THEATERWORKS HARTFORD SPREADS JOY FOR 11TH YEAR WITH "CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS"

Santa’s favorite characters from your childhood come to comical life, now all grown up and set in their ways, as TheaterWorks Hartford’s enduringly charming “”Christmas on the Rocks” flies into town until Saturday, December 23 You can do nothing better to prepare for a jolly holiday season then to fill your stocking with a bevy of original tales the likes of Ralphie of b-b-gun fame, Clara of the dynamic nutcracker phobia, Karen who has an extreme problem with Frosty the Snowman and Charlie Brown who is still pining for the little red headed girl.

More than a decade ago, Artistic Director Rob Ruggiero conceived the idea of inviting seven playwrights who had their works performed at TWH to write a scenario about a favorite Christmas character and it ism now a holiday classic, this year starring Richard Kline as the jovial and accommodating proprietor of a bar on Christmas Eve, who is visited not by Scrooge’s trio of ghosts but by Jen Cody and Harry Bouvy as your old childhood friends.

Have you ever cared how Hermie the Elf and Rudolph have fared? Have the years been kind or cruel? Are there any surprises in their life plans?

Come meet Midge, Barbie’s BFF, who is coping with multiple issues due to her most popular friend and her questionable role in her life. Now quite pregnant and alone, Midge, the creation of Edwin Sanchez and Jacques Lamarre, is uncerrtain whether she is still welcome in Barbie’s Dream House and just who the father of her baby might be.

In "All Grown Up" by John Cariani, meet Ralphie Parker from "A Christmas Story" and discover he is still obsessed with his dad’s lady leg lamp and his pink bunny suit. His marriage is in trouble and he turns to the bar’s friendly bartender to listen to his tale of woe. Ralphie just may want to be nine years old forever, or at least as long as his pink bunny suit fits.

Jenn Harris and Matthew Wilkas proclaim “My Name is KAREN!,” the cartoon girl Karen who enters the bar with a hair dryer and takes full credit for creating Frosty the Snowman and equally gleeful credit for his demise. The police are at the door and her arrest may be imminent.

To experience the quality of Jeffrey Hatcher's humor, come meet an elf who feels he is a misfit and just wants to belong in "Say It Glows.” Hermie wants to be a dentist and perform root canals, not be stuck in Santa’s workshop making toys. He clearly has a thing about Rudolph and his shiny nose and may just be heading for a breakdown over guilty deeds.

What child’s home doesn’t have that adorable Elf on the Shelf, this one named “Snitch” by Jenn Harris. how would you like to be relocated every night in impossible places and have no say about where or why. Apparently Snitch wants to sue Santa and take back his rights.

Judy Gold and Jacques Lamarre offer up a twist with the tale of “Drumsticks and Chill” as a beat of Chanukah enters the saloon.

"Still Nuts About Him" by Edwin Sanchez focuses his talents on Clara, the ballerina, who is now married to the Nutcracker, her personal and infuriating czar of love. She fears he is cheating on her and uses her toy nutcracker to annihilate all the bar nuts in the tavern.

Last but certainly not least, Jacques Lamarre is serving up "Merry Christmas, Blockhead.” Here he is the psychiatrist/coach/love counselor for Charlie Brown and the little red haired girl of his youth. Good grief, the evening ends on a sweet and sentimental note. Director Rob Ruggiero keeps the insanity and laughs rolling merrily along.

For tickets ($35-60), call Hartford TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at www.twhartford.org. Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Come early and enjoy a viewing of the cartoon "A Charlie Brown Christmas" in the art gallery upstairs. Before or after the show, treat yourself to a cup of Mezzie’s ice cream. I personally recommend the Heath Bar Crunch that a kind theater patron insisted on treating me to.

For a cynical, quirky and sentimental look at Christmases past, let "Christmas on the Rocks" serve you a flavorful cocktail of tasty potent potables. Happy Holidays!

GET "ON YOUR FEET" AND LET THE RHYTHM GET YOU AT THE PALACE IN WATERBURY

Let the music of the Miami Sound Machine rev up your engines and ignite your feet and heart.

For a spicy salsa kick with a Latin-American chaser, look no further than the triumphant musical tale of Gloria Estefan and her producer husband Emilio. Join the winding conga line all the way to the Palace Theater in Waterbury for three performances Friday and Saturday, December 15 and 16 as “On Your Feet!” commands your exciting attention.

