A romp Into the Woods at Ford’s Theatre
It is always a treat to see a show in the intimate and history-rich Ford’s Theatre with its poignant flag-draped theatre boxes. That pleasure is enhanced by an engaging and high-energy performance like that of Into the Woods, which runs until May 22. The award-winning musical, written by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, is an ambitious and rewarding show that gazes at darker topics... READ MORE
Heartfelt crimes from Vagabond Players
In the late 80s and into the 90s, America was treated to a number of films, some based on successful stage plays, that introduced us to a new genre that might be called “the tough Southern ladies movie.” These included Steel Magnolias, Fried Green Tomatoes, and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, to name a few. Imagine a combination of Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof... READ MORE
A revealing production of Gypsy at Toby’s
The musical Gypsy — loosely based on the early life of striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee — is really more the story of her single-minded narcissistic mother Rose. And if Rose brings to mind Ethel Merman, there’s a good reason: Merman not only starred in the original 1959 production, she was one of the forces behind the whole project, working with producer David Merrick and... READ MORE
A healing rite of passage through pain
In 2013, filmmaker Werner Herzog released a short film, From One Second to the Next, which dealt with tragedies born of texting while driving. One of the stories told in the film is that of Chandler Gerber. In 2012, while sending a text to his wife, he plowed his car into a horse-drawn Amish buggy, killing three children. As Amish culture emphasizes the importance of forgiveness, the... READ MORE
Acts of Faith theater festival now on stage
Over the next couple of months, Richmond theaters will offer a variety of performances as part of the 15th Annual Acts of Faith Festival. It is the largest festival of its kind in the country. Jeff Gallagher and Daniel Moor, members of the Second Presbyterian Church, and Bruce Miller, founding producer of the Virginia Repertory Theater, first developed the festival to bring people in... READ MORE
Seriocomedy shines light on hypocrisy
The white, upper-middle-class, liberal family in Joshua Harmon’s latest seriocomic play, Admissions, takes a disconcerting, yet very funny spin into hypocrisy as its members argue about how to ease racial inequality without endangering their privileged lives. The family’s delving into competing truths — and self-serving lies — are spouted with such wit and LOL punch lines that... READ MORE
“Miss Saigon” seen through first-timer’s eyes
There’s lots of sturm und drang being played out at the Kennedy Center in the new production of the musical Miss Saigon, which melodically blasts, electronically blazes, and dramatically tugs at audience emotions for almost three hours on the Opera House stage. It’s an ode to the odiousness of the Vietnam War, to the broad and brash Broadway musical, and to Madame Butterfly (on which ... READ MORE
Having a Wilde time at Everyman Theatre
At first glance, The Importance of Being Earnest, a play by the acclaimed Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde, would appear to simply be a comical farce, an amusing romp where Victorian sensibilities and social conventions are satirized. It’s a clever work, which initially seems a mix of a Shakespearean comedy (replete with star-crossed couples and mistaken identities) and the Marx... READ MORE
Virginia Rep presents hits on two stages
It’s an old adage that God laughs when man (or woman) plans. That is certainly the experience of Sister Act’s Mother Superior, played with depth and gravitas by veteran Virginia Rep actress Andrea Rivette. Keenly aware of her church’s dire financial situation and impending sale to a couple of antique salesmen, Mother Superior prays for a solution. Little does she know the solution... READ MORE
A de-lovely production of “Anything Goes”
The plot is ridiculous, the jokes are mostly cornball, the acting and staging are very good, the songs are often great, and the singing and dancing are wonderful — which more or less sums up the production of Cole Porter’s Anything Goes now at Arena Stage. The revival of the original 1930s musical features several songs from the Great American Songbook, including “I Get a Kick Out... READ MORE
