GBSC’s “Being Earnest” Gives Wilde Classic a Superb Musical Reworking

September 16, 2018September 17, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Review by Tony Annicone

The 19th season opener of Greater Boston Stage is the East Coast premiere of “Being Earnest”, the musical version of “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde which was one of his most successful plays during his lifetime. The musical was written by Paul Gordon and Jay Gruska. The original show was a satirical drawing room comedy written in 1895 but the musical moves the time period up to 1965. The author explains that the social mores of 1965 (two years before the summer of love) were similar to those of the Victorian era. The fashion coming out on Carnaby Street in the 60’s was inspired by some of the fashion of the Victorian era. Gordon and Gruska adapted Wilde’s play and stayed true to its storyline, and added music with some of Wilde’s lines as lyrics for some of them.

“DEATHTRAP” The Players, Providence, RI

September 15, 2018October 17, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The opening show of The Players’ 110th season is “Deathtrap”, a thriller by Ira Levin. Alan Hawkridge directs this show with keen insight to guide his five member cast with all the clever twists and turns of this script that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. This show takes place in the Westport, Connecticut home of famous playwright, Sidney Bruhl who is having a dry spell with his writing and is trying to write his current script. Unfortunately he has had a string of failures and is suffering from a shortage of funds.

‘Hamilton’ Rightfully Garners Thunderous Applause

September 15, 2018September 30, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

By Sheila Barth

BOX INFO: The national touring company of author-composer-lyricist Manuel Lin Miranda’s Broadway two-act, 2 1/2 hour musical through Nov. 18 at the Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., Boston: Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2,8 p.m.; Sunday, 1, 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m.Ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster, 800-982-2787, social media channels. Tickets, $84.50-$199.50, premium seats, if available, $569.50. HAM4HAM lottery, visit https://boston.broadway.com/HamiltonInformation/

While attending the second night of the national touring company of Manuel Lin Miranda’s Broadway two-act, 2 1/2 hour, trailblazing 11 Tony Award-winning, musical, “Hamilton,” at Boston’s Opera House, I heard several people remark excitedly, “I’ve waited two years to see this play!”

NSMT’s ‘Jekyll & Hyde’ A Perfect Prelude to Halloween

September 15, 2018December 27, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

By Sheila Barth

BOX INFO: Two-act Broadway Gothic musical thriller, book by Leslie Bricusse, music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Bricusse, Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, appearing at Bill Hanney’s North Shore Music Theatre62 Dunham Road, Beverly through Oct.7: Tuesday-Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday matinees, 2 pm. $59-$84. 978-232-7200, nsmt.org.

North Shore Music Theatre’s powerful production of the musical horror drama, “Jekyll and Hyde,” loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 classic mystery-horror novella, “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is far more moving, and sensational on stage than in print or movie adaptations. And this is the time for families to see and experience it- pre-Halloween – when witches, goblins, monsters and evil-doers roam the streets.

BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY

September 15, 2018October 12, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

by Sheila Barth

Two-act, two-hour dark urban comedy by Stephen Adly Guirgis. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company, through Oct. 13: Boston Center for the Arts, Roberts Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion,527 Tremont St., Boston.

We meet a menagerie of characters, colorfully depicted and recreated, in SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of Stephen Adly Guirgis’s two-act, two-hour 2015 Pulitzer Prize-winning dark urban comedy, ”Between Riverside and Crazy”. The play is currently making its New England premiere through this Saturday, Oct. 13.

Read more “BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY”

HOW I LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE (Wilbury Theatre Group)

September 13, 2018September 24, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

The current show at Wilbury Theatre Group is The Pulitzer Prize winning “How I Learned How to Drive” by Paula Vogel. The story revolves around a teenager’s driving lessons and still delivers an emotional punch this some twenty years later. “How I Learned How to Drive” traverses taboo territory with humor, heart and empathy. They sensitively establish the intense, if unhealthy rapport between a sympathetic pedophile and a niece who learns a lot more than she needs to know from him. This memory play contain the memories of the narrator, L’il Bit a grown woman looking back on her white-trash family and rural upbringing in Maryland in the 1960’s and 70’s.

