Fall Season Preview: Winter Is Coming

“Gypsy”: Lyric Stage Company's eagerly-awaited version of the famed musical based on the story of Gypsy Rose Lee and her Mama Rose, the latter to be played by Leigh Barrett, with a cast that includes Kathy St. George as the stripper Mazeppa (!), directed and choreographed by Rachel Bertone (who helmed last season's Moonbox production of Barnum). Sept.1- Oct. 8

“Ideation” : New Rep's opener will be the dark satire by Aaron Loeb, directed by Jim Petosa and featuring Christine Hamel, Lewis D. Wheeler, Ed Hoopman, Matt Ketai, and Jake Murphy, a Boston-area premiere. Sept. 2-24

“Reversible”: ArtsEmerson (at the Cutler Majestic) brings back the hilarious group known as

the Seven Fingers; you will recall, since it was unforgettable, the bath sheet scene in their visit last season. Sept. 6-24

“Men on Boats”: Given today's spectrum of sexual identifications, SpeakEasy Stage's opener is Jaclyn Backhaus' gender-flipping, side-splitting tale of 1869 explorers charting the Colorado River, an off-Broadway hit. Sept. 8- Oct. 7

“Constellations”: The challenging two-hander by Nick Payne about parallel worlds starts the season for Central Square Theater under the Underground Theater umbrella, certain to be more audible than the New York production (frequntly incomprehensible), given the stage experience of Marianna Bassham and Nael Nacer and the fact that the direction will be by Scott Edmiston. Sept.7- Oct.8

“Merrily We Roll Along”: Huntington Theatre Company's presentation will be the London version directed by the heralded Maria Friedman that won the Olivier Award for Best Musical, which reportedly finally settled a lot of pesky issues while moving backward. Sept.8- October 15

"OR": the Maiden Phoenix Company's maiden offering is at Chelsea Theater Works. Sept. 8-23. 

“Faceless”: Zeitgeist Stage's story is of two women/courtroom adversaries. Sept. 15- Oct. 7

“Maid of Orleans”: Odyssey Opera returns with the first of five (!) different operas, all about the fiery French heroine Joan of Arc, this one by Tchaikovsky (the others ranging from Donizetti to Verdi), this being a one-night-only performance at Jordan Hall, as always under the baton of Gil Rose. Sept. 16 only

“From Here to Eternity”: Ogunquit Playhouse has a North American premiere on hand, with

lyrics by Tim Rice, based on the novel, a real scoop. Oct. 4-29

“Tosca”: Boston Lyric Opera's production of the opera buff favorite will feature Elena Stikhina in the title role, with Jonathan Burton, Daniel Sutin and James Maddalena, at the Cutler Majestic. Oct. 13-22

 

….and there's so much more, from BLO's ”The Nefarious Immoral but Highly Profitable Enterprise of Mr. Burke and Mr. Hare”, to a revised musical “Rags” at Goodspeed, to New Rep's “Man of La Mancha” to Lyric's Sondheim's last work “Road Show”.... well, you get the idea...stay tuned.....