Carisa Hendrix bills herself as a comedian and magician who’s “kinda famous on the internet.” Wait, you don’t know her? Perhaps you know her character, Lucy Darling. It’s pretty likely that you’ve seen clips of this statuesque redhead in an evening gown on Facebook and Instagram, masterfully working the crowds at her full-house performances. Hendrix […]
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.
Posted inArts & Culture
Chazz Palminteri had $200 left when he wrote “A Bronx Tale.” He’s still performing it 35 years later.
Chazz Palminteri is proud of his accomplishments. “I’m the only guy ever in the history of show business,” he said in our recent interview, “to write a one-man show and star in it, write the screenplay from the show and star in it, and write a musical based on the show and star in it.” […]
Posted inArts & Culture
“Operation Mincemeat” starts its national tour in Providence
Back in 1943, in the middle of World War II, British intelligence agents engineered a diversion to convince German intelligence organizations that an Allied landing was planned for Greece and Sardinia, when the actual landing would happen in Sicily. The diversion, code-named Operation Mincemeat, was successful. More than half a century later, it was the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Four “Sopranos” actors bring their stories to Cranston in October
Andrew Jedlicka runs a talent agency, and several of his clients were actors on HBO’s hit, “The Sopranos.” “I’ve worked with many of the castmates from the show since 2019,” said Jedlicka recently. “I’ve wanted to do this show, include many of the cast members, give people a chance to interact with the cast.” The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Tony Estrella takes the stage alone in “The Smuggler,” directed by the man who wrote it
Tony Estrella has spent “most of my summer” working on the script of “The Smuggler,” the one-man show that will open The Gamm Theatre’s new season. “I try to start (the rehearsal process) with as much in my brain as possible.” Written and directed by Ronán Noone, “The Smuggler” features bartender Tim Finnegan, newly arrived […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Garrison Keillor at 84: ‘I could go on doing this for a while’
The schedule called for fifteen minutes with Garrison Keillor. It ended up being a half-hour private concert. Keillor brings “Garrison Keillor Tonight” to the Jane Pickens Theater on September 20. “I’m doing pretty well,” he said at the start of the conversation. “I’m making progress on a new book. As long as one has a […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Academy Players stages ’80s jukebox musical ‘Rock of Ages’
Chelsea Morgan is drawn to directing “huge, exciting, dance-heavy musicals with a large cast.” The jukebox musical “Rock of Ages” checks all those boxes for Morgan and her husband, Adam. Last summer, they directed “The Wedding Singer” at Academy Players in Providence. “I knew I wanted to do something with those same qualities this summer,” […]
Posted inArts & Culture
From Houston to Matunuck: Jordan Okeke is having the summer of his life at Theatre by the Sea
Jordan Okeke has been a very lucky actor. He started working professionally while he was still in college. “I worked every summer,” said Okeke recently. “My university allowed you to work while you were still in school.” Okeke, who studied musical theater at Sam Houston State University, has spent his summer at Theatre by the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
For actor Alex LeBlanc, a summer of ‘Grease’ and ‘Titanic’ at Theatre by the Sea
Alex LeBlanc is excited to spend a chunk of his summer at Theatre by the Sea. The 24-year-old East Greenwich actor is appearing both in “Grease” and “Titanic.” “This is my first time (at Theatre by the Sea) as an adult,” said LeBlanc in our recent interview. “I did ‘Mary Poppins’ here in 2014. I […]
Posted inArts & Culture
For “The Lion King’s” Rafiki, a role in five languages and counting
Zama Magudulela had to think for a minute before declaring, “I’m the only one.” Magudulela is on tour as Rafiki, the mandrill shaman in “The Lion King,” the Disneymusical opening this week at the Providence Performing Arts Center. “Out of all theRafikis in the world,” she said in a recent interview, “I’m the first one […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Carol Montgomery built ‘Funny Women of a Certain Age’ to give older female comics a stage — and the laughs haven’t stopped since
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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” […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inNews
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘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 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Miss Rhode Island Teen 2023 takes on a new role in ‘The Sound of Music’
Mia Daley is spending her summer days going to the beach. Well, close to the beach. Daley will be spending a good chunk of her summer at Theatre by the Sea, appearing as Louisa in “The Sound of Music.” So far, says the East Greenwich actor, “it truly has been such a wonderful experience.” Daley, […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Providence Fringe Festival returns for 11th year with 50 shows
