Aimee Doherty (center) and cast in Lyric Stage’s ‘Hello Dolly! Photos by Mark S. Howard
‘Hello, Dolly!’ – Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman; Book by Michael Stewart; Based on “The Matchmaker” by Thornton Wilder; Directed by Maurice Emmanuel Parent; Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez; Choreography by Ilyse Robbins; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Kelly Baker; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Sound Design by Alex Berg. Presented by Lyric Stage Company at 140 Clarendon St., Boston, through June 22nd.
By Mike Hoban
In a world that seems to add a new layer of black clouds with each 24-hour news cycle, the Lyric Stage has gifted theatergoers with a joyous revival of the Jerry Herman-Michael Stewart Broadway classic Hello Dolly! The production, directed with panache by Maurice Emmanuel Parent, is essentially the theatrical equivalent of a blast of nitrous oxide – delivering laughter and euphoria in large doses. In a show usually defined by the star power of its leading lady, Aimee Doherty (as Dolly) seizes the role and makes it her own in an endearing performance that ranks up there with any of her multiple Norton and IRNE Award-winning musical theater performances. And she is well-supported by a cast of ringers and talented (relative) newcomers.
MaConnia Chesser (center) and the cast of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding at SpeakEasy. Photos by Nile Scott Studios
‘Jaja’s African Hair Braiding’– Written by Jocelyn Bioh; Directed by Summer L. Williams; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Danielle Domingue Sumi; Lighting Design by Christopher Brusberg; Sound Design by Aubrey Dube. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company. At Roberts Studio Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. Through May 31.
By Mike Hoban
On its surface, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, now being presented by the Speakeasy Stage Company, is a bubbly slice of life comedy. Set in a women’s hair salon in Harlem that specializes in African hair braiding, the play offers a glimpse into the lives of a half-dozen West African women who work at the salon and their American customers. But bubbling just under the surface is a much weightier concern, one that has become increasingly relevant since the play debuted on Broadway in 2023 and has dominated recent headlines.
Sonnie Brown, Pisay Pao in MRT’s ‘What You Are Now’
‘What You Are Now’ by Sam Chanse. Directed by Steve Cosson. Scenic Design by Neil Patel. Costume Design by Yao Chen. Lighting Design by Brian J. Lilienthal. Sound Design by David Remedios. Presented by Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 50 E. Merrimack St., Lowell, MA, through May 11, 2025.
By Linda Chin
With a stirring production of What You Are Now closing a stellar seven-show season, Merrimack Repertory Theatre demonstrates its commitment to cultivating new works and community. Sam Chanse’s powerful play had its world premiere in NYC three years ago, but its current run (and New England premiere) at MRT carries special significance: this story about a young neuroscientist whose interest in traumatic memories stemming from her family’s history is actually set in Lowell, Massachusetts, and is bound to resonate deeply with diverse audiences.
Shonna McEachern, Liza Giangrande, and Kerry A. Dowling in Arts Umbrella’s ‘Spitfire Grill’ Photos by Jim Sabitus
The Spitfire Grill – Written by Fred Alley and James Valcq; Music by James Valcq; Lyrics by Fred Alley; Director and Choreographer Ilyse Robbins; Music Director Jack Cline; Lighting Design by Karen Perlow; Sound Design by Alex Berg; Scenic Design by Janie E. Howland; Costume Design by Kelly Baker.Presented by The Umbrella Stage Company at 40 Stow St., Concord, through May 18.
By Mike Hoban
If you’ve been disappointed by the artistic emptiness of the string of popular movies that Broadway has turned into mediocre shows in recent years (A Christmas Story, Mean Girls, etc.), the Umbrella Stage Company and director Ilyse Robbins are offering up a charming exception to the genre with the quietly beautiful The Spitfire Grill. Based on the 1996 movie starring Ellen Burstyn, this touching musical has what its glitzier counterparts lack – a genuine heart. Spitfire Grill asks the musical question, “If a wound goes real deep, (will) the healing of it hurt almost as bad as what caused it?” The production answers the query with a blend of thoughtfully crafted folk and Americana tunes, performed brilliantly by an outstanding cast of Boston musical theater stalwarts and relative newcomers.
Cast of Sullivan Rep’s ‘Company’ (Dan Sullivan center, Meghan Rose, Kevin Hanley, foreground)
Sullivan Rep presents ‘Company’ – Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by George Furth. Direction & Choreography by Dan Sullivan. Musical Direction by Andrew Wray. Hair & Makeup Design by Bridget Sullivan. Costume Design by Dan Sullivan. Lighting Design by Erik Fox. Properties Design by Rick Grenier. Sound Design by Andrew Mulholland. At the American Legion Nonantum Post 440, Newton. Run has ended.
