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05/16/2024 12:00 AMBaseball’s Negro Leagues: Tori Stone tells the true story of the first woman to be a professional baseball player in the Negro Leagues. She may be the only woman to have played at that level. The play, at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford through Sunday, June 16, recounts her difficult journey fighting for love, equality, and the opportunity to play baseball. For tickets, contact PlayhouseOnPark.org.
Nostalgia: Ivoryton Playhouse is taking us back to a USO canteen in 1944 for Swingtime Canteen through Sunday, June 9. The show features the songs of the ‘40s – from “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree” and “I’ll Be Seeing You” to ‘Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” You can bet there will be lots of dancing and some Andrews Sisters-like harmonies. It sounds like a fun evening with laughter, joy, and heartwarming moments. Contact IvorytonPlayhouse.org for tickets.
New Musical at Chester: The Complicated Woman, the new musical now at Goodspeed’s Terris Theatre in Chester, features theatre impresario John Kenley who brings Hollywood stars to summer stock stages in Ohio. After each summer, John disappears to Florida, where Jean comes to life. Tony nominee Jeff Calhoun directs and choreographs this brand-new show that runs through Sunday, June 2. For tickets, visit Goodspeed.org.
Not so Kinky: The Tony Award winning musical Kinky Boots is opening at ACT-CT in Ridgefield on Thursday, May 23 and runs through Sunday, June 16. The show features a score written by Cyndi Lauper with book by Harvey Fierstein. It is based on the British film comedy of the same name. The story is about a failing family shoe manufacturer who finds a new niche market and becomes successful again. For tickets, visit ActCt.org.
Switching Schedules: Westport Country Playhouse’s schedule is shifting to one that begins in autumn and continues through spring 2025. Each show will run for three weeks. The season opens with The 39 Steps (Oct. 22 to Nov. 9); continues with Native Gardens (Feb. 18 to March 8) and will conclude with the screwball comedy Theatre People (March 25 to April 12.). In addition, A Sherlock Carol will return from Dec. 17 to 22, and Broadway Scores at the Playhouse, a concert, will run Jan. 23 to 26. For complete details, visit WestportPlayhouse.org.
The Tonys: Tony nominations are out (winners will be announced June 16). Stereophonic garnered a record-setting number of nominations for a play. Two musicals also garnered many nominations – Hell’s Kitchen, the Alicia Keys musical got 13, and The Outsiders got 12. Other shows with significant numbers of nominations included Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Appropriate, Merrily We Roll Along, and Water for Elephants. Some notable performers with nominations include Daniel Ratcliffe, Kelli O’Hara, Jeremy Strong, Liev Schreiber, Jessica Lange, Eddie Redmayne, Jim Parsons, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Bebe Neuwirth.
As usual, there were surprises – shows that did not receive any– Harmony, The Wiz, How to Dance in Ohio, The Heart of Rock and Roll, -- or those that did not receive any major nominations – The Great Gatsby, Patriots, The Who’s Tommy, Uncle Vanya, Back to the Future, The Notebook.
I was surprised that Chip Zien (Harmony) was not nominated, nor Jenn Colella (Suffs), or Will Keen (Patriots). I expected a nomination for Days of Wine and Roses as best musical, as well as the directors of Patriots, Days of Wine and Roses, and Enemy of the People. Also, I did not expect the number of nominations that the controversial revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club received.
NYC Notes: Two shows have extended their limited runs. An Enemy of the People will now play through Sunday, June 23. Stereophonic is extending its run to Sunday, Aug. 18. Both plays received rave reviews and multiple Tony Award nominations. The new musical, Lempicka, which did not fare so well, will close this weekend. It may have deserved a longer run, but it was a flawed 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.