"MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL 2" SAILS INTO THE WATERBURY'S PALACE THEATER JUNE 6

For the longest time, the decidedly female condition called menopause was a secretive, only to be whispered about health condition. At the age of forty and beyond, women are assaulted with symptoms like problems sleeping, hot flashes and night sweats, sexual discomfort and weight gain. How many ways can a female’s hormones cause challenging problems and how do you survive them?

Luckily, menopause has come out of the dark ages and is now not only talked about openly and honestly it is celebrated in not one musical comedy but now version number two. As if the first smash hit comedy didn’t generate enough laughter, there is now a sequel to the four ladies forming a sisterhood in a department store. This wild quartet is experiencing “the change” on the high seas, cruising as best they can on rough waves and smooth patches.

Sashay over to Waterbury’s Palace Theater for a fun friendship reunion with a comic cruise on Friday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m.when “Menopause the Musical 2: Cruising Through 'the Change’ “ comes roaring into town.

Select your favorite alcoholic libation and a lounge chair on your preferred deck, and settle back for a memorable look at mood swings and memory lapses as you learn to navigate the challenges of the change with a sense of humor.

With parodied songs of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, you will laugh your way to finding survival hints with four friends who will not abandon you in your time of need. With them, you will learn that menopause is not the end of your journey but the start of a new and exciting, to be cherished, sisterhood where love conquers all.

Middle aged women unite and learn the survival tips you need. Have a ladies night out and join the 17 million female fans who have already championed their hormonal needs by cruising through the change. Men are also invited to learn a thing or three about this previously secret normal health occurrence.

For tickets ($31 and up), call the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at palacetheaterct.org/contact-us..

Grab your boa and beach towel and discover how to beat the blues on the high seas and dissolve your troubles away.

"TEA AT FIVE" A KATHARINE HEPBURN TRADITION COURTESY OF IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

Imagine you are the recipient of an engraved invitation to join Katharine Hepburn for a cup of tea at her home in the Fenwick section of Old Saybroook at five o’clock. Would you hesitate for a second before accepting with pleasure and running to your closet to find an appropriate sundress or pants suit to wear?

Katharine Hepburn was a Hollywood leading lady for over six decades, the winner of four Academy Awards, a true Connecticut daughter, who was named in 1999 the greatest female star of Classic Hollywood Cinema by the American Film Institute. Kate died in 2003 at her home in Fenwick at the venerable age of 96. You have the unique opportunity to make her acquaintance over a cup of tea courtesy of the remarkable acting talents of Carlyn Connolly and the Ivoryton Playhouse until June 28. Ironically Kate got her start acting at Ivoryton and that was where she was first discovered.

Thanks to Matthew Lombardo’s revealing comedy “Tea at Five,” we are privileged to meet Ms. Hepburn at two distinct stages of her life, the first September 1938, when she is mentally reviewing her career to date and actively lobbying to get the role of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind,” and fifty years later in February 1983 when she is contemplating her life and her choices, now a victim of Parkinson’s disease which she refuses to accept.

Carlyn Connolly becomes this venerable actress, who is aggressive, self-assured, strong willed, an athlete, a non conformist, independent, unconventional and eccentric, with a distinctive patrician voice. Connolly shares intimate details of Kate’s life, in a progressive and structured family that kept secrets, her early drive and ambition to be a movie actress, her many missteps along the way, and the plays and movies and even television roles she accepted.

She happily admits that the press was not fond of her or her of it, and she even earned the title Katherine of Arrogance. When she had six or seven flops in a row, she also earned the appellate “box office poison.” Her relationships with many Hollywood big wigs were often contentious and she was known to bully and boss to get her way. A creature of habit, she often sought the comfort of her family when things went awry, and she enjoyed a cup of tea every day at five o’clock. The audience is privileged to be in her company for that tradition.

