THROUGH MAY 4 : MEAN GIRLS

Not everything is pretty in pink especially when it is worn by a group of very mean girls. The Emerson Colonial Theatre, 106 Boylston Street in Boston an ATG Entertainment venue, located at Boylston St. in Boston, is pleased to announce the North American Tour of “Mean Girls”. It is the record-breaking new musical comedy that was adapted from the hit Paramount Pictures film by the same name. Mean Girls features a book by nine-time Emmy Award winner Tina Fey (30 Rock) with Music by three-time Emmy Award winner Jeff Richmond and lyrics by two-time Tony Award nominee Nell Benjamin. The original direction and choreography is by two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw. Following its world premiere at the National Theatre in Washington, DC, in the fall of 2017, Mean Girls opened on Broadway in April 2018 to rave reviews.

The story surrounds 16 year old, home schooled,  Cady Heron, who grew up on the wilds of an African savanna. After living 12 years in the wild,  nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home in suburban Illinois. Painfully shy, she be friends two outcasts, Damian and Janis apprise her of the cliquing order in the school as well as warn her about the “Plastics”, a trio of pretty, wealthy and completely mean girls. The queen bee of the group is the ruthless Regina George. Number 2 is Gretchen Wieners who is the insecure gossipy one.  And finally is Karen Smith, a bit naïve and simple minded but actually very sweet. How will this newbie transplant from the unsophisticated wilds survive, never mind rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? Initially the Plastics decide they like Cady and invite her into their group where  she starts to morph into becoming like them. Janis is heartbroken that Cady has seemingly gone over to the enemies, so she hatches a plan to destroy the Plastics. But things quickly turn when Regina sees her old boyfriend is interested in Cady,. So Regina kisses him in front of Cady and then kicks Cady to the curb.

Thus Cady is back on Janis and Damian’s team with the plan to end Regina’s reign. But Cady learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. The war begins! Will the ruthless Regina gain her crown back? Will Cady flee back to the planes of Africa? Finding out is so much fun in this musical surrounding the tough teenage world and all their unique rituals to get them through high school in one piece.  .Reprising their roles from the full 2023 – 2024 season are Natalie Shaw as Cady Heron, Maya Petropoulos as Regina George, Kristen Amanda Smith as Gretchen Wieners, Mary Rose Brendel as Karen Smith, Alexys Morera as Janis Sarkisian, Shawn Mathews as Kevin G., and Kristen Seggio as Mrs. Heron/Ms. Norbury/Mrs. George. José Raúl and Tym Brown will continue with the tour as Aaron Samuels and Mr. Duvall respectively. Joining them is Joshua Morrisey as Damian Hubbard. The cast also includes Carly Ameling, Megan Arseneau, Thalia Atallah, Connor Buonaccorsi, Paloma D’Auria, Kayla Goins, Chase Graham, Tyler Jung, Tay Marquise, Oshie Mellon, Brandon Moreno, Kevin Ivey Morrison, Emma X. O’Loughlin, Jamal Stone, Jocelyn Darci Trimmer, and Ryan Vogt. New York Magazine called Mean Girls “HILARIOUS! A smart, splashy new musical that delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” Chicago Tribune said “Tina Fey writes FUNNIER, SMARTER, SHARPER satire than anyone else in the business.” People Magazine calls the show “FRESH, FUN AND INFECTIOUS – Jeff Richmond and Nell Benjamin’s songs keep the laughs coming!” The New York Daily News said Mean Girls “TICKLES THE EARS, EYES AND FUNNY BONE – the direction by Casey Nicholaw packs style, invention and red bull-force energy.” And, Entertainment Weekly calls it “A MARVEL: DAZZLING & HILARIOUS!” Mean Girls is on an Original Broadway Cast Recording produced by Atlantic Records. Tickets for this outstandingly fun entertainment rides may be obtained at www.emersoncolonialtheatre.com.

MAY 4: BOSTON THEATER MARATHON 

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre (BPT), located at 949 Commonwealth Avenue, in Boston brings the Boston Theater Marathon XXVII, featuring 50 ten-minute plays written by 50 New England playwrights and presented by 50 New England theatre companies. Inspired by the iconic Boston Marathon, the Boston Theater Marathon (BTM) states BPT Artistic Director Megan Sandberg-Zakian that he event is a “theatre endurance event” that provides a unique showcase and connecting point for New England artists and audiences, and is an impressive demonstration of the depth and breadth of what is possible in a ten-minute script.  generously supported by the Boston University Center for the Humanities and Mass Cultural Council, this years event includes, “….a whodunit featuring Rock, Paper, and Scissors, to a meta-Elizabethan queer love story in verse, I absolutely love all 50 plays in this year’s Marathon and can’t wait to see them onstage,”. “And while the BTM is always such a meaningful time of community connection, this year I’m looking forward to that aspect more than ever—because after a long pandemic hiatus, we are bringing back the PARTY portion of the BTM…but with a twist!” Thus,  a “Block Party”—a reception right in the middle of the BTM at 5 p.m. “Marathoners” can enjoy tasty beverages and snacks to refuel for the final two legs of the journey; BTM XXVII resumes at 6 p.m. Full event details and tickets are available on www.BostonPlaywrights.org

