ENJOY A BIT OF BLARNEY WITH "THE BELLS OF DUBLIN"

For a wee bit of Irish blarney with your Christmas cheer, look no further than the Ivoryton Playhouse until Saturday, December 22 as "The Bells of Dublin," an original holiday offering  conceived and directed by Artistic Director Jacqueline Hubbard is offered.

Set in a Dublin inn and bar owned and managed by the Bell family, you're welcome  to order a pint of ale and settle back by the fireplace for some good cheer.  Michael (Michael McDermott) is your genial host and bartender who is anxiously awaiting his wife Meg to give birth to their first child, while other family members are busy with their own concerns.

Fiona (Olivia Harry) is awaiting a letter to secure her place as queen of the local parade, while her sister Bridie (Janna Berloni) is busy sneaking make-up to wear and money to buy presents from her dad, Paddy.  Paddy (R. Bruce Connelly) is just back from entertaining the orphans in his get-up as Superman.  Hard to believe but this grand super hero is unable to catch a little mouse that has taken up residence at the inn. His wife Katie (Nancy Cardone) is busy hanging holiday decorations and buying last minute gifts as a storm approaches.

The inn's guests from America (Larry Lewis, Ted Phillips, Norm Rutty and Grace Carver) had come for a music competition but were unable to get to the airport, due to a combination of bad weather and even worse accommodations in Frank O'Rafferty's (David Cardone) poor excuse for a car.  When a trio of orphans who are carolers (Carson and Mason Weldon and Tyler Felson) arrive, the guest house is full up with merry makers happy to sing Christmas in with glee.

As Paddy spins his yarns of leprechauns, he realizes that this is a momentous moment, the night that Brian, King of Ireland, is scheduled to return to claim his beloved fiddle.  The fiddle has been hung on the wall of the inn, lo these past fifty years, being guarded by the Bells.
While all the shenanigans occur, a steady stream of wonderful music from both sides of the pond is sung and played on piano, guitar, fiddle, banjo, penny whistle and even bagpipes, arranged by Melanie Guerin, with the additional help of Angela Lamb and Louise Muller.  Emotional numbers like "Danny Boy" and "Feel Like Going Home" are balanced by the livelier tunes like "O'Rafferty's Motor Car," "Must Be Santa" and "Finnegan's Wake."

For tickets ($30, students $20, $15 children), call Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org.  Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

Join the Bells and their guests as they welcome in the holidays with a little mystery and a whole lot of merry making in the music and dance departments.

"HE WHO LAUGHS" IS A MODERN DAY RETELLING OF BIBLICAL TALE

 



The old saying goes "He who laughs last, laughs longest and best," but how do you apply that sentiment to a modern day version of an ancient Biblical tale?  Playwright Ian Cohen is doing just that herculian task when he takes on the contemporized updating of the story of Abraham and Isaac, the one where God commands a human sacrifice as a test of faith.  God asks Abraham to offer up Isaac on the alter.

In the play "He Who Laughs." the action moves to modern day New York City and we meet Alfred Wells, a man of great prosperity with a beloved teenage son.  God has certainly been gracious and generous and given Alfred many blessings.  But what is the price for all those gifts?  Must Alfred choose between his faith and his family?

You are invited to witness the dramatic scenario as the brand new JCC Theaterworks presents "He Who Laughs" as their inaugural offering.  According to Jewish Community Center Cultural Arts Manager De De Jacobs-Komisar, the show "exemplifies the company's mission of exploring what Jewish theater is and can be."  The play will star Gore Abrams, Kate Kenney, Chuck Montogomery, Jane Tamarkin and Matt Walker.

Under the direction of Reuven Russell, the show will be held at The Off-Broadway Theater, 41 Broadway, New Haven, with entrance next to Toad's Place.. Performances are Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, December 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Monday, December 16 at 7:30 p.m. For tickets ($25, seniors and students $12), go online to www.jccnh.org or call De De Jacobs-Komisar at 203-387-2JCC.

To explore the deeper meanings of the play, the Connecticut Humanities Fund is sponsoring two panel discussions of interfaith leaders following the Saturday evening and Sunday matinee performances.

Come meet Alfred, his wife Sheila and their 17 year-old son Zach, which is short for Isaac, a name that means 'he who laughs,'  It promises to be an intriguing and involving dramatic theatrical experience.

PLAID TIDINGS ARE COLORING THE HOLIDAYS

The new Christmas colors are no longer just red and green, they're plaid.  That's due to the extraordinary influence of those four high school nerds who ended up the musical heroes of "Forever Plaid."  The guys are back, this time dressed in holiday garb, ready to sing in heavenly harmony in "Plaid Tidings: A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid," with book by Stuart Ross.

Hop on a sleigh and jingle your way to the Warner Theatre in Torrington for this delightful holiday festival of sound until Sunday, December 15.  Grab a cup of eggnog  and get ready to sip and settle back for your favorite Christmas tunes. Jinx, Smudge, Sparky and Frankie get a phone call in heaven from Rosemary Clooney of all people, inviting them back to earth from their angelic home.  Apparently the world is in desperate need of their marvelous music and it's more than time for another posthumous performance.

You may or may not remember that the boys, high schoool buddies, were killed on the way to a big concert.  Now they are being summoned back to earth but they are not sure why.  As thunder crashes, they find themselves in front of an audience and they decide to do what they do best: sing.  Since it's Christmas and Chanukah and Kwanza, a holiday concert seems to be called for and they happily oblige.

Follow the red and green plaid carpet to Torrington where a rousing rendition of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" will set off the festivities.  Soon the guys will be hyperventilating, having nose bleeds and asthma attacks just like in the good old days. Rosemary Clooney will continue to drop heavenly clues until the boys realize the mission they are on:  to provide Christmas cheer to a world in need.  Soon the stage is dressed in festive finery and the boys have a holiday makeover too.  Songs like "Carol of the Bells" and "Joy to the World" ring out. Perry Como and Ed Sullivan even get into the act and the audience is invited to sing along.  With a rousing rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the boys return to heaven, their mission of merriment, mirth and music completed.

For tickets ($26), call the Warner Theatre, 68 Main Street, Torrington at 860-489-7180 or online at www.warnertheatre.org.  Performances are Friday, December 13 at 8 p.m., Saturday, December 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 15 at 2 p.m.

Come hear Frankie (Ian Diedrich), Sparky (Bret Bisaillon), Jinx (Meric Martin) and Smudge (Dan Porri) as the Guardians of Harmony, under the angelic direction of Sharon A. Wilcox, with musical direction by Aaron J. Bunel, descend from heaven for your listening pleasure.