At Merrimack Rep, Christmas and Jane Austen Intersect

December 5, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Review by James Wilkinson

‘Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley’ Written by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon. Directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary. Scenic Design: James J. Fenton. Costume Design: Linda Ross. Lighting Design: Brian J. Lilienthal. Sound Design: David Remedios. Wig Design: Rachel Padula-Shufelt. Produced by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 E Merrimack St, Lowell through December 23rd.

In the interest of full disclosure, I’m going to admit that I walked into Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley with a certain amount of trepidation. The play by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon is a (sort of) sequel to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, taking place around Christmas sometime after the events of the original novel. I don’t have any particular antipathy to Christmas shows, (I’ve seen versions of A Christmas Carol that have left me weeping in my seat). Nor do I have any ill will toward Jane Austen. Actually, my trepidation comes from opposite feelings. I have an unabashed and enthusiastic love of Austen’s work. I have ever since first encountering Pride and Prejudice in high school and since then have read and reread all of her novels. I’ve seen most of the film and television adaptations of her work and I’m in a long running argument with a close friend about the merits of the 2005 Keira Knightley movie of Pride and Prejudice (she’s con, I’m pro and I’m not giving up that fight anytime soon…). So when I come to Miss Bennet, I come from a place of love. What’s going to happen to these characters that I’ve lived with for so long?

‘A Charlie Brown Christmas’ at the Boch Center

December 5, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

A Charlie Brown Christmas recalls the nostalgic half-hour Christmas special, an annual tradition as familiar as sitting on Santa’s lap for generations of children raised on television. It also recalls many kids’ first experiences with the theatre, as its predecessor, You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, was one of the most frequently produced musicals on the school and community stage.

This professionally produced yet still strikingly simple “Live on Stage” adaptation still thrills young audiences. A musical play, it follows the TV special almost to the letter, adding a sing-along at the end featuring an array of traditional Christmas carols and one Hanukkah tune.

When Charles M. Schulz adapted his legendary comic strip into an animated special. He wanted to focus on “what Christmas is all about,” essentially a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. Regarded as one of the most influential cartoonists of all time and raised Lutheran, Schulz often reflected religious themes in his work. This comes out completely undisguised in the play’s climax; here Linus van Pelt (Kevin Dort) quotes the King James Version of the Bible (slightly amended here for updated political correctness).

A good deal of the carols sung at the end of this play are religious as well, but the main point of this story is to criticize the commercialization of the holidays, always an ironic effort with hugely successful commercial characters, like the Peanuts.

What this play offers that the TV special doesn’t is a live experience with lively dancing and an acrobatic actor playing Snoopy (Yochai Greenfeld) the dog (this guy really steals the show) and a vigorous, talented cast filling in the other roles.

There’s not a lot of diversity in the casting; the one black character in the Peanuts gang, Franklin, doesn’t have a role here. (The brownest member of the cast is Nico DiPrimio, the “Male Swing” and his energy, dancing and physical abilities are on par with Greenfeld’s.)

The one original song added to the show about a Christmas tree is nothing to write home about, but the production, directed by Jim Milan and featuring Jack Flatley, Brianna Barnes, and Ari Raskin, is solid, and it’s as good as any version of this show you’re going to see.

(The show has concluded its run)

New Rep’s “1776” Brings History Wonderfully to Life

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The winter spectacular at New Rep Theatre is the 1969 smash musical “1776” with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. This rousing piece of legendary musical theatre puts a human face on the pages of history. New Rep’s version of the show is an exciting inclusive reimagining of this classic musical. It’s the summer of 1776, and the nation is ready to declare independence, if only our founding fathers could agree to do it. The show covers the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This musical ran on Broadway for 1217 performances, won the Tony Award for Best Musical. It was made into a film by the same name in 1972 and the revival starring Brent Spiner, won the Drama Desk Award for Best Revival in 1997. Hard working directors Austin Pendleton and Kelli Edwards cast the best performers in these roles while musical director Todd C. Gordon taught the cast these intricate songs and conducts a fabulous seven piece orchestra. Kelli is also the choreographer and she creates some inventive dances for them to perform. Their combined expertise produces another stunning epic musical masterpiece for New Repertory Theatre. The signing of the Declaration is a breathtaking and stops the show with its majestic power and punch. A thunderous standing ovation is their reward for one of the must see shows this winter season.

