Merrimack Rep Brings a Literal Supermom to Life

May 3, 2018May 3, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Review by James Wilkinson

The Villains’ Supper Club – Written by Lila Rose Kaplan. Directed by Sean Daniels. Scenic Design: Apollo Mark Weaver. Costume Design: Arthur Oliver. Lighting Design: Brian J. Lilienthal. Sound Design: David Remedios. Projection Design: Elizabeth Dombek. Illustrator: Chad Cunningham. Fight Director: Angie Jepson. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell through Mat 20^th

The fact that Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production of Lila Rose Kaplan’s The Villains’ Supper Club is opening on the same weekend Avengers: Infinity War is being released is either a wonderful bit of serendipity or a brilliant marketing ploy. Either way, it’s a win for us. I have to confess that superhero stories are not exactly my forte. I think I’ve seen about three of the movies in the Marvel cinematic universe and I’ve leafed through only maybe a handful of comic books in my life. So when I went to this production, I went without any real attachment to the genre. I can therefore report back that if you can’t quite keep who Doctor Strange and Iron Man are straight in your head, you shouldn’t let that deter you from seeing this fiercely intelligent production. Playwright Kaplan and director Sean Daniels have concocted a wonderfully fun evening of theater that also manages to inject some topical issues on representation and motherhood into the proceedings.

Humor and Pathos Abound in “Little Orphan Danny”

April 3, 2018April 4, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Michele Markarian

Little Orphan Danny. Books, music and lyrics by Dan Finnerty. Additional music by Dan Lipton. Created by Dan Finnerty and Sean Daniels. Directed by Sean Daniels. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 132 Warren Street, Lowell through April 15.

Last year I saw a one-man autobiographical show in London, written and performed by David Baddiel, called “My Family, Not the Sitcom”, about his mother’s affair with the publisher of a golf magazine. I laughed until I cried. So it was with great enthusiasm that I got my ticket to “Little Orphan Danny”, the one-man show created and performed by Dan Finnerty, which has the added bonus of being a musical! The material, which covers 90-minutes without an intermission, is very funny, but also, in moments, extremely moving.

MRT’s “Royale” Packs A (Emotional) Punch

September 26, 2017January 26, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

‘The Royale’ – Written by Marco Ramirez; Directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian; Scenic Design by Lawrence Moten; Costume Design by Miranda Kau Giurleo; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Sound Design by David Remedios; Fight Choreography by Kyle Vincent Terry. Presented by the Merrimack Repertory Theatre at 50 E. Merrimack Street, Lowell through October 9

If you’re not a fan of the sweet science – boxing – or sports in general, please don’t let that deter you from seeing Merrimack Rep’s emotionally engrossing season opener, The Royale, playing now through October 8^th at the Nancy L. Donahue Theater in Lowell. The Royale is not only a great play with sports at its heart, it’s quite possibly the best drama I have seen on any of Greater Boston’s large stages this year. It also manages to create all of the excitement of an epic championship fight without a single punch being landed.