STATE HOUSE – The minimum wage in Massachusetts is set to rise one dollar to $11 an hour on Jan. 1, but low-wage workers are poised to press for passage in 2017 of legislation boosting the wage floor to $15 an hour.
Workers and labor union officials packed Great Hall Tuesday where organizers told the News Service they plan to seek a $15 an hour statewide minimum wage during the 2017-2018 session. Bills calling for a $15 wage floor for airport workers and big box retail store employees failed this session, and activists have elected to broaden the scope of their legislation to encompass all minimum wage employees.
The only thing better than The Nutcracker is the laughter and awe erupting in a theater packed full of delighted children. Mikko Nissinen's production of The Nutcracker is a seamless production balancing artistic sophistication with innocent playfulness. The dancers of Boston Ballet bring Nissinen's whimsical vision to life for all to enjoy, but wisely keep kids—their most important and inspired constituency—in mind.
A rich air of the Regency Period dresses the classic Christmas tale set to Tchaikovsky's masterpiece score. Devoid of sickly colors and kitschy, outdated gimmicks in other productions, this Nutcracker feels like ballet in a major key. Plenty of activity keeps the eye busy without overwhelming it. It's family friendly, especially the Battle Scene, where plush mice lob candy treats at the Nutcracker's soldiers and nibble on a giant gingerbread cookie (played by a young Boston Ballet student). It's lighthearted, but not trite—and if that plush dancing bear in the Party Scene doesn't make you smile, you've got a serious Scrooge complex going on.
