PAINT A PORTRAIT OF PARIS WITH PICASSO

In the twentieth century, luminaries in the world of art could easily conjure up Pablo Picasso and in the sphere of science one could quickly mark Albert Einstein at the top of his field.  Comedian and playwright Steve Martin, who penned an adaptation of "The Underpants" to hilarious response last season is bringing his wisdom and wit back to the stage of Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven until Sunday, December 21.  This time around he has abandoned the pursuit of frilly undergarments and focused his attention on much more heady topics.

In "Picasso at the Lapin Agile," Martin has moved the action from Germany to France, from a parade for the king to a bar in Paris (although you might see a King of a different crown), from a married lady's lament to a battle of the minds.  What might happen, Martin muses, if the artist Pablo Picasso walked into a bar and bumped into Albert Einstein?  The two legends are both callow youth, not yet famous, but with the seeds of brilliance starting to germinate.

Picasso, a confident and self-assured man of many passions portrayed with hot and cool colors by Grayson DeJesus, encounters a calculatingly studious genius by the name of Albert Einstein.  Einstein, a mathematical mastermind in the hands of Robby Tann, has arrived at the Lapin Agile to meet a lady friend.  For a man known for his precision and preciseness, he is cavalierly whimsical about this amorous assignation. As he awaits his countess (Dina Shihabi), his path crosses with the arrogant artist.  It is 1904 and the pair are both on the verge of greatness.

As they spar with words and with pencils, trying to prove superiority, they encounter an art dealer Sagot (Ronald Guttman), an unusual construction tycoon Schmendiman (Jonathan Spivey), an admirer of women despite his prostate problem Gaston (David Margulies) and a stranger with most colorful shoes (Jake Silbermann).  The bar's proprietor Freddy (Tom Rhs Farrell) and his lady friend/waitress Germaine (Penny Balfour) preside over the fireworks, making sure the sparks don't ignite to a conflagration.

With sparkling wit and clever conversation, the patrons who people the scene create a lively give and take, under the artistic direction of Gordon Edelstein.  Michael Yeargan has created a welcoming saloon to house the activities.  For tickets ($25-75), call Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven at 203-787-4282 or online at www.longwharf.org. Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Take a seat at a little table in the corner, sip a glass of merlot, eavesdrop on the famous and yet-to-be famous patrons and learn about the bonne life of gay Paree.

"WAR" HAS BEEN DECLARED AT YALE REP

                                                PHOTOS BY JOAN MARCUS


Family secrets can explode like an erupting volcano and the hot lava of disclosure can burn its victims.  Such is the premise of a world premiere drama "War" by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins sending out sparks until Saturday, December 13 at the Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven.

Initially commissioned by Yale Rep's Binger Center for New Theatre, the playwright traveled to Germany to research his basic premise:  what happens when an African-American soldier stationed in that country during World War II fathers a child, abandons it and returns home, never disclosing that event to his family.  Imagine for a moment how you might react if you learned about this child you never knew existed decades after the fact, a situation created by your grandfather's actions.

 Siblings Tate (Donte Bonner) and Joanne (Rachel Holmes) are in the midst of a crisis.  Their mother Roberta (Tonya Pinkins) has suffered a stroke and they have rushed to her hospital room. Once there they discover a strange woman Elfriede (Trezana Beverley) at her bedside, a woman who claims in her broken English to be Roberta's sister.

When Elfriede's son Tobias (Philippe Bowgen) bursts into the room, the chaos continues in an escalation of anger, misunderstanding and disbelief.  Joanne's Caucasian husband Malcolm (Greg Keller) tries to disarm the verbal bombs that keep exploding but he is no more successful than the nurse (Tyrone Mitchell Henderson) also in attendance.

The family matriarch Roberta appears as a confused woman trying to find her way, a stroke victim who doesn't understand what has happened to her mind and body. She creates the touching and troubling tremors of a woman in the grips of a nightmare of illness.  A simbian-like character Alpha (also played by Tyrone Mitchell Henderson) tries to translate and clarify her confusion.  Like monkeys in a zoo, he attempts to make sense of what the two families, who have just met, are experiencing. We watch the monkeys perform and they, in turn, mimic our actions.

