2014

Join ‘The Jay Team’ and Help Lighting Designer Jay Herzog by Jane Beatty

Lighting Designer Jay Herzog discovered in late August he needs to have a liver transplant due to a disease know as NASH (nonalcoholic steatohepatitis). The Jay Team was created via Facebook and have...

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...

A Chat with Pippin’s Leading Player-Sasha Allen

Two nights before we chatted, Sasha Allen was burning up The National Theatre Stage and doing some fancy moves on a high-hanging trapeze while wowing the crowd as the Leading Player in the Tony...

“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:...

Spine: ‘Diner’ at Signature Theatre by Robert Michael Oliver

In 1982, when Barry Levinson’s Diner (the film) opened nationwide to positive reviews, the Reagan Revolution had just begun, the Vietnam Syndrome was about to be dispelled with the invasion of...

DCMetroTheaterArts: Best of 2014: Best Performances in a Musical in Professional Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Performances in Musicals in Professional Theatres honors go to: Best Actor in a Musical Danny Bertaux as Agis in Triumph of...

An Irish Carol at The Keegan Theatre

Last night, The Keegan Theatre’s fourth annual production of An Irish Carol met a full house ready to experience the play’s impressive reputation. However this time, the Company has a few different...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Plays in Community Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Plays in Community Theatres honors go to: A Few Good Men at The Colonial Players A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Castaways...

‘The Imperative to Reconcile’: A Conversation with Ari Roth by John Stoltenberg

In the week following Ari Roth’s firing as Artistic Director of Theater J, I talked with him about his vision of theater. It was a topic that mattered to me personally, because I had come to a deep...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Plays in Professional Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Plays in Professional Theatres go to: A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas at Olney Theatre Center A Raisin in the...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Musicals in Community Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Musicals at Community Theatres go to: The Addams Family at Kensington Arts Theatre Annie at Port Tobacco Players Bat Boy:...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Best Musicals in Professional Theatres

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Best Musicals at Professional Theatres honors go to: A Year With Frog and Toad at Red Branch Theatre Company Avenue Q at Olney...

Standout CDs of Three Rising Classical Artists: Einav Yarden, Yevgeny Kutik, and Danielle Talamantes

Debut recordings by emerging classical performers face enormous challenges. There’s the issue of finding unique material or a unique voice after so much music has been recorded so many times. And just...

Meet the Cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 2: Clifton Duncan

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

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

This is Part One 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: Please...

‘Caroline, or Change’ at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative

For a change, catch this show before it gets away DO run to catch Caroline, or Change at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative. It’s a must-see show, it is worth several times the ticket price. When most...

Frank Cervarich and Lex Davis on Directing and Co-Directing ‘A Very Pointless Holiday Spectacular’

I spoke with Frank Cervarich and Lex Davis talk about how they directed the outrageous A Very Pointless Holiday Spectacular. Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where they may...

The Choral Arts Society of Washington Presents:’ A Family Christmas’

The young boy behind me had just celebrated his 10th birthday the day before and Mom and Dad took him to the ultra-entertaining holiday concert: A Family Christmas by The Choral Arts Society at The...

Reaction to Ari Roth’s Dismissal Articles: New articles in Washington Jewish Week; and American Theatre and ‘A Conversation with Ari Roth’ on DCMTA

12/30/14 Update: Why Ari Roth Was Fired by Suzanne Pollak in The Washington Jewish Week. Read it Here. ____ 12/29/14 Update: Read John Stoltenberg’s interview with Ari Roth: The Imperative to...

Peabo Bryson’s ‘The Colors of Christmas: Bryson, Studdard, Holliday, Dayne’ at Strathmore

Holiday concerts just don’t get any better than Colors of Christmas. In a resplendent performance of Christmas classics and R&B favorites, the Strathmore Music Center’s starry-night Colors of...

‘A Shot in the Dark’ Plays January 9-24, 2015 at Prince George’s Little Theatre at Bowie Playhouse

Prince George’s Little Theatre will present A Shot in the Dark weekends at the Bowie Playhouse January 9 – 24, 2014. A Shot in the Dark is set in Paris in the office of Paul Sevigne (Matt...

‘The Little Prince’ at Washington National Opera

If you saw a drawing of a lumpy hat, would you assume it was just that? As an adult, you might. In the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera: Holiday Family Opera production of The Little Prince,...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Best of 2014: Special Awards

The staff of DCMetroTheaterArts is honored to announce that their 2014 Special Awards have been awarded to: Since it opened in July 2013, The Anacostia Playhouse has become home for several of our...

‘A Theatre of Her Own’: Working in Theatre as a Woman by Carolyn Gage

On December 13, 2014, Venus Theatre in Laurel, Maryland, celebrated production of their 50th play with a gala special event at which they gave out their first ever “Lifetime Achievement Award” to the...

Ari Roth is No Longer the Artistic Director at Theater J-Updated with 2nd Peter Marks Article and Cast Video Reading A Statement from Tony Kushner

Ari Roth is no longer the Artistic Director of Theater J, as reported by Peter Marks in The Washington Post. Read it here. Peter Marks has posted another article. Read it here. Here are other articles...

‘Pippin’ at The National Theatre

Winner of four 2013 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Revival, Pippin captivatingly combines the jaw-dropping effects and breathtaking acrobatics of Les doigts de la main (7 Fingers) with the...

‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ at The Kennedy Center

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is both transcendent and transplendent! This fun and funny, family-friendly musical lights up the stage at The Kennedy Center this holiday season, bringing...

‘Mary Poppins’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre

Have yourself a little “Mary” Christmas this year, courtesy of Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia. Mary Poppins—The Broadway Musical borrows a “little” here, a “little” there, but it all adds up to...

The Moscow Ballet’s ‘Great Russian Nutcracker’ at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts

Be prepared to be dazzled. When this reviewer spotted hundreds of young children, mostly girls 3 to 16 in pretty party dresses, swarming through the lobby of George Mason University’s Center for the...

‘Pippin’ is Playing at The National Theatre: An Interview with Kyle Dean Massey on Playing Pippin

[Editor’s note: The National Tour of Pippin is playing through January 4th at The National Theatre in DC, and Kyle Dean Massey is here playing Pippin. Teresa McCormick Ertel interviewed Kyle in August...

Nibbles and Sips: ‘Christmas Thrills And Chills For Every Theatregoer’

One of the best ways I know of to get excited about the Christmas season is to get thyself (and thy family) to the theatre where you can watch dancers soar in Septime Webre’s The Nutcracker performed...

An Interview With Reggie Bügmüncher

Burlesque is an adult art form and as such interviews with burlesque performers include adult language. I met Reggie Bügmüncher (pronounced boo-moo-shay) when we both performed at a benefit for the...

‘Pippin’ is Playing at The National Theatre: A Chat with John Rubinstein on Coming into the Broadway Production, Playing Charles, and Playing Pippin in the Original Broadway Production

[Editor’s Note: Press Night for The National Tour of Pippin is tonight at The National Theatre in DC, and John Rubenstein is here to play King Charlemagne direct from The Tony Award-winning Broadway...

Meet the Cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s ‘The Tempest: Part 1: Sofia Jean Gomez

In Part 1 of a series of interviews with the cast of Shakespeare Theatre Company’s The Tempest, meet Sofia Jean Gomez. Michael: Introduce yourself to our readers, and tell them where they may have...

Parlor Room Theater Presents ‘A Christmas Carol, 1933’: A Live Radio Play This Friday Through Sunday 12/19-21 by Frank DiSalvo

PARLOR ROOM THEATER PRESENTS A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1933 New adaptation by local playwright envisions the classic Dickens novel as a live radio play Parlor Room Theater presents A Christmas Carol, 1933 by...

National Chamber Ensemble’s ‘Annual Holiday Concert’

It’s my favorite holiday concert and again this year I attended National Chamber Ensemble’s Annual Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 14, 2014. It was one heck of a fun sleigh ride filled with works...

‘A Capital Christmas’ at The Choral Arts Society of Washington at The Kennedy Center

According to Artistic Director Scott Tucker, music is what makes it truly feel like Christmas. The Choral Arts Society of Washington’s splendid performance of A Capital Christmas filled The Kennedy...

Young Playwrights’ Theater Presents The 20th Anniversary Festival at Theater J

“Really? A pre-teen wrote this? No way!They did? Wow!” Those were my thoughts as I was drawn into the celebration of “the best of” twenty years of playwriting by elementary and middle school students...

‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ at Providence Players of Fairfax

As a treat for the entire family, or an early Christmas gift, there is none better than C.S. Lewis’ classic tale of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe now playing at Providence Players of Fairfax....

Here is La-Ti-Do’s New Home! An Interview with Don Michael Mendoza and Regie Cabico

La-Ti-Do has found a new home and this is where it is…. Joel: OK Don Mike: I hear you have found a new home and are about to announce it to tonight’s La-Ti-Do attendees…. Drum Roll…. Where is it and...

‘Terminus’ at The Studio Theatre

No one should ever accuse The Studio Theatre of bowing to the pressure of getting into the holiday spirit. In this time of Islamic State and relentless “drones,” torture reports and rectal feedings,...

Magic Time! ‘Terminus’ at The Studio Theatre

Graphic language can slam us and disturb us in a way that is unique to live theater. Visceral and muscular diction in performance can burn images into our mind’s eye as no cinema can.The power of...

Call for Proposals for the 2015-2016 Theater Season at the Arts Barn Ends Tonight at Midnight by Laura W. Andruski

Call for Proposals for the 2015-2016 Theater Season at the Arts Barn Arts on the Green, the City of Gaithersburg’s premiere center for the performing and visual arts which includes the Kentland’s...

The Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic at the Church of the Epiphany

The sheer number of mid-rank orchestras in the Washington area guarantees a wide variety of musical approaches to holiday concerts. But the prize for the most boundary-expanding holiday program has to...

‘Winnie the Pooh: A Christmas Tail’ at Other Voices Theatre

Winnie the Pooh: A Christmas Tail is at Other Voices Theatre is a delightful Christmas show for both young and old audiences. An approximately hour-long interactive children’s show, wonderfully...

‘Deathtrap’ at Everyman Theatre

Deathtrap is a departure from the regular Christmas fanfare, currently in production at Everyman Theatre. Every scene is filled with an element of surprise worth gasping over. Written by Ira Levin,...