Articles Tagged With: The National Theater

Natalie Shaw (Cady Heron), Kristen Amanda Smith (Gretchen Wieners), Maya Petropoulos (Regina George), and Maryrose Brendel (Karen Smith) in Mean Girls 📷 Jenny Anderson

Mean Girls at The National Theater

Reviews October 17, 2024 Amanda N. Gunther Leave a comment

Hear about a party— here’s the procedure:

Text all your friends— tell ‘em where to meet you!

At The National Theater in DC to welcome (back) the tour of Mean Girls! That’s so FETCH. NETworks is touring the cautionary tale this time around, bringing the iconic film-come-musical full-circle as it launched it’s pre-Broadway debut at The National in 2017. Directed (on tour) by Casey Hushion with musical supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell and touring choreography by John MacInnis,

Sam McLellan and company in “The Book of Mormon” North American tour. ???? Julieta Cervantes.

The Book of Mormon at The National Theatre

Reviews March 7, 2024 Erin Tarpley

“Tomorrow is a Latter Day”

Hello, my name is Elder Tarpley. 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 proud… minus all the F-bombs… and the satirical sacrilegious look at organizational religion….

The National Tour of Pretty Woman. ???? Matthew Murphy

Pretty Woman at The National Theatre

Reviews December 15, 2023 Erin Tarpley

“Everyone has a dream… you’ll get lost without one”

The classic “Cinderella” story is an oldie but a goodie. No, really. Like really old. Like Ancient Egypt old! Bet you didn’t think you’d get a history lesson from a theatre review, huh? Regardless, it is an enduring classic for a reason. The general theme of a protagonist going from rags to riches is one that resonates with people and really appeals to their inner-dreamers.

Rob McClure as the titular role in Mrs. Doubtfire ???? Joan Marcus

Mrs. Doubtfire at The National Theater

Reviews October 11, 2023 Charles Boyington

It has been 30 years since Robin Williams wowed audiences in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire. Makes certain audience members feel old, doesn’t it? However, that may be a benefit when watching Mrs. Doubtfire the musical, now on tour at the National Theatre. Those who have seen the film may have memories of specific moments, but the details are a little hazy. And of course, there is an entire generation or two that may never have seen it!

Hadestown North American Tour ???? Charles Erickson

Hadestown at The National Theater DC

Reviews June 9, 2023 Erin Tarpley

“It’s an old tale from way back when,

And we’re gonna sing it again and again.”

I’ve heard it said that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. But in the world of Hadestown, when you live near the train tracks to Hell, naivety seems to set up shop there as well. Set in a world of Gods and a world of Men, the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice takes centerstage in this soulful,

My Fair Lady at The National Theatre

Reviews April 7, 2023 Mark Briner

The Alan Jay Lerner/Frederick Loewe classic My Fair Lady rolled their second leg of the post-Covid national tour into the National Theatre in DC. Originally conceived for Lincoln Center under the masterful eye of Bartlett Sher, the most accomplished director in the business for breathing new air and contemporary relevancy into beloved but dated musicals. Having had great success with such classics as The King & I, South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof,

Heidi Blickenstaff (left) with Allison Sheppard (center) and Jena VanEslander (right) in Jagged Little Pill. ????Matthew Murphy, Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade

Jagged Little Pill at The National Theater

Reviews March 17, 2023 Erin Tarpley

“You, you, you oughta know”

Typically with “jukebox musicals” we see the use of an album, or collection of songs associated with a band or musical artist, to tell their life story. However, in Jagged Little Pill’s case, Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name is used to tell not her story, nor even a story set in the same time frame as the album’s release, but rather a modern-day tale of themes that still ring true almost 30 years after the songs were written.

The company of The National Tour of Cats. ????Matthew Murphy, Murphymade

Cats at The National Theater

Reviews January 19, 2023 Charles Boyington

Cats, Now and Forever! Do you need to see Cats? Yes. You do. You need to see a professional production of Cats in person in a live theatre. It was a terrible movie. Watching a video of the original Broadway show is underwhelming. However, when you are in a live theatre and you witness these triple threat performers working their asses off for you, it is amazing.

