"BABES IN BOYLAND!” THE NEWEST GIFT FROM THE CGMC

Don’t for a moment confuse the Christmas tale of an eleven year old girl named Lisa who ventures off to Toyland and tries to stop an ill-fated wedding in the 1903 Victor Herbert operetta or the 1986 television movie “Babes in Toyland” with the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus’s current offering “Babes in Boyland!”  While both are holiday celebrations, they are worlds apart.

The chorus, now in its thirtieth season of providing unique and clever productions, that can be incredibly moving like last spring’s emotionally sensitive “I Am Harvey Milk,” will be up to its new and old tricks this Christmas go-round.  Their twenty-four voice chorus will provide traditional holiday tunes, often with particularly piquant parodies, but this time with a distinct twist.

Think pink peppermint candy canes and red sugar sprinkled star cookies for the debonair gentlemen of the CGMC are ready to welcome to their ranks five dynamic ladies to the stage of the Co-Op Theater, 177 College Street, New Haven. For two performances on Saturday, December 12 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, December 13 at 4 p.m., the men are prepared to share their boas and sequins.

Lining up to take top billing will be Marissa Perry of Waterbury who is known for roles in such productions as Tracy Turnblad, the feisty and fair-minded teenager in “Hairspray,” as well as playing in the world premiere of “Princesses” and the current Broadway production of “Sister Act.”  Joining her will be her mom, Joyce Follo-Jeffrey of Southington who has been performing regionally for five decades as well as being a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant when she’s not on stage.

Adding her classically-trained award-winning voice to the choir will be music teacher and music director Jaclyn Chiarelli of New Haven, Meriden’s Maureen “Mo” Peitler Lederman who was the female lead with the CGMC’s New England premiere of Andrew Lippa’s “I Am Harvey Milk” and classical soprano Christine Gill from Guilford who is well known in musical theater circles.

According to Artistic Director Greg McMahan, “These ladies bring a huge variety of styles to the performance, from Broadway belters to operatic sopranos.  It’s allowed us the chance to do styles of music we haven’t been able to do in the past, and our singers are really enjoying the collaboration.”

 McMahan feels the addition of this female quintet will allow the chorus to venture into new directions and produce an amazing sound not possible before.  "We're not doing just comedy, drag, camp and silly and not just choral pieces.  This time around we'll put on a cool version of "White Winter Hymnal" as well as some Mariah Carey hits, more difficult arrangements, plus lots of surprises."  Members of the CGMC suggested the names of women they wanted to sing and perform with and McMahan has made it happen, creating "a beautiful art experience at Christmas."

For tickets ($25-$30), call 800-644-2462(CGMC) or go online at www.ctgmc.org.

Be prepared to have your stocking caps fly off your head as the CGMC entertains five ladies of the theater to celebrate the holidays in grand fashion.

"THE 1940'S RADIO HOUR" A NOSTALGIC MUSICAL SHOW

                                              ALEXA CAMPAGNA

Turn your radio dial way back a mere seven decades or so to enjoy the current musical offering by Landmark Community Theatre just in time for the holidays.  The charming, quaint and historic Thomaston Opera House is prepared to recreate the final holiday broadcast of the Mutual Manhattan Variety Cavalcade of Radio Station WOV in New York in December 1942.  You're invited to take a front row seat until Sunday, December 13 to witness the chaos and comedy as the trusty cast and orchestra prepare for the "On Air" sign to light up.

While Pops (Jeff Savage) mans the phones and the mop, paying more attention to his horse racing bets and card games than the upcoming performance, station manager Cliff Feddington (Allen Marko) is alternately exploding and cajoling his tardy stars to get on their marks for the big finale event.

Everyone is anxious to perform, including the drug store delivery boy Wally (Nolan Cummings) and wannabe star Neal (Frank Beaudry), who both want to join the established stars like Johnny Cantone (Robert Saunders) who just might be heading off to Hollywood with a martini in his hand, while Biff (Justin Normandin) has done his patriotic duty and is soon off to war.

Great tunes like "Daddy," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "Aint She Sweet," "How About You?" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" are brought to sparkling life under the musical direction of Zoot Doubleman (Jim Luurtsema) by an energetic cast of Becky Sawicki, Alexa Campagna, Betsy Ingraham, Carletha Hawley and Michael Newman.  Steve Sorriero does double duty as Cliff's assistant and master of the sound effects, a necessary addition to any radio broadcast.

