Connecticut Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 7

BWW Review: THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES at Ridgefield Theater Barn
by Sean Fallon - December 16, 2019

On Saturday, December 14, I had the pleasure of seeing THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES at the Ridgefield Theater Barn in Ridgefield, CT. This comedic musical has the audience laughing from start to finish, while keeping everyone entertained with great oldies songs from the 1950s and 1960s. The excellent s...

BWW Review: A CHRISTMAS STORY at Landmark Community Theatre
by Jared Reynolds - December 14, 2019

There's arguably no better classic Christmas tale than that of A Christmas Story. Adapted from the movie of the same name, A Christmas Story, the play, is among the plays that have a unique challenge in which their source material is so well known that any given production has to balance making the ...

BWW Review: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at Downtown Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - December 16, 2019

On Friday, December 13, I had the pleasure of seeing JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT spectacularly performed at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  Marking the fiftieth anniversary of this very first musical collaboration between songwriter Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist ...

BWW Review: CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS at TheaterWorks
by Joseph Harrison - December 09, 2019

Christmas is a season of traditions. From the decorations that have their certain place on the mantel, to the cookies like grandma used to make, people thrive on the familiar during the holidays. This goes for films and TV specials as well. Who doesn't pause to see if George Bailey will save the sav...

BWW Review: WRECK THE HALLS 'Sleighs' At TheatreWorks New Milford
by Jared Reynolds - December 09, 2019

Nothing kicks off the holiday season better than laughter, music, anda?? Innuendo? Bradford Blake's Wreck the Halls flips the holiday season on its derriere and brings a raucous start to the holiday season. From the opening disclaimer to the endless dick jokes, Wreck the Halls at TheatreWorks New Mi...

BWW Review: SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE at CONNECTICUT REPERTORY THEATRE
by Brooks Appelbaum - December 09, 2019

Some may doubt that a stage adaptation of the terrifically inventive, romantic, and witty 1998 film, 'Shakespeare in Love,' could possibly succeed. However, Connecticut Repertory Theatre's current production, expertly directed by Vincent Tycer and acted by a vibrant, masterful cast, proves that sett...

BWW Review: THE SANTALAND DIARIES at Playhouse On Park
by Joseph Harrison - December 07, 2019

The holidays are a season of excitement and joy for people of all ages. This festive time of year comes with all the trappings - colorful decorations, gifts for loves ones, and of course, visits to see the big man in the red suit. But have you ever stopped to wonder what the lives of those who toil ...

BWW Review: A GOOD OLD FASHIONED REDNECK COUNTRY CHRISTMAS at Connecticut Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - December 02, 2019

Hey y'all!  On November 30, I had the pleasure of seeing my favorite Connecticut Cabaret Theatre show of 2019, which is my outright favorite live comedy I have seen in 2019, A GOOD OLD FASHIONED REDNECK COUNTRY CHRISTMAS!  This comedy by Kristine Bauske had this packed theatre laughing all throughou...

BWW Review: RUDOLPH at Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre
by Sean Fallon - November 25, 2019

On Sunday, November 24, I had the pleasure of seeing RUDOLPH performed at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.   This is my favorite of the three Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre Christmas shows I have seen.  Written by Phil Hill and directed by Frank Root, it brings comedy,...

BWW Review: DON JUAN at Westport Country Playhouse
by Sherry Shameer Cohen - November 11, 2019

The world premiere translation and adaptation of Moliere's Don Juan is the closing play of the season at the Westport Country Playhouse. It's performed in modern dress, but the book is overly faithful to the original story of the narcissistic womanizer (played well by Nick Westrate). Warning: this i...

BWW Review: ALMOST MAINE at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - November 11, 2019

On Saturday, November 9, I had the pleasure of seeing ALMOST MAINE as put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT.  This comedy by John Cariani is the kind that I truly enjoy, a well written script with phenomenal performances all around.  It is refr...

BWW Review: CRY IT OUT at Hartford Stage
by Joseph Harrison - November 08, 2019

Choosing whether or not to go back to work after having a baby can be one of the most difficult decisions a new mother (or father) can make. Even the most career-focused parents can find themselves weighing pros and cons when trying to do what they think is best for their growing family. But this de...

BWW Review: A SHAYNA MAIDEL at Playhouse On Park
by Joseph Harrison - November 03, 2019

When tragedy strikes it is often the relationships forged between those who survived that allows the victims to carry on. This shared experience bonds strangers and families alike. But what about those who were spared? Though family and friends not present may have avoided the worst, they, too, stru...

