62 stories by "Chuck Leonard"
Peter's Alley is offering a very funny production of Speech and Debate by Stephen Karam at Theatre on the Run. Karam, whose play, The Humans, won the 2016 Tony award for Best Play, has twice…
35mm: A Musical Exhibition is referred to as a musical by the directors, but it is different from the way many think about the standard musical. The George Mason University School of Theatre…
In the first decade of the 20th century, on a farm in the tiny village of Avonlea, in Canada's smallest province, Prince Edward Island, a brother and sister realize they need help to sustain…
Based on the 2005 book by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher is a Tony Award-winning play by Rick Elice, with music by Wayne Barker. A lively production opened Friday, …
The rhythm is gonna get you! Expect to find yourself dancing in your seat, because the energy from this show is infectious. On Your Feet! at the Kennedy Center is electric, and audience memb…
From the beginning of the 1st Stage production of My Name is Asher Lev, we are told that the young Asher is an amazingly gifted artist. Asher, who is played by Lucas Beck, narrates the play,…
Last night, the Mason Players opened another excellent student-directed play at George Mason University. Following strong performances of Deadman's Cell Phone and 1984 earlier this semester,…
The markings on my forearm, imprinted when I entered the theater, remain, labeling me. At the end of the play, when I am leaving through the hall behind the theater, I witness a large pile o…
The play is set in 1953, and the Hays' once-proud stage careers are fading due to the increasing popularity of television and cinema, and actors who haven't been paid in a few weeks are quit…
Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility is the story of the two older Dashwood sisters. In a delightful Aquila Theatre production at George Mason University's Center for the Arts, the two sister…
Kelli O'Hara's concert last night was the culmination of a wonderful evening at George Mason University's “ARTS by George” benefit. The concert hall at the Center for the Arts wa…
Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of a cheeky flip, begun with fun by castaways, who do everything but strip. Gilligan's Fire Island is a parody, bringing back nostalgic mem…
Neil Simon writes terrific comedy. Tonight, Last of the Red Hot Lovers, performed by Walnut Street Theatre at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts, relied on two wonderfully t…
The names might seem familiar, and as you watch the show, some of the references sound like something you may have heard of before. In Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, the Tony Award-win…
A Christmas Carol at Little Theatre of Alexandria is a great way to get in the holiday spirit and reflect on Charles Dickens' timeless themes of repentance and generosity. There is good reas…
From the moment one enters the National Theatre, it becomes clear that Once is not your typical Broadway fare. Rather than seeing closed drapes and hearing piped-in pre-show music, the first…
A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare has long been among my favorite plays. If it isn't already yours, the Mason Players production could well change your mind. What kind of come…
Paul Revere may or may not have ridden through the countryside yelling, "The Redcoats are coming," but given a quick horse and a heavily padded saddle, this reviewer is writing to announc…
A Party to Murder, which opened last night at Little Theatre of Alexandria, is in the style of many Agatha Christie mysteries. Early on in the first act, one of the characters in the play ev…
Power struggles come in many forms. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, by Tennessee Williams can be used as a case study in a book titled, How to Win Arguments, and Influence People. Maggie uses sensual…
Almost, Maine is a series of short scenes reflecting love stories of characters in the same small town which never quite got organized enough to become official, so remains "almost." The act…
In his 70s, Art Garfunkel still has control of a gorgeous, light counter-tenor, and an ability to tell the story of a song while connecting with his audience. The Hylton Center for the Arts …
Audiences can't get enough of Sherlock Holmes. Television has two productions currently, the movie industry adds another version every year or two, and stage versions abound. I know of 4 ver…
It is funny! Building from a witty start to a raucous, hilarious ending, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) at The Little Theatre of Alexandria offers a joyful send-up of a…
Talley's Folly is a beautifully written two-person play by Lanford Wilson, reinventing the timeless love story of a couple who, despite their many differences are trying to find a way to mak…
