Boston's May Theatre Highlights
Some Truly Brilliant Suggestions
By: Barbara Brilliant - Apr 14, 2010
Join me in wishing the legendary Boston Pops our best wishes and thanks for their musical service on this their 125th anniversary. We give all the conductors, musicians, soloists, marketing/PR directors, administrators, donors and techs etc. a standing ovation. You have brought happiness and glorious music to a broad audience.
WGBH be presenting a star-studded celebration of the Boston Pops, featuring some of the greatest moments from the Boston Pops 125-year history. Hosted by Craig Ferguson and conceived and produced by Susan Dangel, with co-producer Dick Bartlett, America's Orchestra: Celebrating 125 Years of the Boston Pops tells the orchestra's story—from its beginnings as summertime entertainment for Bostonians to its impressive rise to the national icon and beloved institution it is today. The program will be broadcast on WGBH 2 on Sunday, April 18, at 7 p.m., Sunday, May 16, at 8 p.m., and Wednesday, June 23, at 8 p.m. It will also be made available to PBS affiliates across the country beginning in June (check local listings). What I love about Boston is that we are rich in both culture and history. The Pops embodies both.
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WHAT: JAZZBOSTON'S JAZZ WEEK
WHERE: VARIOUS LOCATIONS
WHEN: NOW THROUGH MAY 2
TICKETS: www.jazzboston.org .
? "Made in Boston, Played in Boston" continues to celebrate the special role the Boston jazz scene plays as incubator and stage for some of the most creative musicians in the world.??More than 230 events at over 80 venues, many of them inspired by this year's theme, will offer a look to the music's future and a nod to its past with performances by artists of every generation and style. Offering more variety than ever, the week will showcase everything from rare films, jazz dance, and children's events to tributes to influential figures in the city's rich cultural history. Concert tributes to two Boston jazz legends, the late renowned teacher, pianist, and composer Charlie Banacos (May 1), featuring Bill Pierce, Bruce Gertz, George Garzone, and others; and clubowner Lennie Sogoloff of Lennie's-on-the-Turnpike fame (May 2), featuring the Danny Harrington Quartet and special guests, presented by the North Shore Jazz Project "A Tribute to Charlie Banacos" (May 1) The memory of legendary teacher/pianist Charlie Banacos is honored by his former students, including Bruce Gertz, Bill Pierce, George Garzone, Rebecca Cline, John Ramsay, and others
WHAT: BARBRA AND FRANK, THE CONCERT THAT NEVER WAS
WHERE: REAGLE THEATRE, WALTHAM, MA
WHEN: MAY 22, 2 PM
TICKETS: 781-891-5600 www.reagleplayers.com
Las Vegas comes to Waltham in a tribute show to Streisand and Sinatra."a gem of a show Â… Sharon becomes Streisand to the point that you forget you are watching tribute status,""Sebastian is Sinatra in his heyday Â… confident, cocky and well, one word describes the manÂ…Swingin!!" An incredibly talented Vegas duo is bringing their uncanny tribute act to Robinson Theater - for one performance only.
WHAT: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
WHERE: BOSTON OPERA HOUSE
WHEN: THROUGH MAY 2
TICKETS: (617) 931-2787
Madcap Mel Brooks, who won more Tonys for The Producers than any other musical ever, is back again with the musical version of his movie Young Frankenstein. It is not for the faint of heart. I saw it in NY and it was a hoot.
You'll have a monstrously good time at this spectacular production of YOUNG FRANKEINSTEIN, winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for BEST MUSICAL
Don't miss the sensational cast delivering all your favorite moments from the classic film, plus brand-new show-stopping numbers for the stage, including "Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' on the Ritz." This wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to create a monster--but not without scary and hilarious complications.
WHAT: OSAGE COUNTY
WHERE: COLONIAL THEATRE
WHEN: MAY 4-16
TICKETS: (617) 931-2787
Tracy Letts' fiercely funny, turbo-charged tragicomedy is, flat-out, no asterisks and without qualifications, THE MOST EXCITING NEW AMERICAN PLAY BROADWAY HAS SEEN IN YEARS."–The New York Times. Direct from Broadway, AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY stars Academy® Award-winner Estelle Parsons as Violet Weston, a pill-popping, deeply unsettled woman caught in the grip of addiction. When Violet's alcoholic husband mysteriously disappears, her extended clan reunites at their rural Oklahoma homestead for a big, juicy family showdown that's as hilarious as it is shocking. The Associated Press calls it "An astonishing creation — riveting, extraordinary, and incredibly funny," and TIME Magazine named AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY the "#1 Show of the Year!"
WHAT: BOSTON LYRIC OPERA
WHERE: WANG AND SHUBERT
WHEN: 2010/2011
You may want season's tickets to BLO and that makes sense because they do such fine work. However, if you want single tickets for next season, you have to wait until Sept 12 to buy them. They start at only $34 a ticket. What a bargain.
Next year they will be presenting Puccini's Tosca Nov 5-16, Ullmann's The Emperor of Atlantis or Death Quits, Feb 1-6 and Handel's Agrippina March 11-22.
Single tickets for our 2010-2011 Season go on sale on September 12, 2010 with prices starting at $34.
WHAT: HOT MIKADO
WHERE: NewRep WATERTOWN
WHEN: MAY 2-22
TICKETS: (617) 923-8487
This is a snappy adaptation of a classic musical by Gilbert and Sullivan. The original was a delightful romp so I can hardly wait to see what David H. Bell does to update the Mikado. I do know that there will be jazz, swing, gospel, and blues so what can be bad? Previous reviews were glowing so I think it is I worth a shot. New Artistic Kate Warner continues to bring us great theatre.
WHAT: PRELUDE TO A KISS
WHERE: BU HUNTINGTON
WHEN: MAY 14-JUNE 13
TICKETS: Box Office/ 617 266-0800
A whirlwind romance. A storybook wedding. A kiss for the bride that suddenly changes everything. Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza, Longtime Companion) explores the enduring power of love and the nature of commitment in this breathtaking and life-affirming comedy directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois.
"Craig's play makes my heart race. It quite literally takes my breath away. I am thrilled to be introducing this contemporary master playwright to the Huntington Theatre Company." — Peter DuBois
"An intimate and extremely delicate work. Exquisite writing with a sincerity that makes you believe." — Variety
To all those who are mothers and all those who had a mother, have a very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
Barbara Brilliant is a free lance journalist. She was host and producer of Prime Time for 12 years at WBZ TV. She is a fellow with the National Press Foundation and a summa cum laude graduate from Boston College. She is presently producing a documentary "BROADWAY MUSICALS; A Jewish Legacy."