Tag: Review

Strong Performances Lift NSMT’s ‘Grease’

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Cast of “Grease” at North Shore Music Theatre. Photos by Paul Lyden.

‘Grease – Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey. Kevin P. Hill (Director & Choreographer), Milton Granger (Music Director), Jack Mehler (Scenic & Lighting Design), Alex Berg (Sound Design), Rachel Padula-Shuflet (Wig & Hair Design), Rebecca Glick (Costume Coordinator), Alaina Mills (Associate Director & Choreographer). Presented by North Shore Music Theatre at 54 Dunham Rd., Beverly, MA, through August 24, 2025  

By Mike Hoban

Those expecting an onstage re-creation of the 1978 movie musical Grease may be in for a bit of a surprise with North Shore Music Theatre’s entertaining production of the same name, running now through August 24th. Unlike the 70s sitcom treatment of troubled high school teens in the movie version, we get a cast of characters that owes more to West Side Story than Happy Days – and the added grittiness elevates the story above the usual pablum that passes for a book in most movies adapted for the stage. That’s because this production combines the best elements of the original 1971 Off-Broadway (via Chicago) musical theater production and the movie (including some of its strongest musical numbers). It’s also much more of an ensemble piece, focusing on multiple stories rather than just the leads (played in the film by 1970s pop culture icons John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John), and it’s one of the strengths of the show, allowing multiple members of the talented cast to shine.

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GSC’s Timely ‘No Child…’ Lauds Teachers And Showcases An A+ Solo Performance

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Valyn Lyric Turner in “No Child …” at Gloucester Stage Company. Photos by Jason Grow Photography

‘No Child…’ — Written by Nilaja Sun. Directed by Pascale Florestal. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl; Lighting Design by Amanda Fallon; Sound Design by Jacques Matellus. Presented by Gloucester Stage Company, 267 East Main St., Gloucester through August 23.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Playwright Nilaja Sun’s conventional tribute to the trials and tribulations of our unsung heroes who day after day teach the toughest kids at their toughest ages (high school) in the toughest neighborhoods is must-see theater for one reason— the luminous performance by its solo star, Valyn Lyric Turner.

Playing no fewer than a dozen roles, Turner is a whirling dervish of talent, her physicality and vitality hoisting the play from a ho-hum trope to a true tour de force.

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At The Cape Playhouse, A Warm & Welcoming ‘Come From Away’

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Cast of ‘Come From Away’ at the Cape Playhouse

The Cape Playhouse presents Come From Away. Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Directed and Choreographed by Kelly Devine. Music Direction by Lena Gabrielle. Set Design by Alexander Woodward. Lighting Design by Kirk Bookman. Costume Design by Gail Baldoni. Sound Design by Walter Trarbach. Wig Design by Bobbie Zlotnik. At the Cape Playhouse, 820 Main Street, Route 6A, Dennis MA, through August 30, 2025.

By Linda Chin

When skies over the United States shut down after the September 11th attacks, 38 international flights were diverted to a once-bustling airport on the island of Newfoundland, on the northeast tip of North America, next to which was the tiny town of Gander. The influx of 7000 stranded passengers and crew who needed meals, clothing, accommodations, showers, and access to phones swelled Gander’s population to twice its usual size, practically overnight.

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In Company One’s ‘The Meeting Tree,’ Family Legacy Confronts Memory To Reshape The Future

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Sarah Elizabeth Bedard and Anjie Parker in Company One’s ‘The Meeting Tree’.
Photos by Annielly-Camargo

‘The Meeting Tree’ — Written by B. Elle Borders. Directed by Summer L. Williams. Dramaturgy by afrikah selah and Ilana M. Brownstein. Scenic Design by Cristina Todesco; Costume Design by Amanda Mujica; Lighting Design by Elmer Martinez; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Presented by Company One Theatre in partnership with Front Porch Arts Collective and the City of Boston’s Office of Arts and Culture. At Strand Theatre, Boston through Aug. 9. All tickets are pay-what-you-want.

By Shelley A. Sackett

B. Elle Borders’ The Meeting Tree (her first play) is a bold and effective new work that portrays the story of six generations of women and their interconnected lives as a backdrop for her exploration of bigger ticket issues. For 75 intermission-less minutes, she keeps the audience engrossed with her skillful storytelling that combines a tale of complex, emotionally deep characters with thought-provoking questions that prompt reflection about family history, the legacy of slavery in the United States, and the power of personal connection to overcome history.

In polarized times, Borders seems to ask, is redemption and healing possible? And if it is, at what price?

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Ogunquit Playhouse’s ‘High Society’ is “De-Lovely”

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Robyn Hurder and Max Clayton in Ogunquit Playhouse’s ‘High Society’. Photos by Nile Scott Studios

Choreography by Jeffry Denman; Music supervision and orchestrations by Greg Jarrett; Music Direction by Nicholas Connors; Scenic Design by Alexander Dodge; Costume Design by Tracy Christensen; Lighting Design by Richard Latta; Sound Design by Haley Parcher; and wig, hair, and makeup design by Roxanne De Luna.

By Mike Hoban

The Ogunquit Playhouse once again makes a sparkling case for being New England’s premier summer theater with a bubbly, champagne-fueled re-imagining of the 1956 film, High Society. Powered by a Cole Porter score, Broadway performers (including multiple Tony Award nominees), and a terrific supporting cast, High Society is the very essence of summer theater – a rollicking good time that delivers a ton of laughs along with its superbly executed song-and-dance numbers.

