Huntington’s ‘Sherlock’s Last Case’ a Wildly Comic Caper

October 15, 2018October 15, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

‘Sherlock’s Last Case’ – Written by Charles Marowitz, Directed by Maria Aitken; Scenic Design, Hugh Landwehr; Costume Design, Fabio Toblini; Lighting Design, Philip S. Rosenberg; Sound Design, Mic Pool. Presented by Huntington Theatre Company at 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston through October 28

There’s nothing elementary about the Huntington’s production of Sherlock’s Last Case, director Maria Aitken’s revival of Charles Marowitz’ 1987 fan fiction piece. This very clever and often laugh-out-loud take on the world’s most famous fictional figure comes up with a surprising premise that is actually quite logical – given the nature of resentments – to anyone even remotely familiar with Sherlock Holmes (Rufus Collins) and his unassuming sidekick, Dr. Watson (Mark Zeisler). As someone who is more familiar with the parodies and reinterpretations of the Sherlock Holmes tales than the original works by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, I may not be the best judge of how well Sherlock’s Last Case measures up to the best of the stories of the “World’s Greatest Detective”, but there are certainly enough plot developments to keep you guessing throughout.

The Beautiful, Hideous Creation of “Frankenstein”

October 12, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Michele Markarian

“Frankenstein” by Nick Dear. Based on the novel by Mary Shelley. Directed by David R. Gammons. Presented The Nora Theatre Company and Underground Railway Theater, Central Square Theater, 450 Mass. Ave in Cambridge, through November 4.

Set or art installation? That’s what comes to mind when walking into the main stage of Central Square Theater, where “Frankenstein” is now playing. The set, designed by Cristina Todesco, is beautiful in its structure and design – red and silver, with two floors, and clear panels that open and close, like drawbridges. We see a man pace on the second floor, and on the first, a living, breathing, five bodied organism writhes. Play or movement piece?, you may think as the creature breaks free, gasping and panting, going from a five bodied monster to a six bodied one, before reducing itself to three. It is a play, based on the book of the same name, but certainly one of the more visually stunning theatrical events I’ve seen in a while.

‘Pride and Prejudice’: A Farcical Adaptation at the Trinity Rep

October 12, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Deanna Dement Myers

‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Kate Hamill, adapted from the novel by Jane Austen. Directed and Choreographed by Birgitta Victorson; Set Design by Michael McGarty; Costume Design by Olivera Gajic; Lighting Design by Dawn Chiang; Sound Design by Broken Chord Voice; and Dialect Coaching by Candice Brown Production Stage Managed by Meg Tracy Leddy. Performance through Nov. 4 at Trinity Rep., 201 Washington St., Providence.

“I love balls.”

So sighs the delightful Katie Croyle, who plays Lydia, the wild, youngest daughter of the Bennet family as she contemplates the upcoming party in their English neighborhood. This overshadows the traditional opening line (“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife”) and signals that there might be a contemporary spin on this classic tale of manners, misunderstanding, and proper matches.

“TOMMY” Bristol Theatre Company

October 11, 2018December 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Bristol Theatre Company’s latest show is the Who’s rock opera “Tommy” with music and lyrics by Pete Townshend and book by Townshend and Des McAnuff. Originally written as a concept album in 1969 and the movie in 1975, it was adapted into a stage play in the 1993 and ran on Broadway for almost 900 performances. The story is about Tommy, who as a four year old child witnesses his father kill his mother’s lover in self defense. As he stared at the mirror when this happened, he became deaf, dumb and blind. His parents search for a cure for many years and Tommy finds the one thing that he’s good at is pinball. When his upset mother finally smashes the mirror, Tommy recovers. Now famous for both becoming a pinball wizard and being cured, Tommy gets caught up in his fame, but when he returns, his fans turn on him. However instead of going back, to what he was before, Tommy turns to his family. This high energy show is beautifully executed, wins a standing ovation and it captivates the audience in while weaving a spell with fabulous singing, acting and dancing.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER (Beacon Theatre Workshop)

October 10, 2018November 10, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Beacon Theatre Workshop is bringing Neverland to RI. “Peter and the Starcatcher”, a play by Rick Elice, is a prequel story based on the novel by David Barry and Ridley Pearson. The show won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2012. This production will bring you right back to your childhood to relive memories of watching Mary Martin in “Peter Pan” on TV for many years as well as pretending to be this impish character, too. This show is interactive and encourages audience participation on a wild ride of fun involving pirates, secret treasure, action, adventure and even a little magic. This immersive theatre experience is full of captivating musical performances and surprises around every corner. Director Jason LeClair picks 17 of the most talented students around to star in this energetic fantasy with 13 year olds played by these high school students, good guys, bad guys, exploits at sea, mermaids, islanders called mollusks, “star stuff,” and a band of pitiful pirates to capture your imagination and entertain you all night long.

