Washington DC

Spine: ‘Appomattox’ Cracks the Color Line at The Kennedy Center

Appomattox, the world premiere opera now playing at The Kennedy Center Opera House in a new production by the Washington National Opera, tackles that most epic of America’s sins, “the color line.” And...

‘Argonautika’ at Howard Community College by Lisa Carol

Hurry to the nearest port to set sail with Jason and his Argonauts before it’s too late! Catch Howard Community College’s Theatre Program production of Argonautika, which only has three performances...

Blake Hammond on Playing Sebastian in ‘Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ at The National Theatre

Blake Hammond is playing Sebastian in the Tour of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella which is about to open at The National Theatre. Joel: Hi Blake. Where may have some of our readers seen you perform...

‘Harvey’ at 1st Stage

1st Stage Theatre presents Harvey, Mary Chase’s 1945 Pulitzer Prize-winning comedic drama, directed by Michael Chamberlin. When a high-society family makes a desperate attempt to hide the eccentric...

‘The S* Show’ at Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) at Atlas

As the days get shorter and the weather gets chillier, my favorite antidote to the encroaching winter is a strong dose of theatrical comfort food. Luckily for me, this is exactly what the Gay Men’s...

‘It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play’ at Washington Stage Guild

Live Radio Play Injects Comedy into a Christmas Classic Washington Stage Guild is presenting an entertaining radio play version of the 1940’s classic holiday film It’s a Wonderful Life. This retelling...

‘See Between The Lines’ by Jane Franklin Dance at Dance Place

Jane Franklin Dance presented three performance pieces last night at Dance Place: “Incidence,” “Nested, and “Wash Over You, Part 1.” As a whole, they are entitled See Between The Lines. Rooted in...

‘Dangereuse’: ‘Appomattox’ at The Kennedy Center by Sophia Howes (Review #2)

In the wake of Ferguson and the Black Lives Matter movement, it is the perfect time for an opera which tells the truth about race in America—Appomattox. Philip Glass, the internationally acclaimed...

‘Appomattox’ at Washington National Opera by David Friscic (Review #1)

Oh, the tears, trauma and travail of the issues brought to the fore in the revised World Premiere of the opera Appomattox at the Kennedy Center Opera House Friday night. This challenging World...

‘Mountain: The Journey of Justice Douglas’ at Bristol Riverside Theatre in Bristol, PA

If you don’t know anything about William O. Douglas (1898-1980), the man who served on the United States Supreme Court longer than any other justice, Douglas Scott’s play Mountain: The Journey of...

‘Jekyll & Hyde in Concert’ at Young Artists of America at The Clarice

If ever anyone is in doubt of the future of the arts, go and see a production by the Young Artists of America (YAA). Celebrating its 5th anniversary this coming year, YAA took on the chilling tale of...

‘La Bohème’ at Virginia Opera at the GMU Center for the Arts

La Bohème takes place in winter, between Christmas Eve and February. Director Kyle Lang has set the Virgina Opera’s current production in the year 1939-40, World War II, after the fall of Poland and...

‘ColorBlind: The Katrina Monologues’ at The Anacostia Playhouse

September of this year marked the tenth anniversary of the Katrina flooding. ColorBlind: The Katrina Monologues, a superb play written by Tom Flannery, and directed by a great director and actor,...

‘Guys and Dolls’ at Olney Theatre Center

The dice are rolling, the men are kicking face, and the audience is rolling in the aisles as Olney Theatre Center’s last show of the season, Guys and Dolls, opens this weekend. One of Frank Loesser’s...

‘Hair’ at Woodrow Wilson High School

Lorin Kayla Holland (Dionne), in all her tranquil beauty, set the mood perfectly for Wilson High School’s production of Hair. Action jumps in as Kellik Dawson (Hud), and Zac Nachbar-Seckel (Berger)...

Dorado Schmitt and the Django Festival All-Stars at The Kennedy Center

Dorado Schmitt and the Django Festival All-Stars came to The Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater last night. And for a beautiful 80 minutes, the terror of the day vanished, syncopated out of existence by...

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ at Damascus Theatre Company

“Without our traditions, life would be as shaky as a fiddler on the roof!” Those satiric words are spoken by Tevye (Brian Lyons-Burke), the narrator and main character of the enduringly popular...

