Scandalous secrets unfold and things are not what they seem in Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s (MRT) quintessentially local and fascinating production of A Woman of the World by Rebecca Gilman streaming on demand through Sunday, May 30. Partnering with the Emily Dickinson Museum and directed cleverly by Courtney Sale, this one-woman show led by Massachusetts native Denise Cormier lights up the stage with natural charisma as enigmatic lecturer and historical figure Mabel Loomis Todd. She claims to bring insight into the real life of the late, renowned poet Emily Dickinson, but what she unveils is so much more.
It was wonderful to see another production from MRT filmed onstage. A Woman of the World also offers plenty of local references such as Harvard, MIT, the New England Conservatory, Boston, Amherst and the surrounding areas. The show contains some hinted adult themes. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Denise Cormier in MRT’s ‘A Woman of the World.’ Photo: Kathy Wittman/Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Scenic designer Bill Clarke and Original Music/Sound Designer David Remedios seamlessly combine the inviting comforts of home with the sights and sounds of a serene Maine setting. However, don’t let the serenity of this island home fool you. Mabel gears up for a quiet storm as the sound of the wind and crickets fill the air.
From welcoming to haunting, Carolina Ortiz Herrera’s soft, dynamic lighting not only transforms each mood in an instant, but does more so with Cormier. At first Denise Cormier as Mabel seems a lively, well-to-do speaker with well coiffed blond hair, but as the show progresses, the subtle lighting reveal tinges of gray.
Denise Cormier in MRT’s ‘A Woman of the World’. Photo: Kathy Wittman/Merrimack Repertory Theatre
Though it is a one-woman show, other “cast members” such as Mabel’s daughter Millicent is addressed offstage. Delivering a multi-layered performance, Mabel’s charm to win over her audience first comes off as egotistical, but gradually becomes earnestness and she soon seems like an old friend. Nothing short of a captivating showman, a warm and inviting presence, but the guarded moments intertwined in her storytelling is the stuff that keeps you hooked and her drifting reflections are when the show truly hits its stride. Having had a stroke, Mabel is also somewhat an unreliable narrator in more ways than one.
Denise Cormier in MRT’s ‘A Woman of the World’. Photo: Kathy Wittman/Merrimack Repertory Theatre
The show tackles relatable issues on feminism and Cormier as Mabel may make you root for her one moment and against her the next. However, she’s a survivor and an enigma ahead of her time.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s production of A Woman of the World by Rebecca Gilman is streaming on demand through Sunday, May 30. Following the production is a short interview between director Courtney Sale and Denise Cormier on the inspiration behind the show. Click here for more information, tickets, and for more about the Merrimack’s Repertory Theatre’s season.
Ben Folds, award-winning lead singer of Ben Folds Five, rang in the holiday season with some of Boston’s most renowned performers as he hosted Tis the Night with Ben Folds and Friends which has been featured on WGBY Public Television, New Hampshire PBS, and WGBH 2 this month. Ben has collaborated with many acclaimed artists in his over 20-year career including Regina Spektor, William Shatner, Tori Amos, and Weezer. He is also known for performing with many orchestras throughout the world. Take a closer look at Tis the Nighthere, click here to find out when WGBH will broadcast this show next, or here to stream it online.
Ben Folds and Caleb Teicher perform on ‘Tis the Night’ Photo courtesy of Meredith Nierman/WGBH
Tis the Night with Ben Folds and Friends offered a selection of well-known holiday songs done in new, insightful ways. Surrounded by blue festive lights and illuminated snowflakes, Tis the Night opened fittingly with I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day sung warmly by the Boston Children’s Chorus, dressed in red scarves and multicolored shirts as Ben Folds looks on.
Handel and Haydn orchestra and chorus perform on ‘Tis the Night’ Photo courtesy of Meredith Nierman/WGBH
Handel and Haydn’s Society took on three memorable choruses from Handel’s Messiah, which was a lighthearted take from the classic version. It was refreshing to hear, though I prefer the classic interpretation. However, the Handel and Haydn Society’s uplifting, angelic harmony was no less impressive, ending on a triumphant note.
Ben Folds took a break from hosting to join NYC choreographer Caleb Teicher for a catchy version of Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth. They were accompanied by New England Conservatory student guitarist Andres Orco-Zerpa and student bassist Tyler Wagner. Affectionately calling Caleb’s tapping “drumming for your feet,” Ben Folds drummed while singing a duet with Caleb, whose freestyle tapping got more remarkable as the beat escalated.
Harvard Radcliffe Collegium Musicum performs in ‘Tis the Night’ Photo courtesy of Sam Brewer/WGBH 2
Conducted by Music Director Andrew Clark, The Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum was a particular highlight. Their peaceful, silvery vocals enriched their first number, In the Bleak Midwinter as picturesque scenes were shown of new fallen snow topped on trees and covered in fields. Sung entirely acapella, that captivating number was followed by a few more impressive classic Christmas carols.
New England Conservatory student jazz vocalist Darynn Dean, decked out in a shimmering dress and accompanied by student pianist Matthew Thompson, delivered a jazz-infused, airy version of Jingle Bells. Darynn’s agile vocals scat and soared while Matthew’s lighthearted piano solo created an exhilarating medley.
Vocalist Darynn Dean and pianist Matthew Thomson perform Jingle Bells on ‘Tis the Night’ Photo courtesy of Sam Brewer/WGBH
Under an illuminated starlit sky, New England Conservatory student soprano Saori Erickson accompanied by student pianist Bethany Pietroniro performed a gorgeous, emotionally-rich version of Ave Maria.
Soprano Saori Erickson and pianist Bethany Pietroniro performing ‘Ave Maria’ Photo courtesy of Sam Brewer/WGBH
Ending on a bright, inviting note with Ben Folds, the Boston Children’s Chorus, and Caleb Teicher collaborating on We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Tis the Night offered a few great reasons why the holiday season is the most wonderful time of the year.
Taking place at NEC’s Jordan Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, this free concert also pays tribute to Boston native, legendary composer, and NEC Prep alumnus Leonard Bernstein’s centennial with Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and much more. Click here for more information and how to reserve seats to this extraordinary concert.
NEC’s Laurence Lesser, who will be performing at the concert, discusses his history with music, the cello, career surprises, and recording Hollywood soundtracks from films such as Rosemary’s Baby.
Sleepless Critic: I understand you were invited to perform with the New England Conservatory Philharmonic and conductor Hugh Wolff for your 80th birthday celebration. Were you able to choose your own music?
Laurence Lesser: I asked to do Ernest Bloch’s Schelomo because it is a wonderful piece full of personal meaning for me.
SC: What first interested you in music, especially the cello?
LL: My parents took me to LA Phil Children’s concerts when I was about 5. I wanted to play the double bass, but they thought that was too big for a little guy and gave me a cello for my 6th birthday.
SC: I understand you play a 1622 Italian-made cello. There must be an amazing story behind how you obtained it.
LL: I was looking for a great old Italian cello with a true solo voice and bigger dimension than what I was using. I saw it in a shop in London, England, but I was second in line for it. Fortunately very soon afterwards in 1972, it came my way.
Photo credit to Carlin Ma Photography
SC: What was it that encouraged you to pursue music as a career?
LL: My mother was a pianist. My two older brothers and I had music lessons from an early age. When I went to college at Harvard to study mathematics, I soon knew that mathematics was the wrong path for me and it had to be music. You don’t choose music, it chooses you.
SC: Music afforded you a great deal of opportunities, just a couple of them recording Hollywood soundtracks such as Rosemary’s Baby and Finian’s Rainbow and traveling the world. What kind of surprise opportunities have you experienced in your career or a moment where you couldn’t believe this is happening to you?
