WASHINGTON, DC THEATER REVIEWS

“You Can’t Stop the Music” as the Village People say and this might have been the mission of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) as they sang their hearts out in esteemed composer Andrew Lippa’s original work entitled Unbreakable.  This East coast premiere by Mr. Lippa (composer...

Suddenly Last Summer a terrible memory was embedded in the mind of a woman, and she must now face an assault on her brain. Her cousin, the fastidious poet Sebastian, was spending a summer to write what was to be his last poem------but I am getting ahead of myself!...

The prolific, gifted, and influential artist Joni Mitchell has amassed a group of devoted followers and aficionados who have followed her genre-exploring career from folk, pop, rhythm and blues, jazz, and the romantic standards she has explored in her later years. Devotees of Ms. Mitchell often spea...

A MONSTER CALLS, a powerful story of love, loss, truth and self-discovery, is beautifully rendered for the stage. The fantastical tale is highly physical, gorgeous to behold, and packs a potent emotional punch. The production, now touring to the Kennedy Center, was adapted for the stage by visionar...

Overall, 'Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief' is a lackluster production. With so many better and more thoughtful options out there, this production doesn’t meet the standard I’ve come to expect of the DC theater scene’s forays into the Bard....

While this production of 'Carmen' is very traditional on its face, the thoughtfulness and sheer talent packed into this performance elevates it to something far more engaging, and absolutely enchanting. It’s more than worthy of audiences’ time, and hopefully WNO’s fresh interpretation will hel...

A corpse, dogs, a heart-shaped box, and diamonds are just a few of the plot ingredients in the merry mix of mayhem and misadventure in the zany musical Lucky Stiff now being presented at the NextStop Theatre Company.  An audaciously frenetic and chaotic sense of impending disaster fills the air as ...

The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Our Town is a triumphant production of vitality, and consequence. Thornton Wilder’s classic—a work that captures the universal experience of being alive—takes on new resonance and depth in the capable hands of an extraordinary ensemble. This play is immedi...

'The Joy that Carries You' is a touching and touchingly thoughtful journey, one which many might recognize in their own. But Secka and Stoller also make this a celebration of the relationships which until (only) very recently were taboo. Thank goodness we're no longer at the stage where seeing two w...

Show Way is a short musical adapted from the children's book of the same name by Jacqueline Woodson. It follows the family of Soonie, a Black woman in America, and the matriarchs that led her family from the time her ancestors were enslaved....

The premiere of THERE’S ALWAYS THE HUDSON, on stage now at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, has been a long time coming. Don’t miss this hilarious and heart-wrenching story of trauma, revenge, and friendship....

Hang on to your big hair and take a trip back to the 1960’s with the current US touring company of the Tony Award winning musical Hairspray playing through this Sunday at the National Theatre....

Freestyle Love Supreme is a unique show that consists of about an hour and a half of improvised hip-hop beats and rapping, with a healthy dose of comedy and banter. Read our critic's review!...

The Washington Stage Guild has finally had the opportunity to stage D. W. Gregory's searing study of innocence, hardened cynicism and totalitarian self-delusion, 'Memoirs of a Forgotten Man.' In spite of the long hiatus from its premiere four years ago (pre-COVID), the play continues to challenge us...

Recently, CATF supporters gathered to hear one of playwright Chisa Hutchinson's latest pieces, a radio drama that was co-produced with the Vermont's Dorset Theatre Festival. Over a fine, inventively crafted lunch at one of Shepherdstown's newest restaurants, Alma Bea (near the railroad tracks, just ...

Creative Cauldron’s production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods, directed by Matt Conner with music direction by Elisa Rosman, concocts a magical musical within the constraints of a small theatre space. ...

Mary Seacole (1805-1881) had more skills than José Andres; in addition to establishing catering in war zones (Seacole set up a rest stop for British soldiers near the front lines during the Crimean War.), she also provided health care services during Jamaica's 1850 cholera epidemic and Panama's the...

On Your Feet! celebrates Cuban-American pride and the need to celebrate life during both the good times and the tough times. This fascinating real-life story of Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan is full of bite, vigor, and vibrating energy to touch the soul and the heart. A multicultural cast lends ...

While ostensibly about grief and how we see the world, 'The Upstairs Department' is really more about the central sibling relationship, about how two people can drift apart and find their way back to each other along their journeys to better understand themselves....

Topical themes rule the day at the current production at Studio Theatre’s current production John Proctor is the Villain. This is a play that has good intentions to spare, fine acting, and superb production values but never quite gels as it tries to do too much at the same time....

Four years in the making, A.I.M by Kyle Abraham presented the hour-long dance piece entitled An Untitled Love but, although it may have been “untitled” it certainly encompassed many myriad moods, feelings and styles of dance while emphasizing the need for connection in an often-broken world with...

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'The Parable of the Sower' might be a bit too on-the-nose for some viewers, but it's a beautifully produced performance that showcases phenomenal talents while drawing necessary attention to key issues....

There are some ideas for theatrical pieces that seem great on paper but never quite become what you hoped they would be. Kennedy Center’s World Premiere dance commission The Other Side is that kind of piece....

There are very few times in a reviewer’s career where he/she can honestly say they saw a perfect performance. This past weekend at The Music Center at Strathmore international star of stage, screen, and the concert stage Lea Salonga gave a perfect performance. Her Dream Again Tour has a song list...