Little House Musical Arrives at Westport

Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities Series will present the musical Laura Ingalls Wilder, about the exciting adventures of the beloved author who wrote the classic “Little House” series of children’s books, on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 1 and 4 pm.

Recommended for 2nd through 6th graders, the show is produced by ArtsPower. The performance is approximately 55 minutes with no intermission.

In the musical production, the spirited pioneer girl Laura Ingalls Wilder, older sister Mary, Ma and Pa travel across the unsettled frontier of the late-1800s American Midwest in search of a little house to call home. Facing obstacles such as scarlet fever and eviction from their land, their family bonds are tested but never broken.

The show features a lush musical score with five original songs, among them “Move On,” which captures the restlessness and excitement of loading up the covered wagon, and “Fishin’,” a duet in which Laura and Pa laugh and share tall tales at their favorite fishing hole.

The production is written and directed by ArtsPower artistic director Greg Gunning with music by his longtime collaborator Richard DeRosa.

In pre-show activities, children will participate in fun pioneer-themed activities and games. Pre-show activities, for which reservations are required, begin one hour before the performances at noon and 3 pm.

Tickets for “Laura Ingalls Wilder” are $16. Birthday party facilities may be scheduled in advance. Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. Groups of 10 or more save up to 30% off the regular ticket price. For group sales information call (203) 227-5137, x120.

Upcoming in the Playhouse’s 2010 Family Festivities Series are “Charlotte’s Web” on Sunday, Feb. 28; “Are You My Mother?” on Sunday, March 28; and “I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” on Sunday, April 11.

ArtsPower was founded in 1985 by Mark and Gary Blackman. ArtsPower has grown into one of America’s largest and most active producers of professional theater for young and family audiences. Its 26 professional touring productions have been seen by 9 million people in 46 states and in some of the national’s top venues including The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and Lincoln Center.

O'Neill Alumni Reunite

Join alumni of the O'Neill Theater's National Theater Institute and celebrate the group's 40th anniversary 6 pm Monday, Feb. 1 at the Players Club, 16 Gramercy Park South, between Park Avenue South and Third Avenue, NYC.

Register online at www.theoneill.org, email theaterlives@theoneill.org or call 860-443-5378 extension 230.

Broadway Boys Return for Valentine's at Westport

Following their extremely successful concert in December at Westport Country Playhouse, The Broadway Boys, a collection of the hottest male voices currently working on the New York stage, will return to the Playhouse stage on Sunday, Feb. 14 at 3 pm for a special Valentine’s Day event.

The group adds elements of pop, funk, gospel, jazz and folk to show tunes, classic pop and romantic ballads and explore harmonies rarely presented by Broadway singers.

The Broadway Boys were created in 2005 to play a single night at a club in New York City. The overwhelming response forced the club to bring the boys back again for another sold-out evening. Realizing that this group had serious growth potential, the Broadway Boys decided to focus and develop their product into the “symphony of sound” that they have become.

Tickets are $40, $15 for students. For more information or ticket purchases, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets may be purchased online at www.westportplayhouse.org.

Auditions for Ivoryton's Enchanted Evening

Ivoryton Playhouse will hold non-Equity and Equity auditions for five male and female vocalists with strong acting abilities for an April production of “Some Enchanted Evening.”

The auditions will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 9 from noon to 8 pm at the Rehearsal Studio, 24 Main St., Centerbrook. The show runs from April 14 – May 2; rehearsals begin March 30.

Those auditioning should prepare two contrasting Rodgers & Hammerstein or similar songs and bring a picture and resume stapled together.

Call 860-767-7318 for appointment

No Boundaries for Taylor Mac at Yale

NO BOUNDARIES: A Series of Global Performances, presented by Yale Repertory Theatre and World Performance Project at Yale, continues its 2009-10 season with The Be(A)st of Taylor Mac, written and performed by Taylor Mac, and directed by David Drake, at the University Theatre, 222 York St., for three performances only: Thursday, Jan. 28; Friday, Jan. 29; and Saturday, Jan. 30, at 8 pm.

Mac sings about love, mermaids, subway safety and revolution in The Be(A)st of Taylor Mac, a wild, gender-bending fusion of cabaret and politics. Tickets are available online at yalerep.org, by phone (203) 432-1234, and in person at the Yale Rep Box Office, 1120 Chapel St., at York Street.

The show contains strong language. A talk back with Taylor Mac follows each performance. Additional related programs, all free and open to the public, also have been scheduled.

Feature: The Lion King at the Bushnell

The Tree of Life from The Lion King National

Tour. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus.

