september

REVIEW:  Speakeasy Stage delivers crackling chemistry and lots of ‘Laughs in Spanish’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Down in Wynwood, Miami, Florida, Mari is in a panic. 

On the eve of one of the most important events of her art career, Mari’s gallery Studio 6 has been robbed.

However, those surrounding Mari are not reacting in quite the same way.  Uptight, stressed and just about at her wit’s end, Rebekah Rae Robles as Mari is determined to get to the bottom of it and somehow salvage the event.  In braids and silky loungewear, Luz Lopez as intern Caro and Daniel Rios, Jr. as Caro’s boyfriend Officer Jaun take note of what is happening, but seem a little more interested in each other. 

Rebekah Rae Robles, Daniel Rios Jr. and Luz Lopez in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Laughs in Spanish’

Directed exuberantly by Mariela Lopez-Ponce and in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, SpeakEasy Stage Company opened its 34th season with Alexis Scheer’s lively comedy Laughs in Spanish continuing live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, October 12.  This quick witted production has strong language and is 90 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Rebekah Rae Robles, Brogan Nelson, Luz Lopez and Daniel Rios Jr. in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Laughs in Spanish’

Rebecca Glick’s stylish costumes feature bold colors and vibrant patterns indicative of each character’s personality and especially prevalent of Robles as Mari in a serious gray suit.  Alexis Scheer boasts a refreshing script with good pacing, surprising revelations, and a wild dose of complicated family dynamics as well as a comical cast with crackling chemistry.  Robles as Mari seems as wound about as tightly as her celebrity, model, and movie star mother Estella is vivacious and carefree.  Making quite the grand and unconventional entrance, dramatic, spectacular, and self-centered Paola Ferrer as Estella appears to revel in her role as the adventurous life of the party.  Quick thinking, reposed and resourceful, there is much more to Ferrer’s Estella who delivers a standout performance embellished by a poignant and heartfelt monologue later on in the production.  Robles and Ferrer share a natural, relatable and yet complicated mother and daughter dynamic as these seeming opposites humorously searching for common ground.  Lopez as intern Carol and Rios Jr. as Officer Juan are adorable and genuinely funny as they bicker and flirt attempting to help Mari, but finding themselves in complications of their own.  

Paola Ferrer and Rebekah Rae Robles in SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Laughs in Spanish’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

With an uplifting Latin-inspired dance soundtrack, Laughs in Spanish boasts a multipurpose split set by Erik D. Diaz featuring an array of tropical greenery with wicker-infused furniture adorned with twinkling lights on one side and a pristine white and mustard colored studio with missing canvases, modern furniture and soft lighting on the other setting a sophisticated yet festive city tone.  This split set doubles the laughs as action often occurs simultaneously on both sides, especially in a notable performance by Brogan Nelson as Estella’s giddy and awkward assistant Jenny in a memorable solo piece of silent, physical humor as cast members converse in the other room.

Rebekah Rae Robles and the cast of ‘Laughs in Spanish’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

If you are looking for an upbeat, playful, and lighthearted piece of theatre with some interesting twists, modern pop references and a bit of mystery and family dysfunction with Latino flair, SpeakEasy Stage delivers plenty of Laughs in Spanish.

The cast of SpeakEasy Stage’s ‘Laughs in Spanish’ Photo by Nile Scott Studios

Directed exuberantly by Mariela Lopez-Ponce and in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, SpeakEasy Stage Company continues Alexis Scheer’s lively comedy Laughs in Spanish continuing live and in person at Calderwood Pavilion in Boston, Massachusetts through Saturday, October 12.  This quick witted production has strong language and is 90 minutes with no intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Witnessing transformation in Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea’s dramedy ‘The Hombres’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Julián seems lonely and misunderstood, but not for long.

Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin delivers a moving performance as gay Latino yoga instructor Julián who has always been intimidated by macho men.  When he realizes he has to deliver a message to a group of construction workers above the yoga studio, he must face his fear to unexpected results.

Directed affectingly by Armando Rivera with sweeping choreography by movement designer Nathaniel Justiniano, Gloucester Stage Company and Teatro Chelsea co-presents Tony Meneses’ dramedy The Hombres continuing at Gloucester Stage in Gloucester MA through September 22 before concluding at Chelsea Theatre Works from September 27 through September 29.  The show runs 100 minutes with a 15 minute intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Jaime José Hernández, Luis Negrón and Arthur Gomez in Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea’s ‘The Hombres’ Photo by Jason Grow Photography

A group of Latino construction workers composed of Arthur Gomez as Héctor, Jaime José Hernández as Beto, and Luis Negrón as Pedro are working above a New Jersey yoga studio.  This fascinating trio shares an easygoing and amusing rapport sharing dirty jokes, intriguing stories or fantasizing how good life must be for the gringos (people who are not Latino) working in the city.  In impressive glowing neon hard hats and jackets by Chelsea Kerl with vivid lighting by John Holmes, they strut and occasionally goof off while on break looking down at the city and the yoga studio does not go unnoticed. 

Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin and the cast of Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea’s ‘The Hombres’ Photo by Jason Grow Photography

Rivera cleverly overlaps the construction and yoga studio scenes depicting how vastly different these environments are until they inevitably collide.   Scenic designer Kristin Loeffler makes the most of the stage as it highlights these contrasting worlds structurally connected featuring candles, incense, crystal and brass offering bowls, yoga blocks and mats while movable scaffolding and various pieces of equipment adorn the background.   Julian Crocamo’s catchy sound design, highlighted by metal clanging infused rhythms and meaningful club and ruminating music, is a lively addition to this tale.

Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin and Patrick O’Konis in Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea’s ‘The Hombres’ Photo by Jason Grow Photography

In a bandana and loose and flowing clothes, Julián seems tuned in and often empathetic towards others.  An aspiring dancer, Julián is caring, funny, unassuming, sensitive, a bit of an over thinker and an amazing listener often finding himself engaging in other people’s problems and connecting to those around him more often by circumstance than by his own will.   Patrick O’Konis portrays conflicted and friendly yoga member Miles who is also a bit of an enigma.  Holguin is wonderful navigating the trepidation within Julián’s encounters with others with a mix of caution and relatable humor. 

Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin and Arthur Gomez in Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea’s ‘The Hombres’ Photo by Jason Grow Photography

Arthur Gomez as Héctor is earnest, vulnerable, and frustrated with his life and longs to make a change.  Gomez’s Héctor thinks Julián may have the answers to his problems.   The connections established in this show are stirring, heartwarming, and complex as it explores the lives and struggles of these Latino men.  Julián often expresses himself through dance which leads a number of uplifting and humorous situations.

Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin and Luis Negrón in Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea’s ‘The Hombres’ Photo by Jason Grow Photography

The Hombres is a well paced production with a captivating cast as each character undergoes some sort of mental, physical or spiritual transformation.  Even in its unpredictable turn of events, it is a hopeful show that explores friendship, brotherhood, and what is truly means to be a real man.

Directed affectingly by Armando Rivera with sweeping choreography by movement designer Nathaniel Justiniano, Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea co-presents Tony Meneses’ dramedy The Hombres continuing at Gloucester Stage in Gloucester MA through September 22 before concluding at Chelsea Theatre Works from September 27 through September 29.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  American Repertory Theater brings new dimensions to Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Nowhere else but Fair Verona is love and hate so swift and immediate than in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

American Repertory Theater reveals love, rage, loyalty, and passion in an ominous production that integrates a number of Shakespeare’s signature elements.  Director Diane Paulus remarkably illustrates ‘what could have been’ in a haunting sequence of the best laid plans and Emilia Suárez as Juliet is not only beautiful, naïve and headstrong, but depicted in a heightened and more thought provoking manner while adding new dimensions to this classic star crossed love story. 

Directed meaningfully by Diane Paulus and captivating choreography by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui with raw and memorable fight choreography by Thomas Schall, American Repertory Theater kicks off its 45th season with Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet continuing live and in person at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts through October 6.  The production is two hours and 45 minutes including one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet delves into the war between feuding families the Montagues and Capulets.  However, when Rudy Pankow as Romeo Montague sets his eyes on Emilia Suárez as Juliet Capulet, their worlds are forever changed.

Emilia Suárez (Juliet) and Rudy Pankow (Romeo) in A.R.T.’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall

The war between the Capulet and the Montague families take center stage from the production’s first scene and the hate proves as instantaneous as Romeo and Juliet falling in love at first sight – unreasonable, unbridled, and unyielding. Tensions rise and escalate quickly as both clans face off over a gesture on the street.   Amy Rubin’s grand wooden and transformative set pieces which includes a tower that billows smoke, reflects the weighty love and rage contained in these characters who occasionally labor to shift these symbolic set pieces during the production.

Jen Schriever’s dynamic lighting fuels a beautifully contemporary Capulet masquerade with luminous orbs, hazy spotlights and special effects alongside Daniel Lundberg’s mix of foreboding, ethereal and pulsing sound design, but truly shines later in a harrowing display of chilling shadows. 

Rudy Pankow (Romeo) and Terrence Mann (Friar Laurence) in A.R.T.’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall

Romeo and Juliet features a strong and compelling cast highlighted by Terrence Mann as herbalist Friar Laurence.  In tattoos and pulled back hair, Terrence Mann boasts a meaty and enhanced role including part narrator and providing some musical accompaniment on a ukulele.  With sharp dramatic and comic timing, Mann as Friar is stoic, sensible and is humorous in his understandable exasperation and weariness reflecting some the audience’s thoughts as he aspires to advise impulsive Romeo and Juliet.

Emilia Suárez as young and love struck Juliet is riveting from her first meeting with passionate and insistent Romeo and later as she agonizes over the excruciating decisions in front of her, almost losing herself in what feels like an Ophelia-like moment during a scene with Sharon Catherine Brown as Juliet’s compassionate and supportive Nurse.  It is chilling, brilliant and adds another dimension to this complex character.    

Sharon Catherine Brown (Nurse) and Emilia Suárez (Juliet) in A.R.T.’s Romeo and Juliet Photo by Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall

Emilio Sosa’s detailed costume design varies from fishnets, ripped jeans and leather to stately and glittering formalwear.  Brown has an enviable wardrobe in floral multicolor dresses and jackets right down to her fabulous boots.  With a glowing smile, Brown shares a protective and sweet rapport with Juliet and while the Nurse is sometimes depicted with a more maternal instinct than Juliet’s mother, it is not necessarily the case here.  Glamorous Nicole Villamil as Lady Capulet may be preoccupied by social matters at times and aware of her limited power as a wife, but has a heartfelt affection for Juliet and wants what is best for her.  Mann and Brown also share a memorably amusing scene together, demonstrating they may be the only rational characters in this tale. 

Terence Archie is dignified and confident as Lord Capulet, even during a moment where he knocks on a wooden set piece.  Archie’s clever turn of Shakespeare’s lines feel contemporary and relatable as Juliet’s father especially in a powerful scene with Juliet later in the production. 

Clay Singer (Mercutio), Rudy Pankow (Romeo), and Brandon Dial (Benvolio) in A.R.T.’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall

From a Hawaiian shirt and sneakers to a multicolored cardigan, Clay Singer’s Mercutio is a teasing, raunchy and saucy presence and may keep you guessing whether Singer is flirting or fighting with the other characters.  Singer plays the darker undertones and unpredictability of this pivotal character with playful yet protective gallantry and shares some mischievous antics with Brandon Dial as warm hearted and earnest Benvolio.  In a black fishnet shirt and leather, Alex Ross as tumultuous Tybalt is a disquieting and menacing force onstage escalating in a gripping scene with Singer, Pankow, and Dial.

Though the production is a bit lengthy, American Repertory Theater delivers an enhanced tale that adds new dimensions to these classic characters which culminate in a unique and insightful epilogue demonstrating that hope rises even in the bleakest of times.   

Rudy Pankow (Romeo) and Emilia Suárez (Juliet) in A.R.T.’s Romeo and Juliet. Photo by Nile Scott Studios and Maggie Hall

American Repertory Theater presents Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet live and in person at the Loeb Drama Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts through October 6.  The production is two hours and 45 minutes including one intermission.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW: Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ create a spark

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Who really is the stranger at your door?

Directed ominously by Bob Scanlan, suspicion takes a front seat as Praxis Stage presents Max Frisch’s British absurdist satire, The Arsonists at Chelsea Theatre Works in Chelsea, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 15.  This semi-interactive production is approximately two hours with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

‘The naked truth told enough, nobody believes it’ is a variation of Nazi Joseph Goebbels’s Big Lie propaganda technique, ‘Repeat a lie often enough, it becomes the truth.’  The Arsonists build on that here as being blind to the obvious. 

First published by Max Frisch in 1953, The Arsonists has since evolved from a radio play to television and a stage production under other names such as The Fire Raisers or The Firebugs.  It delves into many issues including hypocrisy, fascism and propaganda.

Michael Anderson as Pre-show MC and other roles in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

In an unnamed town, place, and setting, The Arsonists is unorthodox right from the start and focuses on Kim H. Carrell as Gottlieb Biedermann who is contrary in many ways.  Relishing in his upper middle class affluence in an expensive ascot in lieu of a tie while smoking cigars, Biedermann just finishes reading about arsonists setting fires in people’s homes in his neighborhood when a towering stranger with bleached blond locks arrives at his door.  Anxious, preoccupied and frustrated Biedermann reluctantly lets him in.

Daniel Boudreau and Kim Carrell in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

 The stranger is Daniel Boudreau as charismatically chatty and homeless former circus wrestler Joe Schmitz.  Boudreau and Carrell share a gnawing awkwardness as Boudreau’s Schmitz voraciously eats and insists he is looking for a little humanity.  Boudreau delivers another impressive performance as Schmitz not entirely unlike his persuasive character Goldberg in The Birthday Party and he shares a darkly fascinating rapport with Zair Silva as mysterious thrill seeker Will Eisenring. 

Zair Silva and Daniel Boudreau in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

The Arsonists reveal some of life’s minor truisms such as when people dismiss behavior over the weather to mask negative emotion and more serious ones such as overlooking any event if it was not reported in the news.  Carrell as Biedermann is fixated on appearances and insists that we are all human beings regardless of status yet disassociates himself with people and is extremely ruthless in other areas of his life.  Along with Julia Trueblood as Biedermann’s equally anxious wife Babette, they wish to appear accommodating even if that is not necessarily the case.

Annunciating Mr. Biedermann’s name for emphasis, Stephanie Charlton is humorous as practical and edgy maid Anna, reflecting much of the exasperation the audience feels at Beidermann’s increasingly bizarre behavior exemplified by an amusing moment amongst an otherwise somber scene between Biedermann and Anna arguing over table settings. 

