You can’t eat away the blues. You can’t wish away the blues, heck most of us can’t even sing away the blues. But Arena Stage, in a co-production with Cleveland Play House is going to blow away the blues with their production of Clarke Peter’s Five Guys Named Moe. Directed by Robert O’Hara with Musical Direction by Darryl G. Ivey, this bouncy musical zinger features the greatest hits of Louis Jordan.
Dreams are what sustain the human need for remaining alive. They perpetuate the notion of living until they are achieved. But what happens when one’s dream is to no longer be living? Reality implodes upon itself in a chaotic and cosmically imbalanced sense the result of which is life viewed through the lenses of comically dark reality. Everyone has problems, some more than most, and Theater J proudly presents the Washington DC area premier of The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures,
Fiction is fiction. The type of truth that fiction is sets a bomb off in your soul and Fells Point Corner Theatre is busy setting off emotionally and comically charged bombs galore in their production of Theresa Rebeck’s Seminar. Directed by Steve Goldklang, the biting wit of Rebeck’s esoteric literary comedy lands with grand aplomb just in time to shake up the scene for the holiday season. Not your typical Santaland story or in any way,
Look at Olney’s main stage, isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you think that their season’s complete? Wouldn’t you think they’re the theatre— the theatre that has everything! They’ve got singers and dancers a plenty, they’ve got talented performers galore. You want glittery costumes? They’ve got plenty! It’s amazing, it’s a big deal— and they’ve got more! Olney Theatre Center is giving audiences the chance to be a part of that spectacular magical world with the regional premier of Disney’s The Little Mermaid.
Sunrise. Sunset. Do not let too many of those pass between now and when you attend the Arena Stage production of Fiddler on the Roof. An exceptional reboot of the virtually timeless classic written by Joseph Stein, with Music by Jerry Bock and Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, this time-honored tradition is now being displayed under the Direction of Molly Smith and Musical Direction of Paul Sportelli. Featuring original choreography created by Jerome Robbins now adapted and restaged in Arena’s Fichandler stage in the round by Parker Esse,
Words are everything. Everyone wants everything and words are everything. The profundity of such statements and similar can be found in Venus Theatre’s edgiest work to date. Concluding their 14th season with their 50th production, Venus is proud to present Virus Attacks Heart, a new work by Shannon Murdoch. In alignment with the company’s mission statement of setting flight to the voices of women, this production features a strong female character coping with life in the face of mortality.
Scars heal, glory fades, and all we are left with are the memories made. Boom Theatre Company is assuring that you make potent new memories of what intense emotional theatre is meant to feel like with their production of Rajiv Joseph’s Gruesome Playground Injuries. Directed by Ryan Nicotra, this two-person show is an intense look at the way traumatic injury experiences can inexplicably bind friends in emotions that dig much deeper than the surfaces of the average friendship.
Moving further toward the darkness in Part II of TheatreBloom’s 3-part family interview series with the Kensington Arts Theatre’s projection of The Addams Family, we meet The Addam as only we can meet them! Representing the “dead” in the trio of “Living…dead…and undecided…” Morticia, Gomez, Wednesday and Pugsley all come out to play in a creepy and kooky fashion. Let’s hear what they have to say.
