Lisner Auditorium

Washington Revels’ ‘Celestial Fools’ is a stellar holiday hit

As the days get shorter and the nights get colder, Washingtonians brace themselves for a barrage of family commitments, holiday parties, religious services and fevered gift shopping. Holidays, for...

Review: ‘The Christmas Revels: An Elizabethan Celebration of the Winter Solstice’ at Washington Revels

Washington Revels rings in the holiday season with their 36th annual production of The Christmas Revels. For those unfamiliar with the revels format, the show is an annual tradition which revolves...

Washington Performing Arts Presents the Return of Kronos Quartet Featuring Pipa Virtuoso Wu Man in ‘A Chinese Home’

Collaborative multimedia work is a powerful reflection on tradition and transition. The Grammy-winning Kronos Quartet returns to D.C. on April 19, 2018, with longtime collaborator Wu Man to perform...

Review: ‘The Christmas Revels: A French-Canadian Winter Celebration’ at Washington Revels

Washington Revels presents us with a festive holiday offering for a 35th year. This season, we take a trip to the winter wonderland of Quebec in The Christmas Revels: A French-Canadian Winter...

Review: Smithsonian Associates with Actor Alan Alda: ‘The Art and Science of Communicating’

Thursday night on a beautiful Spring evening, Alan Alda fans descended upon the George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium to hear him speak about his passion…communication! The event, during...

Review: The American Pops Orchestra Presents ‘You Spin Me ‘Round: An ’80s Dance Party’ at Lisner Auditorium

There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with being formulaic when the formula mixes crowd-pleasing song selections, fresh and stylish musical arrangements, and knock-out performances. That pretty much...

Review: ‘Cinderella: A Magical, Musical Tale’ at The American Pops Orchestra

This is what theater is all about and it was my dream when I started DCMetroTheaterArts 5 years ago-to see a venue filled with parents and kids laughing and clapping and having a great time together....

Review: Beethoven’s ‘Leonore’ at Washington Concert Opera

Washington Concert Opera (WCO) concluded its 30th anniversary season with a rare performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s Leonore on stage at the George Washington University Lisner Auditorium...

Review #2: The American Pops Orchestra Presents ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade: 75 Years Of Streisand’ at Lisner Auditorium

8-track tape: It’s the only medium of Barbra Streisand recordings that I do not own. LP, cassette, VHS, CD, DVD, mp3, mp4 … I have purchased some of Streisand’s work in two or three (for some movie...

Review #1: ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade: 75 Years of Streisand’ at The American Pops

Streisand came to DC for a quick pre-inauguration visit. Well almost, but not quite. Well, maybe my first sentence is a little bit of a “fake news” headline. I am writing about a blissful, musically...

Review #2: The Christmas Revels’ ‘A Nordic Celebration of the Winter Solstice in Music, Dance, and Drama’ at Lisner Auditorium by Morgan Hoover

This Christmas Revels’ 2016 spectacle A Nordic Celebration of the Winter Solstice in Music, Dance, and Drama revisits the wonderful culture, myths, songs, dances, regional costumes of Iceland, Norway,...

Review: The Christmas Revels’ ‘A Nordic Celebration of the Winter Solstice in Music, Dance, and Drama’ at Lisner Auditorium

The Winter Solstice is still several days away, but that shortest and often darkest day of the year will be a great treat for anyone observing it, with the crowds who headed last weekend to a packed...

Review: The American Pops Orchestra Presents ‘I’ll Be Seeing You: A World War II Love Story’ at Lisner Auditorium

I’ll Be Seeing You is a delightful portrait of the love and sacrifices of a newlywed couple separated by military service during World War II. The letters between Spark and Charley while Charlie is...

The American Pops’ “I’ll Be Seeing You-A World War II Love Story” Tonight at 8 PM at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium

TONIGHT, Friday, November 11th at 8:00 PM LUKE FRAZIER AND THEAMERICAN POPS ORCHESTRA PRESENT “I’LL BE SEEING YOU – A WORLD WAR II LOVE STORY” FOR VETERANS DAY TO OPEN THEIR ALL-STAR SECOND SEASON....

Review: The American Pops Orchestra Presents ‘Make Someone Happy: A 60’s Cocktail Party’ at Lisner Auditorium

For 90 minutes last Friday night (May 6, 2016), orchestra founder and Music Director Luke Frazier, Director Nathan Brewer, and Choreographer Kelly d’Amboise transformed Lisner Auditorium into the New...

‘A Broadway Christmas’ with Elaine Paige, Matt Doyle, and Julia Goodwin’ at The American Pops

What a gorgeous, festive evening The American Pops, under the direction and the quietly flowing baton of Luke S. Frazier, gave the Lisner audience last night with their entertaining and joyful A...

‘The Christmas Revels: A Medieval Celebration of the Winter Solstice in Music, Dance, and Drama’

A melody of memories whirled through my seat during The Christmas Revels, a collaboration of artistic ventures through A Medieval Celebration of the Winter Solstice in Music, Dance and Drama. Directed...

‘Semiramide’ with Washington Concert Opera at Lisner Auditorium

The predominance of voice in the operatic tradition usually doesn’t change the need for effective staging to put the full point across. Washington Concert Opera showcased at least one exception to...

An Interview with Antony Walker, Artistic Director of Washington Concert Opera

The operas of early 19th century master Gioachino Rossini play a big part in the life of Maestro Antony Walker. The artistic director of Washington Concert Opera is preparing for the company’s...

