‘How High The Moon: The Music Of Ella Fitzgerald’ Soars at MRT

May 15, 2023May 18, 2023 michaelhoban5 Comments

Cast of ‘How High The Moon: The Music Of Ella Fitzgerald’ at MRT

‘How High The Moon: The Music Of Ella Fitzgerald’ – Conceived/Directed by Rob Ruggiero; Music Direction/Pianist George Caldwell; Stage Manager Brian Robillard. Starring Tina Fabrique; Ron Haynes, Trumpet; Rodney Harper, Drums; Nolan Nwachukwu, Bass. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 E. Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA through May 21

By Nancy Grossman

How High The Moon: The Music Of Ella Fitzgerald is an entertaining theatrical concert that will have you tapping your toes and snapping your fingers as Tina Fabrique and company take you on a sentimental journey through seven decades of the 20th century. Dubbed “The First Lady of Song,” Ella is on the short list of artists with whom the world is on a first-name basis, still widely recognized and adored nearly thirty years after her passing.

MRT’s “The 39 Steps” Transforms Mystery Classic Into Laugh Fest

September 20, 2022September 20, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of ‘The 39 Steps’ at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre

“The 39 Steps” By Patrick Barlow; From the novel by John Buchan and adapted from the movie by Alfred Hitchcock. Directed by Courtney Sale; Presented by The Merrimack Repertory Theatre at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA. Performances through Oct. 2^nd.

by Tom Boudrot

Expectation is so much a part of the entertainment experience. Case in point: I’ve often looked back at movies whose release I’ve eagerly anticipated, only to be disappointed with for them not living up to the hype. Likewise, I have sat down to more than a few movies with zero expectations, and when they turned out to actually be good it amplified the enjoyment to the point where I have probably given the movie more accolades than it deserved.

MRT’s ‘Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End’ a Delightful Breath of Fresh Air

March 3, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Karen MacDonald as Erma Bombeck in MRT’s ‘Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End’

“Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End.” Written by Allison Engel and Margaret Engel. Directed by Terry Berliner; Scenic Design by Daniel Zimmerman; Costume Design by Teresa Snider; Lighting Design by Joel Shier; Sound Design by Scott Stauffer; Original Music Composed by Brett Marcias. Produced by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA through March 13.

by Shelley A. Sackett

Karen MacDonald is nothing short of spectacular in the one-woman show, ‘Erma Bombeck: At Wit’s End,’ now playing at Merrimack Repertory Theatre through March 13. For 80 intermission-less minutes, she doesn’t just play Erma Bombeck; she IS Erma Bombeck, from her impeccable timing to the subtlest gesture and most delicate modulation. Don’t let this one slip away without seeing it. It is a balm of enormous power during these dark tundra days.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre Chases after ‘Wild Horses’

September 26, 2021 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Leenya Rideout in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s *Wild Horses*

by James Wilkerson

‘Wild Horses’ – Written by Allison Gregory. Directed by Courtney Sale. Costume Design by Lee Viliesis. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre through October 3.

Watching Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s Wild Horses, I couldn’t stop turning the physical room into a metaphor for the performance. Good lord did I try to, but when it’s staring you so nakedly in the face, see how well you manage to look elsewhere. The Rep has chosen to venture out from its home theater for Alison Gregory’s one-woman play, utilizing different locations around Lowell for performances, (an at least partly COVID-related decision as much as an artistic one, I’m sure). I caught the show at the Whistler House Museum of Art where an auditorium was set up in one of the galleries. There we sat, surrounded on all sides by landscapes and still lifes. Large gilded frames encompassed each painting with at least a foot of wall space on either side. The placement serves a purpose; it ensures that viewers can’t make the error of thinking that any of these images are formally connected to each other. And there you have it. Greggory’s play is a lot like that. Much happens to the protagonist in this tale of adolescence long past but there’s a lack of connective tissue you can’t help but feel. Certainly, the play is convinced that it’s saying something, but try to pin down just what that something is and I think you’re going to stumble.

Nina Simone Journeys from Artist to Activist in MRT’s ‘Four Women’

March 5, 2020March 5, 2020 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*Cast of MRT’s* *Nina Simone: Four Women*

By Mike Hoban

‘Nina Simone: Four Women’ – Written by Christina Ham. Directed by Kenneth L. Roberson; Christopher Rhoton, Scenic Designer; Michael Alan Stein, Costume Designer; Lee Fiskness, Lighting Designer; Lighting Designer Merrimack Repertory Theatre at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre through March 8

If you’re anticipating a fawning musical love letter to jazz great and civil rights activist Nina Simone from MRT’s entertaining Nina Simone: Four Women, prepare to be surprised. Christina Ham’s 2016 play-with-music is no feel-good biopic of the “High Priestess of Soul”. Instead, Ham takes the gloves off, depicting Simone as narcissistic and as classist as any old-money white guy before she undergoes a spiritual transformation late in the play. Part fictionalized history lesson and part jukebox musical, Four Women showcases some of Simone’s most popular works (as well as some solid originals), but also highlights the struggles and widely varying experiences of three African-American women that she encounters following a brutal murder that rocked the country.

