ELI WHITNEY MUSEUM SLATES LEONARDO CHALLENGE MAY 16 FUNDRAISER

Close your eyes. Darkness pervades and limits perception. Now slowly open your eyes. You will easily be amazed by the plethora of impressions you encounter, the swirl of colors, the magnificence of nature, the reflection of life brimming with excitement. Whether you are outdoors observing the sunny smiles of daffodils, the vibrant budding of new life on cherry blossom trees, the wispy white transparency of clouds or indoors observing a bookcase crowded with volumes of adventure, your cat curled in a sun warmed patch under a window or a favorite vase brimming with a kaleidoscope of rainbow hues, you will be suitably amazed by the world you see.

For the grand inventor, painter, scientist, mathematician and all around Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci, light was a challenging property he studied in the sun and the planets, artwork, snow on the mountains, simple shadows on windows and trees, with the human eye examining light in all its wondrous complexities.

For the 28th year the Eli Whitney Museum is holding its amazing Leonardo Challenge on Thursday, May 16th from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its venue at 915 Whitney Avenue, in Hamden. Each year an object is chosen as the fundraiser’s theme, a deck of cards, a mirror, an ice cream spoon and artists across the country are challenged to create a piece that exhibits that vision, be it a painting, a game, a piece of jewelry, an article of clothing...you get the idea.

This year’s theme is LIGHT and it is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s canon of creations. The evening will include an exciting art auction, live music and a feast of food and drink provided by the Big Green Truck Pizza, Claire’s Corner Copia, Donut Crazy, East Rock Bread, The Soup Girls, Sanctuary Kitchen, J Cakes, Marjolaine, Black Hog Brewing Co. and The Wine Thief. Music will be provided by Cliff Schloss, a multi-instrumentalist on guitar, bass, drums, tuba, steel pans and vocals.

Proceeds from this unique and special fundraiser will benefit the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop for scholarships year-round for students to attend and learn.

According to Ryan Paxton, the executive director, “ I am very excited about this year's Leonardo Challenge. We already have many brilliant entries! 3 images are attached below. #12 is an entry from Centerbrook Architects Principal, Mark Simon in collaboration with Industrial Designer/Maker Patrick McCauley titled Seeing is Believing. #5 is a work titled Coup de Soleil (Sunburn) by New Haven Artist Jeff Ostergren. This work interestingly incorporates pharmaceuticals in the pigments. (Pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical-infused ink, pigment, hand sanitizer, and acrylic on Ablify promotional notepaper. #4 is a watercolor by Rita Kelly titled Edge of Woods. I especially like the darkness in the wooded area to the right. I imagine walking to the shaded area to cool off on a hot summer day."

For tickets ($85 and 5 tiers of sponsorship up to $5000), call the Eli Whitney Museum at 203-777-1833 or online at eliwhitney.org/exhibitions/leonardo-light.

Come support a wonderful cause and have a grand evening of celebration of creativity, with a banquet of great edibles, sparkling potables, an auction of artist’s entries and live music. Who could ask for anything more!

PANTOCHINO PRODUCTIONS MUSICAL "THE EXECUTIONER'S WIFE" IN MILFORD UNTIL MOTHER'S DAY

“The Executioner’s Wife” doesn’t sound like a play for adults and teens or a musical but it is delightfully both. Have no fear, no animals are harmed, no blood is shed and no heads are separated from bodies. Rather it is a tale set in the Middle Ages, with a mild mannered King (Jimmy Johansmeyer), a mean spirited Queen (Susan Kulp), a reluctant newly appointed executioner (Justin Rugg) and his status seeking wife (Mary Mannix).

Credit for this wildly imaginative story and lyrics goes to director Bert Bernardi for intensely serious and silly shenanigans, rousing music by Justin Rugg, and elaborate costuming by Jimmy Johansmeyer. Until Mother’s Day, May 12, Pantochino Productions will be doing everything in their power to not behead anyone, guilty or innocent, in “The Executioner’s Wife” at the Milford Arts Council, The Mac. Bring the family, as well as chips and dips, carrots and cookies, to your cabaret table to munch during the show. Be forewarned the language, at times, can be a little spicy.

Come make the acquaintance of Susan Kulp’s regally domineering Queen, who insists that the Magistrate, an accommodating Killian Meehan, find a new executioner now that the current one has permanently retired, through death. With the good counsel of the Queen’s Lady in Waiting (Maria Berte), who is constantly being disrespected by her superior, she tries to support the Queen as she deals with the Queen's unfaithful servants Minerva (Katie Durham) and her chef Cassoulet (George Spelvin).

Unfortunately since the Queen no longer likes or trusts Minerva or Cassoulet, she requires the executioner to dispense with them forever. The Magistrate determines the peasant Drogo, an unsuspecting Justin Rugg, will be the perfect choice, a decision Drogo strongly objects to accepting due to his basic cowardice. Meanwhile the King has his own agenda, with a bevy of friends at his side. For Drogo’s wife Amelia, she is relying on her own wits and the help of her companions Hildegund (Shelley Marsh Poggio) and her husband Arvin (Josiah Rowe) to aid her out of Drogo's predicament.

Will the Queen control her mad cap desires and sexual urges? Can Amelia pull off a super tricky plan and save Drogo from beheading anyone? Will Minerva and Cassoulet survive their trauma? Will the King and Queen’s secrets be shared with all the residents of the village of Dungwich? Let the talented troupe of Pantochino Productions reveal the musical answers like “The Magistrate’s Patter,” “My Lust,” ”Run, Drogo, Run,” “Heads Will Roll” and “Long Live Life.”

For tickets ($30), go online to Pantchino Productions at www.pantochino.com. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Donations will be welcomed to the Great Give on May 1 and 2.

Heads may or may not roll. Come with the teens to follow the fun and bring goodies and drinks to share at your cabaret table.

"A BRONX TALE" SET TO MUSIC AT SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE IN WATERBURY

One incident in a person’s life, lasting only moments, can have a profound effect on his future. Just ask playwright and actor Chazz Palminteri who experienced such a cataclysmic event many decades ago.

When Chazz was a nine year old boy sitting innocently on a cement stoop in front of his Bronx home, he witnessed a murder. He saw two men fighting five feet in front of him, ostensibly over a parking space, when a third man stepped in to help his pal. He killed his friend's opponent and, thus, rescued his friend. The police, no matter how they tried, couldn't get Chazz, who was called by his given name Calogero, to testify.

The lad Calogero is captured winningly by Carlos Velasquez Escamilla while his older self comes to brilliant life in Christopher Rosa Cruz. The pair are wonderful as Chazz, telling his incredible story with sweeping power,as does the entire talented cast.

In the midst of this devastating encounter, Chazz's eyes meet those of the stranger's, who turns out to be Sonny, the capo di tutti capi, or "boss of all bosses" or godfather if you prefer. Joe Barbara is strong and magnetic and dominant as Sonny. The young impressionable lad soon finds himself swept into a different and exciting world that Sonny commands, into a fancy club, fetching coffee and cutting lemons and limes, rolling dice and collecting tips. Chazz's father, Robert Lomberto, a hardworking bus driver, does not approve of his son's new associates, nor does his loving mother Marissa Follo Perry. When Sonny tries to give him a lucrative job he refuses. Soon "C" as he is now called becomes Sonny's "penance, something good to leave behind."

Chazz is now influenced by two father figures. His dad Lorenzo gives him a card that states "Don't waste your talent," while Sonny teaches him life lessons like "It's better to be feared than to be loved" and "Never underestimate your enemy.” You are now invited to enter Chazz’s world courtesy of Waterbury’s Seven Angels Theatre with “A Bronx Tale The Musical” coming to town until Sunday, May 19. The new musical features a book by Chazz Palminteri, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater, all based on Chazz’s original play.

Follow “C” as he grows up in the Italian section of the Bronx on Belmont Street surrounded by a crew of criminals, learns about women, falls in love with a girl from the colored side of town, a sweet Jane in the hands of Briana Maia, and in the process becomes a man. Tunes like “Belmont Avenue,” “I Like It,” “Nicky Machiavelli,” and “The Choices We Make” help tell his story.

