Russell Sunday

BWW Review: KINKY BOOTS Kicks Booty At Toby's In Columbia

Grab your sexy heels and see KINKY BOOTS: Outstanding newcomers and perennial favorites get their kicks on at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia, Maryland. Mark Minnick directs an unconventionally heartwarming story exploring relationships not often spotlighted in theatric productions. DeCarlo Raspberry dazzles as Lola, and Matt Hirsch masters Charlie Price in Toby's intimate dinner theater setting, creating an evening jam-packed with sparkle, surprise and songs by Cyndi Lauper.

BWW Review: THE BODYGUARD Protects Toby's Superstar Reputation

There's much to like about this production of THE BODYGUARD, story aside. It's predictable, superficial and just barely passes the Bechdel-Wallace test. The script is measurably better than the story and the performance is even better than the script. Ross Scott Rawlings' accompanying mini-orchestra is flat-out terrific, and there are some extremely interesting tech things happening. Overall, a strong thumbs-up.

BWW Review: Hear The Bells In Toby's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

Victor Hugo's 1833 love letter to an old cathedral is set in 1482, and it's curious to note that in the nearly six hundred intervening years, there is much that is unchanged regarding social injustice, racial persecution and sexual abuse by religious leaders. Production values are high, while fancy choreography steps aside in service to imaginative vertical and distance movement sequences. The whole production relies on human-centric theatrical artifices THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME plays at Toby's through May 19th, 2019

West End and Broadway Stars Jenna Russell and Judy Kuhn Will Join Seth Rudetsky For Broadway @ Leicester Square Theatre

Olivier Award winner & Tony Award nominee Jenna Russell (Sunday In The Park With George, Merrily We Roll Along and Fun Home at the Young Vic) and four-time Tony nominee Judy Kuhn (star of Trevor Nunn's new Fiddler On The Roof at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Broadway's Fun Home, Chess and Les Miserables) will join Seth Rudetsky as music director/host for two intimate concerts on Sunday, February 3 as part of the long-running Broadway @ Leicester Square Theatre series.

BWW Review: MAMMA MIA! How Can You Resist This??

Many of my readers know my connection with MAMMA MIA! on Broadway (see my bio below). When I saw many months ago that Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia would be presenting it (the professional regional premiere) I knew it would be a money maker and knew, after seeing many Toby productions, it would be done well. Well, not only have they done well, this edition of MAMMA MIA! is just plain superb.

Thank You For The Music of MAMMA MIA! At Toby's

Musical theatre is about happy endings: if you like them, see MAMMA MIA!, at Toby's through September 9th. Heather Marie Beck and Maggie Dransfield as mother and daughter Donna and Sophie Sheridan are delightful and heartwarming. Disco, universally accepted as delicious, is the keystone of this show, whether or not you love or have heard of ABBA. In today's tumult, an escape to a tropical paradise where conflict stems from wedding angst and family drama seems a wonderful notion.

NEWSIES at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Columbia - Start Spreading the News_NEWSIES is a hit!!

Once again Toby's Dinner Theatre presents top flight entertainment for the entire family.

BWW Review: NEWSIES Are Front Page Headlines At Toby's In Columbia

Have a hankering for history, classic "fuggeddaboudid"  New York-ish accents, a charming child actor, romance, bylines and plenty of song and dance? Hoof it on over to Toby's Dinner Theatre of Columbia and see Disney's NEWSIES, now through June 10th.

Langston Hughes Play ARE YOU NOW OR HOW YOU EVER BEEN... Opens at MetroStage

Producing Artistic Director Carolyn Griffin is pleased to announce that the play Are You Now or Have You Ever Been , a play written and conceived by Carlyle Brown and directed by MetroStage Artistic Associate Thomas W. Jones II with original music by William Knowles, will be in performance Oct. 5-Nov. 5 at MetroStage.

If you love Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, there's not a single reason you wouldn't like the show at Toby's Dinner Theatre. It's a fun production. There's a lot to love about it. Dinner is tasty. Everyone at Toby's is unfailingly polite, cheerful, helpful and speedy, including each member of the actor/wait staff. The productions are done with attention to detail and the actors are well cast. That combination of elements is rare in ANY public forum these days, so all credit to the management for creating this wonderful environment. If you enjoy dinner theatre, you will be pleased.

