Review: Shakespeare & Company, "The Piano Lesson"

Shakespeare &  Company, Lenox, MA

www.shakespeare.org

through August 24, 2025

by Shera Cohen

Shakespeare & Company and numerous other theatres in the region seem to have made one of their missions to produce the plays of August Wilson. Christopher V. Edwards, director of “The Piano Lesson,” states in the program that at the core of Wilson’s works are: “…plays that reflect the evolving realities and challenges of Black communities in 20th-century America… Wilson examines the profound impact of historical and cultural forces on everyday life.”

Cast and crew of “The Piano Lesson” bring Wilson’s words and setting into a real world for the audience to see and experience. We are invited to sit in the living room of a cluttered, over-populated, old home in the 1930’s, whether we want to or not. The advice of creative writing teachers of decades ago, and probably today, is to “show, don’t tell” and “tell what you know”. Wilson does exactly that.

Only on two occasions does anyone actually play the piano. The instrument depicts an old, heavy, wooden, scratched, upright piano nearly centered and slightly to the rear on the stage. The piano is ever-present, steadfast, in spite of various efforts to remove it. In many ways, the piano becomes a character, if not the central character.

Adult sister Berniece and brother Boy Willie (portrayed by Jade Guerra and Omar Robinson, respectively) exude diametrically opposing personalities. Guerra and Robinson are evenly matched in their strong stance toward each other. This is the theme carried throughout the story. The piano’s lessons are memories, history, and heritage of one family. 

Robinson is a fast-talking powerhouse, full of bravado, dreams, and himself. He is surrounded by brothers, uncles, and neighbors; telling them stories and seeking their approval in this battle of the siblings.

Music becomes an important element of the play, as it represents the community of African-Americans as well as this specific gathering. One man begins to sing, others accompany; each character knows the words by heart. Nothing holds people together like memories. Setting memories to music makes each other more powerful.

On the flip side, the director, lighting designer Jjames McNamara and sound designer James Cannon provide extreme special effects at various moments, creating a mystical timbre accompanying the background tale of Berniece and Boy Willie’s family. Wilson’s play calls for eeriness, although it seems to take what is otherwise a straightforward, dramatic story to an uneasy realm. 

All actors are strong: the cadre includes last season’s award-winning “ranney;” Berniece’s daughter portrayed by a sweet Ariel Phillips; and Anthony T. Goss, equally sweet in his own way as the none-too-bright accomplice to Boy Willie’s con jobs. Goss’ comedic timing is spot-on, providing most of the humor. 

The one-room set by Jon Savage is small for the eight actors who often take the stage at the same time. The audience knows that Berniece is living on the edge, doing her best. Guerra depicts her character as a strong woman of conviction, unrelenting in her actions and purpose to hold onto family memories – the piano! In contrast, Robinson’s Boy Willie is, as his name implies, very much a boy, repeatedly spouting reasons why he must prevail against his sister, and against centuries of memories.

“The Piano Lesson” represents family memories. Should they be set aside or buried, proudly displayed taking up space, or a mix of both?

Casting Call: HENRY & LUCY KNOX 1774 MINI-PLAYS

HENRY & LUCY KNOX 1774 MINI-PROMO PLAYS (LIVE)

The personal history of a young couple; two of the founders of the United States.

Project #1

September 13, 2025

Live reading in small black box theatre at Springfield Armory, Springfield, MA

• 1 white male, age 20, in 1770’s costume
• 1 white female, age 20 in 1770’s costume
• Short rehearsal time
• Live, 5-minute performances, same script repeated 4x during day
• MUST be available on September 13, 2025
• Scripts provides, to semi-memorize, but w/ script in hand (letters)
• Actors will look at each other as if reading actual letters
• Require, CLEAR, EXCELLENT speaking voices (no singing)

Project #2

Mid-November 2025 – January, 2026

Approx. 15-20 minute videotaped reading of Henry & Lucy Knox (as Project #1)

• 1 white male, age 20
• 1 white female, age 20
• Require, CLEAR, EXCELLENT speaking voices (no singing)
• Primarily reading actual letters
• Actors/reader may or may not be seen, if seen on videotape; in 1770's costume
• Plan is for actors to be voice-over as John & Lucy Knox
• Rehearsal time and taping in November, 2025 (requires venue)

Videos to appear: colleges, high schools, libraries, historic agencies, MA250 literature, MA250 website, Visitors Bureau website, Armory website, others

Notes:

• Need to hire: IMMEDIATELY
• Audition: Send recording and/or in person
• Producer: In the Spotlight, Shera Cohen  
• Video: Running Shoe Productions
• Actors: Ideally, same male & female actors hired for both Project 1 and 2
• Compensation: TBD, actors will be paid same amount. Less compensation if actors only do Project #1
• Credit: Actors to be given written & verbal credit where appropriate

Springfield, WMA, or MA residents preferred, in that order

Questions: spotlightinc@verizon.net. DO NOT CALL

REVIEW: Boston Pops Orchestra, "One Night Only: Sutton Foster & Kelli O’Hara"

Tanglewood, Lenox, MA

www.bso.org/tanglewood

July 18, 2025

by Michael J. Moran

At first glance the two concerts at Tanglewood tonight couldn’t have looked more different: one, a Russian liturgical masterpiece for unaccompanied chorus; the other, two Broadway stars celebrating their careers. But heard back-to-back, they offered contrasting ways to find joy.

