There’s something special about seeing a local premiere. Whether the show has previously played out of town or not, seeing it for the first time here in Boston always feels special. Of course, the catch 22 is that it also sets a very high bar of the production, being the first for its audiences in […]
Lately I have been a huge fan of Central Square Theatre. Last season’s Sila gave me goose bumps, and I can’t help but admire their unique yet incredibly efficient operating model. Combining a beautifully flexible space and strong leadership, Emilie: La Marquise Du Chatalet Defends Her Life Tonight (which I will henceforth simply refer to […]
Recently, I had occasion to see the pre-Broadway production of Bill Condon’s new revival of Side Show the Musical at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. With the recent announcement that it will be officially transferring to the St. James this fall, I thought it might be a good time to share a few thoughts […]
To this point, I have successfully avoided all local production of Les Mis. When the right to perform the mega-hit musical became available last summer, some ten producing organizations within 20 miles of Boston snatched them up for the 2013-2014 season, and despite my distaste for this choice as a producer and local artist, Company […]
I’m a fan of weird shit. Honestly. I love when artists can take the strangest, quirkiest little spaces, mount engaging, innovative, and bizarre work, and somehow connect with their audience through their own unique voice. Astro Boy and the God of Comics at Company One was (almost) everything that I wanted it to be and […]
Actor, director, and now writer, Kevin Cirone has been toiling away for over two years now, working on his new musical Creative License, which premiered last weekend at The Davis Square Theater in Somerville after a lengthy development. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised and entertained by what turned out to be […]
By all counts, Is He Dead? should have been a side-splittingly funny night of well-produced theater. Vokes Players has been putting up some consistently strong productions lately, and with Laura Espy at the helm as director, I was looking forward to seeing this rather unusual show in this quirky little venue. The show delivered on […]
Upon arriving at the Zack Box Theatre at The Boston Conservatory, we were told that the house would not be opening until about 5 minutes prior to the performance time. When the doors finally did open, we were asked to remove our shoes, place them on a shoe rack, and only then enter the performance […]
Earlier this season, my colleague Brian Balduzzi reviewed Hovey Players’ production of Geoffrey Nauffts’ Next Fall and had very little good to say of that production. So, one would hope that The Wellesley Players’ production, directed by Todd Sandstrom and starring Ryan MacPherson as Luke and Nick Bennett-Zendzian as Adam would have more to offer and […]
I love reality television. I do. I’ll watch Real Housewives of just about any city (except for Miami), and, if it’s on Bravo, I’ll probably watch it (except for Millionaire Matchmaker; something about rich people clumsily falling in love is just not compelling to me). I’m pretty unashamed about my love of trash TV, but […]
I think it must be hard to have the guts to choose to produce The Glass Menagerie, given the recent success of American Repertory Theatre’s production* and that that production just garnered multiple Tony Award nominations. Personally, I would think that a small community theatre might want to steer entirely clear of it. Local audiences can’t […]
The moment I walked into the Central Square Theater, I knew that I was in for a special treat. The upstage walls of the incredibly versatile black box were all delicately draped with white and pale blue fabrics, lit and gently swaying in the wind and instantly transported me to the northern territories of Canada, […]
Here’s the thing: I had never seen Something’s Afoot. I had never even heard of it and I don’t think that many people have. Written by James McDonald, David Vos, and Robert Gerlach, with additional music by Ed Linderman, the original production opened on Broadway in 1976 and ran for just 61 performances. With very […]
Somehow, I have managed to avoid seeing a production of The 25th Annual Putnam Counting Spelling Bee, despite the innumerable local productions over the last few seasons in Boston. The music is fun and catchy, and the plot seems like it could provide for an enjoyable, albeit lighthearted, night of theater but I never really […]
I always get excited to see a show that I have never seen staged. There is something thrilling about having no pre-conceived notion about what to expect, and being met with an entirely new experience when you enter a theater. This was the case when I saw Salem Theatre Company’s production of Bernard Pomerance’s The […]
I have wanted to see a performance of Tribes since I missed Speakeasy Stage Company’s production earlier this season. It fetched some stellar reviews for the way that they presented incredibly challenging material. Unfortunately, Epic Theater Company’s production at the Artist’s Exchange in Cranston, Rhode Island didn’t rise to that challenge. Nina Raine’s script focuses […]