THROUGH MAY 4: CROWNS

The multi-award-winning Moonbox Productions continues its season at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St in Cambridge with this winner of the Helen Hayes Awards for Best Production and Best Musical. Directed by Regine Vital, crowns is a moving and celebratory musical play in which hats become a springboard for an exploration of history and identity as seen through the eyes of a young African American woman.

When Yolanda’s brother is killed, she has to leave her vibrant, beloved Brooklyn and move in with her older relatives in the stale and stuffy South. Black women here are nothing like the ones back home, and that starts from the top down. She watches her aunties move through their lives under a series of ever-more-elaborate hats. But beneath those hats are real women who have real stories that Yolanda truly needs to hear. As her Southern sisters trace their hats’ rich history from Gullah to Gospel and  from  Sunday School to Saturday nights, Yolanda must come to terms with her own multifaceted identity which may be as complex, colorful, and vibrant as the hats that surround her. The cast of Crowns includes Mildred Walker (Mother Shaw/Obatala), Cortlandt Barrett (Mabel/Shango), Lovely Hoffman (Velma/Oya), Cheryl Singleton (Wanda/Oshun), Janelle Grace (Jeanette/Yemaya), Mirrorajah Metcalfe (Yolanda/Ogun), Kaedon Gray (Man/Elegba), Elijah Brown (Swing), and Aliyah Harris (Swing). “We are thrilled to be bringing this gorgeous gospel musical to Arrow Street Arts,” said Producer Sharman Altshuler. “I can’t think of a better way to herald in the spring than a beautiful, inspiring story, phenomenal music, and, of course, HATS,” said Altshuler!  The creative and design team includes Regine Vital (Director), Davron Monroe (Associate Director), David Coleman (Music Director), Kurt Douglas (Choreographer), Caitlin McFann (Stage Manager), Al Shea DiBiase (Assistant Stage Manager), Andrea Sala (Production Manager), Isaak Olson (Lighting Designer), Malcolm Foster (Assistant Lighting Designer), Baron Pugh (Scenic Designer), Payton Tavares (Assistant Scenic Designer), James Cannon (Sound Designer), Angela He (A2), E Rosser (Costume Designer), Ailey Rivkin (Assistant Costume Designer), Schanaya Barrows (Wig Designer), Athena Parkman (Wardrobe Supervisor), Danielle Ibrahim (Properties Designer), Andrew Reynolds (Assistant Properties Designer), Jeffery Peterson (Technical Director), and Baz Kouba (Production Electrician).

Moonbox traditionally supports local non-profits by partnering with a different non-profit organization for each show. This gives this non profit greater visibility and helps them to increase the impact of their work by aiding in a broader reach. For this production, the organization is Rosie’s Place. Founded in 1974, it was the first women-only shelter in the United States. What began as a safe place for poor and homeless women to get a bed and a meal in Boston has now grown into a community center providing wide-ranging support and education services to 12,000 women a year. Tickets may be obtained at www.moonboxproduction.org

MAY 6::“ATTACK ON TITAN” – BEYOND THE WALLS WORLD TOUR

The Boch Center Wang Theatre, 270 Tremont St. in Boston brings this colossal celebration of music and dynamically colorful anime to its first stop on its world tour. Fans of the globally renowned anime phenomenon “Attack on Titan” are in for a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Prepare for an unforgettable journey into the world of titans and gripping battles as the “Attack on Titan” concert brings the epic saga to life through music, visuals, and raw emotion. Set to take place at some of the world’s most prestigious venues (Dolby Theater, Carnegie Hall, OVO Arena Wembley, Sydney Opera House, etc.), this concert promises to be an awe-inspiring fusion of rock and orchestral music, captivating vocal performances, and breathtaking visuals, creating a fully immersive experience to transport attendees straight into the heart of the “Attack on Titan” universe. Featuring the internationally acclaimed soundtrack composed by Hiroyuki SAWANO (Seasons 1, 2, 3 and KOHTA YAMAMOTO (The Final Season), the concert will showcase the iconic tracks that have come to define the series, including “at’aek ON taitn,” “counter・attack-mankind,” “Apple Seed,” and “Footsteps of Doom.” As in Japan, and true to the original soundtrack, the music will be performed by powerful world-class rock musicians joined by a symphonic orchestra. Hiroyuki SAWANO and KOHTA YAMAMOTO have prepared fan-favorite pieces, which will be accompanied by synchronized scenes from the anime series, bringing its emotional weight and intensity to the concert hall. The soundtrack of “Attack on Titan” has always been one of the series’ greatest strengths, and hearing it performed live is an experience unlike no other. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this monumental event. Whether you’re a long-time fan of “Attack on Titan” or simply a lover of powerful music, the Beyond the Wall World Tour will leave you breathless! Tickets may be obtained at https://www.ticketmaster.com/

