The Boston Globe - 19.09.2019

B6 Metro The Boston Globe THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2019

Today is Thursday, Sept. 19,

the 262nd day of 2019. There

are 103 days left in the year.

Birthdays: Author Roger An-

gell is 99. Actress Rosemary

Harris is 92. Actor David Mc-

Callum is 86. Singer-songwriter

Paul Williams is 79. Actor Ran-

dolph Mantooth is 74. Actor

Jeremy Irons is 71. Actress

Twiggy Lawson is 70. TV per-

sonality Joan Lunden is 69.

Guitarist-producer Daniel

Lanois is 68. Guitarist-producer

Nile Rodgers is 67. Celebrity

chef Mario Batali is 59. Actress-

comedian Cheri Oteri is 57.

Country singer Trisha Year-

wood is 55. News anchor Sole-

dad O’Brien is 53. Rhythm-and-

blues singer Espraronza Griffin

is 50. Actress Stephanie Block is

47. “Tonight Show’’ host Jimmy
    Fallon is 45. Folk-rock singers
    Tegan and Sara Quin are 39.
    ºIn 1777, the first Battle of
    Saratoga was fought during the
    Revolutionary War; although
    British forces succeeded in driv-
    ing out the American troops,
    the Americans prevailed in a
    second battle the next month.

ºIn 1881, the 20th presi-

dent of the United States,

James A. Garfield, died 2½

months after being shot by

Charles Guiteau; Chester Alan

Arthur became president.

ºIn 1934, Bruno Haupt-

mann was arrested in New York

and charged with the kidnap-

murder of 20-month-old

Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.

ºIn 1970, the ‘‘Mary Tyler

Moore’’ show debuted on CBS.

ºIn 1982, the smiley emoti-

con was invented by Carnegie

Mellon professor Scott E. Fahl-

man, who suggested punctuat-

ing humorously intended com-

puter messages with :-).

ºIn 1985, the Mexico City

area was struck by a devastat-

ing earthquake that killed at

least 9,500 people.

ºIn 1986, federal health of-

ficials announced that the ex-

perimental drug AZT would be

made available to thousands of

AIDS patients.

ºLast year, President Trump

visited North and South Caroli-

na to survey the wreckage left

by Hurricane Florence.

This day in history

frustrations, writing “special
guest with me at City Hall today
due to BPS limbo.”
“The most frustrating part
was that I was afraid this would
happen & asked several times
on the phone with @Boston-
Schools on Monday if I could
get any confirmation that
Blaise was all set — an email? A
number? Anything?” she wrote
as she was heading to her week-
ly City Council meeting. No, she
said she was told, just show up.
Wu’s experience highlights
the kinds of frustrations fami-
lies endure as they attempt to
navigate the city’s Byzantine
student assignment system,
which allows families to choose
from a customized list of
schools based on their home

uWU
Continued from Page B1

address but offers no guarantee

they will receive any of their

picks. The situation is even

more precarious for families vy-

ing for prekindergarten, where

hundreds of children are wait-

listed every year with no clear

indication they will ever be as-

signed.

Families have often com-

plained that they receive con-

flicting information from

school registration sites, and

the process is cumbersome, re-

quiring families to sign up in

person and produce an array of

documents, from proof of resi-

dency to child immunization

records.

The school system defended

its communication practices

with families.

“Boston Public Schools al-

ways strives to communicate clearly, consistently, and accu-

rately with families,” Dan

O’Brien, a school spokesman,

said in a statement. “In this iso-

lated instance, there was a hu-

man error that led to a miscom-

munication. Our staff respond-

ed swiftly to bring an

immediate resolution to this is-

sue.”

Wu, in an interview, said she

and her husband are lucky they

can make their schedules work

when a snafu like Wednesday

morning’s arises, but she add-

ed, “Many other families can’t

have last-minute instability and

that you can’t rely on what you

are told in an enrollment sys-

tem — that is pretty archaic.”

Her City Hall office Wednes-

day afternoon looked almost

like a makeshift daycare with

brightlycolored Mega Legos

scattered across the floor as

Blaise built a tower with them

and later pulled out a stack of

children’s books from a shelf to

read. Earlier, he endured a City

Council meeting, where he sat

with Councilor Kim Janey and

drew pictures. He was still

wearing his new long-sleeved

white polo shirt with “Charles

Sumner Elementary School”

printed on the front.

One floor below, Wu’s

youngest son, Cass, 2, was in

the actual City Hall daycare.

