CELEBRATE THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WITH THE BROKEN UMBRELLA COMPANY

America celebrated its 250th anniversary, its semiquincentennial in fact, of the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and the Broken Umbrella Company is marking this special occasion with a new show “Revolutionary Haven: Myths of America." Come mark this historic milestone that reflects on the nation’s past by King George of England and a look at New Haven's part in the story as the Broken Umbrella Company focuses on our local participation in the struggle. This non profit theater company has already created original tales about lollipops, bicycles. libraries, corsets, pirates, toys, vaudeville, tires, matches, hamburgers, and, of course, pizza, since it began in 2008 with original works that spotlight New Haven’s unique history and culture. All the productions are performed in site specific locations to add to the magic of the show.

At the moment this creative troupe, that includes an improv group The Regicieds, is concentrating all its efforts on building a theater space in Westville. Formerly the home of a dry cleaners and mechanic shop, it will be the theater’s first permanent home and will house a community center, a multi-tiered space tailored for New Haven area arts as well as a black box theater for 90 participants, a cabaret and art gallery, and a restaurant and cafe. Space for workshops and classes and local performance groups will also be located at 280 Blake Street in Westville.

Right now Broken Umbrella is concentrating its artistic and historic efforts on the first half of “Revolutionary Haven: Myths of America” until Saturday, October 24. Recommended for ages 10 and up and running about 45 minutes, audiences are taken back in time to 1776 to 1779 when the newly formed colonists in Connecticut were working to free themselves from the yoke of King George and create a new homeland. Come meet Roger Sherman, a patriot and mayor of New Haven who has the distinction of being the only man to sign four important documents of democracy: the Contitutonal Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. You will also meet his counterpoint Benedict Arnold whose treachery is acknowledged and his treason confirmed as well as many colonists of the time working at this jobs.

The words, songs and stories you will hear as you venture room to room to hear, with tales and testimonies of the people who struggled to survive and persevere, often with original music and lyrics, and authentic costuming and original artwork by Kim Weston on the Black and Native American experience.

For tickets ($17.76,all wait listed at the moment) at 7:30 P.M.and 8:30 P.M. at 495 Blake Street, New Haven.

Come capture a real moment in New Haven history and imagine what will happen in the year 251 and beyond.

COME HEAR A "HONEY HONEY" OF AN ABBA TRIBUTE SHOW AT WATERBURY'S PALACE THEATER

Who doesn’t love the music of ABBA, that sensational Swedish troupe that has thrilled thousands and thousands and captured hearts with its greatest hits thanks to the movies “Mamma Mia!” and “Mamma Mia! Here She Goes Again.” As far as tribute bands are concerned the Palace Theater in Waterbury is set to deliver one of the best, for one night only, Friday, October 23 at 8 p.m. and you’ll be solidly square if you’re not there!

Come welcome “Mania: the ABBA Tribute ” so you can personally say “Thank You For The Music” and celebrate “Knowing Me Knowing You” as you morph into a delicious “Dancing Queen” or King for one incredible night. This group formerly known as ABBA Mania will present the musical goods so true to the original, you’ll be hard pressed to believe they are not the genuine article.

A parade of ABBA’s greatest hits including your favorites like “Does Your Mother Know,” “Take a Chance,” “SOS,” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Super Trouper,” “Money Money Money,” “Gimme Gimme Gimme” and “Waterloo” will wow you as these incredible four, complete in dazzling costumes, entertain you all the way to the rafters. After all, this group has energized their souls in over 35 countries, almost 120 United States tours alone, to sold out stadiums of up to 50,000 screaming fans, touring every continent in the world, and now you are in for a “Honey Honey” of a treat.

The group was created by producer Garry Lichach and launched its first live show in 2000. It is widely recognized as one of the top three international ABBA tribute attractions and you are guaranteed a spectacular evening of exceptional entertainment. For tickets ($45 and $65), call the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 230-346-2000, or online at palacetheaterct.org.

Let “Mania: The ABBA Tribute” generously lay all their love on you! Come dance and sing along as this high-energy and fun group gets the party going for an atmosphere of great entertainment.

WATERBURY'S PALACE THEATER WELCOMES ANIMAL TRAINER BILL BERLONI OCTOBER 25 AND PET ADOPTION

Fifty years ago the former Artistic Director of Goodspeed Opera House Michael Price gave Bill Berloni $35 to rescue a dog, in this case Sandy, to be in the musical “Annie,” that launched Bill’s career as an animal trainer. Before this significant moment Bill was a new intern at the theater, hoping to be an actor. Price promised Berloni that if he did this successfully, and found and trained a dog rescued from the pound, he would earn his acting certificate for his Actors’ Equity Association card.

