PREVIEW: Majestic Theater, "Moonglow"

Majestic Theater, West Springfield, MA

www.majestictheater.com

October 26 - December 3, 2023

The Majestic Theater will present an original work by Massachusetts playwright Jack Neary, Moonglow, as the second show of its 2022-2023 Season. Neary, also a director and actor, will direct his play.

Moonglow is set in Lowell, MA and tells the story of Ray Healy, a middle-aged music teacher and Catholic school band director whose personal life is “a big question mark.” When his secretary finally admits her romantic aspirations for their relationship, secrets about Ray’s past are revealed. Moonglow combines fresh dialogue, interesting characters, and a bit of good old Catholic guilt. 

Photo by Katie Rankins

“Jack Neary’s plays have been favorites at this theater over the years," stated Danny Eaton,
producing director for the Majestic. “We’ve presented Jerry Finnegan’s Sister, First Night and The Porch to enthusiastic audiences and we’re happy to bring another of his romantic comedies to our stage. Jack’s plays often portray elements of life in New England while presenting endearingly realistic characters facing relatable circumstances.” 

Eaton continues, "This clever and warm story has some surprises, wit, and heart."

The cast includes Brian Argotsinger (Ray), Stephanie Carlson (Arlene), Rand Foerster (Father Hackett), Nora Streeter (Dorothy), Stephanie Craven (Clancy) and Margaret Reilly Streeter (Linda).  Sue Dziura is associate producing director. Production stage manager is Stephen Petit, and Aurora Ferraro is associate production manager. Dan Rist takes on the job of lighting and scenic designer. Costume designer is Dawn McKay, and scenic artist is Braith Dicker. 

The wearing of face masks in the theater is optional for each of the Majestic's plays this season.

Doors to the theater will open one hour before the start of a show, which is also when the café opens.  For more information, visit www.majestictheater.com or call the box office at 413-747-7797.

REVIEW: Hartford Symphony Orchestra,"Dvorak & Price"

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT 

www.hartfordsymphony.org

October 20-22, 2023 

by Michael J. Moran 

For the second weekend of their 2023-2024 “Masterworks” series, HSO’s Music Director,
Carolyn Kuan, bracketed an HSO premiere of a recent rediscovery with two established masterworks of the high Romantic era. 

The concert opened with a highly charged reading of Johannes Brahms’ “Tragic Overture.” Written in 1880, alongside his more upbeat “Academic Festival Overture,” the composer noted that while “one overture laughs, the other weeps.” From two forceful opening chords, through a somber main theme, a tender contrasting lyrical theme, a turbulent development section, and a powerful close, Kuan and her musicians fully honored what Brahms called his “melancholy nature.” 

Melissa White

Next came the sleeper hit of the program, Florence Price’s first violin concerto. Dating from 1939 but unperformed in public until 2019, ten years after it was found among her lost manuscripts, this appealing piece is quickly gaining its rightful place in the repertory. No finer performance could be imagined than that of HSO 2023-2024 Joyce C. Willis Artist in Residence, violinist Melissa White. Her silken tone and technical finesse captured the charm and drama of the opening “Tempo moderato,” the blues-inflected African-American flavor of the “Andante,” and the fiery excitement of the closing “Allegro.” Kuan and the HSO were robust partners. 

A standing ovation brought White back for a ravishing encore account of the hushed “Adagio” from Johann Sebastian Bach’s third sonata for solo violin, in which she held the rapt audience in the palms of her hands. 

The concert ended with a blazing rendition of Antonin Dvorak’s 1884 seventh symphony. Though less popular with the public than his later “New World” symphony, Dvorak is known to have called the seventh his greatest symphony. Reflecting his grief at the death of his mother a year earlier, the piece opens on a dark, brooding note, but this is soon offset by glimpses of Dvorak’s typically sunny disposition. Kuan and the orchestra brought driving urgency to these shifting moods in a sweeping “Allegro maestoso,” a radiant “Poco adagio,” a lilting Czech-infused “Scherzo: Vivace,” and a heroic “Finale: Allegro.” 