Brien Lang has been with the Providence Fringe Festival “pretty much since the beginning.” Actually, Lang has been part of the festival since its second year, and it’s now in its 11th year. Lang is the Director of New Works at the Wilbury Theatre Group. Since his first year with the festival, it has “grown […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Arcadia’ ready to shine at Jamestown Community Theatre
Four years after it was supposed to be produced, Jamestown Community Theater presents “Arcadia” by Tom Stoppard. The play “was initially planned to be part of JCT’s 30th anniversary season,” said Ricky Martin, JCT’s artistic director, “in summer 2020, when the world shut down.” Stoppard’s play is hard to explain. It’s a modern-day exploration of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Review: ‘Tootsie’ at Theatre By The Sea is a terrific way to kick off your summer
You’re a decent New York actor but your constant head-butting with directors makes you unemployable. What do you do? Slap on a wig, a dress, some pearls and a pair of pumps, and audition as a woman, of course. Welcome to “Tootsie,” the newest offering at Theatre by the Sea. The musical is based on […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Review: Ben Platt pulls out all the stops at PPAC
Until yesterday, I thought Ben Platt was a Broadway performer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. I knew him as the performer who originated the lead role in “Dear Evan Hansen” which earned him a Tony Award. I knew he’d recently played the lead in “Parade” on Broadway, and that he’d just wrapped up […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre Review: ‘Doubt: A Parable’ is a powerful tale
John Patrick Shanley’s “Doubt: A Parable” opens with a sermon about doubt. Father Flynn (Benjamin Grills) asks, “What do you do if you’re not sure?” The homily sets the tone for the show, and quickly lets us know the timeframe, referencing President Kennedy’s assassination a year earlier. So, 1964. Flynn’s sermon wraps up with, “Doubt […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre Review: ‘Company’ at PPAC is worth seeing
“Company” opens with Bobbie coming into her tiny apartment dragging a mylar balloon showing the number 35 and carrying a brown-paper-bagged bottle of bourbon. She pours a drink and listens to her voice mail, one of which is from a friend who lets it slip that Bobbie’s friends have a surprise party planned for her. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre Review: ‘Twelfth Night’ at The Gamm Theatre is fun and funny
Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” begins with a shipwreck. Twins Viola and Sebastian are tossed into the sea. Viola is saved. Sebastian is feared lost. Brought to Illyria by her rescuers, Viola takes on the appearance of a boy, working as Cesario, a page to Illyria’s Duke Orsino. Now hold onto your hat, it gets a little […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre Review: ‘Frozen’ at PPAC is a fun and satisfying show
I’ll admit it. I’ve never watched Disney’s animated “Frozen” from start to finish. I’ve seen parts but never the whole thing. And, of course, I’ve heard the soundtrack over and over again. So, I looked forward to seeing the live version of “Frozen” at the Providence Performing Arts Center. And I was not disappointed. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre Review: ‘Moulin Rouge: The Musical’ at PPAC
“Moulin Rouge: The Musical” starts before the first big song medley begins. Scantily clad women and men interact in slow motion on a fully lit stage behind a hanging neon-lettered “Moulin Rouge.” The set is done up in red – heavy on the “rouge” – with ever-smaller heart-shaped arches. The performers exit slowly, and the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre Review: Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at PPAC
Let’s start with this: the kids seemed to like it. Well, most of them. Some were flat-out scared. I saw one youngster drag her parents out shortly after the show started. We’re talking about “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical,” now on stage at the Providence Performing Arts Center. The half-hour cartoon […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Gamm Theatre Artistic Director Tony Estrella on ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’
This holiday season, the Gamm Theatre presents It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play for the fifth time. “It’s our fourth time live,” said the Gamm’s Artistic Director, Tony Estrella. “One year – our canceled season – we did the show on NPR.” So are the folks at the Gamm trying to turn this […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre Review: ‘The Book of Mormon’ at PPAC is outrageously funny and so very irreverent
The Tony Award-winning “The Book of Mormon” is back in Providence. If you haven’t seen it yet, here’s what you need to know. The show was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the team behind “South Park.” With that in mind, the watch word is “irreverent.” Soooo irreverent, and sooooo funny. I was grinning […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Review: “Mrs. Doubtfire” at PPAC is worth your time
