Washington DC

Nibbles And Sips Around Town – ‘Interview With Top Chef Master Marcus Samuelsson’ by Jordan Wright

A child is seated on the grass in the Land of the Midnight Sun, his attention drawn downward by a clump of flowers. They are everywhere stretching across the rolling hillside as far as the eye can...

‘August: Osage County’ at The Keegan Theatre by David Friscic

Like a modern day variant of Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Tracy Letts’ superb sprawling epic of familial heart break and destruction – August: Osage County propels us into a world that is...

‘The Dukes of September’ at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

On a beautiful August night at Wolf Trap an opening act is not needed when the featured act includes Steely Dan founder Donald Fagen, former Doobie Brother Michael McDonald, and Boz Scaggs who was...

Part Three: Letters From the Living Dead: ‘Exploring the Farmhouse’ by Stephen Gregory Smith

Exploring the Farmhouse Last night, I spent about four hours in the Farmhouse with my trusty Co-Director, Jenna Ballard. How did we do this without the cast and a set? We went to my basement. For...

Estelle Parsons on ‘Nice Work if You Can Get It’ by Joel Markowitz

I have been a fan of Estelle Parsons since I saw her light up the screen in her Oscar-winning role in Bonnie and Clyde. I had the honor of sitting down with her at The Kennedy Center when she was...

‘The Comedy of Errors’ at Annapolis Shakespeare Company by Amanda Gunther

It sounds like a good idea to have an identical twin, be able to trade places when you need to, play fun pranks, cause confusion. Of course ideally one would need to know they have an identical twin...

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at Olney Theatre Center by Amanda Gunther

Feed me. FEED ME!! You’ll hear the screams loud and clear as Olney Theatre Center lands a smashing success with an out of this world production of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Little Shop of...

Molotov Theatre Group is looking for ‘S-C-R-E-A-M-E-R-S!!’ by Alex Zavistovich

MOLOTOV IS LOOKING FOR S—C—R—E—M—E—R—S!!!! Molotov’s iPhone and Android “iScream” Smartphone App is Being Updated. Be One of 20 New Screamers! Halloween is just around the corner, and Molotov Theatre...

‘Double Consciousness’ by Holly Bass and Jaamil Olawale Kosoko at Dance Place by Breena Siegel

Double Consciousness is a fierce amalgam of the creative personalities of performance artists Holly Bass and Jaamil Olawale Kosoko. It is a unique and rare opportunity to experience the vibrant minds...

‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ at Elden Street Players by Julia L. Exline

Elden Street Players presents Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, a decadent and hilarious musical with a bouncy score by David Yazbek and a laugh-filled book by Jeffrey Lane. The fun-filled production is...

Idina Menzel at Wolf Trap by Jane Coyne

It was a hot and steamy night at Wolf Trap last night. Part of this had to do with the weather, but most of it was due to the arrival of Broadway superstar Idina Menzel. As the evening began, NSO@Wolf...

Jerry Seinfeld at The Kennedy Center by Mike Spain

Jerry Seinfeld packed the Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall last night. Seinfeld has been doing stand-up comedy routines for 37 years and along the way appeared on late-night television shows and finally...

Here’s the Schedule for Tomorrow’s Open House at Signature Theatre

August 4, 2012-Signature Open House Schedule: Beginning at Noon One day ticket sale! 50% off select shows for next season. Available at the Box Office only! Box Office open 11:45am to 9:30pm on Aug 4...

Stage Dad: ‘A Better Dad Now’ by Glenn Cook

I became a better father when my dad died. It was five years ago this past week – a lifetime in many respects. Dad had been ill for some time, thanks to a slightly toxic gene pool that forced him to...

No Rules Theatre Company Moves to Signature Theatre’s ARK Theatre by Joel Markowitz

What great news! No Rules Theatre Company (NRTC) is relocating from H Street Playhouse to Signature Theatre, where they will perform in The Ark Theatre. This begins a 3-year partnership between the...

UrbanArias Presents ‘Blind Dates’ including ‘Craigslistlieder’ at IOTA on August 5th at 7 PM by Robert Wood

UrbanArias, the DC-area’s purveyor of high-quality, short contemporary opera is performing at Arlington’s IOTA Club and Cafe this coming weekend, on August 5th at 7 p.m.. Our program includes a set of...

