With the summer season ahead of us, local performing arts fans have a lot to look forward to. My top 3 picks for the weekend of June 6 - 8:
A Musical Take on Shakespeare:
Westport Country Playhouse’s world premiere musical revue, “Sing for Your Shakespeare,” playing June 3 – 28, will feature a six-member cast of Broadway talents: Karen Akers, Britney Coleman, Darius de Haas, Stephen DeRosa, Constantine Germanacos, and Laurie Wells. With selections from Cole Porter's “Kiss Me, Kate,” Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's “West Side Story,” and Rodgers and Hart's “The Boys from Syracuse,” as well as numbers by Duke Ellington, Frank Loesser, and others, the production explores how the American Songbook has been inspired for decades by Shakespeare’s works.
Find out what's happening in Stratfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Directed by Playhouse artistic director Mark Lamos, co-conceived by Wayne Barker, Lamos, and Deborah Grace Winer, with musical direction by Barker, and choreography by Dan Knechtges, the show is based on an original idea and production for 92nd Street Y’s Lyrics & LyricistsTM, New York, NY, where it was praised by The New York Times as “revelatory,” “rousing,” and having “a free-spirited vitality.”
The musical revue’s running time is approximately 90 minutes; no intermission.
For more information, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at Westport Country Playhouse, or by using the new Playhouse App or mobile website. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), or view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).
The musical revue’s running time is approximately 90 minutes; no intermission.
For more information, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at Westport Country Playhouse, or by using the new Playhouse App or mobile website. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), or view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).
Find out what's happening in Stratfordfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A Contemporary Play that Links the Past and Present:Westport Community Theatre ends the season with what is considered Tom Stoppard’s finest play, the amazing "Arcadia." Directed by Mat Young, "Arcadia" is a tale of two centuries... It is essentially a mystery, set in an English manor house. Arcadia’s action shifts between the 1990s and the 19th century… between the past and the future… between humor and clever wordplay, darkness and vision, scientific laws and mathematical theory… literary truth and human nature… passion and love… and the eternal quest to acquire knowledge of all kinds. It will have you contemplating your own “moments in time”… and the unseen laws of the universe that affect all actions. Most importantly, you will be drawn into the lives of characters past and present in a comedy… a mystery… a drama... a play that you will never forget.The talented cast features Alexandria Clapp, Patrick Duffy, Jeremy Funke, Julie Thaxter Gourlay, Ryan Hendrickson, Nick Kaye, Emma LaPlace, Shelley Lepetich, Damian Long, Sam Mink, Julie Bell Petrak and Allie Russo.
"Arcadia" opens Friday, June 6 at 8:00 PM and runs through Sunday, June 22 at 2:00 PM – Fridays and Saturdays June 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 and Thursday June 12 at 8:00 PM; Sundays June 8, 15 and 22 at 2:00 PM. Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances are $20 per person; Thursday, June 12 performance $18 per person. Senior citizens, 65 years of age or older, receive a $2 discount on all tickets.
For reservations, click on the “Reserve Tickets” tab at Westport Community Theatre or call the WCT Box Office at 203-226-1983.
Innovative First Annual PLAYATHON in Bridgeport:
Bridgeport Theatre Company concludes its fourth season with a presentation of six new 10-minute plays to be written, cast, rehearsed and performed in the course of a 26-hour PLAYATHON. A group of pre-selected writers, directors, and actors will assemble Friday evening, June 6 to meet and greet one another. A theme will be selected and role types determined based on the actors present. The six playwrights will then, overnight, each sit down to create a new work around that theme and the role types.
Beginning early the next morning, the actors and directors will return to the theater for an intensive day of rehearsal leading up to a presentation of the works that very evening. As an extra challenge, the writers and directors will have three recurring/shared requirements: (1) implementing a recurring prop (for example, an extension cord that must appear in each of the six plays), (2) a recurring ‘acting prompt’ (for example, “each script must include an actor delivering an insincere compliment to another actor”), and (3) a ‘recurring line’ (for example, “each script must contain the line ‘You know I get like this sometimes’).
The performance is open to the public and will take place at 8pm Saturday evening, June 7, at University of Bridgeport Arnold Bernhard Arts & Humanities Center, 84 Iranistan Ave in Bridgeport. Seating will begin at 7:30pm. Similar to other events of this nature, the performance will be presented with minimal scenery, costumes, and technical elements.
