All stories by Christopher Arnott on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

Angela Lansbury’s Connecticut legacy includes an Edward Albee premiere, a major theater award and ‘Gypsy’ at the Oakdale by Christopher Arnott

The late Angela Lansbury's long career as a stage performer included numerous appearances in Connecticut, including the U.S. premiere of two Edward Albee plays at Hartford Stage.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:04PM
Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Hartford Stage sets a ‘Mousetrap’ as Agatha Christie mystery opens this week by Christopher Arnott

Agatha Christie's classic mystery "The Mousetrap" opens the Hartford Stage 2022-23 season beginning Wednesday through Nov. 6. It is directed by Yale graduate Jackson Gay, who describes "The …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, October 8, 2022

Review: The sound of canyons, farms and rivers fill first Hartford Symphony Masterworks concert of season by Christopher Arnott

The first Hartford Symphony Orchestra concert of the 2022-23 Masterworks season, "American Adventures," gives works by George Gershwin, Ferde Grofé and Aaron Copland the jazziness or folkin…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:11PM
Friday, October 7, 2022

Theater review: Scaled-down ‘42nd Street’ makes for a more detailed and complex tap-dancing treat at the Goodspeed by Christopher Arnott

A new, carefully downsized version of the lavish musical "42nd Street," based on the 1933 movie about a new musical having troubles on its way to Broadway, is at the Goodspeed Opera House th…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:11PM
Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Theater review: ‘My Children! My Africa!’ at HartBeat Ensemble is an epic, and yet deceptively small, drama about very big things by Christopher Arnott

HartBeat Ensemble is staging a revelatory revival of Athol Fugard's mid-1980s apartheid drama "My Children! My Africa!" through Oct. 9. The same director and cast first did the show in 2016 …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Theater review: ‘Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill’ at Playhouse on Park conjures a wonderfully complex and world-weary Billie Holiday by Christopher Arnott

"Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" gives a balanced musical and dramatic portrayal of jazz legend Billie Holiday late in her career. Playhouse on Park's production of Lanie Robertson's …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:43PM
Monday, October 3, 2022

A musical based on a graphic novel? Here’s what need to know about the magic of ‘Fun Home’ at TheaterWorks. by Christopher Arnott

TheaterWorks Hartford's new production of the musical "Fun Home" features a range of artistic images projected onto the show's lush funeral home setting. The show, directed by Rob Ruggiero, …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 02:10PM
Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Review: ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ will delight movie fans despite an entangled second act by Christopher Arnott

Despite some technical difficulties, "Mean Girls the Musical" is a solid, worthy adaptation of the Tina Fey movie, though it tries to cram in too much of the plot and ups the number of posit…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:56PM
Monday, September 26, 2022

7 details you might have missed about ‘Mean Girls the Musical’ coming to The Bushnell by Christopher Arnott

"Mean Girls the Musical" is at The Bushnell through Oct. 2. Prepare for it with some trivia about the differences between the movie and the play, what is the same and what's next for The Pla…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 02:22PM

‘Purple Warp,’ Connecticut’s pioneering mini-zine, marks its 50th anniversary with a reprint by Christopher Arnott

"The Purple Warp," one of the first mini-zines of the 1970s, is marking its 50th anniversary with a series of reprints. Alan Greenier published "The Purple Warp" as a teenager in Terryville.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Sunday, September 25, 2022

‘The Great Gatsby,’ ‘The Mousetrap,’ ‘My Fair Lady’ and more: Top 10 shows to watch in CT fall theater by Christopher Arnott

As the 2022 fall theater season kicks off in Connecticut, here are The Courant's 10 shows to look forward to, from "The Mousetrap" to "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, September 24, 2022

Show-stopping dance spectacles back at Goodspeed with ‘42nd Street’ by Christopher Arnott

Randy Skinner, who has been involved with every major production of the stage musical "42nd Street," is directing and choreographing a new, more "intimate" version of the show for the Goodsp…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Wednesday, September 21, 2022

Looking to check out local writers? Hartford Book Festival has you covered with 3 days of literary events by Christopher Arnott

The fourth annual Hartford Book Festival takes place at the Hartford Public Library and the Free Center. The local literary gathering includes readings from a variety of Connecticut writers …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 02:11PM
Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Remembering Diane Noomin: An underground comics pioneer, DiDi Glitz creator and longtime CT feminist voice by Christopher Arnott

Underground comics pioneer Diane Noomin, who died this month, remained a powerful feminist voice in comics for decades. Part of the legendary San Francisco comics scene in the 1970s, Noomin …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 10:34AM

‘Our Town: Simsbury’ is a modern nod to a Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Christopher Arnott

"Our Town: Simsbury," a modern contemporary drama about the Connecticut town in 2018 with a nod to Thornton Wilder’s classic drama, is premiering at Simsbury's Eno Memorial Hall on Thursda…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 09:23AM
Sunday, September 18, 2022