In the “Prelude” concert, Sergei Rachmaninoff’s hour-long 1915 “All-Night Vigil,” sung by the 130+ men and women of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, resounded glowingly through the reverberant acoustic of Seiji Ozawa Hall. Inspired by Russian Orthodox chants and sung in Church Slavonic, an old form of Russian, its 15 numbers alternate reflective and exultant passages to tell the joyful story of Christ’s resurrection. TFC conductor James Burton led a deeply moving account, while alto Dagny von Mering and tenor Jesse Liu delivered touching solos in two selections.    

For the night’s main event, conductor Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops were joined by Broadway royalty Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara in a program “inspired by the 1962 CBS special Julie [Andrews] and Carol [Burnett] at Carnegie Hall.” Foster and O’Hara toasted their professional friendship with a mix of banter, solo and duet performances, and costume changes. They were accompanied in most numbers by their respective musical directors, pianists Michael Rafter (Foster) and Dan Lipton (O’Hara), and in several, by an ensemble quartet of Boston Conservatory students: Bailey Greemon, Liesie Kelli, Luke Rands, and Eric Sciotto.

The Pops opened with a witty overture, arranged by Lipton, of themes from Broadway shows starring Foster or O’Hara. Solo highlights included: Foster’s kinetic title song from Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes” and her soulful take on Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You;” O’Hara’s rapturous “If I Loved You” from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Carousel” and her hilarious “They Don’t Let You in the Opera,” a spoof (co-authored by Lipton) of her dual roots in popular and classical music.  

Among the duet standouts were: a tender “Answer Me” from David Yazbek’s “The Band’s Visit;” a rousing “Big D” from Frank Loesser’s “The Most Happy Fella,” with lively ensemble choreography by Sciotto; a dreamy version of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Feel My Love;” and a wistful “Here’s to Life,” by Artie Butler and Phyllis Molinary. Students Greemon and Kelli teamed up for a stirring “I Will Never Leave You” from Krieger & Russell’s “Side Show.”

One classy (and audience-pleasing) touch was the recorded voices of Andrews and Burnett giving their proteges a mini-pep talk as they fretted about launching into a frenetic “90s Mega Medley.” Another was including the theme song (“I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together”) from Burnett’s beloved TV show in their closing “Goodnight Medley.” Imaginative lighting design by Pam Smith. a heartfelt duet encore of “Till There Was You” from Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” and luxurious backing throughout from Lockhart and the Pops added finishing touches to this enchanted evening. 

REVIEW: Tanglewood "John Williams, Concerto w/ Emanuel Ax, Mahler, Symphony No. 1 in D"

Tanglewood, Lenox MA

www.bso.org/tanglewood

by Frank Aronson

 

Two composers known for their dramatic compositions provided a diverse evening of music.

 

The first piece by John Williams was begun in 2022 and had its world premiere on this night by the BSO and the incomparable Emanuel Ax. The second piece, Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony, was originally composed between 1884-1888, though the version conducted by Andris Nelsons premiered in Hamburg in 1893. 

 

Just as Mahler stood on the shoulders of Beethoven and Bruckner before him, Williams has drawn inspiration throughout his career from late Romantic composers like Mahler. What the two works had in common was a reliance upon the density of a full orchestra paired with the use of smaller ensembles within.

 

Andris Nelson, Photo: Lisa-Marie-Mazzucco

Williams’ concerto is a piece devised in three movements, each section being an homage to jazz piano greats: Art Tatum, Bill Evans, and Oscar Peterson. The dissonant chord clusters and Rachmaninoff-like virtuosity of Tatum; the lyrical, dream-like qualities of Evans; and the frenetic muscularity of Peterson were readily apparent in this work. Williams uses the orchestra in its fullest form, even including a celesta in his orchestration, sometimes doubling Ax’s artistry.

 

Upon the conclusion of first portion of the evening, the audience was treated to the thrill of an appearance by Mr. Williams himself, who acknowledged the thunderous applause of appreciation. A perennial favorite and former conductor of the Boston Pops, Williams seemed overjoyed by the response.

 

The concert continued after the intermission with a somewhat enlarged orchestra, which is always the case with a Mahler symphony. This music often draws upon themes developed in the composer's song cycle “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” (“Songs of the Wayfarer”) and is bathed in the sounds of nature.

 

The concert sections flow from the slow awakening of morning in the first movement, complete with the sounds of cuckoos and other fauna in the orchestration, to the “sturm und drang” of the 4th movement, which also manages to restore the themes and sound explored earlier in the work. Mahler uses the orchestra in all its fullness to great effect but is also capable of paring it down to small ensembles and solo passages that give the piece an enormously complex dynamic range.

 

Andris Nelsons has proven himself to be a gifted interpreter of Mahler, continuing in the practice of a long line of Boston Symphony Orchestra conductors. It’s a delight to see this happen.

