REVIEW: Hartford Stage, "Native Gardens"

Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT 

www.HartfordStage.org 

April 17 – May 10, 2026 

by Nechama Katan

In a cultural moment when conversations about race, class, and identity too often flatten into competing slogans, Karen Zacarías' "Native Gardens" arrives at Hartford Stage like a breath of fresh air from an overgrown garden.

 

T. Charles Erikson (photo credit)

Directed by Nicole A. Watson, this sharp contemporary comedy follows two neighboring couples in Washington, DC whose shared dream of replacing an old chain-link fence spirals into something far more revealing than a property dispute. What looks like a comedy of manners turns out to be one of the most layered, humane, and deeply funny explorations of how those with diverse backgrounds relate, especially in recent years.  

 

At the heart of the conflict are young couple Tania and Pablo, newly arrived in the neighborhood, and their established neighbors Virginia and Frank, guardians of an aspiring to be prize-winning English garden. When a fence replacement on a tight deadline goes wrong, the audience watches in anticipation to see what happens between the two couples. 

 

Playwright Karen Zacarías is too skilled to let this remain a simple, unfriendly neighborhood issue. Race, class, age, gender, and entitlement all take root in the soil of this story, and what grows is a portrait of four complicated, fully realized people. Nobody here is entirely right, and nobody is entirely wrong, and that recognition alone makes the play remarkable.

Alina Collins Maldonado is deeply authentic as Tania, a very educated woman of firm conviction still tethered to her roots. Bradley Tejeda's Pablo radiates the polished confidence of a man building his future in a new country by any means necessary. Judith Lightfoot Clarke's Virginia is a revelation, every chip on her shoulder earned and visible, yet softened by unexpected depth. Greg Wood's Frank, old school and garden-devoted, anchors the production with quiet wit and a love for his garden, sprinkled with a lot of old-fashioned competition. Lawrence E. Moten III's split-yard scenic design is a delight, and there is not a bad seat in the house.

What sets "Native Gardens" apart is its refusal to take sides. Every scene carries layers beneath layers, and when you are not laughing you may find yourself crying, sometimes both at the same time. In a world that has largely forgotten how to let neighbors be complicated, this play insists on exactly that. The insistence feels necessary and deeply hopeful.

Hartford Stage follows with "Sweeney Todd," a historic partnership with Theater Works Hartford.

Review: Majestic Theater, “Come From Away”

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
https://www.majestictheater.com/
by Shera Cohen

Canadians are the nicest people in the world. Everyone knows this. The musical “Come from Away” proves it.

Photo by Kait Rankins

Imagine 7,000 uninvited visitors arriving, all at the same time, in your tiny town whose own population numbers are nearly the same. The initial response might be, “Get the heck outa’ here.” Yet the folk of Gander, Newfoundland emerge as an ensemble of 12 amazingly talented actors/singers who not only open their doors wide, set up dormitories, cook up meals, pour on the beer, and install as many phones as Gander can find.

The plot starts on 9/11/2001 and the days that follow when 38 planes were diverted to Canada. With horrific challenges in the world beginning on that fateful day, these passengers were not initially aware of the terror in the U.S.

The stirring opening number, “Welcome to the Rock,” features the full cast singing, hooting, ‘n foot-stompin’. While there are no hummable tunes for the drive home, most of the music is atypical from musicals “back in the day”—here we have country meets ballad meets sea-shanty.

Director Russell Garrett doubles an already immense role with that of choreographer. Movement is seamless from one vignette to another. There is purpose in every encounter between characters. Each actor’s role is essential to create the relationships among passengers, and more importantly between the homespun Canadians and the strangers embarking on Gander.

Garrett creates an atmosphere of hope and camaraderie and gifts the audience a piece of humanity, made more poignant because it depicts an honest point in human history.

The actors take on at least two roles; one as a townie and the other as an airplane passenger. Each actor changes his or her character instantly. A hat, a small prop, a gesture transforms one distinct personality into another. Never for a moment is the audience confused. Canadian accents also trade off with Texan, British, or Middle Eastern, and then back again.

