Theatre

REVIEW:  Boasting a heartwarming and zippy soundtrack, a marvelous ‘Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  The Musical’ revels in the wonders of the beloved book

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Whether you like the Grinch or not, be sure to witness this remarkable version of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  The Musical.  It is a humorous and dazzling way to spend 85 minutes taking in the holiday spirit with the family.

By sticking to Dr Seuss’ imaginative vision, the beloved book springs to life onstage in a vibrant and thrilling way.  Past film adaptations have been overdone and bogged down with side stories and imagined history, but not this musical.  As an avid fan of the book and the famous 1966 animated TV special, I was thrilled to see this musical firmly faithful to Seuss’ literary vision.  Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  The Musical expands parts of Seuss’ vision that already exists in the book for a heartwarming and interactive experience about the value of love and camaraderie.

James Schultz as THE GRINCH and the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

With steadfast direction by co-directors Matt August and Bob Richard while Richard also navigates the musical’s energetic choreography, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical continues live and in person at Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Monday, December 23.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

From the reflective perspective of Evan Blackwell as Old Max and Chamberlin Little as Young Max who both play their parts to perfection as Narrator and character respectively, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas The Musical is a musical comedy about a Grinch who claims to hate Christmas and feels he must stop Christmas from coming…but how?

W. Scott Stewart as Old Max and Xavier McKnight as Young Max in the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

Greeting the audience with a white wreath on a red Who populated backdrop, this cheerful and interactive musical is the perfect length at 85 minutes with no intermission and brings to life the book in a way the padded film adaptations never did.  Featuring a number of catchy and heartfelt numbers weaved through its rhyming dialogue, enhancing this tale into a musical is hardly a stretch because the Whos love to sing.

Boasting three dimensional illustrated moving set pieces directly from the book, John Lee Beatty’s innovative set design include an enchanting illustrated three dimensional tree lit with glowing white and red bulbs, the Grinch’s illustrated snow covered cave and the drawn fireplace mantel with colored stockings.  It also offers glimpses of the animated classic in red and gold bulbs hanging across the ceiling adding bursts of color. 

Craig Stelzenmuller’s playful lighting often follows the action and brings sparkle to an already bright and cheerful set design.  Blue and green lights flash, glitter and move along like its own character in this wonderful tale as it also creates brief and foreboding shadows as the Grinch makes his grand entrance. 

The Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

Boasting piled high hairdos, Sarah Smith’s festive, textured and Seuss-centric costumes in red, pink, white and green form wild shapes accessorized with oversized bows, bowties and elf shoes.  However, the Grinch’s vivid green and furry costume with exacting makeup is ideal right down to his long and slender fingers. 

James Schultz as THE GRINCH in the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

Occasionally frightful but more often comical with his deep and versatile baritone voice, Matt Forbes is excellent as the cool and temperamental Grinch sharing gripping and amusing scenes with Little as Max as well as endearing ones with Trinity Vittoria De Vito as angelic Cindy Lou Who.  De Vito’s chiming vocals and captivating demeanor impressively deliver the gentle and touching ballad, Santa for a Day as she interacts with Forbes with blind adoration.  Little as Young Max is devoted and lovable with an expectant grin to the Grinch’s perturbed scowl and dastardly smirk as they join together for I Hate Christmas Eve with the Whos and in a playful rendition of This Time of Year with Blackwell as Old Max.

James Schultz as THE GRINCH, Sofie Nesanelis as Cindy-Lou Who and the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel.

Delivering the famous tunes you already know like Blackwell’s amazing rendition of You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch and Welcome Christmas, Mel Marvin also builds on famous excerpts from the book for original songs such as the warm Who Likes Christmas, thunderous I Hate Christmas Eve, and wild Whatamawho where the Grinch famously exclaims, ‘Oh, the noise, noise noise noise!’ 

James Schultz as THE GRINCH and the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

With sing-along opportunities and thrilling special effects as Blackwell shares this classic children’s tale, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas!  The Musical holds its own to the book and the famous 1966 animated TV special live onstage reflecting on all the themes of the book such as materialism, bullying, and greed with a beautiful message and holiday treat fitting for the entire family.

James Schultz as THE GRINCH and the Touring Company of Dr. Seuss’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! The Musical. Credit_ Jeremy Daniel

Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical continues live and in person at Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Monday, December 23.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion in Winter’ a resonating roar in deceit and dysfunction

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

“Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”

Here lies the marrow when royalty, family, power and possibly love collide in The Lion in Winter, a historical drama that may itself be fictional, but a number of conflicts in the production within this real life monarchy are based on historic events.  This famous quote from Scottish poet Sir Walter Scott may be cautionary in nature and The Lion in Winter seems like a cautionary tale in some familial aspects, but these wildly tangled webs are far beyond fixing and are need of a reckoning.