Dan Checovetes directs this nostalgic salute to patriotism, mom and mincemeat pie.  For tickets ($24, senior and students $20), call 860-283-6250 or online at www.landmarkcommunitytheatre.org for performances at the Thomaston Opera House, 158 Main Street, Thomaston.  Performances are Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Watch for "Frosty the Snowman" to dance in December 19 at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. and December 20 at 1 p.m., with tickets $10.

A special added treat opening night was a tribute to 23 year volunteer Juan Cardona who has been playing the Opera House's famed 1926 Marr-Colton Theatre Pipe Organ since 1993 during the run of "Guys and Dolls."  Cardona has loved the organ since he first heard it played at age 5 and with the help of the CT Valley Theatre Organ Society for maintenance issues he has played suitable accompaniments for almost every subsequent show on this "King of Instruments" utilizing drums, cymbals, bells and a piano, as if he has a full orchestra at his command.  He looks forward to continuing this fine musical tradition on this historic pipe organ at the 1884 Thomaston Opera House for many years to come, his "second home."  Juan, play on!

"PASSING STRANGE:" AN ELECTRIFYING ROCK MUSICAL

                           PASSING STRANGE PHOTO BY RICH WAGNER

Think a rite of passage. like Pippin or Ulysses, a journey of self-discovery, a search for reality, a rebellion against the mundane.  West Hartford's Playhouse on Park is embarking on its own journey of discovery as it mounts "Passing Strange" by performance artist and poet Stew for book and lyrics, with music orchestrations by Heidi Rodewald, in collaboration with Annie Dorsen.

This autobiographical piece was workshopped in two sessions at Sundance in 2004 and 2005, one of the only ones invited back for a second round of development, and enjoyed a brief turn Off- and on Broadway before its final performance was filmed as a movie by Spike Lee.

Playhouse on Park's Artistic Director Sean Harris is both passionate and proud about this new production.  "It's coming along beautifully, with the right ensemble, the right personalities, the right design team.  I feel strongly that the top people are involved.  The band is on stage, interacting, and the audience is involved, being constantly surprised and immersed in the action."

"Passing Strange" is the story of a young African- American, a singer/songwriter, named Youth who wants to escape the religious restrictions of his Los Angles middle class upbringing and venture off to Europe to find himself.  His journey lasts from his age 14 to 22 as he experiences and experiments with the artistic life of Amsterdam and Berlin, discovering along the way women, drugs, art and politics, from Amsterdam's illicit pleasures to Berlin's militant intrigues.  Youth is unhappy with his old life and he plunges himself into a pioneering adventure similar to a Josephine Baker or a James Baldwin, seeking a new reality and a definitive home.

To Harris, the music is compelling and crosses many genres from gospel to punk to funk to rhythm and blues, all "under the umbrella of rock.  The music serves to drive the show...and serves the story every moment."  It's as if Youth "has  his own sound track." "Passing Strange" is not an opera but the music is central to the story and the choreography created by Darlene Zoller is memorable.

Playhouse on Park may only be the fourth regional theater to tackle the show, "touching as it does on so many relatable concepts like beliefs, family, identity, love, becoming an artist." Because it taps into so many levels, Harris was very careful in his casting.  He asked at auditions if you were familiar with the piece? what did you like about it? how does it speak to you about your life? Connections were important in this tale of "escaping what's behind you to find a higher sense of what it means to be an artist."

For tickets (preview $15, single tickets $32.50-42.50), call Playhouse on Park,  244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900, ext. 10 or online at www.playhouseonpark.org.  Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. until Sunday, December 20.

Sean Harris hopes the audience will "open their eyes to different cultures and a different type of theater.  In a time when we divide ourselves it will divert everyone for two hours in time and provide an experience to relate to and enjoy."  He wants everyone to be "emotionally invested and not casual, not sitting back but completely immersed, to feel this singular story of this man with a distinct lifestyle and color and be inexplicably drawn into his world."

Clearly Sean Harris and his cast have taken ownership of this rich and unusual undertaking, putting their personal stamp on it, with a freedom of vision that is rare.  Come experience an "emotional ridiculous roller coaster ride, with high levels of exuberance that just may break your heart."

