BEWARE "BEETLEJUICE" IS ON THE LOOSE AT THE BUSHNELL

If there was ever a need to put in an emergency call for a team of ghostbusters, this newest offering at Hartford’s Center for the Performing Arts at the Bushnell is surely the occasion. What if you bought a new home, experienced an untimely death and were trapped as ghosts there for an eternity? To eliminate the next unsuspecting occupants from moving in on your territory, how might you cope? You might be forced to take drastic measures. Let the trusty resources in “Beetlejuice”, with music and lyrics by Eddie Perfect and book by Scott Brown and Anthony King, provide some possible solutions until Sunday, June 2.

Think about celebrating Halloween in May. “Beetlejuice The Musical” literally starts with a huge bang as Justin Collette’s Beetlejuice commands center stage, a glorious position he never relinquishes for one cotton pickin’ moment. With fiendish energy and devilish style, he thrusts his wishes on everyone in his realm, allowing no one to refuse his entreaties or fail to follow his power and authority. The first victims to feel his dictatorship are the unsuspecting couple Barbara (Megan McGinnis) and her husband Adam (Will Burton) who accidentally die after purchasing their dream home where Beetlejuice resides.

Rather reluctantly Barbara and Adam fall under Beetlejuice’s convincing spell and agree to provide a less than welcoming floor mat to the newest residents of the quite creepy residence when Charles (Jesse Sharp), his distraught teenage daughter Lydia (Isabella Esler) who has just lost her mother and Charles’ s employee and new mistress Delia (Sarah Litzsinger) establish residency. This unhappy trio is coping with a lot of issues and now Beetlejuice is on the scene causing havoc and a new level of chaos.

Will Beetlejuice’s diabolical plot work? Can Lydia find comfort from her mother’s loss? Are Barbara and Adam destined to roam the Netherworld forever? Can Beetlejuice get his greatest desire accomplished? With spooky set design by David Korins, zany costumes by William Ivey Long,energetic choreography by Connor Gallagher and sci-fi inspired direction by Alex Timbers, “Beetlejuice” is a wild, wacky, sexually stimulating leap into a spooky afterlife.

For tickets ($48 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are tonight at 7:30 p.m., 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.

Jump feet first into a world of the afterlife with a conniving specter as your not- so- reliable guide and discover all the unexpected and amusing results of this unpredictable adventure. Hold on to your mop of green hair as you leap and give thanks to Tim Burton for his imaginative and memorable film.

KICK UP SOME FUNKY FUN WITH "KINKY BOOTS" AT ACT OF RIDGEFIELD

Want some funky fun? Do you believe that rainbows, butterflies and a baby’s smile are the best things man or God have created? ACT (A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut) has a few interesting ideas about that. They would love to add a novel item to your list.

Think quirky, exotic, bizarre, slightly deviant, provocative and definitely unconventional. Hold on to your shoe horns and shoe laces because “Kinky Boots” is strutting into town with all its high heeled splendor until Sunday, June 16 at Ridgefield’s ACT. And what a splendid strut it is!

With a powerhouse book by Harvey Fierstein, sensational music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and original on fire direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, now with direction and choreography by Nathan Peck, this winner of 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical is based on the motion picture of the same name written by Geoff Deane and Tom Firth. Come meet Charlie Price who is less than thrilled by the inheritance he receives when his father dies: a British shoe factory on the verge of bankruptcy.

As Charlie walks on wobbly feet trying to rescue the family business Price & Sons, he quickly realizes that the old standby oxfords and loafers are now passe. Gentlemen’s shoes are the footwear of the past and Charlie needs an infusion of new life if he is to succeed. Based on a true story, “Kinky Boots” follows the miraculous transformation that happens when Charlie meets Lola. Lola, a cross dressing performer of spectacular style and talents, can’t find a pair of sturdy and stylish stilettos to dance in for her/his act. Topher J. Babb as Lola is over the top magnificent in the role as he fights for his rights and freedom of fashion with the skeptical and unconvinced Andrew Cekala’s Charlie.

Lola’s problems are solved when the two conceive of a unique plan: retool Price & Sons to make a line of high heeled boots for the mature male performer parading in boas, bustiers and beads. Tucked into every tall and tapered red sequined leather boot (never make them burgundy or they will look like a rubber hot water bottle) is a tale of friendship, of stamping down hard on stereotypes and giving a firm kick to prejudices. This eye-opening, pop-up celebration of life, through extraordinary music and dance, is uplifting and super energized and packed with the spirit of joy. Put on your mile thigh high boots and practice moving to the magnetizing beat.