With scrupulous direction by Allison Olivia Choat, Theater Uncorked presents James Goldman’s rarely performed drama The Lion in Winter live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts at the BCA Plaza Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, December 15.  The production contains adult themes and is approximately two hours with one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Sehnaz Dirik center Thain Emrys Bertin James Honaker and Finian Ross in Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion in Winter’ Photo Credit: Gary Ng

The Lion In Winter has been adapted into an Academy Award-winning 1968 film starring Peter O’Toole as King Henry II and Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine.  Though both actors were nominated for Academy Awards, Katherine Hepburn won for Best Actress.  The Lion in Winter was also later adapted into a lesser known TV movie in 2003 starring Sir Patrick Stewart as King Henry II and Glenn Close as Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Set designer Leonard Chasse delivers medieval festive hauling out the holly for Christmas adorning gold and red velvet tables, a regal coat of arms on the wall and a pair of keenly lit crosses while candlelight by lighting director Erik Fox not only casts ambient light, but adds a foreboding quality to much of the production.

Finian Ross and Sehnaz Dirik in Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion in Winter’ Photo credit: Gary Ng

Theatre Uncorked does dysfunction well.  They certainly made a case for the Eliot Norton award-winning Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf last year diving into extreme marital dysfunction and this year, a royal battle as three sons vie to become the next King of England as Christmas approaches in 1183.  Anthony Mullin as Henry II has high hopes for one son, but Sehnaz Dirik as recently imprisoned Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine has other plans.  It shares some similarities with Shakespeare’s King Lear and the play is even mentioned during the production.  However, nothing is as it seems and the crown and succession feels like a smaller detail in the grand scheme of this family’s maladies.

Like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Lion in Winter visits some of the darkest places of the human condition, and not only reflects the frustration in a toxic marriage but explores neglect, betrayal, grief, mortality, oppression, war and an unscrupulous hunger for power.  It also has its share of satirical humor in its veiled slights, quips, and deadpan style of manipulation.  Each member of the family is playing a long game to achieve each of their desired objectives and as soon as you think you have a grasp of what is happening, the tables turn.

Anthony Mullin and Sehnaz Dirik in Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion in Winter’ Photo Credit: Gary Ng

The Lion in Winter boasts two powerful leads in Anthony Mullin as charismatic and egotistical King Henry II and Sehnaz Dirik as Queen Eleanor.  Complicated does not begin to describe their relationship and like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, King Henry II and Queen Eleanor’s relationship have many layers in their decades long marriage and one cannot think of how dangerous it can be to know someone all too well.  Mullin’s clever and shrewd King Henry to Dirik’s witty and scheming Eleanor put on more than a game face fueled by their passion and stubbornness vying for the upper hand in everything.  Dirik is a natural at Eleanor’s underlying vulnerability behind her machinations with only the audience the wiser.

Micah Livesay and Matthew Zahnzinger in Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion in Winter’ Photo credit: Gary Ng

Micah Livesay is sympathetic as loyal and susceptible Alais as she struggles in her twisted role while Matthew Zahnzinger as Alais’s egotistical brother Phillip stealthily bides his time on his next move as King of France.

The sons seem like pawns and wish I had a deeper understanding of who they are.  All longing for love more than anything else and acting out about it in distinctive and destructive ways.   Finian Ross as impressionable John, James Honaker as calculating Geoffrey and Thain Emrys Bertin as complex yet valiant Richard all work best while conspiring with each other. 

Matthew Zahnzinger James Honaker and Finian Ross in Theater Uncorked’s ‘The Lion in Winter’ Photo credit: Gary Ng

The Lion in Winter is a bit lengthy contemplating the game more than it builds tension, though it is intriguing to see how each move plays out.  Whatever this family has next up their sleeve, it is certainly far from a Norman Rockwell Christmas.

Theater Uncorked presents James Goldman’s rarely performed drama The Lion in Winter live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts at the BCA Plaza Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, December 15.  The production is approximately two hours with one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Sparks fly as love takes center stage in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s refreshing ‘Emma’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

“Love has its own agenda after all.”

This may not be a direct quote from Jane Austen, but Emma’s remark certainly encapsulates the essence of love and timing as Actors’ Shakespeare Project presents Kate Hamill’s delightfully interactive romantic comedy Emma based on Jane Austen’s classic novel live and in person at the elegant Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts through December 15.  Directed insightfully by Regine Vital, Emma runs approximately two hours and twenty-five minutes including one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Alex Bowden and Josephine Moshiri Elwood in Actors’ Shakepeare Project’s ‘Emma’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Love is not just in the air in this inviting Emma, but this immersive experience includes the cast often addressing the audience and presents a sweet purpose for the noisemakers that are distributed to the audience with tea offered at intermission in case you are not already charmed by Austen’s style.