When I heard that “Mrs. Doubtfire,” the 1993 film starring Robin Williams and Sally Field, was being made into a Broadway musical, I had my – pardon the pun – doubts. So many attempts to turn hit movies into musicals fall flat. “Pretty Woman” and “An Officer & A Gentleman” are recent examples. So, walking […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theatre by the Sea to mark 90th Anniversary with a ‘Big Barn Bash’
This year, Theatre by the Sea marks its 90th anniversary. “That’s a long time for an old building like that to survive,” said Bill Hanney, TBTS’s owner and producer. To celebrate, Hanney and company are presenting a Big Barn Bash. “I wanted it to be a gala,” said Hanney, “but our general manager (Karen Gail […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: ‘Jersey Boys’ a ‘must-see’ at Theatre By the Sea
If the Beatles were the music world’s British invasion, then the Four Seasons were the American Revolution. That’s paraphrasing from Jersey Boys, the musical now on stage at Theatre by the Sea. Jersey Boys is the origin story of the Four Seasons, who took pop music by storm in the 60s and early 70s. The […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: The Bodyguard: The Musical is excellent at Theater-By-The-Sea
I’ll admit it. When I first heard they were making a musical out of 1992’s “The Bodyguard,” the thriller starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston, I was skeptical. This was back in 2012 or so when the musical first hit Broadway and then headed out on tour. It sort of made sense, since the movie […]
Posted inArts & Culture
ILL – Abilities ‘No Excuses, No Limits’ show headed to PPAC Saturday, May 13
Luca Patuelli is known as Lazylegz. He’s had a muscular condition called arthrogryposis since birth. “It can affect any part of the body,” said Patuelli in our recent interview. “This [hit] my legs,” so he gets around with the help of braces and crutches. So, when I tell you that Patuelli manages and performs in […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up in Local Theater: We review ‘The Children’ at the Gamm
The play opens to the sounds of an angry wave-crashing sea. We’re in a seaside cottage. Kitchen, dining area, living area all in one small space. An old-fashioned stove sits unused, except as a shelf. The timeframe is unclear. Is it now, or 40 years ago? Ultimately, it doesn’t matter. This is the setting for […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: Beetlejuice as good as it gets at PPAC
Who’s the most loveable demon around? You’ve got to say his name three times. It must be spoken, unbroken. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice! “Beetlejuice,” the last Broadway show of PPAC’s 2022/2023 season, is as good as the best shows PPAC presented this year – and that includes “Tina” and “Six.” “Beetlejuice” is arguably better, as it’s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: SIX, amazing and stunning at PPAC
Whatever you do, don’t go into “Six,” the Broadway musical at the Providence Performing Arts Center through next Sunday, April 23, expecting a boring historical look at the six wives of Henry VIII. “Six” is an amazing and stunning work, unlike any Broadway show that preceded it. Presented in concert form, complete with fantastic music […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Julie Knitel of ‘Come From Away,’ playing PPAC this week
When we chatted, Julia Knitel and the cast of “Come From Away” was in Philadelphia. It was Super Bowl weekend, and the Philadelphia Eagles were in the big game. She laughed about that. “I’m not a sports fan by any stretch. I didn’t even know they were in the Super Bowl.” Knitel’s been with “Come […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Meet Chris Swan, playing Daddy Warbucks in PPAC’s ‘Annie’
You could call Chris Swan a road warrior. Since 2014, he’s been traveling the road in one Broadway production or another. “The first was ‘A Christmas Story,’ where I played The Old Man,” said Swan recently. “That was the big one that got me into touring.” Next week, Swan comes to the Providence Performing Arts […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Preview: ‘The Oldest Profession’ opening at Burbage Theater Company
Anne Scurria is trying something new. Now in her 44th year acting at Trinity Rep, Scurria is directing her first play. As Scurria tells it, she was sitting at a show next to Peggy Melosi, a former student of hers. Melosi asked if Scurria would be interested in directing a show for the newly-formed WomensWork […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Review: ‘Faith Healer’ at Gamm Theatre is brilliant
Brilliant. I can’t think of a better way to describe “Faith Healer,” currently on stage at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick. Simple brilliance all around. It’s a three-person show, based on the life and times of “the fantastic Frank Hardy.” He’s an itinerant healer, wandering the “forgotten corners” of the British Isles in the 1950s […]
Posted inArts & Culture
