2015

‘As You Like It’ by Baltimore Shakespeare Factory

Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It is fun for the family. The Meadow, just below the historic Evergreen House, is a lovely place to spend a late afternoon or early summer evening. Spread a blanket on...

‘Sweeney Todd (Prog-Metal Version)’ at Landless Theatre Company

An eclectic mix of disparate stylistic elements that conspire to surprise us at every turn and akin to an all-out jam session of improvisation, nothing in the immediacy of the Landless Theatre...

‘Oliver! The Musical’ at Adventure Theatre MTC

This summer, Adventure Theatre MTC brings Lionel Bart’s Oliver! to Round House Theatre in their first Two Act Musical in 63 years! While Adventure Theatre is celebrated for their award-winning one-act...

‘The Meeting’ at Clifton Town Hall

“Hello – my name is … and I am an alcoholic.” These powerful words reverberated in the Clifton Town Hall as myself (and I am sure each member of the audience) recalled our personal experiences with...

Howard Community College’s Arts Collective Announces its 2015-2016 Season By Susan G. Kramer

Twenty-one years of powerful story-telling… and this is just the beginning! This season, AC celebrates the extraordinary gifts of poets, prose writers and playwrights, from original works to a Tony...

‘Avenue Q: The Musical’ at Other Voices Theatre

It is very rare than you see a musical where every role is ideally cast, and even more unexpected in a show where the majority of the actors are acting as puppeteers. However, the Other Voices Theatre...

‘Bayla Sings Barbra’ at 2015 Summer Cabaret Series at Creative Cauldron

“A musical buffet for the audience” is the way Matt Conner, Creative Cauldron Associate Artist and curator of the Cauldron’s 2015 Summer Cabaret Series described what to expect. Laura Hull, founder...

‘In the Heights’ at The Little Theatre of Alexandria

The Little Theatre of Alexandria (LTA) has launched In the Heights, as part of their ‘Director’s Dream Season.’ Frank D. Shutts II has wanted to put this 2008 ony Award-winning Best Musical for over...

Pick of the Fringe Audience Awards Announced And Extension Shows Announced

Here are the Pick of the Fringe Audience Awards announced tonight at The Triad Theatre at the new Capital Fringe Headquarters: BEST COMEDY: The Wedding Party BEST DANCE + PHYSICAL THEATRE: straight on...

DCMetroTheaterArts’ Capital Fringe Honors Announced

Here are the 2015 Capital Fringe Honors Selected by the Staff of DCMetroTheaterArts. Congrats to all our honorees: FAVORITE COMEDY: Ambien Date Night Barenaked Comedy Blind Pug Arts Collective...

The Playwright’s Playground – The Playmakers CATF 2015: Part 5: Playwright Michael Weller on ‘The Full Catastrophe’

This Special Edition of The Playwright’s Playground begins ‘The Playmaker Series: CATF 2015.’ In a series of in depth conversations, I speak with the artistic teams associated with the plays at this...

Meet the Cast of ‘Spamalot’ at The Port Tobacco Players’: Part 4: Michael J. Margelos.

In Part 4 of a series of interviews with the cast of The Port Tobacco Players’ Spamalot, meet Michael J. Margelos. Tell our readers where they may have seen you on local stages. I have been an active...

‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’ at The Alliance Theatre

A heartfelt story of family loyalty and triumph, The Alliance Theatre’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, directed by Elaine Wilson, starts as the tale of a loving father who tries his hardest to make his...

Filichia on Friday: ‘It’s Kristin’s Birthday!’ by Peter Filichia

It’s an honor to bring Peter Filichia’s column every week on Kritzerland called ‘Filichia on Friday’ to our readers on DCMetroTheaterArts. This Week: July 24, 2015: It’s Kristin’s Birthday! Purchase...

Meet the Cast of ‘Spamalot’ at the Port Tobacco Players‏: Part 3: Carmel Ferrer

In Part 3 of a series of interviews with the cast of The Port Tobacco Players’ Spamalot, meet Carmel Ferrer. Tell our readers where they may have seen you on local stages. I’ve done shows in the area...

The Playwright’s Playground – The Playmakers CATF 2015: Part 4: Playwright Sheila Callaghan on ‘Everything You Touch’

This Special Edition of The Playwright’s Playground begins ‘The Playmaker Series: CATF 2015.’ In a series of in depth conversations, I speak with the artistic teams associated with the plays at this...

Review: ‘Amazing Grace’ at The Nederlander Theatre in New York City

It’s miraculous that this musical managed to cross the finish line, to land at the Nederlander Theatre on Broadway. We all know how difficult it is to mount a musical these days, not only because of...

