“TWELFTH NIGHT” A MERRY ROMP IN THE BARD’S PLAYGROUND

Clearly Will Shakespeare, the Bard of thirty seven plays, would be applauding from his grave at the Yale Repertory Theatre’s current masterful production of “Twelfth Night” at the University Theatre in New Haven until Saturday, April 6. Beginning with an exploding kaleidoscope of rainbow projections, this Carl Cofield’s African-American cast production is stuffed with unique additions that make this offering truly enjoyable. Come and discover them for yourself.

Twins Viola and Sebastian encounter a storm at sea that results in each believing the other has died. Landing in the land of Illyria, Viola, an industrious Moses Ingram, virtually a woman alone in a strange place, wisely disguises herself as a man, securing a position as a servant to Duke Orsino (William DeMeritt).The Duke wastes no time sending his new servant, now called Cesario, on a mission. He has been trying to woo the favor of the fair Olivia (Tiffany Denise Hobbs) who is struggling to deal with the deaths of both her father and her brother. Olivia wants no part in romance, whether it is the Duke or any other suitor, like Sir Andrew (Abubakr Ali).

As the Bard was wont to do, mistaken identities are always actively present in his plots. Before you can say “If music be the food of love” three times, Olivia has fallen in love with Viola disguised as Cesario, Cesario has set her cap for the Duke and the Duke is experiencing strange feelings of attraction for his new servant.

In keeping with the festivities of the Twelfth Night holiday, when everything is turned upside down and inside out, a plot is concocted by Sir Toby (Chivas Michael), Sir Andrew (Abubakr Ali), both well inebriated, with the help of Olivia’s maid Maria (Ilia Isorelys Paulino) to present a third suitor to the party for Olivia’s hand. In this case, the goal is to lure Olivia’s sour-faced employee Malvolio (Allen Gilmore) to the fray.

Finding a love letter he believes penned to him by his mistress, Malvolio, in wonderful form, alters his appearance, pasting a huge smile on his face like a jack-o-lantern and donning yellow gartered stockings. Olivia thinks him mad and commits him to prison, a state that delights his tormentors.

While Sir Toby succumbs to the wiles of the clever Maria, Feste the clown (Erron Crawford), with the aid of Fabian (Raffeal A. Sears), presides over the party with dance and song, thanks to Byron Easley and Frederick Kennedy. Scenic design is credited to Riw Rakkulchon, projection designs to Brittany Bland and costuming to Mika H. Eubanks.

By the time Viola’s missing brother Sebastian (Jakeem Dante Powell) wanders onto the stage, with his rescuer Antonio (Manu Kumasi), confusion has reached a fever pitch and is ready for the Bard’s smooth resolution.

For tickets ($31to $92), call the Yale Repertory Theatre at 203-432-1234 or online atwww.yalerep.org. Performances at the University Theatre, 222 York Street, New Haven, 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.

Watch how a tragedy at sea, misplaced affections, seemingly lost love letters, vaudeville routines, mismatched duels, too much drink and a sense of frivolity can provide so much entertainment once the perplexity is dispelled, or maybe because of its presence.

“BURT AND ME” A PERFECT PERSONAL MUSICAL RELATIONSHIP AT IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

ANDY CHRISTOPHER AS JOE AND LAUREN GIRE AS LACEY


If your father insisted you practice the piano at 6 a.m. every morning, music you actively disliked, you might cheer when a new teacher Mrs. Bernstein introduces you to the pop tunes of Burt Bacharach. Soon Burt and his personal pin-up girl and wife Angie Dickinson become your idols and your love of music explodes.

 

Come meet Joe an engaging and charming Andy Christopher, as he grows up and discovers a romantic interest in Lacey, an adorable Lauren Gire in the delightful musical “Burt and Me,” featuring the music of Mr. Bacharach and Hal David, with book by Larry McKenna. Ivoryton Playhouse will be serenading young love until Sunday, April 7 and you’ll want to be there to cheer them on to heartfelt heaven.

 

As Joe and Lacey, with their friends Sally (Adrianne Hick), Rebecca (Katie Luke), Nick (Nathan Richardson) and Jerry (Josh Powell) navigate as pals in high school’s Blue Haze choral group all the way to romantic status at the prom, we witness their burgeoning relationship, Along the way great Bacharach tunes like “This Guy’s In Love With You,” “Wishin’ and Hopin’, “ “The Look of Love,” “I Say A Little Prayer For You,” :Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head” and ”What The World Needs Now” punctuate every step of their journey.

