COME VISIT "EARLENE'S DINER (SCROOGED AGAIN)" FOR HOLIDAY FUN

If you are in need of a vaccination of Christmas spirit, then the best place to locate one is at Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury where the Stage 7 Community Production of “Earlene’s A Christmas Carol (Scrooged Again)" is bursting with holiday treasures guaranteed to delight even the most Bah Humbug of non-believers until Sunday, December 19. Starring that irrepressible comedian Michelle Gotay as Earlene Babcock of diner fame as well as a female Ebenezer Scrooge, the fun and festivity is off and running from the first note of “We Need a Little Christmas” all the way to the last note of “Sleigh Ride” and the dozens of Christmas songs in-between. Earlene’s Diner is always in crisis mode as the bank is threatening to foreclose if her mortgage isn’t paid up to date and the mean spirited loan officer, Ebbie Scrooge, will not show any humanity or compassion for Earlene. It’s up to ghosts like Scrooge’s old business partner Marley (John Fabiani) to scare Scrooge into changing his stingy ways as well as send him visitations from the Ghost of Christmas Past (Phil Maiorano), Christmas Present (Jimmy Donohue) and the Ghost of Christmas Future (Leona Schwartz) who looks amazingly like the Grinch to show Scrooge the need to mend his stingy ways. With delightful surprise visits from Elvis (he is in the building), a bevy of Ghostbusters, Buddy the Elf, the Fruitcake Maven, a special Christmas 12 Step AA Program and a string of Christmas song delights, you couldn’t possibly leave the theater without a double dose of holiday happiness. With additional help from a cast that includes Nicholas Bates, Lilyana Bodnar, Tom Chute, Diane DeLucia, Angelina Emanuel, Len Emanuel, Jeannine Gallmeyer, Karl Gallmeyer, Emry Golia, Lou Guertin, Ian Kindt, Zoe Kindt, Norma Jean Lombard, Elijah Loucks, Anthony Marchetti, Marcia Maslo, Camryn McCarthy, Lilah Pape, Ella Perrotti, Isabel Puffer, Jeff Savage, Joe Stofko, Justin Torres and Jonathan Zalaski, a cavalcade of Christmas tunes burst with joy. Directed with pleasure by Semina DeLaurentis, choreographed by Brittany Mulcahy, with spirited musical direction by TJ Thompson with his band that includes Bob Nolte, Mark Ryan, Dan Kraszewski and Seth Yurichek, the party just needs you to arrive, with masks on please. For tickets ($30 adults, $20 17 and under), call Seven Angels Theatre, ! Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at tix.com. Performances are Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Seven Angels will once again host a New Year’s Eve Party Comedy Night at 6 pm and 9 pm, Stand Up Countdown, with Missy Hall, Frank Vignola and Richie Byrne for your entertainment delight. Tickets are $50 for either show and Seven Angels' bar will be open one hour before and during the show. Click the QR Code to purchase. Let Earlene and her special gang help you get into the Christmas spirit just in time to celebrate December 25th in style.

"MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLY" A TRUE DELIGHT

Jane Austen, the author of such master works as “Pride and Prejudice,” has boasting rights to feel delighted. Thanks to playwrights Laura Gunderson and Margot Melcon, we are being treated to another installment about those vivacious and charming Bennet sisters, this time at the holidays with “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly” thanks to the creative imaginations of director Sasha Bratt and the good folks at Playhouse on Park in West Hartford until Sunday, December 19. Love is in the air at the family estate, swirling romantically around the newest holiday tradition, a Christmas tree, thanks to the efforts of gracious hostess Elizabeth Darcy, Dakota Mackey-McGee, who is happily wedded to Fitzwilliam Darcy, Griffin Stanton-Ameisen. sister Jane, Kristin Fulton. is anxiously awaiting the birth of their first child with hubby Charles Bingley, Karim Nematt, while the youngest Bennet sibling, Lydia, does not enjoy the bliss of being wedded thanks to her choice of spouse Mr. Wickham. That leaves only the studious, book loving yet musically talented Mary, Sydney Torres, to find a mate and true love in the process. Enter the handsome young Lord, Arthur de Bourgh, Ted Gibson, who has just inherited a neighboring estate with the death of his relative Catherine, and has been invited to Pemberly to share the holiday spirit. The stage, sweetly created by Anna Brewster, with lovely costuming by Lisa Bebey, is now set for romance. Lydia, however, has plans of her own and flirts outrageously with the unsuspecting Arthur, while a comic twist explodes when Catherine’s daughter Anne, Moira O’Sullivan, arrives with her own unique take on her wedding agenda. Will Arthur be able to untangle all the Christmas lights that cause him to risk losing his perfect soul match Mary or will the gods work on his side to right the potential wrongs with both Lydia and Anne? For tickets ($40-50), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900, ext. 10 or online at www.playhouseonpark.org. Performances are Tuesday at 2 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, followed by a talk back with the cast on Sunday. All patrons must be fully vaccinated, with proof and ID, and wear a mask. In the Christmas spirit, donate new books for children and teens until December 23 and shop in the playhouse lobby for family and friends. Acting classes for children from ages 2-18 are now registering. Visit www.PlayhouseTheatreAcademy.org for details. Come to this festive celebration set in 1815 and discover for yourself this well anticipated family reunion which corresponds with the audience’s welcome back, after a long absence, to live theater.

"IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE" A GRAND RADIO SHOW AT HARTFORD STAGE

What better time to root for angels to get their wings then this season of giving. Clarence the wannabe angel in training, for two hundred years and counting, is praying you are on his side in his quest. Do you remember George Bailey as the reluctant iconic hero of one of the season’s most beloved stories? Whether you have known George Bailey for decades or you are a brand new acquaintance, the Hartford Stage’s production of “It’s a Wonderful Life” is filled with care and affection, thanks to playwright Joe Landry and directors Melia Bensussen and Rachel Alderman. Until Sunday, December 26, you are invited to follow in George’s footsteps as he walks through his life in Bedford Falls, New York, an ordinary existence that he himself might describe as dull and without definition. Created as a 1940’s radio show, on Station WBFR, for Playhouse on the Air, the story by Philip Van Doren was originally a Frank Capra movie starring Jimmy Stewart. Here a troupe of talented actors – Michael Preston, Evan Zes, Gerardo Rodriguez, Jennifer Bareilles and Shirine Babb - play multiple roles as they create George’s life, up to the moment when he decides it isn’t worth living and the world would be better off if he had never been born. While Ebenezer Scrooge has his three ghostly visitations on Christmas Eve, George is blessed with only one: Clarence, the apprentice angel who is more than two centuries old and has yet to earn his wings. The hard working and dependable George, who saves his brother Harry from drowning, stops a pharmacist Mr. Gower from dispensing a prescription with poison, stands up to the town’s tyrant, Mr. Potter, helps a community live in homes rather than shacks and marries a fine woman Mary Hatch and raises three children, learns that he is not a failure in life and that he has friends who bless him. Terrific sound effects by Foley Artist Leer Leary are like another character. For tickets ($30 and up), call Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at HartfordStage.org/its-a-wonderful-life. Performances are Tuesday to Sunday at 7:30 pm, with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 pm. Let your imagination soar as you listen to this tale of redemption and what it means to live a life of purpose.

MUSICAL "A CHRISTMAS CAROL" COMES TO THE LEGACY

What would the Christmas holiday be without a visit with that cranky cheapskate curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge? Luckily the Legacy Theater in Branford has opportunities galore for the magical and musical encounter until Sunday, December 12 with James Andreassi doing the honors as that Bah Humbug Master of the Miserly Scrooge himself. It is exactly seven years since his business partner Jacob Marley has left this earth and Jacob is back with a mortal warning for his old colleague: repent your stingy ways or else. Marley knows all-too-well the punishment that could be Scrooge’s as he himself has suffered. Scrooge is fated to encounter a trio of ghosts who will make him review the choices he has made in life to date, how he abandoned his love Belle for his greater desire for wealth, how he neglected family like his sister Fan and nephew Fred and how he refused to be charitable or to celebrate Christmas. On a creative set designed by Jamie Burnett, with period costumes by June Gold, much original music by director Keely Baisden Knudsen and musical director David Bell, we are invited into Scrooge’s narrow world and are privileged to watch it expand into a genuine appreciation for love and life as Scrooge repents his penurious ways and transforms himself into a grateful and giving man. Helping him along the way with song and dance and ghostly hauntings are Keely Baisden Knudsen, Chris Lemieux, Josiah Rowe, Emmett Cassidy, Betzabeth Castro, Kiersten Bjork, Emery Knudsen and Liviana Knudsen. This traditional tale has been adapted creatively by Keely Baisden Knudsen from a novella by Charles Dickens. For tickets ($ 60), call the Legacy box office, Stony Creek, Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at info@LegacyTheatreCT.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 pm and 7 pm, Thursday at 2 pm and 7 pm, Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 pm. Remember your masks. Come early to be serenaded by The Royal Court Singers and enter the lovely holiday spirit of the performance. There is no Bah Humbug tolerated here.

IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE OFFERING "A CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL GUIDE" IN MUSIC

The holidays can be stressful and hectic for many people. Depression and loneliness can be major issues to overcome. What if you had help to make the transition more palatable and pleasant? The Ivoryton Playhouse is offering one such solution: “A Christmas Survival Guide” to ease your pain and discomfort. This merry musical guidebook by James Hindman and Ray Roderick is available until Sunday, December 19 and features many classic Christmas tunes that you will want to sing along to: "Jingle Bells,” " Frosty the Snowman,” “Silent Night”, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and many, many more. This wall to wall cavalcade of tunes is brought to you by Cory Candelet, Emma Flynn, Brian Michael Henry, Adrianne Hick and Corey Scheys, with Jill Brunelle as musical director on piano and Brian Feehan as director of the whole Christmas concert. Whether they are dressed for winter, as reindeer or in pajamas, at a holiday party, or driving in a one horse sleigh, this talented team is all in for a jolly and concerted effort to beat the holiday blues. One particularly effective song was a parody of AA Twelve Step Programs and A Partridge in a Pear Tree where the advice ranged from meeting with a therapist, reciting the Serenity Prayer, to taking karate lessons. Well, you get the idea. For tickets ($55 adults, $50 seniors, $25 students), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318. Go online for information to http://www.ivorytonplayhouse.org but not for tickets. Performances are Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Remember your mask and seating is socially distanced. The village will be illuminated by holiday lights, thousands of them. Whether you need help coping with the holidays or not, you will definitely enjoy all the songs and suggestions in this timely Christmas survival guide.

