Connecticut Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 2

Review: Bouncing Fun with FUN HOME at Brookfield Theater For The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - December 02, 2023

We all have those shows that cut you to your core in a way that few other things can, and based on the opening night audience at the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts, Fun Home is that show for a lot of people. From the moment the band walked on stage, the cast and crew of Brookfield Theatre’s Fun Hom...

Review: ELF at Fairfield Center Stage
by Sean Fallon - November 12, 2023

On Saturday, November 11th, I had the pleasure of seeing ELF, the musical, performed by Fairfield Center Stage, at Wakeman Hall inside First Congregational Church of Fairfield. With book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin and music by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, this musical is based on the 2003 m...

Review: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN, ABRIDGED at Playhouse On Park
by Ariana Straznicky-Packer - October 19, 2023

What did our critic think of THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN, ABRIDGED at Playhouse On Park? What happens when an acting troupe of diehard Jane Austen fans get together to spread the love of the regency?...

Review: 3X3 FESTIVAL: HOW I LEARNED WHAT I LEARNED at Brookfield Theater Of The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - October 17, 2023

The Brookfield Theatre of the Arts’ 3X3 Festival continues with August Wilson’s 'How I Learned What I Learned.' Following in the footsteps of Jay Presson Allen’s Tru, How I Learned What I Learned finds August Wilson- played by Jeramie Gladman- reflecting on his upbringing, his friends, and his caree...

Review: NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - October 15, 2023

NIGHT OF JANUARY 16TH is a three-act courtroom drama by Ayn Rand, set in 1933. Director Pamela Amodio helps bring out the best in this phenomenal ensemble cast who all appear to be greatly enjoying their roles! The case involves a young woman named Karen Andre who is standing trial, being accused of...

Review: 3X3 FESTIVAL: TRU begins the Festival with Flair at Brookfield Theater Of The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - October 11, 2023

There is so much more to Theatre than just musicals and full-length plays. For a single actor in a solo show to stand on that stage and create a work of art by themselves is bold and can be just as thrilling as a 30-person dance ensemble. 'Tru' set the bar high for the rest of the Festival....

Review: SCOTLAND ROAD Takes the Audience on a Voyage at TheatreWorks New Milford
by Jared Reynolds - October 01, 2023

Under the watchful eye of Director Jocelyn Beard, the cast of TheatreWorks New Milford’s production of Scotland Road took the audience on a voyage from 1993 to explore the sinking of the Titanic, way back in 1912. The show's authenticity contributed to the immersion of the entire production, creati...

Review: TWELFTH NIGHT at Brookfield Theater Of The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - September 12, 2023

What do colored socks, fountains, and random head injuries have in common? Did you guess Shakespeare and hilarity? Because that’s exactly what Brookfield Theater has for their current production of Twelfth Night; an iconic comedy that, like all Shakespearean plays, provides as many opportunities as ...

Review: HERE YOU COME AGAIN: HOW DOLLY SAVED MY LIFE IN TWELVE EASY SONGS at Terris Theatre (Goodspeed Musicals)
by Brooks Appelbaum - August 17, 2023

Here You Come Again: How Dolly Saved My Life in Twelve Easy Songs is a charming ode to Dolly Parton, playing through August 27th at Goodspeed Musicals’ Norma Terris Theatre in Chester, CT. Directed and choreographed by Gabriel Barre, the production is more than a jukebox piece, as it has a nicely de...

Review: World Premiere of SUMMER STOCK Opens To A Standing Ovation
by Ariana Straznicky-Packer - August 01, 2023

Summer Stock has its eyes set on Broadway. Does Summer Stock deserve a Broadway run? Absolutely. In this critic’s opinion, it couldn’t get there soon enough....

Review: INTO THE WOODS at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - July 30, 2023

On Sunday, July 30th, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another first-rate production put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT, INTO THE WOODS!  This is the first time I have ever seen this show performed live, and it has given me a whole new appre...

