This is big week in local theater. You might even think of it as a test or turning point.
Three shows are scheduled to open and two others continue their runs.
The national tour of “Come From Away” opens a week run at Proctors in Schenectady on Tuesday. “Bright Star”, a charming Bluegrass musical created by Steve Martin and Edie Brickel, opens on Thursday at Cohoes Music Hall and on Friday, “Fly,” a story about Black airmen fighting to battle for their country begins previews at Capital Rep in Albany.
Shows already opened and continuing their run are the musical revue “Songs For a New World” playing at Schenectady Light Opera Company and the two-person drama “Fireflies”. Playing at Curtain Call Theatre in Latham, it’s a work that probes the public and private lives of an African-American couple involved in the Civil Rights Movement in 1963.
In other years it would be a bounty of great theater forcing audiences to make tough choices about what shows to attend.
This year, five excellent plays are challenged by the uncertainty of the times.
Cast members are collectively holding their breath and praying no one fails a COVID test that would shut down the production for a day, a week or completely.
Audiences face a similar dilemma. Do you purchase tickets and plan a night out for a show that is not guaranteed to happen?
And, of course, an individual’s personal safety is always a consideration when deciding to leave the security of a life of isolation.
For me, personally, there are few places where - outside my home - I feel safer. Every theater demands proof of vaccination status, masks must be worn indoors and venues have worked out intricate ways to exit a theater to avoid congregating.
Producers all have strict protocols for performers. Tests are administrated regularly - some daily, and actors live in a bubble once they are cast.
“The national tour of “Come From Away” travels the country with 6 standbys to cover a cast of 13. One recent night in Minneapolis 6 standbys went on and they flew a 7th in from the Broadway production. Talk about a production insisting “the show must go on”.
This is a bell weather week to judge the enthusiasm of audiences to attend theater under pandemic conditions.
It appears every play is thoughtful, entertaining and either a lot of fun or powerfully thoughtful.
I saw “Come From Away” twice on Broadway. The story about a small town in Newfoundland embracing and comforting 7,000 strangers left me uplifted each time I saw it.
Bright Star is another feel-good show that is ideal for the cast and space of Playhouse Stage at Cohoes Music Hall. It has a great score and tender plot.
Both “Fly” at Capital Rep and “Fireflies” are socially conscious works about the Black experience in America.
“Songs for a New World” is a delightful song cycle using the songs of Jason Robert Brown. Each song tells a complete story that
ranges from whimsical to heartbreaking.
We are all COVID exhausted and winter weary. It seems to me that the arts are doing everything possible to bring some joy to the community.
I certainly would not suggest anyone attend an event that would make them uncomfortable, let alone place themselves at risk.
However, I would hope that as a community we weigh the risks versus the psychological benefits that come from pleasurable experiences.
In times of darkness, light is a cure. Attending a play, a concert or a classical event is more than an enjoyable event. It is food for the soul and we are all in need of such nourishment.
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record.
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
