By Julie O’Brien Deasy
Question: What are some good live theater options in our area?
Answer: There are a great number of opportunities for live theater in New Canaan, so you are sure to find a show or two that would be of interest!
To start, both Saxe Middle School and New Canaan High School have their spring productions in March. These shows are not only very high quality, and a great value, but you are also supporting our local New Canaan students! Students participate in all aspects of the productions from acting, designing and building props and sets, stage managing, and playing in the pit orchestras.
NCHS Theater is performing The Drowsy Chaperone this week with shows scheduled for March 15 at 7:00 pm, and March 16 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm. The Drowsy Chaperone is a celebration of musical theater, wrapped in a comedy that both parodies and pays homage to the Golden Age musicals of the 1920s. Tickets are on sale at www.newcanaanhighschooltheatre.com.
Next week, Saxe Middle School 7th and 8th Graders will be performing Bye Bye Birdie! Set in the quaint town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, the story unfolds around rock and roll star Conrad Birdie, who is on the brink of his army induction. His friends concoct a plan for one final celebrity send-off, sealing his stardom with a kiss! Show times are March 22 at 7:00 pm, March 22 at 7:00 pm, and March 23 at 1:00 and 5:00 pm. For tickets, visit https://ow.ly/lwRh50QM7qN.
Another options is the The Town Players of New Canaan, who operate out of the Powerhouse Theater in Waveny Park, and have been performing since 1946. Each season they put on four main stage productions and a family holiday show. There are two remaining shows this season.
From April 25- May 12, will be The Manhattan Project’s Alice in Wonderland. Using the story of Alice’s encounters down the rabbit hole and through the looking glass, the production is a piece of true 1970’s avant-garde theater. It’s a “revelation of the human psyche and the dark, unsettling shadows which can linger there” according to the original producers. The show is meant for adult audiences, and is not children’s theater.
From June 7-23 will be Sarah Ruhl’s Eurydice, reimagining the classic myth of Orpheus and Eurydice not through Orpheus’s infamous pilgrimage to retrieve his bridge, but through the eyes of its heroine, his wife. Full of dark humor, lyrical beauty, and wit, Eurydice transforms a traditional myth with contemporary characters, ingenious plot twists, and breathtaking visual effects, this visceral play is a fresh look at a timeless love.
The Town Players of New Canaan are founded and run entirely by volunteers. For more information, ticket sales, or even to audition for a show yourself, see their website www,tpnc.org.
What do you want to know about living in New Canaan? Is there a resource you are looking for or something you need in our area? We want to hear from you! Send in your ideas or queries to Julie@NewCanaanSentinel.com and your question may be featured in a future column.
