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Boston Globe
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Wilbury's ‘American Idiot' is a triumphant, headbanging, full-frontal assault
Get Globe Rhode Island Food Club A weekly newsletter about food and dining in Rhode Island, by Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz. Enter Email Sign Up And so, too, does the Advertisement 'American Idiot' has made its way onto the Advertisement Written by Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong and Broadway/Metropolitan Opera veteran Michael Mayer, the musical enriches the album's thin and scattered narrative with intriguing theatricality. And with the aid of Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Tom Kitt, who wrote the score for the modern opera 'Next to Normal,' the album's angst-ridden guitar riffs, omnipresent and inventive bass lines, and angry, rapid-fire drumming are complemented with more traditional pit instrument orchestrations. All this makes 'American Idiot' something unique: a musical that bears a resemblance to the traditional theatrical artform, but which comes draped in defiance, sarcasm, and youth-fueled exuberance. In this Wilbury production, under director Josh Short and musical director Milly Massey, there is enough youth-fueled exuberance to light up all of Rhode Island. It is accompanied by a team of terrific local musicians that include Chloe Cordeiro on drums, Ernie Lau on violin, James Lucey on bass, Nick Mendillo on guitar, and Christine Perkins on cello. They are particularly good when leaning into ballads like 'Wake Me Up When September Ends,' but someone needs to turn up the volume so that their spot-on rendition of the no-frills anthem 'St. Jimmy' and the hard rocking 'Give Me Novacaine' causes a greater ripple of vibration in our ribcage. After all, this is a punk rock opera. Short and his designers – Scott Osborne (scenic), Alexander P. Sprague (lighting), and Andy Russ (sound and video) – make sure that this production does not resemble the traditional theatrical artform too closely. There's more performance space than seating – which includes ramps, scaffolding, a trap door, a band stand and a band pit. Everything is littered with urban decay and surrounded by large video screens that display images that establish a sense of time, place and mindset. Actors rock punk fashion is courtesy of designer Dustin Thomas. Advertisement Much of the aforementioned defiance and sarcasm is communicated through Ali Kenner Brodsky's choreography as performed by an ensemble of frustrated, passionate, and aimless youth, played by the talented Perry Barkett, Jenna Benzinger, Alexander Boyle, Sofia DaSilva, Michael Eckenreiter, Grace Graham, Annabelle Iredale, Elisabet Ober, Paige O'Connor, Henry Stanton, and Justin Alice Voena. The dance emerges as edgy, explosive movement that would seem organic and guttural if not for the occasional moments when it appears a tad premeditated. Eckenreiter, as Johnny, has the prerequisite hair, physicality, acting chops, and guitar virtuosity to play an endearing antihero. Just not the extraordinary voice needed to sell his solos or stand out in shared songs like 'Jesus of Suburbia' and 'Tales of Another Broken Home.' Fortunately, extraordinary voices – as well as incredible intensity and remarkable stage presence – can be found in Benzinger as Johnny's short-term girl, Whatsername; O'Connor as the walking pharmacy, St. Jimmy; Boyle and Stanton as Johnny's best friends, Tunny and Will; and Iredale as Heather, Will's pregnant girlfriend. Green Day was inducted into the AMERICAN IDIOT Book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. Music by Green Day with Lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong. Directed by Josh Short. At Wilbury Theatre Group, WaterFire Arts Center, 475 Valley St., Providence. Through June 22. Tickets are $5-$35. 401-400-7100, Advertisement Bob Abelman is an award-winning theater critic who formerly wrote for the Austin Chronicle. Connect with him
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘Always… Patsy Cline' at Theatre By The Sea entertains but never quite engages
