SOMETHING WONDERFULLY "WICKED" AT THE BUSHNELL UNTIL MAY 12

It’s not easy being green, even if you’re Kermit the Frog or any green frog for that matter. Note how Shrek and the Hulk and the lowly artichoke have had their share of problems being accepted.

Long before Dorothy and Toto traveled by tornado from their farm in Kansas along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City to visit the grand and powerful Wizard of Oz, there were a trio of women, mere girls at the time, who were destined to become memorable as witches. If you peek behind the bushes next to that famous road of yellow bricks, you might see what happens before Dorothy and Toto drop in for a visit.

Welcome to “Wicked,” sailing into the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford for an extended stay to Sunday, May 12. Based on the book by Gregory Maguire, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and story by Winnie Holzman, “Wicked” has won 35 major awards, a Grammy and three Tonys.

Kermit the Frog and Shrek know what it’s like to be judged by the color of your skin, in this case green. Even if you’re emerald hued and beautiful, you will still be labeled different. To discover the misunderstood heroine of “Wicked,” the fiery and independent Elphaba (Olivia Valli) who attends Shiz University and meets Glinda (Celia Hottenstein) and, unlikely as it seems, they eventually become best friends.

All is not well at Shiz University, run by Madame Morrible (Kathy Fitzgerald) where Doctor Dillamond, (Boise Holmes) is losing his ability to speak and, like all the animals, is being controlled by outside forces. With the help of Glinda and the princely Fiyero (James D. Gish), Elphaba finds herself using her magic powers to meet with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Tom McGowan) to save the animals and defeat the enemies. Little does she know who her fearful foes really are. As she tries to use her talents, she learns that controlling them and doing her spells is next to impossible.

With smooth direction by Joe Mantello, great sets by Eugene Lee, costumes in shades of kelly and lime by Susan Hilferty, clever lighting by Kenneth Posner, intense sound by Tony Meola and orchestration in great songs like “Popular” and "Defying Gravity” by William David Brown, “Wicked” offers a bounty of excitement for the whole family.

The “happily ever after” is not destined to triumph and here loyalties are tested and power becomes too tempting a prize. Nessarose, Elphaba’s younger sister, offers insights into herself and her big sister. As Nessa, she is crippled, in a wheel chair, selfish and self-centered. She desires more out of life and she is embarrassed by having a sister who is green. Wanting desperately to be normal, she blames Elphaba for all her problems. As Nessarose, she becomes the governor of Munchkinland and uses her magic powers to control her subjects. By turning to the dark side, Nessa earns the title of Wicked Witch of the East and Dorothy’s home eventually falls on her, crushing her until only her famous silver slippers remain. The slippers turn ruby later on.

Nessarose (Tara Kostmayer) understands how in seeking love and being thwarted, she becomes evil and totally misunderstood. In falling in love with Boq ( Kyle McArthur), a munchkin, she abuses her powers and ends up destroying herself.

For tickets to “Wicked” ($76 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at https://bushnell.org/shows-concerts. Performances are Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 2 p.m.on some dates and 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.

Grab your magic broomstick, don something green to wear and defy gravity at what Entertainment Weekly calls “the best musical of the decade.”

CENTER STAGE IN SHELTON DELIGHTS WITH "THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG"

Did you ever have a day, from morning to midnight, where nothing went right? From the moment the alarm clock failed to ring, your electric toothbrush doesn’t brush, and the milk for your favorite cereal goes sour, your day goes progressively down hill.

Imagine you are part of a theater troupe, the Cornley Drama Society, engaged in putting on a play “The Murder at Haversham Manor,” and they discover that they are trapped in “The Play That Goes Wrong” until Sunday, April 28. Come meet the talented troupe at Center Stage in Shelton where it all falls apart so beautifully. Before the action even begins Winston the golden lab goes missing. Did you see him? One minute later, the mantle on the fireplace collapses and a prominent portrait falls off the wall. Do you have your tool box ready?

“The Play That Goes Wrong” by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields is a hoot of a farce as the poor unsuspecting cast tries to adjust to all the disasters that manifest and multiple by the minute. Come cheer on Melanie Byron, Hunter Smith, Terrance J. Peters, Dave Kaminski, Scott Sheldon, Lucy Babbitt, Paul Keegan and Briana Dawson as they play everyone from murdered bodies, police inspectors, fiancees about to be married, siblings, gardeners and housekeepers. The set, poised to fall apart in front of your disbelieving eyes, is the main character and should be applauded for its unpredictability.

Under the skilled direction of Betsy Kelso, the action is constant and a delightful and frightening surprise. Here timing is everything and the cast has to be on their toes and heads to master the intricate plot. Sometime the story is like a record stuck at one spot, sometimes the scotch drinks get out of control, often doors refuse to open and snow comes flying in every direction.The big question is who murdered Charles Haversham and who will be next? Come delight in the action and the mishaps that keep tumbling into the fray.

For tickets ($18-36), call Center Stage, 54 Grove Street, Shelton at 203-225-6079 or online at www.centerstageshelton.org. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Get into the madcap and slapstick action as this farce of a comedy rolls merrily along to laughter, with a few dead bodies in the way.

ARTHUR MILLER'S "ALL MY SONS" POWERFUL DRAMA AT HARTFORD STAGE

In wartime, a lot of unconscionable events take place, too many tragedies occur. What if you are knowingly guilty of one, and for no better reason than your own financial compensation, committing an act that directly results in the deaths of twenty-one innocent pilots? What if your husband or father were guilty of such an incident? Are there any circumstances that could justify such a deed?

Joe Keller finds himself in a predicament. During World War II he had shipped to the Air Force defective airplane parts, aircraft engine cylinder heads that were cracked, for Curtiss P-40 fighter planes, and caused crashes and deaths. Not only did he know he was guilty, he placed the blame on his partner and former neighbor, Steve Deever.

Head directly to Hartford Stage, do not pass GO, and sit in judgment on Arthur Miller’s intense drama “All My Sons” playing until Sunday, May 5. Even though it was written 75 years ago, its powerful message of love and loyalty, honor and honesty, ring with trauma and truth to this day. Enter Joe Keller’s world where that truth is seeping like quicksand to the surface, threatening to swallow his family whole. Michael Guston’s Joe has a lot to answer for these days. His wife Kate, a devoted Marsha Mason, can’t accept Joe’s guilt or the harsh reality that their son Larry is dead, even though he has been "missing in action" for three years.

At their younger son Chris’s (Ben Katz) request, Ann Deever, a lovely Fiona Robberson, has been invited to visit, someone Kate still calls “Larry’s girl.” In Kate’s mind, Larry is coming back. To complicate matters further, Chris wants to ask Ann to be his wife, knowing his mom can’t accept Larry won’t ever return, Ann’s father is in prison for shipping the defective parts and her brother George, an angry Reece Dos Santos, is coming to the Keller’s home to confront Joe about the truth.

As the storm of secrets threatens to explode, friends and neighbors of the Keller’s come to call, gathering in the spacious backyard of their home, created by Riw Rakkulchon. The scene of the confrontation is filled with Dr. Jim Bayliss (Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr.) and his wife Sue (Yadira Correa), Frank Lubey (Dan Whelton) and his wife Lydia (Caitlin Zoz) and young Bert (Malachy Glanovsky). Melia Bensussen directs this drama where Joe Keller, in trying to protect his family and their future, is as flawed as the airplane parts he allowed to be placed on planes. Is there any excuse to profit from war? Enter the world of the Keller family and discover how patriotism can be distorted.

For tickets ($30 and up), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527- 5151 or online at https://www.hartfordstage.org. Performances are 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 2 p.m. Mark you calendars for a Hartford Stage Gala on Saturday, May 11 starting at 6 p.m. starring Andre´ De Shields: Diamonds and Decades, for the theater’s 60th Anniversary. The evening will include an after- party featuring open bars, food stations, your chance to win diamonds, plus the return of Savage Pianos for dancing.

Come see how principles and morality are weighed in the balance, responsibilities to a community are judged, a father’s love for his sons is tested, a Greek tragedy unfolds, terrible secrets are unmasked and boundaries are destroyed as Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” reveals how one family’s conflicts are brutally exposed.

"THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD" AT GOODSPEED DELIGHTFULLY MYSTERIOUS

The famed English author Charles Dickens inconveniently died in 1870 leaving his final novel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood,” without an ending, thus making it a true mystery. What happens to the poor orphan Edwin Drood who is newly engaged to another orphan Rosa Bud and has grand plans to venture with her after marriage to the intriguing land of Egypt? The answers to these probing questions can all be answered to your complete satisfaction (as you get to decide whodunit by democratic vote) at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam by Sunday, May 2. Thanks to Rupert Holmes, the play is now a spritely and spirited musical performed by the Music Hall Royale Theater Company for your complete enjoyment and amusement. The fun begins when the colorful characters start up a lively conversation with you as they spring forth into the audience to say hello and cheerio before the curtain even rises.

Come make the charming acquaintance of Lenny Wolpe who serves as our narrator, master of ceremonies, chairman and major maestro of the Music Hall Royale who entertains and introduces the significant players and their often complicated roles. First we meet the choirmaster John Jasper (Paul Adam Schaefer) who is the music teacher for Rosa Bud (Riley Noland) and harbors an unnatural affection for her, perhaps due to his opium addiction. Rosa, meanwhile, has been promised in marriage to the adventuresome Edwin Drood (Mamie Parris, note her female name) and the two have lively disagreements in their courtship that had been arranged by their long dead fathers years before. Rosa also has caught the eye of Neville Landless (Levin Valayil), who is a twin to his sister Helena (Jetta Juriansz), from the exotic country of Ceylon, and have arrived in London under the guardianship of their mentor Reverend Crisparkle (Paul Slade Smith). Also figuring in the plot are Princess Puffer (Liz McCartney) who runs the opium den with a stern hand, Durdles (David Beach) who is frequently in his cups, his man Deputy (Marcus Montgomery) who guards him and Bazzard (Jamie LaVerdiere) is a clerk. Tunes like “Both Sides of the Coins,” “No Good Can Come From Bad,” “Off to the Races,” and “Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead” sparkle through the show.

