Reviews

Calendar Girls at Silhouette Stages

Reviews March 19, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

The flowers of Columbia are like the women in the theatres of Columbia. Every stage of their growth has its own beauty, but the last phase is always the most glorious. And after two-years of growing this phenomenal theatrical flower, Silhouette Stages is finally ready for their production of Calendar Girls to bloom upon the stage in all of its radiant glory. Directed by Conni Trump Ross, this heartwarming, evocative play by Tim Firth is the perfect way for Silhouette Stages to welcome back audiences to live,

Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show at The Kennedy Center

Reviews March 18, 2022 Steven Kirkpatrick

The 25th Anniversary tour of Riverdance (which began touring in 2020) is at The Kennedy Center for a very short run, March 15-27, in the Opera House. In Riverdance, Bill Whelan, Moya Doherty and John McColgan have created a show that has revolutionized ethnic dance, rendering it wildly appealing to general audiences. The production is well worth a visit for anyone who loves energetic dance, visual spectacle, toe-tapping rhythms, and absurdly talented performers.

Stephen Christopher Anthony (center) as Evan Hansen and the North American Touring Company of Dear Evan Hansen. ???? Matthew Murphy

Dear Evan Hansen at The Hippodrome

Reviews March 16, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Dear Baltimore City,

Today is going to be a good day and here’s why:

#YouWillBeFound

The Tony Award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen has arrived in Charm City and not a moment too soon. This limited-run engagement is the perfect beacon of hope in a long-standing darkness that has been sweeping through the world for quite some time now. While live theatre has returned in-person, and everyone is adjusting to ‘new normal’ Dear Evan Hansen brings with it much needed hope,

Nunsense at Players On Air

Reviews March 12, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Nunsense is habit forming— and it’s a habit you should all take up again! Well, the habit of going to see live theatre, in person, as a real audience, in an actual auditorium! And Players On Air is serving up a bucket, barrel, and big old vat of laughs (be grateful they aren’t serving Sister Julia’s— Child of God— vichyssoise soup!) and it is exactly the kind of feel-good, laugh-out-loud humor that the world needs right now.

She Loves Me at Signature Theatre

Reviews March 10, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Will you like the show you see? Will you know that there’s a world of love, uplifted spirits, and joyous frivolity— waiting just inside those painted walls, waiting for everyone to see? You’ll know— if the show— you’re seeing is— She Loves Me. Signature Theatre, in its most extensive and momentous live-staged undertaking (after 600 days of being dark) is bringing a heartwarming musical classic to its Max Theatre stage and it just the dose of giddy and glee that the world needs right now.

Puffs at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews March 9, 2022 Mike Zellhofer

Puffs is certainly written for serious fans of a certain young wizard. You pretty much have to be well versed in the wizardly world of J. K. Rowling (all seven years and then some) to have every joke land. However, Director Alanna Kiewe and her Spotlighters’ cast deliver an evening of entertainment whether you are a Potter novice or you bleed butter beer. I mean come on; these are Puffs we are talking about.

Noises Off! at Other Voices Theatre

Reviews March 7, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Do it for the sardines! Maybe also for the doors and the boxes! But mostly for the sardines! Sardines— sardines!!! They’re everywhere! And they’re all over the set of Noises Off! at Other Voices Theatre in Frederick. Directed by Matthew Bannister, this high-end, high-octane, full-comedy farce is just the laugh the doctor ordered! Pandemic blues got you down? Get out of the house and get tickets to this show— you’ll laugh out loud,

Arsenic & Old Lace at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore

Reviews March 7, 2022 Mike Zellhofer

Arsenic Silliness of Baltimore, no wait, that’s not right. A Summer of Brewsters, no that doesn’t sound right either. Oh, I remember, it’s Arsenic & Old Lace at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore! Three years of no theatre has my brain a little foggy, but Sarah O’Hara’s directorial debut makes it clear that she and ASoB are back! Not only are they back, they are back with a bang, or in this case a sip.

Randi Seepersad (left) as Mayme and Takira Thompson (right) as Esther in Intimate Apparel.

Intimate Apparel at Dundalk Community Theatre

Reviews March 5, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

People do a lot of things they don’t ever speak of. And for a lot of different reasons. If you look at all the different little things people do, the threads of their lives, really— don’t they all come together like a fancy garment? Perhaps a little like a secretive glance into their private life? A little bit like a peak at their Intimate Apparel? Returning to live, in-person theatre, Dundalk Community Theatre brings Lynn Nottage’s Intimate Apparel to the stage under the direction of Tom Colonna,

Footloose at Phoenix Festival Theatre

Reviews March 4, 2022 Mark Briner

In the summer of 1984, a little movie with a big soundtrack took the world by storm and launched a young up-and-coming leading man for whom at the time you’d be pressed to find movie connections of two degrees into the stratosphere as the ubiquitous megastar Kevin Bacon. Filling out the cast with veteran actors John Lithgow and Dianne Wiest along with breakout performances from young actors like Lori Singer, Christopher Penn, and Sarah Jessica Parker,

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest at Showcase On Main

Reviews February 27, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

There are a lot of things that are true, even if they never happened. If you’re ready to spend an evening with the self-proclaimed ‘psycho-ceramics; the crackpots of humanity’ then you should head out to Showcase on Main in Elkton, MD for a harrowing and evocative production of Dale Wasserman’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Directed by Lee Lewis, the production is tragically relevant to the way mental health issues in our country are handled today.

