“THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY”: Performances are underway for Princeton Summer Theater’s production of “The Bridges of Madison County.” Directed by Eliyana Abraham, the musical runs through June 28 at Princeton University’s Hamilton Murray Theater. Above, from left: National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid (Cory Garcia Jr.) visits a small Iowa town on assignment, and enters into a love affair with Italian-born housewife Francesca (Allison Silldorff). (Photo by Eliyana Abraham)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Princeton Summer Theater is opening its season with The Bridges of Madison County. The romantic musical portrays an affair between an Italian-born Iowa housewife and a visiting photographer for National Geographic. Depicting this brief relationship invites us to consider the fragility of fleeting moments — and, consequently, the human instinct to try to preserve their memory in a tangible form.

The Bridges of Madison County is adapted from Robert James Waller’s 1992 novel of the same title (which also is the basis of the 1995 film). The musical’s book is by playwright and librettist Marsha Norman. The eclectic but sufficiently unified music (which borrows from folk and opera, along with other influences), and the lyrics are by Jason Robert Brown, whose The Last Five Years was presented by PST last year.  more

“OKLAHOMA!”: Performances are underway for “Oklahoma!” Presented by Kelsey Theatre and Bear Tavern Project; and directed by Susan Galli, the musical runs through March 16 at Kelsey Theatre. Above: Ado Annie Carnes (Jessa Casner, center) must choose between itinerant peddler Ali Hakim (Pat Rounds, left) and cowboy Will Parker (Kevin Palardy, right). (Photo by Joe Cutalo Photography)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Kelsey Theatre is continuing its “Season of Transformations” with Bear Tavern Project’s production of a classic show that transformed musical theater itself: Oklahoma!

Countless essays have been written about the 1943 show’s impacts on musicals as an art form, but perhaps the most immediately obvious and tangible one is that it launched one of the most successful and enduring collaborations in Broadway history: that of composer Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and lyricist-librettist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960). more

“TOPDOG/UNDERDOG”: Performances are underway for “Topdog/Underdog.” Written by Suzan-Lori Parks, and directed by marcus d. harvey, the play runs through March 9 at Passage Theatre. Above, from left: brothers Lincoln (Steven St. Pierre) and Booth (Anthony Vaughn Merchant) play a high-stakes game of three-card monte. (Photo by Habiyb Shu’Aib)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Three-card monte is a gambling game in which the dealer displays three cards. After shuffling the cards and placing them face down, the dealer challenges players to bet that they can correctly locate a certain card. Showmanship and sleight of hand are crucial to successfully manipulating a player, or “mark,” into losing.

In Topdog/Underdog (2001), playwright Suzan-Lori Parks depicts two African American brothers whose tense relationship comes to be defined by three-card monte.

Lincoln is a former hustler who seems to have put the game behind him; Booth aims to emulate his older brother’s success as a dealer. Both brothers, especially Booth, let the game’s concomitant bluffing and calculation extend from the game to their personal interactions, particularly with each other. more

“HERE THERE ARE BLUEBERRIES”: Performances are underway for “Here There Are Blueberries.” Produced by McCarter Theatre with La Jolla Playhouse, and directed by Moisés Kaufman, the play runs through February 9 at McCarter’s Matthews Theatre. Above, from left: Karl Höcker (Scott Barrow), adjutant to the Auschwitz commandant, leaves behind photos that are examined at the Holocaust Memorial Museum by Judy Cohen (Barbara Pitts), Tilman Taube (Luke Forbes), and Rebecca Erbelding (Delia Cunningham). As images are examined, actors (including Nemuna Ceesay) quote comments by the onscreen historical figures. (Photo by Dave Tavani)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

In 2007 the U.S. Holocaust Museum received a mysterious photo album. Retrieved by a U.S. counterintelligence officer, who donated it to the museum on the condition of anonymity, the album contained 116 photos taken at the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp.

