Washington DC

The National Philharmonic’s 10th Anniversary Concert at The Music Center at Strathmore

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 may be based on the poem “Ode to Joy,” but that doesn’t mean the epic symphony holds a monopoly on joyous music. If anything, the pieces accompanying Beethoven’s Ninth at...

‘Metromaniacs’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company

Zowie! Pop! Slap! Holy Cow. Karabonga! I write to highly praise Metromaniacs as a wild, wonderful, built-for-speed, audaciously performed game-of-deception, fantasyland comedy based upon a...

The Duke Ellington Orchestra Comes to Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club on Saturday and Sunday February 14th and 15th

What better way to set the mood than swaying with your sweetheart to the tune of “Prelude to a Kiss”? Just in time for a weekend of love, the Duke Ellington Orchestra swings into town for two shows at...

‘Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose’s Last Tape’ at The Kennedy Center

Zero Hour: Tokyo Rose’s Last Tape, a new work written and directed by renowned Japanese visual artist Miwa Yanagi, made a brief Washington D.C. premier this past weekend at The Kennedy Center. The...

‘The Turn of the Screw’ at Creative Cauldron at ArtSpace

Creative Cauldron presents the World Premiere of The Turn of the Screw, a musical adaptation of Henry James’ novella, with Book and Lyrics written by Stephen Gregory Smith and score by Matt Conner....

‘Last of the Whyos’ at Spooky Action Theater

What do sea lions, circus freaks, and 19th century gang violence have in common? Nothing. But they all feature prominently in Spooky Action Theater’s intriguing, baffling, and brilliantly designed...

‘The Lieutenant of Inishmore’ at Constellation Theatre Company

Martin McDonagh is one of my favorite living playwrights, and I’ve loved his black comedy The Lieutenant of Inishmore every time I’ve seen it. So for me the Constellation Theatre Company production...

The Riot Grrrls Present ‘The Tempest’ at Taffety Punk Theatre Company

A salty sea breeze is in the air this season, at least in DC area theatres. A few weeks ago, Shakespeare Theatre Company closed its phantasmagoric production of The Tempest, directed by Ethan McSweeny...

National Philharmonic: Brian Ganz Plays Chopin at Strathmore

Brian Ganz is continuing to complete his performances, and ultimately, recording of “ever single note Chopin composed.” The Ganz Project is expected to take ten years as Chopin’s ouevra contains at...

‘Juiced’ at The Clarice

Tia Nina’s Juiced rocked the Dance Theatre at The Clarice for a solid hour on Saturday, February 7, 2015. This trio of fearless performers, Leah Curran Moon as J Van Stone, Ilana Silverstein as Sammy...

‘Frozen’ at Anacostia Playhouse

In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell writes: “The black moment is the moment when the real message of transformation is going to come. At the darkest moment comes the light.” And, to be sure, in...

‘Casa de Empeños’ (House of Desires) at GALA Hispanic Theatre

Oh, what a tangled web we weave! The brilliant cast of GALA Hispanic Theatre’s Casa de Empeños (House of Desires) had the audience in stitches at last night’s official opening, as they wove their way...

‘A Sense of Wonder’ at George Mason University

Kaiulani Lee’s enthralling one woman show was one of the most engrossing hours I have ever experienced. Lee’s piece, A Sense of Wonder, is based on the life and works of Rachel Carson, best known for...

‘Othello’ at WSC Avant Bard

T.S. Eliot’s great poem The Hollow Men is sometimes said to be about the shell-shocked soldiers of the First World War. (“We are the hollow men/We are the stuffed men/ Leaning together /Headpiece...

‘Godspell’ at Olney Theatre Center

Do you remember when “psychedelic” and “flower power” were prevalent in the American vocabulary? It doesn’t really matter, because Olney Theatre Center’s tuneful and energetic production of Godspell...

Savion Glover’s ‘STePz’ at The Music Center at Strathmore

Friday night an enthusiastic and sold-out crowd voraciously devoured Savion Glover’s show STePz featuring American tap dancing icon Savion Glover, Marshall Davis, Jr, and the 3 Controversial Woman aka...

‘Doubt’ at 1st Stage

No doubt you’ll recall Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Viola Davis, and Amy Adams in the Hollywood 2008 adaptation of John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt, a Parable — simply titled Doubt and directed...

