Darko Tresnjak Wins Obie Award

Michael Shannon in The Killer. Photo: Gerry Goldstein.

Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak has received an Obie Award for his direction of The Killer Off Broadway at Theatre for a New Audience.

Read a review here.

The full list of Obie Award winners is here:
http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/2015/05/hamilton-wins-obie.html?m=1

Theater Review: The Second Mrs. Wilson -- Long Wharf

Margaret Colin and John Glover. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

A Look Into the History of America’s 'First Woman President'

By Lauren Yarger

For those of you thinking Hillary Clinton is making a bid to be the first female president of the United States, you might not realize that America already has had a woman calling the shots in the Oval Office. Well, technically speaking, that is.

The Second Mrs. Wilson, Joe DiPietro’s look at the first woman believed to run the country, is getting its world premiere as Long Wharf Theatre closes out its 50th anniversary season. It is a study of Edith Wilson (played by the always excellent Margaret Colin), who effectively ran the government while her husband, President Woodrow Wilson (an also excellent John Glover), was incapacitated by a stroke.

Act One of the drama plays out like a love story. Wilson, surrounded by his political cronies, Secretary Joe Tumulty (Fred Applegate) and Col. Edward House (Harry Groener), fights adversaries like Sen Henry Cabot Lodge (Nick Wyman) who opposes Wilson’s League of Nations dream for world peace attached to the Treaty of Versailles and tries to overcome his crushing grief at the loss of his wife, Ellen.

When he meets widow Edith Galt, he is smitten and decides he has found a supporter, not only in the role of wife, but in political matters as well. Edith, not very interested in world matters – she only is aware of the war as it affected her plans to travel to Paris to do some shopping – is not quickly persuaded to accept his proposal. House and Tumulty are opposed, especially once they see their influence with the president begin to diminish. Edith doesn’t trust House, and through a serious of circumstances around negotiations to get the peace treaty signed in Paris, Wilson also begins to doubt him.

Edith finally does consent to be the second Mrs. Wilson and in 1919, headaches that have been plaguing her husband, under the questionable care of Dr. Cary Grayson (Stephen Barker Turner), result in a debilitating stroke. Before the 25^th amendment to the constitution  providing for succession when the president is unable to fulfill his duties and faced with an unpopular, ineffective Vice President Thomas Marshall (Steve Routman), Edith decides to hide her husband’s condition from the press and the nation and to be his sole contact with the outside world.

Aided by Dr. Grayson, she reports the president’s continued progress while deciding which correspondence and information reaches him. Tumulty and Marshall protest being kept away and Lodge raises questions about why the American people haven’t seen the president. Edith finally arranges a brief meeting and Wilson rallies to appear that he is still in control. Meanwhile, questions are raised about how much Edith is discussing policy with him or making it on her own until the couple left the White House in 1921.

Director Gordon Edelstein coaches excellent performances across the board – Routman is particularly fine as the hapless vice president who wants to stand for what is right, offers compromises on the League of Nations’ authority to gain Lodge’s support, but who has no desire to assume the presidency. The action takes place on Alexander Dodge’s set designed to look like an old boys club, with dark wood trim, period lighting fixtures and even a pool table for a few friendly games while politics are discussed. Edith is a striking contrast to the environment in romantic dresses, easily updated for scene changes, designed by Linda Cho.

DiPietro takes a bit of license with the historical accuracy of the characters and the actions, but this is usually a plus in the theater, where a blow-by-blow historical account of everything a character said or did gets boring very quickly. Instead, DiPietro (Memphis, The Toxic Avenger, Nice Work if You Can Get it) gives us a lot of his trademark humor – and a fairly accurate picture of a little-known period of American history that is fascinating and guaranteed to have you Googling the facts immediately after seeing the play.

“I just love working on history plays," DiPietro said. " I love bringing a dramatist’s sharpness and wit to it. I like making history lively and relevant, and show the humanity of the participants."

He immersed himself in the time period, reading biographies of  Edith and woodrow, according to press materials, as well as histories and documentaries of the tumultuous period following World War I.

“My belief is research, research, research, then put it away and start writing the play,” DiPietro said. “It is not a documentary. It is my dramatic interpretation, but it sticks very closely to the facts. I wanted to show what it was like to be a strong, shrewd woman at a time when women couldn’t yet vote in every state,” he said.

