By Mark Edelman

Happy New Year! Between some big hits that continue their DMV engagements into 2026 and new titles opening this month, there’s plenty to celebrate on local stages as the calendar turns. Check out some of the brand new and vintage plays and musicals onstage to start the year off right.

 

GUYS AND DOLLS

Shakespeare Theatre Company

Now thru Jan 8

Frank Loesser wrote one of the greatest scores in American musical theater history—winsome (“I’ve Never Been in Love Before”), funny (“Sue Me”) and rollicking (“Sit Down You’re Working the Boat”) in one fell swoop. WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello and a brilliant cast make this G&D DC’s theatrical must-see of the season. Doll Hayley Podschun is letter perfect as Adelaide and Julie Benko’s Sarah Brown makes you want to sign up for Salvation Army service; the guys are pretty great, too (is it just me or is Jacob Dickey, who plays Sky Masterson, a dead ringer, looks and talent-wise, for Broadway heart throb Jonathan Groff?)  Joshua Bergasse’s choreography doesn’t miss a step; and Connstance Hoffman’s splashy costumes and Walter Spangler’s nifty set make this an impressive achievement for STC. Tickets at http://www.shakespearetheatrecompany.org.

 

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN

Adventure Theatre MTC

Now thru Jan 11

Whether or not there’s snow on the Potomac. Adventure MTC welcomes that most famous frozen fellow for wintertime romp chock-full of chuckles and comic antics. Follow Frosty as he slips and slides into the hearts of kids and adults alike through his uproarious antics. Tickets at www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

 

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF     

Signature Theatre

Now thru Jan 25

Doug Sills—probably the handsomest Tevye you’re ever gonna see—leads a fine company in this Broadway classic.  Standouts Rosie Jo Neddy as Chava and her on-stage beau Ariel Neydavoud as Perchik are just two out of tons of talent on the Signature stage. Performed in the round, this Fiddler brings its audience right into the heart of the pride and pain that are twin themes of Shalom Aleichem’s tales of Russian Jewish life under Tsarist repression. I quibble with some of the scenic elements—what’s with all of the plastic flowers?—but those were minor moments in a richly-realized production. See it before, like Anatevka, it disappears.  Tickets at http://www.sigtheatre.org

 

IN CLAY     

Signature Theatre

Now thru Feb 1

On the eve of a visit from her estranged childhood friend, now an acclaimed painter, French ceramist Marie-Berthe Cazin recounts her life from her early days in 1930s Paris as a gifted pottery protégée. When her husband achieves celebrity by claiming her work as his own, Cazin’s unwavering spirit reveals the beauty in the broken in this brand new musical suffused in the sounds of Parisian gypsy jazz. Tickets at http://www.sigtheatre.org

 

ROCK OF AGES

Toby’s Dinner Theatre

Jan 9-March 15

She was a small-town girl, living in a lonely world. If you know the rest of Journey’s hit song and love all of the big hair, booming guitar solo bands from the 80s, this is the musical for you. A Broadway hit and a Tom Cruise-starring motion picture, this is one show you’ll want to see with a Jagermeister or Bartlett & Jaymes wine cooler on the table. Toby’s can probably oblige, along with a tasty meal. Tickets at http://www.tobysdinnertheatre.com

 

BALLOONACY

Imagination Stage

Jan 10-Feb 15

A movement-based dramatization of the classic French film “The Red Balloon,” Imagine’s new production for young people follows an old man – the grown-up version of the little boy in the movie–whose days are gray and dreary until he is visited by a friendly red balloon. Hijinks ensue as the playful toy helps him regain his youthful spirit. Tickets at http://www.imaginationstage.org

 

OCTET

Studio Theatre

Jan 14- Feb 22

 From Dave Malloy, the inventive creator of the Broadway confection “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of1812,” comes this chamber musical about eight people who meet in a church basement. Deprived of their cellphones and other digital devices, the group bond over their struggles with digital dependency, charting their compulsions using only the analog vibrancy of their voices. In the process, they Octet face the many ways we escape into our screens and how to be present with each other. Tickets at http://www.studiotheatre.org

 

A FIRST LOOK: FESTIVAL OF NEW PLAYS

January 16-17

Ford’s Theatre

Ever wonder how that interesting idea makes it from the page to the stage? The folks at Ford’s

will show you how (and for free) at their Festival of New Plays this month. Readings of three new works, including a musical about civil rights icon John Lewis from busy local playwright Psalmayene 24, may inspire you to open your laptop and give Shakespeare a run for his money. Tickets at http://www.fords.org.

 

STOMP

January 16-18

National Theatre

The explosive, inventive, witty and utterly unique percussion sensation returns in the DMV, using everything from Zippo lighters and hubcaps to broomsticks and garbage cans to fill the National with sound and rhythm. See what all the noise is about! Tickets at http://www.broadwayatthenational.com

 

DRACULA… A COMEDY OF TERRORS

Jan 23- Feb 15

Atlas Performing Arts Center

Bram Stoker’s vampire tale morphs into outrageous new life as a madcap comedy full of camp, lusty encounters and outre spectacle. Five actors shapeshift thru multiple roles, transforming this tale of Gothic horror into a feast of physical comedy and unhinged seduction, carried off as only the folks at Constellation Theatre can do. Tickets at http://www.constellationtheatre.org

 

CLUE

Jan 27- Feb 1

National Theatre

Murder and mayhem are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they (and audiences) will never forget. Was it Mrs Peacock in the study with the knife? Or perhaps Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench. The 80s Paramount picture comes to life in this fun-filled fillip of a national tour. Tickets at http://www.broadwayatthenational.com

 

PARANORMAL ACTIVITY

Shakespeare Theatre Company

Jan 28- Feb 7

The terrifying film franchise of the same name spawned this onstage thriller, a shared production between prestigious theaters in Los Angeles, Chicago and now Washington, DC. Be prepared to be scared. Tickets at www.shakespearetheatrecompany.org

 

About the Author: Edelman is a playwright who loves writing about theater. He is a lifetime member of the Broadway League and a Tony® voter. Catch his monthly podcast at http://www.onstagedmv.org.

Photo credits: Fiddler on the Roof by Daniel Rader; Guys and Dolls by Teresa Castracene.  Clue by Evan Zimmerman. Frosty the Snowman by Cameron Whitman.