Get Globe Rhode Island Food Club A weekly newsletter about food and dining in Rhode Island, by Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz. Enter Email Sign Up The play takes place on the night her idol came to sing at a local club; a night that launched a friendship that continued through letters until Cline's Advertisement Cline's short career generated just two hours and 10 minutes of recorded music from just three studio albums, much of which makes its way into the two acts of 'Always… Patsy Cline.' While her life's story reads like the lyrics in the ballads and torch songs she sings throughout this jukebox musical — including 'Walking After Midnight,' 'Leavin' on Your Mind,' 'Your Cheatin' Heart,' and 'Crazy' — it's Louise's function to provide biographical facts through a lighthearted and often comedic running narrative. Patsy's job is to sing. Advertisement It's the singing that differentiates professional theater productions like this one from many of the community theaters and cruise line stages that have long claimed this work as their own. Here, Lewis-Michelson's singing is superb. While there is only one Patsy Cline, Lewis-Michelson also possesses a classical contralto singing voice, which produces the same warm, rich, and powerful sound. And she shares Cline's range and confident ability to downshift into more delicate and emotive expressions, often capturing Cline's unique vocal nuances while doing so. This is particularly evident in her singing of 'I Fall to Pieces.' The songs are supported by a terrific six-piece band (music director/conductor Jacob Priddy on keyboard, Tessa Sacramone on fiddle and acoustic guitar, Chris Brooks on pedal steel, Bruce Hagist on guitar, Brian Grochowski on standup bass, and Mike Sartini on drums) situated on stage and directly behind her. Sound designer Ben Scheff masterfully balances the music with the vocals and the occasional off-stage singing. In short, Lewis-Michelson is a pleasure to watch and listen to, which is a good thing considering that this musical is mostly a concert taking place on scenic designer Cassie McKnight's rendition of Houston's Esquire Ballroom stage. Paul Jonathan Davis's lighting helps create the venue's ambiance, facilitates the mood swings in the songs, and beautifully highlights the actor during her singing performances. Isolating lighting also allows the ballroom to transition into Louise's small kitchen. Advertisement While the staging of Patsy's performances is a fine-tuned affair, one wishes that director Kat Moser-Priddy invested as much creative energy into reeling in what Louise brings to the table during and between Patsy's songs. Callanan's Louise effuses such genuine enthusiasm for Patsy that it's often disarming and distancing. Just watching her watch Patsy sing — her face beaming, her body in perpetual motion — is endearing. But Callanan rarely just watches and what is most disarming and distancing are her antics during Lewis-Michelson's performances, including conducting the band, dancing downstage, flirting with the audience, joining Patsy at the microphone, and at one point heading down the stage steps to two-step with a patron unfortunate enough to make eye contact with her. All the while, Lewis-Michelson's Patsy sings and rarely talks. Clearly, there's a disconnect between the show's musical performances and its narrative that needs to be better aligned. This calls for more creative risk-taking by director Moser-Piddy. If 'Always... Patsy Cline' is, in fact, a memory play drawn from Louise's selective reflections — for what else could explain the self-centeredness that drives her interactions with Patsy and a script that holds the singer in saintly reverence — then a more explicit and dramatic theatricality needs to be embraced in the show's production values. And would it be asking too much for Louise to recall a more engaged band? Surely a group of house musicians would love backing up the famous Patsy Cline. And yet, in this production, the band is stonefaced from start to finish and never interacts with the singer or reacts to the emotional songs she is singing. Advertisement Some audience members may be satisfied watching a mild-mannered, simply staged, music-driven two-hander on a summer night in a historic playhouse. And they may be more forgiving. Me, I think this story deserves a more engaging telling. ALWAYS… PATSY CLINE Book by Ted Swindley. Music and lyrics by an assortment of songwriters. Directed by Kat Moser-Priddy. At Theatre By The Sea, 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield, R.I. Through June 21. Tickets are $74-$100 (including fees). 401-782-8587. Bob Abelman is an award-winning theater critic who formerly wrote for the Austin Chronicle. Connect with him .
Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
PVDFest will roar back to downtown Providence Sept. 5-6. Here's what to expect.
