Connecticut Arts Connection

Quick Hit Theater Review: Macbeth 1969 -- Long Wharf

2012-02-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

Jackie Chung, Barret O'Brien, McKinley Belcher III, Socorro Santiago and Shirine Babb. Photo: Joan Marcus

Macbeth 1969
World Premiere of Eric Ting's adaptation of the Skakespeare Classic
Directed by Eric Ting
Long Wharf Theatre

Summary:
It's Christmas time, 1969 in a small town in middle America, where soldiers returning from the Viet Nam war deal with post-traumatic stress and are tended to by three nurses. The play is arranged into 13 scenes, all played out in a hospital room with three beds (Mimi Lien, set design) in front of a nurse's station that doubles as a place where memories haunt (made possible by excellent sound and music design by Ryan Rumery and lighting design by Tyler Micoleau. Macbeth (McKinley Belcher III), an injured soldier, soon finds himself involved in a plot to kill Duncan (George Kulp), a politician and hero from an earlier war. Urging him on is his wife (Shrine Babb). More murders follow, including draft dodger Macduff (Barret O'Brien) and his pregnant wife (Jackie Chung) and the blood on their hands (lots of it) throws Macbeth and his wife into madness and downfall. Other main characters include the head nurse (and fellow witch with the other two actresses) played by Socorro Santiago and Banquo, also played by O'Brien.

Highlights:
The idea is good -- one of the few modernizations of a Shakespeare Play where the setting doesn't seem contrived. The flashback scenes are nicely staged and a hospital curtain used to section off part of the stage is very clever. A scene where the three nurses, who also play wives/witches, recite the "double, double toil and trouble" lines is enhanced by electronic verb. Ting's subtle touches, like McDuff's wife not being able to get him on the phone, make us smile. A scene where Macbeth and his wife have sex in the hospital bed gives new insight to a old passage of dialogue.

Lowlights:
If you aren't familiar with the story of Macbeth, you might have trouble following this tale, particularly with actors assuming various roles without and real costume changes (Toni-Leslie James, design). It isn't very clear why Lady Macbeth suddenly feels guilty, for example, and for some, it wasn't clear that she was Lady Macbeth at that point.... The program includes a synopsis with a scene breakdown (usually this is a clue that you are going to have trouble following along).

A number of people were catching a few Zzzs the night I attended -- until the hospital fire alarm sounded when Duncan's corpse was found -- and I have to admit that I found it quite amusing to watch them lurch to a fully awake state. There's a whole lot of blood and we have to wonder why these hospital workers never use plastic gloves before sticking their hands in it (one problem with updating a classic to modern times is that current thought encroaches stealthily, sort of like Birnam Wood). One nurse mopped up some of the blood on the floor, but left an alarming amount on one section of the stage bringing to mind "out, out damn spot" long before she uttered the line.

Other information:
The show runs through Feb. 12 at Long Wharf Theatre's Stage I, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven.

Tickets are $40 to $70 and can be purchased by calling 203-787-4282 or by visiting www.longwharf.org.

See a video of the production by Jacob Bricca here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjKSoepxynk.

Quick Hit Theater Review: Almost Maine -- Music Theatre of Connecticut

2012-02-05T11:51:00.000-08:00

Clockwise from upper left: Cynthia Hannah, Tim Reilly, Katie Sparer and Jim Schilling . Photo: Regina Madwed/Capitol Photointeractive

Almost Maine
By John Cariani
Directed by Kevin Connors
Music Theatre of Connecticut, Westport

Summary:
Eight short plays with a prologue and epilogue depict folks falling in and out of love in a town called Almost, ME. The action takes place on a Friday evening in front of a rustic cabin-like backdrop (Scott Holdredge, design) when there is a chance of seeing the Nrothern Lights (similated by designer Joshua Scherr). The plays, featuring different characters played by Cynthia Hannah, Tim Reilly, Jim Schilling and Katie Sparer, are separate from each other, but contain some mentions of common people or places to tie them together.

Highlights:
The actors seem to be having fun and deserve awards for fast their lightning-quick costume changes (Diane Vanderkroef, design) that keep the pace between the plays brisk. Reilly shows off some impressive facial-expression skills and Sparer delights with a wide range of characters. The publicity materials suggest this is perfect for Valentine's Day and we agree. A fun date night of escapism.

Lowlights:
Cariani's predictable script, which takes a few too many liberties with reality and has you saying, "What the heck?" just a few too many times, was a big hit when it premiered in Portland. ME, but flopped Off-Broadway. That sort of says it all.

More information:
The show runs through Feb. 19. Performances: Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm at MTC's studio theater. 246 Post Road East (Lower Level) in Westport. Tickets range from $25 to $45 with a discount for seniors and students. Call 203-454-3883 or visit http://www.musictheatreofct.com.

MTC's final production of its 25th anniversary season will by I Left My Heart. . . A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett April 20-May 6.
--Lauren Yarger

Shakespeare on the Sound Gets New Executive Director

2012-02-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

Shakespeare on the Sound annuncd that Steven Yuhasz has joined the organization as its new executive director. Yuhasz replaces Emily Bryan, who is now the organization’s director of education. This is the first Executive Director in the organization’s 17 year history.
Yuhasz has worked extensively in both the non-profit and commercial theatre. He has produced Streakin’ and Pterodactyl Island (Off Broadway) and The Visit, The Normal Heart, and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas for The Actor’s Fund of America. He is a founding producer of the New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF) and has acted as associate general manager for Papermill Playhouse. He has directed Off Broadway, and worked at numerous regional theatres around the country including Goodspeed, Ogunquit Playhouse, and The McCarter Theatre.

Now in its seventeenth season, Shakespeare on the Sound presents summer theater at its waterfront venues – Pickney Park in Rowayton and Roger Sherman Baldwin Park in Greenwich.

For more information on Shakespeare on the Sound, visit www.shakespeareonthesound.org.

Theater Review: The Sty of the Blind Pig -- TheaterWorks

2012-02-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

Eden Marryshow, Krystel Lucas
and Brenda Thomas. Photo: Lanny Nagler

TheaterWorks Revives Rarely Seen Slice-of-Life Play
By Lauren Yarger
A mother and daughter struggle with transitions in their life and with living with each other in Philip Hayes Dean’s play The Sty of the Blind Pig, getting a rare run on stage at TheaterWorks, Hartford.

Set on the brink of the civil rights movement on the south side of Chicago, Sty won the Drama Desk and numerous other awards in 1971, bthen slipped somewhat into oblivion. Director Tazewell Thompson shakes out the dust with a strong ensemble cast. The play is at times a study of human relationships and at others a playwright’s exercise in cramming tons of exposition in dialogue, but overall, it’s a slice-of-life piece without much plot, but which nevertheless, makes us feel as though we have experienced something profound.

Characters develop and thanks to humor- infused and argument-driven dialogue, we discover a long-standing conflict between churchgoing matriarch Weedy (Brenda Thomas) and stifled Alberta (Krystel Lucas), the daughter she seems to enjoy belittling. Weedy’s brother, Doc (a terrific Jonathan Earl Peck), a gambler who is down on his luck after having enjoyed better days as a bigwig in Memphis, visits their apartment in search of money and whiskey. There, his easy-going personality is put to the test when he finds himself serving as referee in conflicts between the women, or deflecting criticism from Weedy, who apparently is oblivious to the hurt her comments cause. Similar tirades apparently drove her husband away years ago and threaten her relationship with her daughter.

Alberta, who has a gift for delivering spirited eulogies, hasn’t been feeling well since the funeral of a friend – a man she admired from afar. This loss, combined with the steady diet of guilt trips and put downs from her mother drive her toward a spiritual and mental breaking point when an itinerant, blind musician enters her life. Jordan (Eden Marryshow) offers songs and guitar music (performed by Sound Designer J. Hagenbuckle) in exchange for a meal as he goes door-to-door in the neighborhood of condemned buildings searching for a woman from his past. Alberta offers food, assistance in the search and then, much more.

Bible-thumping Weedy doesn’t trust Jordan, the product of a blind pig – a sort of lower-class house of ill repute where booze, drugs and prostitutes abound – and disapproves when he becomes romantically involved with Alberta.

While the situations are interesting to explore, there are too many questions unanswered. What's behind Alberta's illness? Who is the woman from Jordan’s past? Why does everyone choose stay in such a stifling situation? In addition, too much exposition and two lengthy intermissions interrupt the three-act play and confuse a sense of time frame (run time is two hours and 30 minutes). Long stretches of watching a character unpack groceries, for example, or listening to dialogue yelled at characters who have moved off stage to an unseen room in the apartment (Donald Eastman designs the set) also detract from the drama.

Sty of the Blind Pig runs through Feb. 26 at TheaterWorks, City Arts on Pearl, 233 Pearl St., Hartford. For tickets call 860-527-7838 or visit www.theaterworkshartford.org.

Connecticut Theater & Arts News

2012-02-02T08:09:00.000-08:00

The Legacy Theatre, a new theater company serving the Connecticut Shoreline and the Greater New Haven area, will present TONIGHT, TONIGHT! – A Shakespeare Cabaret on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7 pm as part of the Shakespeare at Yale initiative.The performance will take place at The Lyric Hall, 827 Whalley Avenue in New Haven. Suggested donation is $15 and reservations can be made by calling 203.457.0138.
Back by popular demand, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra will present a brand-new Cirque de la Symphonie show on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 8 pm in Mortensen Hall at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford. Led by HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan, this concert will feature acrobats, jugglers, strongmen, and more performing with some of the most popular classical music of all time, including Bizet’s Carmen Suite, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, and more. Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $20-$67.50. Student and children tickets are $10. $25 tickets are available for patrons age 40 and under. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at (860) 244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.
New Exhibition! From Italy to America – Photographs of Anthony Riccio Bellarmine Museum of Art, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT through March 30, 2012. The Bellarmine Museum of Art is located in Bellarmine Hall on the campus of Fairfield University at 1073 N. Benson Road in Fairfield. Admission is free. The museum is open Monday through Friday, 10 am. to 4 pm. Call 203-254-4000, ext. 4046, or visit www.fairfield.edu/museum.

CT Arts News Briefs

2012-02-01T20:12:00.000-08:00

Charlie Ross. Photo courtesy of the Quick Center.

Star Wars fans of the world can unite with Charlie Ross coming to town! At 8 pm Friday, February 3, 2012, the talented Canadian actor brings his hilarious one-man-show One Man Star Wars Trilogy to Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. An added bonus for ticket-holders is a post-show screening in HD of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” the 2008 animated feature film chronicling the further adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Tickets are $30 and $25.
HSO SUNDAY SERENADES SERIES: SOUNDS OF THE EUROPEAN MASTERS
with Leonid Sigal, artistic director and violin; Curt Blood, clarinet; Barbara Hill, French horn; Margreet Francis, piano
Sunday, Feb. 26│ 2 pm
Courtyard │ Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Program: Johannes Brahms: Trio for Violin, Horn and Piano in E-flat Major; Camille Saint Saëns: Sonata for Clarinet and Piano in E-flat Major, Op. 167; Gian Carlo Menotti: Trio for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano
Tickets are $30 ($25 for HSO Subscribers and Atheneum Members). Ticket price includes general admission to the Wadsworth Atheneum on the days of the concerts. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at 860-244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.
Goodspeed Musicals has announced that Tony Award nominee Louise Pitre, known as Canada’s“first lady of musical theatre,” will take on the role of Mame Dennis in Mame at the Goodspeed Opera House beginning April 20^.
The Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts at Sacred Heart University continues its Retro Series with Melissa Manchester In Concert Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8pm.
Jeanie O’Hare is the new chair of Yale's Department of Playwriting, effective July 1 for a three-year term.She comes to Yale from the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she has served as Company Dramaturg since 2005.

The Palace is Alive, With the Sound of Music

2012-01-31T13:57:00.000-08:00

Artwork courtesy of the Palace.

The Palace Theater will come alive with the ‘Sound of Music’ when the performing arts center presents the launch of the national tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Sing-A-Long Sound of Music on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 4 pm.

An interactive event for the entire family, Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music is a screening of the classic Julie Andrews film in full-screen Technicolor presented with subtitles so that the audience can sing along. The show starts with a vocal warm-up led by the evening’s host, who also takes the audience through their complimentary ‘magic moments pack,’ which contains various props to be used at strategic points throughout the film.

The evening will also feature a fancy-dress competition in which everyone who has arrived in costume is invited onto the stage to show off their fantastic tailoring skills. Previous entries have included nuns of bother genders, lonely goatherds, girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes and other famous items listed among Maria’s ‘favorite things.”

For the ultimate Sound of Music fan, the Palace Theater is offering a limited $50 VIP ticket package, which includes prime loge/box seating to the show and a post-show dessert reception by Sweet Maria's Bakery, which will include a “meet-and-greet” with the show’s host.

Regular tickets are $15, $25, and $35, and can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org, and in person at the box office, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. Groups of 15 or more qualify for discounted rates and should call the group sales hotline at 203-346-2011.

Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music began running at the Prince Charles Cinema in London’s West End in 1999, and has remained there ever since. Today, the show is considered a worldwide hit, playing to packed houses across the globe with more than 10,000 performances in nine different countries. To date, celebrity fans include Dan Ackroyd, Carrie Fisher, Elton John (who held a private birthday screening), Debbie Reynolds, Hugh Grant and Joan Collins.

The Palace Theater’s presentation of Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music is sponsored in by Naugatuck Savings Bank and WATR Radio.

Musical Amazing Grace to Get Developmental Run at NormaTerris Theatre

2012-01-31T09:28:00.000-08:00

Christopher Smith

The musical Amazing Grace based on the life of John Newton, the former slave trader who wrote the world's most recognized hymn, will get a run at Goodspeed Musical's Norma Terris Theatre this spring.

Composer Christopher Smith also wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book with Arthur Giron. Gabriel Barre is attached to direct. Kimberly Grigsby served as music director for a recent reading in new York. Rehearsals are scheduled to begin in April, according to a casting notice. Details for the run through June 10 on the developmental Norma Terris Stage, 33 North Main St. in Chester, CT have not been released officially yet. Check back here for information when it becomes available.

Amazing Grace tells the love story based on the life and trials of Newton, told from the point of view of his childhood friend Mary Catlett. She never loses faith in him and her love, courage and unshakable conviction help to transform his life. Their journey to find the meaning of their own existence will lead them to love, heartbreak and an epic quest to end the scourge of slavery.

Produced by veteran Broadway producer Carolyn Rossi Copeland (The Scarlet Pimpernel, Smoke on the Mountain, Children's Letters to God) Amazing Grace encompasses everything from triumphant anthems to heart rending ballads all set within a love story which transcends time and distance. Copeland was the founding artistic producing director of the former Lamb’s Theatre Company in Times Square.

To listen to the music, visit http://agmusical.com/concept_recordings.html. For more information about the musical, visit http://agmusical.com/index.html.

Theater Review: Boeing Boeing -- Hartford Stage

2012-01-22T11:13:00.000-08:00

Ryan Farley. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Farce Fails to Take Off, but a Couple of Performances Land Safely
By Lauren Yarger
To fully enjoy Marc Camoletti's farcical play Boeing Boeing, you have to be willing to check a lot of reality baggage at the gate.
First, you have to get on board with the idea that a guy stringing along three airline stewardess fiancées at the same time is funny rather than offensive. A friend, in a pimp-like sort of way, refers lonely stewardesses, who already have been checked out by the airlines, for Bernard's romantic pleasure, apparently. All the work's already been done for him, he exclaims. . .

Then you have to pretend that while the women are in other parts of the house they can't hear major turbulence taking place with the other stewardesses in the living room, or that they are too stupid to figure out that not all is top flight in the Paris, France apartment (set in bland grays by designer David M. Barber, unfortunately reflecting the bland humor that falls flat).

Once you complete this pre-flight check and get past the unpleasant thoughts (sort of like a TSA screening), your logic will go on auto pilot and you won't ask simple questions like why does this 1960s throwback keep getting revived and why didn't translators Beverly Cross and Francis Evans at least call it Boeing Boeing Boeing, since three, not two, stewardesses get bounced around (in uniforms design by Thomas Charles Legalley)?
Providing entertainment for commitment-avoiding Bernard (Vince Nappo) in the Hartford Stage production are perky American TWA flight attendant Gloria (Kelly D. Felthouse), Sexy Italian Alitalia hostess Gabriella (Kathleen McElfresh) and Brunhilde-like Lufthansa employee Gretchen (Claire Brownell). Bernard keeps track of their flight schedules and juggles when they will arrive at the apartment with the help of his brusk, reluctant housekeeper Berthe (Denny Dillon), who helps him make sure the right fiancée's photograph is hung on the wall at the right time.

When a cancelled flight shuts down regular operations, Robert (Ryan Farley), a friend who drops in unexpectedly, finds some flight attendant romance of his own while helping Bernard try to keep the women from discovering each other.

In the 2009 Broadway production (directed by Matthew Warchus), Boeing Boeing was given a little propulsion by its cast. Mark Rylance won the Tony Award for supporting actor for his very funny portrayal of the hapless Robert. Making a lot of fun on stage with him were Bradley Whitford (showing a lot of physical comedy talent as Bernard), Christine Baranski as Berthe and Mary McCormack as Gretchen. This ridiculous play won the Tony for best revival and since, a lot of regional theaters have attempted to repeat its success.

Here, the cast, directed by Maxwell Williams, isn't able to overcome the weak material, however. Nappo doesn't infuse Bernard with a lot of appeal and delivers his lines in a projected monotone. Most of his physical comedy seems delayed as well. Dillon brings some much needed comic chops to the beleaguered Berthe. In fact, she wakes things up like the sound of the drink cart being wheeled down the aisle of a long flight. Even so, some variety in tone, like muttering some lines under the breath for example, would enhance the humor. The three women play their stereotypes well. Farley succeeds in bringing some fun to a character in way over his head, even though the script only gives him one liners or repetition of Bernard's dialogue with which to work.

Overall, the humor in this one needs some flotation devices.

Boeing Boeing runs through Feb. 12 at Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., Hartford. For information and tickets, call 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.
Meanwhile, don't miss an excellent exhibit of costumes celebrating draper Barry Seller's 30 years of creative work at Hartford Stage. It runs in the lobby areas through April 29.

Lary Bloom, Suzanne Levine Will Help You Tell Your Own Tale with Memoir Class

2012-01-21T15:43:00.000-08:00

March 7-April 25; Registration Deadline Feb. 15
Bloom and Levine will offer A Class in Memoir from 5:30 to 7:30 pm in the Mark Twain Museum Center, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford. One session will be held in Mark Twain's library in the historic house.

To participate, a serious interest in the memoir form is the only requirement; beginners are welcome. To register, please send a brief letter or email of interest to Steve Courtney at steve.courtney@marktwainhouse.org or call 860-247-0998, Ext. 243. Registrants will be limited to 14. The tuition fee of $600 must be paid in full by the registration deadline of Feb. 15.

Bloom is a legendary figure in the Connecticut literary world, known nationally as a pioneer of the New Journalism. For 20 years, he edited Northeast magazine at The Hartford Courant, fostering a new kind of work that used the tools of fiction to tell the stories of ordinary people -- while maintaining strict truthtelling. He nurtured writers from Wally Lamb to Cindy Brown Austin (both of whom first pubished in Northeast), and turned the magazine into a Connecticut literary incubator for nurturing creativity of all types. His much-read weekly column -- unusual and unpredictable takes on unsung Connecticut characters and their achievements -- today finds a home in the pages of Connecticut Magazine.

During his two decades at Northeast he wrote essay collections and The Writer Within, which provides lessons in nonfiction writing learned from his years as a Sunday magazine editor. He produced the Twain's World series, essays on Hartford's cultural heritage that were collected in a book of that name. But many achievements took the magazine outside its traditional boundaries of its cover.

He was a founder of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, which featured many of America's greatest poets, including Stanley Kunitz, Sharon Olds, James Merrill and Lucille Clifton; Art For All, a public art project featuring work by Katharine Hepburn, Dave Brubeck, and many visual artists; and Mark Twain Days, a citywide celebration that featured the music of Ray Charles and the Kingston Trio, and the comedy of the Smothers Brothers, as well as activities such as jousts and Gilded Age baseball games. Another major public project was Connecticut Voices, during which 50 distinguished state authors (including Arthur Miller, William Styron, and Annie Dillard) were profiled, and then read from their books on public radio.

Since leaving Northeast, he has collaborated with former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge on his controversial memoir, "The Test of Our Times," and wrote, with Senator Christopher J. Dodd, "Letters from Nuremberg." The teaching he did as an editor has continued in tandem with Levine: classes at The Mark Twain House & Museum, at the Florence Griswold Museum, and the renowned literary bookstore R.J. Julia in Madison, Connecticut. He is on the faculty of Fairfield University's MFA writing program.

Levine, a noted poet, is the author of "Haberdasher's Daughter," a book which makes clear the connections between the worlds of poetry and memoir. It was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Award. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in California Quarterly, Passages North, Interpoesia, Permafrost Quiddity International Literary Journal, Southern California Review, The Chaffin Journal, Stand Magazine UK and Whiskey Island Magazine among others. A Pushcart nominee, she was a finalist in the 2009 Midnight Sun Chapbook Competition and a contributor to the anthology Forty Fathers (2009). She holds an MFA from Vermont College.

Downtown Cabaret Reads Thoughts for a Fun Show: The Amazing Kreskin

2012-01-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, Feb. 19 at 5 pm

With a showman’s flair, a comedian’s wit and the capacities of a mentalist or thought reader, The Amazing Kreskin has dramatized the unique facets of the human mind…his own!

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Due to the nature of The Amazing Kreskin’s show, all drinking and eating must be done prior to the beginning of the performance. The Amazing needs your undivided attention! (90 minute show performed without an intermission).

The Downtown Cabaret Theatre is located at 263 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport.

Reserved tickets for performances: $29 - $39

Tickets may be reserved in person at the Boc Office, b y Phone: 203-576-1636; Online at downtowncabaret.org or by US Mail: The Amazing Kreskin, c/o Downtown Cabaret Theatre. 263 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, Ct. 06604.

Julie Andrews to Direct at Goodspeed

2012-01-21T15:14:00.000-08:00

Goodspeed Musicals has announced plans for the production of a new musical, The Great American Mousical, to be directed by Julie Andrews. The musical is based on the best-selling book authored by Ms. Andrews and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton, with illustrations by Tony Walton. This developmental production will run November 8 - December 2, 2012 at The Norma Terris Theatre in Chester.

The Great American Mousical features a new score by Zina Goldrich and Lyrics by Marcy Heisler, a book by Tony nominee Hunter Bell, choreography by Tony nominee Christopher Gattelli, and sets and costumes designed by Oscar, Emmy and Tony-Award winner Walton.

Season tickets are on sale now. Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public March 25. For more information call the Goodspeed Box Office at 860-873-8668 or visit www.goodspeed.org.
Downtown Caba

Theater Review: Defending the Caveman -- Downtown Cabaret

2012-01-17T10:04:00.000-08:00

Paul Perroni. Photo: courtesy of Downtown Cabaret Theatre.

Caveman Conquers Downtown Cabaret By Tom Holehan
Somehow I’ve managed to miss the numerous productions of Defending the Caveman, Rob Becker’s one-man money machine that opened in San Francisco in 1991 and proceeded to run two and a half years on Broadway (a record for solo plays). Becker clearly struck a nerve in his sweetly comic ode to American male slob-hood and a new incarnation of his work can currently be enjoyed in a limited engagement at Bridgeport’s Downtown Cabaret Theatre.

