Kennedy Center

Bettye LaVette in Concert at The Howard Theatre by Sydney-Chanele Dawkins

If nothing else, Bettye LaVette is a survivor. She is a survivor, and a living testament of what God-given talent, determination, and a strong will of staying true to oneself can be in the harsh,...

An Interview with Singer/Songwriter Margot MacDonald by Marlene Hall

Margot MacDonald is an acclaimed loop pedal vocalist and songwriter based in DC who recently celebrated the release of her fourth album, Canvas. She is in excellent company with loop pedal vocalists...

‘Flashdance-The Musical’ at The Kennedy Center by John Harding

In the Flashdance smackdown between fresh new show tunes and nostalgia-laden 1980s soundtrack hits, the title decision at The Kennedy Center isn’t even close. Showtunes lose the match, although the...

PBS Airs “Marvin Hamlisch: What He Did For Love” Tomorrow – Friday, December 27th at 9 PM

Tomorrow – Friday night at 9 PM – PBS’ (Locally WETA) airs Dori Berinstein’s 90-minute documentary Marvin Hamlisch: What I He Did for Love, a loving tribute to to Composer Marvin Hamlisch, who died in...

‘Elf the Musical’ at The Kennedy Center by Douglas Lloyd

Elf the Musical: Go Hear its Christmas Songs Washington DC must have been on Santa’s “nice” list this year as we have been treated to a holiday run of the delightfully sweet Elf the Musical now in...

‘Handel’s Messiah’ With the National Symphony Orchestra by Jessica Vaughan

Hallelujah’s rings through The Kennedy Center’s Concert Hall for the National Symphony Orchestra’s annual Messiah, written by George Frideric Handel in 1742. The orchestra is accompanied by four...

GMCW presents “Sparkle, Jingle, Joy” Tonight and Tomorrow at Lisner by Craig Cipollini

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) will kick off its 33rd season with a holiday concert entitled Sparkle, Jingle, Joy with special guest star Matt Alber to be presented TONIGHT- December...

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC presents “Sparkle, Jingle, Joy” This Friday and Saturday 12/20 & 21 at Lisner by Craig Cipollini

The Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, DC (GMCW) will kick off its 33rd season with a holiday concert entitled Sparkle, Jingle, Joy with special guest star Matt Alber to be presented This Friday –...

‘The Washington Chorus: A Candlelight Christmas’ at The Kennedy Center by Jane Coyne

The Washington Chorus, under the baton of Guest Conductor Andrew Clark, delighted a packed house at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday evening as it presented A Candlelight...

‘The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me’ at Washington National Opera by Jessica Vaughan

Washington National Opera has made a small piece of history with the world premier of The Lion, The Unicorn, and Me, a work commissioned by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello, who also directs....

NSO Pops: ‘Happy Holidays! with Brian Stokes Mitchell’ by Marlene Hall

Tony Award winner and Baritone Brian Stokes Mitchell and the NSO Pops got the crowd into the holiday spirit with his show Happy Holidays! With Brian Stokes Mitchell, conducted with gusto by Steven...

Deborah F. Rutter Named Next Kennedy Center President by John R. Dow

Yesterday, David M. Rubenstein, Chairman of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, today announced the selection of Deborah F. Rutter as the next Kennedy Center president. Ms. Rutter...

‘Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Patina Miller’ at The Kennedy Center by Douglas Lloyd

A Sister Act That is Hard to Top Washington, DC was honored to have Patina Miller, this year’s Tony Award-winning Best Lead Actress in a Musical (for her role as the Leading Player in Pippin),...

The Joffrey Ballet’s ‘The Nutcracker’ at The Kennedy Center by Ramona Harper

Who said it’s too early to start putting up Christmas decorations? After seeing The Joffrey Ballet’s enchanting Kennedy Center Friday night performance of The Nutcracker, I’m headed straight for the...

‘NSO Pops: An Evening with Matthew Morrison’ by Jessica Vaughan

Matthew Morrison, the TV and theater star with the golden pipes makes his solo debut at the Kennedy Center with his unique take and touching renditions of Broadway standards from My Fair Lady to West...

The American Voices Festival: ‘Musical Theater Master Session with Sutton Foster’ by Nicole Cusick

This weekend Opera Singer Renee Fleming hosted a series of master classes followed by expert panels at The Kennedy Center to connect students with successful professionals who could offer exceptional...

American Voices Festival’s “Pop/Rock Master Session” with Renée Fleming, Ben Folds, and Sara Bareilles by Marlene Hall

For the first time ever, The Kennedy Center along with world renowned soprano singer Renée Fleming with partial sponsorship by Ann and Tom Friedman put together the American Voices Festival. American...

American Voices Concert with the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Pops Conducted by Steven Reineke at The Kennedy Center by Derek Mong

The only explanation for the magnificence that graced The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Concert Hall on Saturday evening is that National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Pops conductor...

Russian Chamber Art Society Ensemble: Russian Bel Canto at the Embassy of Austria by Jane Coyne

On Friday evening, the Russian Chamber Art Society, led by Artistic Director Vera Danchenko-Stern, presented Russian Bel Canto, a lovely concert of Russian vocal masterpieces composed by Glinka,...

Matthew Bourne’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at The Kennedy Center by Carolyn Kelemen

Bourne takes a big bite out of ballet tradition in his Gothic Fairy Tale ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ There are many descriptive words to describe Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty at The Kennedy Center through...

‘Legacy and Life: A Musical and Visual Reflection’ at The Choral Arts Society of Washington at The Kennedy Center by Leslie Weisman

A sizable crowd at Legacy and Life: A Musical and Visual Reflection greeted the Choral Arts Society of Washington’s performance of the Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi and Take Him, Earth by composer Steven...

Washington Performing Arts Society Presents: ‘The Sphinx Virtuosi’ at The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts by Jane Coyne

Washington Performing Arts Society kicked off their Virtuoso Series on Thursday evening with a delightful performance by the Sphinx Virtuosi, whose eighteen highly polished string musicians simply...

Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Lucie Arnaz at The Kennedy Center by David Friscic

I came away from Lucie Arnaz‘s concert at The Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theatre with a blissed-out feeling of elation. An invigorating combination of sheer professionalism and pure show-biz panache...

Suzanne Farrell Ballet at The Kennedy Center by Carolyn Kelemen

Farrell gets good times rolling at The Kennedy Center Hold onto your hat and step lively. The ballet season at The Kennedy Center finally gets into the gusty days of fall with a whirlwind of activity....

The Washington Chorus presents Benjamin Britten’s ‘War Requiem’ by Emily Cao

The Washington Chorus opened its 53rd season with heavy fare in Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, celebrating the British composer’s 100th Anniversary and showcasing the talents of the chorus and its...

‘Barbara Cook’s Spotlight: Tommy Tune’ at The Kennedy Center by David Friscic

Tommy Tune’s tall, lanky frame and loquacious manner is a veritable show unto itself. As the iconic Broadway Theatrical legend proved at The Kennedy Center’s Barbara Cook’s Spotlight Series concert...

National Symphony Orchestra: Kristjan Järvi, Conductor and Jennifer Koh, Violin, Plays Barber by Emily Cao

The National Symphony Orchestra continues it’s eighty-third season at The Kennedy Center with a splendid evening of twentieth-century compositions as talented guest conductor Kristjan Järvi leads the...

‘Giselle’ at The Washington Ballet by Carolyn Kelemen

The Washington Ballet gave us the willies in a haunting production of Giselle on All Hallow’s Eve. Dressed in midnight black, artistic director Septime Webre bounded onto The Kennedy Center stage just...

‘Sister Act’ at The Kennedy Center by Derek Mong

Hallelujah! Sister Act is here for a short time only at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ Opera House, and you certainly won’t want to miss out on this festive, religious experience...

‘Susan Marshall & Company’s Play/Pause’ at The Kennedy Center by Rick Westerkamp

Are you familiar with the sentiment, “Dance like nobody’s watching?” The idea in this phrase is beautiful, but sounds hard to produce, right? Now pair these beautifully intimate moments with moments...

‘Michael Cavanaugh: The Songs of Elton John’ With NSO Pops Conducted by Steven Reineke at The Kennedy Center by Derek Mong

Billboard calls him “the new voice of the American rock and roll songbook,” and they couldn’t have gotten it more right. Michael Cavanaugh brought a refreshing, vibrant take on some of most classic...

‘Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’ at The Kennedy Center by Derek Mong

You’ve never seen dance quite like this. The company of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago blew audiences away at opening night of their 3-day run at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’...

‘Washington Performing Arts Society: The Mariinsky Orchestra’ by Jane Coyne

Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS), honored this summer by President Obama with the National Medal of Arts for “bringing world-class performances to our nation’s capital,” did just that on...

Washington National Opera’s ‘The Force of Destiny’ (‘La Forza Del Destino’) by Jessica Vaughan

Washington National Opera has mounted a provocative new production of Giuseppe Verdi’s The Force of Destiny (La Forza Del Destino) directed by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello for Verdi’s...

