by Mark G. Auerbach
Put On a Happy Face!
Inspired by Elvis, and one of the most popular musicals ever, Bye Bye Birdie makes its Goodspeed Musicals debut (through September 4). The Charles Strouse/Lee Adams tuner,with book by Michael Stewart, a big Broadway hit with Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera, Paul Lynde, and Kay Medford, when it opened in 1960, developed a cult following, when the show
Rhett Guter as Conrad Birdie with some adoring fans in Goodspeed Musicals’ Bye Bye Birdie. Photo by Diane Sobolweski.
appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. The musical got rave reviews, especially for its imaginative staging by Gower Champion, who went on to direct and choreograph Hello Dolly. A revised movie followed in 1963, introducing the sultry Ann-Margret as a small town teen. Tommy Tune and Ann Reinking toured the country in a 1990 revival, and Bye Bye Birdie returned to Broadway with John Stamos and Gina Gershon in 2009. But, no one can play a teen obsessed with a rock star who’s about to get drafted other than a teen, and Bye Bye Birdie is one of the most popular high school musicals, college theatre offerings, and community theatre standards. Everyone seems to love its great score, with gems like “Put on A Happy Face”, “I’ve Got A Lot of Living To Do”, and “One Last Kiss”.
So, 56 years after its Broadway premiere, Bye Bye Birdie finally comes to Goodspeed. Jenn Thompson directs and Patricia Wilcox choreographs. Wilcox’s dances for Motown: The Musical at The Bushnell earlier this season, rocked the boat. Thompson has added one song from the movie, and another from a 1995 TV adaptation which co-starred Jason Alexander and Vanessa Williams. Janet Dacal will play Rosie, the role originated by Chita Rivera. Dacal’s breakthrough Broadway performance came with the musical Wonderland, an adaptation of the Alice in Wonderland tale, with music by Frank (Jekyll & Hyde) Wildhorn, which was co-written and directed by Gregory Boyd, former artistic director of Springfield’s StageWest. The Goodspeed cast includes George Merrick (from Broadway’s Honeymoon in Vegas) as Albert; and Kristine Zbornik who returns to The Goodspeed where she previously gave a hilarious performance as Sister in Damn Yankees.
Janet Dacal stars in Bye Bye Birdie at Goodspeed Musicals.
Bye Bye Birdie is a great family musical, although prepare your kids for the shock that once upon a time, teens actually spoke on the phone. They didn’t have a texting option. For details: 860-873-8668 or www.goodspeed.org.
Connecticut Critics Circle Awards
Anastasia, the pre-Broadway musical at Hartford Stage won top honors at The Connecticut Critics Circle Awards, which honors the best of Connecticut theatre. Anastasia won “Best Musical” among its seven awards, which included awards for direction (Darko Tresnjak), choreography (Peggy Hickey), costumes (Linda Cho), lighting design (Donald Holder), projections (Aaron Rhyne) and featured actress (Christy Altomare). Other winners included Erika Rolfsrud for her performance in Good People at TheaterWorks in Hartford; Charles Jazasz for his performance in Romeo and Juliet at Hartford Stage. Alexander Dodge won for his set design of Rear Window at Hartford Stage and Darron L. West won for sound design of Body of an American at Hartford Stage. For details: http://www.ctcritics.org/archives/leads/leadjump.html
Tanglewood Discounts
There are many ways to enjoy Tanglewood discounts this summer. Consider the ollowing options; The Tanglewood Grass Pass; The Berkshire Resident Season Lawn Pass, 50%-OFF Student Tickets; Free Children’s Tickets; Lawn Pass Books; $20 Tickets for 40 and under patrons; and more. Restrictions apply, so read the fine print. but check the options before you head to Lenox at www.tanglewood.org. For details: http://www.bso.org/brands/tanglewood/press/press-releases/archived-press-releases/may-2016/2016-press-releases-tanglewood-family-friendly.aspx
Season Announcements
Pioneer Valley Symphony Orchestra hosts its fourth annual Summer Sings with performances at Most Holy Redeemer Parish Hall in Hadley, MA. Singers and instrumentalists can join the PVSO to perform major choral works. On June 28, the PVSO with conductor Paul Phillips performs Brahms’ Requiem. Jonathan Harvey conducts Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms on July 12. Paul Phillips leads the PVSO in Mendelssohn’s Elijah on July 26. For details: www.pvsoc.org/summer-sings-2016/
Randy Noojin plays Pete Seeger at North Hall in Huntington.
PaintBox Theatre, one of the area’s leading Children’s Theatre companies, will expand its summer season with performances at Williston Theatre in Easthampton, MA and the Shea Theatre in Turners Falls, MA. The season includes Raggedy Ann (July 8-10 in Easthampton and July 15-16 in Turners Falls); The Great Race of the Tortoise and The Hare (July 22-24 in Easthampton and July 29-30 in Turns Falls); and Peter Pan (August 5-7 in Easthampton). For details: 413-923-7159 or www.paintboxtheatre.com
Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, CT has announced its upcoming 2016-17 season, it’s 8th of plays and musicals. The program includes the musical Little Shop of Horrors, followed by: Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith. The charming off-Broadway musical [title of show] about the making of a musical kicks off the New Year, followed by Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten, stop/time dance theater’s Rockin’ The Forest, Last Train To Nibroc by Arlene Hutton, and the return of a favorite Playhouse production (and cast!) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) – Revised Edition. For details: 860-523-5900 x10 or www.playhouseonpark.org
Keep in Mind…
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra salutes Starlets: The Women of Song at the Talcott Mountain Music Festival on July 8 (Raindate: July 9). .Adam Kerry Boyles conducts the program that showcases greatest hits of Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, and Adele. For details :860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org.
Christopher James plays the opening concert at Sevenars.
Lynelle James plays the opening concert at Sevenars.
Sevenars begins its summer season in Worthington, MA with a celebration of the life of its co-founder, Robert Schrade (July 10) with the Schrade James Family musicians performing works by Mozart, Beethoven, Borodin, Poulenc, and Milhaud. Expected to fete Schrade are: family pianists, David James, Randolph Schrade, Rorianne Schrade, and Lynelle James, and cellist Christopher James..For details: sevenars.org
Celebrate Pete Seeger, a program by actor, writer, and musician Randy Noojin, takes the stage at Historic North Hall in Huntington, MA on July 9-10. Noojin portrays Seeger as he plays a benefot for US-Cuba normalizatioin in 1982. For details: http://www.northhallhuntington.org
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Mark G. Auerbach studied theatre at American University and the Yale School of Drama. He’s worked for arts organizations and reported on theatre for newspapers and radio.
