Pride and Prejudice - Hartford Stage

Playwright Kate Hamill’s rom-com version of the Jane Austen novel Pride and Prejudice has been one of the most produced plays in the country over the last few years.  It has been an area favorite too, receiving stagings at the Long Wharf Theatre in Fall 2019 and Playhouse on Park in Spring 2020. 

 

The cast of Pride and Prejudice.  Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The latest incarnation runs through November 5 at Hartford Stage.  The show is a screwball mash-up that includes gender swapping roles and many of the performers playing multiple characters.  It’s understandable why this version of Pride and Prejudice has been so popular.  Hamill satisfies ardent fans by staying faithful to the book. In addition, she also delivers a spirited work with a mischievous streak to entertain audience members not familiar with the source material and who may want a bit more zing in their theater.

 

Renata Eastlick, Carman Lacivita and Anne Scurria in Pride and Prejudice. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

As with the book, the play revolves around the Bennet family—mother, father and their four daughters--Jane, the family beauty; Mary, the plain, perpetually gloomy sister; Lizzy, independent-minded and strong-willed; and Lydia, young and impetuous.  Mrs. Bennet’s sole purpose in life is to find her daughters suitable husbands, both to aid the family’s fortunes as well as ensure happiness for each young woman.  A succession of men enters their lives to varying degrees of success, but the focus centers on Lizzy and the enigmatic Mr. Darcy.  Their initial encounter, reserved and cool, with ups and downs that confound and embarrass, develops into a relationship that becomes rooted in mutual admiration and, dare I say, love.

 

Zoë Kim, Madeleine Barker.Lana Young and Renata Eastlick in Pride and Prejudice. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Through comedic renderings and irreverent charm, Ms. Hamill preserves the essence of the novel - the pride individuals foster upon themselves and the prejudices people in 19th century England had towards those deemed at a lower social and economic standing.  Director Tatyana-Marie Carlo keeps the pacing up tempo and the character transitions quick.  She adds a number of enjoyable flourishes.  One is the use of a mannequin, dressed as a servant, announcing the entrances of characters.  Another, in homage to the Mel Brooks film, Young Frankenstein, is a foghorn blaring anytime the name Lady Catherine is announced (think Frau Blucher from the movie).

Ms. Carlo properly steers the show to a more poignant, romantic direction at the play’s conclusion.  No gimmicks.  No goofiness.  Just the final adoration between two lovers.

 

María Gabriela González and Zoë Kim in Pride and Prejudice. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

The acting troupe, playing on Sara Brown’s minimal, yet sumptuous set, is more then up to the challenge in presenting the characters in an over-the-top manner.  Interestingly, the two leads, Renata Eastlick as Lizzy and Carman Lacivita as Mr. Darcy, play their roles straight, with only the occasional embellishment.  Ms. Eastlick is splendid as the principled, outspoken Lizzy Bennet who, as the story progresses, becomes more mellow and understanding to others and to her own feelings.  Anne Scurria is marvelous in the dual roles of the reserved, practical Mr. Bennet and the misunderstood Charlotte Lucas.  Lana Young is a dynamo as Mrs. Bennet.  Her pleadings, whimpering, and fatalistic mindset can be hilarious, but sometimes overwhelm the other actors in her vicinity. 

Carman Lacivita’s Mr. Darcy is properly aloof, proud, and awkward among the ladies. Madeleine Barker’s Mary is somewhat overly strange with her glowering expressions and guttural utterances.  Zoё Kim imbues Lydia with a devil-may-care view of life and spunkiness. Sergio Mauritz Ang is fine in his multiple roles and María Gabriela González is satisfying as Jane and a real spectral presence as Miss de Bourgh.

Carman Lacivita and Renata Eastlick in Pride and Prejudice. Photo by T. Charles Erickson.

Haydee Zelideth has created an array of diverse period costumes that take in the spirit of the production.  Aja M. Jackson provides a festive Lighting Design.  Shura Baryshnikov incorporates bursts of choreographic merriment and Daniel Baker & Co. has fashioned some good-humored original music for the production.

 

Pride and Prejudice, playing at Hartford Stage through November 5.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.

