William Powell

Review: ‘Dancing at Midnight’ at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Some plays invite audiences to ask themselves vexing questions: What is the meaning of life? How long is a life well-lived? As King Solomon wrote in the Old Testament: I have seen all the things that...

Review: ‘Passion & Struggle’ at The In Series

Poetry can be the seed of music, and music the seed of love. Music may even be used as a form of protest—and ultimately a promoter of peace. This is evidenced by the music of composers and performers...

Review: ‘The Fantasticks’ at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

The characters in the oldie and much appreciated allegorical goodie The Fantasticks (The off-Broadway incarnation ran for 42 years, and it is reportedly the World’s most performed musical) find out...

Review: ‘Henry V’ at We Happy Few Productions

What’s the impact of war on the common man? Do the sins of leaders trickle down to their soldiers? Is patriotism dead? What does it mean to be a leader? These are just some of the themes explored in...

Review: “Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp” at Adventure Theatre

Americans don’t know much about the details of the myths and folklore of the Middle and Far East. Many of those stories, which can be found in Sir Richard Burton’s translation of “One Thousand and One...

Review: ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater

“I am a giant surrounded by ants!” exclaimed Walter Lee Younger in a scene from A Raisin in the Sun. Walter is the embodiment of how society, family members, and internal struggle can defer dreams....

Review: ’10x10x10′ at Fells Point Corner Theatre

There is a profound depth of directing and acting talent in the Baltimore-Washington area. Much of that talent was on display at 10x10x10, a collection of plays by area playwrights, which is playing...

Review: ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at Providence Players of Fairfax

In a scene of fierce confrontation between Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell in Providence Players’ production of To Kill a Mockingbird, Ewell insults Atticus in such a vicious way, that one wonders why...

Review: ‘Wiseguy Kitchen Dinner Show’ at Germano’s Piattini

Wiseguys, also known as those certain individuals the U.S. Government considers a bit more organized than they should be, descended on the quaint restaurant Germano’s Piattini in Baltimore, MD...

Review: ‘A Night with Jackie Moms Mabley’ at Germano’s Piattini

Legendary entertainer Loretta Mary Aiken, aka Jackie “Moms” Mabley saw and endured a lot in her 81 years. Born in 1894 in Brevard, North Carolina, Aiken saw racial, sexual and political oppression...

Review: ‘Not My Baby’ at Momentum Collective

What defines parenthood? Are children always a gift? The adoption-themed Hip Hop musical Not My Baby by Alexandria, Virginia-based playwright Jason A. Ellis, explores those questions and more. With...

Review: ‘Dogfight’ at Rockville Musical Theatre and Arts on the Green

War, friendship, and love are serious elements in a man or woman’s life. Rockville Musical Theatre’s production of Dog Fight explores those elements through the music and lyrics of Benj Pasek and...

Review: ‘Booty Candy’ at Montgomery College

In a particularly lapel-grabbing scene in Montgomery College’s Booty Candy, a preacher tells his congregation that he’s tired of hiding from the “what they heard” crowd and shows them who he really...

Review: Suitland High School’s ‘Mid-Winter Concert’

Prince George’s County Public Schools are filled with young talent. An excellent example of that talent is Suitland High School’s Center for the Visual and Performing Arts’ musicians and choirs. As...

Review: ‘La Périchole’ at Victorian Lyric Opera Company

The Victorian Lyric Opera Company’s (VLOC) staging of the operetta La Périchole was a testament to the idea that opera can be a light affair. Composed by 19th Century, Paris-based composer Jacques...

Review: ‘The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee’ at Greenbelt Arts Center

For the past year, Greenbelt Arts Center (GAC) has been on a fantastic streak as a venue for top-notch shows. GAC’s current show is an addition to that streak. With music and lyrics by William Finn, a...

Review: “Key for Two” at The Little Theatre of Alexandria

When I hear the words “British” and “Farce” together, I usually think of the stereotypical over-the-top show involving: a. slamming doors, b. cheating spouses, and c. people running around a couch....

