A.R.T.s ‘Ocean Filibuster’ Drowns in Good Intentions

March 4, 2022March 6, 2022 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Photos by Maggie HallJennifer Kidwell in A.R.T.s ‘Ocean Filibuster’. Photos by Maggie Hall

by Mike Hoban

Created by PearlDamour; Text by Lisa D’Amour; Music by Sxip Shirey; Directed by Katie Pearl; Scenic Design by Jian Jung; Music Direction by Sxip Shirey; Costume Design by Olivera Gajic; Lighting Design by Thomas Dunn; Sound Design by Germán Martínez; Projection Design by Tal Yarden. Presented by the American Repertory Theater and commissioned and developed through a collaboration with the Harvard University Center for the Environment. Through March 13 at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St. Cambridge, with a digital version available to stream March 9 – 27

Climate change is clearly the greatest threat to the continued existence of the planet as we know it – potentially impending nuclear war with Russia notwithstanding – but as we saw at the latest United Nations climate change summit in Glasgow this past fall, the folks in charge don’t seem all that willing to do anything about it. Despite the grandstanding from heads of state to phase-out coal power and subsidies for fossil fuels, nothing was codified, so it looks like we’ll just burn for another decade or two, until the megastorms and rising seas finally do us in.

“Wild: A Musical Becoming” Soars at A.R.T.

December 12, 2021December 23, 2021 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast of “Wild: A Musical Becoming” at A.R.T. Photo Credits Maggie Hall – Nile Scott Studios

by Michele Markarian

“Wild: A Musical Becoming”. Book by V (formerly Eve Ensler). Music by Justin Tranter and Caroline Pennell, with contributions by Eren Cannata. Lyrics by Justin Tranter, Caroline Pennell and V, with contributions by Idina Menzel. Directed by Diane Paulus. Presented by American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through January 2.

Admittedly, I was not 100% enthused about seeing a musical theater piece about climate change that was billed as a script-in-hand, concert production, but being a huge Idina Menzel fan, as well as a concerned citizen for the climate, I decided it might be worth it. Having seen it, I can say with conviction that even if you are not an Idina Menzel fan and are oblivious to the climate crisis, run, don’t walk, to your keyboard and order tickets to this musical happening. This is by far one of the most electrifying and energizing shows I have seen all year, delivering its urgent message with heart and hope. From the exuberant, toe tapping opening number by the entire cast of “Mouths to Feed”, the audience knew we were in for something special.

Whitney White and Friends Deliver a Rockin’ ‘MacBeth’ at the A.R.T.

November 1, 2021November 5, 2021 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*Whitney White, Phoenix Best, Reggie D. White, and Kira Helper in ‘Macbeth In Stride’ at the A.R.T. Photos by Lauren Miller*

by Mike Hoban

‘Macbeth in Stride’ – Created and performed by Whitney White; Directed by Tyler Dobrowsky and Taibi Magar; Choreography Raja Feather Kelly; Orchestrations by Steven Cuevas and Whitney White; Music Director, Steven Cuevas; Scenic Design, Dan Soule; Sound Design, Alex Giorgetti; Lighting Design, Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew; Costume Design, Qween Jean. Presented by American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through November 14.

Shakespeare has never been particularly kind to women, with many of his tragic “heroines” not making it through to the end of the play. Whether they died by their own hand, accident, or were murdered, the common thread has always been that they were generally partners to powerful men that were grossly insecure, paranoid or outright lunatics (Romeo aside). Lady Macbeth, the most brutally determined of all of Shakespeare’s women, is the driving force behind her husband’s ascension to the throne, convincing him to commit murder, but is rewarded for her blind ambition by going mad and committing suicide – offstage no less.

“This Is Who I Am” Delivers Reconciliation and Healing

December 16, 2020December 16, 2020 Henry HarveyLeave a comment

*Ramsey Faragallah (left) and Yousof Sultani (right) in ‘This Is Who I Am’. Photo: PlayCo/Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company*

by Michele Markarian

“This Is Who I Am”, by Amir Nizar Zuabi. Directed by Evren Odcikin. Presented by PlayCo and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, in association with American Repertory Theater at Harvard University, the Guthrie Theater, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival through January 3.