LL: I played in chamber music concerts with Jascha Heifetz and my teacher Gregor Piatigorsky and we performed at Carnegie Hall. Such a wonderful place and an amazing memory to be on stage with those musical giants!
SC: How did you end up working at the New England Conservatory? I understand during your tenure as President, you were part of the restoration of Jordan Hall and you curated ‘First Mondays at Jordan Hall.’ Please tell me about that.
LL: I was invited to teach there by then President, Gunther Schuller. Jordan Hall is one of the greatest ‘rooms’ for music in the world. It had become shabby. When I was President, my team joined me in focusing on the restoration. ‘First Monday’ concerts were the outgrowth of ad hoc faculty chamber concerts. I decided to put some structure into it and it’s now beginning its 34th season!
SC: Congratulations! Jordan Hall is a majestic venue. You’ve enjoyed a wonderful career in music from teaching to performing. What kind of music do you like to listen to?
LL: I can listen to anything that ‘speaks’ to me. Any medium suits me and I don’t simply listen to pieces I have heard over and over again.
SC: What music goals are you pursuing now?
LL: I think it’s too late in my life to go on a completely new road, but I intend to keep pursuing excellence in what I am currently doing.
SC: For those pursing music as a career, what was the best piece of advice you were given?
LL: My father, who was not a musician, said you should do what you love in life. It’s not for personal glory or ego. Simply keep remembering that you are doing this for listeners who want something.
Attend Leonard Lesser’s 80th birthday and celebrate the music of Leonard Bernstein on Wednesday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m. New England Conservatory will pay tribute to Leonard Bernstein’s works all season, including the New England premiere of the exhibition, Leonard Bernstein at 100, unveiling on September 24 and continuing through November 11 at NEC’s Student and Performance Center. Click here to learn how to support NEC and here for all of NEC’s upcoming concerts this season.
From fashion extraordinaire to law student, Elle Woods strives to show Harvard she is so much more than a blond in pink heels. Based on the hit romantic comedy that shot Reese Witherspoon to stardom, Cohasset Dramatic Club’s partner, Cohasset Youth Theatre, proudly presents Legally Blonde the Musical Jr. for two nights only on Friday, April 28 through Saturday, April 29. All performances will take place at Cohasset Dramatic Club’s Town Hall Theatre in Cohasset, Massachusetts at 7:30 p.m. Call 617-852-0091 for more information and for tickets.
Legally Blonde the Musical Jr. is sure to dazzle audiences through its engaging tale about a perky California sorority girl with an indomitable spirit who sets her sights on Harvard Law School to win back her high school boyfriend. She makes some surprising friends along the way and learns she is much stronger than she ever expected. Legally Blonde the Musical Jr. has all the frothy magic of the original movie including the musical numbers Omigod, You Guys, Serious, and Positive that will leave audiences with a happy heart.
Starring Halle Pratt as Elle Woods, catch Cohasset Youth Theatre’s Legally Blonde the Musical Jr. from Friday, April 28 through Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m. All performances take place at Cohasset Town Hall Theatre, 41 Highland Ave in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Call 617-852-0091 for further details and tickets. Tickets are also available at the door and the show is suitable for all ages. Follow Cohasset Dramatic Club on Facebook for updates and more information and details on their upcoming shows.
For a musician, choosing the right instrument is the key to success. For Grand Harmonie flutist and co-founder Sarah Paysnick, family and Sesame Street played a big part in her choosing the right one. When a group of successful musicians got together to pursue something new and exciting, the innovative and eclectic music ensemble, Grand Harmonie was born.
Grand Harmonie in action Photo courtesy of Sarah Paysnick
Grand Harmonie will deliver March Madness, two exciting and inventive concerts that mixes a little bit of everything. Featuring conductor Scott Allen Jarrett and soprano Jacquelyn Stucker with horn by Yoni Kahn, March Madness kicks off on Friday, March 24 at Arts at the Armory in Somerville, Massachusetts at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday, March 26, March Madness will take the stage at the Second Church of Newton in West Newton, Massachusetts at 3 p.m.
