Washington, DC Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 24

Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at The Kennedy Center
by Elizabeth Seablom - June 15, 2022

What did our critic think of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at The Kennedy Center?...

BWW Review: NOLLYWOOD DREAMS at Round House
by Roger Catlin - June 15, 2022

What did our critic think of NOLLYWOOD DREAMS at Round House? It's likely to be a crowd-pleaser, since it's from Jocelyn Bioh, who's earlier 'School Girls: Or, the African Mean Girls Play' was a hit at the Round House when it reopened following renovations in 2019....

BWW Review: UNDER THE SEA WITH DREDGIE MCGEE at 1st Stage
by Ken Kemp - June 09, 2022

The magical, whimsical world of Dredgie McGee will delight children and adults alike. Don't miss this wonderful romp under the sea....

BWW Review: VISIONARY VOICES at The Kennedy Center
by Tavish Young - June 08, 2022

What did our critic think of Visionary Voices at The Kennedy Center? On June 7th and 8th, In the comfortable and open atmosphere of the Kennedy Center's Opera House Theater, the New York City Ballet Presented Visionary Voices, showcasing three contemporary choreographers; Jamar Roberts, Sidra Bell, ...

BWW Review: DRUMFOLK at Arena Stage
by Ken Kemp - June 07, 2022

Drumfolk is a feast for all of the senses, with an incredibly talented ensemble of artists.  ...

BWW Review: UNBREAKABLE performed by Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC at Lincoln Theatre
by David Friscic - June 07, 2022

“You Can’t Stop the Music” as the Village People say and this might have been the mission of the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) as they sang their hearts out in esteemed composer Andrew Lippa’s original work entitled Unbreakable.  This East coast premiere by Mr. Lippa (composer of the mus...

BWW Review: SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER AND TALK TO ME LIKE THE RAIN AND LET ME LISTEN at Avant Bard Theatre
by David Friscic - June 01, 2022

Suddenly Last Summer a terrible memory was embedded in the mind of a woman, and she must now face an assault on her brain. Her cousin, the fastidious poet Sebastian, was spending a summer to write what was to be his last poem------but I am getting ahead of myself!...

BWW Review: NSO POPS: LOVE: A JONI MITCHELL SONGBOOK
by David Friscic - May 31, 2022

The prolific, gifted, and influential artist Joni Mitchell has amassed a group of devoted followers and aficionados who have followed her genre-exploring career from folk, pop, rhythm and blues, jazz, and the romantic standards she has explored in her later years. Devotees of Ms. Mitchell often spea...

BWW Review: A MONSTER CALLS at The Kennedy Center
by Pamela Roberts - May 30, 2022

A MONSTER CALLS, a powerful story of love, loss, truth and self-discovery, is beautifully rendered for the stage. The fantastical tale is highly physical, gorgeous to behold, and packs a potent emotional punch. The production, now touring to the Kennedy Center, was adapted for the stage by visionar...

BWW Review: DESDEMONA: A PLAY ABOUT A HANDKERCHIEF at We Happy Few
by Rachael F. Goldberg - May 29, 2022

Overall, 'Desdemona: A Play About a Handkerchief' is a lackluster production. With so many better and more thoughtful options out there, this production doesn’t meet the standard I’ve come to expect of the DC theater scene’s forays into the Bard....

BWW Review: CARMEN at The Kennedy Center
by Rachael F. Goldberg - May 24, 2022

While this production of 'Carmen' is very traditional on its face, the thoughtfulness and sheer talent packed into this performance elevates it to something far more engaging, and absolutely enchanting. It’s more than worthy of audiences’ time, and hopefully WNO’s fresh interpretation will help audi...

BWW Review: LUCKY STIFF at NextStop Theatre Company
by David Friscic - May 23, 2022

A corpse, dogs, a heart-shaped box, and diamonds are just a few of the plot ingredients in the merry mix of mayhem and misadventure in the zany musical Lucky Stiff now being presented at the NextStop Theatre Company.  An audaciously frenetic and chaotic sense of impending disaster fills the air as a...

BWW Review: OUR TOWN at Shakespeare Theatre Company
by Pamela Roberts - May 22, 2022

The Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Our Town is a triumphant production of vitality, and consequence. Thornton Wilder’s classic—a work that captures the universal experience of being alive—takes on new resonance and depth in the capable hands of an extraordinary ensemble. This play is immediate—one ...

