MARK AUERBACH
Another Opening, Another Show
Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak will helm Cole Porter’s “Kiss Me, Kate”, his first musical since winning the 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” (which also won the Tony for Best Musical). A co-production with The Old Globe in San Diego, “Kiss Me, Kate” will play Hartford for only four weeks, from May 14-June 14.
With a book by Bella and Samuel Spewack, and music and lyrics by Cole Porter, “Kiss Me, Kate” is a joyful and high-spirited musical comedy that follows the backstage antics of a touring company performing Shakespeare’s ”The Taming of the Shrew”, featuring two feuding couples, a few gun-toting gangsters, and some of the best showtunes ever written: “Another Op’nin,’ Another Show,” “Too Darn Hot,” “Wunderbar,” “So in Love,” and “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”
Tresnjak says, “I started thinking about directing “Kiss Me, Kate” in 1990, when the influential album “Red, Hot, and Blue: A Tribute to Cole Porter” introduced his smart and sexy music to a whole new generation. After 25 years, I’m thrilled to finally get a chance to direct this supreme entertainment—a piece in which my two great theatrical passions, the plays of William Shakespeare and the American musical theatre, come together.”
David Sedaris
The original 1949 production of “Kiss Me, Kate” ran for more than 1,000 performances on Broadway and won the first Tony Award for Best Musical. Other Cole Porter musicals include “Anything Goes”, “Can-Can”, “Gay Divorce”, and “Silk Stockings”.
This just in: Hartford Stage has added the world premiere of the musical “Anastasia” to its roster next year. Tony Award winners, librettist Terrence McNally, lyricist Lynn Ahrens and composer Stephen Flaherty have adapted the story of the Russian Princess who may or may not have escaped the Revolution, when her family was assassinated. Darko Tresnjak will direct.
For tickets: 860-527-5151 or www.hartfordstage.org
David Greene, NPR Morning Edition host
Boston Bound? Don’t Miss This.
Mandy Patinkin and Taylor Mac headline the cast of “The Last Two People on Earth: an Apocalyptic Vaudeville” having its world premiere at American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, from May 12-31. Susan Stroman directs and choreographs. A.R.T. describes the event as “It’s the end of the world, as we know it. A flood of biblical proportions leaves us with only two people on Earth who discover their common language is song and dance. Together they chronicle the rise and fall and hopeful rise again of humankind through music that runs the gamut from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim, and R.E.M. to Queen”. For tickets: 617-547-8300 or www.americanrepertorytheater.org
More Season Announcements
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra Pops series will feature Sheena Easton performing ‘For Your Eyes Only’ and all the James Bond hits; an evening of Broadway showstoppers in conjunction with Goodspeed Musicals; a salute to the Eagles program, and more. For details: 860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org.
New Century Theatre, Northampton’s resident summer theatre for 25 years, has a hot season on tap, from Theresa Rebeck’s recent Broadway comedy “Seminar” to Lillian Hellman’s classic, “The Little Foxes”. Rebecca Gilman’s “Luna Gale” and Anne Washburn’s “Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play” are also on the roster, along with a musical, “Junie B. Jones” for the kids. For details: http://www.newcenturytheatre.org/
The Majestic Theater, under the direction of Danny Eaton, has announced an ambitious 2015-16 season. Tennessee Williams’ classic “A Streetcar Named Desire” opens the season, followed by “The Fabulous Liptones,” a musical comedy; “An Inspector Calls,” a mystery by J. B. Priestley, “Butler,” a Civil War drama by Richard Strand and the season-ending “Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” a musical featuring the work of Neil Sedaka. For details: 413-747-7797 or www.majestictheater.com.
Congratulations
Mona Golabek, star of Hartford Stage’s “The Pianist of Willesden Lane” was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for “Outstanding Solo Performance”.
Two western Massachusetts theatres, Barrington Stage and Williamstown Theatre Festival, sent four productions to Broadway this season. Collectively, they’ve won 13 Tony Award nominations. Williamstown picked up 5 for “The Visit” with Chita Rivera and 4 for “The Elephant Man” with BradleyCooper. (Their other Broadway outing, Renee Fleming in “Living On Love” was overlooked) Barrington Stage’s “On The Town” picked up 4 nominations.
Keep in Mind…
David Sedaris, one of America’s most prominent humorists and authors, reads from his bes-sellers and does a booksigning on May 15 at The Bushnell in Hartford. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. His latest book, “Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls” was released in paperback last summer. For details: 860-987-5900 or www.bushnell.org.
The Hartford Symphony Orchestra joins forces with The Hartford Chorale, Beth El Temple Chorus, and Congregation Beth Israel Chorus on a program that includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 8 in F Major, Leonard Bernstein’s “Chichester Psalms” and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 in F Major on May 7-10 at The Bushnell. Carolyn Kuan conducts. For tickets: 860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org
David Greene, NPR “Morning Edition” host, headlines New England Public Radio’s Arts and Humanities Awards on May 12 at the Log Cabin in Holyoke. The Community Music School of Springfield, Andrew Lawrence (founder of Community Guitar and Django in June) and poet Karen Skolfield are the honorees. For details: www.nepr.net.
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.
