massachusetts | The Sleepless Critic

REVIEW: Firecracker moments drive Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Burn This’

Posted on 4 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

A freak accident and a strange wake beg a lot of questions. Then suddenly, a combustible force enters Anna’s smoldering world and there is little she can do to stop it.

With nimble direction by Daniel Bourque, Hub Theatre Company of Boston sparks its 12^th season with Lanford Wilson’s Burn This live and in person at Boston Center for the Arts in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, April 21. This show contains strong language as well as adult themes and runs approximately two and a half hours with one intermission. All shows are at a pay what you can basis. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Steve Auger, Tim Hoover, Kiki Samko, and Victor L Shopov in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Burn This’

Inside an upscale New York City loft apartment, Burn This delivers firecracker moments which starts as a slow burn. The one with the long fuse is Kiko Samko as Anna, an often saintly dancer who is experiencing a creative block after the death of her roommate, Robbie. With flirtatious flair and a dramatic persona that relieves some of the production’s tense moments, Steve Auger humorously portrays Anna’s other roommate, Larry. Anna is involved in a complicated relationship with Tim Hoover as wealthy screenwriter Burton who is struggling with his next screenplay. United in their grief over the loss of Robbie, they share hesitation about their future.

Kiki Samko in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Burn This’ Photo credit to Tim Gurczak

With the audience situated on two sides of the stage, Justin Lahue’s elegant and spacious set design of an upscale loft apartment features a cluttered kitchen, modern furniture and a broad black and white staircase as well as elements of artistic flair including a shadow painting of a dancer. Distinct modern light bulbs hang from the ceiling and well-timed lighting by Emily Bearce bolsters the production’s warm and intense moments along with Asad Harwick’s occasionally startling sound design. Costume designer Nohely Roman blends sophisticated and athleisure leaning on silks and a (surely) designer black tracksuit, pinstripes, and lace in bold and classic colors.

Kiki Samko and Tim Hoover in Hub Theatre Company of Boston’s ‘Burn This’ Photo credit to Tim Gurczak

Samko’s Anna is a complex character who shares a natural camaraderie with Auger and Hoover as they embark on some animated discussions about life and their artistic challenges. Hoover as Burton is sensitive and protective of Anna and they clearly share a sweet rapport. Anna is drawn to taking care of people and her patience and considerate nature does not always serve her well.

Kiki Samko and Victor L. Shopov in Hub Theatre Company of Boston ‘Burn This’ Photo credit to Tim Gurczak

Making a firecracker of an entrance is Victor L. Shopov as Robbie’s fast talking, furious, and often tumultuous brother, Pale and suddenly, Anna’s mostly predictable world abruptly experiences some chaos. Samko and Shopov possess some genuine chemistry and Burn This dives into extremes between calm and calamity in the form of Pale who infuses a lightning rod of energy into each appearance. In a gray suit, Shopov’s Pale is an all business workaholic while Samko’s Anna is meditative and nonviolent. Their encounters are fascinating and at times infuriating as Anna’s long fuse is perpetually tested to the point when you just want Anna to finally say enough while Samko and Shopov keeps the audience invested in the outcome. Samko’s horrified stares and Shopov’s potent audacity are much more than meets the eye and this unique connection delivers some surprising results.

Burn This is an exploration of loss, the confusion that ensues, and the journey of finding hope when all looks bleak. That journey can be uncomfortable but necessary in order to find the way through and Burn This lends some humor and hope, even in an uncertain future.

REVIEW: Joy and grief co-exist in Anthony Rapp’s moving ‘Without You’

Posted on 12 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

Author Nancy Berns once reflected, ‘There is freedom in knowing you can carry joy and grief together.’

Joy and grief coexist in Without You, a one man production performed by award-winning actor and singer Anthony Rapp. Known for his performance in the Pulitzer prize-winning musical Rent, Rapp weaves together a deeply personal portrait of the story behind the hit musical, his experiences as an actor, and the love and losses in his life. Featuring a mix of original music and beloved songs from Rent and based on Rapp’s 2006 memoir Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Musical Rent, Without You is a moving production for those who have seen Rent, but it is not necessary to see Rent in order to appreciate this production. It might encourage you to see it for the first time or revisit it after the production is over.

Seasons of Love

Directed conscientiously by Stephen Maler with insightful Music Direction by Daniel A. Weiss, ATG Colonial presents Anthony Rapp’s one man musical show Without You live and in person at the Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, April 14 and is also touring. This production is 90 without an intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets and here for the production’s tour schedule.

