"HADESTOWN" DESCENDS ON THE BUSHNELL MARCH 7-12

Clever composers have been turning the most unlikely subjects into fascinating musicals over the decades. Shows like an unsinkable ship hitting an iceberg and going down (Titanic) or a number of men and women who tried and often succeeded in killing a president (Assassins) or a gang of black youth accused of raping a white woman (The Scottsboro Boys) or a giant green ogre who is friendly and sweet (Shrek) are not screaming musical and yet here they are. Get ready for another unusual choice: a musical about the underworld called “Hadestown.” Get ready to travel down, down and down a little more, courtesy of the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, from Tuesday, March 7 to Sunday, March 12 for Anais Mitchell’s ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical, “Hadestown, and directed by Rachel Chavkin.” Take a trip down under, way past Australia to the underworld where strange things happen on a daily basis. The Greek god Hermes will be your messenger, narrator, storyteller as he introduces the principal characters of the tale in the stirring “Road to Hell.” The harsh weather and the persistent famine introduce us to the dire circumstances always associated with this dreaded place. Eurydice is starving and seeks food and is willing to work in these terrible conditions to get nourishment and escape the cold. She soon regrets her choice to go there as now she needs Hades’ permission to leave. Her young singer-songwriter lover Orpheus, Hermes’ ward, arrives to take her home but Hades appears with a contract Eurydice signed that won’t allow her to return to earth. Orpheus is attacked, yet he pledges to free Eurydice. Persephone hears his plea and promises to help by persuading Hades to let Eurydice go. Orpheus must complete a song, but risks being killed. He reminds Hades of his love for Persephone. Hades consents to let them leave on one condition: Orpheus cannot look back to see if Eurydice and the other workers are following him. If he does, Eurydice is fated to return to Hadestown forever. For tickets ($51-164), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday to Thursday at 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. Immerse yourself in the lore of ancient Greece and follow this tale of star-crossed love that is fated to test the boundaries of its soul, but ultimately to offer “hope, faith and rebirth."

SUPER SONIC "ROCK OF AGES" EXPLODES AT ACT OF RIDGEFIELD

What would you do if a need or cause presented itself for you to resolve? If you are the mayor of Los Angeles’ assistant Regina, a dedicated Shaylen Harger, you would paint protest signs and wage a major battle to save your city’s Sunset Strip and the iconic institutions that make it famous. Leave your inhibitions, reservations, hearing aids, walkers and canes at the door. Pop a few super vitamins and prepare to be electrified. The rock and roll party is set to explode on the stage of ACT in Ridgefield until Sunday, March 19 when "Rock of Ages,” a non-stop party, arrives in colorful splendor. Don't for a moment confuse this show with Rock of Ages, the popular Christian hymn composed in 1763 by Reverend Augustus Toplody. The good reverend was inspired to write his song when he was traveling in his native England one day and was caught in a horrendous storm. Seeking shelter in a gap in a gorge near where he was walking, the first words of the tune came to him..."Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee." He is said to have scribbled these words on a playing card, giving thanks for the sheltered protection the rock provided. This totally different "Rock of Ages" is set in Los Angeles' Sunset Strip, in the year of our Lord 1987, and is called "the best party ever!" Two kids, a guy from South Detroit and one a small-town gal, meet in L.A. and find they share the same dream: to make it big in the world of music and movies. This is Drew and Sherrie's story. Think rock concert meets youth gone wild meets bad boy behavior. No rules need apply here. Fun, comedy, 80's tunes and outrageous pleasures are guaranteed as you don your acid-washed jeans and knee high boots and spray your bouffant hair to the last degree of solid steel. Nominated for 5 Tony Awards, it features a rock band that takes part in the company as well as makes music. It pops and bangs out hits from Journey, Styx, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Night Ranger and Reo Speedwagon, tunes that will make you levitate from your seat and make you want to party on and on and on. Get your jazz hands ready for a little friendly head banging, Classic rock tunes like "Don't Stop Believin,' " "We Built the City," "Here I Go Again," "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "I Wanna Know What Love Is" will resound to the rafters of ACT. Dale Obermark will star as Drew and Abigail Sparrow as Sherrie, two newcomers to town who meet and make musical magic. They meet at the Bourbon Club which Dennis (Justin Michael Duval) owns with his right hand man Lonny (Liam Fennecken). A pair of real estate developers from Germany (Kevin Dennis and Sean Widener) want to raze and sanitize the site, removing all traces of the rock and roll royalty that made it famous, like the lead singer Stacee Jaxx (Eric Coles). Others in this talented, high energy cast include Elizabeth Adabale, Jasmine Gobourne, Alexander Hall, Julia Rippon, Aaron Robinson, Emily Ann Stys and Tray Wright. For tickets ($63-152), call ACT of Connecticut, 36 Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield at 475-215-5497 or online at boxoffice@actofct.com. Performances are 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,. The show's book is by Chris D'Arienzo, directed by Igor Goldin and choreography by Sara Brians, with original musical arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp. Watch for Fairfield County’s Giving Day and donate to ACT, A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut. Show up at this feel-good party ready to rock and roll, with your black leather jacket, your air guitars and your protest signs and journey back to the 1980's for Fun, Fun, Fun.

