GBSC’s ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ is a Horrific Good Time

June 23, 2025April 8, 2026 CJ WilliamsLeave a comment

Stephen Markarian, Kayla Shimizu in “Little Shop of Horrors.” Photo: Nile Scott Studios

‘Little Shop of Horrors’ – Written by Alan Menken; Book & Lyrics by Howard Ashman; Directed by Ilana Ransom Toeplitz; Music Direction by Bethany Aiken; Choreographed by Chris Shin; Stage managed by Shauwna Dias Grillo. Presented by Boston Stage Company, Stoneham, MA, through June 29.

By C.J. Williams

If you’ve never seen Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Little Shop of Horrors, now is the time. You couldn’t catch a better rendition of this bitingly smart, gut-splittingly goofy musical if you drove to Manhattan for a Broadway show. Running for one more weekend in Stoneham, Little Shop is the classic story of a downtrodden orphan who gets a break – or does he? Menken and Ashman, as a team, have a blast both playing with – and tossing out – the classic tropes of love, rags-to-riches, and fairy godmother/good luck. By the time they’re done, we’re breathless.

‘Beautiful’ at Reagle – Still Queen of the Jukebox Musicals

June 17, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ at Reagle Music Theatre

‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ – Book by Douglas McGrath. Words and Music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil. Directed and Choreographed by Deanna Dys; Music Director and Conductor Mindy Cimini; Scenic Design by Derek McLane; Costume Design by Alejo Vietti; Lighting Design by Franklin Meissner, Jr.; Sound Design by Sebastian Nixon; Costume Coordinator by Ellie De Lucia. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre at 617 Lexington St., Waltham through June 22^nd.

By Mike Hoban

There’s a reason that Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is such a popular choice for regional theaters: With a score that ranks with any Gershwin or Cole Porter collection of songs within a Broadway show, it’s nearly impossible to top musically. King launched her career as a singer in 1971 with her breakthrough album, Tapestry (with hits “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late”, “I Feel the Earth Move,” and a ton more), which is impressive enough, but Beautiful begins with her career as a teenaged songwriter, and the hits she penned with then-husband Gerry Goffin could easily fill a 1960’s jukebox by themselves. But it’s not just the music. What elevates Beautiful above most “jukebox” musicals is that the book has actual depth, even if some of the story elements are fictionalized.

Quirky, Funny and Flaky — NSMT’s ‘Waitress’ Is Feel-Good Summer Fare

June 9, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Christine Dwyer (Jenna) and Brandi Chavonne Massey (Becky) in WAITRESS at North Shore Music Photo©Paul Lyden

‘Waitress.’ Written by Jessie Nelson. Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles. Based on the motion picture written by Adrienne Shelly. Directed by Kevin P. Hill. Music Direction by Milton Granger; Choreography by Ashley Chasteen; Scenic and Lighting Design by Jack Mehler; Costume Design by Rebecca Glick; Sound Design by Alex Berg. Presented by North Shore Music Theatre, 54 Dunham Rd, Beverly, MA through June 15.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Who doesn’t love a thick slice of pie, especially in the summer when fresh fillings are ripe and especially sweet? “Sugar, butter, flour” is the mantra chanted like a lullaby throughout Waitress, the wonderfully staged musical now playing at North Shore Music Theatre. Although pie takes center stage throughout the almost two-and-a-half-hour performance (with one intermission), Waitress is no simple, indulgent, or sentimental high. Meaty themes like domestic abuse, infidelity, empowerment, motherhood, and self-fulfillment are the secret ingredients that keep the show rolling and the audience from lapsing into a sugar coma.

Charming, Engaging, and Clever — A.R.T.’s Musical ‘Two Strangers’ Has It All!

June 2, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Sam Tutty and Christiani Pitts in A.R.T.’s ‘Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)’.
Photos: Joel Zayac

‘Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York).’ Written by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan. Directed and Choreographed by Tim Jackson. Scenic and Costume Design by Soutra Gilmour; Lighting Design by Jack Knowles; Sound Design by Tony Gayle and Cody Spencer; Orchestrations by Lux Pyramid; Music Direction by Jeffrey Campos. Presented by A.R.T.’s Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St., Cambridge through June 29.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), in its American debut at the American Repertory Theatre,is the perfect antidote to our bleak, cold spring. This sunny, upbeat two-hander musical romantic comedy is as beguiling as it is impeccably acted, directed and produced. In short, it is a full-blown fabulous evening of musical theater at its finest.

