Lauren Yarger - Page 6

A predictable plot and disjointed musical elements might have brought FOOTLOOSE down, but deeper messages, good character development and -- at least in the production running over at Ivoryton Playhouse -- a strong vocal ensemble, turn the show around into an enjoyable romp through rebellious youth and overprotective parents.

They tell the story (based on a true one) of Guang (Julius Ahn), an illegal immigrant who gets stuck in a Bronx elevator for 81 hours while making deliveries for the Happy Dragon Chinese Restaurant.

With its sexist plot, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM is one of those shows that probably was a riot in 1962, but seems like something is lacking when presented a half century later - until the CT Repertory version running as part of the Nutmeg Summer Series. This one, thanks to some solid performances, is funny again.

You know that dream where you find yourself naked on a stage with everyone laughing at you? It's an unfortunate reality for Miltos Yerolemou, the actor who plays Bottom in Bristol Old Vic's production ofA MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM as part of New Haven's International Festival of Ideas.

Directed by Stephen Daltry, Dickenson (displaying a ribald belt), Perkins (a hoot), Garner and Hebert all give strong performances. Parets dances well with steps performed with precision and technical skill if not all the heart we expect. The same could be said of the special effects: fog and fly rigging are used precisely, but they fail to make our spirits soar the way they did on the Broadway stage. It's also hard to understand several of the kids who are trying very hard to do northern English accents. Entire lines of dialogue are lost.

Bristol native son Mike Reiss, who has enjoyed success as a comedy writer for 'The Simpsons' among other shows, turns his attention to the root of his humor, his home state in the riotously funny I'M CONNECTICUT getting a slick production at Ivoryton Playhouse.

Rupp's power-house performance captures Ruth so effectively and in such detail, that we're convinced the much shorter, German accented woman must really be on stage.

Pat Sajak puts his spinning talents to work here in Connecticut this month, but this time turning records instead of a 'Wheel of Fortune' as he takes on the role of Man in Chair for CT Repertory's Nutmeg Summer Series production of The Drowsy Chaperone.

The true story of a teenager who plays a game of Catch Me if You Can with the FBI is already larger than life, but this musical, making a tour stop at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, takes it way over the top by adding full-scale musical numbers, kick-line choreography and glitzy costumes.

The theater season hardly takes a break in Connecticut during the summer and we have some great shows coming up.

Hartford Stage's presentation of TWELFTH NIGHT, directed by Darko Tresnjak, is so sumptuous, so pleasing to look at and so cleverly staged that it's possible our appetite for any other setting for William Shakespeare's classic might be slaked.

Kitt's score and Brian Yorgey's book and lyrics combine for one of the deepest and moving shows to hit a Broadway stage. It's not the typical subject matter for a musical (the theater suggests that it is appropriate for children 16 and up), but you should take advantage of an opportunity to see this excellent rock musical, which won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. That sandwich-making scene in the opening act is terrific as directed by Janine Molinari with De Laurentis skillfully portraying the frenzied breakdown as Diana tries to cope.

Have you heard the one about a little white man thrown in a jail cell with a big black guy? If not, you can catch this, and a few other offensive jokes over at Long Wharf Theatre, where they pepper the dialogue in Bruce Norris' CLYBOURNE PARK, the Pulitzer-Prize winning play that explores themes of racism, gentrification and the way Americans relate to each other.

A single line of dialogue is the catalyst for Matthew Lombardo's multi-layered and laugh-filled play LOOPED making a tour stop this week at The Bushnell in Hartford.

As a critic, my first obligation is to be honest, so my readers will trust me when reporting on my experiences in the theater. After seeing the world premiere of In a Year With 13 Moons at Yale Rep, I have to tell you the truth. I didn't get it.

It's a simple tale, mostly predictable, but somehow perfect for the Goodspeed stage. It's light, fun and lends itself to big dance numbers and colorful costumes (Tracy Christensen, design), though nothing just smacks of the '20s, interestingly.

Director Paul Mullins has teased together a terrific cast (the ensemble at 45+ is huge) starring comedian Kevin Meaney as Edna Turnblad, Tina Fabrique (Ella) as Motormouth Mabel and Lena Mary Amato as Tracy, reprising this role for the fifth time.

COLE

'Shark-eats-little fish' and 'shark-eats-shark' set the stage for the underhanded word of corporate takeovers in Jerry Sterner's play, OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY over at Ivoryton Playhouse.

Ta'Rea Campbell stars as nightclub singer Deloris Van Cartier, the role made famous in the film by Whoopi Goldberg (who is a producer on the show). When Deloris sees her lover, gangster Curtis Jackson (Kingsley Leggs, who originated the role on Broadway), murder a snitch she's marked for execution and seeks help from the Philadelphia Police. She's taken into protection by shy, former high school classmate and cop 'Sweaty' Eddie Souther, who still harbors a crush for the flamboyant Deloris.