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Great new live shows coming to the Paramount Hudson Valley Theater

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A great line up of live entertainment is coming soon to the historic Paramount Theater in Peekskill. 

Super 70s Show  July 25th at 8PM

The Super 70’s Rock Show is an high energy, immersive concert experience featuring the  70s rock and radio hits that defined a generation .  The show is performed with stunning musicianship and a cutting-edge visual production that brings the sights and sounds of the ’70s roaring back to life. Sounds like a great time!

JIMMY KENNY BAND- THE ULTIMATE BEACH PARTY TRIBUTE TO JIMMY BUFFETT, KENNY CHESNEY AND THE ZAC BROWN BAND August 23 at 8pm

Let’s keep the party going! The Jimmy Kenny and the Pirate Beach Band have been celebrating the beach/ country sounds of Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney and Zac Brown Band, up and down the Northeast coast, Maine for over 15 years, providing a wonderful mix of their popular sing-along hits and feel good, easy living vibes!  This is a great way to celebrate summer with this tribute to the king of island cool, Jimmy Buffett.

If you like your toes in the sand, wasting away with a margarita or a cold beer on a Friday night, then you’ll love having a great time with the Jimmy Kenny Band!

The Sixties Show- The Greatest 1960’s Musical Re-Creation Show on Earth

September 27, 2025 at 8:00 PM

This looks to be an amazing night at the Paramount.  What makes The Sixties Show truly unique is its flawless attention to detail. From the use of authentic vintage instruments and 1960s mod costumes to its cutting-edge multimedia presentation, this immersive experience goes beyond a simple re-enactment. Time-travel special effects, archival audio and footage, and a stunning light show transport you directly into the spirit of the ‘60s, making you feel as if you’re living the moment, not just watching it. The band, featuring current and former members of The Who, John Fogerty’s Creedence Clearwater Revival, and more, deliver an electrifying performance that resonates with fans of all ages.  Do not miss this musical experience!!

Ancient Aliens Live November 08, 2025 at 7:30 PM

The ninety-minute live experience celebrates the long-running program Ancient Aliens on The HISTORY Channel and features leading Ancient Astronaut theorist Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, investigative mythologist William Henry, UK government UFO investigator Nick Pope, and ancient civilizations expert, Jason Martell, as they discuss thought-provoking extraterrestrial theories on fan-favorite topics from Ancient Egypt, ruins in Central and South America and other ancient mysteries found around the globe.  This exploration of the Ancient Astronaut theory will be a thought provoking evening for all even if you have not seen the hit television series.  Photo op packages are available to attendees.

For tickets and information. https://paramounthudsonvalley.com/events/

Paramount Hudson Valley Theater

1008 Brown Street, Peekskill NY 10566

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Moon over Buffalo, a hysterical comedy now at Ridgefield Theater Barn

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We all need a night of laughter and great entertainment.  Now on stage at The Ridgefield Theater Barn is the hilarious comedy “Moon Over Buffalo”.  The comedy will be presented starting May 30th through June 21, 2025.  The play by  Ken  Ludwig  was staged on Broadway in 1995 starring Carol Burnett and ran for over 300 performances. 

The play takes place in Buffalo New York in the early 1950s where we meet George and his wife Charlotte who are both actors and are presenting two plays in their small repartory theatre, Cyrano De Bergerac and Private Lives.  We meet the characters as they have a sword fight to and fro across the Theatre Barn stage.  The sword fight is only a hint of the highly physical comedy that is to come during the two act, two hour performance.

George and Charlotte love the theater, but they crave one last fading hope at starring in a Hollywood feature film.  Such a chance happens when the leading actor in a Frank Capra film is injured and the legendary director is coming to see George and Charlotte perform  in person with the possibility of casting them in the film.

Chaos breaks out in the preparation for the performance.  Joining the cast is Eileen one of the company actors who announces she is pregnant with George’s child.  Also arriving is Roz (the daughter of George and Charlotte) and her fiancé, a television weatherman.  When Charlotte discovers that George has fathered a child she plans to run off with her own lover, Richard.   George starts drinking and runs off.   As Capra will be arriving soon for their performance, the players make a crazy physical chase through the elaborate stage in search of George and aided by Charlotte’s half deaf mother, Ethel.

