Tag Archives: Kitty Drexel

Nov 20

Inside and Outside of Time: Hub’s “Tartuffe”

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Photo by Benjamin Rose Photography

Presented by Hub Theatre Company of Boston
By Moliere
Translated by Richard Wilbur 
Director – Bryn Boice
Sound Design – Mackenzie Adamick
​Set Design – Justin Lahue
Costume Design –  Marissa Wolf
Lighting Design/ME – Nars Kelliher
Props Designer – Julia Wonkka

Featuring: Steve Auger, Lily Ayotte, Jeremy Beazlie, Patrick Vincent Curran, Lauren Elias, June Kfoury, Brendan O’Neill, Brooks Reeves, Laura Rocklyn, Kayla Sessoms, Robert Thorpe

Nov. 9 – Nov. 24, 2024
Boston Center for the Arts
539 Tremont St
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

Two hours with one intermission
Appropriate for ages 13+

BOSTON — Hub Theatre Company’s Tartuffe is fun. It’s one of the better adaptations of Moliere’s play you’ll see in the next four years. No doubt, we will see quite a few performances of Tartuffe and other satires in the next four+ years. It’s better seeing satiric buffoonery on the stage now rather than the unfunny buffoonery we’ll see play out on the political stage coming this January.  Continue reading →

Oct 03

Yoga Delights and Destroys: “The Hombres” at Chelsea Theatre Works

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The Hombres cast. Photo by Jason Grow.

Presented by Teatro Chelsea and Gloucester Stage Company
by Tony Meneses
Directed by Armando Rivera 
Intimacy Direction by Olivia Dumaine
Fight Direction by Robert Walsh
Movement Direction by Nathaniel Justiniano
Dramaturgy by Yijia Yu

September 6 – 29, 2024
Gloucester Stage & Chelsea Theatre Works 
Featuring Arthur Gomez, Jaime José Hernandez, Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin, Luis Negrón, Patrick O’Konis

100 minutes + 15 minute intermission

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CHELSEA, Mass. — We sincerely apologize to the cast, crew, and staff of The Hombres for our publishing delay. Life had become personally and professionally unwieldy and there weren’t enough hours in the day for our many responsibilities. Nosotros nos disculpamos. 

The run of The Hombres ended on Sept. 29. If you missed it, it sucks to be you. This play rocked.

The Hombres is a play about a generous, kind yoga instructor, studio manager, and dancer Julián (Ricardo “Ricky” Holguin) turning around to find random straight men in his studio. Julián is cleaning and choreographing a new dance piece. He turns around: BAM! Strong and silent construction site manager Héctor (Arthur Gomez, who is finally getting the larger roles he deserves) is standing in the studio offering custodial services in exchange for yoga classes. Julián contemplates the risks he’s taking by allowing Héctor in the studio after hours. He turns around: BAM! Héctor’s coworker from the site Pedro (Luis Negrón) wants classes, too. Julián can’t face the back wall for fear he’ll discover another straight guy when he turns around.  Continue reading →

Sep 22

Morality Makes No Difference Legally: “Leopoldstadt”

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The cast of The Huntington’s production of Tom Stoppard’s “Leopoldstadt,” photo Liza Voll. Projection design by Yuki Izumihara.

Presented by The Huntington
Produced in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company
Written by Tom Stoppard
Directed by Carey Perloff
Fight Director and Intimacy Consultant: Jesse Hinson
Movement director: Daniel Pelzig
Dialect Coach: Lee Nishri-Howitt
Dramaturgy by Charles Haugland and Drew Lichtenberg
Digital Playbill

September 12 – October 13, 2024
The Huntington Theatre
264 Huntington Ave. 
Boston, MA 02115

Approximate run time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, plus one 15-minute  intermission.

Article by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — The Huntington presents Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt at 264 Huntington Avenue in Boston. Leopoldstadt is a two-act play that dissects the scarring consequences of Vienna’s existing early 20th-century anti-semitism and later genocide of its Jewish citizens during WWII on one extended family. It plays through October 13. 

Writing this response to Wednesday night’s performance has been difficult. Leopoldstadt is a powerful play. Its cast performs brilliantly. Director Perloff gives this epic play life and believability. I wept bitterly during Act 1 and Act 2.  Continue reading →

Sep 18

Every Moment of Life Is Decay… And Ecstacy: “Laughs In Spanish”

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From left: Luz Lopez, Daniel Rios Jr., Brogan Nelson, Rebekah Rae Robles, and Paola Ferrer. Photo by Nile Scott Studios.

Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company
Written by Alexis Scheer
Directed by Mariela Lopez-Ponce
Intimacy coordination by Paulina Martz
Dance consultant: Audrey Johnson

September 18 – October 12, 2024
Boston Center of the Arts
The Calderwood Pavilion: Roberts Studio Theatre 
527 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — Laughs In Spanish is a snapshot into the lives of art gallery manager Mari (Rebekah Rae Robles) and her intern/best friend Caro (Luz Lopez) on the day of a major exhibit for a male celebrity artist. The paintings have gone missing! So the gallery’s security guard (and Caro’s boyfriend) Juan (Daniel Rios Jr.) investigates. 

They are troubleshooting when Mari learns that her mother is in town. Estella (Paola Ferrer), a true Hollywood star, arrives and disrupts everyone’s day with her presence. Her trusty assistant Jenny (Brogan Nelson) is at her side. Estella promises to help. Mari is dubious. Caro and Juan are keeping secrets. Jenny is trying to salvage Estella’s day. Continue reading →

Sep 16

If Not Friend, Why Friend Shaped?: “The Hound of the Baskervilles”

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Presented by Central Square Theater
Based on the novel by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
By Steven Canny & John Nicholson
Directed by Lee Mikeska Gardner
Featuring: Aimee Doherty, Jenny S. Lee, Sarah Morin 

September 12 – October 6, 2024
Central Square Theater
450 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139

The running time is approximately 2 hours, 15 minutes including an intermission.

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Central Square Theater’s The Hound of the Baskervilles is intentionally silly and joyfully performed. In this time of immature politicians who make up stories for negative attention like spoiled brats, it is refreshing to laugh with actors creating great theatre and not at bad actors bastardizing the First Amendment. THOTB runs in Cambridge, MA through October 6.  Continue reading →

Sep 10

For the Punks, By the Punks: “The Arsonists”

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Left to right: Julia Trueblood. Stephanie Charlton, and Kim Carrell

Praxis Stage presents The Arsonists
Written by Max Frisch
Translated by Alistair Beaton
Directed by Bob Scanlan
Costume Design by Maureen Festa
Lighting Design by Kevin Fulton
Sound Design by Mackenzie Adamick
Dramaturgy by Michael Anderson 

The Band:
Guitar and Music Director: David Kurimsky
Vocals/Arrangements: Miss Mary Mac
Guitar: Malachi Connolly  
Percussion and Backing Vocals: Benedict Dawn-Cross
Saw: Leigh Calabrese

Sept. 5 – 15, 2024
Chelsea Theatre Works
189 Winnisimmet Street
Chelsea, MA 02150

Critique by Kitty Drexel

CHELSEA, Mass. — The Arsonists is about fascists. This production is decisively, unquestionably anti-fascist (and vehemently anti-MAGA). Gird your loins and buy your tickets accordingly. 

Praxis Stage presents Alistair Beaton’s translation of Max Frisch’s The Arsonists, a morality play with a hero who learns no moral. Beaton’s updates Frisch’s original work (previously The Fire Raisers, 1953) with 21st-century language and modern references. Praxis expounds upon Beaton’s work by adding references to the Trump presidency and America’s other political chicaneries. The keen updates appeal to the modern audience member. We can laugh at the absurdity of the play while mourning the state of our political stage.     Continue reading →

Aug 23

Near, Far Wherever You Are: Dinner Cruise Aboard the Odyssey

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The view on the deck.

Dinner Cruise aboard the Odyssey
Run by City Cruises Boston

Rowes Wharf behind the Boston Harbor Hotel
60 Rowes Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
Follow the walkway to the docks past Foster’s Pavilion 

Duration: 2 to 3 hours
Full-bar: available, cash
Onboard DJ entertainment
Dress code: semi-formal attire (casual clothing not allowed)
More Info HERE

Review by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — I and my hawt date were invited to attend a Boston City Cruise on the Odyssey. The invitation got me passage on the cruise, access to an open bar (excluding gratuity), food including appetizers, dinner, and desserts, and musical entertainment. On August 21, the Odyssey stayed at the dock in Rowes Wharf from 5 – 7 PM. It cruised Boston Harbor from 7 – 9:30 PM. 

Our City Cruise was pleasant. Experience has told me I get seasick so I popped a Benadryl to combat my seasickness at 4 PM, an hour before we boarded the boat. I took another Benadryl around 8 PM. I did not feel queasy while we were on the ship.  Continue reading →

Aug 03

Because They Can: “The Queen of Versailles”

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The Cast of The Queen of Versailles – Credit Matthew Murphy

Presented by the Emerson Colonial Theatre
Based on The Queen of Versailles documentary directed by award-winning filmmaker Lauren Greenfield
Book by Lindsey Ferrentino
Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Directed by Michael Arden
Choreographed by Lauren Yalango-Grant & Christopher Cree Grant
Music supervision by Mary-Mitchell Campbell
Orchestrations by John Clancy

July 16 – August 25, 2024
Emerson Colonial Theatre
106 Boylston Street
Boston, MA 02116

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — The audience was packed into the Emerson Colonial Theatre on Thursday night to see Kristin Chenoweth and F Murray Abraham in Ferrentino and Schwartz’s The Queen of Versailles musical. The musical officially opened on August 1 after much ado: Mayor Michelle Wu proclaimed July 24 as Kristin Chenoweth Day for Chenoweth’s “contributions to the betterment of the City of Boston.” It was also Chenoweth’s birthday. Happy belated birthday, Kristin Chenoweth!