The registration snafu was

short-lived. Wu received an e-

mail from the Sumner’s princi-

pal before the City Council

meeting began, informing her

that the registration was com-

plete and that Blaise could re-

turn to school.

Wu said she appreciated the

effort everyone made, from the

school secretary to the princi-

pal, to resolve the issue. The

Sumner was her top choice: She

and her husband like the sense

of community there, and it’s a

short walk from their Roslin-

dale home.

Beliza Veras-Moriarty, a Bos-

ton school parent who served

recently on the superintendent

search committee, said she was

not surprised by Wu’s mishap.

Six years ago, she missed a sin-

gle phone call from the school

system informing her a slot had

become available for her son at

Boston Arts Academy, but the

family was on vacation at the

time while she also was jug-

gling a newborn.

“I called back and the seat

was taken away,” she said. “My

son was heartbroken.”

In the end, it worked out for

her son, who wanted to be an

artistandgraduatedfrom Fen-

way High School with a full

scholarship to MassArt. But Ve-

ras-Moriarty said the school

system could do a better job of

communicating and working

with families. “I feel like they

beat you down so you don’t say

anything,” she said.

This wasn’t the first time Wu

has turned to social media to

raise concerns about the assign-

ment system. She voiced disap-

pointment this spring when

Blaise did not get assigned to

any of the eight or nine schools

they applied to, noting “a sys-

tem that creates winners & los-

ers out of our families is one

that’s failing our city as a

whole.” She echoed similar con-

cerns a year earlier when she

unsuccessfully tried getting

Blaise into a preschool program

for 3-year-olds.

Other city councilors have

also voiced concerns about the

student assignment system.

Council President Andrea

Campbell in releasing her edu-

cation plan in June called on

the school system to make the

registration centers more wel-

coming and to simplify the

school assignment process

while also increasing access to

quality schools to families of all

backgrounds.

“The central office has to do

a much better job in meeting

the needs of families,” Campbell

said. “Good communication is

essential. Parents have a lot go-

ing on.”

James Vaznis can be reached at

[email protected].

Follow him on Twitter

@globevaznis.

AtBPS,acitycouncilorandhersongottherunaround

JESSICA RINALDI/GLOBE STAFF

Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu with her son Blaise in her City Hall office Wednesday.

ARLINGTON

CAPITOL THEATRE

204 Massachussetts Ave. 781-648-4340

6I DIG AD

http://www.capitoltheatreusa.com

BRITTANYRUNSAMARATHON(R) (Open

captioning)3:30, 5:45, 8:00

LUCE(R) 7:00

OFFICIAL SECRETS(R) 4:45, 7:40

TEL AVIV ON FIRE(NR) 4:15

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON(PG-13)

(Open captioning)3:30, 5:40, 7:50

WHERE'D YOU GO, BERNADETTE(PG-13)

4:00

YESTERDAY(PG-13) 7:20

BOSTON

SIMONS IMAX THEATRE

New England Aquarium, Central Wharf

617-973-5200

58 DIG

http://www.neaq.org

OCEANS: OUR BLUE PLANET(NR) 10:00,

2:00

HIDDEN PACIFIC 3D(NR) 11:00, 4:00

TURTLE ODYSSEY(NR) 12:00, 3:00

AUSTRALIA'S GREAT WILD NORTH(NR)

1:00, 5:00

BROOKLINE

COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE

290 Harvard St. 617-734-2500

56

http://www.coolidge.org

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY

VOICE(PG-13) 11:45, 2:15, 4:45, 6:30, 9:55

OFFICIAL SECRETS(R) 11:15, 2:00, 4:15,

6:45, 9:15

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON(R) 11:30,

1:45, 4:30, 9:30

ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD(R)

3:15, 9:00

THE FAREWELL(PG) 1:15

DOWNTON ABBEY(PG) 7:15

LEGALLY BLONDE(PG-13) G7:00

LEXINGTON

LEXINGTON VENUE

1794 Massachussetts Ave. 781-861-6161

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BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON(R) 4:00

THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON(PG-13) 4:15

THE FAREWELL(PG) 6:45

DOWNTON ABBEY(PG) 7:00

SOMERVILLE

SOMERVILLE THEATRE

55 Davis Square 617-625-5700

56I DIGAD

http://somervilletheatre.com/

DOWNTON ABBEY(PG) 7:00, 9:40

IT: CHAPTER TWO(R) 1:10, 4:40, 8:00

LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY

VOICE(PG-13) 1:15, 3:20, 5:30, 7:40

ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD

(R) 1:00

THE GOLDFINCH(R) 1:20, 4:20, 7:30

INFO VALID 9/19/19 ONLY

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appear out of alphabetical order so that