Anthony Rapp’s ‘Without You’ Photo by Russ Rowland

Rapp is contemplative of what he has been through privately and professionally with a variety of personal nuances to make it his own. With authentic scrapbook style flair by light and scene designer Eric Southern, a projected brick wall boasts a variety of Rapp’s taped newspaper clippings, vintage playbills, and weathered New York City landmark photographs, Rapp’s apartment, and even an touching handwritten note. The resplendent multicolor lighting and ambiance seem inspired by Rent itself. The production has a casual 90’s vibe with Rapp in a flannel shirt and sneakers by Angela Vesco and Rapp sets his own props during the production.

Having had phenomenal success as an acclaimed hit musical in the 90s that became one of the longest running shows on Broadway and gone one to be performed around the world as well as a film adaptation of the same name that also starred Anthony Rapp in 2005, it is amazing to think that Rent is closing in on its 30^th anniversary since Rapp’s first Rent audition. Rent is a daring, joyous, raw, and poignant musical about a group of 20-somethings living in New York City. It explores love, loss, hardships, dreams and realizations all while this group struggles to make the rent.

Anthony Rapp is speaking from personal experience as a struggling actor in New York City who worked at Starbucks to make ends meet as he embarked on auditions. Rapp’s mother encouraged his singing more than his acting recalling Rapp’s childhood roles as Snoopy and Oliver. With an innovative onstage band, Rapp tells an engaging and inspiring account recalling the invaluable friendships he made along the way including a beautiful event called the Peasant Feast. Rapp sings Seasons of Love wistfully, talks of his affinity for La Vie Bohème, hopeful Another Day, and a sweet rendition of Without You as well as the endearing original Carry Me Home, and the darkly quirky Wild Bill.

Having lost my father recently, Without You genuinely captures the sting and elusive solace of grief while Rapp immerses himself in mimicking the voice and mannerisms of each significant character in his heartfelt story including his mother, Rent creator Jonathan Larson and music director Michael Greif. Rapp’s warm, humorous, and spirited inflections were especially memorable in a stunning moment with Cy coaxing Rapp that the only way out is through.

REVIEW: A toast to Patti Lupone’s fabulous ‘A Life in Notes’ presented by Celebrity Series of Boston

Posted on 14 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

To say it was an honor to witness Patti Lupone’s brilliance onstage is an understatement. Having won three Tony Awards and two Grammy Awards, this Julliard-trained American Theater Hall of Famer from Long Island has proven time and again she is a master of her craft and it is easy to see why through her personal musical memoir A Life in Notes.

Conceived and warmly directed by Scott Wittman with inspiring music direction by Joseph Thalken, Celebrity Series of Boston presented Patti Lupone: A Life in Notes live and in person at Symphony Hall in Boston, Massachusetts for one night only on April 2. The show was 2 hours including one intermission and is touring around the country. Click here for more information and here for what is up next during Celebrity Series of Boston’s exciting season.

Patti Lupone and Brad Phillips Photo credit Robert Torres/Celebrity Series of Boston

Accompanied by pianist Joseph Thalken and Brad Phillips on strings, Patti Lupone made an endearing emotional entrance having been greeted by a roaring standing ovation from the audience. Donning a glimmering flirty black suit and sparkling earrings before later stepping into a shimmering showstopper with flowing cape, Lupone launched into a heartfelt and stirring rendition of Leon Russell’s A Song for You. The opening number was just the first of several touching moments during this production.

Part autobiography and part love letter to her fans, A Life in Notes is a beautiful tapestry of music which includes American Standards and Broadway that have made an indelible impact on this mezzo-soprano’s life and career so far. Humble and gracious, Lupone is a sharp and avid storyteller sharing her personal experiences while reflecting on valuable life lessons. She delivered each refreshing number with a mix of charisma, wit, style and creativity as the tale behind the song unfolds sharing her reflections on growing up on Long Island before establishing her decades -long career. Bathed in luminous purple, orange and gold lights, Lupone took the stage in front of a baby grand piano topped with a large bouquet of elegant roses as Thalken and Phillips provided accompaniment and smooth harmony to Lupone’s exceptional vocals.