Her father had a tremendous influence on Kate, one she reveals in difficult confessions. Tom, her older brother, was her protector and she terms it “Paradise” when she was home in Fenwick with him. His death had a tremendous influence on her life. As she sips tea, she sprinkles her stories with tales of the 1938 hurricane that washed her home away, her dalliance with such suitors as Howard Hughes, her relationship with her German acting teacher, her abhorrence of calla lilies, her brief marriage and her dislike of the institution and her conflicts with leading stars like John Barrymore and composer Stephen Sondheim.

In the second act, we meet a Katharine who has suffered many disappointments and is now actively battling Parkinson’s. She has just suffered a car accident and has a broken ankle. Warren Beatty is pursuing her to end her retirement and return to the screen and he has mistakenly sent her a bouquet of calla lilies to woo her. This is a frail and fragile queen who is still in charge of her reign. Her attention to detail is still a primary key to her success in life. Even now she is finally ready to reveal her private relationship with Spencer Tracy, one she kept secret for more than twenty five years.

Through all her trials and triumphs, she freely admits that work has always been her salvation and her priority. After Tracy's death, she returned to acting to survive. Even at the finale, she was always seeking her happy ending. For tickets ($60, senior $55, students $25, Thursday discount night at 6 p.m. if available for $30), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at ivorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 p.m., Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Ivoryton’s Executive Director Jacqueline Hubbard directs this wonderful visit with Kate with sensitivity and skill. Next up is Tim Rice and Andrew lloyd Weber’s fun family musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" June 26 to July 27.

The playwright Matthew Lombardo was present at Sunday’s performance, clearly enjoying his work, with a tear in his eye, this heavily researched memoir he penned twenty-five years ago. He wrote it for the actress Kate Mulgrew who premiered it at the Hartford Stage and then toured with it across the country.

Don’t miss Carolyn Connolly’s outstanding performance as one of America’s foremost females of stage and screen and be guaranteed to learn some intimate secrets and gain even more admiration for our personal Connecticut star.

"UNBECOMING TRAGEDY" A TALE OF A TROUBLED SOUL AT LONG WHARF THEATRE UNTIL JUNE 1

What if your conscience dictated that you had to confront all the decisions in your life that were harmful and mistakes and attempt to correct them? Would you have the courage to do so? Would they be too painful to confront? Might you simply forgive yourself and move on with life? Just ask Terrence Riggins his thoughts and the actions he masters to find his difficult answers in his one man show “Unbecoming Tragedy A Ritual Journey Towards Destiny" in its world premiere production courtesy of Long Wharf Theatre, in cooperation with Collective Consciousness Theatre. Come confront your own wrong turns in life at the Yale Rep’s Off Broadway Theatre, 41 Broadway in New Haven, until Sunday, June 1.

This is clearly Terrence Riggins’ story and he writes every painful and exhilarating step. He owns each confession and reflection. He is in solitary confinement, in prison, and he is bravely confronting his life choices, hoping to forgive himself and create a new life. With paper and pen, he confesses his sins and works to understand how he got to this point in life, especially his relationship with his mother, a woman who gave him the gift of theater. Terrence knows that the stage is his salvation, with idols like William Shakespeare and August Wilson who have the power to save him.

Terrence is an actor and he knows that being a thespian is the key to his survival. He must wrestle with the theft of a necklace he gave his mother and find a way to forgive himself for stealing it from her on her deathbed. By transforming his cell into a stage, can he summon the resilience he needs and the courage to cleanse his soul into redemption. By examining his childhood and his time in a correctional facility, his failed attempt at marriage and fatherhood, can he turn back the clock and start anew? Can he summon the theater gods to help him get strong and grab his dreams? He knows he was born to be an actor but will the world welcome him to the stage? Director Cheyenne Barboza sensitively guides him to discovering a personal cleansing of his soul and the courage to achieve goodness in the kingdom of life.

For tickets ($45 and up), contact Long Wharf Theatre online at https://www.longwharf.org/events/unbecoming-tragedy-2. Performances are Wednesday st 7 p.m., Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. and June 1 at 7 p.m.

