HARTFORD STAGE SETS "SWEENEY TODD" ON A VICIOUS PATH OF REVENGE

Are you squeamish at the sight of blood? Do you believe in the old adage “an eye for an eye”? Do you subscribe to turning the other cheek and forgiving when victimized or do you prefer exacting retribution?

Are you a fan of turkey or beef pot pies, with their flaky crusts and yummy insides, the ones that warm your tummy on cold winter nights? Might you fancy one in the immediate future? Well, the Hartford Stage in collaboration with TheaterWorks Hartford has a savory saga, a cautionary note for your perusal that you might want to heed. Until Sunday, July 5, a man bent on vengeance is wielding a razor in London for his personal amusement in “Sweeney Todd The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” with book by Hugh Wheeler and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim from an adaptation by Christo[her Bond with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick and it is sharp, memorable, and on target wonderful.

You might ask where do the meat pot pies fit into the story? The answer is that Sweeney Todd has returned from years in an Australian prison where he was sent, unjustly, by an unscrupulous Judge Turpin and his untrusty aide the Beadle Bamford. The Judge fancied Sweeney’s wife and “stole” her and her infant daughter for his own disreputable desires and sent Sweeney away for life.

When Sweeney escapes, he is rescued at sea by a good Samaritan, Anthony Hope. Now Sweeney needs to set his plan of vengeance in motion and he finds a willing Mrs Lovett who aids him in his momentous task.

Mrs. Lovett’s pie business was once a flaky failure until she teams up with a certain mad barber in London’s Fleet Street to create a sensational savory of unusual and peculiar flavor. You’ll figure out the pies' distinctive secret ingredient if you are paying attention.

This is a musical adventure as the barber becomes a barbarian in this passionate tale of revenge. Matt Faucher is driven and superb as Sweeney Todd, the alias he assumes who blames Judge Turpin (Edward Watts) and his liege The Beadle (Brian Ray Norris) for the treachery which led his wife to kill herself and the Judge to claim their infant daughter Johanna (Lauren Maria Medina) as his ward.

Now Todd, played with a steely determination and macabre manner, has returned to the scene of the crime to right the wrongs his family has suffered. With the aid of the lusty Mrs. Lovett, played delightfully by Jackie Burns, and a naval man Anthony (Willem Butler) who saved Sweeney’s life,Todd soon sets his diabolical scheme in place. Complications in the form of an old beggar woman (Carey Brown), a blackmailer Pirelli (Tristan Caldwell) and a wide eyed lad Tobias (Cole Thompson) threaten his plans. Rob Ruggiero directs this involving dark tale plagued with the “chill of ghostly shadows.” The orchestra is conducted by Wiley DeWeese, Ralph Perkins choreographer, Luke Cantarella an elaborate set design, magical lighting by John Lasiter, sound by Beth Lake and period costumes designed by Fabian Fidel Aguilar.

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 Saturday at 7:30 p.m.and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. with talk backs June 23 and June 24. Music in the lobby by Mad Agnes will be held June 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. This is the first partnership by Hartford Stage and TheaterWorks Hartford and it is a tribute to thrilling theatrical entertainment. Don’t miss it!

Return to nineteenth century London, if you dare, but be careful to have witnesses if you go to a local barbershop for a trim or a neighborhood pub for a succulent beef pot pie.

WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE INVITES YOU TO "GET HAPPY" WITH JUDY GARLAND

Francis Ethel Gumm, better known as Judy Garland, is ready to take you on a musical journey over the rainbow, Well, not exactly Francis or Judy but a lovely talented singer and performer Jenna Pastuszek as who has her own fascination with this incredible American actress, singer and vauf=devillian who began her career at the age of two, performing with her two older sisters as The Gumm Sisters.

Called “Baby” by her family, her first stage performance was at Christmas time singing “Jingle Bells” at her father’s movie theater. George Jessel is said to heve selected the name Judy Garland for her, stating “I think she’s a combination of Helen Hayes and Al Jolson and maybe Jenny Lind and Sarah Bernhardt.”

The Westport Country Playhouse is flying flocks of blue birds over beautiful rainbows for a charming visit with Jenna Pastuszekas who shares her love of Judy Garland in the amazingly persona] “Get Happy!,” on Wednesday, June 17 at 7 p.m.. With a focus on her musical talents exhibited in such movie hits as “The Wizard of Os,” “Easter Parade,” “Judy Live at Carnegie Hall,” “Judy at the Palace,” and “The Judy Garland Show,” Jenna will share “witty, endearingly personal stories and a musical gems stuffed playlist.”

At only 4 feet 11 inches, Garland suffered from poor self esteem. Her school mates on the MGM studio lot were Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and Lana Turner. She was called “ugly duckling” and MGM’s head Louis B. Mayer called her "his little hunchback.” Her whole career she doubted she was either attractive or talented. At sixteen she was cast as Dorothy Gale in “The Wizard of Oz” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” became her favorite signature song.

Judy Garland became Jenna Pastuszek’s first musical tribute quite by accident. In June 2019 a theater company in Cape May, New Jesdey called her out of the blue about a gala they were planning and told her she was “just the gal to do it.”Despite the pandemic intruding on its debut, she found the challenge of writing a tribute show to Judy “really wonderful and fun” with the audience getting to know Jenna through Judy. As a history major at the University of Virginia, Jenna knew how to do research in library source material. Now she tells her story in-between fun facts, revealing how their two lives intertwine. In a big band way she takes Judy’s version of “Singin’ in the Rain” and gives it a unique new spin.

To date she has taken her show to 50 venues in 13 states, from Nantucket to Florida, Wisconsin to San Diego. This universal piece has clearly changed her life and she is so grateful as it provides joy. When she was at the Papermill Playhouse in New Jersey she as asked if she had another show and the name Barbra Streisand jumped out of her mouth, even though it was only a thought and definitely not a reality. Now it is. Jenna does a wonderful show about Barbara’s birthday, one she showcased last year at Westport Country Playhouse. Who might be next? Think Bette, Cher, Liza or even a joint show of Judy and Barbra, as the two divas share a ton of songs, like believe it or not, “Purple People Eater.”

Jenna will perform with a full jazz trio, led by Joshua Zecher-Ross. For tickets ($40-50), call Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport at 203-227-4177 or online at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org.

