Something “Wicked” this way comes….
Wicked
Three Stars
Theater: The Bushnell
Location: Mortensen Hall, 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. Set by Eugene Lee. Costumes by Susan Hilferty.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours, with one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday Nov. 8 p.m., Saturday Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Tuesday- Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. through Dec. 9
Tickets: $39-$84. Call 987-5900 or visit their Web site at www.bushnell.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Katie Rose Clarke…Glinda
Carmen Cusack - Marcie Dodd (u/s)…Elphaba
Cliffton Hall…Fiyero
Alma Cuervo….Madame Morrible
Deedee Magno Hall….Nessarose
Brad Weinstock…Boq
P.J. Benjamin…The Wizard of Oz
Paul Slade Smith…Witch’s father/Ozian official
Tom Flynn…Doctor Dillamond
Kyle Hill – Jason Davies (u/s)…Chistery
“Wicked” that “spenderific,” “thrillifying” musical is casting its magical “spellification” at the Bushnell through December 9.
The musical, first produced on Broadway in 2003, where it won Tony Awards for best actress, costumes and set, is based on the novel by the same name, written by Gregory Maguire. Basically it is the story of L. Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” but all upside down, inside out, and backwards, from the point of view of the Wicked Witch of the West.
That witch, named Elphaba (a tip of the hat from Maguire to Baum, whose initials L.F.B. make up her acronymed name) is, as most know, green as green can be, from the tippity-tip of her head to the bottomly-end of her toes.
Bookish Elphaba, played with underdog passion by understudy Marcie Dodd at last Thursday’s matinee performance, gets roomed with the young, blonde and beautiful Glinda, the eventual Good Witch, at witches’ boarding school, and it is “loath” at first sight. Glinda is played to perfection by Katie Rose Clarke.
In “factuality,” its a story of girl meets girl, girl loathes girl, girl likes girl, boy comes into the picture and falls in love with girl, but “witch” girl? And…well, the ending won’t be “spoil-afied” here.
The story eventually catches up to the plot of the original, with Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, and the Cowardly Lion making cameo appearances.
But there are other deeper meanings within the plot, too, with grown up political implications. The Wizard of Oz, played with alacrity by P.J. Benjamin, is manipulating the world he runs to maintain his power, with the help of his public relations assistant, the Madame Morrible, played with “fantabulicious eviliosity” by Alma Cuervo.
The color green also symbolizes the fragility of nature. In this Ozian world where the animals could speak, but are eventually literally used as scapegoats by the Wizard with the unwitting assistance of Elphaba, to make Oz citizens unite against nature to explain why the world has gone horribly wrong.
The music has a “poppish” fast-paced beat, and the performers were all energetic, professional, and well rehearsed, singing songs such as “No One Mourns the Wicked,” “Wonderful,” and “For Good.”
Particularly moving song was the song at the end of Act One, “Defying Gravity,” sung with power and passion by Dodd.
Clarke was “spenderificently” and “goofiliciously” funny as the perfectly popular and spoiled Glinda. Her comic talents were well-showcased in the song “Popular.”
At one point early on in the musical Glinda’s will is thwarted and she says, “I didn’t get my way…I think I need to sit down.”
Later in the classroom, when the learned professor Dr. Dillamond, who happens to be a sheep, played “baaaa-rilliantly” by Tom Flynn, is waxing philosophic about the problems in their world, Glinda blurted out “Don’t you think you could just stop harping on the past and teach us history instead?”
There is a prince, because honestly, what fantasy tale could be complete without one?
However, in this musical that prince, named Fiyaro, is a partying “shallowishified” callow cad, played with just the right air of “entitlementarianism” by Cliffton Hall, who proudly announces he is working on “learning to live the unexamined life by dancing through life.”
The steel-girded solid set with outsized clockwork gears by Eugene Lee were “gi-normous,” and resembling an industrial nightmarish vision from a Tim Burton movie.
The costumes though, by Susan Hilferty were unequivocally brilliant in color, detail, variety, and design.
From Glinda’s” Little Mermaid”-like light blue glittery gown, to the asymmetrically ruffled and petticoated party dresses of the ensemble, to Madame Morrible’s bustled floor-sweeping extravaganza, the costumes were a fanciful amalgamation of Dr. Suess meets Christian Lacroix’s haute couture in munchkin land.
This musical appeals to all ages, but seems to resonate particularly with teenagers, with its moral that appearances are deceiving. Last Thursday’s matinee performance was filled to near capacity, and over half the attendees were school-aged kids.
But is the show too frightening for the very young?
At the conclusion of the show one 9-year-old boy told his mother that he thought the flying monkeys were creepy, but his 4-year-old brother was totally unfazed.
However, children younger than four-years-old are not allowed by management to see the show. Those flying monkeys were pretty creepy.
A good litmus test for the musical would be, if your child has seen the 1939 movie “The Wizard of Oz,” and isn’t frightened, then by all means, they are vigorously “encouragized” to see “Wicked.”
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Doubt -A Parable
Three Stars
Theater: TheatreWorks
Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.
Production: Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Steve Campo. Set Design Adrian W. Jones. Costume Design by Elizabeth Flauto. Lighting desting by Matthew Richards. Sound design by J. Hagenbuckle
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays - 8 p.m. Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays - 2:30 p.m. Extra Sunday evening shows - 7:30 p.m. (later weeks of most runs). Please note there is no Thursday, Nov. 23 performance, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The show will run through Dec.23.
Tickets: $35, except Friday and Saturday nights, $45, and are unassigned seating. Center reserved seats $10 extra. $10 student rush tickets at showtime with valid ID (subject to availability). For tickets call 527-7838 or visit their Web site at www.theatreworks.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Glynis Bell….Sister Aloysius
Letitia Lange…Sister James
Mark Saturno…Father Brendan Flynn
Cherene Snow…Mrs. Muller
Doubt, A Parable
Time is such an odd construct. Sometimes, like when you are stuck in traffic and late for work, a minute can seem like forever. But, when you are fully engaged in a stimulating conversation with a dear friend, hours can fly and seem like only minutes.
And then, occasionally, one can feel both experiences simultaneously. So it is with “Doubt, A Parable,” the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play by John Patrick Shanley.
A 90 minute one act play, it is so tightly-constructed and well-conceived that it feels at once almost over before it begins, and at the same time leaves one with haunting ideas that keep resurfacing.
The drama is set in 1964 at a St. Nicholas school in Brooklyn. Sister Aloysius, played with passionate conviction by Glynis Bell, is the school’s principal. She has unshakable suspicions that the priest, Father Brendan Flynn, charsmatically played by Mark Saturno, may be engaging in inappropriate behavior with the new black student.
