Melissa Giordano - Page 13

The Tony Award winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone, the latest from BroadHollow Theatre Company, is indeed a fascinating piece. I say fascinating because at its entertaining core, it is a show within a show spoofing old musicals. The plot includes mistaken identities, dream sequences, an unexcitable English butler, a Broadway producer going crazy over his Follies production, comical gangsters, a ditzy chorine, a harried best man, and a 'Drowsy', er, alcoholic, 'Chaperone' amongst other stereotypes.

Being an enthusiast of old movies, I saw Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 film version of Fredrick Knott's Dial M for Murder long before I attended the stage incarnation. I have to say that I actually grew bored with film; the 'thriller' seemed very slow to me. Thankfully, the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts' (SCPA) production, running through March 30th, put a better spin on this riveting story... and went at a better pace.

The Long Island theatre scene will unquestionably be a hopping one this Spring and Summer. One of the most exciting seasons is being offered by Northport's John W. Engeman Theatre. Their current season culminates with The Music Man (March 27th - May18th) and Plaza Suite (May 29th - July 13th). Then their 8th season starts soon after with a stellar line-up that includes Evita, Deathtrap, A Christmas Story, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, A Chorus Line, and The Producers.

Hello Dolly!, the multi Tony award winning musical, is probably one every theatre fan should see. Fortunately, the classic theatre staple is the latest offering from the BroadHollow Theatre Company playing their BayWay Theatre until March 2nd continuing to their Elmont location beginning March 8th.

Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities' is an emotion roller coaster. It is a heart wrenching story set around what is supposed to be a happy time of year and Richard T. Dolce's cast wonderfully delivers at the stunning John W. Engeman Theatre. Running through March 9th at the Northport venue, the play revolves around a prominent political Californian family.

Creative Ministries Performing Arts Centre's (CMPAC) latest musical, Gypsy, is certainly one for the books. The Ronald R. Green III directed production boasts a great cast and a well told story. This classic piece runs through February 9th at the Oakdale, Long Island, venue.

The Long Island premier of Bonnie & Clyde went off without a hitch this past weekend at SoLuna Studio. With a book by Ivan Menchell, the 'biographical' musical of two of the most nutorious gangsters shows true love, the solidarity of family, and unwavering loyalty. Running through January 26th at the Hauppauge venue, the cast is truly on top of their game in this production.

Shrek, The Musical is certainly a fun night at the theatre. The cast at Oakdale's Creative Ministries Performing Arts Center (CM PAC) is hysterical, the costumes are unbelievably creative, and the David Lindsay - Abaire story will tug at your heart and make you smile.

BroadHollow Theatre Company's latest musical, Meet Me in St. Louis, indeed has a talented cast. However, it seems that when I saw it at Studio Theatre, any magic that was there had vanished.

[Scrooge] turned upon the Ghost [of Christmas Past], and seeing that it looked upon him a face, in which some strange way there were fragments of all the faces it had shown him, wrestled with it.'

Irving Berlin's White Christmas is just the thing to get you into the holiday spirit. Besides a heartfelt story, the beautiful John W. Engeman Theatre of Northport also went all out for an early kickoff to the holiday season. Donning their lobby with Christmas decorations and playing classic Christmas carols over the loud speaker as you entered the theater, you knew you right away you were in for a wonderful holiday treat.

The ongoing Broadway Concert Series at the gorgeous John W. Engeman Theatre of Northport always make for a wonderful evening. During their dark week between shows, producer and host Stephen DeAngelis gathers the best of Broadway for an evening of songs and stories about their careers. Although this time there were brief moments of complete insolence from the audience, the sold out show was very well received.

BroadHollow Theatre Company's production of Neil Simon's Laughter On the 23rd Floor was enjoyable. It's a refreshing, simple, semi-autobiographical play that is inspired by Mr. Simon's early career as one of the writers for the television show Your Show of Shows. The audience was also enthusiastically receptive although the insolent, drunk, middle-aged couple that was making-out across the aisle apparently wanted to be elsewhere.

Jon Robin Baitz' Other Desert Cities shows a realistic example of how families are nowadays. Dysfunction, love, and the influence family members have on one another are performed with panache at the Hampton Theatre Company's Sarah Hunnewell directed presentation of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony nominee. Running through November 10th at the charming Long Island venue in Quogue, each member of the cast was great in their respective roles.

Noel Ruiz, that is, CM PAC's beloved leader, a mentor to so many, and a pillar of the Long Island theatre community who passed away in September. This production of the Tony Award winning classic LES MISERABLES was Mr. Ruiz's vision and dream. As you read the bios of the cast in the playbill, they even dedicate this performance to him. Patrick Grossman, a CM vet, stepped in for the final staging as, naturally, the show must go on. And let me tell you, Mr. Ruiz would be so proud.

October is the perfect time for a production of the classic Steven Sondheim/Hugh Wheeler musical Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It's wonderfully creepy, chilling, and unsettling... just the thing to get you in the mood for Halloween. Directed by Karen Braun - who also does the choreography, costumes, and sets- SoLuna Studio's production, running through October 27th, shows you can do a lot with a little - more about that in a bit.

Reginald Rose's tension filled Tony Award winning play Twelve Angry Men is certainly a wonderful selection for the second show of the John W. Engeman Theatre's seventh season. Not to mention that it is emotionally on the other side of the spectrum from their previous show - the adorably hilarious Nunsense. This superb showing, running through November 3rd at the stunning Long Island venue, is excellently directed by Igor Goldin and continues the intense atmosphere that Mr. Rose created starting with a TV broadcast in 1954.

The wildly successful, multi Tony Award winning musical Fiddler on the Roof first opened on Broadway in 1964 and has certainly become a staple among the local theatre community. BroadHollow's production, running through October 6th at their BayWay location, has certainly made this incarnation their own. Directed by Glen J. Beck, this cast will also play their Elmont location from October 26th through November 10th.