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Kinky Boots Pulls Out All the Stops at
The Little Theatre of Alexandria
Kinky Boots
The Little Theatre of Alexandria
Jordan Wright
July 29, 2025
 Cast of Kinky Boots at The Little Theatre of Alexandria. (Photo/Matt Liptak)
In this warm-hearted story of tolerance, love and self-acceptance, Lola (Clayton Alex James), is a Black drag performer. Together with her chorus line of queens dubbed ‘The Angels’ they perform in a drag club on the seamier side of London. When, in a stroke of fate, she meets Charlie (Matthew Rubin), the reluctant scion of Price & Sons, a fourth-generation shoe factory in the hinterlands of England. Lola schools him in ‘dragdom’ and what it means to be absolutely fabulous in six-inch high-heeled boots. When Lola tells Charlie the challenge of strutting her stuff in ladies’ boots, ill-designed to support the weight of a man, Charlie becomes sympathetic to her plight and seizes on the idea of making flashy boots with 6-inch heels.
Intrigued by Lola, soubriquet “Kinky”, and the idea of making boots for a new niche market, he offers her the job of Head Designer at his factory. Unfortunately, the factory is run by a crew of narrow-minded blue-collar workers. Lola, bullied by the male workers tries to fit in by wearing suits to work instead of her sexy outfits – a transition that falls flat. Hoping to present Lola’s racy designs at the pinnacle of shoe shows in Milan, the female workers, who are enamored of Lola’s sassiness and feminine chutzpah, get on board. Macho man Don (Dino Vergura) the floor manager and George (Michael Blinde) the firm’s accountant are reluctant to veer from their standard men’s shoe line. And therein lies the conundrum.
 Keenan Parker (Lauren), Carla Wheaden (Pat), Maia Potok-Holmes (Ensemble), David Reph, (Ensemble), Clayton Alex James (Lola), Matthew Rubin (Charlie), Cara Stankewick (Ensemble), Maria Ciarrocchi (Trish), Karen Toth (Ensemble), Cooper Sved (Harry/Ensemble). (Photo/Matt Liptak)
James is fierce and fabulous with a leggy Amazonian frame that complements his versatile voice, especially in the solo “Hold Me in Your Heart”, a show-stopping performance tinged with raw emotion. His duet with Kaplan in “Not My Father’s Son” is especially tender. And should you ever question what drives men wild, Lola (aka Simon) sets us straight in “Sex Is in the Heel”, adding, “Red is for sex, and sex shouldn’t be comfy.” Throw in a slew of sexy gams and plenty of flashy dancing and you’ve got a winner.
Contrary to what you may imagine, the romance in Playwright Harvey Fierstein’s six-time Tony Award winning musical is not between Charlie and Lola, but with Charlie’s fiancée, Nicola (Sophie Page), who has grander ideas for their future turning the factory into condominiums and one of his employees Lauren (Keenan Parker) who believes in his dreams. Guess who wins out.
Through it all, pop diva Cyndi Lauper’s show-your-true-colors, 16-number score is as sustaining as a hummingbird’s heartbeat and her emotionally stirring ballads and electrifying show tunes add up to a night of crazy, hilarious theatre. Fun for all, especially, according to Lola for, “Ladies and Gentlemen, and those who have yet to make up their minds.”
 Cast of Kinky Boots. (Photo/Matt Liptak)
Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper; Book by Harvey Fierstein; Orchestrations and additional arrangements by Stephen Oremus; Written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth; Directed by Kevin Stockwell; Choreography by Michael Page; Costume Design by Jean Schlichting and Kit Sibley; Scenic Design by Julie Fischer; Lighting Design by JK Lighting (Jeff Auerbach and Kimberly Crago); Music Director and Conductor, Aimee Faulkner with a 10-piece orchestra; Dance Captain, Maia Potok-Holmes; Sound Design by Alan Wray; Hair and Makeup Design by Jennifer Finn.
