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REVIEW:  Fueled by a tight knit cast, August Wilson’s ‘Seven Guitars’ by Actors’ Shakespeare Project strums a spiritual and resonating tune

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

A shadow lingers over Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In the aftermath of World War II, grief and death lingered like a shadow over the world’s existence.  In the late 40s in the Pittsburgh Hill District of Pennsylvania, that shadow hovers over a close knit group of friends in August Wilson’s gripping mystery, Seven Guitars.  Love, loneliness, grief, friendship, and the blues strike a chord as each character in Seven Guitars search for their share of happiness in an area nicknamed ‘The Crossroads of the World.’

Directed conscientiously by Maurice Emmanuel Parent, Actors’ Shakespeare Project presents August Wilson’s Seven Guitars through March 5 live and in person at Hibernian Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.  Hibernian Hall provides an intimate theatre setting without a bad set in the house.  Seven Guitars is intended for mature audiences and runs for two hours and 45 minutes with one 15 min intermission.  Click here for more information and tickets.

Vera at the Funeral (0034).jpg: Maya Carter (front) with Johnnie Mack, Dereks Thomas, Regine Vital, and Omar Robinson in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography.

Written after August Wilson’s Fences, it is easy to see a few of the earmarks of Wilson’s lauded work including Wilson’s rich and cadenced dialogue.  Fences and Seven Guitars are set in Pittsburgh in a neighborhood backyard, and some of the characters in Seven Guitars and Fences share some loose similarities including the ill-advised, but unwavering loyalty from Rose Maxson in Fences and Vera Dotson in Seven Guitars. 

Jon Savage’s inviting backyard scenic design features a multi-tiered set, colorful garden plot, mood setting hanging string lights, and an inhabited patio dining set. From lively to tense and shocking moments, Amanda E. Fallon’s affective lighting combined with Abe Joyner- Meyers’s mood induced sound design and Dewey Dellay’s haunting and carefully crafted music composition impressively maneuver this evolving and multi-layered production.  Costume Designer Nia Safarr Banks utilizes classic colors and retro patterns to enhance each character’s distinct personality including vintage flowing dresses and plumed bowler hats.

Red at the Funeral (0042).jpg: Johnnie Mack, Dereks Thomas, Maya Carter, Omar Robinson, and Regine Vital in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography.

However, one of greatest strengths of this particular production is Parent’s great care in the cast’s tight bond.  Whether pondering their own mortality, listening to the radio, shooting the breeze or gripped by a suspenseful moment, the cast easily draws in the audience by their natural and captivating chemistry.

Schoolboy with Bandmates (2793).jpg: Anthony T Goss, Dereks Thomas, and Omar Robinson in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography.
Schoolboy with Bandmates (2793).jpg: Anthony T Goss, Dereks Thomas, and Omar Robinson in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography.

Following the funeral of Floyd ‘Schoolboy’ Barton (Anthony T Goss), Seven Guitars follows a group of friends that gather to honor a complicated man.   Goss skillfully depicts Barton’s sass, swagger and charm, but also his admirable determination and dream to be among the haves than the have-nots.  His resolution for success makes him sympathetic despite his egotistically justifiable wrongdoings.  He has compelling chemistry with Maya Carter who delivers a moving performance as devoted, spiritual, and skeptical Vera.  Carter’s intense opening monologue is relatable and heartrending and Carter only gets better from there.  On a lighter note, Regina Vital’s fiercely independent, loyal, and charismatic Louise provides a wealth of humor and fun, especially when she goes toe to toe with Omar Robinson as Canewell, Dereks Thomas as Red Carter, or Valyn Lyric Turner as Louise’s seemingly impressionable niece Ruby.   Robinson as talkative and good natured Canewell, Thomas as ladies man Red, Mack as Hedley and Goss as Floyd share some engrossing camaraderie whether it is for a spontaneous dance with makeshift instruments, playing pranks on each other, or sharing their riveting musings about the future.  However, when they are enjoying themselves, it is a relaxed vibe that is a joy to watch.

Hedley Plays Along (1671).jpg: Johnnie Mack, Dereks Thomas, Anthony T Goss, and Omar Robinson in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars at Actors’ Shakespeare Project. Photo by Ken Yotsukura Photography.

Johnnie Mack delivers a searing and multi-dimensional performance as peculiar, lonely and hardworking dreamer Hedley.  In overalls and an apron, Hedley has lofty dreams and supportive friends, but lives in a sad reality.  Mack seamlessly navigates Hedley’s intermittent moods with rising tension weaved into some compassionate moments. 

Visions of grandeur, ambition, and destiny play more than a medley in August Wilson’s Seven Guitars on a landscape that has experienced harsh realities.  For August Wilson’s richly drawn and dynamic characters, one cannot help but share their hopes for a brighter future.

Actors’ Shakespeare Project presents August Wilson’s Seven Guitars through March 5 live and in person at Hibernian Hall in Boston, Massachusetts.  Click here for more information and tickets.