The pace of comedy becomes frantic, fast and physical.  The Theatre Barn set has numerous doors and a staircase which becomes the backdrop for  a desperate search to find George and somehow stage the play in time before Capra’s arrival.  The laughs are nonstop with wonderful performances from the cast. 

The cast is George Hay – Fred Rueck, Charlotte Hay – Gillian Holt, Ethel – Elayne Gordon. Rosalind – Julia Preis, Howard – Seth von Schmidt, Eileen – Clara Sussmann, Paul – Matthew Donovan, and Richard – Timothy Huber.

Directed by Diana Canova who expertly guides this hilarious and over the top comedy by using every square foot of the stage and directing the actors to deliver their lines with hysterical result.  An evening of laughs not to be missed. The set design was very impressive and really was an important part of the play.

The Ridgefield Theater Barn is a great experience.  The audience in the small intimate space can bring in their own food and drink  to enjoy prior to the performance.  It is a very special venue and the productions are always of high quality.

For tickets and information:https://ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org/

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Theatre People delivers non stop comedy to the Westport Country Playhouse

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“Theatre People!”, exclaims Olga the Maid as she expresses her frustration with the guests staying at a Newport Mansion.  The crowd at the Westport Country Playhouse laughs in unison at the remark and it will be a night filled with constant laughter.  The play draws its inspiration from past stage romantic comedies.  It includes all the elements including an interesting scenario and setting, rapid fire dialogue and jokes, physical comedy, and a cast of memorable characters.

The people to whom Olga the Maid refers are the guests at the mansion that evening. This hysterical comedy is set in 1948 in a Newport mansion filled  with characters that are a part of the theater:  Charlotte and Arthur Sanders, a married playwright couple; Margot Bell, a celebrated vocalist and actress, Victor Pratt, a Broadway baritone; and Oliver Adams, a young, naive novelist.  Rounding out the cast of characters as is Olga, the mansion’s housekeeper whose snide remarks and sarcasm delivered in a Russian accent deliver some of the best comedic lines of the evening.

The play begins with the playwrights Charlotte (Isabelle Keating) and her husband Arthur (Michael McCormick) entering a beautifully decorated bedroom suite in a posh Newport mansion.  They immediately begin to describe the suite as if they were writing a play and even look out at the theater audience and stating this is where the audience would sit.  This immediately pulls the audience into the action on stage. This play within a play is  a very clever and effective technique.   They are soon joined by Oliver the novelist (Rodolfo Soto) who is hoping to reunite with the woman he met once but whom he is madly in love. He wants to tell her about his novel that she inspired him to write,  It is that very book that Charlotte and Arthur are desperate to make into a Broadway play. The subject of Oliver’s love is an actress and vocalist, Margot (Mia Pinero) who is at the mansion to sing.  She is performing with the bombastic Victor Pratt (Michael McCorry Rose) whose ego is far greater than his talent.

When Oliver, Charlotte and Arthur overhear Margot and Victor in the next room, all their plans for the weekend become unraveled.  In a wild attempt to salvage the hope to stage their play, and reunite Oliver and Margot, Charlotte writes an entire new 2nd act to their play based on Oliver’s book which he is hesitant to publish.  Charlotte enlists the help of Olga the maid who enters and exits the suite injecting laughs into every appearance.

Theatre People has all the elements of a classic stage comedy including a great setting, over the top characters, clever writing, rapid fire dialogue, and brilliant comedic timing.  Theatre People has it all and add beautiful set design and direction and you have an evening of non stop great comedy.   With Broadway actors and Broadway quality set, lighting and sound, Westport Country Playhouse is the place to experience live local theatre.

