REVIEWS
The Raisin Cycle comes full circle at CenterStage with Beneatha’s Place
Never thought I could welcome or anticipate meeting a character more than Aunt Ester Tyler, the 285-year-old matriarch and soul-cleanser of 1839 Wiley Avenue whose touchstone presence filled so many … [Read More]
STC’s The Winter’s Tale is stunning
With its dizzying brew of tragedy, comedy, palace intrigue, pastoral tomfoolery, and cameos by a marauding bear and a living statue, The Winter's Tale often gives the impression that Shakespeare is … [Read More]
Toby’s gives In the Heights a fresh and sassy area debut
What did you do Mother’s Day? Just think, you could've seen popping, locking, breaking and tutting by some of the area’s best dancers in the first regional production of the hot Broadway musical … [Read More]
The Three Musketeers
Bold prison breaks, hearty sword fights, and tales of treachery and rescue are the hallmarks of French novelist Alexandre Dumas' beloved classic, The Three Musketeers, and Synetic Theater has taken … [Read More]
The Submission
It is easy to think of The Submission as “Tootsie” for writers. But Jeff Talbott’s eloquent, tedious story is both larger and smaller than the Dustin Hoffman vehicle. Larger, because unlike … [Read More]
Broadway’s Show-Stoppers with Brian Stokes Mitchell and the Choral Arts Society Chorus
Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell of Ragtime, Man of La Mancha, and Kiss Me, Kate fame is no stranger to the Kennedy Center stage and, given the strength of his voice, it’s easy to see why … [Read More]
Unique renditions from Rent star Adam Pascal at the Kennedy Center
Continuing its tradition of showcasing known and lesser known Broadway and West End talent in the Barbara Cook’s Spotlight cabaret series, the Kennedy Center played host to Adam Pascal on a … [Read More]
A dazzling Illyria for Twelfth Night at Folger
If you want to start fresh, visit Illyria. The setting of Twelfth Night is, like happiness itself, more a state of mind than solid ground, rife with opportunity for reinvention. … [Read More]
UP CLOSE WITH THE MOST FASCINATING PEOPLE WE KNOW
Adi Stein’s day on the set of Veep
Staff in the Executive Office Building scramble over yet another incident involving the Vice President. This time, while the President and his advisors are photographed tensely following the release … [Read More...]
Chad Bauman, on leaving Arena Stage for Milwaukee Rep: What he’s learned. What he wants.
Interview with Arena Stage’s Chad Bauman, bound for Milwaukee Rep “Go west, young man,” they say, and Chad Bauman is heeding the call. Currently the Associate Executive Director at Arena … [Read More...]
Brian Sutow adapts ‘Blind Date’ as Personals for the No Rules stage; Stanley Tucci connection revealed
A blind date can be a boon or a bust for two strangers seeking romance. But what if the couple know each other and use blind dates as a game in an attempt to keep a spark in their relationship? … [Read More...]
Producing Pippin: Infinity Theatre joins Broadway’s ultimate high-wire act
Don't invest on Broadway unless you love the show. There's an 80% chance you'll get little more back than tickets on opening night and a backstage tour. If you do see a recoupment, never mind a … [Read More...]
NEWS
Where to next for Capital Fringe?
Last night, Capital Fringe held a "State of the Fringe" meeting. Jonathan Fischer was there for City Paper, and turned in an excellent update on the status of the Fringe which includes a discussion … [Read More...]
Ken Ludwig holds free discussion of Twelfth Night and his latest book at Folger June 8
One of the Washington area's most famous playwrights, Ken Ludwig (Crazy for You, Lend Me a Tenor, Fox on a Fairway, Shakespeare in Hollywood), will be hosting an interactive discussion of Twelfth … [Read More...]
Keegan extends The Full Monty to June 8
Good news for all of you who don't yet have tickets to see Keegan Theatre's production of The Fully Monty. Thanks to the enthusiasm in the press - Susan Galbraith calls it "unapologetically a crowd … [Read More...]
Empty pockets but plenty of laughs. Sketch comedy from Crash of Rhinos kicks off the new company
Crash of Rhinos, a new theater company in the process of being born, will hold a sketch comedy revue called the "Crash!" in The National Conservatory of Dramatic Arts' black-box theater on Saturday, … [Read More...]
THEATRE SHELF
Tony Awards: The four Broadway shows nominated for Best Orchestrations
One of the most interesting lists in the announcement of this year's Tony Award nominees is the nominations for Best Orchestrations. The range is as wide as the types of shows involved. … [Read More...]
CD review for Tony nominated scores Bring It On and Christmas Story
The Tony Season has officially begun. Last week's announcement of the nominees in twenty-six competitive categories set off an avalanche of opinion, prediction and bragging that will continue to … [Read More...]
Free viewing of the New York Philharmonic’s Carousel – ends Friday
Act quickly – you only have a few days to view one of the greatest concert presentations of a musical that I've ever seen … the New York Philharmonic's staging of Rodgers and Hammerstein's … [Read More...]
MOVIES
In the House, adaption of Spanish play, comes to FilmfestDC
Movies arriving from overseas are the bread and butter of Filmfest DC, the annual tour of cinematic works Washingtonians would otherwise have little chance to see. The French drama “In the House,” … [Read More...]
TV
Maybe Smash isn’t. But Slings and Arrows was, and we’re all watching it together this summer
Hello, dear readers! Over the last several weeks, I’ve been very moved by how many people have come up to me, or written, and said something along the lines of, “Well, Smash is doomed, but I’m sad! I enjoyed your recaps and I wish you could keep writing!” I should also note at this point [...]
Smash 2:15 The Transfer
First of all, Smash-ers, I’m assuming you’ve seen this. I’ll give it a minute to sink in. Not that it’s any surprise to anyone, of course. Smash has been tanking hardcore in the ratings for the entirety of season 2. It got so bad that it was airing first-run episodes on Saturday nights, for Pete’s sake. [...]
NY THEATRE BUZZ
Clifford Odets’ The Big Knife on Broadway
In 1949 Clifford Odets, after years of cashing in on his early successes with the Group Theatre, returned to Broadway with The Big Knife, which was to be his bitter comment on the price he paid for … [Read More...]
The Trip to Bountiful
Cicely Tyson now joins Laurette Taylor in the small pantheon of actresses who have given us monumental performances onstage; Ms. Taylor of course, for her Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, the memory … [Read More...]
Nikolai and the Others
I feel I've had to do almost as much research as the actors who perform in the Lincoln Center Theatre's production of Richard Nelson's Nikolai and the Others. That's because so many of the 18 … [Read More...]
Buyer & Cellar
Playwright Jonathan Tolins has managed to take material that could have inspired a campy gay play limited in its appeal to those whose idea of first class entertainment is a Saturday night sendup on … [Read More...]
Alec Baldwin leads an outstanding cast in Orphans
Lyle Kessler's career has been pretty well defined by an early play of his, Orphans. There have been other plays, but nothing that created the stir that this one did. It's been 30 years since its … [Read More...]
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