The sophisticated Multicultural Arts Center which includes a marvelous wrap around balcony, marble floors and finely-detailed staircase is an ideal location for the garden parties, tea and affluence taking place in the English countryside prevalent in this production and enhances Saskia Martinez’s lovely set design which includes multicolor sashes, mini models of mansions and sparkling brass chandeliers.   Whether it is in the vine climbing wrought-iron stadium seating or at the decorated tables on the floor, the show does not offer a bad seat in the house.  However, the more fortunate attendees are at the decorated tables on the floor immersed in the play front and center of the action.

Costume designer Nia Safarr Banks infuses colorful attire from the Regency era blending vintage and contemporary costumes ranging from watercolor to floral empire waist gowns with bows, Spencer jackets, corduroy coats, pearls, lace, crinoline and top hats as well as baseball caps and glittering denim.  Anna Drummond’s intriguing sound design also mixes classical with contemporary music featuring uplifting club songs between scenes and subtle instrumental versions of love songs from pop artists such as Taylor Swift and Cyndi Lauper.

Liza Giangrande and Josephine Moshiri Elwood in Actors Shakespeare Project’s ‘Emma’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Jane Austen’s Emma has been restaged, restyled and recalibrated many times over the years for television, theatre and film.  It became an age of Austen in the mid 90s after Sense and Sensibility hit the big screen in 1995 followed by Clueless, considered a modern retelling of Emma starring Alicia Silverstone, which hit the big screen in 1996 while a traditional Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow also premiered that same year.  More recently, a streaming adaptation of Emma premiered on Amazon Prime starring Anya Taylor-Joy to some critical acclaim in 2020.

Dev Luthra as Mr. Weston and Mara Sidmore as Mrs. Weston in Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s ‘Emma’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

In most adaptations, beautiful Emma leads a spoiled and privileged life and mostly gets whatever she wants, but she was also seemingly well meaning in her confidence that she knows what is best for everyone in her life.  In Actors’ Shakespeare Project’s Emma, having matched Mr. and Mrs. Weston by way of introduction, Josephine Moshiri Elwood as Emma is more self assured than ever that she knows what is best and intends to work her magic on her newest project Harriet, portrayed with wide eyed naiveté, excitability and awkward charm by Liza Giangrande, who she thinks has been misled in the ways of love and status.

Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Liza Giangrande in Actors Shakespeare Project’s ‘Emma’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Elwood’s Emma is pricklier, sharper, more outspoken, snobby, and dramatic, making no apologies as she exclaims “onward and upward.”  With a conspiratorial laugh, she is tempestuous and controlling and much more antihero than heroine.  This Emma needs to be better understood than needs to change which is a fun part to play and Elwood revels in it.  She boasts fiery chemistry with Alex Bowden as George who is also a man of means and seems a bit more reasonable, but they match each other in stubbornness.  Elwood also shares some fascinating scenes with Lorraine Victoria Kanyike who shines as refined and humble Jane as does Bowden who shares a comic rivalry with Fady Damian as enigmatic Frank Churchill. 

Josephine Moshiri Elwood and Mara Sidmore in Actors’ Shakepeare Project’s ‘Emma’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Most of this talented cast depicts dual roles and the entire cast display a great deal of compelling physical and self aware humor, especially between Elwood and Giangrande as well as Kanyike and Damian. Romantic, endearing, spicy and wonderfully entertaining, Hamill leaves room for more than one transformation in this production and it is refreshing to see how she infuses some contemporary ideas about society into each of these classic characters while still maintaining this classic tale of the Austen you know and love.

Matchmaking, mixed signals, love triangles and more than a few surprises take center stage as Actors’ Shakespeare Project presents Kate Hamill’s delightfully interactive romantic comedy Emma based on Jane Austen’s classic novel live and in person at the elegant Multicultural Arts Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts through December 15.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Love and family drive a moving and powerful world premiere of ‘Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?)’ presented by Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Family can be complicated.  Some ancestors have passed away and maybe you would give anything to speak to or enjoy a meal with them one more time.  Others you endure and it can be so emotionally draining, it is a battle to stay connected.

Featuring a special opening act concert performance by Sarah Shin on Wednesday, November 27 prior to Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?), this particular evening presentation manages to explore both types of relationships.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

Written and performed affectively by Zoë Kim and perceptively directed by Chris Yejin, Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) , a world premiere production from Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions, is a moving autobiographical recollection on love and family continuing live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, November 30.  This bilingual one woman performance is 75 minutes with no intermission.  The paper program not only offers details on the show, but also features a wonderful and fitting cookbook section on Korean comfort food.  Click here for more information and for tickets which are limited.

Sarah Shin Photo credit to Chuang Stage

Candid and engaging, Did You Eat‘s featured a special opening act performance by Sarah Shin.  With a peach electric guitar, she paid tribute to her late grandfather who led a big life with a big family.  With yearning vocals, she longs for conversations with him about her craft knowing what she knows now.   Though the song might have been explored an octave lower, it is a lovely and personal number that resonates with anyone who discovers they have common ground with those who have come before them. 