On a lovely set designed by Ann Beyersdorfer, dressed fashionably by Hunter Kaczorowski, with delightful choreography by James Gray, enhanced by music directed by Adam Souza, and over all perfection by director Rob Ruggiero, we witness Christmas holiday celebrations and angry and sweet encounters by the citizenry until the moment Edwin Drood disappears. Who is responsible you might ask? And you have the power to decide by voting for the most likely culprit. The crowd of villains is mighty and long. Evaluate the clues carefully and eliminate the red herrings. The ending of this melodrama depends on you.

For tickets ($30-86, and check for special offers ), call Goodspeed Musicals, 6 Main Street, East Haddam at 860- 873-8668 or online at boxoffice@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. and 6:30 p.m.

Come play detective and get your deerstalker caps and magnifying glasses ready as you help catch a murderer and plan a wedding as this music hall mystery entertains upstairs and down and all around the town.

CT GAY MEN'S CHORUS OFFERING CONCERTS OF "PURE IMAGINATION"

For more than 35 years, the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus has offered delightful and spicy concerts on any number of topics, singing selections to entertain and tickle your fancy. This spring is no exception as, under the direction of Artistic Director Greg McMahan, they present ”Pure Imagination"in homage to the magical world of illusions, dreams, and fantasy. You are invited to enter their musical bubble of deliciousness at The Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook on Saturday, April 27 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. and again at the Sacred Heart Community Theatre in Fairfield on Saturday, May 11 at 8 p.m.

These talented guys will be primed and ready to perform in their finery as they spin appropriately dreamy tunes that conjure up all our hopes and promises for the future, what we want on our horizon, where we wish our futures are progressing, how we dream our lives will manifest. Once again they will use a sense of humor to tease and cajole, encouraging the uncertain and unsure to risk taking a leap into the unknown.

According to McMahan, “Whether you’re a seasoned concert goer or looking for a magical evening out with the family, these performers are designed to enchant and inspire across generations. We know that our audiences enjoy a wide range of musical genres, and I’m happy to say that our singers love exploring all kinds of vocal styles.”

For reserved tickets ($35), go online to www.ctgmc.org.

Let the magicians of the CT Gay Men’s Chorus ply you with tricks and treats as only they can, and take you on a magic carpet ride of pure imagination.

MUSIC THEATRE OF CT IS ENTERTAINING "GHOST THE MUSICAL" UNTIL APRIL 28

Whether or not you believe in the supernatural and things that go bump in the night, you're sure to be captivated by "Ghost The Musical" as it flies into the Music Theatre of Connecticut until Sunday, April 28.

The iconic love story of Molly and Sam, Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, in the movie, all mixed up with murder and the magical machinations of a wannabe psychic brought to life by Whoopi Goldberg, has been transformed morphically into "Ghost the Musical." Dave Stewart with Glen Ballard have infused it with stirring songs, adding to the mystery created by Bruce Joel Rubin's book.

When a man attacks a young couple Molly (Allie Seibold) and Sam (Seth Eliser), as they return to their loft apartment in Brooklyn, it is the catalyst that sets off a chain of events. Sam, a banker, has discovered some accounts with discrepancies at work and wants to investigate them more fully. He confides in a co-worker Carl (Matt Mancuso) of his suspicions and Carl agrees to help him.

That night when Molly and Sam are on a date, attending an art exhibit for Molly, a sculptor, a thief tries to steal Sam's watch and wallet and he is killed in the struggle. Molly had just confessed to Sam of her love and her desire to marry him, but Sam shied away from returning his proclamation of affection and never said "I love you." When she says those three words, he can only say "Ditto."

Suddenly Sam is gone. His unfinished business on earth traps him here, as a ghost, and he is determined to help Molly, especially once he realizes she is in danger. In despair, Sam finds a psychic, Oda Mae Brown, (Ladonna Burns) who may or may not be a fraud, to help him protect Molly. He sends messages to Molly through Oda Mae but Molly is reluctant to accept the words she says.

Involving Carl and the police, Molly goes on an odyssey of discovery, hoping to connect to Sam in death as she never could in life. Songs like "Unchained Melody," "Three Little Words" "Are You a Believer," "Nothing Stops Another Day" and "The Love Inside" propel the plot.

Others in the cast act like a Greek chorus expanding the tale: Paul Aguirre, Miguel Angel Acevedo, Scott Mikita, Jeff Raab , Leeanna Rubin, Kayla Arias, and Teagan La’Shay. Poignancy mixes well with humor as director Kevin Connors delivers this well loved story of hope and redemption.

For tickets ($45 -60), call MTC, 509 Main Street, Norwalk (route 1) at 203-454-3883 or online at musictheatreofct.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Pride Night is Friday, April 19. MTC encourages you to donate to their Capital Campaign at www.musictheatreofct.com/newspace.

Discover the gyrations, graphics and special spirited effects that will explode this love story with astonishing results and make this a magical adventure of a musical.

COME TO THE CABARET ABOUT ELIZABETH TAYLOR AT WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE APRIL 21

Ann Talman and Elizabeth Taylor both made their Broadway debut in Lillian Hellman’s gripping play of greed and family battles in 1981 when Ann played Alexandra,13, the daughter to Elizabeth’s manipulative Regina. The friendship established there lasted until Elizabeth’s death in 2011. “The Little Foxes” was a semi-autobiographical play set in Alabama in !900 about a struggle for control of a family business at a time when only men were considered legal heirs. Regina, the formidable daughter, fought that decision. Because Ann was never close to her own mother, she developed a bond with Elizabeth (don’t call her Liz) where the Hollywood icon “mothered me.”

To learn about their intimate relationship over decades, come to the Lucille Lortel Barn at the Westport Country Playhouse on Sunday, April 21 at 7 p.m. for Ann Talman’s one woman show “Elizabeth Taylor and the Shadow of Her Smile,” a cabaret show of songs and stories that will bring this iconic star to vibrant life. These deeply revealing stories matched with corresponding songs show Elizabeth as a motherly friend who helped Ann with dating advice, loaning her jewelry, as well as valuable life lessons. Who knew Elizabeth was a fun loving and wicked prankster who often did such outrageous things as greasing the show’s long impressive staircase railing with Vaseline and made silly faces to break up the actors. You will now know as well as learn interesting anecdotes about this great star in the firmament who was an outstanding part of Hollywood royalty. With her violet blue eyes and small stature, she was a trailblazer.

With Ann’s help, you will gain insights about Elizabeth’s eight marriages, possibly a result of her sheltered childhood, and how she loved them each in her own special way, her perfume and jewelry empires and her opening night gifts to all the crew and actors for every show in every city, and her devotion to the cause of finding hope and a cure for AIDS. Because of her close friendship with actors like Rock Hudson and Montgomery Cliff, Elizabeth helped to establish, as a co-founder, The Foundation for AIDS Research. She did not abandon, as so many did, those she loved like Michael Jackson. Her grandchildren now run this foundation, that has raised more than $270,000,000, dedicated to research and awareness.

You will hear such inspiring tunes sprinkled throughout like “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “If My Friends Could See Me Now,” “Shalom,” “That’s What Friends Are For,” “Send in the Clowns,” and “How to Handle a Woman.” The evening is directed by Lisa Koutrakos with Alex Rybeck as music director on piano.

For tickets ($20), call the Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Route One, Westport at 203-227-4177 or online at www.westportplayhouse.org.

In February 2023, on what would have been Elizabeth’s 91st birthday, Ann Talman debuted this charming and deeply personal reflection on her good friend Elizabeth Taylor, a grand dame who was "famous for being famous.” Come to the cabaret…to learn about Elizabeth Taylor's humanity and authenticity by one person who knew and loved her.

COME EXPERIENCE "A PLACE FOR US" ON JEWISH BROADWAY AT WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE MAY 8

A funny thing happened to actor and singer Ari Axelrod, not at the forum but at Eastern Michigan University when he was invited to present an academic evening on the history of the Jewish influences on musical theater. In October 2018 he wrote a script that was so well received he decided to take the talk/concert on the road. New York City’s Birdland booked it and it launched in January 2019 but then COVID hit. Even so, he performed it in parking lots and in masked venues. Now this one-man musical has evolved, growing like Topsy, and has become the favorite thing Ari Axelrod wants to do.

You have the unique pleasure of enjoying an evening with him at the Westport Country Playhouse on Wednesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. when he presents “A Place For Us: A Celebration of Jewish Broadway.” That night you will learn the what and why and how Jews were so instrumental in creating magical success on the Great White Way, with tunes and stories you may already know or ones that will be a delightful surprise.

With the enormous shadow of the October 7th attack on Israel looming, Ari Axelrod knows the world needs this show more than ever. He recently returned from the Jewish homeland where he felt safer than in New York City, even with the trauma there and palpable pain and grief. All Israel is suffering from the loss of life of October 7th and the hostages who still need to be released, as well as the suffering in Gaza. He feels hearts have been hardened because of this barbarism from Hamas that hasn’t been experienced since the Holocaust.

To Axelrod, people have forgotten Jewish joy with so much oy! He finds it amazing to watch his audiences rediscover songs they’d forgotten and find new tunes heard for the first time. He considers his show “an umbrella offering a look at what Jews have accomplished,“ with a little “Fiddler on the Roof” to start. He only does what he personally loves and can relate to, with changes to the production as the world changes, including deaths of men like Stephen Sondheim, Sheldon Harnick and Hal Prince. He also provides nods to the spiritual and the liturgy, to help the audience acknowledge the origin of this song or that prayer.

