Month: June 2024

“Yellow Face” Raises Difficult Issues About Race at the Lyric Stage Company

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Cast of “Yellow Face” at Lyric Stage. Photos by Mark S. Howard

“Yellow Face.” Written by David Henry Hwang. Directed by Ted Hewlett. Scenic Design by Szu-Feng Chen; Projections Design by Megan Reilly; Lighting Design by Baron E. Pugh; Costume Design by Mikayla Reid; Sound Design by Arshan Gailus. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, Clarendon St., Boston. Run has ended.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Some plays are just good for you. Like drinking a peanut butter, kale, bone meal, and flax seed smoothie, the benefits outweigh the temporary discomfort. With the smoothie, its promise of increased vigor and decreased ailments offset its taste and texture. With “Yellow Face,” David Henry Hwang’s Obie award-winning play presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, its thought-provoking and post-theater-conversation-inducing messages outweigh the lackluster nature of its two-hour theatrical experience.

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GBSC’s “Guys and Dolls” Is A Cool Glass of Summer Refreshment

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Jared Troilo, Lisa Kate Joyce in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Guys and Dolls’
Photos by Gillian Gordon

“Guys and Dolls.” Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling. Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser. Directed/Choreographed by Ceit Zweil. Musical Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, through June 30.

By Shelley A. Sackett

When it comes to bubbly, breezy, musical fare, Greater Boston Stage Company is as reliable as it gets and “Guys and Dolls,” in production through June 30, is further proof.

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Ogunquit Playhouse’s ‘Crazy For You’ has Got Rhythm, Music, and Starlight

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‘Crazy For You’ –Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Book by Ken Ludwig. Direction and Choreography by Angelique Ilo. Music Direction by Ken Clifton. Scenic Design by Adam Koch. Lighting Design by Richard Lara. Original Costume Design by William Ivey Long. Sound Design by Daniel Lundberg. Wig/Hair & Make-Up Design by Roxanne De Luna. Presented by Ogunquit Playhouse, Ogunquit, Maine, through July 13, 2024. 

By Linda Chin

Written by sensational songwriters George and Ira Gershwin for their 1930 musical comedy Girl Crazy, the much-loved tune “I Got Rhythm” was introduced to the New York theatre world by a young singer with a sensational belt who was making her Broadway debut. Practically overnight, the catchy song became a hit, and before long, the newbie – whose stage name was Ethel Merman – became a star. The song’s brilliant chord progressions inspired new jazz variations by Duke Ellington and Charlie Parker; its inventive rhyme sequences and uplifting lyrics sparked recordings by Judy Garland, Ella Fitzgerald, and other notable artists; and tap dance greats Gene Kelly and Gregory Hines. “I Got Rhythm” was featured prominently in the Gershwin’s’ 1992 Tony Award-winning Crazy for You. 

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A.R.T.’s “Gatsby” Is This Summer’s Blockbuster

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Cory Jeacoma, Solea Pfeiffer, and the cast of A.R.T.’s ‘Gatsby.’
Photo Credits: Julieta Cervantes

“Gatsby.” Book by Martyna Majok based on the novel, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Directed by Rachel Chavkin. Music by Florence Welch and Thomas Bartlett. Lyrics by Florence Welch. Choreography by Sonya Tayeh. Orchestration and Arrangements by Thomas Barlett. Scenic Design by Mimi Lien. Lighting Design by Alan C. Edwards. Presented by American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through August 3.

By Shelley A. Sackett

“Gatsby” is a tour-de-force chockful of bells and whistles. A.R.T. spares nothing for its world premiere of the musical adaptation of Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age chronicle. Two colossal heaps of metallic sculpture reminiscent of the infernal “Hadestown” underworld are a Jenga/“Where’s Waldo” of identifiable automobile parts and crumpled rubble (set by Mimi Lien). Draped in gleaming tinsel and expertly lighted by Alan C. Edwards, these gloomy twin towers are a continual reminder of the dangers of decadence and the debris it leaves in its wake.

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Ellis Shines in Reagle’s ‘South Pacific’ Revival

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Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific – Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan. Adapted from James A. Michener’s “Tales of the South Pacific” Direction And Choreography by Rachel Bertone; Music Direction by David Coleman; Set Design by Janie Howland; Lighting Design by Franklin Meissner Jr.; Costume Design by Emerald City Theatrical; Sound Design by Sebastian Nixon. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre, 617 Lexington St. in Waltham, MA, through June 23, 2024.

