Joseph Harrison - Page 23

Imagine you suddenly find yourself out of a job and unable to find a new one. You have bills to pay and a family to support. Would you do whatever it takes to make ends meet? Even if that meant becoming a stripper in front of thousands of people you know? That is the dilemma facing the out of work men at the center of the Warner Theatre's current production of Terrence McNally and David Yazbek's musical, THE FULL MONTY.

Some musicals make you laugh, some musicals make you cry, and others make you want to get up and dance in the aisles. But on a rare occasion, a musical comes around that entertains while making the audience sit up, take notice, and think. This is the case with the Opera House Players' final production ever in the Broad Brook Opera House - Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry's PARADE.

Passion, scandal, love (both requited and unrequited), and regret are emotions fraught with pain and joy. They are also timeless experiences - as relatable today as they were a hundred years ago. Such is the case with Edith Wharton's THE AGE OF INNOCENCE which has been adapted for the stage by Douglas McGrath and is the latest production from Hartford Stage (in association with the McCarter Theatre Center.) The play, based on Ms. Wharton's Pulitzer Prize winning novel, provides a lavish setting for the tale of one man torn between propriety and passion, and the fixed and proper world of New York society at the end of the 19th century.  

How one defines family can vary greatly from culture to culture and from generation to generation. What that word means to one person may mean something completely different to another. These are lessons learned by Maria and David, cousins from two very different worlds that form the heart of Jesse Eisenberg's THE REVISIONIST, now playing at West Hartford's Playhouse on Park.

Since ancient times, men have been dressing up as women to perform in a variety of settings. From ancient Japanese theater to Shakespeare's classics, a man in drag was something one just came to expect from the theatre. But in modern times, dressing in drag has taken on a much different meaning. For those who don a wig and strap on a fabulous pair of heels, drag is an escape from reality, a visceral and visual protest performed with a shiny, and often irreverent veneer. But, at its core, drag is about creating an outlet to overcome personal fears, anxieties, and shortcomings, in a larger than life way. These themes, and more, are on display in TheaterWorks newest production of Matthew Lopez' THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE.  

The traditional gift for a 15th anniversary is crystal, if you follow that sort of thing. So, it is fitting that the 15th anniversary show of the stop/time dance theater at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford is a brilliant and clear demonstration of the passion and skill of founder/director Darlene Zoller and her fabulous troupe of performers. And while this group is a labor of love for everyone involved, it is far from amateur, as demonstrated during the energetic and entertaining production playing on the Playhouse stage in West Hartford through March 25th.

"The story you are about to witness is one of romance, tragedy, primal murder and the urge for revenge." These words, spoken by the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot open Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, the latest production at Hartford Stage (in collaboration with the McCarter Theatre Center), and set the scene for what is soon to be a fast-paced and extremely entertaining evening of theatre. The play, newly adapted by Ken Ludwig (LEND ME A TENOR, CRAZY FOR YOU, MOON OVER BUFFALO) at the request of the Agatha Christie estate, takes the story from Christie's bestselling 1934 novel and breathes new life into the tale of an unlikely group of strangers on the lavish Orient Express and the murder that shines the spotlight on each of them.

The art of creation, whether it be a beautiful painting, a poem, or a piece of clothing can be a very personal experience. The artist expresses herself through each stroke of the pen or flick of the paintbrush and aims to capture the world as she sees it or as she would like it to be. But creation, like life, can be as messy as it is beautiful, as flawed as it is perfect, and as simple as it is magnificent. Such is the life of Esther Mills, the character at the center of Pulitzer Prize winner, Lynn Nottage's play, INTIMATE APPAREL, which is now playing at West Hartford's Playhouse on Park.

There is something magical and monumental happening on the stage of the Warner Theatre in Torrington, CT. Granted, theatre is inherently magical by nature, but in the Warner Stage Company's production of ONCE, something extra, something ethereal, and something heart-wrenchingly beautiful is taking place. I feel privileged to have been able to witness it.

There is a lot about the universe that we don't know. Could we be living in just one version of a life with infinite possibilities? And in that scenario what stays constant and what changes? What is the impact of a small change in tone or a choice of words to the outcomes of life? These are just some of the questions being brilliantly addressed in Theaterworks' production of Nick Payne's mind (and universe) bending play CONSTELLATIONS.

Many children dream of what it would be like to live in a unique and magical place. They dream of castles and princesses and, yes, even dragons. For most, living in a place like I have described only exists in those childhood dreams. But for one young girl, this fantasy was her life. That little girl was Sharon Washington, who grew up to become an award-winning stage and screen actress and who has created a play, FEEDING THE DRAGON, now playing at Hartford Stage, that conveys the story of her unique and colorful life.

