Washington DC

‘Spring Awakening’ at Act Two @ Levine

On Saturday afternoon, I saw the eight-time Tony Award-winning rock musical Spring Awakening by Act Two at Levine‘s Pre-Professional Program in Arena Stage’s Kogod Cradle. The enthusiastic audience...

Meet Director Suzanne Maloney of Vienna Theatre Company’s ‘Be My Baby’-Opening January 23, 2015

I have had the pleasure of working on several Ken Ludwig plays over the years. They are funny and fast and farcical. When I discovered Be My Baby, I expected whooshing pace and mistaken identities and...

‘Cinderella’ at Encore Stage & Studio

Encore Stage & Studio presents a musical version of Cinderella, with book by Vera Morris and music and lyrics by Bill Francoer. Marji Jepperson directs a large cast of young actors in this production,...

‘The 39 Steps’ at Sandy Spring Theatre Group

In partnership with Sandy Spring Theatre Group, Arts on the Green presents Patrick Barlow’s hilarious award-winning homage to the famous Alfred Hitchcock’s film The 39 Steps [and some of his other...

Meet the Cast of Metropolitan Youth Arts Theatre’s ‘The Last Five Years’: Part 2: Kyra Smith by Sam Cornbrooks

In Part Two of a series of interviews with the cast of Metropolitan Youth Arts Theatre’s The Last Five Years, meet Kyra Smith. Sam: Introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you...

‘Choir Boy’ at The Studio Theatre

At the heart of Tarel Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy, the new play at Studio Theatre, is the question of what it means to be a man. Actually, it’s less of a question than a command. Set in the fictional...

Spine: ‘In Love and Warcraft’ and all the Mythologies in Between

In the hit TV sitcom, The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon, Howard, Leonard, and Rajesh regularly play the on-line fantasy role playing game World of Warcraft. They also like to play dress up in the real...

Magic Time! ‘Choirboy’ at The Studio Theatre

There comes a scene in Choir Boy at The Studio Theatre when five young black men stand naked in dimly lit separate shower stalls singing “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” in glorious harmony....

LA-TI-DO Opens A New Era at James Hoban’s Irish Restaurant & Bar Tonight From 8-11 PM

TONIGHT FROM 8-11 PM IN ITS NEW HOME: James Hoban’s Irish Restaurant & Bar 1 Dupont Circle, NW (202) 223-8440 It’s that time of week again for La-Ti-Do TONIGHT JANUARY 12, 2015 FROM 8-11 PM We kick...

‘In Love and Warcraft’ at No Rules Theatre Company

There is a lot to like about Madhuri Shekar’s In Love and Warcraft even before the opening scene. This newly minted full production of a romantic-comedy brings to the DC area a playwright representing...

‘A Shot in the Dark’ at Prince George’s Little Theatre

Prince George’s Little Theatre’s A Shot in the Dark, adapted by Harry Kurnitz from the French play L’ldiote by Marcel Achard is a French farce that is dialogue-driven and reliant on comedic timing....

‘Crime and Punishment in America’ at The American Century Theater

Billed as Crime and Punishment in America at The American Century Theater, this pairing of one-act plays (Cops and Hello Out There) are must-sees for several reasons. First, they are well-written,...

‘An Evening with Jerry Lewis’ at The Lincoln Theatre

To say that Jerry Lewis had the audience eating out of his hand Friday night January 9, 2015 at the Lincoln Theatre might sound like a typical show business cliché, but he certainly wowed the near...

‘Gutenberg! The Musical!’ at NextStop Theatre Company

You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! There’s even a serious issue (spoiler alert: it’s the Holocaust). Such is the sales pitch that the fictional playwrights Bud Davenport (Ryan Burke) and Doug Simon (John...

‘Ascendance’ at CityDance

This weekend in the CityDance Studio Theatre at Strathmore, CityDance Onstage Ignite presents Robert J. Priore‘s Ascendance. CityDance Onstage Ignite is a program geared toward showcasing the work of...

