Articles Tagged With: The National Theatre

Sam McLellan and company in “The Book of Mormon” North American tour. 📷 Julieta Cervantes.

The Book of Mormon at The National Theatre

Reviews March 7, 2024 Erin Tarpley

“Tomorrow is a Latter Day”

Hello, my name is Elder Tarpley. And I would like to share with you the most amazing play now showing at The National Theatre!

Since its debut on Broadway way back in 2011, The Book of Mormon has been continuing to stun audiences all over the world with its funny, offensive, but surprisingly sweet story, and top-notch music sure to make the Musical Theatre Greats of the Twentieth Century proud… minus all the F-bombs… and the satirical sacrilegious look at organizational religion….

The National Tour of Pretty Woman. 📷 Matthew Murphy

Pretty Woman at The National Theatre

Reviews December 15, 2023 Erin Tarpley

“Everyone has a dream… you’ll get lost without one”

The classic “Cinderella” story is an oldie but a goodie. No, really. Like really old. Like Ancient Egypt old! Bet you didn’t think you’d get a history lesson from a theatre review, huh? Regardless, it is an enduring classic for a reason. The general theme of a protagonist going from rags to riches is one that resonates with people and really appeals to their inner-dreamers.

Rob McClure as the titular role in Mrs. Doubtfire 📸 Joan Marcus

Mrs. Doubtfire at The National Theater

Reviews October 11, 2023 Charles Boyington

It has been 30 years since Robin Williams wowed audiences in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire. Makes certain audience members feel old, doesn’t it? However, that may be a benefit when watching Mrs. Doubtfire the musical, now on tour at the National Theatre. Those who have seen the film may have memories of specific moments, but the details are a little hazy. And of course, there is an entire generation or two that may never have seen it!

Hadestown North American Tour 📷 Charles Erickson

Hadestown at The National Theater DC

Reviews June 9, 2023 Erin Tarpley

“It’s an old tale from way back when,

And we’re gonna sing it again and again.”

I’ve heard it said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. But in the world of Hadestown, when you live near the train tracks to Hell, naivety seems to set up shop there as well. Set in a world of Gods and a world of Men, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice takes centerstage in this soulful,

Justin Collette (center) as Beetlejuice and the Touring Company of Beetlejuice. 📷 Matthew Murphy

Beetlejuice at The National Theatre

Reviews May 18, 2023 Amanda N. Gunther

Welcome to a show about death! Literally the first second number that bangs out from the stage into the house now that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice BEETLEJUICE!!! (the musical, for the love of God let’s hope he doesn’t appear in your living room or your car or your office board meeting— wherever you’re reading this review!) has returned to The National Theatre in DC. It got it’s pre-Broadway launch there back in 2018 before it’s short-lived-Pandemic-killed run on Broadway in 2019,

My Fair Lady at The National Theatre

Reviews April 7, 2023 Mark Briner

The Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe classic My Fair Lady rolled their second leg of the post-Covid national tour into the National Theatre in DC. Originally conceived for Lincoln Center under the masterful eye of Bartlett Sher, the most accomplished director in the business for breathing new air and contemporary relevancy into beloved but dated musicals. Having had great success with such classics as The King & I, South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof,

Heidi Blickenstaff (left) with Allison Sheppard (center) and Jena VanEslander (right) in Jagged Little Pill. 📷Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Jagged Little Pill at The National Theater

Reviews March 17, 2023 Erin Tarpley

“You, you, you oughta know”

Typically with “jukebox musicals” we see the use of an album, or collection of songs associated with a band or musical artist, to tell their life story. However, in Jagged Little Pill’s case, Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name is used to tell not her story, nor even a story set in the same time frame as the album’s release, but rather a modern-day tale of themes that still ring true almost 30 years after the songs were written.

The company of The National Tour of Cats. 📷Matthew Murphy, Murphymade

Cats at The National Theater

Reviews January 19, 2023 Charles Boyington

Cats, Now and Forever! Do you need to see Cats? Yes. You do. You need to see a professional production of Cats in person in a live theatre. It was a terrible movie. Watching a video of the original Broadway show is underwhelming. However, when you are in a live theatre and you witness these triple threat performers working their asses off for you, it is amazing.