Gutenberg - the Musical -- Broadway

Every Broadway season should feature the lively comedic talents of Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells.  The two, who first lit-up the stage as the original stars of The Book of Mormon, display great chemistry together and are a joy to behold.  While they are saddled with lightweight material for their latest Broadway outing - Gutenberg! The Musical - Gad and Rannells still manage enough schtick and nuttiness to provide a humorous and entertaining show that generates more chuckles than outright laughter. 

 

The musical, which debuted Off-Broadway in 2006, tells the story of Bud Davenport and Doug Simon, two nursing home employees who decide one day to pen a Broadway musical.  They sink their life savings into writing and producing a one-shot production, minimally staged and with few props, to impress a big-time producer.  They come up with the idea of the life of Johannes Gutenberg, the creator of the printing press.  When they conduct research - via Google - they discover scant information about the German inventor, which allows them to create a piece of historical fiction - emphasis on the fiction.

 

The plot follows Gutenberg as he transforms his wine press to the haloed printing press.  Complications, of course, ensue.  Added to the mix are assorted townsfolk; Helvetica, the women who loves him; and, to add a dash of menace and intrigue, a Mad Monk.  Gad and Rannells portray all the varied roles as they don yellow visored baseball caps, with a character’s name emblazoned on front.  The gimmick works as Director Alex Timbers weaves in quick changes and even a chorus line of hats during one number.  In between scenes, Bud and Doug provide commentary on the show, reveal secrets of stagecraft, and disclose aspects of their personal lives.  These asides, including the introduction to the musical, are some of the funniest moments of the show

Scott Brown and Anthony King, who collaborated on the book, music, and lyrics bring a jocular wit and kookiness to the story.  Even with the talents of Gad and Rannells, the concept begins to run out of steam by its conclusion.  Their score, which includes such ditties as "I Can't Read," "Biscuits," "Stop The Press," and "Monk With Me" works well within the confines of the musical itself, but you won’t be humming any of the tunes as you leave the beautifully renovated James Earl Jones Theater (formerly the Cort Theater).

 

Josh Gad and Alex Rannells are inspired schlemiels.  Their tomfoolery and antics constantly light up the stage.  The two actors are clearly enjoying themselves and play wonderfully off the audience’s reactions.  What impressed me most about their performances was how diligently they were working to make the show succeed. 

 

Director Alex Timbers, who also guided the original Off-Broadway production, inserts enough gags and silliness to keep the production humming smoothly. His inclusion of the three-person band on-stage - the Middlesex Six (yes, there are only three of them), the best wedding band in New Jersey - furthers the illusion of a low-cost, threads-bare production.  Even with the constant barrage of shenanigans, there is a purposeful manner to the musical, which keeps it from spiraling out of control.

 

Gutenberg! The Musical, a beguiling and mirthful diversion, playing a limited run through January 28, 2024.

 

 

Lizzie - Theaterworks Hartford

The story of Lizzie Borden has transfixed artists for 100 years.  One of the latest entries into this abundant mix is the musical Lizzie, the first production of Theaterworks Hartfords’s 2023 – 2024 season.  The show has the look and feel of an Off-Broadway (even Off-Off-Broadway) production with an indie-laced rock score, an on-stage band, and abstract videos projected continuously on the side panels of the small performance space.

 

The cast of Lizzie - Nora Schell, Sydney Shepherd, Courtney Basset and Kim Onah. 

Photo by Mike Marques.

The show, which runs a scant 95 minutes (this includes a brief intermission), is an eclectic examination of the possible root causes for Ms. Borden’s 40 whacks to her stepmother and father.  Entertaining in a raucous, sometimes concert-like fashion, Lizzie is peformed by four dynamic actresses.  There is Sydney Shepherd, a waif-like, troubled young woman at the center of the fray.  Courtney Bassett, her practical, yet off-center sister Emma; Kim Onah, Lizzie’s friend, maybe lover, Alice Russell; and Nora Schell, the household maid Bridget Sullivan.

