GALA BENEFIT PLANNED AT IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

A  unique entertainment opportunity, a one night only affair, is being offered when world renowned artists David Pittsinger and his wife Patricia Schuman perform songs from the glorious Great American Songbook.  Imagine the immortal music of greats like George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein among others coming beautifully and rhythmically to life on Sunday, July 12  as an exclusive fundraiser for the benefit of the 100 plus year old Ivoryton Playhouse.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a wine and cocktail reception, including a bountiful array of hors d'oeuvres.  The performance will start at 7 p.m. and a post reception with David and Patricia will follow with desserts and coffee.  Tickets are $125 and may be reserved by calling 860-767-7318, with special seating for patrons available.

A famous operatic performer, David Pittsinger recently received critical acclaim for his performance as Emile DeBecque in the Lincoln Center's Tony Award winning "South Pacific", a role he will be performing at the Ivoryton Playhouse throughout July, from Wednesday the 1st to Sunday, the 26th.This Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, taken from selected short stories in "Tales of the South Pacific" by James Michener, a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, is considered by many one of the greatest musicals of the twentieth century.  Composed by the writing pair, with co-writer Josh Logan, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950 as well as ten Tony Awards.

Pittsinger will play the older plantation owner Emile de Becque  who falls in love, across a crowded room, with the lovely and naive and much younger Ensign Nellie Forbush.  Classic songs like "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'i," "Happy Talk,"  "Younger Than Springtime" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" hopscotch their way through this emotional tale of prejudice and war.  Pittsinger's wife Patricia, a celebrated soprano, will play Bloody Mary, the outspoken island woman who advocates a happy marriage for her daughter while being enterprising and selling trinkets to the Navy men on the base.

A sincere invitation has been issued by Pittsinger who states, "Please join me and my wife Patricia for an intimate and personal celebration of the American Songbook, honoring Ivoryton Playhouse.  These iconic treasures, some of the most cherished in all of American Musical Theatre, reflect our love for each other, the stage, and the music that has shaped our lives."

The opening night of "South Pacific," on Wednesday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m, the Ivoryton Playhouse is inviting local veterans and currently serving military to a special
Honoring Our Veterans and Soldiers Night, with half price tickets to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project and Essex Veterans Memorial Hall.  Regular tickets are $42 for adults, $37 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and can be secured by calling the Playhouse at 860-767-7318 or online at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.  Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.  There will be no performances on the 4th of July and two additional Saturday matinees on July 18 and 25 and one additional matinee on Thursday, July 16.

Plan to immerse yourself in beautiful music as David Pittsinger and Patricia Schuman unite to perform American classics that illustrate their mutual love for each other and for the immortal songs of our heritage.

MAKE IT LEGAL WITH THAT CUTE BLONDE AT STONC

Elle Woods is perky, peppy and pretty, a princess in pink, but she is also perplexed and perturbed when her boyfriend Werner Huntington III unceremoniously dumps her for someone who is precocious and, more importantly, serious for his future political career. Once she understands she has been intellectually insulted, Elle decides to cash in on her preciousness and apply to Harvard Law School for admission to the class of 2005 to win Werner back. What results is the delightful “Legally Blonde The Musical” lighting up the stage of the Summer Theatre of New Canaan until Sunday, August 9.

Elle, a bouncy and ebullient Kara Dombrowski, with her little pup Bruiser, a chihuahua, at her side, doesn’t doubt for a nanosecond that she will gain admittance to the sacred ivy shrouded walls of Harvard. She rises to the academic challenge admirably, following her snobby jerk of an ex-boyfriend (Preston Ellis) right to the entrance door. He believes because she is blonde and beautiful, interested in fashion and being properly accessorized, that she is no more than party fluff.

Along the way to graduation and a degree in law, Elle acquires the help of a self-esteem coach in the body of a wise manicurist Paulette (Jodi Stevens), a sincere and really nice lawyer guy Emmett (Matthew Christian) as a new love interest, a less than scrupulous Professor of Law (Stephen Hope) and a new client Brooke (Shannon Mullen) to defend, a famous fitness personality who is accused of murdering her much older husband. Her personal Greek chorus of sorority sisters (Danielle Raniere, Katie Anderson and Alyssa Gomez) offer encouragement and support every dancing step of the way.

Pink, Elle’s signature color, is bountifully evident in her dress, shoes, purse, make-up, resume and computer, thanks to the costume designs of Lauren Gaston. She proves her legal smarts, that she is not a Malibu Barbie but, rather, a Brainiac Barbie, a fact which even Werner’s new girlfriend Viv (Kate Simone) admits. “Legally Blonde” has a book by Heather Hach, music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, direction by Allegra Libonati and choreography by Doug Shankman.

For tickets ($45 and up), call 203-966-4634 or online at www.stonc.org. Performances are Thursday, Friday, Saturday  at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.

Plan to attend a trio of children's offerings, ($22 and up), of "Charlotte's Web," now through August 8, "Wizard of Oz" now through August 9 and "Cinderella, A Fairy's Tale" July 3-August 9. You can find STONC in a festive white tent on the grounds of Waveny Park, In New Canaan, at 11 Farm Road, behind New Canaan High School. The theatre recently produced a heartwarming abridged production of "Legally Blonde" with their most special DramaRama kids, where actors act as mentors and shadow the students 8-18 who have challenges.

Watch Elle help the underdog with her brilliant and fashionable plan of legal defense, do some fancy footwork with a jump rope, try Irish step dancing, and prove she is way more than Werner’s Pooh Bear. Just to see Bruiser the chihuahua and Rufus the bulldog race across the stage is worth the price of admission.

GALA BENEFIT PLANNED AT IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

 PATRICIA SCHUMAN AND DAVID PITTSINGER PERFORM AT IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

A  unique entertainment opportunity, a one night only affair, is being offered when world renowned artists David Pittsinger and his wife Patricia Schuman perform songs from the glorious Great American Songbook.  Imagine the immortal music of greats like George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein among others come beautifully and rhythmically to life on Sunday, July 12  as an exclusive fundraiser for the benefit of the 100 plus year old Ivoryton Playhouse.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a wine and cocktail reception, including a bountiful array of hors d'oeuvres.  The performance will begin at 7 p.m. and a post reception with David and Patricia will follow with desserts and coffee.  Tickets are $125 and may be reserved by calling 860-767-7318, with special seating for patrons available.

A famous operatic performer, David Pittsinger recently received critical acclaim for his performance as Emile DeBecque in the Lincoln Center's Tony Award winning "South Pacific", a role he will be performing at the Ivoryton Playhouse throughout July, from Wednesday the 1st to Sunday, the 26th.This Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, taken from selected short stories in "Tales of the South Pacific" by James Michener, a Pulitzer-Prize winning novel, is considered by many one of the greatest musicals of the twentieth century.  Composed by the writing pair, with co-writer Josh Logan, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1950 as well as ten Tony Awards.