The HSO’s next program (November 10-12) will pair new-ish works by Huang Ruo and Michael Spivakovsky with familiar classics by Debussy and Ravel and will feature a rare (in classical music) harmonica soloist, Cy Leo.

Review: Hartford Stage “Pride and Prejudice"

Hartford Stage, Hartford, CT

www.hartfordstage.org

October 12-November 5, 2023

by Shera Cohen

Photo by T. Charles Erickson

The opening play of Hartford Stage’s 60th Anniversary cannot have been more befitting than “Pride and Prejudice”. So many of HS’s production elements over the decades are here; primarily “the old chestnut” coupled with slick and hip twists. This is P&P for new and current theatre folk, with a tip of the hat to Jane Austen’s novel.

Lately, it seems the norm for one actor to portray numerous and even simultaneous roles. This device doesn’t always work; however, it adds even more humor to the comedies than the original script ever intended. Austin would be pleased, as does the audience.

Director Tatyana-Marie Carlo moves her impeccably costumed characters bounding here and there on the exquisite, often rotating 19th century set. Using the theatre aisles adds a welcome closeness to the audience.

Carlo has elected to first go for fun and schtick, and then story. Both works fine together. Although, the former adds about a half-hour to the play’s time. Several dialogue snips, less repetitive prop movement, and omitted dummies would make P&P perfect.

The plot is the grueling task of Mrs. Bennett to marry off her four daughters. While actress Lana Young could attempt subtlety, she opts for slapstick to outright throwing potential mates together to see if a rich hubby becomes her future son-in-law. 

Balancing her mission is the low-key Mr. Bennet, played by Anne Scurria. The character sits in his comfy chair and reads the newspaper, just like a retired man should. Mr. B’s few lines of indifference toward his offsprings’ future are successfully played for laughs. 

The girls depend on mom’s strategies. Then, there’s Lizzie, our straight-man (woman) heroine, in this family of crazies. Determined to be a spinster, Renata Eastlick shows Lizzie as assertive and principled, yet charming with a slow willingness to change.

María Gabriela González as Jane, plays her role of weakness well, although a little too well, to the point that she is hardly noticed. Perhaps as the play continues its run, Gonzalez will put a little backbone into her role.

The younger sisters, Lydia and Mary, Zoë Kim and Madeline Barker, respectively, bring on the biggest laughs. While Kim is hysterical, volume doesn’t necessarily make for humor. She needs a little toning down. Barker doesn’t have much dialogue, yet her grunts, lunges, squeals, and  pantomime-like gestures create an amazingly bizarre and funny Mary.

To the men in “Pride and Prejudice, it is no spoiler that the uppity, proud, and prejudiced Darcy, played by Carman Lacivita, will pair with Lizzie. Lacivita is aloof in his role, although a suggestion would be to subtly speed up Darcy’s hidden genuine personality.

Back to actor Anne Scurria, Mr. Bennet, it is later in the story when he becomes a Mrs. Doubtfire-like neighbor lady, and it is a hoot.

Taking on lots of deserved stage-time is Sergio Mauritz Ang. Over-the-top is putting it gently when describing Ang’s immense talents. He switches characters, costumes, and hairdos in a heartbeat, each funnier than the last. 

Preview: MOSSO, Chamber Players Concert

Trinity Church, Springfield, MA

www.SpringfieldSymphonyMusicians.com

Saturday, November 18, 2023, 7:30pm

Springfield Chamber Players’ (formerly MOSSO) second concert of the fall will highlight the music of strings. Comprised of violinists Miho Matsuno and Robert Lawrence, violist Martha McAdams, and cellist Patricia Edens, the performance will include Mozart’s String Quartet No. 4, K. 157; Rachmaninoff’s String Quartet No. 1; the slow movement of Elgar’s String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 83; and Britten’s Simple Symphony Op. 4.

 

Miho Matsuno, a violinist with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra since 1992, has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has performed at major concert venues in and around New York City, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and Broadway theaters. Matsuno was a violin instructor and chamber music coach for 20 years at the Kaufman Music Center in New York City. She  received her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees from the Juilliard School. She also attended Mount Holyoke College with a focus on English Literature. Matsuno is a native of Yokohama, Japan.