For the most part the set, too, transposes from numerous locations as actors essentially play musical chairs in the townies’ café “where everybody knows your name” and then to seats on the plane where no one knows you, or care.

Throughout the performance, many of the musicians are visible onstage, blending within the action. They are a fun, talented group, playing on an eclectic collection of instruments: pipes, mandolins, and bouzouki, and bodhran (a stringed instrument and a drum, by the way).

Many theatergoers have never heard of "Come From Away”. These two-hours at the Majestic are joyful. What is special about this show is that; it is incredibly inventive in style, music, and staging, it manages to be deeply affecting and moving -- true account of people simply being nice to each other when needed most.

 

REVIEW: Hartford Symphony Orchestra, "Brahms’ Third"

Bushnell, Belding Theater, Hartford, CT

www.hartfordsymphony.org

April 10-12, 2026

by Michael J. Moran

For the seventh weekend in its 2025-26 Masterworks series, HSO Music Director Carolyn Kuan led the orchestra in four pieces by three composers, including two HSO premieres, one featuring the composer as soloist.

The concert opened with the first HSO premiere, the rarely heard 1831 concert overture inspired by French composer Hector Berlioz’s take on Shakespeare’s tragedy, “King Lear.” In an engaging spoken introduction, Kuan asked sections of the HSO to play segments of the piece, with themes depicting Lear, his three daughters, and his descent into madness. The full orchestra gave a fiery version of this rousing mini-drama.

Photo by Jim Henkel

The second HSO premiere was Brazilian-born composer Clarice Assad’s colorful 2024 “Flow, Suite for Piano and Orchestra.” Commissioned by the Albany Symphony for the bicentennial of the Erie Canal between Albany and Syracuse, New York, its three short movements depict “the flow of ideas” across time and space, Assad comments in a program note. She proved a virtuosic pianist, also playing a small drum in the mercurial “River Tide,” relaxed and sensitive in the jazzy “Last Song,” and dazzling in the energetic “Rhapsodic Dances” finale. Kuan and the orchestra were supportive accompanists. The well-filled house gave Assad a standing ovation.

Next came a vibrant performance of Johannes Brahms’ 1883 third and shortest symphony. An alternately energetic and reflective “Allegro con brio,” including the often-omitted repeat, was followed by a flowing “Andante” that surged forward to a magical hushed ending, an exquisitely melancholy “Poco allegretto,” and a robust closing “Allegro,” fading to a quiet close. Standing out among the many players who took bows for their work in solo passages was HSO principal oboe Erik Andrusyak, who also excelled in the Berlioz.

As a sort of “orchestral encore,” Kuan spoke again to introduce “the fun-loving, beer-drinking side” of Brahms with a rip-roaring rendition of his popular 1869 “Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor,” based on a folk-like melody for piano four hands, arranged for orchestra by conductor Albert Parlow, which ended the program on a festive note. 

The HSO’s next Masterworks program (May 8-10) will feature Kuan leading music by Clyne and Mendelssohn, with HSO principal clarinet Sangwon Lee as soloist in Mozart’s clarinet concerto.

REVIEW: South Windsor Cultural Arts, "Shelest Piano Duo"

South Windsor, CT
www.facebook.com/SouthWindsorCulturalArts
March 22, 2026
by Michael J. Moran

An enthusiastic full house in South Windsor was treated to a captivating debut appearance by acclaimed Ukrainian-born pianists Anna and Dmitri Shelest. First meeting as students at the Kharkiv Special Music School, they later married and began performing together as a piano duo after moving to the US. The imaginative program shed new light on familiar music and introduced unfamiliar repertoire that should be better known.

It opened with an exuberant reading of the Overture to Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide,” arranged by Charlie Harmon, showcasing both the emotional sensitivity and technical precision of this four-hands team playing the same keyboard, Dmitri, the low notes, Anna, the high. This was followed by the deeply felt of Variations on a Shaker Melody from Aaron Copland’s ballet “Appalachian Spring,” flowing without pause into “Carpathian Song,” an original piece written in folk style by contemporary Ukrainian cellist-composer Zoltan Almashi.  

