“ON GOLDEN POND” BECKONS YOU TO THE KATE FOR REFLECTION AND FUN

Spending your twilight years in a favorite place of tranquility, a summer home that has served your family well for almost five decades, may be an idyllic end to a long and happy marriage.  So feel the Thayers, Ethel and Norman, who are settling in for another season “On Golden Pond,” a sweet piece of nostalgia penned by Ernest Thompson.  The Saybrook Stage Company is fittingly bringing this heartwarming comedy to life at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook from Thursday, January 16 to Sunday, January 19.

In the 1981 movie both Katharine Hepburn as Ethel and Henry Fonda as Norman earned Academy Awards for their roles.  Rounding on eighty, Norman (Jim Hile) is retired from teaching and, despite an increasingly poor memory and heart palpitations, he has retained his sharp wit and bitingly strong views on life.  Ethel (Terri Corigliano), ten years his junior, appreciates her hubby and the long marriage that they have grown comfortable enjoying.

Sending a ripple of tremors through their familiar routines is the arrival of their divorced daughter Chelsea (Amy Kirby) who is on her way to Europe with her new fiancé Bill (Ralph Buonocore).   His son Billy (Jake Totten) will be the summer guest of the Thayers, the “grandchild” they never had, and his presence will enliven the household in innumerable ways.

What will Norman and Billy learn from each other?  Will Chelsea be able to reconcile her differences with her dad?  How will Ethel cope with the newest and oldest members of the family? How does the visit of neighbor Charlie (Mark Gilchrist) change the dynamics of the story?

The Saybrook Stage Company will present “On Golden Pond” in honor of The Kate’s tenth anniversary, under the direction of Marc Deaton.  For tickets ($17-23), call 860-510-0453 or online at www.thekate.org.  Performances are Thursday to Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the theater, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook.

Spend a leisurely summer day with Ethel and Norman Thayer as they readjust to more than just the loons visiting them “On Golden Pond.”

WARM UP WITH GOODSPEED FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS THIS WINTER

PHOTOS FROM PRIOR GOODSPEED FESTIVALS OF NEW MUSICALS
PHOTOS BY DIANE SOBOLEWSKI

While the weather outside is frightful, there is a place that is warm and truly delightful: the 15^th Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals in East Haddam. Produced by Goodspeed Musicals Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre, this three day event will take place on Friday, January 17 to Sunday, January 19 and it’s the highlight of the winter season for all musical theatre aficionados.

The weekend begins on Friday at 7:30 p.m. with the exotic tale of “The Tattooed Lady,” with book by Erin Courtney and Max Vernon and music and lyrics by Max Vernon.  What choice does a seventy-eight year old woman, who earned her living in a freak show as a Tattooed Lady, have when her husband dies?  Must she retire to the solitude of her daughter’s home or summon the courage and return one last time to the stage?

This first staged reading of this musical will be followed at 10 p.m. at the Gelston House next door with a Festival Cabaret with actress-singer-writer-teacher Grace McLean and special guest Jonathan Brielle.  Original music by McLean will ring from the rafters.

Take your vitamin pills for a highly energetic Saturday that begins with your choice of several seminars from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Gelston House and across the street at LaVita Restaurant.  Goodspeed’s Artistic Associate Anika Chapin will lead a sparkling discussion with Matte O’Brien and Matt Vinson about their new musical set for summer of 2020 at the Goodspeed:  “Drama Nerd: Anne of Green Gables.”  Want to hear what it is entailed in being a Broadway producer, then come hear Nancy Gibbs tell her theatrical tales in “From Downtown to Uptown.”

Producing Director of Musical Theatre Factory Mei Ann Teo will share her views in “What’s the Buzz?  The New and Distinct Voices of Musical Theater.”  In an “Exit Interview,” come hear Michael O’Flaherty discuss his decades at the helm as Goodspeed’s  Resident Musical Director.  Additional seminars will be announced.

At 3 p.m. at the Goodspeed, a symposium will journey back in time for 15 years of the Festival to reflect in its contributions to musical theatre over the years.  At 4 p.m., Goodspeed Executive Director Michael Gennaro will lead a symposium on “New Vision for New Works-The Terris Theatre in 2020” and share the exciting new offerings there for the upcoming year. Both symposiums are free and open to the public.