In the Moment: And Now for a Little Baseball, ‘The Nats and the Grays’

The days may have been dark on the home-front during WWII America for Tom Brokow’s The Greatest Generation, but baseball endured. Baseball was the National Pastime; playing ball, along with Big Bands...

‘The Music Man’ at Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre by Valerie S. O’Keeffe

SSMT’s The Music Man Hits All the Right Notes As It Brings Big-Time Talent, Excitement (And More Than A Few Instruments) To Town! Oh ya got talent, my friends! Right here in Winchester City! From the...

‘American Idiot’ at Little Butterfly Theatre Company’s at 1st Stage

Green Day’s American Idiot is getting staged by a group of teens and twenty-somethings in a warehouse near Tysons and it is hot, hot, hot! Go for the punk rock, stay for the vocal harmonies, savor the...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘DancEthos with The West Shore Piano Trio’

DancEthos is not your average dance company – filled with identical stick thin dancers sashaying in unison behind a soloist. Company founder and director Tiffany Haughn has a gift for choreographing...

Meet the Cast of The Metropolitan Youth Theatre’s ‘RENT’: Part 5: Danny Waldman

In Part 5 of a series of interviews with the cast of The Metropolitan Youth Theatre’s RENT, meet Danny Waldman. Introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you before on local...

Meet the Cast of ‘Spamalot’ at the Port Tobacco Players‏: Part 2: Ryan Dolan

In Part 2 of a series of interviews with the cast of The Port Tobacco Players’ Spamalot, meet Ryan Dolan. Tell our readers where they may have seen you on local stages. I’ve performed all around the...

Meet the Director and Cast of Adventure Theatre MTC’s ‘Oliver!’: Part 1: Director Joseph Ritsch

In Part 1 of a series of interviews with the director and cast of Oliver! at Adventure Theatre MTC, playing at Round House Theatre, meet Director Joseph Ritsch. Joel: Why did you want to direct...

2015 Capital Fringe Preview #55: ‘Neighborhood 3: Part 5: ‘The Music of Neighborhood 3: Video Game Fever, Driving Me Crazy and Making It Scary’ by Gregory Thomas Martin

How does one create a sonic world on something that is such common place to our homes today? Video games are such a large part of our popular culture, and with their popularity come a lot of baggage....

‘BROTASSIUM’: A Nutritious Evening of Boylesque This Sunday, July 26th at 7:30 PM at The Bier Baron

For those who partake of burlesque in the DMV area it’s a pretty steady diet of melons and tomatoes (and certainly there’s nothing wrong with that) but occasionally one needs some brotassium in their...

The Playwright’s Playground – The Playmakers CATF 2015: Part 3: Director Nicole A. Watson on ‘World Builders’

This Special Edition of The Playwright’s Playground begins ‘The Playmaker Series: CATF 2015.’ In a series of in depth conversations, I speak with the artistic teams associated with the plays at this...

Montgomery Playhouse’s 14th Annual One Act Festival Continues This Weekend-A Look at The Shows

It is that time of year again – yep you guessed it – Montgomery Playhouse’s 14thAnnual One Act Festival is here! This is a chance to show off lesser produced one-act plays, and a great venue for new...

2015 Capital Fringe Preview #54 ‘An Interview with Cara Gabriel on Her Show ‘I AM THE GENTRY’

An interview with DC performer and director Cara Gabriel, whose one woman show, I AM THE GENTRY runs during the Capital Fringe Festival. The show is about her experience moving into the H Street NE...

2015 Capital Fringe Preview #53: ‘Neighborhood 3: Part 4: ‘What’s a Nice Mom Like You Doing in a Play Like This?’ By Annette Mooney Wasno

When I was cast in Molotov Theatre Group’s show Neighborhood 3:Requisition of Doom (now through August 2nd at DCAC, in Adams Morgan: www.molototheatre.org), I was pretty excited because, hey, I’m an...

‘American Moor’ at Anacostia Playhouse

As I walked into the cool confines of the Anacostia Playhouse, I was greeted by soft, far-upstage lighting that gently illuminated the sole performer, Keith Hamilton Cobb, idly looking over his lines...

Meet the Cast of ‘Spamalot’ at The Port Tobacco Players‏: Part 1: Jimmy Payne

In Part 1 of a series of interviews with the cast of The Port Tobacco Players’ Spamalot – meet Jimmy Payne. Tell our readers where they may have seen you on local stages. Little Theater of Alexandria:...

