Review: "Grease" Opera House Players

Opera House Players

Temple Beth El, Springfield, MA

https://www.operahouseplayers.org/show-information 

through August 16, 2026

by Shera Cohen

It is safe to say that "Grease," the movie and the musical (the latter ran on Broadway for 8 years) is a favorite of all generations. That was the case by a look at the packed house at the production of "Grease" by OHP, yet this time located on the stage of Temple Beth El, Springfield. 

OHP, in the throes of renovation of its permanent theatre in Enfield, CT, is using the temple for what they plan to be a one-time only move. This alternate venue is intended to keep patrons and performers safe and comfortable in an air-conditioned environment.

Perhaps designed purposefully, or not, this version of the musical seems to be an ensemble rather than a vehicle to showcase the characters Danny and Sandy. Atypical can be a plus for OHP. After all, the stars sing very few solos and one duet. Kudos truly belong to the company; meaning just about everyone onstage. 

Bravo to codirectors Stevie Norman and Michael King, and equally to choreographer Chantel Martin for successfully manipulating 21 actors/singers/dancers on a relatively small, unfamiliar stage. The big numbers -- "Grease Is the Word," "We Go Together," "Shakin' at the High School Hop," "You're the One that I Want" and "Hand Jive" are the winning elements of OHP's version of "Grease". Can anyone return on the ride home without humming or singing at least one of these standout songs?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Many players, as well as members of the creative team, are newcomers to OHP; and nearly all are young. Everyone in theatre must start somewhere. As wonderful as it is to offer this opportunity to newbies, a suggestion is to mix it up in the future. Immediately recognizing Tim Reilly as the oldest cast member (no insult intended, because by far, Reilly is certainly one of the best in local community theatre), without scene-stealing, he makes Act II shine. In fact, Act II is fun; not just because Danny and Sandy "go together" at the musical's end.

Direction of Act I needs more humor, whether it be physical interactions between characters and/or conversations.

Forgivable problems attribute to a new venue and opening night. Many sound glitches and reverberations jar the audience and slow the dialogue, lighting beams in wrong sections, set changes taking much too long, and some backrow and sideline dancers scattered. Assuredly, these errors will diminish as the production continues this weekend and next.

The energy of the actors is evident. See this musical soon, as "Grease is the word."

Note: "Grease" depicts the 1950's and hit Broadway in the early 1970's. Remember that the script is extremely dated and some material might be suggestive to children.

REVIEW: Mt. Holyoke College Summer Theatre, "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express"

Mt. Holyoke College, South Hadley, MA

MHCSummerTheatre@MtHolyoke.edu

through July 11, 2026
by Nechama Katan

All aboard! After a 25 year wait, Mt. Holyoke College Summer Theatre has finally pulled its inaugural season into the station, and the ride is well worth the ticket.

For those who don't know the story: when a passenger turns up murdered in his locked compartment on the snowbound Orient Express, the world's most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, must sift through a train car full of secrets, lies, and suspects before the killer strikes again. Ken Ludwig's stage adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic keeps the whodunit twisty right up to the final reveal.

Sam Samuels anchors the show as Poirot, bringing the detective's fussy precision and quiet command to every scene without ever tipping into caricature. Wally Marsano-Lesnevich is a delight as Monsieur Bouc, the railway director whose composure crumbles convincingly as the suspect count grows. Emma Yee, a student performer, makes the mousy missionary Greta Ohlsson genuinely memorable, no small feat in a play stuffed with big personalities. 
 
This company is built on an unusual mix: students and professional actors. There are too many to mention each one's performance. The professionals take on the larger roles, and the pairing works. It's difficult to discern which actors belong in which category. That's the whole point, and it works.
 
Artistic Director Noah Ilya-Alexis Tuleja, who said of the production, "After 25 years this train is finally leaving the station and you won't want to miss this ride!", threads in touches of humor that keep what could be a very heavy play light on its feet.
 
Alina Tschumakow's set is more functional than fancy, a handful of pieces that the cast itself wheels and carries into place to turn a hotel in Istanbul into first class train compartments and then a dining car. It sounds like it shouldn't work, but it does. The curtain gets a real workout too, doing double duty as scenery and as its own bit of stagecraft. Managing Director and costume designer Jensen Glick, along with Sam Skynner's lighting and Gillian Tomlinson's sound design, round out a team clearly working with a modest budget and a lot of imagination. There are more names on the crew list, and every one of them earns a bow.
 