If you purchased the Gold Package for $149, it includes all three staged readings, a trio of seminars, two symposiums, a Saturday night three course dinner at 5:30 p.m. at either the Gelston House or La Vita, either the Friday or Saturday night Cabaret and a Sunday afternoon Meet the Writers event to close the Festival.  The Silver package for $80 includes the three staged readings, both symposiums and the Meet the Writers event.

Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. take your seat at the Goodspeed for “Private Gomer” with book, music and lyrics by Marshall Pailet.  It tells the tale of a World War I soldier who hides his profound hearing loss and hones a remarkable skill as a sniper.  Along the way, he must deal with violence and war and the interesting people he meets on his travels.

The Saturday night Cabaret at 10 p.m. features Jonathan Brielle performing “It’s the Bear” at the Gelston House.

While six co-workers meet at a Bear Mountain retreat to work on tensions in the workplace, a mysterious killer is on the loose with his own agenda. How will they survive?

Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Goodspeed, the final musical “Grow” will be staged, with book by Matt Murray, music by Colleen Dauncey and lyrics by Akiva Romer–Segal.

Sisterhood, community and the future will be tested by two Amish teenage sisters Hannah and Ruth when they experience the ancient rite of passage Rumspringa.  They find themselves in a dangerous predicament with a most unlikely savior to help them survive.

The Festival will conclude at 3:30 p.m. at the Goodspeed with an intimate chat with the three teams of writers and composers in Meet the Writers Reception. Discover  

their source of ideas and inspiration and how they go about working the creative process.

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This year’s Festival is sponsored by corporate sponsor RisCassi & Davis, P.C., with support from the Burry Fredrik Foundation, the Adolph and Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation Sheridan College and Webster Private Bank.  Single tickets are $25 for each staged reading and $15 each for students.  Purchase tickets and packages by calling the Goodspeed Box Office at 860-873-8668 or online at www.goodspeed.org.

So ignore any frightful weather outside and cozy up to the Goodspeed Festival for warmth and wonderment.

HOLIDAY HAPPINESS ABOUNDS IN AREA THEATERS

“Tis the season to celebrate the holidays and area theatres are busy with jolly, entertaining and heartwarming productions.

Start off visiting that energetic and enthusiastic elf Buddy who is in residence at Waterbury’s Seven Angels Theatre until Sunday, December 22.  Jimmy Donohue plays the boy who crawls into Santa’s bag and ends up at the North Pole believing he is one of Santa’s helpers.  Growing big and afraid he is a failure as a toy maker leads him to discover he is human.  Buddy sets off for New York City to find his father. This musical adventure “Elf” is a great family affair presented by Stage II Community Players.  For tickets (kids $15, adults $28, 4 pack $99), call Seven Angels, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at SevenAngelsTheatre.org.  

Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.  Watch for Rob Bartlett Holiday Extravaganza on Saturday, December 28 and Stand Up Count Down New Year’s Eve Comedy Night on December 31 at 6 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

To enter the world of an actor who no longer enjoys playing Scrooge in Charles Evered’s comedy “An Actor’s Carol,” come meet Michael Iannucci as Hugh Pendleton at Ivoryton Playhouse until Sunday, December 22. Just like with the original Dickens’ tale, this actor meets a trio of ghosts on Christmas Eve and learns some valuable lessons on kindness. For tickets ($35, senior $32, students $20, child $15), call Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-757-7318 or online at www,ivorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Friday 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. Come early to enjoy the 500,000 Christmas lights that illuminate the village in sparkling splendor.

For the 22^nd year, the Hartford Stage is presenting “A Christmas Carol-A Ghost Story of Christmas” until Saturday, December 28.  The cantankerous and mean spirited Scrooge makes a mighty redemption after he is visited by his old business partner Jacob Marley (Noble Shropshire) and three ghosts.  Michael Preston is the Bah Humbug disbeliever in Christmas.  Just in time for the holiday feast, he learns to mend his ways and open his heart to goodness.  For tickets ($25-99), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at hartfordstage.org. Performances are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. as well as Monday, December 22 at 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 23 at 2 p.m., Thursday, and December 26 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. 

