The Olney Performance Series is a new, year-round program that provides a permanent home on our campus for jazz, cabaret, spoken word, and theatre for young audiences. From drag shows to Disney Singalongs, Olney Performance Series is about diversity in styles, disciplines, performers, and more. We're constantly adding to the schedule, so sign up for our emails and check back often.
Disney Singalong
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Saturday, May 14 at 12:00 pm (please note: the Saturday, 10:00 am only, performance is canceled)
Sunday, May 15 at 10:00 am & 12:00 pm
1938 Original TheatreThree of Olney Theatre’s favorite performers, Patricia Hurley Carpenter (Mary Poppins herself!), Ashleigh King (Elf the Musical), and Matt Schleigh (Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors) lead kids of all ages in their favorite Disney songs from stage and screen.
Cabaret: Nova Payton
Time to Shine
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Friday, May 27, 2022 at 8:00 pm
1938 Original TheatreJoin Rayshun LaMarr as he celebrates music that inspires people to be free, to be happy, and to shine featuring Motown, R&B, and inspirational music
Jazz: Mark Meadows
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Acclaimed jazz pianist, music director, composer, vocalist, jazz instructor, and actor, Mark G. Meadows is a man on a mission: to create a unifying sound that breaks through social barriers. There’s something for everyone in his music, which harmonizes pop, gospel, R&B, hip hop, funk, and jazz. With his lyrics, suffused with meaning, and his velvet voice, Meadows cuts through the noise to speak to all.
Past Events
2022 Spring Season
Takes One to Know One
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Saturday, May 7, 2022
2:00 pm and 8:00 pm
1938 Original Theatre“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.” The band The Civil Wars chose their name not based on American history, but on this quote attributed to Ian Maclaren. Through their music and the works of other Americana and folk artists, Vincent Kempski and MALINDA explore what it means to be compassionate in the moments when compassion doesn’t come easily; to love with fire and hope in the face of struggle. The evening ranges from hard-hitting rock numbers to intimate acoustic ballads, celebrating the poeticism and range of the “singer-songwriter.”
BIRCKHEAD A NIGHT OF JAZZ CELEBRATING THE SCOPE OF BLACK AMERICAN MUSIC
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Friday, May 6, 2022 at 8:00 pm
1938 Original TheatreBrent Birckhead is an award-winning saxophonist, whose aesthetic is an intersectional amalgam of traditional and popular styles. The Lauryn Hill touring band alum presents his own group, celebrating his debut release, BIRCKHEAD.
Black Parade: A Drag Show Tribute to the Black Icons in Music
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Friday, April 29, 2022
8:00 pm
1938 Original TheatreQueens of Color take the stage for a night of fabulous strutting, lip-synching and dancing.
Jazz: Lena Seikaly
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Saturday, April 30, 2022
8:00 pm
1938 Original TheatreA fixture on the D.C. jazz scene for more than a decade, vocalist and DC area-native Lena Seikaly is already making her mark in national and international jazz circles as a revivalist of traditional jazz vocals, as well as an innovator in contemporary vocal jazz styles.
Theatre for Young Audiences: Imagination Stage’s “Mother Goose”
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April 23 & 24, 2022
10:00 am & 11:30 am
MainstageA brand new, music-filled piece by the creators of Wake Up, Brother Bear and Mouse on the Move! Mother Goose leads the audience through some of her most beloved nursery rhymes, using puppets and props to bring to life Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, the Eensy Weensy Spider, and more. The magical Mother Goose invites your little ones to join in with each rhyme’s story – teaching them that the very best way to do what needs to be done is to do it together.
Poetry Slam
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April 22 & 23, 2022
8:00 pmSimply Sherri returns to host a competition of the best spoken-word poets in the region bringing their A-game to our stage. Audience members will also be able to vote for their favorite local poet. Those who attended our Olney Outdoors Sip ‘n’ Slams know they’re in for a treat.