Pittsinger will play the older plantation owner Emile de Becque  who falls in love, across a crowded room, with the lovely and naive and much younger Ensign Nellie Forbush.  Classic songs like "Some Enchanted Evening," "Bali Ha'i," "Happy Talk,"  "Younger Than Springtime" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" hopscotch their way through this tale of prejudice and war.  Pittsinger's wife Patricia, a celebrated soprano, will play Bloody Mary, the outspoken island woman who advocates a happy marriage for her daughter while being enterprising and selling trinkets to the navy men on the base.

A sincere invitation has been issued by Pittsinger who states, "Please join me and my wife Patricia for an intimate and personal celebration of the American Songbook, honoring Ivoryton Playhouse.  These iconic treasures, some of the most cherished in all of American Musical Theatre, reflect our love for each other, the stage, and the music that has shaped our lives."

The opening night of "South Pacific," on Wednesday, July 1, at 7:30 p.m, the Ivoryton Playhouse is offering local veterans and currently serving military to a special night Honoring Our Veterans and Soldiers Night, with half price tickets to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project and Essex Veterans Memorial Hall.  Regular tickets are $42 for adults, $37 for seniors, $20 for students and $15 for children and can be secured by calling the Playhouse at 860-767-7318 or online at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.  Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with Wednesday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.  There will be no performances on the 4th of July and two additional Saturday matinees on July 18 and 25 and one additional matinee on Thursday, July 16.

Plan to immerse yourself in beautiful music as David Pittsinger and Patricia Schuman unite to perform American classics that illustrate their mutual love for each other and for the immortal songs of our heritage.

“ALL’S WELL THAT ENDS WELL” A DELIGHT AT ROWAYTON

Katie Wieland and suitors (above) and happy crowds (below) Photos by Marven Moss

When an arrogant and petulant youth, consumed with his own noble status, refuses to take as wife the daughter of a physician because she is not his equal in class, he runs off to war and she sets out to prove herself worthy of his love. A tiny clue to the conclusion of her pursuit is revealed in Shakespeare’s pithy title of “All’s Well That Ends Well.”

Until Sunday, June 28,  Shakespeare on the Sound in Rowayton invites you to play matchmaker in this comedy of lure, lust and love. The attractive and resourceful Helena, a remarkable Katie Wieland, lives as a ward of the Countess of Rossillion (Lizbeth Mackay ) and one day, providently, cures the King of France (David Logan Rankin) of a distressing illness, one his own doctors had been powerless to treat.

As a reward, the King arranges a reality show version of “The Bachelor” and allows Helena to choose her mate. Since she has long yearned after the Countess’s son Bertram (Oliver Lehne), her selection is easy. His acquiescence, however, proves resistant. He will marry her only because the King demands it, but she can never call him husband until she secures the ring from his finger and bears him a child.

When Bertram flees Paris for a war in Italy, the indomitable Helena sets off in his wake to prove herself worthy of the match.

A little comic relief is provided by Parolles (Griffin Stanton-Ameisen), a comrade in arms with Bertram, while Diana (Reanna Roane) and her mother (Paula Galloway) conspire to help Helena achieve her desired goals.

 Artistic director Mary B. Robinson has assembled a fine cast, dressed them in costumes courtesy of Grier Coleman, with original music by Robert Maggio and a unique circular set designed by Brian Prather to make this a delightfully entertaining tale by the bard.

The cost of a season of performances is $400,000, and this is Shakespeare on the Sound's twentieth, so donations are most welcome. Suggested are $20 for adults and $10 for seniors and students, with speacial reserved parking on site $50 , by calling 203-299-1300.  As you sit on the grassy edge of the river, picnicking on blankets and lawn chairs, under a setting sun and then a starry sky, you quickly learn the beauty of Pinkney Park.   Performances are Tuesday-Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Special kiddie shows occur from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The continent of Europe becomes the battlefield and the unlikely bedding place for an anxious and determined bride and her evasive and reluctant bridegroom.

REVEL IN THE MOONLIGHT WITH THE YALE SUMMER CABARET

Prepare to be sprinkled with fairy dust and don your gossamer wings as the Yale Summer Cabaret invites you to partake in a moonlight blushed evening of revelry and frolic.  On Saturday, June 27, starting at 8 p.m. and wandering all the way to the wee hours of 2 a.m., the cabaret actors and crew will be celebrating summer, the Bard good old William Shakespeare  and hosting a party to commemorate the success of their opening production of "Midsummer," their own unique nod to "A Midsummer's Night Dream."

With a theme of ROUGH MAGIC as its anthem, the cabaret will enlist all fairies of the forest to unite under a banner of fun and frivolity.  The entertainment includes but is not limited to a live band and DJ, a scavenger hunt and door prizes, plus inventive scenes from their plays.  You are encouraged to dress in a romantic and whimsical fashion, enjoy the wine and beer that will be for sale, sit in the moonlit garden, dance as if no one is watching and just have a good time.

This is as much a celebration of the love of theater as it is a fundraiser and no pre-purchase of tickets is necessary, as you can pay what you can at the door.  Go online to www.summercabaret.org or call 203-432-1566.  The music and merrymaking and a little mayhem are all yours for the taking.

 Now is the time for all good revelers to gather ye rosebuds and royal costumes and get ready to party.

JOIN THE MUSICAL REVOLUTION “HAIR”

When Jupiter aligns with Mars, as it will at West Hartford's Playhouse on Park until Sunday, July 19, you’ll be ready to experience the Age of Aquarius in all its colorful counter-culture splendor as “HAIR” explodes on the planet.  Grab your garlands of daisies, your love beads, your bell bottoms and prepare to experience that musical revolution known as “HAIR.”

If you have a tie-dyed shirt, a headband and a picket sign, you’ll feel right at home in the intimate space at Playhouse on Park where this James Rado and Gerome Ragni piece with the help of Galt McDermott, this “happening,” this American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is actively protesting against the establishment.

The Vietnam War is raging and these youth are advocating “make love, not war.”  When one of their own, Claude (Michael J. Walker) is drafted, his good buddies Berger (Ryan Connolly), Sheila (Tara Novie), Dionne (Kristen Jeter), Hud (Kameren Neal, Woof (Kevin Barlowski), Jeanie (Jessie MacBeth) Crissy (Lauren Monteleone) and Margaret Mead (Jose Plaza) give him helpful suggestions to avoid going.

The tribe is united in waging a vocal protest against all they see as wrong in America: racism, environmental issues, poverty, sexism, political corruption, violence and especially the bonfire that is Vietnam.

For director Sean Harris and choreographer Darlene Zoller, it was important to “put our own stamp on it.”  They wanted to “personalize it, taking the energy of the original forty plus year old production, give a solid nod to the 2006 revival, but make it “our own tribe, in our theater and concentrate on their relationships.”  They emphasized this “is not a time capsule…The deep and dark passions, the anger, the idealism and the love of personal freedoms are still here.  The relationships are still relevant today and are just as real as they were in 1968.  In our intimate space, the vulnerabilities are evident and the audience can immerse itself in it.”

“HAIR” is basically Claude’s story.  He must decide his own fate:  does he resist the draft or serve in a war he vehemently opposes?  Here the youth are empowered with their own voice to celebrate life.  Songs like “Aquarius,” “Good Morning, Starshine,” “Easy to be Hard,” and “Let the Sun Shine In” are anthems to the era and the issues.

For tickets ($25-35), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860- 523-5900, ext. 10 or online at www.playhouseonpark.org.

Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m, and Sunday at 2 p.m. with a Talk Back with the cast.  A special matinee will be Tuesday, June 30 at 2 p.m. ($32.50).  This show is recommended for ages 16 and up, due to brief nudity, strong language and drug use.

Check the website for a listing of the dance classes and summer youth acting and musical theater camp offerings.

Join the hallucination generation as it sends vibrations of electricity and energy, exhorting the world to “let the sun shine in,” and rid the globe of darkness and shadows.

GOTTA CROW ABOUT "PETER PAN" AT UCONN

                                   RILEY COSTELLO AS PETER PAN

                                 TERRENCE MANN AS CAPTAIN HOOK (AND MR. DARLING)

Put on your magic flying shoes, sprinkle yourself with fairy dust and take off for the wondrous world called Neverland, where boys choose not to grow up. Come meet and share an  adventurous visit with that eternal youth, Peter Pan, who professes to dislike grown ups so much he vows never to be one.

The Connecticut Repertory Theatre at the University of Connecticut has assembled a truly superb production of J. M. Barrie‘s classic tale “Peter Pan The Musical” set to delight children and adults alike from Tuesday to Sunday, until July 3 at the Jorgensen Auditorium on the campus at Storrs. You are guaranteed to love everyone from Tinker Bell and the Darling children, Tiger Lily and her Indian tribe, Peter and his band of Lost Boys, ostriches and crocodiles, and all the residents of the island of Neverland except for the crochety and controlling devil of a ship captain, the wonderful Terrence Mann as Captain Hook.

When Peter Pan, the exceptional and talented Riley Costello and his luminous pal Tinker Bell fly through the bedroom window of the Darling children, Wendy (Maggie Bera), Michael (Atticus L. Burrello) and John (Troyer Coultas), all their lives are changed forever. Peter persuades them all to join him and he flies with his new friends to Neverland to meet the Lost Boys. There Wendy becomes “mother,” telling bedtime stories and sewing socks and pockets. On this island, they encounter a tribe of friendly Indians led by Tiger Lily (Annie Wallace) and a band of mean spirited pirates, including the ever smiling Smee (Jonathan Cobrda) led by Captain Hook.

Both Tinker Bell and Peter prove their courage, as the young audience gets to decide that fairies really exist by shouting and clapping their belief. Cassie Abate  directs and choreographs this charming story of one boy who defied the ordinary rules of childhood.

For tickets ($10-55) call Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Jorgensen Auditorium, University of Connecticut campus, Storrs at 860-486-2113. 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 p.m.

Every dance from the tango to the tarantella to the waltz are deliciously lively and the songs composed by Carolyn Leigh, Morris Charlap, Betty Comden and Jule Styne are tempting you for some sing-along fun. As always, the scenery by Tim Brown, including projections, are great and the clever costumes by Lisa Loen are colorfully creative.

Take a child by the hand and fly off on a magical adventure, where crocodiles (Alessandro Viviano) tell time and big fluffy sheep dogs (Sean Ormond) serve as nursemaids.

COME HEAR A NIGHTINGALE SING IN WESTPORT

Brenda Meaney as Helen and Matthew Greer as Norman   Photo by Carol Rosegg

A cup of good strong tea, Earl Gray or camomile, with a biscuit, is often the solution for any problem that occurs.  A British tradition, the cuppa represents comfort and consolation no matter what the difficulties are. Problems come in all sizes and levels of anxiety,some easily resolved, others overwhelming in their implications. 

For the Stott family in Newcastle, England, caught in the midst of World War II, tea is its remedy of choice time and time again in C. P. Taylor’s “And a Nightingale Sang.”  Westport Country Playhouse will be setting the table for tea in the kitchen, on a complete and cleverly utilitarian set designed by Kristen Robinson, until Saturday, June 27.

Fortunately, Americans only had a taste of terror when the Towers were attacked.  For millions of people across the globe, the fear of bombings and military attacks are a constant threat during wartime.  C. P. Taylor concentrates on one family at one moment in time and creates a personal glimpse into three generations and how they cope, trying to live day to day, while the world around them crumbles.

Brenda Meaney’s Helen is the wonderful narrator of the tale, the one everyone turns to for advice.  Her younger sister Joyce (Jenny Leona) is in a dither on whether or not to accept the ring her soldier boyfriend Eric (John Skelley) is offering.  Their mom Peggy (Deirde Madigan) is busy feeding the clan and attending church services while their dad George (Sean Cullen) can be found singing songs and playing the piano, when he’s not serving as an air raid warden.

Grandpa (Richard Kline) is alternately packing to find a new place to live or unpacking when he returns home, working on plans to bury his pet pooch Jackie properly or protecting his feline Tippy from dangerous gases, a gift form Hitler.  When Helen isn’t giving her wise counsel to needy family members, she is taking a brass ring chance on happiness with Norman (Matthew Greer),  a soldier who professes to love her, despite her problem with her leg and her self-perception of being plain.

As the world collapses around them, the Stotts suffer setbacks, like air raid scares, rationing, curfews, blackouts, all caused by the war,  as well as their own personal troubles.  David Kennedy directs this finely tuned cast in a convincingly real and honest portrayal of a family trying to survive the events they cannot control.

For tickets ($30 and up), call the Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off route 1, Westport at 203-227-4177 or 888-927-7529 or online at www.westportplayhouse.org.  Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

The title of the play comes from a line in a popular 1940’s song “And a Nightingale Sang in Berkely Square.”  Come hear it and many other sentimental tunes as the Stott family bickers and bonds and bounces back from their everyday struggles to survive and, hopefully, to eventually thrive.

TAKE A PEEK AT "CALENDAR GIRLS"

         THE WHOLE BLOOMING CAST OF "CALENDAR GIRLS"

Calendars can feature twelve months of flowers or butterflies, sports figures or hunky firemen, cute kids or puppy dogs.  On them, we record our dental appointments and dinner parties, the kids' ball games and dance recitals, birthday parties and theater dates.  What would we do without these handy reminders?  In today's world, we might opt for the electronic versions on our computers or Smart phones, but the calendar is definitely here to stay...whether it's on the refrigerator or a hand held device.

