Theater Review: Familiar -- Yale Rep

Cherise Boothe, Shyko Amos, Patrice Johnson Chevannes and Kimberly Scott. Photo © Joan Marcus, 2015

Family Cultures of Zimbabwe, America Might Be More Familiar Than You’d Think

By Lauren Yarger

A family struggles to find balance between its Midwestern and African roots. You might think you don’t have much in common with them, but by the end of Danai Gurira’s newest play getting its word premiere at Yale Rep, you’ll realize that everything actually feels very Familiar.

Whether they are shouting out greetings in their native Shona language, or whooping it up while watching their favorite Minnesota football team plays on TV, these folks are reflections of us and stretch our thoughts about just what is and isn’t familiar.

Donald and Marvelous Chinyaramwira (Harvy Blanks and Saidah Arrika Ekulona) have achieved the American dream. They have enjoyed successful careers, raised two daughters in their comfortable midwestern home (nice appointed by set designer Matt Saunders) and bicker like any long-married couple – even if it is over the unusual topic of whether to display a portrait of Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe or a dog in the lovey living room.

Eldest daughter, Tendikayi  (Cherise Boothe ) is about to marry rich, white Chris (Ross Marquand ) and the couple isn’t sure just how much to call attention to her past. Youngest daughter, Nyasha  (Shyko Amos), and artist still supported by the couple,  has just returned from a visit to Zimbabwe  and embraces her African roots. She has been asked to share a song at the rehearsal dinner, but hasn’t been included as a bridesmaid in the wedding party.

The bridesmaids are Tendikayi’s “spiritual” sisters, she explains – friends from the couple’s evangelical Christian church, which teaches, among other things, that she and Chris should wait to have sex until they are married. When Nyasha scoffs, we understand that there are cultural differences in the family that have nothing to do with African vs. American roots.  Against the wishes of Marvelous, who wants her family follow its American culture, the bride and groom announce that they are incorporating a Zimbabwe custom into the marriage ceremony.

Assisting is Margaret (Patrice Johnson Chevannes), their  sister who comes over from Africa against the wishes of Marvelous, thanks to the surprising meddling of their other sister,  Annie (Kimberly Scott), a fashionista who embraces the American culture so much that she refused to teach her own children her native language.  When Margaret requires a spokesman to negotiate for the bride’s dowry on behalf of the groom, Chris begs his brother, Brad (Joe Tippett) to step in.

Besides the culture conflicts, the family must weather a medical emergency, discover a deeply buried family secret,  reinvent identities and decide whether this wedding will go forward and whether a marriage will survive. Are the roots of the family tree strong enough for the branches to bear the weight of these relationships?

Rebecca Taichman (Marie Antoinette) directs a tightly knit cast that delivers strong performances across the board. Each character gets full development and a range of emotion. Tippet gets laughs as the laid-back, black sheep of both families who just might be the one who really knows what’s important.

Adding to the storytelling by Zimbabwe native Gurira (Eclipsed, In the Continuum) are costumes from both cultures by Designer Toni-Leslie James and original music by jazz artist Somi. It’s a rich, thought-provoking tale of likable characters that really does feel as familiar as our next family get-together. 

Familiar runs through Feb. 21 at Yale Repertory Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven. Performance times vary. Tickets: $20-$98. www.yalerep.org; 203-432-1234. Student, senior, and group rates are available.

Forget 50 Shades of Grey -- Come Lunch with Romance Writers at the Mark Twain House Friday

Check out the Appetizing Authors Series Friday featuring Katy Lee and Nan Rossiter at the Mark Twain House. Tickets at www.thewritepros.com. 

Read all about it in the article from BroadwayWorld.com. 

Theater Review: Nice Work If You Can Get It -- The Bushnell

The cast of Nice Work I f You Can Get It. Photo: Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Settling in for Gershwin Tunes, Witty Script is Nice Work if You Can Get It (and I did!)

By Lauren Yarger

I love a Gershwin tune, how about you?

