"HADESTOWN" DESCENDS ON THE BUSHNELL MARCH 7-12

Clever composers have been turning the most unlikely subjects into fascinating musicals over the decades. Shows like an unsinkable ship hitting an iceberg and going down (Titanic) or a number of men and women who tried and often succeeded in killing a president (Assassins) or a gang of black youth accused of raping a white woman (The Scottsboro Boys) or a giant green ogre who is friendly and sweet (Shrek) are not screaming musical and yet here they are. Get ready for another unusual choice: a musical about the underworld called “Hadestown.” Get ready to travel down, down and down a little more, courtesy of the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, from Tuesday, March 7 to Sunday, March 12 for Anais Mitchell’s ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best Musical, “Hadestown, and directed by Rachel Chavkin.” Take a trip down under, way past Australia to the underworld where strange things happen on a daily basis. The Greek god Hermes will be your messenger, narrator, storyteller as he introduces the principal characters of the tale in the stirring “Road to Hell.” The harsh weather and the persistent famine introduce us to the dire circumstances always associated with this dreaded place. Eurydice is starving and seeks food and is willing to work in these terrible conditions to get nourishment and escape the cold. She soon regrets her choice to go there as now she needs Hades’ permission to leave. Her young singer-songwriter lover Orpheus, Hermes’ ward, arrives to take her home but Hades appears with a contract Eurydice signed that won’t allow her to return to earth. Orpheus is attacked, yet he pledges to free Eurydice. Persephone hears his plea and promises to help by persuading Hades to let Eurydice go. Orpheus must complete a song, but risks being killed. He reminds Hades of his love for Persephone. Hades consents to let them leave on one condition: Orpheus cannot look back to see if Eurydice and the other workers are following him. If he does, Eurydice is fated to return to Hadestown forever. For tickets ($51-164), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday to Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Immerse yourself in the lore of ancient Greece and follow this tale of star-crossed love that is fated to test the boundaries of its soul, but ultimately to offer “hope, faith and rebirth."

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

What would you do if a need or cause presented itself for you to resolve? If you are the mayor of Los Angeles’ assistant Regina, a dedicated Shaylen Harger, you would paint protest signs and wage a major battle to save your city’s Sunset Strip and the iconic institutions that make it famous. Leave your inhibitions, reservations, hearing aids, walkers and canes at the door. Pop a few super vitamins and prepare to be electrified. The rock and roll party is set to explode on the stage of ACT in Ridgefield until Sunday, March 19 when "Rock of Ages,” a non-stop party, arrives in colorful splendor. Don't for a moment confuse this show with Rock of Ages, the popular Christian hymn composed in 1763 by Reverend Augustus Toplody. The good reverend was inspired to write his song when he was traveling in his native England one day and was caught in a horrendous storm. Seeking shelter in a gap in a gorge near where he was walking, the first words of the tune came to him..."Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee." He is said to have scribbled these words on a playing card, giving thanks for the sheltered protection the rock provided. This totally different "Rock of Ages" is set in Los Angeles' Sunset Strip, in the year of our Lord 1987, and is called "the best party ever!" Two kids, a guy from South Detroit and one a small-town gal, meet in L.A. and find they share the same dream: to make it big in the world of music and movies. This is Drew and Sherrie's story. Think rock concert meets youth gone wild meets bad boy behavior. No rules need apply here. Fun, comedy, 80's tunes and outrageous pleasures are guaranteed as you don your acid-washed jeans and knee high boots and spray your bouffant hair to the last degree of solid steel. Nominated for 5 Tony Awards, it features a rock band that takes part in the company as well as makes music. It pops and bangs out hits from Journey, Styx, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia, Night Ranger and Reo Speedwagon, tunes that will make you levitate from your seat and make you want to party on and on and on. Get your jazz hands ready for a little friendly head banging, Classic rock tunes like "Don't Stop Believin,' " "We Built the City," "Here I Go Again," "Can't Fight This Feeling" and "I Wanna Know What Love Is" will resound to the rafters of ACT. Dale Obermark will star as Drew and Abigail Sparrow as Sherrie, two newcomers to town who meet and make musical magic. They meet at the Bourbon Club which Dennis (Justin Michael Duval) owns with his right hand man Lonny (Liam Fennecken). A pair of real estate developers from Germany (Kevin Dennis and Sean Widener) want to raze and sanitize the site, removing all traces of the rock and roll royalty that made it famous, like the lead singer Stacee Jaxx (Eric Coles). Others in this talented, high energy cast include Elizabeth Adabale, Jasmine Gobourne, Alexander Hall, Julia Rippon, Aaron Robinson, Emily Ann Stys and Tray Wright. For tickets ($63-152), call ACT of Connecticut, 36 Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield at 475-215-5497 or online at boxoffice@actofct.com. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m and 8 p.m, and Sunday at 2 p.m,. The show's book is by Chris D'Arienzo, directed by Igor Goldin and choreography by Sara Brians, with original musical arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp. Watch for Fairfield County’s Giving Day and donate to ACT, A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut. Show up at this feel-good party ready to rock and roll, with your black leather jacket, your air guitars and your protest signs and journey back to the 1980's for Fun, Fun, Fun.

