HARTFORD THEATERS OFFER TRIPLE HOLIDAY GIFTS

HARTFORD THEATERS OFFER TRIPLE HOLIDAY GIFTS For another dash of holiday humor, look no further than “Christmas on the Rocks” courtesy of TheaterWorks Hartford for an encore performance, streaming until Thursday, December 31. Imagine some of your favorite childhood characters have come back to life, as adults, and are heading for a local bar on Christmas Eve. Ted Lange of “Love Boat” fame is their friendly bartender, ready and eager to hear their tales of woe and how they are faring in this cold, hard world. Come meet Ralphie Parker who did indeed get his eye shot out by his bb gun, in his gun safety class of all places. The trauma continues with a peek back to George Bailey’s daughter Zuzu who has developed an unusual fear of bells and the angels who can get their wings. It’s also time to meet the most misfit of elves, Hermie, who doesn’t like Rudolph, hates making toys for Santa and really wants to be a dentist. Be careful because Karen, the girl who created Frosty the Snowman, walks into the bar, anxious to escape the police because she has turned Frosty into a pail of frozen water with her trusty hair dryer. The cynical Tiny Tim enters cursing Christmas as a lie and a horrible one at that, no longer grateful to Scrooge for saving his life. Get your toe shoes on as the heroine of “The Nutcracker,” Clara, pirouettes in, cursing the day she married her suave cracker of nuts. Could her husband be cheating on her? Finally end on a sweet note as that perpetual loser Charlie Brown once again meets the love of his life, the little red-haired girl, and proves there is hope for the future. Stay tuned for a special quarantine edition at the end. Conceived and directed by Rob Ruggiero, the show features Randy Harrison, Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas and Harry Bouvy in addition to Ted Lange. Go to twhartford.org to sign up today. Another holiday treat from TWH is a jazzy evening with Ella Fitzgerald, thanks to the singing sensation Tina Fabrique, with “A Very Ella Christmas.” Curl up on the living room sofa, in front of your fireplace, for a warm and cozy concert with such favorites as “Jingle Bells,” “Let It Snow,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Santa Baby,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” among others. Go to twhartford.org to sign up for streaming tonight only. West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park offers an unusual and emotional visit of music “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914” by Peter Rothstein, where German and English soldiers declared a temporary cease fire on the holiday. While the fever of war encourages eager, young lads to enlist, the reality of war soon intrudes its ugly reality. With no idea of what they are facing, both sides lay down their arms for a brief moment of compassion in a war that claimed nine million killed. Their voices raised in song are truly memorable. Go to playhouseonpark.org for details until Sunday, January 3. Bring some special joy into this holiday season with the amazing magic of streaming theater until we are able to attend in person once again.

MERRY CHRISTMAS DARLING

Now that we are literally home for the holidays, we must work a little harder to make the season holly, jolly and bright. Goodspeed Musicals is making that mission one sprig of mistletoe easier by offering a wonderful holiday concert to stream until Sunday, December 27 with “Merry Christmas Darling” when Heidi Kettenring Sings Karen Carpenter. The joy of live performance can be yours as the music and life of Karen Carpenter are celebrated in this two hour event that ends with an interview with Heidi Kettenring where she reveals many intimate stories about her life. Elton John called Ms. Carpenter “one of the greatest voices of our lifetime” while Paul McCartney recognized her as “the best female voice in the world: melodic, tuneful and distinctive.” She was born in New Haven, Connecticut and followed her older brother Richard’s passion for music. Originally she was a drummer, and a wonderful one at that, until her singing voice was discovered. Heidi Kettenring recreates her memorable voice with her unforgettable songs and then wraps them like a present in delightful anecdotes and stories about Karen’s life and how they both share many similarities. Kettenring takes the audience on a musical journey singing such tines as “Top of the World,” “Rainy Days and Mondays,” “A Song for You,” “Sing," ”For All We Know,” ”We’ve Only Just Begun” and “It’s Goin' Take Some Time,” to name but a few. In between we learn about her career, the men she dated like Tony Danza, Steve Martin, Mark Harmon and Alan Osmond, her best friends Petula Clark, Dionne Warwick and Olivia Newton-John, her one brief marriage, her health issues and early death as well as a selection of holiday tunes to gladden the season, like “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town,” "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Little Altar Boy.” Chuck Larkin is her musical director and pianist, with her band and musical accompanists as well. With her prolific background as a singer and actress, Heidi Kettenring brings a warmth and sincerity to her performance that makes Karen Carpenter real and substantial, a legendary singer who lives once again in our hearts and minds. She takes us over the rainbow with recollections and we are free to singalong in the privacy of our own living rooms to all the songs we love so well. Sweet intimate details tie the two women together, like Karen started playing the drums to get out of gym class while Heidi used choir practice to escape the same dreaded physical activities. To secure this Christmas Valentine to Karen Carpenter, for $35, go to goodspeed.org or call 860-873-8668. As we bid a final farewell to the year 2020, reward yourself with a visit with this pair of “Superstars” and ask yourself “Do You Hear What I Hear?” A bit of musical heaven.

