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07/01/2021 12:01 AMDelayed Again: Goodspeed’s plans for South Pacific have been delayed once more, though theater officials promise it will happen. The delay is due to how large the show is terms of cast and sets. Instead, Goodspeed will reopen with in-person theater on Friday, Sept. 24 with A Grand Night for Singing: A Celebration of Rodgers & Hammerstein. The Tony-nominated show features songs from all of the duos shows from Oklahoma! to Sound of Music. For tickets, visit Goodspeed.org.
A Reopening Season: Hartford Stage is the first of the major Connecticut theaters to announce its 2021-’22 season, all in-person including a five-play mainstage season. It opens with Eugene O’Neill’s only comedy, Ah! Wilderness from Oct. 14 to Nov. 7. The show had been planned for the 2019-’20 season. From Jan. 13 to Feb. 8 will be Angry, Raucous and Shamelessly Gorgeous, then Dishwasher Dreams (Feb. 24 to March 20) and Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers from April 7 to May 1. The fifth play will be announced. This year, the holiday production will be It’s a Wonderful Life: A Life Radio Play from Nov. 26 to Dec. 26. The beloved production of A Christmas Carol will return in the near future. For more information, visit HartfordStage.org.
Nina Simone: Goodspeed has added another show to its outdoor Goodspeed by the River series. Little Girl Blue: The Nina Simone Musical will play Wednesday, Aug. 4 through Sunday, Aug. 29. The show stars Laiona Michelle (who appeared at Goodspeed in Chester), and is inspired by Simone’s story. Simone, though best known as a jazz performer and activist, had far-reaching musical talents. Goodspeed has added some special offers for its concerts series: Hero Wednesdays offer a discount for healthcare workers, first responders, teachers, and frontline workers. A ticket combo includes a ticket and dinner at the nearby Gelston House on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The Goodspeed lawn is also available for picnicking. For tickets or information, visit goodspeed.org.
Three Shows from the Irish Rep: New York’s Irish Rep has won raves for its online productions during the last 20 months. For the summer, it is offering three on screen performances. Ghosting runs through Sunday, July 5. It’s the North American premier of this new play. The Cordelia Dream runs from Tuesday, July 27 to Sunday, Aug. 8. Another North American premiere, it sounds like a fascinating play that references the Shakespeare tragedy. The final production will be one that the Irish Rep has staged in the past, George M. Cohan Tonight! starring Jon Peterson as the legendary performer, playwright, composer and producer. It runs Tuesday, Aug. 17 to Saturday, Aug. 28. For reservations visit IrishRep.org. It is free, but a donation of $25 is suggested.
National Tours: National tours are returning now that Actor’s Equity and the Broadway League have reached agreement on COVID protocols. These include a vaccine requirement for company members and masks for audiences among others safety precautions. The tour of Wicked resumes, Tuesday, Aug. 3 and of Hamilton on Tuesday, Aug. 10. The first national tour scheduled in Connecticut is Return to Margaritaville at the Bushnell in early October.
Lots of Hits Returning: Broadway is certainly making a big effort to encourage audiences to return by presenting a number of hit shows. David Byrne’s American Utopia returns to Broadway on Sept. 17. The show ran from October 2019 into 2020, recouping its investment in just 10 weeks. Tickets are at AmericanUtopiaBroadway.com.
Bruce Springsteen on Broadway has already reopened and will run through Sept. 4. This show was a critical smash as well as being one of the hottest tickets around.
Jeff Daniels and Celia Keenan-Bolger won acclaim and awards for their work in To Kill a Mockingbird. The two will reopen the production on Oct. 5. Next spring, a national tour of the show begins with Richard Thomas as Atticus Finch.
The long-running hit The Book of Mormon returns to Broadway on Nov. 5. It has already had more than 3,500 performances on Broadway.
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, the League of Professional Theater Women and the American Theatre Critics Association.