PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
It’s been four years since Andrew McMahon was diagnosed with leukemia. After the release of “The Glass Passenger” last year with his band, Jack’s Mannequin, he is embarking on an acoustic solo tour to promote a documentary about his hospital stay.
“Passenger” was McMahon’s musical recovery, but the film exposes the real thing. The product of many nights alone in the ward with a handheld video camera, “Dear Jack” is the last episode about his recuperation.
“I feel free. Now, the place I’m in is much different. I don’t have that issue as such a relevant part of my life,” says McMahon about his health.
As soon as his body would allow it, the 26-year-old pianist and songwriter hit the road in 2006, opening for bands like the Fray to crowds of 20,000.
“There’s a certain chance you can take and certain things you can do that you can’t pull off in front of big crowd,” he says of the his headlining set. “Some songs will fall flat, and some might be magic.”
Jack’s fans will recognize some of the tracks on the EP, like “Dear Jack,” which inspired the band’s name, and “There, There, Katie,” about his sister whose stem-cell transplant saved his life.
“It’s intended to tell a story that inspires some hope in people,” he says. “To put your chin up and stay positive during a tough time can lead you to happy ending.”
HIT THE ROAD (FOR) JACK
McMahon is touring with his guitarist to raise money for the Dear Jack Foundation, which he established to support cancer research.
The documentary will include a few new songs, written before Jack’s Mannequin even began and revived for the movie’s release in three major cities and on DVD Nov. 3.
An Evening with Andrew McMahon from Jack’s Mannequin
Wednesday, 8 p.m.
Arts at the Armory
191 Highland Ave., Somerville
SOLD OUT
Showing posts with label Metro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Metro. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
You betcha!
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
When Curtis K. Hughes watched the vice presidential debates last year, Palin and Biden’s amusing personalities and musical voices inspired him to compose a full-fledged opera he called “Say It Ain’t So, Joe.”
“Sarah Palin is melodious,” says Hughes. “Biden just drones on and on and on in one or two notes, or gets incredibly dynamic and wide ranging, then seems to exhaust himself and go back to the drone.”
The production, currently being staged by Guerilla Opera, aims to stay politically neutral, says Aliana de la Guardia, who acts as Diane Sawyer and Palin.
“A message is definitely that people should think for themselves and be aware of the media and how it works,” she says.
Most of the opera’s lyrics come straight from the text of the debate.
“I came out of it feeling like there were really no purely heroic figures in any of this,” says Hughes.
“If there’s any kind of evil character, it’s probably the media itself. I was just continuously dumbfounded by the really stupid things the media had to say and ask.”
‘Say It Ain’t So, Joe’
Through Sunday
Boston Conservatory
8 The Fenway, Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Hynes
$7-$12, 617-912-9222
When Curtis K. Hughes watched the vice presidential debates last year, Palin and Biden’s amusing personalities and musical voices inspired him to compose a full-fledged opera he called “Say It Ain’t So, Joe.”
“Sarah Palin is melodious,” says Hughes. “Biden just drones on and on and on in one or two notes, or gets incredibly dynamic and wide ranging, then seems to exhaust himself and go back to the drone.”
The production, currently being staged by Guerilla Opera, aims to stay politically neutral, says Aliana de la Guardia, who acts as Diane Sawyer and Palin.
“A message is definitely that people should think for themselves and be aware of the media and how it works,” she says.
Most of the opera’s lyrics come straight from the text of the debate.
“I came out of it feeling like there were really no purely heroic figures in any of this,” says Hughes.
“If there’s any kind of evil character, it’s probably the media itself. I was just continuously dumbfounded by the really stupid things the media had to say and ask.”
‘Say It Ain’t So, Joe’
Through Sunday
Boston Conservatory
8 The Fenway, Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Hynes
$7-$12, 617-912-9222
Sunday, August 30, 2009
A Crush that makes a One Night Band
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
You never know what you’re going to get when you go out to see a band you’ve never heard before. Boston Band Crush is taking that sensation one step further.
BBC’s ‘One Night Band’ is an experiment that mixes up local musicians and challenges them to create three original songs in just seven hours. Then they have to perform them onstage.
Boston Band Crush is a blog about local music, and its members came up with the project after reading about a similar event in Texas called the ‘Rock Lottery,’ says Ashley Willard, one of the blog’s founders. But whereas ‘Rock Lottery’ involved 25 artists, ‘One Night Band’ will include 40. Each group of five, randomly assigned, must have a drummer and a bassist, and no two group members can have played together before.
“Some of the bands very well may fall flat on their faces,” says Willard. “We’re OK with that.”
Most of the participants play indie rock because Boston Band Crush invited acts they were familiar with, she says. But some musicians, like mandolin player Jimmy Ryan, were selected for their talent and to add some variety.
“I’m hoping to match up a few people who haven’t met before and who find that they are very in tune, no pun intended,” says Willard. “Maybe we’ll see some bands that form out of the One Night Band ashes.”
The proceeds will benefit Zumix, a nonprofit children’s music school in Willard’s neighborhood in East Boston. A band of teenagers who all attended Zumix will open the show, while film students from the Center for Digital Imaging Arts will document the entire process.
The bands will have to work hard all day, because they won’t know their performance time until the last minute, says Willard. She hopes One Night Band will strengthen a cohesiveness among the Boston music community seen at this year’s Rock and Roll Rumble.
“I think we’ll see a lot of novelty songs, a lot of simple sort of two-chord, three-chord songs. Some humor, hopefully,” says Willard. “But I also think we’ve got some really talented people in this group who will be able to really impress with their sets.”
