Katie McManus News

The Broadway composer Cy Coleman is completely underrated. His range of musicals stretch from traditional musical (Little Me) to 60's pop (Sweet Charity) to comic operetta (On The Twentieth Century). His greatest triumph is the hard jazz / film noire musical City of Angels. On Saturday night, the DC area professional premier opened at NextStop Theatre in Herndon, Virginia.

City of Angels, with book by Larry Gelbart, music by Cy Coleman, and lyrics by David Zippel, plays through June 5, 2016 at NextStop Theatre Company, in Herndon, Virginia. Check out photos from the production below!

NextStop Theatre Company's third professional season comes to a close in May 2016 with the DC area regional professional premiere of the film noir jazz musical, City of Angels. NextStop's production will open May 12 and run through June 5, 2016.

Through these stories about Horton the Elephant and his friends, Seussical, directed by Jennifer Lambert and music directed by Evie Korovesis, captures the imaginations of children and adults alike.

SEUSSICAL, with music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and book by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty; based on the works of Dr. Seuss, plays Fridays through Sundays through December 20, 2015 at NextStop Theatre Company, in Herndon, Virginia. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

NextStop Theatre Company's 2nd annual family holiday production will be Seussical (TYA). Based on the works of Dr. Seuss and brought to the stage by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, this show combines classic Seuss characters and stories into a musical extravaganza!

Creative Cauldron will open its 2015-­?16 season with The World Goes 'Round, a musical revue of works by John Kander and Fred Ebb, one of the most prolific and acclaimed Broadway musical collaborators of all time. The production is directed by Matt Conner and choreographed by Kara-­?Tameika Watkins. "Audiences will be dazzled by the brilliance of Kander and Ebb," stated Conner. "The songs in this wonderful revue celebrate the resilience of the human heart on a revolving planet filled with love, pain, success and failure." Previews begin October 1st and the show continues at ArtSpace Falls Church (410 South Maple Avenue) through October 25th. A Season Opening Gala reception and performance will be held on Saturday, October 3rd beginning at 6:30 pm. Press Night is Sunday, October 4th at 7:00 pm

Norma Desmond makes her close-up in Reston Community Players' sumptuous rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, running now through March 21, 2015. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Norma Desmond is waiting for her close-up in Reston Community Players' sumptuous rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Sunset Boulevard, opening Feb. 27, 2015.

On October 20, 2014, Florence Lacey (Broadway's Follies, Evita and Signature's Sunset Boulevard), Megan Lawrence (Broadway's Hair and Signature's Cabaret), Jacquelyn Piro Donovan (Broadway's Les Miserables and Signature's The Witches of Eastwick), Natascia Diaz (Broadway's Man of La Mancha and Signature's The Threepenny Opera) and Nick Blaemire (Broadway's Godspell and Signature's Glory Days) performed alongside 75 Signature Theatre artists and an 18-piece orchestra as Virginia's Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre celebrated its 25th Anniversary. With performances from 27 shows over the last 25 years, including Sweeney Todd, The Rhythm Club, Urinetown, The Boy Detective Fails, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Dreamgirls, Chess, and many more. Scroll down for photos!

Creative Cauldron's 2014-15 season is entitled, “Oh the places we will go…” And it's hard not to feel transported back to 1950's Paris with their charming production of Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris.

Director Evan Hoffman has worked deftly with a strong cast who pop in and out of the action at a brisk, engaging pace. With a special turn by 'Today Show' anchor Kathie Lee Gifford (whose voice work is remarkably good), it's a special evening indeed.

NextStop Theatre Company's new production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, running tonight, May 1-June 1, 2014, makes a major announcement for the season-closing production. Directed by NextStop's Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann, the production team is announcing the addition of TODAY Show Co-Host, Kathie Lee Gifford, as the voice of the Giant's Wife. The addition of Ms. Gifford is a significant achievement for the emerging company as they close out their inaugural main stage season.

NextStop Theatre Company's new production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, running May 1-June 1, 2014, makes a major announcement for the season-closing production. Directed by NextStop's Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann, the production team is announcing the addition of TODAY Show Co-Host, Kathie Lee Gifford, as the voice of the Giant's Wife. The addition of Ms. Gifford is a significant achievement for the emerging company as they close out their inaugural main stage season.

NextStop Theatre Company completes its inaugural main stage season with an ambitious new production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods, running May 1-June 1, 2014. Directed by NextStop's Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann, the production will feature a cast of seventeen and a ten-piece orchestra in the company's intimate 114-seat black box theater in Herndon, VA.

The Ford's Theatre 2013-2014 season continues with the musical Violet, directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (Broadway's Newsies), now through February 23, 2014. Violet features a dynamic score of bluegrass, gospel, country and rock music by four-time Tony Award-nominated composerJeanine Tesori (the recent Fun Home; Broadway's Caroline, or Change;Thoroughly Modern Millie; Shrek the Musical). The Ford's production stars a first-class Washington cast led by Erin Driscoll in the title role. Check out a first look at the cast in action below!

The Ford's Theatre 2013-2014 season continues with the musical Violet, directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun (Broadway'sNewsies), January 24-February 23, 2014. Violet features a dynamic score of bluegrass, gospel, country and rock music by four-time Tony Award-nominated composer Jeanine Tesori (the recent Fun Home; Broadway's Caroline, or Change;Thoroughly Modern Millie; Shrek the Musical). The Ford's production stars a first-class Washington cast led by Erin Driscoll in the title role.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company continues celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season with the second installment of the Bard's Broadway series with the Tony Award winning musical Two Gentlemen of Verona (a rock opera) performing January 27-29, 2012 at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW). Galt MacDermot, John Guare and Mel Shapiro come together to create the music, lyrics and book that add a spicy, funky twist to Shakespeare's work of the same name.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company continues celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season with the second installment of the Bard's Broadway series with the Tony Award winning musical Two Gentlemen of Verona (a rock opera) performing January 27-29, 2012 at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW). Galt MacDermot, John Guare and Mel Shapiro come together to create the music, lyrics and book that add a spicy, funky twist to Shakespeare's work of the same name.

The humidity is starting to climb and it's what we call around here -- 'corn weather'. But in the air-conditioned theatres in the Nation's Capital there is a harvest of new shows opening. So if you're here visiting the monuments and the Smithsonian museums, get out of the heat and come see a play or a musical.