Articles Tagged With: musical

Xanadu at Cockpit in Court

Reviews June 19, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

A million lights are dancing— and there they are, a shooting star (ten of them, actually!) An everlasting world, lovely-in-blue…and they’re there with you! Must be—

Xanadu

ELO, ONJ, OMG, and all that jazz! It’s Venice… okay Venice Beach…well, Essex at CCBC but we’ll suspend our disbelief for this fun and whimsical bit of theatrical cotton candy. The iconic and camptastic screen-to-stage gem Xanadu is glittering its way onto Cockpit in Court’s main stage as the first of a five-show season (two upstairs,

Suffs at The National Theatre

Reviews June 18, 2026 Charles Boyington

author: Charles Boyington

“How will we do it when it’s never been done? How will we find a way, where there isn’t one?”

Buy your ticket now and see this show! Suffs by Shaina Taub and directed by Leigh Silverman, now playing at the National Theatre in DC, is extraordinary: a “do not miss” theatrical event! The packed house went wild with praise and applause!

American Idiot at Silhouette Stages

Reviews June 13, 2026 Ryan J Bordenski

author: Ryan J. Bordenski

Do you love angst and grunge fashion of the early 2000s? Do you love putting on layers upon layers of eyeliner? Do you love banging and bopping your head along to some punk rock anthems? Or, do you simply love Billy Joe Armstrong, and the rest of Green Day? If you answered YES to any of these questions, then you should head over to Silhouette Stages in Columbia for their latest production of Green Day’s American Idiot.

Rent at Phoenix Festival Theatre

Reviews June 8, 2026 Lisa Standish

author: Lisa Standish

It is a special treat to watch a community theater production where the love for the craft is palpable from the moment you walk in. Phoenix Festival Theatre’s current production of Rent, running now through June 14th at the Chesapeake Theater, is a vibrant, visually stunning testament to the talent in our community. Under the spectacular vision of co-directors and choreographers Bambi and Eyvo Johnson, this production feels both fresh and deeply respectful of the source material.

Monica Tulia Ramirez (center on horse) as Inez Milholland and the company of Suffs 📷 Joan Marcus

Suffs at The Hippodrome

Reviews May 27, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Lifting as we climb, onward and upward we go! The rallying cry of Suffs— women on the march! Women on the move! And these women will show you who they are as they march for justice, for freedom, for equality! And they’re bringing that march right through the heart of Charm City— to Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre! The First National Tour of Suffs plays a limited week-long engagement at The Hippodrome and it’s playing in one of the most crucial moments in history.

Rent at Street Lamp Community Theatre

Reviews May 11, 2026 Lisa Standish

author: Lisa Standish

Entering Street Lamp Community Theatre is always a treat, but their current production of Rent takes their signature intimacy to a whole new level. The beauty of this venue lies in how the creative team transforms a modest space into a completely immersive experience. As you walk in, the set greets you with a surprisingly childlike quality—featuring a slide and scaffolding—that serves as a reminder that despite the heavy themes of the story,

Hadestown (Teen Edition) at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland

Reviews May 5, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

They will make you see how the world could be, in spite of the way that it is. They will sing you a song so beautiful that it brings the world back into tune. And where are you going? You’re going way down— Hadestown (Teen Edition) – way down under the ground. 21 young performers, one old, sad song— and they’re gonna tell it. They’re gonna tell it again. Children’s Playhouse of Maryland is living it up on top with their stellar and sensationally charged production of Hadestown (Teen Edition) and it will move your heart,

Jagged Little Pill at Scottfield Theatre Company

Reviews April 18, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

You’ve already won me over, in spite of me, and don’t be alarmed if I fall, head over feet. The album I played so many times in middle school I scratched the CD and had to ask for it for Christmas. Twice. ANd then it became a stage musical. And now it’s making its area debut at Scottfield Theatre Company in Havre de Grace. And isn’t it ironic– don’t you think? It’s a ferocious piece of theatre that is evocative and visceral and way too relevant for the world we live in;

Emily Koch (center) as Debra and the cast of the National Tour of Kimberly Akimbo 📷 Joan Marcus

A Great Adventure: Interviewing Emily Koch on Kimberly Akimbo

Interviews April 17, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Tie the fishline.

