BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Amber Paige McGinnisDecember 4, 2017Today's subject Amber Paige McGinnis is currently living her theater life at Theater J as the director of the Tony Award-winning play The Last Night of Ballyhoo. The production runs through December 31st.
BWW Review: A CHILD'S CHRISTMAS IN WALES AND OTHER STORIES at Washington Stage GuildDecember 3, 2017A modern day holiday season might include such activities as camping out at Walmart for a 3:00 AM special on a flat screen TV for $25.00 or playing with the latest electronic gadgets that are out there. DC's little jewel of a theater, Washington Stage Guild, takes us back to a time when people actually sat around the fireplace, told stories, sang Christmas carols and hymns and wait for it talked to each other with the delightful holiday offering A Child's Christmas in Wales and Other Stories.
BWW Review: CHARLOTTE'S WEB at Imagination StageNovember 29, 2017E. B. White's Charlotte's Web has been adapted in many ways. There was an animated movie musical back in the 70s, a live action film a few years back, and a stage adaptation that Theatreworks USA toured around the country for years. Imagination Stage in Bethesda is currently presenting the latter as its holiday attraction. The creative team takes a very heavy-handed approach to material that isn't that light to begin with, unfortunately.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Jennifer MoellerNovember 29, 2017Today's subject Jennifer Moeller is currently living her theatre life as the costume designer for Twelfth Night at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). The production runs through December 20th at STC's Sydney Harman Hall space.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Racheal and Ryan NyeNovember 20, 2017It's that time of year again folks; it's time for the Kennedy Center's annual production of the holiday perennial ballet The Nutcracker. Rather than present the same production every year, Kennedy Center invites a different company to perform its own take on the Tchaikovsky classic. This year, local audiences will be treated to the Kansas City Ballet and today's subjects, Racheall and Ryan Nye, are living their theatre lives as part of this production, which runs November 22nd through the 26th in Kennedy Center's Opera House. Rachael trains all of the kids for the production and Ryan is performing the role of Drosslemyer.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Kolby KindleNovember 9, 2017Today's subject Kolby Kindle is currently living his theatre life on the road in the ensemble of the national tour of the juggernaut hit The Book of Mormon. The show is now playing at the Kennedy Center through November 19th.
BWW Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Arena StageNovember 9, 2017Some musicals from the golden age of Broadway are done to death. Let's face it, how many productions of Guys and Dolls and Fiddler on the Roof can you take? Anytime a theater chooses to produce a show that isn't seen as often as the aforementioned ones I get very excited. When they are presented well, my musical theater geekiness goes into overdrive. Arena Stage has put my geekiness into overdrive with its current production of the 1954 tuner The Pajama Game. With the exception of a production at Roundabout Theatre Company a few years back, this show really isn't performed very often professionally anymore.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Evan CaseyNovember 3, 2017Today's subject Evan Casey is currently living his theatre life onstage at Signature Theatre, his DC theatrical home base in An Act of God. The production runs through November 26.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Britney Coleman and Tim RoganNovember 1, 2017Today's subjects Britney Coleman and Tim Rogan are currently living their theatre lives at Arena Stage performing in one of the golden age of Broadway's more underrated musicals, The Pajama Game. They are playing the roles of Babe Williams and Sid Sorokin, respectively. The production runs through December 24th.
BWW Review: MYSTERY SCHOOL at The Edge of the Universe Players 2October 31, 2017The pint size dynamo known as Nora Achrati is one of the area's most dynamic actresses so a show where it's just her and the audience should make for a great night of theatre. Achrati portrays five different characters in Paul Selig's ethereal and spiritual script Mystery School.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Nellie McKayOctober 27, 2017Today's subject Nellie McKay is probably best known as a singer and songwriter, but what you may not know is that she has a theatre connection. She has lived her theatre life onstage at Roundabout Theatre Company in The Threepenny Opera as Polly Peachum. That performance won her a Theatre World Award. Tomorrow evening, October 28, she will be appearing at one of the DC area's newest arts performance venues, Amp powered by Strathmore.
BWW Review: SERGIO MENDES at StrathmoreOctober 23, 2017For 57 years Sergio Mendes has been a driving force in the world of popular music. since 1966. Starting withHerb Alpert presents Sergio Mendes and Brazil '66, he took Brazilian and Bossa Nova music and bought it to the masses. His recordings of such pop songs as The Look of Love and Mas Que Nada were and continue to be classics.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Allen Lee HughesOctober 23, 2017Today's subject, Allen Lee Hughes, is currently living his theater life as lighting designer for Arthur Miller's The Price - his 70thproduction at Arena Stage. The production runs through November 12th in the Kogod Cradle. Mr. Hughes also lit the production also lit the show the last time Arena Stage produced it back in 1994.
BWW Review: THE SMARTEST GIRL IN THE WORLD at Imagination StageOctober 20, 2017Sometimes playwrights don't know when to quit and there's a situation where an incidental plot point becomes a major one because it's unnecessarily brought to the forefront again and again. Miriam Gonzales' The Smartest Girl in the World suffers from this problem and it's too bad because otherwise there is plenty to like in Imagination Stage's season opener.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Liam MowerOctober 15, 2017Today's subject Liam Mower is currently living his theatre life on tour with esteemed choreographer Matthew Bourne's production of The Red Shoes in the role of Ivan Boleslawsky. The production concludes a week-long engagement today at Kennedy Center's Opera House before continuing on to Charlotte, NC and New York, NY.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Kimberly SchrafOctober 12, 2017Today's subject Kimberly Schraf is currently living her theatre life at Ford's Theatre portraying one of the best known female roles in the American Theatre. Not only does Kimberly give a superb performance as Linda Loman in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, she does so with Craig Wallace as Willy Loman. Wallece is her partner in life as well as onstage. Her once-in-a-lifetime performance can be seen through October 22nd.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Jack KoenigOctober 11, 2017Today's subject Jack Koenig is currently living his theatre life onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) as part of the company of the double bill of The Lover and The Collection by Harold Pinter. The production runs through October 29th at STC's Lansburgh Theatre.
BWW Review: ASSASSINS at Pallas Theatre CollectiveOctober 10, 2017Any musical theatre geek knows that Stephen Sondheim's central subjects for musicals are rarely light and fluffy individuals. Sweeney Todd has a barber who slits people's throats and Sunday in the Park with George has a painter who is a perfectionist and egomaniac.