For a twist of lemon with the holidays and an olive, adults should plan to visit Hartford TheaterWorks for a hearty cocktail of “Christmas on the Rocks” until Monday, December 23. With Ted Lange from “The Love Boat” as your genial bartender, a parade of your favorite childhood characters like Clara from “The Nutcracker” and Tiny Tim from “A Christmas Carol” wander into a bar on Christmas Eve for a shot of courage and a place to shed their inhibitions.  Jenn Harris and Randy Harrison play a plethora of holiday favorites.  For tickets ($15 and up), call HTW, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford at 860-526-7838 or online at www.theaterworkshartford.org.  Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Monday, December 23 at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The Terris Theatre in Chester is primed and ready to showcase our state in “A Connecticut Christmas Carol” until Saturday, December 28.  Come see Mark Twain, P. T. Barnum and Benedict Arnold, all brought to life by Michael Thomas Holmes, as they spin Dickens’ tale in a totally new geographic direction with Robert Cuccioli as William Gillette who needs a reawakening before Christmas.  For tickets ($25-55), call Goodspeed Musicals at 860-873-8668 or online at goodspeed.com.  The Terris is located at 33 North Main Street, Chester.  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 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and Monday, December 28 at 2 p.m. Please bring a warm coat for their clothing drive.

From Friday, December 20 to Sunday, December 22, the Goodspeed in East Haddam will entertain a Nat King Cole Christmas with Evan Tyrone Martin telling Cole’s personal journey with holiday musical favorites along the way.  Tickets are $40-60.

For a change of pace, without any mention of Scrooge, plan to attend an evening with the song stylings of Simon and Garfunkel courtesy of Swearingen and Kelli who are famous for bringing the “music, memories and magic” of this iconic duo to spirited life. On Saturday, December 21 at 8 p.m. the Katherine Hepburn Center for the Cultural Arts will transform itself into 1960’s Greenwich Village.  For tickets ($35), call the Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook at 860-510-0473.  “The Sound of Silence” NOT!

Let the holidays ring with joy as area theaters show all their festive finery for your enjoyment.

“CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS” COMICALLY SHAKEN BUT NOT STIRRED AT HTW

Harken back to your heroes and heroines of Christmas lore long past and revisit your favorites in a classic series of vignettes courtesy of Hartford TheaterWorks as “Christmas on the Rocks” reappears for its annual viewing until Monday, December 23. This is Hartford TheaterWorks’s traditional gift to the theater community and it has been a comic delight for seven years in a row.  The ingenious concept of Producing Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero, it involves the creative genius of seven playwrights whose works have been produced here on stage.  Each has selected a favorite Christmas character, like Tiny Tim and Scrooge and Charlie Brown, and fashioned a visit to a local bar on Christmas Eve to tell their story.  If you've ever wondered if Tiny Tim got to throw away his crutches or if Scrooge really had his hard heart melted in a vat of milk chocolate, then "Christmas on the Rocks" might be the perfect theatrical gift to give yourself.

Have you ever cared how they have fared?  Have the years been kind or cruel?  Are there any surprises in their life plans? 

In "All Grown Up" by John Cariani, we are reintroduced to Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" and discover he is still obsessed with his dad’s lady leg lamp and his pink bunny suit. His marriage is in trouble and he turns to the bar’s friendly bartender, a genial Ted Lange of “The Love Boat” fame to listen to his tale of woe. Ralphie just may want to be nine years old forever, or at least as long as his pink bunny suit fits. Jacques Lamarre brings to the bar Zuzu Bailey who has a well founded fear of bells, because she knows that every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings.  Remember her dad and the Savings and Loan and Clarence? This nervous Nellie in having “A Miserable Life” and she is suitably traumatized.

 To experience the quality of Jeffrey Hatcher's humor, come meet  an elf who feels he is a misfit and just wants to belong in "Say It Glows.” Hermie wants to be a dentist and perform root canals, not be stuck in Santa’s workshop making toys. He clearly has a thing about Rudolph and his shiny nose and may just be heading for a breakdown over guilty deeds. Jenn Harris and Matthew Wilkas proclaim “My Name is KAREN!” as the cartoon girl Karen enters the bar with a hair dryer.  She takes full credit for creating Frosty the Snowman and equally gleeful credit for his demise.  The police are at the door and her arrest may be imminent.

