CT Arts Connections for the Week of March 25

Don't Miss These Happenings:

Edgerton Center
Westport Playhouse
The Shubert
The Kate

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For the first time ever on stage of the Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts, three Broadway stars who have shared the same title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera join forces for an evening of incredible song and music while performing with members of the Bridgeport Symphony Orchestra.

Cris Groenendaal, Mark Jacoby and Craig Schulman have collectively worn the ‘Phantom’ mask a few thousand times over a 10-year period. Each tenor brings an average of 20 years of Broadway experience to the stage as well as major roles in numerous regional theatres, television and opera.

Described as an Evening of MASK-uline Broadway Entertainment, Three Phantoms In Concert will take the stage of the Edgerton Center on Saturday, April 6 at 8 pm as an integral part of 2013 Discovery Gala, with proceeds benefitting the Sacred heart University Scholarship Programs. Tickets and info: 203-371-7908; EdgertonCenter.org.

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Melissa Joan Hart, left, a Westport resident and star of television, film, and theater, will be featured in the romantic comedy “Any Wednesday,” a benefit playreading to support Westport Country Playhouse’s Script in Hand series, on one-night-only, Monday, July 29, 7 p.m. Director is Anne Keefe, Playhouse artistic advisor. Tickets to the benefit playreading are $100, $50, and $25. Tickets include the playreading and post-performance “Meet the Cast” reception: 203-227-4177; 1-888-927-7529; www.westportplayhouse.org.

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The Shubert Theater kicks-off the second year of its Theater and Arts Summer Camp at Co-Op High School, July 8 through Aug. 2. The four-week summer camp runs Mondays through Fridays from 9 am to 3 pm with an optional After Care program from 3 to 5 pm. The camp is formatted for middle school children entering grades 6, 7 or 8 and offers two programs to choose from: Theater and Arts Camp or Musical Theater Camp. Applications are available at www.shubertcamp.com, or call 203-691-2439 for information. A special Early Bird tuition discount is available for registrations and full payment completed by March 31. Partial financial aid is also available based on need. The final deadline for registration and payment is June 1, 2013

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With 10 critically acclaimed albums, Vance Gilbert continues to refine his unlikely union of humor, virtuosity, and the unexpected. Whether with classic, original songwriting or ageless interpretations of covers, his is a presentation steeped in deep humanism and bravery, stunning artistry and soul, and contagious, unbridled joy.Chelsea Berry opens.
Date: Friday, April 5
Time 8 pm
Price: $25
Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main St., Old Saybrook: 877-503-1286; www.thekate.org

New Stephen Schwartz Musical Highlights Norma Terris Season

The 2013 Norma Terris Theatre Season features three musicals in development: The Fabulous Lipitones with a barbershop quartet, Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook by Stephen Schwartz, an original tuner which features well-known tunes from Wicked, Godspell, Pippin and a third musical to be announced. 

The Fabulous Lipitones (May 9 – June 2), a comedy about what happens when white bread meets tandoori, is by Emmy-winning writer John Markus, head writer for "The Cosby Show" and writer/producer of "The Larry Sanders Show" and award-winning playwright Mark St. Germain, author of Freud's Last Session as well as Camping With Henry And Tom and the musical Stand By Your Man, The Tammy Wynette Story which was a Goodspeed audience favorite at The Norma Terris Theatre.
What happens when a barbershop quartet who’s been belting out close harmonies for twenty years loses a key member to a heart-stopping high “C”? The three surviving members must cease their bickering and race to find a replacement in time for Nationals. Excitement is high when they find someone, BUT he’s nowhere near what they expected.

Snapshots (Oct. 24 – Nov.17) takes place in the attic of Sue and Dan, a couple whose 20 year marriage has begun to drift apart. Together they discover a box of photographs which leads them to relive the memories of their past selves captured in the snapshots. Featuring fresh lyrics and orchestrations, Snapshots reveals the humorous twists of how love united the couple and why life has pushed them apart. Songs include: “Popular” (Wicked), “Corner of the Sky” (Pippin), “Endless Delight” (The Baker’s Wife), “All Good Gifts” (Godspell), “Fathers and Sons” (Working) and many more. 

