Reviews

Brian Quijada (left) and Nygel D. Robinson (right) in Mexodus at Baltimore Center Stage šŸ“· Fannon Photography

Mexodus at Baltimore Center Stage

Todos estamos juntos en esto.

Weā€™re all in this together.

Changing the face of musical theatre, changing the soundscape of our nationā€™s narrativeā€” Mexodus is the story of the Underground Railroad that led south; a story that they will have to pass down by word of mouth. Itā€™s a moment omitted from the history booksā€” but itā€™s a story of thousands worth a second lookā€” rapture and release, visceral emotions and peaceā€” this is one for the ages splitting time on two stagesā€” but you get to be in the room where it happened firstā€” The Head Theatre at Baltimore Center Stage.

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Derrick D. Truby Jr. (Seymour) with Kaiyla Gross (Ronnette), Nia Savoy-Dock (Chiffon) and Kanysha Williams (Crystal), in the 2024 Fordā€™s Theatre production of Little Shop of Horrors šŸ“· Scott Suchman

Little Shop of Horrors at Ford’s Theatre

Little Shop of HorrorsĀ returns to Ford’s Theatre from March 15 through May 18 after a previous mounting in 2010. From its originĀ as a low budget 1960 sci-fi dark comedy by Roger Corman, to its initial adaptation as an off-Broadway musical in 1982, to subsequent high-budget film versions and worldwide stage success,Ā Little Shop of HorrorsĀ has become one of the most treasured pieces of American musical theatre.

If you have never seen this American staple of musical theatre then you should run and see this production.

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Matilda at Small Town Stars Theatre Company

Matilda at Small Town Stars Theatre Company

Weā€™re told we have to do what weā€™re told, but surely sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty! Like doing all those things you shouldnā€™t doā€” reading books, loving musicals, and going to Small Town Stars Theatre Companyā€™s production of Matilda! Those are all naughty little things you absolutely should be doingā€” and the third thing on that list you should definitely be doing this weekend! Directed by Joel Roberson with Musical Direction by Kelly Stoneberger,

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The North American tour of Company šŸ“· Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade

Company at The Kennedy Center

Somebody hold me too close.Ā  Somebody hurt me too deep.Ā  Somebody sit in my chair and ruin my sleep and make me aware of being alive.Ā  Being alive.Ā  Thatā€™s the plea of protagonist Bobby in Stephen Sondheimā€™s musical Company (book by George Furth) which is currently gracing the stage in the elegant Opera House at The John F. Kennedy Center for The Performing Arts in our nationā€™s capital.Ā  Originally produced in 1970 Company was nominated for 14 Tony Awards and won six.

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(L-R) Omar A. Said (Panch), Beth Amann (Rona Lisa), B.J. Robertson (Mitch), Taylor Litofsky (Logainne), Cera Baker (Marcy), Preston Grover (Chip), Sam Slottow (Leaf), Lila Cooper (Olive), and Stephen Emery (BarfĆ©e) in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, presented by Compass Rose Theater šŸ“·

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Compass Rose Theater

Charmingā€” (adjective) ā€˜Extremely pleasing or delightful.ā€™ Compass Rose Theater is now producing the most charming production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee I think I can ever recall seeingā€” and thatā€™s saying something as Iā€™ve covered it over a dozen times in as many years, including just a month ago elsewhere! C-H-A-R-M-I-N-G. Directed & Choreographed by Tommy Malek with Musical Direction by Rachel Sandler, this feel-good, upbeat, absolutely adorable musical is perfectly parsed in the intimate staging space that Compass Rose Theater has at Maryland Hall;

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Puffs at Silhouette Stages šŸ“· Stasia Steuart Photography

Puffs at Silhouette Stages

Puffs at Silhouette Stages: Revenge of the Nerds,ā€ Potter Style

Have you ever wondered what it was like to be a side character in a story? To not be the hero, but just another onlooker? Matt Coxā€™s Puffs at Silhouette Stages examines this idea in hilarious fashion as we delve into the world of a Certain School of Magic and Magic. A riotous romp through mediocrity,

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The Secret Garden at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church šŸ“· Audrey Lengbeyer

The Secret Garden at Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church

Come spirit! Come charm! Come days that are warm! Come magical spellā€” they will help you get well! Come to their garden for the most extraordinary theatrical experience that is so stunning, so professional, and so polished youā€™ll find it hard to believe that itā€™s a community organization and playing in a church nonetheless! The Secret Garden now live in living color is appearing through the weekend of March 17th with the Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church and it is beyond remarkable,

