Powerhouse theatre tucked into Tysons
Tysons Corner’s most celebrated theater is easy to miss. Taking a cue from gritty New York City venues, 1st Stage is located in a corrugated metal warehouse in a Northern Virginia strip mall. Despite the theater’s less-than-grand exterior, “our audience loves it,” said Eileen Mandell, 1st Stage’s director of community engagement. “People like the funkiness of this... READ MORE
Virginia Rep taps into 50s nostalgia
If the daily news or the daily grind gets you down, head to Virginia Repertory Theater and enjoy their production of Forever Plaid, a musical revue by Stuart Ross. You’re in for lots of laughs sandwiched among a tight harmony-line’s rendition of songs popular in the 1950s and 60s, ranging from “Three Coins in a Fountain” and “Lady of Spain” to “Chain Gang” and “Sixteen... READ MORE
“Aladdin” & Genie conjure a winning show
If you love your musicals full of glitz, over-the-top dance numbers and wisecracking genies, then the exuberant Aladdin from Disney, now at the Kennedy Center Opera House through September 7, is for you. This year Aladdin is everywhere — in the movies and onstage. The musical, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin, is set in an Arabian desert ... READ MORE
A rousing production of “The Wiz”
I have wanted to see The Wiz — a musical based on L. Frank Baum’s beloved children’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz — since I first heard the number “Ease on Down the Road.” What could be better than the iconic story updated to the 1970s with R&B, soul, pop music and high-energy dancing? Apparently, nothing was better in 1975, the year The Wiz opened on Broadway, as it ... READ MORE
Arthur Miller’s “Crucible” feels quite timely
“Mean girl” cliques. Pompous politicians. Lawsuits and “blame game” finger-pointing. Biblical fundamentalists. Hearsay and fake news. Just another day watching CNN or FOX in America, right? Not exactly. Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible, set in late 17th-century Salem, Massachusetts, knocks the truth on its head in The Vagabond Players production through June 30. The... READ MORE
Iconic “Grease” oozes with happy nostalgia
After nearly 50 years, it seems Grease is still the word. If you don’t believe me, head to Toby’s Dinner Theatre and check out their production of the musical. If you don’t leave singing or humming one of the songs, check for a heartbeat. The show dates back to its off Broadway opening in 1971, with book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. In 1972, it opened on... READ MORE
A refreshing, sunny “Singin’ in the Rain”
NextStop Theatre Company in Herndon, Virginia, is putting a fun spin on the musical comedy Singin’ in the Rain, now through June 23. Because the 1952 film starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds is such a beloved classic, live theaters might shy away from producing the musical. Not NextStop, whose actors and productions have been nominated for — and have recently won... READ MORE
Strangers in the night at a grand hotel
Audiences travel back in time to ritzy 1928 Berlin in Grand Hotel, playing at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va., through May 19. With a book by Luther Davis and music and lyrics by Robert Wright and George Forrest, the show was a hit on Broadway in 1989. However, this local production, under the direction of Eric Schaeffer, leaves the audience somewhat unsatisfied. The musical... READ MORE
The dancing Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a musical? You must be kidding, I thought. I was aware that Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel had been translated into English and seen success over the years in theaters and in movies. Some might remember the 1923 silent film with Lon Chaney, the 1939 version with Charles Laughton, or the 1997 film with Mandy Patinkin, Richard Harris and Salma Hayek. But like... READ MORE
Revisiting Anne Frank’s life
Born in Germany in 1929, Anne Frank would have celebrated her 90th birthday this June. Instead, she will forever remain 15 years old for those who have read her posthumously published diary, Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl, seen its various stage and film adaptations, or visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Anne died in 1945 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern ... READ MORE