I also love my job as a theater critic and It’s Nice work When You Can Get It to sit back, relax and enjoy more than two and a half hours of George and Ira Gershwin tunes -- especially when enhanced by fabulous direction and choreography by Kathleen Marshall.

And oh, yeah, the silly, witty book by favorite writer Joe DiPietro (Memphis, Toxic Avenger, All Shook Up) isn’t too bad either in this tour of the production making a stop this week at The Bushnell. It almost doesn’t feel like a jukebox musical with a portfolio of tunes wrapped around a silly plot.

Silly it is. With a few political digs woven in a witty script housing almost 30 tunes like “But Not For Me,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” “I’ve Got a Crush on You” and “Someone to Watch Over Me” that make you want to sing along. And, unfortunately, some folks at the performance I attended decided to do just that -- in out-of-key voices all night long, so be prepared.)

DiPietro’s book (which got its earliest tryouts here at Goodspeed as They All Laughed) is inspired by material by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse and follows the hijinks of bootleggers and rich folks in Prohibition era New York

Billie Bendix (Mariah MacFarlane) and her bootlegging buddies, Duke Mahoney (Aaron Fried) and Cookie McGee (Reed Campbell), work for the elusive Brownbeard, king of the underground liquor market. They need a place to stash their illegal product when Police Chief Berry (Thomas Schario) starts getting too close.

Billie thinks she sees an easy mark when playboy Jimmy Winter (Alex Enterline) tells her his large summer place on Long Island is sitting empty (the soaring, stage-filling sets are recreated for the tour by Shoko Kambara, based on the original Broadway scenic design by Derek McLane).

He also tells her a few other things, like he’s not really in love with his soon-to-be fourth wife, Eileen Evergreen (Rachael Scarr), the daughter of a senator (Benjamin Perez). He is just marrying her to convince his controlling mother, Millicent (Barbara Weetman), that he is mature enough to take over the family business – even though he has no idea what that business involves.

Sparks ignite between the two and they are surprised to meet up again when Jimmy shows up unexpectedly for his honeymoon at the summer place the bootleggers planned to use as a hideaway. Cookie poses as the butler, Billie is a Cockney maid and Duke is mistaken for British royalty by Jimmy’s chorus-girl groupie friend Jeannie Muldoon (Stephanie Gandolfo).

Lots of romance and hilarity ensue, especially when Eileen’s speakeasy-burning, uppity duchess Aunt Estonia Dulworth (Stephanie Harter Gilmore) arrives with her vice squad in tow. Let’s just say there’s drunken swinging from a chandelier, poetry, modern dance and chorus girls popping out of bubble baths  -- all guffaw-inducing and brilliantly directed. And I do mean brilliant – with opulent drapes and sparkling flapper-inspired costumes by Martin Pakledinaz, coordinated here by Amy Clark with lighting designed by Paul Toben, based on the original Broadway lighting design by Peter Kaczorowski.

The small band under the direction of Charlie Reuter does the score proud and the horns are particularly good. (Orchestrations are by Bill Elliott; Music Arrangements by David Chase; Music Supervision by Shawn Gough.) Marshall’s choreography, recreated for the tour by David Eggers is executed well, but doesn’t capture the magic of the Broadway dancing which I described as “furniture and gravity” defying.

Enterline (making his touring debut) and MacFarlane have nice chemistry and give good turns, as do Scarr (her character’s “modern dance” is a hoot), and most of the ensemble, particularly Campbell, also making his tour debut, who brings in a lot of the laughs with good delivery. Gilmore disappointed a bit, not just because I had been hoping, perhaps unfairly, for more of a show-stopping turn like the one Tony winner Judy Kaye gave as the duchess, but also because the actress was struggling for pitch. Or maybe it was just that those off-key audience members decided to join more often on her songs. . .

Overall, “’swonderful” way to spend about two hours and 45 minutes with an intermission.

Catch it through Feb. 8 at The Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 7:30 pm; Fridays and Saturdays: 8 pm; Saturday at 2 pm; Sunday 1 and 6:30 pm. Tickets $26-$82: 860-987-5900; www.bushnell.org.