‘One Night Band’
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Middle East Downstairs
472/480 Mass. Ave., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Central
$10-$12, 617-864-EAST
www.onenightbandboston.com
You never know what you’re going to get when you go out to see a band you’ve never heard before. Boston Band Crush is taking that sensation one step further.
BBC’s ‘One Night Band’ is an experiment that mixes up local musicians and challenges them to create three original songs in just seven hours. Then they have to perform them onstage.
Boston Band Crush is a blog about local music, and its members came up with the project after reading about a similar event in Texas called the ‘Rock Lottery,’ says Ashley Willard, one of the blog’s founders. But whereas ‘Rock Lottery’ involved 25 artists, ‘One Night Band’ will include 40. Each group of five, randomly assigned, must have a drummer and a bassist, and no two group members can have played together before.
“Some of the bands very well may fall flat on their faces,” says Willard. “We’re OK with that.”
Most of the participants play indie rock because Boston Band Crush invited acts they were familiar with, she says. But some musicians, like mandolin player Jimmy Ryan, were selected for their talent and to add some variety.
“I’m hoping to match up a few people who haven’t met before and who find that they are very in tune, no pun intended,” says Willard. “Maybe we’ll see some bands that form out of the One Night Band ashes.”
The proceeds will benefit Zumix, a nonprofit children’s music school in Willard’s neighborhood in East Boston. A band of teenagers who all attended Zumix will open the show, while film students from the Center for Digital Imaging Arts will document the entire process.
The bands will have to work hard all day, because they won’t know their performance time until the last minute, says Willard. She hopes One Night Band will strengthen a cohesiveness among the Boston music community seen at this year’s Rock and Roll Rumble.
“I think we’ll see a lot of novelty songs, a lot of simple sort of two-chord, three-chord songs. Some humor, hopefully,” says Willard. “But I also think we’ve got some really talented people in this group who will be able to really impress with their sets.”
‘One Night Band’
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Middle East Downstairs
472/480 Mass. Ave., Cambridge
MBTA: Red Line to Central
$10-$12, 617-864-EAST
www.onenightbandboston.com
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
All in a day’s Cirque
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
When Cirque du Soleil created the traveling show “Alegria” in the ’90s, Internet technology was only beginning to permeate our everyday life. Though the show fittingly became about the battle between old and new, tradition and modernization, the Cirque’s new arena-hosted version of the show actually pares down on technology and brings attention back to the performers.
After years of touring under the big-top, which takes nine days to set up and two days to tear down, Cirque du Soleil decided to adapt the show for arenas, allowing more intimate performances and access to smaller cities, says Sheryl Lynne Valensky, assistant artistic director.
“One of the nice things about taking a show running for 15 years back into rehearsal is you get to update it, like a rebirth of the show,” says Valensky. “The nice thing about ‘Alegria’ is there’s not a lot of technology. The show’s acts showcase what the artists do and the incredible things the human body can do.”
“Alegria,” which means “jubilation” in Spanish, is about the conflict in society between the old world and the new and how they converge. The resistance to change is represented by the Old Birds, aristocratic characters dressed in brightly colored masks, and on the other side, a group of Angels symbolize youth, energy and moving forward.
The arena tour brings the show to a new city every week, meaning set-up time is limited to eight hours, says Valensky. That’s why the equipment is minimized, and most of the grandeur comes from the artists’ abilities. The performances include intricate trapeze acts, contortion girls, and a “power track” involving a giant trampoline, she says.
“Every show is so unique; you see different acts in every show, and we don’t repeat anything,” says Valensky. “Our show in Japan right now is more theatrical, and this show is more abstract.”
Though every Cirque du Soleil show has a theme, the purpose is not to make a statement but to simply present a concept in a way that audiences across borders and age groups can grasp it. The storyline is presented through movement and music, and while some songs have verses in multiple languages, the message is mostly visual.
Boston is the show’s third stop in three weeks, and “Alegria” will continue touring the U.S. and Canada for the next three years.
“The whole idea is that we could go anywhere, and everybody would get to see the same show. No one’s experience would be lessened because they couldn’t understand,” says Valensky.
‘Alegria’
Tomorrow through Sunday
Agganis Arena
925 Comm. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green line to
St. Paul’s
$36-$95, 617-931-2000
www.cirquedusoleil.com
When Cirque du Soleil created the traveling show “Alegria” in the ’90s, Internet technology was only beginning to permeate our everyday life. Though the show fittingly became about the battle between old and new, tradition and modernization, the Cirque’s new arena-hosted version of the show actually pares down on technology and brings attention back to the performers.
After years of touring under the big-top, which takes nine days to set up and two days to tear down, Cirque du Soleil decided to adapt the show for arenas, allowing more intimate performances and access to smaller cities, says Sheryl Lynne Valensky, assistant artistic director.
“One of the nice things about taking a show running for 15 years back into rehearsal is you get to update it, like a rebirth of the show,” says Valensky. “The nice thing about ‘Alegria’ is there’s not a lot of technology. The show’s acts showcase what the artists do and the incredible things the human body can do.”
“Alegria,” which means “jubilation” in Spanish, is about the conflict in society between the old world and the new and how they converge. The resistance to change is represented by the Old Birds, aristocratic characters dressed in brightly colored masks, and on the other side, a group of Angels symbolize youth, energy and moving forward.