Only by the most casual of definitions could Defending the Caveman be considered a “play.” Becker’s observations about the distinct differences between men and women are very much in the tradition of stand-up comedy going all the way back to Henny Youngman’s “take my wife” routine. It is to Becker’s credit that he has parlayed some very familiar observations about the battle-of-the-sexes into such a crowd-pleasing evening of entertainment. A debate about the correct way to install a roll of toilet paper would not be out of place in Defending the Caveman.

And, yet, it is probably this universal knowledge about a man’s behavior when he takes up living quarters with the opposite sex that makes Caveman such innocent and affectionate fun. The role, as written, apparently fit Becker like a catcher’s mitt. Subsequent performers in the role like Michael Chiklis and Jim Belushi were of the same physical type -- guys who look very comfortable with a beer in one hand and the TV remote control in another.

At the Cabaret Paul Perroni holds court in the role and given that the actor is young, trim and attractive one might think he had a disadvantage playing the slob-in-residence. But Perroni wisely uses his charisma the best way possible: he’s attractive to women but non-threatening to men. With his slight southern accent and melodious baritone, Perroni lays out his personal battle-of-the-sexes in winning style. Utilizing just a few Fred Flintstone-style props on stage – a caveman spear, his beloved television – the actor gives an agreeable and accomplished performance. He is also an expert pantomime never funnier or more on-target then when he’s demonstrating the precise action of how women check out a rack of clothes.

And while Caveman offers absolutely nothing new and relies almost entirely on the most basic of familiar man vs. woman observations, it doesn’t mean that it still isn’t funny. Or true. The division of the sexes into “hunters and gatherers” categories has been dissected with both heart and humor in Caveman and as Becker explores what it really means to be a man, the play even achieves a kind of crazy wisdom and bittersweet insight by final curtain.

Defending the Caveman continues at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport through Sunday, Jan. 22. For further information and ticket reservations call the theatre box office at 203-576-1636 or visit: www.downtowncabaret.org.

Tom Holehan is Co-chairman of the Connecticut Critics Circle and Artistic Director of Stratford’s Square One Theatre Company. He welcomes comments at: tholehan@yahoo.com. His reviews and other theatre information can be found on the Connecticut Critics Circle website: www.ctcritics.org

Long Wharf Co-Produces 'February House' with New York's Public Theatre

2012-01-15T18:05:00.000-08:00

Long Wharf Theatre will present the world premiere of February House, directed by Davis McCallum, with music and lyrics by Gabriel Kahane and book by Seth Bockley in a co-production with the Public Theater in New York.

The musical will run on Long Wharf's Stage II Feb. 15 through March 18 and at the Public May 8 through June 10.

The cast includes Stanley Bahorek (Benjamin Britten), Ken Barnett (Peter Pears), Ken Clark (Reeves McCullers), Julian Fleisher (George Davis), Stephanie Hayes (Erika Mann), Erik Lochtefeld (W.H. Auden), Kacie Sheik (Gypsy Rose Lee), A.J. Shively (Chester Kallman), and Kristen Sieh (Carson McCullers). The creative team is comprised of Riccardo Hernandez (sets), Jess Goldstein (costumes), Mark Barton (lights), Leon Rothenberg (sound), Andy Boroson (musical director) and Cole Bonenberger (production stage manager.)

Bringing together some of the greatest and most colorful minds of a generation, including W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Benjamin Britten, and Gypsy Rose Lee, George Davis tries to create his own utopia in a small house in Brooklyn Heights in the 1940s. The artists discover new ideas exploding at every turn as they find love, friendship and their own artistic voices in a time of war.

Kahane's score mixes elements of classical operetta, jazz, and musical comedy with modern folk-pop. The musical is based on Sherill Tippins’ literary biography “February House: The Story of W.H. Auden, Carson McCullers, Jane and Paul Bowles, Benjamin Britten and Gypsy Rose Lee, Under One Roof in Wartime America.”

For more information, call 203-787-4282 or visit www.longwharf.org.

Palace Goes Green This February -- with Everyone's Favorite Ogre

2012-01-15T17:28:00.000-08:00

The Palace Theater will be going green this February when everyone’s favorite ogre comes to Waterbury for three performances of the Shrek the Musical national Broadway tour on Feb. 10 and 11.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org or at the box office,100 East Main St., Waterbury. Groups of 15 or more qualify for discounted ticket prices and should call the group sales hotline at 203-346-2011.

An entirely new musical which opened on Broadway in December 2009, Shrek the Musical is based on the story and characters from William Steig’s book, as well as the first chapter of the DreamWorks Animation Shrek film series. Set in a faraway kingdom turned upside down, the musical tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre, who goes on a life-changing adventure to reclaim the deed to his land. Joined by a wise-cracking donkey, this unlikely hero fights a fearsome dragon, rescues a feisty princess and learns that real friendship and true love aren’t only found in fairy tales. Featuring an original score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, Shrek the Musical is “far, far and away” a play the whole family will love.

Photo courtesy of the Palace.

As a special promotion, the Palace Theater is offering a 50-percent discount on family four packs of tickets purchased for the Friday and Saturday evening performances of the show. The offer is valid on select mezzanine seating and only availably by phone at 203-346-2000, or in person at the Box Office.
Shrek the Musical isthe third presentation in the Palace’s 2011-2012 Webster Broadway Series, and is sponsored in part by WTNH/MyTV9 and Adam Broderick Salon & Spa. For more information visit www.palacetheaterct.org.

Feature: Play With Your Food -- Fairfield County

2012-01-13T09:32:00.000-08:00

Joanna Keylock, Nick Sadler and Wendy Long. Photo: Phyllis Groner

Play Reading Series Celebrates 10 Years
By Lauren Yarger
Disregard all of that advice your mother gave you about not playing with your food and get down to Fairfield County for the 10th anniversary of Play With Your Food, a popular lunchtime play-reading series.

Local restaurants serve up delicious fare before a trio of one-act plays in Westport, Fairfield and Greenwich.

An audience of about 80, mostly women, arrived at Toquet Hall in Wesport for the event I attended Tuesday. A buffet lunch of assorted sandwiches and salads was served beginning at noon. Folks ate and chatted while lunching at high-top tables toward the rear of the hall, or sitting on the edge of the stage or in the theater-style seat setup. Carole Schweid, artistic director and co-founder of the series, introduced the readings beginning about a half an hour later.

“Our plays tend to reflect, in some ways, where we are in our lives,” Schweid said. “Arizona Anniversaries (by John Bishop) was chosen before it dawned on us that January marks the beginning of our 10th season of Play With Your Food. How interesting is that!”

“We’re excited to start our season with Agatha Christie’s short play The Rats,” said Executive Producer Nancy Diamond, “complete with adulterous lovers, a locked room, and of course, a murder.”

In addition to the mystery and the thoughtful drama, Tuesday's Westport audience was treated to Airborne, a comedy by Gib Johnson about an airline ticketing agent who has some interesting ideas about how to get people to the right destination. Playing the assortment of characters were actors Heather Corrington, Joanna Kelock, Wendy Long, Tim Ruddy, Nick Sadler and Caroline Winterson.

Among the highlights in the 2012 season:
-- a selection of love letters and music from the Broadway show 1776
-- The Loop, originally played by "Desperate Housewives" star Edie Falco and written by Pulitzer Prize winner Warren Leight, a fun comedy about a married man caught, literally, with his pants down.
-- An excerpt from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, featuring British born West End and Broadway actor Norman Allen as the irascible Doolittle.

Schweid, who enthusiastically provided the reading of stage directions for the presentation of Rats also led a post-reading Q&A session with the actors and audience. Lunch, readings and Q&A efficiently concluded shortly after 1:30 making this a perfect work-day break.

The series moves to the Fairfield Theatre Company on Tuesday, Jan. 17, Feb. 14, March 13 and April 3 and to the Greenwich Arts Council on Wednesday, Jan. 18 March 14, 15 and April 19 and 20. Westport performances at Toquet Hall continue Tuesdays through Thursdays: Feb. 7, 8, 9; March 6, 7, 8 and April 10, 11 and 12.

Tickets cost $43 and can be ordered online at www.jibproductions.org or by calling the box office at 203-293-8831 (weekdays 10 am to 4 pm). Advanced reservations are required.

The detailed schedule with availability is as follows:
Fairfield- Fairfield Theatre Company, 70 Sanford Street, FairfieldTuesday, Jan. 17
Arizona Anniversaries (John Bishop) Airborne (Gib Johnson)
The Rats (Agatha Christie)
lunch by The Dressing Room

Tuesday, Feb. 14
The Kiss (Mark Harvey Levine)
In the Trap (Carl L. Williams)
John & Abigail (Adapted for the theatre by William Gibson)
Song from 1776
lunch by Layla’s
Tuesday, March 13
Mexico City (Hannah Moscovitz)
The Loop (Warren Leight)
I Know (Jacquelyn Reingold)
lunch by Tuckers

Tuesday, April 3
Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw)
other plays TBA
lunch by The Pantry

Westport- Toquet Hall, 62 Post Road East, Westport-Tuesdays, Wednesdays and ThursdaysFebruary 7, 8 (sold out). 9
The Kiss (Mark Harvey Levine)
In the Trap (Carl L. Williams)
John & Abigail (Adapted for the theatre by William Gibson)
Song from 1776
lunch by DaPietro’s Restaurant

March 6, 7 (sold out), 8
Mexico City (Hannah Moscovitz)
The Loop (Warren Leight)
I Know (Jacquelyn Reingold)
lunch by Matsu Sushi

April 10, 11 (sold out), 12
Pygmalion (George Bernard Shaw)
Other plays TBA
lunch by Garelick and Herbs

Greenwich-Greenwich Arts Council, 299 Greenwich Ave., GreenwichWednesday and Thursday, March 14, 15
The Loop (Warren Leight)
Arizona Anniversaries (John Bishop)
The Rats (Agatha Christie)
Lunch by Le Pain Quotidien

Theater Review: Memphis -- The Bushnell

2012-01-12T12:08:00.000-08:00

Felicia Boswell, Rhett George, Bryan Fenkart Will Mann. Photo by Paul Kolnik

Hockadoo! This Tour Spins a Fantastical Reproduction of the Original
By Lauren Yarger
Tours come and tours go – some of them more memorably than others, but the national tour of Tony-Award-winning Memphis playing at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts might just be one of the closest to the Broadway originals you’ll ever see.

Top-notch performances by leads Felicia Boswell, Bryan Fenkart and a triple-threat ensemble propel the show with music and lyrics by David Bryan (formerly of Bon Jovi) and a cohesive book by Joe DiPietro (who co-wrote lyrics with Bryan) into contention for the title “best tour to come through Hartford” (and if you read my reviews regularly, you know that means something).

The story involves an interracial romance in a races-don't-mix 1950s Memphis at the birth of rock and roll. Huey (Fenkart) finds his niche, and the music of his soul, in the rhythm and blues of black clubs in the city like the one owned by Delray (Quentin Earl Darrington), where his sister Felicia (Boswell) sings. The free-spirited white man, with a bizarre taste in clothes (Paul Tazewell, costume design), is given a cautious welcome by the club’s regulars including shy singer Bobby (Will Mann) and Gator (Rhett George), who has been mute since seeing his father lynched.

Local radio station owner Mr. Simmons (William Parry) gives Huey his big chance as an on-air host where he spins the "fantastical" black music he loves. Simmons is horrified, but it turns out white teenagers love the stuff too and the station, its advertisers and Huey head toward big profits. Huey becomes a local celebrity booking concerts and rising to host his own “American Bandstand”-like TV show with a shot to go national. His impromptu cry of “hockadoo!” excites the teens, turning them into gyrating and dancers and worrying their parents that the word means something “dirty.”

Hidden from the public, however, is his romantic relationship with Felicia. Huey’s mother (a sensational Julie Johnson) objects, as does Delray, the former because of prejudice, the latter because he fears for his sister’s safety. Delray’s fears prove to be justified, but Huey is convinced that times are changing and that the couple can be happy together -- openly -- in Memphis. The chance for Felicia to break out as a star, and to feel safe, might only happen if she leaves for New York, however.

Bryan’s bouncy, catchy tunes are put to action-packed choreography by Sergio Trujillo (it’s a real work out for the ensemble, which executes the dance numbers perfectly). Fenkart and Boswell’s vocal cords get a work out as well as they satisfy by nailing tune after tune (Fenkart sounds amazingly like Chad Kimball, who starred in the Broadway production, where he was the standby for Huey).

“The Music of My Soul,” “Everybody Wants to Be Black on Saturday Night,” "Someday,” Love Will Stand,” Memphis Lives in Me” and “Steal Your Rock ‘n’ Roll” have the audience bopping along. Christopher Jahnke is the Music Producer/Supervisor. Alvin Hough, Jr. conducts the excellent nine-member band. Memphis is one of those rare shows where each song stands on its own and there is enough variety between ballad and hop to keep it interesting before DiPietro's humor-laced script.

The tour, ably directed by Christopher Ashley, seems tighter than his Broadway production, for which he received a Tony nomination. Sets, designed by David Gallo are scaled back some here for travel, but don’t lose any of their appeal (recording artists appearing in the label of 45 records above the radio station is nicely done) and lighting throughout (designed by Howell Binkley) enhances the story. A scene depicting the sudden appearance of Rev. Hobson (Kent Overshown), the pastor of a black church with a gospel choir that Huey recommends to his teen audience and where his mother discovers the truth of her prejudice, is expertly done.

Spin on over to The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave, Hartford, and catch this fantastical one before it's off the charts. The show runs through Sunday. For ticket and performance information, call 860- 987-5900.

CT Arts News Updates Jan. 9-15, 2012

2012-01-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

Hartford Children's Theatre Wins BroadwayWorld.com Awards
Hartford Children’s Theatre has won four 2011 BroadwayWorld.com Connecticut Theatre Awards including “Best Community Theatre.” Additionally, HCT’s production of Pinkalicious received the honor of “Best Musical,” Tori Mooney of West Hartford was named “Best Actress in a Musical” for her performance in the title role and 13-year-old West Hartford resident Hollis Long received the
“Best Actress Under 25” award for her performances in HCT’s Annie and Willy Wonka.

HCT presents Little Women as part of the 2011-2012 Family Main Stage Series. Louisa May Alcott’s classic American novel comes to life with music by Jason Howland, lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and a book by Allan Knee. Directed by HCT Artistic Director Ryan Ratelle with musical direction
by Louise Fauteux, Little Women opens on Friday, Jan. 13 at the Carriage House Theatre, 360 Farmington Ave., Hartford where it will continue through Sunday, Jan. 29.Tickets are $22 for adults, $17 for children (17 and under) and senior citizens and are available online at www.hartfordchildrenstheatre.org. For more information, call the Box Office on 860.249.7970.

Auditions for UConn Production
CT Rep Theater (UConn) is Seeking actor (boys only) aged 6-9 years of age for The Winter's Tale. Mamillius is the young prince who is filled with imagination and is wise for his years. Scenes include some dialogue to prepare. Scenes sides will be provided once an audition is confirmed. Child actors perform as volunteers. Rehearsals will take place in the evenings and Saturdays beginning Feb. 6 and performances will run from March 22 to April 1, 2012. The show will be presented in the Studio Theatre.

Auditions will be held: Friday, Jan. 13 beginning at 4 pm in the Drama/Music Building on the Storrs campus. Deadline to schedule an audition appointment: Thursday, Jan. 12 at 4 pm. Parents interested in having their kids audition must confirm an appointment in advance, no later than the deadline above by calling 860-486-1629 or by sending an email to mary.hurley@uconn.edu.

Auditions are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Parents will receive an audition time and a detailed rehearsal/performance schedule when their time is confirmed.

Quick Center Performances
The Fred Garbo Inflatable Theater Co. performs 1 pm Sunday, Jan. 22 at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Tickets are $15 adults, $12 children.Quick Center Box Office: 203-254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-ARTS-396. (1-877-278-7396). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.quickcenter.com. The Quick Center is located on campus at 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield.

Also a new exhibition opens: Sylvia Wald: Seven Decades Jan. 19 – March 18 in the Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery. Free and open to the public. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 am to 5 pm, Sundays from noon to 4 pm and approximately one hour prior to curtain and during intermission at all Quick Center events.

M6 Ensemble at Trinity College
The M6, an ensemble dedicated to learning and interpreting works of the contemporary American composer, singer, and director-choreographer Meredith Monk, will perform at Trinity College’s Austin Arts Center on Friday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.

The concert will feature “Tablet” (1976), a composition for three female voices, piano (four hands) and two soprano recorders, and “Dolmen Music” (1979), for six voices, cello, and percussion. The M6 will also perform selections from “Book of Days” (1985), “Facing North” (1990), and “ATLAS” (1991).

General admission tickets are $15, $10 for seniors and non-Trinity students with ID, free with Trinity ID. Tickets may be purchased at the Austin Arts Center box office, or by calling 860-297-2199. For directions, please visit http://www.trincoll.edu.

Stinky Cheese Man Visits Westport
Westport Country Playhouse kicks off its 2012 Family Festivities Series with a new twist on classic fairytales, “The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales,” on Sunday, Jan. 29 at 1 and 4 pm. Tickets are $18. Birthday party rental facilities may be scheduled in advance. Pre-show children’s activities begin one hour before each performance. Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. For more information or tickets, call the box office at 203-227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online at www.westportplayhouse.org.

Mamma Mia! Returns to the Palace

2012-01-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ Mamma Mia!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, returns to the Palace Theater in Waterbury for five performances, Jan. 20-22.

Inspired by the storytelling magic of ABBA’s songs from “Dancing Queen” and “S.O.S.” to “Money, Money, Money” and “Take a Chance on Me,” Mamma Mia! is a celebration of mothers and daughters, old friends and new family found.
Donna, an independent, single mother who owns a small hotel on an idyllic Greek island, is about to let go of Sophie, the spirited daughter she’s raised alone. For Sophie’s wedding, Donna has invited her two lifelong best girlfriends from her one-time band, Donna and the Dynamos, but Sophie has secretly invited three guests of her own. On a quest to find the identity of her father to walk her down the aisle, Sophie brings back three men from Donna’s past to the Mediterranean paradise they visited 20 years earlier. Over 24 chaotic, magical hours, new love will bloom and old romances will be rekindled on this lush island full of possibilities.

Tickets range in price from $50-$70 and are available online at www.palacetheaterct.org by phone at 203-346-2000, or in person at the box office,100 East Main St.

Special Women's events Jan. 22:
Before the 1 pm matinee, the Palace will host an 11am pre-show brunch in the theater’s Poli Club dining hall featuring farm fresh scramble eggs, Belgian waffles, home fries potatoes, winter salad, gourmet coffee and more, prepared by Emily’s Catering Group. The brunch package is $75 per person, which includes orchestra seating to the matinee performance. Space is limited and reservations should be made in advance by calling the box office at 203-346-2000.

Before the Sunday evening performance, the Palace will also present a “GlaMARous Girl’s Night Out” pre-show party at 5:30 pm hosted by FoxCT “North East Living” host Mar Jennings. Guests are encouraged to wear their feather boas and tiaras, as they let out their inner “Dancing Queen” to everyone’s favorite ABBA tunes spun by ACTJams Productions mix master Al “DJ ACT” Taylor.

Patrons will also enjoy hors d’ouerves by Emily’s Catering Group and a cash bar featuring a selection of wines and martini specials before going in to see the show. The pre-show party is free with the purchase of a ticket to the 6:30pm Sunday evening performance.

2012-01-09T15:12:00.000-08:00

The Cathedral’s Soli Deo Orchestra and Choir.

The Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Hartford will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the sanctuary’s 1962 constuction with Sacred Sounds performances.

Sacred Sounds Artistic Director Ezequiel Menéndez says, “This is an exciting year for the Cathedral, which we wanted to honor with a series of concerts that demonstrate the diverse musical offerings we give through the Sacred Sounds Concert Series.”

Concert Descriptions:
SACRED SOUNDS’ MIGHTY AUSTIN ORGAN SERIES:
MARY PAN & MONICA CZAUSZ IN RECITAL
Friday, January 27, 2012, 7:30pm
Sacred Sounds will celebrate the New Year with two rising stars of organ performance: 18-year-old Mary Pan of Burlington, CT and 17-year-old Monica Czausz of Chicopee, MA. These first and second place winners of the 2011 L. Cameron Johnson Memorial Organ Competition for High School Students come to showcase their talents on Cathedral of Saint Joseph’s renowned Austin Organ.

FESTIVAL DUBOIS
DUBOIS A L’ORGUE: Friday, February 24, 2012, 8:00pm
LA VOIX du DUBOIS: Sunday, February 26, 2012, 10:00am
As part of the International Festival Dubois honoring the life and works of composer Théodore Dubois, Sacred Sounds will host two concerts featuring the composer’s music:
The first concert, DUBOIS a l’ORGUE, will feature noted Argentinean-born organist and Dubois scholar Diego Innocenzi performing an organ recital of the music of Dubois and his French contemporaries: Saint-Saëns, Franck, and Batiste.
The second concert, LA VOIX du DUBOIS will feature the Cathedral Choir, Cathedral Organist Ezequiel Menéndez, and organist and scholar Diego Inncocenzi performing French sacred music written for two organs and choir by Dubois and Vierne.

HARTT AT THE CATHEDRAL
Sunday, March 11, 2012, 7:30pm
Sacred Sounds will continue its renowned partnership with The Hartt School in an instrumental concert led by Edward Cumming and featuring Dr. Ezequiel Menéndez in Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony No. 3 and Richard Strauss’ tone poem, Also sprach Zarathustra (familiar to anyone who has seen Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey).

VERDI’S REQUIEM
Friday, March 16, 2012, 7:30pm
Dr. Edward Bolkovac returns to lead the massive combined forces of the Hartford Symphony, the Hartt School Choirs, the Hartford Chorale, the New Haven Chorale, and the Cathedral Choir in an unforgettable performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s incomparable Requiem.
Sacred Sounds Music Director Dr. Ezequiel Menendez says, “This concert undoubtedly will be the largest scale production that has ever been performed in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph. We are bringing together the greatest musical forces in Connecticut for this epic piece of music- this is going to be the concert of the year.”

EASTER SUNDAY CONCERT
Sunday, April 8, 2012, 10:00am
To celebrate the most important holiday of the Christian calendar, organist Dr. Ezequiel Menendez, the Soli Deo Gloria Orchestra, Houghton College Choir and Cathedral Choir will perform a special concert on Easter Sunday.

ETERNAL LIGHT
Friday, April 27, 2012, 8:00pm
Morten Lauridsen’s transcendent Lux Aeterna (Eternal Light) is an introspective, serene work that will leave a lasting impression on the ears and the soul. For its debut performance on the Sacred Sounds Concert Series, Joe D’Eugenio will conduct the Middletown Chorale with Allan Conway on organ. This concert also will include works by Connecticut composers Peter Niedmann and Gwyneth Walker.