FORETELLING THE FUTURE

YEARS AGO, MY DAUGHTER STACY VISITED A FORTUNE TELLER WHO INFORMED HER THAT HER MOTHER “HAD A BOOK IN HER.” NOW THREE DECADES LATER THAT BOOK “LITTLE THOUGHTS ON A BIG PLANET” HAS LITERALLY BEEN BIRTHED AND IS AVAILABLE IN PRINT ON AMAZON.COM. “LITTLE THOUGHTS ON A BIG PLANET” IS A COLLECTION OF MEMORIES AND MOMENTS THAT REVEAL INSTANCES ABOUT LIFE, LOVE AND LAUGHTER, A GARDEN OF REFLECTIONS ABOUT HOPE AND RESILIANCE. MY HUSBAND ALLEN WHO FOUGHT A RARE, CHRONIC AND ULTIMATELY FATAL DISEASE FOR FOURTEEN YEARS HAD A FAVORITE SAYING:”DON’T POSTPONE JOY.” I CHOOSE TO LIVE MY LIFE THAT WAY. TO SEE THE BOOK, GO ONLINE TO AMAZON.COM, TYPE IN BOOKS, TYPE IN “LITTLE THOUGHTS ON A BIG PLANET” AND SEE IF IT IS ONE YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ. I HOPE SO. THANK YOU.

"CALLING PUERTO RICO" A STORM OF THEATER AT SEVEN ANGELS

In recent weeks the tragic earthquake devastating Syria and Turkey, claiming 46,000 precious lives and counting, only serves to remind us of the powers of Mother Nature and the terrible toll Climate Change and Global Warming can have on our lives. We are often powerless to stop these effects as they destroy homes, schools, hospitals and lives and rob us of our basic needs for shelter, water, food, and our very existence. Pa'lante Theater Company and playwright Juan Ramirez Jr. want to present a powerful reminder of nature’s wrath with the world premiere of “Calling Puerto Rico for the Island and to Hope” at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury the weekend of February 24-26. Pa'lante Theater Company is Connecticut’s first and only Afro-Latine Black Box Theater Company and its artistic director and founder Nelson Rafael Feliciano-Roman is impassioned about his quest to showcase productions that explore his heritage and further our understanding of his culture. This inaugural offering does all that and more. Come meet an amateur ham radio operator Joel, a sincere but conflicted Rabel Bueno, who is emotionally paralyzed and unable to leave the sanctuary of his apartment because of a personal trauma. When he hears the devastating news that Hurricane Maria may be headed straight for Puerto Rico, his homeland, with alarming consequences, he feels a responsibility to help. To allay his fears, he consults an old friend Debra, a wise and knowledgable astronaut currently at the international space station high above earth for the current weather reports and the path the hurricane may be taking. Betzabeth Gonzalez’s Debra is calming and supportive as she feeds him the facts about what may be happening in mere minutes to the land of his birth. Not so comforting, but decidedly flirtatious, is his landlord Melosa, brought to vivacious life by Fior Rodriguez, who deals with life and death on a daily basis as a trauma nurse and wants to help Joel with his emotional troubles as well as his current fears about Puerto Rico. Since he is incapable of leaving his apartment, Melosa volunteers to travel there to find how Joel’s grandfather Anibal is faring. Joel blames his grandfather for a “curse” he feels the family has and is finally reaching out across the miles to reconnect. Jeffrey M. Rossman’s Anibel is torn between keeping his dialysis machine or his generator going as the storm gets ever closer. The arrival of his neighbor Rolan, an industrious Cameron Hudson, helps him cope. As the angry storm whips through the sky, Joel frantically tries to save his grandfather, encourage Melosa to find him among the devastation in the Caribbean, take some comfort in Debra’s accurate forecasting and discover his own courage to overcome his personal demons. Hold on tight as you get caught in the eye of the storm as the winds howl and the waters rise. The return of the croaking of the island frogs, the coqui, will signal the return of hope for the land. For tickets ($20), call Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at SevenAngelsTheatre.org. Performances are Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Come weather the hurricane with Joel and his immediate family as they struggle to survive the oncoming onslaught of emotion and destruction.