 

Robert Lawrence, violinist, has had a varied performing career, ranging from Karl Munchinger’s Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra to the acclaimed Broadway revival of Guys and Dolls, starring Nathan Lane. He studied at Yale University and the Accademia Chigiana in Italy. Lawrence is currently director of programming as well as violinist for the All Seasons Chamber Players (NJ), concertmaster of the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and a longtime member of the first violin section of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

 

Martha “Peggy”  McAdams received a Bachelor of Music from Hartt College of Music and a Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music. Additional violin studies were with Itzhak Perlman and viola with William Lincer. McAdams has performed throughout the East Coast, Europe, and South America in numerous ensembles. McAdams is a longtime member of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

Patricia Edens, cellist, toured throughout the U.S. as principal cellist with the New York City Opera National Company. She has performed with such Broadway shows as Annie Get Your Gun, Annie, and West Side Story, as well as on tour with Andrea Bocelli. She was a featured cellist in performances with the Israeli folk singer Debbie Friedman at Carnegie Hall. She has also appeared with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra.

REVIEW: Springfield Symphony Orchestra, "80th Anniversary Concert"

Symphony Hall, Springfield, MA

www.springfieldsymphony.org

October 14, 2023

by Beverly Dane

Opening night for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra was truly a Grand Celebration. 

At the top of the program, the audience was welcomed by Paul Lambert, President and CEO of the Symphony followed by remarks from the night's sponsor, Lyman & Leslie Woods. Lyman Woods praised all of those who had parts in making this important concert come to be. Woods continued, teasing the audience with a question as to whether they'd like to see Kevin Rhodes back as Maestro. The question was met with robust applause. 

This evening's program was a who's who for those onstage. Almost a dozen musicians were asked to stand to be lauded. The common denominator among these performers was their long tenure with SSO. Each started 40+ years ago. Amazing! Such experience and talent shined through every concert and especially this one. 

SSO began, as on every opening night, with a rousing rendition of "The National Anthem". Of course, the audience stood to attention. It felt warm and familiar to participate in an opening ritual. As with any tradition, it brought a smile for memories of seasons past and a sigh of relief for new memories yet to be made. 

This coming season promises both familiar old favorites and anticipation of new pieces. Trying something novel, SSO will present two matinees, one each on November 4, 2023 and March 9, 2024. This move from the evening performances are management's efforts to encourage new audience members to attend at 2:30pm in addition to the usual at 7:30pm. We will have to see if this is successful.

Our guest conductor Mei-Ann Chen brought energy and enthusiasm to the musicians, audience, and music. At times, I thought she would jump right off the podium in her excitement to push the orchestra to perfection during the aptly named "Festive Overture" by Dmitry Shostakovich. Chen was born in Taiwan and was the first New England Conservatory student to be awarded double master's degrees simultaneously in both violin and conducting. We were extremely fortunate to have Chen on the Symphony Hall stage. 

Guest soloist Amaryn Olmeda flowed onto the stage in a beautiful full-length dress with autumn colors. More importantly, her instrument's music seemed to flow during Max Bruch's "Violin Concerto No. 1" with equal beauty and grace. At the age of 15, Olmeda displayed a talent and confidence well beyond her years. She currently studies at Boston's New England Conservatory of Music. She has natural talent and has already made her Carnegie Hall solo debut. 

The evening concluded after intermission with Sergei Rachmaninoff's "Symphony No. 2".  Its four movements provided enough variation to spotlight the symphony's diverse talent. 

This special celebration concert ended for musicians and audience, alike, in the beautiful Mahogany Room with a champagne toast to both Mei-Ann Chen and Amaryn Olmeda. A wonderful start to a most auspicious anniversary for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra. 

REVIEW: South Mountain Concerts, "Dover String Quartet"

South Mountain Concerts, Pittsfield, MA 

www.southmountainconcerts.org

October 15, 2023 

by Michael J. Moran 

Formed at Philadelphia’s Curtis Institute of Music in 2008, ensemble-in-residence there since 2020, and named after “Dover Beach,” a 1931 song by Curtis graduate Samuel Barber, the Dover String Quartet – violinists Joel Link and Bryan Lee; violist Julianne Lee, a member only since last month; and cellist Camden Shaw – brought a diverse selection of quartets from three centuries to an appreciative South Mountain audience. 