The venue is a dance theatre pressed into service as a playhouse, general admission. There truly isn't a bad seat in the house, and air-conditioning held up well during this heatwave. The seats are surprisingly comfortable for a studio space. The audience's attention leans in at exactly the right moments for a mystery plot. Enjoyable, as with most who-dun-it plays are the murmuring theories at intermission.

 For those not particularly familiar with Christie's stories, watching how the characters build out and are played will be enjoyable. Those in the audience who do not know the story will enjoy a genuinely fun puzzle. Mt. Holyoke is an easy trip from the Springfield area, and the acting is stronger than the price has any right to promise. When this train pulls out of the station, make sure you are on it, and pencil in "39 Steps" for later in the season. 

REVIEW: Springfield Chamber Players, SCP Oboe Quartet

52 Sumner, Springfield, MA 
https://www.springfieldsymphonymusicians.com/
May 17, 2026 
by Michael J. Moran 

The “SCP Oboe Quartet” closed the Springfield Chamber Players’ second season at 52 Sumner with a typically stimulating and entertaining program of six chamber music selections, mixing old and new, familiar and less known repertoire. The acoustics of this former church are clear, warm, and spacious.

The quartet’s members are: Marsha Harbison, retiring Assistant Concertmaster of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra; SSO oboist and English horn player Karen Hosmer; SSO violist Dani Rimoni; and SSO cellist Boris Kogan. The concert, in honor of the late Dr. William Harbison, Marsha’s husband and an avid supporter of the SCP, drew a sizable and enthusiastic crowd. 

The concert opened with an elegant performance of German Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann’s four-movement “Trio Sonata in a Minor.” Next came a century-and-a-half leap forward to the best-known work on the program, Mozart’s cheerful three-movement 1781 “Oboe Quartet in F Major.” The ensemble gave it a sprightly turn, with Hosmer displaying greater virtuosity in the first and last movements than the oboe’s design allowed in Telemann’s time. 

The strings then turned in lively readings of two movements from Beethoven’s early (1797) six-movement “Serenade in D Major, Op. 8:” a charming opening (and closing) march; and an affectionate Polish dance. This was followed by a moving account of Brett L. Wery’s dramatic 8-minute “Passage of Orpheus for English Horn and String Trio.” Depicting Orpheus’s rescue and loss of his lover Eurydice in the underworld, it features soulful work by Hosmer (who is also Wery’s wife) portraying Eurydice alone on the English horn, a slightly larger and darker version of the oboe. 

The concert continued with a bracing rendition of French composer Jean Francaix’s jazzy 1971 “Quartet for English Horn and String Trio.” The three movements exuded alternately bustling and quiet corners of daily life in contemporary Paris. The afternoon ended with a novelty by George Gershwin, “Promenade: Walking the Dog,” in which Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire walk a dog on board a luxury liner in the 1937 film “Shall We Dance?” The ensemble took it for an aptly jaunty spin. 
  
Engaging comments before each piece by Harbison or Hosmer made up for the lack of program notes, and the Players commendably save paper by making a program list and performer bios easily accessible via QR code. 

REVIEW: Springfield Symphony Orchestra, “Brahms and a Modern Voice”

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA 

https://www.springfieldsymphony.org/

May 2, 2026 

by Michael J. Moran 

The SSO’s season finale, sponsored by the Harbison family in memory of amateur violist and SSO supporter William “Bill” Harbison, who died earlier this year, began by honoring his wife Marsha Harbison, retiring as SSO Assistant Concertmaster after 49 years in the orchestra. She told several short anecdotes about Bill, one involving a piece on today’s program, which set a warm, welcoming tone for the large house at this concert. 

Guest conductor Courtney Lewis, Music Director of the Jacksonville (FL) Symphony, opened the program with the first of three suites of “Ancient Airs and Dances,” arranged for modern orchestra by Ottorino Respighi from lute pieces of early Italian and French composers. Lewis led the SSO in sparkling accounts of a stately “Balletto” (Molinaro), graceful “Gagliarda” (Galilei), charming “Villanella,” and lively “Passo mezzo e Mascherada” (both anonymous). 