SACRED SOUNDS’ MIGHTY AUSTIN ORGAN SERIES:
NOTRE DAME DE PARIS ORGANIST, PHILLIPE LEFEBVRE
Tuesday, May 1, 2012, 7:30pm
Since 1985, Philippe Lefebvre has been the tenured organist of the Great Organ of Notre-Dame de Paris. For the Sacred Sounds Concert Series, he will perform a menu of French music, both traditional and modern. Maestro Lefebvre is considered to be one of the most archetypal performers and improvisers in the French style of organ playing, a tradition he shares with the world through his concert tours.

SACRED SOUNDS SINGS
Sunday, May 6, 2012, 10:00am
Sunday, May 13, 2012, 10:00 am
Sunday, May 27, 2012, 10:00 am
To celebrate the Cathedral of Saint of Joseph’s 50th Anniversary year, the Cathedral’s professional choir, Schola Cantorum, organist Dr. Ezequiel Menendez and pianist Colin Britt will perform three concerts showcasing their many talents on Sunday mornings between the 8:30am and 11:00am Masses.
The first concert on May 6 will feature Bonnie Pepper, Judy Bowers, Wayne Rivera, and Kevin J. Andersen performing their favorite pieces from the sacred repertoire.
The second concert on May 13 will combine the subtle beauty of the violin with the luscious sound of the human voice in performances by violinist Janet Boughton and vocalists Sarah Asmar, Heather Bell, Joshua Kohl, and Corey Gaudreau.
Finally, on May 27, vocalists Alice Matteson, Louise Fauteux, Sarah Chasse, Katherine Griswold, and Steven Fasano will come together with organist Dr. Ezequiel Menendez and pianist Colin Britt for popular solos from the sacred vocal repertoire.

TE DEUM: Mozart, Britten & More
Wednesday, May 23, 2012, 7:30pm
The Sacred Sounds Concert Series celebration of the Cathedral building’s 50th Anniversary will culminate with a performance of three contrasting settings of the “Te Deum” (“Oh God, We Praise Thee”) text by three very different composers - Arvo Pärt, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Benjamin Britten. Come hear this joyful music in the space that continues to be a physical symbol of spirituality in Hartford.

Location: Sacred Sounds Concert Series performances are held in the Cathedral of Saint Joseph at 140 Farmington Avenue in Hartford, CT.

Admission: There is no admission charge for concerts at the Cathedral, but a free-will offering will be accepted. For more information, visit www.cathedralofsaintjoseph.com/music-sacredsounds.

Happy New Year! On Vacation Until Jan. 9

2011-12-31T20:58:00.001-08:00

Theater Review: A Doctor in Spite of Himself -- Yale Rep

2011-12-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

Steven Epp and Justine Williams in A Doctor in Spite of Himself.
© 2011 Carol Rosegg

Bayes, Epp Return to Yale Rep; Prove Laughter is the Best Medicine
By Lauren Yarger
Steven Epp and Christopher Bayes are definitely the go-to guys if you want 21st-century audiences laughing at centuries-old plays. Epp stars and Bayes directs in the pair's adaptation of Moliere's A Doctor in Spite of Himself, co-produced at Yale Rep with Berkeley Repertory Theatre and they prove that laughter definitely is the best medicine.

Epp and Bayles collaborated last season on their critically acclaimed presentation of Truffaldino's The Servant of Two Masters at Yale Rep. Epp starred, Bayes directed. Both had worked with Tony-Award-winning Theatre de la Lune.

Epp plays woodcutter Sganarelle, forced to assume the identity of a doctor when his wife, Martine (Justine Williams), orchestrates a plan to get back at him for his bad hehavior (the two begin as punch-and-judy puppets in a small theater on stage and cleverly come to life and even step back into the small box with some clever staging by Matt Saunders). She convinces Valere (Jacob Ming Trent) and Lucas (Liam Craig, who also was in Two Masters) that her husband is a miracle-curing doctor who can provide a remedy for their master's daughter, Lucinde (Renata Friedman, who also serves as puppeteer).

Valere and Lucas, coerce Sganarelle to accompany them to the household of their master, Geronte (Allen Gilmore, also a Two Masters alumni), where Lucas' amply endowed wife, Jacqueline (Julie Brisman), serves as wet nurse and soon arouses the woodcutter's desire to "play doctor." He endeavors to cure Lucinde, who has been rendered mute after her father refuses his permission for her love, Leander (Chivas Michael), to court her.

Note: if you happen to have taken a swig of bottled water, you might ant to be sure to swallow it before Lucinde makes her appearance. She's one icky sick girl, frighteningly wild-haired and boot strapped. If you haven't swallowed, you'll spit the water out when you guffaw. Costume designer Kristin Fiebig provides the look as well as a number of bright, crazy-colored costumes that add to the production's humor.

The script, which starts with ushers dancing up and down the aisles, is full of zany modern references to movies, Broadway, TV commercials, pop music and politics. Moliere could only have dreamed that his comedy about the 17th -century medical practice would receive so man laughs in 2011. Briskman is a hoot and in one scene changes persona several times while recounting the progress of Lucinde's treatment. Even a siren passing by the theater got a laugh when Epp ad-libbed that the comedy police were coming to get them. Everyone in the audience smiles all the way through the brisk 90-minute presentation.

If the humor isn't enough to entertain, the cast sings up a storm as well. Aaron Halva composes and music directs a two-man band (Greg C. Powers; Robertson Witmer) who lend accompaniment and sound effects on a myriad of instruments just right of the action on stage. Trent adds some stylish and funny panache to some of the vocal arrangements.

It's tickle-your-funny-bone theater at it's best and it runs through Saturday at Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel St, at York Street, New Haven. Tickets range from $28 to $88 and are available at the box office, at 203-432-1234 or online at www.yalerep.org. An audio transcribed performance is available 2 pm Saturday.

Theater Review: I'm Connecticut -- CT Rep

2011-12-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Joyce DeWitt, Harris Doran, Maggie Sulka, Jerry Adler. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

A Show That Makes Us Feel Glad About Feeling Bad about Being From Connecticut
By Lauren Yarger
Believing that you are where you come from, Marc (Harris Doran) has a big problem. He's from Connecticut, the most boring state in the union. After all, we're nicknamed after a spice we don't grow here, most of the towns sound like the names of stodgy English butlers and the most exciting thing that's ever been said about Hartford is that it's the "insurance capital of the world." Gosh, we don't even have a state song.

So begins the very clever and highly entertaining I'm Connecticut from native son Mike Reiss in its world premiere CT Repertory production at UConn's Harriet S. Jorgensen Theater. Reiss, who has had success in Hollywood writing animated comedies such as "The Simpsons," "The Critic" and the "Ice Age" movies, returns to his roots for his first stage play.

Live action plays out against fantasy (ably directed by Paul Mullins) as Marc tries to succeed in the New York dating scene, while talking to the audience about his insecurities and sharing childhood memories of being one of the only Jews growing up in Simsbury, CT and about his loving, bickering grandparents (Jerry Adler, Joyce DeWitt). Michael Anania and Matt Iacozza's simple and easily-changed set with Allison McGrath and Greg Purnell's projection designs make the transitions seamless.

Meanwhile, more interesting states like Florida (Will Graziano), gay-friendly New Hampshire and Vermont (Ryan Marcone, Adam Scheemann) and Oklahoma (Coles Prince) strut their stuff (costumes design by Sara Ewing) and show why they all are more interesting than Connecticut.

Marc strikes out at "NY Minute" speed dating, where the manager (Darrell Hollens) encourages him to enhance his Connecticut-like personality. He seeks other advice from best friend Kyle (Michael John Improta) and Mark Twain (Harrison Greene), one of the few celebs from Connecticut, who when pressed, admits that despite living here in "a creepy monstrosity of a house that school children have been forced to visit for over a century" he didn't write much about the state and actually is buried in neighboring New York. (If you're not laughing at all that, you haven't lived in Connecticut).

In a twist, Marc falls for transplanted Georgia belle Diane (Maggie Sulka) who is the receptionist at the dating club. He embellishes a story about his grandfather's experiences as a Holocaust survivor to impress her as the two start dating. Things get serious when Diane brings Marc and his grandfather home to meet her mother (also played by an over animated DeWitt) and Marc has to deal with the consequences of trying to be something he's not.

While much of the humor is geared toward natives who will get the Connecticut and New England references, there also are enough solid laughs to keep the play from becoming an extended one-liner. Particularly funny is a Broadway-style ending (Ken Clark, music direction; Posy Knight, choreography) to give Connecticut it's moment in the spotlight.

Take a break from the holiday craziness and enjoy a few moments that will make you proud -- OK, at least uninterestingly contented -- to say I'm Connecticut. Performances are tonight at 8, tomorrow at 2 pm, Dec. 7 and 8 at 7:30 pm; and Dec. 9 and 10 at 8 pm, with an additional matinee at 2 pm on Saturday, Dec. 10. Ticket prices range from $6 to $29. Call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu.

Quick Hit Theater Review: Krapp's Last Tape -- Long Wharf

2011-12-03T08:15:00.000-08:00

Brian Dennehy. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Krapp's Last Tape
By Samuel Beckett
Directed by Jennifer Tarver

Summary:
Krapp (Brian Dennehy) looks back over his life with the help of some tape recordings he made in the past, particularly one made on his 39th birthday, which launches some questions in the present like: has he missed his chance for happiness?; where has the time gone?: and is the banana-obsessed old man who delights in saying the word "spool" really the sum of what he was supposed to have become? Are any of us?

Highlights:
It's always a pleasure to see Dennehy on stage, and Krapp is no exception. Especially interesting was a computer glitch which messed up the recordings the evening I attended, causing Dennehy to adlib with the audience while the crew tried to figure out what to do. Probably as fascinating as a Dennehy performance is seeing him slowly sucked out of character into reality. Once the problem was fixed, he returned to the stage, rewound the scene again from before the compter glitch, and was fully back in character. He can make eating a banana really interesting theater.

Lowlights:
Beckett isn't everyone's cup of tea. There are long gaps with no dialogue, even times when the actor is off stage for a while. It's a cerebral workout where many are tempted to ask, "What the heck?" rather than light entertainment, but the one-act is only 54 minutes, so give it a shot.

Information:
Krapp's Last Tape runs through Dec. 18 on Stage II at Long Wharf, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven. Tickets at $70 are available at 203-787-4282 and www.longwharf.org.

Charlie Daniels Concert Rescheduled at Palace

2011-11-29T19:42:00.000-08:00

Charlie Daniels Photo courtesy of Palace Theater

The Palace Theater’s presentation of The Charlie Daniels Band, which was postponed in October due to the untimely death of the band's keyboardist, Joel ‘Taz’ DiGregorio, has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 21, at 8 pm. Tickets for the new date can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000, online at www.palacetheaterct.org or in person at the box office, 100 East Main St., Waterbury.

DiGregorio unexpectedly died in a car crash three days before the band’s original Waterbury tour stop on Oct. 15 prompting the band to cancel several performances. Ticket holders who did not a request refund when the original Palace concert was cancelled will be able to use their same tickets for the new date.

Known for his fiddle playing and rebel anthems, Charlie Daniels is a true music icon. For 50 years, his exhilarating mixture of rock, country, bluegrass, blues, and gospel has propelled such hits as “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” Long Haired Country Boy,” and “The South’s Gonna Do It,” among many others. His performance at the Palace Theater is sponsored by Naugatuck Savings Bank and WTNH/MyTV9.

In addition to the concert, the Palace’s Motorcycle Ride fundraiser and pre-show festival also cancelled out of respect last October, have been rescheduled for April 21. The Motorcycle Ride will take place from 1 to 4 pm, and the pre-show activities, which will feature live entertainment and various vendors, will begin at 4 pm.

Josh Borenstein is New Managing Director at Long Wharf

2011-11-28T11:16:00.000-08:00

Josh Borenstein

Joshua Borenstein is the new managing director at Long Wharf Theatre.

“Josh was simply the best candidate. Because of our national search, his skills and qualification for the position became more and more clear to us on the Board of Trustees,” said Charles Kingsley, board chair. “He’s been serving as the interim managing director for the past six months and he’s done a wonderful job. Josh has the total confidence of the Board, the staff and Gordon (Edelstein, artistic director.

This will be Borenstein’s second stint at Long Wharf Theatre, serving in various capacities from 2003 to 2007, most recently as its Associate Managing Director. In this capacity, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the organization, including finance, human resources, contract negotiations, labor relations, and facilities. Josh had previously served as interim managing director in 2006.

“I am honored and excited to be returning to Long Wharf,” said Borenstein. “The work is outstanding, and it is an important cultural asset to both the region, as well as the national theatre community. I am greatly looking forward to working with the Board, Gordon, and the staff on moving the organization forward in this rapidly changing time.”

Borenstein was recently a Project Manager with AMS in its Fairfield. His AMS experience includes over 50 projects in strategic planning, cultural facility development, and market analysis. Recently, Borenstein was the lead researcher for Culture Track 2011, a comprehensive national study on arts participation that was released earlier this month. He also led an in-depth analysis of the Columbus, Ohio arts sector that offered recommendations to make it more sustainable. His clients have included producing arts organizations, performing arts centers, local and state arts agencies, national service organizations, and children’s museums.

Prior to his tenure at Long Wharf Theatre, Borenstein was at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston through Theatre Communication Group's "New Generations: Mentoring the Leaders of Tomorrow" program. In this role, he worked on a variety of strategic planning projects, including assisting with the development of the Huntington’s Calderwood Pavilion. Borenstein also served in various roles at Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven and at Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, Rhode Island. While at Trinity Rep, Borenstein began a partnership between the theatre and a children's psychiatric hospital.

Borenstein has been a guest lecturer at Yale University and at Boston University. He also served as Board President and as Treasurer of the Summer Cabaret at Yale as well as a community grant reviewer for the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

He earned a master of Fine arts degree in theatre management from the Yale School of Drama and a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in classical civilization from Wesleyan University.

Pushcart Players Bring Season of MIracles to Westport Country Playhouse

2011-11-28T10:44:00.000-08:00

“A Season of Miracles” Dec. 11, 1 and 4 pm. Photo courtesy of Westport Country Playhouse.

Westport Country Playhouse will present “A Season of Miracles,” a sparkling collection of holiday tales from different cultures set to music, on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 1 and 4 pm as part of its Family Festivities Series

Produced by Pushcart Players, “A Season of Miracles” will include stories about Christmas (“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and “The Nutcracker” by E. T. A. Hoffmann), Kwanzaa (“The Kwanzaa Kite,” set in Nigeria), and Chanukah (“A Chanukah Miracle,” a Chelm story). The production is appropriate for children grades K-5. Tickets are $15.

Pushcart Players is celebrating its 38th season of producing theater for young audiences - not only throughout most of the U.S., but also in the former Soviet Union, in the Czech Republic and in two guest appearances at the White House. The dynamic company is the recipient of an Emmy Award nomination for two prime time specials on WCBS-TV, and numerous awards for excellence and innovation in the development of theater for young people.

Holiday cookie decorating with Michelle Jaffee from Sweet & Simple will be a pre-show activity, beginning at noon and 3 p.m. Participation is $5 per child, payable at the event. Reservations are necessary through the Playhouse box office, 203-227-4177.

In conjunction with “A Season of Miracles,” the Playhouse is hosting a Holiday Memories Writing Challenge for area students, grades K – 8. The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 2. After interviewing a family member on a favorite holiday memory or a treasured holiday tradition, students are invited to compose a short story, theatrical scene or poem depicting their family story in 200 words or less.

Submissions will be read by a Playhouse panel and a selection of entries will be posted in the Playhouse lobby during the presentation of“A Season of Miracles.” Every entrant will receive a prize voucher for a complimentary frozen yogurt from Pinkberry in Fairfield. For information on how to enter the writing challenge, visit www.westportplayhouse.org.

Family Festivities Board of Trustees Sponsors are Meredith & David Bukzin; Family Festivities Corporate Sponsors are First Niagara and Peirson & Smith; also funded in part, by a grant from the Peterson Foundation. Holiday special events corporate partner is Pitney Bowes.

Other “Winter at the Playhouse” events include“The Nutcracker,” a holiday ballet presented by Ballet Etudes, on Saturday and Sunday, December 3 and 4, 1 and 5 p.m.; rock band GrooveLily in“Striking 12,” a concert-musical based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl,” on Saturday, December 10, 4 and 7 p.m.; “Holiday” by Philip Barry, a Script in Hand reading of the beloved romantic comedy upon which the film starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn was based, Monday, December 12, 7 p.m.; and The Broadway Boys, a holiday concert Broadway style, on Saturday, December 17, 8 p.m., and Sunday, December 18, 3 p.m.

For more information, tickets or holiday gift certificates, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse) or get an insider’s peek on The Playhouse Blog (www.theplayhouseblog.org).

Momix Performs at Joyce Theater

2011-11-28T10:27:00.000-08:00

Photo by Max Pucciariello

Moses Pendleton’s internationally acclaimed MOMIX, the Washington, CT company that defies categorization as easily as its dancers defy gravity, will burst onto the stage of New York's Joyce Theater just in time for the holidays from Dec. 13 – 31 with a trimmed-down version of the beautiful earth-friendly-focused Botanica.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.Joyce.org or by calling JoyceCharge at 212-242-0800. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Avenue at 19th Street.

This updated version of Botanica – a fantasyland of breathtaking beauty one season at a time – features imaginative athletic dance, riveting music, inventive costumes and spellbinding choreography to create a world of surrealistic images and childlike wonder brought to life by a cast of dancer-illusionists. It’s a brilliant exploration of nature as large scale puppets, projected imagery and larger-than-life props (designed by Michael Curry whose work is featured in The Lion King) evoke a vivid landscape.

Pendleton has edited the piece down to 90 intermission-less minutes, keeping the best of the best from the original. Please note: all matinees during this engagement will be “family-friendly” performances (without nudity).

Pendleton co-founded the famed Pilobolus Dance Theatre, and his choreography for the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid led to his founding of MOMIX 31 years ago. He has choreographed for the Paris Opera Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet, played the fool in Lyubimov’s production of Mussorgsky’s Kovanshina at La Scala, staged Artaud's "Tutuguri" at the Deutsche Opera in Berlin, and choreographed Stravinsky’s Pulcinella for the Ballet de Nancy, as well as Lina Wertmuller’s Carmen at the Munich State Opera and Rameau’s Platee for the US Spoleto Festival.

His film collaborators have been Sam Peckinpah and Julian Lennon for F/X II, Prince for Batman's “Batdance", and MOMIX AssociateDirector Cynthia Quinn, with whom he choreographed “White Widow” for Robert Altman’s "The Company."

Tickets are $10 – $59 (Joyce members: $44) and are availableat 212-242-0800 or at www.Joyce.org. Note: Ticket prices subject to change. For more info, visit www.momix.com. The Joyce Theater is located at 175 Eighth Ave at 19th St., NYC.

Come Home for the Holidays at Ivoryton Playhouse

2011-11-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

Take an unexpected blizzard, add a sprinkling of the Nutcracker, a pinch of Dickens’ "A Christmas Carol," stir in a little romance and festive song, topit all off with holiday magic and you get a new family tradition called Home for the Holidays premiering at theIvoryton Playhouse Dec. 8.

Home for the Holidays is a new holiday show conceived and directed by Playhouse Artistic Director Jacqueline Hubbard.

“This has been such an important year for the Ivoryton Playhouse. Not only did we reach our 100th birthday but we weathered a hurricane that tore down our beautiful spruce and narrowly missed the building. I feel as though something was watching over us on that day and that was the inspiration for this story.”

This heart warming family story is filled with carols, new and old, and many faces familiar to Playhouse audiences. Cast includes Playhouse favorites Beverley Taylor, Norm Rutty, Michael McDermott, John DeNicola, Maggie McGlone Jennings, Caroline Read, Alanna Burke, Gayle LaBrec, Jason Naylor, Brandon Clark and Addison Marchese. New local talent will male their Playhouse debut: Erica LuBonta, Liz Pester,Will Schneider, Kaitlyn Vitelli, Kearney Capuano and Carson Waldron. The set for this production is designed by JoNazro and lights by Doug Harry.
Come and experience the true magic of the season with this original Connecticut Christmas story – for two weeks only.

Home for the Holidays opens on Thursday, Dec. 8 and runs through Dec. 18. Performance times are Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm; evening performances Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $30 for adults, $20 for students and $15 forchildren and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.) ThePlayhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

Free Performance of Messiah at St. Joseph's Cathedral

2011-11-28T09:40:00.000-08:00

The Cathedral Schola Cantorum at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph at Christmastime. Photo courtesy of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.

Sacred Sounds CONCERT SERIES: MESSIAH

Friday, Dec. 9, 2011 • 7:30 p.m.
Featuring: New Haven Symphony Orchestra; William Boughton, conductor; Sarah Asmar, soprano; Judith Bowers, mezzo-soprano; Joshua Kohl, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass; Cathedral Schola Cantorum
Cathedral of Saint Joseph (Farmington Avenue, Hartford)

Saturday, Dec. 24 • 11 pm
Featuring Jeffrey Douma, conductor; Soli Deo Gloria Orchestra; Sarah Asmar, soprano; Judith Bowers, mezzo-soprano; Joshua Kohl, tenor; TBA, bass; Cathedral Choir
Cathedral of Saint Joseph

Free Admission, with a free-will offering accepted at the door. For more information, visit www.cathedralofsaintjoseph.com/music-sacredsounds.

Quick (Center) Notes

2011-11-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas will be presented 8 pm Friday, Dec. 16 at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. This all-new holiday show is the third installment in the musical comedy series inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson.
“Babes In Toyland” will be performed by American Family Theater 1 and 3 pm Sunday, Dec. 18.
National Theatre Live in HD “Collaborators” 7 pm Thursday, Dec. (encore performance). Because of a schedule change, the 2 pm live performance originally listed will not be broadcast. All 2 pm ticket holders will have their tickets honored at the evening encore performance. Call the box office to exchange tickets .

The Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located at 1073 North Benson Road . Tickets and information are available at 203-254-4010, toll-free at 1-877-278-7396 or at www.quickcenter.com.

Favorites Return for 14th Christmas Carol at Hartford Stage

2011-11-28T09:04:00.000-08:00

Marley pays a visit. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas returns to Hartford Stage for its 14th season. Adapted and originally directed for the stage by MichaelWilson, and now directed by Hartford Stage resident director Maxwell Williams, Dickens’ timeless inspiring masterpiece runs from through Dec. 30.

Hartford Stage favorite Bill Raymond returnsfor his 12th turn as Scrooge for all evening and 2 pm performances and Gustave Johnson again will play Scrooge at student matinees.

A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the heartless miser who discoversthe true meaning of the holiday season after a Christmas Eve haunting. Featuring all of Charles Dickens’ well-knowncharacters (Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present,and Future), the story of love and redemption is both a chilling ghost story and a heartwarming holiday event for children ofall ages.

Original cast member Noble Shropshire (Milton,NY), returns to play the Ghost of Jacob Marley and Scrooge's housekeeper Mrs. Dilber. Since 2004, Robert Hannon Davis (West Hartford) returns in the roles of Bob Cratchit and Mr. Fezziwig. Rebecka Jones (Hamden) returns in the roles of Mrs. Fezziwig and Mrs. Cratchit. Michael Bakkensen (New York) returns in the role of Scrooge’s warm-hearted nephew, Fred, and Michael Preston (Hartford) makes his A Christmas Carol debut as Mr. Marvel.

