changing the paradigm

2012-02-10T10:21:00.002-08:00

I know I have been posting a lot of California sunset pictures, but these are three that Marse took at Stenson Beach Sunday, that I think are just gorgeous, considering we were using the little point and shoot.

He's such a talented photographer.

2012-02-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

It has been such a busy time I haven't really even had a chance to post a thing. Still trying to get my feet on the ground after a month here and heading back to connecticut next week. Phew! Promise to post at least some photos tomorrow. And there is the wedding celebration to get organized too. What a time it is...

2012-02-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

This is the view of the Bay Bridge from our Treasure Island Marina. We have a little 23-foot sailboat that Marse and I are learning to sail. He's got the rope part down pat. We are working out the details of who does what when the wind is blowing.

It's an enormous amount of work with an equal amount of fun!

2012-01-29T10:26:00.000-08:00

Kitchen coming along...

Left my camera on the boat, so all of yesterday's amazing photos are there. So I am posting my lovely kitchen photo. Marse made this incredibly functional space out of an empty room. I couldn't be happier...

2012-01-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

California Sunset

Marse and I went to the water to collect some sea stones for the garden on Tuesday, Jan. 24 just as the sun was setting. My battery died on my nikon coolpix, so I shot this with my blackberry just as the sun was disappearing in the sky.

It is incredible to be only 15 minutes from the beach. It is like being in New York City and at a resort on the Oregon coast all at once. I really can't get over it.

There is also horseback riding nearby and the San Fran Zoo to check out too. Come visit people...there is more cool stuff to do here than I know...

2012-01-26T14:25:00.000-08:00

Had my Honda Fit detailed after 2 weeks traveling on some truck across the country, who knows where. They did an ok job, but at least now I can see out the windows. Wouldn't you know, as soon as I drove away, a seagull pooped on it! Argh! They say that's good luck in Italy, I believe....

2012-01-21T16:05:00.000-08:00

Connecticut car on the streets of San Francisco
Finally, after almost two weeks, although I was told it would take five days, my car arrived this morning at about 9 a.m. the house behind my car is where we live, on the bottom floor.

It was confusing as usual. The driver, Martin, called and said that he was in a mall but didn't know the name of the mall so walked to the McDonalds and asked someone who got on the phone with me and said that it was Stonetown mall, which is thankfully right around the corner from where we live.

My husband (I get such a kick out of saying that) is Incident Commander for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission through this weekend. Big doings because of lots of rain and the San Francisco 49ers game tomorrow at Candlestick Park. Evidently the parking lot turns into a lake two feet deep with the slightest bit of rain because there is no drainage to speak of and they are expecting thousands tomorrow...and some more rain.

John will be on Channel 5 news tonight being interviewed about their preparing for the big tadoo.

So, that gave me all day on my own to unpack. Still have many boxes to go through, but I got the computer up and running, which is a very good thing, except I don't have the login information and have to wait till Marse comes home to make that work.

We have way too many electronic devices here. Three lap tops, one desktop, and a big screen television that can double as a monitor.

Oh, and on top of all that, I also planted and rearranged the patio garden and it looks lovely. I decided to do it today because the weather is going to be grime tomorrow, but I wish I could have waited. Photos to follow, but I honestly can't move at the moment.

2012-01-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

Callie-girl

Had a bit of a Callie scare yesterday. My littlest of girls who weights under 5 pounds had the runs and was throwing up everything and was just not in good shape. I started panicking and was afraid the little thing would become dehydrated. I looked online and saw that pedialyte works on cats too so I eye-dropped a bunch of the beverage into her, and it was like magic.

She instantly perked up and is back to her normal self today. She still sleeps a lot, but when she is awake, she is alert and interested in her little world.

Car 54 Where are you?

I am expecting the delivery of my car today with all my Connecticut stuff. Haven't heard from them as yet, and it is getting on 1:30 Pacific Standard time, so I will be calling them soon.

In the meantime, I made some banana bread today. It seems to take me forever to do the little things, like make coffee and do the dishes. I don't know why. I guess it is just the effort it takes to get into a new routine.

2012-01-19T07:17:00.000-08:00

Callie eating in our new home.

It was quite the ordeal to fly with my littlest of girls from Connecticut to San Francisco. About 12 hours door-to-door with the poor little thing in a tiny travel case. But since she has been here, I can't remember her looking so well or eating so much. It's a big deal since she is 20 1/2 years old.

The house in Glastonbury was nice but I think it was too big for the little thing. She would often roam around at night crying. In our tiny little space, I haven't heard her cry at all. Plus, I am lavishing lots of extra attention on her, since I am around a lot these days.

2012-01-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

Day 6

If I look concerned, that's because I am. With 30 mph sustained wind gusts on my first day of sailing on the San Francisco Bay with Marse. He checked the wind forecast before we left and to his credit, they said it was only going to be 15 mph. It rarely gets this windy in the wintertime, I am told.

As a result, Marse set the sails for low wind and they were just too much for all the wind we had and it was so strong that we couldn't adjust them on the fly.

I still feel like I am rocking in the Bay. The wind was so strong that we couldn't even get back to our little marina and had to dock nearby until the wind subsided. I broke down once when marse asked me to do something that I was physically and mentally incapable of doing. We survived. That's the good thing. No seasickness. Also good.

2012-01-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

My new kayak!

Marse bought this lovely kayak, (for a song, as they say) for my birthday. I tried it out at Treasure Island on Day 3 at my new home. Gorgeous weather. Could not be better.

2012-01-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

New home in San Francisco.

I am told that we live in the Ingleside section of San Francisco. It is extremely conveniently located quite near the BART station and the bus runs right down our street.

I had quite a time getting here Sunday, mostly with trying to get my car across country. It is in transit now, but just getting it on the transport truck was crazy. They kept changing the pickup time until it was almost time for me to fly to california. And then they said him couldn't make it up the street so I had to jump in the car and find him about two miles away from the house.

It was so ridiculous, you wouldn't believe it. It took photos of the stuff I loaded in the car before it left. Hopefully it will look the same when it lands.

My cat, Callie, traveled well, considering it was 12 hours in a little cat carrier from door to door.

I as usual am still acclimating to the time zone change. I swell up like a balloon with air travel, and this time was no different.

Monday We went to the beach and took a nice long walk. We also went to the spa and took a dip in the hot tub. Lovely.

Marse has created a lovely little habitat for us to live in for a while. He invented a micro kitchen out of nothing but an empty space. There is a counter and sink, shelfs and a gas stove. Incredible really. Can hardly believe how lovely it is.

2011-12-30T10:01:00.000-08:00

(more photos available at photo link, and for those who just can't get enough of the Loucks-Powell wedding, there's the wedding video )

The dream that changed my life

by Kory Loucks-Powell

It all started with a dream. It wasn’t my dream, though. It was John’s — John Marselis Powell from Glastonbury — my first boyfriend. (No
relation to Journal Inquirer Managing Editor Chris Powell.)

A couple of years ago John had a vivid dream that he was riding with me in my green Volkswagen Beetle heading to the beach listening to
WCCC on the radio in the summer when I was a junior at Glastonbury High School and he was in college. When he woke he looked me up on the
Internet and contacted me.

Since we split up after that short summer I never heard from Marse (his nickname) until I got the email. I was surprised to hear from him
— extremely surprised, because years ago I had been told that he was dead.

A few years after we broke up someone told me three cowboys picked Marse up while he was hitchhiking in Colorado and beat him to death.
Not only was he not killed, but he’s thriving as an executive for the city of San Francisco, playing guitar and writing music for an indie rock group, and is a devoted father to three terrific young adults.

When we stopped seeing each other I was under the impression that he didn’t care much about me. Wrong again. It turns out I was the love of
his life. It was love at first sight for him. For me it was a more gradual process.

Over the past two years we have been transcontinental travelers, seeing each other about every six weeks. The Internet, texting, and cell phones have made the separation a little less onerous, but it hasn’t been easy.

He asked me to marry him last year and we started planning our wedding. After a while it became evident that a big wedding wasn’t what we really wanted, so on Thursday, Oct. 6, we eloped at the old Glastonbury Town Green, close to where we first met.

The night before our elopement I bought my wedding dress at the Glastonbury Goodwill and picked up some white tulips at Whole Foods Market for my wedding bouquet and a boutonniere for Marse. The next day I picked him up at the airport and we went straight to the Glastonbury town clerk’s office to get our marriage license. (These days they don’t require blood tests or even a witness, but you have to get the license in the town or city where you are getting married.)

Then we high-tailed it to Max Amore restaurant in Glastonbury, where we had arranged to meet my friend, JI photographer Jessica Hill, under the
guise of having lunch. When she got there we asked if she would take some photos of us first because we were eloping in half an hour. After the beautiful ceremony with a local justice of the peace, Marse and I drove to Watch Hill, R.I., walked on the beach, and ate dinner at the beautiful Ocean House. The next day we broke the news to our families, who were surprised but delighted for us.

... San Francisco here I come

Now I’m off to San Francisco in January to join my husband and start the next chapter of our lives together.

I found great satisfaction in my five years as a reporter at the Journal Inquirer and developed a deep respect for those who volunteer for public service and work in the newspaper industry.

My most memorable achievement was writing a story that eventually helped change a state law, called “Michelle’s Law,” which requires that police notify the next of kin in a reasonable amount of time in case of a fatality.

Covering the fire set by a man retaliating against his estranged wife in South Windsor in 2009 is another experience that I will never forget.

I also expanded my photography skills and produced video segments for the Journal Inquirer’s website and for a year had a weekly television
cable show on Cox Cable, along with writing many play reviews for area professional and community theaters groups.

This year I had the fantastic opportunity to work full-time as a Living section reporter. How many jobs are there where you get to interview people from all walks of life every day? It wasn’t just the celebrities I enjoyed meeting either. I also loved interviewing local people who shared their stories and achievements with me.

So I’m off to my next adventure. The way I look at it, I was looking for a job when I found this one and I hear that they have lots of arts and theater in San Francisco. I might even try my hand at playwriting. Our long-term plan is to return to Connecticut eventually. So until then, I’ll remember you in my dreams.

2011-12-22T11:43:00.000-08:00

Bushnell’s “Cirque Dreams Holidaze” an amazing holiday delight

by Kory Loucks

HARTFORD — Over 30 tumblers, jugglers, skaters, clowns, contortionists, and singers from Mongolia, Uzbekistan, China, Ethiopia, the United States, and many other countries join together for an amazing performance of holiday delights in “Cirque Dreams Holidaze” at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts through Saturday.
There is no real plot to this stunning acrobatic circus, created and directed by Neil Goldberg, with Assistant Artistic Director Heather Hoffman. The premise is simply that Christmas ornaments come to life, and it works splendidly.
The recorded music was too loud to start Tuesday, but then became more tolerable, with music and lyrics by Jill Winters and David Scott, and additional music by Lance Conque and Tony Aliperti.
There are familiar holiday songs such as “Jingle Bell Rock,” “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree,” and the beautiful “Holy Night” all sung by Joanna Carpenter and the fabulous Christina Rodi. Rodi could probably tour all by herself — she’s that good.
Devid Tsytko from the Ukraine kicks off the evening, after the opening ensemble song “Once Upon a Dream,” with some precise Diabolo work that he performed seamlessly. The Diabolo is a kind of freeform yo-yo tossed on a string or stick held by the performer’s two hands. A simple concept, but like juggling that is well done, it’s fascinating to watch.
Buyankhishig and Erdenesuvd Ganbaatar, contortionists from Mongolia, played Flying Reindeer and Flexible Dolls, twisting their lithe bodies into incredible pretzel shapes both on the ground and spinning in the air.
Bing and Jun Long, also contortionists and jugglers from China, squeezed into tiny tubes that made me a bit claustrophobic, but were also incredible to witness.
The degree of professionalism and quality of the acts was impressive. There is never a moment when there wasn’t something engaging happening on stage.
Even when the acts were changing, other entertainment was taking place, making for smooth transitions from act to act.
Kaylee Couvillion, Louis Joseph LaVecchia, Charles Robinson, and Colleen McCary from the United States are Skipping Elves, performing some unbelievable jump rope action.
They even have a magic act with Natalia Khazina and Ilya Ryzhkov from Russia as quick-change artists that perform costume changes that defy the imagination.
Probably the most frightening act was performed by Anatoliy Yeniy of Moldova and Vladimir Dovgan from the Ukraine as the Wobbly Penguins. The two men were linked arm in arm on a tall, small platform balancing on a skateboard sized board with a cylinder underneath. The first attempt didn’t work and the board went flying. Then they added platform after platform until they were extremely high in the air.
There has got to be an easier way to earn a living. It was really incredible and breathtaking to witness.
For comic relief Martin Lamberti of Germany played the bell conductor clown who had four people from the audience participate in bell ringing. Lamberti was commanding, delightful, and thoroughly engaging.
Less successful was Jose Henry from Columbia as the tightrope walking Toy Soldier who fell off the bouncing rope more than once. Let’s hope he was just having a bad night.
Olena Piontkevych from the Ukraine and Andrey Lyamin from Russia were exquisite as the beautiful Flying Angels, gliding gracefully high in the air on two silken drapes.
The numerous day-glow colored costumes by Cirque Productions, Lenora Taylor, and Santiago Rojo were garish in the extreme, with strange bobbles and spikes coming out of some headpieces, but they got the point across that they were all ornaments.
Goldberg founded Cirque Dreams in 1993, and has numerous shows that tour, similar to the more familiar Cirque du Soleil. Cirque Dreams isn’t as sophisticated as the latter, but is more jam-packed with acts.
This is a terrific show for children, with Santa and Mrs. Claus available for photo ops, as well as ice skaters on a small rink in the lobby. At two hours it is a bit long for the very young.
Take a break from the hustle and bustle of the hectic holiday season and give the family the entertaining gift of “Cirque Dreams Holidaze.”

CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE
Four Stars
Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Location: 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford
Production: Created and directed by Neil Goldberg. Music and lyrics by Jill Winters and David Scott with additional music by Lance Conque and Tony Aliperti. Costume design by Cirque Productions, Lenora Taylor, Santiago Rojo. Act design by Goldberg, Heather Hoffman, louri Klepatsky. Scenic design by Jon Craine. Lighting design by Kate Johnston.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 20-minute intermission.
Show Times: Thursday at 6:30 p.m., Friday at 3 and 7 p.m., and Saturday at 1 p.m., through Dec. 20.
Tickets: $30 to $65. Call 860-987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org.

2011-12-18T09:09:00.000-08:00

Dan Domingues, from left, Kevyn Morrow, Ariel Woodiwiss, and Kate MaCluggage in "It's A Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play" at Long Wharf Theatre. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Long Wharf’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life — A Live Radio Play’ holds its own

by Kory Loucks

NEW HAVEN — When it comes to the play adaptation of the beloved Frank Capra film “It’s a Wonderful Life,” one of the most inspirational shows ever, there’s no need to mess with perfection.
Directed by Eric Ting and written by Joe Landry, this mostly faithful reworking of the film has the entire dialog, but sets it in a 1940s radio studio and turns it into a radio play. So far, so good, but for some reason they make it seem like a person from today’s world stumbles upon this old studio and then becomes the lead in the show.
I would have much preferred just doing the show as a straight radio play of the script, because it more than stands on it own. Even the title is overdone. It could simply be called “It’s a Wonderful Life — a Radio Play.” Obviously if it’s a play it’s live.
The plot set in the 1940s was originally written as a story by Philip Van Doren Stern called “The Greatest Gift.” It follows the life of George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart in the film and Alex Moggridge on stage.
George lives in a little town called Bedford Falls and as a child dreamed of traveling the world on grand adventures. When he is old enough to pursue his dreams, they are quashed when his father suddenly dies and he has to run the family business, the small savings and loan company that helps families own their own homes in the community.
When George’s absent-minded uncle who also works for the family business goes to make a deposit at the bank one day he inadvertently gives it to Mr. Potter, the scrooge of the town who wants to monopolize and control everything and everyone.
Unlike scrooge, however, Potter goes through no transformation. It is George who must change. George becomes desperate and convinces himself that he would be better off dead than alive.
About a third of the way through the production when George is about to commit suicide, the five talented actors who play all the indelible characters, leave the stage and George is left there on his own.
The other characters are still audible, as are the sound effects, but they are no longer on the stage.
This started me to wonder if any of the sound effects that appeared to be made by the actors when they were on stage were actually done by them or if they were all recorded in advance and they were just going through the motions. I don’t know the answer, but their absence detracted from play.
Alex Moggridge as George is believable and tugs at your heart as the man who finds out how important he is to his whole community, but there is no reason to leave him on stage alone during this section of the show.
I am not sure if they felt that the story wasn’t interesting enough as it is and needs something more, but it is and it doesn’t.
The set by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams is convincing as an old radio recording studio and the costumes by Jessica Ford are all fine period outfits, especially the women’s clothes since the men’s styles really haven’t changed all that much.
The actors, including Dan Domingues, Kate MacCluggage, Kevyn Morrow, and Ariel Woodiwiss, are simply amazing, doing the voices of all the characters so well. The are the real delight of this show.
Despite the unnecessary fiddling about, this iconic tale still holds its own in “It’s a Wonderful Life — A Live Radio Play,” at the Long Wharf Theatre through Dec. 31.
3 Stars
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE — A LIVE RADIO PLAY
Theater: Long Wharf Theatre
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: By Joe Landry. Directed by Eric Ting. Set design by Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams. Costume design by Jessica Ford. Lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge. Sound design by John Gromada. Foley Artist Nathan Roberts. Stage Manager Lori Lundquist.
Running time: One hour 50 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Monday through Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 6 p.m. on Dec. 24, and Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. through Dec. 31.
Tickets: $70. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org
ACTORS
Dan Domingues
Kate MacCluggage
Alex Moggridge
Kevyn Morrow
Ariel Woodiwiss

2011-12-12T13:27:00.000-08:00

Shakespeare's "Cymbeline" a romance for the ages

by Kory Loucks

NEW HAVEN — One of the many pleasures of reviewing college plays such as Yale School of Drama’s production of Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” is the chance to see shows which are seldom seen but worth the effort.

Regarded as one of his romance plays written later in Shakespeare’s illustrious career, “Cymbeline” has many serious elements in it, such as war, kidnapping, death, and deception, that could have easily turned this happy ending play into a tragedy, had the characters made other, less thoughtful choices.

The plot has two recently married lovers, Imogen, the daughter to King Cymbeline, and Posthumus, driven apart by her father. He is influenced by his second Queen (a scheming Miriam A. Hyman), who wants her stepdaughter Imogen to marry her doltish simpleton son, Cloten (a delicious Lucas Dixon.)

Posthumus goes to Italy where he meets a man named Iachimo (a wily Brian Wiles) who says he can corrupt Posthumus’ wife and return with proof of it. Posthumus takes up the challenge, believing his wife is incorruptible.

In the meantime, it is revealed that Imogen (an effervescent Adina Verson) had two older brothers who were kidnapped 20 years ago by the banished Lord Belarius, (an expansive and intense Paul Pryce,) named Guiderius (Joshua Bermudez) and Arviragus (William DeMerritt.)

In addition to all this, Caius Lucius (Jack Moran), a general in the Roman army demands that Cymbeline pay tribute to Rome, which the king refuses to do, and so they go to war.

It’s a lot of plot, with many side issues, such as when the physician Cornelius (Tim Brown) gives the Queen what she thinks is poison, but turns out to be a potion that only imitates death. This is reminiscent of the potion that Juliet takes to feign death in the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet,” except in this case, Imogen thinks the potion is helpful medicine, being given it by the trusted servant, Pisanio, who believes the same.

When Posthumus (a passionate Fisher Neal) is tricked into believing that his wife Imogen has been unfaithful, rather than rashly killing her himself, as Othello does to Desdemona, he sends another, less reliable emissary to do the deed, Pisanio, who is loyal to Imogen.

And when he believes she is dead, Posthumus doesn’t kill himself as Romeo does, but repents and regrets his harsh judgments of his wife.

Cloten seems so childish, with an adult tricycle that pushes the joke a little too far, that when the tide shifts to dismemberment, it comes as a real surprise. In Shakespeare the most gruesome deeds often take place off stage, as is the case in “Cymbeline.”

Ably directed by Louisa Proske, the play is set behind the normal proscenium stage, giving an even more intimate and secret feeling to this unusual play. The period costumes are well made and give grandeur to the elegant regal scenes, and baseness to the forest setting, with costume design by Nikki Delhomme.

The dream scene with projections and the blue sky, along with little Jupiter (darling Rachel Miller) add depth and whimsical fantasy to this fine production.

With just a few props, such as chandeliers for the formal castle, and lowered stage lights for the battle scenes, and a raised backdrop with leaves for the cave, the sets, designed by Meredith B. Ries, communicate clearly the change in settings.

The music is spooky and eerie and moody and contributes to the melodrama, by composer and musician Michael Attias with sound by sound composer Palmer Hefferan.

The play came about during the start of the Comedy of Manners plays around 1608, but unlike others of its ilk, the characters in Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” are all more than one dimensional stereotypes. Even the silly Cloten is brave and valiant, if unsuccessful in his efforts.

I would prefer that the Italians have Italian accents, and the English speak with English accents, instead of all sounding the identical.

The Yale School of Drama’s production of “Cymbeline” takes many twists and turns, but it’s an enjoyable and entertaining ride.

CYMBELINE
4 stars
Theater: University Theatre
Location: 222 York St., New Haven
Production: By William Shakespeare. Directed by Louisa Proske. Scenic design by Meredith B. Ries. Costume design by Nikki Delhomme. Lighting design by Solomon Weisbard. Sound Composer Palmer Hefferan. Composer and Musician Michael Attias. Dramaturg Kee-Yoon Nahm. Stage Manager Nicole Marconi.
Running time: 3 hours including a 15-minute intermission
Show times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Dec. 16.
Tickets: $25. For tickets 203-432-1234 or visit their website at drama.yale.edu.
ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Adina Verson … Imogen
Fisher Neal … Posthumus
Brian Wiles … Iachimo
Miriam A. Hyman … The Queen
Robert Grant … Cymbeline
Lucas Dixon … Cloten and others
Paul Pryce … Belarius and others
Joshua Bermudez … Guiderius and others
Tim Brown … Cornelius and others
William DeMeritt … Arviragus and others
Michael Place … Pisano
Jack Moran … Caius Lucius and others
Rachel Miller … Jupiter

2011-12-12T09:57:00.001-08:00

Carson Waldron, seated left, with girls Addison Marchese, Kearney Capuano, Kaitlyn Vitelli, and adults Carolina Read and Michael McDermott in Ivoryton Playhouse's original "Home for the Holidays." Photo by Anne Hudson.

Whimsical, spontaneous ‘Home For The Holidays’ at Ivoryton

by Kory Loucks

IVORYTON — “Home For The Holidays” is a sweet new holiday production that hopefully will become an annual tradition at the Ivoryton Playhouse.

Conceived and directed by Ivoryton Artistic Director Jacqueline Hubbard, it’s a holiday gift to the community and the special, magical theater.

The premise is that they are rehearsing the play “A Christmas Carol” on Christmas Eve when the weather outside turns into a blizzard and the old tree in front of the playhouse crashes into the road, blocking traffic and taking out the power lines.

Sound familiar? The roads are impassible and other people traveling through are forced to come to the theater, which is equipped with a generator. Throughout the evening parents, friends, and children sing Christmas carols that fit seamlessly into the story, such as when the children sing the lullaby “Away in the Manger” to the little boy infant to help him sleep.

Liz Pester is sarcastic and amusing as Holly, whose birthday is on Christmas day. She playfully teases Joe, played by Brandon Clark, for having a crush on the actress Christina, played by Alanna Burke.

Clark is fine as the lovesick young man, and Burke hits just the right notes as the narcissistic actress singing “Santa Baby.”

Norm Rutty is really funny and touching as the grumpy old Norm, and sings a delightfully anti-Christmas song.

Music Director John Sebastian DeNicola plays John, who is frantic to reach his partner and sings one of my favorite songs of all time, Joni Mitchell’s “River.”

Jason Naylor plays the stagehand Steve and sings a touching duet with Erica LuBonta, the single, harried mother named Cat.

Gayle LaBrec plays the sweet Jennifer, with a beautiful voice, and sings a clever rendition of “The 12 Days of Christmas” about her loser ex-boyfriend.

“On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a coffee mug he got at work for free,” she sings.

Addison Marchese is absolutely adorable as the little girl, Sammie, who wants a puppy for Christmas and just steals the show when she is on stage.

All the children give the show so much energy and life, including Kaitlyn Vitelli as Emily, Carson Waldron as Tucker, and Kearney Capuano as Cassie.

Beverly J. Taylor plays Helen whose car got stuck on the road while taking home her elderly and hard-of-hearing friend Jane (a fantastic Maggie McLone Jennings.)

Jennings is witty and sharp with her constant misunderstandings of what is being said.

When Helen says to Jane, “I’m going to see if the car starts,” Jane replies, “No dear, I don’t need anything from Wal-Mart.”

It’s also moving when Jane talks about her grandfather who was in World War I, and how he told her that on the front lines both sides stopped fighting on Christmas Eve and sang “Silent Night.” The cast then sang the hymn in English and German. Carolina Read is marvelous as the mom Sarah, dancing gracefully on toe shoes to “The Nutcracker.”

Michael McDermott has a glorious voice. He plays Sarah’s husband Rob, and is very funny and real when he blames Sarah for making them late. Celeste Cumming plays Celeste the cellist, who, along with the talented Gayle LaBrec on the violin and flute and DeNicola on piano, adds so much to this production.

The set by Jo Nazro, of “A Christmas Carol,” serves the plot well and I love the whimsical Christmas tree created out of garlands on a ladder.

Kudos to Hubbard for somehow pulling this off in just over a month. All the performers work smoothly together in this lovely and loving, spontaneous production, “Home For The Holidays,” through Dec. 18.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Three ½ Stars
Theater: Ivoryton Playhouse
Location: 103 Main Street, Ivoryton
Production: Conceived and directed by Jacqueline Hubbard. Music direction by John Sebastian DeNicola. Choreography by Meghan McDermott. Scenic design by Jo Nazro. Stage Manager Jim Clark. Lighting design by Doug Harry.
Running time: 2 hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Dec. 18.
Tickets: $30 for adults, $28 for seniors, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the box office at 860-767-7318 or visit their website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org
ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Liz Pester ... Holly
Brandon Clark ... Joe
Jason Naylor ... Steve
Celeste Cummings ... Celeste
Erica LuBonte ... Cat
Norm Rutty ... Norm
John Sebastian DeNicola ... John
Alanna Burke ... Christina
Addison Marchese ... Sammie
Beverley J. Taylor ... Helen
Maggie McGlone Jennings ... Jane
Kaitlyn Vitelli ... Emily
Michael McDermott ... Rob
Carolina Read ... Sarah
Carson Waldron ... Tucker
Kearney Capuano ... Cassie
Will Schneider ... David

2011-12-08T14:55:00.000-08:00

Ryan Winkles as Crumpet the Elf in David Sedaris' "The Santaland Diaries" at Shakespeare & Co.

"The Santaland Diaries" at Shakespeare & Co. a mixed bag

by Kory Loucks

LENOX, Mass. — The holidays are definitely upon us, with lots of seasonal activities and traditions. One that is becoming its own new tradition is “The Santaland Diaries,” written by David Sedaris and adapted to the stage by Joe Mantello.

The premise is basically a retelling of the story of Sedaris’ time working at Macy’s Santaland as Crumpet the Elf during the Christmas season.

Ryan Winkles plays the perky, somewhat salacious, and occasionally creepy elf. He is in his tastefully decorated Pottery Barn living room in a New York City apartment, with set design by Patrick Brennan.

At the start of the show he is preparing for a holiday party when he sees the audience and gently chastises us for being an hour early. It’s a cute premise that allows him to launch into his story about his time as a Christmas elf. Interacting with the audience and offering us candy canes is a sweet touch, directed by Tony Simotes.

Sedaris’ tale was first a book, and despite all the dancing and twirling and skipping around by the graceful, energetic, and adorable Winkles, it feels for the most part like a saga best told on paper.

He regales us with stories of his experiences, good and bad, in great detail, bordering on too much information. For example, when he talks about the women elves not wearing underwear and the reason that isn’t acceptable, it’s gross and not necessary.

He also talks about the abusive parents he saw who slapped their children to get them to stop crying. If that really happened, and there’s no reason to believe that it didn’t, it’s pretty disturbing that no one did anything to stop them.

Most of the elves are high school kids, we learn, which this 33-year-old man says he likes because “I get to see them in their underwear” in the changing rooms. That is not cool and very creepy.

The elf suit, by Costume Designer Govane Lohbauer, is just as cute as can be, and Winkles dons the outfit before our eyes, which gives his story more color.

The rest of the show is dedicated to giving descriptions of his fellow elves, the Santa Clauses, and the abuse he takes from customers for being an elf.

I was deeply moved when he described the last Santa speaking to the children and their parents, not about toys and presents, but about loving and caring for each other. It was sincere and beautiful.

This is the behind-the-scenes look at the world of Santa, so it’s probably not best for young believers.

Winkles started out a little rocky at a recent Sunday matinee, as if he didn’t know all his lines, but he picked up steam near the end and finished with a flourish.

It’s a mixed bag of Christmas cheer at “The Santaland Diaries,” playing at Shakespeare & Company through Friday, Dec. 30.

Stage review

3 stars

"The Santaland Diaries"

Theater: Shakespeare & Company.

Location: Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre, 70 Kemble St., Lenox, Mass.

Production: Written by David Sedaris and adapted by Joe Mantello. Set design by Patrick Brennan. Costume design by Govane Lohbauer. Lighting design by Stephen D. Ball. Sound design by Michael Pfeiffer. Stage Manager Hope Rose Kelly.

Running time: 75 minutes with no intermission.

Show times: Friday through Sunday, including most Saturdays, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. as well as performances Monday through Friday at 7:30 p.m. during Christmas week through Dec. 30. There is no performance on Dec. 25.

Tickets: $16 to $49. For more information, call the box office at 413-637-3353 or visit: www.shakespeare.org.

Actor.................CHARACTER

Ryan Winkle.......................Crumpet the Elf

4 stars Excellent 3 stars Good 2 stars Fair 1 star Poor

2011-12-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

Maria Dizzia as Abby, and Gilbert Owuor as Alioune in a scene from "Belleville." (Photo by Joan Marcus.)
"Belleville" a compelling, dynamic play

by Kory Loucks

NEW HAVEN — Not all is as it appears in the world premiere of Amy Herzog’s play “Belleville” — a fine contemporary drama with unexpected twists and turns.