With rich accompaniment by Alison Yueming Qu, Shin also performed a raw and humorous song about the aftermath of a breakup enhanced by Shin’s soaring and unique vocals.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

Accented by ethereal and shrouded pastel colored drapes and a multicolored painted floor, Did You Eat evokes a guileless innocence and Aegyo in Szu-Feng Chen’s cheerful and lively set design and costuming featuring braids and sunflowers, a bloom which symbolizes resilience. Katie Kuan-Yu Chen’s lingering and at times dreamy sound design with Michi Zaya’s distinctive projections and Ari Kim’s dynamic lighting illustrates a wide range of emotions from hyper vigilance to love at first sight.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

A mother (Umma) who was not ready to become a mother but wanted to please her family and a father (Appa) who wanted to please his family and prove his manhood by having a son.  Diving into the dysfunction and expectations set by a Korean family, Did you Eat is a multifaceted journey performed and recounted by Korean-American Zoë Kim in a stirring one woman performance.  Her use of the second person perspective is part of what makes Kim’s story engulfing for the audience as she navigates the struggle she endured growing up and the repercussions it had on her psyche and well being.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

A winding journey that is at times funny, haunting, harrowing, relatable and always powerful, Kim transitions each feeling with skill, physical prowess, and a natural fluidity as each scene intensely alters in tone.  An earnest piece steeped in emotion, the production is enhanced by Christopher Shin’s striking chorography that varies from subtle to sharp and abrupt movements to interpretive dance.  Kim army crawls, slices the air, and slides across the floor and yet also emits joy through childlike movements and a beaming smile.

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

The term Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) is inherently a phrase used in love language and how actions speak louder than words and yet words are significant and binding.  Kim also longs to please her family and within its raw honesty through resentment, isolation, shame, guilt and seemingly impossible circumstances, shares a beautiful life lesson about identity, trust, self love and what it takes to shine.   

Zoë Kim in Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) Photo by Maggie Hall Photography

 Written and performed affectively by Zoë Kim and perceptively directed by Chris Yejin, Did You Eat? (밥 먹었니?) , a world premiere production from Chuang Stage and Seoulful Productions, is a moving autobiographical recollection on love and family continuing live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, November 30.  This bilingual one woman performance is 75 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets which are limited.

REVIEW:  Wishing upon a ‘Soft Star’ at Boston Playwrights Theatre

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Somewhere in Minnesota, two best friends with a complex history each wish on what is deemed a soft star in the sky.  What develops over time will test the limits of their friendship and much more.

Contemplatively directed by Bridget Kathleen O’Leary, Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Tina Esper’s supernatural drama Soft Star through Sunday, November 24 part of the Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival.  This absorbing production runs 85 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

The cast of Tina Esper’s ‘Soft Star’ Photo by Amelia Cordischi

Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival features two new productions from living authors taking place on one stage and scenic designer Maggie Shivers continues to make distinctive use of the space for these two vastly different productions.  With fold out compartments that pose as couches, a barbecue grill and shelves, cast members transform the set and props between scenes from a beachside setting to a completely new landscape.  Zachary Connell’s starlit and warm lighting adds an ethereal quality to the production featuring lanterns and luminous creatures boosted by Kai Bolman’s mystical sound design.  Set within the span of the 70’s and 80s, E. Rosser’s colorful costumes depicts fashion trends of the time such as baby doll dresses, keds sneakers, and Henley shirts.

Annika Bolton and Mairéad O’Neill in Tina Esper’s ‘Soft Star’ Photo by Amelia Cordischi

A complex drama of jealousy, isolation, insecurity, secrets and longing, Soft Star is poignant and wistful as Jane and Belle search for a sense of belonging as they contemplate about the direction their lives have taken.  There is a real sense of uncertainty from these individuals as the show progresses. Annika Bolton as Jane, Jesse Kodama as Dick, Mairéad O’Neill as Belle and Kamran Bina as Mitch make up a tightly woven group that also share building tension and passive aggressiveness, especially among Dick and Mitch who are best friends working together as well as a palpable chemistry between Mitch and Jane.

What is wonderfully fascinating about Soft Star is how best friends Annika Bolton as Jane and Mairéad O’Neill as Belle’s connection and priorities mature and evolve over time.  From two coming of age girls to established women, Esper’s script explores the transforming interests of these individuals and at the same time, depicts how some reflections on their lives never change. 

Annika Bolton in Tina Esper’s ‘Soft Star’ Photo by Amelia Cordischi

With an elements of magic and mysticism, Soft Star is an intriguing and imaginative drama fueled by Esper’s layered script which unfolds from a straightforward narrative to how life becomes immensely complicated through circumstances and when other emotions take hold.  Emotions that linger and ripen even as people mature exasperated by a wish. 

Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Tina Esper’s supernatural drama Soft Star through Sunday, November 24 part of the Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival.  The show runs 85 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Money is king in Maggie Kearnan’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos’ at Boston Playwrights Theatre

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

How much is that going to be?