Letitia Lange plays the young nun Sister James, who Sister Aloysisus interrogates about Father Flynn. Lange reaches a fine balance about her struggle to be a strict nun, striking terror in her students as the principal ditates and her love of teaching.
Three Stars
Theater: TheatreWorks
Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.
Production: Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Steve Campo. Set Design Adrian W. Jones. Costume Design by Elizabeth Flauto. Lighting desting by Matthew Richards. Sound design by J. Hagenbuckle
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays - 8 p.m. Matinees on Saturdays and Sundays - 2:30 p.m. Extra Sunday evening shows - 7:30 p.m. (later weeks of most runs). Please note there is no Thursday, Nov. 23 performance, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. The show will run through Dec.23.
Tickets: $35, except Friday and Saturday nights, $45, and are unassigned seating. Center reserved seats $10 extra. $10 student rush tickets at showtime with valid ID (subject to availability). For tickets call 527-7838 or visit their Web site at www.theatreworks.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Glynis Bell….Sister Aloysius
Letitia Lange…Sister James
Mark Saturno…Father Brendan Flynn
Cherene Snow…Mrs. Muller
Doubt, A Parable
Time is such an odd construct. Sometimes, like when you are stuck in traffic and late for work, a minute can seem like forever. But, when you are fully engaged in a stimulating conversation with a dear friend, hours can fly and seem like only minutes.
And then, occasionally, one can feel both experiences simultaneously. So it is with “Doubt, A Parable,” the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play by John Patrick Shanley.
A 90 minute one act play, it is so tightly-constructed and well-conceived that it feels at once almost over before it begins, and at the same time leaves one with haunting ideas that keep resurfacing.
The drama is set in 1964 at a St. Nicholas school in Brooklyn. Sister Aloysius, played with passionate conviction by Glynis Bell, is the school’s principal. She has unshakable suspicions that the priest, Father Brendan Flynn, charsmatically played by Mark Saturno, may be engaging in inappropriate behavior with the new black student.
Letitia Lange plays the young nun Sister James, who Sister Aloysisus interrogates about Father Flynn. Lange reaches a fine balance about her struggle to be a strict nun, striking terror in her students as the principal ditates and her love of teaching.
OKLAHOMA!
Three Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: Broad Brook Opera House, 107 Main Street, Broad Brook
Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Direction and choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Music direction by Amy Crawford.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 25.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $12. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their Web site at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Moonyean Field…Aunt Eller
David R. Pelletier…Curly McLain
Jessica Ferraday…Laurey Williams
Michel Corman…Ike Skidmore
Jason Ellsworth…Slim
Bruce LaRoche…Will Parker
Keith Paul…Jud Fry
Nicole R. Giguere…Ado Annie Carnes
Larry Marino…Ali Hakim
Khara C. Hoyer…Gertie
Jim Metzler…Andrew Carnes
Jim Byrne…Cord Elam
Lee Helwig…Tim
Philip D. Vetro…Fred
Sarah Lewis…Aggie
Claudia J. Pospisil…Virginia
Renee Rehmer…Dream Laurey/Sylvie
Betsy Ellsworth…Vivienne
Kera Keene…Kate
Dust off your best cowboy boots, buff up your Stetson, hitch up your gettalong and high-tail it down to the Opera House Players thigh slapping, two-steppin’ production of “OKLAHOMA!” at the Broad Brook Opera House in East Windsor.
For those poor souls who have gotten through life thus far without having the pleasure of seeing this musical, don’t wait one more cotton pickin’ minute.
“OKLAHOMA!” was the first of many box office smashes on Broadway by the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, originally produced in 1943. With classic songs like “On What a Beautiful Mornin’,” which kicks off the show, sung with confidence and clarity by David R. Pelletier who plays Curly McLain, to the unforgettable “Oklahoma!,” and the sweet love song, “People Will Say We’re In Love,” the music is about as a June bug in December, and twice as delicious as a sweet potato pie.
The story is straightforward. Curly is in love with Laurey Williams, who loves him too, but is a bit coy. Then there is the farm hand, Jud Fry, who wants her for his own.
The other love story has a more comic bend to it, with Nicole R. Giguere playing Ado Annie Carnes, who is being courted by Will Parker. Giguere practically steals the show with her sly winks and smiles, singing that terrific fun song “I Can’t Say Know.”
Will is played by Bruce LaRoche with a fine comic turn, oozing oodles of effervescent energy while amusingly clearly not the sharpest tack in the saddle bag.
McLain’s voice is a joy to hear, which is a good thing, because he sings many songs. He and Jessica Ferraday, playing the lovely, sweet and feisty Laurie Williams so a real affection together that is touching to watch.
Ferraday’s voice too is lovely and clear. In fact, everyone of the cast members, from the leads all the way down to the smallest parts, have excellent diction, not a single word is lost, and their voices were all pitch perfect.
The orchestra, lead by musical director Amy Crawford, was small but excellent. Orchestra’s can have the bad habit of easily overpowering the singers, but this was never the case in this production, where they showed admirable restraint.
The Opera House Players really embrace and epitomize the “community” in community theater. Before the show they have a teacup action, to help fund these significant productions, and after the show all the actors stand along the stairwell in a receiving line, greeting each patron as the exit the theater.
So, what er ya’ll a-waiting fer? Head on down the holler afore it be too late and see OKALAHOMA!
Three Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: Broad Brook Opera House, 107 Main Street, Broad Brook
Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Direction and choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Music direction by Amy Crawford.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 25.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $12. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their Web site at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Moonyean Field…Aunt Eller
David R. Pelletier…Curly McLain
Jessica Ferraday…Laurey Williams
Michel Corman…Ike Skidmore
Jason Ellsworth…Slim
Bruce LaRoche…Will Parker
Keith Paul…Jud Fry
Nicole R. Giguere…Ado Annie Carnes
Larry Marino…Ali Hakim
Khara C. Hoyer…Gertie
Jim Metzler…Andrew Carnes
Jim Byrne…Cord Elam
Lee Helwig…Tim
Philip D. Vetro…Fred
Sarah Lewis…Aggie
Claudia J. Pospisil…Virginia
Renee Rehmer…Dream Laurey/Sylvie
Betsy Ellsworth…Vivienne
Kera Keene…Kate
Dust off your best cowboy boots, buff up your Stetson, hitch up your gettalong and high-tail it down to the Opera House Players thigh slapping, two-steppin’ production of “OKLAHOMA!” at the Broad Brook Opera House in East Windsor.
For those poor souls who have gotten through life thus far without having the pleasure of seeing this musical, don’t wait one more cotton pickin’ minute.