Chicago at The National Theater DC

Reviews November 16, 2022 Leonard Taube

In today’s crazy world, it’s no wonder that sometimes you just feel like you need to get away. No, not to someplace where everybody knows your name but, let’s face it, couldn’t we all use an excuse to rouge up our knees and roll our stockings down? Well, if that sounds appealing, I know a place where the gin is cold and the piano is hot. The Kander/Ebb/Fosse musical Chicago roars into DC this week at The National Theater in the heart of our nation’s capital.

Six at The National Theatre

Reviews July 14, 2022 Charles Boyington

Most of us know the little poem about Henry the 8th wives: Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. The idea that someone took that little poem and created an 85-minute musical seems incredulous. Add that the wives are reimagined as modern-day pop stars competing to see who had it worse just seems ridiculous. Well, we need ridiculous right now.

This delightful pop concert is the brainchild of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage),

The North American Tour of 'Come From Away' 📸 Matthew Murphy

Come From Away at The National Theatre

Reviews April 13, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Welcome to the rock if you come from away! You’ll probably understand about half of what they say— if you’re coming out to DC— then let The National point the way— be sure to get your tickets to see Come From Away. The remarkable and outstanding musical with music, book, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff & David Hein, Come From Away is a stunning experience of the stories that were started when the world stopped on September 11,

The Company of the RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour - RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour. 📸 Carol Rosegg

Rent at The National Theatre

Reviews March 26, 2022 Steven Kirkpatrick

“…it is every bit as emotionally wringing as earlier versions, with vocals that shake the walls and echo with the audience long after.”

Tootsie at The National Theatre

Reviews December 8, 2021 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

The touring production of Tootsie, a musical spin on the classic 1982 film comedy, plays at the National Theatre from Dec 7 through 12th, delivering old-fashioned, crowd-pleasing antics.

The plot concerns Michael Dorsey (Drew Becker), an NYC actor desperate to be cast in anything, who eventually auditions for a play disguised as a woman he names Dorothy Michaels. Not only is he cast but becoming “Dorothy” allows him to “access his inner female” in a way that creates both emotional growth and increasingly comic complications.

The 2016 Touring Company of Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical! Photo: Andy Martin Jr

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas at The National Theatre

Reviews November 24, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

Fahoo fores dahoo dores! Welcome Christmas bring your cheer!

Fahoo fores dahoo dores! It’s holiday time— and guess what’s here?

Oh goodness, oh gracious, Christmas in DC, how to celebrate in a pinch?

Consider bringing the family to The National Theatre to see that mean, nasty, green old Grinch!

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical has arrived for just two weeks on stage!

Yehezkel Lazarov (center left) as Tevye, and Jonathan Von Mering (center right) as Lazar Wolf & the Cast of Fiddler on the Roof. Photo: Joan Marcus

Fiddler on the Roof at The National Theatre

Reviews December 11, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

Fiddler on the Roof for Christmas? Unthinkable.
Unheard of. On the other hand, it’s a brilliant story with glorious music. On
the other hand, it’s not A Christmas Carol or some other stalwart
tradition in the nation’s capital. On the other hand, The National Theatre is
bringing tradition to their stage for a limited week-long engagement smack in
the middle of December this year. With original Direction by Barlett Sher
(recreated here by Sari Evans) and original choreography by Hofesh Shechter
(recreated here by Christopher Evans),

The Illusionists: Magic Of The Holidays at The National Theatre

Reviews December 4, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

What is magic? Is it just a misdirection that a magician attempts to hide their secret moves? Or is it something more than that? You’ll have to find out this holiday season at The National Theatre as The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays lands for a one-week limited engagement in the unprecedented 16-show season of one of DC’s national artistic treasures. Featuring world-class magicians— The Elusive, The Trickster, The Daredevil, The Delusionist, The Manipulator,

Latin Histsory for Morons at The National Theater

Reviews November 22, 2019 Mark Briner

Actor/writer/one-man-force-of-nature John Leguizamo
entered the National Theatre opening night to thunderous applause, which he
immediately attempted to quell. “We can’t waste any time,” he interjected, “We
have to unteach everything you’ve learned so far, and that’s a lot of shit to
undo.” He was not wrong, in the next two hours proceeding to offer a strong
opposition to the whitewashed revisionist history we’ve all been taught in high
school. Expertly guided by Tony Taccone’s taut direction,

The Company of the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour. Photo: Amy Boyle

Rent at The National Theatre

Reviews November 13, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

How can you connect in an age when strangers, landlords,
lovers, your own blood cells betray? What binds the fabric together when the
raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away? RENT! While often
appreciated as somewhat of a “period piece” or an iconic stamp in musical
theatre history, now entering its 25th years (in the fourth
incarnation of the 20th Anniversary Tour), Rent is still
incredibly relevant to today and all that’s happening around us in our 525,600
minutes.

