"Cabaret - The Musical" could be better by the Phoenix Theater Company
DEEP RIVER - Just like the mythic firebird they take their name from, the Phoenix Theater Company keeps emerging from the ashes to reinvent themselves.
The Town Hall Theater in Deep River is the third location in as many shows for the group and hopefully it will be their home for some time to come.
As the name implies, the theater is located in Deep River’s Town Hall. It is a charming, old but well-maintained auditorium on the second floor with stair and elevator access.
The Phoenix Theater’s production at this venue is "Cabaret - the musical" perhaps best known as the 1972 film starring Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey, based on the 1966 Broadway production.
The story is set in 1929-30 Berlin, Germany at the sleazy Kit Kat Klub just before the Germany Nazi’s come to power.
An American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, played by Victor Gonzalez, comes to Berlin after stints in France and England, and falls in love with a free-spirited but self-destructive English nightclub performer Sally Bowles, played with youthful vivacity by Emily Mazotas.
Although set in another time and in another country, the warning Cliff gives to Sally about the impending political uprising: "If you’re not against this, you are for this," is just as politically relevant and true today.
The musical involves a host of colorful characters including a terrific Michael May with a great German accent as Heir Schultz, a Nazi activist.
Steven Kelley as Ernst Ludwig, gave a fine, sympathetic performance, with an excellent singing voice, as the oppressed German Jew.
Also outstanding was Joyce Sakowicz as Fraulein Kost who nearly stole the show in the second act with her song "Mein Herr," along with the Klub Girls whose choreography by Todd Santa Maria was the best in the show.
Sakowicz was last seen as the stellar Evita in the Phoenix Theater Company’s 2007 production of "Evita."
Kyle Metzler, who looks a lot like the rock musician Marilyn Manson, gave a fine performance as the creepy Emcee — the sardonic, hedonistic master of ceremonies.
The first half of the production was inconsistent but by Act II the show came together and felt more solid and self-assured.
Perhaps part of the difficulty came from the distance between the performers on stage and the band located in the back of the balcony, making it inherently challenging for them to all be on the same beat and note.
Many of the costumes designed by Starr McLean had a punk rock theme, particularly for the Kit Kat Klub characters, which was a good choice for the show and worked well with the decadent essence of the musical.
Two Stars
Theater: Phoenix Theater Company
Location: Town Hall Theater, 174 South Main Street, Deep River
Production: Book by John Masteroff. Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Directed by Chris Ryan. Produced by Joyce Sakowicz. Musical direction by Jason Ferrandino. Choreographed by Todd Santa Maria. Staged manager Patrique Hurd. Costumes by Starr McLean. Lighting designed by Roy Ryzak. Sound designed by Jareth King.
Running time: Two and a half hours and one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through April 5, with a 3 p.m. matinee Sunday March 30.
Tickets: $20. For further information call their box office at 860-291-2988, or visit their website at www.phoenixtheater.us.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Kyle Metzler...Emcee
Victor Gonzalez...Cliff Bradshaw
Emily Mazotas...Sally Bowles
Lynne Mazotas...Fraulein Schnieder
Michael May...Heir Schultz
Steven Kelley ...Ernst Ludwig
Joyce Sakowicz ...Fraulein Kost, Kit Kat (Fritzie)
Melissa McLeod ...Kit Kat (Rosie)
Stacey Constantine ...Kit Kat (Lulu)
Samantha Frank ...Kit Kat (Helga)
Chelsey Neville ...Kit Kat (Texas)
Ashley Cugno ...Kit Kat (Frenchie)
Mike Kubica ...Kit Kat (Bobby)
Todd Santa Maria...Kit Kat (Victor)
Chris Rudolph...Max
Chris Ryan ...Train Conductor
Monday, March 17, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
The Concert Connection series at Hartford Symphony Orchestra makes classical music accessible to all
HARTFORD — Have you ever been interested in learning about classical music, but were afraid to ask?
Fortunately the Hartford Symphony Orchestra has a terrific music series called “Classical Connections,” which goes a long way to help audience members understand and enjoy classical music.
The Classical Connections series began in Hartford about six years ago under the direction of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Musical Director Edward Cumming, who presented the program on his own, along with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, for the first two years.
Rather than playing a symphony straight through from beginning to end, in this series music selections are played by the orchestra, intermixed with spoken exposition about the composers, their lives and times, and their music, to give a deeper perspective and understanding of the artists and their compositions.
The series is concluding its fourth season on Thursday, April 10 and Friday, Arpil 11, with Dr. Robert Greenberg as the guest speaker.
A composer and musicologist, Greenberg is Music Historian-in-Residence with San Francisco Performances, a presenting organization in San Francisco.
Greenberg might also be known to some as the voice behind the audio lecture series entitled: “How to Understand and Listen to Great Music,” which examines the history of European music.
Greenberg says through the Classical Connection series he and Cumming have tried to mix and match known with less well-known compositions of various featured composers.
“We want to find a repertoire folks might not normally hear in a concert series,” Greenberg says, adding: “This is a great opportunity to hear music that is not usually played in the United States.”
The program in April will be the fourth and last of the series this season spotlighting Russian music, featuring the music of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
“Russian music is a great subject,” Greenberg says. It “is very appealing for a lot of reasons. It is a culture like ours that developed late with classical style music. It is very exciting.
“The whole point is great art is timeless,” Greenberg continues. “The music speaks for itself. People can use their own life experience. We try to create the right context for the music to be heard.”
Shostakovich
Shostakovich (1906-1975) might not be a name that comes to mind first when thinking about classical music composers, however he was an integral player in his time, whose music is still relevant today.
“Shostakovich is the most important composer of symphonies and string quartets of the 20th century,” Greenberg says, adding that his music was a direct reflection of the times he lived in.
Cumming says Shostakovich was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, and that Shostakovich was “composing symphonies at a time when many thought symphonies were dead.”
Like Beethoven and Bach, Cumming says, observing that “great composers have a distinctive voice…even 100 years later,” Shostakovich’s music still sounds fresh today.
Shostakovich grew up during the Russian Civil War and then survived under Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev.
The challenge for Shostakovich was how to express his individuality while under intense political scrutiny, Greenberg says, and he did so by finding a way to code his music.
“He had a very difficult life — much of which found its way into his music,” Greenberg says. “He was a witness to rise and fall of Soviet Union, and had to fight for his own individuality.”
Shostakovich was a Russian patriot who didn’t want to desert the country. Later in his life allowed to leave the country on certain occasions, Greenburg says, however, he was always surrounded by his handlers and always had to be wary of what he said.
Lived in constant fear
“He is the poster boy of the life of an artist in a totalitarian society,” Greenberg says of Shostakovich. “He lived in constant fear.”
Despite suffering from polio, lung cancer, and heart disease, with a disintegrating body, he was still somehow able to continue to create memorable music.
“He had an incredible work ethic. His body fell apart; his creative spirit was just unbelievable. Shostakovich was regularly censured,” Greenberg says and “expected to be arrested any moment.”
Greenberg says Shostakovich said: “The only two constants my life are my music and my fear.”
It is difficult to image that under those emotional and physical circumstances he was able to produce great masterworks, but somehow he did, Greenburg states.
Many great artists through the ages have lived varying degrees of tormented lives, Greenberg observes, but says: “Their pain is our gain.”
There will be two Concert Connections performances featuring Shostakovich — 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, April 10 and April 11, at the Maxwell and Ruth Belding Theater at the Bushnell in Hartford.
The performance will include music composed by Shostakovich including the Polka from “The Golden Age,” symphony no. 1, the first movement of piano concerto no. 2, and movements 2, 3, 4, and 5 from symphony no. 9.
All seats are $25 and are available by calling their box office at 860-244-2999 or by visiting their website at www.hartfordsymphony.org
HARTFORD — Have you ever been interested in learning about classical music, but were afraid to ask?
Fortunately the Hartford Symphony Orchestra has a terrific music series called “Classical Connections,” which goes a long way to help audience members understand and enjoy classical music.
The Classical Connections series began in Hartford about six years ago under the direction of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Musical Director Edward Cumming, who presented the program on his own, along with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, for the first two years.
Rather than playing a symphony straight through from beginning to end, in this series music selections are played by the orchestra, intermixed with spoken exposition about the composers, their lives and times, and their music, to give a deeper perspective and understanding of the artists and their compositions.
The series is concluding its fourth season on Thursday, April 10 and Friday, Arpil 11, with Dr. Robert Greenberg as the guest speaker.
A composer and musicologist, Greenberg is Music Historian-in-Residence with San Francisco Performances, a presenting organization in San Francisco.
Greenberg might also be known to some as the voice behind the audio lecture series entitled: “How to Understand and Listen to Great Music,” which examines the history of European music.
Greenberg says through the Classical Connection series he and Cumming have tried to mix and match known with less well-known compositions of various featured composers.
“We want to find a repertoire folks might not normally hear in a concert series,” Greenberg says, adding: “This is a great opportunity to hear music that is not usually played in the United States.”
The program in April will be the fourth and last of the series this season spotlighting Russian music, featuring the music of Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.
“Russian music is a great subject,” Greenberg says. It “is very appealing for a lot of reasons. It is a culture like ours that developed late with classical style music. It is very exciting.
“The whole point is great art is timeless,” Greenberg continues. “The music speaks for itself. People can use their own life experience. We try to create the right context for the music to be heard.”
Shostakovich
Shostakovich (1906-1975) might not be a name that comes to mind first when thinking about classical music composers, however he was an integral player in his time, whose music is still relevant today.
“Shostakovich is the most important composer of symphonies and string quartets of the 20th century,” Greenberg says, adding that his music was a direct reflection of the times he lived in.
Cumming says Shostakovich was one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, and that Shostakovich was “composing symphonies at a time when many thought symphonies were dead.”
Like Beethoven and Bach, Cumming says, observing that “great composers have a distinctive voice…even 100 years later,” Shostakovich’s music still sounds fresh today.
Shostakovich grew up during the Russian Civil War and then survived under Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, and Brezhnev.
The challenge for Shostakovich was how to express his individuality while under intense political scrutiny, Greenberg says, and he did so by finding a way to code his music.
“He had a very difficult life — much of which found its way into his music,” Greenberg says. “He was a witness to rise and fall of Soviet Union, and had to fight for his own individuality.”
Shostakovich was a Russian patriot who didn’t want to desert the country. Later in his life allowed to leave the country on certain occasions, Greenburg says, however, he was always surrounded by his handlers and always had to be wary of what he said.
Lived in constant fear
“He is the poster boy of the life of an artist in a totalitarian society,” Greenberg says of Shostakovich. “He lived in constant fear.”
Despite suffering from polio, lung cancer, and heart disease, with a disintegrating body, he was still somehow able to continue to create memorable music.
“He had an incredible work ethic. His body fell apart; his creative spirit was just unbelievable. Shostakovich was regularly censured,” Greenberg says and “expected to be arrested any moment.”
Greenberg says Shostakovich said: “The only two constants my life are my music and my fear.”
It is difficult to image that under those emotional and physical circumstances he was able to produce great masterworks, but somehow he did, Greenburg states.
Many great artists through the ages have lived varying degrees of tormented lives, Greenberg observes, but says: “Their pain is our gain.”
There will be two Concert Connections performances featuring Shostakovich — 7:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday, April 10 and April 11, at the Maxwell and Ruth Belding Theater at the Bushnell in Hartford.
The performance will include music composed by Shostakovich including the Polka from “The Golden Age,” symphony no. 1, the first movement of piano concerto no. 2, and movements 2, 3, 4, and 5 from symphony no. 9.
