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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The Vilna Shul and “The Dybbuk” Are A Match Made in Heaven in Arlekin Players’ Must-See Production

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Cast of Arlekin Players’ “The Dybbuk” at the Vilna Shul. Photos: Irina Danilova

‘The Dybbuk, or Between Two Worlds’ — Written by Roy Chen. Based on the original play by S. Ansky. Adapted by Igor Golyak and Dr. Rachel Merrill Moss with additional material from the translation by Joachim Neugroschel. Directed by Igor Golyak. Scenic Design by Igor Golyak with Sasha Kuznetsova. Presented by Arlekin Players Theatre at The Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture, 18 Philips St., Boston, through June 23.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Igor Golyak, the peerlessly talented founder and award-winning artistic director of Arlekin Players Theatre, has done it again. Known for his innovative approaches to traditional and virtual theater, his production of “The Dybbuk, or Between Two Worlds” takes the audience on a magic carpet ride straight into the beating heart of a turn-of-the-century Eastern European shtetl.

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A Fresh and Exciting ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ for the Ages at NSMT

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Jeremy Radin and the cast of “Fiddler on the Roof” at North Shore Music Theatre.
Photos by Paul Lyden
 

‘Fiddler On The Roof’ – Book by Joseph Stein. Music by Jerry Bock. Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. Direction by Robert W. Schneider. Music Direction by Miles Plant. Original Broadway Choreography by Jerome Robbins reproduced by Josh Assor. Scenic Design by Ryan M. Howell. Costume Coordination by Kelly Baker. Lighting Design by Jack Mehler. Sound Design by James Cannon. Hair & Wig Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt. At North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, through June 16, 2024. 

By Linda Chin

A fresh and exciting production of one of the world’s most beloved musicals – Fiddler on the Roof –  is at the beloved North Shore Music Theatre in the round, giving patrons of all ages and abilities access to the action from no further than 12-15 rows from the stage. Jerome Robbins’ original Broadway choreography, which has been faithfully recreated by Josh Assor, is exuberantly performed by the 35-member cast. The circle dances of Jewish culture, inclusive of community rather than exclusively for couples, feel right at home on the circular stage. 

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Sullivan Rep’s Sumptuous ‘A Little Night Music’ 

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Cast of Sullivan Rep’s ‘A Little Night Music’ at Newton City Hall

Sullivan Rep presents ‘A Little Night Music’. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by Hugh Wheeler. Direction and Choreography by Dan Sullivan. Music Direction by Jenny Tsai. Lighting Design by Erik Fox. Properties Design by Rick Grenier. Costume Design by DW. Hair and Makeup Design by Bridget Sullivan. Sound Design by Paul Roach. At Newton City Hall, Newton, MA, through June 8, 2024. 

By Linda Chin

For two weekends in June, Sullivan Rep presents the second show of its inaugural season – A Little Night Music by the late musical genius Stephen Sondheim. Like his more popular musicals – the macabre Sweeney Todd or the fanciful Into the Woods, A Little Night Music has the masterful score and brilliant lyrics that are Sondheim’s trademark and is a story about love, longing, and romantic pairings that don’t have fairy tale endings. With a book penned by Hugh Wheeler, A Little Night Music is part operetta, part social commentary, and part bedroom farce and includes melancholic and laugh-out-loud moments.

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A Deeply Moving, Hauntingly Beautiful “Dybbuk”

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Cast of Arlekin Players’ ‘The Dybbuk’ at the Vilna Shul. Photos: Irina Danilova

“The Dybbuk”.  Written by Roy Chen. Based on the original play by S. Ansky and adapted by Igor Golyak with Dr. Rachel Merrill Moss.  Directed by Igor Golyak. Presented by Arlekin Players Theatre at the Vilna Shul, Boston’s Center for Jewish Culture, 18 Phillips Street, Beacon Hill, Boston, through June 23rd.

By Michele Markarian

There’s an Old World, otherworldly feeling of the Vilna Shul, one of the oldest immigrant synagogues in the United States, with its high, cracked ceilings, elaborate chandeliers and  Hebrew names engraved on the walls. Plastic and scaffolding are in the center of the long rectangular room, with the sound of water dripping. The house manager announces that the show will be one hour and fifty minutes without an intermission. My friend and I look at each other; the dismay and fear on her face mirrors my own. Little did we know that one hour and fifty minutes later, we wouldn’t want “The Dybbuk” to end. It’s a stunning, spiritual production where the worlds of the living and the dead are never far from one another. While this is a world premiere, coincidentally, Ansky’s original version was performed in Yiddish by the Vilna Troupe.

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