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Jesus Christ Superstar at Third Wall Productions šŸ“· Kristin Rigsby

Jesus Christ Superstar at Third Wall Productions

Third Wall Productions, you know I love you. Did you see I waved? I believe in you and your show so tell me that Iā€™m saved! If youā€™re ready to rock and roll along with the best of them, Third Wall Productions is bringing you that iconic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar and itā€™s the most solid production that theyā€™ve had so far! (In their new home at Chestnut Grove Presbyterian.) Directed by Mike Zellhofer,

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Steel Magnolias at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore

ā€œLaughter Through Tearsā€

Grab your curlers and spill the tea, because itā€™s time for Steel Magnolias at Artistic Synergy of Baltimore! Playwright Robert Harlingā€™s comedy-drama comes to stunning life through skilled direction and superb performing. Based on experiences from Harlingā€™s life, Steel Magnolias tells the story of six women who become lifelong friends in a Louisiana nail salon, coming together to support each other through good times and bad.

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Sam McLellan and company in ā€œThe Book of Mormonā€ North American tour. šŸ“· Julieta Cervantes.

The Book of Mormon at The National Theatre

ā€œTomorrow is a Latter Dayā€

Hello, my name is Elder Tarpley.Ā  And I would like to share with you the most amazing play now showing at The National Theatre!

Since its debut on Broadway way back in 2011, The Book of Mormon has been continuing to stun audiences all over the world with its funny, offensive, but surprisingly sweet story, and top-notch music sure to make the Musical Theatre Greats of the Twentieth Century proudā€¦ minus all the F-bombsā€¦ and the satirical sacrilegious look at organizational religionā€¦.

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Forbidden Broadway’s Greatest Hits at Dundalk Community Theatre

There are few things in the theatrical world that are ā€œforbiddenā€.Ā  Those of a certain age might remember the Sci-Fi cult classic film Forbidden Planet, or the TV show Forbidden Island.Ā  But thereā€™s one Broadway phenomenon that has stood the test of time and, while not ā€œforbiddenā€ in the technical sense of the word, has sparked legions of loyal followers over the years, and that is Forbidden Broadway.Ā 

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Laughing Stock at Spotlighters Theatre šŸ“· Matthew Peterson

Laughing Stock at Spotlighters Theatre

Madness does not run through the theatre family; it gallops. With sardines. And while youā€™re certainly not going to get a gargantuan house on the postage stamp stage at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre, you can definitely get a hilariously good time with their current production of Charles Moreyā€™s Laughing Stock. Mild to moderate insanity with a dash of ā€˜WTFā€™ all balled neatly into the nonsense that is the lifestyle we choose when we jump into the world of theatre.

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Escape to Margaritaville at Tidewater Players šŸ“· Matthew Peterson

Escape to Margaritaville at Tidewater Players

Reset your mind to island time. Because itā€™s five oā€™clock somewhere. And for the next two weekends, itā€™s five o’clock in Havre de Grace as the Tidewater Players presents Jimmy Buffettā€™s Escape to Margaritaville. Directed by Dickie Mahoney, with Musical Direction by Chris Rose, and Choreography by Evyo (and tap-choreo by Bambi Johnson), this ā€˜throw-your-cares-awayā€™ silly good time show is just what the doctor ordered in these chilly winter months. And if you really want to be on ā€œisland timeā€?

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Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly by Happenstance Theater šŸ“· L Hewitt Photography

Adrift at Happenstance Theater

As aboveā€” so below. From the profoundly deep to the oddly absurd, Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly, the latest live stage performance from Happenstance Theater, has it all. And also a strawberry. Appearing for a limited two-weekend engagement at Baltimore Theatre Project, this newly devised work comes the masterminds of Mark Jaster, Sabrina Mandell, Gwen Grastorf, Sarah Olmsted Thomas, and Alex Vernon, with their inspirations set ā€˜adriftā€™ on stage from the works of Hieronymus Bosch (amongst others) and will fill you with an oddly enlightened sense of wonderment,

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Dontrell, Who Kissed The Sea at Sisters Freehold

