By Karen Bloom
Well-crafted theatrical presentations abound. From revivals to modern comedy, there is something for everyone this summer, ranging from Shakespeare to classic musicals, musical revues, and off-Broadway wackiness.
It’s always fun to watch theater outdoors this time of year, and Lynbrook-based Plaza Theatrical Productions continues its summer tradition of presenting its free productions at local parks. Plaza’s founder Kevin Harrington (a Molloy College alumnus) continues to direct his well-received shows – a staple of the local summer theater season for many years– throughout the area. Plaza Theatrical Productions is in the middle of its run of the musical classic “Camelot.”. It, of course, features that fabulous score, including “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “I Loved You Once In Silence,” “The Lusty Month of May,” and Camelot.” The show visits Eisenhower Park’s Lakeside Theatre on Saturday, July 18, at 7:30 p.m. In addition, it can be seen on Tuesday, July 21, at 8 p m., at Merrick Road Park, in Merrick, and Sunday, July 26, at 4:30 p.m., at East Rockaway Memorial Park, on Atlantic Ave., in East
Rockaway.
Plaza Productions summer schedule continues with “I Left My Heart: A Salute to the Music of Tony Bennett.” This stroll down memory lane is a tribute to the man Frank Sinatra called “the greatest singer in the world.” Relive all those great songs on Wednesday, July 22, at 8 p.m. at Franklin Square’s Rath Park and Thursday, Aug. 13, at 7:30 p.m., at Rockville Centre’s Village Green.
Harrington’s troupe is also known for its summer theater for the kids. This season’s schedule features Willy Wonka!, the musical based on Roald Dahl’s classic story of the candyman, with songs from the film “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” It’s being performed at many locations throughout the area in July and August, including Plaza’s home at the Bellmore Theatre, and outdoors at Freeport’s Nautical Mile Esplanade on Thursday, July 30, at 7:30 p.m.
In August, you'll find Willy Wonka! at East Rockaway Memorial Park. In addition, Plaza Productions is doing Pinocchio at the Capital One Bank Theatre on July 14 and Aug. 18.
It wouldn’t summer without Shakespeare. All the world’s a stage for the Arena Players, who present their annual summer productions in the Vanderbilt Museum's cobblestone courtyard, set against the magnificent backdrop of the historic Vanderbilt Mansion in Centerport. “The Taming of the Shrew” is currently playing, now through July 26. The madcap comedy “The Complete Works of Wilm Shkspr (abridged)” follows, July 31 through Aug. 30. Written by Adam Long, Daniel Singer and Jess Borgenson (with most of the credit going to William Shakespeare), this play strings together Shakespeare’s entire canon with three actors playing all the parts. Performances are presented Friday through Sunday. Theatergoes are encouraged to picnic on the majestic lawns overlooking the Long Island Sound before the show. Another look at the “Taming of the Shrew” is offered by New York Institute of Technology's theater-in-residence, A Small Company In America, weekends in August. This version will include the rarely seen introduction, according to director Scott Jarvis.
More silliness can found from Cultural Arts Playhouse, when it visits Eisenhower Park with “Seussical,” Saturday, July 25, at
7:30 p.m.
Indoors, the Arena Players presents D.R. Coburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “The Gin Game,” now through Aug. 2. Also from Arena Players, the Second Stage Comedy Troupe does improvisational comedy on Saturday nights. The troupe’s unique shows involve dozens of characters with totally made up dialogue on the spot. Audiences control much of the action by suggesting places, objects and
situations.
BroadHollow Theatre Company offers the family hit “Disney’s High School Musical 2,” at East Islip’s BayWay Arts Center, through Aug. 16. Its Elmont venue, at Elmont Public Library, presents another family hit, “Little Women,” through July 26. That is followed by “Driving Miss Daisy” in August. In addition, BroadHollow offers “Hollywood Arms,” the nostalgic story of three generations of women living in a one-room apartment near Hollywood Boulevard, based on the childhood of entertainer Carol Burnett. It opens Saturday and goes through Aug. 8 at the Studio Theatre in Lindenhurst.
“Driving Miss Daisy” also shows up at The Stage in Merrick. Alfred Uhry's Pulitzer Prize-winning play about the relationship between a Jewish Southern matriarch and her African-American driver runs through Aug. 9.
Long Island’s professional theater company, at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, is entertaining audiences with “Crazy For You,” the Tony Award-winning musical comedy inspired by the songs of George and Ira Gershwin, through Aug. 16. Its children’s theater presents “Aladdin,” through
Aug. 15.
Then there’s the Long Island debut of the off-Broadway hit ”Menopause The Musical.” It involves four women who share their ups and downs through a collection of re-lyricized baby boomer songs from the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. See it through Aug. 30 at Port Washington’s Jeanne Rimsky Theater at Landmark on Main Street.
On Stage
Plaza Theatrical Productions, varied locations and times. (516) 599-6780 or (516) 572-0348.
Arena Players at Vanderbilt Museum, 180 Little Neck Rd., Centerport; Second Stage Theatre, 294 Rte. 109, East Farmingdale. (516) 293-0674 or (631) 854-5550 or www.ArenaPlayers.org.
BroadHollow Theater Company's Bayway Arts Center, 265 E. Main St., East Islip; BroadHollow Theatre, 700 Hempstead Tpke., Elmont. (631) 581-2700 or www.broadhollow.org.
John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport. (631) 261-2900.
The Stage, 2222 Hewlett Ave., Merrick. (516) 868-6400.
A Small Company In America, New York Institute of Technology’s Salten Hall, Old Westbury. (516) 686-7894 or www.asmall
company.org.
