heart, and just the right touch of supernatural high jinx” according to Hull.

When writer Keith Glover first penned Thunder in 1999, he knew he had a hit on his hands. Steeped in the devil-at-the crossroads blues mythology of the Mississippi Delta and featuring music and lyrics by three-time Grammy Award winner Keb’ Mo’ and his collaborator Anderson Edwards, this show has played to critical raves and sold out houses in theaters around the country.  Stephen Gregory Smith fell in love with the show when it premiered at Arena Stage in 1999.

Smith is guiding a powerhouse cast of singers including Shayla Simmons, featured in last year’s Creative Cauldron hit original production of “Women of the Blues.” Shayla most recently appeared as Deena Jones in Signature Theatre’s Helen Hayes Award winning production of Dreamgirls.  She is joined by Iyona Blake, RaMond Thomas, Malcolm Lee and Michael Mainwaring, each a vocal dynamo in their own right.

Performances are at 8 pm, Thursday through Sunday, through May 26. Tickets are $22 for adults and $20 for seniors/students.  Ticket specials include the “Juke Joint” — up close seating for 4 people and a bottle of wine for $100 and the “Sunday Night Bargain Blues” — buy one adult ticket and get the second one for half price for any Sunday performance.  Online purchase only and limited to 20 per show.

Purchase tickets in advance at www.creativecauldron.org Creative Cauldron is located at ArtSpace Falls Church, 410 S. Maple Avenue in the Pearson Square building.