MAY 6 – 18: KIMBERLY AKIMBO

Lexus 2024-2025 Broadway In Boston brings to the stage of the Emerson Colonial Theatre at 106 Boylston St. in Boston this new musical about growing up and growing old (unfortunately not in the best order). The show opened on Broadway November 10, 2022 to unanimous rave reviews and ultimately captured 5 Tony Awards including for BEST MUSICAL. In addition, the musical impressively obtained the New York Drama Critics Circle Award, The Drama Desk Award, The Lucille Lortel Award, and The Outer Critics Circle Award.. It features a book (Tony winner for BEST BOOK) by David Lindsay-Abaire (Shrek), that was based on his original stage play that was created in 2000.The fabulous score, which won BEST SCORE, is by Jeanine Tesori (Fun Home) with lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. With her win for KIMBERLY AKIMBO, Jeanine Tesori obtained the distinction of being the first female composer to win two Tony Awards for Best Score. The choreography is the creation of Danny Mefford (Dear Evan Hansen)

.Carolee Carmello as Kimberly Levaco: photo by Joan MarcusDirected by the Tony-nominated Jessica Stone, the story surrounds Kimberly Levaco, played by Carolee Carmello. If the musical’s title leaves you confused, Kimberly Akimbo is actually an anagram of her name, Kimberly Levaco, which cleverly becomes Akimbo. It is a special hobby of Kimberly’s friend Seth and occurs throughout the show.

Kimberly and Seth seek adventure: photo by Joan Marcus She is about to turn 16 but looks and most likely would feel like she is 60 years old  while she is still a teen in thoughts and actions. She has a form of progeria, which means, for every year she lives, she  physically ages forward around four years, thus the truth that the clock is ticking faster and time is running out for Kimberly. She has recently moved to a new town in suburban New Jersey so is struggling with a new school and environment. Her dad, Buddy Levaco,  played by Jim Hogan, is full of promises but, more often as not, is full of  alcohol as well. Kimberly’s mom,  Pattie Levaco is, played by Laura Woyasz. She is very pregnant, a complete  hypochondriac, yet manages to be overprotective and often smothering of her rapidly aging daughter . Also arriving into Kimberly’s already complex life is her unethical, ex-con, Aunt named Debra, played by Emily Koch. She drags into Kimberly’s home a machine, along with a scheme to wash checks and make some major money. Thus, Kimberly may also possibly face charges for felonious activity.

Kimberly and family (L – R)  Laura Woyasz, Emily Koch, Carolee Carmello and Jim Hogan: photo by Joan Marcus.  Yet, ever the optimist, she is determined to rise above it all, find happiness against all those odds and grab adventures in the moments. The show opens at an ice skating rink…and yes, they are actually skating on stage. It is there that Kimberly meets her ultimate best friend and confident, Seth Weesit played by Miguel Gil. He and Kimberly are joined by Martin Doaty (Darron Hayes ), Aaron Puckett (Pierce Wheeler), Teresa Benton (Skye Alyssa Friedman), and Delia McDaniels (Grace Capeless). Together, they comprise a cluster of teens, who, like Kimberly, feel they don’t fit in.The production  features scenic design by David Zinn, costume design by Sarah Laux, lighting design by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, sound design by Kai Harada, projection design by Lucy MacKinnon, and wig, hair, and make-up design by J. Jared Janas. The production’s Music Supervisor is Chris Fenwick and the Music Director is Leigh Delano. KIMBERLY AKIMBO features orchestrations by Tony Award nominee John Clancy, with additional orchestrations by Macy Schmidt. This North American Tour is produced by David Stone, The Atlantic Theater Company, James L. Nederlander, LaChanze, John Gore, Patrick Catullo, and Aaron Glick.  Tickets for this incredibly unique, poignant and often quite fun tale may be obtained at www.BroadwayInBoston.com.

