REVIEW: “The Snow Goose”

Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT  

www.goodspeed.org
August 28 – October 18, 2026

Review by Simon Brighenti

 From Daedalus to Dickenson, wings, feathers, and flight have served as something beyond a purely avian attribute. The story of Daedalus and his son Icarus serves as a cautionary tale of the futility of “flying too close to the sun.” On the other hand, Emily looks at hope as the thing with feathers.

Kahlil Gibran, Lennon & McCartney and even an obscure ‘80’s pop band use the “broken wings” metaphor in their works about love and relationships. 

"The Snow Goose," a brilliant new musical directed by Marshall Pailet playing at the Goodspeed Opera House, intertwines these themes and more in a wonderfully realized production set in wartime England. 

The setting brings the audience directly to the marshy shore near a small coastal village. The villagers have been beset by rumors of a “monster of the marsh” inhabiting their bird hunting grounds near the local lighthouse. The titular snow goose, native not to the British Isles but to Canada, is wounded in some crossfire and the kindly young lass Frith - already a reluctant participant in the hunting party - is immediately consumed with thoughts of nursing the fractured flyer back to health. Her caring and compassion lead her and the audience to discoveries about herself, about prejudice and fear, and about her family and friends. 

Ashlyn Maddox is excellent as the determined Frith who, as the story evolves, comes into herself and realizes what friendship entails and what is received in return for the giving of yourself. The true find in this production is Eric Graise as Phillip. His grace of movement and mesmerizing stage presence are enhanced by one of the strongest and most evocative singing voices heard on any regional stage in years. 

The rest of the cast is equally noteworthy. Ally Bonino as Harper inhabits a character coming to realize what her life has been about and ruminate on the path not taken. Charlie Webb as the lovelorn Wilf brings both a humor and a wistful understanding to where he stands with the important people in his life. As the Bard, Sam Sherwood provides a kind of narrative that brings the entire story together. 

The musical is based on a novella by Paul Gallico published in 1941, which in turn was based on a short story he wrote the previous year for Saturday Evening Post. The full title of the short story was “The Snow Goose: A Story of Dunkirk,” which portends that the musical itself does in fact involve that famous World War II battle and aftermath. The portrayal of the rescue which includes civilian and well as military British watercraft, may seem to those unfamiliar with the history as a convenient plot device, but it really (and incredibly) actually occurred.

The catchy tunes under the direction of Adam Souza integrate into the themes of the story and enhance the overarching portrayal of a mix of goodhearted individuals who, for their own various reasons, impart their desires, either overtly or implicitly, to be able to overcome the obstacles which life and the world has dealt them and be free to soar away from their quotidian lives; like the snow goose. 

Commentary of this musical would not be complete without mentioning the puppetry involved. Lead by the immensely talented puppeteer Leah Hofmann, the snow goose comes alive. The emotion conveyed by the choreographed flapping of wings and the variety of the tonal “honks” makes one believe that the bird is in fact a living and breathing thing.

Finally, for those who have never been to Goodspeed, go now. The waterfront setting of this venue in an archetypically quaint New England town is perfect for a production that in many ways approaches perfection as well.

It's Season #29!

The Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA   
www.majestictheater.com 

Audiences can count on the Majestic's plays to offer a mix of comedy (oftentimes farce), drama, new plays, old chestnuts, and always ending its season with a big musical. 

"Nunsense" Photo credit: Kait Rankins

Currently on stage is Nunsense, (through 10/11/26) a musical-comedy featuring actors as a cadre of atypical nuns -- thus the name "Nunsense". Think Woopie Goldberg's hit movie. Now, put it on a live stage and "Nunsense" is all the better. This classic crowd‑pleaser—an international sensation -- performed in more than 8,000 productions worldwide and winner of four Outer Critics Circle Awards.
 
Lend Me a Tenor (10/22 - 11/29, 2026) is among the best of playwright Ken Ludwig. This very funny farce set in the 1930's spins a yarn wildly out of control when a world‑famous tenor’s visit to the Grand Cleveland Opera triggers a chain reaction of mistaken identities, accidental overdoses, frantic costume swaps, and enough backstage panic to make even seasoned stage managers break a sweat.
 
