Category: Uncategorized

Dance Musical ‘Message In A Bottle’ Featuring the Music of Sting, Comes to Emerson Colonial (Interview)

michaelhobanLeave a comment

The Emerson Colonial Theatre’s will present a seven show run of the touring dance/theater production Message In A Bottle, based on the music of Sting and works from his band The Police. Featuring 28 songs, some re-mastered and re-interpreted, and developed by Kate Prince, Artistic Director of ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, Message tells the story of displaced refugees and their struggle to find a new home. Theater Mirror’s Mike Hoban spoke with Associate Choreographer Lukas McFarlane in anticipation of the show’s opening on March 26 (through March 30).

by Mike Hoban

Theater Mirror: How did the idea for Message in a Bottle come about?

Lukas: Kate Prince (the show’s creator) grew up with the music of Sting and the Police and is huge fan. One day she was listening to Sting’s “Desert Rose” and thought, what if we (put together) a show using the music of Sting and the Police? She wrote an email to one of our producers, Sadler’s Wells, and within a couple weeks Sadler’s had her in a meeting with Sting in a hotel lobby pitching this idea to him, which was really cool and quite surreal for her.

Read more “Dance Musical ‘Message In A Bottle’ Featuring the Music of Sting, Comes to Emerson Colonial (Interview)”

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

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 19th 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.

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

ASP’s ‘King Hedley II’ Brilliantly Examines the Bleak Underbelly of the American Dream

michaelhobanLeave a comment
James Ricardo Milord, Naheem Garcia, and Omar Robinson in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s production of August Wilson’s King Hedley II. Photo by Maggie Hall Photography.

‘King Hedley II’ – Written by August Wilson; Directed by Summer L. Williams; Scenic Designer: Jon Savage; Costume Designer: Becca Jewett; Lighting Designer: Anshuman Bhatia; Sound Designer:Caroline Eng. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project at Hibernian Hall, 184 Dudley St, Roxbury, through April 7, 2024

by Mike Hoban

There’s a folksy adage in recovery circles that goes, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” The implication is that if you don’t fundamentally change your behavior, you’re not going to be able to overcome what is keeping you from being your best self – whether it involves booze, drugs, food, sex, shopping, or any behavior that dominates your life.

Read more “ASP’s ‘King Hedley II’ Brilliantly Examines the Bleak Underbelly of the American Dream”

Speakeasy’s ‘Cost of Living’ Teaches the Value of Connection

michaelhobanLeave a comment
Gina Fonseca, Sean Leviashvill in Speakeasy’s ‘Cost of Living’

Cost of Living – Written by Martyna Majok; Directed By Alex Lonati; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl; Lighting Design by Amanda E. Fallon; Sound Design by Anna Drummond. Presented by Speakeasy Stage Company at 527 Tremont St, Boston  through March 30th, 2024,

By Helen Ganley

White-washed windows frame silhouetted figures diffused by foggy panes of light-filled glass. Behind these panes are flocks of New Jerseyans – each with their routines, stories, and connections. In Cost of Living, Speakeasy Stage Company delves into the narratives behind these casements and the forces that draw their residents together.

Read more “Speakeasy’s ‘Cost of Living’ Teaches the Value of Connection”

Starboard, Overboard, Never Bored in GBSC’s ‘Titanish’

michaelhobanLeave a comment

‘Titanish’ – Written by Jeff Shell & Ryan Dobosh. Music by Mark Siano. Directed by Tyler Rosati. Music Direction by Avery Bargar. Scenic Design by Rachel Rose Burke. Lighting Design by John Holmes. Costume Design by Bethany Mullins. Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Properties Design by Emily Allinson. At Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, through March 17, 2024

by Linda Chin

Making its East Coast premiere at Greater Boston Stage Company, the play Titanish, by Jeff Shell and Ryan Dobos, is a parody – not of the tragic event of 1912 that killed nearly 1500 people, nor the Broadway production of 1977 that won five Tony Awards, including “Best Musical,” but of the Oscar-winning “Best Picture” of 1998 that was the first to gross $1 billion worldwide. I don’t associate the movie ‘Titanic’ – nor its characters Jack and Rose (the roles that thrust Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into stardom overnight) with comedy. In fact, the only time I recall laughing with the Titanic as the subject matter is the old joke with the punchline, “Iceberg, Goldberg, what’s the difference?”

Read more “Starboard, Overboard, Never Bored in GBSC’s ‘Titanish’”

“The Minutes” a Tragicomic Glimpse into the Nature of People and Power

michaelhobanLeave a comment
Scot Colford and cast of ‘The Minutes’ at Umbrella Stage Company. Photos by Jim Sabitus

By Michele Markarian

“The Minutes” – Written by Tracy Letts. Directed by Scott Edmiston. Sound Design by James Cannon. Lighting Design by SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal. Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland. Costume Design by Bethany Mullins. Presented by The Umbrella Stage Company, 40 Stow Street, Concord, through March 24.

