Latest news with #SpeakEasyStage
Boston Globe
09-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
The Ufot Family Cycle comes away with 18 Elliot Norton Award nominations
American Repertory Theater landed 19 nominations, including three in the new script category, for Kate Hamill's 'The Odyssey,' Martyna Majok's 'Gatsby,' and Ayodele Casele's 'Diary of a Tap Dancer.' They'll compete in that category against Zoë Kim's 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?),' as well as Udofia, who's nominated for 'The Grove.' Other companies earning multiple nominations for one show include SpeakEasy Stage, whose ' Advertisement The ceremony will also honor Kathy St. George with the 2025 Elliot Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence, for her body of work, including productions in Boston and on Broadway. She also appeared in Daigneault's 'A Man of No Importance.' For tickets to the ceremony and more information, visit Outstanding Play, Large 'The Grove,' The Huntington 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company 'Sojourners,' The Huntington 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington 'The Winter's Tale,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Outstanding Play, Midsize 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective 'Her Portmanteau,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project 'Romeo and Juliet,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Play, Small 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?)' CHUANG Stage and Seoulful Productions 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre 'My Dinner With André,' Harbor Stage Company 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Outstanding Musical 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater 'A Little Night Music,' Sullivan Rep 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Large Jennifer Mogbock, 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Nael Nacer, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Joshua Olumide, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Advertisement Abigail C. Onwunali, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Abigail C. Onwunali, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Midsize Jade Guerra, 'Her Portmanteau,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Ricardo 'Ricky' Holguin, 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea Karen MacDonald, 'Pru Payne,' SpeakEasy Stage Bill Mootos, 'Network,' The Umbrella Stage Company Omar Robinson, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play, Small Andrey Burkovskiy, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Sehnaz Dirik, 'The Lion in Winter,' Theater UnCorked Parker Jennings, 'Hedda Gabler,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Robert Kropf, 'My Dinner With André,' Harbor Stage Company Patrick O'Konis, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Large Asha Basha Duniani, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Kate Hamill, 'The Odyssey,' American Repertory Theater Patrice Johnson Chevannes, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Joshua Olumide, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Valyn Lyric Turner, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Midsize Grant Evan, 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective Arthur Gomez, 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea Anthony T Goss, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Jade Guerra, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project 'ranney,' 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play, Small Lauren Elias, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Kody Grassett, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Deb Martin, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Brooks Reeves, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Laura Rocklyn, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical Ayodele Casel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Sherée Marcelle, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Advertisement Paul Melendy, 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' Lyric Stage Boston Jeremy Radin, 'Fiddler on the Roof,' North Shore Music Theatre Eddie Shields, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical Cortlandt Barrett, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Diego Cintrón, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Aimee Doherty, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Alaina Mills, 'Fiddler on the Roof,' North Shore Music Theatre Solea Pfeiffer, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Musical Direction KB Bickford, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Wiley DeWeese and Kimberly Grigsby, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Milton Granger, 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre Paul S. Katz, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Jenny Tsai, 'A Little Night Music,' Sullivan Rep Outstanding Choreography Rachel Bertone, 'An American in Paris,' Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston Ayodele Casel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Larry Sousa, 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' Lyric Stage Boston Sonya Tayeh, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Ebony Williams, 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Outstanding Director, Large Rachel Chavkin, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Kevin P. Hill, 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre Carey Perloff, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Dawn M. Simmons, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Awoye Timpo, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Outstanding Director, Midsize Paul Daigneault, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Christopher V. Edwards, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Pascale Florestal, 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective Armando Rivera, 'The Hombres,' Gloucester Stage and Teatro Chelsea Dawn M. Simmons, 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective Advertisement Outstanding Director, Small Bryn Boice, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Danielle Fauteux Jacques, 'Hedda Gabler,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Danielle Fauteux Jacques, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Igor Golyak, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Kiki Samko, 'Rosemary's Baby Jesus,' Gold Dust Orphans Outstanding Scenic Design, Large Jason Ardizzone-West, 'Sojourners,' The Huntington Jason Ardizzone-West, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Yuki Izumihara and Ken MacDonald, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Junghyun Georgia Lee, 'The Triumph of Love,' The Huntington Mimi Lien, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Scenic Design, Midsize or Small Justin Lahue, 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston Joseph Lark-Riley, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Saskia Martinez, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Afsoon Pajoufar, 'Network,' The Umbrella Stage Company Jon Savage, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Outstanding Lighting Design, Large Reza Behjat, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Alan C. Edwards, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Maximo Grano De Oro, 'The Winter's Tale,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew, 'The Odyssey,' American Repertory Theater Robert Wierzel, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Outstanding Lighting Design, Midsize or Small Jeff Adelberg, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Isaak Olson, 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Karen Perlow, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Deb Sullivan, 'Romeo and Juliet,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Lawrence