Patti Lupone and Joseph Thalken Photo credit Robert Torres/Celebrity Series of Boston

As a fan who hoped to hear Sondheim’s Ladies Who Lunch in which she offered with all the incomparable passion and attitude that this song suggests, her selections covered some of her most memorable numbers and a few unexpected gems. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s distinctive Don’t Cry for Me Argentina on strings sounded as epic as it did when she originated the role as Eva Peron in Evita. Lupone cheekily shook to Bagdasarian and Saroyan’s upbeat Come On-A My House and boasted fiery vocals for Jules Stein and Stephen Sondheim’s commanding Some People. Shelton’s yearning Lilac Wine and catchy Jameson and Feller’s Summertime, Summertime captured her experiences falling in love.

Patti Lupone Photo credit Robert Torres/Celebrity Series of Boston

Patti Lupone’s exciting life has had its tumultuous times living during the age of the Atomic Bomb and the turmoil of the 60s as well as building her success in New York City. She took the time to movingly pay tribute to loved ones as well as those who have passed away. Lupone’s pliable vocals and amazing range shine for Cole Porter’s Every time we Say Goodbye as well as for a darkly humorous, saucy and surprising rendition of Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller’s Ready to Begin Again, which after hearing it for first time, has become of my favorite numbers. All of Patti Lupone’s personal touches, reflections, and compelling music selections made for a wonderful evening worth celebrating.

REVIEW: ‘Driving in Circles’ a winding and resilient concert journey at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre

Posted on 20 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

Now here is something refreshingly different.

Directed with energizing flair by Sam Plattus, innovative sound design by Gage Baker and cleverly written and performed by Jay Eddy, Boston Playwrights’ Theatre presents Driving in Circles live and in person at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, April 6. This new, deeply personal concert-style work is 100 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Jordan Palmer Zach Fontanez and Jay Eddy in Driving in Circles Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Infusing storytelling, relatable humor, and a fascinating blend of hard hitting and uplifting original music, Everett-born Jay Eddy as Jill/Bill is a witty individual who has faced a daunting set of physical and emotional challenges at a young age. Eddy is raw, honest, funny, and self deprecating tackling trauma at its core as well as the aftershocks of these events demonstrated in a catchy opening number that explains how to survive an earthquake. Eddy counts backwards in time at the prevalent ages in which Eddy endured these hardships.

Jay Eddy on guitar in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Scenic designer Danielle DelaFuente with set construction by Carly Stegall has fittingly set up a highway rest stop with a dart board, colorful vintage license plates and vinyl records. A hanging pink bathrobe is just one of the significant Easter eggs shown on Eddy’s reflective journey. Wearing red eye shadow and white boots, Jay Eddy, keyboardist Jordan Palmer, and guitarist Zach Fontanez sport similar blue uniforms by costume designer Eric Tran as they perform on a staged road while lighting designer Kevin Fulton sets an atmospheric vibe including twinkling lights and multicolored linear array lights that illumine each performer’s space.

Jay Eddy sharing a humorous weather report in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Driving in Circles is essentially an emotionally-charged concert road trip through a variety of beautiful and traumatic events that have shaped Eddy’s life. It is powerful, sad, and disturbing at times, but is also hopeful, charming and lighthearted on this unpredictable road to healing. This is not lighthearted fare and the material is a bit too serious to be considered standup, but Eddy’s enthusiasm and interactive style is relatable, warm, sincere, and funny. Sharing home movies creatively projected by Maria Servellón, Eddy is not limited to the stage and engages the audience in a compelling manner that makes you feel a part of her journey brimming with detours, twists and turns on past road trips and misadventures that include destinations such as Seattle, Nashville, Vermont and Maine. Driving in Circles contains plenty of local references and Eddy shares a compelling and relatable tale getting lost on the road in what should have been a simple trip to the dentist.

Jay Eddy in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

Eddy’s original electronic music is performed on the spot as lead vocals in a three piece band. Eddy is a master on the audio board expertly delivering vocals and sound effects while keyboardist Jordan Palmer and guitarist Zach Fontanez enhance this dynamic blend of lively songs. Eddy is a powerful, edgy and expressive singer and it is amazing to listen to it navigated through the audio board, but Eddy’s bare vocals are also incredibly affective. Shrill Woman, Time Traveler, Another Day, the soothing You’ll Feel Better with Fontanez delivering a notable guitar solo, uplifting The Dog Days of Summertime and hopeful The World is Ending Anyway are just a few highlights.

Jay Eddy in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo Credit Scornavacca Photography

A perceptive work with plenty of heart, Driving in Circles is a powerful and original work about resilience and hope even through harrowing events. Eddy demonstrates music’s healing power through art as well as the music that helped Eddy cope from artists such as Simon and Garfunkel and Tom Petty. After all, Driving in Circles can still lead to beautiful destinations.

