A MASTERFUL “MAN OF LA MANCHA” AT CONNECTICUT REP

 

Rarely in the history of musical theater has there been a play

 with the majesty and power of “Man of La Mancha,” a story

 within a story that portrays courage and idealism wrapped in

 a fragile coating of possible madness.  The tale of Don

 Quixote is one such example of greatness.

         If Don Quixote had a middle name, it would surely be Idealist or Dreamer. A gallant and brave individual driven by unrealistic goals, he rides off to battle giants even if they are really windmills, envisions castles when they are actually only humble inns and courts ladies who are in fact lowly scullery maids.

         To meet the classically heroic figure of Don Quixote, one must journey to the Connecticut Repertory Theatre on the campus of the University of Connecticut by Saturday, June 16 to witness Dale Wasserman’s legendary tale of the “Man of La Mancha.”

         When Miguel de Cervantes, poet, playwright, actor and tax collector is thrown into prison and forced to plead his case before the Spanish Inquisition, he finds to his dismay that his fellow prisoners want to put him on trial first.  They charge him with being an idealist, a poet and an honest man.  In his defense, he conjures up a charade, an entertainment, a tale of a country squire turned knight, one Don Quixote.

         Using the inmates as his actors, Cervantes, magnificently portrayed by Terrence Mann, plays his hero who sallies forth into battle to slay dragons and rescue fair maidens. With his trusty servant Sancho Panza, a loyal and adaptable and affable Richard Ruiz at his side spouting proverbs of encouragement, Don Quixote first faces the Great Enchanter, a giant with many arms, that to some might resemble a windmill.

         Soon he seeks shelter at a nearby castle, wanting hospitality from the lord (Alex Gibson), who for all the world looks like a mere keeper of an inn.  But it is when Quixote’s eyes behold the unkempt maid, whom he claims as his Dulcinea, a fiery and fierce Alix Paige, that his illusions truly take wing.  Is he a mad man or the sanest of us all?

         Musical numbers soar from the title song to the lyrical “Dulcinea,” the sweetness of “Little Bird,” the laughter of “I Really Like Him” to the power of “The Impossible Dream.”  This production is gallantly directed by Vincent J. Cardinal who leads a troupe of truly talented performers to glory.

         For tickets ($10-42), call the Harriet S Jorgensen Theatre, at 860-486-2113 or online at www.crt.uconn.edu. Performances are Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

    Come early to experience the wonderful display of costumes, dress from the Industrial Age, 1850-1900, on  view next door in the gallery until August 17.  Exhibit curator Laura Crow has done an outstanding job of collecting Victorian women’s clothing that depicts the beauty and style of the times.        

    Experience theater at its best as you travel across the dusty Spanish plains with a slightly foolish knight who dreams of attaining honor and chivalry.

        

DONALD PIPPIN: A MAESTRO’S MEMOIRS

 

As a baby, Donald Pippin could probably be found with a baton in hand instead of the traditional rattle.  Before he was even born, his mother determined he would be a musician and bought him a piano to start the process.  Gratefully for Pippin, he shared his mother’s dream and then some.

For the last five decades, Pippin has had one of the most famous “back of the heads” as a conductor in the orchestra pit playing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, at Carnegie Hall, at London’s Prince Edward Theatre, Radio City Music Hall, throughout the U.S. and Europe.  On Friday, June 8, he regaled the members of the Goodspeed Musicals family with stories and video clips he entitled “A Maestro’s Memoirs.”

Born in Macon, Georgia, he was taking piano lessons by age five and by seven he was winning piano competitions with his picture prominently displayed in the newspaper.  His grandmother warned him he was becoming conceited, telling him “when success turns your head, you’re looking at failure.”

During WWII, he played for the U.S.O., making a good friend of Anthony Benedetto who would later become famous as Tony Bennett.  He began his career on Broadway conducting “Kiss Me Kate” and recalls how he couldn’t afford the $5 or $6 for tickets to shows so at intermission he would sneak in and see the second acts.

Among his good friends he numbers Robert Goulet, composer Vincent Youmans, David Merrick, Jerry Herman, Doris Day, Joan Crawford, Lauren Bacall, Angela Landsbury and Michael Bennett and Pippin told stories about each.  Over his career, he has earned Tonys, Emmys, Golden Records and Drama Desk Awards, from working on two dozen Broadway shows including A Chorus Line, Oliver!, Applause, Woman of the Year, Mame, Dear World, Seesaw, Jerry’s Girls, Mack and Mabel and La Cage aux Folles.