To take a totally new and slightly shocking look at these ubiquitous recorders, stroll over to the Ivoryton Playhouse until Sunday, June 21 for an eye opening delight "Calendar Girls" by Tom Firth.  Based on a true story, a group of women friends in the Yorkshire Dales of England band together and bond when one of their sisterhood loses her husband to leukemia.

When Annie (Jacqueline Hubbard) buries her beloved soul mate, her dear Womens Institute members want to help.  After months of sitting on the lumpy sofa in the Skipton General Hospital, they determine to replace it by holding a small fundraising project:  a calendar featuring them in tastefully executed nude poses. I guarantee you'll never look at teapots, badminton racquets, oranges, pastry buns, knitting yarn, pianos or sunflowers quite the same way ever again.

All of them loved Annie's husband John (R. Bruce Connelly) and want to celebrate his life, so best friend Chris (Beverley Taylor),and Cora (Maria Silverman), Jessie (Maggie McGlone Jennings), Celia (Katrina Ferguson) and a reluctant Ruth (Lily Dorment) sign on.  Chris organizes the troops, being careful to not disclose any incriminating details to Marie (Victoria Bundonis) their stalwart  and ultra conservative leader, even finding a modest and accomodating photographer (Erik Bloomquist) to discreetly stage the poses.  Other members of the cast (Vickie Blake, David Edwards and Sanielle Bonanno) add spice and support. 

Jacqueline Hubbard directs these brave and spirited women of a certain age as they create a sisterhood and a sensation, one that tests the bonds of friendship.

For tickets ($42, seniors $37, students $20, children $15), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.  Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday.

Opening night was Cancer Survivor Night and benefited a quartet of organizations:   Little Wonder (littlewonder.org), Middlesex Hospital‘s Center for Survivorship and Integrative Medicine, Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation (terribrodeurbreastcancerfoundation.org) and the Valley Shore YMCA – Hope is Power Program (vsymca.org).  

To further support these charities, Ivoryton Playhouse is producing a calendar of the theatre’s Calendar Girls with a portion of the proceeds going to support the work of these organizations featuring the cast in their hilariously “revealing” poses!  The June 2015 – May 2016 calendars will be available for purchase from the Ivoryton Playhouse for $20.00.  Photography for the calendar was donated by Chris Devlin Photography (http://devlinphotography.com) and the calendar printing is sponsored by Essex Printing.

Come applaud these intrepid ladies at the American professional premiere of one the UK's most popular shows.

"KINKY BOOTS:" HIGH STEPPING AND HIGH KICKING FUN

                   CAST OF "KINKY BOOTS"    PHOTO BY MATTHEW MURPHY

Think quirky, exotic, bizarre, slightly deviant, provocative and definitely unconventional.  Hold on to your shoe horns and show laces because “Kinky Boots” is strutting into town with all its high heeled splendor from Tuesday, June 23 to Sunday, June 28.  the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts will be decked out in red sequined glamor and open for business, kinky business that is.

With a powerhouse book by Harvey Fierstein, sensational music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and on fire direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, this winner of 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical is based on the motion picture of the same name written by Geoff Deane and Tom Firth.  come meet Charlie Price who is less than thrilled by the inheritance he receives when his father dies:  a shoe factory on the verge of bankruptcy.

As Charlie walks on wobbly feet trying to rescue the family business Price & Sons, he quickly realizes that the old standby oxfords and loafers are now passe. Gentlemen’s shoes are the footwear of the past and Charlie needs an infusion of new life if he is to succeed.  Based on a true story, “Kinky Boots” follows the miraculous transformation that happens when Charlie meets Lola.  Lola, a cross dressing performer of spectacular height and talents, can’t find a pair of sturdy and stylish stilettos to dance in for her/his act.

Lola’s problems are solved when the two conceive of a unique plan: retool Price & Sons to make a line of high heels for the mature male performer parading in boas, bustiers and beads.  Tucked into every tall and tapered red patent leather boot is a tale of friendship, of stamping down hard on stereotypes and giving a firm kick to prejudices.  This eye-opening, pop-up celebration of life, through extraordinary music and dance, is uplifting and super energized and packed with the spirit of joy.  Put on your mile thigh high boots and practice moving to the magnetizing beat. 

For tickets ($20-99), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org.  Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Watch how Charlie, with a lot of help from his new best bud Lola, reinvents his business and sends it into the stratosphere of shoe heaven.

"NINE" IS MUSICALLY DRAMATIC AND DIFFERENT

When you speak of midlife crisis and facing your lack of immortality, theatrically talking, the musical "Nine" pops into mind.  A pending celebration (or wake) on reaching forty, that definitive age of questioning and self-doubt, causes film director Guido Contini to implode metaphorically ...in an explosion a sexy new little red sports car is not likely to cure.

Ironically this acclaimed musical was initially penned by a young and gifted Maury Yeston as a school project way back in 1973 for the Lehman Engel's BMI Music Theatre Workshop.  As an impressionable teenager Yeston had viewed Frederico Fellini's semi-autobigraphical film "8 1/2" and had recognized himself on the screen.  He identified with Guido's angst on going through adolescence, Yeston's first to Guido's second. As a budding artist stuffed with dreams and hopes, he was obsessed with this older achiever in the arts suffering a crisis of faith..

To enter into this revealing and astonishing glimpse of a man in the throes of self-analysis, go directly to the Westport Community Theatre, 110 Myrtle Avenue, Westport weekends until Sunday, June 28. Come meet Guido and his harem of lovers as well as his wife and mother as he attempts to save his marriage to Luisa and also find a sure fire plot for his new movie, especially since he has recently suffered a series of flops.

Bennett Pologe's Guido as an adult and Nicholas Ferreira's role as the nine year old Guido take the audience on an adventure shrewn with love affairs of women currying their favors. The qualities of charisma, ego and enigma are present at a young age and only increase as time passes.  Now Guido reflects back on his youth, with a little help from his mother (Lucia Palmieri)  and acknowledges he is at a crossroads.  His faithful wife of many years Luisa (Beth Bria) has issued an ultimatum:  he must give up his romantic dalliances with other women or she is leaving.

 His feminine collection ( Donna McLaughlin Wyant, Lisa Dahlstrom, Janice Rudolph, Robie Livingstone, Karen Hanley, Stephanie Ficarra, Jodi Maxner and Sarah Hernandez) float in and out of his thoughts, tempting him to be distracted, with seductive choreography designed by Carole Schweid.

Guido's decision to play himself as Casanova, with a current love Claudia (Betsy Simpson) as his muse, seems inspired but she refuses to be his "healing spirit."  Another roadblock is the sudden reappearance of Carla (Josie Bielmeir), armed with new  divorce papers and ready to fall into his waiting embrace. Chaos alternates with passion as Guido discovers there is no separation between his real life and the creative life he yearns to recapture. A pair of young spirtes, Ainsley Dahlstrom and Mia Cenholt -Haulund, offer a lighthearted addition to the cast.  Mark S. Graham makes this intense dramatic and melodramatic play a delight to watch.