‘Danceworks Fall 2015’ at George Washington University’s Department of Theatre of Dance

International Guest Artists Bring Polish and Pizazz to MainStage at George Washington University Some of the most exciting new choreography in town is on view at this season’s DanceWorks 2015, where...

‘Marisol’ at Montgomery College’s Theatre Department

Marisol keenly follows the traditions of Magical Realism and Theater of the Absurd. It is clear that Eugene Ionesco and Samuel Becket, who are known for this genre, are major influences of the...

‘War With the Newts’ at Georgetown University

When an actor comes on stage and tells you to silence your cell phone, etc., then identifies himself as a newt, you might be a bit perplexed. And when, further, he announces that all the humans you’ll...

‘Bachelorette’ at American University’s College of Arts and Sciences

Does validation of a woman’s self-worth come with being independent or having a husband? In American University’s exceptional production of Leslye Holland’s Bachelorette, directed by Carl Menninger,...

Million Man March: Twenty Years Later Justice or Else

On Saturday, October 10, 2015, thousands gathered at the mall in Washington, DC, for the Million Man March: Justice or Else. Coordinated by the Minister Louis Farrakhan, in lieu of the current...

Spine: JOY and Twyla Tharp’s 50th Anniversary Tour

Twyla Tharp’s 50th Anniversary Tour came to the Kennedy Center’s Eisenhower Theatre last night. Four pieces: two short “Fanfares,” a Preludes and Fugues, and a Yowzie. And the stage was aflutter with...

‘Oliver!’ at Arena Stage

From its opening number, Arena Stage’s innovative new production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! is bursting with excitement and emotion. Director Molly Smith has stripped the classic musical based on...

Meet Soloist Paul Negron of The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s ‘The S Show’ Playing This Saturday at 5 & 8 PM at Atlas

In Part 2 of a series of interviews with the soloists of this Saturday’s The S* Show: Sinatra, Sondheim, and Streisand? performed by The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC Meet Paul Negron. Joel:...

Spine: Studio Theatre’s Apple Family Cycle, ‘Sorry’ and “Us”

One of the most frequently read quotes about Richard Nelson’s four play Apple Family Cycle comes from Ben Brantley’s article, “One Man, 10 Shows, Guvnor.” (Dec. 13, 2013, New York Times.) Speaking of...

‘Mame’ with Sandy Bainum, Sally Struthers, and Kathy Halenda Opens on Sunday, November 15th at Riverside Center Dinner Theater

The Riverside Center Dinner Theater in Fredericksburg, VA announces the opening of the Broadway classic Mame starring Sandy Bainum and featuring Sally Struthers, at the Riverside Center for the...

Meet the Cast of Laurel Mill Playhouse’s ‘Sweeney Todd’: Part 8: Andrew Exner

In Part 8 of a series of interviews with the director and cast of Laurel Mill Playhouse’s Sweeney Todd meet Andrew Exner. Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen...

Wanda Sykes at The Warner Theatre

Four-time Emmy award-winning comedian, actor, writer, producer and DC-area native Wanda Sykes returned to The Warner Theatre last weekend with her signature sarcastic and straight-to-the-point comedy,...

‘Flamenco Men 2’ at GALA Hispanic Theatre

It is said that there are four elements of flamenco: Cante, or voice; Baile, or dance; Toque, or guitar, and; Jaleo – audience participation. All were in full force at GALA Hispanic Theatre’s...

‘Hansel & Gretel’ at Encore Stage & Studio

Encore Stage & Studio presents Hansel & Gretel, an adapted version of the classic story by The Brothers Grimm, with original music composed by Matthew Heap. Vera Morris’ gentler revision of this story...

‘Brigadoon’ at Compass Rose Theater

By the glow of a single light, nestled under the stairs on stage, pianist Eric Clark plays the overture of Compass Rose Theater’s latest production, Brigadoon. Add in bagpipes played by Christian...

Magic Time! ‘Gender-Flipping the Bard: A Q&A with Brave Spirits Theatre’s Kevin Finkelstein’

Back in December 2014 I had a conversation with the Director Kevin Finkelstein that has stayed with me. I had just seen his staging of A Klingon Christmas Carol, a one-night-only seasonal novelty...

‘Tartuffe’ at The University of Maryland School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies at The Clarice

“Charges which you now repudiate you may find credible at a later date.” No, this isn’t a comment on the 2016 presidential candidates – it’s a smirky statement by Tartuffe, the titular character in...