“SISTER’S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM” STRIKES AGAIN, WITH LAUGHTER

                       NONIE NEWTON-RILEY AS THE GOOD SISTER

Can you see yourself sporting a lamp shade as a hat? Ever fashion yourself as a shepherd or a Little Drummer Boy? Is your sense of humor intact and your self esteem fully inflated?  Do you like a good mystery and following new clues to a humorous conclusion?  If all these questions are possible “yeses,” then Long Wharf Theatre is mixing up an evening of entertainment that will have you smiling all the way to the church.

 The Good Sister, Nonie Newton-Riley, is returning to the scene of the crime for another installment of “Sister’s Christmas Catechism:  The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold” and you’re invited to partake in the festivities. This is participatory theater at its funniest and you should be willing to jump into the fray if Sister asks you to do so. From Tuesday, December 8 to Sunday, December 20 . Long Wharf Theatre’s Stage II, in New Haven, will be transformed into a religious school class complete with rulers to rap your knuckles if you misbehave, like dressing immodestly, arriving late, or allowing your cell phone to ring while Sister is conducting class. 

Study up on your religious facts and you might just win a hologram of the baby Jesus in the stable, a picture of the Pope regaled in a Santa hat or a pencil that proclaims Jesus Loves You Snow Much.  But don’t forget the reason you have all assembled: to discover who stole the Magi’s gold.  Get ready for your close up, Monsignor DeMille.  In the meantime you may learn such fascinating facts as the meanings behind candy canes, poinsettias, St Nicholas and Our Lady of the Grilled Cheese. Sister Nonie is skilled in the art of improvisation and she will take that talent up to the highest order.

 Marietta Donovan with Jane Morris and Marc Silvia deserve full credit for penning this most unusual holiday celebration that includes creating a Living Nativity with Mary, an ox, an ass, a shepherd, a sheep, three Kings, Joseph and the little drummer boy arrayed in costumes not to be believed. And if you play your Christmas cards right, that ox or sheep on stage could be you!

For tickets ($35), call Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven at 203-787-4282 or online at www.longwharf.org.  Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

If you enjoyed Late Night Catechism and remember fondly your days in Catholic school and you’re in the holiday spirit, then put on your party hat and have a ball with Sister.

CELEBRATE WITH THE GIRLS FOR HOLIDAY FUN

Traditionally, girls know instinctively how to party and what better time of the year to put on your glitz and glamor than when Santa Claus comes to town, the town of Waterbury that is.  The Palace Theater is up for the challenge and “ 'Twas Girls Night Before Christmas" is ready to sparkle one festive night only, Thursday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Years ago a wannabe playwright Louise Roche, herself the mother of three little ones at the time,was at the theater one night and came up with the idea for a musical comedy by, for and about women.  Her small community theater in England mounted her show and it was such a success that she spent her life savings to stage it big time. After three hit tours in the United Kingdom since 2003, “Girls Night” crossed the pond in 2007 for its United States premiere. Now Roche has designed a new iteration at holiday tine with the original five gal pals as they analyze the past, celebrate their todays and foresee their future together.

Meet the born to party Carol, the outspoken tell-it-like-it-is Anita, the issues laden Liza, the designated not to drink driver Kate and the devilish angel Sharon who invites herself along for the ride. Be prepared to bond, to hug and to confess all your secrets as these gals share their lives freely and with panache.   Make believe it's karaoke night and plan to sing along as all your holiday favorites are unwrapped from one giant gift box for your entertainment and pleasure. They will take you along as they visit the mall and the in-laws and prepare to celebrate the biggest holiday of the year..

For tickets ($45),call the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at www.palacetheaterct.org. As a special holiday promotion, the Palace Theater and ‘TWAS GIRLS NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS are partnering with Make-A-Wish ® Connecticut and iHeartMedia to help make the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses come true. From now until the night of the show, customers and patrons are encouraged to stop by the Palace’s Box Office lobby to fill out a “Letter to Santa” and drop it inside the theater’s red mailbox display. For every letter received, Macy’s will donate one dollar to the Make-A-Wish ® Foundation.

Join this sisterhood of forty-somethings as they let it all hang out, under a spinning silver disco ball and speak girl talk and sing and dance with shameless pleasure. Be careful. You might find yourself participating in the hen party too.These girls definitely want to have fun and you're invited to the party.

