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03/28/2019 12:01 AMPride & Prejudice: A new musical version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is next at ACT-CT in Ridgefield. Back in the ’50s, there was another musical that actually made it to Broadway (First Impressions), but other musical versions exist, including one that has had productions in England. Austen’s Pride by Lindsay Warren Baker and Amanda Jacobs runs Friday, March 28 to Sunday, April 14. This musical has Jane Austen as a character who is revising an early draft of the novel. Critics have been asked to not review this piece since it is headed to Broadway, the artistic team hopes. For tickets, visit actofct.org.
East Haddam Is River City: Goodspeed in East Haddam is just weeks away from the opening of The Music Man and it has already added performances due to demand. The show will now run Friday, April 12 through Thursday, June 20. The show stars Edward Watts, who has appeared at Goodspeed in Thoroughly Modern Millie and 1776. Ellie Fishman is Marian, the librarian and Jason Williams is Hill’s assistant, Marcellus Washburn. Others in the cast are Amelia White as Marion’s mother, D.C. Anderson as the mayor, and Stephanie Pope as his wife. Marian’s little brother is played by Connecticut resident Alexander O’Brien, who has been Tiny Tim in Hartford Stage’s A Christmas Carol. A variety of special events—including a Teacher Night Out, Heroes Weekend, Drama Nerd Talks, Kids Nights, and others—are scheduled. For tickets or information, visit goodspeed.org or call 860-873-8668.
A Classic Now on Stage: Next up at Long Wharf is An Iliad, which runs through Sunday, April 14. It is adapted by Lisa Peterson and actor Denis O’Hara from the translation by Robert Fagles of The Iliad. According to the press release, “It’s a night of theater where you hear ancient Greek, incorporated with Fagle’s translation language, and direct address in modern English. It’s the story of Iliad in an entirely new way; it’s very accessible, made for a contemporary audience.” In case you have forgotten, The Iliad was Homer’s epic poem set in the Trojan War. For tickets, visit longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.
Up Close: You’ll be up close to the action at the MTC production of Cabaret! which runs Friday, March 29 to Sunday, April 14. This small seats has seats on three sides; you are never far from the stage. Director Kevin Connor has proven that he can adapt larger musicals to the intimate stage, so I am looking forward to seeing this. You can get tickets at musictheatreofct.com.
A Hint of Things to Come: Hartford Stage is giving us a hint of its next season, the first under new Artistic Director Melia Bensussen, who has worked with outgoing Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak in planning the season. The season opens with Quixote Nuevo, a modern retelling of the Don Quixote story set in a Texas border town. Also scheduled is Cry It Out, which is billed as a darkly funny comedy about the lives of four new parents. Then there is a new adaptation of Jane Eyre by Associate Artistic Director Elizabeth Williamson. No dates for these shows have been announced. Of course, the annual presentation of A Christmas Carol—A Ghost Story of Christmas will start Nov. 29. For subscriptions contact hartfordstage.org.
Big Broadway News: People are already looking forward to fall 2020, that’s right, 2020. Why? It has been announced that Hugh Jackman will return to Broadway as Harold Hill in a revival of The Music Man. That means that any talk of the recent Kennedy Center production starring Norm Lewis moving to Broadway is off the table.
NY Notes: Given the recent TV documentary, the future of Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough, the Michael Jackson musical, is in doubt. It canceled its Chicago debut, saying the show needed work; it is scheduled on Broadway in 2020. Make Believe that had its premiere at Hartford Stage last fall will open off-Broadway in August in a new production. A show saluting lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, Sincerely, Oscar, is now off-Broadway. Tickets are at Telecharge.
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.