2019

‘Other Desert Cities’ by Peace Mountain Theatre challenges and shocks

Peace Mountain Theatre’s Other Desert Cities, by Jon Robin Baitz, features outstanding, in-the-moment performances. Director Julie Janson directs a show that touches on themes ranging from family...

IN Series’ ‘L’enfance du Christ’ offers all-comers respite, transcendence, unity

How history will judge us for this administration’s treatment of Central American migrant children, I often wonder. And yet, our record of abuse against “Other” is not partisan, but has accumulated...

Providence Players of Fairfax presents subtle, sweet ‘The Gift of the Magi’

Providence Players of Fairfax and The Young Hearts present The Gift of the Magi, adapted by Jon Jory from the story by O. Henry. Beth Gilles-Whitehead directs an engaging cast in this charming...

Bringing ‘the Word’ to life on the stage in ‘The Gospel of John’ at The Sheen Center

For this Christmas season, The Sheen Center – the arts center of the Archdiocese of New York – presents a limited engagement of The Gospel of John, a slightly condensed one-man performance of the...

Not your father’s ‘Fiddler’ – The latest Broadway tour of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ comes alive at the National Theatre

When Fiddler on the Roof opens at the National Theatre next week, the village of Anatevka—the fictional setting for one of the most successful Broadway musicals in history—will not be the same...

The Second City’s ‘She The People: The Resistance Continues’ levels the playing field with humor

The good news? The Second City’s sharp-witted She The People: The Resistance Continues is back at Woolly Mammoth for another rollicking production of top-notch sketches and witty songs. The bad news?...

Encore Stage & Studio’s ‘CSI: Christmas Scene Investigators’ is a comedic crowd-pleaser

You know it’s going to be a long night when Santa Claus goes missing. Either Stage Manager Meaghan Leahy made a whopper of a mistake, or some fiend stole jolly old St. Nick, thus threatening the...

‘The Best Christmas Pageant Ever’ at Colonial Players of Annapolis rings in holiday with comedy and heartwarming message

Colonial Players of Annapolis’ production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever is a hilarious take on the Christmas story. Written by Barbara Robinson and based on her beloved 1971 novel, which was also...

‘The Day’ at the Kennedy Center captures the moment: an intimate measure beyond expectations

Ropes hang, partitioning off a raised platform that is a ramp. Curiosity rises in dimension with the angle of the ramp, a shiny black surface, and in scale with vertical ropes that provide clear...

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...

‘The Woman in Black’ at Shakespeare Theatre Company is a delightfully spooky gem

A charming little gem of a ghostly, campfire-ish thriller is here for a short time courtesy of Shakespeare Theatre Company. Full of expressive acting, whodunit lighting moods and suspense-making...

Spice up your holidays with ‘Paige Turner: Jingle All the Way!’ at The Green Room 42

It’s a holly jolly raunchy campy Christmas in Paige Turner: Jingle All the Way!, back at The Green Room 42 for a second year of holiday fun. Created and performed by the New York drag sensation...

Iron Crow’s satisfying ‘Bare’ shines light on gay Catholic teens

Iron Crow Theatre’s production of Bare couldn’t be more timely. With music by the late Damon Intrabartolo, lyrics by Jon Hartmere and a book which was a combined effort of the two; this musical...

Arena Stage premiere of Ken Ludwig’s ‘Dear Jack, Dear Louise’ reminds audiences of the incredible power of letter writing and human connection

Separated by thousands of miles and yet connected through hundreds of letters, Dear Jack, Dear Louise by Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig (Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Lend Me a...

‘A Motown Christmas’ at the Signature Theatre brings soulful cheer

The scene was a cozy cabaret at Signature Theatre. The enthralled patrons sat at small, circular, red tables and swayed to “Give Love on Christmas Day” performed by The Motown Three, which consisted...

Family-friendly Tennessee Williams puppet show pops up for the holidays

After two sell-out previews and a spectacular run at the Tennessee Williams Festival in Provincetown, The Lady from the Village of Falling Flowers pops up at the trendy Shaw-neighborhood speakeasy...

Explosive suburban dysfunction and adolescent angst in ‘Jagged Little Pill’ at the Broadhurst Theatre

High-voltage energy, powerhouse vocals, acerbic humor, and a dynamic design come together to express the urgency of youth and the raw emotions of dealing with social, political, and familial...

