New York

Nibbles and Sips Around Town: ‘Graffiti Goes Glam’ by Jordan Wright

What is so extraordinary about legendary graffiti artist Futura, neé Leonard McGurr, is that at a mere 57 years-old he has outlived so many others of his genre and generation and continued to triumph...

‘SHAPE’ at force/collison by Joel Markowitz

In its World Premiere, Erik Ehn’s SHAPE is given a powerful, heartbreaking, funny, moving, invigorating, emotional, and visually gorgeous production by force/collison. With a powerhouse of a cast –...

Part One: ‘The Merman’s Apprentice Log’ by Stephen Cole

Here we are, casting our first public New York City reading of a new musical fable, Merman’s Apprentice, a new musical fable…Book and Lyrics by Stephen Cole, Music by David Evans. For the umpteenth...

The National Theatre Has New Management by Joel Markowitz

It’s my favorite place to see a musical. And my favorite seat is in the middle of the first row of the Mezzanine. There’s so much history flashing by me every time I sit in The National Theatre. I see...

‘Taking SHAPE’ Part 2: Frank Britton and Dane Figueroa Edidi on Billy and Cordelia McClain by Dane Edidi

In Part Two of Taking SHAPE actors Frank Britton and Dane Figueroa Edidi introduce us to their characters Billy and Cordelia McClain. From Frank Britton (Billy McClain): When my journey with SHAPE...

‘DC Shorts Festival Reviews’ by Kim Moeller

Kim Moeller reviews 4 showcases of shorts: Showcase 3 A Short Film About Ice Fishing One Star This film about the supposedly routine ice fishing outing of two friends has no story except as a setup...

Stage Dad: ‘Talking to Other Parents’: Part Three: ‘Parents Give Their Best Advice’ by Glenn Cook

Over the past two columns, I have written about what other parents have to say about raising a child in show business. We’ve looked at challenges they face and what they wished they had known. In this...

‘Golda’s Balcony’ at The Vagabond Players by Amanda Gunther

What happens when idealism becomes power? It kills. And to save your world how many other worlds are you entitled to destroy? The shocking tension filled story of William Gibson’s Golda’s Balcony...

Stage Dad: ‘Talking to Other Parents’: Part Two: ‘What Other Parents Wish They Had Known’ by Glenn Cook

What Other Parents Wish They Had Known… One of my favorite television shows is Friday Night Lights, a beautifully written, small-scale drama that focuses on a small Texas town and its obsession with...

‘Campaign Caper’ comes to Way Off Broadway by Justin M. Kiska

In addition to Way Off Broadway’s regularly scheduled Mainstage and Children’s Theatre seasons, the theatre also hosts a number of special events each year. Some of the most popular events at the...

‘The Producers’ at Zemfira Stage by Kim Moeller

“It was crass and crude and I enjoyed every minute of it!” That’s a line from the Mel Brooks musical comedy, The Producers. It’s also my summary of Zemfira Stage’s production now playing in Falls...

Judyisms: ‘When You Do Such a Good Job People Confuse You With the Character!’ by Judy Stadt

About 20 years ago I had the pleasure of playing the role of Madge Kendall in The Elephant Man. It was an amazing production at The Penguin Repertory Theatre, in Stony Point NY and I loved every...

Cirque du Soleil’s ‘Dralion’ at Baltimore 1st Mariner Arena by Carolyn Kelemen

At Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion, which is playing now at Baltimore’s 1st Mariner Arena through Sunday, one can thrill to spectacles inside an air-conditioned arena never sullied by the hoof print of a...

The New Musical ‘The First Gentleman’ by David Raimo

From the writer of the hit science fiction parody Galaxy Quest comes an original musical comedy starring Sally Struthers and Robert Torti set for Broadway in 2013. The show takes place in the...

‘Hairspray’ at Glyndon Area Players by Amanda Gunther

I can hear the bells! They were ringing loud and clear at the Glyndon Area Players 2012 production of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hairspray. It’s the Baltimore classic and you all know the...

Stage Dad: ‘The Art of Sacrifice That Olympic Athletes and Actors Know Well’ by Glenn Cook

Being the parent of a child actor comes with a learning curve that has the potential to throw your life into chaos at any point. If you’re not willing to endure the ebbs and flows that come with your...

New Theatre ‘Being Revived’ Presents ‘Completely Inappropriate: Songs to Offend Everyone’ by Douglas Cathro

Being Revived, a new theatre company in Frederick, MD, is proud to announce their inaugural production: Completely Inappropriate: Songs to Offend Everyone. It’s a musical comedy review, and will be...

