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07/20/2017 12:01 AMShowers on Stage: The stage in Waverly Park, New Canaan will be wet even if there is not a storm cloud in the sky. Why? Singin’ in the Rain, the musical based on the classic film is playing there through Sunday, July 30. It’s produced by the Summer Theater of New Canaan or STONC as it is called; the group had multiple nominations (and awards) for its production of West Side Story at the recent Connecticut Critics Circle awards program. Jodi Stevens, who also had two nominations for her acting last season in the awards program, plays Lina Lamont—the silent film star whose voice requires dubbing when talking (and singing) movies come in. For tickets, visit stonc.org.
Comic World Premiere: Next up at TheaterWorks in Hartford is a world premiere comedy by Connecticut resident Jacques Lamarre: Raging Skillet, which runs through Sunday, Aug. 27. It’s based on the book of the same name, which was subtitled The True Life Story of Chef Rossi. Rossi as a teenager was shipped by her parents from the Jersey shore to live with a Hasidic rabbi’s family in Brooklyn. From there she cooked way through many New York restaurants and developed her passion for food. The show is billed as a memoir with recipes. Just as in Lamarre’s I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, there will be cooking on stage. The cast includes Dana Smith-Croll as Rossi, Marilyn Sokol as her mother, and George E. Salazar as DJ Skillet. For tickets, call 860-527-7838.
James M. Barrie & Peter Pan: I’m not sure I understand the recent fascination with Peter Pan and its author James M. Barrie. There have been several plays about the two including prequels and sequels. Two years ago, Finding Neverland, a musical, opened on Broadway based loosely on the 2004 movie starring Johnny Depp, which was based on a play (The Man Who Was Peter Pan). The show had a moderate run and now its national tour is opening the Bushnell’s Broadway Series season. It runs Tuesday, Aug. 1 to Sunday, Aug. 6. For tickets, visit bushnell.org or call 860-987-5900.
A Step Toward Broadway: Chasing Rainbows, which had its premier last fall at Goodspeed, is taking another step toward a Broadway production. In the last week, lab performances of the show, about the early years of Judy Garland—including The Wizard of Oz—have been held for industry insiders. Among other things, this lets producers and possible investors see the show. Ruby Rakos who starred as Judy at Goodspeed was part of these performances. Karen Mason, Sally Wilfert, Michael Wattella, and Michael McCormick also returned to the cast. Wilfert played Garland’s mother, Mason (Mayer’s secretary), McCormick (studio head L.B. Mayer) and Wartella, Mickey Rooney. Joining the cast were Broadway veterans Jason Danieley, Max von Essen, and Sophie Knapp.
CRT Next Year: The Connecticut Repertory Theater on the UConn campus in Storrs will present Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest, Oct. 5 through 15. Following that will be Our Country’s Good, about the founding of Australia, from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9. The Crucible (Feb. 22 to March 4) and Shakespeare’s As You Like It (April 18 to 29) will conclude the 2017-’18 season. Call 860-486-2113 for subscriptions and ticket information or visit crt.uconn.edu.
TheaterWorks Season: The 2017-’18 season at TheaterWorks will feature five plays that include a Pulitzer finalist and several award nominees. The season opens with the Pulitzer finalist The Wolves (Oct. 5 to Nov. 12) followed by the two-person British play Constellations (Jan. 18 to Feb. 18, 2018). Next up is a play by Connecticut native Matthew Lopez, The Legend of Georgia McBride (March 15 to April 22) and then Invisible Hand, the Obie and Connecticut Critics Circle award-winning work by Ayad Akhtar (May 17 to June 24). The season closes with Tony nominated Hand to God, July 19 to Aug. 26. For subscription information call 860-527-7838.
Open Captioning: Goodspeed Musicals has received a grant from the Theater Development Fund that will allow it to provide open caption services to audience members who are deaf or hard of hearing. The grant includes a model, resources, and training in implementation. No word yet as to when this service will be available.
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.