LIZ CALLAWAY CONCERT "HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS" COURTESY OF THE PALACE THEATER

Versatile could be Liz Callaway’s middle name. Her unique and warmly inviting singing style has been celebrated in such roles as Eva Peron in “Evita,” Norma Desmond in ”Sunset Boulevard,” Dot in “Sunday in the Park with George” and Grizabella in “Cats” to name but a few. In addition, she’s created concerts featuring the music of “Follies,” “Hair” and composer Stephen Sondheim. These are but a few of the Titanic tip of the legendary musical iceberg for this prolific artist. Right now you can bring the iconic Miss Callaway right into your living room until Saturday, December 19 as you snuggle by the fire place for a singularly sensational concert of holiday music perfect for your evening viewing pleasure. You don’t have to travel to New Zealand, China, Australia, Iceland, Estonia, France, Slovenia, South Korea or Spain to hear her golden voice. This Tony nominee and Emmy Award winning singer, actress and recording artist will present “Home for the Holidays” courtesy of Waterbury’s Palace Theater as part of Bank of America’s Virtual Holiday Series. Support the Palace Theater and save $5 on your ticket by going to www.palacetheater.com for streaming instructions. With a lovely Christmas setting at the Bedford Playhouse in Bedford, New York, Miss Callaway welcomes you with “We Need a Little Christmas,” convincing us that snow and Santa will both be coming soon. With show tunes from movies and Broadway, she reveals her personal philosophy for facing her challenges, by belting out “Cockeyed Optimist,” She encourages you to set a place at the dining room table because she is sure “l’ll Be Home for Christmas.” In between the songs, she delights with charming conversations and anecdotes, sharing her background as a voice animating such movies as becoming a singing and dancing napkin ring in “Beauty and the Beast,” being the voice of the lost Russian princess in “Anastasia,” playing Jasmine in “Aladdin,” and even the “Brave Little Toaster.” With guitarist Peter Calo, she gives a glimpse into her new album ”Comfort and Joy An Acoustic Christmas” with tunes like “Merry Christmas Darling” and “Carol of the Bells.” Thanks to pianist Joseph Thalken, her seventy minute concert is a lovely way to usher in the holiday spirit, ending with the cheery wish to “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” a desire we all share as the difficult year 2020 winds to a close.

Have no fear, the beautiful holiday of Christmas is hiding under the mistletoe, behind the spruce tree, in gaily wrapped presents, in fact everywhere you look. Just because you may not be able to enter theaters in person doesn’t mean you can’t be a Nancy Drew and discover holiday frivolity for your family’s viewing pleasure, and many are for free. Pantochino Productions in Milford is planning a special email every day until December 24, with 24 mini shows. Just go to http://www.pantochino.com/donate and sign up for the holiday fun. The Irish Rep has a special musical treat until January 2 with the streaming of “Meet Me in St. Louis” by going to IrishRep.org. For a little adult humor until Thursday, December 31 travel to TheaterWorks Hartford for a return of their perpetual favorites “Christmas on the Rocks” when some of your favorite fairy tale characters decide to frequent a local bar on Christmas Eve. Go to twhartford.org for all the humorous details. West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park has a little more serious and spiritual fare this season with “All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914” as it explores the experience of both sides in no man’s land on Christmas Eve, between the British and the German soldiers, until January 3. Go to playhouseonpark.org for all the details. What would the season be like without a visit with George Bailey and Clarence the wannabe angel in “It’s a Wonderful Life” as a radio show complete with sound effects courtesy of Music Theater of Connecticut, one of the few places you can actually occupy a seat as well as stream. Available until December 20, call 203-454-3883 for all the particulars. The Shubert Theater in New Haven and the Palace Theater in Waterbury are both streaming a new Christmas family show “Eleanor’s Very Marry Christmas Wish” until December 27 when a rag doll wishes very hard for a home and best friend of her own. Check their websites for all the special details and presents that can be purchased. Ten thousand lights are aglow at the Ivoryton Playhouse for capturing the Christmas spirit as well as a new children’s book created by playhouse artistic director Jacqueline Hubbard. Invite "Ella Capella and the Pink Umbrella" into your home for a sweet treat and fundraising effort to help the theater continue to thrive during this difficult time. Go to www.ivorytonplayhouse.org to place your order. Now is the time to pile the family in the care and attend the 26th Festival of Lights at Lighthouse Point Park nights until December 31st. Goodwill of Southern New England is the beneficiary of this cherished fundraiser. Other places to travel include the Mystic Seaport Candlelight Tours, the Bridgeport Beardsley Zoo and Miss Florence’s Trees at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme. Call each venue for all the specifics. Waterbury’s Seven Angels Theatre is celebrating with a musical in “Miracle in Hamilton Park-Virtual Christmas Cabaret” when all the loyal friends of the showplace gather by the Christmas tree to help artistic director Semina DeLaurentis do her holiday musical magic. Not to be outdone ACT of Ridgefield is offering “Broadway Unwrapped” to take the audience backstage to showcase their past productions. Go to unwrapped2020 for the entry information. These are but a few of the wonderful productions across the state that are guaranteed to make your family happy with new traditions. Plan to experience one or three to create new holiday joys.

CHANUKAH TRADITIONS AROUND THE WORLD

When Sephardic Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492 they settled in Syria for safety.  On Chanukah they vowed to light an additional candle, a shamash or servant candle, for thanks for their rescue.  Consider lighting an extra candle today in honor of the refugees who have since fled Syria in search of a safe homeland.

It is customary in France, in the southern region of Avignon, on the Shabbat during Chanukah to open a new bottle of wine or cask.  After Havdalah, the end of Shabbat, Jews travel to neighboring homes to toast the holiday and celebrate the community. 

Mexicans call the holiday Januca or Lucenarias, the feast of lights, and children play a game called Toma todo or winner take all.  It is similar to dreidel except the top has 6 sides not four.  Their dreidel is called a pirinola. Mexican Jews often break a piñata shaped like a dreidel filled with Chanukah treats and trinkets.

In Italy, they combine the holidays of Tisha B’Av where the candle used to read the portion is saved and used to light the menorah on Chanukah.
The sadness of the destruction of the Holy Temple is overcome by the joy of rededication on the festival of redemption.

There are no Jews left in Kurdistan but Kurdish Jews celebrate wherever they are in the world.  Like giving Chanukah gelt, the children lock their doors to their rooms and parents must give them coins to gain entrance. If they are too poor to have a menorah, they use eggshells to hold wicks and oil to light every night.

Moroccan Jews add an extra day, a ninth day, called the day of the shamash, when children go house to house collecting left over Chanukah candles.  They create a giant bonfire and dance and sing.  Single women jump over the fire to hope to find a husband, while married women to conceive a child. You could also soak three candles in hot water to soften them and twist them together to make a small havdalah candle.