Photo Credit Silver Photography

Next, American violinist Charles Yang was a brilliant soloist in the concerto “For a Younger Self,” which film composer Kris Bowers wrote for Yang in 2019-2020. Bowers’ musical story-telling skills (he also wrote the score for the series “Bridgerton”) were well suited to Yang’s rock star personality and flamboyant performance style. 

 

Following Bowers’ instructions, Yang expressed the “chaos and anxiety” of the young artist in the “Moderato ma non troppo,” “gently” navigated the quiet “Larghetto,” and dispatched the “Presto” finale “with [the] ease and confidence” of a mature artist. Lewis and the orchestra were agile accompanists. 

A standing ovation brought Yang back to perform what he called “an unscripted, improvised” encore, playing and singing Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” with dazzling rhythm and blues chops. 

The program closed with a powerful rendition of Johannes Brahms’ 1877 second symphony. A dramatic “Allegro non troppo,” a serene “Adagio non troppo” (where the cellos played their opening passage “with love,” in Marsha Harbison’s words), and a lilting “Allegretto grazioso” led to an outburst of joy in the closing “Allegro con spirito.” With perfectly judged tempos in all four movements, Lewis may have surpassed even his impressive SSO debut on short notice last year, drawing inspired playing from all sections of the supercharged ensemble. The enthusiastic audience would clearly welcome more return visits by this dynamic conductor. 

The SSO will next present a Juneteenth concert on June 19.

Preview: Author Talk, A Biography of Eleanor Powell, Springfield Native

Thursday, May 28, 2026, 7pm-8:30pm

Hope Center for the Arts

150 Bridge St., Springfield MA

FREE, open to the public!

Lisa Royere, co-author of a biography of of Eleanor Powell

will speak and show a video on her book.

Watch on YouTube

Review: Majestic Theater, “Come From Away”

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
https://www.majestictheater.com/
by Shera Cohen

Canadians are the nicest people in the world. Everyone knows this. The musical “Come from Away” proves it.

Photo by Kait Rankins

Imagine 7,000 uninvited visitors arriving, all at the same time, in your tiny town whose own population numbers are nearly the same. The initial response might be, “Get the heck outa’ here.” Yet the folk of Gander, Newfoundland emerge as an ensemble of 12 amazingly talented actors/singers who not only open their doors wide, set up dormitories, cook up meals, pour on the beer, and install as many phones as Gander can find.

The plot starts on 9/11/2001 and the days that follow when 38 planes were diverted to Canada. With horrific challenges in the world beginning on that fateful day, these passengers were not initially aware of the terror in the U.S.

The stirring opening number, “Welcome to the Rock,” features the full cast singing, hooting, ‘n foot-stompin’. While there are no hummable tunes for the drive home, most of the music is atypical from musicals “back in the day”—here we have country meets ballad meets sea-shanty.

Director Russell Garrett doubles an already immense role with that of choreographer. Movement is seamless from one vignette to another. There is purpose in every encounter between characters. Each actor’s role is essential to create the relationships among passengers, and more importantly between the homespun Canadians and the strangers embarking on Gander.

Garrett creates an atmosphere of hope and camaraderie and gifts the audience a piece of humanity, made more poignant because it depicts an honest point in human history.

The actors take on at least two roles; one as a townie and the other as an airplane passenger. Each actor changes his or her character instantly. A hat, a small prop, a gesture transforms one distinct personality into another. Never for a moment is the audience confused. Canadian accents also trade off with Texan, British, or Middle Eastern, and then back again.

For the most part the set, too, transposes from numerous locations as actors essentially play musical chairs in the townies’ café “where everybody knows your name” and then to seats on the plane where no one knows you, or care.

Throughout the performance, many of the musicians are visible onstage, blending within the action. They are a fun, talented group, playing on an eclectic collection of instruments: pipes, mandolins, and bouzouki, and bodhran (a stringed instrument and a drum, by the way).

Many theatergoers have never heard of "Come From Away”. These two-hours at the Majestic are joyful. What is special about this show is that; it is incredibly inventive in style, music, and staging, it manages to be deeply affecting and moving -- true account of people simply being nice to each other when needed most.

