Quick Hit Theater Review: Come Fly Away -- The Bushnell

Tanairi Sade Vazquez and Ron Todorowski in COME FLY AWAY. Photo: © 2011 Joan Marcus 

Come Fly Away
Conceived, Choreographed and Directed by Twyla Tharp

Vocals by Frank Sinatra

The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts 

Summary:

Dance Legend Twila Tharp creates another Broadway dance musical in the tradition of her successful Movin’ Out (featuring songs by Billy Joel), turning this time to more than 25 tunes made famous by Frank Sinatra. An ensemble of 14 dancers performs the choreography with a live band on stage, accompanied by the recorded vocals of Sinatra. There isn’t any dialogue and no plot to speak of. The lyrcis of the songs provide some guidance for the choreography, which loosely follows four couples falling in and out of love in a setting resembling a night club (James Youmains designs the set). 

Highlights:

Dancers Anthony Burrell and Ashley Blair Fitzgerald stand out from the fine ensemble with their excellent stage presence as they perform seemingly effortless turns, leaps and lifts. The 13-member band, conducted by Musical Director Rob Cookman, swings (especially those horns) in a brisk 75-minute performance. 

Lowlights:

Well, there’s really no plot. The main dancers are listed by character names in the program, but seriously, we never know what their names are or what really is taking place. If you spend too much time trying to assign a story to what you are seeing, you’ll miss the best part – dance.

Some of the choreography seems misogynistic – women being felt up, treated roughly, thrown over the shoulders of men vying for them, etc. A technical glitch delayed opening night on Tuesday by about 30 minutes (and a zipper glitch provided a moment of embarrassment for Burrell). 

Information:

The show closes the 2011-2012 Broadway season at the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford, and runs through June 3. Remaining performances are tonight at 7:30, Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 pm and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 pm. Tickets range from $17 to $72 and are available at 860-987-5900 or www.bushnell.org.

Warner Theatre to Launch Liberty Musical Prior to NY Run

Liberty, a new musical that tells the stirring and spectacular story of United States immigration through the eyes of a young European immigrant, will be presented in an exclusive, fully-staged professional production at the Warner Theatre in advance of its New York premiere. Performances begin June 30.

The production marks the first time the Warner Theater has developed and premiered a new musical in advance of a commercial New York run. Liberty is directed by Igor
Goldin (YANK!; Pride and Prejudice).

The announcement was made today by John Bonanni, Executive Director of the Warner Theatre.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for local audiences to see a professional production before it heads to New York,” said John Bonanni, executive director of the the Warner. “Our community of actors and volunteers are excited to inaugurate the Warner’s new professional development program, serving as an incubator for a commercial run in New York.”

Liberty with book and lyrics by Dana Leslie Goldstein and music by Jon Goldstein, tells the story of a young immigrant who arrives from France in 1884 amid anti-immigrant fervor. With powerful political forces working against her, she is befriended by fellow immigrants from all corners of the world. Through assimilation, Liberty becomes the symbol of all immigrants, winning over the people of the United States and taking her rightful place in New York Harbor.

The musical previously was presented as a developmental workshop as part of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s Immigrant Heritage Week and has been invited to perform at the grand re-opening of the crown of the Statue of Liberty and during the official celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Statue of Liberty.

Performances will be held Saturday, June 30 at 8 pm, Sunday, July 1 at 3 pm, Thursday,
July 5 at 8 pm, Friday, July 6 at 8 pm, Saturday, July 7 at 2 pm, Thursday, July 12 at 8 pm, and Sunday, July 14 at 2 and 8 pm. The July 1 performance will feature an opening night red carpet prior to the performance.

Tickets: $25, $30, $40 VIP Gold Circle. Call 860-489-7180 or visit www.WarnerTheatre.org. A study guide for parents and educators is available and can
be downloaded at http://www.WarnerTheatre.org/Liberty. More info: www.LibertyTheMusical.com,

Westport Playhouse Launches Book Talk Series



Westport Country Playhouse and Meryl L. Moss Media Relations, Inc. are partnering for a new literary salon series called “Books Worth Talking About!”

Launching in June, the program will feature a pre-show discussion with prominent authors followed by a performance of a Playhouse production. The themes of the literary salons and theatrical productions will complement each other.