Songs From The UnderWorld at Theatre Project

Reviews February 26, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s a strange time that we’re currently traversing. The Pandemic may never truly be over; it is transitioning to something that is endemic and for some life is returning to normal or new-normal, however you’d like to label it; this is the next step. The next step for Kristin Putchinski, perhaps more readily recognized by her performance moniker, ellen cherry, is to start Grad School and put a pause on performing. In a curious self-discovery piece that is just as strange and disjointed as the current lives we’re all leading as we figure out how to take these next steps back into the real world,

Tigga Smaller (left) as Crystal, Kalea Bray (center) as Ronette, and Isabel Bray (right) as Chiffon in Little Shop of Horrors. Photo: Matthew Peterson.

Little Shop of Horrors at Tidewater Players

Reviews February 25, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

If you’re looking for something to see in Havre de Grace’s theatre district one day— Shoop da-doo!

You might pass by this place on Union Street— downtown-da-doo!

And sometimes in that there opera house building— arts-da-doo!

You’ll find some crazy amazing theatre stuff happening inside— Tidewater Players-da-doo!

But don’t take my word for it— take the urchins’! Or take Seymour’s! They’ll tell you that Tidewater Players is putting on a pretty crazy,

Aaron LaVigne and the company of the North American Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. Photo by Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman - MurphyMade

Jesus Christ Superstar at The Kennedy Center

Reviews February 25, 2022 Steven Kirkpatrick

Fresh off a hit run in London, the 50th Anniversary production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s groundbreaking musical Jesus Christ Superstar is electrifying audiences at the Kennedy Center through March 13th.

Featuring the well-known hits “Superstar” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera retelling of how Jesus Christ spent the last week of his life as seen through the eyes of Judas,

God of Carnage at Vagabond Players

Reviews February 19, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Nothing says ‘welcome back to live theatre’ like watching four-grown adults devolve over the course of 90-minutes into childish selfishness and chaotic dark humors. Finally reopening its doors after an almost two-year darkness, The Vagabond Players usher in their 106th season with Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. Directed by Stephen Deininger, this curious and enigmatic story showcases the simplistic nature of humanity— childhood never truly ends and all your problems can be solved by shouting,

(L to R) Charis Gullage as “Disco Donna”, Brittny Smith as “Diva Donna”, and Amahri Edwards-Jones as “Duckling Donna” in SUMMER. Photo: N ick Gould.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical at The Hippodrome

Reviews February 16, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

She’s your friend. She’s your lover. She’s your sister. She’s the Queen of Disco! She is Donna Summer. And though it’s still cold and snowy and unpleasant outside in Charm City— Summer has come to town! Summer: The Donna Summer Musical has landed at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre through February 20, 2022 and will have you tapping your toes, clapping along to the beat, and singing & dancing in the aisles by the end of the show.

Spamalot at Toby’s Dinner Theatre

Reviews January 29, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

When you’re feeling in the dumps— don’t be silly chumps! Just purse your lips and whistle— for a ride to Columbia where you can see the phenomenally funny Monty Python’s Spamalot at Toby’s Dinner Theatre. Directed and Choreographed by Mark Minnick with Musical Direction by Ross Scott Rawlings, this beaming burst of sunshine is enough to brighten anyone’s day with its comedic antics, feel-good foolishness, vibrant singing, and energetic dancing.

Not a Monty Python fan?

National Tour of The Prom. Photo: Deen van Meer

The Prom at The Hippodrome Theatre

Reviews January 20, 2022 Erin Tarpley

“Send in the Liberal Democrats from Broadway!”

Ah yes, the prom: a hallowed American tradition promised to every Highschool Senior filled with music, dancing, streamers, and sequins. Unless that is, you live in the middle of Edgewater, Indiana, and you just happen to be a lesbian who wants to bring her girlfriend to the big event. But not to worry! That’s why the heroes of Broadway are on their way to save the day,

(L to R) Elijah Ahmad Lewis, Marcus Paul James, Jalen Harris, Harrell Holmes Jr., James T. Lane from the National Touring Company of Ain’t Too Proud. Credit: © 2021 Emilio Madrid.