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Bargain show times are shown in

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G Restrictions apply/No Passes

5 Handicapped accessible

8 Stadium Seating

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boston.com/tickettothearts

MUSIC

THEATER THEATER THEATER THEATER

DANCE

MUSIC MUSIC

OPERA

SEPTEMBER 24 - OCTOBER 6

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award-winning

musical thriller! Faded silent-screen goddess,

Norma Desmond, lives alone in the dark with

little more than her celluloid memories. In her

fantasies,sheremainswhatsheoncewas-the

greateststarofall.Watchasshetriestoreclaim

the spotlight, but with dramatic consequences.

NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE

62 Dunham Road | Beverly | MA

BOOK TODAY: NSMT.ORG | 978.232.7200

STARRING TONY WINNER

ALICE RIPLEY

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Join legendary musician NOEL PAUL STOOKEY

and 100+ performers at this FREE family

celebration of the Autumnal Equinox along the

Charles River at the Herter Park Amp in Allston.

Family Fun begins at 5pm. Singing begins at 6!

Comesingwithus!

Details at Revels.org

A FREE FAMILY CELEBRATION

OF FALL When Ana’s cherished book group becomes the

focus of a documentary film, intimate discussions

about life and literature take a turn for the hilari-

ous in front of the inescapable camera lens. A

delightfulplayaboutlife,love,literature,andthe

side-splittingresultswhenfriendsstartreading

betweenthelines.DirectedbyShanaGozansky.

Boston Playwrights’ Theatre

949 Commonwealth Avenue

Thurs. 7:30 p.m., Fri./Sat. 8 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m.

Tickets: 866-411-8111 or BostonPlaywrights.org

SEPT. 26-OCT. 13

FEATURING Doo-Wopp Hall of Famer SHIRLEY

REEVES (original lead singer of THE SHIRELLES)

• “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow”, “Soldier
  Boy”, “I Met Him On A Sunday”, “Dedicated To
  The One I Love” • THE MARCELS- “Blue Moon”
  “Heartaches”•ASalutetoTHEMARVELETTES
  withLONNIE CLARK and Group - “Please Mr.
  Postman”, “Don’t Mess With Bill”

NORTH SHORE MUSIC THEATRE

62 Dunham Road | Beverly | MA

TIX: $59 & $49 | NSMT.ORG or 978.232.7200

INDUCTIONS AND CONCERT

OCTOBER 13 AT 2PM

Boston Ballet’s Giselle, a haunting tale of love,

betrayal, and forgiveness returns to the stage for

the first time in a decade. Experience the thrilling

drama and exquisite choreography of a new

stagingbyLarissaPonomarenko,whodelighted

audiencesinthetitlerolethroughouthercareer.

Withaniconic,ghostlycorpsdeballet,andone

of the most demanding and coveted heroines in

the repertoire, Giselle runs September 19–29

at the Citizens Bank Opera House. Tickets at

bostonballet.org.

FALL MADLY IN LOVE,

SEPTEMBER 19–29

Harry Christophers, conductor

“Reveling with astonishing clarity.”

• The Boston Musical Intelligencer

Friday, Oct 4, 2019 at 7:30pm

Sunday, Oct 6, 2019 at 3:00pm

Symphony Hall

HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY

Philip Glass & the Philip Glass Ensemble

perform the Golden Globe-winning score

to accompany Godfrey Reggio’s cinematic

classic film Koyaanisqatsi. A prophetic and

apocalyptic vision of the collision of urban life,

technology,andtheenvironment,Koyaanisqatsi

isabrilliantperformanceexperience.

ONE NIGHT ONLY

SEP 20, 8PM, Orpheum Theatre

1 Hamilton Place, Boston

For tickets and information:

globalartslive.org | 617.876.4275

KOYAANISQATSI LIVE!

LIFE OUT OF BALANCE

Blue Heron (Scott Metcalfe, dir.) celebrates its

20th birthday and 20 years of engagement with

the Tudor-era polyphony found in the Peterhouse

partbooks (copied c. 1540 for Canterbury Cathe-

dral), with a program featuring fan favorites.

Saturday, October5•8PM

First Church in Cambridge, Congregational

11 Garden Street, Cambridge

Sunday, October6•4PM

S. Stephen’s Church

114 George Street, Providence

http://www.blueheron.org / (617) 960-7956

CANTERBURY REDISCOVERED

SAT. OCT.5&SUN.OCT. 6 Jamie Kent headlines a concert featuring the

Babson Music Collective and Sababa. Kent has

been named by RollingStone.com as an “Artist

You Need to Know” and dubbed a “Must Watch

Artist” by The Huffington Post.