For moral support Lola has her Angels: Gregory Carl Banks Jr., Tyler Keller, Ty Koeller, Kaimana Neil, Pablo Pernia and Joey Socci, while Charlie juggles the affections of Cat Campbell and Chelsea Zeno.

For tickets (almost sold out), call ACT of Connecticut, 36 Old Quarry Road, Ridgefield at 475-215-5433 or online at events/act-of-cts-kinky-boots. Performances are Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.Additional performances are Sunday, June 2 at 7 p.m. and Wednesday, June 12 at 7 p.m.

Watch how Charlie, with a lot of help from his new best bud Lola, reinvents his business and sends it into the stratosphere of shoe heaven. Everybody say “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!"

THE KATE IN OLD SAYBROOK HOSTS FILM TALK FOR MOVIE LOVERS MAY 23 AT 7 PM

Are you a lover of movies? Is your idea of a good time sitting down in a darkened theater with a tub of hot buttered popcorn and entering another world…of comedy, drama, horror, sci-fi or any number of favorite genres? If so, the Katharine Hepburn Museum in Old Saybrook has just your “Golden Ticket” with a museum talk on Thursday, May 23 at 7 p.m. when documentary filmmakers David Heeley and Joan Kramer present an insider’s look behind the camera “In the Company of Katharine Hepburn.”

Known for their illuminating portraits of Hollywood icons, Heeley and Kramer are famous for creating "Katharine Hepburn All About Me” where Kate served as a host telling her own story directly to her audience and "The Spencer Tracy Legacy: A Tribute by Katharine Hepburn." They enjoyed a professional and personal relationship, a “rewarding friendship," with Ms. Hepburn over a sixteen year period, filming her in Old Saybrook around town at James Pharmacy and Walt’s Market as well as at her home in the borough of Fenwick. Once they had Kate on board with their project ideas, she helped “twist arms” to make them happen.

Do you like surprises, secrets and being the first person to know private revelations? Come hear anecdotes about Kate in addition to stories about notables like Fred Astaire, Paul Newman and Frank Sinatra. You will also see footage and outtakes from scenes that never made the editing cut. The pair have created a book “In the Company of Legends” that will be autographed and available for purchase in the Kate Gift Shop.

This event is available in person or on live stream by calling the Kate, 300 Main Street, Old Saybrook at 860-510-0453 or online at www.thekate.org.

Let your favorite movies and personal stars come alive through the talents, efforts and insights of Joan Kramer and David Heeley as they bring their legends once again to vibrant life for your listening and viewing pleasure. See you at the movies!

LET "GIRL RISING" EDUCATE YOU AT WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE MAY 29 ABOUT SCHOOLING NEEDS FOR GIRLS

We like to think, or maybe deceive ourselves, that all men and women, all girls and boys, all races and genders, the LGBTQ+ community, all nations and nationalities, all colors of skin, all economic levels of existence, are created equal. That, tragically, is not the case and far from it.

To prove that disturbing fact, a nonprofit organization called Girl Rising is working with dedication and diligence to right the wrong that underscores how, in this advanced day and time, millions of girls cannot get a basic quality of education so they can "learn, rise and thrive.” You can join this important fight by attending a Girl Rising event, in person, so you too can stand up and be counted, to raise your voice for change. On Wednesday, May 29 at 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., the Westport Country Playhouse will host this critical event, so you can hear the stories of nine young women around the world advocating to initiate progress and celebrate what has already been achieved. Using chapters from the award-winning documentary “Girl Rising This Story May Save Us" you will hear heartbreaking and inspirational tales from females from Haiti, Nepal, Bolivia, Ecuador and Afghanistan, followed by an international and engaging discussion on how you can participate and help this crucial cause with CEO Christina Lowery and Playhouse Artistic Director Mark Shanahan.

Would you believe that 129 million girls are barred from the classroom and millions more don’t have a way to gain a quality education? Barriers like being forced to marry at a young age, the effects of climate change, living in a place of conflict or being displaced, and the sheer cost of attending a school are obstacles too great to overcome. Come learn how “one girl with courage is a revolution.”

