Rick Thomas News

What a way for Signature Theatre to end 2011...you just can't stop the beat!

November has over 60 more openings in the professional, community, universities, and children's theaters in the DC/MD/VA area. A week has already passed in November and over 20 new productions have opened. To read reviews of these shows, go to Maryland Theatre Guide, where I am the Editor and a columnist. A recent back surgery kept me from posting this earlier, so we have some catching up to do.

The holiday season is just around the corner and New Year's Eve will be here before you know it. And what better way to celebrate 2012 than to go back in time to the funkadelic 60's as Signature Theatre hosts their annual New Year's Eve party.

It's time to let your hair down and dance the night away! The 1960's are coming back to Washington as the Broadway sensation Hairspray will begin performances at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre on November 21st - just in time for the holidays. Directed by Signature's Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, the production will star national radio host Robert Aubry Davis (WETA's 'Around Town' and Sirius/XM Radio), making his musical theater stage debut in the iconic role of Edna Turnblad. The impressive cast of DC favorites is headlined by Carolyn Cole (Tracy Turnblad), Nova Y. Payton (Motormouth Mable), Sherri L. Edelen (Velma Von Tussle), Patrick Thomas Cragin (Link Larkin), and Harry A. Winter (Wilbur Turnblad). Hairspray will play at Signature's MAX Theatre from November 21, 2011 through January 29, 2012. Tickets are now on sale.

Olney Theatre Center's production of GREASE will close on August 28. Bobby Smith returns to direct what can be called the original high school musical.

Those summer nights are going to last just a little longer as Olney Theatre Center extends its production of Grease before it even opens. Bobby Smith returns to direct what can be called the original high school musical.

How does a 10-year-old vocal phenom follow up two hugely successful videos, a performance with legendary icon, Stevie Wonder, and being the featured story of Byron Allen's 'The Young Icons'?

Spike Hill Calendar November 8th-December 30th Monday, November 8th 8:00 PM-Nico Soffiato Quartet http://www.myspace.com/nico.soffiato 9:00 PM-Yvonnick Prene http://www.myspace.com/yvonnickprene 10:00 PM-Daniel Bennett Group http://www.myspace.com/danielbennettgroup 11:00 PM-Ahmad Hassan Muhammad http://www.myspace.com/ahmadhassanmuhammad

Flashback to the 1950s and some of that decade's greatest hits - Catch a Falling Star, Three Coins in the Fountain, Love is a Many Splendored Thing - with National Players' summer musical, Forever Plaid.

Flashback to the 1950s and some of that decade's greatest hits - Catch a Falling Star, Three Coins in the Fountain, Love is a Many Splendored Thing - with National Players' summer musical, Forever Plaid.

Flashback to the 1950s and some of that decade's greatest hits - Catch a Falling Star, Three Coins in the Fountain, Love is a Many Splendored Thing - with National Players' summer musical, Forever Plaid.

Is there any better place to celebrate the Fourth of July than the Nation's Capital? If you're in town for the fireworks and concert on the Mall, consider popping into one of our local theatres. This month's MUST-SEES include The Capital Fringe Festival and Hip-Hop Festival, pirates, a high-flying nanny, a supreme trio, a boar with a flapjack, a crazy one-man Lord of the Rings, those loveable Tony Award-winning puppets, lots of plaid, a household of singing sisters, Stew's 'strange' score, and a concert version of a Rodgers and Hart classic musical. There's something for everyone in July on our DC area stages.

Flashback to the 1950s and some of that decade's greatest hits - Catch a Falling Star, Three Coins in the Fountain, Love is a Many Splendored Thing - with National Players' summer musical, Forever Plaid.

Playwright Rajiv Joseph, Director Moisés Kaufman, Mia Barron, Dan Byrd, Ricardo Chavira, Monique Coleman, Christopher Duncan, Harry Groener, Omari Hardwick, Bryce Dallas Howard, James Immekus, Darryl Jones, Eriq La Salle, Harry Lennix, Kai Lennox, Bai Ling, Jodi Long, Randolph Mantooth, Logan Marshall-Green, Ben McKenzie, Omar Metwally, Nate Parker, Rich Sommer, Sean Patrick Thomas, Marisa Tomei, Rutina Wesley, Charlayne Woodard all attended the opening of Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.

Angela Lansbury, the great star of stage, film, and television, was honored tonight with the first Stephen Sondheim Award, given by Virginia's Signature Theatre at a black-tie Gala Benefit at the Embassy of Italy. The Sondheim Award, established by Signature last year in the name of America's most influential contemporary musical theater writer and composer, was presented to the actress by Mr. Sondheim himself.

Intiman Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Bartlett Sher and Managing Director Brian Colburn, continues its 2009 Season with three productions that carry forward Intiman's mission to produce provocative theatre and programs that encourage audiences to talk, think, laugh, argue and stay connected.

Due to audience demand and strong ticket sales, Intiman Theatre is extending its run of the Theatre for a New Audience production of Othello for an additional week of performances. Tickets are on sale now for shows on Tuesday, August 4 at 7:30 pm; Wednesday, August 5 at 2 pm and 7:30 pm; Thursday, August 6 at 7:30 pm; Friday, August 7 at 8 pm; Saturday, August 8 at 2 pm and 8 pm; and Sunday, August 9 at 2 pm (closing).

Intiman Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Bartlett Sher and Managing Director Brian Colburn, continues its 2009 season with OTHELLO.

Shakespeare's classic tale of jealousy, envy and revenge has slithered it's way into the Intiman to whisper thoughts of betrayal in your ear. This production put on by The Theater for a New Audience, direct from their recent sold out run in New York, shows what a solid professional company who really understands the story can do.

Intiman Theatre, under the leadership of Artistic Director Bartlett Sher and Managing Director Brian Colburn, continues its 2009 Season with three productions that carry forward Intiman's mission to produce provocative theatre and programs that encourage audiences to talk, think, laugh, argue and stay connected.