The photos contained none of the images conveying the gruesomeness of the camp. Instead, they showed Nazi officers looking blithe and relaxed — as though they were on vacation — leading what appear to be normal lives, far removed from their grisly duties.  more

“A CHRISTMAS CAROL”: Performances are underway for “A Christmas Carol.” Adapted and directed by Lauren Keating, the play with music runs through December 29 at McCarter’s Matthews Theatre. Above, from left: A surprised Margaret (Vivia Font) and Bob Cratchit (Kenneth De Abrew) watch as Tiny Tim (Caryna Desai Shah) receives a significant gift from Ebenezer Scrooge (Joel McKinnon Miller). (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

McCarter Theatre’s annual presentation of A Christmas Carol has returned to delight Princeton audiences. Working from her adaptation of Dickens’ 1843 novella, Lauren Keating again directs (assisted by Jaimee Harmon-Taboni), guiding a uniformly talented cast and creative team through a production that artfully juxtaposes the story’s darkest themes against festive caroling and dances.

Community involvement in the show — exemplified by the opportunity to participate in the youth ensemble — has long been an integral part of McCarter’s adaptations of the story. Keating extends this to her staging; as the show opens, carolers dance down the aisles as they sing to the audience. Immediately, we are part of the action.  more

“EURYDICE”: Theatre Intime has staged “Eurydice.” Written by Sarah Ruhl and directed by Lucy Shea, the play was presented November 15-17 at the Hamilton Murray Theater. Above: After a fatal accident, Eurydice (Melanie Garcia, right) arrives in the underworld and encounters her Father (Martin Brennan, left), who predeceased her. (Photo by Elena Milliken)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

According to the Greek myth, Eurydice — a nymph and, according to some versions, the daughter of Apollo — fell in love with Orpheus, who was said to be the son of the muse Calliope. Orpheus “was gifted with such extraordinary musical skills that even trees and rocks danced,” notes Britannica.com.

Fleeing to avoid the unwanted advances of Aristaeus, Eurydice was fatally bitten by a snake. Orpheus traveled to the underworld and charmed Hades with his music. Hades agreed to release Eurydice on one condition: “Orpheus and Eurydice were forbidden to look back while they were in the land of the dead.” Orpheus was unable to resist looking to see if Eurydice was following him, and she returned to the underworld forever. more

“A LIFE WORTH LIVING”: Performances are underway for “A Life Worth Living.” Presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, and directed by Chesney Snow (assisted by Ava Adelaja), the musical runs through November 16 at the Lewis Arts complex’s Wallace Theater. Above, from left: Cecilia (Kailani Melvin), a therapist at a mental health facility, attempts to help Gavin (portrayed by writer and composer Jeffrey Chen) heal from a traumatic past. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski/Lewis Center for the Arts)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

The Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University is presenting A Life Worth Living. The new musical has a book, music, and lyrics by Jeffrey Chen, a senior who is majoring in neuroscience, with a minor in musical theater.

A Life Worth Living is described by the Lewis Center’s website as a “dramatic-comedy musical.” Its plot centers on Gavin, a teenager who is involuntarily sent to a residential mental health treatment facility. He reluctantly but steadily forms bonds with the other residents, as the staff works to uncover the past experiences leading to the incident that necessitates his treatment. more

“ANON(YMOUS)”: Performances are underway for “Anon(ymous).” Presented by the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University; and directed by Bi Jean Ngo (assisted by Matthew Cooperberg), the play runs through November 9 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. Above: Anon (Aabid Ismail, left) journeys in search of his family, accompanied by a variety of characters, including the streetwise Pascal (Oriana Nelson, right), a West African refugee. (Photo by Larry Levanti / Lewis Center for the Arts)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

The Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University is presenting Anon(ymous) at McCarter. Playwright Naomi Iizuka’s contemporary, stylized retelling of The Odyssey centers on two refugees in the U.S. — Anon and Nemasani — each of whom has been separated from a family member.

Iizuka’s script embraces and offers ample scope for multiple forms: drama, modern dance, and performance art — in short, much of what live theater offers. Bi Jean Ngo, director of the Lewis Center production (assisted by Matthew Cooperberg), takes full advantage of this; the polished staging makes use of often dazzling production values while ensuring that the performances are the primary focus. more

“ALMA”: Performances are underway for “Alma.” Written by Benjamin Benne; and directed by AZ Espinoza, the play runs through October 20 at Passage Theatre. Above, the confrontational relationship between Angel (Diana Maldonado), left, and her mother, undocumented immigrant Alma (Jessy Gruver), masks — and partially stems from — desperate motives held by both characters. (Photo by Habiyb Shu’Aib)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Passage Theatre is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by opening its 40th anniversary season with Alma. Benjamin Benne’s powerful play is by turns poignant, angry, funny, and tender — but throughout it is poetic and compelling.

The story depicts the lives of Alma and Angel. Alma (portrayed with deliberate precision by Jessy Gruver) is a Mexican undocumented immigrant who works as a single mother to support her (deceptively) stereotypically rebellious teenage daughter, Angel (played by Diana Maldonado, in an apt foil to Gruver’s performance as the title character).  more

“GROUNDHOG DAY”: Performances are underway for “Groundhog Day.” Presented by Kelsey Theatre and Playful Theatre Productions, and directed by Frank Ferrara, the musical runs through September 29 at Kelsey Theatre. Above: Condescending and aloof TV meteorologist Phil Connors (John Fischer, front row, fifth from left) finds himself trapped in a small town whose residents are, for him, gratingly cheerful and enthused about the titular celebration. (Photo by John M. Maurer)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Kelsey Theatre is presenting Groundhog Day. Adapted from the 1993 fantasy romantic comedy film starring Bill Murray, the musical portrays a big-city TV meteorologist who finds himself forced to relive the same day, apparently in perpetuity, in a small town that to him is gratingly good-natured.

Groundhog Day opens Kelsey’s “Season of Transformations,” which will include revivals of Jekyll & Hyde, Beauty and the Beast, and 1776. A brochure promises, “Transformations abound in this season — from the transformation of man into monster, and beast into prince, to the transformation of the colonies into the United States of America!” more

“EMPIRE RECORDS: THE MUSICAL”: Performances are underway for “Empire Records: The Musical.” Presented by McCarter Theatre Center, by special arrangement with Bill Weiner, and directed by Trip Cullman, the musical runs through October 6 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. Above: Temporarily unaware of the record store’s financial problems, the employees relish the relaxed atmosphere that their workplace offers. (Photo by Daniel Rader)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

McCarter Theatre is presenting the world premiere of Empire Records: The Musical. Directed by Trip Cullman, the exuberant production begins with a high energy level that it steadily maintains, even as it breathes to allow for character development that is by turns comic and poignant.

Adapted from the 1995 coming-of-age comedy film, the show follows the exploits of the titular record store’s idiosyncratic but fiercely loyal employees, who form a tightly knit community. The employees’ determination to preserve their community leads them to take extreme, at times comically ill-conceived and dangerous, steps to prevent the store from entering into a franchise agreement with a corporation. more

“EMPIRE RECORDS: THE MUSICAL”: McCarter Theatre Center is presenting “Empire Records: The Musical.” Written by librettist Carol Heikkinen in collaboration with composer and lyricist Zoe Sarnak, and directed by Trip Cullman, the musical will run through October 6 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. Above: Liam Pearce and Lorna Courtney. (Photo by Daniel Rader)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

McCarter Theatre is presenting the world premiere of Empire Records: The Musical. Adapted from the 1995 coming-of-age comedy film, the show has a book by Carol Heikkinen, the film’s screenwriter; and a score by composer and lyricist Zoe Sarnak.

