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08/15/2019 12:01 AMQuiet Month: The Connecticut theater scene is very quiet this month. Currently running is Cabaret at Ivoryton Playhouse through Sunday, Sept. 1, Because of Winn Dixie at Goodspeed through Friday, Sept. 6, Spamilton, the spoof of Hamilton running at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford through Sunday, Sept. 9, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Sharon Playhouse through Saturday, Aug. 24.
Hard to Get Reservations: Fully Committed, about a beleaguered out-of-work actor who juggles personalities and demands for tables at a super-popular New York City restaurant, is at TheaterWorks in Hartford through Sunday, Sept. 1. This one-person show was written years ago, but was substantially updated a few years ago. Jamison Stern stars, portraying not only the reservationist but the multiple people begging for tables and the temperamental chef. It’s the last production at TheaterWorks temporary home at the Hartford Atheneum. For tickets, visit theaterworks.org or call 860-527-7838.
A Comedy of Errors: Elm City Shakespeare is presenting one of Shakespeare’s most madcap comedies, A Comedy of Errors Thursday, Aug. 15 through Sunday, Sept. 1 in Edgerton Park. This is a great show for younger audiences. The comedy is very physical and the play is short. Admission is free but a donation of $20 for adults ($10 for students and $5 for children under 12) is suggested. Edgerton Park is at 75 Cliff Street near the New Haven/Hamden border. People are encouraged to picnic before the show. For more information or to check for cancellations due to inclement weather, visit elmshakespeare.org/Shakespeare-in-the-park.
Moulin Rouge: The visual effects for the new musical Moulin Rouge, based on the Baz Luhrmann film, are stunning, but whether these are enough to sustain an evening is a question. Perhaps if you loved the film, you will love the show; it is quite faithful to the film. I found the visual effects could not keep me interested, despite some fine performances, for a whole evening. The show is a mash up of 70-plus songs from all periods and plot elements from multiple sources. Read my full review at 2ontheaisle.wordpress.com.
Not Making It to Broadway: Tea at Five, the revised one-woman show about Katharine Hepburn, was playing in Boston when it closed and star Faye Dunaway was fired. What happened? Let’s say that most point to Dunaway’s mercurial temperament and interactions with the backstage crew leading to the actions of the producers. The show is now planned for London sometime early next year. An original version of the show started at Hartford Stage many years ago and played off Broadway.
Another Non-Broadway Bound Show: The musical version of Magic Mike has been canceled. It was to have its world premiere in Boston with the intention of coming to Broadway. The stated reason is that many members of the creative team left the project over artistic differences. The score was to be written by Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt, who were the writing team for Next to Normal.
NYC Notes: Ed Harris will take over in November for Jeff Daniels this fall as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird. Marisa Tomei is returning to Broadway as the lead in the revival of Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. It will begin previews at the American Airlines Theater on Thursday, Sept. 19. Mary-Louise Parker is opening this fall in a new drama, The Sound Inside, about an Ivy League professor and a mysterious student. It will play at Studio 54 with previews beginning Saturday, Sept. 14. Brian Cox, Marc Kudisch, and Richard Thomas are starring in The Great Society, the sequel to the award winning play about President Johnson, All the Way. This looks at his presidency from 1964’s landslide victory to 1968. It’s a limited run at the Vivian Beaumont Theater at Lincoln Center beginning Friday, Sept. 6.
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 the Connecticut Critics Circle, New York’s Outer Critics Circle and the American Theatre Critics Association.