‘Julius Caesar’ at The Rude Mechanicals

Julius Caesar seems to be always with us. High school Latin still features Caesar’s Commentaries. Once there was a Russian Tsar. Now there is an Ebola czar. Caesar appears on Pinterest, Tumblr, and...

‘The Great American Trailer Park Musical’ at Dominion Stage

There are times when I savor getting all dressed up, going to an opening night gala at Arena Stage or The Kennedy Center, and mingling with the 0.1% who fund Washington theatre. But sometimes you just...

‘Orson’s Shadow’ at Silver Spring Stage

I would say that Austin Pendleton’s Orson’s Shadow is the best show I’ve seen all year, even though the year is only about a week old. So, I will state it is the best show I have seen since I saw...

Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Will Chase

With a vigorous veneer of Broadway polish and a subtle touch of “down-home” country warm –heartedness, acclaimed singer/actor (Broadway, television’s Smash and Nashville) Will Chase captivated the...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Design of 2014 in DC Metro Area Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is pleased to honor the following designers for their work in 2014: CHOREOGRAPHY Michael J. Bobbitt for Carrie the Musical at The Studio Theatre Debbie Clark, Nancy...

‘The Illusionists-Witness the Impossible’ at The Kennedy Center

The Illusionists – Witness the Impossible, now playing at The Kennedy Center’s Opera House, is not your typical abracadabra magic show, and when you leave after the show is over…you will most likely...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: High School and Training Programs

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Performances in High School and Training Programs go to: HIGH SCHOOLS PRODUCTIONS: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling...

Humor, Drama, and Titanic Personalities: ‘Orson’s Shadow’ Opens at Silver Spring Stage by Lennie Magida

Humor, Drama, and Titanic Personalities: Orson’s Shadow at Silver Spring Stage Real-life…and larger than life. Those are the kinds of characters who will be holding court on Colesville Road for the...

Meet the Cast and Director of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 4: Director Ethan McSweeny

In Part Three of a series of interviews with the cast and director of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest, meet Director Ethan McSweeny. Michael: I think a lot of people around town know who you...

‘Beauty and the Beast’ at The Warner Theatre

It is truly a favorite “tale as old as time” on display at the Warner Theatre this week as NETworks presents Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, from now through January 11th. The favorite Disney musical...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: A Year in Dance 2014 by Lisa Traiger

My year 2014 in dance opened in January with a return of the now annually visiting Mariinsky Ballet to The Kennedy Center Opera House. Though the company brought “Swan Lake,” the company’s signature...

In the Moment: ‘Poetry Out Loud’ at Signature Theatre on February 6, 2015

DCMetroTheaterArts is constantly on the look-out to learn about ways local theater companies make their venues available for community activities beyond presenting plays and musicals. We are aware of...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #20: University Productions, Performances, and Ensembles

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2015 Best Productions, Performances, and Ensembles honors in University productions go to: UNIVERSITY PRODUCTIONS: A Funny Thing...

Meet the Cast of Metropolitan Youth Arts Theatre’s ‘The Last Five Years’: Part 1: Ben Cherington by Sam Cornbrooks

In Part One of a series of interviews with the cast of Metropolitan Youth Arts Theatre’s The Last Five Years, meet Ben Cherington. Sam: Introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Directors of a Play in Community Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Directors in a Play in Community Theatres go to: Adam R. Adkins for God of Carnage at Silver Spring Stage Howard Berkowitz...

Magic Time!: ‘The T Party’ at Forum Theatre

Natsu Onoda Power’s delightfully devised theater piece The T Party could not have a more perfect home than Michael Dove’s quintessentially inclusive Forum Theatre. At Forum every walk-up ticket is Pay...

‘The T Party’ at Forum Theatre

Just so we’re clear: Natsu Onoda Power’s new devised performance piece is neither an homage to Ted Cruz nor a biography of Michelle Bachmann. In fact, as mentioned in one of several deliciously self...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Performances in a Play in Community Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Performances in a Play in Community Theatres go to: Best Actor in a Play Harris Allgeier as Albert Einstein in Picasso at...

