Calvin McCullough News

The painful slow journey for understanding as to what normalcy or perceived sanity is --when a family member is suffering from bipolar illness--- is explored with heartbreaking poignancy, almost brutal honesty and with deadpan caustic humor in the musical Next to Normal. Now playing at Bethesda’s Round House Theatre, this almost totally sung-through musical caught me up in its oddly satisfying emotional pulse. I fell into its compelling pull as the trauma of a family experiencing the highs and lows of bipolar illness unfolded.

See first look photos! The highly-anticipated groundbreaking, Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical Next to Normal (book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, and music by Tom Kitt), opens tonight, January 29, 2024, at Round House Theatre, co-produced with Barrington Stage Company.

Get a first look at Roundhouse Theatre's production of Next to Normal, now on stage through February 25th, 2024. Next to Normal is a co-production with Barrington Stage.

Get a first look at Olney Theatre Center Mainstage productions of Kinky Boots which runs now through March 26, 2023.

“The sex is in the heel” and on the Olney Theatre Center Mainstage as Kinky Boots runs February 10 - March 19, 2023.

Olney Theatre Center has updated its summer schedule for Olney Outdoors with the full schedule and roster of performers featured in its Cabaret concert series which runs on most Friday nights begininng July 8 - August 19.

Olney Theatre Center announced the full casting for its one night presentation of the new musical Lautrec at the St. James, which will be performed in concert on Friday, March 11 at 8:00 pm.

A.D. 16 is an exuberant, ambitious world premiere with its eyes on Broadway; music and lyrics by Cinco Paul (Despicable Me, Schmigadoon!), book by Bekah Brunstetter (This Is Us) and direction by Stephen Brackett (Be More Chill). A.D. 16 starts with the missing teen years of Jesus, layers in an effervescent R&B-influenced score, and sprinkles in some irreverence and anachronistic humor.

BroadwayWorld has a first look at Olney Theatre Center's world premiere of A.D. 16, now on stage through March 6, 2022. The new musical is by writers Cinco Paul (co-creator of Despicable Me and Schmigadoon!) and Bekah Brunstetter (producer and writer on This Is Us).

Watch as Jason Loewith sits down with creators 'A.D.16.,' Cinco Paul (Lyrics and Music) and Bekah Brunstetter (Book) to talk about the process of creating their new musical.

Olney Theatre Center' is now presenting the world premiere of A.D. 16, which runs February 4 - March 6, 2022. The new musical is by writers Cinco Paul (co-creator of Despicable Me and Schmigadoon!) and Bekah Brunstetter (producer and writer on This Is Us).

BroadwayWorld has a first listen to 'Perfect' from Olney Theatre Center's world premiere of A.D. 16 (February 4 - March 6, 2022), performed by Phoenix Best. The new musical is by writers Cinco Paul (co-creator of Despicable Me and Schmigadoon!) and Bekah Brunstetter (producer and writer on This Is Us).

Olney Theatre Center will launch the world premiere of A.D. 16 (February 4 - March 6, 2022), a new musical from writers Cinco Paul (co-creator of Despicable Me and Schmigadoon!) and Bekah Brunstetter (producer and writer on This Is Us).

Everyman Theatre continues to welcome audiences back to LIVE THEATRE with the second offering in its 31st season, Pearl Cleage’s groundbreaking play FLYIN’ WEST.

Shakespeare Theatre Company has announced the cast of Peter Pan and Wendy (previously announced as Peter Pan), a reimagining of J.M. BARRIE's classic work by 'America's Most-Produced Playwright' (American Theatre) LAUREN GUNDERSON (Ada and the Engine, Silent Sky). This world premiere will be onstage for the holidays at Sidney Harman Hall from December 3, 2019-January 12, 2020.

Miss You Like Hell recently opened at Baltimore Center Stage and the reviews are in!

Baltimore Center Stage has announced the cast and artistic team for Miss You Like Hell, the season-opening musical of the 2019/20 mainstage season.  In kicking off the theater's 57th season, Miss You Like Hell will play in the Head theater from September 12-October 13, 2019.

Today's subjects Bob Banghart and Georgia Stitt are currently living their theatre lives as the composers (Banghert and Stitt) and lyricist (Stitt) of what I consider to be one of the best new musicals I've seen in a good long while. I am referring to the Alaska-based world premiere musical Snow Child, now running through May 20th at Arena Stage.

It is always exciting when you sit in a theater to see the world premiere of a new musical. The Arena Stage's Kreeger Theater was a buzz in anticipation of SNOW CHILD which is a co-production with Alaska's Perseverance Theatre. Why Perseverance? Well, Arena Stage's Artistic Director Molly Smith actually grew up in Alaska, returned there after schooling and founded the Perseverance Theatre in Juneau. She served as Artistic Director there for 19 years before coming to Arena Stage. Four years ago, Smith and Perseverance Artistic Director Art Rotch discussed the idea for an adaptation for SNOW CHILD.

While the musical is not quite perfect, it's the strongest one I've seen this season in the DC area. I hope it has a future life beyond the production in Juneau later this year. It deserves it.