Native Garden - Hartford Stage

There are a lot of “isms” in Karen Zacarías’ funny and pointed play Native Gardens.  The work nimbly incorporates issues of ageism, classism, a touch of racism, environmentalism, regionalism, and sexism into the plot, which focuses on a land dispute by neighbors in an upscale section of Washington, D.C.  Doctoral candidate Tania Del Valle (Alina Collins Maldonado) and her lawyer husband Pablo Del Valle (Bradley Tejeda), a young couple with a baby on the way, have recently moved into a fixer-upper in an upmarket neighborhood.  Next door is longtime residents Virginia Butley (Judith Lightfoot Clarke), a high-ranking engineer at a defense contractor and her husband Frank Butley (Greg Wood), a GSA employee and gardening enthusiast.  Their initial backyard get-together is unassuming and cordial until unchangeable events, long-held attitudes, and an incorrect property line sends the twosomes into a tizzy.  Encounters escalate, harsh words are exchanged on either side until an early blessing occurs and…brief blackout.  When the lights go up, it’s weeks later and let’s just say there is a “kumbaya” moment.  Everyone lives happily ever after.

Bradley Tejeda and Alina Collins Maldonado, and Greg Wood in Native Gardens at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson. 

 

With Native Gardens, Zacarías presents a simple problem that many audience members can relate to and then deftly, in a step-by-step manner, ratchets up the noise level and tension.  The focus here is on the yards of each household.  Scenic Designer Lawrence E. Moten III has crafted an beautifully landscaped set for the Butley’s backyard and a plot needing a lot of love for the Del Valle’s space.  For such an everyday setting, the playwright manages to layer in a great deal of contemporary issues that come across as natural and spontaneous. 

Bradley Tejeda and Alina Collins Maldonado, and Greg Wood in Native Gardens at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson. 

 

The show is impeccably directed by Nicole A. Watson.  She judiciously utilizes the 90-minute time frame to create two convincing households that are trying to delicately persuade the other of their misguided position.  Like a closely fought fencing match, Ms. Watson has the terrific ensemble cast consistently lunge and parry, attack and feint. 

Greg Wood and Judith Lightfoot Clarke in Native Gardens at Hartford Stage. Photo by T. Charles Erickson. 

 

As stated, the performers are marvelous, each providing their own obsession and idiosyncrasy to forge a dynamic whole.  Greg Wood (Frank Butley) oozes anxiety and a passive/aggressive forcefulness.  Judith Lightfoot Clarke (Virginia Butley) exudes a confidence and vulnerability as a woman protecting her turf, but also scarred by years of proving herself in a hostile working environment.  Bradley Tejeda (Pablo Del Valle) effectively imbues his character with bravado tinged with fretfulness as he works to be a success at work and home.  Alina Collins Maldonado’s role of Tania Del Valle is the calm amidst the storm.  The actress superbly portrays a very pregnant woman who is, mostly, level-headed, at times mediator and antagonist.  Her practicality and inner fortitude play well as she jousts or cajoles the other characters.

 

Native Gardens, playing at Hartford Stage through May 10.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Primary Trust - Westport Country Playhouse

Last week, I attended the second production within the past year of the 2024 Pulitzer-Prize winning play, Primary Trust, at the Westport Country Playhouse.  Last year, TheaterWorks Hartford staged the show, which won the Best Play from the Connecticut Critics Circle for the 2024-2025 season.   As I sat in the audience this time around, I came to appreciate even more playwright Eboni Booth’s writing, both with her richly defined characters and the plotting of the work.  The show is a gem, and the production at Westport is outstanding and should not be missed. 

 

Greg Stuhr, Lance Coadie Williams, and Alphonso Walker Jr. in Primary Trust.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Primary Trust is a show that delves into the character Kenneth’s personal trauma and how, over the course of 28 years, it has affected his employment, relationships, self-confidence, and interactions with the world.  The play is, at times, heartbreaking, but, by the end, uplifting.  Throughout the show, with the ups and downs Kenneth faces, you are cheering for him to succeed and make connections, which will further his life.  By the final curtain of the 90-minute show, I had a tear in my eye.