Director Grady Weatherford on ‘A Maze’ at Rorschach Theatre

To find your way out of a maze you put your hand on the wall and follow the wall. Eventually you will find your way out. But what happens when the maze has no walls? It’s a maze drawn on the floor, or...

Dance Review: Bill T. Jones and the Arnie Zane Dance Company performing ‘Story/Time’ at Wolf Trap by Carolyn Kelemen

“All art is informed by a spiritual impulse,” Bill T. Jones told fans at a Columbia Festival of the Arts workshop in 1994, which I attended. “Language and idea and emotion transcend intellectual...

Part One: ‘Letters from the Living Dead’ by Stephen Gregory Smith

Welcome to the Farmhouse Hello everyone, and welcome to the Farmhouse. My name is Stephen Gregory Smith, and I will be your tour guide through this isolated, remote house in rural Western...

An Interview with Filmmaker Shawn Anthony by Teresa McCormick Ertel

Filmmaker Shawn Anthony is an accomplished illusionist, known as the “Post Modern Houdini.” He is also the creator of Vampires: Rise of the Fallen, a full-length feature film currently on location in...

‘Marathon ’33’ at The American Century Theater by David Friscic

If you think the Summer Olympics from London this year is a grueling test of endurance, join the haggard corps of downtrodden, exploited dance marathon contestants at the grueling Marathon ’33 which...

‘Personals’ at Tasty Monster Productions by Jane Coyne

I always enjoy spending time in the quaint and creative environment of the Gaithersburg Arts Barn. It was especially fun last night, because of the wonderful jazz set that preceded the Tasty Monster...

‘Sweeney Todd’ at The Little Theatre of Alexandria by Julia L. Exline

The Little Theatre of Alexandria presents Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a macabre musical about a wronged man and his consuming fixation on revenge. Directed by...

Cabaret Review: ‘Revenge of the Understudies’ at Signature Theatre by Jennifer Perry

14 Signature Theatre understudies closed out Signature Theatre’s Summer 2012 Sizzin’ Summer Cabaret Series with Revenge of the Understudies. Presenting an interesting conglomeration of mostly...

‘Lincoln and God’ at Greenbelt Arts Center by Kim Moeller

The producers, cast, and crew of Lincoln and God must have felt like God was out of town on Friday night as their production experienced one calamity after another. The computer system was down making...

‘The Agony and The Ecstasy Of Steve Jobs’ by Erica Laxson

Steve Jobs is a well-known fanboy’s wet dream, but Mike Daisey’s one-man performance of The Agony and The Ecstasy Of Steve Jobs enlightens viewers to the soul numbing truth of Jobs’ real legacy....

Summer Youth Production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ at the Laurel Mill Playhouse by Amanda Gunther

Luck be a lady for the 2012 Summer Youth Production of Guys and Dolls at the Laurel Mill Playhouse. The musical fable of Broadway hits the stage with 30 young actors singing and dancing to Frank...

‘Mein Kampf’ at Scena Theatre by Grace Kim

Having had a long tough week, a play billed as a dark comedy sounded like just the thing to end my Friday night with. And Mein Kampf, written by the illustrious George Tabori and directed by Robert...

‘Will Gartshore: Stripped Down’ at Round House Theatre by Don Michael Mendoza

Multiple Helen Hayes Award-winner Will Gartshore presented part two of his summer cabaret series entitled Stripped Down, (part one was called Dressed Up) at Round House Theatre’s Over The Line...

‘The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses’ at Wolf Trap by Erica Laxson

Last night Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts celebrated the middle of their summer season with a National Symphony Orchestra masterpiece. Hundreds of video game fans flocked to the one...

‘Erin Driscoll: Get Happy! The Songs of Harold Arlen’ at Signature Theatre by Kim Moeller

I spent a wonderful evening last night going back in time at Signature Theatre’s ‘Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret’s’ Erin Driscoll: Get Happy! The Songs of Harold Arlen. It wasn’t just the music of Harold...

Ingrid Michaelson and Rufus Wainwright at Wolf Trap by Teal Ruland

Before this evening, I had never been to Wolf Trap for a performance, but it reminds me of the greatest tree house I never had, with stellar acoustics and lights to boot. Tonight, Ingrid Michaelson...