A spiritual journey, "God Bless Us Every One," is on Theresa Rebeck's Christmas list.    Here we  meet Tiny Tim who is in the midst of a psychotic break and has serious issues with Mr. Scrooge.  "Still Nuts About Him" by Edwin Sanchez focuses his talents on Clara, the ballerina,  who is now married to the Nutcracker, her personal and infuriating czar of love. She fears he is cheating on her and uses her toy nutcracker to annihilate all the bar nuts in the tavern.

Last but certainly not least, Jacques Lamarre is serving up "Merry Christmas, Blockhead.”   Here he is the psychiatrist/coach/love counselor for Charlie Brown and the little red haired girl of his youth. Good grief, the evening ends on a sweet and sentimental note.  All the female roles are portrayed by Jenn Harris and the male roles by Randy Harrison and, with Ted Lange at the helm, they are all wonderful. Director Rob Ruggiero keeps the insanity and laughs rolling merrily along.


For tickets ($15 -75), call Hartford TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at www.twhartford.org.  Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 23.  Come early and enjoy a viewing of the cartoon "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in the art gallery upstairs. The theater has undergone a renovation and is ready for your viewing enjoyment.

For a cynical, quirky and sentimental look at Christmases past, let "Christmas on the Rocks" serve you a flavorful cocktail of tasty potent potables.

ALL CHRISTMAS ELVES MUST REPORT TO PLAYHOUSE ON PARK UNTIL DECEMBER 21

If your rent is due and you may soon be evicted, and if there are no paying jobs for actors on the horizon, you might be desperate enough to answer a want ad for a Christmas elf. This isn’t just any old holiday elf, this is an elf at Macy’s Herald Square in New York City. Okay, it still sucks.  But if your name is David Sedaris, and you’re a comedian of the first order, you may be able to transform the humiliation into a prize winning one man show that may still embarrass you decades later. David Sedaris found himself in just such a state after landing in New York to make his fame and fortune on the stage.  He has memorialized the experience in  “The Santaland Diaries” playing with jolly holly fun at West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park until Saturday, December 21.

While the out -of- work actor had some standards, (he would not be a French fry or hot dog or taco standing on the street corner handing out leaflets), he found himself willing to consider an ad for a Christmas elf at Macy’s Department Store, especially after his roommate dared him to apply. At thirty-three years of age, his biggest fear was that he wouldn’t be hired.

Enter Sam Massaro as Crumpet the reluctant elf who endured the indignities of the application process and then found himself clad in red, white and green from his sparkling cap to his curled velvet toes, complete with candy cane leggings.  As an elf with an attitude, he had many career opportunities, from entrance to exit elf, bridge elf, runner elf, magic window or magic tree elf, photo or island elf.  Wherever he landed, he had to deal with grumpy parents and crying children and impossible to please bosses, not to mention fellow elves named Snowball, Gingerbread, Jingle and even Dreidel.

Massaro is alternately philosophical and sarcastic about his seasonal stint with Santa, and the task of being “relentlessly cheerful” and  permanently merry only gives him a headache.  His goal of being elected to the Elfin Hall of Fame is probably a lost cause.  Yet  late on Christmas Eve, the skeptical Crumpet finds himself in the presence of a Kris Kringle who gives him pause and actually a new perspective on the true meaning of the holiday.  Sean Harris directs this Christmas tale that is definitely different in its spirit of looking behind the candy canes for what is lurking in the red and green shadows ready to pounce.

For tickets ($25), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900, ext. 10 or online at www.playhouseonpark.org.  Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday  at 7:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Remember to bring an unwrapped toy for a needy child by December 16th. Also playing is “Merrilee Mannerly,” a delightful musical for children, Wednesday at 10 a.m. and 2:30p.m., Saturday at 10 a.m., 1p.m.and 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.until December 15.

Lace your eggnog with a splash of rum and let one silly and sarcastic and cynical elf bring you some unbridled Christmas cheer.

