BWW Review: NICKEL MINES at ACT Of Connecticut
On Thursday, January 20, I had the pleasure of seeing a phenomenal show that I have been waiting to see for about two years! It was well worth the wait! The ACT of Connecticut has struck gold with NICKEL MINES, an emotionally intense musical based on the true story of an Amish school shooting, perpetrated by an outsider, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on October 2, 2006. The use of song, interpretive dance, and dialogue are all combined to tell the story. It is not presented in a strict linear time sequence, yet it somehow brilliantly flows together in an ideal way, parts of the story taking place in 2011. With book by Shannon Stoeke and Andrew Palermo, and music & lyrics by Dan Dyer, this show which is also directed and choreographed by Andrew Palermo stars an extremely talented ensemble cast, backed by an amazing live band. The depth, power, messages, and entertainment value of this production are all so strong that it is difficult to put them into words. Not only was I highly entertained, but by God’s grace, I feel like I left the show a better person than who I was when I entered, more focused on my own need to forgive others.
ACT of Connecticut Announces NICKEL MINES 'Community Talkback Series'
NICKEL MINES is a new musical centered around the 2006 Lancaster, PA Amish schoolhouse shooting in which a lone gunman shot ten girls (five fatally) before taking his own life. This breathtaking piece of theater explores multiple perspectives from that fateful morning, is a living memorial to the young girls who tragically lost their lives, and is a powerful exploration of community, perseverance, and hope.
BWW Interview: An Assured Glory Yepassis-Zembrou Debuts in A CHRISTMAS CAROL
The national tour of A CHRISTMAS CAROL lands at the Ahmanson November 30, 2021. Winner of five Tony Awards, this perennial holiday classic stars Bradley Whitford, Kate Burton and Alex Newell, with a supporting cast which includes Chante Carmel, Dashiell Eaves, Brandon Gill, Evan Harrington, Chris Hoch, Sarah Hunt, Alex Nee, Sebastian Ortiz, Cade Robertson, Brett Ryback, Harry Thornton, Glory Yepassis-Zembrou and Grace Yoo. Had a lovely phoner with Glory on what led her to this, her debut Equity gig.
BWW Review: The REV Theatre Company Presents ALMOST HEAVEN, THE SONGS OF JOHN DENVER
The REV Theatre Company in Auburn, New York ends their 2021 summer season with Almost Heaven, The Songs of John Denver under the direction and choreography of Brett Smock. The title says it all, it is in fact over twenty songs by John Denver and others along with orchestrations and vocal arrangements by Jeff Waxman and original concept by Harold Thau.