Tunisian Jews celebrate the seventh day of Chanukah, Rosh Chodesh Tevet, the beginning of the month of Tevet, for a holiday within a holiday.  This festival known as the Festival of the Daughters or Chag haBanot, honors the courage of Yehudit, who saved the Jewish nation by killing the general sent by Antiochus, the evil ruler of the Syrian-Greek Empire. On this day, women do no work, but visit each other and eat doughnuts and honey cookies.  It is especially meaningful to women about to be married.

In Israel, Chanukah is a holiday without limits as you can drive, shop, and travel by bus and train. It is impossible to be in a bad mood while eating a jelly donut or sufganiyot. The entire country comes together in a rare celebration of solidarity.

May your family create its own light and love filled traditions of Chanukah. 

THE OLD-FANGLED TELEPHONE

Ever since the time when Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, there have been telemarketers to bother and harass us.  And no time has it been more troublesome than these past eight months during the pandemic. Every day and sometimes multiple times  day I am offered a free $400 medical alert system so someone can pick me up from the floor, the shower or the park when I fall.  I can also lower my credit card interest rate, put a set of solar panels on my roof, get my Google listing upgraded and engage a new third party payer for my electrical needs.  Who wouldn’t be thrilled by this plethora of opportunities”

Frankly, me.  As Clark Gable's Rhett Butler said to Scarlett, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a fig.” Why don’t I just sign up for the Do Not Call Registry you might ask.  Well, I did and my listing doesn’t rescue me one iota.  I still hear the voices of Sue and Amy and even Chinese and Phiiipinos.  Maybe I should try learning how to say no thanks in a variety of languages.  And to make it more frustrating, they keep calling from new and unidentified places, even hospitals and sometimes from your own phone number.  No one said these telemarketers aren't tricky
and sly.  I try to tell them I am not interested, that my condo won’t allow solar panels, that I pay my credit cards fully every month, that my car is still under warranty and besides who is actually driving.

They don’t care. What is even most disturbing of all is I now realize that if it weren’t for these annoying roto phone calls, I might not get any phone calls at all.

 

TRUE CONFESSIONS

 I am forced to make a confession, without benefit of priest or rabbi.  In July I refused to do this and now in December I can’t imagine not doing it at least once or more a day.  I have surrendered my soul to the Hallmark Channel

and am now addicted to Christmas movies.  I love the tinsel, the trees, the stars on the top, the gifts underneath and the promise of true love and happily ever after. 

Every couple has a problem with jobs or past history or where each lives.  They seem to begin with insurmountable problems and yet within two hours and a ton of commercials they embrace for a forever future of happiness and romance.

There is clearly no reality and only a double dose of fantasy but I’d like to order a wheel barrel full for under my non existent Chanukah bush.

Most mornings I wake up and marvel that my electric toothbrush still works.  I have a history of supporting Duracell batteries and buying only duds. Hallmark reaches out and touches me with fairy tale possibilities and for that I am truly grateful.

The big question is what in the world do I do after December 25?

WATERBURY’S PALACE THEATER HAS A NEW CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR THE FAMILY

 

Move over, Grinch.  Dash on, Rudolph.  Time to go, Buddy the Elf.  No time to wait for the Polar Express.  There’s a new Christmas story in town and she’s a rag doll named Eleanor, named after that wonderful lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a remarkable First Lady to FDR.

 

Just in time for the whole family for the holidays, you’re invited to stream “Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish-The Musical” written by Denise McGowan Tracy from November 27 to December 24 from Waterbury’s Palace Theater. Even though Eleanor lives at the North Pole, surrounded by people who love her, like Santa and his wife Cookie, Sprinkle and Sparkle, Clara, Shimmer and Glimmer, she has a secret wish. She feels as a rag doll she needs a best friend of her own.

 

Every year she helps make toys for all the good little boys and girls on Santa’s nice list, but she desperately wants one special friend and home that is hers alone. Every year she watches Santa fill his sleigh with presents, but she is never chosen.  It’s fun to bake cookies with Cookie Claus all year, but Eleanor gets sad and sadder when no little girl asks for her as a special present for Christmas.

 

With cheery tunes like ”The North Pole is a Magical Place,” “Wrap It Up” and “Make Your Wish,” these beautifully costumed characters will sing and dance their way into your heart.  When Eleanor determines she will write a letter to Santa specifically telling him her wish, she hopes her dream will come true.  Is there a little girl out there who is wishing for a rag doll of her very own? 

 

This world premiere musical from 2019 in Chicago can be streamed to your home by calling the Palace Theater at 203-346-2000 or online at eleanorswish.com. Tickets are $20 for a household using code PALWAT20.  In addition there are two Merry Christmas Party Presents with special gifts from Eleanor available to order for $45 and $60, plus shipping and handling.The Shubert Theatre in New Haven and the Palace Theater in Waterbury have again partnered to offer  their respective audiences the opportunity to enjoy a holiday offering for the whole family sponsored by  the Bank of America Holiday Series. Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish – the Musical is available to stream for the Shubert Theatre audiences this holiday season  or for the Palace Theater Waterbury audiences.  To purchase tickets go to : www.shuberttheatre.org  or www.palacetheaterct.org .

 

Learn how a wish is just the start of a dream.  May all your Christmas wishes and dreams come true.

FASCINATING IMMIGRANT STORY STREAMING AT THEATERWORKS HARTFORD TILL NOVEMBER 28

 

If you and your family have spent months exploring and possibly disagreeing on political issues, you will find it interesting meeting another family, immigrants, who are attempting to bridge the gap between the country they left, Pakistan, and the new land they’ve adopted, America. Old ways and traditions may clash with modernity and establishing a secure footing may be difficult to accomplish.

 

Real theater is here in this fascinating production by TheaterWorks Hartford available for streaming until November 28 in “The Who and The What” by Ayad Akhtar, dramatically directed by Aneesha Kudtarkar.  You are quickly swept into the lives of this Muslim family, a father Afzal, played poignantly by Rajesh Bose, who cares deeply for his two daughters Zarina, captured sensitively by Jessica Jain, and her younger sibling Mahwash, an accommodating Sanam Laila Hashemi.