This immigrant story features a three year old Gloria moving with her family from Havana, Cuba to Miami, Florida. Along the way, she had to deal with a father battling an incurable disease, a mother who voiced her disapproval of Gloria’s hopes and dreams and an accident that almost destroyed everything she and her husband had worked decades to achieve.

“On Your Feet!” is energized by a book by Alexander Dinelaris, choreography by Sergio Trujillo and direction by Jerry Mitchell.

Combining an exploding juke box theme, with tunes like “Conga,” “1-2-3,” “Get On Your Feet,” “Anything For You,” “Turn the Beat Around" and “Rhythm Is Gonna Get You,” with an inspiring autobiographical story, the audience is treated to highs of extreme joy contrasting with real obstacles to success. Their crossover music dreams are continually dismissed as impossible by record executives in the know as well as their refusal to release their hit singles in English.

In her home life, Gloria faces a heartfelt estrangement from her mother, the painful witnessing of her father’s illness and then the shattering reality of the tour bus crash one snowy night with a truck that leaves her severely injured with a broken back. Her triumphant return to the stage, after battling incredible odds, is showcased in her performance at the 1991 American Music Awards. Her resilience and spirit can be applauded at every step.

With Samuel Garnica as Emilio, Sophia Yacap as the young Gloria and Gaby Albo as the adult star, we are taken on a journey that showcases their life. With two dozen songs sprinkled throughout the drama, we witness how this immigrant child rose to become the winner of multiple Grammy Awards, racking up over 100 top ten hits, be honored with a 2015 Presidential Medal of Freedom as well as, in 2017, receiving the Kennedy Center Honor.

For tickets ($47-87), call the Palace, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at www.palacetheaterct.org. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Follow the intriguing path to glory that Gloria and Emilio Estefan forge in the musical world. Get “on your feet” and let the rhythm catch you.

GET "ALL SHOOK UP" AT CENTER STAGE IN SHELTON

Elvis is definitely in the building and by building I mean Shelton’s Center Stage. If not Elvis himself, then his essence and spirit and his music so plan to rock 'n roll over to theCenter Stage sometime before Sunday, December 10. The play is "All Shook Up", with book by Joe DiPietro and the songs of Elvis Presley. When a black leather jacketed stranger rides into town on a motorcycle in 1955 that is exactly what he does: he shakes up that little Midwestern town from its foundations. The town is repressed and has been under the iron rule of the mayor. Think "Footloose" collides with Will Shakespeare.

Natalie, a sweet tomboy mechanic portrayed by Sandra Fernandez who works in her dad's garage, claims that she can fix anything that has wheels and when this stranger comes to town, Chad, she finds herself falling head over heels in love. Chad, a charismatic and slightly dangerous Scott Sheldon, however, looks at her and only sees a scruffy faced grease monkey. With crinolines and bobby sox, the town is ready to accept everything that Chad advocates. He is a roustabout, a drifter and a rover. His goal is to travel from town to town and to fix them, clearly evident by the fact that he's wearing blue suede shoes. He gets the town on its feet and ready to dance and magically repairs the jukebox that has been broken since forever.

The mayor, a mean spirited Maria Mongillo, is the moral compass of the town and she is angry when this rock 'n roll rebel interferes with her plans. She soon sees her own son Dean, an obedient Zachary Haywood, suddenly change his ways and take up with Lorraine, a fun loving Kira Gray , a girl Mayor Matilda finds unacceptable because she's an African-American. The mayor subscribes to the Mamie Eisenhower Decency Act and everything that Chad represents violates that. Elvis's music like "It's Now or Never,” “Love me Tender,” “Blue Suede Shoes,” " Burning Love" and " I Can't Help Falling in Love with You" punctuate the new feelings that Chad is advocating. True to Shakespeare's spirit, Natalie is in love with Chad, her best friend Dennis (Paul Keegan) has secret feelings for her, Chad is in love with the museum director Miss Sandra (Mel Byron), Natalie's dad (Chris Hetherington) thinks he's in love with Sandra too, and Lorraine's mom (Briana B.Dawson) fancies herself falling for Natalie's dad. When Natalie finds she can't get anywhere with Chad, she disguises herself as a boy, calls herself Ed and does a typical Shakespeare ploy trying to inveigle her way into Chad's heart.

