The Pansy Hour at Submersive Productions
“Like a pansy in winter, even the brightest things must fade.” Tragically beautiful, a quote pulled from the ‘history wall’ at the front of the ‘exhibit’ before you fully submerse yourself into Submersive Productions The Pansy Hour. Conceived by Josh Aterovis and fabricated into fruition by The Creative Team— Josh Aterovis, Aaron Barlow, Liz Gordon, Vicky Graham, Jacob Marrero, Ursula Marcum, Glenn Ricci— this secretive, immersive theatrical experience delves into the history of Baltimore’s Queer social scene and visibility,
Dirty Dancing at The National Theatre
author: Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington
Dirty Dancing—The Musical, now playing at The National Theatre, is a visually rich, energetic dance showcase built around the beloved 1980s film’s signature elements: the Catskills setting; the romance between Frances “Baby” Houseman (Annalese Starzec, who resembles Jennifer Grey) and dance instructor Johnny Castle (a muscular Blake Zelesnikar channeling Patrick Swayze); the famous lifts; and, of course, the climactic declaration that “no one puts Baby in a corner.”
The audience was thrilled and the production is certainly worth seeing,
Where Dead Women Go To Dance at Theatre Prometheus
“Life can still be good; better than death.” The quote may presently come from Stephen Spotswood’s Where Dead Women Go to Dance, but there’s a ubiquity and a universality to its truth. No matter what you’re facing, no matter what you’re going through, life can still be good; better than death. It’s a powerful notion that gets driven home in this new work, appearing under the direction of Lauren Patton Villegas at Theatre Prometheus.
Moon Festival Alice at MET FunCompany
Stories can borrow. Stories can change. Stories can put on new clothes. Perhaps you’re familiar with the story of the little girl who chased…or followed… a white rabbit down a rabbit hole in her garden one afternoon? What if it was a little girl who was gazing up at the moon, trying to write lyrics for a song for her Moon Festival Celebration? A story that has borrowed…and put on new clothes. That beauty and wondrous strange fun is what’s occurring at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre’s Fun Company as they kickoff their 2026/2027 season with Moon Festival Alice.
It’s Alive: An Electrifying Interview with Vince Eisenson on Chesapeake Shakespeare Company’s Frankenstein
“Beware, for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.”
A quote that could readily send chills up the spine if taken out of context, or perhaps, even presented with context. A beautiful sentence, complex and nuanced, and yet eight simple words. From a creation to its creator, but there is beauty in power, strength too, and fearlessness is what it takes to continue to produce evocative art, challenging the norms, and pushing the envelope when it comes to that mythical,
Billy Elliot at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland
What the hell is wrong with expressing yourself? For trying to be free— and lemme tell ya’— them wee bairns over at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland are pretty flippin’ special, oh yes they are! And they’re expressing themselves just fine with this really heartfelt production of Billy Elliot. Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans and Choreography by Lauren Stuart, this dance-focused musical tells a story about learning to love yourself and being accepted for who you are,
Cabaret at Rogue Swan Theatre Company
author: Andrew Worthington
Life is a cabaret, old chum. Come to the cabaret! In the heart of downtown Havre de Grace, MD, Rogue Swan Theatre company is presenting an impressive, though startling, rendition of the Kander and Ebb masterpiece, Cabaret. The cast and creative team have created a fabulous production filled with incredible music, impressive dancing, gritty storytelling, and a message that is needed now more than ever. Director Lilli Burril-Gordon,
Our Town at The Colonial Players of Annapolis
Some people ain’t made for small town life. And everybody is entitled to their own trouble. Of course, there’s layers and layers of nonsense whenever you come near the human race— and if our present day societal existence isn’t proving that one, I don’t know what is. But small town life, whether you’re meant for it or not, whether you’ve got your troubles with it or not, has come to Church Circle in that little black-box-in-the-square of Annapolis because Colonial Players is kicking off their 78th season with Thornton Wilder’s American chestnut,
The Drowsy Chaperone at Laurel Mill Playhouse
Do you know what I do when I’m sitting in a darkened theatre waiting for a show to start? I’m mostly wondering why the lights have gone down if the show hasn’t actually started. Though it sounds like me and “Man in Chair” of The Drowsy Chaperone infamy, have some similar thoughts. Like “please, God, let it be a good show. And if not a good one, at least let it be short.” And let me tell you,
Come From Away at Ford’s Theatre
You are here— at the start of a moment:
9:37am Tuesday September 11th 2001. The buzzer-bell that should have dismissed second period at Western School of Technology & Environmental Sciences, is two minutes late and instead, the voice of Principal Don Weglein comes on the intercom, excusing the interruption to classes, to state that two planes have crashed into The World Trade Center, classes are to be dismissed in an orderly fashion, and all students are to proceed to their next class or the cafeteria for lunch period,
Into The Woods at The Maryland Ensemble Theatre
This was just a moment in the woods— again, please!