Newlyweds Abby and Zack, a recent medical school graduate, are living in the funky Belleville district of Paris where he has accepted a position as a pediatric AIDS researcher.

Abby has many neurotic issues including an over-attachment to her father, and Zack is doing all he can to manage her, to the point of withholding her cell phone from her.

She is something of a lost soul, taking French lessons then giving them up saying that it is unnecessary because everyone speaks English, and teaching a little yoga.

She arrives home early one afternoon and finds Zack unexpectedly there. As the play continues, the landlord and his wife, Alioune and Amina, enter, and it becomes evident that something is not right in this dimly lit corner of the City of Light.

Maria Dizzia plays Abby, a sarcastic woman who is drifting through life, opting to have her primary identity be that of a doctor’s wife, a role for the 32 year old that is far too narrow for her, but one that she thinks she wants.

Abby’s sister back in the United States is having a difficult pregnancy, but they can’t go home because of Visa problems, we learn.

I had some problem believing that Abby was talking with anyone on the other end of the phone. Zack was more convincing.

In France, the Belleville district is an area where few tourists visit, but where a richly diverse population lives and works.

The impressive set is the one bedroom flat where Zack and Abby have been living for the past four months. Designed by Julia C. Lee, it is one of the best, most detailed sets I have seen in a long time, with even the rooftop view of the chimneys.

I wondered about the broken restaurant sign visible out their apartment window, however. Granted, it’s supposed to be a lower income area, but it looks like something one would see in a war zone.

Still, the overall set looks like a work of art, and was fully utilized by director Anne Kauffman.

Kauffman showed courage allowing some scenes to be completely silent for what felt like an almost excruciatingly long time, but at the same time the silence felt completely appropriate and compelling.

It was the same, too, at the end of the play, where little is said but so much is communicated.

The French immigrant’s accents of Alioune and Amina, played by Gilbert Owuor and Pascale Armand, were believable and necessary to give the play its sense of foreignness. Fine work by vocal and dialect coach Beth McGuire.

There are some genuinely frightening and disturbing moments where the unstable characters reveal their long-kept secrets.

This underlying and increasing tension holds “Belleville” together and sweeps the audience along, even when logic says that the secrets probably would have been discovered long before they saw the light of day.

The combination of dynamic acting, confident direction, and strong writing make “Belleville” an excellent, compelling play.

Stage review

3 1/2 stars

Belleville

Theater: Yale Repertory Theatre

Location: University Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven.

Production: Written by Amy Herzog. Directed by Anne Kauffman. Scenic design by Julia C. Lee. Costume design by Mark Nagle. Lighting design by Nina Hyun Seung Lee. Sound Designer and Composer Robert Kaplowitz. Production dramaturgs Amy Boratko and Alex Ripp. Vocal and dialect coach Beth McGuire. Fight directors Rick Sordelet and Jeff Barry.

Running time: 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.

Show times: Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinees as 2 p.m., through Nov. 12.

Tickets: $25-$54. Call 203-432-1234 or visit: www.yalerep.org.

Actor.................CHARACTER

Greg Keller...............................................Zack

Maria Dizzia............................................Abby

Gilbert Owuor....................................Alioune

Pascale Armand..................................Amina

4 stars Excellent 3 stars Good 2 stars Fair 1 star Poor

1/2 star designates half-rating higher

2011-12-05T09:05:00.000-08:00

Ryan Speakman as Bobby in "Company" at Playhouse on Park. Photo by David B. Newman.

Ageless, timeless "Company" at Playhouse on Park
by Kory Loucks
WEST HARTFORD — To be single or not to be single, that is the question which never seems to grow old and is what makes Steven Sondheim’s “Company” an ageless musical.
It’s striking how much this award-winning show, which ran on Broadway in 1970, predates the “Sex and the City” craze as well as the metro-male sexually ambiguous mid-30s guy.
Bobby, played with angst by the excellent Ryan Speakman, is the relationship allergic man in question, who is surrounded by couples who want nothing more than to have him join their team.
He is a serial dater living in New York City with three single women he keeps in various states of relationship limbo, always being the gentleman, and retreating as soon as one of them gets a little too close.
There’s the energetic sophisticate, Marta, played with sass by Keisha Gilles, the ditzy, vapid flight attendant April (an amusing Lea Nardi), and the good girl, city misfit Kathy played by Alexandra Cutler.
Bobby only takes a perceived risk when he is confident that he will be shot down, and prefers the idea of having a significant other in his life — just not the reality.
The horrified look on Bobby’s face when April complies with his professed wish that she stay says everything we need to know about Bobby.
This show is perfectly cast and well acted with tight direction and smart choreography by Leslie Unger.
Without exception, each of the actors sings beautifully. I also love the audacious way that the first and the second act open with the same a cappella number.
“Side By Side By Side” is another strong song near the start of the second act, which is even better than the first act, as well as shorter.
Bobby has lots of well-meaning friends, each of who adds their own take on the relationship continuum in short vignettes throughout the evening.
There is wealthy, brassy, cynical Joanne (a snappy Amanda Bruton) with her long-suffering but loving husband Larry (a kind Ben Beckley). My favorite song in the show is the harsh and acerbic “The Ladies Who Lunch,” sung with fabulous venom by Bruton.
There’s the friendly bisexual Peter (Kevin Barlowski) and his open-minded wife Susan (the funny, perky Victoria Thornsbury)
Meredith Swanson plays the controlling argumentative Sarah, who does some convincing karate moves with her equally argumentative and combative husband Harry, played by Erik Agle.
Sarah also has some pronounced issues with food and dieting that ring just as true today as they must have decades ago.
Hillary Ekwall is believable as the straight-laced square wife Jenny, with an understanding, patient husband, David, played by Scott Caron.
There’s somebody for everybody to relate to in this substantial cast and my favorite is the funny, fiercely intelligent and thoroughly neurotic Amy, played by Jennifer Lauren Brown, with her sensitive and loving fiancée, David, played by Scott Caron.
Brown walks the fine line between sweetly neurotic and downright nuts and does it with flair, even when she is literally climbing the walls.
The orchestra, directed by Music Director Colin Britt, is supportive, tuneful, and never too loud in the small, intimate space at Playhouse on Park.
The set by Dan Nischan, is simple, with a wooden box in the center of a large and a raised stage platform where most of the action takes place, with chairs in the background for the couples to rest. It works well with the non-linear, episodic nature of this musical.
The costumes by Erin Kacmarcik, along with some towering high-heeled shoes for the woman, suit the characters; however, Sarah and Joanne wear black and navy blue together, which are not my favorite color combos.
“Company” is a timeless musical with a super cast that is tight, strong, and beautifully realized at Playhouse on Park, running through Sunday, Dec. 18.
If you enjoy musicals and love Sondheim you must see this show.

COMPANY
4 Stars
Theater: Playhouse on Park
Location: 244 Park Road, West Hartford
Production: Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by George Furth. Directed with choreography by Leslie Unger. Music direction by Colin Britt. Costume design by Erin Kacmarcik. Set design by Dan Nischan. Lighting design by Tim Hache. Production Manager Ryan Bell.
Running time: 2 ½ hours plus a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Dec. 18.
Tickets: $20 — $32.50. Call the box office at 860-523-5900 ext. 10 or visit their website at www.playhouseonpark.org
ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Ryan Speakman ... Bobby
Amanda Bruton ... Joanne
Kevin Barlowski ... Peter
Lea Nardi ... April
Jennifer Lauren Brown ... Amy
Keisha Gilles ... Marta
Victoria Thornsbury ... Susan
Meredith Swanson ... Sarah
Erik Agle ... Harry
Brian Detlefs ... Paul
Hillary Ekwall ... Jenny
Ben Beckley ... Larry
Scott Caron ... David
Alexandra Cutler ... Kathy

2011-12-03T13:36:00.000-08:00

Jerry Adler and Joyce DeWitt in Mike Reiss' "I'm Connecticut" at Connecticut Repertory Theatre through Saturday

Hysterical sitcom play "I'm Connecticut" at CRT
by Kory Loucks

STORRS — Ever realize that Storrs has no stores? Ever wonder why there are so many grapes on the state seal, although we aren’t really known as the wine growing Capitol of the nation, while being best known as the Insurance Capitol of the World-a rather dubious accolade, to be sure.
These and other Connecticut conundrums are examined, diagnosed, turned upside down and backwards in the hysterically funny world premiere of Mike Reiss’ “I’m Connecticut,” the much anticipated new play that didn’t disappoint at University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Repertory Theatre.
Reiss is a co-writer of the animated television phenomena, “The Simpsons” and has been for most of the show’s existence. He is also writes children’s books and was at UConn’s children’s book fair awhile ago when CRT Managing Director Frank Mack challenged him to write a play about Connecticut, and this is it.
“I’m Connecticut” follows the life of brain researcher Marc, (Harris Doran) a young Jewish Connecticut native from Simsbury who moves to New York City and searches for love. Marc lives with his grandfather, played by Jerry Adler of HBO’s Soprano’s fame, who in the show is starting to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease.
Marc meets Diane, an adorable Maggie Sulka, a receptionist at a speed dating service, and tries to impress her with his tragic life story, which is a total fabrication.
He gets caught in his web of his lies and blames it on the state he hails from — Connecticut.
Doran is confidently wimpy as the Jewish nerd who jumps from New York City to Storrs and back with the help of the magic of theater. He breaks through the fourth wall at times and speaks directly to the audience, with amusing results.
Joyce DeWitt plays Polly, the grandmother of Diane, as well as Grandpa’s first wife Judith, with a zippy enthusiasm and chutzpah that is just terrific. She is instantly recognizable as Janet Wood from the television sitcom “Three’s Company.” It’s great to see her still being her perky self.
Polly and Grandpa meet and have a sweet flirtation of their own, and argue as if they have been married for years. When DeWitt plays grandpa’s first wife in a wheelchair, she is completely believable and heartbreaking as the ill and dying woman. It is the saddest and sweetest moment in this otherwise lighthearted and gag-filled play.
Marc has a co-worker, Kyle, played by Michael John Improta, who is Marc's know-it-all friend who loves birthday cake, so everywhere he goes, he tells people its his birthday so he can get free treats. The character feels like one right out of a sit com, which isn’t a bad thing.
Darrell Hollens plays the pompous speed-dating manager who gets his comeuppance in the end.
The rest of the fine supporting cast is made up of secretaries, waiters, baristas, speed-daters, and a droll Mark Twain. They even play states that look much like cartoon characters.
Paul Mullins directs this farcical fun play that is actually quite technically complex, with technical direction by Gordon Sanfacon.
They incorporate some incredible, magical video projections that add much to the enjoyment of this production.
Some of the one-liners, and there are many, aren’t as successful as others, but it appears that Reiss took a kitchen sink approach to this show, throwing everything out there to see what sticks, and most of it does.
It is so funny at times that on opening night the actors didn’t always pause long enough for the laughs to subside — not a bad problem to have and something that will probably improve in the far too short run of this funny, funny show.
The real tragedy of this comedy is that “I’m Connecticut” is only running through Saturday, so do all you can to get tickets and see this new play that all residents in “the land of steady habits” should see.

Four Stars
I'M CONNECTICUT
Theater: Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Mike Reiss. Directed by Paul Mullins. Scenic design by Michael Anania and Matt Iacozza. Lighting design by William R. Albertelli. Sound design by Steven Magro. Production design by Allison McGrath and Greg Purnell. Technical direction by Gordon Sanfacon. Music direction by Ken Clark. Choreography by Posy Knight.
Running time: 1 hour and 15 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and
a Saturday and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. through Dec. 10.
Tickets: Range in price from $6 to $29. Call the box office at
860-486-4266 of visit their Website at www.crt.UConn.edu.
ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Harris Doran ... Marc
Joyce DeWitt ... Polly, Judith
Jerry Adler ... Grandpa
Maggie Sulka ... Diane, Georgia
Michael John Improta ... Kyle
Darrell Hollens ... Manager
Alyson Danielczuk, Kaityn Gorman, Will Graziano, Harrison Greene, Hanna Kaplan, Briana Maia, Ryan Marcone, Molly Martinez, Coles Prince, Adam Schneeman, Bryan Sworstedt, Tiffany Vinters ... Ensemble

2011-12-01T10:09:00.000-08:00

Cast of Yale Repertory Theatre's production of Moliere's "A Doctor in Spite of Himself." Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Vulgar, irresistible ‘A Doctor In Spite of Himself’ at Yale Rep
by Kory Loucks
NEW HAVEN — Even before Moliere’s “A Doctor In Spite of Himself” at the Yale Repertory Theatre begins, it’s clear you’re in for an experience like no other.
As the song “Put the Lime in the Coconut” wafts through the air, the ushers and then even some irrepressible audience members start dancing to the music. The party is on.
The stage is bare, with a few instruments tucked into a nearby corner, and then a small puppet theatre is rolled into view by a very old man accompanied by a fluttering moth.
The Punch and Judy type puppets start to argue and hit each other when from the back of the puppet theater the two actors pop out and continue fighting.
Adapted by Steven Epp who plays Sganarelle and Christopher Bayes who directs, the play is about a woodcutter who is forced to pretend he is a doctor and cure a wealthy girl who stopped speaking.
It’s a silly plot, but the actors are spectacular, taking the broad Italian Commedia dell’Arte style of acting that was popular in Moliere’s 17th century and exploding it to excessive proportions that are crazy and wacky fun.
Sexual innuendoes run rampant in this kooky world, where Sganarelle the woodcutter is out “whacking his wood” in the forest when he is accosted by two men, looking like Lewis Carroll’s Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.
The woodcutter’s wife Martine (a shrewish Justine Williams) told the two that Sganarelle is such a great “genius doctor” that he pretends he isn’t until he is beaten.
Liam Craig plays Lucas with a vacant vapid stare, while Jacob Ming Trent plays the other dunderhead, Valere.
During the course of this amazing evening, they all burst out in song, turning this play into a musical of sorts. When Trent sings, it’s all too brief. He also does a stint as Cupid, which confirms my belief in the comedy of costumes, by Costume Designer Kristin Fiebig.
Another fabulous costume is the one the rich father M. Robert wears with a huge front butt that Allen Gilmore exploits to the hilt. The naïve aristocrat M. Robert wants his daughter, Lucinde, to marry the rich man of his choosing but she is in love with less wealthy Leandre.
Robert says, “You can’t put hope in the bank,” while the wet nurse replies, “Happiness is worth more than money.”
Renata Friedman plays the silent Lucinde, who bays like a donkey, looking like an exaggerated Goth chick in a wheelchair.
Chivas Michael plays the vain poser, Leandre, with a ballet theatricality that is thoroughly delightful.
Julie Briskman plays the buxom wet nurse, Jacqueline, and practically steals the show when she switches from a Southern Belle to a Cockney chambermaid, and then to a New Jersey Mafioso within the same monologue. Stunning.
Williams also plays the diapered Perrin to Craig’s hick Thiabaut, who come to the genus doctor looking for medical help. They and many of the other characters wear various masks and false noses that add to their exaggerated natures.
Greg C. Powers and Robertson Witmer are the band members who give continuity and structure to the circus-like atmosphere, with music composed by music director Aaron Halva.
There are no lulls in this play, so that even when there is a scene change it’s filled with an entertainment in front of the old-fashioned footlights, with crisp lighting by Yi Zhao.
The larger-than-life French living room gives a surreal silliness to the show, with set design by Matt Saunders.
How many plays can incorporate Nyquil, ABBA, Rolling Stone, and David Hasselhoff with the Occupy Wall Street movement and get away with it? Just about anything goes in this wildly vulgar and wickedly irresistible comedy where laughter really is the best medicine.
At one point during the shenanigans Sganarelle looks at the audience and asks, “When is the play going to start?” Thankfully nothing like a normal play ever does in this satirical, remarkable adaptation of “A Doctor In Spite of Himself” that you simply must see.
4 stars
Theater: The Yale Repertory Theatre
Location: 1120 Chapel St., New Haven
Production: By Moliere. Adapted by Christopher Bayes and Steven Epp. Directed by Bayes. Composer and musical direction by Aaron Halva. Scenic design by Matt Saunders. Costume design by Kristin Fiebig. Lighting design by Yi Zhao. Sound design by Ken Goodwin. Production Dramaturg Benjamin Fainstein. Vocal Coach Walton Wilson. Stage Manager Brandon Curtis.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission
Show times: Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinees as 2 p.m., through Dec. 17.
Tickets: $20 — $88. For tickets 203-432-1234 or visit their website at www.yalerep.org.
ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Steven Epp ... Sganarelle
Justine Williams ... Martine, Perrin
Allen Gilmore ... M. Robert, Geronte
Liam Craig ... Lucas, Thibaut
Jacob Ming Trent ... Valere, Cherub
Chivas Michael ... Leandre, Old Man
Julie Briskman ... Jacqueline
Renata Friedman ... Lucinde, Puppeteer

2011-12-01T10:04:00.000-08:00

Brian Dennehy in Samuel Beckett's "Krapp's Last Tape" at Long Wharf Theatre. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Dennehy comes through in Beckett’s black comedy “Krapp’s Last Tape” at Long Wharf
by Kory Loucks

NEW HAVEN — There’s no way of knowing for sure, but in a perverse way I think Samuel Beckett would have reveled in the failure and success of “Krapp’s Last Tape,” performed by the fabulous and mighty Brian Dennehy, at Long Wharf Theatre.

Beckett himself said, “Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.”

On opening night the computerized tape system, and evidently the operator of the system, didn’t line up the taped dialog with the spoken lines. Dennehy left the stage after an excruciating few minutes where he was left to twist in the wind waiting for someone to fix the problem.

It was eventually repaired, with a brief glitch later on, but the damage was done. It was intense and fascinating and horrible. I spent most of the rest of the performance psychically holding my breath waiting for it to possibly fail again. Dennehy was not pleased.

Invited back again, I saw the play Sunday. The tape system worked without a hitch and the performance was compelling and spellbinding, with Dennehy admittedly a bit old to be playing the 69-year-old Krapp. It was perhaps unnecessary to give him such exaggerated bushy eyebrows.

The story is an autobiographical account of what Beckett’s life might have been like if he had never been a success, and having sacrificed the love of his life for an ultimately failed career. It’s also an account of the epiphany Beckett had right after his mother died of what the rest of his writing career would be like.

The play was written in English in 1958 when Beckett was actually at the height of his career, and is in part a lament on regret, artistic sacrifice, and what might have been, if life hadn’t turned out as it did for him.

Krapp listens to a tape he recorded when he was 39 years old about the love of his life wearing a green shabby coat, who he abandoned when he was even younger to focus on his art and move to Paris. It’s a conversation the older Krapp has with his younger self and his palpable sense of loss and his anger and frustration at the arrogant person he once was.

It’s also quintessential Beckett, the Irish avant-garde and absurdist playwright who turned the theater world upside down with his existential, minimalist plays that were like nothing that came before them. It is filled with anger, but also black comedy, and even a bit of slapstick with a banana peel.

The youthful Krapp is Dennehy’s recorded voice, and he sounds young and enthusiastic enough, but for some reason he has almost no Irish accent, while he does as the old man, which seems incongruent.

The set by Eugene Lee is a stark, barren room with a desk with drawers in the front and a light high above. There is also a door leading to another room behind, also with a single hanging light. Lee also designed the simple costume that Dennehy wears, with a fine white shirt and tattered vest.

After most shows Dennehy speaks about the play, Beckett, and anything the audience asks, in a generous, educational, spontaneous session. He’s vibrant and vital and a force to be reckoned with in Beckett’s dark comedy “Krapp’s Last Tape,” playing through Dec. 18.

3 ½ Stars
KRAPP’S LAST TAPE
Theater: Long Wharf Theatre
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Written by Samuel Beckett. Directed by Jennifer Tarver. Set and costume design by Eugene Lee. Lighting design by Stephen Strawbridge. Sound design by Richard Woodbury. Stage Manager Katrina Lynn Olson.
Running time: One hour with no intermission.
Show Times: Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. through Dec. 18.
Tickets: $70. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org
ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Brian Dennehy ... Krapp

2011-12-01T08:33:00.000-08:00

‘Jacques LaMarre Has Gone Too Far’ four edgy, dark one-act comedies at Hole in the Wall

by Kory Loucks

NEW BRITAIN - Playwright Jacques LaMarre definitely pushed the politically correct envelope at Hole In The Wall’s world premiere of "Jacques LaMarre Has Gone Too Far," four one-act plays, running through Saturday, Dec. 10.
Each one act had its own director. The first, "Mignonette" directed by Bethany Sanderson, was my least favorite, perhaps because it was so mean-spirited and extreme.
The plot centered on two women at a dog park " One, a secretary named Kim, played by Rebecca Meakin, with a newborn in a stroller, the other, Fern, played by Angie Jochim, with a dog.
Kim had an affair her boss, who happened to be Fern’s husband. In retaliation, Fern bought the ugliest dog she could find and named it after the baby.
It was played in a broad, super campy style, with lots of glaring and gigantic pregnant pauses that felt totally bizarre and unreal.
Fern was staring so intensely at Kim, that if nothing else but to protect her child from potential violence, she would have left the stage before they had any altercation.
Of course there wouldn’t have been any play then, but it just didn’t feel at all based in anything resembling reality.
The second play, "The Buck Stops Here," directed by Michael Daly, was absolutely my favorite.
It is the story of a Archie Bunker-type fellow, Buck, whose wife, Ellen, has won a marketing makeover, and rather than do a marketing strategy on a business, the marketing experts, Dot and Dash, "re-branded" Buck in the couple’s bedroom at 11 p.m. on a Monday night.
Granted, that is a far-fetched premise too, but it is written well and acted with confidence and good humor.
Charles Merlis plays Buck with just the right amount of grossness to make him a prime, makeover candidate. Kathleen-Marie Clark plays his wife Ellen, with sweet forbearance.
Terri D’Arcangelo and Roy Donnelly are the dynamic-duo, Dot and Dash, spouting marketing jingo and statistics with the smarmy enthusiasm of polished salespeople.
D’Arcangelo also directs the next one-act play called "Cain DisAbled" about two brothers, Allan (James DeMarco) and Bob (John Peifer) who have a major falling out over a virtual farm game on Facebook, that is cleverly interspersed with biblical parallel references of Cain and Abel by the narrator (Joachim.)
The last of the one-acts is called "Jacques LaMarre Has Gone Too Far," directed by Kit Webb. It is set in a scary suburban place called Celebration, Fla., which is a Disney Company town.
It is very campy and extremely outrageous, especially when there are references to a black man and a gay Frenchman who enter their lily-white God-fearing, gun-toting community. It has the feeling of a Saturday Night Live segment that would never reach the airwaves.
Donnelly plays the gun-wielding Glenn, and Joan DuQuette-Aresco plays his righteous hyper-kinetic wife with blazing blue eye shadow and fabulously poofed hair, Sara.
"God and Disney know what’s good for us," Sara says to console herself.
Jillian Dion plays the hysterical neighbor, Michelle, who spots one of the outsiders in their midst.
"Can’t they go and be equal somewhere else?" one of them says.
Matthew Skwiot plays Rand who goes undercover as a Polish cleaning woman, which is quite amusing. I love comedy with clothing.
Devin Horner plays their savior, Pastor Ted, who clearly has his own hypocritical secret agenda.
The sets are simple with some movable wooden boxes that function beautifully to create benches, a bed, and a couch, with set design by Technical Director Bill Arnold.
At almost 90 minutes, the entire show is really short enough that an intermission isn’t necessary.
Sometimes the plays feel like they are shocking just to shock, but overall they are smart, funny, outrageous, dark comedies with an edgy and wicked perspective from talented local playwright LaMarre.

JACQUES LAMARRE HAS GONE TOO FAR
3 ½ Stars
Theater: Hole In The Wall Theater
Location: 116 Main St., New Britain
Production: Written by Jacques LaMarre. Produced by Pan Riley. Directed by Michael Daly, Terri D’Arcangelo, Bethany Sanderson, and Kit Webb. Stage Manager Rebekah Poppel. Technical direction and set design by Bill Arnold. Sound design by Lawrence E. Niland. Costume design by Stephanie Layne and Dianne Zabor.
Running time: 85 minutes plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. on Sunday, through Dec. 10.
Tickets: $20. Call 860-229-3049 or visit their website at www.hitw.org.
ACTOR-CHARACTER
Rebecca Meakin - Kim
Angie Joachim - Fern, Narrator
Kathleen-Marie Clark - Ellen
Charles Merlis - Buck
Terri D’Arcangelo - Dot
Roy Donnelly - Dash, Glenn
Joan DuQuette-Aresco - Sara
Jillian Dion - Michelle
Matthew Skwiot - Rand
Devin Horner - Pastor Ted

2011-12-01T08:03:00.000-08:00

Bill Raymond as Ebenezer Scrooge in the Hartford Stage Company's production of Dicken's "A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story of Christmas." Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Beloved HSC "A Christmas Carol- A Ghost Story of Christmas" continues to enchant
by Kory Loucks

HARTFORD - Long before the Occupy Wall Street movement, Charles Dickens pointed out the evils of greed and the joys of redemption and giving, which has been adapted to the annual reminder of the importance of charity and goodwill in "A Christmas Carol, A Ghost Story of Christmas."
Nothing much has changed in this classic, enchanting play at the Hartford Stage Company, originally adapted by former Artistic Director Michael Wilson that still makes me tear up after all these years.
Director Maxwell Williams did well not to mess with a good thing, while keeping the production moving along at a good clip.
Now celebrating its 14th year, part of the fun for us regulars is to see the old familiar faces and meet the new additions to the cast.
Bill Raymond is back again playing Ebenezer Scrooge with just the right amount of curmudgeonly stinginess and down right meanness to make his transformation believable.
There was a time when he was too sweet and silly from the start, making his performance flat, but his interpretation is spot-on these days.
"Aren’t there workhouses, aren’t there prisons?" Scrooge callously asks when people come looking for charity from him.
The other actors, including regulars Robert Hannon Davis as the long-suffering employee Bob Cratchet, and his much put upon wife, played by Rebecka Jones are touching, as usual.
Johanna Morrison is magnanimous and graceful as doll vendor Bettye Pidgeon and the Spirit of Christmas Past, and Alan Rust is hearty and cheerful as Bert, the fruit and cider vendor as well as the Spirit of Christmas Present.
Rust is also comical as always as fussy Mr. Fuzziwig, with his silly wife played by Jones.
Michael Bakkensen continues to be generous and kind as Fred, Scrooge’s loving and forbearing nephew.
Michael Preston is inquisitive and sweet as the watchworks vendor, Mr. Marvel.
As delightful as this morality tale is to see again and again, it’s even more fun to watch it through the eyes of children in the audience.
Bear in mind that the numerous ghosts, including Scrooges’ old business partner, Jacob Marley, played by Noble Shropshire, are really scary, with horrible white faces, bloody axes, jangling chains, and loud, frightening lightning and gothic music by John Gromada.
I wouldn’t recommend this show for children younger than 5 years old. Best to go online to the Hartford Stage Company’s website and play the abbreviated video of the show to test the waters before bringing a little one along.
My niece, Lindsay Hillemeir, 5, of Farmington enjoyed the Saturday matinee performance immensely and recommended it to other children, but she had seen the video beforehand and was well prepared for the spooky ghosts. When the scary parts where happening, she quickly covered her eyes.
"It was awesome," she said afterwards, observing, "It’s scary, but not too scary."
They really poured on the artificial snow this year, a little too much at times, with some people in the audience getting drenched with fake flakes.
The fog is also intense this year, with so much of it on stage at times that the actors completely disappeared from view - an effect that I don’t think was intended.
Here’s to many years ahead for this blessed production of annual cheer "A Christmas Carol - A Ghost Story" with its reminder that it really is much better to give than to receive.
As angelic little Tiny Tim so eloquently says, "God bless us, every one."

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - A GHOST STORY
Four Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Story by Charles Dickens. Adapted by Michael Wilson. Directed by Maxwell Williams. Set design by Tony Straiges. Choreography by Hope Clarke. Costume design by Zack Brown. Lighting design by Robert Wierzel. Original music and sound design by John Gromada.
Running time: 1 ¾ hours, plus a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. There are no evening performances on Dec. 24 and Dec. 28, and no performances on Dec. 25; matinees are Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 p.m. with additional performances from Dec. 26 through Dec. 30.
Tickets: $24 - $69. Children 12 and under save $10. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR - CHARACTER
Bill Raymond - Ebenezer Scrooge
Noble Shropshire - Jacob Marley, Mrs. Dilber
Robert Hannon Davis - Bob Cratchit, Jacob Marley, Mrs. Dilber
Michael Bakkensen - Fred, Scrooge at 30
Alan Rust - Spirit of Christmas Present, Bert, Mr. Fuzziwig
Johanna Morrison - Spirit of Christmas Past, Bettye Pidgeon, Old Jo
Michael Preston - Mr. Marvel
Rebecka Jones - Mrs. Fezziwig, Mrs. Cratchit
Curtis Billings - First Solicitor, Undertaker
Gustave Johnson - Second Solicitor, Ebenezer Scrooge
Michelle Hendrick - Belle, Fred’s wife
Salvatore Zullo - Scrooge at 15
Lorenzo Dalton or Ethan Pancoast - Tim Cratchit

2011-11-22T06:17:00.000-08:00

Schticky "Ain't Misbehavin'" at Longwharf a muscial revue

by Kory Loucks

NEW HAVEN - Think of the heydays of The Cotton Club in Harlem with Duke Ellington, Cab Caloway, and the hep cat jazz musician and entertainer Fats Waller.

That’s the era of the award-winning musical "Ain’t Misbehavin’, The Fats Waller Musical Show" - a revival that is cutting the rug and having a ball at the Long Wharf theatre through Nov. 20.

Waller was one of the greatest jazz pianists of the 1920s and 1930s, according to the helpful and informative playbill, and wrote and recorded many of the many songs in this musical revue.

The show is really more of a cabaret revue than a musical, since it’s based jazz pianist and musician Waller’s songs, without a plot.

Some of the more familiar of these old numbers would be the title song "Ain’t Misbehavin’." along with "T’Ain’t Nobody’s Business if I Do," "I Can’t Give You Anything But Love," and "Honeysuckle Rose."