“Democracy’s messy,” says Mayor Superba (Steve Barkhimer) to his newest town council member, the young and eager to assimilate Mr. Peel (Ryan MacPherson). Mr. Peel is new to Big Cherry, having moved there for his wife, who grew up there. He is a “joiner,” signing up for various activities to gain a foothold in the community. His mother recently passed, causing him to miss the last council meeting for her funeral. When he returns, he discovers that Mr. Carp (Jeremiah Kissel), a man he’d been working with on a project, has disappeared, and none of the other council members will tell him what happened. Oddly enough, the minutes for the meeting have disappeared as well. Over the course of the ninety-minute play, we learn not only what happened to Mr. Carp but also the truth behind the town’s infamous battle of Mattie Creek and the hero’s journey that has been drilled into each citizen through the teachings of the church and school. 

Read more ““The Minutes” a Tragicomic Glimpse into the Nature of People and Power”

‘Dishwasher Dreams’ at Merrimack Rep is a Home Run

michaelhobanLeave a comment
Alaudin Ullah in Dishwasher Dreams at MRT

By Linda Chin

The spectacular autobiographical solo performance piece Dishwasher Dreams, now running at Merrimack Rep through March 24, blends its writer and star Alaudin Ullah’s Bangladeshi, Muslim, and comedic roots.  For years, the one-time stand-up comic, popular on the NYC and LA comedy circuits in the ‘90s (and who appeared nationally on Comedy Central, HBO, and MTV), used the name Aladdin, changing his name by one letter (‘u’ to ‘d’) to make it “easier for show business and white people.” In reclaiming his birthname, reportedly after a return visit to Bangladesh after his mother’s death, Ullah demonstrates that he is proud to be his father’s – a dishwasher’s son, appreciates and accepts his mother’s advice that success is “not about money…[but] having the courage to do something most would not…just never forget where you are from” and, is “over the Disney sh*t.”  

Read more “‘Dishwasher Dreams’ at Merrimack Rep is a Home Run”

Umbrella’s ‘The Minutes’ Is Sheer Perfection

michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of ‘The Minutes’ at Umbrella Stage Company

The Umbrella Stage Company presents ‘The Minutes’ by Tracy Letts. Directed by Scott Edmiston. Produced by Brian Boruta. Sound Design by James Cannon. Lighting Design by SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal. Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland. Costume Design by Bethany Mullins. Through March 24 at Umbrella Arts Center, Concord.

By Linda Chin

Part dark comedy, part political satire, part Hitchcockian mystery, every minute of Tracy Letts’ well-crafted ninety-minute play The Minutes is chock-full of intrigue, clever banter, and, until the final few minutes of the final scene – laugh-out-loud humor. Set in the small town of Big Cherry, USA, in the present day, audience members are flies on the walls of the architecturally majestic council chamber room lined with portraits of great white male mayors (scenic design by Janie E. Howland).

Read more “Umbrella’s ‘The Minutes’ Is Sheer Perfection”

Theater Mirror interviews Boston Theater Company’s Joey Frangieh in anticipation of the first annual QUEER VOICES FESTIVAL

michaelhobanLeave a comment

This weekend, the Boston Theater Company will launch its first annual QUEER VOICES FESTIVAL, with performances from March 8-10, 2024, at the Plaza Theatre of the Boston Center for the Arts.  The submission-based showcase, produced by Joey Frangieh and Lisa Rafferty, will showcase seven diverse ten-minute plays written by LGBTQ+ playwrights.

By Mike Hoban

Theater Mirror: Can you give us a little history ofthe Boston Theater Company?

Read more “Theater Mirror interviews Boston Theater Company’s Joey Frangieh in anticipation of the first annual QUEER VOICES FESTIVAL”

Gamm Theatre’s “Twelfth Night” a Laugh Riot

michaelhobanLeave a comment
Jeff Church, Kelby Akin, and Nora Eschenheimer in Gamm Theatre’s “Twelfth Night”.
Photos: Cat Laine

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome to Illyria, the setting of and the fourth show of Gamm Theatre’s 39th Season. The audience members are invited guests to a Shakespearean celebration. First, we come upon a shipwreck where twins Viola and Sebastian are separated and forced to survive on their own in a strange land. The first, Viola, falls in love with Count Orsino, who, in turn, falls in love with Olivia. However, Olivia falls for Viola, who is disguised as Cesario. Still, Olivia is also pursued by her pompous steward, Malvolio, who is viewed as such because he condemns drunken revelry by her uncle Toby Belch and Sir Andrew, another one of her suitors. Later on, Sebastian appears on the scene, throwing the situation into further disarray because he is the spitting image of his twin sister. Mistaken identities, gender-bending antics, revelries, and wild mayhem abound in this madcap Shakespearean tale written in 1601 or 1602. Directors Tony Estrella and Rachel Walshe take their talented performers and mold them into the characters of yesteryear, winning them the accolades they richly deserve.

Read more “Gamm Theatre’s “Twelfth Night” a Laugh Riot”