Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical at Music Theatre of Connecticut

ACTOR:

TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL – Music Theatre of Connecticut

  • Playing Rosemary Clooney, the mesmeric Susan Haefner is both poignant and powerful in her portrayal of the singer’s personal struggles, demons, breakdowns and continual fight for survival. It’s the performance of the season and one that the actress embraces with the style, personality, magic and cheeriness that once was Clooney.  As the story unfolds, there is real honesty, verve and spunk to her portrayal – natural, intuitive, gifted and personal. It’s also a character turn that comes from the heart without any form of hesitation or calculation. Haefner is so tremendously gifted, you never doubt for a moment that she is Rosemary Clooney. (From the Desk of Jim R, Take 2)
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  • Susan Haefner is Rosie, an outstanding artist who brings her to life with truth, sincerity and grace. She sings like an angel and creates her with poignancy and power. (Patch)

TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL – Playhouse on Park

  •  Susan Haefner is uncanny in the way she captures Rosemary Clooney‘s voice, her mannerisms and her wit. She beautifully delivers song after song and is powerful in the dramatic portions of the evening. (Broadway World)
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  • … worth seeing just for the heart-stopping work of the formidable Haefner as the title character. (Talkin’ Broadway)

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES – Geva Theatre Center

  • Although Mme Renaud/ Mme Dindon, are characters of relatively few words, Susan Haefner gives each both guts and glory through comedic interpretation. (Beyond the Nest) 

THE TAMING – Shaker Bridge Theatre

  • Pat is portrayed by Susan Haefner, who gives us a cynical, hardened, take no prisoners personality, but avoids falling into a stereotype … as we [are] treated to 90 minutes of laughter, hope, and lessons on our country’s guiding document. (The Herald)

TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL – Florida Repertory Theatre

  • Susan Haefner, who originated the role at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, IS Rosemary Clooney. Not only does she look like a young Rosemary Clooney, but she sounds like her, too. (Florida Weekly)
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  • [Susan] truly was Rosemary Clooney, and this allowed the audience to become fully immersed in her story. (Broadway World)

OSLO – Northern Stage

  • As Mona, Susan Haefner shows the character’s wise willingness to take the expedient course. Sometimes she’ll be the one to diffuse tension, but at crucial moments she pushes harder than anyone else in the room. Her poise is electric, her strength inspiring. (Seven Days)
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  • …Mona, equally responsible for the talks’ success, was given a rich and deep portrayal by Susan Haefner. (Times Argus)

DEAR ELIZABETH – Northern Stage

  • Perhaps the most powerful moment of the evening was when Haefner read Bishop’s tribute poem after Lowell’s death. It was simple, quiet and beautifully heart wrenching. (Rutland Herald)

FUN HOME – Weston Playhouse

  • Weston’s production benefits from stellar performances by theater mainstays David Bonanno and Susan Haefner, who bring out complexities in their characters even as they make them soar. (Seven Days)

NOISES OFF – Northern Stage

A WESTON HOLIDAY CABARET – Weston Playhouse

  • The musical show stopper…came from the unannounced guest. Weston and Broadway veteran Susan Haefner, who lives in Andover, gave an irresistible tenderness and warmth to “Count Your Blessings.” (Rutland Herald)

TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL – Weston Playhouse

MAMMA MIA (Tanya) – Northern Stage

  • All purpose pro Susan Haefner, Donna in last summer’s Weston Playhouse production, was a riot as Annie’s man-hungry friend Tanya…” (Times Argus)
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  • Is there anything that Susan Haefner cannot do? (ArtfulEdge)

MAMMA MIA (Donna) – Weston Playhouse

  • Susan Haefner is sensational as Donna, the mother of the bride. (Chester Telegraph Review)
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  • Susan Haefner…takes the bit in her teeth and pulls forward against all odds and makes the evening into something far beyond pleasure. She plays anger, frustration, love, passion, desire, mother-love and every other conceivable Greek intention with the musical honesty of a diva who knows how best to do it.  (Berkshire Bright Focus Review)

TENDERLY: THE ROSEMARY CLOONEY MUSICAL (Rosemary) – Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park

  • Broadway vet Susan Haefner embodies Rosemary Clooney‘s voice and mannerisms without ever feeling like an impersonation...(Talkin’ Broadway)
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  •  a brassy honesty that rings true (Behind the Curtain Cincinnati)
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  • Haefner’s singing sounds so much like Clooney I bet if I closed my eyes I wouldn’t have known the difference” (The Sappy Critic)
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  • Susan Haefner bears an uncanny resemblance, physically and vocally, to Clooney. An accomplished actress, she convincingly portrays the singer who had a tender heart but a tough exterior (City Beat)
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  • Haefner convinces the audience that they’re peering through a window into half a century ago (Cincinnati Refined)

DIRECTOR:

STEEL MAGNOLIAS – Playhouse on Park

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS – Playhouse on Park

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK, LIVE! – Weston Playhouse

25th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE – Playhouse on Park

Connecticut Critics Circle Award, Outstanding director of a musical (nominee), Outstanding ensemble (winner)

  • Simply terrific!…expertly staged, wonderfully performed (the band, too) and full of laughter, heart and life… Director-choreographer Susan Haefner has staged the show with energy, sensitivity and imagination... The ensemble of actors playing smart, self-aware, and socially inexperienced pre-teens is first rate. (The Hartford Courant)
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  • Thanks to Susan Haefner’s very smart direction of a talented cast and Robert Tomasulo’s tight pit band, I haven’t laughed out loud so often at a theatre in a while. (Connecticut Wit)
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  • If you’ve never experienced it, what a summer treat. If you’re already a fan, go again and take some friends with you.” (Bonnie’s Blog)