New York

Meet the Swingin’ ‘Summer Club’ Team

Discovering secrets of The Summer Club: Interviews with some of the best big band swinging performers on the East coast “Come swing with us back to an era when life was cooler, music was snappier, and...

2016 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Underneath the Lintel’

Pat O’Brien’s solo performance in Underneath the Lintel has been captivating US and Canadian Fringe audiences for eight years now, and it’s not hard to see why. Seeing O’Brien—a longtime star of...

2016 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Whisper Into My Good Ear’

The scene is deceptively simple. It’s winter. Two old men—one shivering in a sweater, the other swaddled in layers of coats and hats—are sitting on a park bench, contemplating the emptiness of what’s...

Review: ‘Into The Woods’ at Upper Room Theatre Ministry

Once Upon a time, in the city of Manassas, there was a theatre group that was in their 15th year of producing Broadway quality musicals. Every summer a group of talented performers gather to rehearse...

Review: ‘Funny Girl’ at Kent County Theatre Guild in Dover, DE

Mead Hunter once said that if you want to be a genius in the theatre you should start a company and wait twenty years. When I heard that the Kent County Theatre Guild (KCTG) of Dover, Delaware was in...

Review: ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ at Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival in Center Valley, PA

Scholars, theatergoers and activists have been debating The Taming of the Shrew for about four centuries. Just what was Shakespeare, with his tale of the warring lovers Katherina and Petruchio, saying...

Review: ‘The Music Man’ at Candlelight Theatre, in Wilmington, DE

This one is a total slam-dunk. Kudos belong to everyone in every arena of theater with The Music Man at Delaware’s Candlelight Theatre. Under the direction of Peter John Rios, the sets, costumes...

Review: ‘The Addams Family’ at The Ritz Theatre Company in Haddon Township, NJ

They’re ba-ack! If you’re a fan of the macabre clan from the 1960s black-and-white TV show, inspired by Charles Addams’ series of single-frame cartoon drawings for The New Yorker beginning in 1938,...

2016 Capital Fringe Review: ’35mm: A Musical Exhibition’

The idea of matching music to photographs is not new, but in 35mm—now having its DC premiere at the Atlas Performing Arts Center as part of this year’s Capital Fringe—the approach gets an energetic...

2016 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Coping’

Sometimes real life throws you tricky situations, your emotions kick in, and you don’t respond ideally. You can’t just rewind, take a breath, and start over. Unless you are Sarah and you are trapped...

‘Come to Their Cabaret’: Meet the Cast of PWLT’s ‘Cabaret’: Part 2: James Maxted

In Part 2 of a series of interviews with the cast of Prince William Little Theatre’s production of Cabaret, meet James Maxted. Joel: Who are you, and where might area readers and audience members know...

2016 Capital Fringe Review: ‘Petunia and Chicken’

I have never started a Fringe with such joy. The cause of that joy is kids’-show-in-disguise Petunia and Chicken, the brainchild of Animal Engine (husband and wife team Carrie Brown and Karim...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #47: ‘Death Be Not Loud!’ by Susan Jackson

Southern Railroad Theatre Company presents: DEATH BE NOT LOUD! (a contemporary Southern comedy) By Susan Jackson as part of the 11th Annual Capital Fringe Festival Southern Railroad Theatre Company...

Review: ‘Sweeney Todd’ at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre

In an interestingly unusual choice for the typical light-hearted summer stock musicals at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre, Sweeney Todd is an exceptional production with strong performances and crisp,...

Review: ‘Rob McClure: Smile’ at Feinstein’s/54 Below in NYC

Talent, showmanship, and charm—Rob McClure has it all, and he brings it all to Feinstein’s/54 Below with Rob McClure: Smile, his premiere solo concert in New York City. The pride of New Jersey (where...

OCCUPY EAST STREET: Frederick’s East Street Arts Center is now Open!

Landless Theatre Company announces the soft opening of The East Street Arts Center, a new performing arts studio in Frederick, MD. The 20,000 square foot space is available for local performing and...