Come learn about Judy and Jenna, how their lives meet and cross, stories and songs that will make you laugh and be quite amazed, and how they both entertain with such joy and enthusiasm. Come over the rainbow with their wings of charm.

"THE MUSIC MAN" SMARTLY STRUTS INTO PALACE THEATER FOR THREE SHOWS

CLASSIC FARE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY COMES TO TOWN!

Seven decades ago Meredith Willson took a story he created with Franklin Lacey and added book, music and lyrics to develop a delightfully devious con man Harold Hill who dupped his victims into believing their town’s fate could only be saved if he, “Professor” Hill, could organize a boys’ band. Thus the sparkling spectacle Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” was born and now the Palace Theater in Waterbury is bringing its triumphant seventy-six trombones to your doorstep Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, June 2, 3, and 4 at 7:30 p.m.

The musical is set in River City, Iowa and is based on Wilson’s hometown of Mason City, Iowa and he modeled many of the characters on people he knew there. Wilson wrote more than thirty drafts and forty songs for the show, originally naming it "The Silver Triangle.” “The Music Man” opened on Broadway in 1957 and for seventy years has been a family-friendly favorite musical comedy. Much of the show’s musical score was considered groundbreaking at that time, equally rich and witty and heartfelt.

The most covered song is “Till There Was You.” In 1963 the Beatles sang it for Queen Elizabeth II and the next year performed it on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Traveling salesmen who went from town to town by train pedaling their wares were not admiring of a man who conned money from innocent folk who believed his lies and schemes, giving him payment for musical instruments, instruction books and uniforms Hill had no intention of delivering. Smooth and fast talking Harold Hill arrives in River City, Iowa ready to once again fleece his “prey,” but some highly unusual events occur.

An old friend and schemer Marcellus Washburn claims to now be reformed and warns his pal to beware of the town librarian Marian Paroo, who is the only one who knows enough about music to stop him. Marian also has a young brother Winthrop who has a lisp and rarely talks, and a caring mother who only wants her children to be happy.

“The Music Man” is stuffed with great songs like “Ya Got Trouble” when Hill warns Mayor Shinn about the destructive influence of pool halls and billiard parlors, “Seventy-Six Trombones” that promises redemption for all the wayward youth, a barbershop quartet that sings at every drop of a straw hat, the grand arrival of “The Wells Fargo Wagon” (an early version of Amazon), the delightful dance “Shipoopi,” and the lyrical love song “Till There Was You” and many more.

Comic complications arise as the Mayor demands Hill’s credentials, his wife Eulalie Shinn gets seduced into leading a ladies dance troupe, the local hoodlum Tommy is persuaded to woo the Mayor’s daughter Zaneeta, and Marian’s piano student Amaryllis confesses her affection for the seldom speaking Winthrop.

What a joy! What a delight! What a great family classic! A wonderful cast of dozens and dozens bring this fun musical to spectacular life. For tickets ($49-89), call Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at tickets@palacetheaterct.org.

Will Harold Hill be unmasked for the shyster he is? Come discover if anyone deserves to be tarred and feathered. Learn that today definitely is a day worth remembering. Come see for yourself how and why it won six Tony Awards!

"WATER FOR ELEPHANTS" PARADES INTO THE BUSHNELL JUNE 2-7

Have you ever dreamed of running away to the circus to join the daring performers who bring this unique art form to kaleidoscopic and colorful life. Just ask Jacob Jankowski, a young man who seems to have lost everything that matters to him and takes a giant leap of faith by jumping aboard a moving train to capture a new and unknown life. What he discovers is a totally different life when he joins a traveling circus and grabs love and adventure in giant proportions. This wild ride offers him more than he could ever have imagined. Now older and wiser, he reflects on his choices and what he has gained and lost on his journey.

Based on Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel that has been transformed into an astonishing Tony-nominated musical with book by Rick Elice and with a soaring folk-pop score by the Indie folk band PigPen Theatre Company that combines 1930’s jazz, bluegrass and folk, puppets the size of elephants and outstanding circus acrobatic skills. The Great Depression is the setting for Jacob’s grand adventure. After a severe family tragedy, he uses his veterinary talents to get a job caring for a menagerie of animals like a lion named Rex and a stallion named Star. He gives his heart to the star equestrian Marlena who is enduring a frightening marriage to the abusive ringmaster August. When a new elephant named Rosie joins the troupe of this struggling enterprise all their lives are changed forever. Zachary Keller as Jacob, Helen Krushinski as Marlena and Connor Sullivan as August take you on an unforgettable adventure in their amazing world in this their North American tour.

“Water for Elephants” is a glorious musical parading into the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts this week from Tuesday, June 2 to Sunday, June 7 that promises thrills, razzle dazzle and excitement. It’s the grandeur and adventure of the circus come to glorious vision right before your eyes in three gigantic rings.

For tickets ($43.50-150.50), call the Bushnell. 166 Capitol Avenue. Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

The Big Top awaits your attendance. Bring your own peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jacks.

LESSONS IN FAMILY LIFE ABOUND IN KATE KATCHER'S ABSORBING DEBUT NOVEL "36"

In the first chapter of her new absorbing debut novel “36,” Kate Katcher introduces the reader to Shellie, her family, her neighborhood, and the problem that has reluctantly brought her home to Brooklyn. Her unusual relationship with her controlling mother Maxine, complicated and intense, pulsates with emotion and challenges. Shellie is afraid to hear her mother’s reaction to her news and rightly so.

It is from her Bubby, the grandmother of the Weiss family that we learn the origin of the book’s title: the 36 people, the Lamed Vav, the Jewish people who in times of crisis can be consulted for aid or simply for conversation. Bubby sincerely believes her husband Sheppie was one of the blessed 36. It was his job not to offer advice but to “justify the existence of mankind in the eyes of God.” These 36 suffer in silence for the rest of the world. Bubby also believes her daughter Maxine is continuing her husband’s responsibilities to be the heart of the world and absorb its misery.

Bubby’s husband as a boy fled his war torn homeland and was eventually smuggled to America and used his artistry as a baker to make a living. He died before Shellie’s younger sister Shira who was named for him was born. Shira is intellectually challenged but has an immense capacity for caring and empathy. This family struggles to handle the joys and troubles that come to their door, all the ups and downs that ultimately bring them closer together, all while questioning their resilience and faith.