The kitchens that Dad (Ramsay Faragallah) and Son (Yousof Sultani) inhabit in their respective homes on Zoom (Dad’s in Palestine, Son’s in Manhattan) could not be more different. Dad’s is old fashioned cabinetry and clutter, Son’s is modern white and clean lines. They have come before one another to recreate a recipe that the woman who was Dad’s wife/Son’s mother used to make. It is obvious from the start that she is the glue that held their family together, and without her, Dad and Son are struggling to make sense of their relationship.

The Iconic and Timely Message of ‘Gloria: A Life’

February 1, 2020February 1, 2020 michaelhobanLeave a comment

*The cast of ‘Gloria: A Life’ at the A.R.T. – Photos: ©APrioriPhotography.com*

By Michele Markarian

“Gloria: A Life” – Written by Emily Mann. Directed by Diane Paulus. Presented by American Repertory Theater, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through March 1

“Social justice movements start with people siting in a circle,” Gloria Steinem (Patricia Kalember) informs the audience sitting in the round at American Repertory Theater at the beginning of Gloria: A Life. A shy woman who wanted to become a political journalist, Steinem became an unlikely spokesperson of the women’s movement. For those of us who grew up in the 60s and 70s, Steinem was our touchstone, the person who, unflappable and balanced, represented all that we were becoming. Her book, “Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions” was de rigeur feminist reading in the 80s. Yet, as is unfolded during the 100 minutes of Gloria: A Life, she was supported and pushed by many insistent and persistent female voices, including ours.

A.R.T.’s ‘Moby Dick’ Rocks Theatrical Conventions

December 16, 2019December 16, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Cast, audience members in A.R.T.’s ‘Moby Dick’ – Photos by Maria Baranova

by Mike Hoban

Moby Dick – Music, Lyrics, Book, and Orchestrations by Dave Malloy; Developed with and Directed by Rachel Chavkin; Based on Moby-Dick by Herman Melville; Music Direction and Supervision by Or Matias; Choreography by Chanel DaSilva; Mimi Lien, Scenic Design; Hidenori Nakajo, Sound Design; Bradley King, Lighting Design; Brenda Abbandandolo, Costume Design; Eric F. Avery, Puppet Design and Puppet Direction. Presented by American Repertory Theater, at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through Jan. 12

There are a lot of adjectives one could apply to Moby Dick, the musical adaptation of the novel now being given its world premiere at the A.R.T., but “boring” would not be one of them. Considering the source material and the three-and-a-half hour run time, that may come as a bit of a surprise, but given the success that Dave Malloy and much of the same creative team that adapted (a portion) of “War and Peace” into Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet, maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise at all.

Jomama Jones and ‘Black Light’ Shine Brightly at Oberon

September 24, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Jomama Jones in ‘Black Light’ at Oberon. Photos by Yazi Ferrufino)

by Mike Hoban

Black Light – Original Songs by Jomama Jones. With Bobby Halvorson, Laura Jean Anderson, Dylan Meek, Josh Quat. Additional Music by Samora Pinderhughes, Tariq Al-Sabir; Costume Design by Oana Botez; OBERON Lighting Design by Justin Paice; OBERON Sound Design; Alex Giorgetti. Presented by theAmerican Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Oberon, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridgethrough September 29

“What if I told you it’s going to be alright?, asks Jomama Jones, the glamorous and statuesque star of Black Light at the opening of her compelling and entertaining cabaret style piece now playing at Oberon. If you’re one of those folks who sometimes wakes in the morning wondering whether or not you (and all of us) ARE going to be alright, Jomama and Black Light may be just the diversion you’re looking for. Employing a diverse list of original R&B, disco and pop songs that sounds like they could have been lifted from a 1970’s episode of Soul Train, and mixing in stories from her childhood that are initially hilarious but ultimately moving, this is a show that moves beyond simple entertainment and touches the realm of the spiritual.