Review: Berkshire Theatre Group, "The Mousetrap"

Berkshire Theatre Group, Pittsfield, MA

www.berkshiretheatregroup.org

July 24 through August 17, 2025 

by Shera Cohen

It's been a long time since any theatre venues in the Berkshires has mounted “The Mousetrap,” which is all the more reason to become an audience member. Statistics state that “The Mousetrap” is the longest-running play in theatre history. There must be reasons for that huge success.

Agatha Christie’s “The Mousetrap” is the epitome of foremost classics in the murder/mystery drama genre. The esteemed author penned a total 66 “whodunits” over the course of seven decades. The author accentuates suspense among a motley group of characters assembled on stage and their audience. The more the script is populated, the more possibilities as to who murders who, and the more work to try to figure out.

Photo by Caelan Carlough

Usually, Christie’s mysteries take place on one set, depicting a large living room in a posh home, remote from all other life, on a dark and rainy/snowy/foggy/whatever/etc. night. In other words; bleak weather conditions force a  group of characters, most unknown to the others, to assemble in one setting. The premise works exceedingly well, which is likely why the author duplicated it often. 

Scenic Designer Bryce Culter literally sets the stage a plush red and gold taking every inch of length and width; at the center, raised, is the constant image of the evening’s weather foreboding atmosphere. A young married couple run this bed ‘n breakfast-like home. Christie’s formula is to introduce an increasing number of characters into the settling, none of whom know each other. Yet, one of characters is bumped off.

While the plot might have been new in the 1950’s when Christie wrote “The Mousetrap,” the theme has become familiar in today’s TV shows and movies. The story encourages the audience to continuously guess who the culprit is.

Director Gerry McIntyre could have, and should have, saved his production from workmanlike characters, movement, and pace with puns and pratfalls to make “Mousetrap” flat out funny. Yes, there are some moments in Act II when the audience laughs, but these are few. Each actor might have depicted a level of humor or quirkiness. Greg Cuellar, the only actor given this opportunity, scene-steals but only in a good way, if that’s possible.

The director seems to hold back numerous production elements that may well have lifted the play off the printed page and into the mouths of the characters; not to make them real, but more importantly, to make them funny caricatures. 

Seeing “The Mousetrap” on the third day of the production is, of course, the time to see flaws. Two suggestions would be 1) to speed up the conversations, and 2) to let several of the actors ham up their characters. 

REVIEW: Tanglewood, “A Tanglewood Weekend”

Tanglewood, Lenox MA

www.bso.org/tanglewood

July 18-21, 2025

by Shera Cohen

Three different orchestras in one weekend! Where? Where else but Tanglewood.

Boston University Music Center Orchestra

Andris Nelson

World-renowned conductor, and Tanglewood’s resident music director, Andris Nelsons led this full orchestra of 20-somethings; all exceptional students about to take their Tanglewood diplomas and resumes to orchestras throughout the world. This is what they have trained for. At first, I hadn’t realized that the musicians looked younger than I had expected. Actually, this was the first rehearsal that I’ve attended when the BSO was not onstage. How encouraging to see so many young musicians!

A constant at Tanglewood at 10:30am are rehearsals of the following Sunday’s afternoon concert. On this Saturday were works by two composers, who in my opinion, are not the easiest to perform: Hector Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique,” and Sergei Prokofiev’s “Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor”. The latter piece featured pianist Yuja Wang.

For the most part, Nelsons directed the orchestra straight through; later going back to improve on selected sections, in particular the rousing ending. As for me, I never heard a single note that needed fixing yet can appreciate what the young musicians must learn from the prominent man at center stage with the baton.

Boston Symphony Orchestra

Of the three performances, it was the BSO that hosted the concert dedicated to kids and their families. This annual event in July fills the Tanglewood Shed with countless little boys and girls. I mean little – not the teens who hopefully have already had a taste of Classical music – but toddlers standing approximately 30” or are carried. 

Conductor Thomas Wilkins runs the show. The man is charming, speaking directly to the kids, leaving out highbrow language and musical jargon. This is a participatory program; one which the adults in the audience can enjoy especially when watching their kid’s enjoyment. Wilkins throws in anecdotes about composers, music, BSO, and himself. Everyone laughs.

The program was eclectic, featuring music by Gould, Dvorak, Faure, Britten, and Beethoven; just the right length to hold a child’s attention; and varied. Some pieces, while familiar to many adults, are likely unfamiliar to anyone under age 12 and/or under 30”. Isn’t it amazing to watch children (some seated, some walking or running around) listen to professional artists, particularly those of the BSO, in a huge tent-like building as birds fly and chirp?

I had been introduced to Tanglewood at a young age; although not as young as these little ones. Yet, no one is ever too young or too old to experience symphonic music in a group setting.

Boston University Tanglewood Institute (BUTI)

BUTI photo by bu.edu

This unbelievably talented group are high school age whose homes are as near as MA and NY, and as far as Mexico and Taiwan. They are the proverbial “cream of the crop” of young Classical music talent, sincere in their future careers as musicians. At the concert’s start, the introduction from BUTI’s Executive Director Nicole Wendl, were words to hold onto; the relationship between the selection of talent onstage, coupled with the audience seated in Ozawa Hall make the music extraordinary, providing an energy to be acknowledged and appreciated. 