Gold Dust Orphans’ “A Nightmare on Elf Street” A Merry Ride on a Christmas Slay

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

“A Nightmare on Elf Street” – Written by Ryan Landry; Directed by Kiki Samko; Sets by Windsor Newton; Costumes by Scott Martino; Lights by Michael Clark Wonson; Sound by Roger Moore and Tad McKittrick; Music Direction by Tim Lawton. Presented by Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans at MACHINE -1254 Boylston Street, Boston through December 23^rd

There’s nothing quite like a slasher movie holiday musical to get you in the Christmas spirit – as long as it springs from the twisted minds of Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans. In keeping with tradition, Landry and Company again provide an antidote to traditional holiday fare with their annual warped take on the Christmas season with A Nightmare on Elf Street, a mashup of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and A Nightmare on Elm Street as well as other teen slasher flicks. This year’s offering continues the recent trend away from parodies of Yuletide classics such as 2012’s Rudolph the Red-Necked Reindeer and It’s a Horrible Life (2014), instead bringing back legendary drag detectives Shirley Holmes (Landry) and trusty sidekick Dr. Jodi Watley (Qya Marie), who first made their appearance in 2016’s Murder on the Polar Express. This time around the duo is summoned to solve the mystery of who is killing Santa’s teenage flight team at the Elf Street Academy.

The Woolly, Wacky World of “Shipwrecked!”

December 3, 2018December 3, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Michele Markarian

Shipwrecked! An Entertainment – Written by Donald Marguiles. Directed by Allison Olivia Choat. Presented by Moonbox Productions, Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont Street, Boston, MA through December 29.

“Welcome to this temple of imagination…” begins Mssr. Louis de Rougemont (Kevin Cirone), as he prepares to tell us his life story. A sickly child, Louis is kept in bed 24/7 by his doting, scone-baking mother (Charlotte Kinder), who reads books of adventure to her son every day. He sneaks outdoors at the age of sixteen, and upon feeling the sun on his face for the first time, decides to have some adventures of his own by running off to London. His reluctant mother gives him her life’s savings, which is stolen his first night in the city. By chance, Louis meets Captain Jensen (Arthur Gomez) who, as captain of the aptly named Wonder World, takes him on as crew for a pearl-seeking expedition. Louis befriends a dog, Bruno (Sarah Gazdowicz), is marooned on a seemingly deserted island, meets three displaced natives, marries one of them, Yamba (Luz Lopez) and has two daughters before returning home to England via Australia. Despite not having seen her son for thirty years, Louis’s mother recognizes him, and encourages him to tell his tale to the world, which he does.

Company Theatre’s “Oliver”

December 2, 2018December 2, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The Company Theatre’s epic musical for their Christmas season is “Oliver.” The show is a British musical with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart and is based on the novel by Charles Dickens. It takes place in Victorian England and was the first musical adaptation of a famous Dickens work to become a stage hit. “Oliver” premiered in the West End of London on June 30, 1960 and ran for 2,618 performances. It opened on Broadway on January 6, 1963 and ran for 774 performances. The film version came out in 1968 and won six Academy Awards. The darkness of the Dickens novel is lightened up by the beautiful music. The storyline is about the well-known orphan, Oliver Twist who asks for seconds of the gruel served at the workhouse. The repercussions of this act find him being sold to a funeral parlor for three pounds and he then learns how to pick pockets with Fagin and his gang of thieves. This is where he meets the lovely barmaid, Nancy who is torn between her love for the dastardly criminal, Bill Sykes and her desire to do the right thing. Directors Zoe Bradford and Jordie Saucerman infuse their performers with their knowledge of these Dickens characters and elicit superb performances from them while Steve Bass and his eleven piece orchestra supply a sumptuous sound to the singing voices of the cast. Sally Ashton Forrest’s marvelous dances stop the show with their brilliant execution. Their combined efforts create the must see show of this winter season.

