MATILDA the musical Opening Night

The Footlight Club, America’s oldest continuously operating community theater and one of JP's hidden gems, is proud to present the beloved family musical MATILDA Saturday November 1 at its historic Eliot Hall home.  MATILDA tells the story of a little girl at a boarding school with astonishing wit, intelligence and psychokinetic powers.  She is loved by her teacher, but treated cruelly by her parents and Head Mistress.  But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils' saving grace! Tim Minchin (music and lyrics) and Dennis Kelly (book) adapted the beloved 1988 children’s book “Matilda’ by author Roald Dahl.  The team managed to maintain the book’s dark humor, clever wordplay and rebellious spirit while adding to the mix unforgettable songs and high-spirited energy.  Minchin believes MATILDA is still so beloved because it “advocates for a life of the mind.  Knowledge is your weapon, and imagination is your escape.” Ably shouldering the lead in Footlight’s production is Clara Curtis as Matilda Wormwood. The key adults in Matilda’s story are Shayna Plotnik as Miss Honey, Adam Sell as Miss Agatha, David Brown and Katie Kobold as her parents, and Gabrielle Holme-Miller as Mrs Phelps.  Her schoolmates are performed by  Herman Xu (Bruce), Emilia Carapezza (Lavender), Jonathan Drapinski (Rudolfo), Esme Martinez (Eric), Rowan Mitchell (Tommy), Ekaksha Joga (Nigel), Ava Gerrie (Hortensia), Jaclyn Burns (Alice) and Avyakta Rohit (Amanda). Ensemble players are  Maria Barrett, Alexander Quilty, Mia Kania, Nikki Shah, Olivia Troyer, Ryder Nguyen, Ruby Price,  Phillip Matos, Miriam Abbet, and Rosalie Shapiro. At the helm of it all is the production team, Director Emma Neary, Musical Director Steven Bergman, Choreographer Bradford Robinson,  and Producers Julie Joyce and Elizabeth Bean. PERFORMANCE DETAILS MATILDA opens Saturday November 1 &amp; runs for 8 shows through November 15. Performances are at 2pm or 8pm. A sensory friendly performance will be presented Saturday November 8 at 2pm, designed to be more relaxed, allowing for movement and noise, as well as providing more context to minimize starling or sharp sounds or effects. Tickets are $28 adult/$25 senior, student.

Eliot Hall

POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumb**s Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Opening Night

Jamaica Plain's community theater, The Footlight Club, kicks off its 149th season 8pm Friday September 13 with POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumb**s Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, a roaring comedy by Selina Fillinger. Join us in the laughter while we examine the many women who work together to prop up ONE dumb**s man...in The White House.&nbsp; They risk life, liberty, and the pursuit of sanity to protect the nation's reputation. Come on down to Footlight's home, the historic Eliot Hall, at 7A Eliot St in JP center, around the corner from the Monument. POTUS runs September 13, 14, (2pm matinee) 19, 20 (2pm &amp; 8pm shows), 21 (2pm matinee), 26 &amp; 27, 2025. Tickets $28 for adults, $25 for seniors and students. Visit us at footlight.org for more information about POTUS, the rest of our season, or the history of The Footlight Club, the nation's oldest community theater!

The Footlight Club’s 7A series presents Cut Three reality television writers find themselves just as "desperate" as the housewives they are shooting. Danno, a stressed-out editor, harbors secret guilt for deserting his sick sister. Renee is in the midst of a divorce and at a turning point in her career. The overly ambitious Colette finds herself in a world of trouble when she guns for Renee's job and Danno's respect. Amongst the "Ladies of Malibu" show that they produce, the trio finds that it is much easier to yell "cut!" on set, rather than in one's own life. The 7A program at The Footlight Club is a wonderful opportunity for members to work in intimate settings and make creative decisions with limited tools. 7A shows are presented on the first floor of Eliot Hall in the Parker Room. Eliot Hall is now fully accessible.

The Footlight Club presents The Prom

The Prom May 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16 &amp; 17, 2025 Fri. and Sat. 8pm Sun. matinees 2pm Book &amp; Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Book by Bob Martin Music by Matthew Sklar Based on an original concept by Jack Viertel Synopsis: Based on a true story out of Fulton, Mississippi, the musical follows four Broadway actors lamenting their days of fame, as they travel to the conservative town of Edgewater, Indiana, to help a lesbian student banned from bringing her girlfriend to high school prom. While it is based on one specific story, similar discriminatory practices continue across our country today. PROMAPALOOZA! For one night only on May 10th, the Footlight Club will be partnering with the Loring Greenough House for a special event. Your combined ticket gets you entrance to a prom-themed party at the Loring Greenough House 5:00 - 7:30pm (Dance! Dress up in prom attire! Buy drinks from the Hive and nibble prom refreshments!)

Yellow Face

Based on the true story of David Henry Hwang and set against the backdrop of his reaction to the casting of actor Jonathan Pryce as a Eurasian character in the Broadway musical Miss Saigon in 1990, this semi-autobiographical self-mocking drama examines the idea of casting shows in accordance with race/ethnicity while also examining family dynamics, immigrant status, and cultural misappropriation.

The Footlight Club

Out of Sight…Out of Murder

The Footlight Club, America’s oldest continuously operating community theater and one of Jamaica Plain’s hidden gems, is proud to announce the first show of its 148th season: the mystery comedy “Out of Sight…Out of Murder” for seven performances this September at its Eliot Hall home, 7A Eliot St, Jamaica Plain. A witty meta take on mystery thrillers, “Out of Sight…Out of Murder” tells the tale of Peter, an author struggling to finish a murder story while holed up in an infamous old mansion where another author was murdered back in the day. Crazy weather and a cosmic snafu results in Peter’s and other fictional characters coming to life, and soon wresting control of their own narratives. Soon murders follow – will Peter figure out how to resolve both mysteries, in time to save his skin and finish his book? All will be revealed ingeniously with romance, suspense and ready wit.