An Interview with Lori Muhlstein on Directing ‘The Meeting’ Playing This Friday, July 24-August 1, 2015 at The Clifton Town Hall

The Meeting is an original play by local playwright Greg Powell and directed by Lori Muhlstein. It will be performed by The Clifton Arts Council on Friday and Saturday evenings, July 24th, 25th, 31st...

‘Romeo and Juliet’ at Prince George’s Summer Shakespeare Festival

Summer and Shakespeare go hand-in-hand and Prince George’s Summer Shakespeare Festival’s Romeo and Juliet is a departure from “traditional” productions of this iconic William Shakespeare plays....

‘Shrek, the Musical’ at Encore Stage & Studio

Encore Stage & Studio presents Shrek, the Musical , with Music by Jeanine Tesori and Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Artistic Director Susan Alison Keady and Music Director Matthew Heap lead...

‘Silence! the Musical’ at Studio’s 2nd Stage

Silence! The Musical is very easy to digest (pun intended), as presented in the tightly directed current production now playing at the creatively configured 2nd Stage space of The Studio Theatre. A...

‘Legally Blonde the Musical’ at Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre

“Omigod You Guys” Legally Blonde the Musical at Montgomery College Summer Dinner Theatre is like a totally fun evening! The musical is full of laughs, lessons and a lot of pink. The songs are so...

‘Roméo et Juliette’ at Maryland Lyric Opera

Boy meets Girl. Girl meets Boy. They fall in love – at first sight – in spite of the enmity between their warring families, the Capulets and the Montagues. This timeless, tragic love story, penned...

Interview with Frank D. Shutts II on Directing ‘In the Heights’ at The Little Theatre of Alexandria July 25th-August 15th

I sat down and asked veteran Director Frank Shutts his thoughts, visions, and hopes for LTA’s summer production of the 2008 Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights which opens on July 25th and plays...

‘An Evening with Seth MacFarlane’ with The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff

Family Guy funny man and Grammy-nominated artist Seth MacFarlane brought his smooth singing talents and irreverent humor to Baltimore last Thursday night in a sensational performance showcasing his...

‘Romeo and Juliet: Love Knows No Age’ at Unexpected Stage Company

Romeo and Juliet has a special place in our popular culture. BBC’s 60 second Shakespeare has a hilarious front page, “Double Teen Death Horror”; “City’s Top Clans Devastated after Botched Love Pact.”...

‘Anonymous’ at Creative Cauldron’s Summer Cabaret Series

As part of their 2015 Summer Cabaret Series, Creative Cauldron welcomed Rachel Zampelli for two nights in her cabaret Anonymous; a raw, poignant, (and dare I say it, hysterical) show about the harrows...

Meet the Cast of The Metropolitan Youth Theatre’s ‘RENT’: Part 4: Cara Bachman

In Part 4 of a series of interviews with the cast of The Metropolitan Youth Theatre’s RENT, meet Cara Bachman. Introduce yourself and tell our readers where they may have seen you before on local...

‘Fun Home’ at Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City

This year’s Tony Award-winning musical Fun Home opened in New York when I was in California. I finally caught up with it this weekend at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it has now settled in...

2015 Capital Fringe Review: ‘St. Jimmy Celebrates “The Food At Our Feet”’

Sharp and hilarious, somehow Jimmy Grzelak interweaves Copyright law, Christian religious ritual, cooking show culture, pop songs, and poignant questions about the nature of spirituality and how we...

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Synetic Theater

The music is pulsing; the performers are insanely flexible, and everything from set to costumes to lights is drenched in the fantastical for Synetic’s latest Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The...

4615 Theater Company Presents ‘Twelfth Night’ and ”Tis Pity She’s a Whore’ In Rep

It is easy to become lost in the thriving theater scene of the Washington DC area. With all of the major houses producing top-notch works, it is hard to look past the grandeur of their product and...

‘Twelve Angry Men’ at The American Century Theater

In this famous, thrilling court-room drama, 12 jurors deliberate over the fate of an alleged murderer. The case seems clear-cut. They open the play with a vote, to see where everybody stands and the...

Idina Menzel at Jiffy Lube Live

Fighting both the summer heat and a summer cold, Idina Menzel nonetheless stormed the stage at the Jiffy Lube Live arena on Saturday, July 18, 2015, and blew the (figurative) roof off the place. With...

2015 Capital Fringe Review ‘The Out of Tooners’

As a “90s Kid,” I am part of the generation that frequently prides itself on the Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons it spent growing up watching marathons upon marathons of its favorite cartoons....