“THE GINGERBREADS OF BROADWAY” ARE A TASTY MUSICAL HOLIDAY TREAT

THE GINGERBREADS OF BROADWAY AT PANTOCHINO PRODUCTIONS

What could be more symbolic  and sweet as a confection for Christmas than a gingerbread man cookie, a gingerbread house or a loaf of tasty bread?  The spicy ginger root dates back to the Chinese and Greek and has a long term association with medicinal treatments for stomach ailments as well as delicious treats with honey and molasses at holiday time.

Pantochino Productions has discovered a whole new concept for these delectable snacks.  With original book and music by Bert Bernardi, new music by Justin Rugg and novel costuming by Jimmy Johansmeyer, on a clever Christmas set designed by Von Del Mar, “The Gingerbreads of Broadway” has been deliciously baked.  Weekends until Sunday, December 22, this delightful musical will grace the stage of the Milford Arts Council, 40 Railroad Avenue, Milford, sponsored by Berchem Moses P.C.

Mr. Majestic (Zach Theis) is busy auditioning acts for his exciting extravaganza “Holidays a Poppin’, “ hoping to find the acts that will make it a smash hit.  With his assistant (Amanda Sigan) and his piano player (Jaxon Beirne), he quickly dismisses a boy (Rowan  Simonelli) and his mom (Hannah Duffy). His initial response to the Gingerbreads (Justin Rugg and Shelley Marsh Poggio) isn’t much more promising.

With the help of Carol (Maria Berte), better known as Mrs. Claus from the North Pole, and her guardian elf Buttons (Connor Rizzo), the Gingerbreads are advised to become a family for better show business appeal.  Sure enough, by adding Darlene (Hazel Foley), Pepper (Sierra DiMartino) and Frostine (Peighton Nash) to their act, they are hired to headline.

With the big star Elizabeth Ambrosia Éclair (Valerie Solli) leading the musical parade, the show looks like a mega hit.  The recipe for success is spoiled by the jealousy of Lina and Lamont Licorice (Mary Mannix and Jimmy Johansmeyer) who want top billing for themselves and aren’t above slipping a little poison into the star’s tea, served to her by her assistant (TJ Chila).  Officer O’Flannahan (George Splevin) is called in to investigate.

Bert Bernardi directs the comic confusion like a four star gourmet chef.

For tickets ($22 online, $25 at the door), go online to www.pantochino.com.  Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Don’t forget to bring snacks to share at your table or plan to buy them at the concession stand downstairs.  Adults are invited to come for “Christmas Cocktails” on Friday, December 13 and 20 for $30.

A Master Class Fosse with Lloyd Culbreath, a dance workshop for age 13 to adult, will be held on Friday, December 27 from 1-3 p.m. at the Milford Arts Council. Register at www.pantochino.com.

Buy or bake some gingerbread men cookies to eat and enjoy as this fun family musical “The Gingerbreads of Broadway” dances and sings its way into your heart.

FOLLOW THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF “THE PLOT” AT THE YALE REP

 

In any negotiation, everyone comes to the table with an agenda, what they are willing to fight for, what they are willing to forfeit,  and what is sacred and cannot be changed.  Whether the confrontation is in a sandbox, over the possession of a blue dump truck or in a boardroom where the fate of a multi-million dollar project hangs in the balance, the participants are not always willing to bargain to an acceptable agreement.

In the world premiere offering of “The Plot” by Will Eno at the Yale Repertory Theatre until Saturday, December 21, we meet people who for one reason or another are interested in the fate of a small plot of land, a graveyard.

For Righty Morse (Harris Yulin), it is a place for him to escape, a source of peace and serenity, where he can be himself and commune with nature.  It also doesn’t hurt that his wife Joanne (Mia Katigbak) allows him space to be himself without pretense. She is preoccupied with their finances and living arrangement and wants more for them in the later years of life. Time is running out if they are ever going to reach their golden years with happiness and security.

 

Righty feels so much at home in the tiny cemetery that he has had a gravestone erected as his final resting place.  The fact that he has failed to include one for Joanne beside him soon becomes a reason for contention between the old married couple. Into this intimate and quiet world invade a trio of strangers:

an environmentalist Grey (Jimonn Cole) who is concerned the land be respected and put to good use and two developers Donna (Jennifer Mudge) and her irascible boss Tim (Stephen Barker Turner) who is as contentious as she is accommodating.  They want and need the land and must convince Righty and his wife to relinquish it.