YOU'RE INVITED TO A 50'S DANCE PARTY

BUDDY HOLLY (JOHN MUELLER), THE BIG BOPPER (LINWOOD SASSER) AND
RITCHIE VALENS (RAY ANTHONY) IN THE 50'S DANCE PARTY AT DTC

Get your dance card ready, the blue satin one you tied to your wrist back in the day.  The Downtown Cabaret Theatre of Bridgeport is inviting you to the best "50's Dance Party" for one super night only, Saturday, November 21 at 5 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. when the stars light up the sky.  The final tour of rock and roll greats - Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens -will be recreated right before your eyes and that'll be the day or better yet night that you'll want to be there for sure.  Oh, Boy!

Buddy Holly will be brought to vibrant life by John Mueller, who will inhabit the skin of this legend of rock and roll, ranked by Rolling Stones at number 13 on its list of "100 Greatest Artists."  Holly who hailed from Lubbock, Texas started off in country-western but then defined himself in the new genre and is credited with influencing such groups and performers as the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton and Elton John.  In 1986, he was among the first acts inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  His meteoric rise to fame was cut short in a winter plane crash after an iconic show at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on February 3, 1959 that was captured for eternity in the song "The Day the Music Died."

No higher praise can be given to John Mueller's performance than the comments of Buddy's wife and brothers who called it "the only one who does it exactly like Buddy did. He's a great musician in his own right...Really does Buddy proud...One of the best concerts I've ever seen."

The Big Bopper, that grander than life singer who made "Chantily Lace" wildly successful, will be stylized by Linwood Sasser.  Ritchie Valens will be secure in the hands of Ray Anthony whose award-winning live tribute has been immortalized in the show "Legends in Concert."

To hear and see this trio of amazing performers, bop on over to 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport for a memorable night of captivating music that will have you jumping and jiving with joy.

For tickets ($45), call Downtown Cabaret Theatre at 203-576-1636, option 0 or online at www.ctcab.primetix.com.  Don't forget to bring a basket of goodies to share at your table.

Tunes like "That'll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," "Oh, Boy," "Rave On," "La Bamba" and "Chantilly Lace" will have you "raving on."

ENJOY THE FUN MENU: ”LIVING ON LOVE”

THE ENTIRE CAST OF "LIVING ON LOVE"    PHOTO BY PAUL ROTH

To memorialize  one’s life and career in a best selling memoir is a lofty goal.  If you are a wildly successful music conductor known as “El Maestro,” then it is simply your due.  When you get an advance of $50,000 to pen your golden mots with a ghost writer, you should be sufficiently motivated to respect writing schedules and chapter deadlines. Unless, of course, you can’t be bothered to dictate more than a dozen words a day, causing the publishing company to demand the advance be returned or threaten to sue for double the damages.

To become intimately acquainted with Vito DeAngelis known to his legions of fans as El Maestro, skip over to Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury for the Connecticut premiere of Joe DiPietro’s comic “Living on Love” until Sunday, December 6.

To date, Vito has fired seven ghost writers whom he dismisses and denigrates  as “spooky helpers,” a record that Donald Trump would later emulate and admire.  Vito’s wife, the world famous opera singer Raquel, “La Diva,” has been under his Machiavellian spell for thirty years, tolerating his too frequent liaisons with impressionable young ladies.  Using the music to Bolero as his tool of seduction, he feels it is his right and obligation to share his macho gifts to those worthy of receiving them.

Steve Vinovich is masterful as the egocentric  Vito, a man who is secure in his talents and achievements…until the name Leonard Bernstein is uttered.  To him, his Raquel is “beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Wow!” but he doesn’t truly appreciate her many virtues.

Stephanie Zimbalist is dynamic as the glorious opera diva who has known great successes from the Met to Milan.  Unfortunately, she is threatened by dwindling attendance and the mere mention of the younger rival Maria Callas.  The pair delightfully bicker and spar, especially when two ghost writers Robert (Alex Grossman) and Iris (Ali Breneman) arrive to record their immortal words for posterity.  Meanwhile the DeAngelis’s trusty butlers, R. Bruce Connelly and Michael Irvin Pollard, add a delightful comic touch in everything they present and remove.

James Glossman directs this highly entertaining comedy, one that borders on farce, as easily as a snow globe can be shaken and admired.  Daniel Hosvar has created a lovely Manhattan apartment set, circa 1957, to hold the romantic fun.

For tickets ($39-57), call Seven Angels Theatre, now in its 25th year, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at www.sevenangelstheatre.org.  Performances are Thursday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., with no show Thanksgiving day.

Enjoy snippets of arias, courtesy of Ms. Zimbalist’s Raquel, with a drizzle of maple syrup or olive oil, as Vito and Raquel compete to see who writes the first and best fictional account of their fascinating lives.

