1. The Who’s Tommy at Kensington Theatre Arts.
“It’s fun and frenzied and imperfect and wildly entertaining to watch.” – Stephanie House.
READ review.
Synopsis: After witnessing the accidental murder of his mother’s lover by his father, Tommy is traumatized into catatonia. As an adolescent, he’s discovered to have an uncanny knack for playing pinball, and when his mother finally breaks through his catatonia, he becomes an international pinball superstar. THE WHO’S TOMMY features an exhilarating score that is timeless, with a cross-generational appeal that has made it a smash-hit around the world.
Brice Guerriere as Tommy. Photo by Mark McLaughlin.
2. Caroline or Change at Creative Cauldron.
“Bottom line: This show is an absolute must-see that hits every possible mark: aesthetic and artistic.” – Stephanie House.
READ review.
Synopsis: Set against the dramatic backdrop of political and social change in 1963 Louisiana, this TONY-nominated musical is riveting, moving, and awe inspiring. A virtuosic score blends blues, gospel and traditional Jewish klezmer music, to tell the story of the Gellman family and their African-American maid, Caroline, a hard-working single mother of four. As the story unfolds a fragile, yet beautiful friendship develops between Caroline and the young Gellman son, Noah. Featuring one of the most powerful female roles in musical theater, Caroline, or Change is a true tour de force that will leave audiences breathless.
Ethan Van Slyke & Iyona Blake. Photos by Keith Waters, Kx Photography.
3. Brouhaha by Happenstance Theater at Baltimore Theatre Project.
“It is always a sheer pleasure to watch this group of actors perform.” – Lynne Menefee.
READ review.
Synopsis: In this devised, clown-esque piece, Happenstance Theater’s ensemble pares down to the raw essentials: Each has one character, one costume, one case. This troupe of eccentrics is on the precipice at the end of the world. Their curiosity lights up the darkness like a firecracker. What happens in that moment of illumination? BrouHaHa is a funny and poetic escapade inspired by images of refugees fleeing on foot, Edwardian workers, cinematic treasures like La Strada and The Seventh Seal, and the existential comedy of Samuel Beckett.
Alex Vernon (Roland), Gwen Grastorf (Edith), Mark Jaster (Ralph), Sabrina Mandell (Rose), Sarah Olmsted Thomas (Pandora), and Karen Hansen (Big Wanda.) Photo courtesy of Happenstance Theater
4. Pheaton at Taffety Punk Theatre Company.
“his admirable group has worked hard to remove any obstacle to your experiencing life-enriching, entertaining and artful storytelling in Phaeton.” – Derek Schwabe.
READ review.
Synopsis: This new play follows the story of Phaeton and his mortal mother braving impossible odds. Dire circumstances bring him face to face with his father, a god. Even more dire are the consequences. Phaeton explores the distance between who we are, who we think we are, and who we can be. In this space lies the conflict—the inescapable and universal struggle—between the mundane and the divine, between complacency and hope, between fear and action. How far would you go to renew the world?
James Flanagan appears in the title role of ‘Phaeton’, playing at Taffety Punk through May 28.
5. Part 4 The Ring of the Nibelung – Twilight of the Gods by Washington National Opera at The Kennedy Center.
READ review.
Synopsis: The Ring reaches its supreme climax in this final saga of betrayal and sacrifice, destruction and renewal. Siegfried is tricked into abandoning Brünnhilde, who makes one final, shocking choice to restore the universe to its natural order.
Eric Halfvarson as Hagen (center) and the company of Twilight of the Gods – photo Scott Suchman for WNO.