The arena tour brings the show to a new city every week, meaning set-up time is limited to eight hours, says Valensky. That’s why the equipment is minimized, and most of the grandeur comes from the artists’ abilities. The performances include intricate trapeze acts, contortion girls, and a “power track” involving a giant trampoline, she says.
“Every show is so unique; you see different acts in every show, and we don’t repeat anything,” says Valensky. “Our show in Japan right now is more theatrical, and this show is more abstract.”
Though every Cirque du Soleil show has a theme, the purpose is not to make a statement but to simply present a concept in a way that audiences across borders and age groups can grasp it. The storyline is presented through movement and music, and while some songs have verses in multiple languages, the message is mostly visual.
Boston is the show’s third stop in three weeks, and “Alegria” will continue touring the U.S. and Canada for the next three years.
“The whole idea is that we could go anywhere, and everybody would get to see the same show. No one’s experience would be lessened because they couldn’t understand,” says Valensky.
‘Alegria’
Tomorrow through Sunday
Agganis Arena
925 Comm. Ave., Boston
MBTA: Green line to
St. Paul’s
$36-$95, 617-931-2000
www.cirquedusoleil.com
Monday, August 24, 2009
Shakespeare at the disco
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
For her first show as American Repertory Theater director, Diane Paulus wanted to push the envelope and pull in a new audience: the nightlife crowd.
That’s why, staying true to the theater’s mission to “expand the boundaries of theater,” this season at A.R.T. kicks off with “The Donkey Show,” Paulus’ 1970s disco interactive adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“We tend to have a limited conception of what theater is,” says Paulus. “It was a conscious decision to shake up our program this way.”
In “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the characters pursue unattainable lovers in an enchanted forest. In Paulus’ version, co-written by Randy Weiner, the struggles for love are told through the passionate lyrics of disco songs, and the forest is instead a hopping nightclub.
Paulus compares the musical numbers to a group of girlfriends singing along with Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” when they’re out on the town, explaining how ’70s music captures emotion. One scene illustrates the well-known exchange between Helena and Demetrius with the club classic, “Don’t Leave Me This Way” as Helena grovels at her love’s feet.
The show is more social than traditional plays and is meant to show audiences, both old and new, that theater doesn’t always fit into typical conceptions, says Paulus. The actors sing along to the music as a DJ spins, and the audience can go to the dance floor, drink in hand, and get their groove on while watching.
“It’s a very free environment,” says Paulus. “To me, this is more like the way Shakespeare was experienced in his time. In the Globe Theater, you had groundlings that stood on floor — the Elizabethan version of a mosh pit.”
Fresh off a gig in New York City, Paulus brings “The Donkey Show” as one of three original Shakespeare adaptations she’s dubbed “Shakespeare Exploded.” Having toured in London, Madrid and Seoul, Paulus hopes to introduce her work to more conservative regions of the U.S.
“It’s important in educating the Boston audience that the show is unique; it’s a party, but it’s also a show,” says Paulus. “It’s a combination of something to give you something to talk about, but also to have fun with and dance.”
‘The Donkey Show’
Friday through Oct. 31
Oberon Theater
2 Arrow St., Cambridge
617-495-2668
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
www.americanrepertorytheater.org
For her first show as American Repertory Theater director, Diane Paulus wanted to push the envelope and pull in a new audience: the nightlife crowd.
That’s why, staying true to the theater’s mission to “expand the boundaries of theater,” this season at A.R.T. kicks off with “The Donkey Show,” Paulus’ 1970s disco interactive adaptation of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
“We tend to have a limited conception of what theater is,” says Paulus. “It was a conscious decision to shake up our program this way.”
In “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the characters pursue unattainable lovers in an enchanted forest. In Paulus’ version, co-written by Randy Weiner, the struggles for love are told through the passionate lyrics of disco songs, and the forest is instead a hopping nightclub.
Paulus compares the musical numbers to a group of girlfriends singing along with Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” when they’re out on the town, explaining how ’70s music captures emotion. One scene illustrates the well-known exchange between Helena and Demetrius with the club classic, “Don’t Leave Me This Way” as Helena grovels at her love’s feet.
The show is more social than traditional plays and is meant to show audiences, both old and new, that theater doesn’t always fit into typical conceptions, says Paulus. The actors sing along to the music as a DJ spins, and the audience can go to the dance floor, drink in hand, and get their groove on while watching.
“It’s a very free environment,” says Paulus. “To me, this is more like the way Shakespeare was experienced in his time. In the Globe Theater, you had groundlings that stood on floor — the Elizabethan version of a mosh pit.”
Fresh off a gig in New York City, Paulus brings “The Donkey Show” as one of three original Shakespeare adaptations she’s dubbed “Shakespeare Exploded.” Having toured in London, Madrid and Seoul, Paulus hopes to introduce her work to more conservative regions of the U.S.
“It’s important in educating the Boston audience that the show is unique; it’s a party, but it’s also a show,” says Paulus. “It’s a combination of something to give you something to talk about, but also to have fun with and dance.”
‘The Donkey Show’
Friday through Oct. 31
Oberon Theater
2 Arrow St., Cambridge
617-495-2668
MBTA: Red Line to Harvard
www.americanrepertorytheater.org
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Seeing behind the scenes
Boston Movie Tours takes you to the local locations you’ve seen in Hollywood films
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
If you’re serious about your Boston movies, it won’t be a spoiler to mention the scene in “The Departed” where Martin Sheen falls off the roof to his death. We need to mention it because that building is just one of the stops on Boston Movie Tours, which you can take as a guided walk or bus ride around the city.
