Summer Theatre & Comedy

admin Posted OnMay 10, 2016

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Summer Theatre & Comedy: Happy Days. Shakespeare. Shakespeare. The Producers. Shakespeare. Shakespeare. Million Dollar Quartet. Shakespeare. Shakespeare. Plus, Bill Maher. Bob Saget, Paula Poundstone, Colin Jost, D.L. Hughley and more funny stuff that wasn’t written by William Shakespeare.

Theatre

Happy Days – Westchester Broadway Theatre: Grab your poodle skirt, saddle shoes and the kids, and take a rock & roll trip down memory lane! In this new musical, based on the television series and written by its creator, Garry Marshall; Richie, Potsie, and “The Fonz” team up to save Arnold’s Malt Shop from going into the dustbins of history by staffing a dance contest. The show features 21 songs written by Oscar and Grammy winning songwriter Paul Williams including the series’ theme song. “These happy days are your and mine (oh Happy Days.)” Thurs, 5/5 – Sun, 7/17: check times. (One Broadway Plaza, Elmsford, NY; www.broadwaytheatre.com)

Free! Shakespeare in the Park – Delacorte Theatre: The Taming of the Shrew: Olivier Award-nominee, Cush Jumbo (Josephine and I, The River) and Tony and Olivier Award-winner Janet McTeer (A Doll’s House, Mary Stuart) star in Phyllida Lloyd’s all-female production of Shakespeare’s “Shrew” in Central Park. Sun, 5/24-Fri, 6/26: 8pm. Troilus and Cressida: Tony-winning director Daniel Sullivan (Proof, Cymbeline) takes on Shakespeare’s drama about romance (Troilus and Cressida) and revenge (Ajax, Ulysses, Achilles) during the Trojan War. Sun, 7/19-Fri, 8/14: 8pm. (Delacorte Theatre in Central Park; www.publictheatre.org)

How To Bury a Saint – Schoolhouse Theatre: Patsy wants in at the bocce club, but it’s men only. Louis wants out of the funeral business, but that would mean growing up. Lucy wants her mother’s meatball recipe-and some respect. This inter-generational comedy explores the gravity of family traditions and how finding your way home takes more than a map: You may need sharp objects and a shot of Anisette. Written by Janice Maffei. Directed by Bram Lewis. Preview Performance, Wed, 6/1: 8pm. Thurs-Sun, 6/2-19: 8pm, 3pm on Sun, (Schoolhouse Theatre, 3 Owens Rd., Croton Falls; www.schoolhousetheatre.org)

Local! The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged – The Armonk Players: “37 plays … 97 minutes … 100’s of laughs.” The Armonk Players conclude their 2015-16 season with one of the world’s most frequently produced plays. In this fast-paced, witty romp, with a surfeit of physical humor, directed by Pia Haas, three actors race through 37 of the Bard’s plays in comedic fashion for Shakespeare lovers and haters alike. Fri-Sun, 6/3-5 & Thurs-Sat, 6/9-11: 8pm – 4pm on Sun. (Whippoorwill Hall, North Castle Public Library, 19 Whippoorwill Rd. East, Armonk; www.armonkplayers.org)

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival – Boscobel: With its breathtaking views of the Hudson River, Boscobel provides the perfect setting for the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s summer season. For more than 25 years, the Festival has been the only resident Shakespeare Company in the Hudson Valley. This year they will present Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Measure for Measure and Macbeth. There will also be three performances of So Please You, a family-friendly comedy that tells Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival Boscobel Tent the tale of Denis, a servant in As You Like It. Zachary Fine, who conceived this HVSF describes it as a “tragical-comical, comical-tragical” rich in the art of clowning and drawing on text from many Shakespeare plays. The festival concludes with four performances of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. Tues 6/7-Mon, 9/5: check times. (Boscobel, 1601 Rt. 9D, Garrison; www.hvsf.org)

Hamlet – Shakespeare on the Sound: Shakespeare on the Sound takes on Hamlet, the bard’s great tragedy of revenge, indecision and madness where all your favorite characters (or most of them) wind up dead. If only Gertrude and Claudius would have slowed their hasty march to the altar upon King Hamlet’s death. But no! They couldn’t wait! The play will be produced in the “round” as the “groundlings did at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater 400 years ago. You can stake out your picnic space for this FREE! presentation as early as 4pm. Thurs, 6/16-Sun, 7/3: 7:30pm. Mondays are dark! (Pinckney Park, 33 Highland Ave, Norwalk; www.shakespeareonthesound.org)

Local! The Producers – NCPL: Armonk’s third and newest resident theatre company, Spotlight Theatre, presents The Producers, Mel Brooks’ hit Broadway musical comedy, where Max Bialystock, the down on his luck Broadway producer and Leo Bloom, the genial accountant try to strike it rich by with the worst script and cast they can find – only to come up with a smash hit that leaves them broke and doing time in prison. Fri-Sun, 6/17-26: 8pm, 3pm on Sun. (Whippoorwill Hall, North Castle Public Library, 19 Whippoorwill Rd., East, Armonk; www.stpny.com)

Free! Shakespeare on the Green – As You Like It: Stamford’s professional theatre company, Curtain Call’s annual free Shakespeare productions are performed on a scaled-down version of the Globe Theatre stage nestled among the pine trees of the Sterling Farms Complex in Stamford. The park opens 90 minutes before the performance for picnicking. This year’s production is Shakespeare’s pastoral comedy set in France, As You Like It – famous for the “All the world’s a stage” speech. Thurs-Sun, 7/7-17: 7:30pm. (Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford; www.curtaincallinc.com)