 

All Tim cares about is the bottom line and how much profit goes into his pocket.  He is willing to string along the affections of Donna as it suits his purposes, forgetting he is married when it meets his needs.  What will happen when the fate of the plot of land comes under the microscope?  What deceits and truths will emerge?  How will everyone’s or anyone’s needs be met?

 

Oliver Butler’s direction will keep you guessing as to who will be the ultimate winners of the negotiation game. Sarah Karl as scenic designer creates a clever playing field for the action.

 

For tickets ($26-79), call the Yale Rep,1120 Chapel Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at www.yalerep.org.  Performances are Tuesday at 8 p.m.,

Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

 

 

Come root for your favorite pawn as each player in the game tries to finesse themselves to victory and take the prize:  the plot of land in question.

ENTER THE MARRIAGE GAME WITH JANE AUSTEN’S “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE”AT LONG WHARF

SISTERS LIZZY(ANEISA  J. HICKS) AND JANE (OCTAVIA CHAVEZ-RICHMOND)
PHOTO BY T. CHARLES ERICKSON

Long ago and far away, in the little town of Anatevka, Russia, Tevye the milkman and his wife Golde, from “Fiddler on the Roof” fame, struggled with the happy problem of having too many daughters to find husbands for, and, it wouldn’t hurt if the husbands brought some cows and chickens as a dowry.  A romantic novel by Jane Austen, many decades later, deals with another husband and wife, the Bennets, who also are blessed with a quartet of daughters of marriageable age.  For the Bennets, love is not an issue as much as the size of the prospective suitors’ pocketbooks. 

Set in England in 1813, Long Wharf Theatre has swept the world back in time to a new adaptation by Kate Hamill of Jane Austen’s work of “Pride and Prejudice” capturing the stage until Sunday, December 22.  It is incumbent upon the eldest daughters Jane (Octavia Chavez- Richmond) and Lizzy (Aneisa J. Hicks) to save the family estate Longbourn by marrying well, to suitable men of great wealth, like the mysterious strangers Mr. Bingley (Luis Moreno) and Mr. Darcy (Biko Eisen-Martin), otherwise their home will be lost for lack of a sufficient inheritance.

Mrs. Bennet (Maria Elena Ramirez) is determined to secure the financial future of the family, especially since her husband (Rami Margron) seems more concerned with his newspaper than with the fate of their home should he die.  The other daughters Mary (Luis Moreno) and Lydia (Dawn Elizabeth Clements) do not seem too involved in the marriage game, but the youngest one Lydia soon gets caught up in the playing and acts rashly.

While Bingley and Jane seem to be attracted to each other, Darcy and Lizzy spark anger with the other and he admits after one dance that Lizzy is too plain to attract him.  Other gentlemen in the running for the prize are Wickham and Mr. Collins (both portrayed by Brian Lee Huynh).  The characters frequently cross roles from male to female with facility, aided by the clever costuming by Izumi Inaba, on a sparkling stage designed by Gerardo Diaz Sanchez.

As romances flare and flame, with disappointments and proposals flying through the rose petalled air, one wonders if anyone will find their true love match by play’s curtain.  Interference and problems are created by Anne De Bourgh (Octavia Chavez-Richmond), Lady Catherine (Dawn Elizabeth Clements), Miss Bingley (Brian Lee Huynh) and Charlotte (Rami Margron) who are all clearly jealous and want to stop the courtships, usually to their own favor.  Jess McLeod directs with comic action with fine white kid gloves.

For tickets ($32 and up), call the Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven at 203-787-4282 or online at www.longwharf.org.  Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Come watch Lizzy and her sisters as they engage themselves in the game of wedlock with humorous and romantic results.