Jordan Palmer, Jay Eddy, and Zach Fontanez in ‘Driving in Circles’ Photo credit to Scornavacca Photography

REVIEW: The Company Theatre’s ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’ less mystery and more refined humor

Posted on 26 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

How far would you go to get ahead in the world as well as get the object of your desire?

Co-directed drolly by Zoe Bradford and Sally Ashton Forrest with jolly musical direction by Robert McDonough, The Company Theatre takes a satirical look at the haves, the have nots, and the ones desperate to rise above their station in Robert L. Freedman’s musical comedy A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder continuing live and in person at the Company Theatre in Norwell, MA through Saturday, March 30. This zany production is a lengthy 2 hours and 20 minutes including one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Ryan Barrow’s partially projected set with Dean Palmer Jr. is quite literally a vintage gold and marble stage within a stage boasting some elaborate backdrops with a portion of it used to set up some dark comedy including a towering chapel, royal mail, a floral garden adorned with English lavender, a positively pink aristocratic parlor, an aesthetically animated snow-covered ski resort and a dour grave site. Ostentatious and detailed rich velvet dresses, top hats, corsets, high boots, and lacy frills are just part of what Joe Michienzie costumes with specialty costume pieces by Kathryn Ridder use to authenticate the propriety of Edwardian England.

A grave event in ‘A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder’ Photo by Zoe Bradford

The show opens with a juicy Warning to the Audience of more elaborate treachery and danger than the actual musical delivers. Leaning far more on humor and murder and less on mystery, what starts as a surprising discovery becomes a plot so thick and absurd that even a gentleman can not quite believe it. Down on his luck Monty suddenly discovers he just might be eighth in line in the revered D’Ysquith (emphasis on the DIE with a rat a tat ring to each family name) family to become the Earl of Highhurst Castle shortly after his mother’s death. Bonnie Gardner as kindly and direct Miss Shingle is the bearer of this questionably reliable news in You’re a D’Ysquith. Becoming an Earl would mean a massive fortune and a sterling reputation. How does a gentleman consider murder to win the object of his desires and become an Earl?

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder has a lively and engaging cast especially during a bit of humorous shuffling at Highhurst Castle and a comically grim scene for Why are all the D’Ysquiths Dying? This brand of refined humor right out of the BBC is tailor made for Anglophiles and though it is about love and murder, its satirical tone makes for a gallivant into the misdeeds of one Monty Navarro, depicted with a polished air and a hint of desperation by Justin Maloney. Maloney as Monty is a proper chap and is part narrator as he guides us through this fiendish journey, but he is more matter of fact than dangerous and it would benefit him to exhibit at least some hidden dastardly tendencies. Perhaps this is part of the absurdity of it all. Monty’s character is exemplified in a championing rendition of The Last One You’d Expect.

Justin Maloney and Dru Daniels Photo by Zoe Bradford

Dru Daniels, who dazzled as Lily in Company Theatre’s The Secret Garden, lends her wonderful vocals to depict Sibella Halliward, a status-hungry gold digger and the object of Monty’s desire. Prim and proper surrounded by extravagance, Sibella is a woman who knows what she wants but otherwise her feelings for Monty seem genuine. The numbers I’ve Decided to Marry You and That Horrible Woman alongside Stephanie Mann as Cousin Phoebe D’Ysquith boasts clever staging and one of the most exciting parts of the production.

Jason Denton meets the challenge of depicting a number of short lived characters where some work better than others, but the two characters that stood out was a buck toothed, architecture-obsessed Reverend Lord Ezekiel D’ Ysquith, and thick mustached fox hunter called Lord Adalbert D’Ysquith. With lively and dusty portraits in the background, Denton’s I Don’t Understand the Poor is heightened by Denton’s humorous delivery and madcap charm. Also Denton as Lord Adalbert D’Ysquith and Alyssa Norton as his Lady Eugenie’s passive aggressive banter is comic gold.

Alyssa Norton and Jason Denton Photo by Zoe Bradford

REVIEW: The risk of depending on one another in SpeakEasy Stage Company’s tender ‘Cost of Living’

Posted on 26 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

‘It’s just unfortunate that some people have already lived a lot of life before they meet other people.’

