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Ogunquit Playhouse’s Exuberant ‘Come From Away’ Epitomizes the Phrase “It Takes a Village”

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Cast of ‘Come From Away’ at Ogunquit Playhouse

Come From Away. Book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Directed and choreographed by Richard J. Hinds. Music Direction by Sam Groisser. Scenic Design by Nate Bertone. Lighting Design by Richard Latta. Costume Design by Michelle J. Li. Sound Design by Kevin Heard. Wig/Hair & Make-Up Design by Emilia Martin. Presented by Ogunquit Playhouse, Maine, through June 14, 2025.

By Linda Chin

The award-winning musical Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of the tiny town of Gander (population 9,000) in Newfoundland, Canada – approximately 1,500 miles from NYC – that garnered global attention nearly 25 years ago. In 2001, the isolated community played host to nearly 7000 ‘come from aways’ (what Newfoundlanders called non-locals) on 38 international flights that were diverted there when the skies over the United States were shut down on September 11.

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Doherty’s Dynamite Dolly Electrifies Lyric’s ‘Hello Dolly!’

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Aimee Doherty (center) and cast in Lyric Stage’s ‘Hello Dolly! Photos by Mark S. Howard

‘Hello, Dolly!’ – Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman; Book by Michael Stewart; Based on “The Matchmaker” by Thornton Wilder; Directed by Maurice Emmanuel Parent; Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez; Choreography by Ilyse Robbins; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Kelly Baker; Lighting Design by  Karen Perlow; Sound Design by Alex Berg. Presented by Lyric Stage Company at 140 Clarendon St., Boston, through June 22nd.

By Mike Hoban

In a world that seems to add a new layer of black clouds with each 24-hour news cycle, the Lyric Stage has gifted theatergoers with a joyous revival of the Jerry Herman-Michael Stewart Broadway classic Hello Dolly! The production, directed with panache by Maurice Emmanuel Parent, is essentially the theatrical equivalent of a blast of nitrous oxide – delivering laughter and euphoria in large doses. In a show usually defined by the star power of its leading lady, Aimee Doherty (as Dolly) seizes the role and makes it her own in an endearing performance that ranks up there with any of her multiple Norton and IRNE Award-winning musical theater performances. And she is well-supported by a cast of ringers and talented (relative) newcomers.

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A Sumptuous “Light in the Piazza”  Shines Over a Dim Plot

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The cast of The Light in the Piazza at The Huntington Theatre. Photos by Julieta Cervantes

“The Light in the Piazza”.  Book by Craig Lucas. Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel. Based on the Novel by Elizabeth Spencer. Directed by Loretta Greco. Presented by The Huntington, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, through June 15.

by Michele Markarian

“I think it is my favorite place on earth,” declares Margaret Johnson (Emily Skinner), gazing around a piazza in Florence with her daughter, Clara (Sarah-Anne Martinez). Margaret and Clara are in Florence so that Margaret can show Clara the highlights of her honeymoon, many years ago, that she took with Clara’s father, Roy Johnson (Rob Richardson). I assumed Roy was dead, but no, he is at home, cocktail in hand, taking care of business to afford the girls their trip. It is here in the piazza that Clara meets Fabrizio (Joshua Grosso), who is immediately, hopelessly stricken with love.  Margaret does not approve, for two reasons – one, a childhood accident with a horse has left Clara with the mental capacity of a twelve-year-old, and two, she enjoys the dependency that Clara has on her. Fabrizio persists, and Margaret and Clara meet his formidable yet welcoming family – his father, Signor Naccarelli (William Michals), mom Signora Naccarelli (Rebecca Pitcher), brother Giuseppe (Alexander Ross) and Giuseppe’s wife, Franca (Rebekah Rae Robles). Fabrizio proposes marriage, Clara accepts, and Margaret escapes with her to Rome in the night. Will love win out?

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Speakeasy’s ‘Jaja’ Combines Comedy and Harsh Reality

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MaConnia Chesser (center) and the cast of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding at SpeakEasy.
Photos by Nile Scott Studios

‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’ – Written by Jocelyn Bioh; Directed by Summer L. Williams; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Danielle Domingue Sumi; Lighting Design by Christopher Brusberg; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company. At Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. Through May 31.

By Mike Hoban

On its surface, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, now being presented by the Speakeasy Stage Company, is a bubbly slice of life comedy. Set in a women’s hair salon in Harlem that specializes in African hair braiding, the play offers a glimpse into the lives of a half-dozen West African women who work at the salon and their American customers. But bubbling just under the surface is a much weightier concern, one that has become increasingly relevant since the play debuted on Broadway in 2023 and has dominated recent headlines.

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‘Kimberly Akimbo’ Is Musical Theater at Its Absolute Best!

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Cast of ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ at the Emerson Colonial Theatre. Photos by Joan Marcus

‘Kimberly Akimbo.’ Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Music by Jeanine Tesori. Based on the play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Directed by Jessica Stone. Music Supervision by Chris Fenwick. Choreographed by Danny Mefford. Presented by Broadway in Boston at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston, through May 18.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Kimberly Akimbo should not be as enjoyable as it is. The show tells the tragic story of a lonely teenage girl, Kimberly Levaco (Carolee Carmello), who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age at a rate that is four and a half times as fast as normal. Only one in 50 million people is so afflicted, and Kimberly has the appearance and bodily breakdown of an elderly woman with a lifespan that rarely exceeds 16 years.