An Interview with Studio Theatre’s ‘Terminus’ Cast and Director: Part Three: Nanna Ingvarsson, Dylan Morrison Myers, Katie Ryan, and Tom Story

This is Part Three of Three of a discussion with the cast of Terminus at The Studio Theatre: Nanna Ingvarsson, Katie Ryan, and Dylan Morrison Myers, and their director Tom Story. Michael: In the...

Beethoven’s Ninth with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Strathmore

For sheer drama in classical music this year, it will be hard to top the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s knife’s-edge performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 on Saturday night at the...

‘In Praise of Love’ at Washington Stage Guild

You may not have heard of Terence Rattigan, British playwright whose heyday soared in the late 1940s and early 1950s; but whose more conventional fare was then swamped by the British bad boys of John...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Director/Musical Directors of Musicals at Professional Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Directors and Musical Directors of Musicals in Professional Theatres honors go to: Patrick A’Hearn for Gypsy at Riverside...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Directors/Musical Directors in a Musical in Community Theatres

Hans Bachmann for La Cage aux Folles at McLean Community Players Musical Director: John Edward Niles ______ Homero Bayarena for Les Misérables at Glyndon Area Players Musical Director: Matt Hartman...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2015 #18: Best Directors of a Play in Professional Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2015 Best Directors of Plays in Professional Theatres go to: Chris Abraham for Winners and Losers at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company....

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Directors of a Play in Professional Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts’ honorees for Best Director of a Play in Professional Theatres go to” Cristina Alicea for Gidion’s Knot at Forum Theatre/NextStop Theatre Company co-production Izumi...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Performances in a Play in Professional Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their Best of 2014: Best Performances in Plays in Professional Theatres go to: BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY Josh Adams as Billy Craven in The...

Ken Ludwig’s ‘Be My Baby’ Opens on January 23, 2015 at Vienna Theatre Company by Laura Fargotstein

Vienna Theatre Company is rehearsing Ken Ludwig’s romantic comedy Be My Baby. Opening night is January 23, 2015 and will run for three weekends. Rehearsing during the holidays can be a scheduling...

Meet the Cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 3: Rachel Mewbron

In Part Three of a series of interviews with the cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest, meet Rachel Mewbron. Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where they may have...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Dance by Carolyn Kelemen and Rick Westerkamp

The Best Dance of 2014: Let’s hear it for the boys and other memories of sexy dancers This was the year for lust, passion, and flesh. Septime Webre has a gift for creating titillating works (or...

Watch Out, Washington: Here Comes Beethoven’s Ninth

Everybody knows about Walter Cronkite and his impact on television news. Fewer people remember or know about Cronkite’s great rival on NBC during the 1960s, The Huntley-Brinkley Report. Pairing the...

“Moving On’: An Interview with Theater J’s Managing Director Rebecca Ende and Acting Artistic Director Shirley Serotsky

Managing Director Rebecca Ende and Acting Artistic Director Shirley Serotsky and their team are ‘moving on’ and preparing for an exciting 2015 season at Theater J. Joel: How do you see your new roles...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Performances in a Musical in Community Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Performances in Musicals in Community Theatres go to: Best Actor in a Musical Tyler Everett Adams as Leo Bloom in The...

An Interview with Studio Theatre’s ‘Terminus’ Cast and Director: Part Two: Nanna Ingvarsson, Katie Ryan, and Tom Story

This is Part Two of Three of a discussion with the cast of Terminus at The Studio Theatre: Nanna Ingvarsson, Katie Ryan, and Dylan Myers, and their director Tom Story. Michael: What made you want to...

‘Diner’ at Signature Theatre by David Siegel

Music easily helps us drift back to another time and place, one that is fading away even as we try to keep it alive within us. It takes only the initial notes and musical measures of oldies but...

‘The Great Divorce’ at Lansburgh Theatre

Having successfully adapted C. S. Lewis’ classic The Screwtape Letters into a two-character play, Max McLean and his group Fellowship for Performing Arts have gone for an even bigger challenge:...