‘Murder for Two’ Is A Goofy, Musical Valentine to Classic Whodunits.

November 1, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Will McGarrahan and Jared Troilo in “Murder for Two” at Greater Boston Stage
Photos: Niles Scott Studios

‘Murder for Two’ — Book and Music by Joe Kinosian. Book and Lyrics by Kellen Blair. Directed by Tyler Rosati. Music Direction by Bethany Aiken; Scenic Design by Katy Monthei; Lighting Design by Matt Cost; Sound Design by Adam Smith. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main St., Stoneham, MA through Nov. 9.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Murder for Two is a loving parody of classic murder mysteries. A two-person musical, the 100-minute (no intermission) production is more vaudevillian revue than its genre’s prototypes, relying on gimmicks, songs, and quick changes to tell a familiar story in a new way.

Paul Melendy Soars in GBSC’s Fabulous ‘Featherbaby’

September 18, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Gabriel Graetz, Paul Melendy and Liv Dumaine in GBSC’s ‘Featherbaby’

‘Featherbaby’ — Written by David Templeton. Directed by Weylin Symes. Scenic Design by Katy Monthei; Lighting Design by Matt Cost; Costume Design by Deirdre Gerrard; Sound Design by Mackenzie Adamick. 1 hour 45 minutes, one intermission. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company at 395 Main St, Stoneham, MA, through September 28.

By Shelley A. Sackett

There are not enough words of praise to describe Paul Melendy’s sublime performance as the insightful, unfiltered and outrageously funny trash-talking parrot, Featherbaby, in the eponymous play now running in its co-world premiere through September 28 at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham. If you only see one production this entire season, this is the one that should be at the top of your list.

GBSC’s ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ Pays Hilarious Homage to Community Theater

April 2, 2025April 3, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of GBSC’s ‘*The Play That Goes Wrong*‘. Photos by Maggie Hall Photography

‘The Play That Goes Wrong’ – Conceived and written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields. Directed by Tyler Rosati; Original Scenic Design by Peter Colao; Scenic Design by Danielle Ibrahim; Lighting Design by Katie Whittemore; Costume Design by E. Rosser; Sound Design by James Cannon. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company at 395 Main Street, Stoneham through April 19th

By Mike Hoban

One of the beautiful things about live theater, in addition to the communal experience, is that literally anything can happen onstage. Dropped lines, missing props, doors that won’t open, and, sadly, even accidents that injure the actors (as happened with “Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark” in New York). All of these mishaps and more – way more – occur in rapid-fire succession during Greater Boston Stage Company’s (GBSC) riotous production of The Play That Goes Wrong, which also serves as an homage to the “show must go on!” determination of community and fringe theater troupes.

You Don’t Have To Be Irish To Love GBSC’s ‘The Irish And How They Got That Way’

March 6, 2025March 6, 2025 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

The cast of GBSC’s ‘The Irish And How They Got That Way’

Greater Boston Stage Company presents ‘The Irish And How They Got That Way’ by Frank McCourt. Original Music Arrangements by Rusty Magee. Directed by A. Nora Long. Music Director Kirsten Salpini. Scenic Design by Jeremy Barnett. Lighting Design by Amanda Fallon. Costume Design by Emily Woods Hogue. Sound Design by John Stone. At Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, through March 16, 2025.

By Linda Chin

Like the iconic (and remarkably inclusive for the 1960s & 70s) ad campaign that New Yorkers of a certain vintage will fondly recall – featuring photo portraits of a young African American boy, Chinese man, Italian nonna, Native American elder, White (Irish?) cop, enjoying sandwiches with Levy’s Real Jewish Rye – you don’t have to be Irish to love the Greater Boston Stage Company’s production of The Irish and How They Got That Way.”

GBSC’s ‘Winter Wonderettes’ Serves Up a Nostalgic Holiday Treat

December 10, 2024December 10, 2024 Theater Mirror1 Comment

Lisa Kate Joyce,Talia Cutulle, Pearl Scott, and Sarah Morin in GBSC’s ‘Winter Wonderettes’

‘Winter Wonderettes’ – Written and Created by Roger Bean. Directed and Choreographed by Sara Coombs. Musical Direction by Lea Peterson; Scenic Design by Rachel Rose Roberts; Lighting Design by John Holmes; Costume Design by Kelly Baker; Sound Design by John Stone. Presented by the Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, the production runs through December 22nd.

by Judy Katzman

It’s that wonderful time of year when classic Christmas songs can be heard everywhere – on car radios, in malls, offices, and restaurants. The songs are a festive soundtrack that plays in the background as we go about our busy lives. If you are looking for a theater experience that allows you to jump back in time and be bathed in the spirit of the holiday season, Winter Wonderettes fills the bill. During the two-hour show, some of the most beloved and well-known Christmas songs are brought to life by a talented four-woman cast with flair, humor, and plenty of nostalgia.