Theater Review: Driving Miss Daisy -- Music Theatre of CT

Rebecca Hoodwin and Lorenzo Scott. Photo: Joe Landry

Driving Miss Daisy

Music Theatre of Connecticut

Through Feb. 22

What's It All About?

Only one of the best plays ever! This thoughtful character study and comment on race relations through the years seen through the lends on an unlikely friendship won playwright Alfred Uhry a Pulitzer Prize in 1988 and an Academy Award for the brilliant screenplay adapting it for the big screen in 1990. Rebecca Hoodwin plays Miss Daisy Werthen, an elderly southern, Jewish woman, who takes offense when her son, Boolie (Mike Boland) hires her a chauffeur. She doesn't want Hoke Coleburn (Lorenzo Scott) in her house or driving her around Atlanta, where her friends might get the idea she is putting on airs. 

Patient and determined, Hoke finally gets her to ride with him (the car is represented by benches and a steering wheel taking up on corner of the minimal set designed by David Heuvelman) and a friendship ensues over the years from 1948-1973. Racial, class and other tensions are tested, not only by the friendship, but in society in general.

What Are the Highlights?

The play is one of my favorites and when it's done right, it will make you cry (it did.) Hoodwin gives a solid performance as the frail woman who can be overbearing and unreasonable. She ages noticeably through the years. Countering nicely is Boland as the tough business man with a soft heart.

Sound effects and music to transition scenes are excellent. The incidental music was composed by Robert Waldman (and licensed from Dramatists with the script) and is the music used in the original production, according to Joe Landry, director of marketing and PR for MTC. The sound effects were added by Kevin Connors and the creative team, he said. Well done!

This production was a welcome revisit to the play for me after a disastrous revival on Broadway a few years ago, which proved that even excellent plays can get horrible productions. So, if you never have seen this gem of a play, or if that James Earl Jones/Vanessa Redgrave revival was your first experience, run over the the Music Theatre of Connecticut box office and see this one!

What Are the Lowlights?

The pace is too brisk. This is the type of play that should have the feel of a slow, southern morning, enjoyed while sipping iced tea, slowly rocking in a chair on the porch and listening to the buzz of insects in air so hot it's barely moved by weak breezes. . .

Some of the dialogue needs a few seconds of silence following it for the impact to sink in. Scott gives us a Hoke who is affable, but who seems very youthful and robust. He needs to be more laid back for us to understand the submissive demeanor he has had to assume to get along as an African American during those racially challenging times in the south. We also need to see the difference in his attitude when he occasionally stands up to Miss Daisy. 

Director Kevin Connors also uses some odd blocking at times which has characters talking off into space instead of to each other.

More information:

Miss Daisy drives by through Feb. 22 at Music Theatre of Connecticut's new home, The Melissa and Doug Theatre, 509 Westport Ave.,  Norwalk, Performances are Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets: Tickets: $30-$50 ($5 off for seniors/students based on availability): 203-454-3883; www.musictheatreofct.com.

Theater Review: Dancing Lessons -- TheaterWorks

Paige Davis and Andrew Benator. Photo: Lanny Nagler

Exploring Whether People Can Change – 

Especially if We Look Beyond What’s on the Surface

By Lauren Yarger

Who are we really deep down, beyond what everybody sees on the surface and can is it possible to adapt? And if we allow ourselves to explore new definitions of ourselves, can life be even better than we imagined?

These are the underlying questions of Dancing Lessons, a new play from Mark St. Germain (who wrote Freud’s Last Session and Becoming Dr. Ruth which also had recent runs at TheaterWorks in Hartford).  They get a thoroughly moving exploration in a production directed by Julianne Boyd, who helmed Dr. Ruth at TheaterWorks and who is artistic director at Barrington Stage, where the play had its world premiere.

Paige Davis, host of TV’s Trading Spaces, and Andrew Benator shine as the characters exploring these questions in a script that is as full of out-loud laughs as it is deep insight.