The playbill also includes an informative glossary of jive talk, which is very useful. For example, the word "Viper" means drug dealer, while "woofing" is aimless talk, "bust one’s conk" is to work hard, and "July Jam" is something really hot.

This is a show of originals, with Richard Maltby Jr. directing the same show that garnered him a 1978 Tony Award, along with the choreographer Arthur Faria, returning to recreate the original dances that are so much a part of this production.

For those interested in meeting the show’s creator, Maltby is going to speak after the 2 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday, Nov. 13.

All the talented performers are also "Ain’t Misbehavin’" veterans. They know this music well and clearly have a great time doing their bits alone and together.

Eugene Barry-Hill is suave and silky as Andre, although all the character names are superfluous. He dances like a cloud, and is especially magnetic when he sings and dances the sultry, smooth "The Viper Drag," also known as "The Reefer Song."

Barry-Hill and Doug Eskew as Ken sing the rousing "Fat and Greasy" at the beginning of the second act that really got the crowd going on opening night Wednesday.

Many in the audience must have seen this show before, because they treated it like a concert and were singing loudly to many of the songs and were even giving audible running commentaries about how they liked the performances.

Eskew has a smile as big as all outdoors and he turns up those pearly whites to great affect at every opportunity. His comic song "Your Feet’s Too Big" is silly and delightful.

Cynthia Thomas plays Armelia with a sassy, vampy charm. Sometimes she sings in an annoying cutesy voice, but I think that’s intentional and part of the 1920s style.
Kecia Lewis-Evans, who understudied for Nell Carter in the original 1978 Broadway production, has a hearty, stunning voice that is a pleasure to hear.

Both Thomas and Lewis-Evans are full figured gals and they make the most of their cleavage - a schtick that gets tiresome by the middle of the first act.

Debra Walton plays Charlayne with kewpie doll charm. The diminutive performer, along with Barry-Hill, are both strongest when they dance. Her singing was tight at the start, Wednesday, but as the show progressed it improved, and by the end it was excellent.

The five also make a lovely ensemble, blending together in beautiful harmony and backed by a strong, tuneful band.

The single set designed by John Lee Beatty has a large arch in the back and rounded Art Deco railings on the bandstand. It’s functional and looks much like a cabaret or nightclub space.

Costume Designer Gail Baldoni has the actors decked out in bright, sparkly, snazzy outfits, with three-piece suits for the men and numerous flowing, low-cut dresses for the women. I particularly like the color-coordinated broad-brim hats for the gals that cleverly transform into cloche hats.

At one point in the show Thomas as Armelia mentions that Waller would sell his songs along Tin Pan Alley but write and play a whole different style of music in Harlem.
I only wish that the whole show had been interspersed with more colorful anecdotes about the fascinating Waller and his interesting life story. It would make the show much more compelling and cohesive, and fulfilling.

That observation aside, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a rollicking, rolling, feisty, and fun night full of solid songs and swell dancing from an jazzy era long gone but not forgotten.

3 ½ Stars
AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
Theater: Long Wharf Theatre
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Conceived by Richard Maltby Jr. and Murray Horwitz. Created and directed by Maltby. Choreographed by Arthur Faria. Musical adaptations, orchestrations, and arrangements by Luther Henderson. Vocal and musical concepts by Jeffrey Gutcheon, with musical arrangements by Gutcheon and William Elliott. Set design by John Lee Beatty. Costume design by Gail Baldoni. Lighting design by Pat Collins. Sound design by Tom Morse.
Running time: 2 ½ hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Nov. 20.
Tickets: $40 to $70. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org

ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Euegene Barry-Hill ... Andre
Doug Eskew ... Ken
Kecia Lewis-Evans ... Nell
Cynthia Thomas ... Armelia
Debra Walton ... Charlayne

2011-11-21T12:41:00.001-08:00

Ian Lowe, left, and Steven L. Barron in "The Woman in Black" at the Ivoryton Playhouse, running through Nov. 20

‘The Woman in Black’ a scary ghost story at Ivoryton

by Kory Loucks

IVORYTON — If you feel at a loss because you missed out on Halloween this year because of power outages, the Ivoryton Playhouse has the perfect solution with its spooky, truly frightening production of “The Woman in Black.”

The play, written by Stephen Mallatratt, based on Susan Hill’s novel, is a ghost story about a man named Kipps who years ago traveled to the north of England on business after a woman died, to review her myriad of papers and close out the estate for his company.

Once at the strange and gloomy mansion on a remote island that is only accessible at low tide, Kipps discovers odd sounds and endures terrifying experiences.

He also meets the town’s bleak and morose inhabitants, who fill him with even more trepidation and dread. One of the town folk tells him that “those that have seen the most say the least.”

The story is the retelling of his horrendous tale. But Kipps is no storyteller, so he hires an actor to bring his story to life for the family members he wants to share his life-altering event with, and thereby purge him of the horror he lives with every day.

The two meet in an old gothic Victorian theater in England where Kipps first reads his story. At first Kipps is stilted, dull, and extremely awkward as he speaks, just as one might expect someone who isn’t used to public speaking to sound. But as he practices, with the help of the actor, he improves, to the point of miraculousness; the sudden transition is a huge relief for those in the audience.

The actor (Ian Lowe) suggests that he play the part of Kipps while Kipps (Steven L. Barron) assumes all the other characters. In retrospect, it would make more sense for the inexperienced Kipp to play himself, but for plot reasons that I won’t expose here, that wouldn’t do.

Barron plays Kipps with the convincing demeanor of a haunted man desperate to exorcise his demons. He handles the transition from stodgy solicitor to polished and confident actor with grace and skill. A dusty, gray pin-stripped suit makes him appear even more dull and bland — with fine costumes by Vickie Blake.

Lowe plays the actor with enthusiasm and energy. It seems for a while that he has grander plans for this story other than just presenting it to Kipp’s relations, when he says that he would also like to invite a theater manager or two to the presentation.

Both Barron and Lowe have excellent British accents, complete with dialects, which are essential to this tale, sprightly directed by Maggie McGlone Jennings.

Gloomy lighting and accurate timing are essential for the fright factor, and they don’t disappoint, with lighting by Doug Harry.

The occasional rolling fog that we are told is caused by “sea frets” adds beautifully to the murky, mysterious atmosphere.

The set, by Tony Andrea, is basic but effective, with dusty old pieces of furniture piled on the sides of the stage, and a gothic curtain swag over the top in front.

Across the back of the stage there is a gauzy cloth through which a graveyard and, later, a child’s nursery can be vaguely and mysteriously seen.

The cloth is also used as a projection screen onto which the vision of the large gothic mansion is projected, to excellent effect.

The sound by Tate R. Burmeister adds much to the eerie mood, with extremely loud screams at key moments that made me jump on more than one occasion.

I don’t like the feeling of being scared out of my wits, but for those who love a scary ghost story, “The Lady in Black” more than delivers.

2011-11-19T05:27:00.000-08:00

Andrew Small as Prince Christopher and Caitlin Fahey as Cinderella in the Opera House Players production of Oscar and Hammerstein's "Cinderella" running through Nov. 27 in East Windsor. photo by Bob Lyke.

Opera House Players’ ‘Cinderella’ romantic and beautiful

EAST WINDSOR — Some might say that putting on a production after a week without electricity might verge on the impossible, but not for first-time Opera House Players Director Barbara M. Washer and her extremely capable cast.

They might have been thinking about those marvelous lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and the terrific music by Richard Rodgers from the song “Impossible,” that Cinderella and the fairy Godmother sing, to carry them through.

“Impossible things are happening every day,” the lyrics say.

The Cinderella fairytale is well-known: A poor girl, treated terribly by her stepmother and her daughters, gets to go to the Prince’s ball, where he falls in love with her at first sight.

Caitin Fahey plays Cinderella with understated conviction. She is believable as the abused stepdaughter and simply marvelous as the transformed beauty. How she completes her costume change in seconds flat including the hairpiece is amazing.

Fahey has a lovely, strong, and lyrical voice and is animated and charming when she sings “In My Own Little Corner.”

Even though this musical clearly appeals to young girls, there’s some grown-up humor, too.

King Maximillian, played by the robust and hearty David Climo, has some amusing lines, and he makes the most of them, such as when they sing the rousing “The Prince is Giving a Ball,” where he protests that it’s the king who is paying for it.

They want to have wines from around the world, but the king insists they have the wine from his country. “And the wine of my country, is beer,” he states.

Possibly one of the most beautiful love songs ever written, “Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful,” is sung by Prince Christopher, played by Andrew Small, and Cinderella.

Oscar and Hammerstein must have liked the song too, because they have Queen Constantina and the Prince sing it again, and again at the end of the show.

Small has a natural sound and carries himself with the brooding confidence of a prince.

Julie M. Martini plays the queen with a sweet sense of playfulness and a clear strong voice.

Reva Kleppel has the perfect supercilious sneer as the haughty stepmother and does a lovely turn bossing Cinderella around.

Sara Steiner plays the Fairy Godmother with a irreverent and saucy persona that works well.

Megan Graul plays the ignorant Portia and Khara Hoyer plays dour Joy, the two stepsisters. Graul has the ditsy, dippy airhead attitude pegged, while Hoyer is equally fine with a constant scowl on her face.

The two sing one of the most delightful comic duets, the “Stepsisters Lament,” with hysterical lyrics like “She’s a frosty little bubble, with a flimsy kind of charm, and with very little trouble, I could break her little arm.”

It’s really wonderful stuff and they are wonderfully wicked. Their oversized Marie Antoinette wigs with bows and feathers, along with the stepmother’s white wig are ridiculous and funny too, with hair and makeup design by Erica Romeo.

The glorious period costumes, with costume design by the dependable Moonyean Field, help this show immensely.

Walker also adds a light touch by employing a sprite and a pixie, played by the delightful Jessica Turgeon and sweet Christine Zdebski.

The two play different characters throughout, and even have a marionette rat puppet that works well — nicely done by puppet and mask creator Robin Hillary McCahill.

The set by Jill Abele Butcher, who also is the scenic artist, is simple but works well, with many fast scene changes. And that pumpkin coach is everything a fairytale coach should be.

The orchestra, led by Music Director Deborah Curylo, was lyrical with a light touch and thankfully never overwhelmed the performers.

As they say, the show must go on, and it certainly does, in the romantic, beautiful production of “Cinderella” at the Opera House Players, running though Sunday, Nov. 27.

Stage review

4 stars

CINDERELLA

Theater: Opera House Players

Location: 107 Main St., Broad Brook section of East Windsor.

Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Directed by Barbara M. Washer. Music direction by Deborah Curylo. Choreography by Bryna Kearney. Costumes by Moonyean Field. Set design by Jill Abele Butcher. Lighting operation by Diane St. Amand. Stage Manager Lauren Grottole. Hair and make up by Erica Romeo. Sound operation by Dylan Fields.

Show times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 27.

Running time: 2 hours plus a 15-minute intermission

Tickets: $21, $17 for seniors over 60 and children 12 and under. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org.

Actor.................Character
Caitlin Fahey ................................… Cinderella
Andrew Small ..............… Prince Christopher
David Climo ......................… King Maximillian
Julie M. Martini ….......... Queen Constantina
Reva Kleppel …............................ Stepmother
Megan Graul …........................................ Portia
Khara Hoyer …............................................. Joy
Sara Steiner .....................… Fairy Godmother
Aaron Gilberto ..................................... Herald
Deb Brigada …................................ Royal Chef
Patrick O’Konis …............................... Steward
Jessica Turgeon ..................................… Sprite
Christine Zdebski ..................................… Pixie
Brett Gottheimer …................... Clumsy Man
Katie Bianchi, Liz Hoffman, Brett Gottheimer, Eliza Polukhin, Aidan Gillies ..... …...................................................... Ensemble

4 stars Excellent 3 stars Good 2 stars Fair 1 star Poor

2011-11-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

From left, Michael Lomenda, Joseph Leo Bwarie, Preston Truman Boyd, and John Gardiner play Nick Massi, Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, and Tommy DeVito in the musical "Jersey Boys" at the Bushnell through Nov. 6. (Photo by Joan Marcus)

‘Jersey Boys’ sensational at the Bushnell

HARTFORD — What could be better than a bunch of fantastic songs and a terrific, true story all wrapped up in one amazing musical?

“Jersey Boys” is back at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, and it’s once again rocking the house with the pop songs that made The Four Seasons with Frankie Valli a music sensation of the ’50s and ’60s.

Not much has changed since the cast was here in 2009, including the fabulous Joseph Leo Bwarie, who practically channels Frankie Valli and is a star in his own right.

Bwarie isn’t in every show during the run at the Bushnell, and although the other Frankies are probably very good, try to see Bwarie if you can. He has the voice of an angel.

The fine Joseph Siravo also makes a return appearance as Gyp DeCarlo, the Mafia boss with a soft spot, and other characters.

Joseph Handley is back playing a number of characters, including producer Bob Crewe, with panache.

Des McAnuff, director, added a hip-hop number that started the show with The Four Seasons’ hit “Oh What a Night,” with Donald Webber Jr. playing a French Rap star, showing how well their music holds up today.

The story follows the lives of the four men from their rough and tumble beginnings in New Jersey and their struggles to find a way to break into the big time.

The leader of the band is Tommy DeVito, played by John Gardiner, a fast talking hood who got them into deep financial trouble with the Mafia and the IRS.

DeVito is good, but sometimes he talks too fast and rushes his lines, to the point where the audience missed some of the jokes.

All the actors are also musicians, or else they play air guitar very well.

Preston Truman Boyd doesn’t look at all like the real life Bob Gaudio, but he is excellent as the youth who wrote hit after hit, including his first, “Who Wears Short Shorts.”

It’s interesting that the man who introduced Gaudio to The Four Seasons was Joe Pesci, who was a lowly punk back then, eventually becoming the famous film actor we all know. Pesci is played with hyper squeakiness by Courter Simmons.

Michael Lomenda plays the curmudgeon Nick Massi, who is always complaining, and not without reason, about his sloppy roommate, DeVito.

Kara Tremel is notably strong as Valli’s first wife, Mary, who got Valli to add an “i” to his last name rather than a “y.” Her explanation for the “i” is very funny but not printable.

In fact, most of the characters use profanity in about every sentence they speak, and there are some sexy scenes, making the show not so good for children.

The book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice is solid, giving different recollections of the four through time. As with any past memories, people have different perceptions of what actually happened and their stories gives each character depth.

The play mixes the past well, with projected video of different television shows The Four Seasons were on, including “American Bandstand” and “The Ed Sullivan Show,” and then project the stage actors singing, dressed all in black and white.

But the music is the thing, and here there are 20 of the songs by The Four Seasons, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You,” “Walk Like a Man,” and “Bye Bye Baby”; and the list of hits goes on.

On opening night, the audience was ecstatic, but some treated the show like it was a music concert and were loudly singing along to the hits. If you feel you can’t hold back, please remember that as much as you love the music, others pay to hear the singers on stage.

“Jersey Boys” is a hit musical that has it all, playing through Sunday, Nov. 6.

Stage review

4 stars

"Jersey Boys"

Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

Location:166 Capitol Ave. Hartford.

Production: Directed by Des McAnuff. Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. Music by Bob Gaudio. Music directin, vocal arrangements, and incidental music by Ron Melrose. Lyrics by Bob Crewe. Choreography by Sergio Trujillo. Scenic design by Klara Zieglerova. Costume design by Jess Goldstein. Lighting design by Howell Binkley. Sound design by Steven Canyon Kennedy.

Running time: 2½ hours plus one 15-minute intermission.

Show times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., through Nov 6.

Tickets: Start at $25. Call 860-987-5900 or visit: www.bushnell.org.

Actor...................Character
Joseph Leo Bwarie ..... Frankie Valli
John Gardiner ......... Tommy DeVito
Preston Truman Boyd ... Bob Gaudio
Michael Lomenda ....... Nick Massi
Jonathan Hadley ....... Bob Crewe and others
Courter Simmons ....... Joey and others
Joseph Siravo ......... Gyp DeCarlo and others
Kara Tremel ........... Mary Delgado, Angel, and others

4 stars Excellent; 3 stars Good; 2 stars Fair; 1 star Poor

2011-11-16T08:08:00.000-08:00

Photo of Al Jarreau and me back stage on Nov. 11.

Al Jarreau still has that "fire in the belly"

For Al Jarreau, life is a joyous, excellent adventure.

The legendary singer continues to tour, and is bringing his signature smooth jazz sound to the Jorgensen Cabaret at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12.

“I’m really so blessed with a joy in the music that just spills over,” Jarreau, 71, said in a telephone interview from his home in Los Angeles. “When I am standing there and singing, something special happens. It is very precious stuff.”

The world-renowned, gifted star is one of the few artists to have won seven Grammy Awards in three separate categories — jazz, pop, and rhythm and blues — over four decades.

Jarreau possesses a voice that feels safe, warm, and reassuring. His band, which has been with him for 15 years, perfectly complements his enduring sound that never goes out of style.

A natural baritone, Jarreau said he often stretches to the top end of his range, observing that as he has aged, his voice has naturally deepened.

Familiar songs

His latest CD, “The Very Best of Al Jarreau: An Excellent Adventure,” includes many of his hits, such as “After All” and “We’re In This Love Together,” which he will include on this weekend’s playlist.

It is more than just his singing, though, that makes Jarreau such a consummate performer.

Much of his set is improvisational and inspired by the moment — interspersing the songs with spontaneous conversation with the audience.

“Being in the moment and having fun, that’s the thing, and just forgetting your problems for a while,” Jarreau said.

Where does he get the energy to continue touring?

“It is the music,” Jarreau responded. “It is a deep-seated love that comes with that fire in the belly that spills over into other areas of your life.”

Jarreau grew up in Wisconsin where he started singing in public with his mother, a church pianist, when he was 5 years old.

As a youth he was also a cross-country runner, where he learned endurance and perseverance.

“You have teammates, but you learn to suffer in silence,” Jarreau said. “I had a lot of conversations with myself.”

Jarreau earned a master’s degree in vocational rehabilitation and worked in that career for a while in San Francisco, but through it all he always continued singing.

“If I had the smarts I would have gone into medicine,” Jarreau said. “But the smiles I get from the people I sing to are better than being a social worker and better than being a physician.”

Returning to Connecticut

Jarreau was last in Connecticut in 1989, where he saw the Welterweight Championship fight with Marlin Starling at the Hartford Civic Center, now the XL Center.

“I made some good friends in Hartford,” Jarreau said. “I am sorry I’ve been away so long.”

When he learned that he was returning to Connecticut after all these years he was delighted.

“I am tickled about doing this music to have a platform to say something to people,” Jarreau said. “There is fun to be had.”

Aches and pain are all a part of life, he observed, but it is a joyous life. “The journey is learning how to live it,” Jarreau said. “You’ve got to work.”

And although performing and touring is a lot of work, it’s meaningful work for Jarreau.

“Music is one of those magical things,” he said. “You smile a lot and you find joy in a lot of things. It makes for better lives, and makes you a better neighbor and citizen of the community. Finding music is a great thing.”

Ticket prices range from $10 to $55. For tickets call 860-486-4226 or visit:

jorgensen.unconn.edu

2011-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

Sarah Hayes, left, as Trix in The Little Theatre of Manchester's production of "The Drowsy Chaperone," through Nov. 20. (Photo by Chris Heustis.)

"The Drowsy Chaperone" a grand, luscious musical at Little Theatre of Manchester

MANCHESTER — Don’t feel bad if you missed “The Drowsy Chaperone” on Broadway, because you can see the rousing, raucous, rambunctious production of this delightful musical right here at the Little Theatre of Manchester.

This show has everything you could ask for in a musical — fun, frolicsome songs, a lighthearted story, talented performers, dynamic dancing (by director Todd Santa Maria), vibrant costumes (Christopher Clark), and a solid set (Joe Russo).

It’s really a show within a show, with book by Bob Martin and Don McKellarson, and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison.

The narrator, played with sweet sensitivity by Chad Shipley, is going through a bitter divorce and tries to cheer himself up by playing the soundtrack to a fictional 1928 musical called “The Drowsy Chaperone.”

He says he hates the modern theater and doesn’t like intermissions, but adores this old musical.

He takes the audience with him through the record he has listened to many times, playing it on an old-fashioned record player.

“There’s a mixup, some mayhem, and a gay wedding,” says the narrator, referring to a time when “gay” had a different connotation.

Janet (a terrific Kristen Shaw), the glamorous star performer in a Feldzieg Follies show, decides to marry oil tycoon Robert (a dapper Ric Plamenco) and leave the theater forever.

Producer Feldzieg (played with panache by Mike Zizka) is in trouble with some thugs for losing his leading lady and does his best to end the wedding.

He gets leading man Adolpho (played with flourish by John-Michael Whitney) to seduce Janet and break up the impending wedding, but Adolpho seduces her chaperone instead.

Nicole Giguere is at her theatrical best playing the chaperone — who is drowsy because she is drunk most of the time.

This was set during prohibition, so they call vodka “ice water.”

Giguere’s role is that of a Broadway star who gets to sing anthems in the middle of shows, even if they have little to do with the musical, the narrator explains.

The dancing is wonderful too, with excellent tap dancing by Plamenco and George (Rick Fountain), who dance and sing to “Cold Feets,” with direction from tap choreographer Sheila Waters Fucci.

The athletic Plamenco is Gene Kelly to graceful Fountain’s Fred Astaire. They were both fantastic, as was Plamenco when he roller-skated while blindfolded.

Mike King and Jimmy Donohue are a fantastic comic duo as the punny, harmless gangsters who become stars thanks to Feldzieg. They sing “Toledo Surprise” and are joined by the rest of the company, which is one of the best of many songs in the show.

Other strong performances include Jillian Holt as the ditzy starlet Kitty, Kathy Cook as the wealthy matron Tottendale, and David Lally as the unflappable servant Underling.

The band was strong, but often too strong, and competed with all but the most powerful vocalists, even though they were miked. Either crank up those mikes or tone down the musicians, or both.

Although there’s no intermission, there is a second act that starts with a bizarre Chinese number, until we learn that it is the wrong record playing.

It is a whimsical touch to this delicious musical, and they really took it to the limit.

The costumes, by first-time costume designer Clark are as numerous as they are gorgeous, especially Janet’s brilliant red gown that was only seen momentarily. The costumes were funny too, including the hysterically silly hats with paper lanterns in the Chinese sequence.

Kudos also to Russo for that spectacular biplane that Trix (a high flying Sarah Hayes) lands on the stage.

The show is a loving homage to the days of old time musical extravaganzas, and LTM really lived up to all that this show demands.

Come have a grand time celebrating the luscious musical “The Drowsy Chaperone,” playing through Nov. 20.

Stage review

4 stars

"The Drowsy Chaperone"
Theater: Little Theatre of Manchester
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester.
Production: Music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison. Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellarson. Directed and choreographed by Todd Santa Maria. Music direction by Angela Klimaytis. Tap choreographer Sheila Waters Fucci. Technical direction by Glen Aliczi. Costume design by Christopher Clark. Stage Manager Gretchen Wiedie. Set design by Joe Russo. Lighting design by Meg Ryan.
Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes with no intermission
Show times: Today, Nov. 10, and Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., through Nov. 20.
Tickets: $22-$29. Call the box office at 860-647-9824, or visit:
www.cheneyhall.org

Actor....................Character
Chad Shipley.............Man in Chair
Kristen Shaw.............Janet
Nicole Giguere...........Drowsy Chaperone
Ric Plamenco.............Robert
Rick Fountain............George
John-Michael Whitney.....Adolpho
David Lally..............Underling
Kathy Cook...............Tottendale
Mike Zizka...............Feldzieg
Jillian Holt.............Kitty
Sarah Hayes..............Trix
Mike King................Gangster #1
Jimmy Donohue............Gangster #2
Superintendent...Joe Lucenti
Christine Noble, Diane AmEnde, Susan Melnick, Debbie Gustafson, and Joe Lucenti..................Ensemble

4 stars Excellent 3 stars Good 2 stars Fair 1 star Poor

2011-11-16T07:44:00.000-08:00

Maria Dizzia as Abby, and Gilbert Owuor as Alioune in a scene from "Belleville." (Photo by Joan Marcus.)

"Belleville" a compelling, dynamic play

NEW HAVEN — Not all is as it appears in the world premiere of Amy Herzog’s play “Belleville” — a fine contemporary drama with unexpected twists and turns.

Newlyweds Abby and Zack, a recent medical school graduate, are living in the funky Belleville district of Paris where he has accepted a position as a pediatric AIDS researcher.

Abby has many neurotic issues including an over-attachment to her father, and Zack is doing all he can to manage her, to the point of withholding her cell phone from her.

She is something of a lost soul, taking French lessons then giving them up saying that it is unnecessary because everyone speaks English, and teaching a little yoga.

She arrives home early one afternoon and finds Zack unexpectedly there. As the play continues, the landlord and his wife, Alioune and Amina, enter, and it becomes evident that something is not right in this dimly lit corner of the City of Light.

Maria Dizzia plays Abby, a sarcastic woman who is drifting through life, opting to have her primary identity be that of a doctor’s wife, a role for the 32 year old that is far too narrow for her, but one that she thinks she wants.

Abby’s sister back in the United States is having a difficult pregnancy, but they can’t go home because of Visa problems, we learn.

I had some problem believing that Abby was talking with anyone on the other end of the phone. Zack was more convincing.

In France, the Belleville district is an area where few tourists visit, but where a richly diverse population lives and works.

The impressive set is the one bedroom flat where Zack and Abby have been living for the past four months. Designed by Julia C. Lee, it is one of the best, most detailed sets I have seen in a long time, with even the rooftop view of the chimneys.

I wondered about the broken restaurant sign visible out their apartment window, however. Granted, it’s supposed to be a lower income area, but it looks like something one would see in a war zone.

Still, the overall set looks like a work of art, and was fully utilized by director Anne Kauffman.

Kauffman showed courage allowing some scenes to be completely silent for what felt like an almost excruciatingly long time, but at the same time the silence felt completely appropriate and compelling.

It was the same, too, at the end of the play, where little is said but so much is communicated.

The French immigrant’s accents of Alioune and Amina, played by Gilbert Owuor and Pascale Armand, were believable and necessary to give the play its sense of foreignness. Fine work by vocal and dialect coach Beth McGuire.

There are some genuinely frightening and disturbing moments where the unstable characters reveal their long-kept secrets.

This underlying and increasing tension holds “Belleville” together and sweeps the audience along, even when logic says that the secrets probably would have been discovered long before they saw the light of day.

The combination of dynamic acting, confident direction, and strong writing make “Belleville” an excellent, compelling play.

Stage review

3 1/2 stars

"Belleville"

Theater: Yale Repertory Theatre

Location: University Theatre, 1120 Chapel St., New Haven.

Production: Written by Amy Herzog. Directed by Anne Kauffman. Scenic design by Julia C. Lee. Costume design by Mark Nagle. Lighting design by Nina Hyun Seung Lee. Sound Designer and Composer Robert Kaplowitz. Production dramaturgs Amy Boratko and Alex Ripp. Vocal and dialect coach Beth McGuire. Fight directors Rick Sordelet and Jeff Barry.

Running time: 1 hour and 45 minutes with no intermission.

Show times: Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinees as 2 p.m., through Nov. 12.

Tickets: $25-$54. Call 203-432-1234 or visit: www.yalerep.org.

Actor...............Character
Greg Keller.........Zack
Maria Dizzia........Abby
Gilbert Owuor.......Alioune
Pascale Armand......Amina

4 stars Excellent 3 stars Good 2 stars Fair 1 star Poor. 1/2 star designates half-rating higher

2011-10-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

Simple, uncluttered "Our Town" at CRT
STORRS — What a great way to kick off the 50th anniversary of the University of Connecticut’s School of Fine Arts than with the New England classic, Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” at the Nafe Katter Theatre.

This allegorical play, set in the fictional New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners, explores the seemingly simple but ultimately meaningful lives of the town’s inhabitants around the turn of the 20th century, starting on May 7, 1901, just before dawn.

As with most of Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s productions, the actors are a combination of graduate and undergraduate students along with professional actors.

David Patrick Kelly stars as the Stage Manager who narrates the entire show and occasionally plays a couple of characters.

Kelly might be known to some from the films “48 Hours” and “Warriors.” As the Stage Manager, he has the commanding presence of a director, confidently leading the audience through the fast-paced play that zips by in about 2½ hours, even with two 10-minute intermissions.

As a play within a play, the Stage Manager uses the actors to play out their lives in Grover’s Corners from 1901 to 1913.

Robert Ross Parker directed “Our Town,” and made the wise decision to keep the play clean and simple by using pantomime to indicate props, as Wilder envisioned.

It feels a little awkward initially, but works quite well over all, and keeps this play on the move.

Other fine professional actors include UConn alumnus Mary Cadorette as Mrs. Julia Gibbs and David Sitler as her husband, Dr. Frank Gibbs.

Ken O’Brien is perfectly nerdy as Professor Willard who explains the geological history of Grover’s Corners to the audience.

When Dr. Frank Gibbs lectures his son on shirking his duty, it is a gentle lesson in good parenting, with kind but respectful discipline.

Brad Bellamy practically steals the show as the beleaguered, grumpy, and delightfully amusing local newspaper editor who ekes humor and humanity out of each pause and glance.

He is especially funny when he reluctantly gives his future son-in-law, George Gibbs (Michael John Improta), a lecture on married life.

Kelsea Baker plays Emily Webb, the bright but plain girl whose mother, played by Carolyn Popp, tells her when pressed, “You are pretty enough for all normal purposes,” but can’t bring herself to tell her about the facts of life.

The set, by Kailey B. Hays-Lenihan, is simple and uncluttered, just like this play, with a few chairs, a couple of tables and a plain brick backdrop that serve as the homes and graveyard of the town.

The costumes, by Maureen Fitzgerald, are finely detailed yet simple, too, and appropriate to the era — which is especially useful to establish the time period of this play.

Ultimately, the Pulitzer prize-winning 1938 play is a useful and elegiac reminder of the importance of appreciating each and every moment of our precariously short and precious lives.

2011-10-22T05:53:00.000-07:00

"An Enemy of the People" at Playhouse on Park a perfect political play
WEST HARTFORD — What better show to see during this political season than the ultimate political play, “An Enemy of the People,” at Playhouse on Park.

Originally written by Henrik Ibsen in 1882, this play was adapted in 1950 by Arthur Miller after his “Death of a Salesman” and before writing “The Crucible,” during an incredibly prolific time in his career.