For Axelrod, “Our history is not only about how we survived but also about how we thrived." Jewish Week awarded him with a “36 to Watch Award” recognizing him as one of 36 most influential Jews in the United States. When he first heard, he thought it was spam but now he is equal parts amazed and surprised by this honor and validation. Broadway World hailed his show as “genuinely one of the finest shows this writer has ever seen.”

For tickets ($40), call Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Route One, Westport at 203-227-4177 or online at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org. ADL CT Regional Director Stacey Sobel will have a conversation with Ari Axelrod after the show about the inspiration for it and how to cope with the increased levels of hatred and antisemitism nationwide.

When you attend this show, you will be asked what, why and who and discover what causes Ari Axelrod to be so committed and connected to it for deeply personal reasons. He promises you will discover Jewish vitality and how Jews thrive, and the ways light, in the Sabbath candles, Havdalah candles, Chanukah candles and yahrzeit candles illuminate our way. He quotes composer Sheldon Harnick of “Fiddler on the Roof” fame, on its 50th anniversary, with three lines from the musical Ari finds especially moving, “ God would like us to be joyful even when our hearts lie panting on the floor. How much can we be joyful, when there’s really something to be joyful for! To life! To life! L’chaim." Come light your way and be joyful with Ari Axelrod and explore your musical roots and your theatrical wings.

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LEARN SOME LIFE LESSONS WITH THE WHEEL LIFE THEATRE TROUPE AT LEGACY THEATRE OF BRANFORD

Do wheel chairs need and have a voice? Absolutely! The Legacy Theatre of Branford will prove the point with the Wheel Life Theatre Troupe when they present “Let’s Get Together” on Thursday, April 11 at 7 p.m., Friday, April 12 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 13 at 2 p.m. This brand new world premiere is an original creation written and performed by the members who live these stories every day in a variety of situations. These scenes are guaranteed to make you more sympathetic and empathetic about their daily challenges, both the tribulations and the triumphs.

The focus will be on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and how it came to pass in the 1980’s and 1990’s and the brave people who literally and figuratively “stood up” to ensure its passage. These are civil rights that protect those with disabilities from discrimination. The troupe’s personal stories and struggles will be highlighted. According to Dana Canevari, a member of the Wheel Life Theatre Troupe since 2019, the show is “a slice of disability culture. It’s a human right to be treated respectively.” While many theaters do not provide access for performers or patrons, here at Legacy Theatre “there’s room for everyone on stage.”

“Let’s Get Together” wants to inspire understanding to educate audiences with real life situations to underscore problems and also provide solutions. “Even if it educates just one person, they can tell others,” according to Troupe cast member Wynter Knudsen.

For tickets ($15), call the Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Island Road, Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at LegacyTheatreCT.org.

Let your eyes be opened and your heart by educated by this amazing group of thespians the Wheel Life Theatre Troupe, and be inspired by all the understanding you gain on elevating the quality and dignity of life for us all.

DELIGHT IN THE MAGIC AND THE MUSIC OF THE EVERLY BROTHERS AT IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

Ben Hope and Eric Anthony are new proud papas in real time as well as the creators and directors of an innovative tribute celebrating the music and stories of the Everly Brothers, being showcased until Sunday, April 28 at the Ivoryton Playhouse in “EVERLY The Music of The EVERLY BROTHERS." Sit back and start tapping your feet and snapping your fingers as these two clever and talented men take you on a journey to delight and entertain you. Two long time friends, they took on this challenge during the pandemic to write a show and you are sure to love their perfect product.

The lively and energetic tunes of the Everly Brothers began decades ago in Iowa with their musical family, on a radio show, and was encouraged by a friend Chet Adkins. Once they traveled to Nashville, they finally landed a contract with a small studio Cadence Records who handed them a song, “Bye. Bye, Love” that had already been rejected by 30 acts, including Elvis, and these young whipper-snappers turned it into a Number One hit. Writing their own songs and using the creations of Felice and Boudreaux Bryant and others, they went on to influence the likes of the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the Bee Gees, the Beach Boys and Simon and Garfunkel. In 2015 Rolling Stones ranked them as Number One on their 20 Greatest Duos of All Time.

Whether they are singing about Claudette, Mary, Jenny, Cathy, Lucille or Little Susie, they rock, combining rockabilly, rock ’n roll, country and pop in a pleasing harmony on steel-string acoustic guitars that made them so special. Ben and Eric share a plethora of great tunes, combined with a wealth of information about their lives, that is guaranteed to tell the whole story, even the troubles with addictions that stopped their performance parade for years. Come hear more than two dozen hits like “All I Have To Do Is Dream,” “Take a Message to Mary,” “Til I Kissed You,” “Cryin’ in the Rain,” “Cathy’s Clown,” and “Be Bop-A-Lu-La.” My only suggestions to improve this great show would be to include a little more sing-a-long and change the title to Everly Eternal or Eternally Everly. Just saying.

For tickets ($60 adults, $55 seniors, $25 students ), call the Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318 or online at ivorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Wednesday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Come let Ben and Eric share the story and the music of the Everly Brothers, who began at the ages of 8 and 10, pioneering country rock, witnessing the birth of rock and roll, with their incredible close harmony singing, struggling with the pressures of fame and addictions, to teach the world that “harmony is the ultimate love."

FIND HOPE FOR THE FUTURE IN "SANCTUARY CITY" AT THEATERWORKS HARTFORD UNTIL APRIL 25

We are all dreamers but too often that dream can translate into a nightmare. We all desire a home, safety, a future, but what if everything is a question mark and you are responsible for creating the bottom line, the end result, the conclusion of your personal story. For B (boy) Grant Kennedy Lewis and G (girl) Sara Gutierrez their future is uncertain. Both have come to America as immigrants, G lucky enough to now be a citizen, B unlucky enough not to be naturalized. These teenagers are both dreamers, hopeful of securing a home and a place in their new land. Enter their uncertain world thanks to TheaterWorks Hartford until April 25 in the involving drama by Martyna Majok ”Sanctuary City” and directed by Jacob G. Padrón and Pedro Bermúdez, in partnership with Long Wharf Theatre.

What if you faced their overwhelming obstacles on a daily basis. No wonder they cling to each other for companionship and courage. For B the constant fear of deportation looms overhead. Family issues are complicating their choices, with G coping with abuse and B’s mother wanting to go back home. G wants to go to college and B does too, but his status makes it impossible for him. They have a waltz of words as they examine their options, as the light and darkness weave over them. B’s mom has overstayed her visa which make him even more vulnerable.

These friends care deeply about each other. G is willing to go to great lengths to help, even to risking her future and big monetary fines and even prison by marrying him so he can get his green card. When G goes off to Boston to college, their goals get muddled and three and a half years past without action. When G finally returns to set the marriage in place, she encounters a new problem in Henry (Mishka Yarovoy) and the role he plays in B’s life now. How are lies, truths and guilt compromising them in their relationships? Is there a solution that will satisfy all their needs? How many sacrifices will each have to make before any of them has found a place to call home? For tickets ($25-70), call TheaterWorks 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 2:3- p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Talkbacks will follow Tuesday performances.

In addition two public and free talks will be held. the first Border Crisis on April 11 at 7 p.m. at Studio A, CT Public, 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford and the second Impacts on Sanctuary Cities on Thursday, April 18 at 7 p.m. at Center Church Meeting House, 675 Main Street, Hartford. All are welcome.

Be like King Solomon and judge for yourself what are the best answers for this Pandora’s box of complicated immigration issues that deserve our attention and solution, today more than ever before.

COME VOTE FOR "RANDY RAINBOW FOR PRESIDENT" AT THE SHUBERT THEATRE APRIL 27

If you are fortunate enough (or unfortunate enough) to be born with a name like Randy Rainbow, you may seem destined to be a show business star. Though his German ancestors had a family name in the old country of Regenbogen, his birth certificate is officially colorful and exotic, even if that elusive pot of gold took decades to materialize.

For a shy, introverted boy who was gay, he was teased and bullied as a lad and it took decades for him to emerge as a beautiful butterfly from his cocoon to become the writer, comedian, video producer, singer, actor, editor and talented technician he is today. To bathe in his genius, plan to attend “Randy Rainbow for President” at New Haven’s Shubert Theatre on Saturday, April 27 at 7:30 p.m. for an evening of inspired parody and shtick courtesy of the man himself with all the red, white and blue humor of the times.

Randy Rainbow has raised political parody to an art form. In his New York apartment, he originates videos with his unique ideas, with songs and commentary about people he admires like Barbra Streisand and politicians he deems unworthy to hold office. His creativity and characterizations are clever and on target, hysterical and hilarious, all the product of his imagination and world view.

Growing up on Long Island and later southern Florida, Randy Rainbow’s father was an entertainer and entrepreneur and both his grandmother and mother encouraged his love of musical theater. This show business loving family provided him with ballet lessons and opportunities to stage backyard musicals. He escaped bullying by classmates with musical summer camps and later by entertaining on cruise ships, while he waited to grow up and gain confidence. Moving to New York, he took odd jobs in restaurants and as a receptionist, notably for a talent agency.

During the pandemic, he felt he was “needed” and made his breakthrough on YouTube, creating a video about being Mel Gibson's love interest, based on Mel’s personal family rants. His decision to create skits about Donald Trump was a big boost to his meteoric rise in popularity and launched his career to new heights. To him, Trump is a “project,” great for his career but not so much for the country. His new best selling book “Playing With Myself” tells many of these stories.

Randy Rainbow doesn’t consider himself a political pundit. He feels he has to go from "truth,” what he feels is right, and dress up in a wig and costume and use his "secret sauce” to live out his childhood dreams. To see him at the Shubert Theatre is to have a “communal experience" in person, as he follows his path in life. He is opinionated and proud of it, providing levity, comfort and joy to people, growing in courage over the years, now with Podcasts where he kibbitzes with his idols and heroes. There is even talk about a show coming to Broadway so be on the lookout for a possible big announcement.

