Out of Town Tryouts - "Last House on the Left" - 1945

“Last House on the Left” came to Hartford in it’s pre-Broadway tryout in November 1945 with what must have been typical high hopes, but no crystal ball regarding the ultimate success of the show.

This was a comedy-farce written by Jean Carmen and Irish Owen, and directed by Irish Owen, not to be confused with the cult horror movie of the early 1970s with a similar name. Definitely not to be confused with that.

Jean Carmen played vaudeville, radio, and did a lot of B-westerns in Hollywood by the time she trod the boards at the Bushnell for this play in which she also starred with Gene Barry “and a cast of 20.” Her only Broadway stint was as a replacement in “The Man Who Came to Dinner.”

Gene Barry had a lot of stage work under his belt, particularly on Broadway, mostly musicals, and would eventually make his fame on television, especially as TV’s “Bat Masterson.” Barry had just come off of “Catherine Was Great” on Broadway in January 1945 when “Last House on the Left” was in the works.

“Last House on the Left” never made it to Broadway. Barry’s career sailed on, however, and he went back to Broadway in a revival of “The Would-Be Gentleman” at the Booth Theater. It ran three months. Then presumably he joined Irish Owen and Jean Carmen in the eternal search for a new gig.

Theatre as Giver and Wide Receiver

“Theatre isn’t merely giver; it’s giver and receiver,” so wrote stage director Joshua Logan in his autobiography, My Upside Down, In and Out Life (Delacorte Press, NY, 1976).

Mr. Logan writes of the immediacy of theatre, not just for the actors but for the audience, “feeling yourself played to by live actors, that can be found nowhere else.”

At The Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut, in January 2008, actor Brad Nacht, playing the character Max Bialystock in the road production of “The Producers” interrupted the second act, broke the fourth wall and told the audience, “New England 14, San Diego 6.”

The AFC playoff game was currently under way, and Mr. Nacht was passing along the most recent score to New England theatergoers who would presumably also be New England Patriots fans.

Giver and receiver perhaps may also mean wide receiver in some cases.

“It’s lover and loved,” Josh Logan said of theatre, and sometimes one’s lover strays, or at least one’s attention.

The Patriots currently lead the AFC East, so perhaps January will again bring some compromise to the relationship between audience and actor.

Upcoming plays for December:

At the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut: “Jim Henson’s Emmet Otter” December 5th through January 3, 2010.

“As Christmas approaches the world of Frogtown Hollow, Emmet Otter and his Ma can only dream of buying each other gifts. So when a Christmas Eve talent contest is announced, both secretly enter, hoping to win the prize money. In a heartwarming twist on "The Gift of the Magi," Emmet and Ma risk all they have and end up with the greatest grand prize of all. Based on director Jim Henson's television feature, this new theatrical adaptation features a lovable mix of actors and puppet characters from The Jim Henson Company and a toe-tapping score. It's a classic holiday musical for all ages!”

Music and Lyrics by Paul Williams, book by Timothy A. McDonald and Christopher Gattelli. Directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli

At the Majectic Theater in West Springfield, Mass. “Piecemeal - The Frankenstein Musical” running through December 6th. Written by Howard Odentz, this “is the imaginative, dark, and very funny spin on Mary Shelley’s classic novel by re-telling the strange events that lead to the creation of Frankenstein’s monster. Igor, the hunchbacked undertaker’s son, yearns to be a doctor. By chance he meets the young Victor Frankenstein, who is destined to follow in his family’s medical footstep, but whose heart is set instead on a fashion career. He and Igor swap identities. Victor heads off to France to pursue his passion while Igor takes his new name and Victor’s pre-paid admission papers to the University. There he becomes the prized pupil of Professor Krempe, who’s been secretly working on reanimation. Add in a love triangle with Victor’s betrothed, the beautiful Elizabeth Lavenza, and you have “PIECEMEAL.”

At the Merrimack Repertory Theatre in Lowell, Mass., the regional premiere of “Heroes” by Gerald Sibleyras, adapted by Tom Stoppard opens tomorrow, November 19th and runs through December 13th. “Henri, Gustave and Philippe survived World War I. Forty years later, as residents in a veterans’ home and armed only with what is left of their wits and a 200-pound stone dog, they battle old age, nagging war injuries, and a masochistic nun. A heartwarming tale of camaraderie and a moving portrait of the frustrations inherent in growing older.”