In honor of Long Wharf’s 60th Anniversary, plan to attend New Haven Museum’s exhibition on the theatre’s history from May 21 to February 2026 as well as workshops, parties. play readings and other special events to mark this tremendous achievement.

Let Terrence Riggins reveal his troubled soul as he seeks empathy and forgiveness and a restored journey of theatre for a way to banish his homelessness, addictions, crimes and burdens. Come root for him to succeed.

"A FAMILY BUSINESS: (A) PIZZA PLAY" CREATED BY A BROKEN UMBRELLA COMPANY

For the last thirty years, New Haven, Connecticut has been gifted with an outstanding present: The International Festival of Arts and Ideas. Every June, this year from June 13 to 28, plus assorted days in May, the New Haven community has 150 opportunities to celebrate the artistic treasures from all over the world, most at no cost, for children to adults, individuals and groups that have been invited to share their achievements in a most exciting manner. 2025 is no exception. One that is outstanding for the whole family is being offered by The Broken Umbrella Theatre that focuses on one of New Haven’s most delicious and traditional gifts to the world: pizza.

Created in 2008, the Broken Umbrella Company is known for focusing on special New Haven achievements and immortalizing them in original theatrical productions. In the past, they have presented plays about A. C. Gilbert and his Erector Sets, Charles Goodyear’s vulcanization of rubber, the first switchboard, as well as stories about corsets and bicycles and matches and lollipops to name but a few. Why did it take them so long to focus on New Haven’s history of pizza? It’s about time that thin crust, slightly blackened, pepperoni and cheese delight, got its recognition.

In a tribute to the immigrant families that brought this delicious culinary treat to our shores, on the 100th anniversary of Frank Pepe’s Pizzeria Napolotana, "A Family Business: (A) Pizza Play" is a new production by A Broken Umbrella Theatre. Pepe’s opened in 1925, while Pepe’s nephew Salvatore Consiglio opened Sally’s in 1938, again on Wooster Street. Modern and Zuppardi's are relative newcomers. Rather than focusing on the families like the ones that made Pepe's, Sally’s, Modern and Zuppardi's so popular, almost causing wars about which one was best, this story is about a family, the Carbonizattos who for over 100 years and many generations have had an historical attachment to pizza slices. The company, with Jes Mack as director, has taken on the task of telling the tale of all the great pizza ovens and clans all stirred and taken into one great fictionalized unit, looking backward, to the present, and forward to the future, proving that “one slice don’t make a pie.” Women entrepreneurs and their children work to continue their heritage against many odds.

Adding authenticity to the story, the play will be performed at the future home of City Seed and Sanctuary Kitchen where immigrants and new residents will be schooled in how to use food to build economic opportunities. This new home at 162 James Street in New Haven will become part of the story with Sanctuary Kitchen providing concessions at selected shows as well as slices being available. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Shows are one hour and 30 minutes. Tickets are $44.86 - $52.42 by PayPal or credit or debit cards online at artidea.org/event/2025/5637. Discount tickets are also available.

This is a family show for all ages, a cultural showcase by a hardworking nonprofit theatre, where most of the teams of people are volunteers. They are currently working on renovating their new home in Westville, at 280 Blake Street, a former dry cleaner’s and mechanic shop, to make it a welcoming space for other theatre groups to hold their productions. It will include a black box space, a bar, a patio, their headquarters, be called The Umbrella and be elegant and amazing for the community.

Take full advantage of all the Festival has to offer: a circus, films, food, ideas, Juneteenth, music genres, neighborhood events, stories, theater, tours, discussions, slavery project, garden of healing, bike rides, photography, panel discussions, restaurant week, cemetery, hip hop, cooking with legend Jacques Pepin, marketplace, walking tour, secret societies, queer history murals, PechaKucha, picnics, sketching, and, of course, (A) Pizza Play about the Pizza Capital of America.