Next came beautifully characterized performances of five Romantic Pieces (1890) for piano duet by once-popular French composer Cecile Chaminade, whose lovely music is now being rediscovered. Introducing their virtuosic rendition of Camille Saint-Saens’ “Danse Macabre,” Dmitri noted a “special bond” the Shelests feel with Ukrainian-born pianist Vladimir Horowitz, whose sister Regina taught for many years at the Kharkiv School.

Composer Theodore Akimenko was born in Kharkiv in 1876 but lived for many years in Paris, where his music was influenced by French impressionism. His ravishing folk inflected Six Ukrainian Dances for piano duet (1925) received affectionate readings from the duo.

The concert closed with George Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue". Dmitri’s opening notes replaced the famous clarinet glissando in the orchestral version with pianistic elegance. Anna’s delicate handiwork in the upper keyboard filled in expressively for the missing strings and woodwinds. The power of their combined sound in climaxes had an almost orchestral sonority.

The charismatic stage presence of both performers was apparent not only in their carefully balanced playing but in the personal engagement with which they alternately introduced each musical selection, highlighting how profoundly both their home (the US) and homeland (Ukraine) have shaped the duo's artistry.  

 SWCA will next present pianist Wynona Wang on April 12 at 4:00 pm.

 

REVIEW: The Bushnell, Hartford, CT “Kinky Boots”

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT
www.bushnell.org
March 17 – March 22
by Simon Brighenti

Pop culture mavens of a certain age may remember Cindy Lauper as a bubbly, bejeweled bopper whose 1980’s persona might be summed up at least superficially as “MTV, the WWE and Me”. However, as evidenced brilliantly by the current production of "Kinky Boots" at the Bushnell, her talent as a songwriter and wordsmith is much deeper than that.

Combining Lauper’s memorable tunes with a book by the inimitable and legendary Harvey Fierstein, "Kinky Boots" is a fun, sassy, and brassy theatrical experience; in a phrase everything a Broadway-worthy musical should be.

The message permeating the production is how we can be changed, our lives enhanced and dreams achieved by recognizing the true colors within each other and ourselves. The musical is inspired by a true story which brought together two seemingly wildly disparate individuals who find common ground and realize that what is underneath is what truly counts.

The immensely talented Omari Collins (aka Scarlett D. Von’Du) is first introduced as Lola, a flamboyant and boisterous drag performer, who, as the production and relationships develop and evolve on stage, reveals a real tender and thoughtful soul and a determination to remain true to both identities.

As Charlie Price, portrayed by Noah Silverman, is torn between respecting and trying to maintain the shoe making business his father and grandfather built – mostly for the sake of the supportive lifelong friends his family has employed and kept on over the years -- and his desire to find his true self which may mean putting the business and his treasured relationships behind him. 

The discomfort that some “traditionally minded” folks might feel when presented initially with who Lola is and what Lola represents is personified by Jason Daniel Chacon in the role of Don. In the hands of a lesser actor this portrayal could easily turn cartoonish, but Chacon inhabits it with a heartfelt humanity and (eventual) understanding.

No review of "Kinky Boots," and especially this production, would be complete without an appreciation of the costuming, hair and makeup, and scenic design. It all comes together in a pageant of flair and fun. The ability to work within an athletic and gender-fluid presenting cast of main players and “angels” such as presented at the Bushnell is surely a dream assignment. 

The energy of the choreography and flamboyancy of the ensemble as they go through many intricate and fabulous costume changes and the ability to navigate the set while wearing footwear ranging from “sensible shoes” to “are you kidding me?” is nothing short of stunning.

So, an enthusiastic suggestion would be to don that favorite footwear and head over to the Bushnell for an entertainment experience that will delight down to the very sole.