REVIEW: Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ a savvy and intriguing noir experience

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Paradise, a longtime 40s Detroit Jazz Club, holds many secrets.  As those secrets gradually unfold, nothing is as it seems.

With multi-faceted direction by Elise Joyner and Logan Pitts, Gloucester Stage Company presents Dominique Morisseau’s noir drama Paradise Blue through Sunday, September 18 live and in person at Gloucester Stage, 267 E Main Street on Cape Ann in Gloucester, MA.  The show has some adult language.  The half moon stage and intimate venue does not have a bad seat in the house.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ Darian Michael Garey as P-Sam, Destiny Deshuan Washington as Pumpkin, and Dereks Thomas as Corn Photo Credit to Jason Grow

Though the show’s main focus didn’t seem immediately clear, many revelations piece the production together for its stunning conclusion that may leave you thinking about it long after the show is over. 

Paradise Blue focuses on a group of people tied in one way or another to a jazz club/boarding house called Paradise, run exclusively by no-nonsense Blue, portrayed with guarded complexity by horn player Durrell Lyons.  Now in danger of closing, the club has its own mysterious roots in Detroit and everyone in Blue’s world has a stake in the club’s future.

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ Darian Michael Garey as P-Sam and Dereks Thomas as Corn Photo Credit to Jason Grow

Paradise Blue taps into the cast’s multilayered personas as each character makes surprising choices as the show progresses.  This complex and unpredictable production boasts strong performances with particular standouts from Destiny Deschaun Washington as Pumpkin and Alexandria Danielle King as Silver. Destiny Deschaun Washington infuses Pumpkin with warmth, humbleness and compassion towards everyone while consistently putting others first at times to her own detriment.  Pumpkin’s maternal nature endears her to each cast member as she shares bittersweet and complicated moments with Blue and a natural camaraderie with James Ricardo Milord who only recently joined the cast, but kept up with the best of them as trusting and steadfast piano player Corn. 

Gloucester Stage’s ‘Paradise Blue’ Alexandria Danielle King as Silver, Durrell Lyons as Blue, Darian Michael Garey as P-Sam, and Dereks Thomas as Corn, Photo credit to Jason Grow

Chatty, curious, and hardworking, Pumpkin is the seeming antithesis to new tenant Silver, portrayed with blunt and worldly shrewdness by Alexandria Danielle King.  Both Silver and P-Sam, depicted with agitated energy by Darian Michael Garey, possess a learned tenacity and restlessness from bitter past experiences.  Darian Michael Garey exudes palpable energy while King simmers.  Seeing these characters face conflict in their own unique way is a fascinating character study, but due to vastly differing perspectives, Pumpkin and Silver are particularly intriguing with each interaction.

Gloucester Stage ‘Paradise Blue’ Destiny Deshuan Washington as Pumpkin and Alexandria Danielle King as Silver Photo Credit_Jason to Grow

Paradise Blue itself exudes its own restlessness in the Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit which society considers the club a ‘blight.’  Word travels fast and gossip carries its own weight in this enigmatic neighborhood.  Paradise Blue succinctly carries the tense and rueful undertones through Toni Sterling’s stirring lighting and Aubrey Dube’s soulful and bluesy sound design.  Nia Safarr Banks’s sharp vintage suits and distinctive and colorful dresses pop against Janie Howland’s modest and earthy-colored set.

‘Paradise Blue’ Stage set Photo Credit to Jason Grow

Paradise Blue is a powerful drama with grit and gall as each character pours their hopes into Paradise for a brighter future unsuspecting of what lies ahead.

Gloucester Stage Company presents Dominique Morisseau’s noir drama Paradise Blue through Sunday, September 18 live and in person at Gloucester Stage, 267 E Main Street on Cape Ann in Gloucester, MA.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Whimsical and festive, Celebrity Series of Boston at Home extends the holiday season with Jason Palmer Quintet’s distinct and upbeat free digital concert

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

We all just wanted the holiday season to last just a bit longer.

With the uncertainty and bitter temperatures in this New Year just weeks into 2022, it is difficult to part from the bustling excitement of last year’s holiday season.  Musicals, plays, concerts, and more burst onto the stage cautiously but assuredly to deliver holiday cheer, some escapism, and to offer new and hopeful insight into what we have all been going through.

Trumpeter Jason Palmer, tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, pianist Kevin Harris, bassist Max Ridley and drummer Lee Fish continues digital stream for two more months. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

In December, The Jason Palmer Quintet lit up the Arlington Street Church in Boston live and in person amid festively adorned green and gold wreaths while sharing some new music twists to a few beloved Christmas carols.  Don’t expect to hear these traditional Christmas carols without some clever and spirited flair.

Celebrity Series of Boston at Home is extending the spirit of the season with their free pre-recorded digital concert, part of the Neighborhood Arts, Jazz and Contemporary Music Series, The Jason Palmer Quintet.  This warmhearted concert is accessible for two more months and runs under 90 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and additional selections from Jason Palmer and his quintet.

