Joel Markowitz - Page 2

As the Helen Hayes Awards ceremony on April 5th honors performances and productions from the past year, DC theatergoers will be hearing two gorgeous scores by Jason Robert Brown and Jeanine Tesori, and seeing a new opera about a boxer, a splashing pool on stage, Tyne Daley as diva Maria Callas, Maurice Hines tapping his way on the Lincoln Theatre stage, Mrs. Robinson seducing Benjamin, a red balloon thrilling young audiences, Harvey Fierstein wishing he was a rich man, tales and songs from a Scottish Jewish composer, a new children's show with lots of princesses, a little musical with the title in [ ], a triumphant mounting of a short-lived Broadway musical, and a wordless Kafka classic performed in Georgian style. The crocuses, cherry blossoms, and azaleas will be in full bloom, as the nation's capital will be awash in beautiful colors. It's the perfect time to visit and see some great shows in our DC area theatres.

The DC area stages' theatre choices in March are dizzying! There's a new play by Terrence McNally at the Kennedy Center, and an off-Broadway gem at Signature Theatre. Adam Guettel's gorgeous Tony Award-winning harmonies will fill Arena Stage in Crystal City. Fagin and his orphans and zaftig Edna Turnblad and her daughter Tracy - will be singing and dancing at Toby's Dinner Theatre in Baltimore and Columbia, MD, and a blood-thirsty musical will be establishing roots at Ford's Theatre. With over 30 shows opening this month, come visit the DC area's 205 theatre venues, and have a monumental time!

With over 30 shows opening this month on DC area stages, there is a buffet of choices for local theatre goers and visitors to our nation's capital, from a Tom Kitt musical, to a bloody barber pie-filled Sondheim feast, to children's classics adapted for the stage, to American Idol contestants with slicked back hair, to a psycho woman and her schizo sister, to Commedia dell'Arte. There's something for everyone, so come visit the DC area, and have a monumental time in our theatres!

As we celebrate Christmas and await the New Year, here's a new audio interpretation of 'The Gift of the Magi' by O. Henry, written and recorded by local DC actors and designers who make up The Audible Group. It is Christmas Eve, 1935. In a small apartment in the H Street NE neighborhood of Washington, DC where James and Della Young, a young couple who, though rich in love, but down to their last pennies, still manage to give each other the perfect gift. It will fill you - from head to mistletoe - with the holiday spirit. Listen here

As we wait for the first snowflakes to transform our nation's capital into a winter wonderland, the DC area theatres are giving families so many holiday-themed shows to choose from. Here are some productions which will make the holidays very jolly indeed!

The fall temperatures may be getting colder, but the DC area theatre scene is heating up with many musicals, including a new "intimate" production of a 1927 American classic, a Tony-Award Winning family saga, and so many choices - well - take a look for yourself at what this diverse theatre community has to offer in November. This is a great time to celebrate the upcoming holidays with your family, so bring the kids, grandparents, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins to see that Orphan girl and her dog, a Disney heroine, and enjoy an early Christmas, and many more shows to bring in the cheer and joy of the holiday season. We have so much to be thankful for this month, so come to our nation's capital and celebrate the joy of theatre with us!

The Fall theatre season in the DC area is in full bloom. As the leaves are turning, there is a colorful group of shows opening this month. There are so many, so where do I begin? Here are shows that I am looking forward to seeing, and remember I am a musical theatre lover who likes to sprinkle in a play or two - here and there - so don't get mad if I don't choose one of the plays you are looking forward to seeing. You have your chance at the end of this article to share your 'must sees' also with our readers. Hopefully, you'll make the trip down to the DC area to see some of these wonderful productions.

There are two things you should know about me: I am a musical theatre lover, and I love to schmooze with actors and composers. I am very fortunate to live in the DC area where our theatre community is growing by leaps and bounds. There are so many productions opening in September in DC, Maryland and Virginia theatres, my head is spinning trying to figure out which ones I will see.