Alex Lonati - Page 2

This February, Actors Shakespeare Project is presenting a production of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, directed by longtime theatre practitioner Melia Bensussen. The production runs February 12 through March 9 at the Dane Estate at Pine Manor College.

A panto, I have learned, is a British tradition of a winter musical comedy for the whole family, incorporating a well known children's story, musical numbers, and vaudeville humor. This production, conceived and directed by Matthew Woods, told the story of Rumpelstiltskin, but focused more on the evil plots of the right hand man of the king (who looked a lot like Aladdin's Jafar), the prince's search for a squire and a bride, and something about a magic fox.

Based on the Alice Walker novel of the same name, The Color Purple spans over thirty years, following a young African-American woman named Celie and her struggles with gender roles, violence, accepting love, and exploring her relationship with God.

This story of a king's obsession with obtaining a male heir is not one of Shakespeare's commonly produced works, but the Actor Shakespeare Project's production was beautifully familiar and accessible.

Boston Theater Company, a newly established production company, just closed their season opener of Romeo and Juliet, which took a modern approach that incorporated political parties, drug abuse, and the harsh eye of the media.

Sometimes I wish I could still see things through the eyes of a child. I miss the days when a pillow fort could be a dark and endless cave, when a stuffed animal could be a very real, very talkative playmate, and when anyone in costume was automatically magical and mystical. A kid can believe anything, as long as it is told with excitement and authority. Last night, I attended the Wheelock Family Theatre's production of The Hobbit, and I once again wished I was a child.

On one fateful winter evening, a few weeks before Christmas in 1956, producer Sam Phillips managed to get all of his stars in one room. The recording session of Carl Perkins and Jerry Le Lewis soon turned into an impromptu jam session when Johnny Cash and breakout star Elvis Presley showed up too. This was to be the first and the last time all four men were in the same room together and goes down in history as one of the greatest spontaneous rock and roll collaborations of all time

Jeff loves Harry Potter and wants to provide an entertaining, yet accurate, recap of all seven of the novels. Dan, who is moderately aware that Harry Potter exists at best, just wants to have fun and play Quidditch. As the two bumble their way through the seven books, storytelling through puppetry, audience participation, and outrageous 1970s song, hijinks ensue and lots of trouble is made.

The Other Place by Sharr White, presented by the Underground Railroad Theater and the Nora Theatre Company at the Central Square Theater is about a middle-aged scientist faced with a crumbling marriage, an estranged daughter, and a mystery illness that she is trying to self-diagnose. The story is described by director Bridget Kathleen O'Leary as a logic puzzle.

The show is a new musical that follows two Scottish performers as they join together in music and try to make a name for themselves, all while exploring the destructive and alluring romance between them. The entire piece is told through story telling and constant rock music, as these two trace their meeting, the development of their relationship, and how stardom affects their personal lives.

Les Miserables is arguably the most popular musical in history and after the successful 2012 motion picture version, its fan base has only continued to expand. Les Mis is hardly a musical, but rather, a movement. Next to tackle this show of epic proportions is the Reagle Music Theatre in Waltham, MA.

The Valentine Trilogy consists of three parts: Sal Valentino and the Melancholy Kid set in the wild, wild West, Curse of the Crying Heart in medieval Japan, and Valentine Victorious! in 1930s Boston. The stories all revolve around an epic hero, a masked vigilante with a heart of gold, and the tales of love, revenge, and good versus evil that he encounters. While it is possible to see these works individually, they act as prequels and sequels to the rest and work best when seen in their entirety.

Following fifteen-year-old Hank, the show addresses the growth of rap and hip hop in the 1980s, particularly in a suburban environment where it had not yet been accepted. Hank and his friends, Julian and Luann, struggle with stage fright, competition, unsupportive parental figures, friendship, acceptance and identity throughout the piece, all of which is masterfully DJed by the Selector, a current day disk jockey who narrates and soundtracks the entire show.

I attended a show at Improv Boston, a company that provides a variety of comedy shows, including improv, sketches, and stand-up. Currently, they have a very special project in the works: B.U.M.P, or Boston's Unscripted Musical Project, a musical show completely composed on the spot.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's production of Two Gentlemen of Verona, revamped in the style of Rat Pack Las Vegas, is bright and showy with neon colors, flashing lights and sporadic musical numbers, and is playing free in the Boston Common.