MARK AUERBACH
2014 State of The Arts
We’re Broadway’s Content Provider
Western New England has given Broadway an ongoing slate of plays and musicals. Hartford Stage and its director Darko Tresnjak took home 2014 Tony Awards for the musical “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”, which is a big Broadway hit this holiday season. So is the Barrington Stage production of “On The Town”, which ought to pick up a lot of awards come spring, especially one for choreographer Joshua Bergasse. He’s currently staging the dances for “Gigi” with Vanessa Hudgins at The Kennedy Center.
The Williamstown Theatre Festival, which sent “The Bridges of Madison County” to New York last year, has box-office gold in their Broadway production of “The Elephant Man”, with Bradley Cooper, and “Fool For Love” heads to New York later this season with Nina Arianda and Sam Rockwell. There are numerous rumors floating around Times Square that their production of “The Visit” with Chita Rivera, will open on Broadway this Spring.
No word as yet, as to whether “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn”, Goodspeed’s current hit, held over through December 28, is Broadway-bound. (It should be). But, it’s playing the Muny in St. Louis next summer.
Michael Gennaro, new Executive Director at Goodspeed. (Photo courtesy of Goodspeed Musicals)
Profitable Collaborations
Hartford Stage commisioned Elizabeth Egloff to write “Ether Dome” the story of a Hartford dentist, Horace Wells, who discovered anesthesia, paving the way to modern surgery. The drama was co-presented by Hartford Stage, LaJolla Theatre in California, Houston’s Alley Theatre, and Boston’s Huntington Theatre. Audiences in four cities got to share in an exciting premiere, although I’m not sure Broadway is in the play’s future.
Barrington Stage and Hartford’s TheaterWorks are sharing productions, good for audiences regionally. Mark St. Germain’s “Dancing Lessons”, a hit in Pittsfield last summer, rings in the New Year in Hartford.
Zach Appleman as Hamlet in Hartford Stage’s production. (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)
We’ve Got Talent
Longmeadow native Todd Rosenthal, a Tony Award winner for his set design for “August: Osage County”, has another scenic hit on Broadway this season with “This is Our Youth”. Westfield;s Kevin Rhodes, music director of The Springfield Symphony, is in Paris this holiday season, conducting the acclaimed Paris Opera Ballet production of Rudolf Nureyev’s “The Nutcracker” through New Year’s Eve. Two Westfield natives, Sarah Gawron and Josh Buraage, have been in touring Broadway shows across the country. Gawron finished a tour of “Beauty and The Beast”; Burrage is in “Newsies”, which comes to Boston in late June. A third, Michelle Joyner, returned from LA to perform at Chester Theatre.
A Changing of the Guard
Goodspeed’s Michael Price has stepped down after almost a half-century leading the Connecticut theatre to international acclaim. Michael Gennaro, Trinity Rep’s executive director, is poised to carry on and innovate the Price tradition. Gennaro, a former actor, has been an administrator at several of the nation’s most important regional theatres. He has show biz in his blood. His dad, dancer/choreographer Peter Gennaro, choreographed Goodspeed’s “Annie”, which went on to Broadway to become a mega-hit. His sister, Lisa, is a choreographer. Welcome and good luck!
Seth Lepore. (Photo by Sharon Esdale)
Innovative Programming
We’ve got a couple of area arts groups that are programming events worthy of national attention. WAM Theatre (WAM = Women’s Action Movement) produces theatre for everyone, and the box-office receipts go to non-profits that benefit women and girls. Their recent production of Winter Miller’s “In Darfur” sold out, reaching diverse audiences. The after-performance “talkbacks” were fascinating opportunities for audiences and creatives to discuss and share opinions about difficult issues. Look at their upcoming season at www.wamtheatre.com.
The Mark Twain House and Museum has a diverse series of special events. As “Wicked” was Bushnell-bound, they brought composer Stephen Schwartz and author Greg Maguire together for an Ozian evening. They showcased WFSB author Kara Sundlun with her autobiography about reuniting with her governor Dad. And, to celebrate Hal Holbrook’s 90th birthday, they’re bringing him to town in “Mark Twain Tonight”. https://www.marktwainhouse.org/
Seth Lepore, the humorist and writer, is bringing a variety of shows to Easthampton’s Eastworks. He unassembled Christmas in December and will take on artistic life in January. www.sethums.com.
Some of our community theatres are taking chances. The Theatre Guild of Hampden, under the direction of Mark Giza, presented Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart”, a brilliant and difficult play about the AIDS crisis in its early years. Their next production is the landmark Stephen Somdheim musical “Follies”. http://theatreguildofhampden.org/ The Playhouse on Park in West Hartford, presented “Angels in America”. http://playhouseonpark.org/index.html
The Best of 2014-Part 1
Best Production of a Play: “Hamlet”, Hartford Stage. It’s a classic, yes, but Darko Tresnjak’s direction and set design, a great acting ensemble, and a lead (Zach Appleman) who was perfect casting brought this show to a thrilling climax.
Best Production of a Musical: “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn”, Goodspeed Musicals. A fabulous score, snappy direction, fun performances (Noah Racey, Talley Sessions, Patti Murin, Hayley Podschun, and Susan Mosher) and Denis Jones’ captivating choreography made me smile. And, months later, I can’t get that choreography out of my head.
Best Direction: Rob Ruggiero brought a simple and understated rhythm to “Fiddler on The Roof” at Goodspeed. Darko Tresnjak paced “Hamlet” at Hartford Stage with the suspense of a Hitchcock thriller. Audiences couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
Best Music Direction: Thanks to Michael O’Flaherty, who took the chestnuts in “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” at Goodspeed, and made them and a great pit orchestra sounds breezy. And, Mark Gionfriddo turned “The Big Broadcast”with the Jazz Ensembles at Mount Holyoke College into a Top 40 of swing.
Best Scenic Design: Michael Schweikardt gave a rural Russian village in a forest grove a nice balance between colorful fantasy and a black and white reality in Goodspeed’s “Fiddler on The Roof”. I also liked Hugh Landwehr’s hospital room set for Berkshire Theatre Group’s “Cedars”.
Best Costumes: one designer, Alejo Vietti for simple rags in palettes of brown for “Fiddler on The Roof” at Goodspeed, a cavalcade of 40’s chic and over-the-top Easter bonnets for “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn”, also at Goodspeed and the essence of Victorian England for “A Christmas Carol” at Hartford Stage.
Best Lighting: Matthew Richards’ lighting design for, “Hamlet” Hartford Stage, and Robert Wierzel’s brilliant effects for “A Christmas Carol”, also at Hartford Stage, were sheer brilliance.
Best Choreography: Denis Jones, “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn”, Goodspeed. The dance numbers stopped this production over and over and over. Wow !
Next week, my picks for The Best Performances of 2014.
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.
