Ogunquit’s ‘GRUMPY OLD MEN’ Delivers Love, Laughs from the Senior Set

August 27, 2018August 27, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

by Sheila Barth

BOX INFO: US premiere of two-act musical comedy written by Dan Remmes, and the late Nick Meglin, with music by Neil Berg, directed by Matt Lenz. Appearing through September 1, Ogunquit Playhouse, 10 Main St., Ogunquit, Maine. Starring Broadway’s Ed Dixon and Marc Jacoby, with Sally Struthers and guest star Hal Linden. Tickets start at $52. ogunquitplayhouse.org, 207-646-5511.

When Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning comedic veteran Sally Struthers and Emmy and Tony Award winner Hal Linden appear at the Ogunquit Playhouse with a stellar Broadway cast, such as they do in Dan Remmes’ new two-act musical comedy, “Grumpy Old Men,” you know you’re in for a slap-happy feast.

Bridge Rep Composes a ‘Dark Room’ – and the Women Inside It

August 13, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Review by James Wilkinson

Dark Room – Written by George Brant. Directed by Olivia D’Ambriosio. Associate Director/Dramaturg: Aleander Platt. Scenic Design: Ryan Bates. Costume Design: Chelsea Kerl. Lighting Design: Stephen Petrilli. Sound Design/Composer: Elizabeth Cahill. Properties: Esme Allen. Presented by Bridge Repertory Theatre at the Multicultural Arts Center at 41 Second St, Cambridge through August 16th

While speaking with an audience member after having seen Bridge Repertory Theater’s production of Dark Room, she remarked to me that she found it an interesting piece. “There’s a little something for everyone,” she said. I think she hit the nail on the head. The experience of sitting through Dark Room is most akin to being thrown through a kaleidoscope of shadowy landscapes. By turns sad, funny, disturbing and bizarre, the ground is constantly shifting below your feet. Just as you adjust, we’re off somewhere else. There’s an energy around the piece as though we’re watching it trying to figure out a problem in real time. Try this. Now try this. Here, try this. That didn’t work? Then try this. No? Then how about this? Together we inch along, searching for the answer to a mystery.

“Cato & Dolly: Through the Keyhole” Brings History to Life

August 5, 2018December 27, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

(Marge Dunn and Stephen Sampson)

by Michael Cox

John Hancock. A wealthy politician with a criminal past. A beloved statesman and a Founding Father whose name would resonate through history.

This is the story of the woman and the enslaved person that lived under his roof, people who hovered in the limelight of his passionate democratic ideals and yet had no rights or political voice of their own.

Sounds like a pretty interesting play, doesn’t it? But that’s not what the play Cato & Dolly is actually about. It’s a series of vignettes centered around a door.

Gloucester’s TRUE WEST a True Classic

July 29, 2018August 29, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

By Sheila Barth

BOX INFO: Sam Shepard’s two-hour, two-act Modern American classic play, starring Nael Nacer and Alexander Platt, through Sept, 8, Wednesday-Saturday,7:30 p.m., matinees Saturday, Sunday, 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 2, free post-show discussion with the artists. Gloucester Stage Company, 267 E. Main St., Gloucester. $35-$45, senior, veteran, under 18 discount tickets offered. gloucesterstage.com 978-281-4433.

Whatever you do, try to see Gloucester Stage Company’s explosive, dynamic, two-hour, two-act production of prolific author Sam Shepard’s Modern American classic play, “True West”. Starring Nael Nacer in the role of Lee, desultory drifter and petty thief, and Alexander Platt portraying Austin, Lee’s younger successful and talented author brother, (with direction by Joe Short), their riveting performances will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Love’s Labor at Gloucester Stage Company

July 28, 2018December 27, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Review by James Wilkinson

Cyrano – Presented by Gloucester Stage Company. Written by Jason O’Connell and Brenda Withers. Directed by Robert Walsh. Scenic Design: Jenna McFarland Lord. Lighting Design: Russ Swift. Costume Design: Elisabetta Polito. Properties Design: Emme Shaw. Sound Design: David Wilson. Fight Direction: Robert Walsh. Presented by Gloucester Stage Company through August 11, 2018.

There’s a good chance that you know more of the story of Cyrano de Bergerac than you think you do. While the title of the original French play may be unfamiliar to some, the basic premise of the story has been riffed and parodied through various forms of media all the way down to multi-cam sitcoms. You’ll even find its fingerprints all over the tropes and clichés of many of today’s romantic comedies. I’ve have never had the opportunity or inclination to read the original play and was surprised to find how much of the plot that I already knew. The fact that we keep coming back to Edmond Rostand’s tale of the nobleman with the elongated nostrils and his unrequited love implies that there’s something mythic expressed within it, some essential truth we need to tap into. Gloucester Stage Company is currently presenting a new attempt to bring the story of Cyrano de Bergerac to modern audiences. Under the shortened title, Cyrano, the adaptation by Jason O’Connell and Brenda Withers unleashes with a bang in this high energy production.