For tickets ($28, seniors and students $26), call Westport Community Theatre at 203-226-1983 or online at www.westportcommunitytheatre.com.  Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m., with an additional matinee Saturday, June 27 at 2 p.m.

Take a romp romantically and playfully, with a touch of the devil between the lines, as the younger and older Guido, perhaps still not the wiser, attempt to come to terms with their demons.

“A TWIST OF LEMMON” A SWEET AND TANGY TREAT

                                   JACK LEMMON, ACTOR AND FATHER





What better way to celebrate Father’s Day than hearing an inspiring story of one dad by his devoted son, in this case actor Chris Lemmon speaking of and as his parent, beloved actor Jack Lemmon. Chris Lemmon is an actor, author and producer who considered playing piano professionally after graduation from the California Institute of the Arts. He had degrees in classical piano and composition as well as in the theater.  

 In 2006, on Father’s Day, he published a well received memoir of his relationship with his famous father in “A Twist of Lemmon.” On Saturday, June 20 at 8 p.m., he will share stories and anecdotes of his family life, bumps in the road and all, in “A Twist of Lemmon” for audiences at the Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center, 300 Main Street, in Old Saybrook. For tickets ($35-38), call 860-510-0453 or 877-503-1286 or go online to www.katharinehepburntheater.org.

 This written tribute to his dad whom he called his best friend was originally Chris’ recollections, an informal gathering of tales he wanted to remember. They shared “a wonderful relationship” and Chris wanted to tell about the real man who existed when the cameras stopped rolling. His jottings, which he initially intended for himself and his family, grew like Topsy into an acclaimed memoir. The terrible loss of his “pop” to cancer was the impetus but as he started recording the stories and adventures “I remembered more and more. I realized they could be a book, telling about the Golden Age of Hollywood with all these wonderful characters and how deeply tragic that we were torn apart for years but, thankfully, came back together against all odds.”

 Audience members will have the opportunity to get up close and personal to see the authentic love that existed between father and son, one that was disturbed by a second marriage and a grand career. A gifted actor in his own right, with over 30 feature films spanning a career of four decades, Chris is in a unique position to evaluate his dad’s legacy. This distinctive one man show will feature his own musical compositions, Gershwin tunes, imitations of the various stars included in his dad’s life, scenes from his famous movies as well as his personal musings.

 Who can forget Jack Lemmon in his tour de force roles as the disguised musician Jerry (as Daphne) running away from gangsters in ”Some Like It Hot,” as the reluctant Navy man Ensign Pulver in “Mister Roberts” and the alcoholic addict Joe Clay in “Days of Wine and Roses,” among his 60 memorable roles. The American Film Institute selected “Some Like It Hot” as the greatest comedy of all time. Jack Lemmon was equally at home in comedies and drama, “seamlessly intertwining a full spectrum of core themes that illustrated how they applied to life."

 From son Chris, we may learn that Jack was born in a hospital elevator, that he knew he wanted to be an actor from the age of eight, that he played not only the piano but the harmonica, guitar, organ and double bass and that he was a mentor for a young and upcoming actor Kevin Spacey. Chris Lemmon has been working on this show in many reincarnations, trying to find the right blend of stories and songs. “It couldn’t be theater until I was playing the characters in my father’s voice.” Like American Pharaoh and his triple crown win, Chris feels “I’m off to the races. I start with a mission statement, of what it is like to be Jack Lemmon’s son which is the question I’m asked most often. I had tried many forms but something was always missing. Somewhere flying over Minnesota the concept gelled and I am now able to take the show to a new level.”

 One regret Chris has is that the two shared so little screen time together, but one project was “That’s Life,” a family movie made with Blake Edwards and family. He and his dad often went on fishing trips and golf outings and it was his pop who gifted him with a love of music by teaching him how to play the piano when he was five. “I adored him.”

 Come hear what Jack meant to Chris, how they reconnected and became best friends, with stories straight from the heart, filled with admiration and love. Chris never wants you to know you’re watching a play. He wants you to feel you’re having a cup of coffee with him and swapping tales. On the way home, he hopes you ask questions and discuss what you have just experienced. He wrote “A Twist of Lemmon” to let his grandchildren know their Grandpa Jack but it’s also for his legions of fans, to kept the memory of his pop alive and well.

YALE SUMMER CABARET CONJURING UP SOME ROUGH MAGIC

If you hear the term "Rough Magic," you might think mysticism with an edge of darkness, something unknown and unreal, like entering a silent woods that are foreign or strange to you.  If that all sounds intriguing and you're game for theatrical adventures, then the Yale Summer Cabaret 2015 awaits you.  Welcoming its 41st season, these plucky Yale School of Drama students do it all…one week they may be your waiter and the next the star of the production.

The chief brewers around the current caldron, think witches in the nicest possible sense, are Sara Holdren, Rachel Carpman, Flo Low and Emily Reeder. They wear hats, pointed or otherwise, as Artistic Director, Associate Artistic Director, Managing Director and Associate Managing Director in that order.  From the quartet, with the aid of the actors and staff, flow the ideas that inform the summer season.

For Sara Holdren, these hot months at the intimate space at the bottom of the stairs at Yale's 217 Park Street in New Haven are her "last hurrah."  Having just graduated from the Yale School of Drama a mere two and a half weeks ago, she finds it "amazing" to work with Rachel to create this intriguing quartet of offerings.

Personally she admits to being obsessed with Shakespeare but wanted to gift it with a radical adaptation and make it essentially a whole new work. "A Midsummer's Night Dream" was the choice of the team, with the challenge to make it "smart, clever and articulate," not to mention "surprising, enchanting and beautiful."

This reimagined version, "Midsummer," inaugurates the season.  Shakespearian purists beware.  The ensemble set a goal to "dive in and recreate a text and make it bottomless," a clear pun on Bottom, one of the chief characters.  Amazingly they snuck in references and lines from 33 of 36 of the Bard's works, as a "happy accident," in a work that "hath no bottom."  The cast is a huge part of the collaboration and will reappear in the future offerings. 

In "Midsummer," a mischievious Pack (Shaunette Renee Wilson) is encouraged by Oberon (Niall Powderly), the King of the Fairies, to act like  Cupid with a magic sleeping potion, rather than arrows, to cause romantic trouble for his Queen Titania (Melanie Field).  Puck manages to cause no end of confusion in the woods and makes Hermia (Josephine Stewart) and Helena (Elizabeth Stahlmann) and causes their confused suitors Lysander (Christopher Ross-Ewart) and Demetrius (Leland Fowler) to switch partners.  A naive Bottom (Andrej Visky) finds himself caught in the conflict and a physical war ensues that would put Mayweather  and  Pacquiao to shame.