 

With Joe’s dad, a supportive Neal Mayer, by his side, Joe endures and survives the ups and downs momentum of his courtship, helped by songs like “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again,” “A House Is Not A Home” and “One Less Bell To Answer.”The music clearly dictates the action.

 

You’ll be tempted to sing along as you probably nostalgically know all the words, even if you didn’t know Bacharach and David get all the credit. Michael Morris, on piano, serves as music director with his band Michael Raposo on woodwinds, Mark Gehret on bass and Gus Gustamachio on drums and percussion.

 

For tickets ($55, seniors $50, student $25, children $20), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7816 or online ativorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. A special tribute to long time Board of Director member Harvey Hoberman who is recently deceased was held after the opening night performance.

 

Come follow Joe as he pursues Lacey, wrapping her securely in his favorite music, as they establish a happy-ever-after life together.

“SISTER ACT” EXPLODES WITH JOY AT THE DOWNTOWN CABARET

If you (God forbid) witness a murder and if the killers know your name, you might feel a compulsion to disappear and leave town quickly, preferably in disguise. If you’re a wannabe cabaret lounge singer named Deloris Van Cartier, you might run as fast as possible and seek refuge in the most unlikely place known to woman or man: a nunnery.

 Sequins, sass, sparkle and shine are not the usual words that come to mind when you think of sisters of the cloth. The conservative and sensible, charitable and caring, convent of nuns is undergoing a transformation not of its own choosing. Under the direction of the good and no nonsense Mother Superior, an inflexible but compassionate Suzanne Powers, the Monsignor (Steve Sorrero) has warned that the church is in danger of closing due to poor attendance and financial woes.

Deloris who unwittingly witnesses a murder by her boyfriend and boss Curtis (Kyle Riedinger) and his gang of thugs (Joe Cardozo, Dominick Benjamin, Sergio Mandujano and Jeffrey Jannitto) does the honorable deed and reports it to the police, in this case Police Detective Eddie Souther, (Berlin Charles) an honorable man who has feelings for her. What happens to Deloris as she plays a cloak and dagger game with the criminals chasing her is captured in the rousing comedy "Sister Act The Musical" roaring into Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport weekends until Sunday, April 7.

Decades ago Whoopi Goldberg played the wise cracking, joyfully singing Deloris in the movies. This new version with book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, music composed by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater stars Simone Palmer as the spunky and spirited disco diva. New music reaches heavenly heights with such spirited numbers as "Fabulous, Baby!," "Raise Your Voice," “Spread the Love Around” and "Take Me to Heaven."

As Deloris goes under wraps in the protective skirts of the good sisters, she soon finds herself pressed into service of a godly nature. The convent's choir is suffering mightily and Deloris appears like an angel sent from above to perform miracles and offer a joyful noise unto the Lord. Prepare to be blown away as this chorus is rejuvenated to razzle-dazzle 'em proportions. Catch the infectious spirits as this sisterhood of Jacqueline Maclean, Julia Lennon, Jeanie Wright, Katelyn Tucker and Roye Anastasio-Bourke soars to the rafters.

For tickets ($28.75 - 37.75), call the Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport, at 203-576-1636 or online atmycabaret.org. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Friday , Saturday at 5 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m. Remember to pack goodies to eat at your table as this is cabaret.

Learn how the powerful glue of friendship cements Deloris with her newly found sisterhood of singing sisters. You'll have lots of good reasons to rejoice!

SEVEN ANGELS OPENS MATCHMAKING SERVICES WITH “FIRST DATE”

THE CAST OF "FIRST DATE" AT SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE
PHOTO BY PAUL ROTH

Few things are as fearful and potentially exciting as a blind first date. Well meaning friends or family have arranged the secret assignation and now you are poised at the front door of the coffee shop or restaurant, likely terrified to enter. Take courage, for the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury has a check list and agenda of do’s and don’ts to help you survive with “First Date,” book by Austin Winsberg and music and lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner until Sunday, April 7.