MAY 8 – JUNE 15: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA

The Award-winning Huntington Theatre located at 264 Huntington Ave, in Boston brings to its stage this winner of 6 Tony Awards including the one for Best Original Score by Adam Guettel. The Chicago Tribune stated, “The most soul-satisfying score written for Broadway so far this century.” The Play Book is by Craig Lucas who based the story on the exquisitely poignant novel by Elizabeth Spencer. Directed by the Huntington Norma Jean Calderwood Artistic Director, Loretta Greco, (Prayer for the French Republic).Set in Florence, Italy, in the 1950s, the story surrounds a wealthy American woman, Margaret Johnson, played by Emily Skinner (Broadway:Suffs [Drama Desk nomination], Side Show [Tony nomination, Drama League Award], The Cher Show, Prince Of Broadway [Outer Critics Circle Nomination], Jekyll & Hyde, The Full Monty, James Joyce’s The Dead, Dinner at Eight [Outer Critics Circle Nomination], Billy Elliot [Broadway World Award], New York, New York, A Christmas Carol”. She has come on a holiday in Italy .with her beautiful daughter, Clara, played by  Sarah-Anne Martinez (Regional: POTUS (Arena Stage – Helen Hayes Nomination); Leaving Eden (NYMF –Outstanding Performer in a Leading Role Award); Peter and The Starcatcher, The Addams Family, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Festival 56); Hello Dolly! (Tulane Summer Lyric). Sadly, Clara is permanently developmentally challenged after being kicked in the head by a pony when she was a child. Although she is 26, she literally is a child within the body of a stunning young woman. During their trip, Clara falls in love with a charming and very handsome young Italian man, Fabrizio Naccarelli, performed by Joshua Grosso (Off Broadway: Urinetown,(NYCC Encores), Regional: In The Heights(PCLO), Gatsby (ART), Tours: Les Misérables, The Band’s Visit). As their romance continues to grow, Margaret struggles over the challenges Clara may encounter with Fabrizio. Young men in America were quickly horrified by Clara’s condition, as well as treated her cruelly. She decides to take Clara to Rome to break the couple apart, but Clara becomes devastatingly unhappy so Margaret asks her husband,  to come to Italy to help her decide what to do about the situation. He insists that Clara should be permanently put in a care facility. But Margaret is horrified that Clara should be locked away for the rest of her life, so she figuratively crosses her fingers and continues to support her daughter and Fabrizio’s relationship. Fabrizio’s family are charmed by Clara’s naivety so they encourage them to wed. This is not without complexities. Clara has to convert to study Catholicism and pass approval of the priest, played by Morgan Mastrangelo (Regional: The Smallest Sound, In the Smallest Space (Lincoln Center, the cell theatre); Eurydice (Opera Grand Rapids); The Pirates of Penzance (NYGASP); Sweeney Todd (Opera Saratoga); Pippin (College Light Opera Company).. And, when Signor Naccarelli performed by  discovers Clara’s real age, resulting in a new road block to be hurtled. The story reflects a variety of love. The intensely protective mother, trapped in an emotional vortex, deciding what kind of future will Clara have and while navigating cultural differences encountered in Italy. The child like innocence of love that is evident in Clara but also in Fabrizio. And the concerning love Fabrizio’s family demonstrates for him. An impressive cast of 22 actors, including leads, ensembles, swing ad extras provide a rich theatrical experience.  The music is performed by a dozen professional instrumentalists that support the lovely and lyrical songs as well as choreography by Daniel Pelzig (The Huntington: Leopoldstadt, The Band’s Visit, Sunday in the Park with George, A Little Night Music, Company, Candide, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Tartuffe, The Mikado, HMS Pinafore. Broadway: 33 Variations, A Year with Frog and Toad, Sweeney Todd (Kennedy Center Sondheim Festival).Artistic Director Loretta Greco stated, “This mother-daughter love story absolutely wrecked me when  experienced the premiere 20 years ago. Adam and Craig have crafted a stunning ode to the power of love in its many, many complicated guises. I’m thrilled to be directing this exquisitely rich show and to transport all of us to Florence in all its dreamy glory for a chance to be altered in the light of a new world.” Tickets for this stunning exploration of love and the human heart may be obtained at www.huntingtontheatre.org

THROUGH MAY  11: “THE SHARK IS BROKEN”

 Bill Hanney’s award-winning North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT,) located at 54 Dunham Rd. in Beverly, kicks off their 2025 expanded 70^th Anniversary Season with this West End and Broadway smash hit comedy.  Co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the original Broadway creative team reunites for this award winning one-act play before it moves for a summer run at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center at Oak Bluffs where the film was originally shot 50 years ago. This is a must-see for fans of the original film as well as fans of behind the scenes movie making stories, along with anyone who just loves a great comedic play. As someone who made his start in the movie theater business, and is an enormous fan of the 1975 film “Jaws”, Bill Hanney, NSMT’s owner and producer stated, ”I jumped at the chance to be one for the producers of the Broadway production in 2023,”…and… “I am very excited to be bringing together most of the original Broadway creative team to stage this one-act play for our audiences at North Shore Music Theatre”. The show dives deep into the tumultuous and often murky waters that are often involved during the making of a major motion picture.

