IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE WELCOMES CHRISTMAS MUSICALLY WITH "PLAYHOUSE HOLIDAY JAMBOREE"

'Tis the season to be jolly and happy and festive for the holiday of Christmas is just around the corner. Thanks to the Ivoryton Playhouse you can start celebrating early with their entertaining and old-fashioned “Playhouse Holiday Jamboree” created and directed by husband and wife team Ben Hope and Katie Barton. Right up until the threshold of the big day, Sunday, December 21, you are urged to sing along with Margaret Dudasik, Morgan Morse, Elizabeth Nestlerode, Macy Robinson, Sam Sherwood and Larry Tobias as they joyfully welcome winter with unforgetable harmony, good cheer, a cup of egg nog, and the gift of musical magic as they guide us on a spirited sleigh ride right up to the holiday’s golden doors.

Larry serves as the holiday guide expert as the traditional tunes come caroling out in rapid succession, like ”I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Let It Snow,” “Marshmallow World,” and “Bells Will Be Ringing.” Look out for a reading of ’Tis the Night Before Christmas, a yummy recipe for peanut butter candy, a visit from Elvis where his holiday world is blue and a whole lot of great strumming of guitars, violins, and a cello along with trumpet, bass, reeds, and drums. The super musicians include Morgan Morse, Kim Bonsanti, Celeste Cummings, Mark Gehret, Patrick Lombardo, Dakota Singerline, Gavin Tarling and Steven Mustakos.

Don your plaid scarves and woolen mittens for a winter wonderland of frosty fun as you help welcome the holiday season on a lovely set designed by Glenn Bassett with a projection of ornaments that changes with every tune, like a perfect introduction to the glad tidings that abound.

For tickets ($60, seniors $55, students $25, Thursdays at 6 p.m. discount $30 if available), call Ivoryton Playhouse, 3 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at ivorytonplayhouse.org. Be sure to watch for the thousands of dazzling lights that will be on display when December 6 rolls around soon, with Santa from 5:30-8 p.m. when the whole village comes to colorful life.

Start off your holiday celebration in style with a visit to the carolers and musicians tuning up to entertain you and treat you to a royal Christmas concert at the Ivoryton Playhouse.

COME PLAY DETECTIVE AT SEVEN ANGELS WITH "ART OF MURDER"

In the Connecticut countryside, in the woods, a man playfully cocks a gun while his wife silently paints a new picture in her studio. There’s no sign that either one is contemplating murder. On the surface, each is simply awaiting the arrive of Vincent (Tom Simonetti),art dealer.The gunman is artist Jack Brooks (Reid Sinclair) and his wife is Annie (Charlene Hong White). The last member of the household is Kate (Gemma Berg), who is the maid and is having a dalliance with Jack.

For playwright Joe DiPetro, his “Art of Murder” at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury until Sunday, November 30 is like a fun and involving game of Clue. Is it Annie in the living room with a vial of poison or Vincent in the library with a rope or Kate in the kitchen with a knife or Jack in the jacuzzi by drowning? Come discover for yourself!

Jack has a singular goal in mind: to sell his one masterpiece: “Red Painting #4” for one million dollars and he demands Vincent make it happen. Another of Vincent’s proteges Nicole Erickson has committed suicide and Jack craves the publicity and bump in price tags her art has experienced. Vincent tells Jack he is crazy to try and make this happen and before you can say “Vincent Van Gogh” three times plots are being hatched and secrets are being revealed and emotions are reaching dangerously high levels.

Who is going to die and who will be the murderer? Joe DiPetro keeps you guessing and laughing along the way. The art on the set, designed by Kimberly Jackson, is on loan from the Mattatuck Museum as well as a series of abstract paintings for display and sale by Woodbury resident Lucy C. Pierpont. Travis Kendrick-Castanho directs this funny mystery with a sense of suspense and humor.

For tickets ($35-40), call Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4674 or online at tix.com/ticket-sales/ seven angels theatre/6554 Performances are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Check online for specialty nights before the show. Watch for upcoming holiday delights like “The First Noel: A Christmas Cabaret” on Friday, December 12 and 19 ($50) at 7:30 p.m., “Winter Wonderland-A Family Friendly Experience December 13-21 Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 2 pm., ($10-20), A Fortier Family Christmas December 17 7:30 p.m. ($30), and December 31 A Stand Up Countdown Comedy Show Wednesday December 31 at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. ($53) with champagne.

