Examining a Stressed-out Teen’s Life
Hub Theatre brings world premiere of "Abominable."
Life as a teenager can be fraught with anxiety. Now Fairfax's Hub Theater is bringing a premiere production inspired by "the regularly escalating violence that is being perpetrated in and on our schools" said Hub artistic director and playwright Helen Pafumi. The play is "Abominable."
'Guys and Dolls’ Hitting the Alden Stage
McLean Community Players to present the musical theater classic.
"Guys and Dolls" producer Terry Yates added: "You will be humming when you leave the theater after the show, the songs are so great." So, get ready to have "Guys and Dolls" ring your bell.
Cabaret to Brighten Herndon Summer
Summer Cabaret Series to open July 11.
This summer audiences can cozy up to a delightfully bold Summer Cabaret Series at Herndon's Industrial Strength Theatre.
A Delight With a Message
‘Bat Boy: The Musical’ at 1st Stage.
There is a charming, big-hearted, rock musical with a message of tolerance and acceptance having a highly appealing production at Tysons' 1st Stage.
Outrageously Funny and Deadly Serious
Unquiet Theatre brings the edgy, bold "Some Girls" to Workhouse.
The Workhouse continues to be a "go-to" incubator venue for new theater companies in Northern Virginia. Next up is Unquiet Theater Company and its production of Neil LaBute's "Some Girls." LaBute is a film director and screenwriter as well as a playwright. The Workhouse marketing material described LaBute as "American theater's great agent provocateur" and the show is " by turns outrageously funny and deadly serious."
Life as a Comic Frenzy
Providence Players present Neil Simon's farce, ‘Rumors.’
Women in lovely evening attire and men in snappy tuxedos were walking about the stage of the James Lee Community Center theater. It was an early dress rehearsal for the Providence Players (PPF) production of "Rumors," a farce by award winning playwright Neil Simon. The PPF cast was getting a feel for the set as final touches were being made to a tastefully decorated, contemporary two-story New York City apartment.
Memorable Evening of Movement and Dance
Three local professional dance troupes pull into Reston's CenterStage.
Its successful season of adventuresome professional touring artists series nearing its close, Reston Community Center is bringing the contrasting styles of three local professional dance troupes to CenterStage.
Mason Presents Artistic Discovery
Center for the Arts at George Mason University announces season of great performances.
The arts are an integral part of the quality of life in Fairfax County. The coming 2014-2015 season for the Center for the Arts at George Mason University will once again provide diverse arts and entertainment of national and international quality for the community. For George Mason University President Dr. Angel Cabrera, "our responsibility is to serve others, to enrich the life of our community culturally and economically. We encourage lifelong learning, and the programming at the Center for the Arts is one of the ways in which we live out that mission.
‘Carmina Burana’ at Mason Stage
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra and Fairfax Choral Society join forces to present ‘a compelling piece of music.’
The heat of musical fire is arriving soon thanks to the combined artistic forces of Fairfax County's own Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) and Fairfax Choral Society (FCS). Together, the partnership will bring musical and vocal hip and cool into our own backyard. Both Fairfax-based organizations have been entertaining audiences in the area for over five decades.
Disarming Musical
‘The Fantasticks’ comes to the Workhouse.
With over 20,000 performances in New York City since it opened in 1960 and countless numbers of regional, community and school-based productions, the melodic and oh, so mellow musical, "The Fantasticks" is coming to the Workhouse.
Bittersweet to the Core
Hub Theatre presents area premiere of the ‘Failure: A Love Story.’
"Failure, A Love Story" by Phlip Dawkins "is unique, funny, whimsical and has so much heart," said Helen Pafumi, Hub artistic director.
Comic Satire With a Big Heart
‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ at the 1st Stage.
Tysons' 1st Stage is giving audiences a terrific evening's entertainment with a talented, engaging cast. The 1st Stage "The Cripple of Inishmaan" is a gem of a production.
‘Carmen’ Comes to Area
Virginia Opera brings "Carmen" to Center for the Arts.
Virginia Opera, the Official Opera Company of the Commonwealth of Virginia, will present Georges Bizet’s sultry tragedy about opera’s most famous femme fatale, "Carmen." The opera has enthralled audiences for more than a century and is one of the most popular. "Carmen" follows Don José and his ill-fated obsession with the alluring Carmen who tosses him aside for another man leading to jealous rage.
Never Giving Up
New play at Workhouse about Alice Paul and the Suffragettes.
"When you put your hand to the plow, you can't put it down until you get to the end of the row." American Suffragette and life-long crusader for Women's voting rights Alice Paul (1885-1977) used this phrase as her watch words. It was a metaphor for never giving up.
