It's a Darko Night!

Congratulations to Hartford Stage's Darko Tresnjak, winner of the Tony for Best Director for Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

Shubert Announces Anniversary Season

The Shubert Theatre in New Haven has announced the lineup of Broadway shows for its 2014-2015 Centennial Season which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Shubert Theatre’s original opening back in December 1914. 

As part of the Shubert’s Centennial Plan, the Shubert has begun a multi-year project that will improve the theatre’s physical and financial future. In the fall the Shubert will “raise the curtain” on new, improved and expanded public spaces and facilities that will make the patron’s theatre-going experience all the more enjoyable. In addition to the Broadway Series, the Shubert is planning a season of special centennial events to Celebrate the Shubert’s Past and Build the Theatre’s Future.

Current Shubert Season Ticket-holders will be receiving their Broadway Series renewals by mail and have the opportunity to renew their current Season Ticket Seats. Season Tickets to the Shubert Theatre’s 2014–2015 Broadway Series are available at the Shubert Box Office and by phone at 203-562-5666 or 888-736-2663 Mondays thru Fridays 10 am to 5:30 pm and Saturdays 10 am to 3 pm. For additional information visit shubert.com.

The season:

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas
December 30, 2014–January 4, 2015

Tuesday 7:30pm
Wednesday (New Year’s Eve) 8:00pm
Thursday (New Year’s Day) 1:00 & 6:30pm
Friday 7:30pm
Saturday 2:00 & 8:00pm
Sunday 2:00pm

Irving Berlin's White Christmas, the stage adaptation of the beloved classic film, is coming to the Shubert stage this holiday season! The memorable story of two showbiz buddies putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn shines with such Berlin hits as “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” “Happy Holiday,” “Sisters,” “Blue Skies,” and the unforgettable title song. Full of dancing, romance, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written, this holiday musical promises a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family!
“This cozy trip down memory lane should be put on your wish list.” - The New York Times


Peter and the Starcatcher
January 29–February 1, 2015

Thursday 7:30pm
Friday 8:00pm
Saturday 2:00 & 8:00pm
Sunday 2:00pm

Winner of 5 Tony Awards, this grownup’s prequel to Peter Pan will have you hooked from the moment you let your imagination take flight. PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, the innovative and imaginative musical play based on the best-selling novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, takes a hilarious romp through the Neverland you never knew. The actors play more than a hundred unforgettable characters, all on a journey to answer the century-old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? This epic origin story of popular culture’s most enduring and beloved character proves that your imagination is the most captivating place in the world.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
March 5–8, 2015

Thursday 7:30pm
Friday 7:30pm
Saturday 2:00 & 7:30pm
Sunday 2:00pm

Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast has won the hearts of millions of people worldwide. This eye-popping spectacle is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including “Be Our Guest” and the beloved title song. Share this smash-hit Broadway musical with your family!

MATILDA THE MUSICAL
May 16–23, 2015

Saturday (May 16) 8:00pm
Sunday 2:00pm
Tuesday 7:30pm
Wednesday 7:30pm
Thursday 7:30pm
Friday 8:00pm
Saturday (May 23) 2:00 & 8:00pm

The Tony Award-winning MATILDA THE MUSICAL is the story of an extraordinary girl who dreams of a better life. Armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, Matilda dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. Based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, Matilda has won 47 international awards, and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages on Broadway and in London’s West End. The Wall Street Journal says, “The makers of MATILDA have done the impossible – triumphantly! It is smart, sweet, zany and stupendous fun.”
“MATILDA is the best musical since the Lion King!” - TIME Magazine

Million Dollar Quartet
June 11–14, 2015

Thursday 7:30pm
Friday 8:00pm
Saturday 2:00 & 8:00pm
Sunday 1:00 & 6:30pm

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is the smash-hit musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians were gathered together by Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ’n’ Roll” at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions of all time. This Tony Award-winning musical brings that legendary night to life with a tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring timeless hits including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “That’s All Right,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Who Do You Love?,” “Matchbox,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Hound Dog” and more. This thrilling musical brings you inside the recording studio with four major talents who came together as a red-hot rock ‘n’ roll band for one unforgettable night.

