Theater—Penelope
DATES: Feb. 11 – March 1
LOCATION: Lyric Stage Boston, 140 Clarendon St., Boston
TICKETS here
DESCRIPTION: A musical. His Odyssey. Her Story. The story you thought you knew, told by the woman who lived it. Based on Homer’s Odyssey. A generous glass of bourbon, a five-piece band, and ninety minutes is all Penelope (Aimee Doherty) needs to tell her side of the story as she embraces her heartache, loneliness, and resolve during the wait for her husband Odysseus to return from a seemingly endless war. Directed by Courtney O’Connor.
OUR TAKE: We recently attended captivating performance of the one-act, one-woman musical. Without intermission, Aimee Doherty commanded the stage, drawing the audience directly into the heart of Penelope’s decades-long vigil—her lonely wait, her palpable longing, and the crushing sense of responsibility she carries. Via ten musical numbers, Doherty masterfully portrays a woman single-handedly running Ithaca while grappling with the frustration of both her husband and then her son abandoning her. In addition to Doherty’s powerful, clear vocals, four other musicians (strings onstage, percussion tucked away in the wings) back her up as she rails against the unruly suitors who refuse to leave her courtyard. The Odyssey is having a moment, with the upcoming big-budget feature film adaptation directed by Chris Nolan, set for release by Universal on July 27th. More monsters, less singing in that one, we’d guess.
An upcoming show at the Lyric Stage Boston we think Wellesley families would like is Something Rotten. (Two brothers stuck in the shadow of a certain Renaissance rock star (Shakespeare), set forth to knock him off his perch by writing the world’s very first musical.) Show run, May 1 – June 7
Free art tour at Davis Museum, Wellesley College
EVENT: Drop-in public tour at the Davis Museum
DATE/TIME: Saturday, February 14, 2pm
LOCATION: Davis Museum at Wellesley College
PARKING: at the Davis Parking Facility, 106 Central St, Wellesley
COST: Free
DESCRIPTION: Drop-in public tour: “The Immortal Magu: A Sixteenth-Century Painting Up Close.” Thematic tour designed by Wellesley students from a range of academic majors.
Colossal Collage community event with Art Wellesley
DATE: DESCRIPTION: During Art Wellesley’s community maker night, participants will use found papers to cut, glue, and assemble a botanical-themed collage. Art Wellesley will provide all material. Participants are welcome to bring additional collage materials.. When it comes to this project, think big. As in colossally big. No art experience required. The completed Colossal Collage will be hung at the Wellesley Free Library through June.
WHS Performing Arts: Acastock Concert
DATE/TIME: Fri Mar 6, 7pm–9pm
LOCATION: Katherine L. Babson, Jr. Auditorium, Wellesley High School, 50 Rice St.
DESCRIPTION: This always-popular annual a cappella show is presented by Wellesley High School Performing Arts. Special guest stars contribute to the talent overload the WHS students already bring. Led by WHS director of choral music, Dr. Kevin McDonald.
EVENT: King Tut exhibit
DATES: opens Feb. 13
LOCATION: The Saunders Castle at Park Plaza, 130 Columbus Avenue, Boston, 02116
TICKETS here
ALL AGES, Children 3 and under enter for free.
DESCRIPTION: An unforgettable adventure into the tomb of Tutahkkham. Walk through ancient chambers and uncover the secrets of Egypt’s most iconic pharaoh, from breathtaking golden artifacts to a state-of-the-art VR journey into the pharaoh’s tomb. If your kids aren’t obsessed with King Tut already, there will be after this experience.
EVENT: Theater performance, “To Kill a Mockingbird”
DATES: Feb. 27 – Mar. 22
LOCATION: Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow St., Concord, MA
TICKETS: here
DESCRIPTION: Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, To Kill a Mockingbird opens in a sleepy Alabama town in the midst of the Great Depression, where Scout and her brother, Jem, live with their widowed father, lawyer Atticus Finch. While the children act out stories and muse about their mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley, the facade of their seemingly peaceful town begins to crack when a young Black man is accused of a terrible crime. Based on the book by Harper Lee. Directed by Scott Edmiston
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