Somehow Miller managed to maintain the Norwegian sensibility of this play while at the same time making it timely and fascinating.

“An Enemy of the People” is set in a provincial Norwegian seaside town that has experienced a recent boon thanks to a newly created health spa called Kirsten Springs.

Dr. Thomas Stockmann (Jeremiah Wiggins), a man well liked in the community, discovers that the waters at the spring are being polluted by a tannery up river and are actually killing people.

His brother, Mayor Peter Stockmann (Michael McKenzie), is the chairman of the board of Kirsten Springs, realizes that this news will cause economic devastation, while the doctor naively believes he will be hailed as a hero by the town for his discovery.

Dr. Stockmann goes to the newspapers with the news and they at first want to print the information until they realize that it will hurt their circulation.

There is no question that the water is contaminated, but the mayor, with brilliant, forceful, and persuasive language, is able to convince the majority that his brother’s claims shouldn’t even be heard.

McKenzie’s portrayal as mayor is absolutely mesmerizing, while Wiggins is constant and wonderful as the absent-minded professor who doesn’t understand the economic implications of his discovery until it is spelled out to him by his older brother.

The rest of the play is an effort by those in power, including the duplicitous, self-serving newspapermen, to get the good doctor to compromise.

He refuses to comply, and in short order Dr. Stockmann loses everything, including his home, the safety and welfare of his children, his livelihood, and his wife’s inheritance, and is officially labeled “An Enemy of the People” by the community.

Evidently Ibsen reserved a special hatred toward newspapers and moderates, because the press skewered his previous play, “Ghost,” with its reference to the sexually-transmitted disease syphilis — so this play was in part his revenge on them.

Miller trimmed out the social Darwinism references from the original, tightened the story, and focusing on the political implications of duplicity by a few and the self-serving mob mentality of the majority.

It is almost the mirror opposite to Miller’s next play, “The Crucible.” There the majority believes that the teenage girls have seen witches, while in “An Enemy of the People” the masses refuse to hear the doctor’s proof of poisoned water.

At one point Dr. Stockmann suggests to his wife, Catherine (Coleen Sciacca), that they start a new life in North America, saying that in a country so large there has to be room enough for other opinions, but then decides that it probably won’t be any different there.

Sciacca does the best she can with an underwritten part. I had difficulty determining when and why she switches her allegiance from arguing against her husband to standing behind him.

Catherine’s adoptive father, Morton Kiil, (an expansive, jovial Brock Putnam) is a mysterious figure whose source of wealth isn’t revealed until the end, which serves as a plot device, but seems unlikely.

Most of the costumes work well, designed by Production Designer Randall Parsons who is also the set and lighting designer, but Sciacca’s pink dress is ill-fitting and newspaperman Hovstad (Aaron Barcelo) shouldn’t be wearing Dockers.

Directed with pace and clarity by Kyle Fabel, “An Enemy of the People” feels just as relevant, powerful, and devastating today as it ever was.

2011-10-22T05:49:00.000-07:00

"Wait Until Dark" at The Suffield Players is thrilling

SUFFIELD — Who would think that a missing child’s doll would be the cause of murder and mayhem?

In the Suffield Players’ production of Frederick Knott’s thriller, “Wait Until Dark,” all kinds of dark and devious deeds are unleashed on a blind but street-savvy woman, Susy Hendrix, played by the terrific Karen Balaska.

In the play, set in 1966 Greenwich Village in a basement apartment, her husband, photographer Sam Hendrix (Danny Viets), has returned from Montreal, having agreed to the strange request to bring a child’s doll on the airplane with him, to be picked up later by someone named Lisa.

The doll, which turns out to be filled with heroin, goes missing and so does Lisa. A couple of two-bit thugs played by Bill Mullen and Zach Grey (both fine losers) end up in the apartment and are blackmailed into finding the doll for an evil man, Harry Roat, played by the marvelous Konrad Rogowski.

Rogowski possessed such convincing menace that he actually received boos during the curtain call on Friday night. That’s one mean bad guy.

Emma Rucci is feisty and funny as the young, bratty neighbor, Gloria. She is pitch-perfect as the irascible and plucky 9-year-old who saves the day.

Tightly directed by Robert Lunde, this intricate and highly physical production is spine tingling, as the blind Susy is left to her own wits to outsmart the bad guys.

Balaska is convincing as Susy, the role that was played by Audrey Hepburn in the 1967 film with Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Alan Arkin, and Richard Crenna.

“Wait Until Dark” is even more harrowing because of the fast action on the dimly lit stage that is about 4 feet above the ground. Watching the actors move about the dark stage and not fall off is scary.

The set by Rowgowski looks authentically like a low rent 1960s flat, with lots of fine details, like an old-fashioned washing machine and refrigerator — and I love that starburst wall clock.

This is one show where the lighting cues are critical. Designed by Technical Director Jerry Zalewski and executed by Al La Plant, the lights were right on the mark and propelled the action.

The first act is loaded with lots of exposition and drags some, but the payoff is in the second act.

The plot line has some glaring holes in it. For example, at one point when they are trying to fool her into thinking that one of the bad guys is a cop, Susy observes that the guy is dusting the room, but how could she possibly know that if she is blind?

Despite this, the action in “Wait Until Dark” is compelling enough and the actors are convincing enough to make this show, with its unexpected twists and turns, truly thrilling to watch.

2011-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Inventive, madcap "Around the World in 80 Days"
WEST HARTFORD — Before television’s "The Amazing Race," before the movie "It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World," there was Jules Vernes’ novel "Around the World in 80 Days."

Adapted by Mark Brown and directed by Russell Treyz, this production at the Playhouse on Park takes the play a step farther and has five talented and versatile actors play over 30 characters, including a panther and a monkey.

The play takes place in 1872 as the set, designed by Bob Phillips tells us twice, on the painted floor and on the backdrop of a map of the earth.

The independently wealthy, supremely confident, and fastidious stuffed shirt Phileas Fogg (Russell Garrett) makes a 20,000-pound bet at the Reform Club in London that he can travel around the world by steamer and railway in 80 days.

"The unforeseen does not exist," Fogg boldly states. And when it does, money helps.
With only a table and a few chairs, we travel with the characters from England by boat, train, sled with a sail, and even an elephant to India, Hong Kong, China, Japan, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and back to London.

Just before he departs for his record setting, seemingly impossible journey, Fogg hires French manservant Passepartout (the athletic Aidan O’Shea) who literally flips over backwards to please his new boss. Passepartout says he is looking for a quieter life, but ends up with more excitement than he bargained for.

Meanwhile, a great theft has taken place in London and Fogg is suspected of committing the crime, so Detective Fix (Chris Mixon, looking and acting much like Nathan Lane) chases around the world after him.

While in India they come upon a Suttee, an outlawed Hindu human sacrifice where the wife throws herself on the funeral pyre with her husband when he dies.

They rescue the young woman, Aouda, played by Veronique Hurley, who joins them on the rest of their journey and in the process humanizes Fogg.

Hurley holds her own with the boys, but sometimes her Indian accent drifts into a German sounding dialect.

The dialog is extremely expository and precise, and the actors do a remarkable job of delivering all the exact locations while moving the furniture to create the next scene, which keeps the action always moving ahead.

Except for Fogg, all the actors play other characters, but the imaginative Jef Canter plays around 28 distinct characters with 33 costume changes.

From a Scottish boatman, to an Indian judge, to a western cowboy and a mumbling mountain man named Mudge, and many more, Canter plays them all.

He also had a little fun with an audience member in an improvised bit that works beautifully.

Occasionally a few words were missed Sunday and the actors paused and scrambled to find their place, but that is understandable in this madcap show that rarely lets up and never loses its way.

Physical details abound to sweep us along, like bouncing and jostling to represent a train in motion, the swaying of riding an elephant, and imitating the surging motion of a typhoon so well I felt a little dizzy, with technical direction by Steve Mountzoures.

The sea spray from squirt guns is a nice, whimsical touch too.

This terrific ensemble cast gives a dynamite performance that is full of inventiveness and loads of fun.

Take a trip around the world without leaving your seat at Playhouse on Park’s colorful and entertaining "Around the World in 80 Days" running through Sunday, Oct. 2.

4 Stars
Theater: Playhouse on Park
Location: 244 Park Road, West Hartford
Production: Adapted by Mark Brown from the novel by Jules Verne. Directed by Russell Treyz. Costume design by Jennifer Raskopf. Set design by Bob Phillips. Technical direction by Steve Mountzoures. Stage Manager Dawn Loveland. Lighting design by Will Lowry.
Running time: 2 hours plus a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. through Oct. 2.
Tickets: $22.50 — $32.50. Call the box office at 860-523-5900 ext. 10, or visit their website at www.playhouseonpark.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Russell Garrett … Phileas Fogg
Aidan O’Shea … Passepartout and others
Chris Mixon … Detective Fix and others
Jef Canter … Sir Francis Cromarty and others
Veronique Hurley … Aouda and others

2011-09-21T04:56:00.000-07:00

Delightful, joyful ‘Little Women the musical’

EAST WINDSOR — Once again, the Opera House Players deliver a lovely, life affirming, and joyful show, “Little Women the musical.”

Based on the beloved book by Louisa May Alcott, the musical follows the fortunes of the four March sisters and their mother, whom they call Marmee, left behind in Concord, Mass. while their father fights in the Civil War.

It’s a delightful tale that was turned into a successful 1933 film starring a youthful Katherine Hepburn as the lead character, Jo.

In this musical, with music by Jason Howland and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein, the story closely follows the original, with book by Allan Knee, and the results are highly entertaining.

Jo March is the aspiring writer of the family and has grand ambitions to become famous and solve all their financial woes, of which there are many. She creates fantastic, romantic “blood and guts” stories and operatic tragedies that are over the top and full of fun.

Meagan Hayes is wonderful as the determined, enthusiastic, headstrong Jo, who will not be denied.

Her well-to-do and imposing Aunt March (the terrific Mary Jane Disco) wants Jo to find a rich husband and marry well, if she will only behave like a lady, but Jo just can’t conform.

Her youngest sister, the petulant Amy March, is milder and reaps the benefits of Aunt March’s wealth.

Jessica Frye is well cast as the spoiled Amy who bristles under her sister’s shadow and in retaliation destroys one of her stories.

Kiernan Rushford couldn’t be better cast as the sweet and doomed Beth March with a beautiful voice.

Elizabeth Drevits is also excellent as the pretty sister Meg March, who falls in love with Mr. Brooke the tutor, played with sweet vulnerability by Dallas Hosmer.

Paul Lietz is very good and has a fine voice, playing Laurie, the wealthy and lonely grandson of Mr. Lawrence, played by Matthew Falkowski. Falkowski has a strong voice too and is well cast as the rigid and gruff Lawrence.

I hope I am not giving too much away when I say that Laurie falls for Jo, but she thinks of him as a brother. He ends up falling in love with Amy, who returns his affections.

Brett Gottheimer has a solid German accent and is believable as the serene and scholarly Professor Bhaer. Donna Schilke is the perfect mom, and has a warm alto voice, full of nurture and love.

Reva Kleppel rounds out the cast as the frazzled rooming house owner, Mrs. Kirk.

Costume designer Moonyean Field really outdid herself this time with the numerous and detailed period costumes that add much to the enjoyment of the production.

The sound system seems better than it has ever been. All the singers could be heard over the excellent music, directed by John Pike with music direction by Melanie Guerin.

The choreography by Kim Cordeiro is well rehearsed and fun.

This time the Opera House Players also have a slide projection backdrop that adds so much to the enjoyment of the show.

Most scenes (whether at the March home, Cape Cod, or from the Civil War) have photos or paintings projected on the backdrop that keep track of the many different scenes without having to move a lot of furniture around — a great and helpful addition to this show.

This excellent and well produced musical brings the touching and uplifting story of a girl finding her way in the world against great obstacles to life. It is inspiring and absolutely delightful.

Little women the musical

Theater: Opera House Players

Location: 107 Main St., Broad Brook section of East Windsor.

Production: Music by Jason Howland. Lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. Book by Allan Knee. Directed by John Pike. Music direction by Melanie Guerin. Choreography by Kim Cordeiro. Stage Manager Christine Zdebski. Costumes by Moonyean Field.

Show times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., through Sunday, Sept. 25.

Running time: 3 hours plus a 15-minute intermission.

Tickets: $21, $17 for seniors over 60 and children 12 and under. Call 860-292-6068 or visit: www.operahouseplayers.org

Actor.................CHARACTER

Meagan Hayes...... .Jo March
Elizabeth Drevits...Meg March
Kiernan Rushford....Beth March
Jessica Frye........Amy March
Donna Schilke.......Marmee
Mary Jane Disco.....Aunt March
Paul Lietz..........Laurie
Brett Gottheimer....Professor Bhaer
Dallas Hosmer.......Mr. Brooke
Matthew Falkowski...Mr. Lawrence
Reva Kleppel........Mrs. Kirk

Photos by Bob Lyke

2011-09-09T07:15:00.000-07:00

Arthur Miller's "The Crucible" at the Hartford Stage Company timely classic
HARTFORD — Paranoia, mob rule, and the law mixed with religious hysteria in a perfect storm of tragedy in Arthur Miller’s unnerving and brilliant play “The Crucible,” playing at the Hartford Stage Company through Sept. 25.

From the first moment, firmly and deftly directed by Long Wharf Theatre Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein, you are jolted into strangely familiar world that doesn’t let up in its inevitable conclusion.

Set in the 1600s, teenage girls, one who is the ringleader, dance in the woods naked and flirt with witchcraft. Realizing that the jig is up when they are discovered, they start accusing others for their improper behavior.

Abigail Williams, played by a fine Rachel Mewbron, is the conniving girl who had an affair with her former employer, John Proctor, a powerful and believable Michael Laurence. Abigail wants to replace his wife, Elizabeth, and is doing all she can to make that happen.

Revelations of truth mixed with fanciful imaginings of seeing people fly create a crazy atmosphere that culminates in at least 400 people, mostly women, in Salem, Mass. being accused of witchcraft and consorting with the devil. But they can all be free if they only admit their guilt and confess.

It seems like stuff of the past, but the essence of the societal insanity isn’t antiquated.

In fact, history is doomed to repeat itself, and mass hysteria in this crazy world constantly repeats itself over generations.

The McCarthy era of hysterical anti-communism, institutionalized slavery, ethnic cleansing, and the internment of the Japanese are only a few examples of government sanctioned insanity. But honestly and horrifically the list goes on and on.

Some of the characters in this sizable cast are dressed in dark 17th Century garb and frontier frocks, but others, such as the farmers, are wearing overalls and flannel, which actually works quite well, with costumes by Ilona Somogyi.

This unbelievable witch-hunt spun out of control is so potent because it really happened not only in Salem, Mass. but also in Connecticut.

In the display room adjacent to the Hartford Stage Company’s lobby, we learn that people were hung in this state on claims of witchcraft in the 1600s. The display is a fitting compendium to the play, so arrive early and read the actual commentary of the time.

What makes the characters so compelling and intriguing is that the bad guys aren’t all bad and the good guys have their flaws.

Tom Beckett is the Rev. Samuel Parris, who starts out as the self-interested and smarmy minister whose daughter won’t wake up after he discovers her and the girls dancing in the woods. He never becomes likeable, but does become slightly less odious and more human.

David Barlow is the Reverend Hale, who starts out wanting only facts, and then believes every fairytale he hears as gospel truth, as do most of the others. Anyone who disagrees is suspect. Only later does he see the horror of his own creation, but is powerless to stop it.

Sam Tsoutsouvas is the Deputy Governor Danforth, the ultimate authority at the height of male privilege, who knows the law but bullies the uneducated with his knowledge, and also gets swept up in the machinery of bureaucracy.

When Hale and others plead for clemency for people condemned to hang, Danforth says that he can’t stop now because others have already hung for the same crime.

Keira Keeley is convincing as Mary Warren, the teenager who is caught between wanting to tell the truth and being swept up in the mass hysteria.

Kate Forbes plays Elizabeth with complexity and understandable fear in the face of horror and an insane world.

There are brief moments of humor too, that help relieve the relentless horror of a world that has spun out of control.

My one complaint is the written statement on the backdrop in the second act that reads something like, “You are either with us, or with the terrorists.”

That kind of blatant statement of the obvious is unnecessary, overkill, and an insult to the intelligence of the audience.

Still, this is an important, disturbing, and moving morality tale that exposes the worst along with the best of what we can be.

4 Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church St., Hartford.
Production: Written by Arthur Miller. Directed by Gordon Edelstein. Scenic design by Eugene Lee. Costume design by Ilona Somogyi. Lighting design by Michael Chybowski. Original music and sound design by John Gromada. Fight choreography by Craig Handel. Choreography by Sharon Jenkins.
Running time: 3 hours including one intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through Oct. 6.
Tickets: $23- $69. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR … CHARACTER
Michael Laurence … John Proctor
Kate Forbes … Elizabeth Proctor
Sam Tsoutsouvas … Deputy Gov. Danforth
David Barlow … Rev. Hale
Tom Beckett … Rev. Samuel Parris
Keira Keeley … Mary Warren
Rachel Mewbron … Abigail Williams
Annette Hunt … Rebecca Nurse
Ron Crawford … Giles Corey
Rebecka Jones … Ann Putnam, Sarah Good
Richmond Hoxie … Thomas Putnam

Photo: Michael Laurence and Kate Forbes as John and Elizabeth Proctor in "The Crucible." photo by T. Charles Erickson.

2011-08-26T09:13:00.000-07:00

Wicked" better than ever at the Bushnell
4 Stars
Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Memorial Center
Location: 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Book by Winnie
Holzman. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire. Directed by Joe
Mantello. Musical staging by Wayne Cilento. Orchestration by William
David Brohn. Sets by Eugene Lee. Costumes by Susan Hilferty. Lighting
by Kenneth Posner. Sound by Tony Meola. Music direction by P. Jason
Yarcho.
Running time: 3 hours including a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 6:30 p.m.,
Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday and
Sunday at 2 p.m., through Sunday, Sept. 11.
Tickets: From $59 to $1,013. Call 860-987-5900 or visit their website
at www.bushnell.org.
ACTOR ... CHARACTER
Dee Roscioli ... Elphaba
Amanda Jane Cooper ... Glinda
Colin Hanlon ... Fiyero
Kevin McMahon ... Wizard of Oz
Randy Danson ... Madame Morrible
Paul Slade Smith ... Dr. Dillamond
Stefanie Brown ... Nessarose
Justin Brill ... Boq
(SIG)
HARTFORD -"Wicked" is back and better than ever.
Perhaps one litmus test for a smash hit is the price that a ticket can
command. At $1,013 for a premium seat, "Wicked" is an unmitigated hit.
Another sign of the show’s undeniable success is that even at those
prices, it is sold out through the weekend at the Bushnell Center for
the Performing Art’s 2,800-seat Mortensen Hall. That is one popular
musical phenomenon.

"Wicked," which opened on Broadway in 2005 and is still going strong
there, has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz of "Godspell" and
"Pippin" fame, while the book is written by the wonderful Winnie
Holzman of TV’s "thirtysomething" and "Once and Again," based on the
novel by Gregory Macquire.
It is a different take on L. Frank Baum’s beloved story, "The
Wonderful Wizard of Oz."
In "Wicked" Galinda, blonde, ambitious, and exceedingly popular, and
Elphaba, green, smart, and rejected, have yet to become Glinda the
Good Witch and the Wicked Witch of the West, and are roommates at Shiz
University.

It’s hate at first sight, but eventually they learn to admire, care
for, and finally love each other. I have seen this production before
and always thought it was a love triangle between Galinda, Elphaba,
and the spoiled prince Fiyero.

This go round, however, it is evident that the real love story is
between the two very different witches.

On opening night Thursday the effervescently perky understudy Megan
Campanile played Galinda with confidence and didn’t miss a beat.
Dee Roscioli is stunning, powerful, and vulnerable as the
misunderstood, unnaturally, phosphorescently green and gifted Elphaba,
who is rejected by everyone because she isn’t normal.

They attend Shiz, where the only reason Elphaba is there is to
take care of her wheelchair-bound half sister, Nessarose, (Stefanie
Brown.) They have the same mom, but different dads. Nessarose’s dad is
the governor, while Elphaba’s her mother had an affair with mysterious
man who fed her mother a green elixir that made Elphaba green for
life.

Randy Danson is glamorously conniving as the University’s
headmistress, Madame Morrible. She has a glorious exotic accent and
makes the most of it.

The Wizard of Oz is up to his old tricks, requiring that Elphaba do
his bidding before he grants her wish to help the animals that are
loosing their ability to speak.
Paul Slade Smith is touching as the goat professor Dr. Dillamond.
But the Wizard is all show and Elphaba is crushed. Kevin McMahon has a
showman’s pizzazz as the Wizard of Oz.

Along comes a lazy but handsome prince Fiyero, (Colin Hanlon) who at
first falls for the blonde and beautiful Galinda, but then goes for
the brains and realizes that it is Elphaba who he adores.
The Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man all come into being
through very different circumstances than the original version, but
many of the locations, like the yellow brick road and the Emerald
City, remain.

In this version of the story, the Wicked Witch of the West gets some
extremely bad press. While she is trying to save the animals, those in
power convince the masses that Elphaba is evil.
It’s an interesting take on that classic tale, but the music and the
lyrics are really what packs the house.

The songs are first rate, with tunes such as "Popular," "Unlimited,""No One Mourns the Wicked," "Wonderful," "I’m Not That Girl," and "Defying Gravity."
At first it was a little difficult to hear the singers over the
orchestra, but they settled down quickly. However, Hanlon as Fiyero
rushed his lines and mumbled his words and was difficult to
understand.

The ensemble is just "fantabulous," with distinct personalities
assisted by many asymmetric, eccentric, and unique costumes, Dr.
Seuss-like hats and wacky and wonderful wigs. Costumes by Susan
Hilferty.

The bones of the set, with their nightmarish metal frame, remain the
same as the previous North American tour, but the lights seem brighter
and the Emerald City seems even more emerald. Set by Eugene Lee.
One of my complaints at opening nights at the Bushnell is that often
the spotlights would miss their intended spot, but thankfully that
wasn’t an issue on Thursday.

"Wicked" deserves all the accolades it receives and this fine
production more than lives up to the high expectations.

2011-08-02T07:48:00.000-07:00

Nature and music together at Tanglewood

LENOX, Mass.-The Boston Symphony Orchestra’s retreat at theTanglewood Music Center in the pristine, bucolic Berkshires is a perfect getaway for a day, a weekend, or a longer visit.

And although performances by James Taylor, Steely Dan, and Garrison Keillor have already come and gone, there is still plenty of music toenjoy from renown artists such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, conductor John Williams, pianist Andre Previn, and actor and narrator Morgan Freeman.

Benjamin Schwartz, BSO’s assistant artistic administrator, explained that there are two sides to the campus that occupies over 500 acres.

"Nature and music are the things that make it so special," Schwartzsaid, observing that "the lawn’s are meticulously maintained."

Now celebrating their 74th year at Tanglewood, the BSO performs in the Koussevitzky Music Shed, built in 1938, which seats about 5,100, and is open on three sides to allow patrons to enjoy the music from the lawn as well as inside the facility.

Free chamber concert performances are available in the stunning Seiji Ozawa Hall at 6 p.m. prior to the main performances and are a lovely way to start the evening before the 8:30 p.m. performances in theMusic Shed.

Ozawa Hall was built in 1994, with over 1,200 seats. It and was acoustically designed to have one wall open for those seated on the lawn to easily hear the music, Schwartz explained.

Schwartz recommended arriving early and enjoying the hour-long chamber concerts at 6 p.m. at the Florence Gould Auditorium in Ozawa Hall, leaving plenty of time to enjoy a picnic meal prior to the main event.

Lawn seating is available at both locations on a first-come-first-serve basis.

"It’s a leisurely, pleasant way to spend the evening," Schwartz said."It’s a real retreat that is peaceful and receptive."

The BSO, in its 130th season, spends eight weeks each summer in residence in Tanglewood, and while other major orchestras have retreats and temporary summer locations where they perform, only the BSO has a permanent location to come to each summer, he said, which is "something quite unique in the music world."

"No other orchestra has such an extensive venue," Schwartz said. In 2010 they had over 350,000 visitors to Tanglewood. Tanglewood visitorsAt under two hours from Manchester, it’s an easy day trip or weekend visit.

Harvey and Claudia Sniticker have been coming to Tanglewood since 1982 and spend six months of the year in Lenox and the other six months in Florida.

On a warm Saturday evening, July 23, they set up their folding lawnchairs under a tree and were reading a newspaper before the performance. They like to have dinner before arriving, they said, because there is less to carry.

"What’s not to love here," Claudia Sniticker asked. "There is plenty of room."

Eve Spett of Queens, New York has been attending events at Tanglewood since 1956 and enjoys getting out of the city and into the countryside in the summer.

"The atmosphere is very uplifting and there are very nice people here," Spett said. She was staying at a nearby bed and breakfast fort he weekend.Projection screens

Projection screens inside and on top of the Music Shed allow thosewith lawn seating to get up close and personal with the musicians asthey perform, while listening to the amplified music.

"The screens are fantastic," Frank Penglase of North Egremont, Mass. said. He and his wife, Hilary, were relaxing with a plate of green grapesand glasses of red wine before the performance. They have been coming to Tanglewood for about 17 years and attend every week in the summer.Earlier this year their children gave them a mobile wagon, that let’s them wheel in their chairs, tables, and coolers without difficulty,and easily collapse it into their car when they are done.

Harvey and Randye Sussman from Long Island, New York were happy and relaxed after spending 10 days at a local Inn.They attended on a tour of Tanglewood earlier in the day where they learned that the floor of the Music Shed is made from clay to prevent flooding when it rains.

They also learned that at the end of each summer season most of the 75 Steinway concert pianos are sold and new ones are brought in the following year.

Prior to the Music Shed concert Saturday, students performed in the Florence Gould Auditorium in Seiji Ozawa Hall, with selections including Irving Fine’s "Partita for Wind Quintet" along with "Five Songs, Opus 37" by Jean Sibelius, performed by soprano Clarissa Lyons and Matthew Gemmill on piano.

Saturday evening’s performance in the Music Shed featured "Rhapsodies" a contemporary piece by composer Steven Stucky, followed by JohannesBrahms’ "Violin Concerto in D," performed by violinist ArabellaSteinbacher, both conducted by Jaap van Zweden. After intermission, van Zweden conducted Ludwig van Beethoven’s"Symphony No. 7 in A."

Upcoming performances of "Tanglewood on Parade," an annual favorite, is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 2. The event will start with chamber music at Ozawa Hall at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m., with an 8 p.m. concert in the Music Shed with music by Richard Wagner, Ralph Vaughan Williams, along with Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s "1812 Overture" followed by fireworks.

In addition to their classical music offerings through Aug. 28 they will also hold the 2011 Festival of Contemporary Music from Aug. 3 to Aug. 7 and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival 2011 Sept. 2 to through Sept. 4. Individual tickets cost from $11 for lawn tickets to $102 for special concerts at the Music Shed.

For more information visit their website at:www.tanglewood.org

Photos by Jessica Hill

2011-08-01T08:50:00.000-07:00

Norfolk Chamber Music Festival a mini-Tanglewood in the Northwest corner of Connecticut

NORFOLK-Nestled in the Northwest hills of Connecticut is the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival-truly one of the best kept secrets in New England.

This festival, overseen by the Yale School of Music, is in its 105th season. Only an hour’s drive from the Manchester area, it is like a mini-Tanglewood, without the traffic and the crowds.

In fact, it is the precursor to the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s summer series in Lenox, Mass.

Ellen Battell Stoeckel started it all with tea parties in her music room in the late 1800s, according to Paul Hawkshaw, director of the Yale Summer School of Music and the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival.

"She knew how to throw a tea party," Hawkshaw said. In her day Battell Stoeckel and her husband, Carl Stoeckel, son ofGustave Stoeckel, the first professor of music at Yale, brought many famous musicians to perform, including Fritz Kreisler, Jean Sibelius, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and even the Metropolitan Opera in their 35-room family home called Whitehouse. As the popularity of the performances grew, the family commissioned architect E. K. Rossiter to design the acoustically superior Music Shed, made out of redwood, which can seat 800.

Stoeckel left her entire 70-acre estate in a trust to Yale University,with the stipulation that they hold a summer music school for aspiring young musicians every year, something they have faithfully continued.

While there are cottages on the campus for faculty, all the studentsstay in homes of area residents."A great strength of the festival is the synergy between the studentsand the community," Hawkshaw said. The faculty performs concerts on Friday and Saturday nights, while free student concerts are given each Thursday night and Saturday morning.

The faculty and visiting artists enjoy the relaxed environment, Hawkshaw said, and although they don’t get paid an exorbitant sum, they get the luxury of rehearsing for a week before performances.

"A week’s rehearsal is a blessing you almost never get," Hawkshaw said. "They know when they come they will have lots of time to rehearse."

And just as at Tanglewood, guests can arrive early and enjoy a picnic on the expansive and well-maintained grounds of the estate. Also, for the first time this year, they will sell wine from The Land of Nod, a local winery.

Young artists audition to be able attend the highly competitive music program, Hawkshaw said, with 35 musicians participating this year from around the world, including England, Canada, Ukrainia, Russia, and Korea, as well as the United States.

Brittany Harrington, 23, from Texas plays bassoon and is participating with the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival as a fellow for the first time.

"It’s phenomenal," Harrington said, adding that she has attended many other summer music programs but really loves the rigor of the schedule withthe serenity of the landscape.

"It’s sort of laid back, but they take care of you," Harrington said-freeing them to focus on nothing but their music.

Emily Westell, 26, of Calgary, Canada, plays the violin and is attending for her second summer.

"We get coaching every day," Westell said. Westell hopes eventually to perform for a living as well as teach at auniversity, while Harrington said she just wants to perform whenever and wherever she can.

"I love to play," Harrington said.

Peter Heller and Barbara Glasser work at Tanglewood Music Festival as ushers, but Friday night they were enjoying the Norfolk Chamber MusicFestival as patrons.

"It’s heavenly," Heller said, adding that the Music Shed is equivalent to Seigi Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood."The acoustics are wonderful," Heller said.

He especially enjoys the tradition at the end of intermission of bringing the audience back into the hall with a brass ensemble fanfare, which they did Friday.