29th ANNUAL LEONARDO CHALLENGE LAUNCHES MAY 15 AT 5:30 P.M.

Artist, inventor and scientist and all around Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci would probably be amazed his unrivaled vision and imagination are the inspiration for an annual fundraiser by the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop and have been for 29 years. Annually, except for two during the pandemic, an item of interest is selected for artists to incorporate into an art piece for auction: a painting, piece of jewelry, item of clothing, a lamp, game, sculpture, furniture, mobile, that utilizes the specific item of choice.

This year “The Landscape” will be the object artists will use. In past years, the item has been as diverse as pencils, mirrors, ice cream spoons, playing cards, cameras, all matter of creative subject matter to spark the imagination. All the contributions will be auctioned off to fund scholarships for students from kindergarten to twelfth grade to ignite the imagination as vividly as Leonardo might have done himself.

On Thursday, May 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., attend a fascinating and fantastic event at the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop, 915 Whitney Avenue, Hamden and become immersed in an evening stuffed with a vibrant art auction, live music and delectable treats and drinks from local vendors, from hot from the oven pizza, tables of entrees, crusty breads, cheeses, wine and yummy desserts.

Leonardo was known for many accomplishments and his landscape look at unique places like the Arno Valley and his Birch Copse are among them. With bidding starting at $70-125, items already received include a series of “peaces of wood,” “She Sells Sea Shells,” “Radiographic Wilderness,” “Scotland,” a set of ten landscape cards, “Evening Vision,” “On the Road,”and dozens of other intriguing landscape visions, sculptures, jewelry, wall pieces, books and bags.

For tickets ($85), go online to onebidpal.net/leonardo2025/ticketing. Other sponsor tiers are available for $250-$5000 benefit levels.

Honor Leonardo’s creative mind and the mission of the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop by attending the 29th Annual Leonardo Challenge for fun, an artistic auction, delicious food and drink, engaging live music and an evening of sparkle and wit all supporting a wonderful cause for kids.

CURIOUS COMIC "HEISENBERG" COURTESY OF NEW HAVEN THEATER COMPANY

When two strangers meet in a London train station, their encounter is tantalizingly quirky. What would possess a woman, Georgie, to spontaneously and suddenly kiss the neck of a complete stranger, in this case a butcher named Alex? That is the first clue to their eventual relationship. Georgie is a great storyteller but can Alex believe anything she tells him? Has her husband died and is she mourning his loss? Does she earn a living as a waitress, a job she enjoys and is good at performing? He thinks she might be off her medications but he still finds her exhausting but captivating. Who is she and why has she focused her attention on him, a much older man, and a simple butcher at that.

Enter the intriguing world created by Simon Stephens in his play “Heisenberg” being brought to tempting life by the New Haven Theater Company weekends until Saturday May 10 at the back of the EBM & Civvies Vintage, 839 Chapel Street, New Haven, owned by Carol and Robert Orr. Despite the decades of years that separate them, Georgie and Alex soon find themselves involved in an unusual affair, one that takes a while to understand and unravel. For his part, Alex is a quiet man, one who had one chance at love many decades before and never truly recovered from its loss. Now at 75 years of age, a bright and charming and unconventional will of a wisp woman has crashed into his life and offered him a chance to be carefree and romantic and grab the golden ring on the carousel.

Can he trust Georgie or is she playing a complicated shell game with his affections and his bank account? And does he really care? Melissa Andersen’s Georgie may just be selling him a prize package that is too good to ignore and George Kulp’s Alex is willing to take his chances, probably his last opportunity to grab that golden ring, even if it proves to be merely brass. The two make a lovely pair of unusual lovers who are willing to be adventuresome and gay, whatever the costs. When he finally learns the truth, Alex must trust his heart to provide the answers he needs. Steve Scarpa directs this unconventional and unpredictable tale of love with a gentle heart.

