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REVIEW: Moonbox Productions presents Regina Taylor’s soul stirring ‘Crowns’

Posted on April 25 by The Sleepless Critic

‘When I’ve done the best I can, I want my crown.’

This is one of a few significant songs led by Lovely Hoffman in a production about faith through grief and much more. Through testimonies, reflections, and soul stirring music, Regina Taylor’s inspiring Crowns explores life’s journey through hats which can make a profound statement, represent a lot of sacrifices, and ultimately stand for something greater.

Mildred E. Walker, Cortlandt Barrett, Mirrorajah, Janelle Grace, Elijah Brown, Kaedon Gray, Cheryl Singleton* in ‘Crowns’
Photographer: Chelcy Garrett

With Regine Vital’s soul stirring direction, Kurt Douglas’s upbeat choreography, and David Coleman’s powerful music direction, Moonbox Productions continues Regina Taylor’s Crowns live and in person at Arrow Street Arts in Cambridge, MA through Sunday, May 4. Perfectly timed around Easter and prior to Mother’s Day, this semi-interactive production is an uplifting 90 minutes with no intermission. It is not limited to the stage and its church atmosphere has a collection benefiting Rosie’s Place. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Hats in ‘Crowns’ Photographer: Chelcy Garrett

One may stay silent and observe, but this show is quite a celebration and the audience is invited to show their enthusiasm and engage in a joyful noise, clap and sing along. The Crowns cast is friendly, warm, welcoming and makes it easy to join in as part of their community. Having attended a previous Moonbox production, it is also comforting that a teleprompter is available to follow and sing along to a vast selection of powerful gospel works.

Mildred E. Walker and Mirrorajah in ‘Crowns’ Photographer: Chelcy Garrett

Demure and delicate or a sparkling showstopper, Crowns show that hats hold greater meaning than an article you place on your head, especially to a group of southern women who have welcomed a young girl from Brooklyn named Yolanda into their church. After Yolanda’s brother in killed, Yolanda is sent to live with Mildred E. Walker as wise Mother Shaw, Yolanda’s grandmother in South Carolina. Mirrorajah portrays Yolanda, a city girl who looked up to her brother and had not had much guidance in her life. Yolanda’s fish out of water experience makes room for compelling comical moments and soul stirring revelations with an excellent cast who takes on various roles as their stories unfold.

The Cast of ‘Crowns’ Photographer: Chelcy Garrett

With gray columns and offstage instrumentalists David Freeman Coleman and Brandon Mayes, Issak Olson’s transformative lighting illuminates the altar in Baron S. Pugh’s modest set design enhanced by a variety of multicolored hats, hat boxes, flowers and vanity mirrors hung on each side of the stage. Eye catching and detailed lace parasols also make a strong impression. Decked out in distinctive hats, E. Rosser and wig designer Schanaya Barrows makes each character stand out sharply dressed in vibrant and bold colors as Yolanda makes her own impression in a colorful jacket and shining shoes.

Lovely Hoffman*, Mirrorajah and Cortlandt Barrett in ‘Crowns’
Photographer: Chelcy Garrett

Crowns is a collection of music, stories, testimonials, traditions and reflections exploring the meaning behind ‘hattitude’ while delving into cultural, ancestral and historical context including segregation. From how to wear a hat to what type of hat to wear, structure, fabric, etiquette and significance, each character has an original reflection on how their hats made an impact in their lives and to those around them.

Kaedon Gray, Lovely Hoffman* and Janelle Grace in ‘Crowns’ Photographer: Chelcy Garrett

The entire cast which includes Cortlandt Barrett, Janelle Grace, Lovely Hoffman, Cheryl D. Singleton, Mildred E. Walker and Kaedon Gray boasts soaring vocals as well as irresistible charm in their lively and witty dialogue. Mirrorajah delivers a moving performance as leery yet curious Yolanda, especially as she proclaims, ‘I don’t know how a dead soul can rise again’ and shines in the upbeat number I’ve Got Joy like a Fountain. Dressed all in white, Walker as Mother Shaw exuberantly sings, In the Morning, blends beautiful harmony for Ol Ship of Zion and delivers an amazing a capella rendition of Take me to the Water with the cast. Lovely Hoffman as Velma’s rendition of His Eye is on the Sparrow also boasts incredible harmony as well as the spiritual Wade in the Water featuring the cast. It is difficult to choose standouts when they are all so brilliantly done.