“OKLAHOMA!” was the first of many box office smashes on Broadway by the Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, originally produced in 1943. With classic songs like “On What a Beautiful Mornin’,” which kicks off the show, sung with confidence and clarity by David R. Pelletier who plays Curly McLain, to the unforgettable “Oklahoma!,” and the sweet love song, “People Will Say We’re In Love,” the music is about as a June bug in December, and twice as delicious as a sweet potato pie.
The story is straightforward. Curly is in love with Laurey Williams, who loves him too, but is a bit coy. Then there is the farm hand, Jud Fry, who wants her for his own.
The other love story has a more comic bend to it, with Nicole R. Giguere playing Ado Annie Carnes, who is being courted by Will Parker. Giguere practically steals the show with her sly winks and smiles, singing that terrific fun song “I Can’t Say Know.”
Will is played by Bruce LaRoche with a fine comic turn, oozing oodles of effervescent energy while amusingly clearly not the sharpest tack in the saddle bag.
McLain’s voice is a joy to hear, which is a good thing, because he sings many songs. He and Jessica Ferraday, playing the lovely, sweet and feisty Laurie Williams so a real affection together that is touching to watch.
Ferraday’s voice too is lovely and clear. In fact, everyone of the cast members, from the leads all the way down to the smallest parts, have excellent diction, not a single word is lost, and their voices were all pitch perfect.
The orchestra, lead by musical director Amy Crawford, was small but excellent. Orchestra’s can have the bad habit of easily overpowering the singers, but this was never the case in this production, where they showed admirable restraint.
The Opera House Players really embrace and epitomize the “community” in community theater. Before the show they have a teacup action, to help fund these significant productions, and after the show all the actors stand along the stairwell in a receiving line, greeting each patron as the exit the theater.
So, what er ya’ll a-waiting fer? Head on down the holler afore it be too late and see OKALAHOMA!
Friday, November 23, 2007
"Doubt — A Parable" tightly constructed and well conceived
HARTFORD — “Doubt — A Parable,” the 90-minute one act play at TheatreWorks is so tightly constructed and well conceived it feels like it is over almost before it starts, and at the same time leaves one with compelling thoughts and images that linger for days.
The drama is an intellectual and emotional roller-coaster ride, examining religious doctrine, male privilege, race relations, and pedophilia from four diametrically opposed perspectives.
The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play by John Patrick Shanley is set in 1964 at St. Nicholas school in Brooklyn. Sister Aloysius, played with passionate rigid certitude by Glynis Bell, is the school’s principal.
Sister Aloysius has unshakable and apparently unfounded suspicions, bordering on the obsessive, that the priest, Father Brendan Flynn, played with appealing charisma by Mark Saturno, may be engaging in a sexual relationship with the new 12-year-old black student — the first African American to attend the school.
Letitia Lange plays a young nun, Sister James, whom Sister Aloysius interrogates about Father Flynn. Lange achieves a fine balance between her struggle to be a good and strict nun, striking terror in her students as Sister Aloysius advocates, and her unabashed joy of teaching and connecting with the students.
The elder nun admonishes the younger, attempting to quash Sister James’ enthusiasm — instructing her that “innocence is a form indulgence,” “satisfaction is a vice,” and every easy choice today will lead to trouble tomorrow.
Bell’s Sister Aloysius is not a generous woman, and it is easy to dislike her, which makes it all the more challenging and disturbing to see her point of view as the story unfolds.
Sister Aloysius also represents the “old school” religious dogma, which emphasized suffering and self-sacrifice as the path to salvation, before the 1962 Second Vatican Council.
The Second Vatican Council advocated a new, more inclusive philosophy towards its parishioners — a progressive approach that Flynn espouses.
Similarly, Fynn is an easy man to like, which makes his possible pedophilia all the more wrenching to fathom.
At one point Flynn compassionately comforts the distraught and conflicted Sister James, supporting her passionate enthusiasm for teaching, saying: “There are people who go after your humanity, and kill kindness in the name of virtue” — clearly alluding to Sister Aloysius in his forceful admonition.
Cherene Snow, who plays the young boy’s mother, Mrs. Muller, is memorable as the black mother who understands her son well, with a point of view of her own, which is as surprising as it is compelling.
The single set by Adrian W. Jones of the Sister Aloysius’ office with the small sidewalk scattered with dead leaves is brightly lit by Matthew Richards, and perfectly well suited for austere religious institution.
Saturno and Bell have worked together before at TheatreWorks in “The Retreat from Moscow” in 2006.
Whether it is because of their previous history together or not, the volatile and dynamic chemistry between these two was fascinating to witness.
In fact, all four of the actors brought a reality and truthfulness to their roles, infusing this production with an immediacy that was breathtaking to experience.
Three Stars
Theater: TheatreWorks
Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.
Production: Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Steve Campo. Set Design Adrian W. Jones. Costume Design by Elizabeth Flauto. Lighting design by Matthew Richards. Sound design by J. Hagenbuckle
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees on Saturdays and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Extra Sunday evening shows at 7:30 p.m. during the later weeks of most runs. The show will run through Dec. 23.
Tickets: $35, except Friday and Saturday nights, $45, and are unassigned seating. Center reserved seats $10 extra. $10 student rush tickets at showtime with valid ID, subject to availability. For tickets call 527-7838 or visit their website at www.theatreworks.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Glynis Bell...Sister Aloysius
Letitia Lange...Sister James
Mark Saturno...Father Brendan Flynn
Cherene Snow...Mrs. Muller
HARTFORD — “Doubt — A Parable,” the 90-minute one act play at TheatreWorks is so tightly constructed and well conceived it feels like it is over almost before it starts, and at the same time leaves one with compelling thoughts and images that linger for days.
The drama is an intellectual and emotional roller-coaster ride, examining religious doctrine, male privilege, race relations, and pedophilia from four diametrically opposed perspectives.
The Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play by John Patrick Shanley is set in 1964 at St. Nicholas school in Brooklyn. Sister Aloysius, played with passionate rigid certitude by Glynis Bell, is the school’s principal.
Sister Aloysius has unshakable and apparently unfounded suspicions, bordering on the obsessive, that the priest, Father Brendan Flynn, played with appealing charisma by Mark Saturno, may be engaging in a sexual relationship with the new 12-year-old black student — the first African American to attend the school.
Letitia Lange plays a young nun, Sister James, whom Sister Aloysius interrogates about Father Flynn. Lange achieves a fine balance between her struggle to be a good and strict nun, striking terror in her students as Sister Aloysius advocates, and her unabashed joy of teaching and connecting with the students.
The elder nun admonishes the younger, attempting to quash Sister James’ enthusiasm — instructing her that “innocence is a form indulgence,” “satisfaction is a vice,” and every easy choice today will lead to trouble tomorrow.
Bell’s Sister Aloysius is not a generous woman, and it is easy to dislike her, which makes it all the more challenging and disturbing to see her point of view as the story unfolds.
