Way Off Broadway - Archive

Michael Leach, Fairfield Ledger, “Jesus Christ Superstar Resurrected”
This is the kind of stuff musical theater was made for. The characters’ thoughts and emotions are so powerful that mere speech wouldn’t do them justice. Nothing short of singing and screaming can express what is exploding from these characters. The added oomph of a live band with horns blaring and drums crashing only adds to the intensity. If you are looking for a night of laughs you might want to search elsewhere. But if you want to see a bold, emotionally charged experience filled with rocking music “Jesus Christ Superstar” is a fitting way to kick off Way Off Broadway’s summer season.

Tena Nelson, Fairfield Ledger, “Big Moves, bigger voices drive “Hairspray”
Girls, grab your combs and cans of Aqua Net; boys, grab your gas masks. Everybody dance over to the Sondheim Center, and hang on to your bouffants! Way Off Broadway’s Hairspray is a show that should not be missed! Playing through July 24, Hairspray is a complete bundle of unbridled joy from start to finish with big wigs, even bigger voices, and dancing more enthusiastic and energetic than Richard Simmons after a case of Red Bull. Director Randal K. West has created a visual and vocal wonderland of performance. Take the dare, and just TRY to remain still in your seat while experiencing this raucous, big-hearted evening of entertainment. Hairspray is all-around fun with a happy ending, and the audience will walk (or probably dance) out of the Sondheim feeling uplifted and entertained, but the show’s message is more than fun. It’s about acceptance of others and of one’s self. Hairspray explores the segregation in our country’s past and the racism and sizeism we still battle today. In this judgmental world, everyone needs a reminder that beauty and talent come in all kinds of packages, and that the world would be a very boring place if we all looked alike. Come to Way Off Broadway’s Hairspray for a boost of self-worth, a spring in the step, a song in the heart, and a night of unmatched entertainment!

Broadwaymania.com, “New Theatre Named for Sondheim”
“With an ambitious vision for musical theater in the Midwest and a deep admiration for Sondheim’s work, West humbly approached the creative master earlier this year with a request to use his name for the new Fairfield theater. Sondheim graciously agreed, endorsing West’s far-reaching outlook for theater in middle America. “What thrills me most,” Sondheim replied, “is not the boost for my ego, but the fact that I’m a part, no matter how distant, of your devotion to the development of professional musical theatre, especially as it contributes to the cultural landscape of the Midwest.” For his part, West aims to honor the Sondheim name with a full roster of inspiring programs. “Our theater carries the name of the man who has done more to advance contemporary musical theater than any other living musical theater artist and creator,” he says. “Sondheim’s work embodies the finest in emotionally moving and intellectual stimulating musical theater. We intend to live up to that legacy.”