Does a musical have to break new ground in order to be considered a success? It’s true that Broadway has seen some exciting evolution lately in the form of “younger” works like Spring Awakening and In The Heights. But in an era that’s largely been dominated by jukebox musicals and cinematic retreads, it’s refreshing to see a new production that feels like a return to the old form, and a triumphant one that’s neither nostalgic......

Signature Theater's Glory Days was only the second show in history to transition from D.C. to Broadway - and its run only lasted one night. The musical both opened and closed its doors this Tuesday, after running for 17 preview performances. What happened? Producers attributed the show's short shelf life to poor advance sales and negative overnight reviews. We didn't get the chance to catch the show when it was in D.C., but SanDiego.com theater......

Sure, we knew it'd have a shot at a Helen Hayes award, but the recent Signature Theater production of the new musical Glory Days could even have a Tony coming its way sometime in the future. The show, which ran at Signature through mid-February, is now officially Broadway-bound. Glory Days will have a run at the Circle In The Square Theater in New York City beginning April 22. We didn't get a chance to catch......

Chris Lee’s imaginative design work makes the lighting for Signature Theater’s Kiss of the Spider Woman a dynamic character in its own right in this slick and sexy production. Beams serve as bars for the jail center that is the work’s centerpiece. Hues of red, silver and blue add dramatic punch to various scenes. Flashlights perched on the top add a certain spookiness to a parade of creepy male nurses in the "Morphine Tango".......

Graphic without being tasteless. Moving without being manipulative. And powerful without being sensational. It's a tough balance to find, but Martin Moran's one-man autobiographical show The Tricky Part, now playing at Signature Theater manages to accomplish it. The frequently taboo subject matter of the tale -- Moran had a three-year sexual relationship with an older man from the ages of 12-15 -- can inspire a little wariness on the outset. But Moran eases us into......

The DC theater community is starting the year off right with...no more productions of A Christmas Carol. Seriously, there's plenty to like in January, from gutsy works to brand-new musicals. The Neo-Futurists (pictured) are back! Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, which our critic Chris Klimek loved, makes a return engagement at Woolly Mammoth (Jan. 4). Stick 'em up! The American Century Theater gets nostalgic for police dramas with their production of Cops......

It’s rare to find a musical which thinks exploring adult friendships is more interesting and relevant than focusing exclusively on romantic relationships. Then again, not too many musicals move back in time, either; Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along has its share of attributes that make it not your average show. That isn’t to say it’s a masterpiece. Merrily We Roll Along, now being staged by Eric Schaeffer at the Sondheim-loving Signature Theater, has plenty......

Thank god for the Capital Fringe Festival. The event, now in its second year, makes sure that our July isn’t totally barren when it comes to edgy, exciting theater. We’ll be giving you a more detailed report on what the Fringe has to offer this year (hint: Avenue Q and Harry Potter parodies, Chocolate Jesuses and an operatic Lysistrata are among the choices), but here’s what the less fringified theaters around here will be up......

Between remakes of The Stepford Wives, and sitcoms ranging from "Desperate Housewives" to "Weeds," it’s easy to think the catty, sterile, back-stabbing nature of suburbia has been played out recently as a topic for satire. It turns out that all you need is some super show tunes and some women who can fly to keep the genre fresh. The Witches of Eastwick, making its U.S. premiere at Signature Theater, after a successful run in London......

If you walk past a theater marquee and the sign displays something ridiculous, like Beverly Hills: 90210: The Musical, three little words should make you put your reservations aside and rush to the auditorium: "Starring Carolee Carmello." The overwhelmingly talented musical theater star, known for her Broadway work in such vehicles as Parade and Urinetown, could sell just about anything. Unfortunately, she's got her work cut out with her in Kathie Lee Gifford's stab at......

So the big winners at last night’s Helen Hayes awards were… puppets? Indeed, Aaron Posner’s unique vision for Measure for Measure, produced at the Folger this year, where puppets took on many of the play’s roles, earned him a best director trophy (he tied with Michael Kahn, for his zany take on Love’s Labor Lost), as well as the award for Outstanding Resident Play. Signature Theater’s Assassins won the most awards of the night with......

Tonight, the D.C. theater community will descend on Warner Theater, decked out in tuxes, kilts, ball gowns and whatever else the artsy crowd comes up with to approximate “black tie” attire. It's the night each year they get the chance to party their brains out and recognize the outstanding contributions they've made this year; it's the Helen Hayes Awards. As busy theater critics with day jobs, we don’t get the chance to attend and review......

>> Soon-to-be Mayor Fenty has named Brian K. Lee as interim fire chief and attorney Matthew Cutts to chair the Sports and Entertainment Commission, as well as three mayoral appointments to the D.C. Board of Education: Laura McGiffert Slover, Tonya Vidal Kinlow, and Herb Scott. [WaPo] >> The Yellow Line extension is Coming! The Yellow Line is extension is coming! On Sunday. [AP via WTOP] >> Eric Schaeffer of Signature Theater reveals the wild partying......

With a title like Assassins, theatergoers probably walk into Signature Theater’s latest production thinking that they’re going to be witnessing something very removed from their everyday lives (well, unless one of them happens secretly to be planning a political murder). After all, how much does the typical D.C. resident really have in common with John Wilkes Booth? Then the American-flag curtain is raised, and we find ourselves staring back at a mirror image of a......