[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.
[Falls Church News-Press Review] ‘Camelot’ Musical in Fredericksburg Salutes JFK ‘Camelot Era’
The Riverside Center for the Performing Arts in Fredericksburg is currently presenting Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical “Camelot,” but with a twist: it actually tells the stories of two Camelots! The first is the story of King Arthur and his knights at the round table of medieval times, while the second is the story of the John F. Kennedy presidency.
[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.
[DCMTA Review] ‘Bright Star’ shines at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts presents the Steve Martin and Edie Brickell Bluegrass musical Bright Star, an invigorating showpiece about hope and renewal, themes that are perfectly timed for the post-pandemic audience. With expert direction from Patrick A’Hearn, Bright Star truly earns its name!
[Free Lance-Star] Theater review: Beautifully moving ‘Bright Star’ shoots for the heart
After months and months of waiting in the wings, it’s safe to say that “Bright Star” was worth the wait. Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s feel-good bluegrass musical is finally getting its chance to shine at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, and it is absolutely beaming with talent.
The Tony-nominated musical, which also enjoyed a brief run at the Kennedy Center, is giving local audiences an opportunity to experience this sweeping story about love and redemption, heartbreak and hope.
[Free Lance-Star] Review: Riverside’s ‘Grumpy Old Men’ musical is a sweet charmer
The news is looking pretty grim these days, with the exception of the pandemic-delayed Olympics (go, USA!), but the theater is a place we can go to escape for a few hours.
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts continues its run of nostalgia-heavy shows, following the recent “Marvelous Wonderettes” that was overflowing with crowd-pleasing songs from the 1950s and ’60s. For its latest production, however, the theater isn’t going that far back.
“Grumpy Old Men” is a sweet surprise for another movie-turned-musical. Based on the 1993 classic starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, the story follows two neighbors feuding over the town’s foxy newcomer as they also grapple with changing times, financial troubles and—for one of them—a ridiculously persistent tax collector.
[Free Lance-Star Review] Sweet, silly ‘Marvelous Wonderettes’ hits all the right notes
Summer is almost here and there’s a certain radiant energy in the air as life is starting to feel a little normal again. And one bright spot can be found at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, with its new show “The Marvelous Wonderettes.”
The past year has been a long and challenging one, and this charming jukebox musical takes audiences on a welcome journey to another era—making you forget we’re living in pandemic at least for a little while.
[The Free Lance-Star] Bravissimo: Riverside’s production of ‘Souvenir’ is music to my ears
Florence Foster Jenkins might be the world’s worst opera singer, but for me, she’s music to my ears.
“Souvenir,” onstage at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, is a charmer of a show about a wealthy socialite who simply wants to share her musical gifts with others and raise money for charities. There’s just a tiny little problem: She can’t carry a tune.
[The Free Lance-Star] Review: ‘Grease’ is a colorful ride through nostalgia at Riverside
“Grease” is getting a whole lot of lovin’ this year. With a TV spinoff in the works and a vibrant production at the Riverside Center for the Performing Arts, this story about a group of teenagers living it up in small-town 1959 America continues to resonate.
[Culpeper Times] CURTAIN CALLS: Leapin’ Lizards! It’s ‘Annie’
Yes, we’re polarized and angry, uncertain about the future, defensive about our politics, but hey! The sun’ll come out tomorrow!
Maybe that sounds like impossible optimism, or “an unstoppable sunshine steamroller” as Ben Brantley called it, but “Annie” has not just survived, it’s thrived because people would rather feel good than bad. It’s almost that simple.
Riverside Center for the Performing Arts welcomes this durable piece of musical theatre to its 22nd season, and it doesn’t disappoint. The little red-headed orphan who entertained our parents and grandparents through the 1920s, the Great Depression, and WWII has had a long run. Based on “Little Orphan Annie”, the comic strip by Harold Gray, “Annie” is the 1977 Broadway musical that snapped up seven Tony Awards and ran for six years before spawning a few less memorable films as well as three Broadway revivals.