The inaugural salon and its parallel Playhouse production on Wednesday, June 13, will focus on memoir writing as a healing tool. Nina Sankovitch, author of “Tolstoy and the Purple Chair: A Year of Magical Reading,” a memoir in dealing with the death of her sister, will be interviewed from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Playhouse’s Sheffer studio by Tessa Smith McGovern, memoir collection editor, writing professor at Sarah Lawrence College and founder of eChook Digital Publishing.

Following at 8 pm will be a performance of The Year of Magical Thinking, based on the National Book Award-winning memoir by Joan Didion. Featuring Maureen Anderman, the play is about hope and renewal following the author’s loss of her husband.

The literary salon is open to anyone with a ticket for the Wednesday, June 13 performance. Subscribers to other performances may exchange their tickets into this evening if they wish by contacting the Playhouse box office at 203-227-4177.

Upcoming literary salons will be on Wednesday, July 18, prior to a performance of Molière’s Tartuffe and Wednesday, August 29, before the world premiere of the comedy “Harbor,” by Tony Award-nominated playwright Chad Beguelin. For a season brochure, click here.

For more information or tickets, call 203- 227-4177, toll-free1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport or  www.westportplayhouse.org.

Playhouse Favorite is Last of the Red Hot Lovers at Ivoryton



R. Bruce Connelly

Neil Simon's The Last of the Red Hot Lovers runs at Ivoryton Playhouse June 6-24.
Meet Barney Cashman, a 47-year-old restaurateur, who decides he needs to take a break from his 23-year-old marriage. On three different afternoons, he brings women to his mother’s apartment while she’s at the hospital volunteering. Behind plentiful laughs is a tender portrayal of a decent fellow who just can’t succeed in sinning.

R. Bruce Connelly returns to Ivoryton to play the hopelessly faithful Cashman. He iwll be joined by Playhouse veteran Beverley Taylor, Kate Hubbard and Bonnie Black.

Longtime wives who attend TheLast of the Red Hot Lovers are urged to bring their longtimehusbands. Each guy may well see how smart he’s been to not humiliatehimself the way Barney does!

Directed by Maggie McGlone Jennings, the set design is by Rachel Reynolds, lighting design by Marcus Abbott, and costumes by Lisa Marie Harry.

Performance times are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Evening performances are 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 Playhousebox 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.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main  Street in Ivoryton.

Broadway Shows, Special Needs Performance Highlight Summer New Canaan

The Summer Theatre of New Canaan (STONC) 2012 Theatre Festival in Waveny Park will include mainstage productions of the such Broadway classics as My Fair Lady and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, plus The Wizard of Oz, Pinkalicious, The Musical, Disney’s High School Musical 2,

The Stars of Broadway Concert and an additional performance of The Wizard of Oz performed by special needs youngsters mentored by professional actors.

STONC musicals are presented in Waveny Park in a state-of-the-art open-air tent theatre with reserved seating plus stage-side and orchestra box dining as well as open field seating and picnicking. Performances take place rain or shine.

Opening the 2012 season will be My Fair Lady Friday, June 15 through July 7. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Sir Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat featuring a professional company of actors and a 20-member choir of local children, runs Saturday, July 14 through Aug. 5.

The festival also features a Theatre for a Young Audience series of shows: The Wizard of Oz (Sunday, June 17 through Saturday, Aug. 4); Pinkalicious, The Musical (special preview Wednesday on the 4th of July opens Saturday, July 7 thru Sunday, Aug. 5) is a charming smash hit based on the popular book by Elizabeth and Victoria Kann. Come dressed in Pink.

In addition, STONC’s Junior Company will present Disney’s High School Musical 2 on Friday, July 27 at 4 pm. The Junior Company, created only for middle school-age children grades 5 thru 8, will work with the Summer Theatre professional actors, director, choreographer, designers and crew who will instruct, rehearse and assist the students in mounting the production. Tuition for this three week performance intensive program and production in the afternoons is $695.

The festival will also include an additional performance of The Wizard of Oz performed by the Summer Theatre Drama Ramas company of special children with needs. Professional actors currently performing in the same festival show will have mentored and rehearsed with each special needs child to help them sing, dance and perform the roles in this very special performance. Tuition for this 3 week Drama Ramas program is $425 (some scholarships available) and their performance is on Thursday, June 28 at 4 pm.

The tent theater opens one-hour prior to performance for picnics or dining at reserved tables and the house opens 30 minutes prior to performance for regular ticket holders. Reserved seating available online or can be purchased one hour prior to performances on site.