 

INTERACTIVE COMEDY COMES TO SCSU

                      COLIN MOCHRIE AND BRAD SHERWOOD


 Memorizing multiple pages of lines in a script is a daunting task and, for many of us, impossible. Imagine, therefore, how much more intimidating and overwhelming if you were to perform onstage without the benefit of the playwright’s words. A Cappella, so to speak. The skill is known as improvisation and two masters of the art, Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood, are coming to the John Lyman Center for the performing Arts on Friday, November 20 at 8 p.m. to show you just how they make it happen.

Billed as “interactive comedy with big belly laughs,” these improv gurus are gifted with sharp wits, a great sense of humor, fast thinking on their feet and a fun loving attitude that knows no bounds.  With Brad hailing from the windy plains of Chicago and Colin calling Scotland his place of origin, the pair have been flitting hither and yon entertaining the masses, people of all ages, from one end of this vast country to the other.  As side-kicks in the field of humor, they glory in taking suggestions, wild and crazy, bizarre and inane, from their audiences and imaginatively making them into a skit that is hysterical.  Forget props and backdrops, scripts and direction, Brad and Colin are clearly magicians who manufacture mirth with clever words, pithy actions and enough facial funny frowns and features to keep a school of clowns amused.

Start thinking up your suggestions now and the crazier the better.  Watch them expand their minds tackling such diverse topics as Miss Piggy on a date with Donald Trump or the Keebler Elves challenging the Hershey Kisses in the World Series.  You can surely do much better than these.

Since 2002, Mochrie and Sherwood have toured North America in “An Evening with Colin and Brad” and now they are coming practically to your doorstep.  For tickets ($35 general public, Fun 4 pack $30 each, $10 students), call SCSU at  203-392-6154 or online at www.tickets.southernct.edu.  The show will be at John Lyman Center for the Performing Arts, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven on Friday the 20th at 8 p.m.

If you love their television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?,” then this is clearly your cup of jasmine tea, java or juice. Enjoy!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING TO THE CT CABARET

Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus and if you have any doubts, just jingle your way over to the Connecticut Cabaret Theatre in Berlin weekends until Saturday, December 19.  Hopscotching around the globe, from Ireland to Holland to Australia and plenty of spots in between,  you will learn tidbits and anecdotes about the upcoming celebration that will amuse and amaze you as “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)’ shakes its merry bells.

This holiday comedy created by John K. Alvarez, Michael Carleton and James FitzGerald, with original music by Will Knapp, is guaranteed to put you in the festive spirit.  Grab a sprig of holly or mistletoe, drizzle some tinsel in your hair, pop on a red or green glow-in-the-dark nose and you’ll be all set to party hearty.

With a trio of energetic elves, Rick Bennett, Will Dayton and Joshua Luszczak, prepare yourself for a hodgepodge of your favorite holiday characters from Tiny tim to Cindy Lou Who to Clara and her best Nutcracker to Reindeer (or Reingoats) run amok.  Rick, Will and Josh are your genial, gregarious and even ghostly guides to the beloved heroes and heroines, villains and victims of storybook land.

Come meet a Santa’s elf who refuses to makes toys but would rather fill a cavity or drill a molar.  Learn how and why fruitcake has such a bad rap as the unbest Christmas gift ever. Watch what happens when Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” gets mashed like sweet potato into a figgy pudding with George Bailey and Clarence the wannabe angel from “It’s a Wonderful Life,” complete with a super voiced Jimmy Stewart.  If you drink a few cups of spiked eggnog, it will all seem even funnier.  Be prepared for a stocking full of laughs as Artistic Director Kris “Kringle" McMurray puts his trio of Santa’s helpers through their jolly and joyful paces.

For tickets ($30), call the CT Cabaret Theatre, 31-33 Webster Square Road, Berlin at 860-829-1248 or online at wwwctcabaret.com.  Shows are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., with doors opening at 7:15 p.m.  Remember to bring goodies to share at your table or plan to buy desserts and drinks at the cabaret bar.

Think the Three Stooges in tutus and stocking caps and you’ll be all set for a ton of holiday fun with the CT Cabaret.