The cast includes Erin Noel Grennan as Olga, Isabel Keating as Charlotte Sanders ( Broadway: Upcoming “Queen of Versailles,” “Doubt: A Parable,” “The Boy from Oz” – Tony, Drama League, Outer Critics nominations, Drama Desk and Theatre World awards.  Michael McCormick as Arthur Sanders  Broadway: 15 shows including “Wicked,” “1776,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Curtains,” “Chaplin”; National Tours: “The Producers,” “Les Misérables”; Off-Broadway: “Fly By Night,” “A Man Of No Importance” at Lincoln Center Theater; TV: “Blue Bloods,” ”Brain Dead,” “Elementary,” “House Of Cards”; 18 Broadway and Off-Broadway cast albums  Mia Pinero as Margot Bell (Broadway: “Sweeney Todd” as Johanna/Beggar Woman, “West Side Story” as Maria.   Michael McCorry Rose as Victor Pratt (Broadway/Tours:  “Wicked,” “Anastasia,” “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder,” next season’s “The Queen of Versailles”; Film: Universal Picture’s “Wicked,” “Disenchanted” for Disney, and Rodolfo Soto as Oliver Adams (Westport Country Playhouse: “In the Heights” as Usnavi.)

Playwright Paul Slade Smith is an actor and playwright living in Brooklyn with his wife, who is a member of the “Theatre People” cast (Erin Noel Grennan). Smith’s  play, “Unnecessary Farce,” is the winner of nine regional theatre awards, and has had over 325 productions throughout the United States, and in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, Switzerland, Iceland, Singapore, and Japan. 

Director Mark Shanahan is Playhouse artistic director and Script in Hand curator. In 2024, he directed “The 39 Steps,” the Playhouse’s inaugural production for the 2024-25 season, as well as the Playhouse’s holiday offering, “A Sherlock Carol.”   Mark also warmed up the crowd prior to the show by having the opening night attendees shout in unison “ We are Theatre People!”.

“Theatre People” running time is approximately two hours, including one 15-minute intermission. The first act is around 35 minutes with the second act being around 50 minutes. Single tickets start at $40 and are subject to change based upon availability.. For information on special offers, including discounts for students, senior citizens, educators, military and first responders, Indigenous peoples, professional playwrights, and groups, as well as options for pay-what-you-will and library passes,

Do not miss “Theater People” now on stage at the historic Westport Country Playhouse!

For tickets and information https://www.westportplayhouse.org/

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“The Weir”, ghost stories with an Irish twist on stage in Sleepy Hollow 3/14 and 3/15

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Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, an Irish play will be presented in Sleepy Hollow.  The play“The Weir”  is written by Conor McPherson in 1997. It was first produced at The Royal Court Theatre in London and has been presented around the world and off Broadway

The setting of the play is in a pub in Ireland.  At the pub a group of men gathered to drink and share supernatural stories with a newly arrived woman.  The title “weir” refers to a small dam on a local river. The Weir is a symbol of the isolation of their community, while the the ghost stories they tell is but a way to connect and reveal deeper truths about themselves in this quiet village.

The play is produced by Lovely Calamity Productions and the shows are on Friday March 14, and Saturday March 15th .  The play will be presented at Hudson Valley Writer’s Center  300 Riverside Dr. Sleepy Hollow, NY.

For tickets: https://www.lovelycalamity.com

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Native Gardens: a great comedy now on stage at Westport Country Playhouse

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Now on stage at the historic Westport Country Playhouse is  “Native Gardens”.  A comedy about new neighbors who quickly turn on each other.  The show is playing February 18 through March 8. The iconic Playhouse is presenting this play as part of it’s 2024-25 “Season of Laughter”

Upon entering the theater on opening night we were struck by the amazing and complex stage décor.  The play is set in a historic Washington D.C, neighborhood and the set presents two houses side by side.  One house is brick and stone, with a beautiful rear deck of stone and a garden worthy of a layout in Home and Gardens magazine.  The other house is clad in wood with steps to the yard made of construction lumber.  The yard is devoid of landscaping with the exception of a large old oak tree which drops its leaves, acorns and branches onto the two yards. The contrasts will continue to the owners themselves.