"THE LITTLEST CHRISTMAS TREE" GROWS MUSICALLY AND MAGICALLY IN MILFORD

The Christmas season is filled with angels and elves, candy canes and holiday stockings, reindeer named Rudolph and red and green ornaments. Santa is always center stage and this year is no exception. For Milford’s Pantochino Productions, however, the focus is on what is on Santa’s gift list this December. Santa wants a special holiday tree and he has entrusted his devoted elf Rolio to find it. While it's not the giant tree for New York City’s Rockefeller Center, it is still a big assignment and Rolio wants to get it right the first time. There are no do-overs when it comes to pleasing the Big Man with the Snowy Beard and the Jolly Laugh. Rolio is perfect in the hands of Rowan Simonelli, who takes his job seriously in this newest magical Christmas musical “The Littlest Christmas Tree," an original production with book and lyrics by Bert Bernardi, who also serves as devoted director, and music by Justin Rugg, a creative team that has garnered five Broadway World Awards for past original New Works and whose previous musicals are published, licensed and performed around the world. From Friday, December 3 to Sunday, December 19, “The Littlest Christmas Tree” will be performed at the Milford Arts Council, Railroad Avenue, Milford. Sets are by Von Del Mar, lighting by David Sexton, costumes by Jimmy Johansmeyer and sponsorship by Berchem Moses P.C. The North Pole is the most musical land in December as a friendly forest of trees compete to be Santa’s choice by coming to life in song and dance fashion. The show will star the talents of Mary Mannix, Jimmy Johansmeyer, Maria Berte, Shelley Marsh Poggio, Justin Rugg, Valerie Solli, Hazel Foley and Sierra DiMartino. For tickets ($25), go online to www.pantochino.com. Remember this is cabaret seating so you are invited to bring food and drink. Remember to wear your mask, covering your nose and mouth throughout the show. According to Bert Bernardi, who is the main man in the know, next to Santa Claus himself, “This is our first original musical since 2019 and we are so excited to be back with this exciting, funny and heartwarming new show. We can’t wait to bring families back to the theatre, and this show is the perfect holiday treat for all ages.” Take the gang to Pantochino Productions to begin a festive and fun holiday celebration.

MY TOP TEN LIST

For years, the television talk show host David Letterman would announce his Top Ten List on his Late Night with David Letterman Show. The very first list on September 18, 1985 was titled “The Top Ten Things That Almost Rhyme with Peas.” The list was always given in reverse countdown order, starting with the funniest at number 10 and culminating in usually the least humorous at number one. Given the time and the season, I would like to reveal my own Top Ten List of the items I Am Most Happy and Grateful to Resume Again Now That the Pandemic Finally Shows Signs of Stopping. I call it My Next To Normal Check List. Number 10: I am able to finally leave my house, even if I must be seen accompanied by my fully documented vaccination card, my butterfly mask and a bevy of grocery bags. Number 9: I have been cautiously optimistic about giving a hug or, dare I say, a kiss to close fully vaccinated family members. Number 8: I have resumed buying gas, when I can afford it, more than once every other month and actually using my GPS with a real destination in mind. Number 7: I have limited myself to no more than one or two Zoom meetings a day and now get dressed on a regular basis. Number 6: Selling insurance, mostly Medicare policies at the moment, has started up again and I have sat in the same room with clients for the most part, even though a recent appointment was conducted outdoors in 40 degree weather. Number 5: I am no longer addicted to Netflix and forced to watch Hallmark’s Christmas in July programming, although I still end each night with an ice cream cone of my choosing. Number 4: I am writing real dates in my calendar of places to go and people to see after living on a desert island for almost two years...and my thirty year project of writing a book is almost done. "Little Thoughts on a Big Planet" is coming soon. Number 3: The magical world of theater is reopening in all its glory and I couldn’t be more delighted, even if every production has Christmas in its title. No Bah Humbug me. Number 2: Holidays are being celebrated once again with family and friends gathering together to create memories and joy. Number 1: How lucky am I to embrace two sisterhoods of women to help me survive during these difficult times: my Healing Circle every Wednesday morning where we pray for the restored good health of others and on Thursdays my lunches with the DGWG, the Delectable Gourmet Writing Group, where delicious food is combined with personal writings that we share in an atmosphere of trust and friendship. Welcome back world, it’s so wonderful to make your acquaintance once again.

NO "DOUBT" ABOUT THIS INVOLVING DRAMA AT WCP

There is no room for compassion in Sister Aloysius’s mind. She has certainty, even if she doesn’t have proof. As the head of a Catholic boy's school in the Bronx in the early 1960’s, she has decided the newest member of the faculty, Father Flynn, is guilty of impropriety and she wants him gone. In her opinion, he has acted improperly with a student, Donald Muller, who has recently enrolled. The future of this boy is in question. The fate of this priest is under scrutiny. The certainty of an accusing nun is startlingly evident. All of these are judge and jury in Westport Country Playhouse's current offering, John Patrick Shanley's involving drama "Doubt" playing until Saturday, November 20. What is not in doubt is the sincerity and dedication of this fine cast of actors. "Doubt" focuses on Father Flynn, a determined Eric Bryant, and whether or not he is guilty of an inappropriate relationship with Donald Muller, a 12 year old, the first African-American boy who has ever been admitted to St. Nicholas School. The time is 1964. Betsy Aidem's Sister Aloysius is stern, pious and unbending as the principal whom all the students fear. She cautions the naive and eager-to-please Sister James, a sweet and innocent Kerstin Anderson, that she needs more starch in her spine. She urges Sister James to spy on Father Flynn and confirm her convictions. As she states unequivocally, "I will bring him down." Her vigilance is her guardian. After all, Father Flynn writes with a ball point pen, has long finger nails, takes three sugars in his tea and likes Frosty the Snowman. These are all evidence of his guilt. She even seeks the counsel of Donald's mother, a concerned and caring Sharina Martin, to stand with her in her judgmental accusations. David Kennedy directs this fine drama, a parable of principles. As for whether or not Father Flynn is guilty or innocent, the playwright leaves the question open for personal interpretation. If you see "Doubt," you'll have to decide on your own. For tickets ($40-60), call the Westport Country Playhouse, Route One Westport at 203-227-4177or online at https://tickets.westportplayhouse.org. Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.On demand are available until Sunday, November 21 for a household at $100 and a pair at $50. Remember to bring your proof of vaccination and your mask. In the final tally, what has never been in doubt, clearly, is the fact that Westport Country Playhouse's goal is to provide excellent theater for theater's sake and welcome audiences back after a long absence.

"FALSETTOLAND" WELCOMED AT MUSIC THEATRE OF CT

Now that the world has recently experienced the wrath of a pandemic, it is not so difficult to look backward forty years to the devastating experience of AIDS, a mysterious illness that reared its ugly head in the 1980’s. At the center to any crisis is how it affects the participants, the family unit, the people who surround us and hold us together. Music Theatre of Connecticut is inviting us to revisit an earlier time and struggle with the family members and friends at the center as they present “Falsettoland” with book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by William Finn, running weekends until Sunday November 21. Come meet real life father and son, Dan and Ari Sklar, as they become Marvin and Jason with all the messy baggage that comes with family life. Marvin has struggled with his identity and has taken a younger, good looking male lover Whizzer, Max Meyers, and divorced his wife Trina, Corinne C. Broadbent, in the process. His connection, however, to their teenage son Jason remains strong. Approaching thirteen, Jason is on the cusp of manhood, almost ready to stand on the bimah of the synagogue as a Bar Mitzvah. Or is he? Watching his dad reconnect with Whizzer after years apart, seeing his mother remarry the man who has been the encouraging psychiatrist for the family, Mendel, played by Jeff Gurner, and witnessing the loving relationship of friends Dr. Charlotte, Jessie Janet Richards, and the non-Jewish caterer Cordelia, Elissa DeMaria, Jason is understandably conflicted over whether he wants this Jewish rite of passage to take place or not. When Whizzer comes down with an unexplainable illness, Jason is justifiably confused even more. While Jason sings of his need for “Another Miracle of Judaism,” his mom struggles with her ability to cope in “Holding to the Ground.” Each member of this extended family is in crisis as Whizzer philosophically proclaims “You Gotta Die Sometime.” The audience easily becomes part of the community trying to help keep this non-traditional family together, whether it's with chicken soup or the expansive strength of caring and love. For tickets ($35-65 plus fees), call Music Theater of Connecticut, 509 Westport Avenue, Route One, Norwalk at 203-454-3883 or online at www.musictheatreofct.com/falsettoland. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. A special Pride Night will take place on November 12 at 8 p.m. Remember to bring your proof of vaccination and your mask. Let director Kevin Connor escort you as guide for this intensely personal journey into Jason’s world as he struggles with the decisions that will mark his religious rite of passage. This theatrical experience surely will strengthen the bonds of father and son as they celebrate Ari's bar mitzvah in June in Israel. Mazel tov, mazel tov!

THE BUSHNELL WELCOMES "THE BAND'S VISIT"

One wrong turn, one misunderstood direction, the lack of a map or GPS and one can find oneself stuck in the middle of nowhere. That is the fate of a band of musicians traveling from Egypt on their way to perform a concert in Petah Tikvah in Israel. Through mistakes and poor language skills, they end up in the forsaken town of Bet Hatikah, unexpected and uninvited. Written with book by Hamar Moses, with music and lyrics by David Yazbek, “The Band’s Visit” is based on a film of the same name. The Bushnell Theater in Hartford will feature this intriguing musical adventure from Tuesday, November 16 to Sunday, November 21. In 1996, the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra arrive in Israel all set to perform a concert for a local Arab organization. When no one arrives to greet them at the central bus station in Tel Aviv, the group’s leader instructs the young officer Haled to purchase tickets to their destination: Petah Tikvah. Unfortunately, due to his Egyptian accent, the clerk misunderstands his request and sells him tickets to the Jewish isolated desert town of Bet Hatikvaand the misadventure begins. The residents of Bet Hatikva wouldn’t recognize excitement if it knocked them on their head; they are bored with the monotony of their every day lives. Currently they spend their time waiting for anything of interest to happen. When the band arrives, led by Colonel Tewfig Zakania, they are tired and hungry and out-of-sorts, They approach two cafe workers Papi and Itzik seeking directions to the Arab cultural center for their performance the following day. Papi and Itzik, realizing there must be a mistake, ask the cafe owner Dina, a vivacious woman, for help. Dina quickly realizes the group are in the wrong place and offers food and lodging as they wait for a bus to take them to the correct destination. What transpires is conversations and connections between the band and the town’s people. There is bonding and a real exchange of confidences. Love is caught on the gentle desert breeze. No one is quite the same by morning. For tickets ($31.50 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Remember your vaccination card and mask. Come discover for yourself how a single geographical mistake has the power to change lives forever.

