Inside Notes And Comments About Connecticut And New York Professional Theater

Pratfalls Galore: Now on the Legacy Theatre stage through Sunday, Oct. 1, is The Play That Goes Wrong. Imagine a local drama group trying to put on a play and everything, and I mean everything keeps going wrong; from actors forgetting lines, to sets falling; this is a farce in the truest sense. For tickets, visit LegacyTheatreCT.org.

A Jane Austen Fall: Two theaters in the Hartford area are depending on Jane Austen to please audiences. Playhouse on Park in West Hartford opens its season on Friday, Sept. 27, with The Complete Works of Jane Austen (Abridged). The show’s premise is that two Janeites (Austen fans) introduce a newbie to all her works in just 80 minutes. It runs through Sunday, Oct. 22. For tickets, visit PlayhouseOnPark.org.

Four Women, One Murder: New Englanders know the story of Lizzy Bordon, who apparently killed her parents with an ax in Massachusetts but was acquitted of the crime. TheaterWorks is presenting Lizzie as its opening production of the season. It features four women and a rock concert retelling of the story. In fact, the subtitle is A rock concert in 40 whacks. It runs from Friday, Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 22. For tickets, visit TWHartford.org.

Strong Women: Ivoryton Playhouse, each fall, tells stories about the strength of women and uplifting feminine voices. This year, it is producing the award-winning musical The Color Purple, from Thursday, Sept. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 15. It began as a highly praised novel before being made into an equally praised film and then an award-winning musical. It is the story of Celie, a young woman who finds her voice and her strength after years of struggle. For tickets, visit IvorytonPlayhouse.org.

Normalcy and Revolution: Wish You Were Here opens the Yale Rep season on Thursday, Oct. 5, running through Saturday, Oct. 28. The play covers a decade in the lives of best friends that begins with the political upheaval in Iran, which leads to the rise of the Islamic Revolution and the rescinding of women’s freedoms. For tickets, visit YaleRep.org

Movie to Musical: The musical version of Mrs. Doubtfire was one of the Broadway shows really impacted by the pandemic and post-pandemic uncertainties. Now the show, which received good reviews, is at the Bushnell from Tuesday, Oct. 3 to Sunday, Oct. 8. Rob McClure, the original star of the show, is reprising his Tony-nominated role. His co-star, Maggie Lakis, is his real-life wife as well as playing his ex-wife in the show. For tickets, visit Bushnell.org

More Jersey Boys: If you missed the fine production of the show about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons at Ivoryton, you might be able to get tickets for a different production at MTC in Norwalk. The shows is there through Sunday, Oct. 5. For tickets, contact MusicTheatreOfCt.com.

The Whale Is Broken: The classic film, Jaws was at times, an endurance trial for the three stars: Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider, and the up-and-coming Richard Dreyfus. They would wait hours for one of the mechanical sharks used in the film to actually operate as intended. Meanwhile, they told stories, drank booze, and argued. Shaw’s son Ian has turned the experience into a 90-minute comedy, which just opened on Broadway. It stars Shaw as his father, Colin Donnell as Roy Scheider and Alex Brightman as Dreyfuss. It may not be a great play, but it is an enjoyable evening (or afternoon) in the theater.

We Know These Directors: Two former Connecticut artistic directors will have shows off-Broadway this fall. Doug Hughes, former artistic director of Long Wharf, will direct the Irish Rep’s production of Translations by Brian Friel. Darko Tresjnak, former Hartford Stage artistic director, is on board to direct Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy by Sarah Gancher, for the Vineyard Theatre. He is also directing The Engagement Party, which premiered at Hartford Stage at the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.

NY Notes: The fall season is underway. The revival of Spamalot begins performances on Oct. 31; Merrily We Roll Along, starring Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff, and Lindsay Mendez officially opens on Tuesday, Oct. 10. It only runs through March 24. Currently in previews are the comedy Purlie Victorious starring Leslie Odom, Jr.; Guttenberg The Musical officially opens, Thursday, Oct. 12 and JaJa’s African Hair Braiding begins previews Tuesday, Oct. 3. In mid-October, previews begin for Harmony the musical written by Barry Manilow. This is not a jukebox show.

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.