June 20, 2023 By Roy Harris
Hingham Town Hall’s Sanborn Auditorium has rarely been more song-filled—both daytime and evenings—than the last two weeks, as productions of the shows “Heathers,” “Grease,” and “Aladdin Jr.” all move toward openings that range from this weekend, to year-end.
The first curtain goes up this Friday at 7 p.m., for “Heathers, The Musical: Teen Edition,” being readied by Scituate’s Spotlight Music & Theater Academy. “Heathers”—based on a 1989 film that became an off-Broadway hit—tells a “darkly delicious” tale of high-school love and conflict. Three other performances follow: at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, with a closing Sunday 2 p.m. matinee. Its book, music and lyrics are by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe.
The Hingham production’s stars include Neela Farrell as Veronica Sawyer, Max Ripley as “JD,” Charlie Flaherty as Ram, and Courtney Goyette as Martha, with three girls, all named Heather, played by Tessa Beshere, Caroline Kelly and Gilbert Dabady. Neela is from Pembroke, with Max from Rockland and Courtney from Scituate. Tessa, Caroline and Gilbert are from Hanover, Braintree and Rockland, respectively.
Directing “Heathers” are Kristy Errera-Solomon and Erin Henry-Verina, both from Scituate, with Sarah Troxler, from Plymouth, music-directing from the keyboard.
Tickets are available online at https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/74766. And more information can be found at www.SpotlightMT.com. Hingham Town Hall is located at 210 Central St., where Sanborn occupies the second floor.
Hingham Civic Music Theatre’s production of “Grease” is next up, opening Aug. 4 and 5, with a second weekend Aug. 12 and 13, all at Sanborn, HCMT’s home stage. The Broadway hit—which became a 1978 movie smash with John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John starring—is being transformed for Hingham by veteran director Nathan Fogg and music director Kelley DePasqua, along with choreographer Samantha Brior-Jones, and a cast of 25 young South Shore actors. A link to purchasing “Grease” tickets is here. https://hcmttickets.ludus.com/index.php
Hingham Civic closes out its year at Sanborn with Aladdin Jr., on Dec. 1, 2 and 3. That show is auditioning this week to cast more than 30 young people, ages six to 13. Rehearsal begin in late September, with Hingham’s Meghan Rowan as director and Katie and John Duff as music directors. More details on the two HCMT shows are available online at http://www.hcmt.org/home.html.
Roy Harris is a long-time journalist living in Hingham, who’s performed in Hingham Civic Music Theatre shows since he sold his soul to the devil as Joe Boyd in its 2003 production of “Damn Yankees.”