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On Broadway, a season of first impressions and second chances

Stephen Sondheim's “Merrily We Roll Along” is among the most high-profile productions in what shapes up as a pretty varied Broadway season — one that will be shaped by revivals, reunions, and reimaginings, as well as new work.

A father reckons with his grief by getting onstage and holding back nothing
"In the very beginning, I resisted my identity as the father of dead kids," says Colin Campbell, who'll be presenting his one-man show in Natick Oct. 3. "But then I embraced it."

Jad Abumrad talks teaming up with Ira Glass, the future of podcasting, and the dearth of ‘deep-dive journalism’
The "Radiolab” creator spoke ahead of his live appearance with Glass, host of "This American Life," at Emerson Colonial Theatre on Saturday.

At Raising Voices fest, Taylor Mac will dig into ‘24-Decade History of Popular Music’

The documentary film about Mac's marathon performance will be screened at the Old South Meeting House Saturday night, followed by a talkback with the artist.

A murder, a marriage, a ghost, and some barbecue. ‘Fat Ham’ adds new flavors to ‘Hamlet.’
Playwright James Ijames's reimagining of Shakespeare began with this notion: “What if the characters sounded and looked like people that I grew up with?"

STAGE REVIEW
In ‘POTUS,’ seven stressed women and one clown for a president
Paula Plum, in her SpeakEasy directing debut, leans into the play’s inherent anarchy, letting it rip.

Story Pirates gets its ideas from kids, and then the fun begins
From its origins as an improv troupe that built performances around prompts from children in the audience, Story Pirates has branched into a PBS show, an an award-winning podcast, and now a national tour that arrives in Medford on Friday.

STAGE REVIEW
At Lyric Stage, Sondheim’s ‘Assassins’ meets the moment
It’s not that director Courtney O’Connor gestures overtly in the direction of Jan. 6. She doesn’t. She wisely lets “Assassins” speak for itself.

Latest Headlines in Theater

Tennessee Williams’s explorations into fantasy and science fiction will lift off in Provincetown

Even though the Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theater Festival has long distinguished itself for its deep dives into the playwright’s lesser-known works, this year's lineup is particularly out of this world.

STAGE REVIEW

In the Huntington’s ‘Prayer for the French Republic,’ antisemitism hits home, again

Joshua Harmon's multigenerational drama, wonderfully acted by an 11-member cast under the pitch-perfect direction of Loretta Greco, opens the fall season at the Huntington.

STAGE REVIEW

In ART’s ‘Half-God of Rainfall,’ a storm is brewing

Inua Ellams's play tells the tale of Demi, a half-Nigerian mortal, half-Greek god who achieves basketball superstardom. But the true subject of “The Half-God of Rainfall” is the history — and the present-day reality — of sexual violence against women.

STAGES

In ‘POTUS,’ the West Wing is nothing like ‘The West Wing’

In Selina Fillinger’s farce, it's up to seven women to contain a scandal triggered by the president's sexist behavior.

STAGE REVIEW

‘Tall Tales from Blackburn Tavern’ comes up short

The play stands as a missed opportunity to explore Gloucester's fascinating past.

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

As an ‘80s ‘misfit,’ Gary Gulman can look back on his awkward childhood and laugh

The North Shore native returns to Boston for two shows on Sept. 23 at the Wilbur Theatre to celebrate the publication of his new book, "Misfit," a chronicle of his K-12 years.

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

10 comedy shows for a fun-filled fall

The season's headliners include Dave Chappelle, Brett Goldstein, and Iliza Shlesinger, while fall also marks the return of Denis Leary's Comics Come Home.

FALL ARTS PREVIEW

10 shows that add up to a vibrant fall for theater-goers

Highlights this season include Tony Kushner's "Angels in America: Part 2: Perestroika," Stephen Sondheim's "Assassins," and "Fat Ham," James Ijames's modern retelling of "Hamlet."