“Moby Dick” by Plexus Polaire. Inspired by Herman Melville’s novel. Directed by Yngvild Aspeli. Presented by ArtsEmerson, Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington Street, Boston, through January 28.
“There are three types of men – the living, the dead, and those who go to sea,” Ishmael (a charismatic Julian Spooner) tells us at the beginning of Plexus Polaire’s 85-minute version of Moby Dick . At a directionless point in his life, Ishmael joins the crew of the Peqoud and lives to tell the tale. Gorgeous and disturbing, this production uses both humans and puppets, lighting, and live music to create an atmosphere that’s dense with mystery, death, and rebirth.
Cast of Apollinaire’s ‘Lunch Bunch’. Photos by Danielle Fauteux Jacques
‘The Lunch Bunch’ – Written by Sarah Einspanier; Directed by Danielle Fauteux Jacques; Scenic & Sound Design: Joseph Lark-Riley; Lighting Design: Danielle Fauteux Jacques; Presented by Apollinaire Theatre Company Chelsea Theatre Works, located at 189 Winnisimmet St., Chelsea, MA through January 21
by Mike Hoban
What do you do when the stress of your thankless job drives you to the brink of madness every single day? You could drink like a fish and do boatloads of cocaine like the brokers in Wolf of Wall Street, or there’s always the healthier options of meditating, doing yoga, getting a therapist, or working out. Or you could try a third option: engage obsessively in a ritual that gives you the illusion of control over your chaotic and unpredictable life. The latter is the route that the characters in Apollinaire’s production of the Lunch Bunch have taken, and while it works just about as well as you would suspect it would for the characters, this very funny sendup of foodie culture is a great stress reliever for audiences.
Jeanine Kane, Tony Estrella, Gunnar Manchester, and Gabrielle McCauley in Gamm Theatre’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Photo by Cat Laine
Reviewed by Tony Annicone The 39th season of GAMM Theatre continues with their opening show of 2024, “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” a 1963 Tony Award-winning Best Play by Edward Albee. The Broadway show opened on October 13, 1962, ran for 664 performances, and became a movie three years later, starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, George Segal, and Sandy Dennis. This play examines the complexities of the marriage of a middle-aged couple, Martha and George. Late one evening after a university faculty party, they receive a visit from two guests, an unwitting younger couple, Nick and Honey, and they draw them into their bitter and frustrated relationship. George and Martha’s consumption of alcohol during the course of the evening reveals secrets about themselves, with Martha denigrating George as not being able to rise to the position of head of the university, which her father expected him to attain. Martha exclaims “He’s a great big fat flop!” and George’s temper gets the better of him as he smashes a bottle on the floor. Honey runs off to the bathroom in a panic. Tensions escalate, and things get scary as revelations about all of them come tumbling out in comic and dramatic moments that keep your attention all night. Director Steve Kidd casts these four iconic roles marvelously and elicits brilliant performances from his talented cast. His wife, Jessica Hill Kidd, aided him in this task with the magnificent set she created for this show. It’s so realistic that the audience would love to move into it. The splendid 1960s costumes are by David T. Howard, with lighting by Jeff Adelberg and sound by Hunter Spoede. Hardworking stage manager Kelsey Emry keeps things running smoothly.
The first show at Trinity Rep in 2024, which is the continuation of its 60th season, is the world premiere of “La Broa'” by Orlando Hernandez, inspired by “Latino History of Rhode Island: Nuestras Raices,” oral histories collected by Marta V. Martinez. “La Broa”’ (Broad Street) draws from real-life stories of Providence’s Spanish-speaking immigrant communities over sixty years and is directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo, a resident artistic company member. Hernandez takes these oral histories and weaves interesting, poignant, and awe-inspiring tales into a show that audience members can savor and enjoy. These stories are based on real people with some fictional events mixed in, ranging from gripping to entertaining but, most of all, educating and entrancing the crowd to understand how different cultures exist, not only on Broad Street. Rosa’s Market on Broad Street is the center of the stories Dona Rosa tells Ana, a student at Providence College, in 1992. The show is told with flashbacks to 1947 when Rosa came to New York from The Dominican Republic. She met her husband Tony there, and they eventually moved to Providence. This is where the characters interact during the show as Dona Rosa weaves tales of her past. They speak of immigration, how they adjusted to Providence, and cultural matters that affect them. Marta Martinez has worked on this script for the past ten years, and Trinity Rep performers make her and real-life people extremely proud in this astounding show.
‘The Band’s Visit’ appeared on all four reviewers Top Ten lists for 2023
2023 was not only the year that the COVID masks literally came off in theaters (although with the recent spike in cases, they’re wisely coming back on in some venues), it also saw a minimizing of COVID-related cancellations thanks to a downturn in cases and an explosion of understudies for critical roles. It was also a year when theaters realized they could offer quality programming instead of well-intentioned but artistically weak messaging plays and still achieve diversity goals. Not surprisingly, that meant bringing back works by masters like Lorraine Hansberry, August Wilson, and Tony Kushner while still presenting new works by talents like Josh Harmon and newcomers Lenelle Moïse (K-I-S-S-I-N-G) and LaDarrion Williams (Boulevard of Bold Dreams). Here are the Top 10 picks for 2023 by our reviewing staff:
Cast of “Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” at the A.R.T. Photos by Nile Hawver and Maggie Hall
‘Real Women Have Curves: The Musical.’ Music & lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, book by Lisa Loomer. Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo. Music Supervisor Nadia DiGiallonardo; Music direction by Robeto Sinha. Scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado. Costume design by Wilberth Gonzalez and Paloma Young. Lighting design by Natasha Katz. Sound design by Walter Trarbach. Video design by Hana S. Kim. At the American Repertory Theater’s Loeb Drama Center, Cambridge, through January 21, 2024.
