BLO Stages a Broadly Comic ‘Threepenny Opera’

March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Mike Hoban

Music by Kurt Weill; Libretto by Bertolt Brecht; English translation by Michael Feingold; Original German text based on Elisabeth Hauptmann’s German translation of John Gay’s “The Beggar’s Opera”. Directed by James Darrah; Music Direction by David Angus; Set Design by Julia Noulin-Mérat; Lighting Design by Pablo Santiago; and Costumes by Charles Neumann. Presented by the Boston Lyric Opera at the Huntington Avenue Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston through March 25

Let me begin by saying that the sum total of my experience with opera is pretty much confined to multiple viewings of the Warner Bros. classic cartoon, What’s Opera Doc. But as a friend and colleague informed me when I told him at intermission that I had never seen an opera until now, he jokingly replied, “Well, you still haven’t.”

Flat Earth Theatre Looks to the Classics to Explain the Present

March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by James Wilkinson

‘Antigone’ – Written by Jean Anouilh, and adapted by Lewis Galantiere. Presented by Flat Earth Theatre. Directed by Lindsay Eagle. Set Design: Darren Cornell. Assistant Set Design: Marina Sartori and Emily Penta. Costume Design: E. Rosser. Props Design: Emily Penta. Lighting Design: PJ Strachman. Sound Design: Chris Larson. Graphic Designer: Jake Scaltreto. Violence Designer: Matt Arnold. Dramaturg: Betsy S. Goldman. Artistic Sign Language Consultant: Kristin Johnson. Presented by Flat Earth Theatre at The Mosesian Center for the Arts, 321 Arsenal St. through March 31

You don’t need to wait for the Greek chorus to tell you that things will not be turning out okay. A palpable aura of dread surrounds Flat Earth Theatre’s production of Antigone from the moment you enter the space. The audience takes their seats by passing through the a wreckage of a recent war, stared down by a trio of imposing soldiers, guided through the shadows by a dim set of industrial lights. A droning sound off in the distance envelops the space, keeping you from truly relaxing into your seat. It’s a wonderfully intoxicating environment to be stepping into. Most people tend to associate classical works with dusty libraries and dry academia. It’s nice to be reminded that in the right directorial hands, there’s a vital, thrilling world to be conjured with those texts.

A Tense, Engaging “The Bakelite Masterpiece”

March 23, 2018March 23, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Laura Latreille (left) and Benjamin Evett (right). Photo by Andrew Brilliant/Brilliant Pictures.

By Michele Markarian

The Bakelite Masterpiece – Written by Kate Cayley. Directed by Jim Petosa. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Lighting Design by Scott Pinckney; Sound Design by Dewey Dellay; Costume Design by Molly Trainer. Presented by New Repertory Theatre, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown through April 8.

If Cristina Todesco’s starkly beautiful set, with its three-sided tower of artwork surrounding a plain wooden desk and two overturned chairs doesn’t immediately draw you into The Bakelite Masterpeice, then the opening line, “Consider Lucifer”, certainly will. Set in 1945 post-war Amsterdam, The Bakelite Masterpiece is based on the true story of art forger Han van Meergeren (Benjamin Evett).

GBSC Brings Magic with “THE IRISH AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY”

March 22, 2018April 2, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Sheila Barth

BOX INFO: Greater Boston Stage Company adds a wee bit o’ green and Irish charm in Pulitzer Prize winner Frank McCourt’s play, directed by Dawn Simmons, through March 25: Wednesdays, Sundays,2 p.m.; Thursdays, 7:30 p.m.; Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 3,8 p.m. $50-$60; seniors, $45-$55; students with valid ID, $20. 395 Main St., Stoneham. 781-279-2200, greaterbostonstage.org.

’Twas an Irish song and story fest when I saw Mynnelou Productions Inc. and the Bernann Company, LLC’s rollicking production of Frank McCourt’s “The Irish and How They Got That Way,” five years ago, in Somerville.

That production was so successful, it was extended for another week, by popular demand. The upbeat, two-hour, two-act, potpourri of Irish traditional, folk and contemporary songs and music accompanying the ensemble’s re-telling of Ireland and Irish-American history through their energetic comic anecdotes and skits, made Irish and non-Irish eyes smile at Davis Square Theater.

‘THE HUMANS’ – A Candid Peek at Contemporary Family Life

March 22, 2018March 22, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Sheila Barth

BOX INFO: Joe Montello directs the Roundabout Theatre Company, in association with the Seattle Repertory Theatre, national touring company production of Stephen Karam’s dramatic one-act, 100-minute play, appearing through March 25: Tuesday,Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 2,7:30 p.m; Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday, 2,8 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m., at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre Boston, 265 Tremont St., Boston. Tickets start at $25.

Renowned playwright-screenwriter Stephen Karam’s dramatic, multi-Tony Award-winning play, “The Humans,“ appearing at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre in Boston this week, is labeled “a new American classic”. However, nothing earth-shattering occurs in it. But there’s a simmering, dark undercurrent that keeps audiences alert. Besides winning six Tony Awards, the off-Broadway production won an Obie Award in 2016, among others. Directed by award-winning Joe Mantello, this US National Touring cast that started at the Seattle Repertory Theatre is terrific.

