SHOWS MUST GO ON!
From ‘Hamilton’ to ‘Frankenstein,’ there’s something for every theater fan
Ah, the theater, the refuge of the wise, thoughtful and compassionate. Also, a place where you can see a musical based on the music of Poison, Twisted Sister and Whitesnake. From Shakespeare to David Coverdale, our Fall Theater Preview takes inspiration from the obvious and odd.
• “Hamilton,” Sept. 18-Nov. 18, Boston Opera House, 539 Washington St., bostonoperahouse.com. A little show called “Hamilton” finally comes to town. Let's hope you already have tickets to the most important musical since “Hair.” If not, here is some advice, check Ticketmaster.com for late-release seats, which may become available on short notice. Also, there will be a lottery for 40 $10 orchestra seats for all performances (see boston.broadway.com/hamiltonfaq/).
• “Hamnet,” Sept. 20-Oct. 7, Robert J. Orchard Stage, 559 Washington St., paramountboston.org. True story: Shakespeare had one son, Hamnet, who died at age 11 while his dad was away working in London. This piece of fiction asks how living in the
shadow of Shakespeare kept his kid in the dark. A smart, intense exploration of fame and family.
• “Sherlock’s Last Case,” Sept. 28Oct. 28, Huntington Avenue Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave., huntingtontheatre.org. Comedy and chills are afoot when the son of Moriarity threatens the life of Mr. Holmes. Spoiler alert: Nothing is quite as it seems in this mystery spoof directed by Huntington vet Maria Aitken.
• “Frankenstein,” Oct. 4-Nov. 4, Central Square Theater, 450 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, centralsquaretheater.org. Why can't the Central Square Theater do something topical? What does a story about technological hubris have to do with a world where social media platforms are hijacked to sway elections? Oh, wait.
• “Fun Home,” Oct. 19-Nov. 24, Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA, 527 Tremont St., speakeasystage.com. Based on Alison Bechdel's autobiographical graphic novel, “Fun Home” begins in humdrum Pennsylvania in the 1970s. A husband and father is hard at work trying to remodel his historic home with help from his loving family. Then the narrator, an adult version of Bechdel, says: “My father and I grew up in the same small Pennsylvania town, and he
was gay and I was gay, and he killed himself and I became a lesbian cartoonist.” the show is funny, brave and won five tonys. • “Rock of Ages,” Wang
theatre, oct. 23-28, 265 tremont st., bochcenter. org. “rock of Ages” teases the Broadway template with a lot of Aquanet: the show is “Bye Bye Birdie” on the sunset strip in '87. Now celebrating its
10th anniversary, the touring production brings the songs of poison, twisted sister, Whitesnake and more to the stage.
• “Universe Rushing Apart: Blue Kettle & Here We Go,” Nov. 7-18, sorenson Black Box, 19 Babson College Drive, Wellesley, commshakes.org. over two one-act plays by Caryl Churchill, we see a con man try to convince an old woman he's the son she gave up for adoption decades ago
and visit a funeral where a group of women struggle with their own humanity and mortality. • “Breath & Imagination,” Nov. 30-Dec. 23, Lyric stage, 140 Clarendon st., lyricstage.com. this musical tells the story of roland hayes, one of the first international AfricanAmerican vocal sensations. A classical singer, hayes went from a plantation in Georgia to the courts of european royalty to perform during the first half of the 20th century. • “Barber Shop Chronicles,” Dec. 5-Jan. 5, Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle st., Cambridge, americanrepertorytheater.org. Inua ellams' new work draws lines from barber shops in London to Johannesburg, Lagos to Accra, finding these spaces are the setting for sharp, jagged truthtelling by African men.