Theatre entrance and free parking is located at 11 Farm Road, Canaan. Take the New Canaan High School Entrance, follow road to end at Dunning Field Parking lots. The Outdoor Tent Theatre and picnic areas are adjacent to Parking area.

For directions via auto and train go to stonc.org and click on directions or set GPS units for Summer Theatre of New Canaan located at 11 Farm Road Canaan CT. Take the New Canaan High School Entrance and follow road to Dunning Field and Waveny Park.

Tickets prices begin at: $30 for the musicals and $16 for the Theatre for Young Audience shows. Schedules, tickets and info: 203-966-4634 weekedays 10 am to 5 pm; www.stonc.org

Theater Review: Teddy & Alice -- Seven Angels

The Cast of Teddy and Alice. Photo: Paul Roth

A Bully Season-Ender Where Current Headlines Could Have Written the Dialogue
By Lauren Yarger
The possibility of a third-party candidate amidst disagreement within the Republican Party; questions about corporate donations to campaigns; charges of socialism and a president who golfs too much. Sound like topics from today's news? Think again.
The subjects are part of the 1987 musical Teddy & Alice about the early 20th-century presidency of Teddy Roosevelt (a bully John T Lynes). It features tunes by John Philip Sousa (Richard Kapp provides adaptations and original music), a book by Jerome Alden, lyrics by Hal Hackaday and even artistic consultation by Alan Jay Lerner. The timely references prove, as Director Semina De Laurentis promised in a pre-curtain welcome, that even though the musical depicts events from more than 100 years ago, "not much has changed."

The Alice in the title, is Roosevelt's daring, unconventional daughter (played by Sydney Turner) who smokes in public, doesn't blush at showing a little ankle and speaks her mind. Her opinions clearly interfere with those who want the president's ear for themselves like financier J.P. Morgan (Tim Cleary), William Howard Taft (Charles Stoop), Sen. Henry Cabot Lodge (Jonathan Ross) and Secretary of War Elihu Root (John Swanson), so they conspire to marry "Alice Interuptus" off. Charles DellaRocco, Jimmy Donohue, Michelle Gotay, Diane Magas, Deb O'Connell Mandy Thompson and Cassie Taylor round out the ensemble.
Alice is really just a chip off the old block, they discover, however, as her father bucks the norm himself, even doing the unthinkable -- at least in 1901 Washington -- by inviting black Booker T. Washington (Jerrial Young) to dine at the White House. The president also manipulates politics in Panama, where he wants to build a canal.
"Shouldn't you consult with Congress?" one of his advisers asks.
"No, I want to get things done," he barks.
That exchange got a lusty guffaw from the audience who didn't miss the modern-day relevence.
Alice eventually does fall in love with Sen. Nick Longworth (Matt Martin, who has a lovely tenor), many years her senior, but at first Roosevelt refuses to give his blessing and sends Alice off on a four-month good will tour of the Far East. The trouble, it seems, is that Roosevelt just can't let go of Alice. She reminds him too much of her late mother, Alice Lee. That reluctance doesn't go unnoticed by second wife, Edith (Krista Adams Santilli), who feels she can't compete with the memory of Roosevelt's beloved first wife, even though she has given him five more children (played here by Connor Barth, a 6th grader at WAMS, Carey Cannata, a rising freshman at the Taft School,  Brandon Szep, Christina Vlamis and Philip Coffey).

There are some unfortunate glitches that mar the production: sound levels and mixes need adjustment (Martin also designs the sound); conversations by the four musicians housed off stage left can be heard during dialogue; light cues can be slow (Matt Guminski, design) and the ensemble and musicians aren't together in some of the larger productions numbers (Richard DeRosa, music direction).
There are some triumphs as well, however. Choreographer Janine Molinari does a nice job with both small and larger numbers particularly as the ensemble members seem to be at different levels of ability. A scene depicting the 1912 convention and the birth of the progressive party when Roosevelt tried to keep his successor, Taft, from winning the nomination for a second term, is very well staged with banners streaming (Erik D. Diaz, set design), flags waving and Sousa's "Stars and Stripes" blaring. (In a nice touch the theater has patriotically decorated ballot boxes in the lobby for audience members to cast votes to choose shows for next year's season.)
Alden's book is a bit cheesy and long at more than two and half hours, but it's wholesome fun and awfully contemporary.
Teddy & Alice wraps up the season at Seven Angels with an extension of dates: Friday, June 15 at 8 pm, Saturday, June 16 at 8 pm and Sunday June 17 at 2 pm. For information or to purchase tickets, call 203-757-4676 or visit http://sevenangelstheatre.org/. Seven Angels is located at 1 Plank Road, Waterbury.

