What would a live show be like that includes the following: sing-along sections of old, trusty tunes; jokes that elicit both eyerolls and “wink-wink, nudge-nudge” titters; rousing ensemble dance numbers; stunningly beautiful star turns and hilarious comedic interludes; and a heavy dose of patri otism — toward the United Kingdom? But wait! How about you get to sip a beverage of your choice, enjoy a sweet or salty snack, and participate throughout the performance, too? This heady combination could only mean that British-style music hall is back at its home away from home in the DMV — The British Players for their annual resurrection and homage to the vaudevillian varieties of vivacious verisimilitude, Music Hall 2026. The entire cast of ‘Music Hall 2026.’ Photo by Colleen Darling. This type of “knees-up, Nellie!” entertainment is akin to our American vaudeville shows of yesteryear, albeit with accents ranging from posh to Cockney and regional, across the major sections of the UK — London, Wales, Scotland, Yorkshire, to name a few. Across “the Pond,” British music hall was revived even on the “telly” for decades, courtesy of The Good Old Days, which ran 30 seasons on UK television, recreating the fun and frolic of Edwardian-era entertainment in period costume — even for the audience members! (Hop on YouTube and search the title of many episodes of the show.) Remarkably, the 2026 edition is the Kensington, Maryland-based theater’s 57th Music Hall, which has got to be a record of some kind. And judging from the enthusiastic applause, cheers, and laughter witnessed on a recent Sunday afternoon, the tradition is living on with verve. The structure of a music hall show has a hierarchy of its own, headed by the chairman who serves as a master of ceremonies and guide for the audience. Robert Leembruggen is the honorable chairman for this edition, eyes twinkling, puns and jokes flying, with an earthy elegance to his masterful leadership of the proceedings. The featured comedian is British Players veteran Albert Coia, billed as “the Cheeky Chappie,” seemingly modeled after such British entertainers as Arthur Askey — a comic often featured on The Good Old Days — diminutive of stature, impish, and in full command of his vocal and humorous stylings. Coia’s cheeky persona was perfectly suited to his two featured turns, performing the innuendo-rich “My Little Dickie” and the eventful story-song “The Night I Appeared as MacBeth. The next billed performers are the solo vocalists, two with soaring, legitimate voices, and the third, a vivacious belter. Daria Antonucci brought her lyrical and expansive soprano to the stage with the standard “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and the traditional “My Love Is Like a Red, Red Rose.” Bringing the lilting and lovely male voice in the vein of an Irish tenor, Chuck Hoag perfectly put forth “Danny Boy” and the patriotic tune “I Vow to Thee, My Country.” Rounding out the featured soloists, Bethany Blakey served up a sexy and confident air during her crowd-pleasing spots singing “No Man Is Ever Going to Worry Me” and the delicious double entendre-laden ditty “I Want a Hot Dog for My Roll,” backed up by several ensemble men as willing hot dog vendors.  TOP: Ellen Kaplan, Kris Humphrey, and Lauren-Nicole Gable; ABOVE: Daria Antonucci, Chuck Hoag, Kris Humphrey, Richard Jacobson, Ellen Kaplan, Jonathan Kilgore, Amanda Dullin-Jones, and Robert Teachout, in ‘Music Hall 2026.’ Photos by Colleen Darling. If you have been paying attention, you see that an evening at the music hall is a wonderful combination of class and sophistication and more down-to-earth entertainment. From our own collective memories — if you are old enough — think of a mashup of The Benny Hill Show and The Lawrence Welk Show to get some idea of the atmosphere. However, the experience of the live, theatrical experience the Players bring in their music halls surpasses the vanilla stylings of Welk’s regular performers or the outdated, cornball, and naughty humor of Benny Hill. The beauty of the music hall is that there’s never a dull moment when a gorgeous, old ballad is followed by a comedic skit or dance number with high kicks. Beyond the featured players, Music Hall 2026 would not be the eye-catching and ear-pleasing entertainment it is without the powerful and versatile singing ensemble dubbed “The Edwardians” and the inevitable showgirls “The Bow Belles.” The Belles — Michelle Buteau, Lauren-Nicole Gabel, Lauren Pacuit, Rachel Schlaff, Lisa Singleton, Jamie Sinks, Rachel Waldstein, and Becca Watts — serve as the chorus line of beauties who liven up the stage with their every appearance. The ladies bring their dancing skills and smiling faces to such numbers as “Row, Row, Row,” featuring Chairman Leembruggen, as well as the group numbers “Everything Stops for Tea” and their big moment, “The Charleston.” The multitalented members of the Edwardians serve as chorus, soloists, comedic actors, and all sorts of roles throughout the performance. Highlights of their shining spots include “My Girl’s a Yorkshire Girl” (Francis Hoag, Rob Milanic, and Bob Schwartz), “With Her Head Tucked Beneath Her Arm” (John Allnut, in an authentic-looking Beefeater uniform), and the comedic recitation “The Battle of Hastings,” starring Nicola Willis-Jones, backed up by several of the men. All the other Edwardians provide both comedy and musical merriment, as well — Michelle Buteau, Matt Craun, Amanda Dullin-Jones, Kristen Humphrey, Richard Jacobson, Ellen Kaplan, Jonathan Kilgore, Robert Teachout, Betsy Tebow, and Becca Watts. Clearly directing with a love and expertise for the style and exuberance of this type of entertainment, Sarah Leembruggen assembled a mighty cast of performers and was ably aided by choreographer Nancy Scales Harry. Between the director and choreographer, the pacing and verve of the entire production was breezy and light. The opening number of the second act, borrowed from the 1960s British musical Half and Sixpence, was “Flash, Bang, Wallop,” a perfect combination of clever staging and precise choreography featuring Jonathan Kilgore commanding the stage and outdoing the toothy Tommy Steele from the original. Lest we not forget the hardest-working little band in town, music director and pianist Arielle Bayer and her small but scrumptious ensemble of instrumentalists — Audrey Chang on violin, Puck Elkins on bass, and Kevin Ulek on drums and cello — provide first-class support to the entire company for the expansive repertoire of music — nearly 30 in all!  In the world of our regional live theater, professional and community, the British Players holds a long-standing and unique niche. As they say in their program and website: “The BRITISH PLAYERS is dedicated to bringing high-quality traditional British theatre to the Washington area, and since 1964 has been delighting audiences with a wonderful recipe of humour, patriotism, music, dance and dialog, with material dating from Victorian times to the modern day.”  Running only through May 16. Come to Kensington to see for yourself. Running Time: Two hours and 20 minutes with one intermission. Music Hall 2026 plays through May 16, 2026, presented by The British Players, at Kensington Town Hall, 3710 Mitchell St, Kensington, MD. Performances are on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM. Purchase tickets ($36 per person, which includes snacks and water, soda, beer, or wine) online. Music Hall 2026Presented by The British PlayersDirected by Sarah LeembruggenMusic Direction by Arielle BayerChoreography by Nancy Scales HarryProduced by Colleen Darling ...read more read less