Posts tagged Theater
Reimagined 'Company' Offers a Modern Take on a Classic at the Kennedy Center

“Phone rings, door chimes, in comes… Company?” That refrain is one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest earworms (second only perhaps to “Bobby, Bobby baby, Bobby bubi, Robby,” etc. in the same song). And, in the shaky touring production of Marianne Elliott’s inventive reimagining of the beloved musical, playing at the Kennedy Center through March 31, it presents more like a cautious question than a confident declaration.

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In 'Penelope,’ a Heroine Spins a New Yarn Out of a Classic Epic at Signature Theatre.

If Bravo had been spinning off franchises in the 12th century BC, one can only imagine that Penelope would be the wine-soaked breakout star of the Real Housewives of Ithaca. Known to classicists as Odysseus’ faithful, languishing queen in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Penelope takes on a darker edge in a new musical bearing her name by composer and lyricist Alex Bechtel and co-book writers Bechtel, Grace McLean, and Eva Steinmetz. A pseudo-cabaret that asks audiences to consider the story from her point of view, Penelope runs at Arlington’s Signature Theatre through April 21. 

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Bullets Falling Upon Deaf Ears: A Glimpse Behind the Curtain of Private Jones

Playwright Marshall Pailet was captivated by Private Jones’ story and dreamed for many years of telling a First World War story through a unique lens—the true story of Private Jones, a deaf, Welsh sniper. Melding dramatic moments with comedy, music, and innovative sound design, Private Jones seeks to replicate Jones’ experience theatrically for both the hearing and hard-of-hearing audience.

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