‘Broadway’s Baddest Bitches’ at Glass Mind Theatre by Amanda Gunther

The place to be Sunday night was the Cabaret showdown as Glass Mind Theatre presented the kick-off to its third season with a charity gala event Broadway’s Baddest Bitches. Celebrating some of the...

‘Lethal Injection’ at The Vagabond Players at The Baltimore Playwrights Festival

At what point does murder no longer qualify as murder? And what happens if murder is murder but the justice system is corrupted by politics? Who will ensure that justice is served? That is the premise...

Drama Learning Center Expands Popular Summer Camps Program to Baltimore City by Katie Johnson

Drama Learning Center (DLC) will be bringing its highly successful and educational summer camps program to Baltimore City again this summer. Camps begin July 9th and include many fun and engaging...

‘Legally Blonde’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia by Amanda Gunther

Oh My God! Omigod, you guys! Looks like Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Columbia wins the prize of super fantastic amazing entertainment for the summer of 2012 as they present the area premier of Legally...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Underdeveloped and Overexposed Life and Death of Deena Domino’ By Derek Mong

The Underdeveloped and Overexposed Life and Death of Deena Domino follows the life (and, well, death) of child star Deena Domino as her stardom waxes and wanes (mostly wanes) over the course of her...

Judyisms: ‘I Can’t Believe It!’ by Judy Stadt

You may have read in an earlier JUDYISM that my only real fear is being able to memorize lines, which has been the one and only difficult thing for me to overcome in this profession. Well, I won’t...

‘Broadway Rocks’!: The National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap by Jennifer Perry

It was another hot Washington, DC summer evening at Wolf Trap on Friday, July 6th. However, those who braved the heat were treated to a rocking National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) concert featuring 4...

Coming to The Capital Fringe Festival: ‘Barter (Or, Stealing Other People’s Credit Cards)’ by Emily Daly

Stable Cable Lab Co. presents Barter (Or, Stealing Other People’s Credit Cards) by Emily Daly. Barter (Or, Stealing Other People’s Credit Cards) is a quirky comedy, set ten years in the future, that...

Coming to The Capital Fringe Festival: ‘I <3 Hummels' by Heather Whitpan

World Premiere plays are fascinating. Whether you’re an actor, director or designer, there’s something magical about being surrounded by a playwright’s words, knowing that you’re the first to bring...

Coming to The Capital Fringe Festival: ‘President Harding is a Rock Star’ by Andrew L. Baughman

Move over Obama and Romney: here comes someone cheesier! Our 21st President Warren G. Harding was a hard-living, hard-loving rock star. He rode a rock star’s tide of fame into office, reaping the...

‘Footloose’ at Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre by Amanda Gunther

Way Off Broadway Dinner Theatre presents its main-stage summertime musical: Footloose. Based on the classic Kevin Bacon movie, this story takes us back to the 80s when dance was hot and everybody just...

Coming to the Capital Fringe Festival: 1970s Women’s History ‘Pushing Boundaries’ by Ellouise Schoettler

In 1978, 100,000 women marched along Constitution Avenue demanding more time to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. Were you there? I, Ellouise Schoettler, was there. Hear that story and more when...

‘Souvenir’ at Vagabond Players by Amanda Gunther

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and perhaps the same can be said of how beauty is heard. In this case the ear of the beholder belongs to a charming tone-deaf diva who believes she has been...

Coming to the Capital Fringe Festival: ‘The Play About The Coach’ by Paden Fallis

With the success of last year’s Lombardi and the recent run of Bird/Magic on Broadway, actor and writer Paden Fallis started thinking the time was ripe to remount his one-man show, The Play About The...

Stage Dad: ‘Ben Finally Plays Billy’ by Glenn Cook

Child actors face an inevitable reality – growing up. And that inevitable reality means they likely will be out of a job. Think about it: Have you ever wondered why people obviously in their 20s or...

Jessie Roberts on Directing ‘Next to Normal’ at Taking Flight Theatre Company

I was not expecting to direct Next to Normal now or any time soon when I was told about the opportunity with Taking Flight Theatre Company (TFT). Bobby McCoy, our Music Director, and I interviewed...

Philadelphia Theatre Review: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ at The Academy of Music by Darlene Olsen

Start with the Academy Award-winning Disney animated feature film which included a delightful score by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, sprinkle in five new songs Menken composed with lyricist...