LEGACY THEATRE OF BRANFORD PRESENTS BROADWAY

If music be the food of love, play on! Shakespeare said it hundreds of years ago, and the Legacy Theatre of Branford is proving it today. The Legacy Theatre is welcoming Broadway, in a series of concerts, to its beautiful gem of a theater and you are cordially invited to share the musical joy. First up is Nikki M. James with Nate Buccieri on the piano on Sunday, February 26 at 2 p.m. Valentine’s Day may be over but this sweetheart of a singer is ready to woo you with love and passion. Nikki originated the role of Nabalungi in “The Book of Mormon” for which she won a Tony Award and recently starred in “A Bright Room Called Day” by Tony Kushner. You don’t want to miss this sensational performance. On Sunday, March 5 at 2 p.m. the suave Max Von Essen with Billy Stritch on piano will set the rafters warbling as he presents an afternoon of sophisticated songs and stories. Max recently starred on Broadway in “Anastasia” about a Russian princess as well as toured as Marvin in “Falsettos,” not to mention his turns in “An American in Paris,” “Evita,” “Les Miserables," “Jesus Christ Superstar” and so many others. Eden Espinosa with John McDaniel on the piano will celebrate her rich musical background on Sunday, April 2 at 2 p.m. and there will be no April Fool’s tricks here as Eden lights up the Legacy stage. Eden began singing at the age of three, performing at five and recording at ten. She has been Elphaba in “Wicked” in a number of productions across the country. On May 7 you will have the unique opportunity to hear Jenn Colella with John McDaniel on piano show off her vocal skills in a Sunday afternoon concert. You may remember her as the take charge American Airlines pilot who landed in Gander, New Foundland in the marvelous musical “Come From Away,” that told the amazing story of the 38 planes diverted to Gander when the world experienced the terror of September 11, 2001. The final concert of the series will be held on Sunday, July 2 at 2 p.m. when Hugh Panaro, again with John McDaniel on piano, will take center stage. Hugh has played the lead in “Phantom” at least a trio of times, as well as leads in “Sweeney Todd.” “Les Miserables,” “Sunday in the Park with George” and many others. Don’t miss any of these fantastic gifts from the Great White Way. In addition to its Sunday concert series, the Legacy will feature on March 25 and 26 family favorites “The Tales of Christopher Robin and Winnie the Pooh” and on April 29 and 30 “A Princess Tea.” The crooning pipes of Chaz Esposito will once again splash splash and serenade on April 21 and 22 when “Mack Is Back!,” the great music of Bobby Darin returns for an encore. For tickets, call the Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Island Road, Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at LegacyTheatreCT.org. Mark your calendars for a continuing parade of musical favorites to complete your winter and usher in the beauties of spring.