Eureka Day (1/7 – 2/14/27) by Jonathan Spector is a sharply written comedy which follows a group of well‑meaning parents and school trustees as they navigate a sensitive public health concern—one that tests personal convictions, community responsibility, and the art of listening. Never taking sides, the play uses humor and insight to explore how neighbors can find common ground.
 
Arthur Miller's The Price (2/25 – 4/4/27) is a gripping and deeply human drama about the emotional costs we carry from life choices as depicted by actors portraying two long‑estranged brothers reuniting to sell their late parents’ belongings. The attic around them becomes a battleground of memory, resentment, and long‑buried truths. 
 
West Side Story (4/15 – 5/30/27), the timeless musical where soaring romance meets gripping drama, features  one of the most beloved scores in American theatre. Along with dynamic and electrifying choreography, this landmark production captures the intensity, hope, and heartbreak of young love divided by loyalty and circumstance.  
 

Additionally, the Majestic will present a variety of other upcoming shows, including:
Home for the Holidays: 12/3-6, 9-13, 16-20
Back by popular demand, this show returns for another heartwarming celebration to include Ray Guillemette, Jr., Myka Plunkett, Kait Rankins, David Webber, Madison Curbelo, Brad Shepard, and of course, SANTA.
 
Other holiday shows include:
Doo Wop Meets Motown…for Christmas! 12/7 at 7pm
Boy Band Experience: Holiday Edition! 12/8 at 7pm
Gospel Christmas with Michelle Brooks-Thompson 12/15 at 7pm

There is a lot more in this 29th year of the Majestic. Watch for a future preview to come.

Review: "Noises Off" Barrington Stage Company

Photo by Marc J. Wrzesinski

Barrington Stage Company, Pittsfield, MA
www.barringtonstageco.org 
through September 6, 2026
by Shera Cohen

Nine characters fill the set of Barrington Stage Company's (BSC) production of "Noises Off". The number could be a slight error, but there is at least that same count (probably 11) of doors, windows, hall entries to the play's bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, sitting room, and terrace, can immediately indicate that the audience is about to see a farce.  And no one does farce as humorously, broad, and fast as the British. 

Set aside all sense of order, logic, or purpose in analyzing the play's plot. Actually, there are two plots since "Noises Off" is a play within a play; and the "within play" is seen a few times over the course of several quickly fleeting months in the real play's run.

Each actor portrays a character hired by BSC as well the character's on-stage presence. Makes sense? Probably not. Nothing is serious in "Noises Off" or in "Nothing On," play within the play.

Each actor is enormously skilled at comedy, although sometimes spoken dialog is a little too fast to be deciphered. But that's okay; we get the gist. More importantly, this play is a lesson in how to achieve physical humor without destroying actors' bodies. Assuredly, the director wouldn't permit that. Prat falls abound. In addition to the usual bumping into walls, "Noises Off" takes its actors to the point of not only falling down staircases but falling up the same staircase. Not a single character or character-within-character is left out of this mayhem; especially those who must watch over platters of plastic sardines; a running funny gag. 

As talented at the cast is, those who must take the "bravo" calls and standing ovations are the Scenic co-designers: Sotirios Livaditis and Todd Rosenthal. The huge English country home with expensive interior on two levels complete with full staircase, not to mention 9 or 11 doors, is straight out of Agatha Christie mysteries.

There's more. Flip this entire set 180 degrees to now see the backstage becoming the primary set and the latter becoming the secondary set. This second act of the play is the funniest. The actual BSC audience views both plays simultaneously; and the version backstage is outright hysterical. 

The second "bravo" goes to Director Gordon Greenberg, a man with credentials throughout the world and kudos on Broadway and Off-Broadway. In essence, Greenberg is directing three plays. Explaining the details would be far more than necessary. With help from his fight choreographer and associate director, it is near amazing that actors -- most of who's characters violently dislike each other -- don't fall off the stage during their feigned calamities. 

All of BSC's tech crew is perfect, as usual. The costumes are bawdy and colorful, as is appropriate to the characters. 

"Noises Off" and "Nothing On" are chaotic and fun. The actors take their bows as an ensemble, as they should. 

