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05/11/2026

Lyric’s ‘Something Rotten’ is actually very fresh

Jared Troilo as William Shakespeare in "Something Rotten." Photo Nile Hawver Photography By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Welcome to The Renaissance, as seen through the eyes of some delightfully wacky playwrights/composers, a superb cast, and crews of musicians and designers who will together constantly tickle your funny bone for 21/2 hours. The Lyric Stage Company’s delightful production of “Something Rotten” is a spring awakening of a different sort....

Jared Troilo as William Shakespeare in “Something Rotten.” Photo Nile Hawver Photography By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Welcome to The Renaissance, as seen through the eyes of some delightfully…

04/29/2026

SpeakEasy’s ‘Swept Away’ is a towering achievement

Max Connor, Peter DiMaggio, Bishop Levesque and Christopher Chew in "Swept Away." Photo: Nile Scott Studio By Rich Fahey BOSTON -- When put in a desperate situation – survival or death -- what would you be capable of? And what if the situation involved a loved one? The SpeakEasy Stage Company production of the musical “Swept Away” goes to some very dark places, but it does so skillfully and carefully, and only after allowing a superb cast and score to set the table for its harrowing climax....

04/14/2026

The Constitution speaks, but do we still listen?

Ayanna Joseph and Janis Hudson debate in "What the Constitution Means to Me." Photo: Maggie Hall Photography By Rich Fahey STONEHAM – Can a document written and signed in 1787 and then ratified in 1788 serve the needs of a much different population of 349 million people some 238 years later? That – and much more – will be debated and discussed in Heidi Schreck’s “What the Constitution Means to Me” at the Greater Boston Stage Company through April 26....

Ayanna Joseph and Janis Hudson debate in “What the Constitution Means to Me.” Photo: Maggie Hall Photography By Rich Fahey STONEHAM – Can a document written and signed in 1787 and then …

04/09/2026

CST’s ‘Breaking the Code’ is an artistic triumph

Paula Plum, Eddie Shields and Matthew Beagan in "Breaking the Code." Photo: Nile Scott Studios By Rich Fahey CAMBRIDGE – His genius set the stage for that ever-smarter Smartphone you have in your pocket. Yet in the end his life was that of a tragic hero, someone who helped turn the tide of World War II before a combination of homophobia and hypocrisy made for a most unhappy ending....

Paula Plum, Eddie Shields and Matthew Beagan in “Breaking the Code.” Photo: Nile Scott Studios By Rich Fahey CAMBRIDGE – His genius set the stage for that ever-smarter Smartphone you ha…

12/30/2025

ART’s musical ‘Wonder’ is promising, but imperfect

Garrett McNally (Auggie) and Donovan Louis Bazemore (Jack) in A.R.T.’s world-premiere production of "Wonder." Photo Hawver and Hall By Rich Fahey CAMBRIDGE – In the American Repertory Theater’s world premiere production of the musical “Wonder,” the message is loud and clear. “Wonder” not only talks the talk but walks the walk in its plea for tolerance and kindness, especially for those who are different....

Garrett McNally (Auggie) and Donovan Louis Bazemore (Jack) in A.R.T.’s world-premiere production of “Wonder.” Photo Hawver and Hall By Rich Fahey CAMBRIDGE – In the American Repertory T…

12/14/2025

CSC’s second ‘Carol’ is both light and dark

The company of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's "A Christmas Carol." Photo: Nile Scott Studios By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Peace on earth, and goodwill towards men. It was in short supply in Charles Dickens’s London in 1843, and perhaps it is still lacking in the here and now in 2025. In the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s second annual production of Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol,” the portrayal of the downtrodden residents of London and the darkness of the tale often take precedence over the joyous music and choreography that are also part of the piece....

The company of Commonwealth Shakespeare Company’s “A Christmas Carol.” Photo: Nile Scott Studios By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Peace on earth, and goodwill towards men. It was in short s…

12/10/2025

Notes of ‘Carol’ may have changed, but magic hasn’t

Cheryl McMahon (Mrs. Dilber) and David Coffee (Ebenezer Scrooge), both will be celebrating their 31st production of 'A Christmas Carol' at North Shore Music Theatre from December 4 – 21, 2025. Photo © David Costa Photography By Rich Fahey BEVERLY – When the North Shore Music Theatre completed its first-ever season as a year-round theater producing its own shows, the theater’s adaptation of the Charles Dickens novella “A Christmas Carol” was the star at the top of the Christmas tree....

Cheryl McMahon (Mrs. Dilber) and David Coffee (Ebenezer Scrooge), both will be celebrating their 31st production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ at North Shore Music Theatre from December 4 – 21…

12/08/2025

‘An Irish Carol’: Dickens’ piece does a pub crawl

Richard Snee as Frank. left, and Robert Walsh as David in "An Irish Carol." Photo: Nile Scott Photography By Rich Fahey STONEHAM – The Irish pub has long been a staple in literature, theater, and the movies, and it mattered not whether that pub was in Ireland itself or any one of many far-flung outposts all over the world where an Irish expatriate may have set up shop....

Richard Snee as Frank. left, and Robert Walsh as David in “An Irish Carol.” Photo: Nile Scott Photography By Rich Fahey STONEHAM – The Irish pub has long been a staple in literature, th…

12/01/2025

‘Twas the Night Before’ is a dazzling holiday delight

Acrobatic reindeer frolic in "Twas the Night Before..." Photo Credit: Errisson Lawrence By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Cirque du Soleil’s first entry into the holiday entertainment genre borrows from a host of other works – notably, the holiday poem at the heart of the piece -- but at its heart it’s still Cirque at its best. “Twas the Night Before…,” now at the Wang Theatre in the Boch Center through Dec....

Acrobatic reindeer frolic in “Twas the Night Before…” Photo Credit: Errisson Lawrence By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Cirque du Soleil’s first entry into the holiday entertainment genre bo…

11/23/2025

Darkness and light in Huntington’s ‘Fun Home’

Lyla Randall and Nick Duckart in Fun Home; directed by Logan Ellis; photo by Marc J Franklin. By Rich Fahey BOSTON – For many years, the theater world has known that the source material for a great musical could come from just about anywhere. It didn’t have to be a book, a film, a new and original idea, or the adaptation of an existing play....

Lyla Randall and Nick Duckart in Fun Home; directed by Logan Ellis; photo by Marc J Franklin. By Rich Fahey BOSTON – For many years, the theater world has known that the source material for a great…

11/18/2025

Dickens and Doyle team up in ‘A Sherlock Carol’

Jon Vellante, Paul Melendy and Christopher Chew in "A Sherlock Carol." Photo: Nile Hawyer By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Through the decades, the works and characters originated by Charles Dickens and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have been bent, folded, spindled, mutilated and twisted every which way, until they are scarcely recognizable. But never have the iconic authors’ characters ended up in the same work … until now....

Jon Vellante, Paul Melendy and Christopher Chew in “A Sherlock Carol.” Photo: Nile Hawyer By Rich Fahey BOSTON – Through the decades, the works and characters originated by Charles Dick…