What would a dwell present be like that features the next: sing-along sections of outdated, trusty tunes; jokes that elicit each eyerolls and “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” titters; rousing ensemble dance numbers; stunningly stunning star turns and hilarious comedic interludes; and a heavy dose of patriotism — towards the UK?
However wait! How about you get to sip a beverage of your alternative, take pleasure in a candy or salty snack, and take part all through the efficiency, too?
This heady mixture may solely imply that British-style music corridor is again at its residence away from residence within the DMV — The British Gamers for his or her annual resurrection and homage to the vaudevillian sorts of vivacious verisimilitude, Music Corridor 2026.
Such a “knees-up, Nellie!” leisure is akin to our American vaudeville exhibits of yesteryear, albeit with accents starting from posh to Cockney and regional, throughout the most important sections of the UK — London, Wales, Scotland, Yorkshire, to call just a few. Throughout “the Pond,” British music corridor was revived even on the “telly” for many years, courtesy of The Good Outdated Days, which ran 30 seasons on UK tv, recreating the enjoyable and frolic of Edwardian-era leisure in interval costume — even for the viewers members! (Hop on YouTube and search the title of many episodes of the present.)
Remarkably, the 2026 version is the Kensington, Maryland-based theater’s 57th Music Corridor, which has acquired to be a report of some form. And judging from the enthusiastic applause, cheers, and laughter witnessed on a current Sunday afternoon, the custom resides on with verve.
The construction of a music corridor present has a hierarchy of its personal, headed by the chairman who serves as a grasp of ceremonies and information for the viewers. Robert Leembruggen is the honorable chairman for this version, eyes twinkling, puns and jokes flying, with an earthy class to his masterful management of the proceedings.
The featured comic is British Gamers veteran Albert Coia, billed as “the Cheeky Chappie,” seemingly modeled after such British entertainers as Arthur Askey — a comic book usually featured on The Good Outdated Days — diminutive of stature, impish, and in full command of his vocal and humorous stylings. Coia’s cheeky persona was completely suited to his two featured turns, performing the innuendo-rich “My Little Dickie” and the eventful story-song “The Evening I Appeared as MacBeth.
The subsequent billed performers are the solo vocalists, two with hovering, professional voices, and the third, a vivacious belter. Daria Antonucci introduced her lyrical and expansive soprano to the stage with the usual “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Sq.” and the standard “My Love Is Like a Crimson, Crimson Rose.” Bringing the lilting and beautiful male voice within the vein of an Irish tenor, Chuck Hoag completely put forth “Danny Boy” and the patriotic tune “I Vow to Thee, My Nation.” Rounding out the featured soloists, Bethany Blakey served up a horny and assured air throughout her crowd-pleasing spots singing “No Man Is Ever Going to Fear Me” and the scrumptious double entendre-laden ditty “I Need a Scorching Canine for My Roll,” backed up by a number of ensemble males as prepared sizzling canine distributors.
If in case you have been paying consideration, you see that a night on the music corridor is a superb mixture of sophistication and class and extra down-to-earth leisure. From our personal collective reminiscences — if you’re sufficiently old — consider a mashup of The Benny Hill Present and The Lawrence Welk Present to get some thought of the ambiance. Nevertheless, the expertise of the dwell, theatrical expertise the Gamers convey of their music halls surpasses the vanilla stylings of Welk’s common performers or the outdated, cornball, and naughty humor of Benny Hill. The fantastic thing about the music corridor is that there’s by no means a boring second when a beautiful, outdated ballad is adopted by a comedic skit or dance quantity with excessive kicks.
Past the featured gamers, Music Corridor 2026 wouldn’t be the eye-catching and ear-pleasing leisure it’s with out the highly effective and versatile singing ensemble dubbed “The Edwardians” and the inevitable showgirls “The Bow Belles.” The Belles — Michelle Buteau, Lauren-Nicole Gabel, Lauren Pacuit, Rachel Schlaff, Lisa Singleton, Jamie Sinks, Rachel Waldstein, and Becca Watts — function the refrain line of beauties who enliven the stage with their each look. The women convey their dancing expertise and smiling faces to such numbers as “Row, Row, Row,” that includes Chairman Leembruggen, in addition to the group numbers “Every little thing Stops for Tea” and their large second, “The Charleston.”
The multitalented members of the Edwardians function refrain, soloists, comedic actors, and all kinds of roles all through the efficiency. Highlights of their shining spots embrace “My Woman’s a Yorkshire Woman” (Francis Hoag, Rob Milanic, and Bob Schwartz), “With Her Head Tucked Beneath Her Arm” (John Allnut, in an authentic-looking Beefeater uniform), and the comedic recitation “The Battle of Hastings,” starring Nicola Willis-Jones, backed up by a number of of the lads. All the opposite Edwardians present each comedy and musical merriment, as properly — Michelle Buteau, Matt Craun, Amanda Dullin-Jones, Kristen Humphrey, Richard Jacobson, Ellen Kaplan, Jonathan Kilgore, Robert Teachout, Betsy Tebow, and Becca Watts.
Clearly directing with a love and experience for the model and enthusiasm of such a leisure, Sarah Leembruggen assembled a mighty solid of performers and was ably aided by choreographer Nancy Scales Harry. Between the director and choreographer, the pacing and verve of your entire manufacturing was breezy and lightweight. The opening variety of the second act, borrowed from the Sixties British musical Half and Sixpence, was “Flash, Bang, Wallop,” an ideal mixture of intelligent staging and exact choreography that includes Jonathan Kilgore commanding the stage and outdoing the toothy Tommy Steele from the unique.
Lest we not neglect the hardest-working little band on the town, music director and pianist Arielle Bayer and her small however delicious ensemble of instrumentalists — Audrey Chang on violin, Puck Elkins on bass, and Kevin Ulek on drums and cello — present first-class help to your entire firm for the expansive repertoire of music — practically 30 in all!
On the planet of our regional dwell theater, skilled and group, the British Gamers holds a long-standing and distinctive area of interest. As they are saying of their program and web site: “The BRITISH PLAYERS is devoted to bringing high-quality conventional British theatre to the Washington space, and since 1964 has been delighting audiences with a beautiful recipe of humour, patriotism, music, dance and dialog, with materials relationship from Victorian instances to the trendy day.”
Operating solely by way of Could 16. Come to Kensington to see for your self.
Operating Time: Two hours and 20 minutes with one intermission.
Music Corridor 2026 performs by way of Could 16, 2026, introduced by The British Gamers, at Kensington City Corridor, 3710 Mitchell St, Kensington, MD. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM. Buy tickets ($36 per individual, which incorporates snacks and water, soda, beer, or wine) on-line.
Music Corridor 2026
Introduced by The British Gamers
Directed by Sarah Leembruggen
Music Route by Arielle Bayer
Choreography by Nancy Scales Harry
Produced by Colleen Darling
