Tag: Review

Myth meets Modernity in the Boston Return of ‘Hadestown’

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Matthew Patrick Quinn and Amaya Braganza in ‘Hadestown’ atthe Boch Wang Center.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

‘Hadestown’ – Music, Lyrics & Book by Anaïs Mitchell. Developed with & Directed by Rachel Chavkin. Music Supervisor & Vocal Arrangements by Liam Robinson. Choreographed by David Neumann. At the Boch Wang Center through April 28

By Helen Ganley

The train releases belts of smoke, picking up passengers as it flies down the track toward Hadestown. Members of the Greek pantheon stand statuesque, chiseled into the set as the audience is warned: “It’s a sad tale. It’s a tragedy.” The tour of “Hadestown” at the Boch Center Wang Theatre weaves this epic saga with threads of hope and harmony.

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Haunting, Harmonious and Hopeful, ‘Hadestown’ is Back in Boston

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Matthew Patrick Quinn and Amaya Braganza in ‘Hadestown’ atthe Boch Wang Center.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

‘Hadestown’ – Music, Lyrics & Book by Anaïs Mitchell. Developed with & Directed by Rachel Chavkin. Music Supervisor & Vocal Arrangements by Liam Robinson. Choreographed by David Neumann. At the Boch Wang Center through April 28

By Linda Chin

The intoxicating, eight-time Tony Award-winning Hadestown is back in Boston for a limited run, giving fans the opportunity to experience its otherworldly magic for the first, second, or eighth time. Haunting but harmonious and hopeful, Hadestown is a musical retelling of the distinct but interwoven love stories of two couples – Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, rooted in Greek mythology. The overarching themes of climate change and capitalism, the ruthless dictator Hades, who sings about building walls, and the blend of musical traditions bring these centuries-old tales to contemporary times.

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Goodspeed’s ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ a Very Novel Musical

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Cast of Goodspeed’s ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’. Photos by Diane Sobolewski
 

Goodspeed Musicals presents THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD. Book, music, lyrics, and orchestrations by Rupert Holmes. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Choreographed by James Gray. Music Direction by Adam Souza. Scenic Design by Ann Beyersdorfer. Costume Design by Hunter Kaczorowski. Lighting Design by Rob Denton. Sound Design by Jay Hilton. Hair & Wig Design by Tommy Kurzman. At Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT, through June 2nd.

By Linda Chin

Having read Dickens’ final novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, decades ago and having seen the musical at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park in 1985 – but not the original Broadway show nor the 2012 revival (yes, I am still heartbroken that I missed Chita Rivera’s portrayal of Princess Puffer) – I was eager to see Drood again. Set in London in 1895, Drood is a musical about actors in an offbeat Victorian troupe called the Music Hall Royale who are putting on a musical. With Goodspeed Opera House’s soaring ceilings and ornate architectural details c. 1877 – and a little theater magic to the ornamentation on the balcony and the stage set by scenic designer Ann Beyersdorfer – there couldn’t be a more perfect setting for a whodunit murder mystery musical in Dickensian times.  

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Arts Emerson’s ‘Book of Mountains and Seas’ Brings Chinese Creation Myths to Life

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“Book of Mountains and Seas” at ArtsEmerson

“Book of Mountains and Seas” — Composer and Librettist –Ruo Huang. Director and Production Designer – Basil Twist. Presented by Arts Emerson at the Emerson Paramount Center, 559 Washington St., Boston, through April 21.

By Shelley A. Sackett

“Book of Mountains and Seas” is an artistically adventurous new work by award-winning composer Ruo Huang and MacArthur Fellow puppeteer/artist Basil Twist. Their collaboration is an inventive twist on ancient Chinese myths about creation and destruction that, in this perilous era of climate change, are especially relevant 2,500 years later.

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Praxis Stage’s Absurdist ‘Birthday Party’ is an Actor’s Showcase

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Daniel Boudreau, Sharon Mason and Keving Paquette in Praxis Stage’s ‘Birthday Party’
Photos by Alex Aroyan

The Birthday Party – Written by Harold Pinter; Directed by James Wilkinson; Costumes by E. Rosser; Lighting by Michaela P. Purvis. Presented by Praxis Stage at the Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet Street, Chelsea, through April 28th 

by Mike Hoban

As the lights dimmed for intermission at the opening of Praxis Stage’s superbly acted, well-directed The Birthday Party, the patron in front of me not-so-quietly whispered to his companion, “What the F*#k was that?”

