The Boston Globe - 13.09.2019

B12 The Boston Globe FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

Catching up with Maria

Menounos expands online presence with ‘Better Together’ podcast

More than two years after having

surgery to remove a golf ball-size tu-

mor from her brain, TV host and Med-

ford nativeMariaMenounosis busier

than ever.

She’s been working on a podcast

called “Better Together” that brings

health experts and celebrities together

to discuss life improvement tips. She’s

been expanding her online broadcast

network AfterBuzz TV, opening a news

division and branching out into inter-

national markets. She’s been in part-

nership with digital health company

Rally Health, which will bring her to

City Hall Plaza this Saturday for the

Boston Social Fitness Festival. In be-

tween, she recently found time to visit

her parents in Connecticut, where the

family celebrated her motherLitsa’s

65th birthday more than three years

after Litsa was diagnosed with stage 4

brain cancer.

In a chat with the Globe this week,

Menounos discussed everything from

her favorite quick fitness tips to her

plans to start a family with husband

KevenUndergaro.

Q.I saw that you recently celebrated

your mother’s 65th birthday, which

must have been a huge milestone after

the health issues both of you faced.

How are both of you doing?

A.We’re doing well. My mom is a mira-

cle. Celebrating her 65th birthday

three years after her brain cancer diag-

nosis is such a gift. We’re just so grate-

ful. She gets better and better every

day. She’s doing physical therapy now.

We just started her atTomBrady’s fa-

cility, TB12, for a chemo brain pro-

gram, so we can activate her brain in

different spots. I’ve always called my-

self her Tom Brady because I’ve been

completely quarterbacking her care.

It’s a lot to be in charge of, but luckily

she’s requiring less and less. It was su-

per-intense in the beginning, like 100

pills a day, and now it’s just a few. So

she’s doing incredible.

Q.On top of everything else happening

in your life, you also got married —

twice, as a matter of fact. You’ve been

with Keven for a long, long time now,

but is there anything that seems differ-

ent now that you’ve officially tied the

knot?

A.You wouldn’t think there would be a

difference, but there was, especially in

the beginning. It was really special and

exciting. We were being showered with

so much love. Now that we’ve moved

more into thoughts about children,

we’re definitely even tighter, if that’s

even possible.

Q.That’s exciting. When might that

happen?

A.I think I’m really going to be regain-

ing traction once I get back from this

trip. We’re going to put some things in-

to action. I have to get a surrogate be-

cause I can’t carry with my brain tu-

mor. But there are so many amazing

surrogates out there that we’ll be look-

ing for the perfect one for us. We’re ex-

cited that’s an option.

Q.You’ll be back in town this weekend

doing an outdoor fitness event as part

of a partnership with Rally Health.

What led you to work with them?

A.I’m so proud of my partnership with

Rally Health, because our goals and

values are so aligned with wanting

people to live a healthier life. With

Rally on the Road, we’ve been all over

the country this summer. We’ve done

workouts in the park where people are

doing their first workouts, believe it or

not. That’s so exciting for me. Now

we’ll be in Boston spreading the mes-

sage of health as we always do. But of

course, in Boston it’s extra special for

me because it’s my home.

Q.Are there any little tricks that you

use to stay healthy?

A.We’re always trying to promote

healthier habits, especially those that

don’t require a lot of work. I have a lit-

tle band that I put around my legs and

I do side lunges and bridges on the

ground in my hotel room, and you can

easily do squats wherever you are. In

my book, “The Everygirl’s Guide to Di-

et and Fitness,” I had all these work-

outs that I showed pictures of for hotel

room workouts, and workouts in bed.

If you want to do the lazy girl work-

out, you can just do it in bed.

Q.Setting aside the health talk for a

minute, when you’re back home, are

there any restaurants that you just

have to visit?

A.We always like to go to Al’s on State

Street for a good steak and cheese sub.

We love Pizzeria Regina in Medford.

We definitely have our spots that we

love to hit. Last time we even went to

Tiki Island [in Medford] for some

good Chinese. Boston Chinese food is

different than anywhere else, and I

love it.