Ain’t Too Proud at The Kennedy Center

Reviews December 31, 2021 Erin Tarpley

“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

I hope you have comfortable shoes! You’ll need them when you go to see the toe-tapping good time that is Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. Now playing at the Kennedy Center through January 16th, 2022, Ain’t Too Proud takes its audience on a multi-decade journey to see the creation, rise, and progression of one of the greatest (if not the greatest!

Oy Vey In A Manger at Theater J

Reviews December 19, 2021 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

If you want your entertainment both naughty and nice for the holidays, then the Kinsey Sicks in Oy Vey in A Manger, currently playing at Theater J through December 25, might very well be your holiday treat.

For those who not know, the Kinsey Sicks are a group of acapella singers and drag divas (or as they call themselves, “dragapella” performers) who have been around (with differing cast members) since 1993.

The National Tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Photo: Joan Marcus.

Beautiful at The Kennedy Center

Reviews December 18, 2021 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

“I still believe that everyone is beautiful in some way and by seeing the beauty in others we make ourselves more beautiful…”

Long before she was Carole King, chart-topping music legend, she was Carol Klein, a shy Brooklyn girl with both talent and inner chutzpah. She fought her way into the record business as a teenager and, by the time she reached her twenties, had the husband of her dreams and a flourishing career writing hits for the biggest acts in rock ‘n’

A Christmas Carol at Spotlighters Theatre

Reviews December 14, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

There have been songs, dances, parodies, and even Muppets. But in all my travels— these 35 and a half years upon this earth— making merry and keeping the spirit and tradition of Christmas alive in my heart not only during the season but all the year, I have never heard of a visit to a lighthouse during the travels of The Ghost of Christmas Present with Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

No, Virginia- A Grown-Up Holiday Farce at Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Reviews December 10, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

Up on the housetop, reindeer paws— out jumps good ol’ Santa Claus. And Sandy Claws! And Odin!? Why, yes, Virginia! There is— someone on your roof— or something— heck— it could even be— THUNDERSNOW! Put on your believing hat and your holiday hat and wind your way on over to the Maryland Ensemble Theatre this December season for a MET original— No, Virginia— A Grown-Up Holiday Farce. Written by company member J.D.

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.

A Christmas Carol at Pasadena Theatre Company

Reviews December 2, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

“God bless us, every one!”

One of the most difficult things to do, especially around the holidays, is sally forth and soldier on when you’ve lost one of the great showmen in your company. Pasadena Theatre Company, taking to heart the time-honored tradition of ‘the show must go on’ is doing exactly that this holiday season and I can think of no better way to commemorate the radiant and outstanding memory of the late Chuck Dick than be bringing his adaptation for the stage of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol to life this year.

L to R: Jean Rosolino as Mom, Evan Crump as Gary, Kathleen Barth as Wendy, Abigail Weinel as Karen, and Mickey Trimarchi as Dad in On The Farce Day of Christmas. Photo: Elizabeth Kemmerer.

On The Farce Day of Christmas at Best Medicine Rep

Reviews December 1, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

“Any holiday that forces families to get together is evil.” The latest of quotable nonsense from acclaimed entertainment-writer Ken Levine. This time its from his new work, On The Farce Day of Christmas, now appearing live on stage (with streaming options!) at Best Medicine Rep Theatre in Gaithersburg. Directed by Ken Levine, this holiday hilarity is quite the cute little comedy and will tickle your funny bone just in time for the never-ending December holiday season,

Tootsie at The Hippodrome

Reviews December 1, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

Look out world! This show’s on a roll! It’s unstoppable! Tootsie the musical is crashing its way into Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre in the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center this holiday season, just in time to give everyone a little something different this December. Based on the 80’s film of the same name (from Columbia Pictures, staring Dustin Hoffman), this Tootsie is something strange and something new; it’s a fast-paced, high-octane story of the real-life struggles of actors,

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!

Tuesdays With Morrie at Theater J

Reviews November 16, 2021 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

“Learn how to live and you’ll know how to die; learn how to die, and you’ll know how to live.”–Morrie Schwartz

In Tuesdays with Morrie, which opened last night with Theater J at the Edlavitch DC Jewish Community Center, the two greatest mysteries and challenges humans deal with —how to live and how to die— are explored as the central themes. Based on the best-selling memoir by Mitch Albom, Tuesdays with Morrie is the powerful and moving story of Mitch Albom,

Radio Plays at The Salem Players

Reviews November 13, 2021 Amanda N. Gunther

Don’t touch that dial! You’re in for a treat as the Salem Players proudly presents Radio Plays, Directed by Anita Spicer-Lane. Want an old-fashioned evening of nostalgia? Back to a simpler time when all the drama was heard gathered around the fireplace in the parlor whistling out of the radio? Salem Players has you covered. Featuring a selection of three vintage radio dramas— The Lone Ranger– “The Tell-Tale Bullet” from September 30,