Best Fall Theatre, Dance & Comedy 2018

admin Posted OnAugust 24, 2018

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Best Fall Theatre, Dance & Comedy 2018: From the Church Lady to Frankenstein, Cole Porter to juggling kangaroos, Stormy Daniels to A Man and his Prostate, the fall performing arts calendar has all your favorites.

Anthony Rodia Live, White Plains Performing Arts Center, Fri-Sat, 9/7-8: 8pm: Paesano Entertainment presents Anthony Rodia Live with special guest appearances by Uncle Vinny and Zia Lucia. A 2-hour comedy show with headliner Anthony Rodia, hosted by Davey Lozano, featuring Darren Rivera, Mikey C & Zia Michelina plus Rocco The Comic (Saturday only). (11 City Place, 3^rd Floor, White Plains; www.wppac.com)

An Evening With Groucho, Paramount Hudson Valley – Sun, 9/9: 7pm: Award-winning actor and Director Frank Ferrante recreates his PBS, New York and London acclaimed portrayal of Groucho Marx in this 90 minute two-act comedy. The show draws in the likes of Charley Chaplin, WC Fields, Margaret Dumont, Louis B. Mayer and his brothers. It includes some of his best one-liners, anecdotes and songs including “Hooray for Captain Spalding” and “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady”. (1008 Brown St., Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Dana Carvey, The Humans are Fantastic Tour, Ridgefield Playhouse, Wed, 9/12: 8pm: See SNL and Wayne’s World legendary comedian, Dana Carvey at the intimate Ridgefield Playhouse. What’s your favorite Dana Carvey character? Church Lady? Hans of Hans and Franz? Or Garth, Wayne’s excellent co-host of Wayne’s World? What’s your fave Carvey impression? George HW Bush? Ross Perot? Johnny Carson? Or Casey Casum? (80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, Ct; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Phantom, Westchester Broadway Theatre, Thurs, 9/13-Sun 10/25: check times: When Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit won the 1982 Tony Award for Best Musical for Nine, actor/director Geoffrey Holder commissioned them to turn The Phantom of the Opera into a musical. But before they could get it to Broadway, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom premiered in London. And the rest is history. Though Yeston & Kopek’s Phantom never made it to Broadway it has received over 1000 productions worldwide. See “The Other Phantom” here. (One Broadway Plaza, Elmsford; www.broadwaytheatre.com)

Robin, The Ultimate Robin Williams Tribute, Fri, 9/14: 8pm: Master impressionist Roger Kabler pays tribute to the comedic genius of the late Robin Williams in this show to benefit suicide prevention organizations. Featuring Bill Kirchenbauer from Mork & Mindy, Just the Ten of Us, and Airplane. (80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, Ct; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

The First Ladies Coalition, North Castle Public Library, Sat, 9/15: 3pm: In Ginger Grace’s one-woman show, four first ladies are woven into the tale of Colleen McCracken, a seamstress, ex-con and domestic violence survivor. Ms. Grace’s impersonations of Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson and Mary Todd Lincoln are inspired by her experience playing first ladies from Jackie Kennedy to Hillary Clinton with Rich Little in The Presidents. Ms. Grace performed TFLC at The Schoolhouse Theatre in Croton Falls where she also starred in Eleanor Roosevelt’s Secret Journey. (19 Whippoorwill Rd. East, Armonk; www.northcastlelibrary.org)

Frankenstein, Aquila Theatre, White Plains Performing Arts Center, Fri-Sat, 9/21-22: 8pm: Aquila Theatre of London takes on Mary Shelly’s classic tale of a scientist’s mission to create an artificial human. The New York Times called the Aquila Theatre Company “a classically trained, modernly hip troupe…” The New Yorker wrote that the Aquila Theatre makes the classics “relevant with superb acting and clever staging.” (Photo courtesy Lois Greenfield) (11 City Place, 3^rd Floor, White Plains; www.wppac.com)

Lewis Black, The Joke’s On Us Tour, Paramount Hudson Valley, Thurs, 9/27: 8pm: Lewis Black, the Grammy Award-winning stand-up comedian returns to our area with his new show, The Joke’s On Us. Hailed as the “king of rant”, Black performs over 200 times each year with his critically acclaimed style of animated finger-pointing, skewering anything that gets under his skin. (1008 Brown St. Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Forbidden Broadway, Arc Stages Pleasantville, Fri, 9/28-Sat, 10/13: check times: This uproarious musical roast of Broadway that has picked up 9 Drama Desk Awards, a Special Tony®, an Obie, a Lucille Lortel and Drama League Award, features outrageous costumes, hilarious rewrites of the songs you know, and dead-on impressions by a stellar cast! Here, it is directed by William Selby who has starred in it in 11 cities (including NYC) and directed it in 12 more. (147 Wheeler Ave., Pleasantville; www.arcstages.org)

Big and Tall, White Plains Performing Arts Center, Fri, 9/28: 8pm: Emmy Award-winning actress and comedian and star of the long-running Off Broadway hit 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother teams up with Bruce Vilanch for a comedy double header. Bruce, whose comedy draws on his years as a Hollywood Insider is an Emmy Award-winning writer for the Academy Awards, writing for Best Fall Theatre, Dance & Comedy 2018 hosts Billy Crystal, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin. (11 City Place, 3^rd Floor, White Plains; www.wppac.com)