Mirrorajah and company in ‘Crowns’ Photographer: Chelcy Garrett

Eshe O Baba is Yoruba for ‘Thank you father’ which is a significant phrase in Crowns. Fueled by love, experience the wonder of Crowns.

Moonbox Productions continues Regina Taylor’s Crowns live and in person at Arrow Street Arts in Cambridge, MA through Sunday, May 4. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: In honor of Boston’s Old North Church’s tricentennial, Plays in Place rewinds the clock for tense and engrossing ‘Revolution’s Edge’

Posted on August 8, 2023 by The Sleepless Critic

After 300 years, Boston’s Old North Church has stood through some of the most exciting and harrowing moments in our nation’s history. The Old North Church’s clock has consistently kept time since 1726. Playwright Patrick Gabridge pens an original play that explores a particularly intense dialogue set on the eve of the Revolutionary War in 1775. Plays in Place rewinds the clock to 1775 where three individuals contemplate their fates as tensions escalate to panic, gradually making it impossible not to take action.

Nathan Johnson photo-by Nile Scott Studios

In honor of the Old North Church’s 300^th anniversary and directed skillfully by Alexandra Smith, Plays in Place presents Patrick Gabridge’s engaging Revolution’s Edge, live and in person at The Old North Church in Boston Massachusetts on select days through September 19. The production is 45 minutes with no intermission and the box pews provide an immersive view. It is an educational production that is appropriate for families. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Brooks Reeves Photo by Nile Scott Studios

From colorful waistcoats to pristine linen shirts to proper vestments, Christina Beam’s elegantly detailed costumes are perfectly authentic to its era and one couldn’t have asked for a better setting than the Old North Church, Boston’s oldest surviving church right along the Freedom Trail.

Evan Turissini and Brooks Reeves Photo-by Nile Scott Studios

Three individuals composed of a reverend/doctor, his slave, and a sea captain are metaphorically tied together during this strained window in history. They are contemplating the state of Boston, the nation, and their future. Each clings to a different perspective of their future in terms of family, loyalty, occupation, politics, and identity. Two are a friendship divided through conflict and one is left without a choice as they articulate their thoughts and struggles while the world seems to be collapsing around them.

Gabridge’s passionate script has an intensity rooted in fear that looms quietly and then builds throughout the production. It also brings out the best in this trio of performers. Revolution’s Edge teeters from warmth to anxiousness to manipulation, but each evokes a note of consideration and compassion, even while blinded by fear.

Evan Turissini portrays American ship captain, vestryman, and patriot Captain John Pulling Jr. with reason, devotion, and compassion for the others, but is squarely dedicated to his cause. Turissini and Brooks Reeves as complicated Rev. Dr. Mather Byles Jr, a reverend and doctor with ties to England and America, share some pivotal and contentious moments that bring out some indelible performances. Huddled closely together, it is engrossing to watch their war of words. Byles’s impatience and manipulative side is particularly exposed in a significant conversation with Byles’s slave Cato, depicted sympathetically and astutely by Nathan Johnson. Johnson is faced with agonizing sacrifices and is truly the heart of this production.

Nathan Johnson and Brooks Reeves Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Revolution’s Edge cleverly weaves some of Boston’s most significant events including the Boston Tea Party and Revere’s Ride while the audience is still privy to dangerous events in motion right outside the church’s windows.

Though this would be especially fascinating for visitors of Boston and historians, Revolution’s Edge is an exciting and deeply educational window into a harrowing moment in history. Witnessing it knowing how the world is now brings intricate and profound meaning.

In honor of the Old North Church’s 300^th anniversary and directed by Alexandra Smith, Plays in Place presents Patrick Gabridge’s engaging Revolution’s Edge live and in person at The Old North Church in Boston Massachusetts on select days through September 19. The production is 45 minutes with no intermission and the box pews provide an immersive view. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Celebrity Series of Boston @home presents mesmerizing musical trio Dreamers Circus

Posted on April 14, 2021 by The Sleepless Critic

One of the main attractions of virtual concerts is being able to discover new music anywhere in the world.

