Sean Fallon - Page 4

No matter how many times you may have seen GODSPELL before, it is definitely worth your time to see the ACT of Connecticut's vastly different interpretation which I like to refer to as a?oeGodspell on Caffeine.a?? The energy and comedy levels are magnified to the nth degree, with every cast member, including the teens and children, all bringing their A game, and electrifying the stage with non-stop adrenaline, reminiscent of the Energizer Bunny.

On Saturday, February 1, I had the pleasure of revisiting THE SOUNDS OF THE SEVENTIES at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  I enjoyed it even more this second time seeing it!  This approximate two hour performance includes nearly fifty different songs, performed by four extremely talented cast members.  Mikayla Petrilla, Saige Bryan, Everton Ricketts, and Kyle Riedinger all have incredible voices, a strong stage presence, tremendous acting skills, tight stage chemistry with each other, and a positive attitude of genuinely enjoying their performance, radiating positive energy all throughout this packed house!   The choreography by Jennifer Kaye helps highlight the excellent dancing and synchronization skills from this first rate cast.  The excited audience reactions including singing and dancing along during certain parts of the show indicate that the rest of the audience shares my extremely positive views of this incredible show!

On Friday, January 31, 2020, I had the pleasure of seeing SMORGASBORD! at the Ridgefield Theater Barn in Ridgefield, CT.  This musical revue has music and lyrics by Bradford Blake who is also directs the show.  Under the excellent accompaniment of musical director Charles Smith on keyboard, Charles Casimiro on stand-up bass, and Robert Kogut on percussion, the talented singing cast of Anya Caravella, Robert Geils, Tracey Marble, and Zachery Theis provide a highly entertaining show comprised of song after song, each conveying its own story, without a central storyline, the songs linked only by the consistent pattern of comical food-themed lyrics.

On Friday, January 17, I had the pleasure of seeing 8-TRACK THE SOUNDS OF THE 70S at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin, CT.  This new musical conceived by Rick Seeber constitutes performances of mainstream United States chart-topping songs from the 1970s.  Incredibly talented singers Jason Beaulieu, Dan Frye, Emily Gray, and Erica Whitfield have excellent stage chemistry and vocal harmony with each other in this musical event under the wonderful direction of Kris McMurray.

On Saturday, January 11, I had the pleasure of seeing THREE PIGS at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.   This was an excellent start to a new decade of theatrical experiences!  The stellar cast brings their A game to this Chris Gensur adaptation of this classic children's tale. 

I am convinced that the absolute best live performance of this timeless Charles Dickens story that has impacted generations, internationally, is this one performed by Fairfield Center Stage.  This is a wonderful experience all-around!

On Saturday, December 14, I had the pleasure of seeing THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES at the Ridgefield Theater Barn in Ridgefield, CT. This comedic musical has the audience laughing from start to finish, while keeping everyone entertained with great oldies songs from the 1950s and 1960s. The excellent singing and acting brings all four characters to life, under the writing of Roger Bean, direction of Foster Evans Reese, and musical direction of Benjamin McCormack who leads the talented live band that is onstage, in the back of the stage.

On Friday, December 13, I had the pleasure of seeing JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT spectacularly performed at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  Marking the fiftieth anniversary of this very first musical collaboration between songwriter Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, this show remains entertaining to audiences across multiple generations.   Under the direction of Andrea Pane and choreography of Cassie Caroll, this stellar cast delivers a phenomenal performance!  The cast includes some of my favorite familiar local talent, such as Robert Peterpaul, Andrea Pane, Everton Ricketts, and Cassie Caroll.  This show has now also introduced me to the amazing talent of Desi Amato, who shines as the best narrator I have ever seen in this show.

Hey y'all!  On November 30, I had the pleasure of seeing my favorite Connecticut Cabaret Theatre show of 2019, which is my outright favorite live comedy I have seen in 2019, A GOOD OLD FASHIONED REDNECK COUNTRY CHRISTMAS!  This comedy by Kristine Bauske had this packed theatre laughing all throughout the show.  Director Kris McMurray has found a stellar cast featuring many Connecticut Cabaret Theatre favorites, and continues to bring out the best in them all.   Every actor and actress in this production does so well that it feels like they truly have become their character on stage, something particularly impressive among cast members who we have previously seen also excel in other roles, some that are very different from these roles.

On Sunday, November 24, I had the pleasure of seeing RUDOLPH performed at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.   This is my favorite of the three Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre Christmas shows I have seen.  Written by Phil Hill and directed by Frank Root, it brings comedy, familiar music, and an excellent cast of six, all of whom are in roles that showcase their incredible talents.

