by Mark G. Auerbach
Think Summer! Barrington Stage Announces Its Season
T’is the season, when the summer theatres begin to announce their seasons. Barrington Stage’s upcoming season in Pittsfield, MA includes two blockbuster musicals, Ragtime, the stunning portrait of a changing America with book by Anastasia creators Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens; and Stephen Sondheim’s legendary Company, the tale of a man unable to commit to a relationship. Also of note are productions of Conor McPherson’s The Birds, inspired by the Hitchcock film of the same name; Alan Ayckbourne’s Taking Steps as directed by Sam Buntrock; and the thriller Gaslight, also known as Angel Street.
“For our 2017 season, we are doing what Barrington Stage does best – pairing exciting artists with great, timely pieces for audiences to experience them in a whole new light,” said BSC Artistic Director Julianne Boyd. “We’ll stage new productions of two landmark musicals of the 20th century, two laugh-out-loud comedies, two sensational thrillers, plus welcome back BSC veteran and Broadway star Jeff McCarthy, taking on the role of real-life activist William Kunstler.”
Individual tickets go on sale in March. Complete season details are now available at www.barringtonstageco.org.
TheaterWorks Brings Stars to “Next to Normal”
Christiane Noll
Tony nominated Christiane Noll will play Diana and David Harris will play Dan in the Pulitzer Prize winning musical drama, Next to Normal, which plays Hartford’s Theaterworks March 23 through April 30. Next To Normal, which will be directed by TheaterWorks’ Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero, features music by Tom Kitt and book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey.
Next to Normal is a gripping and honest portrayal of how one suburban family grapples with mental illness. Winner of three Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize, it was also chosen as “one of the year’s ten best shows” by critics around the country including the New York Times and Variety.
Rob Ruggiero said, “I couldn’t be more excited to bring this Pulitzer Prize winning musical to our audiences. This brilliantly structured musical is relevant, provocative and entertaining. It is the largest musical we’ve ever produced and I am sure it will be experienced through a new lens in our very intimate space.”
Christiane Noll, who plays the mother, Diana, starred on Broadway in the Kennedy Center Revival of Ragtime, receiving Tony and Drama Desk award nominations and winning a Helen Hayes award for her portrayal of Mother. and she received a Drama Desk nomination for her performance in Chaplin.
David Harris, the Australian musical theatre star and award-winner for performances there in Wicked, Miss Saigon, and Legally Blonde, came to the USA a couple of years ago, and starred in Connecticut Repertory Theatre’s Les Miserables and Goodspeed Musicals’ Anything Goes.
Rob Ruggiero has been a part of TheaterWorks artistic leadership for 23 years. He has directed over 50 shows, including Relativity, Sex with Strangers, Christmas on the Rocks, Annapurna, The Other Place and Time Stands Still. His Broadway credits include Looped (starring Valerie Harper in a Tony-nominated performance) and High (starring Kathleen Turner). Rob most recently directed La Cage aux Folles, his ninth collaboration with Goodspeed Musicals where he also directed highly successful productions of Fiddler on the Roof ,The Most Happy Fella , Carousel and Show Boat .
For details: 860-527-7838 or www.theaterworkshartford.org
Jelly and George
Keep in Mind…
Opportunity: The UMass Amherst Arts Extension Service will be hosting Introduction to the Public Art Process workshops in Chicopee, Springfield, and Turners Falls for artists of all disciplines interested in learning the fundamentals of the Public Art process. Workshops are free and open to the public, but advance registration is required. They will be held at the Chicopee Public Library on February 16; the UMass Design Center in Springfield on March 14; and the Great Falls Discovery Center in Turners Falls on March 15. For details: .413-545-2360, or visiting www.artsextensionservice.org
Jazzing With Jelly and George. The UMass Fine Arts Center presents an evening of music by Jelly Roll Morton and George Gershwin, as interperted by piano virtuoso Aaron
Soul Brass. Photo by Oren Krinsky
Diehl, Grammy-winning vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, and rising star, pianist Adam Birnbaum, backed by a five-person jazz ensemble. The concert on February 16, at 7PM,, is a joyous exploration of the work of two artistic geniuses whose compositions and techniques profoundly influenced twentieth-century American music. There’s a preconcert talk by NEPR’s Jazz à la Mode host Tom Reney at 6:30PM in the concert hall lobby. For details:1-800-999-UMAS or 545-2511 or www.fineartscenter.com
Charles Neville
NewOrleans Jazz. Blues To Green presents Such A Night, a Mardi Gras Benefit Concert featuring Dr. John with Charles Neville and the Soul Brass Band. In collaboration with Signature Sounds, on February 25 at the Academy of Music Theatre in Northampton, MA. The concert benefits Blues to Green, which produces the Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival. Dr. John and Charles Neville, two titans of the New Orleans music scene, share the stage with New Orleans’ Soul Brass Band. For details: www.bluestogreen.org
Meet Kevin Rhodes. The internationally known conductor returns to the Springfield Symphony with soprano Othalie Graham for a program celebrating the American soprano Leontyne Price on February 18 at Springfield Symphony Hall. On February 15 at 7PM,, Rhodes and Graham talk about Price at Bay Path University in Longmeadoiw. For details: http://www.baypath.edu/events-calendar/details/rhodes-talk-a-tribute-to-leontyne-price/2017-02-15/ On February 16, the two discuss Price at the Springfield Museums. For details: https://springfieldmuseums.org/programs/category/lectures/2017-02-16/. For information on the Springfield Symphony concert: www.springfieldsymphony.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.
