Theater

MEASURE FOR MEASURE: What Would You Wouldn’t Do?

“Judge not, that ye be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). This is the core theme behind William Shakespeare’s darkest comedy, Measure for Measure, one of Shakespeare’s most exciting, underperformed and underappreciated plays, currently presented by Burbage Theatre Co. Although it’s often dismissed as a “problem play,” it contains some of the most compelling drama and bawdy […]

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The Music Man

Okee dokee folks… For nearly 70 years, the musical The Music Man has been entertaining audiences with its story and songs about a musical instrument sales conman. On May 16th, I was thoroughly entertained by the production of The Music Man at The Hanover Theatre in Worcester. The Music Man is a classic Broadway Musical […]

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KIMBERLY AKIMBO is Playing at PPAC Now Through May 10 and It May Just Be “Your New Favorite Musical” (Hollywood Reporter)

KIMBERLY AKIMBO is a musical with a lot of heart, a lot of wit, and a lot of rave reviews and awards. And now it’s playing at PPAC through this Sunday, May 10—Mother’s Day outing, anyone? KIMBERLY AKIMBO, which won a total of five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, is about a teenage girl named […]

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SHREK THE MUSICAL: That’ll Do, Donkey, That’ll Do!

Shrek the Musical is a hilarious and heartwarming adventure celebrating friendship, love, and the beauty of being uniquely yourself. Featuring a lively score by Jeanine Tesori, with book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, this spectacle full of heart, humor, and show-stopping musical numbers is presented by The Community Players, adeptly directed by Marianne Lonati, who […]

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THEATER PREVIEW: Kimberly Akimbo – Coming soon to PPAC, this touring production is the poster child for outsider-centric musicals 

So, how well will the musical Kimberly Akimbo play in Peoria?  And by “play,” I reference the vaudeville-era idiom questioning whether a product or political candidate will be accepted or popular with the general, mainstream public in an average American place like Peoria. And by “Peoria,” I mean Providence.   Not well, it would seem, considering […]

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PRIMARY TRUST: A Quiet Triumph Of Tenderness And Hope

Trinity Repertory Company’s production of Primary Trust, Eboni Booth’s 2023 Pulitzer Prize–winning play, is a comedy regarding the courage to begin again. The most widely run production today, this heartwarming story about one man’s leap of faith and the friends he makes along the way is an exquisite portrait of loneliness, connection, and revamping a […]

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PRIVATE LIVES: What Goes on Beneath The Surface

At The Arctic Playhouse, where the proximity of actors to audience is personal, Noël Coward’s cheeky wit and havoc seemingly places you right into the conspiracy. Private Lives has been called one of the most sophisticated, entertaining plays ever written. Divorced couple Elyot and Amanda, now honeymooning with their new spouses, have a chance meeting […]

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