Colin, who brings likability to any character she portrays, is excellently cast as she keeps Edith from seeming too manipulative. There is warmth in her, even as devout Christian Wilson faces a scandal over correspondence with a woman from his past and who, in his infirmity, calls out for his first wife.  Glover embodies Wilson – he looks like him and appears to be just as I have imagined the 28^th president of the United States when learning about him from school lessons and history books. Too bad more isn’t taught about the wife who effectively served as president. Maybe we will hear more about her if Hillary tries to make 16 Pennsylvania Avenue her address again.

The Second Mrs. Wilson runs through May 31 on Stage II at Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven. Showtimes vary. Tickets are $25-$75: www.longwharf.org; 203-787-4282.

View a trailer here:

The Liar Opens 85th Season at Westport Country Playhouse

Philippe Bowgen, Jay Russell, and Aaron Krohn in David Ives’ “The Liar,” adapted from the comedy by Pierre Corneille, directed by Penny Metropulos, at Westport Country Playhouse, now playing through May 23.  (203) 227-4177.  www.westportplayhouse.org      Photo by Carol Rosegg

Westport Country Playhouse opens ts 2015 Season with the comedy, The Liar, an adaptation in rhyme by David Ives of Pierre Corneille’s classic comedy that weaves an increasingly intricate web of lies leading to romantic misadventures.  Celebrating the Playhouse’s 85^th season, the comedy will run through May 23, directed by Penny Metropulos.

Aaron Krohn portrays Dorante, “The Liar.”  Charming and quick-witted, he has a gift for stretching the truth. When he falls in love, his fabrications lead to a high wire act as he tries to stay one step ahead of everyone. 

The cast also includes: Monique Barbee as Lucrece, who recognizes Dorante for the liar and flatterer he is.  Philippe Bowgen as Alcippe, Dorante’s outrageously jealous friend, Rebekah Brockman in the dual role of Isabelle/Sabine, twin servants, one prurient, the other puritanical and Kate MacCluggage as Clarice, who plots to expose Dorante’s lies.  

Brian Reddy is Geronte, Dorante’s easily duped father. Rusty Ross is Cliton, Dorante’s virtuous-to-a-fault servant and Jay Russell as Philiste, Alcippe’s honorable and reasonable friend.

Ives’s play Lives of the Saints was Off-Broadway this spring. His best known plays are All in the Timing and Venus in Fur. 

The Liar runs through May 23. Performances are Tuesday at 7 pm; Wednesday at 2 and 8 pm,  Thursday and Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 3 and 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm.  Single tickets start at $30: 203-227-4177;  888-927-7529;  Box Office, 25 Powers Court; www.westportplayhouse.org, 

Theater Review: Elevada -- Yale Rep

Laurel Casillo in Elevada. Photo © Carol Rosegg, 2015.

Mastering the Difficult Steps to the Dance Between Relationships and Life

By Lauren Yarger

Rarely does a playwright get it this right.

The World Premiere of Sheila Callaghan’s Elevada at Yale Repertory is one of the freshest and most engrossing piece of theater I have enjoyed this season. The playwright manages to develop four very flawed characters who are so human – so us – that we can’t help but like them.

Callaghan (Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play and Roadkill Confidential) crafts her story, commission by Yale, so skillfully and thoroughly, that it seems impossible that only an hour has passed from curtain to intermission. A brief hour later, and the play is done, but we feel we have known these characters for years.

Ramona (Laurel Casillo) and Khalil (Alfredo Narciso) make their way through a very difficult first date – made even awkward awkward that Khalil was set up by his roommate Owen (Greg Keller) who forgot to tell him it was date. The awkward multi-millionaire social media superstar, is about to close a deal that will sell the rights to his own identity to a major corporation, thought he was interviewing Ramona for some PR help….

The two hit it off, however, and agree to a second date. There are some fairly big obstacles to overcomes, however, besides the fact that he is quiet and reserved and she is bubbly and spontaneous: Khalil’s odd corporate identity deal will mean that he has to cease being himself and virtually disappear from the real world; Ramona has cancer and it might be getting worse. So what kind of future can they really have?

Meanwhile, could Ramona be using her illness as an excuse to keep from having to get too involved – even with her sister, June (Keira Naughton), who takes time from her high-powered real estate job to help Ramona through treatments.

Eventually, Ramona and Khalil set up a barbeque so Owen and June can meet too. June is trying to erase the memory of a marriage gone bad and the not-too-distant loss of her mother to cancer and doesn’t know if she can deal with losing Ramona too. Owen (who provides most of the play’s comic relief), is a screenwriter who doesn’t seem to know how to write his own life’s script. He turns to drinking as a way to cope with being in rehab for his drug addiction. Let’s just say the evening doesn’t go as well as they all had hoped.

These people aren’t just stereotypes, however. They care about each other and Callaghan gives them strength and depth on which they are able to draw to find surprising solutions (and excellent performances across the board don’t hurt either.) Ramona and Khalil take pole dancing lessons, for example, and the stage is transformed into a hotspot. Tango lessons later give June and Ramona a place to bond and create a dance hall as additional dancers (Frankie Alicea, Luis Antonio, Evan Gambardella, Melissa Kaufman and Rebecca Maddy) join in choreography by Kyle Abraham and Kevin Williamson.

Fabulous projections by Shawn Boyle enhance the scenic design by Kurtis Boetcher. Through them, we experience Ramona’s CT Scan with her and her feeling of being engulfed by the universe. Director Jackson Gay’s skilled hand keeps us from drifting too far even though the script can cross the edge of reality. (Gay staged These Paper Bullets! and The

Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow at Yale Rep.)

Elevada was a finalist for the 2014 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. The title, by the way, is a term from Tango dancing, where the feet don’t stay close to the floor – like these characters, trying to avoid planting their feet firmly in the messes they have created. We’ve all done that – or know someone who has – and that is what makes these characters so appealing. They are familiar and we are rooting for them.

Elevada plays through May 16 at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. Performance times vary. Tickets $20-$98 www.yalerep.org; (203) 432-1234, Box Office (1120 Chapel St.). Student, senior, and group rates are available.

NEXT SEASON AT YALE REP
World Premiere
INDECENT
Written by Paula Vogel
Created by Paula Vogel and Rebecca Taichman
Directed by Rebecca Taichman
October 2–24, 2015

World Premiere
PEERLESS
By Jiehae Park
Directed by Margot Bordelon
November 27–December 19, 2015

World Premiere
THE MOORS
By Jen Silverman
Directed by Jackson Gay
January 29–February 20, 2016

CYMBELINE
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Evan Yionoulis
March 25–April 16, 2016

Dianne Wiest in
HAPPY DAYS
By Samuel Beckett
Directed by James Bundy
April 29–May 21, 2016

Theater Review: Guys and Dolls -- Goodspeed

The cast of Goodspeed Musicals’ Guys and Dolls. Photo: Diane Sobolewski

We Love the Score for This Musical a Bushel and a Peck; the Story Needs Updates From Oldest Established....

By Lauren Yarger

The oft-produced Guys and Dolls is getting a solid, if lightning-speed-paced production at Goodspeed.

The Frank Loesser (music and lyrics) show has been produced by every theater company and high school drama group in America, it seems, since it won the Tony for Best Musical back in 1950. The story of a floating craps game and a bet to win the heart of a woman is kind of dated -- especially with regards to its treatment of women -- so why do audiences keep filling seats? It's probably the score.

The bouncy and moving tunes that include "Fugue for Tinhorns", "The Oldest Established," "I'll Know," "A Bushel and a Peck," "I've Never Been in Love Before," "Take Back Your Mink," "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" and "Luck Be a Lady," are the show's backbone and worth the price of the ticket. The score is given nice treatment here by an eight-person orchestra under the musical direction of Michael O'Flaherty (in his 24^th season as Goodspeed’s resident music director) with orchestrations by Dan DeLange.

This production features storytelling through excellent choreography by Alex Sanchez. The pace, as directed by Don Stephenson at breakneck speed, particularly in the first act, reminds us that it doesn't really matter -- we are just there to listen to the songs in between the dialogue. Manna Nichols is a much higher soprano than were used to hearing sing the lead and the sound (design by Jay Hilton) is off, especially in duets and in the three-person opening number fugue, so that individual voices cannot be distinguished as they should be, detracting from the number-one reason to see this show.

If you haven't seen it many times, the plot gist goes like this: Gambler Nathan Detroit (Mark Price) is looking for a place to host his craps game for the "guys," Nicely Nicely Johnson (Scott Cote), Benny Southstreet (Noah Plomgren), Harry the Horse (Carlos Lopez) and Big Jule (Jerry Gallagher -- who is really, very big), preferably at a location where police Lt. Brannigan (David Sitler) can't find it.