Million Dollar Quartet – Westchester Broadway Theatre: The smash hit musical inspired by the famed 1956 recording session in Memphis that brought together Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. Featuring a score of rock hits including “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Fever”, “That’s All Right”, “Great Balls Of Fire”, “Walk The Line”, “Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Goin’ On”, “Hound Dog” and much more. Tues, 7/21-Fri, 9/11: check dates and times. (Westchester Broadway Theatre, One Broadway Plaza, Elmsford; www.broadwaytheatre.com)

Local! The Wizard of Oz – Theatre in the Sanctuary at Westmoreland Sanctuary: Director Denise Simon presents a magical interactive production of The Wizard Of Oz that takes audiences on the yellow brick road in the Sanctuary’s woods as they meet Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, Toto, Glinda, the Wicked Witch, the Munchkins and more. Auditions are May 18-19. Fri-Sun, 7/22-24 & 7/29-31: 6:30pm, 2onm on Sunday. (Westmoreland Sanctuary, 260 Chestnut Ridge Rd., Mt. Kisco; www.westmorelandsanctuary.org)

Comedy

Sarah Silverman – Ridgefield Playhouse: The two–time Emmy Award winner Sarah Silverman is best known for her politically incorrect humor and courting controversy through stand-up specials. Wed, 6/1: 8PM. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Hooking Up With The Second City – Tarrytown Music Hall: The Second City celebrates 55 years of cutting-edge satirical revues that have launched the careers of comedy stars, including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Gilda Radner, Bill Murray and more! Fri, 6/3: 8pm. (Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Laughing Out Loud: A Night of Stand-Up Comedy – Emelin: With Shaun Eli Breidbart, “one of America’s smartest comedians”; Adrienne Iapaluccci, a semi-finalist on NBC’s Last Comic Standing; Will Julian, a first prize winner at Montreal’s Just for Laughs Comedy Festival; edgy urban comedienne Celeste Joseph Jennings and New York Underground Festival featured act, the “kinda hip Jewboy” Doug Adler. Sat, 6/4: 8pm. (Emelin Theatre, 153 Library Lane, Mamaroneck; www.emelintheatre.org)

Chris Hardwick’s Idiot Tour – Tarrytown Music Hall: Hardwick’s Nerdist Podcast nets 6.9M downloads per month and has attracted Tom Hanks, Mel Brooks, Judd Apatow, Tom Cruise, and Sir Paul McCartney as guests. He is the host of Comedy Central’s Emmy Award-winning @ midnight with Chris Hardwick and his new comedy special, Chris Hardwick: Funcomfortable recently aired on Comedy Central. Tues, 6/7: 7pm. (Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Flight of the Conchords – Capitol Theatre: They used to refer to themselves as “New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo.” Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement bring the musical comedy act that garnered Best Alternative Comedy Act at the 2005 US Comedy Arts Festival for them … and a cult following to Port Chester. Thurs, 6/9: 8pm. (Capitol Theatre, 149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; www.capitoltheatre.com)

Paul Reiser – Paramount Hudson Valley: The Mad About You star returns to his comedy roots! His observational comedy drills down into the minutia of life, tackling everything from married life to the joys of getting old. Oy, remember when he was so young and cute in Barry Levinson’s movie Diner? Fri, 6/10: 8pm. (Paramount Hudson Valley, 1008 Brown St., Peekskill: www.paramounthudsonvalley.com)

JB Smoove – Ridgefield Playhouse: Former host of Last Comic Standing launched his career with his breakout role on Curb Your Enthusiasm. On the big screen he has appeared in Date Night with Summer Theatre & Comedy Steve Carell, The Sitter with Jonah Hill, The Dictator with Sacha Baren Cohen and more. Wed, 6/18: 8PM. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

D.L. Hughley – Ridgefield Playhouse: Star of the hit TV show The Hughleys, and one of the standout comedians on the docu-film The Original Kings of Comedy, D.L. Hughley brings his comedic riffs on nosy white neighbors and current politics (oh boy!) to the Ridgefield Playhouse. Thurs, 6/23: 8PM. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Paula Poundstone – Tarrytown Music Hall: One of Comedy Central’s 100 greatest stand-ups of all time, Paula Poundstone won an American Comedy Award for Best Female Standup Comic, and in 2010 she was one of a select group voted into the Comedy Hall of Fame. You can hear her in the new Disney Pixar film Inside Out opening on June 19th. Sat, 6/25: 8pm. (Tarrytown Music Hall, 13 Main St., Tarrytown; www.tarrytownmusichall.org)

Bob Saget – Ridgefield Playhouse: Best known for his TV roles on Full House and Americas Funniest Home Videos, Bob Saget has a darker side that comes out in his R-rated stand-up routines that have garnered multiple Grammy-nominations and an acclaimed HBO special That Ain’t Right. Fri, 7/8: 8PM. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Bill Maher – Capitol Theatre: Bill Maher needs no introduction. The man who gained notoriety with his Comedy Central/ABC show Politically Incorrect in the 90s is having the time of his life in the age of Trump. Twice Emmy-nominated for his HBO stand-up specials … he will do his best to offend and make you laugh in Port Chester. Sat, 7/9: 8pm. (Capitol Theatre, 149 Westchester Ave., Port Chester; www.capitoltheatre.com)

Colin Jost – Ridgefield Playhouse: SNL’s current Weekend Update co-anchor has been nominated for multiple Emmy Awards for his writing on Summer Theatre & Comedy SNL. See him do stand-up here. Fri, 7/22: 8PM. (Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT; www.ridgefieldplayhouse.org)