A spirited tribute to a Tony-winning composer and lyricist in ‘Anything Can Happen in the Theater: The Musical World of Maury Yeston’ at The York Theatre Company

Making its Off-Broadway debut with The York Theatre Company as part of its 50th anniversary season, the new musical revue Anything Can Happen in the Theater: The Musical World of Maury Yeston,...

‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!’ Pigeon and Driver tell us why!

Oh, that pigeon! Always causing trouble. He never wants to take a bath. He stays up past his bedtime. And now he wants to drive… a bus?! Children’s author Mo Willems continues his tenure as inaugural...

Coming to terms with aging in ‘Harry Townsend’s Last Stand’ at New York City Center

It’s father versus son in Harry Townsend’s Last Stand, George Eastman’s new play about coming to terms with aging and dealing with an elderly parent, now playing a limited Off-Broadway engagement at...

Back by popular demand, ‘Riverside Christmas Spectacular’ sparkles

Back by popular demand and refreshed for 2019, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts presents Riverside Christmas Spectacular, a variety show composed of beloved Christmas classics, with a few fun...

Love reigns in ‘Love in Hate Nation’ Two River Theater premiere

Love in Hate Nation is the new musical from Be More Chill’s composer/lyricist, Joe Iconis. Animated with a driving wheel of rock and funk rock tunes, it grapples with the pressing cultural issues of...

Young adventurer Milo learns how to use time in Greenbelt Arts Center’s ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’

If you know a bored child who doesn’t know what to do with their time, a trip through Susan Nanus’ The Phantom Tollbooth just might be the answer. It certainly works for Milo in Greenbelt Arts...

Gaithersburg’s Arts on the Green concert season returns in December with Rochelle Rice’s ‘Cool Yule’ and much more

Gaithersburg’s Arts on the Green presents a new season of engaging concerts featuring an eclectic mix of Americana, jazz, classical, contemporary, traditional, and world music in an intimate and...

Annapolis Shakespeare Company ushers in holiday spirit with ‘A Christmas Carol’

Annapolis Shakespeare Company’s production of A Christmas Carol is a moving, faithful stage version of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. Adapted by Sally Boyett and Donald Hicken, and directed by Sally...

Playwright Lauren Gunderson had one stipulation when reworking ‘Peter Pan.’ The sexism and racism had to go.

When Gunderson agreed to rework ‘Peter Pan’ for Shakespeare Theatre Company, she had one stipulation: the sexism and racism had to go.

15 Questions in 15 Minutes with Jenna Rubaii, now starring as Mary Magdalene on the ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ 50th anniversary tour

Presently appearing as Mary Magdalene in the 50th anniversary national touring production of Jesus Christ Superstar (a superlative that originated in Andy Warhol’s Factory), Jenna Rubaii, who has...

5 reasons Christopher Boone liked ‘Curious Incident’ at Round House better than on Broadway

My name is Christopher Boone and I am 15 and I am brave and I can do anything. I know that because I traveled by train by myself from Swindon to London and I solved the mystery of a neighbor lady’s...

In uproarious ‘Airness’ at 1st Stage, the rock ‘n’ roll is unreal

In the competitive national and international air guitar scene, contestants vie for championships and prizes by pretending to play (or “shred”) imaginary guitars to 60-second tracks from classic rock...

NSO Pops and ‘Harry Potter’ combine for a unique movie night at the Kennedy Center

Harry Potter is a cultural phenomenon. With the entire franchise’s worth surpassing $25 billion, you’d be hard-pressed to meet anyone who hasn’t felt the impact of J.K. Rowling’s influential series....

‘White Pearl’ and the Toxicity of Whiteness

“I love white,” began the commercial. “White is clean. White is pure. White is beautiful.” I stared at my laptop disgusted by the blatant discrimination in the ad as I watched a light-skinned Asian...

Avant Bard Theatre Announces ‘Scripts in Play: Season 30’

Launching its 30th-anniversary season, Avant Bard Theatre announces Scripts In Play: Season 30—featuring a special presentation of Happenstance Theater’s BrouHaHa December 6 to 8, 2019, and six free...

Political history repeating itself in ‘A Bright Room Called Day’ at The Public Theater

Tony Kushner’s newly revised first play, A Bright Room Called Day, written and debuted during the presidency of Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, is back for our present time in an updated incarnation at...