Josh Tyson (Roy Scheider), Timothy W. Hull (Robert Shaw), and Jonathan Randell Silver (Richard Dreyfuss):. Photo©Paul Lyden The story surrounds testy, feuding costars, Robert Shaw (father of co-writer Ian Shaw), Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider as they bond, argue, drink, gamble, and pray for an end to the shoot.

 Timothy W. Hull (Robert Shaw), Josh Tyson (Roy Scheider), and Jonathan Randell Silver (Richard Dreyfuss):. Photo©Paul Lyden  This is coupled with chronic unpredictable weather, tensions rising amongst the cast members, and a shark prop whose constant breakdowns are continually mucking things up, all make it look like a cumulative  omen for the future of the movie. These original stars, did not know it would change their lives forever. The cast includes Timothy W. Hull as Robert Shaw, Jonathan Randell Silver as Richard Dreyfuss, and Josh Tyson as Roy Scheider. The understudy for Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider will be Kevin Loreque. Jacob Louchheim will be the understudy for Richard Dreyfuss. Original Broadway and West End creative team members returning for this new production include Guy Masterson (Director – Broadway/West End), Duncan Henderson (Scenic Design – Broadway/West End), Rebecca Glick (Costume Coordinator & Additional Costume Design), Jeff Greenberg (Lighting Design), Adam Cork (Sound Design And Original Music – Broadway/West End), Alex Berg (Additional Sound Design), Arthur Atkinson (Production Stage Manager), and Dakotah Wiley Horan (Assistant Stage Manager). THE SHARK IS BROKEN is produced for North Shore Music Theatre by Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer), Kevin P. Hill (Producing Artistic Director), David Elliott (Executive Producer), and Matthew Chappell (Associate Producer / Casting Director). The play is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service. Tickets for this insightful as well as very funny play  may be obtained at www.nsmt.org

THROUGH MAY 11: WHAT YOU ARE NOW

The Merrimack Repertory Theatre, located in the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre at Liberty Hall on 50 E. Merrimack Street in Lowell (Adjacent to Lowell Memorial Auditorium) brings Sam Chanse’s thrillingly insightful new play to their stage. The story is set in Lowell and surrounds Pia, a passionate young researcher investigating new ideas about how to heal the mind from traumatic memories. Her interest is deeply intertwined with her own family’s history. When a figure from the past shows up, urging Pia’s mother to testify about her experiences during the violence of 1970s Cambodia, unresolved histories are brought to the surface. The production challenges us to move through the shifting dance between the past and present, and to consider how with new understanding we might change “who you were then” to “what you are now Tickets for this fun as well as engaging production may be obtained at www.mrt.org

MAY 12 (8pm): PROFESSOR BRIAN COX BRINGS “LIVE HORIZONS – A 21ST CENTURY SPACE ODYSSEY”

 Learning has not quite been this fun or exciting! The Boch Center Shubert Theatre at 265 Tremont St. in Boston brings this awe-inspiring live show to their stage. It takes theatre audiences on a dazzling cinematic journey with this sell-out, world-record breaking tour which has already taken in shows across the UK, Europe, Australia and Asia. This event, that to date has sold over 400,00 tickets, is a celebration of our civilization, of our music, art, philosophy and science. It provides an optimistic vision of our future if we continue to explore Nature with humility and to value ourselves and our fellow human beings. The US leg of this mesmerizing tour brings the curtain down on three years of touring. “Horizons” has taken audiences spanning three continents on a dazzling journey; a story of how we came to be and what we can become. Using state of the art screen technology, venues across the world have been filled with spectacular images of far-away galaxies, alien worlds, supermassive black holes and the latest theories on the origin of the Universe. What is the nature of space and time? How did life begin, how rare might it be and what is the significance of life in the Cosmos? What does it mean to live a finite fragile life in an infinite eternal Universe? Having travelled the world, it’s now time to bring Horizons to the US for a journey around our magnificent and baffling Universe. Professor Brian Cox said: “I’ve had immense fun touring Horizons around the world over the last 3 years. Part of the joy is that it’s evolved and changed into something almost unrecognizable from the original. I suppose that’s a metaphor for science – it keeps changing as new ideas and data appear! That’s why I wanted to bring this final evolution back to the US before I say goodbye to a show that’s been such a big part of my life for the last 3 years.”

