Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Kennedy Center. I find any possible excuse to go to an event there. The caliber of performers and shows they bring are always astounding – and don’t get me started on the free shows EVERY DAY of the year. I can say with full conviction that Anastasia was no different.
Friends! The Musical Parody took a short residence at AMP Bethesda. Make a big note that this is a parody! Liberties are taken and sometimes that left the audience, when I saw it, confused.
Let me say that I LOVE “Friends” the TV show. I have seen the entire series multiple of multiple times and watch episodes everyday still. When I heard this was a show, I thought, “how did I not write this?” but seeing it, my experience leads me to think it was written by people who might not actually like that show. That’s why I say emphasis on “parody”.
The Washington National Opera (WNO) opened its 2018-2019 season with a new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s ever-popular and moving romantic opera, La traviata. Up until the opening night, my familiarity with La traviata was pretty much restricted to what I saw in the highly emotive scene of the famous 1990 Hollywood blockbuster romantic comedy, Pretty Woman, when Julia Roberts’ character Vivian goes to the opera for the first time, and is so touched by Verdi’s La traviata, that she is moved to tears.
One of R&B most significant groups, “The Temptations” story comes to the stage in Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations. The play is making its pre-Broadway debut at the world-renowned Kennedy Center. Directed by Des McAnuff and written by Dominique Morisseau, Ain’t Too Proud is a jukebox musical seen through the eyes of Temptations group leader Otis Williams portrayed by Derrick Baskin.
June 25, 2009, is a day that I’ll never forget. I remember that I was on a shuttle bus taking the trip home when, it was announced by a fellow bus writer, that Michael Jackson had passed away. The day is visited again in the play, The Night Michael Jackson Diedwhich had a dry run at The Hamilton in Washington D.C., on the ninth anniversary of the King of Pop’s passing.
(Desi Oakley as Jenna in the National Tour of WAITRESS – Credit: Joan Marcus)
The new musical “Waitress”, based upon the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly, is “peachy” as well as several other flavors. It is based on a book by Jessie Nelson. Tickets are available at the National Theatre until June 3.
The stage is set when a charming minstrel, (Nick Rashad Burroughs) graces the stage to set the scene to welcome us to the Renaissance in London, England. His funny exaggerated facial expressions are amplified when the entertaining ensemble joins in the welcome song to add enjoyable dance moves to amuse the audience. They sing about new modern things which makes the audience laugh, as they are old to us. The tone was set for comedy and the cast delivered.
As a fan of dance, my expectations were high when I found out that I would be attending “Step Afrika’s Step Xplosion at Strathmore. The event which wasn’t an all-out competition, but more or a less a celebration of stepping and, how it helps children on their journey into adulthood.
Thursday, December 28th was opening Night of THE ILLUSIONISTS – LIVE FROM BROADWAY at the world-renowned John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in Washington D.C. Optical illusions and the wonderful world of magic tricks were front & center in a night filled with comedy, breakdancing and of course magic.
The essence and spirit of Hip Hop music were alive on Monday, July 10th at the Millennium Stage located inside the historic Kennedy Center during a production of “Synching Ink.” As part of the annual Hip Hop Theater Festival, “Synching Ink” is a great love letter to Hip Hop and breath of fresh air for anyone tired of mumble rap. Written by Baltimore native & Howard University graduate NSangou Njikam.
