In the Wings

The producers at Hudson Stage Company announced today that the spring show at Pace/Briarcliff’s Woodward Hall Theater will be Lanford Wilson’s “Talley’s Folly,” a two-hander about love and loss between a rural Missouri woman and a Jewish accountant from St. Louis.

The winner of the Pulitzer Prize, it will be directed at Hudson Stage by Dan Foster, who last fall stepped in to direct a wickedly funny production of “God of Carnage.”

Previews are April 27 for an April 28 opening of a three-weekend run. Closes May 12. Tickets at Smarttix.com. $35, $30 students and seniors. Groups pay less, as do those with Pace ID.

Before “Talley’s Folly”—at 7:30 p.m. on on Feb. 10—is a staged reading of the new play by Charlotte Miller, “Raising Jo,” directed by Croton’s Evan Yionoulis. $10 door donation with a Q&A to follow.

At 7:30 p.m., March 22, it’s the annual Young Playwrights Festival, in collaboration with Briarcliff H.S. Ingeniously titled “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Memorized,” the evening of one-acts is written, directed and performed by Briarcliff students. $10 at the door.

For more information on all events, see the Hudson Stage Company website  or call the HSC hotline 914-271-2811.

When the Family Theater Production of “Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” pushes off the shore next week on a monthlong run at Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford, it’ll be led by two 24-year-olds who took entirely different journeys to the dinner-theater stage.

The musical — based on Mark Twain’s tale of race and class in America, set to music and lyrics by Roger Miller — tells the story of Huck and runaway slave Jim and the people they encounter on a raft on the Mississippi. Timed to coincide with February’s Black History Month — “Big River” is directed by John Fanelli, of Thornwood’s Lighthouse Youth Arts Center, where many of the cast’s young actors study.

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Yes, there’s the opening of “Antics Roadshow” sketch comedy (Ship of Fools Productions) in Nyack and the dark “The Wild Party” (Little Radical Theatrics) in White Plains, but there are other shows running this weekend, too. Here’s a sampling from across the Lower Hudson Valley:

Present at the creation

The Westchester Sandbox Theatre presents Stephen Schwartz’s musical “Children of Eden” about Adam, Eve, an apple and Noah. Weekends through Feb. 5. 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m., Sundays. And a special matinee on Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. $25, $22 for students and seniors. 931C E. Boston Post Road, Mamaroneck. 914-630-0804. (Above, Jillian Soares is Eve, in a Dan Ferrante photo.)

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Michael Mirra’s Little Radical Theatrics — a troupe that scratches a theatrical niche for actors between high school and community theater — has done some pretty dark musicals over the past few years: “Sweeney Todd,” “Reefer Madness” and, this weekend, the Westchester premiere of Andrew Lippa’s “The Wild Party,” a show about a Roaring Twenties blowout that includes prostitutes, booze, lust, jealousy and gunplay.

It begs the question: Are the kids all right?

“The kids are all right,” Mirra says with a big laugh. “I assure you. We are so totally all right.”

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Dana Duff, Brianne Higgins and Brooke Malloy — the women of Ship of Fools Productions — finish each other’s sentences and constantly make each other laugh.

Which is a good thing, considering their company’s first outing is this weekend’s “Antics Roadshow,” an evening of original sketch-comedy akin to “Saturday Night Live.”

Antrim Playhouse subscribers know about “Antrim Antics,” three productions of which graced the tiny stage in Wesley Hills. This time out, the condensed “Antics” are hitting the road, coming to east to an even tinier stage at Richard Quinn’s Nyack Village Theatre, upstairs at 94 Main St.

“Roadshow” puts pop culture on its head, with sketches about those pampered and precocious 6-year-old girls in tiaras on TV, about gangsta husbands, about words that sound dirty, unintentionally, and more. As such, it’s best for mature audiences.

The cast of 17 is accompanied by keyboardist David Budway, Higgins’ husband, direct from a CD release in Pittsburgh.

Asked which sketches she likes best, Malloy shoots a glance at Duff and Higgins, pauses for effect and declares: “All of ones I’m in are the best.”

Laughter all around.

Pressed for a less diva-esque answer, she chooses Higgins’ sketch, “The Lord Is My Shepherd,” as a favorite. In it, churchgoers recite “there is nothing I shall want” and then their inner thoughts and wants are revealed.

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John Cariani doesn’t make a habit of stopping by productions of his charming play “Almost, Maine,” but he’ll make an exception on Saturday when he visits Nyack’s Elmwood Playhouse to see the show and take part in a post-show Q&A.

“Peter Danish is involved with the show and he’s a friend of mine and a good guy and he asked so I’m coming to Nyack,” the playwright and 2004 Tony nominee said. “I’ve seen school productions and professional productions, but I don’t know that I’ve seen a community-theater production of it. This’ll be among the first. I hope they do a good job.”

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Wiley Hausam, the director of the Purchase College PAC,  is headed west to open at new performing arts hall at Stanford University.

Before he leaves — he starts his new job on Feb. 1 — I asked him to answer a few questions about his experience at Purchase, his home away from home for 3 1/2 years. Consider it his “exit interview.”