Let’s talk about billionaires, gargantuan amounts of money and how to use it.

At least, that is what Becca A Lewis as sleuth Forbes journalist Cherry Beaumont has on her mind in a mysterious interview with Jeff Bezos as he faces a federal case against him in the year 2030.  Accompanied by narrator and fact checker Robbie Rodriguez at the ready, How NOT to Save the World with Mr. Bezos is a deep dive into wealth, envy, greed, and blind rage as lines gradually blur between fact, falsehood and fiction. 

With unsteady direction by Taylor Stark, Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Maggie Kearnan’s How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos at Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 24.  This interactive production contains graphic adult themes and runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Boston Playwrights Theatre’s Fall Rep Festival features two new productions from living authors taking place on one stage and scenic designer Maggie Shivers certainly makes distinctive use of the space for two vastly different productions.  Multicolor light streams through adjustable windows in a modern office setting but Courtney Licata’s props are the real kicker which includes red solo cups.   Anna Drummond’s immersive sound design with Zachary Connell’s foreshadowing light design proves effective as the production intensifies.

Mark W Soucy in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

With a biting and abrupt laugh and in a vest which seems more like a life preserver, Mark W. Soucy depicts a confident, expeditious yet preoccupied Bezos full of humble brags and word play until the stakes get high.  Lewis as Cherry is lively, amusing and occasionally unhinged in a three piece suit and black sneakers.  Soucy and Lewis spar with engaging flair as both vie for the upper hand as impressive fact checker Robbie Rodriguez works overtime taking the audience temporarily in and out of the production to clarify each character’s statements. 

Mark W Soucy and Becca A Lewis in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

How to NOT Save the World is fueled by some jaw dropping facts about wealth and offers quite the perspective of how much money billionaires really possess.  Among some of the most fascinating are it would take 570 years to spend Bezos’s wealth if Bezos spent 1 million dollars a day or the value of a 430,000 house means just 32 cents to him.  It also offers even handed facts about Bezos’s life.  At one time, he was the most powerful person in the world. 

Mark W Soucy Becca A Lewis and Robbie Rodriguez in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

However, the show begins to veer off course and some of the most absurd parts of the production, which infuses a classic tune, do not seem to fall as they should and comes off rather unnecessarily as the interview takes an unexpected turn. 

Becca A Lewis and Mark W Soucy in Boston Playwrights Theatre’s ‘How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Amazon executives have a room where they can let out a primal scream during the holiday season and by the end of the production, I was ready to do so, but not for the reason the show encourages.  As one toils at work especially with this inflation, it is difficult for the average person to get ahead.   As satirical as the show may suggest, it relies on a society so enraged it cannot see past its most base instincts to supersede every other reasonable thought and bereft of hope for a bleak future.  Shouldn’t humanity get more credit than that?

Boston Playwrights Theatre presents Maggie Kearnan’s How to NOT Save the World with Mr. Bezos live and in person at Boston Playwrights Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 24.  This interactive production contains adult themes and runs approximately 100 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Hub Theatre Company of Boston explores secrets and hypocrisy in Molière’s witty ‘Tartuffe’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Is Tartuffe a saint or sinner?

That is the main question broached by the cast of a mysterious character contemplated so often that it is a wonder if Tartuffe is less a person than legend.  However, when Tartuffe does appear, plenty of drama lay in his wake.

Directed comically by Bryn Boice and translated by Richard Wilbur, Hub Theatre Company of Boston presents Molière’s satirical comedy drama Tartuffe live and in person at the Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 24.  This semi-interactive and somewhat play-within-a play runs approximately two hours with an intermission and all shows are at a pay-what-you-can basis.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

June Kfoury, Lily Ayotte and Brendan O’Neill in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Tartuffe’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Though Molière ’s satirical comedy Tartuffe takes place during King Louis XIV’s reign in 1664, Hub Theatre Company of Boston mixes many aspects of the contemporary with the 17th Century French Common Era in costumes and nuanced dialogue.  Costume designer Marissa Wolf and Wig Maven Liv Curnen blend historical French high fashion including decorated coiffed wigs, silks, trendy lace up shoes, crinoline, and vivid patterns including paisley and tartan to match with jeans, sneakers, and racer striped pants which provides a bit of a contemporary edge.  Lily Ayotte as Mariane’s crinoline skirt cage however, felt gnawingly incomplete without a skirt over it even if it is in the name of high fashion.

Tartuffe, spoken in melodious coupling rhyme, is easy on the ears and adds lightheartedness to the production especially during its most serious moments.  June Kfoury as Madam Parnelle baits the hook on Tartuffe as she humorously lambastes everyone in the room including her family in a marvelously frank and offhanded manner except the one person absent and proclaims an unpopular opinion:  She considers Tartuffe a saint and praises his bold candidness.

