Review: WEST SIDE STORY Presented by Washington National Opera at The Music Center At Strathmore
by David Friscic - May 19, 2026
It was good to be back at the Washington National Opera for their thrilling performance of West Side Story after a year of extreme change for this vital world-renowned artistic organization/institution. As many people already know, the Washington National Opera has had to relocate to other venues to proactively create new artistic paradigms after some tough challenges at the Kennedy Center. (I was pleased to review this production on the night of May 14, 2026, at The Music Center at Strathmore
From Churches to Banks: The Unlikely Origins of Off-Broadway Theaters
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Mar 22, 2026
The large majority of our 41 Broadway theaters were built to be Broadway theaters. Other than the Winter Garden, which was originally a horse exchange, the Nederlander, which was originally a carpenter’s shop, and the Broadway and Lunt-Fontanne which were originally movie theaters, every current Broadway house was intended from the beginning to present Broadway shows. As for off-Broadway? The opposite is true.
Vive la France! A Guide to Iconic French Musicals
by Sidney Paterra - Sep 26, 2025
Broadway and the West End may be the global capitals of musical theatre, but some of the best musicals have also come from outside the boundaries of New York City and London. France has produced revolutionary rock operas like Starmania and La Révolution Française to international blockbusters like Les Misérables, Notre-Dame de Paris, and Roméo et Juliette, captivating audiences around the world for decades.
A History of Three-Handers on Broadway
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - Oct 5, 2025
While a lot has been written about two handers, a term for two-person shows, less has been penned about three-handers. Yet, three-person plays are just as common a genre on Broadway as pieces with only two players. Currently, Art, by Yasmina Reza, is receiving an all-star revival at the Music Box.
QUEEN Will Play a Special Performance at King's Place
by Stephi Wild - Aug 22, 2025
Queen - a play written entirely in Queen Victoria's own words, taken from her letters and journals and bringing her innermost thoughts back to life - will be performed at King's Place in London.
Review: TRUE WEST at Copley Theatre, Aurora IL
by Tina St. Angelo - Jul 31, 2025
Part of the dialogue from the current production in the BOLD series at Paramount’s Copley Theatre. The late, great Sam Shepard’s 1980 play True West is running through August 31. There is a reason this series is called BOLD. This is an intense, dark and, at times, funny play. There are moments of holding your breath, gasping out loud and, sometimes, laughing.
Photos: Sam Shepard's TRUE WEST At Paramount Theatre
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 23, 2025
Paramount Theatre in Aurora will kick off the fourth season of its BOLD Series with Sam Shepard’s True West, running from July 16 through August 31, 2025, at the intimate Copley Theatre in downtown Aurora. See photos of the production.
MAMMA MIA! is Back—Here’s Your Guide to Essential Pre-Show Viewing
by Sidney Paterra - Jul 19, 2025
xHere we go again! In just weeks, Mamma Mia! will make its long-awaited return to Broadway, and it’s finally time to get back into the Dancing Queen spirit. It's been almost a decade since the beloved musical concluded its initial run on Broadway and we're here to help you brush up your Mamma Mia! knowhow with this ultimate pre-show watchlist...
Surflight Theatre to bring 42ND STREET to The Stage
by Emmy Rice - Jul 6, 2025
Surflight’s adaptation of the 1980 staged musical 42nd Street, based on the book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, directed and choreographed by Paula Hammons Sloan, takes us on the journey of Peggy Sawyer as she attempts to make her mark in the big apple.