Trumpeter Jason Palmer, tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, bassist Max Ridley and drummer Lee Fish Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

Infusing music dynamos Duke Ellington and brothers Elvin and Thad Jones into eloquent compositions, The Jason Palmer Quintet arranges what trumpeter Jason Palmer affectionately calls ‘derangements.’ These derangements weave unique and lighthearted spins into traditional carols while each performer has their own chance to shine. 

Bassist Max Ridley and drummer Lee Fish caught on camera! Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

Some of the concert highlights include an extended and impressive trumpet solo to open the show in the smooth and mid-tempo Sunset and Mockingbird/Christmas Song and Lee Fish’s playful drum solo during Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer as the drum beat imitates hooves on a rooftop.  It’s a sweeping, quiet build to Rudolph’s catchy chorus.  Trumpeter Jason Palmer, tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger, pianist Kevin Harris, bassist Max Ridley and drummer Lee Fish are all so well in sync and it is fascinating to watch them pair off as the instruments ‘chat,’ jam, and gradually build before circling back to that familiar tune with an unexpected flair and flourish.

ChristmasTime is Here is an expressive, rumbling, and fast-paced imagining of Vince Guaraldi’s easygoing classic number.  With more hustle, the musicians glide and veer into their own peaks and valleys highlighted by dynamic pianist Kevin Harris tickling the keys under a church sign that reads ‘To the Glory of God.’

Pianist Kevin Harris in action Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

What is certain about this quintet is if the viewer listens carefully to their clever compositions, one may detect an extra carol or two within their potent rhythms.  For example, stray lyrics to Sleigh Ride can be heard within an eclectic medley of Silver Bells/A Child is Born and Santa Claus in Coming to Town emerges from a rolling and upbeat Greensleeves medley.  They certainly kept this enthusiastic audience on their toes.

Celebrity Series at Home is extending the mistletoe and holly with free digital concert, The Jason Palmer Quintet for two more months.  Click here to view the concert, more information, and additional selections from Jason Palmer and his quintet.

REVIEW: Celebrity Series of Boston at Home’s free concert, ‘Quartet Kalos: The Songs We Make’ makes meaningful debut

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

This virtual concert ended with a laugh.  On Thursday, February 25, Celebrity Series of Boston at home’s free weekly Neighborhood Arts concert series featured the soothing and unique rhythms of Quartet Kalos: The Songs We Make livestreamed on Celebrity Series of Boston’s website, Facebook Live and YouTube at 7:30 p.m.  The concert was filmed at Futura Productions in Roslindale, MA and included a Q & A with the group. Click here to see the full concert on demand.

Introduced by Celebrity Series of Boston’s Associate Director of Community Engagement Robin Baker, this livestreamed concert was particularly meaningful for this skilled quartet.  Not only did they make their Celebrity Series of Boston debut as a group though they have all performed for Celebrity Series individually since 2017, it was the first time performing live together onstage since the pandemic and they couldn’t have been more delighted.

  • Soloist Mary MacKenzie Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

Composed of Maria Finkelmeier on marimba, Angela Shankar on clarinet, Francesca McNeeley on cello and soprano Mary Mackenzie all in masks, Quartet Kalos provided a blend of eclectic, original, enigmatic, playful, and intriguing rhythms that provide a soulful respite from the pressures of the world today.

  • Angela Shankar on clarinet Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

A portion of Quartet Kalos’s music is Swedish-inspired due to members of the group having lived there and these particular concert selections took some time to deliver their take on classical music and hymns. 

Their lively and inquisitive opening number, Solstice, is an instrumental piece blending soprano Mary Mackenzie’s silvery and versatile vocals.  Mackenzie’s operatic range has a brilliant and natural shine, even when delivering the spoken word.

  • Soprano Mary Mackenzie and cellist Francesca McNeeley Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

Dreamlike and experimental, Beau Kenyon’s I Will is melodic and smooth in its building intensity.  Aaron Copeland’s timeless Appalachian Spring is easily recognizable within Quartet Kalos’s upbeat arrangement to Shaker tune Simple Gifts.  Quartet Kalos also provides a unique and memorable blend on the Swedish tune, Uti Var Hage with timeless hymn, I’ll Fly Away (arr. Angela Shankar) in a sea of galloping rhythms with a special dedication.

Maria Finkelmeier’s original and spirited composition, Clone has an urgency and mischievousness filled with rhythmic stops, starts, and lively moments.

  • Maria Finkelmeier on marimba Photo courtesy of Celebrity Series of Boston

However, the real standout was Swedish tune, I denna ljuva sommartid (arr. Sanna Andersson), a glorious, uplifting song about summer’s great beauty which is particularly missed in the depths of winter.  This lively number is further enhanced by its stirring acapella harmony.

Quartet Kalos:  The Songs We Make is still available for viewing here.  Celebrity Series of Boston’s free virtual Neighborhood concert series will next present Hub New Music on Thursday, March 11 at 7:30.  Click here for more information and for all that Celebrity Series has to offer this season.