Thursday, September 26 at 7:00 P.M.

Sorenson Center for the Arts at Babson College

231 Forest Street, Wellesley

Tickets: FREE with registration

Visit BabsonARTS.org or call 781-239-5880

JAMIE KENT & FRIENDS

1940’s Multi-Media Presentation

Music of WWII ~ Rexall Radio Hour

Salute to Rodgers & Hammerstein

617 Lexington St., Waltham

ReagleMusicTheatre.com ~ Free Parking

Veterans of all Wars Admitted FREE

OCTOBER 5 & 6 AT 2PM

781-891-5600

REMEMBERING

4 O

’

S

THE

When Seymour discovers a carnivorous,

conniving – not to mention singing – plant,

he thinks all his wishes will come true.

There’s just one thing missing. BLOOD!

Thru Oct 6 Lyric Stage Copley Sq

617.585.5678 lyricstage.com

“A DELIGHT!” “BRILLIANT!”

“STUPENDOUS!

An Immigrant Opera

Fri, Sept 20 at 7:30pm

Sat, Sept 21 at 7:30pm

Sun, Sept 22 at 3:00pm

Emerson Paramount Center, Boston

Tickets: 617.824.8400/whitesnakeprojects.org

I AM A DREAMER WHO NO

LONGER DREAMS

The mesmerizing circus troupe, The 7 Fingers,

returns to Boston with Passengers! Climb aboard

and take an unforgettable ride that will engage

your imagination, pull at your heartstrings, and

discover wonder and beauty along the way.

Tickets at ArtsEmerson.org

U.S. PREMIERE

SEP 25-OCT 13

An End of Summer Tribute of 30 Hit Songs

The Very Best of 50’s and 60’s Surfin’ Music

ReagleMusicTheatre.com

617 Lexington Street, Waltham

FREE PARKING

SEPTEMBER 22 AT 3PM

781-891-5600

BEACH BUMS

THE

A TRIBUTE TO THE BEACH BOYS

“A theatrical hug for turbulent times!” - Variety

Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos

Based on the book by Cheryl Strayed

SEP 11-OCT 6, 2019

Box Office 978-654-4678

http://www.mrt.org

MERRIMACK REPERTORY

THEATRE

“Downright Hilarious!” - Huffington Post

Tues-Fri at 7, Sat at 5 & 8, Sun at 3 & 7

To order 617-426-5225 or shearmadness.com

Student rush & specially priced senior tix

Great group rates! 617-451-0195

Charles Playhouse, 74 Warrenton Street

BOSTON’S HILARIOUS

WHODUNIT!

Translated & adapted by Brenda Withers from

Alfred Jarry’s “King Ubu”

DirectedbyWesleySavick.9/19-21&9/26-28

Presented by Juvenilia & The National Theatre

of Allston

ModernTheatre.com | 866.811.4111

“...HILARIOUS, PROFOUND &

RAUCOUS!”

From Oscar-winner Tarell Alvin McCraney

(“Moonlight”) comes this powerful coming-

of-agestorypunctuatedbylivegospel&

R&B performances. Contains nudity.

Tickets from $25! Now through Oct. 12.

http://www.SpeakEasyStage.com / 617-933-8600

2019 TONY AWARD NOMINEE

- BEST PLAY -

Songs from the American MusicTheater

Presentedby MusicWorcester

Wed.Oct. 2 at7:30pm

Tickets$65+adults;$ 25 youth/student

Venue - Mechanics Hall, Worcester

WWW.MUSICWORCESTER.ORG 50 8 -754-3 231

AUDRA MCDONALD OCT. 2

What happenedafter Nora slammedthedoor on

her family in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House? With razor-

sharpdialogue, Lucas Hnath’s Tony-nominated

comicdrama provokes questions about marriage,

equality andthecost of liberation. Sep 1 2 -Oct6.

Code GLOBE5 for $5 off! GAMMTHEATRE.ORG

NORA IS BACK!

A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2

Sun 9/ 22 , 7:30pm at Sanders Theatre

HaydnPiano Trio in C major

ShostakovichPianoQuintetinGminor

Mozart Viola Quintet in C major

$ 2 7, $39, $51, $63; Students: $9; Sr: $4 off

http://www.bostonchambermusic.org/617.349.00 86

SEASON PREMIERE:HAYDN

SHOSTAKOVICH&MOZART