“SISTER ACT” – Little Theatre of Fall River

September 12, 2018December 27, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Reviewed by Tony Annicone

Little Theatre of Fall River’s first musical of their season is “Sister Act”, the international smash hit musical based on the mega-hit, 1992 film that starred Whoppi Goldberg. This group spares no expense in bringing the highest quality costumes to this show. When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in one place that cops think she can’t be found: a convent. Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and the uptight Mother Superior. Using her unique talents to inspire the choir, Deloris breathes new life into the church, but in doing so, blows her cover. Soon it is nun-on-the-run time but she finds salvation in the heavenly power of her newly found sisterhood. This musical hit contains a vast array of musical styles from Motown, soul and funk to great big disco anthems and Barry White inspired musical comedy. Director Jeff Belanger always does a topnotch job with his musicals and “Sister Act” is no exception to that rule. He obtains high energy and topnotch quality from his whole cast with his keen insight into these comic characters. The terrific musical direction is by Bobby Perry who taught the infectious and melodic score to this talented cast. Dan Snizek conducts a eight piece orchestra, while the high energy choreography is by Erin Cote and Mary Wrobleski. The sets are by Jeff and scenic designer Shawn Elliott while the multitude of gorgeous costumes are by Trisha Berner with the nun costumes by Johnny Cagno. All their combined efforts plus hard working stage managers, John Nunes-Sylvia and Rick Couitt, create a topnotch musical treat that had the opening night audience on their feet cheering the talent of all these individuals.

Strong Performances Drive New Rep’s Engaging “Straight White Men”

September 10, 2018September 12, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

By Michele Markarian

“Straight White Men” – Written by Young Jean Lee. Directed by Elaine Vaan Hogue. Presented by New Repertory Theatre, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown through September 30.

“For a play entitled “Straight White Men”, the opening of Young Jean Lee’s New England premiere is more than a little curious. The action is framed by Person in Charge (Dev Blair) – a young person who appears to be black, non-binary, gay or trans – who, after a rousing curtain speech, poses the characters in position to begin the scene. Three brothers, Matt (Shelley Bolman), Drew (Michael Kaye) and Jake (Dennis Trainor Jr.) have all gathered in their childhood home to celebrate Christmas, along with their father, Ed (Ken Cheeseman). But Person in Charge is a huge part of the backbone of the boys’ thinking and upbringing. Their deceased Mom gave them a hyper-awareness of political correctness, even going so far as to create a game for them called “Privilege”, where players pick from two piles of cards, one labeled “Excuses” (“What I just said wasn’t racist/sexist/homophobic because I was joking. Pay $50 to an LGBT organization,” says Jake), and the other, Denial.

A.R.T’s “The Black Clown” a Searing New Work

September 7, 2018September 8, 2018 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

by Mike Hoban

The Black Clown – Adapted from Langston Hughes poem by Davóne Tines and Michael Schachter; Music by Michael Schachter; Music Direction by Jaret Landon; Choreography by Chanel DaSilva; Directed by Zack Winokur; Scenic & Costume Design by Carlos Soto; Lighting Design by John Torres; Sound Design by Kai Harada. Presented by the American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Mainstage, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge through September 23

Reading Langston Hughes’ poem The Black Clown after experiencing the world premiere of this stunning new work of the same title, it’s pretty amazing to see how literal the interpretation of the poem is – especially considering the complexity of the music, dance and movement in the piece. The original poem is broken into two sections, “The Mood”, which essentially reads like bare-boned stage directions, and “The Poem”, which provides all of the lyrics for the entire production – despite being just 17 stanzas long. The Black Clown, said Hughes, is “a dramatic monologue to be spoken by a pure-blooded Negro in the white suit and hat of a clown, to the music of a piano or an orchestra.”

Lyric Casts a Seductive Spell with “Kiss of the Spider Woman”

September 4, 2018September 4, 2018 Theater Mirror1 Comment

By Michele Markarian

‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ – Book by Terrence McNally. Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Based on the novel by Manuel Puig. Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Bertone. Musical Director, Dan Rodriguez. Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland. Costume Design by Marian Bertone. Lighting Design by Frank Meissner Jr. Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Presented by Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, MA, through October 7.

I have to admit, I had little curiosity about this musical. The score is not something you hear a lot, with the exception of “Kiss of the Spider Woman”, and I’d never seen the film – too many of my gay friends had complained about William Hurt’s performance not being authentic enough. The Lyric Stage’s production is a marvelous revelation, with wonderful acting and a sophisticated score that will leave you wondering why this musical isn’t performed more often.