A Sweet and Salty ‘Margaritaville’ at North Shore Music Theater

August 20, 2023August 20, 2023 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Wes Williams (Tully) and the cast of Jimmy Buffett’s “Escape To Margaritaville” playing at North Shore Music Theatre thru August 27. Photo © Paul Lyden

‘Margaritaville’ –Book by Greg Garcia & Mike O’Malley. Music & Lyrics by Jimmy Buffett. Directed & Choreographed by Charlie Sutton. Musical Direction by Robert L. Rucinski. Scenic Design by Nate Bertone. Costume Design by Kelly Baker. Lighting Design by Corey Whittemore. Sound Design by Alex Berg and Don Hanna. Wig & Hair Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt . At North Shore Music Theater, Beverly, through August 27.

By Linda Chin

North Shore Music Theater closes its summer 2023 trifecta (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Sound of Music) with Jimmy Buffett’s Escape to Margaritaville. Like a perfect margarita – a six-part combination of tequila, triple sec, and fresh-squeezed lime juice in a 3:2:1 ratio, sweetened with a simple syrup and served in a glass rimmed with salt, NSMT’s production is perfect for a hot summer evening. Though the show’s book is on the weak side, the company of 18 talented triple threats – ensemble members and six principals in a 2:1 ratio – deliver a strong performance.

All’s Well That Ends Well For Star-Crossed Lovers In ASP’s ‘As You Like It’

June 13, 2023June 13, 2023 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Genevieve Simon and the cast of Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s ‘As You Like It’. Photo by Nile Scott Studios

‘As You Like It’ – By William Shakespeare. Directed by Harold Steward. Associate directed by Brooke Hardman. Scenic Design by Ben Lieberson. Lighting Design by Amanda E. Fallon. Costume and Sound Design by Harold Steward. Props Design by Saskia Martinez. Associate Sound Design by Mackenzie Adamick. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project in partnership with The Theater Offensive at Tufts University’s Balch Arena Theater, 40 Talbot Ave, Medford, MA through June 25

by Linda Chin

Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s current production of As You Like It, directed by artistic visionary Harold Steward, remains relevant and refreshing four centuries after it was first published in the Bard’s First Folio in 1623. This production also represents a first-time partnership between ASP and The Theatre Offensive.

North Shore Music Theatre’s ‘Beautiful’ is Full of Feels

June 10, 2023June 10, 2023 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Elena Ricardo as Carole King in “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical” at North Shore Music Theatre thru June 18, 2023. Photo @ Paul Lyden

Beautiful: The Music of Carole King – Book by Douglas McGrath. Words and Music by Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Directed and Choreographed by Marcos Santana. Music Direction by Camille Villalpando Rolla. Scenic and Lighting Design by Jack Mehler. Costume Design by Travis M. Grant. Co-Sound Design by Alex Berg and Don Hanna. Hair and Wig Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt. At North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly, through June 18, 2023.

by Linda Chin

North Shore Music Theatre’s season opener, Beautiful: the Music of Carole King, is not a stop that is part of a national tour/Broadway in Beverly – but a regional production that has been created and cast de novo with a blend of professional and emerging theater-makers. NSMT Producer Bill Hanney and Producing Artistic Director Kevin Hill, in concert with show director/choreographer Marcos Santana (Jersey Boys, 2022), have imbued Beautiful with their signature stamp of artistic excellence. On a similar note, Elena Ricardo, who played the titular role in NSMT’s Peter Pan at NSMT and understudied the lead role in Broadway’s Beautiful, does not attempt to clone Ms. King (née Carol Klein) nor actor Jessie Mueller, who won the 2014 Tony for her portrayal, but makes the role her own. Other actors, such as Jean McCormick as Genie Klein, play down the stereotype of an overbearing Jewish mother.

Strange and Beautiful “Preludes” Enchants at the Lyric

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Michele Markarian

‘Preludes – Music, Lyrics, Book and Orchestrations by David Malloy. Directed by Courtney O’Connor. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston through February 5.

Where does creative inspiration come from? The heart? The mind? Are artists the instruments, or merely vessels for what can only be called divine? A blocked Rachmaninoff (the excellent and brooding Dan Prior) is told, “Virtuosity has its moments, but if you want to be truly great, use more…silence.” Silence and its space create room and stillness for ideas to flow through the subconscious. If you’ve ever wondered about the nature of creativity and the role of the artist, this is the play for you.

A “Phizz-Whizzing”( Brilliant) ‘Matilda’ Celebrates Unsung Heroes at Wheelock Family Theatre

October 28, 2022November 3, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Matilda the Musical’ at Wheelock Family Theatre. Photos by Brandon Farrell

‘Matilda the Musical’ – Book by Dennis Kelly. Music & Lyrics by Tim Minchin. Emily Ranii, Director. David Freeman Coleman, Music Director. Larry Sousa, Choreographer. Shelley Barish, Scenic Designer. Franklin Meissner, Jr., Lighting Designer. Christina Beam, Costume Designer. Steven Doucette, Props Designer. Jon King, Sound Designer. At Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University (October 21 – November 20, 2022).

by Linda Chin

We are living in revolting times, and with vicious taunts and violent attacks as everyday occurrences – and adults in positions of authority behaving like school yard bullies – one can feel helpless and alone. But children of all ages who have ever experienced bullying, unite! Daddle (“Run very fast” in Gobblefunk, Roald Dahl’s made-up language) to Wheelock Family Theatre to see the marvelous Matilda the Musical. Based on Dahl’s children’s book Matilda, the inspiring story of how one person – no matter how small – can make a difference – also puts the spotlight on the village of heroes and unsung heroes it takes to make a musical theatre production.