THE ETERNAL SUNSHINE BOY: GEORGE BURNS

When your time on earth is over and you find yourself at the Pearly Gates being interviewed by the big man (or woman), what might you say if you had to justify how you spent your days here. Would you be worthy to enter heaven? If you've lived over one hundred years and your name is George Burns, you might have quite a mouthful to say. The Ivoryton Playhouse will let you sit in on Mr. Burns' heartfelt confessions in a delightful and sincere one man play by Rupert Holmes entitled "Say Goodnight, Gracie," the line he always ended his routines with his partner and wife Gracie Allen. The show runs until Sunday, November 21. Don't miss R. Bruce Connolly's wonderful interpretation of this beloved comedian, with his trademark cigar, a twinkle in his eye, a witty quip and a self-deprecating smile. One of twelve children, the son of a coat presser and cantor in the synagogue, born Nathan Birnbaum in the lower East Side of New York in a tenement in 1897, he found himself trying to support the family at the age of seven when his father suddenly died. His creative skills finding employment were evident even then. In his vaudeville days, he changed his stage name as frequently as he changed his underwear and he didn't find any success until he teamed up with a petite pretty Irish Catholic girl with a funny voice and a unique sense of humor named Gracie Ethel Cecile Rosalie Allen. Their comedy act, which he explains was based on "illogical logic," took them prominently from vaudeville to radio to the stage and to television. They talked, with George asking Gracie, “So, how's your brother?" and Gracie answering with convoluted tales that lasted 22 minutes. He became the classic straight man to her innate brand of humor. Their song and dance routine endured their whole married life, until Gracie's health problems forced her retirement. Now, after a century on this earth, George Burns justifies his place of prominence on this planet, dropping the names of his good friends like Jack Benny, Eddie Cantor and Jimmy Duarante, in case God is impressed, and hopscotching happily through nine decades in show business. R. Bruce Connolly captures the spirit and heart of the man and shines a mirror on his soul, with a little soft shoe and a song. Jacqueline Hubbard directs this homage to George Burns with an affectionate and gentle hand. For tickets ($55, senior $50, student $25), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or go online for information to www.ivorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m. and Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Be sure to bring your vaccination card and a mask. You will be socially distanced for this 90 minute show without intermission. Let George Burns be the affable tour guide to his own life, as he tries to impress God, a role he played three times himself in the movies. Surely, you will be suitably delightful with everything he has to say and the wonderful pictures that illuminate his presentation.

"AH, WILDERNESS!" SERENADES AT HARTFORD STAGE

Playwright Eugene O’Neill did not write comedies. His main characters did not live happily ever after. There were no scenes of joyful family get togethers. His creations suffered long and hard into the night. The exception is his definitely different take on the Miller family in his one and only comic turn “Ah, Wilderness!,” a coming-of-age story at the turn of the century America that premiered on Broadway in 1933. On the Fourth of July in 1906, we meet the Millers and their precocious middle son Richard who at sixteen is experiencing growth pains and exploring controversial social ideas. Is he dealing with youthful idealism or is he truly a rebel bent on rebellion? Thought to be modeled after O’Neill himself, the play which was written in a single month examines a world quite different from his usual milieu. Here Richard, despite his wild actions as a would be poet, is part of a loving family who care for him deeply and are willing and able to pull him back from the cliff he seems ready to plunge over. The Hartford Stage is anxious for you to experience live theater again with Eugene O’Neill’s comedy “Ah Wilderness!” postponed from the 2019-2020 season. Until Sunday, November 7, you are invited to take a seat in James Noone’s delightfully detailed summer house in New London, Connecticut to celebrate Independence Day. Richard, a free thinking and philosophical Jaevon Williams, is ready to take on love and poetry as his unalienable rights. His father Nate, a concerned Michael Boatman, and his mother, a protective Antoinette LaVecchia, are notably concerned when their middle son shows signs of teenage mutiny. Who can blame Richard when he receives a letter of farewell from his new love Muriel (Brittany Anikka Liu), delivered personally by her irate father (Joseph Adams)? He is informed his fancy ideas and poetic outbursts are to stop immediately. What is a poor lad to do? With innocence on Richard’s side and indiscretion from an instigating friend Wint (Tanner Jones), Richard plows straight into trouble and has to be rescued from his worst enemy, himself. Heaven forbid he takes to alcohol like his Uncle Sid (McCaleb Burnett) who has been a disappointment to Lily (Natascia Diaz) who has been waiting in vain for Sid to reform. Additional members of this talented cast include Katerina McCrimmon, Myles Low, Stuart Rider, Antonio Jose Jeffries and Annie Jean Buckley. Artistic director Melia Bensussen has heightened the play’s enjoyment by sprinkling music in the production played by pianist Yan Li and sung by various cast members, with period costumes designed by Olivera Gajic. For tickets ($30 and up), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at HartfordStage.org. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees at 2 p.m Saturday and Sunday, with select weekday matinees at 2 p.m. Remember your vaccination cards and masks. Settle back for a kinder, gentler world where one rebellious teen finds his way to adulthood, with old-fashioned charm laced with nostalgia.

THE KINGSTON TRIO ENTERTAINS AT THE KATE

Are you interested in nostalgia? Do you like remembering memorable musical moments from the past and reliving their glory? If your answers are yes, then do I have a treat for you. Sixty years ago, this group in question was described as the “most envied, the most imitated and the most successful singing group, folk or otherwise, in all show business.” They have also been called “the undisputed kings of the folk singing rage by every yardstick,” credited with launching the pop folk boom with their hit recording of “Tom Dooley.” That tune became a number one hit and as a single sold over three million copies. This dynamic group released nineteen albums that made the Billboard's Top 100, fourteen making the Top 10, and five that hit the spot at number one. If you guessed The Kingston Trio then you’re primed for a treat as they will entertain at The Kate in Old Saybrook in two concerts, Saturday, November 6 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, November 7 at 2 p.m. Over the years, a number of performing individuals and groups have credited The Kingston Trio with transforming the music world, like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon and Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, The Beach Boys and The Bee Gees, to name a few. Whether they sing protest songs, calypso numbers or Broadway tunes, The Kingston Trio will surely entertain in royal style. The original members in 1957 were Dave Guard, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds, three class friends, in California. The current members Mike Marvin, Tim Gorelangston and Don Marovich have connections to the original three. Mike is the adopted son of founding member Nick Reynolds and credits Nick as his musical mentor. Tim has been a close friend since childhood and has recorded with Nick Reynolds. Don has performed with the trio and plays guitar, banjo and mandolin. In their trademark striped shirts, you may hear such classics as “Tom Dooley,” “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” “Greenback Dollar,” “A Worried Man,” “Raspberries Strawberries,” “Hard, Ain’t It Hard,” “They Call the Wind Maria,” “This Land Is Your Land,” “This Little Light of Mine” and “Desert Pete,” among others. For tickets ($65), call The Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, at 860-510-0453 or online at katharinehepburntheater.secure.force.com. Gather your memories like flowers and create a musical bouquet thanks to The Kingston Trio at The Kate.

"THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW" COMES TO MILFORD

It is a dark and stormy night, a veritable storm, and an unfortunate time for a car to break down. Where is AAA when you need it? Brad (Jack Saleeby) and his sweetheart Janet (Elise Sullivan) are mere innocents when they stumble upon a mansion that conjures up nightmares of Halloween in its wildest and most wicked state. They naively knock on the uninviting door, merely seeking a telephone to get mechanical help. Unhappily for the hapless pair, the mansion is the home of Dr. Frank ’N’ Furter, a commanding and flamboyant Jimmy Johansmeyer, a mad scientist and a transvestite, not necessarily in that order of importance. The unusual home is already occupied by a bevy of creative customers, who range from the colorful house servants Riff Raff (Justin Rugg) and his sister Magenta (Shelley Marsh Poggio), a cute flower child with rainbow hair Columbia (Mary Mannix), a narrator who tries to make sense of the goings on (Don Poggio), a doctor who has more questions than answers (Steve Autore), a trio of phantoms who assist the action (Sherri Alfonso, Maria Berta and Michael Cavone) and the good doctor’s latest creation, a muscle man named Rocky, a spectacular specimen (Everton Ricketts). It’s clearly too late for Brad and Janet to escape the mad house so just start praying for their survival. Batten down the hatches as Pantochino Productions of Milford unleashes “The Rocky Horror Show” as a Halloween happening until Friday, October 29. This cult favorite from 1975 is a musical stuffed with songs and dances, such as “The Time Warp," “Over at the Frankenstein Place,” “I Can Make You a Man,” "Hot Patootie,” "Science Fiction,” and “Superheroes.” Audiences frequently dress in costumes and shout out dialogue with the performers. Credit for the play goes to Jim Sharman and Richard O’Brien, with clever direction by Bert Bernardi and costumes extraordinaire by Jimmy Johansmeyer. For tickets ($30), go online to pantochino.com. Performances are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., and Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Milford Arts Council, 40 Railroad Avenue, Milford. Please bring your fully vaccinated card and a mask. No food is allowed and there is no intermission. Get on your black leather jackets and fish net stockings and be prepared for the unique form of hospitality waiting for you when the playmates at the asylum invite you in to party. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

ROB BARTLETT IS "MR. BIG SHOT" AT WATERBURY'S SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE

Rob Bartlett, actor, writer, comedian and Emmy and Drama Desk Award Winner, is taking his colorful multi-faceted act on the road. For a man who began his comic career in kindergarten, his autobiographical story is sure to engender laughter and fun with its honesty and candor. Let Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury introduce you to “Mr. Big Shot” from Thursday, November 3 to Saturday, November 13 for the true story, the unvarnished truth, the whole megillah, the essence of the man. A virtual barrel of laughs, Rob Bartlett tells it like it is as he sees the world. If you didn’t catch his act in elementary school, maybe you were privileged to see him in his thirty year adventure on the “Imus in the Morning” radio show from 1987 to 2018. He appeared as a regular writer and performer doing his classic shtick as such personalities as Tom Carvel Artonio Noriega, Shacky Bhula and Buddy Miyagi as well as The Godfather, Andrew Dice Clay, Dr. Phil McGraw, Rush Linbaugh, Larry King, Bill Clinton, Gary Busey, Hulk Hogan, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan and even Yoko Ono and Paula Dean. In addition to his long list of celebrity impressions, Bartlett has added a thirty year favorite Sal Monella whose Brooklyn accent injects a unique flavor into his “Night Before Christmas in Brooklyn” poem. Bartlett, who writes his own material, began his career as a stand-up comic at Richard M. Dixon’s White House Inn, a talent showcase on Long Island. There he fortuitously met Eddie Murphy and he was off and running. Appearing on stage, film and on television and writing television specials, this established professional has succeeded in all aspects of the entertainment world, as his on stage stories will tell in detail. The versatile Mr. Bartlett has done everything from being the voice of Marty the dog in the hit animated children’s show "Kenny the Shark" to being on Broadway in the dual roles of Twimble and Wally Womper in “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” starring Daniel Radcliffe. For tickets ($30-35), call Seven Angels Theatre, Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4575 or online at SevenAngelsTheatre.org or https://www.sevenangelstheatre.org/event/mr-big-shot/ Performances are Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Remember to bring your proof of vaccination and your mask. This multi-media “Robio Remembers” program covers Rob Bartlett’s professional career, the heights and the low points, and everything in-between. Prepare your funny bone and all the 205 other bones for laughter.