Tragically 15 million young girls are sold in marriage every year, causing poverty and a power struggle, with a greater risk of abuse and violence by men. Famiies exchange daughters for money and dowrys, especially in times of drought, to pay debts and buy food. These brides, without any say in the matter, are literally “masked and muted.” These activists need to be able to state their truth, not be silenced, and end their lifetime of servitude and imprisonment. Education can go a long way to changing their fate.

Girl Rising can provide life lessons for girls, boys, teachers, caregivers, parents and community leaders on a global stage. Their story began with one donor who wanted to create a documentary film on poverty. That research revealed that providing schooling for girls would be a tremendous initiative to fight poverty, by telling the true stories of the girls themselves, to reveal to the world the critical need for change. That was ten years ago, and this year the group is celebrating a decade of progress.Thanks to the United Nations, the International Day of the Girl is held every October 11 to honor the contributions to peace, progress, justice and equity. COVID presented a great setback to advancing the cause, with a rise in domestic violence by men, and many schools being shuttered by the disease. COVID added an estimated 11 million more girls who were missing from classrooms once schools resumed.

Future Rising is an important solution to the multitude of climate change issues, where 80% of people displaced by climate change related disasters are women and girls who bear the brunt of the work, allowing them no time to study and little money to pay the cost of uniforms and books. The goal is to build a network of uninterrupted education, to find champions like Future Rising Fellows Leticia Tituana from Ecuador who created WARMI STEM to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and Dayana Blanco Quiroga from Bolivia whose Uru Uru Team are fighting water pollution and are going to speak at Westport to tell their stories. They are Fellows, 32 in number, who strive to raise awareness as Student Ambassadors, who number 400, who are raising awareness of issues around girls' education around the world. Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan, who was shot by the Taliban for just trying to attend school, won a Nobel Peace Prize at age 17 in 2014 and is committed to being the voice of the “forgotten” is a true inspirations to the cause. In promoting Earth Day recently with art projects, Simeon Kalua from Malawi wrote a poem stating “Nature is hurt, nature is in pain, nature cries and nature bleeds…in silence yet out loud.”

If you are so moved, you are encouraged to join Wings and send a monthly donation of any amount to ensure Girl Rising has the funding it needs to provide quality education for all girls, thus investing in tomorrow’s future.

For tickets ($25.00), go to Westport Country Playhouse, route one, 25 Powers Court, Westport and access their website at https://westportplayhouse.org/6512/6513.

Invest in the future of the world by attending this vital program of hope and promise by giving girls the power to dictate their own fate through education and the telling of their personal stories and actively working to improve the world.

SING A PATRIOTIC SONG AT THE "SWINGTIME CANTEEN" AT IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE

Radio and the big band era are a comfortable married couple. Travel back to the 1940’s, when the Second World War was raging and eyes and ears were focused on keeping up the morale of the troops, both men and women, who were serving to secure democracy. Enter one of the many USO canteens established for soldiers and civilians to meet and socialize, and discover the entertainers who used musical joy to combat war’s chaos.

Ivoryton Playhouse will be energetically entertaining you and the troops until Sunday, June 9 as you glory in the past with such tunes as “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “I’ll Be Seeing You,” “The Rocking Horse Ran Away,” “Don’t Fence Me In,” and “How High the Moon” and many others. With a book by Linda Thorsen Bond, William Repicci and Charles Busch, you’ll be in nostalgia heaven as you enjoy a bevy of songs where you know all the words, can hum or sing along and understand all the lyrics.

With Memorial Day just around the corner, “Swingtime Canteen” is a patriotic play all clad in red, white and blue, a gift to our military and the continued need to protect our freedoms and guarantee our liberty. Come meet the terrific all girl band, dressed in our flag’s colors, led by a fading Hollywood star and mistress of ceremonies Marian Ames, a dynamic Marcy McGuigan, and her troupe of singers and instrumentalists Katie Barton, Kim Bonsanti, Jordan Brint, Mallory Kokus, Claire Marie Spencer, Claire-Frances Sullivan and Caitlin Witty.

With great enthusiasm, these giving and generous gals risk their own personal safety to entertain the troops, to thank them for their dedicated service to their country. Now in London, and planning a series of visits to military bases, they give their best to support the war effort, even if it means putting their own lives in danger. Each of them has a brother, uncle, boy friend, sister, aunt, or husband who is actively guaranteeing a better life by defeating our enemies and defending our shores. Amy Jones directs, choreographs and musically directs this inspiring production.