Today 4 U, Tomorrow 4 Angel: An Interview With Joshua Tavares on playing Angel in the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent

Interviews October 31, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights in cups of coffee— in
cities you tour through, in shows that you do— it’s 525,600 minutes! How do you
measure, measure a year? In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we are
fortunate enough to chat with Joshua Tavares, playing Angel in the current
touring production of Rent, all about the seasons of love and what it
means to fulfil the iconic role in this show.

Thank you so much for giving us some of your tome,

Escape to Margaritaville at The National Theater

Reviews October 10, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

You may not know where you’re gonna go when the volcano
blows but three chords is all it takes to find yourself wasting away with a
cheeseburger in paradise. If you want a license to chill, The National Theatre
in Washington DC has just the thing for you (and all your Parrotheads out
there!) Escape to Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet Musical, is making a
one-week vacation in the nation’s capital and has 25 different songs on the
Buffet buffet for all your relaxation needs.

Mike Birbiglia’s The New One at The National Theatre

Reviews September 26, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s a shocking revelation when you’re evicted from your own
life. As it turns out the well-traded promise of “a baby won’t change the way
we live” is in fact, as many have suspected for years, a lie. Popping into The
National Theatre of DC for just six performances, Mike Birbiglia’s The New
One is a poignant and hilariously engaging telling of his experience of becoming
a new father. The one-man comic show is a bit like narrative stand-up only with
deeper meandering trails that dance all around the core of the story.

Finding Neverland at The National Theatre

Reviews February 27, 2019 Mark Briner

Amanda N. Gunther | TheatreBloom
Jeff Sullivan and Conor McGiffin in Finding Neverland
Photo: Jeremy Daniel

Literally finding Neverland
entails locating the second star to the right and continuing straight till
morning. Fortunately, a significantly easier path to Finding Neverland entails only a brief 75-minute jaunt to the
National Theatre in Washington, DC where the current NETworks national tour is
camped out for a swashbuckling week of family friendly entertainment.

Beautiful at The National Theatre

Reviews November 29, 2018 Jonathan Jackson

You certainly will feel the earth move at the National Theatre right now through the end of the year! Beautiful is just that……BEAUTIFUL. Under the direction Marc Bruni this production leaves you feeling nothing short of wonderful. I guarantee after seeing this show your toes will be tapping and you will be humming Carole King’s extraordinary music for days to come. I had the pleasure of seeing the Beautiful tour open back in 2015 at the Providence Preforming Arts Center in Providence,

Waitress at The National Theatre

Reviews May 17, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Sugar.

Butter.

Flour.

A recipe for perfection— that’s what’s cooking up at The National Theatre in Washington DC as the national tour of Waitress makes stops over in the nation’s capital for a three-week engagement. The Broadway sensation that was inspired by the film, written by Adrienne Shelly, has arrived— featuring book by Jessie Nelson and music & lyrics by Sara Bareilles.

Something Rotten at The National Theatre

Reviews February 7, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Welcome to The National— where every show is for you— and this is new! Yes, welcome to The National— where they’ve got Something Rotten! And it’s outrageous, fantastic, and downright fun. Directed and Choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with Music & Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick, and Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, this razzle-dazzle, hilariously side-splitting musical is great for everyone who loves theatres. It’s even greater if you like Shakespeare.

Matt Shingledecker as Enjolres with the cast of the National Tour of Les Misérables

Les Miserables at The National Theatre

Reviews December 22, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

Welcome, Monsieur, sit yourself down, and meet the best touring production in town! As for the rest, well none of them is— quite as impressive as this show of Les Mis. The National Theatre has the distinguished honor of hosting the current touring production of the infamous and iconic Broadway musical Les Misérables this festive holiday season and there’s none better a show to welcome to the stage at this season of year,