The walk explores Beacon Hill, where almost all Boston movies were shot, to survey scenes from “Blown Away” and “The Boston Strangler.” The guides carry screenshots to point out differences between the real locations and the Hollywood scenes, poking
fun at how Martin Scorsese turned Charles Street Cleaners into a restaurant. They joke that Scorsese had to get his vision just right for that clip, which lasts a mere five seconds, but the guides’ admiration for every production detail is apparent.
Less intimate than the walking version, a longer bus tour ventures into Southie to visit the tourist favorite: L Street Tavern, a spot made famous by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s breakout movie, “Good Will Hunting.”
Nick Pistorino, director of operations at Boston Movie Tours, says the city has long been a top choice for filming because of its diverse neighborhoods and palette of backdrops.
“Because Boston is so eclectic, you can figure out where they’re shooting,” he says. “What helps most of the time is going around in my car and finding it out.”
Thanks to a Massachusetts tax incentive passed back in 2004, movies are increasingly filmed in Boston but are not necessarily “Boston movies,” says Pistorino. “The Pink Panther 2” was filmed here to save on costs but is actually set in France.
“It’s starting to turn around. Ever since ‘The Departed,’ we’re waiting for a really big movie to come out that’s good for Boston,” he says. “‘The Company Men’ with Ben Affleck looks like it might be that next big movie.”
Tourists and students will enjoy the waltz through Boston’s swankiest streets as they answer movie trivia, learn about the city’s history and see just where on the Common Matt Damon played rugby.
Boston Movie Tours
Tours daily, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
866-668-4345, $13-$39
www.bostonmovietours.net
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
If you’re serious about your Boston movies, it won’t be a spoiler to mention the scene in “The Departed” where Martin Sheen falls off the roof to his death. We need to mention it because that building is just one of the stops on Boston Movie Tours, which you can take as a guided walk or bus ride around the city.
The walk explores Beacon Hill, where almost all Boston movies were shot, to survey scenes from “Blown Away” and “The Boston Strangler.” The guides carry screenshots to point out differences between the real locations and the Hollywood scenes, poking
fun at how Martin Scorsese turned Charles Street Cleaners into a restaurant. They joke that Scorsese had to get his vision just right for that clip, which lasts a mere five seconds, but the guides’ admiration for every production detail is apparent.
Less intimate than the walking version, a longer bus tour ventures into Southie to visit the tourist favorite: L Street Tavern, a spot made famous by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck’s breakout movie, “Good Will Hunting.”
Nick Pistorino, director of operations at Boston Movie Tours, says the city has long been a top choice for filming because of its diverse neighborhoods and palette of backdrops.
“Because Boston is so eclectic, you can figure out where they’re shooting,” he says. “What helps most of the time is going around in my car and finding it out.”
Thanks to a Massachusetts tax incentive passed back in 2004, movies are increasingly filmed in Boston but are not necessarily “Boston movies,” says Pistorino. “The Pink Panther 2” was filmed here to save on costs but is actually set in France.
“It’s starting to turn around. Ever since ‘The Departed,’ we’re waiting for a really big movie to come out that’s good for Boston,” he says. “‘The Company Men’ with Ben Affleck looks like it might be that next big movie.”
Tourists and students will enjoy the waltz through Boston’s swankiest streets as they answer movie trivia, learn about the city’s history and see just where on the Common Matt Damon played rugby.
Boston Movie Tours
Tours daily, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
866-668-4345, $13-$39
www.bostonmovietours.net
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Bearing the burden
Singer Brett Dennen on drawing, touring and giving back
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
Singer-songwriter Brett Dennen is more than just the next Dave Matthews, as he is often described. He’s a mountain man with the voice of a jazz singer, who decorates his guitars with Sharpies and shimmies his hips onstage as he smiles bashfully at the audience. We met with him earlier this summer.
Q: Did you draw that elephant on your guitar?
A: Yes, I did.
Q: What other pictures do you have?
A: I’ve done tons of them. A friend of mine had this photograph of the dock that he lives on in Chesapeake Bay with a sailboat on it, so I did that. I once did one of a woman in the desert holding a cow skull.
Q: How is touring with OAR?
A: The nice thing about their crowd is they have a pretty strong college following. It seems like they’re the kind of people who pass CDs around.
Q: Are you out to change the world with your music?
A: I would like to be a part of many people changing the world. I would like to be the part that inspires people. I want to highlight things in the world that need to be spoken about, or people that need to be given the microphone.
Q: Is that where your practice of having nonprofit organizations set up booths at your shows, and your Love Speaks project, comes from?
A: It does. Before I was a musician full-time, I was working in nonprofits. Writing about change in music is one thing, but actually having it involved in your life is another. A couple years into playing music full-time, I started to feel like I was lacking the latter. So we bring nonprofits to our shows and give them a chance to speak with the audience.
Q: How do you stay attached to home when you’re out touring?
A: The only tangible thing I have is a little piece of wood that my dad made for me. He got it from a bristlecone pine forest in the White Mountains [of California] near where I grew up. It’s a little piece he cut and shellacked and wrote “Home” on it. So I stick that to my peddle board.
OAR
with Brett Dennen
Friday, 7 p.m.
Bank of America Pavillion
290 Northern Ave., Boston
MBTA: Silver Line to World Trade Center
$35-$80, 617-931-2000
www.livenation.com
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
Singer-songwriter Brett Dennen is more than just the next Dave Matthews, as he is often described. He’s a mountain man with the voice of a jazz singer, who decorates his guitars with Sharpies and shimmies his hips onstage as he smiles bashfully at the audience. We met with him earlier this summer.