"THE CHINESE LADY" ON DISPLAY AT LONG WHARF THEATRE

Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven is proud to be offering live theatre once again, after such a long hiatus, with the intriguing true tale of a fourteen year old girl from the Guangzhou Province in China who comes to America in 1834. Afong Moy, the youngest of seven children, has no say in this momentous decision and soon finds herself a sideshow attraction. What was to be a two year commitment ultimately lasts for decades, more than five. Until October 31, you are invited into her intimate world as penned by Lloyd Suh and lyrically directed by Ralph B. Pena as you make the acquaintance of a luminous Shannon Tyo as Afong Moy. Living in a virtual box, she soon finds herself satisfying the curiosities of white visitors who have never seen a woman from China before. Afong May is thought to be the first person of Chinese origin to come here. She shows them how she dresses, what she eats, and, most especially, how she is able to walk on feet that have been crippled and bound with silken cord. Afong Moy is regarded as a curiosity, a figure to be studied, an object to be examined. The decades she is put on display as a celebrity take a toll on her image of herself and her exotic ways. In the beginning, she is delighted to share her uniqueness, her chopsticks instead of a fork, her distinctive and colorful clothing, all the vestiges of a life that is rich and culturally different. At her side over the years is her guardian and translator Atung played by Jon Norman Schneider, who cares for her and protects her, especially when she goes on a many city tour, even meeting President Andrew Jackson. She is never asked if this is what she wants with her new life, if she has ambitions that are never realized, whether she wishes to go home to see her family, that she is being exploited and never even paid. This is no grand mission of worldly understanding, This is not a joyful honor of which Afong should feel pride. The playwright skillfully inserts Chinese history into the story as more Chinese come to this country and are abused and mistreated. For tickets ($59), call Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Drive, New Haven at 203-693-1486 or online at longwharf.org. Performances are Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Patrons must show a fully vaccinated card and wear a mask. Follow the fascinating journey of a young Chinese girl as she brings her culture and homeland to our shores.

"ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE" BRINGS FUN AND FROLIC TO THE BUSHNELL

Caribbean casual, coconuts, cheeseburgers, chilling out, charm, comedy, clever catchy tunes and cheer are all characterized in the newest national tour to populate the Bushnell Theater in Hartford. Grab your flip-flops, an island flowered shirt and a frothy frozen drink to get in the leisure mood, from Tuesday, October 12 to Sunday, October 17, as Jimmy Buffett’s “Escape to Margaritaville” lures you to forsake work and play, play, play. Punctuating Buffett’s chatty tunes, the musical comedy is by Greg Garcia and Mike O’Malley and is semi-auto-biographical in nature. Buffett started out playing for drinks at a bar in Key West, Florida. Now the story is island-bound and revolves around Tully, successfully singing and playing the guitar part-time while he pursues women full-time, whether they want to be caught or not. His latest target is Rachel who is focused on her potato and volcano project and her career and is resistant to his charms. A lack of romantic chemistry and Rachel’s uptight manner do nothing to dissuade Tully from his goal. Meanwhile Rachel’s best friend Tammy is about to be married back home in Ohio and is using her island time to have a last fling and escape her culinary restrictions. She discovers Brick, the bartender, may be the salty rim to her drinking glass. Get your frozen drink, a beach ball, a comfy lounge chair and a Parrothead hat, if you dare, and you’ll be ready for some island time relaxation. Tunes like “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” “License to Chill,” "It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” “Margaritaville,” “It’s My Job,” “Fins” and “Son of a Son of a Sailor”are sure to have your juices flowing. Kelly Devine designed the fun choreography while Christopher Ashley directs the romantic action. For tickets ($31 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-6000 or online at https://bushnell.org/Shows-Concerts/Escape-to-Margaritaville. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Your ticket to fun in the sun in the tropics awaits you.

"A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING" AT GOODSPEED UNTIL NOVEMBER 28

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were a well respected and successful team writing American musical theater, especially during the 1940’s and 1950’s, the “golden age” of that particular genre. They are credited with penning such glorious hits as “Oklahoma,” "Carousel,” “South Pacific,” “The King and I" and “The Sound of Music” as well as the television broadcast of “Cinderella.” Amassing thirty four Tony Awards, fifteen Academy Awards, two Pulitzer Prizes and two Grammy Awards, Rodgers and Hammerstein created a partnership labelled the greatest of the twentieth century. Although Rodgers originally worked with Lorenz Hart and Hammerstein partnered with Jerome Kern, they began collaborating on “Oklahoma,” based on Lynn Riggs' “Green Grow the Lilacs” in 1943, creating what has been termed "a revolution in musical drama.” To be caught up in the magical moments musically created by this popular pair, plan to go to Goodspeed Opera House on the Connecticut River in East Haddam until Sunday, November 28 as the delightful and delicious cabaret “A Grand Night for Singing: A Celebration of Rodgers and Hammerstein” is being offered under a giant multi-colored moon, in a palette of colors to match the mood of the music. These timeless tunes are being reinvented, refreshed and reimagined for this moment, with a new spin and a novel perspective that is sure to engage the audience, one that is so anxious to be enjoying live theater once again. Thanks to director Rob Ruggiero, these old favorites are being redressed in new costumes and attitudes, with romance clearly in the air. The majesty of “This Nearly Was Mine” from “South Pacific” follows the new born joy of “Something Wonderful” from “The King and I” while the dilemma of “I Cain’t Say No” from "Oklahoma” is paired with “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria” from “The Sound of Music.” More than thirty grand songs are presented by Jasmine Forsberg, Mauricio Martinez, Mamie Parris, Jesse Nager and Diane Phelan, with Kathryn Boswell and Kevin Schuering as standbys. Tunes like “Hello, Young Lovers” from “The King and I” and “That’s the Way It Happens” from “Me and Juliet” and “All at Once You Love Her” from “Pipe Dream” will introduce you to some of the pairs’ best known and lesser known creations. Favorites like “Honey Bun” from “South Pacific,” "Kansas City” from “Oklahoma,” “Shall We Dance” from “The King and I” and “My Little Girl” from “Carousel” are sure to please. Adam Souza directs the orchestra while Lainie Sakakura is the mistress of choreography. For tickets ($29 and up), call the box office at 860-873-8668 or go online to goodspeed.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.(with select performances at 6:30 p.m.). Patrons must show their fully vaccinated card and wear a mask. Seating will be socially distanced. Come visualize in your mind pumpkins becoming golden carriages, women washing annoying men out of their hair and surreys sailing by with fringe on top as the imaginative cast brings you into the incredible musical world of Rodgers and Hammerstein. You may want to dance all night.

DISCOVER AN AWESOME MUSICAL ADVENTURE IN “ANASTASIA”

Princess or pauper is the central puzzle swirling around an orphan girl known as Anya. Adventure, romance and mystery surround a penniless young girl who may just have a secret identity or does she? Is she the perfect and poised princess or the fanciful figment of a fruitful imagination? Come meet Anastasia, the lass whose family is assassinated in a revolt in czarist Russia at the turn of the twentieth century in a glorious musical at the Palace Theater in Waterbury Tuesday, October 19 until Thursday, October 21. Trust me, you don’t want to miss this splendid spectacle of a show. It is magical and momentous and marvelous. Anastasia, better known as Anya, is the delightfully spunky and devoted daughter whose story book childhood is disturbed violently when the peasants revolt and everyone in her family is killed, save for her and her grandmother, the Dowager Empress, who had fortunately traveled to Paris in advance of the siege. Anya is wonderfully charming as the young girl thrust out of her aristocratic upbringing to find herself suddenly sweeping streets, with an empty purse, all alone. Think Eliza Doolittle without the flowers. Two men, Dmitry, and Vlad come upon Anya in her reduced state and determine she would be an excellent candidate to pose as the lost princess, to learn the appropriate facts and pass herself off as The Dowager Empress’s missing heir. Think Professor Higgins and his mate Pickering without the language lessons. While the gentlemen are working to perfect their scheme, the ruthless Russians want to suppress any rumors that Anastasia survived the coup and proceed to plot her death. The Dowager in Paris is protected by her guardian Lily, who dismisses all the imposters who claim to be ready to assume the legacy. Lily’s past relationship with Vlad helps to open the door for Anya to make her claim, and the renewing of that courtship is a delight to witness…one of millions in the musical. One quickly runs out of superlatives to describe the elegant costuming, the elaborate scenic design, with amazing projections and video, the enchanting choreography and the exceptional direction. All the moving parts of this magical musical fit together in a masterful jigsaw puzzle of perfection. This musical boasts a book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and the result is joyful. Tunes like “Once Upon a December,” “We’ll Go From There,” “In a Crowd of Thousands,” “Land of Yesterday” and “Everything to Win” swell with meaning. There is even a scene from the ballet “Swan Lake “ to admire and applaud. For tickets ($49 and up), call the Palace, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at www.palacetheaterct.org. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The show will move to the Shubert Theater in New Haven Friday, October 22 to Sunday, October 24. Call 203-562-5666 or https://my.shubert.com. Hop aboard for the white gloved elegant hit of the season as Anastasia takes you on a journey of adventure and romance that bridges decades and destiny.

"NUNSENSE WITH A TWIST" AT SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE

Are you ready for a little Catholic comedy and habit humor, served in heavenly happiness, then playwright Dan Goggin and Seven Angels Theatre have the perfect fare for you. Until Sunday, October 10, the Little Sisters of Hoboken are offering “Nunsense with a Twist!” and your favorite nuns are quickly off and running for every joke and laugh in the prayer book. The good Little Sisters of Hoboken are being forced to hold a talent show fundraiser as an emergency measure to stave off the imminent visit by the New Jersey Board of Health. As you may or may not remember, their dedicated Chef Sister Julia, Child of God, made an unfortunate soup that caused fifty two nuns to go to God prematurely. Only forty eight were buried properly and, because funds ran out, the last four were stored in the convent freezer. Actually the Reverend Mother bought a giant television and squandered the remaining funds. Hence, the need to quickly raise funds for burial plots. If this hooky and humorous plot line tickles your fancy, then you are prime candidates for Daniel Goggin's highly successful comedy "Nunsense" being irreverently presented at Waterbury's Seven Angels Theatre. He has called upon his memories of elementary religious school, clickers and rulers and all, to fashion his offerings. Come meet the Mother Superior who jealously guards all her chicks and her coterie which includes Sister Robert Anne who is Brooklyn street smart and the driver of the convent van, Sister Mary Leo who is literally always "on her toes" as a wannabe ballerina, the second-in-command Sister Mary Hubert who like Avis keeps trying harder, and, last but not least, Sister Amnesia who lost her marbles and memory when a crucifix fell on her head. These devoted ladies of the cloth will move heaven and earth to provide you with an angelic performance as they sing, dance, tell jokes, provide cooking lessons and even bring out Sister Marionette, all in the service of the Lord to entertain you. No doubt you might identify with this easily "habit forming" pastime. Come see Tom Chute as the esteemed Reverend Mother, Jimmy Donohue as the waiting to be head honcho Sister Mary Hubert, Marissa Follo Perry as the dancing Sister Mary Leo,, Mandy Leigh Thompson as the Brooklyn born Sister Robert Anne and Artistic Director Semina DeLaurentis as Sister Amnesia. Be prepared for a religious quiz or three, with appropriate prizes if you are correct, the perpetual understudy Sister Robert Anne vying for her turn in the spotlight, a country western singing session, a turn of fleet feet doing "Tackle That Temptation with a Time Step" and much much more. For tickets ($30), call Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at www.sevenangelstheatre.org. Performances are Thursday at 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Prepare to be thoroughly engaged as the Little Sisters of Hoboken kick up their heels and pull out all the stops (and corks from the sacramental wine) to entertain you in heavenly splendor. Be careful, you might be tempted to convert.

“SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE” IS SMOKING HOT FARE

Welcome back ACT, A Contemporary Theatre in Ridgefield, to the center stage with live theatre! The sensational sounds of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are once again giving pleasure to local audiences and you’re invited to be front and present. Jerry Leiber has been accused of convincing his soulmate Mike Stoller into becoming a songwriter, something Stoller was not anxious to become. Whatever Jerry said, that unique partnership lasted for six decades, with Jerry as the witty lyricist and Mike as the talented composer. Along the way, they helped a little unknown singer like Elvis Presley find his voice, gifting him with tunes like "Loving You" and "Jailhouse Rock." Rock and roll was their forte and humor was often their trademark, although rhythm and blues crept into their extensive repertoire. This producing partnership wrote "Hound Dog" for Big Mama Thornton and a string of R and B tunes for Charles Brown, Jimmy Witherspoon and Floyd Dixon. Almost three dozen of their greatest hits are on display until Sunday, October 24 as the ACT of Ridgefield presents "Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber and Stoller" for your sizzling listening pleasure. This musical revue is equal to Jack Benny’s age, 39, and the pair wrote lyrics for the likes of Elvis, Ben E. King, The Coasters and The Drifters, winning Grammys and Tony awards along the way. As the architects of rock and roll, Leiber and Stoller knew no rivals. If you’re looking for a good time that ping pongs back and forth from snappy scomebacks to mellow yellow, then “Smokey Joe’s Cafe” is the perfect place to park yourself for a musical interlude. A talented cast of eight - Albert Guerzon, Arnold Harper II, Avionce Hoyles, Jordan Fife Hunt, Keyonna Knight, Courtney Long, Kelly MacMillan and Juson Williams - is perfectly poised and polished to light up the skies with hits from the musical pens of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. In responding to the duo’s wild success, as two nice Jewish boys who met in 1950 and embraced black culture, Jerry Leiber noted “We don’t write songs. We write records." Turn up the heat for this retrospective of hits that are reminiscent of decades ago that swing and sway and shimmy into rhythmic magic land with such numbers as “Dance With Me,” “Searchin,’” “On Broadway,” “Yakety Yak,” and “I’m A Woman.” They will tickle your fancy with their comic twists performing “Poison Ivy,” “Don Juan,” “D. W. Washburn,” and “Love Potion #9.” Elvis will enter the building as they blast out “Hound Dog,” “Treat Me Nice,” and “Jailhouse Rock.” You’ll love the verbal Valentine of “Falling,” the fun of the dancing in “Teach Me How To Shimmy” and the power of “Stand By Me.” Their invitation to “Dance With Me” will be too hard to resist while you might be tempted to confess and repent just to be ”Saved.” No matter what the mood or tempo, this lively group will wrap you up with a slithery red boa as they dance and sing. They’ve got all the right moves and you might find yourself on your feet on stage helping them along the way. Stephanie Pope Lofgren is both director and choreographer. For tickets, call the ACT, 36 Quarry Road, Ridgefield at 475- 215-5497 or online at boxoffice@actofct.org. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Let the mighty spirit move you as you take a musical journey along this friendly and famous road paved by the good works of Leiber and Stoller. Discover first hand why Leiber and Stoller have been called the Rodgers and Hammerstein of Rock and Roll.

COME SIT A SPELL ON "THE PORCH AT WINDY HILL"

Whether you call it a hootenanny, a shindig, a pickin’ party or a wing ding, the Ivoryton Playhouse has a foot stomping’ bluegrass musical jamming session that will get your blood pumping and your feet tapping nonstop. Settle back for the world premiere of “The Porch on Windy Hill” until Sunday, October 17 and let the country western music carry you to North Carolina country for a current tale born in the pandemic. The idea came from Ivoryton Artistic Director Jacqui Hubbard who encouraged Sherry and David Lutken to write a play with music as a tenth anniversary production and inspiration struck the Lutkens. With the collaborative efforts of fellow masterful musicians Lisa Helmi Johanson and Morgan Morse, this sentimental story took wing. Come meet David M. Lutken as Edgar Wilson, better known as Gar, who has let personal prejudice color his family relations. His stint in the army in the Vietnam War makes him mistrustful of his daughter Ruth’s love for Daniel who is from Korea. Those unhappy feelings create disharmony in the home and a riff in his relationship with Ruth and Daniel and their daughter Mira, so much so that after Gar’s wife dies they move to New York and close the door with Gar. Now it is seventeen years later and a gulf exists that will be next to impossible to bridge. Mira, Lisa Helmi Johanson, has been traveling with her young man Beckett, Morgan Morse, and their musical journey has brought them unexpectantly to Gar’s home on Windy Hill. Is it possible that their mutual love of bluegrass music will bring them together to heal? Can each forgive and forget the pain they share? With banjo, violin, guitar, harmonica, mandolin and dulcimer, the trio play “Little Log Cabin in the Lane,” “Birmingham Blues,” “Blackberry Blossom,” “Down in the Valley” and "Columbus Stockade Blues” among many others. The true meaning of being an American is explored through the traditional tunes, as family values are reconnected and hearts are mended. Sherry Lutken directs this fine and sincere song fest that is sure to touch your heart. Understudy for Mira is EJ Zimmerman. For tickets ($55, seniors $50, $25 students), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at http://ivorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Social distancing is practiced. A hootenanny will be held every Sunday after the matinee at no charge, outdoors for an hour, so come with your musical instruments. Journey to North Carolina to help a family heal, using music to charm and soothe the savage breast.

"TWO JEWS WALK INTO A WAR..." AT PLAYHOUSE ON PARK

What might it feel like to be responsible for a cause, that if you fail you could be responsible for the end of an era, the death of a tradition, the demise of a heritage? Even if you are not Don Quixote, you will surely feel an obligation to test your mettle and hope to succeed in your mission. Come meet Ishaq and Zeblyan who have the unique distinction of being the last two Jews in the city of Kabul, Afghanistan. They are busy burying their third compatriot Yakob and now there are only two. The Taliban is busy conducting a war around them and have already destroyed their synagogue and stolen their Torah. The future, if there is one, is solidly in their hands. And, wait, did I forget to mention the two men hate each other, passionately and vociferously. Until Sunday October 10, Playhouse on Park in West Hartford is inviting you to a front row seat for the altercation as Seth Rozin’s vaudeville style play “Two Jews Walk Into A War…” takes center stage with Mitch Greenberg as the polished professor and purist Ishaq who matches wits with the more secular and skeptical business man Bob Ari as Zeblyan. The two bicker like old fish wives over everything from how to save the Jewish population, all two of them, to who had the worst experience surviving the Holocaust. Ironically their families lived to see another day only to come to Afghaniston for resettlement rather than go to Israel or America. A poor decision indeed. The big question is can they work together long enough to save the Jewish people by creating a community in Kabul. Think of “The Odd Couple” meets the Borscht Belt. They need a plan, one they can agree on if such is possible. After discarding many unacceptable solutions, they decide that they need a synagogue and a Torah. Reluctantly Zeblyan becomes a scribe and records every word Ishaq dictates, down to each comma and period. After many false starts and interruptions as Zeblyan questions God, it appears they may actually accomplish their goal. What happens next is more sorrow than shtick. The playwright conceived this story from an actual newspaper account of two Jews in this religious predicament so it is based on reality. How he injected humor into their situation, one based on mutual hostility, is interestingly problematic and worthy of a discussion, one that takes place after the Sunday matinees. For tickets ($40-50), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900 ext.10 or online at tix.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., Tuesday at 2 p.m., and Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m. David Hammond directs this 90 minute show, with no intermission. Masks, a government issued ID and proof of vaccination are required. Watch how two men who only agree on their mutual hatred of each other grow in their faith and learn to respect and understand.

COME MEET ROSEMARY CLOONEY AT MTC

From her humble beginnings in Maysville, Kentucky, growing up in a broken home, in poverty, Rosemary Clooney had the unique ability to open her mouth and allow pure sunshine to sing forth with joy. Until Sunday, October 3, Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk is issuing a gracious invitation to “Come on- a My House” to personally meet this sweetheart of a songbird. Rosemary Clooney began her career singing with her younger sister Betty when she was just a teenager and grew in stature and popularity until she called Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Bobby Kennedy and Merv Griffin close personal friends. A portrait of her life, the sunny days and the lunar eclipses that darkened many of her nights, is being displayed in all its trials and triumphs in grand musical style. Come learn about a simple girl with a big dream, who looked for laughter and love and found loneliness and loss, who sang like a nightingale with warmth and honesty, and experienced more ups and downs in life than the carnival's roller coaster. Music is woven in, out and around this personal story by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman, "Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical" and it is revealing in all its intimate details. Susan Haefner is Rosie, an outstanding artist who brings her to life with truth, sincerity and grace. She sings like an angel and creates her with poignancy and power. The daughter of a mother who abandons her and an alcoholic father who was also absent, Rosemary and her sister Betty were forced to support themselves at an early age. Entering and winning a talent contest saved them from starvation and started them early on a career that for Rosie would span decades. We learn about her big band time, her love affairs and marriages, her successes on the stage and in films, and her addiction to pills that threatened everything she had. Along the way we are blessed with a multitude of songs, like "Sisters,” “I Get Along Without You Very Well," "Botch-a-Me," "How About You?" and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" John Tracey Egan does a yeoman job as a multitude of characters in Rosie's life, from her personal therapist, Dr. Victor Monke, after she has a nervous breakdown, to her mother, her sister Betty, her husband Jose Ferrer and more, all the “family” who peopled her dramatic life. An onstage orchestra led by David Wolfson provides great backup for the parade of tunes. Kevin Connors directs this involving show that showcases Rosemary Clooney’s personal bravery and optimism when she sings “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep” and her advice to herself in “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” For tickets ($40-$70), call the Music Theatre of CT, 509 Westport Avenue, Norwalk (route One) at 203-454-3883 or online at ct.ovationtix.com. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Proof of vaccination is required and safety procedures are in place. Come learn the legacy, the challenges and the courage that Rosemary Clooney gathered around her and gave so generously to the world. She will be well remembered and loved so tenderly.