 

The book by Tim Maner supposes a number of possibilities for Lizzie’s unlady-like behavior:  sexual abuse, disinheritance, dislike for her stepmother, and simple madness.  They are presented as short scenes, alternating between quick bursts of dialogue and full-throttled songs under Erika R. Gamez’s tight musical direction and Megan Culley’s piercing Sound Design.  The score by Steven Cheslik-Demeyer, Alan Stevens Hewitt and Tim Maner reminded me of the songs I’d hear in my youth at the clubs in New York City’s East Village.  Loud, sometimes indiscernible but, more often than not, somehow melodic.

 

Sydney Shepherd in Lizzie.  Photo by Mike Marques.

Brian Prather’s Scenic Design - a wall of doors – appears to represent vistas into the characters’ soul or psyche. The center doorway, suddenly opening and closing throughout Act I, seems like the gates of hell itself.

 

The first part of the show’s garb, from Costume Designer Saawan Tiwari, and lighting, from Rob Denton, are done with greys, blacks, with a splash of red.  This helps give the audience a feel for the repressed, controlled environs of the characters.  It fits into what Director Lainie Sakakura states in the program notes about Lizzie – it gives “a voice for the marginalized, the furious, oppressed and ignored. “

 

In the second half of the show – the trial and its aftermath – the drab puritanical appearance of the musical is wildly transformed to a more empowered, feminist-centric celebration.  The band rolls on to the stage, the women appear freer and the outfits lean towards pop singer Madonna, circa late 70’s, early 80’s.

 

Kim Noah and Sydney Shepherd in Lizzie.  Photo by Mike Marques.

Ms. Sakakura effectively incorporates Camilla Tassi’s conceptual projections to give the production an eerie, menacing aura.  The director weaves all of this into a compact, entertaining musical.  It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the engaging cast and sheer exuberance of the show make Lizzie a theatrical experience well-worth taking.

 

Lizzie, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through October 29.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Wish You Were Here - Yale Repertory Theatre

In the Yale Repertory Theatre’s bittersweet, sometimes humorous, and deeply moving play, Wish Your Were Here, we view the lives of five young, vivacious university women in Iran.  Their friendship, their bonding radiates from the stage with realism and joy. 

The cast of Wish You Were Here.  Photo by Joan Marcus.

 

The play takes place over a 12-year time frame, beginning in 1978 when the Shah still ruled the country, through the Islamic Revolution, the Iran/Iraq war and then peace time.  During this period, we witness their good times together, the strains in their relationship and, finally, how each woman has been defined. Playwright Sanaz Toossi, a 2023 Pulitzer Prize winner, deftly blends in the politics and religious upheaval occurring at the time, without being preachy or didactic. 

 

The 100 minute, intermission-less show, opens with the women preening over Salme (Bahar Beihaghi) as she prepares for her wedding.  Her friends – Nazanin (Anita Abdinezhad), Rana (Vaneh Assadourian), Zari (Ava Lalezarzadeh), and Shideh (Shadee Vossoughi) - are boisterous and full of life, joking about sex and their future aspirations.  However, change is in the air.  Soon, the normalcy they revel in begins to transform, altering their closely intertwined lives forever.

 

Ava Lalezarzadeh and Shadee Vossoughi from Wish You Were Here. Photo by Joan Marcus.

Ms. Toossi has structured the show with 10 scenes depicting various groupings of the women.  It is notable that they only share the opening scene together.  Her portrayal of each of the friends is well-rounded and distinct.  The inclusion of a sixth women near the end of the play, referred to as “New Friend,” is somewhat awkward and disrupts the flow of her work.

 

Director Sivan Battat powerfully packs each vignette with highly-charged emotions and winsome musings. She efficiently incorporates Scenic Designer Omid Akbari’s movable set to suggest different apartment drawing rooms.  Sam Skynner’s Projections, seen on the side panels of the stage between scene changes, show nostalgic and affecting videos of a peaceful, playful time for the five friends.

 

The five main characters, previously mentioned, are a well-synchronized group that blend beautifully together.  Each, with her own well-defined personality, is given moments to shine.  In the role of Nazanin, Ms. Abdinezhad is the one constant throughout the show and, therefore, her growth and disillusionment is more fully realized.

 

Wish You Were Here, playing at the Yale Repertory Theatre through October 28.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Joan Joyce! - Seven Angels Theatre

The new musical Joan Joyce!, playing at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury, is the second iteration of the show.  It had its world-premiere at the Legacy Theatre in Branford, CT in 2021.