Come play detective and see if you can uncover who will still be alive when the curtain falls.

MANDY PATINKIN CHARMS IN CONCERT AT WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE

On stage Mandy Patinkin has hobnobbed with the likes of Che in “Evita,” with Stephen Sondheim’s songs along side Broadway star Patti LuPone, in intriguing television films like “Criminal Minds” and “Chicago Hope,” created vignettes of four decades of married life with intimate insights with wife Kathryn Grody and this is just an inch or three in his star packed resume.

Now you have the unique opportunity to meet the man, his modus operandi and his music on Friday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Westport Country Playhouse in “Jukebox,” with Adam Ben-David on piano. This concert with Mandy Patinkin is a new musical treat featuring the singer’s personally selected classic tunes, presented with his signature interpretation of word and song.

Patinkin’s versatility shines as he takes the concert stage, as a recording artist on television and in films. For more than 35 of those 50 years, he has toured in solo concerts from Australia and New Zealand, from New York City to London’s West End, across North America and both on and off-Broadway. In collaboration with such spectacular stars as Patti LuPone, the opera star Nathan Gunn, with Taylor Mac in “The Last Two People on Earth: An Apocalyptic Vaudeville, in “Bridges,” a concert with musicians from various countries in the Middle East, and, most recently, “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive.”

In addition to his colorful professional career, Patinkin is involved in a rich bevy of philanthropic activities, including Brady Campaign, PAX, Association to Benefit Children, American Jewish World Service, Search for Common Ground, National Dance Institute and ACLU.

For tickets to this fundraiser($150-175), call Westport Country Playhouse, Route One, Westport at 203-227-4177 or online at https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/mandy-patinkin-jukebox/

Come bask in the warmth of a talented and charismatic performer whether he is Benjamin Franklin, Papa Smurf, Saul Berenson in “Homeland.” in a Sesame Street film, as Quasimodo, as Inigo Montoya in “The Princess Bride” or as hundreds of other memorable men.

SIGN UP FOR FUNNY GOLF LESSONS AT MTC IN "THE FOX ON THE FAIRWAY"

The early history of golf may have occurred as early as 1297 when the Dutch used a stick and a leather ball to play the game. If you hit the ball with the fewest strokes at the target you won the game. Perhaps when in the 17th century in the Netherlands when you hit a small ball into the ground using a golf club that was the origin. Some called it colf or kolf, the Chinese chulwan, and it is known to have been banned in Scotland in 1457 because it distracted soldiers from practicing their archery.

No matter its origins, golf today is a popular sport in America, mainly for retired businessmen who guard their handicaps like a veritable right of passage and is now played by millions across the globe. Currently follow playwright Ken Ludwig as he leads his minions on to the fairway in pursuit of laughter thanks to Norwalk’s Music Theatre of Connecticut until Sunday, November 23 on a funny farce complete with slamming doors, perfect timing and wacking golf clubs.

The time is ripe for the 43rd Annual competition between the Quail Valley Country Club and its fierce rival the Crouching Squirrel Country Club so hop aboard your trusty golf cart to keep track of the competition. Take your gold clubs, sporty attire and ball and tee on to the greens and place your bets on the outcome. Josh Powell’s Henry Bingham from Quail Valley is all fired up that he has the winning secret weapon to finally defeat Sean Hannon’s Dickie Bell from Crouching Squirrel. The two, both sure of victory, make an outrageous bet on who will win.

Like ancient warriors from Greece and Troy, Henry and Dickie position their anointed heroes against each other until they realize they are both rooting for the same man. Wild flights of fury ensue as club employee Erin M. Williams's Louise pledges her undying love for the club’s newest hire Ted Gibson’s Justin Hicks, Missy Dowse’s Pamela sasays in to add her helpful advice and counsel and Annette Michelle Sanders’s Muriel, Henry’s wife, discovers what her husband Henry has promised Dickie if he wins the wager. All clubs at the ready, the fight is on to the finish and laughter is the winner of this game of hijinks merrily directed by Amy Griffin.

For tickets ($45-60). call MTC, 509 Westport Avenue, Norwalk at 203-454-3883 or online at musictheatreofct.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

What starts off as a friendly wager quickly escalates into a major marriage mixup as the stakes go flying down the fairway toward disaster and laughter.