Where else but on a first date can what seems to be a fairy tale fantasy so quickly become a nightmare horror film. You can go from the top of the mountains to the dangerous depths of the ocean within minutes of meeting. Initially he may look ultra conservative, over dressed and the opposite of cool. She may look borderline hostile, hip and annoyingly hot. Come meet Aaron (Constantine Pappas) and Casey (Christina Carlucci) and tag along with them as they try to survive their “first date.”

Aaron, a recently burned, twice shy, three times a nice guy, has reluctantly appeared at a trendy New York eatery to meet his fix up date. He is initially overwhelmed by Casey, an in-your-face female with lots of experience with first dates but rarely advances to date number two. Unfortunately it is almost instant hate at first sight, a situation exacerbated when Aaron discovers Casey is not of the Jewish persuasion and her father appears with Bible in hand and sermon ready to deliver.

 The pair are protected or persuaded or perplexed by a Greek chorus of “helpers” who sing and dance around them hoping to steer them in the right direction, to romance. Anna Laura Strider, Ethan Kirschbaum, Carly Valancy, Niko Touros and James Donohue humorously play a wide variety of parts from parents, sister, future son, old flames and waiter. These confrontational allies and advisers persuade Aaron and Casey not to bail out, but stick with the game plan of getting to know each other more than what they learned by googling and give themselves a fighting chance.

 Clearly they each arrive with baggage, especially the steamer trunk Aaron drags along stuffed with his ex-fiancee. By the time the evening is over, there is a distinct glimmer of hope on the horizon. As we look for our soul mates, it’s easy to kiss a few frogs along the way. Songs like “First Impression,””The Girl For You,” “Safer” and “I’d Order Love” help pave the way. For tickets ($39.50-49.50), call Seven AngelsTheatre, 1 Plank Road,Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online atwww.SevenAngelsTheatre.org. Performances are Thursday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. 

 Come root for Aaron and Casey to make it to dessert as their first date travels from horror to happy, disaster to dream, as they discover if each is destined to be “the one."

COME BOOGIE WOOGIE WITH THE ANDREWS SISTERS AT NELSON HALL

                                                            THE ANDREWS SISTERS

Called the “defining sister act of all times,” with one hundred million records to their credit, sweethearts of the swing and big band era and the optimistic voices of World War Ii, the Andrews Sisters were a nostalgic fixture of our American musical lexicon.  While only teenagers, their career began when they won first prize in a talent contest at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis, beating out a ventriloquist act  by the name of Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.

Initially imitating the earlier success of the Boswell Sisters of New Orleans, they – Maxene, LaVerne and Patty – forged a permanent place in the American songbook.  When their father’s restaurant failed, he took them on the road in a vaudeville act to support the family, similar to how Frances Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, also provided income for her family.  The sisters became a household name by the 1940’s, especially after their major Decca record hit, the Yiddish song “Bei Mir Bist Du Schon,” translated as “To Me, You Are Grand.” Their close harmonies still are influential today, with such stars as The McQuire Sisters, the Lennon Sisters, the Supremes, Bette Midler and Christina Aguiliera following their lead.

Called “the Sweethearts of the Armed Forces Services,” they entertained troops in the United States, Africa and Italy, encouraged the sale of U. S. war bonds and brought musical joy to soldiers at the U. S. O. With hits like “Rum and Coca Cola,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” and “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Any One Else But Me),” you are invited to enjoy a nostalgic trip back in time with a tribute show featuring a trio of Minnesota gals, “The Andrews Sisters Music and Memories” at Nelson Hall at Elim Park in Cheshire, for five performances Thursday, March 21 to Sunday, March 24.

This high energy trip down memory lane will feature Aimee Lee as LaVerne, Kathryn Mueller as Maxene and Lisa Pallen as Patty who will recreate the vivid stylings of these women. Backed by a six piece band led by a two –time Ivey award-winning arranger and musical director Raymond Berg, the girls will include Bill Arnold of Triple Express as host and emcee, telling personal stories and anecdotes.

In 2001, Raymond Berg created two Andrews Sisters’ shows, one a theater piece and this one, a biographical juke box musical, in concert form, with an emcee.  Singing more than twenty of their greatest hits, the trio will croon the swing music that is inherently American.  In their time, the original group sold more records than Elvis and the Beatles, at Decca Records across the mike from Bing Crosby or with orchestras like Tommy Dorsey or at the Grand Ol’ Opry.  They were the girls next door for GIs.