 

The play begins with Kenneth (Alphonso Walker, Jr.) 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 town’s second-hand bookstore and then retire for Happy Hour at Wally’s, an old-style tiki-themed restaurant with his best friend, “Bert (Lance Coadie Williams).”  They share stories, laugh, drink mai tais, and thoroughly enjoy each other’s company.  When the owner of the bookstore suddenly announces he is selling, Kenneth’s 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.

 

Jasminn Johnson and Alphonso Walker Jr. in Primary Trust.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

This leads to a chain of events that includes a budding friendship with a Wally’s server, Corrina (Jasminn Johnson), an impactful connection with his new boss Sam (Greg Stuhr) 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.

 

The strength of playwright Eboni Booth’s work is its realism, pacing, and character development.  The plot unfolds at a steady, incremental pace, allowing audiences time to digest and process what is occurring on stage.  The play has been 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 personal demons and hardships.

 

Alphonso Walker Jr. and Lance Coadie Williams in Primary Trust.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Director Logan Vaughn adeptly mixes the various dramatic and comedic elements of the production into a rewarding whole.  Her pacing, the rhythm of the show is critical and she utilizes long pauses within the action to great dramatic effect.  Ms. Vaughn seamlessly moves the show from scene to scene on Scenic Designer Jack Magaw’s revolving set, which smoothly features all the locales of the show, keeping the production flowing with nary a pause.  The Director nimbly incorporates Sound Designer Andrea Allmond’s cha-ching of a cash register that signifies a quickness in elapsed time.

 

Much of the success of Primary Trust is due to the actor Alphonso Walker, Jr. as Kenneth.  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.  His facial expressions, alone, convey so much pain and anxiety.  Lance Coadie Williams imbues the character of Bert with confidence, level-headedness, and a discerning intelligence that is the ying to Kenneth’s yang.  Jasminn Johnson, playing multiple roles, injects a dose of comic relief in her various restaurant server portrayals.  Her principal character, that of Corrina, is handsomely rendered, and emotionally grounded, especially in her one-on-one interactions with Kenneth.  Greg Stuhr, playing three roles, but, principally that of the bank manager, Sam, brings a goofy exuberance, yet also compassion and sensitivity to the role.

Greg Stuhr, Alphonso Walker Jr., and Lance Coadie Williams in Primary Trust.  Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Primary Trust, playing at the Westport Country Playhouse through May 2.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

 

 

9 to 5 - The Musical - Music Theater of Connecticut

9 to 5 – The Musical is receiving a highly entertaining production at the Music Theatre of Connecticut.  Based on the 1980 movie of the same name, with a score by Dolly Parton, the show succeeds because of the talented performers who make up the central characters.  Broadway veteran Gina Lamparella imbues the character of Violet (the Lily Tomlin character from the film) with intelligence and determination.  Hannah Bonnett provides Doralee (the Dolly Parton role in the movie) with a bubbly personality coupled with shrewd insight.  Elissa Demaria (Jane Fonda in the film) is ideal as Judy, an anxious, new-to-the-workforce divorcee, who, by the show’s end, has grown to be a confident, independent woman. 

Hannah Bonnett, Joe Cassidy, Gina Lamparella, and Elissa Demaria in 9 to 5- The Musical.

The three secretaries at Consolidated Industries bond over their hatred of the boss, Franklin Hart, a sexist, egotistical boss who bullies his employees, creating a toxic work environment.  The actor Joe Cassidy is masterful in his portrayal of the reprehensible company head (Dabney Coleman in the movie). 

 

Also, of note, are Robin Lounsbury as Hart’s loyal, lusting administrative assistant Roz Keith, who injects a comedic high note in her song, “Heart to Hart,” and Matt Mancuso, a frequent presence at Music Theatre of Connecticut, who provides ample support as Joe, Junior Accountant and love interest of Violet.