According to the playwright, Chazz recalls his early years as an "outrageous time to grow up. I had a great childhood in an Italian neighborhood with happy times, sports and some violence." Writing about it has proven therapeutic, "a transference of energy from negative to positive." He is grateful his father lived to see his success.

Chazz Palminteri is a man of many talents, none of which he wastes, as his father had warned. A veteran of 50 films like "Analyze This" and "The Usual Suspects," he also runs classes three or four times a year "One on One Auditions" to "give back" and help young actors as well as hosts a new Baltimore restaurant "Chazz A Bronx Original." There his cold fire oven pizza cooks in 90 seconds, "sweet and fluffy on the inside, crispy and caramelized on the outside.”

For tickets ($45), call the Seven Angels Theatre, Plank Road, Hamilton Park, 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.

Co-directors Joe Barbara and Janine Molinari beautifully handle the production, while Janine also smoothly manages the choreography, with Mark Ceppetelli providing the musical direction. Support the Pasta Drive for the St. Vincent DePaul Mission of Waterbury with a donation in the lobby.

As for those life lessons, Chazz Palminteri also has learned "family is important" and "stay close to the things you value." Come see his musical put all these lessons to good use.

SOMETHING WONDERFULLY "WICKED" AT THE BUSHNELL UNTIL MAY 12

It’s not easy being green, even if you’re Kermit the Frog or any green frog for that matter. Note how Shrek and the Hulk and the lowly artichoke have had their share of problems being accepted.

Long before Dorothy and Toto traveled by tornado from their farm in Kansas along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to visit the grand and powerful Wizard of Oz, there were a trio of women, mere girls at the time, who were destined to become memorable as witches. If you peek behind the bushes next to that famous road of yellow bricks, you might see what happens before Dorothy and Toto drop in for a visit.

Welcome to “Wicked,” sailing into the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford for an extended stay to Sunday, May 12. Based on the book by Gregory Maguire, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and story by Winnie Holzman, “Wicked” has won 35 major awards, a Grammy and three Tonys.

Kermit the Frog and Shrek know what it’s like to be judged by the color of your skin, in this case green. Even if you’re emerald hued and beautiful, you will still be labeled different. To discover the misunderstood heroine of “Wicked,” the fiery and independent Elphaba (Olivia Valli) who attends Shiz University and meets Glinda (Celia Hottenstein) and, unlikely as it seems, they eventually become best friends.

All is not well at Shiz University, run by Madame Morrible (Kathy Fitzgerald) where Doctor Dillamond, (Boise Holmes) is losing his ability to speak and, like all the animals, is being controlled by outside forces. With the help of Glinda and the princely Fiyero (James D. Gish), Elphaba finds herself using her magic powers to meet with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Tom McGowan) to save the animals and defeat the enemies. Little does she know who her fearful foes really are. As she tries to use her talents, she learns that controlling them and doing her spells is next to impossible.

With smooth direction by Joe Mantello, great sets by Eugene Lee, costumes in shades of kelly and lime by Susan Hilferty, clever lighting by Kenneth Posner, intense sound by Tony Meola and orchestration in great songs like “Popular” and "Defying Gravity” by William David Brown, “Wicked” offers a bounty of excitement for the whole family.

The “happily ever after” is not destined to triumph and here loyalties are tested and power becomes too tempting a prize. Nessarose, Elphaba’s younger sister, offers insights into herself and her big sister. As Nessa, she is crippled, in a wheel chair, selfish and self-centered. She desires more out of life and she is embarrassed by having a sister who is green. Wanting desperately to be normal, she blames Elphaba for all her problems. As Nessarose, she becomes the governor of Munchkinland and uses her magic powers to control her subjects. By turning to the dark side, Nessa earns the title of Wicked Witch of the East and Dorothy’s home eventually falls on her, crushing her until only her famous silver slippers remain. The slippers turn ruby later on.

Nessarose (Tara Kostmayer) understands how in seeking love and being thwarted, she becomes evil and totally misunderstood. In falling in love with Boq ( Kyle McArthur), a munchkin, she abuses her powers and ends up destroying herself.