BROADWAY IS COMING TO EAST HAVEN

Broadway is coming to East Haven so get ready to celebrate cabaret Saturday, September 25 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, September 26 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. courtesy of WISP, the Wagner Iovanna Studio Performances. WISP is a non-profit arts initiative started in 2017 by gifted performers Robert Iovanna and wife Karen Wagner-Iovanna who have dedicated their talents to encouraging actors, young and old, to develop their skills on stage in the performing arts. To that end, the husband and wife team have provided the training and experience to showcase each one’s potential, resulting in many past and present participants going on to careers in the music industry as well as film/TV, Broadway, print, voice overs and have been accepted into top theater and conservatory programs across the country. They successfully incorporate professionals in the worlds of acting and singing with the new young talent they are cultivating, including special guest performers like the show’s narrator iheart radio’s John Cadillac Saville and New York City Opera’s Erich Simo as Jean Valjean. At the show, you will be treated to a trio of Broadway favorites. “Dear Evan Hansen” tells the tale of a boy who feels invisible and desperately wants to be accepted. When another student at his high school commits suicide, Evan is swept into a web of lies not of his own making but which have the power to change his life and give him all the acceptance he so desires. Will he accept this unanticipated chance or admit the truth of the fabrications? Songs like “So Big/So Small,” “Requiem,” and “Sincerely Me” propel the action. Venture next into the cellblocks of the 1920’s when women are celebrated for the brazenness of their murders as Roxie and Velma vie for top billing, belting out tunes like “Cell Block Tango,” “Mister Cellophane” and “All That Jazz.” Completing the program are the majestic melodies of “Les Miserables,” the tale of an honest man who steals a loaf of bread and is imprisoned for years. Even when he is finally released Jean Valjean is haunted by a determined policeman Javert who wants him never to know freedom’s sweet taste. Every song like “I Dreamed a Dream,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and “Castle on a Cloud” are memorable. The show’s directors are Rob Iovanna and Karen Wagner-Iovanna, with Lauren Celentano as choreographer and James Teti as musical director. For tickets ($25, $20 for children under 7), to the performances at the Old Stone Church, 251 Main Street, East Haven, call 203-494-1633 or go online to https:/buy.tututix.com/WISP or visit www.wisperformances.org. The Fellowship Hall at the church is newly renovated, air conditioned, wheelchair accessible and provides socially distanced seating. This show is dedicated to their beloved cast member Shauna Clifford who was in an auto accident that prevents her from being Heidi Hansen, Evan’s mom. They look forward to her being back on stage in October for “Spooktacular Halloween Cabaret.” Come to the cabaret and cheer on the WISP stars of today and tomorrow as they bring Broadway right to your table.

"THE LAST FIVE YEARS" AT THE NEW LEGACY THEATRE

Relationships are tricky business as two individuals learn the intricate steps to becoming a couple. Their dance of new footwork may be graceful or awkward or bittersweet as they learn together. The initial “hellos” may be easy but the ultimate “goodbyes” are clearly not. Goodbyes may be tinged with regrets for words not spoken or deeds not done. There is a finality to a goodbye that denotes sadness and an ending. For Cathy Hiatt and Jamie Wellerstein, the scenes of their relationship are poignant and tender thanks to Jason Robert Brown’s intriguing take on a marriage that fails in his musical offering “The Last Five Years.” The Legacy Theatre in Branford will be presenting all the missed opportunities and mistaken steps in this couple’s search for love and happiness until Sunday, September 26. Unfortunately we are not gifted with a crystal ball or hindsight. We learn our lessons the hard way, first hand. Cathy is a struggling actress wannabe and Jamie is a budding novelist and they meet on equal and common ground, both striving to succeed, as they each try to find their voice. Tess Adams is Cathy, an ambitious looking ahead with hope and promise gal who tells their story from the ending to the beginning while Emmett Cassidy's Jamie starts at the beginning when everything is fresh and new and travels five years to the unhappy ending when they part. Jason Robert Brown uses his own failed marriage as a starting point to tell the tale, with tuneful messages couched in every verse, from Jamie’s exuberant “Shiksa Goddess” all the way to the tearful “I Could Never Rescue You.” Cathy expresses her feelings and doubts in such songs as “Still Hurting” and “See I’m Smiling.” As Jamie’s career launches straight to the stars with a best selling novel, Cathy continually hits roadblocks with auditions that don’t work, landing in far away Ohio to get a role. Their separations take a toll and they lose the joys that once brought them together. With honesty and only a little name calling and blame, the pair examine their wrong turns and mistakes. Didn’t they believe in themselves or each other enough? Did they move too fast in trying to make it work? The expectancy of new love is all too soon eclipsed by recriminations as a whole gamut of emotions characterize their musical tribute to the time. The music beautifully captures all the exact moments where love blooms and fades, from first date and Jamie’s reluctance to tell his mother that Cathy doesn’t share their religious background to his wildly successful book signing and pressures of fame to Cathy’s angst at not getting the roles she hoped for, their first Christmas, to the time of farewell when they admit it is not working. Keely Baisden Knudsen directs this refreshingly candid look at love. For tickets ($45, student rush $10 day of show), call the Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Islands Road, Stony Creek Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at LegacyTheatreCT.org. Performances are Wednesday at 7 p.m, Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Now is the time to sign up for theater classes for children and adults for the fall and also to reserve tickets for the holiday show December 1-12 of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol." Come watch two fine actors showcase their talents in this intimate and heartfelt tale of romance on a merry-go-round that spins out of control with no brass ring for either one.

SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE OFFERS A MENU OF TREATS

A parade of stars marches by as the famous Edwards Twins perform their unique magic by transforming themselves into everybody from Rod Stewart to Barbra Streisand, Cher to Celine Dion. On Saturday, September 11 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, September 12 at 2 p.m., Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury will be making musical magic happen. Don’t let Las Vegas's number one impersonators pass you by. Tickets are $55. Next up are the zany and wild guys, known as Coconuts, bringing their special blend of comedy and music to the stage. For more than four decades, they have been spreading joy along the Eastern Seacoast, from Cape Cod to the Florida Keys, and now they are in the neighborhood for your entertainment pleasure. Called the “Ultimate Baby Boomer Party Band,” these guys promise to celebrate Rock ’n’ Roll with a hefty frosting of fun. Tickets are $20. The music continues on Saturday, September 25 at 8 p.m. when the Connecticut Transit Authority sails in for a spectacular pit stop, recreating the sounds and songs of Chicago, one of the greatest American bands ever. Take a seat for such hits as “Beginnings,” “Just You ’n Me,” “Old Days,” “Make Me Smile,” and “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” and many more. Tickets are $29. Our favorite nuns are back again from Friday, October 1 to Sunday, October 10 but with a twist. The Little Sisters of Hoboken have returned with a vengeance, guaranteed to provide a hilarious and heavenly time, with our own Semina DeLaurentis as Sister Amnesia leading the charge. Until September 15, use code NUN to save $5, otherwise tickets are $30. Come help officially re-open Seven Angels Theatre with “Nonsense with a Twist!" Ready to be wowed? On Saturday, October 16 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., The Amazing Kreskin willl unveil his bag of mental tricks as a stage magician. Not a psychic, Kreskin does “predictions” and hypnotic suggestions, He has appeared on “The Late Night with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Show,” “The Howard Stern Show,” and “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” Tickets are $30. Mark your calendar for Willy Wonka Jr October 3-17, Great Balls of Fire October 23 and Earlene’s Christmas Show December 3-16. For tickets to all these shows call 203-757-4676,1 Plank Road, Waterbury or online at SevenAngelsTheatre.org/calendar. Light up your autumn entertainment season with a visit or three to Waterbury’s Seven Angels Theatre.

TIME PASSAGES

The last year and a half, all 500 plus days, have been challenging to say the least. We are being tested on a daily basis and, unfortunately, we don’t have a course or text books to study. It’s trial by fire and we have surely been burned. On a recent typical day, I turned on NBC’a Today Show and learned about the death toll in Haiti as another hurricane swept through the land. Then it was the continuing forest fires in the west that have devastated California and surrounding environs that are pushing east, with smoke that is polluting the air. To add to the mounting problems, many people across the globe are afraid to get their COVID shots and new variants like Delta are spreading illness and saturating the wards of hospitals and exhausting our medical personnel to the breaking point. To add to the trauma, the country of Afghanistan has been overrun by the Taliban and citizens and workers stationed there are fleeing for their lives. And, by the way, Hurricane Henri was planning to pay us a visit in Connecticut, ready or not. No wonder it seemed safest to pull the covers up and stay in bed. Clearly the world is in a dangerous place and is not going to heal itself any time soon. Where is Annie and her sun will come up tomorrow promise? Can we hold on until December when the newest Annie, Celina Smith, will brighten the horizon with a live television broadcast on NBC? Personally, in the last week alone, I have experienced incredible sorrow and infinite joy. A beloved Aunt, Shirley, was struck and killed by a bus as she crossed a Florida street on the way home from a COVID test. She left a legacy of kindness and concern throughout her 94 years on this earth. Ironically she died one year to the day after her husband Mac, a man she devoted her life to caring for in his long years of illness. To balance the scales, my nephew Seth and wife Amy welcomed a new son, Alexander Lev, and celebrated his bris with a small family circle and shared the occasion on Zoom. The circle of life continues. Are there lessons to learn from these events? The major one is that life is precious and all too precarious. We cannot waste the moments that mark them. As the Jewish holidays approach, now is the time to ask for forgiveness and to grant forgiveness so that healing can begin. Life is too short, even for 94 years, to allow hatred or anger to color your soul. As the song in “Frozen" states so eloquently, let it go.

