Ragtime - Goodspeed Opera House

Powerful.  Emotionally stirring.  Ragtime, playing at the Goodspeed Opera House, running through June 15, is one of their finest productions in recent memory.  The large cast is superb, with dynamic performances, voices that soar, and directed with great skill and passion by Christopher D. Betts.

 

The cast of Goodspeed's Ragtime. Photo by Diane Sobolewski

The musical, based on the E.L. Doctorow novel, and centered at the beginning of the 20^th century, presents what could be referred to as the American dream from three primary viewpoints.  The dream, however, is not always fulfilled or without pain.  It has an intricate plot with an absorbing libretto by Terrence McNally that chronicles the accounts of three groups.  There is the White upper-class family living in New Rochelle, New York.  They comprise Father (Edward Watts), Mother (Mamie Parris), Little Boy (Sawyer Delaney) and Mother’s Younger Brother (Behr Marshall).  There is the Black populace struggling with acceptance as well as racism.  The key figures are Coalhouse Walker, Jr. (Michael Wordly) and his love, Sarah (Brennyn Lark).  Lastly, the poor immigrants arriving in America.  The key character is Tateh (David R. Gordon) and his daughter, Little Girl (Sofie Nesanelis).  As Ragtime progresses, the plot merges together their separate storylines into a larger, more inclusive whole.  In addition, the show incorporates well-known historical figures, such as Henry Ford, Harry Houdini, Booker T. Washington, and Emma Goldman, that are woven into the narration and action of the musical.

Michael Wordly (center) and the cast of Goodspeed's Ragtime. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The music and lyrics by Lynne Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty is their finest score in their decades long, illustrious partnership.  The songs drive the story forward while also defining a degree of complexity to the multitude of characters in the show.  The performer’s voices are strong and resonate deeply throughout the Goodspeed theater.  Within the musical, there are lofty ballads (“Your Daddy’s Son,” “Wheels of a Dream), tone-setting numbers (“New Music,” “The Night That Goldman Spoke at Union Square”), and comedic compositions (“Crime of the Century,” What a Game”).

Behr Marshall, Edward Watts, Mamie Parris, Sawyer Delaney and Stephen Tewksbury in Goodspeed's Ragtime. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

Director Christopher D. Betts helms Ragtime with an assured confidence, whether they are intimate moments with the production or large-scale scenes with numerous cast members.  He shows his mettle right from the start as the three groups are introduced and then intertwine and crisscross with each other in a hesitant, but forward-moving procession.  The Director guides the show with a steady pace, building to both a heart-wrenching finale for one story and optimism for another.  Ragtime, is not a dance-oriented musical, but Choreographer Sara Edwards, nonetheless, gives the production some swagger throughout the show.

Sofie Nesanelis, David R. Gordon and the cast of Goodspeed's Ragtime. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

There is not a weak performance in the production, however there are five that are worth noting.  Mamie Parris, as Mother, brings well-bred poise to the role as the repressed New Rochelle matriarch.  She adeptly transforms from a meek, obedient wife to a confident, more free-thinking woman.   Michael Wordly imbues Coalhouse Walker, Jr. with charm, thoughtfulness, and fight.  He, along with Brennyn Lark’s Sarah, are characters we come to care for and mourn.  While all the actors and actresses have beautiful voices, Ms. Lark’s singing almost raises the rafters in its power.   David R. Gordon delivers an impassioned performance as Tateh, full of angst and despair, but also exhilaration and contentment.  The young Sawyer Delaney, in the small role of Little Son, injects a modicum of humor and delight throughout the show.

 

Mia Gerachis and the cast of Goodspeed's Ragtime. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

The creative team’s impact greatly contributes to the success of the musical.  Emmie Finckel’s Set Design beautifully mirrors the ironwork motifs coming into vogue during this time-period.  Charlie Morrison’s Lighting Design is effective in pinpointing activity on stage.  Jay Hilton’s Sound Design is perfectly modulated so you can actually hear the song lyrics.  Stephanie Bahniuk’s Costume Designs and Tenel Dorsey’s Wig, Hair & Makeup aptly showcase the couture of the early 20^th century.

 

Michael Wordly and Brennyn Lark in Goodspeed's Ragtime. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.