From 1 until 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 31 they will hold their Family Day at the festival, starting with the Norfolk Fellows’ performance for the children, followed by a free ice cream social and children’s games in the Music Shed, sponsored by the Battell Arts Foundation. After the ice cream social the United States Coast Guard Band, conducted by Commander Kenneth W. Megan, will perform in the Music Shed at 4 p.m., all for free.

Tickets for the visiting artists and faculty performances on Fridays and Saturdays are $15 to $50 and $15 to $30 for youths age 18 to 25.

The Young Artists’ Performance Series held Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings, as well as the New Music Recitals are free. Children under 18 years old can attend all the events for free.

For more information visit their website at:www.norfolkmusic.org

Photos by Jessica Hill

2011-08-01T08:32:00.000-07:00

Acadia National Park in Maine a true national treasure

MT. DESERT ISLAND, MAINE -From the heights of Cadillac Mountain, to the aqua blues of Sand Beach, with camping, hiking, biking, kayaking, rock climbing and more, Acadia National Park surely must be the vacationland capitol of Maine.

Founded in 1901 by President Woodrow Wilson, the 6,000 acres of parkland was at first called Sieur de Monts National Monument when in 1919 the United States Congress changed its designation to a national park, the first established east of the Mississippi River.

The only trouble with visiting Acadia National Park on the gorgeous, if somewhat misnamed, Mt. Desert Island is that there is too much to see with too little time to explore it all, even in a week.

Thanks to the efforts of many volunteers over 100 years ago, withmajor funding from John D. Rockefeller Jr., Waldron Bates, and one of the park’s founders, George B. Dorr, 125 miles of hiking trails of varying degrees of difficulty were constructed.

Flat, easy trails such as Wonderland, Jordan Nature Trail, and the Bar Harbor Shore Path are available, along with steep-grade rigorous climbs for the more adventurous, including the Acadia Mountain Trail with views of the Somes Sound, and the Cadillac South Ridge Trail.

The aptly name Perpendicular Trail and Precipice Trail have such steep inclines that iron rungs and ladders have been provided along some portions of the trails. They also have 45 miles of carriage roads for biking and hiking over 17 hand-hewn stone bridges.

To fully experience the romance of abygone era, horse draw carriage rides are available. For those less athletically inclined there are plenty of scenic roads for vehicles to traverse, with many turnouts along the way, including the 3.5 mile Park Loop Road that leads to the top of CadillacMountain, which at 1,532 feet is the highest peak along the Eastern seaboard.

For part of the year this mountaintop is the first point in the United States that the sunrise is visible. French explorer Samuel Champlain claimed the island in 1604 and named it "Isle des Monts Deserts" or Desert Island, while Cadillac Mountain was named after explorer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.

Cadillac Mountain along with the other mountains on the island all derive their distinct barren appearance from glaciers that scraped and polished the distinctive pink granite surfaces over the eons, leaving few trees and little soil behind.

Access to the whole park costs $20 per week in the high season, and passes are available at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center, at the start ofPark Loop Road-a perfect place to get acclimated to all the park has to offer.

Since it’s about a seven hour drive from Connecticut, finding a placeto stay overnight on Mount Desert Island is a must.Fortunately there are a plethora of motels, hotels, cottages, bed and breakfast inns, and campgrounds to choose from on the island, with a place for every budget, but do call ahead, particularly in the summer.

In addition to the numerous privately owned and operated campgrounds, the United States Park Service runs two on the island, Blackwoods and Seawall, which are definitely the cheapest way to go at $20 per night for tent sites. Reservations and information are available at:www.nps.gov/acad

Seawall and Blackwoods campgrounds offer campsites for tents and recreational vehicles, which include clean, well-lighted central bathrooms, but keep in mind that there is no electricity, hot water, or showers provided.

While you can always have an "Out of Africa" experience and wash your hair in a basin with water heated on your camp stove, fortunately coin-operatedshowers are available at two locations on the island. Relying on pay-per-use showers for the week gives one a whole new appreciation of indoor plumbing.

As fun as tent camping can be, keep in mind that mosquitoes love it too, so be sure to bring massive quantities of bug spray, which you will practically bathe in religiously. And not only are their mosquitoes to contend with, but there are also stinging horseflies and blood-sucking deer flies that are so large they should probably be regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Campfires are allowed at designated areas within each campsite, weather permitting, and strangely, firewood costs less the closer you get to the park.

The opposite is true for lobster, however. Even though this is a banner year for lobster and an army of lobster pot buoys bob on the waters surrounding the island, lobster is no bargain, at about $12 a pound on the island, while lobster rolls start at $13.

A must-see is the historic Jordan Pond House, located along the scenic Park Loop Road that overlooks the comically named Bubble Mountains and Bubble Pond, where they serve lunch, tea, and dinner. They offer entrees, but are best known for their popovers. An order of two with strawberry jam, and butter with a beverage cost$11-Not cheap, but worth it. They serve them one at a time to assure that they are piping hot when they arrive at the table.

The distinctive rocky terrain that make for dramatic and picturesque cliffs and rocky coastlines allow for few sand beaches. One of the most beautiful is the small and popular Sand Beach located in the park along the Park Loop Road. On sunny summer days the beach draws large crowds, while a few intrepid souls even brave the icy 50-degree Atlantic waters.

Because of the unique geology along the Northeastern seafloor with it’s close proximity to the Bay of Fundy, the island has some of the most extreme tides in the world, changing up to 12 feet every 12 hours.

Nature and artifice strike a perfect balance in the vibrant, dynamic, and endlessly dramatic Acadia National Park-truly a national treasure that everyone should visit.

2011-07-31T06:18:00.000-07:00

"Show Boat" shines at the Goodspeed

EAST HADDAM — Take a trip down the Mississippi River in Oscar Hammerstein II and Jerome Kern’s “Show Boat,” playing at the Goodspeed Opera House.

This classic American musical follows the show business life of a family over 40 years, as they travel up and down the Mississippi on a show boat, performing at stops along the way, and then on to the big city of Chicago.

It is full of songs, but the best has got to be the iconic “Ol’ Man River” sung by the fantastic David Aron Damane, who plays Joe.

Damane has a soulful, rich, and warm voice that one could listen to all day. He is great no matter what he sings, including the funny and sweet “I Still Suits Me,” a duet with his woman, Queenie, played by the feisty Andrea Frierson.

Lenny Wolpe plays Cap’n Andy Hawks, and does a swell job as the affable master of ceremonies and the henpecked husband to his hard-hearted wife, Parthy Ann Hawks, played by Karen Murphy. Porthy has some of the funniest lines in the show, delivered with a deadpan expression, and is an excellent foil to Wolpe’s Cap’n Andy.

They have a show to produce, but it turns out that leading lady, Julie LaVerne, is half black and is married to a white man, something illegal at that time. She leaves, and Andy and Parthy’s daughter, Magnolia Hawks, steps into the spotlight.

Lesli Margherita plays the sad and troubled Julie LaVerne, who can’t seem to get a break and loves Magnolia like a little sister. She sings another terrific tune in the show, “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man,” with Magolia, Queenie, Joe, and the ensemble.

Magnolia has fallen in love at first sight with a gambling man, Gaylord Ravenal, and next thing you know they are married and have a baby girl.

Ben Davis, who has a strong and clear voice, is charming as the wayfaring gambler who falls in love with Magnolia, played by Sarah Uriarte Berry. Berry has a gorgeous, lyrical voice and lights up the stage whenever she appears.

The rest of the show follows the fortunes of the couple, from their attempts at a new life in Chicago to Magnolia’s return to the show boat life, and their touching reunion at the end.

Danny Gardner as Frank Schultz and Jennifer Knox as Ellie May Chipley are the comic relief, doing a dance number in the second act that is right out of the old vaudeville circuit.

The beginning of Act II drags a bit. It has been reworked from the original by director Rob Ruggiero, to make it more of a personal story, better suited to the rather cramped stage at the Goodspeed, but it feels awkward and takes a long time to move along.

It instantly improves whenever Damane and the other black performers are on the stage.

There is an inspired conception of a boat by set designer Michael Schweikardt. It has plenty of stairs and an expandable second floor that makes the most of the small stage, with stellar direction by Goodspeed regular Ruggiero.

The costumes with their bustles and corsets for the women and the suits for the men are, as usual, solid and colorful, although Julie’s light blue dress looks oddly ill fitting and strangely thick. Costumes by Amy Clark.

Sometimes orchestras can overpower the singers, but in this show all the vocalists can be clearly and distinctly heard throughout, thanks to the controlled musical direction by Michael O’Flaherty.

“Show Boat” is proving such a success that due to popular demand it has been extended through Sept. 17.

The Goodspeed Opera House is a delight to visit any time of year, but it really comes to life in the summer. While there are a number of fine restaurants nearby, including the Gelston House Restaurant and Inn, on Wednesday evening some were enjoying their dinners on picnic tables next to the Opera House on the banks of the Connecticut River before the show — a simply elegant way to spend a summer night.

Three ½ Stars

(one star is poor, two is fair, three is good, and four is excellent)

Location: Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main Street, East Haddam

Production: Music by Jerome Kern. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Based on the novel by Edna Ferber. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Musical direction by Michael O’Flaherty. Choreography by Noah Racey.

Scenic design by Michael Schweikardt. Costume design by Amy Clark. Lighting design by John Lasiter. Sound by Jay Hilton.

Running time: 2 ½ hours, plus one 15-minute intermission

Show Times: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. (select performances at 2 p.m., Sept. 13, 14, 15, and 17); Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinees at 3 p.m.; and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m., with Sunday Sept. 17 performances at 2 and 6:30 p.m.

Tickets: Starting at $27. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their website at www.goodspeed.org

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Sarah Uriarte Berry … Magnolia

Ben Davis … Gaylord Ravenal

Andrea Frierson … Queenie

Karen Murphy … Parthy

Lenny Wolpe … Cap’n Andy

Danny Gardner … Frank

Jennifer Knox … Ellie

David Aron Damane … Joe

Lesli Margherita … Julie

Madeleine Berry … Kim

Photo left: David Aron Damane as Joe sings "Ol' Man River" in "Show Boat" at Goodspeed Opera House. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

Photo Right: Ben Davis as Gaylord Ravenal and Sarah Uriarte Berry as Magnolia Hawks in Goodspeed Musical's "Show Boat." Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

2011-07-21T09:54:00.000-07:00

Lyrical, elegant “Lar Lubovitch Dance Company” enchants at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

BECKET, Mass. — Immerse yourself in a total experience of dance, food, and history, in a bucolic setting at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival this summer.
In March, President Barack Obama honored the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government. Named a National Historic Landmark in 2003, Jacob’s Pillow is the first dance performing organization that has received this honor, and the accolades are well deserved.
Each week different guest artists perform, and this week the magical, lyrical Lar Lubovitch Dance Company graces the stage at the Ted Shawn Theatre through Sunday.
For those who saw the Robert Altman film “The Company” it was Lubovitch who choreographed its highlight, with the charming, graceful dance to “My Funny Valentine,” by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Lubovitch’s signature style is smooth, graceful, and endlessly pleasing.
The 10 gifted dancers performed for an energetic two hours Wednesday. The first was an ensemble performance called “North Star,” originally choreographed by Lubovitch in 1978. It feels just as fresh and timeless today, with the whole company, plus solo performances by Jenna Fakoury and Reid Bartelme, with various quartets, trios, and duets interwoven throughout.
Fakoury performs an amazing, robotic, herky-jerky like solo under a bright spot light that is as shocking as it is riveting to watch, and even gets her massive curling hair into the action, with hyper-kinetic body contortions at frenetic pace.
The prerecorded music of “North Star” is composed by the fabulous Philip Glass, and has a dream-like, ethereal quality that is transformative and mesmerizing.
The dancers are all wearing similar navy tunics and navy tights that make them look identical at first, until time subtly unveils their unique characteristics and personalities. Costumes by Clovis Ruffin.
Next Katarzyna Skarpetowska in white and Brian McGinnis in blue perform a elegiac, graceful, and romantic “Duet From Meadow” from 1999 by Lubovitch, set to music composed by Gavin Bryars called “Incipit Vita Nova” with costumes by Ann Howard.
Following the brief intermission the dancers return all in black for Lubovitch’s 2010 “The Legend of Ten,” set to Johannes Brahms’ “Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor, Opus 34” movements I and IV.
After the second intermission they dance to “Coltrane’s Favorite Things” performed by the John Coltrane’s Quartet’s live rendition, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.
It is a tribute to Lubovitch’s seamless, distinctive choreography that despite the various composers, his own sensual, flowing, and elegant style remains consistent throughout.
Arrive early to the event or pop in during intermission to the free display in the airy Blake Barn of photographs by Annie Leibowitz whose mother was a dancer and who photographed dancers Mark Morris and the inimitable Mikhail Baryshnikov and others at Jacob’s Pillow.
Some patrons arrived well before the opening performance Wednesday to enjoy their own homemade picnics, while others grabbed a burger and beverage at the Pillow Pub.
If you really want to experience a special evening, however, make reservations for the al fresco Café at Jacob’s Pillow offering a select menu, which changes periodically. Jacob’s Pillow serves locally grown products from Berkshire and Hudson Valley farms.
The performances for Lubovitch have only limited seating available through Sunday, but fortunately there are other troupes through the end of August that are coming to Jacob’s Pillow, including the LDP/Laboratory Dance Project, from South Korea; Big Dance Theater; 3e Etage: Soloists and Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet; and the Mark Morris Dance Group.
Expand your horizons and discover what makes Jacob’s Pillow such a life-affirming, remarkable place.

LAR LUBOVITCH DANCE COMPANY
Four Stars
Theater: Ted Shawn Theatre
Location: 358 George Carter Road, Becket, Mass.
Production: Artistic director and choreographer Lar Lubovitch. Executive director Ricard J. Caples. Lighting director Jack Mehler. Production stage manager Maxine Glorsky. Company manager Leticia D. Baratta. Costumer Naomi Luppescu.
Running time: About 2 hours with two 10-minute intermissions.
Show Times: Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through July 24.
Tickets: $59.50 to $64.50. For more information call their box office at 413-243-0745, or visit their website at www.jacobspillow.org.
DANCERS
Jonathan E. Alsberry
Reid Bartelme
Nichole Corea
Attila Joey Csici
Rory Hohenstein
Jenna Fakhoury
Jason McDole
Brian McGinnis
Laura Rutledge
Katarzyna Skarpetowska

2011-07-21T04:06:00.000-07:00

The elegant, lyrical “Lar Lubovitch Dance Company” mesmerizing at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival

BECKET, Mass.-Immerse yourself in a total experience of dance, food, and history, in a bucolic setting at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival.

Each week different guest artists perform and this week the magical, lyrical Lar Lubovitch Dance Company graces the stage at the Ted Shawn Theatre through Sunday.

For those who saw the Robert Altman film “The Company” Lubovitch choreographed the charming, graceful dance to “My Funny Valentine.” His style is smooth, graceful, and endlessly pleasing.

The 10 gifted dancers performed some old and newer works for an energetic two hours. The first was an ensemble performance called “North Star,” originally choreographed by Lubovitch in 1978. It feels just as fresh and timeless today, with the whole company, plus solo performances by Jenna Fakoury and Reid Bartelme, and quartets interwoven throughout.

Fakoury performs an amazing, robotic, herky-jerky like solo under a bright spot light that is as shocking as it is riveting to watch, and even gets her massive curling hair into the action, with kinesthetic body contortions at an almost inhuman rapid speed.

The prerecorded music of “North Star” is composed by the fabulous Philip Glass, and has a dream-like, ethereal quality that is transformative and mesmerizing.

The dancers are all wearing similar navy tunics and navy tights that make them look identical at first, until time subtly unveils their unique characteristics and personalities. Costumes by Clovis Ruffin.

After a brief pause Katarzyna Skarpetowska in white and Brian McGinnis in blue perform a elegiac, graceful, and romantic “Duet From Meadow” from 1999 by Lubovich, set to music composed by Gavin Bryars called “Incipit Vita Nova” with costumes by Ann Howard.

After the brief intermission the dancers return all in black for Lubovitch’s 2010 “The Legend of Ten,” set to Johannes Brahms’ “Quintet for Piano and Strings in F Minor, Opus 34” movements I and IV.

After the second intermission is “Coltrane’s Favorite Things” with music by the John Coltrane’s Quartet Live Rendition with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

It is a tribute to Lubovitch’s seamless, distinctive choreography that despite the various composers, his own sensual, flowing, and elegant style remains consistent throughout.

Come early to the event and visit the free display in the airy Blake Barn of photographs by Annie Leibowitz whose mother was a dancer and who photographed dancers Mark Morris and the inimitable Mikhail Baryshnikov and others at Jacob’s Pillow. Other dancers and icons in the exhibition include photographs of Michael Jackson, Robin Williams, Gregory Hines, Rudolf Nureyev, and even Arnold Scwarzenegger back in his weight-lifting, pre-scandal days.

Some came well before the opening performance Wednesday to enjoy their own homemade picnics, while others grabbed a burger and beverage at the Jacob’s Pillow Pub.

If you really want to make it a special evening, however, make reservations for the al fresco Jacob’s Pillow Café that offers a brief menu which changes periodically and includes chilled gazpacho soup with lump crab, Boston bibb salad with green goddess dressing, and entrees including lamb with risotto and vegetables, and chicken, vegetable, and chilled salmon dishes.

In addition to ice cream, the dessert selection offers a cheesecake, rich red velvet cake, and a white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate mousse with raspberry sauce and whipped cream.

The performances for the Lar Lubovich Dance Company are almost sold out through Sunday, with limited seating available, but fortunately there are other troupes through the end of August that are coming to Jacob’s Pillow, either at the Ted Shawn Theatre or the Doris Duke Theatre. They include the LDP/Laboratory Dance Project, from South Korea; Big Dance Theater; 3e Etage: Solists and Dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet; Jonah Bkaer, a former member of the Merce Cunnigham Dance Company; the Mark Morris Dance Group; and others.

In March, President Barack Obama honored the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival with a National Medal of Arts, the highest arts award given by the United States Government. Named a National Historic Landmark in 2003, Jacob’s Pillow is the first dance performing organization that has received this honor, and it is well deserved.

Expand your horizons and discover what makes Jacob’s Pillow such a life-affirming, remarkable place.

4 Stars

Theater: Ted Shawn Theatre

Location: 358 George Carter Road, Becket, Mass.

Production: Artistic director and choreographer Lar Lubovitch. Executive director Ricard J. Caples. Lighting director Jack Mehler. Production stage manager Maxine Glorsky. Company manager Leticia D. Baratta. Costumer Naomi Luppescu.

Running time: About 2 hours with two 10-minute intermissions.

Show Times: Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through July 24.

Tickets: $59.50 to $64.50. For more information call their box office at 413-243-0745, or visit their website at jacobspillow.org.

DANCERS

Jonathan E. Alsberry

Reid Bartelme

Nichole Corea

Attila Joey Csici

Rory Hohenstein

Jenna Fakhoury

Jason McDole

Brian McGinnis

Laura Rutledge

Katarzyna Skarpetowska

Photos: Todd Rosenberg

2011-07-19T06:37:00.000-07:00

“Menopause the Musical” feel-good show of the summer at Long Wharf

NEW HAVEN — Get ready to cry tears of laughter in the side-splitting, hilarious “Menopause, the Musical” celebrating it’s 10th year in production and playing at Long Wharf Theatre through Aug. 7.
Who would have thought that night sweats, mood swings, relationships, wrinkles, and weight gain would all be topics that are ripe for comedy, here with songs such as The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations,” which takes on a whole new meaning and practically bring down the house.
This musical, with books and lyrics by Jeanie Linders, uses familiar older tunes by groups including The Bee Gees, The Beach Boys, and Sonny and Cher and parodies them with lyrics fitting for women going through that change of life.
The Bee Gees “Night Fever” is now “Night Sweats,” and “Stayin’ Alive” is “Stayin’ Awake” about insomnia and the list goes on, complete with disco ball and appropriate choreography created by Patty Bender.
Even Irving Berlin has a song in the show, where “Heat Wave” is mashed into “Hot Flash.”
The show features four women, each with a different background, who all meet at a department store lingerie sale.

It’s kind of a “Sex and the City” meets middle age, set to music.
One is a professional gal who tries to keep cool even when she can’t remember what she was thinking about, played by the dynamic Fredena J.
Williams who does an amazing turn among other songs as Tina Turner singing “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”
They all have terrific voices, by Williams has a soulful sound that should make her a singing star in her own right. She is simply stunning.
Lisa Fox plays a soap opera star whose ingenue days are well behind
her, and hears through the rumor mill that her days on the T.V. show
are numbered, singing, “I’ve Heard It Through The Grapevine.”
“I’ve heard it through the grapevine, not much longer is the job mine…” she sings.
Margot Moreland plays the Earth Mother who is hanging onto her sanity by trying to meditate rather than medicate when the heat turns up. She says that night sweats never keep her up at night, because she never sleeps.
Carolynne Warren is amazing as the naïve Iowa Housewife visiting New York City for the first time while her undertaker husband is at a convention.
She says, “I’ve gotten a lot more pushy, when I’m not crying.” She goes from uninformed to liberated by the end of the 90-minute performance.
Warren does a hysterically funny silent bit with a piece of lingerie that tests the durability of Lycra and makes her a comic star in her own right. She also does a mean air-drum when the four become an air-band.
The set is an Art Nouveau backdrop with four golden doors and two curtained side entrances that function alternately as bathrooms and dressing rooms at the department store. Set design by Bud Clark.
The costumes, designed by Sue Hill, are flattering and attractive and distinguish each character as a unique individual.
The music sounds good enough to be live, but must be pre-recorded, which is quite an achievement, with original music direction and orchestration by C.T. Hollis and original score and arrangements by Alan J. Plado.
At the end of the show the four ask all the women who have gone through menopause to join them on stage, which is not necessary and ends the show on an unfinished note. As generous as the actors are, they should just take their bows and end it cleanly.
There were a few men in the packed house Sunday and they appeared to be having at least as much fun as the women in the audience.
This fabulous show is touring North America through November, but this is their only Connecticut stop, so do what you can, and bring your husbands, sisters, and daughters too, to this uproarious, outrageous, feel-good show of the summer season.

3 ½ Stars
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: Books and lyrics by Jeanie Linders. Supervising director
Seth Greenleaf. Choreography supervisor Daria Melendez. Costume design
by Sue Hill. Set design by Bud Clark. Lighting design and national
production manager Ryan Patridge. Choreography created by Patty
Bender.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday
matinees at 2 p.m. through Aug. 7.
Tickets: $51.50. For more information call their box office at
203-787-4282, or visit their Website at www.longwharf.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Margot Moreland … Earth Mother
Carolynne Warren … Iowa Housewife
Lisa Fox … Soap Star
Fredena J. Williams … Professional Woman
Kimberly Ann Harris … Professional Woman (July 29-31)

2011-07-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

"Chicago" at Playhouse on Park a snazzy, dazzling musical
WEST HARTFORD — Murder and mayhem set to jazzy numbers is what you’ll get at the dynamic, lively production of “Chicago” at the Playhouse on Park running through July 24.
Although this long-lived show is currently running on Broadway, there’s no reason to travel all the way to the Big Apple to enjoy this sexy blockbuster musical, because there is a super production right here in Connecticut.
The plot, based on a true story, follows the fortunes of murderesses Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart.
They killed their lovers and are enjoying their time on the cover of the newspapers, trying to leverage their notoriety into successful vaudeville careers in Chicago during the 1920s.
They both have the same sleazy big-time lawyer, Billy Flynn, played by Doug LeBelle.
The show has a cabaret sensibility, with everyone in black, and the gals in revealing, tight-fitting lingerie.
Directed by Darlene Zoller, who also does the choreography, this show lives up to all that “razzle-dazzle” of Bob Fosse jazz dance numbers.
The fabulous, fit ensemble of women and men sing and dance their hearts out and deliver a powerful one-two punch.
The band, lead by Colin Britt, is alone worth the price of admission.
Even with the drums behind a sound screen though, they are too loud in the beginning and overpower the singers, who are miked.
It would be great if they would crank up the volume on the miked singers so they could be heard over the band. Towards the end of the show the singers could be better heard at a recent Thursday night
show.
These songs, with music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb, are classics, including the snazzy opener “All That Jazz” sung by the fine Elise Murphy who plays the street-wise Velma.
Bethany Fitzgerald is everything she needs to be as the murderess Roxie who has grand ambitions to be a star. She’s married to a simple, lovable looser who doesn’t have much going for him named Amos.
Rick Fountain Jr. plays the sad-sack Amos who sings that terrific number “Mr. Cellphane” and lives up to his sorry lot.
Keisha Gilles makes her presence known in a big way as Matron “Mama” Morton when she belts out her entrance song, “When You’re Good To Mama.”
Thao Nguyen plays the sympathetic reporter Mary Sunshine with a gorgeous operatic voice, but really needs to articulate more, because the words are incomprehensible.
The set is simple but functional with a two-tiered platform, all in black. Set design by stage manager Rick Bell.
Rape, murder, and mayhem actually appear like fun pastimes at this deliciously dark and energetic production of “Chicago.”

3 ½ Stars
Theater: Playhouse on Park
Location: 244 Park Road, West Hartford
Production: Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse. Music by John Kander.
Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Directed and choreographed by Darlene Zoller.
Music direction by Colin Britt. Production stage manager and set
design by Ryan Bell. Lighting design by Tim Hache. Costume design by
Erin Kacmarcik.
Running time: 2 hours plus a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. through July 24.
Tickets: $22.50-$32.50. Call the box office at 860-523-5900 ext. 10,
or visit their website at www.playhouseonpark.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Elise Murphy … Velma Kelly
Bethany Fitzgerald … Roxie Hart
Rick Fountain Jr. … Amos Hart
Doug LeBelle … Billy Flynn
Keisha Gilles … Matron “Mama” Morton
Thao Nguyen … Mary Sunshine
Erica Misenti … Liz
Hannah Kaplan … Annie
Carolyn Cumming … June
Lindsay Adkins … Hunyak
Laura Helm … Mona
Ramona Piretti … Go-To-Hell Kitty
Michael O’Brien … Fred Casely
Joseph Fierberg …. Harry, Martin Harrison
Tim Hache … Doctor, The jury
William Macke … Sgt. Fogarty, Aaron, The Judge
Spencer Pond …Bailiff, Court Clerk

2011-07-14T02:55:00.000-07:00

Headline: “I Wish You Love” an evening of song and struggle

HARTFORD — The soft romantic music of crooner Nat “King” Cole fills the air at the Hartford Stage Company in Penumbra Theatre Company’s production of “I Wish You Love.”

But it isn’t all love and happiness. The show is set in 1956 to 1957 when Cole had a popular television show called “The Nat King Cole Show,” which ran for 13 months.

This was right at the start of the Civil Rights movement, where children were being integrated into the Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas and violence was breaking out all over the country, but notably in the south.

Daniel W. Spears plays Cole and for the most part he does an admirable job channeling the internationally famous star.

It’s impossible to completely capture Cole’s trademark sound, but Spears comes quite close, only occasionally sounding a little flat and rough. He embodies the smooth, professional stage presence that Cole presented on camera.

Spears also does a convincing “air-piano,” which is helped by video of him playing.

The show flows smoothly, written by Dominic Taylor, with tight direction by Lou Bellamy, who is the founder and artistic director of Penumbra Theatre Company of Minnesota.

Most effective are the five black and white television screens in the background that broadcast the television show as it progresses. The vintage television commercials including Brylcreem hair cream, Kodak film and cameras, and Dial soap add significantly to the nostalgic mood. Sound and video design by Martin Gwinup.

The play follows the last few months of the short-lived T.V. show, and the struggles, frustrations, and real danger that Cole and his fellow musicians faced — especially when the network executives had the brilliant idea of having Cole perform in the south in the hot bed of the Ku Klux Klan. Talk about adding fire to gasoline.

Black and white photos and video from that violent, ugly era are projected onto the projection screen at the back of the stage while Cole sings, offering an interesting juxtaposition between the love he shares and the hatred he is up against.

When Cole returns from the southern tour, with one of his band members permanently deaf in one ear because of police brutality, he is faced with the choice of continuing, but only if he segregates his band.

Cole really wants his show to succeed, but will not cross that line and ends the show.

His fellow band members are terrific, including the older, funny bass player Oliver Moore, played by Kevin D. West, who explains that Cole is more than an employer; he’s family.

There is also the younger naïve but enthusiastic guitarist Jeffrey Prince, played by Eric Berryman, who is excellent and convincing, as he learns the harsh realities of a country in upheaval.

Michael Tezla perfectly captures the voice of a 1950s announcer, with the precise emphasis and diction of the time. He also plays Bill

Henry, who works for NBC, and is the constant bearer of bad and worse news each time the network and the sponsors make new demands on Cole.

Through it all, it is the music that makes this show and many songs are played and sung including “Get Your Kicks on Route 66,” “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” “Mona Lisa,” and “Let’s Face the Music and Dance.”

Cole was really a ground breaking pioneer making enormous strides in his graceful quiet and generous manner that makes him all the more remarkable.

3 ½ Stars

Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.

Production: Written by Dominic Taylor. Directed by Lou Bellamy. Music

director Sanford Moore. Stage manager Mary K. Winchell. Scenic design

by C. Lance Brockman. Costume design by Mathew J. LeFebvre. Lighting

design by Don Darnutzer. Sound and video design by Martin Gwinup.

Running time: 2 hours plus one 15-minute intermission.

Show Times: Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with matinee

performances at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sundays through

July 24.

Tickets: $25 — $50. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at

hartfordstage.org.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Dennis W. Spears … Nat Cole

Michael Tezla … Bill Henry, Anchor, Announcer

Kevin D. West … Oliver Moore

Eric Berryman … Jeffrey Prince

Adam Ehret … Studio Grip

2011-07-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

“My Fair Lady” simply loverly musical at CRT

by Kory Loucks

STORRS — First there was the smashing success of “Guys and Dolls”

followed by the sweet delights of “Seusical the Musical,” and now

comes the grand finale of Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Nutmeg

Summer Series with the most “loverly” musical of all, “My Fair Lady.”

Everything about this production is just about as good as it gets. The

leads make or break this show, and here director Vincent J. Cardinal

manages some superlative casting of this classic tale based on George

Bernard Shaw’s play “Pygmalion.”

