Christopher Verleger - Page 3

Theatre By The Sea kicks off its 2025 season with the heartwarming jukebox musical, “Always…Patsy Cline,” an enjoyable walk down memory lane featuring the songs from one of the last century's most unforgettable voices.

Considering the periodic, seemingly countless remakes of such classic works like “Little Women,” “Pride and Prejudice,” and “Wuthering Heights,” the significance of women’s voices in the history of literature cannot be overstated. Jaclyn Backhaus’ remarkably original satire, ‘You On The Moors Now,’ now presented by The Players at Barker Playhouse, not only invites audiences to yet again revisit these timeless tales but asks us to imagine how these esteemed heroines would behave in society today.

In 1998, Matthew Shepard became a household name for the worst possible reason when he was robbed, beaten, and left tied to a fence outside Laramie, Wyoming by Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson.

When Shakespeare penned, “Oh, what fools these mortals be,” he couldn’t ever have imagined the deliberately, delightfully foolish behavior his words would incite more than four centuries later in ‘The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] [again],’ now at Contemporary Theater Company.

The Arctic Playhouse welcomes the advent of spring with a gratifying production of esteemed playwright William Inge’s “Picnic,” a Pulitzer Prize-winning comedic drama about the choices people make and the paths they take, intentionally or otherwise, to find happiness and avert loneliness.

We all know the saying, “A man’s home is his castle,” and sometimes there is no telling what an individual will do to protect what they consider to be their own safe haven and private space. In Gamm Theatre’s captivating production of Stephen Adly Guirgis’s powerful, gritty, Pulitzer Prize-winning play, ‘Between Riverside and Crazy,’ Walter “Pops” Washington is the quintessential example of a man who, despite his age and declining health, holds reign over his marked territory like a lion in the wild that won’t hesitate to ward off any trespasser with force.

The narrator of the stage play ‘Life of Pi,’ now at Providence Performing Arts Center, proclaims, “My story will make you believe in God.” Regardless of your religious inclination, the retelling of his tumultuous journey reminds us how a person’s faith alone can provide the strength to endure, even when having to face the most seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

Providence Performing Arts Center presents ‘The Cher Show,’ the stylish, spirited Tony-winning jukebox musical that playfully and spectacularly recounts the six decade-long, multi-hyphenated career of the cherished musical diva, Academy Award-winning actress, and fashion icon.

The Players at Barker Playhouse welcome the winter season with an enjoyable production of Paul Rudnick's adorably corny, oft-produced comedy, “I Hate Hamlet,” the story of a season in the life of a young actor eager to please everyone, including his fans, his agent, his girlfriend, and above all, a ghost.

We’re all familiar with the saying, “Less is more,” and that statement especially holds true for debbie tucker green’s intense drama, ‘hang,’ (deliberately spelled with lowercase letters) now at Burbage Theatre Company, in partnership with WomensWork Theatre Collaborative—because the less you know, the better, as intended by the playwright.

Providence Performing Arts Center brings The King of Pop back to life with its dazzling, colorful, energetic production of ‘MJ The Musical,’ a portrait of the legendary entertainer, Michael Jackson, featuring a sampling of his greatest hits, unforgettable dance moves, a glimpse at his troubled personal life, and his rise from child prodigy to superstardom.

The Gamm Theatre welcomes 2025 with ‘Girls & Boys,’ a powerful, compelling drama about a woman’s pointed retelling of her marriage, motherhood, a successful career, and an unspeakable tragedy.

Some shows you watch, others you feel, and truer words cannot be spoken about “The Revlon Girl,” Neil Anthony Docking’s powerful, heartbreaking drama about the aftermath of a tragedy, presented by The Players at Barker Playhouse.

“Mamma Mia!,” the sensational, vivacious 2001 Broadway musical based on the songs of ABBA that has become a fan favorite and worldwide phenomenon on both stage and screen, returns to Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) and proves yet again just how much this simple story of a mother and daughter continues to resonate with audiences of all ages.

The Community Players welcomes autumn and kicks off its 103rd season with a lively, stylish production of “Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” an updated musical adaptation of the beloved, quintessential rags-to-riches fairy tale about a young woman's transformation from indentured servant to elegant princess.

For obvious reasons, our Constitution has been a popular topic of discussion as of late, so it is not only appropriate but impeccable timing for Contemporary Theater Company to launch its impressive, thought-provoking production of Heidi Schreck’s informative, introspective play, “What the Constitution Means to Me.”

“Let the games begin” is a phrase most often associated with an Olympic event, but it also holds true for the characters in ‘Sleuth,’ Anthony Shaffer’s engrossing thriller, now at Granite Theatre, where two adult men play a cunning, intriguing game of cat-and-mouse, each ready to strike and unable to hide, with no clear victor worthy of commendation.

English poet Thomas Tusser penned, “A fool and his money are soon parted.” Such can be said of the foolish individuals in Michael Parker’s bedroom farce, ‘Lone Star Love Potion,’ now at The Arctic Playhouse, a ridiculous, racy, mostly enjoyable comedy about adults behaving badly for a supposed fortune, courtesy of a romance-inducing elixir. (Yes, you read that right.)

'Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson – APT. 2B,' Kate Hamill’s fun, remarkably clever comic murder mystery, now at Trinity Rep, reimagines Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary literary sleuths as two contemporary women who join forces by happenstance to investigate and solve crimes in post-pandemic London. See what our critic had to say.