FORETELLING THE FUTURE

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

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

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

LEGACY THEATRE OF BRANFORD PRESENTS BROADWAY

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

GOODSPEED MUSICALS HOLDING 17TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS

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

AGE IS JUST A NUMBER

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

COME CELEBRATE THE OSCARS AT THE KATE ON MARCH 12

Old Saybrook’s Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center is once again rolling out the proverbial red carpet to welcome guests for its gala Oscar nominations party. The festivities will ring out with merriment on Sunday, March 12 at 7 p.m., and continue until the bewitching hour of midnight, and you are cordially invited to dress in your fancy best and root for your favorite movies and stars. There’s even an option for an at-home party. As always the focus will be on elegance and excitement, as the Kate honors its namesake Katharine Hepburn for her dozen Oscar nominations, four of them winners. For the Kate’s lucky 13th Annual Oscar Night Party, Fresh Salt from the sensational restaurant at Saybrook Point Resort and Marina will once again be offering a delicious array of hors d’oeuvres, followed by a spectacular selection of outstanding desserts. These will come after you have strolled the red carpet, posed for your personal award winning photos and munched on a delectable box of movie themed candy and popcorn treats. There will be ample time to preview the amazing items to bid on in the auction, purchase a raffle ticket of prizes dedicated to Kate’s greatest films, enjoy a champagne toast, and of course, experience the unique opportunity to watch the 95th Academy Awards on a giant screen. And don’t forget to take the online Oscar Ballot to vote for your favorites: perhaps Austin Butler as the King, Elvis, as best actor in a leading role, or Judd Hirsch for his supporting role in Steven Spielberg’s “baby" The Fabelmans or the bombshell Blonde, Ana De Armas as Marilyn. Other categories are animations costuming, cinematography, directing, editing, writing, makeup, music and so many more. All the while, a cash bar will offer alcoholic and non-alcoholic libations. For members, tickets are $75 ($35 is tax-deductible) and for non-members $85 ($45 is tax-deductible). Call the Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook at 860-510-0453 or online www.thekate.org. For your at home celebration Oscar Night Party in a Box for two, with gourmet treats from Pasta Vita, Fromage Fine Foods and Coffees and Pursuit of Pastry, order while supplies last until March 3rd and pick up on Saturday, March 11 from noon to 2:30 p.m. Cost of the box is $100 ($26 is tax-deductible). The box also entitles you to take part in the online Oscar Ballot game, bid on the online auction and buy a ticket for Kate’s greatest film Oscar raffle. Get your party shoes ready to dance down the red carpet as the Kate celebrates its favorite daughter in true Hollywood style.

COME MEET THE "QUEEN OF BASEL" AT TWH UNTIL FEBRUARY 26

With hints and whispers from the Swedish playwright August Strindberg and his 1888 opus “Miss Julie,” Theater Works Hartford is offering up, on a silver platter, a new view of Julie set in modern day Miami with a trio of intriguing Latinx actors. In Hilary Bettis’ “Queen of Basel,” until February 26, you are invited to visit the royal court of this modern day Miss Julie, a conflicted and complex woman who suffers as a poor little rich girl with a tyrant father who controls her every move. Without a mother to protect her, she finds herself without freedom of choice, forced to obey the dictates of her parental ruler. Right now she is holding court in the storage kitchen of one of her father’s many holdings. She has sought refuge there after a cocktail waitress has spilled a tray of alcoholic drinks on her lovely green dress. As a socialite and heiress, Julie cannot afford to embarrass her father so the kitchen has become a temporary sanctuary. Christine, the waitress who caused the collision, is attempting to clean her dress, unsuccessfully, and has called her fiance John, an Uber driver, to take Julie home. An explosive confrontation arises, secrets and lies are revealed, love and lust are put to the test, and who really has the power is tested. Race and heritage are questioned, flirtations fly out of control, passions are explored, dreams are destroyed, and who will survive this encounter is in serious doubt. The evening finds Christine Spang’s Julie giving up on her hard fought fight to abandon drinking after five years of sobriety, Silvia Dionicio’s Christine finding a novel way to save her mother and daughter trapped in Venezuela and Kelvin Grullon’s John experiencing the highs and lows of almost getting his life’s goals fulfilled but suddenly dashed. This is powerful and explosive theater that will have you exhausted with emotions by the end of its 90 minutes, no intermission, conclusion. As Julie goes more and more out of control, we learn almost too much about her past and how her mother's death from breast cancer still affects her years later. Cristina Angeles holds a stronghold on the action, insuring an evening of theater you will long remember. For tickets ($25-65), call Theater Works Hartford, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at twhartford.org. Performances are Tuesday to Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 pm. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Select performances require masks. Experience the behind the scenes world at Art Basel, a party time for the movers and shakers of the art world, where heartache and ambition collide and break, and like Humpty Dumpty, can’t be put back together again.