During a press conference at the 'PVDFest continues to not only be one of the region's most beloved and celebrated art, music, and cultural festivals,' he said. 'But also an important driver of tourism and pillar of economic development here within our great city.' Get Globe Rhode Island Food Club A weekly newsletter about food and dining in Rhode Island, by Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz. Enter Email Sign Up In 2024, downtown welcomed more than 75,000 attendees, generating $3 million in economic impact for the city. It also engaged more than 400 artists from Providence and beyond. Advertisement Smiley's administration has provided some early details of what to expect. The Drink Rink For those who 'like to imbibe,' as Wilson called it, the Providence Rink will be transformed into the 'Drink Rink.' A bar experience will be built out by Anthony Santurri, the owner of 'All weekend long ink the rink will feature EDM and disc jockey music from DJs, both locally and nationally,' said Wilson. Advertisement The Providence City Center Rink in downtown. City of Providence Mural unveils As part of the city's celebration of Also returning this year is the PVDFest Mural Battle, which will be produced by acclaimed Providence artist Angela Gonzalez, a muralist who is know as Agonza, in front of her mural located at the Hartford Park housing development. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Battle of the Bands Local arts and music publication Motif Magazine is teaming up with the festival to present a Battle of the Bands, which will highlight Rhode Island's emerging music scene and give local bands a chance to take the PVDFest stage. There will be four to six qualifying rounds taking place at People waving during Denis Graca's performance at PVDFest in downtown Providence, R.I., on Sept. 7, 2024. Kylie Cooper for The Boston Globe Hip hop competition The Road to PVDFest, curated by Wilson and artist FirstWorks Spectacle: Squonk's Brouhaha Each PVDFest is crowned by a spectacle. This year, Brouhaha will take center stage. It's the newest performance from Squonk, the genre-defying multimedia ensemble from Pittsburgh. The performance fuses visual theater, boisterous music, and an invitation for the audience to join in. Festivalgoers will inflate the massive accordion, and parade through the streets to help summon a 30-foot puppet, before a crescendo of sound and spectacle begins. Advertisement Artists paint during PVDFest in downtown Providence, R.I. on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. Kylie Cooper for The Boston Globe Frequencies of PVD Frequencies of PVD will celebrate the city's ever-evolving DJ scene, shining a light on innovators and culture-shapers who are redefining the sound of the city. This year, the city is partnering with three groups. Keep It Movin' will bring a mix of house, afrohouse, jersey club, and freestyle. Squonk performed in Kennedy Plaza at PVDFest in 2022. Glen Osmundson Upcoming announcements Other music performances, food vendors, and other aspects of the festival will be announced in the coming months. The Food trucks line Kennedy Plaza during PVDFest. Matthew Healey for The Boston Globe Alexa Gagosz can be reached at
Boston Globe
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Gamm Theatre offers a transcendent telling of Tony Kushner's ‘Angels in America: Part One'
The story revolves around his diagnosis and illness, but Prior's life serves as a launching pad for weighty discussions about liberalism, conservatism, and race relations during the Reagan years. And there is no shortage of philosophizing about how the past shapes the present. The play also finds parallels between Judaism and homosexuality, reminding us about how swiftly a fearful and divided nation marginalizes, stigmatizes, and ostracizes 'others.' Get Globe Rhode Island Food Club A weekly newsletter about food and dining in Rhode Island, by Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz. Enter Email Sign Up It is no wonder that the play is long — seven-and-a-half-hours in total — and told over two separate performances: 'Part One: Millennium Approaches,' which runs through June 15, and 'Part Two: Perestroika,' which runs from Sept. 25 to Oct. 12. Both are directed by Brian McEleney, who knows his way around this work having played the pivotal role of Prior Walter in Trinity Repertory Company's acclaimed 1996 production. Advertisement What is brilliant about this audaciously ambitious work is that it is at once imaginative and unpretentious, uncompromising and affable, and hard to watch but impossible to look away. What is particularly maddening is Kushner's constant intertwining of diatribes with dialogue, reality with drug- and disease-induced fantasy, and horror with humor. Advertisement Also, most actors play multiple roles to demonstrate the elasticity of gender, social and cultural identities, as well as the implicitly theatrical nature of this work. And as our nation once again gravitates toward ignorance and intolerance regarding LGBTQ+ communities, this play is — as Hilton Als duly noted — necessary. Director McEleney and his designers fully embrace the necessary nature of this work by having it drive the show's production values. The permanent set that dominates the Gamm Theatre stage, courtesy of Patrick Lynch, resembles the kind of filthy public restrooms in New York City's Central Park that hosted clandestine homosexual encounters in the mid-1980s, complete with sterile gray tiling tagged with profane graffiti and hate speech. The introduction of simple furnishings — in line with the playwright's call for a 'pared-down style of presentation' to make the show an 'actor-driven event' — serve to establish the various locations in which this three-act play takes place, but with