With The Angels – Marc Barbet, David Maeng, Danny Seal and Tyler Ward; Maria Ciarrocchi as Trish; Josh Katz as Simon, Sr./Ensemble; Zuri Luis as Young Simon/Young Lola; Brian Lyons-Burke as Price, Sr./Homeless Man; Maia Potok-Holmes as Milan Stage Manager/Ensemble/Featured Dancer/Dance Captain; David Reph Ensemble; Cara Stankewick Ensemble/Featured Dancer; Cooper Sved as Harry/Ensemble; Karen Toth Ensemble/Featured Dancer; Carla Wheaden as Pat.
Through August 16th at The Little Theatre of Alexandria, 600 Wolfe Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. For tickets and information call the box office at 703.683.0496 or visit www.TheLittleTheatre.com.
What’s Onstage in the DMV – August 2025
Jordan Wright
 Play On! via Signature Theatre
Signature Theatre – Play On! – Aug 12th – Oct 5th – www.SigTheatre.org
Arena Stage – Damn Yankees – Sept 9th – Nov 9th – www.ArenaStage.org
 The Inheritance, Parts One and Two via Round House Theatre
Round House Theatre – The Inheritance, Parts One and Two – through Aug 27th – Oct 19th – www.RoundHouseTheatre.org
Toby’s Dinner Theatre – The Little Mermaid – through Aug 17th
Saturday Night Live – Aug 22nd – Nov 7th – www.TobysDinnerTheatre.com
Keegan Theatre – Apropos of Nothing – through Aug 10th – www.KeeganTheatre.com
 Merry Wives via Shakespeare Theatre Company
Shakespeare Theatre Company – Merry Wives – Sept 9th – Oct 5th – www.ShakespeareTheatre.org
Creative Cauldron – Summer Passport Music Festival – through Sept 14th – www.CreativeCauldron.org
Theatre J – The Rise of the Superhero – through Aug 25th – www.EDCJCC.org
 Kinky Boots via The Little Theatre of Alexandria
The Little Theatre of Alexandria – Kinky Boots – through Aug 16th – www.TheLittleTheatre.com
Dominion Stage – Everything is Wonderful – Aug 8th – Aug 23rd – www.DominionStage.org
 August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson via Everyman Theatre
Everyman Theatre – August Wilson’s The Piano Lesson – Aug 31st – Sept 28th – www.EverymanTheatre.org
Olney Theatre – A Midsummer Night’s Dream – A Synetic Theatre Production – through Aug 10th
Red Pitch – Sept 17th – Oct 19th www.OlneyTheatre.org
 Dodi and Diana via Atlas Arts Mosaic Theatre
Atlas Arts Mosaic Theatre – Dodi & Diana – Sept 4th – Sept 28th – www.MosaicTheater.org
MetroStage at the Lyceum – Soulmates in Song: A Musical Journey with Roz and Shanti – Aug 18th – www.MetroStage.org
Adventure Theatre – The Lightning Thief – through Aug 17th – www.AdventureTheatre-MTC.org/shows
 Julia Nightingale (Delphi Diggory), Aidan Close (Scorpius Malfoy), and Emmet Smith (Albus Potter) in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the National Theatre DC. (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
Broadway at the National – Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – through Sept 7th – www.TicketMaster.com
The Puppet Company – New Squid on the Block – through Aug 10th – www.ThePuppetCompany.org
 Max Chernin and the company in the National Tour of PARADE. (Photo/Joan Marcus)
Kennedy Center – Sesame Street the Musical – through Aug 31st
Parade – Aug 19th – Sept 7th
Opera in the Outfield – Porgy and Bess – at Nationals Park – Free – Aug 23rd – www.Kennedy-Center.org
The Gaithersburg Arts Barn – The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee – through Aug 10th – www.GaithersburgMD.gov
The Magical, Fantastical Epic Production From J. K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” Soars into the National Theatre DC and You Don’t Want to Miss This!
