"RING OF FIRE" IGNITING AUDIENCES AT SEVEN ANGELS

Give a shout out if country music makes you happy.  Raise your hand up high if Johnny Cash is one of your best buds on the music calvacade of hits.  If black is your signature dress code of choice, then you've won the trifecta and Waterbury's Seven Angels Theatre has your prize:  "Ring of Fire" until Sunday, October 20.

Imagine for a moment you're a musician auditioning in New York City for a musical in Connecticut.  You're not really a fan of country western tunes but you're willing to try.  That's what happened to five performers who found themselves on the stage of Seven Angels on September 10 learning a new show with total strangers.  A short two weeks later Jack Boice, Austin Hohnke, Ashley Rose, Jeremy Sevelovitz and Jeff Tuohy are making sweet sounds as if they've played together for decades.

Richard Maltby Jr. has reconceived his show "Ring of Fire" that he first wrote with William Meade for this five member cast who are premiering it for your listening enjoyment.  Stuffed with songs, and anecdotes about this enigmatic man in black, you'll hear treats like "I Walk the Line," "A Boy Named Sue," "I've Been Everywhere" and "If I Were a Carpenter" that you'll want to sing along with as well as lesser known additions like "Jackson," "Cry, Cry, Cry," "Going to Memphis" and "Hey, Porter."

Tunes like "Five Feet High and Rising," written by Cash about the flooding of his family's farm (twice) and "Folsom Prison Blues" about the prison reform he advocated for and the free concerts he provided for inmates are just two of his homespun melodies.  Among the dozens of songs, a little bit of his life and times peeks through, a sense of the man and his music, his hard times and high times, his love for a girl named June and his career on the stage.  These five performers give it their all to create a spectacular evening of entertainment, even if you don't love Johnny Cash (perish the thought).  Semina De Laurentis directs this love fest where the musical instruments, from mandolin to bass to percussion, electrify and excite.  A backdrop of visuals adds to the poignant scenes.

For tickets ($32.50-45.50, children $12, age 22-35 $25), call Seven Angels Theater, Plank Road, Hamilton Park Pavilion, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or onine at www.sevenangelstheatre.org.  Performances are Thursday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Let this mighty talented cast introduce you to the man and his music.  Meet Mr. Johnny Cash in all his reincarnations and you'll love them all.