AUDREY SERAPHIN

The Phantom at the Disco | Presented by Heart & Dagger Productions

February 1 – March 2

“This is the Daggers’ 4th Drag Musical Extravaganza at Club Cafe, and I’m thinking it might also be their best. Boldly competing with Love Never Dies downtown, Phantom at the Disco promises to be a more intimate, gaudy, and raucous version of the musical it parodies. I have a deep love for both Phantom of the Opera and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s kookier hit Starlight Express, so I’m delighted to see a piece that brings out the strengths in each: respectively, dramatic romance and roller skates.”

RYAN IMPAGLIAZZO

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast | Presented by Wheelock Family Theatre

February 2 – March 4

“I’ve always felt a very strong connection to Beauty and the Beast. The animated masterpiece was the first movie I remember seeing in a theater, and the stage adaptation was the first musical I saw on Broadway. I firmly believe that if you can listen to Angela Lansbury’s performance of the Academy Award-winning title song and not burst into tears, you should probably check your pulse. Needless to say, I jump at the opportunity to experience the show in any of its forms. I’m particularly excited to catch Wheelock Family Theatre’s production since the company is known for its commitment to accessible programming and diverse casting, allowing audiences of all ages, races, and abilities to enjoy. I hope everyone will join me for this “tale as old as time” – I’ll be the one bawling uncontrollably when Belle appears in the yellow gown.”

JENNIFER STEARNS

A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature | Presented by Museum of Science, Boston

Opens February 4

“Grade School Jennifer was very much a scientist – a mathematician, a lover of all things calculable and measurable. It wasn’t until high school that I developed my love of the arts and realized that I could combine my passions. This February, it’s the Mirror Maze at the Museum of Science that’s bringing me back to my roots. A Mirror Maze: Numbers in Nature ‘reveals the mathematical patterns that surround us every day in the natural world,’ bringing an artistic eye to the beauty of fractal branching, the golden ratio, and all my childhood loves. Here’s hoping they become my children’s loves, too! Art AND science? What more could I want?”

CHAD SIROIS

Art in the Age of the Internet, 1989 to Today | Presented by the Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston

February 7 – May 20

“Being a part of the microgeneration known as xennials, I can remember a time prior to the internet. But when AOL debuted it’s service in 1998, I quickly became addicted to the sweet sounds of a dial-up modem. Suddenly the world was at my fingertips and the way I consumed information and media changed forever, not just in cyberspace but also in galleries and museums across the world. Featuring artists like Francis Stark, Nam June Paik, Trevor Paglen and more, Art in the Age of the Internet examines the Internet’s radical influence on how art – from painting to web-based work – is made, shared, and received.”

MARIAN JACKSON

The Ghost of Paul Revere | Presented by Rockport Music

February 10

“I’m a Maine girl myself, so I’m excited to see this trio come from my home state to perform in Massachusetts. Rockport’s a bit of a drive from the city, but if you can make it, I highly recommend you do. These folk singers will have you dancing and singing along even if you don’t know the words. Their infectious, woodsy charm is sure to make any self-proclaimed ‘hipster’ smile. Take this opportunity to see The Ghost of Paul Revere and enjoy a night of Americana music—before they get too big for this beautiful coastal venue.”

CATHERINE PETERSON

NPR’s From the Top with Host Christopher O’Riley | Presented by From the Top

February 11

“From the Top always puts on such a joyous program. You go in knowing you’ll see talented young people at the beginning of their careers, but I am always surprised by the fresh and youthful energy that exudes from the performance. Their artistry is extraordinary. I used to manage artists for about five years of my career, and I’ve found you can usually tell within a few seconds if a performer has that ‘it’ factor. All these young musicians have ‘it’.  If you love the radio program, I promise it’s even better in person.”

DAVID COSTA

Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat | Presented by Boston Children’s Theatre

February 10 – 25

“As a former first grade teacher, Dr. Seuss played an important role in teaching children how to read. The school I taught at had a staff of sixty, but I was the only male. Every year when Dr. Seuss’s birthday came around, it was my task to dress as the Cat in the Hat and visit each classroom, many of which were making green eggs and ham. BCT’s production of Dr. Seuss’s The Cat in the Hat will be a fun way to celebrate his upcoming birthday.”

JOHN BECK

CRASHFest | Presented by World Music/CRASHarts

February 24

“CRASHFest is one of my favorite annual music events in the whole city. World Music/CRASHArts brings in the most exciting talent from around the globe for one night only, and you don’t want to miss it. This year’s line-up includes an all-female mariachi band, several reggae artists, and a Moroccan trance musician. What more could you want on a February night? Dance the night away with the music of the world you didn’t know you were missing!”

VICTORIA GEORGE

Alvin Ailey Celebration Dance Workshop | Presented by Celebrity Series of Boston

February 24 & 25

“In his own words, Alvin Ailey is ‘a choreographer…a black man whose roots are in the sun and the dirt of the south.’ Watching the Ailey dancers perform is an experience that is hard to describe, but one that will never leave your mind. The technical strength of the dancers and lyrical brilliance of the choreography is why AAADT has been going strong for 50 years. I can’t imagine anything more fun and moving than to be able to learn his brilliant choreography from his equally talented dancers.”

STEPHANIE BROWNWELL

Annette Lemieux: Mise en Scène | Presented by The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

Now – March 4

“I love art museums! My record is five in one day. Yes, okay, that may be a bit much for most people, but I’m pretty sure you don’t want to miss Mise en Scene. Lemieux is a local artist from Brookline. Her work is usually in exhibits at national top-tier museums—the MoMa, the Guggenheim, the Whitney—and now it’s on display right in our own backyard. In this exhibit, Lemieux engages with films from the 1930-60’s dealing with injustice to illuminate them in new ways, the kinds of connections I love to witness. Her work is neither circumspect nor humorless, but provokes reflection as it grounds us in our history and culture. The MFA is free on Wednesdays after 4 PM and all day on Saturday, February 10, so you have no excuse not to go!”

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