Ogunquit Playhouse’s Exuberant ‘Come From Away’ Epitomizes the Phrase “It Takes a Village”

May 21, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Come From Away’ at Ogunquit Playhouse

Come From Away. Book, music, and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein. Directed and choreographed by Richard J. Hinds. Music Direction by Sam Groisser. Scenic Design by Nate Bertone. Lighting Design by Richard Latta. Costume Design by Michelle J. Li. Sound Design by Kevin Heard. Wig/Hair & Make-Up Design by Emilia Martin. Presented by Ogunquit Playhouse, Maine, through June 14, 2025.

By Linda Chin

The award-winning musical Come From Away tells the remarkable true story of the tiny town of Gander (population 9,000) in Newfoundland, Canada – approximately 1,500 miles from NYC – that garnered global attention nearly 25 years ago. In 2001, the isolated community played host to nearly 7000 ‘come from aways’ (what Newfoundlanders called non-locals) on 38 international flights that were diverted there when the skies over the United States were shut down on September 11.

Doherty’s Dynamite Dolly Electrifies Lyric’s ‘Hello Dolly!’

May 21, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater Mirror1 Comment

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 22^nd.

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.

Short Take: A Sumptuous “Light in the Piazza” Shines Over a Dim Plot

May 18, 2025April 8, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

The cast of *The Light in the Piazza* at The Huntington Theatre. Photos by Julieta Cervantes

“The Light in the Piazza”. Book by Craig Lucas. Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel. Based on the Novel by Elizabeth Spencer. Directed by Loretta Greco. Presented by The Huntington, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, through June 15.

by Michele Markarian

“I think it is my favorite place on earth,” declares Margaret Johnson (Emily Skinner), gazing around a piazza in Florence with her daughter, Clara (Sarah-Anne Martinez). Margaret and Clara are in Florence so that Margaret can show Clara the highlights of her honeymoon, many years ago, that she took with Clara’s father, Roy Johnson (Rob Richardson). I assumed Roy was dead, but no, he is at home, cocktail in hand, taking care of business to afford the girls their trip. It is here in the piazza that Clara meets Fabrizio (Joshua Grosso), who is immediately, hopelessly stricken with love. Margaret does not approve, for two reasons – one, a childhood accident with a horse has left Clara with the mental capacity of a twelve-year-old, and two, she enjoys the dependency that Clara has on her. Fabrizio persists, and Margaret and Clara meet his formidable yet welcoming family – his father, Signor Naccarelli (William Michals), mom Signora Naccarelli (Rebecca Pitcher), brother Giuseppe (Alexander Ross) and Giuseppe’s wife, Franca (Rebekah Rae Robles). Fabrizio proposes marriage, Clara accepts, and Margaret escapes with her to Rome in the night. Will love win out?

‘Kimberly Akimbo’ Is Musical Theater at Its Absolute Best!

May 10, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ at the Emerson Colonial Theatre. Photos by Joan Marcus

‘Kimberly Akimbo.’ Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. Music by Jeanine Tesori. Based on the play by David Lindsay-Abaire. Directed by Jessica Stone. Music Supervision by Chris Fenwick. Choreographed by Danny Mefford. Presented by Broadway in Boston at the Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston St., Boston, through May 18.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Kimberly Akimbo should not be as enjoyable as it is. The show tells the tragic story of a lonely teenage girl, Kimberly Levaco (Carolee Carmello), who suffers from a condition similar to progeria that causes her to age at a rate that is four and a half times as fast as normal. Only one in 50 million people is so afflicted, and Kimberly has the appearance and bodily breakdown of an elderly woman with a lifespan that rarely exceeds 16 years.

Umbrella Arts’ ‘Spitfire Grill’ a Small Gem with a Big Heart

May 7, 2025April 8, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

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.

Emerson Colonial’s ‘Mean Girls’ Is More Meh Than Mean

May 5, 2025April 8, 2026 Shelley SackettLeave a comment

Cast of ‘Mean Girls’ at Emerson Colonial Theatre

‘Mean Girls.’ Book by Tina Fey. Music by Jeff Richmond. Lyrics by Nell Benjamin. Based on the Paramount Pictures film “Mean Girls.” Directed by Casey Cushion. Choreography by John MacInnis; Scenic Design by Scott Pask; Costume Design by Gregg Barnes; Lighting Design by Kenneth Posner; Sound Design by Brian Ronan; Music Direction by Julius LaFlamme; Orchestrations by John Clancy; Music Coordination by John Mezzio; Hair Design by Josh Marquette. Presented by Emerson Colonial Theatre, Bolyston St., Boston. Run has ended.

By Shelley A. Sackett

Tina Fey’s Mean Girls has certainly milked its appeal. When it first appeared in 2004 as a film starring Lindsay Lohan, Rachel McAdams and Amanda Seyfried, it was a runaway hit. Its 2018 transformation into a Broadway musical fared less well and the 2024 remake of the film fared even worse.