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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 of August Wilson’s plays. When I finally met her in 2003’s Gem of the Ocean, everything I had imagined and dreamed about Aunt Ester paled in comparison to the woman finally standing before me—old as slavery, new as breath. [Read more...]
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 taunting earnest theater types from beyond the grave. Though the Bard’s tricky work can often defy adaptation, director Rebecca Taichman meets and exceeds the challenge with her thoughtful, visually stunning adaptation for Shakespeare Theatre Company. [Read more...]
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 In the Heights. You’d be hard pressed to match this Toby’s ensemble for sheer energy and verve. And they pulled that off after serving up food to a packed house and clearing both tables and the buffet train at Toby’s Dinner Theatre’s in Columbia, MD. My hat’s off to them all! [Read more...]
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 that and run with it in their newest adaptation, directed by Paata Tsikurishvili. [Read more...]
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 the egomaniacal Michael Dorsey, The Submission’s protagonist Danny (gloriously self-aggrandizing in Frank DeJulio’s portrayal) is motivated by his beliefs about race and authenticity. Smaller, because what could have been an important commentary on our culture turns into an exercise in Danny’s self-pity. [Read more...]
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 he’s invited back time and time again. He’s appeared in many a concert with the National Symphony Orchestra and those of us who have followed his Broadway and concert career for years can likely guess his set list even before he even steps foot onto the stage because he has so many signature tunes. [Read more...]
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 Washington, DC spring evening. [Read more...]
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...]
Get ready for a slamming battle of the bands at Adventure Theatre MTC when Big Nate goes up against Goody Girl Gina, and his own beloved Jenny all while staying out of detention. Bursting with energy and fun music, great lyrics and true to life comic strip characters, Big Nate, based on the familiar comic strip, is a rocking fresh bundle of raucous fun. [Read more...]
“Can you dance? Can you sing? Well, whad’ya got?” In Keegan Theatre’s version, it’s the short balding guy who shows the folk at the audition, upstage, mind you, what God has given him. At which point, the men eye him with a mixture of awe and envy and the fast-talking accompanist Jeanette goes speechless and wipes the corners of her mouth to keep from drooling. [Read more...]
American Theatre Wing Interviews I AM THEATRE (TCG)