 

Review: Majestic Theater, "Dear Jack, Dear Louise"

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
http://www.majestictheater.com 
by Suzanne Wells

Some say letter writing is a dying art form; however, it is revitalized in "Dear Jack, Dear Louise," a play written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Sue Dziura, at the Majestic Theater. Set against the backdrop of WWII, this romantic comedy follows two strangers whose heartfelt exchanges blossom into love. Their witty, vulnerable letters not only reveal their deepest hopes and fears but also forge an unbreakable bond, offering comfort and courage as they navigate the uncertainties of war.

The early 1940's come to life with Matthew Whiton’s stage design, which cleverly divides the space between Jack’s stark, utilitarian military quarters and Louise’s colorful, cluttered boarding house room. Dawn McKay’s costume design with authentic touches to Jack’s uniforms and Louise’s wardrobe accentuate the period. In addition to the set and costumes, lighting designer Daniel David Rist and sound designer Ryan Hickey’s collaboration significantly contributes to the more dramatic scenes of the era.

Alexandra O’Halloran’s and Gregory Boover’s dynamic interplay animate both the humor and poignancy of the script. She delivers an outstanding performance as Louise, infusing the character with vivacious energy and charm. From her enthusiastic auditions as an up & coming actress to her outrageous depictions of Jack’s relatives, O’Halloran is brimming with excitement and effusive optimism, leaving the audience wondering what her audacious character will do next.

 In contrast, Gregory Boover’s quietly dramatic portrayal of Jack, a military doctors who is a contemplative and shy man, is enhanced by O’Halloran’s energy. Boover’s subtle, nuanced acting is particularly striking when Jack reveals the emotional weight of the war’s brutality. The actors dynamic interplay brings their correspondence—and their growing bond—to vivid life.

While the storyline is partly perfunctory in its coverage of WWII, it also provides an alternative view of the era highlighting the roles of these characters in supporting the war effort. Though the plot can be a little predictable, the comedy aspect is genuinely funny, and the more dramatic moments are heart wrenching.

 "Dear Jack, Dear Louise" is a profound tribute to the power of art, love, and resilience.

Review: Springfield Symphony Orchestre, "Let's Groove Tonight..."

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA

www.springfieldsymphonyorchestra.org 

through January 17, 2026

by Paul Jenney

Springfield Symphony Orchestra presented "Let’s Groove Tonight – Motown and the Philly Sound" -- a joyful and stylish celebration of funk and soul. The orchestra delivered a performance that was infectious and brought the beat, and the house down several times.

Conductor William Waldrop began with a driven rendition of TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) before the guest singers, Cherise Coaches, Brik Liam and Jeremy Keith, came on stage to start the party with “Let’s Groove". And the audience did. This was Keith's debut with the act, and he brought his “A” game and never stopped. Coaches' soaring vocals were stellar and Liam's baritone became the vocal bass for the others to perform on.

Providing warmth and sheen, the strings echoed the lush arrangements that made Philadelphia International Records famous, while the brass and percussion brought punch and swagger to the Motown classics.

 

Particularly impressive was the thundering sax that punctuated several songs, and a driving trumpet on others. The orchestra’s versatility shined as the program shifted seamlessly between the driving backbeat of funk and the smoother, orchestrally rich textures of Philly soul.

What stood out most was the sense of fun and connection in Symphony Hall. Waldrop and the singers clearly understood how to engage both musicians and audience. The crowd responded accordingly, with audible enthusiasm and a palpable sense of nostalgia for the 70's. Many danced in the aisles and even hopped aboard the O’Jay’s “Love Train” that wound round the perimeter.

"Let’s Groove Tonight" showcased the SSO's versatility and its willingness to meet audiences where they are, while maintaining high musical standards. The program honored the legacy of Motown and the Philly sound on MLK’s birthday weekend.

REVIEW: Springfield Chamber Players, Sonic Pulse

Springfield Chamber Players, Springfield, MA
www.springfieldsymphonymusicians.com
November 23, 2025
by Michael J. Moran

Never has a more diverse array of percussion instruments likely filled the stage of 52 Sumner, this ensemble’s home, than at today’s concert. The afternoon’s four performers, led by Nathan Lassell, Springfield Symphony Orchestra Principal Percussionist, have equally diverse backgrounds. While all teach and play in orchestras, their musical experience ranges from jazz and film to video games. 