Review: Yellow Wallpaper 2.0, Great Barrington Public Theater

St. James Place, Great Barrington, MA
GreatBarringtonPublicTheater
through September 6, 2026
By Suzanne Wells

With “Yellow Wallpaper 2.0,” Great Barrington Public Theater closes its summer season with a world premiere that transforms Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” into a contemporary study of confinement, identity, and psychological suspense. Written by Jennifer Maisel, directed by Judy Braha, and staged at Saint James Place, the production derives from one woman’s unraveling in a room that becomes an incubator of paranoia.

Set in the single bedroom of a New York City apartment at the start of the Covid pandemic, T, played by Cloteal L. Horne, struggles to hold together her roles as caretaker, wife, mother, and adjunct professor as lockdown magnifies the pressures inside her home. Fearing infection, she retreats into the room and begins to unravel under the weight of inequity, maternal guilt, and a need for intellectual and emotional companionship. As she turns to “The Yellow Wallpaper,” T imagines Gilman as an ideal confidante, only to fracture when the ideal gives way to flawed reality.

From that confined premise, the script grounds T’s unraveling in familiar pandemic rituals—masking, hand sanitizer, Lysol wipes, home quarantine, neighborhood concerts, and applause for essential workers—while keeping the focus on the broader forces of isolation, caregiving, and gendered labor.

That psychological strain depends heavily on Horne’s solo performance, which gives the production its force, dynamically shifting through a range of emotions, illness, and haunting delusions while using the confined playing space to draw the audience into T’s unraveling. Her sustained energy makes T’s instability feel real, human, and unsettling.

The physical world around her deepens the same pressure. The bedroom design, by Juliana von Haubrich, intensifies that psychological pressure: faded, grimy yellow wallpaper, a squeaky brass bed, a dated leather chair, and antiquated lighting create a claustrophobic world that feels at once domestic and diseased. Together, these elements give the production a keen sense of unease.

“Yellow Wallpaper 2.0” is an unsettling production that honors the original short story while pressing its concerns about social issues into a contemporary theatrical work.

This play is not recommended for children under the age of 14.

REVIEW: Anderson-Silkroad-Dinnerstein

 Laurie Anderson
Image credit: Ebru Yildiz

Tanglewood, Lenox, MA 

bso.org/tanglewood

August 3, 20, & 21, 2026 

by Michael J. Moran 

The last three concerts in Tanglewood's 2026 recital series by smaller ensembles reflected the ever-broadening range of artists presented there.  

On August 13 in Ozawa Hall, protean American musician Laurie Anderson performed two of her recent large-scale works, playing viola, keyboards, and electronics, narrating text, and leading her ensemble of five singer-instrumentalists. "Amelia" honored aviator Amelia Earhart and adapted excerpts from her pilot's log of the round-the-world flight from which she never returned. "What War Is This?," a world premiere, lamented the randomness of modern warfare, included improvised passages, and quoted several sources, most notably the Shaker song "Tis a Gift to Be Simple." Boston Symphony string players under conductor Dennis Russell Davies had a supporting role in each piece. Despite their eerie soundscapes and visceral power, both ended in fervent hope.   

A week later in Ozawa Hall, the international Silkroad Ensemble, founded in 1998 by cellist Yo-Yo Ma, presented a moving program called "Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual." Starting when the 12 musicians entered through the audience, all present were often invited to join them in singing and dancing, showing music's ability to build community. Led by American Rhiannon Giddens, ensemble members hailed from eight countries and played a vast range of instruments.               

The next afternoon in Studio E at the Linde Center, Brooklyn-based pianist Simone Dinnerstein and 15 string players from the Boston-based chamber orchestra A Far Cry collaborated in the world premiere of a new version they had just workshopped over the past few days at Tanglewood of Johann Sebastian Bach's "Goldberg Variations." Written in 1741 for solo harpsichord and played mainly on piano, the 90-minute piece (an aria - restated at the end - and 30 variations) had also been transcribed for many other instruments or ensembles. This imaginative new version by the charismatic Dinnerstein and the resourceful band (aka "Criers") was easily the most varied (jazz inflections, plucked piano strings, Criers singing, etc.) of the series' programs.

