Pink killed it! “Schmigadoon!” cleaned up! But why are book and score both relegated to the preshow? Breaking down the best and worst moments of the 79th Tony Awards:

The economic headwinds blowing against Broadway musicals are no secret. But whatever the financial outcome, this year's Tony nominees — "The Lost Boys," "Schmigadoon!," "Two Strangers" and "Titaníque" — are impressing critics, connecting with theatergoers and working to change that downbeat tune.

Fresh off “One Battle After Another,” D.C. native Regina Hall is staying open to the unpredictable. Her career’s latest twist? A return to “Scary Movie” and her absurdist comedy roots.

The Wendell Pierce-led “Othello” at STC is astounding. Same goes for “Pippin” at Signature Theatre. And I also found “The Motion” at Arena Stage to be a fascinating exercise. Here’s my latest D.C. theater review roundup:

Greetings from Charlotte! Here’s the #USMNT lineup that’ll face Senegal in today’s World Cup tune-up: Turner; Freeman, McKenzie, Ream; Dest, Adams, Berhalter, A. Robinson; Reyna, Pulisic; Pepi Really interested in seeing how Turner fares. And it’s another test of the 3-4-2-1 shape (presumably).

The time for speculation is officially over: Meet the 26 men who will represent the #USMNT in the 2026 World Cup.

“Survivor 50” was already an entertaining train wreck, filled with misguided twists and gratuitous celebrity cameos. And then that finale gaffe happened.

In today’s Sunday Arts: My profile of Wendell Pierce, ever the master of the film-TV-stage “trifecta.” (The wonderful portraits are by Demetrius Freeman.)

“You are seldom challenged physically, mentally, emotionally in a very complex way like this.” Wendell Pierce — ever excelling on the big screen, small screen and stage — stretches himself once more with “Othello” at the Shakespeare Theatre.

My latest critic’s notebook pivots back to D.C. theater with reviews of “I & You” at Olney, “Aguardiente” at GALA, “The Great Gatsby” at the National and the best of the bunch: a transporting staging of “Purlie Victorious” at Studio Theatre.

In today’s Sunday Arts: My profile of “Hokum” star Adam Scott, alongside Philip Cheung’s fantastic portraits. (Also: My latest Broadway review notebook!)

In a tough year for new musicals, “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” are sending out the Broadway season with a bang. Reviewing those buzzy productions, plus “Joe’s Turner’s Come and Gone,” “The Balusters” and, gulp, “Beaches”:

It's Tony nominations day! Breaking down the snubs (Lea Michele, Adrien Brody) and the surprises (Stephanie Hsu, "Fallen Angels") as Broadway honors the best of the 2025-26 season

Adam Scott has carved out a slew of career lanes: the disarming everyman, the tortured soul, the domineering scumbag. In “Hokum,” he swerves between them all. Profiling the versatile “Parks and Recreation” and “Severance” star:

In The Post’s Weekend section: Looking back on 50 years of GALA Hispanic Theatre productions and looking ahead to the company’s world-premiere musical “Aguardiente.”

“We’re here, and you can’t tell the story of the United States in the 21st century without this culture.” D.C.’s GALA Hispanic Theatre, founded as a “safe space” for Latino artists, endures 50 years later.

“The Fear of 13” doesn’t entirely work, but Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson shatter all the same. That and more (including reviews of “Proof” and “Rocky Horror”) in my latest Broadway critic’s notebook.

In today's D.C. theater critic's notebook: "The Minutes" resonates at Keegan, "A Streetcar Named Desire" stuns in Dupont Underground and "A Good Day to Me Not to You" misses the mark at Arena Stage

Lee Sung Jin was ready to walk away from "Beef" after Netflix declined pitch after pitch for Season 2. “But,” he says, “real life kind of hit me in the face.” I sat down with Lee, the creator of the hit anthology, to discuss how a neighborhood shouting match inspired a searing second installment.

"Death of a Salesman" is seismic. "Cats: The Jellicle Ball" is exhilarating. "Giant" and "Becky Shaw" impress. And "Dog Day Afternoon" goes awry. Assessing the recent spate of Broadway openings in my latest critic's notebook for The Post:

“1776” isn’t my favorite show, but Luis Salgado’s vibrant vision at Ford’s Theatre still meets the moment. Reviewing that buzzy revival — plus “Young John Lewis” at Mosaic, “Appropriate” at Olney and Eddie Izzard’s solo “Hamlet” at STC — in another critic’s notebook:

“I think all of us in Washington could use a reminder of his kind of leadership, which was leading with love and truth and courage.” Spoke to the creative team behind “Young John Lewis: Prodigy of Protest,” the galvanizing new musical getting its D.C. premiere at Mosaic Theater Company.