Review: ‘Motherhood Out Loud’ at Vagabond Players

There’s no one like your mother, as an old song goes. Vagabond Players’ production of Motherhood Out Loud, wonderfully directed by Rikki Howie Lacewell, explores that theme and nearly every angle of...

Review: ‘Trust’ at Fells Point Corner Theatre

What’s the nature of trust? What specifically makes a person choose one partner over another? These questions and more are brought up by Fells Point Corner Theatre’s production of Trust, by Steven...

Review: ‘Little Women’ at The Catholic University’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music

Catholic University’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music’s production of Little Women is nearly three hours of spectacular musical merriment. Directed by faculty member Jay D. Brock and with a book by...

Review: ‘Dracula’ at American University

The famous novel Dracula, by Bram Stoker, has been adapted for countless film and stage productions, thrilling audiences since 1897. With a cinematic look and feel, some stand out performances, and...

Review: ‘Richard III’ at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

It’s notable that a play based on England’s War of the Roses has many parallels to power plays that take place today, both in everyday life and TV and film. Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s (CSC)...

Review: ‘Trevor’ at 1st Stage

Trevor, directed by Alex Levy and written by Nick Jones, at 1st Stage, is equal parts emotional and thought-provoking. With strong performances throughout, this subversive show is dark comedy at its...

Review: ‘Boeing Boeing’ at The Highwood Theatre

When is too much of a good thing, too much of a good thing? Is romantic love the most reliable form of love? These questions and more arose in The Highwood Theatre’s production of the classic French...

Review: ‘A Visit From Scarface’ at Greenbelt Arts Center

e’ve all been between the proverbial “rock and a hard place.” That’s exactly where fictional famous Hollywood writer Ben Hecht found himself in, in the comedy A Visit from Scarface, now playing at...

Review: ‘The Complete History of America (abridged)’ at Vagabond Players

History can best be summed up at times with satire. Do we really want to know every detail about events past, no matter how trivial? Humor can go a long way to helping us, as Americans, laugh at...

Review: ‘Red Bull Flying Bach’ at The Warner Theatre

Not a soft drink, not a circus, Red Bull Flying Bach, with music composed by Johann Sebastian Bach, and conducted by Christoph Hagel, and choreographed by Yui Kawaguchi (contemporary dance) and Vartan...

Review: ‘We Three Kings’ at Restoration Praise Center

We Three Kings is a brilliant Biblical story with many teachable moments. Written and directed by local playwright Solon Phillips and with songs sung by Phil Simmons and Angela Bryant-Brown, We Three...

Review: ‘Oy Vey in a Manger’ at Theater J

Just in time for a soon-to-be new U.S. Presidential administration, and growing political and racial division, the all-male drag queen comedy troupe quartet The Kinsey Sicks returned to Theater J...

Review: ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is arguably the definitive Christmas story, beating out such classics as It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play, Miracle on 34th Street and The Nutcracker. Wolf...

Review: ‘Seussical’ at Greenbelt Arts Center

Greenbelt Arts Center’s Seussical (The Musical), directed by Jon Gardner, is a magical spectacle. With lyrics and book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and musical direction by Mac Fancher,...

Review: ‘Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ at Providence Players of Fairfax

Best Christmas Pageant Ever, the second production of The Providence Players of Fairfax’s 19th season is delightful Christmas family fun. Written by Barbara Robinson in the 70s and directed by WATCH...

Review: “Romeo and Juliet” at The Maryland Shakespeare Players at The Clarice

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, The Maryland Shakespeare Players’ Romeo and Juliet, expertly directed by Vera Belaia, was a fantastic voyage into both Shakespeare’s tale of forbidden love, and a...

Review: ‘Uncle Nick’ at Wolf Pack Theatre Company

Uncle Nick brings a merry good time to the Holidays Who hasn’t heard the line: “Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house…” during the Christmas Holiday Season? That line, from the...