Grand Harmonie conductor Scott Allen Jarrett Photo courtesy of Scott Allen Jarrett
Sarah Paysnick discusses her music career, Grand Harmonie’s educational outreach, the excitement behind Grand Harmonie, and a closer look into March Madness. Click here for more information and for tickets.
Jeanne Denizard: What first sparked your interest in music and what inspired you to pursue it as a music career?
Sarah Paysnick: In kindergarten, many of my friends started learning piano. They would teach me what they were learning, so I begged my mom for piano lessons. I remember wanting to quit after a short time, but my mom told me I had to finish the year. A few years later, many of my friends started learning string instruments. I have a cousin my age that played the violin and she’d teach me when we got together. When I told my mom I also wanted violin lessons, she said that I have two cousins who play the violin and I should pick something else. Watching Bob on Sesame Street and because another cousin was learning it, I decided on the flute.
In 4th grade, when asked what we wanted to be when we grew up, I said I wanted to be a cantor because Judaism and music were important to me. I didn’t have proper training as a singer. Something told me, over the next few years, it would exclusively become a music career even though Judaism is still important to me. I never really thought about doing anything outside of music, though my music path has taken me in a variety of directions. Ultimately, it led me to historical performance on flutes and teaching piano to children.
JD: How did you become a founding member of Grand Harmonie and what do you enjoy most about this group?
SP: I knew Yoni Kahn, our horn player and soloist for this concert! With Yoni Kahn and a couple of other founding members, we were interested in starting something new and exciting. Though my favorite music to perform falls a bit earlier than Grand Harmonie’s core repertoire, I am constantly inspired by my colleagues who push me every day to be a better musician and honored to be an organizing member of the kind of ensemble people enjoy working with. Everyone has such a positive, generous attitude and it’s infectious!
Yani Kahn, horn Photo courtesy of Grand Harmonie
JD: Grand Harmonie is very versatile and can transform from a symphony orchestra to an opera orchestra, or even become a chamber ensemble. Is the unexpected part of what sets Grand Harmonie apart from other groups?
SP: Yes, Grand Harmonie is a bit of a moving target. People attempt to put us into a box and we don’t fit into one. Every performance is different, but it also makes anything possible!
JD: Grand Harmonie will be touring through Somerville and Newton on March 24 and 26 for March Madness. Is this Grand Harmonie’s first time performing March Madness? Where did the idea come from?
SP: This is our first time doing this performance as well as splitting up the movements of a symphony and sprinkling them throughout a concert. In the 19th century, performances were quite different than they are today. Maybe a full symphony wasn’t performed or it was performed in its entirety but not straight through. Perhaps a small chamber ensemble gave listeners a break from the big symphonic sound or a soprano would delight everyone with her beautiful voice.
Jacquelyn Stucker, soprano for March Madness Photo courtesy of Jacquelyn Stucker
These concerts were a social event and audiences didn’t remain silent as they think they are expected to today. Grand Harmonie wants to break the tension and allow people to clap when they want to, explore the space around them, and enjoy the concert without fear of getting stared down if they clap at the wrong moment or make a noise during the music.
On Friday night, the cash bar at the Somerville Armory will be open all night. Through a generous donation from Aeronaut Brewing Company, the first 30 ticket purchasers will receive one free beer! On Sunday in Newton, we encourage people to relax and enjoy themselves, but the concert will not include alcohol and will be a more traditional performance.
JD: This concert will be a particularly intimate and uplifting concert experience since it will take place in-the-round. Additionally, Grand Harmonie will deliver classical pieces in an entirely unique and rollicking way. Putting something like that together must have been a lot of fun.
