A Theatrical Alchemy, A.R.T.’s ‘Diary of a Tap Dancer’ Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts

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Ayodele Casel (center) and the cast of A.R.T.s ‘Diary of a Tap Dancer.’
Photos: Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall
 

‘Diary of a Tap Dancer’ – Written and Choreographed by Ayodele Casel. Directed by Torya Beard. Musical Direction by Nick Wilders; Scenic Design by Tatiana Kahvegian; Costume Design by Camilla Dely; Lighting Design by Brandon Stirling Baker; Sound Design by Sharath Patel; Projection Design by Katherine Freer; Compositions, Orchestrations, and Arrangements by Carlos Cippelletti, Ethan D. Packchar. Presented by American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through January 4, 2025.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Ayodele Casel’s ‘Diary of a Tap Dancer’ defies pigeonholing. First, it is a crackerjack tap dance concert, choreographed and performed by a jubilant devotée of the genre whose sensitivity to its rhythmic musicality keeps the action moving and the audience’s toes tapping along.

Second, it is a narrative documentary that “shines a light on women hoofers,” especially the unknown and forgotten black tap dancers of the 1920s through the ‘50s who blazed a trail for others, like Casel, to follow. Projection Designer Katherine Freer has curated a six-screen still and moving visual accompaniment that introduces us to all the dancers who might have been written out of history — women like Juanita Pitts, Jeni Le Gon, Cora LaRedd, Louise Madison and Marion Coles —  but for her efforts to draw attention to them.

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Revels’ ‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman’ Sings Harmoniously

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Laurenco “Pelé” Fernandes, José Luís Spencer, and Candida Rose Baptista in Midwinter Revel’s ‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman’ Photos by Paul Buckley.

‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman’. Directed by Deborah Wise. Music Directed by Elijah Botkin, Dramaturgy by Nicole Gallahad, Choreography by Neusa Barros Aravjo & Jackie O’Reilly, Tradition Bearing by Candida Rose Baptista & Almina Pilgrim, Costume Design by Heidi Hermiller, Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg, and Scenic Design by Jeremy Barnett. Produced by Revels, ‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal’ runs from December 13th – 28th at The Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138. A virtual encore, a recorded live performance, will stream from December 28th – January 12th

By Charlotte Snow

I am, unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons, one of those sad individuals for whom Christmastime is the worst time. So I never really seek out events, or much of anything, that remind me of the season. So you can imagine my surprise (and partially abject terror) when I was invited to review the 54th Annual Midwinter Revels production, “The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman.” Thankfully, I was not met with holiday hostility. Instead, I was warmly welcomed by the majesty of The Sanders Theatre alongside a heartwarming theatrical and cultural celebration. 

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Small Stage, Big Heart: Sullivan Rep’s Delightful “Annie”

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Carly Evans, Charlotte Kuong

‘Annie’ – Book by Thomas Meehan.  Music by Charles Strouse. Lyrics by Martin Charnin. Directed and Choreographed by Dan Sullivan; Musical Direction by Jenny Tsai; Lighting Design by Erik Fox; Costume Design by Dan Sullivan; Sound Design by Andrew Mulholland; Wardrobe by Judi Olson. Presented by Sullivan Rep, with all performances at the Windsor Club, 1601 Beacon Street, Waban, MA 02468, through December 21st.

By Judy Katzman

Don’t let the venue fool you. This production of ‘Annie’ is strong and very enjoyable despite the limitations of the performance space. There is a stage in the function room at the Windsor Club, but it was utilized by the orchestra, leaving the floor space to accommodate the performance area, the audience seating, and the backstage area. Nevertheless, the talented cast elevates this show to a level that makes it easy to forget that you’re not in a traditional theater.

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GBSC’s ‘Winter Wonderettes’ Serves Up a Nostalgic Holiday Treat

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Lisa Kate Joyce,Talia Cutulle, Pearl Scott, and Sarah Morin in GBSC’s ‘Winter Wonderettes’

‘Winter Wonderettes’ – Written and Created by Roger Bean. Directed and Choreographed by Sara Coombs. Musical Direction by Lea Peterson; Scenic Design by Rachel Rose Roberts; Lighting Design by John Holmes; Costume Design by Kelly Baker; Sound Design by John Stone.  Presented by the Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, the production runs through December 22nd.

by Judy Katzman

It’s that wonderful time of year when classic Christmas songs can be heard everywhere – on car radios, in malls, offices, and restaurants. The songs are a festive soundtrack that plays in the background as we go about our busy lives. If you are looking for a theater experience that allows you to jump back in time and be bathed in the spirit of the holiday season, Winter Wonderettes fills the bill. During the two-hour show, some of the most beloved and well-known Christmas songs are brought to life by a talented four-woman cast with flair, humor, and plenty of nostalgia.  

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Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion in Winter’ Growls Instead of Roars

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Thain Emrys Bertin, Sehnaz Dirik, James Honaker, and Finian Ross in Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion In Winter.’ Photos by Gary Ng.

‘The Lion In Winter’ by James Goldman. Directed by Allison Olivia Choat. Produced by/ Prop Design by/ Scenic Design by Sehnaz Dirik; Set Design by Leonard Chasse; Costume Design by Richard Itczak; Lighting Design by Erik Fox; Intimacy Direction by Kayleigh Kane. Produced by Theater Uncorked, ‘The Lion In Winter’ runs from December 5th – 15th at the BCA Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116.