Ragtime, a show to savor, playing at the Goodspeed Opera House through June 15.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Fool's Paradise - Thrown Stone

Fool’s Paradise, receiving its world premiere at the Thrown Stone theater company, begins with an interesting premise.  Two couples, vacationing at an eco-friendly, all-inclusive resort in the Caribbean, are suddenly plunged into chaos when a nuclear disaster occurs on a nearby island.  Communication to the outside world becomes non-existent.  The extent of the catastrophe is unknown.  How do they handle their new reality?  For the most part, without that much of a sense of urgency.  That is my main issue with the show.  With the way playwright Jonathan Winn has set the stage, only one character, Lorraine (Dana Eskelson), the wife of the older couple, is at all horrified as she continually frets about the safety of her son on the mainland.  The other characters are more at ease with the upheaval in their lives.  Bill (Steven Hauck), Lorraine’s husband, and owner of the travel agency that booked the excursion, believes (maybe pretends) there’s not much to worry about.  Wendy (Julia Atwood), the young wife of Marc (Alan Hayhurst), who scrimped for a year to afford the trip, is levelheaded until a momentous announcement late in the show.  Marc, who has been out-of-work for over a year and wants to save the world – literally – pivots from contentment to naïve espousements.

 

As the play progresses, Winn has not introduced much drama among the foursome even though the fate of the world may be at hand.  They snorkel, play cards.  Towards the end of the play, there is a twist, but that only leads to marital discord and discussions of changes in domestic life.  There are too many incongruities in the plot and situation that keep popping up.  What is going on with the other guests and staff in the hotel where there still might be hundreds of people?  Is anarchy breaking out?  There is not a sense of danger until the abrupt conclusion.  Characters appear in hazmat suits.  Where did these garbs come from?  If there is radiation, wouldn’t their suits possibly irradiate the others upon their return to the hotel suite?  A birthday cake is whipped up by the pastry chef three weeks into the catastrophe.  Wouldn’t food start to be rationed?  The uncertainty of time is always at the fore, which makes it hard to follow the events that are unfolding. 

 

Director James Dean Palmer lets the action evolve at a steady, yet nondescript pace.  He incorporates characters in costumes – the aforementioned hazmat suits and snorkeling attire – to add diversion.  Sometimes characters, most notably Lorraine, speak away from the audience, making it hard to hear.

 

The cast is fine, but come across as more two-dimensional persons.  Their performances would have benefitted with more of a backstory or complexity they could latch on to. 

 

The set design by Marcelo Martinez Garcia is lavish and worthy of a well-heeled resort, but it is almost too large for the stage. 

 

Even with all the issues with the production, Fool’s Paradise does deserve more developmental work.  There is a show of substance lurking behind what is currently on the stage.

 

Fool’s Paradise runs through May 10 at Thrown Stone theater in Norwalk.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

33rd Annual Connecticut Critics Circle Awards - Monday, June 23, 2025

The 33rd Annual Connecticut Critics Circle (CCC) Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday, June 23, 2025 at the Event Center at Housatonic Community College (HCC).  The Awards period covers shows that opened between June 1, 2024 – May 20, 2025. Due to budgetary constraints, we will not be holding a reception this year.

 

The annual awards show is the only event in the state which brings the theater community together.  It is a powerfully moving evening with artists —many who have devoted their careers to regional theater — receiving an all-too-rare tribute. It’s also an opportunity to promote the vast talent and productions our famously theatrical state has produced, from its Tony Award-winning regional theaters to well-established venues to emerging professional groups making new names for themselves.

 

Our event is free and open to the public and annually attracts hundreds of theatergoers from all corners of the state. The ceremony and awards recipients receive press attention in media outlets in Connecticut and beyond.  Click here to reserve tickets.

 

Additionally, the Awards Ceremony will be live streamed for individuals that cannot attend the event.  More information will be posted on the CT Critics Circle website later this month.

 

There is free parking on the floors in the enclosed HCC parking garage, 870 Lafayette Blvd., which is next to Beacon Hall where the Event Center is located.  Parking on the right side will bring you closest to the elevator.

 

We hope you will join us in helping the CCC, a not-for-profit organization, celebrate theater in Connecticut.

Primary Trust - Theaterworks Hartford

The 2024 Pulitzer-Prize winning play, Primary Trust, is receiving a highly satisfying production at Theaterworks Hartford, running through May 11.   The show is a deep-dive into an individual’s personal trauma and how it has affected his employment, relationships, self-confidence, and interactions with the world.  The strength of playwright Eboni Booth’s work is its realism and pacing.  Information and reveals unfold at steady, incremental pace.  Unlike many plays I’ve seen, Primary Trust does not unload a character’s background story and emotional framework at its climax.

Ricardo Chavira, Justin Weaks, and Hilary Ward in Primary Trust.  Photo by Mike Marques.

