Andria Tieman

Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived–this handy little rhyme is likely what most Americans know best about the six wives of Henry VIII.  Maybe if you were a devotee of the show The Tudors you know a bit more about Catherine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn, but after that, things get a bit murky (so many Catherines!). The musical SIX gives these women the chance to tell their own stories, and shed some light on the circumstances of their lives and deaths.  Though the musical deals with heavy topics like infidelity, miscarriage, death by execution, etc., the six wives are generally pretty frank about their situations.  Dramatic history plus catchy songs equals a fantastically fun night of theatre; giving the lesser-known wives a chance to remind us that they were more than just a number.

It’s always nerve-racking to revisit a show as an adult that was so important to you as a kid. I can’t even count how many times I saw the movie ANNIE as a kid; and it also holds the place in my memory of being the first touring Broadway musical I ever saw. So this production playing at PPAC through February 5th has some big shoes to fill, but I’m happy to report that the exceptional cast, classic songs and fantastic sets made this a magical night. All the favorite songs and scenes are comforting and exciting, but watching with adult eyes made this feel new but still resonant.

It’s a little bit surprising that the film version of Mean Girls was both a good movie, and also a hit.  Based on a non-fiction book about high school cliques that was aimed at parents and teens, it was transformed into a charming comedy by Tina Fey in 2004. It’s not too much of a stretch to think that the creators could get lightning to strike twice by transforming this beloved story into a Broadway musical, but despite the myriad talents of Fey and music director Jeff Richmond, Mean Girls The Musical can’t capture the magic of the film and feels rather underwhelming.

BWW's Critic Writes 'We’ve probably all been in a situation where a white lie or a misunderstanding ballooned into something bigger and unexpected.  DEAR EVAN HANSEN takes this idea and turns it up to eleven when teenage Evan Hansen becomes linked to a classmate who commits suicide.  It’s an interesting examination of how in mourning, we may try to rewrite the narrative of a dead person’s life, but there’s no way to get past the icky feeling that Evan’s actions leave, despite catchy songs and excellent performances.'

The movie An Officer and a Gentleman came out in 1982 to both critical and popular acclaim, but turning this story into a jukebox musical many years later seems like a strange choice.  The cast in this touring production are across the board excellent, but some of the musical choices seem forced, and the plot seems torn between conveying the serious themes of the movie and wanting to lean into the more cheesy aspects of the 80s.  The result is an odd hodgepodge that suffers from an identity crisis, but is still entertaining thanks to the efforts and talents of the cast.

In AN OCTOROON, Jacobs-Jenkins seems to delight in taking audiences on a shock-and-awe tour through America’s history and present. In turns horrifying and hilarious, this work manages to elicit almost every emotion a human being can feel as it burrows into your psyche.

HELLO DOLLY first landed on Broadway in 1964, and the current (2017) revival, playing at Providence Performing Arts Center through March 8, won the Tony Award for Best Revival and Best Actress for Bette Midler. While those who have nostalgia for this show will no doubt think it's fun, the uninitiated may find themselves wishing for a few of the less memorable songs to be traded for more robust character development. Not unlike the recent revival of Miss Saigon, which tried to win new audiences by actually casting Asian actors to play Asian roles and by spending a tremendous amount of money on technical wizardry; this revival of Hello Dolly went all out on sets and costumes, presumably to distract from mostly forgettable songs and a book that is bloated, dated and not nearly as charming as it thinks it is.

Providence theatre-goers have the opportunity to spend considerable time in 18th century France this spring--both at Trinity Rep's A Tale of Two Cities, and now at Brown/Trinity's MFA production of MARIE ANTOINETTE.  Seeing both productions back-to-back makes for an interesting juxtaposition as Tale of Two Cities takes us into the lives of the over-taxed working class, and MARIE ANTOINETTE takes us into the opulent palace that those taxes built.  While Marie Antoinette is not exactly an empathetic figure, it's easy to see why movies and plays are produced about her life. Excess -- in fashion, wealth, and consumption of all kinds -- makes for a visually spectacular extravaganza, and this production leans into that in the most delightful way.

Despite the fact that Norman Jewison's AGNES OF GOD has existed as both an award-winning play and later film, it doesn't seem to have been produced very often.  That's all the more reason to rush out and see Epic Theatre's well-executed version of a play that is strange, fascinating and heartbreaking. Juxtaposing the mystical with legal is always good fodder for a thorny debate, and this solid cast delivers the layered and complicated humanity needed to make the story resonate.

Joshua Harmon's ADMISSIONS is a play that wants to challenge well-meaning white people to reconsider how they seek to lift up people of color.  That may make it seem like it's a slog, or like it's a bitter pill one should swallow, but thankfully the biting dialogue and exceptional performances all around make this 110 minute play zing by.  Harmon does a great job of raising the stakes for all the players until the tension reaches a satisfying crescendo, but, in the end, the payoff isn't quite as satisfying as it could be. However, that could also be part of the point.

