Gloucester Stage’s ‘Grand Horizons’ Asks, “After 50 Years of Marriage, What’s Love Got to Do with It?”

August 1, 2022August 22, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of Gloucester Stage’s ‘Grand Horizons’

Written by Bess Wohl; Directed by Robert Walsh; Scenic Design by Jenna McFarland Lord; Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl; Lighting Design by Anshuman Bhatia; Sound Design by Dewey Dellay. Presented by Gloucester Stage through August 21.

by Shelley A. Sackett

Nancy and Bill (played by real life spouses and stellar actors Paula Plum and Richard Snee) are introduced in their cookie cutter split level house as they go about their chores preparing for dinner. Silently and robotically, they perform their choreographed rituals. Bill sets the table; Nancy dishes out the food. Is this a couple so in sync after so many years that they don’t need to talk or is each seething with rancor just below their calm demeanor?

Finally, Nancy speaks. “I think I would like a divorce,” she says matter-of-factly. “All right,” Bill responds.

Ogunquit’s ‘Nutty Professor’ Updates Original Jerry Lewis Film into Madcap Musical

July 27, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*Cast of ‘The Nutty Professor’ at Ogunquit Playhouse. Photo by Nile Hawver, Nile Scott Studios*

The Nutty Professor – Based on the 1963 movie of the same name. Book & Lyrics by Rupert Holmes; Composed by Marvin Hamlisch; Direction by Marc Bruni; Music Direction by Matt Deitchman; Choreography by JoAnn M Hunter; Scenic Design by Wilson Chin and Riw Rakkulchon; Lighting Design by Cory Pattak; Costume Design by Mara Blumenfeld; Sound Design by Kevin Heard: Wig Design by Roxanne De Luna. Presented at Ogunquit Playhouse,10 Main Street, Ogunquit, ME through August 1^st.

By Linda Chin

With its production of The Nutty Professor, the story of a socially awkward chemist who creates a special serum to transform him into a confident crooner, Ogunquit Playhouse demonstrates that it holds the magic formula for a fun-filled, thoroughly entertaining musical evening: Take the original book and lyrics by Rupert Holmes based on the beloved 1963 Jerry Lewis motion picture, add a score by the late Marvin Hamlisch and choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, hire fabulous designers, and combine with a talented cast of five featured principals, 13 ensemble members, and 2 swings. Mix thoroughly, share with an enthusiastic audience, and enjoy.

Weston Drama Workshop’s Incandescent ‘Indecent’ Illuminates the Power of Theatre

July 27, 2022 michaelhoban1 Comment

*Cast of ‘Indecent’ at the Weston Drama Workshop. Photos by ASA Photographic*

Indecent by Paula Vogel . Direction by Stephanie Manning, Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez, Choreography by Kira Troilo, Costume Design by Laura Villalobos, Lighting and Projection Design by Kyle Stamm, Scenic Design by Nick Oberstein, Properties Design by Anika Reichelt. Presented by the Weston Drama Workshop, 235 Wellesley St, Weston, through July 30

By Linda Chin

For its “Renaissance” Season 60, the well-regarded Weston Drama Workshop re-emerges (after offering modified programming in 2020 and 2021) in summer 2022 with an ambitious six-show lineup that includes the musicals Something Rotten!, Tuck Everlasting and Young Frankenstein and the plays Six Characters, Gooney Bird Greene and Her True Life Adventures, and Indecent.

‘Marry Me A Little’ a String of Sondheim Pearls at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre

July 20, 2022November 29, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Brittany Rolfs as Woman, Sam Perwin as Man in ‘Marry Me a Little’ at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre

Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim; Conceived by Craig Lucas & Norman René; Directed by Christopher Ostrom; Musical direction by Kevin Quill; Scenic Design by Christopher Ostrom; Costume Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Lighting Design by Patricia M. Nichols; Sound Design by Sam Sewell. Presented by Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre through July 24

by Linda Chin

In the small, artsy seaside town of Wellfleet on the Outer Cape, home to galleries, studios, and oysters galore, a pearl of a production is currently playing at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater. Last summer’s Shipwrecked!, performed on a wooden ship with billowy sails built on an outdoor stage in their parking lot, was visually stunning though acoustically-strained. Schedule conflicts prevented me from seeing WHAT’s 2022 season kickoff (Straight White Men by Young Jean Lee, a “straight” play I enjoyed at Watertown’s New Rep years ago). But at the first opportunity, I hightailed it from Boston to see the second show of the five show season curated by Producing Artistic Director Christopher Ostrom: Marry Me A Little. Seeing live theater indoors again at the jewel that is Julie Harris Stage is a gift, in this case a string of Sondheim pearls.