A. Ware, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Outstanding Sound Design, Large Alex Berg, 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Lucas Clopton and Aubrey Dube, 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Tony Gayle, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Sharath Patel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Sound Design, Midsize or Small Advertisement Gage Baker and Peter DiMaggio, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Arshan Gailus, 'The Fig Tree, and the Phoenix, and the Desire to Be Reborn,' Boston Playwrights' Theatre Jesse Hinson, 'Romeo and Juliet,' Actors' Shakespeare Project Joseph Lark-Riley, 'Touching the Void,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Fedor Zhuravlev, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Outstanding Costume Design, Large Fabian Fidel Aguilar, 'A Christmas Carol,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Alex Jaeger, 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company Junghyun Georgia Lee, 'The Triumph of Love,' The Huntington Rachel Padula-Shufelt, 'The Winter's Tale,' Commonwealth Shakespeare Company Sandy Powell, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Outstanding Costume Design, Midsize or Small Sasha Ageeva, 'The Dybbuk,' Arlekin Players Theatre Seth Bodie, 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' Lyric Stage Boston Johnny Cagno and Brian Simons, 'South Pacific,' Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston Chloe Moore, 'The SpongeBob Musical,' Wheelock Family Theatre Rachel Padula-Shufelt, 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage Outstanding Solo Performance GiGi Buddie, 'Where We Belong,' The Umbrella Stage Company Parker Jennings, 'Every Brilliant Thing,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Zoë Kim, 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?)' CHUANG Stage and Seoulful Productions Cristhian Mancinas-García, 'Cada Cosa Maravillosa,' Apollinaire Theatre Company Jenece Upton, 'Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill,' Merrimack Repertory Theatre Kathryn Van Meter, 'The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,' Merrimack Repertory Theatre Outstanding New Script Ayodele Casel, 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater Kate Hamill, 'The Odyssey,' American Repertory Theater Zoë Kim, 'Did You Eat? (밥먹었니?),' CHUANG Stage and Seoulful Productions Martyna Majok, 'Gatsby,' American Repertory Theater Mfoniso Udofia, 'The Grove,' The Huntington Outstanding Ensemble 'Ain't No Mo',' SpeakEasy Stage and Front Porch Arts Collective 'Diary of a Tap Dancer,' American Repertory Theater 'Fiddler on the Roof,' North Shore Music Theatre 'Leopoldstadt,' The Huntington in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company 'A Man of No Importance,' SpeakEasy Stage 'Next to Normal,' Central Square Theater and Front Porch Arts Collective 'The Piano Lesson,' Actors' Shakespeare Project 'Tartuffe,' Hub Theatre Company of Boston 'Titanic,' North Shore Music Theatre 'Toni Stone,' The Huntington Lisa Weidenfeld can be reached at
Boston Globe
13-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
For Paul Daigneault, a final show that returns to one of SpeakEasy's most produced playwrights
The 'Man of No Importance' of the title is Alfie Byrne (award-winning actor Eddie Shields), a closeted city bus conductor in Dublin in the mid-1960s who finds artistic fulfillment reciting Oscar Wilde's poetry to his passengers and directing an amateur theater company in his parish church. The story captures a specific moment in Alfie's life, when his efforts to mount a production of Wilde's 'Salome' coincide with his first steps out of the closet, both of which are publicly thwarted. The musical's conceit is that the director becomes the star of his own story, with the passengers and members of his theater troupe serving as a kind of Greek chorus. Additional company members include award winners Aimee Doherty and Jennifer Ellis. 'This musical has so many layers,' Daigneault says. 'It's about someone who is inspired by art, who is trying to find his authentic self. It's also about the power of community. In this case, a community of performers.' Creating a theater community resonates with Daigneault, whose production of 'A Man of No Importance' marks his final bow as founder and artistic director of SpeakEasy Stage. 'I'm never happier than when I'm in the rehearsal room,' Daigneault says, acknowledging that parallel with the protagonist. 'But, unlike Alfie, I'm lucky to be a person who has always lived an authentic life.' Advertisement Kathy St. George, center, during a scene-ending musical number during rehearsal in SpeakEasy Stage Co's production of "A Man of No Importance." JOSH REYNOLDS FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE/Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe Daigneault first directed the musical, which was created by composer Stephen Flaherty and lyricist Lynn Ahrens ('Ragtime,' 'Once on This Island,' 'Anastasia'), in 2003 in a SpeakEasy co-production with Súgán Theatre Company. The cast included Nancy E. Carroll and Sarah deLima, both of whom have since passed away, as well as Kerry Dowling and Billy Meleady, both of whom return in this production. The musical was adapted from a 1994 film of the same name that starred Albert Finney, and 'What I love about this show is the opportunity to assemble a talented cast with young actors learning so much from older, experienced performers,' Daigneault says. 'It's also more of a play with music, with Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens changing musical styles to fit the story.' Meleady, a Dublin native who is reprising the role of Baldy, the sometime stage manager of theater troupe, says the musical resonates with him in different ways two decades later. 'Of course I'm older, and have had different experiences, but the details the show captures in the lyrics to 'The Streets of Dublin,' the emotion of 'The Cuddles Mary Gave' [about Baldy's late wife], and the relationships feel so much deeper,' he says. Dowling, who has been friends with Daigneault since they were undergraduates at Boston College (along with fellow cast member McGarrahan), and helped launch SpeakEasy Stage, says the first rehearsal was understandably bittersweet because it marked the end of an era for SpeakEasy as well as the loss of two of the original cast members. Advertisement 'At the same time,' she says, 'this new group of people looks and feels different, the script has been revised and Paul takes a fresh approach to the scenes, driven by this group of people in the room. What I love about being directed by Paul is his ability to make every member of the company feel needed and important.' While Daigneault admits that over the years, his company's theatrical choices sometimes explored controversial topics, he says, 'I never set out to make political statements or create change. Alfie's art feeds his soul and helps other people think. That's what the best theater does.' Daigneault says the joy of working on this musical again is the opportunity to discover new elements of these complex characters. 'This show celebrates the ways in which goodness and grace can prevail in this world,' he says. 'It's easy to dismiss people by tacking on a label, but once you get to know someone, grace always prevails.' A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company, in the Robert Theatre at the Calderwood Pavilion, Tremont St., Boston. Feb. 21-March 22. Tickets: $20-$85. 617-933-8600. 'As You Like It' on Boston Common William Shakespeare's romantic comedy 'As You Like It,' returns to Boston Common this July-August as the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's annual free production. CSC founder and artistic director Steven Maler will direct. Casting and production team members will be announced soon. Advertisement Meanwhile, Associate Artistic Director