This introspective observance is one of several pearls of wisdom from Martyna Majok’s insightful and perceptive script focusing on four struggling individuals in two parallel and intersecting stories as SpeakEasy Stage presents Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Cost of Living live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, March 30. Sensitively directed by Alex Lonati, this thought provoking production contains strong language, adult themes, and runs 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Scenic director Janie E Howland’s muted colored set includes blocks of windows stacked in various sizes as shadows of individuals glow in pastel illumination by lighting designer Amanda E. Fallon. We are the observers of these two pairs of individuals and Fallon infuses subtle and colorful lighting on Howland’s muted colored set seemingly to illustrate not only the other tenants in the building, but the art of observing.

Lewis D. Wheeler as Eddie in ‘Cost of Living’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Cost of Living focuses on the journey of living itself including the kindnesses and the sufferings people can endure externally and internally. These four individuals have been through different degrees of hardship and find themselves having to depend upon one another for some relief as they each attempt to make a new start in life. With easygoing demeanor and insightful charm, Lewis D. Wheeler is mesmerizing as a recovering alcoholic and unemployed truck driver Eddie. Wheeler’s engaging opening and personable monologue pulls the audience into his consuming thoughts and complicated heartache. Tough talking yet with penetrating vulnerability, Stephanie Gould movingly depicts Eddie’s estranged wife Ani who suffers from a shattered spinal cord as a result of a devastating accident. Both lonely individuals in North Jersey, Gould’s dark wit with a dash of satirical humor as Ani blends intriguingly well with Eddie’s ease and their sporadically humorous banter and relatable conversations sharing their innermost thoughts, dreams, hopes, and fears reflect the nature of their longevity together. Their tense familiarity is apparent even in their physical interactions. As Anna Drummond’s adsorbing sound design delivers Erik Satie’s Gymnopédie in the background, this familiarity is exemplified in a rush of emotions as Eddie and Ani discuss the therapeutic power of music.

Gina Fonseca as candid yet secretive Princeton graduate and immigrant Jess struggles to make ends meet in Brooklyn, NY and is being considered to care for Sean Leviashvilli as steadfast, cautious, and wealthy graduate student John who has cerebral palsy. John needs someone who as he states ‘will keep me handsome’ such as shower and shave him daily. Jess is driven and insistent that she is the person for the job, but John is hesitant because he has had other caretakers who have not worked out. Fonseca as Jess and Leviashvilli as John share a chatty and awkward tension as they discover nuances about each other and at times strike up endearing camaraderie.

Stephanie Gould as Ani and Lewis D. Wheeler as Eddie in ‘Cost of Living’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Martya Majok’s Cost of Living not only explores surviving financially, but the risk and agony of putting trust in another person. This show tackles some difficult and heartrending topics with a resonating message delivered with eloquence, humor and sincerity as unpredictable as life itself.

SpeakEasy Stage Company presents Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Cost of Living live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through March 30. Sensitively directed by Alex Lonati, this thought provoking production is 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Ambition and betrayal take center stage in Dream Role Players production of Shakespeare’s classic ‘Othello’

Posted on 30 Days Ago by The Sleepless Critic

Alarming what whispers and rumors can create.

With moving direction by Alan White, Dream Role Players continues William Shakespeare’s classic production, Othello live and in person at Chelsea Theatre Works at the Black Box Theatre in Chelsea, Massachusetts through Saturday, March 30. This show is general admission with pay-what-you-can options and is not suitable for children. It is their first play performed in an indoor setting and runs two hours and 45 minutes including one 15 minute intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Dayenne CB Walters and Luis Negrón in Dream Role Players ‘Othello’ Photo credit Sushmita Udoshi

Set in Venice in the 1570’s, Shakespeare’s Othello focuses on General Othello, in a searing depiction by Vincent Ernest Siders, who is madly in love and secretly marries Elisabet “Lisa” Ober as Desdemona to Eric Cheung as Desdemona’s father Brabantio’s fury and dismay that she married a Moor. Othello also promotes Dom Carter as Cassio to be his lieutenant instead of Dayenne CB Walters as Iago and thus begins stealthy acts of treachery.

Elisabet “Lisa” Ober and Vincent Ernest Siders in Dream Role Players ‘Othello’ Photo credit Sushmita Udoshi

From distinguished uniforms decorated with silver and gold adornments and dapper suits to colorful flowing dresses, costume designer Atlas Mendoza carefully illustrates each character’s distinctive traits. It was particularly notable to see Iago’s bright red socks hidden just underneath Walters’s suit to indicate that things are not all that they seem. Lighting designer Richie DeJesus not only creates mood-induced lighting that hints at the mood of each scene, but the simple staging which includes four multipurpose chairs and later an elaborate bed leaves plenty of room for this interactive cast to shine in performances that are not limited to the stage.

