Tag: Review

‘Pretty Woman the Musical’ Will Make You Forget There Ever Was a Movie Version

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Cast of ‘Pretty Woman’ at Emerson Colonial

“Pretty Woman the Musical” — Written by Garry Marshall and J.F. Lawton. Music and Lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. Based on the Touchstone picture written by J.F. Lawton. Direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, recreated by DB Bonds and Rusty Mowery; Music Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestration by Will Van Dyke; Scenic Design by Christine Peters; Costume Design by Gregg Barnes; Lighting Design by Kenneth Posner and Philip S. Rosenberg; Sound Design by John Shivers. Presented by Crossroads Live at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston, through March 3.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Pretty Woman the Musical is much more than a theatrical remake of the 1990 rom-com film that launched the career of then-21-year-old Julia Roberts and her trademark mile-wide smile. The big-budget Broadway show stands on its own as a supremely enjoyable night of big pageantry, from the live orchestra, fabulous set, choreography, and humor to the terrific cast, who sing and dance their hearts out for two and a half hours (one intermission).

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P. Carl Invites the Audience on His Gender Transition Journey in the A.R.T.’s ‘Becoming a Man’

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Stacey Raymond, Petey Gibson in A.R.T.’s ‘Becoming a Man’
Photos by Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall

‘Becoming A Man’ — Written by P. Carl. Co-directed by Dianne Paulus and P. Carl. Scenic Design by Emmie Finckel; Costume Design by Qween Jean; Lighting Design by Cha See; Music and Sound Design by Paul James Prendergast; Video Design by Brittany Bland. Presented by the A.R.T. at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., through March 10.

By Shelley A. Sackett

P. Carl, an acclaimed educator, dramaturg, and writer, lived for 49 years as Polly, a woman who believed she had been born into the wrong body. The last 20 years were spent as a lesbian in a queer marriage to Lynette D’Amico, a writer and editor. Lynette had no idea the queer woman who was her wife suffered gender dysphoria, a condition that can — and in Polly’s case, did — lead to depression and anxiety and have a harmful impact on daily life.

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The Huntington’s Must-See ‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ Conjures Pure Theatrical Magic

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Isabel Van Natta, Jules Talbot, Victoria Omoregie, Haley Wong in ‘John Proctor is the Villain’ at The Huntington. Photo Credit: T Charles Erickson

‘John Proctor Is the Villain’ — Written by Kimberly Belflower. Directed by Margot Bordelon. Scenic Design by Kristen Robinson; Costume Design by Zöe Sundra; Lighting Design by Aja M. Jackson; Sound Design by Sinan Reflik Zafar. Presented by The Huntington at Performing at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, through March 10, 2024.

By Shelley A. Sackett

In 1692, a witchcraft panic in Salem, Massachusetts, led to the conviction and execution of 19 innocent people (14 women and five men) for a crime that not only was never committed but that never happened in the first place.

A mixture of irrational fear, unchecked religious and patriarchal power, and a persecuting mentality led to the emergence of witch hunts and subsequent witch trials.

Arthur Miller fictionalized and immortalized this historical event in 1953 with The Crucible, a mainstay of most high school English Literature curricula. He intended it as an allegory for and indictment of the rabid McCarthyism of the 1950s, when the U. S. government blithely persecuted citizens accused of being communists based, often, on nothing more than innuendo and hearsay.

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Feminists Get the Green Light in The Huntington’s ‘John Proctor is the Villain’

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Cast of ‘John Proctor is the Villain’ at The Huntington. Photo Credit: T Charles Erickson

The Huntington presents ‘John Proctor is the Villain.’ Written by Kimberly Belflower. Directed by Margot Bordelon. Scenic Design by Kristen Robinson. Costume Design by Zoë Sundra. Lighting Design by Aja M. Jackson. Sound Design by Sinan Refik Zafar. At the BCA’s Calderwood Pavilion through March 10, 2024.

by Linda Chin

The Huntington’s provocative John Proctor is the Villain, by playwright Kimberly Belflower, is set in the present day, in a small – and small-minded – town in Appalachian Georgia. Four female students of diverse backgrounds, frustrated/inspired by discussions in their co-ed 11th grade Honors English/Sex-Education class centered on male heroes in The Crucible and scientific descriptions of sex, are eager to start a new ‘Feminism Club.’ Not surprisingly, the teenagers have different definitions of what “feminism” means and “feminists” are, different (and evolving) understandings of why it matters, and what the club’s purpose would be. The four young feminists are all on board to be the club’s founders, but will the School Board of the one-stoplight town give them the green light?

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A Dually Death-Defying and Life-Affirming ‘Duel Reality’ at ArtsEmerson

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ArtsEmerson presents Duel Reality, by 7 Fingers. At the Cutler Majestic Theater, Tremont Street, Boston, through February 18th.

By Linda Chin

7 Fingers, the Montreal-based, globally-beloved troupe of theater artist-acrobats, is back in Boston with the US premiere of Duel Reality – their 7th show at ArtsEmerson. A love story that echoes Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, Duel Reality includes music, song, dance, fight choreography, a string of spectacular stunts and circus acts, and uplifting and heartbreaking moments. During this fast-paced one-hour production (with no intermission), I was both immersed in the storytelling and in awe of the storytellers’ physical process.