Professional actors take the main roles including Alix Paige who is spot-on as the Cockney who becomes the lady, Eliza Doolittle, and the pitch-perfect Terrence Mann as the aristocratic misogynist who learns

much more than he teaches as Henry Higgins.

Timothy Gulan is supportive as the somewhat less sexist foil to Higgins, Colonel Pickering, who plays his character with underscored humor and compassion.

Eileen Fulton, who some might recognized from television soaps, is absolutely elegant as the frustrated mother of a spoiled Henry-Mrs. Higgins.

UConn alumni Richard Ruiz enjoyably steals the show as Eliza’sstreet-smart lovable-loser father Alfred P. Doolittle.

Ruiz has malleable facial features and eyebrows that speak languagesall by themselves. For a solid man, Ruiz is surprisingly fleet of foot while he leads the ensemble in some rousing musical numbers. Credit to choreographer Charlotte d’Amboise and the fit and able ensemble cast.

As the plot goes, phonetics enthusiast Higgins decides to take an uneducated Cockney girl and teach her how to speak, act, and dress like a lady in six months. At the end of that time he takes her to a ball to see if she passes the test. She falls in love with him as he teaches her to speak in a more refined manner and they all have a grand time learning that “the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plane.”

“My Fair Lady” has succinct lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and glorious music by Frederick Loewe, includes classic songs such as “With a Little Bit of Luck,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “On the Street Where You Live,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.”

Not only is the music memorable, but the show is chock full of comic moments, such as when the ensemble, beautifully decked out in refined black, white, and grays, are at the horse races and watch a race go buy in unison with totally blank expressions. And the way that Eliza

mashes the English language is a joy to hear.

The costumes are numerous with many fine details, like ragged petticoats for the poor women and plentiful lace for the rich ladies.

However, Paige has a delicate, petite frame and the ball gown is toolarge for her, while the blue bodice around her waist is too thick and bulky, masking her fine figure. Much better is the delicate pink gown she wears a few scenes later while having tea with Mrs. Higgins, which

accentuates her tiny waist and handsome shoulders. Costumes by Kevin

Thacker.

It’s difficult to say who was having more fun on Saturday night, the audience or the actors, but with a little bit of luck you too will get to see this spiffy show, which sadly ends far too soon on Sunday.

All three shows were so excellent, I would recommend next year trying to book three week runs to allow more people the pleasure of seeing the Nutmeg Summer Series.

4 Stars

Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.

Production: Book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner. Music by Frederick

Loewe. Directed by Vincent J. Cardinal. Music direction by NDavid

Williams. Scenic design by Michael Anania. Choreographer Charlotte

d’Amboise. Costume design by Kevin Thacker. Lighting design by Zakaria

M. Al-Alami. Sound design by Nathan Leigh. Technical direction by John

Parmelee. Production stage manager Cynthia Kocher.

Running time: About 2 ½ hours including one intermission.

Show Times: Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and

a Saturday and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. through July 17.

Tickets: Range in price from $10 to $39. Call the box office at

860-486-4266 of visit their Website at www.crt.UConn.edu.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Alix Paige … Eliza Doolittle

Terrence Mann … Henry Higgins

Eileen Fulton … Mrs. Higgins

Timothy Gulan … Colonel Pickering

Richard Ruiz … Alfred P. Doolittle

Connor Moore …Freddy Eynsford-Hill

Jennifer Guindon … Mrs. Eynsford-Hill

John Bixler … Harry, Ensemble

Lynn McNutt … Mrs. Pearce

David Alan Stern … Prof. Zoltan Karpathy, Bartender

Justin Schuman … 1st Cockney, Prince, Ensemble

Joey Barreiro … 2nd Cockney, Ensemble

Ethan Kasnett … 3rd Cockney, Ensemble

Joshua Wright … 4th Cockney, Ensemble

Parker Slaybaugh … Busker, Ensemble

Cassie Abate … Mrs. Hopkins, Lady Tarrington, Ensemble

Clyde Voce … Hoxton man, Jamie, Ensemble

Daria DeGaetano … Busker, Lady Boxington, Ensemble

Kevin Jones … Selsey Man, Busker, 5th Cockney, Ensemble

Sarah Schenkkan … Cockney Flower Girl, Ensemble

Josephine and Shelby Mann … Street Urchins

Photo by David Ciano

2011-07-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare & Co.’s “As You Like It” a touch of 1920s Paris

by Kory Loucks

LENOX-Who would have thought that Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” would be a perfect comedy for a musical? At Shakespeare & Company’s marvelous, lively, and shining version, set in “Gay Paree” of the 1920s, it can and it does.

With music composed by Alexander Sovronsky, and the many capable musicians in the cast, the show begins with a court dance set to the Charleston, and the two lead women dressed in flapper dresses.

The plot follows the fortunes of two brothers, the eldest treats his younger brother Orlando poorly, and Orlando challenges a fighter to a wrestling match.

Cousins Rosalind and Celia see Orlando wrestle and it is love at first sight for Orlando and Rosalind.

Celia’s father has banished Rosalind’s father to the forest of Arden and soon thereafter sends Rosalind packing. But Celia goes with her, as does the court’s fool, Touchstone.

Once in the forest, Rosalind finds love notes plastered onto branches and carved into trees from Orlando to her. She is in disguise as a man in order to travel more safely through the world, and tells Orlando she (as a he) knows Rosalind and how to woo her.

The role of Rosalind is arguably one of the best, most intelligent female characters all of Shakespeare. Sometimes giddy as a school girl, other times wise as a monk, Merritt Janson lives up to the demands and delights of this feisty role. Although there were no Parisian accents in the show, thankfully, Janson had a slight Irish lilt occasionally. She also looks much like the French film actress Juliette Binoche. She also plays a lovely mandolin.

Tony Roach plays Orlando with great physicality and enthusiasm and he does it all with youthful charm, while Kelley Curran plays Celia with a sweet and funny devotion and undying love for Rosalind.

Jonathan Epstein is disarming as the fantastical fool, Touchstone, who is the truth-teller of the show. His leaving the court for the woods is an indication that all is not well back at the palace and good sense has been tossed out while abusive power has taken hold.

Johnny Lee Davenport has the most challenging job of playing the two duke brothers. He manages to make them distinct enough so that he really does seem like two different people. The two characters are never on the stage at the same time, but their cues are quite close so quick costume changes and fast feet with separate entrances do the job admirably.

It’s all silly fun and the able cast is well directed by Tony Simotes, who also does the fight choreography. The wrestling was a little stilted and awkward, but the fighter Charles, played by Kevin O’Donnell does a good imitation of a World Wrestling Federation pro.

The set is simple, but functional with a small-scale Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe that lets you know immediately you aren’t in Kansas anymore. Behind there is the Forest of Arden whose limbs and tree trunks become more revealed as the play continues. Set design by Sandra Goldmark.

The costumes are very good, especially Touchstone’s Harliquin multi-colored jacket and the duke’s glamorous robes. Celia and Rosalind’s first lacy dresses look surprisingly cheap, however, and Rosalind’s wedding dress is easily two sizes too big. I know they are supposed to be flapper gowns, but it looks like it will fall off her petite frame at any second.

From the French court to the Forest of Arden, “As You Like It” is a happy, clever, witty, and irreverent comedy at Shakespeare & Company, playing through September 4.

Four Stars

Location: Founder’s Theatre, 70 Kemble Road, Lenox, Mass.

Production: Written by William Shakespeare. Directed with fight choreography by Tony Simotes. Set design by Sandra Goldmark. Costume design by Arthur Oliver. Lighting design by Les Dickert. Composer, sound design and music direction by Alexander Sovronsky.

Running time: 3 hours including one intermission.

Show Times: 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. on selected Tuesdays through Sundays through Sunday, Sept. 4.

Tickets: Range in price from $15 to $65. Call 413-637-3353 of visit their website at www. Shakespeare. org

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Merritt Janson … Rosalind

Orlando … Tony Roach

Kelley Curran … Celia

Malcolm Ingram … Adam

Jonathan Epstein … Touchstone

Johnny Lee Davenport … Duke Senior, Duke Frederick

Jaques … Tod Randolph

2011-06-27T09:51:00.000-07:00

Torrential storm doesn’t dampen spirits at Kuan’s HSO debut at Talcott Mountain Fest
by Kory Loucks

SIMSBURY — Conductor Carolyn Kuan certainly got our attention Saturday with her debut at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Talcott Mountain Music Festival in the midst of a mid-summer night’s torrential rainstorm - boardering on a Monsoon.
Not that Kuan, HSO’s music director-designate, had any say in the weather, but she certainly has a flair for the dramatic.
The outdoor concert series, in its 16th season, is held in Simsbury Meadows next to Talcott Mountain, close to downtown Simsbury, attracting people from all around the region to our state’s mini-version of Massachusetts’ Tanglewood.
Before the concert, Allan and Judy Daninhirsch of Bristol were sitting comfortably on the lawn in their folding chairs in anticipation of the performance.
They said they haven’t missed a show since the festival started and recommended that others come and enjoy music under the stars.
“It’s a great way to relax and you don’t have to get dressed up,” Judy Daninhirsch said, adding that she also enjoys the fireworks display at the end of each performance.
And it isn’t just the music and fireworks that brings people to the venue. Before the concert they have crafts for children to create including flute pipes out of plastic straws and decorative pinwheels.
Danka Jara of Wethersfield said she and a group of family and friends from Hartford and Andover get together with their children and have a great time. They even set up a their own portable playscape for the little ones to tumble in before the performance.
When her 5-year-old son, Adam, found out the first performance was canceled Friday, she said he was almost inconsolable. His 7-year-old brother, Alex, said his favorite part of coming to the concerts is dancing to the music.
Lucia Pandolfo of Hartford came prepared with some wine, dessert, and bug spray.
“I love to be outside in the summer,” Pandolfo said.
Many patrons brought their own food and beverages and enjoyed a picnic dinner before and during the festivities.
Kuan opened with the overture to Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet.” About half way through the moving and romantic performance, the skies opened up and the rain poured down in buckets.
I don’t know exactly how much rain fell, but my plastic cup had about two inches of water by the time the torrential downpour stopped around half an hour later.
Over half the audience disappeared by that time, which was a shame, because once the skies cleared the performance continued, and it was well worth enduring the downpour.
Scott McIntosh on trumpet was featured in Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Concerto in E-flat Major for Trumpet and Orchestra.” He had a slightly bumpy start with some sharp notes, probably to do with the preceding deluge, but once he warmed up, McIntosh sounded clean and crisp.
Next Kuan led the orchestra in Felix Mendelssohn’s “Incidental Music to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” with entertaining and quirky narration by Radio Host and columnist Colin McEnroe.
The few residual raindrops had stopped completely by the time the fireworks kicked in, and they were spectacular, lasting at least 20 minutes and they were a perfect ending to an eventful evening.
The beauty of an outdoor concert is the unexpected variety of sensations, such as the scent of flowers and grass hanging in the humid summer air, birds chirping, and crickets adding their distinctive summer sound once the sun set.
This is the first of five Friday night outdoor concerts in July. Next up is “Celebrate America” July 1, followed by “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” on July 8; “The Music of Michael Jackson,” on July 15; and “A Symphonic Surfin’ Safari” on July 22.
Single tickets range in price from $20 to $45 and are $5 for children under 13 years old. For more information call their box office at 860-244-2999 or visit their website at:
www.hartfordsymphony.org.
Kuan was simply marvelous, possessing a flowing, graceful, exuberant style and guiding the orchestra to a full, unified, and ultimately moving performance.
She exuded an undeniable humanity and largess that was evident throughout the night. Even after the show, she came into the audience and as the few remaining waterlogged patrons were packing up their soggy belongings, she warmly and sincerely wanted to know how they enjoyed the show.
If this first performance is any indication of what the future portends, the HSO under Kuan’s confident direction will be reaching new heights in the years to come.

2011-06-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hartford Symphony Orchestra opens summer season with a splash

by Kory Loucks
SIMSBURY-Conductor Carolyn Kuan certainly got our attention Saturday with her debut at the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Talcott Mountain Music Festival in the midst of a mid-summer night’s thunderstorm.

Not that Kuan, HSO’s music director-designate, had any say in the weather, but she definitely has a flair for the dramatic.

The outdoor concert series, in its third year, is held at the field right next to Talcott Mountain close to down-town Simsbury, and attracts people from all around the region to our own little version of Tanglewood in Massachusetts.

Before the concert, Allan and Judy Daninhirsch of Bristol said they haven’t missed a performance since the festival started and recommended that others come and enjoy music under the stars.

“It’s a great way to relax and you don’t have to get dressed up” to enjoy the orchestra, Judy Daniahirsch said, adding that she also likes the fireworks display behind at the end of each performance.

And it isn’t just the music that brings people to the event. Before the concert they have crafts for children to make including flute pipes out of plastic straws and decorative pinwheels.

Danka Jara of Wethersfield said she and a group of family and friends from Hartford and Andover get together with the kids and have a great time. They even set up a playscape for the little ones to play in before the performance.

When her 5-year-old son, Adam, found out the first performance was canceled, she said he cried. His 7-year-old brother, Alex, said his favorite part of coming to the concerts is dancing to the music.

“I love to be outside in the summer,” Lucia Pandolfo of Hartford said. She brought some wine, dessert, an umbrella, and bug spray.

The first piece Kuan conducted was the overture to Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet.” About half way through the moving and romantic performance, the skies opened up and the rain poured.

I don’t know exactly how much rain fell, but my plastic cup had about two inches of water in it when the rain finally stopped about half an hour later.

At least half the audience disappeared, which is a shame, because once the skies cleared the performance continued.

Scott McIntosh on trumpet was featured in Franz Joseph Haydn’s “Concerto in E-flat Major for Trumpet and Orchestra.” He had a slightly bumpy start, probably to do with the wet weather, but once he warmed up, McIntosh sounded clean and crisp.

Next Kuan led the orchestra in Felix Mendelssohn’s “Incidental Music to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’” with entertaining and quirky narration by Radio Host and columnist Colin McEnroe.

The rain had stopped by the time the fireworks went off, and they were spectacular, lasting at least 20 minutes, and they were a perfect ending to a dramatic evening.

The beauty of an outdoor concert is the unexpected, such as the scent of flowers and grass in the humid summer air, the birds in the background chirping before the sunset, and then crickets joining in the music once it was dark.

This is the first of five Friday night outdoor concerts in July. Next up is “Celebrate America” July 1, followed by “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy” on July 8; “The Music of Michael Jackson,” on July 15; and “A Symphonic Surfin’ Safari” on July 22.

Single tickets range in price from $20 to $45 and are $5 for children under 13 years old. For more information call their box office at 860-244-2999 or visit their website at www.hartfordsymphony.org.

Kuan was simply marvelous, possessing a flowing, graceful, exuberant style, and guiding the orchestra to a full, unified, and ultimately moving performance. She exuded an undeniable humanity and largess that was evident throughout the night. Even after the show, she came into the audience and as the few remaining waterlogged patrons were packing up their soggy belongings, she asked how they enjoyed the show.

If this first performance is any indication of what the future portends, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra under Kuan’s confident direction, will be reaching new heights in the years ahead.

2011-06-19T10:28:00.000-07:00

“Seussical, the musical” family-friendly fun

by Kory Loucks
STORRS-What a lovely, family-friendly musical is "Seussical the Musical," the second of three Summer Nutmeg Series productions at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre.

The Dr. Seuss compendium of children’s books offers rich and fertile story lines to choose from, with his rhyming couplets are tailor-made for lyrics.

In this show, with music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, they combine two stories of Horton the Elephant — "Horton Hears a Who" and "Horton Hatches an Egg."
Steve Hayes plays the much-put-upon pachyderm, Horton. While the other characters dress in neon brights, Hayes is in plain gray. Hayes’ Horton is charming, shy, and sweet, and he has a lovely voice when he sings "Alone in the Universe" and other songs.

This is the kind of show where you should really bring a child along to fully enjoy the production. The children who were in the audience on Saturday night were literally sitting on the edges of their seats. Its fun for adults too, who can marvel at the wonderful details of this show.

The day-glow costumes are gorgeous and extremely detailed, with fanciful hats and bright rainbow hues, by Leslie Neilson-Bowman. I would have like to see all tail feathers for Gertrude McFee, rather than crinoline and tulle. Using nothing but bright boas would have been better and looked more amusing too.

Bradford Scobie does a masterful master-of-ceremonies turn as the Cat in the Hat, complete with many playful voices and just the right amount of mischief to show what a silly troublemaker the Cat in the Hat really is.

Allyssa Schmitt plays an adorable, sweet, and lovelorn Gertrude McFuzz, who does all she can to get Horton to notice her.

Rachel Rosado plays a glamorous Gertrude McFuzz with energy and pizzazz, and Noah Zachary captures the youthful wonder of JoJo who delivers quite a "Yopp" at the end.

The flexible Jamie Goldman along with Charles South and Cody Strand, all play the Wicksham Monkeys with appropriate menace.

Excellent choreography by Cassie Abate, who also directs this fast-paced musical.
Amani Dorn is stunning as the Sour Kangaroo, with a fabulous soulful voice.

Lindsay Andretta plays Mrs. Mayor to Strand’s Mr. Mayor of Whoville and they are both adorable.

The set, by Michael Anania, is apparently simple, but highly functional, with sliding shelves that hold props, and a floral painted floor with a secret compartment that introduces the Cat in the Hat in the most dramatic manner.

Even the backdrop changes colors to match the scenes and adds to the magic. I particularly like the shooting stars in the night scene. Lighting design by Al Crawford.

The live band directed by John Pike, is hidden from view, and they do a stellar job keeping pace with the singers.

For me the stars of the show are the amazing, although too briefly seen, fish puppets that are as innovative as they are imaginative. The actors push, swirl, crank, and flutter the various fish around the stage during the bathtub scene (clever bathtub!), and are remarkably beautiful. Puppet design by Paul Spirito.

It’s a shame that this show is ending Sunday. I would love to see them tour this at every Connecticut State University theater through the summer. More people and especially children should have the opportunity to attend this fine production of "Seussical the Musical" and see this talented cast perform.

4 Stars

(4 stars, excellent, 3 stars, good; 2 stars, fair; 1 star, poor)

Location: Nafe Katter Theatre, 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.

Production: Music by Stephen Flaherty. Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Book by Ahrens and Flaherty. Co-conceived by Ahrens, Flaherty, and Eric Idle. Directed and choreographed by Cassie Abate. Music direction by John Pike. Scenic design by Michael Anania. Costume design by Leslie Neilson-Bowman. Lighting design by Al Crawford. Sound design by Nathan Leigh. Puppet design by Paul Spirito. Technical direction by Gordon Sanfacon. Production stage manager Sarah M. Della.

Running time: 75 minutes with no intermission.

Show Times: Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Oct. 26.

Tickets: Range in price from $11 to $28. Call 860-486-4266 of visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Bradford Scobie … The Cat in the Hat

Steve Hayes … Horton the Elephant

Allyssa Schmitt …. Gertrude McFuzz

Rachel Rosado … Mayzie LaBird

Noah Zachary … JoJo

Amani Dorn … Sour Kangaroo

Jamie Goldman … Wichersham 1

Charles South … Wichersham 2

Cody Strand … Wichersham 3, Mr. Mayor

Lindsay Andretta … Bird Girl, Mrs. Mayor

Photo: Jojo (Noah Zachary) magically meets The Cat in the Hat (Bradford Scobie) in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Summer Nutmeg Series production of Seussical The Musical.

Photo: Horton the Elephant (Steve Hayes) Looks for the tiny Who's only he can hear.

Photo credit: Gerry Goodstein

2011-06-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

"Doug Elkins & Friends' Fraulein Maria" a raunchy take on the classic musical at HSC

by Kory Loucks

HARTFORD — Kicking off the Hartford Stage summer season is the raucous, raunchy dance interpretation of the classic musical "The Sound of Music" in "Doug Elkins & Friends’ Fraulein Maria."
This wild and unconventional 60-plus minute version is set to the 1965 film sound track.
There are three Marias (one of whom is a guy) often dancing concurrently, Liesel who is a 6-foot-something guy (the lithe John Sorensen-Jolink) dressed in a pink frock dancing with a shorter black Rolfe, (Therman Christopher) and the Reverend Mother who is a hip-hop boxing, basketball playing gang-banger (Doug Elkins).
Need I say, this version is not your mother’s "The Sound of Music."
The dance movements are earthy and modern, with touches of ballet and the old soft-shoe with bare feet, and just about every other style of dance imaginable, by this capable and athletic dance troupe.
There are plenty of hip thrusts and shimmying reminiscent of the "I Love Lucy" episode when she was stomping grapes in a wine vat, with legs splayed, skirts hiked, and feet bared.
It’s a sexy show, with one particular gesture indicating a whiff of bodily scent during the Liesel and Rolfe "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" number that many in the audience seemed to enjoy, but grossed me out.
This gesture alone makes it an adult show and not for the kids.
I have seen many community theater productions of "The Sound of Music" and of course the film, but have never just listened to the sound track, with all the amazing songs, each one so unique, lovely, and almost perfect.
Here, in this dance version of the original, the songs and the singers, including the amazing Julie Andrews, and the remarkable music and lyrics by the inimitable Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, hold up beautifully.
Michael Preston kick things right off from the start having the audience sing parts of "Do-Re-Mi," which is a clever turn and draws us right into the fun. Much of the show follows the plot and demonstrates how well suited the musical is to sheer dancing, conceived and choreographed by Elkins.
In addition to the songs already mentioned, "Climb E’vry Mountain," "The Lonely Goatherd," "My Favorite Things," "Maria," "So Long, Farewell," and of course the title song "The Sound of Music," are all brought to new life through dance.
Some numbers don’t adhere to the plot at all, such as "Edelweiss" where two men (presumably Capt. Von Trapp and perhaps Max Detweiler) sit on a park bench and do an awkward dance with a hat that doesn’t really go with the song or the show.
Still, its marvelous to see an entire performance devoted to dancing, an art form that doesn’t get enough representation these days. Can a dance interpretation of "Mary Poppins" be next?
Hartford is alive with "The Sound of Music" and the vision of dance at the Hartford Stage Company, through June 26.

3 ½ Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church St., Hartford.
Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Conceived and choreographed by Doug Elkins. Directed by Barbara Karger and Michael Preston. Lighting design by James Latzel. Costume designs by Barbara Karger and Robin Staff.Running time: 65 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through June 26.
Tickets: $25- $50. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at hartfordstage.org.
DANCERS
Hilary Brown, Doug Elkins, Daniel Charon, Therman Christopher, Krista Jansen, Deborah Lohse, Kellie Ann Lynch, Cori Marquis, Meghan Merrill, Donnell Oakley, Joshua Palmer, Michael Preston, John Sorensen-Jolink

2011-06-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

“Barefoot in the Park” delightful romance at the Ivoryton Playhouse

by Kory Loucks

IVORYTON-Ain’t love grand? In Neil Simon’s somewhat corny, sweet diversion, “Barefoot in the Park” at the Ivoryton Playhouse is a harmless and entertaining little ditty of a romantic comedy.
Originally opening on Broadway in 1963, and then turned into a movie starring Jane Fonda and Robert Redford, this play is also an amusing time capsule of sorts.
Here a six floor walkup one-bedroom apartment in New York City costs an outrageous $150 a month, while land-lines still have rotary dials and quaint old-fashioned telephone numbers like “Eldorado-58191.” Eldorado representing the “E” and “D” on the telephone dial pad.
It was a time of social upheaval, where women were just starting to come into their own in the workforce, and newlyweds Corie and Paul are part of the transition.
The plot finds the newlyweds setting up shop in a Greenwich Village walkup with a shower and no tub in the bathroom, a stove that doesn’t work, a walk-in closet for a bedroom, and a broken skylight. Corie arranges a blind date for her mom and the Russian Lothario living next door, Victor Velasco. That’s pretty much it for the plot.
Curiously, although they repeated mention that they live on 48th Street, that’s 50 blocks north of Greenwich Village.
Kathleen Mulready plays the effervescent child-woman Corie Bratter, 6 days married and in that lovely honeymoon period where everything is fabulous and the future looks limitless. Mulready, last seen in “The Irish and How They Got That Way,” is full of vim and vigor and invests her role with all the quirky charm necessary.
It doesn’t appear that she has a job, nor any intention of getting one, which brings me back to the time capsule. This was when women were evolving from the old roles of staying at home once they were married and working outside the home.
Sean Patrick Hopkins plays her practical and much put-upon husband and new lawyer, Paul. Hopkins does a fine job playing the straight man to his new wife’s zany antics and sometimes childish, trouble-making behavior.
Katrina Ferguson is lovely and charming as Corie’s mother, Mrs. Banks. She plays the role with a much nicer, sweeter attitude than I’ve seen before, while still being amusing, especially later on when she’s had a couple drinks and Victor insists on taking her home, in her car, to New Jersey.
Buzz Roddy plays Victor Velasco with a fine accent, but I would have like to see him play a more expansive, dramatic, and domineering and theatrical Victor. In other words, overacting fits this role.
Simon is a master of the one-liners and “Barefoot in the Park” is chock full of them. Like when her mother says to Corie, “I remember when you were a little girl you said you wanted to live on the moon. I thought you were joking.”
When the 58-year-old Velasco makes a pass at Corie, he says he wishes he were older because “dirty old men seem to get away with a lot more. I’m still at that awkward stage.”
There’s a funny running bit about people mounting the stairs and bursting into the room in various stages of oxygen depletion. Another quirky recurring bit comes from drinking Ouzo, an anise-flavored aperitif at a restaurant in Staten Island, which doesn’t cause a hangover, but Velasco says the alcohol makes it impossible to make a fist for days.
I also love comedy with clothing. Here Mrs. Banks’ hat twirls skyward after a night on the town. I would have loved to see her dressed in the kimono that they say Velasco wears. Costumes by Vivianna Lamb.
The set by designer Rachel Reynolds is perfect for a walkup, with a terrific, large skylight, that looks like a shabby chic version of the apartment in the television show “Friends.”
Directed with a light comic touch by R. Bruce Connelly, “Barefoot in the Park” is a fun little diversion from everyday life.

3 Stars

Location: Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT

Production: Written by Neil Simon. Directed by R. Bruce Connelly. Scenic design by Rachel Reynolds. Stage manager T. Rick Jones. Lighting design by Aaron Breskey. Hair design by Joel Silvestro. Sound design by Jo Nazro. Costume design by Vivianna Lamb.

Running time: 2 ½ hours including a 15-minute intermission.

Show Times: Wednesday and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through June 26.

Tickets: $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the box office at 860-767-7318, or visit their website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Kathleen Mulready … Corie Bratter

Sean Patrick Hopkins … Paul Bratter

Katrina Ferguson … Corie’s mother, Mrs. Banks

Buzz Roddy … Victor Velasco

Tom Libonate … Telephone repairman

Dan Coyle … Delivery man

Photo:Kathleen Mulready as Corie Bratter and Seawn PAtrick Hopkins as Paul
Bratter in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park" at the Ivoryton
Playhouse.

photo credit: Anne Hudson

2011-06-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

"Race" a fascinating, flawed legal drama at TheaterWorks

by Kory Loucks

HARTFORD — In just another bizarre example of life imitating art — the fascinating but flawed play “Race” by award-winning playwright David Mamet at TheaterWorks examines the polarizing topics of racism and sexism through our legal system, the media, and the seamier side of human nature.In this drama originally produced on Broadway in 2009, Charles, a Manhattan billionaire is accused of raping a black woman in a hotel room and shows up at a law firm looking for representation and where three lawyers grill the wealthy man about the incident.Sound eerily familiar? Perhaps the recent incident implicating Dominique Straus-Kahn, former managing director of the International Monetary Fund and potential President of France, with attempted rape of a maid in a New York City hotel might spring to mind.In this play, Charles was represented by another high-powered attorney, but has either jumped ship, or been dumped, and is seeking other representation.And why does he show up announced at the relatively obscure law firm? Because they have black lawyers, one of who is a woman? Quite possibly, but those and other motives and machinations are not revealed in this 90-minute play without a struggle.It’s been said that racism and sexism are the same and in this play we have glaring examples of both.As usual with any Mamet play, the language is fast, smart, and profane. Director Tazewell Thompson sees to the pace, which zings by at the speed of sound. There’s plenty of profanity and racial epithets, although none of it is gratuitous, including the two super-baddies-the “N” and “C” words.The oral slight-of-hand can’t completely hide the plot problems, however, which are awkwardly used to thrust the story into its various dramatic contortions. All of the revelations take place in real time in one afternoon.The details of the incident arrive out of the blue. The Ivy League graduate female lawyer, Susan, makes an egregious error by contacting the district attorney’s office to get the information about the incident, making the law firm the attorneys of record before they even decide to take the case.She then claims ignorance of causing a problem. I’m no lawyer, but isn’t that basic lawyer stuff?I wouldn’t even mind if she did it intentionally, but then she lies about her ignorance? And at least one of the lawyers believes her. That might forward the plot, but it makes her look like either a first class dummy or a blatant traitor. Why in the world would she so obviously bite the hand that feeds her?Then again out of nowhere a post card arrives by special delivery with damning information from Charles’ old college friend. How did that postcard arrive so fast to their office? Not a facsimile, but the actual postcard?The black male lawyer, Henry, theorizes that Susan saw a list of transgressions that Charles committed in his life, including his less than stellar behavior as a younger man.On that list she saw the name of the college buddy on the list, contacted him, and convinced him to send the damning postcard in 15 minutes? Stretches credulity beyond the breaking point.Henry sends Susan to his car to get his briefcase — an awkward and contrived plot machination invented so he can speak to Jack alone.Mamet’s strength is his characters and here the actors all excel.R. Ward Duffy leads the strong and competent cast as lawyer Jack, the pugilistic, driven, and complex head of the firm.Jack knows he’s part of the male white privilege problem, but finds that knowledge isn’t always enough. Duffy is convincing as the fast-talking, smart, and experienced lawyer who comes alive imagining the drama of a courtroom confrontation.Avery Glymph plays his partner, the younger black lawyer, Henry. He starts out being the most confrontational and then becomes most compassionate in a transition that feels effortless and natural.Jack Koenig is believable as the morally questionable Charles who comes across as surprisingly naïve for a man who has been near the media spotlight for years.He wants to bring his side of the story to the press. What is he, nuts? His lack of sophistication is not so believable, but Keonig plays it convincingly. Jack explains it away as Charles spinning out of control because of the rape accusations, which almost works.Taneisha Duggan has the trickiest role of the four as Susan, who bristles with righteous indignation when asked to play the role of the alleged black rape victim in court but then subserviently retrieves Henry’s briefcase.I love the way they argue with each other, answering questions and accusations with more questions, bringing to mind another truism — Lawyers never ask a question without already knowing the answer.“Race” is a fireworks of explosive language swirling around a timely topic at TheaterWorks, playing through July 10.