The seven pieces on their program showcased the surprisingly wide variety of the percussion repertoire. The concert began with James Romig’s 2003 composition “The Frame Problem,” in which a trio plays a theme in different meters and at shifting dynamic levels on woods, metals, and drums as solos, duets, and a closing trio. The title suggests that artificial intelligence cannot grasp, or “frame,” this theme a

Photo by Angela Park

s accurately as the human mind. Lassell, Doug Perry, and David West played it with color and verve.

Lassell next soloed on Eric Guinavan’s 2020 “Hypernova,” with a small kit of vibratone, gongs, and drums, plus electronic playback, capturing the title’s reference to a stellar explosion in outer space with eerie, explosive energy. The full foursome followed with a rambunctious take on Clark Hubbard’s 2024 “Stardust” for two vibraphonists and two drummers, which Hubbard calls “a blend of rock, metal, funk” and which for Lassell evokes the band Metallica.

Perry then fashioned an alternately delicate and rollicking vibraphone improvisation, backed with imagination by Lassell on an assortment of smaller instruments. Axel Clarke’s trio “Roe-Sham-Beau” is based on a West African rhythm, which, in Lassell’s words and in his animated reading with West and Makana Medeiros on woods, drums, and vibraphones, made for “a cool conversation.”

For the last two pieces, the performers moved off stage directly in front of the audience. The dramatic high point of the program was a virtuosic rendition by Medeiros on bongo drum and French-language vocals of Georges Aperghis’ riveting 1978 theatrical monologue “Le Corps a Corps” (“Body to Body”).

The joyful closing number was a “Kpanlogo,” a traditional Ghanaian dance rhythm, featuring the quartet playing exuberantly on barrel drums, an energized audience singing along, and one brave concertgoer joining the ensemble, at West’s invitation, on a fifth drum, blending right in.  

The success of this stunning concert, heard in warm and clear acoustics, was perhaps most evident in the record number of engaged attendees who lingered to speak with the accessible musicians afterwards.

REVIEW: Majestic Theater, “Steel Magnolias”

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA  
www.majestictheater.com
through November 30, 2025
by Paul Jenney

The stage of the Majestic is transformed into a cozy Southern hairdressing salon, a world where women get pampered, laugh, argue, and swap secrets about friends, family, health, relationships, and anything else making the rounds in town that day.

Our story unfolds inside Truvy’s salon. Portrayed by a perky Elaine Hom, Truvy has just hired a new stylist, Annelle (Kait Rankins), who is shy, polite, and harboring a mysterious past. Meanwhile, Shelby is getting married later that day. She and her mother, M’Lynn, arrive for wedding-day hairdos. M’Lynn is the classic over-involved parent, managing every detail with love and just a little too much control, to Shelby’s visible irritation.

Soon, the salon regulars begin arriving, from cheerful Clairee, who laughs easily and seems to know everything about everyone, to the sharp-tongued Ouiser, who never misses a chance to fire off a one-liner. Their banter touches all the familiar salon staples: reckless hobbies of husbands, like shooting off guns for fun (Ryan Hickey’s sound design created

great atmosphere), questionable romance choices, and health struggles that test even the toughest spirits. Through it all, these women handle life with grit, love, and humor.

Angela Dias’s Ouiser relishes every caustic comment, and laughter follows her wherever she goes. MaConnia Chesser’s Clairee delivers her lines with impeccable timing and understated wit.

The second act becomes more poignant as Shelby’s health crisis takes center stage. The tears shared among these women, along with their unwavering solidarity, make the story’s emotional impact hit home. Both Raya Malcom (Shelby) and Cate Damon (M’Lynn) nailed their roles here.

Anyone who has ever sat in a salon chair or worked at one will instantly recognize the rhythm of these conversations, the way secrets slip out, and the unique sense of community found among hair dryers and curlers. Inspired by the real-life story of his sister, Susan, who died of complications from diabetes, playwright Robert Harling captures women’s voices, vulnerabilities, and humor with striking authenticity.

In today’s world of cell phones, laptops, and fewer genuine spaces to connect, it was fun — and touching — to watch women gather, support, challenge, and care for one another. The audience laughed, cried, and felt everything in between.

Perhaps that small-town world never really existed quite as perfectly as we imagined, but for a few hours, it was wonderful to believe it did.