For tickets ($49.40 and up, with two special VIP packages available), call the Shubert Theatre, 247 College Street, New Haven at 203-624-1825 or online at www.shubert.com.

Hop on the campaign bandwagon and vote for Randy Rainbow who has clearly come a long way since his first job in the Big Apple as a server at Hooters. With his trademark pink cat eye glasses firmly in place, he is set to deliver a heaping bowl of stylized shtick uniquely his and his alone.

FOR A HEARTY DOSE OF LOVE AND LAUGHTER SEE FORTUNE FEIMSTER AT THE BUSHNELL MARCH 29

Who couldn’t use a healthy dose of love and laughter right about now? Fortunately for you, the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford is issuing a personal prescription for you when comedian, actress and writer Fortune Feimster comes to town for one night only: Friday, March 29 at 7 p.m. Feimster crashed the stand-up comic scene in 2010 with a great showing on "NBC’s Last Comic Standing." She starred as Colette on "The Mindy Project" from 2015-2017. Next, in 2019, she became the host of the hit radio show with Tom Papa "What a Joke with Papa and Fortune" where they interviewed celebrities and comedians, This was the first live programming on the Sirius XM channel "Netflix is a Joke."

Next up for Feimster was playing Heather on "The L Word: Generation Q," a reboot of "The L Word." In film, she has played teachers, a counselor, a Fairy Gay Mother, a janitor, a paramedic and a coach, among many others. On television, she has appeared on such shows as "2 Broke Girls,” “Glee," "RuPaul’s Drag Race," a judge on "Is It Cake?," and, most recently “FUBAR" with Arnold Schwartenegger as a CIA agent recently retired who discovers his daughter is also an agent. Tune in to her weekly podcasts.

Come find out for yourself how she enjoys riding the gay train, when it is appropriate to wear a top hat, the power of a Lifetime movie, why cakes and eating them are her favorite pastime and what is a Fun Dip? and why are they good for swimmers, among other humorous topics of interest. For tickets ($29.50 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org.

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Let Fortune Feimster into your life to amuse and entertain you and to definitely make you laugh your troubles away, at least for the length of her show and all the way home. She has been hailed for her unique brand of storytelling and described as “affable, charismatic and one-of-a-kind."

CONNECTCUT PREMIERE OF "EVA'S PROMISE" AT LEGACY THEATRE MARCH 21

The Oscar Awards may be over but you have the unique opportunity to witness a glimpse of history, one girl’s journey to survive the Holocaust. Branford’s Legacy Theatre is honored to present the Connecticut premiere of “Eva’s Promise” on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m., with a post-film talk-back with Susan Kerner, a co-producer.

Board a train for the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz with Eva, a mere fifteen year old. She has made a promise to her older sibling that if she survives the Holocaust, she will return to their home and unearth the poems and paintings Heinz has created and then hidden under the floorboards of their attic. When the war ends, Eva becomes the posthumous step-sister of Anne Frank when Eva's mother marries Anne’s father. You already know Anne’s incredible story. Now learn how Eva keeps her promise to Heinz to share his artistic legacy with the world.

Join the audiences who have already witnessed this special screening and sing its praises at the Museum of Jewish Heritage, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and the Zekelman Holocaust Center. Jeff Provost, Managing Director of The Legacy Theatre, commented: “We are honored to have been selected as the venue for the Connecticut premiere of “Eva’s Promise.” This unique and special story, along with the filmmaker's talk-back, will be a highlight of the start of our fourth season serving the Shoreline communities and all of Connecticut."

For tickets ($20), call the Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Islands Road, Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at LegacyTheatreCT.org.

Follow Eva's journey to hope and redemption as she honors her commitment to her older brother Heinz’s artistic legacy with optimism and courage.

YALE REP WELCOMES FUTURISTIC TALE: "ESCAPED ALONE"

In a lovely English garden filled with an array of vibrant greenery, three friends gather for a cuppa tea, to chat about everyday matters they share. This is, however, no simple tea and sympathy party. It is much more like tea and terror when a fourth neighbor intrudes herself in their midst. The mundane suddenly becomes menacing: talk of tables and teapots, mathematics and moron jokes, birds and body parts, careers and cats, is interrupted by an explosion of lights as LaTonya Borsay’s Mrs. Jarrett prophesies about floods, famine, fires, fatal illnesses, and all matter of pending catastrophes. She interrupts the casual conversation with eye opening truths about the world, observations we can’t ignore or hide from, realities that demand we pay attention to at our own risk. As if it is not enough for each of these women to cope with their intimate world, they must arm themselves, like a superhero, to confront issues they would much prefer to close their eyes to every day.

For almost one spellbinding hour, famed playwright Caryl Churchill holds sway over Yale Repertory audiences as she unrolls her version of a future apocalypse in her drama “Escaped Alone” playing its mind games until Saturday, March 30. As these women of a certain age, seventy and above, converse we learn a lot about their lives, as hairdresser and murderer, as fearful of felines, as someone who prefers isolation to companionship, and of caution and concern for what the future holds in store for us. As they sip their tea, they finish each other’s thoughts as only good pals can do. They are smart and funny, sad and wise, regretful and forgetful, and ready to support each other when called upon to do so. Their group rendition of "Hit the Road Jack” is a pure delight.

Come make the acquaintance of Mary Lou Rosato’s Vi, Sandra Shipley’s Sally and Rita Wolf’s Lena, in addition to Mrs. Jarrett’s Angel of Doom’s LaTonya Borsay and discover for yourself who these unique women are and what you have to learn from them. Liz Diamond ignites her special directorial powers to make sure you will not soon forget Caryl Churchill’s cautionary tale.

For tickets ($15-65), call the Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at yalerep.org. Performances are Tuesday to Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

If an apocalypse, one or more, is on the horizon, what can each of us do to ward it off and preserve the world? Let Caryl Churchill brew us a cup of dark tea, filled with sweet sips and a bitter aftertaste.

COME MEET RUTH BADER GINSBURG: A SMALL GIANT OF JUSTICE AT WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE

Ruth Bader Ginsburg may have been short of stature but she was a giant in the world of legal justice, for women and men, blacks, Jews and Native Americans, and children. She was an outspoken advocate for gender equality for anyone who needed a voice, the “left out people,” winning arguments before the Supreme Court long before she became an illustrious member herself. A trailblazer, a member of the Harvard Law School, one of only nine women against five hundred men, Ruth employed liberal views of the law and never stepped back when she saw an injustice. Along the way, she earned a nickname and t-shirts taken from B.I.G. the Rapper as the “Notorious R.B.G.,” had a coloring book, workout book, bobblehead, tattoos, beer 9 (for when she was asked when there would be enough women on the Supreme Court, she answered nine), an opera (for her love of music and her deep friendship with fellow Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia), coffee cups, a species of praying mantis named for her and a Forever Stamp as well as much more memorabilia.

Ruth battled cancer five times, was the first to officiate at a same-sex marriage, was immortalized by Kate McKinnon on Saturday Night Live, solved the question that a hot dog is a sandwich with Stephen Colbert, attended college classes for her beloved husband and transcribed notes when he fought cancer while raising their daughter, earned more than two dozen honorary college degrees and in her chambers hung a sign “Zedek, zedek. tirdof” Justice, justice shall you pursue” as a reminder of her heritage and professional responsibility. Is it any wonder that Tony Award-winning playwright Rupert Holmes would use the pandemic to create a one-woman play about Ruth, a woman who reminded him of his wife who also lost a parent in high school and went to law school while raising a child, someone he greatly admired and appealed to him on so many levels.

To Holmes, this play about Ruth is “a passion project and a perfect fit.” It opened in 2022 on Yom Kippur after he had found the perfect actress Michelle Azar to become this Great Dissenter with elegance and truth, with an authentic, fluid and dynamic script: “All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.” The Westport Country Playhouse will be entertaining Ruth in her intimate legal chambers from Friday to Sunday, May 3-5 for a ninety five minute conversation that is both heartfelt and a little heartbreaking, meeting her as a dear friend who wants you to understand her journey. Laley Lippard sensitively and strongly directs Ruth’s talk to a visiting friend of her granddaughter's in her elegant legal chambers. Please join them.

To Rupert Holmes, Michelle Azar “inhabits her (Ruth) and channels her so authentically.” For Michelle Azar, after securing the role she did a deep dive into what made her tick, to pay homage to her, to honor her, viewing her as a lady who was willing to fight for her beliefs, shy as well as feisty, wanting to get into Ruth’s psyche and portray her with conviction. She calls Rupert a “master storyteller,” who uses music and projections to round out the tale and infuse Ruth’s spirit. Playing Ruth, Michelle feels, has changed her “enormously. I feel more tolerant and patient, wiser, older, humble, even more feisty, like I can claim my strengths. I can appreciate my parents more and it has changed how I am raising my own daughters, one almost 19 and the other 23. Ruth has been a gift.”

Michelle hopes audiences will gain admiration and respect for Ruth and learn each of us can do something to make the world a better place to live. She feels work has to be done, to make a peaceful protest for change. She loves Connecticut and is anxious to welcome spring here soon.

For tickets ($45-55), call the Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Power Court, Westport at 203-227-4177 or online at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org or https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/all-things-equal-the-life-and-trials-of-ruth-bader-ginsburg/ Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m.

As Rupert Holmes explained it, "I believe 'All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg' will bring together the audience and the gracious RBG in an enlightening and touching encounter with the remarkable person 'behind the initials’ …Ruth…Justice…and the American Way.” Michelle Azar describes Ruth as a “True American original.” Don’t miss this unique introduction and conversation coming soon to Westport Country Playhouse for your personal enjoyment and edification. Michelle Azar will clearly have Ruth’s lace jabot firmly in place on her Supreme Court robes after her nomination in 1993 by then President Bill Clinton to be the first Jewish woman and the second woman ever appointed after Sandra Day O’Connor.

