MARK AUERBACH
Private Lives: The Battle of the Exes
Hartford Stage rings in the new year with Noel Coward’s chic and sassy “Private Lives” (January 8-February 8). Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak stages the hilarious story of Amanda: vivacious, sexy, sophisticate; and Elyot: virile, charming, seductive. They’re the epitome of a 1930s cosmopolitan couple… until divorce. Five years later, they are horrified to bump into each other while honeymooning in a French hotel with their new spouses. With its stinging barbs and clever wit, ”Private Live”s is Noel Coward’s finest and funniest comedy.
“Private Lives” premiered in London in 1930 with Coward, Gertrude Lawrence and Laurence Olivier in the cast. It moved to Broadway, to film, and to numerous revivals, featuring Elizabeth Taylor, Maggie Smith, Tallulah Bankhead and others. Coward ‘s other hits have included “Blithe Spirit”, “Sail Away”, and “Present Laughter”.
The cast includes Jenni Barber, Ken Barnett , Henry Clarke, Carine Montbertrand, and Rachel Pickup. Alexander Dodge, who designed the sets for “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” for Hartford Stage and Broadway, designs “Private Lives”.
For tickets: 860-527-5151 or www.hartfordstage.org
Daniel Hege, Hartford Symphony soloist. (Photo by Christian Steiner)
Goodspeed’s 10th Festival of New Musicals
The 10th Annual Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals kicks off its much-anticipated three-day festival of brand-new works on January 16-18 at the East Haddam, CT theatre campus. Goodspeed, who has sent “Man of La Mancha”, “Annie”, and “Shenandoah” to Broadway, previews three new musicals in staged-readings, and offers seminars and symposiums for musical theatre fans.,
The musicals include: the Jesse James-inspired musical “Outlaws”, the musical comedy “The Noteworthy Life of Howard Barnes” and the riveting “For Tonight” .
For tickets and program information: 860.873.8668 or www.goodspeed.org.
Of Note
Maxwell Williams, Associate Director of Hartford Stage, director of this year’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” and “A Christmas Carol”, is moving to the Big Easy. He has been named the new artistic director for Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carré. Congratulations!
Maxwell Williams
Renée Fleming,the opera star who was seen this past summer in the Williamstown Theatre Festival’s world premiere of Joe DiPietro’s “Living on Love”, will make her Broadway debut in that new comedy in April 2015. Fleming is currently starring in a new production of “The Merry Widow” at the Metropolitan Opera House. http://www.livingonlovebroadway.com/
Keep in Mind…
***Broadway Week is January 20-February 5. You can buy two-for-one tickets to many Broadway shows. For details: http://www.nycgo.com/broadwayweek
***Seth Lepore continues his innovative stand-up series, The Seth Shows” at Eastworks in Esthampton, MA this month. On Tuesdays, beginning January 13, Leporebreaks the myths of the artistic life and the creative industry in three different programs. For details: http://www.sethums.com/
***The Hartford Symphony performs music by de Falla and Sibelius on January 15-18 at The Bushnell. Daniel Hege conducts and :Lenoid Sigal is guest violinist performing the Waxman For tickets: 960-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.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.