In ’19: The Musical,’ women sing and dance their way to suffrage

On the day I was to see 19: The Musical—which is about how the amendment granting women the right to vote came to pass in 1920—our Constitution Denier in Chief made a perfectly timed gaffe. There he...

A well-conceived ‘Curious Incident’ at Round House Theatre

“Curious” is the operative word in the title of Simon Stephens’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, now playing at the Round House Theatre. The protagonist, teenager Christopher Boone...

Rising opera star Soloman Howard brings rich vocals to the Kennedy Center

Soloman Howard, the 2019 Marian Anderson Award winner, brought his unique flair to the Kennedy Center in his first-ever solo concert at the venue. As a graduate of the Washington National Opera’s...

‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!’ is delightfully clever family fun at the Kennedy Center

What is your “heart dog?” How do you know it, find it—and deal with the disappointment of maybe not being able to have it? Or even . . . losing it? Heavy questions for the school-age (and even...

Past, present clash in Aquila Theatre’s ‘1984’

Viewing Aquila Theatre’s adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 at the Center for the Arts at George Mason University, I couldn’t help but wonder which came first “newspeak” or “alternative facts.”...

BSO’s latest Lera Auerbach commission worthy of attention

A frustration of many classical and contemporary music critics is that we hear a new work that seems to have great promise for being added to the canon, and then poof! It disappears, never to be...

Celebrating the powerful voices of women and the Latino community in ‘Jaime Lozano: Songs by an Immigrant’ at The Green Room 42

In his highly anticipated debut at The Green Room 42, Mexican composer, musician, and director Jaime Lozano brought together a blockbuster all-Latino line-up and band for a one-night-only concert of...

UrbanArias delivers fun, deeply human evening of music and voices taking on the modern condition

How prescient of the innovative UrbanArias. To be ahead of a major Washington Post Sunday Business section about a modern-day retail apocalypse: the dying of America’s suburban retail malls. Yes, you...

Aquila Theatre’s ‘The Odyssey’ tackles modern warfare and its impact

Aquila Theatre’s adaptation of Homer’s Greek epic The Odyssey, translated by Emily Wilson and directed by Desiree Sanchez, provides a sobering picture of the impact of warfare on the psyche. It’s...

Monumental Theatre Company Announces 2020 Season

Following its sold-out run of Be More Chill in 2019, the Helen Hayes Award-winning Monumental Theatre Company will be producing three musicals for the upcoming 2020 season: Head Over Heels, The Drowsy...

Venus Theatre’s ‘The Powers that Be’: fighting the double bind

Venus Theatre’s staff don’t open the house until immediately before The Powers that Be begins, presenting audience members, as they take their seats, with the evening’s most arresting image,...

Sutton Foster Glows at The Barns at Wolf Trap

The audience for Sutton Foster at The Barns at Wolf Trap was packed on opening night and clearly delighted to have a chance to hear Foster in such a warm and intimate venue. A phenomenal actress,...

The (in)discreet charm of Daniel Kitson’s ‘Keep’ at Studio Theatre

Stand-up comedian and monologist extraordinaire Daniel Kitson enjoys a devout following in the UK and in Australia. He first made his reputation at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where he won a...

Science and scandal in ‘The Half-Life of Marie Curie’ at Minetta Lane Theatre

Although Lauren Gunderson has been twice recognized as our country’s most produced playwright, none of her celebrated works has made its world premiere in New York until now, with The Half-Life of...

Suave crooning for a new generation in ‘Mark William: Feeling Good’ at The Green Room 42

Following a season of sold-out performances at The Green Room 42 after his debut at the popular midtown nightclub in November 2018, Mark William returned to the venue on Friday with the premiere of...

‘Brides and Mothers’ and ‘Cox and Box’ at The Forgotten Opera Company: Two dazzling flashes of operetta

A double feature, running just two performances at The Forgotten Opera Company, a subset of The Victorian Lyric Opera Company in Rockville? Sure, why not? The world debut of Brides and Mothers, Music...

Giving back to Tia Shearer Bassett

We were saddened to learn this week that Tia Shearer Bassett, a valued member of the DC theater community and a bright shining light of a human, has recently been diagnosed with cancer. Tia and...