3 Stars

(4 stars, excellent; 3 stars, good, 2 stars, fair, 1 star, poor)

Theater: TheaterWorks

Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.

Production: Written by David Mamet. Directed by Tazewell Thompson. Sets by Donald Eastman. Costumes by Harry Nadal. Lighting by Robert W. Henderson Jr. Sound by Fabian Obispo.

Running time: 90 minutes with one intermission.

Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays - 2:30 p.m. The show will run through July 10.

Tickets: Unassigned seating is $39; $49 on Friday and Saturday nights. Center reserved seats $12 extra. $12 student rush tickets at showtime with valid ID (subject to availability). For tickets call 860-527-7838 or visit their Web site at www.theaterworkshartford.org.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

R. Ward Duffy … Jack

Avery Glymph … Henry

Taneisha Duggan … Susan

Jack Koenig … Charles

PHOTO: From left, Taneisha Duggan, Jack Koenig, R. Ward Duffy, and Avery Glymph as Susan, Charles, Jack, and Henry in David Mamet's "Race" at TheaterWorks in Hartford.

photo credit: Lanny Nagler

2011-06-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

Witty, wise-cracking “Guys and Dolls” at CRT

by Kory Loucks

STORRS-Spend an evening with Liver Lips Louey, Angie the Ox, Harry the Horse, and the other lovable no-good nicks shooting craps in the sewers of New York City to drinking Bacardi on the beaches of Havana, at Connecticut Repertory Theater’s “Guys and Dolls,” the 1950 musical fable of Broadway.
I probably shouldn’t admit this, but in the interest of full disclosure, this is the first time I’ve ever seen “Guys and Dolls,” including the 1955 film starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinartra.
Not having any previous shows to compare it to, however, this singular production sets the standard by which all future productions of “Guys and Dolls” will be measured.
Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows based the plot on writer Damon Runyon’s stories and characters.
For the two or three people who have never seen this show, the story revolves around a small time hood named Nathan Detroit, who is desperate to set up a game of craps for his cronies, but can’t find a place in New York City to hold the illegal games.
In the meantime, a Salvation Army troop, lead by Sarah Brown, is trying to save sinners in the heart of the city, without much luck. Detroit bets $1,000 that his buddy, Sky Masterson, can’t woo Sarah, so he can get money to pay for a place to gamble.
Detroit’s long suffering gal, the brassy night club singer Miss Adelaide, played by the animated Caitlin O’Brient, has been engaged to Detroit for 14 years, and is pushing him to finally take the plunge.
The spunky, diminutive Sarah Shenkkan plays the Salvation Army member Sarah Brown. It’s amazing that such a strong clear voice can emanate from such a petite person.
Ken Clark, last seen in the Connecticut Repertory Theatre musical “Urinetown,” plays Masterson, the slick, cynical womanizer, up against the willful, innocent Sarah. She doesn’t stand a chance, and he sweeps her off to Havana before you can say “Dulce de Leche.”
The University of Connecticut should be pleased with their staff as well. Webster, who plays Detroit with commitment and street smarts, is professor of Movement Theater. David Alan Stern doing a lovely turn as Sarah’s grandfather Arvide Abernathy, is the dialect and speech coach and a professor and associate head of the Dramatic Arts Department.
To top it off, the UConn School of Fine Arts new Artistic Director, Vincent J. Cardinal, also directs “Guys and Dolls” with skill, pace, and humor.
The dancing and acrobatics are simply fabulous, with rumbas in Havana, and other well choreographed dance numbers, including spiffy tap dancing by Miss Adelaide and her Hot Box dancers. Choreography by Cassie Abate.
The sets are fantastic too, with impressive lighted signs signifying the Big Apple to open the show, including advertisements for Planters Peanuts, Coca-Cola, RKO Palace, and Bloomingdales. The simple backdrop of a sunset in Havana is gorgeous also. Set design by Michael Anania.
The appealing aspect of this show, and probably the reason it is so popular with high schools and community theaters, is that there are so many fun supporting characters in addition to the solid lead roles.
Characters like Nicely-Nicely Johnson, played by Clyde Voce, Benny Southstreet played by Connor Moore, and Rusty Charlie played by Trent Saunders add much to the production and kick off the show with my favorite song among many excellent ones, “Fugue for Tinhorns.”
Other dynamite songs include “Luck Be A Lady Tonight,” “Sue Me,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat,” with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.
Still more characters including Big Jule, played by Jack Fellows, Harry the Horse (Joey Barreiro) and Angie the Ox played by Kevin Jones — all give this musical depth and breadth.
And the costumes! From the fancy fedoras, colorful zoot suits, and lively skinny ties worn by the men, to the vibrant A-line skirts, Havana whites, and sparkly tops worn by the women, they are as numerous as they are beautiful, by costume designer Michiko Kitayama-Skinner.
This is the first of three Nutmeg Summer Series productions — and if “Guys and Dolls” is any indication, it is going to be a stellar summer of theater at UConn.

GUYS AND DOLLS
Four Stars
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.
Production: Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon, with book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Directed by Vincent J. Cardinal. Choreography by Cassie Abate. Music direction by David Williams. Scenic design by Michael Anania. Costume design by Michiko Kitayama-Skinner. Lighting design by Al Crawford. Sound design by Nathan Leigh. Dialect and speech coach David Alan Stern. Technical direction by John Parmalee. Production stage manager Cynthia Kocher.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours including one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. through Sunday.
Tickets: Range in price from $10 to $39. Call the box office at 860-486-4266 of visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.

ACTOR...CHARACTER
Greg Webster ... Nathan Detroit
Caitlin O’Brient ... Miss Adelaide
Ken Clark ... Sky Masterson
Sarah Shenkkan ... Sarah Brown
David Alan Stern ... Arvide Abernathy
Clyde Voce ... Nicely-Nicely Johnson
John Bixler ... Lt. Brannigan
Connor Moore ...Benny Southstreet
Trent Saunders ... Rusty Charlie, Havana dancer
Kevin Jones ... Angie the Ox, Havana dancer, Drunk, Cop
Joey Barreiro ... Harry the Horse, Havana waiter
Jack Fellows ...Big Jule
Mischa Goodman ... Mimi
Alix Paige ...General Cartwright, Allison
Ryan N. Phillips ...Master of Ceremonies, Liver Lips Louey, Havana patron
Hanna Kaplan ... Agatha, Hot Box girl, Havana patron
Ethan Kasnett ...Calvin, Havana dancer, Society Max
Melissa Rapelje ...Martha, Havana dancer
Logan Rose Nelms ...Fergie, Havana dancer
Bliss Griffin ...Vernon, Havana dancer

2011-06-05T09:42:00.000-07:00

“Guys and Dolls” witty, wry, wonderful

by Kory Loucks

STORRS-Spend an evening with Liver Lips Louey, Angie the Ox, Harry the Horse and the other lovable no-goodnicks from drinking Bacardi on the beaches of Havana to playing craps in the sewers of New York City at Connecticut Repertory Theater’s “Guys and Dolls,” the 1950 musical fable of Broadway.

I probably shouldn’t admit this, having seen hundreds of plays and musicals, but this is the first time I’ve seen “Guys and Dolls,” including the 1955 film starring Marlon Brando and Frank Sinartra.

Not having any shows to compare it to, however, this stellar production will set the standard by which all future productions will be judged.

The plot “Guys and Dolls,” is based on the writer Damon Runyon’s stories, with book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows.

For the two or three people who like me have never seen the show, the plot revolves around a small time hood named Nathan Detroit, who is desperate to set up a game of craps for his cronies, but can’t find a place to hold the illegal games.

In the mean time, a Salvation Army troop, lead by Sarah, is trying to save sinners in the heart of the Big Apple, without much success. Detroit bets $1,000 that his buddy, Sky Masterson, can’t woo Sarah, so he can get money to pay for a place to gamble.

Detroit’s long suffering gal, the brassy night club singer Miss Adelaide, played by the animated Caitlin O’Brient, has been engaged to Detroit for 14 years, and is pushing him to finally take the matrimonial plunge.

The diminutive Sarah Shenkkan plays the Salvation Army member Sarah Brown. Its amazing that such a strong clear sound can emanate from such a petite person.

Ken Clark, last seen in the Connecticut Repertory Theatre musical “Urinetown,” plays Masterson, the slick, cynical womanizer, up against the willful, innocent Sarah. She doesn’t have a prayer and he sweeps her off to Havana before you can say "Dulce de Leche."

The school should also be pleased with their own staff. Webster, who plays Detroit with commitment and street smarts, is professor of Movement Theater at the University of Connecticut. David Alan Stern doing a lovely turn as Sarah’s grandfather Arvide Abernathy. Stern is the dialect and speech coach and a professor and associate head of the Dramatic Arts Department.

To top it off, the UConn School of Fine Arts new Artistic Director Vincent J. Cardinal also directs “Guys and Dolls” with skill and pace.

The dancing and acrobatics are fabulous and topnotch, with rumbas in Havana, and other well choreographed dance numbers, including terrific tap dancing by Miss Adelaide and her Hot Box dancers. Choreographer Cassie Abate.

The sets are fantastic too, with lighted signs signifying the big city to open the show, with advertisements for Planters Peanuts, Coca-Cola, RKO Palace, and Bloomingdales, and more. The simple backdrop of a sunset in Havana is gorgeous. Set design by Michael Anania.

The appealing aspect of this show, and probably the reason it is so popular with high schools and community theaters, is that there are so many fun supporting characters in addition to the lead roles.

Characters like Nicely-Nicely Johnson, played by Clyde Voce, Benny Southstreet played by Connor Moore and Rusty Charlie played by Trent Saunders add much to the production and kick off the show with my favorite song among many good ones, “Fugue for Tinhorns.”

Other terrific songs include “Luck be a Lady Tonight,” “Sue Me,” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin the Boat,” with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser.

Still more characters including Big Jule, played by Jack Fellows, Harry the Horse (Joey Barreiro) and Angie the Ox played by Kevin Jones give this musical depth and breadth.

And the costumes! From the fedoras, zoot suits, and skinny ties worn by the men, to the A-line skirts, Havana whites, and sparkly tops worn by the women, they are as numerous as they are beautiful, by costume designer Michiko Kitayama-Skinner.

This is the first of three Nutmeg Summer Series productions, and if “Guys and Dolls” is any indication, it is going to be a stellar summer of theater at UConn.

Four Stars

(4 stars, excellent; 3 stars, good, 2 stars, fair, 1 star, poor)

Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.

Production: Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon. Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Directed by Vincent J. Cardinal. Choreography by Cassie Abate. Music direction by David Williams. Scenic design by Michael Anania. Costume design by Michiko Kitayama-Skinner. Lighting design by Al Crawford. Sound design by Nathan Leigh. Dialect and speech coach David Alan Stern. Technical direction by John Parmalee. Production stage manager Cynthia Kocher.

Running time: 2 1/2 hours including one intermission.

Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. through Sunday.

Tickets: Range in price from $10 to $39. Call the box office at 860-486-4266 of visit their Website at www.crt.UConn.edu.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Greg Webster … Nathan Detroit

Caitlin O’Brient … Miss Adelaide

Ken Clark … Sky Masterson

Sarah Shenkkan … Sarah Brown

David Alan Stern … Arvide Abernathy

Clyde Voce … Nicely-Nicely Johnson

John Bixler … Lt. Brannigan

Connor Moore … Benny Southstreet

Trent Saunders … Rusty Charlie, Havana dancer

Kevin Jones … Angie the Ox, Havana dancer, Drunk, Cop

Joey Barreiro … Harry the Horse, Havana waiter

Jack Fellows … Big Jule

Mischa Goodman … Mimi

Alix Paige … General Cartwright, Allison

Ryan N. Phillips … Master of Ceremonies, Liver Lips Louey

Hanna Kaplan … Agatha, Hot Box girl,

Ethan Kasnett … Calvin, Havana dancer, Society Max

Melissa Rapelje … Martha, Havana dancer

Logan Rose Nelms … Fergie, Havana dancer

Bliss Griffin … Vernon, Havana dancer

Photo: Nicely-Nicely Johnson (Clyde Voce) leads the cast in the Act II showstopper number “Sit Down You’re Rockin’ The Boat”

Photo: Nathan Detroit (Greg Webster) gets a gift from his fiancée Miss Adelaide (Caitlin O’Brient)

photo credit Gerry Goodstein

2011-06-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

by Kory Loucks

HSO Maestro Edward Cumming says farewell with Saturday concert

HARTFORD — It is with mixed emotions that Edward Cumming approaches his final performance as Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s music director on Saturday.

“It’s alternately exciting and anxiety producing,” Cumming said.

Anxiety in part because it will mark the start of a uncharted chapter in his professional life and exciting because the ambitious last performance will be like nothing he has done before.

“It is a crossroads in my career,” Cumming said. “I love performing and I love teaching. The older I get I find that I am more like my teachers. … Teaching is a natural thing for me.”

Cumming has much to be proud of in his 9-year tenure with the orchestra, and says he is most pleased with how the musicians are playing now, as he prepares to take his final bow.

Most thrilling moments

It “was one of the most thrilling moments,” Cumming said of the orchestra’s May 19 performance of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. “They played like angels. It was very satisfying.”

Former HSO president and board member Kenneth Jacobson agreed with Cumming’s assessment of the orchestra’s performance of the Tchaikovsky symphony.

“He brought a structural grandness that I really hadn’t heard before,” Jacobson said.

“Edward made it a musical event without loosing the emotional component. He made me aware of how great a piece of music it is. And he has done that again and again,” Jacobson said.

“When I think of Edward, I just think of the wonderful music he has brought to us,” Jacobson said.

Cumming said other artistic highlights for him include the Richard Rodgers Review Pops! Concert with the Hartt School of Music and orchestra in May.

Cumming promised the finale on Saturday would be something special.

“No one has seen anything like this before,” Cumming said, adding that the audience will be “surrounded by players.”

“Enthusiasm and warmth”

Jacobson has known Cumming from the start, when he was on the selection committee that chose Cumming more than nine years ago to lead the HSO.

“We were very taken by his enthusiasm, his warmth, and his love of music,” Jacobson said of his first impressions that have remained unaltered through the years.

“I like Edward very, very much,” Jacobson said. “I am going to miss him. Many people are going to miss him. He brings a lot to the table.”

One popular draw is Cumming’s pre-concert talks, which have always been well attended.

“Edward has kept them very informal,” he said, adding that the pre-concert talks are a way to connect the music with the audience.

“Edward has really pushed the orchestra and really made them stretch,” Jacobson said, “and they are playing better now than they ever have.”

Jacobson said one of his fondest memories was the Joseph Mahler’s 9th Symphony that the orchestra performed a few years ago.

“It is an extremely difficult piece. It was an astounding accomplishment,” Jacobson said. “This was a world-class performance.”

Jacobson said that despite Cumming’s adventurous programming he hasn’t driven away audiences.

“Edward has been extremely successful in bringing in new music while keeping the audiences coming,” Jacobson said.

“His love for music — his passion is contagious. I hope Edward will come back to guest conduct.”

Even with the difficult economic times, Jacobson said, ticket sales have been strong in the last few years.

“We are running close to capacity,” Jacobson said.

HSO’s next conductor and musical director-designate is Carolyn Kuan, a decision that Cumming supported, saying Kuan would have been his choice.

Bringing in a new conductor about every decade is something that is important for a regional orchestra, Jacobson said.

“We are going to miss Edward terribly,” Jacobson said, “but to his credit he has brought this orchestra to a level that Carolyn Kuan can step in and carry on. We are extremely fortunate to have such talented musicians.”

Grand finale concert Saturday

The grand finale concert is at 8 p.m. in Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts.

This celebratory performance will feature the combined vocal forces of The Hartford Chorale, CONCORA, and Connecticut Children’s Chorus, along with soloists Jessica Winn and Steven Tharp.

Hector Berlioz’s “Te Deum” and the American premiere of Stephen Montague’s “Requiem: The Trumpets Sounded Calling Them to the Other Side” will be played on the Bushnell’s original Hartford-made Austin organ.

Prior to the concert, Cumming will lead a discussion from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., when Montague will join him to discuss the program. Cumming will also share concluding remarks on his nine seasons with HSO.

After the concert, audience members will be invited to the lobby for a special meet-and-greet with Cumming.

Tickets range in price from $33 to $65; student tickets are $10. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 860-244-2999 or visit:

www.hartfordsymphony.org

2011-05-27T06:51:00.000-07:00

"West Side Story" a nostalgic classic at the Bushnell

HARTFORD — As times change, it’s amazing how they stay the same. “West Side Story,” playing at the Bushnell through Sunday, was originally produced on Broadway in 1957, and deals with conflicts between races that are still an issue today.

by Kory Loucks

This musical, with fantastic songs by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, are classic, including “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” “America,” “One Hand, One Heart,” and “Tonight.”

Interestingly, when the idea for the musical was first conceived, Jerome Robbins, who created the original choreography and directed the original production, had envisioned the trouble being between Jews and Catholics during Passover in the Lower East Side of New York City.

It wasn’t until the recently deceased Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book for the show, came up with the idea of having the conflict be between the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks, and White gang, the Jets, that the show took shape and became the classic musical that it is today.

The story is a modern-day version of William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” where a white boy, Tony, and a Puerto Rican girl, Maria, meet at a dance and fall in love, complete with a balcony (here a fire escape), but become star-crossed lovers when their worlds collide.

Kyle Harris plays the love-struck Tony with passion and a fine clear voice, although sometimes, particularly in the beginning, he swallowed the higher notes.

Ali Ewoldt is excellent as the youthful Maria, and possesses a gorgeous strong sound. Ewoldt and Harris’s duet “Tonight” is gorgeous.

Michelle Aravena plays the sassy Anita, the Hispanic gal who’s in love with Maria’s brother, the macho Bernardo, played by the sexy German Santiago.

Here, the Puerto Ricans seem to have the stronger sense of family and dignity, while the white boys come across as nasty punks who attempt a gang rape.

I wasn’t sure by the costumes what era we were in. The Hispanic gals all wore brightly colored dresses with full skirts, clearly reminiscent of the 1950s, but the white boys were dressed in clothes that could pass for today, with jeans and button-down shirts. It was a little confusing. I say pick an era and stick with it. Costume design by David C. Woolard.

The choreography, reproduced by Joey McKneely, is clearly in line with the original ballet style of Robbins that works so well with the music. It reminds me of Martha Graham’s modern dance ballet “Appalachian Spring,” with the angular lines, twirls, and swirling movements.

The problem with this style then and now is, ballet is all about romance and feels incompatible with brawling rough and tumble action.

The fight scenes also lacked a feeling of authenticity and felt very stylized, which is fine, but it seems that they appeared authentic at times and stylized at others, which was confusing.

The sets by James Youmans, with wrought iron balconies, fire escapes, and bridge girders, were true to the New York City location and added a sense of place.

The lighting, designed by Howell Binkley was serviceable, but the spotlights on the stars were wobbly and unsure. Here’s hoping the spotlight operators get their cues down before the show closes Sunday.

There’s a lot of sexual innuendo and some violent sexual scenes that might be a bit much for the very young.

Stage review

3 1/2 stars

"West Side Story"

Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Memorial Center.

Location: 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford.

Production: Book by Arthur Laurents. Music by Leonard Bernstein. Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Directed by David Saint. Choreography originally by Jerome Robbins, reproduced by Joey McKneely. Musical supervision by Patrick Vaccariello. Scenic design by James Youmans. Costume design by David C. Woolard. Lighting design by Howell Binkley. Sound design by Dan Moses Schreier. Music direction by John O’Neill.

Running time: 2½ hours including a 15-minute intermission.

Show times: Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 6:30 p.m. Matinee performances Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m., through Sunday, May 29.

Tickets: From $89 to $381. Call 860-987-5900 or visit the Bushnell website at www.bushnell.org

Actor.................CHARACTER
Ali Ewoldt .............................................… Maria
Kyle Harris ..............................................… Tony
Michelle Aravena …................................. Anita
Joseph J. Simeone .................................… Riff
German Santiago .........................… Bernardo
John O’Creagh ........................................… Doc
Mike Broland .....................................… Krupke

4 stars Excellent; 3 stars Good; 2 stars Fair; 1 star Poor

1/2 star designates half-rating higher

Photo: Kyle Harris and Ali Ewoldt as Tony and Maria in "West Side Story" at the Bushnell through Sunday.

credit: Joan Marcus

2011-05-15T10:32:00.000-07:00

“Ragtime” a nostalgic trip in time at the Broad Brook Opera House

by Kory Loucks

EAST WINDSOR-What a difference a century makes. The Broad Brook Opera House production of “Ragtime” is a musical journey of plangent nostalgia to the early 1900s when Henry Ford’s Model T was transforming the landscape, and immigrants, blacks, and the white bourgeoisie were clashing and melding in that great melting pot known as America.
This show features 25 performers lead with strong direction by Sharon FitzHenry, who also did the limited choreography for the show.
Based on E.L. Doctorow’s 1975 novel by the same name, this musical looks at the three different groups represented by a rich white family from New Rochelle, blacks from Harlem, a immigrants among many others, including the rich and famous of the day.
They all have their travails, and their problems intermingle. Mother, played with heart by Sue Dziura, has an wandering husband (J.J. Martin) who leaves her home alone. She finds an abandoned black baby, belonging to Sarah, a woman whose lover, Coalhouse, treated her badly.
Mother takes Sarah and the child into her home. Complications ensue when the contrite and determined Coalhouse, a musician in Harlem, tries to woo her back again.
Chae-vonne Munroe plays Sarah and Jerrial Young is Coalhouse, and the two who sing many songs together, are magical. Their voices are plaintive, and soulful.
Meantime, a new Latavian immigrant, Tateh, played by Luis Manzi, along with his little girl, played by the pixie Maeve Jordan, come to the new world with great hopes, only to live in abject poverty. Manzi has an good solid voice, and a fine accent.
Recognizable famous names are mixed into the group, including JP Morgan (David Climo, who also plays Admiral Perry), Henry Ford (Matthew Falkowski Sr.), Booker T. Washingon (Joshua Thompson), and Houdini (Andrew Small).
In addition are two who were well-known in their day, include the anarchist and political activist Emma Newirth (a terrific Jayne Newirth), the infamous vaudeville star Evelyn Nesbitt (the petulant Sara Steiner).
It’s a shame not to mention each and every actor, because they are all very good. When this show first ran on Broadway in 1998, the compliant was that the set overwhelmed the show. Here, the simple set, by FitzHenry, of an abstract American Flag, is the perfect backdrop for the show.
I love how FitzHenry uses simple chairs to depict scenes, such as in the Lawrence, Mass. mill where Tateh and his daughter work long hours for little pay.
The period costumes, by costume designer Moonyean Field, deserves special mention, because they are numerous, detailed, and beautiful, and they add a lot to the authentic feeling of this musical.
There is some strong, racist language, which is disturbing, but appropriate for this show. It’s not all good times and happy songs, but a depiction of a time and place that feels true to our shared heritage.

More than once during this show I had a visceral reaction of pleasurable chills from the impact of the powerful and moving music, notably during “New Music” sung by Mother, Father, Younger Brother, Coalhouse, and Sarah.

It’s an important story of intolerance, understanding, growth, and success, that speaks to our common and unique experience as Americans. I highly recommend “Ragtime,” playing through Sunday.

4 stars
(4 stars, excellent; 3 stars, good, 2 stars, fair, 1 star, poor)
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: 107 Main Street, Broad Brook
Production: Music by Stephen Flaherty. Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Book by Terrance McNally. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel “Ragtime.” Direction, choreography, scene design, and painting by Sharon FitzHenry. Musical direction by Bill Martin. Stage manager Paul Leone. Costumes by Moonyean Field.
Running time: 3 hours including a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Sunday.
Tickets: $21, $17 for seniors over 60 and students under 12. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Jerrial Young … Coalhouse
Chae-vonne Munroe … Sarah
Luis Manzi … Tateh
Sue Dziura … Mother
J.J. Martin … Father
Sara Steiner … Evelyn Nesbitt
Jayne Newirth … Emma Goldman
Andrew Small … Houdini
Jonathan Simmons … Young Brother
Joshua Thompson … Booker T. Washington
Matthew “Sparky” Falkowski … Little Boy
Maeve Jordan … Little Girl
Moonyean Field … Grandmother
Reva Kleppel … Brigit
Khara Hoyer … Kathleen, Sob sister
Matthew Falkowski Sr. … Henry Ford
David Climo … JP Morgan, Admiral Perry
Stephanie Foster … Sarah’s friend
Erica Romeo … Sarah’s friend, Sob Sister
Anthony Coleman … Coalhouse’s friend, Conductor
Issa Best … Coalhouse’s friend, Hensen
Jessica Serra … Sob Sister
Mike May … Police
Jonathan Trecker … Conklin
Kason Sheffield … Young Coalhouse

2011-05-15T08:03:00.000-07:00

Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” an ambitious drama at the Valley Repertory Company

ENFIELD-The Valley Repertory Company gets an “A” for effort for taking on the challenge of producing Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy “Romeo and Juliet.”

Some might call it brave, others foolhardy to take on the bard, but thanks to a talented cast and strong direction by Jeffrey Flood, they pulled it off.

Few plays showcase a director’s choice more than Shakespeare’s, because there are literally as many ways to produce them as there are directors.

In this production, Flood sets the play in present-day Verona, somewhere in the United States. It turns out to be an excellent choice. A feud exists between two families-Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo (a quixotic Logan Lopez) meets and falls in love with Juliet (an earnest Amanda Marschall). He’s a Monagues, she a Capulet. Trouble ensues.

Previously, Juliet’s father, (Christopher Duzak) wants her to marry the wealthy Paris (Ryan Coe). She’s all for it until Romeo enters the picture. Her mother (the dependable Nicole R. Giguere) and nurse (the delightful Elizabeth C. Reynolds) give her advice.

Meanwhile, Romeo’s buddy, the fiery Mercutio (played with sly streetsmarts by Emily Engel) gets into a fight and is killed by Juliet’s cousin, the angry Tybalt (a strong Dallas Hosmer.) Then Tybalt attacks Romeo and is killed by him.

Juliet and Romeo go to the Friar Lawrence (Aaron F. Schwartz) who marries them, then later, when Romeo is banished for killing Tybalt, he comes up with a scheme for Juliet to avoid marrying Paris.

The Friar gives her a potion that makes her appear dead for 48 hours. Then he arranges for the banished Romeo to learn about the plan, come to the burial chamber and take his bride away.

As most know in this most famous of plays, things don’t end so well for our “star-crossed lovers.” Romeo never learns of the friar's scheme, but only hears that Juliet is dead. He finds her there and, after killing Paris who attacks him, he takes poison and dies. She, awaking moments later, finds him dead and kills herself.

The brawling fight scenes, under fight choreographer Charles Schoenfeld, are some of the best and most believable ones that I have seen on any stage.

Other standouts are the modern day details, like the iPods Mercutio and others listen to at times. The costumes, by Denise Clapsaddle, are seemingly easy, since they are the clothes people wear today, but they are many and they all work to give the show a solid base.

The set is a simple design, complete with the famous balcony, and they work. I like the three large triangular blocks that are moved to different positions to represent different scenes, but they were a little ungainly. Perhaps if the large panels were made of canvas instead of wood, the hardworking backstage crew could have more easily manipulated them.

The challenge and the delight of a Shakespeare play is the glorious, almost miraculous language. Here, most of the time, the lines were intelligible. My recommendation if you can’t understand every word is not to fret. There’s a lot of language here and it will all become clear as the play soldiers on.

Although “Romeo and Juliet” is undoubtedly a tragedy, there is humor in it too, such as when the Nurse returns to share news with Juliet about Romeo, but complains that she is out of breath. Juliet responds with exasperation, “How art thou out of breath when thou hast breath to say to me that thou art out of breath?”

Many mistakenly judge Shakespeare’s plays as being reserved and intellectual, but he was really the playwright of the people. There are many bawdy, off-color, sexually suggestive moments that are exploited to the hilt in this show, which is true to the earthy humor of Shakespeare.

Thanks too to the fantastic program, which gives names and even times to each of the multiple scenes, and even has photos of the cast and crew along with their biographies.

With Shakespeare, though, it all comes down to the language. And in Romeo and Juliet, some of the most famous lines ever written are brought to life. As when Romeo says, “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun! Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon.” And to Romeo, Juliet’s “Parting is such sweet sorrow. That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

And then Juliet again, when she says to Romeo, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”

But in the end, the Prince (a fine Becky Beth Benedict) couldn’t say it better, when she says, “For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”

Come and revel in a night of Shakespeare at the Valley Repertory Company’s production of “Romeo and Juliet,” playing through Saturday.

3 1/2 Stars

(4 stars is excellent; 3 stars, good; 2 stars, fair; 1 star, poor)

Theater: Valley Repertory Company

Location: 100 High Street, Enfield

Production: Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Jeffrey Flood. Produced by Janine Flood. Stage Manager Peter Scibak. Set and lighting design by Marin McNeill. Costume design by Denise Clapsaddle. Fight choreography by Charles Schoenfeld. Dance choreography by Yvonne Lacombe.

Running time: 3 hours including one 15-minute intermission

Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through May 21.

Tickets: $8 - $12. Call 860-749-4665 or visit their website at http://www.valleyrep.com/

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Logan Lopez … Romeo

Amanda Marschall … Juliet

Emily Engel … Mercutio

Dallas Hosmer … Tybalt

Aaron Gilberto … Benvolio

Elizabeth C. Reynolds … Nurse

Becky Beth Benedict … Escalus Prince

Aaron L. Schwartz … Friar Lawrence

Christopher Duzak … Capulet

Nicole R. Giguere … Capulet’s wife

Ryan Coe … Paris

David Basile … Montague

Aslynn Brown … Montague’s wife, Apothecary

Jennifer Rawlings … Balthasar

Aaron Muhlmeyer … Sampson, guest, 2nd Watch

Dan Graef … Gregory, guest, 3rd watch

Jeff Lange … Citizen, DJ, Friar John

Anthony Piccione … Peter, citizen

Tori Vonkaenel … Citizen, guest, Paris’ Page

Mike Strevel … Abram, Chief Watch

Top photo: Tybalt (Dallas Hosmer) fighting Romeo (Logan Lopez) as Benvolio (Aaron Gilberto) and Sampson (Aaron Mulmeyer) look on.

photo to left:Logan Lopez as Romeo

photo to right:Logan Lopez and Amanda Marschall as Romeo and Juliet

photo credit: Lesley Arak of Lesley Arak Photography

2011-05-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

“My One and Only” a tap dancing extravaganza at Goodspeed

EAST HADDAM — “My One and Only” at the Goodspeed Opera House brings the art of tap dancing to a whole new level.