Brooks Reeves in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Tartuffe’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Brooks Reeves as oblivious Orgon also thinks the sun rises and sets on Tartuffe and although Orgon comes off as a bit one dimensional, Reeves leans into the character’s absurdity and stubbornness to craft a character you end up rooting for. 

Lauren Elias in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Tartuffe’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Lily Ayotte as sweet and obedient Mariane is one of the best parts of the production.  Her engagement with the audience, reactions and physical comic timing is impeccable.  Ayotte and Robert Thorpe II as Valère share amusing chemistry and their scenes are full of charming banter.  Lauren Elias as maid Dorine is one of the few voices of reasons and a scene stealer in her own right navigating the plot through reason, good intentions, a good deal of sarcasm, and some popcorn (which acts as a fabulous gag during the show). 

Laura Rocklyn and Jeremy Beazlie in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Tartuffe’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Laura Rocklyn portrays cool and collected Elmire with finesse.  Elmire is a dynamic role and Rocklyn brings determination and confidence, especially to her more absurd scenes with Reeves and Jeremy Beazlie as Tartuffe, performing to great lengths for a laugh.

However, Jeremy Beazlie as Tartuffe, well, there is not much question how Tartuffe lives up to his legend which will not be revealed here.  Tartuffe explores hypocrisy and secrets while historically speaking to what was happening in France at the time and Beazlie depicts it to a fault stirring up a lot more than rumors by the time he takes the stage.

Jeremy Beazlie and Brooks Reeves in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Tartuffe’ Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Though Tartuffe may not be for everyone, it boasts a strong cast and witty moments that keeps one guessing how this unbridled string of events will end up right through the very end.

Hub Theatre Company of Boston presents Molière ’s satirical comedy Tartuffe live and in person at the Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 24.  This semi-interactive and somewhat play-within-a play runs approximately two hours with an intermission and all shows are at a pay-what-you-can basis.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Boston Lyric Opera celebrated Morris Robinson and a revered love story with Verdi and Ghislanzoni’s stunning ‘Aida’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

For one night only, a revered love story caught between impossible choices took shape set in a war-torn country.

With over 200 artists involved including the Back Bay Chorale as well as Boston Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus, Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) presented Verdi and Ghislanzoni’s stunning Italian opera, Aida for one gala benefit performance during Veteran’s Day weekend on Sunday, November 10 at 3PM at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.  All funds raised benefited Boston Lyric Opera’s education, youth and community programs.  Part of BLO’s You’ll Never Walk Alone themed season, this epic production ran 2 hours and 50 minutes including one 20-minute intermission.  Click here for more information.

David Angus conducts the BLO Orchestra and BLO Chorus (Brett Hodgdon, Chorus Director) including members of Back Bay Chorale) Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Prior to the start of the production, the Boston Lyric Opera celebrated a milestone for renowned bass-baritone opera singer Morris Robinson.  Twenty-five years ago to the day on November 10, 1999, Robinson debuted onstage in the role of the King for Boston Lyric Opera’s Aida.  Not only was he named the 2024 Artistic Honoree, but Mayor Wu named November 10th Morris Robinson Day.  The honor was presented to him by his mentor Sharon Daniels.  Once a Boston University college football player, a clearly moved Robinson delivered an inspiring and relatable speech about career pivoting and the stellar chance he received from Boston Lyric Opera.

Morris Robinson as Ramfis in Boston Lyric Opera’s AIDA – Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Robinson’s charismatic presence as well as his rich, deep and commanding vocals as Ramfis in the following production depicts why Morris has had a lasting presence with Boston Lyric Opera.

Having never seen Aida performed as an opera but twice before as the Elton John and Tim Rice’s musical, it was amazing to see Verdi’s version which is the foundation in which this story was told. With the Boston Lyric Opera orchestra center stage and the chorus situated behind them, Aida was treated as a gala event enlivened by Aja M. Jackson’s atmospheric lighting in pinks, reds, blues, and gold backdrop weaving in images and symbols from the Egyptian Book of the Dead.  Jackson’s lighting had an encompassing effect creating a semi-panoramic view of images of multicolored Egyptian animals moving along the back of the theatre.

BLO Music Director David Angus leads the BLO Orchestra in Boston Lyric Opera’s AIDA – Photo by Nile Scott Studios

With trumpet accompaniment from the balconies, BLO conductor David Angus with Annie Rabbat, Brett Hodgdon, and Back Bay Chorale Music Director Stephen Spinelli navigates this complex orchestration of music to enrich this bold and compelling love story. Even with a brief pause during the production, Boston Lyric Opera handled the situation efficiently.

A fictional tale surrounding historical events, Aida explores a number of conflicted characters deliberating on love and loyalty during the Egyptian and Ethiopian war.  Tenor Diego Torre delivers an impassioned performance as Radamès, an Egyptian commander in love with soprano Michelle Johnson as Ethiopian slave Aida while Aida’s father Amonasro, portrayed by baritone Brian Major, is a war prisoner.   Mezzo-soprano Alice Chung delivers a multifaceted performance as resourceful Egyptian princess Amneris who wonders what it will take to win the love of Radamès .