KEVIN SLANE, Boston.com

Names

By Don Aucoin
GLOBE STAFF
STONEHAM — For the first several
frames of “Last Night at Bowl-Mor
Lanes,’’ the comedy by Weylin Symes
appears to be setting up the pins for an
in-depth exploration of the odd-couple
kinship and shared history between a
pair of 70-something friends and bowl-
ing rivals named Ruth and Maude.
But about midway through the pre-
miere at Greater Boston Stage Compa-
ny — where Symes is the producing ar-
tistic director — “Last Night at Bowl-
Mor Lanes’’ is undone by an ill-advised
detour into a subplot that ultimately
leaves too many of those pins stand-
ing. (Which brings us to the end of our
bowling metaphors, and not a mo-
ment too soon.)
Still, even a casual bowler can see
that Symes, director Bryn Boice, and
scenic designer James J. Fenton have
gotten the atmospherics right. Fen-
ton’s set is a spot-on simulacrum of a
stuck-in-the-1950s bowling alley, from
the jukebox in the corner to the over-
head “Bowl-Mor’’ sign with the “M’’
dangling upside-down to the row of
multicolored bowling balls lined up on
a rack.
Boice also got the casting of the
leads right: Ruth and Maude are
played by Nancy E. Carroll and Paula

Plum, twin treasures of Boston theater

who long ago earned, and still deserve,

the adjective “inimitable.’’ The adjec-

tive “Last Night at Bowl-Mor Lanes’’

tries too hard to earn is “heartwarm-

ing,’’ but there is genuine poignancy

here as well.

The comic byplay between Carroll’s

starchy Ruth and Plum’s freewheeling

Maude likewise develops a pleasing

rhythm, though it seldom soars to the

heights Carroll and Plum reached a de-

cade ago playing middle-aged Catholic

sisters coping with a zealous young

evangelical missionary in Evan Smith’s

“The Savannah Disputation’’ at Speak-

Easy Stage Company.

The story of “Last Night at Bowl-

Mor Lanes’’ is set in motion when

Ruth and Maude break into the titular

establishment the night before it is

slated to close, eventually to be re-

placed by a Walmart. Determined to fi-

nally decide the winner in a rivalry

that extends back a half-century, they

proceed to bowl a few frames while

conversing and quarreling about their

familial and social circles (who is dat-

ing whom, who is gay, who has a gam-

bling problem) as well as random sub-

jects like Tom Brady’s fitness app.

In the interplay between Ruth and

Maude, Symes demonstrates a fairly

steady grasp of the complicated dy-

namics of a friendship sustained over

decades. Caroll and Plum make us be-

lieve in that friendship. Nobody, and I

mean nobody, does grouchy better

than Carroll, while Plum can and does

make you laugh just by huffing and

puffing her way through the exertions

of a septuagenarian putting on a pair

of bowling shoes. Both actresses also

subtly convey the hints of a sadness

that is lurking, one layer down, in both

Ruth and Maude.

But “Last Night’’ starts to grow

wobbly after the arrival of bowling al-

ley owner Ed (Arthur Gomez, in a per-

formance that is too effortful by half),

and the play almost grinds to a halt

when the focus subsequently turns to a

conflict between Carroll’s Ruth and

her adult daughter, Charlene, played

by Ceit Zweil, who acquits herself pret-

ty well in a one-note role. (So does Isa-

bella Tedesco as Charlene’s 13-year-old

daughter, Teddy.)

These protracted scenes have the

effect of sidelining Plum, which is nev-

er a good idea and is particularly un-

wise in this instance, since it is she

who generates much of the produc-

tion’s spiky energy.

More broadly, it alters the emphasis

and the fundamental balance of “Last

Night at Bowl-Mor Lanes.’’ Ruth and

Maude, two fiercely individualistic

women, end up being largely defined

by children and husbands, when the

more compelling relationship in this

play, the one that matters most to us in

the audience, is their own durable

bond.

Don Aucoin can be reached at

[email protected]. Follow him on

Twitter@GlobeAucoin

STAGE REVIEW

LASTNIGHTATBOWL-MORLANES

Play by Weylin Symes. Directed by

Bryn Boice. Presented by Greater

Boston Stage Company, Stoneham,

through Sept. 29. Tickets $47-$57,

781-279-2200, http://www.greaterboston

stage.org

Switching lanes undermines ‘Last Night at Bowl-Mor’

NILE SCOTT STUDIOS

From left: Paula Plum, Nancy E. Carroll, Ceit Zweil, and Arthur Gomez

in Greater Boston Stage Company’s “Last Night at Bowl-Mor Lanes.”