165 minutes, give or take an intermission, to be semi exact, and they’ll do it again for 2,475 more minutes over the course of the next three weekends. Give or take, as I chose theatre and the arts not math and numbers. But whichever of your minutes you have to spare over the next several weekends, give them to The Maryland Ensemble Theatre by going to see their production of Into The Woods.
Maybe Happy Ending at The Hippodrome
Everything must end eventually. Now I’m asking you to trust me. When I say go see Maybe Happy Ending, I mean do it. The Tony Award-winning musical (six wins including Best Musical, with book & music by Will Aronson and book & lyrics by Hue Park) launches its National Tour debut from Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre and is playing through September 19th, 2026. Heartfelt, evocative, gripping, and gorgeous, this striking new musical, directed by Michael Arden,
The Producers at Phoenix Festival Theatre
author: Andrew Worthington
Opening night! It’s opening night! *jazz hands*
The opening night of Phoenix Festival Theatre’s The Producers was met with a standing ovation from a packed house after hours of laughter and impressive performances. The cast, crew, and production team, including director John Desmone, music director Jarrett Rettman, and choreographer Leslie Perry, have a hit on their hands with a production that pays homage to the iconic performances of the 1967 Mel Brooks film,
Kim’s Convenience at Everyman Theatre
“Look same…not same thing…” a repeated phrase in the first several minutes of Ins Choi’s Kim’s Convenience, the opening bid to Everyman Theatre’s 2026/2027 season. A perfectly humorous, deeply heartfelt, earnest exploration of family dynamic, expectations and dysfunction, this brilliant performance, as directed by Cara Hinh (in co-production with Indiana Repertory Theatre and Portland Center Stage) will tickle the funny bone, warm the heart, draw a tear or two to the eye,
Much Ado About Nothing at Ardeo Theatre Company
Be vigitant! And if you have legs— you will come! To the final production of the 2026 Frederick Shakespeare Festival— Ardeo Theatre Company’s Much Ado About Nothing! Set in the bodacious and totally rad 1980s, this hilarious Shakespearean comedy is directed by Aaron Angello and features a mostly repertory cast from the FSF first main-stage show of 2026, Henry IV Part 1. Witty, humorous, heartfelt, and above all fun,
Sister Act at The Long Green Valley Players
Raise your strength, raise your spirit, raise it so the angels can hear it! Raise some heat! Raise some Cain! Raise it to a higher plane! And The Long Green Valley Players are RAISING IT!!! Not only have they raised themselves up like Lazarus after a good double-decade hiatus, but they are raising up the joy— the spirit— and their voices at St. John’s this summer with their reboot-inaugural production of Sister Act.
The Notebook at Broadway at The National Theatre in DC
Inside the sadness there is joy; a powerful and universally true statement, no matter what your situation may be. And The Notebook is steeped deeply in both sadness and joy. Now touring Broadway at The National in Washington DC through the end of August, this tragically beautiful story— with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and book by Bekah Brunstetter, based on the novel by Nicolas Sparks— has a lot of really exquisite moments woven throughout and features some incredibly talented performers to narrate that tale.
The Addams Family at Beth Tfiloh Community Theatre
Define normal. Because normal is an illusion, what’s normal for the spider is a calamity of for the fly! And what really is normal— a family? A secret? A ring? Sounds like you’re in for the least normal night of your life…or maybe the most normal if you go to the theatre every night like certain people do. Me. I’m the certain people. Buckle up, theatergoers, you’re in for anything but normal when it comes to spending one kooky night (or afternoon,
Speak Low If You Speak Love: A Round-Robin Interview with Ardeo Theatre Company’s Much Ado About Nothing Folk
I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes— and moreover, I will go with thee to— the black box at Tatem Arts to crash a rehearsal? Bet Shakespeare didn’t see that one coming! And neither, perhaps did the fantastic four— Beatrice, Benedick, Claudio, and Hero— as they were beset upon by me for a romping jaunt of a round-robin interview! In a TheatreBloom sit down exclusive, we’ve picked the brains of Shakespeare’s living finest…Gillian Shelly,
The Inn at Spotlighters Theatre
Certainly everywhere is somewhere. And after all, isn’t it more important to know whether there will be weather than what the weather will be? Or am I perhaps conflating Norton Juster and upcoming playwright Elliot Kashner. The latter, I think. Though his current new work, The Inn, appearing at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre as a part of the summer 2026 Baltimore Playwrights Festival offering, does— to my mind— transport me to my first encounter with NPCs.