TAKE A LYRICAL AND SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY WITH "CHESTER BAILEY" AT STRATFORD'S SQUARE ONE THEATRE COMPANY

What would you do if your delusions were comforting for you, especially if you didn’t want to face reality? What if your doctor in his well meaning way, dedicated to dispelling those delusions, was uncertain if he were healing or helping or harming you? This dramatic dilemma is at the heart and soul of Joseph Dougherty’s gripping drama “Chester Bailey,” courtesy of Stratford's Square One Theatre Company weekends until Sunday, March 24.

The time is 1945 and Chester’s well meaning parents want to protect their son from serving in the war. When dad secures a job for Chester in the Navy Yard, mom feels this is a gift from God to keep Chester safe. When a tragic accident occurs at work, Chester is irrevocably harmed by a fellow worker and finds his life changed forever, a patient in the hospital. Unbelievably Chester does not acknowledge the severity of his injuries, but, rather, adapts to what he believes happened to him and builds a fantasy life for himself. He takes memories of a lovely red headed girl at a newsstand, dances with her at Luna Park and fashions a beautiful world of longing and love.

Kiel Stango’s Chester believes in his heart that he has found a world he can waltz in, with eyes that are not blind and hands that can hold and be held and he clings desperately to what only he can imagine. When Al Kulcsar’s Dr. Philip Cotton arrives at the mental institution to correct his distorted views, the two men battle for victory. Do both men suffer from delusions and disappointments and loss? Do the broken need to surrender their thoughts in order to be cured? Can this dream girl survive the doctor’s handiwork unharmed? This two-man 90 minute play will haunt you long after the curtain figuratively falls, excellent performances and taut direction by Tom Holehan.

For tickets ($22, senior/students $20, front row $25), call Square One Theatre, 719 Birdseye Avenue, Stratford at Stratford Academy at 203-375-8778 or online at www.squareonetheatre.com. Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. with matinees at 4 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Literally let Chester hold your hands and guide you with his set of eyes to a world he has created that gives him hope, resilience, beauty and, most of all, love.

PREPARE FOR A TASTY MEAL BY "THE HOT WING KING" AT HARTFORD STAGE

If Colonel Sanders has a secret recipe of eleven herbs and spices, so does Cordell as he diligently prepares his culinary offering, for the fifth year in a row, for Memphis’s annual festival. Come visit "The Hot Wing King” written by Katori Hall with tension and tenderness and directed with passion by Christopher D. Betts. The Hartford Stage with be ringing the dinner bell until Sunday, March 24. Get your bib and tucker ready as you sit down for a pile high portion of sizzling barbecued chicken wings dripping with exotic spices and savory sauce.

“The Hot Wing King” is a play stuffed with humanity and joy as it probes the family relationship of two black men, Cordell captured by Bjorn DuPaty and his new partner Dwayne, a successful hotel manager Calvin E. Thompson. Cordell who has moved to Memphis two months ago to live with Dwayne is frustrated he hasn’t found a job already but he is hopefully this week’s annual “Hot Wang Festival” will change all that when he wins the $5000 first prize, that will allow him to open his own restaurant. He has assembled his team of friends, the sports minded Big Charles (Postell Pringle) and the flamboyant Isom (Israel Erron Ford) to man the pots and stove and he has perfected his unique sauce, with a pinch of Ugandan pepper as his secret ingredient, to seal the deal.

In the past, he has used such items as parmesan cheese, a blueberry sauce, crumbled bourbon infused bacon and a smoky flavor charcoal for his masterwork but he is sure he has the correct blend assembled this time around. With his great team line in place what would go wrong? Enter Dwayne’s brother-in-law TJ (Alphonso Walker Jr) with his own set of needs, mainly to find his son EJ (Marcus Gladney, Jr.) who has been straying from the path since the tragic death of his mom two years prior. Dwayne feels responsible for EJ and conflicted on how to protect him and not alienate his new companion Cordell. And how does he do that as well as protect Cordell’s 387 chicken wings? The results are heartbreakingly sweet and funny and proof that love can’t resolve everything but it can surely try.

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 to Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees Saturday, Sunday and select Wednesdays at 2 p.m.

Come follow the boys as they battle their way to the top of the food chain, of friendship, of family and, of course, of love. There’ll be a "hot” time in the old town tonight.

HAVE FUN WITH A PAIR OF "GRUMPY OLD MEN" AT WATERBURY'S SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE

It’s abundantly clear that John Gustafson and Max Goldman have never heard of the “Good Neighbor Policy” as the two advanced in age curmudgeons live next door to each other and have made verbal dueling an art form. For decades they have hurled insults and derogatory remarks at each other with great glee. Do they even remember what they are feuding about at this point in time? To enter into their Hatfield and McCoy relationship, just grab a fishing rod, shovel or a hockey stick and travel to Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury by Sunday, March 24 for “Grumpy Old Men The Musical,” with book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg and lyrics by Nick Meglin. Just think of the Walter Matthau, Jack Lemon and Ann-Margaret comedy film from years ago and the fun will all come rolling back.

Enter the town of Wabasa at your own risk, where winter and ice fishing go mitten and glove, and folks for the most part are friendly and helpful. Not so Gary Harger’s John and Rob Bartlett's Max. The two barely tolerate each other until a new and exciting element enters the boxing match: the enchanting, artistic and engaging Ariel, portrayed by a charming Susan Kulp. Of course, both men set out to woo her, courting her with plastic flowers so she doesn’t have to witness their untimely wilting as well as sweeping gestures of affection.

Both Gary Harger and Rob Bartlett delight in their antagonism and the arrival of Ariel just sets them off to new heights of dispute. Who will win the fair maiden? How will John’s battle with the I.R.S., let by Marcia Maslo’s Synder and her vindictive ways play into the decision? Can John’s daughter Melanie (Emma Czaplinski) or Max’s son Jacob (Josh Powell) help resolve their father’s social distancing? Can the town folk’s helpfulness, like Punky (Semina DeLaurentis ) and Chuck (Al Bundonis) and Grandpa (Len Fredericks) working together help end the in-fighting? Meanwhile the bouncey music livens the scenes, especially tunes like “Opportunity Knocks,” “Life Is All About Livin’,“ “Snyder Comes Along,” and Max’s super sweet encouraging “In Like Flynn.”

Kudos to the entire cast and to co-directors Seminars DeLaurentis and Janine Molinari, music director Richard Carey and choreographer Janine Molinari. For tickets ($45), call Seven Angels Theatre, Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at SevenAngelsTheatre.org. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Bring toiletries to the show to be given to St. Vincent DePaul's Church. Check online as many shows have a specialty party as a bonus. A special 4-show subscription flex pass is being offered for $136, for 4 different shows or 4 for one show, your choice. Upcoming shows include “A Bronx Tale The Musical,” a world premiere of “JBKO" (Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis) and the community musical of “Bye, Bye Birdie.”

Come pick a comic side as you root for Team Gustafson or Team Goldman as they both try to win the prize their heart: Ariel.

WATERBURY'S PALACE THEATER HONORS "THE LIFE AND MUSIC OF GEORGE MICHAEL" ON MARCH 7

Georgios Kyriacos Panaylotou may not be a familiar name, but this Greek and English man changed it when he chose his musical career to a much simpler George Michael. When he was eight, he suffered a head injury that led him to develop an interest in music. When he was a teen, his family moved to Radlett, England and he chanced to sit next to a chap Andrew Ridgeley at his new school, who would become his future partner in Wham! In 1981 when he was only 18 he legally changed his name.

A mere four years later Michael claimed the first of many Ivor Novello Awards as Songwriter of the Year from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. To get an inside, up close and personal look into his life, head over to Waterbury’s Palace Theater on Thursday, March 7 for “The Life and Music of George Michael” for one fantastic night only at 7:30 p.m.

After a sensational Wham! tour of China, a never before occurrence by a Western popular group, Michael began his success as a solo artist. A duet with one of his favorite artists, Aretha Franklin, performing “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)” truly launched his musical mission, after earlier success with “Careless Whisper” and "A Different Corner.”

George Michael was not without his controversy over the songs he composed, like “I Want Your Sex” that was often tamed to “I Want Your Love.” In 1990 he released “Listen Without Prejudice Volume 1” in his desire to have his music taken more seriously. His world tour to Japan, England, the U.S. and Brazil the following year featured his favorite “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” by Elton John and the next year he performed it at The Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert with Queen, for AIDS research, which he reflected was “probably the proudest moment for me of my career.”

In his personal life, he was conflicted by his sexuality and hiding his homosexuality, a fact that became public after his arrest for “engaging in a lewd act.” He struggled with substance abuse and lost his privilege to drive on many occasions. Michael often performed concerts for his favorite charities like AIDS and ill children. He died on Christmas Day 2016 at the age of 53 of health problems. Elton John said of him, “What a singer, what a songwriter. But more than anything as a human being he was one of the kindest, sweetest, most generous people I’ve ever met.”

For tickets ($95.40 and up), call the Palace, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at palacetheaterct.org.

Come celebrate George Michael, an English singer, songwriter and record producer who sold well over 100 million records worldwide in his incredibly colorful career.

"THE CHER SHOW MUSICAL" SOARS INTO THE BUSHNELL

When you are instantly known by your first name alone, and you are surely one of a kind, you should recognize you’re star quality, royalty if you will. Just ask an almost eighty years young singer, dancer and actress, a fashion icon, the “Goddess of Pop," who is constantly reinventing herself: the one and only Cher. How did she overcome a difficult childhood with a father suffering from drug and gambling problems to accomplish the mighty task as the only solo artist for seven consecutive decades, from the 1960s to the 2020s, on the Billboard charts?

To follow Cher’s roller coaster career, her struggles and her triumphs, plan to attend the Bushnell’s Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford’s sparkling and exciting production of “The Cher Show Musical” from Tuesday, March 5 to Sunday, March 10. A trio of actresses will play Cher at different moments in her turbulent life in this jazzy jukebox musical that captures all the drama and delights of her outstanding show business life.