For me, Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” was the selling point to attend. A jazz version of RIB highlighting  the Marcus Roberts Trio, backed by the young artists, was a nice change to an old standard. Conductor Alexander Jimenez was very engaging throughout. It was obvious that the orchestra’s presentation of the melodic “Negro Folk Symphony” in three parts was as enjoyable to those onstage as in the audience. It was when the musicians brought out the fully equipped percussion section for Zhou Long’s “The Rhyme of Taigu” that the audience couldn’t stop their collective bodies from swaying and stopping their feet. The heavy use of drums and brass, almost sounding like stampeding elephants, was electrifying!

There’s still over a month left of a Tanglewood Summer!

Personal Thoughts: Trinity Irish Dance Company

Jacob’s Pillow, Becket, MA

www.jacobspillow.org

July 10 – 13, 2025

by Shera Cohen

I won’t pretend that I know enough about most genres of dance to pen a bona fide review of Trinity Irish Dance. Yet, merely writing that I enjoyed their performance certainly does not give the troupe enough credit.

From the point of view of a layperson, who are probably most of our readers, I watch dance for the excitement, drama and/or humor, envisioning a story of some sort. The group can be large or soloists. The text that I loosely interpret might be incorrect and only true for me. But that’s okay.

It was a treat for Trinity to celebrate its 35th anniversary at The Pillow. They are known for their strength and aesthetics; the combination was an even and delightful mix.

The two-hour program filled what looked like every seat at the Ted Shaw Theatre. No surprise. Ever since Michael Flatley brought “Lord of the Dance” to the world’s stages, every nationality instantly discovered what Irish Dance was all about. In fact, Trinity Irish Dance is often credited as a predecessor to “Riverdance”. 

Performing arts can be every bit as pleasant, emotional, and/or exciting to newbie audiences as much as to diehard, knowledgeable fans. Not that I am a daring person, but I have experimented with performing art forms, hoping that I just might like at least one or two. That was my expectation at the Irish Dance concert, going in with only one pre-conception: if the Pillow’s reputation of selecting only the best, then I was in for something worthy.

My expectations were well-founded. The approximately 25 young female and male dancers made for a lovely site. The first segment on the program was Irish as could be. Ah, this is what I came for. However, as the dances proceeded, there was one, unfamiliar, and very pleasant twist; these dancers smiled! I thought that was verboten. In addition, they used their arms above their heads, in front, and even touched each other. Step dance is known for its rigidity, but this concert proved that it was not mandatory. 

At the center of the program was a recently created piece titled “The Sash,” a black & white video coupled with the dance movements for a raw political story. This piece was bookended by two lengthy and far-less dramatic works.

This is to say that while I am not a dancer, only studied dance for 6-weeks at age 10, and have no Irish heritage, when given the opportunity, there is a lot of room in my life to experience the skills and beauty of a new (to me) art form. Try it…you will like it.

NOTE: While I didn’t have a chance to peak into the new Doris Duke Theatre, from the outside it looks very inviting. Maybe next time.

REVIEW: Williamstown Theatre Festival, “Vanessa”

Heartbeat Opera Annex, North Adams, MA

www.wtfestival.org

through August 3, 2025

by Michael J. Moran

Since making a triumphant debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1958 and winning a Pulitzer Prize, American composer Samuel Barber’s opera “Vanessa,” with libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti, has had few revivals. Now comes the riveting world premiere of a minimalist adaptation by the inventive New York-based Heartbeat Opera which breathes new life into this psychological thriller by focusing on the inner lives of its five main characters.

Photo by Maria Baranova

Set in “a northern country” around 1905, the opera opens as Vanessa, “a lady of great beauty,” Erika, her 20-year-old niece, and the Baroness, Vanessa’s mother and Erika’s grandmother, wait in the drawing room of Vanessa’s country house for a guest to arrive. He turns out to be the twentyish son, Anatol, of Vanessa’s deceased lover, also named Anatol, whom she is expecting after a separation of 20-years. The coup de theatre at his entrance signals Anatol's transformative effects on the three women and their family doctor as the rest of the opera unfolds.

Bare set design (the only props are four chairs) against a blank white background by director R. B. Schlather, eerie lighting design by Yuki Nakase Link, and stark black/white costume design by Terese Wadden create a haunting sense of claustrophobia in the intimate setting of WTF’s new 164-seat Annex theater. Heartbeat Artistic Director Jacob Ashworth has compressed the four-act original into 100-minutes without intermission. Co-music director Dan Schlosberg has reduced the full orchestration to seven instruments which produce surprisingly vivid sonorities.  

 

Cast members, all with impressive professional resumes, meet the dramatic challenges of Barber’s neo-Romantic score and Menotti’s poetic text with consummate vocal and acting skills. Soprano Inna Dukach’s volatile Vanessa contrasts sharply with mezzo-soprano Ori Marcu’s subtly repressed Erika in their frequent exchanges. Tenor Roy Hage’s makes for a seductively appealing Anatol. Joshua Jeremiah’s warm, clear baritone gives his doctor a comforting presence. Mary Phillips’ rich, dark mezzo-soprano invests her stern Baroness with a commanding air.

