CONNECTICUT THEATER REVIEWS

On Saturday, April 5th, I had the pleasure of seeing a phenomenal show that I was not previously familiar with, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, performed at Center Stage Theatre in Shelton, CT!...

A flea was put in my ear to get to Brookfield Theater. I was late to the party and tickets were going fast, but I was able to make it to closing weekend of their production of A Flea in her Ear and boy, was it worth it....

On Saturday, March 1st, I had the pleasure of seeing an extraordinary production of the musical ALMOST HEAVEN, featuring the music of John Denver, as performed by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT. This is much more than a tribute concert. This is a ...

On Friday, February 21st, I had the pleasure of seeing one of my all-time favorite musicals, GUYS AND DOLLS wonderfully performed at Center Stage Theatre in Shelton, CT. This musical features music by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, based on characters created by Damon Runy...

There is no better time than now for Music Theatre of Connecticut’s production of Moon Over Buffalo. Or maybe playwright Ken Ludwig should have called it Loons Over Buffalo. This slapstick comedy is sidesplittingly funny about a fading stage couple who still dream of fame and fortune but are reduc...

Who says learning about history – American history in particular – can’t be entertaining as well as educational? Witness Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway juggernaut Hamilton, or, harking back a few deades, the Peter Stone musical 1776?...

They say that limitations encourage creativity, not stifle it. It may not look the way you envisioned it, but with the right people, you can make it happen. The determination from the entire production created a beautiful production that left the audience enthralled....

When it comes to a show like A Christmas Carol, you need to have heart and soul, and the cast and crew of Connecticut Theatre Company’s production of A Christmas Carol got my holiday season off to a great start....

On Saturday, November 30th, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another wonderful performance at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  The theatre for young audiences, that features adult performers, always manages to provide entertainment for the entire family so that parents can be entert...

On Sunday, November 10th, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another first-rate production put on by Fairfield Center Stage at Wakeman Hall inside First Church Congregational of Fairfield at 148 Beach Rd.  OLIVER!, the musical, based on the Charles Dickens book Oliver Twist, adapted for stage by Lion...

On Friday, November 1st, I had the pleasure of seeing a phenomenal opening night performance of IN THE HEIGHTS at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT! Set in Washington Heights in New York City, in a predominantly Latino community, this show delivers the right blend of drama, action, and ...

On Saturday, October 26th, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another first rate production put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT.  Bram Stoker’s DRACULA is brought to life on stage, through the adaptation by Hamilton Deane & John L. Baldersto...

Dracula, A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, written by Kate Hamill Is currently chilling audiences at The Powerhouse Theatre in New Canaan....

On Sunday, August 4th, I had the pleasure of seeing the musical GREASE at Musicals at Richter in Danbury, CT.  With book and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, director Jessica Smith combines her talents with music director Andrew Gadweh, and choreographer Melissa Arizzi to help bring out the b...

On Saturday, July 27th, I had the pleasure of seeing SPRING AWAKENING as put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT. The stellar acting, singing, lighting, and choreography draws the audience right in.  The talented vocalists and skilled musicians...

In virtually all of its production values, Musicals at Richter's Beauty and the Beast meets the demands that define the Disney gold standard....

Where to even begin? Brookfield Theatre brought together a stellar cast and crew who bought into the vibes and committed to the comedy that Mel Brooks laid to paper. The success of the humor in The Producers comes from the authenticity of the absurdity, and it's the cast's commitment to the absurd t...

Nothing ever goes according to plan, but you make do with what you have, and you make it work. Written by a local playwright through New Milford’s Playwriting Group, Oat Squares is jam packed with jokes, irony, and visual gags, leaving the audience falling in love with every character....

On Friday, May 31st, I had the pleasure of seeing the phenomenal musical WE WILL ROCK YOU at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT. This is neither a tribute concert to Queen nor a biography of their lives. Rather, the concept is similar to Mamma Mia! in that the show is a fictional story b...

On Friday, May 3rd, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another first-rate production by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT! This stellar cast keeps the audience entertained with their excellent stage presence, stage chemistry, and positive energy, as th...

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG as performed at Center Stage Theatre, in Shelton, CT, has the most spectacular set I have ever seen!  Director Betsy Kelso helps bring out the best in this amazing cast!  It is clear that the entire cast is having as wonderful a time performing their roles as the audience ...

What do you get when you cross a stage director, a burgeoning film industry, exotic plants, and time-travelling characters? Why, you get Shakespeare in Hollywood! This play is a riotous time for Shakespeare nerds and People-Who’ve-Never-Read-Shakespeare alike....

'Wait Until Dark' plucks the strings of your anxieties one by one until your muscles are screaming for the inevitable crash of expectation that comes at the end of a thrilling work of art. But a script can’t do it on its own. It needs the right cast, the right crew, and the right moment to come to...

On Saturday, March 2nd, I had the pleasure of seeing another phenomenal performance put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT, FOREVER PLAID, a comedic jukebox musical written by Stuart Ross. Director Melanie Del Sole, with help from musical direct...

Nostalgia is a powerful tool. It can bring back memories that you had long forgotten, and it can make you smile with fondness. Everyone experiences nostalgia differently, but at its core, its job is to make us feel. The cast and crew come together to bring the joy of the Peanuts to life at Brookfiel...