Wadsworth Atheneum is ‘Fired Up’ about new contemporary glass exhibit by Christopher Arnott

The Wadsworth Atheneum and Museum has assembled a cutting-edge exhibit of contemporary glass art. "Fired Up: Glass Today" is on display through Feb. 5.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Friday, September 16, 2022

The Beatles inspire Hartford Dance Collective’s ‘Yesterday,’ with live music at the riverfront by Christopher Arnott

The Hartford Dance Collective's interpretation of songs by The Beatles with a live accompaniment from the Meadows Brothers band will take place on Saturday at the Mortensen Riverfront Plaza …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Connecticut’s Horrorfest looms large with two days of familiar frightening faces and murderous mayhem by Christopher Arnott

The latest Connecticut HorrorFest convention scares up panel discussions on "Friday the 13th" series, "The Haunting of Hill House," "Re-Animator" and the original "Night of the Living Dead,"…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Singer Jill Sobule says the Twain House is the ‘best house concert on Earth’ by Christopher Arnott

Singer-songwrite Jill Sobule returns to the Mark Twain House for a solo concert in the house itself, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 03:52PM

Hartford Stage welcomes back theatergoers with an open house by Christopher Arnott

Hartford Stage is holding an open house Sept. 17 from noon to 4 p.m., an example of the sort of community outreach the company has been engaged in since Melia Bensussen became its artistic d…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Sunday, September 11, 2022

Autumn sounds: Here’s your Connecticut fall music almanac by Christopher Arnott

The fall music offerings around Connecticut range from slew of acts from the '80s to hot indie bands on the college circuit to blues festivals.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Friday, September 9, 2022

Sea Tea Comedy’s brings back ‘Night of Queer Comedy’ just in time for Saturday’s Pride Festival by Christopher Arnott

Sea Tea Improv has revived its LGBTQ+ "Be Yourself Show" for a special performance Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. at the troupe's theater on Asylum Street. The show is being held the same day as the dow…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Thursday, September 8, 2022

Hartbeat Music Festival expands its local band extravaganza on the riverfront. Here’s who’s playing when this weekend by Christopher Arnott

For 2022, the Hartbeat Music Festival has added an extra night of music and swelled the number of bands to 35. The fest happens Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. at Mo…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 02:59PM

‘42 Street,’ Tom Jones, ‘Gatsby,’ Jill Sobule among the 10 best things to do the week beginning Sept. 11 by Christopher Arnott

The Courant's arts picks for Sept. 11-17 include Tom Jones at Foxwoods, Sam Bush at Infinity Hall, In This Moment at the Oakdale and "42nd Street" at the Goodspeed Opera House.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Self-described ‘oddball’ photographer’s book highlights the ‘Weird, Wild, and Wonderful’ in Connecticut by Christopher Arnott

Killingworth-based photographer Christina E. Cole provides an upbeat and "oddball" look at Nutmeg State in her new book "Weird, Wild, and Wonderful Connecticut." The book was released last m…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM

Westport Playhouse announces a 2023 season that balances mainstream entertainment with provocative drama by Christopher Arnott

The 2023 Westport Country Playhouse season will include "Dial M for Murder," "Ain't Misbehavin'," "Antigone," "School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play" and another show yet to be annou…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Monday, September 5, 2022

Hartford Pride Festival returning to the streets with a big outdoor party by Christopher Arnott

The annual Hartford Pride celebration will return to Trumbull Street in downtown Hartford Sept.10. National recording artists CeCe Peniston and Willie Gomez are the headliners, and numerous …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, September 3, 2022

Here’s where you’ll find 15 classic car shows to close out summer by Christopher Arnott

September is a prime month for vintage car shows around Connecticut, happening in town squares, family games centers, car dealerships and elsewhere.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM

Dancing horses join the cast of ‘Carmen’ staged by the Opera Theater of Connecticut by Christopher Arnott

Horses are some of the main performers in a unique 90-minute version of the opera "La Passion de Carmen" staged by Opera Theater of Connecticut in a riding arena in Old Lyme. The opera featu…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Thursday, September 1, 2022

Scorpions, Sting, Wu-Tang Clan and a ukulele festival among the 10 best things to do the week of Sept. 4-10 by Christopher Arnott

The Courant's arts picks for Sept. 4 through 10 include major tours from Sting, Wu-Tang Clan with Nas, Scorpions and The War of Drugs, plus several fun festivals: Chickenstock, the Connectic…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Horror metal/rap duo Twiztid talks about why change is good their before long-awaited return to the Webster by Christopher Arnott

Twiztid returns to the Webster Theater in Hartford, a venue the midwestern metal rap horror duo hasn't played in nine years, for a Sept. 2 show at 5 p.m. with Attila.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM