Christmas in Connecticut at PTC

Last night I saw the musical Christmas in Connecticut at PTC and I really enjoyed it. Most theatre companies near me produce A Christmas Carol, Elf The Musical, A Christmas Story, or White Christmas this time of year and, while I love these shows (I will be seeing them all this holiday season), it was refreshing to see something new and different. Liz Sandor (Alyse Alan Louis) is a young and independent writer living in NYC while trying to find a publisher for her column about tomorrow's woman. However, when she meets with Dudley Beecham (RJ Vaillancourt), an editor from Yardley Publishing, she is persuaded to write a column about living on a farm in Connecticut as a traditional wife and mother using the pen name Liz Lane even though it is a lie. The column becomes popular with housewives all over the country as well as with servicemen fighting in World War II because it reminds them of the homes they left behind. When Alexander Yardley (Gerry McIntyre) receives a fan letter from Jefferson Jones (Christian Magby), a war hero who has nowhere to go for Christmas, he decides to invite him to the farm. To avoid being exposed as a fraud, Dudley coerces his brother Victor (Eric William Morris) into letting them use his Connecticut farm and into pretending to be married to Liz. Chaos ensues when Victor and Liz take an immediate dislike to each other and when Yardley's suspicious secretary Gladys Higgenbottom (Tiffany Denise Hobbs) arrives determined to discover the truth. The story is as light and predictable as a Hallmark Christmas movie but it is definitely a lot of fun. It features memorable original songs and I especially enjoyed "Capital Idea" because Yardley is hilariously oblivious about the deception going on in his company, "The Ornament Song" because, even though it is really silly, it represents the chaos of trying to keep up the ruse (with fantastic choreography), "Remember What's At Stake" because Victor and Liz declare how much they hate each other (which obviously means that they will eventually get together), and "Recipe for Success" because Liz learns that it is always best to be your authentic self. The performances are delightful and I particularly enjoyed Louis because she has a beautiful voice and can belt out a song and I really appreciated the comedic timing of the entire cast as the hijinks get going. As always, the set is amazing, especially the two-story wood-paneled farmhouse decorated for Christmas, and the period costumes are distinctive.  There were a lot of empty seats last night which is a shame because this show is charming as well as something new this holiday season. It runs at PTC through December 16 (go here for tickets).

Scrooge: A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse 2023

Last night I attended the second of four productions of A Christmas Carol that I have scheduled this holiday season. This version, the musical Scrooge: A Christmas Carol at the Terrace Plaza Playhouse, could not be more different in tone from the dramatic interpretation I saw at Parker Theatre last week because it is very lighthearted and whimsical which makes it perfect for families. Ebenezer Scrooge (Kim Florence) is still visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Jacci Olsen Florence), Present (Don Wilhelm), and Future (Cougar Spens) for the reclamation of his soul but he is a figure of fun who is ridiculed by those who owe him money rather than a villain who is feared. This version also features original music by Leslie Bricusse and my favorite songs are "Christmas Children" by Bob Cratchit (Jon Talbot), "December the Twenty-Fifth" by Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig (Danny Hall and Carla Zarate, respectively), "Happiness" by Young Ebenezer (Kelby Talbot) and Isabelle (Shae Wright), and "The Beautiful Day" by Tiny Tim (Lincoln Hall). As always, I was very impressed by the way the space on the small and intimate stage is used, especially with the large cast (many of whom are children), and the choreography is really fun and spirited! I really liked how all of the townspeople are featured in "Sing a Christmas Carol," I loved how the children make fun of Scrooge in "Father Christmas" (one of the littlest children was concentrating so hard on the steps and it was absolutely adorable), and I laughed out loud when Tommy Jones (Trey Cornell) dances of Scrooge's coffin in "Thank You Very Much." I also liked how the Ghost of Christmas Present conducts Scrooge all around the theatre to get to the Cratchit house and Fred's house. Victorian London is brought vividly to life with a cobblestone street depicted on a backdrop with Scrooge's Counting House on a platform to the right of the stage and the entrance to Scrooge's house on another one to the left (I loved how Jacob Marley's face appears on the door knocker). Various set pieces are moved on and off stage and my favorites were Fezziwig's factory, Bob Cratchit's house (I loved the fireplace), Fred's house (I loved the Christmas tree), and the white silhouettes used to represent Scrooge's childhood with his sister Fan. The period costumes are beautiful, especially the gowns worn by the female guests at Fred's Christmas party and the robe worn by the Ghost of Christmas Present. Kim Florence's portrayal of Scrooge is more humorous than other productions I've seen (I laughed out loud during his rendition of "I Hate People") but his reactions to Isabelle's parting from Young Ebenezer and to Tiny Tim's fate are incredibly poignant. Other standouts from the cast are Wilhelm as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Wright as Isabelle, Danny Hall as Mr. Fezziwig, and Lincoln Hall as Tiny Tim (he is adorable). The ensemble gives their all and it is very heartwarming because you can see the love they have for this community tradition. My only complaint with this show is Jacci Olsen Florence's portrayal of the Ghost of Christmas because it is really silly and the shtick goes on far too long (it seems to be a tradition because other members of the audience liked it more than I did). I really enjoyed this production and, as I previously mentioned, I think this would be a great holiday tradition for families. It runs Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays through December 23 and tickets may be purchased here.

