Author: Daniel Gewertz
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THEATER FALL ARTS PREVIEW: Coming soon to Boston stages!
The theater scene’s summer months are typically serenaded by well-worn “sure thing” musicals. Early fall repertory, meanwhile, marks a turn away from such dependable hot-weather fare. But this September, three of our top rep companies are offering a slight twist on that seasonal formula: musicals new, substantial or reimagined. The not-quite-so-sure thing. The new comes…
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CELEBRATING ALTMAN: Harvard Film Archive spearheads a retrospective of Robert Altman
In an age when multimillionaire matinee idols like Johnny Depp and Christian Bale are trumpeted as Hollywood mavericks, the career of the late director Robert Altman may call for stronger words. Today’s profit-minded artist-moguls might just call him crazy. Even in the ‘70s, that golden age of maverick Hollywood, Altman baffled fans and disturbed the…
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REVIEW: After All the Terrible Things I Do
A play might be important, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be effective. That’s the case with After All The Terrible Things I Do, a work by Midwestern playwright A. Rey Pamatmat. This two-character play cogently brings to the fore such issues as gay identity, self-loathing, parental pressure and bullying. While it does break…
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LIGHT UP THE SKY: Old school gem dissects Broadway
A bantering, behind-the-scenes Broadway tale written in 1948, Moss Hart’s Light Up the Sky might seem to be an unlikely theatrical lure in 2015. Yet this comedy isn’t just beautifully staged, bang-up entertainment: it also has a depth that sneaks up and surprises. You know those shameless modern movie comedies by Judd Apatow and his…
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MR. g AT THE CENTRAL SQUARE THEATER: A witty play about creating the universe
The creation of the universe was quite a job. Creating a play about it is no small feat, either. Mr. g was adapted from the book of the same name by novelist and astrophysicist Alan Lightman. The play’s director, Wesley Savick, wrote the theatrical adaptation, a doubleheader of duties he also implemented with Lightman’s previous…
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CELEBRATING DUKE ELLINGTON: The late jazz legend continues inspiring musicians and listeners
Duke Ellington is having a pretty busy spring for a guy who’s been dead for 41 years. The New England Conservatory Jazz Orchestra devoted half of their April 16 Jordan Hall show to precise and spirited recreations of Ellingtonia. On April 19, trumpeter Greg Hopkins brought his hot 18-piece big band to the Beat Hotel…
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CENTER STAGE: Big Fish at Boston’s Speakeasy Stage Company
1998 was a very lucky year for David Wallace. After writing five unpublished novels, Big Fish: A Novel of Mythic Proportions was released into the world and instantly sold to Hollywood. The perfect director was then found for this fable-laden gem of a novel: Tim Burton. Wallace’s heartfelt vision of a magical dad and a…