That unexpected task set Berloni on a totally different life plan. He has since earned a lifetime achievement in Connecticut theater by the Connecticut Critics Circle for his training of rescue and breeder animals for stage, film, and television. Mr. Berloni trained Sandy for the original production of “Annie" at the Goodspeed Opera House and on Broadway. “Annie" is returning to the Goodspeed now to celebrate its 50th anniversary.

To hear his fascinating life story, gallop to the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury on Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m. in the Poli Restaurant. Come early at 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for an outdoor pet adoption at the Palace”s loading dock and see if a furry critter is in your future and learn about adoption opportunities.

As part of the Palace’s Upstaged series, for tickets ($25), visit the box office or go online to palacetheater.org.

Come hear Bill Berloni discuss the origins of his career, his work with “Annie," and his unusual and wonderful life as an animal trainer. He and his wife live on a farm in Connecticut where active and retired animals live alongside rescued animals. Maybe he will even bring one of his fuzzy troupe along.

THE BUSHNELL WELCOMES THE JOYFUL MUSICAL "MAMMA MIA!" OCTOBER 20-25

What happens when you travel to a beautiful Greek island, add in the exciting music of the Swedish singing group ABBA and complete the picture with a young bride-to-be who wants her father, one of three candidates, to walk her down the aisle? To find the intriguing answer, dance joyfully over to the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford to catch this lively with a capital L smash hit musical “Mamma Mia!” with music and lyrics by ABBA musicians Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus and book by Catherine Johnson from Tuesday, October 20 to Sunday, October 25.

Set on a mythical Greek island, the show is about a daughter Sophie, who at 20 is about to marry. Her fervent wish is to have her father walk her down the aisle, but there’s one small problem. Her mother Donna, a determined and vivacious woman who runs the island taverna, has never spoken Sophie’s father’s name.

So the industrious and clever Sophie sends wedding invitations to the three candidates for fatherhood as determined by invading the privacy of her mom’s diary of twenty one years previously: an architect Sam, an Australian travel writer Bill and a proper British banker Harry. All three men accept the invitation they believe is from Donna and show up conveniently on the eve of Sophie’s nuptials to Sky.

Fortunately the unsuspecting Donna has the moral grounding of Tanya and Rosie, the members of her old singing group, who literally and figuratively support her when the sparks of mistrust and accusations start to fly. The great ABBA songs like “Dancing Queen,” “The Name of the Game,” “S.O.S.,” “Thank You for the Music,” “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do,” and “The Winner Takes It All” and more than a dozen more, make this show sparkle with neon lights that spell Amazing, Bouncy, Beautiful, and Alive, in snappy and pulsating style.

For tickets ($50 and up) call the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.evenue.net/events/MAMMA. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Come two hours early for a Fall Festival in the courtyard for fall themed food and drinks and outdoor games for fun.

Once upon a time a girl prays to have her father at her side for her wedding day. Is it a blessing or a curse when her prayers are answered three times over? Catch the joy of “Mamma Mia!” and discover for yourself. Wedding gifts are optional.

HARTFORD STAGE READY TO SCARE YOU WITH A NEW "DRACULA"

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, Dracula is the most portrayed literary character ever. Almost two centuries ago the Irish writer Bram Stoker created Dracula who has since become one of the most famous stars of English literature. Stoker even named his personal vampire Dracula because he thought the name meant “devil” in the Romanian language. To celebrate the holiday of Halloween, get your stakes and cloves of garlic ready for a frightening evening of thrills and chills with the American premiere of “Dracula” at the Hartford Stage until Sunday, November 1. This new psychological drama is the challenging work of Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, one exciting new one of the more than 800 adaptations penned over the years. She loves horror stories and considers hers "a powerful and rich story.” For director Jackson Gay, her introduction to this tale began when she was ten years old and played Lucy, one of the main characters, in a community production in Sugar Land, Texas. She loves "creating something both deeply unsettling and thrilling for an audience.”

Settle back and take a deep breathe as Sara Gutierrez’s Mina orchestrates this terribly disturbing tale stuffed with frights and delights for your listening pleasure. As the creeping dread of night surrounds you, you will be trapped in the horror at your own risk. Mina fancies herself the heroine as she is the only one alive at the conclusion and it is her words that reign supreme. She is betrothed to Jonathan who helps tell the tale, a willing Lucas Dixon, who is honored to be chosen to be her co-conspirator. Jonathan travels to Transylvania to help Count Dracula with purchasing a new house in London. Also central to the narrative is Mina’s good friend Lucy, portrayed by Scout Backus. Others with various roles in the tale include Caitlin Elizabeth Clouthier, Anney Giobbe, and Pauli.>/p>

Be prepared for lots of fangs and blood as the tale unravels, as Mina ratchets up the horror to a screaming feast, all the while snipets of laughter lessens the tension. How perfect to celebrate the spirit of the holiday!