Nathan owes some money to gambler extraordinaire Sky Masterson and bets that the suave, good-looking ladies' man can’t get prim, religious Sarah Brown (Nichols) to go with him for a dinner date to Havana (Well, here things have come current, I suppose. Back in 1950, people jetted to Havana. Every time I saw this show from the '70s onward, I thought it strange that people would jet to Havana since that had not been allowed for years. Now, with recent changes in policy by the US administration, I suppose Sky and Sarah could soon be jetting off for dinner in Havana again, but I digress......)

Meanwhile, Nathan has been putting off his fiancée, Miss Adelaide (Nancy Anderson), an exotic dancer at the Hot Spot club who has been trying to get Nathan to the altar for 14 years (an elderly gentleman seated near me was quite taken with Adelaide's dance numbers and show-girl costumes designed by Tracy Christensen, with wig and hair design by Mark Adam Rampmeyer.) Even though Sky first became involved with Sarah because of the bet, he starts to fall for her for real, and he tries to help her save the Salvation-Army style mission run by her grandfather, Arvide Abernathy (John Jellison) in a seedy New York neighborhood. The organization's general, Matilda B. Cartwright (Karen Murphy) threatens to close the mission if it doesn’t start reaching some sinners, so Sky starts calling in some markers.

Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows’ book, based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" and "Blood Pressure" – two short stories by Damon Runyon– (which also borrows characters and plot elements from other Runyon stories, most notably "Pick the Winner") needs some updating. A story that depicts "dolls" either as uptight prigs (Sarah is referred to as a “religious tomato”) or stupid bimbettes (with an almost exclusively male creative team credited here at Goodspeed) usually isn’t high on my list of recommendations, but really, the Loesser score makes it worthwhile.

Guys and Dolls plays at the Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main St., East Haddam, through June 20. Perfromances 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 and 8 pm; Sunday at 2 pm (with select performances at 6:30 pm. Tickets $27-$82.50  860 873-8668; www.goodspeed.org.

Special ticketing options are available for this production:

·         Add a leisurely cruise and sumptuous buffet aboard the Lady Katharine river cruise to your theatre ticket. Available on Thursday, June 18. Choose an 11:30 am lunch cruise ($42) or a 5 pm dinner cruise ($47) to pair with your ticket to either the 2 pm or 7:30 pm performance.

·         Meet the Cast: Take part in discussion with the cast after the Thursday evening performances on May 7, 21 and June 4. Meet the Cast events are free with a ticket to that evening’s performance.

·         Friday Dinner Theatre Package: Includes dinner (choice of beef, chicken, fish, or pasta entrée ) at the Gelston House (located next door to the Opera House) and a ticket to the 8 pm performance. $82.

Theater Review: The Last Romance -- Ivoryton

Rochelle Slovin and Chet Carlin. Photo: Anne Hudson

Last Chance at Love is Not Just a Walk in the Park

By Lauren Yarger

When an 80-year-old man spots an attractive older woman at the local dog park, can the spark of romance be ignited in their lives, or is love just a dying ember?

Joe DiPietro’s funny and moving play The Last Romance gets a satisfying run at Ivoryton Playhouse, where the Tony-Award-winning playwright is a favorite: I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and All Shook Up were both popular successes there and the musical Memphis, will play the Ivoryton stage in August.

For Ralph Bellini (a perfect Chet Carlin) it’s love at first sight when he sees beautiful Carol Reynolds (Rochelle Slovin who looks fabulous for her 70+ years) with her little Chihuahua mix, Peaches (Roxy, the understudy for “Bruiser” on the national tour of Legally Blonde owned by William Berloni and handled by Theresa Stark). The widower contrives to meet her at the dog park and tries to woo her with tails of his long-ago audition for the Metropolitan Opera. (The Hartt School’s Stephen Mir plays Ralph’s younger self in the octogenarian’s mind and in flashbacks, where he sings parts of great operas.)

Carol is reluctant at first, but soon is won over by Ralph’s charm. His controlling sister, Rose (Kate Konigisor) doesn’t think the romance is a good idea, however, and fears she won’t have a place in his life any more if he gets involved with Carol. Rose has been taking care of her brother (and controlling his life) since moving in after he had a memory lapse and was found wandering. Now, she keeps tabs on his every moment  --  it’s no wonder her estranged husband of 22 years left her for another woman. Adding to Rose’s angst is recent communication that her husband wants to divorce.

Carol plans to take Ralph to the famed  La Scala opera house in Italy – a place he and his late wife dreamed of visiting – but Rose might throw a wrench in the plan. Will the couple be able to enjoy what both know is the last romance they ever will experience?