Musical highlights include: Marcu’s poignant rendition of “Must the Winter Come So Soon;” Dukach’s tense, frenetic “Do Not Utter a Word;” and a mesmerizing quintet, “To Leave, To Break,” by the full ensemble. Schlosberg leads his virtuosic band with a mix of tight control and sensitivity.      

This “Vanessa” for the 21st century, the first opera ever presented by WTF, is a milestone production for Heartbeat Opera and Williamstown.

REVIEW: Shakespeare & Company, “Romeo and Juliet”

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA

www.shakespeare.org

July 12 – August 10, 2025

by Simon Brighenti

“Unexpected” is not a word you might expect in a review of a play written over 300-years ago which has been performed in one form or other thousands if not millions of times. But there are many moments in this production of “Romeo and Juliet” for which the audience may not be prepared.

Photo by Nile Scott

Co-Directors Kevin G. Coleman and Jonathan Epstein have taken the most famous and familiar work in Shakespeare’s canon, shaken it up, and put it back together as an eminently accessible surpassing whole. There is humor (including bawdy wordplay), vigorous choreographed stage movement, a funky musical interlude – anachronistic but well fitting with the characters-and some occasional antic full-cast comedic shenanigans perhaps more expected from Benny Hill rather than the Bard. Even moments of interplay between the performers and the front row theatregoers take place, as is usual with S&Co. But it all works. The audience loves it.

Of course, the main tragedy involving the star-crossed lovers Romeo (an expressive and athletic Caitlin Rose) and Juliet (Ashley McCauley Moore depicting true emotion and a superb confidence) is full tilt out there. The supporting cast is excellent; Madeleine Rose Maggio brings the part of the Nurse to a boisterous yet loving life, a talented Rory Hammond’s Lady Capulet evidences a tenderness but resolve in ensuring her daughter does not age out of her opportunity for a proper marriage, and Juan Luis Acevedo inhabits the role of a proud Italian paterfamilias with a swagger and vigor.

Swordplay involving Romeo, Tybalt and Mercutio is well staged and unfolds in dramatic fashion. It is not easy to present “stage combat” in a manner that is authentic to the period, realistic and which does not distract from the accompanying dialogue and exposition. Timing and pacing are everything; nationally renowned fight choreographer Jason Tate handles the task deftly.

The staging is spare but effective; the setting of Shakes & Co. Amphitheatre in one of the most picturesque bucolic areas of the region if not the country, bringing a sylvan serenity to any performance. The uniqueness of the venue offers the audience somewhat of a “peek behind the curtain”; after doing their bit, the performers can be discerned on the ambient hillside running hither and yon to hit their next mark.

The music, to an extent playing the part of the ominous weather so prominent in much of Shakespeare, includes original themes by Daniel Levy, the talented composer, musician, and singer known for scoring more than 40 regional productions. Levy’s lush score adds an appropriately somber and portentous enhancement at the appropriate moments with a few familiar snippets sprinkled in.

As with any outdoor performance space, the weather is always a potential factor. And even as dusk settles in on a warm summer day, the temperature can drop quickly. Bug spray is always a good idea.

To paraphrase the Bard, this is a Romeo and Juliet with a beauty too rich to be missed.   

Review: Jacob’s Pillow, "Sarasota Ballet"

Jacob’s Pillow, Becket, MA

www.jacobspillow.org

July 16 – 20, 2025

by Janice Webb

On nearly any given day at Jacob’s Pillow, audiences can experience the talents of  professionals, students, and soloists along with lectures, video programs, and youth activities. Stay for one event, or the entire day.

Ted Shawn Theatre with the largest stage on campus hosted Sarasota Ballet for five days. Expectations of a typical ballet program were immediately set aside as soon as the curtain opened. Because nothing at the Pillow is typical. Expect the unexpected thrills and learning experiences.

In full-color, folk-fashioned grandeur of the Russian Imperial style, “Birthday Offering” accentuated the beauty and precision of classic ballet; envision ballerinas on toes, lyrical pas de deux. All were strong, talented, graceful dancers; men and women alike. The seven couples showcased each other, while also contributing just as much in their own right.  

It looked as if Evil won; yet how could that be? Or maybe Good dared to face Evil straight on? Dance, like other creative works, can be interpreted in numerous ways. In the last moments, Good turned toward Evil. Did Evil win? Or did Good dare to look straight in the face of Evil, like other creative works.

“Dante Sonata,” a ballet with a more contemporary feel, even though premiered during WWII, is still relevant today. To music composed by Franz Liszt, the audience pictured the struggle between Good, represented in shining White attire and Evil in black strapped attire. It's up to the audience to interpret the victor. Dance, like other creative works, can be interpreted in numerous ways. In the last moments of this piece, Good turned toward Evil. Did Evil win? Or did Good dare to look straight in the face of Evil?

Choreographer Jessica Lang was seated in the audience to celebrate her World Premiere of “The Lorenz Butterfly,” the final work in the Sarasota Ballet program. The Pillow’s director introduced Lang, advising the audience that Lang had launched into painting during Covid. Certainly, this was a creative outlet for a choreographer isolated from dancers.

