MARK AUERBACH
Cast Change at Goodspeed
Michael Price, executive director of the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT, has announced that he’ll retire after 46 years as the theatre’s leader at the end of the 2014 season.
“I have had the honor and the privilege of leading Goodspeed Musicals for more than 45 years but believe with my whole heart, that the time has come to pass the reins onto someone new who will lead the institution into its next phase”, says Price. “The greatest joy is working with the most incredible theatrical team ever assembled, a team that together will take Goodspeed to even greater heights. I look forward to working with our Board of Trustees and staff during the transition period,” added Price.
Goodspeed Musicals’ Michael Price. (Photo by Diane Sobolewski.)
Among his accomplishments, Price has produced over 235 classic and new musicals, including 75 world premieres. He supervised the transfer of 19 shows to Broadway, and accepted 2 special Tony Awards for Goodspeed Musicals. Price founded the League of Historic American Theatres. He’s been involved with the American Theatre Wing, The Tony Awards Management Committee, and the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.
“War Horse” Gallops into The Bushnell
You may have seen Steven Speilberg’s film adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s 1982 best-seller, “War Horse”, which played at area movie theatres in 2011, but the stage version, which came out before the film, is altogether different. The National Theatre (Great Britain) and Lincoln Center co-production of “War Horse”, adapted by Nick Stafford, took the London theatre world by storm in 2009, transferred to Lincoln Center with rave reviews 2011, and became one of Broadway’s biggest hits. “War Horse”, which ended a triumphant 700+ performance Broadway run last January, is now on national tour, and it stops at Hartford’s Bushnell (January 28-February 2).
War Horse (Photo by Brinkhoff/Mogenburg)
“War Horse” nabbed five well-deserved Tony Awards in 2011, including “Best Play”, Best Direction” (Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, who have staged the national tour), “Best Scenic Design, Best Lighting Design, and Best Sound Design.
So many theatregoers today equate entertainment with spectacle, as they devour Cirque du Soleil or Broadway offerings like “Spiderman: Bring On The Dark”. The “bigger is better” entertainment model charmed audiences when The Hippodrome Theatre opened on Broadway in 1905. Billy Rose produced “Jumbo” there, complete with splash pool, elephants and circus. The stage shows at Radio City and the Roxy kept the theatre largesse alive.
“War Horse” is a spectacle created by a theatregoer’s imagination, stirred to action by deft staging, puppetry, exquisite lights and sound. When I saw the Broadway production, I was completely drawn into the magic that is theatre. If you have a limited entertainment budget, splurge for “War Horse” tickets.
War Horse (Photo by Brinkhoff/Mogenburg)
For tickets: 860-987-5900- or http://bushnell.org/. Oh, and while you’re there, get tickets to the recent Broadway hit, “Peter and the Starcatcher”, which visits Hartford’s Bushnell February 18-23. It’s a swashbuckling prequel to “Peter Pan”, and another multiple award-winner.
Keep in Mind…
***Amherst Leisure Services Community Theatre is performing “Les Miserables” at Bowker Auditorium on the UMASS/Amherst campus through January 26. Dave Grout directs the community theatre production. E. Wayne Abercrombie is Musical Director, and Mary Ann Holmes provides the choreography. For tickets: 413-259-3065 or http://www.alsct.org/index.html
***”Seussical” Auditions. Berkshire Theatre Group is holding local auditions for its 9th annual children’s theatre production, “Seussical”, which will play The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield next August 7-17. Travis G. Daly will stage the musical. Auditions will be held on Monday, January 27 from 7pm-10pm and Saturday, February 1 from 10am-6pm at The Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield. To schedule an audition time slot or for further information, call 413-448-8084 x23.
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.