Q: Did you draw that elephant on your guitar?
A: Yes, I did.
Q: What other pictures do you have?
A: I’ve done tons of them. A friend of mine had this photograph of the dock that he lives on in Chesapeake Bay with a sailboat on it, so I did that. I once did one of a woman in the desert holding a cow skull.
Q: How is touring with OAR?
A: The nice thing about their crowd is they have a pretty strong college following. It seems like they’re the kind of people who pass CDs around.
Q: Are you out to change the world with your music?
A: I would like to be a part of many people changing the world. I would like to be the part that inspires people. I want to highlight things in the world that need to be spoken about, or people that need to be given the microphone.
Q: Is that where your practice of having nonprofit organizations set up booths at your shows, and your Love Speaks project, comes from?
A: It does. Before I was a musician full-time, I was working in nonprofits. Writing about change in music is one thing, but actually having it involved in your life is another. A couple years into playing music full-time, I started to feel like I was lacking the latter. So we bring nonprofits to our shows and give them a chance to speak with the audience.
Q: How do you stay attached to home when you’re out touring?
A: The only tangible thing I have is a little piece of wood that my dad made for me. He got it from a bristlecone pine forest in the White Mountains [of California] near where I grew up. It’s a little piece he cut and shellacked and wrote “Home” on it. So I stick that to my peddle board.
OAR
with Brett Dennen
Friday, 7 p.m.
Bank of America Pavillion
290 Northern Ave., Boston
MBTA: Silver Line to World Trade Center
$35-$80, 617-931-2000
www.livenation.com
Sunday, August 16, 2009
‘Degrassi’ does parody
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
Degrassi: The Next Generation” has said hello and goodbye to many young personalities over its eight, gripping seasons, but old favorites are returning for a full-length movie that takes a different approach to the issues: parody.
This comic angle comes courtesy of longtime “Degrassi” devotees Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, who you probably know better as Jay and Silent Bob.
In “Degrassi Goes Hollywood,” Lauren Collins reprises the early years of bossy head cheerleader Paige Michalchuk. This time, the Canadian crew takes over Los Angeles, and Paige’s demands escalate after she lands a starring role in a new film.
“I still think, even though there is the gloss and glamour to the whole element, it’s about the characters this time around, rather than the issues,” says Collins.
Adamo Ruggiero, who plays Marco Del Rossi, notes that the theme of the movie is presented differently than in the show, which has explored such weighty topics as rape, drugs and coming out of the closet. But he says the film is still true to the show’s mission by portraying Paige’s classic struggle for success while commenting on the Hollywood culture of “ridiculous” teen stars.
In true Degrassi fashion, there isn’t a Hollywood ending for “Hollywood.” An incident with Marco and Paige, for instance, questions whether the two actors are truly done with Degrassi. “Maybe Paige’s story isn’t over,” she says.
For Ruggiero, leaving his character will be difficult; Marco’s coming out helped him with his own. “Marco is my inspiration. He was a manual for everything before it happened,” he says.
For now, they say they are moving on, although Marco will make some appearances in Season 9.
“The movie was a blast. We could just enjoy one last hurrah, and we appreciated it more because it was gone.”
Degrassi: The Next Generation” has said hello and goodbye to many young personalities over its eight, gripping seasons, but old favorites are returning for a full-length movie that takes a different approach to the issues: parody.
This comic angle comes courtesy of longtime “Degrassi” devotees Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, who you probably know better as Jay and Silent Bob.
In “Degrassi Goes Hollywood,” Lauren Collins reprises the early years of bossy head cheerleader Paige Michalchuk. This time, the Canadian crew takes over Los Angeles, and Paige’s demands escalate after she lands a starring role in a new film.
“I still think, even though there is the gloss and glamour to the whole element, it’s about the characters this time around, rather than the issues,” says Collins.
Adamo Ruggiero, who plays Marco Del Rossi, notes that the theme of the movie is presented differently than in the show, which has explored such weighty topics as rape, drugs and coming out of the closet. But he says the film is still true to the show’s mission by portraying Paige’s classic struggle for success while commenting on the Hollywood culture of “ridiculous” teen stars.
In true Degrassi fashion, there isn’t a Hollywood ending for “Hollywood.” An incident with Marco and Paige, for instance, questions whether the two actors are truly done with Degrassi. “Maybe Paige’s story isn’t over,” she says.
For Ruggiero, leaving his character will be difficult; Marco’s coming out helped him with his own. “Marco is my inspiration. He was a manual for everything before it happened,” he says.
For now, they say they are moving on, although Marco will make some appearances in Season 9.
“The movie was a blast. We could just enjoy one last hurrah, and we appreciated it more because it was gone.”
Sunday, August 9, 2009
'A great queer'
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
When Joey Pelletier began writing his first full-length play a year and a half ago, he was recovering from a drug addiction and a recent breakup. But “Where Moments Hung Before” debuts this weekend not as a painful self-reflection but as comic relief to the woes of sexual identity, grief and desire.
“Whatever I was feeling back then — whatever loss — I don’t feel anymore,” Pelletier says. “Maybe there’s a lot more love in the play now. It’s definitely a lot more fictional.”
With characters like a gay Jewish rapper and homosexual male and female leads, Pelletier’s play attempts to rev up issues thus far handled gently by local gay theater. Though the story follows the friends and family of a man named Jasper Kelly as they mourn his death, Pelletier sums it up as “a big gay drama with big queer laughs.”