"HAMILTON" AN HISTORICAL MUSICAL MARVEL AT THE BUSHNELL

History is coming vividly alive at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford until Sunday, November 16 as the red carpet is rolled majestically out for “Hamilton” now celebrating its tenth year as a blockbuster musical.

Alexander Hamilton was born out of wedlock in the Caribbean and sought his fortunes in a new land, America, achieving great successes as well as attracting powerful enemies. His complicated story will be brilliantly told as “Hamilton,” an epic musical crafted by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Beginning life as a poor orphan with Scottish blood, Hamilton comes to the land of opportunity, America, to become an original Founding Father, a financial wizard, an astute stratagist in war, a powerful writer and orator and the right hand man for the first President George Washington. Tyler Fauntleroy’s Hamilton manages to rise from poverty with a goal of making a difference, of becoming a man of significance, a scholar, a lawyer, a statesman, a man who defiantly believes “I am not throwing away my shot.”

Early on in America, he meets and is befriended by Jimmie “JJ” Jeter’s Aaron Burr, a man who soon exhibits signs of jealousy, trapped by a competition he knows he cannot win. As a Founding Father along side Washington (A.D. Weaver) Thomas Jefferson (Christian Magby) and James Madison (Kai Thomani Tshikosi), Hamilton is quickly swept up in a revolution against Britain’s entertaining King George III(Matt Bittner), helping to plan the siege of Yorktown. He finds time to marry Eliza Schuyler (Lauren Mariasoosay), often choosing his dedication to his country over his family.

As a co-author of the Federalist Papers and his selection as Secretary of the Treasury to the new nation, he engages in an affair that will later be used as ammunition to bring down his star. His ideas incur the wrath of many of his cohorts and ultimately lead to his death in a duel with Aaron Burr. This historical epic will cement Alexander Hamilton’s importance in the story of our heritage, originally taken from a novel penned by Ron Chernow that Miranda read while on vacation in the Caribbean in 2004, on his honeymoon.

The show incorporates statesmen, suitors, sisters, sacred trusts, scandal, successes, shots, slaves, subjects, strategy, surprises, service, skirmishes, seduction, scoundrels and a stunning story. Clearly Hamilton is the tale of America’s complicated history. A cast of cultural diversity with constant movement on stage rules the day. Incorporating hip hop, rhythm and blues, Broadway show tunes, jazz and soul, “Hamilton” enjoys a grand set created by David Korins, period costumes designed by Paul Tazewell, illumination by Howell Binkley, sound mastered by Nevin Steinberg, orchestration by Alex Lacamoire, clever choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and superb direction by Thomas Kail.

“Hamilton” has won an impressive number of awards: Grammys, Tonys, Drama Desk and the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A ticket lottery for $10 is held every day for 40 lucky recipients. Go to http://hamiltonmusical.com/app to register. Also check bushnell.com regularly for late release seats. Try to be one of the 45,000 patrons who will see this production at the Bushnell over its 2 week run. It is not a show to be missed.

For tickets ($85 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Come early to sing along with the favorite Hamiltunes Karaoke. Contribute to Rise Up neighbors for Hands On Hartford with food and toiletries for Community Pantry, with full size items, no glass please.

Come be caught up in the dramatic magic of the cultural and political tale that weaves our country’s history with the fate of one of its original heroes, Alexander Hamilton. Be there in the room where it happens.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO BE EARNEST? WESTPORT PLAYHOUSE ENTHUSIASTICALLY SAYS YES!

If you treat all things trivial with seriousness and all things serious with triviality and eat a mountain of cucumber sandwiches in the process, you'll be in the proper frame of mind for Oscar Wilde's comedy of postures and manners "The Importance of Being Earnest." Set in Victorian London and environs, it will be poised in all its polite prettiness, and a little pettiness, at the Westport Country Playhouse until Saturday, November 15.

Deceptions run amok with delightfully dire consequences when the utterly respectable Jack Worthing (Michael Raver) resides in the country at his estate in Hertfordshire. Adopted as a mere babe, he commands a responsible role as a guardian to Cecily Cardew (Kristen Hahn), the sweetly fair of face granddaughter of the late Thomas Cardew. As a landowner of note, Jack must maintain an attitude of modesty and propriety.

When this guise of proper gentleman threatens to choke him, Jack uses an imaginary and disreputable brother Ernest as an alibi to flee the constraints of the countryside and abscond to London for a little scandalous behavior, claiming it is "Ernest" who is at fault.