Kate Katcher creates a family you will want to embrace and, perhaps, make your own. Jewish customs are woven into the intimate tapestry of the Weiss household as they determine who will be the next Lamed Vav to save the world. Let her welcome you into her intimate realm as if you are one of the many who call Maxine on the telephone to help them cope with a troubling question in their lives. Enjoy the sensitive and sassy, heartfelt and humorous journey with the interesting Weiss family created by the wonderfully colorful and imaginative mind of Kate Katcher.

PLAYHOUSE ON PARK TAKES YOU ON A YEAR OF ADVENTURES WITH FROG AND TOAD

Generations of children and their parents and grandparents have been delighted over the years with the charming tales of a kind and friendly Frog and his grumpy and easily scared friend Toad who revel in wonderful adventures. Now these books have been faithfully translated to the stage for a new experience with live actors and exciting experiences in the forest, on a pond, down a slope, by a fire, or over cookies. You’re invited to take a child’s hand and hop on over to Playhouse on Park in West Hartford until Saturday, June 6 for a surprising encounter with “A Year with Frog and Toad.” What a lovely and fun way to introduce little ones and remind their elders of all the joy these stories that have been written and illustrated by Arnold Lobel serve as fond reminders of favorite fables.

These beloved books have now been transformed into a charming musical for Broadway and beyond with book and lyrics by Willie Reale, music by Robert Reale and direction by Kevin Cronin. Musical direction is by Robert James Tomasulo, choreography by Travis Kendrick-Castanho, set design by Dhruv Patel, costumes by KT Farmer, lighting by Alice Jackins, sound by Joshua Hamre, props by Kyla Madore and production staging by Rebecca Donaghy.

This Theatre for Young Audiences is ready to take you through the seasons of the year starting with waking from winter hibernation to welcome Spring by planting a garden. A trio of birds chirp in their adorable men’s tie costumes, Mia Sirinsky, Yumeko Stern and Jimmy Donohue, to wake up their reluctant amphibians that winter is over. The three will change a gazillion outfits to play assorted turtles, squirrels, moles, mice, snail, lizards and frogs to our delight. Meanwhile Ryan Henzi’s Frog and Garrison Hunt’s Toad find themselves in interesting situations as one leaps up to clean his house and the other makes up excuses to sleep another month.

When he does reluctantly arise, Toad complains that he never gets any mail. Remember that, as it is an important storyline and the postman is a very dedicated but oh so slow Snail. A dancing turtle sings happily about how funny Toad looks in his bathing suit. Toad ruminates on how hard it is to tell if his cookies are ready to eat since his clock is broken. Both friends try to surprise the other when Fall comes. Can you guess? It involves a rake.

Suddenly it’s a dark and stormy night and Toad is afraid Frog is lost in the woods. Never fear. Frog is fine and it is winter again and the two best friends are together for Christmas Eve. They have learned that neither can be happy unless the other one is too.

For tickets ($25 with $3.50 service fee, seniors and students $2.50 discount), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900 ex. 10 or online at www.playhouseonpark.org. Performances are Saturdays May 30 and June 6 at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Also show Wednesday, June 3 at 3 p.m. The play is perfect for Pre-K to Grade 5. The production is supported by The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation, Greater Hartford Regional School Choice Office and Miracle League of Connecticut. Check out the series of Summer Sessions for Children at the Playhouse starting soon for little budding thespians.

Come enjoy the vaudeville flavored humor as Frog and Toad highlight the joy of going through life with friends by their side.

A.C.T. OF CONNECTICUT SENDING "DEAR EVAN HANSEN" LETTERS UNTIL JUNE 21

Lies may be deliberate or accidental or only little white ones, but they inevitably catch the teller to his regret. In the long run they cause trouble. What could you do if you inadvertently cast yourself in a high school tragedy? When you don’t confess it is all a lie, what can you do to correct your immense error and make the situation right? Just ask Evan Hansen whose doctor advised him to write himself letters, “Dear Evan Hansen,” to help him encourage himself and build his self-esteem and allow him to open up to his classmates.

Evan Hansen is a troubled, unhappy teenager who feels invisible and he desperately wants to be accepted, one of the gang. When another student at his high school commits suicide, Evan is swept into a web of lies not of his own making. These untruths have the power to change his life and give him all the acceptance he so desires. Will he use this unexpected and unanticipated chance or will he admit the truth of his fabrications?

Songs like “So Big/So Small.” “Requiem” and “Sincerely Me” propel the action. One misplaced letter assumes a powerful catalyst in Evan’s life, one he quickly loses control over. Deeply emotional, “Dear Evan Hansen” by Steven Levenson for book and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul for music, the musical follows Evan and his need to be part of the community and the mistakes he makes trying to fit in and find friendship.

A Contemporary Theatre (A.C.T.) of CONNECTICUT, from now until Sunday, June 21, will carry you along in Evan’s journey of self-discovery. He works to achieve the life he so dearly wants to live. Will he repair the bridges he needs to cross to become the young man he wants to be? Will he accept the undeserved gift that has fallen mysteriously upon him? Kenny Lee stars as our reluctant hero who is thrust, unprepared, into the center of a drama. The cast also includes Erik Houck as Connor the boy who takes his life, Heather Ayers and Gil Brady as his devastated parents, Olivia Foght as Connor’a sister Zoe, Josh Hoyt and Amaya White as Evan’s friends, and Maya Days as Evan’s mother. Scott Schwartz directs this sensitive tale of searching to end feeling invisible. The windows in Christopher Swader and Justin Swader’s scenic set are beautifully effective.

For tickets ($88 and up), call A.C.T. at 475-215-5497 or online at actofct.org. Performances are Wednesday and Thursday at 7:00 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Evan Hansen is an outsider, always looking in, until a surprise event offers him everything he could ever desire. The Washington Post calls it “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theatre history.” Don’t miss this grand opportunity.