His favorite moment in the theater occurred at Mame, when his father, sitting in the second row, saw him conduct an orchestra for the first time.  From the podium, Pippin said “Hi, dad.” His father nudged the man next to him, telling him proudly, “That’s my son conducting” to which the gentleman replied, “He’s conducting my son’s music.”  It was Jerry Herman’s father.

Apparently Donald Pippin’s mother deserves a lot of credit, thanks and appreciation for setting her son on a musical path, one even she could not have imagined or be more proud of launching.

DRALION DANCES DRAMATICALLY INTO WEBSTER BANK’S ARENA AT HARBOR YARD

Half dragon, half lion, with the dragon symbolizing the mysterious east and the lion representing the powerful west, welcome to DRALION, a signature show by the spectacular Cirque du Soleil.

A little over a quarter of a century ago, Cirque du Soleil was a ragtag collection of street performers in a small town near Quebec, Canada, twenty young people on stilts, juggling, dancing, playing music, breathing fire.  Who could have predicted that this small troupe could grow into an organization of 5000 worldwide, including over 1300 artists from 50 nations, attracting 100 million spectators since 1984 to it 22 signature shows.

To be one of the estimated 15 million children and adults who will see a Cirque show this year, make plans now to go to Bridgeport’s Webster Bank Arena from Wednesday, June 13 to Sunday, June 17 to experience DRALION.

Begin by imagining the three thousand year old tradition of Chinese acrobatics as a harmony achieved by combining the elements that battle for dominance.  Meet the blue element of air, the green of water, the red of fire and the ochre that stands for earth.  Embodied in human form, they will be represented by singers, musicians, acrobats and gymnasts who will defy nature and expose their international talents and skills, all the while striving for a balance and unity.

Be prepared to be dazzled by acts of strength, dexterity and agility from artful aerial dancers high in the sky and then from a sextet of men balancing on bamboo poles, at once on the ground and seconds later in flight.  The flavor of Africa will be seen as a troupe of ten acrobats dive end-over-end through rotating and stationary hoops.

Trampolines become the springboards for improbable feats of flight while chairs are the starting point for a balancing act that towers skyward.  Spinning Chinese yo-yos are maneuvered with dexterity while another children’s game, jumping rope, defies imagination in its daring feats.

Meet Azala, the goddess of air who guards the sun and stands for immortality, in stunning shades of blue, and the fiery demon Yao as fire, representing both all that is good and all that is evil in blinding red tones.  Contrast them with the shimmering emerald jewels of Oceana as water in her universe of green with the basic colors of Gaya, the rich ochre goddess of the earth.  Add to them the chosen child, the Little Buddha, whose special powers are undesired in her quest to be a normal child and Kala, the timeless cycle of life, a circle, a continuum that represents infinity.

For tickets ($28-168.85), call Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard, 600 Main Street, Bridgeport at 800-745-3000 or online at www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/dralion/tickets.aspx. Performances are Wednesday, June 13 at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, June 14 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, June 15 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 16 at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, June 17 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.

With colorful costumes inspired by India, Africa and China, a blending of music and rhythms from the west and the east, a set that suggests a Chinese temple of the future or a giant armored plate from medieval times, DRALION will feature a cast of fifty performers soaring in indescribable feats of balance and precision, led by the magnificent Chinese dragon and lion that will dance dramatically to introduce all the magic and mystery.

PATTI LUPONE: A SMASHING CABARET SHOW AT 54 BELOW

Until Saturday, June 16, you can catch Patti LuPone in a wonderfully warm and vibrant cabaret show at the newly opened 54 BELOW, a nightclub on 254 West 54^th Street, Cellar, in the Big Apple.  The star of such Broadway hits as Gypsy, Les Miserables, Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Evita, Anything Goes and, most recently, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, she belts out such numbers as “It’s Just the Gypsy in My Soul,” “Far Away Places,” “I Want to Be Around When Somebody Breaks Your Heart,” a story song about a tale of “The Black Freighter,” the light hearted “Down by the Sea” and the obscure chanson spoofing Edith Piaf “I Regret Everything.”

LuPone’s brassy rendition of “Everything’s Coming Up Roses”  as Mama Rose in Gypsy almost brings down the roof of this intimate house.  54 BELOW is Broadway’s newest nightspot, with classically inspired cocktails and cuisine, featuring “amuse bouches,” petite explosions of flavor in your mouth.  Call 646-476-3551 or 866-468-7619 or online at www.54Below.com for tickets and reservations.  Future headliners include Andrea Martin June 20-23, Ben Vereen July 10-21 and Andrea McArdle July 23 and 30, among many others.