The play begins with Kenneth (Justin Ward) breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience, giving background to his life and town à la the opening moments of the show Our Town.  His life in the small urban area is unassuming and follows the same daily routine for the past 20 years – work at the second-hand bookstore and then retire for Happy Hour at Wally’s, a old-style tiki-themed restaurant with his best friend, “Bert (Samuel Stricklen).”  They share stories, laugh, drink mai tais, and thoroughly enjoy each other’s company.  When the owner of the bookstore, where Kenneth works, suddenly announces he is selling, his world is thrown for a loop.  While he manages to quickly find employment at a local bank, the future is no longer predictable or secure.

 

This leads to a chain of events that includes a budding friendship with a Wally’s server, Corrina (Hilary Ward), an impactful connection with his new boss Sam (Ricardo Chavira) and, most importantly, his transformative relationship with Bert.  As the play concludes, Kenneth is a different person, with his life moving forward in a positive direction.  The pain and internal doubts remain, to some degree, but his continued changes and on-going development bode well for his future.

Justin Weaks and Samuel Sticklen in Primary Trust.  Photo by Mike Marques.

Ms. Booth has crafted a work that is skillfully layered, mixing audience directed monologues with the banalities of everyday life.  Each scene effectively builds on the play’s previous moments, slowly building a credible portrayal of an individual overcoming person demons and hardships.

 

Director Jennifer Chang capably mixes the various dramatic elements of the production into a rewarding whole.  She proficiently incorporates Set Designer Nicholas Ponting’s varied moveable set pieces to keep the show flowing with nary a pause.  Ms. Chang adeptly moves the action along, whether comedic or more penetrating in nature.

 

Much of the success of Primary Trust is due to the actor Justin Weaks.  He is on-stage for just about the entire 90+ minutes of the play and is able to command the audience’s attention with his sincerity, vulnerability, and emotional conflicts.  Samuel Stricklen’s Bert, expressively provides a counter-balance to that of Kenneth.  He is relaxed, confident, and well-balanced.  Ricardo Chavira, playing multiple roles but, primarily the banker Sam, injects a dose of comic relief into the production as does Hilary Ward in her multiple restaurant server roles.  Her principal portrayal, that of Corrina, is handsomely rendered, especially in her one-on-one interactions with Kenneth.

 

Primary Trust, playing at Theaterworks Hartford through May 11.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Operation Mincemeat - Broadway

I have been a fan of the musical Operation Mincemeat ever since I heard the original cast recording almost two years ago.  However, I had some trepidation before seeing the show once it opened on Broadway.  Fortunately, any concerns were short-lived.  Operation Mincemeat is wild, manic, and exhaustively inventive.  The show is the brainchild of the comedy troupe SpitLip and members David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts wrote the book, music, and lyrics.  The quartet takes their inspiration from such thoroughly British sources as Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Benny Hill, and the theatrical productions of The 39 Steps and The Play That Goes Wrong.

 

The plot is based on the real-life ploy by the British army to deceive the German forces into thinking the Allies would invade Sardina instead of Sicily during a critical moment in World War II.  How?  Simple.  Fake a crash landing of a British fighter jet with a corpse holding fake invasion plans and hope the papers find their way to the head of German command.  Spoiler Alert - it works.

 

The five-person cast, embodying multiple characters, utilizing minimal sets (Ben Stones) and a brisk story-telling modus operandi, blazes a path of comedic hijinks and ingenious theatrical gimmicks.  Robert Hastie is resourceful and extremely creative in his directing prowess.  He adeptly manages the numerous quick character turnarounds and shows a skillfulness with handling the physical and verbal comedy.  The phone sequence outside the Spanish Coroner’s Office is a gem of mayhem and laughs.  Choreographer Jenny Arnold contributes upbeat numbers that add a dash of splash to the production.

 

The score is tuneful, funny and, at times, touching.  The character Hester Leggat’s (Jak Malone) song, “Dear Bill,” a fictional love letter she dictates to be included with the dead man’s personnel effects, leaves nary a dry eye in the house.  Conversely, the aptly named “Glitzy Finale” pulls out all the stops for, well, a glitzy sendoff.

 

The cast, which plays with swapping gender roles, is zany and altogether amusing.  Still, while jocularity reigns supreme, their primary portrayals are well-grounded as they push the story forward.   Three members of SpitLip are also in the musical - David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts.  The aforementioned Jak Malone and Claire-Marie Hall, round out the superb cast.

 

With all the accolades, there is one glaring issue with Operation Mincemeat – Mike Walker’s Sound Design.  When the full cast sings, the lyrics are almost indecipherable due to the mix between the vocals and band.   In addition, besides Ms. Hall, the other performers don’t come across as trained singers.  All of this is demonstrably obvious in the Act II opening number “Uber Mensch,” which is loud and just about incoherent.

 

Operation Mincemeat, extended through February 2026, playing at the Golden Theater on Broadway.

