Connecticut Critics Circle

EDITOR’S NOTE: The national tour of “The Band’s Visit” will be performing at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts through November 21. In 2016, when Goodspeed Musicals sponsored a gala in honor of the extraordinary actress Chita Rivera, I had the opportunity to meet Janet Dacal, who was one of the lead actors in the musical “Bye Bye Birdie” being produced at Goodspeed. As luck would have it, Janet and I sat next to each other. Right away we started shifting between English to Spanish. She asked, “Are you Cuban?” My accent gave me away. A few minutes later… read more

Goodspeed Musicals has announced four exciting productions for the Tony Award-winning theatre’s 2022 season. Now in her second season as Goodspeed’s Artistic Director, Donna Lynn Hilton shared, “It is truly thrilling to announce a new Goodspeed season filled with engaging and moving musicals that will appeal to our loyal audiences and attract new theatregoers to the Goodspeed experience. We begin with an intimate production of a classic musical that is both engrossing and familiar, then the long awaited world premiere musical from a story loved by multiple generations, continue with a new production of a tap dance extravaganza and finish… read more

For many years, Matthew Lopez has been a Latino playwright whose many plays were produced in Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks. Each time one of his plays is presented, he has been generous enough with his time to grant me an interview or to meet with me. Hartford, in particular, has nurtured his talent, not only producing his plays but also having received the support of the Aetna Playwrights program in 2012, providing him with a residency to continue working on his plays. Both the Aetna Playwrights program in 2012, and productions of his play, have, according to Lopez, given him… read more

The program is structured to train college students to become theater critics. It partners a current member of the Critics Circle with a college student who is interested in learning to write professional-quality theater reviews. Mentoring young critics was the brainchild of Dr. Brooks Appelbaum, a member of the Connecticut Critics Circle since 2015, who now teaches in the First Year Writing Program, the First Year Seminar Program and the Drama Program at Quinnipiac University. She graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University and earned her Ph.D. in English literature from Cornell. Two purposes of the program are to usher… read more

Connecticut Critics Circle critic Karen Isaacs is a guest on the weekly cable program, Arts and Entertainment with Deborah Gilbert. Ms. Gilbert’s program highlights the arts, entertainment and culture. The program can be viewed on Valley Shore Community Television Inc. or on YouTube read more

The purpose of this program is to: 1. bring young perspectives and voices into the CCC 2. bring in young critics from a broad range of ethnicities and backgrounds. Criteria to apply: Applicants must be currently matriculated undergraduates at a Connecticut college/university. Applicants need to have some experience writing reviews or essays, which could include theater-related writing, a book review or critical essay, a piece on popular culture, or music (concert or album review). 1. The CCC Mentor program is structured to train currently matriculated college students to become theater critics. Interested students complete the attached application, with June 1st… read more

A new theater is about to open in the Stony Creek section of Branford. Legacy Theatre has been in the works since 2011 when Keely Baisden Knudsen and Stephanie Stiefel Williams incorporated the Legacy Theatre. But it wasn’t until 2013 that it purchased what is usually referred to as the Puppet House Theatre in Stony Creek. Now, the new theater is about to open its doors, though it has been offering some limited productions and presentations at other venues. Of course, in the midst of the construction, Covid 19 arrived. According to Knudsen, who is the artistic director, there was… read more

Spring is in the air and vaccination shots are in the arm. Could this mean a touch of normalcy is in the offing? Yes, as Hartford’s Bushnell Theater Broadway series has just announced a season of shows starting this fall. “Escape to Margaritaville” – To shake off the dust of quarantine, what better medicine could you get than a visit to the Caribbean sunshine with that tropical favorite Jimmy Buffett and his enticing “Escape to Margaritaville” from October 12 to 17, 2021. Don a flowered shirt and flip-flops and dip your margarita glass in rainbow sprinkles, orange zest and sugar,… read more