Jack's best friend Algernon (Anthony Michael Martinez) knows him as Ernest and does not discern the "double life" Jack/Ernest is leading. He, in fact, has his own deceitful character, an invalid named Bunbury, who conveniently calls him to his deathbed whenever a pesky social obligation needs to be excised. When Jack confides in Algernon that he is about to propose to the lovely Gwendolen (Katy Tang), Algernon's cousin, he finds a wall of resistance from Algie as well as from Gwen's mama, the formidable and opinionated Lady Bracknell (Christine Pedl).

Complications tumble out of control when Algernon decides to invade his friend's country home in order to make the acquaintance of the sweet as sugar Cecily, a maiden who forces him to fall madly and instantly in love. Miss Prism (Jan Neuberger) as Cecily's governess and Mr. Chasuble (Triney Sandoval) as the community religious leader entertain their own romantic allusions, while the proper English butler (Mark Silence) serves tea and sandwiches. Love letters, diaries, a cigarette case, a large black pocketbook and adorable fascinators (hats) pop up to add to the merry mix ups that abound. Melissa Rain Anderson directs this thoroughly entertaining foray into Oscar Wilde's zany world, with a sturdy troupe of skilled performers, georgeous set by James J. Fenton, lovely costumes by Annie J. Le, lighting designer by Alexander Fetchko and sound and original music by John Gromada.

For tickets ($50 and up), call Westport Country Playhouse, Route 25, Westport at 203-227-4177, or online at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org. Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m.,Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.,Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m.,and Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.and Sunday at 3 p.m.

Discover for yourself the importance of being earnest, when two young gentlemen become romantically entangled with two determined ladies who categorically refuse to marry anyone whose name is not Ernest.

MEET THE NEW VERSION OF "ALMOST FAMOUS" COURTESY OF A.C.T. OF CT

A groupie is a devoted fan who seeks a one-on-one personal interaction or an intimate relationship with a particular band member or singer. A groupie attends all tours and personal appearances desiring a closeness with their musical idol. They can also be referred to as homies, posse, tagalongs, hanger-ons, underlings, minions, sidekicks, wannabes, peeps , disciples or sheepies, not always in a positive light.

Now imagine you’re a teenager, a lover of the 1970’s rock music world and a journalist just getting your toes in that genre and you get tapped to go on tour with your favorite band. Can heaven be any better than this gig? Come meet William Miller in this great semi-autobigraphical musical created by Cameron Crowe, with music by Tom Kitt, lyrics by Crowe and Kitt and a book by Crowe. Thanks to Ridgefield’s A.C.T.’s artistic director Daniel C. Levine, the musical is getting a new spirit and shine, a revised book and score, with Levine and both Kitt and Crowe. “Almost Famous: The Musical” will play at A.C.T. of CT until Sunday, November 23. This new version will be licensed all over the world. Wow, what a creative trio and exciting show!

With a fictional rock band Stillwater, Miller travels on a ticket punched by Rolling Stone magazine, on an odyssey he can’t even begin to imagine. Here is a fan with a capital F who is on a journey of self-discovery, jumping feet first into the frenzied world of rock and roll to discover his own voice in a once in a lifetime assignment that is guaranteed to change his future forever. The chaos is overwhelming and invigorating as you get a back stage pass to all the action and intimacy, the energy and entertainment, the poetry and the passion.

Come meet Michael Fabisch as the invigoration driven William Miller and Tess Marshall as his tour guide Penny Lane. Penny calls her groupie friends her band-aids. The production will be directed by Daniel C. Levine, music direction by Nicholas Connors, choreography by Jessica Chen, scenic design by David Goldstein, costumes by Leslie Bernstein, video designer Camilla Tassi, and music supervision by Bryan Perri. This bold new version is rated PG-13. Songs like “Tiny Dancer,” “Lost in New York City,” “Morocco,” and “Elaine’s Lecture” fuel the action.

For tickets ($88-122), call A.C.T. of CT, 36 Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield at 475-215-5497 or online at actofct.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Follow a naive 15 year old novice writer, referred to as the enemy by the band mates, as he tours with a on the verge of famous rock band, joins up with a more experienced groupie Penny Lane and tries to listen to his protective mother Elaine, Anika Larsen, as he learns first hand about love, loyalty and life and coming of age.