Guest User 9/20/23 Guest User 9/20/23

[Free Lance-Star] 'The Bridges of Madison County' arrives at Riverside

When Patrick A’Hearn, producing artistic director of Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, saw the movie “The Bridges of Madison County,” he recalls thinking it would make a wonderful musical.

The movie — which opened in 1995 starring Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood and is based on a 1992 novel by Robert James Waller — tells “such a beautiful love story,” A’Hearn said.

“I always thought to myself, ‘This would make a good musical, and luckily someone else did, too,” he said.

Guest User 8/3/23 Guest User 8/3/23

[Free Lance-Star Review] A grand '42nd Street' makes its way to Riverside

If you ever wondered what happens before the curtain goes up opening night, take a journey to “42nd Street.”

Beyond the marquee lights, there’s also a lot of sweat and tears—not to mention broken ankles, thugs, meltdowns and romantic entanglements.

This Tony-winning classic, onstage at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, is absolutely pure enjoyment as it throws audiences into the Golden Age of musicals.

Guest User 7/20/23 Guest User 7/20/23

[Free Lance-Star] '42nd Street' dances into Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

A show within a show has arrived at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.

“42nd Street” — based on an iconic 1932 novel-gone-film starring Warner Baxter and Bebe Daniels — débuted yesterday and will run Wednesdays through Sundays through Sept. 10.

And, by all indications, its gearing up to be a showstopper.

Guest User 5/18/23 Guest User 5/18/23

[Free Lance-Star'] Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' lights up Riverside stage

Technicolor is in the show’s name and, indeed, it’s shaping up to be a colorful spectacle like few others in the ‘Burg.

The nonstop, light-spectacle-of-a-musical that is “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opened at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts yesterday and runs through July 9.

Guest User 4/5/23 Guest User 4/5/23

[Free Lance-Star] America in motion: 'Ragtime' aims for the heart

It’s been a while since Riverside Center for the Performing Arts has had a large-scale production on its stage. Think “Les Misérables” or “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” or in recent memory, “Bright Star.” And what better way to roll out its 25th anniversary season than with “Ragtime,” a show that’s also hitting its own 25th milestone.

Just last week, stars from the original Broadway cast — including Brian Stokes Mitchell and Audra McDonald — reunited for a one-night-only benefit concert in New York. Even if they weren’t lucky enough to catch that performance, local theatergoers have time to experience this epic heartbreaker, which is onstage at Riverside through early May.

Guest User 3/16/23 Guest User 3/16/23

[Free Lance-Star] Chasing the American dream: 'Ragtime the Musical' rolls into Riverside Center

What has a nice ring to it? Twenty-five years after opening on Broadway, “Ragtime the Musical” will hit the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts stage during the theater’s very own 25th anniversary year.

The show — full of raw emotion and commanding tunes — débuted at Riverside yesterday and runs through May 7.

Guest User 1/25/23 Guest User 1/25/23

[FLS] Review: Jimmy Buffett's 'Escape to Margaritaville' pours on the charm at Riverside

With these cold, gray days and talk of a wintry mix, a trip to Margaritaville sounds pretty nice right about now. The reality is that it’s not an actual place, but it sure feels like it at Riverside.

The performing arts center has been transformed into a piece of paradise in the Caribbean, where vacation-starved tourists, bachelorettes and colorful locals come out to play, hook up or just chill out. Jimmy Buffett’s “Escape to Margaritaville,” onstage through March 5, is a feel-good show wrapped in the sun-drenched sounds of the Key West-loving crooner.

Guest User 1/11/23 Guest User 1/11/23

[Free Lance-Star] Make a break for 'Escape to Margaritaville' at Riverside

The 25th season at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is kicking off with a big ole party.

That party comes in the form of Jimmy Buffett’s “Escape to Margaritaville,” which is loaded with sunny vibes, hints of romance and, oh yes, Buffett jams that span the classic to obscure spectrum. The show débuted at Riverside on Wednesday and runs through March 5.

“This is a show that has been doing incredibly well in regional theaters, primarily because it’s so laid-back and has a charming little message in the end,” said Patrick A’Hearn, producing artistic director at Riverside. “Besides, who doesn’t love a little fun in the sun, music and margaritas?”

Guest User 11/16/22 Guest User 11/16/22

Theater preview: Riverside Christmas Spectacular brings home the holidays

If it’s not beginning to look a lot like Christmas just yet, take a look at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts and think again.

Yesterday, the Fredericksburg entertainment staple kicked off the 2022 stint of its Christmas spectacle, which runs Wednesdays through Sundays through the end of the year.

