Nancy Grossman - Page 34

Gloucester Stage Company presents the New England Premiere of GLOUCESTER BLUE, written and directed by Founding Artistic Director Israel Horovitz. The latest in a series of Gloucester-based plays, this dark, funny play pits a pair of blue collar painters from The Fort section of town against a couple of tony one-percenters from Eastern Point. Esme Allen, Francisco Solorzano, Robert Walsh, and Lewis D. Wheeler pull out all the thrills and comedy along the twisty, turning road to a surprise ending.

The genius of Stephen Sondheim is on display in Huntington Theatre Company's production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and Artistic Director Peter DuBois casts a vast array of local actors with a few Broadway veterans for a luminous spectacle. Lavish costumes and lush orchestrations counter a minimalist scenic design, and the singing and acting do justice to one of Sondheim's masterworks.

Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins enjoys ambiguity and messing with traditional concepts and constructs. His 2014 Obie Award-winner for Best New American Play, APPROPRIATE, is a prime example as it defies categorization. He borrows themes and tropes from classic American family dramas, and the ensemble of actors in the SpeakEasy production carve out brilliant individual performances that rival anything one might see on a Broadway stage. M. Bevin O'Gara directs this breathtaking drama.

Megan Hilty gave a wicked good performance at the Citi Shubert Theatre last night as she sang her way through her signature songs from the NBC-TV series 'Smash' and selections from her Broadway appearances in WICKED and 9 TO 4 THE MUSICAL. Sirius XM star Seth Rudetsky shined as pianist and host for Broadway @ The Shubert, presented by Mark Cortale to benefit the Boston Gay Men's Chorus.

Artistic Director David J. Miller tackles another iconic play from the catalogue of 20th century gay dramatic literature with Mart Crowley's groundbreaking THE BOYS IN THE BAND. Opening in 1968, one year before the Stonewall riots, these boys were at the head of the parade for the Gay Pride movement. Miller has gathered a roster of nine estimable actors who provide the heart and soul to bring Crowley's types realistically to life at the intimate Plaza Black Box Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts.

Stoneham Theatre opens its 16th season with A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM, directed by Weylin Symes and Ilyse Robbins. Front and center for the nonsense is Neil A. Casey, surrounded by a stand-out cast, including Kathy St. George, Chip Phillips, Jordan Ahnquist, and Mark Linehan. Ribald jokes and vaudeville shtick are cause for eye-rolling, but your ears will feast on the gathering of voices covering the Stephen Sondheim score.

New Repertory Theatre joins the nationwide celebration of the late playwright Arthur Miller's 100th birthday with the Boston area premiere of BROKEN GLASS, one of his last plays. In keeping with New Rep's season theme of "Identity," Miller's Olivier Award-winning and Tony-nominated drama is a multi-faceted exploration of what it means to be Jewish, set against the backdrop of the ascent of the Nazi Party in Germany in the days following Kristallnacht in November, 1938. A stellar cast under the thoughtful direction of Artistic Director Jim Petosa inhabits Miller's characters, intuiting their emotional journeys with remarkable authenticity.

MY FAIR LADY is one of the grande dames of musical theater and the Lyric Stage Company is giving her the royal treatment she deserves under the erudite direction of Scott Edmiston, with musical direction by Catherine Stornetta. In a production packed with quality portrayals across the board, Jennifer Ellis takes her considerable skills to a new level with a performance that is at once humorous, heartbreaking, and triumphant. And then she sings.

Katie Anne Clark and Jennifer Ellis are dynamite as the dynamic Sherwood sisters in the Reagle Music Theatre production of WONDERFUL TOWN, an old-fashioned musical comedy with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Clark's comedic flair, Ellis' luminous voice, an ensemble of triple-threat performers, extraordinary choreography, and a 22-piece orchestra are just five of the many good reasons to get yourself to RMT in Waltham before they roll up the sidewalks.

Elements Theatre Company selected three of the 12 monologues in Alan Bennett's TALKING HEADS for their summer production which concluded its brief run this past weekend at Paraclete House at Rock Harbor in Orleans. Ordinary, albeit quirky, characters were brought to life in extraordinary performances by Brad Lussier, Rachel McKendree, and Sr. Danielle Dwyer (who also directed).

