The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Beyond Wellesley: The Langham, Boston—restored and reimagined

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SPONSORED CONTENT: The Langham, Boston has reopened after two years of a top-to-bottom transformation, ushering in a new era of American warmth and comfort with a reverence for European elegance. Built in 1922 as the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and located in the very heart of the city, The Langham is now the place to recommend to visiting guests who want to experience luxury, service, and tradition through a distinctly modern lens.

The Langham, Boston
Well-appointed guest rooms are flooded with natural light

Think welcoming rooms decorated with a fresh and bright palette, along with innovative amenities (hello, Nespresso machines; Italian marble bathrooms with rainfall showers; and oversized windows that flood guest rooms with natural light). In addition, The Langham’s new collection of iconic artworks bestows the historic landmark with a feeling of grace and permanence.

But why should those from Beyond Wellesley have all the fun? Why not book one of The Langham’s 312 residentially-styled guest rooms and suites for a family getaway or a night on the town and enjoy five-star accommodations along with all that Boston has to offer? The North End, Boston Harbor, the Seaport District, Downtown Crossing, and Faneuil Hall are just a short walk away. A slightly longer walk (or car ride) will get you to Boston Common, Back Bay, Fenway Park, SoWa, and more. As part of its reopening celebration, guests will enjoy special access to many attractions, including Classic Harbor Line cruises and the Museum of Fine Arts.

The Langham, Boston
The lavish redesign extends to every corner of The Langham

If a never-to-be-forgotten celebration is what you have in mind, The Langham’s restoration has created glamorous spaces to make memories and celebrate the everyday.

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Linden Square, Wellesley
Write Ahead, Wellesley

Save the date: Wellesley Square July Jubilation Lite is July 17th

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Wellesley Square will be the site of July Jubilation Lite on Saturday, July 17, 10am-4pm (the rain date is July 24th).

July Jubilation Lite, WellesleyAlthough this year’s July Jubilation Lite will be a scaled-down event as compared with previous years, now more than ever the focus will be on community merchants, who will be on hand to welcome shoppers back to the Square.

July Jubilation Lite will feature live music, a DJ, and merchant displays and their specials.

The Ballunatic will be creating balloon sculptures and be available for photos in front of the Temporary Main Library at 50 Central Street, 11am-1pm. Stop by for a visit, and pick up some library swag. The Ballunatic is sponsored by the Friends of the Wellesley Free Library.

There will be free parking in Wellesley Square during the event. Look for specifically designated free parking areas. Please note: Parking fees will be enforced in all non-designated locations.

Musical guests

Central Street will be closed from Abbott Street to CVS (65 Central Street) so that the featured musicians can rock on:

11am: Mike Kim, solo acoustic

noon–1:30pm: Shira Doron and Off Label

1:30pm–2:30pm: Christine Lucas and Patrick Hayden

2:30pm: Shira Doron and Patrick Hayden

Music in Central Park is TBD.

The event is hosted by the Wellesley Merchants Association, with the support of the Town of Wellesley.

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Page Waterman, Wellesley
London Harness, Wellesley

Wellesley Theatre Project to present Disney’s The Aristocats Kids July 9-10 outdoors

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Wellesley Theatre Project will present, Disney’s The Aristocats KIDS on Friday, July 9 at 8pm and Saturday, July 10 at 2pm & 5pm.  All performances will take place outdoors at Wellesley Community Center, 219 Washington St., in Wellesley.

Attendees are asked to bring a folding/lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Parking is located next door at the Wellesley Hills Church at 207 Washington St.

Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online at in advance, or at the door for $18 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

Based on Disney’s 1970’s film of the same name, Disney’s The Aristocats KIDS features a swingin’ score including the favorites “The Aristocats,” “Scales and Arpeggios” and “Ev’rybody Wants to Be a Cat.”

Aristocats wtp
Photo Credit: Sandy Sandwich Productions

Featuring 24 students between six and twelve years old, cast members reside in Wellesley as well as neighboring communities including, Needham, Weston, Wayland, Natick, Newton, Winthrop, Chestnut Hill, Waltham, Boston, and New York.

Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and a Wellesley nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.

Registration is now open for Summer Camps. Sessions include production camps geared for students between 2nd and 12th grade in addition to one week Theatre Arts camps for 2nd – 12th grade. The production camps are: Seussical, the Musical (Grades 2-12), Legally Blonde, the Musical (Grades 8-12).

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School’s out, but you can listen to Wellesley Middle School podcasts all summer long

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Wellesley Middle School’s audiodrama podcasting club was largely spawned by the pandemic as a group activity for students to take part in remotely. Now the fruits of their labor are available to anyone who wants to listen.

The students, led by drama teacher and auditorium manager Katie Speed,  wrote, acted in, recorded, edited, and produced two shows: Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer, which will be continuing in the fall, and The Wayfinder Saga, which is a complete, 6-episode arc that Speed touts as “truly an epic!” Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer tells the real story behind this classic and quirky holiday tale, “and Grandma isn’t as sweet as she seems,” according to the show notes.

wayfinder

Speed acted on a podcast herself for years. “I did all of my recording remotely, as the entire production staff was either in New York or LA, so I knew that recording a podcast could be done 100% remotely.”

Of the WMS club, which relied on Zoom and other technologies such as GarageBand, Speed says members had to get creative: “The students did all of this completely on their own, only with me supervising, and I couldn’t be prouder!”

About a dozen students consistently took part in the club, with others making cameo appearances throughout the year. Some of these students would have otherwise been involved in live drama productions, if not for COVID-19, while others were new to drama.

Skills learned included storytelling, sound design, and voice acting.

The club only met for an hourly weekly, so it took a while to pull shows together. They started in January, and a flurry of activity—including a 14-hour editing push by students Anson and Joss Richman over one recent weekend—got The Wayfinder podcast across the finish line.

More: Dr. Nolin’s Dispatch—Natick Public Schools podcast hits Spotify

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