A dream or a nightmare, you decide.  "Midsummer" is credited to Will, with adaptation by Sara Holdren and Rachel Carpman and direction by Sara Holdren and will play until Sunday, June 21.  A special one night spectacular "Moonlight Revels" is scheduled for Saturday, June 27.

Next up is "Love Holds a Lamp in This Little Room," shining a spotlight on the enigmatic and bewitching life of poet, artist and traveler Adah Isaacs Menken.  Her sad and temptuous life, think Josephine Baker Meets Lady Gaga, will be explored.  A Victorian woman of mixed race, she lived hard and fast and died too young, at only 33.  The piece will explore her wealth of artistic integrity and her mark on the world, looking deeply into the soul of this "original American bad girl."  Five actors will create her life's story from July 9-18 in this work conceived and directed by Leora Morris.

Kee-Yoon Nahm and Andrej Visky will adapt the Christopher Marlow epic "The Life and Death of Doctor Faustus" from July 23 to August 1., with Andrej Visky directing.  This "gritty wonderful idea" surrounds an eternal graduate student who is unsatisfied with his life of television and fast food.  When the devil enters, he makes him an offer he can't refuse.  Puppets are introduced to enhance the themes of control and manipulation and heaven versus hell.

Completing the summer will be "Orlando" from August 6 - 15, a work by Virginia Wolf that has been adapted by Sarah Ruhl and will be directed by Sara Holdren.  Roaming from Elizabethan to modern times, "Orlando" is described by the director as "strange, naughty and beautiful," the story of a young man who becomes a woman and "experiences a journey through time, countries and miraculous self-discovery."  This is a tale of poetry, love and a constant searching.

Come early to performances Tuesday at 7 p.m. (June 16, July 14, July 28 and August 11), Wednesday at 8 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m. (with talk backs ), Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. (June 13, July 11, August 8)  and 8 p.m. other Saturdays.  For tickets ($25, Yale staff $20, students $14 or purchase a season pass), call the Yale Summer Cabaret, 217 Park Street, New Haven at 203-432-1566 or online at www.summer.cabaret@yale.edu.

Dinners by Chef Anna Belcher include such delicious choices as borscht with orange and carrot slaw $6, beef with chimichurri sauce, basmatii rice and vegetables $17 and strawberry nut tart with chocolate mousse $5.  Doors open one and a half hours earlier.

Come to the "little room where they tell epic stories" and be caught up in the promise of "rough magic" that is delivered with skill, talent and imagination.

(above)Shaunette Renee Wilson as Puck,
(below) Melanie Field as Titania and Andrej Visky as Bottom
   Photos by Andrea  H. Berman

COME TO THE FESTIVAL!

                                         TAYLOR MAC, ONE STAR OF THE FESTIVAL

New Haven has a terrific gift for the community, and it can only be opened from Friday, June 12 to Saturday, June 27.  That two week window will include incredible theater engagements like the world premiere of celebrated performer Taylor Mac that salutes the 1990's with music by this dazzling entertainer and the innovative acrobatic antics of Quebec's Machine de Cirque juggling with humor and spunk.  And that's just the tip of the wonderful iceberg.

The New Haven Green will offer a plethora of free evenings of song, featuring such luminaries as rock 'n roll legend Darlene Love and Afropop superstar Angelique Kidjo, an award winning Grammy singer and songwriter sharing the First Niagara Stage with the French-Cuban twin sister duo Ibeyl.

Have you caught the foreign flavor yet?  These are stars not only locally but from all over the world. Excited?  You should be.  This is the International Festival of Arts and Ideas, featuring activities for the whole family as well as music, theater, lectures, films, poetry, bike rides, gourmet adventures, dance, story telling and walking tours.

Every day offers something new and novel.  Hear about cartooning from Roz Chast in her revealing family memoir, pay tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes himself in a series of photographs and a talk, catch a pop-up performance by the String Quartet Truck that will travel around the city, hear two brand new musicals being workshopped, or take a walking tour of Yale's spectacular neo-Gothisc Sterling Memorial Library.  Food experiences will focus on flavors of Ethiopia, Thailand and France for your culinary enjoyment, with sampling allowed.  Hop on a boat for a tour of Lighthouse Point Park and the Mill River or jump on a bike and explore the Farmington Canal Trail or the Community Gardens, among other destinations.

Grab the kiddies for a lively concert by Jeffrey Friedberg and The Bossy Frog Band or treat yourself to a master class with Hanan Hameen and the Hip Hop Roots.  Let famed dancer Carmen de Lavallade spin you tales of her fascinating career on stage and then attend the Connecticut Critics Circle Awards celebration of CT theater where she will be honored with a special award named for theater critic Tom Killen.

The activities are plentiful and varied and rich in culture, occurring morning, noon and night, all around the city and environs, from venues like the Shubert, Long Wharf and Yale Repertory Theaters, to the Yale University Art Gallery, to area restaurants like Roia and farms for Strawberry Festivals.  Go online to www.artidea.org for the full schedule or call 203-498-3772.. Most events are free but you can purchase an Ideas Fast Pass so you can literally jump the line.

Leap into frolic and fun as the International Festival of Arts and Ideas celebrates two decades as New Haven's port of entrance into the world of exciting and energizing entertainment.

TAKE A BIG BITE OF "GREATER TUNA"

          CHRIS PEARSON AND ROBERT SCHULTZ IN "GREATER TUNA"

Bizarre and quirky are two characteristics that come quickly to mind when you explore the folks who people the fictional town of Tuna, Texas, with a reputation for being the third smallest county in that vast metropolis.  The brain child of Joe Sears, Jaston Williams and Ed Howard, and only one of a rumored four, the trio produced "Greater Tuna" way back in 1981 and haven't stopped yet.

The Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin will be hosting a bevy of eccentric citizens from Tuna weekends until Saturday, July 18 and they are all portrayed in their comedic splendor by two actors: Chris Pearson and Robert Schultz.  Hang on to your can of cold Schlitz and your best bonnet, the one with the red roses and the yellow canaries, for it’s sure to be a bumpy and funny ride.

Sears, Williams and Howard, believe it or not, based their weird menu of characters - from radio disc jockeys to sheriffs to gunstore owners, undertakers to animal activists to dishonest judges - on people they encountered growing up as well as on relatives they met at family dinners.

Of the twenty plus folk created, who will be your favorite?  Redneck fever is contagious in Tuna and you'll likely catch it quickly and hard.  Think of a sarcastic and satirical whirling dervish religiously and politically incorrect let loose from the asylum for a few hours of no-holds barred fun.  Radio Station WOKKK is ready and happy to bring you the latest news on Tuna's doings, like what books are being banned this week, will Yippie the dog find a good home (or any home), who is planning Halloween pranks (even if it is only July), will Charlene squeeze herself into her brother's tight jeans and still be able to breathe, how will coconuts fit into the local production of "My Fair Lady" and other burning questions of the day.

