"Please, sir. I want some more." These are the iconic words are spoken by young Oliver Twist at the beginning of Lionel Bart's classic musical OLIVER! This simple ask for more to eat sets Oliver out on a dangerous but exciting journey into a world where his innocence and positive outlook impacts all he meets. These words also sum up the experience of watching OLIVER!, which is the second show in Goodspeed Musicals current season. OLIVER! is a show that excites, enthralls and leaves you, in the end, simply wanting more. OLIVER! is one of those shows that doesn't get produced that often, possibly due in part to the number of children needed to pull it off appropriately, which is why it is thrilling to see Goodspeed give its signature treatment to this classic musical that many may not have experienced before (this reviewer included.)
The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey continues their season with the Main Stage production of 'Titus Andronicus' from July 18 to August 5.Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Benjamin Eakeley who plays Saturninus in the show.
Charles Dickens' beloved orphan makes his Goodspeed debut in the hope-filled musical set in the dark shadows of Victorian London. Bounced from workhouse to forced labor, Oliver Twist escapes to the streets where he meets Fagin, the Artful Dodger and a band of child pickpockets. Will he find love, home and happiness before it's too late?
Every once in a while, a person is born who is destined to influence the world in ways yet to be seen. Sometimes these men and women are born into a position of power, such as a king or queen, and other times they do whatever it takes to become great and powerful business or political leaders on the backs of others. But once in a blue moon there comes a man who gains fortune and fame for simply being someone who people connect with, who speaks the truth, and who does his best to make the world a better place than he left it. One such man is the sage from Oologah ,Oklahoma, William Penn Adair Rogers. As time passes, fewer and fewer people are alive who had first-hand experience reading Will Rogers' column, listening to him on the radio, or seeing his films. It is for that reason, that we are lucky a show like THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES exists, and even luckier that Goodspeed Musicals chose it for the opening production of its 2018 season. Telling his life story over the course of a Ziegfeld follies extravaganza (another thing that many today have no memory of), this dazzling, colorful, and heartwarming musical takes audiences on a journey from rags to riches with America's "Cowboy Philosopher".
BroadwayWorld has a first look at Goodspeed's THE Will Rogers FOLLIES! Telling the life story of humorist Will Rogers, the Tony-Award winning musical features a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman.THE Will Rogers FOLLIES begins performances on April 13th and will run through June 21st.
Goodspeed presents THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES! Telling the life story of humorist Will Rogers, the Tony-Award winning musical features a book by Peter Stone, lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, and music by Cy Coleman.THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES begins performances on April 13th and will run through June 21st.
Goodspeed Musicals kicks off its 2018 season with the Broadway hit The Will Rogers Follies, A Life In Revue. The exuberant dance-filled musical will be running April 13 - June 21 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn.
A family classic has been given a fresh twist in Connecticut's own A Connecticut Christmas Carol by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty. Goodspeed Musicals continues its commitment to fresh, innovative works with this new musical infused with Connecticut flavor. A Connecticut Christmas Carol runs now through December 30, 2017 at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn.
The new musical A CONNECTICUT CHRISTMAS CAROL has extended due to popular demand through December 30th at Goodspeed. This family classic has been given a fresh twist in Connecticut's own A Connecticut Christmas Carol by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty.
A family classic has been given a fresh twist in Connecticut's own A Connecticut Christmas Carol by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty. Goodspeed Musicals continues its commitment to fresh, innovative works with this new musical infused with Connecticut flavor. A Connecticut Christmas Carol runs now through December 24, 2017 at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn. BroadwayWorld has a first look at highlights from the show below!
A family classic has been given a fresh twist in Connecticut's own A Connecticut Christmas Carol by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty. Goodspeed Musicals continues its commitment to fresh, innovative works with this new musical infused with Connecticut flavor. A Connecticut Christmas Carol runs tonight, November 17, through December 24, 2017 at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn.
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.
A revised version of RAGS is currently on stage at Goodspeed Theatre through December 10. Fresh from Ellis Island, a young mother and her son search for a new life and a sense of home as the 20th century beckons. The streets of Manhattan's Lower East Side may not be paved with gold, but they echo with the music of opportunity, optimism and hope. A ravishing score by the songwriters of Wicked and Annie colors a sweeping saga of America's immigrant past.
Over the last few centuries, people from all over the world have dreamed of a better life and sought out opportunities to live that life to the fullest. For many, a dream of a better life in America caused them to give up everything familiar, leave friends, family and their way of life to try and make it in this land of freedom. Whether refugees from violence and war or immigrants looking for greater opportunities, for so long, people have looked to America as a beacon of hope and a place to make a new beginning. And just like those immigrants who came here with a second chance to live their lives to the fullest, RAGS, the musical that played only four performances on Broadway when it premiered in 1986, has been given a second chance to share the story of the immigrant experience in a new and exciting way on the Goodspeed Opera House stage. And boy what a second chance! Goodspeed's RAGS is a brilliant, heartwarming and powerful tale that everyone should have the chance to experience.
A family classic has been given a fresh twist in Connecticut's own A Connecticut Christmas Carol by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty. Goodspeed Musicals continues its commitment to fresh, innovative works with this new musical infused with Connecticut flavor. A Connecticut Christmas Carol will run November 17 December 24, 2017 at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn.
Join Rebecca and David Hershkowitz as they journey to a 'brand new world' in Goodspeed's reinvented Rags. Original creators Charles Strouse and Stephen Schwartz have teamed up with David Thompson, who has adapted Joseph Stein's book, to rework this timely and inspiring piece.
'People will say we're in love' with this wild western cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved Oklahoma! Having directed last summer's hit Bye Bye Birdie Jenn Thompson returns to Goodspeed to take on the show that changed American musicals forever. For the first time at Goodspeed, this country classic will welcome city slickers, cowboys and everyone in between! So kick up your boots and join us for this lively and legendary musical which runs now through September 23 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn. The show opens tonight, August 2, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
When Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! premiered on Broadway in 1943, audiences were introduced to a style of theatre that would soon become a staple of American pop culture - the book musical. The show, borrowing from its pioneer subject matter, itself became a pioneer in the theatrical world, redefining what audiences would come to expect from a Broadway production. It is a wonder, then, that it would take 74 years for Goodspeed Musicals to mount its first production, ever, of this groundbreaking show. And judging by the quality of the show taking the stage each night at the Goodspeed (the second show in its current season), it was definitely worth the wait.
'People will say we're in love' with this wild western cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved Oklahoma! Having directed last summer's hit Bye Bye Birdie Jenn Thompson returns to Goodspeed to take on the show that changed American musicals forever. For the first time at Goodspeed, this country classic will welcome city slickers, cowboys and everyone in between! So kick up your boots and join us for this lively and legendary musical which runs now through September 23 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn. The show opens tonight, August 2, and BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!
'People will say we're in love' with this wild western cast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's beloved Oklahoma! Having directed last summer's hit Bye Bye Birdie Jenn Thompson returns to Goodspeed to take on the show that changed American musicals forever. For the first time at Goodspeed, this country classic will welcome city slickers, cowboys and everyone in between! So kick up your boots and join us for this lively and legendary musical which runs now through September 23 at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn. The show opens tonight, August 2, and BroadwayWorld has highlights below!