Inside Copenhagen’s iconic Round Tower that houses a church, library, and an astronomical observatory, three musicians deliver a mesmerizing musical experience as Dreamers Circus. Warmly introduced by violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen, this performance was filmed in Round Tower’s immaculate library as Swarm, a floating exhibit created by female Denmark artists Baskets4Life, contributes to the concert’s surreal setting.

Celebrity Series of Boston welcomes award-winning musical trio Dreamers Circus streaming through Thursday, April 15. The concert premiered as a live streamed concert on Friday, April 9 and includes a Q & A with the group. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Comprised of violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen, pianist and accordionist Nikolaj Busk, and Ale Carr on Nordic Cittern, Dreamers Circus draws from classical, Swedish, and Nordic rhythms to weave a collection of playful, breezy, and mesmerizing selections well suited to the band’s name while providing a haven in this dark time.

Pianist and Accordionist Nikolav Busk Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

Among the many highlights of this performance is the quirky originality and chipper rhythms in their telling song, The World is Waiting from their latest album, White Gold. The sunny piano and whistling medley exudes a lighthearted anticipation of what’s to come. Pentamime delves into hypnotic rhythms, suspense, and building intensity while City Gardens, from their album Rooftop Sessions, offers a fascinating and intricate mix of soothing rhythms, bright notes, as well as haunting, eclectic, and electronic sounds that brings out the song’s unique vibrancy.

Busk introduces Kitchen Stories, a rich number that fluctuates between lively and tranquil while showcasing Sorensen’s nimble artistry with the violin and Busk’s switch to an accordion before joining together for a memorable folk reel.

Dreamers Circus at Copenhagen’s Round Tower Nikolaj Busk, Rune Tonsgaard Sorensen, and Ale Carr Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

Hjerter To/Fangden Og Hans Pumpestok has a bright, catchy, and fanciful medley as Busk pulls double duty performing on the piano and the accordion. Introducing what Carr calls “a poor man’s viola,” Carr duets with Sorensen for traditional Swedish song, Folkrothvalsen.

The concert builds to a thrilling finale with A Room in Paris and Prelude to a Song. While A Room in Paris delivers an upbeat and joyful urgency, Prelude to the Sun provides a perfect blend of sonic and dreamlike harmony.

Not to be left out is the engaging and laid back camaraderie between the musicians as they take the audience on an intriguing and inviting musical journey that could suit any musical taste. Celebrity Series of Boston @home presents Dreamers Circus on demand through Thursday, April 15. Click here for more information and tickets.

Celebrity Series of Boston will present their annual Stave Sessions kicking off on Wednesday, April 21. Click here for a closer look at their season and ways to support Celebrity Series of Boston.

Review: Packed with inspiring music, Lyric Stage Company and Front Porch Arts Collective’s ‘Breath and Imagination’ soars

Posted on December 14, 2018 by The Sleepless Critic

It often takes a village to become great. In Daniel Beaty’s Breath and Imagination: The Story of Roland Hayes, lyric tenor and composer Roland Hayes embarks on a tremendous journey from a shy, sulky church boy to the trials and sacrifices that were made in order for him to become an established singer. He was often plagued by insecurity and faced backlash in many forms, but the heart of this piece lies in the ones who believed in him even when he wasn’t sure how to proceed, ultimately proving, as the production proclaims, “pain and promise make you great.”

Co-produced by Front Porch Arts Collective, directed by Maurice Emmanuel Parent, and musically directed by Asher Denburg, Lyric Stage Company proudly presents this interactive, uplifting musical helmed by a stellar cast, Daniel Beaty’s Breath and Imagination: The Story of Roland Hayes continuing through Sunday, December 23 at 140 Clarendon Street in Boston, Massachusetts. This is a 90-minute musical with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Front Porch and Lyric Stage Breath and Imagination Asher Denburg and Davron S. Monroe

Music Director Asher Denburg and Davron S. Monroe Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage Company of Boston

Packed with impressive performances, Breath and Imagination is an important musical, especially fitting for Boston since Roland Hayes is the first soloist of color to perform at Symphony Hall. Accompanied by a grand piano sitting in front of an illuminated, sliding paneled backdrop, this interactive, concert musical draws the audience into the performance with its small and mighty cast.