YOU’RE INVITED TO A REDNECK CHRISTMAS PARTY AT THE CT. CABARET

You may be disappointed that grandma doesn’t get run over by a reindeer, but that won’t stop you from enjoying the crazy doings at Lou’s Diner as the friendly folks there experience “A Good Old Fashioned Redneck Country Christmas.” Written with tongue in cheek by Kristine Bauske, the Connecticut Cabaret in Berlin has pulled out all the stops and whipped up a blizzard for a Christmas Eve dysfunctional family epoch that needs, nay demands, a holiday miracle to resolve.

While the women folk gather at the homey Lou’s Diner to commiserate over being abandoned by their mates  and the injustice of it all, we are introduced to the owner Lou Wexler (Karen Gagliardi) and her friends and co-workers Darlene (Tracey Brown) and Barbie Jo (Jennifer Nadeau). They have every right to be angry.  After all, it is Christmas Eve and they want to celebrate the holiday.

Apparently their concerns don’t amount to a hill of beer cans as their men have run off to a hunting cabin that doubles as a man cave.  Rick Bennett’s Jimmy, Chris Brooks’ Dave and Russell Fish’s Bill feel justified in their actions and not one whit guilty as the snow piles outside their door.  As macho men, they have no one to answer to but themselves…that is until remorse sets in like a bear snuggling in for a long winter’s nap.

Meanwhile back at Lou’s, a new customer Bob (Dave Wall) serves as narrator and tells the December tale.  Harkening back to Bethlehem, a very pregnant girl, Maria Pompile’s Mary Sue Barbie Jo Lou Archer, appears and soon disappears.  Luckily a medical student James J. Moran’s Mark Riley has a hilarious time when the moment is right and saves the day.

Never fear director Kris McMurray is ready to play midwife and guarantees that a Christmas miracle occurs in all its glory, organizing the action on a clever revolving set designed by James J. Moran.  The entire cast has upped their game for maximum merriment.

For tickets ($35), call the CT Cabaret, 31-33 Webster Square, Berlin at 860-829-1248 or online at www.ctcabaret.com.  Performances are Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7:15 p.m. Remember to bring goodies to share at your table or plan to buy refreshments at the concession set on site.

For more redneck fun and humor, plan to return to the CT Cabaret for a sequel, “A Good Old Fashioned Redneck Country Wedding” April 3 to May 2.  Don’t forget to pre-order your main course: snappy sauted squirrel or mushroom stuffed venison.  Presents are optional.

JOIN THE CTGMC TO CELEBRATE THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS

What would the Christmas holidays be like without a friendly visit from the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus?  Whether they are dressed as elves in green and white pointed hats and slippers or wearing red sequin gowns a la Liza Minelli, you are in for a treat. Have no fear, these jolly gentlemen will be arriving in time for a trio of concerts for your entertainment pleasure with their latest gifts of music.  With festivities and their holiday finery, they will present “Don We Now” at 4 p. m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, December 7 at the elegant Katherine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook and then on Saturday, December 14 at 8 p.m. at the all-new completely redesigned theater at West Haven High School, 1 McDonough Plaza, West Haven.

Get set for a jazzy and joy-filled musical romp that‘s sure to ring them bells and light up your holiday spirits as Greg McMahan, Artistic Director, leads this unique thirty member choir through its well-timed paces. “The holidays arena important time for the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus to bring communities together, embrace our similarities and differences, and build lasting memories." With surprises galore, this is the CGMC after all, the merry men will be joined onstage by guest artist Joyce Jeffrey, a Connecticut-area favorite.  You may remember her as Dolly Levi from Hello, Dolly!,” Mama Rose from “Gypsy,” and Auntie Mame from “Mame.”  Hold on to your hats for a spectacular spin to the North Pole, by way of Broadway, as the reindeer filled sky is the limit.

Celebrating Christmas with the best carolers known to mankind, with a decidedly different design, is a challenge the CGMC relishes as it approaches its thirty-fifth monumental anniversary.  Be prepared to salute the Christmas spirit as you don your own holiday apparel.  No Christmas sweater is too over the top, with festoons of elves and snowmen and Santa and sleighs.  The more the merrier.

For tickets ($25-32), go to ctgmc.org and katherinehepburntheater.org..

“Tis the season to be jolly and what better way to ring them bells and sprinkle yourself with tinsel, then with the fine fellows of the CGMC?  Let the festivities begin!