Shelton resident, John Corraro, will star in Center Stage Theatre’s upcoming production of “I Hate Hamlet” which opens this Friday (Oct. 6) at the newly named Richard O. Belden Cultural Center at 54 Grove Street.
Corrao plays television star Andrew Rally who has just moved into a ritzy apartment in Manhattan so he can start rehearsals for his New York debut as Hamlet. There’s only one problem — he hates Hamlet — and fears tackling the epic role. When the ghost of John Barrymore shows up to help him prepare for the role, he’s in for the ride of his life.
“The production is great fun, and you don’t have to know anything at all about ‘Hamlet’ to enjoy it! It’s simply a hilarious funny play about a person who has been put into a situation he is not comfortable with, and being convinced to follow through by a ghost!” Corraro said, with a laugh.
A veteran of Center Stage, Corraro started performing at the local theater as only a seventh grader when he appeared in Neil Simon’s “Lost in Yonkers.” He went on to appear in numerous productions for Center Stage, most recently playing roles like Javert in Les Miserables and Kevin in In the Heights in Youth CONNection productions for the theater.
“I grew up at Center Stage,” said Corraro. “I began my career in theater when I was in third grade as a student in Center Stage’s theater camp, and I never looked back. Center Stage is an awesome community theater, and I have always been and remain completely committed to its mission to provide quality, affordable theater in the region.”
A graduate of St. Joseph High School in Trumbull and Manhattan College, John is a Financial Planner with Barnum Financial Group. He is active in his community, serving on the Board of Directors for Center Stage Theatre and The Foundation for Life.
“John is a key figure in our Center Stage community,” said Artistic Director, Gary Scarpa. “It has been very gratifying for us to see John’s grown, through the years. The talent was evident when he was a child, and, since he was a teenager, he was someone who went above and beyond the call of duty, not only performing on the stage, but volunteering behind the scenes in a variety of ways. Today, he is an involved and important, contributing member to our board of directors.”
“I Hate Hamlet” plays at 8:00 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, from October 6th through October 22nd, at 2:00 p.m. on October 8th, 15th, and 22nd, and at 7:00 p.m. on October 19th. For tickets call 203 – 225-6079 or visit centerstageshelton.org.
