Nina-Sophia Pacheco (Bachelorette), Michael Tacconi (Mark), and Dani Stoller (Judy) in “Which Way to the Stage” at Signature Theatre.

Daniel Rader / Signature Theatre

Several people in medieval costumes interact dramatically
“Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly” runs at Joe’s Movement Emporium later in January. Happenstance Theater

We’re through the rush of holiday shows, and D.C. theaters are kicking off the new year with everything from wartime comedies to cult musicals to talky dramas. Here are the highlights:

NOT-SO-AMUSING AMUSEMENT PARK: After some choir kids die in a freak roller coaster accident, they get the chance to sing themselves back to life. And it’s a musical! Yeah, color us intrigued by Arena’s Ride the Cyclone. (Jan. 13-Feb. 19)

A TALE OF TRUTHINESS: Keegan explores the high-stakes world of … fact-checking in The Lifespan of a Fact. (Jan. 28-Feb. 25)

LOST IN TRANSLATION: Also set in the world of words, English at Studio centers around four adult students in Iran trying to learn America’s language to earn a green card. (Jan. 11-Feb. 12)

HERE COMES THE GENERAL: Billy and George are George Washington and his enslaved companion “Billy” Lee in Avant Bard’s 1776-set work. (Jan. 19-Feb. 11)

SET ADRIFT: Adrift: A Medieval Wayward Folly, a new work from Happenstance Theater running at Joe’s Movement Emporium, promises a comedic look at medieval archetypes sourced from the likes of Hieronymous Bosch, Pieter Bruegel, and the Tarot. (Jan. 26-Feb. 5)

Nina-Sophia Pacheco (Bachelorette), Michael Tacconi (Mark), and Dani Stoller (Judy) in “Which Way to the Stage” at Signature Theatre. Daniel Rader / Signature Theatre

Also this month:

  • A musical workshop at Mosaic, Max and Willy’s Laugh Laugh, focuses on two cabaret singers performing under duress during WWII. (Jan. 19-20)
  • Also on the war front, we have the Afghanistan-set comedy Two Jews Walk Into a War… at Theater J. (Jan. 11-Feb. 5)
  • More somber war stories are the subject of Last Out: Elegy of a Green Beret from the Gary Sinise Foundation, which has a short run at Catholic University‘s Callan Theatre. (Jan. 6-8)
  • Two sitcom actors reunite in America’s Sexiest Couple by Best Medicine Rep. (Jan 6-22)
  • Mistoffelees, Macavity, and the rest of the crew are back when Cats stops at the National. (Jan. 17-22)
  • Flying V briefly hosts the new musical about a woman with super powers, Vanishing Girl. (Jan. 28-29)
  • Aquarium is geared towards kids ages 1-5 at Imagination Stage. (Jan. 14-Feb. 12)
  • In only two hours, NextStop will make it through a whopping 46 Plays for America’s First Ladies. (Jan. 27-Feb. 19)
  • The Bard-focused musical comedy Something Rotten gets a turn at Toby’s. (Jan. 20-March 19)
  • Samuel Beckett’s eerie Endgame is being performed by Washington Stage Guild. (Jan. 26-Feb. 19)

Still playing: 

Olney’s Beauty and the Beast and production of A Christmas Carol, as well as Puppet Co.’s Nutcracker and Herschel and the Hanukkah Gardens close Jan. 1; Shakespeare Theatre’s comedy Jane Anger, the powerful A Soldier’s Play at Kennedy Center, and Imagination’s Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed run through Jan. 8; you’ve until Jan. 15 to see Toby’s It’s a Wonderful Life; Jan. 22 is the last weekend for Signature’s must-see Which Way to the Stage and Wicked at the Kennedy Center;  Round House’s funny collab with Folger on The Tempest and Signature’s crowd-pleasing Into the Woods wrap Jan. 29.

Filed Under: theater, theater preview,