 

REVIEW: Springfield Chamber Players, "All about the Bass"

Springfield Chamber Players,
Springfield, MA
https://www.springfieldsymphonymusicians.com/
October 26, 2025
by Michael J. Moran

Today’s concert opened this ensemble’s second season at its comfortable venue, 52 Sumner, at 52 Sumner Avenue in Springfield, with warm acoustics and ample free parking. The aptly titled program featured Alexander Svensen, Assistant Principal bassist of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, who also plays bass in the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and elsewhere across the northeastern United States.   

The concert began with three waltzes for “solo double bass” (another name for the bass, as Svensen quipped, because it’s “twice as good” as other instruments) by Italian composer and bass player Domenico Dragonetti. Nicknamed “Il Drago,” his virtuosity so impressed his contemporaries, including Beethoven, that the bass soon became more prominent in many orchestral scores. Svensen played these waltzes with an easy swing, drawing on his jazz background.   

Next came Scotia Aerin Switzer’s 2014 “Five Miniatures for Solo Bassoon,” arranged for bass by Svensen and Switzer. The low-lying sonority of these quirky pieces translates well to the bass, and Svensen tossed off their technical challenges with aplomb.

Introducing Johann Sebastian Bach’s 1720 second suite for solo cello, Svensen noted that in its higher “singing bel canto voice,” the bass can sound very much like a cello, while also retaining the deep resonant power of its lower tones. An imposing “Prelude” was followed by five short movements in French dance tempos: a stately “Allemande,” a fleet “Courante,” a ravishing “Sarabande,” in which time almost stopped, two graceful “Minuets,” and a lively “Gigue."

Svensen was next joined by violinist Romina Kostare, also an SSO and HSO member, in seven of the “44 Duos for Two Violins,” written by Hungarian composer Bela Bartok in 1933 as teaching exercises for children. Kostare’s nimble violin contrasted sharply with Svensen’s hefty bass in these appealingly varied selections, all based on eastern European folk tunes.

Photo by Angela Park

The program ended with Russian composer Alexander Muravyev’s 2014 “Alice in Wonderland – Suite for Double Bass Solo.” Alternating chipper narration by Patrick Berry of six scenes from Lewis Carroll’s book with Svensen’s playful accounts of Muravyev’s colorful depictions, the piece was played in memory of local arts impresario Mark Auerbach, without whom Svensen said “the Springfield Chamber Players would not exist.” Images of a smiling Auerbach and of John Tenniel’s original book illustrations were projected behind the stage.

This entertaining and enlightening program by the charismatic Svensen and friends sets a high standard for this resourceful ensemble’s new season

REVIEW: Springfield Symphony Orchestra, “A Night in Italy”

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA
www.springfieldsymphony.org
October 11, 2025
by Beverly Dane

Opening Night for the 2025/2026 season was a tribute to Springfield’s Italian heritage and featured both classical and contemporary selections. The opening number, by tradition, had the audience standing for the national anthem. Springfield Mayor Dominic Sarno was glad to accept “an offer he could not refuse” to deliver opening remarks and express thanks to audience members and musicians for their support and dedication. Heather Caisse-Roberts, the Symphony’s new President and CEO, brought energy and enthusiasm as she thanked past President Paul Lambert and all those in attendance for making a new season possible.

Six big bold brass soundings opened the concert with Verdi’s “Force of Destiny” Overture. Ottorino Respighi’s “Ancient Airs and Dances: Suite III” brought approximately two dozen musicians of The Springfield Youth Orchestra to the stage to play side by side with the SSO’s professional musicians. The all-strings orchestra rose to the occasion. The sound was beautiful, and they will hopefully play with the SSO for many years to come. Guest conductor and SSO Artistic Advisor Mei-Ann Chen asked all parents and teachers of the students to stand for a round of applause. In her words, “It takes a village to raise an orchestra.”

The iconic sound of the solo trumpet opening of Nino Rota’s music for “The Godfather” were familiar and expected, but what was unexpected was the trumpet played from the Grand Tier balcony of Symphony Hall.

This surprise was magnified in Respighi’s “Pines of Rome.” Before it started, the conductor’s podium was removed. It was impressive to be able to conduct without a score, but what was more impressive was the full-body conducting of Mei-Ann Chen. The piece opens brightly with strings, wind, brass and percussion mimicking happy children at play. The second movement depicts the Catacombs with a mournful, somber sound. The third movement features the clarinet as a nightingale, and recorded bird song filled the hall. The fourth movement is a loud, rousing parade, suggesting the Roman Army marching along the Appian Way.

