RYAN IMPAGLIAZZO

pindrop sessions 4: life is a caBEERet feat. marimba cabaret + special guests | Presented by WGBH & AERONAUT

January 7

“I’m excited because…how could I not be? The title is a Kander & Ebb lyrical pun. It’s described as a combination of ‘Dulcet tones + reckless emoting + re-imagined pop songs + high-octane beer’ – which speaks to me (and hopefully you) on a deeply personal level. It features a marimba! (What’s a marimba? I’m not quite sure – come find out with me!) In all seriousness, collaborations like the pindrop sessions present thrilling opportunities to experience Greater Boston’s vibrant arts and culture offerings in a whole new way.”

JENNIFER STEARNS

The Wizard of Oz | Presented by Lexus Broadway In Boston

January 12 – 14

“Someone recently mentioned to me in passing that she was absolutely stunned to learn that her own grandkids didn’t know about The Wizard of Oz. I thought to myself, “Do children really not know who Dorothy and Toto are? Have my witty quips about the Cowardly Lion been lost on my family all these years?” So I set out to make sure my kids saw The Wizard of Oz by making it my daughter’s first Broadway musical when it played Boston years ago, and this year I intend to make it my youngest daughter’s first Broadway musical as well. I guess it’s become a family tradition. The colors, the special effects, the timeless music – all harken back to the original film in a way that makes you fall in love with the wizard all over again.”

STEPHANIE BROWNWELL

Lost Girls | Presented by Take Your Pick Productions

January 12 – 24 

“Lost Girls is a darkly comic New England premiere that explores the cyclical nature of connection and identity among generations of women in a snowy New Hampshire town. Feminism and social standing both play a role as Maggie finds a new understanding of her own mother when she believes her daughter is lost in the snow.”

DAVID COSTA

Shakespeare in Love | Presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company

January 12 – February 10

“I’ve never seen the movie, but the press photos are intriguing and stunning. A handsome Shakespeare and the effervescent Jennifer Ellis on stage in the Wimberley…what more could you want? I’m hopeful this will be a strong follow-up to SpeakEasy’s acclaimed fall production, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. I’m excited to see a new show with an amazing cast!”

MARIAN JACKSON

Crossing Flight: a tale of the post-apocalypse | Presented by TC Squared

January 18 – 21

“Playwright Erin Lerch is one of Boston’s own and has been developing this new science fiction play from scratch with TC Squared. Crossing Flight explores themes of choice and hope in a new twist on the classic dream of flight. It also shines a spotlight on questions of gender, featuring characters who challenge our idea of what it means to be human—or alien, for that matter.”

AUDREY SERAPHIN

Proof | Presented by Central Square Theater

January 18 – February 18

“I never thought in the year 2018, almost two decades since David Auburn’s Proof premiered, I would be this excited to see it. The Nora Theatre Company is taking on the work with the usual feminist edge, but there’s another reason I’m excited: the family at the center of the piece will be played entirely by Asian actors. With this cultural shift in the piece, Proof now has the potential to dive into the stereotypes and taboos Asian-Americans face in the academic community, as well as the prevalent and often unaddressed issues of mental health in Asian families. Proof, starring lauded Boston actor-producer Michael Tow and fierce newcomer Lisa Nguyen, is sure to knock the socks off anyone who ventures to Central Square to witness it.”

CATHERINE PETERSON

Albion | Presented by A Far Cry

January 19

“I came to adore the work of Benjamin Britten when I lived in London during my 20’s. His operas, song cycles, chamber and orchestral works—what a feast! If I had to choose a favorite Britten piece, it would be the Serenade for tenor, horn, and strings, which sets the texts of Keats, Blake, Jonson, etc. so beautifully. I can’t wait to hear the magical Nicholas Phan in this music. And as always, the Criers have come up with a thoughtful musical journey with the accompanying Vaughn Williams Concerto Grosso, a work I don’t know at all, along with the Locke/Purcell goodies.”

VICTORIA GEORGE

HEAR WORD! Naija Women Talk True | Presented by American Repertory Theater

January 26 – February 11

“2018 is definitely the Year of the Woman and this timely production giving women the platform they need to share their stories is a perfect way to kick off this year of change!” As an immigrant from West Africa (Sierra Leone – our Jollof rice is the best!), I am also looking forward to seeing more of these stories from brilliant African voices brought to more greater Boston stages.”

JOHN BECK

HYPE MAN: a break beat play | Presented by Company One

January 26 – February 24

“Anyone who knows me knows I love hip hop, so I could not be more excited about this new play Company One is putting on. Playwright Idris Goodwin is a genius, as proven by C1’s previous production of his play How We Got On. I saw Idris perform at Company One’s Season 19 Launch Party and was totally inspired. And if you see HYPE MAN, I’m sure you will be, too!”

CHAD SIROIS

(un)expected families | Presented by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Now – June 17

“In a time when ‘family values’ are espoused by our countries most hypocritical and corrupt politicians, the MFA presents a new exhibition of photography from its permanent collection that examines the concept of family. Featuring eighty pictures by American photographers like Nan Goldin, Carrie Mae Weems, and Nicholas Nixon (a Boston-based artist), un-expected families depicts a wide range of relationships, including multiple generations, romantic unions, and alternative family structures that encompass a modern understanding of what family is and can be.”

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