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Nominees and Snubs, ‘Funny Girl,’ an Irreverent Musical, and More

Tony Award Nominees and Snubs: The big winners in total nominations for this year’s Tony Awards include the musicals MJ, Strange Loop, and, to the surprise of many, Paradise Square. In the drama category, The Lehman Trilogy and the revival of The Skin of Our Teeth had the most nominations. Some of the big names to get nominations included Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster (The Music Man), Billy Crystal (Mr. Saturday Night), Patti Lupone (Company), and Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Take Me Out). But as interesting are the people and shows that were ignored: Funny Girl is the most obvious. It got so-so reviews but no nominations for the two leads (Beanie Feldstein and Ramin Karimloo) or featured performer Jane Lynch or even for best musical revival. Laurence Fishburne (American Buffalo), Daniel Craig (Macbeth), Debra Messing (Birthday Candles), and Mary Louis Parker (Learning to Drive) were not nominated. The Tonys are presented on Sunday, June 12.

Funny Girl: I just saw the first Broadway revival of Funny Girl; like many, I found the production weak in many ways. Beanie Feldstein, who plays Fannie Brice, has a pleasant voice and good comic timing, but she lacks the charisma to carry the role of a star. During multiple scenes, my eyes were on other people. The best performance is by Ramin Karimloo as Nicky Arnstein. He has a fine voice and good looks. Jane Lynch is good but is miscast as Fanny’s mother. Another standout was Jared Grimes as Eddie Ryan. Overall the production doesn’t have the lavishness of a show that is about both a star and the Ziegfeld Follies. Too bad. I also recently viewed the London revival of 2017, which was better.

If You Love Rent: Are you a fan of the musical Rent? If so, you will want to plan a trip to Ridgefield where ACT of CT will perform the show Thursday, May 26 to Sunday, June 19. Jonathan Larson’s retelling of La Boheme was a smash when it opened; literally every year there are dozens of productions. For information and tickets, visit ActOfCT.org.

History? Kiss My Aztec! next up at Hartford Stage is billed as “an irreverent new musical loosely based on Latin American history—very loosely!” It’s written by John Leguizamo, who’s known for his comic takes on Latin American culture and experiences. The music combines salsa, meringue, hip-hop, and more. The production is billed as “pre-Broadway” and runs Tuesday, June 1 to Sunday, June 26. Tickets have been selling briskly. For tickets and information, visit HartfordStage.org.

More Serious History: The final production of Playhouse on Park’s season is The Agitators: The Story of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglas. It focuses on the enduring friendship, sometimes marred by sharp disagreements, between the abolitionist Douglas and the women’s rights advocate Anthony, who met as young people in Rochester, New York. The show runs from Wednesday, May 25 to Saturday, June 11. For tickets, visit PlayhouseOnPark.org.

Comedy and Satire: Richard Kline, known for his role in TV’s Three’s Company and many Broadway plays, returns to Westport Country Playhouse to star in Straight White Men. The comedy/satire revolves around “Christmas Eve, and Ed has invited his three grown sons back home for pranks, Chinese takeout, and gossip. In between [there’s] male bonding rituals and conversations about money, work, and love.” Artistic Director Mark Lamos directs the show, which runs from Tuesday, May 24 to Sunday, June 5. For tickets, visit WestportPlayhouse.org.

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.