For tickets ($25), go to newhaventheatercompany.com. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and may already be sold out, but try any way.

Life is too short to not grab the magical moments that appear so briefly and learn the lesson to not postpone joy.

"RAGTIME THE MUSICAL" SOARS INTO GOODSPEED MUSICALS WITH PATRIOTIC FERVOR

Turn the hands on the grandfather clock back in time to the turn-of-the-twentieth century in America when the dichotomy between the poor and the wealthy, the desperate and the hopeful, the prejudiced and the privileged was most pronounced. The sweeping grandeur and poignancy of "Ragtime The Musical” will follow a trio of families as they struggle to achieve the American dream.

Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam has risen to the challenge and created a remarkable and exhilarating show for your entertainment until Sunday, June 15 and you must see its splendor for yourself. A new music craze, an abandoned baby boy, a time of hope and promise, and an era of civil unrest are all captured in an historical pageant of America at the turn of the twentieth century in the Tony-Award winning “Ragtime The Musical.” E. L. Doctorow’s novel, with a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens focuses on three divergent families, one upper class white, one Harlem colored, and one Jewish immigrant hopeful, whose paths cross and intersect in New Rochelle, New York in the early 1900’s.

This passionate parade of Americana “Ragtime” echoes an era that reverberated with the zeal of social reformer Emma Goldman, the courageous stance of Booker T. Washington as he tried to advance his people, the progressive Henry Ford who made automobiles an economic necessity, the magical illusionism of Harry Houdini, and the sensational notoriety of chorus star Evelyn Nesbitt.

“Ragtime” is a tintype or daguerreotype come to life, a montage of people and places and events frozen in the camera’s eye, as America grows, not always wisely or well, into a new nation. When Mother (Mamie Parris) discovers an abandoned black baby and chooses to protect him and his unwed mother Sarah (Brennyn Lark), she sets in motion a chain of incidents that are both tragic and heartfelt. Sarah’s lover Coalhouse (Michael Wordly), a musician by trade of the new musical craze ragtime, seeks her out, much to the dismay of Father (Edward Watts ), who had been exploring with Admiral Peary but is now home and displeased with the decisions made by his wife who showcases her independent spirit for the first time while he is away.

Mother’s life has also collided with that of the Jewish immigrant Tateh (David R, Gordon), a silhouette artist, who is preoccupied keeping his motherless daughter (Sofie Nesanelis) alive. In the future he will be influenced by Emma Goldman’s (Blair Goldberg) reforms for workers and realize his own American dream. Come and make the acquaintance of the sensation burlesque queen Evelyn Nesbit (Mia Gerachis), Harry Houdini (Jonathan Cobrda), Henry Ford (Matt Wall), Booker T. Washington (Denver Andre Taylor ), J. P. Morgan (Tommy Betz), and Mother’s Younger Brother (Behr Marshall). Many actors play multiple roles and change frequently into the lovely costumes designed by Stephanie Bahniuk on the set designed by Emma Finckel.

Songs sparkle and stimulate the heart strings throughout like “Journey On,” “Wheels of a Dream,” “Sarah Brown Eyes,” “Till We Reach That Day” and “Make Them Hear You.” Music and choreography spell out “Ragtime’s” soul in brilliant hues, thanks to the direction by Christopher D. Betts and the musical direction by Adam Souza and choreography by Sara Edwards. The richness and rightness of the voices shine with passion and power.

For tickets ($35 and up) call Goodspeed Musicals, 6 Main Street, East Haddam at 860-873-8668 or online at www.goodspeed.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Let ”Ragtime’s” fever infect you as you jump on an American bandwagon for an historical and spirited ride you will long remember.