‘Deep Roots Wide World’ at Teatro de Danza Contemporanea at Dance Place

“Long title and long history,” said Dance Place Co-Director Deborah Riley to introduce DC Contemporary Dance Theatre, which has also worked under the moniker El Teatro de Danza Contemporanea. Its...

Meet the Cast of ‘Boeing, Boeing’ at Montgomery Playhouse: Part 6: Corrie Bolcik

In Part 6 of a series of interviews with the cast of Boeing, Boeing at Montgomery Playhouse, meet Corrie Bolcik. Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the past...

‘Arlo Guthrie: Alice’s Restaurant 50th Anniversary Tour’ at Hylton Performing Arts Center

Fifty years ago this coming Thanksgiving, Arlo Guthrie and company take a truck load of garbage out of a friend’s house near Stockbridge, Massachusetts. Finding the local dump closed for the holiday,...

Meet the Cast of ‘Boeing, Boeing’ at Montgomery Playhouse: Part 5: Jason Damaso

In Part 5 of a series of interviews with the cast of Boeing, Boeing at Montgomery Playhouse, meet Jason Damaso. Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the past...

Meet the Cast of ‘Boeing, Boeing’ at Montgomery Playhouse: Part 4: Christina Fox

In Part 4 of a series of interviews with the cast of Boeing, Boeing at Montgomery Playhouse, meet Christina Fox. Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the past...

Meet the Cast of ‘I Hate Hamlet’ at 2nd Star Productions: Part 4: Malarie Novotny

In Part 4 of a series of interviews with the cast of I Hate Hamlet at 2nd Star Productions, meet Malarie Novotny. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in...

In the Moment: A Tip of the Hat to Mary Stuart’s Todd Scofield

There is a “minor” character who has a key role in the terrific Mary Stuart production currently at the Folger Theatre. He has only a few moments of visibility. But, I want to call him out with a tip...

Meet the Cast of ‘Boeing, Boeing’ at Montgomery Playhouse: Part 3: Anne Vandercook

In Part 3 of a series of interviews with the cast of Boeing, Boeing at Montgomery Playhouse, meet Anne Vandercook. Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the...

Meet the Cast and Director of Spooky Action Theater’s ‘Last of the Whyos’: Part Three: Meet Tia Shearer by Roberta Alves

This is the third in a series of interviews with the cast of Spooky Action Theater’s Last of the Whyos. In Part Three: Meet Tia Shearer. Roberta: Why did you want to become a member of the cast of...

Wynton Marsalis’ ‘Blues Symphony’ at Washington Performing Arts at Strathmore

Last night, thanks to the generosity of Washington Performing Arts, DC audiences had the rare opportunity to see Wynton Marsalis in the fullest sense – as consummate performer, as bandleader, and as...

‘Menopause The Musical’ at Hylton Performing Arts Center

Menopause The Musical is still hysterical and fresh after 15 years and multiple thousands of performances. I use the word ‘hysterical’ on purpose: for many women who have gone through the mood swings...

Magic and Mayhem: An Interview with David London and Harley Newman as They Appear at The Black Cat Tomorrow-February 6th at 9:30 PM

One of the things I love most about the variety arts is that since it’s a retro art form there’s a lot of room to be innovative. One of the most innovative performers I know is magician David London....

In the Moment: Chamber Dance Project Prepares for 2015 Summer Season at The Lansburgh

Who wouldn’t find it fascinating to listen to a performing artist describe a path to creativity to “put myself in a box as a way to take on a task or a new problem. Then to force myself to go and find...

Meet the Cast of the McLean Community Players’ Production of 13: Part Three: Celine Jelinski, Gabrielle Gardner, Jayne Saxon Zirkle, Olivia Kulczycky, Rachael Cranston, and Rebecca Blacksten by Laura Beth Dailey

13 is a hilarious, coming-of-age rock musical with music and lyrics by Tony-Award winning composer Jason Robert Brown and a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. The story centers around Evan Goldman,...

‘Dunsinane’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company

As the guerilla war in Dunsinane intensifies, Siward, the English commander sent to Scotland to bring peace to the warring clans, admits to burning to death a village’s captured adult males. In light...

‘Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’ at The Kennedy Center

Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater returned to The Kennedy Center last evening with a tribute to its famous six-foot tall Texan director. Ailey died 25 years ago and filling his size-12 shoes has...

