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02/01/2017 11:01 PMHollywood Dish: Sue Mengers was a pushy young woman who propelled herself to becoming the first really “star” woman agent in Hollywood representing A-list stars such as Faye Dunaway, Cher, Barbra Streisand, and many more. I’ll Eat You Last is billed as “A Chat with Sue Mengers” and has had numerous productions since its Broadway debut. Now, the one-woman show is being done by MTC in Norwalk from Friday, Feb. 24 to Sunday, March 5. For tickets to the gossip-fest, call 203-454-3883 or visit musictheatreofct.com.
Comedy from a Gentler Time: Goodnight Gracie was a delightful one-man show in which an actor playing George Burns tells stories about his life and working partnership with his wife Gracie Allen. Now there is a sequel, not written by the original author, George and Gracie: The Early Years, which will be at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury. It runs Thursday, Feb. 9 to Sunday, March 5. The show features R. Bruce Connolly as Burns (he played the role at Seven Angels), Semina De Laurentis as Gracie, and others playing various characters and guests on the Burns & Allen classic radio show and TV sitcom. For tickets visit sevenangelstheatre.org.
Long Wharf Presents Co-Production: Next up at Long Wharf Theatre is a co-production with New York City’s Roundabout Theater. Napoli, Brooklyn runs Wednesday, Feb. 15 to Sunday, March 12. Following its run at Long Wharf, the play, which was commissioned by the Roundabout, will move to its off-Broadway Laura Pels Theatre, opening June 9. Long Wharf Artistic Director Gordon Edelstein is directing this story which is about the women of the Musolino family in Brooklyn in 1960 who each have their hopes, dreams, loves, and yearnings. “Napoli, Brooklyn is about an Italian immigrant family struggling to survive, dealing with social and cultural pressures. They are learning how to love each other and take care of each other. It’s a really truthful look at three daughters as they try to figure out how to live a happy life,” Edelstein said. For tickets, visit longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282 or 800-782-8497.
Fun Musical on Broadway: A Bronx Tale is a new musical based on the film and one-man show that purports to tell the early life of Chazz Palminteri, who grew up in an Italian neighborhood in the Bronx in the 1960s. Those who have seen the movie know that the young Chazz (here called Calogero) sees a mob hit, refuses to identify the shooter to police, and is taken under the wing of the neighborhood “Enforcer.” This musical, which opened in December, won’t break any ground in the history of musicals, but it is an enjoyable evening in the theater. The book is by Palminteri with music by Alan Menkin and lyrics by Glenn Slater. It’s an old-fashioned musical with very good production values and good performances—especially Nick Cordero as the mobster and Bobby Conte Thornton as Calogero. I enjoyed this show. Yes, I kept waiting for Joe Pesci and Frankie Vallee to show up, but it was fun. I loved the names of the various henchmen in Sonny’s gang—Eddie the Mush, JoJo the Whale, Frankie Coffeecake, and more. A Bronx Tale is at the Longacre Theatre, 220 w. 48th Street. Tickets are available through Telecharge.
NY Notes: Broadway by the Years is a concert series by New York’s Town Hall that does exactly what the title says; it’s a concert of songs from shows on Broadway in a particular year or decade, usually featuring top talent. On Monday, Feb. 27 the musicals of the 1920s (music by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Romburg,and more) will be featured sung by Caroleen Carmello, Marty Testa, Robert Cuccioli, Beth Malone, and more. Tickets are available at ticketmaster. Another popular concert that benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is Broadway Backwards, which is scheduled for Monday, March 13 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. This show features male singers performing songs traditionally sung by women and women singing songs usually sung by men. Tickets are available at broadwaycares.org. City Center is known for its Encores! series of semi-staged productions of older musicals; the current Chicago actually began there. The opening show this season is Big River: the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn which runs Wednesday, Feb. 8 to Sunday, Feb. 12. The score was written by Roger Miller and won multiple Tony awards in 1985 including awards for best musical, score, book, and direction. This version includes Christopher Sieber, Lauren Worsham, Tony Sheldon, and others. For tickets, visit NYCityCenter.org.
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 both the Connecticut Critics Circle and New York’s Outer Critics Circle.