Author Archives: beccackidwell

Jan 24

Life is a cabaret, old chum

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You and I, The Cabaret Series, Central Square Theatre, 2/13/12,

http://www.facebook.com/events/165355680235635/.

Interview by Becca Kidwell

(Cambridge, MA) On December 12, 2011, while many people were decking the halls and looking for luminescent reindeer, a group of people gathered for a warm evening of song with friends and family.  Much laughter and a few tears were shared as the five singers, the pianist, cellist, and drummer poured their hearts into an entertaining set of songs.  The December audience will have a new evening of heart-filled melodies on February 13th.  For those who did not make the December show, they will get to see what everyone was talking about as The Cabaret Series takes on love in all of its forms.

De’Lon Grant answered some questions about the inception of The Cabaret Series and the group’s approach to the shows: Continue reading →

Jan 20

Announcement: You and I: The Cabaret Series–The Journey Continues

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l-r, starting at top: Jennifer Ellis, Tim Maurice, Kami Rushell Smith; bottom: Brian Richard Robinson, Cheo Bourne, De'Lon Grant

If you missed their last show JOURNEY HOME, you don’t want to miss:

February 13, 2012 at 7:30PM, Central Square Theatre

https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/9541965

YOU AND I
One way or another, every song is a love song. Either it’s exultation and happiness or heartbreak and devastation. Are we miserable because we’ve listened to all these heartbreakingly romantic love songs or have we merely idealized love and let emotion take us away? Share the joy and laugh at the pain with us as we examine the love song and the Valentine’s Day experience.

Regular orchestra seats only $15.00 before February 1st – Get Them Now
OR

Order a table for 2 and make it a true Valentine’s Day Experience:

Enter the code TABLE and secure an exclusive and limited table, flowers and a sweet treat for you and your sweet.

 

Jan 19

ART: A Matter of Perspective

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l. to r. Robert Pemberton as Marc and Robert Walsh as Serge in 'ART'. Photo by Andrew Brilliant/ Brilliant Pictures.

Art by Yasmina Reza, New Repertory Theatre, Arsenal Center for the Arts, 1/15/12-2/5/12, http://newrep.org/art.php.

Reviewed by Becca Kidwell

(Watertown, MA) Art is…well, about art–the styles, philosophies, the impact on the individual.  When a person creates a work of art, using quality tools always helps in creating a quality piece (although that’s not to say that there aren’t some interesting works of art made from found objects).  Antonio Ocampo-Guzman starts with some of the finest:  a brilliant script and a trio of Boston talent.  Without any deeper analysis, those are two reasons to see the show.  The problem with art, as the play postulates, is that art is subjective and will not necessarily be seen the same through the same lens by each person. Continue reading →

Jan 14

GOD OF CARNAGE: All Hail The Glorious Executioners!

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Johanna Day, Brooks Ashmanskas, Stephen Bogardus, and Christy Pusz in Yasmina Reza’s GOD OF CARNAGE. January 5 – February 6 at the BU Theatre. huntingtontheatre.org. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza, Huntington Theatre Company, 1/6/12-2/5/12, http://www.huntingtontheatre.org/season/production.aspx?id=10226&src=t.

Reviewed by Becca Kidwell

(Boston, MA) Yasmina Reza grabs the audience by the jugular and does not let go for an hour and a half.   The evening at the Novak’s house in God of Carnage could easily have a voice-over that says “when people stop being polite… and start getting real.”  However, unlike The Real World, Yasmina Reza brings a much more believable situation to its drama than any tv reality show.  By taking a situation that anyone can relate to and heightening it to the absurd degree, God of Carnage holds a mirror up to our inner demons and leaves us laughing through the pain.  Under the direction of Daniel Goldstein, with a talented cast, and a cleverly constructed set, Huntington Theatre Company’s production of God of Carnage is a “must-see” show of the season.

Continue reading →

Jan 13

Hovey Players Present CLOSER

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From press release:

(January 13, 2012) — Hovey Players present CLOSER by Patrick Marber, directed by Kristin Hughes, and produced by Nicole Sparks.  The Cast includes Sara Jane Burns as Alice, Robin Gabrielli as Dan, Bill Stambaugh as Larry, and Melissa Sine as Anna.

CLOSER focuses on the complex relationships and sexual politics, and morality of four people trading partners in search of love, intimacy, and being closer. By turns funny, scabrous, and tragic, this winner of the 1998 Olivier Award for Best Play and the 1999 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Play offers a brutal and honest look at the pitfalls of modern romance.

Performances are January 13, 14, 20, 21, 26, 27 & 28, at 8pm, and January 22 at 2pm.

Tickets are $18 General Admission and $15 Seniors and Students.

Performances will be at the Abbott Memorial Theater, 9 Spring Street, Joel’s Way, Waltham, MA, next to the Waltham Public Library.  Reservations can be made by calling (781) 893-9171 or you may email reservations@hoveyplayers.com.

Jan 04

Uncle Vanya’s House Party

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John Kuntz as Uncle Vanya, Marissa Rae Roberts at Elena, Photos: Danielle Fauteux Jacques.

Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekov, Apollinaire Theatre Company, Chelsea Theatre Works, 12/29/11-1/22/12, http://www.apollinairetheatre.com/index.html.  Live gun fire in close proximity (blank gun)

Reviewed by Becca Kidwell

(Chelsea, MA) It’s like being at your family’s holiday party, except for the relief that it’s not your family.  Words fly and passions rise as the audience travels from room to room glancing at the private moments of Vanya’s family.  Youth and beauty contrast with the harsh realities of country living as love and hope are thrown about bouncing from wall to wall.   Continue reading →

Dec 11

Priscilla Dreams The Answer–And The Answer Is 42

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The ensemble of Priscilla Dreams the Answer. Left to Right: Bob Mussett (Harry), Dakota Shepard (Zop), Caroline L. Price (Priscilla), Michael Caminiti (Simon), Emily Kaye Lazzaro (Zip). Photo Credit: Sarah E. Farbo

Priscilla Dreams The Answer by Walt McGough, Fresh Ink Theatre Company, The Factory Theatre, 12/8/11-12/17/11,  http://www.freshinktheatre.com/on-stage.html.

Reviewed by Becca Kidwell

(Boston, MA) Douglas Adams would be proud of Walt McGough.  While Priscilla does not have to deal with a world that is already destroyed, she does have to find the answer to save both the Earth and another planet that has a close relationship with the Earth.  This clever and witty play takes the audience on a journey through space and time but never loses sight of the core humanity, which is the test of well-crafted science fiction. Continue reading →

Dec 08

Hope Held ‘HIGH’

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Sister Jamison Connolly (Kathleen Turner) and Cody Randall (Evan Jonigkeit) in HIGH, Photo credit: Lanny Nagler

High by Matthew Lombardo, Broadway National Tour, Cutler Majestic Theatre,

12/7/11-12/11/11,  http://www.highonbroadway.com/about.html.  Male nudity, mature language and themes

Reviewed by Becca Kidwell

(Boston, MA)  

“When we were children, we used to think that when we were grown-up we would no longer be vulnerable. But to grow up is to accept vulnerability… To be alive is to be vulnerable.”  Madeleine L’Engle

How do we find strength and salvation in the middle of pain and suffering?   Everyone tries to hide from pain and many people try to protect others from the experience, but the inevitability of life is that human beings get hurt.  We try to breathe and “be strong”–to not let anyone see that we are falling apart.  What if we all admitted that we are not perfect–that there isn’t even one person out there that could be categorized by society’s standards as “normal”?  High offers no escape from that darkness that lies inside of all of us and calls us to either face our flaws or recede further into our own shame. Continue reading →

Dec 06

Announcement: The Cabaret Series: Journey Home

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Central Square Theater presents

The Cabaret Series

Three Performances by The Circle Project

Tickets:  https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pe/9406285

More information:  http://www.facebook.com/events/320303664662501/

CAMBRIDGE, MA – Central Square Theater presents The Cabaret Series by The Circle Project. The three scheduled performances are:

Journey Home – December12, 2011  at 7:30pm

Just in time for the holidays, six young, talented friends and artists join each other to riff on the universal theme of “returning home” through reflections on their own growth and personal stories intermixed with contemporary songs by Beyonce, John Legend, and Adele and musical theater pieces by Scot Alan. Come home to Central Square Theater and be introduced to the members of The Circle Project.

You & I – February 13, 2012 at 7:30pm

One way or another, every song is a love song. Either it’s exultation and happiness or heartbreak and devastation. Are we miserable because we’ve listened to all these heartbreakingly romantic love songs or we heartbroken because we have idealized love from letting our emotions take us away? Share the joy and laugh away at the pain with songs by Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, as well as American Classics like “Stormy Weather”, “Stranger in Paradise” and “It Had to Be You”.

Get Ready – May 21, 2012 at 7:30pm

Spring. The time of renewal and reenergizing takes full bloom as the change in the season invokes a mood, calling us to act upon winter hibernation and realize our dreams in the spring. Join The Circle Project for songs by Meredith Brooks and Sam Cooke and musical theater pieces by Leonard Bernstein, Michael John Lachuisa, and William Finn. Continue reading →

Nov 28

The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged) Review–SERIOUSLY!

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Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor & Matt Rippy (L-R) Photo by Meghan Moore

The Ultimate Christmas Show by Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor, Reduced Shakespeare Company, Merrimack Repertory Theatre, 11/25/11-12/18/11,  http://www.merrimackrep.org/season/show.aspx?sid=110.  Contains scatological humor and some Reed Martin and Austin Tichenor flesh.   

Reviewed by Becca Kidwell

(Lowell, MA)  They’re baaack!  Every so often, a rustle of popular culture floats through the air, gets put into the Reduced Shakespeare grinder and out comes some side-splitting fun.  At their east coast premiere of The Ultimate Christmas Show (abridged), the Reduced Shakespeare Company exceeds expectations.  Blending holiday traditions from ancient times to modern, religious to secular, The Ultimate Christmas Show presents a jolly evening for anyone who can appreciate a little irreverence with sincere heart. Continue reading →