Audio described performances for the Spring/Summer 2023 season

Abilities Dance Boston (ADB)

www.abilitiesdanceboston.org/

Abilities Dance Boston disrupts antiquated ableist beliefs and disseminates the value of inclusion through dance. Their performing company is comprised of adult dancers/choreographers with and without disabilities; composers who create original music; and more! They include open, recorded audio description at every performance, so that everyone in the audience hears it.

This show will be performed at the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, 41 2nd St, Cambridge, MA. It will be offered both in person and live streamed (virtual dates TBA). To learn more, visit: http://www.abilitiesdanceboston.org/events, email [email protected], or call (781) 465-4032.

Intersections v2

Audio described: Friday, April 21, and Saturday, April 22, 2023, 8:00 PM

Join Abilities Dance for a 2nd version of their Intersections show, as they continue to celebrate BIPOC and disabled artists/activists, past and present, local and national.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T)

The Loeb Drama Center
64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA
(617) 547-8300
AmericanRepertoryTheater.org

To purchase tickets for these performances email [email protected]. For access questions, contact [email protected] or (617) 547-8300.

The Wife of Willesden

Audio described: Saturday, March 11, 2023, 2:00 PM and Thursday, March 16, 2023, 7:30 PM

A proper local legend, Alvita will tell her life story to anyone in the local West London pub – there’s no shame in her game. The question is: are you ready to hear it? Because this woman’s got the gift of the gab: she can rewrite mistakes into triumphs, turn pain into parables. And her love life? It’s an epic poem. They call her the Wife of Willesden. Join her for an evening that celebrates the human knack for telling elaborate tales, especially about our own lives. Winner of the 2022 Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Most Promising Playwright, critically acclaimed and multi award-winning best-selling author Zadie Smith transforms an excerpt from Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales into the unbelievable – and unforgettable.

Adapted by Zadie Smith from Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath. Directed by Indhu Rubasingham.

Evita

Audio described: Thursday, June 22, 2023, 7:30 PM and Saturday, June 24, 2023, 2:00 PM

Sammi Cannold (Endlings, Violet, Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Hollywood & Entertainment, and the youngest female director in A.R.T. history) helms this groundbreaking revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Tony Award-winning rock opera, which follows the adored and reviled Eva Perón’s meteoric rise to first lady of Argentina before her death at 33. Inspired by Hal Prince’s original staging, Cannold evolves her acclaimed concert version that was staged at New York City Center in 2019.

Arts Emerson (AEM)

Emerson Paramount Center
559 Washington St., Boston, MA
artsemerson.org

To order Audio Description tickets, contact the box office at [email protected] or call 617-824-8400

And So We Walked

Audio described: Sunday, April 30, 2023, 2:00 PM

Please note: This show will be presented at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont St, Boston, MA, 02111

One artist’s journey along the trail of tears. From Cherokee performance artist and activist DeLanna Studi comes And So We Walked, a frank, heartwarming and inspiring one-woman show illuminating and reckoning with one of the darkest corners of American history.

In Studi’s story, a contemporary Cherokee woman and her father embark on an incredible 900-mile journey along the Trail of Tears to truly understand her own identity and the conflicts of her nation. Recounting the six-week journey, which retraced the path her great-great grandparents took in the 1830s during the forced relocation of 17,000 Cherokee from their homelands, becomes a powerful, multi-faceted dramatic memoir. It draws on extraordinary interviews, historical research, and the artist’s personal experience to convey the complexities and conflicts with which the Cherokee wrestle.

Broadway in Boston – Citizens Bank Opera House

Broadway in Boston
539 Washington Street, Boston, MA
(617) 259-3400
Boston.Broadway.com

Tickets for audio described performances can be purchased using the promo code: AUDIODESCRIBED. To reserve yours, contact the Opera House Ambassador Program, Tuesday through Sunday, from noon to 9 PM, at (617) 259-3416 or email [email protected].

Hamilton

Audio described: Sunday, March 5, 2023, 1:00 PM

Hamilton is the story of America then, told by America now. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, Hamilton has taken the story of American founding father Alexander Hamilton and created a revolutionary moment in musical theatre that has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. With book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography. It has won Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center.

My Fair Lady

Audio described: Sunday, April 23, 2023, 1:00 PM

From Lincoln Center Theater, which brought you The King & I and South Pacific, comes “a sumptuous new production of the most perfect musical of all time” (Entertainment Weekly), Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady. Director Bartlett Sher’s glowing production is “thrilling, glorious and better than it ever was” (New York Times). Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” and “On the Street Where You Live,” My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” But who is really being transformed?

Beetlejuice

Audio described: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 1:00 PM

It’s showtime! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Nether world, Beetlejuice is “Screamingly good fun!” (Variety). And under its uproarious surface (six feet under, to be exact), it’s a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O!

