“A Scandinavian Story for Christmas” Delights at the 55th Annual Midwinter Revels

December 17, 2025April 8, 2026 Michele MarkarianLeave a comment

*Midwinter Revels: A Scandinavian Story for Christmas*
Photos by Paul Buckley

By Michele Markarian

“A Scandinavian Story for Christmas”. Inspired by Gregory Maguire’s “Matchless”, Written by Debra Wise and Patrick Sawonson. Dramaturg, Nicole Galland. Directed by Debra Wise. Music Direction by Elijah Botkin. Choreography by Tom Roby. Presented by Sanders Theatre, Harvard University, through December 28.

I have to admit, I have not been fully committed to the holiday spirit this year. With so much turmoil in the world, it’s hard to focus on merriment, feasting, and gift-giving, but I was intrigued by the Swedish theme of this year’s Revels and decided to check it out. The rich hues of the theatre were warm and inviting, matching the warm and genial manner of the Master of Ceremonies, David Coffin. As the cast entered through the mezzanine, voices harmonizing over the traditional Nu Ar Det Jul Igen (“Now It Is Christmas Again”), I could feel my attitude begin to thaw.

Revels’ ‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman’ Sings Harmoniously

December 19, 2024April 9, 2026 Charlotte SnowLeave a comment

Laurenco “Pelé” Fernandes, José Luís Spencer, and Candida Rose Baptista in Midwinter Revel’s ‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman’ Photos by Paul Buckley.

‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman’. Directed by Deborah Wise. Music Directed by Elijah Botkin, Dramaturgy by Nicole Gallahad, Choreography by Neusa Barros Aravjo & Jackie O’Reilly, Tradition Bearing by Candida Rose Baptista & Almina Pilgrim, Costume Design by Heidi Hermiller, Lighting Design by Jeff Adelberg, and Scenic Design by Jeremy Barnett. Produced by Revels, ‘The Selkie Girl And The Seal’ runs from December 13th – 28th at The Sanders Theatre, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138. A virtual encore, a recorded live performance, will stream from December 28th – January 12th

By Charlotte Snow

I am, unfortunately, and for a variety of reasons, one of those sad individuals for whom Christmastime is the worst time. So I never really seek out events, or much of anything, that remind me of the season. So you can imagine my surprise (and partially abject terror) when I was invited to review the 54th Annual Midwinter Revels production, “The Selkie Girl And The Seal Woman.” Thankfully, I was not met with holiday hostility. Instead, I was warmly welcomed by the majesty of The Sanders Theatre alongside a heartwarming theatrical and cultural celebration.

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

November 7, 2024April 9, 2026 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.

It’s a Mad, Mad (Victorian) World in Central Square’s ‘Vanity Fair’

February 5, 2020April 8, 2026 Julie-Anne WhitneyLeave a comment

Cast of Nora Theatre’s ‘Vanity Fair; at Central Square Theatre

By Julie-Anne Whitney

Vanity Fair (an im-morality play) – Written by Kate Hamill, adapted from William Makepeace Thackeray’s novel; direction and scenic design by David R. Gammons; lighting design by Jeff Adelberg; sound design by David Wilson; costume design by Leslie Held; properties coordinated by Ciara McAloon; dramaturgy by Hilary Rappaport; stage managed by Elizabeth Yyvette Ramirez. Produced by Underground Railway Theater through February 23, 2020 at Central Square Theater in Cambridge, MA.

William Makepeace Thackeray’s Vanity Fairwas first published in 1847 as a 19-volume serial novel released in monthly installments for Punch, a British magazine known for its satirical content. The 800-page work was published in a single volume in 1848 with the subtitle A Novel Without A Hero. Arguably Thackeray’s most successful and enduring work, Vanity Fair has been adapted into radio broadcasts, silent and sound films, television series, and plays.