Cast members who have performed in all 14 seasons are Johanna Morrison (WestHartford) as Bettye Pidgeon and the Spirit of Christmas Past, Alan Rust (West Hartford) as Bert and the Spirit of Christmas Present, and Michelle Hendrick (Hartford) as Belle.

The cast also features more than two dozen local children Tiana N. Bailey (Bloomfield), EliBaker (South Glastonbury), AilieBednarz (Deep River), Tailanse Brantley (Springfield), Natalie Castonguay (Avon), Olivia Coe (Simsbury),Jordan Cyr (Cromwell), Jacrhys Dalton, Lorenzo Dalton, Rachel Dalton (Branford), Clareight Ellis,Seanan Ellis (West Simsbury), Yoni Haller (West Hartford), Jonathan Hammond (Farmington), Andrew Holland (West Hartford), Daniel Kemple (Hartford), Daniel Madigan (Avon), Emily May (Ivoryton), Michael Oliver (Avon), Ethan Pancoast (Rocky Hill), Maiya Pascouche (Simsbury), Thomas Ranttigan (West Hartford), Abbi Rice, Katie Rice (Avon), Ankit Roy(East Hartford), Laura Spineti(Higganum), Fred Thornley (Hartford,and Garet Weirdsma (New Hartford); as well as several “stars of tomorrow” making their Hartford Stage debut – members of the BFA Acting Program at The Hartt School.

Acting students include Ben Cole (Hartford), Alana Fallis (Hartford),Mark Ford (Hartford), Nicholas Giuliani (Hartford), Morgan Hammel (Hartford), Laura Helm (Soughborough, MA), Tom Rash (Hartford), Timothy Rizzo (Hartford), Alex Saffer (Hartford), Charles South (Hartford), Kirsten Tarczynski (Hartford), Sophia Watt (Hartford), and Salvatore Zullo (Bronx).

Hartford Stage’s presentation features settings by the Tony Award-winning scenic designer Tony Straiges, costumes by Zach Brown, lighting by Robert Wierzel and original music and sound design by John Gromada. Hope Clarke is choreographer, Ken Clark is musical director.

Tickets are $24 - $69; children 12 and under save $10. For other discounts, activities and to purchase tickets, call 860-527-5151 or visit the box office at 50 Church St., Hartford or visit www.hartfordstage.org.

2011-11-28T08:45:00.000-08:00

Yale School of Drama presents Shakespeare's Cymbeline at the University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven Dec. 10-16. Louisa Proske directs. Seating is limited. All shows are at 8 pm:

Saturday, Dec. 10 (Opening)
Monday, Dec. 12
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Wednesday, Dec. 14
Thursday, Dec. 15
Friday, Dec. 16

Tickets, starting at $10, are available online at www.drama.yale.edu, by phone at 203-432-1234, and in person at the Box Office (1120 Chapel St. at York Street).

Warm Up with Hot Christmas Shows at the Palace

2011-11-28T08:32:00.000-08:00

The Nutcracker. Photo courtesy of the Palace Theater.

Warm up with a hot show this December at the Palace Theater. Tickets and gift certificates can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000 at www.palacetheaterct.org or in person at the box office, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. Groups of 15 or more qualify for discounted rates and should call the group sales hotline at 203-346-2011.

Christmas at the Palace
Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 pm
The Waterbury Chorale and the Waterbury Chorale Festival Orchestra present a program of secular and religious Christmas music that will delight and inspire audiences of all ages.
Tickets: $25/ $30/ $45

WaterburyArts Magnet School presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Thursday, Dec. 8 at 7 pm; Friday, Dec. 9 at 7 pm; Saturday, Dec. 10 at 2 and 7 pm.The timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from a bitter and disillusioned creature into the most caring and generous of men comes alive. Tickets: $12

After Work Smooth Jazz R&B
Friday, Dec. 16 at 5:30 pm
Kick-off the weekend right with smooth vibes on a Friday night! ACTJamsProductions.com presents an after-work social event featuring performances by The Ron Howard Experience, R&B vocalist Marquist, and Jazz vocalist Andrea Deyo, who will celebrate the sounds of Christmas during the event’s “Tis the Season” segment. Hors d'oeuvres and drink specials will be served.
Tickets:$10

Woodbury Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Saturday, Dec. 17 at 4 pm
Enjoy a family holiday tradition where Sugar Plums dance, Flowers waltz and Snowflakes leap across the stage weaving a splendid tale of a little girl’s dream of first love.
Tickets: $28/ $38/ $48

Swanlake
Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm; Thursday, Dec, 22 at 7:30 pm
The State Ballet Theatre of Russia, from the city of Voronezh, bringsTchaikovsky's beloved ballet to life. Tickets: $28/ $38/ $48/ $58

SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS
Monday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 pm; Thursday, Dec. 29 and Friday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm. Inspired by the spirit of ancient China, Shen Yun Performing Arts presents a bygone culture with a gloriously colorful and exhilarating show of classical Chinese dance and music. Tickets:$50/ $70 / $90/ $120

The Palace Theater recently announced it is the recipient of a Broadway League $5,000 grant to support that after-school character developmentprogram “Find Yourself, Be Yourself, Reveal Yourself.” Based on the Blue Man Group stage show, this month long program utilizes theBlue Man Group’s social commentary and performing arts concept to enhance students’ language arts curriculum while cultivating a youth voice regarding relevant social issues.

2011-11-28T08:05:00.000-08:00

HSO Holidays. Photo: Steven Laschever

HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: HOLIDAY MASTERWORKSwith Richard Coffey, guest conductor; Stephanie Gilbert, soprano; Eric Barry, tenor; Eric Downs, bass-baritone; Hartford Chorale- Richard Coffey, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus- Stuart Younse, artistic director.

Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 pm
Friday, Dec. 2 at 8 pm
Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 pm
Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3 pm
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 1 from The Nutcracker, Op. 71; Ralph Vaughan Williams: Hodie; Mikhail Glinka: Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla

Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Dec. 3 patrons age 40 and under may purchase $25 tickets.

HSO POPS! SERIES: HOLIDAY POPS! SPECTACULARwith Carolyn Kuan, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus- Stuart Younse, director; The Klezman
Saturday, Dec. 10 at 3 and 8 pm
Mortensen Hall │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts

Program: Holiday Favorites including Sleigh Ride; The Nutcracker, Suite; Hava Nagilah; Riu Riu Chiu, Gong Xi Gong Xi, Radetzky March, and an audience sing-along featuring Frosty the Snowman, White Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $20-$67.50. Student tickets are $10.

For tickets or more information, call 860-244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

Mark Twain House News

2011-11-28T07:50:00.000-08:00

How did Hartford's own William Gillette go from the well-heeled Nook Farm neighborhood of movers and shakers to the New York stage and beyond? How and why did this fine Victorian actor go from farce to historical drama to his defining role of Sherlock Holmes? Find out Dec. 8 and 9 at 7:30 pm when the Mark Twain House & Musiem and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center present the East Haddam Stage Company's original one-act play Sherlock Holmes: From Page to Stage. Follow Gillette (whose Gillette Castle in East Haddam, is a major tourist attraction) from Hartford to San Francisco to New York and London as he plays in and writes quintessential Victorian comedies. Then hear how the stars align for his fateful meeting with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and how Gillette brought to life the super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes. Four actors portray 12 characters in the life of Gillette. Written and directed by Artistic Director Kandie Carle, the play features Jay Selavka of Meriden, Michael Vernon Davis of Niantic, George Lombardo of Wethersfield and Rayah Martin of Hartford. All tickets are $20. To purchase tickets, call 860-280-3130.
The Mark Twain House is decorated for the holidays through Jan. 2. In the spirit of the season, the admission prices for this one-of-a-kind Gilded Age holiday experience remain the same as for the rest of the year: $16 for adults and $10 for children ($14 for seniors). A Servant's Wing Tour -- in which the kitchen can be seen made ready for holiday entertaining -- may be added for the complete experience at a nominal charge of $6 ($4 for children).
The 31st Annual Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum Holiday House Tour is Sunday, Dec. 4, from 11 am to 4 pm. The Mark Twain House and six other decked-out area homes are on display. Tickets $30 advance, $35 the day of the tour. They can be purchased by calling 860-280-3130.
Cabaret Lulu presents "A Holiday Celebration" with Lucille Gould, the original Cabaret Lulu herself, along with Robert Aberdeen from the original cast of Fiddler on the Roof, Cheryl Alexander (Dreamgirls, Once on This Island), and Glenn Turner (High Society, Five Guys Named Moe). Lunch will be served at 11 am with the show at 2 pm. Tickets are $45, and groups are welcome, with discount packages available for parties of 10 or more. For information, reservations and group discounts, call 212-308-8050 or 1-866-LULU-USA (585-8872).
The Fall Series of Sunday Jazz Brunches, presented by Cafe Eiko at Japanalia, concludes Dec. 11with acclaimed vocalist Kitty Kathryn. Seatings at at 11:30 am and 1:15 pm.The $35 admission includes the performance, full brunch, soft drinks and hot beverages. Alcoholic beverages are available at an additional charge. Call 860-280-3130 for reservations.
Tickets still are availble for Juan Williams' Dec. 2 Clemens Lecture. Call 860-280-3130. There will be a booksigning after the lecture.
Steampunk, a cultural movement devoted to the playful union of Victoriana and Science Fiction, will invade the Mark Twain House & Museum in the form of an old-fashioned tea party in the Great Hall on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 pm. Guests are invited to come in costume, try some tea, and hobnob with delightful members of the Steampunk community. Miss Kitty will be on hand to host the party. Music will be provided by Dr. Grymm. Admission is $10.

Lyle Lovett, Miranda July, Dave Eggers to Discuss Creativity at CT Forum

2011-11-17T20:53:00.000-08:00

Music Legend Lyle Lovett will join a celebrated panel of creators and thinkers at The Connecticut Forum for a live, unscripted conversation about creativity.

The Creative Minds Forum will take place 8 pm Friday, Nov. 18 at The Bushnell. Panelists include writer, publisher, advocate and innovator Dave Eggers; filmmaker, artist, and writer Miranda July; and journalist, Rhodes Scholar and best-selling author of "How We Decide" Jonah Lehrer.

Randy Cohen, humorist, ethicist, and former New York Times columnist, will moderate this discussion, which asks “Where does creativity come from?” For ticket information visit www.ctforum.org or call 860-509-0909.

CT Arts News Updates for the Week of Nov. 14

2011-11-14T04:49:00.000-08:00

John Malkovich (at right, photo by Nathalie Bauer) 8 pm Tuesday, Nov. 15 The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer. Malkovich stars in a sold-out drama for one actor, two opera singers and an orchestra at Fairfield University. To get on the waiting list call the Quick Center Box Office: 203-254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-278-7396.

Also on tap: On the Spot, Fairfield University’s premiere long-form improv troupe: 7 and 9:30 pm Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19 at The PepsiCo Theatre, on the campus of Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield and Aquila Theatre Company: Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest 3 pm, Sunday, Nov. 20l Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Two intriguing authors – Rachel Basch and Pete Nelson – will be the next speakers in Fairfield University’s Inspired Writers Series, a program of Fairfield’s M.F.A. in Creative Writing. The pair will discuss their work at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the new Fairfield University Bookstore, 1499 Post Road, Fairfield. This event is free and open to the public.

The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and Connecticut Lyric Opera (CLO) will present French composer Jacques Offenbach’s famous opera Les Contes D’Hoffman (Tales of Hoffman), at the Palace Theater in Waterbury Nov. 19, at 8 pm. Tickets are $65, $45, and $20, and are available online at www.palacetheaterct.org by phone at 203-346-2000 or in person at the box office, 100 East Main St. Also, ace Theater is the recipient of a $5,000 Broadway League grant to support the after-school character development program “Find Yourself, Be Yourself, Reveal Yourself.” Based on the Blue Man Group stage show, this month-long program utilizes the Blue Man Group’s social commentary and performing arts concept to enhance students’ language arts curriculum while cultivating a youth voice regarding relevant social issues. Students will participate in series workshops in which they will create various art projects, write original poetry and develop a social awareness project based on the themes of conformity vs. non-conformity, diversity and community. Students will also receive complimentary tickets to attend the theater’s May 2012 presentation of Blue Man Group and meet the performers in a question and answer session. Schools and students from the Greater Waterbury area interested in participating in this program may contact Educational Programs Manager Dawn Alger at 203-346-2002.

Screening of Documentary at the Bijou Theatre, Bridgeport "Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone," One night only East Coast Tour Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 8 pm. Post Screening Q & A with the filmmaker, Chris Metzler. General Admission Ticket Price: $10. Directed by Lev Anderson and Metzler narrated by Laurence Fishburne featuring Fishbone, Flea, Ice-T, Gwen Stefani, Perry Farrell, Bob Forrest, Branford Marsalis, and George Clinton.

On Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 pm watch Southside Johnny and The Poor Fools embark on a stripped down journey through Southside Johnny Lyon's eclectic version of the Great American Songbook at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. Playing the music of Dylan, Mose Allison, Muddy Waters, NRBQ, Richard Thompson, Emmylou Harris, The Band, George Jones, Tom Waits, and more, The Poor Fools will also dive into some of the legendary Asbury Jukes material--revisiting the classics and the underperformed deep track. Tickets are $50. For more information please visit www.thekate.org or call 860-510-0473.

Nook Farm Book Talks Session Examines New Book on the Mark Twain House

2011-11-14T04:33:00.000-08:00

The Mark Twain House itself is celebrated in the Nook Farm Book Talks session on Thursday, Dec.1, as participants in this book club-style monthly event discuss a brand-new work: 'The Loveliest Home That Ever Was': The Story of the Mark Twain House in Hartford by Steve Courtney.

Courtney will be present at the session to talk about his book, a lavishly illustrated work that treats Samuel Clemens' early life and beginning career; his and his wife Livy's move to Hartford; the house's design by architect Edward Tuckerman Potter; and its construction, furnishing and decoration.

Come for refreshments at 5 pm in the Mark Twain Museum Center, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford. The discussion begins at 5:30. Reservations are recommended: info@stowecenter.org or 860-522-9258, Ext. 317. The event is free.

The book describes the Clemens household's 17 years in the house and the major literary work Clemens did while he lived there (including "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court").

It provides glimpses of family life -- how young Clara Clemens once screamed so loud and persistently after a pet calf had been been sold that her parents had to buy it back; how Twain had news bulletins piped up to his third-floor billiard room/study through a speaking tube; how daughter Susy wowed the family with her grasp of ancient history.
And it relays the sad circumstances surrounding the family's abandonment of their beloved home, along with the house's amazing rescue from destruction, and rebirth as a world-class house museum.

"The Loveliest Home That Ever Was" includes a guided tour through the house's rooms and hallways, pointing out the exquisite details that decorate the entry hall, drawing room, dining room, library, conservatory, bedrooms, nursery, billiard room, butler's pantry and kitchen. Published by Dover Publications, it is illustated with numerous new color photos of the house exterior and interior by John Groo; rare archival images from the museum's collection; and a Foreword by the famed stage portrayer of Mark Twain, Hal Holbrook.

Steve Courtney, the publicist and publications editor at The Mark Twain House & Museum, is a journalist and author. His biography "Joseph Hopkins Twichell: The Life and Times of Mark Twain's Closest Friend," won the Connecticut Book Award in 2009.

Nook Farm Book Talks are a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center. Nook Farm Book Talks are supported in part by the Connecticut Humanities Council. For more information, call 860-247-0998 or visit www.marktwainhouse.org.

Carousel, Mame on Tap for Goodspeed Season

2011-11-14T04:03:00.000-08:00

Goodspeed Musical's 49th season includes the bold and brassy Mame April 20 – July 1 and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel July 13 – Sept. 23. A third fall musical to be announced will run from Oct. 5 – Dec. 9.

Mame features music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and is based on the novel "Auntie Mame" by Patrick Dennis and the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. It will be directed by Ray Roderick (Goodspeed’s Hello! My Baby, My One And Only, Singin’ in the Rain, and 42nd Street) and choreographed by Vince Pesce (associate choreographer of Broadway’s Anything Goes, The Pajama Game, Wonderful Town, and Little Shop of Horrors).

Carousel features music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It will be directed by Rob Ruggiero (Broadway’s High and Looped and Goodspeed’s Show Boat, Camelot, and 1776) and choreographed by Parker Esse (associate choreographer of Broadway’s Finian’s Rainbow and A Tale of Two Cities).

Advance season subscriptions are now on sale through the Box Office (860-873-8668). Single tickets go on public sale beginning Feb. 19, 2012.

GrooveLily’s Concert-Musical Heads Holiday Offerings at Westport

2011-11-14T03:40:00.000-08:00

Rock band GrooveLily’s Gene Lewin and Valerie Vigoda in the concert-musical“Striking 12” at Westport Country Playhouse on Sat., Dec. 10, 4 and 7 p.m.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Westport Country Playhouse will present rock band GrooveLily in Striking 12, the critically acclaimed holiday concert-musical based on Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Match Girl,”on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 4 and 7 pm.

With its tagline, “'Tis the season - deal with it,” the original concert-musical blends old-fashioned uplift with a modern tone of 21^st century skepticism. A contemporary take on the classic “The Little Match Girl,” it tells the tale of an incandescent salesgirl whose holiday spirit can’t be matched.

Set on the last night of the old year, Striking 12 has it roots in musical theater, classical, jazz and rock. The recipient of an off-Broadway 2006 Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Outstanding Musical and a Bay Area Theatre Critic's Choice Award, it is co-written by GrooveLily and Rachel Sheinkin, Tony award winner for “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.”

"Striking 12 put the band GrooveLily on the map of the musical theater world as a rock band writing and performing shows,” said Angela Marroy Boerger, Playhouse education and community programs coordinator. “This clever and inventive pop-folk-rock-rap trio appeals to a wide range of age groups, from children to adults.”

Valerie Vigoda, electric violinist and singer, is the founding member of GrooveLily. A classically trained musician, she toured the world with Cyndi Lauper (opening for Tina Turner and Cher), Joe Jackson and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. She founded GrooveLily in 1994, with a critically acclaimed CD called "Inhabit My Heart." Vigoda is a two-time winner of the Jonathan Larson Award for Excellence in Writing for the Theatre, along with her husband and longtime collaborator Brendan Milburn, keyboards/vocals. In 2008, Milburn and Vigoda were commissioned by Disney to write the score for “Toy Story: The Musical,” a rock musical based on the critically acclaimed Pixar film “Toy Story.”

Gene Lewin, drums/vocals, blurs the lines between jazz and rock. He tours regularly with Audra McDonald, and has appeared on CDs with George Coleman, John Patitucci, and many others.

Tickets: $40 and $20 for adults; $20 for children/students.

Other “Winter at the Playhouse” events include“The Nutcracker,” a holiday ballet presented by Ballet Etudes, on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3 and 4 at 1 and 5 pm.; “A Season of Miracles” by Pushcart Players, a sparkling collection of holiday tales from different cultures set to music, on Sunday, Dec.11 at 1 and 4 pm.;“Holiday” by Philip Barry, a Script in Hand reading of the beloved romantic comedy upon which the film starring Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn was based, Monday, Dec. 12 at 7 pm.; and The Broadway Boys, a holiday concert Broadway style, on Saturday, Dec. 17 at 8 pm, and Sunday, Dec, 18 at 3 pm.

As a community service during all of the “Winter at the Playhouse” holiday events, the Playhouse will collect gently used coats/jackets to benefit the Community Closet of Bridgeport. Collection boxes will be in the Playhouse lobby through December 18. In addition, the theater is hosting a Holiday Memories Writing Challenge for area students, grades K – 8. The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 2. For more information, visit www.westportplayhouse.org.

For more information, tickets or holiday gift certificates, call the box office at 203-227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse) or get an insider’s peek on The Playhouse Blog (www.theplayhouseblog.org).

Long Wharf Theatre announces the cast of It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play

2011-11-14T02:54:00.000-08:00

The film "It's a Wonderful LIfe" gets a magical adaptation Dec. 7-31 with a radio play script by Joe Landry that takes the beloved holiday story and recasts it as a 1940s radio drama performed before a live studio audience. Live sound effects meld with the moving tale of George Bailey.

An ensemble company of actors including Dan Domingues, Connecticut native Kate Maccluggage, Alex Moggridge and Ariel Woodiwiss, performs the show. The production team includes Mikiko Macadams (sets), Jessica Ford (costumes), Stephen Strawbridge (lights), and John Gromada (sound).

“The radio play lets audiences’ imaginations breathe. It allows them to have some space from the movie and hear the story anew,” said Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein. “It’s a resurrection story, which we love. It also asks us to consider what are the enduring values one should live for? It’s a story of a man whose good deeds ultimately save his life.”

Landry, a Westport resident, first adapted the film to be performed as a full play at a local high school. However, at the time he was working at the Fairfield Public Library, and began listening to and falling in love with old radio shows. Knowing that "It’s A Wonderful Life" had that pedigree (James Stewart did a radio show version in 1949), Landry put together his adaptation. Landry’s live radio play has enjoyed tremendous theatrical life, enjoying regular professional and local productions across the nation during the holiday season. “It’s a Wonderful Life seems to resonate on several different levels,” he said.

The original film is based on a short story entitled “The Greatest Gift” by historian Philip Van Doren Stern, a piece he distributed to 200 of his friends as a holiday greeting in 1943. When film director Frank Capra read the story, which had been knocking around Hollywood for a bit, he declared it was the tale he had been seeking to tell his whole life. The film came out in 1946, and received good reviews, although it was not a box office smash. When the film briefly fell into the public domain, it found a new audience through regular television airings.

Dan Domingues has appeared Off-Broadway in The Cherry Orchard at Atlantic Theater Company, His Greatness at the Soho Playhouse and King Lear at La Ma Ma, among others. His television and film work includes “Gossip Girl,” “Law and Order,” “As The World Turns,” “Hope and Faith” and “Third Watch,” among others.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 203-787-4282 or visit www.longwharf.org.

Theater Review: Cabaret -- Music Theatre of Connecticut

2011-11-10T13:18:00.000-08:00

Eric Scott Kincaid. Photo by Regina Madwed/Capitol Photointeractive

By Geary Danihy
The hottest ticket in town right now should be for Cabaret, which recently opened at the 45-seat MTC MainStage in Westport. Hot because it’s probably Cabaret as you’ve never seen it before, pared down to its bare essentials and presented with verve, style and a great deal of feeling by a superb cast.

Directed by Kevin Connors, MTC’s executive artistic director, and choreographed by Lainie Munro (who gives a nod to, but does not slavishly follow the Fosse format), this Cabaret is more intimate, and thus more pointed and, at times, heart-wrenching, than the film version you are probably most familiar with, and it features Kander and Ebb songs that were in the original production but were cut for the film or assigned to different characters.

The book by Joe Masteroff, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood, focuses on a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw (Ryan Reilly) who comes to Berlin at the time of the rise of the Nazi party, seeking inspiration for his novel. He immediately connects with Ernst (Robert Daniel Sullivan), who, unbeknownst to Cliff, is making money runs for the Nazis. Ernst directs the American to a boarding house run by Fraulein Schneider (Dorothy Stanley), where he soon meets fellow borders Fraulein Kost (Marty Bongfeldt), a dancer at the Kit Kat Klub, and Herr Schultz (Stuart Zagnit), the owner of a fruit store who also happens to be Jewish. On his first night out on the town he drops by the Kit Kat Klub, hosted by the Emcee (Eric Scott Kincaid) and has a table-to-table phone conversation with another Kit Kat dancer, Sally Bowles (Melissa Carlile-Price), a waif-like British ex-pat who “absolutely adores” his spoken English.

