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01/30/2019 11:01 PMAudacious Idea, Spectacular Ending: The American Shakespeare Theater in Stratford went up in flames this month, although the idea had died decades earlier. The theater had been empty since 1989, slowly decaying as debates over its future, misguided attempts to save it and the changing economic realities of theater increasingly made its final demise inevitable. While some now talk of rebuilding, funds weren’t available before and the theater was not really sustainable.
From 1955 through the early ‘80s, some of America’s best actors, directors and production people worked at the theater. Looking at a list of cast members is like looking at a list of both old-time established Broadway stars (Katherine Hepburn, Jessica Tandy, Mildred Dunnick and others) as well as up-and-coming young stars (Ed Asner, Carrie Nye, Kim Hunter, Ruby Dee, Philip Bosco) and more.
Its student season each spring brought thousands of intermediate and high school students to Stratford to see a live production of a Shakespeare play. It was usually the first live Shakespeare these students had seen and also often the first live theater performance.
I saw my first Shakespeare production there (we lived in Stratford) in 1957: Katherine Hepburn and Alfred Drake in Much Ado about Nothing.
Two productions went to Broadway: Elizabeth Ashley, Kier Dullea and Fred Gwynne in A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and James Earl Jones and Christopher Plummer in Othello.
A Legend: The original Lorelei of Gentleman Prefer Blondes and Dolly Levi of Hello, Dolly! Carol Channing died Tuesday, Jan. 15 at the age of 97. While she did much more than just those two roles and shows, these are why we will remember her. She was larger than life.
All Felines: You have a few more days, until Sunday, Feb. 3, to see the national tour of Cats at the Bushnell Theater. This is the revival that ran on Broadway in 2018 after running in London. The original Andrew Lloyd Webber/T. S. Eliot/Tim Rice musical won numerous awards when it originally opened and, for time, was the longest running musical. For tickets visit bushnell.org.
More of a Good Thing: One of the highlights of the 2017 season at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury was George and Gracie about George Burns and Gracie Allen and their wonderful comic approach. It was so successful that author Semina DeLaurentis has written George and Gracie: Part 2. Once again she will play Gracie while R. Bruce Connolly plays George. It runs from Thursday, Jan. 31 to Sunday, Feb. 24. For tickets visit sevenangelstheatre.org.
Looking at Work: A new revised version of Working, a musical based on Studs Terkel’s interview with working people about their jobs, is coming to ACT—CT (A Contemporary Theatre—Connecticut) from Thursday, Feb. 14 through Sunday, March 10. The original production with music by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) was nominated for six Tony Awards. This new revision by director Daniel C. Levine includes new interviews with today’s workers as well multi-media production elements. ACT—CT is a relatively new and very comfortable small theater in Ridgefield. For tickets visit actofct.org or call 475-215-5433.
No Boundaries: Yale Rep’s No Boundaries performance series of unique theatrical events will present What Remains, Thursday, Feb. 14 to Saturday, Feb. 16. The piece teams up Will Rawls (an award-winning choreographer) and poet Claudia Rankin for a production that includes poetry, dance, and music while talking about how society responds to the murder of black citizens. For tickets call 203-432-1234 or visit yalerep.org.
NYC Reading: Chasing Rainbows, the story of the early life of Judy Garland, which was produced at Goodspeed, has had a New York workshop. Ruby Rakos who starred at Goodspeed still plays Judy. Let’s see where it goes from here.
They Weren’t Stars Then: When Band Geeks had a run at Goodspeed at Chester in 2010, the original cast included young performers no one had heard of. But today, they are some of the major names in musical theater. How do I know? Some of the original cast members have recorded a mini cast album of the show, released by Yellow Sound Label and available on digital platforms. In the cast was: Tony winners Lindsay Mendez and Ruthie Ann Miles as well as Patti Murin, the star of Frozen, Alex Gemignani and others. Check it out.
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.