The Professor is widely recognized as the foremost communicator for science, cosmology and astronomy in the world, and is Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society. He has has presented a number of highly acclaimed, award-winning science programs for the BBC watched by billions around the world including ‘Adventures in Space and Time’ (2021), ‘Universe’ (2021), ‘The Planets’ (2018), ‘Forces of Nature’ (2016), ‘Human Universe’ (2014), ‘Wonders of Life’ (2012), ‘Wonders of the Universe’ (2011) and ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ (2010). His latest series ‘Solar System’ premiered on BBC Two in October 2024 to huge viewing figures and rave reviews. Previously Brian co-hosted popular astronomy and cosmology series ‘Stargazing Live’ with Dara O’Briain, and he co-hosts award-winning BBC Radio 4 series ‘Infinite Monkey Cage’, which has gone on to become one of the UK’s most popular podcasts. As an author, Brian has sold over a million books worldwide including ‘Black Holes’, ‘Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos’, ‘Quantum Universe’ and ‘Why Does E=mc2?’.Brian has undertaken several sell-out live world tours, setting numerous Guinness World Records, including for the biggest selling science tour – a record he himself broke with his most recent worldwide tour, ‘Horizons’, which took in venues in the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and across Europe and was performed to hundreds of thousands of people across the world. The production is accompanied by the Sydney Symphonic Orchestra where he performed a run of sell-out shows at Sydney Opera House last year, followed by up a week of sell-out shows at the Royal Opera House in London this summer. There, he was accompanied by the Britten Sinfonia.Uniquely, Prior to his academic and television career, Brian was in rock bands such as Dare and D:Ream, famously playing the keyboard on the latter’s hit track ‘Things Can Only Get Better’. Brian has also worked as a consultant on a number of film projects including Danny Boyle ‘Sunshine’, whilst his content has attracted hundreds of millions of views across social media platforms. Tickets may be obtained at www.bochcenter.org

MAY 14 – 18: AS BEES IN HONEY DROWN

The Norton Award winning Theater UnCorked closes their 6^th season with Outer Critic’s Circle Award Winner Douglas Carter Beane’s dramatic comedy. Staged at the Boston Center for the Arts Plaza Black Box Theatre, located beneath the Cyclorama at 539 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End, where some of Boston’s most prestigious, innovative and award winning productions have, for decades, been performed there. The stellar Theater Uncorked has just received 5 Elliot Norton Nominations for productions in 2024. This delightful satirical comedy is directed by David Miller, former Producing Artistic Director of Zeitgeist Stage Company for 18 productive seasons that totaled well over 50 plays. He and his company captured numerous Elliot Norton Awards for excellence in theater, that included four awards for Outstanding Fringe Theater Production. Zeitgeist Stage Company also received over twenty Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards including five for Outstanding Small Theater Production. All performed in the intimate BCA Plaza Black Box Theatre. It is a thrill to have him leave retirement to direct this show.

 Sehnaz Dirik as Alexa Vere De Vere  The story surrounds Alexa Vere de Vere, a flamboyant and charismatic woman whose scams hopefully to be famous actors or entertainers. She spies her next victim, Evan Wyler, a young writer hoping to create the next great screenplay. He is easily targeted by his photo on the cover of Celebrity Magazine and an article about his rising fame.

Michael Mazzone as Evan Wyler Alexa claims to be a record producer and convinces Evan to capture her fabulous life in what will surely be an award-winning, biographical, screen play. In exchange she will elevate him to becoming rich and famous…as she has done with other hopefuls seeking fame, but never has any such intentions. Evan attaches himself to her as she lavishly flits from place to place spending money…eventually conning Evan to pick up the tab for her purchases on his credit card. She not only does not pay him back, she disappears leaving him with a huge credit card debt. But as it is often said, “Pay backs are…forgive me…a ‘be-yotch’!”