Open the mailbox.

Drop the glue trap.

And maybe you’ll pull back— a pair of tickets to see Kimberly Kimbo, currently touring the nation, and making a pit-stop in Baltimore later this month! In the meantime, we’re having a good-old-fashioned phone-interview (feels appropriate for a show set in the 1990’s, right?) with Emily Koch, playing Debra, and she’s got lots to say about just how excited she is to see you at the show!

Cal Mitchell as The Lion, Phoenix Assata LaFreniere as Dorothy, D. Jerome as The Tinman and Elijah Ahmad Lewis as The Scarecrow in the North American Tour of THE WIZ. 📷 Jeremy Daniel

The Wiz at The National Theatre

Reviews April 9, 2026 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

author: Charles Boyington & Steven Kirkpatrick

“Success, fame, and fortune, they’re all illusions. All there is that is real is the friendship that two can share.”- The Scarecrow

If your favorite evening is one where you attend the theatre and just have a really good time, then you’ll be lucky enough to have that experience at The Wiz at National Theatre in DC. If you can,

Rapunzel (A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairytale) at Stand Up For…Theatre

News March 25, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

So you think you know Rapunzel, huh? Fairytale about the princess trapped in the tower with the really long hair and the prince and the witch? Betcha didn’t know she had two other village girls trapped up there with her. Or that the evil witch had a good twin. Sounds like Fractured Fairytles gone goofy, right? Sort of! And it’s got music! It’s Stand Up For…Theatre and their production of Rapunzel (A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fairytale) and while calling it ‘rock-n-roll’ may be a bit of a stretch,

Frozen at Third Wall Productions

Reviews March 15, 2026 Leonard Taube

author: Leonard Taube

If you’re like me, you’re tired of this weird Maryland weather we’ve had this winter. A month ago, we were gripped in an ice age for what seemed like forever, and the snow from a major storm did not melt for weeks. Then last week Mother Nature gave us a taste of summer, with a few 80+ degree days, but what a tease Ms. Nature is because then we flipped back to cold.

A Year With Frog and Toad at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland

Reviews March 9, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

When is soon? Well, sometime between now and later, of course! But you’d better not wait until later— because the time is NOW! To get your tickets to see the delightfully heartfelt production of A Year With Frog and Toad (TYA-edition) at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland. Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt, with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans, and Choreography by Lauren Stuart, this quaint and charming little musical details its namesake based on the illustrated children’s books by Arnold Lobel.

The Wizard of Oz at Phoenix Festival Theatre

Reviews March 8, 2026 Lisa Standish

author: Lisa Standish

There’s a certain magic that happens when a beloved classic finds a fresh stage to call home, and that is precisely what occurred as Phoenix Festival Theatre followed the Yellow Brick Road to the newly renovated Chesapeake Theater. Bringing the 1939 MGM masterpiece to life with vibrant energy, this production of The Wizard of Oz manages to bridge the gap between silver-screen nostalgia and high-spirited live performance. Based on the timeless story by L.

Next To Normal at Iron Crow Theatre

Reviews March 8, 2026 Leonard Taube

author: Leonard Taube

Do you know what it’s like to die alive? That may be a heavy question, but it’s one that Diana asks and sets the stage for an evening of intense, raw, gut-wrenching drama. Iron Crow Theatre’s production of Next to Normal opened at the beautiful M&T Bank Exchange this evening to a large house and more than a few wet eyes. You simply cannot be unmoved by its subject matter and,

City of Angels at Colonial Players

Reviews March 6, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

People never see themselves as other people write them. And when you write them walking into a tangled web of film-noir meets golden-aged Hollywood with musical theatre camp and coziness all cuddled up together on the squarish stage of Colonial Players, well that’s one script you just have to see to believe. City of Angels— that rarely produced hybrid gem of show-inside-a-show like a nesting doll of page-to-screen-to-stage— is now playing as the penultimate production of the 77th season at Colonial Players of Annapolis.