The main body of the orchestra was on stage, but there were French horns in the Left Loge, trumpets in the Grand Tier, and trombones in the Right Tier. It was Surround Sound, and Conductor Chen was employing 360 degrees of conducting. Even when the music had ended, Chen’s exuberant cue for the musicians to rise highlighted her talent for full-body bows.

Preview: Symphony Hall, “A Taste of Ireland”

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA

www.atasteofirelandshow.com

September 27, 2025

by Janice Daley Webb

Photo by Chris Hardy

When my mom died in 2013, I thought - I better start doing what I've always wanted to do, not just what I have to do. Life is actually pretty short to fit it all in.

I decided to take dancing lessons with the Claddagh School of Irish Dance at the John Boyle O'Reilly Club, Springfield, MA. Mary and Bill Quinn taught the wee ones to teens and adults. I joined the adult group. As an aside, it helped that the adults are taught downstairs in the pub! 

As a lover of Irish music and dance, it was a thrill for me to interview one of the dancers of “A Taste of Ireland,” Rochelle Hoffmann from British Colombia. Rochelle is a cast dancer as well as understudy for lead dancers. She is one of the dancers with the East Coast troupe.

Please tell me some background details of the troupe.
Rochelle: Brent Pace and Ceili Moore, both Australians as well as Champion dancers, toured professionally with other world-renowned companies. They decided 10 years ago to bring their own vision to the world stage.

There are many Irish step dance groups now that Michael Flatley opened the floodgates. How is your group unique?

Rochelle: A Taste of Ireland is unique as it entertains as well as tells the story of Ireland, from the Vikings to the Potato Famine to modern day. Our dance stories can be emotional for the audience. All music and tap are live; nothing recorded. We use traditional Irish songs such as “Danny Boy,” but some contemporary music as well.  

Tell me about the dancers.
Rochelle: It's an international staff: Australians, New Zealanders, Canadians, Americans, Irish, and English. People from all over. There are 14 dancers split evenly – 7 boys, 7 girls. All might perform nightly, depending on their health or schedule.

How long does a dancer tour?
Rochelle: I started in August, and I’m scheduled to perform until December, which is five months. Some dancers are here for their first year, some for their tenth. Dancing is  great physical exercise, but I find it's just as challenging mentally; to remember my spot and my steps.

What's your favorite number to perform?   
Rochelle: There are two acoustic numbers in the show. In one dance, the audience only hears the taps of the hard shoes making music. When that is performed perfectly, when everyone is in sync, that's a great feeling. 

How quickly must you learn your steps and keep your focus sharp for each show?
Rochelle: Getting ready for the West Coast tour, there are new people joining the cast. We'll have four days of rehearsal before touring. People learn differently, some by dancing, some by watching, some by taking cues from the music. 

You had said that you were also an understudy. What does that mean in a dance group?
Rochelle: Understudies have a tough job; they need to know their own steps and those of the Lead Dancer in case a call comes at the last minute to substitute. Usually, the need for a substitute is due to a dancer’s illness or injury. Taking care of our dancers is so important. If anyone has a physical issue, we may try to find a physical therapist locally to help work out the injury.

How do you stay healthy?  Fast food can be tempting on the road. 
Rochelle: This year my mates and I invested in an Air Fryer. We shop locally for carbs and vegetables; we eat pretty healthy, which is important.  

How do you relax after a performance.
Rochelle: We get out of a performance pretty late. I take off my makeup, stretch, and use ice packs - these rituals can be pretty relaxing in themselves. Then I might just turn on some TV to “veg” and relax enough to fall asleep. Hopefully, we can sleep in the next day.

Your show runs simultaneously for East Coast and West Coast tours in the US. How does the administration choose who goes to each side of the country?
Rochelle: We are assigned to whichever troupe works best for us. It's the same music and choreography on both the West and East coast. Sometimes, slotting a dancer to a troupe  depends on the physical height of the performers. The couples doing lifts need to be about the same height - tall boys with tall girls and shorter boys with shorter girls. [This can dictate which group they will be assigned.]

