Arts & Entertainment
A ‘Wardrobe’ for young and old alike
Washington Ballet, Imagination Stage team up for classic show
‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’
Through Aug. 12
Imagination Stage
4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD
$10-$27
301-280-1660
imaginationstage.org
Lucy (Justine Moral) exits the Wardrobe in ‘The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe’ at Imagination Stage, with The Washington Ballet. (Photo by Scott Suchman)
In joining forces to create Imagination Stage’s summer show, “The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe,” the Washington Ballet and Imagination Stage have upped the bar on local children’s theater. Based on C.S. Lewis’s familiar novel, the charming world premiere production uses music, dance and sophisticated puppetry to retell the classic in a way that appeals to kids and not-so-young theatergoers alike.
It’s London, 1940. World War II has begun, and Adolf Hitler’s Luftwaffe is bombing the capital. After a particularly bad air raid, the four Pevensie children are evacuated to the relative safety of the English countryside. Their host is a dotty professor whose old house is filled with magic and mystery. While playing hide and seek, the two younger children, little Lucy and Edmund, pass through a wardrobe into a faraway, wintry land called Narnia.
During their curious visit, Lucy befriends Tumnus the faun, while Edmund is swayed by the White Witch, self-styled queen of the land, to betray his family. The brother and sister travel home only to return to Narnia again via the wardrobe on a rainy English afternoon, but this time bringing their siblings, Susan and Peter with them. And here begins the perilous battle of evil against good. Like the book, this musical version is rife with lessons of courage, forgiveness and loyalty.
Each of the four children is played by both an actor and a dancer. Lucid staging by Imagination Stage’s artistic director Janet Stanford eliminates any possible confusion, and bolstering the musical’s terse libretto (also penned by Stanford) with angry, playful and restless dance gives further insight into the young characters’ motivations and feelings.
The dazzlingly evil White Witch is danced by the charismatic Washington Ballet vet Morgann Rose, and her courageous adversary and Narnia’s rightful sovereign, Aslan the lion, is portrayed by a larger-than-life puppet. Made mainly from yards and yards of basket reed, the agile cat (designed by Eric Van Wyk) is operated by three puppeteers including Michael John Casey who also supplies the puppet’s powerful voice. Casey plays the professor and a helpful, big-toothed beaver too.
The production is co-choreographed by the Washington Ballet’s artistic director Septime Webre (who is gay) and associate artistic director David Palmer. Their inventive and athletic choreography executed by topnotch dancers coupled with Van Wyk’s designer efforts, make this production eminently watchable.
Standouts in an energetic, diverse young cast include Justine Moral as Lucy, and dancer Robert Mulvey as the cheeky faun.
Matthew Pierce sets the mood with an original melodic score that alternates from dreamy to suspenseful. Music director George Fulginiti Shakar (also gay) prompts strong vocal performances from the actors, particularly Sarah Beth Pfeifer who sings several of the women’s roles
Here and there, the plotline becomes a tad murky, but the good v. evil gist of the story is never lost. Throughout, the audience is rapt. There are sinister wolves, a suit of armor that comes to life, action-packed stage combat, and Aslan, the impressive puppet. Even Father Christmas and one of his little elves make an appearance. If children’s productions are judged on how well they hold their audience’s attention, then “The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe” definitely succeeds.
Sports
Jason Collins dies at 47
First openly gay man to actively play for major sports team battled brain cancer
Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to actively play for a major professional sports team, died on Tuesday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 47.
The California native had briefly played for the Washington Wizards in 2013 before coming out in a Sports Illustrated op-ed.
Collins in 2014 became the first openly gay man to play in a game for a major American professional sports league when he played 11 minutes during a Brooklyn Nets game. He wore jersey number 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student murdered outside of Laramie, Wyo., in 1998.
Collins told the Washington Blade in 2014 that his life was “exponentially better” since he came out. Collins the same year retired from the National Basketball Association after 13 seasons.
Collins married his husband, Brunson Green, in May 2025.
The NBA last September announced Collins had begun treatment for a brain tumor. Collins on Dec. 11, 2015, announced he had Stage 4 glioblastoma.
“We are heartbroken to share that Jason Collins, our beloved husband, son, brother and uncle, has died after a valiant fight with glioblastoma,” said Collins’s family in a statement the NBA released. “Jason changed lives in unexpected ways and was an inspiration to all who knew him and to those who admired him from afar. We are grateful for the outpouring of love and prayers over the past eight months and for the exceptional medical care Jason received from his doctors and nurses. Our family will miss him dearly.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Collins’s “impact and influence extended far beyond basketball as he helped make the NBA, WNBA, and larger sports community more inclusive and welcoming for future generations.”
“He exemplified outstanding leadership and professionalism throughout his 13-year NBA career and in his dedicated work as an NBA Cares Ambassador,” said Silver. “Jason will be remembered not only for breaking barriers, but also for the kindness and humanity that defined his life and touched so many others.”
“To call Jason Collins a groundbreaking figure for our community is simply inadequate. We truly lost a giant today,” added Human Rights Campaign President Kelley Robinson in a statement. “He came out as gay — while still playing — at a time when men’s athletes simply did not do that. But as he powerfully demonstrated in his final years in the league and his post-NBA career, stepping forward as he did boldly changed the conversation.”
“He was and will always be a legend for the LGBTQ+ community, and we are heartbroken to hear of his passing at the young age of 47,” she said. “Our hearts go out to his family and loved ones. We will keep fighting on in his honor until the day everyone can be who they are on their terms.”
The Washington Blade will update this article with additional reaction when it becomes available.
Glitterati Productions held the “Studio 69” party at Bunker on Friday, May 8.
(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)
Arts & Entertainment
Washington Blade’s Pride on the Pier returns June 13 to kick off D.C. Pride week
Pride on the Pier officially launches Pride Week in D.C.
The Washington Blade’s annual Pride on the Pier celebration returns to The Wharf on Saturday, June 13, 2026 from 4-9 p.m., bringing thousands of LGBTQ community members and allies together for an unforgettable waterfront celebration to kick off Pride week in Washington, D.C.
Now in its eighth year, Washington Blade Pride on the Pier extends the city’s annual celebration of LGBTQ visibility to the bustling Wharf waterfront with an exciting array of activities and entertainment for all ages. The District Pier will offer DJs, dancing, drag, and other entertainment. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase for those 21 and older.
“Pride on the Pier has become one of the signature moments of Pride in D.C.,” said Lynne Brown, publisher of the Washington Blade. “There’s nothing like watching our community come together on the waterfront with live music and incredible energy as we kick off Pride week.”
Pride on the Pier is free and open to the public, with VIP tickets available for exclusive pier access to the Dockmaster Building. To purchase VIP tickets visit www.prideonthepierdc.com/vip.
Additional entertainment announcements, sponsor activations, and event details will be released in the coming weeks.
Event Details:
📍 Location: District Pier at The Wharf (101 District Sq SW, Washington, DC)
📅 Dates: Friday, 13, 2026
⏱️ 4-9PM
🎟️ VIP Tickets: www.PrideOnThePierDC.com/VIP
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