This is the 29th summer of Commonwealth Shakespeare's Company's FREE production of Shakespeare on Boston Common and it is, indeed, AS YOU LIKE IT. I like it too! Directed by CSC's Artistic Director Steven Maler, this is an exuberant, out of the box, big as all outdoors production of one of my favorite Shakespeare comedies. [...]
BACK TO THE FUTURE is a boundary-breaking technical tour de force! It lifts us out of our seats and into the space/time continuum along with Marty McFly and an excellent cast who take us back to the beloved film! Based on the charming, witty, sci-fi classic released almost 40 years ago to the day-- July [...]
I am just about to begin a glorious summer sojourn but wanted to FLAG YOU on some real gems on stage NOW-- see these before they close! TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) and yes-- the North American Premiere of this hit WEST END musical comedy is worth the trip. These two take [...]
WELL HELLO!! I must say, that this iconic, long-running, Tony-Award-winning musical HELLO DOLLY! has never been a fave of mine and I've seen a few incarnations of its heroine including the divinely daffy Carol Channing's signature stage turn and Barbra Streisand's miscast movie version. AIMEE DOHERTY brings her musical theater chops, deepened vocals, comic timing, [...]
Get a ticket fast-- these will not last. The Huntington has wrapped up its season by sending us off to Italy with its most elegant production yet— a stunning, full-throated, openhearted, operatic sweep of a musical, visually and vocally sumptuous! I was completely enveloped by THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA. L to R: Sarah-Anne [...]
It's THE BEST SHOW IN TOWN right now: JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING the Tony-nominated New England premiere now onstage. Presented by SpeakEasy Stage at the Calderwood, this comedy /drama by Jocelyn Bioh hits home at a hair salon on a hot Harlem summer day. Summer L.Williams directs an exceptional cast: Crystin Gilmore, MarHadoo Effeh, Kwezi [...]
There's SO much to see out there right now! Here are 4 excellent productions, and this week I talked about them on THE CULTURE SHOW (airing daily at 2pm on GBH 89.7) with host JARED BOWEN! To hear our conversation, click HERE and scroll to April 15, 2025. The segment begins at 34:20 seconds in! [...]
This is the closing-- or almost closing weekend for three shows now on stage in town so I thought I'd give you a quick last minute guide in case you are deciding to catch one of the below: IT'S A MOTHER F**KING PLEASURE to recommend this hip, hot satirical take down of identity politics and [...]
More than 140 nominations in over two dozen categories of outstanding actors, directors, designers, choreographers, musicians, and productions and 5 awards for visiting productions were announced today by the Boston Theater Critics Association (of which I am proud to be president!) for The 42nd Annual Elliot Norton Awards. The awards ceremony will be held on [...]
THE TRIUMPH OF LOVE is an old story with eternal clout. This rapturous production now onstage at THE HUNTINGTON is a rollicking exploration of love and reason, gender and power, politics and class. Yes, it was written in 1732 by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux and has a marvelous cast but it's the rip-roaring [...]