 

Afzel is concerned that Zarina is consumed by her goal of writing a novel about Muslim women and neglecting her own love life so he plays matchmaker to find her a soul mate. Enter Eli, a new convert to Islam, a sincere Stephen Elrod, who  has to work hard to win over the ever questioning Zarina.  Her preoccupation with shining a spotlight on the truth of  how women are viewed by her religion  threatens to destroy the family’s value system as her book looks at the prophet Muhammad in a decidedly different and disturbing way. 

 

When her father finds the manuscript that she spent four years penning, he explodes with anger and the family is in danger of never reconciling,  Much like Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” the father fears his daughter has gone too far and he himself cannot bend enough to accept what she has done.  Is Zarina now dead to him and to his faith? Their story is at once tender and funny, serious and disruptive. Each member is sincere in their feelings and unable to accept where the other stands. This eighty five minute production will keep you absorbed as honor and family are put to a gripping test they may not survive intact.

For membership information, call 860-527-7838 or go online to twhartford.org or email boxoffice@twhartford.org. A single ticket stream is $25 (24 hour streaming), a monthly membership (video on demand plus perks) is $20.21 a month with a one-time $5 startup fee or annual membership of $195 that includes 12 plays VOD.

Revel in the tenderness and tension that alternately consume this absorbing tale of family caught between reconciling the old world with the new, with love and devotion trapped in the middle.

CT. REPERTORY THEATRE PRESENTS AUTHENTIC RADIO SHOW FOR THE HOLIDAYS

 

What would the holiday season be without a visit to  Bedford Falls, New York to spend Christmas Eve with George Bailey, his daughter Zuzu and Clarence, the angel who desperately wants to earn his wings.  Thanks to the CT Repertory Theatre at the University of Connecticut, your wish can come true if you act quickly.  Until Saturday, November 21, you are invited to use your imagination as if it is 1941 and you and your family are gathered around the big brown Philco radio. 

 

A staple of Christmas is “It’s a Wonderful Life” by Philip Grecian, memorably made into a Frank Capra movie starring Jimmy Stewart.  Now fourteen actors, including two Actors Equity performers  Thom Sesma and Lisa Wolp, will play 60 roles in this radio drama about George Bailey’s life and the trauma that leads him on Christmas Eve to wish he had never been born.  His dilemma is so severe that an angel Clarence is sent to earth to help him realize how different his hometown would be without his presence in it.

 

Hard working George craves adventure and wants to travel before going to college to become an architect.  The sudden death of his father forces George to change his plans and become head of the family Building and Loan. As he helps his neighbors finance their homes, he faces the greed of Mr. Potter who wants to destroy George’s legacy and change Bedford Falls to Potterville.

We follow George as he meets Mary who will become his wife, a woman for whom he would lasso the moon, his brother Harry whose life he saves in a skating accident and Mr. Gower, the pharmacist, who mistakenly fills a prescription that could cost a patient her life.  When George’s Uncle Billy almost causes financial ruin to the Building and Loan business, George questions if his life had any meaning.

 

With wonderful emotion and special audio effects, the cast takes us along on George’s journey, helping him see what would have happened had he not been born. To stream this heartwarming tale, call the box office at 860-486-2113 or go online to crt.uconn.edu.  Streaming tickets are $10 for students, $14 seniors and $16 for the general public. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. (ASL) and 8 p.m.

 

Come learn the lessons of helping each other in a community through difficult times, not unlike the reality of COVID today, in this classic Christmas tale of  redemption where one eager second class angel, after hundreds of years of trying, finally gets his wings.

 

ELECT MAMA D AS FIRST LADY OF YOUR POLITICAL PARTY

 

At this time of political uncertainty where choices and decisions are being made, your best option is a visit with Mama D and her band for a guaranteed and generous helping of her Post-Election Hangover Party! West Hartford’s Playhouse on Park wants you to vote for an afternoon of dance, music and laughter, and Lord knows we need some of both.  

 

This Saturday, November 7 at 2:30 p.m.,you are invited to set up your virtual tent on the grounds of the lovely and peaceful Auerfarm in Bloomfield with your hostess Darlene Zoller as the incomparable Mama D. Darlene Zoller wears many hats at Playhouse on Park, as theater founder, co-artistic director and choreographer of stop/time dance theater. 

 

If you are over the age of eighteen, you are welcome to make a reservation for $25 in advance, wear a mask, be socially distant and bring food and libations.  Order tickets by calling Playhouse on Park at 860-523-5900, ext. 10, come in person to 244 Park Road, West Hartford from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., or go online to www.playhouseonpark.org.  Auerfarm is located at 158 Auer Farm Road, Bloomfield.

 

What better way to leave your troubles at home and come be entertained by the notorious and vivacious Mama D for an afternoon you will long treasure and remember.

  

A NEW MUSICAL OF LOVE IN THE TIME OF HIV/AIDS

Love is a genuine emotion that has survived, even flourished, over the ages, as in Columbian Nobel Prize winning author Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s novel “Love in the Time of Cholera.”  Now Dawson Atkin, a third year music composition student at The Hartt School in Hartford has focused his new musical on love in the time of HIV/AIDS in the mid 1980’s to the early 1990’s. His work began as a ten minute school project and has blossomed over time into a full forty-five minute piece that will be featured in the Hartford Fringe Festival from October 9 to November 9 as a film online.

 

The Hartford Fringe Festival in its second year is all virtual, on Vimeo.  Go to  https://vimeo.com.ondemand/2020hartfordfringe.

All of the more than a dozen films about clowns and circuses, play companies, psychological problems, magic, love relationships, 

are $10 each or $99 for the series.

 

The first Fringe Festival was in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1947.  Those theaters not invited to participate created their own “happening” on the outskirts or fringe of town, with out of the envelope works that boldly craved attention. Their popularity out sparked the original and now America is home to more fringe festivals than any other country. While this year Edinburgh will not take place due to the pandemic, just a short two years ago it boasted 55 performances of 3548 different shows in 317 venues over 25 days.