DiPietro gives us layered characters (excellently directed by Maggie McGlone Jennings). Carlin’s engaging personality instantly wins us over. He gives a top-notch performance as Chet struggles with mortality, unexpected feelings and responsibility toward his sister. Konigisor (the artistic director of Shakespeare with Benefits) isn’t afraid to show off her character’s offensive side – “Shuuuuut uuuuup,” she yells at the dogs in the park – but also brings out Rose’s vulnerability. Slovin, returning to the stage after 30 years as founding director of the Museum of the Moving Image in New York, is a bit stiff.

William Russell Stark designs the dog park, flanked on either side by sets for smaller scenes. Costume Designer Vickie Blake has Carol very elegantly dressed for a trip to the park.

The show comes together well with fully developed characters, the beautiful opera singing and DiPeitro’s humor woven throughout the moving story.

The Last Romance plays at Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., through May 10. Performances are Wednesday and Sunday at 2 pm; Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm; Friday and Saturday at 8 pm. Tickets: $42 for adults, $37 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children. (860) 767-7318; www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.

James Patterson Coming to Hartford

James Patterson. Photo: David Burnett

The Mark Twain House and Museum will host a benefit appearance of bestselling author James Patterson in Hartford Wednesday, June 17..

It's a rare on-stage appearance for Patterson, who will engage in conversation with WNPR's Ray Hardman. The event will take place across the street from The Mark Twain House at Immanuel Congregational Church, 10 Woodland St., Hartford. Free parking is available in the parking lots at The Mark Twain House and Museum and in the church's Woodland Street lot.

Tickets available here or by calling 860-280-3130. Ticket prices are $60 for the general public, and $50 for members of The Mark Twain House. There will be a limited number of $175 VIP tickets available that include a pre-event reception at the Town and County Club, 22 Woodland St., next door to Immanuel Congregational Church, with an opportunity to meet and greet with James Patterson; premium VIP seating at the event; and a pre-signed copy of one of James Patterson's books.

In 2011, it was estimated that one-in-four of all hardcover suspense/thriller novels sold was written by James Patterson. He is the first author to achieve 10 million ebook sales and he holds the Guinness record for the most #1 New York Times bestsellers of any author. His success isn't based solely on thrillers like the perennially popular Alex Cross, Women's Murder Club, and Michael Bennett series. Patterson is now also the current bestselling author in the young adult and middle grade categories.

Patterson champions books and reading through the James Patterson Pageturner Awards, his website ReadKiddoRead.com, his College Book Bucks scholarships and his regular donations of hundreds of thousands of books to schools here in the states and to troops overseas.

Hardman joined the WNPR staff in 1996, as a reporter and host. He later became the Music Director for WNPR, and in 2002 he went back to his newsy roots as the host of WNPR's Morning Edition. From 2002 to 2009 Ray divided his time between WNPR and CPTV, first serving as a correspondent on CPTV's news magazine Main Street. He later became the host of Main Street, and from 2005 to 2009 was the host and producer for CPTV's Front and Center with Ray Hardman.

Midsummer Night's Dream Closes Curtian on CT Repertory Season

Kent Coleman (Peaseblossom), Michael Patrick Kane* (Nick Bottom) and Natalia Cuevas (Titania) in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM by William Shakespeare, directed by Dale AJ Rose, onstage at Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre through May 3. Photo: Gerry Goodstein.

Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will end its 2014-2015 season with the Shakespeare classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre through May 3.

A comedy of mistaken identity and love, A Midsummer Night’s Dream provides a magical exploration of love, lust, and marriage. With fairies, magic spells, and people transforming into animals, Shakespeare takes us through the chaotic twists and turns only to illustrate just how otherworldly love can be. The production is directed by Dale AJ Rose, Associate Artistic Director at CRT and the Director of Performance Studies at UConn.

The show runs at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre. Weeknight evening performances start at 7:30; weekend evening performances start at 8. Matinee performances start at 2 pm. Tickets are $7 $30: www.crt.uconn.edu; 860-486-2113. The box office is now housed in the Nafe Katter Theatre, 820 Bolton Road, open Monday-Friday, noon to 5 pm and one hour prior to show time at the theater where the performance is taking place.

Coming Up at Boston's Huntington Theatre

Adrianne Krstansky, Nael Nacer, and Marie Polizzano in the Huntington Theatre Company’s production of William Inge’s Come Back, Little Sheba, directed by David Cromer, extended through May 2, South End / Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA. Photo: T. Charles Erickson.