CT Critics Circle Announces Theater Awards Nominations

The CT Critics Circle has announced nominations for its 2013-2014 theater awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony Monday, June 23 at Westport Country Playhouse. 

A reception at 6:30 precedes the ceremony, which will begin at 7:30. All are welcome to attend the free event, which is fast becoming the theater-networking event in the state. RSVPs to pblaufuss@westportplayhouse.org.

Nominations

2013-2014 Connecticut Critics Circle Awards

Outstanding Production of a Play

Macbeth                                                                    Hartford Stage

The House That Will Not Stand                                 Yale Repertory Theatre

The Other Place                                                         TheaterWorks

These Paper Bullets!                                                  Yale Repertory Theatre
Time Stands Still                                                         TheaterWorks

Somewhere                                                                Hartford Stage

Outstanding Production of a Musical

Dreamgirls                                                                  Ivoryton Playhouse

Hello, Dolly!                                                               Goodspeed 

The Drowsy Chaperone                                              Connecticut Repertory Theatre

The Last Five Years                                                    Long Wharf 

The Most Happy Fella                                                Goodspeed 

Outstanding Director of a Play

Kevin Connors – Master Class                                    Music Theatre of CT

Jackson Gay – These Paper Bullets!                            Yale Repertory Theatre

Patrick McGregor – The House That…                       Yale Repertory Theatre

Rob Ruggiero – Time Stands Still                                 TheaterWorks

Rob Ruggiero – The Other Place                                 TheaterWorks

Darko Tresnjak – Macbeth                                          Hartford Stage

Outstanding Director of a Musical

Gordon Edelstein – Last Five Years                             Long Wharf Theatre

Daniel Goldstein – Hello, Dolly!                                   Goodspeed 

Rob Ruggiero – The Most Happy Fella                        Goodspeed 

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Play

Julius Ahn – Stuck Elevator                                          New Haven International Festival of Arts & Ideas

David Wilson Barnes – These Paper Bullets!                Yale Repertory Theatre

Steven Epp -- …Anarchist                                           Yale Repertory Theatre

Mark Nelson – Vanya and Sonia 

        and Masha and Spike                                           Hartford Stage

Matthew Rauch – Macbeth                                          Hartford Stage

Michael Rosen – Somewhere                                       Hartford Stage

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Play

Kate Forbes – Macbeth                                                Hartford Stage

Irene Glezos – Master Class                                          Music Theatre of CT

Jayne Houdyshell – The Show-Off                                 Westport Country Playhouse

Kate Levy – The Other Place                                        TheaterWorks

Priscilla Lopez – Somewhere                                         Hartford Stage

Debra Jo Rupp – Dr. Ruth                                             TheaterWorks

Jeanine Serralles – These Paper Bullets!                         Yale Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Leading Actress in a Musical

Klea Blackhurst – Hello, Dolly!                                     Goodspeed 

Katie Rose Clarke – Last Five Years                             Long Wharf 

Carissa Massaro – The Fantasticks                                Music Theatre of CT

Mamie Parris – The Most Happy Fella                           Goodspeed 

Outstanding Leading Actor in a Musical

Bill Nolte – The Most Happy Fella                                Goodspeed 

Adam Halpin – The Last Five Years                              Long Wharf 

Tony Lawson – The Fantasticks                                    Music Theatre of CT

Stephen Mark Lukas – Damn Yankees                         Goodspeed 

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play

Didi Conn – The Underpants                                        Hartford Stage/Long Wharf 

Mia Dillon – A Song at Twilight                                    Hartford Stage/Westport Country Playhouse

Siobhan Fitzgerald – I Ought to be in Pictures               Ivoryton Playhouse

Harriett D. Foy – The House…                                    Yale Repertory Theatre

Stacey Sargeant – Vanya and Sonia 

        and Masha and Spike                                           Hartford Stage

Caryn West – Vanya and Sonia 

        and Masha and Spike                                           Hartford Stage

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play

Robert Eli – Macbeth                                                   Hartford Stage