A Round of Applause for Theatre in-the-Round: Cinderella at North Shore Music Theatre

July 18, 2022 michaelhoban1 Comment

*Meadow Nguy (Ella), Stephen Brower (Topher), and the cast of ‘Cinderella” at North Shore Music Theatre thru July 24. Photos by Paul Lyden.*

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella – Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; New Book by Douglas Carter Beane; Original Book by Oscar Hammerstein II. Creative Team: Kevin P. Hill (Direction and Choreography), Milton Granger (Music Direction), Kyle Dixon (Scenic Design), Travis M. Grant (Original Costume Design), Kelly Baker (Costume Coordinator), Corey Whittemore (Lighting Design), Don Hanna (Sound Design), Rachel Padula-Shufelt (Hair and Wig Design). Presented by NSMT through special arrangement with R&H Theatricals at 54 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA through July 24

by Linda Chin

After being shuttered in 2020, then bringing back two previously produced shows (Mamma Mia – Encore, A Christmas Carol – 30^th Anniversary) in 2021, NSMT’s return to a six-show season with an impressive lineup of Broadway hits is in itself cause for celebration. Part of my excitement when going to NSMT is seeing how they transform productions that are typically staged proscenium-style to arena-style – with no curtain, multiple entrances and exits (including sub-terranean) and no back (or fourth) wall. In addition to the rousing standing ovation to the cast and orchestra on opening night, a well-deserved round of applause to the Director/Choreographer Kevin Hill, Music Director Milton Granger and creative team for using theatre-in-the round to its full advantage in their 2022 production of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella.

Swenson Shines Like a 14-carat Diamond in ‘Beautiful Noise’ at Emerson Colonial

July 12, 2022November 29, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Will Swenson as Neil Diamond in *A Beautiful Noise* at the Emerson Colonial. Photos by Matthew Murphy

A Beautiful Noise – Book by Anthony McCarten; Music and Lyrics by Neil Diamond. Music supervision and arrangements, Sonny Paladino. Choreography, Steven Hoggett. Directed by Michael Mayer. Design team: David Rockwell (scenic design); Emilio Sosa (costume design); Kevin Adams (lighting design) and Jessica Paz (sound design). Presented by the Ambassador Theatre Group at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St. Boston through August 7^th.

by Mike Hoban

It seems only fitting that the producers of the Neil Diamond musical bio A Beautiful Noise would stage the pre-Broadway run in Boston at the historic Emerson Colonial Theatre. Not only was the venue home to debut performances of iconic Broadway shows like Anything Goes, Porgy and Bess and Oklahoma! (and more recently, Moulin Rouge), but Diamond is forever bonded to Boston since his pop hit “Sweet Caroline” was adopted by the Red Sox as a theme song for the 8^th inning stretch in 2002. The song, with its audience participation lyric, “SO GOOD! SO GOOD! SO GOOD!” became so wildly popular with fans that Diamond performed it on April 20, 2013, in the emotional first game back at Fenway Park after the Boston Marathon bombings. With that kind of passionate connection, maybe the Boston audience isn’t the best barometer of the quality of the show, but A Beautiful Noise – a joyous blast of fun with a surprisingly poignant book – seems destined to be a crowd-pleasing smash.

Reagle Music Theatre Delivers a Vibrant and Moving “West Side Story”

July 11, 2022July 11, 2022 michaelhoban1 Comment

Cast of ‘West Side Story’ at Reagle Music Theatre. (w Bianca Rivera-Irons, foreground) Photos by Herb Philpott

by Michele Markarian

“West Side Story”. Book by Arthur Laurents. Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Bertone. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston, 617 Lexington Street, Waltham through July 16.