A season with this high level of excellence in Tanglewood’s recital series will be hard to top in 2027.

Mid-August Weekend in the Berkshires

Mid-August Weekend in the Berkshires

with still a few more weekends to go
by Shera Cohen

Tanglewood, Lenox, MA
Young Artists Orchestra – Except for the ages of the musicians seated on the stage of Seiji Ozawa Hall, it would have been nearly impossible for me to distinguish the talent between these accomplished students and the members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. No, I am not a learned musician, but quality can be easily recognized by just about anyone.

Conductor Lina Gonzalez-Granados looked joyful and with pride, leading the YAO for two classics: Aaron Copland’s “Suite from Billy the Kid” and Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9, From the New World”. Two more recent compositions were by Jessie Montgomery (b.1981) and Valeria Coleman (b.1970). It’s a toss-up as to who enjoyed the concert more – those on stage or those in the audience.

Tanglewood – A Tribute to John Williams
Little did I know that John Williams was famous before his collaborations with Steven Spielberg; there was “Gidget Goes to Rome” and “Home Alone”. Williams was who I will dub Composer of Multi-Million-Dollar Disaster Movies; i.e. “The Poseidon Adventure,” “Earthquake,” and “The Towering Inferno”. All disastrous and fun in my memory.

Fortunately, I have not missed the Williams’ Salutes since they began. One reviewer paraphrased a concert patron, “It’s the same every year”. Apparently, that was meant to be somewhat derogatory toward Mr. Williams and/or Tanglewood. I say, “Bravo”. First, the program is never the same. Second, even if there is one more “E.T.,” “Close Encounters,” “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Raiders,” and “Superman” (which there was), then I am in heaven. “Olympic Fanfare” and “The Theme from Schindler’s List” traditionally make the program, as well. Again, thank you.

Ken-David Masur conducted. I am always in awe of how live music is synchronized to film. Maybe I don’t want to know the magic behind it? Ben Mankiewicz, host of Turner Classic Movies for 20 years, was the MC. He spoke and dressed casually, offering anecdotes throughout. Numerous, huge screens descended from the top of the concert shed as well as along the outside of the periphery for the thousands seated on the grounds. No one could miss a sight or a note.

Surprise! But not really. Nearly all of Tanglewood Pops Concerts include an encore or two. And all include at least three standing ovations.

Unfortunately, because of Mr. Williams’ health restrictions at age 94, this is the first time that he has been absent from Tanglewood’s concert. He was sorely missed. I think that we can all assume that, whether live or video, he was able to watch his salute by his own BSO. Bravo, John Williams for the marvelous music that you have shared through the decades!

The Mount, Lenox, MA
Gardens & grounds & granite, oh my!
(plus wood, plastic, marble, ceramics, bronze & more)
Author Edith Wharton would have enjoyed walks through her expansive property, seeing depictions of art just around the corners of congregations of giant trees and in many nooks & crannies in her woods; the contrasts of modern planet-like floating globes adjacent to the old rustic barn or the shy metal deer near her four-sided pristine garden. The exhibit has taken residency at The Mount for dozens of years, free and open to the public daily from to dawn to dusk. It’s a wonderful journey for adults and families and is dog friendly. May 24 -  October 24

Chesterwood, Stockbridge, MA
Home of Daniel Chester French – The creator of the Lincoln Memorial in DC, George Washington Statue in Boston lived in a huge, decorated mansion in Stockbridge. Alongside the house is French’s workshop with miniature and near-life sized sculptures. Paying homage to the country’s 250th anniversary is his statue of the Minute Man. The Revolutionary Teapot exhibit includes several drawn with wording like “No Stamp Act” and another “No Kings,” from the 1760’s and 1770’s.

