Tag: Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre

ArtsEmerson’s ‘Parable’ Brings Light to a Dystopian Future

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Cast of ‘Parable of the Sower’ at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre

‘Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower’ – Created by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon; Co-Directed by Eric Ting & Signe V. Harriday;Music and Lyrics by Toshi Reagon and Bernice Johnson Reagon; Music Direction by Toshi Reagon. Choreography by Millicent Johnnie; Scenic Design by Arnulfo Maldonado; Costumes by Dede M. Ayite; Lighting Design by Christopher Kuhl. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., Boston through April 24.

by Mike Hoban

As the U.S. and the rest of the world appears headed for a slide into a 21st century version of the Dark Ages, propelled by corporate greed, a warped interpretation of the Bible and willful neglect of the planet, at least it’s fodder for some terrific music in the form of Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower. The post-apocalyptic sci-fi rock opera returns to the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre after a workshop concert version wowed audiences in 2017, and powered by a luminous cast, the show again delivers sustained brilliant musical moments.

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The Huntington’s Terrific ‘What The Constitution Means to Me’ Is A Timely Romp Through Murky Waters

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Cassie Beck in the Huntington’s ‘What the Constitution Means to Me’ at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. Photos: Joan Marcus

by Shelley A. Sackett

‘What the Constitution Means To Me’ — Written by Heidi Schreck. Directed by Oliver Butler; Scenic Design by Rachel Hauck; Costume Design by Michael Krass; Lighting Design by Jen Schriever; Sound Design by Sinan Refik Zafar. Presented by Huntington Theater Company at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre through March 20.

What The Constitution Means to Me asks us to think about and get personal with the US Constitution, and that request couldn’t come at a more timely moment. It seems that hallowed document is front and center in our daily lives, whether we invite it or not. We read the news and, while we were aware Trump was shredding the Constitution with the hope it could never be pieced back together again, we now have to wonder — did he also flush it down the toilet?

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Beauty, Passion and Danger Converge in ArtsEmerson’s ‘Triptych’

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(Roomful of Teeth performing ‘Triptych’ at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. Photo: Maria Baranova)

By Michele Markarian

‘Triptych (Eyes of One on Another)’ – Composed by Bryce Dressner. Libretto by korde arrington tuttle.  Featuring words by Essex Hemphill & Patti Smith. Directed by Kaneza Schaal.   Presented by Arts Emerson, in association with Celebrity Series of Boston and New England Conservatory at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston, through November 3.

Several different factors can draw one to see this show. Perhaps you’re an admirer of Robert Mapplethorpe, the controversial artist whose photographic work began in the 70’s until his premature death, from AIDS, in 1989?  Or a fan of the poets Essex Hemphill or Patti Smith, whose works make up the text of the show? My curiosity was piqued upon learning that Bryce Dessner, a guitarist with The National, composed the score. Friends I ran into after the show were pulled by Roomful of Teeth, a Grammy-winning vocal project that they’d seen many times at Mass MOCA. Whatever your reasons, your emotions will certainly be aroused by this provocative, evocative, beautiful and sometimes disturbing concert punctuated by the written word, photographs, and the lonely, disinterested yet yearning presence of the graceful dancer Martell Ruffin.

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7 Fingers’ Journeys to New Heights with ‘Passengers’

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(Maude Parent and the cast of ‘Passengers’, now playing art ArtsEmerson’s Cutler Majestic Theatre – Photos by Alexandre Galliez)

By Mike Hoban

Passengers – Conceived, Directed and Choreographed by Shana Carroll. Music, Lyrics, Sound Design, and Arrangements by Colin Gagné. Presented by ArtsEmerson and performed by The 7 Fingers at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, through October 13

Montreal-based The 7 Fingers returns to the Cutler Majestic Theatre to kick off ArtsEmerson’s 10th season, and the latest offering from the circus arts troupe, Passengers, elevates the genre from mere circus performance to genuine art. While one surmises that this has long been the aim of the company, as someone who has seen most of the half-dozen 7 Fingers shows presented by ArtsEmerson in recent years, this is the one that truly fulfills that vision. And this in no way demeans previous shows. In addition to the oohs, ahhs, and nerve-wracking aerial stunts that any good circus arts show provides, 7 Fingers always reaches for something more in an artistic sense, but Passengers is in its own stratosphere.

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The ‘Haves’ Are Taken to Task in ArtsEmerson’s ‘An Inspector Calls’

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(Jeff Harmer, Diana Payne-Myers, Lianne Harvey, Hamish Riddle, Andrew Macklin, Christine Kavanagh and Ensemble in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley, P.W. Productions on tour 2018/19 Directed by Stephen Daldry Designed by Ian MacNeil Lighting by Rick Fisher Associate Director Julian Webber Photo by Mark Douet)

By Mike Hoban

‘An Inspector Calls’ – Written by J.B. Priestley; Directed by Stephen Daldry; Set Design by Ian MacNeil; Lighting Design by Rick Fisher; Music Direction by Stephen Warbeck; Sound Design by Sebastian Frost. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St., Boston through March 24

Perhaps what is most striking about An Inspector Calls, the riveting National Theatre touring production from London now being presented by ArtsEmerson, is how closely its theme and language reflect the current state of affairs between the haves and have nots – despite the fact that the play made its stage debut just after the close of World War II.  An Inspector Calls is an Agatha Christie-style drawing room crime drama that – on the surface – investigates the connection between the apparent suicide of a young woman and the Birlings, a wealthy and politically connected family in the fictitious industrial town of Brumley, England, where the family patriarch owns a factory.

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‘Born For This’ Lifts Us Up with Music, Comedy

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(Left to right: Donald Webber Jr. as BeBe Winans, Liisi LaFontaine as Whitney Houston, and Loren Lott as CeCe Winans in BORN FOR THIS. Photo ©Joan Marcus 2018)

 

By Mike Hoban

 

Born for This – Music and Lyrics by BeBe Winans. Book by Charles Randolph-Wright, BeBe Winans, and Lisa D’Amour. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright; Scenic Design by Neil Patel; Lighting Design by Jason Lyons; Sound Design by Jon Weston; Choreography by Warren Adams. Presented by ArtsEmerson. At Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston, through July 15.

 

You’re not likely to find a more consistently entertaining musical on Boston stages this year than Born for This, gospel and pop star Bebe Winan’s autobiographical work now in its latest incarnation at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. A powerhouse score delivered by an extraordinary cast combined with a very funny script are sure to make this show an overwhelming crowd-pleaser (if the opening night crowd is any indication), even if the book won’t make anyone forget Les Miserables or Ragtime anytime soon.

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