Hartford Stage Announces 2008 SummerStage Season of Music and Comedy with Ella and Wishful Drinking
June Features Special Engagement of Elaine Stritch At Liberty
July Swings with Tina Fabrique as Ella Fitzgerald;
August Zings with Carrie Fisher's Hilarious Show-Biz Memoir
April 22, 2008/Hartford, CT . . . The ladies of summer will delight audiences this year as the Tony Award-winning Hartford Stage presents its annual SummerStage season. July brings the swinging sounds of Ella Fitzgerald back to Hartford in Ella, starring the incomparable Tina Fabrique (Crowns). An earlier version of Ella premiered at TheaterWorks in Hartford in 2005; this lushly revamped production is again directed by TheaterWorks Associate Artistic Director Rob Ruggerio. In August, the irreverent Carrie Fisher hits Hartford with her hilarious, no-holds-barred look at her life in show-biz, Wishful Drinking, directed by Tony Taccone. Before SummerStage officially begins in July, a special limited engagement of Elaine Stritch At Liberty, written and performed by one of the all time great ladies of theatre, will play at Hartford Stage from June 24 - 29.
Hartford Stage Artistic Director Michael Wilson says of SummerStage, "Summer is a time when audiences are in the mood for lighter entertainment, and these three productions are sure to make theatregoers laugh, think, and cheer while offering the quality and intimacy our audience expects from Hartford Stage."
About the Ladies of Summer
A brash, incorrigible scene-stealer now entering her sixth decade in a career that has had many highs and lows, veteran Elaine Stritch certainly lives up to the Stephen Sondheim song "I'm Still Here." Debuting on Broadway in 1946, Stritch has since become the toast of both new York and London's West End, collecting a number of trophies on both continents over the years for such award-winning turns as Bus Stop, Sail Away, A Delicate Balance, Show Boat, and Company. At age 83, Elaine is still throwing out zingers on stage, copping the Tony, Drama Desk, Obie, Outer Circle Critics, and New York Drama Critics awards for At Liberty.
The unforgettable Ella Fitzgerald is being brought to life by the incomparable Tina Fabrique. Tina has appeared at Hartford Stage in Crowns, Constant Star, and Spunk. She is well-known to Broadway audiences from her memorable roles in Harlem Song; Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; Ragtime; Gospel at Colonus; and Truly Blessed. She has been seen around the country on tour in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Once On This Island, The Wiz, South Pacific, and Bubbling Brown Sugar. We are thrilled to welcome her home to Hartford and Hartford Stage.
The daughter of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, Carrie Fisher became a cultural icon when she starred as Princess Leia in the first Star Wars trilogy. Her star-studded career includes roles in countless films such as Austin Powers, The Blues Brothers, Hannah and her Sisters, Shampoo, When Harry Met Sally and Wonderland. Fisher's first novel, Postcards from the Edge, leapt onto The New York Times' bestseller list-and she turned it into a screenplay for a hit film starring Shirley MacLaine and Meryl Streep. Fisher followed this with three more bestsellers: The Best Awful, Delusions of Grandma and Surrender the Pink. Her television credits range from Laverne and Shirley to Jack and Bobby, and she hosted her own show on the Oxygen network, Conversations from the Edge. Her experiences with addiction and mental illness-and her willingness to speak honestly about them-have made her a sought after speaker and respected advocate for this community.
Special Event! Limited Six-night Engagement
Elaine Stritch At Liberty
Winner • 2002 Tony Award
Written and Performed by Elaine Stritch
June 24 - 29, 2008
Having stolen so many moments on stage that she could be convicted of grand larceny, this tough but charming "Broadway Baby" with the still-shapely legs and deep whiskey voice isn't quitting anytime soon. She became the toast of Broadway for her award winning turns in Bus Stop, Pal Joey, Company and Showboat. At Liberty chronicles her notorious private life. - add to that a fair share of Hollywood gossip all joyously packaged with show-stopping songs and you have Elaine Stritch At Liberty. Truly one of a kind!
The 2008 SummerStage season
Tina Fabrique in
Ella
Book by Jeffrey Hatcher
Conceived by Rob Ruggiero and Dyke Garrison
Directed by Rob Ruggiero
July 8 - 27, 2008
A musical portrait of The First Lady of Song! Tina Fabrique (Crowns) portrays the legendary Ella Fitzgerald in this toe-tapping night of theatre featuring such classics as That Old Black Magic, A Tiskit, A Tasket and They Can't Take That Away From Me.
Produced in collaboration with the Connecticut Theatre Festival, Dean Adams, Producing Artistic Director. Made possible with the generous assistance of the Louise Willson Trust.
Wishful Drinking
Written and Performed by Carrie Fisher
Directed by Tony Taccone
August 6 - 17, 2008
Carrie Fisher is coming to Hartford to dish the dirt about, well, Carrie Fisher. From celebrity parents (Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher) to her iconic screen role of Princess Leia in Star Wars, from her tempestuous marriage to Paul Simon to her own battles with alcohol, she's holding nothing back. Especially the laughs!
Tickets for the limited engagement of Elaine Stritch At Liberty are $40 - $75; intimate cabaret seating with table service is available. Please note that EZ Tix cannot be used to book tickets for Elaine Stritch At Liberty. Tickets for the SummerStage productions of Ella and Wishful Drinking are $26 - $55. A limited number of $10 "Ten Spot" tickets are also available for all performances of Ella and Wishful Drinking, making Hartford Stage among the most affordable entertainment options in Connecticut. Hartford Stage has wheelchair accessible seating, assistive listening devices and other amenities. For more information, please call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit hartfordstage.org. Hartford Stage is located at 50 Church Street in downtown Hartford with parking located in the MAT Garage, directly adjacent to the theatre. The theatre is easily accessible from I-84 and I-91.