good life
BEST BETS
Our picks for things to see and do in January and February BY STEPHANIE SIEGEL BURKE
Feb. 4 through March 6
BIBLE STORY
Jan. 5 - 30
DEARLY DEPARTED
What do you get when you mix the Bible with Disney’s High School Musical? Maybe something like A.D. 16. The world premiere musical centers on a teenage Mary Magdalene who falls in love with the boy next door, Jesus, and sets it all to an R&B score. Expect songs inspired by En Vogue, TLC and Prince, and a story that will appeal to believers and nonbelievers alike. The music and lyrics were written by Cinco Paul, who co-created Schmigadoon! and wrote the screenplays for the animated movies Despicable Me and The Secret Life of Pets. Bekah Brunstetter, a writer and producer for This Is Us, wrote the script. According to the theater’s content guidance, the show would be rated PG if it were a film, for “unrequited romance, biblical punishments and irreverent humor.” $37-$85, Olney Theatre Center, olneytheatre.org
After someone dies, people might hold a wake or sit shiva. Jamaicans (and other Caribbean communities) have a ritual called Nine Night, a dayslong period of mourning and celebration when family and friends gather to share memories, condolences and food. That’s the setting for Nine Night, the debut play by British playwright Natasha Gordon, which will make its U.S. premiere at Round House Theatre. The drama centers on a British Jamaican family grieving the loss of their matriarch through the Nine Night tradition. Although the story is about how family members deal with their grief, it’s told with warmth and lots of humor. $34-$71, Round House Theatre, Bethesda, roundhousetheatre.org
Jan. 22
THE PIGEONS ON THE BUS If you have kids, chances are you’re familiar with award-winning children’s author and illustrator Mo Willems and his long-suffering “Pigeon” character. Willems’ first picture book, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, published in 2003, won a Caldecott Honor and was inducted into the Picture Book Hall of Fame. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical) sets the story—about a bus driver who takes a break from his route and the bird who volunteers to substitute for him—to a jazzy score and incorporates actors and puppets. Recommended for ages 4-7. 11 a.m., $5, Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center, Rockville, mcblogs.montgomerycollege.edu/reppac
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A BUNCH OF QUACKS A lot has changed since Robert McCloskey’s children’s book Make Way for Ducklings was published in 1941. The classic story of a duck family that makes its home in Boston’s Public Garden gets new life in Adventure Theatre’s musical adaptation, co-written by playwright Sandra Eskin and former Adventure Theatre Artistic Director Michael Bobbitt. More than 80 years after the story was written, parents in 2022 Bethesda may still identify with Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, the duck couple on the hunt for the perfect piece of real estate to raise their family. And kids will still be amused by the line of ducklings who stop traffic, aided by friendly police officers, as they waddle through downtown Boston. The show is appropriate for all ages. $25, Adventure Theatre, Glen Echo, adventuretheatre-mtc.org
IMAGE COURTESY OF ROUND HOUSE THEATRE; GETTY IMAGES
Feb. 4 through March 27
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 | BETHESDAMAGAZINE.COM
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12/10/21 1:26 PM
