“THWAK!” is indescribably delicious

HARTFORD — Wacky, wild, wonderful, and full of energy and slapstick humor, the kooky, crazy, and indescribably delicious “THWAK!” is like a high-octane cabaret act shot through a canon, complete with out-of-this-world sound-effects.
Part “Three Stooges” part “Marx Brothers” with some Fred Astaire-meets-the Prairie Home Companion thrown in for good measure, the show, created, performed and directed by two cheeky Australians and want-to-be German/Austrians, David Collins (the one with hair as he likes to remind everyone) and Shane Dundas (the other one) is unquestionably one of a kind.
These two, who call themselves the Umbilical Brothers, probably because they have similar builds, accentuated by their identical gray pants and maroon tops, also possess similarly slightly off-kilter minds. They jump, roll, spin, move in slow motion, and take the willing audience on a wild roller-coaster ride of the imagination.
They have performed bits of their act on “Late Night with David Letterman Show” as well as the “Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and have that kind of in your face “stupid pet tricks” instant appeal those shows seek in their guests.
They both work so very hard to win you over and there’s really no reason not to like them.
They pay homage to the art of mime, while contemporaneously chide it’s sometimes smug self-importance, by doing the old “invisible rope,” “staircase,” and “invisible wall” mime moves, complete with a single clap and a little shimmy.
Then they take pantomime to a whole other level as tanks, grenades, exploding real invisible dogs (not to be confused with the make-believe invisible dogs), barbecues, cats, squished bugs, taxis, horses, robots, and even some moody crooning by Collins.
When Collins is singing Dundas does his darndest to disturb him with sweeping, vacuuming, and taking cell phone calls. It is funny, but it would be funnier still if Collins gets angry at Dundas, rather than just passively annoyed. It feels rehearsed and planned, rather than spontaneous and immediate — a missed opportunity.
While Dundas does most of the stunningly fine sound-effects, Collins is no slouch in the sound department either, but also adds a plethora of super-silly “zappity zoo” sounds all his own.
When they go behind the screen and put on the puppet show, it is a little pedestrian, but when they are behind that same screen and perform the rubber arm and contortionist leg bit, it is original and inspired.
The two have put on children’s productions, and use sock puppets in “THWAK!,” and cartoon character voices, such as Kermit the Frog, at times, but this show is definitely not for the little kids, because there is a good amount of profanity involved. Still, teenagers enjoyed the show as much as adults.
This pair of sunny, funny of Australians is an irresistible, original whirlwind pair of sound and fury that have to be experienced.

THWAK!
3 stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Created, performed, and directed by Shane Dundas and David Collins. Original New York production directed by Philip William McKinley. Lighting designed by Josh Monroe. Show Controller Tina Oldhauser.
Running time: 90 minutes with no intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through August 2.
Tickets: $19 — $50. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Shane Dundas and David Collins as the Umbilical Brothers

"The Full Monty" an upbeat hope-filled musical

IVORYTON — Do they or don’t they? That’s the underlying question that won’t be answered here, in the musical “The Full Monty” playing at the Ivoryton Theatre through July 26.
Based on the 1997 English movie by the same name, playwright Terrence McNally seamlessly transferred the setting from working class Sheffield, England to Buffalo, New York.
McNally kept the blue-collar characters and situations the same as the movie, including the six out-of-work and down on their luck men who decide to imitate the Chippendale dancers to raise much need cash. They also decide to go “full monty” meaning — completely naked. But do they have the nerve?
The actors, who are a combination of amateurs and professionals, are all terrific, and when you consider they put the musical together in just two weeks, it’s pretty amazing.
Credit goes to Larry Nye, who also created the highly athletic, complex, and dynamic choreography, which the actors perform with fine precision.
The music is jazzy and bluezy, with the musicians behind the industrial set, with musical direction by John Sebastian DeNicola.
This show couldn’t be more timely either, with the current 9.5 percent unemployment rate. The musical demonstrates how demoralizing and hard it is on the self-esteem to be without a job.
In the first song, an atonal number called “Scrap,” the characters sing about “how I got to be a loser, when I used to be a man.”
Barrett Hall plays the everyman loser, Jerry Lukowski, whose wife, Pam Lukowski, (Victoria M. E. Church) has left him for another man, and whose 12-year-old son, Nathan (Carlin Morris) might be lost to him if he can’t come up with the child-support money.
All the characters are well-defined and good, including Dave Bukatinsky, played by Robert W. Schultz Jr., the plus-sized guy whose wife, the spunky Georgie, played by MaryAnne Piccolo, wants him to get a job as a Wal-Mart security guard.
Harold Nichols, the MBA manager who also gets let go, played by Peter Craig Morse, is convinced by Jerry to teach them all how to dance. Nichols pretends he is still working because he doesn’t want to let his wife, Vicki, down, played by Jackie Sidle.
John T. Lynes plays Malcolm MacGregor, the nerdy mama’s boy who attempts to kill himself.
The song “Big Ass Rock” sung by Malcolm, Jerry, and Dave is darkly absurd, hysterical, and terrific, with the guys promising to kill Malcolm rather than having him commit suicide, because that’s what friends do for friends.
There’s also the fine Mark F. Weekes who plays Noah (Horse) T. Simmons, the best dancer in the group by far. That man can move.
The song “Michael Jordan’s Ball” where the guys interpret basketball moves as dance routines is inspired and reminiscent of Gene Kelly’s athleticism.
A character who wasn’t in the movie but is an appealing addition to the musical is the crusty old piano player, Jeannette Burmeister. Judith Lenzi-Magoveny plays Jeannette who used to be on the big band circuit and has been married eight times, with a dry frankness that steals the show every time she is on the stage.
It probably goes without saying that there is a lot of sexual innuendo, a plethora of profanity, and some scantily-clothed men, making this show very unsuitable for kids.
You just can’t keep a good man down in this lively, upbeat, hope-filled musical “The Full Monty.”

THE FULL MONTY

3 Stars
Location: Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton
Production: Directed and choreographed by Larry Nye. Lyrics and music by David Yazbek. Book by Terrance McNally. Musical direction by John Sebastian DeNicola. Set design by Cully Long. Lighting design by Tate Burmeister. Costume design by Vivianna Lamb.
Running time: 2 ½ hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through July 26.
Tickets: $35 for adults, $30 for previews and seniors, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the box office at 860-767-7318, or visit their website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Barrett Hall … Jerry Lukowski
Carlin Morris … Nathan Lukowski
Victoria M. E. Church … Pam Lukowski
Paul Falzone … Teddy Slaughter
Robert W. Schultz Jr. … Dave Bukatinsky
MaryAnne Piccolo … Georgie Bukatinsky
Peter Craig Morse … Harold Nichols
Jackie Sidle … Vicki Nichols
John T. Lynes … Malcolm MacGregor
Justin Boudreau … Ethan Girard
Mark F. Weeks … Noah (Horse) T. Simmons
Judith Lenzi-Magoveny … Jeanette Burmeister
Steven Hosking … Buddy (Keno) Walsh
Cole Sutton … Second stripper
Rick Farndell … Tony Giordano
Elisabeth Cernadas … Estelle Genovese
Jorie Janeway … Susan Hershey
Abby Gershuny … Dolores
Bethany Fitzgerald … Joanie Lish

TheaterWork’s “Speech and Debate” funny, fresh look at the high school experience