It is rare these days to have the chance to see an all new, original musical comedy. But audiences in Hartford will have the chance to do just that when SOMETHING ROTTEN!, the Tony nominated Broadway musical plays the Bushnell Theatre in Hartford January 30 February 1. Playing Bea, eager and enthusiastic wife of Nick Bottom, will be Maggie Lakis, who sat down with me to talk about this hilarious and entertaining show.

'Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion', states salon owner and southern sage Truvy Jones in Robert Harling's STEEL MAGNOLIAS. No line describes better the audience's experience while viewing this hilarious and touching play. This is especially the case in this, the latest offering at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford. A cast of six stellar women bring these residents of Chinquapin Parish, Louisiana to vivid life and nimbly share the highs and lows of life in this colorful small town.

It is always a thrill when you discover a hidden gem in your own backyard. This was the experience I had last night attending my first show by the Connecticut Theatre Company in New Britain, Connecticut. It is appropriate that my first review for this company would be for RAGTIME, the Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical (with book by Terrence McNally) that includes a variety of themes including a focus on new experiences, changes in perspective, and listening to new music . I am thrilled to report that CTC's RAGTIME is a powerful and high-quality telling of the classic E.L. Doctorow tale. It hits all the right notes (literally and figuratively) and may be one of the best ensemble casts I have seen on a community theatre stage in Connecticut.

It's a story most of us have heard or witnessed before. Crotchety and greedy old Ebenezer Scrooge, complaining about the poor, turning down the invitation of his nephew to Christmas dinner, and begrudgingly giving Bob Cratchit the day off for Christmas. We fondly remember past portrayals of Scrooge face to face with the ghost of his ex-partner Jacob Marley, flying through the past and present with amiable spirits and having a change of heart after coming face to face with his own death. At Hartford Stage this season, the story comes to life once again in the form of A CHRISTMAS CAROL A GHOST STORY OF CHRISTMAS. The classic story by Charles Dickens and as adapted and originally directed by Michael Wilson is an annual tradition for Hartford Stage, and one that takes on new life in this, its 20th anniversary.

Christmas is a season of traditions. From the decorations that have their certain place on the mantel, to the cookies like grandma used to make, people thrive on the familiar during the holidays. This goes for films and TV specials as well. Who doesn't pause to see if George Bailey will save the savings and loan, if Ralphie will actually get his Red Ryder BB Gun, or if Rudolph will finally prove his red nose can do great things. No matter how many viewings, there is something about the characters of these beloved Christmas programs that feels familiar and right. But have you ever wondered what happened to these larger than life characters after their time in the red and green spotlight? These are the questions that TheaterWorks in Hartford hilariously tackles in CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS.

Plucky red-headed orphan, shaggy stray dog, a grouchy, but loveable billionaire and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Sound familiar? I am, of course, talking about the musical ANNIE, by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin which is based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie . This classic musical, which has been successfully presented around the world for the past forty years (the show premiered on Broadway in 1977) comes to the Broad Brook Opera House stage in Broad Brook, CT in the latest production by the Opera House Players

What happens when you take a holiday classic like Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, set it in Connecticut and include Connecticut historical figures such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, P.T. Barnum, and Mark Twain as the Christmas ghosts? You get A CONNECTICUT CHRISTMAS CAROL, an all-new musical take on the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, with a book by LJ Fecho and a score by Michael O'Flaherty that begins performances at Goodspeed's Terris Theatre on November 17. Directing this premiere musical production is Broadway actor and director, Hunter Foster, who returns to the Goodspeed to bring to life this exciting new take on the classic tale. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Hunter to talk about the show, what it's like working on a new production like this, and his directing style.

Why is tonight different than all other nights? A question that is asked around the tables of Jewish households on Passover around the world every year. It is a question that causes those gathered to consider the suffering of their ancestors in Egypt, at the hand of Pharoah and to consider the little Pharoahs in their own lives. This question is asked for the first time by one family wrought with secrets, guilt and a need for answers in the world premiere of Sarah Gancher's SEDER at Hartford Stage.

'Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!' These inspiring words were written by a young Anne Frank in the diary that would go on to become the most famous diary in the world. Her optimism, her spirit, and her joy for life, even in the harshest of situations, has inspired so many since they were captured on the page. And, though young Anne did not live to see her own potential become reality, she left behind a first-person account that tells her story and the intricacies of the daily existence of eight people hidden away in Amsterdam during the height of World War II. Bringing those stories to life on the stage is what Playhouse on Park in West Hartford has done in their latest production of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett's THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK which has been adapted by Wendy Kesselman to include newly discovered writings and survivor accounts of life during Nazi rule.