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09/07/2017 12:01 AMMagical Woods: Gods, lovers, bumbling artisans and more will be part of Hartford Stage’s opening production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream through Sunday, Oct. 8. Darko Tresnjak, who has won numerous awards for his Shakespeare productions, is directing a cast that includes Scarlett Strallen (as Hippolyta and Titania), Esau Pritchett (Theseus and Oberon), and John Lavelle as Nick Bottom. This is one of Shakespeare’s lightest and most magical plays. For tickets, visit Hartfordstage.org or call 860-527-5151. Among the special events are discussions, an open captioned performance (Sunday, Sept. 24), and an audio-described performance (Saturday, Sept. 30).
Broadway Sale: Many Broadway shows are having a 2-for-1 ticket sale for performances Sunday, Sept. 17. The goal is to encourage more local people to attend shows as the summer tourists depart. You won’t find tickets for Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen or some of the other big hits, but 23 shows will offer tickets for some or all performances. Go to nycgo.com/broadwayweek for tickets. Do it now; many shows will sell out.
Budget Cut: It’s hard to think of Yale University as having budget issues, but it evidently does. Last year, Yale Rep’s season was one play shorter than previous years and that continues for the up-coming season. But now comes the announcement that the Yale Institute for Music Theater is closing. Its last season was during the Arts & Ideas Festival in June. The institute began as a collaboration with the Yale School of Music (it withdrew support in 2012). More than 20 projects have been developed and given workshop readings including Pop and Stuck Elevator. Too bad.
On TV & In Cinemas: More and more shows are being filmed (usually live) for either television or to be screened in select cinemas. Two shows that originated Connecticut are the latest. Holiday Inn, which began at Goodspeed before going to Broadway last fall, will be in cinemas in January. Check BroadwayHD.com for information about dates, cinemas, and tickets. Through this service, shows can also be streamed to your devices. Indecent, which began at Yale Rep, will air as part of PBS’s Great Performances on Sunday, Nov. 19.
Highlights of the Coming Season: If you would like to know which productions in Connecticut I am especially anticipating, check out my season preview at 2ontheaisle.wordpress.com.
An Up-Coming Smash: Whether the show is good or not, you can bet that Disney’s musical production of Frozen will sell out. Tickets are already on sale for the show that begins previews in February. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
New York News: It’s not a show, but you can be sure that Bruce Sprinsteen’s concert/show Springsteen on Broadway will be a hot ticket. It’s at the intimate Walter Kerr Theatre and runs Tuesday, Oct. 3 to Sunday, Nov. 26. Tickets are through the Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program that requires registration. Verified Fan is an attempt to limit people from purchasing large number of tickets and reselling them
New York Closings: Two musicals will be closing Sunday, Sept. 17: Bandstand, an original musical about returning GIs after World War II, and Groundhog Day. Even the publicity from Bill Murray’s two visits the show, the outstanding performance by Andy Karl, and the popularity of the movie did not generate sufficient audience response. I’d expect that there will be a national tour. Too bad. Though neither show was one of the greats, they were very enjoyable. Also closing (Sunday, Sept. 3) is Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812. Once Josh Groban left the show, ticket sales plummeted. It wasn’t helped by a casting controversy. I really liked the 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 both the Connecticut Critics Circle and New York’s Outer Critics Circle.