Broadway Veteran Sutton Foster Helps Educate Aspiring Young Artists by Lauren Selman

Students of the Act Two @ Levine Pre-Professional Program gathered for a master class with two time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster. Ms. Foster’s class was presented by Strathmore in conjunction with...

Washington Performing Arts Society: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis: Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration by Veronique MacRae

When art is transformative to the spirit and universal in its ability to touch the souls of many, it has achieved a purpose greater than itself. This is the sentiment associated with Wynton Marsalis’...

National Symphony Orchestra: ‘Celebrating Wagner at 200: Act III of Parsifal, in Concert’ at The Kennedy Center by Emily Cao

In continuing to celebrate the bicentenary of German composer Richard Wagner, the National Symphony Orchestra, under the exceptional baton of Christoph Eschenbach, presents Act III of Wagner’s opera...

Behind the Barricade at Toby’s: Part 6— David James and Theresa Cunningham (Master and Madame Thènardier) by Amanda Gunther

Everybody raise a glass! Now, raise it up the master’s ass! The cheers go around for the comic relief— the master of the house! Or in this case…masters. Continuing on in my “Behind the Barricade at...

‘National Symphony Orchestra Season Opening Ball Concert’ featuring Yo-Yo Ma, Christoph Eschenbach, and Cameron Carpenter at The Kennedy Center by Derek Mong

The eighty-third season of the National Symphony Orchestra kicked off with a bang on Sunday evening with a glamorous concert full of pomp and circumstance at the at The John F. Kennedy Center for the...

The National Chamber Ensemble at The Kennedy Center Millennium Stage by Jane Coyne

The National Chamber Ensemble made its debut at the Kennedy Center on Thursday, September 26, 2013 with a wonderful and well-performed concert that delighted a clearly appreciative audience. Members...

It’s Opening Night for NextStop Theatre Company’s ‘The 39 Steps’

The official Opening Night of NextStop Theatre Company’s production of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps is tonight at 8 PM in Herndon, VA. It’s the first opening night for NextStop Theatre Company...

NSO Pops: Wayne Shorter 80th Birthday Celebration with the Wayne Shorter Quartet and Esperanza Spalding by Francine Schwartz

Wayne Shorter, his Quartet, and vocalist Esperanza Spalding appeared last night in another sold-out concert at The Kennedy Center. There was a new work that was commissioned from Wayne Shorter, as...

‘Million Dollar Quartet’ at The Kennedy Center by Derek Mong

Million Dollar Quartet is back! After having performed a run here in Washington earlier this year, the remarkable quartet of the celebrated Elvis Presley (Tyler Hunter), Johnny Cash (Scott Moreau),...

‘Pet Shop Boys’ at The Music Center at Strathmore by Marlene Hall

Before there was Daft Punk, Deadmau5, and Paul van Dyk, there was The Pet Shop Boys. Last night the Pet Shop Boys, lead singer Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe turned Strathmore into a fashion...

‘NSO Pops: Cirque de la Symphonie’ at The Kennedy Center by Justin Schneider

One of my favorite things about attending shows at The Kennedy Center is how helpful the ushers are. In this case, they helped me pick my jaw up off the floor. Cirque de la Symphonie, the first...

Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition Finals & All-Star Gala Concert at The Kennedy Center by Francine Schwartz

On Monday, September 16, 2013, the Finals of this year’s Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition took place at The Kennedy Center. This famous event is not only an opportunity to hear some of...

‘Bell’ at National Geographic by John Stoltenberg

Having heard tantalizing details about Bell in a pre-opening interview, I attended the National Geographic Live production with the sort of eager/anxious anticipation one might have felt watching the...

‘Saburo Teshigawara/KARAS’ at The Kennedy Center by Rick Westerkamp

Saburo Teshigawara, Artistic Director of Saburo Teshigawara/KARAS and choreographer of Mirror & Music, is an artist of the highest degree. Mirror & Music, having its North American premiere at The...

Martina Arroyo, Herbie Hancock, Billy Joel, Shirley MacLaine, and Carlos Santana to Receive 36th Annual Kennedy Center Honors

MARTINA ARROYO, HERBIE HANCOCK, BILLY JOEL,SHIRLEY MACLAINE, AND CARLOS SANTANA TO RECEIVE 36TH ANNUAL KENNEDY CENTER HONORS America to Celebrate the Careers of Five Extraordinary Artists on Sunday,...

‘BELL’ Opens Tomorrow Night at National Geographic by Caroline Gerdes

This fall marks the 125th Anniversary of the National Geographic Society. To commemorate this occasion, National Geographic Live, the events and live performance division of National Geographic, has...