Nancy Grossman - Page 23

The blues may be cool, but Miche Braden and the music are hot in this lively production of playwright Angelo Parra's THE DEVIL'S MUSIC: THE LIVE AND BLUES OF BESSIE SMITH at Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell. Even if you don't know much about Smith, you'll walk out of the show feeling as though you've just spent the evening in her company. A trio of outstanding musicians joins the actress on the richly-rendered set by James J. Fenton. Don't miss this!

Convicted swindler Bernard Madoff squares off with a fictional victim of his Ponzi scheme in Deborah Margolin's controversial play in New Rep's Black Box Theater. Under the direction of Elaine Vaan Hogue, on Jon Savage's stunning set, Jeremiah Kissel, Joel Colodner, and Adrianne Krstansky tell this powerful human story that explores why Madoff did what he did and how he got away with it.

Stephen Schwartz musical based on Studs Terkel's 1974 mega-tome has been updated to reflect changes in occupations, but continues to tell the stories of the everyday laborers, the unsung and invisible workforce that powers our nation. The eclectic, moving score gets the attention it deserves from Ilyse Robbins' accomplished ensemble of singer/actors and live musicians under the musical direction of Jonathan Goldberg.

Over two weekends in December, the Elements Theatre Company in Orleans employed a panoply of sensory stimuli in a Readers' Theatre form of John Mortimer's adaptation of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. With vivacity unexpected in a staged reading, Director Sr. Danielle Dwyer and her talented ensemble brought the ghost story to life in the sanctuary of the Church of the Transfiguration, proving that the tale of one man's redemption resonates and endures.

Playwright David Farr, inspired by TWELFTH NIGHT, AS YOU LIKE IT, and his own two daughters, has written a nature-infused feminist version of the legend of Robin Hood. Icelandic Director Gisli Örn Gardarsson and his creative team have conjured up an athletic, revolutionary staging brought to life by an agile ensemble and accompanied by Connecticut roots band Poor Old Shine. THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD beats fast and takes you on an amazing journey.

NOT JENNY is not a holiday show, but its pay-what-you-can admission policy is Bridge Repertory Theater of Boston's gift to the city. MJ Halberstadt's world premiere play is a dark comedy with characters who would be at home in an Edward Albee or Tracy Letts vehicle.

Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans mash-up GREY GARDENS, Mrs. Grinchley, and IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE for a new holiday musical parody that is sure to earn its wings. Clever sets, delicious costumes, creative choreography, and new stars join the Orphans regulars to put on a show that is anything but horrible.

The miracle in MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET is the ability of Kris Kringle to infuse the holiday with the true spirit of Christmas in the face of raging commercialism, harried shoppers, and cynical doubters. Adapted from the beloved 1947 film, the play at Stoneham Theatre does not fare as well in its stage bound version, despite the best efforts of all involved.

New Repertory Theatre's revival of Lerner and Loewe's 1961 Tony Award-winning musical places the emphasis where it belongs, on the passions of the star-crossed lovers. It evokes an era of youth, hope, and possibility that was embodied in the administration of President John F. Kennedy, whose assassination fifty years ago provides a somber backdrop to the production at the Arsenal Center for the Arts in Watertown.

Israeli Stage marks its third birthday with a flurry of staged readings. Producing Artistic Director and Founder Guy Ben-Aharon adapted David Grossman's TO THE END OF THE LAND, presented at Temple Isaiah in Lexington with Jeremiah Kissel and Sheila Stasack.

Michael Perlman's 2012 Off-Off-Broadway play is not your typical anti-bullying polemic; rather it uses its bully pulpit to allow believers of opposing camps to search their souls and have their say. Three-dimensional characters give legitimacy to their conflicting points of view in the heartfelt performances of a tight-knit quartet of actors.

Bad Habit Productions stages Frank McGuinness' 1992 play in the intimate confines of Deane Hall in the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts. The actors are chained to the set and to each other, and the audience is glued to their seats watching this intense drama about hostages pulling together to survive their captivity.

Simple Machine Theatre stages Jeffrey Hatcher's adaptation of Henry James' Gothic thriller at two historic Boston houses, providing an extra dose of authenticity. Under the direction of M. Bevin O'Gara, Stephen Libby and Anna Waldron give spellbinding performances that will scare the bejeezers out of you!

A celebration of Caryl Churchill kicks off with THE AFTER-DINNER JOKE, written for BBC television in 1978. Five actors take on more than sixty characters in this satire of the politics of charity.

Boston Playwrights' Theatre continues its season of new works with award-winning Boston playwright Steven Barkhimer's WINDOWMEN, a coming-of-age comedy set in Lower Manhattan's Fulton Fish Market. Brett Marks directs an ensemble of five Equity actors who bring to life the characters from Barkhimer's memory and imagination.

On a 40-city tour to promote his new book LET'S EXPLORE DIABETES WITH OWLS, David Sedaris makes a whistle stop at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester for one night only. His low-key, relaxed delivery draws lots of laughs and an occasional tear as he shares stories that are personal, profound, and punny.

Theatre on Fire opens its ninth season at the Charlestown Working Theater with Lauren Gunderson's "revenge comedy" that attacks the serious issue of spousal abuse from a feminist perspective. It's dark, it's funny, and absolutely on point.

Playwright Ginger Lazarus set out to write a lesbian version of Rostand's CYRANO DE BERGERAC and ended up taking on the United States Army and its sorry history of abusing and harassing gays in the era of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." An intimate and intense evening of theater, BURNING at Boston Playwrights' Theatre features outstanding performances by Mal Malme and Jessica Webb, under the direction of Steven Bogart.

Bridge Repertory Theater opens its first full season, in collaboration with Playhouse Creatures Theatre Company of NYC, with an ambitious production of Stephen Jeffreys' play about the life of 17th century poet John Wilmot. The complex story is overweight, but the acting is topnotch, as are the costumes and staging. Bridge Rep remains a theater company to watch.

DRIVING MISS DAISY is a fitting capstone to the Gloucester Stage Company 2013 season. Benny Sato Ambush provides thoughtful, intelligent direction for the sublime acting talents of Lindsay Crouse, Johnny Lee Davenport, and Robert Pemberton.