The inaugural cast of PLAYATHON features 18 local actors including Heather Abrado, John Atkin, Arielle Boutin, Christian Cardozo, Juliet Dale, Glen Gharardi, Rich Goldstein, Khallid Graham, Lauren Linn, Tondrea Mabins, Raymond Michaud, Kayla Muldoon, Rene Ragan, Claire Regan, Cynthia Rivera, Kitty Robertson, Qesar Veliu, and Lynnette Victoria.
The short plays will be written by Lance Anthony, Kerry Davies, Chad Kinsman, Mark Lambeck, Christy McIntosh, Jason Parry, and John Stegmaier, and directed by Karen Hanley, Gina Lariccia, Kevin McNair, Maggie Pangrazio, Kevin Pelkey, and Chris Peterson. Other production staff includes Eli Newsom (Producer), Steve Benko (Associate Producer), Sarah Iannarone (Stage Manager), Phill Hill (Lighting Design), and Chris Gensur (Sound Design).
All tickets are $15 and support the non-profit Bridgeport Theatre Company. All ages are welcome, however the recommended age is 13+ for this event. Seating will be general admission and tickets are available now at Bridgeport Theatre Company, via phone at 203.576.1636 (option ‘0’) and will be available at the door.
"Arcadia" opens Friday, June 6 at 8:00 PM and runs through Sunday, June 22 at 2:00 PM – Fridays and Saturdays June 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 and Thursday June 12 at 8:00 PM; Sundays June 8, 15 and 22 at 2:00 PM. Friday, Saturday and Sunday performances are $20 per person; Thursday, June 12 performance $18 per person. Senior citizens, 65 years of age or older, receive a $2 discount on all tickets.
For reservations, click on the “Reserve Tickets” tab at Westport Community Theatre or call the WCT Box Office at 203-226-1983.
Innovative First Annual PLAYATHON in Bridgeport:
Bridgeport Theatre Company concludes its fourth season with a presentation of six new 10-minute plays to be written, cast, rehearsed and performed in the course of a 26-hour PLAYATHON. A group of pre-selected writers, directors, and actors will assemble Friday evening, June 6 to meet and greet one another. A theme will be selected and role types determined based on the actors present. The six playwrights will then, overnight, each sit down to create a new work around that theme and the role types.
Beginning early the next morning, the actors and directors will return to the theater for an intensive day of rehearsal leading up to a presentation of the works that very evening. As an extra challenge, the writers and directors will have three recurring/shared requirements: (1) implementing a recurring prop (for example, an extension cord that must appear in each of the six plays), (2) a recurring ‘acting prompt’ (for example, “each script must include an actor delivering an insincere compliment to another actor”), and (3) a ‘recurring line’ (for example, “each script must contain the line ‘You know I get like this sometimes’).
The performance is open to the public and will take place at 8pm Saturday evening, June 7, at University of Bridgeport Arnold Bernhard Arts & Humanities Center, 84 Iranistan Ave in Bridgeport. Seating will begin at 7:30pm. Similar to other events of this nature, the performance will be presented with minimal scenery, costumes, and technical elements.
The inaugural cast of PLAYATHON features 18 local actors including Heather Abrado, John Atkin, Arielle Boutin, Christian Cardozo, Juliet Dale, Glen Gharardi, Rich Goldstein, Khallid Graham, Lauren Linn, Tondrea Mabins, Raymond Michaud, Kayla Muldoon, Rene Ragan, Claire Regan, Cynthia Rivera, Kitty Robertson, Qesar Veliu, and Lynnette Victoria.
The short plays will be written by Lance Anthony, Kerry Davies, Chad Kinsman, Mark Lambeck, Christy McIntosh, Jason Parry, and John Stegmaier, and directed by Karen Hanley, Gina Lariccia, Kevin McNair, Maggie Pangrazio, Kevin Pelkey, and Chris Peterson. Other production staff includes Eli Newsom (Producer), Steve Benko (Associate Producer), Sarah Iannarone (Stage Manager), Phill Hill (Lighting Design), and Chris Gensur (Sound Design).
All tickets are $15 and support the non-profit Bridgeport Theatre Company. All ages are welcome, however the recommended age is 13+ for this event. Seating will be general admission and tickets are available now at Bridgeport Theatre Company, via phone at 203.576.1636 (option ‘0’) and will be available at the door.