Spring Awakening at Tidewater Players

Reviews February 28, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

What serves each of us best is what serves all of us best. Right? Radical idea, no? Tidewater Players is serving up a liberal dose of teenage angst and heartache with their current production of Spring Awakening (based on the play by Frank Wedekind with book & lyrics by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik.) Exploring the topics of growing up and simply yearning to learn outside of what’s being forcibly presented as knowledge within the confines and strictures of the institutions of schools and churches,

The First National Tour of Back to the Future: The Musical 📷 McLeod9 Creative

Back to the Future at The Hippodrome

Reviews February 25, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Great Scott! 1.21 gigawatts!? Where are you going to get that kind of power in 2026!? At Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre, of course! Back to the Future: The Musical is proof positive that you can achieve anything if you just put your mind to it! Based on the film by Robert Zemeckis & Bob Gale (book), Back to the Future (with music & lyrics by Alan Silvestri & Glen Ballard) is zooming at 88 miles per hour into Charm City— but for one week only!

The First National Tour of Stereophonic 📷 Julieta Cervantes

Stereophonic at The National Theatre DC

Reviews February 11, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Music isn’t supposed to be perfect. It’s supposed to be about making something together. Theatre too. And that’s what makes Stereophonic so perfect. It’s no wonder it took home five Tony Awards, including best play, in 2024. The imperfections. The rawness. The realness. The ugly, gritty truth of desperation seeking to be perfection guised as making music— that is theatrical perfection incarnate. Stereophonic is a transformative theatrical experience— a true rare bird amidst the era of “Oprah Musicals” (you get a musical,

Michael Simpson (center) as Frank Abagnale Jr. and the cast of Catch Me If You Can at Suburban Players 📷 Austin Barnes

Catch Me If You Can at The Suburban Players

Reviews February 8, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

The Suburban Players did it in style! So set back and let them be your— well it’s not a TV Guide— because they’re live in living color for their 51st production. And it’s a doozy! Catch Me If You Can is flying to Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church this February and it’s a smashing success! Directed by Lauren Hampton with Musical Direction by Steven Edward Soltow and Choreography by Amie Bell, this zippy zinger of a musical comedy,

Jesus Christ Superstar at Street Lamp Community Theatre

Reviews February 6, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

When do we— ride into Jerusalem? When do we— ride into Jerusalem? When do we— ride into Rising Sun? When do we— ride into Rising Sun? What’s the buzz— I’ll tell you what’s a-happening? JCS— that is what’s a-happening! Triumphantly returning to the Street Lamp Community Theatre Stage under the majestic direction of Rylynn Woods, Musical Direction of Mia Bray and Choreography of Stephanie Peterson, the iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar is back!

The Broadway Cast of The Great Gatsby 📷 Evan Zimmerman

The Great Gatsby at The Hippodrome

Reviews February 5, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Where’s the party? Can you take me there? Why, of course, Old Sport! It’s roarin’ on over at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre! Come celebrate the glamour, glitz, opulence, and decadence— J. Gatsby himself is sending you a personal invitation! The party never ends at The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center as the national tour of The Great Gatsby launches itself right here in Charm City. Based on the iconic classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald,

The Mountaineer at Greenbelt Arts Center

Reviews January 12, 2026 Amanda N. Gunther

Who would you risk your life to save? And how high would your chance of dying have to get before you changed your mind? An evocative question that gets posited, albeit left unanswered, in the world premiere of the new musical The Mountaineer (a high-altitude musical by Diana Raynes) at the Greenbelt Arts Center running now through January 17th 2026. Directed, produced, and designed by Eric Honour, this three-person musical experience is a vexing project that has great potential for a future life beyond this first outing on the GAC black box stage.