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
National Theatre DC
Jordan Wright
July 18, 2025
 Cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (North American Tour) at the National Theatre DC. (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
For all you Potter fans out there, and there are legions of you who have read all the novels, (some of you have pored over them multiple times in search of clues) this masterful, come-to-life production is for you. Do not miss it. I say this up front because once the word gets out, you’ll be mightily crushed if fellow Potterheads tell you how amazing it is, and you neglected to hop on board and hit that “order tickets now” button. So, brush up on your British accents and go!
The good news is the production is not a matinee plus an add-on return for the evening show as it was in its two-part Broadway incarnation. It has been condensed into two and half hours, which makes it fly by along with the dialogue that’s at racehorse pace and so are the set changes, but you’ll easily follow it if you’ve boned up on the plot in advance.
 John Skelley (Harry Potter) and Emmet Smith (Albus Potter). (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
John Skelly plays the lead. He’s Harry Potter all grown up and the father of young, Albus Severus Potter (Emmet Smith), who is off to Hogwarts to make his mark into Slytherin and create new friendships which, as you may have experienced, is tricky at best in any new school. Soon he meets and bro-befriends Scorpious Malfoy (Aidan Close), who may or may not be the son of Voldemort, the Dark Lord. Although their parents strive to keep them apart, this oddest of friendships becomes their strongest connection as arm-in-arm the boys fight the dark forces. Through thick and thin, the boys stick together through countless dangerously fraught adventures as they try desperately to solve the riddle.
Julia Nightingale (Delphi Diggory), Aidan Close (Scorpius Malfoy), and Emmet Smith (Albus Potter). (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
All the notable characters are here in this massive cast as the years toggle back and forth – Severus Snape, Hagrid, Dumbledore, Lord Voldemort, Hermione Granger, Rose Granger-Weasley, Ron Weasley, Ginny Potter, Draco Malfoy, James Potter Sr., Hagrid, Professor McGonagall, Amos Diggory, Delphi Diggory, Cedric Diggory, Polly Chapman, Madam Hooch and more.
Battles have the characters airborne, capes swirling, chairs flying and wands clashing. The wizardry is spectacularly unimaginable. Every pyrotechnic trick is employed, plus aerial components, a revolving stage, magical fireplaces, bookcases that talk, a spinning sink for Moaning Myrtle, flying suitcases, Dumbledore morphing into a talking portrait, countless illusions, rotating stairways, a disembodied narrator and terrifyingly ghostlike spirits that float from on high. Whenever there is a time warp (bear in mind the twenty-year gap), the backdrop shimmers and there is a powerful bass drone that literally rattles your seat.
 Matt Mueller (Ron Weasley), Ebony Blake (Hermione Granger), and the Company of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
Christine Jones’ design of the Wizarding World is miraculously clever as we are led through a myriad of intriguing settings – Hogwarts’ library, a cavernous Romanesque structure with flying buttresses and massive arches, to include a hazy underwater scene as Harry and Scorpious dive into a lake and swim to the bottom, and that’s just in the first act!
All will be revealed in this monumental interpretation of J. K. Rowling’s classic novel which Rowling notably said would “explore the previously untold story of Harry’s early years as an orphan and outcast” and which unsurprisingly won “Best Play” at the Tony Awards.
Wear your capes and bring your wands. Highly recommended!!!
 Cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child North American Tour. (Photo/Matthew Murphy)
Kaleb Alexander as Sorting Hat; Julianna Austin as Polly Chapman; Aidan Close as Scorpius Malfoy; David Fine as Yann Fredericks; Simon Gagnon/Travis Patton as Teacher; Alexis Gordon as Madam Hooch; Ebony Blake as Hermione Granger; Caleb Hafen as Cedric Diggory, James Potter Jr., James Potter Sr.; Matt Harrington as Ron Weasley; Nathan Hosner as Voldemort; Chris Jarman as Voice of the Phonebooth/Voice of the Bookcase; Torsten Johnson as Professor Mazoni; Katherine Leask as Professor McGonagall, Professor Umbridge; Mackenzie Lesser-Roy as Moaning Myrtle, Lily Potter Sr.; Trish Lindstrom as Ginny Potter; Naiya Vanessa McCalla as Rose Granger-Weasley, Young Hermione; Julia Nightingale as Delphi Diggory; Zach Norton as Karl Jenkins, Viktor Krum; Maren Searle as Trolley Witch; Timmy Thompson as Craig Bowker; Paul Thornley as Voice of Ludo Bagman; René Thornton, Jr. as Station Master; Benjamin Thys as Draco Malfoy; and Larry Yando as Albus Dumbledore, Amos Diggory, Severus Snape.