If I thought Davron S. Monroe was terrific in Lyric Stage’s Kiss of the Spider Woman or on the Company Theatre stage in the powerful musical, Ragtime, nothing could quite prepare me for the magnificent performance he delivers as lyric tenor and composer Roland Hayes. Not only does Monroe beautifully depict Roland Hayes’s journey as he matures from a humble childhood in a wool cap to adulthood in bow tie and tails, he also shows Hayes’s progressive vocal maturity, his powerhouse vocals rising to new, complicated heights as he masters everything from spiritual hymns to internationally-renowned classical works.

Guiding him on this audacious journey is his no nonsense, strict, and faith-filled mother, Angel Mo’, portrayed by Yewande Odetoyinbo in a captivating performance that makes it easy to see where Roland Hayes gets his inspired vocal chops. Odetoyinbo as Angel Mo’ is fierce yet humble, a quick witted woman in a shawl who shows Hayes what is truly important in life and song. She reflects the pain of her past and the weight of the immense obstacles in front of her, but consistently holds her own with faith and love.

Front Porch and Lyric Stage Breath and Imagination - Davron S Monroe, Yewande Odetoyinbo and Nile Scott Hawver

Davron S. Monroe as Roland Hayes, Yewande Odetoyinbo as Angel Mo.’ and Nile Scott Hawver Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage Company of Boston

Odetoyinbo and Monroe teamed up earlier this year in Lyric Stage’s spring musical, The Wiz and their sweet chemistry make it no surprise they are collaborating again. Much of this musical tackles the highs and lows of their relationship as he makes his way into the world.

Rounding out this stellar cast is Doug Gerber as Mr. Calhoun and Nile Scott Hawver, who portrays multiple roles seamlessly from a preacher to a teacher, his enthusiasm makes way for some exciting, touching, and humorous moments.

Front Porch and Lyric Stage Breath and Imagination - Asher Denburg, Doug Gerber, Nile Scott Hawver, Davron S. Monroe and Yewande Odetoyinbo

Asher Denburg, Doug Gerber, Nile Scott Hawver, Davron S. Monroe and Yewande Odetoyinbo Photo courtesy of Lyric Stage Company of Boston

Enjoy the Lyric Stage Company and The Front Porch Arts Collective’s compelling musical, Breath and Imagination: The Story of Roland Hayes at 140 Clarendon Street in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, December 23. Click here for more information and tickets. Follow The Lyric Stage on Twitter and Facebook for their upcoming productions and more.

REVIEW: Reagle Music Theatre’s 35th anniversary of ‘ChristmasTime’ is most wonderful

Posted on December 8, 2017 by The Sleepless Critic

Brimming with holiday cheer while celebrating two milestone anniversaries, Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston is offering a season more spectacular than ever before. Not only is Reagle celebrating its 50^th anniversary, their beloved annual holiday music revue, ChristmasTime is marking 35 magnificent years. These special ChristmasTime anniversary performances are dedicated to Reagle’s Christmas Angel, Natalie L. Durkin. ChristmasTime continues through Sunday, December 10. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Raggedy Ann Photo courtesy of Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston

Just walking into Robinson Theatre before the performance, attendees are greeted by iconic holiday characters and Victorian carolers as the Robinson halls are decked out onstage and off with brightly lit snowflakes, richly designed Christmas trees, gold embossed wreaths, and the stage festively framed with wooden embroidered angels. Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston annually features the memorable performances that transformed ChristmasTime into a holiday tradition as well as additional scenes that keep the show fresh each year.

ChristmasTime stage Courtesy of Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston

From touching, candlelit hymns to joyous rollicking Christmas carols for the entire family including a sing-along, Reagle Music Theatre’s production of ChristmasTime never loses steam even in its quietest of moments. During the holiday season, spend the afternoon witnessing a unique musical revue seeped in a variety of iconic Christmas scenes expertly narrated with the warm, inviting vocals of R. Glen Mitchell and a live orchestra led by Jeffrey P Leonard and Paul S. Katz. Featuring an enormous, impressive cast of all ages with some performances offered with special permission from Radio City Music Hall, Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston travels to distant lands and different time periods from the North Pole to New York City in landscapes painted with picturesque flair by Robert Moody of Santa’s Workshop, Rockefeller Center, Boston’s duck statues, a candlelit church with sunburst stained glass windows, and the stunning, sprawling city of Jerusalem.

