SHREK, THE MUSICAL (Swansea Footlights Junior Division)

August 4, 2017August 4, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Footlights Junior Division’s current show is “Shrek, the Musical” based on the Oscar winning Dreamworks animation movie of the same name from 2001. The music is by Jeanine Tesori with book and lyrics by David Lindsey-Abaire and the original source material came from the 1990 book “Shrek” by William Steig. The story opens when Shrek is thrown out of the house by his parents when he’s seven to go earn a living. They warn him because of his looks everyone will hate him and he’ll come to a bad end. The audience follows Shrek and his loyal steed, Donkey on a quest to rescue the beautiful but temperamental Princess Fiona from a tower guarded by a love-sick fire breathing Dragon. Throw in the diminutive Lord Farquaad who is in love with Fiona, a gang of fairytale misfits, and a Gingerbread cookie with attitude to the list of wild and crazy characters the audience meets. Shrek is an outsider who goes on a journey to discover where he belongs in this world. This is an important lesson we can learn to accept everybody no matter how they look and everyone can relate to it. Add splendid singing and dancing by this 100 member cast with excellent direction by Neil Jeronimo and Tricia Rodrigues, choreography by Brian Pereira and musical direction by Kasey Jeronimo. This high energy is rewarded with a thunderous ovation at the curtain call with the whole audience singing “I’m a Believer” with Shrek and his cast mates.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE (MMAS Black Box Theater, Mansfield, MA)

July 27, 2017July 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome back to the 1920’s and to MMAS Black Box Theater’s current show which is “The Drowsy Chaperone”, a five-time Tony Award winning musical. The show first opened on Broadway on May 1, 2006 and starred Georgia Engel as Mrs. Tottendale. It won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Score. The hilarious show-within-a-show begins when a die-hard musical fan decides to play his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called The Drowsy Chaperone and the show magically bursts to life right in his very own apartment. It is a send up of a Jazz Age musical featuring one show stopping number after another. When the house lights dim, a man in a chair appears onstage and plays his favorite recording of this fictitious 1928 musical. The recording comes to life and “The Drowsy Chaperone” begins. Mix in two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not-so-bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone and you have the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight. Director Vincent Ratsavong picks the best 16 performers for these wild and madcap roles, winning his cast a thunderous ovation at the close of the show.

“Beauty and the Beast” at Theatre by the Sea

July 12, 2017July 31, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Richard Pacheco

“Beauty and the Beast”, now playing at Theatre by the Sea, is a musical extravaganza, a treat for eyes and ears, and a sheer delight for all ages. This spectacular production is marked by stunning sets, glorious costumes and propelled by an extremely talented and flashy cast. The choreography is standout too – vibrant, daring and dazzling.

NSMT’s “Beauty & the Beast” A Musical Gem

July 10, 2017August 2, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The second musical of North Shore Music Theatre’s 62nd season is Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” which first opened on Broadway on April 19, 1994. It closed on July 29, 2007 and ran 5,461 performances. Based on the 1991 animated Disney movie, the show tells the story of a spell cast on a Prince which transforms him into a ferocious beast. He must love and be loved before the last petal falls from the rose or he will be a beast forever.

Reagle Delivers Terrific “Showboat”

July 9, 2017July 10, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The second show of Reagle Music Theatre’s 49th summer season is the Goodspeed Musicals version of “Showboat” which combined the talents of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II. The original version opened at the Ziegfeld Theatre on December 27, 1927 and ran for 572 performances. Kern and Hammerstein felt that the Broadway musical theatre was suffering from a lack of depth and wanted to steer away from the fluffy musical comedies and melodramatic operettas it was accustomed to.

MARY POPPINS (Marblehead Little Theatre)

June 25, 2017June 25, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome to the World of Walt Disney at Marblehead Little Theatre’s summer show, “Mary Poppins.” The show is based on the books by P.L. Travers and the 1964 movie starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. It shows anything can and will happen at #17 Cherry Hill Lane. The Broadway version opened on November 16, 2006, closed March 3, 2013 and ran for 2619 performances. The show was nominated for seven Tony Awards including Best Musical. It is now a full Broadway musical with 44 major awards worldwide.

“The Music Man” at Theatre by the Sea

June 21, 2017July 5, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Richard Pacheco

“The Music Man” is a musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey and is currently playing at Theatre by the Sea in a spirited, energetic and fun production. The plot concerns con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys’ band organizer and leader and sells band instruments and uniforms to the naive Iowa townsfolk, promising to train the members of the new band. Harold is no musician, however, and plans to skip town without giving any music lessons. Prim librarian and piano teacher Marian sees through him, but when Harold helps her younger brother overcome his lisp and social awkwardness, Marian begins to fall in love. Harold risks being caught to win her.

WEST SIDE STORY (Ivoryton Playhouse, CT)

June 20, 2017July 21, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

“WEST SIDE STORY”

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Ivoryton Playhouse’s summer musical is “West Side Story”, the classic 1957 musical hit. Based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the story is as fresh and new to contemporary audiences as it was back in 1591 for the original play as it was in the 1950’s for the musical version. Hatred and violence don’t solve problems, they create new ones. Love and understanding of each other are the solutions to these problems not only in these shows but in real life. The well known story of Tony and Maria takes place in New York City. The outside forces of friends, enemies, gang members and adults keep them from fulfilling their dreams of everlasting happiness due to hatred and bigotry. This talented cast under the direction of Todd Underwood, delivers the goods in a powerful and poignant presentation with outstanding acting, singing and dancing which propels the audience to their feet at curtain call. Who could ask for anything more in this gut wrenching magnificent production at this historic theatre.

MY FAIR LADY New Bedford Festival Theatre

June 19, 2017July 23, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

“MY FAIR LADY”

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

New Bedford Festival Theatre’s 28th season’s musical is the classic Broadway smash musical “My Fair Lady” by Lerner and Loewe. This musical is hailed as the greatest musical of all time. It is the timeless story of Professor Henry Higgins, the crotchety, middle aged bachelor and phonetician and the Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, who becomes part of his experiment to transform her into a “lady.” She agrees to take lessons from Higgins after he insults her after their first meeting.

“BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” Theatre by the Sea

June 19, 2017July 23, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome to the wonderful world of Walt Disney and one of the first of his animated movie musicals to be brought to life as a musical on Broadway back on April 19, 1994. Based on the 1991 Disney movie, the play tells the story of the story of a spell cast on a prince which transformed him into a ferocious Beast.