REDISCOVER "THE LEGENDS OF THE 60'S" WITH CHAZ ESPOSITO AT THE LEGACY IN BRANFORD

The music of the 1960’s was unique and flourished with a special voice, a revolution of popular music, the evolution of rock, the beginning of the album era, not to mention electronic, jazz, folk, soul, rhythm and blues and gospel to name a few. It embraces the whole megillah and, for many, it resonates with favor and popularity. To bring back this glorious era, the Legacy Theatre of Branford has a wonderful treat, a journey down memory lane with the ever popular “Chaz Esposito Sings Legends of the 60’s" until Sunday, May 18.

When Chaz was a mere teenager, he spent his Saturday nights gaining a “college education” performing with house bands at area night clubs, becoming comfortable on stage, singing and teasing with the audiences. This personable and talented entertainer has never stopped, and has amassed a credible career developing pop and rock music over the decades.

You may remember him immortalizing his idol Bobby Darin in “Mack is Back…The Music of Bobby Darin” with the story and many of the 180 songs he wrote or co-wrote in his tragically short career. Now Chaz is back with a new production, concentrating on the influential era of the 1960’s for your enjoyment.

In Legends, he generously focuses on such stars as Frankie Valli, Neil Diamond, Elvis, Tom Jones, Frank Sinatra and so many more, sharing stories and jokes, kibitzing with the audience, clearly loving every moment on stage with his 10 piece band and two backup vocalists. Be prepared to be wowed by such hits as Frank Valli’s “You’re Just Too Good To Be True,” Sonny Bono’s I’ve Got You, Babe,” Frank Sinatra’s “That’s Life,” Bobby Darin’s “Mack the Knife,” a medley of Elvis tunes, Dion’s “Teenager in Love,” and so many more.

Never one to stand on his past achievements, he is preparing for a new challenge: “The Feud” coming to the Legacy Theatre October 16-18 for four performances, a musical about the contentious and long standing difficult relationship between Frank Sinatra and his singing rival Jimmy Roselli. Mobsters owned the night clubs in those days and those two men were in competition and adversaries for four decades. Through the end of May, tickets are 15% off with discount code Feud and can be purchased at The Feud ($45-55). This show about two guys from Hoboken, New Jersey will star Chaz Esposito as Sinatra and Aaron Caruso as Roselli, and is written by Dennis DelleFave and Mark Daniels.

For tickets for Legends ($31.50-56.50), call the Legacy, 128 Thimble Islands Road, Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at LegacyTheatreCT.org. Performances are Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Watch for upcoming shows “Long Days,” Sunday concerts, “Sweeney Todd,” “Noises Off” and “The Feud.”

Let Chaz Esposito and his great band serenade you with music you love and bring back memories you will cherish.

BEWARE OF ENTERING A "FOOLS' PARADISE" AT THROWN STONE THEATRE IN NORWALK

When Wendy devotes a year of saving money and careful planning to surprise her husband Marc with a luxury Caribbean resort vacation, she is hopeful it will help heal their marriage problems. He definitely needs a break from work, a time to relax, and Wendy wants to make all their problems go away. Initially, however, Marc fights her grand plan, citing the costs and the environmental impact. When their good friends Lorraine and Bill arrive, however, Marc has made his peace with the plan and is willing to enjoy the prospect of pina coladas and snorkeling as a new cure all.

Thrown Stone Theatre Company at their new home at the Crystal Theatre in South Norwalk is inviting you to check in for the world premiere of Jonathan Winn’s emotionally captivating “Fools’ Paradise” until Saturday, May 10.

Marc starts off feeling scared and lost and angry, but soon realizes Wendy loves him enough to try to put their marriage back on track and he relaxes into the plan, beginning to enjoy the warm breezes of San Juan and their beautiful suite, designed by Marcelo Martinez Garcia. Their paradise suddenly turns deadly when they realize a nuclear incident has cut them off from the United States and they must concentrate on finding food, water and protection from what may be a life or death situation. Is the mainland on fire? Has Lorraine and Bill’s son Josh died? Is there any chance a rescue ship will find them? What is the fate of Wendy’s newly discovered pregnancy? What responsibility do they have to help others on the island?