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ at 2nd Star Productions by Kim Moeller

There’s a fantastic cart-dragging, cow-milking, heartwarming Tevye at The Bowie Playhouse in 2nd Star Production’s production of Fiddler on the Roof. Local favorite Fred Nelson tackles the starring...

Tommy Tune in ‘Steps in Time: A Broadway Biography in Song and Dance’ at Strathmore by Jane Coyne

Fifty years into a magnificent career that has garnered nine Tony Awards and a National Medal of Arts, the one and only Tommy Tune stepped out on the stage of Strathmore yesterday and proved with...

‘Next to Normal’ at Taking Flight Theatre Company by Lauren Katz

Last night, I witnessed one of the first area Community Theatre productions of the Pulitzer Prize winning and Tony Award-winning musical Next to Normal. After seeing the show on Broadway a few years...

An Interview With Tommy Tune who is Performing at Strathmore Today at 2 and 8 PM by Joel Markowitz

Today – Saturday, June 2nd at 2 and 8 PM, Broadway legend Tommy Tune returns to The Music Center at Strathmore with Steps in Time: A Broadway Biography in Song and Dance. I spoke with Tommy about the...

‘Guys and Dolls’ at Tantallon Community Players by Amanda Gunther

Luck be a lady if you get tickets to see the Tantallon Community Players production of Guys & Dolls. This little community theatre brings you all the glitz and glory to do Frank Loesser justice on the...

NYC Theater Review: ‘Gore Vidal’s The Best Man’ by Bari Biern

On March 31, 1960, Gore Vidal’s political drama, The Best Man, premiered on Broadway. The play was set in two posh hotel suites at a national political convention, as one presidential candidate was...

Film Review:’ Bernie’ by Bari Biern

Not since Mr. Joyboy, the mortuary cosmetician from Evelyn Waugh’s The Loved One, has there been a more memorable mortician than Bernie Tiede. In addition to making the residents of Carthage Texas...

Stage Dad: ‘A Triathlon in Chunks’ by Glenn Cook

Being the parent of a professional child actor has a lot in common with triathlons. Sometimes you run, sometimes you spin around in circles, and sometimes you work heroically just to keep your head...

Six Degrees of Separation opens May 11th at Vpstart Crow Productions by Rob Batarla

Vpstart Crow Productions’ Artistic Director Rob Batarla tells us about their new production of Six Degrees of Separation which opens this Friday at the Hylton Performing Arts Center. “Vpstart Crow...

Stage Dad: ‘Three Simple Rules’ by Glenn Cook

Everyone has heard horrible stories about stage parents. Reality shows paint the worst pictures in vivid, cable-ready HD. Tabloids are littered with tales of the Lindsays, the Brittanys, the Mileys,...

Nibbles and Sips Around Town: ‘Destination Pig’ by Jordan Wright

I’m hooked on Green Pig Bistro and already dreaming about a return engagement. Who could resist dishes so scrumptiously succulently delicious they should be illegal? At the hot new porcine-centric...

My New Column ‘Stage Dad’ by Glenn Cook

“I saw my sis go pitter pat. Said I can do that. I can do that.” Five and a half years ago, my little boy Ben was dancing in the basement of a woman’s house in Maryland, showing off his gymnastics...

Broadway’s Brad Oscar and Christiane Noll Invite You to ArtSpeak Tomorrow Night at 7 PM AT Wootton High School

Brad Oscar and Christiane Noll Invite you to ArtSpeak Tomorrow – Thursday May 3rd at 7 PM At Thomas S. Wootton High School 2100 Wootton Pkwy, Rockville, MD (301) 279-8550 It’s FREE! Broadway The...

Actress/Artist Jane Seymour & Son Sean M. Flynn Exhibitions May 4th and 5th in Bethesda & Tyson’s Corner

It’s A Family Affair: Jane Seymour and Son Partner for First Duo Art Exhibit Wentworth Gallery is presenting an exhibition of art and photography with multi-Award winning actress Jane Seymour and her...

Arts Collective @Howard Community College’s Director and Cast Members on ‘URINETOWN’ by Michael Avolio and Susan G. Kramer

NOT JUST TAKING THE PISS It’s one of my favorite musicals, and a group of young and talented actors are about to take the plunge(r) into Arts Collective @HCC’s production of Urinetown: The Musical....

‘Mary Poppins’ at Hippodrome Theatre at the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center by Amanda Gunther

Wanted: a nanny for two adorable children, one who will play games, all sorts, and take them on outings and give them treats, sing songs, and bring sweets. The advertisement has been answered as...