The fine brick home is occupied by long time residents Frank and Virginia Butley.  Frank works for the federal government, and Virginia reminds us more than once she is an aerospace engineer working in a predominately male field.  They keep their home and yard immaculate and abide by the traditions of this historic neighborhood.  The new neighbors, Pablo and Tania Del Valle are millenials and their idea for their new yard is to bring in native plants in sharp contrast to the well manicured plantings of the Butley’s.

The well intentioned friendliness of the new neighbors meeting quickly dissolves into a comedic back and forth between the neighbors about a disputed property line.   The dispute over property rights the play quickly reveals the clash of taste, and issues of race, ageism, sexism, colonialism and class distinction.  Despite handling all these thorny topics, the play keeps the audience engaged with a light hearted and rapid fire comedy from start to finish.  The underlying tensions may be serious, but the lighthearted way in which they are approached  reveals in the end these are good people with good intentions that have gone astray. It is a very clever written and meaningful play.  

Native Gardens is the kind of relevant comedy we need today.  From the brilliant set design and relevant soundtrack, the play delivers a delightful comedic evening with wonderful performances. The opening night attendees approved with a rousing standing ovation.  A play that exposes the issues that divide us but wrapped in comedic brilliance which lifts the spirit and lightens your evening.

 The play is written by Karen Zacarías, who was recently hailed by American Theatre magazine as one of the 10 most-produced playwrights in the U.S. Director is JoAnn M. Hunter. “Native Gardens” is the fourth production in the Playhouse’s 2024-25 “Season of Laughter.

The cast includes Paula Leggett Chase as Virginia Butley (Broadway: “Tootsie,” “On the 20th Century,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Curtains,” “The Pajama Game,” “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Damn Yankees,” “Crazy for You,” “A Chorus Line”; 2020 Drama Desk Featured Actress nominee for “The Unsinkable Molly Brown”; Tours: “A Chorus Line,” “Cabaret”; TV/Film: “The Sound of Music, Live”;

 Linedy Genao as Tania De Valle (Native of Hamden, CT; first Latina performer to originate the leading role in an Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway musical; named to Variety’s “Broadway Actors to Watch List”; Broadway: “Bad Cinderella” as Cinderella, “On Your Feet!,” “Dear Evan Hansen”; Off Broadway: “Women on Fire”; Tours: “Dear Evan Hansen”; Regional: “Passing Through,” “West Side Story,” “In the Heights”; TV/Film: “Death Saved My Life.

Adam Heller as Frank Butley (Westport Country Playhouse: Script in Hand playreading “The Outsider”; Broadway’s “Some Like it Hot,” “It Shoulda Been You,” “Elf,” “Caroline, or Change,” “Victor/Victoria,” “Les Misérables”; Off-Broadway’s “Merrily We Roll Along,” and others; Goodspeed’s “Fiddler on the Roof” – Connecticut Critics Circle Award/Best Actor), “Rags”; other regional theatre includes “Chicago”- St. Louis Theater Circle Award, “1776,” “Gypsy,” “Falsettos,” “The Chosen”; NYU/Tisch).

 Anthony Michael Martinez as Pablo Del Valle (Off-Broadway: Classic Stage Co., 59E59, Vineyard Theatre, New Ohio, The Flea, Theatre Row. Regional: Great Lakes Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare,  more; Film/TV: “After Forever” Amazon Prime series; MFA: Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Academy for Classical Acting in DC; resident teaching artist for Red Bull Theater.

Set design by Anna Louizos.

Running time is 90 minutes with no intermission.

For tickets and information https://www.westportplayhouse.org/

Westport Country Playhouse

25 Powers Court Westport Ct.

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Jersey Boys: The long running Broadway hit now at Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk

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Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with well know tunes that weaves together many of the hit songs of the 1960s rock group, The Four Seasons.   Unlike other jukebox musicals that use familiar hit songs to tell a fictional tale (Mamma Mia and others), Jersey boys tells the actual story of the band.  Starting from its early days in New Jersey as the “Four Lovers” to the addition of a young teenager named Frankie Valli, to the addition of a young song writer  Bob Gaudio who would go on to pen their many hit songs. It was interesting to learn that a young Joe Pesci (the actor) introduced Gaudio to the band. The show ran on Broadway from 2005 to 2017 with over 4000 performances.