On Saturday, November 9, I had the pleasure of seeing ALMOST MAINE as put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse in Meriden, CT.  This comedy by John Cariani is the kind that I truly enjoy, a well written script with phenomenal performances all around.  It is refreshing to see a relatively modern (2004) show that is genuinely humorous, original, mostly family-friendly (with a few exceptions), and not political.  Having not been previously familiar with this show or this playwright, I am extremely impressed.

On November 2, I had the pleasure of seeing WICKED DIVAS at the Ridgefield Playhouse, in Ridgefield, CT, a Group5production featuring Broadway stars Dee Roscioli and Alli Mauzey, who have played Elphaba and Glinda in Wicked, on Broadway, respectively

On October 19, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another talented cast at the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin, CT, in a show called RESPECT.  The directing of Kris McMurray and choreography of James J. Moran help bring out the singing and dancing talents in the four woman cast of Maria Soaft, Emily Gray, Erin Liddell, and Erica Whitfield, who are accompanied by the live band of TJ Thompson on keyboard, Jamie Sherwood on guitar, and Tim Urso on percussion.  The voices and harmonies are strong and reflect excellent effort from this cast.  The stage chemistry is tight and it is clear that the actresses are enjoying their roles.   

Opening night of Roald Dahl's MATILDA, as presented by Fairfield Center Stage, at Fairfield Ludlowe High School Auditorium yielded a large audience with profound applause.  With book by Dennis Kelly and music & lyrics by Tim Minchin, numerous differences from the Roald Dahl book or movie adaptation can be found in the stage production.   Perhaps the most spectacular of these is seeing an object on stage appear to move by itself, and writing on a board seeming to magically appear, concepts that can be written about or adapted to screen, but in those formats can never quite mesmerize people to the degree that these meticulously performed stage effects dazzled the live audience in this production.

On October 9, I had the pleasure of interviewing Broadway star Dee Roscioli, over the telephone.  Dee Roscioli is believed to still hold America's all-time record for the most professional performances of the lead role of Elphaba in the musical Wicked, a role she played in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, spanning more than a thousand total performances.  On Saturday, November 2, 2019, she is scheduled to appear at the Ridgefield Playhouse, in Ridgefield, CT, in a Group5productions performance called WICKED DIVAS, performing with Alli Mauzey, who has played Glinda in Wicked, on Broadway. 

On Sunday, October 6, I had the pleasure of participating in SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HAUNTED CABARET at the Downtown Cabaret Children's Theatre in Bridgeport, CT.  I say, a?oeparticipating,a?? because this musical comedy with book by Phill Hill not only involves audience interaction, but goes one step further and lets the audience vote (by applause) to determine what happens, like a a?oechoose your own adventurea?? stage show.  Ricky Altamirano directs a spectacular cast of five that includes himself and showcases the strong talents of all five cast members in five well written and wonderfully performed roles.

On Saturday, October 5, I had the pleasure of seeing yet another stellar performance at the ACT of Connecticut, in Ridgefield, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS.  Having never seen this show or the movie before, I was not familiar with the story, and had no idea how intense the horror side of this show would be, as I was under the impression that comedy was the primary genre.  This musical, with music by Alan Menken, captured the attention of the entire audience, generating laughs from the comedic moments, impressing us with the powerful singing, and shocking with the horror, all of which was brilliantly performed by this first-rate cast, under the brilliant direction and choreography of Jason A. Sparks.

For fans of the music of Abba, MAMMA MIA! is a show you will love. Julia Lennon shines in the leading role of Sophie, bringing more to this character than I have ever seen before. With excellent choreography and dancing, this performance at Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, CT is one that I highly recommend.

On Saturday, September 21, I had the pleasure of seeing Neil Simon's THE STAR SPANGLED GIRL as put on by the Castle Craig Players at the Almira F. Stephan Memorial Playhouse, in Meriden, CT.  This hilarious comedy is directed by Pam Amodio and features a highly talented cast of three who gel together wonderfully with each other.

I had the pleasure of seeing CABARET as put on by Fairfield Center Stage, at the Trevi Lounge in Fairfield, CT.  Fairfield Center Stage has yet again put on a well known production in a brilliantly unique way that audiences would not get to experience anywhere else.  Fairfield Center Stage gets the perfect cast for the roles, and furthermore finds the perfect venue for each production, to provide the ambiance appropriate to the show.  The Trevi Lounge creates a wonderful intimate atmosphere for the cabaret show within the CABARET show.