‘Little Women’ playing at Jamestown Community Theatre Nov. 18-20
I was able to sit in on a tech rehearsal of “Little Women” earlier this week at Jamestown Community Theatre. While the actors worked hard on stage, sound and light technicians were busy adjusting their respective bits of technology. Keri Boisclair, the show’s director, divided her time between the actors and the technicians. “I chose […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: ‘Tootsie’ laugh out loud funny at PPAC
My review of “Tootsie” can be put into four words. Laugh out loud funny. Those who know me will tell you I do not laugh easily. It’s an occupational hazard of being a performer. It’s very hard to surprise me, and laughter depends on that surprise. Not so with “Tootsie,” now on stage at the […]
Posted inArts & Culture, People & Profiles, Things To Do
What’s Up Interview: Drew Becker, star of ‘Tootsie,’ playing PPAC through Sunday Oct. 30
Drew Becker is just the third person to play Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels. He’s the lead actor in “Tootsie,” the musical playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center this week. Dustin Hoffman originated the role in the 1982 film. Santino Fontana originated the role in the Broadway musical, earning a Tony Award in 2019 […]
Posted inArts & Culture
The Community Players start 101st Season
Rhode Island has a lot of history. That’s a given. But it’s amazing to say that Rhode Island is home to two community theater groups that are over 100 years old. The oldest is the Barker Players in Providence – founded in 1909, and about to start their 114th season. Just 13 years younger is […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
What’s Up Interview: Eden Casteel – ‘Kahn Artist’
Eden Casteel has been a performer pretty much her whole life. “I was a piano player at the age of four,” she said recently, “and I started voice lessons at the age of 12.” She trained to be an opera singer. “If you haven’t noticed, there’s not a lot of demand for opera singers these […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
What’s Up Interview: Piff the Magic Dragon coming to The Vets September 29
Piff the Magic Dragon’s genesis was strictly accidental. “I was a close-up magician,” said the comic magician during a recent phone interview. “I did parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs, but I kept getting fired. I looked too grumpy. I’m not really grumpy, it’s just my face.” Then one day, he was invited to a costume party. […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: ‘TINA: The Tina Turner Musical’ powerful at PPAC
The Providence Performing Arts Center kicked off its 2022/2023 this week with a powerhouse presentation of “TINA – The Tina Turner Musical.” Press night was Wednesday, but because the national tour is launching from Providence, the show opened on Sunday. By Wednesday, there was already significant buzz on social media outlets praising the show. And […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Behind the Scenes at PPAC with TINA: The Tina Turner Musical
Larry Smiglewski is working 24/7. “We’re in tech [rehearsal], so basically an all-hours thing.” Smiglewski is the production stage manager for “TINA: The Tina Turner Musical.” The show’s national tour is launching this week from the Providence Performing Arts Center. This is the 21st show to use PPAC as its launch pad for a national […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: The Mulhern Brothers, leading voices on RI radio
Maintaining a long-term career in Rhode Island radio isn’t easy. It’s even more unusual to consider that siblings can do it. Consider this. Brian Mulhern, current co-host of the morning show at Cat Country 98.1FM, and Kevin Mulhern, producer of the Paul & Al morning show at 94 HJY, have been “doing” radio off and […]
Posted inNews
RI Shakespeare Rep to present ‘Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at John Brown House in Providence Aug. 12-14
Covid presented a lot of challenges for area actors. Take Christin Goff. She’d been coaching some actors in monologues in the spring of 2022 and was planning a class for the summer. “We had to shift to online, both for coaching and classes,” said Goff recently. “From there, we expanded and began to do readings […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Actor John O’Hurley, coming to Theatre by the Sea in Wakefield August 1
John O’Hurley tells about a call he got from famed producer Michael Feinstein. “He asked, do you have a one-man show,” said O’Hurley in our recent phone call. “And I said, well of course I do.” He didn’t, but he wasn’t about to say no. Feinstein then asked if O’Hurley would perform that show at […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Rus Anderson, starring in ‘The Rocket Man Show’ at PPAC Saturday July 16
Rus Anderson didn’t set out to perform a tribute concert to Elton John. And yet, here he is. Anderson came to the United States in 2003 to attend college. The Scottish musician found there was a lot of work in and around Clearwater, Florida. “I played the piano bars, trolled the beach bars, playing Top […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Al Ducharme, to be inducted in the Rhode Island Comedy Hall of Fame
