Davron S. Monroe

What did our critic think of Moonbox Productions' SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET at Arrow Street Arts?

There was “The Summer of ’42,” then “The Summer of ’69,” but this is definitely the summer of Taavon Gamble.

Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston announced the cast for Pippin, the 2nd and final production in the company’s Summer 2022 season. Running from August 5-13, 2022 at the Robinson Theatre.

The first and only production of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND I saw was a concert production featuring an all-white cast. So, when I heard that Speakeasy Stage would be producing the show, I was excited to be able to see how it is meant to be performed. This production, directed by Pascale Florestral and music directed by David Freeman Coleman, did not disappoint.

From March 11 to April 16, 2022, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present a rousing new production of ONCE ON THIS ISLAND, one of the most beloved musicals in Broadway history.

SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly stream a benefit production of Jason Robert Brown's classic musical,

Producing Artistic Director Emeritus Spiro Veloudos is in the director's chair for AGATHA CHRISTIE'S MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS and stages Ken Ludwig's adaptation with distinct shadings of film noir and a who's who of Lyric Stage Company veterans (and a couple of newbies) on board to play the rogue's gallery of characters. If you already know whodunnit, the fresh take on telling the story will be worth the fare, and if you don't know who commits the dastardly deed, you're in for more than a few juicy surprises.

Just in time for LGBTQ Pride Month, and on the cusp of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots, SpeakEasy Stage Company presents the New England premiere of the Off-Broadway musical THE VIEW UPSTAIRS in the Plaza Theatre at the Boston Center for the Arts. Inspired by a little-known historical event, Max Vernon pays tribute to '70s gay culture and the victims of the firebombing of the UpStairs Lounge in the French Quarter of New Orleans in 1973. Although 32 people perished (the deadliest assault on a gay bar prior to the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub which killed 49 people), Vernon's book and score focus on the personalities of the archetypal characters, the challenges they faced in that era, and the strong ties they forged to make a life in the homosexual community.

Awards were presented to more than two dozen outstanding actors, directors, designers, and ensembles tonight by The Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA) at The 37th Annual Elliot Norton Awards ceremony, held at the Huntington Avenue Theatre.

CAROLINE, OR CHANGE is Tony Kushner's (book and lyrics) semi-autobiographical, sung-through musical, with music by Jeanine Tesori (FUN HOME), that had its origins Off-Broadway in 2003, before transferring to Broadway in 2004 for 136 performances and receiving six Tony nominations. In the ensuing years, it had numerous productions in regional theaters and London, and it has long been on Moonbox Productions' short list, according to Producer and Artistic Director Sharman Altshuler. Under the direction of Allison Olivia Choat, the Moonbox staging is a solid effort with a cohesive ensemble, excellent musical direction and vocals, and vivid design elements. Yewande Odetoyinbo is a force in the title role.

Two dozen nominations of outstanding actors, directors, designers and ensembles were announced today by The Boston Theater Critics Association (BTCA), with winners to be revealed at the 37th Annual Elliot Norton Awards on Monday, May 20, 2019 at 7 PM, at the Huntington Avenue Theatre.

Moonbox Productions, winner of numerous IRNE and Elliot Norton Awards, is thrilled to present the Tony- and Olivier-Award-winning musical, Caroline, or Change, by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori.

The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) today announced the nominees for the 23rd Annual IRNE Awards, which honor the best of the previous year's actors, directors, choreographers, designers and companies across the full spectrum of large, mid-size and fringe theater companies. Moulin Rouge!, a new musical produced by Global Creatures, and An American in Paris, produced by the Ogunquit Playhouse, led with 12 and 11 nominations, respectively, in the Large Stage Musical Category. The Huntington Theatre led all companies with 31 nominations across seven productions, including 11 for Man in the Ring, the story of six-time world champion prizefighter Emile Griffith.

The Front Porch Arts Collective partners with the Lyric Stage Company to start their second season with BREATH & IMAGINATION, Daniel Beaty's musical about Roland Hayes. First-time director Maurice Emmanuel Parent draws tour de force performance from Davron S. Monroe as the acclaimed African-American opera singer, with strong support from Yewande Odetoyinbo, Doug Gerber, and Nile Scott Hawver.

Breath & Imagination chronicles Roland Hayes's inspirational journey from a Georgia plantation to a singing career that included command performances for kings and queens. Despite his international acclaim, Roland never left behind his complex and loving relationship with his mother, his Angel Mo'. With spirituals and classical music, Breath & Imagination is a compelling musical about one man's determination to become an artist despite seemingly insurmountable odds.   

Lyric Stage Company opens its 44th season with the Tony Award-winning (seven, including Best Musical) KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, directed and choreographed by Rachel Bertone, with music direction by Dan Rodriguez, who gets pizazz and a far bigger sound than anyone would expect from a five-piece orchestra. The show is almost entirely sung-through, and the Kander and Ebb score is outstanding, given its due by a cadre of vocalists who make each song better than the last. Eddy Cavazos and Taavon Gamble are impressive in their debuts at Lyric Stage.

A soulful retelling of L. Frank Baum's beloved The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz combines fairy-tale glamour with street smarts to make a classic fantasy sparkle for today. And our directors and choreographer will bring a blast of New Orleans Creole magic to this production! Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score, The Wiz ingeniously mixes rock, gospel, soul, and jazz, and features hits like 'Ease on Down the Road,' 'A Brand New Day,' and 'Home.'

Colorful and imaginative costumes, other-worldly lighting and sound effects, and a scenic design that combines magic with urban details, serve as the playground for the Lyric Stage Company's production of the 1975 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, THE WIZ, under the direction of Dawn M. Simmons. Helping her translate her vision of Oz, by way of New Orleans, are Music Director Allyssa Jones, fronting a vibrant eight-piece orchestra, and Jean Appolon, whose inventive choreography anthropomorphizes a tornado, a poppy field, and the eponymous Yellow Brick Road.

A soulful retelling of L. Frank Baum's beloved The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, The Wiz combines fairy-tale glamour with street smarts to make a classic fantasy sparkle for today.  And our directors and choreographer will bring a blast of New Orleans Creole magic to this production!  Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score, The Wiz ingeniously mixes rock, gospel, soul, and jazz, and features hits like 'Ease on Down the Road,' 'A Brand New Day,' and 'Home.'