This new troupe have become like sisters too, rehearsing, recording, with vigorous skatting, recreating  the very tricky sounds that weave the melody on top or in the middle, singing above and below the melody to blend it into a whole.  This close harmony singing, according to Berg, “celebrates their lives and contributions in a positive way in music that guarantees they live on.” 

In Aimee Lee’s mind, “We are all blessed with full rich lives.”  By day, she works for a non-profit  Recycle Across America and enjoys her two granddaughters Reese and Dakota, Kathy is a secretary at an elementary school, teaches voice and piano and is a grandmother too while Lisa is a pharmacy tech at Walgreen’s with twin daughters Elle and Sophia and sings with a group Bella Diva. 

For Aimee, the show has an ”element of the unknown and unexpected,” with a range of songs and ballads that encourage toe-tapping.  The music is “amazing, especially singing with my two best friends.  It’s almost effortless, the blending is easy, even though the music is complicated.  In the beginning, the words were hard to memorize but now it’s a total joy.”   As an emcee, she feels Bill Arnold is “clever, funny, corny and big hearted.”

For tickets ($18-35), call Nelson Hall at Elim Park, 150 Cook Hill Road, Cheshire at 203-699-5495 or online at nelsonhallelimpark.org.  Performances are Thursday, March 21 at 2 p.m., Friday, March 22 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, March 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 24 at 2 p.m.  Veterans are welcome to come Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for half-price at $17.50.  Special lunches for groups of twenty are available in the Conservatory on Thursday and Friday before the show.  Call 203-699-5495 for reservations.

Come Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive as these Sisters of Swing recreate a bygone era that is sure to be memorable, exhibiting hope and promise, especially to our troops at home and abroad.

THE BUSHNELL ENTHUSIASTICALLY OPEN FOR “RENT”

                                                    NATIONAL TOUR OF "RENT"

Composer and playwright Jonathan Larson accumulated a

veritable treasure chest of awards including the Pulitzer Prize for

Drama, Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book and Best

Original Score as well as the Drama Desk Awards for

Outstanding Musical, Book and Lyrics, all for his seminal work

“Rent.” Unfortunately,,Larson died the day before the first

preview of “Rent” Off Broadway at the age of 35 in New York City. 

A musical adaptation of Puccini’s opera “La Boheme,” “Rent” 

shadowed much of Larson’s life as he too lived in a rundown New 

York apartment with many roommates, including having a love

affair on and off with a female dancer, using an illegal wood-

burning stove to combat the building’s lack of heat, with everyone

a struggling artist trying to create a bohemian life style. One of

Broadway’s longest running shows, you now have the unique

opportunity to experience Jonathan Larson’s opus “Rent” at the

Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts until Sunday March 17.

In 1989, when Larson was only 29, he began working on the

musical “amid poverty, homelessness, spunky gay life, drag

queens and punk.” The title “rent” stands for lives “torn apart.” 

Puccini’s work 100 years earlier centers on young wannabe

artists and the devastation of tuberculosis while Larsons

introduced HIV/AIDS,Puccini’s Paris became NewYork’s East

Village, and many of the characters’ s names stayed close to the

same. 

For example, Mimi the seamstress sick with TB is now Mimi the

exotic dancer with HIV. The poet Rodolfo is now Roger, a song

writer/musician who is HIV positive and Mimi’s boyfriend.

Roger’s roommate is Mark, a filmmaker, adapted from Marcello, a

painter. The singer Musetta becomes Maureen, a bisexual 

performance artist who loves Joanne, a lesbian lawyer, while the

musician Schaunard is now the drag queen Angel. Angel is

dating Tom Collins, the earlier philosopher Colline who teaches

philosophy at college.The landlord Benoit is now Benny..

 Larson wrote “Rent” in part to celebrate the achievements of

the artists stolen by illness so young and to show how the

community copes with a tragedy within its ranks.

In “Rent,” we meet Mark the narrator cinematographer who is

chronicling the activities of his friends as he adjusts to his ex-

girlfriend Maureen’s new relationship with Joanne . Meanwhile his

roommate Roger is trying desperately to compose one “glory”

song before AIDS takes him. His chance meeting with another

AIDS patient Mimi may be just the impetus and candle of

inspiration he needs.