The mayor makes her feelings known when she sings "Devil in Disguise" about Chad and soon all the romantic complications are tangled together. Everyone is willing to risk everything for love but you don't have to worry. By the end, wedding bells are ringing over and over and over again and even meek Sheriff Earl (Mike O'Mara) finds his gumption to put Matilda in her place, firmly in his arms. Kristen Santangelo does super duty as director, while Meghan Quinn handles all the jazzy choreography, and Liz Muller keeps the joint jumping musically.

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

Celebrate the holidays with Center Stage on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m.and Sunday at 2 p.m., December 15-17 with “Christmas Carols and Cocktails." Tickets are $25 adults, $15 children.

Get your dancing shoes on and plan to visit Elvis's clone Chad and the gang as they put energy and spirit and heart into this wonderful musical "All Shook Up."

SALUTE THE TROOPS AT STIRRING MUSICAL "THE PIN-UP GIRLS" AT PLAYHOUSE ON PARK

Encouraging the troops, raising their spirits as they protect our freedoms, has always deserved a merry and musical salute to our veterans, a well deserved thank you for their heroic sacrifices. James Hindman and Jeffrey Lodin have fashioned a loving tribute to servicemen and women in “The Pin-Up Girls A Musical Love Letter” bopping into Playhouse on Park in West Hartford until Saturday, December 23 and you are invited for a seat up front for the tuneful action for the show’s New England premiere.

Dating all the way back to World War I and spanning the years to the conflict in Afghanistan, these composers have taken the real letters written to our troops and the ones sent back again to their families and covered the conflicts they endured. All branches of the military will have their words and sentiments revealed starting with the mailman’s favorite tune “Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter.” This music and dance fest is courtesy of Artistic Director Darlene Zoller, with music direction by Kevin Barlowski.

Other favorites include “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “All the Single Ladies,” and “Abba-Abba Honeymoon” for romantic interludes, a sentimental love letter to our brave soldiers. Join the Playhouse’s letter writing campaign in Operation Gratitude.

Watch for the Weird and Wonderful World of Industrial Music by Steve Young on Sunday and Monday, December 10 and 11.

For tickets ($45 and $55), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900, ext. 10, or online at www.playhouseonpark.org. Performances are 2 p.m Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday with a talk back after the Sunday matinee. A special author presentation from Lisa Franco will take place on Saturday, December 16 after the 2 p.m. matinee when Lisa will read from “My Dearest Darling,” letters written in World War II by naval man Donald Story to his sweetheart Margery.

Learn first hand how important writing letters was as intimate connection and communication across thousands of miles of separation, especially during wartime.

COME SEE THE HEAVENLY "DREAMGIRLS" AT GOODSPEED

A 2013 documentary film "20 Feet From Stardom” focused attention on the backup singers behind the stars, the women who gave their hearts and souls to the music but were rarely acknowledged. Their story could well be the story of a trio of girl singers from Chicago, The Dreamettes, who travel to the Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York for their one big chance, to win an amateur talent show. Reading between the lines of the songs, it could also be the meteoric rise of Diana Ross and The Supremes, as they struggled with successes and sacrifices to make it to the top of the charts.

To follow the saga of Effie Melody White, Deena Jones and Lorrell Robinson, bogey over to Goodspeed Musicals before Saturday, December 30 to enter the world of a Motown girl group in the 1960's and 1970's in the hit musical "Dreamgirls," with book and lyrics by Tom Eyan and music by Henry Krieger.

Effie (Trejah Bostic), Deena (Ta-Tynisa Wilson) and Lorrell (Keirsten Hodgens) are young and ambitious black women who desperately want to find fame and fortune. They tie their star to the coattails of a less than honorable promoter Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Evan Tyrone Martin) who promises them the moon. A used-car salesman, Curtis convinces a popular rhythm and blues star, James "Thunder" Early (Mykal Kilgore) and his manager Marty (Robert Cornelius) to hire the Dreamettes as his backup singers, to launch their career. Effie's brother CC (Jos N. Banks) is a great songwriter who writes tunes like "Cadillac Man," and Curtis convinces Early to branch out into the pop music market.

With Curtis' promptings and dishonest probings, the girls and Early undergo dramatic changes, and conflicts arise that threaten all the relationships on stage and off. Egos are bruised and the personalities involved explode. Great songs like "Cadillac Man,” "(And I'm Telling You) I'm Not Going," "One Night Only," "Steppin' to the Bad Side" and "Dreamgirls" propel the action through this powerhouse of a show. Lili-Anne Brown directs these mega-talented stars as they try to climb over each other to the top.