For tickets ($10-120), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or boxoffice@hartfordstage.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Recommended for ages 14 and up. Every 2 seconds someone needs blood. Blood drives will be held at Hartford Stage October 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and at Hartford Health Care, 560 Hudson Street, Hartford on October 28 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You will receive a special gift from Hartford Stage.

Just in time for your personal Halloween thrills and chills, let Hartford Stage unveil this new reimagined psychological suspenseful tale for you. This gothic classic has taken on a different spin and point of view and you are guaranteed to gain a suspenseful appreciation of monsters that just may scare you silly.

INVOLVING FAMILY DRAMA "LITTLE BEAR RIDGE ROAD" AT TWH

We don’t have much control over the family we are born into. We can hope for a loving and supportive environment, with parents and siblings who nurture and protect. What happens when these people nearest and dearest to us also fail us and the trauma that ensues? What happens when a child has a father who is a drug addict? What further damage occurs when that child, only ten years of age, appeals to his aunt to take him in to her home to raise him, only to be refused? Come meet Mishka Yarovoy’s Ethan and Denise Cormier’s Sarah.

Let TheaterWorks Hartford introduce you to Samuel D. Hunter’s disturbing family drama “Little Bear Ridge Road” until Sunday, November 8. You will soon be enmeshed in their story as the last two members of their family, when Ethen reluctantly returns to his Idaho home, after his father’s death, to sell his house and hopefully get enough money to help himself get on the right path of life. He is a writer who cannot seem to write, with a Master’s degree but no job. He seeks sanctuary with his aunt Sarah and she is no more ready to help him now than when he was ten.

Can they finally make a connection? Can he forgive and forget what happened in the past? Will he be able to put his life on a better keel? Will his meeting with Travis Anderson's James at a gay bar enable Ethan to find the love he so desperately craves? Will his independent and opinionated aunt reveal the secret she is hiding? It is only with the appearance and explanation of Janelle Anne Robinson’s Paulette that a final resolution and truths are revealed. Rob Ruggiero directs this involving family drama with sensitivity and compassion, a play he calls “a really great story.”

For tickets ($20-80 ), call TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at twhartford.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

For Sarah and Ethan, their lives are like the Reality TV shows they are addicted to watching, with each scene bizarre and unbelievable, yet a science fiction story about aliens that appeals to their senses.

"MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM" INTRIGUIES AT THE YALE REP

The prolific playwright August Wilson immortalizes his Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania hometown in an epic American Century Cycle that contains ten productions, one for each decade of the 20th century. Yale Rep at 222 York Street in New Haven is bringing to vibrant life a play, “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” that enjoyed its world premiere way back in 1984 and you are invited to experience its complex joys again until Saturday, October 24.

For the decade of the 1920s, August Wilson sets his masterpiece in the steaming heat of a Chicago recording studio (not Pittsburgh this time around) as the two white entrepreneurs Neal Lerner’s Sturdyvant and Jeff Parker’s Irvin anxiously await the arrival of Maiesha McQueen, a difficult and opinionated star in their corral of talent. As a successful and legendary Black artist, Ma Rainey has earned the title “Mother of the Blues” and she exercises her control over her band and her music. It’s 1 p.m. and her faithful and devoted band members are ready to rehearse for the record they are creating, Terence Archie’s Cutler, Dion Graham’s Toledo, and Ray Anthony Thomas’s Slow Drag. Also ready to jive is the band’s newest member, Jimmie J. J, Jeter’s Levee Green who has his own original ideas about how the songs should be played, especially his own version of “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” that differs dramatically from the way Ma Rainey wants it orchestrated.

When Ma Rainey breezes in, quite late and demanding three bottles of Coca Cola, accompanied by her nephew Mark Yarde’s Sylvester and Brittany Antoinette Davis’s Dussie Mae, the stage has been set for an explosion of fireworks. Levee is not about to backdown on his demands and neither is Ma Rainey. She wants Sylvester to announce the opening of her rendition of the lead song, even though he stutters. As a young ambitious trumpeter, Levee confronts Ma head-on asserting he knows more than she does and tries to fast talk her into surrender. As Ma is trying her hardest to survive and even thrive in a world that is not welcoming, their confrontation is doomed to occur. Come learn how a pair of $11 shoes sets off the ultimate tragedy.

Timothy Douglas has directed every play in August Wilson’s Century Cycle and he was an understudy when it witnessed its world premiere in 1984. Now as director, Douglas is responsible for the tension and temperaments that make this play so dramatic.

For tickets ($20-65), call the Yale Rep, 222 York Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at yalerep.org. Performances are Tuesday 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m.and 8 p.m., Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

According to Timothy Douglas, “A key focus in Ma Rainey is on the fineness and nooks and crannies of the individual characters" and the intricacies of their interactions, their fortitude and their struggles. Come learn how music is life’s way of talking.