Melendy, Wise Deliver a Physical Comedy Tour de Force in GBSC’s ‘Dinner for One’

November 7, 2024November 11, 2024 Theater Mirror1 Comment

Paul Melendy and Debra Wise in Greater Boston Stage Company’s‘Dinner for One’

‘Dinner for One’ – Written by Christina Baldwin, Sun Mee Chomet, and Jim Lichtscheidl. Weylin Symes (Director); Katy Monthei (Scenic Designer); Jeff Adelberg (Lighting Designer); Deirdre Gerrard (Costume Designer); David Remedios (Sound Design); Tim Goss (Music Director). Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company through November 17, 2024.

The Greater Boston Stage Company has opened its 2024-2025 season with a new look, renovating its historic theater (originally built in 1917) including new seats, re-configuring its seating area to create a more intimate feel, and eliminating the poorly conceived all-gender restrooms (much to the relief of its older patrons, one imagines). But it’s the addition of comic powerhouse Paul Melendy to the company’s stable of talent that has given the theater its biggest boost in recent years. While that assessment may be a bit hyperbolic, there’s no underestimating the impact his performances have had on the company since Boston theater emerged from the pandemic in 2021. Since then, he’s appeared in a half-dozen (mostly comic) productions at GBSC, including the brilliant one-man show “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” which earned him the Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Solo Performance in 2022.

GBSC’s “Guys and Dolls” Is A Cool Glass of Summer Refreshment

June 22, 2024 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Jared Troilo, Lisa Kate Joyce in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Guys and Dolls’
Photos by Gillian Gordon

“Guys and Dolls.” Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling. Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser. Directed/Choreographed by Ceit Zweil. Musical Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, through June 30.

By Shelley A. Sackett

When it comes to bubbly, breezy, musical fare, Greater Boston Stage Company is as reliable as it gets and “Guys and Dolls,” in production through June 30, is further proof.

An Entertaining “Guys and Dolls” at Greater Boston Stage Company

June 17, 2024June 17, 2024 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of “Guys and Dolls” at Greater Boston Stage Company. Photos by Gillian Gordon

“Guys and Dolls”. Book by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling. Music and Lyrics by Frank Loesser. Directed/Choreographed by Ceit Zweil. Musical Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, through June 30.

By Michele Markarian

A question that often comes up in theatrical circles is, “What musicals make your top 10 list?” “Guys and Dolls,” with its catchy score by Frank Loesser and winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1951, typically makes the list. Ceit Zweil’s lively direction and choreography and Jon Savage’s pared-down, jazzy scenic design make this production a fun one to watch.

‘Dial M For Murder’ a Worthy Addition to GBSC’s Murder Mystery Canon

May 15, 2024May 15, 2024 Theater Mirror1 Comment

Lily Kaufman, Robert Murphy, Kimberlee Connor and Michael Ryan Buckley in Greater Boston Stage’s “Dial M for Murder.” Photos: Maggie Hall Photography

‘Dial M For Murder’ – Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the original play by Frederick Knott; Directed By Weylin Symes; Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg; Scenic Design by Katy Monthei; Costume Design byDeirdre Gerrard; Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Presented by the Greater Boston Stage Company at 395 Main St, Stoneham, through May 19

by Mike Hoban

The Greater Boston Stage Company has long been a go-to venue for musicals, including classics like 42^nd Street, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and last year’s Eliot Norton Award winner, Ain’t Misbehavin’, with fan favorite Guys and Dolls set to go up in June. In recent years, though, they’ve delved into another niche genre: murder mysteries, including a pair of Miss Holmes productions (starring Marge Dunn as a kind of neurodivergent Sherlock Holmes) as well as a riotous version of The 39 Steps in 2021 (although it was far more comedic than mystery) and Clue, another murder mystery comedy.

Starboard, Overboard, Never Bored in GBSC’s ‘Titanish’

March 13, 2024March 13, 2024 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

‘Titanish’ – Written by Jeff Shell & Ryan Dobosh. Music by Mark Siano. Directed by Tyler Rosati. Music Direction by Avery Bargar. Scenic Design by Rachel Rose Burke. Lighting Design by John Holmes. Costume Design by Bethany Mullins. Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Properties Design by Emily Allinson. At Greater Boston Stage Company, 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA, through March 17, 2024

by Linda Chin

Making its East Coast premiere at Greater Boston Stage Company, the play Titanish, by Jeff Shell and Ryan Dobos, is a parody – not of the tragic event of 1912 that killed nearly 1500 people, nor the Broadway production of 1977 that won five Tony Awards, including “Best Musical,” but of the Oscar-winning “Best Picture” of 1998 that was the first to gross $1 billion worldwide. I don’t associate the movie ‘Titanic’ – nor its characters Jack and Rose (the roles that thrust Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet into stardom overnight) with comedy. In fact, the only time I recall laughing with the Titanic as the subject matter is the old joke with the punchline, “Iceberg, Goldberg, what’s the difference?”