When I caught up with Al Ducharme, he was on a cruise ship docked at a private island in the Caribbean. He was on board working as a comedian. “I travel more now than I want to,” he said. Covid has taken away a lot of stand-up performance options. Ducharme’s been a working comedian since […]
Posted inThings To Do
What’s Up Interview: Seth Rudetsky, coming to Theatre by the Sea Monday July 11
Sirius Radio’s Seth Rudetsky, one of the hosts on the Broadway Channel, brings his “Big Fat Broadway Show” to Theatre by the Sea on Monday, July 11. If you’ve heard him on Sirius, you know how quick-witted and talented he is. If you haven’t heard him, tune in. He’s a wealth of behind-the-scenes stories about […]
Posted inNews
Kelly Bates is home – WUN’s Frank O’Donnell joins the popular meteorologist as she returns to ABC6
It’s 4:30 on an absolutely perfect Saturday afternoon. I’m sitting in the ABC 6 Storm Tracker Center on Orms Street, watching meteorologist Kelly Bates prep for her first news broadcast in nine months. “I’ve been up since 4 AM, I’m so excited,” says Kelly. Animated is a good word to describe her at this moment. […]
Posted inNews
Theater Review: ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ opens the season at Theatre-by-the-Sea
December 4, 1956. Something momentous occurred. No, it wasn’t a celebration of my 64th day on the planet. Far away from Providence, a recording studio in Memphis hosted an impromptu jam session featuring Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis. All four artists got their start at Sun Records, owned and operated […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Preview: ‘The Voice of Gertrude Stein’ coming to Contemporary Theater
If you’re like me, when you hear “opera,” you think belting soloists, foreign languages, and works that are several centuries old. “Opera is not what people think,” says Rachel Hanauer. “Opera is still being composed. Today’s opera is very close in style to musical theater.” Hanauer is co-producing “The Voice of Gertrude Stein” at the […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Frank O’Donnell: High Drama at the Gamm – Cast resilient after Covid delay
It’s Wednesday evening. Cast and crew of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” are gathered again on the stage at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick. Tony Estrella had just finished explaining that another cast member tested positive for Covid. Tonight’s show had been canceled. We were there for a put-in rehearsal. Another actor, Steve Kidd, has been […]
Posted inArts & Culture
West Bay Community Theater to open new space in Wickford
There’s a new theater company in the southern part of the state. West Bay Community Theater is getting ready to move into a new space in the heart of Wickford. “When Academy Players left East Greenwich and the North Kingstown Players folded, the West Bay was left without a community theater,” says Terry Shea, president […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Frank O’Donnell: Gamm Theatre pauses performances of ‘Midsummer’… an actor’s perspective
It’s not the way we wanted to spend our opening weekend. I’m paraphrasing Tony Estrella, artistic director of the Gamm Theatre in Warwick. It’s Sunday afternoon, Mother’s Day. We had just wrapped up a brush-up rehearsal of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ wearing our street clothes, and we’re about to head home for the day. We […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rhode Island Comedy Hall of Fame & The Comedy Park coming to Cranston
Looking for some laughs? There’s a new comedy club in town that you’ll want to check out. “The Comedy Park is the culmination of a lifelong dream,” says Billy Simas, the stand-up comic who’ll be managing the club. “This is exactly what I wanted to build for comics and the community.” The club is part […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Rehearsing Shakespeare: Actor Frank O’Donnell’s first-hand account of preparing for ‘Midsummer’
It’s Easter Sunday. While others are enjoying egg hunts and ham dinners, 18 actors, a director, a stage manager and several crew members are rehearsing A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Gamm Theatre in Warwick in a second-floor rehearsal room. I am fortunate to have been cast in the show as Tom Snout, one of […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up Interview: Theresa Caputo, coming to The Vets April 10
“What I do is absolutely crazy,” says Theresa Caputo. “It’s insane. I sense, feel, say things to people that freak me out.” We chatted on the phone recently, in advance of the Long Island Medium’s show on April 10 at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence. Caputo is arguably America’s best-known medium. “I can connect […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Theater Review: ‘Oklahoma!’ fails to impress at PPAC
Here’s what you need to know about the touring production of Oklahoma! at the Providence Performing Arts Center running through Sunday. First, a good number of people did not return after the intermission. This is never a good sign. Second, on the way out, the question most often overheard was, “What the heck did I […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: ‘Ironbound’ features powerful performances
