American Classics continues its 29th season of Songwriter Salutes with an evening celebrating Jerry Herman, Meredith Wilson, Dolly Parton and others.  Performances will take place on April 10 at First Church Congregational in Cambridge, and on April 12 at First Parish Church in Bedford.

Featured artists will include Bradford Conner, Jean Danton, Michelle Deluise, Wes Hunter, Caryn May, Brandon Milardo, Cynthia Mork, Carolyn Saxon and Benjamin Sears.  Steve Sussman will accompany on the piano.

American Classics is the Boston area's only organization devoted solely to the performance of American music, giving voice to forgotten gems and newly discovered musical treasures in concerts of vocal and instrumental music.

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Aimee Doherty, fresh off a successful run in the one-woman musical “Penelope” at Lyric Stage, will next take on the role of the vile Velma Von Tussel (“Miss Baltimore Crabs”) in “Hairspray” at Umbrella Arts Center in Concord.  Performances run April 24 – May 17.  The musical is based on the John Water’s cult film of the same name.

Set in 1962 Baltimore and with a Tony Award-winning score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, “Hairspray” is all about plus-size teen Tracy Turnblad bursting into local TV stardom after staging a campaign to integrate the popular afternoon TV dance show "The Corny Collins Show” – a soft take-off on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand.  (Von Tussle is the obnoxious producer of the show.)

Tracy is played by Nora Sullivan who last rocked Umbrella audiences in “Lizzie,” the Lizzie Borden musical.

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Leapin’ Lizards!  Kathy St. George will play Miss Hannigan, the ultimate villainess, in “Annie” at Greater Boston Stage Company.  Directed by Tyler Rosati, performances will run May 29 – June 28. Set in 1930s New York, “Annie” follows the antics of everybody’s favorite curly-topped orphan as she searches for her birth parents. After she escapes the rundown orphanage and the clutches of its cruel mistress, she crosses paths with billionaire Oliver Warbucks accompanied by her ever-faithful canine companion, Sandy.  Turns out, a happy ending is only a day away.

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After a yearlong, nationwide search, Trinity Repertory Company has selected Meredith McDonough as its next artistic director. A director, educator, and arts administrator for more than 25 years, McDonough begins her tenure at Trinity Rep on Aug. 3. As she partners with Executive Director Katie Liberman, McDonough’s appointment will mark the first time in Trinity Rep’s history that both of its executive leaders are women. 

Known for championing new plays and musicals, Meredith previously served as associate artistic director at the Tony Award-winning Actors Theatre of Louisville and has directed on a freelance basis across the country, including at The Guthrie Theater, Milwaukee Rep, Steppenwolf, and many more.   

She will be following in the footsteps of longtime Trinity Artistic Director Curt Columbus, who announced his farewell to family, friends, and subscribers earlier this year, saying “I am so proud of what we have accomplished during my 20-year tenure. We survived two financial downturns and a global pandemic. We retired a lingering, accumulated debt with our Theater for Every Generation Campaign in 2016. We have innovated and expanded our education programs, deepened our work with community partners, and increased access to Trinity Rep’s resources for all of the theaters in Rhode Island, creating a theatrical boom that the Ocean State has never had before . . . Most of all, I’m proud of the work on our stages . . . It is not an easy decision to step aside, trust me. But it is time for new adventures, for me and for Trinity Repertory Company.”

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M. Bevin O’Gara will kick off the summer season at Gloucester Stage Company on June 4 when she directs “Bad Books.”  Written by Sharyn Rothstein, the play looks at what happens when a worried mother questions the books that may or may not be appropriate for her teenage son.  She tangles with the town librarian, setting off a chain reaction of consequences that range from heartbreakingly poignant to absurdly funny.

With directing credits at most of Boston’s theaters, Bevin is an associate professor of Theatre at Boston Conservatory in Directing and Musical Theatre. She was the producing artistic director at the Kitchen Theatre and spent much of her career at the Huntington Theatre Company in a variety of roles.   She is also the proud recipient of the Lois Roach Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Boston Theatre Community.

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Our friends at the Boch Center are celebrating the release of a new hardcover book marking the Wang Theatre’s 100th anniversary. At more than 230 pages, the volume chronicles a century of performances, artistry and community connection through rare archival photography, curated historical highlights and new essays. 

The theater’s story began in 1925 when the facility opened as The Metropolitan Theatre.  It later became known as The Music Hall.  Despite its popularity, the building slowly fell into disrepair over time.  

In the late 1970s, the theater was saved from potential demolition through the efforts of local arts advocates and donors, including the philanthropist Dr. An Wang, founder of Wang Laboratories.  The theater was subsequently renamed The Wang Center for the Performing Arts in his honor. Extensive renovations restored the theater to its former grandeur, preserving its historic charm while updating its facilities for contemporary audiences.

Today, with a naming sponsorship from the Boch family, The Wang retains its rightful position as a vibrant cultural destination.  Happy 100th and many more!