Diego Torre as Radamès in Boston Lyric Opera’s AIDA – Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Adorned in gala attire rather than costumes, the cast’s powerhouse vocals exude despair, passion and desperation into characters facing impossible choices.  Decked out in coat and tails, Torres evokes sympathy through his torment and soaring vocals as commander Radamès torn between his love for Aida and loyalty to his people.  In a distinctive multicolored gown, Michelle Johnson illustrates the gravity of Aida’s rage, passion and despair over her decisions, torn between her secret love for Radamès and her own people.  Johnson as Aida is bold, charming, and audacious while always carrying a heavy heart.

Michelle Johnson (l.) as Aida and Alice Chung as Amneris in Boston Lyric Opera’s AIDA – Photo by Nile Scott Studios

However, Alice Chung as shrewd and privileged Amneris has plans of her own and strategizes how to get what she wants.  With dynamic range in a jeweled accented gown, Chung brings her own psychological warfare in a stunning duet with Johnson.  Their intense and melodic vocals deliver gravitas in a suspenseful stand off as romantic rivals.  Chung is confident and manipulative catching Aida at her most vulnerable, but also brings sympathy to her character in the looming fear of losing what she holds most dear. 

(L.-r.) Stefan Egerstrom (King of Egypt), Brian Major (Amonasro) and Morris Robinson (Ramfis) in Boston Lyric Opera’s AID

Johnson’s Aida also shares a powerful scene with Major as Amonasro.  Major is eloquent and stealthily convincing in a pivotal scene in which Aida is faced with the consequences of her decisions.  This weighty exchange is filled with raw emotion and distress as she is backed into a corner.

The riveting harmonies, the fervent declarations, and the deeply romantic lyrical context of this production demonstrate why Boston Lyric Opera has returned to this memorable show over the years since first performing Aida at the Hatch Shell in 1981.  Its rich exploration of passion, torment, war, and loss always has something new to say in a classic tale where love transcends everything.

Cast members and BLO Chorus (with members of Back Bay Chorale) in Boston Lyric Opera’s AIDA – Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Boston Lyric Opera (BLO) presented Verdi and Ghislanzoni’s stunning Italian opera, Aida for one gala benefit performance during Veteran’s Day weekend on Sunday, November 10 at 3PM at the Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.  All funds raised benefited Boston Lyric Opera’s education, youth and community programs.  Click here for more information.

REVIEW: Greater Boston Stage Company serves up more than laughs in ‘Dinner for One’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Simple acts of kindness make all the difference.

This is not lost on James who is earnestly willing to bend over backwards to make Miss Sophie happy on her birthday.  Dinner for One is not sentimental or sappy, but demonstrates a lovely bond between valet James and elegant aristocrat Miss Sophie in her twilight years.

Paul Melendy and Debra Wise in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Dinner for One’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Directed endearingly by Weylin Symes, Greater Boston Stage Company continues Dinner for One live and in person at the newly-renovated Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 17.  This remarkable and semi-interactive production runs 70 minutes with no intermission.  Each production is slightly different due to the audience’s initial participation.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Greater Boston Stage Company recently unveiled a classic theatrical makeover which includes stylish new light fixtures, carpeting and seats.   The classic vintage quality and celebratory nature of Dinner for One seems a perfect match for the theatre’s new look to open Greater Boston Stage Company’s 25th season.

Paul Melendy and Debra Wise in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Dinner for One’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Red velvet streamers draped alongside crystal chandeliers is just part of Katy Monthei’s festive set design which includes matching detailed wooden furniture, a grand staircase, fireplace, nostalgic photographs and a lively phonograph in anticipation of Miss Sophie’s annual birthday dinner gathering.   With Jeff Adelberg’s atmospheric and symbolic lighting and David Remedios’s piano-infused soundtrack, Dinner for One depicts the elusive passage of time through a clock without hands hanging overhead.  

In tux and tails by costumer Deidre Gerrard, Paul Melendy as dapper James demonstrates his sharp comic wit through his cordial and self aware engagement with the audience considering them honored dinner guests, his meticulously detailed manner in planning Miss Sophie’s festivities, and in what ensues when best laid plans sometimes go awry. This production has some surprises and a great deal of physical humor in which Melendy handles with aplomb moving skillfully around the house. From a mumbling Jerry Lewis-style imitation to an amorous suitor to a boisterous Sir Toby, Melendy as James exacts accents and distinct mannerisms seamlessly to Miss Sophie’s delight.

Paul Melendy and Debra Wise in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Dinner for One’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

In a sophisticated lace floral and taffeta gown, Debra Wise as proper Miss Sophie is as game and dazzled with every charming and rollicking gesture delivered by Melendy, but with a sneaking and relatable awareness of life’s fragility.  With head high and chin cocked, Wise’s Miss Sophie is used to a certain way of doing things, but is at her best when she lets her guard down. 