With her partnership with Sonny Bono on stage and in marriage, her distinctive singing voice that adapted itself to a bevy of musical genres, her desire to act as well as create albums, her fascinating fashion sense and her desire to be famous, Cher has sold over 100 million records and garnered awards including a Grammy, Emmy, Academy Award, a trio of Golden Globes, Kennedy Center Honors and the list marches masterfully on. Cher is also noted for her philanthropy and support of the LGBT rights and HIV/AIDS prevention, trend setting, political views, outrageous fashion statements and ability to bounce back from adversity.

Come hear such favorites as “I’ve Got You Babe,” “Believe,” “Baby Don’t Go,” “All I Ever Need Is You,” “The Way of Love,” “Take Me Home,” and more than a dozen more. For tickets ($36-138), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday-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. Come early for ‘Cher-aoke' when you can grab a mic and belt out your favorite Sonny and Cher tune and sip a Max Wine Bar selection from sommelier Brian Mitchell, with your favorite cheese.

From a young girl placed in an orphanage for weeks when her mom needed to find a job to a famous pop legend on television and in the movies, come meet the incomparable, super star-studded Cher.

ATTEND OSCAR NIGHT AT THE KATE ON SUNDAY, MARCH 10

Whether the stars of Hollywood stroll down a carpet that is red or gold, the fashion parade will be shockingly wonderful. The gallery of illuminati will set the stage for one of the film world’s most exciting nights: the 96th Oscars and you can feel like you’re in the middle of the cinematic magic. This event beginning at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 10 honors the 12-time Oscar nominated Kate and supports the Katharine Hepburn Museum and education programs. The evening is hosted by the Kate’s Volunteer Guild and is presented by Jaguar North Haven and Land Rover North Haven. Emcees for the evening are Brett Elliot, executive director, and hopefully State Representative Devin Carney, a Kate trustee and grandson of Academy Award winning actor Art Carney.

For the 14th year, the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center will be going over the top to make the night spectacular so plan your glittery outfit now. Start by watching all the prestigious nominations. Will best picture go to “Oppenheimer,” “Barbie.” or “American Fiction?” Or could the tide turn and select “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Poor Things,” or “Past Lives?”

Could best actress go to Annette Bening as the super swimmer “Nyad” or to Casey Mulligan as Leonard Bernstein’s wife in “Maestro?” For best actor, will the nod go to Cillian Murphy for “Oppenheimer” or Paul Giamatti for “The Holdovers?” Who will take home Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Song, Best Costume, Best Animation and Documentary, and the list goes on. With Jimmy Kimmell as host for the fourth time be sporting a pink tux that night?

Maybe you won’t be at Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood but the Kate has all the razzle dazzle you could want from walking the red carpet, photos with cutouts of the stars, special guest hosts Ann Nyberg and Illeana Douglas as honorary co-chairs who both are big film fans, spectacular food from appetizers to desserts catered by Fresh Salt of Saybrook Point Resort & Marina, a fun candy shoppe for nibbling, a cash bar, a stuffed with goodies silent auction, a bevy of raffle treats, and so much more.

Celebrate the Oscars at the Kate with tickets at $85 and a special Oscar in a Box if you want to celebrate at home. Call 860-510-0453 or go online at www.thekate.org. The event is sponsored by H & R Block of Old Saybrook, Comcast, FromYouFlowers.com, WMNR Fine Arts Radio, Stratton Partners Advertising, Grey Ledge Advisors, Patricia Lynn Toner and Saybrook Point Resort & Marina. Oscar Night takes place at the Kate at 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook.

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Add sparkle to the advent of spring by supporting the good works of the Kate and having a wonderful evening in the process.

"MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET" AT ACT OF CT: PRICELESS

Rock ’n Roll history was recorded for prosperity one fine day almost eight decades ago and you have the great pleasure and privilege of being in the ACT studio when it is recreated once again. Don't miss the joy and excitement!

Is your music wedded to the 1950's? Do you identify with swivel hips and wild gyrations? Would you like to return to yesterday for your listening and dancing pleasures? If so, then do I have a musical marathon designed just for you. The date is December 4, 1956 and the sacred place is Memphis, Tennessee at a small recording studio named Sun Records run by Sam Phillips. On that memorable day four icons of the music world wander in and Mr. Phillips, the Father of Rock 'n Roll, realizes the significance of that event.

ACT of CT in Ridgefield invites you to be front and center at Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux's "Million Dollar Quartet" rocking the rafters until Saturday, March 23 when Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley perform an impromptu jam session, one that was smokin' hot and unforgettable. "Million Dollar Quartet" recreates that one and only legendary day in the history of rock 'n roll.

Think of it as a personal playlist of your favorite hits as these great tunes come tumbling out. Listen to "Great Balls of Fire," "Sixteen Tons," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On," "Hound Dog," "Folsom Prison Blues," "I Walk the Line," "Long Tall Sally" and "See You Later, Alligator,” and lots more. You’ll be speechless with delight!

Carl Perkins (Christopher Wren) had come to Sun Records that day with his brother Jay (Nathan Yates Douglass) and Fluke (Matt Spencer) as back up and Sam Phillips, (Bart Shatto) the owner of Sun, added Jerry Lee Lewis, (Nat Zegree) a recent acquisition, to the mix as pianist. When Elvis Presley (Alessandro Gian Viviano) dropped by with his girlfriend (Megan Reinking), he added his voice to the cauldron and it was the final arrival of Johnny Cash (Scott Moreau) that made the magical witch's brew complete.

These guys, all at different stages of music fame, sat down and sang like a group of old friends, without rehearsals or formal plans, and Cowboy Jack Clement, the engineer, was smart enough to record it. There were jealousies and recriminations among the four, but music was the uniting element that made the day so memorable. It happened that day and never again.

Country music, rockabilly and rock 'n roll merge and marry as these fellows sing just for the pure pleasure of the sound. For Sam Phillips, these four men were like his four sons and this show reveals a lot about their relationship, where they came from and where they were going. Sam gave each of them their chance and then promoted them to fame and success. It is a sensational staged recreation of the actual event. Director Hunter Foster brings us front and center to the excitement on a versatile studio set designed by Josh Smith. Jeff Sherwood's sound rocks, under the sizzling lighting by Kirk Bookman and the costume and wigs by Lauren T. Roark.

For tickets ($79, senior, student, military $71), call ACT, 36 Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield at 475-215-5497 or online at actofct.org. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Purchase a $50 raffle ticket to a glorious Viking River Cruise for 2 from Expedia Cruises and Viking valued up to $7798 being sold until March 24 at all performances. On June 7, ACT will hold a GALA from 6 p.m. on, go to actofct.org/gala for more information. Watch for “Kicky Boots” strutting in May 23 to June 16.

Prepare for an explosion and fireworks as this quartet hits all the right notes, with fancy flying fingers on guitars, bass, drums and piano, and voices close to heaven. Come and enjoy every perfect moment. These guys are great! Oh, what a night!

"CRY IT OUT" AS THE JOYS AND PANGS OF CHILDBIRTH EMERGE

There can be few more life-altering occasions then welcoming a baby into your world. Creating a family is exciting, overwhelming, rewarding and, in mostinstances, an experimental learning trial depending on how well prepared you are for the changes that occur. It’s kind of a ready-or-not event.

Without the pains of childbirth, the New Haven Theater Company invites you to “Cry It Out” by Molly Smith Metzler, directed by Marty Tucker, weekends until Saturday, March 2, which takes us literally out of the warm comforting womb and into the realities of birth. Two new moms, with no one but their babies to coo to, meet over melons at Stop and Shop. Their instant recognition of need for support brings them to their shared backyard for more than friendship: a sisterhood. Deena Nicol-Blifford’s sassy Lina with her frazzled home life and economical needs is a wonderful contrast to Jenny Schuck’s privileged lawyer/mom Jessie, yet the two snap together faster than a small size infant onesie.

Jessie had a traumatic time at delivery that makes going back to the corporate world virtually impossible. How can she leave Allison, her miracle child? Lina, for all her smart wit, is terrified to leave her Max with her almost mother-in-law who drinks and lies about it. But she has no choice financially.

Enter into the backyard koffee klatch Ruben Ortiz as Mitchell who literally lives above them on a cliff of wealthy homes. His wife, Melissa Andersen’s Adrienne, is a successful jewelry designer who seems to be having great difficulty bonding emotionally to motherhood. He wants Jessie and Lina to help her cope.

Molly Smith Metzler writes from personal experience as a new mom so you will identify with many of the issues. The title refers to the practice of letting babies “cry it out” when put to sleep. For tickets ($20), go online to www.newhaventheatercompany.com. Check performances at the English Building Market, 839 Chapel Street, New Haven Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday at 8 p.m. Come a little early and browse all the shelves of the market before you settle in the back in the theater’s intimate setting.

Explore the pangs and joys of motherhood, counting ten precious fingers and toes, hugging powder scented little ones, changing countless diapers, sleepless nights and adjusting to life with a miraculous gift. Let this talented quartet create a world well worth remembering.

MUSIC THEATRE OF CT UNDRESSES “THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE"

Whether you’re a surgeon or a hair dresser, a teacher or a librarian, some times your profession finds you. Earning a living by impersonating The King, Elvis Presley, is not the easiest way to pay the bills, but for young show biz performer, Clint Hromsco’s Casey, it is all he knows how to do. In the world of entertainment, an actor can transform from one character or persona to another with a change in voice, a wig or a costume. With skill and talent, a complete metamorphosis can occur right before the audience’s eyes. When Casey finds his Elvis days are over, he is overwhelmed with financial issues, from unpaid rent to buying a pepperoni pizza on the installment plan. He has a moment of revelation: he must change, his name, his dress, his attitude and his act.