Merrimack Rep Gives Us a Quiet Romance with ‘Maytag Virgin’

January 21, 2020 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Kati Brazda and David Adkins in MRT’s ‘Maytag Virgin’. Photos by Meghan Moore)

Review by James Wilkinson

‘Maytag Virgin’ – Written by Audrey Cefaly. Directed by Eleanor Holdridge. Scenic Designer: Kris Stone. Costume Designer: Charlene Alexis Gross. Lighting Design: Karen Perlow. Sound Designer: Scott Stauffer. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre through February 2, 2020

The emotional effect of Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production of Maytag Virgin is a peculiar one. I’m hard pressed to think of a scene where I was able to stop poking holes in what I was seeing. The continuity between two scenes didn’t seem to quite match up. Motivations for certain character elements were questionable. Deep in Act Two, as the play’s action begins to pick up, the thought crossed my mind that entire scenes from Act One could have and perhaps should have been cut. And yet, by the end, none of this seemed to matter. As I was driving away from the theater, all of the “problems” I had with the production melted away in my mind, leaving me with only a lovely feeling of serenity. The production’s high points had stuck. I don’t think that the play is especially notable (like it or not, those story issues are still there), but I don’t say that as a reason to keep you from seeing the production. Sometimes it’s enough for a show to be pleasant and enjoyable the way that this one is. I had a good time without feeling emotionally manipulated the way I often do at plays aiming for the kind of feelings that this one invokes. There’s a warmth and generosity that the audience members bring to the play, allowing them to fill in any gaps and by some churning internal force, the elements pull together.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre Presents a ‘Haunted Life’

April 2, 2019April 3, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Tina Fabrique, Caroline Neff, Raviv Ullman, Vichet Chum, Joel Colodner in MRT’s “The Haunted Life” – Photo by Meghan Moore)

by James Wilkinson

‘The Haunted Life’ – Written by Sean Daniels. Based on the book by Jack Kerouac. Directed by Sean Daniels and christopher oscar pena. Scenic design: James J. Fenton. Costume Design: Sarita Fellows. Lighting design: Brian J. Lilienthal. Sound Design: David Remedios. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre at 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell through April 14

The crime novelist Elmore Leonard once published his ten rules for writing fiction, which he said could be summed up with the sentiment, “If it sounds like writing, rewrite it.” The decree worked fine for Mr. Leonard, whose sparse action-driven style gave his novels a pop of energy, but I’d argue that sometimes the power of a novel can hinge on when the writer indulges in the bits that sound like writing. Case in point, Jack Kerouac. If you’ve never had the joy of making your way through his best-remembered book, On the Road, I’d encourage you to go ahead and take the plunge. It took me a few attempts before I was able to properly sync up with Kerouac’s wavelength, but when I finally managed to crack that nut, it paid dividends. Kerouac’s prose vibrates with a poetic energy seemingly driven by an obsessive need to capture something that constantly eludes his grasp. It’s the thrill of being alive. Of being in the moment. Just as it seems like he’s nailed it, the image slips away. The language works itself up into a frenzy before finally bursting forth with some of the most achingly beautiful prose you’ve ever heard, at once hypnotic and intoxicating. Or at least, it is for the reader of the novels.

Storm Still in MRT’s “The Heath”

February 25, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(George Judy and Miranda Barnett. Photo by Meghan Moore.)

By Deanna Dement Myers

The Heath’ – Written by Lauren Gunderson. Directed by Artistic Director Sean Daniels. Featuring Miranda Barnett and George Judy. The creative team includes Tanya Orellana, Scenic Designer; Miranda Kau Giurleo, Costume Designer; Maria Cristina Fusté, Lighting Designer; Danny Erdberg, Sound Designer; Seaghan McKay, Projection Designer; Maegan Conroy, Production Stage Manager. Playing at the Merrimack Repertory Theater February 13 to March 10.

“I fear I am not in my perfect mind.”

Guilt is a universal feeling, as is love, conflict, and the realization that some choices are hard to make. Lauren Gunderson’s newest play, The Heath, makes its world premiere at the Merrimack Repertory Theater. The characters are Gunderson herself, played beautifully by Miranda Barnett, and her Paw-Paw, KD, played by the formidable and likeable George Judy. The Lauren in the play is a Southern transplant musician and writer, who wrestles with the realization that her beloved grandfather is falling further and further into Alzheimer’s disease. As he loses more of his most recent memories, Lauren delves deeper into his personal history. She draws on everything from Shakespeare to Bluegrass to understand the man she thought she knew. She seeks to close the gap between what she needs him to be and who he has become.

Comedic Feast in MRT’s ‘Slow Food’

January 21, 2019January 21, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Joel Van Liew, Brian Beacock, Daina Michelle Griffith
*(All Photos by Meghan Moore)*

by Deanna Dement Myers

Slow Food – Written by Wendy MacLeod; Directed by Artistic Director Sean Daniels. Scenic Design by Apollo Mark Weaver; Costume Design by Deborah Newhall; Lighting Design by Brian J. Lilienthal; Sound Design by David Remedios. Presented by the Merrimack Repertory Theater 50 E Merrimack St, Lowell through February 3

“Everybody needs a compliment now and again.”

A vacationing couple sits waiting for food in a restaurant, as they have many times over their long marriage. An obsequious waiter engages them with personal and extraordinary service. The man and woman want a meal. The waiter wants to make the evening perfect for them. What could possibly go wrong?

Political Comedy No Longer an Oxymoron with MRT’s ‘Native Gardens’

September 25, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

‘Native Gardens’ – Written by Karen Zacarías; Directed by Giovanna Sardelli; Scenic Design by Alexis Distler; Costume Design by Miranda Kau Giurleo; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Original Music & Sound Design by Ursula Kwong-Brown and Daniel Erdberg. Produced by the Merrimack Repertory Theater, 50 East Merrimack Street, Lowell, MA, through October 7.

Political comedy may be the most difficult of all of the genres to get right, even more so in these deeply divided times. Since many of us have lost the ability to even entertain the possibility that other points of view might have some validity, when politically charged issues are presented on stage, all too often good comic writing takes a back seat to caricature or cheap preaching-to-the-choir grandstanding.