Jennifer Perry - Page 10

1st Stage's production is - for me, at least - a very, very welcome addition to the 2015-2016 theatre season. While Guettel's intricate and original score is, quite simply, extraordinary - and reason enough to make the trek to the McLean/Tysons Corner area to hear it sung live - Director Nick Olcott and his talented and committed cast and design team offer other reasons to pay this little gem of a production a visit.

Overall, I look forward to what the future holds for this new musical.

Overall, THE WHO & THE WHAT is a strong way for Round House to end its season.

Forum Theatre, under Dove's artistic direction, has made a wonderful habit of providing local audiences with opportunities to see unique world premieres. This production is yet another strong example, and with Twyford at the center it's must-see theatre. There's absolutely no reason for any seat to remain empty.

The story, Lovett's performance, and the design elements clearly have the power to engage even those most restless children.

it's a shame this production only played the Kennedy Center for two performances, but for the lucky theatergoers that had a chance to see it, it is certainly a memorable one.

Overall, there's a lot of mass appeal in this production, some fun musical moments, and opportunities for the entire family to visit the familiar and well-loved. Unfortunately, it simply pales in comparison to what we have seen before.

A little bit of this and that, a little bit zany and off-kilter, there was something for everyone to enjoy.

Akhtar's script is so beautifully complex yet simple, and asks some hard questions. The performances and physical production elements are first-rate. This is one of the strongest productions I've seen all season, and perhaps in recent years in the Washington, DC area.

Mosaic bills Leila Buck's solo show as "a probing portrait of a cosmopolitan Lebanese matriarch as remembered by her Lebanese-American granddaughter who attempts to piece together her beloved Teta's story." Ms. Buck and her director Shana Gold were gracious enough to answer a few of my questions over email about the impetus for the show, the development process, and expectations for this highly anticipated production.

I am enormously thrilled that Strathmore took this one on. It's not the kind of event the largely classical venue usually presents and I hope to see more risk-taking in the future. The pieces offer up stories that need to be heard, and there's no denying the music and performers are first rate.

In all my years of watching (and sometimes reviewing) a variety of artistic presentations at the Kennedy Center, I can hardly think of any other event that so perfectly offers a nicely packaged look at what the performing art center is all about.

There's something to be said about Ms. Ruffelle embracing her own originality and zest for life, and selecting songs that emphasize she's very much her own person and does things her own way. Her cabaret was unlike any other you'd experience from most of the women who have graced the Broadway or West End stages. Uniqueness can be a good thing.

Deirdre Kinahan's family drama MOMENT has had several productions to date, including here in the United States, but Studio's production marks the DC premiere. An excellent cast, a well-structured script, and an engaging story make MOMENT one of the strongest theatrical experiences I've had this season.

I would rack SAMSON up as another strong outing for Sight & Sound Theatres.

One thing I can always count on when I go to a National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Pops concert featuring music of the Great White Way - and perhaps beyond - is that the accomplished musicians and their exceptional conductor Steven Reineke will give it all the energy, vigor and verve it deserves. This was certainly the case on Friday night as the orchestra and guest vocalists Darren Criss and Betsy Wolfe explored a bit of the current Broadway repertoire.

Cumming gave the audience a concert to remember.

Although the production doesn't quite soar, LOST IN THE STARS is a welcome addition to the WNO season simply because it's not performed very frequently - at least in comparison to other more familiar works that transcend the opera-musical divide.

Over the past season or two, we've seen our fair share of professional productions of OLIVER in the DC area. Adventure Theatre MTC took a stab at it over the summer and Arena Stage offered up a steampunk version of the classic musical a few months ago. While the Kennedy Center's current TYA production of OLIVERio: A BRAZILIAN TWIST shares the same Charles Dickens-penned source material, those looking for the familiar Lionel Bart musical will find that what's being offered up onstage at the Kennedy Center is quite different - and not just the setting. A Kennedy Center commission featuring a book and lyrics by Karen Zacarias and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, OLIVERio: A BRAZILIAN TWIST explores what would happen if a theatre company intended to stage a standard production of OLIVER set in 19th century London, but suddenly realized the available scenic design (Luciana Stecconi) and costumes (Ivania Stack) wouldn't quite work for that purpose.