Dom Carter and Vincent Ernest Siders in Dream Role Players ‘Othello’ Photo credit to Sushmita Udoshi

Dream Role Players provide opportunities for individuals to perform their dream roles and Othello boasts an enthusiastic cast who skillfully sinks their teeth into their performances. With a sly smile, Luis Negrón offers a fervent portrayal of Rodrigo particularly in heated discussions with Dayenne CB Walters as conniving Iago. Walters epitomizes Iago with shifting eyes while displaying disquieting and calculated practicality. Walters brilliantly plots and schemes while displaying masked charm and manipulative glee.

Dom Carter and Dayenne CB Walters in Dream Role Players ‘Othello’ Photo credit Sushmita Udoshi

Dom Carter is amiable as sympathetic and gentlemanly Cassio as he shares some mystifying chemistry with Vidisha Agarwalla as Bianca while Candis Hilton is impressive as mysterious and independent-minded Amelia. It is endearing to watch Elisabet “Lisa” Ober as strong willed, adoring, and gentle Desdemona who shares boisterous and captivating chemistry with Siders as Othello, but the most riveting encounters occur between Siders as Othello and Walters as Iago. Siders is a towering and charismatic presence as Othello with rich and powerful vocals who is as suave and lovable as he is intimidating. Matched by Walters as elusive Iago, the two enact a game of cat and mouse with a mounting intensity that left me at the edge of my seat.

Dream Role Players ‘Othello’ Full Cast Photo credit Sushmita Udoshi

REVIEW: Full of flash and dry humor, ‘The Cher Show’ turns back time with empowering style

Posted on March 21 by The Sleepless Critic

This musical biopic seems by the numbers until three Chers infuse an original and adventuresome twist.

Much like Cher herself, The Cher Show is a limelight driven, bawdy, and spirited look at Cher’s upbringing and career and how Cherilyn Sarkisian busted out of her shy demeanor to become as she proudly calls ‘a warrior goddess.’

Morgan Scott in ‘The Cher Show’ Photo credit Big League Productions

Bathed under dazzling spotlight-soaked florescent lights by Charlie Morrison, Star, depicted with Cher’s pitch perfect dry humor and rich vocals by Morgan Scott, emerges in sequined black donning her signature high heels and risqué style, but she is definitely not alone. Turning back time is a thrill when two other Chers share the spotlight and help to navigate her life based on all she knows now.

Distinctively directed by Casey Hushion with a mix of slinky and wistful choreography by Antoinette Dipietropolo, Big League Productions presented The Cher Show for a limited time live and in person through Sunday, March 17 at the Boch Center Wang Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, but it is also on a national tour. Outside this production, MassArt showcased Cher’s legendary looks. The production was 2 hours and 20 minutes with one fifteen minute intermission. Click here for more information and here to see where The Cher Show national tour will next take the stage.

Catherine Ariale, Morgan Scott and Ella Perez in ‘The Cher Show’ Photo credit Big League Productions

Cherilyn was not always one to bathe in the limelight. As chatty and anxious Babe, depicted with a powerful belt and discomfort in her own skin naiveté by Ella Perez, Cherilyn was often shy and felt like an outsider due to her dyslexia, half Armenian heritage and her dynamic looks. However, Lucy Werner as Cher’s confident firecracker mother Georgia who was always a source of strength, sage advice and beauty said, ‘The song will make you strong.’ Cher’s unique qualities are actually what set her apart.

Cher fulfills most people’s two fondest wishes through this musical. Not only can Star turn back time, but accompanied by Ella Perez as Cher or Babe and Catherine Ariale as Cher or Lady, Star can turn to her other selves to revisit her past. Three Chers that interact, are aware of each other, and support each other is not just a source for a wealth of humorous moments, but it breaks the pesky rules of a classic biopic in a lighthearted and spectacular way. Perez, Ariale, and Scott have a fascinating bond where anything can happen in a life where Cher was required to grow up fast.

The cast of ‘The Cher Show’ Photo credit to Big League Productions

Kelly James Tigne’s visually spectacular set is an array of glitter and glitz which includes the bright lights of Hollywood and Vegas but also beautifully nostalgic photos of 50s California before Cher sets her sights on stardom and the set develops a more classic sophistication in black and white as Cher’s star power matures.