The lives of these characters quickly intertwine as Germany’s political skies darken, and much of the musical deals with various aspects of the Nazi’s rise to power and the decisions individuals must make (or not make) when confronted with the growing terror. In this focused version, the audience’s attention is riveted on the two doomed romances that are at the heart of the show: Cliff’s love for Sally, who refuses to see what is happening around her and clings desperately to the philosophy that “Life is a cabaret,” and Herr Schultz’s more mature love for Fraulein Schneider, equally doomed because of his heritage.

Given that all of this – the Kit Kat production numbers – the arguments between Sally and Cliff – Herr Schultz’s touching courtship of Fraulein Schneider – occurs mere feet from where the audience sits means, among other things, that the audience is inexorably drawn into the milieu in which these characters live and work. It is powerful theater, especially given the quality of the cast.

Kincaid’s Emcee is lascivious and brash, but you can see beneath the façade, see the concern, the disdain for the rising powers, and the fear. His Emcee is perhaps the most vulnerable I’ve ever seen, and his final exit, executed brilliantly, is one of false bravado – the “clown” facing off against the brute. It’s a star turn, equaled by Carlile-Price’s Sally, for Carlile-Price manages to convey a brittle gayety masking both fear and self-doubt, and her take on the musical’s signature song,“Cabaret” (sung just after she has told Cliff she has aborted their child), rips your heart out, for she is spitting in the face of death, defiantly walking away from her only hope of salvation by embracing the ephemeral.

Most revelatory, however, is the fragile romance between Stanley’s Fraulein Schneider and Zagnit’s Herr Schultz, for these characters, given song assignments and song cuts, were essentially shoved to the side in the film version. Here they come to the fore, and in scene after touching scene (including one that focuses on a pineapple), Stanley and Zagnit, with great poise, delicacy and feeling, present the musical’s essential moral conundrum – what do you do in the face of tyranny? Do you bow and accept, believing you will survive as you have before, or do you deny its very existence, claiming that, after all, it cannot be as bad as people say?

What makes this production so satisfying is that the entire cast, including Johnny Orenberg, who does yeoman work as a Kit Kat waiter, several lustful German sailors, a Nazi rabble-rouser and a German guard, can not only sing and dance, they can act up a storm. There’s not a false note or forced emotion the entire evening – Sullivan’s Ludwig is subtly menacing; Bongfeldt’s Fraulein Kost suitably louche and world-weary; Reilly’s Bradshaw engaging and earnest. Coupled with the riveting performances given by Stanley, Zagnit, Kincaid and Carlile-Price, it all make for a marvelous evening of musical theater.

Cabaret at MTC MainStage runs through Nov. 20, which means you only have two more weekends to see a version of “Cabaret” that will stay with you long after you leave the theater. For tickets or more information call 203-454-3883 or go to www.musictheatreofct.com.

Theater Review: The Woman in Black -- Ivoryton

2011-11-05T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ian Lowe, Steve L. Barron. Photo: Anne Hudson

A Ghost Story Within a Play Within a Play Appears in the Mist
By Lauren Yarger
A playwright endeavors to tell the scariest ghost story he's ever heard, but will the real ghost let him?
A creeping mist, a mysterious veiled woman and a play within a play are conjured up at Ivoryton Playhouse in Stephen Mallatratt's play The Woman in Black, based on the novel by Susan Hill (the show has been running for 23 years in London's West End).

Kipps (Steven L. Barron) must tell the story of his experiences settling the estate of a reclusive woman who lived in a rambling estate on an island in a remote part of England, despite his lack of acting experience and the fact that he probably will put his audience to sleep with the more-than-five-hour long play he has written. So he hires an actor (Ian Lowe) to advise him on how to do it.

The happy actor indulges him and decides the best way to proceed is for his to assume the role of Kipps, while the playwright assumes the roles of all the other characters. The actor starts adapting props left backstage at the Victorian theater where they are going to present the piece (Tony Andrea, scenic design) and surprises Kipps with recorded effects (Tate R. Burmeister, design) to produce the sounds of London streets, a ride in a pony and trap and other mysterious noises Kipps encountered at the estate.

As the tale unfolds, Kipps becomes more skilled at portraying the island's odd inhabitants, all spooked by the appearance of a ghostly, gaunt looking woman clad in black who wanders the property and family graveyard. Who is she and why does a child die tragically every time she is spotted? The real script is a little redundant and slow moving at times, but stick with it and you'll be caught up in the chilling ghost story.

Directed by Maggie McGlone Jennings, the actors give skilled performances of characters portraying characters (Barron, morphing from bad actor to various village dwellers to a man who is fear personified, really is superb). Andrea and lighting designer Doug Harry create some ghostly effects and a creeping fog adds to the atmosphere. Voiceovers are by Alana Lee Burke. Costumes are by Vickie Blake.

The Woman in Black appears at Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., through Nov. 20. Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm; Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm. Tickets are $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and are available by calling the box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting www.ivorytonplayhouse.org. (Group rates are available by calling the box office for information.).

Quick Hit Theater Review: Ain't Misbehavin' -- Long Wharf

2011-11-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Kecia Lewis-Evans, Doug Eskew, Cynthia Thomas, Debra Walton and Eugene Barry-Hill. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Ain't Misbehavin'
Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. & Murray Horwitz 
Created & Originally Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr. 
Original Choreography & Musical Staging by Arthur Faria 
Musical Director Phillip Hall
Musical Adaptations, Orchestrations & Arrangements by Luther Henderson
Vocal & Musical Concepts by Jeffrey Gutcheon
Musical Arrangements by Jeffrey Gutcheon & William Elliott
Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Staging & Choreography by Arthur Faria

Summary:
The cast of Eugene Barry-Hill, Doug Eskew, Kecia Lewis-Evans, Cynthia Thomas and Debra Walton, all of whom have previously appeared in productions of Ain’t Misbehavin', sings up more than 30 Thomas "Fats" Waller tunes in a setting reminiscent of 1930s jazz clubs (John Lee Beatty, set design). Wearing sparkling flowy dresses and dapper suits (Gail Baldoni, costume design), they have the audience clapping, and sometimes singing along, with classics like "This Joint is Jumpin'," "Your Feets Too Big," Honeysuckle Rose," "Fat and Greasy" and the title song. The group is accompanied by a band behind the action on stage and a piano player on the set.

Highlights:
Faria's choreography is fun and just the right touch. There's everything from a waltz to tap (Barry-Hill is particularly skilled). There's a lot of humor and there is a nice variety of song styles and tempos. Pat Collins' lighting design creates shadows, lighting effects and even a shower reflections off of a jeweled disco ball to enhance the production.

Lowlights:
Nada. A fun evening, especially if you like Fats Waller.

Information:
The show runs through Nov. 20 at Long Wharf Theatre, New Haven. Tickets range from $40-70 and can be purchased at 203-787-4282 or at www.longwharf.org.
--Lauren Yarger

Brand:NEW Play Fest Offers Chance to See What Could Be Tomorrow's Classics

2011-11-04T14:09:00.000-07:00

Zabryna Guevara, Matthew Boston, Liza Colon-Zayás, Armando Riesco in a scene from Water By the Spoonful, the first play commissioned through the Aetna New Voices Fellowship to get a full production at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson

By Lauren Yarger
Hundreds of submissions make their way to Hartford Stage's new play festival, Brand:NEW, every year where playwrights hope their work will have a chance for readings in front of audiences in a first step to becoming full productions somewhere.

The festival, now in its 14th year, is a "safe space to develop and a place for us to invest in playwrights we believe in," said the festival's line producer Hana Sharif, Hartford Stage's associate artistic director. The "we" includes the artistic director (Darko Tresnjak recently replaced Michael Wilson in the role), the staff and a number of readers who help weed through the submissions. They are looking for plays with heart, energy and dynamic characters, Sharif said.

The plays tend to be different, a little more edgy than those in the regular main stage series. It's sort of like a temporary black box setting in which to experiement a little, she said. This year's lineup includes readings of new works by Bekah Brunstetter, Marcus Gardley, Steven Levenson, Matthew Schneck and Sinan Unel (the schedule is included below).

"The five plays that we have chosen for this year's Brand:NEW festival look at history, family, and desire in exciting and unexpected ways," Tresnjak said. "It is a pleasure to bring these distinctive and provocative writers to Hartford Stage."

Hana Sharif

Many theaters are cutting back on reading series because of the economy. It's harder to take risks, but not every theater can boast of the kind of audience that Hartford Stage has developed over the years. Ticket prices usually are cheaper, but after all, what makes someone want to go see a play that isn't finished, without sets and costumes? (Readings usually involve actors standing or sitting with scripts music stands. Someone reads the stage directions and scene information.)
"There's something special about sitting in a room with actors at music stands teling you the story," Sharif said. There's a back-stage pass feel to being there, meeting and greeting with the authors and being part of the process. Audience feedback is solicited following the readings. While there are some producers attending looking for "the next hot thing," most of the audience is made up if savvy Hartford locals who have formed their own community with the annual festival. One past participant asked Sharif if Hartford Stage knew how lucky it was to have sich an educated and responsive audience.
New play development is part of the identity of this theater, though. There are a number of ways for new plays to get on stage:

The Aetna New Voices Fellowship awards a year-long residency, a commission and a stipend to a playwright of color. Hartford Stage provides three developmental opportunities and a chance to work with teen playwrights. This year, Quiara Alegria Hudes' Water By The Spoonful, is the first commission from the fellowship to get a full production at Hartford Stage. It runs through Nov. 13.
The Hartford Heritage Project looking at specific issues, events and characters from Connecticut.
Open submissions. Submissions from agents are accepted on a rolling basis. Hartford Stage also accepts unrepresented submissions by Connecticut authors.

This year's festival continues through this weekend. Here's the schedule:
Friday, November 4 * 7:30 p.m.
Hey Brother
By Bekah Brunstetter
Directed by Maxwell Williams

Big brother Ben is a financial planner with an alpha-male attitude. Little brother Isaac is a graduate student in history, used to finishing in second place. When a mysterious young woman hunting for her own history comes into their lives, the love/ hate relationship between them is put to the test in this darkly funny adult drama.

Saturday, Nov. 5 at 2 pm
The Ping and the Pang
By Matthew Schneck
Directed by Jenn Thompson

When a man reluctantly visits a psychiatrist for the first time, he is subjected to a bizarre and aggressive new talk therapy technique. Is his doctor helping him to face his real issues? Or merely pushing him past the brink of sanity? The human psyche, the collective unconscious, and funny-tasting kool-aid combine in this outlandish and hilarious existentialist comedy.

Saturday, November 5 * 7:30 p.m.
The House That Will Not Stand
By Marcus Gardley
Directed by Hana S. Sharif

Set in 1836, against the backdrop of Faubourg Tremé in New Orleans, Marcus Gardley weaves a poetic tale of three sisters trapped beneath the oppressive thumb of their unyielding mother in a mandated six month period of mourning. As the summer heat intensifies, passion, jealousy, and fear collide in this explosive reimagining of Federico Garcia Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba.

Sunday, November 6 * 11:00 a.m.
Playwrights' Panel

Meet the playwrights and engage with the creative process, discuss their inspiration, and learn about each individual journey to developing new work. Led by Jerry Patch, Director of Artistic Development at Manhattan Theatre Club.

Sunday, November 6 * 2:00 p.m.
Days of Rage
by Steven Levenson
Directed by Darko Tresnjak

1969. As the summer of love darkens into a long and bitter winter, a group of young activists makes plans for the Revolution from a dilapidated farmhouse in upstate New York. Jenny, a college dropout and a daughter of privilege, begins to have second thoughts about her role in the movement. As paranoia and political divisions threatening to tear the collective apart, Jenny must choose between following the dictates of her heart and a Revolution that may never come.

Pathetique by Sinan Unel, directed by Darko Tresnjak, was presented yesterday.

Key Dates and Information:
Readings will be held at Hartford Stage's Rehearsal Studio 2, 942 Main St., downtown Hartford (Residence Inn building).
Passes good for admission to all Brand:NEW events are $15. Admission to individual readings is $5; admission to the Playwrights' Panel is free. All readings offer general seating.
For reservations, directions, or more information, call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit www.brandnewplayfestival.com.

Theater Review: Water by the Spoonful -- Hartford Stage

2011-11-04T11:16:00.000-07:00

Zabryna Guevara, Armando Riesco. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Internet Meets Live Drama in Innovative, Insightful Premiere at Hartford Stage
By Lauren Yarger
Avatars appear as the users of an internet support forum for crack addicts sign on to chat, but the action doesn't take place in cyberspace. It unfolds on stage as Hartford Stage presents the world premiere of Quiara Alegria Hudes' moving play Water by the Spoonful.

Commissioned by the theater company, Water by the Spoonful is the first play to make it from the Aetna New Voices Fellowship to a fully staged production at Hartford Stage.

The lives of family members and complete strangers merge with their connection on the support site administered by Odessa Ortiz (Liza Colon-Zayas), user name Haikumom, who encourages the members with off-the-cuff haikus and support as they try to get and stay sober. Forum regulars are Chutes&Ladders (Ray Anthony Thomas), an IRS customer service rep whose habit lost him a relationship with his son, and Orangutan (Teresa Avia Lim), teaching English while searching for her roots in Japan.

They are joined by Fountainhead (Matthew Boston), a highly paid corporate executive who is in denial about his addiction while desperately trying to hide it from his wife. Chutes&Ladders isn't impressed, but finds it hard to confront reality himself: he resists reaching out to his son, or exploring the possibility of a real-life meeting with Orangutan.

Davis McCallum directs masterfully, having the characters on stage interacting, while visually communicating as though by instant message. They don't look directly at each other, and no real keyboards or computer screen are used. Their avatars (graphic pictures with their user names) are projected onto to a tile-motifed set that also houses Odessa's near-squalor house (Neil Patel, set and projection design). Skilled lighting (Russell H. Champa), sound design (Bray Poor), some John Coltrane with original music (J. Michael Friedman), costumes by Chloe Chapin and a few props do the rest to create the innovative presentation. All of the performances are first rate as well.

Besides the interaction online, events from the real lives of the characters play out too. Odessa, fighting her own addiction, is estranged from her son, Elliot, who was raised by her sister when his biological mother was unable to care for him. He tries to cope with his feeling of abandonment, especially in the face of Mami Ginny's impending death, while being haunted by his experiences in Iraq -- literally -- by a ghost (Demosthenes Chrysan) who keeps saying something in Arabic.

Providing some comfort is Elliot's close relationship with his cousin, Yazmin (Zabryna Guevara), an adjunct professor of music, who also loves Ginny for providing harmony in the Philadelphia family's dissonance.
Hudes (In the Heights) combines compelling characters, humor, insights and modern technology to ask questions about how we relate to each other and to provide a window into how real face-to-face relationships differ from those online and define who we are. The playwright definitely has the "I" part of IT down: this play is Interesting, Innovative, Imaginative, Intriguing, Insightful and Internet-savvy. OK, we'll throw in a "T" for Terrific as well. It is the second part in a trilogy that began with Elliot, A Soldier's Fugue, a Pultizer-Prize finalist, which McCallum directed in New York.

Water by the Spoonful runs through Nov. 13 at Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., Hartford. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday Sunday at 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; matinees Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2. Tickets range from $23 to $69 and are available by calling 860-527-5151 or online at www.hartfordstage,org.

Storm Updates

2011-11-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here's what you need to know about the state's theater and arts venues with regards to the snow storm and power outages. We will continue to add as we hear from the press representatives.

Westport Country Playhouse cancelled the Saturday, Oct. 29 3 pm matinee performance of Twelfth Night, or What You Will due to storm delays on Metro-North which prevented actors travelling from NYC to arrive on time. Other performances over the weekend (Saturday evening and Sunday matinee) went on as scheduled. Ticket holders from the cancelled Saturday matinee may call the box office at 203-227-4177 to exchange for other performances continuing through Nov. 5.
The Bushnell is open for business after closing Sunday. Ticketholders for Sunday’s cancelled performances of Jersey Boys should contact the box office at 860-987-5900 to reschedule.
Goodspeed Musicals has power, clear parking lots and will be fully staffed for this week’s performances both at the Goodspeed Opera House (City of Angels, Wednesday through Sunday) and at The Norma Terris Theatre where performances of Hello! My Baby begin this Thursday night.
TheaterWorks -- Theaterworks is up and running - all shows! I you missed a weekend performance, you may call the bo office at 860-527-7838 to reschedule.
CT Rep's performance schedule for The Miser is uninterrupted by the storm.
Music Theatre of Connecticut (MTC in Westport) did not lose power. Performance of Cabaret begin on schedule this Friday.
The Mark Twain House & Museum is open for its normal hours (9:30-5:30 Monday through Saturday, 12:30-5:30 Sunday). The Murasaki Cafe is open Tuesday thrugh Saturday, 11:30 am to 3 pm. The Cabaret Lulu performance originally scheduled for Wednesday has been cancelled. The free Nook Farm Book Talks, Thursday at 5 pm with Dr. Eugene Leach on Lincoln's and Frederick Douglass' speeches, will go on as usual. So will The Mark Twain House & Museum Annual Fall Gala, Saturday at 6 pm. (For Gala information and tickets -- come in out of the cold, put on yer 10-gallon hat, and celebrate "How the West Was Fun!" -- call 860-280-3112).

Hole in the Wall presents four original one-act comedies in Jacques Lamarre Has Gone Too Far

2011-11-01T13:48:00.000-07:00

The Hole in the Wall Theater, New Britain’s home for edgy and intriguing plays and musicals, takes on four world premiere one-act comedies by Connecticut playwright Jacques Lamarre.

Entitled Jacques Lamarre Has Gone Too Far, characters push beyond the boundaries of normal, everyday situations into some rather bad behavior. Inspired by John Waters, Saturday Night Live and the Ridiculous Theatrical Company, Jacques Lamarre Has Gone Too Far, the production, which is not suitable for younger viewers, runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm Nov. 18 through Dec. 10. There are Sunday Matinees at 2 Nov. 27 and Dec. 4.

In Jacques Lamarre Has Gone Too Far, the playwright looks at life in modern America and finds it a little stomach-churning. Four short plays make up the evening and each reflects our inability to maintain polite behavior. In Mignonette, directed by Bethany Sanderson, an encounter between two women in a dog park turns into a cat fight. In The Buck Stops Here, directed by Michael Daly, a frustrated housewife engages the services of an ad agency to give her husband a marketing makeover. In Cain DisAbeled, directed by Terri D’Arcangelo, a FarmVille fracas between brothers turns into a battle of biblical proportions. And in Jacques Lamarre Has Gone Too Far, directed by Kit Webb, the Disneyfied town of Celebration, FL gets turned on its Mickey Mouse ears when the title character moves in next door to a pack of Tea Party Patriots.

The production features a mix of Hole in the Wall veterans and new faces: Kathleen-Marie Clark, Terri D'Arcangelo, James DeMarco, Jillian Dion, Roy Donnelly, Joan DuQuette-Aresco, Devin Horner, Angie Joachim, Rebecca Meakin, Charles Merlis, Johnny Peifer and Matthew Skwiot.

Lamarre is the director of communications and special projects at The Mark Twain House and Museum, where he co-adapted an evening of R-Rated Twain at the Hole in the Wall in August 2011. For the museum, he also adapted Twain’s "The Diaries of Adam & Eve" for a one-night-only performance by Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker. He wrote the full-length comedy Gray Matters, which was performed by the Emerson Theater Collaborative at New York’s Midtown International Theatre Festival (nominated for five awards including Outstanding Playwriting). The production was subsequently remounted at the Mystic Arts Center and the Charter Oak Cultural Center.

As a co-writer for international drag chanteuse Varla Jean Merman, he has worked on eight shows.

Jacques Lamarre Has Gone Too Far runs at the Hole in the Wall Theater, 116 Main St., New Britain, Nov. 18, 19, 25, 26 and Dec. 2, 3, 9, 10 at 8 pm and Sundays Nov. 27 and Dec. 4 at 2 pm. The performance on Saturday Nov. 19 will be followed by classic Hole in the Wall festivities and a meet and greet with Lamarre. Tickets are $20 General Admission; $12 Students (with I.D.) and Seniors. To purchase tickets, visit www.hitw.org or call 860-229-3049 for reservations.

Theater Review: Belleville -- Yale

2011-10-29T13:01:00.000-07:00

Odd Tale Might Better Be Titled ‘Bewildering Ville’
By Lauren Yarger
Doctor Without Borders Zack (Greg Keller) and his yoga instructor/actress wife Abby (Maria Dizzia) seem like a typical, cozy American couple living in their Paris apartment, but theatergoers who really want any part of typical or cozy won’t find it in this world premiere of Belleville, by Amy Herzog, commissioned by Yale Rep.

Herzog (After the Revolution) introduces interesting characters, well played by the talented Keller and Dizzia, but she never really takes them anywhere. The plot -- if it can be called that – is bizarre, always teasing that something sinister, or surprising is about to happen, but failing to deliver. There’s one scene that’s squirm-in-your-seat creepy, if not exactly comprehensible, and it never is fully explained either. All the questions we have about what this couple is really all about or what actually becomes of them are left unanswered. The play’s conclusion even is delivered totally in French by the couple’s Senegal-born landlord, Alioune (Glibert Owuor), and his wife, Amina (Pascale Armand). Even if you understand French, don't expect any resolution.

Who really is the mysterious pot-smoking, porn-watching doctor and why is he behind in the rent? Why was his wife on antidepressant medication and why is she obsessed with talking to her father on the phone and taking baths? I know just a little but more about the answers than the guy in the audience who snored loudly for an hour and a half of the one-hour-and 45-minute play. “Bewildering,” rather than Belleville, the name of their northern Parisian neighborhood, might be a better title for this one.

Director Anne Kauffman doesn’t help by allowing multiple long gaps between dialogue and action. One stop in the action has the actors offstage for so long that audience members start chatting with each other, wondering whether someone has missed a cue, or whether an actor has lost his way after exiting one of several doors on Julia C. Lee’s nice set. Odd lighting (Nina Hyun Seung Lee, design) raises other questions, at times portending a sinister development (which doesn’t occur) and at other junctures, defining the passage of huge blocks of time in a blink. When we’re left trying to figure out what the plot by watching the lighting, however, something’s wrong with the story.

Belleville, featuring costumes by Mark Nagle and fight direction by Rick Sordelet and Jeff Barry, runs through Nov. 12 at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St. at York Street, New Haven. Tickets range from $20-$88 and are available at www.yalerep.org, by phone at 203-432-1234 and in person at the Box Office.

Adler, DeWitt Star in CT Rep Satire 'I'm Connecticut'

2011-10-27T13:40:00.001-07:00

Jerry Adler (Grampa) and Joyce DeWitt (Polly). Photo: Gerry Goodstein

If you're from Connecticut - the joke is on you! Mike Reiss is a Peabody Award-winner, and four-time Emmy award-winning writer for "The Simpsons." He's also a Connecticut native and this time he's turned his sharp, satirical comic genius on his home state - and yours in I'm Connecticut, a story about a young man who grew up in Simsbury now living in New York City and searching for love.

Amid the anxieties of dating he begins to ask himself what a Nutmegger really is? If you've ever wondered about the identity of The Land of Steady Habits, be prepared for a hysterical surprise.

