By Don Church & Tony Schillaci, Critics On The Aisle™
The two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam Connecticut will be alive with more than just the sound of great music this year.
The curtain goes up with Jerry Herman’s brassy and lovable “Mame” Apr. 20 through Jul. 1. Enjoy the eyebrow-raising antics of Auntie Mame as she uninhibitedly leads her innocent nephew from boyhood to manhood. Mame is surrounded by a cast of unpredictable characters as she celebrates the Roaring 20s and sails through life without missing a melodic beat or a handsome beau.
Jerry Herman’s hummable score is packed with emotions from A to Z: “Bosom Buddies,” “We Need a Little Christmas,” and eleven other melodic songs. Ray Roderick will direct as he did for Goodspeed’s “My One and Only,” “Singin’ in the Rain” and “42nd Street.” Broadway’s Vince Pesce will choreograph.
Goodspeed Opera House and the Gelston House Inn & Restaurant, East Haddam, Conn
Rogers and Hammerstein’s beloved “Carousel,” is on Jul. 13 through Sept. 23. Among the many memorable songs are “If I Loved You,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and “June is Busting Out All Over” that have been thrilling audiences for decades to drive the powerful love story of an innocent young millworker and swaggering carousel barker. He meets a tragic end but is given one chance for redemption by delivering hope to the daughter he never knew and final words to his wife. The multi-award winning director Rob Ruggiero returns to Goodspeed where he helmed the hugely successful “Show Boat,” “Camelot,” and “1776.” It will be choreographed by Parker Esse of Broadway’s “Finian’s Rainbow” and “A Tale of Two Cities.”
“Something’s Afoot” is set in a stately English mansion with all the ingredients you’d expect in a musical whodunit. A raging thunderstorm. Ten strangers. Murder, mystery, music and comedy are – you guessed it – afoot when the guests disappear one by one – knocked off by cleverly fiendish devices. But not to worry because the determined and irrepressible Miss Tweed, the veddy, veddy essence of an amateur English sleuth, sets out to solve the crimes. No, the butler didn’t do it! With songs like “I Owe It All To Agatha Christie” who could resist such a promising premise for a puzzling English mystery? It’s on from Oct. 5 through Dec. 9.
Book, music and lyrics by James McDonald, David Vos and Robert Gerlach. Additional music by Ed Linderman. Casey Hushion, associate director of Broadway’s smash hit “In the Heights” and the hilarious spoof “The Drowsy Chaperone,” will direct.
Here’s a sneak preview of Goodspeed Musical’s off-stage events: Kid’s/Teen Nights - $15 tickets with the purchase of an adult ticket. Goodspeed Wine Tasting Series – sample fine wines with the creative team. Goodspeed Dinners – special discounts and dinner packages at local restaurants. Meet the Cast – post-show audience discussions with the cast. Super Saver Subscription*: all three musicals for $93 per person, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings. Offer expires March 31. Girls’ Night Out – celebrate opening nights in style. Goodspeed-at-Sea to Bermuda May 6 through the 13, 2012 on the magnificent Celebrity Summit, which was recently refurbished to luxury Solstice-class standards. Free parking at Goodspeed Opera House. The package includes transportation to and from the port. For Goodspeed-at-Sea contact ggorton@goodspeed.org.
Goodspeed Opera House, 6 Main St., East Haddam, CT. Special ticket prices for all 3-shows as low as $81 to $150*. Box office: 860-873-8668. Online at www.goodspeed.org.
Copyright 2012. Critics On The Aisle™. All rights reserved.
