Haunting, Harmonious and Hopeful, ‘Hadestown’ is Back in Boston

Matthew Patrick Quinn and Amaya Braganza in ‘Hadestown’ atthe Boch Wang Center.
Photo by T. Charles Erickson

‘Hadestown’Music, Lyrics & Book by Anaïs Mitchell. Developed with & Directed by Rachel Chavkin. Music Supervisor & Vocal Arrangements by Liam Robinson. Choreographed by David Neumann. At the Boch Wang Center through April 28

By Linda Chin

The intoxicating, eight-time Tony Award-winning Hadestown is back in Boston for a limited run, giving fans the opportunity to experience its otherworldly magic for the first, second, or eighth time. Haunting but harmonious and hopeful, Hadestown is a musical retelling of the distinct but interwoven love stories of two couples – Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone, rooted in Greek mythology. The overarching themes of climate change and capitalism, the ruthless dictator Hades, who sings about building walls, and the blend of musical traditions bring these centuries-old tales to contemporary times.

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Campy ‘Evil Dead the Musical’ Delivers Comic Gore, Laughs

Evil Dead the Musical: The HD Tour – Book and Lyrics by George Reinblatt;Music by Frank Cipolla, Christopher Bond, Melissa Morris & George Reinblatt; Additional Lyrics by Christopher Bond; Additional Music by Rob Daleman; Based on characters created by Sam Raimi. Presented Roshi Entertainment in a special arrangement with Renaissance Pictures LTD & StudioCanal at the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Theatre, 539 Tremont St., Boston, through February 25

by Mike Hoban

Broadway has a history of turning pretty good movies into bad musicals. Think Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark (ironically based on the 2002 Spider-Man movie by Sam Raimi, who also wrote and directed the Evil Dead movies on which Evil Dead the Musical is based) and too many others to count. But Off-Broadway had huge success turning a bad/campy horror movie into a stage success with Little Shop of Horrors. And while Evil Dead the Musical doesn’t quite reach those heights of artistic excellence, it’s a whacked-out good time – especially for fans of the cult classic movies.

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Blue Man Group Presses the Refresh Button while Keeping the Best of Its Core

Blue Man Group

‘Blue Man Group’ – Created, Written and Directed by Matt Goldman, Phil Stanton and Chris Wink. Lighting Design by Matthew McCarthy; Set Design by David Gallo; Video Design by Caryl Glaab. Presented by Blue Man Productions at The Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton St., Boston. Ongoing.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Blue Man Group is a global entertainment phenomenon known for its award-winning theatrical productions, unique characters and multiple creative explorations. With its all-new 2024 show at The Charles Playhouse, it has upped the ante on its high-energy production with new music, two new acts and a finale that feels like a Las Vegas New Year’s Eve celebration, complete with streamers, confetti and bubbles.

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Small Town, Big Dreams in Lyric’s ‘Rooted’

Katherine Callaway, Karen MacDonald, and Lisa Tucker in ‘Rooted’ at the Lyric

Written by Deborah Zoe Laufer. Directed by Courtney O’Connor. Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland, Costume Design by Chelsea Kerl, Lighting Design by Karen Perlow, Original Music and Sound Co-Design by Dewey Dellay, and Sound Co-Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Properties by Lauren Corcuera.

by Linda Chin

In crafting Rooted, the story of two small-town, medium-aged women with big dreams, playwright Deborah Zoe Laufer returned to her childhood roots in the Catskills for inspiration. Besides Hazel (Karen MacDonald), an energetic, fast-talking waitress and primary caregiver of her younger sister, Emery (Lisa Tucker), who has a physical disability and uses a walker, the fictional town of Millerville’s inhabitants include Stuart, Giancarlo, and dozens of other potted plants who live with the people-phobic, biophilic Emery in a tree house – named Mabel – that she hasn’t emerged from in over a decade. There are also lots of animals – birds in the sky above, cows in the pasture below. From the safety of the tree house, Emery does plant research and broadcasts her results via YouTube, and is satisfied with having no direct human contact – just peace, calm, and quiet. In contrast, Hazel is dissatisfied and bored with small-town life, and though she loves her sister deeply, she desperately wants to escape.   

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Women Stand Strong in Boch Center’s Magnificent ‘The Color Purple’

 

by Mike Hoban

 

The Color Purple – Based on the novel by Alice Walker; Book by Marsha Norman; Directed by John Doyle. Music and Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray; Set Design by John Doyle, Costumes by Ann Hould-Ward; Lighting by Jane Cox; Sound by Dan Moses Schreier. Presented by the Boch Center Shubert Theatre through December 3.

 

For those who believe that pain and suffering are indeed the gateways to a spiritual life, then Celie, the central character of The Color Purple, must surely be the poster girl for that philosophy. Celie suffers through presumed incest, teen pregnancy, and losing her children all by the time she turns 15, and the years that follow don’t get much better. But through persistence and prayer she endures her trials and tribulations and transforms herself into a strong woman of dignity and honor before our eyes.

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