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Wiley Hausam, who directs Purchase College’s PAC, is heading west to become managing director of Stanford University’s yet-unopened Bing Concert Hall, the university announced this week.

Hausam came to Purchase in 2008, having run NYU’s Skirball Center.

Once here, he ushered in changes at the PAC, holding annual galas that included opportunities for donors to press the flesh with performers including Patti LuPone, Lang Lang, Bill T. Jones and Pinchas Zuckerman. This year’s gala included Audra McDonald, now on Broadway in “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”

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Jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli has made a career putting his own spin on songs written when he was just a twinkle in his father’s eye: works made popular by Nat Cole, Frank Sinatra, Richard Rodgers and Duke Ellington.

“The idea is that the music is not finite,” says Pizzarelli, the son of guitar great Bucky Pizzarelli. “Everybody has a way of expressing themselves with this music and I hope that we bring something to the table.”

Having recharged his batteries holidaying at his country home in Putnam County, Pizzarelli plays two sets tomorrow night at Mamaroneck’s Emelin Theatre, joined by his quartet: his brother, Martin, on bass; Larry Fuller on piano; Tony Tedesco on drums; with Pizzarelli on guitar and vocals.

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Been crazy busy filling in on the Weekend section and not out and about seeing shows. But there’s hope on the horizon, as groups start cranking up their winter/spring offerings. And those High School Musicals are not far off.

First, a look at this weekend. Here’s today’s story:

100-minute ‘Hamlet’ set to tour Westchester, Bronx

For more than a decade, Red Monkey Theater Group has been looking at Shakespeare from all sides.

The group, led by Tal Aviezer (at right, in a photo by Carolyn J. Fuchs) and in residence at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, begins a touring production this week of an intermissionless 100-minute retelling of the bard’s richest tragedy.

“Hamlet” will tour four venues in Westchester and one in the Bronx this month.

“I think that one of the reasons we come to the theater is to recognize ourselves,” Aviezer says. “And I think that one of the reasons that Hamlet is such an enduring character is that people from all walks of life, of all ages and nationalities, have recognized their essential humanity in him.”

Aviezer will certainly recognize himself in Red Monkey’s “Hamlet”: The director is also playing the leading role.

The tour opens Jan. 14 at 1:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site in Mount Vernon, tickets for which are free.

Subsequent performances:

8 p.m. Jan. 14 and 20 at Mercy College Bronx Campus’ French Family Auditorium. ($18; $15 seniors and students);

4 p.m. Jan. 15 at Larchmont Temple, Larchmont. ($20; $15 seniors and students);

2 p.m. Jan. 22 at Bendheim Performing Arts Center in Scarsdale. ($20; $15 seniors and students);

8 p.m. Jan. 27 and 28 at Rochambeau School Theater, White Plains, in conjunction with Fort Hill Players. ($15.)

For tickets and more information, call 914-693-1646 or go to the Red Monkey Theatre website.

‘Almost’ here

Elmwood Playhouse presents John Cariani’s charming stories about all sorts of love in the faraway town of “ “Almost, Maine.” Directed by Alison Costello. Opens Friday at 8. Runs weekends through Feb. 4. $21; $18 for seniors and students. (No discounts on Saturdays.) 10 Park St., Nyack. 845-353-1313. Elmwood Playhouse website.

(Later this month, M&M Productions launches a library tour of a separate, traveling production of the play across Westchester. For details, go to the M&M Productions website.)

Vroom! Vroom!

In Rye Brook, Pennywise Productions and The Port Chester Council for the Arts present “Leader of the Pack,” a winter workshop musical with young actors from Port Chester, Rye Brook and Harrison directed by Julie Colangelo. Celebrating the creative output of Brooklyn’s Ellie Greenwich, it’s a jukebox musical featuring actual jukebox hits: “Be My Baby,” “Today I Met the Boy I’m Going To Marry” and “Leader of the Pack,” among others. $15. 8 p.m., Jan. 13, 14 and 15. Crawford Park Mansion, off Ridge Street, Rye Brook. 914-403-7909. Pennywiseproductions@gmail.com

Everybody cut…

The White Plains-based PlayGroup Theatre presents “Footloose,” based on the Kevin Bacon film, at 8 p.m. Jan. 14 and 21 and 2 p.m. Jan. 15, 16 and 22. PGT is conducting a shoe drive and asks theatergoers to donate gently used or unwanted new shoes. Shoes will be donated to the charity Soles4Souls. $18; $15 seniors and kids 12 and younger. One North Broadway, White Plains. 914-946-4433. PlayGroup Theater website.

R+J in Palisades

In Palisades, Children’s Shakespeare Theatre opens 2012 with the story of star-crossed lovers, “Romeo and Juliet.” 7 p.m. Jan. 13, 14, 20 and 21. Opening night gala: $20; $10 for those 18 and younger. Otherwise, $12; $10 seniors, $8 for those 18 and younger. Palisades Presbyterian Church, 117 Washington Spring Road, Palisades. 845-365-9709. Children’s Shakespeare website.