Chris Pearson and Robert Schultz are clearly in a tour de force mode as they quickly shed one costume and persona for dozens of others, from Stanley the reform school graduate to Pearl with the perfect white feathered bonnet, members of the Smut Snatchers organization to Dee's gun store specials.  Their perverse sense of humor knows no bounds as the pair are an equal opportunity in offense employer.  They will probably grow on you like a rash of poison ivy as they reminisce on "Tuna, Oh My Tuna" and encourage the good citizens to "Let It Out."

Kris McMurray has a lot of fun putting this pair of talented actors through their hoops at a dizzying pace.  Their "dressers" and "undressers," Carleigh Schultz and Jess Rubin, deserve recognition for their backstage machinations.

For tickets ($30), call the CT Cabaret, 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.  There are no performances the weekend of July 4 and 5.  Bring goodies to share at your table or plan to buy dessert and drinks at the concession stand.

Take a romp down south where the snakes have names (Ruth), the teens have a regular schedule for running away (Nadine) and ladies like Vera wouldn't be caught dead without their proper white gloves, even when they burn classic literature.

“KISS ME KATE” SIMPLY WUNDERBAR!

Take a jolly Shakespeare comedy “The Taming of the Shrew,” toss in a troupe of actors and update the Bard’s work to a musical set in Baltimore in the late 1940’s and you have all the delicious ingredients for an afternoon or evening of joy.  “Kiss Me Kate,” with book by Bella and Samuel Spewack and glorious songs by Cole Porter is a colorful calliope of comedy revolving at the Hartford Stage until Sunday, June 14.

As a story within a story, we meet the feuding and divorced acting couple Fred Graham and his co-star ex-wife Lilli Vanessi.  Mike McGowan’s Fred is wonderfully disdainful of his temperamental Lilli, played with fantastic finesse by Anastasia Barzee.  The pair spar and parry, though one might ponder that they protest their antagonism a shade too much.

Both have seemed to have moved on romantically, he courting the young and pretty and flirtatious cast member Lois, an upwardly ambitious Megan Sikora, and she the prestigious military man General Howell, a macho and motivated Tony Lawson.  When Lilli receives a bouquet of roses on the anniversary of their divorce, she thinks Fred sent them out of an undying love.  When she realizes they were really meant for Lois, in the middle of their onstage show, she takes a clearly physical revenge.

In the Bard’s play, Lilli’s Katherine is a tempestuous shrew whom no suitors will court.  That leaves her father Baptista (Jeff Steitzer)  with a dilemma.  His younger daughter Bianca (Megan Sikora) has a trio of suitors, Lucentio (Tyler Hanes), Horstensio (Giovanni Bonaventura) and Gremio (Barrett Martin) who all want to marry her.  She sings a delicious “Tom, Dick or Harry” that shows off her excellent marital possibilities.  Bianca can’t wed until Katherine does. When Petruchio (Mike McGowan) arrives on the scene, loudly proclaiming “I’ve Come to Wive It Wealthily in Padua,” the plot to marry him off to the “cursed Kate” is hatched.

Between the feuding on stage and back stage, the action is delightfully and comically intense.  Lois plays a master juggler, also fielding the attentions of her gambling addicted beau Bill (Tyler Hanes) who has just lost 10,000 big ones and signed an unsuspecting Fred Graham’s name to the I.O.U.  When two gangsters arrive to collect (Joe Blum and Brendan Averett), they soon find themselves in costume and do a cute turn of step in “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”

Darko Tresnjak pulls out all the great gimmicks to make this show a pure pleasure, with Peggy Hickey’s energetic choreography, a terrific cast of actors, a versatile revolving set designed by Alexander Dodge and splendid costuming by Fabio Toblini.

For tickets ($25 and up), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at www.hartfordstage.org.  Performances are Wednesday,Thursday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

With kudos to Shakespeare, the Spewacks and Cole Porter, you can’t help being bowled over by this spectacular “wunderbar” performance. It’s too darn hot  not to sizzle. 

“MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET” PRICELESS

If rock ’n roll could name one standout date in history, a contender would surely be December 4, 1956. That’s the day Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley all wandered into a record studio in Memphis, Tennessee for one unforgettable musical event. As jam sessions go, this one was a blast. You have the unique privilege to be present when these legends of the music world come to call if you head over to the Shubert Theatre in New Haven from Thursday, June 11 to Sunday, June 14.  The rafters of the Shubert will surely ring out with joy.

For Sam Phillips, the head of Sun Records, called “The Father of Rock ’n Roll,” this day was special and he recognized its significance and his sound engineer Cowboy Jack Clement was smart enough to have it recorded.  These icons were like sons to Phillips and he cared deeply for their careers and success. While they were all in different stages of fame, they recognized the significance of their accidental meeting as the wildly wonderful event it was.  This sensational staged recreation of that day has been captured by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott with a book written for all eternity.

         

 Eric Schaeffer directs this thriller of a show. Starring will be Colte Julian as Jerry Lee Lewis, Gabe Bowling as Carl        Perkins, Jacob Rowley as Elvis Presley and Scott Moreau as Johnny Cash.

Have you got a personal playlist?  Prepare to jump and jive to the hit tunes of each of these bigger than life mega stars.  Come hear “Great Balls of Fire,” “Sixteen Tons,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” “Folsom Prison Blues,” “I Walk the Line,” “Memories Are Made of This,” “Long Tall Sally” and “See You Later, Alligator,” to name drop a few.  The juke box is exploding with hits.

History will be recorded as hips gyrate, piano keys ignite, guitar strings are set aflame and a quartet of stars compete for the spotlight. Forget rehearsals or a formal plan.  These are four men, in varying stages of friendship, secrecy and jealousy, who recognize the magnitude of what they have all created, accidentally and wonderfully. This is a one-of-a-kind moment of musical magic, one that has won the Broadway hit Tony Awards.

For tickets ($15-110), call the Shubert, 247 College Street, New Haven at 203-562-5666 or online at www.shubert.com. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.  A talk-back with the cast will follow the Friday evening, June 12, performance.

Don’t be afraid to dance right out of your seat as these four wild men of music move and groove, shake and shimmer, rattle and roll all for your listening pleasure.

"FOOTLOOSE" AND FANCY FREE

                           PHOTOS BY PAUL ROTH OF "FOOTLOOSE"

The world knows how to dance with joy, feet moving with grace and intensity, people energized and spiritualized with heart pumping tempo and timing, everywhere on the globe except for one small western town in Texas in the 1980's.  There dancing is banned, forbidden and just plum against the law.  A tragic car accident in Bomont five years before, when four teenagers driving home from a dance were killed, has caused the town's religious leader, Reverend Shaw Moore, a firm minded Gary Harger, to prohibit any future gyrations.  The good Reverend lost his son and he will do anything to prevent the incident from happening again.

