Oct 15

It’s “Rent”: “RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour ‘Farewell Season of Love'”

RENT 20th Anniversary Tour, Credit Amy Boyle 2019.

Produced by Work Light Productions
Book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Directed by Evan Ensign 
Based on the original staging by Michael Greif
Choreography by Marlies Yearby  
Music Supervision and Additional Arrangements by Tim Weil 

Shubert Theater COVID-19 protocols

Boch Center Shubert Theatre
265 Tremont St 
Boston, MA 02116
Rent tour on Instagram

Review by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — RENT 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour “Farewell Season of Love” at the Shubert Theater is Rent.  You will love it or hate it based on your preferences for the dated rock musical.

My lovely wife and I had a fun time. We like the show. The people sitting immediately behind us had a better time. They said they’d seen it every time it came through New England. That’s a lot of Rent. 

Rent is now a period piece. It was first performed on Broadway in 1996; I was a sophomore in high school. Bill Clinton had taken office for his first term that January.  Continue reading

Mar 24

Rock Out with Your Snark Out: BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON

Photo care of Emerson Umbrella Facebook page.

Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson
Presented by The Umbrella Mainstage
Written by Alex Timbers
Music & Lyrics by Michael Friedman
Directed by James Tallach
Music Directed by Maria Duaime Robinson
Choreography by Lara Finn
Fight Choreography by Micah Greene

March 21 – April 5
The Umbrella Community Arts Center
Concord, MA
The Umbrella on Facebook

Review by Kitty Drexel

Disclosure: I have worked with both directors James Tallach, Maria Duaime Robinson, and a cast member or two. This review is tempered to reflect this.

(Concord) History favors old, White dudes. Heck, old, White dudes are favored now.  If Green Day had collaborated on an historical punk musical with Bill Clinton, Lindsay Lohan and George Michael, chances are they would have written Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson (let us all say a silent prayer for Clinton’s potential saxophone career). And it would be a huge hit. Fans of American Idiot the musical will appreciate the music of BBAJ. They will also appreciate the snarky treatment of a politician who purported to be the People’s President but, after all is said and done, was only in it for himself. History has repeated itself and punk happens to be the medium for this particular telling. Continue reading

Jul 08

“Nicky Park Memorial Park”: Lonely Girl Seeks Ghost Companion

Presented by The Circuit Theatre Company
A rock musical by Ned Riseley and Deepali Gupta
Directed by Abby Colella

July 5-7, 2013
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
Boston, MA
The Circuit Theatre Co Facebook Page

Review by Gillian Daniels

(Boston) Referred to only as “Girl” in the cast list, it feels as if Ellie Shepley’s character in Nicky Park Memorial Park is meant to embody some sort of universal narrative of being a young woman. Instead, Deepali Gupta’s play distills what it means to be thoughtful and introspective.  The result is a drama about figurative and literal ghosts of the past, a love letter to nostalgia that never quite crystallizes into a story. Continue reading