PALACE THEATER ROYALLY ENTERTAINS "ALMOST QUEEN"

Called the most authentic Queen tribute rock band since the days of Queen themselves, get ready to be rocked by the champions when Almost Queen offers the real experience at Waterbury’s Palace Theater for one day only on Saturday May 16 at 8 p.m. In perfect costumes, Almost Queen will deliver a performance with four part harmonies, live energy, presenting one ultimate Queen musical precision experience for your enjoyment.

Howard Stern has stated “These guys are even better than the Queen that’s out there touring.” Almost Queen guitarist Steve Leonard will open the show and perform with his band. He has been writing songs since his first rock concert, letting the music flow. He has a unique talent for blending rock with his reflective songwriting, often including contributions from Eric Slick on drums, Dave Dreiwitz on bass, John Skehan on mandolin and more.

Called breathtaking and authentically “guaranteed to blow your mind,” this four piece band is expert on recreating the Queen experience as unforgettable concert magic. For more than two decades, this group has faithfully recreated the sounds created by Freddie Mercury way back in 1970 in his British rock band. Formed in London, the band originally included Brian May on guitar and vocals, Roger Taylor on drums and vocals, John Deacon on bass with Freddie Mercury on piano and lead vocals. By 1975 they had achieved international success with “A Night at the Opera,” with “Bohemian Rhapsody” and later, in 1977, their album "News of the World” containing “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.”

By the early 1980’s, Queen had achieved status as one of the biggest stadium rock bands in the world. In addition, they were one of the world’s best selling music artists, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.

For tickets ($35-75), call the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at palacetheaterct.org. Plan on attending the preshow in the Poli Club on the second floor for Almost Queen, with pizza, wings and salad and drinks for purchase for $30. Call 203-346-2000 to purchase.

Come hear Queen’s greatest hits like “Somebody to Love,” “Don’t Stop Me Now,” “Fat Bottomed Girls,” “Radio Ga Ga,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” ”We Will Rock You,” and “We Are the Champions.” Glory in these best-loved songs, thanks to the magic of Almost Queen.

IVORYTON PLAYHOUSE INTRODUCES BILLIE HOLIDAY'S PAIN AND PASSION

All Eleanora Fagan wanted in life was a house of her own, some children to fill it, and a night club where she could sing for her friends. Her childhood, however, set her on a path of sadness where her mother was frequently absent, she left school at eleven as a teen, a neighbor tried to rape her, and her mother sent her to be “a maid” at a house of prostitution. From this tragic beginning, Eleanora transformed herself into a gifted vocalist known for her style, tempo and phasing as well as her influence on jazz music and improvisational skills.

Until Sunday, May 31, you are cordially invited to make the acquaintance of Eleanora as Billie Holiday at Ivoryton Playhouse in the moving musical “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill” by Lanie Robertson. In 1958, Frank Sinatra stated, “It is Billie Holiday who was, and still remains, the greatest single musical influence on me.”

Lady Day is unquestionably the most important influence on American popular singing in the last twenty years. Billie sang and recorded with such stellar bands as Count Basie, Paul Whiteman, Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw, among others, often finding the color of her skin an impediment to where she was allowed to perform. Her history with abusive men and her addictions to drugs and alcohol pursued her at every step. Serving time in prison cost her dearly, but friends organized a comeback concert at Carnegie Hall to a sold out crowd.

The damage to her career and to her addictions dictated that she only earned $11 in royalties the year before her death in 1959. Christiana Acosta Robinson is sadly luminous as Billie, as she tries to recapture the bloom on her trademark gardenias, a flower she wore in her hair nightly performing. Musical director Manny Houston portrays her pianist and protector, her main man Jimmy Powers, as she sings such classics as “God Bless the Child,” “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do,” “When a Woman Loves a Man,” “What a Little Moonlight Can Do” and “Strange Fruit.”

For tickets ($60 adults, $55 seniors, $25 students and discount tickets for $30 Thursday at 6 p.m. when available), call Ivoryton Playhouse, 103 Main Street, Ivoryton at 860-767-7318, or online at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org. Performances are Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and ‘Wednesday,Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Todd L. Underwood directs this heartfelt tale of a star, one whose difficult life tried to dim her sparkle.

Despite lacking formal musical training, Holiday, who died at 44, won four Grammy Awards, all after her death, for Best Historical Album, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and National Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, that announced “Billie Holiday changed jazz forever.” She is also listed as one of the 50 Great Voices by NPR and fourth on Rolling Stones list of “200 Greatest Singers of All Time.”

According to Billie Holiday, “Singing in a club is heaven,..,.and the best part of living to me.” She endured racial prejudice and great odds to overcome and reach her goals. Let her velvet voice caress you and her silky sounds and glorious vocals astound you, so you can learn the price she paid for her passion. Jazz historian Loren Schoenberg stated “no one should dispute that Billie Holiday is the definitive Jazz Singer” which nobody surely can deny.

BUSHNELL OFFERS A FUNNY NEW LOOK AT LOVE WITH "& JULIET"

Everyone knows the hauntingly sad love story of Romeo and Juliet, from two feuding families, who only want to be free to love and marry. With Juliet’s faithful nurse Angelica and Romeo’s dedicated priest, Friar Laurence, they plot a lifetime of happiness. Tragically it is not to be and they both die too soon, as if cursed.

What might happen if Juliet survives and lives to forge a new ending? Can she find happiness even if Romeo is no longer her love? Can Verona become a paradise and not a seat of despair?

William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was written about 1591 and involves a long standing feud between Juliet’s family, the Capulets, and Romeo’s family, the Montagues. This greatest love story ever told is getting a do-over and a new look in “& Juliet” coming to the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts this week until Sunday, May 10. Written by the Emmy-winning creator of Schitt’s Creek, this delightful and funny brand new musical imagines a new scenario for Juliet: she doesn’t die for love of Romeo. Instead she gets a glorious new chance for happiness.

With Max Martin’s invigorating pop anthems like “Roar,” “Can’t Stop the Feeling,” “Larger Than Life,” “Since U Been Gone,” “Baby One More Time,” and “That’s The Way It Is,” you will be flying high on Cloud 9 of romance. Can Juliet find a new sweetheart after losing Romeo? You bet she can. Come cheer her on as she begins a glorious second chance.

For tickets (48.50 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday-Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Watch how Juliet magically flips the script and makes Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy into a comedy with delightful complications and romantic resolutions. Get a garter and a bouquet of orange blossoms ready.