David Gregory – Vanya and Sonia 

        and Masha and Spike                                           Hartford Stage

David Manis – Loot                                                     Westport Country Playhouse

Jared McNeil – Fences                                                Long Wharf 

Steve Routman – The Underpants                                Hartford Stage/Long Wharf 

Frank Vlastnik – Room Service                                    Westport Country Playhouse

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical

Ann Arvia – Damn Yankees                                        Goodspeed 

Ashley Brown – Hello, Dolly!                                      Goodspeed 

Natalie Hill – The Most Happy Fella                            Goodspeed 

Janelle Robinson – South Pacific                                  Summer Theatre of New Canaan

Kristine Zbornik – Damn Yankees                               Goodspeed 

Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical

Doug Carpenter – The Most Happy Fella                     Goodspeed 

Tony Sheldon – Hello, Dolly!                                        Goodspeed 

Kevin Vortmann – The Most Happy Fella                     Goodspeed 

Ron Wisniski – Damn Yankees                                     Goodspeed 

Outstanding Ensemble

I Love You, You’re Perfect…                                      Ivoryton Playhouse

   Sheila E. Coyle

   Michael Brian Dunn

   Holly Holcombe

   Christopher Sutton

   Greg Sutton

Love/Sick                                                                     TheaterWorks

   Pascale Arnand

   Bruch Reed

   Chris Thorn

   Laura Woodward

Christmas on the Rocks                                                TheaterWorks

   Harry Bouvy

   Ronn Carroll

   Christine Pedi

Outstanding Debut

Sheniqua Denise Trotman – Dreamgirls                         Ivoryton Playhouse

Outstanding Choreography

Cassia Abate – The Music Man                                    Connecticut Repertory Theatre

Dan DeLange – Hello, Dolly!                                        Goodspeed 

Greg Graham – Somewhere                                          Hartford Stage

Doug Shankman – Grease                                             Summer Theatre of New Canaan

Outstanding Set Design

Antje Ellermann – The House That Will Not Stand        Yale Repertory Theatre

Kate Noll -- …Anarchist                                              Yale Repertory Theatre

Alexander Dodge – The Show-off                                 Westport Country Playhouse

Michael Yeargan – These Paper Bullets!                        Yale Repertory Theatre

Darko Tresnjak – Macbeth                                            Hartford Stage

Outstanding Costume Design

Jessica Ford – These Paper Bullets!                               Yale Repertory Theatre

Jess Goldstein – The Underpants                                    Hartford Stage/Long Wharf 

Wade Laboissonniere – Hello, Dolly!                              Goodspeed 

Katherine O’Neill – The House That Will Not Stand       Yale Repertory Theatre

Joshua Peterson – La Dispute                                          Hartford Stage

K. J. Kim – The Fairytale Life of Russian Girls                Yale Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Sound Design

Charles Coles/Nathan Roberts -- 

Accidental Death of an Anarchist                                                     Yale Repertory Theatre

Broken Chord – These Paper Bullets!                             Yale Repertory Theatre

Jason Crystal – Somewhere                                             Hartford Stage

Jane Shaw – Macbeth                                                     Hartford Stage

Chad Raines – The Fairytale Life of Russian Girls            Yale Repertory Theatre

Outstanding Lighting Design

John Lasiter – The Most Happy Fella                              Goodspeed Opera House

Matthew Richards – Macbeth                                         Hartford Stage

Philip S. Rosenberg – Somewhere                                  Hartford Stage

Ben Stanton – Last Five Years                                        Long Wharf Theatre

Paul Whitaker – These Paper Bullets!                             Yale Repertory Theatre

Bradley King – The Fairytale Life of Russian Girls           Yale Repertory Theatre

Special Awards

Billie Joe Armstrong – Songs for These Paper Bullets!      Yale Repertory Theatre
A Broken Umbrella Theatre

The Tom Killen Award

Athol Fugard

Vanya and Sonia and Masha & Spike -- Hartford Stage

Caryn West and Leslie Hendrix. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

    

Thoughts on Life, Siblings and a Cherry Orchard Don't Always Mean That There Won't Be Lots of Laughs

By Lauren Yarger

Christopher Durang's Tony Award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike with its dark and contagious humor wraps up the 50th anniversary season at Hartford Stage.

