Connecticut Theater Reviews

Review: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Musicals At Richter
by Bruce Apar - July 09, 2024

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

Review: (Bialy)Stocks Rise with THE PRODUCERS at Brookfield Theatre For The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - June 29, 2024

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...

Review: The Show Must Go On with OAT SQUARES at TheatreWorks New Milford
by Jared Reynolds - June 24, 2024

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....

Review: WE WILL ROCK YOU at Downtown Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - June 01, 2024

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...

Review: THE 39 STEPS at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - May 04, 2024

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...

Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at Center Stage Theatre
by Sean Fallon - April 21, 2024

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 is...

Review: SHAKESPEARE IN HOLLYWOOD brings The Bard to Brookfield Theatre For The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - April 14, 2024

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....

Review: WAIT UNTIL DARK Ramps Up The Tension At TheatreWorks New Milford
by Jared Reynolds - April 01, 2024

'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 l...

Review: FOREVER PLAID at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - March 03, 2024

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...

Review: Celebrating the Peanuts with YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Brookfield Theatre For The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - February 20, 2024

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...

Review: OKLAHOMA! at Center Stage Theatre
by Sean Fallon - February 18, 2024

What did our critic think of OKLAHOMA! at Center Stage Theatre?...

Review: CLUE at Ridgefield Theater Barn
by Sean Fallon - February 04, 2024

The play is by Sandy Rustin, Hunter Foster, and Eric Price, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn. Under the wonderful direction of David Fritsch, the Ridgefield Theater Barn successfully put on yet another phenomenal production that combines comedy with murder mystery!...

Review: WINNIE THE POOH at Downtown Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - January 13, 2024

What did our critic think of WINNE THE POOH at Downtown Cabaret Theatre?...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL EXPERIENCE at Fairfield Center Stage
by Sean Fallon - December 10, 2023

On Saturday, December 9th, at 2:00 PM, I had the pleasure of attending my favorite annual theatrical tradition, A CHRISTMAS CAROL EXPERIENCE, as performed by Fairfield Center Stage, at Burr Mansion in Fairfield, CT.  In my youth, I have appeared in three stage productions of A Christmas Carol.  I ha...

Review: Learning How to S-P-E-L-L Again at the 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at TheatreWorks New Milford
by Jared Reynolds - December 10, 2023

The dramas of my childhood years seem so small now, so insignificant, like a trivial problem today felt like the end of the world back then, and that’s exactly what the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee dug out of the depths of my brain like a repressed memory....

Review: Bouncing Fun with FUN HOME at Brookfield Theater For The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - December 02, 2023

We all have those shows that cut you to your core in a way that few other things can, and based on the opening night audience at the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, Fun Home is that show for a lot of people. From the moment the band walked on stage, the cast and crew of Brookfield Theatre’s Fun Hom...

Review: ELF at Fairfield Center Stage
by Sean Fallon - November 12, 2023

On Saturday, November 11th, I had the pleasure of seeing ELF, the musical, performed by Fairfield Center Stage, at Wakeman Hall inside First Congregational Church of Fairfield. With book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin and music by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, this musical is based on the 2003 m...

Review: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN, ABRIDGED at Playhouse On Park
by Ariana Straznicky-Packer - October 19, 2023

What did our critic think of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN, ABRIDGED at Playhouse On Park? What happens when an acting troupe of diehard Jane Austen fans get together to spread the love of the regency?...

Review: 3X3 FESTIVAL: HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED at Brookfield Theater Of The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - October 17, 2023

The Brookfield Theatre of the Arts’ 3X3 Festival continues with August Wilson’s 'How I Learned What I Learned.' Following in the footsteps of Jay Presson Allen’s Tru, How I Learned What I Learned finds August Wilson- played by Jeramie Gladman- reflecting on his upbringing, his friends, and his caree...

Review: NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - October 15, 2023

NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH is a three-act courtroom drama by Ayn Rand, set in 1933. Director Pamela Amodio helps bring out the best in this phenomenal ensemble cast who all appear to be greatly enjoying their roles! The case involves a young woman named Karen Andre who is standing trial, being accused of...

Review: 3X3 FESTIVAL: TRU begins the Festival with Flair at Brookfield Theater Of The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - October 11, 2023

There is so much more to Theatre than just musicals and full-length plays. For a single actor in a solo show to stand on that stage and create a work of art by themselves is bold and can be just as thrilling as a 30-person dance ensemble. 'Tru' set the bar high for the rest of the Festival....

Review: SCOTLAND ROAD Takes the Audience on a Voyage at TheatreWorks New Milford
by Jared Reynolds - October 01, 2023

Under the watchful eye of Director Jocelyn Beard, the cast of TheatreWorks New Milford’s production of Scotland Road took the audience on a voyage from 1993 to explore the sinking of the Titanic, way back in 1912. The show's authenticity contributed to the immersion of the entire production, creati...

Review: TWELFTH NIGHT at Brookfield Theater Of The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - September 12, 2023

What do colored socks, fountains, and random head injuries have in common? Did you guess Shakespeare and hilarity? Because that’s exactly what Brookfield Theater has for their current production of Twelfth Night; an iconic comedy that, like all Shakespearean plays, provides as many opportunities as ...

Review: HERE YOU COME AGAIN: HOW DOLLY SAVED MY LIFE IN TWELVE EASY SONGS at Terris Theatre (Goodspeed Musicals)
by Brooks Appelbaum - August 17, 2023

Here You Come Again: How Dolly Saved My Life in Twelve Easy Songs is a charming ode to Dolly Parton, playing through August 27th at Goodspeed Musicals’ Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, CT. Directed and choreographed by Gabriel Barre, the production is more than a jukebox piece, as it has a nicely de...

Review: World Premiere of SUMMER STOCK Opens To A Standing Ovation
by Ariana Straznicky-Packer - August 01, 2023

Summer Stock has its eyes set on Broadway. Does Summer Stock deserve a Broadway run? Absolutely. In this critic’s opinion, it couldn’t get there soon enough....