Julia Trueblood and Stephanie Charlton in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

There is musical accompaniment to The Arsonists by vocalist Miss Mary Mac, Music Director David Krimsky and Malachi Connolly on guitar with percussionist Benedict Dawn-Cross highlighted by a grim cover of R.E.M’s It’s the End of the World as We Know it as part of this cabaret-style show.  Mackenzie Adamick’s sound design is often immersive and lends to some of the show’s tension as a timer sporadically ticks in the background. The most impressive part of Kevin Fulton’s lighting is inside a hidden door that is realistic, convincing and won’t be revealed here. 

Miss Mary Mac on vocals and the band Photo by Praxis Stage

Like Praxis Stage’s previous absurdist work for The Birthday Party, The Arsonists may render you speechless, a bit disoriented and frustrated, yet you may also find yourself invested in this production’s motivations and outcome especially in shifty Boudreau as Schmitz and Zair Silva as Eisenring.  Both absurdist works examine the human condition and deliver its share of truisms from an absurdist perspective but unfortunately, The Arsonists leaves little to interpretation as both productions culminate in a dining room table showdown in which the tables turn.

The Greek chorus of firemen, composed of five actors including Alison Butts, Abby Duell, Jean Dany Joachim, Gabriel Pagan and Jessica Newman, appear to pose as a neighborhood watch.  The idea is intriguing, but their welcome wears thin at first chorusing at times what the audience might be thinking before coming off as condescending, repetitive, and unnecessary with the exception of a brief haunting song sung by Jean Dany Joachim right after intermission.

Chorus: Left to Right Abby Duell Jean Dany Joachim Gabriel Pagan Alison Butts and Jessica Newman in Praxis Stage’s ‘The Arsonists’ Photo by Praxis Stage

At one point, the show encourages you to think for yourself and yet, the show is not without its subtle biases and political leanings.  It may have been more thought provoking if left ambiguous as the play is already witty and relevant on its own.

Directed ominously by Bob Scanlan, Praxis Stage presents Max Frisch’s The Arsonists continuing at Chelsea Theatre Works in Chelsea, Massachusetts through Sunday, September 15.  This semi-interactive production is approximately two hours with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Art in its luster in Boutcher Theatre’s multi-textured ‘Red’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Prepare to explore art from all angles.

There’s a moment in Boutcher Theatre’s Red that brings to mind a scene in the popular film, The Devil Wears Prada where Miranda Priestly is teaching her assistant a harsh yet valuable lesson about fashion.  Meryl Streep’s Priestly, who is loosely adapted from real life legendary and longstanding Vogue editor Anna Wintour, is tough and in some scenes intolerable, but her expert eye for fashion cannot be denied, even as she is hurling curt remarks and antagonistic slights.  In the scene, Priestly describes Anne Hathaway’s Andi’s blue sweater as not just blue nor lapis or turquoise, but cerulean representing an artistic and particular style of fashion. 

During an intense scene in Red which focuses on real life abstract impressionist and tough mentor Mark Rothko, Rothko, portrayed charismatically by Dan Kelly, is teaching his assistant, Chloe Olwell as Ken, about embracing art.   After Ken describes Rothko’s painting as red, Rothko urges Ken to ‘think more’ after an impassioned speech in which he suggests infusing magenta, crimson, burgundy, maroon and scarlet!  Rothko is rigid, arrogant, and mysterious, but knows art.  He urges Ken not to just see a painting, but to feel it, love it, and have it wash over you.

Chloe Olwell and Dan Kelly in Boutcher Theatre’s ‘Red ‘ Photo by Bradley Boutcher

Directed insightfully by Bradley Boutcher, Boutcher Theatre presents John Logan’s Red live and in person continuing at the Peabody Black Box Theatre in Peabody, Massachusetts through September 8.  The show delves into some adult themes including trauma.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

Photo by Bradley Boutcher

Littered with open art supplies, splattered paint and half done canvases, Boutcher’s red hued scenic design with some pieces from Jessica Algard, creates an authentically sprawling and lived in studio including a cozy couch and a vintage record player playing mostly classical music and occasionally setting the mood within the scene especially notable when the studio is bathed in a haunting blue light.  With a mix of formal and paint splotched casual attire, Boutcher’s symbolic costume design with some pieces from Maureen Festa, demonstrates each character’s unique style while also blending into Algard’s scattered and colorful setting.

 Red is somewhat of an evolution as Rothko shares his artistic vision with his assistant who admires his work.  Rothko candidly shares endless stories on art, literature, and his journey to becoming a successful artist occasionally breaking the fourth wall.  He is currently working on an elaborate mural project for a hefty paycheck to be created for a ritzy New York City hotel.  Olwell’s Ken is much more than meets the eye when at first attempting to make a good impression wearing professional attire that Rothko barely notices.