The play covers the ups and downs of the band, their personnel changes, money and management issues and their endless road tours.  Even with problems with the record label  and getting their songs played on Top 40 radio, the Four Seasons would succeed in the turbulent and constantly changing  era of f1960s rock music.

The format of the play is both story telling and live performances that weave together the saga of the Four Seasons from  their humble Jersey roots, to their rise and eventual  break up.  The story is both funny and sad, but it is the music and harmonies that lift the audience up during the performance.

The Music Theatre of Connecticut has produced yet another highly professional theatrical experience.  The small intimate theater in which the audience sits three sides surrouning the actors creates the feeling that you are in the performance itself. It’s  quite extrodinary.   In a musical such as Jersey Boys, sound is vital to success and the sound crew delivers concert quality sound as the harmonies that are so much of the Four Seasons sound are delivered with clarity.  Over 30 songs are part of the musical which the cast delivers to the delight of the audience.

A great cast of 14 actors rotate on and off the stage.  Michael Fasano reprises his role as Frankie Valli which he played  on the national tour.  He really pulls off the unique vocal range of Frankie Valli.   Nathan Cockroft (Tommy DeVito),  Sean McGee (Bob Gaudio), and Steven Petrovich (Nick Massi) round out the rest of the band and deliver solid acting and vocal performances. The vocal harmonies were impressive.

The rest of the cast has plays numerous roles, including fans, wives, mobsters, record executives and even Joe Pesci.  Seamless costume changes allow these actors  to assume several different roles during the show.  The cast of Brianna Bauch, Emily Solo, Skye Gillespie, (all seen above) John Treacy Egan, Michael  Luongo, David L. Murray Jr., Robert Peterpaul, and Jeff Raab  does a fantastic job of playing so many roles critical to the telling of the story.

Kevin Conners delivers yet again another wonderful directing achievement.  This is a Broadway quality production right next door in an intimate and professional venue.

The show runs through October 1st.

For information and tickets:https://www.musictheatreofct.com/ 

Please support local theater.  It’s the best !

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I Hate Hamlet. The hilarious Broadway comedy now at the Music Theatre Of CT in Norwalk

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Now on stage at the Music Theatre of Connecticut MainStage, Fairfield County’s professional award is t the very funny comedy, I Hate Hamlet by Paul Rudnick. The production had the audience laughing during the entire performance.

 The play  involves  Andrew Rally, a young and successful television star who has ended a run on his network show and is looking for work.  His agent, Lillian convinces him to move to New York City and take on the role of Hamlet in Shakespeare in the Park.   Andrew decides to make the move though he is overwhelmed with doubt  that he can make the jump from tv drama actor to Shakespeare.   His realtor Felicia, shows him an old apartment where the famous actor John Barrymore once lived.  Felicia thinks the apartment is perfect as Barrymore himself once played Hamlet.  

Andrew has a problem. He does not like the apartment , he misses Los Angeles and  he hates Hamlet! What is an out of work television actor to do?  With the help of the realtor (who claims to be a psychic), his girlfriend Deidre (who loves Shakespeare) and the agent (who had a brief affair with Barrymore), a séance is performed in the apartment to contact the spirit of John Barrymore.   The madcap comedy really starts to roll as the ghost of Barrymore, dressed as Hamlet appears. 

Though he doubts he can actually perform as Hamlet, the ghost of Barrymore who partakes of champagne and other spirits, challenges Andrew to a sword fight in the apartment.  The fight scenes arranged by Dan O’Driscoll who also plays Barrymore are quite impressive and realistic and still the scene is quite funny.  More humor roles in as Gary, a producer from L.A. enters in an attempt to lure Andrew away from his new role with promises of a new television series and a lucrative contract. His over the top performance had the audience in stitches. Torn in two directions, what will Andrew do?

