All stories by Christopher Arnott on BroadwayStars

Thursday, May 18, 2023

Acclaimed puppeteer Ralph Lee, the subject of a current UConn exhibit, dies at 87 by Christopher Arnott

Ralph Lee, an internationally acclaimed puppeteer who is the subject of a current exhibit at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at the University of Connecticut, died this week at …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:28PM
Sunday, May 14, 2023

Connecticut Ballet brings the living doll, ‘Coppélia,’ back to life at The Bushnell by Christopher Arnott

Connecticut Ballet has revived its version of the comic ballet "Coppélia," which it has been doing on and off for 35 years. It is at The Bushnell's Belding Theater on May 20 and 21.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 07:00AM

Theater review: Goodspeed glows with a jazzy, sensitive, less sexist ‘Gypsy’ by Christopher Arnott

Jenn Thompson's production of "Gypsy," at the Goodspeed Opera House through June 25, has been given a deft modern makeover that returns it to its roots.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, May 13, 2023

CT offers wide variety of acts this week from a fundraiser featuring a Broadway star to a legendary Motown mix by Christopher Arnott

This week's Courant's arts picks include an Audra McDonald fundraiser, a Temptations/Four Tops double bill, "RuPaul's Drag Race" queen Robin Fierce and musicals based on "The Secret Garden" …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Friday, May 12, 2023

Westport Playhouse announces departure of artistic director Mark Lamos by Christopher Arnott

Mark Lamos will leave Westport Country Playhouse, where he has been artistic director for 15 seasons, in January. He has been a major force in Connecticut theater since the 1980s.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 02:06PM
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

Chelsea Handler back in Connecticut as a ‘Little Big Bitch’ at the Oakdale Theatre by Christopher Arnott

Comedian, author and TV host Chelsea Handler still loves getting out in front of people. She brings her latest standup tour, "Little Big Bitch," to the Oakdale Theatre Sunday.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 10:41AM
Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Theater review: ‘the ripple, the wave that carried me home’ doesn’t float at Yale Rep by Christopher Arnott

Christina Anderson's tale of Black community activism and related issues of family and the workplace has trouble connecting all the threads into a workable drama.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Sunday, May 7, 2023

Arthur Miller fans on a mission to preserve the famous playwright’s CT legacy by Christopher Arnott

The town of Roxbury wants to add Arthur Miller’s writing studio to the list of places where famous writers honed their crafts in Connecticut. Supporters of the playwright’s legacy are ra…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, May 6, 2023

Comedy legends Steve Martin and Martin Short and current funny man Kevin Hart bring the laughs to CT in this week’s things to do and see by Christopher Arnott

The Courant's arts picks for May 7-13 range from nostalgic acts like Kool & The Gang, a '90s rewind with Vanilla Ice, comedy from Kevin Hart and a festival of local bands in New Haven.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Friday, May 5, 2023

Theater review: TheaterWorks Hartford’s ‘The Rembrandt’ is a disarming and delightful artistic journey by Christopher Arnott

Jessica Dickey's funny and philosophical play "The Rembrandt," at TheaterWorks Hartford through May 14, is given not just a carefully balanced production but is augmented by its artful sceni…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:30AM
Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Renowned filmmaker and New York Knicks superfan Spike Lee headed to CT for public Q&A session by Christopher Arnott

Renowned filmmaker Spike Lee is delivering this year’s Mary and Louis Fusco Distinguished Lecture at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven on Saturday at 7 p.m. The event, to …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 05:29PM
Sunday, April 30, 2023

Wadsworth’s new ‘Chasing Rembrandt’ exhibit highlights the museum’s quest for a real Rembrandt by Christopher Arnott

Four artworks that are assuredly not by Rembrandt but were once believed to be are on exhibit through July 23 at the Wadsworth Atheneum.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, April 29, 2023

Waterbury Palace brings seven more Broadway tours to Connecticut in 2023-24 season by Christopher Arnott

The 2023-24 Waterbury Palace Broadway season will include “Pretty Woman the Musical," “Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird," “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan," …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Thursday, April 27, 2023

Meriden Daffodil Festival features one of CT’s largest lineups of local music acts by Christopher Arnott

The annual Meriden Daffodil Festival, this weekend at Hubbard Park, features three stages of live Connecticut music acts.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 08:00AM

Broadway legend Mandy Patinkin brings ‘Being Alive’ to the Garde Arts Center by Christopher Arnott

Beloved actor Mandy Patinkin talks with the Courant about his decades-long singing career, an upcoming Showtime series and the state of his beard before Saturday's show at the Garde Arts Cen…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Sunday, April 23, 2023

