Tag Archives: John MacInnis

May 08

Naïve innocence to Vindictive corruption: “Mean Girls”

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Pictured (L-R): Katie Yeomans (Cady Heron), Kristen Amanda Smith (Gretchen Wieners), Maya Petropoulos (Regina George), and MaryRose Brendel (Karen Smith). Photo by Jeremy Daniel, 2025

Presented by Emerson Colonial Theater
Book by Tina Fey
Music by Jeff Richmond
Lyrics by Nell Bejnamin
Directed by Casey Hushion
Choreographed by John MacInnis

April 29th – May 4th, 2025
Emerson Colonial Theater
106 Boylston St
Boston, MA 02116

2 hours 15 minutes with one intermission

Review by Helen Ganley

BOSTON — Cliques endure throughout life, beginning as early as elementary school and continuing into adulthood. You might find them at work, with the crew that always goes to Happy Hour (with no extended invite), among couples who only hang out with other couples, or with PTA Power Parents who plan events without outside input. The most common place to find them, however, is in high school. Emerson Colonial Theater’s production of Mean Girls explores the dangers of cliques while emphasizing the importance of authenticity and kindness throughout life. Continue reading →

Dec 04

High-Voltage Holiday Cheer: A Christmas Carol: A Musical Ghost Story

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David Coffee (Ebenezer Scrooge) and Gordon Baird (Jacob Marley). Photo by Paul Lyden.

A Christmas Carol:  A Musical Ghost Story. adaptation by Jon Kimbell, North Shore Music Theatre, 12/2/11-12/23/11, http://www.nsmt.org/.

Reviewed by Craig Idlebrook

(Beverly, MA)  

There are two types of Christmas displays you can create with those dangly lights from the hardware store.  You can hang a string or two on a bush or you can cover every inch of your home’s exterior with sequenced glitz that spells out the lyrics of “Jingle Bells” and blinks a tableau of Santa feeding a reindeer.  Either option can be beautiful or ugly, depending on how it’s done.

The same holds true with staging Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.  Continue reading →