Norwalk’s Music Theatre of Connecticut is inviting you to that moment of Casey’s epiphany in Matthew Lopez’s “The Legend of Georgia McBride” stripping down to its bare essentials until Sunday, March 3. In the hands and other body parts by Hromsco, we see Casey struggle to support his wife Jo, an understanding and newly pregnant Teagan La'shay, with an optimistic outlook and a new wardrobe. With the encouragement and mama mentoring of Miss Tracy Mills, a helpful Russell Saylor, Casey finds himself on stage at a club, Panama City Florida’s Cleo Bar, as a drag queen. Cleo’s is run by Eddie, an enterprising and successfully evolving Scott Mikita.

Enter Georgia McBride and learn that Elvis has, indeed, left the building. With bows to Bette, Liza, Pink and Lady Gaga and others, Casey emerges in full feathers and flamboyant fashion. The drag queens strut triumphantly, with the addition of Rexy, an outspoken and sassy Diva Lamarr, who doubles as Casey and Jo’s accommodating landlord Jason. So what’s the problem with this picture? Casey forgets or neglects to tell Jo of his new career choice. Could he be ashamed of his new enterprise?

While Jo is responsible and realistic, Casey is optimistic and full of potential. With the green light from Eddie, and the encouragement and assistance of Miss Tracy, Casey sees the future through his rose colored glasses. Being kind, wise and dependable, Casey discovers that tolerance and diversity and being open to change and opportunity can be life altering. When he lip syncs a host of great songs, he is just hitting his stride. Kevin Connors directs this peek under the wig and inside the dress of a drag queen, with help from costumes by Diane Vanderkroef, sound by Jon Damast, lighting by RJ Romeo, and set by April M. Bartlett.

For tickets ($45-60, with special seats on stage), call MTC, 509 Westport Avenue, Norwalk at 203-454-3883 or online at musictheatreofct.com. Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Exciting news! MTC is growing with a capital campaign to expand its building. Go to www.musictheatreofct.com/newspace to donate your gift now.

For lessons in makeup, wig styling and drag queen dress, look no further than Casey and Tracy’s dressing room for a behind the curtain peek at a unique area of show business lore. You’re sure to be transformed.

CENTER STAGE SHELTON INVITES YOU TO SADDLE UP FOR A GRAND "OKLAHOMA !"

Howdy, neighbors, have I got a super duper, special show for you.

Grab your cowboy hat and enjoy! There’s plenty to love! If it had been about Michigan or Mississippi, history would have been quite different. If the title hadn’t been changed from “Green Grow the Lilacs” and “Away We Go,” it might not have won a Special Pulitzer Prize for Drama or become the first Broadway musical honored with a commemorative U.S. stamp. If millions of people hadn’t flocked to see it, it might not have been translated into over a dozen languages from Hebrew to Hungarian.

Now celebrating over eight decades of popularity is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s gift to American musical theatre, one of Broadway’s longest running shows, “Oklahoma!” Center Stage of Shelton will be decorating surreys and picking elephant high sweet corn until Sunday, February 25th in an effort to make this a remarkable theatrical experience, one not to be missed. This is pure Americana at its best.

This production, beautifully directed and enhanced by Liz Muller and choreographed with spirit and spunk by Brandy Bailey and Michael “Beetle” Bailey is guaranteed to present the sunshine of the Oklahoma prairie from the dawn of each “Oh, what a beautiful mornin’ ” as farmer battles the cowman for supremacy in the territory trying to reconcile how both can be friends and become a state at the same time.

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Love swirls around the Box Social as Will Parker (Paul Keegan) bargains for the picnic basket made by Ado Annie (Sandra Fernandes) and Curly (John Corraro) and Jud (Scott Sheldon ) try to outbid each other for Laurey’s (Maggie Kruse) offering. While Ado Annie has to deal with the fast talking salesman Ali Hakim (Marc Garofalo), Laurey’s dilemma with the sullen farm hand Jud and the energetic and engaging Curly poses the show’s real conflict in an otherwise sunny and optimistic landscape. A kindly Aunt Eller (Tammy D'Auria) and a feisty Andrew Carnes (Ram Gordon) try to keep the folks peaceful.

Songs like the show stopping title “Oklahoma!,” "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," the lovely duet “People Will Say We’re in Love” and the comic “I Cain’t Say No!” attest to why this show is a classic family favorite. A intriguing ballet poignantly ends the first act. The cast is awesome and the festivities abound with joy tinged with sorrow.

Come early to hear tunes and listen in the intermission to Ike Skidmore’s Otter Jug Band. Also be amazed by the wonderful projections created by CE Simon and the creative use of tables for the cast to sing, dance and perform on throughout the show. The tables can be purchased. Premium ticket holders sit around these tables and enjoy their own box social.

For tickets($18 and up, premium $25 and up) call the Center Stage, 54 Grove Street, Shelton at 203-225-6079 or online at www.centerstageshelton.org. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

If you weren’t lucky enough to be at the show’s premiere at New Haven’s Shubert Theatre on March 15, 1943, don’t compound the mistake by missing this outstanding opportunity to climb aboard the most famous surrey with the fringe on top and merrily ride into musical history. This talented cast will take you on a grand journey, you betcha!

LONG WHARF THEATRE STRIKES QUITE A PRODUCTION WITH "A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE"

Long ago and far away, former President Jimmy Carter admitted to the world infamously having looked upon “a lot of women with lust. I’ve committed adultery in my heart many times.” Famously Rodney Dangerfield built his comic career with the saying, “I don’t get no respect.” These two disparate announcements are tied together with strong rope in a strangely unique way in Arthur Miller’s dramatic production “A View from the Bridge” by Long Wharf Theatre until Sunday, March 10. If you are a lover of extraordinary theatre, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity.

Long Wharf has started a new tradition, matching the play with where it is produced. In an ideal pairing this play about the obsession of a longshore- man is being staged at New Haven’s Canal Dock Boathouse with a view of New Haven Harbor, with scores of seagulls swirling overhead, on a set designed by You-Shin Chen. Come meet the strong minded Eddie, powerfully portrayed by Dominic Fumusa, who is proud of his work ethic and demands respect for how he lives his life. His wife Beatrice, a caring and devoted Annie Parisse, loves him but sees his flaws and is quite aware that her sister’s daughter Catherine, a lovely and obedient Paten Hughes, is an obsession to Eddie. They have been raising here for years and now his hold on her has not matured now that she is grown young woman.

When Beatrice invites her two cousins from Italy to move in with them, so Marco, a grateful Antonio Magro who needs to support his wife and three children one of whom has tuberculosis, and a young and eager Rudolpho, ambitious in the hands of Mark Junek, who loves to sing, cook and make dresses, the Carbone household changes forever. The cousins are entering the country illegally and must watch their behavior so they are not discovered and arrested. If so, they will be sent back to their homeland.

When Eddie sees the influence and growing affection between Catherine and Rudolpho, he jealously tries to stop it, even consulting a neighborhood attorney, receiving Patricia Black’s cautioning advice, to see how he can legally stop their relationship. Eddie decides Rudolpho is using Catherine to ensure he can marry her and be a legal citizen and at the same time disguise his true sexuality. Eddie’s friends at work. played by Mike Boland and Todd Cerveris, weave in and out of the story.

Storm clouds are brewing and threaten to explode in violence. Eddie, in clinging to his demand for respect and control, commits an act destined to change lives. Catherine tries to declare her independence while Beatrice recognizes her fate and the condemning truth. The cousins are forced to watch their new worlds implode. This drama directed by James Dean Palmer will sear your brain with its stranglehold for a long time to come.

For tickets ($49-59, K-12 $0, college $10), call Long Wharf Theatre at 203-693-1486 or online at boxoffice@longwharf.org. Performances are Wednesday at 7 p.m., Thursday at 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Do not miss this tale of family, connections, immigration, home and the needs for control, respect and love and how this cauldron can boil out of its vessel instead of simply simmering with a mixture of flavors seasoned to taste.

DISCOVER THE TREASURE HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT IN "THE GARBOLOGISTS"

Whether you call them sanitation workers, trash men, refuse scientists, garbage men or by the more loftier term of garbologists, the people who collect your discards perform a most necessary task each week. They diligently take away items of paper and plastic, broken debris, discarded waste, that you no longer need or want, and carry it for burial at a dump site. Your trash men can clearly translate your junk into their newly discovered treasure. Have you ever thought about these dedicated servants? Have their lives ever intrigued your imagination? What are their backgrounds and their stories?

For a multitude of answers, follow the garbage truck directly to TheaterWorks Hartford by Sunday, February 25 for an intimate peek inside the vehicle in question as Lindsay Joelle's “The Garbologists” reveals the new relationship of veteran worker Danny, a dedicated to his job Jeff Brooks, as he explains in great detail the workings of his profession to recently hired Marlowe, created by Bebe Nicole Simpson.

As partners, Danny and Marlowe seem on the surface to be worlds apart. Yet, layer by layer, like a newly peeled onion, the audience is privileged to uncover their stories, that Danny is a father who is not allowed to see his son and Marlowe has lost her son to cancer. Danny has been a garbage man for years and lost the respect of his co-workers while Marlowe has significant college literary degrees that make her choice of occupation a mystery. How their lives cross in significant ways is at the heart and humanity of the play and is well worth unraveling.

Rob Ruggiero skillfully directs these talented actors to reveal how life has treated them and why they will forever be connected. For tickets ($25-70), call TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl Street, Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at twhartford.org. Performance are Tuesday (with beer and pizza before) at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Come early or stay late for a delicious cup of Mezzie’s ice cream.

Learn a lesson that these people who risk their lives keeping your streets and homes clean are too often viewed as invisible, yet they perform a necessary task that deserves our gratitude and respect and certainly appreciation.