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CSC’s ‘As You Like It’ Breathes Fresh Air into the Bard’s Timeless Tale

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Cast of CSC’s ‘As You Like It’. Photos by Nile Scott Studios

‘As You Like It’ — Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Steven Maler. Scenic Design by Riw Rakkulchon; Costume Design by Miranda Giurleo; Lighting Design by Eric Southern; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Production on Boston Common through August 10.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Boston is a garden of many earthly delights, but none more eagerly awaited and appreciated than Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s Free Shakespeare on the Common that, for 29 years, has invited people to lay down a blanket, bring a picnic dinner, and enjoy top-notch theater on Boston Common under a starry crescent-mooned sky.

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Hub Theatre’s ‘The Understudy’ Searches For Its Light

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Kevin Paquette, Lauren Elias, and Cristhian Mancias-Garcia in Hub Theatre’s ‘The Understudy’

‘The Understudy’ — Written by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Paula Plum. Scenic Design by Peyton Tavares. Projections Design by Justin Lahue. Sound Design by Gage Baker. Lighting Design by Emily Bearce. Costume Design by Kara McGuinness. Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston, through August 2. 

By Charlotte Snow 

 There is no harder play to write than one with three persons. It’s tough to balance roles, hard to envision blocking properly, and there’s a reason the adage of ‘three is a crowd’ exists. However, when a script manages to juggle three-person scenes properly, they end up being some of the best in the theatrical canon (think Glass Menagerie, Red Light Winter, This is Our Youth, Proof, Agnes of God, The Flick, Angels in America, the list goes on). Do I believe Theresa Rebeck’s ‘The Understudy’ deserves to join that list? Not quite. However, the Hub Theatre Company must be commended for the incredible effort in making the case.  

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Harbor Stage’s Darkly Brilliant  ‘Death of a Salesman’ is Not Your Typical Summer Fare

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William Zielinski and Stacy Fischer in Harbor Stage Company’s ‘Death of a Salesman’
Photos by Joe Kenehan

‘Death of a Salesman’ – Written by Arthur Miller. Directed by Robert Kroft; Scenic Design by Justin Lahue; Lighting Design by John Malinnowski; Projection Design by Justin Lahue and Katherine Wittman. Presented by Harbor Stage Company, 15 Kendrick St., Wellfleet, through August 2.

By Mike Hoban

One of the driving forces behind the 1960s counterculture movement was the realization that the metrics used to measure success in American life were fundamentally flawed – that the American Dream was, for many, bullshit. Expecting to be rewarded for loyalty to a company, believing that money could buy happiness, trusting that fidelity and mutual respect were inherent in a marriage, and buying into the myth that America was the moral compass for the world were all wonderful ideals, but ones that often failed to meet the unforgiving test of reality. There are few works that better exemplify that school of thought than Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, now being given a darkly brilliant staging by the  Harbor Stage Company in Wellfleet.

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A Peek Behind The Backstage Curtain in Hub Theatre Co.’s Funny, Poignant ‘The Understudy’

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Kevin Paquette, Lauren Elias, and Cristhian Mancias-Garcia in Hub Theatre’s ‘The Understudy’

‘The Understudy’ — written by Theresa Rebeck. Directed by Paula Plum. Scenic Design by Peyton Tavares; Projections Design by Justin Lahue; Sound Design by Gage Baker; Lighting Design by Emily Bearce. Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston at Club Café, 209 Columbus Ave., Boston, through August 2.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Playwright Theresa Rebeck’s smart, funny, snarky The Understudy takes us straight into the belly of the beast known as “Broadway Theater.” (Rebeck also penned the smash TV series, “Smash.”) Set backstage during an understudy rehearsal for The Castle, a fictitious long-lost play by Franz Kafka, the three-hander starts with a five-screen surround projection of close-ups of a Clint Eastwood-esque guy’s stubbled face. He mugs and does a macho muscled vamp, screaming “Get in the truck!” menacingly. Eventually, the film’s title (“Trucknado”) blazes across the screen as a booming voice warns, “Stay low or drive high.”

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A Sumptuous and Satisfying ‘Evita’ At Reagle Music Theatre

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Isabella Bria Lopez, Ryan Mardesich in Reagle Music Theatre’s ‘Evita’

‘Evita’ – Lyrics by Tim Rice. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Bertone. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Scenic Design by Cameron McEachern. Lighting and Production Design by Baron Pugh. Costume and Wig Design by Ellie De Lucia. Sound Design by Sebastian Nixon. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston at the Robinson Theater, 617 Lexington St., Waltham, through July 20th. 

By Linda Chin

The Tony Award-winning musical/rock opera Evita by rock stars Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice tells the inspiring story of Eva Perón, née Maria Eva Duarte, who escaped her poverty-stricken rural village (where she wasn’t educated past grade six) at age 15, moved to Buenos Aires to pursue a career as an actress, and became First Lady of Argentina at age 27. With dynamic duo Rachel Bertone (Director & Choreographer) and Dan Rodriguez (Music Director) at the helm, a period and picture-perfect unit set designed by Cameron McEachern (and evocative lighting design by Baron Pugh), and the powerful voice of Isabella Bria Lopez in the titular role, audiences attending Evita at Reagle Music Theater can expect a sumptuous and satisfying experience.

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