Connecticut Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 16

BWW Review: ANNIE at Broad Brook Opera House
by Joseph Harrison - November 12, 2017

Plucky red-headed orphan, shaggy stray dog, a grouchy, but loveable billionaire and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Sound familiar? I am, of course, talking about the musical ANNIE, by Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin which is based on the comic strip Little Orphan Annie . Th...

BWW Review: SEDER at Hartford Stage
by Joseph Harrison - November 05, 2017

Why is tonight different than all other nights? A question that is asked around the tables of Jewish households on Passover around the world every year. It is a question that causes those gathered to consider the suffering of their ancestors in Egypt, at the hand of Pharoah and to consider the litt...

BWW Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at Seven Angels Theatre
by Sean Fallon - November 04, 2017

The Million Dollar Quartet comes alive in Waterbury, with a rock n' roll musical show with talented live musicians who portray Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis in what commemorates a one time collaboration between these four legends of rock n' roll, while honoring Sam Ph...

BWW Review: THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK at Playhouse on Park
by Joseph Harrison - October 29, 2017

'Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!' These inspiring words were written by a young Anne Frank in the diary that would go on to become the most famous d...

BWW Review: RAGS at Goodspeed Opera House
by Joseph Harrison - October 28, 2017

Over the last few centuries, people from all over the world have dreamed of a better life and sought out opportunities to live that life to the fullest. For many, a dream of a better life in America caused them to give up everything familiar, leave friends, family and their way of life to try and ma...

BWW Review: DRACULA: GOES TO HIGH SCHOOL at Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre
by Sean Fallon - October 15, 2017

For an exciting musical that the whole family can enjoy, I highly recommend DRACULA: GOES TO HIGH SCHOOL at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT. A talent cast brings familiar characters and well known songs from the 1950s and 1960s into a new story about the adventures of teen...

BWW Review: DRACULA at Connecticut Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - October 07, 2017

The classic horror story of Dracula is magnificently performed by a talented ensemble cast at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre, in Berlin, CT. Between excellent acting, sound effects, and props, all on a brilliantly designed set, I highly recommend this show!...

BWW Review: Mohegan Sun Arena Hosts Tony Bennett
by Carissa Chesanek - October 02, 2017

On Saturday, September 30th, Tony Bennett gave a stellar performance at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The 91-year-old singing legend brought the crowd to their feet more than once, applauding him (and his strong vocals) time and time again....

BWW Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Hartford Stage
by Joseph Harrison - September 24, 2017

Of all of Shakespeare's comedies, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM is one that often rises to the top as a favorite for many theater-goers. Perhaps it is because of the universal themes of love and frolic, or maybe because it is a mix of the fantastical and ordinary, or perhaps because it is just downright...

BWW Review: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at Downtown Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - September 24, 2017

A spectacular performance with first rate acting, singing, directing, choreography, and lighting brings a classic story to the stage, a story that touches on the equal humanity of all people, and the call to recognize the inherent worth and dignity of every one of God's children, demonstrating that ...

BWW Review: AVENUE Q at Playhouse On Park
by Joseph Harrison - September 16, 2017

As a young child, one of my favorite things to do was sit in front of the television, probably with a bowl of sugary cereal, and see what my friends who lived on Sesame Street were learning (and teaching me) that day. I consider the lessons I learned in my living room as the foundation that my futur...

BWW Review: WORKING: A MUSICAL at Broad Brook Opera House
by Joseph Harrison - September 10, 2017

We spend a large percentage of our lives working in some way or another. Whether someone works in a trade (Ironworker, Stonemason), an office (Project Manager, Receptionist), in the home, or anywhere in-between, working is something that is an integral part of who we are. For some, a person's profes...

BWW Review: TEA AT FIVE at Connecticut Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - August 26, 2017

The life of Katherine Hepburn is brilliantly presented in a one woman show that captivates the audience making us feel as if we are in the presence of the real Katherine Hepburn, both in the first act set in 1938 and in the second act set in 1983....

