Tag Archives: Theater

While Broadway has seen a number of shows about pop stars in recent years, I’m pleased to see The American Repertory Theater will bring a new play about Gloria Steinem to the stage called Gloria: A Life.

The show (initially proposed by Steinem’s good friend, Kathy Najimy) centers on Gloria and the women she has partnered with in a decades-long fight for equality with a dynamic ensemble of performers. I hope you’ll share this with your friends and encourage younger men and women who may not be familiar with the work Gloria Steinem has done to come to see this show.

Gloria: A Life
January 24 – March 1, 2020
Click here for more information and to buy tickets

Last week I wrote a post about Boston Lyric Stage latest production, The Cake, and after seeing the show, I wanted to encourage you to get tickets to see if for yourself, but if you need further reason, read The Boston Globe’s review, Humor and humanity are the icing on The Cake.

The Cake uses humor to address a subject that has been grabbing headlines for years. Despite the fact that we’ve all heard more than we probably care about individuals using religion as an excuse to deny service to LGBTQ community, to watch the drama unfold on stage is more compelling than you might think and thanks to the excellent script and solid cast quite funny to watch as well.

I found it very hard to dislike Della, a traditional Southern baker who has a crisis of conscience when her deceased best friend’s daughter, Jen asks her to make her dream wedding cake for her and her future wife. Della is not unlike many millions of Americans who fail to see the hypocrisy in their selective interpretations of The Bible which on one hand condemn homosexuality and in the next condemn people who eat shellfish, pork, etc…  But her love for Jen (or Jenny as she calls her) compels her to reexamine some of her long held beliefs.

Make plans with a friend or another couple and get tickets before it closes on February 9th. Like me, I’m sure that after you see the show, you’ll never look at a pile of mashed potatoes quite the same way again.

The Cake
January 10 – February 9, 2020
Click here for more information or to buy tickets

Matthew Broderick & Sarah Jessica Parker: Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite

Two-time Tony Award winner, Matthew Broderick, and two-time Emmy Award winner, Sarah Jessica Parker, perform next month in the pre-Broadway engagement at the Emerson Colonial Theater in Boston.

The famous couple have not performed together on stage in more than 20 years but the Neil Simon comedy, Plaza Suite, seems like a great show to bring them together and Boston is lucky enough to get a first glimpse at how their real life chemistry might translate on stage in this hilarious play about love and marriage. Little known fact that was shared in the release says that the Simon play made its world premiere at The Colonial more than fifty years ago in 1968.

Plaza Suite at the Emerson Colonial
February 5 – 22, 2020
More Information Here

Boston Lyric Stage is a great local theater company located on Clarendon Street on the Back Bay / South End line and later this week they will open with, The Cake, their first production of the calendar year.

Using humor, the play addresses religious-based discrimination and the crisis of conscience some have when it comes to participating or contributing to same sex marriages. The play opens with Della, a traditional Southern baker, who learns she will be cast on her favorite television baking competition just as she is reunited with her deceased best friend’s daughter, Jen.  The sparks fly when Della is forced to question her strongly-held beliefs after Jen asks her to make her dream wedding cake for her and her future wife. Della must re-examine her deeply held beliefs, as questions of morals, judgment and family swirl around them all in this heartfelt and deliciously funny play.

The production opens this week on Friday, January 10 and runs through Sunday, February 9. Sergio and I will be checking it out this weekend and I hope you will see it as well. With tickets starting at $25 and special discounts for seniors and students this is a great option and worth checking out.

The Cake
January 10 – February 9, 2020
Click here for more information or to buy tickets

September brings back more than students. Most of Boston’s local theater companies also return with new productions and this fall local theater companies have an impressive line up with some productions already underway.

It is great to see traveling Broadway shows and tours that come to Boston, but it is the local theater companies that are the lifeblood of Boston’s theater scene. These companies are so worthy of your patronage so consider attending one or more of these productions this fall. Tickets are affordable and an evening out makes for a great date or night out with friends.

THE AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER
SIX || August 21 – September 29, 2019
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. All this time, the six wives of Henry VIII have been reduced to a single rhyme—so they picked up a pen and a microphone. From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the wives take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a 75-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. More Info Here.