The deeds of their grandfather have come back in a haunting reality.  Tobias is brutally unhappy about how he and his mother have been treated, especially because of a genetic disease that plagues them both, a gift from that soldier in the war.  Can these combatants resolve their conflict?  Can war be transformed into a blessed peace?  Director Lileana Blain-Cruz takes the roller coaster ride to an answer through a series of twists and turns you might not anticipate.

For tickets ($20-98), call the Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at www.yalerep.org or yalerep@yale.edu.  Performances are Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m, Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Prepare for battle in this confrontational drama where the opponents strike out in anger, trying to discover what is at stake to both sides of the conflict.

HAVE A HAUNTING GOOD CHRISTMAS IN HARTFORD

                          PHOTO OF SCROOGE AND THE GHOSTS BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON

 

If Christmas has an enemy, someone who hates everything from mistletoe to merriment, gifts to glee, charitable causes to cheer, the mean-spirited personage of one Ebenezer Scrooge would be the poster child.  Some might nominate the lean and green Grinch but, in a contest, Scrooge would win mittens down.

How a trio of ghosts could appear and disappear, soar and fly, dance and cavort, and cause this most cantankerous of cusses to reevaluate his actions is at the heart of Charles Dickens' classic holiday tale of hauntings: "A Christmas Carol."  Once again Hartford Stage is bringing back the incomparable Bill Raymond to inhabit the character of one E. Scrooge and bring him miserly and merrily to life.  Until Sunday, December 28, the whole family is invited to root for the "Bah Humbug" King to change his spots and reform. Will it happen?  Come and find out for yourself.

In Victorian London, it's Christmas Eve and for Mr. Scrooge it's business as usual.  He even begrudges his faithful employee Bob Cratchit (Robert Hannon Davis) a day off, with pay no less.  If Scrooge had his way, the holiday would not be celebrated for as much as a minute.  Counting his money is all that matters to this skinflint of a man who has no room in his heart for charitable thoughts, orphans or widows.  If he could dictate it, they would all go live in the poor house.

Imagine his surprise when his long dead partner in business, Jacob Marley (Noble Shropshire) comes to visit him on that very night with a dire warning:  mend your ways or you will suffer my fate of grief and chains and regret.  While Scrooge laughs off his cautions, he soon finds himself haunted by three ghosts.  The Spirit of Christmas Past (Johanna Morrison), the Spirit of Christmas Present (Alan Rust) and the Spirit of Christmas Future (Death) warn Scrooge to change his ways, to reform, so he doesn't suffer the same destiny as Marley.

How Scrooge responds is at the tender heart of the story, when he has the chance to change, to value his sister's son Fred (Curtis Billings), to treat his tenants (Johanna Morrison, Alan Rust and Michael Preston) with kindness, to help his clerk Bob Cratchit's son Tiny Tim (Alexander Dante Butler or Silvan Friedman) with healing benevolence and to value his faithful housekeeper Mrs Dilber (Noble Shropshire).

Director Maxwell Williams keeps the story as fresh and delightfully delicious as a fattened turkey stuffed with goodness.  This year, the seventeenth anniversary of the production originally adapted and directed by Michael Wilson, there are more surprises and special effects than ever before.

Call for tickets ($25-85, students $25-65), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at www.hartfordstage.org.  Performances are Tuesday to Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., with selected matinees at 2 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday.  At the student matinees, Scrooge will be played by Buzz Roddy.

The crack of thunder and flash of lightning, the clang of creaking chains, the fog and mist in the night, all conjure up the hauntings that usher in this most excellent tale of a man who learns the errors of his ways before it is too late.

THE CGMC IS READY TO BE "NAUGHTY OR NICE"

However you prepare for the holidays, whether it's making a wreath of chestnuts and berries, wrapping the lampposts with red and green ribbon, spiking the eggnog with a dollop of rum, cutting down your own Christmas tree with an axe on a tree farm, the celebration won't be complete without a visit from the boys.

What boys you might ask? Those jolly guys who make up the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus!   Whether dressed in tuxedos, tutus, red sequined gowns or elf costumes, the CGMC is always ready to party.  This season is no exception.

Thanks to artistic director Greg McMahan, the theme this year is “Naughty or Nice” and you can bet your angel’s wings that the gentlemen in question will be both.  Of course, the show will feature a selection of Christmas carols in the traditional tone, but also a sprinkling of songs they feel should be Christmas fare but aren't.  And there’s also room for a hint of spice with parodies galore. 

