Judy Gold, Lea DeLaria play the Calderwood Pavlion at the BCA

Broadway singer-actress Lea DeLaria and Emmy-winning stand-up comic Judy Gold will play the South End next month to launch this season's Upstairs at the Calderwood.

DeLaria, whose Broadway credits include On the Town and The Rocky Horror Show, will launch the Huntington Theatre Company's new winter cabaret series. The singing actress will play Deane Hall Dec. 11-13. Tickets $25

Just in time for the winter holidays, Emmy Award-winning comedian Judy Gold returns to Huntington Presents after last year’s triumphant 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother with her outrageous stand-up comedy act. Bold, brass, and clocking in a 6’3”, in Mommy Queerest, Judy is ready to divulge all the comic highs and lows of being a Jewish, lesbian, working mom raising two boys in New York City. “As scary as it was being raised by one Jewish mother,” Gold says, “I have to feel for my kids because they have two Jewish mothers.” Judy’s electric humor and outlandish opinions are enough to keep anyone rolling in the aisle all night long.

“Judy has unique perspectives on life, but transcends the Jewish and gay communities through her wicked humor and surprising insight,” says Huntington Theatre Company Artistic Director Peter DuBois. “With Mommy Queerest, we take another step toward transforming the Calderwood into a hub of eclectic artistic activity in Boston. Both Huntington Presents and Upstairs at the Calderwood, our new winter cabaret series, expand our activities beyond traditional theatre and are really infusing the Huntington with new energy.” Emmy winner Gold will offer Judy Gold is Mommy Queerest Dec. 26-31. Tickets $25- $45

Also on the schedule now is Berklee @ Upstairs at the Calderwood, beginning Jan. 22. Shows at at 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets $15

• Amy & The Electric, Jan. 22: "Amy Crawford’s melodic piano and cool vocals recall the sounds of Peggy Lee, Sheryl Crow, and Norah Jones."
• Sol Melodiq, Jan. 23: "A Boston-based ensemble of six that combine elements of jazz, hip-hop, soul, funk, and gospel to create an offbeat sound that uplifts the soul."
• Latin Jazz All Stars, Jan. 24: “Down Beat’s” Best College Jazz Band of 2008. A six-member ensemble that performs a salsa-infused blend of musical styles from around the globe.
• Florencia Gonzalez, Jan. 29: "A composer, arranger and saxophonist, Florencia Gonzalez is inspired by the rhythms of her native Uruguay to create a visionary style of jazz-infused bossa nova that recalls Leonard Bernstein’s score for 'West Side Story.'"
• Manami Morita, Jan. 30: "A trained classical pianist from Japan, Manami Morita’s instrumental tunes are a collision of classical melodies and American jazz backbeats."
• Andrei Matorin, Jan. 31: "Jazz violinist Andrei Matorin’s one-of-a-kind original melodies come to life amid the up-tempo syncopations of the jazz ensemble that accompanies him. "

''Upstairs at the Calderwood' is our invitation to Bostonians to come in from the cold, have a drink, and indulge in some of the hottest musical acts that New York and Boston have to offer" continued DuBois.

Tickets and Information about Mommy Queerest, Lea DeLaria, and Berklee@Upstairs at the Calderwood can be found at huntingtontheatre.org. Performances are at the Calderwood Pavlion at the BCA, 527 Tremont St, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our box office at 617 266-0800

Jud Williford talks about Rock 'n' on the road

Jud Williford, who plays Ferdinand in Rock 'n' Roll, talks about what it's like to visit and perform in Boston. You can read it all on the A.C.T. blog... just click here.

Czech dissident Ferdinand (Jud Wilford) discusses politics, prison, and the Plastic People of the Universe with his friend Jan (Manoel Felciano) in the Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13 at the Huntington's mainstage, the B.U. Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA. Buy tickets online or call our Box Office at 617 266-0800

Rock 'n' Roll extends thru Dec. 13

NEW BLOCK OF TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
GREAT SEATS AVAILABLE!

Hear the rave WBUR review!

"Brilliant! Ingenious and warmhearted.
The Huntington's production is thoughtful and smart and does handsome service to a mighty work."
— The Boston Phoenix

"Touching and richly satisfying!
With his latest work Rock 'n' Roll, now at the Huntington, Stoppard has crafted not only a deeply emotional play, but a a play about emotions. Worth every minute!"
— EdgeBoston.com

"Powerful! Rich and rewarding.
An irrepressible anthem of love and freedom! An affecting blend of intellectual engagement and emotional force. Pulses with the unstoppable force of love and desire." — The Boston Globe

Visit the Articles and Reviews and Multimedia sections of our website to learn more Learn more about Stoppard, his personal play, and our critically-acclaimed production. Tell us about your experiences with Tom Stoppard's plays at the Huntington here.

