Kevin McAllister News

Signature Theatre releases the sixth episode of The Signature Show, a free biweekly half-hour digital experience featuring performances by acclaimed artists, interviews, celebration of new musical voices and memories of Signature’s past and a glimpse into its future. This episode features an interview with recent Helen Hayes Award winners Jeff Gorti and Samantha M. Gershman from A Chorus Line, a discussion with writing team Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler with one of their songs performed by Crystal Mosser, a performance by Claybourne Elder and Brynn O’Malley, the stars of Signature Theatre’s 2015 production of Sunday in the Park with George, and concludes with Signature favorites performing Stephen Sondheim’s “Take Me to the World”. All episodes can be found on Signature Theatre’s YouTube Channel @sigtheatre (YouTube.com/sigtheatre).

a?oeJust Arts: A Celebration of Arts and Activisma?? kicks off on Friday, October 9 streaming at 7:00 pm with an episode dedicated to one of four featured weekly social justice pillars, a?oeEquitya?? curated by Nicole A. Watson.

Four DMV-area arts leaders will co-curate and assemble a 4-week series of free streaming programs celebrating BIPOC artists and the tradition of social protest, presented by Olney Theatre Center. Kicking off on Friday, October 9, and running through October 30, each installment will highlight a different pillar of social justice:  a?oeAccessibility,a?? a?oeRights,a?? a?oeEquity,a?? and a?oeParticipation.a??

Samantha Williams is hosting Black Theatre Matters, a fundraiser for the NAACP empowerment programs, on Tuesday June 16 at 6pm.

Signature Theatre has released its 9th episode of Signature Strong Live, featuring John Dempsey, Dana Rowe, and more!

Ford's Theatre Director Paul R. Tetreault today announced the Ford's Theatre 2020-2021 season will include: Horton Foote's The Trip to Bountiful, directed by Michael Wilson and featuring Nancy Robinette; the D.C.-premiere of a new play based on the real-life friendship of contralto Marian Anderson and physicist Albert Einstein titled My Lord, What a Night, written by Deborah Brevoort and directed by Sheldon Epps; the musical Man of La Mancha, featuring Kevin McAllister and directed by Stephen Rayne; and A Christmas Carol featuring Craig Wallace in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the fifth year.

Tonight, at a celebration honoring theatre excellence on stages across the Washington area, theatre artists, administrators, patrons, and special guests gathered in the National Theatre's Helen Hayes Gallery for theatreWashington's announcement of nominees for the 36th Annual Helen Hayes Awards, which will be presented on Monday, May 18 at an event at the Anthem.

In NextStop Theatre's production of The Mountaintop, directed by Kevin McAllister,  McNeil and Simmons are talented actors, but the play itself still needs to be polished.

Solea Pfeiffer (New York City Center's Evita, West Coast Premiere of Hamilton) and Emmy Raver-Lampman (Netflix's The Umbrella Academy, Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton) are set to star as the Clarke sisters, Mary and Martha, in Signature Theatre's world premiere production of Gun & Powder with book and lyrics by Angelica Chéri and music by Ross Baum. Gun & Powder will run from January 28 a?' February 23, 2020 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre and will be directed by Robert O'Hara (Broadway's Slave Play).

Welcome back to Bethesda Round House Theatre! After a successful renovation, the theater has reopened on East-West Highway with impressive architectural improvements. One will notice immediately upon entering the lobby, huge changes with a complete makeover. There is a huge bar and seating area that was desperately needed. I do believe they could use more variety of refreshments though.. The theater's intent is to get people to a performance early and stick around afterwards.

The new musical, Montgomery, with book, music, and lyrics by Britt Bonney will play for one performance at the Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival. Monumental Theatre Company presented a workshop of the first act in 2018 at the 17th Annual Festival. The full length musical will be performed at this year's Festival on Saturday, August 31st at 10:30am.

Today's subjects Dana P. Rowe and John Dempsey are currently living their theatre lives as the writing team for the excellent swashbuckling World Premiere Musical Blackbeard at Signature Theatre. The production runs through July 14th in the MAX.

The inaugural season of Olney Theatre's Center's Applause Concert Series comes to a close Friday, July 26 at 8:00pm with a one-night-only performance of Children of Eden, a lesser-known work by Stephen Schwartz, the creator of such hits as Wicked, Pippin and Godspell. The concert, featuring a full cast of DC luminaries and a large on-stage orchestra is directed by Kevin McAllister who pulls double duty, also acting and singing the role of The Father. Christopher Youstra, Olney Theatre's Associate Artistic DirectorDirector of Music Theatre and the series curator serves as music director and conductor. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased online at olneytheatre.orgapplause.

Credit Signature Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer for this season on a high.

Let me admit when I saw MATILDA on Broadway in 2013 (winner of 5 Tony Awards), I did not enjoy it. I just could not understand the character of the buffoon Miss Trunchbell, the Olympian hammer throwing athletic principal of Matilda's school. He was the villain of all villains.

Signature Theatre concludes its 29th season with a World Premiere musical written by, in my opinion, one of the most underrated writing teams working in musical theatre today. Blackbeard written by John Dempsey (Book & Lyrics) and Dana P. Rowe (Music) has everything you could ever want in a musical. It features a high quality score, a great cast, excellent production values, and swordplay. What more do 1you need?

Signature Theatre presents Blackbeard, a world premiere musical commissioned by Signature Theatre with book & lyrics by John Dempsey (Signature's The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix), music by Dana P. Rowe (Signature's The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix), and directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer(Broadway's Gigi, Follies, and Signature's Titanic). Blackbeard will run from June 18 through July 14 in Signature Theatre's MAX Theatre.

Signature Theatre presents Blackbeard, a world premiere musical commissioned by Signature Theatre with book & lyrics by John Dempsey (Signature's The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix), music by Dana P. Rowe (Signature's The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix), and directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer(Broadway's Gigi, Follies, and Signature's Titanic). Blackbeard will run from June 18 through July 14 in Signature Theatre's MAX Theatre.

Signature Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for Blackbeard with book & lyrics by John Dempsey (Signature's The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix) and music by Dana P. Rowe (Signature's The Witches of Eastwick, The Fix) and directed by Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer (Broadway's Gigi, Follies, and Signature's Titanic). The world premiere musical commissioned by Signature Theatre sets sail with the most infamous pirate of all time. After learning he's a wanted man by the British army, Blackbeard and his merry crew of maritime marauders embark on a fantastical journey across the globe to raise an undead pirate army from the depths of the sea. Blackbeard will run from June 18 - July 14, 2019 in Signature Theatre's intimate MAX Theatre.

Producing Artistic Director Evan Hoffmann announces NextStop Theatre Company's seventh professional season of theatre in Northern Virginia. Our 2019-2020 Season at NextStop brings our most diverse and ambitious programming yet to our community.