Short Take: “Wonder” Delivers a Joyful Ride to a Kinder Landscape

January 3, 2026April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

Garrett McNally and Donovan Louis Bazemore in ‘Wonder’ at the A.R.T.
Photos by Hawver and Hall

“Wonder”. Book by Sarah Ruhl. Music and Lyrics by A Great Big World (Ian Axel and Chad King). Directed by Taibi Magar. Presented by American Repertory Theater, 64 Brattle Street, Cambridge, through February 8.

By Michele Markarian

“I like ice cream, outer space and video games,” Auggie (Garrett McNally), a typical seventh grader, tells us at the beginning of “Wonder”. Auggie, however, has a facial difference that sets him apart from other kids, making him a target of bullying and ostracization. For years, his mother, Isabel (Alison Luff), has been homeschooling him, but now she fears he has more to learn than what she can teach him. To counter this, Isabel has enrolled Auggie in middle school, much to his dismay. While his oversized space helmet and invisible friend Moonboy (Nathan Salstone) keep him feeling safe at home, they won’t serve Auggie well at school. Auggie’s sister Via (Kaylin Hedges) is also on edge. As the sibling of someone whose facial differences account for a lot of his parents’ attention, Via doesn’t always get her fair share; the fact that her best friend Miranda (Paravi) isn’t speaking to her for unknown reasons doesn’t help. Miranda, as it turns out, is having a hard time dealing with her parents’ divorce. As one of Auggie’s teachers, Mr. Browne (Raymond J. Lee) likes to say, “Be kind, for everyone is fighting an invisible battle.”

Short Take: Winston Churchill Comes to Life in “Churchill”

October 9, 2025April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

“Churchill” − Created and directed by David Payne. Presented by Emery Entertainment, Standford Calderwood Pavilion, 539 Tremont Street, through October 12.

by Michele Markarian

One-person shows are tricky in terms of verisimilitude – who is the person talking to? Why are they standing before us? Years ago, my grandmother, knowing I was fond of Emily Dickinson, took me to see “The Belle of Amherst” with Julie Harris. My twelve-year-old self didn’t buy the fact that Emily was willing to address a roomful of 650 strangers at Boston’s Colonial Theater for no apparent reason other than the fact that we were there. She even offered us cake when clearly there wasn’t enough to go around. It didn’t make for a credible suspension of disbelief.

Short Take: “Our Town” A Poignant, Sobering Reminder of Gratitude

September 24, 2025April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

“Our Town” – Written by Thornton Wilder. Directed by Courtney O’Connor; Scenic Design by Shelley Barish; Costume Design by Rachel Padula-Shufelt; Lighting Design by Deb Sullivan; Sound Design by Andrew Duncan Will. Presented by The Lyric Stage Company of Boston, 140 Clarendon Street, Boston, through October 19.

By Michele Markarian

I first saw “Our Town” on television as a teenager, and I have to say, it freaked me out. As a young person, I didn’t understand the piece for its depth; I thought that it was about death. With some perspective, it is very much a play about life, a point that the superb production at the Lyric Stage subtly brings home.

Short Take: A Sumptuous and Satisfying ‘Evita’ At Reagle Music Theatre

July 16, 2025April 10, 2026 Theater MirrorLeave a comment

Isabella Bria Lopez, Ryan Mardesich in Reagle Music Theatre’s ‘Evita’

‘Evita’ – Lyrics by Tim Rice. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Directed and Choreographed by Rachel Bertone. Music Direction by Dan Rodriguez. Scenic Design by Cameron McEachern. Lighting and Production Design by Baron Pugh. Costume and Wig Design by Ellie De Lucia. Sound Design by Sebastian Nixon. Presented by Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston at the Robinson Theater, 617 Lexington St., Waltham, through July 20th.