Later, as the world opened up to gatherings of people, Lang chose to combine the two artistic genres – her talent as a choreographer with her own paintings, which eventually served as the backdrop of the ballet, shifting colors as dancers in variations of those same colors graced the stage. Nearly every pastel was on canvas replicated the colors worn by the dancers. 

 

REVIEW: Boston Symphony Orchestra, "Romeo and Juliet"

Tanglewood, Lenox, MA

www.bso.org/tanglewood

July 11, 2025

by Michael J. Moran

Fridays and Saturdays at Tanglewood offer free short “Prelude” programs before most evening concerts. Tonight’s “Prelude,” performed mostly by BSO members in Ozawa Hall, presented three selections by Maurice Ravel, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the French composer’s birth, and one piece by his teacher, Gabriel Faure.

Ravel’s three “Songs of Madagascar” (1925-26), set to texts by Evariste de Parny, featured Eve Gigliotti, whose voluptuous mezzo-soprano was haunting in “Nahandove,” startlingly ferocious in “Aoua! Beware of the white men,” and languorous in “It is good to lie down.” Violinist Julianne Lee and cellist Mickey Katz were eloquent in Ravel’s “Piece in the form of a Habanera” and “Kaddish” respectively. Lee and Katz joined violist Rebecca Gitter and pianist Benjamin Hochman for a vibrant account of Faure’s 1885-86 second piano quartet. 

The main event was an 80-minute (without intermission) “theatrical concert for orchestra,” a world premiere, in the Shed which combined 15 numbers from Sergei Prokofiev’s 1935 ballet “Romeo and Juliet,” played by the BSO under their Music Director, Andris Nelsons, with excerpts from the text of Shakespeare’s play, adapted and directed by Bill Barclay, and performed by six actors from Barclay’s company, Concert Theatre Works.  

Barclay’s imaginative staging made full use of the Shed’s wide stage, where minimal props were seamlessly moved on, off, and around the stage by actors. The top step of a high staircase served as Juliet’s balcony. Riveting stage action included what Barclay called in a program note “the wildly thrilling world of live swordplay.” The immersive production even had an exuberant Romeo racing off stage around the Shed to the lawn after he and Juliet profess their love in the balcony scene. Elegant costume design was by Arthur Oliver.

Photo by Hilary Scott

The well-miked cast was uniformly strong. Kelley Curran and James Udom conveyed the full emotional range of the star-crossed lovers and the depth of their mutual attraction. Nigel Gore (from Shakespeare & Company) was a commanding Capulet. Caleb Mayo was a hyperactive Mercutio, and Carman Lacivita (Friar Laurence at Hartford Stage in May), a boisterous Tybalt. Robert Walsh was hilarious and impressive in the dual roles of the friar and Juliet’s nurse, at one point changing roles (and costumes) mid-scene.

Musical highlights from Prokofiev’s colorful score included: two dramatic conflict scenes with swordplay (“The Fight;” “Tybalt and Mercutio Fight”); several graceful dances (“Arrival of the Guests;” “Dance of the Knights”); a magical balcony scene; and an achingly poignant closing “Death of Juliet.” The entire BSO played with elegance and passion, but special plaudits go to the large percussion and brass sections.

This powerful amalgam of music and theatre, which clearly enthralled the multi-generational live audience, is a major achievement by Barclay and Nelsons.

 

REVIEW: Sevenars Music Festival, "Family and Friends"

The Academy, Worthington, MA

www.sevenars.org

July 13, 2025

by Michael J. Moran

The opening concert of this beloved summer festival’s 57th season featured pianists Rorianne Schrade (after whose parents and their five children, all having first names which start with R, the festival is named) and Lynelle and Christopher James (children of Rorianne’s sister Robelyn Schrade-James and David James, both deceased), joined by family friends pianist Clifton (Jerry) Noble and violinist Alexis Walls.

The program honored the 150th anniversary years of African-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor and French composer Maurice Ravel. It opened with a graceful account by Rorianne and Lynelle of the charming “Andante” from Coleridge-Taylor’s “Three-Fours” suite. This was followed, in total contrast, by the tempestuous “Wild Hunt,” the eighth of Franz Liszt’s twelve 1852 “Transcendental Etudes,” played with rip-roaring panache by Christopher.

Calling that “a tough act to follow,” Rorianne met the challenge with a similarly dramatic reading of Ravel’s 1920 orchestral showpiece “La Valse” (“The Waltz”) in his own fiendishly difficult transcription for solo piano, building to a tumultuous climax with laser-focused power.

Shifting gears again, Lynelle welcomed her childhood fellow music student Alexis Walls to the stage for a glowing rendition of Ravel’s jazz-inspired 1927 second sonata for violin and piano, with a jaunty opening “Allegretto,” a soulful “Blues,” and a furious “Perpetuum mobile” finale.

Next, Lynelle took on what is generally considered Ravel’s most technically demanding piano score, his three-part 1908 suite “Gaspard de la Nuit” (“Treasurer of the Night”), giving cogent interpretation of its first and third movements. Based on characters in poems by Aloysius Bertrand, Lynelle’s fluid “Ondine” painted a shimmering portrait of the water sprite, and her careful balancing of slow and faster passages brought the nocturnal goblin “Scarbo” to vivid life.