Technical cohesion and interpretive maturity, even at their start as a foursome, was immediately evident in Franz Joseph Haydn’s 1793 Quartet in G Minor, Op. 74/3. The taut, galloping rhythms of both the opening “Allegro” movement and the “Allegro con brio” finale fully embraced the work’s nickname, the “Rider” quartet. The middle movements – a heartfelt slow “Largo assai” and a gently flowing “Menuetto: Allegretto” – were played with equal conviction. 

Introducing Florence Price’s Quartet No. 1 in G Major, Shaw noted that like much of the pioneering African-American composer’s instrumental music, it was rediscovered only in 2009, over fifty years after her death, in the attic of her former home near Chicago. Likely written in the 1920s, its two surviving movements – a graceful “Allegro” and a folk-flavored “Andante Moderato-Allegretto” – were giving sumptuous, affectionate treatment by this ensemble. 

The program – and the 2023 South Mountain season - closed with a dramatic reading of Franz Schubert’s 1824 Quartet No. 14 in D Minor. Its nickname, “Death and the Maiden,” derives from the composer’s 1817 song of that title, quoted in the second movement, which may reflect a premonition of his death four years later at the age of only thirty-one. The Dovers heightened this mood with a tumultuous “Allegro,” a haunting “Andante con moto,” including five starkly delineated variations on the song’s opening melody, a demonic “Scherzo. Allegro molto-Trio,” and a frenzied closing “Presto.” 

“It’s about being part of something larger than yourself while not losing your individuality. It’s completely personal but also greater than you. It’s the ultimate form of making music.” This comment about chamber music by Dover first violinist Joel Link in a recent interview may help explain not only the many critical accolades that his ensemble has received but the enduring success of this century-old chamber music festival held in Pittsfield every September and October.

Preview: Mason Square Branch Library, "Frances Perkins: A Woman's Work"

Mason Square Branch Library, Springfield, MA

www.springfieldlibrary.org

Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Photo Credit: ssi.gov

She was dubbed “The Mother of Social Security” -- quite a title! This was Frances Perkins.

A relatively famous photo taken in the late 1930’s was that of President FDR at his desk waving a pen above his head as he signed the Social Security Act into law. A woman in the background, wearing a drab dress, black hat, pearls, and no smile was Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet member in the U.S. as Secretary of Labor for 12 years, the creator of Social Security, and MA resident in her early adulthood.

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023 at 12:30pm actress Jarice Hanson will present the play “Frances Perkins: A Woman’s Work” at the Mason Square Branch Library, 765 State Street, Springfield, MA. 

Through a grant from the Springfield Cultural Council, an agency of the MA Cultural Council, this play was commissioned to be written and performed only in Springfield to recognize the important work of Perkins and what she created in the early 40’s that affects the US today. 

This is the second of three performances in different sections of the City. The initial location was the Springfield Armory NHS to standing room only audience. This show in Mason Square is the second, with the final production at Indian Orchard Citizens Council on Tuesday, November 14th at 7:00pm.

Perkins tackled social reform on many important topics, i.e. African-American workers, child labor laws, the 40-hour work week, women’s working conditions, and labor unions. This is not a lecture, but a one-act original play. The public is invited to be the audience, free of charge.

In the Spotlight, an arts organization in Springfield, is the producer of the play which will be immediately followed by Q&A to the actress remaining in character as Frances Perkins.

The site is wheelchair accessible, free parking at the rear of the library and on street, no tickets or reserved seating. 

For information: contact Mason Square Library at 413-263-6853 or check the Central Library website at www.springfieldlibrary.org.

REVIEW: South Mountain Concert, "Wu Han & Friends"

South Mountain Concerts, Pittsfield, MA 

www.southmountainconcerts.org/concerts.html 

October 8, 2023 

by Michael J. Moran 

Taiwanese-American pianist Wu Han, Co-Artistic Director (with her husband, cellist David Finckel) of the NYC-based Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, was accompanied by Finckel, violinist Paul Huang, and violist Paul Neubauer for a varied program of three Romantic works in a concert dedicated to pianist Menahem Pressler (1923-2023), who appeared here over 50 times. 

Wu Han photo by LisaMarie Mazzucco

The program opened with an ebullient account of Beethoven’s eighth sonata for violin and piano. Though written when he was first becoming aware of his growing deafness in 1802, the music is among the composer’s sunniest pieces. Huang’s silken violin and Wu Han’s dynamic pianism yielded a joyful and vigorous “Allegro assai,” a gently ruminative “Tempo di Minuetto,” and a jubilant closing “Allegro vivace.”       

Next came a glowing performance by Huang, Wu Han, and Finckel (who is also the founding cellist of the Emerson String Quartet, heard here last month) of the seldom played first piano trio by Saint-Saens, written in 1864, when the precocious French master was approaching artistic maturity in his late 20s. A rustic “Allegro vivace,” a solemn “Andante,” a folklike “Scherzo. Presto,” and a glittering “Allegro” finale featured nimble technique by Huang, cascading finger work from Wu Han, and rich-toned expressiveness by Finckel. 

Neubauer’s viola added a dark and opulent color to the mellow sound of his three colleagues when he joined them to close the program with a brilliant reading of the second piano quartet by Brahms. Written simultaneously in 1861 with the more popular first piano quartet, the second is longer (45-50 minutes) and less showy than its sibling, but just as full of melodic invention. A spacious “Allegro non troppo,” a ravishing “Poco adagio,” a relaxed “Scherzo-Trio,” and a rhythmic, Hungarian-flavored “Finale. Allegro” all made for compelling listening. 

Pairing the 33-year-old Huang with three seasoned veterans several decades older brought an intergenerational spark to the afternoon’s music-making, with Huang’s youthful energy enriching the long experience of his seniors and the passion for teaching and mentoring younger musicians that all three have practiced throughout their careers. 

This venerable Sunday afternoon concert series of chamber music performed by world-class ensembles concludes its 2023 season on October 15 with a concert by the Dover String Quartet.

 

Review: Playhouse on Park, "The Complete Works of Jane Austin (Abridged)"

Playhouse on Park, West Hartford, CT

www.playhouseonpark.org

through October 22, 2023

by Shera Cohen

First, don’t let the title, “The Complete Works of Jane Austin (Abridged),” steer you away from a play about a writer whose books we have all read and loved. That’s an exaggeration. Admit it, we’ve seen the movie versions. Even me.

Second, the reasons to witness and be drawn into the more or less fictitious life of this author are many; tops being humor. The program book’s cover illustration depicts a cartoon-version of Jane winking at the reader.

Regular theatregoers realize that whenever a title includes the word “Abridged” that they will be spectators of a whirlwind mix of stories with a common thread which will be very funny. Playhouse on Park (POP) does not disappoint.

Three actors (two women and one man) each portray dozens of characters. Director Kathryn MacMillian moves her actors in and around a large living room set of early-19th century opulent England. It’s no wonder that no one bumps into each other especially when portraying two characters simultaneously.

MacMillan, doubling as one of the co-playwrights (plus Jessica Bedford, Charlotte Northeast, Meghan Winch), has already escalated POP’s reputation to a high level of audience expectations for the rest of its 15th year. Each season, the theatre mounts at least one period-piece, as well as one premier. “Jane” eagerly fills both categories. 

Photo by Meredith Longo

Charlotte Northeast and Brittany Onukwugha introduce themselves as monologues to their
audience in order to present the play (the abridged novels) within the play. Northeast as the older and prim Jane as well as numerous other uses every nuance of her body and face to say more than the dialect. Onukwugha, younger and free-spirited, also embodies Jane at different points and, of course, the rest of the women. It is fun to watch her naivete and charm.

Literally stepping into the play after about 10 minutes is Shannon Michael Wamser as Mike, the substitute actor who walks onto the POP stage. Charlotte and Brittany quickly make him the male lead, as the ersatz actor reluctantly steps into the era 400 years earlier. It is a bit confusing, but you have to be there. Wamser portrays Darcy as arrogant and every male role as a bit dim-witted. Good job.

