“Stereophonic” A Grueling Celebration of Making Art

Cast of “Stereophonic” at the Emerson Colonial. Photos: Julieta Cervantes
 

“Stereophonic”.  Written by David Adjami.  Original Songs by Will Butler.  Directed by Daniel Aukin. Presented at Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street, Boston, through March 15.

By Michele Markarian

When I first saw “Stereophonic” a few years ago in New York, I was surprised at how familiar I was with some of the dialogue. “It’s the book!” I whispered to my husband, who had no idea what I was talking about. The book, “Making Rumours: The Inside Story of the Classic Fleetwood Mac Album” by Ken Caillat with Steven Stiefel, had been given to me as a birthday present by a friend ten years before. Caillat had been the co-producer of “Rumours” and wrote a book describing the exhilarating and often harrowing process, a journey Mick Fleetwood corroborates in his book “My Life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac”. The playwright eventually settled out of court with Caillat. In fairness to Adjami, while the book is good, the play, which depicts the arduous recording sessions of a seminal album by a band loosely based on Fleetwood Mac, is better.

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“Penelope” Plays an Emotional Waiting Game

Marissa Licata, Dan-Rodriguez, Aimee Doherty and Kett-Lee in Lyric Stage’s ‘Penelope’

“Penelope”.  Music, lyrics and arrangements by Alex Bechtel.  Book by Alex Bechtel, Grace McLean, Eva Steinmetz. Directed by Courtney O’Connor.  Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez.  Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through March 1.

By Michele Markarian

Odysseus is a popular figure these days. In 2018, he appeared in Madeline Miller’s novel “Circe” as a virile and manipulative broken warrior.  There was Kate Hamill’s “Odyssey” that premiered at A.R.T. last year. There’s an upcoming film version, directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Matt Damon, scheduled for release this July. “Penelope”, written by Alex Bechtel, is a one-woman cabaret depicting a waiting, sometimes patiently, sometimes not, wife of Odysseus, whose loyalty and love is played adoringly by Aimee Doherty.

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