Any message you'd like to get out to the public? 
Rochelle: Of course, come see us. It’s a fun way to learn a little about the history of Ireland and very entertaining with great music and great dancing.

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: Springfield Chamber Players, "Broadway With Strings Attached"

52 Sumner, Springfield, MA

www.springfieldsymphonymusicians.com

April 26, 2025

by Lisa Covi

To echo a question from Cabaret, "What good is sitting alone in your room?"

 

An enthusiastic crowd answered the siren call of musical theater to experience a unique program of favorites and hidden gems at 52 Sumner, Springfield. 

Mark Auerbach, a performer, journalist and PR consultant for the Springfield Chamber Players (formerly called MOSSO) along with Marty Kluger (narrator, vocalist and conductor) compiled selections from 21 Broadway musicals for string quartet and voices.

Each selection related to orchestral strings: "Fiddler on the Roof," characters who are string players ("A Little Night Music"), or Thomas Jefferson's courtship by "Violin" ("1776").

 

The virtuosity of Beth Welty, Delores Thayer, Yoonhee Ko and Ronald Gorevic transformed their instruments into harmonious and atonal passages that furnished both setting and Greek chorus to the gifted singers. Spencer Reese and Sara Vincelett Dredge delivered expressive vocal interpretations that made even the most familiar ballads such as “Send in the Clowns” or “The Impossible Dream” unique characterizations. Orchestral passages showcased breadth and depth in “The Band's Visit” Israeli bleatings, “Oklahoma” broad square dance twangs and “On The Town” New York's romp of fleet week.

Although the 52 Sumner venue provides fine acoustics, comfortable seating and cash bar, the stage layout seemed a bit awkward with Kluger conducting the quartet occasionally from the center of the stage between the other vocalists and the strings seated on the far left.

The informal tone struck a pleasant chord with the humor in the narration, the named t-shirt costume, surprisingly choreographed dance and finale sing-along.

The Springfield Chamber Players are a valuable cultural resource which provided a convenient and pleasant opportunity to enjoy a well-crafted Pops program.

Review: Majestic Theater, “Waitress”

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA

www.majestictheater.com 

through June 1, 2025

by Shera Cohen

The Majestic Theater traditionally ends its seasons with musicals; always audience pleasers which leave theatergoers on a literal “high note”.

“Waitress” fills the bill with its contemporary, mostly light, story of everyday folk just making their way through life. The plot takes ordinary characters and, in many cases, makes them special each for their own personality and talents. 

The setting is an aging small-town diner, and the focus is the staff, who just happen to sing and dance. Ahh, such is the formula for a musical. Although “Waitress” is based on the adorable dramedy movie of the same name.

Chelsie Nectar as Jenna

Chelsie Nectow (our lead, waitress Jenna) is a pie-maker extraordinaire. Appearing in nearly every scene, Nectow has a lot of work to do as an actress and cook. Nectow is a dynamic singer who can act, as opposed to the reverse – actress who can sing. There is a distinct difference.

Two other waitresses form the triumvirate; it is these ladies who bring the audience into their fun and foibles. Lyndsay Hart (Dawn) and Yewande Odetoyinbo (Becky) possess vocal skills and acting chops. It is Hart who steals the show, not just because of her multi-talents; also because Director Sue Dziura gives her the opportunity.

Nectow must show more emotion as Jenna who is pregnant by her ne’er do well husband and not at all happy about it. As beautiful as many of her solos are, the actress faces the fourth wall; separated from everyone and everything else. This doesn’t work. The audience must care about her fate and that of her baby.

The two male actors, in lesser roles, are each a breath of fresh air. Nicholas Futris portrays Ogie as a sweet yet crazed wannabe boyfriend to Dawn, and Gregory Boover becomes the antithesis of all that a proper gynecologist should be. It’s obvious that Boover has lots of credits on his acting bio. He is effervescent and hysterical. The horny episodes between Jenna and the doc on the examining  table, complete with stirrups, are certainly funny.

Whether the problem was the sound system or the actresses’ voices during the first three songs, lyrics were oftentimes indistinguishable. From that point on, all was clear.

Josiah Durham’s set, front and center as the café, and backdrop for Jenna’s living room and later the doc’s office, work well with zero lag time changing scenes.

It’s no surprise to expect anything but the best from the Majestic’s band with Music Director Elisabeth Weber at the helm.