 

For Dawson Atkin, this Fringe Festival in Hartford is a wonderful way to showcase his new work, with lyricist N.J. Collay, a Brandeis student, featuring Sam Vana, a Hartt student.  Sam plays an unnamed character who watches his life partner be diagnosed with and eventually die from HIV/AIDS.  The musical that features such works as  

“Your Hand Is Mine,” “Eulogies” and ”Coming Back ” is entitled “Notes on You and Me.”    It depicts what it means to live through a deeply personal tragedy, trying to balance the national need for political activism with the crushing obligation to be present in the grim reality of love and illness and loss.

 

While Dawson was not old enough to remember this historic moment in time, he embraces the grief elements and is “really proud of the results.”  He feels Sam took the material and really ran with it, singing out and acting and playing his guitar.  Being virtual gave Dawson the opportunity to do film editing but he hopes to develop the work further and create a live version.

 

He feels strongly that “once people are gone, we’re less able to tell their stories, but we must.  How can you describe a fire, if all that is left are ashes?” The music he composed to tell his story falls in two genres:  folk and the musical theatre, with inspiration from writers like  William Finn.  At the end of the day, it is memories that keep loved ones alive.  With HIV/AIDS,  the crime is that it was ignored too long  and so many did not need to lose their lives. 

 

It remains to be seen what impact the recent announcement by Pope Francis in support of same-sex civil unions will have on the Roman Catholic Church.

Stating that gay people are children of God could open a dialogue of change with far reaching consequences.  It may provide Dawson Atkin with enough new material to compose another musical about love in the time of Covid.

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ENTER THE POLITICAL ARENA IN A THEATRICAL MEETING WITH “RFK”

 

Without a doubt, the citizens of the United States, if not all the world, are focused on the upcoming presidential election taking place on November 3^rd. Our fate and our soul may be in question. Imagine you could turn the clock back to a different era and explore the psyche of another political figure and gain understandings from that encounter.

 

Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk is offering you such an opportunity. MTC is only one of three theaters with permission to perform live, as well as to stream, and the experience is awesome. Until November 8, come see Chris Manuel as Robert F. Kennedy in Jack Holmes’ absorbing drama “RFK.” Growing up in the shadow of his older brothers, Joe who was killed in the war and Jack who became the first Catholic president, it was not easy.

 

Chris Manuel opens his heart and soul as he shares his unique story, in the years 1964-1968, as he reconciles his political future with what the country demands of him. He is open and honest about the impact of Jack’s death as he speaks at the gravesite to ”Johnny,” seeking his advice. Should he run for office against Lyndon Johnson or retire to his home at Hickory Hill and enjoy life with his wife Ethel and their eleven children?

 

He wants to end the war in Vietnam, to curb poverty, to fight for racial justice, to make the world a better place.

He was afraid if he ran, he would split the Democratic party. Despite this crisis of conscience, he decides to campaign for the presidency. Tragically he is killed by an assassin on the night of his California primary victory at the age of 42.

 

Come witness this personal and intimate journey thanks to the direction of Kevin Connors, the stage management of Jim Schilling, the scenic design of Jessie Lizotte, the lighting of RJ Romeo and the sound design of Will Atkin. With masks and social distancing, attend in person by calling the theater, 509 Westport Avenue, Norwalk at 203-454-3883 or get a stream link for $25. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

 

Mark your calendars now for a live radio play,”It’s a Wonderful Life,” coming December 11-20.

 

Let RFK reveal his character, with all its flaws, as he genuinely tries to become the leader the country needs and deserves.

LIFE LESSONS IN THE TIME OF COVID

 I FINALLY FIGURED OUT WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY CURRENT LIFE:  I AM IN A PERPETUAL INTERMISSION.  THE ACTION HAS CEASED AND I MUST LEARN PATIENCE BEFORE THE CURTAIN RISES UP AGAIN.  HOW LONG THIS INTERMISSION WILL LAST IS A QUESTION THAT CANNOT BE ANSWERED TODAY OR ANY TIME IN THE NEAR FUTURE. I MUST BE PATIENT AND LEARN ACCEPTANCE . UNCERTAINTY IS MY NEW MIDDLE NAME .

 

WHAT LESSONS CAN I TAKE FROM THIS NEW UNWELCOME STATE OF AFFAIRS?

1.  I CAN TRY TO CONTROL MY RESPONSE TO CHANGE. AND ACCEPT THAT UNCERTAINTY IS MY NEW CONSTANT. 

2.  UNTIL I’M DEAD, I DON’T HAVE TO ACT AS IF I’M DYING.

3.  I CAN LOOK AT WHAT I CAN DO AND NOT FOCUS ON WHAT I CAN’T DO.

4.  I HAVE TO STOP FEARING THE WORST AND RATHER CONCENTRATE ON THE BETTER TO GENERATE HOPE.

5.  I NEED TO CULTIVATE GRATITUDE AND LOOK FOR THE GOOD, TO GROW THROUGH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES.

6.  MY CHOICE IS NOT TO SIT IN FEAR BUT TO REACH OUT AND HELP OTHERS.

7.  POSITIVE EMOTIONS CAN BE CONTAGIOUS.

8.  WE NEED TO BUILD ONE GREAT BIG COLLECTIVE SUPPORT GROUP.

9.  WE NEED TO DEVELOP RESILIENCE.

10.              WE NEED TO THRIVE TO SURVIVE.

11.              WE NEED TO EMBRACE JOY AND ACCOMPLISH WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR LIVES.

12.              THE WORDS WE USE MATTER.  WE NEED TO LOVE OURSELVES FIRST.

13.              CLEAN YOUR MIND AND GET RID OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS.

14.              FOCUS ON GRATITUDE ON A DAILY BASIS, EITHER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING OR LAST THING AT NIGHT, OR BOTH.

15.              BELIEVE IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN.

16.              USE YOUR TIME TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE AND MAKE THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE EVEN IF YOU ARE ONLY ONE VOICE.