Senga Quinn (Davis) is recovering at home in her Manhattan apartment (designed by Brian Prather) following an accident which has left her in a leg brace – and in denial that her career as a Broadway dancer is over. An unexpected knock on the door brings Ever Montgomery (Andrew Benator), a geosciences professor who is looking for dancing lessons so he doesn’t look awkward when he is honored at an event that will require him to show his moves on the dance floor.

It won’t be as easy as it sounds. “Awkward” is no stranger to Ever who describes himself as the “tyrannosaurus” of geeks. The man has a form of Autism, is uncomfortable around other people and can’t be touched. He offers Senga (so named by a presumed dyslexic aunt who meant to call her Agnes) the exact equivalent of a week’s Broadway salary (everything with Ever is precise and to the penny) to teach him how to dance. His attempts to move with the beat of some club music (sound design by Will Pickens), with Benator’s fine skills making him look unskilled, are comedic to say the least, but the two find the beginning of a friendship.  

They try to find out what is beneath the surface and in a neat staging technique we are transformed into their internet research about each other with projections and lighting (designed by Andrew Bauer and Michael Gilliam). Senga learns about Asperger’s and Ever watches videos of Senga dancing. Each discovers a friend to trust.

Senga helps Ever get over his fear of touching and Ever helps Senga release emotions she has been keeping repressed about her father and the fact that she might never be able to dance again. A bottle of scotch allows the pair to overcome some inhibitions and the friendship blossoms into something more. But can it last?

St. Germain’s plot is predictable, but satisfyingly so. It keeps the characters real. They are brought to life in such a compelling and layered manner that we feel we are intruding into intimate moments between two friends we know very well. Benator takes Ever beyond a stereotypical poster boy for Asperger’s Syndrome to create a regular guy whom we know and like.

It’s an absorbing piece of theater, well done with snappy, funny dialogue and lots to think about in a brisk 90 minutes. My only complaint is with a bit contrivance employed in the script. Senga’s reasons for not being able to have surgery on her leg seem a bit too convenient and a fantasy sequence, where the two imagine gliding around the dance floor (with choreography by Christine O’Grady and a swirly gown designed by Sarah Jean Tosetti) seems out of place.

Dancing Lessons runs at TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl St., Hartford, through March 1. Performances are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 7:30 pm; Fridays and Saturdays: 8 pm; Weekend Matinees at 2:30 pm. Tickets $15-$65; 860-527-7838; www.theaterworkshartford.org. Warning: the show contains nudity.

Note: Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader for the correction on Mr. Bauer's name. Have no clue why I renamed him William.....

Connecticut Arts Snow Cancellations and Updates

HARTFORD STAGE

Cancelling 7:30 pm production of Private Lives for Tuesday, Jan. 27. Added performance at 7:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 5 to best accommodate all theater goers. Current Tuesday ticket holders and subscribers may exchange their tickets into any remaining performance. Performances expected to resume with the 7:30 pm show Wednesday, Jan. 28. For information, contact the Hartford Stage Box Office at 860-527-5151.

LONG WHARF

The Tuesday, 7 pm, and Wednesday, 2 pm, performances of Forever have been cancelled. The box office will contact you if you have tickets to either of these performances. The theater offices will be closed from 3 pm Monday until 11 am Wednesday.

GOODSPEED
Offices closed today and all day Tuesday, Jan. 27. Plan to reopen Wednesday. Check back for details.

IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

Offices closed today and will remain closed all of Tuesday, Jan. 27.  Call 860-767-9520 to confirm an opening time for Wednesday, Jan. 28.

THE BUSHNELL
Administrative Offices and Box Office closed through Tuesday, Jan. 27.

WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE
Offics closed through Tuesday, Jan. 27.





ALERTS:
MetroNorth: Extra trains will depart Grand Central Terminal between 1 and 4 pm with regular schedules between 4 and 5 pm and fewer trains than a regular rush hour between 5 and 8 pm.
Because of reduced ridership, some trains will be cancelled or combined. Check schedules at http://bit.ly/1arccwk and listen for announcements. Because of the expected severity of the storm, evening and overnight service may be further curtailed or suspended. For complete details and service updates during the storm, visit http://alert.mta.info/status/3,

All Broadway Shows Cancelled Tonight (Jan. 26) Due to Storm

As a result of the travel restrictions put in place by government authorities and additional safety precautions implemented due to severe weather, all Broadway performances tonight will be cancelled. 

Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League, stated, “Now that the storm has arrived, I’d like to reiterate that the safety and security of theatregoers and employees is everyone's primary concern. As a result of the 11 pm travel ban and other travel restrictions and safety precautions implemented by government authorities on behalf of the winter storm, evening performances will be cancelled tonight.  We will send out an official notice with information about tomorrow’s performances as soon as possible, or no later than 6 pm today.”

For information about exchanges, theatregoers should contact their point of purchase. Check Broadway.org for updates.

Theater Review: Proof -- Playhouse on Park

Marty Scanlon and Dana Brooke. Photo: Rich Wagner 

Proof that Mathematics and Genius Can Make for Gripping Drama

By Lauren Yarger

It’s about math and prime numbers and proofs of mathematical theories, but don’t let bad memories of sophomore geometry keep you from seeing David Auburn’s Proof at Playhouse on Park. Because it’s not boring and it’s really about so much more.

On top of that, Dawn Loveland directs a tight production of the Pulitzer-Prize-winning play and gets top-notch performances from the ensemble offering her own proof that small theater companies can produce fine work.

Dana Brooke starts as Catherine, a troubled young woman trying to figure out what to do after caring for her math professor/genius father, Robert (Damian Buzzerio) whose brilliance was lost for the past seven years as his mind slipped away. Catherine gave up school and her own hopes at a career in mathematics to stay at their Chicago home and care for her father. The action takes place on the home’s back porch, designed by Christopher Hoyt.

Robert spends his time forgetting to eat, looking for codes in library books and scribbling nonsense in 103 notebooks trying to recapture his ability to prove mathematic theories. Except for a lucid period of nine months (now four years ago), Catherine wasn’t able to connect.

After his death, his former teaching assistant, Hal (Marty Scanlon) shows up at the house asking to go through Robert’s work. Even though the notebooks seem to contain nothing but gibberish, Hal feels an obligation to see whether anything actually makes sense. Catherine doesn’t miss the fact that if Hal does find something, it just might be his ticket to his own fame in the mathematics community.

Eventually Hal wins Catherine’s trust, and she shows him a notebook hidden away, one that holds a proof of a prime-number theory that has long eluded scholars. There’s one problem, however. Catherine, not Robert, might be the author.

Can Hal believe that the untrained Catherine could write such a complex proof? Can her estranged sister, Claire (Melissa Macleod Herion)? While Claire readily admits that Catherine inherited their father’s gift for math, she also is concerned that she might also share some traits of the mental illness that caused delusions – perhaps like the ones her sister now is experiencing. Claire wants to sell the house and force her sister to move with her to New York where she can keep an eye on her – and obtain the services of some of the best mental health specialists if needed….

This play, which won the Tony, the Pulitzer and just about every other major theater award in 2001, looks at the themes of genius vs madness, family vs loneliness and the complexity of relationships – between people as well as numbers. It’s intelligent and absorbing – much more so than Auburn’s latest play, Lost Lake, which didn’t excite me in its recent Off-Broadway run.

Brooke, in her Playhouse on Park debut, gives a solid, layered performance of the young woman struggling to be comfortable in her own skin. She is so immersed in the role, that in a scene where we observe a flashback of Catherine with Robert, she looks visibly brighter, her voice sounding lighter and happier. The transformation is subtle (aided with less toned-down textures in her clothes designed by Erin Payne), yet noticeable as it silently speaks volumes.

There is good rapport among the actors and each is able to portray his or her character fully without stepping on the others, despite the different personalities represented: Claire the uptight, controlling, not-so-smart sister, Robert the frustrated genius, lost in his own world save for his favorite daughter and Hal, the ambitious, yet caring friend. A fine piece of theater.

A talk back with the cast will take place immediately following all Sunday performances. This production is recommended for ages 13 and up as it contains strong language and mild adult content.