The program closed on a brighter note when Jerry Noble joined Rorianne in a bravura take on Australian-American composer Percy Grainger’s twenty-minute “Fantasy” for two pianos on George Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” This kaleidoscopic arrangement re-sequences selections from the 1935 opera for dramatic impact, with “Summertime” and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” providing an emotional climax near the end. Both pianists rendered Gershwin’s inspired melodies and Grainger’s sumptuous enhancements with virtuosic exhilaration.

 

Remaining Sevenars concerts, next presenting the acclaimed Sullivan String Quartet, are scheduled for Sundays, July 20-August 17.

REVIEW: Great Barrington Public Theatre, “Madame Mozart: The Lacrimosa”

Simon’s Rock College, McConnell Theater, Great Barrington, MA

www.greatbarringtonpublictheater.org

through July 27, 2025

by Shera Cohen

“Madame Mozart: The Lacrimosa,” a new play written by local Anne Undeland, offers one answer as to how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died. Remembering the movie, “Amadeus,” the film’s ending is depicted in another scenario. Neither the play nor the movie version may be true; those seeking specifics may google. Undeland’s work is not a who-done-it, but a what-comes-next for Mozart’s young widow.

Actor Tara Franklin, a favorite in the Berkshires, appears onstage from start to finish without a pause; depicting Constanze’s reaction to circumstances and personalities who thwart her survival. The musically prolific Wolfie was a pathetic provider for his family, yet Constanze loved him, and  made it her mission that her husband received the respect and notoriety that he deserved in his short life. [Mozart died at age 35. Just imagine how much more amazing music he could have penned!]

Franklin portrays her role as intelligent, decisive, nurturing, cunning, and not unwilling to use feminine whiles when necessary. Director Judy Braha positions Constanze as the mastermind of hiding her husband’s death and unfinished Requiem in D minor. While not miscast, because there is no doubt that Franklin is one of the finest actresses in the Valley, filling the role with a younger actress might be more accurate as a 30-year-old mom of young children.

Ryan Winkles, another stalwart actor in the Berkshires, plays every male in the cast, and there are lots of them, switching from Count to composer to child in a flash. At no point is it ever confusing who Winkles portrays at any given moment. A versatile actor, many of Winkles’ characters provide the humor necessary to balance the plot. There is one running joke particular to bodily functions which repeats much too often; a tad overkill in an otherwise dramatic play.

Stage design by Juliana von Haubrich, from the rafters to floor, is the most accurate and, at the same time, serviceable as any play yet presented by GBPT. Lighting design by Matthew E. Adelson, literally shines, to the point that audience members notice the contrasts and emphasis enabling the story’s progress.

It seems that many one-act plays have been written in the 21st century. No fault there. The playwright should tell the story, and then get out; it’s done, nothing more to tell. In the case of this one-act, too much is said. The script goes on and on, seemingly ending at numerous points, the audience ready to applaud. However, Undeland unnecessarily stretches the tale. Judicious cuts are recommended.

On first look, this is Constanze’s story. Not really. This is Mozart’s story, with huge credit to on-stage pianist Hudson Orfe, dressed in contemporary clothing, playing the composer’s Requiem, particularly the Lacrimosa movement, throughout. Sometimes distinct, oftentimes subtle, the music creates a continuous undertone of Mozart’s magnificence and death.

REVIEW: Chester Theatre Company, “A Hundred Words for Snow”

Town Hall Theater, Chester, MA

www.chestertheatre.org

through July 13, 2025

by C. L. Blacke

 

Equity actor Hero Marguerite (“Big Big Sky,” “Circle Mirror Transformation”) returns to Chester to deliver a top-notch performance as 15-year-old Rory in “A Hundred Words for Snow.” She deftly traverses the range of adolescence, exhibiting all the impulsiveness, self-consciousness, and eternal optimism of a teenage girl. Her performance is infused with humor, anger, sorrow, and an energy that fills the theater.

 

Written by Tatty Hennessy, “A Hundred Words for Snow” is an exploration of Rory’s solo adventure to scatter her dad’s ashes at the North Pole. On the surface, it is a coming-of-age story that navigates Rory’s sudden parental loss, her new-found independence, her first sexual encounter, and her experience as a teenage girl in an ever-changing world.

 

But beneath that constantly shifting sea is a diverse ecosystem. Rory’s monologue delves into a complex study of grief, climate change, and a search for spiritual connection with women past, present, and future. Her narrative is interspersed with facts about Arctic geography, famous Polar explorers, and the Inuit people, providing both context and emotional depth.

 

And just as the Inuit’s oral storytelling has preserved their cultural history and explained their connection with nature, “A Hundred Words for Snow” follows the same tradition. Depicted in short vignettes, it is the story of Rory and her dad (and eventually her mum) passed along through memories of the journey, not to mention dispelling some myths along the way.

 

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of this play is the masterful hand of director Michelle Ong-Hendrick—masterful because the audience can’t see her hand in it at all; it is her invisible guidance and imagination that provides the space for Marguerite to create the illusion of Rory’s quest. Ong-Hendrick directs not only Marguerite as Rory but also Rory’s portrayal of all the other characters who she encounters. With a change in pitch, accent, and body positioning, Marguerite never misses a beat or loses the audience.