“Even my straight friends wanted to play these gay characters,” he says.
Pelletier says the play took many forms before it was ready for an audience, including an epic musical and a soap opera. His friends, who became the cast of the production, acted out three workshops and threw in their own two cents about the play’s
direction.
“There’s a lot of self-deprecation that, when we workshopped the show, my friends laughed at but also made fun of,” says Pelletier. “Who doesn’t find humor in darkness?”
Other than his colleagues, Pelletier says he also found inspiration in music, an element that has remained in the final product. He says “Moments” draws influences from artists like Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie and Regina Spektor.
Also included in the play’s soundtrack are an original rap and a few numbers sung by Pelletier himself. That’s right: The writer has also stepped into a role originally based on himself, yet the persona emerged as a reflection of the whole cast.
“It is just a wonderful feeling because it’s a mix of the past, present and the extensive future,” Pelletier says about his character. “He’s a great queer.”
‘Where Moments Hung Before’
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
Through Aug. 16
949 Comm. Ave., Boston
$10-$15, 16+, 866-811-4111
BostonActorsTheater.com
When Joey Pelletier began writing his first full-length play a year and a half ago, he was recovering from a drug addiction and a recent breakup. But “Where Moments Hung Before” debuts this weekend not as a painful self-reflection but as comic relief to the woes of sexual identity, grief and desire.
“Whatever I was feeling back then — whatever loss — I don’t feel anymore,” Pelletier says. “Maybe there’s a lot more love in the play now. It’s definitely a lot more fictional.”
With characters like a gay Jewish rapper and homosexual male and female leads, Pelletier’s play attempts to rev up issues thus far handled gently by local gay theater. Though the story follows the friends and family of a man named Jasper Kelly as they mourn his death, Pelletier sums it up as “a big gay drama with big queer laughs.”
“Even my straight friends wanted to play these gay characters,” he says.
Pelletier says the play took many forms before it was ready for an audience, including an epic musical and a soap opera. His friends, who became the cast of the production, acted out three workshops and threw in their own two cents about the play’s
direction.
“There’s a lot of self-deprecation that, when we workshopped the show, my friends laughed at but also made fun of,” says Pelletier. “Who doesn’t find humor in darkness?”
Other than his colleagues, Pelletier says he also found inspiration in music, an element that has remained in the final product. He says “Moments” draws influences from artists like Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie and Regina Spektor.
Also included in the play’s soundtrack are an original rap and a few numbers sung by Pelletier himself. That’s right: The writer has also stepped into a role originally based on himself, yet the persona emerged as a reflection of the whole cast.
“It is just a wonderful feeling because it’s a mix of the past, present and the extensive future,” Pelletier says about his character. “He’s a great queer.”
‘Where Moments Hung Before’
Boston Playwrights’ Theatre
Through Aug. 16
949 Comm. Ave., Boston
$10-$15, 16+, 866-811-4111
BostonActorsTheater.com
Monday, August 3, 2009
Giving Everybody Access to Theater
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
Every summer for one night only, Boston Center for the Arts hosts a musical featuring one of the most diverse casts in the city. The show is a product of Access to Theatre, a program involving young adults of many back-grounds, with and without disabilities and showcasing various talents.
Though the play is promoted as “accessible” for performers and audiences alike, Donna Folan, artistic director, says ATT isn’t centered around disabilities. The goal is for a diverse group of people to find a common ground, forming one “creative space” despite their differences.
After three weeks of hard work, the company, whose members range in age from 13 to 25, will perform a two-hour, original play in a fully accessible theater.
The first week of the workshop facilitates ice breakers and brainstorming, while participants bring in scripts, poems or dance routines. Suggestions from all 26 performers are included in the play, which will be ASL interpreted and audio described.
“It’s everybody’s idea, and it shows what everybody thinks of and that everybody’s a team,” says Trayvon Tennyson, 14, an ATT newcomer.
“It involves people and helps people grow in areas they haven’t experienced — adventure and new opportunities,” says Ben Kimbrel, 24, a peer leader who has been with the program for 10 years.
Tennyson says he joined ATT this summer to learn how to better interact with others. After a week, he says the group is like a family.
“If we unite and believe in each other, I think we can really pull it off,” says Tennyson. “People getting out of their wheelchairs — I’ve never seen that before. It just shows the comfort and love.”
Access to Theatre
Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Cyclorama at the Boston
Center for the Arts
539 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Orange line to Back Bay
Free, 617-556-4075
www.bcaonline.org
Every summer for one night only, Boston Center for the Arts hosts a musical featuring one of the most diverse casts in the city. The show is a product of Access to Theatre, a program involving young adults of many back-grounds, with and without disabilities and showcasing various talents.
Though the play is promoted as “accessible” for performers and audiences alike, Donna Folan, artistic director, says ATT isn’t centered around disabilities. The goal is for a diverse group of people to find a common ground, forming one “creative space” despite their differences.
After three weeks of hard work, the company, whose members range in age from 13 to 25, will perform a two-hour, original play in a fully accessible theater.
The first week of the workshop facilitates ice breakers and brainstorming, while participants bring in scripts, poems or dance routines. Suggestions from all 26 performers are included in the play, which will be ASL interpreted and audio described.
“It’s everybody’s idea, and it shows what everybody thinks of and that everybody’s a team,” says Trayvon Tennyson, 14, an ATT newcomer.
