New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
‘Christmas in Connecticut’ — the musical
GOODSPEED PREMIERES ADAPTATION OF CLASSIC HOLIDAY FILM
In 1945, Warner Bros. had a huge hit on its hands with “Christmas in Connecticut,” a film starring Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan and Sydney Greenstreet, which follows a food writer who lies about being the perfect housewife and must cover her deception when her boss and a returning war hero invite themselves to her home for a traditional family Christmas.
Emmy-winning commentator and journalist Patrick Pacheco and writer Erik Forrest Jackson have always been big fans of the movie, and during the pandemic, decided to team to pen a musical based on the classic, bringing in music by Tonynominee Jason Howland and lyrics by Amanda Yesnowitz.
“We got the rights to the film two years ago, and we immediately felt like it should be a musical,” Pacheco said. “There was something very appealing about doing a show based on a movie set during World War II at a time when the country was solely united, as opposed to our divisive time now.”
Jackson added that screwball comedy has always been one of both writers’ favorite genres, and the idea of marrying romance and screwball comedy, and dealing with nostalgia around the holiday times and infusing it with a very strong contemporary resonance proved irresistible.
“We also loved having a strong female figure at the head of it,” he said. “What we found out when doing research on how the film was perceived at the time, is that it was very popular with the critics, even though there are holes in the script that you could drive a Mack truck through.”
This holiday season, Goodspeed will present their world premiere musical, “Christmas in Connecticut,” based on the Golden Age film, Nov. 18 through Dec. 30.
“We’re delighted to be here at Goodspeed,” Pacheco said. “The idea of doing a musical called ‘Christmas in Connecticut’ in Connecticut at Christmastime was just too perfect for words. We have both fallen in love with Connecticut.”
Directed by Amy Anders Corcoran, the show stars Audrey Cardwell as Liz, the lying columnist who is something akin to a mix between Martha Stewart and “Sex and the City’s” Carrie Bradshaw; as well as Ed Dixon, Josh Breckenridge, Raymond J. Lee and Rashidra Scott.
“Our cast is spectacular; the majority of them have multiple Broadway credits to their names and they have all demonstrated prowess on stage,” Jackson said. “They are just a joy to work with and the rehearsal room has been a riot.”
Similar to the movie, the musical follows a columnist who lies about her homemaking skills—but she can’t cook, isn’t married and lives in a tiny New York apartment, not the Connecticut farmhouse she writes about.
And while the musical is very similar to the film, there are changes designed to make the story better and more in line with a 21st century audience.
“The spirit is intact; the concept of the show is still the engine that fuels everything,” Jackson said. “But once we set the plot in motion, we have definitely steered the car into new territory. We’ve added several pivotal characters and done away with several characters who we found to be less pivotal.”
For instance, a socialist farmhand is brought in to pretend to be Liz’s husband, and when they meet, it’s like oil and water, though a romantic tension develops. Another new character is a fact checker who is brought in to add some more comic elements.
“We think this is a pretty joyous experience; it starts the minute you walk into the theater and see all the Christmas merriment,” Pacheco said. “It’s a real escape and one that we feel the whole family will relish, and we hope people will find as much joy and laughter in the show as we do.”