Alexandria Theater Companies Earn WATCH Awards
The Port City Playhouse, The Little Theatre of Alexandria and Aldersgate Church Community Theatre each took home honors from Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (WATCH) for artistic and technical excellence in community theater.
Arlington Theater Company Earns WATCH Awards
Dominion Stage took home multiple honors from Washington Area Theatre Community Honors (WATCH) for artistic and technical excellence in Community Theater.
Be Dazzled
The now and the future of dance comes to Mason.
The dancers are coming! The dancers are coming! The Winter Olympics isn't the only venue to see agility, power, speed, strength and beauty. And you won't need to know the difference between a double Lutz and a triple axel. Soon Fairfax County will be welcoming five hundred of another type of athletes: 500 dancers from dozens of colleges and universities showcasing and competing with dreams of appearing at the Kennedy Center this May. It is the American College Dance Festival with a grand opening by the famed Joffrey Ballet. "We are very excited to be hosting this year’s mid-Atlantic festival and opening our beautiful facilities to our talented guests," said Susan Shields, professor, Mason School of Dance. "At Mason, the arts are highly valued throughout the campus and the curriculum."
‘Something Completely Different’
Max Raabe & Palast Orchester come to Center for the Arts.
And now for something completely different for the Northern Virginia area entertainment scene. All the way from Europe to tantalize.
Fresh Take on ‘Pinocchio’
New partnership brings ‘a fresh, playful and hilarious take’ on "Pinocchio" at Industrial Strength Theater.
Local family theater is getting a big boost. Fairfax County's newest professional theater troupe, NextStop Theatre is partnering with the Faction of Fools, a Helen Hayes Awardee for Outstand Emerging Theatre Company.
An Evening of Enduring Music and Song
"MJO's Simply Swingin' with Sinatra and Friends."
It will be a memorable evening for the golden age of pop standards and tin pan alley as the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra (MJO) and vocalist Steve Lippia bring the Great American Songbook to life at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. It will feature music that has "depth and weight ... the kind of event that will stay with you long after it's over," said Jim Carroll, MJO artistic director.
An Evening of Enduring Music and Song
"MJO's Simply Swingin' with Sinatra and Friends."
It will be a memorable evening for the golden age of pop standards and tin pan alley as the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra (MJO) and vocalist Steve Lippia bring the Great American Songbook to life at George Mason University's Center for the Arts. It will feature music that has "depth and weight ... the kind of event that will stay with you long after it's over," said Jim Carroll, MJO artistic director. The Great American Songbook is the short-hand name for the influential and well-loved popular songs of the mid-20th century. The enduring music and lyrics were written for Broadway shows, Hollywood films and touring artists. They were songs about love and life, with a rhythm and rhyme all their own.
Jazz to Brighten a Winter Night at the Workhouse
Pianist Bobby Jasinski and vocalist Lena Seikaly perform this weekend.
Live cabaret is now a regular mainstay at the Workhouse. "The intimate and very population cabaret-style performances regularly sell-out" according to Joey Walden, Workhouse Performing Arts Director. "The popularity of the series has drawn interest from DC talent, as a result the caliber of entertainment you may experience at the Workhouse rivals established metro area venues in the same genre."
Benny is Back!
Arriving soon for your entertainment.
Jack Benny was a classic comedian of stage, screen, radio and television. He spanned decades and generations. He is even considered a forerunner of what is now called situation comedy. Some suggest that the comic styles of Jerry Seinfeld and Kelsey Grammar ("Frasier") have Benny-like qualities. Soon there will be a golden opportunity to see him again. Well, not "the" Jack Benny, but award-winning actor Tim Newell in a one-man performance of "Mister Benny" at the Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia in a production for all audiences, non-members and members alike.
Fairfax Symphony Orchestra Promises ‘Intense, Personal, Intimate Experience’
Concerts at GMU’s Harris Theater to celebrate the 100th birthday of Benjamin Britten.
Have you heard? The next performance of the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) chamber series, will be in a special location; the Harris Theater at George Mason University.
When Books Are Outlawed and Knowledge Discouraged
Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" comes to Center for the Arts.
Continuing a series of enthralling professional touring theater productions, George Mason University's Center for the Arts is presenting "Fahrenheit 451" by renowned science fiction and fantasy writer Ray Bradbury. It is another in an "amazing assortment of performances," said Tom Reynolds, Center for the Arts director of artistic programming.
Blockbuster Musical Arrives at CenterStage
Reston Community Players present ‘Les Miserables.’
Megawatt electric energy filled the Reston Community Players (RCP) rehearsal hall. Cast members and technical crew were in the midst of the groundwork for the area community theater premiere of the multi Tony-Award winning musical "Les Misérables."