17.              BELIEVE THAT SOMETIMES COURAGE IS THE QUIET VOICE AT THE END OF THE DAY SAYING “I WILL TRY AGAIN TOMORROW.”

18.              SOMEDAY IS NOT A DAY OF THE WEEK.

19.              EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER WANTED IS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF FEAR.

20.              REMEMBER THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT DAYS OF YOUR LIFE, ACCORDING TO MARK TWAIN, ARE THE DAY YOU ARE BORN AND THE DAY YOU FIND OUT WHY.

COME SHAKE THE BLUES AWAY COURTESY OF GOODSPEED MUSICALS

 

 

 

Have you been starved for the magic of a musical or the excitement of theater? Than have I got a date for you! Goodspeed Musicals is planning a unique virtual gala for Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m. when Broadway comes to East Haddam. A showboat of stars who have made their mark on the Goodspeed stage will return to create new productions rather than  their previous roles in such hits as “Hello, Dolly!,” “Holiday Inn,” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Oklahoma!,” “Anything Goes,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and many more.

 

The action will be on the Goodspeed stage as well as a variety of original spaces throughout the historic Opera House. Song and dance will resonate from all areas as stars like Klea Blackhurst, Bryan Thomas Hunt, Gizel Jimenez, Rashidra Scott, Kelly Sheehan, James Snyder, Alysha Umphress and Nicholas Ward will strut their incredible stuff in sensational scenes. Acclaimed choreographer Kelli Barclay will use her magic for a special number while Resident Music Director Adam Souza will craft all the orchestrations.

 

The evening will be a fundraiser for this iconic stage, a virtual gala to support Goodspeed until it can re-open for more glorious performances. Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts will match all tickets purchased and gifts made, dollar for dollar.SFFEA’s Founding Partner Linda Marshall said “The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts has been thrilledto partner with Goodspeed on their impactful annual arts education programs. This fall, while we wait for all arts organizations, including Goodspeed, to re-open, we encourage donors to recognize the importance of Goodspeed in our community by joining us in making a generous gift during this exciting event.”

 Unlike previous gala celebrations, there is no limit on attendees for Shakin' the Blues Away—thousands of Goodspeed members and musical theatre lovers from around the world can participate in this exciting event from their own homes. There are a few ways to enjoy the gala performance. New and renewing Goodspeed Members who sign up by October 23 will receive a free ticket for their household to watch Shakin’ the Blues Away: A Virtual Gala Concert for Goodspeedfrom the comfort of home. For all others, tickets for this one-of-a-kind musical experience are $25. This fundraising event is vital to the future of Goodspeed Musicals and is offered as a beacon of musical theatre hope and joy during the pandemic. 

 

For those who wish to savor the event but can’t watch on October 29, Shakin' the Blues Awaywill be available for ticket holders to watch for an entire week after it premieres.

 

For memberships, tickets, event information and more aboutShakin’ the Blues Away: A Virtual Gala Concert for Goodspeed, please visit www.Goodspeed.org/gala. 

Help preserve the proud legacy of the Goodspeed by participating in this gala event, one guaranteed to shake and sweep the blues away.

 

 

DAVID ARROW STARS IN HIS OWN WORK ON ROBERT F. KENNEDY

 

 

AFTER ACTOR AND WRITER DAVID ARROW WAS INVITED TO PLAY ROBERT KENNEDY IN A PLAY “RFK “ BY JACK HOLMES, HE DID EXTENSIVE RESEARCH, READING AT LEAST FORTY BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT.  HE DECIDED TO PEN HIS OWN VERSION OF THE POLITICIAN, FOCUSING ON THE PIVOTAL YEAR 1968

WHEN HE RAN FOR PRESIDENT.  THE RESULT IS “KENNEDY:  BOBBY’S LAST CRUSADE” SHOWCASED AND STREAMED BY WEST HARTFORD’S PLAYHOUSE ON PARK RECENTLY. 

 

THIS ONE MAN SHOW THAT DAVID ARRROW TACKLES BRILLIANTLY IS BASED ON THE LAST THREE MONTHS OF RFK’S LIFE, BEFORE HE IS TRAGICALLY ASSASSINATED MOMENTS AFTER VICTORIOUSLY WINNING THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY AGAINST EUGENE MCCARTY AT THE AMBASSADOR HOTAL IN LOS ANGELES.

 

DAVID ARROW BEARS A STRIKING RESEMBLANCE TO THIS “FOLK HERO” IN PERSONA AND VOICE, WITH A STRONG BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS ACCENT.  HE PORTRAYS JOHN F. KENNEDY’S YOUNGER BROTHER, SO OFTEN IN JFK’S SHADOW, HERE HE ASSERTS HIMSELF AS A CHAMPION OF THE PEOPLE, THE POOR AND DISENFRANCISED,  AN OPPONENT OF THE VIETNAM WAR AND A LEADER AGAINST DIVISION AND VIOLENCE.  HE QUESTIONED WHETHER HE WAS THE MAN TO DEFEAT LYNDON JOHNSON AND GENE MCCARTHY AND IF HE HAD ENTERED THE RACE TOO LATE?

 

RFK BELIEVED THE COUNTRY WAS ON THE WRONG COURSE AND HE WANTED TO USE HIS CAREER AS A LAWYER AND AS ATTORNEY GENERAL TO MAKE MUCH NEEDED CHANGES. THOUGH HE HATED MAKING SPEECHES, HE IS BUSY CROSSING THE COUNTRY TO PLEAD HIS CASE TO BUILD AMERICA FOR THE FUTURE, VISITING 12 STATES IN 2 WEEKS.  THEN TWO EVENTS GALVANIZE HIM:  LBJ DECLARES HE WILL NOT RUN FOR REELECTION AND MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. IS KILLED BY AN ASSASSIN IN MEMPHIS.