“MASS APPEAL” GARNERS WIDE APPROVAL

 DARIUS JAMES COPLAND AS MARK AND FRANK SMITH AS FATHER FARLEY

An experienced and savvy priest once warned his wannabe religious student that coughs from the congregation during a sermon were bad, an indication of boredom and/or rebellion among the church participants.  That advice from Father Farley of the St. Francis parish was only one of an epistle-full of advice the older clergyman was happy to share with the highly spirited novice Mark.

To learn from the parables and practical parameters, take a seat in Square One Theatre’s new home, an intimate black box theatre, at Stratford Academy, 719 Birdseye Street, Stratford, only a mile or so from its former location.  Sit back and ponder as Father Tim Farley from his comfortable perch as parish pastor sets out to tame the idealistic fervor of seminarian Mark Dolson in Bill C. Davis’ game of religious rules “Mass Appeal” welcoming attendees of all faiths until Sunday, November 22.

Frank Smith’s well beloved Father Tim is in the midst of a Sunday sermon on whether or not women should be considered for the priesthood when he is interrupted mid-sentence by Darius James Copland’s impassioned and impatient and questioning young seminarian Mark.  The challenge is declared and the gauntlet is flung, precipitating an exchange of ideas and philosophies as the elder statesman in this wealthy Roman Catholic congregation mentors the still wet-behind-the-ears student studying to be a deacon.

Both men score points and miss returning the serve as the good Father imbibes more than his fair share of sparkling Burgundy wine and Mark questions his complacent stance on too many issues.  While Mark wants his sermons to shake up the attendees, he accuses Father Farley of merely entertaining them with “song and dance theology.”

Their intense discussions reveal many truths and misconceptions about the church and the two men, about vows of celibacy, why priests should be in the image of Christ, how to be diplomatic and empathetic and the need to be charming rather than confrontational.  The fate of a pair of young seminarians in Mark’s class looms large.  Artistic Director Tom Holehan beautifully handles the delicate relationship that moves from teacher to student, parent to chid, and , ultimately, friend to trusted friend. Both men offer fine performances as they explore their positions on either side of the pulpit.

For tickets ($20), call Square One Theatre at 203-375-8778 or online at www.squareonetheatre.com.  Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Controversy knocks on Father Farley’s door and forces him to abandon his complacency (but not his Burgundy) as Mark Dolson challenges his authority in particular and the Catholic Church’s in general.

INTRODUCING MY SON, THE NEW CAR DEALER

MY SON, ADAM GOLDBERG, HAS JUST ENTERED INTO A NEW AND EXCITING VENTURE  WITH TREMONTE MOTORS IN BRANFORD, CT AND HE’D LOVE TO WELCOME YOU AS A CLIENT.

NEED NEW WHEELS?  WANT TO DRIVE IN STYLE? CARE TO GET BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL OF SOME OF THE BEST CARS, TRUCKS AND SUVS IN THE MARKET? TREMONTE MOTORS SPECIALIZES IN CADILLACS, BUICKS, AND GMC SUVS AND TRUCKS. MANY NEW AND PRE-OWNED VEHICLES ARE AVAILABLE. 

LET ADAM  HELP YOU EXPLORE  YOUR AUTOMOTIVE OPTIONS.  HE CAN EVEN ARRANGE TO BRING A NEW CAR TO YOUR DOOR FOR A TEST DRIVE.

WINTER IS COMING, READY OR NOT, AND MOST MODELS ARE AVAILABLE IN 4-WHEEL DRIVE FOR WHEN THE WEATHER IS TREACHEROUS.

REFERRALS ARE EVERYTHING…AND CRUCIAL TO ADAM’S SUCCESS.  LET ADAM BE YOUR PROFESSIONAL GUIDE TO A NEW WORLD OF DRIVING PLEASURE!

TREMONTE MOTORS IS LOCATED AT 490 EAST MAIN STREET, BRANFORD, CT 06405.  THE TELEPHONE IS 203-481-3401 AND ADAM’S CELL PHONE IS 203-988-3022.  HIS EMAIL IS AGOLDBERG@TALYNINDUSTRIES.COM.

GIVE ADAM A RING TODAY.  HAPPY DRIVING!

GARNER THE GLITZ AND GLAMOUR OF “LIBERACE!”

Light the candelabras and chandeliers, don the classy costumes and cloaks festooned with thousands of sequins, prepare the piano for polished playing and welcome Liberace to the stage.  Until Sunday, November 15, Daryl Wagner is becoming the glittering and flamboyant entertainer who once upon a time was the highest paid star in the show business circuit, earning $350,000 a week for his spectacular Las Vegas shows.  The Ivoryton Playhouse is rolling out the red carpet to welcome Mr. Showmanship, in “Liberace!,” in all his glittering glory.