"WATER" THEME OF 30TH ANNUAL LEONARDO CHALLENGE: SPLASH IN THE FUN!

Water is essential to life. While it may be without taste or smell or color, it is vital for all forms of life. It is not a source of nutrition or energy but humans must consume it if they hope to survive. About 71% of the earth’s surface is covered by water and it is essential for agriculture, food production, fishing, transportation, sports, and cooling and heating homes and industries. What would we do without it?

The Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop wants you to look at water in an entirely different way. Think of the Greek god Narcissis who fell in love with his own reflection when he stared into a pool of water. The 30th Annual Leonardo Challenge, since 1995, has been a special fundraiser for the Museum, encouraging artists and craftspeople to focus on a specific item relating to the creative ideas of that master inventor Leonardo da Vinci.

This year on Thursday, May 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m that focus will be splashed and saturated on WATER, concentrating on all the ways Leonardo incorporated this substance into his artistic creations.

Come to the Museum, 915 Whitney Avenue, in Hamden for Food and Drink, an Art Auction and Live Music, both indoors and outdoors. Tickets are $85 each, with sponsorship tiers from $250-$5000. For credit card transactions, call 203-777-1833 or visit www.eliwhitney.org/events/leonardo-water. Tickets are available online or at the door.

In past years, the themes of the challenge have ranged from ice cream spoons to pencils to mirrors to buttons to playing cards and clothespins and many more. This year Leonardo’s relationship with water, his paintings and observations, will be explored by artists from all over the country. Perhaps one will create a piece of furniture, an item of jewelry, a children’s game, a mobile, a lamp, a piece of clothing, a work of art, the possibilities are endless. As an Italian born in 1452, he set the bar high, with his accomplishments in sculpture, painting, mathematics, architecture, engineering, anatomy, botany, geology, cartography, music and writing.

To date, artists have contributed such items as Angelic Seraph, Covered Bridge, As I See It, The Spirit of the Tide, Watercolor Postcards, Go With the Flow, and Ocean Bliss, and many more.

What better way to support and encourage the budding child inventors of tomorrow than by endowing the Eli Whitney Museum and Workshop projects today. Come to the Challenge and applaud the unique works artists and artisans have recently contributed. Please support the worthy cause of educating our youth in thought provoking experiences and experiments of invention and design. Just as Leonardo might have said, “In every drop of water, there is a story waiting to be told.” Come hear this distinctive story for yourself.

GOODSPEED PRESENTS A POWERFUL "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR"

Few composers are the equal of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. He was never one to take the road more traveled. Even as a teenager when he was just starting to test out his literary pen he chose a topic less main stream and more creative: he wrote a musical about a boy in the Bible who receives an unusual gift from his father. That became the world famous rock musical “Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

In the years to come, Lloyd Webber continued his unorthodox choice of subject matter by composing musicals about a gang of backyard felines (CATS), a poor woman who rises to become a powerful figurehead in her country of Argentina (Evita), teams of train engines who race on roller skates (Starlight Express) and a disfigured young man hiding in the bowels of a Paris opera house (The Phantom of the Opera).

Now you have the opportunity to experience another record breaking musical about another boy in the Bible: “Jesus Christ, Superstar,” playing Wednesday to Sunday, to June 7 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam.

Composed by Lloyd Webber with Tim Rice, this over five decade old musical concerns the last week in the life of Jesus Christ and it is an emotional and moving experience. This is true punk rock, a biblical retelling of a savior who wants to cleanse the world of corruption and sin. This last seven days in the life of Jesus Christ, who is portrayed by a memorable Justin Matthew Sargent, is told through the eyes of his betrayer, one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, played with all his anger and confusion evident by Austin Lesch.

Tender moments are underscored by Stephanie Zaharis’s Mary Magdalene as she confesses to Jesus “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” while the passion and suffering are momentarily alleviated by the antics of a song and dance Vaudeville routine by King Herod, a mischief making Nicolette Antonia Shin belting out “King Herod’s Song." The high powered political naysayers who have banned together to end Jesus’ reign as the King of the Jews are led by Pontius Pilate’s Deven Kolluri, Jamari Darling as Calaphas and Kevin Trinio Perdido as Annas and the Priests Elijah Dawson and Michael James.

This spectacular rock musical that separates the myth from the man is directed by Tatiana Pandiani and the non-stop dance moves are choreographed by Amy Campbell. The lighting designed by Cha See is especially effective. A full orchestra led by Adam Souza supports the fully glorious sung story.

For tickets ($30 and up), call the box office at 860- 873-8668 or online at goodspeed.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m , Thursday at 7:30 p.m. (and select 2 p.m.), Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.(and select 6:30 p.m.).

Enter the emotional whirlwind as Jesus Christ realizes that those closest to him are determined to witness his destruction. After three years of trying to teach his beliefs as the son of God, he is sad and tired and prepared to die for his cause. He knows Peter will deny him three times and that Judas will betray him but he is accepting of his fate. Witness his powerful epic history.

WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS "MOTHERS KNOW BEST"

If your memory is good, assuming you were already alive way back when, you can conjure up a radio show from 1949 that found a new home on television in 1954. It starred Robert Young as Jim Anderson and Jane Wyatt as his wife Margaret, and became a classic American sitcom about their three children Betty, Bud and Kathy (or Kitten to you), their daily challenges, in a middle class family living happily under one roof in a fictional Midwestern town Springfield.

As the series “Father Knows Best,” the show portrayed family life, the dynamics between parents and children, was highly-rated, ranked in the top ten Neilsen ratings, won several Emmy Awards and achieved high marks in telling character driven stories. Now move over “Father Knows Best,” and make room for a new team in town: Laura and Linda Benanti.

Westport Country Playhouse is offering up “Mothers Know Best” for your entertainment pleasure on Saturday, May 9 at 4 p.m. as a charming cabaret show from this mother/daughter duo. Laura, the daughter of Linda Wonneberger, a vocal coach and former actress and Martin Vidrovici, a Broadway actor and singer, is a Tony Award-winning actress and singer of Irish, German, and Serbian origin. Her credits include playing Maria von Trapp in “The Sound of Music” and Louise in "Gypsy” for which she won a Tony for Best Featured Actress. In addition, she was Tony-nominated for her roles in "Swing,” “Into the Woods,” “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown,” and “She Loves Me.”