A suggestion. The running antic of Wamser segwaying from one character into another, literally at the drop of a hat, is overdone. Three hat tosses are enough, not 7 or 8.

Another suggestion must be coupled with the ultimate praise of “Jane,” is the text. Reviewers try to avoid critique of the scriptwriting because that is the given. The job is to focus on the production values. Given that “Jane” is a premier, I’ll take some liberties; the dialect and story are amazingly creative and flowing. Yet, the play could have ended at several points prior to the ultimate final curtain, so to speak, as there is no curtain. Editing out the last scene, which returns to the actors’ prologue to the audience, would better put closure to this delightfully acted and produced theatre piece.

REVIEW: The Bushnell, “Mrs. Doubtfire”

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT 

www.bushnell.org

through October 8, 2023

by Michael J. Moran

 

Photo by Joan Marcus

Based on the 1993 film of the same name, this musical adaptation played on Broadway from
October 2021 to May 2022. The Bushnell is the second stop on its 10-month North American tour, in which Rob McClure reprises his Tony-nominated Broadway performance in the title role.   

The story follows Daniel, an unemployed but talented San Francisco voice actor, through the heartbreak of divorce from his ambitious fashion designer wife Miranda and separation from their three young children, Lydia, Christopher, and Natalie to their reunion when Miranda unwittingly hires Daniel (disguised as an elderly British nanny) as a housekeeper. A series of often hilarious misadventures leads to TV stardom for Daniel and a happily reconnected family.     

McClure brings a manic energy to the opening scene that rarely flags for the next two and a half hours. The enormous range of his talent for mimicry and physical comedy puts him in the rare company of Charlie Chaplin (whom he played on Broadway in 2012) and Robin Williams, unforgettable as Mrs. Doubtfire on film. Catchy music and clever lyrics by brothers Wayne and Karey Kilpatrick and a witty book by Karey Kilpatrick and John O’Farrell spread these high spirits throughout the cast. 

Maggie Lakis, McClure’s real-life wife, is a sympathetic Miranda, piercingly poignant in her big Act II solo, “Let Go.” Giselle Gutierrez is a wise-beyond-her-years Lydia in “Just Pretend,” her touching duet with Daniel. Axel Bernard Rimmele and Kennedy Pitney were endearing as her younger siblings. Aaron Kaburick as Daniel’s brother Frank, Nik Alexander as Frank’s spouse, Andre, Romelda Teron Benjamin as Daniel’s court-appointed overseer, Wanda Sellner, and Leo Roberts as Miranda’s suitor Stu are each distinctively over the top. The full company finale, “As Long as There Is Love,” is a heartwarming hymn to not-quite-traditional family values. 

  

Director Jerry Zaks and choreographer Lorin Latarro get special kudos for their intricate staging of several big production numbers featuring nonstop hijinks: “Easy Peasy,” Mrs. Doubtfire’s video cooking lesson brought to animated life; and “Welcome to La Rosa”/“He Lied to Me,” in which (spoiler alert) Daniel’s disguise is inadvertently revealed. Their effects are magnified by Catherine Zuber’s colorful costume design and lively musical direction by Mark Binns and his protean eleven-member band. 

Broadway fans of all ages will enjoy this entertaining and family-friendly show.

 

REVIEW: Hartford Symphony Orchestra, "Elgar’s Enigma"

The Bushnell, Hartford, CT 

www.hartfordsymphony.org 

September 29 - October 1, 2023

by Michael J. Moran 

The HSO Brass Quintet

For the first weekend of their 2023-2024 “Masterworks” series, the HSO’s Music Director,
Carolyn Kuan, framed two HSO premieres of contemporary works with two standard repertory favorites and spotlighted the talents of several orchestra members. 

After a vigorous traditional season-opening national anthem, they launched directly into Franz Schubert’s 1822 eighth symphony, which he inexplicably left “Unfinished” after completing only two movements. Kuan and the HSO offered a dramatic “Allegro moderato” and a radiant “Andante con moto.” 

