To beat the heat, try catching a show

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE AND THIS SUMMER THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLAYERS AND PERFORMANCES TO SEE TOO. I HAVE A CHANCE. FOR 55 YEARS, THE REGAL MUSIC THEATER HAS BEEN BRINGING BROADWAY TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. WE PRODUCE EPIC, BOLD, SHOWSTOPPING SHOWS. WE HAVE LIVE ORCHESTRA MEMBERS. IT’S AMAZING DANCING, CHOREOGRAPHY, MUSIC. IT’S JUST A FANTASTIC GROUP OF ARTISTS COMING TOGETHER. REGAL WAS FOUNDED IN 1969 BY ROBERT EAGLE, AN ENGLISH TEACHER WHO SAW THE SUMMER AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THE EMPTY WALTHAM HIGH SCHOOL THEATER TO GOOD USE. SO WE STARTED PUTTING ON SMALL PLAYS AND MUSICALS AND THEN THAT EXPANDED AND HE STARTED BRINGING IN LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND THEN THAT EXPANDED EVEN MORE. AND WE GOT BOSTON ACTORS, BROADWAY ACTORS, NEW YORK ACTORS. THIS IS RACHEL BURTON’S THIRD YEAR AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR. REGAL WAS ACTUALLY MY FIRST PROFESSIONAL GIG AS A PERFORMER, SO I STARTED IN 2007 AND I WAS PERFORMING, AND THEN BOB, THE FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, GAVE ME OPPORTUNITIES TO DIRECT AND CHOREOGRAPH, AND I ALSO WORKED WITH THE EDUCATION PROGRAM. SO I WORE MANY DIFFERENT HATS FOR MANY YEARS. EACH SUMMER. THE TEAM PRODUCES THREE MUSICALS BACK TO BACK TO BACK. IT’S PRETTY AMAZING WHAT THIS SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM CAN PUT TOGETHER IN THREE SHORT MONTHS. WE HAVE TEN DAYS TO REHEARSE AND STAGE OUR MUSICALS, SO WE HAVE ABOUT TWO WEEKS OF REHEARSALS WITH THE ACTORS, AND THEN WE GO INTO OUR TECH PROCESS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY SHORT, LESS THAN A WEEK, AND THEN WE HAVE TWO WEEKENDS OF SHOWS. SO WE PUT ON OUR FIRST MUSICAL AND THEN RIGHT AFTER THAT WE JUMP INTO THE NEXT PRODUCTION. THIS YEAR’S PROGRAMS INCLUDE SOUTH PACIFIC, ALL SHOOK UP, AND AN AMERICAN IN PARIS. SO WE HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF PERFORMERS. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, COLLEGE STUDENTS TO PROFESSIONAL BOSTON ACTORS. IT’S A REALLY, REALLY SHORT REHEARSAL PROCESS, SO IT’S GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY KIND OF COME IN READY TO WORK THAT FAST. THE ENVIRONMENT IS FANTASTIC. THE COMPANY IS WONDERFUL. CHRISTOPHER CHU PLAYS THE LEAD IN SOUTH PACIFIC. A SEASONED VETERAN OF THE STAGE, HE’S BEEN ACTING PROFESSIONALLY FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. BUT THIS IS HIS FIRST ROLE AT THE REGAL HOUSE. LIKE THIS. THIS IS HUGE. SOME OF THE THEATERS IN BOSTON, THEY MIGHT ONLY HAVE 150 OR 200 SEATS AND SO THAT IN ITSELF IS I THINK, A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE. LIKE MOST OF THE ACTORS HERE, THIS IS A PART TIME GIG FOR CHU DURING THE DAY, HE’S THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS IN WESTFORD. THERE’S A LOT OF WAYS IN WHICH THE TWO WORLDS SORT OF BLUR TOGETHER, RIGHT? AND OR THE SKILLS ARE TRANSFERABLE. YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATION AND BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE, BEING ABLE TO EMPATHIZE, I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT. IT’S REALLY EXCITING THAT A LOT OF OUR ACTORS WORK. 9 TO 5 JOBS, AND THEN COME TO THE THEATER TO PLAY AND CREATE AND THEIR BROADWAY CALIBER ACTORS. SO IT’S HUMBLING EXPERIENCE TO HAVE SUCH TALENT ON OUR STAGE AND AT THE NEXT FAMILY GATHERING, I BROUGHT A BABY GOAT WITH ME AND, UH, IT WASN’T THE KID THEY WERE LOOKING FOR. THERE IS A NEW SHOW IN TOWN OFFERING COMEDY WITHOUT COCKTAILS. WHAT’S A NICHE AUDIENCE THAT MAYBE IS IS, QUOTE UNQUOTE UNDERSERVED? AND THAT’S WHERE WE KIND OF CAME ABOUT WITH THE IDEA OF SOBER. SOBER IS AN ALCOHOL FREE COMEDY VENUE LOCATED IN BOSTON’S FANEUIL HALL, CREATED BY NORM LAVALETTE, OWNER OF IMPROV ASYLUM AND LAUGH BOSTON. IT’S NOT THAT PEOPLE HAVEN’T DONE SOBER SHOWS OR NONALCOHOLIC SHOWS BEFORE. THERE’S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. BUT THERE’S SO MUCH COMPROMISE THERE. IT’S USUALLY LIKE ON A TUESDAY AT NINE IN A BASEMENT OF A CHURCH, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, WELL, THAT’S THAT’S NOT WHEN YOU WANT TO GO OUT. YOU WANT TO GO OUT ON SATURDAY NIGHT DURING THE DAY. THE ASYLUM COLAB SERVES AS THE COMPANY’S HEADQUARTERS AND HOSTS COMEDY CLASSES. BIANCA CARRASCO IS A FORMER STUDENT AND CURRENT TEACHER OF IMPROV. I LOVE IT, WE DO IMPROV ALL THE TIME WITHOUT REALLY THINKING ABOUT IT RIGHT? CONVERSATIONS. YOU DON’T TYPICALLY PLAN THEM A WHOLE BUNCH. BEFORE CARRASCO MOVED TO BOSTON FROM TEXAS SEVEN YEARS AGO TO PURSUE COMEDY IN 2020, RIGHT BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, SHE QUIT DRINKING. SOMETIMES YOU THINK YOU’RE FUNNIER AFTER A FEW DRINKS, AND THAT’S NOT ALWAYS TRUE. UM, SO DOING COMEDY SOBER ALSO HAS BEEN A REALLY GREAT JOURNEY OF REALLY KIND OF OWNING MY CONFIDENCE WITHOUT NEEDING ANY OF THAT LIQUID COURAGE, YOU KNOW, AND HONING IN ON WHAT IS ACTUALLY MY SKILL. THAT OLD ADAGE APPLIES TO AUDIENCES AS WELL. SO REMOVING THE ALCOHOL MAKES THE AUDIENCE A LITTLE NICER, A LITTLE EASIER. SO I THINK A SOBER AUDIENCE CAN PAY ATTENTION MORE CLEARLY AND REALLY GET THE NUANCES OF THE MATERIAL THE BAR WILL SERVE NONALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND CRAFT MOCKTAILS, BUT THE JOKES WON’T BE CENTERED AROUND SOBRIETY. YOU’RE CREATING A SPACE THAT’S REALLY, TRULY ENCOMPASSING FOR EVERYBODY, AND THAT’S WHAT I’M MOST EXCITED ABOUT. THAT’S GREAT AND SOBER SHOWS RIGHT NOW ARE JUST ON SATURDAY NIGHT, BUT THERE ARE PLANS TO DO FRIDAY NIGHTS IN THE FALL AND BACK TO THE REGAL MUSIC THEATER. ALL SHOOK UP STARTS ON FRIDAY. AFTER THAT. AS WE SAID, IT’S AN AMERICAN IN PARIS COMING UP. AND ONE EXTRA BONUS ABOUT GOING THERE. PARKIN