Good Night, and Good Luck - Broadway

George Clooney’s return to live theater is a triumph.  In Good Night, and Good Luck, the Hollywood star proves his mettle on the Broadway stage where he portrays the legendary newscaster Edward R. Murrow.  The show, based on the movie of the same name, centers on his reportage, and ultimate take-down, of the junior Senator from Wisconsin, Joseph McCarthy, whose anti-Communist crusade brought a dark period to the country.  Clooney and Grant Heslov wrote the screenplay for the film and have adapted it for the stage.  It is a no-nonsense, fast-moving production that is enlivened by Scott Pask’s highly detailed, large-scale Scenic Design of the CBS television studios.  Daniel Kluger’s well-calibrated, ambient Lighting Design and David Bengali’s superb projections contribute to the realism of the show.

 

With Clooney in the lead, the producers have been able to surround him with seasoned actors and a cast size that accurately depicts how the news is debated, gathered, and finally presented to the American people.  Clooney, who has the look, cadence, and mannerisms of Murrow (including his constant smoking), brings a deliberate and intense focus to the role.  It’s not flashy, but his passion and forcefulness shine bright.  While his name is above the title, he unselfishly subsumes himself within the dynamics of the show.

 

Director David Cromer assuredly helms the production, weaving in all the characters, with their hurriedness and assorted assignments.  The Winter Garden stage is a large space, but by compartmentalizing, the director makes the events flow effortlessly and keeps the focus on the weightiness of the story.  He deftly incorporates the video projections where they become a central, but not overpowering feature, of the show.  Cromer also utilizes a unique device for scene changes - a jazz combo with the sounds of the day, led by the smooth-sounding Georgia Herrs, in a recording studio, above the stage.

 

In addition to George Clooney, other notable actors among the cast are Glenn Fleshler as the affable, principled Fred Friendly, Murrow’s producer (the role Clooney played in the film); Clark Gregg as Murrow’s friend and fellow broadcaster, the troubled Don Hollenbeck; and Paul Gross as the questioning, but steadfast supporter, CBS President William F. Paley.

 

From the very first moments of the show, when Edward R. Murrow is at a podium in front of the curtain, delivering a low-key, yet passionate speech, the similarities to today’s political world are, sadly, striking.  Everything the newsman fought against – the untruths, unjust persecutions, contempt for the law of the land – are repeating themselves over 70 years later.  The show, which uses McCarthy’s own words to indict himself, demonstrates what a free, unencumbered press can accomplish. 

 

Good Night, and Good Luck, playing at the Winter Garden Theater through June 8, 2025.

Agnes of God - Westport Community Theatre

The psychologically intense, Agnes of God, is receiving a superb production at the Westport Community Theatre.  Under Director Tom Holehan’s assured guidance, the three-character play is a penetrating examination of faith, spirituality, and their intersection with science.  In some sense, the production can also be viewed as a cryptic murder mystery.

The plot appears simple and straightforward – Agnes, a novice nun has given birth in her room and possibly killed and hidden the child.  However, she has no memory of the event.  Before going to trial, a court-appointed psychologist is retained to examine the young girl, much to the disapproval of the Mother Superior.  What transpires are multiple therapeutic sessions to possibly determine the real series of events behind the incident.  In between, Dr. Livingston and the head of the convent butt heads until some finality comes to the proceedings.

Priscilla Squiers in Agnes of God at the Westport Community Theatre.

Playwright John Pielmeier has crafted a show that is packed with thoughtful arguments, moral debates, and plenty of twists.  His characters are confident in their motivations, yet still exhibit flawed behaviors, which also humanizes them. 

 

Priscilla Squiers imbues Dr. Martha Livingston with a convincing, naturalistic approach to her work.  She is appropriately soft-spoken, even motherly, and direct with Agnes.  However, when necessary, the actress has no problem demonstrating combativeness with the Mother Superior.  Lucy Babbitt displays a practiced versatility as the domineering Mother Superior.  She demonstrates a roller-coaster of emotions and attitudes in her ideological battles and philosophical debates.  The actress adeptly invokes sympathy as well as anger as the layers of her professional and personal life are slowly, sometimes abruptly peeled apart.  Céline Montaudy’s performance as Agnes is almost childlike.  While not as nuanced as her other cast members, she convincingly conveys a young woman who is confused and in torment.

 

The cast of Agnes of God at the Westport Community Theatre.

Holehan makes good use of Al Kulcsar’s minimalist set and Jeff Klein’s unassuming, ambient lighting design.  The Director adroitly paces the show, starting slowly and patiently building up its intensity.

 

Agnes of God, playing at the Westport Community Theatre through April 12.  Click here for dates, times and ticket information.