Company Theatre’s ‘La Cage’ Entertains, Enlightens

March 21, 2018April 2, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

By Evan McKenna

Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman; Book by Harvey Fierstein, based on the play “La Cage aux Folles” by Jean Poiret. Directed by Zoe Bradford and Jordie Saucerman. Musical Direction by Steve Bass. Choreography by Sally Ashton Forest. Costume Design by Cameron McEachern. Lighting Design by Adam Clark. Set Design by Ryan Barrow. Wigs & Hairstylist, James A. Valentin. Presented by Company Theatre: 30 Accord Park Dr, Norwell through Sunday, April 8th.

Just last month the Senate of Georgia voted on a law to give adoption agencies—both private and taxpayer funded—the right to reject service to LGBTQ couples. This, among other forms of both legal and de facto discrimination happening during the Trump-Pence administration, shows how many Americans today do not support LGBTQ couples as moral, adequate, or legitimate parents of children, making “La Cage aux Folles” not only a relevant work to see this year, but an important one. At its heart, the story testifies to the criticism and conflict that queer couples with children must face in their social and political environment. On the surface, however, the musical does not seem politically overt or necessarily tragic, and that is because of the sitcom-esque humor and drag queen performances, both of which the cast of the Company Theatre’s production executed wonderfully at the premiere last Friday, giving—much like “Cabaret”—laughter and fun to an otherwise dark underlying story.

Dark History Lesson Runs Through GBSC’s Lively “The Irish and How They Got That Way””

March 20, 2018March 20, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

The Irish and How They Got That Way – Book by Frank McCourt; Directed by Dawn M. Simmons; Music Direction by Kirsten Salpini; Original musical arrangements by Rusty Magee; Additional musical arrangements by Kirsten Salpini; Presented by special arrangement with The Irish Repertory Theatre Company, Inc. by the Greater Boston Stage Company at 395 Main St, Stoneham Through March 25^th

Anyone who utters the phrase “the Luck of the Irish” might want to take a closer look at history and reconsider its usage, as the Greater Boston Stage Company’s production of Frank McCourt’s The Irish and How They Got That Way clearly demonstrates. For all the adorable leprechauns and amusing anecdotes about excessive drinking that are associated with the Emerald Isle, there is also a rich vein of melancholy running through the saga of the Irish over the last few centuries, particularly the period that preceded their journey across the pond to America through the beginning of the twentieth century. Which is not to say that this production is in any way a downer. Quite the contrary, the six person (three men and three women) cast rips through a bevy of Irish tunes both familiar and obscure while generating both smiles and tears.

‘The Humans’ Examines Complex Family Dynamics at the Boch Center

March 17, 2018March 17, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

by Michael Cox

The Humans – Written by Stephen Karam. Directed by Joe Mantello. Presented by the Boch Center. At Shubert Theatre, 265 Tremont St., Boston, through March 25.

Boston audiences have the fortunate opportunity to see the 2016 Tony Award-Winning play The Humans, written by Stephen Karam and directed by Joe Mantello at the Shubert Theatre through March 25.

Brigid Blake and her boyfriend Richard are proud of their new duplex apartment, the lack of sunlight, the irrational layout, the noisy upstairs neighbor, the street-level view of an alleyway covered in cigarette butts, and the convenient location in Lower Manhattan—Chinatown actually. And it’s always fun to have a basement apartment in a flood zone.

Company Theatre’s LA CAGE AUX FOLLES’ is a Joyous Musical Extravaganza

March 17, 2018March 20, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Welcome to the French Riviera in the 1980’s and the most glittering and notorious nightclub there is “La Cage Aux Folles” which is the Company Theatre’s first show of their 40th season and tackle this 1983 hit Jerry Herman musical. It won six Tony Awards for the original Broadway show and is the only musical to win the Tony Award for best revival twice. It is a flamboyant musical comedy about life, love and family values in a decidedly unconventional family. Georges runs this glittering drag queen nightclub, starring Albin, also known as ZaZa who is Georges longtime lover. They have a happy but stormy life together. However, when Georges’ son announces his engagement to the daughter of a narrow minded bigoted politician, their efforts to “play it straight” for a meeting with the in-laws results in high insanity blended with some poignant moments along the way.

Hanover Theatre Delivers an Exuberant ‘JERSEY BOYS’

March 16, 2018 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The latest National Tour musical at the historic Hanover Theatre is the Tony Award winning musical “Jersey Boys”, about the lives and career of the pre-boomer pop group, The Four Seasons. The show is set to a dozen of classic rock tunes by Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe. Writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice have fashioned a touching bittersweet book from the real life stories of Frankie Valli (Castelluchio), Tommy DeVito, Nick Massi and Bob Gaudio, four guys from the ‘hood’ who became the original members of the Four Seasons. It takes place in the Garden State in the 1950’s and contains unsavory elements found in “The Godfather” films and “The Sopranos” TV series including jail, loan sharks, drugs, OD’s and causal sex.