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A Perfect Gift, New Musicals, New York City Notes

Stuck for the Perfect Gift? For the theater lover, you have lots of choices. Every one of Connecticut professional theaters—Long Wharf, Yale Rep, Goodspeed, Ivoryton, Westport, Hartford Stage, TheaterWorks, and the others—offers gift certificates that will let your recipient pick the show and the date. Just go the websites to purchase. Of course, the theaters hosting touring shows—Bushnell, Shubert, Palace in Waterbury, and others—do the same. For New York City shows, the two major ticket sellers, Telecharge and Ticketmaster, have gift certificates as well.

If you want an actual package for under the tree, why not check out Playbill.com or Broadway Cares (Broadwaycares.stores.yahoo.net) for books, CDs, DVDs, and show merchandise? Among the new CDs this year were the original cast recordings of Mean Girls, SpongeBob, and The Band’s Visit, as well as the revivals of My Fair Lady, Carousel, and Once on This Island. The all-star recording of Brigadoon (recorded with Kelli O’Hara and Patrick Wilson in November 2017) has also finally been released.

For Musical Theater Fans: Goodspeed is producing the 14th annual Festival of New Musicals from Friday, Jan. 18 to Sunday, Jan. 20. Three brand new musicals will be given staged readings/performances featuring students from the University of Hartford and the Boston Conservatory of Music. In addition, on Friday, Jan. 18 and Saturday, Jan. 19, the Gelston House will have cabaret performances of new works. All day on Saturday, Jan. 19, a variety of seminars and two symposia are scheduled. Tickets can be purchased for the entire weekend or individual events. The new musicals are: The Peculiar Tale of the Prince of Bohemia and the Society of Desperate Victorians (Friday, Jan. 18), The Proxy Marriage (Saturday, Jan. 19), and Devotion (Sunday, Jan. 20). For information on packages and ticket purchases, visit goodspeed.org or call 860-873-8668.

2019 at Ivoryton Playhouse: The new year will feature four musicals at Ivoryton Playhouse, five if you count the show on Woody Guthrie. The season opens with a new musical, Burt & Me¸ (March 20 to April 7), featuring the music of Burt Bachrach in a romantic comedy. Next will be a more serious show—the stage adaptation of the iconic film, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner from April 24 to May 12. Godspell takes the stage from May 22 to June 16 in this 1970s show by Stephen Schwartz (who also wrote Pippin and Wicked.) The summer will feature Mamma Mia from June 26 to July 28 and Cabaret from Aug. 7 to Sept. 1. Shear Madness, an improvisational comedy/mystery, runs from Sept. 18 to Oct. 6. This show has run for years in Boston. The season ends with Woody Sez starring David Lutken from Oct. 23 to Nov. 10. For subscriptions and gift certificates, visit IvorytonPlayhouse.org or call 860-767-7318.

NYC Notes: It’s the time of year when many shows close. School of Rock and The Play That Goes Wrong had already announced closing dates. Other shows that have announced closing dates are Head Over Heels, the musical with songs by the Go-Go’s; the revival of Once on This Island; Summer: The Donna Summer Musical; and the revival of Torch Song. Limited runs that will be ending at the end of December or January include Lifespan of a Fact, The Waverly Gallery, and American Son. All three are well worth seeing.

Grammy Nominations: The nominees for the best musical theater album include the NBC Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, The Band’s Visit, Carousel, Once on This Island, and My Fair Lady. The awards are announced on Feb. 10.

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.