WASHINGTON, DC THEATER REVIEWS

MASTER CLASS is McNally's fictionalized and highly entertaining play where "La Divina" once again brings her passions to the stage, this time as a teacher of young opera students. For the production now lighting up MetroStage, Illona Dulaski embodies Callas in a tour de force performance....

Madame Butterfly is a tragic tale with a colorful beginning. Giacomo Puccini's turn-of-the-century opera is accessible and engaging, tailor-made for opera buffs and newbies alike....

Lisa Hodsoll emerges as fully First Lady in The Klunch world premiere 'Laura Bush Killed a Guy.' She's got that soft West Texas accent, the omnipresent smile as shiny as her pearls, a cream colored ensemble, and poise to burn....

As investigations into Russian influence on U.S. elections continue, here's a development that has so far eluded Rachel Maddow: They may have also been behind the witches in 'Macbeth.'...

Randy Baker drew from his own upbringing in Asia to craft his play 'Forgotten Kingdoms,' getting a world premiere at Rorschach Theatre, where he is co-artistic director....

'Have a hanky ready!' Alan Cumming exclaimed at the beginning of what evolves into an emotional, entertaining, and engaging evening of cabaret. In the first show of the Renee Flemming VOICES Series at the Kennedy Center, Mr. Cumming, known for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret and Eli Gold in The Goo...

It was a night of brilliant music performed in front of a wonderfully diverse and appreciative crowd at Strathmore that we won't soon forget....

The Washington Ballet's latest program, on view through this weekend, is especially rich with the work of three great choreographers on display; this talented ensemble has never looked more lively and inspired, and it is a joyful evening not to be missed....

What makes the Maly production of Three Sisters so compelling is Lev Dudin's ability to show how Chekhov's small-town characters, mired in the mores and beliefs of 1890's provincial Russia, anticipate our own thwarted dreams. Surprises abound, as we discover the inner fire that burns in people we th...

Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book has seen no shortage of adaptations. In addition to its original print form, it's the source for two Disney movies, and a stage adaptation at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago a few years back. Would-be adaptors face as slight problem in that while there is lots of fun...

Shakespeare's HENRY V gains new perspective with a retelling by We Happy Few Productions that takes a closer look at the stories and stakes of the everyday foot soldiers. It is a fascinating, resonant, and important new take on a known work that's only around for another week, so make plans now to t...

Directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado, the U.S. premiere of the Spanish-adaptation of IN THE HEIGHTS reminds audiences of the importance of family and to celebrate who they are. Universal themes of hope and pride are exemplified in the music and lyrics expertly crafted by Lin-Manuel Miranda and...

As topics go, you couldn't pick a more immediate one than race in America. And as cities go, Washington is an apt location for a production of Lydia R. Diamond's SMART PEOPLE. It's set during the Obama era and takes on the topic of race with biting comedy. Seema Sueko directs a new run at Arena Stag...

I witnessed a stellar and - dare I say - pretty flawless production that completely and utterly immersed me into Alison Bechdel's world....

Ballet is always beautiful, but too often it also feels inaccessible and outdated. With Ballet Across America, The Kennedy Center banishes these concerns with a program full of relevance and joy. Misty Copeland has brought together three diverse companies who differ in style but share an impressiv...

...

For one night, folk music legend Pete Seeger's legacy in song was celebrated by a diverse array of musical talent. The Kennedy Center Concert Hall stage held a who's who including multiple Grammy winners, living legends and up-and-coming artists performing in tribute to the singer and activist Pete ...

While not landmark piece of musical theatre, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER delivers a few hours of escapist fun and a slew of 1970's disco tunes that will likely take some audience members back to their days in bell bottoms, platform shoes, and hustling the night away. With strong leading performances, a st...

The riveting, ready-made drama of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings animate a new production at the Mosaic Theater Company of DC....

If you've ever dreamed of seeing Lin-Manuel Miranda collaborate with Daft Punk, Pointless Theatre's .d0t:: A ROTOPLASTIC BALLET may be the closest you'll get. Heavily inspired by Italian futurist artist Fortunato Depero, the show incorporates masterful puppetry, visuals like a pop-up book brought to...

Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) companies have it more difficult than companies that present theatre for adults in some respects. If they set out to present a story that's already been adapted by a certain big entertainment company – you know, the one that all started with a mouse – audiences ...

Featuring a cast of seasoned veteran actors working beside some of the DC-area's most gifted young performers, Theater J offers a sublime take on Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical look at growing up poor and horny in Depression era Brooklyn. Through the lens of nostalgia, Simon's 34 year-old play i...

The Maryland Opera Studio at the University of Maryland's School of Music is a two-year program for graduate students in Opera Performance. Their ambitious The Orpheus Adventure is a gorgeous endeavor between the School of Music, along with the Theater and Dance Departments....

John Kander and Fred Ebb's murderess musical Chicago is back in town at the Kennedy Center's Opera House. The score is still as good as it ever was, but overall this current tour is missing some of the spark it needs to be totally satisfying....

Just outside the hustle and bustle of Washington, DC, high quality theater is found at the NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon. BOEING BOEING, a delightful comedy, runs in the 114 seat theater through April 30....