Reagle Music Theater’s “ANYTHING GOES” A Rollicking Voyage

July 7, 2018July 7, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome to the 1930’s aboard the luxury liner S.S. American sailing from New York to London with a group of unusual passengers. Reagle Music Theatre of Boston’s second show of their 50th season is the classic 1934 musical “Anything Goes” by Cole Porter. The show was originally written for Ethel Merman back in the 1930’s. It was revised in 1962 and again in 1987 when it starred Patti Lupone as Reno. The premise of the show is boy, Billy Crocker, who loves girl, Hope Harcourt, who is engaged to wealthy British suitor, Sir Evelyn, who is pursued by singing and dancing evangelist Reno Sweeney. Throw in boy’s heavy drinking boss, girl’s overbearing and domineering mother, public enemy # 13 and his sexy gun moll, Reno’s fallen angels, the captain, crew and assorted passengers. Director Eileen Grace infuses this show with high energy as well as supplying the fabulous choreography while Dan Rodriguez supplies the fantastic musical direction. Their combined expertise makes this one of the must see musicals of the summer season.

“BAREFOOT IN THE PARK” – Renaissance City Theatre Inc

July 7, 2018July 7, 2019 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome back to New York City in 1963 to witness the Tony Award winning “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon. This is the current show by Renaissance City Theatre Inc, the producing entity at the Granite Theatre. The show follows the lives of two newlyweds, Corie and Paul Bratter as they start their lives in a 5th floor brownstone walk up on 48th Street in New York City. They continually have to climb up six wheezing flights to get there. They also have no furniture and there is no room for a double bed. Also the paint job is all wrong, there’s no heat and it’s February. On top of all that their bohemian neighbor is only able to access his padlocked apartment via their window ledge. What results is a tale of two people coming to terms with loving each other for who they are, and accepting each other for who they are not. When Paul fails to grasp the romance of their quirky living situation, Corie begins to fear her husband is a stuffed shirt. Director Judy George directs and blocks this 1960’s Neil Simon comedy wonderfully. She obtains fine-tuned performances from them. This topnotch comedy receives a thunderous standing ovation at the close of the show as well as nonstop laughter all night long.

OperaHub’s “DIVAS” An Exquisite Storytelling, Aural Experience

June 26, 2018December 27, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

Divas – Written by Laura Neill; Directed by Adrienne Boris; Music Direction by Patricia Au; Set Design by Jeffrey Petersen; Lighting Design by Emily Bearce; Sound Design by Zach Cadman; Costume Design by Drew Myers-Regulinski; Presented by OperaHub in collaboration with the Diva Museum at the The Plaza Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts, 539 Tremont St., Boston through June 30

Whether intentionally or otherwise, it would appear that the Boston Opera community has made a concerted effort in 2018 to broaden the appeal of the genre to the theater-going audience. Beginning with Boston Lyric Opera’s intriguing offerings (Threepenny Opera and Trouble in Tahiti) this spring and continuing with OperaHub’s captivating production of Laura Neill’s world premiere of DIVAS, a play with opera music, the ploy appears to be working – at least for this reviewer. Part Twilight Zone episode, part historical drama, DIVAS also offers a Whitman Sampler of brilliantly performed opera selections that should serve to entice theater-going folk into exploring future opera productions.

Theatre by the Sea’s ‘MAMMA MIA’ Great Summer Fun

June 25, 2018June 25, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The Rhode Island regional premiere of “Mamma Mia” celebrates Theatre by the Sea’s second show of their 85th Season. Owner and producer Bill Hanney spares no expense with costumes and sets in bringing this musical to the historic theatre.The much loved 1999 jukebox ABBA musical focuses on finding emotional moments of female bonding in this fun filled musical set in Greece. “Mamma Mia” is based on the songs of ABBA, a Swedish pop/dance group active from 1972 to 1982.

Flat Earth’s “The Nether” Explores a Virtual World Without Consequences

June 15, 2018June 18, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

The Nether – Written by Jennifer Haley; Directed by Sarah Gazdowicz. Creative Team: Rebecca Lehrhoff (Set Design), Coriana Hunt Swartz (Costume Design); Connor Van Ness (Lighting Design); Kyle Lampe; (Sound Design). Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown through June 23.

As I was walking into the Mosesian Theater to see Flat Earth’s compelling and disturbing production of Jennifer Haley’s The Nether, I casually asked a fellow reviewer if they had read anything about the play that we were about to see. They responded no, that they usually prefer to not to know anything about a play before seeing it. “Probably a good idea,” I remarked, not knowing that this production would perhaps be the single best case one could make for that practice. Suffice to say that while knowing the subject matter beforehand could deter some folks from attending, I can say without reservation that it would be a shame to miss this remarkable and thought-provoking piece.