IT'S MUSIC TO MY EARS

Shakespeare once stated “If music be the food of love, play on.” But our love affair with music dates far beyond the Bard. Every society, past and present, has embraced music as a cultural constant, even back to isolated tribal groups and their primitive instruments. In 2008, a five-holed bone flute was discovered in a cave in Germany thought to be 35,000 years old. Think how colorless and silent our world would be without magical musical sounds. Whether you sing along, play a musical instrument, dance to the rhythms, compose like a Gershwin or Sondheim, perform like Madonna or Mandy Patinkin or simply listen, music is a wonderful way to relax and enjoy your time. Maybe you turn on the radio in your car. Personly I can’t drive without my favorite radio station to listen to, STAR 99.9, while many tune in to Sirius radio with its 325 channels. New Haven and surrounding areas lay claim to Michael Bolton, the Five Satins and the Carpenters. Many of us can still remember American Band Stand, Elvis and the Beatles and the newest iterations like American Idol and the Masked Singer, not to mention the Grammys and American Music Awards. Many couples have a favorite song and I can remember “Always” as the tune that was played at our wedding. A good friend, Fran Apfel, sang “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” when my mom died at 93 as we use music to mark the most significant memories of our lives. While decades ago we listened to and danced to groups like the Platters, the Drifters and the Temptations, today we are almost afraid to hear the newest headliners: Smashing Pumpkins, Puddle of Mudd, The Just Plain Ridiculous, Limp Bizkit, Def Leppard, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Enuff Z’nuff, the Goo Goo Dolls, Porno for Pyros and Thirty Odd Foot of Grunts, I kid you not. Imagine a world without “Les Miz,” “Annie,” “The Sound of Music,” “Gypsy," “Into the Woods,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Hello, Dolly!” Unimaginable! Soon we will gather at the gazebo for outdoor concerts and cheer on Fourth of July parades. I solemnly promise not to take up the accordion again. I abandoned that part of my life in sixth grade. I will, however, despite the wishes of my children, promise to sing along, loudly and proudly, to our National Anthem when ball games are on and appreciate how fortunate we are that music never went away (even when Buddy Holly died), doesn’t require a mask and six feet of social distancing is no problem at all. Music, you are truly and forever the food of love. Play on!

A SWEET "TOOTSIE" AWAITS YOU AT THE BUSHNELL FEBRUARY 21-26

In 1896 a chewy piece of chocolate candy, a Tootsie Roll, entered the confection market place. This iconic piece of oblong delight is more popular now than ever. The candy was named by an Austrian immigrant Leo Hirshfield, who owned a candy store in New York City, for his daughter Clara then five years old, Her nickname was “Tootsie.” In one day 64 million Tootsie Rolls are produced. During the Korean War, Tootsie Rolls were parachuted in to a Marine Division out of ammunition. They provided nourishment for the troops and, when warmed, were used to plug bullet holes to seal them when they refroze. In 2018 Tootsie took on a new distinction, as a musical based on the highly successful film of the same name. Now it will be at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford from Tuesday, February 21 to Sunday, February 26 so prepare to laugh out loud. With a book by Robert Horn and a clever score by David Yazbek, “Tootsie” has been termed a “joyful delight” by the New York Times Critics. When a difficult actor whose talents are unquestioned can’t find work, he connives to secure a role of a lifetime. Complete with wig, make-up and body padding, Michael Dorsay disguises himself as a woman and sets out to get a starring role on “Julia’s Nurse.” Because of his volatile nature, it is only as a woman that he can hope to land a part, and, in doing so, gains a healthy respect for the female sex. It’s his 40th birthday and just the right time for a crisis or three. His new part in the show sets him on the right course to resolve his problems, even though it causes all his friends and colleagues a ton of angst...with music, dance and humor, For tickets ($35-135), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday to Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m and 8 pm. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Come meet Michael Dorsay at a crucial crossroads in his career and witness how cleverly he manipulates fate to achieve what he wants, even if he has to become a woman to make it happen.