At the Portland Stage, Portland, Maine, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens runs from November 27th through December 24th. “Travel back in time to Victorian England where ghosts, time travel, and memories help a cold and lonely old miser regain his heart. Our adaptation remains remarkably true to Dickens' original book. Dickens' story seems best told in his words, allowing audiences to hear the richness of his language, and to experience the story of Scrooge's encounters with the spirits of past, present, and yet-to-come in the way that the author intended.”

The Shubert Theatre of New Haven, Connecticut, which opened on December 11, 1914, is celebrating its 95th anniversary with a special event December 11th, and continue on Sunday, December 13th.

Schedule of Anniversary Events:

Friday, December 11
Guided Tours of the Shubert Theater and Backstage: 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30
Rededication Program: 7:00pm
Followed by screening of "Shubert Moments" and feature film "The Sound of Music"

“The day-long 95th Anniversary Celebratory Events begins on Friday, December 11 with free tours of the theater and backstage areas including the famous “Graffiti Walls” featuring murals of past shows and cast signatures. Tours will run on the hour from 12:30–3:30pm. A rededication ceremony on the Shubert Stage hosted by Shubert staff and City of New Haven officials begins at 7pm, followed by a screening of “Shubert Moments,” a short film highlighting the Shubert’s rich theatrical history, and the feature film, “The Sound of Music.” This film was selected because of the show’s original association with the Shubert Theater – the original stage production of “The Sound of Music” made its World Premiere on the Shubert stage in October, 1959. Having recently marked the 50th Anniversary of its Shubert stage premiere, it is particularly appropriate to include the film version of this beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein classic as part of the Shubert’s Anniversary events.

The celebration continues on Sunday, December 13 with a Free Family Fun Day from 11am–3pm. Kid-friendly events including holiday arts & crafts projects and face painting and refreshments will be available throughout the day in the Shubert lobby. Participants will be entertained with Holiday Carols performed by New Haven youth choirs and a special visit by Santa Claus! Patrons will also be treated to a series of holiday-themed film shorts in the Shubert Theater.”

At The Bushnell in Hartford, Connecticut. “Amahl and the Night Visitors” with The Mostly Baroque Players - David Ole Hartman, Conductor and John Tedeschi, Stage Director/King Melchior - present a fully staged performance of the one act Christmas themed opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti. “The story concerns an unannounced visit by the Three Kings to a poor, crippled, shepherd boy and his widowed mother on their way to venerate the Christ Child in Bethlehem.” Starring Toby Newman as the Mother, Johan Hartman as Amahl, Wayne Rivera as King Kaspar, Stewart Battle as King Balthazar and Christopher Stone as the Page.

At Boston’s The Huntington, “A Civil War Christmas” by Paula Vogel will run until December 13th. “It's Christmas Eve 1864. In the White House, President and Mrs. Lincoln plot their gift-giving. On the Potomac, a young rebel soldier challenges a Union blacksmith's mercy. In the streets, a fugitive from slavery searches for her daughter on the night she finds freedom. In this new play with music from Pulitzer Prize winner Paula Vogel, these stories and more are woven into an American tapestry, showing us that the gladness of one's heart is the greatest gift of all. This production includes beloved holiday music and will be enhanced by local choirs caroling before each performance.”

Out of Town Tryouts - "Sing Out, Sweet Land"

One aspect of New England’s rich tradition in theatre lies in its proximity to New York City. We are sometimes the land of the Out of Town Tryouts for new Broadway plays.

This could have been more than unusually daunting back in the day, since New Englanders had the reputation (much more then than now, I expect), of “sitting on their hands” or not being very generous with applause.

However one out of town tryout was well received on November 9, 1944. A brand new musical came to The Bushnell in Hartford called “Sing Out, Sweet Land.” Starring Alfred Drake, who had just enjoyed enormous success starring in “Oklahoma!” the previous year, this new musical was compared to “Oklahoma!” in its folksy examination of American history through popular music.

Among its featured performers was Burl Ives, who sang his trademark “Foggy, Foggy Dew,” “Blue Tail Fly”, and “Rock Candy Mountain.” Negro spirituals, folk music, Tin Pan Alley tunes all flowed through this musical which opened on Broadway the following month, and ran 102 performances, closing in March 1945.

Time Magazine, however, panned the show when it was on Broadway, writing in January 1945, “What should have been an exciting show remains, at best, a pleasant song recital.”

But Hartford loved it, according to the New York Times review of November 10, 1944, which compared the show favorably to “Oklahoma!”

“A delighted audience of more than 3,000” enjoyed the musical parade of history through “energetic singing and dancing.” The book was by Walter Kerr, the score by Ellie Siegmeister. Hartford did not sit on its hands this time, if Time Magazine did.