“It involves people and helps people grow in areas they haven’t experienced — adventure and new opportunities,” says Ben Kimbrel, 24, a peer leader who has been with the program for 10 years.
Tennyson says he joined ATT this summer to learn how to better interact with others. After a week, he says the group is like a family.
“If we unite and believe in each other, I think we can really pull it off,” says Tennyson. “People getting out of their wheelchairs — I’ve never seen that before. It just shows the comfort and love.”
Access to Theatre
Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Cyclorama at the Boston
Center for the Arts
539 Tremont St., Boston
MBTA: Orange line to Back Bay
Free, 617-556-4075
www.bcaonline.org
Off the 'Walls'
Published by Boston Metro
‘Walls Have Ears’
Director: Patrick Jerome
Cast: Dahiana Torres, Scott Neufville, Romond Pamphile
Rating: NR
Grade: 2/5
‘Walls Have Ears’ is a combination of a bad soap opera and a viral YouTube video. The local Bway 7 Productions film has all the intentions of an action drama — money, sex and drive-by shootings —but the costumes are so ridiculous and the timing so awkward that it becomes an unintentional parody.
Romond Pamphile makesfor a jolly villain, and for a damsel in distress, Dahiana Torres can’t keep a straightface. But Scott Neufville, who plays Johnny, has the most talent of the cast and could someday star in “Step Up 3.” Still, the movie is amusing, though possibly in an accidental way.
‘Walls Have Ears’
Director: Patrick Jerome
Cast: Dahiana Torres, Scott Neufville, Romond Pamphile
Rating: NR
Grade: 2/5
‘Walls Have Ears’ is a combination of a bad soap opera and a viral YouTube video. The local Bway 7 Productions film has all the intentions of an action drama — money, sex and drive-by shootings —but the costumes are so ridiculous and the timing so awkward that it becomes an unintentional parody.
Romond Pamphile makesfor a jolly villain, and for a damsel in distress, Dahiana Torres can’t keep a straightface. But Scott Neufville, who plays Johnny, has the most talent of the cast and could someday star in “Step Up 3.” Still, the movie is amusing, though possibly in an accidental way.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
‘Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ hardly a golden [Ice] ‘Age’
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’
Directors: Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier
Cast: John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah, Ray Romano, Denis Leary
Rating: PG
Dinosaurs aren’t the only extinct species in the third “Ice Age” film. The heartwarming characters and parent-friendly humor of previous installments are lost in “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” The 3-D sequel introduces a new world, literally breaking the ice as the band of prehistoric creatures fall into a cracked frozen lake and discover an underground dinosaur jungle. But the jokes are as old as the movie’s setting, and the lukewarm theme of moving through life’s many stages lacks substance.
Woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, voiced by Ray Romano and Queen Latifah, respectively, are about to have a child. They are accompanied by Diego, the saber-toothed tiger (a disappointingly tame Denis Leary), and Buck, a Jack Sparrow-like weasel voiced by Simon Pegg.
Pegg’s character, with his apparent madness, is the only memorable personality other than that darn squirrel.
Though an easy pick for an 8-year-old’s birthday party, “Ice Age” is otherwise not quite worth the extra cost for 3-D.
‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’
Directors: Carlos Saldanha, Mike Thurmeier
Cast: John Leguizamo, Simon Pegg, Queen Latifah, Ray Romano, Denis Leary
Rating: PG
Dinosaurs aren’t the only extinct species in the third “Ice Age” film. The heartwarming characters and parent-friendly humor of previous installments are lost in “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.” The 3-D sequel introduces a new world, literally breaking the ice as the band of prehistoric creatures fall into a cracked frozen lake and discover an underground dinosaur jungle. But the jokes are as old as the movie’s setting, and the lukewarm theme of moving through life’s many stages lacks substance.
Woolly mammoth couple Manny and Ellie, voiced by Ray Romano and Queen Latifah, respectively, are about to have a child. They are accompanied by Diego, the saber-toothed tiger (a disappointingly tame Denis Leary), and Buck, a Jack Sparrow-like weasel voiced by Simon Pegg.
Pegg’s character, with his apparent madness, is the only memorable personality other than that darn squirrel.
Though an easy pick for an 8-year-old’s birthday party, “Ice Age” is otherwise not quite worth the extra cost for 3-D.
Putting the ‘sing’ in Downtown Crossing
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
“American Idol” auditions in Boston are over, but rock star hopefuls will sing this Friday at Downtown Crossing.
Ten finalists compete for a shot at fame and $80,000 at the Massachusetts Competition of the 2009 World Karaoke Championship on Friday in Downtown Crossing. The winner will go on to compete in Europe for the cash prize.
Bradford McKeown, 30, says he based his song selections on his range rather than his usual standards. That will be him you’ll hear performing “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister and “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain.
He says he normally starts with a ballad “because they will be impressed I’m doing a good job, but I would pick something a little more rock ’n’ roll later in the night.”
Casey Rae, 25, is an amateur singer who says she’s excited to perform in the same spot she remembers watching a young *NSYNC.
Rae auditioned for “American Idol” recently and though she didn’t pass the first round, “Idol” sparked her interest in competing.
“I feel like ‘American Idol’ is more like a reality show and they are looking for characters,” Rae says.
But “Idol” didn’t only turn away newbies. Liz Lohnes, 19, attends Berklee College of Music and frequently sings the national anthem at Celtics games, yet she didn’t make it past the judges, either.