Dontrell, Who Kissed The Sea at Sisters Freehold

Dreams are dreams. Awake is awake. Know the difference. But if you donā€™t knowā€” or donā€™t want to know? In stunningly beautiful narrative that blend magical realism with the burning yen to simultaneously connect oneā€™s past to oneā€™s future, Dontrell, Who Kissed The Sea is playing a limited engagement with Sisters Freehold currently at The Peale Museum for the next two weekends. This evocative coming-of-age journey, written by Nathan Alan Davis and directed by Makeima Elise Freeland,

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Nolan Almeida (left) as Peter Pan and Cody Garcia (center) as Captain Hook and Hawa Kamara (right) as Wendy and the cast of Peter Pan. šŸ“·Matthew Murphy

Peter Pan at The Hippodrome

econd star to the right and straight on tilā€” viral video ballroom waltzing? Shut the fort door, since when does Peter Pan have Wendy being obsessed with going viral so that she can help pay for her medical school training because she wants to grow up and be a surgeon?

~*~*~*ANGRY TINKLING & CHIMING NOISES*~*~*~

What was that, Tinker Bell? In the newly refurbished national tour launch production thatā€™s leaping into the air with lovely thoughts straight out of Baltimoreā€™s Hippodrome Theatre?

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Ms. Story’s Living History at Greenbelt Arts Center

Dreams donā€™t have to be deferred. They can grow and bloom; they can bring nourishment to the soul. The sentiment, if not the words exactly, of creator Shemika Renee in the setting the tone for her one-woman production of Ms. Storyā€™s Living History, now appearing at the Greenbelt Arts Center through March 3rd, 2024. Directed by Rikki Howie Lacewell, this educational presentation explores important narratives of historical women of color, telling their stories to help unravel the mystery of history when all too often these stories are overlooked.

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How I Learned to Drive at Vagabond Players šŸ“· Vagabond Players

How I Learned To Drive at Vagabond Players

One might think that a play with a title like How I Learned to Drive would depict a story that goes places; and by its own design, this is a play that goes many places and goes in circles (while in reverse) at the same time.Ā  But that being said, while funny and well told, Paula Vogelā€™s Pulitzer Prize winning play How I Learned to Drive is not for the faint of heart.Ā 

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The cast of Chesapeake Shakespeare Companyā€™s The Oresteia. šŸ“· Kiirstn Pagan Photography.

The Oresteia at Chesapeake Shakespeare Company

Do I remember this? Or is this whatā€™s about to happen? This is no dream. This is no vision. This is the truth. Profound words. Or are they questions? What are words if not questions? Youā€™ll hear them over and overā€” though never truly in one voice as one might expect from a chorus in a Greek tragedy; their effect, however, is no less striking. Chesapeake Shakespeare Company presents The Oresteia freely adapted from Aeschylus by Ellen McLaughlin and directed by Lise Bruneau.

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The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Stand Up For...Theatre šŸ“·Lilou Altman

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Stand Up For…Theatre

COMMUNITYā€” noun. ā€œa unified body of individuals such as: people with common interests living within a particular area broadly; a group of people with a common characteristic or interest; a body of persons with common interest scattered through a larger society; a group linked by a common policy.ā€ Stand Up Forā€¦Theatreā€™s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is fostering a real sense of dedication and commitment to the local theatre community,

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Ain’t Too Proud at The Kennedy Center

Now in its first national tour, Ainā€™tĀ Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations opened a six-day run at the Kennedy CenterĀ on Tuesday, Feb 13. Certainly, the 2019 Broadway musical has one of the richest R&B songbooks a musical could hope for. It was also directed by Des McAnuff, who struck gold in 2004 directing Jersey Boys ā€” a similar biographical musical about a 1960-born menā€™s vocal harmony group.

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Intimate Apparel at Maryland Ensemble Theatre šŸ“· MET

Intimate Apparel at Maryland Ensemble Theatre

Lynn Nottageā€™s Intimate Apparel has local origins; originally a co-production between Baltimoreā€™s Center Stage and Californiaā€™s South Coast Repertory in 2003, it went on to a 3-month Off-Broadway run starring Viola Davis. The material also has a direct link to Nottageā€™s family history and was inspired by her great-grandmotherā€™s life as a seamstress in the early 1900ā€™s. Nottage found that the narrative and stories of black women in the early 1900ā€™s were largely absent by researching her great-grandmotherā€™s life.