The Footlight Club, Eliot Hall

Tuck Everlasting

The Footlight Club presents Tuck Everlasting! Book by Claudia Shear &amp; Tim Federle Lyrics by Nathan Tysen Music by Chris Miller Dates: April 20, 21, 26, 27, 28, May 3 &amp; 4, 2024 Special Relaxed Performance on Saturday April 27, 2pm Tickets are $28, $25 for Seniors (60+), Students, or Children (18 and under) Free for Footlight Club Subscribers Synopsis: &nbsp;What would you do if you had all eternity? Eleven-year-old Winnie Foster yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence, but not until she becomes unexpectedly entwined with the Tuck Family does she get more than she could have imagined. When Winnie learns of the magic behind the Tuck’s unending youth, she must fight to protect their secret from those who would do anything for a chance at eternal life. As her adventure unfolds, Winnie faces an extraordinary choice: return to her life, or continue with the Tucks on their infinite journey. Based on best-selling children’s classic by Natalie Babbitt and adapted for the stage by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle, Tuck Everlasting features a soaring score from Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen.

Sweat at the Footlight Club

Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, Lynn Nottage's Putlizer Prize-winning play, SWEAT tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. But when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat. Running February 10 - 24, on Fridays and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday matinees at 2pm, Sweat looks at a tight-knit community of friends and family are torn apart by economic and racial tensions that emerge during the great recession of the early 21st Century in the industrial, mid-sized city of Reading, PA. Tickets are available at <a href="https://footlight.org">https://footlight.org</a>, and at the box office The Box office opens 45 minutes before each show. Tickets are $25; $22 for Seniors (60+), students, and children (under 18) Footlight Club subscribers receive free admission

Filled with warm humor and tremendous heart, Lynn Nottage's Putlizer Prize-winning play, SWEAT tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. But when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat. Running February 10 - 24, on Fridays and Saturday at 8pm, Sunday matinees at 2pm, Sweat looks at a tight-knit community of friends and family are torn apart by economic and racial tensions that emerge during the great recession of the early 21st Century in the industrial, mid-sized city of Reading, PA. Tickets are available at https://footlight.org, and at the box office The Box office opens 45 minutes before each show. Tickets are $25; $22 for Seniors (60+), students, and children (under 18) Footlight Club subscribers receive free admission

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher The Footlight Club presents a new and shocking version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of depravity, lust, love and horror. On the fog-bound streets of Victorian-era London, Henry Jekyll’s experiments with exotic “powders and tinctures” have brought forth his other self—Edward Hyde, a sensualist and villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend. When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle each other in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse to determine who shall be the master and who his slave. With multiple Hydes portrayed by members of the cast.

The Footlight Club presents... Stepping Out

Stepping Out by Richard Harris is a rollicking comedy about the attempts of some working-class amateurs to overcome their inhibitions and left feet in a low-rent dance studio. Mavis, a former professional chorus girl tries her hardest to teach the bumbling amateurs some terpsichorean skills for an upcoming recital. But before the dancing begins Mavis must mediate the minor dramas that erupt among this motley but loveable crew on their way to triumph at their recital. Liza Minnelli starred as Mavis in the popular A comedy with two left feet! Shows run Saturday, 9/16 - 30, 8pm; Friday, 9/22 &amp; 9/29, 8pm; Matinees at 2pm on Sunday, 9/17 and Saturday, 9/30

The Footlight Club presents: Proof

The Footlight Club presents Proof by David Auburn Running Friday and Saturday, June 2 &amp; 3 at 8 pm, the 7A Black Box Series returns with Proof by David Auburn. Michael Colford directs this award-winning play from 2000, which revolves around Catherine, the daughter of Robert, a recently deceased mathematical genius in his fifties and professor at the University of Chicago, and her struggle with mathematical genius and mental illness. The play won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.

The Footlight Club presents... A Man of No Importance

Book by Terrence McNally Lyrics by Lynne Ahrens Music by Stephen Flaherty April 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 2023 Synopsis:  Winner of the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, A Man of No Importance is the second successful collaboration by the team of Terrence McNally, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, all of whom won Tony Awards for Ragtime. Alfie Byrne is a bus driver in 1964 Dublin whose heart holds secrets that he can't share with anyone but his imagined confidante, Oscar Wilde. When he attempts to put on an amateur production of Wilde's Salome in the local church hall, he confronts the forces of bigotry and shame over a love "that dare not speak its name." But the redemptive power of theatre changes his life and brings his friends back to his side. A Man of No Importance is a rare gem in the canon of musical theatre, one that combines the depth and drama of a play with the lyricism and comedy of a musical. A tender and beautifully woven tale of love, friendship and coming to terms with who we are.

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

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S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Roundups ⭐️

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S28: calendar experiences

This week in Boston

This week in Boston 📆

This week 📆

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

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S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Kid-friendly events in Boston

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Where

joyraft.host20296

Experiences

MATILDA the musical Opening Night

POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumb**s Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive Opening Night

Cut

The Footlight Club presents The Prom

Yellow Face

Out of Sight…Out of Murder

Tuck Everlasting

Sweat at the Footlight Club

Sweat at the Footlight Club

Sweat at the Footlight Club

Sweat at the Footlight Club

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Footlight Club presents... Stepping Out

The Footlight Club presents: Proof

The Footlight Club presents... A Man of No Importance