For tickets to “Wicked” ($76 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at https://bushnell.org/shows-concerts. Performances are Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 2 p.m.on some dates and 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Grab your magic broomstick, don something green to wear and defy gravity at what Entertainment Weekly calls “the best musical of the decade.”

CENTER STAGE IN SHELTON DELIGHTS WITH "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG"

Did you ever have a day, from morning to midnight, where nothing went right? From the moment the alarm clock failed to ring, your electric toothbrush doesn’t brush, and the milk for your favorite cereal goes sour, your day goes progressively down hill.

Imagine you are part of a theater troupe, the Cornley Drama Society, engaged in putting on a play “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” and they discover that they are trapped in “The Play That Goes Wrong” until Sunday, April 28. Come meet the talented troupe at Center Stage in Shelton where it all falls apart so beautifully. Before the action even begins Winston the golden lab goes missing. Did you see him? One minute later, the mantle on the fireplace collapses and a prominent portrait falls off the wall. Do you have your tool box ready?

“The Play That Goes Wrong” by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields is a hoot of a farce as the poor unsuspecting cast tries to adjust to all the disasters that manifest and multiple by the minute. Come cheer on Melanie Byron, Hunter Smith, Terrance J. Peters, Dave Kaminski, Scott Sheldon, Lucy Babbitt, Paul Keegan and Briana Dawson as they play everyone from murdered bodies, police inspectors, fiancees about to be married, siblings, gardeners and housekeepers. The set, poised to fall apart in front of your disbelieving eyes, is the main character and should be applauded for its unpredictability.

Under the skilled direction of Betsy Kelso, the action is constant and a delightful and frightening surprise. Here timing is everything and the cast has to be on their toes and heads to master the intricate plot. Sometime the story is like a record stuck at one spot, sometimes the scotch drinks get out of control, often doors refuse to open and snow comes flying in every direction.The big question is who murdered Charles Haversham and who will be next? Come delight in the action and the mishaps that keep tumbling into the fray.

For tickets ($18-36), call Center Stage, 54 Grove Street, Shelton at 203-225-6079 or online at www.centerstageshelton.org. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Get into the madcap and slapstick action as this farce of a comedy rolls merrily along to laughter, with a few dead bodies in the way.

ARTHUR MILLER'S "ALL MY SONS" POWERFUL DRAMA AT HARTFORD STAGE

In wartime, a lot of unconscionable events take place, too many tragedies occur. What if you are knowingly guilty of one, and for no better reason than your own financial compensation, committing an act that directly results in the deaths of twenty-one innocent pilots? What if your husband or father were guilty of such an incident? Are there any circumstances that could justify such a deed?

Joe Keller finds himself in a predicament. During World War II he had shipped to the Air Force defective airplane parts, aircraft engine cylinder heads that were cracked, for Curtiss P-40 fighter planes, and caused crashes and deaths. Not only did he know he was guilty, he placed the blame on his partner and former neighbor, Steve Deever.

Head directly to Hartford Stage, do not pass GO, and sit in judgment on Arthur Miller’s intense drama “All My Sons” playing until Sunday, May 5. Even though it was written 75 years ago, its powerful message of love and loyalty, honor and honesty, ring with trauma and truth to this day. Enter Joe Keller’s world where that truth is seeping like quicksand to the surface, threatening to swallow his family whole. Michael Guston’s Joe has a lot to answer for these days. His wife Kate, a devoted Marsha Mason, can’t accept Joe’s guilt or the harsh reality that their son Larry is dead, even though he has been "missing in action" for three years.

At their younger son Chris’s (Ben Katz) request, Ann Deever, a lovely Fiona Robberson, has been invited to visit, someone Kate still calls “Larry’s girl.” In Kate’s mind, Larry is coming back. To complicate matters further, Chris wants to ask Ann to be his wife, knowing his mom can’t accept Larry won’t ever return, Ann’s father is in prison for shipping the defective parts and her brother George, an angry Reece Dos Santos, is coming to the Keller’s home to confront Joe about the truth.