It’s a question that won’t get answered by the end of the play, but for some, the joy may be in the journey. The Birthday Party was Harold Pinter’s first full length play. It opened in London in 1958 and closed after only eight performances due to disastrous reviews before being successfully revived in later years. The play is a prime example of the Theatre of the Absurd, a movement popularized from 1940 to 1960 by playwrights like Pinter, Samuel Beckett, and Ionesco which advanced the notion that life is illogical, without purpose and devoid of meaning.

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“The Drowsy Chaperone” is Fabulous Fun

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Joy Clark and the cast of “The Drowsy Chaperone” at Lyric Stage

“The Drowsy Chaperone” – Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lampert and Greg Morrison. Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar. Directed and Choreographed by Larry Sousa. Musical Direction by Matthew Stern. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through May 12.

By Michele Markarian

From the moment the Man in Chair (an engaging Paul Melendy) puts on a record of his favorite musical from the 1920s to shake himself out of a gloomy mood, we know we are in for a fun ride. Melendy’s sincerity, wry delivery, and easy charm set the tone for the rest of the show, where the acting is impeccable, the vocals are terrific, the songs are catchy, and the script is funny.

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The Funny, Frustrating, and Fascinating “Lennox Mutual”

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“Lennox Mutual,” created by Evan Neiden, Olivia Behr, and Joel Meyers. 

Directed by Jacob Leaf and Evan Neiden.  Presented by Candle House Collective.

By Michele Markarian

I don’t even know where to begin about my three phone call experiences with “Lennox Mutual,” the latest remote immersive theatre experience from Candle House Collective. According to Candle House Collective’s website, Lennox Mutual is “an alternate reality experience by phone.” Very true. The alternate reality was such that I found myself believing it was real.  Which, for a theatrical experience that took place in my office and on my cell phone, is pretty impressive. And creative. As well as the most intriguing and unique theatrical experience I’ve had in a while.

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A Pitch-Perfect ‘Porch on Windy Hill’ at Merrimack Rep

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Cast of The Porch on Windy Hill at Merrimack Rep

Merrimack Repertory Theatre presents THE PORCH ON WINDY HILL. Written by Sherry Stregack Lutken, Lisa Helmi Johanson, Morgan Morse, and David M. Lutken. Conceived and directed by Sherry Stregack Lutken. Scenic Design by Mara Ishihara Zinky. Costume Design by Gregory Graham. Lighting Design by Dawn Chiang. Sound Design by Sun Hee Kil. Music Direction by David M. Lutke. At Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Lowell, Massachusetts, through April 21, 2024.

By Linda Chin

Merrimack Rep’s production of The Porch on Windy Hill features a diverse and tremendously talented trio of professional actors who have appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional stages – David M. Lutken, Rob Morrison, and EJ Zimmerman. In this ‘new play with old music,’ the actors sing and actually play a diverse mix of instruments, including the banjo, dulcimer, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, violin, and erhu (Chinese fiddle), with a remarkably high level of proficiency. In their poignant performances, they demonstrate that music is indeed ‘the food of love’ – and has the power to heal hearts and nourish souls, connect cultures and cultivate relationships, and to even inspire families in longstanding feuds to communicate with each other and ‘play on.’

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Hub Theatre Company Revives Lanford Wilson’s ‘Burn This’

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Kiki Samko, Victor Shopov in Hub Theater’s ‘Burn This’

“Burn This” — Written by Lanford Wilson. Directed by Daniel Bourque. Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston at the BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre, 539 Tremont St., through April 21.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Since Burn This arrived on Broadway in 1987, critics have lamented the same thing – at its core, the play itself is not great. Despite luminary-filled casts (including John Malkovich, Adam Driver, and Edward Norton), the play never garnered the kind of accolades awarded to Wilson’s other works, such as Talley’s Folly (Pulitzer Prize), Hot L Baltimore (Obie), and Fifth of July.

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The Israeli Dance Company Vertigo Hit It Out of the Park with ‘MAKOM.’

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MAKOM – Vertigo Dance Company. Choreographed by Noa Wertheim and Rina Wertheim-Koren. Music by Ran Bagno; Lighting Design by Dani Fishof-Magenta; Costume Design by Sasson Kedem; Stage Design by Zohar Shoef. Presented by Celebrity Series of Boston at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre. Run has ended.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Renown Jerusalem-based contemporary dance company Vertigo does much more than its modest claim of “exploring the creative process.” Artistic Director and Co-Founder Noa Wertheim’s newest work, MAKOM (Hebrew for “place”), breaks new ground with its exciting blend of storyline, emotion, sound, and movement. The result is an evening-length journey that takes us to a deep place within and without ourselves, where language is more than words and meaning is more than content.

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