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At Merrimack Repertory Theatre, A Stirring ‘What You Are Now’ Resonates Deeply

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Sonnie Brown, Pisay Pao in MRT’s ‘What You Are Now’

‘What You Are Now’ by Sam Chanse. Directed by Steve Cosson. Scenic Design by Neil Patel. Costume Design by Yao Chen. Lighting Design by Brian J. Lilienthal. Sound Design by David Remedios. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 E. Merrimack St., Lowell, MA, through May 11, 2025.

By Linda Chin

With a stirring production of What You Are Now closing a stellar seven-show season, Merrimack Repertory Theatre demonstrates its commitment to cultivating new works and community. Sam Chanse’s powerful play had its world premiere in NYC three years ago, but its current run (and New England premiere) at MRT carries special significance: this story about a young neuroscientist whose interest in traumatic memories stemming from her family’s history is actually set in Lowell, Massachusetts, and is bound to resonate deeply with diverse audiences.

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Umbrella Arts’ ‘Spitfire Grill’ a Small Gem with a Big Heart

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Shonna McEachern, Liza Giangrande, and Kerry A. Dowling in Arts Umbrella’s ‘Spitfire Grill’
Photos by Jim Sabitus

The Spitfire Grill – Written by Fred Alley and James Valcq; Music by James Valcq; Lyrics by Fred Alley; Director and Choreographer Ilyse Robbins; Music Director Jack Cline; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Sound Design by Alex Berg; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Kelly Baker.Presented by The Umbrella Stage Company at 40 Stow St., Concord, through May 18.

By Mike Hoban

If you’ve been disappointed by the artistic emptiness of the string of popular movies that Broadway has turned into mediocre shows in recent years (A Christmas Story, Mean Girls, etc.), the Umbrella Stage Company and director Ilyse Robbins are offering up a charming exception to the genre with the quietly beautiful The Spitfire Grill. Based on the 1996 movie starring Ellen Burstyn, this touching musical has what its glitzier counterparts lack – a genuine heart. Spitfire Grill asks the musical question, “If a wound goes real deep, (will) the healing of it hurt almost as bad as what caused it?” The production answers the query with a blend of thoughtfully crafted folk and Americana tunes, performed brilliantly by an outstanding cast of Boston musical theater stalwarts and relative newcomers.

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History Unveils Itself in “Founding F%!#ers”

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Cast of “Founding F%!#ers” at Greater Boston Stage

“Founding F%!#ers” by Conor Casey. Directed by Weylin Symes. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Co., 395 Main Street, Stoneham, through May 18.

by Michele Markarian

According to Napoleon, “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” But who decides what makes history? While history agrees that Ethan Allen was a hero and Benedict Arnold a traitor, Conor Casey’s play paints a comic version of the character of each man and the contentious rivalry that they had with one another during a tumultuous time in America’s history.

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Emerson Colonial’s ‘Mean Girls’ Is More Meh Than Mean

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Cast of ‘Mean Girls’ at Emerson Colonial Theatre

‘Mean Girls.’ Book by Tina Fey.  Music by Jeff Richmond. Lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Based on the Paramount Pictures film “Mean Girls.” Directed by Casey Cushion. Choreography by John MacInnis; Scenic Design by Scott Pask; Costume Design by Gregg Barnes; Lighting Design by Kenneth Posner; Sound Design by Brian Ronan; Music Direction by Julius LaFlamme; Orchestrations by John Clancy; Music Coordination by John Mezzio; Hair Design by Josh Marquette. Presented by Emerson Colonial Theatre, Bolyston St., Boston. Run has ended.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Tina Fey’s Mean Girls has certainly milked its appeal. When it first appeared in 2004 as a film starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried, it was a runaway hit. Its 2018 transformation into a Broadway musical fared less well and the 2024 remake of the film fared even worse.

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Moonbox’s ‘Crowns’ Raises the Roof

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Cast of Moonbox Productions’ “Crowns” at Arrow Street Arts. Photos: Chelcy Garrett

Moonbox Productions presents ‘Crowns’ by Regina Taylor, adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Mayberry. Regine Vital, Director. David Coleman, Musical Director. Davron Monroe, Associate Director. Kurt Douglas, Choreographer. Isaak Olson, Lighting Designer. Baron E. Pugh, Scenic Designer. James Cannon, Sound Designer. Danielle Ibrahim, Props Designer. E Rosser, Costume Designer. Schanaya Barrows, Wig Designer. At Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, through May 4, 2025.

By Shelley A. Sackett

In Crowns, playwright Regina Taylor’s paean to the Black women who held their families, churches and communities together, gospel music, fanciful hats and swanky dresses take center stage. For 90 intermission-less minutes, this jukebox musical rocks the intimate Arrow St. Arts with two dozen songs and a narrative that traces the history of Blacks in America, from slavery to the Jim Crow south to the Civil Rights movement to present-day Black-on-Black violence in Brooklyn’s tougher neighborhoods.

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