HARTFORD — There are times in “Speech and Debate” where you will likely LOL and even ROFL in this fresh and funny and eerily timely play at TheaterWorks.
LOL and ROTF are e-mail acronyms for “laugh out loud” and “roll on the floor laughing” as many know. In this play, set in a high school in conservative Salem, Oregon, three students with odd quirks and evolving personalities work out their differences and hypocrisies, sometimes thwarting and other times helping each other along the way.
Diwata, played by the energetic Jee Young Han, is a feisty and fierce diva who has her own pod-cast where she lambastes the high school drama teacher for not casting her in the high school play.
Carl Holder plays the 18-year-old student Howie who is new in town, has no friends, and flirts online with an older man who it turns out is the school’s drama teacher.
Howie is gay and comfortable with his sexual orientation, while Solomon, played by Ben Diskant, is an uptight, awkward, unhappy youth.
Solomon sums his observations of the human experience well when he says, “Sometimes the best part of being young is knowing that there are all these older people who wish they were me.”
What one hopes to see in any work of drama is a character’s self-revelation, transition, and growth. In this play by 28-year-old Stephen Karam, the characters don’t disappoint, each facing their own short-comings and with the help of the others, becoming more honest with themselves.
Perhaps because of the high school setting, this play feels like an R-rated modern version of the 1980’s TV sitcom “Saved by the Bell,” with a heavy emphasis on sexuality, abortion, and plenty of profanity, so it is absolutely not for younger kids.
These conversations are all around the proposed new debate team that Liwana is establishing to help build her acting career, as well as the straight/gay alliance that Howie is looking to start.
This play has an authentic and youthful perspective that intelligently looks at how difficult it is for teenagers to transition from childhood to the adult world.
The teacher and then the reporter are both played by Eva Kaminsky. She captures the exasperation of a teacher following the official school line, while as the reporter she has the smug self-serving drive that fits her “it’s all about me” motivation, especially when she is on National Public Radio plugging her new book about her interpretation of what causes youthful angst.
Art imitates life in “Speech and Debate” too, where the Republican anti-gay Salem mayor is rumored to be having elicit relationships with young men, with knowing laughs coming from the audience because of South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s recent sex scandal.
Solomon says that people expect Democrats to behave badly, but the moral Republicans hold themselves to a higher standard from whence they regularly crash and burn.
What Solomon most objects to is the hypocrisy of it all. The mayor leads a fictional life that cuts against who he is, says Solomon, who is struggling with his own fiction.
The dialog is best when the conversation is most natural, with partial sentences, the way people really talk.
The characters aren’t all instantly likable, but are complex and interesting, and the choreography by John Carrafa and music adds life to the sometimes over-long dialog.

SPEECH AND DEBATE

3 Stars
Theater: TheaterWorks
Location: 233 Pearl St. Hartford.
Production: Written by Stephen Karam. Directed by Henry Wishcamper. Set designed by Luke Hegel-Cantarella. Costume designed by Jenny Mannis. Lighting designed by Matthew Richards. Sound designed by Bart Fasbender. Choreography by John Carrafa.
Running time: 95 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. through July 26.
Tickets: $37, except Friday and Saturday nights, $47, and are unassigned. Center reserved seats $11 extra. $11 student rush tickets at showtime with valid ID (subject to availability). For tickets call 860-527-7838 or visit their website at www.theatreworks.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Carl Holder … Howie
Ben Diskant … Solomon
Eva Kaminsky … Teacher/reporter
Jee Young Han … Diwata

“Crowns” — a musical ode to African American women.

STORRS — For the first time in seven years the Connecticut Repertory Theater the University of Connecticut is presenting a Nutmeg Summer Series play, “Crowns,” a co-production with Indiana University and Syracuse University.
This musical feast is the story of a teenaged girl, Yolanda, from Brooklyn, New York, who is sent to her grandmother’s home in the south after her brother is shot and killed. The connection between the African practice of wearing bright colors and crowns and the African American practice of women wearing fabulous hats in all shapes and sizes, as well as always dressing your best to go to church, is examined.
It feels like a Baptist or Evangelistic Church service, with many exuberant hymns such as “When the Saints Come Marching In,” soulful blues numbers, and lots of “Praise the Lords,” from an excellent ensemble cast. Throughout the show they were all singing, dancing, and each telling their different stories about their lives and their many hats.
Each of the women dress in different bright colors throughout the 2-hour show — yellow, white, blue, red, and purple. This color-coded identification is a useful technique.
At the beginning of the show, Yolanda, played with appropriate teen-age angst by Shannon Antalan, enters from the back of the audience and bursts into an energetic rap number.
The rest of the cast then enters dressed in African regalia, with matching cloth crowns. Their African apparel disappears and is replaced by color-coordinated slips and then dresses — the colorful costumes designed by Reggie Ray. The women continue to change into different hats, some reversible, throughout the play.
Written by Regina Taylor, the story-telling format, often without much interaction between the performers, starts out interestingly enough, but then becomes tedious near the end of this one-act production — by the third time one of the women says, “I have about 200 hats,” it’s two times too much.
That’s too bad, because they have some wise information shared. It appears these stories are taken from interviews of women who wear these hats, similar to the technique used for the musical “Chorus Line.”
Other than Mother Shaw, Yolanda’s grandmother, played by the commanding Chandra Currelley, Yolanda, and the Man, well played by Ronald McCall, the names of the characters and actors are difficult to identify.
One of the characters observes, “Hats are like people — Sometimes they reveal and sometimes they conceal.”
Statements such as “a woman can flirt with a hat,” “hats make you happy,” and “hats can be competitive,” are all made.
Another says wearing hats is one way to cope with a bad hair day while being able to express creativity and unique style.
Still another of the women gives a litany of “Hat queen rules” warning, “Never touch my hat” along proper hat greetings, saying it is important to show “excellence in all things, including your appearance.”
The audience Friday got a rousing and heartwarming look at an exuberant style of worship and fun that had everyone on their feet, clapping along, at the end of “Crowns” — a musical ode to African American women.

CROWNS

3 Stars
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Jorgensen Road, Storrs.
Production: Written by Regina Taylor. Adapted from a book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry. Directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris. Music direction by William Hubbard. Sound designed by Jonathan Herter. Scenic design by Felix E. Cochren. Costumes designed by Reggie Ray. Lighting designed by Jennifer Setlow.
Running time: About 2 hours with no intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Sunday.
Tickets: Range in price from $14 to $36. Call the box office at 860-486-4266 of visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Ronald McCall … Man
Shannon Antalan … Yolanda
Chandra Currelley … Mother Shaw
Crystal Fox … Jeanette
Roz White … Velma
Valerie Payton … Mabel
Terry Burrell … Wanda

Vibrant “The Color Purple” transcends at the Bushnell

HARTFORD — “The Color Purple” has seen all kinds of transformations, from a novel, to a movie, and a Broadway musical that is now on tour, playing at the Bushnell through Sunday.
Some of the lead characters in the cast were from the Broadway show, including Kenita R. Miller as Celie, and the Tony nominated actors Felicia P. Fields as Sofia and Brandon Victor Dixon as Harpo.
The play closely follows the story originally written by Alice Walker. Beginning in 1911 Georgia through the 1940s, it follows the life of 14-year-old Celie, whose future looks none-too-bright, giving birth to her second child by the man she thinks is her father, and is shortly thereafter married off to a man she calls Mister, who treats her even worse.
Mister, played by Rufus Bonds Jr., transforms from a mean, nasty man, to a lover of Shug Avery, played by Angela Robinson, and finally to a redeemed and humbled human being.
Bonds has a terrific, powerful, and excellent voice which he really shows when he sings “Celie’s Curse” in the second act.
Celie loves her sister Nettie, in Tuesday’s show played by Latrisa A. Harper. Nettie ends up in Africa with missionaries, while Celie toils through her thankless, loveless life.
Celie meets the glamorous singer Shug, and they fall in love, a relationship the musical explores. Celie eventually finds the strength to leave her husband and then learns to see the wonder in her own self.
The subplot, with the fiesty Sofia, played by the sassy Fields, marrying one of Mister’s sons, Harpo, played by Dixon, is interesting and lends the show depth.
The large ensemble cast displays a lot of talent and energy, dancing the jitterbug during the jazz scenes, as well at the athletic African dance numbers.
The costumes, and there were many, were bright, fun, and intricate, including some wacky and bizarre hats for the church ladies. Costumes by Paul Tazewell.
Celie starts a career making colorful pants that anyone can wear that she calls “Folkspants” thereby becoming the forerunner to a “Project Runway” contestant.
The backdrop of the sun in various degrees of setting, was a good choice, by John Lee Beatty, giving a feeling of the warm southern skys.
The rousing gospel numbers in the beginning are the most memorable. The show is more of a musical opera than a typical musical, with little dialog and lots of singing, while none of the songs are ones that you can’t stop thinking about.
“The Color Purple” is a production that affirms the possibility of change even in the worst of characters, and the power of redemption and forgiveness. It’s a beautiful sentiment and a well-staged show.

THE COLOR PURPLE

3 Stars
Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Memorial Center
Location: 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Book by Marsha Norman. Music and lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray. Directed by Gary Griffin. Choreography by Donald Byrd. Scenic design by John Lee Beatty. Costume design by Paul Tazewell. Lighting design by Brian MacDevitt. Sound design by Jon Weston.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through June 14.
Tickets: $25 — $75. Call 860-987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org.

ACTOR…CHARACTER
Kenita R. Miller … Celie
Felicia P. Fields … Sofia
Rufus Bond Jr. … Mister
Brandon Victor Dixon … Harpo
Angela Robinson … Shug Avery
Tiffany Daniels … Squeak

“Forever Blonde” a believable reincarnation of Marilyn at the Ivoryton Playhouse

IVORYTON — Will we ever tire of Marilyn Monroe stories?
Whether you know a lot or a little about the life of Monroe, this one-woman tour-de-force performance is a frank and entertaining look into the life of one of America’s icons, in her own words.
The play, written by Greg Thompson, is a compilation of various conversations and interviews Marilyn Monroe gave over the years when she was alive, performed by Sunny Thompson, who practically channels Monroe’s manner of speaking, walking, and singing.
Many dismiss Monroe as being nothing more than a dumb blonde, but her story isn’t that simple or straightforward. The play begins near the end of her short life at 36, when she was in her last photo shoot, where the lights flash to show Sunny Thompson as Monroe in various poses for the camera.
Some interesting facts about Monroe are reveled. Many might know she was an orphan abandoned by her mother, but she was in and out of nine foster families between stints at orphanages before she was practically forced into marriage as a teenager.
The play, set in 1962, is generously sprinkled with bits from many of her film songs, such as “When Love Goes Wrong,” “A Little Girl from Little Rock,” and the famous “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend,” from the terrific musical with Jane Russell “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
She also sang the zippy “Running Wild” and “Some Like It Hot” from the Billy Wilder movie with Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis “Some Like It Hot.”
The monologue play runs through her struggling years, and the many, many men, some famous, such as President Jack Kennedy and brother Robert, in her life who helped her, and often used and exploited her along the way. Some surprising anecdotes, such as a brief affair with Joan Crawford, pop up along the way.
Before the show and during intermission the music of Frank Sinatra, who also was one of those men, plays, but it goes on a little too long, particularly between acts.
Better to hear orchestral arrangements of some of Monroe’s great tunes. Monroe had a fine, under-appreciated singing voice, as Thompson the actress nails it for the most part.
The costumes by Mimi Countryman and Alice Worthy are glamorous, and there are a number of changes, most done behind a semi-transparent screen, which, along with some frank sexual talk, make this a show best not for young children.
When she sang the big “Diamonds” number, it would have been better if she dressed in a hot pink gown with matching gloves, as the real Monroe wore in the film “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”
The set is right on target, with white everything, including the stereo console. The make-believe bubbles in the bubble bath at the start of the second act are a nice touch too.
Although there are no apparent microphones, the sound system is first rate — enhancing the sexy and sweet sound unique to Monroe. Sunny Thompson has toured this show around the country, and seems to more than act the role. She almost appears to channel Monroe’s kind, ambitious, and real persona, making her frustrations and disappointments heartfelt, moving, and most importantly, believable.
Sometimes one-person shows can feel tedious, but that is never the case in this sweet and sad story of an American original who continues to capture the national imagination decades after her death.

FOREVER BLONDE: THE LIFE OF MARILYN MONROE

3 Stars
Location: Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT
Production: Written by Greg Thompson. Directed by Stephanie Shine. Sets by Jason Phillips. Costumes by Mimi Countryman and Alice Worthy. Lighting by Woody Woodburn. Make-up design by Jimmy James.
Running time: 2 hours with one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through June 21.
Tickets: $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the box office at 860-767-7318, or visit their website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Sunny Thompson … Marilyn Monroe

Kory's final thoughts on the Barcelona Sojourn. For me, going to Barcelona was more than a vacation - it was a long time quest to get to see the architecture of Antoni Gaudi that I have admired and loved since I first discovered his work while in college. It was all I could have hoped for, and I have to thank Jessica for willing the idea into reality. Other highlights were the unusual and delicious food, the Roman and Greek ruins, putting my feet into the Mediterranean Sea and of course our road trip to Cadeques. The unexpected bonus was the fun I had, even when times were stressful. I would travel again with all of you anytime.

“Dividing the Estate” a divine human comedy at the HSC

HARTFORD — In Horton Foote’s oh-so human comedy “Dividing the Estate” the family members waste no time getting to the point — some want desperately to divide the family’s valuable estate before the matriarch has died.
Set in a fictional town of Harrison, Texas in 1987 during the savings and loan crash, the story couldn’t be more poignant or timely today, with the global financial crisis making those good old days pale in comparison.
What a honor to have the whole 2009 Tony nominated Broadway production, in this show with the venerable Lois Smith playing Stella, the strong matriarch, here in Hartford. Directed on Broadway by Hartford Stage’s own Michael Wilson, this play is a funny, direct, and often moving story of a family’s attitude around money and familial ties.
Leading the cast, and up for a 2009 Tony for best lead actress in a play, Foote’s daughter, Hallie Foote is dynamic as the straight-forward, energetic, focused woman.
Foote plays sister Mary Jo who is desperate for more money since she and her husband, Bob, played with grand gusto by James DeMarse, and their two daughters, live well beyond their means.
These characters could be stereotypical and pathetic, but they aren’t. When situations veer on the tragic, the family’s aged servant, Doug, played by Arthur French, steps in with some welcome comic relief.
Son, the family’s only gainfully employed individual has the thankless job of trying to run the estate. Played with patience and integrity by Devon Abner, Son is the moral center of the household.
Gerald McRaney plays Uncle Lewis, who has good intentions, but a weakness for alcohol and gambling. McRaney’s Lewis can be an embarrassment to the family, but he also has his own sense of integrity. His relationship with a teenager is creepy though. That teenager, Irene, played by Virginia Kull, makes a brief but indelible appearance near the end.
The lighting, designed by Rui Rita, streams through the windows and doors and manages to give a real but subtle sense of the intense Texas sunshine.
Sadly Horton Foote died in March, 10 days short of his 93 birthday, but he has left an amazing legacy with this play, and “The Orphan’s Home Cycle” that Hartford audiences will luckily get the chance to see next season.

DIVIDING THE ESTATE

3½ Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by Horton Foote. Directed by Michael Wilson. Scene design by Jeff Cowie. Costume Design by David C. Woolard. Original music and sound design by John Gromada. Lighting design by Rui Rita.
Running time: 2 hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and selected Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances most Sundays and selected Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. through July 5.
Tickets: $23 — $66. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Devon Abner … Son
Penny Fuller … Lucille
Lois Smith … Stella
Pat Bowie … Mildred
Arthur French … Doug
Gerald McRaney … Lewis
Keiana Richard … Cathleen
Maggie Lacey … Pauline
Hallie Foote … Mary Jo
Jenny Dare Paulin … Emily
Nicole Lowrance … Sissie
James DeMarse … Bob
Virginia Kull … Irene

42nd Street zippy Goodspeed production

EAST HADDAM — Put on your dancing shoes because “42nd Street” is hitting the boards at the Goodspeed Opera House.
This zippy production of the award winning 1980 musical has everything a musical devote could ask for — dancing, singing, and more dancing.
It’s difficult to believe this musical of musicals was produced as late as 1980. It feels more like the good old-fashioned musicals from the turn of the 1900s.
The plot is a bit hokey, but the cast has a blast with what they have to work with. Set in the time period just after the stock market crash of 1929, this show couldn’t be more timely too.
It’s a perennial fairytale of overnight success based on sheer talent and heart. A group of dancers are auditioning for a new show when a newcomer, Peggy Sawyer, played with wide-eyed optimism by Kristen Martin, is befriended by the sweet and welcoming chorus girls.
None of the gals has a professionally jealous bone in their super-fit bodies, and they welcome the fledgling hoofer from Allentown, Penn. with open arms. You know, just like in real life.
The star of the show within the show is Dorothy Brock, played with plenty of moxy by the sultry Laurie Wells. Brock can sing, but can’t dance her way out of a paper bag. She is accidentally tripped up by Sawyer, breaking her ankle.
The hard-nosed producer with a heart of gold, Julian Marsh, played with confidence by James Lloyd Reynolds, begs Sawyer to step into the lead role.
It’s always spectacular to see how the Goodspeed choreographers and directors, here Rick Conant and Ray Roderick, manage to squeeze so much dancing and action onto the tiny stage.
The costume changes are too numerous and fast to count, with candy colored rainbow delights of festive period getups — Costumes by David H. Lawrence.
Less successful is the Hollywood Squares-like dressing room ensemble number that seems a little cheesy, and would have been migraine producing if it continued much longer. The Shadow Waltz, with dancing behind a screen in silhouette is an imaginative idea, but is not so effective in delivery.
Notable is the incorrigible tenor, Billy Lawlor, played by the dashing and flirtatious Austin Miller, and the sultry femme fatal, Lorraine Fleming, played by Erin West. Fine comic relief to the comedy is provided by Dorothy Stanley and Dale Hensley as the show’s songwriting team, Maggie Jones and Bert Berry.
There are some classic musical numbers in the show, including “Lullaby of Broadway,” “We’re in the Money,” “Shuffle Off to Buffalo,” and of course, “42nd Street.”
Few sights are more stirring and spectacular than experiencing a talented chorus line tapping their hearts out. Come enjoy the ballyhoo at the Goodspeed Opera House through June 28.

42ND STREET

Three Stars
Location: Goodspeed Opera House, Route 82, East Haddam
Production: Music by Harry Warren. Lyrics by Al Dubin. Book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble. Directed by Ray Roderick. Choreographed by Rick Conant. Produced by Michael P. Price. Scene design by Howard Jones. Costume design by David H. Lawrence. Lighting design by Charlie Morrison.
Running time: 2 hours, with one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Wednesdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., and select Thursdays at 2 p.m.; Friday, and Saturday at 8 p.m. with Saturday matinee at 3 p.m., and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m., with select Sunday evening performance at 6:30 p.m. through June 28.
Tickets: $27.50 — $69.50. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 or visit their website at www.goodspeed.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
James Lloyd Reynolds … Julian Marsh
Kristen Martin … Peggy Sawyer
Austin Miller … Billy Lawlor
Laurie Wells … Dorothy Brock
Dorothy Stanley … Maggie Jones
Dale Hensley … Bert Berry
Erick Devine … Abner Dillon
Erin West … Lorraine Fleming
Tim Falter … Andy Lee
Elise Kinnon … Phyllis Dale
Jenifer Foote … Ann Reilly

“Buried Child” a finely acted, surreal gothic tale at the Valley Rep Company

ENFIELD — If the title doesn’t give it away, “Buried Child,” written by Sam Shepard and playing at the Valley Repertory Company, is no comedy.
Shepard won the 1979 Pulitzer Prize for Drama this extraordinary play, which is set in the living room of a dilapidated farmhouse on a farm that no one is farming in Illinois.
It is a surreal, macabre, modern gothic tragedy of a dysfunctional farming family’s demise.
An invalid, alcoholic father, Dodge, has become dependent on his grown sons, Tilden and Bradley, while their mother, Halie, lives in a bizarre religious fantasy world of her own, idolizing a third dead son who died in a motel room on his honeymoon under mysterious conditions that are never explained.
She relentlessly and heartlessly nags what remains of her miserable family, finding relief flirting with the priest and solace in the religion of denial.
Tilden’s son, Vincent, and his new girlfriend, Shelly, unexpectedly drop in while on a road trip to New Mexico, where the son thinks his father is living. When Vincent arrives, however, the father and grandfather act as if the grandson is a stranger.
Odd things start happening, such as when Tilden enters the room with an armful of corn, and then an armful of carrots, even though the father and mother insist that nothing has been planted.
The family is unhealthily united under the shared burden of an incestual and murderous secret that eventually is revealed, but nothing is ever clearly spelled out or fully explained.
Each cast member is excellent, but Don Thomas’ nuanced and complex portrayal as the diminished curmudgeon, Dodge, is nothing short of remarkable.
He plays a man desperate for some whiskey, starring blankly at the television screen, and carrying the burden of a desperate secret like a cancer eating at him from the inside.
His hollowed out cheeks and weak condition belie a stubborn determination along with a wickedly funny intelligence that is believable and natural within the surreal proceedings.
Still, as sad and depressing as this story is, it is also bitingly and darkly funny at times, thanks mostly to Thomas’ Dodge, who, although he is on his last leg, hasn’t lost his wits.
Denise Walker plays the menacing Betty Davis-like matriarch Halie, and the confused and permanently depressed and depleted eldest son, Tilden, is played with unending sadness by Chris Kibble.
Jim York as the other living son, Bradley, who accidentally sawed his leg off with a chainsaw, is singularly creepy and totally scary, while Aaron L. Schwartz fits into the craziness of the household well as Tilden’s long-absent son, Vincent.
Janine Flood plays the relatively normal girlfriend, Shelly, as the outsider who is alternately repelled and oddly intrigued by the family lunacy.
Gary Turrel plays the Father Dewis with ecclesiastic hypocrisy.
The choice of blues guitar music between scenes works well to set the melancholy mood, but perhaps blending the second and third acts together would be a good idea. One intermission a show is preferable.
The solid set is beautifully and solidly constructed, with set and lighting design along with directing credits going to Eric Albetski, but it might have been more dilapidated to match the decrepit reality of these characters’ existence.
Make no doubt about it though, this is Dodge’s play, just as Shakespeare’s “King Lear” belongs to the monarch and Willy Loman is integral to Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman.” In it Thomas plays the role of a lifetime, and is one of the best and most believable actors I have ever seen on any stage.
Perseverance along with perversity pervades in this dark but fascinating tale — a brave choice by the Valley Repertory Company.

BURIED CHILD

3½ Stars
Theater: Valley Repertory Company
Location: 100 High Street, Enfield
Production: Written by Sam Shepard. Directed by Eric Albetski. Produced by Jan Albetski. Stage manager and assistant director Jason Fregeau. Costumes by Jeffrey Flood. Set and lighting design by Eric Albetski.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, with two intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through May 16.
Tickets: $10 in advance and $12 at the door. $8 prepaid and $10 at the door for seniors over 60 and youth under 18. Adult language & situations. Call 860-749-4665 or visit their website at www.valleyrep.com

ACTOR…CHARACTER
Don Thomas … Dodge
Denise Walker … Halie
Chris Kibble … Tilden
Jim York … Bradley
Janine Flood … Shelly
Aaron L. Schwartz … Vincent
Gary Turrel … Father Dewis

Follow your dreams with “The Sound of Music” at the Opera House Players

EAST WINDSOR — The East Windsor hills are alive with “The Sound of Music,” the classic musical about Maria, the captain, and the kids.
Producing a musical that is so familiar to so many because of the timeless musical and famous 1965 film “The Sound of Music,” starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, is a double-edged sword.
The songs are ingrained into our social unconscious, and for a good reason — they are delightful — but the risk is that the production could easily pale by comparison.
Fortunately, that is not a problem for the Opera House Players’ production. This cast does a smashing job of putting on a seamless, well-rehearsed entertainment, lead by the near-perfect Rosanne Sweeney, as Maria Rainer, who has a clarion, clear voice with terrific enunciation, along with an innocent honest and intelligence that really could not be better.
Set just before World War II, the German Nazi’s are about to invade Austria. Maria is a young novice studying to become a nun in a convent and is sent to be a governess for a wealthy widower, Capt. Von Trapp’s seven children. She and Von Trapp fall in love and decide to flee Austria before the Third Reich takes over.
Unlike the film, the musical begins with an a capella preludium sung in complex yet glorious harmony by the nuns that really sets the high bar for the rest of the show to follow.
Dallas Hosmer plays Capt. Von Trapp with a stern stiffness and fine presence. He is especially appealing when relating to the children. And, as anyone who has ever seen the movie knows, there are lots of children, and they comprise much of the show.
This impressively large cast is even bigger than it appears, because director Patrique Hurd took on the Herculean task of having two complete children casts.
The eight youth roles are played on alternate nights by 15 children, playing the roles of Rolf Gruber, Liesl, Rolf, Louisa, Kurt, Brigitta, Marta, and Gretl, with only the role of Fredrich being played by one actor, Conor Ellis.
If Saturday night’s performance is any indication, all the children are enchanting and delightful, but some of the kids, as well as some of the adult performers (who should really know better) occasionally stole indulgent glances at the audience — a definite no-no.
Brianna Mello as the wealthy Elsa Scraeder and Gary Rhone as the self-serving sarcastic Max Detweiler are well cast with plenty of personality between the two. They do the best they can with less than memorable songs.
Nina McFerrin plays the Mother Superior of the convent, Mother Abbess, with a compassionate understanding. She also has a lovely singing voice, and gets to belt out the gorgeous, heart-stirring song “Climb Ev’ry Mountain.”
Songs like “Do-Re-Me,” “My Favorite Things,” “So Long, Farewell,” “Sixteen going on Seventeen,” “Edelweiss,” and of course the perennial “The Sound of Music” are all sung with heart and soul, with strong musical direction by Michael Gowdy.
The choice to have Maria and the children sing “The Lonely Goatherd,” and perform the darling puppet show below the stage level was not the best idea, because the children could not be seen beyond the front row.
The many costumes by Solveig Pflueger are outstanding, particularly when the children are dressed in their curtain-play clothes, and then in their travel outfits at the end of the show.
Sadly this show is closing Sunday. “The Sound of Music” is a joyful, exuberant production that will put a song in your heart and just might encourage you to follow your dreams.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

3½ Stars
Theater: Opera House Players
Location: 107 Main Street, Broad Brook
Production: Story by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Music by Richard Rodgers. Directed by Patrique Hurd. Musical direction by Michael Gowdy. Staged managed by Khara C. Hoyer. Technical direction by George Fields. Costumes by Solveig Pflueger. Lighting design by Diane St. Amand.
Running time: Under 3 hours, including a 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. through May 17.
Tickets: $20, seniors over 60 and youth under 12 pay $16. Call 860-292-6068 or visit their website at www.operahouseplayers.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Rosanne Sweeney … Maria Rainer
Dallas Hosmer … Capt. Von Trapp
Nina McFerrin … Mother Abbess
Brianna Mello … Elsa Scraeder
Gary Rhone … Max Detweiler

LTM’s “Inherit the Wind” a timeless tale based on America’s historic past

MANCHESTER — Creationism goes head to head with Darwinism in the classic tale based on a 1925 legal trial that pitted Bible against science, and also the rights of free speech, in “Inherit the Wind” a play from the 1950’s that still has meaning today.
The play is loosely based on the “Scopes Monkey Trial,” as journalist H.L. Mencken dubbed it.
The actual trial was held in Dayton, Tenn., where two renowned lawyers came to the small town to argue the case of a biology teacher, John Scopes, who taught Charles Darwin’s theory that man evolved from the ape.
The full biblical quote of “Inherit the Wind” is, “he that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind: and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.”
The play, through its protagonists, is focused on the right to think, and the freedom to draw one’s own conclusions, rather than take information at face value. It was written by Robert E. Lee and Jerome Lawrence partly as a reaction to the McCarthy trials.
In the Scopes trial, the famous attorney Clarence Darrow defends the part time biology teacher Scopes for teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, and three-time presidential candidate and Congressman William James Bryan was the prosecutor for the state, defending creationism. In the play Darrow is renamed Henry Drummond and Byran is Matthew Harrison Brady.
The excellent Charles Merlis plays lawyer for the defense, Drummond. First off, Merlis bears an uncanny resemblance to Spencer Tracy, who played the same role in the 1960 movie version of the play. Merlis’ Drummond hits all the right notes of the world-weary, angry, wise, frustrated, and appropriately bemused attorney.
Ken Adamson plays the Holy Roller self-aggrandizing politician Brady with fine bravado. He could have been nothing more than a pompous caricature, but Adamson gives him a humanity and pathos that makes him sympathetic and pitiable.
In one scene a minister, Rev. Jeremiah Brown, well played by Stephen Dombeck, humiliates his daughter, Rebecca, played with tearful sincerity by Trish Urso.
Rather than just stand by and allow the disgraceful spectacle to continue, Brady steps in and stops the bullying minister. That scene and the romance between Rebecca and the accused, Bertram Cates as John Scopes, played by Mark Musco, were not part of the original trial.
The journalist character, E.K. Hornbeck, based on Baltimore Sun newspaper reporter H.L. Mencken, is played by Michael Forgetta, who displays a searing sarcasm and sardonic wisdom that is spot on for the role.
Hornbeck is amusing when he tells Brady, “It is the duty of a newspaper to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.”
The dialog was a little choppy at times, but there was a lot of it, and it should improve as the actors gain confidence in this fine ensemble effort.
The simple set, with the town in the background and the witness stand in the foreground, by Fred T. Blish, is sturdy and functional, while the scratchy radio music that wafts in and out between acts, by Doug AmEnde, sets the 1920’s mood.
Lest you think creationism, or the literal, non-metaphorical interpretation of the Bible, has disappeared by now — think again. There are those who are absolutely convinced that the earth is no more than 6,000 years old, and the only reason dinosaurs are no longer on the earth is because they couldn’t fit onto Noah’s Ark.
“An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral,” Drummond says, while observing that “progress has never been a bargain.” He doesn’t attack people’s thoughts and views, but rather their right to think differently than others.
The Little Theatre of Manchester gives a respectable solid performance of the timeless American drama “Inherit the Wind.”

INHERIT THE WIND

Three Stars
Location: Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Road, Manchester
Production: Written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Directed by Sharon FitzHenry. Stage manager Paul Leone. Produced by Chuck Burns. Set design by Fred T. Blish. Sound design by Doug AmEnde. Lighting design by Jared Towler.
Running time: 2 hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Thursday, May 7, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Sundays at 2 p.m., and through May 17.
Tickets: $16 — $23. Call the box office at 860-647-9824, or visit their website at www.cheneyhall.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Charles Merlis … Henry Drummond
Ken Adamson … Matthew Harrison Brady
Stephen Dombeck … Rev. Jeremiah Brown
Mark Musco … Bertram Cates
Nick Demetriades … Judge
Trish Urso … Rachel Brown
Michael Forgetta … E.K. Hornbeck
Sam Greene … Mayor
Jared R. Towler … Meeker
James Demetriades … Howard
Nancy Gatto … Mrs. Brady
Scott Dehart … Elijah
Ron Blanchette … Bannister
Jim Powers … Tom Davenport
Don DiGenova … Hurdy Gurdy man/Reporter
Scott Ironfield … Mr. Goodfellow
Cathy Topping … Mrs. Krebs
Philip Anthony … Dunlap
Doug Soyer … Sillers
Joanna Schiff … Mrs. Loomis
Alex Pazda … Hot dog man/Dr. Page
Darlene LaPointe … Mrs. Blair
Ron Gatto … Court reporter
Leo Reaves … Reuters man/Aaronson
Brain Courtemanche … Harry Y. Esterbrook
Jen Lysomirski … Dr. Ruth Keller
Catherine McElaney … Melinda
Victoria Dehart … Victoria
Alexandria Dehart … Alex McLain

“What the Butler Saw” a comedy of manners gone haywire

SUFFIELD — First of all, don’t expect to see a butler in the Suffield player’s production of “What the Butler Saw.” There isn’t one.
Written by Joe Orton, this door-slamming, clothes-shedding, gun-toting roller coaster ride of a play is a biting social commentary disguised as a black comedy of the highest order.
Evidently the term “what the butler saw” is an English slang reference to peeking through keyholes, or voyeurism, something the audience is voluntarily participating in. Probably not the best comedy for kids — not so much for the language but for the subject matter.
Set in a psychiatric clinic consulting room somewhere in England, the play begins with Dr. Prentice, played by a Bob-Newhart like Dana T. Ring, leeringly interviewing a potential secretary, Geraldine Barclay, played with doe-eyed innocence by Rayah Martin.
Ring is soft-spoken and sometimes difficult to hear, especially when the mood-setting music overwhelms him.
When Barclay says she can’t recall having a father, Prentice says that he can’t employee her if she is “in any way miraculous,” and so sets the tone for the ensuing shenanigans.
In walks Dr. Prentise’s simultaneously oversexed and under-responsive wife, played with confidence by Dorrie Mitchell and her one-night lover and subsequent blackmailer, who happens to take great shorthand, Nicholas Beckett, played energetically by Steve Wandzy.
Prentice says to his wife that she is so over-sexed that when she is buried, it will have to be in a Y-shaped coffin, and later says, “all appearances to the contrary, she is harder to get into than the British Public Library.”
As if this weren’t enough craziness, next arrives the fully certifiable government official, Dr. Rance, played by Bruce Showalter. Showalter steals the show when he is on stage with his gleefully insane circuitous logic and singularly over-active imagination.
At one point he tells Dr. Prentice there is no need to give him explanations, “I can supply my own.” At another he speaks of a psychiatrist he once knew as someone, “having failed to achieve madness himself, he took to teaching it to others.”
The play is a fabulous fantastical comeuppance to our crazy world. Orton was clearly influenced by Oscar Wilde in this comedy of manners gone haywire.
When under cross-examination by Dr. Rance, Barclay vehemently denies being molested as a child by her father, but Rance is undeterred, gleefully proclaiming that her energetic denial is proof-positive it happened.
Even the institution of public safety is lacerated when the dazed and confused Sgt. Match, well played by Larry Chiz, enters the action, attempting to arrest Nick, euphemistically charging Nick of “misconducted himself” with a group of school girls in a hotel where he works.
While the dialog is spat-out with machine-gun precision, the action, with plenty of door slamming and clothes flying off and on, is also precise and imaginative, with admirable direction by Philip Vetro.
Come and surrender to a night of hilarious black humor with an unexpected, twisted ending at the Suffield Players darkly delirious production of “What the Butler Saw.”

WHAT THE BUTLER SAW

3 Stars
Location: Mapleton Hall, 1305 Mapleton Ave. Suffield.
Production: Written by Joe Orton. Directed by Philip Vetro. Stage managed by Becky Schoenfeld. Costumes designed by Dawn McKay. Set Design by Konrad Rogowski. Lighting design by Jerry Zalewski.
Running time: 2 hours, plus a 15-minute intermissions.
Show Times: Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. through May 16.
Tickets: $17, $15 for seniors and students. Call 1-800-289-6148 of visit their website at www.suffieldplayers.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Dana T. Ring … Dr. Prentice
Rayah Martin … Geraldine Barclay
Dorrie Mitchell … Mrs. Prentice
Steve Wandzy … Nicholas Beckett
Bruce Showalter … Dr. Rance
Larry Chiz … Sergeant Match

“Noises Off!” farcical fun at the HSC

HARTFORD — Throw common sense out the door when you see this farce to beat all farces, “Noises Off!,” at the Hartford Stage Company.
The play is all sardines and doors on the surface and squabbling, gossip, and wacky situations under the surface.
Written by Michael Frayn, this English farce is a play within a play. It starts the night before the play, called “Nothing On” opens. The actors don’t know their lines, and even if they did, the play is clearly bad. The actors limp through their lines and complain bitterly about anything and everything, to which the director alternately yells, supports, or consoles, depending on the person.
The second act starts behind the stage, where you see the actors getting ready to make their entrance on tour, while having pantomimed screaming matches at one another.
Then, half way through the second act, the set reverses back to the front of the stage again, and the actors’ start the play within the play, which comes totally unglued.
In the slapstick tradition of Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, the Keystone Cops, and Charlie Chaplin, this play escalates from the silly to the ridiculous, and some might say hilarious.
It’s the kind of humor that is based on character and situations, rather than just one-liners, and lots of slapstick humor. There is plenty of running into walls, tied shoe laces and conjoined costumes, missing and misplaced props, and lots and lots of sardines.
The cast who play the English-accented dual roles are in great shape, and they need to be, because there is much physical humor here, scampering up and tumble down stairs, fling themselves in and out of doors, and pretty much non-stop action throughout.
There’s the maid, Mrs. Cratchet, played by the actress Dotty Otley, who is played by the fine Johanna Morrison. Morrison, last seen at the HSC in “A Christmas Carol” sets the tone from the play-within-a-play’s opening, and from the start there is no looking back.
Noble Shropshire, who plays the alcoholic Selsdon Mowbray playing the burglar, seems a little frail for the roles, and is too soft spoken at times. He is enthusiastically driven to acquire a bottle of scotch that floats about behind the stage.
Bill Kux, also in “A Christmas Carol,” makes a believable director within the play as Lloyd Dallas.
Michael Bakkense as Garry Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain, is funny trying to express himself, with limited success, while David Andrew Macdonald, as Frederick Fellowes/Philip Brent really has the vapid stare down pat.
Liv Rooth as the sexy Brooke Ashton/Vicki runs into walls with the best of them, and has distilled bad acting down to a science.
As the farce progresses, it enters into the tangled web of nonsense, too complicated to decipher, but that show-train kept on rolling, taking no prisoners, but causing plenty of laughs in the audience, who adored the performance Wednesday.
Excellent playbill too, highlighting both plays.
Don’t try to make sense of the nuttiness, but sit back and enjoy the wacky world of “Noises Off!” at the Hartford Stage Company, running through May 17.

NOISES OFF

3 Stars
Location: Hartford Stage Company, 50 Church Street, Hartford.
Production: Written by Michael Frayn. Directed by Malcolm Morrison. Scene design by Tony Straiges. Costume design by Ilona Somogyi. Lighting design by Rui Rita. Original music and sound design by David Stephen Baker.
Running time: 2 1/2 hours including one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays, Thursdays, and selected Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees performances Wednesdays and Sundays, selected Saturdays at 2 p.m. through May 17.
Tickets: $23 — $66. Call 860-527-5151 or visit their website at www.hartfordstage.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Johanna Morrison … Dotty Otley/Mrs. Clacket
Bill Kux … Lloyd Dallas
Noble Shropshire … Selsdon Mowbray/Burglar
Michael Bakkensen … Garry Lejeune/Roger Tramplemain
Liv Rooth … Brooke Ashton/Vicki
Andrea Cirie … Belinda Blair/Flavia Brent
David Andrew Macdonald … Frederick Fellowes/Philip Brent
Veronique Hurley … Poppy Norton-Taylor
Daniel Toot … Tim Allgood

Opulent, phantasmagoric “Phantom of the Opera” at the Bushnell

HARTFORD — “The Phantom of the Opera” is a “phantastic” gothic musical for all at the Bushnell through May 10.
Pyrotechnics abound in this production, with numerous loud blinding blasts giving off enough heat at times to be felt by those up close.
The balcony seats offer the best vantage point, with excellent views of the huge chandelier flying to the ceiling, and provide a good look at the golden, garish, faux-baroque carvings that imposingly frame the stage.
The musical is based on a French novel by Gaston LeRoux. LeRoux was a fan of Edgar Allan Poe, and this dark tale has all the grotesque and macabre imagery of a Poe tale. A disfigured man escaped from a gypsy freak show and made his home in the musty bowels of the Paris opera house.
Here the Phantom with the masked face tutors a woman, Christine Daae, to become an opera star. She is an overnight sensation, while an old beau, Raoul, reappears after years, and they fall instantly in love.
Played with pathos and power by John Cudia, this love affair doesn’t fit the Phantom’s plans, since he wants Christine, his invention as he sees her, for himself.
People start dying, and the Phantom insists through many notes, that his opera be produced and Christine star in it.
The music, by the inimitable Andrew Lloyd Weber, is fantastic as always, with unforgettable numbers such as “Angel of Music,” “Masquerade,” “Think of Me,” and “All I Ask of You.”
Christine is played by the lovely Trista Moldovan, whose voice is almost always up to the challenge of the demanding soprano range.
The portly tenor lead, Ubaldo Piangi, is well played with goofy humor by John Whitney, while Kim Stengel is amusing as Carlotta Giudicelli, the over-acting spoiled diva.
Stengel is almost too good though. Instead of loving to hate her, as the role demands, one almost feels badly that an upstart ingenue, Christine, is squeezing her out.
No expense was spared on the sets, with huge swaths of Victorian-style draperies, designed by Maria Bjornson.
The costumes with their bright, brilliant, sometimes garish colors are glorious and eye-popping wild, especially when the ensemble is dressed for the masquerade ball. They are a nice counterpoint with the ballerinas who are dressed at times in Monet-like white outfits.
And don’t forget the elephant, which looks terrific on the stage, giving the show an “Aida” like feeling.
The precise choreographed movement, like a formalized dance, perfectly complements the complex octet of “Notes/Prima Donna,” with musical staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne.
“Phantom of the Opera” is confidently directed by the legendary Harold Prince, and appeals to all ages. The love story speaks to everyone, but seems to really hit a strong chord with teen-age girls, if the audience Saturday is any indication.
With all its pageantry and glitz, however, some of the show’s emotional intimacy is sacrificed. Still, there is much to enjoy in this polished production of “The Phantom of the Opera.”

PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

3 Stars
Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Memorial Center
Location: 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics by Charles Hart. Book by Webber and Richard Stilgoe. Directed by Harold Prince. Musical Staging and choreography by Gillian Lynne. Lighting by Andrw Bridge. Music director Jonathan Gorst. Sound by Martin Levan. Production design by Maria Bjornson.
Running time: 2 ½ hours, plus one 15-minute intermission
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through May 10.
Tickets: $28 — $82. Call 860-987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
John Cudia … the Phantom of the Opera
Trista Moldovan … Christine Daae
Sean MacLaughlin …Raoul, Vicomte de Chagny
D.C. Anderson …Monsieur Andre
Michael McCoy …Monsieur Firmin
Kim Stengel …Carlotta Giudicelli
Nancy Hess …Madame Giry
John Whitney …Ubaldo Piangi
Jessi Ehrlich …Meg Giry

“Hair” still joyous, meaningful after all these years

STORRS — Get out your tie-died t-shirts, patchouli incense, and your fringe vests, because “Hair,” that 60’s iconic musical of love and letting it all hang out, is happening at the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre through Saturday.
With such classics as “Aquarius,” “Easy to be Hard,” and the perennially upbeat “Let the Sunshine In,” plus many more, “Hair” still has a strong and pertinent anti-war message to impart.
In it’s day, it was the Vietnam War and the draft that the youth was railing against, but even today, without conscription, over 4,200 American soldiers have died in Iraq and hundreds of American soldiers lives have been lost in Afghanistan — something a blackboard outside the theater reminds the audience as they depart.
The University of Connecticut’s Connecticut Repertory Theatre combines graduate and undergraduate students with equity professionals, and here the lead role of the charismatic Berger is played by equity actor Fabio Monteiro and Sheila is dynamically played with a soulful, belting, strong voice, by Stephanie Umoh, also an equity member.
A perfect production for a large cast, where many get a chance to shine, like Noah Weintraub with an angelic voice as Woof singing the nasty song “Sodomy” and Hud, played by the lithe Philip AJ Smithey singing “Colored Spade,” with the ensemble, known as the tribe.
Claude, played by Brian Patrick Williams, is the show’s central character. Wanting to burn his draft card, but torn about breaking the law and going against his parents, Williams has a strong and clear voice and holds his own with the pros.
Everything about this production, directed by Gabriel Barre, is first rate, with kaleidoscope colored flower-power costumes by Lucy Brown, vibrant multi-level scenery by Jennifer Corcoran, and psychedelic lighting by Brad Seymour.
The backdrop projection is an inspiration of changing images from peacocks to stained glass to parachutes, and really makes the stage pop with energy.
Not that the troop needs any more energy than they already have. Extra special is the choreography, by Mark Dendy, with constant but meaningful motion and dance. The rock band, with brass backup, is super too.
There is some brief but intense profanity and nudity, so this isn’t a show for children.
Even puppets are used to fine effect, particularly when the gargantuan likeness of the incomparable American icon Kate Smith singing “God Bless America” appears.
The counter culture Timothy Leary mantra, “Turn on, tune in and drop out,” getting high on marijuana and LSD, and pre-AIDs indiscriminant free sex is celebrated in “Hair.” In its era society was going through an extreme pendulum swing in reaction to the repressive 1950’s that in hindsight clearly has its shortcomings and limitations.
While the show drags some in the middle of the second act, overall it is an enthusiastic dance down macramé lane for some, while love, questioning authority, and working for peace always remains relevant.

HAIR

Three ½ Stars
Theater: Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Location: Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, Glenbrook Road, Storrs.
Production: Music by Gait MacDermot. Book and lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado. Directed by Gabriel Barre. Choreography by Mark Dendy. Musical direction by Ken Clark. Scenic design by Jennifer Corcoran. Costume design by Lucy Brown. Lighting design by Brad Seymour. Sound design by Wilson Tennermann.
Running time: About 2 hours plus one 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. through May 2.
Tickets: General admission $11 to $29. Call 860-486-4266 or visit their website at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Fabio Monteiro … Berger
Brian Patrick Williams … Claude
Stephanie Umoh … Sheila
Philip AJ Smithey … Hud
Noah Weintraub … Woof
Rebecca Dale … Jeanie
Carolyn Cumming … Crissy
Meghan O’Leary … Dionne

“Old Man and the Sea” fine adaptation at Long Wharf

NEW HAVEN — Anyone who hasn’t read Ernest Hemmingway’s novella “The Old Man and the Sea” will most likely have at least heard of the story that was made into a 1958 film staring the oddly cast Spencer Tracy.
Oddly cast because this is definitely a Cuban story, demanding Hispanic and island actors, of which this play thankfully provides.
Well adapted by director Eric Ting and set designer Craig Siebels, “The Old Man and the Sea” is almost mythic in it’s presentation of a man against the elements.
The play centers on the old man, Santiago, who has had an 84-day run of bad luck catching no fish, while others, using more modern techniques, fair better.
Deciding to travel out farther than ever, by himself, he lands a 1,500-pound marlin that is bigger than his little skiff.
Here an aged fisherman, Santiago, ably and energetically played by Mateo Gomez, fights against his bad luck, with King Lear-like rage, pitting himself against fish and sea.
At one point Santiago asks of the fish, “am I bringing you home, or are you bringing me?”
Referring to the sea as a woman, he says, “I think that the ocean can be so cruel …wild and wicked, she cannot help it.”
And like Icarus who flew too close to the sun, Santiago traveled too far out to sea.
The two-act play strangely feels both longer and shorter than is 90-minute run, which is not a negative comment, but more an observation of the trance-like state it casts.
Hemingway wrote his stories in everyday language that conveyed drama within the simplicity, and this adaptation does the same.
Not shy of self-promotion, he said, with typical Hemmingway brevity, that “The Old Man and the Sea” was “the best I can write ever for my whole life.”
The boat, painted a brilliant weathered blue, has beautiful lines and is set well against the variegated wooden flooring that doubles for a beach, the night sky, and the shack floor of the old man’s home.
Far too old to be fishing by himself, the old man pushes himself beyond endurance, and then further still. Watching him struggle against nature and his mortality is both admirable and sad.
References to baseball, and particularly the fishermen’s beloved Yankees and their hero Joe DiMaggio, parallels Hemmingway’s experience as an avid sportsman and fisherman with the Cuban fishermen he knew while living in his adopted country in the 1940’s.
Supporting actors include the loving and devoted boy, Manolin, played with compassionate respect and admiration by Rey Lucas, and the guitarist and arm wrestler, Cienfuegos, well-played by Leajato Amara Robinson.
There are no surprises in this adaptation, nor does there need to be. The play is all one could ask for from “The Old Man and the Sea” — A finely acted, well directed and well-produced play.

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA

3 Stars
Location: 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven
Production: By Ernest Hemingway. Adapted by Eric Ting and Craig Siebels. Directed by Eric Ting. Set design by Craig Siebels. Costumes designed by Kaye M. Voyce. Lighting designed by Michael Chybowski. Sound by John Gromada. Original music designed by and co-sound by Ryan Rumery.
Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes plus a 15-minute intermission.
Show Times: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays at 7 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 3 p.m. through April 26.
Tickets: $32 to $62. For more information call their box office at 203-776-2287, or visit their website at www.longwharf.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Mateo Gomez … The Old Man (Santiago)
Rey Lucas … The Boy (Manolin)
Leajato Amara Robinson … Cienfuegos

“Icarus” imaginative inventive production at CRT

STORRS- Like a cross between “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Alien,” the wildly imaginative, creative interpretation of “Icarus” is playing at the studio theater at the Uconn’s Connecticut Repertory Theatre Wednesday through Sunday.
Based on the ancient Greek myth of Icarus, the boy who flew too high on feathered wings, this show is definitely the stuff of nightmares for young children, while giving lingering, hypnotic impressions to adults.
Set in ancient impoverished Crete, King Minos is desperate for an heir, but his Queen Pasephae is without child.
Rather than sacrificing the white bull to appease the wrathful ocean god Poseidon, Minos allows his queen’s wish and does not sacrifice the bull, with dire consequences.
She is impregnated by the bull giving birth to a half-man, half-bull monster, the Minotar, which is imprisoned in a death-trap labyrinth.
The fighting behind the screen between the Minotar and villagers is well done, and the labyrinthine moving walls are inspired.
The king’s inventor, Daedalus, has his own set of problems. His son, Icarus, dreams of his dead mother, who died because of Daedalus’ greed in catching too many fish.
Daedalus eventually loses favor with the king who banishes Daedalus and Icarus to a deserted island. When Daedalus invents the wings to escape, he warns his son not to fly too close to the son, but just like a teenager, Icarus pays no attention until it is too late.
This show uses puppetry as an augmentation to the action, rather than as the main characters, to impressive effect.
The gigantic white bull is truly ominous and terrifying, juxtaposed as it is next to the flirty, petulant queen who is in way over her head. Played by equity actor Lyn Kagen, who looks much like a young Heddy Lamar, she gives a transfixing performance as the dazed and disappointed queen.
When Pasephae gives birth her screams of agony are intense, and while not graphic, it is definitely not for young kids.
Robert Rosado is convincing and moving as the devastated king who ruins his world with his stubborn, privileged superiority, unable to bend and so is broken.
Sarah Murdoch who plays Neucrate, Daedalus’ wife and Icarus’ mother, is ethereal and lovely as the doomed beloved.
The story is simple, but the production is not. The music is excellent, from the simple guitar, to the recorded orchestral compositions, to Metallica, with sound designed by Emily Tritsch and sound and music mixing by Stefano Brancato. Brancato directed “Icarus” as well and adapted and co-created the show with Michael Bush.
Bush designed the puppets, which, in addition to the imposing white bull, included the stunning Poseidon, the delicate, inspired seagulls, and the other ancillary and glorious puppets.
The costumes by costume designer Mitchell Travers, were like living creatures themselves — with leather and rope bodices, intricate stitching, and detailed but loose tailoring, each fit the various characters as if they were born to wear them, including Icarus’ exquisite white knit tunic and fabulously darted white pants.
The solid and movable set by Jeanette Drake was minimalist but effective.
The show is at times top heavy with narration, but as the play progresses, the payoff is an amazing, hypnotic, and original achievement.

ICARUS

3 Stars
Theater: Connecticut Repertory Theatre
Location: Studio Theater, 802 Bolton Road, Storrs.
Production: Adaptation written and co-created by Stefano Brancato and Michael Bush. Directed by Stefano Brancato. Puppet designer Michael Bush. Scenic designer Jeanette Drake. Lighting designer Alex Goldberg. Sound designer Emily Tritsch. Sound and music mixing by Stefano Brancato. Costume designer Mitchell Travers. Technical direction by Ed Weingart. Production stage manager Tamsen Brooke Warner.
Running time: 2 hours including one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday, through Apr. 5.
Tickets: $13 to $26. Call 486-4266 of visit their Web site at www.crt.uconn.edu.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Scott Cooke … Icarus
Robert Rosado … Minos, the king
Lyn Kagen … Pasephae, the queen
Fergus Walsh … Daedalus, Icarus’ father
Zach Dorn … Old Man
Sarah Murdoch … Neucrate, Daedalus’ wife
Michael Truman Cavanaugh … Minotar/Lifter
Zane Roberts … Strong man/King’s snooty attendant
Joseph Therrien … Lead narrator
Zoe Besmond de Senneville … Second narrator and mad woman
Seth Koproski … Third narrator
Anastasia Brewczynski ... Fourth narrator/Rouser
Lauren Horoszewski … Fire dancer

“A Chorus Line” feels dated

HARTFORD — Superlatives abound whenever “A Chorus Line” is mentioned — “Longest Running Broadway Show Ever” — “Best Musical Ever” — Pulitzer prize-winning musical — nine Tony Awards, and the list goes on.
Despite these accolades, unfortunately this 1975 musical, playing at the Bushnell’s Mortensen Theater through Sunday, feels dated and dull.
It originally hit the scene when the old-fashioned musicals, with their stylized glamour and glitz, were fading, and a new, grittier theater scene was emerging.
“A Chorus Line” is a bit of a transition piece in Broadway history, bridging the gap of the past to the future. As one of the characters observes — Robert Goulet is out, and Steve McQueen is in.
The musical must have been revolutionary in its time with the dancers revealing their personal lives, coming out of the closet and so forth, but in 2009 it feels like an Oprah episode with some high kicks.
The show starts out with a bang with some incredible dancing by the ensemble cast, but then stagnates into one monologue followed by another. And then another.
Set in 1975, a group of 17 dancers are auditioning for a show. The director in the musical, Zach, played as well as could be expected by Sebastian La Cause, goes into the audience during a dance audition and starts creepily asking the dancers to talk about their personal lives, like it is a therapy session. And one by one by one by one all seventeen to various degrees, tell their sad, angst-ridden, depressing tales. Half as many would have gone twice as far.
The music, by Marvin Hamlisch, is kind of a combination of a 1970’s television variety show — “The Jackie Gleason Show” with his June Taylor Dancers comes to mind, and part disco, with synthesizers and sparkly mirrors.
When the director selects which dancers he wants, it feels eerily similar to the reality television shows of today, like “Project Runway” and “Top Design.”
The adult language and topics are definitely for mature audiences only.
There are the emblematic, however time-worn songs “One” “What I Did for Love,” “Dance: Ten; Looks; Three,” and “The Music and the Mirror,” but they aren’t enough to pull this show through those deadening monologues.
No doubt “A Chorus Line” definitely had its day, but it’s not today.

A CHORUS LINE

2 Stars
Theater: The William H. Mortensen Hall at the Bushnell Memorial Center
Location: 166 Capitol Ave. Hartford
Production: Originally co-choreographed and directed by Bob Avian. Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante. Music by Marvin Hamlisch. Lyrics by Edward Kleban. Music direction by John C. O’Neil.
Running time: 2 hours, with no intermission
Show Times: Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinee performances Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m., through Mar. 29.
Tickets: From $20 to $65. Call 860-987-5900 or visit their website at www.bushnell.org. Adult language, for mature audiences only.
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Sebastian La Cause … Zach
Robyn Hurder … Cassie
Gabrielle Ruiz … Diana
Shannon Lewis … Sheila
Anthony Wayne … Richie
Mindy Dougherty … Val

Broadway comes to Ivoryton in “Godspell”

IVORYTON — Why take a train or drive into New York City when just an hour away at the historic Ivoryton Playhouse you can see a top notch Broadway-quality production of “Godspell” for a fraction of the price of Broadway tickets.
What a show. The youthful cast supplies enough energy to light up a town, and they invest every bit of enthusiasm and joy they have to their various parts.
“Godspell” is an archaic form of the word “Gospel,” and the musical is based on the on the Gospel of St. Matthews, with parables and teachings from the bible, such as the story of Noah and the Ark, the Prodigal Son, and central to all is the story of Jesus and his eventual betrayal by Judas, his death, and rebirth.
The show begins with the cast members dressed in dark and somber clothing, speaking as philosophers about thought and logic, when John the Baptist, played by Chris Gleim, who also makes a fine and tormented Judas, enters and sings the simple and beautiful “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord.”
Next thing you know, everyone is dressed in a riot of greens, blues, oranges, purples, and yellows, and love is in the air.
All of the songs, which range from ballads, to rock, to vaudeville, and even some rap, are really fantastic, with lyrics and music by Stephen Schwartz, but probably the one most recognized because it made it to the music charts in its time, is “Day by Day.”
The 1970 musical was first conceived as a master thesis by John Michael Tabela at Carnegie-Mellon University and took off from there, moving to off-Broadway, a film in 1973, eventually heading to Broadway in 1976, and has been on the community and church theater circuit ever since.
Jesus, lovingly played by Joshua Isaacs, narrates the acted-out biblical stories. The rest of the cast members, who are identified by their real names and also play various parts in the bible, are on stage for the entire two acts.
Tiana Checcia gives a fine clear performance singing “Day by Day,” while Elisabeth Cernadas who sings “O Bless the Lord My Soul” has a lovely voice you want to hear again.
Robert W. Scwartz Jr. too is super in his rendition of the powerful showstopper “All Good Gifts,.”
Not to leave anyone out of this fine ensemble group, Brent Barker sings the closing first act song, the rousing “Light of the World,” and Patrick H. Dunn is potently energetic singing “We Beseech Thee.”
Starting the second act with a bang is Nicole Heriot who does a campy, vampy bit singing the sultry “Turn Back, O Man.” Jorie Janeway sings the lovely and melancholy “Where Are You Going?” with backup by the perky and pert Hillary Ekwall.
Just as in the original production, at intermission the cast members gather near the stage and offer wine to the audience — a nice touch.
The set, designed by Daniel Nischan, is dominated by a massive, impressive chain link fence, a simple but useful backdrop for the actors to variously play with, struggle against, and climb.
What a great way to say goodbye to winter and welcome in spring in this upbeat, life-affirming, timeless production of “Godspell.”

GODSPELL

3½ Stars
Location: Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, CT
Production: Written by John Michael Tabela. Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed by Lawrence Thelen. Choreography by Lisa Niedermeyer. Musical direction by John S. DeNicola. Scenic designer Daniel Nischan. Lighting designer and production manager Doug Harry. Costume designer Pam Puente.
Running time: 2 hours plus one intermission.
Show Times: Wednesday and Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. through Apr. 5.
Tickets: $35 for adults, $30 for previews and seniors, $20 for students, and $15 for children 12 and under. Call the box office at 860-767-7318, or visit their website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org
ACTOR…CHARACTER
Joshua Isaacs … Jesus
Chris Gleim … John/Judas
Tiana Checchia … Tiana
Patrick H. Dunn… Patrick
Elisabeth Cernadas … Elisabeth
Jorie Janeway … Jorie
Robert W. Schultz Jr. … Robert
Hillary Ekwall … Hillary
Brent Barker … Brent
Nicole Heriot … Nicole