All my Sons at the Huntington Theater

I have recently joined twitter to get the word out about my blog.  I am amazed at what goes on there and how quickly word can spread about any topic in particular.  For example, a tweet popped up from @huntington saying that first 10 folks to retweet their post about the upcoming production of All My Sons would win free tickets to see it at the Huntington Theater here in Boston.  It had been posted 42 minutes earlier, so I wasn't sure whether or not I would win, but I gave it a shot anyway - and I won - two tickets to see All My Sons by Arthur Miller last night.


The play was fantastic!  The Huntington is a beautiful theater decorated with royal blue and dark wood ornamented with guilded carvings, beautiful chandeliers, and antique star-shaped sconces.  They serve wine and beer along with snacks just like any other theater, but there, you can take them in the theater and enjoy them while you watch the show!  We, of course, opted for bubbles.  Don't you wish you could take Champagne in to every theater?

Arthur Miller's All My Sons is a riveting drama set in three acts.  I'm embarrassed to say that the only other play I know by Miller is The Crucible, which I studied just like everyone else in high school.  It has a similar pressure-cooker feel however.  The mood at the beginning feels lighthearted and care-free, but by the end the sh-- really hits the fan!  The suspense was amazing, and I'm not sure that I blinked during the entire second and third acts. If you're curious, click here for a synopsis of the play on Wikipedia.

I thought the acting was excellent and the set was beautiful in the Huntington's production.  It made use of multimedia with ambient sounds played in the theater, films shown on the back wall of the stage, and there was even and exploding apple tree - fabulous!  The actors did a great job of pacing the intensity of each scene.  By the end of the play, they had me in palm of their hands, empathizing with each twist of emotion, and I was near tears in a couple of instances.  I especially enjoyed Will Lyman's portrayal of Joe Keller, the tragic patriarch of the Keller family.  Karen MacDonald, Lee Aaron Rosen, and Diane Davis were also spectacular finishing out the quartet that was in the spotlight for most of the play and deserve special recognition for their stunning work.  I thought all of them portrayed the complicated familial relationships within the Keller family compellingly and convincingly.  All My Sons continues at The Huntington through February 7.

the fabulous exploded apple tree!

After the play we headed over to our neighborhood spot, the Regal Beagle here in Brookline for an after-theater dinner.  We tried the nightly specials, Thai-style chicken wings, roasted double-cut pork chop with (my favorite) polenta, and chocolate peanut butter pie studded with pretzels.  We also couldn't resist splitting a burger too and were not disappointed.  It was a wonderful and hearty meal and fitting end to a fabulous evening.  Our stomachs were full and our thirst for good theater was quenched. What a wonderful way to spend a Thursday evening.  I can't wait for our next trip to the Huntington Theater.