The  Actors Equity cast is hilarious and the comedic timing is spot on.  Directed by Kevin Conners who delivers yet another wonderful  production to the MTC stage.

 I Hate Hamlet will run three weekends from February 3rd – 19th, 2023 with performances on Fridays & Saturday at 8pm and Saturdays & Sundays at 2pm.  I Hate Hamlet stars Constantine Pappas (Nat’l Tour- Phantom of the Opera, Off B’wayPenelope) as Andrew, Dan O’Driscoll (Off B’way- The Pirates of Penzance, Babes in Toyland) as John Barrymore, Elena Ramos Pascullo (Florida Studio Theatre- Something Rotten, MTC- The Buddy Holly Story) as Deirdre, Liliane Klein (Nat’l Tour- Scrooge, Titanic) as Felicia, Robert Anthony Jones (B’way- Finding Neverland, Nat’l Tour- Phantom of the Opera) as Gary, and Jo Anne Parady (Players Club- The Life of Shakespeare, Stratford Shakespeare Festival- Othello) as Lillian.

Support local theater!!

Ticket prices range from $40-$65 plus fees and can be purchased online

http://www.musictheatreofct.com/i-hate-hamlet

or over the phone (203-454-3883).

MTC MainStage

509 Westport Ave in Norwalk, CT.

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From The Mississippi Delta: a powerful drama now at the Westport Country Playhouse

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The Westport Country Playhouse is now presenting on stage the drama “From the Mississippi Delta”.  This tale is based on the true life story of the author, Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Ph.D.  It follows her incredible struggles from a poor black girl living  in segregated  Mississippi in the 1950s to the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s, to her relocation to Minnesota where she attends college and graduate school.  It is a tale of the human spirit and the ability to finally overcome the seemingly impossible  challenges of poverty and a  cruel racist society.  The play was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and has been produced in theaters across the country including Off-Broadway.

There are three actors in the play, all who play multiple roles. The main characters are the mother and daughter, with the third actor also taking on the role as narrator.   They weave the true story of the author and her family.  The main character, Phelia  is inspired by her mother Ida (also called Aint Baby), to work hard and strive for a better life.  Her mother has left the long days of the cotton fields behind as has become a midwife in her rural community.  Her talents and dedication earn her the name,  “Second Doctor Lady”.   She owns her own modest home and rents out rooms to support her children.   The play turns dark when her daughter, Phelia at age 11 is raped by a local white man.  Soon Phelia is caught up the seediness of a local carnival and becomes a prostitute at age 12.  She eventually will drop out of school. 

Fate will change the life of young Phelia when she meets with a civil rights group that comes to town, the  Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee.   They convince her to join their movement .   Her mother is against her involvement, and in time their house is firebombed.  Her mother, Aint Baby perishes is the fire which is blamed on Klansmen.    Despite this tragedy, Phelia struggles onward and we follow her remarkable journey as she  moves north to Minnesota and attends college.   It is an incredible story of the human spirit that will remind you of the struggles so many have endured on the road to equality.  The play has all the elements of a compelling drama:  struggle, tragedy, hope, inspiration and finally redemption. 

Westport Country Playhouse will stage from October 18 – 30th. So make plans to see this fascinating drama.

The three-member cast includes Claudia Logan as Woman 1. She is from Detroit, a graduate of SUNY Purchase, and now lives in Brooklyn. Credits include Westport Country Playhouse’s “Don Juan” (2019), Dallas Theater Center’s “Penny Candy,” HBO’s “Random Acts of Flyness” and “The Deuce,” and Netflix’s “Tales of the City.” Tameishia Peterson portrays Woman 2. Born in Dayton and raised in Memphis, she is a graduate of The Ohio State University, Michael Howard Studios, and Fiasco Conservatory. She now lives in New York. Credits include Starz’s ““Power Book II: Ghost,” Hulu’s “WuTang: An American Saga,” and Netflix’s “The Perfect Find.” Erin Margaret Pettigrew plays Woman 3. She is a first generation Los Angeles native after having roots in Belize and the American South. Her artist-journey has been shaped with many communities and creators such as Manhattan Theatre Club, Page 73 Productions, JAG Productions, and more, while facilitating and learning alongside institutions such as UCSB, NYU, and CUNY.