This month’s Connecticut Critics Roundtable, asked the critics two questions: Which five plays would you like to see a Connecticut theater revive? Which five musicals would you like to see a Connecticut theater revive? Participants were: Brooks Applebaum, Stuart Brown, Bonnie Goldberg, Tom Holehan, Karen Isaacs, Nancy Sasso Janis, Tim Leininger, Zander Opper, Frank Rizzo. Which five plays would you like to see a Connecticut theater revive? Nancy Sasso Janis The Night of the Iguana Our Town Othello The Tempest A View From the Bridge Frank Rizzo Luv – by Murray Schisgal I saw the original production. Reread it. Holds… read more

Critics’ Roundtable We asked members of the CT Critics Circle to talk what production of a play or musical they remember best..” Below are the edited responses Karen Isaacs: So many to choose from. High on the list would be the original cast of Camelot and The Boy From Oz with Hugh Jackman – the show isn’t great BUT his performance was and the energy was electric. The City Center’s Encores production of Chicago, which went to Broadway was another amazing show. Plus, Come from Away. In Connecticut, high on the list would be A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and… read more

The historic Sharon Playhouse in Sharon, CT has launched a festival of new ten minute plays and musicals: Sharon Playhouse Writers Playground. The Writers Playground is committed to giving the talented writers, performers, directors and technicians in the Northwest Corner of Connecticut as well as the neighboring communities in New York and Massachusetts a platform to showcase their talents in their own backyard and see their visions realized. The Playhouse also hopes to empower all people of any age and background to use their voice to tell diverse stories of self-expression and creativity. Submissions will be accepted from writers in… read more

Critics’ Roundtable We asked members of the CT Critics Circle to talk about their most memorable night in a Connecticut theatre and what production of a play or musical they remember best. Below are the edited responses. What was the most memorable night in a Connecticut theater for you? Why was it so memorable? Stuart Brown: 1996 Goodspeed production of Sweeney Todd. When Sweeney Todd opened on Broadway to commercial and critical success, it had, I believe, the largest set every to grace a Broadway stage.  How, then, could this show go from mammoth staging to the picture postcard sized… read more

Long time Connecticut Critics Circle member, Frank Rizzo, writes a personal tribute to the actor Hal Holbrook, who passed away at age 95 on February 1, 2021. Holbrook, known for his signature solo-show “Mark Twain Tonight!” had a deep connection with Hartford’s Mark Twain House & Museum. read more

By Karen Isaacs Sofa? Car? Or outdoors, socially-distanced? These are the options for enjoying holiday entertainment and attractions in Connecticut and New York City. All of us have our comfort zones when it comes to what we are willing to do, or not, during this pandemic. And, the reality is that the pandemic is still very much with us and health experts are urging us to celebrate the holidays in way that keeps us safe for us, and for everyone. Happily for us, that still leaves lots of room for fun. Read on to find out how to make sure… read more

Kanthalina Andreus is part of the Connecticut Critics Circle mentorship program for college students. She is a student at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport. Russian Troll Farm: A Workplace Comedy, a streaming co-production of TheaterWorks in Hartford, TheaterSquared in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and in association with The Civilians, premiered on October 20 at 7:30 p.m. Unusual times call for unusual measures and filming entire productions while socially distanced is one many people are attempting. Written by Sarah Gancher, Russian Troll Farm is identified as a workplace comedy, but only one of those names fit. While it was going for funny office… read more

As the pandemic tightened its grip on Connecticut earlier this year, many of the rest of us took the time at home to hone our bread baking skills, kill time on social media, or catch up on that Netflix series we had been hearing about. Not Marc Deaton, of Madison Lyric Stage. Instead, he sat down and wrote a searing memoir, which he then presented to a group of friends and supporters at a barn in his backyard in early fall. Deaton performed the play with three other performers to an appreciative and enthusiastic audience and has plans to present… read more

Theaters are anxious to resume, and most artistic directors say that people want to see theater, but safely. Right now, several theaters in Connecticut are trying different approaches to fulfilling these needs. Those that are doing so are relying on digital streaming of productions or a combination of live performances with a limited audience and streaming. Music Theatre of Connecticut, or MTC as it is usually called, is a small established theater in Norwalk. It was one of only three theaters in the east (and maybe nationwide) to receive permission from Actor’s Equity to resume productions. According to artistic director… read more

