A.R.T. Does The Greatest Hits with “ExtraOrdinary”

November 21, 2018November 21, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*(Bryonha Marie Parham, Mj Rodriguez, Melody A. Betts, and Kathryn Gallagher in ExtraOrdinary | Photo: Gretjen Helene Photography)*

by Mike Hoban

‘ExtraOrdinary’ – Written by Dick Scanlan; Directed by Diane Paulus; Music Direction by Lance Horne; Choreography by Abbey O’Brien. Presented by American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St. in Cambridge through Nov. 30.

You don’t have to be an American Repertory Theater subscriber (or a reviewer) to appreciate the selections from ExtraOrdinary, the company’s exhilarating salute to itself playing now through November 30th. With a veritable ‘Cavalcade of Stars’ performing selections from the last decade of musical theater with Diane Paulus at the helm of A.R.T. – many of which ended up (or will be) on Broadway – it’s an evening of some truly extraordinary highs and few lows. Featuring seven cast members from productions staged in Cambridge (both the Loeb Center and Oberon) ExtraOrdinary showcases numbers from Broadway staples like Pippin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, and Cabaret, as well as lesser-known works such as Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet, Witness Uganda, and Prometheus Bound – all of which had premieres of sorts at the A.R.T.

ART’s ‘The White Card’ is Very White, Indeed

March 2, 2018March 2, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Michele Markarian

The White Card. Written by Claudia Rankine. Directed by Diane Paulus. The World Premiere of American Repertory Theater’s production, presented by ArtsEmerson , 559 Washington Street, Boston, MA through April 1.

Wealthy New Yorkers and avid art collectors Virginia and Charles (Patricia Kalember and Daniel Gerroll) have, through their colleague Eric (Jim Poulos), invited artist Charlotte (Karen Pittman), to dinner, in the hopes of purchasing some of her work for their illustrious collection. Charlotte, who is the only black person at the dinner, is making a name for herself creating photographic re-enactments of racist crimes. Charles and Virginia, well-intentioned white people, collect art on this very subject, thinking it the essence of the black experience.

ART’s “Hear Word!” Triumphant and Powerful

February 2, 2018February 2, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Michele Markarian

Hear Word! Naija Woman Talk True –Written by Ifeoma Fafunwa, Tunde Aladese, Mojisola Abijola, Wole Oguntokun, Princess Olufemi-Kayode, Ijeoma Ogwuegbu. Directed by Ifeoma Fufunwa. Presented by American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge through February 11.

After seeing “Hear Word”, I spent the day texting friends, urging them to get tickets to this powerful, life-affirming show. Here’s my text to you –

“Hear Word” is a collection of vignettes written from interviews with Nigerian women and performed by a talented cast of ten women. Grounded in truth and accompanied by three talented drummers (Blessing Idireri, a.k.a. Kacomari, Emeka Anokwuru a.k.a. Make Beat, and Ebisidor Asiyai) the stories are funny and tragic, sometimes both at the same time. Living in a society where men hold all the cards, the women have to constantly fight to protect their bodies, their dignity and their right to be who they are. If that weren’t enough, relationships with their own sex, including mothers and mothers-in-laws, tend to be judgmental and without compassion. Which is why the piece is so powerful – it is compassionate, and compassion, when in short supply, doesn’t come easy.

Smart, Funny, “Art” at 2nd Story Theatre (Warren, RI)

April 28, 2017May 3, 2017 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Richard Pacheco

“Art” currently at 2^nd Story is s smart, funny, vibrant play brought vividly to life by an exceptional cast with great interactions and sheer chemistry. “Art” is a play by Yasmina Reza that premiered in 1994 in Paris. The English-language adaptation, translated by Christopher Hampton, opened in London’s West End on 15 October 1996, starring Albert Finney, Tom Courtenay and Ken Stott and ran for eight years. It opened in New York in 1998 and was awarded the Tony for best play and the best actor award went to Alfred Molina.