 

RFK KNEW THERE WOULD BE GUNS BETWEEN HIM AND THE WHITE HOUSE.   HE FELT THE MILITARY COULD NOT SAVE AMERICA.  ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL, HE FELT PEOPLE NEEDED TO SEE AND HEAR HIM AND KNOW HE WAS GENUINE.  AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME, HAVING WON THE CALIFORNIA PRIMARY, HE KNEW THE PEOPLE WERE THERE FOR HIM, WANTING HIM TO RIGHT THE COUNTRY’S WRONGS.  WE WILL NEVER KNOW IF HE COULD HAVE SUCCEEDED IN THAT IMPOSSIBLE QUEST.

 

RFK WAS A SYMBOL OF “MODERN AMERICAN LIBERALISM” WHO ADVOCATED FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND USED HIS IMPERFECTIONS TO CRAFT A CAMPAIGN FOR A BETTER AMERICA.  ERIC NIGHTINGALE DIRECTS THIS SLICE OF REALISM WITH A STRONG HAND. THE PLAY CAN BE STEAMED UNTIL OCTOBER 4 FOR $20 BY CALLING PLAYHOUSE ON PARK AT 860-523-5900 EXT.10. THE PLAY WILL BE SCREENED AT DUNKIN’ DONUTS PARK ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 AND AT

INGERSOL POP-UP DRIVE-IN ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4.  FUTURE PLAYS WILL BE “ALL IS CALM” SET IN 1914 AT CHRISTMAS AND  “CHILDREN OF PARADISE” SET IN HEAVEN.  THE THEME FOR THE PLAYHOUSE’S TWELTH SEASON IS, APPROPRIATELY, HOPE.

THIS SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, FROM 3-4 P.M. PLAYHOUSE ON PARK WILL HOST A PANEL DISCUSSION ON ZOOM WITH CHUCK COURSEY, FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER AS MODERATOR, AND  PANELISTS  PLAYWRIGHT AND ACTOR DAVID ARROW, MICHAEL DEVORKIN ATTORNEY, BURKE DOAR ATTORNEY AND JUDGE BARRY STEVENS, SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE. You must register in advance in order to watch the live Zoom Webinar. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rXJp2Mr2Sp-SmRLdWOf8Bg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. This conversation will be recorded and uploaded to the WHCi YouTube channel for future viewings. Can’t join us live? Visit the WHCi YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzpHKCsl6ag

RESERVE YOUR SEAT BEFORE EVERY ONE IS “FULLY COMMITTED”

 

If ever there were a person who could effectively use the eight arms of an octopus, it would be Sam the out- of- work actor who takes the tedious job of reservation agent at a trendy Manhattan restaurant. It’s the Christmas season and everyone and anyone wants a coveted table for themselves to see and be seen. Sam, played effectively and convincingly by the talented Matt Densky, has the dubious honor of fielding the requests as to who is worthy of a chair and table.

This is a one man show where the lead actor plays somewhere between thirty and forty roles, all delightfully, from the bombastic chef to the numerous actors, V.I.P.s, tourists, even Mafia dons who call incessantly wanting to dine. A hearty welcome back to Music Theater of Connecticut of Norwalk for being one of the first locations to offer live theater during the pandemic. Hallelujah!

You have the unique and pleasurable opportunity to witness this event first hand in Becky Mode’s challenging comedy “Fully Committed.” 

Of course, the smaller the portions the bigger the price tag and the more unusual the offerings created daily by the Chef, who is temperamental to the extreme, the more desirable they seem. Sam has to be a master juggler to answer the multiple phones and confess the eatery is booked at least three months in advance, hence the comment about being “fully committed.”

Playwright Becky Mode has nailed with pinpoint accuracy the craziness and caginess of the customers who seek a reserved table at the current hot spot. Densky plays them all, insiders like the egotistical chef and snide maitre ‘d and outsiders like Gwyneth Paltrow’s fawning assistant and demanding Mafia men who are willing to pay extravagantly to get a table. Densky assumes all the mannerisms and accents as he balances family, friends, acting competitors and wannabe customers of the chichi global fusion cuisine his restaurant specializes in serving.

Sam fields phone calls like a pro, handles messy emergencies without breaking too much of a sweat and ends up satisfying most of his contacts as the jolly Christmas spirit adds a little more urgency to his multi-tasking. Kevin Connors directs this behind the scenes romp into restaurant ramekins and rigors, on a detailed restaurant basement set designed by Jessie Lizotte, while Jim Schilling serves as stage manager.

For tickets ($35-65), call Music Theater of CT, 509 Westport Avenue, Route 1, Norwalk at 203-454-3883. Performances are weekends until September 27, Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in a safe socially distanced environment. If you prefer, you can watch the performance from your home by streaming, for $25. Now is the time to plan to see a dramatic play about Robert Kennedy, the years 1964-68, “RFK,” October 23-November 8 and, just in time for the holidays, “It’s a Wonderful Life,” December 11-20.

Reserve a V. I. P. seat for this hectic holiday hilarity as Sam the man tries to fill requests from the sublime to the ridiculous.

      

THE HILL-STEAD MUSEUM SHINES ITS THEATRICAL LIGHTS THIS SUMMER

As the sun sets on a warm summer afternoon, when you want to celebrate the season and settle outdoors for an evening of entertainment, when you want to forget the state of the world during the time of Covid, what better place to head

than the lovely pastoral setting at the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington.  On such a recent evening, I took my chair, my mask and a friend and we sat on the lawn, on one of the museum’s 152 lush green acres, to enjoy an evening of

Cabaret songs courtesy of the singing group The Falsetti Four.  Under the auspices of West Hartford’s intimate Playhouse on Park, with the generous support of the Hill-Stead Museum, the entire summer has been dotted with many

sparkling opportunities to bring a treasured moment of music or theater to life. This was just such an evening.

Safe in our little pod, with food to nibble and drinks to imbibe, we watched the sun go down as the Falsetti Four gloriously sang show tunes. With a following from their Friday Night performances at BlueBack Square in West Hartford, the troupe included 

Rick Fountain, Amanda Forker, Carolyn Burke, Hillary Ekwall and young, talented high schooler Stephanie Reuning-Scherer whose dad Jonathan was there flashing the keyboards to every number.  Tunes ranged from show biz favorites like “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” to

cute numbers about the mistake of dying your hair blue only to have it turn green to a one woman birthday party celebration.  Whether sentimental or sassy, the performances were Broadway level enjoyable.