Review: ‘Shining City’ at The Irish Rep Theatre in NYC

It’s been only 10 years since Conor McPherson’s word fest of a play ran at the Biltmore Theatre for 101 performance including 21 previews. It was well received not only for the eloquence of the...

Review: ‘Hadestown’ at The New York Theatre Workshop

You have until July 31st to treat yourself to a trip to the East Village where you will find Hadestown, a rich plum cake of a folk opera, happily ensconced at the New York Theatre Workshop. I came to...

Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 7: Richard Manichello

In Part Seven of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Richard Manichello. Joel: Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of...

Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 6: Henry Reisinger, Jr.

In Part Six of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Henry Reisinger, Jr. Joel: Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of...

Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 5: Greg Guyton

In Part Five of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Greg Guyton. Joel: Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of Moon...

Review: ‘Shuffle Along’ at the Music Box in NYC

There is so much talent on stage at the Music Box that it’s difficult to know where to begin giving credit where its due. The first elements that deserve “Original! Exciting! Broadway at its best!”...

Review: ‘If/Then’ at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia

Broadway today is the era of musical/cartoon/film/remakes. We should, therefore, be grateful for anything that attempts a reasonably adult theme: in this case, how our decisions will create our...

2016 Capital Fringe Preview #16: “The Missing Peace”

“The first time I played through the score, I was struck by its beauty and shocked that it was written twenty years ago– the message is still relevant now, and I knew the story needed to be told,”...

Review: ‘No-No Boy’ at Pan Asian Repertory Theatre

No-No Boy is an extraordinary and essential play. It’s about what happened to innocent people when this country demonized and incarcerated Japanese Americans during World War II. To witness it now—as...

Review: ‘Mary Poppins’ at the Phoenix Festival Theater at Harford Community College

Everyone has a melody that brings them immediately flashing back to their childhood. For me, it’s the first few notes of “Chim Chim Cher-ee” from the movie Mary Poppins. Those notes bring about the...

Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 4: Carol Conley Evans

In Part Four of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Carol Evans. Joel: Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of Moon...

Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 3: Michele Guyton

In Part Three of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Michele Guyton. Joel: Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of...

Review: ‘Jamaica’ at The New Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia

If you are a musical theatre fanatic, like me, with a mammoth record collection, then you have always wanted to see Jamaica. Well, cross that off my bucket list. Freedom Theatre has done it and I was...

Review: Source Festival 2016: ‘Dreams and Discord: Six 10-Minute Plays

Ready for a night of unicorns and clowns? Sci-Fi and meth? Hipsters and hit men? Only have 80 minutes to spare? Then strap yourself in and get ready for Dreams and Discord: The Source Festival’s...

Kelli O’Hara in ‘Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Concert Series’ at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia

Closing out their Concert Series Season on Tuesday, the Kimmel Center welcomed Kelli O’Hara, one of Broadway’s brightest stars, to the Merriam stage along with Seth Rudetsky for a conversation with a...

2016 Capital Fringe: Preview #7: ’35mm: A Musical Exhibition’ by Rich Farella

Photo Gallery Meets Rock Show – A Multimedia Musical What is 35M? This 70-minute musical written by Ryan Scott Oliver pairs a collection of photographs with a series of songs, each capturing a “moment...

Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 2: Jess Kim

In Part Two of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Jess Kim. Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of ‘Moon Over...

Review: ‘Parade’ at Drama Learning Center

Parade is a musical with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown and book by Alfred Uhry. Although the original Broadway production had a short-lived run. the show is now often remembered as a powerful...

Review: ‘The Judas Kiss’ at The Harvey Theatre in the Brooklyn Academy of Music in NYC

David Hare’s play about a very specific time in the life of Oscar Wilde first appeared in New York in 1998, with Liam Neeson playing the brilliant Irish playwright Wilde, thus establishing himself as...

