Nancy Grossman - Page 29

Boston Children's Theatre comes of age with important growing up gay story based on the 1980 landmark civil rights case of Cumberland, Rhode Island, teen Aaron Fricke who sued to take his boyfriend to the senior prom.

Original musical comedy by local artists focuses on the demons we all need to conquer to live a meaningful life. Apathy, Fear, Body issues, and even overbearing mothers are best dealt with in song and dance. MONSTERS! is a charmer and a step in the right direction for regional theater.

Dinner theater takes on a new dimension with Zeitgeist Stage production of Sir Alan Ayckbourn's 'Time of My Life.' A family birthday celebration kicks off a series of life-changing events that play out simultaneously in the past, present, and future.

Broadway musical theater stars Rachel York, a Drama Desk and two-time IRNE Award winner, and Brent Barrett, an LA Drama Critics Award winner and Olivier Award nominee, performed their favorite love songs from stage and screen as part of the Celebrity Concert Series to kick off the 44th season of Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham.

The sight and smell of smoke, the surrounding walls draped in sheets of white fabric, and a brew of eerie sounds and lights combine to set the mood for Boston Center for American Performance's MONSTER, a rendering of the oft-told FRANKENSTEIN tale that is not likely to be confused with earlier film or theatrical versions. Obie Award-winning playwright Neal Bell's edition will not evoke images of Boris Karloff or Mel Brooks, but it elevates the underlying themes of one man's attempt to play God and discover a way to defeat death to an inescapable level of consciousness.

Following the success of their last production, the 1943 play THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE, Merrimack Repertory Theatre mines the early 20th century for source material and strikes gold. Think about bringing your daughters and granddaughters to meet the extremely likeable and capable young female protagonist in this heartwarming musical.

Tennessee Williams' "new" play set in hotel bedroom where its characters can play out their psychosexual fantasies in front of an intimate audience. Company One presents Boston premiere in collaboration with Chris Keegan and The Kindness and Director Travis Chamberlain.

'Winter Panto 2012: The Half-Baked & Hard-to-Swallow History of Humpty Dumpty, Or, One Egg is Enough' is imaginary beasts' first foray to Boston following nine years of developing accessible theatre for the North Shore community. Think Fractured Fairy Tales meets Dr. Seuss, and you've got a pretty good idea of what is on the bill of fare in 'Humpty Dumpty' in the Plaza Black Box Theatre at The Boston Center for the Arts.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre delivers a heartwarming production of an old chestnut. The 1943 wartime classic reminds us how sweet it is to live in the moment and grab the brass ring when it comes along.

The American Repertory Theater presents a loving tribute to Franz Schubert and his romantic song cycle 'Winterreise.' Part piano concert, part storytelling, and part salon known as Schubertiade, 'Three Pianos' hopes to educate as it entertains.

Nostalgia piece at New Repertory Theatre is a humorous, heartwarming play based on the 1983 film and Jean Sheperd stories. Features the classic line, "You'll shoot your eye out," the tongue stuck on the frozen flagpole, the gaudy lamp, and the Red Ryder BB gun. A great outing for the whole family.

Fringe theatre company debuts with new, award-winning play by Walt McGough at Factory Theatre. While she struggles to overcome a trauma in her life, two aliens approach Priscilla to save their world. She looks for answers from a game show savant and learns that some things are unknowable, but that what is in your heart matters most.

Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans hope to start a new holiday tradition with the reprise of last year's hit 'Mrs. Grinchley's Christmas Carol' at Theater Machine at the Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts. This is not your grandfather's Dickens or your children's Dr. Seuss, but features the usual cast of characters with a twist.

Playwright Jeffrey Hatcher's witty trio of compelling monologues is skillfully directed and powerfully presented by New Rep in the Black Box Theater, the setting serving as an ideal space to witness these intimate stories.

Merrimack Repertory Theatre presents its audience with the ultimate Christmas present - the return of the Reduced Shakespeare Company and the East Coast premiere of 'The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged).' All of your favorite holiday characters - Baby Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Santa Claus, and the Bee Gees - make an appearance. Bring an inexpensive wrapped gift to participate in the St. Everybody's Gift Exchange at intermission.

Michael Cristofer and Louis Cancelmi give captivating performances as Adolph Eichmann and Israeli Mossad agent Peter Malkin respectively in Evan M. Weiner's play receiving its world premiere at Huntington Theatre Company.

The Boston Center for American Performance, the professional extension of the Boston University School of Theatre, continues its fourth season with Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor's darkly humorous one-man play that alters the typical theatrical boundaries and brings the audience into the story.

The Threesixty Theatre brings its 1,300 seat state-of-the-art tent to Boston's City Hall Plaza, transforming the barren expanse into a magical land filled with flying fairies, Lost Boys, pirates, and the delightful boy who refuses to grow up. 3D projections are brilliantly colorful, larger than life, and immerse both cast and audience into a world of computer-generated imagery (CGI), unlike any other theater experience.

Huntington Theatre Company presents the premiere of Huntington Playwriting Fellow Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro's love story for grownups. Her insight into the hearts and minds of sixty-something old friends, her crisp and witty writing, and Jonathan Silverstein's smooth direction make this a worthwhile - and funny - evening in the theatre.

The halls (of the Calderwood Pavilion) are alive with the sound of…laughter, generated by the SpeakEasy Stage production of Charles Busch's 'The Divine Sister.' Directed by Larry Coen, the New England premiere of the 2010 hit Off-Broadway comedy stars Jeffery Roberson (aka Varla Jean Merman) and Boston favorites Paula Plum and Kathy St. George.