If, as the songs say, the scent of love is in the air, then the England studio at the Washington Ballet has been converted into a veritable perfumery. The fragrance of ardor comes in a variety of bouquets, among them the tang of infatuation, the musk of lust and the lingering trace of intoxicating, Dionysian […]
Before, the only excuse for not attending at least one gallery exhibition in the District must be credited to laziness. Up until this point, what was keeping some at bay was the distance of a mere half dozen blocks between campus and museums. Now, to the benefit of everyone, the Arts Club of Washington has […]
A recently refurbished production of George Balanchine’s “Jewels” has the ballet world all atwitter. Originally a trio of dances performed on a sparse set washed in green, red and white to suggest diadems of emeralds, rubies and diamonds, the piece now lives up to its title. Atmospherically, that is. “Jewels” has always been a gem […]
A recently refurbished production of George Balanchine’s “Jewels” has the ballet world all atwitter. Originally a trio of dances performed on a sparse set washed in green, red and white to suggest diadems of emeralds, rubies and diamonds, the piece now lives up to its title. Atmospherically, that is. “Jewels” has always been a gem […]
Last season, the San Francisco Ballet flocked to the Kennedy Center, leaving their indelible footprints on the opera house stage with a performance laden with uniform consistency. If SFB represents the best teamwork to be found on the dance scene, the American Ballet Theatre of New York is the varsity players of the form. What […]
The best reason to watch Mark Ravenhill’s play Shopping and Fucking is the first half of act two. A slender, fire-red curtain rolls down backstage resembling a great sensual muscle. Representing the dressing room of an haute couture clothier, the actors respond to it like capillaries popping around a great pulsing ventricle. The play’s central […]
Watching Sandpaper Ballet, a collection of delectably witty gambols, is like bursting open a box of truffles onstage. And like the sugary confections, picking the sweetest piece is next to impossible. The San Francisco Ballet’s touring program is, without question, the best theatrical performance of the holiday season. And with tickets selling for $26 to […]
It’s been a decade since the theatre’s most beloved feckless knight melted audiences’ hearts. The latest revival of “The Man of La Mancha,” the first not to star Richard Kiley (who originated the role), is a case of casting discordance. The new production, starring Tony Award-winner Brian Stokes Mitchell and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, is another […]
Mark Twain’s words couldn’t be more pertinent when discussing art and its preeminent detractors. “Out of Context – A View from the Hill” is the transfixing new art exhibit on display in D.C.’s Zenith Gallery. Artists Raymond Wiger and David Morgan present a tonal ultimatum to the United States Senate, offering pieces directly responding to […]
He’s back. Sure, we stare wide-eyed, but are we still afraid? With The Silence of the Lambs, the director Jonathan Demme noticeably forced himself to wring every last bit out of his vision. The performances were pure and their surroundings were tortured into terror territory. Ridley Scott’s silly Hannibal was an abundance of luxuriant atmospherics […]