Based on an original new story by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne & John Tiffany. Directed by John Tiffany; Movement Director, Steven Hoggett; Costume Designer, Katrina Lindsay; Composer & Arranger, Imogen Heap; Lighting Design by Neil Austin; Sound Design by Gareth Fry; Illusions and Magic by Jamie Harrison.
Through September 7th at Broadway at the National, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.628.6161 or visit www.TicketMaster.com.
An Imaginative and Daring Romeo and Juliet
in Circus Form at the
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Duel Reality
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Jordan Wright
July 6, 2025
 Gerardo Gutiérrez (Romeo) and Michelle Hernandez (Juliet) in Duel Reality at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall (Photo/Zemi Photography)
Director Shana Carroll’s version of the feud between the Montagues and Capulets takes it to the next level reflecting a circus-like version with tumblers, acrobats and jugglers. The show opens with eleven acrobats and a referee who calls out, “Let the games begin!” It’s a playful boxing match with two teams – red and blue. Red or blue colored wristbands have been handed out to audience members based on which side of the theatre we’re seated. The performers encourage us to root for “our” team and the audience gets into the spirit from the get-go.
The fight consists of competitive leaps and dives and fake boxing feints as the competitors outdo each other to huge applause when their team is named the winner. Daring athletic pole work is involved while quotations from The Bard are projected over the participants. Expect to see splits, lifts, hoop diving and somersaults as Romeo and Juliet play out their romance along with the acrobats. The more complex aerial feats like the Chinese pole and the trapeze build the momentum when the rigging is revealed, and the battles and challenges escalate.
 The cast of Duel Reality (Photo/Jean Francois Savaria)
Carroll has the props. As the co-founding Artistic Director of this contemporary circus company The 7 Fingers, she directed, wrote and choreographed over a dozen of their touring and resident shows. As Co-choreographer and Circus Designer for the Broadway show Water for Elephants she earned Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle noms for “Best Choreography”. Carroll honed her skills at Cirque du Soleil, and if you are familiar with those spectacles, you’ll recognize many of this show’s acts from hula hooping to the diabolo, aerial silks, teeterboard, juggling, trapeze, complex lifts and more. I swear Juliet turned herself inside out in a trapeze act with her Romeo!
The playbill describes the company’s international cast’s tours staging original productions from intimate one-man shows scaling up to large arena performances, Broadway musicals, artistic collaborations with renowned international artists and companies, special events, Olympic ceremonies, televised performances, fashion, art and music events, immersive experiences and so much more.
Originally produced and created with Virgin Voyages. This international cast stars Nino Bartolini, Daniela Corradi, Adam Fullick, Gerardo Gutierrez, Michelle Hernandez, Miliève Modin-Brisebois, Einar Kling Odencrants, Carlos Francos Péré, Anton Persson, Méghane Poulet, Santiago Rivera, Ashleigh Roper, Vitor Martinez Silva, and Colin Vuillème.
Musical Director and Composer Colin Gagné; Lighting Design by Alexander Nichols; Costume Design by Camille Thibault-Bédard; Benoît Rouillard, Rigger.
This exciting show is perfect for families or date nights.