‘The American Pops Orchestra Presents Stairway to Paradise: A Gershwin Spectacular’ at Lisner Auditorium

The American Pops Orchestra presented Stairway to Paradise: A Gershwin Spectacular, starring Christine Ebersole, directed by Nathan Brewer, at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium on...

Meet the Performers of GMCW of DC’s ‘Born this Way’: Part 2: Michael “Cabbie” Caban

Joel: Please introduce yourself to our readers and tell us how long you have been in GMCW and where we may have seen perform on our local stages? Michael: My name is Michael “Cabbie” Caban. I was born...

‘MindFluctuations’ at Maida Withers Dance Construction Company

Last night, on Thursday, March 19, 2015, at Lisner Auditorium, Maida Rust Withers, artists from Maida Withers Dance Construction Company (MWDCCo), and Composer/Musicians John Driscoll and Steven C....

Spine: What Happens when Porno, Isabella Rossellini, and Bio-Diversity Collide? Who Can Say “STEAM”? Who Can Say Green Porno Live?

To be sure, some of Lisner’s audience came for the sex–explicit, diverse, and environmentally conscious. Some came for the celebrity–a noted model and film actress (Blue Velvet) with a legendary...

‘Green Porno Live on Stage’ With Isabella Rossellini at Lisner Auditorium

Green Porno. Now that’s a show title to bring interest. Add that it was adapted from a well-viewed Web series aired on the Sundance Channel and your reviewer wondered how it would be accomplished live...

‘WORDLESS!’ at Lisner Auditorium

There was a cool visiting professor in town the other evening. You know the one, in his 60’s, an ex-hippie, still in the prime of life. He came with a vibrant presentation of a topic of great personal...

‘I Capuleti e i Montecchi’ at Washington Concert Opera

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect as I shuffled past elegantly dressed opera-goers in the cavernous Lisner Auditorium Sunday evening. My experience with opera is mostly limited to Bugs Bunny’s...

‘Ben Folds Solo’ at Lisner Auditorium

If piano men Elton John and Billy Joel got together to have a son, he might look and sound a lot like Ben Folds. Wait. That’s talkin’ ’bout my generation. Still, 47-year-old singer-songwriter Folds...

Bhangra Blowout XXI at The George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium

Lisner Auditorium was filled with movement, color, dazzle and (ear-splitting) sound during Saturday night’s 21st annual Bhangra Blowout. Eight colleges vied for championship of Bhangra Blowout XXI....

‘D.C. Stands for the Troops’ Benefit Concert at Lisner Auditorium

Saturday night at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium was the inaugural Stand for the Troops’ Rescue Coalition Benefit Concert with the George Washington University Office of Military and...

‘Von Trapped’ at Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington

In the words of Maria, the hills are most definitely alive with the gorgeous sound of the stars of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington’s production of Von Trapped– a hilarious parody of the iconic 1959...

GMCW Presents ‘Von Trapped’ on 3/14-16 at Lisner Auditorium

Gay Men’s Chorus presents Von Trapped Our zany spoof of The Sound of Music Join the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC for this smart, gay parody of The Sound of Music. Joining the Chorus will be the...

Christmas Revels’ ‘Echoes of Thrace’ by Washington Revels by Jessica Vaughan

The Washington Revels’ 2013 offering Echoes of Thrace is a beautiful, detailed exploration of several ancient cultures of the world that are less known in our usual Christmas celebrations. Revels...

‘The Idan Raichel Project’ at Lisner Auditorium by Bev Fleisher

The Idan Raichel Project brought down the packed house at Lisner Auditorium Tuesday night. True to their reputation, this collaboration of artists reflecting the origin of many Israeli minorities was...

‘XANADU’ at Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC by David Friscic

Take a scoop of campy humor, a scoop of Greek Mythology, and a scoop of singing power and you will have the delicious and satisfying current production of Xanadu as performed and sung by the...

Director Craig Cipollini on The Gay Men’s Chorus’ ‘XANADU’ Playing this Weekend at Lisner by Joel Markowitz

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC is performing the musical XANADU this weekend, with a cast of dozens. Director Craig Cipollini tells us how he pulled it off. Joel: Why did you want to direct...

Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía’s ‘Metáfora’ at Lisner Auditorium by Flora Scott

Flamenco dance combines choreography with improvised solos to a three-part harmony of guitar, singing, and dancing with the rhythm of handclaps, known as palmas, and of the dancers’ step patterns – a...

30th Anniversary ‘Christmas Revels’ at George Washington University’s Lisner Auditorium by Jessica Vaughan

For The Washington Revels 30th anniversary Christmas Revels, the company pulls out all the stops, tripping through the centuries in England from medieval times to the 1920s as they bring traditional...

Gay Men’s Chorus Presents ‘Winter Nights’ Tonight and Saturday at Lisner Auditorium by Taunee Grant

Welcome the holiday season in style, with bold backdrops, stunning costumes and lights, dancers, and a Chorus of over 200 singers. Winter Nights proves to be one of the biggest – if not the biggest –...

Gay Men’s Chorus Presents ‘Winter Nights’ Tomorrow and Saturday at Lisner Auditorium by Taunee Grant

Welcome the holiday season in style, with bold backdrops, stunning costumes and lights, dancers, and a Chorus of over 200 singers. Winter Nights proves to be one of the biggest – if not the biggest –...

‘Hungry for Music’ Presents Musical Visions: Live Music and Art Auction on November 8th by Jordan Wright

Eighteen years ago the non-profit Hungry for Music was founded by local entrepreneur Jeff Campbell – a man inspired by a vision to heal the world through music. The idea germinated back in 1992 while...