"Hamnet" at Shakespeare Theatre Company didn't work for me. But Studio Theatre's "Jonah" and Theater J's "Eureka Day" very much did! Here's a critic's notebook assessing five shows on D.C. stages:

Join me on a trip inside the weird world of Elijah Wood

A pair of musical triumphs — “Safety Not Guaranteed” and “Chez Joey” — are currently dazzling on D.C.-area stages. Catch them while you can.

I'll be contributing to The Washington Post's live coverage of the #Oscars tonight with updates, analysis and awards season factoids. You can follow along right here:

My #Oscars picks are in!

Personal news post: Like many, many others, I was affected by The Washington Post’s recent cuts. But I'll remain a contributing writer for The Post and, as of today, have resumed some of my editing work on contract. So I still have a role there.

How does Tony winner Bill Irwin, the 75-year-old “Odyssey” actor and esteemed clown, perform his loose-limbed solo show “On Beckett” eight times a week? Being a “gym junkie,” lots of walks with his dog and an enduring interest in the words of Samuel Beckett.

“Sinners” didn’t just break the record with 16 Oscar nominations — it got nominated in literally every category it was eligible in. Only places it didn’t show up were the three shorts, plus adapted screenplay, documentary, animated, international and lead actress. #Oscars

The D.C. theater slate is pack with eclectic offerings once more this year, with shows including an underground "Streetcar," a Wendell Pierce-starring "Othello" and a new musical about TLC. Here's my rundown of the most enticing productions on tap:

The World Cup isn’t coming to the D.C. area, but at least one high-profile tune-up is: Kylian Mbappé’s France will face Colombia on March 29 at Northwest Stadium in Landover.

“He is the leading man in one of the biggest franchises of all time, yet he also exists as someone comparatively unknown to many people.” In Monday’s Post: My profile of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” star Sam Worthington, the Australian actor who is happy to be the mega-franchise’s unrecognizable hero.

Sam Worthington is the top-billed star of two of the three highest-grossing movies of all time. But over the past decade, he has sneaked into stealthy anonymity.

“I always like anonymity. Having a blue avatar face, it may not get you nearly as recognized — but I’m not in it for that.” Sam Worthington, the self-described introvert returning as Jake Sully in “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” is happy to be the mega-franchise’s surprisingly unrecognizable star.

Joined "The Julie Mason Show" today to discuss my favorite films of 2025 — you can give the segment a listen right here:

The FIFA Peace Prize, explained ⬇️

"Sketch comedy and pop songwriting go so hand in hand. ... Setup, punch line — that’s like verse, chorus." Caught up with Matt Rogers before the inimitable actor takes his festive set of comedy songs — branded this year as "Christmas in December" — to 9:30 Club.

Hopped on “Post Reports” with @avarwallace.bsky.social and Rick Maese to discuss FIFA, Donald Trump and the World Cup draw. Give it a listen here:

A portrait of the Kennedy Center, ten months after Trump's takeover. The latest from @janaykingsberry.bsky.social and me. www.washingtonpost.com/entertainmen...

Now that the World Cup draw is complete and the schedule is set, I broke down the USMNT’s familiar opposition, the tournament’s toughest groups, the most tantalizing matchups and more

“We’re not taking anyone lightly,” U.S. forward Christian Pulisic said. “They’re all going to be tough games.” www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2025/...

The World Cup is getting real. Is the focus on soccer or Trump? From @barrysvrlugawp.bsky.social:

Trump brands himself around peace while threatening war. The "Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace" and his FIFA peace prize arrived as Trump issues new threats and his "Department of War" touts its lethal strikes. "Orwellian is about the nicest term I can come up with,” @coons.senate.gov told me.

The Kennedy Center got its event, FIFA got its audience … and Trump got his prize. Our report on a World Cup draw unlike other, shaped by the U.S. president's pet projects and personal desires.

The United States will face Australia, Paraguay and a European playoff winner when it opens the World Cup on home soil next summer. Reporting from today’s draw at the Kennedy Center:

The 2026 World Cup draw is today. At the event — which starts at noon, airs on Fox and will stream on FIFA’s YouTube channel — national teams will learn their opponents for the group stage of next summer’s tournament. Follow our coverage:

Snag today's Style section for my profile of "Wake Up Dead Man" director Rian Johnson. Among the topics we touched on: How he's making the Benoit Blanc films more personal, the misnomer that he sets out to subvert expectations and, of course, his inspirations in musical theater. wapo.st/4oYNDnb

Overlooked for the 2026 men’s World Cup, D.C. is (as expected) prominently featured in the bid book submitted by U.S. Soccer and its partners for the 2031 women’s World Cup. digitalhub.fifa.com/m/12af6ec142...

“He’s an incredibly important director, and I don’t mean that lightly,” Daniel Craig says. “Wherever the industry is heading … having someone like Rian around means that great movies are still going to get made.” Profiling “Wake Up Dead Man” filmmaker Rian Johnson: