Steve Martin & Martin Short, THE COLOR PURPLE, AMERICAN PROPHET & More Lead Washington DC's August Top Picks

Washington, DC is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month. Check out our selections for August including Steve Martin and Martin Short, The Color Purple American Prophet, No Place To Go and more!

Steve Martin and Martin Short The Funniest Show in Town at the Moment

Wolf Trap - August 20, 2022 through August 21, 2022

Steve Martin and Martin Short are two comedic masters driven to make each other laugh as much as the audience. From the small screen (most recently in Hulus Only Murders in the Building) to the stage, the famous friends comedy truly soars when they lovingly (and relentlessly) roast each other.

For tickets: click here.

The Color Purple

Signature Theatre - August 16, 2022 through October 09, 2022

This triumphant musical adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of human fortitude, redemption and love stars Nova Y. Payton and is directed by Timothy Douglas. A teenage Celie is torn from her beloved sister and forced into an abusive marriage. Over the next forty years, while Celie encounters repression, despair and heartbreak, she also discovers hope in a group of friends who inspire her to find her voice, discover her beauty and change her life. Nominated for 11 Tony Awards® and featuring a soaring score of jazz, gospel, blues and ragtime, The Color Purple brilliantly illuminates the lives of Southern Black women in breathtaking scope. Now playing at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA for 8 weeks only, August 16 - October 9, 2022.

For tickets: click here.

Tell Me Something Good

The Theatre Lab - August 12, 2022 through August 12, 2022

The Summer Acting Institute for Teens presents Tell Me Something Good by Audrey Cefaly, directed by Randy Baker.The show is a stunning exploration of loneliness, love and redemption, this play tracks the lives of multiple characters struggling with how to connect in a chaotic world.*One-night only*Venue: The Theatre Lab, 900 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

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Urinetown

Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company - August 11, 2022 through August 13, 2022

The Musical Theatre Institute for Teens presentsUrinetownMusic by Mark Hollmann; Lyrics by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis; Book by Greg KotisDirected by Aidan QuartanaMusic Direction by Lucia LaNaveChoreography by Sarah Frances WilliamsUrinetown is a wicked comedy about corruption and greedas relevant today as when it premiered two decades ago. In a city that has suffered a 20-year drought, officials have banned private toilets to conserve water. Citizens are forced to use public restrooms regulated by an evil corporation that profits by charging admission for one of humanitys most basic needs. From the poverty-stricken masses emerges a love-struck hero who incites a revolution. Hailed by The New York Times as a marvelously self-conscious satire of the musical theaters social conscience, Urinetown was nominated for an impressive ten Tony Awards in 2001 and took home the prize for best book, score and direction.

For tickets: click here.

An Evening with The Washington Ballet with Wolf Trap Orchestra

Wolf Trap - September 14, 2022 through September 14, 2022

The Washington Ballet celebrates one of the most beloved works by choreographic master George Balanchine alongside a trio of original works including choreographer Silas Farleys commissioned work Werner Sonata & The Washington Ballets own Andile Ndlovu, a lively celebration of the creative process and a showcase for the companys diverse range of talents.

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No Place to Go

Signature Theatre - August 16, 2022 through October 09, 2022

Bobby Smith stars in this musical ode to the unemployed with an enterprising twist. A dedicated corporate information refiner has learned that his company is moving to a cheaper, but very (very) remote, location and taking the jobs with it. Backed by a jazz band, this permanent part-timer must decide whether to go and uproot his familys life or embark on an unknown venture. Sardonic wit merges with clever jazz, blues and bluegrass music for an irreverent capitalist critique of the personal cost of doing business. Immensely appealing music, jokes and personal narrative [are] tightly knitted together into one consistent human package. The New York Times

For tickets: click here.

American Prophet

Arena Stage - July 15, 2022 through August 28, 2022

Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's "Born for This: The BeBe Winans Story", Broadway's "Motown the Musical") returns to Arena Stage with a ground-breaking musical about Frederick Douglass, portrayed by Cornelius Smith Jr. (ABC's "Scandal," "All My Children"). Douglass' own words power the soaring new melodies from Grammy Award-winning songwriter Marcus Hummon. This daring and heart-stirring new work presents Douglass as a fierce abolitionist and distinguished orator featuring interactions with key figures including, President Abraham Lincoln, activist John Brown and Douglass' wife, Anna Murray Douglass, without whom his defiant escape from slavery would not have been possible. This world premiere celebrates the revolutionary legacy of one of history's first freedom fighters.

For tickets: click here.

Something Rotten!

The Little Theatre of Alexandria - July 23, 2022 through August 13, 2022

Welcome to the Renaissance and the outrageous, crowd-pleasing musical farce, Something Rotten! Created by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, and successful screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell, Something Rotten! received several Best Musical nominations and was hailed by Time Out New York as "the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years".

For tickets: click here.

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