We’ll start off with introductions,
All the world’s a stage and the men and women of the Shakespeare Theatre Company are divine players in the 2014/2015 season opening production of As You Like It. One of Shakespeare’s more amusingly confusing comedies with romantic subplots twisted hither and thither all throughout, the play entreats theatergoers to delight in the marvels that are love, folly, and foolishness whether ye be man or woman. Directed by the critically acclaimed Michael Attenborough,
Move toward the darkness and embrace your inner Addams! In a three-part family interview series, the readers of TheatreBloom get to go in-depth with the “living”, “dead”, and “undecided” members of Kensington Arts Theatre’s production of The Addams Family musical. Find out what it’s like to be normal, what it’s like to be an Addams, and read some of the cast’s “full disclosure” confessions! We start with the clan of the living,
It’s family first and family last and family by and by! And the Kensington Arts Theatre knows all about families of all varieties as they present their fall musical, featuring one of the creepiest and kookiest families of all times! Andrew Lippa’s The Addams Family comes to the KAT stage under the Direction of Craig Pettinati and Musical Direction of Stuart Y. Weich. With Wednesday all grown-up and in love with an outsider,
“But whate’er I be, nor I, nor any man that but man is, with nothing shall be pleased till he be eased with being nothing.” A profoundly Zen quote to come from the tongue of Shakespeare. Uttered by the title character of Richard II, which is now playing at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company under the direction of Kevin J. Costa, the quote brings to mind a different way of viewing life and of viewing Shakespeare’s tragic histories.
What can we bequeath save our deposed bodies to the ground? Shakespearean essence in its purest sense; we are the stuff that dust is made of and our legacy is little more than our fragile mortal coil. An innovative new way of experiencing Shakespearean tragedy is striking up discourse on the stage of Chesapeake Shakespeare Company as the 2014 season progresses. The rarely performed Richard II is reinventing the meaning of tragedy under the skillful direction of Kevin J.
It’s creepy and it’s kooky! Mysterious and spooky! And it isn’t The Addams Family! When so many other theatres are mounting musicals or late night zombie shows, Happenstance Theatre is presenting their 4th Annual Cabaret Macabre to delight audiences all over Baltimore. The deliciously ‘Gorey’ show is a series of darkly comic vignettes created by the Happenstance Theatre company ensemble, featuring inspiration from all sorts of fantastically dark and dreary places including the tales of Edward Gorey.
What is there to hate about a century? Wasn’t the 20th century the grandest that had yet to come in its time? The century where no political movement will be as glorious as the movement of the line across the paper, the note across the staff, or the idea across the mind; that century is captured in The Salem Players 2014 production of Picasso at the Lapine Agile. A brilliantly poignant comic play written by Steve Martin,
Ladies and gentlemen! Boys and girls! Step right up to see the most amazing show under the big tent that the city of Gaithersburg currently has to offer! The Cyrk Zaba has come to the stage on tour with the InterAct Story Theatre and is here with their brand new production of Not My Monkey. The show, which is written and directed by Ali Oliver-Krueger and the InterAct Story Theatre Ensemble,
It’s just a jump to Mount Vernon. And then a step to St. Paul. Stop at 817, and take the steps but don’t fall! See it’s those crazy shows that really drive you insa-ay-ay-ay-ane! Let’s go to Spotlighters again! Let’s go to Spotlighters again! Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show in its full fabulous glory is time warping its way through The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre in time for Halloween this 2014.
Once upon a time there was a magic little puppet theatre who told exciting children’s stories with even more exciting puppets! The Puppet Company at Glen Echo Park is moving further into the fall with their production of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Narrated and performed by Company Founder Christopher Piper, the tale as you remember it is perfect for children of all ages and is customary has a few little humorous nods for the grown-ups in the audience as well.
Take a stroll through the square of Fells point any evening weekend this fall and you’ll hear the joint is truly jumpin’ over at The Vagabond Players. Their production of Ain’t Misbehavin’ has got the whole of Baltimore tappin’ its toes and stompin’ its feet! TheatreBloom took a quick break from doing the jitterbug waltz and sat down with Director Rikki Howie Lacewell to find out just what this crazy cool cat musical is all about!
A pilot is the blue. A fighter pilot becomes the blue through sweat, brains, and guts. Grounded, an evocative one-woman show written by George Brant, has landed at Everyman Theatre this fall. An award-winning sold out sensation in London, this co-production with Olney Theatre Center takes flight for the Baltimore-Washington area premier and soars with flying colors as an exceptionally well-penned and phenomenally well-performed dramatic production.