Performances run through October 6. more

“THE SOUND OF MUSIC”: Performances are underway for “The Sound of Music.” Presented by Kelsey Theatre and The Yardley Players; and directed by Kristy Davis, the musical runs through July 7 at Kelsey Theatre. Above: Watched suspiciously by the (offstage) Nazis, the Von Trapp Family Singers give a performance on which their lives literally depend. From left are Aurora Quinn (Louisa), Emma Poppell (Brigitta), Gabi Oliano (Gretl), David Nikolas (Captain Von Trapp), Laney Kenwood (Liesl), Lauren Wolensky (Maria), Scarlet Hillman (Marta), Trevin Davis (Kurt), and Joseph Wilson (Friedrich). (Photo by John M. Maurer)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Yardley Players Theatre Company is presenting The Sound of Music at Kelsey Theatre. Kristy Davis directs and choreographs an appealing production that honors the 1965 film adaptation, while accentuating the benefits that a live production can offer the story.

The Sound of Music marks the final collaboration between composer Richard Rodgers and lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II. The book by Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse is suggested by Maria Augusta Trapp’s memoir The Trapp Family Singers. The show follows Maria’s journey from novice at Nonnberg Abbey to governess for the seven children of the stern widower Captain Von Trapp; and the threat posed to the family by the Anschluss (the Nazi takeover of Austria) in 1938.  more

“AN EVENING WITH SANTINO FONTANA”: The Princeton Festival has presented “An Evening with Santino Fontana.” Broadway and film star Santino Fontana (above) performed a program of highlights from musical theater and animated films. Fontana was accompanied by pianist Cody Owen Stine. (Photo by Princeton Symphony Orchestra staff)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

An Evening with Santino Fontana” has concluded the Princeton Festival’s season. The June 22 concert took place in the festival’s performance tent on the grounds of Morven Museum & Garden.

A debonair baritone, Fontana entertained the audience with standards from Broadway musicals and one animated film. Pianist Cody Owen Stine accompanied the singer on all but one selection. In between songs, Fontana shared amusing anecdotes about his experiences performing onstage and in studios. more

“DRACULA: A FEMINIST REVENGE FANTASY”: Performances are underway for Princeton Summer Theater’s production of “Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy.” Written by Kate Hamill and directed by Eliana Cohen-Orth, the play runs through June 30 at Princeton University’s Hamilton Murray Theater. Above, from left: a Western version of Dr. Van Helsing (Sophie Falvey) strategizes with Dr. Seward (Teddy Feig), Jonathan Harker (Destine Harrison-Williams), and Mina Harker (Meghana Kumar) about ways to defeat the titular vampire. (Photo by John Venegas Juarez)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

In Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Dr. Van Helsing is a feisty American woman in a cowboy hat. Be sure to address her as “Doctor,” not “Madam.” It is for readers and audiences to guess who emerges victorious when this Dr. Van Helsing confronts Dracula.

Playwright Kate Hamill, who has brought a contemporary perspective to theatrical adaptations of several classic novels, loosely adapts and satirizes the Bram Stoker original, pitting the titular Transylvanian vampire against a Van Helsing that seems to be patterned after Annie Oakley (among other characters and archetypes). It is a fun but risky concept that could have come off as gimmicky — but it brilliantly succeeds. more

“BRIGHT STAR”: Performances are underway for “Bright Star.” Presented by Kelsey Theatre and Maurer Productions OnStage, and directed by Judi Parrish, the musical runs through June 9 at Kelsey Theatre. Above: Alice Murphy (Lauren Pelaia, standing in front of members of the ensemble) makes a hopeful discovery that a heartbreaking incident from her past may have ended differently than she has been led to believe. (Photo by John M. Maurer)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

There is a striking duality in Bright Star, a musical that is being given an exuberant, heartfelt production at Kelsey Theatre. A story that has a devastating incident at its center is juxtaposed against a rousing, mostly jovial score infused with country and bluegrass songs.