the reminder of the illicitly and risk of homosexuality always in the background. These scene-changing chairs and tables are brought onto and off of the stage while the previous scene is still taking place, which accentuates the intersecting lives of characters who have been touched by AIDS or by those infected by it. These include Prior's politically committed but not personally disconnected lover, Louis Ironson (Ben Steinfeld, whose powerful depiction of this guilt-ridden man is masterful); Roy Cohn, a toxic, high-profile prosecuting attorney and powerbroker who refuses to admit he is gay (a mesmerizing Tony Estrella); a closeted Mormon legal clerk (a superb Jeff Church, whose stiff posture and tailored suit (courtesy of designer David T. Howard) attempts but cannot contain this character's abundance of internal conflict); his emotionally unstable and Valium-addicted wife (Gabrielle McCauley, whose ability to phase in and out of her character's drug-induced revelations and humorous delusions (courtesy of lighting designer Jeff Adelberg) is dazzling); and an ex-drag queen named Belize (an always intriguing Rodney Witherspoon II). Advertisement Some of the best and most truthful acting moments occur on the periphery of these scenes, as characters linger before leaving the stage. There we find McCauley's Harper paralyzed and in tears, Church's Joe lost in his personal pain, and Regen's Prior and Steinfeld's Louis reflecting on their respective futures. Even after the play's opening scene, in which a eulogy of an old woman is presented, the incredible Phyllis Kay as Rabbi Isidor Chemelwitz stands frozen for a moment, overwhelmed by her own words. Just when you think that the acting on the Gamm Theatre stage could not get any better than that recently on display in ' A sign by the theater box office offers a warning about the play's profanity, brief nudity, and disturbing subject matter. Missing is mention of how 'Angels in America' is a cautionary tale that has come to fruition, which may very well be why this play's production is a late add to the already completed 2024/2025 season. Advertisement ANGELS IN AMERICA: PART ONE Play by Tony Kushner. Directed by Brian McEleney. At the Gamm Theatre, 1245 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, R.I. Runs through June 15. Tickets $70-$80, plus fees. 401-723-4266, Bob Abelman is an award-winning theater critic who formerly wrote for the Austin Chronicle. Connect with him .
Boston Globe
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Providence native's short film will soon debut at the Tribeca Film Festival. Her mentor: Spike Lee.
It's called 'How I Learned to Die,' and it's a 20-minute comedy-drama based on her own life that she's hoping to turn into a feature. It's executive produced by legendary director Spike Lee. I asked Glassman to tell us more about the project and her career. Q: Your latest film, 'How I Learned to Die,' will be featured at the Tribeca Film Festival next month. Tell us more about the film. Glassman: 'How I Learned to Die' is a short comedy-drama about 16-year-old Iris who finds out she has a 60 percent chance of dying in four days, so she's gotta live it up. This is my NYU graduate thesis, which I'm turning into a feature film. This story emerges from my own experience when doctors discovered a tumor inside my third vertebrae. As a freshman at a new school, I had to navigate teenage life (trying to look pretty at prom with a neck brace!) while facing a life-threatening situation. Coming-of-age humor mixed with the exploration of mortality and profound awareness of the beauty of life. Get Globe Rhode Island Food Club A weekly newsletter about food and dining in Rhode Island, by Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz. Enter Email Sign Up Q: The film is executive produced by Spike Lee and was shot in Providence. What's your connection to Spike? Advertisement Glassman: I had the amazing opportunity to be Spike Lee's teaching assistant at NYU and worked with him on an upcoming Netflix documentary. He suggested I make 'How I Learned to Die' as a 'proof of concept' for a feature. I obviously took his advice! He read multiple drafts of my script, awarded me with a production grant, agreed to be executive producer, and reviewed the final cut. He is an incredible mentor. I shot all the scenes in Rhode Island (Moses Brown, East Side) and yes, the hospital scenes at Providence College's nursing facility; PC was incredibly supportive. I am extremely proud to be a Friar and from Rhode Island. Advertisement Q: Can you describe what your life looks like as a filmmaker? Are you always juggling multiple projects? Glassman: I love working on multiple projects. Along with writing and directing my own films, I've produced 11 shorts and a feature film. I like switching it up and being a producer, which helps me balance the imaginative with the achievable. I also like various genres beyond the narrative medium. For example, I just produced another Emeline Easton's (another Providence local) music video, shot on 16mm film, which was very fun. Q: What's next for Manya Glassman? Glassman: Well, first is to make the feature of 'How I Learned to Die!' We're in development on the feature version of the short (that's premiering at Tribeca), currently looking for financing and producing partners. The short takes you one place, and the feature goes even further. I'm really excited about the ways the story elaborates not only on my own personal experience, but in general about teenhood. Then after this film, I have at least 2 more feature scripts written and a TV pilot – so the plan is to keep making movies! Advertisement This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you'd like to receive it via email Monday through Friday, . Dan McGowan can be reached at