Through July 20th at the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Harman Hall, 610 F Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the box office at 202.547.1122 or visitwww.ShakespeareTheatre.org
A Wrinkle in Time – a New Musical is a Must See Cosmic Adventure
A Wrinkle in Time – A New Musical
Arena Stage
Jordan Wright
June 28, 2025
 Taylor Iman Jones (Meg) and Jon Patrick Walker (Father) in A Wrinkle in Time at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater. (Photo/T Charles Erickson Photography)
“I got blown off course on the tail end of a tesseract,” explains Mrs Whatsit, describing traveling through time and space by wrinkling the fabric of the universe. And, boom! Off we go, as prolific novelist Madeleine L’Engle’s tale of space travelers comes to life. Three teens, the awkward and gutsy Meg Murry, Calvin O’Keefe, her poetry-loving boyfriend and her mindreading brother Charles Wallace Murry, “I get these convulsions”, begin their cosmic adventure through the fifth dimension to find their scientist father, Dr. Alex Murry, who has teleported to the dark planet of Camazotz where he is being held captive by an evil ruler. These kids have their work cut out for them – logically, mathematically and emotionally.
You probably saw A Wrinkle in Time listed in my monthly “What’s Onstage in the DMV” column. Since its opening, the most frequent query I’ve received has been, “Is this for kids or adults?” Millions have seen the movie and millions more have read L’Engle’s book and that’s useful, because it’s tricky to follow if you don’t know you’ll be traveling to different universes. It was for me. To guide me through the megaverse (or should I say, multiverse, I am not well-versed in these things), I brought along a friend who is a huge fan of the book and knew both the characters and the story. But to answer who should see this? Everyone!
 The company of A Wrinkle in Time. (Photo/T Charles Erickson Photography)
Apart from some sound issues on opening night, this is a highly imaginative production in both story and score written by Heather Christian, a highly acclaimed composer, performer and librettist. It is structured as a sung-through with little spoken dialogue. The music is extraordinary – otherworldly and humanly harmonic – and the cast is fire! I promise you’ve never heard anything like it.
We do meet the children’s mother who has been anxiously awaiting her husband’s return, three muses, or shall we call them seers – Mrs Whatsit, Mrs Who and Mrs Which – there is no Mrs Whatchamacallit. The three guide the children through the cosmos with hot tips, urgings and comforting malaprops. These kids most assuredly need their help to navigate 5.3 million light years through the shifting galaxies and bizarre characters and creatures they encounter along the way.
 Amber Gray (Mrs Whatsit), Stacey Sargeant (Mrs Who), and Vicki Lewis (Mrs Which). (Photo/DJ Corey)
There are political undertones to the story and it’s fun and challenging to grok them as they pop up like ghost stars – totally unpredictable and oh, so clever. Through storms and dark matter, aliens, heroes and colorful no-nothings, Meg finds her voice and takes charge of the maelstrom threatening to consume them. The sets by dots, costumes by Sarafina Bush, and puppet design and puppetry by James Ortiz converge to create this masterfully designed universe where we can all be transported as we dance and sing our way through the cosmos. “And in the end, the love you make, is equal to the love you take.” – – Paul McCartney, composer/lyricist from “The End” on the Abbey Road album.
Highly recommended! Fresh, captivating, and extraordinary!!!
With Taylor Iman Jones as Meg; Nicholas Barrón as Calvin; Mateo Lizcano as Charles Wallace; Jon Patrick Walker as Father/Ensemble; Andrea Jones-Sojola as Mother/Aunt Beast; Amber Gray as Mrs Whatsit; Vicki Lewis as Mrs Which; Stacey Sargeant as Mrs Who; Leanne Antonio as Paper Girl/Ensemble; Kimberly Dodson as Happy Medium/Beast/Ensemble; Aidan Joyce as Camazotzian Brother/Ensemble; Gabrielle Rice as Beast/Ensemble; Jayke Workman as Affirmations Man/Ensemble; Michael Di Liberto as Man with the Red Eyes/Ensemble; Rebecca Madeira, Ensemble; Ronald Joe Williams, Ensemble.
Book by Lauren Yee; Directed by Lee Sunday Evans; Choreographed by Ani Taj; Lighting Design by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew; Sound Design by Nick Kourtides; Wig and Hair Design by Alberto “Albee” Alvarado; Makeup Design by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche; Orchestrations by StarFish; Arrangements by Heather Christian; Music Direction by Ben Moss; Fight Consultant, Robb Hunter; Dance Captain, Leanne Antonio.