Jagged Little Pill

Audio described: Sunday, June 18, 2023, 1:00 PM

With a Tony-winning book by Diablo Cody (Juno) and Grammy-winning score, this electrifying production about a perfectly imperfect American family “vaults the audience to its collective feet” —The Guardian. “Redemptive, rousing and real, Jagged Little Pill stands alongside the original musicals that have sustained the best hopes of Broadway.” (The New York Times). You live, you learn, you remember what it’s like to feel truly human… at Jagged Little Pill.

Come from Away

Audio described: Sunday, August 13, 2023, 1:00 PM

The true story of the small town that welcomed the world. The New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships. Don’t miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, and helmed by Tony Award-winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley. On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company

Boston Common, 115 Boylston Street, Boston, MA
commshakes.org

Shakespeare on the Common: Macbeth

Audio described performances are usually the last weekend in July and first weekend in August.

The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts

2 Southbridge Street, Worcester, MA
TheHanoverTheatre.org

Use promo code: AUDIO for a 50% discount on AD tickets. Please call the box office at (877) 571-7469 or email [email protected].

Hadestown

Audio described: Sunday, April 2, 2023, 1:00 PM

Welcome to Hadestown, where a song can change your fate. Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, this acclaimed new show from celebrated singer-songwriter Anaos Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) is a love story for today and always.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Audio described: Sunday, April 30, 2023, 1:00 PM

With lyrics and music by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes I Dont Know How to Love Him, Gethsemane and Superstar. 

The Huntington Theatre

The Huntington’s newly renovated Huntington Avenue Theatre reopened this season. Some shows will run there and some at the Boston Center for the Arts in the South End. Please note the location for each production.
The Wimberly Theatre is in the Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116.
The Huntington Avenue Theatre is at 264 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115.

Tickets are $20 for each blind/low-vision patron and their guests. To reserve tickets and headsets, please call the box office at (617) 266-0800 or email [email protected], and specify that you need audio description.

Schools with blind or visually impaired students in grades 7-12 can reach out for seats at 10 AM audio described performances. Please email: [email protected], as student matinee seats are not available through other ticketing pathways.

K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Audio described: Thursday, March 23, 2023, 10:00 AM (student matinee) and Saturday, April 1, 2023, 2:00 PM at the Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 

Lala makes fine art on pizza boxes. Summer inspires her to romance Dani, a budding feminist, and Albert, his smooth-talking twin. What’s good, love or lust? Either way, she’ll find her muse, in this story for fans of David Bowie, bell hooks, and fireworks by the Charles.

Written by By Lenelle Moïse. The Front Porch Arts Collective hooks up with The Huntington for this highly anticipated co-production, directed by Dawn M. Simmons.

Clyde’s

Audio described: Friday, April 14, 2023, 10:00 AM (student matinee) and Saturday, April 22, 2023, 2:00 PM at the Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA

Playwright Lynn Nottage (Sweat, Ruined) returns to Boston with her most recent Broadway hit. A truck stop sandwich shop offers its formerly incarcerated kitchen staff a shot at reclaiming their lives. Even as the shop’s callous owner tries to keep them under her thumb, the staff members are given purpose and permission to dream by the enigmatic, zen-like chef and his belief in the possibility of the perfect sandwich.

Joy and Pandemic

Audio described: Thursday, May 11, 2023, 10:00 AM (student matinee) and Saturday, May 20, 2023, 2:00 PM at the Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 

Joy and Pandemic questions how our passions regarding family, art, and war impact the very meaning of our lives. As Joy finds her Philadelphia children’s art school at risk in a burgeoning public health crisis, she hopes to keep her dream of the school alive. When her unyielding faith runs up against another mother’s beliefs, an afternoon in the early 20th century transforms the world for both of their daughters for decades to come. With infinite humor and insight, MacArthur Fellow Taylor Mac and The Huntington’s new Artistic Director Loretta Greco explore the complex and ever-evolving relationships between science and faith, art and tradition, and parents and children. Originally commissioned by San Francisco’s Magic Theatre.

The Lehman Trilogy

Audio described: Saturday, July 15, 2023, 2:00 PM at the Huntington Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA

By Stefano Massini, Adapted by Ben Power. Directed by Carey Perloff.

Weaving together nearly two centuries of family history, this epic theatrical event charts the humble beginnings, outrageous successes, and devastating failure of the financial institution that would ultimately bring the global economy to its knees.

Moonbox Production at the Boston Center for the Arts (BCA)

Until their new location in Cambridge opens, Moonbox’s shows will run in different locations, as noted below.

This year, all Moonbox Productions shows are Pay-What-You-Wish (as little, or as much as you choose).

For access performance tickets, email Kara Crumrine, Director of Community & Accessibility Initiatives at [email protected].