BWW Review: WICKED DIVAS at Ridgefield Playhouse
by Sean Fallon - November 04, 2019

On November 2, I had the pleasure of seeing WICKED DIVAS at the Ridgefield Playhouse, in Ridgefield, CT, a Group5production featuring Broadway stars Dee Roscioli and Alli Mauzey, who have played Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked, on Broadway, respectively...

BWW Review: WOODY SEZ: THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF WOODY GUTHRIE at Ivoryton Playhouse
by Andrew Beck - November 07, 2019

A history lesson with music is the perfect way to describe 'Woody Sez: The Life and Music of Woody Guthrie,' that is now playing at the Ivoryton Playhouse through November 10. There's no need for sepia toned distance as this work covers the ups and downs of Guthrie's journeys and songs. With a marve...

BWW Review: AMERICAN SON at TheaterWorks
by Joseph Harrison - October 27, 2019

Sometimes the most powerful theatrical experiences are the ones that hit closest to home. In today's America, with racial and political divides growing ever wider and tensions building to a breaking point, it might just be a play like Christopher Demos-Brown's AMERICAN SON that will shine the bright...

BWW Review: ON THE GROUNDS OF BELONGING at Long Wharf Theatre
by Sherry Shameer Cohen - October 24, 2019

Racism and homophobia reign in 1950s Houston, the setting of Ricardo Pérez González's world premiere of On the Grounds of Belonging. The play begins as white drag queen Thomas Aston (Jeremiah Clapp) from whites only gay bar, The Red Room, hides from a raid at The Gold Room, a blacks only gay bar. Th...

BWW Review: RESPECT at Connecticut Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - October 21, 2019

On October 19, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another talented cast at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin, CT, in a show called RESPECT.  The directing of Kris McMurray and choreography of James J. Moran help bring out the singing and dancing talents in the four woman cast of Maria Soaft, E...

BWW Review: GIRLS at Yale Repertory Theater
by Andrew Beck - October 15, 2019

Don't expect Lena Dunham or any of her posse of Brooklynites to show up on the stage of the Yale Rep's University Theatre at any point during the world premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins mad dream of a new play just because it's called 'Girls.'...

BWW Review: MATILDA at Fairfield Center Stage
by Sean Fallon - October 12, 2019

Opening night of Roald Dahl's MATILDA, as presented by Fairfield Center Stage, at Fairfield Ludlowe High School Auditorium yielded a large audience with profound applause.  With book by Dennis Kelly and music & lyrics by Tim Minchin, numerous differences from the Roald Dahl book or movie adaptation ...

BWW Review: MLIMA'S TALE at Westport Country Playhouse
by Sherry Shameer Cohen - October 07, 2019

Lynn Nottage's powerful play, Mlima's Tale, which opened at the Westport Country Playhouse is a bit of a theatrical departure. It is an ensemble play that is not really character driven, but rather a linear narrative of the illegal poaching of elephants. Nevertheless, it is a must-see play for its i...

BWW Review: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HAUNTED CABARET at Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre
by Sean Fallon - October 07, 2019

On Sunday, October 6, I had the pleasure of participating in SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HAUNTED CABARET at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  I say, a?oeparticipating,a?? because this musical comedy with book by Phill Hill not only involves audience interaction, but goes one st...

BWW Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at ACT Of Connecticut
by Sean Fallon - October 07, 2019

On Saturday, October 5, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another stellar performance at the ACT of Connecticut, in Ridgefield, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.  Having never seen this show or the movie before, I was not familiar with the story, and had no idea how intense the horror side of this show would b...

BWW Review: BILLY ELLIOT at Goodspeed Musicals
by Joseph Harrison - October 05, 2019

Sometimes, being unafraid to be yourself can be the key to unlocking your true potential. Never has that been truer than in the story of BILLY ELLIOT, currently playing (through November 24) at the Goodspeed Opera House. In this, its final production of the season, Goodspeed brings to life the hit m...

BWW Review: SHEAR MADNESS at Ivoryton Playhouse
by Andrew Beck - October 04, 2019

But 'Shear Madness,' the madcap murder mystery comedy that lets its audience vote each night on the identity of the perpetrator, owes a lot of its popularity to the show's willingness to update itself on essentially a daily basis, so that the jokes and setting feel as fresh and exhilarating as possi...