Editor’s note: Information for A&E was compiled before calls for social distancing. Please confirm details before attending.
‘West Side Story’ in concert
Experience forbidden love, fierce family loyalties and a ruthless feud between two urban street gangs through the iconic music of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.” This legendary, Broadway-shaping musical interpretation of “Romeo and Juliet,” with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, comes to life in two concert performances by the Northwest Indiana Symphony at 7:30 p.m. May 14 and 15 at the Auditorium at Living Hope Church in Merrillville. Guest vocalists and the Symphony Chorus will perform memorable hits, including “Maria,” “Tonight,” “Something's Coming,” “America,” “Cool,” “One Hand, One Heart,” “I Feel Pretty,” “Somewhere” and “A Boy Like That.” Guest vocalists include Brittany Hebel as Maria; Erich Bucholz as Tony; Kate Tombaugh as Anita; and Bill McMurray as Riff. (219) 836-0525 or visit nisorchestra.org.
‘Guys and Dolls’
Considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy, “Guys and Dolls” ran for 1,200 performances when it opened on Broadway in 1950. It received almost unanimous positive reviews and won a bevy of awards, including Tonys, Drama Desks and Oliviers. Frequently revived, the show has been produced with numerous all-star casts. Adapted from Damon Runyon's short stories of the 1920s and ’30s, “Guys and Dolls” is set in a world of gangsters, gamblers and other habitués of a mythical New York underworld. Frank Loesser's brassy, immortal score combined with the Runyonesque dialect makes “Guys and Dolls” a genuine crowd pleaser. See it at the La Porte Little Theatre from May 8 through 17. (219) 362-5113 or laportelittletheatreclub.com.
‘Daddy Long Legs’
A heartwarming Cinderella story about a witty and winsome young woman and her mysterious benefactor, “Daddy Long Legs” is based on the treasured 1912 novel by Jean Webster that inspired a classic 1955 film. Set in turn-of-the-century New England, the musical tells the story of orphan Jerusha Abbott and her mysterious benefactor, who she dubs “Daddy Long Legs” after seeing his elongated shadow. Under the conditions of his largesse, Jerusha sends him a letter once a month, describing her new-found experiences with life outside the orphanage. Cast in the spirit of Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters and “Downton Abbey,” “Daddy Long Legs” features music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominated composer/lyricist Paul Gordon (“Jane Eyre”), and Tony-winning librettist/director John Caird (“Les Misérables”) and is a “rags-to-riches” tale of newfound love. Find it May 1 through 17 at the Towle Theater in Hammond. (219) 937-8780 or towletheater.org.
‘God of Carnage’
Originally produced in French as “Le Dieu du Carnage,” the play by Yasmina Reza is the story of two 11-year-old boys, Ferdinand and Bruno, who get into an argument because Bruno refuses to let Ferdinand join his “gang.” Ferdinand knocks out two of Bruno's teeth with a stick. That night, the parents of both children gather to discuss the matter. Ferdinand's father is a lawyer who is never off his mobile phone; his mother is in “wealth management” (her husband's wealth, to be precise), and consistently wears good shoes. Bruno's father is a self-made wholesaler with an unwell mother. His wife is writing a book about Darfur. As the evening groans on, the meeting degenerates into the four getting into irrational arguments, their discussion falling into the loaded topics of misogyny, racial prejudice and homophobia. The original cast included Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden. All four actors were nominated for 2009 Tony Awards, with Harden winning for Best Leading Actress in a Play, and Reza for Best Director and Best Play. Find it April 17 through May 2 at Chicago Street Theatre in Valparaiso. (219) 464-1636 or visit chicagostreet.org.
Visit the South Shore Arts Regional Calendar for more information on current exhibits, concerts, plays and other arts events at SouthShoreArtsOnline.org.
Click here to read more from the April-May 2020 issue of Northwest Indiana Business Magazine.