Zoe Jensen (center left) as Glinda and Jessie Davidson (center right) as Elphaba at the National Touring Company of Wicked 📷 Joan Marcus

Wicked at The Hippodrome

Reviews December 19, 2025 Amanda N. Gunther

One short day— here in Baltimore City— one short day— full of so much for you! Ev’ry way that you look at the city— there’s something exquisite— that you’ll want to visit— before the day’s through! And while it’s here for several short days (though not too many, only through January 11th 2026) that exquisite thing you’ll want to visit is Wicked on its triumphant return to Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. Landing just in time for the holiday season,

The Grinch Tea: A Holiday Hoorayness Experience at Street Lamp Community Theatre

News December 11, 2025 Amanda N. Gunther

‘Twas the night before opening and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a—

Whoops. Not that one. Lemme try again.

Marley was dead to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his—

Oh. Oh… not that one either? (Whew!) Let’s see…uh—

All I want for Christmas is a Red-Ryder Carbine Action BB Gun— no way, kid, you’ll shoot your—

Still no!?

Annie at Children’s Playhouse of Maryland

Reviews December 9, 2025 Amanda N. Gunther

Well leapin’ lizards! It’s a Christmas miracle that Children’s Playhouse of Maryland still has a ticket or two for their wonderful production of Annie next weekend! Aww, gee. You don’t have tickets yet? Aww, gee. You better not wait! They’re flying off the {digital} shelf faster than FDR’s new deal! Directed by Liz Boyer Hunnicutt with Musical Direction by Charlotte Evans and Choreography by Lauren Stewart, this time-honored musical theatre classic, is the perfect show for the Christmas season and is full of wonderfully talented young performers just radiating their best sunshine-positivity all over the stage!

The Wizard of Oz (Youth Edition) at Theatreworks Live

Reviews November 28, 2025 Amanda N. Gunther

Wonderful… I’m callin’ it wonderful… it does sound wonderful, trust me, it’s fun! And while it may not be the GREEN v PINK everyone’s defying gravity over…remember a certain witchy-witch pair started off in their very own musical a long, long time ago— total reverse plot-twist that this is the original-origin of the ‘origin’ story! Are you ready to return to Oz? To the OG-Emerald City? Theatreworks Live has you covered with their adorable and talent-loaded production of The Wizard of Oz (youth edition.) Directed by Cathy Koncurat with Musical Direction by Megan Koncurat and Choreography by Leslie Perry,

Isaiah Bailey (left) as The Phantom and Jordan Lee Gilbert (right) as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera North American Tour 📷 Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

The Phantom of the Opera at The Hippodrome

Reviews November 14, 2025 Amanda N. Gunther

You have come here! In pursuit of your deepest urge— in pursuit of that which till now has been silent…silent. It’s here— the music of the night— it’s here— truly, this time— The Phantom of the Opera. To launch the North American tour, after what feels like an eternity of missing-in-action, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic and most infamous musical has returned to the stage, and what better a stage to return to than Baltimore’s own Hippodrome Theatre at The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center?

Godspell at Stand Up For Theatre

Reviews November 8, 2025 Chris Pence

author: Chris Pence

Thou That Humble Themselves: Godspell at Stand Up For…Theatre

Prepare Ye The Way! Stand Up For…Theatre presents a fresh, upbeat take on the Gospel of Matthew with Godspell, a Broadway classic for the ages. Director Ed Higgins & Producer Grant Myers bring the story of Jesus to a new generation of theatregoers with a production that will have even the most doubting of Thomases dancing,

(L to R) Megan Evans, Courtney Knoerlein, Colleen Robinson Miller, Ray Essick, Jenny Gleason, Tim Lewis, Ava Silberman in Urinetown at RMT 📷 Nickolas Cummings

Urinetown at Rockville Musical Theatre

Reviews November 3, 2025 Rick Bergmann

author: Rick Bergmann

Rockville Musical Theatre’s Urinetown Flushes Out The Truth With Glee

Jonathan Swift once wrote, “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own.” That idea perfectly captures what makes Rockville Musical Theatre’s production of Urinetown The Musical—now playing at the newly renovated F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater—so successful.

Originally produced in 2001, Urinetown remains strikingly relevant today.