Hartford Transforms into Pride Lands

with Help of Richard Hudson’s Sets

By Lauren Yarger
The stage at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts will be transformed into the African Pride Lands beginning this Wednesday thanks to set pieces, costumes and technical equipment trucked in on 18 semis to create the world of Disney’s The Lion King making its second tour stop here in Hartford from Jan. 27 through Feb. 14.

The man largely responsible for the look of the show, and who won a Tony Award for the Broadway design in 1998, is Richard Hudson, and while he found the challenge of bringing Africa to the American stage daunting, there is no question that this award-winning opera set designer was equal to the task.

He worked with director Julie Taymor, who was the first woman to win the Tony for best direction of a musical, to make scenes like the animated movie’s colossal pride rock and stampede come to life.

Hudson hadn’t seen the Disney cartoon movie prior to being contracted for the staging, but when he did, the thought of turning it into a show seemed “impossible.” Taymor’s vision, illustrated in some set mock ups inspired Hudson, however, and when it became clear that the team wasn’t trying to recreate the film, he began to see the possibilities.

The designer, who grew up in Zimbabwe, began to research African fabrics and textiles, and soon was remembering the colors and scale of the land of his youth. For pride rock (which rises from below the stage for the Broadway production, but which enters from the wings for the touring productions), Hudson made Taymor’s design a little less symmetrical and gave it the appearance of rising up form the ground as it would look to birds soaring above it.

For the stampede scene, which Hudson called the “most problematic,” he needed to show perspective that would make it appear that thousands of animals were running onto the stage with very little time in between scenes to accomplish the effect. He created a series of rollers with different sized animals on different levels and topped the effect off with performers in the show’s trademark puppet-costumes entering from below the stage and from the sides. The design creates a false perspective that still has audiences gasping at the visual effect.

Hudson lives in London, so he hasn’t had much chance to see the tours here in the United States. Connecticut Arts Connection caught up with the designer in New York where he is working on a production for the Metropolitan Opera and where he took in the Broadway production for the first time in many years.

“I was deeply moved,” he said. “It has been beautifully maintained.”

He saw the tour in Denver and recently attended a 10-year anniversary party for the London show. Some 86 actors who had played the children’s parts in the show over the years, many now adults, attended. The popularity of the show endures as the Broadway production continues to play to packed houses 12 years later and the tour coming to the Bushnell is one of seven companies world wide.

When asked why he hasn’t done more design on Broadway, Hudson replied that he’d love to, but hasn’t been asked. Maybe it’s time for some producers to make a call?

Winner of six Tony Awards, including best musical, The Lion King features hundreds of masks and puppets designed by Michael Curry and Taymor, who also designed the costumes. Choreography is by Garth Fagan, lighting design is by Donald Holder. The book has been adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated film and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay for The Lion King.

The Elton John score with Tim Rice lyrics from the animated film including songs like “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” and “Circle of Life” is part of the theatrical production, along with three new John/ Rice tunes with additional musical material by South African Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor and Hans Zimmer.

In Hartford, The Lion King will play Tuesday through Thursday evenings at 7:30 pm, Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 and 8 pm, and Sundays at 1 and 6:30 pm. In addition, there is a Thursday, Jan. 28 matinee performance at 1 pm.

Ticket prices start at $20.50. Additionally, Premium Ticket Packages, which include a prime seat location, a commemorative souvenir program and an exclusive merchandise item, also are available. Tickets are available at The Bushnell Box Office, 166 Capitol Ave., by phone at 860- 987-5900 and online at http://www.bushnell.org/. Orders for groups of 15or more may be placed by calling (860) 987-5959.

Note: The show has a strict 10-minute late seating hold once the performance begins.

Hartford Stage to Begin Expansion

The Two-Phase Project Will Commence This June

Hartford Stage has announced that the Tony Award-winning theatre will break ground this June on the first part of a two-phase renovation and expansion of the theatre’s Church Street, Hartford facility.

Designed by Mitchell Kurtz Architect, PC, the theatre company’s renovation and expansion project will revitalize the 33-year-old building by addressing infrastructure issues, modernizing and expanding its stage capabilities to meet the demands of modern stagecraft, providing greater accessibility in public areas and back stage facilities and expanding and renovating the theatre’s two lobbies. Phase One construction will commence June 1, 2010, and is expected to be completed by mid-September, 2010.

“We are so thrilled to be breaking ground this June, after years of extensive planning” said Artistic Director Michael Wilson. “Our community, loyal audiences, and extraordinary artists deserve to work in a theatre that is accessible and provides the modern facilities needed to make their experience at Hartford Stage as uplifting and inspiring as possible.”

Given the current economic climate and its effect on fundraising in recent months, the theatre’s Board of Directors determined that it would be prudent to divide the renovation project into two phases and fund construction with available cash as money is raised.