Two years ago, the Connecticut Critics Circle created a Mentor Program so that undergraduate college students could train to become theater critics. One of the 2020-2021 mentees is Sydney Reynolds of Quinnipiac University. She is a Media Studies major, Film minor, and will be pursuing her Master’s in Journalism next year. She is currently part of the Communications Honors Society with a 3.93 GPA. At just six years old, Sydney was already becoming involved in community theater as an actress and would continue this passion throughout her whole life. She is now heavily involved in Quinnipiac University’s television station, Q30,… read more

NORWALK — After six months live indoor professional theater has returned to Connecticut with Music Theatre of Connecticut’s production of Becky Mode’s “Fully Committed,” running through Sept. 27. The evening was going to be an enjoyable, if unique, experience. Music Theatre of Connecticut, or MTC, is one of three theaters in the country that has been approved by their state, the CDC, and the stage actors’ union Actors Equity Association. The other two being Weathervane Theatre in Whitefield, New Hampshire, and Northern Stage in White River Junction, Vermont. Traditionally, MTC would sit 110 people, but with current COVID-19 restrictions for… read more

The Music Theatre of Connecticut has been designated by Equity as one of three theaters in the country to hold live, in-person productions. The show, the one-man play, “Fully Committed,” runs through September 27, 2020. There are restrictions such as only 23 in-person tickets and 78 live stream tickets. Critics from the CT Critics Circle were invited to the opening and their reviews will be posted on our website. Simply click on the “Reviews” tab. read more

David Arlen Rosenberg, 90, of 14 – Acre Pond, Norwalk, died Wednesday, July 15, 2020 at Norwalk Hospital. Born in Brooklyn, NY on April 24, 1930; he was the son of the late Joseph and Ruth Rosenberg. Covering theatre and opera productions in Connecticut, Broadway, off-Broadway and London, he was an acknowledged award-winning theatre and arts critic who wrote reviews and feature articles for The Norwalk Hour, Hearst Media of Connecticut; Back Stage in New York; as well as magazines in Greenwich, Westport and New Canaan. He was co-founder of the Connecticut Critics Circle and was an active member affiliated… read more

The Connecticut Critics Circle (CCC) announced it is honoring more than two dozen theater artists whose work was presented during the 2019-2020 season, which was shortened mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The group of theater critics and writers annually salute outstanding work by artists among the state’s professional theaters. The annual ceremony, originally scheduled this year for June 29 at New Haven’s Long Wharf Theatre, was cancelled. An on-line ceremony is planned to be held later this summer. “We wanted to recognize outstanding productions and performers during the abbreviated season,” says Stuart Brown, president of the CCC. “Instead of… read more

Someday this current health related crisis will be under control. With all of the uncertainty and havoc it’s created, one of many questions that remains unclear is what Connecticut theater will look like once it’s safe to gather in crowds again. Will all our professional companies survive? No one knows. Theaters struggle for money; the ticket purchases cover a relatively small percentage of costs for productions. Theaters depend on donations and grants to pay the bills. The coronavirus crisis has jeopardized the financial health of many Connecticut theaters. Some already were facing economic difficulties, but now these are more severe… read more

The Connecticut Critics Circle (CCC), a statewide organization of theater critics, is launching a Young Critics Mentor Program. The application deadline has been extended to May 1, 2020. The program will run from July 1, 2020 through June 1, 2021. Our purpose is to bring young perspectives and voices from a broad range of ethnicities and backgrounds into the CCC and mentor these young people as they learn to write professional-quality theater reviews. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at: Brooks.Appelbaum@quinnipiac.edu. Most sincerely, Brooks Appelbaum Dr. Brooks C. Appelbaum Chair, Young Critics Committee Member, Connecticut… read more

