My wife and I saw the Lehman Trilogy at Capital Rep on March 8, a 3 p.m. performance. It is the story of three immigrant Jewish brothers from Bavaria who started a small clothing store in 1840s Alabama. Henry arrives first, followed by his two younger brothers, Emanuel and Meyer. Over a century and a half, the business went from being a cotton dealer to railroads to banking and other activities before the 2008 economic collapse.
Lehman Trilogy is a three-act play by Italian novelist and playwright Stefano Massini. It initially ran for five hours as it was performed across Europe. It was translated by Mirella Cheeseman and adapted by British playwright Ben Power, trimmed to three hours.
The show was initially scheduled for Broadway on 7 March 2020 in previews, to open officially on 26 March. But everything shut down on 12 March. Eventually, the Broadway production won five Tony Awards in 2022.
“What’s remarkable is that all of the characters. From Steve Barnes’ TU review: “It’s hard to overstate just how good the cast is or the epic nature of the acting tasks set before them. Two are long familiar to audiences at The Rep: Kevin McGuire for 14 years (‘Man of La Mancha,’ ‘Red,’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’), Oliver Wadsworth for 24 (‘Fully Committed,’ ‘A Sherlock Carol’). The chameleonic triumvirate, who combined play 47 roles, is ably completed by William Oliver Watkins, returning to The Rep after an impressive performance in ‘Sweat’ a year ago this month.”
You always knew which characters they played: sons, wives, competitors. It was remarkable. See if you can.
Bring It On: The Musical
I’m sure I never saw the 2000 movie Bring It On, though my wife and daughter had.
Albany High School staged a production of Bring It On: The Musical, and though it was a busy week, my wife and I attended the March 14 show. While both stories centered on cheerleading, my wife stated that the musical’s narrative, created a decade after the film’s release, was far more compelling. “On her last day of junior year, Campbell Davis prays to be named the captain of the Truman High School cheerleading squad.” She gets the gig, but “two weeks before the end of summer, Campbell receives a letter with terrible news: she’s been redistricted to inner-city Jackson High School.”
“Each year, the Collaborative School of the Arts High School Musical Theatre Awards (HSMTA) celebrate the incredible talent, dedication, and creativity of high school students from across the Capital Region.” I’m rooting for Albany High.
Gala
On March 10, I went with my friend Mary to the 2025-2026 Season Announcement Bash for the shows that will be playing at Proctors in Schenectady and Cap Rep in Albany. Broadway World shared the list. Performers from A Beautiful Noise, the Neil Diamond musical (Sweet Caroline), Spamalot, The Sound of Music (Do-Re-Mi), & Juliet, and The Outsiders sang.
My wife and I got season tickets for both venues this current season, which was probably overly ambitious; we’re figuring out what to do in the future.