By Linda Chin
Once again, Sullivan Rep has shown that they are the little company that could — do justice to the work of late, great musical theater giant Stephen Sondheim, that is. Last year’s production of A Little Night Music garnered Norton nominations for Outstanding Musical (in good company with established giants ART, SpeakEasy, Central Square & Front Porch) and Outstanding Musical Direction (Jenny Tsai). Sullivan Rep’s limited engagement (four-show run) of Company on Easter/Passover holiday weekend has ended – but could easily have been enjoyed by another hundred people – or two, three, or four hundred more – if an extension, or expanded audience capacity, had been possible.
Cast of Moonbox Productions’ “Crowns” at Arrow Street Arts. Photos: Chelcy Garrett
Moonbox Productions presents ‘Crowns’ by Regina Taylor, adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Mayberry. Regine Vital, Director. David Coleman, Musical Director. Davron Monroe, Associate Director. Kurt Douglas, Choreographer. Isaak Olson, Lighting Designer. Baron E. Pugh, Scenic Designer. James Cannon, Sound Designer. Danielle Ibrahim, Props Designer. E Rosser, Costume Designer. Schanaya Barrows, Wig Designer. At Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow Street, Cambridge, through May 4, 2025.
By Linda Chin
At Arrow Street Arts in Cambridge, American playwright Regina Taylor’s award-winning Crowns – the most performed musical in the country in 2006 – is getting the royal treatment from resident company Moonbox Productions. As are the audience members. Based on a series of ‘Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats’ whose images and personal narratives were captured by photographer Michael Cunningham and journalist Craig Mayberry in their book of the same name, Crowns takes us on a journey that teaches us about the significance of hats in Black culture, tantalizes us with glorious gospel, soul and hip hop sounds and treats us to the work of talented theater artists.
Cast of Lyric Stage’s ‘The Great Reveal’ Photos by Mark S. Howard
Lyric Stage Boston presents ‘The Great Reveal.’ Written by David Valdes. Directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary and Charlotte Snow. Scenic Design by Baron E. Pugh. Costume Design by E. Rosser. Lighting Design by Christopher Brusberg. Sound Design by Kai Bohlman. At Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through April 27, 2025.
By Linda Chin
With concern about revenues and audience attendance – particularly post-pandemic – many theater companies have been skittish about including new titles or playwrights in their seasons. Lyric Stage Boston has boldly programmed a new work, The Great Reveal, by playwright David Valdes, as their spring 2025 production, right before the popular classic Hello, Dolly! as their season closer.
Antonia (Toni) Turilli and Jupiter Lê
The Great Reveal is about a gender reveal party hosted by Lexi and Christopher, a married and expectant cis couple. Set in 2020 during the pandemic, all of the expected guests opt out, except for two – Lexi’s brother, Linus, and his partner, Dosia, a trans couple. Linus and Dosia are conflicted – not only about condoning a celebration that reaffirms society’s gender binarism, but also with each other – Dosia has a plan up her sleeve for making her feelings known that might sabotage the event and damage their relationship; Linus wants to maintain a peaceful relationship with his sister.
Casting plays that put queer and trans characters in the foreground – which Valdes enjoys writing – can also be challenging. With directors Bridget Kathleen O’Leary (who directed Valdes’ The Mermaid Hour at Moonbox last year) and Charlotte Snow at the helm of an ensemble that includes Paige Clark as Lexi, Arthur Gomez as her husband Christopher, Jupiter Lê as Linus, and Antonia Turilli as Dosia, this four-hander dramedy is brought to life with authentic storytellers.
Lê and Paige Clark
Last seen at Lyric Stage in Yellowface (NWOAOC) and in many other productions around town, Jupiter Lê delivers a soft-spoken but powerfully-heard, seen, and felt portrayal of Linus and demonstrates his versatility as an actor. A recent graduate of Northeastern University, Jupiter is a queer trans masculine Vietnamese theater-maker who was born and raised in Boston.
Making her Lyric Stage debut with her portrayal of Dosia, actor Antonia (Toni) Turilli, a recent graduate of The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, who is a “proud transgender woman,” is positively luminous. Her passion for her artistry is palpable, and I look forward to seeing her onstage again.
Both Lê and Turilli seem younger than their characters are written, but they are well-matched and both possess a depth of maturity, poise, and lived experience that never caused a mismatch between their actual age and the script or took me out of the moment.
As the married cis couple Lexi and Christopher, Boston stage veterans Paige Clark and Arthur Gomez add their considerable acting talents to the ensemble (which notably includes 75% BIPOC actors despite none of the characters being specified as BIPOC in the script).
