Song cycles are tough. With isolated songs and vignettes, the audience glimpses briefly into the lives of the people in Jason Robert Brown’s Songs for a New World. These people are faced with that moment of decision-making, where they stand on the brink of choice and change. I find the concept really electric and intriguing. […]
Timing is everything. The Boston University College of Fine Arts showcased some astounding talent in their recent production of Assassins by musical genius Stephen Sondheim. Concluding their year-long “Keyword: Violence” festival, the CFA program explores America’s famous (and not so famous) assassins through their stories and motives, but, more importantly, the show offers a compelling […]
Jamaica Plains’ Footlight Club boasts being the oldest community theatre in the United States, and it’s not hard to see why they have sustained for over 130 years. The Footlight Club attracts many talented actors, designers, and directors, but most of all, they establish a strong sense of community within its company. Their passion for […]
In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that when I was first approached about the opportunity to see Pirate Lives! The Musical! (by David Marino and Stephen Gilbane, directed by Marino and musically directed by Gilbane), I was slightly apprehensive. I’d never heard of the works that served as the inspiration for […]
If I were a Legally Blonde character I would be a not-so-delicate combo of snobby conservative Vivienne Kensington and frumpy, loudmouth intellectual-liberal Enid Hoopes; but despite this uber-brunette pedigree, I am an unabashed Elle Woods fan. I think she’s the greatest. The world needs kind and well-meaning characters like Elle and her empathetic optimism, and […]
Before we announce the winners of the 2011 My Theatre Awards, we’re proud to present the My Theatre Nominee Interview Series. Michael-David Blostein is one of My Theatre’s favourite people. He stole one of the first shows we ever reviewed- SoupCan Theatre’s Love is a Poverty You Can Sell– and we’ve covered almost every show […]
Encore Entertainment’s concert production, Songs in the Key of Stephen, was a joyous evening of entertainment. Their stirring production of The Laramie Project had featured a mixed bag of talent, so I was a little worried that they might not attract the kind of voices they needed to pull off an evening of Sondheim and […]
Sometimes you need a night of just fun theatre, and last weekend Boston University On Broadway presented The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee to excite and thrill its college-aged audiences. Directed by Stacey Yesenosky, On Broadway’s production was charming, in every sense of the word. Her Director’s Note quickly told me that she had approached […]