by Linda Chin
Like the ad campaign from my childhood about Levy’s Real Jewish Rye, you don’t have to be Latinx to love Real Women Have Curves: The Musical, an exuberant and empowering production enjoying its world premiere at the American Repertory Theater. Set in the summer of 1987 in Boyle Heights, LA, home to a growing population of Hispanic and Latino residents, the story centers on the three “real women” of a Mexican family. Matriarch Carmen Garcia (Justina Machado) is a housewife and traditional, old-fashioned wife to her husband Raúl, a house painter (Edward Padilla), and mother to two daughters. The eldest, Estela (Florencia Cuenca), runs a small dressmaking shop but aspires to be a designer. The youngest, new HS graduate Ana (Lucy Godínez), was born in the US and is a citizen, aspires to go to college and pursue a writing career. Despite the many bumps and curves in their immigration and life journeys, all three “Garcia Girls” have not lost their accents nor lost sight of their big dreams. But they, like all of us, are desperate to be seen for their authentic selves, beyond their curves and the stereotypes society has placed on them.
Vincent Ernest Siders (The King, far left) and the cast of Midwinter Revels: The Feast of Fools Photos by Paul Buckley
Midwinter Revels: The Feast of Fools: A Medieval Celebration of the Solstice – Written and Directed by Patrick Swanson and Debra Wise.; Musical Direction by Elijah Botkin; Choreography by Susan Dibble; Set Design by Jeremy Barnett; Sound Design by Bill Winn; Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg; Costume Design by Heidi A. Hermiller; Presented by Revels, Inc. at The Sanders Theater at Harvard University, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge, through December 28th.
Retiring Revels Artistic Director Paddy Swanson is ending his career on a decidedly high note, delivering on his promise to the Globe’s Terry Byrne to “return to our roots, with brass instruments with their big sound, big carols, and processions.” The result is the highly entertaining Midwinter Revels: The Feast of Fools – and it’s quite possibly the best Revels in years. This year’s edition (the 53rd, 34th with Swanson at the helm) is also marinaded in comedy, bolstered by a trio of talented fools, Folly (René Collins), Fiasco (Eliza Rose Fichter), and Flop (Roger Reed), who serve their king (a regal and affably commanding Vincent Ernest Siders) with irreverent devotion.
Cast of Theater Uncorked’s ‘Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Brooks Reeves, Shana Dirik, AnthonyRinaldi and Brooke Casanova. Photo Credit: Leonard-Chasse
“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” – Written by Edward Albee. Directed by Ben Delatizky. Presented by Theater UnCorked at the BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre, 539 Tremont St., Boston, December 6–10, 2023
by Mike Hoban
Theatergoers looking for an antidote to the multiple versions of A Christmas Carol or the endless stream of holiday-themed programming on the Hallmark Channel hit pay dirt with Theater UnCorked’s bleak but stunningly executed Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Revived for a short run at the BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre in early December, the production was a master class in acting by Boston favorites Shana Dirik and Brooks Reeves, who were ably supported by Brooke Casanova and Anthony Rinaldi and skillfully directed by Ben Delatizky.
Cast of “Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” at the A.R.T. Photos by Nile Hawver and Maggie Hall
By Michele Markarian
“Real Women Have Curves: The Musical”. Music and Lyrics by Joy Huerta and Benjamin Velez, Book by Lisa Loomer. Based on the play by Josefina Lopez and HBO’s “Real Women Have Curves”, Screenplay by Josefina Lopez and George Lavoo. Directed and Choreographed by Sergio Trujillo. Presented by American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through January 21, 2024.
Ana (Lucy Godinez) is the second daughter of an undocumented Mexican family living in Los Angeles, and the only one to have citizenship. She has just received a letter from Columbia University, admitting her as a college student with a full scholarship. However, her sister, Estela (Florencia Cuenca), owner of a dressmaking business, has a huge order to fulfill and needs help. The sisters’ mother, Carmen (Justina Machado), fully expects Ana to work in the family dress factory with Estela. As the only US citizen in the family, Ana has negotiating skills that the rest of the family does not feel comfortable executing themselves. Ana is too afraid to let her parents know her dream of going to a prestigious school, as family, in her case, must come before individual desires. As Carmen likes to say to her, “You have big dreams. Try sleeping less”.
Cast of Moonbox Production’s ‘Legally Blonde’. Photos by Chelcy Garrett.
Moonbox Productions presents ‘Legally Blonde: The Musical.’ Music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin. Book by Heather Hach. Directed by Katie Ann Clark. Music Direction by Mindy Cimini. Choreographed by Taavon Gamble. Scenic Design by Sarabeth Spector. Lighting Design by Finn Bamber. Costume Design by William Andrew Young. Properties Design by Julia Wonkka. Sound Design by Gage Baker. At Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. Though Dec. 31.
By Linda Chin
Right on the heels of a masterful Sweeney Todd in October, Moonbox Productions has pulled off yet another big hairy audacious musical with ‘blood in the water’ – Legally Blonde. This time around, the venue is the BCA, the story is set in current-day SoCal and Cambridge (Sarabeth Spector, scenic, Finn Bamber, lighting, Julia Wonkka, properties design), and the cut-throats are lawyers and law students. Helmed by Katie Anne Clark (in her professional directorial debut), musical director Mindy Cimini, and Choreographer Taavon Gamble, the cast of 21 – 20 humans and one chihuahua – deliver energetic, pitch-perfect performances that keep the audience engaged and entertained from start to finish.