Snapshots is romantic comedy that blends the best-loved music from composer Stephen Schwartz’s Broadway shows plus some of his lesser-known gems with book by David Stern who has written numerous movies including: "Geppetto" (four Emmy Award nominations), "Open Season 2" (Annie Award nomination for Best Animated Feature), "Open Season 3" and the upcoming "Turkeys" (starring Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson). He also wrote the musical My Son Pinocchio with longtime collaborator Schwartz. 

Single tickets ar available beginning today : box office, 6 Main Street, East Haddam; 860-873-8668; goodspeed.org.  The additional production to be announced is scheduled to run from July 25 – Aug.18.

Hartford Symphony Orchestra Posts 70th Anniversary Season

A Hartford Symphony Orchestra performance in October 2012. Photo: Alan Grant

Hartford Symphony Orchestra Music Director Carolyn Kuan has announced programming for the  70th Anniversary Season, including the 2013-2014 Masterworks Series and the 2013-2014 Pops Series that will be presented at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, CT.

Kuan's contract with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra has been extended through to May 31, 2016, two years beyond her initial contract’s end date.

70th Season Highlights:

Opening Night 70th Anniversary Celebration October 11, 2013:
The HSO is rolling out the red carpet for Opening Night! Two of the most famous works in the organ repertoire, Saint-Saëns’ massive Symphony No. 3 and Bach’s glorious Toccata and Fugue, will be played on The Bushnell’s historic, Hartford-made Austin pipe organ. Matched with the delicacy of the pipa – a Chinese lute – played by virtuoso Wu Man, recently named Musical America’s 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year. The concert will also feature a side by side performance with the Connecticut Youth Symphony.

HSO and Hartford Stage to Collaborate on A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Hartford Stage Company will join during their respective 70th and 50th anniversary seasons to present a new concert staging of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, combining a theatrical performance of Shakespeare's timeless story with Mendelssohn's incidental music. Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan will combine their artistic visions for this once-in-a-lifetime collaboration.

Pops Series to Open with Disney’s Fantasia; Holiday Cirque Spectacular Back by Popular Demand:
This season’s Pops concerts each have something to delight music lovers of all ages. From the movie masterpiece Disney’s Fantasia, to music inspired by delectable food to holiday favorites accompanied by high-flying Cirque acrobats, and music from some of the most popular composers of the last 40 years, from Stephen Sondheim to Billy Joel to Les Misérables.

Season to Feature Guest Appearances from former Music Directors Michael Lankester and Edward Cumming:
Former HSO music directors Michael Lankester and Edward Cumming return to the podium in celebration of the HSO’s legacy in this community. Each maestro imprinted his unique style and propelled the orchestra to artistic excellence, as the audience will experience this season.

2013-2014 Guest Artist Highlights to Include:
Michael Cavanaugh, vocals and piano; Cirque de la Symphonie; Connecticut Youth Symphony; David Finckel, cello (Emerson String Quartet); The Hartford Chorale; Sirena Huang, violin; Wu Man, pipa; Greig Shearer, HSO Principal flute; Leonid Sigal, HSO Concertmaster; Joel Smirnoff, guest conductor; Tim Stella, guest conductor; The University of Connecticut Drumline; Mariangela Vacatello, piano; Peter Winograd, violin (son of former HSO music director Arthur Winograd)

See the complete list of concert programs that follows:

2013 – 2014 Masterworks Series
HARTFORD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 70th Anniversary Season
Carolyn Kuan, Music Director
The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts

70TH ANNIVERSARY OPENING NIGHT!
October 11 & 12, 2013
Friday & Saturday, 8pm
Mortensen Hall
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Wu Man pipa
Edward Clark organ
Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, “Organ”
Bach Toccata and Fugue in D minor
with Connecticut Youth Symphony, Daniel D’Addio, music director
Harrison Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra
We’re rolling out the red carpet for Opening Night! Two of the most famous works in the organ repertoire, Saint-Saëns’ massive Symphony No. 3 and Bach’s glorious Toccata and Fugue, will be played on The Bushnell’s historic, Hartford-made Austin pipe organ. Matched with the delicacy of the pipa – a Chinese lute – played by virtuoso Wu Man, recently named Musical America’s 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year. Concert Benefactor: Hartford Hospital

BEETHOVEN & BERNSTEIN
November 7 – 10, 2013
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Peter Winograd violin
Beethoven Symphony No. 7
Piazzolla Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
Bernstein Fancy Free
Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony is paired with Piazzolla’s tango-inspired Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, featuring violinist Peter Winograd, son of HSO’s esteemed former music director Arthur Winograd. Plus, hear the ballet score Fancy Free – the first work in the HSO’s season-long tribute to composer Leonard Bernstein.

GREENSLEEVES & SIRENA
December 12 – 15, 2013
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Joel Smirnoff guest conductor
Sirena Huang violin
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on Greensleeves
Sibelius Concerto for Violin in D minor
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 3, “Polish”
Connecticut’s own violin sensation Sirena Huang returns with guest conductor Joel Smirnoff. This festive program includes Vaughan Williams’ gorgeous setting of Greensleeves and Sibelius’ virtuosic Violin Concerto. The Koski Memorial Concert.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
January 9 – 12, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Darko Tresnjak stage director
Mendelssohn A Midsummer Night’s Dream
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Hartford Stage Company will join during our respective 70th and 50th anniversary seasons to present a new concert staging of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, combining a theatrical performance of Shakespeare's timeless story with Mendelssohn's incidental music. Concert Sponsor: Legrand.

WEST SIDE STORY
February 13 – 16, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Mariangela Vacatello piano
R. Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
This romantic Valentine features several moving love stories told through music, including Richard Strauss’ comic opera, Rachmaninoff’s balletic interpretation, and Bernstein’s theatrical retelling of Romeo and Juliet. The Tina Mahar McNally and Alexander Campbell McNally Memorial Concert. Guest artist sponsored by Ron and Nancy Compton.

MICHAEL LANKESTER CONDUCTS ENIGMA VARIATIONS
March 20 – 23, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Michael Lankester guest conductor, HSO music director from 1985-2000
Elgar Enigma Variations
Bruckner Symphony No. 3
Michael Lankester makes a triumphant return to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra to lead two pieces of expressive personality. Lankester's fellow Englishman Edward Elgar dedicated his Enigma Variations to "my friends pictured within" – and made each variation an affectionate portrayal. This is followed by Bruckner's grand, dramatic, and brassy Third Symphony.

MOZART’S REQUIEM
April 10 – 13, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Patricia Schuman soprano
Tamara Mumford mezzo-soprano
Andrew Stenson tenor
Tyler Simpson bass-baritone
The Hartford Chorale
Richard Coffey music director
Bernstein Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah”
Mozart Requiem, K. 626
Hear music inspired by faith in its full glory! The HSO is joined by the Hartford Chorale and soloists to perform Bernstein’s setting of the moving biblical story of the prophet Jeremiah, along with Mozart’s final work, a Requiem Mass known for its melodic beauty and fiery evocations of the composer's own mortality.

EDWARD CUMMING CONDUCTS BRAHMS’ DOUBLE CONCERTO
May 8 – 11, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Edward Cumming guest conductor, HSO music director from 2001-2011
Leonid Sigal violin
David Finckel cello
Dvořák Slavonic Dances, Op. 46, No. 2
Brahms Concerto for Violin and Violoncello, “Double Concerto”
Dvořák Symphony No. 6
Edward Cumming conducts music that defined his signature style. Slavonic Dances, commissioned for piano four hands, catapulted Dvořák to fame – while Symphony No. 6 showcased his experimental technique. Brahms combined violin and cello for the solo portions of his final orchestral work to create a “super” instrument of sonority and range.