Read more “Company Theatre’s “Oliver””

GAMM’s ‘GLORIA’ a Darkly Comic Look at the News

November 28, 2018November 29, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Tony Annicone

GAMM’s second show of their 34th season is Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ “Gloria”, an alarming and bitingly funny drama by one of the most celebrated young playwrights in American theater. Jacobs-Jenkins’ scathing satire of the media and the public’s hunger for sensational news stories was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize. He “has established himself as one of the country’s most original and unsettling dramatists, said the New York Times. The cast of six performers play multiple roles as over-caffeinated, hyper-ambitious, backstabbing interns and assistants, and self-interested editors in the hierarchy of a Manhattan magazine. This comic drama follows this ruthless group of assistants vying for their bosses jobs and a book deal before they turn 30. When a mundane day turns into anything but, the stakes for who will get to tell their story becomes higher than ever. Director Rachel Walshe casts these roles splendidly and obtains nuanced performances from her talented cast. What a way for Gamm Theatre to continue a successful season in their brand new home!

AKA Theatre Dives Into the Woods

November 24, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Review by James Wilkinson

In the Forest She Grew Fangs – Written by Stephen Spotswood. Directed by Kelly Smith. Scenic/Properties Designer: Maggie Kearnan. Lighting Designer: Samuel J. Biondolillo. Assistant Lighting Designer: Brian Ward. Sound Designer: Julianne Mason. Costume Designer: Rachael Linker. Movement Designer: Jessica Scout Malone. Produced by AKA Theatre at The Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts November 16-December 2, 2018.

AKA Theatre’s production of Stephen Spotswood’s In the Forest She Grew Fangs is a mad fever dream of a play. The events occur in a recognizable Smalltown, USA, but the production is chasing after something much more heightened. The dead branches of the surrounding woods are closing in like the claws of a wild animal. At every opportunity, the performance space is soaked with burning reds and deep blues. Acts of violence lurk somewhere on the periphery of the characters’ daily routines. A hunter finds an animal that’s been torn to pieces. It hints at a greater threat hidden within the characters that will erupt center stage in the play’s final stretch.

A.R.T. Does The Greatest Hits with “ExtraOrdinary”

November 21, 2018November 21, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*(Bryonha Marie Parham, Mj Rodriguez, Melody A. Betts, and Kathryn Gallagher in ExtraOrdinary | Photo: Gretjen Helene Photography)*

by Mike Hoban

‘ExtraOrdinary’ – Written by Dick Scanlan; Directed by Diane Paulus; Music Direction by Lance Horne; Choreography by Abbey O’Brien. Presented by American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St. in Cambridge through Nov. 30.

You don’t have to be an American Repertory Theater subscriber (or a reviewer) to appreciate the selections from ExtraOrdinary, the company’s exhilarating salute to itself playing now through November 30th. With a veritable ‘Cavalcade of Stars’ performing selections from the last decade of musical theater with Diane Paulus at the helm of A.R.T. – many of which ended up (or will be) on Broadway – it’s an evening of some truly extraordinary highs and few lows. Featuring seven cast members from productions staged in Cambridge (both the Loeb Center and Oberon) ExtraOrdinary showcases numbers from Broadway staples like Pippin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and Cabaret, as well as lesser-known works such as Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet, Witness Uganda, and Prometheus Bound – all of which had premieres of sorts at the A.R.T.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Lets the Universe Rush Apart

November 15, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Review by James Wilkinson

‘Universe Rushing Apart: Blue Kettle and Here We Go’ – Written by Caryl Churchill. Directed by Bryn Boice. Scenic Design: Christina Todesco. Lighting Design: Jen Rock. Composer and Sound Design: Dewey Dellay. Costume Design: Nancy Leary. Presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company at the Sorenson Black Box at Babson College, through November 18, 2018.

Back in May of this year, I was speaking with a friend and mentioned how disappointed I was after seeing Huntington Theatre’s production of Top Girls. “Oh,” he remarked, “Do you not like Caryl Churchill’s plays?” “It’s not that,” I said. “I like Caryl Churchill’s work a lot.” But hearing the words come out of my mouth triggered an involuntary double take. Wait…do I like Caryl Churchill’s plays? The question is actually harder to answer than you might think. Despite being one of England’s most respected living playwrights, you’re not as likely to see a performance of her work on this side of the pond aside from the occasional production of Top Girls or Cloud Nine. I know that I admire Caryl Churchill. I admire her quite a bit. While many writers tend to get stuck in old patterns as they enter their golden years, Churchill has, if anything, doubled down on experimenting with theatrical forms and challenging our ideas of narrative. You’re almost required to admire someone so unwilling to rest on her laurels, but being unable to see the work on stage makes it hard to form an opinion as to whether or not any of these experiments actually work.