And a Nightingale Sang

Orson's Shadow

A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas

The Foreigner

The Comedy of Errors

 

And a

Nightingale Sang

by C.P. Taylor

 

March 21-April 29, 2007

Everyman Theatre, Baltimore

“Nightingale” Sings at Everyman

Reviewed by James Howard

"Last Friday night marked the opening of C.P Taylor's WWII comedy/drama And a Nightingale Sang at Everyman Theatre.  Truth be told, every play this season at Everyman has been of the utmost quality (Opus and School for Scandal come readily to mind), but this production may be the best thing I've seen there in years.  Forgive me, please, if I repeat adjectives or sound like a thesaurus.  There are only so many synonyms for "excellent."

Norman, played with nuance and passion by Clinton Brandhagen – is every girl's dream and every father's greatest wish – a good guy.  Mr. Brandhagen's heartfelt performance is punctuated with soulful eyes and an endearing delivery of lines.  Any man who is so blinded by love so as to overlook any and all of Helen's flaws is ok in our book, which makes some of his act two revelations both shocking and yet completely understandable.  It is a difficult role to pull off, and this fine young actor does so with brilliance."

-from Broadway World

Norman & Helen

(Clinton Brandhagen

and Beth Hylton)

 

 

 

PHOTOS: By Stan Barouh

 

Orson's Shadow

by Austin Pendleton

 

Jan. 31 - Feb 25, 2007

Round House Theatre

Sean & Orson

(Clinton Brandhagen

and Wilbur Edwin Henry)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kenneth Tynan, Orson Welles,

& Sean

(Will Gartshore, Wilbur Edwin Henry and Clinton Brandhagen)

"Rounding out the cast is a very funny Clinton Brandhagen as the celebrity struck stage hand." A Potomac Stages Pick for a fun back stage battle of egos

-Reviewed by Brad Hathaway

Potomac Stages

Sean & Vivien Leigh

(Clinton Brandhagen

and Kathryn Kelley)

"There are parts of this play, and this production, which are as good as anything I’ve seen on stage this season. An impromptu steak-and-wine party involving Welles, Leigh and Welles’ truth-telling manservant (a very funny Clinton Brandhagen) seemed as absurd as anything in Rhinoceros."

-Reviewed by Tim Treanor

DC Theatre Reviews

"Clinton Brandhagen plays a gofer but proves that there are no small actors...only small parts."

-Reviewed by Bob Anthony

allartsreview4u

"Celebrity narcissism + audience voyeurism ÷ ordinary human vulnerability = guaranteed laughs, with a little something wistful in the remainder column: It’s an old equation, but Orson’s Shadow proves it out all over again, and pretty elegantly, too.

Clinton Brandhagen rounds out the cast, playing the cheerfully clueless stagehand who keeps stumbling into inopportunities on Daniel Conway’s nicely cluttered backstage set."

-Reviewed by Trey Graham

Washington City Paper

 

A Christmas Carol:

A Ghost Story of Christmas

 

2004, 2005, 2006

Ford's Theatre

Clinton Brandhagen as

Young Scrooge with Fan

'A Christmas Carol' With Effects and Affection:

"As Scrooge, [Richard] Poe "bahs!" and "humbugs!" gruffly, and Clinton Brandhagen's irrepressibly beamish nephew Fred bellows good cheer.

Like Christmas, Scrooge and his story can be done by rote. But Poe and his colleagues are given room to come through, and they finish with a glint of real wonder."

-Reviewed by By Nelson Pressley,

The Washington Post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Ford's Theatre, 'A Christmas Carol' With Lots of Spirit

"...Backing up this star turn is a capable cast that includes Clinton Brandhagen, as a particularly amiable version of Scrooge's nephew Fred..."

-Reviewed by Celia Wren.

The Washington Post

Dickens Nouveau: Ford's Theatre serves up an eggnog brew filled with holiday spices of a different variety with 'A Christmas Carol'

"Clinton Brandhagen and Saskia de Vries turn in tender performances as Scrooge’s nephew Fred and Mrs. Fred."

-Reviewed by Jolene Munch

Metro Weekly

 

The Foreigner

by Larry Shue

 

Olney Theatre Center

Rev. David Marshall Lee

& Owen Musser

(Clinton Brandhagen

and Delaney Williams)

"...Clinton Brandhagen is appropriately mild as Catherine's fiancé, a minister with a few secrets."

-Reviewed by Susan Berlin

Talkin' Broadway

"I can't imagine a more amiable and sturdy production of the play than this one. The ensemble work is tight, the timing snappy, the tensions roiling. And Brandhagen's too-good-to-be-true Reverend is just that, and dives from saintly to snakey in good form."

-Reviewed by Alexander C. Kafka

Rokovoko DC Zine of Arts and Living

 
The Comedy of Errors   Folger Theatre

Antipholus & Dromio

(Clinton Brandhagen

and Eric Sutton)

Brooklyn Brouhaha: Shakespeare "The Comedy of Errors" at Folger Theatre

"...It also helps to cast a group of actors whose chemistry bolts off the stage in small sparks of electricity.  Brandhagen and Sutton are both vastly entertaining in their quick-switch roles as two halves to a whole set of twins. Brandhagen is bold and eccentric one minute, helpless and utterly confused the next..."

-Reviewed by Jolene Munch

Washington DC Metro Weekly

'Comedy': The Queen's English, Brooklyn style

"The playing is fast and furious in this riotous comedy/farce with a highly energized and disciplined cast. Clinton Brandhagen reigns supreme in his dual role of Antipholus with most skillful and distinct twin behaviors."

-Reviewed by Art Critics on the Web

Foggy Bottom Newsletter

Antipholus & Angelo

(Clinton Brandhagen

and KenYatta Rogers)

"About the cast: What can we say; they're terrific. Chief among these are Clinton Brandhagen, who plays both Antipholus characters, and Eric Sutton, who plays both Dromios. Mr. Brandhagen works himself to death, portraying the Ephesus twin as a hard guy while his Syracuse Antipholus is really nice and without a clue."

-Reviewed by T.L. Ponick

The Washington Times