Guest User 9/30/22 Guest User 9/30/22

[Free Lance-Star/Star Exponent] 'Ghost' gets a pop-rock spin in spirited Riverside show

“Ghost” may have been released in 1990, but this romantic heavyweight has been enjoying a long afterlife. The iconic film—starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and (ahem, Oscar winner) Whoopi Goldberg—aims for the heart as it illustrated the powerful bond between Molly and Sam, cementing it as one of the most epic cinematic love stories.

Guest User 9/14/22 Guest User 9/14/22

'Ghost the Musical' comes to life at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

It’s a big week for Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.

On Sunday at 6:30 p.m., the organization will host a special “Celebration 25” gathering. The event will reveal the six shows to take the main stage in 2023 for Riverside’s landmark 25th season (Hint: There will be three shows making a Riverside return and three new ones). Intimate performances, silent auctions and light refreshments will round out the vibe of this first-of-its kind event.

But, before we fast-forward to next year’s happenings, Riverside’s 24th season is still in full swing and its latest show—“Ghost the Musical”—débuted Wednesday. The full rock musical runs through Nov. 6 and promises to be a vocal and visual spectacle.

Kendric Walpole 8/16/22 Kendric Walpole 8/16/22

[FLS - Letter to the Editor] Riverside is a gem

Letter to the Editor of the Free Lance-Star regarding a patron’s visit to Riverside Center for the Performing Arts from Saint Leonard, Maryland.

Kendric Walpole 8/8/22 Kendric Walpole 8/8/22

[Free Lance-Star] Theater Review: A well-done ‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner’ served at Riverside

After the light-hearted “Nunsense” earlier this summer, Riverside is going for meatier fare with “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.”

Guest User 7/21/22 Guest User 7/21/22

'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner' pays a visit to Riverside Center

The title of the show asks a simple question: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”?

Well, based on Riverside Center for the Performing Arts’ newest big stage production, a lot of locals really should be joining them for dinner for an experience to remember.

The play—concocted by Todd Kreidler and based on the smash 1967 drama-meets-comedy film starring Sidney Poitier and Katharine Hepburn—opened on Wednesday and runs through Sept. 4.

Kendric Walpole 6/9/22 Kendric Walpole 6/9/22

[Free Lance-Star] Theater Review: ‘Nunsense’ turns up the fun at Riverside

Upon entering Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, some theatergoers might think for a second they’re at the wrong show. A lighted sign for “Grease” hovers over the 1950s-styled mainstage, with diner barstools, a jukebox and cardboard cutouts of a hip-shaking Elvis and a covered-up Marilyn Monroe scattered about.

If you’ve come for “Nunsense,” don’t worry, you’re in the right place.

Kendric Walpole 5/20/22 Kendric Walpole 5/20/22

[Free Lance-Star] Sally Struthers returns to Riverside in ‘Nunsense the Musical’

Legendary actress Sally Struthers has returned to Riverside Center for the Performing Arts for her seventh engagement at the venue.

This time, she’s starring as Mother Superior in the hilariously quirky musical “Nunsense.” The show kicked off on Wednesday and runs through July 10.

Kendric Walpole 3/30/22 Kendric Walpole 3/30/22

[Free Lance-Star] Theater Review: ‘Camelot’ at Riverside: a tale of two leaders

Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot” is the kind of show audiences can get lost in—a sweeping tale of knights and romance in a faraway land—all set to a gorgeous score. However, Riverside Center for the Performing Arts brings this mythical story closer to home.

Riverside reimagines the beloved musical with an ambitious undertaking that marries the past with the present. “Camelot,” spearheaded by producing artistic director Patrick A’Hearn, connects the Arthurian legend with the Kennedy administration often referred to as the Camelot era. The musical was a favorite of President John F. Kennedy, and his wife, Jackie, cemented the association after his death.

Kendric Walpole 3/16/22 Kendric Walpole 3/16/22

[Free Lance-Star] ‘Camelot’ begins its reign at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

Using “might for right” sure sounds nice amid current global happenings.

A much-needed escape has arrived in the ’Burg in the form of Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe’s “Camelot,” providing a modern and musical spin on the classic tale. The production kicked off Wednesday at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts and runs through May 8.

Guest User 11/10/21 Guest User 11/10/21

[Free Lance-Star] ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ arrives at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

You’ve seen the Judy Garland classic on the big screen. And now, you can experience the magic locally onstage.

“Meet Me in St. Louis” and all of its uplifting, turn-of-the-century-infused charm débuted at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts on Wednesday and runs through Dec. 31. Shows will take place Thursday through Saturday evenings with matinees on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Guest User 11/2/21 Guest User 11/2/21

Letter: Riverside Center for the Performing Arts is a local gem

Riverside Center is a local gem

Just over the river in Stafford, within sight of Interstate 95 in a quiet business park, musical theater to rival the best in the country is on stage five days a week at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts.

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