If you can sit through the entire performance without starting to tap your feet yourself, you might want to make sure you’re still breathing. The dancing is infectious, with fabulous choreography by Kelli Barclay.

This stellar, gifted, and energetic cast is lead by the superlative Tony Yazbeck as the country bumpkin flyboy Captain Billy Buck Chandler.

He is trying to become as famous as Columbus, only in reverse, by being the first man to fly from the U.S. to Paris. Set in 1927, but actually created in 1983, there is some raunchy language that isn’t horrible, but feels a little gratuitous in this vaudevillian style show.

Tommy Tune originally played Chandler in the show on Broadway in 1983 with Twiggy as his co-star.

Chandler falls in love with Edythe Herbert, played with pixie perkiness by Gabrielle Ruiz.

Her manager, the womanizing Prince Nikki (played with a Boris Badenov comic touch by Khris Lewin), says Edythe is the third woman to swim across the English Channel, but the first good-looking one. Ruiz’s character is supposedly from England, but her accent is more the exception than the rule.

Chandler gets sidetracked from his mission of being the first to cross the Atlantic Ocean solo because of true love.

He tries to learn to become more sophisticated, with the help of Mr. Magix, played by the indomitable talent, Alde Lewis Jr., who played the same role when this show ran on Broadway.

Lewis is remarkable in the old school style of tap. And when Lewis as Mr. Magix and Yazbeck as Chandler go at it in a tap dancing toe-to-toe at the beginning of Act Two, well, it is simply tap dancing heaven.

Also delightful and spirited is Trent Armand Kendall as the holy-roller Rev. J.D. Montgomery, who brings a new meaning to the term “Black Irish” in a delicious cameo as Mrs. O’Malley.

Kirsten Wyatt makes every moment count as the mechanic with a secret, Mickey.

Coming in dead even with the dancing, as far as fabulous is concerned, are the spiffy songs by those inimitable brothers, George and Ira Gershwin.

The musical is a showcase for some of their most memorable tunes, including “He Loves & She Loves,” “Funny Face,” and the whimsical “S’Wonderful.”

As usual, the costumes at the Goodspeed, this time by Robin L. McGee, are as numerous as they are festive and stunningly detailed. There are more top hats, tuxes, tails, vests, spats, and canes than you can shake a feather at, and plenty of 1920s flapper gowns with sparkling fringe, dramatic bathing suits, and even belly dancing outfits.

I still don’t know how they manage some of those split-second costume changes, but the choreography back stage must be as interesting as it is on stage at times.

The youthful ensemble cast tapping again and again in unison is simply irresistible.

This is a show that goes all out and over the top to please, and boy oh boy, do they ever succeed.

And what a treat to have scenes from an old Rudolph Valentino silent movie, that they call “White Baggage of the Casbah,” projected onto the backdrop. A terrific idea that adds even more life to this lively show. Also a clever touch is the flying plane aided by umbrellas that just has to be seen to be believed.

The music, the dancing, the set, the costumes, they all add up to another “s’wonderful” slam-dunk musical treat at the consistently “s’marvelous” Goodspeed Opera House.

Stage review

4 stars

"My One and Only"

Theater: Goodspeed Opera House

Location: 6 Main St., East Haddam.

Production: Music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin. Book by Peter Stone and Timothy S. Mayer. Directed by Ray Roderick. Choreography by Kelli Barclay. Set design by James Youmans. Music direction by Michael O’Flaherty. Costume design by Robin L. McGee. Lighting design by Paul Miller. Production design by Michael Clark. Sound by Jay Hilton.

Running time: 2½ hours including one 15-minute intermission.

Show times: Wednesday, Sunday, and selected Thursday matinees at 2 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturday matinees at 3 p.m., and selected Sundays at 6:30 p.m. through June 25.

Tickets: $28-$72. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their website at: www.goodspeed.org.

Actor.................CHARACTER

Tony Yazbeck ..… Capt. Billy Buck Chandler

Gabrielle Ruiz .....................… Edythe Herbert

Trent Armand Kendall ........................ Rev. J.D. Montgomery

Khris Lewin .......… Prince Nicholai, Achmed

Alde Lewis Jr. …............................... Mr. Magix

Kirsten Wyatt ….................................... Mickey

4 stars Excellent ; 3 stars Good; 2 stars Fair; 1 star Poor

photos from Goodspeed Opera House

2011-05-08T16:56:00.000-07:00

"Italian American Reconciliation" at Longwharf a lesson in growing up

three stars

(one star is poor, two is fair, three is good, and four is excellent)

Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven

Production: Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Eric Ting. Set design by Scott Bradley. Costume design by Linda Cho. Lighting design by Russell Champa. Sound design by Jill Pickett.

Running time: 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission.

Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays at 7 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. through May 22.

Tickets: $60 to $70. For more information call their box office at 203-787-4282, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org

ACTOR…CHARACTER

John Procaccino … Aldo Scalicki

Michael Crane … Huey Maximillian Buonfigliano

Stephanie DiMaggio … Teresa

Lisa Birnbaum … Janice

Socorro Santiago … Aunt May

NEW HAVEN-Growing up is hard to do, at any age. That’s the theme in a nutshell of “Italian American Reconciliation” written by John Patrick Shanley, who wrote the screenplay for “Moonstruck” at about the same time as this play in the late 1980s.

More recently Shanley wrote “Doubt, a Parable,” a very different play from this one, and one that I just happened to see earlier this weekend at the Little Theatre of Manchester.

This production at the Longwharf Theatre directed by Eric Ting, moves the 1980s play to the present time, with Aldo Scalicki, played by the affable John Procaccino, reminiscing about an important event in his life over 20 years ago.

As Aldo’s recalls, his best friend, the wiry and hyper Huey Maximillian Buonfigliano, played by Michael Crane, is distressed because he can’t get over his 3-year divorce from his former wife, the sadistic Janice, played by the lovely Lisa Birnbaum.

Buonfigliano has taken up with another gal, the kind and understanding Teresa (Stephanie DiMaggio) but it’s no good. Huey feels that something has been taken from him, and he needs to get back with Janice to regain his confidence.

Being his best bud, Aldo does his best to talk his looney friend out of his hair-brained scheme, but gets nowhere.

“Talking to you is like being alone,” Aldo says, exasperated.

Aldo then decides to help Huey by trying to seduce Janice, even though he’s scared to death of her. Thinking that if he seduces Janice then Huey will forget about her. Weird logic.

And he has good reason to fear her. Janice killed Huey’s dog with a zip gun, and then tried to shoot Huey dead with that same zip gun, but it jammed.

Now Aldo is unmarried and in his 50s looking back on this episode that he has told many times. It is a story that defines him, or at least who he thinks he is, which is tantamount to the same thing. He is a mama’s boy who is afraid to grow up, take a chance, and settle down with a woman.

They are all Italian Americans, except for Teresa’s Aunt May, played by Socorro Santiago, who is Latino, which is slightly confusing, even though Santiago is terrific as the wise and thoughtful May. She has some good insight into life and facing up to fears and moving beyond them that Aldo tries to take to heart.

But, its not clear if he is going to move on, or just repeat this episode in his life as a cautionary tale to remain alone and lonely.

He blames his fears on his relationship with his father, which might be true, but still, his father’s dead, he says, and he recognizes he has to live his own life.

At the end of Act One we finally get to see Janice, but here she appears all in white, stands on a stage that lifts into the air and at the top of the lift, she takes out a gun and points it at Aldo. This was not in the original script, but an addition by Ting, and although it gets a big laugh, it feels out of place from the rest of the play.

The set, by Scott Bradley, is the remnants of the end of a wedding reception, in a Veterans of Foreign War’s hall. The level of detail is extraordinary, and feels just like a real banquet hall.

The play starts out with Aldo sitting in one of the chairs at a table on his own, drinking some wine, while the accordion player (DiMaggio) plays in the background. I’m still not sure if the accordion player is also supposed to be Teresa or not.

It starts gradually, with the lights still on the audience, which makes the transition to the world of the play feel a little awkward. Part of the same set becomes Huey’s apartment and then it becomes Janice’s backyard, which takes some stretching of the imagination.

Shanley’s language is funny and insightful. When Aldo gets mad he says, “I feel the pulse in my nose.”

When Aldo decides to seduce Janice, he refers to it as a “military objective. Janice is like taking a hill” but then he goes on to say, “my stomach is against this.”

Some of the humor just doesn’t translate to the page, because it is the context and the delivery that mean everything and the actors all have terrific timing and good instincts.

All the characters mean well and are trying as best they can to get through life with dignity and love.

As May tells Aldo, “Open your heart and forget your fear. Stop this scaredness of women.”

Aldo takes this to heart and tries to share what wisdom he has gained with the audience.

“In the end you are dead,” Aldo says, “In the beginning you are taken care of.” Everything in the middle takes courage.

“The only success is be able to live,” he says. That’s not a bad motto to live by.

2011-05-08T16:54:00.000-07:00

Suffield Player’s “South Pacific” filled with youth and joy

Three Stars

(one star is poor, two is fair, three is good, and four is excellent)

Location: Mapleton Hall, 1305 Mapleton Ave. Suffield.

Production: Music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Directed by Frank P. Borrelli. Musical director George A. Garber Jr. Produced by Rob Lunde. Stage manager Mary Fernandez-Sierra. Assistant stage manager Chelsea Skawski. Technical direction and lighting design by Jerry Salewski. Costume design by Dawn McKay. Sound by Al LaPlant. Set design by Konrad Rogowski.

Running time: 3 hours, with a 15-minute intermission.

Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through May 22.

Tickets: $17, $15 for seniors and students. Call 1-800-289-6148 or visit their website at www.suffieldplayers.org.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Stephanie Devine … Nellie Forbush

Rich Moran … Emile de Becque

Becky Rodia Schoenfeld … Bloody Mary

Shaun O’Keefe … Luther Billis

Danny Viets … Lt. Joseph Cable

Hal Chernoff … Cmdr. William Harbison

Mark Proulx … Capt. George Brackett

Zachary Gray … Stewpot

Erica Bryan … Liat

Michael Holt … Professor

Amy Rucci … Lead nurse

Andrew Holl … Lt. Buzz Adams

Laura Markis … Ensign Dinah Murphy

Grace Spelman … Ensign Janet MacGregor

Mary Roberge … Nurse

Bradshaw Mattson … Jerome

Kennedy Mattson ... Ngana

Daniel Candella … Henry

Tony Andruss, Daniel Candella, Timothy Glynn, Zachary Gray, Andrew Holl, Michael Holt … Seabees and sailors

SUFFIELD-It might be as corny as Kansas in August at times, but there’s nothing like Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical “South Pacific,” playing at the Suffield Players through May 22.

The solid cast is lead by the perky Stephanie Devine who has a lovely clear voice, in the role of Nellie Forbush, that enthusiastic, wide-eyed optimist from Little Rock, Arkansas.

She falls for sophisticated Frenchman Emile de Becque, played by the capable Rich Moran, who possesses a lovely resonant voice along with a fine French accent.

The show’s plot centers on their love relationship, along with a secondary love interest between a youthful Princeton graduate, Lt. Joseph Cable, and Liat, an Island girl.

Danny Viets plays Lt. Joseph Cable, looking like a young Tom Cruise. He sings one of the most beautiful of all Oscar and Hammerstein’s songs, “Younger Than Springtime.” Viets has some genuine and beautifully authentic moments.

Although she has a small part, Erica Bryan who plays Liat is graceful and elegant, and she has a beautiful voice when she sings.

Set in the South Pacific on a U.S. Naval base on an island, the navy is trying to beat the Japanese. Cable, who is with the Marines, goes on an undercover mission to a key island with de Becque to find out where the Japanese are moving and intercept them.

Others in the excellent cast include Becky Rodia Schoenfeld as the islander Bloody Mary, who sells grass skirts and shrunken heads as souvenirs to the seabees and sailors. Rodia Schoefeld is terrific as the tough-talking entrepreneur who works as a matchmaker between her daughter, Liat, and Cable, singing the beautiful “Happy Talk.”

Also fine is Shaun O’Keefe as Luther Billis, the sailor who is also trying to work some angles and make some extra cash on the side. Billis has a good heart, and O’Keefe has a fine voice and strong stage presence too.

The stage at the Suffield Players is small for musical theater, but set designer Konrad Rogowski does a creative job making a multi-layered set, although the two side stages are a little high. I was a concerned that the actors might take a step too far and fall about 10 feet. They used the space underneath two more entrances, which made sense.

One of the nice things about the smaller theater is that the actors didn’t have to be miked to be heard. That is also credit to the orchestra, lead by Musical Director George A. Garber Jr.

The radio communications are remarkable, sounding authentically like how I would imagine the scratchy fading communications sounded during World War II, with sound by Al LaPlant.

The costumes are all fine and fit the time period of the play, although I think in World War II the women officers and nurses would have been in skirts, not pants.

Directed by Frank P. Borrelli, the actors moved comfortably on stage, but they could have used a choreographer during some of the musical numbers, where the movement feels stilted.

While the story is good, this musical is all about the terrific, timeless songs, in addition to those already mentioned, like, “Honey Bun,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “A Cockeyed Optimist,” “You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and the exquisite mournful melody, “This Nearly Was Mine.”

Come away to your own special island in paradise and see The Suffield Players’ production of “South Pacific.”

2011-05-08T16:52:00.001-07:00

“Doubt, a Parable” powerful revelatory drama at Little Theatre of Manchester

Three Stars

(one star is poor, two is fair, three is good, and four is excellent)

Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester

Production: Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Sara Logan. Stage manager Tom Goodin. Technical direction and lighting design by Glen Aliczi. Set design by David Moske. Sound design by Ron Schallack. Costume design by Marge Patefield.

Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission

Show Times: Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through May 22

Tickets: $16 - $23. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org

ACTORS … CHARACTERS

Debi Freund … Sister Aloysius Beaufier

Christopher Berrien … Father Flynn

Clare Fravel … Sister James

Latoya Williams … Mrs. Muller

MANCHESTER-From all accounts, Vatican II was not such a good idea after all. The concept was that the Catholic priests and nuns should have a more nurturing friendly approach to parishioners and their families, rather than remain austere and removed as they generally had in the past.

As shown in “Doubt, a Parable,” playing at the Little Theatre of Manchester, as well as thousands of horror stories from adults who were youths then, the results could sometimes lead to acts of pedophilia that, even worse, would go unchecked and covered up by church authorities for decades.

Not that that kind of perverse abusive behavior didn’t exist before, but the close, familial contact seemed to exacerbate a potentially dangerous and devastating relationship with vulnerable youths.

In this production, written by John Patrick Shanley, Debi Freund plays Sister Aloyisus Beauvier, who is an older experienced nun who is principal of the church’s middle school in the Bronx in 1964.

Freund, a veteran of LTM productions both on and off the set, does a fine job as Sister Aloyisus, representing the old school of church authority, where youths are supposed to be fearful of their elders, and learn in a safe and structured environment.

When a youthful nun, Sister James, played with passion and wide-eyed enthusiasm by Clare Fravel, says she loves to connect with the children, Sister Aloyisus advises against that type of relationship.

“I question your enthusiasm,” she says to Sister James.

Children have enough friends with their peers and don’t need the teachers as friends, Sister Aloyisus continues. In her view, the new approach is not a good one.

“Every easy choice today will have their consequences tomorrow,” Sister Aloyisus says, and encourages her to teach her beloved history classes “without pouring sugar all over it.”

Father Flynn, played by Christopher Berrien, also embraces the friendly, easy-going approach to his parishioners and the youths in the school, but his motives are less certain.

Father Flynn gives sermons and stories about faith, intolerance, and hope that are stirring, sometimes funny, and inspiring. He is charming and energetic, and Sister Aloyisus has significant doubts about him.

Those doubts are based on fleeting observations of his interactions with the boys, and past experience. She also has a male dominated hierarchy, with a particularly weak Monsignor, so she decides to take matters into her own hands.

Flynn befriends the first black student to attend the parochial school, Donald Mueller, but Sister James notices that after visiting with Flynn in the rectory, he returns to class with alcohol on his breath.

She reports this observation to Sister Aloyisus, who concocts a premise to interview the priest with Sister James in attendance.

What proceeds is a fascinating and interesting cat-and-mouse game between Aloyisus and Flynn. With little more than her intuition, she tries to get Flynn to confess to something he says he is unjustly accused of.

Sister Aloyisus also interviews Mrs. Mueller, the mother of Donald Mueller, to see if there is anything that she can add to the case she is trying to build against Flynn.

Latoya Williams plays Mrs. Mueller, with a naturalism and calm dignity that quietly almost steals the show. With an abusive husband and a sensitive son, she proves a fierce and determined defender of her child, Mrs. Mueller’s views and attitudes are unexpected and heartfelt.

The simple set, of a park bench, a door and office, function perfectly for this play, although the door and windowsills were painted in a non-solid color, which looked like it was a shabby-chic décor rather than a respectible well maintained school. Set design by David Moske.

The costumes, designed by Marge Field, are solid and faithful to the time period. The matching blue pillbox hat for Mrs. Mueller is a nice touch.

This beautifully written play, well directed by Sara Logan, looks at the ways people choose to live their lives, and the consequences of those choices.

2011-04-30T15:00:00.000-07:00

photos by Jessica Hill/Journal Inquirer

Take a walk on the High Line, a new park in NYC’s Chelsea section

NEW YORK — Smiling, relaxed, happy people are not the type of folks one usually thinks of when one thinks of New York City inhabitants.

But along the new High Line Park, 30 feet above the ground, locals as well as visitors in the vibrant Chelsea section revel in this world removed from the hubbub of the city below.

The High Line was a freight line originally built in the 1930s to move dangerous freight trains off of the street level, according to its website. It carried meat to the Meatpacking District, as well as other items, and was in operation until 1980.

This lovely new park might not have existed at all if it weren’t for some forward-thinking individuals. The rail lines were slated for demolition, when in 1999 “Friends of the High Line” a nonprofit group was formed by local residents Joshua David and Robert Hammond to preserve the historic site.

The city of New York works in conjunction with the “Friends of the High Line” to maintain and preserve the structure.

The first section of the park, from Gansevoort Street to 20th Street, opened in 2009 and is open year round, with extended summer hours from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Park a “must see”

Sarah and Alex Berry of Leeds, England, were sitting on a park bench enjoying the spring sunshine at the High Line Park on a recent Friday.

The couple were in New York City on their honeymoon, and had heard about the High Line Park from some friends who told them it was a “must see.”

“Being here is the only place in the city that literally lifts you up,” Alex Berry said. On the streets of New York, everyone seems so serious and in a hurry to get somewhere, he said, but on the High Line “no one looks very serious.”

It’s true. People were casually meandering about, taking photos of the early spring tulips and daffodils blooming and cherry and dogwood trees blossoming among the old rail line, eating cupcakes, talking, and laughing.

Sarah Berry commented on the buildings surrounding the park, saying that they aren’t as tall as the skyscrapers in mid-town, and are far more architecturally interesting.

World renown architect Frank Gehry’s amazing white curved building, the IAC headquarters, can be seen from one vantage point and the Empire State Building can be seen from another, thanks to the smaller buildings along with the heightened views from the park.

Chad Helmer and Ashley Robinson, who live in the city, were also sitting on a bench chatting on a recent Friday afternoon, soaking up some rays.

“It’s really cool what they did,” Helmer said. “I come here to relax. It’s a great place to get some sun.”

Robinson said she is a teacher and some of her fellow teachers use the park as a learning opportunity. They bring their students here on field trips to identify the plants growing in the park.

Art installations abound

This being New York, there are free art installations at various spots along the path. One is a viewing station by artist Richard Galpin that distorts the optical perspective when viewed through a metal cube, which emphasizes geometric forms, with nods to early 20th century Cubism and Futurism.

Another art installation, by Stephen Vitiello, is in the 14th Street passage. In this partially enclosed, acoustically resonant space, one of 59 city sounds goes off each minute. Sounds include the Aquaduct Race Track gate opening, and the Coney Island Dreamland Bell. Then at the top of each hour they all go off contemporaneously in a blare of sound that is oddly harmonic and unexpected.

A flat, long water feature traveling over concrete adds a lovely trickling ambiance and peaceful sound farther south along the High Line Park, with a stunning western view at the Hudson River and the setting sun.

Another viewing stage with benches situated like an auditorium is also a fun place to sit and watch the world go by. It has a glassed off partition, allowing people to stop, sit, and enjoy the hustle and bustle of traffic along 10th Avenue.

Climbing the metal staircases to get to the park is an aerobic workout all by itself, but they also have handicap-accessible elevators at the 14th and 16th Street entrances. Once at the park, the walk is relatively straight and flat.

There are tables and chairs in addition to the permanent benches in the park, and vendors and artisans sell their wears in booths along the way too.

Because of the delicate nature of the plants, no dogs, skates, skateboards, recreational scooters, or bicycles are allowed in the park.

At the southern end of the park New York City residents Jeanette Herrera and Manny Largo said they enjoyed being there because of the quiet and the view. Largo said especially at night it is lovely, and you can even see a few stars in the sky.

“The night view is really nice,” Largo said, adding that they sometimes offer in stargazing programs at the park.

The park is free and open daily from 7 a.m. until 10 p.m., closing at 8 p.m. in the winter.

The second section beyond of 20th Street is scheduled to open any day now and will extend the park to 30th Street, with a third and final section to the Clinton section of town to follow. When completed it will be about 1 ½ miles long.

For more information, visit its website: www.thehighline.org

2011-04-30T14:50:00.000-07:00

A social time at “Social Eatz” restaurant in New York City

The creation of “Top Chef” contestant and Connecticut native Angelo Sosa, “Social Eatz” is a new restaurant in New York City, with a healthy selection of Korean fusion casual meals.

Located at 232 53rd St., between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, this hip establishment offers exotic-sounding dishes that are a bit toned-down in flavor.

The laminated menus must make cleaning up a breeze, but the font on the menus should be much bigger and easier to read. The intimate space has the look of a chain restaurant, which might just be their long-term goal. I can see this type of restaurant, with the brown and gold color scheme and the easy-to-clean laminated tabletops, being marketed in malls across America.

We began our meals with two of their signature cocktails, including a Ginger Carrot Fizz with Stolichnaya orange-flavored vodka mixed with carrot juice, a touch of Canton liqueur, yuzu juice, and ginger beer for $11. We also tried the Coconut Curry Daiquiri with 8-year-old Bacardi rum, splashed with coconut water and fresh lime juice, then spiced with a spoonful of curry syrup ($12). They tasted a little light on alcohol and too sweet, and the curry flavor in the second drink was undetectable.

For New York City, or anywhere else, the prices were pretty reasonable, although the smoked rib appetizer for $9 seemed a little steep. The ribs were remarkably tender, whose pineapple barbecue sauce was a touch on the sweet side. The sauce was laced with laced with gochujang, an aged Korean pepper sauce, but again, it could have been more pronounced.

Our accommodating and helpful waiter have us heated towels after the messy ribs, which were welcome indeed.

We had the Bulgogi Burger, ($11), which is a Korean version of an American favorite. Bulgogi literally means fire meat in Korean, and in this burger, the ground beef is charred, (hence the name) but deliciously pink and moist inside. The burger was topped with a succulent sauce made of soy, sugar, scallion, garlic, and sesame oil then garnished with cooled cucumber kimchee, kewpee, and a Japanese mayonnaise. The result was juicy, but a bit bland.

The Kung Pow Chicken sandwich ($9) is made with organic chicken, soy-sesame marinated, then iron-seared with Thai chili, and finished with smooth roasted peanut spread. Chicken in sandwiches tends to be dried out and cardboard-like, but this chicken was perfectly flavorful and noticeably tender. There was too little of Thai chili, however, and I couldn’t taste the peanut flavor at all.

Our waiter recommended the Chili Kissed Tilapia taco, and it was the best meal of the night, and certainly the best value at $8. The light, white fish was brushed with Thai chili, and sautéed and garnished with fresh green tomato salsa and avocado, with two portions served on two flour tortillas. The portions of fish were large, and the salsa was crunch and full of flavor. The avocado was creamy and noticeable, but not overwhelming.

We had a side of Curried Cream Spinach, with blanched spinach melded with a creamy, cheesy, curry sauce that was served piping hot with lots of creamy cheese, but not so much curry.

The burger and the chicken came with as side of the Southeast Asian pickles. They were a colorful combination of thinly sliced cucumbers, cauliflower, and radishes marinated with turmeric and dill then pickled in a brine of Japanese vinegar and Asian spices. They were fresh, crunchy, with just the right amount of spice and heat.

The desserts were scruptuous, at $6 each, including the Double-rich Chocolate Brownies warmed and glazed with a sweet toffee topping, that was soft and fudgy. The brownie went well with the sweet Shik Hae, a warm Korean rice punch, served in a shot glass.

The best part of the meal was hands down the yummy, warm Yuzu Cream Puffs. Tasting more like donut holes, the four airy cakelike puffs were filled with a sweet, creamy yuzu curd made from the tart Japanese citrus fruit that tasted like key lime pie. They were out of this world.

The 20-something crowd on a recent Friday night dominated the restaurant and there was a line out the door by the time we left. The hypnotic club music was on the loud side, but the diners seemed to feel right a home. All in all, the restaurant is perfect for palates that like the idea of exotic foods, but in reality prefer the blander, safer American flavors.

(photos by Jessica Hill)

2011-04-18T06:50:00.000-07:00

“Urinetown the Musical” at CRT goes with the flow

Four Stars

4 stars Excellent 3 stars Good 2 stars Fair 1 star Poor

Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.

Production: Music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann. Book and lyrics by Greg Kotis. Directed by Paul Mullins. Choreography by Gerry McIntyre. Music direction by Ken Clark. Scenic design by Marija Plavsic. Costume design by Maureen FitzGerald. Lighting design by Calvin Anderson. Sound design by Jack Nardi. Puppet design by Miron Gusso. Projection designer Michelle Ashley Mann.

Running time: About 2 hours and 10 minutes including a 15-minute intermission.

Show Times: Wednesday April 27 and Thursday April 28 at 7:30 p.m., Friday April 29 and Saturday and April 30 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. There are no shows Easter weekend.

Tickets: Range in price from $6 to $35. Call 860-486-4266 of visit their website at http://www.crt.uconn.edu.

ACTOR…CHARACTER

Andrea McArdle … Penelope Pennywise

Ken Clark … Bobby Strong

Robert Thompson Jr. … Officer Lockstock

Alexandra Perlwitz … Little Sally

Alison Barton … Hope Cladwell

Bob Walton … Caldwell B. Cladwell

Ryan Guess … Mr. McQueen

Brian Patrick Williams … Sen. Fipp

Phil Korth … Old Man Strong/The Kid

James MK Turner … Hot Blades Harry

Mischa Goodman … Little Becky Two Shoes

Jack Fellows … Tiny Tom

Brooks Brantly … Robby the Stockfish/Ezekiel

Arron Lloyd … Billy Boy Bill

Krystal Sobaskie … Hidalgo Jane

Molly Martinez … Soupy Sue/Cassandra

Gretchen Goode … Josephine Strong

Kevin Coubal … Officer Barrel

Christina Greer ... Mrs. Millenium

Philip AJ Smithey … Dr. Billeaux

Seth Koproski … Ricky Billions/Sammy the Cheat

Laura A. Zabbo …Cladwell’s secretary, Vanessa

STORRS-“Urinetown the Musical” performed by the Connecticut Repertory Theatre at the University of Connecticut is difficult to pin down, but enjoyable to experience.

It states right off the bat it is a musical, complete with the show’s narrator, police officer Lockstock, played by Robert Thompson Jr.

The show is set in a fictional future town, where everyone has to pay to use public facilities due to a 20-year drought, it pits the extremely rich few against the very poor masses.

Sometimes characters who state that they are in a play bust up the suspension of disbelief and take away some of the fun of the show, but here, Mark Hollman, who did the music and together with Greg Kotis, who wrote the book, wrote the lyrics, it really works. This show sings.

As is usual with CRT, they have their cast of graduate students along with some undergraduates, and bring in a few professional actors. In this production they have Andrea McArdle of “Annie” fame playing the character Penelope Pennywise. Musicals are clearly her milieu, and here she brings a real star presence to the show as the gal who oversees one of the town’s restrooms and has a secret too.

Her assistant Bobby Strong, is played by professional actor Ken Clark, who does a good turn as the man trying to follow his heart. On retrospect though, that youthful character could easily have been played by one of the school’s very talented students.

Bob Walton does a fun and credible turn as the corporate greedy man, Caldwell B. Cladwell, who heads up Urine Good Company, which holds a monopoly on all the pay toilets in the city. He tears it up with the hilarious “Don’t be the Bunny” song. "Good bye bunny-boo, hello rabbit stew," he sings.

Alexandra Perlwitz plays Little Sally with just the right amount of doe-eyed wonder and discernment that makes her sweet and funny.

I particularly love Alison Barton as Cladwell’s innocent daughter, Hope, whose canorous voice is lovely to hear, particularly when she sings the gospel tune “I See a River.”

The music in this show is really top-notch and would satisfy anyone who loves musical theater. There are also nods to other great musicals, including Bertolt Brecht’s “The Threepenny Opera,” “Les Miserable,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.”

The set, which changes from outside one of the many dirty public rest rooms to the corporate headquarters, has a second level of ramps and stairs that are well used, thanks to fine direction by Paul Mullins and precise and energetic choreography by Gerry McIntyre. Set design by Marija Plavsic.

The playful and art deco asymmetrical costumes fit the somber mood of the show, by Maureen FitzGerald. The lighting also worked well (designed by Calvin Anderson), and is amusing when the spots highlighted Cladwell and Pennywise, along with the telling music, with musical direction by Ken Clark.

All and all, it’s a delightful and entertaining show that will likely put a smile on your face, despite or perhaps because of its unique theme.

( Photo by Gerry Goodstein)