Maxwell Williams directs a talented ensemble to tell the story of three very different siblings gathering at their home, where quoting Chekhov, throwing coffee cups at the wall and channeling Maggie Smith are not considered strange. 

This is a very funny, tongue-in-cheek send-up of some of Chekhov's themes (the siblings, Vanya, Sonya and Masha all have been named after the playwright's characters), but Durang doesn't waste time trying to parody the classics. He just skilfully pokes smart fun at them -- and at relationships and global warming to boot.

The three siblings, named by parents who apparently were too involved in community theater, have traces of The Seagull, Three Sisters, Uncle Vanya and Chekhov themes in their lives, but these folks are way funnier. Vanya (a droll Mark Nelson) and Sonia (Caryn West) live uneventful lives in their Bucks County, PA farmhouse. They gaze out at a few cherry trees, which Sonia insists is an orchard, and at the lake where a heron lands every day and wonder what their lives might have been like if they hadn't missed out by having to care for their elderly parents until their death. Their vivacious sister, Masha (Leslie Hendrix), paid the bills, but escaped to a more glamorous life as a successful Hollywood actress. 

To Vanya and Sonia's horror, Masha considers selling the expensive home (a combination of the interior and exterior of the house designed by Jeff Cowie.) She arrives for a visit with much younger, amazingly fit, but dimwitted actor boyfriend, Spike (David Gregory) in tow. The two share a sexual attraction, but the perfectly coiffed and attired Masha (Tricia Barsamian, costume design) worries about the age difference, especially when Spike takes an interest in Nina (a delightfully innocent Andrea Lynn Green), a nymph-like, beautiful and young wanna-be actress he meets on the beach next door.

Adding more humor to the mix is Cassandra (Stacey Sargeant), the family's housekeeper who is gripped with strong clairvoyant visions, not unlike her Greek goddess namesake, urging everyone to "Beware!' -- of just about everything and anything. And as it turns out, the voodoo-practicing woman is right most of the time even if her warnings do get off track. Sargeant is very entertaining and has the audience in stitches.

Kudos to Durang for a sharp, humor-filled script that has depth with regards to the Chekhov themes layered in there. Each character has a moment in the the spotlight from a "reverse striptease" by Spike to a phone conversation for Sonia with a potential  love interest to a tour-de-force soliloquy by Vanya lamenting on the loss of simpler times. And all that happens woven into a plot that has Masha in a Snow White costume with the others in tow as dwarfs and the beautiful queen before she turned evil as channeled by Maggie Smith playing her role in the film "California Suite." Delightful!

The pace here could use some sharpening as the two-hour-45-minute run time (with an intermission) felt long. Maxwell also compartmentalizes Vanya's powerhouse rant instead of letting Nelson deliver it in one breathless exercise in frustration. I also couldn't help think, that since West reminds us of Sigourney Weaver (who played the role on Broadway) in elegant looks and demeanor and since Hendrix takes Masha to a maniacal level more in character with Sonia's persona, the play might have gone to another level by switching the roles.

Vanya and Sonia and Masha & Spike runs through June 16 at Hartford Stage, 50 Church St., Hartford. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm; Matinees Sunday and select Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 pm. Tickets $20-$85  (860) 527-5151; www.hartfordstage.org.More information:

AfterWords Discussion

June 10, 11 and 18
Join members of the cast and the artistic staff  for a free discussion, immediately following select 7:30 pm performances on Tuesday or 2 pm Wednesday matinees. 

Theater Review: Love/Sick -- TheaterWorks

Chris Thorn and Pascale Armand. Photo: Lanny Nagler

Bizarre Tales of What Love Looks Like at First and Last Sight

By Lauren Yarger

Relationships at start and finish, love at first and last sight drive the newest work from playwright John Cariani, Love/Sick at TheaterWorks.