Ed Asner: A Man and his Prostate, Ridgefield Playhouse, Sun, 9/30: 4pm: Ed Asner, the legendary Lou Grant on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, stars in this true life comedy stage play written by Emmy Award-winning writer Ed Weinberger. Who else would you cast to make a play about your prostate funny? (80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, Ct; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

October

Love Linda, The Life of Mrs. Cole Porter, Schoolhouse Theater, Fri, 10/5-Sun, 10/14: check times: Acclaimed jazz vocalist Stevie Holland’s one-woman musical tells the story of Linda Lee Thomas, the Southern belle who married and was a driving force for 35 years behind the legendary songwriter Cole Porter at the dawn of the Roaring Twenties. The score includes Porter classics including “Night and Day”, “I Love Paris”, “In the Still of the Night” and “Love For Sale”. (3 Owens Rd., North Salem; www.schoolhousetheater.org)

Paul Reiser, Paramount Hudson Valley, Fri, 10/5: 8pm: One of Comedy Central’s Top 100 Comedians of All Time, Reiser has also had a prolific career in TV and film. Best known for his starring role in the TV hit Mad About You, Reiser has also created memorable characters in movies including Barry Levinson’s iconic Diner, Aliens, One Night at McCools and Beverly Hills Cop I & II. (1008 Brown St. Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Paula Poundstone, Ridgefield Playhouse, Sat, 10/6: 8pm: Number 88 on Comedy Central’s list of the 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of All Time, Poundstone was the first female comedienne to win a CableAce Award for her HBO Special Cats, Cops and Stuff. She followed up on HBO with Paula Poundstone Goes to Harvard and a Bravo special Paula Poundstone: Look What The Cat Dragged In. She is a regular panelist on NPR’s #1 show, Wait, Wait…Don’t Tell Me! (80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, Ct; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Fun Home, White Plains Performing Arts Center, Fri, 10/12-Sun/10/28: check times: The winner of five 2015 Tony Awards® including Best Musical and Best Score, Fun Home, is based on Alison Bechdel’s best-selling graphic memoir. This groundbreaking production introduces us to Alison at three different ages, revealing memories of her uniquely dysfunctional family that connect with her in surprising new ways. (11 City Place, 3^rd Floor, White Plains; www.wppac.com)

Constellations, Hudson Stage Company, Whippoorwill Hall Theatre Armonk, Fri, 10/19-Sat, 11/3: check times: Armonk’s only equity theatre, the Hudson Stage Company takes on Nick Payne’s Constellations that premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in 2012 and premiered on Broadway at The Manhattan Theatre Club in 2015. The play that follows the romantic relationship of a beekeeper and a cosmologist, features the repetition of brief scenes, often with different outcomes. It won the playwright the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Play at the age of 29 – the youngest winner ever. (19 Whippoorwill Rd. East, Armonk; www.hudsonstage.com)

Lee DeLaria, Performing Arts Center, Sat, 10/20: 8pm: “Big Boo” on the Netflix hit Orange is the New Black, brings her live show to The PAC for one night only. Her new show features hits from her latest album House Of David: delaria+bowie=jazz, and shows off not just DeLaria’ s comic genius but her spectacular vocal range. “[DeLaria] swings hard, and scats and bends notes in a style that suggests a no-frills Betty Carter on steroids.” The New York Times (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Gilbert Gottfried, Ridgefield Playhouse, Sun, 10/21: 8pm: A fixture of the Comedy Central roasts, Gottfried has logged stand-up appearances on “The Tonight Show,” “Late Night with David Letterman” and others. He’s also a frequent guest on Howard Stern. (80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, Ct; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Ladies of Laughter, Emelin Theatre, Fri, 10/26: 8pm: Four Ladies of Laughter competition winners team up for a night of stand-up. Including Jane Condon who won the Audience Favorite Award on Last Comic Standing; Regina Decicco, who performs regularly at Comic Strip Live; Chris Rich from Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, and Olga Namer, the LOL 2018 winner. (136 Palmer Ave., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

Robert Klein, Paramount Hudson Valley, Sat, 10/27: 8pm: You need to be an accountant to keep track of Robert Klein’s career accolades. Rolling Stone ranked Klein No. 28 on their list of The 50 Best Stand-Up Comics of All Time and his HBO Special No. 10 on their list of Best Stand-Up Specials and Movies. Spin Magazine ranked his iconic 1973-comedy album A Child of the Fifties the 27th Best Comedy Album of all Time. But who’s counting? He wowed ‘em in Chappaqua with his famous “Colonoscopy Song”. And, of course, “I Can’t Stop My Leg”. (1008 Brown St. Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

Nellie McKay, Emelin Theatre, Sat, 10/27: 8pm: Jazz pianist and singer/songwriter, Nellie McKay returns to the Emelin for an evening of cabaret. Hailed by The NYT’s as a big “talent”, McKay won a Theatre World Award for her portrayal of Polly Peachum in The Threepenny Opera on Broadway. Her film-work includes roles in PS I Love You and Downtown Express. (136 Palmer Ave., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