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‘Lost Cellphone Weekend’ Delivers Message – and Laughs

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The cast of Image Theater’s ‘Lost Cellphone Weekend’

‘Lost Cellphone Weekend’ – Book, Music, and Lyrics by Stephen Gilbane. Directed by Image Theater Artistic Director Jerry Bisantz. Lighting Design by John MacKenzie. Sound Design by Stephen Gilbane. Presented by Image Theater at the Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center, 240 Central Street, Lowell, MA, through February 10.

By Mike Hoban

Don Birnham is a guy with a monkey on his back. But it’s not booze or pills or the needle. It’s social media, and it’s not only killing him, it’s destroying society as a whole. That’s the message of Lost Cellphone Weekend, a new musical comedy receiving its world premiere at the Richard and Nancy Donahue Family Academic Arts Center in Lowell. And while one could certainly make a persuasive argument for the ills that smartphones are inflicting on society (ask any educator who’s trying to teach a classroom full of cellphone-addicted kids), we’re not likely to do it in as entertaining a fashion as Lost Cellphone Weekend.

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Central Square’s “Machine Learning” Weaves Humanity and AI

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Xavier Rosario, Jorge Alberto Rubio in Central Square’s “Machine Learning” 
Photos by Nile Scott Studios

“Machine Learning”, by Francisco Mendoza. Directed by Gabriel Vega Weissman. Presented by Central Square Theater in partnership with Teatro Chelsea, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, through February 25. 

by Michele Markarian 

Arnold is a nursing application created by a young brainiac, Jorge (Armando Rivera), to keep an eye on his alcoholic and cancer-ridden father, Gabriel (the excellent Jorge Alberto Rubio). Named for Arnold Schwarzenegger, whom Jorge had seen as a young boy in “The Terminator,” Arnold’s job is to care for, with the cure being the end goal, Gabriel. But Gabriel is a bit of a problem, as he likes alcohol and doesn’t seem to fear death. For Jorge, whose relationship with Gabriel is fraught with tension, keeping Gabriel alive is key to resolving the issues that rumble between them. Through a series of flashbacks between Gabriel and young Jorge (Xavier Rosario), we learn about Gabriel’s macho expectations for his son, his cruelty, his irresponsibility, and his fondness for alcohol, with the occasional moments of protectiveness thrown in.   

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A Crisis of Human Loneliness in SpeakEasy’s ‘A Case for the Existence of God’

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Jesse Hinson and De’Lon Grant in Speakeasy Stage’s “A Case for the Existence of God”.
Photos: Nile Scott Studios

‘A Case for the Existence of God’ written by Samuel D. Hunter. Directed by Melinda Lopez. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco. Costume Design by KJ Gilmer. Lighting Design by Elmer Martinez. Sound Design by Audrey Dube. Performing at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, through February 17, 2024. 

By Linda Chin

Playwright Samuel D. Hunter’s A Case for the Existence of God is set in Twin Falls, Idaho (population 51,807 and racial makeup 88.5% White, 0.7% African American), in the present or recent past. The municipal seal includes an illustration of the pair of waterfalls that gave the city its name, and with acres of natural beauty in abundance, Twin Falls and this area of south-central Idaho is often referred to as “God’s Country” – full of spirituality and soul, presumably where dreams are fulfilled, and hearts uplifted. The city’s motto, People Serving People, is borne out by institutions and businesses sizable and small, including a yogurt factory and supermarkets, banks and a mortgage company, schools, and a daycare center. But like most Americans in the present or recent past, many Twin Falls residents are suffering from a crisis of human loneliness.

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Simmering Dysfunction and Sizzling Performances in Hovey’s ‘Appropriate’

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Cast of Hovey Players’ ‘Appropriate’

Hovey Players presents ‘Appropriate’ by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins. Directed by Michelle Aguillon. Set Design by Tom Powers. Lighting Design by Eric Jacobsen. Costume Design by Gabrielle Hatcher. Sound Design by Chris Brousseau. Hovey Players, 9 Spring Street, Waltham, through February 3, 2024.

By Linda Chin

Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ play Appropriate takes place on a plantation in Arkansas, present day. The Lafayette family patriarch has recently died, and his three adult children Toni, Bo, and Frank (who uses the name Franz) have gathered to prepare the house and its contents for sale. The siblings are estranged, and have each brought family members for companionship, comfort, and support during this stressful ordeal.

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A Commanding ‘Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight’ at the Huntington

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“Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight” – Written and directed by John Kolvenbach. Scenic Design by Kristine Holmes. Lighting Design by M Berry. Presented by Huntington Theatre Company, the Maso Studio, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, through March 23, 2024.

By Linda Chin

Stand Up If You’re Here Tonight is both the title of a very clever one-man show written by John Kolvenbach and one of many imperatives uttered by the show’s leading man –  actor Jim Ortlieb – to command the audience’s attention.

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