An Immersive, Intoxicating ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ at Seacoast Rep

March 20, 2024March 20, 2024 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ at Seacoast Rep

The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ by Dave Molloy. Directed by Ben Hart & Brandon James. Music Direction by Kennedy McAlister and Aidan Campbell. Choreography by Jason Faria and Alyssa Dumas. Lighting Design by Zachary Ahmad-Kahloon. Sound Design by Andrew Cameron. Properties Design by Gretchen Gray and Elise Marshall. Costume Design by DW. Set Design by Ben Hart & Brandon James. ‘Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812’ runs at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Portsmouth, NH through April 7, 2024.

By Linda Chin

Producing theater is a risky business – and executive artistic directors Ben Hart and Brandon James’ decision to mount a show as mammoth as Dave Molloy’s Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 was an ambitious choice. Based on 70 pages from Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, multi-hyphenate Molloy (composer-lyricist-playwright-actor) reframed the love story about Russian aristocrats in the 19^th century with a contemporary lens, and created a sumptuous score with diverse musical genres (Russian folk, classical, klezmer, rock, and electronic dance music). For its Broadway run at the Imperial, the set was also extravagant and lush – runways jutting into the orchestra replaced 200 of the theatre’s seats, tables and chairs and banquettes provided on-stage seating, and velvet curtains and paintings in gold frames added texture and sparkle.

Seacoast Rep’s ‘PARADE’ Taps Into the Human Need to Belong

March 30, 2023April 2, 2023 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Book by Alfred Uhry. Directors Ben Hart and Brandon James. Music Director William Asher. Choreographers Jason Faria and Alyssa Dumas. Lighting Designer Zachary Ahmad-Kahloon. Sound Designer Andrew Cameron. Properties Designers Gretchen Gray and Elise Marshall. Costume Designer DW. Set Designers Ben Hart and Brandon James. Presented by the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Portsmouth, NH through April 9th.

by Linda Chin

The notorious 1913 case of Leo Frank, a Jewish man from the north framed by anti-Semites in Georgia for the murder of his factory employee 13-year-old Mary Phagan, is chillingly dramatized in the musical Parade. With hate crimes intensifying in the US – and a recently released ADL (Anti-Defamation League) report showing that incidents of antisemitic activity in New England surged to historic levels in 2022 – this story is tragically timely and relevant.

Seacoast Rep’s La Cage aux Folles is Spectacular

April 10, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Linda Chin

I didn’t get to see La Cage aux Folles until late in its nearly sold-out run, but several days later I am still singing the songs, laughing at some of the show’s many funny lines and campy bits, and feeling the feels of this incredibly heartwarming production. Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s production of La Cage demonstrates how musical theatre is a truly collaborative art form, how it can entertain and educate, how a production that first opened 40 years ago is still relevant, and how unbelievably good it feels to be back at live theatre again.

Seacoast Rep’s The Music Man is Terrific With a Capital T

February 26, 2022March 20, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Direction by Ben Hart & Brandon James. Music Direction by J. Kathleen Castellanos. Choreography by Alyssa Dumas and Jason Faria. Lighting Design by Kelly Gibson. Sound Design by Andrew Cameron. Costume and Set Design by Ben Hart & Brandon James. Properties Design by Elise Marshall. Scenic Artist Kate Dugas. Presented by Seacoast Rep (Closed February 26).

by Linda Chin

While hightailing it up I-95N to Portsmouth, NH last weekend, I got a text from a friend that excitedly read: I’m seeing MM on Broadway in 10 minutes!!! – to which I rather flatly replied “Say hi to Hugh for me. And Sutton.” We, too, were headed to see The Music Man, the six-time Tony Award-winning musical by Meredith Wilson at Seacoast Rep. And although I adore Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster and admit to having a twinge of envy, my two theatre dates and I knew that with the Seacoast Theatre’s track record with musicals, we would have an entertaining evening.

Come Hear the Music Play at Seacoast Rep’s ‘Cabaret’

August 26, 2021 michaelhobanLeave a comment

‘Cabaret’ – Written by John Kander (Lyrics); Fred Ebb (Music) and Joe Masteroff (Book). Ben Hart and Brandon James (Co- Directors), Jason Faria and Alyssa Dumas (Choreographers), Suzanne Jones (Music Director), Kelly Gibson (Lighting Design), Andrew Cameron (Sound Design), DW (Costume Design), Elise O’Connell (Properties). Through September 5 at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre, Portsmouth, NH.

By Linda Chin

In a beautiful seaport city called Portsmouth, New Hampshire in a country called America there is a wonderful Theatre…and though this past year has felt like the end of the world, artists and audiences have continued to safely gather there and connect with each other. One of the few theatres in New England performing for in-person (and live-streamed) audiences in 2021, Seacoast Rep closes its summer block with the audience-favorite, the Tony Award-winning musical Cabaret.

Theatre Magic in Seacoast Rep’s ‘Pippin’

June 15, 2021June 17, 2021 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Linda Chin

‘Pippin’ – Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz; Book by Roger O. Hirson; Director/Choreographer: Bryan Knowlton; Set Design: Ben Hart and Brandon James; Lighting Design: Kelly Gibson; Costume Design: DW. Presented by Seacoast Repertory Theatre, 125 Bow St, Portsmouth, NH through July 18

Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s production of Pippin – the story of a medieval prince‘s search for meaning and purpose in life told by a troupe of players – proves a fitting choice to open its 2021 summer season. It winningly combines Fosse flair with hometown heart, not at all surprising given director Bryan Knowlton’s experience as a Broadway performer, Seacoast veteran, and Portsmouth native. Pippin premiered on Broadway in 1972, enjoyed a 5-year run, and was not revived for 40 years, transferring to Broadway a year after originating at American Repertory Theatre in 2012.

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Seacoast Rep Delivers Heartfelt ‘Billy Eliot’

February 18, 2019February 19, 2019 michaelhoban1 Comment

‘Billy Eliot’ – Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Bertone; Musical Direction by Kathleen Castellanos; Scenic and Costume Design by The Mad Men of Oopsy Daisy; Sound Design by Andrew Cameron; Lighting Design by Michael Wingate Seavey; Properties Design by Kate Dugan. Presented by Seacoast Repertory Theatre at 125 Bow St, Portsmouth, NH through March 9

By Linda Chin

Set in a small town in northern England circa 1984, Billy Elliot is the story of a working class boy who wants to be a ballet dancer. His mum’s dead, his family is still grieving, and the community is being torn apart by a miners’ strike, the most bitter industrial dispute in British history. The story explores themes that include labor rights, homophobia, gender stereotypes and class struggles. I was fortunate to see the show in London’s West End, and since it crossed the Atlantic a decade ago, I’ve seen so many performances (over 100?) – on Broadway, the first national tour in Chicago, Broadway in Boston, revivals at professional regional and community theaters in New England (including Wheelock, Palace, North Shore, Ogunquit, Marblehead, Company) – that I’ve lost count.