Gina Lamparella and members of the cast in 9 to 5- The Musical.

Feeling empowered, the three secretaries plot their revenge by kidnapping Hart, keeping him stowed in his home while they run the business, quickly turning it into a model, progressive workplace.  Unfortunately, the women’s scheme eventually unravels.  However, they are saved when the Chairman of the Board arrives on the scene.  Impressed by the glowing reviews he has received about the company’s changes, assuming they were administered by Hart, he reassigns him to the company’s Bolivian headquarters and promotes Violet to be the new company head.

 

Dolly Parton's score is a lively mix of country and pop-inflected tunes that work beautifully within a Broadway-style musical.   They feature songs that provide solo showcases for all the principal actors.  One of the many pleasures of the show is the vocal quality of the three actresses, who power through their numbers with bravado and vitality.

Robin Lounsbury in 9 to 5- The Musical.

 

The book by Patricia Resnick, based on the screenplay by Ms. Resnick and Colin Higgins, is full of humor and creates fully fleshed-out characters you care about.  In addition, the musical deftly weaves in such important issues as female empowerment and workplace equality. 

 

Director Amy Griffin keeps the show fast-paced, effortlessly incorporating Scenic Designer Starlet Jacobs’ well-executed office sets and Scott Borowka’s lighting embellishments to the seamless scene changes.   She superbly integrates choreographer Clint Hromsco’s high-energy dance numbers while also engendering a splendid esprit de corps among the three lead women, creating a chemistry among the trio that is believable and engaging.

Elissa Demaria, Matt Mancuso, Gina Lamparella, Hannah Bonnett, and Scott Ahern  in 9 to 5- The Musical.

 

9 to 5:  The Musical, playing at the Music Theatre of Connecticut through May 3.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.

Every Brilliant Thing - Broadway

I am a big Daniel Radcliffe fan, which goes a long way when assessing Every Brilliant Thing.  He stars in a very short (70 minute), one-man show where he plays a character confronting suicide and depression of a parent. One way of handling the family dynamics is creating a list of brilliant things. This is an audience participation show. Beforehand, he and/or the production staff have tagged members of the audience throughout the theater to shout out “the thing” when he yells out their number. For example, Radcliffe would yell out the number 237 and from the balcony a voice booms out “the thing,” which could be anything such as ice cream, a walk in the park, etc.  There is on-stage seating for the production, and the actor also chooses people to play parts with him – a university teacher, his father, his lover.  I was quite impressed with the caliber these “guest” performers brought to the show. 

 

 

The show, written by Duncan MacMillan with Jonny Donahue, is fast-clipped and provides an interesting premise, but it is a slim work with no new ground covered.  The Directors – Jeremy Herrin and MacMillan – keep the pacing sharp and swift.  Radcliffe, at times, is all over the theater, including the mezzanine (I even got a high-five when he ran up the aisle.) 

 

 Every Brilliant Thing works because of Radcliffe, with his earnest charm and boundless energy.  You want to cheer as he riffs with members of the audience; you want him to succeed as he recounts his family’s troubled life and the sad, but predictable conclusion. 

 

 

An entertaining piece of theater, but mostly for die-hard fans of the actor, whose run ends on May 24.

Bigfoot - the Musical - Off-Broadway

I am a big fan of a quirky, comedic Off-Broadway musical.  Shows that come to mind are Murder for Two, The Other Josh Cohen, The Toxic Avenger, and the granddaddy of them all, Little Shop of Horrors.  Now, I can add Bigfoot – the Musical. 

The show, perfectly directed and choreographed by Danny Mefford, who also helmed the lively revival of this season’s The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, has a very funny book by Amber Ruffin and Kevin Scirette.  The jokes comes fast and furious.  I haven’t laughed this much in a show for a long time.   