All seats are $25 and are available by calling their box office at 860-244-2999 or by visiting their website at www.hartfordsymphony.org
Monday, March 03, 2008
The Bluest Eye heartbreaking
HARTFORD — Could there ever be anyone more disenfranchised than a poor young black girl in the 1940’s?
This heartbreakingly poetic play, “The Bluest Eye,” evocatively written by Lydia Diamond, is based on Pulitzer Prizing winning author Toni Morrison’s first novel by the same name.
The play centers on Pecola, played by Adepero Oduye, an 11-year-old girl suffering from an extreme degree of neglect from her mother, played by Oni Faida Lampley, whom even Pecola calls Mrs. Breedlove.
Pecola convinces herself that she would be loved if she only had blue eyes, and she focuses her will on a disastrous course.
Set in the 1940’s, first in Kentucky and then Ohio, Pecola’s drunken father Cholly, played with sorrowful dejection by Leon Addison Brown, burns down their house, and she comes to live with Claudia, her sister Frieda, and their parents for a time.
The actors who play Claudia, Pecola, Frieda, and later the white girl Maureen Pearl, are all adult young women, played by Bobbi Baker, Oduye, Ronica V. Reddick, and Shelley Thomas, respectively.
The fact that they are adults playing children made their performances all the more riveting. They captured child-like innocence, playfulness, truth speaking, and at times the real essence of boredom and anger that children sometimes feel.
They had plenty to be dissatisfied with. It was a world of appearances where Shirley Temple was the ideal child dancing with Bo Jangles, and even black girls received blonde blue-eyed dolls to play with.
The nice quality of nostalgia is it takes some of the sting out of the heartless and atrocious way society dehumanizes, damages, and in some instances, destroys those who are most at risk.
The play is relevant today, too, because, although we are subtler and externally politically correct, we still live in the crazy world of appearances — grounded in the steadfast belief and complete falsehood that “might makes right.”
While most of the actors in this play are new to the Hartford Stage Company, Miche Braden, who played Mama and a woman character, is no stranger to Hartford audiences, having played in “Mahalia — A Gospel Musical,” and “The Devil’s Music: The Life & Blues of Bessie Smith.”
Braden has a glorious voice, and each time she sang within the context of the play, it was a joy to hear. She was also fine as the frustrated but loving mother.
Baker, who played Claudia, did most of the heavy lifting, shifting seamlessly between adult narrator to a child who was fortunate to have enough love in her life to be righteously furious over the inequities of the world.
Often funny, always innocent, sometimes joyful, and totally fragile, Oduye’s Pecola was the lynch pin to the success of this play, and she completely delivered a vulnerable and gifted performance.
In the beginning of this astonishingly poignant play, the actors were at times difficult to understand, but as “The Bluest Eye” unfolded, the diction and pacing improved.
There were some amusing moments, and occasionally the actors didn’t pause long enough for the laughter to subside before speaking, but this will surely improve as the run continues.
The complex and varied set by Scott Bradley was ideal and compelling, using the entire stage beautifully, with complementary and inventive lighting by Russell H. Champa.
Mark Ting, who is the Long Wharf Theater’s artistic director, fluidly directed “The Bluest Eye.” The show has a shorter run than usual at the Hartford Stage, ending on March 23, and continuing at Long Wharf through April 20.
Three stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: Based on Toni Morrison’s novel “The Bluest Eye” by Lydia Diamond. Directed by Eric Ting. Scenic design by Scott Bradley. Costume design by Toni-Leslie James. Lighting design by Russell H. Champa. Original music and sound design by Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn.
Running time: 1½ hours with no intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sunday and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through March 23.
Tickets: $23 to $64. For further information call their box office at 527-5151, or visit their website a www.hartfordstagecompany.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Bobbi Baker ... Claudia
Miche Braden ... Mama/ Woman
Leon Addison Brown ...Cholly
Ellis Foster ...Soaphead Church/ Daddy
Oni Faida Lampley ...Mrs. Breedlove/ Woman
Adepero Oduye ...Pecola
Ronica V. Reddick ...Frieda/ Darlene
Shelley Thomas ...Maureen Pearl/ White Girl/ Woman
HARTFORD — Could there ever be anyone more disenfranchised than a poor young black girl in the 1940’s?
This heartbreakingly poetic play, “The Bluest Eye,” evocatively written by Lydia Diamond, is based on Pulitzer Prizing winning author Toni Morrison’s first novel by the same name.
The play centers on Pecola, played by Adepero Oduye, an 11-year-old girl suffering from an extreme degree of neglect from her mother, played by Oni Faida Lampley, whom even Pecola calls Mrs. Breedlove.
Pecola convinces herself that she would be loved if she only had blue eyes, and she focuses her will on a disastrous course.
Set in the 1940’s, first in Kentucky and then Ohio, Pecola’s drunken father Cholly, played with sorrowful dejection by Leon Addison Brown, burns down their house, and she comes to live with Claudia, her sister Frieda, and their parents for a time.
The actors who play Claudia, Pecola, Frieda, and later the white girl Maureen Pearl, are all adult young women, played by Bobbi Baker, Oduye, Ronica V. Reddick, and Shelley Thomas, respectively.
The fact that they are adults playing children made their performances all the more riveting. They captured child-like innocence, playfulness, truth speaking, and at times the real essence of boredom and anger that children sometimes feel.
They had plenty to be dissatisfied with. It was a world of appearances where Shirley Temple was the ideal child dancing with Bo Jangles, and even black girls received blonde blue-eyed dolls to play with.
The nice quality of nostalgia is it takes some of the sting out of the heartless and atrocious way society dehumanizes, damages, and in some instances, destroys those who are most at risk.
The play is relevant today, too, because, although we are subtler and externally politically correct, we still live in the crazy world of appearances — grounded in the steadfast belief and complete falsehood that “might makes right.”
While most of the actors in this play are new to the Hartford Stage Company, Miche Braden, who played Mama and a woman character, is no stranger to Hartford audiences, having played in “Mahalia — A Gospel Musical,” and “The Devil’s Music: The Life & Blues of Bessie Smith.”
Braden has a glorious voice, and each time she sang within the context of the play, it was a joy to hear. She was also fine as the frustrated but loving mother.
Baker, who played Claudia, did most of the heavy lifting, shifting seamlessly between adult narrator to a child who was fortunate to have enough love in her life to be righteously furious over the inequities of the world.
Often funny, always innocent, sometimes joyful, and totally fragile, Oduye’s Pecola was the lynch pin to the success of this play, and she completely delivered a vulnerable and gifted performance.
In the beginning of this astonishingly poignant play, the actors were at times difficult to understand, but as “The Bluest Eye” unfolded, the diction and pacing improved.
There were some amusing moments, and occasionally the actors didn’t pause long enough for the laughter to subside before speaking, but this will surely improve as the run continues.
The complex and varied set by Scott Bradley was ideal and compelling, using the entire stage beautifully, with complementary and inventive lighting by Russell H. Champa.
Mark Ting, who is the Long Wharf Theater’s artistic director, fluidly directed “The Bluest Eye.” The show has a shorter run than usual at the Hartford Stage, ending on March 23, and continuing at Long Wharf through April 20.
Three stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: Based on Toni Morrison’s novel “The Bluest Eye” by Lydia Diamond. Directed by Eric Ting. Scenic design by Scott Bradley. Costume design by Toni-Leslie James. Lighting design by Russell H. Champa. Original music and sound design by Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn.
Running time: 1½ hours with no intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sunday and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through March 23.
Tickets: $23 to $64. For further information call their box office at 527-5151, or visit their website a www.hartfordstagecompany.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Bobbi Baker ... Claudia
Miche Braden ... Mama/ Woman
Leon Addison Brown ...Cholly
Ellis Foster ...Soaphead Church/ Daddy
Oni Faida Lampley ...Mrs. Breedlove/ Woman
Adepero Oduye ...Pecola
Ronica V. Reddick ...Frieda/ Darlene
Shelley Thomas ...Maureen Pearl/ White Girl/ Woman
Love’s Labour’s Lost
STORRS — If you are one of those people who feel that seeing a Shakespearean play is like watching a foreign film without subtitles, rest assured that you are not alone.
Also rest assured that in this highly entertaining and energetic production of Shakespeare’s comedy, “Love’s Labour’s Lost” by the Connecticut Repertory Theater at the University of Connecticut, the cast does a fine job of making the language comprehensible and the story clear.
Creatively staged and set in the high rolling 1920’s, this breezy and colorful production, imaginatively directed by Gabriel Barre, is delightful.
Setting a Shakespeare play in a non-Elizabethan era can be fraught with difficulties, but thankfully the frivolous ‘20’s and the lighthearted, silly premise of this play are a perfect match.
In “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” the youthful King of Navarre, played with proper authority by Nicholas Dillenburg, convinces his three friends, Lords Dumaine, Longaville, and Berowne, played by Dean Alcott, Luke Daniels, and Christopher Hirsh respectively, to join him for three years of study.
The king requires they all sign an oath agreeing to stay away from women, among other depravations, for the whole three years. One of them promises: “I will not love — if I do — hang me.”
So, of course they all fall in love immediately, and spend the rest of the play trying to hide it from each other.
The women they fall for are the Princess of France, played with regal beauty by Heddy Lahmann, and her three friends, Rosaline, Maria, and Katherine, played by Lauretta Pope, Rebecca Ricker-Gilbert, and Catherine Yudain, who all make one of the most unique first entrances ever.
The costumes by Kevin Thacker are gorgeous cotton-candy colored confections — cleverly color-coded as to leave you in no double who pairs up with whom.
The young man in blue is sweet on the young woman also wearing blue, the green-clothed man ends up with the green-attired woman, pink with pink, and purple with purple. Even the shoes were perfectly matched.
The single set, designed by Mike Billings, was an out-door courtyard, with a small pool and trees and many books hanging about. It fit the story well, with lots of playful options.
There seems to be something about this Shakespeare comedy that drives directors to song — case in point is Keith Branagh’s spectacularly awful musical film of “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”
In this production music is employed frequently, composed by Julian Fleisher, and musically directed by Ken Clark, but thankfully it succeeds here, with jazzy accompaniment woven throughout by the excellent band called the “B-Naturals.”
The actors were all clearly having a great time, with much energy, action, and unrestrained calisthenics, particularly by the clownish Costard, played by Joseph Gallina, who certainly had his way with a hat.
Another notably character was Don Adriano de Armado, the vain Spanish buffoon, played with theatrical bravura by Richard Ruiz.
Sadly this show closes far too soon on Saturday, so by all means go see the Connecticut Repertory Theater’s fun and frolicking production of Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST
Three Stars
Location: Nafe Katter Theater 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Gabriel Barre. Music composed by Julian Fleisher. Music direction by Ken Clark. Scenic design by Mike Billings. Costumes designed by Kevin Thacker. Lighting designed by Arthur W. Whaley. Sound designed by Ed Weingart.
Running time: About 3 hours including one intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Saturday.
Tickets: Range in price from $11 to $28. Call 486-4266 of visit their Web site at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Nicholas Dillenburg ... King Ferdinand of Navarre
Christopher Hirsh ... Berowne
Luke Daniels ... Longaville
Dean Alcott ... Dumaine
Richard Ruiz ... Don Adriano de Armado
Kate Shine... Moth
Daniel Sheridan ...Boyet
Sean Keane ...Anthony Dull
Joseph Gallina ...Costard
Walker Jones ...Nathaniel
Heddy Lahmann ...Princess of France
Lauretta Pope... Rosaline
Rebecca Ricker-Gilbert ... Maria
Catherine Yudain ...Katherine
Meghan O’Leary ...Jaquenetta
Hillary Parker...Holofernes
Peter Mutino...Lord
Timothy Byrne...Monsieur Marcade
Dan O’Brien...Forester
The B-Naturals
Jim Wheeler...Guitar and Bass
Dan O’Brien...Bass and Guitar
Peter Mutino...Drums
Timothy Byrne...Clarinet and Percussion
STORRS — If you are one of those people who feel that seeing a Shakespearean play is like watching a foreign film without subtitles, rest assured that you are not alone.