BOLERO!
June 5 – 8, 2014
Thursday 7:30pm | Friday & Saturday 8pm | Sunday 3pm
Belding Theater
Carolyn Kuan conductor
Greig Shearer HSO Principal flute
Tchaikovsky Capriccio Italien
Mozart Concerto for Flute No. 1 in G Major, K. 313
Bates Alternative Energy for Orchestra and Electronica
Ravel Bolero
with The University of Connecticut Drumline, David Mills, director
The 70th season finale is a not-to-be missed, blockbuster celebration! Join the HSO as we perform musical selections both new and timeless, grand and intimate to highlight the versatility and power of the HSO’s musicians to unite our community through live performance. Concert Sponsor: The Saunders Fund for Innovative Programming.
Ticket Information: Subscriptions to the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s 2013-2014 Masterworks and Pops Series are available by calling HSO Ticket Services at (860)244-2999. More information about subscribing is available at www.hartfordsymphony.org. Tickets for individual concerts will go on sale in August 2013.

Well, Hello! Klea Blackhurst Will Be Goodspeed's Dolly

She'll be glowin', crowin', goin' strong - cabaret diva Klea Blackhurst, a CT Critics Circle winner for her Best Actress for her performance as Ethel Merman in CT Music Theare of Connecticut's production of Everything the Traffic Will Allow, will play Dolly Levi at the Goodspeed Opera House this summer. 

She has performed in venues across the U.S. and in London and with symphony orchestras nationwide and abroad including the London Palladium presentation of Jerry Herman’s Broadway with Angela Lansbury and the recent Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tribute to Marvin Hamlisch.

Hartford Stage Announces 50th Anniversary Season

Hartford Stage's 2013-2014 season will kick off with a major initiative: Classical Repertory for a New Generation, a nod to Hartford Stage's start as a repertory theatre in 1963. The same cast will play in repertory in performances of Marivaux's provocative comedy La Dispute andShakespeare's bloody and searing tragedy Macbeth. La Dispute is adapted by Tresnjak and Elizabeth Williamson, senior dramaturg/director of new play development, from a translation by Williamson. Tresnjak will direct both shows - La Dispute, Sept.12-Nov.10, and Macbeth, Sept.14-Nov.10, 2013. Kate Forbes (The Crucible and The Cover of Life at Hartford Stage) will play Lady Macbeth.

Anniversary festivities continue with The Underpants, a laugh-out-loud comedy by Steve Martin, adapted from the play by Carl Sternheim. Gordon Edelstein will direct, in a co-production with Long Wharf Theatre, Jan 9-Feb. 2, 2014, where Edelstein is artistic director.

This will be followed by the rarely produced A Song at Twilight, Noël Coward's elegant and bittersweet comedy, and will mark the return of former Artistic Director Mark Lamos for the first time since 2002 (Much Ado About Nothing). A Song at Twilight, Feb.20-March 16, 2014, will be a co-production with Westport Country Playhouse, where Lamos currently serves as artistic director.

Matthew Lopez (The Whipping Man), current Aetna New Voices Fellow at Hartford Stage, will bring his new work Somewhere to Hartford Stage for its East Coast Premiere April 3-27, 2014. This dance-filled family saga will be directed by Giovanna Sardelli and feature Lopez's aunt, Priscilla Lopez, an original cast member of Broadway's A Chorus Line and a Tony Award-winner for A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine.

The season will close with another world premiere musical-comedy, Love and Other Fables, book by Jay Jeffries and John McMahon, lyrics by Jeffries. John Rando (Broadway's A Christmas Story, Tony Award-winner for Urinetown), will direct this reimagining of Aesop's life, from May 22-June 15, 2014.

Also on tap is the regular holiday [resentation of A Christmas Carol-A Ghost Story of Christmas by Charles Dickens, adapted and originally directed by former Artistic Director Michael Wilson. Wilson will return this season to collaborate with Director Maxwell Williams on the updated version, which runs Nov. 29-Dec. 28, 2013.