By Charlotte Snow

The Lion In Winter is one of those “perfect for the family to watch during the holidays” shows. It contains all of the warm and fuzzy feel-good tropes such as the mother recently released from prison, three scheming siblings plotting their father’s downfall, and one offstage dead child. It’s as heartbreaking as it is surprisingly funny at times. The satire follows fictionalized versions of Henry the II and Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine as their sordid and sparring relationship consequently drags down the rest of their family: three fatally flawed sons, Henry’s mistress/Eleanor’s surrogate daughter, and a vengeful newly crowned king of France, into an ill-fated Christmas gathering full of dangerous ambitions, complex political schemes, and saucy romantic entanglements. 

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Cirque Dreams ‘Holidaze’ Comes to Boston This Weekend

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Cast of Cirque Dreams Holidaze

This weekend, the touring company of the Cirque Dreams Holidaze will touch down at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre for a six-show weekend run. The Broadway-style show combines circus acts with the Christmas holiday theme and runs from December 6th through the 8th. Theater Mirror caught up with Camilla Bäckman, the Finnish violinist and vocalist for the show, earlier this week. She describes how her experience of “running away to join the circus” landed her a broader career in the arts, including a new phase where she will take on musical theater.

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WFT’s ‘A Year with Frog and Toad’ Leaps with Laughter

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Cast of Wheelock Family Theatre’s ‘A Year with Frog and Toad’.
Photos by Nile Scott Studios.

‘A Year with Frog and Toad’ — Music by Robert Reale. Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale. Based on the books by Arnold Lobel. Directed by Leigh Barrett. Music Directed by David Freeman Coleman. Choreographed by Brad Reinking. Scenic Design by Jenna McFarland Lord; Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Sound Design by Alex Berg. Presented by Wheelock Family Theatre, 180 Riverway, Boston, through December 15th.

By Helen Ganley

A towering tree weeps oversized fronds into a secluded glen on the forest floor. In a neighborhood teeming with wildlife, two cozy houses sit across from one another, each home to a pair of best friends: Frog and Toad. Wheelock Family Theatre’s A Year with Frog and Toad invites you into their world, following these beloved characters through the changing seasons as they embark on adventures big and small.

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Moonbox’s  “The Thanksgiving Play”  Serves Up Lukewarm Fare

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Cast of Moonbox’s “The Thanksgiving Play”. Photo Credit – Sharman Altshuler

By Michele Markarian

“The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa Fasthorse. Directed by Tara Moses. Presented by Moonbox Productions, One Arrow Street, Cambridge, through December 15.

“The Thanksgiving Play,” the author of whom is the first Native woman to be produced on Broadway, is the perfect satire for the times. A well-intentioned white couple, Logan and Jaxton (Jasmine Goodspeed and Johnny Gordon, respectively), are planning on writing and staging a Thanksgiving play for an elementary school, which will hopefully defy all of the awful, Native-canceling and falsehoods traditionally associated with the holiday and present a more truthful history. Logan has even gone so far as to hire a woman who she thinks is a Native actress, Alicia (Marisa Diamond) to help with script development. A starstruck teacher from another school, Caden (Ohad Ashkenazi), has volunteered to join the project, as he is impressed with the marginal credentials of Logan and Jaxton and considers it a privilege to work with them.  Despite their good intentions, the four characters can’t conceal their cultural biases or the fact that none of them have any clue on how to think outside their own privilege. The satire lies in their earnestness and their frustration with the burgeoning knowledge that they really don’t – and can’t – get it.  The action is punctuated by the actors, as children, singing culturally insensitive Thanksgiving songs that Fasthorse culled from real sources. 

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100 Years Later, Martha Graham Remains the Gold Standard of Contemporary Dance

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Cast of Martha Graham Dance Company

Martha Graham Dance Company’ — Presented by Celebrity Series of Boston at Emerson Cutler Majestic. Run has ended.

By Shelley A. Sackett

The last time I saw a Martha Graham piece performed was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in October 2023, when I had the random good fortune to attend its exhibition, Art for the Millions: American Culture and Politics in the 1930s. As part of that exhibit, dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company staged some of Graham’s most powerful ’30s solos in galleries throughout the museum.

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ASP’s ‘Emma’ Is Deliciously Incisive, Ingenious and Impudent

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Lorraine Victoria Kanyike, Fady Demian, Josephine Elwood, and Liza Giangrande in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s production of ‘Emma’. Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

‘Emma’ — Written by Kate Hamill. Based on the novel by Jane Austen. Directed by Regine Vital. Scenic Design by Saskia Martinez; Costume Design by Nia Safarr Banks; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Sound Design by Anna Drummond. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project at Multicultural Arts Center, 41 Second St., East Cambridge through December 15th.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Jane Austen’s 1815 novel “Emma,” like all her other novels, explores the concerns and difficulties of genteel women living in Georgian–Regency England. Her Emma Woodhouse is a bright, wealthy, and confident young woman who basically has it all — education, intelligence, beauty, and money. She also has a surplus of self-confidence, pride and time. She is as spoiled, meddlesome, and self-deluded as she is witty, charming, and pithy.

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