Theater Review: The Tempest -- Hartford Stage



Aerialist Joshua Dean and the Cast of the Tempest. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Tresnjak's Tantalizing Tableau Transcends Tempest
By Lauren Yarger
Stimulating visuals which incorporate movement that is part ballet and part Cirque du Soleil set the stage for Darko Trasnjak's vision for Shakepeare's The Tempest at Hartford Stage.

Daniel Davis (you probably best know him as Niles the butler on TV's "The Nanny") heads a fine cast in the tale of betrayal, forgiveness and redemption, but those themes, along with the storyline, at times seems to drown in the sea of colorful images.

The vision is set in the first scene, a clever and breathtaking depiction of the tempest and the shipwreck which brings a host of characters to a remote island previously inhabited only by  Prospero (Davis), his daughter, Miranda (Sara Topham), Caliban (Ben Cole), a spirit named Ariel (Shirine Babb) and various other spirits, gods and goddesses (Jane Cracovaner, Joshua Dean, Annastasia Duffany and Jillian Greenberg).

Arriving in the storm conjured up by Prospero's mighty powers are Alonso, King of Naples (Christopher Randolph), his son, Ferdinand (William Patrick Riley), whom Alonso thinks has been lost at sea, and Alonso's brother, Sebastian (David Barlow) in addition to Prospero's brother, Antonio (Jonathan Lincoln Fried), who with Alonso's help, had usurped Propsero as the Duke of Milan. Washing up with them on shore are a host of characters (played by Noble Shropshire, Alex Saffer, Michael Spencer-Davis, Bruce Turk and Dean.)

When Miranda lays eyes on the first man she's ever seen besides her father and his grotesque slave, Caliban, it's love at first sight. Thankfully Ferdinand returns the affection, but Prospero refuses to give his approval to the match. There are plots against Prospero's life, some drunken sport (the mocking of Caliban seems particularly cruel-edged in this version) and some Shakespeare-style humor enhanced by Tresnjak's interpretation.

Shirine Babb and Daniel Davis.
Photo: T. Charles Erickson.

Davis is compelling as the wronged man who treads water until he finds a way to ride a wave of forgiveness. Turning in some noteworthy performances are Cole as the tormented. mistreated slave, Babb as the mischievous spirit longing for freedom and Barlow, who gives one of the most engaging performances in a smaller role.
The story lack cohesion and the actors don't come together or bounce off of each other, however, because attention is mostly on the the spectacle of the play, rather than on its substance. And it is beautiful to behold. Alexander Dodge's set is splashed with dialogue from the play in the Bard's handwriting on a blue background. It is at once an ocean tossing a helpless ship and the sands of the beach on which it runs aground (with the help of excellent lighting designed by Michael Chybowski).

A circular map of the world on the backdrop of the set is removed to reveal a staging area for the staging of portraits. Fabio Toblini's costume design borrows the handwriting theme which allows characters to blend into the scene. Spirits attach themselves to areas around the circle or up on the massive bookcases framing the set (Shakespearian students will know that when Prospero was deposed and set adrift with 3-year-old Miranda, he took his books with him), part of the scene, but not, to create some wonderful tableaux.

The highlight of the beautiful staging is an aerial/ ballet number by the spirits with original music (and sound design) by David Budries and Nathan a. Roberts (Babb lends a beautiful singing voice to the production). Dean, who serves as aerial consultant, performs above the stage flying on strips of fabric, à la Cirque du Soleil.

The Tempest is the first production selected by Tresnjak who began as the theater's new artistic director this year. It runs through June 10 at Hartford stage, 50 Church st., Hartford. Tickets and info: http://www.hartfordstage.org/show/tempest; 860-527-5151.

