announcements and events

RIPPED FROM THE TABLOID HEADLINES! 

“BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL” OPENS UMBRELLA STAGE COMPANY’S 2026/27 SEASON 

Starring Elliot Norton Award-winning star of “tick, tick…BOOM!” Johnny Shea; directed by Jeremy Johnson. 

CONCORD, Mass. – August 24, 2026 – Umbrella Stage Company opens its 2026/27 Season with the hilarious, cult-hit, camp horror-comedy “BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL,” September 25 thru November 8 at Umbrella Arts Center’s Theater 144. 

Inspired by tabloid mythology in the fact-challenged publication Weekly World News, “BAT BOY” follows Edgar, a half-bat, half-boy outsider searching for acceptance in a small town. The award-winning musical features a book by Keythe Farley and Brian Flemming, and an eclectic pop-rock score with elements of hip hop, gospel, show tunes, and more by Laurence O’Keefe (“Legally Blonde,” “Heathers the Musical”). Johnny Shea, winner of the 2026 Elliot Norton Award for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical (Umbrella Stage Company’s “tick, tick…BOOM!”), returns in the lead role. The production will be directed by Jeremy Johnson (SpeakEasy’s “Swept Away”); Music Director is Jeff Kimball (Umbrella Stage Company’s “RENT”). 

In the fictional town of Hope Falls, the discovery of a mysterious half-boy, half-bat throws a fearful community into turmoil. Taken in by the compassionate town doctor’s wife Meredith who names him Edgar, the so-called Bat Boy learns to speak, read, and dream of belonging, only to find himself caught between humanity’s capacity for kindness and instinct for cruelty. Edgar falls in love with Meredith’s daughter Shelley, but when dark secrets about his origins come to light, suspicion, prejudice and violence engulf the town, building toward a shocking and darkly comic finale. “BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL” is a wildly imaginative story about outsiders, acceptance, and what it means to be human. 

The “BAT BOY” cast is a mix of artists both new and returning to Umbrella Stage Company including: Amy Barker, Brian Demar Jones, Michelle Moran, Will McGarrahan, Thomas Vice, Holly B. Faust, Vanessa Calantropo, Maria Sylvia Norris and Kai Clifton. The creative team includes scenic design by Cameron McEachern, costume design by Meagan Bellao, props and set dressing design by Sarabeth Spector, lighting by SeifAllah Salotto-Cristobal, sound by Alex Berg. 

Tickets to BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL are $20-62 plus fees, available August 25 at theUmbrellaArts.org. Performance times are Thu-Sat 7:30p and Sun 3p. A special Halloween performance October 31 includes a costume prize contest, photobooth pop-up, themed concessions, and spooky art vendors. All performances are at the Umbrella Arts Center, 40 Stow Street in Concord, Mass. 

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MEDIA CONTACTS: For interviews, photo and video assets and media tickets, reach John Michael Kennedy, jmk@jmkpr.com/212-842-1752 (cell/text) or Jen Astin, ja@jmkpr.com/424-333-1718 (c/t).

This is a partial listing of events sponsored by the Council on Aging.  For a complete list, please see the Boxborough Buzz newsletter which can be found here.  Please RSVP to ascheen@boxborough-ma.gov or kdee@boxborough-ma.gov for any event you plan to attend.

Threshold Singers - Thursday September 17 - 1:30 p.m. - Community Center

Out to Lunch - Friday September 18 - 11:30 a.m. - Oscar's Burritos, Boxborough

Celia The Belly Dancer - Thursday September 24 - 1:30 p.m. - Community Center

Bingo with Kim - Monday September 28 - 1:30 p.m. - Community Center

The Acton Food Pantry (AFP) is proud to announce that it received an additional $40,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation to support food purchasing costs and new facility enhancements. The gift was made following a site visit by Cummings representatives.

The Cummings Foundation Make a Difference Dollars (MAD$) program invites Cummings Site Visit Committee members to nominate organizations they have visited for additional funds. The committee discusses the nominees and determines which nonprofits will receive supplemental donations. The selection of the Acton Food Pantry indicates that the site visitors found the organization as contributing valuable service to its community.

Following his visit, one of the Cummings visitors wrote an email to Lisa Gordon, AFP’s Executive Director explaining how impressed he was “…not only by the efficiency and excellence of the Pantry's operations, but…by its heart. What stays with me is the extraordinary respect with which every person is welcomed, listened to, and treated. In a world where those struggling with food insecurity can so easily feel invisible or diminished, your Pantry has created a place where people encounter compassion before they select and receive groceries. That is a remarkable achievement.” 

The site visitor extended his congratulations to the “nimble staff” and board, but especially to the Pantry’s volunteers, saying “They are the quiet heroes that keep this social safety net together.  Their generosity, kindness, and faithful service are written into every shelf that is stocked, every bag that is packed, and every family that leaves knowing they have been treated with dignity and compassion…”

While the Cummings site visitors were inspired to nominate AFP to support food purchasing costs, which have risen dramatically in recent months, and new facility enhancements that have yet to be completed following the renovation of our new home, the funds are not restricted so the organization maintains the discretion to apply these funds wherever they are most needed.

AFP is grateful to the Cummings Foundation for these additional funds and recognizes that this gift is owed largely to the exceptional support of our community members who invest their funds and their time into making our pantry a vital and effective organization. 

If you would like to support our mission please visit our website.