Meet the Cast of ‘Godspell’ at Olney Theatre Center: Part 3: Allie Parris

In Part 3 of a series of interviews with the cast of Godspell at Olney Theatre Center, meet Allie Parris. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the past...

Review Just Posted. McLean Theatre Company Presents the Musical ‘Big Fish’ on February 16, 19-22nd by Brent Stone

Update: Here is Joel Markowitz’s review of Big Fish. ______ The McLean High School Theatre Company (MTC) premieres the musical Big Fish to the Metro DC area this February. Led by Artistic Director,...

Meet the Cast of ‘Boeing, Boeing’ at Montgomery Playhouse: Part 2: Jim Breen

In Part 2 of a series of interviews with the cast of Boeing, Boeing at Montgomery Playhouse, meet Jim Breen. Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the past...

‘Rapture, Blister, Burn’ at Round House Theatre

Consistent with its mission to “captivate audiences with stories that inspire compassion, evoke emotions, and demand conversation,” Round House Theatre welcomed back DC native, award-winning...

Spine: The Enlightened World of Folger’s ‘Mary Stuart’

Frederic Schiller’s historical drama, Mary Stuart (1800), gives us two potent, yet vulnerable women, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. It gives us religious fanaticism — no, not Sunni versus Shia...

Meet the Cast of ‘Boeing, Boeing’ at Montgomery Playhouse: Part 1: Renetta Morelli

In Part 1 of a series of interviews with the cast of Boeing, Boeing at Montgomery Playhouse, meet Renetta Morelli. Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the...

‘Murder in the Cathedral’ at Compass Rose Theater

T.S. Eliot’s Murder in the Cathedral, on stage at Compass Rose Theater, is a poetic drama about the assassination of Archbishop Thomas Becket (Charles Matheny) in Canterbury circa 1170. Director...

‘Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood’ at Adventure Theatre MTC

Adventure Theatre MTC presents Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood, adapted from the book by Mike Artell and Jim Harris, with Book, Music, and Lyrics by Joan Cushing. Directed and choreographed by...

‘Clybourne Park’ at Greenbelt Arts Center

Clybourne Park, written by Bruce Norris in 2010 as sequel to Lorraine Hansberry’s 1959 A Raisin in the Sun, is a riveting play that focuses on race relations, America’s covenant-based housing bias,...

‘Mary Stuart’ at The Folger Theatre

Mary, Mary quite contrary, how does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockle shells, and pretty maids all in a row.” This nursery rhyme is often said to be about Mary Stuart. The pretty maids...

Meet the Cast of ‘Godspell’ at Olney Theatre Center: Part 2: Kurt Boehm

In Part 2 of a series of interviews with the cast of Godspell at Olney Theatre Center, meet Kurt Boehm. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the past...

‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’ at The Warner Theatre

Set during the Roaring Twenties in the heyday of prohibition, the Tony-winning musical Nice Work If You Can Get It is a celebration of the best of the iconic music of George and Ira Gershwin. A...

Peter Hillard, Matt Boresi, and Bob Wood of UrbanArias on ‘Blue Viola’ Playing Today and Tomorrow

Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us the kind of work that you do. Tell us a bit about UrbanArias. Wood: UrbanArias is a five-year-old company dedicated to producing short (defined as 90...

‘Half Life (a zombie letter for no one)’ at Mead Theatre Lab

“I’m not dead, I’m just hurt real bad,” says Regina, a young woman whose life is a painful wreck, a sorry mess. She’s homeless, rejected and shut out, even by her mother. She is an outsider so alien...

Meet the Cast and Director of Spooky Action Theater’s ‘Last of the Whyos’: Part Two: Meet Michael Kevin Darnall by Roberta Alves

This is the second in a series of interviews with the cast of Spooky Action Theater’s Last of the Whyos. In Part Two: Meet Michael Kevin Darnall. This past Monday night Michael Kevin Darnall was...

Director of Artistic Programming at Arena Stage Robert Barry Fleming on ‘Blue Viola’ Playing Tomorrow and Sunday

Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell us the kind of work that you do. Robert: I work to realize the artistic vision and mission of Arena Stage in our practical day-to-day business and...

Meet the Cast of ‘Godspell’ at Olney Theatre Center: Part 1: Jordan Coughtry

In Part 1 of a series of interviews with the cast of Godspell at Olney Theatre Center, meet Jordan Coughtry. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you in the...