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11/17/2022 12:00 AMWorld Premiere: Yale Rep’s next show, The Brightest Thing in the World, is a world premiere by Leah Hanako Winkler which was commissioned by Yale. It is described as a classic rom-com, but you can bet there is more to it than that. It runs from Friday, Nov. 25 to Saturday, Dec. 17. For tickets visit YaleRep.org
Go See These Connecticut Productions: You still have time to see two very good productions at area theaters. Guys & Dolls is a classic musical filled with tunes you know. The production at ACT-CT in Ridgefield is very good. It runs through Sunday, Nov. 20; tickets are at ACTofCT.org. Also running through Sunday, Nov. 20, is Lend Me a Tenor at MTC in Norwalk. This is a pure farce and it is silly and well-performed. The timing, so essential with farce, is perfect. Tickets are at MusicTheatreOfCT.com
Greek Myths: UConn’s Connecticut Repertory Theater is returning to “normal” with an opening production go METAMORPHOSES by Mary Zimmerman. This innovative show, which I saw in both NYC and in Connecticut, is based on the myths of Ovid. It explores love, life, and transformation. It will run from Thursday, Dec. 1 to Sunday, Dec. 11. Tickets are available at CRT.UConn.edu.
Return Engagement: Chicago is the longest-running American musical, still playing on Broadway after 25 years. The touring company returns to Waterbury’s Palace Theater on Saturday, Dec. 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. If you have never seen it, or if you have but love the show, you can get tickets at PalaceTheaterCT.org.
What Were They Thinking? Sometimes you wonder why anyone thought something was a good idea. Case in point: London’s Icarus Theatre had decided to produce Romeo & Juliet but to change the setting to WWII Germany and have the feuding families be a Jewish family and a group of Nazis. Following a public outcry, the theater canceled the production.
On Broadway: I’ve recently seen two shows that are worth your attention. First is the revival of Death of a Salesman, one of the great American plays. The production that originated in London has added the dimension of race to this story of a family grappling with success and the American Dream. Overall, I would give this production a solid B or B+ grade. The two leads are very good, but some of the directorial choices did not seem to serve the material effectively.
I highly recommend Tom Stoppard’s latest play Leopoldstadt, which draws on his family’s history. The play covers 50+ years in the life of an upper-middle-class, assimilated Jewish family in Vienna, beginning in 1899. The cast is terrific, as are the sets and costumes. But it is the story that will get to you. It may seem confusing at first to keep track of the various family members, yet by the end you are invested in their lives.
The Music Man, which stars Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, will now play through Sunday, Jan. 15. It had been scheduled to close on January first.
Still to Come: It’s mid-November, but there is still a long list of shows that will officially open on Broadway before the year’s end. These include musicals Some Like It Hot, the second musical version of the hit film comedy; KPOP, about the Korean pop music groups; A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical; plus the drama The Ohio State Murders which stars Audra McDonald. I’m sure I’ve overlooked one or two.
Karen Isaacs is an East Haven resident. To check out her reviews for New York and Connecticut shows, visit 2ontheaisle.wordpress.com. She’s a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle, New York’s Outer Critics Circle, the League of Professional Theater Women and the American Theatre Critics Association.