Starting out with her own sewing machine, Cher always set her own bold and risqué fashion standard before later joining forces with the legendary visionary and equally daring fashion designer Bob Mackie, who originates the Broadway and tour costumes seen in this musical. Tyler Pirrung, who depicts a trio of roles in this production, is memorable as Mackie complete with clever quips and a mischievous gleam in his eye, especially during Aint Nobody’s Business. Magnets are used to accommodate the numerous fashion styles and quick changes throughout the production. The Cher Show’s costume coordinator Janine Loesch and wig designer Roxanne DeLuna presents all these ostentatious costumes in all of its nostalgic, feathered, and sparkling runway glory.

Tyler Perrung as Bob Mackie, Ella Perez, Catherine Ariale, Morgan Scott and cast Photo credit Big League Productions

Lorenzo Pugliese is full of magnetic charm and quirky sense of humor as Sonny Bono. Fast talking with shrewd business sense, Pugliese shares some amazing chemistry with each Cher and one of the best moments of the production is their wonderful rendition of I’ve Got You Babe which was met with cheers from the audience. He also shines in Little Man and later for All I Ever Need is You.

Ella Perez and Lorenzo Pugliese in ‘The Cher Show’ Photo credit Big League Productions

The Cher Show’s quick pace features a wide array of nostalgic hits over six decades including the catchy harmony of Da Doo Ron Ron, Be My Baby, and The Shoop Shoop Song as well as It’s All or Nothing, a stirring Bang Bang (He Shot Me Down), Believe and Heart of Stone. Perez, Ariale, and Scott form a powerhouse trio as they recall Song for the Lonely as Perez flaunts a distinctive belt. The Fosse-inspired The Beat Goes On is a sleek standout as well as sultry chorography featuring Emma Jade Branson of The Dark Lady in candlelight.

Lorenzo Pugliese and Catherine Ariale in ‘The Cher Show’ Photo credit Big League Productions

The Cher Show celebrates her remarkable career and her variety of hits, but is also an honest and frank depiction of her insecurity, challenges, and fears within her failures and triumphs. No matter what, Cher shows the beat goes on.

Catherine Ariale, Morgan Scott and Ella Perez and cast in ‘The Cher Show’ Photo credit Big League Productions

Distinctively directed by Casey Hushion with a mix of slinky and wistful choreography by Antoinette Dipietropolo, Big League Productions presented The Cher Show for a limited time through Sunday, March 17 at the Boch Center Wang Theater in Boston, Massachusetts, but it is also on a national tour. The production was 2 hours and 20 minutes with one fifteen minute intermission. Click here for more information and here to see where The Cher Show national tour will next take the stage.

REVIEW: Heartache and longing compel Lyric Stage Company’s Irish drama, ‘Thirst’

Posted on March 16 by The Sleepless Critic

The calming bird calls and chiming crickets in perfect rhythm with the ocean waves combined with the whimsical with a hint of melancholy music score by David Remedios is a clever façade for what exists inside Tyrone’s American oceanside summer cottage. So much of this production is about what each person is hiding inside as miserly owner Mr. Tyrone insists on keeping the lights off.

Under Courtney O’Connor’s delicate direction and just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Lyric Stage Company continues its 50^th anniversary season with Ronán Noone Irish drama Thirst live and in person at Lyric Stage in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 17. The show is two hours and 15 minutes including an intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Michael Kaye and Aimee Doherty in ‘Thirst’ Photo by Mark S Howard

Set in 1912 within scenic designer Janie E Howland’s impressively functioning kitchen equipped with running water and a piping hot wood stove and heavy hanging black wrought iron pans as active as this trio of lonely and willful characters, Thirst delves into longing, heartache, and the inner turmoil that can very well define us all if we let it.

Michael Kaye Kate Fitzgerald and Aimee Doherty in ‘Thirst’ Photo by Mark S. Howard

Thirst focuses on two Irish immigrant servants and a widowed chauffeur employed by the Tyrone family who are restless about their future and longing for a better life seemingly just beyond their reach. Part unconventional love story, Thirst explores life’s challenges and the unique tie that binds this trio of characters to gradually understand each other.

Though it has a bit of a slow start, witnessing the unfolding of these multilayered characters helmed by Kate Fitzgerald who exuberantly embodies feisty, daydreaming, uproarious, and romantic Titanic survivor Cathleen, becomes an absorbing exploration for this trio to break free of their limitations and embrace happiness.

