ASHLEY AYALA AS THE ADORABLE "SYLVIA" AT THE CT CABARET THEATRE
As a new year and a new decade beckon, it is appropriate to look back and review the past, and in the case of wonderful theater, it is a joy of remembering. We are blessed in Connecticut to have an abundance of theatrical enterprises, from Equity to community to national road shows and here, in no particular order, are some of my favorites from 2019.
Heading the list is a personal showstopper, at least for the past fifteen years, The Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals in East Haddam. An entire weekend in January (this year January 17-19, 2020) is devoted to a trio of new staged readings of musicals, two cabarets and a plethora of seminars and symposiums highlighting theatrical topics.
Summer Theatre of New Canaan spotlighted an exciting and Technicolor magic show of “Pippin,” the tale of a prince who is seeking to find his way and his purpose in the world and it was truly outstanding.
Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk offered a bittersweet and heartwarming “Steel Magnolias,” the story of a sisterhood of Southern women who shared the joys and sorrows of life with laughter, hugs and the occasional tears.
Entering into the life of composer Irving Berlin, the amazing Hershey Felder researched, wrote and portrayed magnificently at Westport Country Playhouse
and the Hartford Stage. The haunting tale of an elephant and the poachers who pursued it was revealed in all its horrors in “Mlima’s Tale” also on the stage of the Westport Country Playhouse.
For dramatic impact, New Haven’s Long Wharf Theatre presented the moving Greek tale “An Iliad” while Playhouse on Park in West Hartford tackled the true story of a group of black teenagers caught in prejudicial lies in “The Scottsboro Boys.”
Historical times were also revealed in Music Theater of Connecticut’s lively production of “Ragtime,” using every inch of its intimate stage. The spirited presentation of “The Music Man” gladdened the hearts of all the Goodspeed audiences who witnessed this special classic.
Kudos to ACT of Ridgefield who took on the daunting task of exploring the scope and depth of “Working” and the participants who keep this country functioning. One man’s efforts in entertaining was highlighted in “Woody Sez,” a country western tribute at Ivoryton Playhouse to the tunes and talents of Woody Guthrie.
A little mystery and romance mixed beautifully at Hartford Stage with the presentation of “The Engagement Party,” while at UCONN the Connecticut Rep took a spin at the occasion of discovering “Shakespeare in Love.” Love was clearly evident in Joanna Gleason’s moving tribute to her parents in her original cabaret show “Out of the Eclipse” at Fairfield University.
Twists and turns abounded in Yale Repertory’s offering of a new play “The Plot” where questions remained long after the curtain fell. There were no questions about the adorable pup “Sylvia” who invaded the lives of her owners at the Connecticut Cabaret in Berlin.
Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury presented a second installment of that favorite couple of comics “George and Gracie” for nostalgia’s sake while Hartford TheaterWorks returned with another traditional version of their home grown “Christmas on the Rocks,” this year with a new bartender at the helm.
The Terris Theatre in Chester as one of its new presents to the state presented “Hi, My Name is Ben,” highlighted a true story of a man who quietly changed lives while the Bushnell in Hartford shared the moving 9/11 tribute to humanity in “Come From Away,” a must on your theater viewings.
The list is completed with two productions at opposite ends of the spectrum, Fairfield University’s monologues of women’s plights “Women on Fire” and the outrageous parody of Alexander Hamilton “Spamilton” at Playhouse on Park.
Hopefully you have experienced at least a few of these outstanding productions and will be inspired to take advantage of a few more as 2020 begins and promises to rock the theatrical world in Connecticut.
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