Sister Aloysius also represents the “old school” religious dogma, which emphasized suffering and self-sacrifice as the path to salvation, before the 1962 Second Vatican Council.
The Second Vatican Council advocated a new, more inclusive philosophy towards its parishioners — a progressive approach that Flynn espouses.
Similarly, Fynn is an easy man to like, which makes his possible pedophilia all the more wrenching to fathom.
At one point Flynn compassionately comforts the distraught and conflicted Sister James, supporting her passionate enthusiasm for teaching, saying: “There are people who go after your humanity, and kill kindness in the name of virtue” — clearly alluding to Sister Aloysius in his forceful admonition.
Cherene Snow, who plays the young boy’s mother, Mrs. Muller, is memorable as the black mother who understands her son well, with a point of view of her own, which is as surprising as it is compelling.
The single set by Adrian W. Jones of the Sister Aloysius’ office with the small sidewalk scattered with dead leaves is brightly lit by Matthew Richards, and perfectly well suited for austere religious institution.
Saturno and Bell have worked together before at TheatreWorks in “The Retreat from Moscow” in 2006.
Whether it is because of their previous history together or not, the volatile and dynamic chemistry between these two was fascinating to witness.
In fact, all four of the actors brought a reality and truthfulness to their roles, infusing this production with an immediacy that was breathtaking to experience.
Three Stars
Theater: TheatreWorks
Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.
Production: Written by John Patrick Shanley. Directed by Steve Campo. Set Design Adrian W. Jones. Costume Design by Elizabeth Flauto. Lighting design by Matthew Richards. Sound design by J. Hagenbuckle
Running time: 90 minutes, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees on Saturdays and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Extra Sunday evening shows at 7:30 p.m. during the later weeks of most runs. The show will run through Dec. 23.
Tickets: $35, except Friday and Saturday nights, $45, and are unassigned seating. Center reserved seats $10 extra. $10 student rush tickets at showtime with valid ID, subject to availability. For tickets call 527-7838 or visit their website at www.theatreworks.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Glynis Bell...Sister Aloysius
Letitia Lange...Sister James
Mark Saturno...Father Brendan Flynn
Cherene Snow...Mrs. Muller
Monday, November 12, 2007
OKLAHOMA! way Okay
Dust off them cowboy boots, buff up that there Stetson, hitch up your get-along and high-tail it down to the Opera House Players thigh-slappin’, two-steppin’ production of “OKLAHOMA!” at the Broad Brook Opera House in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor.
For them poor folks who have gone through life without the heart-warming pleasure of seeing this musical, don’t wait another cotton-pickin’, hood-blinkin’ minute.
“OKLAHOMA!” the musical was the first of many box office smashes by the prolific team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and was originally produced on Broadway in 1943.
With classic tunes like “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” which kicks off the show, sung with confidence and clarity by David R. Pelletier playing Curly McLain, to the unforgettable “Oklahoma!,” as well as the sweet love duet, “People Will Say We’re In Love,” and everything in between, the music is as memorable as a June bug in December, and twice as delicious as a sweet potato pie.
Pelletier’s voice is a joy to hear, which is a good thing, because he sings a lot. He and Jessica Ferraday, playing the lovely, sweet, and feisty Laurie Williams, exhibit a real affection towards each other, which is moving to watch.
Ferraday’s voice too is lovely and clear. In fact, every gosh dern one of the cast members, from the leads all the way down to the smallest parts, exhibited excellent diction — not a single word was lost, and their voices were all pitch-perfect.
The plot is straightforward. Set in a time when Oklahoma was still a territory and not yet a state, a cowboy, Curly is in love with a farm girl, Laurey Williams, who loves him too, but is a bit coy. Then there is the farm hand, Jud Fry, who wants to possess Laurey for his own.
Keith Paul, who plays Jud Fry, brings a scary menace to his role that provides real gravitas to the production, adding immeasurably to the show’s intensity.
A second love story in the show has a more comic bend to it, with Nicole R. Giguere playing Ado Annie Carnes to the hilt. Giguere practically steals the show with her sly winks and smiles, singing that darlin’ song “I Can’t Say Know.”
Will Parker, who is head-over-heels in love with Annie, is played by Bruce LaRoche with fine comic timing — his character oozes oodles of effervescent energy while at the same time amusingly showing that he isn’t the sharpest tack in the saddle bag.
The Persian peddler Ali Hakim, played by Larry Marino, lends a surprising depth to a role that could have easily been reduced a stereotypical, two-dimensional caricature.
Moonyean Field, who played Aunt Eller, did a fine job as the matriarchal glue holding the various strands of the show together.
The orchestra, lead expertly by musical director Amy Crawford, was small but just right for this venue. Occasionally orchestras can unintentionally overpower singers, but that was never the case here. They showed admirable restraint throughout the production.
The Opera House Players really embrace and epitomize the “community” in Community Theater. Before the show they held a teacup action and fund-raiser to help pay for these significantly expensive productions and after the show all the actors stood along the stairwell in a receiving line, greeting each patron as they exited the theater.
So, what ‘er y’all a-waiting fer? Hitch up the wagon and mosey on down a-fore it’s too late and see OKLAHOMA! at the Broad Brook Opera House.
Three Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: Broad Brook Opera House, 107 Main Street, East Windsor
Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Direction and choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Music direction by Amy Crawford. Choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Fight choreography and weapon master Michael Corman. Stage manager Jessica Russell. Assistant stage manager Tom Russell. Lighting design and operator Diane St. Armand. Sound design and operator Devon Gamache. Set design David A. Gilfor. Costumes by Moonyean Field. House manager Michelle Tetrault
Running time: Under 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 25.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $12. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Moonyean Field...Aunt Eller
David R. Pelletier...Curly McLain
Jessica Ferraday...Laurey Williams
Michael Corman...Ike Skidmore
Jason Ellsworth...Slim
Bruce LaRoche...Will Parker
Keith Paul...Jud Fry
Nicole R. Giguere...Ado Annie Carnes
Larry Marino...Ali Hakim
Khara C. Hoyer...Gertie
Jim Metzler...Andrew Carnes (Judge)
Jim Byrne...Cord Elam
Lee Helwig...Tom
Philip D. Vetro...Fred
Sarah Lewis...Aggie
Claudia J. Pospisil...Virginia
Renee Rehmer...Dream Laurey/Sylvie
Betsy Ellsworth...Vivienne
Kera Keene...Kate
Dust off them cowboy boots, buff up that there Stetson, hitch up your get-along and high-tail it down to the Opera House Players thigh-slappin’, two-steppin’ production of “OKLAHOMA!” at the Broad Brook Opera House in the Broad Brook section of East Windsor.
