by Mark G. Auerbach
2018 in Review Part II: The Best of Theatre
The 2018 season of non-musicals was light on classics, other than at Shakespeare and Company, but the classics were so relevant in today’s world, from The Glass Menagerie at Barrington Stage to The Petrified Forest at Berkshire Theatre Group. The season was rich in new works, representing a rainbow of voices and perspectives, and some are destined to become classics. From Jason Odell Williams’ Church and State to Bekah Brunstetter’s The Cake at Barrington Stage, the urgent topics of today may become a window on our times for future theatregoers. The new musicals aren’t likely to move on, but there were some choice revivals from the rarely-produced The Will Rogers Follies at Goodspeed to an almost perfect West Side Story at Barrington Stage.
The ensemble in Hartford Stage’s Murder on the Orient Express. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Best Production of A Play and Best New Play: The Age of Innocence by Douglas McGrath, Hartford Stage
McGrath brilliantly adapted Edith Wharton’s classic for a co-production for Hartford Stage and Princeton’s McCarter Theatre, a collaboration which also brought both theatres a delightful production of Murder on The Orient Express. It was beautifully directed, designed, and performed, and Mark Bennett’s musical score was a feast. Sierra Boggess and Boyd Gaines in the leads were great.
Some other productions that were outstanding included: The Legend of Georgia McBride by Matthew Lopez at TheaterWorks; Church & State by Jason Odell Williams at Berkshire Theatre Group, and Hand to God by Robert Askins, also at TheaterWorks.
Brooke Lacy as Ziegfeld’s Favorite and the cast of The Will Rogers Follies at Goodspeed. Photo by Diane Sobolewski
Best Production of A Musical: The Will Rogers Follies, Book by Peter Stone. Music by Cy Coleman. Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green at Goodspeed Musicals. A delightful revival of a musical seldom seen since its Broadway run in the 199s was simply sensational for its staging, choreography, costumes, and its ability to turn the intimate stage at Goodspeed into the lavish Ziegfeld Theatre. Some other outstanding productions included: West Side Story,. at Barrington Stage; a concert version of Sweeney Todd at Connecticut Repertory Theatre, and The Drowsy Chaperone, also at Goodspeed.
Best Director of a Play: Eric Hill, Naked, Berkshire Theatre Group. Hill made an obscure Italian forgotten play resonate with the times, and brought out the best in an outstanding company of Berkshire Theatre Group regulars. Kudos also to Rob Ruggiero for The Legend of Georgia McBride, and Christmas on The Rocks at TheaterWorks and Kristen VanGinhoven, Disgraced, Chester Theatre.
Eric Hill
Best Director of a Musical: Julianne Boyd, West Side Story, Barrington Stage. Although Boyd had serious competition from Peter Flynn, staging Sweeney Todd at CT.Rep and Rob Ruggiero, who brought Oliver! to life at Goodspeed, Boyd masterfully brought the talents of Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Arthur Laurents and Jerome Robbins to the stage, and let their creativity take center stage.
Best Musical Direction: Ken Clifton, Sweeney Todd, CT Repertory Theatre. Clifton made Sondheim’s intricate and lush score wrap around the theatre.
Julianne Boyd
Best Original Music for a Play and Best Sound Design: Alexander Sovronsky, The Cake, Barrington Stage. Sovronsky’s work has been seen at Hartford Stage, Barrington Stage, Berkshire Theatre Group, and now Off-Broadway. His score to The Cake enhanced the production. He’s now composed the score to Indecent’s national tour, in which he also performs. I hope he’s back in The Berkshires next summer.
Best Choreography:Kelli Barclay, The Will Rogers Follies, Goodspeed Musicals
Channeling Tommy Tune’s genius in the Broadway production, Barclay had the acting company in non-stop movement throughout the show. It was sumptuous. Kudos also to Ralph Perkins, who staged some hysterically funny drag sequences in The Legend of Georgia McBride, at TheaterWorks, and Robert LaFosse, who brought Jerome Robbins’ choreography to life in West Side Story, at Barrington Stage.
Best Scenic Design of a Play: Beowulf Borritt, Murder on The Orient Express, Hartford Stage. Extraordinary clever design highlighted this production. Kudos also to Wilson Chen forThe Petrified Forest, at Berkshire Theatre Group and John Lee Beatty forThe Age of Innocence, at Hartford Stage.
The cast of The Age of Innocence. Photo by T. Charles Erickson
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Kristen Robinson, West Side Story, Barrington Stage, brought the gritty Upper West Side of New York City in the 195Os to life on Barrington Stage, yet left enough room for the dancers to leap across the stage.
Best Costume Design of A Play: Linda Cho, The Age of Innocence, Hartford Stage. She outdid her costumes for Hartford Stage’s Anastasia. Kudos to Leon Dobkowski, The Legend of Georgia McBride, TheaterWorks, who created drag outfits for Miss Tracy Mills, inspired by Judy Garland and Bette Davis. These costume were very funny!
Best Costume Design of a Musical: Ilona Somogyi, The Will Rogers Follies, Goodspeed Musicals. Willa Kim would be proud of Somogyi’s dazzling Ziegfeld Follies costumes for “Presents for Mrs. Rogers”, the powder puff numbers and cowgirl outfits for the Ziegfeld girls. Kudos also to Alejo Vietti for his designs for Barrington Stage’s The Royal Family of Broadway.and Goodspeed’s Oliver!
Best Sound Design of a Musical: Jay Hilton, Oliver!, Goodspeed. You could hear every syllable of dialogue and song from child and adult actors.
Best Lighting Design of a Play: Ben Stanton, The Age of Innocence, Hartford Stage. Absolutely inspiring.
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: David Lander, West Side Story, Barrington Stage. Dark, menacing, and seductive patterns enhanced this production to the fullest.
Best Wig and Hair Design: Mark Adam Rampmeyer, Christmas on The Rocks, TheaterWorks. From Clara’s ringlet curls to Hermie The Elf’s blonde locks, this was a clever use of hair and wig.
Keep in Mind
ArtsBeat in Print: Next week, ArtsBeat completes a three-week recap of the 2018 arts season, including milestrones, outstanding productions and best performances. Look for the series in print in your Westfield News Group newspaper, or online at https://thewestfieldnews.com/
Arts Beat Radio airs every Friday at 8AM, on 89.5fm/WSKB. Start your weekend with ArtsBeat Radio. Tune in live on the airwaves, on Comcast ch. 15, or www.wskb.org And, if you miss an episode, find it on YouTube at WSKB Community Radio’s page
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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. Mark produces and hosts ArtsBeat Radio for 89.5fm/WSKB.