Ballet Theatre Company will have a ball at The Bushnell with ‘Cinderella’ by Christopher Arnott

West Hartford’s Ballet Theatre Company has revived and revised its 2018 production of “Cinderella,” blending fantasy, beauty, comedy, drag, pageantry and Prokofiev’s sumptuous score …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 07:00AM

Goodspeed’s ‘Gypsy’ finds compassion for pushy stage mothers by Christopher Arnott

The classic musical "Gypsy," about famous striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee and her pushy stage mother, is getting a fresh production at the Goodspeed Opera House. The director, Jenn Thompson…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, April 22, 2023

Connecticut brings the funny and Fogerty this week in things to do and see by Christopher Arnott

The Courant's arts picks for April 23-29 include John Fogerty at Mohegan Sun, a Connecticut Audubon bird event at Infinity Hall Hartford and a new play about racial injustice at the Yale Rep…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM

‘Coming out of Covid’ poetry collection launched in South Windsor with postcard poems, photos by Christopher Arnott

Local poems and other writings about the COVID years, including pieces by several local poets laureate, have been collected in book form as “Coming Out of Covid: A Celebration of Poetry, P…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Tuesday, April 18, 2023

Theater review: Glowing revival of ‘Ain’t Misbehavin” represents the beauty of the Black experience at Westport Playhouse by Christopher Arnott

Director/choregrapher Jeffrey L. Page humanizes the "Fats" Waller tribute show "Ain't Misbehavin'" with modern flourishes and a focus on the Black condition.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 02:00PM

How an iconic CT diner provided the perfect backdrop for a music video for two musicians with local roots by Christopher Arnott

Kelsey Blackstone had never been in a food fight before, then she found herself in the Olympia Diner in Newington in the middle of the night with fellow jazz musician Jason LaPierre, filming…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Sunday, April 16, 2023

‘The Rembrandt’ at TheaterWorks Hartford warps time to explore the meaning and value of art by Christopher Arnott

Jessica Dickey's play "The Rembrandt" examines why art is important and provocative. TheaterWorks Hartford is staging the Connecticut premiere from April 21 through May 14.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Saturday, April 15, 2023

Review: Hartford Symphony evokes sweet sounds of rivers and bird songs in latest Masterworks concert by Christopher Arnott

The latest Hartford Symphony Orchestra Masterworks concert beautifully pairs Smetana's "The Moldau" with the Chinese classic "The Yellow River" and Beethoven's nature-filled "Pastoral" symph…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:02PM

Crowd-pleasing favorites ‘Come From Away’ and ‘Chicago’ highlight Shubert Theatre’s 2023-24 Broadway series by Christopher Arnott

The just-announced 2023-24 Broadway series at the Shubert Theatre in New Haven features new tours of "Company" and "Annie," long-touring shows "Come From Away" and "Chicago" and the second r…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM

Broadway favorites from ‘Rent’ to ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ hit the stage this week in things to do and see in CT by Christopher Arnott

The Courant's arts picks for April 16-22 include college or community productions of the musicals "Rent," "Beautiful" and "Cabaret" as well as a major national tour of "Jesus Christ Supersta…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Thursday, April 13, 2023

Theater review: ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical’ at The Bushnell expresses tragedy and triumphs of the rock legend by Christopher Arnott

"Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," a theatrical retelling of the life of the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll," finds space for dynamic and dramatic performances by the entire cast at The Bushnell.

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Monday, April 10, 2023

International Arts & Ideas festival announces 2023 lineup, including free shows by Grammy winners Angélique Kidjo and Jon Secada by Christopher Arnott

New Haven's International Festival of Arts & Ideas announced its 2023 slate of over a hundred performances, talks and other events from June 10-25. The festival kicks off with Angelique …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 12:39PM

CT’s ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ queens get special message from members of state legislature vowing to protect rights of LGBTQ citizens by Christopher Arnott

The Connecticut contestants on the 15th season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” got to share a last hurrah on the show’s reunion episode, as well as a surprise message from members of the Con…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 11:13AM
Saturday, April 8, 2023

Bring your own tots as ‘Napoleon Dynamite’ Live comes to CT this week in things to do and see by Christopher Arnott

The Courant's arts picks for April 9-15 include Girl Named Tom at UConn, the latest Hartford Symphony Masterworks concert, an all-female Iron Maiden tribute band in Norwalk and the national …

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 06:00AM
Friday, April 7, 2023

$100,000 in federal funds helps Hartford Stage regrow its summer arts education programs by Christopher Arnott

Hartford Stage has received $100,000 from the federal government to support its summer arts education programs. While the funding won’t alter the existing programs, it will be helping regr…

SOURCE: Hartford Courant at 10:08AM