66 stories by "John Dellaporta"
Every so often, a show comes along that makes me wish I had been more sensitive with the hyperboles about productions I've seen. "Suchandsuch was GENIUS," "A brilliant production," "Expert t…
In the back of one of my little notebooks where I jot down random little ideas that hit me during various points in the day, I have an entry marked "Fringe Bingo." Once upon a time I was thi…
As the lights in the Artspace Loft Studio dimmed, a (vaguely) familiar orchestra string is heard and a (vaguely) familiar silhouette walks across the stage, turns, and fires his (finger) gun…
Sketch show is funny when No Rules does it. The most admirable thing about sketch comedy as an art form is this – it just gets itself out there. You have an idea? Write it down, punch …
Once upon a time, in 2001, there was a musical. Beloved by dozens, this teeny-tiny song cycle told the story of an ordinary, five year relationship in a highly unusual way – from the w…
My God…they're actually getting this right! There is no more terrifying emotion to experience than hope, and, within the opening moments of Disney's long-awaited film version of Into the W…
Holiday concerts…what do we want? My expectations for a holiday gig are certainly quite different than the usual fare in the Barbara Cook Spotlight Series. If a Broadway star is going to b…
When The Sound of Music Live! aired on NBC last year, reactions were, you could say, mixed. And yet, despite the devil's advocates, the optimists, the doomsdayers and naysayers, one thing wa…
Last year, beyond anyone's wildest expectations, NBC's broadcast of The Sound of Music Live!, starring Carrie Underwood, managed to shatter ratings records and break the Internet in ways …
Down at the Anacostia Arts Center, Brave Spirits Theatre is undertaking a little experiment, or "Shakespeariment", if you're as into silly made-up words as I am (which, if you're a Shakespea…
Memory is a powerful thing in music. When I was young, one of my first exposures to musical theatre was the 1993 Broadway revival cast recording of Guys and Dolls. Mostly known for introduci…
At heart, Jacques Brel is a stand-up comedian. Now hear me out a second. True, it's not exactly the first thing you think of when listening to music from Brel's catalog. And one could easily…
When looking at a production of Venus in Fur that is opening at this specific time in our history, the beginning of the fall of 2014, two separate lines of thought begin to form. First, h…
What does one expect when attending an event called The Cole Porter Project? Given the composer-fronted name and the producing company (the In Series, primarily known for their accessibl…
In his interview with DC Theatre Scene, Ed Dixon, writer, composer, lyricist, and co-star of Cloak and Dagger, makes specific reference to The 39 Steps, Broadway's newly classic minimalist f…
Sometimes, when I'm struggling to figure out what to say to begin a review, I take stock of the way I felt when I walked into the theatre. After all, what is a review, if not the equation of…
I'm not one who is prone to turning into a "fanboy." Part of my joy in seeing cabarets in the Barbara Cook series at the Kennedy Center has been the "Stars, they're just like us!" vibe that …
In every trip I make to a cabaret performance, I pay particular attention to the personal connection the performer wants to make with his or her audience. It's the classic actor question: Ok…
I've gotta hand it to Signature Theatre – they sure know how to put on a show. Going to see a musical at the Shirlington company's home will offer you certain guarantees. Cleanliness. …
I believe that every diet needs the occasional spoonful of Marshmallow Fluff directly out of the jar. I have a fond memory from a few years ago. I'd never seen Mamma Mia! and was about to…
In my other reviews, I've made mention of cabaret as a fascinating opportunity with a name artist. Tonight, it's just artist and audience, me as me, you as you, and we will share something d…
You'd never think "Pulitzer Prize-winning drama" to look at How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It's too unpretentious. Too breezy. Too fun. And yet, when you really dig right …
"I could have done this all summer." – Ellen "Me, too." – Barbara There's a boatload of quotes in this episode, about finality, theatre, art, redemption, transience, and all …
Geoffrey: "Lear loses everything…and it is only when he is all alone, naked in a storm, that he is able to find…" Oliver: "His dignity." The thing about rock bottom is this…it's always…
"At the end of it all, you've got to have some spectacular cock-ups, because THEN, you'll have stories…and you'll have had a life." – Cyril It's a long way to rock-bottom, isn't it? …
