The new national tour of the historical musical “Amazing Grace” — at the Shubert, 247 College St., New Haven, from Jan. 19 to 21 — is a Connecticut homecoming: The show premiered in 2012 at Goodspeed Musicals’ Norma Terris Theatre in Chester. After a 2014 run in Chicago in 2014, it played on Broadway from July to October of 2015. The director for all three of these productions, as well as the tour, has been Gabriel Barre. The choreographer is Christopher Gattelli.
The adventure-filled show, much of it set at sea, relates how its title hymn was composed by an abolitionist priest who had once been a slave trader.
The Shubert is the first stop on the “Amazing Grace” tour following an initial seven-week stint at the Museum of the Bible, which began in November and ended last week. The New Haven performances are Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $39 to $89. 203-562-5666 and shubert.com.
“Anatomy” Lesson
“The Anatomy of Love” is the latest new play to be read as part of the ongoing “Playwrights on Park” series at Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford. The reading will be at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 23.
The script, described as “an explosive drama about two parents struggling over the gender transition of their 7-year-old daughter,” is by Ted Malawer, a Long Island-raised writer and performer studying playwriting at The Juilliard School in New York.
“The Anatomy of Love” is the third Playwrights on Park reading of the 2017-18 season, with three more readings planned before the end of June. Tickets are $10. 860-523-5900, ext. 10, and playhouseonpark.org.
Love Under The Stars
Nick Payne’s “Constellations” is romance that references physics, quantum mechanic, string theory and alternate realities. One of the play’s two lovestruck characters studies theoretical early universe cosmology.
“Constellations”’s expansive themes have led TheaterWorks to completely overhaul its performance space for this production, creating an arena-style viewing experience. The show also features live music. In other aspects, this is not a vast universe: two characters, 75 minutes, no intermission, boy meets girl.
“Constellations” runs Jan. 18 through Feb. 18 at TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl St., Hartford. Performances are Tuesday through Thursday at 7:30 p.m.; Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2:30 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. There is no 2:30 p.m. matinee on Jan. 20. $30-$70, $15 student rush. 860-527-7838 and theaterworkshartford.org.
‘Glass Menagerie’
The Hole in the Wall Theater, 116 Main St., New Britain, is using the cold season to stage the emotionally chilly housebound classic “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams. The cast consists of Matthew Cote as Tom Wingfield, Teresa Langston as imperious mom Amanda Wingfield, Lisa DeAngelis as Laura Wingfield and Reid Sinclair as the gentleman caller. The play premiered on Broadway in 1944 and was filmed in 1950 and 1987, plus TV movies in 1966 and 1973. The role of Amanda Wingfield has been played by everyone from Laurette Taylor to Gertrude Lawrence to Shirley Booth to Katharine Hepburn. Hartford Stage did the play in 1983, starring Jan Miner, and in 2001 with Elizabeth Ashley. The Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven staged “The Glass Menagerie” in 1986 with Joanne Woodward and in 2009 with Judith Ivey.
Teresa Langston’s other leading roles at Hole in the Wall have included the title role in Euripides’ “Medea.”
Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 pm., with a Sunday matinee Jan. 28 at Tickets are $20, $15 for students and seniors. 860-229-3049, hitw.org.