Laura has also had appearances on series and sitcoms like “Go On,” “Nashville,” “Laura,” “Supergirl,” “The Detour,” “Gossip Girl” and “The Gilded Age.” You may remember seeing her, since 2016, on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert as First Lady Melania Trump. Laura Benanti has played everyone from Eliza Doolittle to Cinderella to Tallulah Bankhead. She is a big fan of Stephen Sondheim, has written a comedic board book for mothers M is for Mama (and also Merlot): A Modern Mom’s ABCs and toured around the world performing concerts. She is currently filming the Sony Pictures comedy NO HARD FEELINGS opposite Matthew Broderick and Jennifer Lawrence as well as The SHADE based on the award-winning short of the same name. Her performance in all forms of media have been called “a revelation,” “almost steals the show,” "one of our finest stage actresses,” a bold and energetic impression,” "stylish, witty and sneaklily funny,” and “show-stealing performance.”

Billy Stritch provides musical direction when Laura joins her mom Linda focusing on mother-daughter relationships in a sweet and touchingly humorous way. Mom has been seen in such shows as “The Odyssey,” “The Fantastics,” “Camelot,” “The Music Man,” “A Little Night Music,” “No, No, Nanette,” and “Guys and Dolls,” and many more. Now she has a vocal studio in New Jersey where she teaches local students to Broadway stars.

Linda is happily postponing retirement to go across country with Laura in a new entertainment endeavor with prior stops at 54 Below and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. For tickets ($95, 85, and 75), call Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport at 203-227-4177 or online at box-office@westportplayhouse.org.

Come hear these two special ladies share meaningful parenting stories and styles, Linda's love of Judy Garland, sing duets like “Children Will Listen,” Laura sing a medley of songs from “My Fair Lady,” and originals songs she wrote herself and gift the audience with a rare present of their true affection as mother/ daughter, proving over again that “Mothers Know Best.” Sorry, Robert Young, you’ve been replaced. Plus, this is a great way to celebrate Mother’s Day!

YALE REPERTORY THEATRE OFFERS A "FURLOUGH'S PARADISE"

What would two cousins who have grown up on the same street, virtually in each other’s pockets, for their entire childhood, do when they take dramatically different paths to the future? As adults these two women find themselves thrust together in a catayclysmic heart wrenching encounter over one three day weekend. A funeral has brought the pair in a visceral clash that threatens their emotional well being irrevocably.

Let the Yale Repertory Theatre put you in the middle of the conflict with a.k.payne’s starkly revealing “Furlough’s Paradise” until Saturday, May 16. These two Black women are powerfully portrayed by Tiffany McLarty’s Mina and Lauren F. Walker’s Sade. No longer are they hopeful girls sharing memories of watching "The Little Mermaid" together while munching on bowls of Cookie Crisp cereal, building forts out of bed sheets or holding pillow fights, and reminiscing about Mina’s dad and Sade’s mom, brother and sister, and how they colored and influenced their childhood.

Now Sade is on a brief furlough from prison and Mina reflects on her college education and future plans and their differences balloon as giant obstacles before them. Can they crawl their way back from the cliff of alienation and find the peace and love they once embraced? Is there a reconciliation in their future, a chance to create a utopia together? As they reenact their parents’s funerals, they work to reestablish their love pact from the past, but can they? This involving and emotion driven drama is directed by abgail jean-baptist.

For tickets ($15-50), call the Yale Rep, 1120 Chapel Street, New Haven at 203-432-1234 or online at yalerep.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m., with talkbacks after with the cast and playwright.

Watch how grieving and shared memories of the past allow these two almost-sisters to reopen closed doors to their hearts and souls.

NEW HAVEN THEATER COMPANY HAS STORIES OF IRELAND GALORE

Storytelling dates back to prehistoric times to preserve culture and communicate ideas. Before the invention of writing around 3200 BCE, the primary method of storytelling was by word of mouth. Epic tales, theatrical narratives, and religious texts were told. The invention of the printing press in the 15th century shot storytelling up the revolutionary trail.

For a revealing example of this ancient art, with an emphasis on ghost stories with things that go bump in the night, travel to an Irish pub, Brendan’s, courtesy of the New Haven Theater Company where a quintet of people, four men who know each other well and a woman new to the community have gathered for a pint or three of Guinness. Join them for Conor McPherson’s "The Weir” as they share tales of a supernatural theme that touch the heart and the imagination. Until Saturday, May 9, the EBM and Civvies Vintage Store, 839 Chapel Street, New Haven will offer you a seat at the bar.

Director George Kulp is passionate about this play, calling Conor McPherson the finest playwright of his generation. He calls this play lyrical and amazing, that in February 2025 was adapted into a film with the cast of the Dublin/London revival. The four men who frequently meet over a pint of stout have know each other for years: Gavin Whelan’s Brendan who owns the pub and his usual customers, J. Kevin Smith’s Jack, Steve Scarpa’s Jim, and John Bachelder’s Finbar. Tonight Finbar chances to introduce a newcomer who has just moved to the community, Melissa Andersen's Valerie.

As the alcohol loosens their Irish tongues, the men start telling stories that involve conflicts in the past, burial plots, romances that went wrong with regrets, strange knocks on the door, ghostly overtones, betting on horses, tales of fairies, old folklore, tricksters, priestly blessings, a special soup stock, a newly dug grave, a howling wind and an accident under the water.

For tickets ($25), go online to www.newhaventheatercompany.com. Performances are Thursday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Get involved in the private and public lives of these hard working Irish men who are fascinated by the beautiful newcomer in their world. They wow her with strange tales of the past, real or imagined, and then are spellbound when they listen to the story she is compelled to share with them in return.

SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE PROCLAIMS "IT'S A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING"

Waterbury’s Seven Angels Theatre is proclaiming “It’s a Grand Night for Singing” until Sunday, May 10 and you are cordially invited to make it a glorious occasion. Hopefully you’ll be requested to sing along without having to audition for a part. Singing is a delightful pastime and will make you feel happy and alive, spirited and full of joy.

