BWW Review: Washington National Opera's FAUST is a Devilishly Good Time
by Sam Abney
- Mar 20, 2019
Few works have inspired such a long-lasting legacy as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Faust. The Faustian bargain has become a common expression for metaphorically selling one's soul in order to obtain their goals. Of course, the metaphor is much less metaphorical in von Goethe's work and, subsequently, the Charles Gounod opera which stems from this German classic. Gounod's opera isn't always perfect, but the Washington National Opera's new production which opened at the Kennedy Center on Saturday evening breathes enough life into this classic that you'll likely not notice the over three hours you've spent watching the drama unfold.
Photo Flash: First Look At Kate Hamill's VANITY FAIR At American Conservatory Theater
by A.A. Cristi
- Mar 7, 2019
American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Pam MacKinnon announced the full cast and creative team for Vanity Fair, acclaimed playwright Kate Hamill's rollicking new stage adaptation of William Thackeray's classic 19th-century novel that pops with 21st-century spirit. Ambitious Becky Sharp may not have been born with wealth or status, but she's determined to attain both-at any cost. Armed with fierce wit and calculating charm, Becky forges her own path through London's high society, dealing herself into a game she was never invited to play. Displaying the celebrated audacity and verve that she brought to her adaptation of Sense & Sensibility, Hamill conjures an inventive and lively period drama that combines a fierce contemporary edge with the theatricality of Victorian Burlesque.
BWW Review: VANITY FAIR at Shakespeare Theatre Company
by Sarah Murphy
- Mar 5, 2019
Mean Girls, Big Little Lies, Heathers, Broad City, Thelma and Louise, Parks and Recreation, Sex and the City…These are some of the better known vehicles for female friendship that inhabit our pop culture universe. Paling in comparison to the numerous portrayals of male friendships and "bromances", too often these relationships center on competition or jealousy, on getting the guy. Very few take a deeper, more comprehensive dive into the complexity of female companionship. Even fewer are the product of female authors, directors, playwrights, etc.
BWW Review: Dark and Unrelenting RICHARD THE THIRD at Shakespeare Theatre Company
by Pamela Roberts
- Feb 15, 2019
Richard the Third is one of Shakespeare's most famous villains. Ruthless and astute, savvy and unscrupulous, Richard pursues power with a single-minded and dangerous intensity. In the Shakespeare Theatre Company's production, directed by David Muse, Richard's world is grim, gray, perilous, and unrelenting. Matthew Rauch in the title role is deliciously complex - we, too, are alarmed to find ourselves wooed by his intelligence and charisma even as we are repelled by his treachery and dogged fixation with acquiring power any cost. Shakespeare's tale of villainy, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company's interpretation, asks the audience to venture into a severe and harsh world. It is a dark and fascinating journey, but not for the faint of heart.
BWW Review: A new look at TWELVE ANGRY MEN at Ford's Theatre
by Pamela Roberts
- Jan 25, 2019
Even after 65 years after Twelve Angry Men was first performed, we sit with the uncomfortable realization that prejudice shapes many of our interactions. The current production at Ford's Theatre is an important message, a provocative reminder, and a great night of theater
BWW Review: THE LION, THE UNICORN, AND ME at The Kennedy Center
by Rachael Goldberg
- Dec 15, 2018
While it makes a worthy effort to introduce people to the arts, 'The Lion, the Unicorn, and Me' simply misses the mark. Despite its wonderful cast, the show has far too many flaws for this to be a worthy introduction to a love for theatre.
BWW REVIEW: WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS: A DECADE IN CONCERT at Kennedy Center
by Elliot Lanes
- Nov 26, 2018
Any one of us that has ever seen an animated feature or short produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studios knows that the music is always a big component in making the film a success. Let's face it, aren't you all still singing 'Let it Go' from Frozen even though the film is now five years old? Songs like that one and classics like 'Heigh Ho' and 'A Whole New World' are etched in our collective memories for a lifetime.
Photo Flash: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Returns to Ford's Theatre For The Holiday Season
by A.A. Cristi
- Nov 19, 2018
Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault announced that acclaimed Washington actor Craig Wallace will return to Ford's to perform the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the company's holiday production of A Christmas Carol. Performances of the classic Charles Dickens story begin November 15 and continue for a six-and-a-half-week engagement through December 30, 2018. This 'musically high-spirited' and 'infectiously jolly' (The Washington Post) production is adapted by Michael Wilson and directed by Michael Baron.
BWW Review: SPAMALOT at Lied Center For Performing Arts, Lincoln
by Christine Swerczek
- Nov 3, 2018
I don't like Spam. To me, it's mystery meat and I don't like the taste. I looked it up on the internet to see what it is made from. It was introduced by Hormel in 1937 to increase the sale of pork shoulder. Few know the true origination of the name 'Spam,' but suggestions include 'Specially Processed Army Meat.' My favorite more colorful descriptions are 'meatloaf without basic training' and 'ham that didn't pass its physical.' Spam has recently been adopted as the term for inappropriate or irrelevant messages that flood our inboxes. This all fits.
BWW Review: The Washington National Opera's LA TRAVIATA is an Exquisite Revival
by Sam Abney
- Oct 10, 2018
Even if you've never seen an opera, you know at least one or two of the tunes from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata, which has become one of the most popular modern representations for classical opera. While the work was jeered at the time of its premiere, this tragic tale has aged beautifully-with a lush score featuring some of the greatest duets. The Washington National Opera's newest production injects new life into this piece, thanks to smart directorial choices by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and a top-notch creative team.
BWW Interview: Theatre Life with Alexandra Silber
by Elliot Lanes
- Jun 19, 2018
Today's subject, Alexandra Silber, is known on both sides of the pond as a versatile, killer performer. This international dynamo is currently living her theatre life onstage at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) as Guenevere in Camelot. The production has been extended and now runs through July 8th in STC's Sydney Harman Hall space.
BWW Review: BOTTICELLI IN THE FIRE at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company is Entirely Unique
by Jennifer Perry
- Jun 3, 2018
Featuring a compelling script, some of the best acting you're bound to see anywhere locally (most notably from Jon Hudson Odom) under the swift and inspired direction by Marti Lyons, and strong production elements (even music!), this is an unpredictable "only at Woolly" experience you won't want to miss. It's especially perfect for Pride Month.
BWW Review: CAMELOT Dazzles at Shakespeare Theatre Company
by Evann Normandin
- Jun 1, 2018
Director Alan Paul is bringing Lerner and Loewe's CAMELOT to a new generation, and his efforts couldn't be timelier. This stunning Shakespeare Theatre Company production at Sidney Harman Hall is a beacon of light in a city besieged by political unrest and uncertainty.
Lerner and Loewe's enduring story- a hallmark of the 'Golden Age' of musical theatre- sets the love triangle between King of Arthur (of the infamous sword in the stone), Queen Guenevere, and the knight Lancelot against the backdrop of Arthur's struggle for civilization and goodness in a world of violence, barbarism, and hatred.
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