MEDIA RELEASE
CONTACT:  Janis Johnson Tartt
General Manager
[email protected]
703-436-9948

Falls Church, VA – The 2022-23 Season will mark Creative Cauldron’s twenty year-anniversary and its first season of producing entirely original works. Producing Artistic Director, Laura Connors Hull reflects on Creative Cauldron’s journey: ”Our 20th year marks the perfect opportunity to celebrate creativity by supporting the work of individual artists. Building upon our prior work through our “Bold New Works” initiative, this season promises to be one of our best.”

Creative Cauldron’s 2022-23 season includes a diverse range of programming. Professional productions include: a world premiere musical, Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, by resident artists Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith; Diagnosed, the follow up to 2022’s Girls of Madison Street, by Helen Hayes Award winning performer Iyona Blake; and the regional premiere of Audrey: The New Musical, celebrating the life of film and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn, with Book, Music and Lyrics written by Danielle Moore. Creative Cauldron will revive its original Christmas musical The Christmas Angel, written by Conner and Smith for the holiday season.

Creative Cauldron’s educational arm, the Learning Theater Ensemble, will produce a new adaptation of the classic story The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, and a revival of Creative Cauldron’s original Learning Theater adaptation of The Snow Queen. The season’s theatrical offerings are complemented by live music throughout the year by three concert series: a Holiday Cabarets in December, the annual “Passport to the World of Music” Festival and the Summer Cabaret Series.


Creative Cauldron’s 2022-20223 Performance Season

Ichabod: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (October 6 – 30, 2022) Music by Matt Conner, Book and Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith Directed by Matt Conner & Stephen Gregory Smith
Musical Director Paige Rammelkamp
Featuring the Musical Theater Ensemble
Sponsored by Mark Werblood, Attorney at Law
Bold New Works Principal Sponsor Jon Wiant
Journey back in time to a quiet glen called Sleepy Hollow, where the denizens of the town are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new school master, Ichabod Crane. An adaptation of Washington Irving’s Classic tale of lore, love and the legendary Headless Horseman, this World Premier Musical by the critically acclaimed creative team Conner and Smith arrives just in time for autumn leaves, pumpkins, and ghost tales around the campfire. Press night: Saturday, October 8, 7:30 pm.

The Princess and the Goblin (November 4 - 22, 2022)
A Learning Theater production
Adapted from the classic novel by George MacDonald by Laura Connors Hull and Lenny Mendez Directed by Laura Connors Hull, Lenny Mendez and Will Stevenson
Music and Lyrics by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith
Sponsored by Halms, Jenkins LLC
When the curious Princess Irene discovers a secret stair to the top turret of the castle, it leads to a wonderful revelation that she has a fairy grandmother. At the same time, the miner’s son Curdie overhears a fiendish plot by the goblins who live below the mountain. It will take all their skill and courage, and the help of Irene’s magic ring, to foil the goblin’s schemes. Adapted for the stage with music, humor and wit that has become the signature of Creative Cauldron’s Learning Theater productions, this show has appeal for every age! Press night: Saturday, November 5, 7:30 pm.



The Christmas Angel December 2 – 18, 2022
A Bold New Works Musical
Music by Matt Conner, Book and Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith Directed by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith
Sponsored by Quinn’s Auction Gallery
Based on a little-known 1910 novel by Abbie Farwell Brown, this tale about an elderly spinster and her heartwarming transformation into the Christmas spirit echoes Dickens and the journey of Ebeneezer Scrooge. Our award-winning creative team, Conner and Smith, put their signature stamp on this new classic Christmas musical that critics deemed “a charming, gentle parable about what really matters, not just at the holidays, but always.” Press night: Saturday, December 3, 7:30 pm.


Holiday Cabarets December 12 – 20, 2022
Creative Cauldron tops off our holiday celebration every year with this special Holiday Cabaret Series. Enjoy some of Creative Cauldron’s favorite performers, as well as some talented newcomers. They’ll perform in our intimate cabaret setting with special table seating options that include wine, beer or your favorite beverage. Don your holiday finery and be prepared to sing along to your favorite songs. Get in the festive spirit or shake off some holiday blues with these seasonal cabarets that blend creativity and classics!  Final line up TBA, curated by Matt Conner. Press tickets available upon request.


Passport to the World of Music Jan 7 – Feb 7, 2023
Sponsored by Ken Trotter, JD Realtor TTR Sotheby's International Realty
Featuring some of the most talented and diverse musicians in the metro area and beyond, this annual series, now in its 12th year, is one of the most popular events of the Creative Cauldron season. Curated by Ken Avis and Lynn Veronneau from the WAMMY award-winning jazz samba group Veronneau, the concert series offers musical styles for every taste: latin, jazz, blues, folk and world music. Presented in a cozy club format that has been described my musicians as “one of the best listening venues in the DMV.” Press tickets available upon request.