For them poor folks who have gone through life without the heart-warming pleasure of seeing this musical, don’t wait another cotton-pickin’, hood-blinkin’ minute.
“OKLAHOMA!” the musical was the first of many box office smashes by the prolific team of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and was originally produced on Broadway in 1943.
With classic tunes like “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” which kicks off the show, sung with confidence and clarity by David R. Pelletier playing Curly McLain, to the unforgettable “Oklahoma!,” as well as the sweet love duet, “People Will Say We’re In Love,” and everything in between, the music is as memorable as a June bug in December, and twice as delicious as a sweet potato pie.
Pelletier’s voice is a joy to hear, which is a good thing, because he sings a lot. He and Jessica Ferraday, playing the lovely, sweet, and feisty Laurie Williams, exhibit a real affection towards each other, which is moving to watch.
Ferraday’s voice too is lovely and clear. In fact, every gosh dern one of the cast members, from the leads all the way down to the smallest parts, exhibited excellent diction — not a single word was lost, and their voices were all pitch-perfect.
The plot is straightforward. Set in a time when Oklahoma was still a territory and not yet a state, a cowboy, Curly is in love with a farm girl, Laurey Williams, who loves him too, but is a bit coy. Then there is the farm hand, Jud Fry, who wants to possess Laurey for his own.
Keith Paul, who plays Jud Fry, brings a scary menace to his role that provides real gravitas to the production, adding immeasurably to the show’s intensity.
A second love story in the show has a more comic bend to it, with Nicole R. Giguere playing Ado Annie Carnes to the hilt. Giguere practically steals the show with her sly winks and smiles, singing that darlin’ song “I Can’t Say Know.”
Will Parker, who is head-over-heels in love with Annie, is played by Bruce LaRoche with fine comic timing — his character oozes oodles of effervescent energy while at the same time amusingly showing that he isn’t the sharpest tack in the saddle bag.
The Persian peddler Ali Hakim, played by Larry Marino, lends a surprising depth to a role that could have easily been reduced a stereotypical, two-dimensional caricature.
Moonyean Field, who played Aunt Eller, did a fine job as the matriarchal glue holding the various strands of the show together.
The orchestra, lead expertly by musical director Amy Crawford, was small but just right for this venue. Occasionally orchestras can unintentionally overpower singers, but that was never the case here. They showed admirable restraint throughout the production.
The Opera House Players really embrace and epitomize the “community” in Community Theater. Before the show they held a teacup action and fund-raiser to help pay for these significantly expensive productions and after the show all the actors stood along the stairwell in a receiving line, greeting each patron as they exited the theater.
So, what ‘er y’all a-waiting fer? Hitch up the wagon and mosey on down a-fore it’s too late and see OKLAHOMA! at the Broad Brook Opera House.
Three Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: Broad Brook Opera House, 107 Main Street, East Windsor
Production: Music by Richard Rodgers. Book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Direction and choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Music direction by Amy Crawford. Choreography by Lesley Gallagher. Fight choreography and weapon master Michael Corman. Stage manager Jessica Russell. Assistant stage manager Tom Russell. Lighting design and operator Diane St. Armand. Sound design and operator Devon Gamache. Set design David A. Gilfor. Costumes by Moonyean Field. House manager Michelle Tetrault
Running time: Under 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through Nov. 25.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $12. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Moonyean Field...Aunt Eller
David R. Pelletier...Curly McLain
Jessica Ferraday...Laurey Williams
Michael Corman...Ike Skidmore
Jason Ellsworth...Slim
Bruce LaRoche...Will Parker
Keith Paul...Jud Fry
Nicole R. Giguere...Ado Annie Carnes
Larry Marino...Ali Hakim
Khara C. Hoyer...Gertie
Jim Metzler...Andrew Carnes (Judge)
Jim Byrne...Cord Elam
Lee Helwig...Tom
Philip D. Vetro...Fred
Sarah Lewis...Aggie
Claudia J. Pospisil...Virginia
Renee Rehmer...Dream Laurey/Sylvie
Betsy Ellsworth...Vivienne
Kera Keene...Kate
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
1776
Three Stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, Route 82, East Haddam/
Production: Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Book by Peter Stone. Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Scenery design by Michael Schweikardt. Costume design by Alejo Wietti. Lighting Design by John Lasiter. Orchestrations by Dan DeLange. Assistant musical director William J. Thomas. Production manager R. Glen Grusmark. Production state manager Bradley G. Spachman.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (select performances at 2 p.m., Nov. 1, 8, 15, and 29); Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.; and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., with Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m. through Sunday, Dec. 9.
Thanksgiving week schedule, Monday Nov. 19 and Friday Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $26 - $66. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their Web site at www.goodspeed.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Peter A. Carey…John Adams of Massachusetts
Ronn Carroll…Ben Franklin of Pennsylvania
Edward Watts…Thomas Jefferson of Virginia
Glenn Seven Allen…Edward Rutledge of South Carolina
Jayne Paterson…Abigail Adams*
Teal Wicks…Martha Jefferson
Will Lampe…Roger Sherman of Connecticut
Jay Goede…John Dickenson of Pennsylvania
Paul Jackel…Robert Livingston of New York
Alan Rust…John Hancock of Massachusetts
Jack Agnew…Dr. Josiah Bartlett of New Hampshire
John Newton…Stephen Hopkins of Rhode Island
Michael A. Pizzi…Lewis Morris of New York
Marc Kessler…James Wilson of Pennsylvania
Trip Plymale…Caesar Rodney of Delaware
Jerry Christakos…Jonathan Witherspoon of New Jersey
Kenneth Cavett…Col. Thomas McKean of Delaware
Dean Bellais…George Read of Delaware
Paul Carlin…Samuel Chase of Maryland
Michael P. White…Joseph Hawkes of North Carolina
* Beginning Oct. 31, Rebecca Watson will replace Jayne Watson.
Who would have thought that the story of our founding fathers political debate for independence from England would be fodder for a Tony Award winning musical?
First produced in New York in 1969, it is an unlikely combination to be sure, but one that ultimately succeeds at the Goodspeed Opera House.
Through debate, song, some humor, at a soupcon of romance, the Goodspeed, under the direction of Rob Ruggiero has put together an entertaining and educational production, for those of us who managed to sleep through our American History in high school.
The story, music and concept was the brainchild of Sherman Edwards, a former history teacher who also a successful songwriter. Based on actual events, with some artistic license, our Declaration of Independence in a sweltering Philadelphia in the summer of 1776 was not a foregone conclusion. Of the 13 colonies, many were opposed to war for a variety of reasons.
It is a complement to the musical that so many different characters were able to present such distinct personalities in relatively short period of time.
