Carol Montgomery was sitting in a podcast with three older female comics. “I honestly don’t remember” their names, she said recently. “I’m 68 years old. I can barely remember my own name.” She does remember it was very funny. “It was done in the basement of someone’s house. She had food. We were eating and […]
Frank O'Donnell
Frank O’Donnell has worn many different hats. As an actor, he’s performed in three professional theatrical productions and countless community theater productions. He’s written, produced and directed four holiday-themed shows and once helmed the Notfanuttin’ Players, specializing in audience-participation dinner shows. He’s been performing as a stand-up comedian since 1982 and has been inducted into the RI Comedy Hall of Fame. He’s written comedy for other performers, like Bob Hope, Jay Leno and Joe Piscopo. He’s opened for performers as diverse as the Judds, Michael Bolton, Chicago, David Brenner, Gilbert Gottfried and more. He’s been writing reviews and features about theater in Rhode Island for better than two decades. His work to help save the monarch butterfly has been chronicled on NBC Nightly News and he is president of the Keri Anne O’Donnell Memorial Fund. A native of Providence and long-time resident of North Providence, Frank now calls Jamestown home. He and his wife Karen – who he met when both were students at Classical High School – have four children, and recently became grandparents.
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‘Kimberly Akimbo’ star Ann Morrison on playing a teenager at 70: ‘I’m just an actor who’s having fun’
When I spoke with Ann Morrison, who’s starring in “Kimberly Akimbo” that’s coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center on May 5, she was celebrating her 70th birthday. “I feel like a 16-year-old,” she said, “but my 70-year-old body is lagging. I remember when my dad was 88, he sat down in his chair and […]
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‘The Outsiders’ national tour brings Broadway to Providence with a 20-year-old newcomer in the lead
Nolan White is on the road in the national tour of “The Outsiders,” in the lead role of Ponyboy Curtis. “I’m 20 in real life,” he said in our recent phone call, “playing a 14-year-old. I guess I look pretty young.” For those who never read the novel or saw the 1983 movie, “The Outsiders” […]
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PPAC reveals its 2026/2027 season — and all six Broadway shows are new
On Tuesday morning, the management team at the Providence Performing Arts Center unveiled its 2026/2027 season in the theater’s grand lobby. Alan Chille, PPAC’s new president and CEO, first announced the Broadway season, sponsored by The Taco and The White Family Foundation. Chille was excited that all six of these shows are new: Operation Mincemeat […]
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Gamm Theatre brings Shakespeare directly to students with new outreach program
Joey Del Santo is Director of Education & Community Programs at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick, and he’s excited about the theater’s newest program. Del Santo hopes that Gamm on the Go will be an “easier and more accessible way to engage students.” Until recently, if any school program wanted to see a show at […]
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‘Wicked’ at PPAC is spellbinding, start to finish
When I interviewed Jessie Davidson last month, I asked her if the two “Wicked” movies helped or hindered the stage version of the show, in which she’s playing Elphaba. “The movie brought ‘Wicked’ to so many.” She said she meets young people at the stage door after performances who say seeing “Wicked” live was their […]
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Choreographing consent: Meet Rhode Island’s intimacy director
Valerie Remillard is an Intimacy Director. What’s that, you ask. Read on… Just prior to the pandemic, she directed a production of “Almost, Maine” at the Community Players in Pawtucket. The show is actually nine short plays stapled together, exploring love and loss in a mythical Maine town called Almost. “There is intimacy in every […]
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Westerly’s Jen Christina is living her best life in ‘Six’
Westerly’s Jen Christina spent three years on tour with the traveling company of “Annie.” “I was very happy being home in Rhode Island,” she said in our recent phone interview. “I was finally settled in after being on the road for three years, settling into my groove.” But after six months being home, she got […]
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Theatre Review: ‘Suffs’ is a standing ovation-worthy triumph at PPAC
It’s hard to believe, but women didn’t have the right to vote in American elections until 1920. And it took a movement of determined women to win that right. That’s the focus for “Suffs,” now on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Suffs is short for suffragists, the women leading the movement to win […]
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Review: ‘Clue’ delivers exactly what we need right now
You know Clue. You played Clue in your youth – the murder mystery board game. You may have seen the movie from 1985, starring Madeline Kahn and Christopher Lloyd, among others. And now, you can see “Clue,” live on stage at PPAC. I must admit, I went in with reservations, What could this 75-minute, intermission-free […]
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Lil Rhody Laff Riot returns in March with Mulaney, Handler, and powerhouse lineup
Jon Mulaney. Chelsea Handler. Jay Pharoah. Marc Maron. These are some powerhouse names in comedy, and they’ll all be landing in Rhode Island in March 2026 for year two of the Lil Rhody Laugh Riot. “We tried this last year because we’d seen such a comedy boom coming out of Covid,” said Dan Schwartz, general […]
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‘Six: The Musical’ reigns supreme at PPAC
