All stories by Brian Bochicchio on BroadwayStars

Friday, March 15, 2024

Concert/Dance Review: ‘Dancing With the Celts’ (Featuring the Culkin School of Irish Dance) at Wolf Trap by Brian Bochicchio

Ah, even though it’s a wee bit early to celebrate St. Paddy’s day, there’s never a bad time to lift a pint, be enthralled at the eerie, yet intriguing, uilleann pipe, marvel at the dis…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 05:19PM
Thursday, January 25, 2024

Theatre Review: ‘Jersey Boys’ at Riverside Center for the Performing Arts by Brian Bochicchio

Channeling a band’s life onstage can be a tricky endeavor. The musical “biopic” is a tempting stage device, with its ready-made score and built-in name recognition. But it also has the…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 07:52PM
Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Theatre Review: ‘The Chosen’ at 1st Stage by Brian Bochicchio

Theatre at its most riveting is the occasion in which the audience is engaged, challenged, and then ultimately committed and, in some way, moved by the experience. This first rate, theatrica…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 09:05AM
Tuesday, July 25, 2023

Theatre Review: ‘Big Fish’ at City of Fairfax Theatre Company by Brian Bochicchio

Suppose that, as you read this on your screen, you are drawn in by its entertaining anecdotes and amusing viewpoints? But while enjoying it all, you slowly start questioning its truthfulness…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 01:05PM
Thursday, March 30, 2023

Theatre Review: ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ at The Arlington Players by Brian Bochicchio

You would have to be severely media-challenged or a native of another planet to have not heard of the movie that is generally considered the best movie musical ever and consistently ranks in…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 10:09AM
Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Theatre Review: ‘Sister Act’ at Little Theatre of Alexandria by Brian Bochicchio

Something about the gentle poking at convention—even the spiritual type—provides a guilty feel-good to theatregoers. Filling the seats again and inducing groans and laughter, Little Thea…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 08:47PM
Monday, November 7, 2022

Concert Review: ‘Broadway’s Brightest Lights’ presented by the National Philharmonic at The Music Center at Strathmore by Brian Bochicchio

To me, a concert program full of the best of Broadway is like an extensive dessert menu that is ever so satisfying, but somehow never fills you up, making you want for more. If I’m being h…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 11:40AM
Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Theatre Review: ExPats Theatre’s ‘Einstein’s Wife’ at Atlas Performing Arts Center by Brian Bochicchio

History is a funny thing. How willing are we to stop, reassess and recalibrate what we think of the past —our icons, our shining lights of greatness? There has been a lot of icon-busting t…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 07:43PM
Tuesday, July 26, 2022

Theatre Review: ‘Something Rotten!’ at Little Theatre of Alexandria by Brian Bochicchio

LTA is back in a hilariously “Rotten!” way. Filling the seats again and filling our hearts with the laughter we so need, Little Theatre of Alexandria’s summer feature show is a throwba…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 12:27PM
Tuesday, June 7, 2022

Theatre Review: ‘Lucky Stiff’ at NextStop Theatre Company by Brian Bochicchio

The simple reality of a farce, especially a musical, is that one can relax, put the thinking part of the cerebral cortex on temporary hold, and just let the action unfold. The beauty of that…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 04:15PM
Wednesday, May 4, 2022

Concert Review: Leslie Odom Jr. at the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Gala by Brian Bochicchio

  How is this for a recipe for successful musical performance: Take one part venue—the intimate and comfortable Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Merchant Hall; Add another part talented …

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 10:38AM
Sunday, March 20, 2022

Theatre Review: ‘Riverdance’ 25th Anniversary Show at the Kennedy Center by Brian Bochicchio

Yes, they are stomping by again. A year after the dreaded cicadas, a decidedly more pleasant syncopated sound filled our ears and engulfs our senses. I will attempt to use the word phenomeno…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 08:48PM
Tuesday, December 14, 2021

Concert Review: ‘The Christmas Revels: An American Celebration of the Winter Solstice’ presented by The Washington Revels by Brian Bochicchio

The Revels are Coming! The Revels are Coming (Back!) The much-revered Revelers are here again, thankfully in person this year, after that nasty bug that will remain nameless kept their winso…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 06:05PM
Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Theatre Review: ‘And Then There Were None’ at Kensington Arts Theatre by Brian Bochicchio

After a hiatus in which much of live theatre was on hold in DMV area, we have a heart-stopper of a show. Kensington Arts Theatre presents the classic of classics, Agatha Christie’s “And …

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 09:11AM
Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Theatre Review: ‘Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson’ at Dominion Stage by Brian Bochicchio

“Remember, bloody is only a metaphor!” we are shouted at several times in the imaginative, entertaining, at times shocking “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson” at Dominion Stage. A semi- h…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 11:05PM
Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Theatre Review: ‘A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder’ at Little Theatre of Alexandria by Brian Bochicchio