THE 2015-2016 SEASON LINEUP

·         A Little Night Music, a sumptuous Tony Award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim; directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois; at the Boston University Theatre September 11 – October 11, 2015
·         Choice, a thought-provoking new comedy by Winnie Holzman about the many layers that live inside a single choice; directed by Sheryl Kaller; at the Wimberly Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA October 16 – November 15, 2015
·         A Confederacy of Dunces, a wild comic ride by Jeffrey Hatcher; based on the iconic novel by John Kennedy Toole; directed by David Esbjornson (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, All My Sons); featuring Nick Offerman (“Parks and Recreation”); at the Boston University Theatre November 11 – December 13, 2015
·         How I Learned What I Learned, August Wilson’s one-man show; directed by Todd Kreidler (Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner) and featuring Eugene Lee, both longtime Wilson collaborators; at the Boston University Theatre January 8 – February 7, 2016
·         Disgraced, a riveting Broadway hit and winner of the 2013 Pulitzer Prize by Ayad Ahktar; directed by Kimberly Senior who helmed the Broadway production; at the Boston University Theatre March 4 – April 3, 2016
·         Can You Forgive Her?, a biting new comedy by two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Gina Gionfriddo (Rapture, Blister, Burn; Becky Shaw); directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois; at the Wimberly Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA March 25 – April 24, 2016
·         I Was Most Alive With You, an ambitious and moving new play written and directed by Craig Lucas and performed in English and American Sign Language; at the Wimberly Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA June 1 – July 3, 2016
– PLUS –
·         Milk Like Sugar, a provocative drama written by Huntington Playwriting Fellow Kirsten Greenidge (Luck of the Irish); directed by M. Bevin O’Gara (Becoming Cuba) at the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA January 29 – February 28, 2016
Note: Milk Like Sugar is not part of the 2015-2016 subscription season – tickets sold separately.

Theater Review: Little Shop of Horrors -- Music Theatre of CT

The Cast of Little Shop. Photo courtesy of MTC.

Little Shop of Horrors
Music Theatre of Connecticut
through May 3

What's It All About?
A florist shop employee named Seymour (Norwalk native Anthony DiCostanzo) discovers an odd seedling and tries to nurse it back to health. He names it Audrey II, after his sweetheart, Audrey (Elissa DeMaria), and discovers that this particular plant requires human blood to thrive. The amazing plant grows and becomes such an attraction that business booms at the florist shop owned by Mr. Mushnik (Lou Ursone). The plant (a puppet operated by Will Strong and voiced by Peter McClung) gets very hungry, however, and Seymour decides to feed it Audrey's sadistic dentist boyfriend Orin (Tony Lawson, who also plays a bunch of other parts and who brings humor to the bizarre characters). Will Seymour win the girl? Will Mr. Mushnik find out what's really going on?

What are the Highlights?
The score by Alan Menken has always been a favorite. "Somewhere That's Green" is still moving. Backup singers Inuka Ivaska, Kristian Espiritu and Gabrielle Lee add a nice vocal punch to the mix. DeMaria, directed by Kevin Connors,  gives a complex portrayal as Audrey. The three-man band (Music Direction by Thomas Martin Conroy) does justice to the score.

What Are the Lowlights?
Well, the plot is a bit much to take. Some notes that don't quite make their mark. The sound is WAY too loud for the small Melissa & Doug Theatre stage, where it is debatable whether the actors need to be wearing mics at all.

More info:
Little Shop runs  through May 3 at Music Theatre of Connecticut, 509 Westport Ave. (Route 1), n Norwalk. Performances are Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 4 and 8pm; Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets: $30-$50 ($5 off for seniors/students based on availability)

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Book and Lyrics by HOWARD ASHMAN

Music by ALAN MENKEN

Based on the film by Roger Corman Screenplay by Charles Griffith

Vocal Arrangements by ROBERT BILLIG 

Orchestrations by ROBERT MERKIN

Costume Design by DIANE VANDERKROE

Set Design by DAVID HEUVELMAN 

Lighting Design by TYLER H. FIRST 

Stage Managed by JIM SCHILLING

Choreography by STEVEN MIDURA 

NEW SEASON

MTC has announced its 2015-2016 Mainstage productions:

A re-imagined production of Evita

Oct. 16-Nov. 1

The Santaland Diaries

Dec. 11-20

Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike

Feb. 26-March 13

The Last Five Years

April 8-24