Diagnosed February 9 – March 5, 2023
A Bold New Works Premiere
Written and Directed by Iyona Blake
Bold New Works Principal Sponsor Jon Wiant Sponsored by Diener and Associates
Tori McKinney Community Engagement Sponsor
Lydia is an African American woman who inherits a family-owned boutique. While searching for her own inner peace, she creates a safe space for women to share their stories of hurt, trauma and healing. Guided by the spirit of her ancestors, Lydia and the women are able to come face to face with their childhood and present-day demons. They will soon see that a boutique filled with women’s fashion, standout accessories and envy-inducing handbags isn’t the only common ground the women share. Will they heal? Written by Helen Hayes Award winning actress and writer of last season’s critically acclaimed Girls of Madison Street. Press night: Saturday, February 11 at 7:30 pm.


The Snow Queen March 17 – April 2, 2023
A Learning Theater Production
Adapted from the Hans Christian Anderson Tale by Ellen Selby
Music by Matt Conner Lyrics by Stephen Gregory Smith
Directed by Laura Connors Hull, Lenny Mendez and Will Stevenson
Sponsored by Quinn’s Auction Gallery
Our Learning Theater Ensemble revives Creative Cauldron’s original adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s longest and most highly acclaimed tale that has inspired numerous films and adaptations from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe to Disney’s Frozen! This classic tale of bravery and friendship follows the journey of young Gerda as she attempts to rescue her best friend Kai from the clutches of the Snow Queen.
Press night: Saturday, March 18 at 7:30 pm.


Audrey: The New Musical May 11 – June 4, 2023 A Regional Bold New Works Premiere
Book, Music and Lyrics by Danielle Moore
Directed by Laura Connors Hull
Bold New Works Principal Sponsor Jon Wiant
Winning both the Tony and the Oscar in her first year on the Hollywood scene, Audrey Hepburn went on to become oneof the most iconic stars in motion picture history. She commanded the screen opposite nearly every leading man of her day, from William Holden, Mel Ferrer, Gregory Peck, Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart and even Fred Astaire. Her own life was far less charmed than the lucky-in-love heroines she portrayed. Audrey follows a reluctant icon from her days as a ballerina-turned-spy in Nazi-occupied Holland, to her heartbreaking attempts to create the family that the war robbedfrom her. Spotlighting her accidental revolution of style, sexuality, and singledom for a generation of women in a certain little black dress, Audrey re-examines the life of a legend through song, dance, and the technicolor lens of her most iconic screen performances. Press night: Saturday, May 13 at 7:30 pm.



Summer Concert & Cabaret Series (June 30 - August 19)
Sponsored by The Eden Center
Every summer weekend at Creative Cauldron features a cabaret or concert by some of the most spectacular talent the DC area has to offer! Grab a table for two or a table for four and enjoy your favorite musical standards from the Broadway, Tin Pan Alley, Folk, Jazz, pop and classical canon and be entertained in our up close and personal cabaret space. Press tickets available by request.
Tickets for the 2022-23 Season are on sale now, and can be purchased at creativecauldron.org or by calling 703-436- 9948. Prices vary, with options for students, discount days, season passes, and live streaming viewing for select performances. Currently masks are required for all patrons at all times, and proof of vaccination or a 24-hours negative COVID test is required for all patrons. These policies will be reviewed regularly and updated following CDC guidelines.

Falls Church, VA – Creative Cauldron announced the hiring of Lenny Mendez, in the position of Artistic Associate.  Lenny Mendez (she/her/ella) is a Latina actress from the Washington DC area. Lenny earned her BFA in Acting and Directing from George Mason University and trained at Circle in the Square Theatre School on Broadway in New York City. Some past performance credits include, Queen Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Castaway Repertory) Angelina in Prom Night (GALA Hispanic Theatre) Natalie in The Proposal (Workhouse Arts Center).

Lenny will join Creative Cauldron’s artistic staff in the role of a bi-lingual teaching artist and director of Creative Cauldron’s educational outreach programs.  The position was funded through a Ross Roberts Arts grant from the Community Fund for Northern Virginia.  Creative Cauldron Producing Artistic Director, Laura Connors Hull, spoke about the importance of this new position: “We are thrilled to have this amazing new theater artist working on our team.  Lenny is a passionate and talented young teacher and performer.  Her bi-lingual skills will help Creative Cauldron forge new relationships, and partnerships in our community, particularly with Spanish-speaking families.”

Last year, Creative Cauldron developed a JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Artistic Committee to review its programs and policies, with the view of making the organization better serve its community.  Creating this new Artistic position was an outgrowth of this organizational work.  Lenny is currently serving as a co-producer for Creative Cauldron’s summer camps, and is providing outreach and support to Spanish-speaking families who are participating.

Lenny spoke about her new role at Creative Cauldron: I’m thrilled to have found a position where I can put my skills to great use and collaborate with some of the most down to earth artists I’ve met. When I came to this country at five years old, I would have never thought I would work at a beautiful black box theatre in the town where I was raised. The city is changing but the diversity has always been here, I am proud be at the fore front of new projects that will bring in the community to our theatre.”
In the fall, Lenny will continue to expand Creative Cauldron's community partnerships by teaching acting and improvisation at Second Story, a local non-profit organization committed to serving children in crisis and children needing a safe nurturing environment.