“Reminiscent of a Carol Burnett Show,” according to McMahan, there will be skits and sketches sure to put you in stitches, stitches of laughter that is. Irreverent humor is a hallmark of the CGMC and everything and everyone are fair  game, even Santa himself. As McMahan can attest, "We're really nice guys but we can be naughty."

Lots of material for the musical tree will come from Broadway and nothing is sacred or too holy to be a subject of a little poking for fun.  These guys are festivity itself and a required essential for any holiday celebration. This time around look for Joe Evangelista, traditionally Joan Crawford, appearing as a harried housewife. There is sure to be something for everyone, cool songs heard in a different way.

For tickets ($25-30), call 1-800-644-2462 or online at www.ctgmc.org.  Performances are Saturday, December 13 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 14 at 4 p.m. at the Co-Op High School, 177 College Street, New Haven.

Grab some jingle bells, a stocking cap and a hearty sense of humor for our favorite Christmas elves, the CGMC, are ready to sing up a storm of joy.

TUNE IN TO "A CHRISTMAS CAROL"

Imagine a classic Christmas tale with a slightly modern twist in presentation.  Music Theatre of Connecticut has just the right mistletoe decorated present ready for opening and you're invited to do the honors.  MTC has taken Charles Dickens" famous story of that irascible curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge and the heart-tugging Tiny Tim and created a radio show to bring this beautiful story of redemption and second chances to life.

For two performances only, Saturday, December 13 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 14 at 2 p.m., with a post-show reception with spirits and good cheer with cast and staff, you're welcome to join the party.  Joe Landry, who has already created "It's a Wonderful Life" as a successful radio show, is adding "A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play" to his colorful and creative repertoire.

The idea occurred to Artistic Director Kevin Connors last summer that MTC wanted to do a holiday show again this December but not "It's a Wonderful Life." A nearby theater was already booked to do its presentation and Connors wanted a new venture.  The first time around Joe Landry was inspired by Woody Allen's film "Radio Days" and the concept of nostalgia.  He knew "A Christmas Carol" had been a successful radio show in the past but he wanted to give it a new spin. Landry began by using the full text and making it into a stage play, "chipping away," reforming it and breaking down the scenes.  He even watched the film version to discover what other writers and directors had done with it.

One of the most fun aspects was finding the perfect commercials to use, remember this is a radio show set in the 1940's, and settled on one featuring a Fruitcake Club of the Month and a second showcasing a department store, after researching authentic Fairfield County ads from the era. Landry hopes these two radio shows will be done in repertory to provide the ultimate holiday experience. This year alone, one hundred productions of "It's a Wonderful Life" will be performed across the country.

This world premiere benefit reading will feature music by Kevin Connors, with traditional holiday themes, Christmas carol tunes and jingles for the commercials, and take place on a fictional Christmas Eve in the 1940's.  Five actors -John Flaherty, Cynthia Hannah, Chilton Ryan, Jim Schilling and Nadine Willig - with a galaxy of sound effects, like creaking chains for ghosts, mysterious moanings from the other world, doors slamming and carriages arriving, create the intriguing atmosphere of this holiday classic.

From Scrooge's first "bah humbug" to Tiny Tim's heartfelt "God bless us everyone," you will be caught up in this perfect  production for the whole family to enjoy.  Where else can you find a trio of ghosts paying visits after midnight to a cranky cuss who claims Christmas is a cause for complaints and chaos.  Scrooge is set to learn a powerful lesson about life and love.  His heart, hardened like steel, is softened and sweetened in the process.

Come see MTC's new digs in Norwalk, about a mile from their old Westport home, at 509 Westport Avenue, Norwalk, behind Jones New York and Nine West Outlet. Look for the new orange awning. For tickets ($30-40, $5 off students and seniors if available), call MTC at 203-454-3883 or online at  www.musictheatreofct.com.  Proceeds will benefit MTC and its programming.

Let playwright Joe Landry and composer Kevin Connors put you in the Christmas spirit by producing spirits of a ghostly nature, all designed to entertain and, for Scrooge, to haunt first and to enlighten second.

BECOME MESMERIZED BY "JEKYLL AND HYDE"

The forces of good versus evil have long battled for supremacy.  Nowhere has that struggle been more vibrant and vivid, agonizing and desperate, than in Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse's stirring musical "Jekyll and Hyde."  This classical tale of a monster captured in the guise of a passionate physician will play for three gripping performances Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7 at the Palace Theater in Waterbury.