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 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 24 and Tuesday, June 4.

Take a sensational sentimental journey with these awesome entertainers who salute our soldiers and their bravery and courage.

ELM SHAKESPEARE PRESENTS "WOMEN OF WILL" AT SCSU MAY 16-19

Have you ever lost sleep pondering the fate of The Bard’s female characters? If so, you have a treat in store for you as Elm Shakespeare has a new and novel show designed with you in mind. Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. SCSU’s Blackbox Theatre, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven will be alive with Tina Packer’s unique production of “Women of Will,” an intimate look at the females who populate Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies with humor, passion, poignancy and pain.

Elm Shakespeare’s Artistic Director Rebecca Goodheart will tred the boards for her debut acting experience, conjuring up the immortal themes of “love, loss, freedom, control, violence and power” that mark these women’s fates. Goodheart will perform with Tina Packer and actor Nigel Gore to create figures like the tragic Ophelia who drowns in her own sorrow, the plucky Beatrice who expands her wit to her own benefit, the loyal daughter Cordelia who cannot please her father, the faithful Desdemona who is falsely accused of infidelity, the adventurous Rosalind and Celia who romp through the Forest of Arden,the innocent young love of Juliet who meets a tragic end, and the list of potential players marches on.

For tickets ($40, tonight $95 reception with post show wine and appetizers), go to eventbrite.com/e/tina-packers-women-of-will-tickets-872980356747.

Enter your own personal Forest of Arden and romp merrily along with Shakespeare’s female creations, shedding a tear or three along the way, and gain a greater understanding of the man and his contributions to our literary world.

NEW HAVEN THEATER COMPANY UTTERING A MOUTHFUL OF WORDS IN "WEBSTER'S BITCH"

Being confined in an office five days a week with co-workers can contribute to some tricky situations, a little jealousy, a few conflicts with the copy machine or the coffee pot, and even a missing lunch or three. The words we exchange can have meanings that ignite tempers, provoke controversy, soothe hurt feelings, create lasting friendships, alienate and enflame, all manner of reactions.

What would we do without words? Thanks to Noah Webster, in the early 19th century, we have his dictionary that honored American English spelling in literature and the arts and sciences. Webster did not invent the entries but rather popularized them. He went on to devote two decades to expanding the inclusions to 70,000 words. His editions originally cost $20, 2500 copies were printed and, in today’s money, would cost $647.73.

How weighty would your responsibilities be if you were a lexicographer working today to be accurate and timely with your definitions? The reality is that words can change in meaning with the ways the world works at the moment. The dictionary is the source of most words and the stepping stone for Jacqueline Bircher's intriguing play “Webster's Bitch” making its humorous and thought provoking production at New Haven Theater Company until Saturday, May 18.

Enter the office of Webster’s Dictionary where every day the employees grapple with definitions and the citations needed to justify any updates or changes. These are devotees who love language and what they do. What happens, however, when their illustrious leader is overheard and videoed saying a word both inappropriate and derogatory and the media world blasts it out with explosive speed and reaction? The normally quiet office is suddenly on fire and what do Gwen (Abby Klein) and Nick (Gavin Whelan) have to do to put out the conflagration? Not a fire extinguisher? Not a fireman? Can they use calming words to control the inferno? Ralph Buonocore’s Frank has, in his terms, accidentally called his second-in-command Joyce “a bitch” and further inflamed the situation by terming her “my bitch” and the social media world, in the "Me Too” accusatorial atmosphere, wants his head.

Lillian Garcia’s Joyce has mixed reactions to the slur and is calculating how to turn this unexpected event to her advantage. She never especially cared for Frank and she sees it as a means for her personal advancement. Gwen and Nick are appalled and want to fix the problem as quickly, quietly and smoothly as possible. Add to the mix is the pop up personality of Gwen’s sister, a madly humorous Ellie, played by Lisa DeAngelis, who sees the delicious satire of the situation and makes quick use of its bizarreness. Margaret Mann and John Watson co-direct this fun foray into language correctness and inappropriateness with skill.

For waiting list tickets (it’s sold out at the moment), leave your request at nhtcboxoffice@gmail.com. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., and Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at EBM Vintage, 839 Chapel Street, New Haven, a lovely consignment shop that houses the theater in the back.