Meanwhile, in this season, full casting has been announced for Beth Henley's Abundance (April 4-28). will include Monique Vukovic (Buddy Cop 2, Atlantic Theater Company and Housebreaking, Cherry Lane Theatre) as Bess, Brenda Withers (Cyrano, Folger Theatre and The Tempest, The Pearl Theatre Company) as Macon, Kevin Kelly (Henry V, Two River Theater Company and Richard III, The Public Theater) as William, James Knight (Measure for Measure, The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and Alive and Well, The Old Globe) as Jack and John Leonard Thompson (The Pitmen Painters in Palm Beach and Crime and Punishment, Center Stage) as Elmore.

Theater Review: Hamlet -- Yale Rep

Paul Giamatti in Hamlet. Photo © Joan Marcus.

Giamatti Creates a Hamlet for All Generations: To Be or Not to Be Entertained is Not the Question
By Lauren Yarger
For anyone who thinks boring or “to sleep, perchance to dream” when walking into three-and-a-half-hour-long production of Hamlet, think again. With Oscar nominee and Yale Rep alum Paul Giamatti in the title role, this play’s the thing.

Tickets have been flying out of Yale Rep’s Box Office in New Haven to see the production directed by James Bundy (the Rep’s artistic director). It also stars Marc Kudisch, Gerry Bamman and some other names from Broadway and Yale Rep productions in one of the most entertaining trips you’ll ever take to Elsinore...

Giamatti, a little older and less handsome-of-face than most Hamlets these days, brings out the tortured Dane prince’s humorous side and in doing so, engages a younger generation that might not normally think several hours in a theater listening to Shakespeare could be a fun way to spend an evening. It sure is, however, thanks to Bundy’s skill in allowing his actors to find fresh new interpretations while keeping them true to the classic.

Yes Hamlet is brooding, depressed by the hasty marriage of his Uncle, now King Claudius (Kudisch) and mother, Queen Gertrude (Lisa Emery) so soon after his father’s death. Yes, he’s consumed with madness and revenge after the ghost of his father (also Kudisch) tells Hamlet that he was murdered by his brother. But this Hamlet also is funny. Giamatti gets laughs with everything from exaggerated body language to subtle glances and manages to do it without compromising the dramatic and tragic nature of the play despite the fact that he’s wearing red sneakers with a contemporary looking business suit (Jayoung Yoon, costume design).

He’s not alone. Bamman gives a standout performance as Lord Polonius, father of Hamlet’s love, Ophelia (Brooke Parks), and friend Laertes (Tommy Schrider). He also finds humor while portraying a very much contemporary-sounding father exasperated by the doings of the younger generation.

Even Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Erik Lochtefeld and Michael Manuel) are more interesting than usual. Bundy lets every character develop to new levels and alows them to shine without eclipsing other characters or the flow of the scene. In fact, this production offers some of the clearest delivery of Shakespeare’s dialogue that I have heard in a while. Those who normally get lost in the “perchances,” “softs” and “forsooths” in the iambic pentameter of the Bard’s language won’t have to rely so much on the helpful play synopsis provided in the program, methinks. (The production’s four WILL POWER! morning performances for high school students groups already are sold out. Teachers can contact Ruth M. Feldman at rm.feldman@yale.edu or 203-432-8425 about attending a regular performance.)

The production’s appeal across the generations is due to the entertaining approach to a much loved classic enhanced by creative elements that help tell the story. Sarah Picket composes music played by five musicians housed on the second level of Meredith B. Ries’ towering wooden set that evokes images of a castle and contemporary construction. Panels drop in to create smaller locations for scenes. 