The time is Christmas eve and there is no holly and no

heat, no mistletoe and no money, but the motley group have

gathered to celebrate with the natural exuberance and hope that 

the youth cling to so promisingly. Sexual gender blurs as

this questioning generation musically explores the seasons of

love contained in the 525, 600 minutes that make up a year, 

contemplate the death of the soul in “Without You” and do a

danceof protest in “Tango: Maureen.”

For tickets ($23 and up) call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue,

Hartford at(860)987-5900. Performances are Tuesday through

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,.

Explore this spirited and high decibel Tony and Pulitzer Prize

winning musical, originallydirected by Michael Greif and now

restaged by Evan Ensign, that explodes to the rafters with a

hunger for life and for art.

“THE REVOLUTIONISTS” A FEMININE REVOLT

JENNIFER HOLCOMBE AS MARIE-ANTONETTE

A quartet of women band together to support one of their own, a playwright Olympe De Gouges, as she struggles to capture the female perspective on France’s Reign of Terror. West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park will expose the inhumanities that threaten the female throats and hearts of each woman as it presents “The Revolutionists” by Lauren Gunderson until Sunday, March 10.

This true story and its fictionalized chapters bring the audience to the 1793 French Revolution where Olympe De Gouges, a fiery Rebecca Hart, is poised to write a profound epic, if she could only find the perfect words.

She is joined in her attempts by a trio who share her deep concerns and want to aid her in her fight. Marianne Angells, a sympathetic Erin Roche, represents the French colonies in the Caribbean, who are also seeking a democracy that abolishes slavery.

Add to this mix, the warrior Charlotte Corday, a knife yielding Olivia Jampol, who is committed to murdering the Jacobin journalist Jean-Paul Marat. Completing the foursome is the towering hair figure of Marie-Antoinette, a queenly Jennifer Holcombe, who is intent on surviving one more day and delaying the fate that calls her name.

Olympe has already penned her 1791 “Declaration of the Rights of Women and the Female Citizens” and Marianne urges her to write pamphlets for their cause. But Olympe is committed to her play, believing if she can get a title for it, it will literally write itself. In the name of liberty, these four humorously and poignantly stick their necks way out for their principles. Sarah Hartman directs this foray into the annals of history as it resonates its message to fight for what you strongly believe. 

 For tickets ($30-40), 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., followed by a talkback with the cast.

Witness how the sisterhood of women set out to end the chaos of a frightening world, even though they will not live to see the changes. Bring along a long red ribbon so you will feel sympathy with the cast as they face their bloody end.

"CLEVER LITTLE LIES" ARE POPPING AT SQUARE ONE THEATRE

JOSIE KULP AND PEGGY NELSON IN "CLEVER LITTLE LIES"

Author and humorist Mark Twain once quipped, “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything” and also “A lie will go round the world while truth is putting on its shoes.” Unfortunately, the idea of infidelity and adultery exist on the premise of lying…to yourself and to your spouse, and even to your family. Just ask Billy, the cheating husband of Jane in Joe DiPietro’s slyly humorous “Clever Little Lies” being entertaining at Square One Theatre Company at Stratford Academy weekends until March 17.

 Paul Araujo’s Billy has just been defeated by his dad Bill, Sr., an understanding Peter Wood, in tennis match when the son confesses to his father he is having an affair with a personal trainer at their gym. Even though he is a new father himself with a loving wife Jane, a devoted Josie Kulp, Billy is infatuated and feels this is really love. Bill Sr. is rightfully appalled but wants to be helpful. He also fears his wife Alice, an intuitive Peggy Nelson, will ferret out the truth and stick her Sherlock Homes’ nose into the “affair.”

Of course, the secret pops out of the bag as soon as Bill and Alice start to talk, and they quickly get to work to invite the new family over, on the pretense of sharing a cheesecake. What ensues is an awkward evening of misunderstandings, evasions and confessions. Alice makes revelations that astound everyone and shake up all the participants. What she says rivals any of the romance novels she sells in her bookstore in its surprises. Tom Holehan balances the drama and comedy with skills as all the lies and truths come spilling out into the air.

 For tickets ($22, seniors $20), call Square One Theatre, Stratford Academy, 719 Birdseye Street, Stratford at 203-375-8778 or online atwww.squareonetheatre.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Come digest unexpected “news” and cheesecake and learn how to find your “happy” and the best way to show your “shiny” side.

“THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD” COMEDY, DRAMA, MUSICAL

The literary genius of writer Charles Dickens is acknowledged internationally, even more than 200 years after his birth in England.  At his death at the age of 58, he spent his last days on earth continuing to pen, but never completing, his last work “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”  Like so many of his earlier works, it concerned itself with the fate of orphans.  Dickens had always written of children abandoned by poverty, disease and illiteracy like Pip in ”Great Expectations,” David in “David Copperfield,” and Oliver in “Oliver Twist.”

You have the unique opportunity to help the Connecticut Repertory Theatre in its delightful rendition of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” set in a rousing Victorian music hall, at the Jorgensen Theatre on the campus of the University of Connecticut until Sunday, March 10.  For added pleasure, you, the audience, get to vote on who committed the murder and a few other important decisions to end the play.

The orphan Rosa Bud (a lovely Graceann Brooks) has been betrothed since birth to orphan Edwin Drood (portrayed by female impersonator Emily Ferranti).  

Rosa is also the object of affection for Edwin’s uncle John Jasper (the villain of the piece Bryan Mittelstadt) choirmaster and opium addict and newcomers from Ceylon Neville Landless ( a tempestuous admirer Mauricio Miranda) and his twin sister Helena (Rosa’s new friend Rebekah Santiago).The pair are under the protection of the Rev Crisparkle (an accommodating Nikolai Fernandez).  

Also figuring in the plot are the Princess Puffer (the concerned proprietress of the opium den Kelly Lester), Durdles (the keeper of the crypt Rob Barnes), Durdles’ assistant Deputy (a good follower Matt Bader), Bazzard (an ambitious actor Sebastian Nagpal) and the jovial master of ceremonies at the music hall (the highly entertaining Kurt Zischke).

Clues and red herrings are woven through this period piece, on a multitude of scenes created by Alexander Woodward, with bouncy and melancholy music directed by Alex Thompson, with elaborate costuming by Brittny Mahan, lively choreography by Rebekah Santiago, under the gifted direction of Paul Mullins.

For tickets ($36-40), call the CT Rep, at UCONN, at 860-486-2113 or online at crt.uconn.edu.  Performances are Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

With musical messages like “Press Your Luck” and “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead,” let this troupe of talented actors help you solve and resolve “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.”  Cheerio, Tally Ho, and all that stuff!

COLLECT YOUR MEMORIES WITH “MARJORIE PRIME”

RYAN HENDRICKSON, SUSAN KULP AND MARTY TUCKER

Time, age and health dictate life changes, especially if Alzheimer’s enters and blurs the picture. Needing help from homemakers, nurses and companions often allow the patient to continue living at home or signal a move to a nursing home facility. For the family of Marjorie Lancaster, it means bringing a Prime, a robot who stands in for a loved one, into her life as the 85 year old struggles to lead a meaningful life. Marjorie is brought poignantly to life by Margaret Mann as she copes with a last difficult stage of aging. 

New Haven Theater Company Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. until March 9 will bring this compelling tale by Jordan Harrison, and sensitively and well directed by Trevor Williams, to futuristic reality. Marjorie’s daughter Tess, played with spirit and sass by Susan Kulp, has never enjoyed an easy or loving relationship with mom. Tess, with understanding and supportive husband Jon, a loving and caring Marty Tucker, want to help both mom and daughter find a reconciliation before it’s too late.

To that end, he has introduced a robot, a Prime, into Marjorie’s life, a much younger version of her late husband Walter. Ryan Hendrickson is now Walter, and has been programmed with memories to talk to Marjorie and be a companion to relive the past in a more acceptable manner. He is not to talk about the son they tragically lost through suicide, but rather about her escapades with romantic beaus and the family’s wonderful pet poodle Toni. And if, along the way, the wounds between daughter and mother are healed, well all the better.

With quiet elegance and poignant touches, this fine cast brings out the difficulties of aging and of rewriting the past to find peace. It addresses how memory works and how it can be manipulated. The timeline of these thoughts is often confusing, like the reference to Christo and New York’s art creation The Gates but not disturbing enough to destroy the underlying strong feelings of how to find connections.

For tickets ($20 ), contact the New Haven Theater Company athttps://www.newhaventheatercompay.com/.Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at EBM, 839 Chapel Street, New Haven at the back of the vintage consignment shop.

 Have you ever wanted to edit and rewrite your personal history? Here is a unique way to make that happen to iron out all the wrinkles that messed up your past.