Michael Mazzone as Evan Wyler and Bradley Belanger as Skunk  How Evan gets even is absolutely marvelous! The production features Michael Mazzone as Evan Wyler, Norton and IRNE Award winning actress Sehnaz Dirik as Alexa Vere de Vere, Isabel Ginsberg as Actress #1, Lauren Elias as Actress #2, Ben Dawn Cross as Actor #1 and Bradley Belanger as Actor #2. Theater Uncorked invites audiences to come and….“Taste the fame that seems so close and yet so far. But in our desire to become that shining star, we forget who we are.” This is a marvelous satire that flays the meat of the desire for fame with such a delicate wit and accuracy! Tickets for this uniquely entertaining production may be obtained at https://www.bostontheatrescene.com/shows-and-events/as-bees-in-honey-drown/

THROUGH MAY  18: UTOPIAN HOTLINE

ArtsEmerson and the Museum of Science have collaborated with Theater Mitu to present this production titled “Utopian Hotline” at the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science, located on the Museum Of Science Driveway in Boston. Theater Mitu produced this unique event in association with Octopus Theatricals, / Octopus Theatricals which now invites audiences to step into a cosmic conversation. It was Inspired by the 1977 NASA Voyager mission, which launched the Golden Record into interstellar space. It also prompted an uncertainty that resulted from the isolations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, this now experimental performance begs the question: if we were to send another message into the distant future, what message would we send? Utopian Hotline uses voicemails and interviews with NASA astronauts, astrophysicists, astronomers, and middle school students to create a moment of community, by way of It is part telephone hotline, vinyl record, and live performance. They are simultaneously inviting audience members to re-imagine our shared future by leaving their own messages on the public telephone hotline. This collaborative performance, done in partnership with SETI Institute, Arizona State University’s Interplanetary Initiative, and Brooklyn Independent Middle School, is a call for audiences to join together and leave an offering of hope for the future of humanity. Dial 646 694 8050 and follow the prompts to record your interplanetary message as well as obtain you tickets. Also, tickets for this exciting rare event may be obtained at www.artsemerson.org

THROUGH MAY  18: FOUNDING F***ERS

THROUGH MAY 18: THE SQUIRRELS

The Apollinaire Theatre Company presents at the Chelsea Theatre Works, 189 Winnisimmet St. in Chelsea another quirky play by Tony-nominee and  Obie Award-winner (Hand to God) Robert Askins. In this dark satire of prejudice and greed. It’s Romeo and Juliet meets King Lear meets Macbeth meets Planet Earth. Mistrust is growing between the Grey Squirrels, who enjoy a rich cache of nuts, and the outcast and hungry Fox Squirrels. When a wily outsider ignites a savage war, the consequences are catastrophic as a once-peaceful tree is divided. It becomes a tragi-comical epic battle for nuts that is filled with a bitter struggle for love, power, and, yes really, for the almighty acorn. Directed by Brooks Reeves, he stated, “I fell in love with this play from the moment I read it. It’s funny, dramatic, and has an operatic scope that mirrors my own love of drama and the absurd. I was already galvanized to take this script on, but over the past few months this play has felt less like an opportunity to put on a fun amusing show and it now feels like a primal cry to speak truth to power.  Come to be entertained, but leave feeling emboldened. It’s truly one of my favorite projects I’ve ever been a part of and I’m so excited to share this beast of a play with the Greater Boston area and beyond.”

Audrey Johnson and Parker Jennings (role sharing as Chordata), Photo: Danielle Fauteux Jacques     The Cast consists of  Dev Luthra as Sciurus, Cara Clough as Mammalia, Thain Bertin as Scientist/Sciuridae, Sophia Koevary as Rodentia, Mateo Bailey as Carolinensis, and Audrey Johnson/Parker Jennings (role shared) as Chordata.  This boundary-pushing, darkly satirical look at wealth inequality features scenic and sound design by Joseph Lark-Riley (Touching the Void, Every Brilliant Thing, Hedda Gabler), costumes by Susan Paino (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes), props by Victoria Verrecchia (The Suppliant Women), and lighting by Danielle Fauteux Jacques (Apollinaire Theatre AD). Movement Choreography is by Audrey Johnson (The Suppliant Women, Dance Nation) and Fights by Matt Dray (Romeo and Juliet, And Your Little Dog Too, Hamlet). Tickets for this absolutely wonderful and entertaining and yet insightfully crazy play may be obtained at www.apollinairetheatre.com

MAY 20  – JUNE 29:TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK)