 

Marguerite isn’t just a great dramatic actor; she’s a great physical actor, too. She expertly manipulates the limited set pieces with agility and grace. Jeremy Winchester’s spare scenic design transforms in her capable hands. As she climbs, jumps, and moves the props around on stage, a steel chair becomes a campfire, an aluminum ladder an icebreaker ship, and white plastic sheeting the frozen Arctic landscape.

 

In all ways, “A Hundred Words for Snow” takes the audience on an epic adventure.

REVIEW: Shakespeare & Company, "The Victim"

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA

www.shakespeare.org

through July 20, 2025

by Paul A. Jenney

If looking for a play that goes beyond storytelling and challenges its audience to wrestle with

uncomfortable questions, Shakespeare & Company’s “The Victim” delivers a deeply reflective and timely experience. Written by Lawrence Goodman and directed by Daniel Gidron, the play probes the intersecting lives of three women, each grappling with questions of identity, inherited trauma, and how lived experience shapes perception—both of oneself and of others.

The cast features Annette Miller as a thought inspiring Ruth, an aging Holocaust survivor

struggling with memory loss and the emotional burden of her past. Stephanie Clayman portrays

a conflicted Daphne, Ruth’s daughter, a successful New York physician caught in the pressures

of the “sandwich generation", caring for an elderly parent while navigating her own family and career, all while voicing a sharp political skepticism. Yvette King plays a bittersweet, Maria, a

young Dominican health care aide whose introduction to Judaism and the Holocaust unfolds

through her fraught relationship with Ruth. Maria’s sense of invisibility and frustration emerges

in contrast to the generational trauma of the woman she cares for.

Told entirely through a series of monologues, “The Victim” departs from conventional theatrical

narrative, instead allowing each character’s voice to take center stage. Performed on a

minimalist set with subtle lighting and movement cues to signal time’s passage, the structure

may seem spare, but it creates space for emotional depth and direct audience connection. The

stories unfold with humor, poignancy, and sincerity, drawing the viewer into the internal conflicts

and moral ambiguities each woman carries.

At its core, the play asks resonant questions: Who has the right to claim victimhood? Can

suffering ever be compared? Does trauma entitle, or isolate? Goodman’s script doesn’t offer

resolution rather intentionally. Instead, it invites us to consider how trauma, privilege, history,

and identity intersect in ways that are often messy, painful, and unresolved. The result is a

conversation-starter, one that lingers in the mind long after the final lines are spoken.

Ultimately, “The Victim” succeeds not by offering answers, but by provoking debate. It's a

theatrical meditation on how humans listen or fail to, to one another’s pain, and how easy it is to

retreat into competition rather than compassion.

REVIEW: Barrington Stage Company, “Camelot”

Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA

www.barringtonstageco.org

through July 19, 2025

by Michael J. Moran

Based on T. H. White’s 1958 novel The Once and Future King, "Camelot" tells the story of 6th-century King Arthur of England and his Knights of the Round Table, who became known for settling disputes not through war but through law and who attracted recruits from far and wide. When virtuous Sir Lancelot arrives from France, his growing love for Arthur’s Queen, Guinevere and the treachery of Arthur’s illegitimate son Mordred put the peaceful kingdom in peril.

Photo by Daniel Rader

With a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, BSC’s enthralling production of the Tony-winning 1960 musical features a knockout cast of 17 talented singer-actors. Ken Wulf Clark brings a boyish charm to his exuberant portrayal of Arthur, who never loses his sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. The difference between his joyous take on the title song early in Act I and its more somber reprise at the end of the show is heartrending.

 

Ali Ewoldt is a resourceful Guinevere, who grows from a fearful girl in “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood” just before meeting Arthur to an achingly mature woman in “Before I Gaze at You Again” after falling for Lancelot. Emmett O’Hanlon as Lancelot finds the perfect mix of gravitas and humor introducing himself in “C’est Moi” and of rapture and vulnerability in his show-stopping ode to Guinevere, “If Ever I Would Leave You.” Ewoldt has remarkable chemistry with both her co-stars, more protective with Clark, more sensual with O’Hanlon.

Dakin Matthews offers rich comic portraits in the dual roles of Arthur’s mercurial teacher, the magician Merlyn, and of King Pellinore, a dotty more or less permanent house guest of Arthur and Guinevere. Danny Kornfeld’s gleefully malicious Mordred received an appreciative chorus of boos at his opening night curtain call. The men and women of the ensemble are versatile and seamless throughout.

Director Alan Paul (BSC’s Artistic Director) draws nuanced performances from his players and propels the action forward. Choreography by Brandon Bieber and Michele Lynch is graceful and witty, especially in “The Lusty Month of May.” Music director Darren R. Cohen’s eight-member band has outsize impact. Minimalist scenic design is by Lee Savage, tasteful costume design by Lia Wallfish and Ana Kuzmanic, and subtle lighting design by Christopher Akerlind.

BSC’s thrilling recreation of this musical theater classic is highly recommended to all audiences.