Watch your p’s and q’s as the walls and the ears of the world are listening and ready to pounce at the slightest hint of incorrectness you may mistakenly utter.

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE INVITES YOU TO ENTER "THE FAR COUNTRY" UNTIL MAY 18

For hundreds of years, individuals and families have abandoned all they knew, leaving behind history and heritage, to achieve a new life, a better life, in a yet unknown place. Their hopes and dreams are tied up in their prospects and possibilities, that this adventure into the uncertain and exotic will gain them freedom and a realized dream. Risking everything, even the chance of death, they travel into a future that promises much but does not possess guarantees.

The Yale Repertory Theatre in New Haven is inviting you on this perilous journey in Lloyd Suh’s “The Far Country” until Saturday, May 18. From the rural farmlands of Taishan, China to the not always welcoming Angel Island Detention Center, you will meet the hopeful immigrants eager to reach the golden shores of San Francisco. How successful will they be in abandoning their past for a bright future in an unchartered land?

Seeking admittance in America for the Chinese is much like pleading for parole from a prison sentence: you have to beg your captors to free you from your present difficult situation to gain a new status and, ultimately, freedom. Kim Zhou’s set suggests a bleak and unforgiving series of rooms where you hold your breath and pray you have the right documents to show and the correct answers to their interminable questions. Come meet Hao Feng’s hopeful Moon Gyet who has memorized an entire background as a “paper son” to prove he has the right to enter the United States, a false set of facts that he is born of American parents or a child of American citizens. Years before, David Shih’s Gee has endured the same endless questions, after paying his own fees for the privilege, and is now a successful laundry owner who needs an able bodied man to help him.He has focused his sights on Moon Gyet.

The 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act banned Chinese workers from entering the U.S. so migrants were forced to lie, to answer senseless questions, to create false identities. We are witness to Moon Gyet’s emotional leaving of his mother Low, Tina Chilip, and the intense interrogation he receives at Angel Island Detention Center from Haskell King, inspector, and Joe Osheroff, the interpreter. Recently hundreds of poems in Chinese have been discovered at Angel Island that bear testimony to the indignities suffered there.

Again years later Moon Gyet returns to his Chinese roots to reunite with his mother in a tender scene but also to purchase for himself a wife, just as he had been “purchased” so long ago. He seals his fate with Joyce Meimei Zheng’s Yuen, an outspoken young woman who knows what she is getting into and the rules of the game. Her refreshing promise of hope reveals how successful this match made of necessity will be, under the lyrical direction of Ralph B. Pena, with costumes by Kiyoshi Shaw, lighting by Yichen Zhou, sound design and original music by Joe Krempetz and Xi (Zoey) Lin and projection designer Hana S. Kim. This production is poignant, painful and powerful, thanks to its accomplished cast.

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

Let this forgotten stage of history be a reminder of the price, not just in dollars, what many are willing to pay and eager to pay for the gift of being free.

COME GREET MEET LOAF TRIBUTE BAND AT BRIDGEPORT'S DOWNTOWN CABARET MAY 25

A cold meat loaf sandwich on a buttered hard roll is one of this writer’s favorite sandwiches. To eat it at Bridgeport’s Downtown Cabaret while viewing and listening to one of the best Meet Loaf Tribute Bands would definitely be heavenly. Your opportunity to join me is available on Saturday, May 25 at both 4 p.m. and 8 p.m at 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport at cabaret tables, whether you bring meat loaf sandwiches, fried chicken, pizza or any other goodies to share. Just the great song “I’d Do Anything for Love” is worth the price of admission, but this concert is so much more. And you’d better believe it! This great group will take you to places you’ve never known. Come witness the Ultimate Meet Loaf Tribute Band as they perform “Anything for BIG LOVE Tour 2024, as the 1st Place Winner of the South Florida Fair Classic Rod Tribute Band Competition.