American Repertory Theater Scores a Perfect Ten with “Six”

September 2, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Catherine Parr (Anna Uzele, at center) performs “I Don’t Need Your Love” in SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage. Photo: Liz Lauren

By Michele Markarian

“Six” by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage. Presented by American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through September 29.

Last May, in London and desperate for some theater on a Sunday afternoon, I blindly bought what was the last ticket to a show in the West End called “Six”. I had low expectations about a musical revue performed by Henry VIII’s wives, but my seatmate, a young man from Italy, told me in an authoritative tone, “You will LOVE it. It is SO much fun. This is my second time seeing it.” Sure I will, I thought, but eighty minutes later, with a few glittery strands of gold foil stuck to my hair and in my purse, the young man had been right. I called my husband and fellow Tudor buff the next day to tell him what a fantastic show it had been. “I think it’s playing in Chicago,” I said. “Should we go? I want to see it!” he asked. Luckily, we didn’t have to, because American Repertory Theater, in association with the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, is producing this smart, funny and wildly entertaining show in Cambridge.

A.R.T. Continues to Bring Musicals into the 21st Century with Electric Historical Comedy ‘SIX’

August 27, 2019August 28, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

Catherine of Aragon (Adrianna Hicks, at center) performs “No Way” in SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage Photo: Liz Lauren

By Mike Hoban

Six – By Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss; Directed by Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage; Choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille; Music Supervision by Joe Beighton; Music Direction Roberta Duchak; Orchestrations by Tim Curran; Scenic Design by Emma Bailey; Costume Design by Gabriella Slade; Lighting Design by Tim Deiling; Sound Design Paul Gatehouse. Presented by the American Repertory Theatre in arrangement with Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes, George Stiles and Kevin McCollum in association with Chicago Shakespeare Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge through September 29.

The A.R.T. is getting the early jump on the 2019-2020 season with Broadway-bound British import SIX, and like last year’s brilliant new work and season opener, The Black Clown, it’s got an appeal that extends far beyond the typical theater base (read white and older – two constituencies of which I am a member). But that’s where the similarities between the two pieces end. While Black Clown was an often heart-wrenching artistic masterpiece chronicling the American black experience from slavery through the 1930’s, SIX is an unadulterated blast of fun – despite the extreme misogynistic abuse suffered by our protagonists at the hands of husband Henry the VIII. SIX refers to the number of “Ex-Wives” (the title of the opening number) who were “divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived” at the hands of Henry – as the children’s rhyme from the UK television and book series Horrible Histories so succinctly summed up.

A.R.T.’s ‘We Live in Cairo’ Gives the Children of the Revolution a Voice

May 29, 2019May 29, 2019 michaelhobanLeave a comment

(Cast of A.R.T.’s ‘We Live in Cairo’ – Photos: Evgenia Eliseeva)

by Mike Hoban

‘We Live in Cairo’ – Book, Music, and Lyrics by Daniel & Patrick Lazour. Directed by Taibi Magar. Choreography by Samar Haddad King; Music Direction by Madeline Smith. Presented by American Repertory Theater at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge, through June 16.

The American Repertory Theater’s engaging production of We Live in Cairo, a musical retelling of the Arab Spring protests that led to the end of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year reign, is further proof that convention-defying musicals can be lot more satisfying than some of the formulaic pablum being offered up on Broadway stages in recent years. This latest work continues a run of adventurous original musicals by the A.R.T., and follows up last year’s edgy jukebox musical Jagged Little Pill and the magnificent 2018-2019 season opener The Black Clown with an unconventional piece from newcomers Daniel & Patrick Lazour, a pair of twenty-somethings from Boylston, MA. And while Cairo lacks the blockbuster score (by Alanis Morrissette) of Jagged or the sheer artistry of Black Clown, it’s an ambitious and creative first effort.