The House of Ramon Iglesia

Audio described: Friday, April 28, 2023, 8:00 PM and Saturday, April 29, 2023, 7:30 PM on the Main Stage at the Dorothy and Charles Mosesian Center for the Arts 321 Arsenal St, Watertown, MA 02472

Written by Jose Rivera, The House of Ramon Iglesia is a play about a bright, Americanised son’s tortured efforts to break away from his tradition-bound parents. A break that can’t be made until he learns to accept the ethnic heritage he has spent his life trying to suppress. This probing drama by a very talented new Hispanic playwright was a co-winner of a very prestigious national playwrighting contest sponsored by CBS and was produced successfully in NYC by the excellent Ensemble Studio Theatre.

Moonbox 2nd Annual Boston New Works Festival

Audio described: Between June 22-26, 2023

To wrap up its season, Moonbox looks forward to bringing its 2^nd Annual Boston New Works Festival to the Calderwood Pavilion and the Boston Center for the Arts during the summer of 2023.

At least one production will be audio-described. Details TBA.

Open Door Theater

R.J. Grey Junior High School
16 Charter Road, Acton, MA
www.opendoortheater.org

Tickets are $15. Contact the ticket team at [email protected] or call 978-264-8150 for more information.

Please note: All ODT performances are sensory friendly, interpreted into American Sign Language, and open captioned. Second weekend shows are Audio Described, as detailed below.

The SpongeBob Musical

Audio described: Friday, March 31, 2023, 7 PM; Saturday, April 1, 2023, 1:00 PM; and Sunday, April 2, 2023, 1:00 PM

Adapted from the iconic Nickelodeon series! SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Squidward and all of Bikini Bottom face total Annihilation, until a most unexpected hero rises to take center stage. Based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg; book by Kyle Jarrow. Musical production conceived by Tina Landau.

SpeakEasy Stage Company

All performances of SpeakEasy Stage Company productions will take place at the Roberts Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street, Boston

Tickets for Audio Described performances cost $25 for patrons who require these services and their guests and can be reserved by mentioning “Audio Description” at the Box Office (617-933-8600), using the code SPKAUDIO on our ticketing site, or by contacting our Community & Artistic Programs Manager Alex Lonati at [email protected]. Headsets must be reserved and limited seating is available. Braille and large print programs will be available with advance request. Please plan to arrive 30 minutes early for audio described program notes and set description.

Fairview

Audio described: Friday, March 3, 2023, 8:00 PM and Saturday, March 4, 2023, 2:00 PM

Directed by Pascale Florestal. Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Grandma’s birthday at the Frasier household has all the makings of your standard family comedy: drinking, squabbles, hijinks with the silverware–and that’s before Tyrone even arrives! Expect the unexpected from this new drama that will leave you thinking about race, power, and maybe theatre itself.

Wild Goose Dreams

Audio described: Friday, April 7, 2023, 8:00 PM and Saturday, April 8, 2023, 2:00 PM 

By Hansol Jung. Directed by Seonjae Kim. New England Premiere! Nanhee and Minsung are alone in Seoul, South Korea. Nanhee is a North Korean defector with no way to contact her family; Minsung is a gireogi appa or “goose father”, working in Seoul to send money to his family in Texas. But after a chance encounter on the internet, the pair strike up an unlikely romance and discover a quiet intimacy within the noise of the 21st century. Filled with poetic dialogue and powered by boundless imagination.

The Prom

Audio described: Friday, May 19, 2023, 8:00 PM and Saturday, May 27, 2:00 PM

Emma didn’t want to be a newspaper headline or the face of a movement; she just wanted to take her girlfriend Alyssa to their high school prom. But just when it seems like she might persuade the hesitant PTA, four bumbling Broadway has-beens in search of relevance barge into Edgewater, Indiana to put a spotlight on the issue – and themselves. As the worlds of Broadway and Main Street hilariously collide, the courage of one girl reminds us all of the power of love to bring us together. With non-stop laughs and show-stopping dance numbers, The Prom is a feel-good musical with a message that is even more relevant today.

Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University

200 The Riverway, Boston, MA

For tickets, call 617-353-3001 or visit WFT’s website at WheelockFamilyTheatre.org.

For tickets, call (617) 353-3001, contact Audience Services Manager Jamie Aznive at [email protected], or visit WFT’s website at wheelockfamilytheatre.org.

Make Way for Ducklings

Audio Described: Sunday, March 5, 2023, 2:00 PM and Saturday, March 11, 2:00 PM (public performances), and Thursday, March 9, 2023, 10:30 AM (student matinee)

r. and Mrs. Mallard are exhausted from their search for a starter home when they land in the Boston Public Garden as a potential home. A classic story for all ages, this New England premiere musical celebrates family, Boston, children and the beings who make an unfamiliar place a home.
Co-commissioned with Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo, Maryland. Book by Sandra B. Eskin and Michael J. Bobbitt. Music and Lyrics by William Yanesh. Adapted for the stage by Sandra B. Eskin and Michael J. Bobbitt. Directed by Emily Ranii. Music Direction by Jon Goldberg. Choreographed by Joy Clark.