Murder most foul has been a steady, reliable storyline for recorded history—from Greek tragedies to horror novels and on to HBO and Netflix moneymakers. The fascination with the purposeful…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 04:13PM
Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Theatre Review: ‘Beehive’ at Nextstop Theater by Brian Bochicchio

I get it, a show (ok, a musical revue) identified with a horrific hairstyle won’t challenge us with dramatic plot twists or Sondheim-esque mystique. But after a summer which literally seem…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 11:17AM
Monday, July 15, 2019

Theatre Review: ‘Seussical the Musical’ at McLean Community Players by Brian Bochicchio

Of course, it had to be called Seussical, match-rhyming with musical. Imbued with Dr. Seuss’ gift for cadenced, rhythmic prose, it is also whimsical. Thus, “Seussical the Musical” burs…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 07:33PM
Wednesday, June 12, 2019

Theatre Review: ‘A Fox on the Fairway’ at Little Theatre of Alexandria by Brian Bochicchio

Sometimes you just need a silly song, a silly dance, a little seltzer down your pants. With a nod to chuckles the clown, we Washingtonians do need a respite from the amped-up rhetoric and po…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 12:17AM
Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Theatre Review: ‘The Savannah Disputation’ at Little Theatre of Alexandria by Brian Bochicchio

It’s one of those situations we all have likely experienced: a fresh-faced young person unexpectedly knocks on your door and asks about your faith, challenging whatever concept of spiritua…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 10:15PM
Tuesday, February 26, 2019

Theatre Review: ‘You Can’t Take It With You’ at Little Theatre of Alexandria by Brian Bochicchio

Reaching deep into the proverbial treasure chest of American classics, Little Theatre of Alexandria has pulled out and dusted off Kaufman and Hart’s beloved “You Can’t Take It With You…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 07:28PM
Monday, February 4, 2019

Concert Review: ‘Brian Ganz Plays Chopin, Reflections of Home’ at Strathmore by Brian Bochicchio

It’s not just an orchestra setting anymore. The Music Center at Strathmore is nationally known, yet seems underappreciated in the DMV area. The present home of the National Philharmoni…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 09:36PM
Sunday, January 27, 2019

Theatre Review: ’12 Angry Men’ at Ford’s Theatre by Brian Bochicchio

The verdict is in: “Twelve Angry Men:” that iconic courtroom drama, still remains compelling storytelling. Ford Theatre’s production, gleaned from local talent and staged in th…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 11:10AM
Tuesday, November 6, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ at Creative Cauldron by Brian Bochicchio

Mixing in parts of remembrances past, timely themes, nascent hopes of magic and kitschy lighting, this amalgam of elements are put together in the Creative Cauldron in Falls Church to have a…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 06:50PM
Sunday, September 16, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘Turn Me Loose’ at Arena Stage by Brian Bochicchio

It’s not often that a performer has a biopic written for him while he can still go view it. The pioneering comic and civil activist Dick Gregory had the chance to do just that last year in…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 08:51PM
Wednesday, August 1, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘The Pirates of Penzance’ at Olney Theatre Center by Brian Bochicchio

I walked onto a pirate ship last Sunday and a Jimmy Buffet beach party broke out… “The Pirates of Penzance” have set shore in the unlikely enclave of the Olney Theatre Center. …

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 03:33PM
Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘The Nance’ at Little Theatre of Alexandria by Brian Bochicchio

What was in the water in the 1930s America??? Extra gin from the speakeasys? Awash in booze and a returning economy, excited by technological breakthroughs, artistic triumphs, and an era of,…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 02:43PM
Sunday, March 18, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘Chicago’ at Keegan Theatre by Brian Bochicchio

When “Chicago” comes to town, you just want to sit down, strap in, and prepare yourself for an experience. One of the most successful musicals in theatre history, it chalked up s…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 11:57AM
Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘Tweet Land of Liberty’ at Hexagon by Brian Bochicchio

Springtime in Washington, DC means a lot of things. Of course, there is the annual Cherry Blossoms, Embassy Tours and Fun Runs. Challenging them all is Hexagon. The six-sided show, in its 63…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 09:13PM
Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘Hobson’s Choice’ at Quotidian Theatre Company by Brian Bochicchio

Some works of theatre are given the dreaded label ‘period piece’—destined to stay locked in the time they were created. But others age quite nicely—as a well-shaped, tanned piece of …

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 01:12PM
Thursday, January 25, 2018

Theatre Review: ‘Unnecessary Farce’ at Keegan Theatre by Brian Bochicchio

What a year it has been! Would you call the recent news cycle—oh, I don’t know, fake-arcial? We have been regularly been bombarded with salacious dossiers, hand sizes, libs threatening t…

SOURCE: mdtheatreguide.com at 09:28PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards