Ariana Straznicky-Packer - Page 2

Madison Lyric Stage Presents Double-Feature of Two Rare Works: The Seven Deadly Sins and Curlew River

I had the opportunity to see PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL, during its visit to The Bushnell in Hartford. Based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved 1990’s movies that launched America’s sweetheart, Julia Roberts, into stardom. Fans of the movie will be happy to see that the story hasn’t dramatically changed and includes all the fun, quotable lines (like, “Big Mistake. Huge!”) and unforgettable moments, like the spicy piano scene.

Lost in Yonkers Finds Standing Ovation at Hartford Stage Opening Night Hartford Stage presents Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Lost in Yonkers, featuring four-time Academy Award-nominated, two-time Golden Globe Award winner, Emmy Award-nominated actor and director Marsha Mason (co-director and performing as Grandma Kurnitz), running April 7 - May 1, 2022.

Dear Evan Hansen is an award-winning show that explores deep, dark themes and intricate relationships which I’ve never seen so well-defined on a musical stage. The new National Tour’s performances felt raw, real, and powerful. While the script has brief moments of comedy to balance the dark with light, it never takes away from the beautiful story arc and will give you, as our beloved Gen-Z says, “All the feels.”

On February 19, 2022, I had the opportunity to perform with Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra (ECSO) in the world premiere of Scattering, a ground-breaking electroacoustic piece that explores two of today's most prominent world events: the Covid-19 pandemic and the death of George Floyd, all the while including a brand new instrument especially designed for the orchestra conductor to wear on his wrist, performing alongside the musicians. In the months prior to the performance, the ECSO recorded small excerpts which the composer, Joseph Butch Rovan, then analyzed and reimagined, changing the sound entirely and making it coordinate with a special wrist-worn device during the live performance. The device, called TOSHI (The Orchestra Synthesis Human Interface) was expertly worn by its namesake, Toshi Shimada, the ECSO conductor. The piece continues to break barriers with not only the invention of a new instrument, but by making it one that the conductor wears to make him a performer alongside the symphony musicians. Furthermore, the device communicates with the composer’s laptop at the back of the audience, sending out a variety of sounds (including the sound of a person exhaling) through the surround system at the theater. After learning about this novel work, I wanted to learn more, so I sat down with the conductor and composer just before the premiere.

WAITRESS, the hilarious hit Broadway musical, is playing at The Schubert, New Haven March 4–6, 2022. The Waitress tour is every bit as fresh and delightful as ever, serving up all the best ingredients of this fan-favorite musical.