Johnny Mathis with Special Guest Brad Upton at Wolf Trap

One might think that Johnny Mathis received an extended and spontaneous standing ovation simply for setting foot on the stage at Wolf Trap on Friday night, but this would not be true. You see, with a...

‘Grease’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore by Amanda Gunther

You’ll fall head over heels into summer loving as Toby’s Dinner Theatre of Baltimore presents the hit musical classic Grease, and I promise you’ll have a blast! The epic love story of the 50s comes...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Inanimate Thoughts’ by Joel Markowitz

MashUp Contemporary Dance Company presented an energy-filled Inanimate Thoughts tonight at Gala Hispanic Theatre – the perfect venue to showcase the beautiful and breathtaking talents of its group of...

Jackson Browne With Sara Watkins at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

It is rare to see the headliner introduce the opening act; however that is exactly what Jackson Browne did Monday night at Wolf Trap when he introduced Sara Watkins. Jackson Browne also sat in for her...

‘The Pirates of Penzance’ at Encore Stage and Studio by Julia L. Exline

Encore Stage and Studio presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance, a two-act operetta that has remained in production since 1879. Directed by Evan Hoffmann, this production is...

‘Colonial Players Bits ‘N Pieces One Act Play Festival’: Part One by Amanda Gunther

For a bit of fun and excitement this summer you should check out the Colonial Players Bits ‘N Pieces One Act Play Festival. With so many exciting entries to the festival this year the creative team...

John Tesh at Wolf Trap by Mike Spain

John Tesh looks so natural fronting a band even if it is a 12-piece big band orchestra. His speaking voice and stage presence has been honed by many years of television and radio work. Fifty plus...

‘Snow White and the 7 Dwarves’ at The Puppet Company by Julia L. Exline

The Puppet Co. presents Snow White and the 7 Dwarves, a retelling of the Grimm’s classic with a cast comprised of people…and puppets! With puppets and animation by Christopher Piper, this version...

‘A Little Trick and Afterplay’ at Quotidian Theatre Company by Connie Morris

What a wonderful little gem the Quotidian Theatre Company of Bethesda is. With performances tucked away at the Writer’s Center on Walsh Street, the decidedly unremarkable building houses a delightful...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘A is for Artist’ by Natalie McCabe

“Often times, I’ve observed that organizations feel forced to prioritize art, audience, and artist. O Starsf the three, the artists are, more often than not, left to their own devices,” JR Russ,...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Daydreams’ by Veronique MacRae

As the lights rose, the familiar scene of a bustling New York subway slowly emerged upon the stage. A ‘Chatty Cathy’ filled the air with the latest gossip as a woman applied makeup to her face. The...

Stephen Gregory Smith – ‘Naked’ at Sizzlin’ Summer Cabaret by Doug Poms

Stephen Gregory Smith is in love, and he wants the world (or at least cabaret audiences to know it). In his poignant cabaret called Naked, which is part of Signature Theater’s ‘Sizzlin’ Summer...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘The Play About the Coach’ by Jessica Vaughan

The Play About the Coach tracks the three potentially most important minutes of a man’s life and career. It is also one of the tensest hours of theater I’ve experienced and one of the best one-man...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Dada Returns (20th Anniversary Edition) by Mariya Danilenko

Dada Returns! is a play in true Dada style; it is completely absurd, irrational and avant-garde. The Dada art movement was created in Europe during the early twentieth century as a reaction to the...

A Preview of ‘Nightmerica’ by B. Stanley

I receive mass email forwards from my right wing religious pro-military uncle in North Carolina every couple of weeks. Inevitably he has had something sent to him in a mass email forward that he feels...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Nightmerica’ by Andrew L. Baughman

Veteran DC Artist B Stanley, Artistic Director of Theatre Du Jour, has this annoying habit of making me think every time I walk into his theatre. I prefer to live in a fluffy world of superheroes and...

Capital Fringe Review: ‘Medieval Story Land’ by Anne Tsang

Medieval Story Land (Written and Co-Produced by Scott Courlander) is this uproariously funny story of an innocent and naïve elf with a heart of gold named Todd (Forrest Rilling) who meets the...

‘How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular’ by Joel Markowitz

DreamWork Animations’ How to Train Your Dragon Live Spectacular has landed at The Verizon Center until Sunday with its fire-breathing dragons, wall-to-floor projections, stunning costumes, and...