Director Amy Saltz, who helmed last season’s award winning production of Cariani’s Almost Maine at TheaterWorks, assembles a talented cast of four (Pascale Armand, Bruch Reed, Chris Thorn and Laura Woodward) to play 20 characters in ten sketches about love at its best and not-so-best set at “7:30 pm on different Friday evenings, Spring through Winter in an alternate suburban reality.”

Make sure you catch that “alternate reality” part, because unless you are willing to let go of reality, and give Cariani some room to create some "sick" characters and situations, you won’t enjoy a lot of the humor. The playwright makes this clear with the first sketch, “Obsessive Impulsive,” where a Man and a Woman (Reed and Woodward) run into each other at the Super Center and immediately start making out. They try to stop themselves, but as they apologize and try to explain (in exact unison), we discover they suffer from Obsessive Impulsive Disorder, which makes it difficult for them to keep from acting upon impulses.

Have they fallen in love at first sight or are they just unable to control a physical attraction? It’s funny, but bizarre.

Thorn stands out in the next sketch “The Singing Telegram,” when, on his first day on the job, reluctantly delivers a singing missive that doesn’t contain a message its recipient, (Armand), is expecting. He’s embarrassed, awkward and deeply sensitive.

The actors continue opening windows into moments of relationships with the help of quick-change costumes designed by Harry Nadal and simple sets (designed by Michael Schweikardt) and props (managed by Sven Henry Nelson). The vignettes include

• ·         “What?!?” about a gay man who loses his hearing and ability to speak to protect himself from being hurt in a relationship
• ·         “The Answer” where a bride with cold feet confronts her groom-to-be in the bathroom, just moments before their wedding to demand that he propose again.
• ·         “Uh-Oh,” a bored wife is driven to extremes as she tests the devotion of a husband, who sits on the sofa, unaware as he is absorbed by the lure of his IPad.
• ·         “Lunch and Dinner,” one of the funniest sketches, where a husband and wife speak in double entendre about finding satisfaction outside of their relationship.
• ·         “Chicken,” the most disappointing of the sketches, where a husband asks for a divorce and regrets that his wife ever introduced herself because now he doesn’t remember what it was like to feel lonely (also at the Super Center, which creeps into a number of the sketches, as does a flower theme).
• ·         “Forgot” about a woman who’s biological clock is ticking like a bomb that might blow up her marriage.
• ·         “Where Was I,” a poignant piece about a woman who has lost herself in the raising of her children
• ·         “Destiny,” about the meeting of two ex lovers (where else, but at the Super Center). In this climactic sketch, Cariani skillfully ties together all of the tales and wraps up a satisfyingly dark look at this thing we call love (most of the sketches weigh in on the “sick” side of the play’s title, but there is enough humor to offset and give balance.)

Added depths of humor would have been possible if Saltz had coaxed some nuance from Armand who shouts many of her lines in the Singing Telegram sketch. We get a hint of what might have been possible when she tones down for a minute in the “Chicken” sketch and the result is very funny.

Woodward (who was in Almost Maine last season) stands out bringing energy and added layers to characters. She and Thorn have visible chemistry on stage.

The evening at two hours and 15 minutes with an intermission feels a bit long (cutting that Chicken sketch might do the trick), but overall Love/Sick is entertaining and fun.

Also happening:

• ·         Talkback Tuesday's: May 27, June 3, 10, 17. An intimate conversation with cast and crew after the show.
• ·         Added matinees on Wednesdays June 4 and 11 at 2 pm.

Love/Sick runs through June 22 at TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl St., Hartford. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 7:30 pm; Fridays and Saturdays: 8 pm; Weekend Matinees at 2:30 pm; Wednesday matinees June 4 and 11. Tickets $15-$65; 860-527-7838; www.theaterworkshartford.org.

Theater Review: The Last Five Years -- Long Wharf

Katie Rose Clarke and Adam Halpin. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Long Wharf's Last Five Years Makes Us Fall in Love with Musical Theater All Over Again

By Lauren Yarger

The Last Five Years, Jason Robert Brown’s moving study of the birth and death of a marriage, is receiving a stellar production closing out the 2013-2014 season at Long Wharf Theatre.