Photo by Bradley Boutcher

Smoking real cigarettes, drinking, and on little sleep in a windowless room, Dan Kelly engagingly infuses a mix of pessimism, rueful, and heady enthusiasm into Rothko and Olwell is a thoughtful, practical and a force not to be underestimated.  They share a mentor and assistant relationship and at times worthy adversaries, but as subjects become more personal, there is almost a romantic spark to their increasingly incendiary exchanges as both begin to realize the complexity within each other’s artistic minds to unexpected results.

Chloe Olwell and Dan Kelly in Boutcher Theatre’s ‘Red’ Photo by Bradley Boutcher

Logan’s script offers interesting, imaginative and relatable angles in which to appreciate and experience art.  At one point, Kelly as Rothko muses, ‘Art is a risky act setting it out in the world.’  What does it really mean to be an artist and what is truly important setting your vision out into the world?   The answer may bring new insight into your experience with art as well.

  Directed insightfully by Bradley Boutcher, Boutcher Theatre presents John Logan’s Red live and in person continuing at the Peabody Black Box Theatre in Peabody, Massachusetts through September 8.  The show delves into some adult themes including trauma.  Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  Royalty, loyalty and lies in Dream Role Players’ free production of Shakespeare’s ‘Richard III’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

‘Now is the winter of our discontent / Made glorious summer by this sun of York’ is a famously optimistic line appropriately stated by Richard, Duke of Gloucester in hopes for a brighter future with a timely reference…but a lot can happen on a Segway.

Elizabeth Ross as Richard Duke of Gloucester in Dream Role Players Production of ‘Richard III’ Photo by Dream Role Players

Co-directed by Mary Parker and Robin Abrahams, Dream Role Players takes a look at how pride goes before the fall in the Shakespeare tragedy Richard III which has been alternating locations between Longfellow Park and Raymond Park in Cambridge, Massachusetts live and in person through September 1.  Women and gender minorities reign in this free, part steam punk, part rock n roll condensed production which runs 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.  In Longfellow Park, Richard III takes place in an ideal spot in front of the famous Longfellow statue.  Click here for more information and where to find this free production.

Laura Liberge and Elizabeth Ross in Dream Role Players production of ‘Richard III’ Photo by Dream Role Players

Though the Dream Role Players are presenting an abbreviated version, Richard III is Shakespeare’s second longest play.  Ian McKellen, Al Pacino, and Laurence Oliver have all starred as Richard of Gloucester in various film adaptations over the years.

The battle over a throne can be fraught with violence, cunning, and manipulation much like chess pieces moving on a board.  Shakespeare unveils Machiavellian atrocities within some of his most famous works such as Hamlet, King Lear and Macbeth. However, Richard III features arguably one of the darkest and most arrogant Shakespearean villains depicted by Elizabeth Ross as Richard of Gloucester who aims for new heights.

Elizabeth Ross, Sue Downing, and Dayenne CB Walters in Dream Role Players production of ‘Richard III’ Photo by Dream Role Players

While not as familiar with Richard III as with other Shakespearean works, it is easy to spot a great deal of common themes.  Richard III was crowned King from 1483 to 1485, but Shakespeare’s Richard III is considered historical fiction containing some factual elements with some liberties taken. 

Hannah Baker, Elizabeth Ross and Isabelle Bushkov in Dream Role Players production of ‘Richard III’

Richard III possesses the earmarks common in Shakespeare’s tragedies including a great battle, arrogant musings, conspiring, violence, ghosts, and foreboding dreams while keeping the Shakespearean dialogue intact.  This production also infuses contemporary flair including gothic and steam punk costume trends primarily soaked in black and red.  Fingerless gloves, spiked crowns, jeans, pinstripes, fishnets, Victorian boots, and ripped stockings are a fraction of Teresa Griffin’s edgy costuming while also featuring symbolic and supernatural detail.  Hard rock girl bands dominate the production’s soundtrack to emphasize that edgy vibe. 

Dayenne CB Walters, Amelia Smith and Sue Downing in Dream Role Players production of ‘Richard III’ Photo by Dream Role Players

While the production is a bit vague in parts, this version of Richard III seems more lighthearted with some surprising laughs and dark humor for the level of tyranny it depicts, but not bereft of hope delivered in an inspiring monologue by Amelia Smith depicting a few roles including the Earl of Richmond.   

Hannah Baker, Elizabeth Ross and Isabelle Bushkov in Dream Role Players production of ‘Richard III’

Richard III features a few miscreants to keep track of on the path to the throne, but Elizabeth Ross as Richard of Gloucester who had physical disabilities, is the most dastardly and at the same time, the most fun to watch.  Ross’s grand gestures, pettiness, sardonic whispers, and conspiratorial musings tucked behind a taunting grin while stylistically riding a Segway is a head turner.  Ross also utters one of Shakespeare’s most popular lines, ‘My kingdom for a horse’ and shares some strong scenes with Dani Dorrego as Queen Elizabeth and with Addie Pates as calculating informant Duke of Buckingham.