As the storm of secrets threatens to explode, friends and neighbors of the Keller’s come to call, gathering in the spacious backyard of their home, created by Riw Rakkulchon. The scene of the confrontation is filled with Dr. Jim Bayliss (Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr.) and his wife Sue (Yadira Correa), Frank Lubey (Dan Whelton) and his wife Lydia (Caitlin Zoz) and young Bert (Malachy Glanovsky). Melia Bensussen directs this drama where Joe Keller, in trying to protect his family and their future, is as flawed as the airplane parts he allowed to be placed on planes. Is there any excuse to profit from war? Enter the world of the Keller family and discover how patriotism can be distorted.

For tickets ($30 and up), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527- 5151 or online at https://www.hartfordstage.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Mark you calendars for a Hartford Stage Gala on Saturday, May 11 starting at 6 p.m. starring Andre´ De Shields: Diamonds and Decades, for the theater’s 60th Anniversary. The evening will include an after- party featuring open bars, food stations, your chance to win diamonds, plus the return of Savage Pianos for dancing.

Come see how principles and morality are weighed in the balance, responsibilities to a community are judged, a father’s love for his sons is tested, a Greek tragedy unfolds, terrible secrets are unmasked and boundaries are destroyed as Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” reveals how one family’s conflicts are brutally exposed.

"THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD" AT GOODSPEED DELIGHTFULLY MYSTERIOUS

The famed English author Charles Dickens inconveniently died in 1870 leaving his final novel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” without an ending, thus making it a true mystery. What happens to the poor orphan Edwin Drood who is newly engaged to another orphan Rosa Bud and has grand plans to venture with her after marriage to the intriguing land of Egypt? The answers to these probing questions can all be answered to your complete satisfaction (as you get to decide whodunit by democratic vote) at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam by Sunday, May 2. Thanks to Rupert Holmes, the play is now a spritely and spirited musical performed by the Music Hall Royale Theater Company for your complete enjoyment and amusement. The fun begins when the colorful characters start up a lively conversation with you as they spring forth into the audience to say hello and cheerio before the curtain even rises.

Come make the charming acquaintance of Lenny Wolpe who serves as our narrator, master of ceremonies, chairman and major maestro of the Music Hall Royale who entertains and introduces the significant players and their often complicated roles. First we meet the choirmaster John Jasper (Paul Adam Schaefer) who is the music teacher for Rosa Bud (Riley Noland) and harbors an unnatural affection for her, perhaps due to his opium addiction. Rosa, meanwhile, has been promised in marriage to the adventuresome Edwin Drood (Mamie Parris, note her female name) and the two have lively disagreements in their courtship that had been arranged by their long dead fathers years before. Rosa also has caught the eye of Neville Landless (Levin Valayil), who is a twin to his sister Helena (Jetta Juriansz), from the exotic country of Ceylon, and have arrived in London under the guardianship of their mentor Reverend Crisparkle (Paul Slade Smith). Also figuring in the plot are Princess Puffer (Liz McCartney) who runs the opium den with a stern hand, Durdles (David Beach) who is frequently in his cups, his man Deputy (Marcus Montgomery) who guards him and Bazzard (Jamie LaVerdiere) is a clerk. Tunes like “Both Sides of the Coins,” “No Good Can Come From Bad,” “Off to the Races,” and “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead” sparkle through the show.

On a lovely set designed by Ann Beyersdorfer, dressed fashionably by Hunter Kaczorowski, with delightful choreography by James Gray, enhanced by music directed by Adam Souza, and over all perfection by director Rob Ruggiero, we witness Christmas holiday celebrations and angry and sweet encounters by the citizenry until the moment Edwin Drood disappears. Who is responsible you might ask? And you have the power to decide by voting for the most likely culprit. The crowd of villains is mighty and long. Evaluate the clues carefully and eliminate the red herrings. The ending of this melodrama depends on you.

For tickets ($30-86, and check for special offers ), call Goodspeed Musicals, 6 Main Street, East Haddam at 860- 873-8668 or online at boxoffice@goodspeed.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 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.

Come play detective and get your deerstalker caps and magnifying glasses ready as you help catch a murderer and plan a wedding as this music hall mystery entertains upstairs and down and all around the town.