The casting couldn’t have been better, with everyone, from tall, handsome (and I do mean good looking?) Thomas Jefferson played with proper reserve and did I mention looking fabulous, by Edward Watts, to the diminutive firecracker tempered John Adams, played with intensity and passion by Peter A. Carey, to Ronn Carroll playing the wise and witty Ben Franklin, looking just as Ben should.
And while none of the songs had a tune you can’t get out of your head melody, they all worked together, sometimes as exposition set to music, other times as powerful drama, most notably at the start of the second act when, Edward Rutledge, the South Carolina delegate, played with energy and punch by Glenn Seven Allen, sings a moving condemnation of northern hypocrisy in the song “Molasses to Rum.”
A side note. There is an essay of dubious origin floating around in cyberspace, called “The Price They Paid,” that claims many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence suffered a variety of atrocities, including torture by the British, before they died.
While the online document appears official and has been believed on face value by many to be true, by and large it is not.
There are kernels of factual events within the patriotic-hyping propaganda piece, but ultimately it has been found by an online resource, called www.snopes.com, to be largely an exaggeration of events with layers of fanciful fiction. The Snopes group research urban legends and myths of all kinds to determine, where possible, what is true and what is false.
Once again, Goodspeed has spared no cost on their lavish costumes, designed by Alejo Vietti, from the elaborate embroidery detailing on the southern delegates’ colorful velvet frocks, to the more simple and somber woolen outfits of the north, which helped immeasurably to visually remember who was who in this stellar cast.
On a stage only 18 feet deep and 22 feet wide, the set designed by Michael Schweikardt is a miracle of inventiveness, including a clever sliding brick wall used effectively in several scenes.
If you think you know who cast the last vote that changed the tide of American history, and what his motives were, you may be in for a surprise at the end of this fine ensemble performance.
Three Stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, Route 82, East Haddam/
Production: Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards. Book by Peter Stone. Based on a concept by Sherman Edwards. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Scenery design by Michael Schweikardt. Costume design by Alejo Wietti. Lighting Design by John Lasiter. Orchestrations by Dan DeLange. Assistant musical director William J. Thomas. Production manager R. Glen Grusmark. Production state manager Bradley G. Spachman.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (select performances at 2 p.m., Nov. 1, 8, 15, and 29); Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 3 p.m.; and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., with Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m. through Sunday, Dec. 9.
Thanksgiving week schedule, Monday Nov. 19 and Friday Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday Nov. 24 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday Nov. 25 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Tickets: $26 - $66. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their Web site at www.goodspeed.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Peter A. Carey…John Adams of Massachusetts
Ronn Carroll…Ben Franklin of Pennsylvania
Edward Watts…Thomas Jefferson of Virginia
Glenn Seven Allen…Edward Rutledge of South Carolina
Jayne Paterson…Abigail Adams*
Teal Wicks…Martha Jefferson
Will Lampe…Roger Sherman of Connecticut
Jay Goede…John Dickenson of Pennsylvania
Paul Jackel…Robert Livingston of New York
Alan Rust…John Hancock of Massachusetts
Jack Agnew…Dr. Josiah Bartlett of New Hampshire
John Newton…Stephen Hopkins of Rhode Island
Michael A. Pizzi…Lewis Morris of New York
Marc Kessler…James Wilson of Pennsylvania
Trip Plymale…Caesar Rodney of Delaware
Jerry Christakos…Jonathan Witherspoon of New Jersey
Kenneth Cavett…Col. Thomas McKean of Delaware
Dean Bellais…George Read of Delaware
Paul Carlin…Samuel Chase of Maryland
Michael P. White…Joseph Hawkes of North Carolina
* Beginning Oct. 31, Rebecca Watson will replace Jayne Watson.
Who would have thought that the story of our founding fathers political debate for independence from England would be fodder for a Tony Award winning musical?
First produced in New York in 1969, it is an unlikely combination to be sure, but one that ultimately succeeds at the Goodspeed Opera House.
Through debate, song, some humor, at a soupcon of romance, the Goodspeed, under the direction of Rob Ruggiero has put together an entertaining and educational production, for those of us who managed to sleep through our American History in high school.
The story, music and concept was the brainchild of Sherman Edwards, a former history teacher who also a successful songwriter. Based on actual events, with some artistic license, our Declaration of Independence in a sweltering Philadelphia in the summer of 1776 was not a foregone conclusion. Of the 13 colonies, many were opposed to war for a variety of reasons.
It is a complement to the musical that so many different characters were able to present such distinct personalities in relatively short period of time.
The casting couldn’t have been better, with everyone, from tall, handsome (and I do mean good looking?) Thomas Jefferson played with proper reserve and did I mention looking fabulous, by Edward Watts, to the diminutive firecracker tempered John Adams, played with intensity and passion by Peter A. Carey, to Ronn Carroll playing the wise and witty Ben Franklin, looking just as Ben should.
And while none of the songs had a tune you can’t get out of your head melody, they all worked together, sometimes as exposition set to music, other times as powerful drama, most notably at the start of the second act when, Edward Rutledge, the South Carolina delegate, played with energy and punch by Glenn Seven Allen, sings a moving condemnation of northern hypocrisy in the song “Molasses to Rum.”
A side note. There is an essay of dubious origin floating around in cyberspace, called “The Price They Paid,” that claims many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence suffered a variety of atrocities, including torture by the British, before they died.
While the online document appears official and has been believed on face value by many to be true, by and large it is not.
There are kernels of factual events within the patriotic-hyping propaganda piece, but ultimately it has been found by an online resource, called www.snopes.com, to be largely an exaggeration of events with layers of fanciful fiction. The Snopes group research urban legends and myths of all kinds to determine, where possible, what is true and what is false.
Once again, Goodspeed has spared no cost on their lavish costumes, designed by Alejo Vietti, from the elaborate embroidery detailing on the southern delegates’ colorful velvet frocks, to the more simple and somber woolen outfits of the north, which helped immeasurably to visually remember who was who in this stellar cast.
On a stage only 18 feet deep and 22 feet wide, the set designed by Michael Schweikardt is a miracle of inventiveness, including a clever sliding brick wall used effectively in several scenes.
If you think you know who cast the last vote that changed the tide of American history, and what his motives were, you may be in for a surprise at the end of this fine ensemble performance.
Monday, November 05, 2007
"Cahoots" a night of black comedy at Valley Rep.
Are you ready for a night of black-as-midnight humor? The laughs don’t get any darker than in this play, “Cahoots” where somewhat incongruously, death and murder becomes diabolically funny.
This light, but ultimately satisfying black comedy doesn’t make any grand social statements, and feels a bit like watching a sit-com, which makes sense since the playwright, Rick Johnston, has also written for television.
First produced in England in 1986, the play revolves around four married, successful, yet ultimately discontented New Yorkers — a somewhat mediocre architect, Ken, his dilettante actress wife, Jan, her best friend Lois, a book editor, and Lois’s husband, Al, who is in advertising.