‘Regular Singing’ in Repertory with ‘Sorry’ at Studio Theatre

Regular Singing, the 4th play in Richard Nelson’s Apple Family Cycle and now playing in repertory with Sorry (the 3rd play) at Studio Theatre, is a 2-hour dirge, a threnody if you will, with much...

The Apple Family Cycle: ‘Sorry’ at The Studio Theatre

You know that feeling you get when you go to something—you attend it as a visitor or you drop in as an interloper—and by the time that something ends, you feel as if you belonged to it? Well, there’s...

‘Any Given Monday’ at the Greenbelt Arts Center

Darkness can be a guilty pleasure. Bruce Graham’s Any Given Monday, currently onstage at the Greenbelt Arts Center, is a dark comedy-drama that makes you laugh in all the wrong places. Under the able...

‘The Voice of Anne Frank’ by Miřenka Čechová at Atlas Performing Arts Center

Yesterday, Miřenka Čechová, the acclaimed author of physical theater, actor, dancer, choreographer, and director from the Czech Republic, returned to DC for a one night-only performance of The Voice...

‘Painting Churches’ at The Montgomery Playhouse and The City of Gaithersburg at The Arts Barn

It’s sheer joy watching three performers execute their craft with passion. Add in an incredibly-written, intelligent and thought-provoking narrative and a warm and intimate venue, and with The...

East Street Arts Center is coming to Frederick and Landless Theatre Company Has Found a New Home

The Landless Theatre Company is opening the new “East Street Arts Center” at 919-B N. East Street in Frederick, MD. The 12,000 square foot former church space will include a 180-seat performance...

‘Henri IV Part 2’: The Re-Gendered Henry IV Repertory at Brave Spirits Theatre

After stifling a rebellion and slaying your opponents to the throne, what else is there to do? According to Shakespeare, you commiserate on themes of life and death while making a lot of sex and fart...

‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’ by Other Voices Theatre at the Performing Arts Factory

Fantastically directed by Susan Thornton and excellently musically directed by Pete Meyers, Other Voices Theatre’s Legally Blonde: The Musical is an extremely high-energy show with outstanding...

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Off the Cuff: A Season of Vivaldi’

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra has some fun as they tackle Vivaldi as part of their Off the Cuff series. The series includes a smaller gathering of strings, about 35 in all, and an informal...

Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Michele Lee: ‘Nobody Does It Like Me, The Music of Cy Coleman’

Broadway, Television, Film and Concert artist Michele Lee beguiled at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater with a disarming and engaging set of songs written by the prolific Broadway composer Cy...

In the Moment: Adam Turner Conducts ‘La Boheme’ at the Virginia Opera‏

The major joy in writing this column comes from getting to know the up and coming creative artists in the DC area, especially since a whole new generation is sweeping into the area. One does not need...

‘No Exit’ at Nu Sass

What better theater piece to consider for an immersive, “locked-away” experience than Jean-Paul Sartre’s No Exit. For that alone, Nu Sass deserves and earns plaudits for its very nifty No Exit. No...

Jill Vanderweit on ‘Any Given Monday’ Opening Tonight at Greenbelt Arts Center

In Part 3, Jill Vanderweit stars in Any Given Monday, which opens tonight at Greenbelt Arts Center. I asked him to talk about the role of Risa, who she plays in the show. My name is ​Jill Vanderweit,...

Meet the Cast of Laurel Mill Playhouse’s ‘Sweeney Todd’: Part 7: Daniel Plante

In Part 7 of a series of interviews with the director and cast of Laurel Mill Playhouse’s Sweeney Todd meet Daniel Plante Joel: Please introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen...

Bob Kleinberg on ‘Any Given Monday’ Opening Tonight at Greenbelt Arts Center

Bob Kleinberg stars in Any Given Monday, which opens tonight at Greenbelt Arts Center. I asked him to talk about the role of Lenny, who he plays in the show. Lenny is a mild-mannered Jewish guy from...

Sarah Scott on ‘Any Given Monday’ Opening Tonight at Greenbelt Arts Center

Sarah Scott stars in Any Given Monday, which opens tonight at Greenbelt Arts Center. I asked her to talk about the role of Sarah, who she plays in the show. Sarah is a young college student in her...