Kate Fitzgerald and Aimee Doherty in ‘Thirst’ Photo by Mark S. Howard

With a thick brogue under dialect coach Rebecca Gibel, Fitzgerald’s excitability and wondrous daydreams blended with her maturity and frankness well beyond her age is a stark contrast to Aimee Doherty as Cathleen’s disillusioned, secretive and practical Aunt Bridget. Doherty and Fitzgerald’s sweet and spicy rapport is as comical as it is bittersweet and their tendency to take things too far makes for some enthralling moments. It is particularly fascinating to watch a wonderful actress like Aimee Doherty’s depiction of tone deaf Bridget when renowned singer Doherty is anything but. Doherty has a particular flair during the production’s more lighthearted moments. Michael Kaye is increasingly endearing as poetic and protective Jack heightened in a moving monologue about life’s complications toward the end of the play. All of these characters have suffered grief and loss and it is touching to watch them argue, protect and encourage each other as they learn to understand each other’s innate struggles through humor and heartache.

Aimee Doherty in ‘Thirst’ Photo by Mark S Howard

Under Courtney O’Connor’s delicate direction and just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Lyric Stage Company continues its 50^th anniversary season with Ronán Noone Irish drama Thirst live and in person at Lyric Stage in Boston, Massachusetts through Sunday, March 17. The show is two hours and fifteen minutes including an intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Karin Trachtenberg’s ‘My Mother Had Two Faces’ examines the woman in the mirror

Posted on March 9 by The Sleepless Critic

They say beauty is only skin deep.

My Mother Had Two Faces explores beauty in all of its forms and how to accept the person in the mirror including the flaws on both the outside and on the inside.

Written by Karin Trachtenberg in a heartfelt performance and directed and developed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, The Rockwell presented the one woman self reflecting play, My Mother Had Two Faces: Reflections on Beauty, Aging, and Acceptance live and in person at The Rockwell in Somerville, MA through Sunday, March 3, but this production is currently touring. Karin will make her next stop at the United Solo Festival at Theatre Row on March 14 in New York City. The show is approximately 60 with no intermission. Click here for more information and here for further details and for tickets.

Karin Trachtenberg in ‘My Mother Had Two Faces’ Photo credit to Karin Trachtenberg

The magnifying mirror is beauty’s classic frenemy. It stands out on a vanity counter strewn with jewelry, makeup and all the items it takes for a person to enhance their best features. The magnifying mirror enlarges all the remarkable parts of the face, but is also unrelenting and unforgiving for all the parts that glaringly need improvement. For Karin’s Swiss mother, it was a beacon of hope and an essential part of her daily routine that gave into an illusion that goes back generations that women must look perfect in today’s society. As the show most poetically asks, ‘What does it mean to be seen by the envelope and not the letter?’

This revelatory production is not just about beauty, but it is a memoir about healing. As a ritual for Karin’s Buddhist faith, it is a therapeutic journey into the past to get better insight into Karin’s struggles in order to achieve enlightenment. My Mother Had Two Faces delves into important moments for Karin, her mother, and her family’s history while masking family trauma.

Karin and Lindt chocolate Photo credit to Karin Trachtenberg

Offering free Lindt chocolates as a tribute to Karin’s family heritage, My Mother Had Two Faces is an engaging, bare, honest, and sincere portrayal of the good, the beautiful and the horribly ugly with humor, joy, fear, grace, and anguish in the sting and string of life’s revelations. Accompanied by slideshows, photos and much more shared through a multimedia screen by 3 Cubed, Karin shares some of her mother’s reflections in a thick and playful Swiss accent and an occasional lighthearted free spiritedness. Dressed in black, Karin is a blank canvas for her mother and her own various idiosyncrasies, frustrations, hypocrisies, earnest dreams and more. It is an eye opening journey accompanied only by the wise, sensible, and logical musings of the woman in the mirror exploring her most wonderful and toughest experiences. Eric Bornstein’s expressive and finely-detailed masks are effective aides during the production with well timed lighting while sound and tech designer Bobby Raps rewinds the clock with a vintage soundtrack that includes the theme song to Mission Impossible and Edith Piaf’s Non je ne regrette rien (No regrets).

Karin Trachtenberg and Eric Bornstein’s masks Photo credit to Karin Trachtenberg

Karin paints a well rounded portrait of her enigmatic and glamorous mother and therefore making invaluable discoveries about herself and her family on this healing journey. It is funny and moving and may encourage you to take a closer look in the mirror at what makes a person who they are.

My Mother Had Two Faces: Reflections on Beauty, Aging, and Acceptance will next be at the United Solo Festival at Theatre Row on March 14 in New York City. The show is approximately 60 with no intermission. Click here for further details and for tickets.