Barbara Johnson News

'May lost souls find salvation' is the tagline of Scena Theatre's production of Conor McPherson's modern Irish play THE NIGHT ALIVE. Any lost souls wandering into this production will find it worth seeing for its superb Irish actors, Barry McEvoy and Brian Mallon, alone. They're also likely to find salvation in a story that elevates the everyday to heavenly heights.

Inspired by (but not literally adapted from) Mary Shelley's 200-year-old novel Frankenstein, Idris Goodwin's FROM THE MOUTHS OF MONSTERS makes a powerful world premiere at the Kennedy Center's Family Theater. A two-actor play starring Shannon Dorsey and Tia Shearer in energetic, flexible roles, it sports a cool, contemporary aesthetic and impeccable sound design (Christopher Baine) - important for a play that's all about a teenager's discovery of the weight of words.

The Washington National Opera opened Dead Man Walking on February 25, which continues throughMarch 11, 2017 in the Opera House. It is based on Sister Helen Prejean's acclaimed 1993 memoir, which tells of her time working with death row inmates at Louisiana State Penitentiary and of a particular relationship she developed with one of the inmates. The opera explores the human conflicts posed by society's demands for vengeance and the Christian imperative for forgiveness and love. The lyrical score by composer Jake Heggie (WNO's Moby-Dick, 2014) is widely regarded as a modern classic, while Terrence McNally's balanced libretto has been called one of the most perfect librettos of an American opera ever written.

Rooted in the moral conflict between society's thirst for justice and Christianity's tenet of forgiveness, the modern American opera DEAD MAN WALKING is an apt selection for the Washington National Opera this season. With a moving score by Jake Heggie and an honest, straightforward libretto by Terrence McNally, it is based on Sister Helen Prejean's 1993 memoir of her work as a spiritual advisor to death row inmates, including one in particular, Joseph De Rocher. The Kennedy Center production directed by Francesca Zambello marks the 50th international production of DEAD MAN WALKING, and it's a bold and haunting one.

Creative Cauldron's production of BLUES IN THE NIGHT, directed by Matt Conner, spotlights a strong four-person cast that delivers 26 songs by Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, and other early jazz legends. Backed by a live band led by Walter 'Bobby' McCoy and surrounded with a sultry set, these singers enthrall.

Seen most recently in his unforgettable turn as Billy Bigelow in Arena Stage's CAROUSEL, Nicholas Rodriguez graces Signature Theatre with his own cabaret. Those in the DC area who have delighted in Rodriguez's take on traditional musical roles now get the chance to hear him croon, emote, and belt a variety of music spanning the decade of the 1970s.

Robert McNamara directs three Scena Theatre veterans in the Washington-area premiere of SOMEONE IS GOING TO COME, Norwegian writer Jon Fosse's absurdist exploration of magnified paranoia. Thanks to excellent acting and attention to detail, the experience is tense, at times grating, and interesting to witness.

The classic fairy tale SLEEPING BEAUTY is hundreds of years old, but Synetic Theater has improved it from an emotional standpoint by incorporating an unexpected twist: the Witch is a multidimensional person. In this version, the Prince is the Witch's son, and the incomparable Irina Tsikurishvili brings the Witch to life. The result is breathtaking and makes for timeless entertainment for younger audiences and their families.

The Hub Theatre's THE MAGI is in many ways made for the winter holidays: it is unabashedly about love and sacrifice. Kelsey Mesa directs this two-person acoustic musical featuring impressive original songs by Eli Pafumi.

The plot of A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE is straightforward, and the source material by Arthur Miller is pretty good, but the spectacular staging of this classic work at the Kennedy Center elevates what could have been a fairly pedestrian family drama to atmospheric heights. The very definition of 'catharsis', this spellbinding production stuns with stripped-down, potent emotion.

There's something about a classic, standard musical that tugs at the heartstrings. Maybe it's the the swelling orchestra, the time-honored songs, or the amazement that an old love story can feel new again. Under the direction of Molly Smith at Arena Stage, Rodgers and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL is all of the above.

43 1/2: THE GREATEST DEATHS OF SHAKESPEARE'S TRAGEDIES, a 2013 Capital Fringe favorite from Nu Sass, is back again with its enthusiastic original cast for a third run. Sun King Davis directs the zany, bloody production, with a new batch of gruesome fight scenes thrown in to keep things fresh.

Happy Halloween! This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature all the spooky stories in Washington, DC, St. Louis, South Africa and more. Check out our top 10 ghoulish stories around our Broadway World below, which include FREAKY FRIDAY in DC, THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW in St. Louis, and DEAD YELLOW SANDS in South Africa, just to name a few.

Spooky Action Theater opens its season with a cutting-edge play that covers politics, celebrity, and the nature of genius. RAMEAU'S NEPHEW, adapted from an 18th century work by Denis Diderot, is hardly new, but this 2016 incarnation is as timely and amusing as can be. Director Richard Henrich delivers a production with flashes of outright brilliance that compensate for a few (non-fatal) flaws.

The world premiere of Jen Silverman's COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN FIVE BOOPS kicks off Woolly Mammoth's season with a perfect balance between the really absurd and the absurdly real. Directed by Mike Donahue, it's the story of five very different women. All are named Betty Boop, and all are female archetypes fighting against their own oppressive forces.

For a play that is essentially about deciding when it's time to say goodbye to the one dream that has made you happy, THE LAST CLASS: A JAZZERCIZE PLAY is as funny as it is insightful. Trying to retain her place in a fitness-class world that has long since moved on to Zumba, Kelsea (Megan Hill, also the play's writer) has continued to teach Jazzercize to an ever-shrinking class at the Chikatawnee Valley Community Center. The Klunch brings the DODO production of JAZZERCIZE to DC, featuring the original cast from the recent New York City premiere and direction from Margot Bordelon.

Let's be honest - with the state of current affairs, the political circus, the ongoing tragedies around the world - we're all feeling at least a little jaded these days. So it makes sense that DC singer Jade Jones' 'Jazzed and Jaded,' part of Creative Cauldron's 2016 Summer Cabaret Series, is exactly what we need right now.

The Hub Theatre's REDDER BLOOD, co-produced with the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia, is many things: a dysfunctional family drama, a romantic sitcom, and a philosophical exploration. But what it does most successfully is encourage thought-provoking discussion about the vast topics it covers.

In an evening featuring classic musical favorites and unexpected gems, longtime DC performer Dani Stoller presents 'Awkward: A Musical Ode to the Funny Best Friend' as part of Creative Cauldron's 2016 Summer Cabaret Series.

ESPN, the leading action sports content provider and creator of the X Games, has chosen Minneapolis, Minnesota, as the next U.S. host city for the X Games.