1. “The Christmas Angel” at Creative Cauldron
“…comforting, beautifully sung and choreographed, and brings a sense of home.” –
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Synopsis: Based on a little-known 1910 novel by Abbie Farwell Brown, this Dickensian tale about an elderly spinster and her heartwarming transformation into the Christmas spirit has everything: sparks of joy, moments of reflection, gorgeous music, and holiday magic. Our award-winning creative team, Conner and Smith, put their signature stamp on what is sure to become classic holiday show! This production features adult professionals and students enrolled in our Musical Theater Pre-Professional Training program.
Jane Keifer as Miranda, Sophia Sami as Flanton Dog, Carmen Ortiz as Ark, and Owen Thiebert as Jack in the Box. Photo by William Gallagher.
2. “A Snowy Nite at the Dew Drop Inn” at Anacostia Playhouse
“…rowdy, well-choreographed, and beautifully sung…a dazzler of a show.” –
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Synopsis: They’re back and at it again! Our madcap fun house of Dew Drop Performers are letting the good times roll sassy, hot and steamy on a cold snowy night. Our holiday show, A Snowy Nite at the Dew Drop Inn is a musical celebration and tribute to the Juke Joint, to those iconic nightspots that were known for good food, music and maybe a little trouble (if you weren’t careful). This cabaret-style presentation highlights themes of love found, love lost, and love renewed in the midst of holiday cheer. It features songs made famous by Big Mama Thorton, Fats Waller, Etta James, and Dinah Washington, just to name a few.
Pearl Bonnetemp (Yvette Spears) sings the blues. Photo by Bill Lee (@billleephotography).
3. “The Christmas Revels: An American Celebration of the Winter Solstice” by The Washington Revels
“History buffs, lovers of traditional folk music and dance, and families will love the variety and passion in the performances of ‘The Christmas Revels.’ “ – Brian Bochicchio
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Synopsis: This holiday, join Washington Revels for a homegrown celebration of the Winter Solstice that honors our shared American roots through music, dance, and story. It is December 1870 in Washington, DC, and in the elegant parlor of Senator Hiram Rhodes Revels, the first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress, the household is preparing for a party! Hiram and his wife Phoebe have invited colleagues and friends from near and far to celebrate the season and to look ahead to a new year. With joyous carols, traditional melodies, heartfelt spirituals and toe-tapping dances, guests from all walks of life meet under the Revels family roof. In the midst of this camaraderie the merrymakers also take care of their Yuletide community — welcoming a traveler with an urgent request, seeking out a lost love, and comforting a melancholy man longing for the joy of the season. Together, all who enter Senator Revels’ home share the hope that long years of national struggle are in the past; remember those who have gone before; and take joy in reunion with loved ones who were separated for many years.
“The Christmas Revels: An American Celebration of the Winter Solstice.” Photo by Alain L. Gutiérrez.
4. “A Medieval Christmas” presented by the Folger Consort
“…a masterful demonstration of the uplifting effects of harmonizing recorders, lifting the spirit like angels on a cloud.“ – Brian Bochicchio
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Synopsis: For its annual holiday concerts of cherished music from the early music repertoire, Folger Consort presents an intimate program revisiting its beloved album, A Medieval Christmas (Bard Records, 1990/2007). Carols in English from the Middle Ages – with such favorites as the Coventry Carol (“Lullay, lullow”), “Ah, my dear son,” and “Gabriel from heaven’s king” – as well as Medieval Latin carols from throughout Europe will be performed in unique arrangements for historical instruments. The generously resonant nave of St. Mark’s on Capitol Hill provides the ideal acoustical backdrop for harmonious and joyful early music for the Yuletide season. Folger Consort is joined by virtuoso guest instrumentalists Mary Springfels (medieval strings) and Dan Meyers (winds) and soprano Emily Noël.
5. Sherlock Holmes and Loveday Brooke’s Mysteries by We Happy Few
“…this listening/tactile experience with fun evidence packets is a perfect adventure…” – Dr. Mark Dreisonstok
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Synopsis: “Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Norwood Builder.” In the rural town of Norwood, there is a cataclysmic fire, charred remains, and a missing man. All the evidence points to John Hector McFarlane as the culprit, but did he do it? As Inspector Lestrade puts together an air-tight case against their client, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson race against time to prove McFarlane’s innocence and discover what really happened to the Norwood Builder.
“Loveday Brooke in the Murder at Troyte’s Hill.” The Lynch Court Detective Agency has a new case! When the lodge keeper of a run-down estate is found bludgeoned to death, the local authorities call in Loveday Brooke to go undercover and find the man’s killer. The Murder at Troyte’s Hill is Loveday’s most dangerous case yet—and as the bodies pile up, our favorite Lady Detective must stop the killer before she becomes the next victim.
Debora Crabbe as Loveday Brooke and Robert Pike as Ebenezer Dyer in “Murder at Troyte’s Hill.” Photo courtesy of We Happy Few.
