Reviews

‘The’re the Altar Boyz’: Part One: Steven Royal on Directing ‘Altar Boyz’ at 1st Stage by Steven Royal

In Part One of a Six Part Series of behind-the-scene interviews of First Stage’s upcoming production of the hit musical Altar Boyz, Director/Scenic and Costume Designer Steven Royal tells us how he...

Composer and Musician Tom Teasley on ‘The Conference of the Birds’ by Joel Markowitz

Tom Teasley is not only a brilliant composer, musician, and performer, but he is one of the nicest people in our theatre community. He is full of passion and energy and watching him perform in a show...

‘Dracula’ at The Washington Ballet by Carolyn Kelemen

The Redskins may be in a slump but The Washington Ballet has never looked better. The nation’s capital premier ballet troupe is beginning its season with an impressive undertaking of the full-length,...

‘What I Did Last Summer’ at McLean Community Players by Francine Schwartz

McLean Community Players’ production of A.R. Gurney’s What I Did Last Summer is beautifully directed by Adriana Hardy, and is a showpiece for young actors whose ability to inhabit a collection of...

‘The Hobbit’ at Encore Stage and Studio by Julia L. Exline

Encore Stage and Studio presents J.R.R. Tolkien’s timeless adventure The Hobbit, a tale about an ordinary hobbit who embarks on an extraordinary adventure…and discovers an unexpected heroic side of...

‘Into the Woods’ at George Mason University by Audrey Thornton

Hang on to your seats everyone! Bring your best belly laugh and strongest applause — you are in for a treat when the final musical presentation of Into the Woods takes center stage today at 4 PM at...

‘Aesop’s Foibles’ at Elden Street Players by Colleen Sproull

Walking into the spiffy black-box theater for the opening performance of Aesop’s Foibles, part of Elden Street’s Players’ Theater for Young Audiences, I was cheerfully greeted by the sound of some of...

‘Arsenic and Old Lace’ at StillPointe Theatre Initiative by Amanda Gunther

You are cordially invited to tea at the Brewster residence. A splendid time is guaranteed for all as Aunties Abbey and Martha will entertain you with their unusually sweet and eccentric charm — you...

‘Rent’ at Silhouette Stages by John Harding

The sexy young cast reviving Rent at Silhouette Stages in Columbia is better than a can of Red Bull at delivering a jumpin’ jolt of energy. Here’s a weekend show guaranteed to crank you up and get you...

‘Crimes of the Heart’ at Dignity Players by Amanda Gunther

Sit down with a nice refreshing glass of lemonade, grab your burglar gun and shoot your husband. Well, maybe you shouldn’t do the shooting bit, but if you come see Crimes of the Heart, the final...

‘NightoftheLivingDead (the musical) at Kensington Arts Theatre by Joel Markowitz

You have to tip your hat to the folks at Kensington Arts Center (KAT) for supporting and hosting the World Premiere of NightoftheLivingDead (the musical), the musicalized and new interpretation of the...

‘War Horse’ at The Kennedy Center by Amanda Gunther

In the midst of war and a future uncertain comes a story of bravery, loyalty and companionship as The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts proudly presents the National Theatre of Great Britain...

‘Cartas de las Golondrinas (Letters from the Swallows)’ at Teatro de la Luna by Colleeen Sproull

This was my first experience with Teatro de la Luna, which now celebrates its 15th year, and after tonight’s stunning performance by Noelia Fernández and Esther Aja in Cartas de las Golondrinas...

‘Finian’s Rainbow’ at Catholic University by Jessica Vaughan

Catholic University’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music mounts a fabulous production of Finian’s Rainbow for its fall musical, with additional actors from Howard University and Duke Ellington School of...

‘The Completely Fictional-Utterly True-Final Strange Tale of Edgar Allan Poe’ at CENTERSTAGE by Amanda Gunther

Once upon a midnight dreary there came a production that spoke quite clearly of a haunted poet whose tale is known forever more; the madness of a man quite clearly haunted by his ending nearly,...

‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at Compass Rose Studio Theater by Amanda Gunther

Learning to stand in another man’s shoes is no easy task as Harper Lee reminds us in the literary classic To Kill A Mockingbird. Brought to the stage through Christopher Sergel’s adaptation based on...