Bud, Not Buddy

Audio Described: Sunday, May 7, 2023, 2:00 PM and Saturday, May 13, 2023, 7:30 PM (public performances), and Thursday, May 11, 2023, 10:30 AM (student matinee)

Based on the Coretta Scott King award-winning novel by Christopher Paul Curtis. Bud, Not Buddy follows the tale of 10-year-old Bud Caldwell. Named after a flower-to-be, a little fist of love waiting to unfold and be seen by the world, Bud goes on a quest to find his father and blossoms when he finds family in a jazz band. An epic adventure full of dreams, jazzy tunes and heart. Adapted by Reginald André Jackson. Based on the novel by Christopher Paul. Directed by Dawn Simmons

2023 Audio Described Shows Sorted by Date

March through August 2023

Friday, 03/03/2023, at 8 PM
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Fairview

Saturday, 03/04/2023, at 2 PM
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Fairview

Sunday, 03/05/2023, at 1 PM
Broadway in Boston
Hamilton

Sunday, 03/05/2023, at 2 PM
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
Make Way for Ducklings

Thursday, 03/09/2023 10:30 AM (STUDENT MATINEE)
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
Make Way for Ducklings

Saturday, 03/11/2023, at 2 PM
American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.)
The Wife of Willesden

Saturday, 03/11/2023, at 2 PM
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
Make Way for Ducklings

Thursday, 03/23/2023, at 10 AM (STUDENT MATINEE)
The Huntington
K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Friday, 03/31/2023, at 7 PM
Open Door Theater
The SpongeBob Musical

Saturday, 04/01/2023, at 2 PM
Open Door Theater
The SpongeBob Musical

Saturday, 04/01/2023, at 2 PM
The Huntington
K-I-S-S-I-N-G

Sunday, 04/02/2023, at 1 PM
Open Door Theater
The SpongeBob Musical

Sunday, 04/02/2023, at 1 PM
Hanover Center for the Performing Arts (Worcester)
Hadestown

Friday, 04/07/2023, at 8 PM
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Wild Goose Dreams

Saturday, 04/08/2023, at 2 PM
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Wild Goose Dreams

Friday, 04/14/2023, at 10 AM (STUDENT MATINEE)
The Huntington
Clyde’s

Friday, 04/21/2023, at 8:00 PM
Abilities Dance Boston
Intersections v2

Saturday, 04/22/2023, at 10:00 PM
Abilities Dance Boston
Intersections v2

Saturday, 04/22/2023, at 2 PM
The Huntington
Clyde’s

Sunday, 04/23/2023, at 1 PM
Broadway in Boston
My Fair Lady

Friday, 04/28/23, at 8 PM
Moonbox Productions
The House of Ramon Iglesia

Saturday, 04/29/23 at 07:30 PM
Moonbox Productions
The House of Ramon Iglesia

Sunday, 04/30/2023, at 1 PM
Hanover Center for the Performing Arts (Worcester)
Jesus Christ Superstar

Sunday, 04/30/2023, at 2 PM
ArtsEmerson
And So We Walked

Sunday, 05/07/2023, at 1 PM
Broadway in Boston
Beetlejuice

Sunday, 05/07/2023, at 2 PM
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
Bud, Not Buddy

Thursday, 05/11/2023, at 10 AM (STUDENT MATINEE)
The Huntington
Joy and Pandemic

Thursday, 05/11/2023, at 10:30 AM (STUDENT MATINEE)
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
Bud, Not Buddy

Saturday, 05/13/2023 07:30 PM
Wheelock Family Theatre at Boston University
Bud, Not Buddy

Friday, 05/19/2023, at 8 PM
SpeakEasy Stage Company
The Prom

Saturday, 05/20/2023, at 2 PM
The Huntington
Joy and Pandemic

Saturday, 05/27/2023, at 2 PM
SpeakEasy Stage Company
The Prom

06/22-26/2023 At least one production will be audio-described. Details TBA.
Moonbox Productions
Moonbox’s 2nd Annual Boston New Works Festival

Thursday, 06/22/2023, at 7:30PM
American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.)
Evita

Saturday, 06/24/2023, at 2 PM
American Repertory Theatre (A.R.T.)
Evita

Saturday, 07/15/2023, at 2 PM?
The Huntington
The Lehman Trilogy (Replaces Bhangin’ It)

End of July/Beginning of August (Specific dates of the run and for audio description are TBA.)
Commonwealth Shakespeare Company
Shakespeare on the Common: Macbeth

Sunday, 08/13/2023, at 1 PM
Broadway in Boston
Come from Away