All that being said, be ready to follow the beat directly to the doors of the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury before Saturday, June 20 to get the groovy moves of "Footloose: The Musical," based on the 1984 movie, with book by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie and music by Tom Snow, with additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Jim Steinman and Kenny Loggins.

Follow the journey of Ren McCormick, a high energy Michael Damian Fasano, a teen whose dad's abandonment causes the family to be uprooted from Chicago to land in the manure-rich farm land of Bomont.  Ren feels the loss deeply and resents his dad for leaving.  With his mom (Elise Arndt), he tries to adjust to life with her sister (Diane Magas) and her husband (George Lombardo) but he's not happy.

As the new kid on the block, he's caught on the wrong end of fists on his first day of high school.  The bully, a cowboy named Willard, a congenial Alec Varcas, ends up being his best friend.  Ren identifies with the other rebellious soul in Texas, the preacher's daughter Ariel, a spirited Katie Brady, who dates the town bad boy Chuck (Micah Cowher) to punish  her parents, her dad more than her mom (Laura Beth Wells) for not understanding her needs.

Eventually Ren hooks up with Ariel and Willard finds a date with Rusty, an animated Chelsey Lynn Alfredo.  Ren determines the town needs to bring back dancing and he is willing to fight the establishment to make it happen.  Glorious and grand music explodes with this high stepping cast, in numbers like "Let's Hear It For the Boy," "Mama Says," "Almost Paradise," "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Footloose."  Janine Molinari choreographs and directs this great acting troupe, putting them through their paces with megawatts of power.

For tickets ($37.50-52.50), call Seven Angels Theatre, Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at www.sevenangelstheatre.org.  Performances are Thursday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The theatre recently celebrated the theatrical achievements of 56 Connecticut high schools in its 12th Annual Halo Awards at the Palace Theater in a stirring two night event.

Discover what happens when a big city guy tests the boundaries of Bible Belt America and stakes a claim for the moral high road. Hallaluyah!

WHO ARE THE "GOOD PEOPLE"?

  PHOTOS BY LANNY NAGLER OF "GOOD PEOPLE"

What if you were born without a silver spoon or gold plated pacifier in your mouth?  Would the lack of either doom you to a life unblessed?  Just ask feisty and disillusioned Margie Walsh, born in the south side of Boston, the place where blue collars outnumber lace collars 100 to 1.  How do you hold your head up high when you feel like a Bozo the Clown knock down toy, continually punched in teh face and still expected to bounce back?

Let playwright David Lindsay-Abaire open a window wide into Margies scrappy and seemingly insignificant life in "Good People"  taking up residence at TheaterwWprks of hartford until Sunday, June 28.

With tidays difficult economic times a constanct conern, the audience should easily identify with Erika Rolfsed's Margie and her day to day plight.  We don't get to choose where we are born, in a housing development or a McMansion.  Margie strongly feels her imporvished neighborhood has doomed her to a life of need.  Her job at a Dollar Store at just over minimum wage and her adult handicapped daughter Joyce color her world in perpetual shades of grey.

As if conditions couldn't deteriorate further, Margie has just lost her job, even though her boss Stevie (Buddy Hagrdt) regrets having to fire her:  too many absenses from her babysitting woes when her landlady Dottie (Audrie Neenan) is late.  Her best friend Jean (Megan Byrne), ever her cheerleader, tells her to reach out to her old high school flame Mike(R. Ward Duffy), now married to Kate (Chandra Thomas) and a successful doctor living well in the tony suburbs of Chestnut Hill.

Can Margie persuade Mike to help her find a job and get a fresh start?  Will his wife encourage him to honor ps]ast friendships and be supportive for old times sake?  Is Margie her own worst enemy, one who sabotages all her best intentions, with a sarcastic tongue that sharpens with every ensuing scene?  Rob Ruggiero directs an excellent cast in resurrecting ghosts from the past to battle the newest demons that thrive today.  Luke Hegel-Cantarella set includes a video projection that makes us feel we are indeed in teh seedy south side of Boston.

For tickets ($50-65, senior matinees $35), Call TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford 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., and matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.  Come early to enjoy the first floor art gallery that features original photographs taken by TheaterWorks staff.

Enter Margie's hard-knock life without any rose colored glasses as she tries to win a landslide of fortune in the grand Bingo game of life.

“LES MISERABLES:” A SWEEPING EPIC MUSICAL

When the great French writer Victor Hugo was thirteen years of age, he began to write prize-winning poetry.  He went on to add the titles of playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman and human rights advocate to his name.  Perhaps he is best known for his novel “Les Miserables” or The Poor, penned in 1862, about a man Jean Valjean who is imprisoned for nineteen years for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his starving sister and her family and his ultimate tale of redemption.

This story, that met with great success even though it was banned by the government, is said to have been inspired by a true incident in Paris.  Hugo saw a poor man arrested for a minor crime, in stark contrast to a woman in a nearby carriage, wealthy, wrapped in fur, who was totally unaware of the tragedy happening at her richly clad feet.  

This epic novel that generated great excitement when published, when people fought to buy one of the 48,000 copies released on day one, was set to music a century later.    ”Les Miserables” is a sweeping, majestic epic drama, history on parade, and is gracing the stage of the University of Connecticut’s Jorgensen Auditorium in a brilliant concert style version until Sunday, June 7.

“Les Miz,” set in 19^th century France, follows Jean Valjean after nineteen years of imprisonment, his pursuit by the police inspector Javert and his new identity as Monsieur Madeleine where he becomes a wealthy factory owner and mayor. Valjean cannot escape his past as Javert doggedly pursues him.  Valjean performs deeds of valor, saving lives and helping in a student revolt, proving that people can change for the good. This story, timeless in its appeal, unites with a soaring musical score, to applaud the survival of the human spirit.

David Harris is magnificent as the noble Jean Valjean, Terrence Mann is determined and focused as the police inspector Javert, Alex Zeto is moving as the troubled Fantine, Annie Tolis (younger) and Chandler Lovelle are delightful as the rescued waif Cosette, the Trenardiers Philip Hoffman and Liz Larsen are slippery and smooth as the money hungry inn keepers, Rebecca Mack (younger) and Ariana DeBose are sensitive as the loving- in- vain Eponine, Joe Callahan is dedicated to the cause and his love as Marius, Aidan and Dermot McMillan share the role as the intrepid messenger spy Gavroche and Will Bryant is courageous in leading the fight as Enjorlas.

For tickets ($10-55), call the box office 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., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.  

Arm the battlements to fight for good over evil, for democracy over tyranny, for the triumph of love and justice, in this astonishing theatrical musical drama, “Les Miz.”