Meet The Cast of ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players: Part 1: Caroline Kiebach

In Part One of a series of interviews with the cast of Vagabond Players’ Moon Over Buffalo, meet Caroline Kiebach. Joel: Please introduce yourselves and tell me why you wanted to be in the cast of...

Review: ‘Trouble in Mind’ at The Stagecrafters Theater in Philadelphia

In many ways, it’s startling to learn that Trouble in Mind was first performed in 1955. Alice Childress’ play was decades ahead of its time: it’s a satire of racial stereotypes in American...

Review: ‘Time Is On Our Side’ at Simpatico Theatre Project in Philadelphia

There’s a song in the Broadway musical Hamilton that asks “Who lives, who dies, who tells your story?” That question is at the heart of Time Is On Our Side, R. Eric Thomas’ new play. It’s a play...

Here are the 2016 Tony Award Winners and Link to Last Night’s Musical Performances

Here are the 2016 Tony Award Winners: Best Play Eclipsed The Father WINNER: The Humans King Charles III Best Musical Bright Star WINNER: Hamilton School of Rock—The Musical Shuffle Along, Or the...

Review: ‘Matt & Ben’ at Flying V

After filming not a few Rotten Tomatoes targets and appearing in too many tabloid headlines, the real Ben Affleck has cleaned up and redeemed himself in the public stargaze, both professionally and...

Review: ‘Almost Heaven: Songs of John Denver’ at Infinity Theatre

You might want to “Take me Home, Country Roads” to the latest production Almost Heaven: Songs of John Denver, which for the first time is playing in the Washington, DC metropolitan area in Annapolis,...

Review: ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’ at The York Theatre Company

This charming piece of work has a long history. Its original run was off Broadway at Theater 80 in the East Village, where it settled in for a smashing run of 1697 performances. Arthur Whitelaw was...

Review: Cirque du Soleil ‘Paramour’ at The Lyric Theatre in NYC

Spectacular circus arts meet vintage-style song-and-dance in Cirque du Soleil’s premiere Broadway musical, Paramour, now playing at the Lyric Theatre. Known for its consummately graceful and...

Filichia on Friday: ‘The Answer to May’s Brainteaser’ by Peter Filichia

This is Peter’s final column in ‘Filichia on Friday.’ It’s been a pleasure and an honor to share this column with our DCMTA writers. THIS WEEK: The Answer to May’s Brainteaser Purchase Peter...

Review: ‘Cirque du Soleil Paramour’ at The Lyric Theatre in NYC

It will be interesting to keep an eye on this new spectacular show – Paramour – calling itself a New Broadway Musical, for it’s a combination of circus, swanky cabaret floorshow and old world musical...

Richard Seff and the 2016 Winners of The Richard Seff Award: Lois Smith and Bill Camp

DCMetroTheaterArts’ beloved NYC critic and columnist Richard Seff has an award named after him: The Richard Seff (Seffie) Award, and yesterday the 2016 recipients were honored: Lois Smith and Bill...

Review: ‘Guys and Dolls’ at 2nd Star Productions

2nd Star Productions’ highly entertaining Guys and Dolls is a lively, colorful production about charming guys and their frustrated dolls. Based on characters and a story by Damon Runyon, this classic...

Review: ‘Moon Over Buffalo’ at Vagabond Players

As a former actress, I can attest that the goings-on backstage are often just as dramatic as what is happening onstage. Celebrating their 100th anniversary season, the Vagabond Players expertly...

Review: ‘Dreamgirls’ at Tantallon Community Players

Dreamgirls Sizzles with Soul Why is sudden fame so destructive? Can true friendship survive the pressures of show business? Those questions and a whole heaping spoonful of soulful, Motown-inspired...

Filichia on Friday: ‘The 2016 Broadway University Final Exam Answers’

It’s an honor to bring Peter Filichia’s column every week on Kritzerland called ‘Filichia on Friday’ to our readers on DCMetroTheaterArts. Take The 2016 Broadway University Final Exam. And HERE ARE...