Katie Rose Clarke and Adam Helpin play the couple, whose story is told from their different perspectives, separately, and from “beginning to end and end to beginning” in an all-sung libretto.  Cathy Hyatt (Clarke) begins at the end of the five-year marriage, singing about how she’s “Still Hurting.” Jamie Wellerstein (Helpin) starts at the beginning by singing about the “Shiksa Goddess” who has made him forget about a long line of Jewish girlfriends his family probably would prefer. He jumps into the marriage, even if he feels a bit shackled. His story moves forward; hers moves back in time.

In their separate reflections, we discover how they met, fell in love, got married, then started to drift apart. Causing the biggest difficulties in the relationship are the couple’s careers. Writer Jamie sees almost meteoric success when the New Yorker publishes his story and he lands a book contract with a large publishing house. He’s off doing the book-tour circuits with his female editor.

Cathy, meanwhile, waits tables in hopes of getting her big break as an actress. She goes on endless auditions (some of the show’s funniest moments), but only lands roles with smaller companies playing in Ohio. She feels more and more out of place in Jamie’s world and strugg;es to feel part of his success.

Meticulously directed by Gordon Edelstein, the actors never interact with each other except for one brief moment when their stories meet at the same time in their relationship – when  Jamie proposes during a peaceful rowboat ride, delightfully staged with simple props and a rotating stage designed by Eugene Lee and when they get married.

All of the locations of the five years represented during the couple’s relationship take place on a stage simply scattered with packing boxes and left-over items indicating the couple’s break up. The numerals of a clock border the circle of the rotating stage and lighting (designed by Ben Stanton) sometimes focuses on the passage of time. Cathy ends at the beginning of the relationship and Jamie concludes that the relationship is over.

Clarke (Broadway’s Wicked, Light in the Piazza) brings a strong soprano and layered nuance to her character. She takes us through the full range of Cathy’s emotions. A single gesture has the audience laughing or crying. Halpin lets her shine and keeps Jamie a bit more reserved, true to character A nice dynamic. Both sing the very difficult score with ease. (Brown’s other musicals of note are The Bridges of Madison County, currently on Broadway and nominated for a Tony Award for best score, and Parade.)

Also excellent is the small pit of musicians housed above the set and under the music direction of James Sampliner. They play the beautiful orchestrations with the heart – and sound – of a full orchestra. Sound designer Leon Rothenberg assists in creating the full effect.

The Last Five Years is 90 minutes with no intermission. This production is so well done that it will make you fall in love with musical theater all over again.

The show runs through June 1 at Long Wharf's mainstage, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven. Perfromances are Tuesday 7 pm; Wednesday, 2 and 7 pm; Thursday, Friday at 8 pm; Saturday 3 and 8 pm; Sunday 2 and 7 pm. Tickets are $54.50-$79.50. (203) 787-4282; www.longwharf.org.

Gentleman's Guide, Darko Tresnjak, Bill Beloni Win Outer Critics Circle Awards

Jefferson Mays as Lord Adalbert in a scene from A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder at the Walter Kerr Theater. Photo: Joan Marcus.

A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, which received its premiere at Hartford Stage, its director, Hartford Stage's Darko Tresnjak, and Connecticut theatrical animal trainer William Berloni have been awarded 2014 Outer Critics Circle Awards.

For the full list of winners, visit Reflections in the Light.

Palace Season to Include Newsies, Jekyll & Hyde, I Love Lucy

Cast of I Love Lucy. Courtesy of the Palace

The Palace Theater's 10th anniversary Broadway series kicks off in October (23-25) with four performances of the Tony Award-winning, Disney musical Newsies in an exclusive Connecticut engagement.

The series continues in December (6-7), with  Jekyll & Hyde, a haunting production that characterizes the struggle between good and evil, followed by Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story in January (23-24), a production that chronicles the meteoric rise and tragic end of one of America’s first Rock & Roll icons.

The series resumes in March (6-7) with Sister Act, and concludes in May (30-31) with I Love Lucy Live On Stage, a hilarious, insightful, and critically-acclaimed stage show that allows patrons to experience what it was like to be an audience member during the filming of two iconic I Love Lucy episodes.

