Even if you haven't seen the original film, the musical is still a fun ride. Despite some missteps, NextStop Theatre Company's new production is an undeniably good time, thanks in large part to some winning lead performances.
"I don't like works which require an explanation," begins Timothy Nelson, the new Artistic Director for the In Series, at Sunday's performance of Viva VERDI. Even after Mr. Nelson describes the performance with great detail, he encourages the audience to embrace their inevitable confusion. Instead, Mr. Nelson explains, this is a work that should be felt rather than understood. Keeping true to Mr. Nelson's suggestion, Viva VERDI is a work that only a genius could fully understand. Nevertheless, it is one of the most emotionally stirring performances I have seen in recent memory.
Kodo -- the world's most celebrated professional taiko company -- will present their program Evolution in North America for the first time, visiting 27 cities in the U.S. and Canada between January and March 2019. Evolution invites audiences to step into the world of Kodo, created by their past, their present, and their dedication to the future of taiko performing arts. This production showcases Kodo's perpetual creative evolution under the artistic direction of the legendary Tamasaburo Bando. 2019 tour highlights include stops at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Chicago's Symphony Center and National Arts Center in Canada. Complete schedule below.
Since his formidable emergence on the music scene in the 1990s, renowned pianist and composer Jason Moran has challenged the status quo, which has earned him a reputation as the future of jazz.
Siegmund Fuchs's new play In the Closet, produced by Rainbow Theatre Project, manifests this space in vivid detail. Unlike similar coming out stories, Fuchs emphasizes the continual process of coming out over the course of one's life. Even when the script stumbles, the themes presented in this show are worth listening to intently.
Arena Stage will continue to host Arena Civil Dialogues to engage the D.C.-area community
Pointless Theatre's production of Don Cristobal is an inventive send-up to Punch and Judy shows that is unfortunately bogged down by a clunky script which spends too much time trying to set up profundities it doesn't successfully execute.
Tackling Macbeth is no minor feat. Few shows inspire as much dread both onstage and off as Shakespeare's "Scottish Play." Daringly dark in both plot and theme, Macbeth relies heavily on the performances of the eponymous Scot and his wife to propel the plot along compellingly and with varying intensity. 4615 Theatre Company's production, unfortunately, falls victim to most of the pitfalls which riddle this complicated work. The final result is a revival which is bogged down by a slow-paced first act and lead performances which are unable to reveal anything new about this work.
Whatever happened to the theatrical thriller? There's something so incredibly fulfilling about a play that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Too often, there are elements that can pull you out of a thrilling production. It can be the smallest thing: from a flickering stage light to a fumbling actor. Thankfully for 4615 Theatre Company, their production of Dinner by Moira Buffini is devoid of any of these downfalls. Instead, the play comes together to create a sumptuous treat that will leave you wanting more.
'One of my questions after reading the play was, 'Do you have to feel guilty in order to go to heaven, so you won't ever have to feel guilt again?' I think Del Shores grapples with that theme, so there is a lot of gut-wrenching guilt presented here. Within the self-loathing there are opportunities for seeing irony, folly and some bits of joy.'
"How Hope Happens," the Fourth Season at Mosaic Theater Company, will open with Marie and Rosetta, written by George Brant and directed by local artist Sandra L. Holloway. This play featuring gospel music, blues, and rock n' roll tells the story of the first rehearsal between Sister Rosetta Tharpe (recently inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame), and her young protegee Marie Knight.
Capital Fringe productions tend to have a lot of ambition. No matter the quality of the show, there is a clear underlining of a message the playwright wants to get across to their audience. When this message is unclear, however, the work can begin to falter. Unfortunately, this is the kind of scenario that befalls two promising productions at the Festival: God is Dead and April's Getting Married and A Two Woman Hamlet. Neither is bad, per se, but each show fails at living up to the promise of their premises.
With over 80 plays to choose from, Capital Fringe Festival can be overwhelming for the average theatergoer. There are plenty of good choices ranging from over-the-top comedies to funky experimental dramas to allegories and satires and everything in between. Obviously, with so many offerings, there will be works that fail to execute their artistic vision effectively. Thankfully, Derek Hills's Shopworn, which opened on Tuesday night at Capital Fringe's Orange venue (Christ United Methodist Church), is a true diamond in the rough: a family drama that provides modern commentary without getting too preachy. It is thoroughly delightful and a perfect selection for Fringe veterans and first-timers alike.
Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces artistic updates, including select cast members for upcoming productions, as part of the company's 2018/19 programming.
Pippin may be one of the most timeless American musicals ever written. No matter when or where it is presented, the production is easily molded to fit the social circumstances of the day. Whether the original Fosse-helmed production, the Diane Paulus circus-themed 2013 revival, or a regional production that falls in between, Pippin's journey of self-discovery is one that allows for-even encourages-reinvention and improvement. Fresh off their victory of The John Aniello Award for Outstanding Emerging Theatre Company at this May's Helen Hayes Awards, Monumental Theatre Company's newest production presents Pippin as a coming of age tale for the millennial generation. The millennial spin is understandable but, unfortunately, the execution prevents Pippin's extraordinary tale from becoming more than an ordinary revival.
A good title is everything. It sets up the entire tone of a production before any audience members have filed into a theater space. Undoubtedly, Lesbians and the Men Who Love Them has one of the most intriguing titles of the 80+ shows participating in the Capital Fringe Festival. It's a shame that the rest of the production doesn't pique the same intrigue.
How far would you go to reunite with a deceased loved one? That's the central question posed by 'Ghosts', an all-new horror drama written by Elford Alley and directed by Springfield native and George Mason alum Kathleen Barth for the Capital Fringe Festival 2018. 'Ghosts' follows Levi (Evan Crump) as he attempts to communicate with the paranormal using a mysterious device. Of course, all is not as it seems as Levi discovers the device's hidden secrets with ramifications that reveal as much about himself as his family's past.
Continuing its cross-country tour, John Strand's critically-acclaimed political drama The Originalist, based on the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, will play at 59E59 Theaters under the direction of Artistic Director Molly Smith.
McDaniel College offers a variety of art, music, theatre, literary, film and other events during the fall of 2018.
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