Happy Birthday Sean!

Yesterday my family celebrated Sean's 19th birthday!  It doesn’t seem possible that he could be this old because it was only yesterday when he was a tiny little boy!  He is not so tiny now!  We went to dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Trolley Square (which is one of Sean's favorite restaurants) and then came back to my sister's house for cake and presents.  I gave him the Blu-ray box set of The Big Bang Theory (which he asked me for a month ago).

I love him so much and I am really proud of him for how well he is doing in college.  I hope he had a great day!

A Christmas Carol at Parker Theatre

Last night I attended my first of four productions of A Christmas Carol this holiday season at Parker Theatre. I don't think I will ever get tired of seeing the reclamation of Ebenezer Scrooge's soul by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future because it is such a beautiful story about keeping the spirit of Christmas in your heart all the year long. I really enjoyed seeing a new and different interpretation of this classic story last night. This version begins, rather unusually, with the death of Jacob Marley (Stephen Harmon) and I liked seeing his ghost haunt Scrooge (Mark Knowles) before he appears to him in his chambers because it is so ominous. There are some elaborate special effects used as he and the Ghosts of Christmas Past (Alina Smith), Present (Brinton Wilkins), and Future (Alina Smith) appear to Scrooge (the Ghost of Christmas Future is quite scary) and the lighting design is incredibly effective.  I especially liked the use of a scrim, fog, and atmospheric lighting as Scrooge sees memories from his past and the use of low lighting, shadows, and silhouettes as he is shown a frightening possible future. I liked seeing all of the characters that Scrooge interacts with at the beginning of the show, such as a caroler (Caroline Jensen), a poor woman (Jasmine Hohl) and her child (Oliver Hohl), and his nephew Fred (Tanner Tate), return at key moments as if appearing in a dream to soften Scrooge's heart. I loved the staging of the romance between a young Ebenezer (Spencer Hohl) and Belle (Isabelle Purdie) because the dance conveys everything they are feeling without saying a word and it is in sharp contrast to the later scene between them when she releases him. I also liked the staging of the scene where Scrooge learns the truth in the cemetery because having him open the coffin to see who is inside is so dramatic (and very different from how I've seen this scene portrayed in other productions). Knowles gives one of the best performances of Scrooge that I've seen because there is such a huge difference between the bitter old miser at the beginning of the show and the lighthearted character he becomes at the end. You can actually see it in his facial expressions and body language as he learns the lessons taught by the spirits. I was especially moved by his interactions with Bob Cratchit (Lucas Charon) who thanks him for his generosity (this almost brought me to tears) and with Fred and his wife Rowena (Jasmine Hohl) as he entreats them to allow him into their lives after his transformation. The sets and costumes are much simpler than those of other productions I've seen but they are still very effective at bringing Victorian London to life (I loved all of the street lamps). I am so happy that I found Parker Theatre, not just for this show but every one I saw this year, and I will be sure to make this production a Christmas tradition from now on. It runs on Fridays and Saturdays through December 23 (go here for tickets).

Godzilla Minus One

I was on the fence about seeing Godzilla Minus One because I am not a huge fan of this franchise and I have a lot going on this week so I didn't think I had time.  After someone with whom I share a similar taste in movies raved about it, I decided to squeeze it in yesterday afternoon.  I am so glad that I did because it now ranks among my favorite movies this year!  In the final days of World War II, a Japanese kamikaze pilot, Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), feigns engine trouble and lands at a military base on Odo Island in order to stay alive.  When a giant lizard-like creature known by the locals as Godzilla attacks, everyone on the island is killed except Koichi and a mechanic, Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), who blames him for the deaths because he didn't shoot when he had the chance.  When he returns to Tokyo, Koichi encounters Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe), a woman who has rescued an orphaned child named Akiko (Sae Nagatani).  He allows them to live with him and they form a family of sorts.  He eventually begins work aboard a minesweeper and when he and his crew encounter Godzilla, who has now mutated after exposure to U.S. nuclear tests, they are ordered to stop its approach to Japan but they fail leaving more casualties.  After another devastating attack on land leaves thousands dead, including Noriko, Koichi is tormented by survivor's guilt and, even though a group of naval veterans devise a plot to stop Godzilla, he forms another plan to kill it himself.  The visual effects are some of the best I've seen in a long time, especially when Godzilla's dorsal fins light up before an attack and when its atomic breath is used.  There are some spectacular set pieces, particularly a rampage through Ginza involving a train derailment, and they are made all the more ominous by an epic score (the use of silence is also very effective).  However, as thrilling as the action scenes are, it is the human drama that makes this iteration so compelling and moving.  This has some very powerful messages about the consequences of war, including survivor's guilt and making the choice to live in the face of adversity, and the performances are very affecting.  I had tears in my eyes during several poignant moments (and I wasn't expecting that).  I loved this movie and I highly recommend it!

Note:  Thanks for recommending it, Larry!