When taking a chance on an evening out at the theatre just what one gets? Well, one never knows, do one? But one will certainly be having a toe-tappin’ foot-stompin’ swingin’ ringin’ good time down at The Vagabond Players as their 99th season continues on with Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Fats Waller Musical Show. Conceived by Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby Jr. this jazzy swinging sensation of a musical revue hits the stage a stompin’ and has the whole joint jumpin’ before all is said and done.
Life is insane but crazy can be done. Crazy is oft the norm when normal can’t be found. Centerstage is taking crazy to the next level with their fall production of the Tony and Pulitzer Award-Winning musical Next to Normal. The emotionally poignant musical is a groundbreaking work that infusing real life dysfunction into musical theatre in a jarring but exhilarating fashion. With music by Tom Kitt and Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey,
The Strand Theatre is alive and well in Baltimore, presenting a newly furnished work written, created, and performed by Michelle Antoinette Nelson aka LOVE the poet. An hour-long explorative piece of theatre that confronts God in the modern world through the voices of eight individual characters where the ninth voice is meant to be that of the audience, Nelson’s new work brings a series of creative mediums together in one performance that is provocative and touching as well as poignant and relevant to anyone that ventures out to see it.
Warning: The theatre is no longer safe. The infection has spread. There are rules to follow to remain safe and save what remains of mankind. Follow the rules and you might survive. Single Carrot Theatre is no longer safe. Social Creatures is taking over. Instructions for basic survival as well as all dialogue witnessed inside the containment collective has been documented by Jackie Sibblies Drury. Kellie Mecleary previously served as a director of operations,
Adventure! Amelia Earhart vanishes over the Pacific Ocean: 1937. Mystery! Agatha Christie disappears from roadside, her car is found but she is not: 1926. Spectacle! Aimee Semple McPherson disappears in the ocean without reason: 1926. All three of these enigmatic exciting tales are coming together under one roof in one brand new musical at Stillpointe Theatre Initiative this fall. As the opening show in their 2014/2015 season, Vanishing Point, a new musical with Books and Lyrics by Rob Hartmann &
It’s time to say a prayer with Gator as Part 2 of the exclusive Hockadoo Interview series continues here on TheatreBloom. We’re sitting down with actor Jonathan Randle, who plays the strong but silent Gator in Toby’s production of Memphis to find out what he has to say about the role.
Let’s have a quick introduction of who you are and where the readers of TheatreBloom might have seen you around the Columbia,
What do you do to make your friends so supportive? Chaos. Agony. Emotions. Destruction. A disconnected final note from a disturbed playwright at the end of her wits? Or a wildly animated look inside the notion of psychosis in its final stages of enlightened madness. Be the judge yourself as Iron Crow Theatre kicks off its 2014/2015 season with Sarah Kane’s last work 4.48 Psychosis. Often interpreted as the playwright’s suicide note,
Living. Dead. Or undecided. Family is still family, and when you’re an Addams, you’re obligated to the clan! It’s time to catch a case of the creepies and the kookies up at the Milburn Stone Theatre as they present the North East Maryland premier of The Addams Family the musical. Directed by S. Lee Lewis with Musical Direction by Shane Jensen, this all-too familiar musical with Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa and Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice is pleasing audiences up and down the coast.
Don’t cry out now, Washington DC! The truth is they never left you! Returning home to the nation’s capital are area acting natives Caroline Bowman and Sean MacLaughlin in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-Winning musical Evita. Rounding out the American end of this Rainbow Tour their final destination is The John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Directed by Michael Grandage with Musical Direction by Robert Meffe,
Everybody lies. Shakespeare was teaching it long before House. In a newly adapted physical translation of the Bard’s greatest tragedy, Off the Quill presents their interpretation of Hamlet: Believe None of Us. Fully formulating the quote of “oh what tangled webs we weave when we practice to deceive,” this new dance-based performance has all of the recognizable quotes and characters but with a few major plot altering elements that may leave you questioning what exactly happened to the crowned Prince of Denmark.