Outstanding Performances in a Musical
Rhett Guter as Conrad Birdie and Dorcas Leung as ursula in Bye Bye Birdie at Goodspeed. Photo: by Diane Sobolewski
Rhett Guter as the Elvis-type rock star who captivates the people in a small midwest town, as Conrad in Bye Bye Birdie, at Goodspeed. He turned “I’ve Got a Lot of Living To Do” into one of the best production numbers I’ve seen all year.
Ruby Rakos was a superb young Judy Garland in Chasing Rainbows, at Goodspeed. She knocked every one of those early Garland hits across the Sound with her big voice, and her acting and dancing was sublime.
Mariand Torres and Chester Martin in Monty Python’s Spamalot at Connecticut Repertory Theatre. Photo by Gerry Goodstein.
Mariand Torres was the penultiimate “diva”,as The Lady of The Lake, in Monty Python’s Spamalot, at Connecticut Repertory Theatre. I thought Sara Ramirez rom Grey’s Anatomy, who picked up a Tony playing that diva, “owned” the part. Torres owns it in my book.
Scarlett Strallen, one of London’s major musical theatre talents, sailed across the pond to play, Mabel in the The Pirates of Penzance at Barrington Stage. What a thrilling performance!
Michael Wartella, the Berkshires guy who sang, danced, played drums, and provided octane as Ruby Rakos’ co-star in, Chasing Rainbows, at Goodspeed, made Mickey Rooney stand out in this early Judy Garland retrospective.
Honorable Mentions go to:Stephen DeRosa as Moonface Martin in Anything Goes at Goodspeed who was so funny with deadpans and double-takes; Chelsea Groen, who as Dora in Berkshire Theatre Group’s Fiorello, turned “I Love A Cop” into a showstopper; and Will Swenson as The Pirate King in Barrington Stage’s The Pirates of Penzance. Swenson matinee-idol looks, commanding stage presence, and great voice was fun to watch.
Outstanding Performances in a Play
Rebecca Brooksher sizzled as Maggie in the Berkshire Theatre Group’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof . Her Anna Christie in O’Neill’s play of the same name a few years ago was equally intense.
Ruby Rakos as Judy Garland and Michael Wartella as Mickey Rooney in Chasing Rainbows: The Road to Oz. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.
Rupak Ginn played Peter, the up-and-coming writer, opposite Judd Hirsch in The Stone Witch at Berkshire Theatre Group. A difficult role to play and a difficult role to be in, but he handled it admirably.
Tamara Tunie played Kendra, whose son may have been involved in an incident in American Son at Barrington Stage. Michael Hayden played her estranged husband, Scott. Together, they negotiated a difficult pas de deux with intensity and finesse.
David Adkins played artist Han Van Meergeren,, who created a fake masterpiece in The Bakelite Masterpiece, a WAM and Berkshire Theatre Group co-production. Corinna May, Adkins’ real-life wife, played an investigator set to find out if Adkins’ character was telling the truth. Together, they were incendiary.
Tom Lenk in Buyer and Cellar at TheaterWorks. Photo by Lanny Nagler.
Outstanding Solo Performance: Tom Lenk, Buyer and Cellar, TheaterWorks
In Jonathan Tolins’ very funny play about an out-of-work actor taking a job at Barbra Streisand’s Malibu enclave Tom Lenk turned the solo performance into a tour-de-force without resorting to camp an shtick. Bravo!
Outstanding Ensemble Performance: Ron Carroll, Jenn Harris, and Matthew Wilkas, Christmas on The Rocks, TheaterWorks, Hartford.
This very disciplined trio of character actors, all great at improvisation, made this hilarious evening of playlets come together with extraordinary razzle-dazzle and heart..
Plan Ahead…
WAM Theatre has announced that they’ll revive their acclaimed production of Lauren Gunderson’s Emilie: La Marquise Du Châtelet Defends Her Life Tonight for a limited run at
David Adkins and Corinna May in The Bakelite Masterpiece. Photo by Emma Rothenberg-Ware
Shakespeare and Company’s Tina Packer Playhouse in Lenox, MA on March 30 through April 9. The 2013 WAM hit profiles Emilie Du Châtelet (1706-1749), best known for her 15-year-liaison with Voltaire, a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher, who was far more than a great man’s mistress. She became a highly regarded interpreter of modern physics and a master of mathematics and linguistics during the Age of Enlightenment. In the play, Emilie searches for a formula that will convince the world of her worth by tallying her achievements in love and philosophy. For details: www.WAMTheatre.com
Entrances, Exits, and Staying in Place
Darko Tresnjak, artistic director of Hartford Stage since 2012, has extended his contract through June, 2019. He and his production of A Gentleman’s Guide To Love and Murder picked up Tony Awards, and it’s a strong possibility that he’ll repeat the magic with Anastasia next Spring. For details on Hartford Stage: www.hartfordstage.org.
Ashley Pirsig has been named the new Director o Advancement at Barrington Stage Company. She joins Barrington Stage after having previously served as the Director of Development at Flat Rock Playhouse (Flat Rock, NC) and Assistant Director of Development for Virginia Stage Company in Norfolk. For details on Barrington Stage: www.barringtonstageco.org.
Matt Longhi, former Director of Publicity and Marketing for the Springfield Museums, has been named Director of Marketing and Publicity for the Music and Dance Department at the University of Massachusetts. He has worked previously in education and community outreach for The Republican Newspaper, and also served as Operations Manager and Director of Education for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.
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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.
