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.