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12/28/2023 12:00 AMHoliday Shows Selling Out: Hartford Stage’s A Christmas Carol and TheaterWorks’ Christmas on the Rocks virtually sold out their pre-Christmas runs. That’s good news for the theatres as it shows people are willing to return to the theater. They hope that this will carry over into their regular productions. Each added performances, when possible, to accommodate demand.
The Big Story: The big story of 2023, not just in Connecticut but in the nation, is the continuing financial crisis for theaters. Across the country, prestigious and well-established theaters have laid off staff, cut back on the number or size of productions, or closed. All the professional theaters, including the presentation houses of the Bushnell (Hartford), Shubert (New Haven), and Palace (Waterbury), are struggling. Support our local theaters.
Those We Lost in 2023: Every year, talented professionals who have contributed to our theater-going enjoyment die. Many are not household names: scenic, costume, and lighting designers; producers and agents, casting directors, or those who can be counted on to make small roles memorable. This year was no exception. Here are some of those more well-known people we lost this year. Lyricist Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof), Tom Jones (The Fantasticks), Burt Bacharach (Promises, Promises), Steven Litvak (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder) and playwright Tina Howe. Todd Haines, the director who built The Roundabout Theatre into a force, and director Michael Blakemore will be sorely missed.
Among the actors with long Broadway credits who will be missed are Glenda Jackson, Michael Gambon, Alan Arkin, Treat Williams, Harry Belafonte, Barry Humphries (Dame Edna), Raquel Welch, and Frances Sternhagen. I will miss four superb comic actors: Charles Kimbrough, Paxton Whitehead, Michael McGrath, and Walter Charles.
Looking Back on the Stellar Moments: I don’t do a ten-best list; instead, I like to recall some of my favorite shows of the past year.
My NYC City Favorites: Whether other critics loved them or not, I thoroughly enjoyed:
Merrily We Roll Along–this Sondheim musical had a rocky original run, but the score is so good that productions keep popping up. This revival (now on Broadway, but I saw it off-Broadway) makes a strong case for its worth.
Parade–Another show that had a disappointing initial run, it got a stellar revival (and a Tony award).
Sweeney Todd–Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford made the two leading roles their own, giving the show a different but very appropriate tone.
Some Like It Hot–an old-fashioned musical with songs and dances that had you tapping your feet. It deserved a much longer run than it got.
& Juliet–I didn’t expect to like this as much as I did; I found the book inventive and smart, and the cast terrific.
Days of Wine & Roses–It’s moving to Broadway and I want to see it again. It’s a tough story about alcoholism, but well done. Besides, I would see Kelli O’Hara and Brian D’Arcy James in almost anything.
Fat Ham–a comic take on Hamlet, set in the South, was inventive and absolutely a delight.
Translations–The Irish Rep’s production of the Brian Friel play featured an outstanding cast.
Harmony–this musical about a forgotten singing group had many wonderful moments.
Connecticut Theater Shone:
I had many wonderful moments in Connecticut theatres this year. The standout plays include A Winter’s Tale (Hartford Stage), Clyde’s (TheaterWorks Hartford), The Salvagers (Yale Rep), Dial M for Murder (Westport Country Playhouse), and Majada (Yale Rep).
The musical productions were strong, as well. I loved The Secret Garden (ACT-CT), The 12 (Goodspeed–Chester), Dreamgirls (Goodspeed), Lizzie (TheaterWorks Hartford ), Jersey Boys (MTC), and Summer Stock (Goodspeed)
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.