Jeffrey Walker

Boasting an impressive production and stellar cast, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is presenting the professional DC-Northern Virginia regional premiere of the dark and romantic musical THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. It is well worth the trip along Interstate 95 to hear the rich score and lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, respectively, and be taken in by the sumptuous production, one of the biggest I have had the pleasure of seeing at this venue.

As directed by Alex Levy, THE FARNSWORTH INVENTION is theatrically inventive and mostly compelling recounting of of Farnsworth and Sarnoff's parallel stories. The production is also performed by a skillful company of actors who take the audience on this little known historical journey.

A compelling blend of obscure history and a story seemingly ripped from the headlines, SOVEREIGNTY is a fitting entry in this year's Women's Voices in the Theatre Festival. Playwright Mary Kathryn Nagle has crafted a powerful rumination on Native American affairs and one woman's connection to her past and her own plight in the time of the 'Me too' movement.

Synetic's latest work is taken from Kafka's novel THE TRIAL with elements borrowed from his other works, presented in the kinetic and bold theatrical style the 22-year old company has earned their renown. A perfect fusion of movement, stagecraft, text and performance, Synetic's THE TRIAL leaves a lasting impression long after the performance. I confess in my six years of covering theatre in the DC area, THE TRIAL is my first Synetic production. But it certainly will not be the last.

The view looks pretty good from a pair of platform shoes. Heck, even on an idyllic, Greek island resort there's not a moment of stress and strain that can't be cured by breaking into the hits of Sweden's number one pop group, ABBA. If you want to get your groove back to the tune of 'Dancing Queen,' 'Waterloo,' or 'Take A Chance on Me' - along with a boatload of other ABBA tunes - get thee to Riverside Center and - to quote one of the lyrics - ' you'll be having the time of your life.'

Is this a rave? You bet your favorite things it is! Refreshing, revived, and ridiculously entertaining, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, now playing at the Kennedy Center through July 16 is a dream come true. Director Jack O'Brien has breathed new life into this Rodgers and Hammerstein classic with vibrancy, an impeccable cast, and eye-popping designs set to delight audiences of any age.

The beloved children's classic and vintage film musical THE WIZARD OF OZ has been enthralling audiences for decades. Creative Cauldron is doing its part to keep the magic of L. Frank Baum's story and the tuneful adaptation we all know and love alive with a magical production that puts a spell over the audience and transports them with imagination and heartfelt performances.

A starry night, with a huge moon looking down, is the perfect setting for an evening of songs that have become part of musical theatre history. This is the look and the sound of SOME ENCHANTED EVENING, now running through July 16, 2017, at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, just south of DC off of I-95.

Attention must be paid once again to Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN. One of Charlottesville's premier theatres is presenting the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama with a strong cast of leading players and impeccably directed by William Rough. An all-volunteer organization, LiveArts has a strong reputation in Central Virginia and this production is proof enough that community theatre can move an audience and illuminate a famous play with pathos and fine acting.

Charlottesville-based LiveArts, one of central Virginia's premiere volunteer theatre companies, is taking on DEATH OF A SALESMAN, placing it in their intimate Gibson Theatre space to once again throw a spotlight on Willy's tattered American dream, running through June 4, 2017.

Tom Prewitt, Avant Bard's current artistic director, knew who he wanted to take on this monumental role: Rick Foucheux. A 35-year veteran of stages large and small in the Washington, DC area, Foucheux has played everything from realism to the avant garde; modern and the classics. Capping off his storied career as he is about to leave the limelight to spend time as a grandfather and to travel, Foucheux taking on Lear is a match made in heaven. Effortlessly commanding the stage, Shakespeare's words and the arc of the tragedy seem newly minted in Foucheux's skillful hands.

MASTER CLASS is McNally's fictionalized and highly entertaining play where "La Divina" once again brings her passions to the stage, this time as a teacher of young opera students. For the production now lighting up MetroStage, Illona Dulaski embodies Callas in a tour de force performance.

The Rooftop Productions effort does well by the Gesner and Schulz creation. Director Ted Ballard keeps things simple, just as Schulz presented his characters in pen and ink. Coupled with identifiably perfect costumes by Mandy Ken, and cartoon inspired, primary-colored set pieces designed by Dale Walsh, Ballard's cast is able to bring to life the wit and wisdom of the Peanuts gang.

For one night, folk music legend Pete Seeger's legacy in song was celebrated by a diverse array of musical talent. The Kennedy Center Concert Hall stage held a who's who including multiple Grammy winners, living legends and up-and-coming artists performing in tribute to the singer and activist Pete Seeger. Hosted by Larry Groce of National Public Radio's MOUNTAIN STAGE, the long and satisfying evening was officially entitled PETE SEEGER AND THE POWER OF SONG: TRIBUTE TO A FOLK LEGEND. No frills, no fuss, just great music performed with the same simplicity and power Seeger was known for during his own long career.

While not landmark piece of musical theatre, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER delivers a few hours of escapist fun and a slew of 1970's disco tunes that will likely take some audience members back to their days in bell bottoms, platform shoes, and hustling the night away. With strong leading performances, a strong emphasis on disco moves, and 20-plus songs from the Bee Gees and other tunes from the era, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER provides some escapist fun for a few hours. Riverside Center's production opened March 15 and continues through May 7, 2017.

Featuring a cast of seasoned veteran actors working beside some of the DC-area's most gifted young performers, Theater J offers a sublime take on Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical look at growing up poor and horny in Depression era Brooklyn. Through the lens of nostalgia, Simon's 34 year-old play is like a valentine to a hard-scrabble upbringing sprinkled with humor, rather than the laugh riot of THE ODD COUPLE or the later RUMORS.

Co-directed with precision by Christina A. Coakley and Susan Marie Rhea, Keegan's PARADE keeps the staging simple and imaginative, cutting away clutter and using only the barest of props and scenic elements to help the story unfold. No one who has seen previous Keegan musicals, such as HAIR, CABARET, or AMERICAN IDIOT could be surprised by the quality of this rendering of PARADE; I fully expect this production to be recognized multiple times when the next round of Helen Hayes Awards comes around.

From the Broadway stage to the Pulitzer Prize, back to Broadway, and now as a film adaptation with four Oscar nominations, FENCES has riveted audiences for more than 30 years. The film, directed by and starring Denzel Washington, is nominated for Best Picture, with Washington and Viola Davis nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress. The fourth nomination is for the drama's original playwright August Wilson for Best Adapted Screenplay. Wilson died in 2005. Wilson left behind an indelible legacy of dramatic work, having penned the ambitious American Century Cycle of ten plays focusing on the African-American experience in the 20th century.

From BAYWATCH to BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and beyond, actress Michelle Williams is making her mark in film. Nominated for Best Supporting Actress for a role with relatively little screen-time in MANCHESTER BY THE SEA. As Randi Chandler, wife of protagonist Lee Chandler - played by Casey Affleck - she was able to make a strong impression displaying the couple's complex relationship with just a handful of scenes.

Television, film, the stage - As an actor, Denzel Washington has made an indelible mark in these arenas. His stature as an actor, director, and filmmaker has only been solidified this year with the release of the adaptation of FENCES, in which he not only costars with Viola Davis but directed. For the 89th Academy Awards, Fences is nominated for four Oscars: Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor, and Supporting Actress. Washington already has Oscars for his roles in the Civil War drama GLORY and the gritty TRAINING DAY.