Proof runs at Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Rd, West Hartford, through Feb. 8. Performances are Wednesday-Sunday from January 21-February 8. Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm. Tickets $25-$35 for adults, students, seniors www.playhouseonpark.org; 860-523-5900 x10.

Three New Musicals Announced for Norma Terris

Goodspeed will produce three new musicals at The Norma Terris Theatre in 2015. 

THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY:
Music & Lyrics by Neil Bartram
Book by Brian Hill
Directed by Brian Hill

May 7 - May 31

This unconventional new musical is a look at our surprisingly interconnected lives. Through a seemingly unrelated collection of songs, scenes and monologues, The Theory of Relativity introduces a compelling array of characters experiencing the joys and heartbreaks, the liaisons and losses, the inevitability and the wonder of human connection. Whether you're allergic to cats, in love for the first or 10th time, a child of divorce, a germaphobe, or simply a unique individual, you’re sure to find yourself in this fresh new musical.

MY PARIS:
Music and Lyrics by Charles Aznavour
Book by Alfred Uhry
English lyrics and arrangements by Jason Robert Brown
Directed and Choreographed by Kathleen Marshall 

July 23 – Aug 16

A new musical about the life and times of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, the artist who captured the gaiety, color and heartbreak of Montmartre, Le Can-Can, and the world of Le Moulin Rouge. Inhabited by the colorful people he painted, it’s the story of a great artist who loved a world that never quite loved him back.

INDIAN JOE:
Music and Lyrics by Elizabeth A. Davis
Book by Elizabeth A. Davis and Christine Henry
Directed by Kim Wield

Oct. 22 – Nov. 15

This musical tells the unlikely story of a homeless Native American man and a Texas beauty queen who never should have been friends. He’s looking for a fight. She’s looking for a cause. As they stumble toward friendship, both ultimately discover that the look of a family is not always what you think. Inspired by true events, it’s a uniquely American story with an Americana beat.

The Norma Terris Theatre is located at 33 North Main Street in Chester. Season tickets are on sale now through the Goodspeed Box Office. Single tickets will be available starting March 29, 2015. For more information: 860-873-8668; www.goodspeed.org.

Winter Puppet Slam Set at UConn

James Godwin in performance. Photo: Jim Moore.

The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry and the UConn Puppet Arts Program will present the 2015 UConn Winter Puppet Slam Friday, Feb. 6 at 8 pm. in the Dramatic Arts Department’s Studio Theatre. 

The UConn Winter Puppet Slam will feature short works by professional puppeteers, including famed New York City performer James Godwin, and the Semi-Upright Puppet Theater (UConn Puppet Arts graduate Joe Therrien and Bread and Puppet Theater veteran Jason Hicks), as well as new works by talented students from UConn’s Puppet Arts, Digital Media and Design, and Art Programs. 

James Godwin is renowned in New York’s prolific downtown performance scene, writing and performing in such popular productions as Uncle Jimmy’s Dirty Basement; but also works regularly with the Muppets, Julie Taymor, and such musical acts as David Bowie and Aerosmith.  At the UConn Winter Puppet Slam Godwin will present Rooty, the story of a lonely plant who finds itself in a battle to save his sanity in the face of solitary confinement; and Simulation Theory, a poetic visual narrative that explores identity, reality and possession in the American workplace.  

Jason Hicks and Joe Therrien’s Semi-Upright Puppet Theater, also based in New York City, will return to UConn with their own lively brand of activist “cheap art” puppetry that brings the iconoclastic spirit of Punch and Judy into the 21st century with such popular favorites as their super-hero serial Weasel.  In addition to new works by UConn’s acclaimed Puppet Arts Program students, the UConn Winter Puppet Slam will also feature new works for film animation by Art and Digital Media students.

The UConn Winter Puppet Slam is free and open to the public; donations are greatly appreciated. The event will take place in the Studio Theatre located at 820 Bolton Rd, Storrs, For directions to the Studio Theatre, visit crt.uconn.edu/directions/. For more information, call the Ballard Institute at 860)-486-8580, bimp.uconn.edu; bimp@uconn.edu.