Grey Henson and Crystal Lucas-Perry in Bigfoot!  Photo by Marc J. Franklin.

Bigfoot, outfitted in a plush, bear-like outfit by Costume Designer Ricky Reynoso, is played by Grey Henson, who delivers another exuberant performance on a New York stage (Mean Girls, Shucked, Elf).  He’s a cross between Chewbacca and a Care Bear.  The score by Amber Ruffin and David Schmoll is the weakest link of the production.  Still, within the confines of the show, the songs are workmanlike, and somewhat catchy.

Set within Scenic Designer Tim Mackabee’s brightly colored, cartoonish backdrops, the plot has Bigfoot living alone in the woods outside Muddirt, a town trying to survive between a chemical dump and a nuclear power plant.  Bigfoot’s mother, Francine (played by the very funny Crystal Lucas-Perry, who displays impressive vocal chops), seeks to protect him from the small-minded townsfolks.  Jade Jones, showing comic grit, plays multiple roles in the musical, along with other members of the acting troupe.  Mama’s ally in protecting her eight-foot biped is the decent, virtuous town doctor (flawlessly portrayed by Jason Tam).  Adding to the troubles of our hairy hero is the crooked mayor of Muddirt (a hilarious, over-the-top performance by SNL alum Alex Moffat) who, when not drunk, is scheming to profit by transforming the town to a large-scale water park.  The only problem – Bigfoot.  He hires a hyper aggressive huntress (played with manic glee by Katerina McCrimmon) to rid him of the problem.  Will she succeed?  Will Muddirt by saved?  What about mama’s chronic illness and constant near-death episodes?  Spoiler alert – there is a cuddly happy ending.

The cast of Bigfoot - the Musical.  Photo by Mark J. Franklin.  

Bigfoot – the Musical, 90 minutes of gleeful entertainment, playing through April 26 Off-Broadway at New York City Center Stage.

Cats: The Jellicle Ball - Broadway

I was not a fan of the original Broadway production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Cats.  The premise was silly, the plot (what little there was) was hard to follow, and the choreography, for me, was just a series of jazzercise gyrations.  However, the score is first-rate, and is a staple on my Broadway radio station, SoundsofBroadway.com. 

 

The cast of Cats: The Jellicle Ball.  Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

Fast forward to Cats:  The Jellicle Ball, a reconceptualization of the long running musical that opened this week at the Broadhurst Theater.  The show, which had a successful production downtown last year, has emerged as a high-energy, homage to the culture of vogueing and Ballroom that Betty Buckley (the original Grizabella) describes as a “fantastically costumed, ritualistic form of pageantry…[celebrated] by the Black and Latino LGBTQ communities.”  Directors Zhailon Levingston and Bill Rauch working with choreographers Omari Wiles & Arturo Lyons’ dynamic and thrilling dance numbers have, effectively, rewritten an iconic, more traditional, musical and transformed it into a hip, contemporary theatrical tour de force.  While forging into the present, the creative teams also honors the past as with the inclusion of Junior Labeija (Gus, an elderly theater cat), a pioneer within the Ballroom culture.

Sydney Jame Harcourt in Cats: The Jellicle Ball.  Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.
 

The show, for individuals not familiar with the musical, it is based on T. S. Eliot’s 1939 poetry collection Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats.  The poet is credited with lyrics and book and was posthumously awarded two Tony Awards.  The plot, as stated in Wikipedia, tells the story of a tribe of cats called the Jellicles and the night they make the "Jellicle choice" by deciding which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.  In the original production, cats would be introduced, sing a song, preen, and perform high-energy production numbers amidst a performance space cluttered with garbage.  In Cats: The Jellicle Ball, the vibe is of a drag show.  Scenic Designer Rachel Hauck’s flashy nightclub setting, with on-stage seating and runway, provide the space for actors/actresses to strut their stuff and engage in dance-off competitions.  Adam Honoré’s pulsating disco-era Lighting Design, and Kai Harada’s throbbing Sound Design, complete this reimagined work.

