by Mark G. Auerbach
Countdown to The Tony Awards
Last year, one musical, Hamilton, dominated the Tony Awards race. This season, there are at least eleven competing for the slot of “Best Musical”. The cut-off date to open on Broadway is April 27; the nominees will be announced on May 2, and the frenetic awards season ends on June 11 with The Tony Awards, which will be broadcast live on CBS.
At this point, the “insiders” are putting their bets on the London hit Groundhog Day to arrive on Broadway with rave reviews. After all, everyone loves the movie. The original Dear Evan Hansen, the story of a teen coming to terms with life and Come From Away, the true tale of the town of Gander, Newfoundland which houses passengers from stranded jetliners on 9/11, are high hopes for “Best Musical”. Anastasia, which premiered at Hartford Stage, War Paint, the story of Elizabeth Arden and Helena Rubenstein, and Charlie and The Chocolate Factory have their fans.
The musical revival scene seems dominated by Hello Dolly with Bette Midler, Miss Saigon, and Sunset Boulevard.
Personally, I’m cheering on Anastasia, Hello Dolly’s Kate Baldwin, who is a regular at Berkshire Theatre Group, and Michael Wartella,the Berkshires native who co-stars with Christian Borle in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory.
You can follow the Tonys race at www.tonyawards.com
Season Announcements…
The Hartford Symphony Pops has announced its upcoming Bushnell season. The quartet of concerts include the Holiday Cirque Spectacular, with Maestra Carolyn Kuan on the podium on December 16. Adam Boyles conducts Never Break The Chain: The Music of Fleetwood Mac on March 24. Elieen Ivers, the Celtic fiddler joins Carolyn Kuan and the Pops for The Celtic Spirit on April 21. Adam Boyles conducts Love on Broadway, an evening of romantic showtunes on May 19. The Hartford Symphony Pops present the Talcott Mountain Music Festival in Simsbury this summer. For details: 860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org. .
Playhouse on Park in West Hartford has announced its 9th season, which kicks off with the musical comedy with puppets, Avenue Q, followed by the classic true story, The Diary of Anne Frank. Steel Magnolias, the story of strong women in a Louisiana beauty salon follows. The season also includes Lyn Nottage’s drama Intimate Apparel, the 15th anniversary production by stop/time dance theatre; actor Jesse Eisenberg’s play The Revisionist, and the award-winning Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In The Heights.. For details: 860-523-5900 x10 or www.playhouseonpark.org
Andrea McArdle
Barrington Stage has announced its cabaret series at Mr. Finn’s Cabaret in downtown Pittsfield. Among the headliners are Broadway’s original “Annie”, Andrea McArdle; Forbidden Broadway’s impressionist Christine Pedi performing her Broadway impressions; Julie Budd performing Sinatra hits; and Brandon Uranowitz from the Broadway revival of William Finn’s Falsettos performing The Songs of William Finn. There’s also a new Artists on the Horizon series. For details: 413-236-8888 or www.barringtonstageco.org
Mark Walters, soloist with Springfield Symphony.
Keep in Mind…
The Springfield Symphony Orchestra wraps up its classical series with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth on April 29 in Symphony Hall. Kevin Rhodes conducts, and the Springfield Symphony Chorus and soloists Elaine Alvarez, Chrystal Williams, Jonathan Boyd and Mark Walters are soloists. The program also includes two Vaughan Williams works, Serenade to Music and Toward the Unknown Region. For details: 413-733-2291 or www.springfieldsymphony.org.
Chrystal Williams, soloist with Springfield Symphony.
Life in The (413), a rollicking, celebratory night of five original short radio plays, kicks off New Century Theatre’s 27th season on April 29 at Northampton’s Academy of Music. Radio host Monte Belmonte emcees the festivities. For details: 413-584-9032 x105 or www.newcenturytheatre.org
The Young@Heart Chorus celebrates its 35th anniversary with a concert on May 5, at Northampton’s Academy of Music. They’ll be performing lots of new music fromLeonard Cohen to the Psychedelic Furs, Los Lobos, Radiohead, Tears for Fears, Emerson, Lake and Palmer and much more.. For details: 413-584-9032 x105: or https://www.aomtheatre.com/
Storm Large. Photo by Laura Domela.
Storm Large and her band Le Bonheur bring Broadway, pops, and standards to WMass with performances on May 4 at CityStage in Springfield, and on May 13 at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, the latter part of the Berkshire Theatre Group. The multi-talented Large, a Massachusetts native, was a finalist on CBS’ Rock Star: Supernova. She’s toured internationally with Pink Martini, starred in Portland OR Center Stage’s production of Cabaret with Wade McCollum, and her autobiographical musical memoir, Crazy Enough. For details on the Springfield performance: 413.788.7033 or www.citystage.symphonyhall.com. For details on the Pittsfield performance: 413- 997-4444 or www.berkshiretheatregroup.org.
Joshua Wills stars in The Last Train To Nibroc at Playhouse on Park
The Last Train To Nibroc, Arlene Hutton’s drama about a young woman who shares a seat with a charming American flyer on a train to Kentucky in December, 1940, is next at West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park. Sean Harris directs; Lily Wilton and and Joshua Wills co-star in the Off-Broadway hit that received accolades at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Performances run through May 14. For details: 860-523-5900 x10 or. www.playhouseonpark.org
—
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.
