by Mark G. Auerbach
John Shea
John Shea Returns to Springfield to Screen His New Movie
John Shea, the nationally-known actor who grew up in Springfield, will screen his new film, Grey Lady, which he filmed on Nantucket, at the Basketball Hall of Fame on June 29. Proceeds from the screening benefit The Bing Arts Center, Gray House and the John V. Shea Scholarship Fund at The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.
Grey Lady, written and directed by Shea, is a romantic mystery thriller about a Boston cop’s journey to Nantucket to catch a killer. Eric Dane of Grey’s Anatomy, Natalie Zea of Detour, and Amy Madigan co-star, and Shea plays a small role.
Shea, who attended Cathedral High School, graduated Yale School of Drama, and made his Broadway debut in Yentl, winning a Theatre World Award. He starred in the Oscar-winning movie Missing, and played Lex Luther in the hit TV series Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. He won an Emmy for his performance in Baby M, and a Montreal Film Festival Award for Windy City. His father was a Springfield school superintendent.
Shea will introduce the film and be present or a post-screening Q&A. He’ll also be present or a benefit cocktail reception and a post-screening party. For details:413-731-9730 or http://bingartscenter.org/store/tickets/grey-lady-premiere-screening/
The Million Dollar Quartet cast at The Majestic Theatre. Photo by Lee Chambers.
A Majestic Summer
West Springfield’s Majestic Theatre plays host to a variety of summer entertainment, from concerts and children’s theatre to open mic nights, improv, and more,
The summer season launches with an encore run of Million Dollar Quartet, the rock musical, playing through June 25. Children’s theatre takes the stage in July and August with performances of .Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
For the 15th summer, the Majestic will also hold its popular Open Mic Nights, hosted by Floyd Patterson, on Tuesday nights, July 11-August 22. Singers, musicians, jugglers, ventriloquists, dancers, comedians, magicians and other performers must call the Majestic Theater at (413) 747-7797 to book a spot during one of the weekly shows.
For details: 413-747-7797 or www.majestictheater.com.
Summer Puppets in Storrs
The Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at UConn presents its popular Summertime Saturday Puppet Shows Series of new works by UConn Puppet Arts students and alumni for family audiences on seven consecutive Saturdays, July 1-August 12. Performances will take place at the Ballard Institute Theater located at 1 Royce Circle, Storrs Center at 11AM and 2PM. Visitors can park in the Storrs Center Garage located at 33 Royce Circle. Parking in the Storrs Center Garage is free for the first two hours and $1 per hour thereafter, with a daily maximum charge of $8.For details: 860-486-8580, or www.bimp.uconn.edu.
Winners: The 62nd annual Drama Desk Awards took place June 4. Some of the winners with area ties:Come From Away, a musical that spent time at Goodspeed enroute to Broadway, won “Best Musical”. It’s co-star, Jenn Colella, received “Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical”. Rachel Chavkin, of Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, which originated at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, won “Outstanding Director of a Musical”. Ed Dixon won “Outstanding Solo Performance” for Georgie: My Adventures with George Rose, which will play Barrington Stage this summer. Aaron Rhyne won “Outstanding Projection Design” for Anastasia, which premiered at Hartford Stage.
Lilli Hokama in I and You at The Chester Theatre
Keep in Mind…
Arts Beat Radio talks Connecticut Repertory Theatre on Friday, June 23 at 8AM on 89.5FM/WSKB. Host Mark G. Auerbach interviews new Artistic Director Terrence Mann and choreographer Christopher d’Amboise of Newsies!. Tune in live on the airwaves, on Comcast ch. 15, www.wskb.org or at www.westfieldtv.org
Paul Pontrelli in I and You at The Chester Theatre
I and You, Lauren Gunderson’s ode to youth, fate, and the strange beauty of shared humanity, opens the Chester Theatre season June 28-July 9 in Chester, MA.Kristen Van Ginhoven of WAM Theatre directs. Lilli Hokama and Paul Pontrelli star as two teens who let their guards down when their seemingly straightforward poetry project unlocks a deeper mystery that has brought them together. For details: (413) 354-7771 or www.chestertheatre.org
Leftovers, a new play by Ellen Wittinger, gets a staged reading under the auspices of New Century Theatre on June 24-25 at First Churches in Northampton. Sam Rush directs the story of a woman who moves into her basement to be where her late husband of thirty years apparently lives. For details: 413-587-3933 or www.newcenturytheatre.org.
Charles Neville
Charles Neville and the New England Nevilles take the stage on July 2 at the North Hall Arts Festival in Huntington, MA. The legendary New Orleans Sax player, Charles Neville, will be joined by Shido Hiroyuki on bass along with Khalif Neville on keyboard and Talyn Neville on drums. The music ranges from jazz to rhythm & blues, funk, be- bop, pop and American Indian music.. The Westfield News Group is an event sponsor. For details: 413-667-5543. or www.northhallhuntington.org.
The Foreigner, Larry Shue’s zany comic romp opens the New Century Theatre’s 27th season with performances July 6-15 at the PVPA Charter School in South Hadley. The comedy was a major award-winner when it opened in 1984, and it is one of the most frequently performed comedies on the theatre scene–for good reason, because it’s hysterically funny. For details: 413-587-3933 or www.newcenturytheatre.org.
Celebrate America! opens the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Talcott Mountain Festival in Simsbury, CT on June 30. Carolyn Kuan conducts a program of patriotic favorites, and fireworks follow the concert. Rain date is July 1. For details: 860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org.
The Capitol Steps bring their political song and satire to Cranwell in Lenox from June 3O through September 1, daily except Tuesdays. For Capitol Steps information: www.capsteps.com. For details on the Cranwell performances. 413-881-1636 or http://shop.cranwell.com/index.php?p=catalog&parent=105&pg=1
—
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.