Hayley Haggerty, Amelia Smith, Elizabeth Ross Dayenne CB Walters and Dani Dorrego in Dream Role Players production of ‘Richard III’ Photo by Dream Role Players

Dayenne CB Walters, who portrayed the big bad Iago in Dream Role Players’ Othello, returns in a dual role including a memorably manipulative Queen Margaret. 

The foundation of Dream Role Players is making roles accessible to anyone who dreams of portraying them.  Not sure if the dream was an all women and gender minorities cast or the majority of these roles were earnestly sought after by women or a little of both, but a gender bending cast of this nature was featured last year on a park in New York as well as in London.

The cast of Dream Role Players production of ‘Richard III’

Co-directed by Mary Parker and Robin Abrahams, Dream Role Players takes a look at how pride goes before the fall in the Shakespeare tragedy Richard III which has been alternating locations between Longfellow Park and Raymond Park in Cambridge, Massachusetts live and in person through September 1.  Women and gender minorities reign in this free, part steam punk, part rock n roll condensed production which runs 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.  In Longfellow Park, Richard III takes place in an ideal spot in front of the famous Longfellow statue.  Click here for more information and where to find this free production.

REVIEW: Boston Lyric Opera’s ‘Madama Butterfly’ a mesmerizing and surprising metamorphosis

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

‘I gave my tears into the earth, now it must give me back flowers.’ 

This is just a hint of Puccini’s masterful lyrics that encapsulates profound love and loss in Puccini’s epic classic 1904 Italian libretto Madama Butterfly presented live and in person at Emerson Colonial Theatre through Sunday, September 24.  This expansive production was 2 hours and 25 minutes with one 20-minute intermission after Act 1.  Click here for more information and more about Boston Lyric Opera’s season.

After their onstage wedding Butterfly’s Karen Chia-Ling Ho and Pinkerton’s Dominick Chenes love spills out onto the San Francisco streets PHOTO BY KEN YOTSUKURA

With heartrending direction by Phil Chan and stirring choreography by Michael Sakamoto, Madama Butterfly was delivered with an altered setting and contemporary flair over a period of time from 1941 to 1983.  Puccini’s Madama Butterfly is a searing and brilliant love story and the source material for the Tony award-winning Broadway musical, Miss Saigon.  This time, Madama Butterfly’s settings ranged from Hawaii to San Francisco to Arizona.  Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew’s multifaceted lighting not only reflected the shadows and watercolor reflection in a lively nightclub but the rich purple and rose of the horizon at daybreak as moving set pieces transported the audience to contrasting settings. Featuring multicolor fans, contemporary yellow crowns, and regal military uniforms, Sara Ryung Clement’s distinctive, silky, and shimmering costumes in bursting color embellished the festivities of the Club Shangri-La in Chinatown in San Francisco, where Navy officer B. F. Pinkerton, depicted with enigmatic sweetness by tenor Dominick Chenes and soprano Karen Chia-Ling Ho as naïve, proud, bubbly and devoted Butterfly or Cio-Cio San meet in 1941.  It will be a night they never forget.

Uncle Bonze Hyungjin Son center makes a shocking revelation about Butterfly Karen Chia-Ling Ho in BLOs new production of MADAMA-BUTTERFLY PHOTO BY KEN YOTSUKURA

Boston Lyric Opera’s production of Madama Butterfly had the audience gripped in a full range of emotions as the eye level live orchestra led by Annie Rabbat articulated Puccini’s moving array of arias punctuated by magnificent drums.  Boasting angelic vocals, Chia- Ling Ho blossomed as Madama Butterfly, her coy yet fragile depiction poignant and buoyant as she navigated through a plethora of challenges during World War II and Pearl Harbor.  Chenes and Chia-Ling had captivating chemistry only enriched by powerful vocals and enthralling dialogue.  Mezzo soprano Alice Chung at first offered an understated performance as steadfast and loyal Suzuki, but Chung’s depiction gradually culminated into one of the most endearing characters of the production alongside Troy Cook as compassionate and protective Sharpless.   Baritone Junhan Choi had a reduced role as Commissioner/Registrar in Madama Butterfly compared to the engineer’s meaty role in Miss Saigon, but Choi left his mark during each of his memorable scenes in a charismatic portrayal of dark humor and dastardly wit.

Suzuki Alice Chung l. laments the news Pinkerton Dominick Chenes brings with him in BLOs new production of MADAMA BUTTERFLY PHOTO BY KEN YOTSUKURA

Michael Sakamoto’s dynamic choreography ranged from delicate to fitful, most notably as Butterfly took the stage in a traditional dance with the Club Shangri-La performers and later in a stirring dance featuring Cassie Wang.  Wang’s symbolic performance was peculiar, heartfelt, foreboding and so riveting that it may remain ingrained into the psyche long after the performance has ended.

During a visit from Officer Sharpless Troy Cook r. Butterfly Karen Chia-Ling Ho center reveals a secret in BLOs new production of MADAMA BUTTERFLY PHOTO BY KEN YOTSUKURA

Boston Lyric Opera’s Madama Butterfly took some liberties from the classic libretto that dealt in immigration, bigotry, and patriotism in a surprising array of twists and turns and proved to be a production that will not soon be forgotten.