For tickets ($30-87), call the Goodspeed Musicals, 6 Main Street, East Haddam at 860-873-8668 or online at goodspeed.org. Performances are Wednesday and 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.

Follow the tempo, the tears, the trials and the triumphs as this trio of hopefuls takes on the music industry and how luck, prejudice and ambition color their legendary story. The costumes by Samantha C. Jones, the lighting by Jason Lynch and Adam Honore and wigs by Earon Chew Nealey alone make the trip to Goodspeed worthwhile.

BRANFORD'S LEGACY THEATRE ADDS MUSIC TO "A CHRISTMAS CAROL"

Ebenezer Scrooge really works hard to earn the titles as the crankiest, crabbiest curmudgeon during the Christmas season. As the "bah humbug king,” he reeks with mean spiritedness, that is until he is forced to reexamine his life and his deeds with the help of personages of a trio of ghosts. This is after a timely visit from his business partner Jacob Marley, who was dead as a doornail lo these last seven years.

The Legacy Theatre of Branford will joyfully welcome the holiday season with “A Christmas Carol” adapted from the classic by Charles Dickens, with original music by Keely Baisden Knudsen and David Bell until Sunday December 10. Gather the whole family for this traditional holiday favorite.

Come meet James Andreassi’s Ebenezer Scrooge as he happily counts his coins and denies giving charity to help the orphaned and poor, tries to deny his employee Bob Cratchit (Josiah Rowe) a proper day off to observe Christmas and refuses the kind invitation of his nephew Fred (Dan Frye) to spend dinner at his home. Andreassi is wonderfully awful as the dastardly downer of the delightful day.

When the ghosts appear to do their seemingly impossible magic, the Ghost of Christmas Past (Keely Baisden), the Ghost of Christmas Present ( Chris Lemieux), and the most fearful of all, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come (Melanie Martyn), Scrooge is forced to reckon with all the mistakes he made in his life. With the help of Fan (Kiersten Bjork) his love from the past, the heartfelt needs of Tiny Tim (Patrick Clifford), the musical skills of the Clock Chime Singer (Wynter Knudsen) and the happy arrival of the Boy who announces it is still Christmas Day (Emery Knudsen), the redemption of Ebenezer is complete.

For tickets ($25-60), call the Legacy, 128 Thimble Islands Road, Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at LegacyTheatreCT.org. Performances are Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Please bring new adult mittens and gloves to donate.

Witness the magical transformation of Ebenezer as he learns the true meaning of the holiday spirit and embraces it with a whole and grateful heart.

INTENSE WORLD PREMIERE OF "THE SALVAGERS" AT YALE REP

The frosty outdoors of a Chicago winter does not begin to measure up to the chilly conditions inside the home of Boseman Salvage Senior and his son Junior. No amount of fireplace heat or furnace generated gas or electrical air vents are likely to warm up the relationship of this parent and son unit. Emotions are ready to ignite as the generational pair are ready and able to bicker and explode over each and every family argument. As the snow piles grow, so does the antagonism. Baby, it’s cold inside.

The Yale Repertory Theatre suggests you get your scarf and gloves ready for the world premiere of “The Salvagers” by Harrison David Rivers until Saturday, December 16, an intense play commissioned by the Yale Rep, through the auspices of the Binger Center for New Theatre.

Issues heat up with the Salvagers as dad, Boseman Salvage Senior (Julian Elijah Martinez) and son (Taylor A. Blackman) disagreed about practically everything. Dad is a locksmith, one who ironically does not possess the magic key to unlock a meaningful relationship with his son. For his part the son wants to be recognized as a legitimate actor, one who ravels in reciting Shakespeare, but he doesn’t know the lines he must speak in dealing with his father.

Yet with his mother Nedra (Toni Martin), he has no problem expressing his love. His parents were too young, mere teens, when he brashly entered their lives. Even when father and son find comfort in a loving relationship, dad with a substitute teacher Elinor (McKenzie Chinn) and Junior with restaurant co-worker Paulina (Mikayla LeShae Bartholomew), the intriguing family differences do not dissipate. Can these fractured personalities be “salvaged”? Will their secrets and lies ever be healed?

For tickets ($15-65), call the Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at www.yalerep.org. Performances are Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesdays at 2 p.m. (select) and 8 p.m., Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m., and Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Enter this involved family and discover the pains and promises as they struggle to survive and thrive much more than a brutally cold Chicago winter.