Arthur Gomez’ and Turilli
Playing Lexi in The Great Reveal marks Paige Clark’s Lyric Stage debut, and shows off her generosity as a scene partner. I found the scenes where Lexi and Linus recalled experiences from their childhood – both loving and rivalrous – and bonded over their parents’ limitations and absence (Valdes’ fifth character is their elderly father, who does not appear but whose stubbornness and sense of loneliness and isolation pervades the production) extremely moving – possibly because I couldn’t help but imagine him as an Asian dad like my own.
Returning to the Lyric Stage, where he appeared in Assassins and Kiss of the Spider Woman, Boston actor and director Arthur Gomez’ added humor and heart to the ensemble as father-to-be Christopher. To relieve his anxiety and relax his nerves, he took drugs that he got from Dosia. While amusing at first – and showing off Gomez’s comedy chops – he was high for much of the play/party, and these scenes dragged. (The play in general could benefit from some trimming and attention to pacing.) A scene towards the end of the play – a poignant flashback to Chris and Lexi’s wedding day – when Jupiter helps Chris tie his bow tie, cementing their bond as “brothers from another mother” was worth waiting for.
The life-sized working set, thoughtfully designed for the Lyric’s ¾ thrust stage by Scenic Designer Baron E. Pugh, contributed to this world premiere production’s artistic excellence. Set in a backyard in the Boston area, the clapboard-sided house, painted a lovely sage green, with patio sliders that open onto a fenced wooden deck, provides wonderful stage pictures and views from every seat in the audience and ample playing areas for the two-person scenes.
Turilli, Clark
In the Artist Spotlight in the show program, in response to the question “What has being a part of The Great Reveal meant to you?” Antonia Turilli (Dosia) states, “My hope is that audiences feel seen in the story we share with them, as these characters are truly not that different from any one of us.” Paige Clark (Lexi) notes, “I hope everyone watching gets a chance to recognize their shadow self and find ways to heal it.” My favorite moment was a flashback scene on the beach when Lexi and Dosia connect and bond as the sisters they’ve each wanted. Heartfelt and real, they showed us that their friendship’s foundation was strong enough to withstand some hard conversations. I also related to the important role that chosen family members have in my own life. For more information and tickets, go to: https://www.lyricstage.com/
FlawBored’s Aarian Mehrabani, Samuel Brewer, and Chloe Palmer. Photo Credits: Alex Brenner
‘It’s A Motherf**king Pleasure’ – Written by Samuel Brewer, Aarian Mehrabani and Chloe Palmer. Directed by Josh Roche. Presented by ArtsEmerson at the Emerson Paramount Center, Jackie Liebergott Black Box, 559 Washington Street, Boston, through April 13, 2025
By Mike Hoban
ArtsEmerson’s latest offering, the incongruously-named It’s A Motherf$%*ing Pleasure by disability-led theatre company FlawBored, is a riotous, blistering indictment of identity politics that pushes audiences to look at their own discomfort when interacting with differently-abled or marginalized groups. The production uses ableism (defining people by their disabilities) as a springboard for the absurd lengths people sometimes go to attempt to make “others” feel comfortable – while it’s clear they’re grossly uncomfortable themselves. And although ableism is the focus of this show, it could easily be a stand-in for excessive white guilt or other well-intentioned but ultimately disingenuous gestures.
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.
Vincent Randazzo, Avanthika Srinivasan in Huntington’s ‘The Triumph of Love’. Photos by Liza Voll
The Huntington Theatre presents ‘The Triumph of Love. Written by Pierre de Marivaux. Adapted by Stephen Wadsworth. Directed by Loretta Greco. Scenic and Costume Design by Junghyun Georgia Lee. Hair, Wig, and Makeup Design by Tom Watson. Lighting Design by Christopher Akerlind. Composer and Sound Design by Fan Zhang. At The Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., Boston through April 6, 2025.
By Linda Chin
Much like its 2016 production of Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George, based on post-impressionist painter George Seurat’s ‘La Grande Jatte’ (1884), the action in playwright Pierre de Marivaux’s 1732 stylized French comedy The Triumph of Love takes place in a natural setting – and gives a nod to another French artist. In bringing Triumph to life, director (and artistic director) Loretta Greco, scenic and costume designer Junghyun Georgia Lee, and lighting designer Christopher Akerlind have created a visual feast that draws inspiration from Rococo painter Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s renowned ‘The Swing’ (1767), transforming the Huntington stage into “the gardens of Hermocrate’s country retreat,” replete with vines of ivy climbing the walls, lemon trees, rhododendrons, roses in bloom, and a luminous backdrop of a kaleidoscopic, cloud-swept sky. Completing the landscape, a stone bench with some ornamentation and a simple swing made of wood and ropes.