Stack those chairs

In Yorktown Heights, Yorktown Stage and Lighthouse Youth Arts Center present “Les Miserables” performed by students at the Thornwood-based youth theater. 7:30 p.m. Jan. 13 and 20; noon and 5 p.m. Jan. 14 and 21. $20, $18 for seniors and students. 1974 Commerce St., Yorktown Heights. 914-962-0606. Yorktown Stage website.

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival will run three shows in repertory this summer: “Romeo & Juliet,” “Love’s Labours Lost” and a third small-ensemble show that hadn’t been named till today.

It’ll be “The 39 Steps,” the wildly successful four-hander that ran on Broadway and move Off-Broadway. A wickedly clever homage to all things Hitchcock, it’ll be interesting to see how they handle the show, which relied heavily on projections and props in its New York runs.

The third spot at HVSF has come to be occupied by rather loopy, few-hands-many-roles shows like “Bombitty” (a hip-hop take on “The Comedy of Errors”), the madcap “Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” and, last summer, “Around the World in 80 Days,” in which Boscobel’s clown prince, Jason O’Connell, played more than 15 characters and managed regularly to reduce poor Rick Ercole to laugh-driven tears.

Awaiting word on who’ll direct “The 39 Steps.” Artistic director Terry O’Brien will direct “Love’s Labours” and Chris Edwards will direct “Romeo & Juliet.”

How’d you like to get two Broadway tickets for the price of one?

The city’s tourism office today announced Broadway Week will take place from Jan. 17-Feb. 4. Tickets go on sale January 4. This year’s participating shows are:

“Anything Goes,” “Chicago,” “Chinglish,” “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” “Godspell,” “Jersey Boys,” “The Lion King,” “Lysistrata Jones,” “Mamma Mia,” “Mary Poppins,” “Memphis,” “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever,” “Phantom of the Opera,” “Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” “Private Lives,” “Relatively Speaking,” “The Road to Mecca,” “Rock of Ages,” “Seminar,” “Sister Act,” “Spider-Man,” “Stick Fly” and “Wicked.”

Off-Broadway Week will take place from Jan. 30-Feb. 12. Tickets go on sale January 4. Among this year’s participating shows are “Avenue Q,” “Blue Man Group,” “Rent” and “Stomp.”

Included in the promotion are hotel deals, two-for-one tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, and three-course meals at to restaurants.

NYC Restaurant Week continues to celebrate its 20th anniversary year with 20 days of prix-fixe menus at more than 300 of the City’s most popular fine- dining establishments from Jan. 16 to Feb.  10, Mondays through Fridays. Costs will remain $24.07 for three-course prix-fixe lunches and $35 for three-course prix-fixe dinners (excluding beverages, tax and gratuity). Diners can begin to make reservations starting January 4 at nycgo.com/restaurantweek .

Was delighted to be in the audience for yesterday’s “A Christmas Carol: Radio Play” at the Jerome L. Greene Space in Lower Manhattan.

A perfect way to get in the holiday spirit, with F. Murray Abraham as Scrooge and the on-air talent from WNYC and WQXR as the ensemble. Directed and adapted by Nyack’s Elliott Forrest, this was the second year that listeners have been treated to what I hope continues to be an annual rite. Abraham was in wonderful voice, as you can hear, and had a different presence than last year’s equally wonderful Scrooge, David Hyde Pierce.

Here’s a link to the video of the performance, which lasts about an hour. Enjoy.

This weekend, I’ll be taking in Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s readers-theater version of “A Christmas Carol.” Can’t get enough of Dickens this time of year.

For the past three years, Terry O’Brien has been summering with Shakespeare and wintering with the Fezziwigs.

The artistic director of the celebrated Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival began a journey with Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in 2009, when four festival actors performed the section of the holiday classic involving the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Last year, the actors — Eleanor Handley, Katie Hartke, Richard Ercole and Stephen Paul Johnson — added the Ghost of Christmas Present to the staged reading, which they performed (as a “Holiday Party with the Fezziwigs”) in the center hall of the mansion at Boscobel, the HVSF’s summer home.

Fezziwig, of course, is an old boss from Scrooge’s apprentice days, a man who taught the young Scrooge the value of a generous employer.

This year, they’ll add the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, and bring the entire Dickens story to life, not only at Boscobel, but at West Point, in Ridgefield, Conn., and in Katonah over the next three weekends. It’s one of several productions of the Dickens tale across the Lower Hudson Valley between now and Christmas. (See a sampling of productions here.)

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There’s a host of Ebenezers roaming the Lower Hudson Valley this season. Here’s a sampling.

“A Christmas Carol” — Jonathan Kruk tells the tale in Sleepy Hollow’s Old Dutch Church. Dec. 3, 10, 17. On the hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. $16, $12 for those under 18. Reservations required. 914-631-8200. www.hudsonvalley.org

“A Christmas Carol: The Musical” — Rockland Theatre Company performs the adaptation that was an MSG tradition for years. 7:30 p.m., Dec. 8, 9, 10, 16 and 17; 2:30 p.m., Dec. 17. $15, $10 students and seniors. All seats $8 for Dec. 17 matinee. Fieldstone School in Thiells. 845-942-1103. rocktheatreco@aol.com.

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