A chorus of five will set the stage, the tempo and the harmony for a tribute to the great team of Rodgers and Hammerstein with a musical revue of Broadway Classics. Come feast on a banquet of hit tunes and some lesser known songs from such gems as "The King and I,” “The Sound of Music,” “Oklahoma,” “Carousel,” “Cinderella,” ”State Fair,” and “South Pacific.” What a treasure chest of jewels!

With a special cast that includes Morgan Cowling, Abigail Hammond, Elizabeth Fox, Kenneth Galm and Charles Romano, under the smooth direction of Constantine Pappas, and a great accompanying band of Richard Carsey on piano, Eric Pelletier on reeds, Igor Lepak on bass, and Mark Ryan and Bob Nolte on percussion, the stage is set. Sit back for a delightful serenade of tunes you fondly remember and many that will be new to your ears. More than thirty tunes are awaiting you, like Oklahoma’s Surrey with the Fringe on the Top, The Sound of Music's Maria, South Pacific’s I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair and South Pacific’s Some Enchanted Evening. The magic keeps rolling along.

For tickets, visit SevenAngelsTheatre.org or call 203-757-4676. Remember the speciality nights that accompany many performances. Shows are Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Look forward to Patricia Griffin, psychic medium on May 17, $32 and Lee-Ann Lovelace Live!, on May 24, $30 and The Broken Hearts-A Tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on June 6, $25. Check out the Youth Summer Theatre Program for ages 7-18 starting June 22.

In these stressful times, it is wonderful to let yourself relax for a few hours of pure listening pleasure and Seven Angels has just the perfect ticket here.

"LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION." CONCERTS CELEBRATING MOVIES AND MUSIC BY CTGMC

Movies and Music go together like Butter and Popcorn, especially when they are paired by the genius of the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus for a trio of festive spring concerts. This incredible men’s assemblage of superb voices are ready to present a parade of movies where songs are the stars and all you have to do is sit back and hum along with pleasure.

On Sunday, May 3 at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., take a seat at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Center in Old Saybrook or on Saturday, May 9 at 8 p.m., let the SHU Community Theatre in Fairfield be your magical venue. Are your favorite songsters Cher, Elvis, Liza, Adele, Madonna, Barbra, Neil, Frank or Johnny, and you are sure to hear some of your favorites, You might enjoy some of your besties like from “My Fair Lady,” or “Oklahoma,” some newer history themed treats like “Hamilton” or “Les Mis.” Be surprised to sing along to "Beauty and the Beast” or "The Music Man.” You never know what gifts the CTCMC has in store. You just know that it will be spectacular fun and perfect for your entertainment needs.

Come treat yourself to “Lights. Camera. Action. A Celebration of the Music of the Movies” as the silver screen comes alive with “unforgettable moments to Academy Award-winning songs you know and love.” The CTGMC promises a trio of afternoons and evenings packed with “big harmonies, standout vocals and glorious melodies.” Who could ask for anything more.

If music be the spice of life, play on. And don’t forget the exciting BingoMania the chorus is famous for hosting on one Saturday night a month. The next one scheduled is May 16, “May the 4th Be With You.” Admission for cards is $25, with cash prizes up to $2500. Cocktails, snacks, desserts and drinks are available and costumes are encouraged. Door open at 6 p.m. and games start at 7p.m. at The Annex Club, 554 Woodward Avenue, New Haven (just off I-95).

For concert tickets ($45) go to www.ctgmc.org.

Let these creative and colorful guys salute the movies and their memorable music for a fun and entertaining matinee or evening showcase.

"NUNSENSE" IS HABIT FORMING FUN AT LEGACY THEATRE IN BRANFORD

The Little Sisters of Hoboken, bless their kind hearts, have a problem and you can help then solve it. Come to their fundraiser at the Legacy Theatre in Branford by Sunday May 17 and aid them in burying the last four nuns out of 52 who died when the sisters were served soup by Sister Julia Child of God.

The good Little Sisters of Hoboken, your favorite nuns, are at it again and you're invited to the party. They are being forced to hold a talent show fundraiser as an emergency measure to stave off the imminent visit by the New Jersey Board of Health. Those blue sisters are in the freezer. Hence, the need to quickly raise funds for burial plots.

If this hooky and humorous plot line tickles your fancy, then you are prime candidates for Daniel Goggins' highly successful comedy “Nunsense.” being irreverently presented in Branford.

Come meet the Mother Superior who jealously guards all her chicks and her coterie which includes Sister Robert Anne who is Brooklyn street smart and the driver of the convent van, Sister Mary Leo who is literally always "on her toes" as a wannabe ballerina, the second-in-command Sister Mary Hubert who like Avis keeps trying harder, and, last but not least, Sister Amnesia who lost her marbles and memory when a crucifix fell on her head.

These devoted ladies of the cloth will move heaven and earth to provide you with an angelic performance as they sing, dance, tell jokes, provide cooking lessons and even bring out Sister Marionette, all in the service of the Lord to entertain you. Playwright Dan Goggins has resurrected memories from his sojourn in the Catholic school system to create this easily "habit forming" pastime.

Come see Keisha T. Fraser as Sister Mary Hubert, Melissa Goldberg as Sister Mary Leo, Jennifer Smith as Reverend Mother, Sarah Vieira as Sister Robert Anne and Semina DeLaurentis as Sister Mary Amnesia, a role she originated off-Broadway in 1985. Be prepared for a religious quiz or three, with appropriate prizes if you are correct, the perpetual understudy Sister Robert Anne vying for her turn in the spotlight, a country western singing session, a turn of fleet feet doing "Tackle That Temptation with a Time Step" and much much more. You might even be tempted to convert if you are not already a Catholic. Director James Gray directs and choreographs this delightful romp in religious humor.

For tickets ($41.50-56.50), call the Legacy Theatre, 128 Thimble Islands Road, Branford at 203-315-1901 or online at Legacy TheatreCT.org. Watch for the next offerings of “The Wizard of Oz” July 9-August 2 and “The Odd Couple” September 10-October 4.

Prepare to be thoroughly engaged as the Little Sisters of Hoboken kick up their heels and pull out all the stops (and corks from the sacramental wine) to entertain you in heavenly splendor. Enjoy every moment of their angelic offerings.