Chicago at The National Theater DC

Reviews November 16, 2022 Leonard Taube

In today’s crazy world, it’s no wonder that sometimes you just feel like you need to get away. No, not to someplace where everybody knows your name but, let’s face it, couldn’t we all use an excuse to rouge up our knees and roll our stockings down? Well, if that sounds appealing, I know a place where the gin is cold and the piano is hot. The Kander/Ebb/Fosse musical Chicago roars into DC this week at The National Theater in the heart of our nation’s capital.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at The National Theater DC

Reviews October 7, 2022 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

We love a good night at the theatre, especially when time flies. With a running time of over 2.5 hours with intermission this musical, Tina, still just flew by and had the audience on their feet, at the end. To be honest, the audience would have been just as happy if the lead, Naomi Rodgers playing Tina Turner, had simply recreated a Tina Turner concert. The book for this musical by Katori Hall isn’t bad,

Six at The National Theatre

Reviews July 14, 2022 Charles Boyington

Most of us know the little poem about Henry the 8th wives: Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. The idea that someone took that little poem and created an 85-minute musical seems incredulous. Add that the wives are reimagined as modern-day pop stars competing to see who had it worse just seems ridiculous. Well, we need ridiculous right now.

This delightful pop concert is the brainchild of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage),

The North American Tour of 'Come From Away' ???? Matthew Murphy

Come From Away at The National Theatre

Reviews April 13, 2022 Amanda N. Gunther

Welcome to the rock if you come from away! You’ll probably understand about half of what they say— if you’re coming out to DC— then let The National point the way— be sure to get your tickets to see Come From Away. The remarkable and outstanding musical with music, book, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff & David Hein, Come From Away is a stunning experience of the stories that were started when the world stopped on September 11,

The Company of the RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour - RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour. ???? Carol Rosegg

Rent at The National Theatre

Reviews March 26, 2022 Steven Kirkpatrick

“…it is every bit as emotionally wringing as earlier versions, with vocals that shake the walls and echo with the audience long after.”

Tootsie at The National Theatre

Reviews December 8, 2021 Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington Steven Kirkpatrick & Charles Boyington

The touring production of Tootsie, a musical spin on the classic 1982 film comedy, plays at the National Theatre from Dec 7 through 12th, delivering old-fashioned, crowd-pleasing antics.

The plot concerns Michael Dorsey (Drew Becker), an NYC actor desperate to be cast in anything, who eventually auditions for a play disguised as a woman he names Dorothy Michaels. Not only is he cast but becoming “Dorothy” allows him to “access his inner female” in a way that creates both emotional growth and increasingly comic complications.

The Illusionists: Magic Of The Holidays at The National Theatre

Reviews December 4, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

What is magic? Is it just a misdirection that a magician attempts to hide their secret moves? Or is it something more than that? You’ll have to find out this holiday season at The National Theatre as The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays lands for a one-week limited engagement in the unprecedented 16-show season of one of DC’s national artistic treasures. Featuring world-class magicians— The Elusive, The Trickster, The Daredevil, The Delusionist, The Manipulator,

Latin Histsory for Morons at The National Theater

Reviews November 22, 2019 Mark Briner

Actor/writer/one-man-force-of-nature John Leguizamo
entered the National Theatre opening night to thunderous applause, which he
immediately attempted to quell. “We can’t waste any time,” he interjected, “We
have to unteach everything you’ve learned so far, and that’s a lot of shit to
undo.” He was not wrong, in the next two hours proceeding to offer a strong
opposition to the whitewashed revisionist history we’ve all been taught in high
school. Expertly guided by Tony Taccone’s taut direction,

The Company of the RENT 20th Anniversary Tour. Photo: Amy Boyle

Rent at The National Theatre

Reviews November 13, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

How can you connect in an age when strangers, landlords,
lovers, your own blood cells betray? What binds the fabric together when the
raging, shifting winds of change keep ripping away? RENT! While often
appreciated as somewhat of a “period piece” or an iconic stamp in musical
theatre history, now entering its 25th years (in the fourth
incarnation of the 20th Anniversary Tour), Rent is still
incredibly relevant to today and all that’s happening around us in our 525,600
minutes.

Today 4 U, Tomorrow 4 Angel: An Interview With Joshua Tavares on playing Angel in the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent

Interviews October 31, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights in cups of coffee— in
cities you tour through, in shows that you do— it’s 525,600 minutes! How do you
measure, measure a year? In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we are
fortunate enough to chat with Joshua Tavares, playing Angel in the current
touring production of Rent, all about the seasons of love and what it
means to fulfil the iconic role in this show.

Thank you so much for giving us some of your tome,

Escape to Margaritaville at The National Theater

Reviews October 10, 2019 Amanda N. Gunther

You may not know where you’re gonna go when the volcano
blows but three chords is all it takes to find yourself wasting away with a
cheeseburger in paradise. If you want a license to chill, The National Theatre
in Washington DC has just the thing for you (and all your Parrotheads out
there!) Escape to Margaritaville, the Jimmy Buffet Musical, is making a
one-week vacation in the nation’s capital and has 25 different songs on the
Buffet buffet for all your relaxation needs.