Imagine yourself in the dark and foggy streets of Victorian London, scurrying home with your packages, eager to reach the safety of your domicile.  You know you should have finished your business earlier, in daylight, but the velvet blackness of the night fell too suddenly.  Your heart beats faster as you hear the rhythm of footsteps behind you on the cobblestones, reinforcing your fears that a madman is on the loose.  Will you be his next victim?

The original tale was penned by Robert Louis Stevenson, the grisly yet glamorous story of a romantic doctor and his black-hearted alter ego, two very different men trapped in one body.  Two women are caught in his machinations, trusting their souls to what could be a terrifying fate, both in love with the same man, who not knowing his terrifying secret.

Memorable music like "This Is the Moment," "Someone Like You" and "A New Life" punctuate the drama with force and fervor.  The longest running show in the history of the Plymouth Theater, "Jekyll and Hyde" has been viewed from Austria to Australia, Sweden to Spain.  Now Waterbury audiences can be trapped in its powerful and wicked claws, on Saturday, December 6 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 7 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.  For tickets ($45-65), call the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at www.palacetheaterct.org.

Before the Sunday, December 7, 6:30 p.m. performance, Riverhouse Catering will prepare at 4:30 p.m. a pre-fixe four-course dinner in the Palace's Poli Club, on the mezzanine level.  The $62.50 price includes tax, service fees, coffee and tea, with a cash bar available.  Make reservations in advance when you purchase your tickets.

Be mesmerized as this monumental musical of a madman and a medical man makes its mark so magically.

COME AND HAVE FUN AT A MUSICAL SPELLING BEE

Do you like to spell?  Is the dictionary one of your best friends?  Is Scrabble your game of choice?  If you answered yes to at least two of the three questions, then Connecticut Cabaret Theatre of Berlin has the perfect holiday gift for you and your family in the engaging and fun musical "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee."  Weekends until January 17, 2015, a collection of slightly bizarre contestants will be representing their schools hoping to win a $200 Savings Bond and a trophy that is almost bigger than they are.

"Spelling Bee" started out life as an improvisational play, penned by Rebecca Feldman, but she was encouraged by the late great playwright Wendy Wasserstein to craft it into a musical .  The delightful result is thanks to a book by Rachel Sheinkin and the words and music of William Finn.

As adolescents go, this group of six is unique and special.  Sitting on stage ready to challenge their brain power is Logainne (Carleigh Schultz) who wants to please her two dads and proudly represent her school's Gay and Lesbian Alliance. Leaf Coneybear (Rick Bennett) boasts his own homemade fashion line of clothing and is determined to overcome his siblings' lack of faith in his abilities. With a chest full of Boy Scout medals, Chip Tolentino (Chris Pearson) has a major problem with a rising situation, one that rhymes with imperfection and rejection.

Imagine what a great speller you could be if you had a magic foot?  Just ask William Barfee (Bobby Schultz) who uses that important appendage to figure out the letters before he confidently proclaims them.  There is no lack of self-assurance in Marcy Parks (Grace Rizzuto) who was blessed with enough faith in her own abilities to support a third world country.  As for Olive (Jess Rubin), she practically takes her dictionary to bed with her in place of a comfy teddy bear.

Speaking of comfort, Mitch Mahoney (Jon Escobar) is on hand to give encouragement, consolation and hugs, as well as a juice box, when the dreaded bell rings to signal a word is misspelled.  Serving out his community service, while on parole, Mitch is generous with his words of regret.  Rounding out the contest are Rona Perretti (Kaite Corda) who helps with the bee's organization, a job she is well suited for since she won the 3rd Bee years before and the competition's word giver, the vice principal Mr. Panch (Doug Lebelle) who has a dubious past and delights in pressing the "for whom the bell tolls" eliminator.  Kris McMurray joyfully puts this talented and skillful cast through its well enunciated paces.

For tickets ($30), call the CT Cabaret Theatre, 31-33 Webster Square Road, Berlin at 860-829-1248 or online at www.ctcabaret.com.  Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7:15 p.m.  Remember to bring goodies to share at your table or buy cake and drinks on site at the delicious dessert bar.

If you're really lucky, you can get one of the four coveted places - on stage- and show off your own spelling skills.  Spell F-A-N-A-S-T-I-C Fun!