"Oklahoma!" Kicks off Post-WWII Season

The first post-World War II theatre season in New England got off to a rousing start with what had been a wartime favorite in New York, “Oklahoma!”

This first celebrated pairing of the music and lyrics of Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II opened at Hartford’s Bushnell Memorial Hall October 15, 1945, and played for a week. This road company featured James Alexander as Curly, Mary Hatcher as Laurey, former vaudevillian Mary Marlo as Aunt Eller, and Dorothea MacFarland as Ado Annie (who had understudied Celeste Holm in the New York production). Richard H. Gordon played Jud Fry.

While wartime privations continued in Great Britain, and the European continent and Asia would take years to recover from the war’s devastation, Americans were seemingly already shedding the horror of the world’s largest and most terrible conflict, and were moving on to an unknown modern world with a vengeance. An ad in the program for new perfume sold at Hartford’s famed department store, G. Fox & Co. (see more on G. Fox & Co. in my New England Travels blog), called “Yanky Clover” sold with a dress inspired by “Oklahoma!” and its depiction of “box luncheons, picnics under the stars…the romantic, nostalgic feeling of our own wonderful West.” See Toiletries, street floor.

That romantic nostalgic feeling might be fleeting when the new realities of post-war life set in, some exciting, some foreboding. For now, it was “Oklahoma!” in Hartford, where the cheap seats in the second balcony went for 90 cents, and most expensive orchestra seats would cost you $3.00.

Upcoming Plays

Here are some upcoming plays at professional New England theaters:

The Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut presents the new musical comedy “Lucky Guy” from May 14th through June 14th, set in the country music world of Nashville.

The Majestic Theatre in West Springfield, Mass. presents “John & Paul” a multi media show from April 16th through May 24th. This look at the partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney features original music and lyrics by Steven Schecter, with narration and dramatization by Danny Eaton.

The American Repertory Theatre gives us a David Mamet celebration in the “Sex, Satire, Romance, and Ducks” festival of works by Mamet. The individual plays are “Romance” which runs from May 9th through June 7th, at the Loeb Drama Center, “Seriously Funny” which runs May 29th through June 6th at the Zero Arrow Theatre, and “Sexual Perversity in Chicago” and “The Duck Variations” at the Zero Arrow Theatre from June 11th through June 28th. For more information, have a look here.

Hartford’s The Bushnell presents the lavish musical “The Phantom of the Opera” opening tonight and running through May 10th.

Connecticut’s Westport Country Playhouse will present “Children” a drama by A.R. Gurney from May 26th through June 13th. “When their mysterious brother, Pokey, returns to the family's beachside vacation home, all the family plans crumble as love affairs and family secrets explode.” For more information, have a look here.

Finally, at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Eugene O’Neill’s “A Moon for the Misbegotten” will be presented April 23rd through May 17th. “A beautiful American classic about two lost souls and their touching encounter under a full moon. Fatigued with life, Josie and James struggle with dual realities in this comic and tragic meeting. It is a stark look at humanity in its basest and loveliest form by four-time Pulitzer Prize and America’s only Nobel Prize-winning playwright.”

For more information, have a look here.

NOTE: This blog will review Merrimack’s production of “A Moon for the Misbegotten” next week.

Upcoming Plays

Upcoming plays for New England professional theater include:

Merrimack Repertory Theater presents “Bad Dates” by Theresa Rebeck, a comedy that runs until April 12th.

Maine’s The Portland Stage Company gives us “The Passion of the Hausfrau” by Bess Welden, Annette Jolles, and Nicole Chaison running now until April 11th. A one woman show, that tells of the comic adventures of a Portland mother and would-be writer. Adapted from Portland's Hausfrau a self-published quarterly that chronicles “the passion that is parenting”, written and cartooned by Nicole Chaison.

The Shubert Theater of New Haven, Connecticut presents “Jesus Christ Superstar” from April 3rd to the 5th. This well-known musical is of course the first collaboration of the team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. The rock opera vision of “the greatest story ever told” tells the story of the final seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The musical dramatizes Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, the unrest caused by his preaching and popularity, his betrayal by Judas, the trial before Pontius Pilate, and his ultimate crucifixion.

The American Repertory Theatre in Boston presents the world premiere of “Trojan Barbie” by Christine Evans, directed by Carmel O’Reilly. The show runs from March 28th through April 22nd at the Zero Arrow Theatre. According to the website description: “Lotte Jones, a doll repair expert, needs a vacation. She books herself on a cultural tour for singles and travels with them to modern-day Troy, where she finds more of a change of scene than she’d bargained for – she's in the midst of an attack by the Greek army threatening to destroy the last fragments of a mighty civilization. Part contemporary drama, part homage to Euripides’ Trojan Women, “Trojan Barbie” recasts the legendary fall of the city of Troy against the vivid reality of modern warfare.”