THE HUNTINGTON THEATRE (at the Calderwood Pavilion)
The Purists || August 30 – September 29, 2019
A thrilling world premiere by an exciting new voice, The Purists brings Tony Award winner Billy Porter (Kinky Boots, “Pose” on FX) to the Huntington to direct this soaring new play by Dan McCabe. More Info Here.

THE LYRIC STAGE CO.
Little Shop of Horrors || August 30 – October 6, 2019
This award-winning sci-fi pulp musical about Seymour who haplessly pines after his coworker Audrey. Watch what happens when opportunity falls into his lap in the form of a mysterious, carnivorous, conniving – not to mention singing – plant that promises to fulfill Seymour’s every wish. More Info Here.

CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER
The Crucible || September 12 –  October 13, 2019
1692. Salem, Massachusetts. Mass hysteria has consumed the town after Reverend Samuel Parris’ daughter and other girls have been discovered dancing naked in the woods with whispers of witchcraft running wild. Arthur Miller’s American classic asks the question “in a culture in which power resides in the hands of men – who do you believe?” More Info Here.

SPEAKEASY STAGE COMPANY
Choir Boy || September 13 – October 12, 2019
For fifty years, the elite Charles R. Drew Prep School has been dedicated to the education of strong, ethical black men; its legendary gospel choir an emblem of all it holds true. But for Pharus Young, the opportunity to take his rightful place as the leader of these talented vocalists comes at a price. Can he still earn his place in these hallowed halls and sing in his own key? More Info Here. 

NEWREP THEATRE
Nixon’s Nixon|| September 14 – October 6, 2019
The night before Richard Nixon announced his resignation from the Presidency, he summoned Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to meet with him in the White House. What happened behind those closed doors will never be known, but playwright Russell Lees takes us on a journey through his own interpretation. Reflecting on political events that are strikingly similar to those faced today, Nixon’s Nixon questions whether the American Presidency is truly an office for leadership, or simply an opportunity to hold power. More Info Here.

Donkey Show at the Oberon closes forever on September 7

Tony Award-winner Diane Paulus’ celebrated hit The Donkey Show, has been performed each Saturday night at the Oberon theater for more than a decade but that run will end in a little less than a month on Saturday, September 7th.

If you’re unfamiliar with The Donkey Show,  it is an immersive experience filled with disco music, mirror balls, feathered divas, roller skaters and hustle queens. Inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the audience plays the role of party-goers dancing to 70s disco hits at the storied Studio 54 while the cast of actors play out this classic story and after each show attendees are encouraged to continue dancing at the theater / club.

If you’ve never seen this award winning show, get your tickets before it closes forever on Saturday, September 7th.

Click here for more information and tickets

Head over to the Huntington Theatre to see Academy Award winner Faye Dunaway portray an aging Katharine Hepburn in the pre-Broadway premiere of the acclaimed play Tea at Five!

Ensconced in her Fenwick home, Dunaway depicts a now retired Hepburn reflecting on her turbulent childhood, unlikely rise to stardom and heart-breaking 27 year affair with Spencer Tracy. Don’t miss this legendary actress in an unforgettable performance in Boston.

The show, which opened last month is in its final weeks but a few seats remain. I’ll be checking out this show with the Hollywood icon portraying one of my all-time favorite actresses, Katharine Hepburn later tonight. Have you seen the show? Let me know your thoughts. If not, learn more about the show below.

Tea at Five (pre-Broadway premiere)
Playing now through July 14th
More information & tickets here

Open Theatre Project’s  GAY SHORTS is back for its third, featuring an evening of short plays by, for, and with LGTBQ artists from all walks of life.

This year’s  7 short plays explore the in’s and out’s of the LGTBQ experience brought to you by diverse & talented directors, actors, playwrights & crew. who share funny, relevant and irreverent short stories you won’t want to miss.

Open Theatre Project presents Gay Shorts
3rd Annual LGBTQ Play Festival (One Week Only)
May 30 – June 1 at Club Cafe
Purchase Your Tickets Here