★★★★☆ There are two directors in Boston that I would wholeheartedly call fearless: One is Igor Golyak of Needham’s Arlekin Players, and the other is David R. Gammons, whose current mounting of Kate Hamill’s Vanity Fair runs at Central Square Theater through Feb 23. Gammons’ recent work includes Frankenstein at Central Square Theater, […]
THE WAY THEY WERE: BRIGHT HALF LIFE AT ACTORS’ SHAKESPEARE PROJECT
★★★☆☆ According to Julian Marsh, 42nd Street’s director extraordinaire, the most glorious words in the English language are “musical theater.” While I’m the last person to disagree with that, I’d like to offer up a few more for your consideration: “65 minutes, no intermission.” Not to suggest that the brevity of Bright […]
WHERE THERE IS CAKE, THERE IS HOPE: THE CAKE AT THE LYRIC STAGE
★★★★★ Inspired by the now infamous case of the Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple, Bekah Brunstetter uses that basic conflict as a jumping off point for The Cake, which runs at the Lyric Stage until Feb 9. While Brunstetter’s script doesn’t always ring true, Courtney […]
THE MASK: WINTER DRY-SKIN SAVIORS, FROM VOLCANIC ASH TO ANTIOXIDANTS
Winter is not kind to our skin. Between the cold, biting air outside, the dehydrating heat inside, and the weeks-long spiral into (and out of) holiday indulgences of way too much food and liquor, the interminable stretch of winter months requires some additional care. It’s okay to expect a lot from a mask, […]
LIFE TO THE EVERLASTING CAT: THE BOLD REVOLUTION—AND WELCOME RETURN—OF CATS
★★★★☆ Hi, my name is Chris, and I’m a Cats fan. Ever since Cats premiered almost 40 years ago, it’s been the musical that people have loved to hate. But for me, it was my gateway drug to the theater, and I have been bowing my head in reverent thanks for, well, […]
THE BEST PRODUCTIONS OF 2019
They had style, they had grace. Alice Ripley gave good face. As we come to the close of another theatrical year, it’s time to not only name the best productions of the year, but to reflect on the year’s theatrical offerings as a whole. Some years there are trends; some years there aren’t. […]
ALL THE MILLION HOURS: PARADE AT MOONBOX PRODUCTIONS
★★★★☆ Moonbox Productions continues its impressive run of presenting complicated, adult musicals with more polish, professionalism, and nuance than most other companies in the Boston area, even those with more cash and more clout. Parade tells the story of the arrest, conviction, and lynching of an innocent man, Leo Frank, for the […]
ALTERING THE COURSE: MOBY-DICK AT THE AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER
★★★★★ Moby-Dick is either a long, elaborate funeral for the American musical as we know it or the birth of a new kind of theatrical language. Which side you come down on will depend on your reaction to this world premiere musical, which runs at the American Repertory Theater through Jan 12. […]
GIFT GUIDE: ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOUTH
Buying skin care for other people is hard. Whether you’re looking for a few more ideas for yourself or that perfect slam-dunk for the hard-to-please in your life—and we’ve all got at least one—these beauty covetables will win every time, regardless of age, gender, or skin type.
ON STAGE NOW: MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, DOLLY PARTON’S SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL, CHRISTMAS ON URANUS, AND OLIVER!
AGATHA CHRISTIE’S MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS AT THE LYRIC STAGE ★★☆☆☆ Forget “whodunnit,” the bigger question is “who cares.” An ensemble cast of beloved local actors doing their best is what Murder on the Orient Express boils down to. Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of the classic Agatha Christie murder mystery […]