This column was originally posted on the blog, Stu on Broadway. A production of the show will be playing at the Connecticut Repertory Theatre in Storrs, CT from February 27 – March 8. In the new Broadway show, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a 15-year-old boy with Asperger’s is thrust into a journey of self-discovery and an examination of relationships with his mother and father, teachers, and others. Audience members are given a window into the mind of an individual with this Austism Spectrum Disorder, thanks to the brilliance of the creative team and director, Marianne… read more

Reprinted from Hartford Magazine with permission from Frank Rizzo. Mandy Patinkin was not allowing any length of time to be saddened by the eighth and final season of the Showtime series “Homeland,” in which he stars with Claire Danes. The 12-episode season begins Feb. 9. As soon as the filming ended last fall, the Emmy and Tony award-winning actor released his latest album of songs and launched a concert tour to 30 cities, including New Haven where he will perform at the Shubert Theatre on Jan 25. In “Homeland” Patinkin plays Saul Berenson, the no-nonsense, battle-scarred mentor and father-figure to… read more

It was an unusual gathering on Long Wharf Theatre’s Stage II last Friday. Assembled to discuss Long Wharf’s production of Doug Wright’s I Am My Own Wife, which started previews this week and opens next Wednesday, was the entire creative team for the show, led in discussion by Patrick J. Dunn, Executive Director of New Haven Pride Center. In addition to Rebecca Martínez, the show’s director, and its star, Mason Alexander Park, the discussion included set designer Britton Mauk, costume designer Daniel Tyler Mathews, lighting designer Jennifer Fok, sound designer and original music composer Kimberly S. O’Loughlin, assistant director Kevin… read more

Plays for and about women, written by women and starring women, will be celebrated at the Ivoryton Playhouse on Saturday February 22 at 2 p.m. and continuing at 7 p.m. For the fourth year, the Women Playwrights Initiative will serve as an incubator to foster new works that view women in a quartet of unique situations, ones that will engender laughter and tears, and stimulate conversations and networking possibilities. From 170 submitted works, four will be highlighted. The four playwrights hail from the state of Washington, California, Indiana and Maryland and will each receive the Ellie Award and a $500… read more

Resist the urge to hibernate during the dark, cold wintery days. If you do, you will miss many promising theater productions and events. Right now, East Haddam is buzzing with activity. In January, with Goodspeed’s spring production still months away, you might think it would be quiet on the Goodspeed campus. Yet it is alive with actors, directors, composers, lyricists and book writers. As soon as it becomes January, rehearsals start for the Festival of New Musicals, which is entering its 15th year. The purpose is let the creative people behind new musicals see their works performed in front of… read more

Arts criticism is changing rapidly, and the internet has created more opportunities for people to get involved in the field, but success means more than just posting an opinion. Theater critic Lauren Yarger will run a five-week “Everyone’s a Critic” theater reviewing workshop at the Storyteller’s Cottage on Thursdays, starting Jan. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. The Storyteller’s Cottage is located at 750 Hopmeadow St. For more information, call 860-877-6099. The class will also attend a performance of Pride & Prejudice at Playhouse on Park on Feb. 20. Visit https://www.storytellerscottage.com/ to reserve a spot for $180, which includes admission… read more

Brief Cameo Productions is proud to announce the upcoming opening of its inaugural production: Ragtime the Musical in Concert. Written by the award-winning composer/lyricist team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island, Seussical and Lucky Stiff), musical direction by Jill Brunelle, directed by Connecticut native Jim Clark and based on E.L. Doctorow’s distinguished novel, Ragtime is a truly unique and powerful portrait of America that is sure to inspire actors and audiences alike. Ragtime will run for one night only on January 11, 2020 at the Ivoryton Playhouse. The performance is at 7:00 p.m. and doors open… read more