Set at a bus stop in front of a concrete wall – highway overpass, maybe – in a dangerous neighborhood in a rundown New Jersey town, “Ironbound” is bleak. While the latest production at the Gamm Theatre paints a pretty gray picture, there is some light too. We meet Darja (Donnla Hughes) at the bus […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Theater Review: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Jamestown Community Theatre
Jamestown Community Theater is back in business with its production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” their first show since the pandemic shut down the theater world in early 2020. Directed by Richard J. Martin, “Spelling Bee” is a bright and fun show to mark the company’s return. The cast is eclectic, featuring […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Theater Review: ‘The Prom’ overcomes audio issues and bigotry at PPAC
Here’s the bad news: Tuesday night’s performance of “The Prom” was plagued with sound problems from the start. Here’s the good news: Despite that, “The Prom” is a flat-out fun and entertaining show. Let’s talk about the show. It opens with a post-show Broadway celebration. Dee Dee Allen (Courtney Balan) and Barry Glickman (Patrick Wetzel) […]
Posted inNews
What’s Up Interview: Comedian Lewis Black, coming to The Vets Saturday, March 12
“We are literally living in an age when black and white TV would make so much sense,” says Lewis Black. The comedian is coming to The Vet’s in Providence this Saturday with his “Off the Rails” tour. He’s got his finger on the pulse of the day’s news. “This county has really moved so quickly,” […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: ‘Exit Laughing’ at the Arctic Playhouse
As board members at the Arctic Playhouse in West Warwick, Lloyd Felix and Jim Belanger did the curtain speech prior to “Exit Laughing” last Friday night. They chatted up the audience and reminded us about the shows coming up this season. And then they talked about the show we were there to see. “I’m sure […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Theater Review: PPAC’s ‘An Officer and a Gentleman,’ delivers predictable fun
Perhaps you’ve heard the term “jukebox musical.” Typically, it’s a show that takes a group of well-known songs from a particular artist or genre and stitches them together with a new story. For instance, there’s MAMMA MIA!, taking a group of songs by Abba and building them into a story about a young girl about […]
Posted inArts & Culture, News, People & Profiles, Things To Do
What’s Up Interview: Choreographer Patti Wilcox of “An Officer and a Gentleman” – at PPAC Feb 18-20
Patti Wilcox was pretty cheery when we chatted recently. “I’ve just arrived in Detroit and it’s great.” When I pointed out that “Detroit” and “great” don’t often appear in the same sentence, she laughed. “It’s a good tour city, and it is the home of Motown, so…” Wilcox is part of the creative team that […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: Superb “An Octoroon” makes a point at Gamm Theatre
You could best describe “An Octoroon” as a play surrounding a play. Written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, his modern play incorporates another, written by Dion Boucicault in 1859. That play centers on a crumbling plantation in Louisiana, and the fight to control it and the people who call it home. One of those people is Zoe […]
Posted inNews
Theater Review: “Superstar” still thrills at PPAC
I’ll admit it. I felt a little old when I realized that the current production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Providence Performing Arts Center was the 50th anniversary tour. Sure, I knew that the concept album was released while I was still in high school, which gave me a good frame of reference. But […]
Posted inArts & Culture
What’s Up in Local Theater: We review “It’s a Wonderful Life”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” is a holiday staple. The Jimmy Stewart movie is a must-play this time of year. For a bit of a change, why not see it live? The Gamm Theatre is presenting “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a live radio broadcast, and it could be the perfect tonic for today’s world. A […]
Posted inArts & Culture, Things To Do
Theater Review: Broadway returns to RI – “Pretty Woman” a hit at PPAC
Broadway is back in Providence, and Providence seems pretty happy about it. This week, the Providence Performing Arts Center is hosting its first Broadway tour in 19 months. PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL officially opened to a very full house Tuesday night. The musical is based on the 1990 movie of the same name starring Julia […]
Posted inArts & Culture
Theater Review: ‘A Lie Agreed Upon’ at Gamm Theatre
Tony Estrella, artistic director of The Gamm Theatre in Warwick, has a fondness for Henrik Ibsen. “His influence is all over the theater,” said Estrella recently, “second only to Shakespeare.” Often referred to as the father of realism in theater, Ibsen’s been gone for 115 years, but his works live on. For the third time, […]