Paul Melendy and Debra Wise in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Dinner for One’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

As funny as this production becomes, the quiet fondness between Debra Wise as Miss Sophie and Paul Melendy as James is the real enchantment of this production. More than dedication, there is a genuine admiration between them.   In its simplicity and big heart, Dinner for One is a unique experience with as much humor and beauty demonstrated in what is said as what is left unsaid. 

Paul Melendy and Debra Wise in Greater Boston Stage Company’s ‘Dinner for One’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Greater Boston Stage Company continues Dinner for One live and in person at Greater Boston Stage Company in Stoneham, Massachusetts through Sunday, November 17.  This remarkable and semi-interactive production runs 70 minutes with no intermission.  Each production is slightly different due to the audience’s initial participation.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Domestic bliss takes a spooky turn in Sullivan Rep’s immersive ‘Blithe Spirit’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

It is much more interesting to feel part of the dinner party.

Surrounded by a glowing fireplace and mantel, a grandfather clock, a vintage piano, stained glass doors and a Victrola inside a cozy living room, Sullivan Rep truly sets the stage for an immersive experience.   As house guests, audience members are strategically placed without a bad seat in the house to become an intimate observer in this enclosed space.

In light of the 125th anniversary of Noel Coward’s plays directed by Dan Sullivan, Sullivan Rep performed Noel Coward’s haunting comedy Blithe Spirit live and in person from October 16 through October 26 live and in person at the Women’s Club of Newton Highlands in Newton, Massachusetts.  The three act production was 2 hours and 40 minutes with an 20 minute intermission.  Click here for more information and for more on Sullivan Rep’s future events.

of Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Though Blithe Spirit is partially an otherworldly experience, it is also a comedy on marriage and much more.  Set in the early 1940’s, Robert Orzalli as novelist Charles and Melissa Paz as Ruth are a well to do married couple who decide to hold a dinner party with guests Brian Higgins as dubious Dr. Bradman and Carly Evans as distinctively merry Mrs. Bradman and a séance featuring Catherine Lee Christie as medium Madame Acarti.  The two couples are skeptical and consider it entertainment until something goes eerily awry.

Brian Higgins, Melissa Paz, Catherine Lee, Robert Orzalli and Carly Evans in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Blithe Spirit is helmed by a supremely capable cast.  With an eccentric and enthusiastic delivery selectively rolling her R’s in a singsong lilt, Catherine Lee is a captivating scene stealer as Madame Acarti.  In bright purple stockings and distinct boots, Lee humorously and masterfully encapsulates Madame Acarti infusing her subtle and unique idiosyncrasies into her daily mannerisms.  A particularly fascinating highlight is Lee’s kicks and peculiar dances as she attempts to tap into the spirit world.

Catherine Lee as Madame Acardi in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Robert Orzalli as sophisticated intellectual Charles shares an elusive tension with his new wife Ruth portrayed by Melissa Paz.  They seem a happy couple and supremely cordial at first, but the mood becomes strained when Ruth asks Charles about his late wife.  Logical, matter of fact and persistent, Paz also depicts Ruth with an underlying anxiety in her demure mannerisms as Charles evaluates his late wife mostly on her flaws. 

Robert Orzalli in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

In silver from head to toe in Bridget Sullivan’s amazing hair and makeup design, Janis Hudson portrays youthful, spontaneous, and confident Elvira, Charles’s late first wife.  Noel Coward’s dialogue can be complicated to pull off because it often contains overlapping and parallel conversations.  To see these separate relationships and snappy conversations so distinctly articulated with sharp comedic timing especially between Orzalli, Paz, and Hudson is quite a feat.  Ozalli’s Charles is refined, a bit narcissistic and is quite enjoying the attention while comically navigating these conversations.  Blithe Spirit is about domestic bliss and dysfunction simultaneously and it is both fascinating and amusing to see how this trio pushes each other’s buttons and sparks fly in such an intimate setting.

Silk gowns and gloves, tuxedos, pearls, and diamonds are just a part of the Dan Sullivan’s primarily elegant costume design. Paul Roach’s sound design features popular music of the time and a key component in some of the production’s clever special effects with Eric Fox’s mood infused lighting.

Melissa Paz and Robert Orzalli in Sullivan Rep’s ‘Blithe Spirit’ Photo credit to Sullivan Rep

Blithe Spirit is a bit lengthy, but the suspense certainly builds in a darkly comical way and contains a few powerful twists and lasting observations about love and marriage before it brings this production to its wild conclusion. 

Sullivan Rep performed Noel Coward’s haunting comedy Blithe Spirit live and in person from October 16 through October 26 live and in person at the Women’s Club of Newton Highlands in Newton, Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and for more on Sullivan Rep’s future events.