BWW Review: Olney Theatre's THE JOY THAT CARRIES YOU a Touching Journey Towards Renewal
by Andrew White - May 21, 2022

'The Joy that Carries You' is a touching and touchingly thoughtful journey, one which many might recognize in their own. But Secka and Stoller also make this a celebration of the relationships which until (only) very recently were taboo. Thank goodness we're no longer at the stage where seeing two w...

BWW Review: SHOW WAY THE MUSICAL at The Kennedy Center
by Tavish Young - May 16, 2022

Show Way is a short musical adapted from the children's book of the same name by Jacqueline Woodson. It follows the family of Soonie, a Black woman in America, and the matriarchs that led her family from the time her ancestors were enslaved....

BWW Review: THERE'S ALWAYS THE HUDSON Premieres to Standing Ovation at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company
by Morgan Musselman - May 16, 2022

The premiere of THERE’S ALWAYS THE HUDSON, on stage now at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, has been a long time coming. Don’t miss this hilarious and heart-wrenching story of trauma, revenge, and friendship....

BWW Review: HAIRSPRAY at National Theatre
by Elliot Lanes - May 14, 2022

Hang on to your big hair and take a trip back to the 1960’s with the current US touring company of the Tony Award winning musical Hairspray playing through this Sunday at the National Theatre....

BWW Review: FREESTYLE LOVE SUPREME at The Kennedy Center
by Tavish Young - May 12, 2022

Freestyle Love Supreme is a unique show that consists of about an hour and a half of improvised hip-hop beats and rapping, with a healthy dose of comedy and banter. Read our critic's review!...

BWW Review: Washington Stage Guild's MEMOIRS OF A FORGOTTEN MAN a Timely Reflection on the Past
by Andrew White - May 10, 2022

The Washington Stage Guild has finally had the opportunity to stage D. W. Gregory's searing study of innocence, hardened cynicism and totalitarian self-delusion, 'Memoirs of a Forgotten Man.' In spite of the long hiatus from its premiere four years ago (pre-COVID), the play continues to challenge us...

BWW Review: Contemporary American Theatre Festival's Listening Party for REDEEMED Yet Another Afternoon of Gripping Drama
by Andrew White - May 10, 2022

Recently, CATF supporters gathered to hear one of playwright Chisa Hutchinson's latest pieces, a radio drama that was co-produced with the Vermont's Dorset Theatre Festival. Over a fine, inventively crafted lunch at one of Shepherdstown's newest restaurants, Alma Bea (near the railroad tracks, just ...

BWW Review: INTO THE WOODS at Creative Cauldron
by Hannah Wing - May 09, 2022

Creative Cauldron’s production of Sondheim’s Into the Woods, directed by Matt Conner with music direction by Elisa Rosman, concocts a magical musical within the constraints of a small theatre space. ...

BWW Review: MARYS SEACOLE at Mosaic Theater Company
by Mary Lincer - May 09, 2022

Mary Seacole (1805-1881) had more skills than José Andres; in addition to establishing catering in war zones (Seacole set up a rest stop for British soldiers near the front lines during the Crimean War.), she also provided health care services during Jamaica's 1850 cholera epidemic and Panama's the ...

BWW Review: ON YOUR FEET! La Historia De Emilio Y Gloria Estefan! En Espanol! at Gala Hispanic Theatre
by David Friscic - May 08, 2022

On Your Feet! celebrates Cuban-American pride and the need to celebrate life during both the good times and the tough times. This fascinating real-life story of Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan is full of bite, vigor, and vibrating energy to touch the soul and the heart. A multicultural cast lends ...

BWW Review: THE UPSTAIRS DEPARTMENT at Signature Theatre
by Rachael F. Goldberg - May 06, 2022

While ostensibly about grief and how we see the world, 'The Upstairs Department' is really more about the central sibling relationship, about how two people can drift apart and find their way back to each other along their journeys to better understand themselves....

BWW Review: JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN at Studio Theatre
by David Friscic - May 03, 2022

Topical themes rule the day at the current production at Studio Theatre’s current production John Proctor is the Villain. This is a play that has good intentions to spare, fine acting, and superb production values but never quite gels as it tries to do too much at the same time....