SP: Friday’s show is a really exciting experiment in how to make a “classical” concert more accessible and we can’t wait to experience it with our audience! Sunday’s show will be more traditional with the audience in pews and the orchestra in front, but we still expect it will be a rollicking good time!
JD: For March Madness, Grand Harmonie weaves Mozart, Beethoven, and Weber into one big concert. You have a unique way of breaking up Beethoven’s First Symphony during this “in the round” concert experience.
SP: It may sound unique to split up a symphony today but this was not unusual in the 19th century! Sometimes even a single movement was chosen for a particular program.
JD: Grand Harmonie also participates in educational outreach. Please tell me about that.
SP: Grand Harmonie has given master classes at the Longy School of Music at Bard College, MIT, and Harvard, among others. We have also given informational lecture/demonstrations at MIT and Yale’s Lewis Walpole Library. We love sharing what we’ve learned with musicians and music enthusiasts young and old! Audience members are very curious about our instruments and we are happy to engage with them.
JD: A few Grand Harmonie concerts are coming up before the end of the season. Please tell me about Grand Harmonie’s future plans.
SP: March Madness is the official close of our season, but we have plenty coming up! We will be performing Haydn’s The Creation with Edward Jones and the Harvard University Choir and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 2 Lobgesang with Edward Jones and the Harvard-Radcliffe Chorus. We have loved working with Ed at least once a year since we began and it’s fair to say we have a mutual admiration for each other. In NYC, we will be partnering with On Site Opera to perform a wind octet Harmonie arrangement of Mozart’s The Secret Gardener by our own Yoni Kahn on horn and Thomas Carroll on clarinet. Also, keep an eye out for us during the Boston Early Music Festival the second week in June!
Grand Harmonie group Photo courtesy of Hannah Shields
Click here for all of Grand Harmonie’s upcoming concerts and here for more on Grand Harmonie’s educational outreach. Follow Grand Harmonie on Facebook and Twitter for upcoming events and more.
Revel in rich, Celtic traditions and captivating live performances with WGBH’s 12th annual St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn from Wednesday, March 15 through Saturday, March 18. Hosted by Brian O’Donovan and touring through Worcester, Beverly, New Bedford, and Cambridge, A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn offers the excitement of Ireland’s history, Celtic traditions, storytelling, and annual concert with a dynamic array of musical guests from all over the map.
A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn kicks off its Massachusetts tour on Wednesday, March 15 at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester, for the first time at The Cabot Theatre in Beverly on Thursday, March 16, take the stage at the Zeiterion Theatre in New Bedford on Friday, March 17, and then concluding the tour at the Sanders Theatre, Harvard University in Cambridge for two performances on Saturday, March 18. WGBH members get a discount on tickets. Click here for further details and for tickets!
Once again musically-directed by Keith Murphy, this highly-anticipated concert features musicians such as world-renowned fiddler Liz Carroll and popular harp and fiddle duo Jenna Moynihan and Mairi Chaimbeul. Karan Casey, Irish folk singer and founding member of Solas, will also appear with the Kara Casey Band. A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn will showcases local performers such as the Miller Family, featuring guitarist Ruby May, fiddler Evelyn, and multi-instrumentalist Samuel. Hailing from Smithfield, Rhode Island, The Miller Family are traditional Irish dancers who have toured and competed in dance competitions from Montreal to Rhode Island. Winners at the World Irish dancing championships, the Miller Family are happy to share their upbeat rhythms.
Celebrate ‘A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn’ from March 15-18 Photo courtesy of WGBH
Click here for the complete list of performers to ring in this thrilling holiday. From Beverly to Cambridge, A St. Patrick’s Day Celtic Sojourn is quickly approaching. Click here for tickets and further details. For a taste of Irish and Celtic traditions each Saturday afternoon, click here to tune in to A Celtic Sojourn hosted by Brian O’Donovan on 89.7 FM WGBH from 3 – 6 p.m. Follow A Celtic Sojourn on Facebook for updates and much more.