 

REVIEW: Springfield Symphony Orchestra, “Mendelssohn, Gershwin, and a Woman’s Voice”

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA
https://www.springfieldsymphony.org/

March 14, 2026
by Michael J. Moran

The SSO began this Women’s History Month concert by presenting their fourth annual “Fearless Women” awards to eleven local leaders who, the program notes, “have shaped our community through education, entrepreneurship, advocacy, philanthropy, public service, and community leadership.”Taiwanese-American conductor and SSO Artistic Advisor Mei-Ann Chen opened the program with the only orchestral work by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, older sister and musical mentor of her more famous brother Felix Mendelssohn. Chen led the committed players in a fiery account of the 1832 “Overture in C major,” whose fleet rhythms often resembled those of her brother but with a distinctive melodic invention all her own. Next came a colorful reading of George Gershwin’s 1925 “Piano Concerto in F major,” featuring American-born and internationally acclaimed pianist Claire Huangci, making a well-received SSO return engagement. Soloist and conductor hewed closely to the composer’s descriptions of all three movements: a “quick and pulsating” Allegro, in a “Charleston rhythm;” “poetic [and] nocturnal” in the haunting Adagio-Andante con moto, with two blues themes; and “an orgy of rhythms, starting violently and keeping to the same pace throughout” a fast-paced Allegro agitato finale. Huangci was a commanding and fluid soloist, Chen and the SSO offered nimble support, and trumpet player Phil Snedecor took a well-earned bow for his sultry Adagio solo.

Photo by Silver Photography

 
The program closed with a thrilling performance of Mendelssohn’s 1842 third symphony, nicknamed “Scottish” because it chronicles the composer’s 1829 walking tour of Scotland. Chen gave an engaging introduction, reading vivid excerpts from the composer’s diary of his journey and leading the musicians in brief passages from each movement. She then conducted the orchestra without pause through an urgent Andante con moto-Allegro un poco agitato; a whirlwind Vivace non troppo; a flowing Adagio; and an exhilarating yet majestic Allegro vivacissimo-Allegro maestoso assai finale. Chen honored each section of the SSO with a separate group bow, all richly deserved. They are fortunate to have Chen’s charismatic leadership and boosterism for Springfield during this period without a music director.

Comments like “She has a joy about her” were common from appreciative concertgoers. The next SSO concert, on April 11, will feature music by Vivaldi, Poulenc, Ravel, and Gershwin, with the SSO chorus, soprano Jamie-Rose Guarrine, and conductor Kedrick Armstrong. 

Review: Majestic Theater, "Dear Jack, Dear Louise"

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA
http://www.majestictheater.com 
by Suzanne Wells

Some say letter writing is a dying art form; however, it is revitalized in "Dear Jack, Dear Louise," a play written by Ken Ludwig and directed by Sue Dziura, at the Majestic Theater. Set against the backdrop of WWII, this romantic comedy follows two strangers whose heartfelt exchanges blossom into love. Their witty, vulnerable letters not only reveal their deepest hopes and fears but also forge an unbreakable bond, offering comfort and courage as they navigate the uncertainties of war.

The early 1940's come to life with Matthew Whiton’s stage design, which cleverly divides the space between Jack’s stark, utilitarian military quarters and Louise’s colorful, cluttered boarding house room. Dawn McKay’s costume design with authentic touches to Jack’s uniforms and Louise’s wardrobe accentuate the period. In addition to the set and costumes, lighting designer Daniel David Rist and sound designer Ryan Hickey’s collaboration significantly contributes to the more dramatic scenes of the era.

Alexandra O’Halloran’s and Gregory Boover’s dynamic interplay animate both the humor and poignancy of the script. She delivers an outstanding performance as Louise, infusing the character with vivacious energy and charm. From her enthusiastic auditions as an up & coming actress to her outrageous depictions of Jack’s relatives, O’Halloran is brimming with excitement and effusive optimism, leaving the audience wondering what her audacious character will do next.

 In contrast, Gregory Boover’s quietly dramatic portrayal of Jack, a military doctors who is a contemplative and shy man, is enhanced by O’Halloran’s energy. Boover’s subtle, nuanced acting is particularly striking when Jack reveals the emotional weight of the war’s brutality. The actors dynamic interplay brings their correspondence—and their growing bond—to vivid life.

While the storyline is partly perfunctory in its coverage of WWII, it also provides an alternative view of the era highlighting the roles of these characters in supporting the war effort. Though the plot can be a little predictable, the comedy aspect is genuinely funny, and the more dramatic moments are heart wrenching.

 "Dear Jack, Dear Louise" is a profound tribute to the power of art, love, and resilience.