Heat up your summer plans for a cool visit to 54 BELOW, where intimate entertainment is definitely on the menu along with cuisine by award winning Chef Andre Marrero.  “Broadway’s living room” waits you.

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL THEATER AWARDS A SMASH HIT

The power and promise of the arts and our youth met in a spectacular synergy on Monday, June 4 at Waterbury’s Palace Theater for the Fourth Annual High School Musical Theater Awards celebration.  Three thousand people dressed in gowns and black tie attended the event sponsored by Spirit of Broadway Theater in Norwich and its artistic director Brett. A. Bernardini.  Master of Ceremonies was actor Kevin Grey who set a wonderful tone for the evening’s festivities.

The Theater Awards involved 19 high schools from across the state. The participating schools and their associated productions included: East Lyme High School Legally Blonde; New Canaan High School, Sweet Charity; Newton High School, Sweeney Todd School Edition; Granby Memorial High School, No, No, Nanette;  New Britain High School, Hairspray; Jonathan Law High School (Milford) Hairspray; St. Paul Catholic High School (Bristol)Legally Blonde; Trinity Catholic High School, (Stamford) Beauty & The Beast; Trumbull High School, The Wiz; Valley Regional High School, (Deep River) Titanic, the musical; Westhill High School, (Stamford) The Drowsy Chaperone; Stratford High School My Favorite Year; Waterbury Arts Magnet High School, Esperanze Rising / Singing In The Rain; Guilford High School, Evita; Plainfield High School, Annie; Regional Center For The Arts, (Trumbull) Ragtime; Fairfield Prep, Kiss Me Kate;  Immaculate High School, (Danbury) Miss Saigon;  Amity High School, (Woodbridge) Legally Blonde.

Each nominated school presented a number from their show that showcased their talents and the enthusiasm was contagious.  Outstanding leading actor went to Shevance Stephens from Regional Center for the Arts in Trumbull as Coalhouse in “Ragtime” and to Ali Kramer from Amity Regional High School in Woodbridge as Elle Woods in “Legally Blonde.”  Valley Regional High School’s production of Titanic, the Musical” won as outstanding production of the year. 

Mr. Stephens and Ms. Kramer will go on to New York’s Minskoff Theatre on Broadway from June 20-25 to represent Connecticut in the National High School Musical Theater Program.  Congratulations to all the wonderful participants who proved that the arts are alive and well.

ROBIN HOOD SPRINGTIME FESTIVAL: AN ENCHANTED TRIP BACK IN TIME

Step back into history and indulge all your secret fantasies by a visit to a Renaissance Fair.  The Guilford Fairgrounds were alive with color and pageantry the weekends of May 12 to June 3 as the Robin Hood Springtime Festival marched proudly in for all you milords and miladies.

With a garland of daisies firmly in place or a feathered cap, you were welcomed to dress as Robin Hood or Maid Marion for look-alike contests, or as your favorite knight, with or without full armor, or as a pirate, a fairy princess, or even a Disney character, if your fancy dictated it.  Costumes are recommended but definitely not required.

Don’t worry if your closet is not up to the challenge as there were costume rentals available from festive hats, tunics, vests, cloaks, gowns and full regalia from such outfitters as Heath’s Mr. Renaissance.  So whether you’ve always wanted to be Harry Potter, a chess piece, or Romeo, Heath is your man.  For the last fifteen years, he has traveled to a fair every weekend on the East Coast.

If you’re not up to the masquerade route, you can always accessorize with a quaint face painting, a hand carved and painted sword and shield, a pair of dangling star earrings, a couple of horns or pointed ears or even a tail, a wizard’s wand or a knight’s helmet.

For quieter and less obvious enjoyment, you can purchase some pina colada honey sticks, a bargain at 4 for $1, soaps of lavender or macintosh apple, a healing stone to rub for luck, a glittering henna tattoo, a gourd from Mother Earth or a lovely feather rose to present to your lady fair.

To quench your hunger or thirst, the festival overflows with gourmet treats, like grilled steak on a stick or a hearty roasted turkey leg at Giant’s booth.  For the more adventurous, you could partake at Sir Munch-A-Lots of fried twinkies (pastry dipped in vanilla batter and fried to a golden brown and then dusted with powdered sugar), or fried pb and j (peanut butter and jelly), fried snickers or even a fried pickle for the truly strong of stomach.  Quaff down a stein of beer, mead, hard cider or lemonade and then visit the dragon who dispenses ice cream on a stick or a cone.