WARM UP TO THE MAGIC OF "DISNEY FROZEN " AT THE BUSHNELL

Hands are especially wonderful for hugs. They are also quite useful for gripping knives, forks and spoons for eating, holding a five card straight in poker, embracing hands to dance a tango, writing illuminating lines of poetry, and any number of necessary every day tasks But what might you do if your hands were a source of danger, so powerful you had to wear gloves to protect others from your potential potency. Is it a curse, a hex or a magical gift?

To discover the answer, venture to the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford to fall under the spell of the captivating musical “Disney FROZEN” until Sunday, February 18,with music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and book by Jennifer Lee, based on the original movies. Like a fairy tale come to life, travel to a land where two sisters, Elsa and Anna, play happily in the castle. Young Elsa is played by Erin Choi and Savannah Lumar and young Anna by Annie Piper Braverman and Emma Origenes. As the two girls innocently play, Elsa accidentally injures Anna with her powerful spell. Because of that mistake, Elsa hides herself from Anna for fear that she will cause her more harm in the future.

Their parents, Queen Iduna, Katie Mariko Murray, suffers from the same fate as Elsa, and King Agnarr, Kyle Lamar Mitchell, travel from their kingdom and are lost at sea leaving their now grown up daughter Elsa to take the crown as Queen. Elsa is now portrayed by Caroline Bowman and Anna by Lauren Nicole Chapman, both spectacular in their roles, both protective of each other for fear of causing more harm.

Enter Hans, Preston Perez, who quickly professes his love of Anna, Evan Duff’s Weselton, who also has interesting desires, a humble ice man Kristoff portrayed by Dominic Dorset who wants to protect the sisters, Sven the reindeer in a role shared by Collin Baja and Dan Plehal who adds humor to the tale and the friendly Olaf the snowman captured sweetly by Jeremy Davis. The special effects are glorious as ice castles appear in striking color. The great direction is due to Michael Grandage, the choreography by Rob Ashford and music supervision by Stephen Oremus.

For tickets (from $34 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at https://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. Encourage children to sign their name on a snowflake to benefit charity.

Your heart will melt as FROZEN casts a magic spell that is sure to mesmerize you with its message of love, hope and beauty.

GO TO PLAYHOUSE ON PARK FOR A COMIC, FEMINIST SLANT ON HOLMES AND WATSON

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? But what if it is stuffed with duels and umbrellas, smoke bombs, skeletons, red herrings, assorted dead people (even in bathtubs) at least a pair of villains and a doctor with a very obvious aversion to blood? Get your magnifying glasses and finger printing kits ready for a workout as Playhouse on Park playfully produces Kate Hamill’s funny and slightly frustrating “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson -Apt.2B” ready for clues and evidence gathering until Sunday, February 18. Be sure you get a good night’s sleep before you venture forth as the speed of the action and dialogue is full fast forward.

An American doctor desperately needs a change of scene and she innocently enters the apartment of one Sherlock Holmes, yes it can be a female name without surcombing to Shirley, to rent a space as a roommate. Kelly Letorneau’s Joan Watson is spunky and adventurous enough that she doesn’t run screaming at the first sight of adversity when the accommodating landlady Mrs. Hudson, a fast talking Megan McDermott, first opens the apartment door. The audience already knows it is in for an interesting encounter when Nick Nudler lays the groundwork for an unusual series of events soon to transpire.

Think mayhem and merriment and chaos and comedy. Enter the enigmatic master detective played by an intriguing Kirsten Peacock and the game is quite quickly afoot. Soon bodies are splayed and displayed all over London and Holmes and Watson are awash in victims with plenty of clues to examine. To add a bit of mystery to the confusion, Nudler and McDermott assume various villains from Holmes’ past to add an urgency to finding solutions. Thanks to Kelly O’Donnell’s clever direction, on Lindsey G. Fuori's charming set, with a playroom of playful props assembled by Amber Gebert Goldsmith, in addition to a lobby full of footsteps to set up the plot, this production is delightful detective distraction.

For tickets ($42.50 for seniors, students and military on tiers, to $55.00 ), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860- 523-5900, ext. 10 or online at playhouseonpark.org. Performances are Tuesday at 2 p.m., 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 2 p.m. followed by a talkback with the cast.

On Sunday, February 18 from 6-9 p.m., Tracy and Darlene, two of the theater’s artistic directors, are celebrating their birthdays and you are invited. The caveat is that you must bring them a gift from the Playhouse’s Wishlist. Fun, games, food and drink will be added to a reunion cabaret performance by the original Falcetti Four, featuring Colin Britt on piano. The Playhouse is also working to meet its goal of raising $30,000 and would welcome your financial support. If you donate $5 or more in February, they will add your name to their Wall of Love.

Who said murder can’t be fun? Don your deerstalker cap and jump feet first into the fray!

GO TO HARTFORD STAGE TO HELP "SIMONA'S SEARCH"

Life is complicated and messy, even if you believe there are no deep secrets to discover in your family’s past. For a young girl Simona, a curiously obsessed Alejandra Escalante, an incident at the first sleepover for her girl friends starts her on a journey of unfolding all the secrets that her father Papi, a stubbornly silent Al Rodrigo, is shielding her from. His past in Latin America is his business and not hers, as he guards it from her prying eyes. Hartford Stage is offering this world premiere production “Simona’s Search” by Martin Zimmerman until Sunday, February 11and you will be quickly swept along in her imagination and trauma.

Simona and Papi share a dedicated love for all things science, as he compulsively clips articles he thinks will spark her love of learning. Their tiny apartment is stacked with boxes meant to inspire her knowledge. While he openly offers Simona these educational moments to treasure, he is compulsively quiet about any facts of his childhood before he immigrated to America.

With her scientific mind on high alert, Simona knows that dark shadows frame his past, disturbing events that are affecting him emotionally and physically and she feels compelled to know the answers. Along the way she meets Christopher Bannow’s Jake who shares her love of learning and tries through his love for her to help her through the mental health crisis she has created for herself.

This is a compelling tale that will capture your sympathy and concern as you watch Simona risk everything for the answers. Her genetic research threatens to overwhelm her mind as she refuses to stop her search. Go on this journey with her and learn if she ever unlocks the mysterious clues she seeks so compulsively, thanks to the fine direction by Melia Bensussen.

For tickets ($30 and up), call the Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at boxoffice@hartfordstage.org. Performances are Tuesday to Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., with matinees on Saturday and Sunday and a select Wednesday at 2 p.m.

We are all curious about our family’s history and heritage but Simona carries that quest to great lengths to help her Papi deal with his demons and finally put them to rest.

SKI INTO GOODSPEED FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS FOR WINTER DELIGHTS

For some people, winter signals a time for sledding, skating, snowboarding and snowman making. For others, like me, the highlight of the cold weather months is a special weekend, this year Friday to Sunday, January 12-14, when music theater lovers gather in East Haddam for the 2024 Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals. Come join this magical celebration. Hopefully the weatherman will cooperate and there will be no need for snow shoes or skis, just for open hearts and minds to the wonders that musical theater offers in abundance.

For the 18th year, Goodspeed is presenting a weekend with a trio of new musicals in play reading form, a pair pf exciting cabarets, and a whole day, on Saturday, stuffed with seminars, a symposium, a special announcement about the Terris Theatre season in Chester, and a festive dinner at the Gelston House next door as an added option.

First up at 7 p.m. Friday is a staged reading with book. music and lyrics by Claudine Mboligikepelani Nako. Enter the plant world created by Nike, a hard working Black owner of Miss Nika’s Awesome Blossoms, who feels pressure and a growing resentment maintaining her status as a community role model in “Photosynthesis.” When her ancient Volkswagen Beetle desperately needs repairs, she discovers that her car is not the only one with broken parts.

At 9:30 p.m., come listen to the compositions of Nevada Lazano, a pianist, lyricist, composer, professional music director, arranger, and orchestrator, who will share some of his latest works in a cabaret at the Gelston House.

On Saturday, gather at the Gelston House from 9 a.m. to noon, to select your tickets for three seminars at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. that are sure to feature talks by people significant in the musical theater world. At 3:30 p.m. there will be the Terris Theatre announcement followed at 4:30 p.m. by a special presentation and at 5:30 p.m. a Festival Dinner at the Gelston House.

At 7:30 p.m. prepare to be entranced by “Letters to the President” conceived by Michael Bello and Jessica Kahkoska, the latter the researcher and letter curator of the piece. A tradition began in 1783 when George Washington took office for citizens to send missives no matter their political party, race, age or background of their hopes, dreams and fears for our country. These letters have been enhanced by the works of multiple composers for inspiration.

With an emphasis on mental health, and her own personal experiences, Nikki Lynette will share excerpts from her autobiographical musical “Get Out Alive” at the Gelston House in a 9:30 p.m. cabaret. She will also debut selections from her new documusical “Happy Songs About Unhappy Things” which she just finished filming and is currently adapting into a live theatrical experience.

On Sunday, at 1 p.m., enter a world created with book and lyrics by Scott Gilmour with music by Claire McKenzie, based on a novel by Paul Gallico. An injured animal, "The Snow Goose," unites two unlikely people in friendship as they try to restore it to flight. A young girl Fritha bonds with Rhayader, a recluse, as the threat of a world war looms ever closer.

At 3:30 p.m., the weekend will culminate in a fascinating discussion by the three sets of composers on the sources of their work, the inspirations and challenges in a question and answer forum.

A Festival Package for $100 can be purchased that includes a ticket for all three staged readings, three seminars, a symposium, the Terris Theatre announcement, and meet the writers. You can add the festival dinner at Gelston House for $42, and either of the cabarets for $15. Single tickets for the readings are $30, students $15. Call the Goodspeed box office at 860-873-8668 to order. Friends of the Festival can also be purchased for $500 by calling 860-873-8664, ext. 366.

Make the Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals the highlight of your winter season as you ski, sled, snow shoe or snowboard into musical theater heaven.