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Going Into Lyrical Woods

NextStop Theatre Company presents ‘Into the Woods.’

There was a cheerful bustle taking place as NextStop Theatre company members were rehearsing Stephen Sondheim's striking musical "Into the Woods." Smooth voices were warming up as the keyboard began to bring musical life into the rehearsal hall. "Into the Woods" is a big 17-member cast production directed by Evan Hoffman, with a 10-piece orchestra and a score of nearly 30 numbers, under the musical direction of Elisa Rosman. The show continues NextStop's poised move into its first year as Northern Virginia's newest professional theater company. The cast includes top notch musical theater talent who have performed at Signature, Ford's, Keegan, Toby's and many others.

Murphy Presented with Massey Award

Paul Murphy was awarded the 2014 Massey Award for consistent and committed volunteer service to the Fort Hunt Little League program at Fort Hunt Little League’s Opening Day Ceremony on April 5.

Area Students Win Scholarships

MLK Cultural Foundation Dream Makers Gala raises money for students.

Fifteen northern Virginia students received scholarships to follow their dreams last week. The Martin Luther King Cultural Foundation Dream Makers Award Gala drew in hundreds of people to raise money and hand out college scholarships on Thursday. “It’s something like this that will make me go to work tomorrow and want to make the world a better place for our children,” said Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam during a speech.

Summer 2014 Farmers Market Session Opens This Saturday

The Great Falls Farmers Market summer season begins this Saturday as the summer vendors join those who have served our community all winter. Penn Farm and Diaz Berries & Veggies will be joining Tuscarora Organic Growers Coop and Tyson Farms to bring a wide array of vegetables and fruits. Tyson Farm is a good addition to our mix, as they have abundant fruit orchards, which will broaden our selection of fruit all summer.

Vienna Homeowners Welcome Visitors

House and Garden Tour is April 29.

Spring is here, trees and flowers are in bloom and it’s time for Vienna’s annual House and Garden Tour. Presented by the Garden Club of Fairfax, it’s set for Tuesday, April 29, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. On tour are four private homes and gardens in the historic area, plus a full day of gardening-themed activities at Wolftrap Performing Arts Center and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.

Concert Raises $8,000

The Metropolitan School of the Arts raised $8,000 at its second Annual Benefit Concert to go toward construction of their Black Box Theatre project in Alexandria.

Area Roundups

Entrants Sought for Anti-Alcohol Awards

A Vienna-based, alcohol-education group wants to honor local, high school groups for their efforts in fighting underage drinking. To recognize high-school students for “doing the right thing,” the nonprofit Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) will present its 2014 GEICO Student Awards at a May 16 ceremony in Washington, D.C., and is accepting applications for the honors through Monday, April 28, at http://www.wrap.org/files/youthOutreach.htm. Entry is free.

McLean Theater Co. Presents ‘Catch Me If You Can’

Local high school brings Broadway to D.C.-area.

Will they catch Frank? The McLean Theater Company is premiering the musical “Catch Me If You Can,” a story of the world’s greatest con man and his worldly misadventures, to the D.C. metro area this week. “The story is so enticing for a director,” said theater teacher and director Amy Poe.

A Musing: Easily Confused Words

Some of the most common words we all use daily sound so much alike that they are easily confused, and therefore, are misinterpreted by the listener(s).

Week in McLean

Artist Entries for MPAartfest are Due on May 1 MPAartfest is looking for artists. Applications are currently being accepted for MPAartfest, a one-day juried fine art and craft show and sale featuring the work of more than 40 local and regional visual artists. McLean Central Park will reverberate with the sights and sounds of art and music on Sunday, Oct. 5 at the 8th annual MPAartfest. Online submissions only, due May 1. Visit www.mpaart.org/ for MPAartfest information and application. Call 703-790-1953 with questions.

Animal Shelters, Wildlife Rehabbers Often Receive Needlessly Orphaned Birds

Area animal agencies caution that not every wild bird baby who looks as if it could use help actually needs it.

Roundups for 4/23/14

The editor presents the roundups for the week of 4/23/14.

unior Barbara Lawson plays Catherine “Babe” Williams in the upcoming spring musical, “The Pajama Game,” …

Where Am I?

"I’m sitting in the rocking chair, good buddy," (a "Smokey and The Bandit" reference, if you’re not of a certain vintage), between two 18-wheelers where the police radar can’t find me – further referencing the C.B. radio days. Updating to the "Kenny-with-cancer" days, I’m a month or so past my last very encouraging CT Scan, the one I wrote about when my oncologist offered me a congratulatory handshake, a gesture he had not made in the five-plus years since we’ve been tangling with this damn disease; and I’m approximately seven weeks away from my next CT scan, "intervaled" every three months at present. Seven weeks is far enough away where I’m not even thinking about it, or the possibility of its discouraging results that I’ll know about on or about June 9th. I am cruising, emotionally, and savoring the excellent results from the last scan and not yet worrying, wondering, hoping, praying (too much) about my next scan. This means, at the moment – or moments, I should say, I am enjoying a relatively stress-free and blissful ignorance to what may – or hopefully may not, be happening in my lungs. I am, to quote a Three Stooges line: "as safe as in my mother’s arms."

Editorial: Past Time for Later Start Times

Teenagers are sleep deprived, and sleep deprivation takes a significant toll on safety, health and learning. We’ve known this for decades. But for decades, literally, Fairfax County Public Schools (and Montgomery County, Md.) have let a combination of reactionary blabber ("buck up and get moving;" "just tell them to go to bed earlier") and organizational resistance prevent implementing a solution to this very real problem. Getting up at 5:30 or 6 a.m. to hop on a school bus at 5:45 a.m. or even as late at 6:30 a.m. to get to school by 7:20 a.m. is not healthy for teenagers. It is nearly impossible for teenagers to go to sleep before 11 p.m. or midnight. Fairfax County high school students average six hours of sleep a night on weeknights. Research shows they need nine hours of sleep. Research has also quantified the costs of sleep deprivation.