Some thoughts that apply to most museums and historic homes’ tour guides job descriptions are knowledgeable and friendly with rapport that connects with those in the group. Our hour-long tour was led by a young woman who knew her stuff yet not in a didactic manner. She was casual, informative, and most importantly answered our questions. She led us through the grounds, house, workshop, eventually to the veranda where we sat to observe the seemingly unending range of the Berkshire Mountains. May 15 – October 31

Contemporary Sculpture Outdoor Show – This is Chesterwood’s exhibit now 48 years and running featuring dozens of large sculpture art. Titled “In the Open: New England Sculptors  Reclaim the Landscape,” the meaning is a dialogue between art and nature. Chesterwood’s landscape plays host to works by regional artists. Some pieces are obvious in meaning, some not, some situated for all to see, others tucked away in the woods. On specific dates, the exhibit is led by a guide; otherwise it is TIY. June 15 – October 31, 2026

Downtown Lee, MA
Literally a drive-by is the weekly farmers’ market and craft fair on the town green. Lots of townsfolk there and tourists. Lee’s downtown is short, less than a half mile, from the US Flag to Joe’s Diner. Alas, our clock was ticking to get to Tanglewood. Save Lee for another weekend.

Downtown Stockbridge, MA
The drive, this time returning to Lee, en route to Shakespeare & Company, was a take-out lunch stop at Main Street Cafe – part store, part ice cream shop (with a choice of nearly every ice cream flavor imaginable), part indoor/outdoor family restaurant (always crowded). I ordered a quick tuna on rye. Thank you for no celery. I didn’t intend to get the piece of home-made carrot cake, but it was staring in front of me.

Shakespeare & Company, Lenox, MA
“Hamlet” – Not that all plays presented at Shakespeare & Company are by the Bard; perhaps about half during each summer season. If anyone guessed which was the most famous, it might be a tie between “Romeo & Juliet” and “Hamlet”. For those, and there are many, who think that Shakespeare is not for them, this “Hamlet” is the most accessible that I have ever attended. And, I am not alone, as I looked around seeing a full house. See review in this blog. August 13 – 30, 2026

Review & Talk-back: Ballet Hispanico New York

August 23, 2026

Jacob’s Pillow, Becket, MA

www.jacobspillow.org

by Shera Cohen

We are so fortunate that one of the premiere dance festivals in this country is located in Berkshire County, just an hour from Springfield, MA; where In the Spotlight “lives”.

In all honesty, dance is the performing art form of which I am the least knowledgeable. That is probably one of the reasons that I can sit back and simply enjoy without tasking myself to write a bona fide review. As I have written often in the past, my dance critiques are commentaries by a layperson to others like me; somewhat educated on the subject matter but by no means an authority.

 

Over the years, including this summer, I purposely choose to see at least one Latin dance troupe – my favorite ethnic style. Ballet Hispanico New York last week had been exactly what I expected. The group is the nation’s leading American Latino dance company and the largest cultural institution of its kind in the U.S. For over five decades, it has commissioned over 100 original works and performed on the world’s most prestigious stages.

 

The beauty and precision of the female and male dancers working solo or as a group was exemplary. These dances were not simply cassinettes clipping to Latin music. I picture black & white movies of the 1940’s and 50’s. What I saw was ballet from other cultures – emphasizing the troupe’s title, Ballet Hispanico. The dancers’ homes were Mexico, Guatemala, Bermuda, Cuba, and Brazil. The costumes’ colors, the young faces, and the live music all played into the presentation of what was a wonderful program.

 

Their hand-out states that Ballet Hispanico “inspires generations through performances, education, and community engagement”. This topic was the focus of the dance’s talk-back immediately following the concert. We were fortunate to attend on one of the dates when the weekly Pillow Talk took place. These are free discussions held in Blake's Barn on campus.

The speakers were four dance professionals conducting a casual conversation followed by Q&A; they included Ballet Hispanico's Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro. The others on the panel were from the company as well as the Pillow. 

The audience at Blake’s Barn was mixed – people from Latino cultures and those having many different backgrounds. Some in attendance were seniors, yet there were families with youngsters. Every seat was taken. Why? We wanted to understand, to appreciate, and to learn. Dance was, of course, the core interest of each person on the panel. They spoke quite eloquently about their own backgrounds and dance studies, the importance of the troupe’s evolving history, and Latino societies and how one description does not fit all.

Jacob’s Pillow’s 2026 season is almost over. A consolation is that here is always next year. Watch for the Pillow’s schedule which usually comes out in the spring to plan your summer of culture.