I’m Connecticut tells the story of a 30-something Connecticut native now living in New York trying to come to terms with his apparent lack of personality that he, and others, attribute to his upbringing in Simsbury. This highly satirical comedy sets its sights squarely on all things Connecticut. From the origins of our nickname, The Nutmeg State, to our town names that he observes all sound like the names of English butlers (Simsbury, Litchfield and Old Saybrook) Reiss turned his comic genius on his native state and created a 75-minute new piece of live theater.

Reiss has spent two decades writing for "The Simpsons." In 2006, Mike received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Animation Writers Caucus. He co-created the animated series "The Critic," featuring actor John Lovitz, and created Showtime’s hit cartoon "Queer Duck" (about a gay duck). His other TV credits include "It’s Garry Shandling’s Show," "ALF," and "The Tonight Show" with Johnny Carson.

Reiss’ screenplay "My Life in Ruins" was made into a major motion picture in 2009 starring Nia Vardalos and Richard Dreyfuss. He also co-wrote "The Simpsons Movie," "Horton Hears A Who!" and "Ice Age, Dawn of the Dinosaurs." His caveman detective story "Cro-Magnon P.I." won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America. He has published 14 children’s books, including the best-seller "How Murray Saved Christmas" and the award-winning "Late for School." He also composes puzzles for NPR and Games Magazine. He’s a former president of The Harvard Lampoon and editor of The National Lampoon.

Call 860-486-4226 for tickets or for more information and call or visit the box office for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change. Tickets available online at www.crt.uconn.edu.

Cavanaugh, Powers on Tap to Benefit Hartford Children's Theatre

2011-10-25T10:35:00.000-07:00

For more information, call 860-249-7970 or visit www.hartfordchildrenstheatre.org.

Colleges To Compete in A Cappella Competition at Bijou Theatre in Bridgeport

2011-10-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

The Bijou Blender is a Connecticut-wide collegiate a cappella competition that highlights the talent found at colleges and universities in our own back yard. For one night only, Saturday, Nov. 12, groups will battle it out for a grand prize of $1,000.

“Connecticut is home to over 50 collegiate a cappella groups, and as ensemble singing has begun to integrate itself into the media and pop culture with shows like "Glee," "The Glee Project" and "The Sing Off," we wanted to find a way to make a cappella easily accessible to the public”, said Derek
Adams, producer for the Bijou Theatre. “I have been an a cappella performer for five years now and wanted to created the Bijou Blender because watching a cappella on TV isn’t enough, you just need to experience it firsthand.”

The Judges - The world-touring a cappella quartet, Blue Jupiter, will be sitting at the judges table. Blue Jupiter first gained national fame as the voices of Oreo Cookie, singing the national Oreo radio
commercial since 2005. Since then, Blue Jupiter has headlined the Sands Casino in Macau, China, worked with famed producer and "American Idol" Judge Randy Jackson, sang with Livingston Taylor and performed on "Oprah" and VH1’s "Save the Music."

Groups - Groups in attendance include Out of the Blue (Yale), the Chordials and Notes Over Storrs (University of Connecticut), Too Good For Instruments ( Central Connecticut State University), L’Shir (University of Hartford), and the ConnChords and Co Co Beaux (Connecticut College).

The Bijou Blender takes place Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7 pm at the Bijou, 275 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport. Tickets: $25 General Admission; $20 Students

Tickets can be purchased online at www.thebijoutheatre.com/events or email info@thebijoutheatre.com for more information.

Take in a Performance at the Kate

2011-10-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Kate ( The Katharine Hepburn Clutural arts Center in Old Saybrook) has a plethora of performances in November. For tickets and more information, visit www.TheKate.org or call 877-503-1286.

Event: Met in HD: Don Giovanni Encore
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 1
Time: 1 pm
Price: $25

Event: Ellis Paul
Date: Friday, Nov. 4
Time: 8 pm
Price: $25

Event: Met in HD: Siegfried
Date: Saturday, Nov. 5
Time: noon
Price: $28
Event: Darden Smith
Date: Sunday, Nov. 6
Time: 7 pm
Price: $25

Event: 92 St Y: Andy Borowitz Presents the Funniest American Writers
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 9
Time: 7 pm
Price: $10

Event: CTFF Encore: The Green
Date: Thursday, Nov. 10
Times: 4, 7 and 9 pm
Price: $8

Event: Missoula Children's Theatre Presents The Secret Garden
Date: Saturday, Nov. 12
Time: 11am, 2 pm
Price: $14 Adults, $10 Children 12 & under

Event: Pure Prairie League
Date: Saturday, Nov. 12
Time: 8:00pm
Price: $47.50

Event: The Kate Classic Film: Adam’s Rib
Date: Thursday, Nov. 17
Time:2, 4 and 7 pm
Price: $8

Event: STCS: Shoreline Soup Kitchen Benefit
Date: Friday, Nov. 18
Time: 8:00pm
Price: $25

Event: Met in HD: Satyagraha
Date: Saturday, Nov. 19
Time: 1 pm
Price: $28

Event: J. Geils with Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood
Date: Saturday, Nov. 19
Time: 8 pm
Price:$42/$36

Event: Met in HD: Satyagraha Encore
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 22
Time: 1 pm
Price: $25

Event: Celtic Tenors
Date: Friday, Nov. 25
Time: 8 pm
Price: $67
Event: Kevin Flynn
Date: Saturday, Nov. 26
Time: 8 pm
Price: $25

HSO Appoints Andrea Stalf as New President/CEO

2011-10-25T08:36:00.000-07:00

Andrea Stalf. Photo: Leah Morgan

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra has appointed Andrea Stalf as president and chief executive officer.

Stalf will oversee administrative operations and fundraising, and will partner with the artistic leadership of new Music Director Carolyn Kuan. She replaces Kristen Phillips. Carrie Hammond has served as Interim CEO.

Stalf's 22-year career in corporate marketing and general management includes senior positions with Fortune 100 firms in insurance, telecommunications and consumer products. Stalf moved to Hartford in 2007 when she accepted the position of vice president and chief marketing officer for the personal lines insurance business of Travelers. She has an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and a master of science degree in environmental engineering from the University of Minnesota. She earned an MBA in marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. Stalf and her husband, David Lampert, live in Avon with their sons Ben and Max. They are life-long music lovers and concertgoers; their sons are serious students of piano, guitar and clarinet.

“It’s a thrill and honor to work with Carolyn Kuan; she gives herself entirely to each performance,” Stalf said. “Carolyn is a visionary and right now the HSO is at the vanguard of orchestras with its rich heritage of artistic talent and dedication to community service. I'm really excited to be a part of it and committed to its continuing success.”

Theater Review: The Motherf***ker with the Hat -- TheaterWorks

2011-10-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

Royce Johnson, Ben Cole and Varín Ayala. Photo by Lanny Nagler

There's a Bleeping Good Play about Relationships, Loyalty Behind All of That Profanity
By Lauren Yarger
Stephen Adly Guiris' play, The Motherf**ker with the Hat, making its regional premiere at TheaterWorks in Hartford, is a marketing nightmare. How do you get the word out, when the title isn't something you can print or say on TV or radio? And how do you convince audiences that 90 minutes of ear-blistering dialogue is worth sitting through?

Well, in New York, where the play was nominated for a best-play Tony last season, it helped that comedian Chris Rock was making his Broadway debut in the role of Ralph. Once audiences were in the door, they couldn't help but notice the better-than-average play as well as superb performances by Bobby Cannavale, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Yul Vázquez, all of whom received Tony nominations. Director Anna D. Shapiro was nominated as well.

Here in Hartford, it's worth the trip for the excellent, humorous play and a stellar performance turned in by Royce Johnson as Ralph. We get to see a little bit more of the TheaterWorks veteran (God of Carnage, Broke-ology) than we did of Rock in the role -- Director Tazewell Thompson has added a full nudity scene -- but we also get to see more of Ralph's character and a superior performance.

Ben Cole plays Jackie (the Cannavale role), recently paroled, who finds a job and looks forward to a 12-Step guided fresh start with his love, Puerto Rican spitfire Veronica (a terribly miscast Clea Alsip. She doesn't look or sound Puerto Rican, and doesn't pull off the spitfire part either). There's just one problem: Jackie discovers a hat left behind in the drab apartment (Donald Eastman, design) and accuses Veronica of being unfaithful with the hat-wearing motherf**ker who lives downstairs.

Fighting the urge to take a drink, and/or to shoot the motherf**ker, Jackie seeks guidance from his AA sponsor, Ralph, who doesn't approve of his being back with Veronica any way because she is a user. Ralph perhaps is not the greatest at giving relationship advice, however, as his wife, Victoria (Vanessa Wasche, apparently attempting some indiscernible accent) is preparing to leave him. Calmed down by his good friend, Jackie takes the gun to his cousin Julio (Varin Ayala) for safekeeping.

Before long, we discover that Ralph has been as rotten and uncaring a friend to Jackie as Jackie has been to the effeminate, body-building Julio over the years. Questions of love and loyalty arise on all fronts amidst a bunch of profanity and some very hip and biting humor. When all is said and done, Jackie, who doesn't appear to be the brightest bulb in the pack, might just see the light more than all of them. And there's just something to be said for a guy who can't help but love the woman he describes as a ball-crushing Godzilla.

Besides the odd casting of Veronica, Thompson also fails to rein in Ayala, whose portrayal is too over-the-top dramatically. When he goes "Van Dam" later in the play, some of the humor of that transformation is lost because he already has been supercharged. Yelling also is the technique of choice by most of the actors. Considering that our ears already are being blistered by the language, a more subtle approach to delivering the dialogue works better. Johnson, shines, though, and is natural in the skin of his character, revealing multi levels of sleaze as well as comedic ability as the play continues.

Special kudos go to the actors and crew who change props and furniture on the tiny stage with lightning speed between scenes.

The theater posts the following advisories: Full adult nudity; adult language; adult content; no one under the age of 16 will be admitted; no late seating. The Motherf**ker with the Hat runs through Dec. 4 at TheaterWorks, City on Pearl, 233 Pearl St., Hartford. Performances are
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays at 7:30 pm; Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm; Weekend Matinees at 2:30 pm. For information/seats call 860-527-7838; visit www.theaterworkshartford.org.

Theater Review: City of Angels -- Goodspeed

2011-10-23T17:21:00.000-07:00

Real, Reel Worlds Collide in Sophisticated Spoof of Hollywood Whodunnits
By Lauren Yarger
It was a Darko stormy night...

Darko Tresnjak, Hartford Stage's new artistic director, helms a stylish production of the complicated murder-mystery musical City of Angels for Goodspeed Musicals, starring Nancy Anderson, Burke Moses and a fabulous set designed by David P. Gordon.

She's not bad looking, the stage I mean, in that way beautiful women have of making us want to offer them a ride in our car, but knowing that all that steam will just pop the tires...

A shelf-lip stage above the action as well as a series of blinds that open to reveal other scenes with superb lighting by John Lasiter complete a picture that makes the story within a story within a story within a story complete with all the necessities for film noir: narration from the private eye, false leads, flashbacks and lots of funny wisecracks.

The cast is like a group of old friends sitting around a crackling fire, sipping cognac because nothing but the best will do, knowing that the best part of the evening is still ahead...

Moses looks the part (think the Claude Rains, Dick Powell, Robert Mitchum type) and plays up Stone, the rough detective trying to solve a missing person case that turns into a murder. He charges $25 a day and 8 cents a mile, his secretary, Oolie (Anderson), reminds him when he is hired by Alaura Kingsley to find her missing stepdaughter, Mallory (Kathleen Rooney). What it takes the private eye a little while to figure out, though, is that he's actually a character in a screenplay being written by Stine (D.B. Bonds), who isn't happy that the producer/director of the film, Buddy Fidler (Jay Russell), keeps making changes and taking all the credit for the story.

The story has legs, long ones stretching down so long any detective would not be shamus to be called gumshoe....

The book by Larry Gelbart (of M*A*S*H fame) is really quite good. It's funny, very complicated and true to the film noir genre. The events in the "real" world play out against those of the "reel" world, with Anderson, Russell, Rooney, Pearce and others from the large cast playing dual roles. Tresnjak skillfully stages some great scenes: where the action in the screenplay rewinds as the writer erases, the entrance of thug Big Six (a riotous Jerry Gallagher), where characters from both worlds sing duets and a slow-motion fight scene (Ron Piretti, fight director). The fun is made complete by lighting that puts the current action in color and the movie in black and white with costumes (Tracy Christensen) following suit.

We can't run away from the badness ... we can't fight it. We must deal with the badness.... (OK, I borrowed that one from Michael O'Hara in the "The Lady from Shanghai" but it fits)....

The music by Cy Coleman, with lyrics by David Zippel is disappointing and doesn't belong in the play. Imagine, if you will, Lauren Bacall asking Humphrey Bogart if he knows how to whistle then jumping into a song-and-dance number about it. That's what happens here -- 10 times in the first act and seven times in the second act with Michael O'Flaherty conducting the orchestra and the cast performing Jennifer Paulson Lee's choreography. The Angel City 4 singers are played by Mick Bleyer, Vanessa Parvin, Sierra Rein and Adam West Hemming, all members of the 2010 Manhattan Association of Cabarets and Clubs (MAC) award-winning a capella group Marquee Five.

With the exception of one nicely staged number where couples dance at a night club to the sounds of an orchestra actually performing at the night club, however, the score is not memorable, disrupts the action, stretches the vocal abilities of several cast members who are stronger on acting than singing and pushes the running time to two hours and 45 minutes.

I know, those are harsh words for a critic to throw at a man, especially when he's walking out of your bedroom -- I mean ending a review -- (apologies to Philip Marlowe)....

It's worth sitting through all the music, though to see this savvy, extremely well staged production of a show not often produced because of its complex nature. City of Angels runs through Nov. 27 at the Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam. Curtains are Wednesday at 2 and 7:30 pm, Thursday at 7:30 pm (with select performances at 2 pm), Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 3 pm and 8 pm, and Sunday at 2 pm (with select performances at 6:30 pm). Tickets are available at 860-873-8668 or on-line at www.goodspeed.org.

Theater Review: Twelfth Night -- Westport

2011-10-23T12:13:00.000-07:00

Justin Kruger, David Schramm, Jordan Coughtry, Donnetta Lavinia Grays Photo by T. Charles Erickson

'Or What You Will' Seems to Guide This Production
By Lauren Yarger
Viola and her brother Sebastian aren't the only ones who find themselves washed up on the shores of Illyria following a shipwreck. Also caught in the sand scattered about the Westport Country Playhouse stage are a chandelier and some picture frames, with the scene itself framed against an ocean backdrop that could be the view or a large painting on a castle wall topped by moulding. It doesn't take long to figure out that director Mark Lamos, with almost 30 Shakespeare productions under his belt, has gone to great lengths to explore the "Or-What-You-Will" part of the title of his production of Twelfth Night.

At just about every turn, the intention, like what that ubiquitous sand (Andrew Boyce, scenic design)signifies, isn't clear. What time frame are we in for example? Some of Tilly Grimes costumes, with their Farthingdale-style waists, indicate 16th-century, or maybe late 1700s. Other pants and shirts look like something worn today at Cape Cod. John Gromada's original music is pleasant, but has a modern swing quality when it isn't invoking the goodnight song from The Sound of Music. And then there's a late 19th-century Gramophone playing the music accompanying the singing (Gromada also designs the sound).

So you we just have to say, "Whatever," or "what you will" to the concept and try to enjoy Shakespeare's story of love amidst mistaken identities. Due to some big-time miscasting here, though, even that is hard to do without a lot of questions.

When Viola (Mahira Kakkar) washes up on shore and thinks her brother, Sebastian (Rachid Sabitri), has perished in the storm, she dresses like a man and renames herself Cesario to survive. Kakkar, unfortunately, is miscast, beyond simply not being able to deliver Shakespeare's verse naturally (whole passages are lost as the meter overtakes the meaning and what we can understand sounds like an English schoolmarm reading from the text). She's pretty, petite and feminine, so never looks like she could be mistaken for a man. A scene Lamos gives her to try to keep up with other males doing pushups isn't necessary to remind us she's really a woman.

Viola finds herself the trusted servant of the ruler of the land, Orsino (Lucas Hall), who asks Cesario to plead his case of love to Olivia (Susan Kelechi Watson) who has refused his attentions so far. Watson's ability with iambic pentameter, unfortunately, is even less than Kakkar's and when other cast members also can't seem to roll the Shakespeare off of their tongues, we say, "alas and forsooth," or just thorow our hands up and say, "what you will."

Viola falls in love with Orsino (though there is no apparent chemistry between the two actors); Olivia in love with Cesario, mistakenly marries Sebastian, who didn't perish in the storm after all (at least Kakkar and Sabitri look enough alike to pull off passing for twins). The plot sounds outlandish, but it can work wonderfully, like it did a couple of seasons ago in the Public Theatre's stellar Central Park production featuring Anne Hathaway. It is allowed to wander here, though, and isn't helped by a new subplot developed to suggest that friend Antonio (Paul Anthony Stewart) has homosexual feelings for Sebastian.

Saving this Westport production are some terrific turns from minor characters. Donetta Lavinia Grays lights up the stage with her portrayal of Maria, a servant to Olivia, who convinces steward Malvalio (David Adkins) that Olivia's affections will be his if he simply smiles a lot and cross garters himself while wearing yellow stockings (the garters here are over the top). She is aided in her deception, and in having Malvolio declared insane, by two clowns, Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby Belch (a fabulous David Schramm) and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (an equally engaging Jordan Coughtry), also a suitor of Olivia's. The three clowns doing bird calls to cover their presence while hiding from Malvolio is a hoot and I hope Grays will be starring in something soon. She has amazing stage presence.

Also helping is another servant/clown, Fabian (Justin Kruger), who spends some of his stage time wheeling Olivia's jester, Feste (Darius de Haas), around in a period wheelchair added last minute after de Haas suffered a leg injury in the last dress rehearsal. He lends the lead singing voice to the music and doesn't seem inhibited by the chair, but he seems miscast too: melancholy and exacting, rather than festive and spontaneous.
Twelfth Night runs through Nov. 5 at the Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport. For more information or tickets, call 203-227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit www.westportplayhouse.org.

News Briefs Week of Oct. 24

2011-10-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra will begin the 2011-2012 Jazz and Strings Series with a tribute to the classic jazz album, Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook 8 pm Friday, Nov. 4 in the Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor in Hartford.

Conceived and directed by Jazz and Strings Artistic Director Gene Bozzi, this concert will feature guest vocalist Tina Fabrique as the “First Lady of Song,” performing selections from the album as well as a few of Ella Fitzgerald’s biggest hits. Bassist Rick Rozie and frequent HSO arranger and pianist Walter Gwardyak, along with Bozzi on drums will team up with members of the HSO string, brass, and wind sections for this program. Subscriptions to the 2011-2012 Jazz and Strings Series are $54 for orchestra seating, $104 for center orchestra seating. Single tickets to the 2011-2012 Jazz and Strings Series are $20 for orchestra seating, $40 for center orchestra seating. Student tickets are $10. To purchase tickets or for more information, please contact HSO ticket services at 860-244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

Cirque Dreams Holidaze will play The Bushnell Dec. 20-24. Tickets available at 860-987-5900 or www.bushnell.org. For a review of the show when it played the Palace last season click here.
Spencers Theatre of Illusion plays the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 30 as part of the 2011-2012 “Awesome Fun” series. For added fun, there will be Halloween treats for all, and audience members are encouraged to come in costume and participate in a costume contest taking place that afternoon. Tickets are $35, $30, and $25. Children under 12 are $15. Tickets are available at 203-254-4010, toll-free 1-877-278-7396 or online at www.quickcenter.com.
The powerful, five-octave vocal range of Karen Frisk will resound through the Mark Twain House & Museum's Murasaki Café on Sunday, Nov. 13, as the museum's popular series of Sunday Jazz Brunches continues. Seatings are at 11:30 am and 1:15 pm. The $35 admission includes the performance, full brunch, soft drinks and hot beverages. Alcoholic beverages are available at an additional charge. Call 860-280-3130 for reservations.

Scenic Painting, Associate Program Added to Goodspeed's Musical Theatre Institute

2011-10-23T08:57:00.000-07:00

Goodspeed Musicals’ Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre will be offering new and enlarged educational programming for the 2012 Musical Theater Institutes. The Institutes will include training in the fields of music direction, scenic painting, and dance. All four of the programs will take place on the Goodspeed Musicals campus in East Haddam, Connecticut.

Now in its third year, the intensive has been extended by one day and will take place Jan. 16 – 22, 2012. It allows participants the opportunity to work with internationally renowned experts in music direction while networking with industry professionals. Participants will use the latest technology to receive hands-on training in the management and implementation of the audition, rehearsal, and orchestration processes. They will also attend nightly lectures given by industry experts on pertinent subjects relating to real-world success in the field of music direction. The application deadline for this unique program is November 18, 2011.

Goodspeed’s brand new Introduction to Scenic Painting Intensive will be a six-day program taught by top artisans featuring insturction in a variety of scenic painting techniques including texturing, cartooning, color mixing, squaring up, drop layout, and wood graining. The application deadline is Nov. 18, 2011.

Also new to the Musical Theatre Institute is Goodspeed’s Associate Program. This program will offer the opportunity for talented young theatre professionals and students to work alongside Goodspeed’s director, choreographer, or music director on a Goodspeed Opera House or Norma Terris production during the 2012 season. The application for this highly selective program is Feb. 14, 2012.

Finally, slated for Aug. 13 – 19, 2012, is Goodspeed’s Dance Intensive. This program is designed as a musical theatre dance boot camp for college age performers and young professionals. The distinguished faculty will cover numerous disciplines of dance with a musical theatre focus including instruction in tap, jazz, ballet, and hip-hop. The application deadline is June 15, 2012. Registration will be open soon.

In addition to the Musical Theatre Institute, Goodspeed offers training for students and young professionals in its Apprenticeship and Internship Program. The areas of concentration include Stage Carpentry, Scenic Painting, Costuming, Prop Building, Stage Management, Company Management, Producing, Marketing/Public Relations, Education/Library, and Development. Resumes are now being accepted for the 2012 Season.

For more information visit the Education page at www.goodspeed.org or contact Education and Library Director Joshua Ritter at 860.873.8664, ext. 745 or jritter@goodspeed.org.

Brian Dennehy Brings Krapp's Last Tape to Long Wharf

2011-10-23T08:09:00.000-07:00

Tickets go on sale to the general public for the critically renowned production of Krapp’s Last Tape, by Samuel Beckett, starring Brian Dennehy, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 15. The show will take place on Stage II from Nov. 29 through Dec. 18. Tickets are $70.

“Brian Dennehy is, without question, one of America’s greatest stage actors. His extraordinary performance in Hughie several seasons ago was something we will always remember and we are thrilled beyond measure that he is returning with another of his incredible performances in Krapp’s Last Tape,” said Gordon Edelstein, artistic director.

The play is directed by Jennifer Tarver and has had runs at the Shakespeare Festival Theater in Ontario and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. “It’s probably the greatest play I’ve ever been involved with and I’ve done a lot of great plays,” Dennehy told the New York Times in 2010. “But Krapp’s is everyone’s life.