Huntington’s Happy-Sad Sing Street Will Lift You Up

September 11, 2022October 19, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast members of Sing Street at the Huntington. Photos: Evan Zimmerman/MurphyMade

Sing Street – Book by Enda Walsh, Music and Lyrics by Gary Clark and John Carney. Directed by Rebecca Taichman; Choreography by Sonya Tayeh; Set Design by Bob Crowley; Costume Design by Bob Crowley and Lisa Zinni; Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Sound Design by Peter Hylenski, Video Design by Luke Halls and Brad Peterson, Hair, Wig and Makeup Design by Tommy Kurzman, Music Supervision by Peter Gordeno and Kris Kukul, Music Direction by Fred Lassen. At the Calderwood Pavilion, BCA, 527 Tremont St., Boston through October 9^th.

by Linda Chin

With Sing Street, the writers of the Tony Award-winning Once have once again created a lyrical love story set in Dublin that inspires us to go for our dreams and to express (and save) ourselves through music making and art. Set in the 80s, the new wave score by John Carney and Gary Clark may not be everyone’s cup of tea – and it’s not particularly memorable – but the emotional journey the outstanding ensemble of actor-musicians takes us on leaves a strong impression.

Hub Theatre Company Serves Up Hearty Comic Fare with ‘Slow Food’

July 26, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*Jyoti Daniere, Victor Shopov and Steve Auger in Hub Theatre Company’s ‘Slow Food’*

by Mike Hoban

Slow Food – Written by Wendy MacLeod; Directed by Daniel Bourque. Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave. in Boston through July 30.

As anyone who has had to endure what seems like an interminably long time for wait staff to bring food and drink knows, that feeling of utter helplessness can be truly maddening – especially if you’re already famished. That’s the basic setup for Slow Food, the first live offering from The Hub Theatre Company since the pandemic, but playwright Wendy MacLeod puts the all-too-familiar scenario on steroids to great comic effect. Fittingly presented in the air-conditioned comfort of the cabaret space at Club Café in Boston (complete with dining tables and food service), the play serves up a banquet of laughs out of the identifiable situation.

Hanover Theatre’s ‘The Band’s Visit’ is a Charmer

June 17, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

‘The Band’s Visit’ – Based on the screenplay by Eran Kolirin; Music and Lyrics by David Yazbek; Book by Itimar Moses; Directed by David Comer. Presented at the Hanover Theatre & Conservatory at 2 Southbridge St, Worcester through June 19^th.

by Mike Hoban

It’s often said that music has the power to heal, and as we see in the The Band’s Visit, the Broadway touring production now playing at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, apparently so do the musicians who play it. Set in the “basically bleak and beige and blah, blah, blah…” town of Bet Hatikvah in Israel, this quirky and charming musical weaves a number of compelling storylines about troubled relationships and the path to healing, set to a gorgeous score that combines classic Broadway song structures with Middle Eastern-flavored music.

Company One’s “Hype Man” Exceeds the Hype

November 11, 2019November 12, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Kadahj Bennett, Michael Knowlton, and Rachel Cognata in Company One’s ‘Hype Man’ – Photo by Paul Fox)

by Mike Hoban

“HYPE MAN: A Break Beat Play” – Written by Idris Goodwin; Directed by Shawn LaCount; Music Direction by Kadahj Bennett; Sound Design by Lee Schuna; Lighting Design by Jen Rock; Costume Design by Cassandra Cacoq. Originally resented by Company One at the Boston Center for the Arts, Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont Street, South End, Boston through February 24, 2018. Limited Return Engagement at Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge November 14-16, 2019 https://companyone.org/production/hype-man-limited-return-engagement/

You don’t have to be a fan of hip-hop to appreciate Company One’s illuminating production of Idris Goodwin’s HYPE MAN: A Break Beat Play, now receiving its world premiere at the Boston Center for Arts. Not only is it one of the best new plays in years, it’s one of the best plays of the 2017-2018 season, period. HYPE MAN takes the age-old dilemma that many artists face, namely, where to draw the line between maintaining artistic integrity and personal beliefs versus chasing fame and fortune, and further juices the story by injecting one of the most politically charged issues facing America today – the shooting of unarmed people of color by police officers.

Speakeasy’s ‘Fun Home’ a Creepily Entertaining Coming of Age Story

June 13, 2019June 14, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Marissa Simeqi, Amy Jo Jackson, & Ellie van Amerongen in Speakeasy’s ‘Fun Home’/Photo Nile Scott Studios)

by Mike Hoban

‘Fun Home’ Music by Jeanine Tesori; Book & Lyrics by Lisa Kron; Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel; Directed By Paul Daigneault; Music Direction by Matthew Stern; Choreography by Sarah Crane; Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Costume Design by Charles Schoonmaker; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Presented by the SpeakEasy Stage Company at the Roberts Studio Theatre, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St. Boston through June 30

Fun Home is not your typical musical. In fact, it, based on its tragicomic nature and lack of any show-stopping musical numbers, it might more accurately be called a play with music. But this Tony Award-winning coming out/coming of age adaptation of Alison Bechdel’s 2006 graphic novel memoir is still a pretty gratifying work, due to its compelling storyline and effective performances by the cast.