Author Archives: Jennifer Perry
About Jennifer Perry
Jennifer Perry has been a DC resident for over 10 years having moved from Upstate New York to attend graduate school at American University's School of International Service. When not attending countless theatrical performances in Washington, DC and New York, she works for the US Federal Government as an analyst. She enjoys leveraging her writing and analytic skills, honed in the international affairs and sociology fields, to examine local theatrical works and the perspectives that they offer on the world. Barbara Cook’s Spotlight Series: Aaron Lazar at the Kennedy Center
Certainly, Broadway star Aaron Lazar gets credit for making this eclectic mix work in his one-night-only concert. I’ve attended nearly all of the concerts in the Kennedy Center’s Barbara Cook’s Spotlight Series to date and while all of them featured some exceptional singing by Broadway… Continue reading
Theatre Review: ‘The Big Meal’ at Studio 2ndStage
The Big Meal, written by emerging playwright Dan LeFranc received many critical accolades during its world premiere run in Chicago and very recent Off-Broadway run, including Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel award nominations for Outstanding Play. Continue reading
Theatre Review: ‘God of Carnage’ at Signature Theatre
God of Carnage, now playing at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre, is a slight 75 minute play that received a slew of accolades when it premiered on Broadway in 2009, including the Tony Award for Best Play. Continue reading
Theatre Review: Washington Savoyards Production of ‘A Grand Night for Singing’
The Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein songbook is a rich and diverse one, full of ‘oldies but goodies.’ An evening (or an afternoon) that involves hearing pleasant ballads, witty patter songs, and toe-tapping traditional showtunes penned by this duo can be nothing but entertaining. Continue reading
Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Emily Skinner at the Kennedy Center
Barbara Cook’s Spotlight Series at the Kennedy Center offers selected leading ladies and men of Broadway, and sometimes London’s West End, the opportunity to reach DC area audiences with their solo cabaret acts. Continue reading
‘Taming of the Shrew’ at Synetic Theater
As the eighth production in its “Silent Shakespeare” series, Synetic Theater departs from their traditional dark, intense, and brooding fare and mounts one of William Shakespeare’s lighter, but still substantial, pieces, The Taming of the Shrew. Continue reading
‘Brother Russia’ at Signature Theatre
As its fifth world premiere of the 2011-2012 season, Signature Theatre has a winner in John Dempsey (Book and Lyrics) and Dana Rowe’s pop-rock musical, Brother Russia. Continue reading
’1776′ at Ford’s Theatre
It seems very appropriate that Ford’s Theatre, with its focus on Americana and presence in the home of US political power, would choose to mount a production of Sherman Edwards’ (music and lyrics) and Peter Stone’s (book) Tony Award-winning musical, 1776. Continue reading
Bare at American University
AU theatre students, under the direction of Carl Menninger, are faced with a daunting challenge of presenting a piece about two young men at a Catholic boarding school struggling with sexual identity and relationships as they mount a production of Romeo and Juliet. Continue reading
Hair at The George Washington University
The George Washington University (GWU) Theatre and Dance Department has joined with the school’s Music Department to mount a very ambitious production of the iconic rock musical Hair. Galt MacDermot’s musical score contains such known songs as “Aquarius,” “Good Morning Starshine” and “The Flesh Failures (Let the Sun Shine In).” Continue reading
Genesis Reboot at Synetic Theater
What if? What if the creation of man led to a different outcome? Is a do-over possible? These are the provocative questions explored in Synetic Theater’s world premiere production of Genesis Reboot, penned by long-time Synetic actor, assistant director, fight choreographer, and co-adaptor Ben Cunis. Continue reading
Blood Wedding at Constellation Theatre Company
Constellation Theatre Company is currently presenting Tanya Ronder’s modern translation of this play, first staged in Madrid in 1933 and then in other major Western cities. It’s a bold choice, to be sure, to stray away from the ‘innately Spanish’ sensibility of the original – the language and the imagery it evokes, the Andalucian cultural undertones, and the family dynamics at play. Continue reading
Two Gentlemen of Verona (a rock opera) at Shakespeare Theatre Company
The strong and diverse musical score, by Galt MacDermot (of Hair fame), also creates a sense of excitement. Genres range from rock and classical to Latin and gospel, though all of the songs have a 70s vibe. Among the standouts are “I Am Not Interested in Love, “I Come From the Land of Betrayal,” and “Thurio’s Samba.” All are played with much precision by a 12-piece orchestra, which is visible on stage. The brass section is a particular highlight. Continue reading
Fela! at The Warner Theatre
The international touring company of Fela! makes a return visit to Washington, DC this week having recently played at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Center for the Arts. Warner Theatre audiences are treated to a high-energy performance celebrating the life of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, a Nigerian composer and musician who was a pioneer in the Afrobeat genre. Continue reading