“Tis the season to celebrate the holidays and area theatres are busy with jolly, entertaining and heartwarming productions. Start off visiting that energetic and enthusiastic elf Buddy who is in residence at Waterbury’s Seven Angels Theatre until Sunday, December 22. Jimmy Donohue plays the boy who crawls into Santa’s bag and ends up at the North Pole believing he is one of Santa’s helpers. Growing big and afraid he is a failure as a toy maker leads him to discover he is human. Buddy sets off for New York City to find his father. This musical adventure “Elf” is a… read more

Glenn Close’s iconic gown from Sunset Boulevard, one of Annie’s dresses from Annie, Dolly’s famous red gown from Hello, Dolly!, Alex Baldwin’s suit from A Streetcar Named Desire and much, much more. In fact, nearly 250,000 costumes and accessories are stored at Goodspeed’s costume collection warehouse in East Haddam. It began in the 1980s when the theater began purchasing costumes from Broadway shows and tours that were closing. It has grown since then to include not just costumes from Broadway but also from Opera productions. It includes everything from hates, gloves, purses, shoes, gowns, suits, shirts and even pantaloons are… read more

Save the date of Monday, June 29, 2020 for the annual Connecticut Critics Circle awards ceremony to be held at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven. Long Wharf is no stranger to hosting the Connecticut Critics Circle awards, having been the locale in 2013. Previous hosts include TheaterWorks/Hartford Stage, Yale Repertory, Westport Country Playhouse, and Goodspeed Opera House. Celebrating the 30th year of the awards ceremony, the Connecticut Critics Circle has made it its goal to honor the actors, directors, designers and others who help produce outstanding professional theater in the stage. The Critic Circle’s current roster of 26 critics… read more

One, two, three, six and 22. A math puzzle? No – just a list of what happening in Connecticut theaters through the start of the holiday season. Here’s what the numbers all mean. One – A renovated theater reopens. TheaterWorks in Hartford which has produced three shows at the Hartford Atheneum will show off its renovated home on Pearl Street in October. The lobby has been enlarged, better and more convenient restrooms, an elevator, new seating and lots of improvements backstage will greet theatergoers and performers. Two – Two new artistic directors are taking the helm at two of our… read more

Bill Berloni has kind eyes, a steady presence and a calm voice. It isn’t difficult to imagine a shy or traumatized dog, large or small, trusting him at first sight. Berloni is a nationally-known humane trainer of animals used on stage, television and in film. His business, William Berloni Theatrical Animals, has been successful for 30 years, and he is the only trainer to earn a special Tony award. Berloni’s latest project is “Because of Winn Dixie,” directed by John Rando and running at Goodspeed Musicals through Sept. 5. The production stars Bowdie as the titular gentle giant (“a poodle… read more

Danilo Gambini is part of a triumvirate that includes Jecamiah M. Ybanez and Estefani Castro, the three fearless leaders, the trio of Artistic Directors, who are responsible for this summer’s Yale Cabaret. Titled ”Verano,” which means summer in Spanish, they have fashioned a four part line up of shows where they encourage you, the audience, to laugh, to cry and to fall in love. Now, at the half way mark in the season, you are invited to join a playground in the park to romp on a swing with the animal characters in Brazilian writer Jorge Amado’s whimsical children’s novel… read more

On June 9th, Ali Stroker won a Tony Award, making her the first wheelchair-user to win a prize at the top event for honoring Broadway talent. She is only one of a handful of disabled actors to win a major acting award in the US across any media (following Phyllis Frelich, Marlee Matlin, Harold Russell, and Christopher Reeve). She was also the first person in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway, making her debut in the 2015 “Spring Awakening” revival. Her Tony win is, of course, not just a huge personal achievement for the 32-year-old performer but a win for… read more

Connecticut theater doesn’t take a summer vacation. While some of the major companies – Yale Rep, Long Wharf and Hartford Stage take a summer break, others go on all year and still others present a summer only season. Long gone are the days of the “straw hat circuit” of productions that toured a variety of summer theaters in New England offering light comedies often starring B-list or aging Hollywood and TV names. Now you can see world premieres with leading performers as well as classic musicals, dramas and plays. You can sit outdoors or under a covering or in traditional… read more