Daryl Wagner is no stranger to the role, as he has inhabited Liberace’s skin for two decades in “Legends in Concert" on the Las Vagas stage and now is happy to share the star with audiences at this grand old summer theater that is over one hundred years old.

Wagner brings the consummate entertainer to captivating life as he uses his talents and bejeweled hands to tickle the ivories, playing classic and pop tunes, while smoozing about his colorful life.  With tales of his childhood and immigrant background, his career, his brother George on the violin, he tiptoes along his slow start in small clubs until he took off like a meteor shower to stardom and a string of sold-out performances at New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.

With trademark glamorous outfits costing $10,000 or more each that distinguished him from the crowd, Liberace stood in his own spotlight of fame.  With personality plus, he held sway in a special milieu that he created alone.  Pounding out tunes like “The Boogie Woogie,” “Beer Barrel Polka,” I’ll Be Seeing You,” “Night and Day” and “Who Could Ask for Anything More,” clothed in feathers and fur, sparkles and sequins, Liberace often said “Too much of a Good Thing is Wonderful.” 

In this intimate revelation of the man and his music, penned by Brent Hazleton, the showman is at once clad in all his glamour and stripped of all his charisma.  The controversy that always swirled around his sexual orientation is dealt with in an upfront and personal way, as the man behind the spangles is exposed, flaws and fascinations and all.  Jacqueline Hubbard directs this honest, heartwarming and heartbreaking look at one of America’s most excess driven entertainers.

For tickets ($42, seniors $37, students $20 and children $15), call Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at wwwivorytonplayhouse.org.  Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Come meet Wladziu Valentino Liberace, known to his friends as Lee or Walter, as Daryl Wagner brings him brilliantly to larger-than-life superstar prominence on the Ivoryton Playhouse stage.

“REAR WINDOW:” OPEN IF YOU DARE

KEVIN BACON STARS IN THE THRILLER  "REAR WINDOW"

Telling Kevin Bacon to “break a leg” as he stars in the world premiere drama “Rear Window” at the Hartford Stage until Sunday, November 15 would be redundant.  The popular actor has already broken a leg in the premise of this taut and suspenseful tale that is based on a short story penned in 1942 by Cornell Woolwich and an Academy Award winning movie by Alfred Hitchcock in 1954 that starred James Stewart and Grace Kelly.

Wheel-chair bound Bacon plays Hal Jeffries, a big city newspaper reporter whose active byline has been sidelined by an accident.  Now in the sweltering heat of a 1947 New York summer, he is confined to his tiny apartment with only a radio for entertainment.  He amuses himself playing observer or, better yet, spy of the neighbors he can view from his rear window.

Watching old women planting tomatoes, honeymooners beginning married life, a dancer practicing her craft and workmen repairing an apartment for occupancy, Jeffries lets his imagination run wild. A knock on his door brings Sam (McKinley Belcher III) into his lonely life.  Sam had struck up a conversation with “Jeff” at a bar, supporting the theory that he lives on cigarettes and alcohol, and now claims he was hired to be his helper.

Sam wants to make Jeff’s life easier but he is soon swept into the intrigue when the invalid claims to have witnessed a murder.  Across the way, a couple (Melinda Page Hamilton and Robert Stanton) are experiencing marital problems that are only exacerbated by the intense heat.  As the temperature rises, their relationship wilts until Jeff is convinced the husband Thorwald has murdered his wife.

To prove he is right, Jeff involves a policeman friend Boyne (John Bedford Lloyd) to investigate and sends Sam to do undercover detective work.  Has the heat and boredom driven Jeff over the edge or has a real crime been committed?  Darko Tresnjak keeps the mystery ping-ponging with tension and doubt in this stage adaptation by Keith Reddin.  Alexander Dodge has created a superb apartment set that dramatizes the action and deserves credit as the secondary star of the show.

For tickets ($35 and up), call Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at www.hartfordstage.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 2 p.m. ( and occasional 7:30 p.m.) While all performances have been sold out since August, it is worth trying for a cancellation at the last minute or a standing room only ticket to this 90 minute, no intermission, production.

Prepare to be caught up in the thrill of the chase as a captivating Kevin Bacon portrays a man pursuing the truth, even if it may kill him.