By Linda Chin

The Tony Award-winning musical/rock opera Evita by rock stars Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice tells the inspiring story of Eva Perón, née Maria Eva Duarte, who escaped her poverty-stricken rural village (where she wasn’t educated past grade six) at age 15, moved to Buenos Aires to pursue a career as an actress, and became First Lady of Argentina at age 27. With dynamic duo Rachel Bertone (Director & Choreographer) and Dan Rodriguez (Music Director) at the helm, a period and picture-perfect unit set designed by Cameron McEachern (and evocative lighting design by Baron Pugh), and the powerful voice of Isabella Bria Lopez in the titular role, audiences attending Evita at Reagle Music Theater can expect a sumptuous and satisfying experience.

Short Take: College Light Opera Company Delivers a Delightful “Pirates of Penzance”

June 18, 2025April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

Harrison Gilberti and cast in College Light Opera Company’s “The Pirates of Penzance”

“The Pirates of Penzance”. Written by W. S. Gilbert. Composed by Arthur Sullivan. Directed by James Mills. Musical Director Alex Gutierrez. Presented by College Light Opera Company (CLOC), Highfield Theatre, 58 Highfield Drive, Falmouth through June 21.

By Michele Markarian

If you’re looking to escape for a few hours with some lighthearted, humorous entertainment with a large dose of talent, do yourself a favor and head over to Highfield Theatre to see College Light Opera Company’s Pirates of Penzance. The enthusiasm of the college-aged cast, the brevity of James Mills’ direction, and the excellent orchestra under Alex Gutierrez make this production a joy to witness.

Short Take: CST Presents A Winning “Mrs. Warren’s Profession”

June 3, 2025April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

Melinda Lopez, Luz Lopez in Warren’s Profession’ at Central Square. Photos by: Nile Scott Studios

“Mrs. Warren’s Profession”, by George Bernard Shaw. Directed by Eric Tucker, Bedlam. Presented by Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, through June 29.

By Michele Markarian

A conference room table with leather chairs and a light fixture suspended above, bearing a ticker and dominating the traverse stage of Central Square Theater wasn’t what I expected when I walked in to see Central Square’s production of Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Yet it aptly set the tone for this timeless play about conventionality, morality, and a woman’s right to earn a living.

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

May 18, 2025April 10, 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?

Short Take: History Unveils Itself in “Founding F%!#ers”

May 7, 2025April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

Cast of “Founding F%!#ers” at Greater Boston Stage

“Founding F%!#ers” by Conor Casey. Directed by Weylin Symes. Presented by Greater Boston Stage Co., 395 Main Street, Stoneham, through May 18.

by Michele Markarian

According to Napoleon, “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” But who decides what makes history? While history agrees that Ethan Allen was a hero and Benedict Arnold a traitor, Conor Casey’s play paints a comic version of the character of each man and the contentious rivalry that they had with one another during a tumultuous time in America’s history.

Short Take: Everyone Wants Some in ASP’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

April 16, 2025April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, by William Shakespeare. Directed by Maurice Emmanuel Parent. Presented by Actors’ Shakespeare Project, 321 Arsenal Street, Watertown through May 4.

Cast of Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”Photos: Nile Scott Studios

By Michele Markarian

“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind”, insists Helena (Deb Martin), a maid musing on the unreasonable and unpredictable foibles of attraction. The minds in this production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are busy at work, their bodies preening and pursuing the objects of their lusty desires, a kind of Beltane in the middle of summer. This vigorous production is set in a disco, with all the dangers and dreams that go with it.

Short Take: Not Your Grandparents’ Riverdance

April 10, 2025April 10, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

Abhann Productions presents Riverdance 30: The New Generation at the Boch Center Wang Theatre, April 8-13, 2025.

Under the loving and expert guidance of husband-and-wife production team John McColgan and Moya Doherty, a seven-minute dance number at the Eurovision Song Contest 1994 featuring Irish dance champions Jean Butler and Michael Flatley has blossomed into a full production – Riverdance – that opened in Dublin in 1995 to great popular acclaim. The high-stepping, highly successful, hit show has since been performed over 15,000 times in 49 countries and six continents, enchanting and entertaining 30 million audience members worldwide. Riverdance celebrates its 30th year milestone with a special anniversary tour in 35 major cities across the US, including an 8-show run in Boston from April 8 – 13.