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University, under the leadership of Diane Paulus and Kelvin Dinkins, Jr., brings to their stage at the the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle St. In Cambridge the North American premiere of this West End hit musical comedy. Written and composed by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan, the production is directed and choregraphed by Tim Jackson, with the scenic and costume designs by Soutra Gilmour. The additional creative team members are Jack Knowles (lighting design), Tony Gayle and CodySpencer (sound design), Earon Chew Nealey (hair, wig, and makeup design), Lux Pyramid (orchestrations), Nick Finlow (music supervision), Benedict Braxton-Smith (associate music supervision), and Jeffrey Campos (music direction), with Judith Schoenfeld as the production stage manager, and Fatimah Amill as the assistant stage manager. Starring Christiani Pitts (Broadway: King Kong (Ann Darrow), A Bronx Tale (Jane). Developmental Lab: Aida (Aida) Dir. Schele Williams, Clueless the Musical (Dionne) Dir. Kristin Hanggi. Film: Resort to Love. TV: “Power Book III: Raising Kanan,” “Dead Ringers,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Good Fight,” “Evil,” “Elementary.)along with the 2020 Olivier Award winner for Best Actor, Sam Tutty (West End: Two Strangers: Carry A Cake Across New York (Dougal, Original West End Cast), Dear Evan Hansen (Evan, Original West End Cast, Off-West End: Two Strangers: Carry A Cake Across New York (Dougal, Original Cast), The Kiln Theatre. Once On This Island (Daniel), Southwark Playhouse. Workshops: Bliss (Prince Devin), Lillian Bayliss Studio, Sadler’s Wells. Film: Four Minute Warning, Romeo & Juliet). The u[beat and very funny tale surrounds the British native Dougal. He is incredibly naïve and full of a sense of wonder and curiosity as he arrives in New York City for the second wedding of his dad…who he has never known. The sister of the bride, Robin, has been assigned the task of picking Dougal up at the airport. A gross inconvenience since she is already late for work. But Dougal is seething with a sense of excitement and is anxious to explore this massively fabulous city he has only seen in films. He looks to Robin, a native New Yorker, to be his tour guide. She initially is a bit acidic toward him, but Dougal refuses to let her snuff out the magic of the city along with the extravagant trappings of the wedding. It is the great, big wonderful New York where anything can happen…and it does in this delightfully charming rom-com. The Observer gave it a solid 5 stars stating, “Flawless! A pick-me-up of a show, what we need in hard times.” The production support of Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) is provided by The Linda Hammett Ory & Andrew Ory Charitable Trust and Katie and Paul Buttenwieser. Tickets for this fabulously fun musical production may be obtained at www.americanrepertorytheatre.org

THROUGH MAY  31: JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING

The Roberts Studio Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion, at the Boston Center For The Arts, 539 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End, brings to its stage SpeakEasy Stage Company’s production of the New England Premiere of Jocelyn Bioh’s 2024 Tony Award-nominated dramady. Directed by the Award-winning Summer L. Williams, the story is set in JAJA’s African Hair Braiding salon in Harlem. It is a hot summer day in 2019. The salon is filled with a funny, whip-smart, talented and ever so lively group of West African immigrant hair braiders who are adept at making their clients look and feel nice-nice by re creating masterpieces on their heads. On this particularly muggy summer day, Jaja’s mega responsible, young daughter Marie is running the shop while her mother prepares herself to get married at the courthouse in a few hours. Love has nothing to do with it. It is strictly a “green card” wedding to a man that no-one particularly likes, especially Jaja. Marie is a DACA :dreamer. The Dream Act is a piece of legislation first introduced to Congress in 2001 that would create a pathway to citizenship for immigrant youth people who were brought to the United States as children without documentation.  She has her sights set on going to college. She is among the multiple number of young people who are American in every way, except on paper because they were brought to this country illegally. Maria has grown up in this country, has just graduated high school, and is American in every sense of the word. That is until some shocking news floods into the shop. President Trump has decided to repeal Obama’s DACA legislation which thrusts the little community in the salon into the chaos of uncertainty. As the reality of their circumstances begins to boil over, it forces this tight-knit community to confront what it means to be an outsider on the edge of this place that they have called home. Just like her mother, Maria is now trying to secure her future. Tickets may be obtained at www.speakeasystage.com

JUNE 13 – 22:  BEAUTIFUL…THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

The Reagle Music Theatre’s season kicks off with this inspiring true story of one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time. It showcases King’s rise to stardom and her music that defined a generation. Born in Brooklyn, she began writing songs as a teenager and quickly became a force in the Brill Building scene of the 1960s, penning chart-toppers with her then-husband Gerry Goffin. In 1971, Carole stepped into the spotlight on her own with her landmark solo album Tapestry, which won four Grammy Awards and became one of the best-selling albums of all time. Her deeply personal lyrics and unmistakable melodies have touched generations. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. First as a songwriter and then as a solo artist. Carole King’s music continues to inspire and move audiences around the world. The production features numerous unforgettable hits like “You’ve Got a Friend,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “It’s Too Late,” Beautiful showcases King’s rise to stardom and the music that defined a generation. Tickets for this outstanding production may be obtained at www.reaglemusictheatre.com