Phase One of the project represents a $4 million investment into the local economy, including construction jobs, and the purchase of materials and equipment. The first phase of construction, primarily will address four priority areas:

1. Improvements to the theatre’s accessibility for both audience and artists. The stage floor will be raised to make handicap seating more accessible; ramps will no longer be necessary to reach seats. A backstage dressing room will be constructed at stage level to allow improved accessibility for actors.
2. Audience amenities. This will include relocating and expanding the public restroom facilities. Restrooms will expand into space in the MAT garage, the city-owned parking facility adjacent to the theatre, which in turn will allow enlarged space in the theatre’s lower lobby to alleviate congestion. The new, accessible, restroom facilities will more than double the number of stalls in both the women's and men’s rooms.
3. Infrastructure improvements. This initiative will include new HVAC Equipment to improve comfort for patrons and artists. Electrical systems will be cleaned and refurbished, and the roof will be repaired.
4. Production enhancements. This includes new theatre lighting equipment, a new theatre audio system, and an expanded trap room which will allow for openings anywhere on the stage. The new trap system will feature easy conversion from thrust to proscenium houses, allowing for greater flexibility, more artistic opportunities and improved sight lines for the audience.

For the past three years, the theatre company has been engaged in a campaign entitled “Act Now for the Future” to raise funds for the renovation project and to increase the theatre’s endowment to support future operations. Approximately $10.5 million has been raised to date, of which $4 million is allocated for Phase One of the renovation project. Of the remaining funds raised, $2 million has been expended on design, planning, project management and administration of the campaign over the past three years; and the balance is earmarked for the theatre’s Endowment Fund and cash reserves. Completion of the entire project is targeted by the fall of 2013, prior to the celebration of the theatre’s 50th Anniversary.

The theatre will hold a series of audience forums so that community and audience members may learn more about the project. The forums will take place on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 4:30 pm, Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 4 pm and Monday, March 1 at 6 pm. If you have any questions, please contact the Box Office at (860) 527-5151.

Ziemba Heads 'Sylvia' Cast at Long Wharf

Tony Award winning actress Karen Ziemba heads the cast for Long Wharf Theatre's upcoming production of A.R. Gurney's Sylvia.

Long Wharf Theatre favorite John Procaccino, Yale School of Drama graduate Erica Sullivan and Broadway performer Jacob Ming-Trent round out the cast. Long Wharf's Associate Artistic Director Eric Ting directs the show, which will have a run Feb. 1through March 14 on the Mainstage, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven.

Rounding out the creative team is Frank Alberino (sets), Ben Stanton (lights), Valerie Webster (costumes), Jill BC DuBoff (sounds), and Charles M. Turner III (stage manager).

For more information about the show, visit http://www.longwharf.org/ or call 203-787-4282.

Theater Review: Lil's 90th -- Long Wharf

David Margulies and Lois Smith. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Read my CurtainUp review of the world premiere of Lil's 90th at Long Wharf Theater here.

Quick Review: Cirque Dreams Illumination – The Palace

What:
Cirque Dreams Illumination at the Palace Theater, Waterbury
Created and Directed by Neil Goldberg

Original Score: Jill Winters and David Scott (additional music by Tony Liperti)
Scenic Design Jon Craine
Production Design Betsy Herst
Lighting Design: Kate Johnston
Costume Design: Cirque Productions, Leonora Taylor, Santiago Rojo
Act Design: Neil Goldberg, Heather Hoffman, Iouri Klepatsky

Summary:
A colorful, fast paced show in the style of Cirque du Soleil (but not at all the same thing) featuring a soloist and music mixed with circus acts.

Highlights:
• Entertaining for kids of all ages
• An act by two male acrobats that is dizzying and groin-defying
• A contortionist, stop-motion dancer
• A high-flying bath-tub act with interesting water effects (watch out, front row)
• A juggling drummer
• A hilarious movie scene directed by a whistle-blowing clown and featuring selected audience members
• Many of the acts you expect to see in this type of show are given a different spin that sets them apart from the norm.

Lowlights:
• The music is canned and very loud, especially when the soloist, who has a belt so loud that she hardly needs a mike, joins the mix. Audience members were especially chatty throughout the show, perhaps thinking their constant and distracting conversation couldn’t be heard over the loud music (they are wrong).
• Sometimes there’s way too much taking place at once. A rope climbing and balancing act compete with each other for attention. When you don’t notice some very large, disembodied suits bopping around on stage, there’s too much to take in.

Information:
Two more shows are available today (Saturday, Jan. 16) at 2 and 8 pm. Tickets are $49-$59 and are available by phone at 203-346-2000, online at http://www.palacetheaterct.org/, or in person at the Palace Box Office, 100 E. Main St. in Waterbury. Groups of 20 or more qualify for discounted rates and should call the Group Sales hotline at 203-346-2002.