November

Senescence, Axial Theatre Pleasantville, Fri-Sun, 11/2-18: check times: The Axial Theatre celebrates its 20^th season with a new play from Axial founder Howard Meyer. The play tells the tale of three childhood friends from the toxic oil refinery town of Linden, NJ. Meyer’s most recent work, Paint Made Flesh, just completed a run at The Cell in Manhattan; it was a semi-finalist at the 2015 O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. (St. John’s Episcopal Church, 8 Sunnyside Ave., Pleasantville; www.axialtheatre.org)

The Undeportables, Paramount Hudson Valley, Fri, 11/2: 8pm: Comedians Jesus Sepulveda, Jose Sarduy and Jerry Garcia are too funny to deport. Sepulveda was a top finalist on the NBC Diversity Showcase in 2015; Garcia won the Best Comedian Awards in both the San Diego and Los Angeles Comedy Festivals in the same week. They made their Netflix debuts last June in Chingo Bling’s comedy special. (1008 Brown St. Peekskill; www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

NW Dance Project, Performing Arts Center, Fri, 11/2: 8pm: PAC’s 2018-19 dance series kicks off with a performance from dancer and choreographer Sarah Slipper’s NW Dance Project who has premiered over 190 original contemporary dance works. Dance International Magazine called them “a laboratory, factory and repository for risk-taking new works from the next generation of choreographers from Europe and North America.” (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Joe Matarese, The Poster’s Wrong, Emelin Theatre, Sat, 11/10: 8pm: This Westchester comedian appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, got a standing ovation on America’s Got Talent and had his own special on Comedy Central Presents. (136 Palmer Ave., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)

Bebe Neuwirth: Stories & Song with Piano, Ridgefield Playhouse, Sat, 11/10: 8pm: From her Broadway debut in A Chorus Line to Chicago, Cheers, Frasier and Madame Secretary, Neuwirth’s career has been distinguished in theatre, television and film. In this special performance, “Stories With Piano,” she and accompanist Scott Cady perform a collection of musical tales. (80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, Ct; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Tim Allen, The Palace Stamford, Thurs, 11/15: 8pm: Before he was the star of the long-running ABC hit series Home Improvement, Golden Globe. Emmy Award Winner and 8-time Peoples Choice Award-winner for Favorite Male performer in a TV series, Tim Allen honed his skills doing stand-up comedy. Here, Allen returns to the stage with a new show of stand-up routines after an iconic film career in big-screen hits like toy Story, Santa Clause and Wild Hogs. (61 Atlantic St., Stamford, Ct; www.palacestamford.org)

Stormy Daniels Alert! The Capitol Steps: Make America Grin Again Tour, Ridgefield Playhouse Fri, 11/16: 8pm: The Capitol Steps return to The Playhouse after sold-shows in 2016 & 2017 with their new show Make America Grin Again. It’s amazing. It’s huge. It’s fabulous. Hear from Donald Trump and Don Jr., Jeff Sessions, Mike Pence, Paul Ryan as they make comedy great again. With a special guest appearance by Stormy Daniels! Buy your tickets now and stimulate the economy! (80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, Ct; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Circa: Carnival of the Animals, Performing Arts Center, Sun, 11/18: 3pm: The Circa Carnival, one of the world’s leading performance companies, takes you on a whimsical circus escapade inspired by Camille Saint-Saëns’ delightful salute to feathers, fur, and fins. Circa’s acrobats bring this classical music suite to life with juggling “zebras”, somersaulting “kangaroos” and “elephants” with street-cred and rhythm for a whole new generation of circus, music, and animal lovers. (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

December

The Rainbow Fish, Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Performing Arts Center, Sun, 12/2: 3pm: The acclaimed Mermaid Theatre, that has earned international acclaim for its unique interpretation of Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar, presents this original stage adaptation of Marcus Pfister’s award-winning book The Rainbow Fish. The performance also includes two of the author’s companion tales, Rainbow Fish Discovers the Deep Sea and Opposites, (735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase; www.artscenter.org)

Maria Bamford, Tarrytown Music Hall, Fri, 12/7: 8pm: A 2014 American Comedy Award-winner for Best Club Comic, Bamford’s life story is the subject of the Netflix series Lady Dynamite in which she plays the starring role. Bamford played DeBrie Bardeaux, Tobias Funke’s love interest in season 4 of Arrested Development. Bamford is also a voice actress whose work includes Stuart Little 2, Charlotte’s Web 2, Barnyard and Heckler. (13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytonmusichall.org)

Louie Anderson, Emelin Theatre, Fri, 12/14: 8pm: A three-time Emmy Award winner, Louie Anderson was named one of the 100 Greatest Comedian of All Time by Comedy Central. He made his TV debut in 1984 on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and has since appeared on Leno, Letterman, Craig Ferguson and Stephen Colbert. A former host of the game show Family Feud, he has had featured roles in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and Coming to America with Eddie Murphy. (136 Palmer Ave., Mamaroneck; www.emelin.org)