Inside the Music: An Interview With Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Concertmaster Jonathan Carney by Jane Coyne

I caught up with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Jonathan Carney at the Music Center at Strathmore over the weekend. Along with the BSO principal cellist Dariusz Skoraczewski, he is...

‘I Love to Eat’ at Round House Theatre by David Friscic

Like a dinner with a good friend, Round House Theatre’s production of I Love to Eat is a savory and satisfying addition to their 2012-2013 theatre season. Producing Artistic Director Ryan Rilette has...

‘Beauty and the Beast’ at The Puppet Co. by Julia L. Exline

The Puppet Co. presents Beauty and the Beast, an iconic tale performed in one of its lesser-known original versions, treating the audience with a different perspective in which to view one of their...

‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ at Maryland Ensemble Theatre (MET) by Mike Spain

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a rock musical with a score and clever lyrics by Michael Friedman, and a book by Alex Timbers. You have to give the cast of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson a standing...

‘Dirt’ at The Studio Theatre Theatre by David Friscic

Dirt may be the main scenic component of The Studio Theatre’s World Premiere production of Dirt now playing at their Studio Lab, but Scenic Designer Debra Booth has supplied twinkling stars in the...

‘Next to Normal’ at The Vagabond Players by Amanda Gunther

Define normal. Everyone thinks it is the standard by which we compare how well our lives are going, but it turns out when you look at what’s ‘normal’ you’ll find that it is rarity — most people’s...

Baltimore Symphony at Strathmore “Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony-Benedetto Lupo, Piano” by Jane Coyne

Under the baton of much loved guest conductor Juanjo Mena, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performed a fabulous concert at The Music Center at Strathmore on Saturday, October 20, 2012. The concert...

‘Pocahontas’ at Riverside Center Dinner Theater by Julia L. Exline

Riverside Center presents Pocahontas as part of their “Lunch n’ Show” program, where parents are welcomed to enjoy a provided lunch with their child before enjoying live entertainment. With a book by...

‘You Can’t Take it With You’ at Providence Players of Fairfax by Julia L. Exline

Providence Players of Fairfax presents You Can’t Take it With You, written by Moss Hart and David S. Kaufman and winner of the 1937 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Directed by Chip Gertzog, this satire...

‘The Rocky Horror Show’ at Washington Savoyards by Erica Laxson

Look out DC, Washington Savoyards presentation of The Rocky Horror Show is here just in time for Halloween and is sure to make you scream! Director Jay D. Brock delivers the laugh-a-minute show and...

‘Crossing’ at Signature Theatre by Don Michael Mendoza

Signature Theatre’s concert version of Grace Barnes and Matt Conner’s Crossing tells the story of eight people all in different decades of the twentieth century waiting at the same train station....

‘The Clean House’ at The Elden Street Players by Julia L. Exline

The Elden Street Players presents The Clean House, a thought-provoking comedy by Sarah Ruhl. Director Susan Devine has a tall order with this play, as it covers a broad spectrum of emotions, from...

‘Cirque Chinois’ at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts by Dr. Cheryl Paulhus

I attended the spectacular new production, Cirque Chinois tonight at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts performed by The National Circus of the People’s Republic of China. Step right up to...

‘Our Class’ at Theater J by Tzvi Kahn

Our Class, the searing, emotionally devastating, and unforgettable new production at Theater J, constitutes both a play and an enervating pedagogical exercise – a Holocaust-era case study in the moral...

‘Trespassing’ at Ambassador Theater by Jessica Vaughan

Ambassador Theater takes on trespassers and unexpected visitors with two madcap one-acts by Egyptian playwright Alfred Farag. The first, The Visitor, tells the story of an actress and the policeman...

‘The Glass Menagerie’ at Towson University Department of Theatre Arts

A unique presentation of one of Tennessee Williams’ most popular plays comes to the stage as Towson University’s Department of Theatre Arts presents The Glass Menagerie. Directed by Stephen Nunns, the...

‘DruidMurphy’ at The Kennedy Center by Jennifer Perry

One of the great things about living in Washington, DC is that we have access to an assortment of international theatrical productions most of which are presented by the John F. Kennedy Center for the...

‘Almost, Maine’ at George Washington University by Breena Siegel

Almost, Maine opened last night, presented by The George Washington University (GWU) Department of Dance & Theater, to an audience of animated students and adults alike. Almost, Maine written by John...

‘Cymbeline’ at The Annapolis Shakespeare Company by Amanda Gunther

The Annapolis Shakespeare Company invites you to a realm of royalty where kings banish their daughters’ secret husbands to lands far away, where evil queens plot to take over the throne with the aid...

‘A Clockwork Orange’ at Scena Theatre by Sydney-Chanele Dawkins

Good. Is being good truly good if it is not by choice? Evil has to exist along with good, in order that moral choice may operate. Evil. Which is worse, chosen evil or forced good? “A man who cannot...

‘The History Boys’ at Georgetown University by Mariya Danilenko

The Mask and Bauble Dramatic Society’s production of The History Boys at Georgetown University is worthy of being performed at a prestigious theatre in DC. The History Boys is a play by Alan Bennett...

‘Guys and Dolls’ at American University by Jessica Vaughan

American University’s Department of Performing Arts puts on a slick, fast, and fun production of Guys and Dolls to kick off their 2012-2013 season. Karl Kippola is both the director and choreographer,...

‘Cole Porter: You’re the Top!’ at Creative Cauldron by Doug Poms

Creative Cauldron in Falls Church, Virginia offers the DC area a great opportunity to hear the genius of composer Cole Porter, and a glimpse at his complicated relationship with his wife, Linda. Cole...

Mary Bridget Davies on playing Janis Joplin in ‘One Night With Janis Joplin’ at Arena Stage by Joel Markowitz

I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing when I attended One Night with Janis Joplin last week at Arena Stage. Mary Bridget Davies gives one of the most amazing performances I had ever seen...

‘Hedda Gabler’ at Catholic University by Sydney-Chanele Dawkins

Dramatist Henrik Ibsen’s works are filled with strong women and insights into the human condition. Hedda Gabler, one of the idiomatic Ibsen’s most noted and popular productions, is no exception....

Mariinsky Ballet’s ‘Cinderella’ at The Kennedy Center by Carolyn Kelemen

Young Russian dancers keep Cinderella on her toes With its remarkable legacy of theatrical and musical traditions, St. Petersburg’s Mariinsky Ballet boasts the best ballerinas and male bravura – the...

‘Platero y Yo’ at Gala Hispanic Theatre by Amanda Gunther

Based on one of the most famous prose poems in the 20th century Spanish literary canon, Platero y Yo comes to the stage of the Gala Hispanic Theatre to launch the children’s season in 2012. The...

‘Richard III’ at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company by Amanda Gunther

“Now is the winter of our discontent.” This famous line uttered by the bloody king (and we all know what proceeds therein) in one of Shakespeare’s great bloody tragedies Chesapeake Shakespeare...

‘POTUS Among Us’ at Washington Improv Theater by Jessica Vaughan

If you find yourself taking this election season as little too seriously, are sick of self-important talking heads on TV, or if you want a few good-natured laughs, POTUS Among Us by the Washington...

‘Bus Stop’ at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre by Amanda Gunther

It may be October but down at Grace’s Diner just 30 miles west of Kansas City, Missouri, March is roaring in like a lion as The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre presents William Inge’s Bus Stop....

‘Legally Blonde: the Musical’ at Reston Community Players by Joel Markowitz

This is the year of the blonde in pink! Dozens of schools, community theatres, and a dinner theatre in the DC Metro area have opted to try their hand at producing the popular Broadway musical Legally...

‘Bad Panda’ at Iron Crow Theatre Company by Amanda Gunther

As Fall rolls in it may be too chilly for a trip to the zoo, but you’ll have far more fun watching these animals in their ‘captivity’ as Iron Crow Theatre Company presents Bad Panda – a new play by...

‘Hemispheric Dysfunctionalism & the Cortical Titanic’ at Capital Fringe by Cyle Durkee

I scarcely know where to begin. Hemispheric Dysfunctionalism & the Cortical Titanic moves through the treacherous waters of involved philosophical musings like the Titanic maneuvered through the north...

‘And Then There Were None’ at Aldersgate Church Community Theater by Julia L. Exline

Aldersgate Church Community Theater presents Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, a captivating murder mystery directed by Roland Gomez. Originally a novel (that became one of the best-selling...