When Emily Pogorelc bursts onto the stage in the Washington National Opera’s current production of Leonard Bernstein’s Candide, there is a shock of laughter. Pogorelc plays Cunegonde, the spoiled daughter of a nasty but noble family. And when she peels off her gloves, she preens. Like a stripper, she wastes neither time nor motion, seducing […]
The 2018 Helen Hayes Awards gave the DC theater community a chance to relax, recharge and reflect on a great year of theater. Two productions of In the Heights dominated the evening, with GALA Hispanic Theatre’s production taking home nine awards, including Outstanding Production in a Musical – Helen. Olney Theatre Center’s joint production with […]
Among the rich offerings in The Kennedy Center’s Artes de Cuba festival were two extraordinary works of theater, each performed but twice: The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, from Teatro El Público, and 10 Million, from Argos Teatro—both companies based in Havana. I saw Petra at its first performance, in time to post a […]
On the heels of its impressive 9-award win at last week’s Helen Hayes Awards, GALA Hispanic Theatre hosted its annual Night of the Stars gala this week at the Organization of American States. The annual event raises funds for Paso Nuevo, GALA’s free, after-school theater workshop for low-income, immigrant students aged 12-19. Students from Paso […]
An imaginative, lyrical, and bittersweet stage adaptation of Henry James’ heartbreaking novella of 1903, The Beast in the Jungle reunites the celebrated team of John Kander (music), David Thompson (book), and Susan Stroman (direction and choreography) in a stunning world-premiere production at Vineyard Theatre. The original re-envisioning of the classic story combines the form of […]
Looking for something well-crafted, suspenseful, and with plenty of lingering moments of anxiety? Then head on to Spooky Action Theater’s production of The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs. Written by Canadian playwright Carole Fréchette, and translated by John Murrell, The Small Room at the Top of the Stairs asserts itself as an interesting […]
They have such a tasteful, immaculate, picture-perfect kitchen, how could their marriage be such a sorry mess? That’s a crass way to ask the question, but the answers are beautifully nuanced in Ken Urban’s new play The Remains, a riveting comedy that mourns a gay marriage on the rocks. Set Designer Wilson Chin has indeed […]
Greenbelt Arts Center’s production of Return to the Forbidden Planet, written by Bob Carlton and directed by Jeffrey Lesniak, takes the audience for a rowdy rocket ship ride from earth to d’Illyria, which is, you guessed it, a forbidden planet. The crew/actors warned the audience in the opening lines that this isn’t a “NASA” production […]
As was announced at the beginning of the National Chamber Ensemble’s recent musical offering Today’s Classical and Jazz Masters —in a veiled reference to the British Royal Wedding —the audience was about to be treated to an instrumental marriage of classical and jazz music. Aside from the exciting fusion of the two musical styles, there […]
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts and Producing Artistic Director Patrick A’Hearn present Always Patsy Cline. Created by Ted Swindley, the show is inspired by the true story of an unlikely friendship between Cline and a Houston-based fan named Louise Seger, and gets its title from the sign-off of the letters between Patsy and Louise, […]
I would not have thought that a play about dreadful disaster could be done as a droll and delightfully dark comedy, but Playwright Gabrielle Reisman did. Having lived through Hurricane Katrina in 2005 in New Orleans, she sought to find theatrical form for what she witnessed there about survivors’ resilience in the face of mass […]
Though it has commonly been staged as a tragedy or psychological drama since its Moscow premiere, Anton Chekhov always insisted that The Cherry Orchard was a comedy. A story about an aristocratic family’s loss of ancestral land due to the gradual collapse of the feudal order might seem tragic – at least for the aristocratic […]
What does the American songbook mean to you? For many, I’m sure it brings to mind those delightful tunes of old with their lilting melodies, simple lyrics, and squeaky clean imagery. If you are of that mindset, you might want to spend a night with the American Pops Orchestra. This innovative group of artists are […]
Let’s be clear, Pericles is pretty much a first draft play that Shakespeare never quite finished. Now to be fair, the work is not wholly attributed to him, but with more than a few murderous plots, storms at sea, and hidden truths, Shakespeare could have done with a dramaturg to help him focus. Lucky for […]
Marking its first production of a work by the internationally-lauded Dublin-born playwright Marina Carr, Irish Repertory Theatre’s New York premiere of Woman and Scarecrow, potently directed by Ciaran O’Reilly, is a fiercely candid, surprisingly funny, and devastatingly poignant deathbed reflection by a wife and mother belatedly filled with realizations, passion, and regrets about her “encroaching […]
Bedlam’s take on George Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan will resonate with many Blue State denizens with its updated, coolness factors and fine acting. Under Eric Tucker’s direction, Bedlam has taken a secular approach to its contemporary retelling of Shaw’s Saint Joan fit for our baseball cap wearing, social media age full of the now ancient […]
When we think of non-profit arts and cultural institutions, do we only think of the creative side of the organization, the parts we see and interact with or immerse ourselves in? What about the often hidden business administration aspects of these same cultural institutions, those features that help make possible and sustain an institution as […]
Waitress at the National Theatre is sweet as “Sugar.” The word resonates during scene shifts, as an immensely talented piemaker, Jenna (Desi Oakley), lists the ingredients for the new pie she is inventing in the opening number, “What’s Inside.” The mix of flavors is delicious as Jenna is joined in harmonies by her fellow waitresses, […]
We at DC Metro Theater Arts are taking time today to remember Founder and Editor Joel Markowitz on what would have been his 61st birthday. Joel remains in our hearts every day as we strive to keep his legacy alive through our work with DC Metro Theater Arts, the publication that he created and built […]
Rock of Ages is more of a rock concert than a musical. The musical comedy, created by Chris D’Arienzo, is currently running at the Workhouse in Lorton to sold-out audiences, and with good reason. With songs from Journey, Whitesnake, Poison, and much more music from the 80s, the show is a solid ride of hilarious, […]