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Special Thanksgiving Week Offer!
Buy one ticket and get one free
at select performances before Thanksgiving:

• Tuesday, November 25 at 7:30pm
• Wednesday, November 26 at 2pm
• Wednesday, November 26 at 7:30pm

Use the code STOPPARD online
or when you call the Box Office at 617 266-0800.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA, 02115

Manoel Felciano and Carey Perloff talk Rock 'n' Roll

Manoel Felciano writes about Keeping it fresh on the A.C.T. Blog:

The second most common question I get as an actor—after, “How do you memorize all those lines?”—is usually, “How do you keep things fresh, doing the exact same thing night after night?" Click here to read the full blog post


Carey Perloff talks about crossing paths the The Plastics:

Of the many wild and unexpected things that occurred during our rehearsals of Rock ’n’ Roll (like Russian tanks rolling into South Ossetia claiming “fraternal assistance” on the day we began rehearsals, an eerie echo of the August 21, 1968, Russian occupation of Prague), none was more surreal than going with the cast to Slim’s at midnight on October 9 to hear The Plastic People of the Universe play. Click here to read the full blog post.

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA, 02115 Buy tickets online or call our Box Office - 617 266-0800

Inbox

Boleros for the Disenchanted closes this weekend. Catch it while you can.

The New York production of Becky Shaw directed by Peter DuBois announces casting.

The Roundabout production of Streamers opens to rave reviews in NYC.

Rock 'n' Roll opens tonight. Preview items have hit in the Boston Globe and the Patriot Ledger.

Huntington Audiences Rock to Tom Stoppard

Huntington audiences have always had great affection for Tom Stoppard. He's practically family here - nine productions (thus far) over our 27 year history. Packed houses this past weekend speak well of this relationship to Stoppard's work.

My first exposure to Tom Stoppard here at the Huntington was in 1993 with Undiscovered Country. I don't remember too much about the play - perhaps I was distracted at the time by my own explorations of undiscovered country - but in 1996 when we did Arcadia (Photo above) I was astounded that people went nuts for a play about chaos theory. Since then we've done The Real Thing and now Rock 'n' Roll.

Photo (right): Henry (Rufus Collins) a devoted lover of 1960s pop music, enlists wife Charlotte (Meg Gibson) to help him choose records for an appearance on a radio program in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of The Real Thing. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

For those of you who have been coming to the Huntington longer than I - you may recall Night and Day (Photo left) in 1982, On the Razzle in 1986, Jumpers in 1987, and Travesties in 1991. Other Stoppard titles that you may recognize are Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, The Coast of Utopia, The Invention of Love and one of my favorite movies - Shakespeare in Love.

What I enjoy about Stoppard's work is the way it melds an often academic, intellectual and social discussion with a real sense of adventure and interesting human dynamics. The wordplay or verbal wit always adds to the fun.

Are you a Stoppard fan? Why? How do you compare Rock 'n' Roll to other plays that you have seen? What do you think you'll remember about this one?

Is there a song that you associate with a specific political or personal moment from the past? What memories does this music bring back for you? Is there a piece of music that embodies the current political climate?

Please add your thoughts and comments to the discussion

Esme (René Augesen) and Jan (Manoel Felciano) at the momentous Rolling Stones 1990 concert in Prague. Photo: Kevin Berne


The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA, 02115 Buy tickets online or call our Box Office - 617 266-0800

Lysistrata, Lizzie Stranton, Liz Estrada, Lydia Diamond

So - shortly after publishing this - I had an nagging feeling something was off. I knew BU CFA's School of Theatre was producing Lysistrata over at the Calderwood Pavilion in December - and that Lydia was doing a lot this fall with the school. Could it be?

Yes - the Boston Globe was wrong (it's not called Liz Estrada) and Lydia's adaptation of Aristophanes' Lysistrata is indeed happening in December at the Wimberly.

I contacted Lydia to get the details: Hi Todd, I hadn't seen the blog, and thank you regardless for thinking of me and including me in it. So, I'm adapting Lysistrata.... the title of which is "Lizzie Stranton" a re-imagining of Aristophanes' Lysistrata.

You can get more info here and here. Huntington subscribers get in for just $10

BTW - Voyeurs de Venus is getting great reviews... It runs through Nov 22 and you can get tickets at our very own BTS.

Appetite Stimulus Plan - Dining Discounts

Coming to see Rock 'n' Roll between Nov 17 - 22? Take advantage of Open Table's Appetite Stimulus plan and enjoy a $35 prix fix menu at dozens of area restaurants.


Coming on a different date? Check out the dining discounts for our subscribers from our neighbors around the Boston University Theatre or the Calderwood Pavilion

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA, 02115 Buy tickets online or call our Box Office - 617 266-0800

Rock 'n' Roll Music

Listen to tracks online using iTunes, or download the entire soundtrack for the show. Thanks to ACT for putting the soundtrack together!

