Doug Kreeger and Nastascia Diaz star in Rooms: A Rock Romance, at MetroStage in Alexandria this month What the hell is one of the season’s most vibrant, exciting new works doing debuting in August in an off-the-beaten-path, half empty Alexandria theater? It’s a question best not dwelt upon for long – it’s much more interesting to talk about the joys of Rooms: A Rock Romance, the new musical currently being showcased at MetroStage. Taking…

Stephen Schwartz isn’t exactly a songwriter known for his pathos, but something about The Stephen Schwartz Project at MetroStage makes his music seem even more sanitized. The revue, which focuses on the show tune composer behind such works as Pippin, Godspell and Wicked, does its best to try to breathe new life into some of Schwartz’s songs by featuring non-traditional arrangements. The problem is that few of the re-workings end up for the better; a…