Through July 20th at Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024. For tickets and information call the box office at 202 488-3300 or visit www.ArenaStage.org.
Nation’s Only Artist-Designed 18-Hole Masterpiece Mini-Golf Course Opens at Workhouse Arts Center
Workhouse Arts Center – Masterpiece Mini-Golf Course
Jordan Wright
June 18, 2025
Special to The Zebra
 Grand Opening ribbon cutting ceremony of Workhouse Arts Center – Masterpiece Mini-Golf Course (Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Mini-Golf)
The 55-acre Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, VA was once a vast former prison where inmates made the bricks that built the prison and raised their own food from farm animals and vegetable gardens. Built in the early 1900’s, in 2008 the classically designed brick complex was miraculously transformed into an arts destination to include the Lucy Burns Museum named for one of the suffragists imprisoned there in 1917. The expansive campus now houses a community theater, resident artist studios, gallery exhibitions, arts education programming, live performances, and an events venue.
 Tribute to Banksy (Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Mini-Golf)
 Tribute to the art of Anime (Photo/Jordan Wright)
This month the Arts Center revealed the nation’s first artist-designed mini-golf course merging art history and creativity to a playful interactive experience. Each unique hole is cleverly designed to pay tribute to an iconic artist along with signage to teach players about the artist’s life and legacy while playing a whimsical outdoor course geared to all ages.
 Tribute to Michael Angelo (Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Mini-Golf)
 Tribute to Piet Mondrian (Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Mini-Golf)
Built by a dedicated team of local artists, designers, writers, and craftsmen who worked over several months to bring each hole to life using wood, paint, sculpture and storytelling, it’s believed to be the only art history-themed golf course in the country. Players can swing their putters through eighteen challenging holes constructed and painted on site. Cubism, Impressionism, Classicism, Guerilla Art, Anime and Pop Art are represented through recognizable artists’ paintings including Claude Monet, Salvador Dali, Keith Haring, Michelangelo, Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Banksy, Piet Mondrian to name a few. There’s even a castle to play through and you can putt through Van Gogh’s ear too!
 Tribute to Roy Lichtenstein (Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Mini-Golf)
 Tribute to Salvador Dali (Photo courtesy of Masterpiece Mini-Golf)
The art-inspired experience is designed entirely by Workhouse Resident Artist Tim Grant who is known for his public mural work across Fairfax County RECenters. His background in studio arts and art history helped shape the educational and creative foundation of this one-of-a-kind attraction. “I’ve always believed art should be both immersive and accessible,” said Grant. “This project gave us the chance to honor some of the greatest artists in history, while creating something that invites families, students, and the community to learn and play together. It’s education by way of joyful experience.” Assisting Grant in this fun-filled project were artists and carpenters from the local community – Phil Charlwood – Technical Design and Carpentry; Mia Klavon – Artist and Carpenter; Gary Spellman – Artist and Carpenter; and Tom Deevy – Carpenter.
 Tim Grant – Designer of the new Workhouse Arts Center Masterpiece Mini-Golf Course. (Photo/Jordan Wright)
“This is hands-down one of the most innovative projects we’ve ever launched at the Workhouse,” said Keith Gordon, President & CEO of the Workhouse Arts Center. “Masterpiece Mini-Golf is a perfect reflection of what the Workhouse is all about – creative exploration, community engagement, and accessible arts education for all ages. It’s smart, it’s fun, and it’s totally unique.”
While visiting be sure to visit Bunnyman Brewing. The onsite micro-brewery features an 18-tap self-pour system, breakfast items, baked goods, lunch and dinner in this popular spot which features both indoor and outdoor seating in a park-like setting.
The Masterpiece Mini-Golf Course is open Wednesday to Saturday, 11am – 6pm, and Sunday, 11am – 5pm and operates on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information visit www.workhousearts.org/masterpiece-mini-golf
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