In the twilight of his life, Krapp—alone now except for his memories—relives the moment years before when he glimpsed a chance at happiness. Samuel Beckett’s haunting monologue meditates on time’s passage, loves lost, and the rituals that both comfort and imprison us. Noted critic Brooks Atkinson of the New York Times described Beckett’s style as “pungent and fabulous.”

Brian Dennehy, who last appeared at Long Wharf Theatre in the critically acclaimed 2008 production of Hughie, has been described by critics as “transformative” in the role of Krapp. A foremost interpreter of the works of Arthur Miller and Eugene O’Neill, he won two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Play in 2003 for Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night and in 1999 for the 50^th anniversary production of Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman. A prolific screen actor as well, Dennehy has appeared in F/X, Cocoon, Gorky Park, Presumed Innocent, and Peter Greenway’s In The Belly Of An Architect for which he won the Best Actor Award at the Chicago Film Festival, among many others.

For more information, visit www.longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.

Grisham, Baldacci, Picoult Lend a Hand to Mark Twain

2011-10-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

John Grisham

By Lauren Yarger
Bestselling authors John Grisham, David Baldacci and Jodi Picoult shared insights into writing, publishing and how other authors, particularly Mark Twain, have influenced their careers in an entertaining event at Yale University last night to benefit the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford.
The humor-filled "Mark My Words" panel was moderated by Malaak Compton-Rock, founder of the Angel Rock Project, author of "If It Takes a Village, Build One," and wife of comedian Chris Rock at a sold-out Woolsey Hall. Among them, the featured authors have more than 400 million copies of their books in print. Baldacci’s tales of Washington intrigue and corruption, John Grisham’s blockbuster legal thrillers, and Jodi Picoult’s moving tales of the extremes of human emotion consistently top the best sellers lists. They shared their insights in responses to specific questions posed by Compton-Rock. Some are summarized here:

What is it you like about Mark Twain and which of his works do you enjoy?
Picoult: He wrote social commentary with commercial appeal. She tries to make readers think about important issues while reading a good story. A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. Also, his later writing about social issues and religion.
Grisham: He was fearless, angry and funny. Tom Sawyer -- a book which almost "ruined" his life after he established a Tom Sawyer Club in his Mississippi childhood and got in trouble for imitating Tom's behavior. The police suggested the disband...
Baldacci: He knew how to tell a yarn. Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn, his travel books. He likes Twain's later writings. "He got better as he got older."

What's the biggest misconception people have about Mark Twain?
Baldacci: That Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were the only things he wrote. He wasn't just a humorist, he was a satirist whose work is still funny today.
Grisham: That he was telling the truth when writing non-fiction. He cited a n extremely humorous account of Twain's time with the Confederate army which was hilarious, but hardly recognizable to those who had served with him.

Are libraries important to you?
Picoult: One of her first jobs was as a library page. She began reading at age 3 and couldn't wait to get her own library card.
Grisham: Kidded that he is opposed to libraries because they take away from book sales. Said that when his family moved, they would seek out a Baptist church and how many books the local library allowed you to check out.
Baldacci: His librarian scared him as a kid, but eventually, she allowed him to take out more than the maximum number of books allowed out at one time. The books he read from the library opened a whole new world for him.

What was getting that first book published like?
Picoult: wrote her first novel as her thesis at Princeton. Some 100 agents rejected it. Finally, an unknown agent took on her second novel. She worked in a number of different jobs, then finally continued with writing because "it was much easier than teaching 8th grade English."
Grisham: As a lawyer, where he kidded that he wrote fiction every day in his legal briefs, he had seen something in the court room that inspired a story idea. He began writing early in the morning and around his job, family obligations and duties as a state legislator. He was compelled to tell the story, which we know as "A Time to Kill." The first publisher printed 5,000 copies and Grisham bought 1,000 of them which he sold out of the back of his car. The habit of writing every day stuck and his next book, "The Firm," was the one that launched his career.
Baldacci: Also a lawyer, he started selling short stories to magazines in high school and also write some screenplays. He came up with the idea of a novel about a US President with a mistress and a cover up which became "Absolute Power." At the time, people told him they thought the plot was far-fetched. Later, they accused him of capitalizing on a real-life national scandal.

What is the process that happens when you're writing a book?
Picoult: Begins with a question that she can't answer that haunts her in her sleep. Characters pop up "like little mushrooms" and take the story away. She gets a lot of thoughts while driving, so writes notes on her hands and arms. She wrote on her children's hands too... She needs to figure out the plot twist so she can leave a trail for the reader. Then she does a "boat load" of research that lets her do lots of exciting and crazy things. Then it's like the scene from the movie "The wizard of Oz" where a whole bunch of things are flying around in the wind. The book touches down when she hears the first line.
Grisham: He follows headlines and trials and gets an idea. He tries to figure out what lends itself to the best story, then outlines. He figures out the final scene, then knows where he is going. He writes for three or four hours, (5-10 pages) then takes a break. He posts his deadline on the wall in front of him. His latest story, The Litigators," releases Tuesday.

Jodi Picoult

Baldacci: He recommends being interested in the story since a writer will spend such "a big chunk" of their life on it and you don't want to run out of steam. He tries to figure out how he can tell the story a little differently. He researches, but doesn't know where the story is going or how the book will end. He advises beginners not to try to do too much too soon.

What's your craziest fan story?
Picoult:
Grisham: 99 percent of fans are great, but there always are a few who make you nervous, like the woman who wanted him to sign a book for her dead friend. At another book signing, a woman asked him to sign her breast and he felt he couldn't refuse when it was presented. Her boyfriend showed up later, unzipped his pants and said, "If you're in such an autographing mood, why don't you autograph this?"
Baldacci: Enjoying lunch with his wife, he noticed a woman staring at him from across the restaurant. She finally came over and asked if he was who she thought he was. When he said yes, she yelled across the restaurant to her husband, "I was right. It is John Grisham!" Baldacci said his wife was so amused she "somehow blew iced tea out of her nose."

When did you know you had made it?
Grisham: Said the authors are "famous in a country where very few people read," so it's still easy to go out in public without being recognized. He felt he'd made it the first time he made the NY Times Bestsellers List.
Picoult: When a reviewer called her the "female John Grisham."
Baldacci: When he offered to sign books in a store. The clerk allowed him to after checking his ID against the book jacket.

What about Ebooks Self Publishing and the future of Publishing?

David Baldacci

Picoult: Ebooks are here to stay. Anything that gets people to read is good. Publishers need to stop panicking and meet the needs of the consumer. She thinks you'll see packages, similar to the music industry, where you will buy a hard cover, an audio recording and a download together. This allows the consumer to read the book in whatever format fits a schedule. "the death of the book is greatly exagerated," she said, but the demise of independent book sellers means it will be harder for first-time writers to get shelf space. Not a fan of self publishing. She feels traditional publishers offer more support in marketing and that there still is a stigma about self publishing.Grisham: Offers have been floating for him to consider going right to ebook, but he prefers traditional publishing. Writers should write their best story and shop it to agents in New York. If your story is good, it will get noticed.
Baldacci: It's not important how people read, just that they do. Publishing is a content-driven business. At the end of the day, people want stories. Only the delivery system will change. Traditional publishing as a business is safer than self publishing (where people have reported being ripped off) and is a way to surround yourself with professionals.

What other authors do you enjoy?
Picoult: Margaret Mitchell ("Gone with the Wind). "She created a world of words and I wanted to do that." Also Alice Hoffman.
Grisham: reads dead people -- Dickens, Twain, Hemingway. Also John le Carré.
Baldacci: John Irving

Theater Review: Over the Tavern -- Seven Angels

2011-10-15T14:36:00.000-07:00

Michael Sacco, Noel Desiato, Sarah Knapp, Tony Harkin and Carey Cannata. Photo by Paul Roth.

Over-the-Top Performances by Kids Highlight 1950s Story About Growing Up
By Lauren Yarger
Catholic dogma might not rule the life of 12-year-old Rudy Pazinski, who to the horror of his parents and teacher-nun announces his decision to forgo Confirmation while he shops around for a religion, but Over the Tavern, Tom Dudzick’s play opening the 21st season for Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury definitely is a good work with outstanding youth performances.

Carey Cannata makes a notable professional debut as the religion-questioning, Ed Sullivan-impersonating boy trying to find answers in 1959 Buffalo. Ben Scanlon is his pornography-obsessed teenage brother, Eddie. Mandy Thompson is their sister, Annie, whose poor self image causes her to overeat and undress in front of her window. In a terrific turn, Tony Harkin is their younger, mentally-challenged brother Georgie.

Director Semina De Laurentis brings out performances that are natural, touching and humorous. Voice overs (performed by Joyce Jeffrey, Michelle Gotay and Don Leona with sound design by Trenton Spears) call the “s-k-i-ending” names of the Polish students for detention at St. Casimir’s parochial school, depicted simply by Rudy seated at a desk, with Sister Clarissa (Noel Desiato) towering over him, lighted by Lynne Chase set apart from the main action of the Pazinskis’ apartment (Erik D. Diaz, scenic design).

Mother, Ellen Pazinski (SarahKnapp), tries to keep their home together in the cramped apartment where they live over a tavern run by her husband Chet (Michael Sacco) and his abusive, alcoholic father. It’s not easy given Chet’s manic mood swings that have the kids living in fear of receiving a beating.

Things just get worse when Rudy starts asking questions during catechism class, impersonating Jesus and coming up with some of his own answers. Why does God let bad things happen, why doesn't he answer prayers and why does he allow Sister Clarissa to strike him with her ruler while teaching him about God’s love, he wants to know. Rudy’s resistance finally prompts a fateful home visit from Sister Clarissa that results in a new family dynamic that might just be everyone’s salvation.

Dudzick’s strong character development and engaging dialogue create a glimpse into the family’s life and into a time gone by in America and the amazingly strong performances by the junior cast members make Over the Tavern a real pleasure.

Catch it at Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury, through Oct. 30. Tickets range from $29 to $39,50 and can be purchased by calling 203-757-4676 or online at www.sevenangelstheatre.org.

Brand: NEW Plays Get Seen at Hartford Stage

2011-10-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hartford Stage continues its commitment to developing the next generation of great plays and playwrights by presenting the 13th annual Brand:NEW Fall Festival of New Work November 3 - 6.

Building on the success of previous years' events, the festival will feature readings of distinctive new works by Bekah Brunstetter, Marcus Gardley, Steven Levenson, Matthew Schneck, and Sinan Unel. Gardley is this year's Aetna New Voices Fellow at Hartford Stage. The festival also includes a lively playwrights' panel discussion led by Jerry Patch, Director of Artistic Development at Manhattan Theatre Club.
Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak comments, "The five plays that we have chosen for this year's Brand:NEW festival look at history, family, and desire in exciting and unexpected ways. It is a pleasure to bring these distinctive and provocative writers to Hartford Stage."
Principal Sponsor for Brand:NEW is The John and Kelly Hartman Foundation. New play development is supported by the Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. Hartford Stage is supported by the Greater Hartford Arts Council and the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.

Schedule of Events for Brand:NEW 2011
Thursday, November 3 * 7:30 p.m.
pathetique
By Sinan Unel
Directed by Darko Tresnjak
Fall 1893. Composer Pyotr Illich Tchaikovsky is in St. Petersburg to premiere his sixth symphony - his darkest and most mysterious, imbued with a "subjective and secret program." Five days later, he is dead. After a decade, his brother and nephew still struggle with unrelenting gossip surrounding the composer's death and the symphony's secret. Pathétique explores the all-consuming passions of a great man and those who live in his shadow.
Friday, November 4 * 7:30 p.m.
hey brother
By Bekah Brunstetter
Directed by Maxwell Williams
Big brother Ben is a financial planner with an alpha-male attitude. Little brother Isaac is a graduate student in history, used to finishing in second place. When a mysterious young woman hunting for her own history comes into their lives, the love/ hate relationship between them is put to the test in this darkly funny adult drama.
Saturday, November 5 * 2:00 p.m.
the ping and the pang
By Matthew Schneck
Directed by Jenn Thompson

When a man reluctantly visits a psychiatrist for the first time, he is subjected to a bizarre and aggressive new talk therapy technique. Is his doctor helping him to face his real issues? Or merely pushing him past the brink of sanity? The human psyche, the collective unconscious, and funny-tasting kool-aid combine in this outlandish and hilarious existentialist comedy.
Saturday, November 5 * 7:30 p.m.
the house that will not stand
By Marcus Gardley
Directed by Hana S. Sharif
Set in 1836, against the backdrop of Faubourg Tremé in New Orleans, Marcus Gardley weaves a poetic tale of three sisters trapped beneath the oppressive thumb of their unyielding mother in a mandated six month period of mourning. As the summer heat intensifies, passion, jealousy, and fear collide in this explosive reimagining of Federico Garcia Lorca's The House of Bernarda Alba.
Sunday, November 6 * 11:00 a.m.
Playwrights' Panel
Meet the playwrights and engage with the creative process, discuss their inspiration, and learn about each individual journey to developing new work. Led by Jerry Patch, Director of Artistic Development at Manhattan Theatre Club.
Sunday, November 6 * 2:00 p.m.
days of rage
by Steven Levenson
Directed by Darko Tresnjak
1969. As the summer of love darkens into a long and bitter winter, a group of young activists makes plans for the Revolution from a dilapidated farmhouse in upstate New York. Jenny, a college dropout and a daughter of privilege, begins to have second thoughts about her role in the movement. As paranoia and political divisions threatening to tear the collective apart, Jenny must choose between following the dictates of her heart and a Revolution that may never come.
Key Dates and Information
Brand:NEW takes place November 3 - 6.
Readings will be held at Hartford Stage's Rehearsal Studio 2, 942 Main Street, downtown Hartford (Residence Inn building).
Passes good for admission to all Brand:NEW events are $15. Admission to individual readings is $5; admission to the Playwrights' Panel is free. All readings offer general seating.
For reservations, directions, or more information, call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit www.brandnewplayfestival.com.

News Briefs Oct. 14, 2011

2011-10-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

American History will be brought to new life when Pushcart Players presents Let Freedom Ring at the Palace Theater inWaterbury, on Tuesday, November 15, at 9:30am and 11:30am. Tickets are $10 for individuals, $8 for groups of ten or more, and on sale now at the Palace Theater Box Office,100 East Main Street inWaterbury. Administrators and teachers interested in booking a field trip can call the Group Sales Hotline at 203-346-2011. Individual tickets can be purchase by phone at 203-346-2000.
Cabaret group Cabaret Lulu, direct from the heart of New York City, will present "Big City Country Music Jamboree" at The Mark Twain House & Museum on November 2, featuring your favorite songs from great Broadway shows like Annie Get Your Gun, Paint Your Wagon and Oklahoma. Also included are songs by beloved country performers like Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley. The event will take place Wednesday, November 2, with lunch served at 11:00 a.m. and the show at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $45, and groups are welcome, with discount packages available for parties of 10 or more. For information, reservations and group discounts, call (212) 308-8050 or 1-866-LULU-USA (585-8872).
Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present The Miser, Oct. 27 – Nov. 6, in the Studio Theatre on the Storrs campus. For tickets and information, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.crt.uconn.edu.
In a departure from the usual Nook Farm Book Talks format, the monthly session of the free book club at the Harriet Beecher Stowe Visitor Center on Thursday, November 3, will examine nine speeches of two great Americans and their meaning for history -- and for us today."The Lincoln and Douglass Speeches" will explore the works of President Abraham Lincoln and his contemporary, author, activist and statesman Frederick Douglass. The talk will be facilitated by noted Trinity Professor Eugene Leach, who has made a special study of the two men's works. Come for refreshments at 5 pm in the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center at 77 Forest St. The discussion begins at 5:30. Reservations are recommended: info@stowecenter.org or 860-522-9258, Ext. 317. Free.
Theatre Fairfield, Fairfield University’s resident production company, opens its 2011-2012 season Oct. 26-30 with the classic musical comedy Once Upon a Mattress, with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer. The role of Winnifred is played by Casey Grambo, Queen Aggaravain, the overbearing queen, is played by Ashley Ruggiero, the mute King Sextinus is Joseph Plouffe, and the timid Prince Dauntless is Michael Maio. The cast also includes a court full of knights and ladies: Nancy Laskowski, Luke Paulino, Josh Matteo, Lauren Sippin, Owen Corey, Maria Mazzaro, Kate Hoffman, Margaret Greene, Austin Begin, Kelan McDonnell, Tom Martorano, Kathryn Dennen, Katie Premus, and Brendan Freeman. The production team is headed by Fairfield University graduates Ryan McKinney, ’97, who is director/choreographer, and Gregory Horton, ’68, who is musical director. The design team includes costume designer Julie Leavitt, lighting designer Lynne Chase, and scenic designer Evan Hill. The show is stage managed by Grace Janiszewski and assisted by Katie Gillette. For further information and directions, call 203- 254-4010 or 1-877-278-7396, or visit www.quickcenter.com

Michael Moore, Juan Williams Events Set By Mark Twain House

2011-10-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

Academy Award-winning Filmmaker Moore at Jorgensen Auditorium Nov. 18; Fox News' Williams at Twain Dec. 2.
The Mark Twain House and Museum welcomes two denizens of the current political scene, both of whom carry forward the Twainian tradition of feather-ruffling and boat-rocking: Filmmaker Michael Moore and Fox News' Juan Williams, at two separate events.

Michael Moore

Moore will appear in the museum's lecture series named from that famous quote -- A Pen Warmed Up in Hell -- &:30 pm Friday, Nov. 18 at Jorgensen Auditorium at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. Williams will be speaking in the museum's Clemens Lecture series on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 pm at The Mark Twain Museum Center in Hartford.

Tickets to the Moore talk are $25, $35, and $45, with $85 providing premium orchestra seating and a private reception with the filmmaker at 5:30 pm. To order, call 860-486-4226 or visit www.jorgensen.uconn.edu.

Tickets to the Williams lecture are $30 ($25 for Mark Twain House & Museum members) and can be purchased by calling 860-280-3130.

Moore, an Academy Award-winning documentarian and writer has stirred up the world of documentary filmmaking since the release of "Roger and Me" (1989), his direct-action film in which he confronted an auto mogul on the decline of his home city's signature industry. Subsequent films -- including "Bowling for Columbine" (2002), "Fahrenheit 9/11" (2004), "Sicko" (June 29, 2007) and "Capitalism: A Love Story" have taken on the gun lobby, the Iraq War, the health industry and greed in general -- all in a way that has been described by supporters as fiendishly witty, or by opponents as irritatingly snarky.

Juan Williams.
Photo Frank Graves.

Williams provided the tinder for a firestorm of controversy last October, when National Public Radio fired him -- then one of their senior correspondents -- for statements he made on a Fox News program that seeing people in Arab dress on airplanes made him nervous. The ensuing debate led to a nationwide discussion on freedom of speech and journalistic responsibility, and after his firing by NPR Fox News expanded Williams' role as political analyst at the station. Before his decade at NPR, Williams worked for the Washington Post for 23 years, and is the author of "Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years, 1954-1965," "Thurgood Marshall: American Revolutionary," "Enough," Williams' critique of black leaders in America and what he calls the "culture of failure"; and the current "Muzzled: The Assault on Honest Debate," an account of his termination by NPR.

Charlie Daniels Band Concert at Palace Cancelled Following Member's Death

2011-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Charlie Daniels Band concert scheduled to take place at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, on Saturday has been cancelled due to the death of the band’s longtime keyboardist and vocalist Joel ‘Taz’ DiGregorio.

DiGregorio, 67, died Wednesday night as a result of injuries he sustained in a single car accident in Cheatham County, TN, while driving to meet the CDB tour bus. The band was scheduled to depart for Cumming, GA, for a concert appearance at the Cumming Country Fair and Festival on Oct. 13.

“I am in shock now, Taz was one of my best friends,” says Charlie Daniels. “The CDB family has lost a great friend and musician. We traveled many miles together and shared so many nights on the road. We’re going to miss you buddy. You were one of a kind and will never be forgotten. We send our deepest condolences to the family.”

Out of respect for DiGregorio and the band’s loss, the Palace Theater is also cancelling the venue’s Motorcycle Ride and Fall Street Festival that were integrated with the concert and scheduled to take place before the band’s 8 pm performance. The theater is hoping to reschedule the concert and all related activities for Spring 2012.

Ticket holders are being contacted by the Palace Theater Box Office and will have the option of receiving a full refund or holding onto to their tickets until the potential rescheduled date is announced. For more refund information, contact the Box Office at 203-346-2000.

Broadwayworld.com Launches Awards for Connecticut Theaters

2011-10-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Nominations are sought for the 2011 Broadwayworld.com Awards for Connecticut theaters.

The online theater site will present awards in 26 different categories. Nominations will close on Oct. 31, 2011 at which point online voting will begin. All productions which opened between September 2010 and October of 2011 are eligible for inclusion.

Go to
http://connecticut.broadwayworld.com/2011nominations.cfm?region=Connecticut#ixzz1aVe1hpt6 for the nomination form and to submit your email address if you wish to be notified when voting begins.

Theater Review: The Marvelous Wonderettes -- Ivoryton

2011-10-11T12:51:00.000-07:00

Melissa Robinette, Paige Neal, Danielle Rhodes, Alanna Wilson. Photo by Anne Hudson.

A Double Blast from the Past Stirs Humor, Memories in the Present
By Lauren Yarger
It's 1958 and The Marvelous Wonderettes, an all-female vocal group, is entertaining at the Super Senior Prom and then flash, it's the 10-year reunion in 1968 -- both excuses for the women to sing a bunch of familiar toe-tapping pop tunes from the eras, which have audiences at the Ivoryton Playhouse smiling in nostalgia.

There's an attempt at a book by writer and creator Roger Bean: Betty Jean (Paige Neal) is feuding with former best friend Cindy Lou (Melissa Robinette, who understudied three of the roles for the show's Off-Broadway run) over a boy. Suzy (Alanna Wilson) has just been pinned by the guy running the lights (Tate R. Burmeister, design) and shy Missy (Danielle Erin Rhodes) has a secret love.

If you're looking for more plot than that, you'll be disappointed. The story device, nonsensical at times (Betty Jean and Cindy Lou make up in the middle of the feud for no apparent reason; all of the women suddenly stop, drop and roll for a few-second fire drill....) is just a device for the songs.

All four women, directed by John Sebastian DeNicola (who also music directs), scream '50s and '60s in crinoline-poofed and A-line dresses (Julia Bowers, costume design) and era-popular dos (Joel Silvestro, hair/wig design. ). They also seem to be having a lot of fun and exude lots of enthusiasm belting out the tunes, performing simple, cheesy choreography in front of a glittery silver curtain with streamers and comically interacting with audience members, where the prom theme decor extends into the house (Cully Long, set design). Neal's gift for humor is used nicely.

Some of the harmonies (Bean and Brian William Baker, vocal arrangements) are less than marvelous, with "poof" giving way to "flat," but this doesn't distract the audience, many of whom probably are recalling their own 1958 (or prior) proms from enjoying tunes like "Dream Lover," "Goodnight Sweetheart," "Leader of the Pack," "Lollipop,"Mr. Sandman," "Wedding Bell Blues" and others accompanied by four musicians (two keyboards, guitar and percussion). The 60s tunes in the second act seem less familiar, but Robinette's "Son of a Preacher Man" is terrific.

The Marvelous Wonderettes runs through Oct. 18 at the Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton. Tickets are available by calling 860-767-7318 or by visiting www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.