Christmas Time Photo 7 - Fred Van Ness Soloist

Renowned Tenor Fred C. VanNess Jr in The Living Nativity

The afternoon also featured an array of special, surprise guests with the returning, suburb talent of renowned tenor, Fred C. VanNess Jr and Mara Bonde’s gorgeous vocals. Famous scenes of the season include a lively version of The Nutcracker, appearances from Reagle’s Rockettes, a humorous scene from Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, and the suburb The Living Nativity highlighted by popular carols like Little Saint Nick, Jingle Bells, Twelve Days of Christmas, and Christmas medleys capture the Christmas spirit in an unforgettable way. Scenes are also peppered in performances from toys to trees coming to life dancing to rock, gospel, and much more. ChristmasTime, through its delightful, stunning vignettes of the season, exhibits a captivating depiction of the meaning of Christmas.

Teddy Bears Ballet Photo courtesy of Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston

Carolers Photo courtesy of Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston

Photo courtesy of Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston

As part of Reagle’s 50^th anniversary celebration, Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston is holding a limited raffle to win a new Honda Civic. Click here for further details.

This annual, interactive celebration, which is appropriate for all ages, has a strong following so purchase tickets now. Each show is held at Reagle Music Theatre, 617 Lexington Street in Waltham, Massachusetts through December 10. Call 781-891-5600 or Click here for tickets and for more information and upcoming events in 2018 such as Night Fever: An Evening With the Bee Gees and A Little Bit of Ireland. Tickets are also available at the theatre box office.

Illuminated by candlelight, Saint Anselm College celebrates the season with their 18th annual DecemberSong

Posted on December 16, 2016 by The Sleepless Critic

Photo courtesy of Keri McAndrews For more of her work, visit photosbykeri.com. Nativity scene set up at Saint Anselm College.

Photo courtesy of Keri McAndrews For more of her work, visit photosbykeri.com. Photo of Saint Anselm College Alumni Hall.

Photo courtesy of Keri McAndrews For more of her work, visit photosbykeri.com. Cross situated over the altar inside the Abbey Church.

Photo courtesy of Keri McAndrews For more of her work, visit photosbykeri.com. The domed acoustic ceiling inside the Abbey Church.

A vast, gorgeous, brightly-lit Christmas tree sits at Davison Hall, signaling the start of one of Saint Anselm College’s one of the most highly anticipated times of the year. In a whirlwind of seasonal events such as their charitable program, Christmas Giving Tree Project to their annual Gingerbread Decorating Contest, it is no wonder that collegemagazine.com hailed Saint Anselm College as the top college with Christmas spirit. Adorned in Christmas wreaths and a variety of festive decorations strewn up by students and staff alike, Saint Anselm College revels in this exciting and joyful season. Click here for more on Saint Anselm College located in Manchester, New Hampshire and follow them on Facebook.

Also a time of contemplation and community in the Benedictine tradition, the community, students, colleagues, and alumni cherish gathering each year at The Abbey Church to celebrate DecemberSong, a free event by candlelight, at the start of the advent season. Featuring the Saint Anselm Abbey Choir, this year’s DecemberSong service took place on a peaceful, clear, and chilly Saturday evening on December 3 at Saint Anselm Abbey Church, 100 Saint Anselm College Drive in Manchester, Massachusetts at 7:30 p.m.

Brick laden and adorned with an amber jeweled cross floating aloft the altar, the Abbey Church offers a warmth and subtlety in its surroundings. Overhead is a domed, carefully detailed acoustic ceiling that gathers light and reverberates sound. A full house greeted the Saint Anselm Abbey Choir when they entered the church dressed in black in white, each carrying a single lit candle. Their voices lift and resonate, greeting the church with Bach’s Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme. What followed was an evening of well known advent songs such as O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and Ave Maria, traditional Christmas songs such as The First Noel and Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, and in between inspirational readings, prayer, and sacred scriptures shared by candlelight. Readings included A Christmas Hymn by Martin Luther, advent hymns, and Susan Cherwien meditations. Led by Director of Liturgical music Eric J. Bermani and accompanied by Brother Andrew Thornton, DecemberSong published the words and music of the evening’s songs to encourage audience participation.

First envisioned by Director Emeritus of the Choir, Father Bede Camera O.S.B, this year marks DecemberSong’s 18^th year and the Saint Anselm Abbey Choir will celebrate their 30^th anniversary in 2017. Click here for further information about the Saint Anselm College Choir.