Nancy Grossman - Page 25

Theatre on Fire creates the noir ambiance in the intimate confines of the Charlestown Working Theater, but lethargic pacing and lack of chemistry hamper fine individual acting efforts.

Stefanie Powers is a trouper who stepped into the role of Tallulah Bankhead, which was originated by Valerie Harper, when Harper's untimely diagnosis of brain cancer forced her to withdraw from the national tour of LOOPED. Although the circumstances are bittersweet, Powers' performance is informed by her working and personal relationship with the film legend. Playwright Matthew Lombardo goes to great lengths to show and tell as much detail about Bankhead as possible in the limited span of this one long afternoon in the waning months of her life.

David Mamet's 1984 Pulitzer Prize-winning play resonates nearly thirty years later in Merrimack Repertory Theatre's crisp, dark, funny, riveting production. In the capable hands of Director Charles Towers and an accomplished group of actors, GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS is a total entertainment package and a great way to conclude the 34th season in Lowell.

Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans do what they do best…and then some. The troupe's musical theater skills are evolving with every production. Grace Carney is a real boy as the title character. Don't bring your kids, but prepare yourself for a visit with your inner child.

CATHY RIGBY IS PETER PAN National Tour completes its journey in Boston where it all began for the star in 1989, with the final performance Sunday evening, April 28, at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre. Rigby gives a magical performance in an imaginative and inspiring production, supported by a cast of the highest order. Brent Barrett is a virile Captain Hook and the entire ensemble has boundless talent and energy. Life is filled with regrets - don't let missing out on this be one of yours.

In the case of Lucie Arnaz, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, as the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz is a consummate entertainer. Her acting and comedic skills come from her mother, but she owes her music and Latin heritage to her father. AN AFTERNOON WITH LUCIE ARNAZ pays tribute to the late Cuban band leader and features a majority of the songs from her 2010 cd "Latin Roots."

The Huntington Theatre Company world premiere of RYAN LANDRY'S 'M' is a design triumph, but the plot misfires. Karen MacDonald is an anxious menace skulking around the periphery, casting giant shadows, and Larry Coen milks every drop of humor from his multiple roles, but playwright Ryan Landry's story gets snagged between who he is and who he is trying to be.

Imaginary Beasts presents a selection of ten playlets written by Thornton Wilder before his 1938 Pulitzer Prize-winning OUR TOWN. An egalitarian ensemble of ten actors and actresses creates a circus-like environment with mime, acrobatics, and clown collars, augmented by atmospheric lighting and original music. The gestalt results in a delightful evening of theater.

A play about a wannabe movie star features a magical blending of live performance with cinematic images in the New England premiere of 2011 Off-Broadway hit BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK. Summer L. Williams makes her Lyric Stage directing debut with Kami Rushell Smith shining at the forefront of a strong ensemble cast, most of whom play dual roles. Film and Media Designer Johnathan Carr puts his stamp on the production.

The Nora Theatre Company and Catalyst Collaborative @ MIT present the world premiere of MIT Professor Alan Brody's dramatic treatment of actual events at the close of World War II. On the brink of the United States dropping the atom bomb on Japan, the Allies held ten German scientists captive to determine how far the Nazis had gone in developing their nuclear capability.

Moonbox Productions and Director Allison Olivia Choat have reverted to the familiar terrain of musical theater with this intimate, sung-through look into the heart and mind (er, brain) of Tony Award-winning composer William Finn (FALSETTOS, THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE) who grew up in Natick, Massachusetts. The cast of ten is bursting with new talent alongside three actors who have been in previous Moonbox shows, all of whom have incredible vocal chops.

Happy Medium Theatre's production of Bert V. Royal's DOG SEES GOD: CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE BLOCKHEAD makes good use of the intimate Factory Theatre with some strong individual performances and minimal design elements. If only the playwright had subscribed to the philosophy of less is more…

Bridge Repertory Theater of Boston shows promise with Director Shana Gozansky helming Pinter's THE LOVER. Joe Short and 5-time IRNE Award nominee McCaela Donovan give virtuosic performances in the cozy confines of Deane Hall at the Boston Center for the Arts.

Daniel Berger-Jones and Phil Tayler play more than a dozen characters between them in Marie Jones' 2001 Olivier Award-winner for Best New Comedy. They make it look easy, but their achievement is no small feat as they breathe life into the citizens of a rural Irish village in County Kerry who vie for roles as extras in an American film. The experience changes many of them, not all for the better.

Ryan Landry and the Gold Dust Orphans take on Joan Crawford (and Bette Davis) in the noir musical MILDRED FIERCE. Add this one to a long string of hilarious productions recognized by their clever irreverence, dazzling costumes, done-on-a-dime sets, and multi-talented ensembles. Varla Jean Merman is the icing on the cake.

A liberal, thinking couple must weigh their desire to have a baby against their view of themselves as good people who care about the planet's survival. Duncan Macmillan's LUNGS is in its Boston premiere at New Repertory Theatre's Black Box Theater, featuring Liz Hayes and Nael Nacer, under the direction of Bridget Kathleen O'Leary.

Boston Playwrights' Theatre final new play of the season is Dan Hunter's LEGALLY DEAD, a dark comedy about a dysfunctional family deciding how to deal with its missing Dad. The wacky, scary characters are immensely entertaining, but you wouldn't want them on your family tree.

For the fourth year in a row, Zeitgeist Stage Company produces an Alan Ayckbourn play. The East Coast premiere of LIFE OF RILEY features a cast of Zeitgeist regulars under the direction of David J. Miller.

Emmy Award-winner Vicki Lawrence of the renowned "Carol Burnett Show" and beloved "Mama's Family" brings VICKI LAWRENCE AND MAMA: A TWO-WOMAN SHOW to Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston on Sunday, February 17, for a one-show-only engagement. On January 30th, BroadwayWorld talked with one half of the duo by telephone. We think that Vicki is authorized to speak for Thelma Harper aka Mama.

Fresh Ink Theatre stages new play by Patrick Gabridge about the illegal translation of the Bible into English in the early part of the 16th century. Based on a true story, FIRE ON EARTH chronicles the struggle between the powerful Catholic Church and the Army of Reformers willing to challenge the status quo in order to bring the words of God to the common man in his own language.