"I HATE HAMLET": A DUELING COMEDY AT MTC UNTIL FEBRUARY 19

Actor Andrew Rally has a new apartment, a new city and a new job opportunity. So why is he so scared? When successful Los Angeles television star Andrew Rally moves to New York City on a whim, settling into an apartment previously owned by the grand theatrical force John Barrymore, strange things start happening. Playwright Paul Rudnick has conjured up a particularly clever premise in his comedy offering “I Hate Hamlet” gracing the stage of Music Theatre of Connecticut until Sunday, February 19 and this talented cast takes that premise and runs for the finish line. Andrew clearly has a comfort zone. Playing a doctor on a television series is an easy fix, but when he gets to the Big Apple he is offered the starring role in Shakespeare’s classic tragedy playing Hamlet in the Park. After he accepts the challenge, he changes his mind and wants to back out. Constantine Pappas’s Andrew has a Greek chorus of voices urging him to say yes or to say no. He plays conflicted very well as his girlfriend Deirdre (Elena Ramos Pascullo) can’t wait for him to tread the boards as does his psychic realtor Felicia (Liliane Klein). His agent Lillian (Jo Anne Paradyl) is all for his donning tights and wielding a sword. Pushing him to go in the opposite direction is his over-the-top friend Gary (Robert Anthony Jones) who has decidedly other plans: a lucrative television season of 24 episodes, on a new show "Night School,” dangling a paycheck in the millions. As Andrew agonizes over his decision, he receives a powerful push from the undisputed star of the Shakespeare sphere: John Barrymore’s ghost. Dan O’Driscoll is persuasive and potent as the master manipulator who wants to inspire the reluctant protagonist to strike a victory for the Bard. Using encouraging arguments and dramatic swordplay, the legendary star challenges him to take a risk, with full support from the spiritual world, of course. Can the sweet Prince of Denmark be convinced to trust his own acting chops? Will Deirdre provide physical confirmation of her faith? Will Gary use greed to convince him to forsake glory for the lure of the almighty dollar? Kevin Connors directs this duel of desires on a tasteful penthouse set conceived by Sean Stanford, with effective lighting by RJ Romeo. For tickets ($45-65), call Music Theatre of Connecticut, 509 Westport Avenue (Route One) Norwalk at 203-454-3883 or online at www.musictheatreofct.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Masks will be required at the performances February 10 at 8 p.m. and February 18 at 2 p.m. Please note that Giving Day 2023 in Fairfield County is Thursday, February 23 and MTC welcomes your financial support. Let one of the greatest Hamlets of all time, even if he is often in his cups, try to convince one of the newest actors on the scene to rise to the occasion and fortify his backbone to take that great leap of faith that spells stardom.

ARETHA FRANKLIN: THE QUEEN OF SOUL

Ever since she was little girl singing in a church, the New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit, where her father was the charismatic minister, Aretha Franklin knew her destiny. She has stated, “Being a singer is a natural gift. It means I’m using to the highest degree possible the gift that God gave me to use. I’m happy with that.” As a teen, her father became her manager and by 18 she was signed as a gospel singer with Columbia Records and soon after Atlantic Records. Born in Memphis in 1942, Aretha Louise Franklin became a renown American singer, songwriter and pianist who won eighteen Grammys, received the Living Legend honor of Lifetime Achievement and was the first female to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in addition to the Gospel Music Hall of Fame. In 2019 the Pulitzer Prize jury awarded her posthumously a special citation “for her incredible contribution to American music and culture for more than five decades.” You now have the unique opportunity to meet this singing star and her the songs that made her great when the Palace Theater in Waterbury presents R.E.S.P.E.C.T. on Friday, February 17 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, February 19 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. As she said herself, “Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It’s transporting, for sure. It can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things happened in your life. it’s uplifting, it’s encouraging, it’s strengthening.” This tribute concert has been called “electrifying” as it features her story of triumph and trials, love and disappointment, overtures and obstacles. You just might find yourself dancing to such tunes as “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Loved You), “Chain of Fools,” “Think,” “Respect,” “I Say a Little Prayer,” “A Rose is Still a Rose,” “Ain’t No Way,” “Jump to It,” and "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” For tickets ($45-85), call the Palace Theater in Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at palacetheaterct.org. On Friday, February 17 at 6 p.m. a special dinner swill be held upstairs in the Poli Club for $73 a person. Call for reservations. Take a page out of Aretha’s book. She felt “Every birthday is a gift. Every day is a gift.” Give yourself a special gift and come rejoice with Aretha as she celebrates life. According to her gospel, “I’ve never recorded anything I didn’t like.” So you are sure to love all the songs you will hear in this concert.