Next came conductor-composer Gerard Schwarz’s 2012 arrangement for harpsichord, strings, and brass quintet of three movements from George Frideric Handel’s 1739 Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 9. The HSO Brass Quintet – John Charles Thomas and Kenny Piatt, trumpets; Barbara Hill, horn; Brian Diehl, trombone; and Jarrod Briley, tuba – added a spiky modern edge to Handel’s familiar Baroque harmonies and met the work’s technical demands with ebullience. 

The Quintet was then joined by percussionist and sometime HSO player Doug Perry in a rollicking take on Ohio-based composer-educator Daniel McCarthy’s jazzy 1995 “American Dance Music, Concerto for Brass Quintet and Percussion with Orchestra.” 

All five dances in varied American rhythms were performed with virtuosic flair. Diehl’s sinuous trombone solo in “Serenade” and endearing tuba/xylophone duets by a nimble Briley and an agile Perry in “Unsquare Dance” and “Jazz” were especially entertaining. Jazz pianist Earl “Fatha” Hines’s “Rosetta” was a jaunty encore by the Quintet. 

The program closed with a thrilling account of Sir Edward Elgar’s 1899 Variations on an Original Theme, “Enigma,” which put the English master on the musical map. Highlights among the fourteen brilliantly played variations were: a warmly impassioned first, for Elgar’s wife; a whirlwind fourth, for an energetic friend; an intensely moving ninth, titled “Nimrod,” for Elgar’s publisher (often played separately as a memorial piece); an exuberant eleventh, for a neighbor and his bulldog; and the last and longest one, a grandiloquent self-portrait. 

A similar mix of more and less familiar pieces is on tap for the HSO’s next program (October 20-22), which surrounds Florence Price’s first violin concerto with popular works by Brahms and Dvorak and features the HSO’s 23-24 Joyce C. Willis Artist in Residence, violinist Melissa White.

REVIEW: Goodspeed Opera House, "The 12”

Goodspeed Opera House, East Haddam, CT

www.goodspeed.org

through October 29, 2023

by Bernadette Johnson

“What’s the buzz? Tell me what’s a-happening” … NOW. Think of the rock musical “The 12” as a sequel to “Jesus Christ, Superstar,” depicting a harrowing time in the lives of the most intimate followers of Christ. The story of Christianity didn’t end on Calvary, and this production is a unique approach to those days of uncertainty and turmoil, sketchily referenced in the Bible, that straddled the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Not intended as bona fide “Gospel truth” in every detail, playwright Robert Schenkkan’s creation takes a modern approach, stating, “Imagine what it would have looked like if it had happened in our day and age” approach to the biblical tale. Ann Hould-Ward’s costumes and director John Doyle’s set design accent the story's ageless relevance without distorting recorded history.

The 11 apostles, challenged by Mags (Adrienne Walker’s Mary Magdalene), cower in an abandoned garage, where barrels and ladders and a few other minor props provide the only staging. Commanding attention, however, is a huge stage-wide beam support that evokes the crucifixion.

Challenged by a script evocative of thought rather than action, Doyle uses tableau, skillfully enhanced by Japhy Weidman’s lighting design, to juxtapose the actors on stage. The technique meets the weight of the story, artistically enriching the depth of each character's internal struggle and their unavoidable dilemma occasioned by the dire circumstances – to flee from the Roman threat or stand firm in their newfound faith.

“The 12” is musically dynamic, delivered artfully at Goodspeed, upholding its well-earned reputation for New York-quality theater in a quiet Connecticut town. Rema Webb's delivery of the song “Rain” as the grief-shattered Mother Mary is a mid-show crescendo, in itself worth the trip.

Whether one’s cultural lens is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Atheist or other is immaterial. “The 12” reaches beyond the Christian Bible to the crux of our shared human existence. At this apex are all the emotions that 11 of Jesus' apostles and Mary Magdalene, claiming the vacancy created by the traitorous Judas, thus rounding out “The 12,” portray on stage – fear, anger, grief, uncertainty, and utter isolation.

Through music and imagination, “The 12” brings its audience to realize that it's not what we feel but the choices we make toward love, compassion and care for others that finally deliver our greatest strength. Resilience.