The show’s often humorous but sensitive book is by comedian, actor, and musician Steve Martin. The lyrics are by singer-songwriter Edie Brickell (of Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians, and The Gaddabouts). Brickell and Martin share credit for the story and music. more

“PIPPIN”: Theatre Intime and Princeton University Players have staged “Pippin.” Directed by Solomon Bergquist, the musical was presented May 24-26 at the Hamilton Murray Theater. Above, from left: Pippin (Rowan Johnson) contemplates his future, under the dangerous guidance of the Leading Player (Isabella Rivera). (Photo by Elena Milliken)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

Theatre Intime has collaborated with the Princeton University Players to present Pippin (May 24-26) to Reunions Weekend audiences. The musical is an apt fit for a college campus at graduation time; its title character, the fictional first son of Charlemagne, has just completed his studies. The show is an odyssey that follows the prince’s search for his life’s purpose.

Pippin has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, composer and lyricist of the current Broadway hit (and upcoming film series) Wicked, in addition to several musicals that include Godspell, The Magic Show, Children of Eden, and the upcoming The Queen of Versailles. The book is by Roger O. Hirson, who also co-wrote the musical Walking Happy.  more

“CHOICE”: Performances are underway for “Choice.” Written by Winnie Holzman, and directed by Artistic Director Sarah Rasmussen, the play runs through June 2 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. Above, from left: The friendship between Erica (Kate A. Mulligan) and Zippy (Ilana Levine) is tested by an impassioned disagreement over the latter’s approach to writing an article about a very controversial subject. (Photo by T. Charles Erickson)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

American political discourse, which already is fraught and polarized, only intensifies when the subject has a religious or spiritual aspect to it.

With Choice, playwright Winnie Holzman examines one of the most polarizing subjects: a woman’s right to choose. On the surface, the play is about reproductive freedom — and the possible ramifications of the decision that is made. But the piece also examines a woman’s a right to choose something else: how to engage with complex moral issues. more

“FLIGHT OF A LEGLESS BIRD”: Performances are underway for “Flight of a Legless Bird.” Written by Ethan Luk, and directed by Luk in collaboration with retired Program in Theater faculty member R.N. Sandberg, the play runs through April 13 at McCarter’s Berlind Theatre. Above, from left: Disparate circumstances cause Robin (Wasif Sami) and Leslie (Luk) to meet, after which a unique, unexpected bond is formed. (Photo by James DeSalvo)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

In the film Days of Being Wild (1990), actor Leslie Cheung delivers this line: “I’ve heard that there’s a kind of bird without legs that can only fly and fly, and sleep in the wind when it is tired. The bird only lands once in its life … that’s when it dies.”

Flight of a Legless Bird is an exquisite, poignant play that portrays two queer artists who metaphorically, as Cheung’s dialogue says, “fly and fly.” Both are fleeing from circumstances in which they feel trapped. Certain events cause their “flight” paths to intersect, and they have a chance encounter that affects them in unexpected ways. more

“YAGA”: Performances are underway for “Yaga.” Directed by Kat McLaughlin, the play runs through April 7 at the Hamilton Murray Theater. Above, eager college student Henry Kalles (Tate Keuler) and the mysterious Anna (Kristen Tan) strike up a conversation, leading to dangerous events. (Photo by Lucy Shea)

By Donald H. Sanborn III

In an Encyclopedia of Legendary Creatures (1981), author Tom McGowen describes the “dreaded ogress Baba Yaga” as resembling a “frightfully ugly old woman” who had “stone teeth, and her food was people, especially children.” She lived in a hut “perched on four chicken legs” and “flew through the air after her prey in a large mortar, steered with a pestle.”

Noting the character’s basis in Slavic folklore, the website for World History Encyclopedia adds that she also is known “as guardian of the fountains of the waters of life and is sometimes seen as embodying female empowerment.”  more