In honor of the Palace’s Tenth Anniversary Season, the Box Office is offering subscribers better benefits, bigger savings and a broader performance selection this year.Subscribers now have the option to upgrade to an extreme package, by selecting two or more (up to five) non-Broadway Series shows at a 15-percent savings. These shows include The Midtown Men, Human Nature: The Motown Show, Alton Brown’s Edible Inevitable Tour, Linda Eder, Manheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis and Blue Man Group.

For more information or to receive a Broadway Series subscription brochure, call the Box Office at 203-346-2000 or visit www.palacetheaterct.org.

Connecticut Arts Connections-- Hartford Stage Awards News for Gentleman's Guide

Join Hartford Stage for a special Tony Awards viewing party at the Society Room (31 Pratt Street, Hartford). The evening will include dinner, drinks, and a viewing of the live broadcast on the big screen! Be there as they celebrate the successful Broadway run of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, its many award nominations, and hopefully some wins! Every ticket purchased underwrites the cost of one staff member to attend the party.

$200 per ticket. Space is limited!

To purchase tickets, contact Kristen Michaels, events manager, at
860-520-7241 or kmichaels@hartfordstage.org by May 30. 

Hartford stage's Darko Tresnjak with Diane Davis at the Drama Desk Awards Nominees Reception Wednesday in New York. Tresnjak is nominated as best director (he also has Outer Critics Circle and Tony nominations for his work on A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder.

• Westport Country Playhouse is one of 886 nonprofit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art Works grant announced by Joan Shigekawa, National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) acting chairman. The Playhouse is recommended for a $30,000 grant to support its community engagement initiative, “Threads of Time, Fabric of History: ‘Intimate Apparel’ in Context,” which will run concurrently with the Playhouse production of Lynn Nottage's play Intimate Apparel in October.
• Ives Concert Park is proud to announce a new partnership with the world's largest concert promoter, Live Nation. Together we will stage some outstanding shows for the 2014 Summer Concert Series. Located on the Western Connecticut State University Westside campus in Danbury, Ives has, since 1975, hosted an impressive array of classic rockers, up-and-coming indie artists, country crooners, and more. 

Grammy Award winner Peter Frampton will play the Ives on Saturday July 5 and the legendary rock band The Moody Blues will perform Sunday Aug. 17.  

The association with Live Nation Connecticut will bring a significant respected international leader in live entertainment to the Ives, a 'must experience entertainment destination' for all concert-goers. For more information, visit www.ivesconcertpark.com or  www.livenation.com.

Theater Review: Damn Yankees -- Goodspeed

David Beach., Stephen Mark Lucas and Angel Reda   Photo Credit © Photo by Diane Sobolewski

Red Sox Pinch Hit for Senators in Updated Faust Ball Musical

By Lauren Yarger

The Red Sox seem cursed. They can’t seem to get it together ever since they sold Babe Ruth to those Damn Yankees who are dominating Major League baseball in 1952. What’s a fan to do?

In an updated version of the Richard Adler/Jerry Ross musical playing at the Goodspeed Opera House, the team’s biggest fan, Joe Boyd (James Judy), decides it’s time to do something about the team’s decades-long wait for a championship season. He sells his soul to the devil, who shows up in the form of a salesman named Applegate (David Beach), to regain his youth, swing a bat again and lead the team to the Pennant.

The transaction takes place after Joe watches yet another Red Sox loss on the tube (cleverly staged by Set Designer Adrian W. Jones) while ignoring his devoted wife Meg (Anna Arvia). A salesman himself, Joe, insists on an escape clause in case he wants to return home after the Sox win the Pennant. He starts to realize just what he’s giving up as he pens a goodbye note to Meg (“Goodbye, Old Girl”).

Applegate reluctantly agrees, but has a secret weapon: Lola (Angel Reda), a buxom, sultry temptress whom he is sure can turn Joe’s affections from his wife (and in the “vavoom” dress designed by David C. Woolard to show off her assets while performing Kelli Barclay’s sensual choreography, Lola proves hard to resist.)

The Sox are discouraged, but Coach Van Buren gives them a pep talk. After all, they do have the most important thing a team needs: “Heart.” Director Daniel Goldstein whimsically stages this musical number in the locker room where the guys shower and show off their well-toned physiques as well as their singing voices. One little old lady seated up in the side balcony, with a view behind the shower wall shielding parts of the towel-less guys from the rest of us, was particularly amused, I noticed. She kept pointing and laughing.

Joe, now transformed into Joe Hardy (a strappingly handsome Stephen Mark Lucas with a grand-slam voice) who can hit one over the Green Monster at Fenway, is just what the Sox are looking for and suddenly he’s the most popular guy in Boston. Sports reporter Gloria Thorpe (Lora Lee Gayer) is suspicious, however, because even though she nicknamed him “Shoeless Joe from Hannibal, MO), she can’t find anyone in Hannibal who remembers his ever playing ball there.

Meanwhile, a homesick Joe rents a room from Meg, who feels she knows him from somewhere…. This delights Meg’s friends, Doris (Allyce Beasley) and Sister (a riotous Kristine Zbornik), who adore Joe and become co-presidents of his fan club.

Lola tries her best to seduce Joe, but the growing bond between him and his unsuspecting wife might just mean Applegate will have to find some other tricks up his hellish sleeve to add this good man’s soul to his collection.

While this Red Sox version by talented playwright Joe DiPietro (Broadway’s Memphis, Nice Work if You Can Get It) provides a nice pinch hit to the original book by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop, based on the novel “The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant” by Douglass Wallop, based on "Faust," we almost wish he’d been designated hitter and really changed up the tried and dated plot (in which Joe originally was a Washington Senators fan, if you’re wondering). Some of Di Pietro’s finest comedy writing comes toward the end when Applegate explains how he will curse the Sox if Joe doesn’t come with him.

The original Broadway production featured Gwen Verdon as Lola with Bob Fosse choreography. Her rendition of “What Lola Wants” probably was most responsible for making the show the hit it was and earned the actress her first Tony Award. Outside of the few recognizable tunes, the Adler/Ross score is pretty unmemorable, and was written for a larger orchestra than plays in the pit at the Goodspeed under the direction of Michael O’Flaherty.

Strong performances highlight this production. Beach, who created the role of Henry in The Great American Mousical at Goodspeed’s Norma Terris Theatre in 2012 is a comic genius (loved him in the original Urinetown on Broadway). He’s sleazy enough to be believable as the devil, yet sarcastic enough to be likable.

Aria, who we enjoyed as Tony’s sister in The Most Happy Fella at Goodspeed, turns in a solid portrayal of the grounded, average housewife Meg. Reda, who starred as Velma in Broadway’s Chicago, turns up the heat at Lola (two guys seated near me had no shortage of complimentary comments about her during intermission). Goldstein missed an opportunity by not having her come out into the house to interact with male audience members.

Zbornik gives the show much-needed humor as the star-struck Sister. She hits her lines out of the park and made me laugh out loud with her facial expressions and body language. She and Beasley (whom you might remember as Agnes DiPesto on TV’s “Moonlighting”) lead a fun seventh-inning stretch to bring the crowd back after intermission. Also standing out from the ensemble are Michael Mendez as Rocky and Sean Ewing as the Spanish-only-speaking team member, Hernandez who also provides some humor.

Don’t miss the classy, well-choreographed curtain call.

Damn Yankees plays through June 21 at the Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main St., East Hadaam. Performances are Wednesday at 2 and 7:30 pm; Thursday at 7:30 pm and select matinees at 2 pm; Friday at 8 pm; Saturdays at 3 and 8 pm; Sunday at 2 pm with select performances at 6:30 pm. Tickets $27-$77.50  (860) 873-8668; www.goodspeed.org.

Extra innings:

Meet the Cast:  Take part in a lively discussion with the cast after the Thursday evening performances on May 8 and 22 and June 5. Meet the Cast events are free with a ticket to that evening’s performance.