“This is a lot less people. There’s a bigger chance that I’d be able to make it,” she says. “‘American Idol’ is probably one out of a million.” katrina ballard/metro
Massachusetts Competition of the 2009 World Karaoke Championship
Friday, noon, Downtown Crossing in front of Macy's
450 Washington St.
MBTA: Red/Orange Line to Downtown Crossing
Free
www.limelightboston.com
“American Idol” auditions in Boston are over, but rock star hopefuls will sing this Friday at Downtown Crossing.
Ten finalists compete for a shot at fame and $80,000 at the Massachusetts Competition of the 2009 World Karaoke Championship on Friday in Downtown Crossing. The winner will go on to compete in Europe for the cash prize.
Bradford McKeown, 30, says he based his song selections on his range rather than his usual standards. That will be him you’ll hear performing “Broken Wings” by Mr. Mister and “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain.
He says he normally starts with a ballad “because they will be impressed I’m doing a good job, but I would pick something a little more rock ’n’ roll later in the night.”
Casey Rae, 25, is an amateur singer who says she’s excited to perform in the same spot she remembers watching a young *NSYNC.
Rae auditioned for “American Idol” recently and though she didn’t pass the first round, “Idol” sparked her interest in competing.
“I feel like ‘American Idol’ is more like a reality show and they are looking for characters,” Rae says.
But “Idol” didn’t only turn away newbies. Liz Lohnes, 19, attends Berklee College of Music and frequently sings the national anthem at Celtics games, yet she didn’t make it past the judges, either.
“This is a lot less people. There’s a bigger chance that I’d be able to make it,” she says. “‘American Idol’ is probably one out of a million.” katrina ballard/metro
Massachusetts Competition of the 2009 World Karaoke Championship
Friday, noon, Downtown Crossing in front of Macy's
450 Washington St.
MBTA: Red/Orange Line to Downtown Crossing
Free
www.limelightboston.com
One final ‘Season of Love’
PUBLISHED by Boston Metro
Adam Pascal on reprising his role in ‘Rent’
“Rent” may have left Broadway, but bohemia’s not dead. The production is touring across America this summer for one more season of love with two of its original cast members.
Also stars from the movie version, Anthony Rapp returns to play amateur filmmaker Mark and Adam Pascal will reprise his role as Roger, a sulky musician. After leaving the show in 1997, Pascal says he and Rapp enjoyed filming the 2005 movie so much that they decided to lead the tour.
“We both longed for, in a way, the opportunity to finish out our ‘Rent’ journey on stage where it began,” says Pascal.
If you’re not among the millions who have seen the show in some incarnation, “Rent” is based on Puccini’s opera, “La Boheme” and follows the journey of seven young friends as they struggle with heartbreak, greedy landlords and the AIDS epidemic.
Though AIDS is no longer the death sentence it was when the show first began in the mid ’90s, Pascal says the show’s core is still just as much, if not more, relevant to today’s audience than it was more than a decade ago.
“The show deals with crisis,” he says. “The concept of age is not important. People are feeling anxious these days because of the economy and wars; I think there’s a resonance.”
Once the run is over, however, Pascal and Rapp will hang up the Doc Martens for good.
“This tour has been the most fun that I’ve had performing in the show,” says Pascal. “In a way, it will be hard. Hopefully we all grow and move on in our career to do other things that mean something to us.”
Pascal and Rapp have already grown quite a bit since they first performed in “Rent,” some might even say they’re a little old for the 20 something roles they play. Pascal says he believes he now brings “more maturity and depth to performance.”
“We’ve both had 13 years to grow as human beings.”
‘Rent:’ The Broadway Tour
Through July 26
The Colonial Theatre
106 Boylston St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Boylston
www.broadwayacrossamerica.com
Adam Pascal on reprising his role in ‘Rent’
“Rent” may have left Broadway, but bohemia’s not dead. The production is touring across America this summer for one more season of love with two of its original cast members.
Also stars from the movie version, Anthony Rapp returns to play amateur filmmaker Mark and Adam Pascal will reprise his role as Roger, a sulky musician. After leaving the show in 1997, Pascal says he and Rapp enjoyed filming the 2005 movie so much that they decided to lead the tour.
“We both longed for, in a way, the opportunity to finish out our ‘Rent’ journey on stage where it began,” says Pascal.
If you’re not among the millions who have seen the show in some incarnation, “Rent” is based on Puccini’s opera, “La Boheme” and follows the journey of seven young friends as they struggle with heartbreak, greedy landlords and the AIDS epidemic.
Though AIDS is no longer the death sentence it was when the show first began in the mid ’90s, Pascal says the show’s core is still just as much, if not more, relevant to today’s audience than it was more than a decade ago.
“The show deals with crisis,” he says. “The concept of age is not important. People are feeling anxious these days because of the economy and wars; I think there’s a resonance.”
Once the run is over, however, Pascal and Rapp will hang up the Doc Martens for good.
“This tour has been the most fun that I’ve had performing in the show,” says Pascal. “In a way, it will be hard. Hopefully we all grow and move on in our career to do other things that mean something to us.”
Pascal and Rapp have already grown quite a bit since they first performed in “Rent,” some might even say they’re a little old for the 20 something roles they play. Pascal says he believes he now brings “more maturity and depth to performance.”
“We’ve both had 13 years to grow as human beings.”
‘Rent:’ The Broadway Tour
Through July 26
The Colonial Theatre
106 Boylston St., Boston
MBTA: Green Line to Boylston
www.broadwayacrossamerica.com
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