ASP Delivers a Stunning, Satisfying “MacBeth”

October 9, 2018October 10, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Michele Markarian

MacBeth. Written by William Shakespeare, in a modern verse translation by Migdalia Cruz. Directed by Dawn M. Simmons. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project, The United Parish in Brookline, 210 Harvard Street, Brookline through November 11.

As you walk into the nave of The United Parish of Boston, the setting for Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “MacBeth”, you feel a deep sense of foreboding. Now okay, anyone familiar with the play has a pretty good idea of what they’re in for, but Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s productions are always wonderfully and dramatically atmospheric, and this show is no exception. Jon Savage’s stark, wood beamed set suggests both elegance and gloom, augmented by Laura Hildebrand’s lighting design and Elizabeth Cahill’s sound design. What follows over the next two and a half hours is one of the more accessible and affecting productions of “MacBeth” that I have ever seen.

Trinity Rep’s “Pride and Prejudice” a Gender-Bending Comic Romp

October 9, 2018October 9, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The opening show of Trinity Rep’s 55th season is “Pride and Prejudice” by Kate Hamill, an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel. Written in 1813, the story depicts events, society and romance of that era. The four Bennet sisters, through their individual personalities, relationship to each other, their parents, societal acquaintances from all classes and finally their love interests reveal the manners and mores, the wit, pangs of the heart and the spunk of Austen’s characters.

Theater Mirror Interviews Seth Rudetsky

October 8, 2018October 8, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Susan Daniels

“Broadway @ the Huntington” series – Performance by Chita Rivera and hosted by Seth Rudetsky. Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St., Boston, October 13, at 5 and 8 p.m. Produced by Mark Cortale Productions.

By all accounts, you can call him Mr. Broadway. A multi-hyphenate, who always enjoys what he does, Seth Rudetsky will be spinning his magic in “Broadway @ the Huntington,” when he acts as host and music director for the ten-time Tony nominee and three time Tony Award-winning actress, singer, dancer Chita Rivera, who will perform hits from her vast musical theater repertoire Saturday, at the Calderwood Pavilion, in two shows, at 5 and 8 p.m.

Flat Earth’s ‘Delicate Particle Logic’ Artfully Examines Science, Truth

October 5, 2018December 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Christine Power, Thomas Grenon)

by Linda Chin

‘Delicate Particle Logic’ – Directed by Betsy S. Goldman; Darren Cornell (Set Design); Elizabeth Krah (Costume Design); PJ Strachman (Lighting Design); Brad Smith (Sound Design), and Christine Banna (Projection Design). Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at the Mosesian Center for the Arts’ Black Box, 321 Arsenal St., Watertown through October 13

One response to the question “What is the play with the [elusive] title Delicate Particle Logic about?” is as follows: it’s about scientists in Nazi Germany who discover nuclear fission and unleash the atomic age. A more elaborate, and less delicate description is that the play is the story of two scientists, one a German chemist (a man), one an Austrian physicist (a woman), who closely collaborated over decades and across borders and co-discovered the splitting of atoms, but didn’t end up splitting the credit.

“ASSASSINS” MMAS, (Mansfield, MA)

October 1, 2018December 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The second show of MMAS’s season is “Assassins” by Stephen Sondheim which won five Tony Awards in 2004 including Best Revival. “Assassins” lays bare the lives of the nine individuals who assassinated or attempted to assassinate the President of the United States in an historical “revuiscal” that explores the dark side of the American experience while using the premise of a murderous carnival game. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which assassins and would be assassins from different time periods meet, interact and in an intense final scene inspire each other to a harrowing act on their way to the American Dream. The score contains pastiches of American music through the ages from folk to rock to 1970’s soft rock. Director Adam Joy assembles 24 talented cast members to fill these roles while musical director Eli Bigelow taught them this intricate score and Adam who is also the choreographer, supplies them with inventive dance moves, winning them a thunderous standing ovation at the close of this thought provoking musical.