Ellen Peterson

Video: First Look at Desi Oakley and Joseph Spieldenner in THE SOUND OF MUSIC at North Shore Music Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jul 14, 2023

Get sneak peek video of the highly-anticipated production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at North Shore Music Theatre. Join Desi Oakley and Joseph Spieldenner as they bring the beloved characters to life in this enchanting musical.

Desi Oakley and Joseph Spieldenner to Lead THE SOUND OF MUSIC at North Shore Music Theatre
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Jun 13, 2023

North Shore Music Theatre will be alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC once more as the treasured musical, featuring a timeless score by Rodgers & Hammerstein, takes the stage. See who is starring and learn how to purchase tickets!

North Shore Music Theatre Presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL
by Stephi Wild - Nov 3, 2022

The Holiday Season will light up once again when Bill Hanney's North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) presents the area's largest and most beloved production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL for its 31th Annual Production.

Theatre By The Sea's 89th Season Continues With FOOTLOOSE
by Stephi Wild - Jun 14, 2022

In celebration of 89 Years of Theatre By The Sea, owner and producer Bill Hanney is proud to present the exuberant high energy musical, Footloose, which will be presented from June 22 - July 16, 2022.

Photo Flash: Alice Ripley Stars In SUNSET BOULEVARD At North Shore Music Theatre - Meet The Cast!
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 3, 2019

Meet the cast of SUNSET BOULEVARD at North Shore Music Theatre, which stars Alice Ripley as the fading Hollywood star, Norma Desmond

BWW Review: SUNSET BOULEVARD: Alice Ripley Puts Her Stamp on Norma Desmond
by Nancy Grossman - Sep 30, 2019

In the annals of musical theater, Norma Desmond is one of those larger than life characters, like Mame Dennis, Dolly Levi, and Eva Peron, who cries out for an actor with a specific and rare combination of skills to play the role. Tony Award-winner Alice Ripley ascends to playing the faded silent-screen star in the North Shore Music Theatre production of SUNSET BOULEVARD, after originating the role of Betty Schaefer in the 1994 original Broadway cast which starred Glenn Close. In so doing, Ripley joins the pantheon of singular talents who have put their personal stamp on the musical iteration of Norma, stepping out of the shadow of the indelible mark Gloria Swanson made on celluloid in Billy Wilder's 1950 film.

Full Casting Announced For SUNSET BOULEVARD At North Shore Music Theatre, Starring Alice Ripley
by A.A. Cristi - Aug 20, 2019

North Shore Music Theatre has announced complete casting for the upcoming production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterwork, SUNSET BOULEVARD, which will star the previously announced Alice Ripley as the fading Hollywood star, Norma Desmond.

BWW Review: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES: The Best of Times at Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston
by Nancy Grossman - Aug 12, 2019

In the summer of 1983, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein put on a show that was light years ahead of the zeitgeist, vis-a-vis the awareness and acceptance of LGBTQ people in America, and about twenty years before the legalization of same-sex marriage. Yet, after a successful tryout at the Colonial Theatre in Boston, they boldly went where no Broadway musical had gone before when they opened LA CAGE AUX FOLLES at the Palace Theatre on August 21, 1983. Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston concludes its 51st Summer Season with LA CAGE, and I am pleased to report that the show continues to stand the test of time. The three most important components for a successful staging of this musical are the two actors who play the leading men, Georges (J.T. Turner) and Albin (James Darrah), and the dance troupe who comprise Les Cagelles, the drag performers at the Saint-Tropez title nightclub owned by the latter couple, and they collectively win the trifecta.

Theatre By The Sea's 86th Season Continues With SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
by Julie Musbach - Jun 12, 2019

In celebration of 86 Years of Theatre By The Sea, owner and producer Bill Hanney presents the joyous musical, Singin' in the Rain, which will be presented from June 19 - July 13, 2019.

BWW Review: CAROLINE, OR CHANGE at Moonbox Productions
by Nancy Grossman - Apr 24, 2019

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.

Moonbox Productions Presents CAROLINE, OR CHANGE
by Julie Musbach - Mar 5, 2019

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.

BWW Review: MAME at North Shore Music Theatre
by David Tompkins - Jun 7, 2018

The classic Musical 'Mame' opened the 2018 season last night at NSMT. The Musical by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, with Lyrics by Jerry Herman, and based on the book by Patrick Dennis, is a 1966 Musical Theatre warhorse that has starred such luminaries as, Rosalind Russell, Angela Landsbury, and even Lucille Ball, in the ill-fated 1970's movie.

Broadway Veteran Paige Davis Set To Star In MAME At North Shore Music Theatre
by Stephi Wild - May 3, 2018

Bill Hanney's award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) opens its 2018 musical season with the madcap musical comedy, MAME, starring Broadway veteran Paige Davis. Jerry Herman's classic musical tribute to unconventional family life opens Tuesday, June 5 and plays through Sunday, June 17.

Paige Davis to Lead MAME at North Shore Music Theatre
by Julie Musbach - May 2, 2018

Bill Hanney's award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) opens its 2018 musical season with the madcap musical comedy, MAME, starring Broadway veteran Paige Davis. Jerry Herman's classic musical tribute to unconventional family life opens Tuesday, June 5 and plays through Sunday, June 17.

BWW Review: Theatre By The Sea's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Full of Fairy-Tale Enchantment
by Veronica Bruscini - Jul 22, 2017

Undoubtedly BEAUTY AND THE BEAST will prove a sure-fire hit for Theatre By The Sea this summer, and audience members of any age are certain to fall under its spell.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Enchants Theatre By The Sea This Summer
by A.A. Cristi - Jul 6, 2017

The summer season continues at Bill Hanney's Theatre By The Sea (TBTS) with one of the most popular family musicals of all time, a brand new production of Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST playing for the first time at the historic barn theatre.  The beloved tale will enchant audiences of all ages starting Wednesday, July 19 and ending Saturday, August 12.

BWW Review: THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY: Love or Marriage?
by Nancy Grossman - May 13, 2017

SpeakEasy Stage Company's Boston premiere of Marsha Norman's (Book) and Jason Robert Brown's (Music and Lyrics) adaptation of Robert James Waller's novel is elevated by the luminescent Jennifer Ellis and hunky Christiaan Smith. The libretto wobbles, but the leads and ensemble warble Brown's soaring score beautifully. Bring tissues.

SpeakEasy Stage Presents Romantic Drama THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY
by Julie Musbach - Apr 21, 2017

From May 6 - June 3, 2017, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present the Boston Premiere of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, a lush, lyrical musical by Tony Award-winners Marsha Norman (book) and Jason Robert Brown (music & lyrics), based on the best-selling novel by Robert James Waller.

Photo Flash: First Look at North Shore Music Theatre's MARY POPPINS
by Tyler Peterson - Jul 13, 2016

Below, check out photos from North Shore Music Theatre's production of MARY POPPINS playing thru July 31.

BWW REVIEW: NSMT Presents Joyful SISTER ACT
by Jan Nargi - Nov 14, 2015

Even though Whoopi Goldberg was the lead producer of SISTER ACT on Broadway, the "Divine Musical" raising the roof at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, Mass. is not the SISTER ACT of Whoopi Goldberg's 1992 hit movie. Yes, the sassy attitude and jubilant spirit of the nightclub singer taking involuntary refuge in a cloistered convent are still intact, but the revised book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner and original score by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater make this jaunty screen-to-stage adaptation an all new joy to behold.