Hartford’s The Bushnell gives us “A Chorus Line”. The well familiar story of this modern classic: “In an empty theatre, on a bare stage, casting for a new Broadway musical is almost complete. For 17 dancers, this audition is the chance of a lifetime. It's what they've worked for - with every drop of sweat, every hour of training, every day of their lives. It's the one opportunity to do what they've always dreamed -- to have the chance to dance. This is A Chorus Line, the musical for everyone who’s ever had a dream and put it all on the line.” The show runs from March 24th through March 29th.

The Huntington presents “The Miracle at Naples” by David Grimm, directed by Peter DuBois at the Wimberly Theatre. The show runs from April 3rd to May 9th. A band of traveling commedia players in Renaissance Italy ignites the passions of the locals in this bawdy comedy.

Connecticut’s Westport Playhouse gives us the favorite “Around the World in 80 Days”, the adventures of Phileas Fogg in a tale for adults and children alike. Written by Mark Brown, adapted from the book by Jules Verne, the play is directed by Michael Evan Haney and runs from April 21st through May 9th.

Goodspeed Opera House of East Haddam, Connecticut presents the musical "42nd Street" from April 17th through June 28th.

Upcoming Plays

Here’s brief catch-up on upcoming plays in New England:

At Boston’s Colonial Theatre, the musical “Movin’ Out” with music by Billy Joel, and choreography by Twyla Tharp will be presented from March 20th through 22nd.

At the Majestic Theater of West Springfield, Mass., we have “Bus Stop” by William Inge currently running until April 5th.

Maine’s Portland Stage Company gives us the comedy “Out of Sterno” by Deborah Zee Laufer from March 3rd through 22nd.

The Shubert Theater of New Haven, Connecticut presents the eight-member percussionists with everyday objects and a lot humor, “Stomp” from March 17th through 22nd.

The American Repertory Theatre’s “Endgame” by Samuel Beckett, directed by Marcus Stern is currently running through March 15th. The show stars Remo Airaldi, Karen MacDonald, and Will LeBow. Have a look here for a review by Louise Kennedy in The Boston Globe.

Hartford’s The Bushnell will present the musical “A Chorus Line” from March 24th through the 29th.

Boston’s The Huntington begins “Two Men of Florence” this week, March 6th and runs through April 5th. The play by Richard N. Goodwin is directed by Edward Hall.

The New Hampshire Theatre Project of Portsmouth, New Hampshire presents “Entr’Acte” from March 13th through 22nd, and is a showcase, part documentary, and part variety show featuring historical video footage, new works, and performances by veteran NHTP artists.

From NHTP website:

“Andrew Schwartz, one of NHTP’s original co-founders, returns to Portsmouth with his signature juggling act, featuring comedy, feats of daring, and audience participation. Long time NHTP artist Pat Spalding will present some of her humorous tales and puppets beloved by every generation.

Directed by Meghann Beauchamp, Entr’Acte will also feature new works by Genevieve Aichele and Libby Page, performed by a multi-generational cast including Linda Chase, Robin Fowler, Donna Goldfarb, Libby Page, Colby Senior, Kathy Somssich, Heather Glenn Wixson, and special guest James Patrick Kelly.”

If you have a chance to see any of these shows, stop by and let us know what you think.

Current and Upcoming Plays in New England

Currently (or Soon to Be) on stage in the coming month:

At The Huntington in Boston, Kate Burton and her real-life son Morgan Ritchie face off as the teacher and student in the classic “The Corn is Green” now through February 8th. Here is a review in The Boston Globe, and another review online at the Examiner.

Harvard University’s American Repertory Theater will present “End Game” by Samuel Beckett February 14th through March 15th.

The Majestic Theater of West Springfield, Massachusetts presents the comedy “Lumberjacks in Love” by Fred Alley and James Kaplan until February 15th.

Boston’s Colonial Theater currently features “Frost/Nixon” starring Stacy Keach through February 8th.

The Bushnell of Hartford, Connecticut will present the musical “Jersey Boys” from February 4th through February 22nd.

“Peer Gynt” by Henrik Ibsen opened last night at Maine’s Portland Stage Company, and will run through February 22nd.

If you have an opportunity to see any of these shows, please let us know and share your thoughts.