Tanya Saracho's FADE is a witty and insightful look into work/life power dynamics. What makes this particular story so interesting is the manipulation of status as a minority in the workplace--against another person of the same minority group. Our two characters--Lucia (Elia Saldana) and Abel (Daniel Duque-Estrada) are both Mexican, but he works as a cleaner in her office, and she is a television writer. Playwright Saracho deftly manipulates ideas of class, and uses perceived shared culture as a weapon, and the result is both hilarious and maddening. Saldana and Duque-Estrada play off each other very well keeping the energy high in this 100 minute production.

On the morning of the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, there were a lot of other planes in the sky that had to be re-routed and emergency landed wherever pilots were able to find a runway. Thirty-eight of those emergency landings took place in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland's quiet airport that was on the verge of being shut down for lack of use. The people of Gander, rather than being overwhelmed by the massive influx of 7000 scared and confused people from all over the world, sprang into action, set up shelters, made food and took people into their homes for five days until they could safely travel home. This is the rare 9-11 story that doesn't focus much on the attack itself, but instead on the ripple effect it had on the whole world, and how even in the midst of tragedy, people come together to help each other. While the premise might sound a bit corny, the execution is absolutely brilliant and the story balanced in a way that feels true to human nature and not at all saccharine. COME FROM AWAY is a rare new musical based on true events that is original, unique and absolutely wonderful.

One doesn't usually seek out sequels at live theatre, and when Ibsen finished his masterpiece A Doll's House in 1879, one can only assume he thought the interesting part of the story was over.  So the pressure on this play to prove why it should even exist is almost like another character watching from the wings.  Thankfully, what Lucas Hnath has written is a smart and occasionally hilarious play that justifies its creation, and ties the hands of almost all characters equally.  There are plenty of satisfying revelations, and Gamm's excellent cast makes this a show not to be missed.

Based on the classic children's story of the same name, this stage production of THE SECRET GARDEN tells the story of the orphan Mary Lennox forced to move from India to a distant relative's Yorkshire England estate when a cholera outbreak decimates her family. This stage adaptation sticks very close to the novel, and Megan Ruggerio's capable direction keeps the story moving along at a brisk pace. Excellent performances all around make this a delightful production for all ages.

Have you heard of a little musical called HAMILTON?  Considering how much attention this show has gotten for the past three years, it almost seems impossible for it to be as good as people say it is.  Surely people are just caught up in the hype and the moment? I'm happy to say that that's not the case at all, and all praise for this musical is well-earned. It hits the sweet spot of compelling characters, catchy songs, excellent performances and fantastic dance sequences.

Inspired by the actual newsboys strike of 1899, Disney's NEWSIES is a slightly updated stage version of the 1992 film of the same name.  Despite the movie's lack of success at the box office, it became a cult favorite, and bringing it to Broadway in 2011 seems like a no-brainer. The source material is perfect for a high energy stage musical with outstanding dance numbers and supremely catchy songs.  Theatre By The Sea's production is heavy on the dance, and includes some fantastic scenic design and a cast brimming with energy and charisma. Despite the seriousness of some of the subject matter--child labor, unions, capitalist opportunists, this show is pure fun with just enough drama in it to create and raise the stakes.

My favorite writing professor loved to say that there are two stories the world: one, a person sets off on a journey; in the other, a stranger comes to town. The second story is precisely the idea behind the 10 Tony Award winning THE BAND'S VISIT. The Egyptian Police Band is on tour, and through a simple language mixup, they wind up in a small town in the Isreali desert . With no way to leave town until the morning, and no hotels available, the police are taken into locals' homes where they start to see into the lives of the people of the village. This is an atypical Broadway musical in that it's very quiet and seemingly simple, but does a fantastic job of showing the struggles of ordinary people, and how two seemingly different groups of people have a lot in common after all.

Singin' in the Rain is one of the best movie musicals of all time, so it is no doubt a daunting prospect to mount a stage production.  Aside from the technical issues of actually making it rain on stage, you need a cast talented and charismatic enough to rival Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds.  Theatre by the Sea has managed to give us something that is almost as magical as the original, but with the added bonus of some hyper-local movie scenes within the play.  The result is a laugh-out-loud extravaganza with heaps of talent, fantastic costumes and technical wizardry to rival any Broadway show.

When the movie Waitress premiered in 2007, it was roundly praised, but didn't make too big of a splash, so it seems like an odd choice of source material to turn into a Broadway musical.  It turns out, that this story works incredibly well in this format, and delivers a musical with great songs, and a unique, quirky spirit that is infectious. There's also the added bonus of the smell of pie wafting through the lobby and theatre. This is the first "smell-o-vision" show I've been to, and the yummy smell of cinnamon and pie crust makes this show a feast for all senses.

Trinity Rep closes out their 2018-2019 season with Jose' Rivera's MARISOL, the 1993 Obie winner for best new play. It's a hodgepodge of magical realism and absurdism set in a rapidly disintegrating New York City, and is grand in scope as we learn that people's guardian angels have to abandon them to fight a war in the heavens. There is a lot to wrap your head around in this layered story, but a lack of clear direction makes it hard to find desperately-needed footing.  What the audience is left with feels like a lot of sound and fury.