As their anxiety and fears rise, Julia Atwood’s Wendy, Allan Hayhurst’s Marc, Dana Eskelson’s Lorraine, and Steven Hauck’s Bill struggle to control their emotions as the reality of their situation strikes home. What started as an idyllic vacation is now a desperate minute to minute battle for their lives. James Dean Palmer as director establishes the ups and downs of the feelings that sweep over the victims as they try to direct their fate.

For tickets ($20-50), go to thrownstone.org/tickets/ Performances are Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Find the theater at 66 Bayview Avenue, Norwalk.

Become emotionally connected to these four people who struggle so honestly and heartbreakingly to survive a scary situation over which they have no control.

WATERBURY'S SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE SETS HEAVENLY MUSICAL IN "SISTER ACT"

Sequins, sass, sparkle and shine are not the usual words that come to mind when you think of sisters of the cloth. The conservative and sensible, charitable and caring, convent of nuns is undergoing a transformation not of its own choosing. When a wannabee superstar singer is hidden (read relocated, as in witness protection) with a sisterhood of religiosity, the lady in question, one Deloris Van Cartier, does not go quietly into that good sacred place.

Deloris who unwittingly witnesses a murder by her married boyfriend and boss Curtis does the honorable deed and reports it to the police, in this case Police Detective Eddie Souther. What happens to Deloris as she plays a cloak and dagger game with the criminals chasing her is captured in the rousing comedy "Sister Act The Musical" roaring into the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury to Sunday, May 18.

Several decades ago Whoopi Goldberg played the wise cracking, joyfully singing Deloris in the movies. This new version composed by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, with book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, Teagan La’Shay stars as the spunky disco diva, Semina DeLaurentis as the uncompromising and suspicious Mother Superior, Michael Barra as the desperate murderer Curtis, Tymother Harrell as the helpful detective Eddie and Lucy D’Addario as the novice nun who is unsure of her calling, plus a talented and energetic cast of performers. New music reaches heavenly heights with such spirited numbers as "Fabulous, Baby!," "Raise Your Voice," and "Take Me to Heaven."

As Deloris goes under wraps in the protective skirts of the good sisters, she soon finds herself pressed into service of a godly nature. The convent's choir is suffering mightily and Deloris appears like an angel sent from above to perform miracles and offer a joyful noise unto the Lord. Prepare to be blown away as this chorus is rejuvenated to razzle-dazzle 'em proportions. Catch the infectious spirits as this sisterhood soars to the rafters.

For tickets ($30-45), call Seven Angels, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at SevenAngelsTheatre.org.. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Be sure to check for the speciality night for extra early treats. Marissa Follo Perry and Michael Barra co-direct this Divine Musical.

Upcoming events include the annual high school Halo Awards May 27-30 at 7 pm at the Palace Theater in Waterbury, June 6 at 8 p.m. with The Sixties Show, a party for Semina DeLaurentis to honor her 35 years of excellence on June 12 at 6 p.m. in a SEMINA-CELEBRATION, A Doo-Woo Show THE ACCHORDS on June 15 at 2 pm, A Pink Floyd Experience RETRO FLOYD on July 12 at 8 pm and BACK TO THE GARDEN 1969: The Woodstock Experience on August 23 at 8 pm. There are a lot of great entertainment coming your way!

Learn how the powerful glue of friendship cements Deloris with her newly found sisterhood of singing sisters. You'll have lots of good reasons to rejoice!

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE LAUNCHES NEW THOUGHT PROVOKING PLAY UNTIL MAY 17

For centuries, Puerto Rico has been trapped in a complicated relationship with its neighbor the United States. As a commonwealth and an unincorporated territory, it does not enjoy the same rights as it if were a state, yet it is subject to following the federal laws of the United States. Puerto Rican citizens have suffered economic challenges and an uncertain political future, facing devastations when events like Hurricane Maria occur. What might you do, as a caring citizen to resolve this impasse and rescue your people to earn freedom and independence from the yoke that enslaves them? Might you become a terrorist aiming to destroy the ones you perceive as the enemy?

The Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven is opening your eyes to focus on Christine Carmela’s Lolita, a modern day savior, a young Boricus trans woman, inspired by political activist Dolores “Lolita” Lebron who was imprisoned for actively trying to free her country from outside control in 1952. In a new intriguing play penned by Mara Velez Melendez and directed with skill and style by Javier Antonio Gonzalez, with amazing drag costuming by Arthur Wilson, enter the exciting world of “NOTES on KILLING SEVEN OVERSIGHT MANAGEMENT and ECONOMIC STABILITY BOARD MEMBERS” demonstrating its powerful message until Saturday, May 17.

Armed with a gun, Lolita invades the New York office of this inefficient and ineffective government establishment charged with protecting the welfare of Puerto Ricans. These board members clearly neglect their responsibilities and Lolita is determined to make a statement by killing them. Guarding the office is the receptionist, a perceptive and convincing Samoa la Perdida who uses elaborate drag costuming to make definitive and witty political statements. As a Puerto Rican too, it is easy to take sides and join the protest. Are the pair in a drag show or capable of effecting real change, actually fighting a colonial empire? Can they cause a revolution and really free their country of birth from the oppressor? The understudies for these intense roles are Yan-Carlos Diaz and Flower Estefana Rios.

For tickets ($15-65), call the Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at yalerep.org. Performances are Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m, Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Wave a Puerto Rican flag, if you are so inclined, and learn how justice can be served and democracy and independence can be celebrated.

HARTFORD STAGE CREATES VIVID "ROMEO AND JULIET" UNTIL MAY 18

If you were asked to guess which of William Shakespeare's plays, both comedies and tragedies, is the most produced worldwide, would you answer "A Midsummer's Night Dream" or "Hamlet"? Both would be wrong. Since it was first published in 1597, "Romeo and Juliet" enjoys that distinction and the answer is in the hundreds of thousands. It is certain that at any moment in time, it is being performed right this minute.

In fact, "Romeo and Juliet," that beloved classic about young love and family enmity, is available right in your own backyard as a splendid rendition is being offered until Sunday, May 18 by the Hartford Stage in a vivid and vivacious new production directed by Artistic Director Melia Bensussen stuffed with sword fights, intriguing masks and heartbreaking romance.

This masterful story of first love, a deep affection set on a course to crash and burn, is timeless in its message. When Romeo, a viral Niall Cunningham, attends a masquerade ball given by his family's sworn enemies the Capulets, he becomes immediately taken with their only daughter Juliet, a captivating Carmen Berkeley. Despite all the obstacles facing them, the pair bravely face the future with love igniting their souls.

Our Romeo is impassioned and powerful as the ill-fated suitor, seeking the hand of the luminous Juliet, a girl forbidden for him to know. The hatred of the Montagues, Romeo's kinsmen, against Juliet's Capulets, is long standing and dooms the couple to a grief filled future. When Mercutio (Alejandra Escalante) is slain by Tybalt (Brandon Burditt), Romeo is swept into the fray and accidentally takes Tybalt's life.

Despite the help of Juliet's loyal nurse (Annmarie Kelly) and the accommodating and concerned Friar Lawrence (Carman Lacivita), the couple soon find themselves trapped in a violence not of their own making. Juliet's overbearing father (Gerardo Rodriguez) demands she marry the suitor of his choice, the Lord Paris (Ops Adeyemo) and issues his ultimatum in a manner bordering on child abuse. The quiet streets of Verona are marked by swordplay and bloodshed until the death-marked lovers pay the ultimate price for a quarrel begun long before they were even born.

For tickets ($20-105), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or HartfordStage.org. Performances are selected Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays at 2 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Learn for yourself the lesson "for never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo," a couple who are ultimately united in death, teaching their parents the price they paid for their hatred.