Review: THE MUSIC MAN at Musicals at Richter
by Sean Fallon - July 29, 2023

On Friday, July 28th, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another phenomenal performance by Musicals at Richter, in Danbury, CT, Meredith Willson’s THE MUSIC MAN.  Musicals at Richter has a talent in making their outdoor venue feel like the perfect venue for every show they put on, including THE MUSIC ...

Review: BANDSTAND at Playhouse On Park
by Ariana Straznicky-Packer - July 27, 2023

What did our critic think of BANDSTAND at Playhouse On Park? The multi-award winning Broadway musical Bandstand has arrived at Playhouse on Park with bells on (That pun is for the horn section.) With music by Richard Oberacker and book and lyrics by Oberacker and Robert Taylor,  Bandstand is set jus...

Review: CLYDE'S at TheaterWorks In Hartford
by Brooks Appelbaum - July 24, 2023

Lynn Nottage’s dark comedy, Clyde’s, is something of a departure for the author of Ruined and Sweat, among many other plays. Nottage is the only woman in history to win two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, and though Clyde’s is not nearly in that league, the plot deals with people struggling to reclaim li...

Review: MR. BURNS: A POST-ELECTRIC PLAY shines a light at Brookfield Theater Of The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - July 18, 2023

The cast and crew of Brookfield Theatre's 'Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play,' creates a resourceful new world for the audience to explore, all stemming from a campfire retelling of The Simpsons....

Review: THE ADDAMS FAMILY at Musicals at Richter
by Sean Fallon - July 08, 2023

On Friday, July 7th, I had the pleasure of yet again being blown away by the incredible talent that Musicals at Richter, in Danbury, CT has found to star in their show, this time, being a musical comedy that I have never seen before, THE ADDAMS FAMILY....

Review: 9 TO 5 at Downtown Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - June 17, 2023

On Friday, June 16, I had the pleasure of seeing a phenomenal performance of 9 TO 5, the musical, at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  I joined the opening night packed house in tremendously enjoying this production!  With book by Patricia Resnick and music and lyrics by Dolly Parton,...

Review: WEBSTER'S BITCH at Playhouse On Park
by Brooks Appelbaum - June 13, 2023

What did our critic think of WEBSTER'S BITCH at Playhouse On Park?...

Review: TROUBLE IN MIND at Hartford Stage
by Brooks Appelbaum - June 13, 2023

What did our critic think of TROUBLE IN MIND at Hartford Stage?...

Review: Urine Good Company with URINETOWN at Brookfield Theater For The Arts
by Jared Reynolds - June 11, 2023

Brookfield Theater of the Arts’ production of Urinetown was fresh and unique and brought joy to every single member of the audience, whether it was their first time or twenty first time....

Review: THE SECRET GARDEN at ACT Of Connecticut
by Brooks Appelbaum - June 07, 2023

What did our critic think of THE SECRET GARDEN at ACT Of Connecticut?...

Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Ridgefield Theater Barn
by Sean Fallon - June 03, 2023

On Friday, June 2, I had the pleasure of seeing NEXT TO NORMAL presented in the absolute most phenomenal way possible!  The Ridgefield Theater Barn in Ridgefield, CT, has maximized the potential of this emotionally deep and powerful musical!  Directors Matt Austin and Jessica Chesbro combine their s...

Review: The Goodspeed's GYPSY is a Real Good Time!
by Ariana Straznicky-Packer - May 27, 2023

They say “April showers bring May flowers” and the Goodspeed expertly planted their garden perfectly: This May and June, Everything is coming up roses, with Gypsy!...

Review: CASH ON DELIVERY Delivers at TheatreWorks New Milford
by Jared Reynolds - May 15, 2023

Like a heart racing during a marathon, the pacing of a show can make it or break it. Pacing is one thing that TheatreWorks New Milford got absolutely right in their production of 'Cash on Delivery', by Michael Cooney. To put it simply: Sit back and enjoy....

Review: THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES DREAM ON at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - May 14, 2023

On Saturday, May 13, 2023, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another first-rate installment of playwright Roger Bean’s Marvelous Wonderettes jukebox musical series, THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES DREAM ON, as put on by the Castle Craig Players, at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse, in Meriden, CT. ...