The immortal voice of Meat Loaf lives on in this tribute band who are so good you will literally be blown away by their “stunning sing- a- long concert" you won’t want to miss. Starting with Jim Steinman’s 1977 debut album "Bat Out of Hell” selling 43 million copies, making platinum 14 times, a trilogy topping over a million recordings in all. Michael Lee Aday, better known as Meat Loaf, felt he was an actor before being a singer. His appearance in the 1975 cult classic “The Rocky Horror Show,” with tunes like “Hot Patootie” and “Time Warp” were considered flawless. This Meet Loaf band pays homage to both Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf, exploring their genius in such immortal melodies as "It’s All Coming Back to Me Now,” “Total Eclipse of the Sun,” ”Holding Out for a Hero.” “Dead Ringer for Love,” and "Making Love Out of Nothing at All.”

This look and sound alike group will send you up to the moon and back and keep the music and words of Meat Loaf resounding. Come glory in the essence of Benny Israel Resonance and Ariel Eva Resonance lead singers, Lee Kozma and Alberto Pizarro on guitars, David Carrey bassist, Dennis “Bach" Blischak keyboardist/vocalist, Gregory Sherman on drums and Cecilia Royl, vocals.

For tickets ($66.80), call the Downtown Cabaret, 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport at 203-578-1636 or online at tickets@mycabaret.org. Performances are Saturday, May 25 at 4 p.m. snd 8 p.m.. Don’t forget to bring goodies and snacks to share at your cabaret table.

Meat Loaf had a colorful and complicated career, who sang opera and rock, and who credited a head accident in high school for his great singing vocal range. Come celebrate his life and his music in “Meet Loaf: The Ultimate Tribute."

ELI WHITNEY MUSEUM SLATES LEONARDO CHALLENGE MAY 16 FUNDRAISER

Close your eyes. Darkness pervades and limits perception. Now slowly open your eyes. You will easily be amazed by the plethora of impressions you encounter, the swirl of colors, the magnificence of nature, the reflection of life brimming with excitement. Whether you are outdoors observing the sunny smiles of daffodils, the vibrant budding of new life on cherry blossom trees, the wispy white transparency of clouds or indoors observing a bookcase crowded with volumes of adventure, your cat curled in a sun warmed patch under a window or a favorite vase brimming with a kaleidoscope of rainbow hues, you will be suitably amazed by the world you see.

For the grand inventor, painter, scientist, mathematician and all around Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci, light was a challenging property he studied in the sun and the planets, artwork, snow on the mountains, simple shadows on windows and trees, with the human eye examining light in all its wondrous complexities.

For the 28th year the Eli Whitney Museum is holding its amazing Leonardo Challenge on Thursday, May 16th from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. at its venue at 915 Whitney Avenue, in Hamden. Each year an object is chosen as the fundraiser’s theme, a deck of cards, a mirror, an ice cream spoon and artists across the country are challenged to create a piece that exhibits that vision, be it a painting, a game, a piece of jewelry, an article of clothing...you get the idea.

This year’s theme is LIGHT and it is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s canon of creations. The evening will include an exciting art auction, live music and a feast of food and drink provided by the Big Green Truck Pizza, Claire’s Corner Copia, Donut Crazy, East Rock Bread, The Soup Girls, Sanctuary Kitchen, J Cakes, Marjolaine, Black Hog Brewing Co. and The Wine Thief. Music will be provided by Cliff Schloss, a multi-instrumentalist on guitar, bass, drums, tuba, steel pans and vocals.

Proceeds from this unique and special fundraiser will benefit the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop for scholarships year-round for students to attend and learn.

According to Ryan Paxton, the executive director, “ I am very excited about this year's Leonardo Challenge. We already have many brilliant entries! 3 images are attached below. #12 is an entry from Centerbrook Architects Principal, Mark Simon in collaboration with Industrial Designer/Maker Patrick McCauley titled Seeing is Believing. #5 is a work titled Coup de Soleil (Sunburn) by New Haven Artist Jeff Ostergren. This work interestingly incorporates pharmaceuticals in the pigments. (Pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical-infused ink, pigment, hand sanitizer, and acrylic on Ablify promotional notepaper. #4 is a watercolor by Rita Kelly titled Edge of Woods. I especially like the darkness in the wooded area to the right. I imagine walking to the shaded area to cool off on a hot summer day."

For tickets ($85 and 5 tiers of sponsorship up to $5000), call the Eli Whitney Museum at 203-777-1833 or online at eliwhitney.org/exhibitions/leonardo-light.

Come support a wonderful cause and have a grand evening of celebration of creativity, with a banquet of great edibles, sparkling potables, an auction of artist’s entries and live music. Who could ask for anything more!