The Hill-Stead is also entertaining benefit dinners on the lawn,”Theodate & Tyler,” as farm-to-table experiences into September  Other events include a Playhouse on Park Dance Party with Darlene Zoller on Wednesday, September 16 and a

 Playwrights Reading Series on Wednesday, September 23.  Other entertainment performances are the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, Hartford Stage, a Concert Among the Acres, a Painting Class run by the Museum and the Sonia Plumb Dance Company

in September and in October the Hartford Stage and the Farmington Land Trust Raptor Program.  Visit https://www.hillstead.org/ for dates, times and prices.

  The Museum is now open for guided tours from Thursday to Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Treat yourself to an evening outdoors as the sunshine turns to star shine and you get to remember why you love theater.

 

TEN REASONS

TEN REASONS YOU KNOW YOU’VE ENDURED THE COVID 19 VIRUS TOO LONG ARE:

YOU HAIR LOOKS LIKE A REJECTED BIRD’S NEST

YOU ARE NOW ON INTIMATE RELATIONS WITH YOUR REFRIGERATOR

YOUR COUCH HAS A PERMANENT RESERVATION SIGN IN FRONT OF THE TV JUST LIKE DR. SHELDON COOPER ON “THE BIG BANG THEORY”

IT HARDLY MAKES A DIFFERENCE CHANGING FROM YOUR NIGHTTIME PAJAMAS TO YOUR DAYTIME ONES

YOU SPEND HALF YOUR LIFE ZOOMING AND RE-ZOOMING

THE HIGHLIGHT OF YOUR WEEK IS A TRIP TO BUY CHOCOLATES AND JUJYFRUIT CANDY AT THE DOLLAR STORE

YOU HAVE TO FORCE YOURSELF TO GET OUT OF BED EVERY MORNING BECAUSE THERE IS SO LITTLE TO LOOK FORWARD TO DOING AGAIN AND AGAIN

THE CHANGING OPINIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW TO OR NOT TO SURVIVE THE VIRUS CHANGE WITH EVERY EMAIL

YOU LEARN HOW TO SPELL QUARANTINE AND PANDEMIC EVEN THOUGH

YOU NEVER WANTED TO KNOW EITHER

YOU LOOK TO DR. FAUCCI AND RANDY RAINBOW AS YOUR GURUS OF KNOWLEDGE

RANDOM COVID 19 THOUGHTS

WHERE HAVE ALLTHE FLOWERS GONE? WE ARE CURRENTLY TRAPPED IN AN ARTIFICIAL WORLD WHERE LITTLE MAKES SENSE AND WE HAVE LESS CONTROL OVER EVENTS THAN USUAL. WE ARE INDEBTED TO DOCTORS, NURSES, TEACHERS AND ALL THE SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO STAND ON THE FRONTLINES TO KEEP US SAFE, FED AND CARED FOR. 

ONE ADVANTAGE TO THIS CRISIS, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, IS THAT WE HAVEN’T EXPERIENCED A GUN SHOOTING IN MONTHS.  OUR AIR IS CLEANER DUE TO THE LACK OF MILLIONS OF CARS ON THE ROAD.  PEOPLE ARE MEETING NEIGHBORS AND HELPING OTHERS EVEN WHILE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND WEARING PROTECTIVE GEAR.

WORKING FROM HOME OR NOT WORKING AT ALL HAS BECOME THE NORM AND MANY STATES ARE CAUTIOUSLY OPENING UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO RETURN TO SOME LEVEL OF NORMALCY. CONNECTICUT IS, THANKFULLY, THE LAST TO OPEN ITS FLOOD GATES.

SO WE SIT AND WAIT WITH GRATITUDE AND GRAYING HAIR THAT WE HAVE FAMILY AND FRIENDS TO HOLD ON TO, EVEN IF ONLY VIRTUALLY.

THIS, TOO, SHALL PASS.

A CELEBRATION OF LOVE AT SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE

 

When four true friends impulsively pledge at  their senior prom to be at each other’s weddings as bridesmaids, none of them realize the commitment they are making. The number of ugly dresses they are promising to wear, the need to convince each reluctant bride to proceed with the ceremony, the bride who will exercise her right to throw the bouquet every year or so, the ones who change their minds mid-ceremony and the ones who regret their choices three decades later are all destined to be present.

 

If you’ve ever questioned the institution of marriage or spent years dreaming of happily ever after, there is much to find humor in in this Jones Hope Wooten comedy

“Always a Bridesmaid” at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury.  Due to the current health crisis, the show will be postponed and hopefully reopen in the near future.  Watch for the announcement.

 

Meanwhile the Laurelton Oaks Country Club is hopping with matrimonial business, under the management of Sedalia Ellicot (Joyce Jeffrey) who desperately wants to quarantee perfection in the bridal department. She doesn’t have any idea that this latest bunch of beauties will try her patience to the bone.

 

These hopelessly romantic gals are all ready and able to fulfill their obligations to each other and don those less than beautiful garments and assist in every way possible their best friend down the aisle, even if they have known the prospective groom all of two weeks.

 

Monette (Stacey Harris)  is taking advantage of promises when she dons a white dress three years in a row.  Her daydreams about a special love fest play like the reruns of “Ground Hogs Day” the movie.  Her pals Charlie (Amanda Burton) appear even if they are sick, Deedra (Anette Michelle Sanders) arrives even if she has just been robbed and Libby Ruth (Valerie Stack Dodge) serves as the conciliatory peacemaker.

 

With each wedding, the predicaments roll on in comic confusion thanks to the white glove direction of Julia Kiley.  Moira O’Sullivan as Kari narrates the action with champagne glass firmly in hand. 

 

No need to bring a wedding gift as these ladies provide a humorous look at all that can go right and wrong on the marital merry-go-round.  Hop on board for a joy filled ride.