By Mark Edelman
One last gasp of summer includes some great musicals at the Kennedy Center and National Theatre as well as the production of “Memphis” at our own Little Theatre of Alexandria and offerings in Olney and at Toby’s in Columbia. Enjoy the summertime in air-conditioned comfort.
FOLGER SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY
It’s not a play or musical, but this impressive tribute to Western civilization’s greatest playwright deserves a visit from every theater lover in the DMV and beyond. An $80 million, four year renovation has opened up the Folger’s 100,000+ books, documents and ephemera to tourists and locals alike. The public spaces— and beautifully-landscaped grounds—are free of charge (donation requested).
It’s one thing to see one of only two hundred extant copies of the Bard’s First Folio—the original collection of most of his plays; but how about eighty-two of them! We finally get to see them all in one impressive display. The galleries are full of Shakespearean stuff, along with other famous literary works: original, signed copies of Ulysses, The Wizard of Oz, Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Rings among them. Interactive presentations abound; and the kids can set their own type and learn how printing presses worked (before the iPhone) on one of the many available tours. With the Library of Congress just across the street, this intersection of NE Washington is a bibilophile’s paradise.
Now through the 4th
HA HA HA HA….
Woolly Mammoth
Estonian clown (who knew there was such a gig?) Julia Masli wants to fix your problem in this absurd but heart-warming show that sold out last year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Be careful what you wish for—Julia has a way of getting you out of your seat (and comfort zone) in an immersive experience that’s different every night. Tickets at www.woollymammoth.net
Now through the 10th
MEMPHIS
Little Theatre of Alexandria
ALT has a winner with this high energy production of the Tony® Award winning Best Musical about a white disc jockey who falls in love with the music he hears in the clubs on Beale Street along with the beautiful Black girl who sings them. Director Rickie Howell Lacewell and her choreographer Stefan Sittig keep things rocking to the beat of musical director Scott Richards’ impressive offstage band. Xander Conte and Kelly Canady are the forbidden lovebirds, both standouts in a fine cast that includes memorable performances from Otega Okurume, Lavender Brio and Kemuel Van Der Puije. Tickets at www.thelittletheatre.com
Now through the 11th
HAMLET
Dock 5 at Union Market District
The venue should be a tip-off—this isn’t your grandma’s Hamlet. New York CIrcus Project offers an aerial/acrobatic take on the Bard’s tragedy. Alexandria native Sam Landa leads a team of Cirque du Soleil alums and associates who are bound to turn “to be or not to be no” on its head. Tickets at http://www.newyorkcircusproject.org
THE COLORED MUSEUM
Studio Theatre
Broadway wunderkind George Wolfe got his start writing this provocative tour of “exhibits”— satiric sketches targeting America’s most pernicious stereotypes of Black culture. Directed by Psalmayene 24, who staged an enchanting Metamorphoses at the Folger Library Theatre, you can bet this production won’t hold back on Wolfe’s toxic narratives about the Black American experience. Tickets at www.studiotheatre.org
BACK TO THE FUTURE… THE MUSICAL
Kennedy Center
Adapted for the stage by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis, the film’s creators, this happy new stage show won London’s Best Musical Award. Once again, Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown. Now Marty’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. Will he get that DeLorean up to 88mph when lightning strikes? Tickets at www.kennedy-center.org
Now thru the 25th
BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL
Olney Theatre Center
Before she became the legendary singer-songwriter who helped define an era, Carole King was a 16-year-old Brooklyn kid trying to sell her songs to Tin Pan Alley publishers. Then she met Gerry Goffin; together they churned out hits like “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “Up On The Roof,” and “Will You (Still) Love Me Tomorrow” for pop acts like the Shirelles and The Drifters. Did their partnership and romance survive the ups and downs of the music biz? Tickets at http://www.olneytheatre.org
Now through September 1st
JERSEY BOYS
Toby’s Dinner Theatre
The story of four blue-collar juvenile delinquents who became one of the greatest successes in pop music history, this show takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. Discover the secret of a 40-year friendship as they work their way from the streets of Jersey to the heights of stardom. All the Four Seasons hits, all the time. Tickets at http://www.tobysdinnertheatre.com
NOISES OFF
Keegan Theatre
Michael Frayn’s door-slamming farce could be the funniest play ever written. The Keegan brings back their acclaimed 2010 production that played to sold-out houses. Why be a Scrooge and stay away this time? Tickets at http://www.keegantheatre.com
2nd through 11th
NINE
Kennedy Center
Next up from the Ken Cen’s impressive home-grown Broadway Center Stage series is this Tony ® Award winning Best Musical based on Fellini’s groundbreaking film 8 ½. Famed Italian director Guido Contini, suffering from “director’s block” and a strained marriage, retreats into his mind, where all of the women in his life bombard his senses and throw reality into question. Tickets at www.kennedy-center.org
6th through September 15th
SOFT POWER
Signature Theatre
Signature opens its 2024-25 season with a DC premier by Tony® Award winners David Henry Hwang (M Butterfly) and Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home, Kimberly Akimbo). Hwang was attacked on a New York City street by an unknown assailant, which caused him to hallucinate this musical comedy about a Chinese theater producer and Hillary Clinton falling in love. Hilarious and biting, the political satire dares to ask: “Does American Democracy still work? And is it worth believing in?” Tickets at http://www.sigtheatre.org
8th through September 1st
A NUMBER
Gunston Arts Center Theatre II
Head over to Arlington’s Gunston Arts Center for this absorbing piece by English playwright Caryl Churchill. Set in the not-too-distant future, a father plagued by parenting doubts has secretly cloned his son, hoping not to repeat past mistakes. But as each son learns who he really is, things quickly get out of hand. Performed by real-life father—and DC acting stalwart– David Bryan Jackson and his son Max for more verisimilitude than you probably bargained for. Tickets at www.edgeuniversetheater.org
13th through September 1st
MAMMA MIA
Kennedy Center
A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. The timeless hits of ABBA. What else do you need for a frothy summer evening or matinee of secrets, swimming and sex? It’s oft-forgotten, but this was the show that brought New York City back to the theater after 9/11. Times may be tough now, but not that tough. Tickets at www.kennedy-center.org
13th through September 8th
MJ
National Theatre
Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage takes us beyond the singular moves and signature sounds of the Gloved One in this thrilling look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit of Michael Jackson. A legend is born before our eyes, while the messier parts of this controversial superstar’s story are left for others to tell. Tickets at www.broadwayatthenational.com
About the Author: Mark Edelman is a playwright who loves writing about theater. He is a lifetime member of the Broadway League and a Tony® voter.
Photo credits: William Oliver Watkins, Kelli Blackwell, Ayanna Bria Bakari, Matthew Elijah Wood, and Iris Beaumier in The Colored Museum – photo by Teresa Castracane. Natalie Weiss and Michael Perrie Jr. in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical – photo by Teresa Castracane. Roman Banks and the cast of MJ – photo by Matthew Murphy. Folger Library photographs courtesy of the Library; Nicky Kaider, Benjamin Campion, Ben Clark and Patrick Gover in Jersey Boys -photo by Jerry Tidwell; LTA production of Memphis – photo courtesy Little Theatre of Alexandria