 

Joan Joyce was a sports phenomenon, who grew up in Waterbury.  She has been described as the greatest female athlete in history, surpassing even Babe Didrikson.  Her main sport was softball and the records she holds as a pitcher are too numerous to list.  However, Ms. Joyce also excelled in other sports arenas such as basketball and the LPGA tour.  Her 17 putts in one round of golf is the lowest ever on the men or women’s professional circuit.  Did I mention she struck out both Ted Williams and Hank Aaron in an exhibition event?

The cast of Joan Joyce!

 

The musical, rendered by just an off-stage piano, contains a serviceable score with music by Brad Ross, Matthew Harrison and David Bell; lyrics by Keely Baisden Knudsen (who also co-wrote the book, directs and stars in the show) and Lauren Salatto-Rosenay).  There is rudimentary choreography by Jennifer A. Buonfiglio and an engaging cast.  However, as crafted by book writers Keely Baisden-Knudson and Lauren Salatto-Rosenay, Joan Joyce! comes across more as an episode of “This is Your Life,” then a full-fledged musical.  The facts and anecdotes they present in short vignettes are attention-grabbing, but not necessarily structured for a book musical.

 

At one side of the stage is the character of the author (Al Bundonis), based on writer Tony Renzoni who wrote the book, “Connecticut Softball Legend Joan Joyce.”  On the other side of the stage is Ms. Joyce (Keely Baisden-Knudson).  The author heartily asks questions and Joan Joyce responds in a languid, matter-of-fact manner.  Helping move the production along is a large movie screen, hanging center stage, which projects vintage photos of Joan Joyce, newsreels and newspaper headlines.  While somewhat distracting, they are interesting to watch this legend in action.

 

Kiersten Bjork as a young Joan Joyce in the musical Joan Joyce!

Underneath the screen and in between the straightforward questions, a group of performers present moments from her life and her sporting accomplishments.  The Director settles for a relaxed, unhurried approach to the material.  The incorporation of the Q & A session with the musical interludes and dramatic pieces is not always crisp enough to allow for a good pacing of the show.  Ms. Knudson does allow for an ample number of projections, marvelously rendered by Lauren Salatto-Rosenay, to amplify this wondrous story.

 

The troupe of actors and actresses are charming and likeable.  Most of the featured cast members play multiple roles as the show meanders to its finale.  Kiersten Bjork, who plays the teenage Joan Joyce, stands out among the performers.  She radiates a warmth and enthusiasm that, overall, is lacking in the production.  Ms. Bjork also has a wonderful singing voice.

 

Joan Joyce!, playing at the Seven Angels Theater in Waterbury, CT through October 22.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

A Hundred Words for Snow - CT Repertory Theatre

A journey through grief and self-discovery is at the heart of the one-woman show, A Hundred Words for Snow, playing at the CT Repertory Theatre in Storrs until October 15.  This is the company’s first production of the 2023 – 2024 season and marks the beginning of their first full Equity season since the pandemic. 

 

Tea Guarino in A Hundred Words of Snow.  Photo by Mattias Lundblad.

The actress Tea Guarino, in a superb performance, plays Rory, a teenager who has just lost her father, a geography teacher at her school, in a car accident. The two were very close and shared a sense of adventure together.  As she tries to process her loss, she rummages around her dad’s now empty home office, an urn with his cremated remains in hand.  Rory discovers his personal journey about a planned trip to The North Pole.  In fact, an itinerary has already been mapped out.  In a flash, the young woman decides to travel from England to the top of the world to scatter his ashes.  From there, as Sherlock Holmes would state, “the game is afoot.”

 

Playwright Tatty Hennessy has crafted an exciting adventure yarn leavened with a story that handles the loss of a loved one and the emergence of a teen’s sexual awakening.  The almost two-hour, intermission-less, show could be pared down, but the work does captivate as the epic expedition hurtles towards its heartfelt conclusion.  Ms. Hennessy has drawn a fully-fledged character in Rory.  We feel her pain and quietly cheer her triumphs.

 

Tea Guarino in A Hundred Words for Snow. Photo by Mattias Lundblad.