Boston Lyric Opera presented Puccini’s Madama Butterfly through Sunday, September 24 live and in person at Emerson Colonial Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.  This expansive production was 2 hours and 25 minutes with one 20-minute intermission after Act 1.  Click here for more information and more about Boston Lyric Opera’s season.

REVIEW: Sparkle and charm fuel Titusville Playhouse’s ‘The Prom’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Having been invited to The Prom for the second time this year, it seemed best to celebrate this time around in a frilly dress. It was especially appropriate catching a show while away on vacation and with Jordyn Linkous’s festive and glittery wig and costume design, it was easy to fit right in.

Innovatively directed and creatively staged by Niko Stamos with lighthearted choreography by Jordyn Linkous, Titusville Playhouse presents musical dramedy The Prom live and in person in Titusville, Florida through October 1.  This show contains some strobe lighting and special effects.  It runs two hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

Mandy Kerridge as Dee Dee Allen, Steven J. Heron as Barry Glickman and cast in ‘The Prom’ Photo credit to Titusville Playhouse

The Prom should sound a least a little familiar since its 2020 Netflix film adaptation debut with an abundance of its own star power including Meryl Streep as Dee Dee and James Corden as Barry.  Inspired by a true story, anxious Emma, depicted with self effacing humility by Delaney Sue McGough, invites a date to the Prom with none other than Myanell Enriquez as popular Alyssa, the daughter of the head of the Parent Teacher Association.  Once a group of egocentric Broadway celebrities gets wind of this human interest story, they decide to make a difference in this small Indiana town.  The Prom is a satirical blend of inspired true story and over the top musical comedy set in New York as well as in Edgewater, Indiana.  The Prom delivers plenty of humor ranging from silly to satirical with a sincere and underlying message about helping others.

Mandy Kerridge as Dee Dee Allen and Delaney Sue McGough as Emma Nolan in ‘The Prom’ Photo credit to Titusville Playhouse

With extraordinary music direction by Spencer Crosswell, The Prom boasts strong vocals from an amiable cast.  Glamour takes center stage with Mandy Kerridge as Dee Dee Allan, a self absorbed and award-winning actress.   Kerridge’s impressive vocal range and wonderful belt is on full display for It’s Not About Me and The Lady’s Improving.  Along with Steven J. Heron as warm, lovable, and lauded actor Barry Glickman, Danny Sanchez as no nonsense PR rep Sheldon, Corey Evans as openhearted Trent, and Sarah Ruth Joyner as inspirational Angie Dickinson, these seemingly shallow thespians bring some humorous moments, but their real charm is exposed by the people they meet in this fish out of water production.

Lit with soft and cheerful multicolored lighting by Davis Vande Steeg , The Prom features a dynamic set design by Niko Stamos including a digital screen that transforms settings in an instant including the store front of a 711, a monster truck rally, and the glittering festivities of a Prom.  Some clever staging includes the transformation of an Applebee’s to a balcony seat during a beautiful rendition of We Look to You as well as veiled and translucent staging for the number, Tonight Belongs to You.

Steven J. Heron as Barry Glickman and the Executive and Artistic Director of the Titusville Playhouse and Delaney Sue McGough as Emma in ‘The Prom’ Photo credit to Titusville Playhouse

The Prom deals with some serious topics including betrayal, but balances it well with the show’s overall optimistic tone.   It is positive throughout, even in the face of Emma’s most difficult challenges.  McGough’s chiming vocals in forlorn yet earnest number Just Breathe is a compelling revelation while Holly Fuller’s tight lipped delivery proves fitting for tough and immutable antagonist Mrs. Greene.  Emma’s high school classmates are painted as shallow and insensitive and as far as storytelling, it might have been nice to have at least one of them sympathetic to Emma’s plight from the start.

Cast photo Photo credit to Titusville Playhouse

The Prom contains a wealth of welcome, inside Broadway humor and references as well as notable choreography including a sweet rendition of You Happened and the Fosse-inspired choreography of Zazz.  The Prom provides a message driven and sparkling escape to fun and frivolity if only temporarily from the realities of life.  

Titusville Playhouse presents The Prom live and in person in Titusville, Florida through October 1.  This show contains some strobe and special effects and runs two hours and 25 minutes with one intermission. Click here for more information and for tickets.

REVIEW:  In partnership with the city of Chelsea and Teatro Chelsea, Apollinaire Theatre staged a street fighting and adventurous summer ‘Hamlet’

Posted on by The Sleepless Critic

Ser o no ser esa es la cuestion (To Be or not to Be)

This was the classic question posed by Apollinaire Theatre Company in partnership with Teatro Chelsea and the City of Chelsea in a bilingual production of Shakespeare’s classic play, Hamlet which took place on Fridays and Saturdays only from August 4-19 live and in person at various locations in Chelsea, Massachusetts.  Though it was not necessary to understand both Spanish and English to enjoy this show and does not take away the gravitas of Shakespeare’s eloquent text, those who understood the dialogue in Spanish may have been at an advantage.  The free production was 90 minutes with no intermission. 