Yoon’s costumes are mostly contemporary, but blend elements that give them the look of the past. Sound and lighting design (Keri Klick, Stephen Strawbridge) bring them to life and provide special effects for the ghost. The production lives up to its role as part of Shakespeare for a New Generation, a national program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

If you want “to be” entertained, this Hamlet will take a dagger to all other productions you’ve seen. It’s “not to be” missed. It plays at the Unversity Theatre, 222 York St, New Haven through April 13. Tickets ($20-$96) are hard to come by, but you can try at www.yalerep.org; (203) 432-1234; Box Office (1120 Chapel St., New Haven).

Be Afraid! Stephen King Appearance Will Benefit the Mark Twain

Stephen King

The Mark Twain House & Museum will bring the master of horror, Stephen King,  to Hartford this summer.

King will be in conversation with WNPR radio personality Colin McEnroe 8 pm Thursday, July 18  at the Bushnell. Proceeds from the event benefit the continuing educational and preservation activities of The Mark Twain House & Museum.

Tickets are open to members of the museum beginning today. They go on sale to the general public Thursday, March 21. At that time reservations may be made at www.bushnell.org or 860-987-5900. (Membership is available by calling 860-280-3112, or by going to https://www.marktwainhouse.org/visitor/tickets_memberships.php. Members will be given a special on-sale code for ticket purchasing.) 

Ticket prices range from $25 to $75 (additional service fees apply) with a special VIP ticket for $250, which includes a reception with Stephen King and an autographed book.

Palace Motorcycle Run Benefits Ticket & Travel Fund

Mike D’Occhio of Doc’s Motorcycle poses with Palace Theater Development Officer Natalie Lawlor following the installation of his custom-built,‘60s style old school Bobber in the theater’s East Main Street, Waterbury window. The motorcycle is part of a display promoting the Palace’s Second Annual Motorcycle Ride on April 27, which will benefit the theater’s Ticket and Travel Fund.  The Ride is a 47-mile, police escorted drive through the Litchfield Hills that ends with a street fair on East Main Street featuring a variety of vendors, food and entertainment, including a guest appearance by Chaz from WPLR's “Chaz and AJ in the Morning,” and a performance by local Eagles tribute band, E-2. 

Registration for the motorcycle ride is $25 per rider and $15 per passenger, and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the theater’s Ticket and Travel Fund, a program that provides underprivileged children with access to live theater. For more information, visit www.palacetheaterct.org or call the Box Office at 203-346-2000.

Anita Diamant Will Keynote Writers' Weekend at Mark Twain



Anita Diamant

Writers in many genres and all levels of experience can immerse themselves in the craft at The Mark Twain House and Museum Friday evening, April 26, through Sunday afternoon, April 28, as the museum holds its Second Annual Writers' Weekend.

Anita Diamant, bestselling author of the novels "The Red Tent," "Good Harbor" and "The Last Days of Dogtown," as well as the collection of essays "Pitching My Tent" will be the keymote speaker Friday evening, in coversation with program Director Julia Pistell. 

The next day those taking part can participate in a range of sessions -- from honing a novel they're working on to hearing about the joys and pitfalls of blogging to attending a Playwrights' Panel with David Grimm (The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue) , David Lindsay-Adaire (Rabbit Hole, Good People) and Theresa Rebeck (Seminar).

The Writers' Weekend will conclude on Sunday with more sessions and a talk by Davy Rothbart, author, filmmaker, contributor to NPR's "This American Life," and editor/publisher of Found magazine.

Among authors slated to lead hourlong sessions are Novelist Jon Clinch ("Finn," "The Thief of Auschwitz"); no fewer than two mystery authors (David Handler and Christopher Knopf); Writing at the Mark Twain House faculty including memoirist and biographer Susan Campbell ("Dating Jesus"), novelist Susan Schoenberger (A Watershed Year) and novelist and memoirist Mary-Ann Tirone Smith ("Girls of Tender Age"); and a dozen more. There will be sessions on fiction, non-fiction , memoir, romance writing, poetry, travel writing, blogging, the business of getting published, and new forms of storytelling unleashed by the Internet. 

The event will run 7 to 9 pm Friday, April 26; 8 am to 5 pm Saturday, April 27; and8 am to 1 pm Sunday, April 28. 