BWW Review: OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY at Hartford Stage
by Joseph Harrison - August 20, 2017

As Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky once said "To regret the past, to hope in the future, and never to be satisfied with the present: that is what I spend my whole life doing". These words, from arguably the greatest Russian composer of all time, summarize well the life of this conflicted, yet brilliant mus...

BWW Review: OKLAHOMA! at Goodspeed Opera House
by Joseph Harrison - August 06, 2017

When Rodgers & Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! premiered on Broadway in 1943, audiences were introduced to a style of theatre that would soon become a staple of American pop culture - the book musical. The show, borrowing from its pioneer subject matter, itself became a pioneer in the theatrical world, rede...

BWW Review: RAGING SKILLET at TheaterWorks
by Joseph Harrison - July 30, 2017

What do you get when you take one part book launch/cooking demonstration, add a heaping helping of auto-biographical comedy, mix in a portion of supernatural Jewish mother guilt and a strong dose of irreverence? In TheaterWorks' world premiere production of Jacques Lamarre's RAGING SKILLET, this rec...

BWW Review: SPAMALOT at Castle Craig Players
by Sean Fallon - July 29, 2017

The Castle Craig Players bring Monty Python's classic farce to the stage in a brilliantly comedic portrayal of Arthur, King of The Britons, and his Knights of the Round Table's adventures in trying to find the Holy Grail, a quest loaded with farcical encounters and some great musical numbers....

BWW Review: LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST at Greater Hartford Shakespeare Festival
by Joseph Harrison - July 16, 2017

"They have measured many a mile to tread a measure with you on this grass." A very appropriate quote from William Shakespeare's comedy LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST, which is playing through July 30th on the grounds of St. Joseph's University in West Hartford - a performance of the Greater Hartford Shakespea...

BWW Review: MY WAY at Connecticut Cabaret Theatre
by Sean Fallon - July 16, 2017

Start spreading the news; the best musical tribute to Frank Sinatra that you will ever experience is now running in Berlin, CT, at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre!...

BWW Review: MILK at Thrown Stone Theatre Company
by Sean Fallon - July 14, 2017

The brilliantly conveyed intertwined stories of three couples will spark deep emotions as Thrown Stone Theatre Company gives MILK its American debut with innovative theatrical elements including smell and actors remaining in character while moving the set....

BWW Review: NEWSIES at Connecticut Repertory Theatre
by Joseph Harrison - July 12, 2017

There are many reasons why people love to hear stories of the underdog making his or her voice heard and creating real change in the world. Sometimes it is because they can relate to the lone voice of reason cutting through the noise, or the brave soul willing to stand up for what's right, regardles...

BWW Review: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED) at Playhouse On Park
by Joseph Harrison - July 09, 2017

???????Very few people can claim to have seen all 37 of William Shakespeare's plays in their entirety. It would probably take a lifetime to do this, not to mention the fact that some of the more obscure plays are rarely performed. However, if someone wanted to get a flavor for the Bard's entire body...

BWW Review: AN EVENING OF ONE ACTS 2017 at Ridgefield Theater Barn
by Sean Fallon - July 01, 2017

Eight well written, acted, and directed short comedies are all performed at the Ridgefield Barn Theater, providing the audience with plenty of laughs and entertainment, all throughout the evening....

BWW Review: MACBETH at Shakespeare On The Sound
by Elizabeth Budinoff - June 30, 2017

Rowayton's Pinkney Park has been transformed into the Scottish Highlands! Shakespeare on the Sound's production of Macbeth is playing from June 15th through July 2nd at 7:30pm....

BWW Review: NOISES OFF at Connecticut Repertory Theatre
by Joseph Harrison - June 17, 2017

Sardines. Slamming doors. Relationships budding (and burning) before your eyes. A farce within a farce. And laughter, so much laughter. Take all of this and mix it together and you get Michael Frayn's masterpiece of a comedy NOISES OFF, which is currently playing as the Connecticut Repertory Theatre...