“Six: The Musical” starts out strong and never lets up. The show – more a high-energy pop concert than a typical Broadway musical – focuses on the six wives of England’s notorious 16th century ruler, Henry VIII. It’s the latest Broadway offering at the Providence Performing Arts Center. “Six” opens with the curtains parting and […]
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Magic and mayhem take center stage in ‘Harry Potter & The Cursed Child’
Let’s get this out of the way. In Harry Potter terminology, I guess I’m a Muggle. Officially (according to Wikipedia anyway) is “a person who lacks any sort of magical ability.” In my mind, a Muggle is someone who’s not fully steeped in the lore of Potterworld. Now that we’ve got that out of the […]
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Dewey Bunnell keeps America’s music alive on the road
Fifty-five years after the band America was formed, Dewey Bunnell finds it “very satisfying that our songs still have a life. All of it is exciting.” I had a nice chat with Bunnell recently in advance of America’s appearance at the Providence Performing Arts Center on October 18. He was relaxing in his home in […]
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Theatre by the Sea closes season with Elvis musical ‘Heartbreak Hotel’
Theatre by the Sea closes out its 2025 season with “Heartbreak Hotel,” the jukebox musical featuring over 40 songs from the King of Rock & Roll, Elvis Presley. The show chronicles Elvis’ life from his dirt-poor childhood in Memphis through his 1968 TV special on NBC, often called his comeback show. The younger Elvis (Laird […]
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‘Hairspray’ at Theatre by the Sea: A rare musical exception
It’s not often you’ll see a musical and have nothing but good things to say about it. The current production of “Hairspray” at Theatre by the Sea is that rare exception. In the first ten minutes, you’re treated to high-octane production numbers with “Good Morning, Baltimore” and “Nicest Kids in Town,” and you can’t help […]
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Theatre Review: ‘Waitress’ serves up a sweet slice of life at Theatre by the Sea
Jenna (Dakota Mackey-McGee) is a hard-working waitress with a knack for creating delicious pies. Unexpectedly pregnant, she’s navigating a loveless marriage with her abusive husband, Earl. To make things more difficult, she falls into a torrid affair with her obstetrician, Dr. Pomatter (Christopher deProphetis). In a nutshell, that’s the plot of “Waitress,” now on stage […]
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‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ is a fun bit of escapism
When I spoke with Zan Berube recently, she told me that “Back to the Future: The Musical” was a “tech heavy” show. Berube plays Lorraine, Marty McFly’s mother, in the musical now on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center. The musical is based on the 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea […]
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‘Chicago’ heats up PPAC with Ellie Roddy as Roxie Hart
Ellie Roddy is only 25 years old, and she’s already checking off parts on her Dream Roles list. “The fact that I’ve gotten to play Roxie Hart is a big check mark.” Roddy is traveling with the national tour of CHICAGO, opening at the Providence Performing Arts Center this weekend. A native of Orlando, Roddy […]
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Gamm Theatre will celebrate 40 years with a star-Studded ‘Grand Night’ gala
The Gamm Theatre will celebrate its 40th anniversary with a Gala on May 8. “The theme will be like a movie opening,” said Tony Estrella, the Gamm’s Artistic Director. “We’re having it at the Graduate (in downtown Providence). A great place for it.” The gala is called A Grand Night, and the Gamm “will roll […]
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Music as Medicine: Sangita Sisters bringing Kirtan to Cranston
They call themselves the Sangita Sisters. Six women who met “divinely” to perform Kirtan. What’s Kirtan, you ask? “It’s a form of devotional music,” says Sarah Loomis, one of the six Sisters. “It’s the music of yoga.” On Saturday, March 22, the Sisters will be performing in a fundraising event at Raffa Life Yoga Studio […]
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‘Blind Date Interrupted’ brings comedy to Newport’s dating scene
“Blind Date Interrupted.” Sounds like a Hallmark rom-com, doesn’t it? It’s actually the name of a brand-new experiment in “outrageous comedy” debuting at Top of Pelham in Newport on Thursday, February 13. “It’s a concept we developed,” says DJ O’Hara of the Newport Comedy Series. The production team wanted to focus on theme shows. They’ve […]
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Lil Rhody Laugh Riot to feature mix of national headliners and local talent
The email’s subject line caught my attention: “New Comedy Festival Set to Launch in Providence in March.” The Lil Rhody Laugh Riot covers four days in late March, spread out over two major venues, the Vets and PPAC, and a couple of smaller ones, like the Hide Speakeasy downstairs at The George and Alchemy. The […]
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Theatre Review: ‘Mamma Mia!’ continues to delight audiences with standout performances and energetic dance numbers
“Mamma Mia!” is back at the Providence Performing Arts Center. This is the fifth time here for the show, and enthusiasm for it has not waned. In case you’re unaware, “Mamma Mia!” is a jukebox musical built around the music of Abba. The story that weaves the songs together focuses on Sophie, a young about-to-be […]
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‘Shucked’ brings ‘corny’ comedy to Providence Performing Arts Center
The question folks have been asking: What is “Shucked” about? Glad you asked. The answer is corn. If you’re going to see “Shucked” at the Providence Performing Arts Center – and you should – be prepared to laugh. In cases, laugh hard. The emphasis is on comedy in this musical comedy, which launches its first […]