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA, 02115 Buy tickets online or call our Box Office - 617 266-0800

Rock 'n' Roll Video - Tom Stoppard

Tom Stoppard talks about his play "Rock 'n' Roll" in connection with the protest movement of '68 and the Velvet Revolution. Also features The Plastic People of the Universe. Video from the South Bank Show

For articles, reviews, tickets visit huntingtontheatre.org and for even more production info visit act-sf.org/rock - There's a great podcast interview with director Carey Perloff and playwright Tom Stoppard - click on the multimedia tab



Playwright TOM STOPPARD, now represented at the Huntington with ROCK 'n' ROLL, discusses the etherial process of beginning a new play. Video from Theater Talk.

and just for fun - the out-take from the Theater Talk interview.



The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA, 02115 Buy tickets online or call our Box Office - 617 266-0800

To Do List

A few of our production department heads met with our new Overseers on Monday to give them a little show and tell. My job was to give them an idea of the time line of a production. My presentation was pretty much an explanation of what is going on this week:

How Shakespeare Won the West: I have to dig in and reconcile some pesky outstanding budget numbers. The horse has just returned to it's stables (ART prop storage).
Wishful Drinking: The production is back in CA - and we've completed repairs on the sound system problems we had during the run.
Boleros: We did some maintenance on the floor this week... and I'm making final budget projections through the end of the run. Arrangements are being made to pack the show up after it closes on Nov. 15 - catch it while you can!
Rock n Roll: Tech/Dress all week - we did leave early last night so we could catch the election results - first preview is Friday.
Corn is Green: Currently being built in the shop - painting starts any day now. Costumes is working with the designer on prelim costume designs. Props is hunting for furniture.
Two Men of Florence: the scenery from the original UK production left Felixstowe GB yesterday on the container ship MSC Sweden - due to arrive in the Port of Boston on Nov. 14th - and make it's way to us some time thereafter post clearing customs. Costumes have received prelim designs and are doing some advance work.
The Miracle at Naples: Prelim scenic designs arrived yesterday. We'll begin to budget, plan, and source the materials for the show this week. I touched base with the costume designer to check on progress.
Lucia di Lammermoor: Design meeting tonight for the Opera that we build for BU CFA Opera Institute.
Pirates: Had a teleconference today with the director, scenic and costume designers. Our first step in realizing the design.

Other meetings this week included the Overseer Orientation on Monday, Executive Committee Meeting yesterday, and Department Head Meeting today. And then there is NEXT Season: We have begun evaluating and budgeting 8-10 projects under consideration. Last year I think we looked at over 20 titles before getting down to our final choice of seven.

One of the overseers asked how I managed to blog amongst all that... it's sometime tough - but at least I don't have to make this stuff up.

VOTE - TUNE OUT - HUNKER DOWN

I'm on my way to the polls - just taking one more moment to urge you to vote NO on Question One.

If you are still in the mood to voice your opinion after you've cast your ballot - join the conversations going on about Boleros (here and here) and Wishful Drinking (here).

Don't know what to do on election night? The Boston Globe has a few ideas on how to survive; Join the Party, Hunker Down, or Tune Out. I like their advice on tuning out - a performance of Boleros for the Disenchanted. Then you can hunker down or join the party a little later in the evening if you like. Me? I'll be in tech rehearsals for Rock n Roll until 11:30 tonight - then I'll be hunkering down... unless my friends are still at the party...

PS - the discounted preview performance tickets for Rock n Roll are almost gone. Looks like we've got some full houses ahead of us. If you are thinking of going - get your tickets now.


The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Boleros for the Disenchanted by José Rivera. Playing through November 15, 2008 at the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA - 527 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116. Photos by T. Charles Erickson

The Huntington Theatre Company's production of Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, playing November 7 through December 13, 2008 at the Huntington's mainstage; The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston MA, 02115 Buy tickets online or call our Box Office - 617 266-0800

Lydia Diamond - Voyeurs de Venus

Huntington Playwriting Fellow Lydia Diamond is getting a lot of well deserved attention in Boston's papers this week. Click to read the Boston Globe and Edge Boston articles.

Lydia's plays The Bluest Eye, Harriet Jacobs, Stick Fly and Voyeurs de Venus have seen many readings and productions in the region - and now you can catch Company One's new production of Voyeurs de Venus over at the BCA. Tickets, of course, are available at our very own box office and at bostontheatrescene.com

Lydia's newest play, Liz Estrada, currently in development, may hit a local stage soon. Let's hope so!

Feedback

Feedback - not the kind that howls in your ear when the board op raises the level on the mic too much. More like the kind where people tell you what they think... and we like that kind.

We've been reaching out to people who saw Wishful Drinking and Boleros for the Disenchanted - asking them to tell us what they thought about the play - and people are starting to respond. Click to read and add your comments.