One of the four, Al, whose brother was murdered by a mugger 11 months prior, is obsessed with crime, and breaks into the apartment of Jan and Ken just to show them how lax their security is.
Ken Estvanik plays Al, with over-the-top anger, and a highly amusing demonstration of “defensive walking.”
The dialog is witty and sharp, with many one-liners, as when one of them comments that a mutual acquaintance is “so rich, they don’t have to have antiques.”
The fast-as-lightening repartee was extremely well executed, especially as the play progressed. In the beginning of the play the casual conversations between Jan, played connivingly by Lorrie Bacon, and Lois, played with appropriate and funny stunned hysteria by Lisa Eaton, seemed more forced than organic in feeling, but once they got warmed up, they were great.
Ken, the architect, played by Enrico DiGiacomo, was believable and amusing as the grand schemer, who advised to his fellow conspirators, “stick as close to the truth as possible, it is easier to lie that way.”
Particularly impressive was the scene when all four were sitting at the dinner table and two entirely different conversations were going on contemporaneously — no easy feat that, and it came off seamlessly.
Brendan Albetski, who plays Grant the security-guard-cum-law-school-student, was spot on. A senior in high school, Albetski more than held his own next to the other more seasoned actors.
The Valley Repertory Company, located in the old senior center in the Thompsonville section of Enfield, is a perfect venue for this community theater.
The single set, which is the interior of Ken and Jan’s New York apartment, was spacious, solid and functional.
At times the one-liners and dark humor are so shocking and unexpectedly funny you don’t know whether to laugh out loud or sit there with your mouth agape. “Cahoots” is one terrific night of entertainment that constantly keeps you guessing.
CAHOOTS
Three Stars
Location: Valley Repertory Company, 100 High Street, Enfield
Production: Written by Rick Johnston. Directed by Chris Bushey. Produced by Celeste Estvanik. Set design, lighting design, and technical direction by Eric J. Albetski. Stage manager Melissa Styche. Costumes by Jan Albetski. Lighting and sound by Steven Chaban. Props and set dressing by Nicole Bushey.
Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Nov. 17.
Tickets: $10 prepaid — $12 at the door. Seniors and youth $8 prepaid — $10 at the door. Call 860-749-4665 or visit their website at www.valleyrep.com
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Ken Estvanik...Al
Lorrie Bacon...Jan
Lisa Eaton...Lois
Enrico DiGiacomo...Ken
Grant...Brendan Albetski
Are you ready for a night of black-as-midnight humor? The laughs don’t get any darker than in this play, “Cahoots” where somewhat incongruously, death and murder becomes diabolically funny.
This light, but ultimately satisfying black comedy doesn’t make any grand social statements, and feels a bit like watching a sit-com, which makes sense since the playwright, Rick Johnston, has also written for television.
First produced in England in 1986, the play revolves around four married, successful, yet ultimately discontented New Yorkers — a somewhat mediocre architect, Ken, his dilettante actress wife, Jan, her best friend Lois, a book editor, and Lois’s husband, Al, who is in advertising.
One of the four, Al, whose brother was murdered by a mugger 11 months prior, is obsessed with crime, and breaks into the apartment of Jan and Ken just to show them how lax their security is.
Ken Estvanik plays Al, with over-the-top anger, and a highly amusing demonstration of “defensive walking.”
The dialog is witty and sharp, with many one-liners, as when one of them comments that a mutual acquaintance is “so rich, they don’t have to have antiques.”
The fast-as-lightening repartee was extremely well executed, especially as the play progressed. In the beginning of the play the casual conversations between Jan, played connivingly by Lorrie Bacon, and Lois, played with appropriate and funny stunned hysteria by Lisa Eaton, seemed more forced than organic in feeling, but once they got warmed up, they were great.
Ken, the architect, played by Enrico DiGiacomo, was believable and amusing as the grand schemer, who advised to his fellow conspirators, “stick as close to the truth as possible, it is easier to lie that way.”
Particularly impressive was the scene when all four were sitting at the dinner table and two entirely different conversations were going on contemporaneously — no easy feat that, and it came off seamlessly.
Brendan Albetski, who plays Grant the security-guard-cum-law-school-student, was spot on. A senior in high school, Albetski more than held his own next to the other more seasoned actors.
The Valley Repertory Company, located in the old senior center in the Thompsonville section of Enfield, is a perfect venue for this community theater.
The single set, which is the interior of Ken and Jan’s New York apartment, was spacious, solid and functional.
At times the one-liners and dark humor are so shocking and unexpectedly funny you don’t know whether to laugh out loud or sit there with your mouth agape. “Cahoots” is one terrific night of entertainment that constantly keeps you guessing.
CAHOOTS
Three Stars
Location: Valley Repertory Company, 100 High Street, Enfield
Production: Written by Rick Johnston. Directed by Chris Bushey. Produced by Celeste Estvanik. Set design, lighting design, and technical direction by Eric J. Albetski. Stage manager Melissa Styche. Costumes by Jan Albetski. Lighting and sound by Steven Chaban. Props and set dressing by Nicole Bushey.
Running time: 2 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Nov. 17.
Tickets: $10 prepaid — $12 at the door. Seniors and youth $8 prepaid — $10 at the door. Call 860-749-4665 or visit their website at www.valleyrep.com
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Ken Estvanik...Al
Lorrie Bacon...Jan
Lisa Eaton...Lois
Enrico DiGiacomo...Ken
Grant...Brendan Albetski
Magnificent musical "MAME" at Little Theatre of Manchester
Don’t let their name fool you. The Little Theatre of Manchester has put together one great big beautiful production of that perennial favorite, the musical “Mame.”
First produced on Broadway in 1966, the multiple Tony Award winning musical spans the era from the Great Depression onwards.
Set in New York, it is about a well-to-do, eccentric, bohemian Mame Dennis whose life is interrupted when her nephew, whose parents have both died, comes to live with her.
The music has many memorable tunes, such as its namesake, “Mame,” as well as “We Need a Little Christmas,” and “Bosom Buddies,” all of which are well sung, and led throughout by a fine, full orchestra.
The cast is first rate. Marge Patefield plays Mame, in a role that seems to have been created just for her. Patefield even looks strikingly like Angela Lansbury who first played the part on Broadway.
Mame’s scenes with her friend and actress, Vera Charles, played to the hilt by Jayne Newirth, are a delight to behold.
The young Patrick Dennis’s part is played to perfection by Jeremy Clavette, a seventh grade student at Tolland Middle School, who keeps up with the adults in the complex choreography, and whose clarion singing voice is a joy to hear.