Armando Rivera as Hamlet in ‘Hamlet’

Each performance featured a pre-show that offered take out or delivery dinner, live entertainment, and a pop up Beer Garden by BearMoose Brewing Company at 6:30 pm prior to the performance at 8 pm.  Click here to see what is next for Apollinaire Theatre Company and Teatro Chelsea this fall.

Alan Kuang ‘Hamlet’ rap Photo credit to Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Every summer for the past 20 years with donor support, the Apollinaire Theatre Company has been presenting outdoor theatre productions free to the public in partnership with the city of Chelsea.  This year’s production of the Shakespearean classic, Hamlet mixed the traditional with the contemporary while keeping the audience on its feet.  Intricately directed and cleverly staged by Danielle Fauteaux Jacques with lighthearted chorography by Audrey Johnson, the show is an immersive experience as the production expands beyond the stage and cast members can enter from anywhere.

Armando Rivera as Hamlet in ‘Hamlet’ Photo credit to Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Though the roads were blocked off, there was still plenty that might have distracted this focused cast.  However disruptive, outdoor disturbances such as traffic, noises or foot traffic did not distract them from their performances for an instant.  Armed with microphones, it was fascinating to watch each scene unfold complete with transportable lighting, sound, ominous sound effects with Diana Mediola and Juhi Nagpal‘s elaborate sets and props. How complicated it must have been to stage something like this while gathering an increasing and surrounding crowd led to each destination by a single notebook.

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is about the Prince of Denmark who discovers his mother has married his uncle after his father has been murdered.  An urgent message inspires Hamlet to believe ‘something is rotten in the state of Denmark.’

Armando Rivera as Hamlet and Paul Benford-Bruce in ‘Hamlet’ Photo credit to Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Hamlet is a compelling drama that boasts some iridescent and noteworthy special effects such as blue smoke drifting above Paul Benford-Bruce’s haunting figure on a distinctive blue tinged city fountain lit by Joe Morales.  Resolute, firm, and eerie, Benford-Bruce delivers a memorable performance as Hamlet’s father.  David Reiffel’s ominous and echoing sound design and composition lent to the foreboding mystique of the production.

Anna Riggins as Ophelia, Alan Kuang as Laertes, Paola Ferrer as Gertrude and Brooks Reeves as Polonius in ‘Hamlet’ Photo credit to Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Nodding to the Elsinore, Denmark setting during the late middle ages while boasting a sleek and contemporary flair, Hamlet blended the contemporary with the historical through its colorful, stately, and elegant costumes in furs, leathers, and glittering crowns by Elizabeth Rocha.

Armando Rivera as Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, led this impressive cast.   Rivera exacted the alarming rage expected of Hamlet in the face of betrayal.  Rivera excelled at Hamlet’s darkly playful, determined, and off kilter demeanor, especially in a powerful scene alone with Ophelia and with Brooks Reeves as Claudius. 

Anna Riggins delivered an absorbing performance as Ophelia with a wide smile, bright eyed virtue, and a complete infatuation and intriguing chemistry with Rivera.  Clinging to any sign of affection, Riggins offered a vulnerable and sympathetic performance.  Riggins also shared a sweet chemistry with her brother, Laertes and Ron Lacey who portrays their proud and concerned father, Polonius.  Alan Kuang is naturally charismatic in the role of valiant and forthright Laertes, especially during an all out and literal street fight with Rivera.

Play-Within-A-Play in ‘Hamlet’ Photo credit to Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Brooks Reeves as Claudius achieved a suave poker face, but with just enough of a devious smirk to embellish this role with Paolo Ferrer as mysterious Gertrude, they are a beguiling pair.  Claudius is a calculating character and left little room for sympathy.  Reeves particularly shined during the play-within-a-play scene as Reeves exclaimed, ‘Get me some light!’  With skillful feigned concern and sarcasm, Reeves was well suited for the role as some of that demeanor is also on display in the Old North Church’s production of Revolution’s Edge through September.

Armando RIvera as Hamlet and Brooks Reeves as Claudius Photo credit to Danielle Fauteux Jacques

Hamlet was not complete without the appearance of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, portrayed with jovial humor by Aloe Domizio and Paul St. Cyr respectively.  Wheeling in on lit bicycles, they made a seeming pair of silly and dimwitted bookends as Hamlet’s childhood friends.  However, like each character in this Shakespearean classic, they are more than meets the eye. 

Apollinaire Theatre Company, in partnership with Teatro Chelsea and the City of Chelsea, presented an outdoor bilingual production of Shakespeare’s classic play, Hamlet which took place on Fridays and Saturdays only from August 4-19 live and in person at various locations in Chelsea, Massachusetts.  Click here to see what is next for Apollinaire Theatre Company and Teatro Chelsea this fall.

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 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 300th 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 and Brooks Reeves Photo by Nile Scott Studios

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 300th 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.