Playwright Endesha Ida Mae Holland, Ph.D. was born in Green­wood, Mississippi. During the 1940s and 1950s, Greenwood was an impoverished Delta community where Black people lived in fear of their lives. It is her life story that is the basis for this play.

Goldie E. Patrick. is the director of this production. The Detroit native is an proud alumna of Howard University where she is currently a professor of hip-hop theater. Based in New York City, for over 20 years she has passionately worked in and built artistic collaborations in Black theater as a playwright, director, and producer.

The creative team includes Jason Ardizzone-West, scenic design; Heidi Hanson, costume design; John Alexander, lighting design; Michael Keck, sound design; Ann James, intimacy coach; Dawn-Elin Fraser, voice and speech coach; Sean Sanford, props supervisor; Melissa Sparks, production stage manager; and Tré Wheeler, assistant stage manager.

The play is recommended for age 15 and up. Running time is approximately 90 minutes with one intermission. For the Playhouse’s 2022 season only, plays are consolidated to a two-week performance schedule instead of the usual three-week run.  Please support great local theater, and come see professional performance at the Westport Country Playhouse.

Westport Country Playhouse

25 Powers Court Westport Ct

http://www.westportportpayhouse.org

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Smorgasbord: a hilarious ode to food now at the Ridgefield Theater Barn

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A hysterical new musical Smorgasbord is now on stage at the Ridgefield Theater Barn.   The play billed as “A Musical Menu” is the creation of Bradford Blake, a very talented and funny lyricist.  His holiday themed “Wreck The Halls” was a big hit at the Theater Barn in the past.  This musical revue has  food as its subject matter and Blake (who also directs the play), takes the audience on a wild comical ride through the world of food.

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Anya Caravella, Robert Geils, Tracey Marble and Zachary Theis serving up comedy and music

 

The stage of the theater features three talented musicians under the direction of Charles Smith.  They are dressed as chefs and set the tone for the evening.  The very talented and humorous cast of Anya Caravella, Tracey Marble, Robert Geils and Zachary Theis are tasked with leading the audience through a menu of 19 intricate original songs.   The vocals are quite good, and the comical acting of the cast had the opening night audience laughing the entire evening.  The cast is very talented and the vocals of Anya Caravella were quite impressive.  The direction by Mr. Blake was excellent as the timing of the comedy is spot on.

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Act One which was called “First Course” is composed of 10 different songs taking the audience on a tour of different foods.  Some of the standout numbers were “Chez McDonald’s”,  “De Fruit Song” and “Pigoletto” a hilarious look at Italian cuisine.   Eating alone is never fun and “The Frozen Turkey TV Dinner Blues” is a witty look at the subject.

The “Second Course” is just as creative and comical.  The audience responded to “Taco”, “Tomorrow’s the First Day” (an amusing look at dieting), “Sukiyaki Sue” and one  of our favorites “At Lebebschmittel’s Deli”, a  very funny tune about a Jewish deli. The evening concludes with an ode to ice cream in “One Scoop”.  The song draws inspiration and from the classic 1970s musical, “A Chorus Line”.

Opening night for Smorgasbord was filled with laughter at the Theater Barn.  This is a unique venue which you must experience.  Doors open one hour prior to the performance and guests sit at tables and are encouraged to bring their own food to enjoy prior to the show.   The lobby also features a snack bar that also features wine and beer.  Support local theater and enjoy a great evening of laughter.

This very witty and amusing show runs through February 29th.    This is a show is just the recipe to shake off the winter blues with non stop comedy.

Ridgefield Theater Barn

37 Halpin Lane
Ridgefield CT 06877

tel .203.431.9850

web  https://ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org/

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