Articles Tagged With: John Nunemaker

Oliver! at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews May 17, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

I’d do anything— for a good show— anything! And despite all
the connotations the come alongside Oliver!
(that it’s dated, that it’s a child’s musical, that it’s a bit rubbish in
music and book, etc.) Kensington Arts Theatre is producing what is arguably
their best show of the 2018-2019 season. Practically perfect, with a few minor
exceptions, this well-heeled production of Lionel Bart’s musical adaptation of
Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist is surprisingly
endearing and loaded with an extraordinarily talented cast.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews May 17, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther

Hello, Possums! Welcome to The Kensington Arts Theatre— the drag capitol of the world! Because they have the most dragulous show all lined up for you over these next few weekends! That’s right, Possums! It’s— *GASP* Priscilla Queen of the Desert! Directed by John Nunemaker with Musical Direction by Valerie A. Higgs and Choreography by Rikki Howie Lacewell, this area community theatre premiere has lots of dragtastic potential and a heart-warming story about embracing yourself no matter who you are!

Steel Magnolias at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews February 10, 2018 Amanda N. Gunther 2 Comments

Laughter through tears is soon to be your favorite emotion, just like the ladies of Louisiana’s Chinquapin Parish hanging out every Saturday at Truvy’s beauty shop! Kensington Arts Theatre breaks up the bleakness of midwinter with their stage production of Steel Magnolias, the emotionally heartwarming tale that was made infamous on the silver screen by movie marvels Sally Field, Dolly Parton, and the rest of the iconic 1989 film cast. Directed by John Nunemaker,

Two Rooms at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews February 18, 2017 Amanda N. Gunther

The government doesn’t dole out hope. Hope is not an entitlement program. Resonating with surprising strength to the nation’s current political predicament, the prescience of despair in Lee Blessing’s Two Rooms is striking despite being penned over a quarter of a century ago for a war-torn time even further behind us. Appearing as the non-musical offering in the Kensington Arts Theatre’s 2016/2017 season, Two Rooms is a battlefield of emotional carnage,

Review: Cabaret at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews November 5, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Leave your troubles outside. Life is disappointing? Forget it! The Kensington Arts Theatre have no troubles here. Here…theatre is beautiful…their production of Cabaret is beautiful. Even the orchestra, conducted by Musical Director Stuart Y. Weich, is beautiful. And now presenting their 2016/2017 season opener, Directed by Craig Pettinati, the toast of Washington Community Theatre— Kander and & Ebb’s Cabaret! Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome— Im Cabaret! Au Cabaret!

Review: The Laramie Project at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews February 6, 2016 Amanda N. Gunther

Hate is not a Laramie value. And either the word is sufficient or it is not. It is a strong word, a word of intolerance, a word that cannot be ignored when addressing the heinous crimes that put Laramie, Wyoming on the map. On November 14, 1998 members of the Tectonic Theater Project traveled to the small town and conducted interviews with the people of Laramie, the result of which became a tragically beautiful play known as The Laramie Project.

Review: Jesus Christ Superstar

Reviews October 31, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

To conquer death you only have to die. So tell us, oh great king of Nazareth, this Jesus Christ Superstar, do you think you’re what they say you are? Kensington Arts Theatre thinks that the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Broadway pop classic is worth using to open their 2015/2016 season upon the mainstage. Directed by Craig Pettinati with Musical Direction by Stuart Y. Weich, this rocker-classic retelling of the bible’s most infamous tale explores the relationships and motivations of Jesus’ rise to fame and how like in all celebrity existences too much fame can bring about a downfall of epic proportions.

Review: Chess at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews May 13, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

We go on pretending that stories like ours have happy endings. But in the game of chess, who can say where the story will end? One king conquered, one queen fallen; a gripping story of love, war, and a deceptively simple board game set to stirring music comes to live in the Kensington Arts Theatre production of Chess the musical. With their most ambitious production to date, KAT succeeds in winning over the audience with the Music of Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson,

Review: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews February 13, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

Sensational— adj. “extraordinarily good; conspicuously excellent; phenomenal.” The latest production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Kensington Arts Theatre is sensational. S-E-N-S-A-T-I-O-N-A-L. Truly a gift to the musical theatre performance genre, this highly engaging and entertaining musical, with Music and Lyrics by William Finn and Book by Rachel Sheinkin, will put a smile on the audience’s faces. A delightfully comic and touching fun show, this audience-interactive and fully immersive experience is one of the best to cross their stages and an excellent representation of the impressive talent and concepts that are conceived in community theatre.

WATCH Award Nominations

News January 18, 2015 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s that time of year, folks! The Washington Area Theatre Community Honors have come around again to honor all of the truly exceptional theatre being performed in community venues across the Washington DC and surrounding metropolitan area. The 2014 award nominations were presented live this evening at The Birchmere in Alexandria, VA.

There were 111 different productions– 34 musicals and 77 plays– adjudicated over in the 2014 theatrical season. 31 community theatre companies participated in WATCH adjudication in 2014.

Review: The Addams Family at Kensington Arts Theatre

Reviews November 3, 2014 Amanda N. Gunther

It’s family first and family last and family by and by! And the Kensington Arts Theatre knows all about families of all varieties as they present their fall musical, featuring one of the creepiest and kookiest families of all times! Andrew Lippa’s The Addams Family comes to the KAT stage under the Direction of Craig Pettinati and Musical Direction of Stuart Y. Weich. With Wednesday all grown-up and in love with an outsider,