Review: Larry Graham and Graham Central Station at Strathmore

Review: Larry Graham and Graham Central Station funnels the funky at Strathmore He’s a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member of Sly & the Family Stone, he was a mentor and “best friend” of Prince, he is...

Review: ‘It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ at Washington Stage Guild

It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Shares Timeless Message Adapted by playwright Joe Landry, Washington Stage Guild’s It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play is a retelling of the classic tale...

Review #1: Chocolate City Burlesque’s Third Annual ‘Black Friday’

Chocolate City Burlesque and Cabaret (CCBC) is a troupe that excels at putting on the most sensational burlesque shows it can on D.C. stages. The troupe did just that in their third annual Black...

Review: ‘Sly & The Family Stone’ Celebrate Their 50th Anniversary

Legendary soul group Sly & The Family Stone grooved and moved the audience with unfiltered funky beats and unparalleled energy at Montgomery College’s Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center in a...

Review: ‘Black Violin’ at Strathmore

‘Black Violin’ serves up a musical potpourri at Strathmore “This is a party!” said Wil B (Wilner Baptiste) one half of the group Black Violin, which performed a genre-mashing amalgam of hip hop and...

Review: ‘The Migration Project: live performance art installation’‘ at Jane Franklin Dance Company

The Migration Project is a live music, multi-media event directed and developed by Jane Franklin of the Jane Franklin Dance Company that raises many questions: When is it necessary to pick up from...

Review: ‘Dinner With Friends’ at Greenbelt Arts Center

‘Dinner With Friends’ serves broken relationships, dreams Why do people break up, but never make up? Is having kids a sacrifice or a blessing? Are some people not just built for marriage? Is marriage...

Review: ‘Avenue Q’ at Vagabond Players

Vagabond Players’ Avenue Q, expertly directed by Eric C. Stein, is a “Triple Crown”-winning musical (Tony for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book) with a spectacular cast. The show is another big...

Review: ‘The Bluest Eye’ at Towson University Department of Theatre Arts

‘The Bluest Eye’ is a moving tale about race, dysfunction, and poverty Director Tavia La Follette, a Towson University professor, in choosing The Bluest Eye to direct, chose to examine how children...

Review: ‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ at Montgomery College

Director Matt Bassett, a faculty member of Montgomery College, in choosing Bat Boy: The Musical to direct, chose to examine, “how someone who doesn’t fit the social norm must struggle for recognition...

Review: ‘Zombie Prom’ at Unexpected Stage

With Halloween drifting in the cool, autumn air, Zombie Prom, as directed by Unexpected Stage Company Co-Producing Director Christopher Goodrich, and with Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey, is a zany...

Review: ‘DAS BARBECÜ’ at Spotlighters Theatre

DAS BARBECÜ, as directed by Greg Bell, and with Book and Lyrics by Jim Luigs, was a rousing and at times, funny-bone-breaking re-telling of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, reimagined as a Texas fable with merely...

Review: ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ at Aquila Theatre at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts

‘Much Ado About Nothing’ brings amusement, merriment and mirth Appearances can be quite deceiving, especially in the realm of love. Deception, misunderstandings and much merriment were on display in...

The Opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture: Watch the Entire Ceremony Here

Hollywood actors, singers and local talent fuel the opening ceremony of the National Museum of African American History and Culture One-hundred years in the making, the National Museum of African...

Review: ‘’Night, Mother’ at The Highwood Theatre

‘’Night, Mother’ explores depths of depression, family secrets The Highwood Theatre’s Night, Mother, expertly directed by Madison Middleton and wonderfully acted by Melissa B. Robinson and Jennifer...

Review: Culture Club at The Music Center at Strathmore

Culture Club channels the 80s at Strathmore The UK pop-soul music group Culture Club has been grooving for over 30 years with hits like “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me”, “Time,” “Karma Chameleon,”...