"HAVING OUR SAY" AT THE IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

imagine the changes you might experience if you lived a hundred years, especially if you start life as the daughter of a slave. That is the amazing historical reality for two remarkable sisters, who are now maiden ladies of 103 and 101, Sadie and Bessie Delany. Until September 15, they will be "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years” at Ivoryton Playhouse, a play by Emily Mann, adapted from the Book by Sarah L. Delany and A. Elizabeth Delany, with Amy Hill Hearth. Growing up in Raleigh, South Carolina on the campus of St Augustine’s School where both their parents held positions, these two forward thinking women achieving success in teaching and dentistry They were raised with their eight brothers and sisters to value their African-American heritage, to hold family close and dear and to be true and honest in all their dealings in life. In need of an extra grandmother or two, you could not do better than adopting Bessie and Sadie. Hope Harley as Bessie is delightfully feisty and independent of heart and spirit while Catherine Williams brings Sadie’s sweetness and shyness to the stage. Both ladies are wonderfully convincing and sincere as they tell their hundred year journey, one that spans the discriminatory Jim Crow laws, through their personal educational triumphs, their careers, their close family ties, to life in Harlem, across the Civil Rights trials and triumphs, to their current retirement in Mt. Vernon, New York. Smart and sharp and filled to their Sunday go-to-church hat brim with wisdom and wit, we meet these fine ladies as they prepare a feast to celebrate their long deceased and beloved father’s birthday. They freely reveal their unique take on life. Eating a clove of garlic, a spoonful of cod liver oil, stuffing their diet with vegetables, doing daily yoga (except on Sunday, which is devoted to church) and not having husbands to worry them are all clues to their longevity. Born to a family of achievers, Sadie became the first woman of color to teach home economics in a New York City high school (even if she had to cheat a little to make it happen), while Bessie became the second Negro woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York (one who never turned away a patient if they couldn’t pay). They cherished getting the right to vote in 1920, and never missed an election, because it earned them the right to complain. Proud Americans, they refused to let a lack of money or a lot of prejudice stop them. Todd Underwood directs their charming and charismatic conversation, made even more touching because of homey set designed by Martin Scott Marchitto. For tickets ($55 adults, $50 seniors, $25 students), call the Ivoryton Playhouse at 860-767-7318. Tickets will not be sold online. 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. You’ll admire and applaud the dignity and devotion of the Delany sisters and the indelible mark they are guaranteed to leave on your heart. Always planning for the future, Sadie and Bessie established a fund at the New York Community Trust to give grants to help”hang a rainbow in the sky” for people and families working to improve their lives. How sweet of them to care and fulfill their father’s philosophical statement that “your mission is to help somebody."

JOURNEY INTO THE FUTURE: "WALDEN"

Are you ready for an adventure? Not a jungle cruise, but exciting nonetheless. TheaterWorks Hartford is luring you off your comfy couch to travel into the woods, down a dirt trail, for a theatrical experience that is different and absorbing. Have you ever given any thought to the future of our planet? What might happen if we ignored climate change or didn’t act fast enough to solve the looming questions about food resources and water options? The fact is that we may run out of farmable soil in a mere sixty years and already today there are millions of people in the world who go to bed hungry. How will we solve these burning issues? Until August 29, you are invited to enter into a world created by playwright Amy Berryman that raises many of these issues. You-Shin Chen has created a cabin in the woods, with a flourishing garden of vegetables and chickens ensconced in a coop and your seat is ready, with a bottle of bug spray in the chair pocket and headphones to hear so you don’t miss a word of dialogue or a cricket or birdsong. Come meet Cassie, Jeena Yi, who is just back from the moon after a lengthy one year visit, where she was able to make plants grow. A botanist, she has trained extensively for the honor. Her sister Stella, Diana Oh, also trained for the mission but was not selected. The sisters, twins, have a long history of competition and have been estranged. Now with Stella’s invitation to visit, they finally have an opportunity to reconcile. Complicating their reunion is Bryan, Gabriel Brown, who wants to marry Stella. Bryan is an earth advocate, wanting to solve the problems right here on this planet and not try to colonize another place, like the moon or Mars. Cassie has come with an alternative motive: she wants Stella to come back to the NASA program and be her control when she goes on a mission to Mars. Their mother died in childbirth and their father was a famous pioneer astronaut and the sisters are conflicted over which role to pursue. Can they reconcile their differences? Will the issues in space be too great to overcome? How will Bryan’s views color their imminent decisions? The action in person takes place in Windsor at Riverfront Recapture by the river,100 Meadow Road, under the careful direction of Mei Ann Teo, with intriguing lighting by Jeanette Oi-Suk Yew and vivid sound by Hao Bai.The play will stream until August 29. For tickets ($95 lawn seat, $150 director seat), call TheaterWorks Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at www.twhartford.org. For streaming call for the cost. Shows are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7 p.m. and Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:15 p.m. On August 25, the time changes to 6:45 p.m. This is a regional premiere. Come immerse yourself in this compelling drama of the future where you will think differently about loneliness and isolation and the fate of the globe. Be a modern day Thoreau. Let the stars and the lightning bugs guide you down a path of reconciliation and understanding as these two sisters try to reconnect with each other and with the earth.

BROADWAY IS COMING TO OLD SAYBROOK

Broadway is coming to Old Saybrook so get ready to celebrate cabaret Friday, August 13 at 7 p.m., Saturday, August 14 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. and Sunday, August 15 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. courtesy of WISP, the Wagner Iovanna Studio Performances. WISP is a non-profit arts initiative started in 2017 by gifted performers Robert Iovanna and wife Karen Wagner-Iovanna who have dedicated their talents to encouraging actors, young and old, to develop their skills on stage in the performing arts. To that end, the husband and wife team have provided the training and experience to showcase each one’s potential, resulting in many past and present participants going on to careers in the music industry as well as film/TV, Broadway, print, voice overs and have been accepted into top theater and conservatory programs across the country. They successfully incorporate professionals in the worlds of acting and singing with the new young talent they are cultivating, like the show’s narrator iheart radio’s John Cadillac Saville and New York City Opera’s Erich Simo as Jean Valjean. At cabaret tables, where you are invited to bring your own meal, you will be treated to a trio of Broadway favorites. “Dear Evan Hansen” tells the tale of a boy who feels invisible and desperately wants to be accepted. When another student at his high school commits suicide, Evan is swept into a web of lies not of his own making but which have the power to change his life and give him all the acceptance he so desires. Will he accept this unanticipated chance or admit the truth of the fabrications? Songs like “So Big/So Small,” “Requiem,” and “Sincerely Me” propel the action. Venture next into the cellblocks of the 1920’s when women are celebrated for the brazenness of their murders as Roxie and Velma vie for top billing, belting out tunes like “Cell Block Tango,” “Mister Cellophane” and “All That Jazz." Completing the program are the majestic melodies of “Les Miserable,” the tale of an honest man who steals a loaf of bread and is imprisoned for years. Even when he is finally released Jean Valjean is haunted by a determined policeman Javert who wants him never to know freedom’s sweet taste. Every song like “I Dreamed a Dream,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and “Castle on a Cloud” are memorable. The show’s directors are Rob Iovanna and Karen Wagner-Iovanna, with Lauren Celentano as choreographer and James Teti as musical director. For tickets ($25, $20 for children under 7), to the performances at the First Church of Christ, 366 Main Street, Old Saybrook, call 203-494-1633 or go online to https:/buy.tututix.com/WISP or visit www.wisperformances.org. This show is dedicated to their beloved cast member Shauna Clifford who was in an auto accident that prevents her from being Heidi Hansen, Evan’s mom. They look forward to her being back on stage in October for “Spooktacular Halloween Cabaret.” Come to the cabaret and cheer on the WISP stars of today and tomorrow as they bring Broadway right to your table.

BROADWAY BOUND

Did you ever wonder how Broadway came to be? More than 250 years ago, two ambitious and forward thinking entrepreneurs, Walter Murray and Thomas Kean began presently plays by Shakespeare and ballad operas like The Beggar’s Opera. The site was a Theatre on Nassau Street, in New York City, holding 280 patrons and, thus, Broadway was born. Today there are 41 buildings, each with 500 or more seats, that qualify for the title Broadway theaters, stretching for 13 miles across Times Square, Herald Square, Madison Square and Union Square. This popular tourist attraction boasted almost 15 million visitors, spending almost $2 billion in 2018-2019 alone. Broadway musicals, an enormously popular American pastime, help make New York City or the Big Apple the cultural capital of the world. By the late 1800’s, most theaters had moved uptown where the land had been used for farms and family homes. Theaters like the Hudson, Lyceum and New Amsterdam have been in existence since the early days. The first musical, all 5 and 1/2 hours of it, arrived in 1866. The Black Crook played for 474 performances. This was followed by vaudeville, burlesque, musical comedies and operettas. When white lights were installed on electric signs outside the venues, Broadway was nicknamed The Great White Way. The First World War, the advent of motion pictures and the Great Depression took a toll on Broadway but the blockbuster Oklahoma!, running for 2212 performances starting in 1943, opened the stage door for a new era. In 1982, Joseph Papp established The Public Theater and led a campaign to “Save the Theatre” and designate the area as an historic district. Due to the pandemic, Broadway theaters closed March 12, 2020 with venues slated to reopen September 14, 2021. Springsteen on Broadway resumed on June 26, 2021 with Hadestown set to follow, with the Tony Awards soon thereafter. While I love the excitement of the Great White Way, Connecticut is blessed with entertainment centers from Norwalk and New Canaan to New Haven and Hartford and Storrs, all across our state. As a theater reviewer, I cannot wait to find my orchestra seat, with notebook and pen, and share the newest offerings in my blog, The Balcony and Beyond, the Connecticut Critics Circle, The Middletown Press and the West Hartford News. My Technicolor world is about to open again and I am so anxious for the curtain to rise. Come join me for the fun and joy.

"OEDIPUS REX" PUZZLES PROPHESY

The history of theater dates back to Greece, circa 429 B.C. when early playwrights like Sophocles penned involving Greek tragedies. The newly opened Legacy Theatre of Stony Creek, Branford is offering audiences the unique opportunity to be carried dramatically to a land far away and long ago for a rare viewing of "Oedipus Rex,” a timeless classic. Ian Johnston has provided the translation. Oedipus, masterfully captured by Mitchel Kawash, is King of Thebes, a country burdened by a plague, not unlike the pandemic that threatens our world today. Anxious to end the illness, he learns that finding the murderer of King Laius is the question he must solve. Oedipus accuses Creon (Tom Schwans) of the crime but Creon vigorously denies the deed. Upon further investigation, Oedipus comes to a disturbing truth, that he himself may be the real culprit. Years before events took place for which he had no knowledge. Oracles had predicted that Oedipus would one day kill his father and marry his mother, horrible consequences he could not even fathom. Since those revelations, Oedipus has wandered the earth fleeing far from his place of birth to ensure that those events could never be realized. Suddenly he must fact the truth that they have, in fact, occurred and he is guilty of both. His wife, Jocasta (Mariah Sage) may, indeed, be his mother and he must accept the fact that he is adopted and King Laius is his real father. Fate and fatal flaws figure prominently in the plot. Director Keeley Baisden Knudsen keeps the drama intense with an involving set and intriguing lighting by Jamie Burnett, projections designed by Lauren Salatto-Rosenay, costumes by Katya Vetrov assisted by Callie Liberatore, and sound by Adam Jackson. Others in the cast include Michael Sayers, Tyrell Latouche, and chorus members Jessica Breda, Emmett Cassidy, F. Liam Devlin, Barbara Hentschel and Michael Steinman. The play continues until August 22, with performances Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m.., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets ($45-75) call 203-315-1901 or online at LegacyTheatreCT.org. The theatre is located at 128 Thimble Island Road, Branford, exit 56 off 1-95. Of the 120 plays written by Sophocles, only seven remain and “Oedipus Rex” is considered his finest, the most powerful and purest example of tragic Greek drama.