‘Must-see’ Absurd Nonsense
1st Stage presents ‘Noises Off.’
Good news. The cure for doldrums or just a plain-old bad mood is here. It is playing at 1st Stage, where a merry, talented band of actors take the audience on a frenetic, joyful, ride into the farce "Noises Off." The actors literally throw themselves into the production. They are unselfconsciously fearless in their pratfalls, spot-on with their comic timing and bring on a happy, silly bliss.
Great Theater for a Great Cause
Providence Players present 'A Christmas Carol.'
It is that most wonderful time of the year; Christmas is coming. And the Providence Players have "a new fresh approach to that Holiday icon, 'A Christmas Carol'," said Brian O'Connor. “The Players have found a new adaptation by Janet Allard and Michael Bigelow Dixon that will give families great enjoyment along with being a new take."
NextStop Theatre to Present Two Holiday Shows
Herndon's NextStop Theatre is giving audiences two new Holiday theater treats. The two shows "have a tremendous amount of heart and can appeal to anyone who loves the holiday season.
Attraction and Desire Meet in ‘Café Variations’
Seductive romance is in store as "Cafe Variations" explores how longing for love, finding love, and even losing love makes us visible to ourselves in unexpected ways.
Beauty Found After a Catastrophic Event
Hub Theatre presents ‘Carried Away on the Crest of a Wave’
Finding new plays for local area audiences is something Helen Pafumi, Hub Theatre, artistic director relishes. She seeks out plays that will fascinate, rivet and enthrall.
‘Rite of Spring’ Celebrated at Reston's CenterStage
The legendary Igor Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" caused protests when first performed 100 years ago coupled with the provocative dancing of Njinsky.
Haunted Cabaret Comes to the Workhouse
The show to spotlight the music of local talent.
"We are always looking to bring audiences quality entertainment. For Halloween we are delighted to present something very special, a haunted cabaret," said Joseph Wallen, director, Workhouse performing arts. What better place to celebrate a holiday known for its teasingly frightful outlook, than the now readapted Workhouse prison built 100 years ago.
Childhood Happiness Remembered
Pat Hazell in "The Wonder Bread Years" at the Alden.
Finding your childhood sense of wonder again is what the "The Wonder Bread Years" is all about. It is a one-man performance combining stand-up comedy and theater. It was written by and stars one of the original writers of the “Seinfeld” show, Pat Hazell.
Charming, Smart, Comedic
Cabaret duo “Marcy and Zina” arriving in Fairfax.
"Neurotically optimistic songs about love and life" are coming to Northern Virginia audiences as the award-winning Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich pull into the Northern Virginia Jewish Community Center (JCCNV). You may not know their names right off hand, but Kristin Chenowith, Audry McDonald and Michael Feinstein regularly sing their compositions.
A Grand Musical Night
Reston Community Players’ “Tribute to the Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber.”
Reston Community Players present "A Tribute to the Music of Rodgers and Hammerstein and Andrew Lloyd Webber" at CenterStage, Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Hunters Woods, Reston. Performances: Oct. 11, 12, 18, 19, 25 and 26 at 8 p.m. Matinees at 2 p.m. on Oct. 20 & 27. Tickets: $23. Call 703-476-3500 or visit www.restonplayers.org.
A Show That ‘Rocks’
Providence Players of Fairfax open 16th season with musical, “Little Shop of Horrors.”
With fresh faces, the Providence Players open the theater season with only the second musical the company has done in its 16 years. It is the brash, bright, delightfully dark musical comedy, "Little Shop of Horrors."
Short Film Fest Comes to Fairfax
DC Shorts Film Festival to be held at Angelika Film Center.
With its motto, "keeping it short, keeping it reel," the DC Shorts Film Festival returns for its second year at the Angelika Film Center. The multi-day festival gives Fairfax County residents a nearby, easy-to-reach opportunity to sample and enjoy new works right in their own backyard. The Angelika will present short films from Monday, Sept. 24 through Sunday, Sept. 29.
Artistic Talents Unlocked
Stimulating “The Pitmen Painters” at 1st stage.
"When and Where" 1st Stage presents "The Pitmen Painters" at 1524 Spring Hill Road, Tysons Corner. Performances: Now thru Oct. 13: Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets: General admission: $27. Seniors $22. Students and Military $15. Visit: www.1ststagetysons.org or 703-854-1856. Note: Appropriate for ages 12 and up. Note: Want to know: http://www.ashingtongroup.co.uk/home.html.
An Artistic Evening Like No Other
“ARTS by George!” returns to George Mason stage.
