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• The Chairs 
• By Eugene Ionesco 
• Directed by Robert McNamara
• Produced by Scena Theatre
• Reviewed by Rosalind Lacy

Blinding light floods the stage and the walls of the castle tower. An illustrious fanfare accompanies the opening of the upstage double doors. Surprise: nothing is there because an imaginary emperor is standing there.  After what seems like eons later, the expected, real character enters through a side door. Brava and bravo to the Scena Theatre’s design team: Marianne Meadows for lights; David Crandall for sound; and Hannah J. Crowell for that set design of eight-loose-hinged doors, for a delayed stage entrance with impact—the climax of The Chairs. (more…)

by Richard Seff, NY Theatre Buzz columnist

Unconditional, Tribute to Musicals Songwriters, Passing Strange and Elizabeth McCann

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• Major Barbara                                                                
• Written by George Bernard Shaw
• Directed by Ethan McSweeny
• Produced by Shakespeare Theater Company
• Reviewed by Debbie Minter Jackson

It’s starting to feel like a Shaw love-fest. Here he is again. This time it’s Major Barbara at the exquisitely designed Sidney Harman Hall of the Shakespeare Theater, directed by Ethan McSweeny, a hometown guy does good. McSweeny demonstrated his formidable shake ‘em up talents with The Persians several seasons back.  So, how does he fare in breathing new life into this iconoclastic piece that everyone seems to have heard of even if not actually seen in production?  He does fine with what he’s got to work with-it’s just that Shaw gives him an awful lot of material.  (more…)

• The Bremen Musicians
• Adapted and Directed by Nicholas Allen
• Music by John Milosich
• Produced by Classika Theatre
• Reviewed by Hunter Kieserman

I was very excited to see the world premiere of the musical The Bremen Musicians at Classika Theater. I was familiar with the popular folktal, the story of a Donkey whose only goal in life is to be a musician so he decides to travel to the city of Bremen to become a musician. On his way to Bremen, he encounters a worn out hunting dog, a scared cat, and a cocky rooster who join him on his journey to Bremen to become musicians as well. The production was fantastic. (more…)

• The Story of the Lost Sock
  Original Story, Music and Lyrics by Petko Kolev
• Play Written and Directed by Lilia Slavova
• Puppets and Design by Julia Tasheva
• Produced by Classika Theatre
• Reviewed by Hunter Kieserman

On the heels of their successful production of  The Snow Child,  I was happy to return to Classika Theatre to review The Story of the Lost Sock. (more…)

My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy
Created and Performed by Steve Solomon
Directed by John Bowab
Produced by Nederlander of Bethesda, LLC for the Bethesda Theatre
Reviewed by Steven McKnight

The charm of Steve Solomon’s My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish, and I’m in Therapy is that a show centered upon the experiences of his cross-ethnic childhood in Brooklyn has universal appeal. Accordingly, Solomon should appreciate the fact that a Southern English-German Protestant found this production a real hoot. (more…)

by Joel Markowitz 

Feb 25 — The 2008 Helen Hayes Awards nominations were announced by President and CEO Linda Levy Grossman tonight at the Gallery of The National Theatre.   She told a standing room only crowd that 189 productions met the eligibility requirements for the Awards, and a record 149 nominated artists and productions were named in 24 categories. (more…)

• Cookin’ at the Cookery
• Produced by MetroStage
• Revisited by Debbie Minter Jackson

There’s always a bit of trepidation when a key cast member steps into a successful show. Audiences wonder how the show will be affected, may have concerns about different interpretations, altering how it’s “supposed” to be.   In the case of Jackie Richardson who replaced the “irreplaceable” Earnestine Jackson in Cookin’ at the Cookery, the prep work has already been done because she has already performed the role with the irrepressible Janice Lorraine in Vancouver.  While this is a reprise of sorts for them, the change for us is a fresh new experience to be cherished the second time around.  (more…)

• The Hostage
• By Brendan Behan
• Directed by Mark Rhea
• Produced by The Keegan Theatre
• Reviewed by Tim Treanor

The thing to understand about this wonderful production of The Hostage is that it begins as a comedy and ends as a tragedy. This same thing might be said about Irish theater as a whole, or life in general.

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• Lost & Foundling
• By Eric R. Pfeffinger
• Directed by Janet Stanford
• Produced by Imagination Stage
• Reviewed by Janice Cane

The dark woods are so overdone as a scary-story setting that the forest has lost its fright. And kids these days don’t really wander around in the forest. So why not set a fairy tale in a more familiar place-like, say, a buy-in-bulk mega-store? That’s where we meet the heroine of Lost & Foundling, Pryce. (more…)