Some of the more memorable numbers were “The Man in the Moon” scene, with one terrific, and sturdily constructed moon for Mame to hang onto for dear life. It was controlled chaos at its best.
The only technical glitch came from a couple of the cordless microphones the lead’s wore to be heard clearly over the orchestra.
When Beauregard Burnside, played with southern charm and chivalry by John Michael Whitney, was singing his big number, the microphone stopped functioning.
The choreography, created by director Sheila Waters Fucci, is simply incredible. The featured dance numbers, of which there were many, were timed to perfection and carried off with style and finesse. Fucci has a background in dance, and it shows, to the benefit of all.
Clearly no expense was spared on the elaborate and numerous costumes, designed by Brenda Fraiser, including a pink southern bell hoop skirt Mame wears for only minutes, but must have taken many hours to create.
Do yourself a favor and make sure you go see this life-affirming, magnificent production of “Mame.”
Mame
Three and ½ Stars
Location: Little Theatre of Manchester, Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman. Directed and choreographed by Sheila Waters Fucci. Musical director William Pelto. Stage manager, Tom Goodin. Lighting design by Jared R. Towler. Costume design by Brenda Frasier. Sound design by Connecticut Audio & Theatrical Supply. Properties by Jennifer Lysomirski.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. through Nov. 18.
Tickets: $21 - $28. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Marge Patefield...Mame Dennis
Jayne Newirth...Vera Charles and mother Burnside
Mary deManbey...Agnes Gooch, Sally Cato and ensemble
Jeremy Clavette...Patrick Dennis (age 10), and Peter Dennis
John Michael Whitney...Beauregard Burnside and ensemble
David Addis...Older Patrick Dennis
Keith Giard...Ralph Devine, leading man, elevator operator, and ensemble
Doug Stoyer...M. Lindsey Woolsey and ensemble
Todd Santa Maria...Ito
Carol Hewey...Mrs. Upson and ensemble
Samuel Green...Uncle Jeff, Mr. Upson, and ensemble
Lisa Garofalo...Gloria Upson and ensemble
Pierre Marteney...Doorman and ensemble
Mal Matthews...Artist, Messenger, and ensemble
Ed Burke...Dwight Babcock
Candice Anglin...Art model and ensemble
Patricia Covino...Dance teacher and ensemble
Chris Rataic...Stage manager and ensemble
Denise Gagne...Mme. Branislowski, Cousin Ivy, and ensemble
Robbie Siemon...Gregor, Junior Babcock, and ensemble
Jenna Levitt...Cousin Fan
Katie Goodin...Pegeen Ryan
Mike Donnelly...Bishop and ensemble
Marguerite Kelly, Pam Thomas, Michelle Hong...Ensemble
Marguerite Kelly, Lisa Garofalo, Michelle Hong, Todd Santa Maria, David Addis, Robbie Siemon, John Michael Whitney...Featured dancers
Don’t let their name fool you. The Little Theatre of Manchester has put together one great big beautiful production of that perennial favorite, the musical “Mame.”
First produced on Broadway in 1966, the multiple Tony Award winning musical spans the era from the Great Depression onwards.
Set in New York, it is about a well-to-do, eccentric, bohemian Mame Dennis whose life is interrupted when her nephew, whose parents have both died, comes to live with her.
The music has many memorable tunes, such as its namesake, “Mame,” as well as “We Need a Little Christmas,” and “Bosom Buddies,” all of which are well sung, and led throughout by a fine, full orchestra.
The cast is first rate. Marge Patefield plays Mame, in a role that seems to have been created just for her. Patefield even looks strikingly like Angela Lansbury who first played the part on Broadway.
Mame’s scenes with her friend and actress, Vera Charles, played to the hilt by Jayne Newirth, are a delight to behold.
The young Patrick Dennis’s part is played to perfection by Jeremy Clavette, a seventh grade student at Tolland Middle School, who keeps up with the adults in the complex choreography, and whose clarion singing voice is a joy to hear.
Some of the more memorable numbers were “The Man in the Moon” scene, with one terrific, and sturdily constructed moon for Mame to hang onto for dear life. It was controlled chaos at its best.
The only technical glitch came from a couple of the cordless microphones the lead’s wore to be heard clearly over the orchestra.
When Beauregard Burnside, played with southern charm and chivalry by John Michael Whitney, was singing his big number, the microphone stopped functioning.
The choreography, created by director Sheila Waters Fucci, is simply incredible. The featured dance numbers, of which there were many, were timed to perfection and carried off with style and finesse. Fucci has a background in dance, and it shows, to the benefit of all.
Clearly no expense was spared on the elaborate and numerous costumes, designed by Brenda Fraiser, including a pink southern bell hoop skirt Mame wears for only minutes, but must have taken many hours to create.
Do yourself a favor and make sure you go see this life-affirming, magnificent production of “Mame.”
Mame
Three and ½ Stars
Location: Little Theatre of Manchester, Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman. Directed and choreographed by Sheila Waters Fucci. Musical director William Pelto. Stage manager, Tom Goodin. Lighting design by Jared R. Towler. Costume design by Brenda Frasier. Sound design by Connecticut Audio & Theatrical Supply. Properties by Jennifer Lysomirski.
Running time: 3 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. through Nov. 18.
Tickets: $21 - $28. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Marge Patefield...Mame Dennis
Jayne Newirth...Vera Charles and mother Burnside
Mary deManbey...Agnes Gooch, Sally Cato and ensemble
Jeremy Clavette...Patrick Dennis (age 10), and Peter Dennis
John Michael Whitney...Beauregard Burnside and ensemble
David Addis...Older Patrick Dennis
Keith Giard...Ralph Devine, leading man, elevator operator, and ensemble
Doug Stoyer...M. Lindsey Woolsey and ensemble
Todd Santa Maria...Ito
Carol Hewey...Mrs. Upson and ensemble
Samuel Green...Uncle Jeff, Mr. Upson, and ensemble
Lisa Garofalo...Gloria Upson and ensemble
Pierre Marteney...Doorman and ensemble
Mal Matthews...Artist, Messenger, and ensemble
Ed Burke...Dwight Babcock
Candice Anglin...Art model and ensemble
Patricia Covino...Dance teacher and ensemble
Chris Rataic...Stage manager and ensemble
Denise Gagne...Mme. Branislowski, Cousin Ivy, and ensemble
Robbie Siemon...Gregor, Junior Babcock, and ensemble
Jenna Levitt...Cousin Fan
Katie Goodin...Pegeen Ryan
Mike Donnelly...Bishop and ensemble
Marguerite Kelly, Pam Thomas, Michelle Hong...Ensemble
Marguerite Kelly, Lisa Garofalo, Michelle Hong, Todd Santa Maria, David Addis, Robbie Siemon, John Michael Whitney...Featured dancers
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