GOODSPEED MUSICALS HOLDING 17TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS

Hallelujah! You are just in time to attend Goodspeed Musicals 17th Annual Festival of New Musicals the weekend of March 17-19 and what a wonderful opportunity for theater lovers everywhere. Goodspeed Musicals will devote Friday, Saturday and Sunday to celebrate the newest stars in the firmament across the country and bring their brilliance to East Haddam for a glorious weekend. The highlight of the trio of days will be staged readings of three all new musicals performed by the talented students of The Hartt School, Boston Conservatory at Berkeley and Montclair State University. The readings are enhanced by a series of seminars, special insider events and cabarets by the invited composers to campus. The excitement starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday March 17 with “Double Helix,” with book, music and lyrics by Madeline Myers, set in the mid-20th century. The frantic race is on to uncover the mystery of the DNA structure and scientists are eager to win the scientific contest. One, Rosalind Franklin, may even be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to be declared the victor. A cabaret at the Gelston House will follow at 10 p.m. Take your multi-vitamins and eat your Wheaties for a full day of theatrical firsts on Saturday, March 18 starting with a series of seminars at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. At 3:30 p.m stay tuned, free to the public, for the 2023 Terris Theatre Season Announcement. A symposium at 4:30 p.m. is also free and open to the public. Join Festival goers at 5:30 p.m for a three course dinner ($40) at the Gelston House, just next door. The second staged reading will be “The Great Emu War” at 7:30 p.m., with book by Cal Silberstein and music and lyrics by Paul Hodge. Turn your mind to Australia and those unusual birds called emus that have not always been beloved Down Under, They get into trouble, again, when they start feasting on the wheat of local farmers and before you can say “feathered frienemies three times” the war is on. A second Festival Cabaret will follow at the Gelston House at 9:30 p.m. At 1 p.m. Sunday the stage will be set for “Little Miss Perfect," with book, music and lyrics by Joriah Kwame. A commission of Goodspeed Musicals GoodWorks program, it tells the tale of Noelle, a senior in high school and a bi-racial teen who finds herself with a study abroad student as her new roommate. When systemic racism becomes an issue at school, Noelle must decide on a course of retaliation to resolve the matter or settle for being “Little Miss Perfect.” The teams of writers will engage in a lively discussion of their methods and inspirations at 3:30 p.m. at the Goodspeed to conclude this delightfully dramatic weekend. Single tickets are $25 for each staged reading, and $15 for students. A special $100 Festival Package for the weekend includes all the staged readings, the seminars, symposium and meet the writers. You may add on the Saturday night dinner ($40) and one cabaret ($15) either Friday or Saturday night. Call the box office at 860-873-8668 to make reservations, or online at www.goodspeed.org. If you truly love theater, you will be over the moon with delight at all the opportunities packed into this weekend of firsts ready for you to experience.

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

Age is just a number and mine, at 80, is screaming in agony. Where did all the decades go? I demand a do-over. I wasn’t ready the first time around and I know more now-like where the quicksand is hiding. Now i need to use a cane and stairs are my enemy. Falls now trump divorce and moving to a new home and speaking in front of a large crowd as the most frightening thing. At my advanced age, people who fall don’t always get up no matter how many life saving buttons they push. At a recent trip to the post office a man who was leaving, stopped, got out of his van, and opened the door for me. A female employee took the package of books I was mailing and carried them to the counter for me. On the way out, she scurried to proceed me and open the doors. What was I helpless? Where is that vibrant self-sufficient woman I once was? Is she hiding in the closet or under the bed? Can I go to a fortune teller and summon her magnificent return? I’m afraid not. Maybe she is on display at Madame Troussant’s Wax Museum, but she is not here. For someone who never wanted to ask for help, I seem to be wearing a sign “Help Wanted and Needed. Take Pity on This Poor Soul.” Gone are the glorious days of independence. I can no longer drive a car at night or a vacuum cleaner during the day. I now need to depend on Depends One errand a day exhausts me, when I used to go non-stop from morning to midnight. Now I am a perpetual non-stop at Monopoly’s GO. Today I will take a deep breathe or at least as deep as my lungs will permit and stop and smell the roses and daffodils and linger a long while, thank those younger folks who are so ready to help us oldsters and just be thankful I won’t have to read my own obituary any time soon. After all I just paid $92 to renew my driver’s license until 2030 and I don’t want it to go to waste.