Other Shakespeare/Hartford Stage news:

Hartford Stage YoungCompany to hold audition for Breakdancing Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing

What:
Hartford Stage Young Company, in conjunction with the Greater Hartford Arts Council’s Neighborhood Studios, will hold general auditions for Breakdancing Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing on Wednesday, May 23. Breakdancing Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing is a modern take on Shakespeare’sclassic comedy exploring life’s deceptions, both large and small. In this reimagined version of the play,students use breakdancing and hip hop to help make Shakespeare’s language accessible to audiences of all ages. This is a paid,six-week rehearsal process involving 16 Greater Hartford area students. Over the course of the summer, students will learn techniques of breakdancing, physical and vocal characterization,movement, and interpretation of classical text, culminating in two final performances on Monday, Aug. 6. 

When:
Wednesday, May 23 from 3 to 8 pm
Callbacks (by invitation only) Thursday, May 24

Where: Hartford StageRehearsal Studios, 942 Main Street, 2nd floor, Hartford

How:
Visit the Greater Hartford Arts Council website to download more information and an application. Go to www.letsgoarts.org, clickon Arts in Education, then select Neighborhood Studios.

Jay & the Americans Perform at Downtown Cabaret

Jay and The Americans will perform two concerts Saturday, June 2 at 5 and 8 pm at Bridgeport’s Downtown Cabaret Theatre.

The theatre is located at 263 Golden Hill Street in downtown Bridgeport. Reserved tickets are $39 and $59. For information: 203-576-1636 or downtowncabaret.org.

Up next: Crystal Gayle - Jun 23.

Hartford Native, Jazz Great Jimmy Greene to Solo with HSO

HSO JAZZ AND STRINGS: JIMMY GREENE WITH STRINGS
with Jimmy Greene, saxophone; Gene Bozzi, Jazz & Strings artistic director, drums; Walter Gwardyak, piano; Edward Rozie, acoustic bass; HSO String section
Saturday, May 19, 2012 │ 8:00 p.m.
Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor│359 Washington Street Hartford, CT│Free, Secure Parking
Ticket Information: Single tickets to this performance 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.

Fairfield University Exhibit Explores History of Women

Forever Together by Vinita Manjunath.

The significant role women have played over time is explored in the new exhibition The History of Woman, on view from May 30, 2012, through June 23, 2012, at Fairfield University’s Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery, located in the Quick Center for the Arts.

The exhibition is presented by Montage Initiative, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization headquartered in Bridgeport, CT, and London, England, and its Traveling Art Gallery (TAG) program. Montage Initiative is dedicated to providing impoverished and disadvantaged women and families around the globe with expanded opportunities to earn a sustainable living. TAG is one of the organization’s unique programs, offering space and materials for artists to create and exhibit their art.

The History of Woman features works by local artists, students, and faculty in celebration of cultural acceptance and individual expression. The Quick Center’s stewardship of this project and its relationship with Montage Initiative is an important, multi-faceted collaboration that aims for prompt discussion on globalization and increased awareness about extreme poverty and sustainable development.

The History of Woman is the capstone event of the Quick Center’s involvement in Fairfield University’s Global Citizenship initiative. During this period, from June 11-15, 2012, Fairfield University is hosting the 3rd Biennial JUHAN (Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network) Student Leadership Conference: Global Perspectives on Humanitarian Action. An estimated 200 students, faculty and staff will be attending the conference from Jesuit Universities globally and nationally to visit the exhibition. Montage Initiative’s attention is currently focused on the plight of the widows in the Indian providence of Vrindavan, although it endeavors to alleviate the reality of extreme poverty worldwide by rallying support and awareness and promoting peace building.

The Thomas J. Walsh Art Gallery is free and open to the public. Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., and approximately one hour prior to curtain and during intermission at all Quick Center events. 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. 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.fairfield.edu/quick.
 
 In conjunction with the The History of Woman exhibition, there will be a reading at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 31, 2012, at the Fairfield University Bookstore, by author Julie Barbero Mughal, Assistant Director for the Center for Faith & Public Life at Fairfield University, from her book “Land Without Hats,” a collection of oral histories from women around the world, exploring what it means to be a widow in different cultures. Accompanying the reading will be demonstrations by The History of Woman exhibiting artists Anna Linley, Reiki Master, and Diane Platt, sculptor. Free admission. The Fairfield University Bookstore is located at 1499 Post Rd. in Fairfield, CT. All sales of “Land Without Hats” at this event will benefit the Montage Initiative and its programs.  Sponsored by The Montage Initiative and Fairfield University’s Center for Faith and Public Life.