 

Leiomy, Kya Azeen and Dava Huesca in Cats: The Jellicle Ball.  Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.

The Andrew Lloyd Webber songs, with updated rhythms and beats by Trevor Shaun Holder and Music Director William Waldrop, maintain their tuneful nature and reflect a number genres such as rock, opera, and music hall.  The catchy melodies are a perfect fit for Eliot’s whimsical lyrics.   The main issue with the vocals of the mostly sung-through show is, too often than not, the lyrics are hard to understand.

Andre de Shields in Cats: The Jellicle Ball.  Photo by Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman.
 

The diverse cast is led by the lively, 80-year-old Andre de Shields as Old Deuteronomy.  Decked out in fashionable garb, with a wild, flowing grey mane, he is the beloved overseer of the pageantry.  The other cast members, spirited and enthusiastic, with muscular and athletic dance moves, keep the show going at a feverish pitch.

Cats: The Jellice Ball, playing at the Broadhurst Theater on Broadway.

I'm Connecticut - Ivoryton Playhouse

I’m Connecticut, playing at the Ivoryton Playhouse through April 19, has a lot of laughs.  And I did laugh, but I’m someone who is always in stitches at the bean-eating sequence in Blazing Saddles and thinks the Three Stooges are comedic heaven.  In I’m Connecticut, the humor is decidedly of the lowbrow, sophomoric, and scatological variety, but what would you expect from a writer for The Simpsons?

The show is a classic take on boy meets girl, boy loses girl, and finally wins her hand.  The plot centers on Marc, a lonely, lovelorn neuroscientist from the boring state of Connecticut, who begins dating an attractive receptionist, Diane, from a speed-dating business.  The relationship goes smoothly until a lie he used comes back to haunt him.  As he attempts to win her back, Marc is pelted with advice from several people, including his overweight colleague, Kyle, and even Mark Twain.  However, with help from his forgetful grandfather (Alzheimer’s)  and Diane’s shoot-from-the-hip southern mom, Polly, Marc reunites with his true love.  And maybe granddad and Polly do too.

 

Playwright Mike Reiss takes no prisoners in his writing, using the Holocaust as a significant storyline, and mocking, teasing, and taunting Jews, Canadians, Southerners, the elderly, and the genitalia of various states of the Union (it is actually a funny bit).  The characters in the show are more two-dimensional than fully developed.  The play’s structure comes off as a series of connected sketches rather than a fully realized comedic work.  The show, broken up into a 60-minute Act I and a 25-minute Act II, could have easily been condensed into a full one-act, especially when trimmed of some superfluous material.

 

Director Jacqui Hubbard keeps the pacing quick and ensures the set-up for the laughs is secure.  Cultivating well-defined characters is not the mission, but to keep the play thumping forward.  Some of the routines work better than others, such as the aforementioned battle of the states, but others, such as a Connecticut history lesson and the audience participation moments, fall flat.  John Horzen’s colorful projections along the edges of the proscenium stage are playfully reminiscent of the 1960’s TV show The Dating Game, and are satisfyingly incorporated into Scenic Designer Starlet Jacobs’ sliding sets.

 

The affable cast is led by Quinn Corcoran as the ever-hopeful young man from Simsbury. Marc.  The actor comes across as likably bland, which is exactly what is called for in the role.  Deanna Scott brings a cheery disposition to Diane and does manage to inject some depth into her performance.  The featured members of the show provide ample support – John C. Baker as a befuddled Mark Twain; Michael Barra as Marc’s hefty friend, Kyle; Bonnie Black as a feisty wife and the wise-cracking Polly; R. Bruce Connelly as the sometimes bewildered grandpa; and Kenneth Robert Marlo as the tough-talking manager of the speed-dating service.

 

I’m Connecticut, playing at the Ivoryton Playhouse through April 19.  Click here for dates, times, and ticket information.