FYI the links that should allow audience members to order drinks and food delivered to your seat don’t work. (We tried multiple QR codes in our row and the row in front of us). Despite the page on the website. Despite the foyer monitors’ messaging. You will have to choose either the bathroom line (wash your damn hands) or the concessions line. 20 minutes is not long enough to do both when the show is sold out. 

Audience members and some enterprising theatre staff were dressed in their finest pink and gold pieces. Attendee fashion ranged from blazers with designer sneakers to ballgowns. Satin tops to flowy dresses. All sorts braved the bawls-hot weather to flaunt their finest ‘fits. Thankfully, the Emerson Colonial had the AC cranked to accommodate the heat and the bold statements. 

Pink and gold are the signature colors of Jackie Seigel, proto-influencer and billionairess famous for the Lauren Greenfield 2012 documentary The Queen of Versailles and 2022 reality TV show Queen of Versailles Reigns Again. The musical is named after the 2012 documentary and tells the rags-to-riches-down-to-rags-back-to-riches stories (and villain origins) of Jackie and her husband David Seigel, the Timeshare King of Westgate Resorts.  Continue reading →

Jul 26

We Need No Grave to Bury Honesty: “The Winter’s Tale”

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The Cast of The Winter’s Tale. PC: Nile Scott Studios.

Presented by Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Bryn Boice
Original Music by Mackenzie Adamick
Choreography by Victoria Lynn Awkward
Fight/Intimacy Consultant: Jess Meyer
Scenic Design: James J. Fenton
Costume Designer: Rachel Padula-Shufelt
Lighting Designer: Maximo Grano De Oro
Sound Designer: David Remedios
Properties Designer: Lauren Corcuera

July 16 – August 4, 2024
The Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common
Boston, MA

Accessibility Info
All performances of The Winter’s Tale are open-captioned.

Fancy interactive digital Playbill

Content Advisory from the CSC website: jealousy, betrayal, a child and mother dying, child abandonment, false imprisonment, pick-pocketing–and being pursued by a bear (while exiting). A copy editor needs to check the website’s grammar. For example, periods go outside of parentheses when ending a sentence.  

The Winter’s Tale runs approximately two hours and twenty minutes plus a 15-minute intermission.

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — Some people love Shakespeare; I don’t prefer him; it’s not my thing. I appreciate Shakespeare: the poetry in his language and the traditions surrounding his works, but I don’t seek him out. Shakespeare on the Common is for an audience who loves an outdoor performance (no thanks), who wants to see Shakespeare’s works reconsidered (nope), and who loves the summer ritual of Shakespeare in the Park (alas, nay). 

Reader, I had an enjoyable time at Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s The Winter’s Tale on Boston Common. CSC and its cast and crew created a delightful experience. This may be one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays” that alienates audiences with its complications and, while this production has its problems, it is entertaining and will please more people than it disappoints. Continue reading →

Jul 22

Pole Dancing Ants and Serenading Pill Bugs: Cirque du Soleil’s “OVO”

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Photo by Vlad Lorenzo. OVO by Cirque du Soleil.

Presented by Cirque du Soleil 
Written, Directed, and Choreographed by Deborah Colker
Director of Creation: Chantal Tremblay
Costumes by Liz Vandal
Composed and music directed by Berna Ceppas
Makeup design by Julie Bégin
Acrobatic performance design by Philippe Aubertin
Rigging and acrobatic equipment designed by Fred Gérard
Set and props designed by Gringo Cardi
Sound design by Jonathan Deans
Lighting designed by Éric Champoux

Jul 19-28, 2024
The Agganis Arena
925 Commonwealth Ave
Boston, MA 02215

Critique by Kitty Drexel

BOSTON — OVO currently playing at the BU’s Agganis Arena is about anthropomorphized bugs falling in love, playing, and working. It features Cirque du Soleil’s famous feats of human athletic and artistic ingenuity. This production runs approximately two hours. A time that is slightly shorter than the touring productions previously housed at Suffolk Downs.

Ovo means “egg” in Portuguese (and many other languages) from the Latin “ovum.” Cirque du Soleil’s references to Portuguese culture end there. Many things hatch from eggs: birds, lizards, amphibians, rare marsupials. OVO is about insects. Temper your purchasing accordingly.  Continue reading →