‘Marie and Rosetta’: Musical legends come to life
STONEHAM – Since it opened in Cleveland in September 1995 on the shores of Lake Erie, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been playing a lot of catch-up. The Hall was… Continue reading
Category Archive: Reviews
‘SpongeBob Musical’ on stage is inspired silliness
BOSTON – “The SpongeBob Musical” is a lot of things. In its treatment of the popular Nickelodeon cartoon series “SpongeBob Squarepants,” it is inspired silliness. It is also a tribute to the imagination… Continue reading
As a spectacle, ‘The Lion King’ is still undefeated
BOSTON – Yes, there are masks, puppets, costumes, headgear and all manner of theatrical, Tony-winning devices in the musical “The Lion King.” But the magic comes from the actors who bring to life… Continue reading
With ‘Passengers,’ The 7 Fingers take the next step
BOSTON — Against the video backdrop of a train in motion, eight passengers are engaged in a variety of mundane activities. Eventually the riders reveal themselves to be more – much more –… Continue reading
At NSMT, Ripley puts her stamp on ‘Sunset,’ Norma
BEVERLY – When the opportunity came around, Tony Award-winning actress Alice Ripley was ready for her close-up. Ripley’s first appearance at North Shore Music was as Johanna in NSMT’s 1994 production of “Sweeney… Continue reading
For ‘Utopia,’ a welcome, and a rousing send-off
BOSTON – The art-pop musician David Byrne, formerly the lead singer of the Talking Heads, isn’t marching on Broadway the same way that Bruce Springsteen did. “American Utopia,” which completed its run at… Continue reading
Arlekin’s ‘The Stone’ is weighty, but powerful
NEEDHAM — If you have done much traveling in Europe, you know that the specter of World War II and Nazi Germany still hangs heavily over the continent, even more than seven decades… Continue reading
No graceful exit for president in ‘Nixon’s Nixon’
WATERTOWN – The most complicated president in the history of the United States — perhaps until now – built his presidential library in Whittier, Calif., where he grew up in a Quaker… Continue reading
Trinity’s ‘Prince’ is a sublime take on Buddy Cianci
PROVIDENCE – A few weeks ago I was driving home from a show in Rhode Island when I turned on radio station WPRO to hear the voice of the late Providence Mayor Vincent… Continue reading
‘Choir Boy’: Struggling to make boys into men
BOSTON – They sing like angels, but like all teen-age boys, sometimes the devil is in them, even when they are tenderly invoking The Lord’s name in a hymn. They are the young… Continue reading