LISAO’CONNOR/AF

P/GETTY IMAGES

Maine authorStephenKing

appeared on “The Late Show

With Stephen Colbert” to pro-

mote his new book, “The Insti-

tute,” and took a jab at his

senator,SusanCollins.

HostStephenCol-

bertasked King

about a recent tweet

in which he wrote,

“Hey-hey, ho-ho, Su-

san Collins has to go.”

“Let’s put it this way,”

King said when Colbert

brought up the tweet. “Susan

Collins has been there for about

a thousand years and it’s time

for somebody a little newer and

somebody who’s got a little bit

more of a liberal bend.”

This isn’t the first time King

has voiced his opinion about

Maine’s Republican senator. In

July, King tweeted, “Susan

Collins has buckled be-

fore theTrumpidioc-

racy. Time for her to

go.”

He also tweeted

in September 2018

that “IF Susan Collins

votes to confirm [Brett]

Kavanaugh, and IF she runs

for re-election—two big ifs—she

will be defeated.” Collins voted

to confirm Kavanaugh to the

Supreme Court in 2018.

ABBI MATHESON

Stephen King says

‘Susan Collins has to go’

MalcolmLowe, the Boston

Symphony Orchestra’s concert-

master, has announced that he

will be retiring from his posi-

tion, ending his decades-long

tenure with the orchestra.

Lowe, the 10th person to

hold the position in BSO histo-

ry, has occupied the first chair

since 1984, when he was ap-

pointed during the music direc-

torship ofSeijiOzawa.Among

BSO concertmasters, onlyRich-

ardBurginserved for a longer

span. Lowe’s retirement will

take effect just prior to the

opening concert of the 2019-20

BSO season on Sept. 19.

“I have decided that it is

time...tobeginanewadven-

ture and artistic journey and

listen to the voices that are

beckoning me to do other

things with the rest of my life,”

Lowe said in a statement pro-

vided by the orchestra.

Over his 35 years with the

orchestra, the Manitoba-born

musician performed countless

staple violin solos of the orches-

tral repertoire, appeared on

more than 100 recordings, and

participatedinmorethan 25

international tours across Can-

ada, Europe, Asia, and South

America. Lowe also served as

first violin and artistic director

of the Boston Symphony Cham-

ber Players, the elite chamber

ensemble made up of the BSO’s

principal musicians.

The role of BSO concertmas-

ter extends far beyond perfor-

mance. In accordance with the

terms of his contract, Lowe was

present for the final round of

every BSO audition during his

tenure. He also served on the

search committee that resulted

inAndrisNelsons’s 2013 hiring

as music director.

“Malcolm Lowe’s 35-year ca-

reer as Boston Symphony Or-

chestra concertmaster repre-

sents an extraordinary dedica-

tion and commitment to

excellence at the highest level

of music-making,” Nelsons said

in a statement. “We are deeply

indebted and grateful to Mal-

colm for sharing his countless

musical gifts with us these

many years.”

Lowe was notably absent

from the Symphony Hall stage

for over a year after he sus-

tained a concussion while

avoiding a cyclist in early 2018.

This past spring, he began to

play at the back of the second

violin section to reacclimate,

and his full return from medi-

cal leave came at the beginning

of this summer’s Tanglewood

season.

The final piece he played

with the orchestra was

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 at

the summer’s farewell concert,

conducted byGiancarloGuer-

rero.

“I feel so blessed that I was

able to meet this challenge and

get back to full strength and

power,” Lowe said in his state-

ment. “Being able to perform

again with all of my colleagues

was a gift to me and I am so

very grateful to all of them for

their many kind words of sup-

port and encouragement.”

The orchestra will immedi-

ately begin to plan the process

of auditioning and appointing a

new concertmaster.

ZOË MADONNA AND

ISAAC FELDBERG

After 35 years as

BSO concertmaster,

Malcolm Lowe to retire

Malcolm Lowe has occupied

first chair since 1984.