???????Signature Theatre presents Titanic, directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Gigi, Follies, Million Dollar Quartet), now playing thru January 29.

Signature Theatre's Titanic, directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Gigi, Follies, Million Dollar Quartet), will run from December 13 - January 29, 2017, featuring a cast, crew and orchestra of more than 50 artists and an inventive new 360-degree staging in Signature Theatre's intimate 330 seat MAX Theatre. Get ready for the show's big send-off with the company's rendition of 'Godspeed Titanic' below!

Signature Theatre presents WEST SIDE STORY, directed by Signature Associate Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner (Signature's Sunday in the Park with George, Cabaret). The musical, a collaboration of music, dance and theater giants Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, is considered by some to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. WEST SIDE STORY runs now through January 24 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre. Click below to watch highlights from the show!

Signature Theatre presents WEST SIDE STORY, directed by Signature Associate Artistic DirectorMatthew Gardiner(Signature's Sunday in the Park with George, Cabaret). The musical, a collaboration of music, dance and theater giants Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, is considered by some to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. WEST SIDE STORY will run from December 8 - January 24 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre, starring Austin Colby as Tony. Click below to watch Colby perform 'Maria' from the show!

Signature Theatre presents WEST SIDE STORY, directed by Signature Associate Artistic DirectorMatthew Gardiner (Signature's Sunday in the Park with George, Cabaret). The musical, a collaboration of music, dance and theater giants Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Jerome Robbins and Arthur Laurents, is considered by some to be one of the greatest musicals of all time. WEST SIDE STORY will run from December 8 - January 24 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre, starring Natascia Diaz, Austin Colby, MaryJoanna Grisso, Max Clayton and Sean Ewing. Click below for a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsal with the company!

Virginia's Signature Theatre presents the world premiere of Diner, the musical adaptation of the landmark film with a book by the movie's Academy Award®-winning screenwriter and director Barry Levinson (Rain Man, Bugsy, The Natural) and an original score by nine-time Grammy Award® winner Sheryl Crow. Directed and choreographed by three-time Tony Award® WinnerKathleen Marshall (Broadway's Anything Goes, Nice Work If You Can Get It), the ensemble piece will feature Whitney Bashor (Barbara; Broadway's Bridges of Madison County and Signature's The Hollow), Bryan Fenkart (Modell; Broadway's Memphis), Aaron Finley (Billy; Broadway's Rock of Ages),Josh Grisetti (Shrevie; Off-Broadway's Enter Laughing), Erika Henningsen (Beth; Show Boat: Live from Lincoln Center with the NY Philharmonic), Derek Klena (Boogie; Broadway's Wicked, The Bridges of Madison County and Second Stage'sDogfight), Adam Kantor (Eddie; Broadway's Rent, Next to Normal and Second Stage's The Last Five Years), Tess Soltau(Elyse; Broadway's The Addams Family), Matthew James Thomas (Fenwick; Broadway's Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark,Pippin), and John Schiappa (Older Boogie; Broadway's Rocky, The Other Place, Wicked).

Olney Theatre Center presents LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, opening tonight, August 1 and running through August 26. BroadwayWorld has a behind the scenes look at the cast, director, and a backstage tour of unloading Audrey II. Check it out below.

The story of the controversial 'Mad Monk,' Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin is now the subject of the new rock musical Brother Russia, which is making its world premiere at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre. The new musical features Music by Dana Rowe and Book and Lyrics by John Dempsey - the award-winning creators behind The Fix (1998) and The Witches of Eastwick (2007). Check out performance highlighs below!

The Tony Award®-winning Signature Theatre, nationally known for its interpretation of Stephen Sondheim musicals, celebrates its 20th anniversary season by presenting Sondheim's most popular musical SWEENEY TODD, directed by Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer. The new production runs in the 276-seat MAX Theater through April 4, 2010. Click the video below to watch a preview of the production!

On Thursday May 22, 2008 the 54th annual Broadway Softball league opened their season at the Heckscher Fields in Central Park. Participating this year for the opening day festivities were Chris Jackson (In The Heights), Jenna Russell (Sunday in the Park With George) and George Wendt (Hairspray). The day celebrated not only the beginning of the season and but also included an appearance by Bob Davis who presented a check for $50,000 to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids on behalf of Michelob Ultra, the official sponsor of the 2008 Broadway Softball Season.