Activities abound so you can try your hand at darts or crossbow or archery, hurl a bat or throw an axe, as well as watch Johnny Fox swallow a sword (but don’t try that at home).  The charming traveling troubadour Ellen A. Dale offered a minstrel show about Robin Hood and the villainous Prince John while Guido of the Hopeless Romantics inveigled innocent audience members on stage to help him act out the tale of Adam and Eve.

Each day was stuffed with entertainment, from Blackshear’s Curious Magic to Cirque du Sewer (a unique rat circus), Vixens en Garde (Swashbuckling Swordswomen), a Knighting Ceremony, Archery demonstrations, Spy games, Mud Slinging Ladies, Maypole dancing, Madrigals by the Village Singers, Belly dancing by the Tribal Deluna Gypsies and a Six Scene Story of Robin Hood and his Merry Men.

What festival would be complete without a Jousting Match between arch rivals, Sir Solomon and Sir Marcus, galloping across the tourney field, with only one victor at the end.  After all that exercise, you’ll be ready to relax at a soothing chair massage.

Special dates included a Mother’s Day brunch, a Feast of the Merry, Costume Competitions, a Romance Weekend and a Pet Day (that included dogs and a lizard named Sunshine).  Pets were free with a donation of two cans of dog food for a shelter.  All this great fun is thanks to the festival creator and co-owner Eric Tetreault who went to fairs as a kid and loved them. He saw there was nothing like this in Connecticut and has worked to fulfill his dream.

Never fear, you may have missed this Robin Hood extravaganza (www.Robinhoodfaire.com) but it will be back next spring.  Now is the time to mark your calendar for his King Henry the VIII weekend July28-29 on the Town Green in Enfield and autumn spectacular (www.ctfaire.com) King Arthur Faire the weekends of September 29-30, October 6-7-8 (Columbus Day), 13-14, 20-21, 27-28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lions Fairgrounds, 347 Gilead Street, Hebron, CT.  General admission is $16, youth $10, children 6 and under free, parking $3.  All the magic and medieval merriment will be there so start planning your visit and costumes now.

If a day of turning back the clock is truly inspirational, think about a Renaissance themed wedding.  Get thee to the faire and prepare to be enchanted.

JACQUES LAMARRE TIMES THREE

If you’re in Hartford the weekend of June 2, you have to work hard to miss playwright Jacques Lamarre’s three openings.  He modestly refers to them as “Jacques-a-Palooza.”

The Unitarian Society of Hartford as part of its Performing Arts Series will present the Herstory Theater Reading of his drama “PIERCE,” at 7 p.m., Saturday, June 2 at 50 Bloomfield Avenue, Hartford.  This historical play deals with the tragic life of Jane Means Appleton Pierce, the religious and reclusive wife of Franklin Pierce who was elected President at the brink of the Civil War.

Born in Lamarre’s hometown of Amherst, New Hampshire, the Pierces have been extensively researched through letters and archives.  Will Jane be able to handle the rigors and responsibilities of being First Lady, a title she desperately does not want to assume?

For tickets ($15, or $30 for VIP seating), call 860-233-9897, online at www.ushartford.com or at the door.  The reading will be followed by a Talk Back with the playwright and Herstory Theater cast members.

The busy Mr. Lamarre will then head off to the Gay and Lesbian Film Fest at Cinestudio, 300 Summit Street, on the campus of Trinity College, in Hartford at 10:30 p.m., Saturday, June 2 for the screening of “Varla Jean and the Mushroomheads,” a film he co-wrote for drag queen performer Varla Jean Merman.  The festival runs from June 1 to June 9.  For information and tickets ($10, students and seniors $7), call the theater at 860-297-2463 or the festival at 860-586-1136, or online at http://outfilmct.org/.

As if that isn’t enough, Lamarre’s new play “I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti,” a comedy he  adapted from the memoir by Giulia Melucci, will premiere this weekend at TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford and run through Sunday, July 8.  A delicious diva in the kitchen, Giulia hasn’t mastered the correct ingredients for true love.  Share her tantalizing and tasty pasta, as she cooks up cures for a broken heart. 

For tickets ($50-63 or special kitchen seating at $76 that includes a front row table with wine and food), call the theater at 860-527-7838 or online at www.theaterworkshartford.org.  Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Come cheer for Jacques Lamarre at any one of his trio of exciting events or join his fan club and attend all three.