With an open invitation to the community, the George Mason University College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA) is holding its eighth annual "ARTS by George!" event. It has quickly become one of the premiere arts events in Northern Virginia. The mission of "ARTS by George!" is to showcase and support Mason students in a wide range of artistic fields including arts, dance, music, theater, computer game design, film and video studies and arts management. The gala raises funds to provide for student scholarships. It is capped off this year by the headliner performance of Tony Award winner Laura Benanti.
Celebrating Diversity Through Music
The Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will be presenting bilingual master classes and outreach presentations at various Fairfax County venues.
With grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Arts Council of Fairfax County, the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra (FSO) will be presenting bi-lingual master classes and outreach presentations at various Fairfax County venues in the coming weeks.
Love Story Set Against a Wartime Backdrop
McLean Community Players present “Time Stands Still.”
"When I look through that little rectangle... time stops... all the noise around me... everything cuts out. And all I see... is the picture." But what happens when a wounded wartime photographer comes home? What's next in a life and a relationship based upon the passion and excitement that wartime can bring? Can a normal family life be enough? According to veteran director Jessie Roberts, "the playwright, Donald Margulies, explores love and friendship against a backdrop of the moral dilemma of journalists and photo-journalists who record wars, famines and genocide without intervening to affect the outcome of what they are reporting.
McLean High Student Wins Idol Competition
Alexander Stone of McLean received top honors in the 2013 Signature Theatre Idol competition on Aug. 3 at the Tony Award-winning Signature Theatre's annual Open House held in Arlington. Stone is a rising junior at McLean High School. The annual Signature Idol competition searches for talented, undiscovered singers in the DC metropolitan area. It is held in conjunction with the Signature Theatre Open House. For his first competition entry, Stone presented “In These Skies,” from the musical "Ace." Judges selected Stone to participate in the competition’s final round where he presented “Prayer” from "The Scarlet Pimpernel." The competition judges were Signature Theatre Artistic Director Eric Schaeffer, Broadway’s Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello and WETA’s Robert Aubry Davis. Sarah Ann Sillers of Potomac, Md. was the runner-up.
Predicting Unpredictable
Stand up comedian Tig Notaro arriving at Reston's CenterStage.
Where and When: Tig Nataro, stand up comedy, at CenterStage, Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Reston. Performance, Saturday, Sept. 7, 8 p.m. Tickets: $15 Reston/$30 Non-Reston. Call 703-476-2500 or visit www.restoncommunitycenter.com.
Energy and Passion at Workhouse Stage
The Metropolitan Performing Arts Theatre to present “Fame, The Musical.”
Youthful sensibilities are coming to the Workhouse stage. Chronicling the fictional lives of a variety of determined performing arts students at New York City's High School of Performing Arts, "Fame, The Musical" will transport audiences with its exuberance, courtesy of the Metropolitan Performing Arts Theatre.
A Spirit Tested
Elden Street Players to present “Caroline, or Change.”
Fifty years ago Sam Cooke sang, "It's been a long time coming, but I know a change gon' come. Oh yes it will." It was the time of the civil rights movement and the assassination of President Kennedy.
Play That ‘Lifts Your Soul’
Hub Theater to present “Act a Lady.”
There are tough times in a small Prohibition-era Midwestern town. What is to be done to keep everyone and everything going? Well, in the Hub Theater's next production, “Act a Lady,” the townsfolk come together to explore their lives in rather unexpected ways. Even gender gets exuberantly blurred. And there is even hip accordion music.
‘Urban Decay 4’ at Workhouse
A show of distinctive urban sensibility with plenty of social commentary.
"Urban Decay 4" exhibition. Gathering together "low-brow" art that aims to challenge the tried-and-true, "Urban Decay 4" curator Debra Yarrington has brought together a show of distinctive urban sensibility with plenty of social commentary. The dozens of works displayed by nearly 30 different artists from Fairfax County and far beyond include large-scale three-dimensional wooden creations some with a sheen of glass-like luster, hanging art with a punk culture perspective or with a colorful cartoon-like appearance.
A Shear Madness of an Evening
1st Stage presents "Blithe Spirit" by Noel Coward.
Light-hearted fare has arrived at Tysons 1st Stage in the guise of Noel Coward's 1941 hit, "Blithe Spirit." It is a lovely dessert-like confection of escapist froth and meringue. But its age—it was written during the "keep calm and carry on" times of the London Blitz of World War II—is beginning to show even under the assured direction of Lee Mikeska Gardner.
Bringing to Life ‘Is He Dead?’
Providence Players present recently unearthed Mark Twain comedy.
It is rare that a play written by one of America's iconic writers is found and produced a century after it was written. But the Providence Players are bringing to life "Is He Dead?" written by Mark Twain in 1898 and first published in print in 2003.
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