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Hello, Dolly! at The St. Demetrios Suburban Players

Hello, Dolly! at St. Demetrios Suburban Players

Out there! Thereā€™s a world outside of Carney! Way out there beyond this suburb, Barnaby! Thereā€™s a theatre, Barnaby! Out there! Full of shine and full of sparkle! The Suburban Players of Saint Demetriosā€™ are glisteninā€™, Barnaby! Listen, Barnaby! Put on your Sunday clothesā€” or your Saturday clothes or your Friday clothesā€” and get yourself down to Hello, Dolly now appearing at The Suburban Players of St. Demetriosā€™ Greek Orthodox Church before that parade passes you by!

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Eric Bray as Ja'far šŸ“· Matthew Peterson

Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier at Street Lamp Community Theatre

No one mourns the Twisted.

No one cries they wonā€™t return (ā€¦of Jafar, terrible movie. Just terrible.)

No one lays a Jasmin on their graaaave.

The good man scorns the Twisted.

Through their lives our children learn.

What we missā€” when we misbehaaaave.

And goodness knowsā€” the Twistedā€™s lives are zany!

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Aparna Sri (left) as Lady Macbeth and Jaki Demarest (right) as Macbeth šŸ“· Constantia Rioux

Macbeth at The Rude Mechanicals

ā€œSuch welcome and unwelcome things at once ā€˜tis hard to reconcile.ā€ Macduff, ActIVsc.iii

I spent hours trying to find the way I felt about the current Rude Mechanicalā€™s production of Shakespeareā€™s Macbeth only to have Billy Bard having already wrapped it up for me more than halfway through the show. This particular production is a balancing act of strong performances, questionable conceptualizations, impressive technological inclusions, mismatched aesthetics, and a barrage of death,

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I Will Eat You Alive at Interrobang Productions šŸ“· Kiirstn Pagan

I Will Eat You Alive at Interrobang Theatre

As a plus sized person, I have spent many years wrestling with my self-confidence and sense of belonging in a world that condemns any body type that is not considered ā€œnormalā€. Being a fat girl meant that I was different, an outcast, ugly and in certain spaces, unwelcome.Ā I Will Eat You Alive,Ā a new play written and directed by Katie Hileman, brilliantly tackles the societal, familial and personal pressures that fat women like me experience from early childhood through adulthood.

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Rob McClure as Euphegenia Doubtfire in Mrs. Doubtfire šŸ“· Joan Marcus

Mrs. Doubtfire at The Hippodrome

Wanted: Heart-warming, feel-good, fun-loving musical to fill the aching hole in the hearts of Baltimore after Sundayā€™s devastating upset at Ravenā€™s stadium.

Helloooooo, Poppets!

Mrs. Doubtfire is exactly what this city needs to wake up, feel good, laugh and cry a little, and be made whole again! Coming in hot off the boards of Broadway, Rob McClure and the sensational singing, rapping, hip-hop-happening Scottish nanny is hear to take Charm City by hilarious and heartfelt storm.

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Kaitlyn Ruby (foreground) as Ruth and Amanda Harris (background) as Tillie in The Effects of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds at Spotlighters Theatre šŸ“·Matthew Peterson

The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds at Spotlighters Theatre

Some people were born to speak, others just to listen. And occasionally those of us that listen will report back on what we hear. Form an opinion, as it were. Itā€™s me. Iā€™m a listening opinion-former. And Iā€™m forming an opinion on the current production of The Effect of Gamma Rays on Man-in-the-Moon Marigolds, now playing at The Audrey Herman Spotlighters Theatre through February 4th 2024. The midway point of their 61st season,

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Rent at Iron Crow Theatre

Rent at Iron Crow Theatre

By now most of us have heard of the musical RENT and may have even seen a production (or more), and/or possibly even caught the movie version of Jonathan Larsonā€™s brilliant masterpiece which chronicles the lives of several struggling young artists/activists/musicians in New York set against the backdrop of the AIDS epidemic.Ā Ā  With roots loosely in the 1896 opera La Boheme, Larsonā€™s tale is set in the then-thriving Alphabet City in Lower Manhattanā€™s East Village in New York.Ā 

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The Book of Grace at Rapid Lemon Productions šŸ“· RLP

The Book of Grace at Rapid Lemon Productions

In a time in our history when yet again we are faced with a growing divide of ā€œusā€ vs ā€œthem,ā€ we are challenged to ask ourselves if the old proverb about how a ā€œhouse divided against itself shall not standā€ is indeed truth.Ā  Suzan-Lori Parksā€™ play The Book of Grace, making its Baltimore debut with Rapid Lemon Productions, tackles that notion.

Before continuing, a warning: this production contains depictions and descriptions of domestic violence,

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