TAKE A MUSICAL JOURNEY “INTO THE WOODS”

No need for bug spray or long sleeved clothing as you prepare to venture into the woods with Playhouse on Park in West Hartford for a wonderful musicaljourney, courtesy of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine until August 22.This blockbuster story is all ready for viewing as it travels somewhere between “once upon a time” and “happily ever after,” where the Brothers Grimm have created a forest of fairy tales. These tales were dark and mysterious and gave us goose bumps and nightmares in equal installments. The two clever composers have taken all these intriguing plots and woven them into an imaginative cauldron of tasty soup entitled “Into the Woods.” There’s no necessity to don Little Red’s red cape or Cinderella’s glass slipper or Rapunzel’s long yellow hair or climb Jack’s infamous Beanstalk, unless you want to help the Baker and his wife (Robert Denzel Edwards and Laurel Andersen) in their quest to have a child. Old ago a Witch (Tania Kass) had a curse placed upon her and in order for it to be lifted, the Baker and his wife must bring her, in three days’ time, a cape red as blood, hair yellow as corn, a cow white as milk and a slipper pure as gold. So the pair set off “into the woods” to make their dream of a baby come true. In the forest, they meet a devoted son Jack (Jacquez Linder-Long) who has been sent by his mother (Zoe Goslin) to sell Milky White, his beloved cow, so they can have money to buy food. Also in the forest is a feisty and determined Little Red (Jackie Garmone) who is off to visit her granny (Zoe Goslin) but meets a wolf (Jack Dillon) instead. Cinderella (Kara Arena) has escaped her wicked stepmother (Olivia Rose Barresi) and stepsisters (Bianca Day Feiner and Miss Sandra Mhlongo) in her quest to go to the prince’s ball but Rapunzel (Hallie Friedman) has been imprisoned in a tower with little hope of rescue. Toss in a pair of handsome, charming but insincere princes (Jack Dillon and Isaac Kueber), a mysterious man (Chris Bellinger) who also plays the narrator who tries to orchestrate the action and you have all the ingredients for a fulfilling and satisfying evening of theater. The steward is played by Danny Kelly and the ensemble includes Katie Brough and Trishawn Paul. Sean Harris directs this fine cast on this flight of fancy in fabulous style, on a lovely set designed by David Lewis and colorful costumes by Kate Bunce, with a nine piece band directed by Melanie Guerin. For tickets ($35-40), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900., ext. 10 or online at boxoffice@playhousetheatregroup.org. Call for performance schedule as it varies week to week. Come early and hear a selection of Shakespeare’s sonnets in the lobby in honor of the Festival. A children’s version of “Snow White” is playing until August 22. Heartfelt wishes and witch’s curses, magic beans and wolfish fiends, angry giants and a community’s defiance, “Into the Wood” has them all in fantastic and fanciful abundance. Come and be bewitched.

NASHVILLE IS COMING TO NEW CANAAN

Are you ready for some serious toe tapping, especially if you’re wearing cowboy boots? Do you like to hear flying fiddles racing to the finish line? Might you enjoy a visit to Nashville where country music permanently resides? If the answers are a booming yes, then Summer Theatre of New Canaan has quite the entertainment for you until Sunday, August 1. For a heavenly show, two step or sashay over to Waveny Park in New Canaan, to a new tent at 677 South Avenue, for a hearty dose of “Honky Tonk Angels,” written and directed by Ted Swindley, the creator of “Always…Patsy Cline.” Featuring songs from country music heroines like Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette and Loretta Lynn, a trio of powerful singing gals grace us with tunes like “Stand By Your Man,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “9 to 5,” “These Boots Are Made For Walking,” “I Will Always Love You," “Delta Dawn,” Amazing Grace,” “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” and many more. Come meet Rebecca Mason Wygal as Angela, Allie Selbold as Sue Ellen and Cat Greenfield as Darlene, three gals who are unhappy with life as it is and desperately want to run away to pursue their dreams. They find themselves on a Greyhound bus bound for Nashville and soon bond over baloney sandwiches and pork rinds. After a successful six week run at a club appropriately called Honky Tonk Heaven with a boisterous band including Lexi Bodick on bass, Elena Bonoma on drums, Beth Called on banjo/guitar, Nyssa Grant on violin, Ellie Kahn on md,.keys, bandleader and Ann Klein on steel/lap guitar, the new singing group is ready to go their separate ways. Angela is off to rejoin Bubba and her six kids in her double wide trailer and Sue Ellen is going back to Los Angeles and her office job while Darlene is determined to make it in Nashville. Unlike most folks, they took a giant risk to make their dreams come true. For tickets (VIP $65, Reserved Seats $50 and General Admission $30), call 203-966-4634 or go online to boxoffice@stonc.org. Shows are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 6 p.m. STONC has two shows for kids until Sunday, August 1. “StoopKIds Live!” with book, music and lyrics by Melissa Victor features stories told through the lens of seven young and amazing Black children characters who learn about self confidence and friendship. Shows are 10 a.m. Saturday and noon on Sunday. Come see “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown” with Snoopy and the gang on Saturday at noon and Sunday at 10 a.m. Tickets are VIP $25, Reserved Seats $20 and General Admission $15. Bring your own chairs for general admission. Fill your summer with music, dance and theater courtesy of STONC and have a lot of fun in the process. Y’All come down for a spell.

MERRY MURDER AND MAYHEM AT IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

You may be well acquainted with Professor Plum and Colonel Mustard and an assortment of weapons from lead pipes to candlesticks but that may or may not prepare you for the high jinxes and antics of the murderous spoof by Kellen Blair and Joe Kinosian playing at the Ivoryton Playhouse until Sunday, August 1st. "Murder for Two” features one piano, one wannabe detective, one murder (until it’s two), two gifted actors and a lucky baker’s dozen of suspects. Ian Lowe is currently merely an officer, Marcus Moscowicz, but that doesn’t stop him from dreaming big. Joe Kinosian plays everybody else, from the victim, the popular mystery author Arthur Whitney who is about to be doubly surprised, first by a birthday party and second by a gun shot to the forehead. Joe is extremely busy portraying all the guests who could have done the dastardly deed, from Arthur’s wife Dahlia, his ballerina dancing mistress, the members of a boy’s chorus and the psychiatrist Dr. Griff who knows everybody’s secrets and likes to share. And if that weren’t enough, there is a stash of ice cream that has gone missing. Director and choreographer Wendy Seyb was happy to relate, “It’s a joy and a pleasure to always return to this show. After working on it in various locations for eight years, it is still fresh and new.” This 90 minute farce and romp is non-stop, especially if you are a fan of physical humor of the ilk of Abbott and Costello and The Three Stooges. Complete with sound effects, great songs like "Protocol Says" and "The Friendship Song,” it spins merrily along as witnesses are questioned and clues are examined. For tickets,($55 adults, $50 seniors, $25 students), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton, at 860-767-7318. 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. If you are ready to escape from home, run over to the Ivoryton Playhouse for clever melodrama and malarky with a little murder and mint chocolate chip tossed in for fun.

BUTTERFLIES FLY FREE

Exotic and exquisite, delicate and delightful, graceful and gallant, butterflies have been blessed with extraordinary names. They have been called Peacock Pansy, Piano Key, Jezebel, Emerald Swallowtail, Painted Lady, Grecian Shoemaker, Lacewing, Mosaic, Red Cracker, Archduke, Indian Leaf and Glassy Blue Tiger, to name but a few. Butterflies have nothing to do with butter or the belief that they hover above pails of milk like witches in disguise, prepared to steal the cream. They are thought to be bringers of dreams, symbols of long life and beauty. Despite their short life span, sometimes a mere fourteen days, butterflies have been around for millions of years. Once numbering in the billions, they often migrate long distances. Classified as insects, they have been on earth as long as flowers have existed. After the long, long months of the pandemic, many people feel like they have been in a cocoon or chrysalis stage, a silken casing that was impenetrable. We were in hibernation, in a waiting mode, anxious to emerge but powerless to break free. Ironically some butterflies can stay in this stage for up to two years as caterpillars. Finally it is safe for us to wake up, to burst open and crawl out, ready to take flight. We are now vaccinated and experiencing the miracle of metamorphosis, to stretch our long dormant wings and open to the joys of freedom. Gratefully we embrace new names like Painted Ladies, Lacewing, Archduke and Glassy Blue Tiger as we resume our lives again happily, anxiously, wondrously. Dazzle on!

FUNDRAISER FOR THE KATE: “LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE”

Every woman has items in her closet that scream familiarity and comfort, items that will never be consigned to a Goodwill store or, heaven forbid, tossed out with the trash. The joy of donning such a wardrobe essential is symbolic of love and devotion. Did you ever dream that the items hanging pristinely in your closet could be the subject of a play, a comedy with bittersweet moments at that? Come to The Kate in Old Saybrook, dressed however you desire, for an inside look at Nora and Delia Ephron’s fashionably chic take on women and their wardrobes “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” on Thursday, July 15 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, July 16 at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, July 18 at 2 p.m. These performances are a gift to The Kate, the Katharine Hepburn Theater, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook, from the Saybrook Stage Company who have been calling the Kate their theatrical home since their founding in 2011. Founder, director, producer and actress Terri Corigliano, with her husband Cosmo, wanted to create a shoreline theater eleven years ago. Now, with the pandemic, she feels this is a wonderful time to thank The Kate with a fundraiser. According to Terri, "I saw this piece performed a number of years ago and it made such an impression on me. I laughed out loud at so many of the anecdotes and the style of the piece really enables the actors to connect with the audience on such a personal level -- it's like a relaxing evening out with your best friends. Ever since then, I wanted to bring it to The Kate's stage and this summer gave us the perfect opportunity. Now more than ever, we need to focus on unity and how much we all need each other. So many of our stories and feelings are universal. Finally, we can reconnect, laugh and enjoy each other's company.” Based on a book by Ilene Beckerman, the sisters Ephron expanded the themes by inviting a hundred friends to write a monologue about identity and clothing and the result is twenty-eight stories performed by five actresses, in this case Terri Corigliano, Kelly Boucher, Mary Corigliano, Leslie Singer and Karen Gagliardi, in a series of vignettes. What is the proper attire for a high school prom and does it depend on the cuteness of your date? Maybe you have a favorite purse that goes with any outfit or a pair of shoes that compliment any style. Or do you have the ubiquitous little black dress that completes you no matter the occasion? Help the Saybrook Stage Company celebrate The Kate. For tickets ($15-20), call 860-510-0453 or online at www.thekate.org. Also watch for the January 2022 Saybrook Stage Company production of “The Man Who Came To Dinner” at The Kate, of course, by visiting www.SaybrookStage.org. Come out of your closet and hang on to some marvelous “material” memories, where men can collect some valuable “insights,” in this delightful, heartfelt, and intimate collection of monologues and ensemble pieces about females and their fashions.