Also rest assured that in this highly entertaining and energetic production of Shakespeare’s comedy, “Love’s Labour’s Lost” by the Connecticut Repertory Theater at the University of Connecticut, the cast does a fine job of making the language comprehensible and the story clear.
Creatively staged and set in the high rolling 1920’s, this breezy and colorful production, imaginatively directed by Gabriel Barre, is delightful.
Setting a Shakespeare play in a non-Elizabethan era can be fraught with difficulties, but thankfully the frivolous ‘20’s and the lighthearted, silly premise of this play are a perfect match.
In “Love’s Labour’s Lost,” the youthful King of Navarre, played with proper authority by Nicholas Dillenburg, convinces his three friends, Lords Dumaine, Longaville, and Berowne, played by Dean Alcott, Luke Daniels, and Christopher Hirsh respectively, to join him for three years of study.
The king requires they all sign an oath agreeing to stay away from women, among other depravations, for the whole three years. One of them promises: “I will not love — if I do — hang me.”
So, of course they all fall in love immediately, and spend the rest of the play trying to hide it from each other.
The women they fall for are the Princess of France, played with regal beauty by Heddy Lahmann, and her three friends, Rosaline, Maria, and Katherine, played by Lauretta Pope, Rebecca Ricker-Gilbert, and Catherine Yudain, who all make one of the most unique first entrances ever.
The costumes by Kevin Thacker are gorgeous cotton-candy colored confections — cleverly color-coded as to leave you in no double who pairs up with whom.
The young man in blue is sweet on the young woman also wearing blue, the green-clothed man ends up with the green-attired woman, pink with pink, and purple with purple. Even the shoes were perfectly matched.
The single set, designed by Mike Billings, was an out-door courtyard, with a small pool and trees and many books hanging about. It fit the story well, with lots of playful options.
There seems to be something about this Shakespeare comedy that drives directors to song — case in point is Keith Branagh’s spectacularly awful musical film of “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”
In this production music is employed frequently, composed by Julian Fleisher, and musically directed by Ken Clark, but thankfully it succeeds here, with jazzy accompaniment woven throughout by the excellent band called the “B-Naturals.”
The actors were all clearly having a great time, with much energy, action, and unrestrained calisthenics, particularly by the clownish Costard, played by Joseph Gallina, who certainly had his way with a hat.
Another notably character was Don Adriano de Armado, the vain Spanish buffoon, played with theatrical bravura by Richard Ruiz.
Sadly this show closes far too soon on Saturday, so by all means go see the Connecticut Repertory Theater’s fun and frolicking production of Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost.”
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST
Three Stars
Location: Nafe Katter Theater 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Gabriel Barre. Music composed by Julian Fleisher. Music direction by Ken Clark. Scenic design by Mike Billings. Costumes designed by Kevin Thacker. Lighting designed by Arthur W. Whaley. Sound designed by Ed Weingart.
Running time: About 3 hours including one intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Saturday.
Tickets: Range in price from $11 to $28. Call 486-4266 of visit their Web site at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Nicholas Dillenburg ... King Ferdinand of Navarre
Christopher Hirsh ... Berowne
Luke Daniels ... Longaville
Dean Alcott ... Dumaine
Richard Ruiz ... Don Adriano de Armado
Kate Shine... Moth
Daniel Sheridan ...Boyet
Sean Keane ...Anthony Dull
Joseph Gallina ...Costard
Walker Jones ...Nathaniel
Heddy Lahmann ...Princess of France
Lauretta Pope... Rosaline
Rebecca Ricker-Gilbert ... Maria
Catherine Yudain ...Katherine
Meghan O’Leary ...Jaquenetta
Hillary Parker...Holofernes
Peter Mutino...Lord
Timothy Byrne...Monsieur Marcade
Dan O’Brien...Forester
The B-Naturals
Jim Wheeler...Guitar and Bass
Dan O’Brien...Bass and Guitar
Peter Mutino...Drums
Timothy Byrne...Clarinet and Percussion
Monday, February 25, 2008
Love's the thing in LTM's "Marvin’s Room"
MANCHESTER — The Little Theatre of Manchester kicked off their 2008 season with "Marvin’s Room," a sometimes humorous and often touching story of life, love, and how people cope with what life throws in their direction.
Virginia Freese plays Bessie, a woman who has devoted much of her life to caring for her ailing father, Marvin, and her elderly Aunt Ruth, played by Miriam Neiman.
At one point in the play Freese’s character says wryly that her father "has been dying for the last 20 years - He doesn’t want me to miss anything." Her tone, one of resigned good humor, is constant, but when she becomes ill herself, she reveals her fear and worry to her sister, Lee, played with pitch-perfect impatience by Betsy Bradley.
Bradley’s Lee has her own concerns, with two children, one a 17-year-old named Hank, who has been placed in a mental institution, and is played believably by Peter Waluk, and the other a 10-year-old named Charlie, played by Jason Fazzino.
Particularly good was the scene between the two boys, with the older one forcefully lecturing the younger on how to behave in a way that siblings really talk to each other.
In fact, the whole play, written Scott McPherson and flawlessly directed by Joseph Keach-Longo, had the ring of truth.
Keach-Longo also designed the set, which was spare and functional in its transitions from a doctor’s office, to a home interior, to Disney World.
The play takes place primarily in Florida, and briefly in Ohio, where Lee and her two boys live. They come down to Florida and visit. The play has a child-like hopefulness and optimism about it, making the best of whatever life deals out, with grace and love.
All the actors were fine, including the ditzy Dr. Wally played by Daniel Coyle, the insincere double-speaking psychiatrist, Dr. Charlotte, played by Darlene LaPointe, and the officious retirement home director, Diane Lareau AmEnde. Augustus Marinak’s Bob the receptionist was almost a cameo role, which he played well and gave the play some much-appreciated comic relief.
The subject of death and dying is a heavy one, and not a topic we Americans generally like to think about, but this play brings up some important issues, like the expense of growing old and disabled in this country.
And love. Love amongst siblings and family relations, and how difficult but vital it is to show those closest to us that we care.
MARVIN'S ROOM
Three Stars
Theater: Little Theatre of Manchester
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: by Scott McPherson. Directed and set designed by Joseph Keach-Longo. Stage manager Tom Goodin. Lighting design by Kyle Charles. Sound design by Mike Pienkosz.
Running time: 2 hours, with one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. through March 9.
Tickets: $18 - $23. Seniors over 60 and students receive a discount. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Virginia Freese ...Bessie
Daniel Coyle...Dr. Wally
Miriam Neiman...Ruth
Augustus Marinak ...Bob
Betsy Bradley...Lee
Darlene LaPointe ...Dr. Charlotte
Peter Waluk ...Hank
Jason Fazzino ...Charlie
Diane Lareau AmEnde...Retirement Home Director.
By Kory Loucks
Journal Inquirer
MANCHESTER — The Little Theatre of Manchester kicked off their 2008 season with "Marvin’s Room," a sometimes humorous and often touching story of life, love, and how people cope with what life throws in their direction.
Virginia Freese plays Bessie, a woman who has devoted much of her life to caring for her ailing father, Marvin, and her elderly Aunt Ruth, played by Miriam Neiman.
At one point in the play Freese’s character says wryly that her father "has been dying for the last 20 years - He doesn’t want me to miss anything." Her tone, one of resigned good humor, is constant, but when she becomes ill herself, she reveals her fear and worry to her sister, Lee, played with pitch-perfect impatience by Betsy Bradley.
Bradley’s Lee has her own concerns, with two children, one a 17-year-old named Hank, who has been placed in a mental institution, and is played believably by Peter Waluk, and the other a 10-year-old named Charlie, played by Jason Fazzino.
Particularly good was the scene between the two boys, with the older one forcefully lecturing the younger on how to behave in a way that siblings really talk to each other.
In fact, the whole play, written Scott McPherson and flawlessly directed by Joseph Keach-Longo, had the ring of truth.
Keach-Longo also designed the set, which was spare and functional in its transitions from a doctor’s office, to a home interior, to Disney World.
The play takes place primarily in Florida, and briefly in Ohio, where Lee and her two boys live. They come down to Florida and visit. The play has a child-like hopefulness and optimism about it, making the best of whatever life deals out, with grace and love.
All the actors were fine, including the ditzy Dr. Wally played by Daniel Coyle, the insincere double-speaking psychiatrist, Dr. Charlotte, played by Darlene LaPointe, and the officious retirement home director, Diane Lareau AmEnde. Augustus Marinak’s Bob the receptionist was almost a cameo role, which he played well and gave the play some much-appreciated comic relief.
The subject of death and dying is a heavy one, and not a topic we Americans generally like to think about, but this play brings up some important issues, like the expense of growing old and disabled in this country.
And love. Love amongst siblings and family relations, and how difficult but vital it is to show those closest to us that we care.
MARVIN'S ROOM
Three Stars
Theater: Little Theatre of Manchester
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: by Scott McPherson. Directed and set designed by Joseph Keach-Longo. Stage manager Tom Goodin. Lighting design by Kyle Charles. Sound design by Mike Pienkosz.
Running time: 2 hours, with one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. Sunday at 2 p.m. through March 9.
Tickets: $18 - $23. Seniors over 60 and students receive a discount. Call the box office at 647-9824, or visit their Web site at www.cheneyhall.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Virginia Freese ...Bessie
Daniel Coyle...Dr. Wally
Miriam Neiman...Ruth
Augustus Marinak ...Bob
Betsy Bradley...Lee
Darlene LaPointe ...Dr. Charlotte
Peter Waluk ...Hank
Jason Fazzino ...Charlie
Diane Lareau AmEnde...Retirement Home Director.
By Kory Loucks
Journal Inquirer
Monday, February 11, 2008
"The Rink, The Musical" strong cast at Opera House Players
EAST WINDSOR - "The Rink, the Musical" is a relatively obscure, rather serious musical that could not have been better cast or staged.
Every member of the nine-person ensemble was terrific, with not a weak link in the bunch.
From the lead roles of the mother, Anna Antonelli, played with wise-cracking earthiness by Kathi Such and Nicole R. Giguere’s heart-felt portrayal as Anna’s prodigal daughter, Angel, down to the all male chorus who play a broad spectrum of characters - they were all stellar.
The plot centers on a decaying roller rink at a seaside resort whose heyday has passed it by. Anna has sold the rink to developers and it is about to be demolished, when her long-absent and estranged daughter, Angel, reappears unexpectedly.
The story is told in a series of musical flashbacks, where the two struggle towards mutual understanding and forgiveness.
The play, originally produced on Broadway in 1984, starred Chita Rivera, who won a Tony for her performance, and Liza Minnelli, who was nominated for a Tony.
Despite the star power behind the show, the production, written by Terrance McNally, never became a bonafide hit, and closed after a short run.
While none of the songs were particularly memorable on their own, they worked together well enough to tell the detailed history of love and loss.
There was humor along with some genuinely funny scenes interspersed amongst the more serious mature segments.
Without giving away too much of the story, there was no nudity, however there was a graphic "mature audience only" scene that was as powerful as it was surprising - well handled by director Philip D. Vetro.
Early on in the production there was a dance number with construction workers which was amusing. Later in the show the construction crew all roller-skated on the stage and were a lot of fun to watch, with fine choreography by Todd Santa Marie.
Such and Giguere both have powerful Broadway-belting voices, which was a good thing, because they sang a lot. Their voices also harmonized beautifully together in their duet "The Apple Doesn’t Fall."
Maria Meier who played the little girl gave a strong performance - more than holding her own with the adult cast.
Other notable characters were Tom Knightlee who played a variety of roles, including one hilarious Mrs. Silverman, reminiscent of Mike Myers’ Linda Richmond "vaclempt" character from "Saturday Night Live," along with the equally funny Dallas Hosmer as Mrs. Jackson.
Tom Knightlee, who looks much like Keanu Reeves, also played a number of roles, and had a fine, crisp, and clear tenor voice.
All in all, the cast, under Vetro’s assured direction, was better than the material, and the actors made the most of what they had to work with.
THE RINK, THE MUSICAL
Two and one half stars
Theater: Broad Brook Opera House, 107 Main St. Broad Brook
Production: Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Book by Terrance McNally. Directed by Philip D. Vetro. Musical direction by Tom Slowick. Choreography by Todd Santa Maria. Assistant director and dance captain Khara C. Hoyer. Stage manager Paul Leone. Produced by Moonyean Field. Lighting designed and operated by Diane St. Amand. Sound designed and operated by Devon Gamache.
Running Time: Two hours plus one 20 minute intermission
Show Times: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Feb. 24
Tickets: $20, $16 for over 65 and under 12. Call 292-6068 to purchase tickets. For further information visit their Web site at www.Operahouseplayers.org
Actor...Character
Kathi Such...Anna Antonelli
Nicole R. Giguere...Angel Antonelli
Maria Meier...Little girl
Tom Denihan...Guy, Dino
Tom Knightlee...Lino, Lenny, Punk #3, Peter Reilly
Michael Reilly...Policeman
Dallas Hosmer...Buddy, Hiram, Mrs. Jackson, Suitor #2, Arnie
Mark Wantroba...Tony, Tom, Punk #1, Suitor #3, Booby Perillo
Sam Donovan...Lucky, Sam, Punk #2, Suitor #1, Junior Miller, Danny
EAST WINDSOR - "The Rink, the Musical" is a relatively obscure, rather serious musical that could not have been better cast or staged.
Every member of the nine-person ensemble was terrific, with not a weak link in the bunch.
From the lead roles of the mother, Anna Antonelli, played with wise-cracking earthiness by Kathi Such and Nicole R. Giguere’s heart-felt portrayal as Anna’s prodigal daughter, Angel, down to the all male chorus who play a broad spectrum of characters - they were all stellar.
The plot centers on a decaying roller rink at a seaside resort whose heyday has passed it by. Anna has sold the rink to developers and it is about to be demolished, when her long-absent and estranged daughter, Angel, reappears unexpectedly.
The story is told in a series of musical flashbacks, where the two struggle towards mutual understanding and forgiveness.
The play, originally produced on Broadway in 1984, starred Chita Rivera, who won a Tony for her performance, and Liza Minnelli, who was nominated for a Tony.
Despite the star power behind the show, the production, written by Terrance McNally, never became a bonafide hit, and closed after a short run.
While none of the songs were particularly memorable on their own, they worked together well enough to tell the detailed history of love and loss.
There was humor along with some genuinely funny scenes interspersed amongst the more serious mature segments.
Without giving away too much of the story, there was no nudity, however there was a graphic "mature audience only" scene that was as powerful as it was surprising - well handled by director Philip D. Vetro.
Early on in the production there was a dance number with construction workers which was amusing. Later in the show the construction crew all roller-skated on the stage and were a lot of fun to watch, with fine choreography by Todd Santa Marie.
Such and Giguere both have powerful Broadway-belting voices, which was a good thing, because they sang a lot. Their voices also harmonized beautifully together in their duet "The Apple Doesn’t Fall."
Maria Meier who played the little girl gave a strong performance - more than holding her own with the adult cast.
Other notable characters were Tom Knightlee who played a variety of roles, including one hilarious Mrs. Silverman, reminiscent of Mike Myers’ Linda Richmond "vaclempt" character from "Saturday Night Live," along with the equally funny Dallas Hosmer as Mrs. Jackson.
Tom Knightlee, who looks much like Keanu Reeves, also played a number of roles, and had a fine, crisp, and clear tenor voice.
All in all, the cast, under Vetro’s assured direction, was better than the material, and the actors made the most of what they had to work with.
THE RINK, THE MUSICAL
Two and one half stars
Theater: Broad Brook Opera House, 107 Main St. Broad Brook
Production: Music by John Kander. Lyrics by Fred Ebb. Book by Terrance McNally. Directed by Philip D. Vetro. Musical direction by Tom Slowick. Choreography by Todd Santa Maria. Assistant director and dance captain Khara C. Hoyer. Stage manager Paul Leone. Produced by Moonyean Field. Lighting designed and operated by Diane St. Amand. Sound designed and operated by Devon Gamache.
Running Time: Two hours plus one 20 minute intermission
Show Times: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Feb. 24
Tickets: $20, $16 for over 65 and under 12. Call 292-6068 to purchase tickets. For further information visit their Web site at www.Operahouseplayers.org
Actor...Character
Kathi Such...Anna Antonelli
Nicole R. Giguere...Angel Antonelli
Maria Meier...Little girl
Tom Denihan...Guy, Dino
Tom Knightlee...Lino, Lenny, Punk #3, Peter Reilly
Michael Reilly...Policeman
Dallas Hosmer...Buddy, Hiram, Mrs. Jackson, Suitor #2, Arnie
Mark Wantroba...Tony, Tom, Punk #1, Suitor #3, Booby Perillo
Sam Donovan...Lucky, Sam, Punk #2, Suitor #1, Junior Miller, Danny
"Don’t Dress for Dinner" a delicious concoction
The play "Don’t Dress for Dinner" is like a delicate soufflé-if all the ingredients are not of the best quality and if the timing is off just a smidgen, it would collapse.
Thank goodness for those lucky enough to see this production, this farcical comedy is one delicious concoction of gourmet quality.
What ingredients were needed to cook up this successful production?
First, take one philandering cad of a husband Bernard, played with Jimmy Stewart-like humor by Robert Lunde, and add one sexy wife, Jacqueline, played with style by Gina Marie Paro.
Next mix in a large portion of Bernard’s best friend, Robert, who just happens to be having an affair with Jacqueline, played with terrific dead-pan humor and intelligence a la Cary Grant by Christopher Berrien.
Now stir in a cook-for-hire who through mistaken identity ends up making a small fortune pretending to be Robert’s mistress and then his niece - nicely portrayed by Amy Rucci as Suzette.
Then, for zest, add in Bernard’s mistress, Suzanne, a high fashion model played with panache by Meagan Kinney and at the last minute toss in the cook’s husband George, played with energy and appropriate confusion by Edwin R. Lewis III.
Stir well with superb direction from Rayah Martin and viola! You have one silly, wacky, delicious farce, reminiscent of old screwball comedy films like "Bringing Up Baby," with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
The one set by Konrad Rogowski, is convincing and functional as a former barn converted into a home in France.
The costumes, of which there were a number, were all fine. Particularly outstanding was the cook’s uniform, which was transformed into a dinner dress on stage.
The French rock music played in the background during intermission was energetic and lively enough, but a little too loud.
The entire production was one delightful mind-twisting treat after another. "Don’t Dress for Dinner" is definitely one scrumptious theatrical entrée worth savoring.
DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER
Three Stars
Location: Mapleton Hall, 1305 Mapleton Ave. Suffield.
Production: By Marc Camoletti. Adapted by Robin Hawdon. Directed by Rayah Martin. Technical direction and lighting design by Jerry Zalewski. Set design by Konrad Rogowski. Sound design by Dana T. Ring. Costumes by Dawn McKay.
Running time: 2 hours, including one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Feb. 23.
Tickets: $15, $13 for seniors and students. Call 800-289-6158 of visit their website at www.suffieldplayers.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Robert Lunde...Bernard
Gina Marie Paro...Jacqueline
Christopher Berrien...Robert
Amy Rucci...Suzette
Meagan Kinney...Suzanne
Edwin R. Lewis III...George
The play "Don’t Dress for Dinner" is like a delicate soufflé-if all the ingredients are not of the best quality and if the timing is off just a smidgen, it would collapse.
Thank goodness for those lucky enough to see this production, this farcical comedy is one delicious concoction of gourmet quality.
What ingredients were needed to cook up this successful production?
First, take one philandering cad of a husband Bernard, played with Jimmy Stewart-like humor by Robert Lunde, and add one sexy wife, Jacqueline, played with style by Gina Marie Paro.
Next mix in a large portion of Bernard’s best friend, Robert, who just happens to be having an affair with Jacqueline, played with terrific dead-pan humor and intelligence a la Cary Grant by Christopher Berrien.
Now stir in a cook-for-hire who through mistaken identity ends up making a small fortune pretending to be Robert’s mistress and then his niece - nicely portrayed by Amy Rucci as Suzette.
Then, for zest, add in Bernard’s mistress, Suzanne, a high fashion model played with panache by Meagan Kinney and at the last minute toss in the cook’s husband George, played with energy and appropriate confusion by Edwin R. Lewis III.
Stir well with superb direction from Rayah Martin and viola! You have one silly, wacky, delicious farce, reminiscent of old screwball comedy films like "Bringing Up Baby," with Katherine Hepburn and Cary Grant.
The one set by Konrad Rogowski, is convincing and functional as a former barn converted into a home in France.
The costumes, of which there were a number, were all fine. Particularly outstanding was the cook’s uniform, which was transformed into a dinner dress on stage.
The French rock music played in the background during intermission was energetic and lively enough, but a little too loud.
The entire production was one delightful mind-twisting treat after another. "Don’t Dress for Dinner" is definitely one scrumptious theatrical entrée worth savoring.
DON'T DRESS FOR DINNER
Three Stars
Location: Mapleton Hall, 1305 Mapleton Ave. Suffield.
Production: By Marc Camoletti. Adapted by Robin Hawdon. Directed by Rayah Martin. Technical direction and lighting design by Jerry Zalewski. Set design by Konrad Rogowski. Sound design by Dana T. Ring. Costumes by Dawn McKay.
Running time: 2 hours, including one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through Feb. 23.
Tickets: $15, $13 for seniors and students. Call 800-289-6158 of visit their website at www.suffieldplayers.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Robert Lunde...Bernard
Gina Marie Paro...Jacqueline
Christopher Berrien...Robert
Amy Rucci...Suzette
Meagan Kinney...Suzanne
Edwin R. Lewis III...George
Monday, February 04, 2008
The Little Dog Laughed is a smart, razor-shape success
HARTFORD — What can one say about a closet-homosexual movie star on the rise, his lesbian hyper-agent, a street hustler with integrity, and his gold-digging girlfriend?
Well first of all, “The Little Dog Laughed” is not for kids, due to male nudity along with some non-gratuitous but sexually explicit scenes.
That being said, the play, directed by Rob Ruggiero, was funny, witty, entertaining, and smart.
Written by Douglas Carter Beane, the Tony Award-nominated play examines the world of appearances at odds with that age-old pursuit of happiness, and blind ambition.
The agent, who also doubles as the show’s narrator, Diane, played with hilarious drive and Chutzpah by Candy Buckley, is doing all she can to keep her client, Mitchell, from coming out of the closet, ironically so he can play a gay man in a movie.
Evidently in the topsy-turvy world of show business if Mitchell plays the role of a gay man in a movie and is straight in real life, that is acceptable, but if he is a gay actor playing a gay man, it’s career poison.
Diane’s “in-your-face” razor-sharp delivery was exhilarating to witness, and the dialog felt authentic with all the behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing that comes with getting movies produced, cast, and delivered.
Chad Allen does a fine job playing the egotist actor Mitchell who is struggling to find personal happiness — in direct conflict with his professional ambitions. As Diane succinctly observes: “Mitch’s dream is to be everybody else’s dream.”
Mitchell hooks up with a male hustler with a heart of gold named Alex, played with sincerity and intelligence by Jeremy Jordan.
Alex is unsure of his sexual orientation, and has a girlfriend after a fashion, named Ellen, played by Amanda Perez.
Perez, a recent college graduate, more than held her own with the experienced, seasoned cast. She could not have been better as the perky, young materialistic party-girl, who calls her mother “screecher” and mournfully laments her childhood is over now that her mom converted her former bedroom into a craft room.
She also has a moody streak, referring to herself as the “Netherlands” because she gets dark so fast.
There were some other great lines, too, as when Alex, trying to get his point across to a less-than-receptive Mitchell, exclaimed: “God, talking to you is like sewing a button on cottage cheese.”
At one point near the end of the play, when Diane was peppering the other three with questions, Alex said: “This is like a game for mean people.”
To which she fired back: “The truth has its consequences.”
Diane speaks directly to the audience at the beginning and end of each act, to fine effect — even cleverly reminding the audience to turn their cell phones off after intermission — always a nuisance in the theater.
Another interesting technique was occasionally having the actors speak monologues while in the presence of another, so you learned what they were really thinking, as opposed to what they said after.
This was seamlessly accomplished with selective spotlighting, with lighting designed by Thomas Dunn, while the music, by sound designer Zachary Williamson, often a driving disco beat between scenes, didn’t overwhelm the production, and set the right tone.
The costumes, by David R. Zyla, of which there are many, were terrific for the most part, particularly for the women.
The two appeared to be wearing something different in almost every scene, from the trendy colorful clothes and tights Ellen wears, to the “all business, but with bling” ensembles Diane dons.
For some reason however, Mitchell’s pants were two sizes too big, and not in the “hip-hop” big style either — not a good look for a movie star. In a play about appearances, Mitch’s clothes should have been much more cool and sexy.
What a difference a year makes. Last winter, life was looking rather grim for TheaterWorks. According to Steve Campo, the theater’s executive director, they were suffering from the largest deficit in their 22-year history.
Before the curtain rose at Saturday’s performance, Campo reported to the sold-out audience that the company should be deficit-free by year-end. Here’s wishing many healthy and exciting years ahead for TheaterWorks and fortunate Hartford audiences.
THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED
Three Stars
Theater: TheaterWorks
Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.
Production: Written by Douglas Carter Beane. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Set design by Adrian W. Jones. Costume design by David R. Zyla. Sound design by Zachary Williamson. Lighting design by Thomas Dunn
Running time: 2 1/4 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees on Sundays and selected Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. The show will run through March 9.
Tickets: $37, except Friday and Saturday nights, $47, and are unassigned. Center reserved seats are $11 extra. $11 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
Candy Buckley...Diane
Chad Allen...Mitchell
Jeremy Jordan...Alex
Amanda Perez...Ellen
By Kory Loucks
Journal Inquirer
HARTFORD — What can one say about a closet-homosexual movie star on the rise, his lesbian hyper-agent, a street hustler with integrity, and his gold-digging girlfriend?
Well first of all, “The Little Dog Laughed” is not for kids, due to male nudity along with some non-gratuitous but sexually explicit scenes.
That being said, the play, directed by Rob Ruggiero, was funny, witty, entertaining, and smart.
Written by Douglas Carter Beane, the Tony Award-nominated play examines the world of appearances at odds with that age-old pursuit of happiness, and blind ambition.
The agent, who also doubles as the show’s narrator, Diane, played with hilarious drive and Chutzpah by Candy Buckley, is doing all she can to keep her client, Mitchell, from coming out of the closet, ironically so he can play a gay man in a movie.
Evidently in the topsy-turvy world of show business if Mitchell plays the role of a gay man in a movie and is straight in real life, that is acceptable, but if he is a gay actor playing a gay man, it’s career poison.
Diane’s “in-your-face” razor-sharp delivery was exhilarating to witness, and the dialog felt authentic with all the behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing that comes with getting movies produced, cast, and delivered.
Chad Allen does a fine job playing the egotist actor Mitchell who is struggling to find personal happiness — in direct conflict with his professional ambitions. As Diane succinctly observes: “Mitch’s dream is to be everybody else’s dream.”
Mitchell hooks up with a male hustler with a heart of gold named Alex, played with sincerity and intelligence by Jeremy Jordan.
Alex is unsure of his sexual orientation, and has a girlfriend after a fashion, named Ellen, played by Amanda Perez.
Perez, a recent college graduate, more than held her own with the experienced, seasoned cast. She could not have been better as the perky, young materialistic party-girl, who calls her mother “screecher” and mournfully laments her childhood is over now that her mom converted her former bedroom into a craft room.
She also has a moody streak, referring to herself as the “Netherlands” because she gets dark so fast.
There were some other great lines, too, as when Alex, trying to get his point across to a less-than-receptive Mitchell, exclaimed: “God, talking to you is like sewing a button on cottage cheese.”
At one point near the end of the play, when Diane was peppering the other three with questions, Alex said: “This is like a game for mean people.”
To which she fired back: “The truth has its consequences.”
Diane speaks directly to the audience at the beginning and end of each act, to fine effect — even cleverly reminding the audience to turn their cell phones off after intermission — always a nuisance in the theater.
Another interesting technique was occasionally having the actors speak monologues while in the presence of another, so you learned what they were really thinking, as opposed to what they said after.
This was seamlessly accomplished with selective spotlighting, with lighting designed by Thomas Dunn, while the music, by sound designer Zachary Williamson, often a driving disco beat between scenes, didn’t overwhelm the production, and set the right tone.
The costumes, by David R. Zyla, of which there are many, were terrific for the most part, particularly for the women.
The two appeared to be wearing something different in almost every scene, from the trendy colorful clothes and tights Ellen wears, to the “all business, but with bling” ensembles Diane dons.
For some reason however, Mitchell’s pants were two sizes too big, and not in the “hip-hop” big style either — not a good look for a movie star. In a play about appearances, Mitch’s clothes should have been much more cool and sexy.
What a difference a year makes. Last winter, life was looking rather grim for TheaterWorks. According to Steve Campo, the theater’s executive director, they were suffering from the largest deficit in their 22-year history.
Before the curtain rose at Saturday’s performance, Campo reported to the sold-out audience that the company should be deficit-free by year-end. Here’s wishing many healthy and exciting years ahead for TheaterWorks and fortunate Hartford audiences.
THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED
Three Stars
Theater: TheaterWorks
Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.
Production: Written by Douglas Carter Beane. Directed by Rob Ruggiero. Set design by Adrian W. Jones. Costume design by David R. Zyla. Sound design by Zachary Williamson. Lighting design by Thomas Dunn
Running time: 2 1/4 hours, with one intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Matinees on Sundays and selected Saturdays at 2:30 p.m. The show will run through March 9.
Tickets: $37, except Friday and Saturday nights, $47, and are unassigned. Center reserved seats are $11 extra. $11 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
Candy Buckley...Diane
Chad Allen...Mitchell
Jeremy Jordan...Alex
Amanda Perez...Ellen
By Kory Loucks
Journal Inquirer
Monday, January 28, 2008
Elizabeth Ashley is ultimately entrancing in Hartford Stage Company’s production of “Zerline’s Tale”
HARTFORD — Tony Award-winning actor Elizabeth Ashley achieved moments of transcendence and magic, despite a harshly cigarette-ravaged voice, in her performance as Zerline in the Hartford Stage Company’s production of “Zerline’s Tale.”
Ashley is a veteran of the Broadway stage and of television, winning a Tony Award for her 1961 Broadway performance in “Take Her, She’s Mine,” and creating the role of Corie Bratter opposite Robert Redford in Neil Simon’s original 1963 Broadway production of “Barefoot in the Park.” She also had a recurring role in the television show “Evening Shade” with Burt Reynolds, which ran for four seasons from 1990-1994.
There are two characters in this one act play, but basically it was the “Elizabeth Ashley Show,” with Jon David Casey playing the tenant as the believably intrigued on-stage audience, and Ashley playing the role of an older, resentful servant to an aging Baroness and her allegedly illegitimate daughter, Hildegard.
And why, you might ask, does Casey’s character show interest in the tale being told? Lust and desire of course. He has a palpable crush on Hildegard— an attraction that has not gone unnoticed by the ever-vigilant super-sleuth servant Zerline.
In fact, the theme of the performance can be summed up in Zerline’s statement: “Desire isn’t a weakness — it’s the denial of desire that’s weakness.”
Then again, the theme could also be: “Nostalgia — it ain’t what it used to be.” Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Set in the winter of 1923, in post World War I Germany, Ashley’s Zerline tells her life story of lust, desire, love, jealousy, bitterness, and betrayal, which unfolds in a fairytale-like unraveling, slowly seducing the listener and the audience into her word picture.
Philosophical observations are delivered with poetic frankness when Zerline says, like a comet in the night sky “those unforgettable moments which shape us and define us forever are made of what came before and they color everything that comes after.”
There are moments of humor also, as when Zerline, tells of resisting the amorous advances of another, only to bemoan: “He took ‘no’ for an answer.”
The dreamlike reminiscent mood of the play is enhanced by the Alexander Dodge’s set, from the dingy one room apartment, accurately evoking the former ruling class’ slow yet inevitable deterioration, to the mystical forest and symbolic hunting lodge, smoothly ebbing and flowing into view with gentle music by John Gromada.
In the end, thanks in no small part to Ashley’s earthy, tour-de-force talent, it felt as if many more characters shared the stage with her — including the idolized Baron, along with the ethereal, envied Baroness, the tormented Hildegard, and a lover or two thrown in for good measure.
The play also felt like it ended too soon, but perhaps “Zerline’s Tale,” succinctly written by Jeremy Sams from a story by Hermann Broch, was attempting to live up to that old vaudevillian adage: “Always leave them wanting more.”
It did.
ZERLINE'S TALE
Three Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: Adapted from a story by Hermann Broch by Jeremy Sams. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scenic design by Alexander Dodge. Costume design by Jane Greenwood. Lighting design by Howell Binkley. Original music and sound design by John Gromada.
Running time: About 1½ hours, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sunday and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through Feb. 10.
Tickets: $23 to $64. For further information call their box office at 527-5151, or visit their website at www.hartfordstagecompany.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Elizabeth Ashley...Zerline
Jon David Casey...The Man
HARTFORD — Tony Award-winning actor Elizabeth Ashley achieved moments of transcendence and magic, despite a harshly cigarette-ravaged voice, in her performance as Zerline in the Hartford Stage Company’s production of “Zerline’s Tale.”
Ashley is a veteran of the Broadway stage and of television, winning a Tony Award for her 1961 Broadway performance in “Take Her, She’s Mine,” and creating the role of Corie Bratter opposite Robert Redford in Neil Simon’s original 1963 Broadway production of “Barefoot in the Park.” She also had a recurring role in the television show “Evening Shade” with Burt Reynolds, which ran for four seasons from 1990-1994.
There are two characters in this one act play, but basically it was the “Elizabeth Ashley Show,” with Jon David Casey playing the tenant as the believably intrigued on-stage audience, and Ashley playing the role of an older, resentful servant to an aging Baroness and her allegedly illegitimate daughter, Hildegard.
And why, you might ask, does Casey’s character show interest in the tale being told? Lust and desire of course. He has a palpable crush on Hildegard— an attraction that has not gone unnoticed by the ever-vigilant super-sleuth servant Zerline.
In fact, the theme of the performance can be summed up in Zerline’s statement: “Desire isn’t a weakness — it’s the denial of desire that’s weakness.”
Then again, the theme could also be: “Nostalgia — it ain’t what it used to be.” Which is not necessarily a bad thing.
Set in the winter of 1923, in post World War I Germany, Ashley’s Zerline tells her life story of lust, desire, love, jealousy, bitterness, and betrayal, which unfolds in a fairytale-like unraveling, slowly seducing the listener and the audience into her word picture.
Philosophical observations are delivered with poetic frankness when Zerline says, like a comet in the night sky “those unforgettable moments which shape us and define us forever are made of what came before and they color everything that comes after.”
There are moments of humor also, as when Zerline, tells of resisting the amorous advances of another, only to bemoan: “He took ‘no’ for an answer.”
The dreamlike reminiscent mood of the play is enhanced by the Alexander Dodge’s set, from the dingy one room apartment, accurately evoking the former ruling class’ slow yet inevitable deterioration, to the mystical forest and symbolic hunting lodge, smoothly ebbing and flowing into view with gentle music by John Gromada.
In the end, thanks in no small part to Ashley’s earthy, tour-de-force talent, it felt as if many more characters shared the stage with her — including the idolized Baron, along with the ethereal, envied Baroness, the tormented Hildegard, and a lover or two thrown in for good measure.
The play also felt like it ended too soon, but perhaps “Zerline’s Tale,” succinctly written by Jeremy Sams from a story by Hermann Broch, was attempting to live up to that old vaudevillian adage: “Always leave them wanting more.”
It did.
ZERLINE'S TALE
Three Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: Adapted from a story by Hermann Broch by Jeremy Sams. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scenic design by Alexander Dodge. Costume design by Jane Greenwood. Lighting design by Howell Binkley. Original music and sound design by John Gromada.
Running time: About 1½ hours, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sunday and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through Feb. 10.
Tickets: $23 to $64. For further information call their box office at 527-5151, or visit their website at www.hartfordstagecompany.org
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Elizabeth Ashley...Zerline
Jon David Casey...The Man
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Zerline’s Tale
Three Stars (Good)
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
HARTFORD – Despite a shockingly cigarette-ravaged voice, Elizabeth Ashley, the Tony Award winning actress, achieved moments of transcendence and magical charisma in her performance as Zerline in the Hartford Stage Company’s production of “Zerline’s Tale,” which runs through Feb. 10.
Truly Ashley’s voice could be the poster child for why cigarette smoking is so vile - it was that distracting, at least initially – improving slightly as the evening progressed. She may have been suffering from a cold, but no trifling winter bug creates that kind of damage.
Ashley is a veteran of the Broadway stage and of television, winning a Tony Award for her performance in “Take Her, She’s Mine,” and creating the role of Corie Bratter opposite Robert Redford in Neil Simon’s original 1963 Broadway production of “Barefoot in the Park.” She also had a recurring role in the television show “Evening Shade” with Burt Reynolds, which ran for four seasons from 1990-1994.
There are two characters in this one act play, but basically it is the “Elizabeth Ashley Show,” with Jon David Casey playing the tenant as the believably intrigued on-stage audience, and Ashley playing the role of a elderly resentful servant to an aging Baroness and her allegedly illegitimate daughter, Hildegard.
And why, might you ask, does Casey’s character show interest in the tale being told? Lust and desire of course. He has a palpable crush on the daughter – a circumstance that has not gone unnoticed by the ever-vigilant super-sleuth servant Zerline.
In fact, the theme of the performance might best be summed up in Zerline’s statement that: “Desire isn’t a weakness – it’s the denial of desire that’s weakness.”
Then again, the theme could also be: “Nostalgia – it ain’t what it used to be.”
Set in the winter of 1923, in post World War I Germany, Ashley’s Zerline tells her own life story of lust, desire, love, jealously, bitterness, and betrayal, which unfolds in a fairytale-like unraveling, slowly seducing the listener and the audience into her word picture.
Philosophical observations are delivered with poetic frankness when Zerline says, like a comet in the night sky “those unforgettable moments which shape us and define us forever are made of what came before and they color everything that comes after.”
There are moments of humor also, as when Zerline, tells of resisting the amorous advances of another, only to bemoan: “He took ‘no’ for an answer.”
The dreamlike reminiscent mood of the play is enhanced by the Alexander Dodge’s set, from the dingy one room apartment, accurately evoking the former ruling class’ slow yet inevitable deterioration, to the mystical forest and symbolic hunting lodge, smoothly ebbing and flowing into view with gentle music by John Gromada.
In the end, thanks in no small part to Ashley’s evocative, earthy, tour-de-force talent, it felt as if many more characters shared the stage with her - including the idolized Baron, along with the ethereal, envied Baroness, the tormented Hildegard, and a lover or two thrown in for good measure.
The play also felt like it ended too soon, but perhaps “Zerline’s Tale” was attempting to live up to that old vaudevillian adage: “Always leave them wanting more.”
It did.
____________
Production: Adapted from a story by Hermann Broch by Jeremy Sams. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scenic design by Alexander Dodge. Costume design by Jane Greenwood. Lighting design by Howell Binkley. Original music and sound design by John Gromada.
Running time: About 1½ hours, no intermission
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday performances at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sunday and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through Feb. 10.
Tickets: $23 to $64. For further information call their box office at 527-5151, or visit their Web site a www.hartfordstagecompany.org.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Greetings! A heartwarming holiday play
A heart-warming, engaging play, Greetings!, written by Tom Dudzik, is a story that examines life, love, family-relations, and religion during the Holiday season.
Set in Pittsburgh, a former minor-league baseball player and devote Catholic, who is now an old and embittered man, Phil, played by Charles Merlis, is the family patriarch.
His wife, Emily, played by Lynne Mazotas, is the doting but frustrated wife, who has taken to nagging her husband for spending hours in the basement drinking beer.
They have two sons. One of the sons, Andy, is a successful ad writer in New York, played by Victor Gonzalez, who is bringing his fiancé, Randi, played by Jessica LaRussa, home for the dysfunctional family holidays.
Phil is a devote Catholic, and when he learns that Randi is Jewish, and an atheist to boot, he feels somehow that invalidates own belief system.
The other adult son, Mickey, is autistic, played by Greg Murphy. For some of the play his only words are “Wow” and “Oh Boy!”
Every member of the cast fits their roles as if they were born to them; however, Murphy’s character, which is clearly the most challenging to play, was revelation.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Mickey undergoes a transformation so surprising and convincing, that it is like a miracle.
There is humor in the show too, when Phil says he was so poor growing up “we would take the garbage out, and then bring it back in and eat it again.”
Gonzalez’s Andy is amusing also, when, after the initial shock of Mickey’s transformation, rhetorically asks: “Does anybody remember what normal breathing feels like?”
LaRussa’s Randi is moving when she speaks to her estranged father, and Mazotas’ Emily, was believable as the beleaguered but loving mother and wife.
The surprisingly spacious venue, with dinner theater seating, is attached to Kelly’s Pub, at 69 North Street — tucked away in a residential neighborhood.
This is the new home for Phoenix Theater, which is a vast improvement from their pervious location in a church basement in Glastonbury, and hopefully a space where they will perform for many seasons to come.
Greetings!
Three Stars
Theater: Phoenix Theater
Location: Kelly's Pub, 69 North Street, Manchester
Production: Written by Tom Dudzik. Directed by Dan Coyle. Produced by Chris Ryan and Jessica LaRussa
Running time: One hour and 45 minutes with one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $20. For further information call their box office at
291-2988, or visit their website at www.phoenixtheater.us.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Victor Gonzalez...Andy
Jessica LaRussa...Randi
Lynne Mazotas...Emily
Greg Murphy...Mickey
Charles Merlis...Phil
A heart-warming, engaging play, Greetings!, written by Tom Dudzik, is a story that examines life, love, family-relations, and religion during the Holiday season.
Set in Pittsburgh, a former minor-league baseball player and devote Catholic, who is now an old and embittered man, Phil, played by Charles Merlis, is the family patriarch.
His wife, Emily, played by Lynne Mazotas, is the doting but frustrated wife, who has taken to nagging her husband for spending hours in the basement drinking beer.
They have two sons. One of the sons, Andy, is a successful ad writer in New York, played by Victor Gonzalez, who is bringing his fiancé, Randi, played by Jessica LaRussa, home for the dysfunctional family holidays.
Phil is a devote Catholic, and when he learns that Randi is Jewish, and an atheist to boot, he feels somehow that invalidates own belief system.
The other adult son, Mickey, is autistic, played by Greg Murphy. For some of the play his only words are “Wow” and “Oh Boy!”
Every member of the cast fits their roles as if they were born to them; however, Murphy’s character, which is clearly the most challenging to play, was revelation.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Mickey undergoes a transformation so surprising and convincing, that it is like a miracle.
There is humor in the show too, when Phil says he was so poor growing up “we would take the garbage out, and then bring it back in and eat it again.”
Gonzalez’s Andy is amusing also, when, after the initial shock of Mickey’s transformation, rhetorically asks: “Does anybody remember what normal breathing feels like?”
LaRussa’s Randi is moving when she speaks to her estranged father, and Mazotas’ Emily, was believable as the beleaguered but loving mother and wife.
The surprisingly spacious venue, with dinner theater seating, is attached to Kelly’s Pub, at 69 North Street — tucked away in a residential neighborhood.
This is the new home for Phoenix Theater, which is a vast improvement from their pervious location in a church basement in Glastonbury, and hopefully a space where they will perform for many seasons to come.
Greetings!
Three Stars
Theater: Phoenix Theater
Location: Kelly's Pub, 69 North Street, Manchester
Production: Written by Tom Dudzik. Directed by Dan Coyle. Produced by Chris Ryan and Jessica LaRussa
Running time: One hour and 45 minutes with one intermission.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m.
Tickets: $20. For further information call their box office at
291-2988, or visit their website at www.phoenixtheater.us.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Victor Gonzalez...Andy
Jessica LaRussa...Randi
Lynne Mazotas...Emily
Greg Murphy...Mickey
Charles Merlis...Phil
Friday, December 07, 2007
Hartford Stage Company's A Christmas Carol a spooky holiday present
Three Stars - very good
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: From the story by Charles Dickens. Adapted and directed by
Michael Wilson. Associate direction by Jeremy B. Cohen. Choreographed
by Hope Clarke. Original set design by Tony Straiges. Costume design
by Zack Brown. Lighting design by Robert Wierzel. Original music and
sound design by John Gromada.
Running time: 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30
p.m., with matinee performances Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m. through
Dec. 29. No Thursday, Dec. 13 or Tuesday, Dec. 25 performances. One
Sunday night performance Dec. 23 only.
Tickets: $42.50 to $61.50. For further information call their box
office at 527-5151, or visit their Web site a
www.hartfordstagecompany.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Bill Raymond…Ebenezer Scrooge
Bill Kux…Mrs. Dilbert, his housekeeper; Jacob Marley
Robert Hannon Davis…Bob Cratchit, his clerk; Mr. Fezziwig
Chris Connor…Fred, his nephew; Young Scrooge
Nafe Katter…First solicitor, undertaker
Gustave Johnson…Second solicitor
Johanna Morrison…Bettye Pidgeon, a doll vendor; Spirit of Christmas Past
Helmar Augustus Cooper…Bert, a fruit and cider vendor; Spirit of
Christmas Present
Kit Treece…Scrooge at 14-years-old; Party guest
Natalie Brown… Mrs. Fezziwig; Old Jo
Rebecka Jones… Mrs. Cratchit
Maya Stogan...Martha Cratchit
Zachary Cyr or Brendan Fitzgerald…Tim Cratchit
Michelle Hendrick…Martha Cratchit; Party guest
Matt Faucher…Mr. Topper; Party guest
Amanda Tudor… Nichola, Fezziwig's daughter
Kaitlin Marrin…Wendy, Fezziwig's daughter
By Kory Loucks
Journal Inquirer
HARTFORD — They say practice makes perfect.
After 10 years of producing "A Christmas Carol," at the Hartford Stage
Company, under the direction and adaptation of Artistic Director
Michael Wilson, nothing could be truer.
Just in case you need a little jump-start to get into the Holiday
spirit, this show more than fills that bill.
Bill Raymond has started a tradition of his own — returning for a
second year to play that timeless tightwad in major need of an
attitude adjustment, Ebenezer Scrooge.
Raymond's Scrooge is a kinder, gentler version of the notorious
penny-pincher, when even in his meanest moments he couldn't quite
suppress a twitch of his nose or a twinkle in his eye.
The ghosts however, were an altogether different story.
From the show's first moments the ghosts where shockingly scary,
flying through the air in flowing white costumes adorned with nasty,
bloody cleavers and daggers stuck at odd angles into their bodies, and
finished off with grotesque masks by costume designer Zack Brown.
The apparitions danced to the accompaniment of marvelously eerie
original music and heart-thumping thunder by music and sound designer
John Gromada, and generous lightening by lighting designer Robert
Wierzel.
For the two or three people in the world over 10-years-old who are
unfamiliar the classic Charles Dickens tale, it is about a bitter,
greedy, old, wealthy man named Scrooge, in Victorian England, who
loved money far more than anything or anyone in the world.
He treats his employee, Bob Cratchit, played with sympathy by Robert
Hannon Davis, terribly — paying him a meager salary, refusing to allow
him any heat while he works, and begrudging giving Cratchit his one
paid Holiday a year — Christmas Day.
Cratchit had a large family to support and one sickly young boy, Tiny
Tim, who needed medical assistance the family could not afford.
But it turns out Scrooge wasn't always such a "baa-humbug" meanie.
One Christmas eve Scrooge has a visitation from the ghost of his
former business partner, Jacob Marley, played with theatrical misery
and remorse by Bill Kux, who tells Scrooge he must change his
penny-squeezing ways or he too will die and be doomed to eternal
suffering in the hear-after.
Scrooge is next visited by three different ghosts who guide him from
the past, when he was a young boy and youthful man, to the present,
and then to the future, after he is dead, where he learns what others
really think of him.
Two children under 10-years-old who had never seen a play before had
similar opinions about the play.
Connor Hillemeir, 8, a hardened veteran of many scary horror movies
admitted: "The ghosts kind of freaked me out."
Afterwards, however, he highly recommended "A Christmas Carol" to
others, "because it is really awesome and scary."
His brother, Christopher, 6, also found the ghosts difficult to watch.
He spend the first half of the production with his hands clasped
firmly over his eyes, peaking out from between his spread fingers when
the ghosts appeared.
Christopher said with unbridled enthusiasm he recommended the show
because: "Its delighted."
When asked why he felt the play's ghosts were so much more frightening
than a scary movie, Christopher said: "Because they were real."
Connor felt the booming thunder accompanying the bright flashes of
lightening was too loud, but was quick to add he has exceptional
hearing, which might have made it more intense for him than for
others.
Connor also was amazed the actors could remember all their lines.
"Their jaws probably hurt now from talking so much — probably more
than 3,000 words," he estimated.
Christopher said it was important for people to know Tiny Tim's "dad
doesn't have enough money to take him to the doctor."
Connor said the moral in "A Christmas Carol" is "a rich man in the
play should have gave the people who work for him some money to use."
Connor said capital letters should be used for the most important
lesson of all — "BE GENEROUS."
And if Christopher and Connor get their wish, the tradition of "A
Christmas Carol," will continue at the Hartford Stage Company for many
years to come.
Monday, December 03, 2007
Hartford Stage Company’s A Christmas Carol a spooky holiday present
HARTFORD — They say practice makes perfect.
After 10 years of producing “A Christmas Carol,” at the Hartford Stage Company, under the direction and adaptation of Artistic Director Michael Wilson, nothing could be truer.
Just in case you need a little jump-start to get into the Holiday spirit, this show more than fills that bill.
Bill Raymond has started a tradition of his own — returning for a second year to play that timeless tightwad in major need of an attitude adjustment, Ebenezer Scrooge.
Raymond’s Scrooge is a kinder, gentler version of the notorious penny-pincher, when even in his meanest moments he couldn’t quite suppress a twitch of his nose or a twinkle in his eye.
The ghosts however, were an altogether different story.
From the show’s first moments the ghosts where shockingly scary, flying through the air in flowing white costumes adorned with nasty, bloody cleavers and daggers stuck at odd angles into their bodies, and finished off with grotesque masks by costume designer Zack Brown.
The apparitions danced to the accompaniment of marvelously eerie original music and heart-thumping thunder by music and sound designer John Gromada, and generous lightening by lighting designer Robert Wierzel.
For the two or three people in the world over 10-years-old who are unfamiliar the classic Charles Dickens tale, it is about a bitter, greedy, old, wealthy man named Scrooge, in Victorian England, who loved money far more than anything or anyone in the world.
He treats his employee, Bob Cratchit, played with sympathy by Robert Hannon Davis, terribly — paying him a meager salary, refusing to allow him any heat while he works, and begrudging giving Cratchit his one paid Holiday a year — Christmas Day.
Cratchit had a large family to support and one sickly young boy, Tiny Tim, who needed medical assistance the family could not afford.
But it turns out Scrooge wasn’t always such a “baa-humbug” meanie.
One Christmas eve Scrooge has a visitation from the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, played with theatrical misery and remorse by Bill Kux, who tells Scrooge he must change his penny-squeezing ways or he too will die and be doomed to eternal suffering in the hear-after.
Scrooge is next visited by three different ghosts who guide him from the past, when he was a young boy and youthful man, to the present, and then to the future, after he is dead, where he learns what others really think of him.
Two children under 10-years-old who had never seen a play before had similar opinions about the play.
Connor Hillemeir, 8, a hardened veteran of many scary horror movies admitted: “The ghosts kind of freaked me out.”
Afterwards, however, he highly recommended “A Christmas Carol” to others, “because it is really awesome and scary.”
His brother, Christopher, 6, also found the ghosts difficult to watch.
He spend the first half of the production with his hands clasped firmly over his eyes, peaking out from between his spread fingers when the ghosts appeared.
Christopher said with unbridled enthusiasm he recommended the show because: “Its delighted.”
When asked why he felt the play’s ghosts were so much more frightening than a scary movie, Christopher said: “Because they were real.”
Connor felt the booming thunder accompanying the bright flashes of lightening was too loud, but was quick to add he has exceptional hearing, which might have made it more intense for him than for others.
Connor also was amazed the actors could remember all their lines. “Their jaws probably hurt now from talking so much — probably more than 3,000 words,” he estimated.
Christopher said it was important for people to know Tiny Tim’s “dad doesn’t have enough money to take him to the doctor.”
Connor said the moral in “A Christmas Carol” is “a rich man in the play should have gave the people who work for him some money to use.”
Connor said capital letters should be used for the most important lesson of all — “BE GENEROUS.”
And if Christopher and Connor get their wish, the tradition of “A Christmas Carol,” will continue at the Hartford Stage Company for many years to come.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL - A CHRISTMAS GHOST STORY
Three Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: From the story by Charles Dickens. Adapted and directed by Michael Wilson. Associate direction by Jeremy B. Cohen. Choreographed by Hope Clarke. Original set design by Tony Straiges. Costume design by Zack Brown. Lighting design by Robert Wierzel. Original music and sound design by John Gromada.
Running time: 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with matinee performances Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Dec. 29. No Thursday, Dec. 13 or Tuesday, Dec. 25 performances. One Sunday night performance Dec. 23 only.
Tickets: $42.50 to $61.50. For further information call their box office at 527-5151, or visit their website a www.hartfordstagecompany.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Bill Raymond...Ebenezer Scrooge
Bill Kux...Mrs. Dilbert, his housekeeper; Jacob Marley
Robert Hannon Davis...Bob Cratchit, his clerk; Mr. Fezziwig
Chris Connor...Fred, his nephew; Young Scrooge
Nafe Katter...First solicitor, undertaker
Gustave Johnson...Second solicitor
Johanna Morrison...Bettye Pidgeon, a doll vendor; Spirit of Christmas Past
Helmar Augustus Cooper...Bert, a fruit and cider vendor; Spirit of Christmas Present
Kit Treece...Scrooge at 14-years-old; Party guest
Natalie Brown...Mrs. Fezziwig; Old Jo
Rebecka Jones...Mrs. Cratchit
Maya Stogan...Martha Cratchit
Zachary Cyr or Brendan Fitzgerald...Tim Cratchit
Michelle Hendrick...Martha Cratchit; Party guest
Matt Faucher...Mr. Topper; Party guest
Amanda Tudor...Nichola, Fezziwig’s daughter
Kaitlin Marrin...Wendy, Fezziwig’s daughter
HARTFORD — They say practice makes perfect.
After 10 years of producing “A Christmas Carol,” at the Hartford Stage Company, under the direction and adaptation of Artistic Director Michael Wilson, nothing could be truer.
Just in case you need a little jump-start to get into the Holiday spirit, this show more than fills that bill.
Bill Raymond has started a tradition of his own — returning for a second year to play that timeless tightwad in major need of an attitude adjustment, Ebenezer Scrooge.
Raymond’s Scrooge is a kinder, gentler version of the notorious penny-pincher, when even in his meanest moments he couldn’t quite suppress a twitch of his nose or a twinkle in his eye.
The ghosts however, were an altogether different story.
From the show’s first moments the ghosts where shockingly scary, flying through the air in flowing white costumes adorned with nasty, bloody cleavers and daggers stuck at odd angles into their bodies, and finished off with grotesque masks by costume designer Zack Brown.
The apparitions danced to the accompaniment of marvelously eerie original music and heart-thumping thunder by music and sound designer John Gromada, and generous lightening by lighting designer Robert Wierzel.
For the two or three people in the world over 10-years-old who are unfamiliar the classic Charles Dickens tale, it is about a bitter, greedy, old, wealthy man named Scrooge, in Victorian England, who loved money far more than anything or anyone in the world.
He treats his employee, Bob Cratchit, played with sympathy by Robert Hannon Davis, terribly — paying him a meager salary, refusing to allow him any heat while he works, and begrudging giving Cratchit his one paid Holiday a year — Christmas Day.
Cratchit had a large family to support and one sickly young boy, Tiny Tim, who needed medical assistance the family could not afford.
But it turns out Scrooge wasn’t always such a “baa-humbug” meanie.
One Christmas eve Scrooge has a visitation from the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley, played with theatrical misery and remorse by Bill Kux, who tells Scrooge he must change his penny-squeezing ways or he too will die and be doomed to eternal suffering in the hear-after.
Scrooge is next visited by three different ghosts who guide him from the past, when he was a young boy and youthful man, to the present, and then to the future, after he is dead, where he learns what others really think of him.
Two children under 10-years-old who had never seen a play before had similar opinions about the play.
Connor Hillemeir, 8, a hardened veteran of many scary horror movies admitted: “The ghosts kind of freaked me out.”
Afterwards, however, he highly recommended “A Christmas Carol” to others, “because it is really awesome and scary.”
His brother, Christopher, 6, also found the ghosts difficult to watch.
He spend the first half of the production with his hands clasped firmly over his eyes, peaking out from between his spread fingers when the ghosts appeared.
Christopher said with unbridled enthusiasm he recommended the show because: “Its delighted.”
When asked why he felt the play’s ghosts were so much more frightening than a scary movie, Christopher said: “Because they were real.”
Connor felt the booming thunder accompanying the bright flashes of lightening was too loud, but was quick to add he has exceptional hearing, which might have made it more intense for him than for others.
Connor also was amazed the actors could remember all their lines. “Their jaws probably hurt now from talking so much — probably more than 3,000 words,” he estimated.
Christopher said it was important for people to know Tiny Tim’s “dad doesn’t have enough money to take him to the doctor.”
Connor said the moral in “A Christmas Carol” is “a rich man in the play should have gave the people who work for him some money to use.”
Connor said capital letters should be used for the most important lesson of all — “BE GENEROUS.”
And if Christopher and Connor get their wish, the tradition of “A Christmas Carol,” will continue at the Hartford Stage Company for many years to come.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL - A CHRISTMAS GHOST STORY
Three Stars
Theater: Hartford Stage Company
Location: 50 Church Street, Hartford
Production: From the story by Charles Dickens. Adapted and directed by Michael Wilson. Associate direction by Jeremy B. Cohen. Choreographed by Hope Clarke. Original set design by Tony Straiges. Costume design by Zack Brown. Lighting design by Robert Wierzel. Original music and sound design by John Gromada.
Running time: 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., with matinee performances Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m. through Dec. 29. No Thursday, Dec. 13 or Tuesday, Dec. 25 performances. One Sunday night performance Dec. 23 only.
Tickets: $42.50 to $61.50. For further information call their box office at 527-5151, or visit their website a www.hartfordstagecompany.org.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Bill Raymond...Ebenezer Scrooge
Bill Kux...Mrs. Dilbert, his housekeeper; Jacob Marley
Robert Hannon Davis...Bob Cratchit, his clerk; Mr. Fezziwig
Chris Connor...Fred, his nephew; Young Scrooge
Nafe Katter...First solicitor, undertaker
Gustave Johnson...Second solicitor
Johanna Morrison...Bettye Pidgeon, a doll vendor; Spirit of Christmas Past
Helmar Augustus Cooper...Bert, a fruit and cider vendor; Spirit of Christmas Present
Kit Treece...Scrooge at 14-years-old; Party guest
Natalie Brown...Mrs. Fezziwig; Old Jo
Rebecka Jones...Mrs. Cratchit
Maya Stogan...Martha Cratchit
Zachary Cyr or Brendan Fitzgerald...Tim Cratchit
Michelle Hendrick...Martha Cratchit; Party guest
Matt Faucher...Mr. Topper; Party guest
Amanda Tudor...Nichola, Fezziwig’s daughter
Kaitlin Marrin...Wendy, Fezziwig’s daughter
"Pentecost" gets high marks
STORRS — If plays were given points for degree of difficulty, as in Olympic gymnastic competitions, for example, playwright David Edgar’s play “Pentecost” would be awarded the highest marks.
This tour-de-force production, directed with dexterity and authority by Gary M. English, head of UConn’s Department of Dramatic Arts and artistic director of Connecticut Repertory Theatre, is a complex and intense play requiring no less than your full and undivided focus
But it is worth the investment.
Set in an unspecified eastern European country, formerly under communist rule, a local curator, Gabriella Pecs, played by Heddy Lahmann, discovers what could be a pre-Renaissance fresco behind a brick façade in a dilapidated graffiti-ridden church, which could be a major find for the art world.
She convinces Dr. Oliver Davenport, a visiting art historian, played by Nicholas Dillenburg, of the possibility of its significant value, and the search for the painting’s provenance begins.
Davenport playfully, and at times patronizingly, teases Gabriella for her broken English, when she uses such words as “de-headed” for “beheaded,” “mending cottage” instead of “repairing a cottage.”
Without question, this intellectual play demands its audience to pay attention. There are no less than eight languages spoken among the 24 characters, most times with translations, but occasionally without.
In this play, written in 1994, language and words are the thing, with the implications of a world in flux, including power, treachery, violence, religion, and the nature of communication and connections are all closely scrutinized.
At one point when numerous languages converge, a character suggests: “We can all be good Europeans and speak in American.”
But because of the extreme emphasis on language and ideas, something has to give, and what does is an emotional connection with the audience to the characters.
They become more representatives and archetypes of their homelands and religious backgrounds, whether a Kurd refugee, an African, Serbian or Bosnia, a tourist, or a Muslim, Christian or Jew.
The Jewish-American art history consultant from Columbia University, Leo Katz, played with a terrific combination of irreverent confidence by Christopher Hirsh, is the most complex character in the play. He was also the easiest to understand, with no foreign accent to slow him down.
Most of the multitudinous accents were finely wrought, with the exception of Dillenburg, whose English accent drifted arbitrarily.
The single large set of the interior of a church by Tina Louise Jones was sturdy and appropriately decrepit, but the fresco, which may or may not have been painted by the Italian pre-renaissance painter Giotto, uncovered beneath a layer of brick, was beautifully realized.
The reference to Giotto was far from arbitrary, since it was the painter Giotto who first took the quantum leap from the Byzantinian 2-dimentional painting style to a 3-dimentional, secular and more realistic style — laying the ground work the Italian Renaissance, which included such artists as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rafael and beyond.
There is one brief scene with non-gratuitous male nudity that should be noted for those who might find that offensive.
Near the end of the play, one of the characters said to the another: “We are the sum of all the people who have invaded us,” which is as good as saying, “we are all in this together.”
Pentecost
Three Stars
Theater: Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, (lower Jorgensen) 132 Hillside Rd., Storrs.
Production: By David Edgar. Directed by Gary M. English. Scenic design by Tina Louise Jones. Lighting design by Dan Rousseau. Costume design by Lucy Brown. Sound design by Wilson Tenneman. Dialect and language direction by Dudley Knight.
Running time: 2 ½ hours with one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursday Dec. 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m., and Friday Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.
Tickets: General admission $25 to $28 and $11 to $18 for UConn students. Call 486-4266 or visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Nicholas Dillenburg...Oliver Davenport
Heddy Lahmann...Gabriella Pecs
Christopher Hirsh...Leo Katz
Michael Solomon...Grigori Kolorenko
Dudley Knight...Father Sergei Bojovic
Luke Daniels...Father Petr Karolyi
Karen Ryker...Anna Jedlikova
Robert McDonald...Nico
Joseph Gallina...Swedish Man, Raif
Sarah Murdoch...Teenage Girl, Fatima
Peter Mutino...First Soldier
Noah Weintraub...Second Soldier; Derek; Commando
Jeremy Garhinkel...Pusbas
Daniel Sheridan...Michail Czaba
Meghan O'Leary...Czaba’s Secretary, Toni Newsome
Joseph Cisternelli...Restorer, Commando
Zachary Kamin...Restorer, Commando
Quinn Uniacke...Police Woman, Marina
Aaron Johnson...Antonio
Michael Hanson...Abdul
Lauretta Pope...Yasmin
Hillary Leigh Parker...Amira
Kate Shine...Tunu
Alexandra Petrova-Emisti...Cleopatra
STORRS — If plays were given points for degree of difficulty, as in Olympic gymnastic competitions, for example, playwright David Edgar’s play “Pentecost” would be awarded the highest marks.
This tour-de-force production, directed with dexterity and authority by Gary M. English, head of UConn’s Department of Dramatic Arts and artistic director of Connecticut Repertory Theatre, is a complex and intense play requiring no less than your full and undivided focus
But it is worth the investment.
Set in an unspecified eastern European country, formerly under communist rule, a local curator, Gabriella Pecs, played by Heddy Lahmann, discovers what could be a pre-Renaissance fresco behind a brick façade in a dilapidated graffiti-ridden church, which could be a major find for the art world.
She convinces Dr. Oliver Davenport, a visiting art historian, played by Nicholas Dillenburg, of the possibility of its significant value, and the search for the painting’s provenance begins.
Davenport playfully, and at times patronizingly, teases Gabriella for her broken English, when she uses such words as “de-headed” for “beheaded,” “mending cottage” instead of “repairing a cottage.”
Without question, this intellectual play demands its audience to pay attention. There are no less than eight languages spoken among the 24 characters, most times with translations, but occasionally without.
In this play, written in 1994, language and words are the thing, with the implications of a world in flux, including power, treachery, violence, religion, and the nature of communication and connections are all closely scrutinized.
At one point when numerous languages converge, a character suggests: “We can all be good Europeans and speak in American.”
But because of the extreme emphasis on language and ideas, something has to give, and what does is an emotional connection with the audience to the characters.
They become more representatives and archetypes of their homelands and religious backgrounds, whether a Kurd refugee, an African, Serbian or Bosnia, a tourist, or a Muslim, Christian or Jew.
The Jewish-American art history consultant from Columbia University, Leo Katz, played with a terrific combination of irreverent confidence by Christopher Hirsh, is the most complex character in the play. He was also the easiest to understand, with no foreign accent to slow him down.
Most of the multitudinous accents were finely wrought, with the exception of Dillenburg, whose English accent drifted arbitrarily.
The single large set of the interior of a church by Tina Louise Jones was sturdy and appropriately decrepit, but the fresco, which may or may not have been painted by the Italian pre-renaissance painter Giotto, uncovered beneath a layer of brick, was beautifully realized.
The reference to Giotto was far from arbitrary, since it was the painter Giotto who first took the quantum leap from the Byzantinian 2-dimentional painting style to a 3-dimentional, secular and more realistic style — laying the ground work the Italian Renaissance, which included such artists as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rafael and beyond.
There is one brief scene with non-gratuitous male nudity that should be noted for those who might find that offensive.
Near the end of the play, one of the characters said to the another: “We are the sum of all the people who have invaded us,” which is as good as saying, “we are all in this together.”
Pentecost
Three Stars
Theater: Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, (lower Jorgensen) 132 Hillside Rd., Storrs.
Production: By David Edgar. Directed by Gary M. English. Scenic design by Tina Louise Jones. Lighting design by Dan Rousseau. Costume design by Lucy Brown. Sound design by Wilson Tenneman. Dialect and language direction by Dudley Knight.
Running time: 2 ½ hours with one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursday Dec. 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m., and Friday Dec. 7 at 8 p.m.
Tickets: General admission $25 to $28 and $11 to $18 for UConn students. Call 486-4266 or visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR...CHARACTER
Nicholas Dillenburg...Oliver Davenport
Heddy Lahmann...Gabriella Pecs
Christopher Hirsh...Leo Katz
Michael Solomon...Grigori Kolorenko
Dudley Knight...Father Sergei Bojovic
Luke Daniels...Father Petr Karolyi
Karen Ryker...Anna Jedlikova
Robert McDonald...Nico
Joseph Gallina...Swedish Man, Raif
Sarah Murdoch...Teenage Girl, Fatima
Peter Mutino...First Soldier
Noah Weintraub...Second Soldier; Derek; Commando
Jeremy Garhinkel...Pusbas
Daniel Sheridan...Michail Czaba
Meghan O'Leary...Czaba’s Secretary, Toni Newsome
Joseph Cisternelli...Restorer, Commando
Zachary Kamin...Restorer, Commando
Quinn Uniacke...Police Woman, Marina
Aaron Johnson...Antonio
Michael Hanson...Abdul
Lauretta Pope...Yasmin
Hillary Leigh Parker...Amira
Kate Shine...Tunu
Alexandra Petrova-Emisti...Cleopatra
Saturday, November 24, 2007
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.”
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.”
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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