The cost of the Second Annual Writers' Weekend is $150. This includes the Friday night reception and lecture, all Saturday and Sunday sessions, coffee and refreshments, and a Saturday box lunch. Participants will also receive a voucher good for a tour of the Mark Twain House at any time. Space is limited to 150 participants, so advance registration and payment is a must: Call 860-280-3130 to register.   www.facebook.com/MarkTwainHouse.

Theater Review: Life Could Be a Dream -- Ivoryton

Aaron Catano, Matt Densky, Rob Rodems, Sheila Coyle and Evan Siegel. Photo courtesy of Ivoryton Playhouse.

Dreams of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fame Spin on the Flipside of Love
By Lauren Yarger
In a basement rec room in the 1950s, four guys dream of being the next big thing in rock ‘n’ roll and of winning the girl who has stolen their hearts in Life Could Be A Dream, a jukebox musical that has them clapping and singing along at the Ivoryton Playhouse.

Denny (Aaron Catano) is living at home with his mom, who constantly reminds him over the house intercom system (Sheila Coye provides her voice) to “Get a Job” (the basement is created in wonderful detail by designer Daniel Nischan). He and nerdy friend Eugene (Matt Densky) put together a singing duo in hopes of winning a recording contract from the label owned by Bulls Eye Miller (the voice of Bob Muscatel). Church choir-singer and preacher’s son Wally (Rob Rodems) gets into the act and Denny and the Dreamers are born (costumes by Kari Crowther).

Potential sponsor Big Eddy sends Skip (Evan Siegel), head mechanic in his shop, over to check out the group. He brings along Big Eddy’s daughter, Lois (Coyle), to give a woman’s opinion. She thinks Skip should sing with the guys and soon he’s the group’s soloist.

It’s clear that Denny and his crooners are an out-of-step nightmare with the men competing for attention, but all that becomes secondary when they see Lois. She is the girl of their dreams. Eugene still hasn’t recovered from her rejection of his invitation to join him at the school carnival in 5th grade (“Devil or Angel”); Wally thinks she’s a vision from heaven (“Earth Angel”) and Denny thinks she’ll go for him (“Only You”). Even Skip is in love with Lois, but keeps his feelings hidden since Big Eddy would never approve of his daughter dating a lowly mechanic from the wrong side of the tracks with possible criminal ties. What none of the men know, however, is that Lois is in love with Skip (“I Only Have Eyes for You.”)

This scenario is nicely played with each character singing the love songs to express their feelings. The musical, written and created by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) is a step above most jukebox musicals in that the lyrics in each of the more than 20 musical numbers help propel the story (the typical jukebox story is crafted as a vehicle just to get to the next song). This helps Bean’s rather unimaginative book (Wally’s character is one of the most stereotypical, cliché-riddled, nerdy Christians ever to be written for the stage – and that’s saying something). The hour and 30 minutes with an intermission feels a bit long. This easily could have been penned as a 90-minute no intermission show.

The music is directed by Jason Wetzel, who conducts a five-member band. The ensemble, directed by Jacqueline Hubbard, doesn’t quite solidify. Coyle and Siegel sound fine, but don’t have power behind their solos (flipping Catano, who lights up the stage even though he’s not supposed to as Denny, with the less boisterous Siegel might have proved a more interesting dynamic). Densky does “silly” well, but overreaches at times for Eugene’s nerdy side.

Rodems pulls off a miracle, however, by making Wally likable. His creates some very funny bits with uptight body language in “Buzz, Buzz, Buzz” (Schuyler Beeman, choreography) and while reverently serving cartons of wholesome milk from the rec room’s bar. Siegel also had a genuinely humorous interaction with a woman in the audience and these touches keep the piece from feeling too hokey.

Life Could Be a Dream plays through March 30 at Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main St., Ivoryton. Performances are Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm; evenings Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 and Friday and Saturday at 8. Tickets: $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children. 860-767-7318; www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.