By Mike Hoban

It’s almost summertime, and that means it’s time to roll out the classics at Waltham’s Reagle Music Theater. Artistic director Rachel Bertone has chosen two American musical theater standards, opening the season with Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific and closing with Sondheim’s An American in Paris in August, with the Elvis-themed jukebox musical “All Shook Up” sandwiched in between. American musical theater standards are what Reagle does best, and it’s tough to go wrong with a show that offers a score like South Pacific’s, especially with a cast that features Boston musical stalwarts Jennifer Ellis, Christopher Chew, and Lisa Yuen.

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An Entertaining “Guys and Dolls” at Greater Boston Stage Company

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Cast of “Guys and Dolls” at Greater Boston Stage Company. Photos by Gillian Gordon

“Guys and Dolls”. Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling.  Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser. Directed/Choreographed by Ceit Zweil.  Musical Direction by Dan Rodriguez.  Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, through June 30.

By Michele Markarian

A question that often comes up in theatrical circles is, “What musicals make your top 10 list?”  “Guys and Dolls,” with its catchy score by Frank Loesser and winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1951, typically makes the list. Ceit Zweil’s lively direction and choreography and Jon Savage’s pared-down, jazzy scenic design make this production a fun one to watch.

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Alice Ripley Takes Us To Dizzying Heights

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Alice Ripley

By Linda Chin

It is a rare actor who, when telling a story through song, can take you to dizzying heights and dark depressing nights in under four minutes. With her riveting rendition of “I Miss the Mountains” (Next to Normal) at Boston Public Radio’s Live Music Friday series on June 14th, the astonishing Alice Ripley took me up, down, and back fifteen years to Broadway’s Booth Theatre, where I saw her pitch-perfect, Tony Award-winning portrayal of Diana Goodman, a suburban housewife and mother with bipolar disorder. Ripley also sang a sensational “I Dreamed A Dream” from Les Miserables (she played Fantine in the 1998 Broadway run). Theatre producer, composer, arranger, pianist, Grammy and Emmy winner, and force of nature John McDaniel is accompanist for both numbers.

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Central Square Theater & Front Porch Arts Collective Questions Societal Standards in “Next to Normal”

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Anthony Pires, Jr., Sherée Marcelle, Diego Cintrón in Central Square’s ‘Next to Normal’.
Photos by Maggie Hall

“Next to Normal.” –  Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey. Music by Tom Kitt. Directed and choreographed by Pascale Florestal. Voice and music directed by Katie Bickford. Scenic design by Erik D. Diaz. Costume design by Kiara Escalera. Lighting design by Michael Clark Wanson. Sound design by James Cannon. Stage Managed by Deirdre Benson. Presented by Central Square Theater & the Front Porch Arts Collective at Central Square Theater, 484 Mass. Ave through through June 30th, 2024

By Helen Ganley

Father rushes off to work, and mother is in the kitchen preparing lunches while daughter and son get ready for school. Peering into this world, one might see an archetypal family busy with the ups and downs of suburban life. Looks, however, can be deceiving. Central Square Theater & Front Porch Arts Collective’s production of “Next to Normal” illuminates the hidden depths of a seemingly perfect life.

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A Heartwarming and Roof-Raising ‘tick, tick…Boom!’ at The Cape Playhouse

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Cast of tick, tick…Boom! at the Cape Playhouse

The Cape Playhouse presents TICK, TICK… BOOM! Book, Music and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson. Directed by Eric Rosen. Costume Design by Demario D. Simmons. Lighting Design by Paul Miller. Sound Design by Jeff Sherwood. Projections Design by Steve Arnoczy. At The Cape Playhouse, Dennis Village, Cape Cod, MA, through June 15, 2024. 

By Linda Chin

Since its inception in 1927, The Cape Playhouse in Dennis, MA, the longest-running professional theater in the country, has attracted world-class talent to Cape Cod. The New York Times has referred to it as the “Place Where Broadway Goes to Summer,” and the summer of 2024 is no exception. 

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A Special Creation of ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ at Trinity Rep

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Cast of ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ at Trinity Rep. Photos by Mark Turek.

‘La Cage Aux Folles‘ – Book by Harvey Fierstein. Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman. Based on the Play by Jean Poiret. Directed and Choreographed by Taavon Gamble. Music Direction and Orchestration by Andrew Smithson. Set Design by Janie E. Howland. Costume Design by Olivera Gajic. Lighting Design by Erica Lauren Maholmes. Sound Design by Larry Fowler, Jr. At Trinity Repertory Company, 201 Washington Street, Providence, RI, through June 30, 2024.

By Linda Chin

Trinity Rep proudly celebrates its 60th anniversary season for the entirety of Pride Month 2024   with Harvey Fierstein and Jerry Herman’s La Cage Aux Folles, the 1984 Tony Award-winning Best Musical about being who you are and loving who you want. With inspired direction and choreography by Taavon Gamble and a spirited artistic team, cast and orchestra, Trinity Rep’s production is a very special creation indeed.

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