From the opening scene of “West Side Story” – chaotic and cacophonic– to the final image of Maria (Eevie Perez) kneeling alone in mourning onstage, we feel the heat and tension of New York, with its rival gangs, prejudice, and libido. No matter how many times I’ve seen this show, the music, choreography and storyline, based on Romeo and Juliet, never fail to hold my attention, with each director’s vision capturing something slightly different. Bertone’s version is no exception.

Peterborough Players ‘Cabaret’ a Chilling Reminder That it Could Happen Here

June 28, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of Peterborough Players’ ‘Cabaret’. (L to R: Matthew McGlloin, Isaac Phaman Reynolds, Zhang Bai-han, Kate Kenney, Max Elliott Braunstein, Gregory Coulter, Lucy Zukaitis, Katie Shults, Zaramaría Fas)

‘Cabaret’ – Book by Joe Masteroff; Based on the play by John Van Druten and Stories by Christopher Isherwood; Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Directed by Tom Frey; Choreographed by Ilyse Robbins; Music Directed by Jenny Kim-Godfrey. Presented by the Peterborough Players, 55 Hadley Road, Peterborough, NH through July 3^rd.

by Mike Hoban

The Peterborough Players return to the stage after a two-plus year layoff from indoor performances at their 250 seat theater, bring it back in grand style, mounting a winning production of Kander & Ebb’s Cabaret. The choice of this musical could not be more timely given recent events, resonating in a way we could not have dreamed of when it debuted on Broadway in 1966. It’s a chilling reminder that what happened in 1930s Germany could very well happen here in the 21^st century. Luckily for audiences looking to escape from what seems to be a daily onslaught of bad news, it’s also one of American Theater’s great musicals, with an equally strong book. The Peterborough Players production – buoyed by a strong cast, sure direction, and inventive choreography – delivers a compelling and enjoyable night of theater.

The Huntington’s ‘Common Ground Revisited’ Asks Bostonians to Stop Blaming Racism on the Rest of the Country and To Look Within Their Own House

June 20, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

The cast of *Common Ground Revisited* at The Huntington. Maurice Emmanuel Parent in foreground Photos: T Charles Erickson

by Michael Cox

Common Ground, Revisited – Co-conceived and adapted by Kirsten Greenidge; co-conceived and directed by Melia Bensussen; set design by Sara Brown; costume design by An-lin Dauber; lighting design by Brian J. Lilienthal; sound design by Pornchanok Kanchanabanca; projection design by Rasean Davonté Johnson; wig/hair and makeup design by J. Jared Janas; dramaturgy by Neema Avashia; stage-managed by Emily F. McMullen. Co-produced by The Huntington Theatre and ArtsEmerson at the Calderwood Pavilion/BCA through July 3, 2022.

When a group of people have no voice in the conversation, they interrupt. They make their voices heard through disruption. Colonial Boston did this back in 1765 when we enacted the first public act of defiance against the King of England and rioted in the streets, and we continued the tradition in the 1970s when U.S. District Judge Arthur Garrity Jr. ordered Boston to implement race-integrated busing.

In Common Ground, Revisited, The Huntington Theatre Company looks at the non-fiction book Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families, a Pulitzer Prize-winner which in many ways has come to define this city – because it disrupted us. It asked us to look in the mirror and examine – in microscopic detail – our racism.

North Shore’s ‘Smokey Joe’s Café’ Delivers the Hits of Lieber and Stoller

June 14, 2022June 15, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*The cast of SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE at North Shore Music Theatre thru June 19. Photo Credits: Paul Lyden*

Smokey Joe’s Café – Originally produced on Broadway by Richard Frankel and Thomas Viertel; Direction and Choreography by Stephanie Pope Lofgren; Music Direction by Milton Granger; Scenic Design by Kyle Dixon; Costume Design by Kelly Baker; Lighting Design by Jack Mehler; Sound Design by Don Hann. Presented by North Shore Music Theatre, 54 Dunham Road, Beverly through June 19th

by Mike Hoban

The first act of Smokey Joe’s Café, now playing at the North Shore Music Theatre, is a little baffling. Not only is the show not set in a café (or even a nightclub), more importantly – given the prolific body of work of the songwriting team of Lieber and Stoller on whose work the show is based, as well as the obvious skill of the singers – the songs and performances lack any real smoke.