Superlative acting, intense staging, and timeless themes are the hallmarks of THE NEW ELECTRIC BALLROOM, Enda Walsh's 2010 Obie Award-winning play now receiving its New England Premiere at Gloucester Stage Company under the direction of Interim Artistic Director Robert Walsh. Its setting in a small fishing village on the west coast of Ireland permeates the story with indigenous peculiarities, but resonates with the realities of life in any little coastal community where gossip and fish tales are the order of the day.

Three summers ago, Company One Theatre converted the Roberts Studio Theatre into an authentic wrestling arena for its acclaimed production of The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity, Kristoffer Diaz's satire of the faux violence and bright lights of the show biz world of professional wrestling. C1's season 16 concludes with the very real brutality of college football simulated on an astroturf stage in Colossal, a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere by Andrew Hinderaker. Accompanied by the sights and sounds of an actual game, the audience is immersed in a 'Friday Night Lights' experience of pounding drumbeats, crunching body contact, and crushing emotional sequences. Blending the physicality of the sport with the artistry of dance blurs the line between the two seemingly disparate activities, resulting in a compelling approach to telling a powerful story.

ArtsEmerson: The World on Stage presents the East Coast Premiere of HERSHEY FELDER AS IRVING BERLIN: A NEW MUSICAL PLAY at the Emerson/Cutler Majestic Theatre. Performances have been extended through August 2nd for this feel-good evening of just over two dozen selections from Berlin's vast catalogue. The program includes unknown gems, lovely ballads, patriotic tunes, and favorites that everyone can sing along with, but Felder's artistry also evokes the man behind the music. Irving Berlin is a delight for any and all who appreciate hearing an array of standards from the great American song book.

The Boston Gay Men's Chorus annual Pride concert on Sunday at Symphony Hall featured Special Guest Laura Benanti, the Tony Award-winning singer/actress, also known to television audiences for her roles on "Nashville" and "The Good Wife." In a program with selections ranging from musical theater greats like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb, and Stephen Sondheim, to pop artist Madonna and a newly commissioned piece, the BGMC and Benanti seemed to inspire each other to perform at the highest level of their combined vocal abilities, spiced up with some flashy dancing boys and refreshing comedy stylings by the guest artist.

Gloucester Stage opens its 36th season with the second play of Richard Nelson's four-part American epic collectively known as THE APPLE FAMILY PLAYS. Collaborating with Stoneham Theatre, each company will produce two of the plays between this year and next under the direction of Stoneham's Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes, with the same design team and outstanding cast of six actors on board for the entire project.

Director/choreographer Ilyse Robbins reigns as chair of the board over a company of established pros and starry-eyed up-and-comers in Stoneham Theatre's effervescent HOW TO $UCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING. Tyler Bradley Indyck and Ephie Aardema make beautiful music together, Angelo McDonough almost steals the show, and the ensemble sing and dance with great energy and style. It's bound to do boffo business!

Zeitgeist Stage Company presents the New England premiere of Jeff Talbott's THE SUBMISSION and, once again, lives up to its name and mission. Victor Shopov and Aina Adler create two indelible characters, and Director David J. Miller sculpts the performances to eliminate any wasted moments from this hard-hitting comedy-drama.

Gaiety ruled at the 33rd Annual Elliot Norton Awards ceremony as Ryan Landry, impresario of the Gold Dust Orphans, received the Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, and comedian-actress-jazz musician Lea DeLaria was the Guest of Honor. Bragging rights went to American Repertory Theater with seven wins in the large theater categories, while Lyric Stage Company led all midsize theaters with four wins.

The 130th season of the Boston Pops Orchestra is a celebration of Conductor Keith Lockhart's 20th anniversary, and the opening night festivities included balloons, cupcakes, and an exquisite cake, with sizzle provided by Tony Award-winning vocalist and actress Bernadette Peters. Music ranged from Williams to Rossini, Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim, selections from the voluminous canon of Old Blue Eyes, and, of course, John Philip Sousa.

Artistic Director Charles Towers is stepping down after fourteen seasons at the helm of Merrimack Repertory Theatre. He leaves the audience with one final moving drama by playwright Bruce Graham, written with impeccable honesty and directed with the finest attention to every emotional detail.