Perhaps the greatest grievance of the Christmas season is its, at times, redundancy. While I typically enjoy a live production or movie that feels familiar as much as anyone, it can be so re…
All too frequently, one of Baltimore's best little theatres flies under the radar of the viewing audiences. This is a shame because Arena Players is now in its 68th year and celebrating the …
I was most fortunate to spend a good part of my childhood through my twenties not far from Broadway. From 1957 to the middle 1990s, if you lived in New York, you were acutely aware of the ar…
Until recently, the role of Clara in "The Nutcracker Suite" was mainly an acting part, played by a young girl in a pink nightgown. All she had to do was bop the mouse king with her shoe (usu…
"Secret Things," now playing at 1st Stage is a heartfelt, beautifully-staged and acted play about the quest for identity and love. If you enjoy a healthy dose of magical realism, you will th…
There is a parade of trombones, the beat of snare drums, and a procession of young people in jaunty new band uniforms. We speak not of "The Music Man," but instead another work by the same c…
Best Medicine has staked out the comedy territory, and overall, they produce very funny shows. Throughout the closures of the pandemic, they produced a beautifully staged version of "Roaring…
One of the most beautiful qualities of live theatre is its capacity to elicit specific feelings of comforting memories and nostalgia. Whether it's a piece of childrens' theatre evoking fond …
If the world seems rude and sad and dreary, there's a way to make your Christmas feel much more cheery! Grab the kids (it'll be a cinch), then head to The National to see "The Grinch!" That'…
Gather a bunch of Black theater makers together and chances are that a majority of them will have had some association with "Dreamgirls." After watching the current iteration currently runni…
November 15 " 21, 2021 1. 'Maricela de la Luz Lights the World' at Fells Point Corner Theatre "…an absolute delight…smart, joyful, and certain to dazzle every generation." " Max Garner R…
November 7 " 14, 2021 1. 'Disney's Beauty and the Beast' at Olney Theatre Mainstage "Olney Theatre Center's production of 'Disney's Beauty and the Beast' is transformative." " Susan Brall RE…
"Catch Me If You Can," with the libretto by Terrence McNally and a theatrical score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Whittman, borrows much from the 2002 film of the same name which, in turn, was b…
For many years, the Children's Theatre of Annapolis (CTA) brought the magic of the stage alive with productions including Mary Poppins flying in to help the Banks children; Dorothy melting t…
Washington Stage Guild's current production of 'My Children! My Africa!' is as relevant today as it was in 1989. Thirty-two years have passed, and Black people are still affected by centurie…
Imagine a story of an 11-ish-year-old girl caught up in a catastrophic weather event. It lurches her away from familiar surroundings and forces her to embark on an epic, heroic adventure so …
With over 14 million copies sold, Tuesdays with Morrie stands among the most popular and most read books in the world. What makes Mitch Albom's memoir of the days he shared with his dying fo…
Chesapeake Shakespeare Company will be present the holiday classic "A Christmas Carol" based on the story by Charles Dickens. This version has a bit of twist CSC's annual version moves the a…
Lauren Yee's "The Great Leap" is raucously funny, incredibly profane, not for the kids, thoughtful, and will leave you uncomfortable. The latter is not a bad thing"but you may well have to p…
Ayad Akhtar's acclaimed play, "Disgraced," was first produced in 2013 and won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and an Obie Award for Playwriting that year. It received a Tony Award for Drama in …
As far as I knew, noted composer Gian Carlo Menotti only wrote one short opera, namely "Amahl and the Night Visitor." What a delightful surprise to find that I was, once again, mistaken. It …
Toby's current production of "Irving Berlin's White Christmas" is a retelling of the beloved Bing Crosby-Danny Kaye 1954 motion picture, more recently revived as a Broadway and touring show.…
Olney Theatre Center's Mainstage reopened with a roar with their production of "Disney's Beauty and the Beast."Â The show"with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, …
These days, you'll hear "Rent" sometimes called "the Hamilton of its time." While the parallels are obvious"throngs of borderline obsessed young fans; groundbreaking diversity; a boundary-pu…
 Christmas has arrived early in the Southern Maryland theatre community. After a complicated year, we all can allow ourselves an extra early bit of holiday cheer. Holidays possess a uniq…