Next To Normal Music Tom Kitt Book and lyrics Brian Yorkey Directed by Michael Greif Produced by Arena Stage Reviewed by Gary McMillan Arena Stage is sponsoring the DC regional premiere of the much heralded Off-Broadway musical Next to Normal. No doubt local audiences would have been pleased to see a reprise of the Second […]
Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens Book by Doug Wright, Music by Scott Frankel, Lyrics by Michael Korie Based on the documentary by David and Albert Maysles Directed by Serge Seiden Produced by Studio Theatre Reviewed by Gary McMillan Studio Theatre’s Grey Gardens is a beautifully rendered and wonderfully off-kilter production of this Off Broadway-to-Broadway cult musical. Wealth and […]
Altar Boyz
Altar Boyz book by Kevin Del Aguila music/lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker choreographed by Christopher Gattelli directed by Stafford Arima produced by Nederlander of Bethesda, L.L.C. at Bethesda Theatre reviewed by Gary McMillan Get thee to this concert musical for 90 minutes of nonstop laughter! Altar Boyz is a freshly scrubbed, squeaky […]
Wishful Drinking
Wishful Drinking created and performed by Carrie Fisher directed by Tony Taccone produced by Arena Stage a Jonathan Reinis Production in association with Berkeley Repertory Theatre reviewed by Gary McMillan Carrie Fisher has a subtly smoky, whiskey voice (more on the Brenda Vaccaro or Lauren Bacall end of the Whiskey Voice Scale spectrum than Elaine […]
Ace
ACE Book and Lyrics by Robert Taylor and Richard Oberacker Music by Richard Oberacker Directed by Eric Schaeffer Produced by Signature Theatre Reviewed by Gary McMillan ACE, Signature’s latest premiere (East Coast) musical directed by Eric Shaeffer, is a rambling mix of multigenerational, dysfunctional family saga and Captain Billy’s Whiz Bang heroic fighter pilot flash […]
Jerry Springer the Opera
Jerry Springer: The Opera Music by Richard Thomas . Book and lyrics by Stewart Lee and Richard Thomas Directed by Keith Alan Baker Co-director/Choreography by Matthew Gardiner Produced by Studio 2ndStage Reviewed by Gary McMillan Jerry Springer, television personality: inane, profane, insane. Studio Theatre’s Jerry Springer: The Opera: audacious, outrageous, stupendous.
Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha By Dale Wasserman; Music by Mitch Leigh; Lyrics by Joe Darion Directed by Mark A. Rhea Produced by Keegan Theatre By Gary McMillan Mark Rhea is the man and David Jourdan is his Man. What a duo. Keegan Theatre is in summer reruns (having presented Man of La Mancha in 2001) […]
Mamma Mia
Mamma Mia! Music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and some songs with Stig Anderson Book by Catherine Johnson Directed by Phyllida Lloyd Produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East and Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar, Universal at the National Theatre Reviewed by Gary McMillan If we could harvest the energy on stage at the […]
Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Moon Musical Adaptation by Chad Henry Based on the book by Margaret Wise Brown Directed by Mary Hall Surface Music Direction by Jay Crowder Co-produced by Adventure Theatre and Tribute Productions Reviewed by Gary McMillan I thought I was wandering into a theatre to find a general admission seat for an evening performance, only […]
The Visit
The Visit Book by Terrence McNally, based on the play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt (adapted by Maurice Valency) Music by John Kander . Lyrics by Fred Ebb Produced by Signature Theatre Reviewed by Gary McMillan Signature’s The Visit is compulsory attendance for musical theatre fans. While the score is quite uneven (sometimes disconcertingly harkening back to […]
The Stephen Schwartz Project
The Stephen Schwartz Project Conceived by Michael J. Bobbitt Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Musical arrangements by John L. Cornelius II Directed and Choreographed by Michael J. Bobbitt Produced by MetroStage Reviewed by Gary McMillan PBS has its seemingly ubiquitous “Three Tenors.” Musical theatre fans have the three Stephens (Flaherty, Sondheim and Schwartz) who […]
The Happy Time
The Happy Time Story & Book by N. Richard Nash, based on the play by Samuel Taylor Music by John Kander . Lyrics by Fred Ebb Produced by Signature Theatre Reviewed by Gary McMillan Signature Theatre’s The Happy Time is a splendidly cast and well-crafted production of a fair-to-middling musical. This show was my introduction […]