The actress Tea Guarino, slight in build, with expressive features and a bubbly personality, beautifully and exuberantly embodies the adventurous teenager.  She conveys a toughness and resolve, but also an emotional depth that broadens her portrayal.  Ms. Guarino is a compelling storyteller, a necessary attribute for a one-woman show.

 

Brendon Fox’s direction has a quickened pace, which briskly moves the action from a comfortable British home to the wilds of Norway and beyond.  He adeptly incorporates moments of reflection with scenes of urgency and determination.  The Director effectively integrates Christina J. Garner’s Scenic Design of a simple, painterly backdrop resembling snow and ice.  There is one movable set piece, resembling a broken piece of ice floe, but also serves a variety of purposes during the show.  Hannah Corbett’s Lighting and Dennis Dowding’s Sound Design provide nuance and subtlety to the play.

 

A Hundred Words for Snow, a striking production with a bravo performance by Tea Guarino.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.

The 12 - Goodspeed Opera House

In the musical Hamilton, Aaron Burr sings about “The Room Where It Happens.”  The song postulates what occurred out of earshot of history – the secret deal Alexander Hamilton made with Thomas Jefferson and James Madison on the Compromise of 1790.

 

In the new musical The 12, playing at the Goodspeed Opera House through October 29, the Pulitzer and Tony Award winning playwright Robert Schenkkah assumes and hypothesizes the actions of the 12 Apostles of Christ immediately after his death.  Dramatizing conjecture in a five-minute song, as in Hamilton, is easier and more sustainable than, like The 12, an 85-minute, intermission-less show.  This is the crux of the challenge for the creative team – crafting a viable show within the limitations of the material.  They succeed to a degree but, overall, the musical becomes repetitive and is just a satisfactory theatrical experience.

 

The cast of Goodspeed's THE 12. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The premise of the musical, as stated above, is straightforward.  The group has taken refuge in a deserted a graffiti -laden warehouse crafted by Scenic Designer/Director John Doyle.  There, the Apostles through oration and song, begin to question themselves and each other:  Why are we here?  What shall we do?  Why did he choose us?  Their plight is amplified by Japhy Weidman’s intermittent, yet prominent lighting and the thunderous sound design by Jay Hilton.

 

There is a great deal of angst, self-doubt, and shouting as The 12 seek to sort out their sudden, imperiling situation and move forward.

 

Wesley Taylor, Rema Webb and the cast of THE 12. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The score by Neil Berg and Robert Schenkkah is a powerful, mostly rock-infused work, but there are also folk, gospel and traditional Broadway melodies.  Listening to the songs reminded me of the original concept album for Jesus Christ Superstar.  The songs in the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice compositions are also dynamic and cover a number of genres.  With Superstar, however, I have never been wholly satisfied with a stage production based on the LP.  Likewise, with The 12, I am more impressed with the score as a distinct entity.  A few of the songs are more notable.  “Rain,” a plaintive tune sung with intensity and conviction by Rema Webb (Mother Mary) and the vigorous ensemble number “Rise Up.”

 

Tony Award winning Director John Doyle brings a unique perspective to the show.  Before turning his energies to the theater, he was planning to go into the priesthood which, according to Berg and Schenkkan, makes him “intimately familiar with miracles, religious and secular.”  Still, even his creative talents cannot keep up the dramatic tension necessary for the show to truly succeed.  There just seems to be too much busy work for the actors – moving steel drums, climbing ladders, sidling from one side of the stage to the other.

The cast of Goodspeed's THE 12. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The acting troupe is earnest and committed to their roles.  A sense of seriousness pervades their portrayals.  While The 12 is more of an ensemble piece, a few cast members stand out.  Wesley Taylor is striking as “Doubting” Tom adding a level of unease and conflict as he barrages his fellow followers with questions of faith and intention.  Adrienne Walker gives a winning performance as Mary Magdalene.  The actress is forceful, direct, and a calming influence on her co-conspirators.  Rema Webb brings a serene intensity to the role of Mother Mary.  She also possesses a beautiful and haunting voice which, disappointingly, is spotlighted just once during the show.

 

The 12, a different Goodspeed musical, playing through October 29.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.