Snow White at Stand Up For…Theatre
No matter what happens, it’s always important to believe in something! A very important lesson that Snow White is teaching us as Stand Up For…Theatre had to believe in that age old adage of “The Show Must Go On!” Faced with thunderbolts and lightning (very, very frightening!) and a mini sprinkled downpouring deluge of rain…the poor company’s opening night was very nearly fraught with cancellation! BUT! They believe! In the miracles of making it happen,
Frozen at Glyndon Area Players
Love is an open door! Love is putting someone else’s needs before yours. Disney’s Frozen was a game-changer in redefining what an act of true love really could be; so many Disney fairytale animated features (and subsequent Broadway musicals) depended on the princess finding her prince and true love’s first kiss. And while there’s a total side-plot component in Frozen, this wintery-wonderland-fairytale musical is all about the love of family.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Other Voices Theatre
Red…yellow…green…brown…scarlet…black…don’t tempt me. I know all 29 colors by heart— Sara Bosworth of Lansdowne Middle School ensured that every kid in that production could say, sing, spell, and recite in order the colors of Joseph’s coat in the spring of 1998. I’ve been married to this production for almost as many years as the coat has colors. And seeing my umpteenth production from church basements to national touring houses and everywhere in-between— Joseph &
The Importance of Being Earnest at Endangered Species Theatre Project
The very essence of romance is uncertainty! Will they? Won’t they? Is it a Happily-Ever-After? Join The Endangered Species Theatre Project as they embark down the well-worn theatrical path of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest this summer as a part of the Frederick Shakespeare Festival. Co-Directed by Christine Mosere and Kayla Swain, there’s some giddiness abound in this indoor-festival production.
Part of this production’s challenge is the overall pacing,
Deathtrap at Cockpit in Court
Of these two things I am certain; all else is confusion:
- Cockpit in Court puts up five shows a year in their summerstock season; two main stage shows, two shows in the cabaret, and a junior show for youth performers over in the admin building.
- Deathtrap is arguably the best show they’ve produced up in the cabaret space this side of the pandemic.
It’s thrilleritis-malignus at its finest!
The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals at Wildwood Summer Theatre
author: Jake Schwartz
When the whole world starts to turn into a musical, you need to think about the implications! And in Wildwood Summer Theatre’s production of Starkid’s The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals, the implications are everywhere. As with any Starkid show, The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals is vulgar, violent, crass, bloody, and full of content warnings. Yet it has developed a cult following,
Return Engagements at Bowie Community Theatre
author: Ryan J. Bordenski
Love is in the air, but so is deceit, mockery, adultery, the withholding of information, lies, and…uh…dental procedures? But don’t worry; this is a comedy so everything will be funny and fine in the end, right?! Of course, I am talking about Return Engagements at Bowie Community Theatre. This farcical and comedic play by Bernard Slade tells the story of four unique and awkward couples who have separate chance encounters and trysts,
Footloose at Cockpit in Court
Everything I learned that gets me through the worst, I learned at my Mama’s knee. And I invite her along plenty to come see musical theatre, out and about with me. And while she couldn’t make it to the opening of Cockpit in Court’s Footloose— my Mama says, it doesn’t matter, if you’re a first-timer or you been there before, you better get your tickets to see that show, before they ain’t got tickets no more!
Hair at Small Town Stars Theatre Company
End war before it ends you! Not something most of us thought would be resonating hard here in 2026. History doesn’t repeat itself so much as it rhymes with itself. And you can feel that rhyming resonance in all too relevant way raging through the talent at Small Town Stars Theatre Company’s production of Hair. Yes, that Hair, the one with the hippie-loving ‘be-in’ and the nudity at the end of Act I.
Urinetown at Street Lamp Community Theatre
Well it’s a hard, cold, tumble of a tourney, jumble of a journey to Urinetown! Actually, it’s a long drive, and it’s pretty hot outside, all the way up to Rising Sun for Urinetown. But my friends, I say— you have to run, freedom-run-freedom-run-awaaaaaay— up there to go and see this fine production! Campy, humorous, creative, clever, with all sorts of piss-taking songs and a company 32 strong in that little black box of Street Lamp Community Theatre,