CT Rep Brings Our Town to Storrs

2011-10-11T07:50:00.000-07:00

UConn Alumni, TV star and former Ms. Connecticut (1975) Mary Cadorette (center) appears as Mrs. Gibbs and counsels her children Rebecca Gibbs, played by Hannah Kaplan, and George Gibbs, played by Michael John Improta in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s production of Thornton Wilder’s American classic Our Town playing now through Oct. 16 in the Nafe Katter Theatre, Storrs. For tickets and information call 860-486-4226 and visit www.crt.uconn.edu. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.

News Briefs Oct. 11

2011-10-11T07:34:00.000-07:00

Subscriptions are now on sale to the general public for the 2012 season at Westport Country Playhouse. They may be purchased online at www.westportplayhouse.org or by calling the Playhouse box office at 203-227-4177. To introduce the series of five productions, the Playhouse will host a “2012 Season Preview Night” on Thursday, Oct. 27 from 6 to 8 pm featuring a presentation by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, followed by a Q&A, along with complimentary hors d’oeuvres, beverages and giveaways. The event is free and open to the public.
Fall Writing classes at The Mark Twain House & Museum 5:30 to 7:30 pm on Wednesdays Oct. 26 to Dec. 7. Novelist and memoirist Mary-Ann Tirone Smith will lead a fiction workshop and columnist and memoirist Susan Campbell will lead a non-fiction group. Fee $500. Call Steve Courtney at 860-247-0998, Ext. 243, or email steve.courtney@marktwainhouse.org to register.

Yale School of Drama presents Doctor Faustus Lights the Lights by Gertrude Stein, directed by Lileana Blain Cruz, Oct. 25-29 at the Iseman Theater, 1156 Chapel St., New Haven.

The Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts at Sacred Heart University kicks off its Broadway Divas Series featuring Women of Wicked with Dee Roscioli and her Broadway Friends, all of whom have performed in Wicked and other Broadway productions. Described as an enthralling night of Broadway music, the Women of Wicked will take the stage on Saturday, Oct. 22 for two performances at 6 and 9 pm. Tickets and info 203-371-7908. This Sunday, Oct. 16, the American Legends Series features award-winning actress and singer Shirley Jones at 3 pm.

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts begins its 2011-2012 Sweet Sounds Series with rising bluegrass star Sierra Hull & Highway 111 performing at 8 pm Friday, Oct. 21. Opening the concert will be area favorites The String Fingers Band, which includes Dan Carlucci, an alumnus of Fairfield Prep and Fairfield University. Tickets are $25. Call 203-254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-278-7396; online at www.quickcenter.com.

'Amigo' Director Will Speak at Trinity College

2011-10-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

What:
John Sayles, a celebrated independent filmmaker and author, will deliver a lecture prior to the showing of his new historical war drama, Amigo. His appearance is free and open to the public. Admission to the movie is $8, and $7 for seniors over the age of 62 and students (with a student ID).

When:
Wednesday, October 26. The lecture is at 5:30 p.m. and the movie will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Additional screenings of Amigo will be Thursday, October 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, October 28 at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, October 29 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Where:
Cinestudio on the campus of Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, Hartford.

Background: Now playing in select cities across the country, Amigo is Sayles’s 17th feature film. It is set in the Philippines in 1900 as the U.S. Army stages an in invasion to liberate the population from Spanishcontrol. The war was strongly criticized by author and humorist Mark Twain,among others.

Based on an incident in Sayles’ novel "A Moment in the Sun" Amigo opened to rave reviews.

A drama of friendship, betrayal, romance, and heartbreaking violence, Amigo is a page torn from the untold history of the Philippines, and points to similar U.S. occupations of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan.

For more information about the movie, please visit: www3.amigomovie.com. To contact Cinestudio, please call 860-297-5126 or visit: www.cinestudio.org.

Discover the Super Hero in You at Long Wharf's Discovery Day

2011-10-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

Long Wharf Theatre transforms into a cool Superhero Training School for its 5^th Annual Discovery Day, a fun family open house event taking place at 9 am Saturday, Nov. 19 at Long Wharf Theatre, located at 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven.

There is a suggested donation of $5 per family or $2 per person. All donations from this event will go towards funding a family friendly March production entirely adapted, produced, designed, and built by the Next Stage residents, early career professionals training in specific fields of theatre.

Discovery Day has grown in popularity over the past five years and over 200 parents and children attended the event last year. This year, kids ages three and up, will have the opportunity to become their own special kind of superhero. Prompted by a pair of headmistresses (one good and one evil, played by residents Maria DiFabbio and Marissa Friedman – think Hogwarts), kids will begin a journey using the magic of theatre as their guide. They’ll take an acting class to create their superhero personas, with lights and sound on the stage to enhance the experience. Kids will then make superhero masks and capes in the costume shop, with more fun to follow. “We want kids to be able to do something engaging and theatrical,” Friedman said.

One of the theatre’s goals with Discovery Day is to help cultivate the joy and love of theatre in very young people. There isn’t a staff member at Long Wharf Theatre who doesn’t remember the theatrical experience that prompted a lifelong love affair with the art form. For residents Friedman, a New Haven native working in the artistic office, and DiFabbio, a stage management resident from Guilford, it happened to be the same musical: Broadway productions of Les Miserables seen around the age of 5. “I was struck by the enormity of the whole experience,” Friedman recalls. “I remember feeling incredibly happy and angry … I left the theatre and told my parents that this is what I have to do.”

“It is amazing that I still remember (the performance),” DiFabbio said. “I listened to the soundtrack every single day when I was a little kid. I really hope that Discovery Day, with the tour of the backstage and seeing just what we do will show the fun of it all, how theatre is a is all about expressing yourself and learning to work with others to create something extraordinary. That’s our goal."

Long Wharf Theatre’s 2011-12 Next Stage class is comprised of Marissa L. Friedman (Artistic), Kristianna Smith (Education), Gordon Granger (Scenery), Luke Reinwald (Scenic Paint), Craig Harlow (Props), Abbey Steere (Costumes), Jason Pratt (Electrics), Darlene Richardson (Sound) and Maria DiFabbio (Stage Management.)

For more information about Long Wharf Theatre and Discovery Day, visit www.longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.

Nicholas Martin, Phylicia Rashad Will Direct at Playhouse

2011-10-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Nicholas Martin and Phylicia Rashad have been added to the roster of directors helming productions during Westport Country Playhouse’s 2012 season, playing May through November.

Martin will direct the intimate drama, The Year of Magical Thinking, featuring Maureen Anderman, based on the National Book Award-winning memoir by acclaimed author Joan Didion, June 12-30, 2012. Rashad will direct the powerful classic, A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, Oct. 9 – Nov.3, 2012.
As previously announced, Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director, will helm the season opener, a 25^thanniversary revival of Into the Woods, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, May 1 – 19, 2012. The musical is a co-production with Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE. Lamos will also direct the world-premiere comedy Harbor, written by Tony Award-nominated Chad Beguelin, Aug. 28– Sept.15, 2012. David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director, will stage the biting social satire, Tartuffe, written by Molière and translated by Richard Wilbur, July 17 – Aug. 4. 2012.

5-play subscriptions, starting at $150, are available Tuesday 4-play subscriptions, Pick 3 Plans, FlexTix and group sales will be available starting Jan. 3, 2012. Single tickets will go on sale March 6, 2012.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org.

Goodspeed Holds Auditions for Instrumentalists

2011-10-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

Goodspeed Musicals will be holding auditions for instrumentalists on Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Norma Terris Theatre, in Chester, CT. The goal of these auditions is to develop more depth for the Norma Terris Theatre pit.

Appointments are being made for bass, guitar, percussion, reed doublers (flute, clarinet & saxophones), trumpet, trombone, violin and harp players. All auditions are by appointment only. Appointments may be made starting immediately by calling Goodspeed Company Management at (860) 873-8664, ext. 387, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am - 6 p.m.

Interested candidates should prepare a brief solo or excerpt that demonstrates an ability to perform in a“Musical Theatre” style. Reed doublers should prepare something that showcases all doubled instruments.

Washington Heights Meets Waterbury

2011-10-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

In the Heights, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® and the 2008Grammy® Award for “Best Musical Show Album,” brings the energy of its Latin laced rhythms and the timeless story of home to the Palace Theater in Waterbury, for three performances, Nov. 4-5. Tickets are on-sale now and available online at www.palacetheaterct.org, by phone at 203-346-2000 or in person at the box office at100 East Main St. in Waterbury.
The show tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you and which ones you leave behind.

In addition to taking home the 2008 Tony Award for “Best Musical,” Lin-Manuel Miranda, the show’s creator, also won the Tony Award for “Best Music and Lyrics,” Andy Blankenbuehler won for “Best Choreography,” and Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman won for “Best Orchestrations.”

In theme with the musical’s message about the importance of community, the Palace is offering schools, bands and drama clubs the opportunity to raise money for their organizations by organizing a group to attend the matinee performance of In the Heights on Nov. 5, at 2 pm. For every mezzanine ticket sold at the promotion’s reduced $30 student price, the Palace will donate $3.00 back to the organization. Group leaders are encouraged to contact Box Office and Special Services Coordinator Deidre Patterson at 203-346-2011 for more information or to organize their.

For more information on the production, visit www.InTheHeightsTheMusical.com or www.palacetheaterct.org.

NY Times Critic Ben Brantley Visits Fairfield University for Open Visions Event

2011-10-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

Ben Brantley. Photo courtesy of Fairfield University.

The Open VISIONS Forum series at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts turns a critical on today’s theatre scene at 8 pm Wednesday, Oct. 19 when The New York Times chief theater critic Ben Brantley shares his expertise in the lecture "On the Aisle: Critically Speaking."

Following his presentation, Brantley will be joined on-stage for a discussion on the subject with Mark Lamos, artistic director of the Westport Country Playhouse, and Dr. Martha S. LoMonaco, professor of theatre and director of the theatre program at Fairfield University, and guest curator for “Bravo! A Century of Theatre in Fairfield County,” the current exhibition at the Fairfield Museum and History Center. Single tickets are $45.

Brantley became chief theater critic of The New York Times in September 1996 after having served as its drama critic since joining the newspaper in August 1993. He received the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism for 1996-1997. Mr. Brantley is the editor of “The New York Times Book of Broadway: On the Aisle for the Unforgettable Plays of the Last Century,” which was published by St. Martin’s Press in 2001. Prior to joining The Times, Mr. Brantley was a staff writer at The New Yorker magazine. Before that, he was a writer at Vanity Fair magazine, and he reviewed films for Elle magazine. He has also worked as European editor, publisher and Paris bureau chief for Women's Wear Daily and was an editorial assistant at The Village Voice. Born in Durham, N.C., Mr. Brantley received a B.A. degree in English from Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, P.A., graduated with high honors, and is a Phi Beta Kappa.

Lamos is a director of plays, musicals and opera. In the Westport Playhouse’s 2011 season, he directed Terrence McNally’s Lips Together, Teeth Apart and the current production of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, or What You Will. He spent 17 seasons as artistic director of Connecticut's Hartford Stage, for which he accepted the Tony Award in 1989. The New York Times has called Mark Lamos "a poet of the theater," and his work receives a chapter in Samuel L. Leiter's "The Great Stage Directors: 100 Distinguished Careers of the Theater," along with legendary directors of for his work at Hartford.

LoMonaco is an author, director, producer and theater historian. She is the resident director and producer of Fairfield University’s Theatre Fairfield company. She is also guest-curator for “Bravo! A Century of Theatre in Fairfield County,” the current exhibition at the Fairfield Museum and History Center. On view through March 18, 2012, the show explores the wealth of theatrical history in Fairfield County, focusing on the Westport Country Playhouse, White Barn Theatre and American Shakespeare Theatre. The Fairfield Museum is located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, CT.

Tickets are available through the Quick Center Box Office: (203) 254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-ARTS-396. (1-877-278-7396). Tickets can also be purchased online at www.quickcenter.com.

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Fairfield University at 1073 North Benson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. Entrance to the Quick Center is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Free, secure parking is available. Access for people with disabilities is available throughout the Quick Center for audience members and performers. Hearing amplification devices are available upon request at the Box Office. Fairfield University is located off exit 22 of Interstate-95. For further information and directions, call (203) 254-4010 or 1-877-278-7396, or visit www.quickcenter.com

October Mark Twain House News:

2011-10-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

Twainiacs, those in the Mark Twain House and Museum's special membership category for those 39 and under, will get exclusive access to a late-night ghost tour on Halloween weekend. The Twainiac Ghost Tour will take place on Friday, Oct. 28. For $20, Twainiacs can attend a 9:30 pm reception in the museum's café, where they will mingle with other Twainiacs and get a free beer or soft drink. Thus relaxed, they will be ready for a 10 pm private ghost tour of the Twain House. Reservations are required: 860-280-3130.
The public is invited to dress in its Halloween finery for the first-ever Steampunk Halloween Masquerade Ball. Dr. Grymm Laboratories, mastermind of the Mark Twain House & Museum's exhibit Steampunk Bizarre: The Unknown, has arranged an evening of fears and gears. The masquerade ball will run Friday, Oct. 21 from 7 to 10 pm in the Mark Twain Museum Center. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased by calling 860-280-3130. More info 860-247-0998 or visit www.marktwainhouse.org.
Present-day official storyteller Jonathan Kruk will be heard at The Mark Twain House & Museum for two performances, Tuesday, Oct. 25, and Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 conjuring a one-man adaptation of Irving's immortal eerie tale, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." And in line with the eerie theme, the performance will be held in the eerie Mark Twain House basement.
See the article about the upcoming aithor event at Yale below.

Bing Crosby Christmas Show at Palace Cancelled

2011-10-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

The Bing Crosby Christmas Spectacular tour that was slated to make a pre-holiday stop at the Palace Theater in Waterbury on Saturday, Nov. 26, has cancelled all 2011 tour dates due to an issue with the show’s licensing agreement.
Ticket holders are being contacted by the Palace Theater Box Office and will receive a full refund or theater credit for another performance. For more information, contact the Box Office at 203-346-2000.

Baldacci, Grisham. Picoult to Sign Books Before Twain Event

2011-10-08T07:14:00.000-07:00

The three authors who will appear at Yale's Woolsey Hall on Wednesday, Oct. 19, in a special benefit performance for The Mark Twain House & Museum will be signing copies of their books that morning at an exclusive event sponsored by RJ Julia Books at The Study at Yale hotel, 1157 Chapel St., New Haven.
The signing by David Baldacci, John Grisham and Jodi Picoult will be held from 10 to 11:30 am at The Study at Yale.

Only books purchased from RJ Julia -- at its Madison store or online -- can be signed at this event. Your book and proof of purchase will be your ticket. A maximum of two books per author can be signed.

The Mark Twain House & Museum has partnered with RJ Julia and The Study at Yale for this special booksigning, which is a historic opportunity to meet three of America's bestselling authors and turn their well-loved works into treasured keepsakes.

Further information on the signing event, and books to be purchased online, can be found at www.rjjulia.com/event/3-author-booksigning.

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR EVENING EVENT

And tickets are still available for the main event that day.

In an unprecedented event that unites three No. 1 New York Times bestselling authors, The Mark Twain House & Museum will present Mark My Words: An Evening with David Baldacci, Jodi Picoult and John Grisham on Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 8 pm at Yale University's Woolsey Hall in New Haven, Connecticut.

In a wide-ranging conversation moderated by community activist Malaak Compton-Rock, the three will tell of their writing lives and convey the influence Twain had upon their work.

To make this event affordable to all the authors' many fans, tickets for this major event are moderately priced at $25, $45, and $65. All proceeds support the programs of The Mark Twain House & Museum. Tickets can be obtained by going to www.twainmarkmywords.com or by calling 888-736-2663. Woolsey Hall is at 500 College Street (at Grove), New Haven, Connecticut.

The informational website www.twainmarkmywords.com, created by East Hartford's ForeSite Technologies, provides event news and information about the authors, venue, parking, directions, and more.

No Boundaries Season at Yale Announced

2011-10-08T06:49:00.000-07:00

NO BOUNDARIES: A SERIES OF GLOBAL PERFORMANCES, presented byYale Repertory Theatre (James Bundy, Artistic Director; Victoria Nolan, Managing Director)and World Performance Project at Yale (Joseph Roach, Principal Investigator;Emily Coates, Artistic Director), announces its 2011-12 season, which includes the American premiere of Engagement Féminin: An Evening of West African Contemporary Dance, created and performed by Art’ Dév/Compagnie Auguste-Bienvenue, based in Burkina Faso, West Africa; Spectral Scriabin, a collaboration between pianist Eteri Andjaparidze and lighting designer Jennifer Tipton, featuring the music of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin; and Neva, an ensemble theatre piece performed by Chile’s Teatro en el Blanco.
NO BOUNDARIES celebrates the diversity of voices and experiences in today’s world. NO BOUNDARIES explores—and explodes—the frontiers of theatrical invention through cutting-edge, thought-provoking dance, music, and theatre. Tearing down cultural, linguistic, and geographic barriers,NO BOUNDARIES extends and enhances the educational mission of Yale University through a series of performances by artistic innovators from around the globe—right here in New Haven, right here at Yale.

AMERICAN PREMIERE
ENGAGEMENT FÉMININ: AN EVENING OF WEST AFRICAN CONTEMPORARY DANCE
Created and performed by Art’ Dév/Compagnie Auguste-Bienvenue

November 3-5, 2011 at 8PM
Iseman Theater (1156 Chapel Street)

No Boundaries presents the American premiere of two landmark pieces of contemporary African dance—Ecoute Ma Musique andDans Un S’Y Mettre—performed in a single evening. Drawing from their own experiences, the dancers of Engagement Féminin explore the everyday choices the women of their communities make to face life’s obstacles and achieve their goals.

Engagement Féminin is committed to developing a new generation of female choreographic artists in West Africa. Historically under-represented in this genre, young female performers receive training and create and perform their work across the continent in order to affect social change through contemporary African dance.

Running time: approximately 60 minutes.

SPECTRAL SCRIABIN
Eteri Andjaparidze, Piano
Jennifer Tipton, Lighting Design

February 10 & 11, 2012 at 8PM
University Theatre (222 York Street)

Russian composer Alexander Scriabin caused a sensation in 1915, staging what was most likely the first multimedia concert in history. Designing aclavier à lumière to project colors onto the stage as it was played, Scriabin pioneered ideas relating colors and musical pitch. Nearly a century later, celebrated Georgian pianist Eteri Andjaparidze and MacArthur “genius” lighting designer Jennifer Tipton explore the legacy of this late Romantic composer through excerpts from his Poeme Languide in B Major and other works, including Feuillet d’Album in F-sharp Major, Opus Posthumous. This extravaganza of lush music and spectacular lightshow is truly “something unforgettable” (New York Press).

Running time: approximately 60 minutes.

NEVA
Written and directed by Guillermo Calderón
Performed by Teatro en el Blanco

March 23 & 24, 2012 at 8PM
Yale Repertory Theatre (1120 Chapel Street)

A politically-charged, haunting interrogation of theatre and the revolutionary impulse,Neva tells the story of Anton Chekhov’s widow, the actress Olga Knipper, who arrives at a dimly lit rehearsal room in St. Petersburg in the winter of 1905. As Olga and two other actors await the rest of the cast, they huddle together, act out scenes from their lives, and muse on their art form and love—while unseen striking workers are being gunned down in the streets by the Tsarist regime. Chilean writer/director Guillermo Calderón savagely examines the relationship between performance and history in this tightly-crafted ensemble work that allows a palpable terror to creep through the theatre walls.

Performed in Spanish with English supertitles.

Running time: approximately 80 minutes.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for all 2011-2012 No Boundaries events are $35 and $10 for students. Tickets may be purchased online atwww.yalerep.org/noboundaries, by phone (203) 432-1234, and in person at the Yale Rep Box Office (1120 Chapel Street, at York Street).

RELATED PROGRAMS

No Boundariesoffers a variety of programs that allow audiences to engage with its diverse group of artists before and after the performances. All events are free and open to the public.

TALK BACKS
Q&A sessions with theNo Boundaries artists are held immediately following all performances.

WORKSHOPS
Audiences are invited to participate in interactive studio sessions withNo Boundaries artists in their areas of expertise.

SYMPOSIA

Prominent scholars and artists working across music, literature, dance, theatre, and performance studies contextualize and draw forth themes relating to the No Boundaries artists and their work.

A schedule of related programs for eachNo Boundaries presentation will be announced. For more information, please visitwww.yale.edu/wpp and www.yalerep.org/noboundaries.

Quick Hit Theater Review: Molly Sweeney -- Long Wharf

2011-09-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Hogan, Simone Kirby and Ciarán O'Reilly. Photo T. Charles Erickson

Molly Sweeney
By Brian Friel
Directed by Charlotte Moore
The Irish Repertory Theatre Production
at Long Wharf Theatre

Summary:
Molly Sweeney (Simone Kirby) has been blind since she was a baby, but her husband, Frank (Ciaran O'Reilly), takes her on his latest cause du jour and convinces Mr. Rice (Jonathan Hogan) to consider her for surgery that could restore her sight. Molly, who is quite content living in the world seen through her other senses agrees to please Frank. Rice think he may have been handed an opportunity to redeem the career and reputation he lost when he suffered a breakdown. Each has a motive for the surgery, but is gaining sight really the best thing for Molly, now more than 40 years old?

Highlights:
Very good performances. Kirby makes her character's sightless world very vivid to us. O'Reilly infuses the more serious script with some humor and Hogan is a perfect foil. Particularly nice is James Morgan's set, split into three areas backdropped by windows where each of the characters stays, not really interacting with the others, as they tell their versions of the story.

Lowlights:
The soliloquies get a bit tedious.

Other information:
The production runs on Long Wharf's Stage II, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven, through Oct. 16. For tickets: www.longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.

Quick Hit Theater Review: Traces -- The Bushnell

2011-09-28T14:35:00.000-07:00

Cast members perform. Photo by Michael Meseke

Traces
Directed and Choreographed by Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider
7 Fingers Productions
at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford

Summary:
Think Cirque de Soleil without the costumes and modified circus acts with an urban theme. The show, produced by 7 Fingers (and apparently performed for Prince William and Kate as part of Canada Day) is touring this show and recently opened a production Off-Broadway at Union Square.

Five men and a woman perform various balancing and tumbling feats to a modern international-sounding music track with some modern dance thrown in for style. The story, told through the movement, and with very little spoken words, apparently revolves around a group of friends, wondering what trace of them will be left when they are gone, leave their mark in a rundown warehouse through acrobatics, music and dance ( note: I got that from the press release, not really from the performance itself).

Highlights:
The young performers (Antoine Auger, Francisco Cruz, Devin Henderson, Camille Legris, Sen Lin, Genevieve Morin and Tristan Nielsen) are skilled and bring nice personalities to their stunts, which range from tumbling through Chinese hoops, launching themselves from a teeter board, rolling around on a Cyr wheel and flying on ropes to a truly spectacular number which has them walking in seemingly gravity-defying ability up and down two vertical poles. It's an entertaining 90 minutes.ter board

Lowlights:
The show gets off to a slow start. There's a video bit showing people walking in the lobby that doesn't really work. There are some awkward pauses and the "story" is somewhat disjointed.

More information:
The show runs in the Belding Theater through Oct. 9. Tickets are available online at www.bushnell.org or by calling 860-987-5900.