Two Gentlemen of Verona at Proscenium Theater

The Eastern Connecticut State University Performing Arts Theatre Program and Drama Society are presenting Two Gentlemen of Verona, a musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s early comedy about young people exploring love, friendship, and the temptations of city life. Originally produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival (incubator of such landmark musicals as A Chorus Line and Hamilton), adapted by award-winning playwright John Guare (House of Blue Leaves; Six Degrees of Separation), and with a musical score by Galt MacDermot (composer of Hair), Two Gentlemen Of Verona will run February 23 - March 5, 2017 (Thursday, February 23 at 7:30pm; Friday; February 24 at 7:30pm; Sunday. February 26 at 4pm; Thursday, March 2 at 5:30pm; Friday, March 3 at 7:30pm; Saturday, March 4 at 7:30pm; Sunday, March 5 at 4pm) in the Fine Arts Instructional Center Proscenium Theater (High Street, Willimantic, CT; direction at http://www.easternct.edu/map/).

Directed by David Pellegrini, with musical direction by Anthony Pandolfe and choreography by Alycia Bright-Holland, a cast of 32 talented students bring this exuberant and joyful musical to life. The new Proscenium Theater Mozart pit will be used for the very first time for the band of musicians. Nicole Rivera has designed a multi-leveled innovative set and Anya Sokolovskaya has designed the delightful costumes – all of which will be further enhanced by the state-of-the-art lighting designed by Megan O'Brien.

Reflecting youth culture and social transformations of the time, the energetic score is an eclectic blend of rock, R&B, funk, and Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Two Gentlemen of Verona received raved reviews after its December 1971 opening night and won the Tony Award for Best Musical of 1972. As Clive Barnes of the NY Times stated, “…it has a surge of youth to it, at times an almost carnal intimation of sexuality, and a boisterous sense of love…. The story of love and love's suddenness is certainly substantial enough for a musical, and archeological chips of the Shakespearean text that crop up from time to time fit in most snugly with the music and the additions. At times the poetry sounds ironic (which is fun enough), but most of the time it seems perfectly natural, which perhaps shows that there is rarely anything wrong with a musical book that a little blank verse might not put right.”

Tickets are free for Eastern students; $5 for other students and groups of 10 or more; $10 for Eastern faculty, staff, alumni, and senior citizens; and $15 for the general public. For ticket information and reservations, please call the FAIC box office at 860-465-5123 or email theatreboxoffice@easternct.edu. To purchase tickets online, visit easternct.showare.com/twogentlemen/.

Authors

• Galt MacDermot
• John Guare
• Lee Hoiby
• Louis Applebaum
• Mel Shapiro
• Richard Cumming
• William Shakespeare