TWH BRINGS "CIRCUS FIRE" TO FRIGHTENING REALITY

The circus has long been a fascinating adventure for young and old alike, a voyage to a magic land of entertainment that is a three ring excitement to thrill and marvel. When it comes to town you are encouraged to grab your popcorn, peanuts and Cracker Jacks, your orange circus peanuts, cotton candy, and snow cones, to anticipate the fun. Tragically, things can go wrong and the circus can be the scene of sadness, when the big tent is the shadow of terror and becomes an inferno. Now ”Circus Fire” is coming to town, a world premiere written by Jacques Lamarre, conceived by Jacques Lamarre, Jared Mezzocchi and Rob Ruggiero, with direction and multimedia experience by Jared Mezzocchi until Sunday May 31.

The First Company Governor’s Foot Guard at 159 High Street in Downtown Hartford becomes the scene in July 1944 when the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, the Greatest Show on Earth, rolls into town to entertain the citizens of Hartford. Our country is at war and the heat of summer is imminent and heavy. Families are excited and full of happy plans. In a tent as big as a football field, a fire mysteriously start and suddenly an inferno erupts. Neither the community fire and police or the circus crew are prepared to help.

Tragically within minutes the tent is engulfed in flames and people are panicked and running for their lives, grabbing children’s hands and fleeing. Twelve actors-Mike Boland, Constantino Fernandez, Olivia Nicole Hoffman, Rebecka Jones, Caroline Kinsolving, Anastasia Maglaras, Eric Orsini, Stuart Rider, Janelle Anne Robinson, Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr., Marco Verna, and Dan Whelton-become the ring master, clown, band leader, circus worker, circus administrators, family members, and investigators who work to discover what happened. What happened to the 167 men, women and children who did not survive? Could it have been prevented? Who was responsible, the Hartford community or the circus, or both? Jacques Lamarre builds a tension that is heartbreakingly real.

For tickets ($65-80), call TheaterWorks Hartford at 860-527-7838 or online at twhartford.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m.. and Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Don’t miss the party of the year on May 16 for PARTY ON PEARL, the 40th Anniversary of TWH.

Catch the fever of the stampede as excitement turns to terror, as the unthinkable becomes reality, as the greatest joy becomes intense tragedy, and you are witness to the horror.

PULITZER PRIZE WINNING DRAMA "PRIMARY TRUST" AT WCP

What would your life be like without family or friends? Lonely and sad probably.If at the tender age of ten your mother, your only living relative dies of cancer, you never experience a true sense of belonging again and how tragic might that be.

Trust is a promise that some one or some thing will honor a commitment, will do what they say they will, a feeling of confidence that one can feel safe and secure. What happens if trust does not exist, from a family member, a friend, a neighbor, even a stranger? Our whole foundation on how to depend on another person rests on these fundamental relationships. What happens when they don’t exist?

All our social interactions are the basis for trust. We need to have faith in each other and ourselves in all relationships for life, home, work, in society. Westport Country Playhouse is offering a lesson in “Primary Trust,” a winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama by Eboni Booth, a sensitive study of survival and triumph of spirit, directed by Logan Vaughn until Saturday, May 2.

Come meet Kenneth, a late thirties-something African-American man, who has been hiding in the nooks and crannies of a used bookstore for decades. He is essentially hiding from life, stacking books by day and slurping mai tai drinks in a tiki bar named Wally’s by night. Without the companionship of his best friend Bert, he would be navigating life alone. Cranberry, New York is not a hot bed of social activity so when Kenneth is told by his boss Sam, an apologetic Greg Stuhr, he is sick and selling out, Alphonso Walker Jr's Kenneth in effect suffers a meltdown.

Having lost his mother when he was young, Kenneth must once again face a harsh reality. He must begin again. He must suddenly stand up for himself. He must find a new job. Most importantly, he must discover a new best friend because BBF Bert is imaginary. How Kenneth manages the nearly impossible tasks is a lesson in courage. His new boss Clay, also Greg Stuhr, miraculously takes him under his wing at Primary Trust Bank and, like the Lion, Tinman and Scarecrow in “The Wizard of Oz,” embues Kenneth with new courage. Jasmine Johnson’s legion of friendly waitresses at Wally’s gives him a sense of self-esteem and old imaginary pal Bert, Lance Coadie Williams, sticks around long enough to seal the do-over deal.

For tickets ($50 and up), call WCP, 25 Powers Court, Westport at 203-227-4177 or online at westportplayhouse.org. Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 7:00 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3:00 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Watch how Kenneth struggles to create a new world for himself when his existing one crumbles like a sand castle enveloped by the ocean tide. His story is heartbreaking, yet uplifting and ultimately one of courage and resilience.

"WATCHING MR. PEARSON" A WONDERFUL NEW FILM ABOUT DEMENTIA

Being diagnosed with dementia can indicate memory problems, thinking abilities, and difficult social interactions. Finding words and having problems with communications, getting lost while driving, trouble solving problems or organizing, poor coordination and confusion are common. People may exhibit depression, anxiety, and agitation, show changes in personality, have hallucinations, and show paranoia. Many people cope with a family member or friend who has dementia. Almost seven million people aged 65 or older suffer from this series of diseases and their experiences may seem drastically different. All are difficult to handle.

Thankfully two young men, Dillon Bentlage and Simon Kincade, became friends on the campus of Boston University and established as a writing team to make movies in such far away places as Holland and Australia, the latest being an informative and sensitive one entitled “Watching Mr Pearson.” Filmed in Guilford, Connecticut, it is a true family affair with Dillon serving as both co-founder and producer, his wife Dominika Zawada playing the role of the caregiver Caroline in a caring and creative way, how closely it relates to his personal grandmother and that his parents invite Dillon to shoot his movie in their beautiful home on the water.

Dillon utilized his own family experiences in Shelton to frame his film. focusing on a successful Hollywood actor Robert Pearson who suffers from a double loss, that of his career and the development of dementia. The bond between Robert and his caregivers, Caroline and Miguel, played by Luis Rizo, is touching and fragile, exhausting and difficult, at times horrible and at others unbelievable humorous. As director Dillon Bentlage movingly portrays how the progression of the disease affects Robert’s safety and sanity, equally difficult for the person struggling with the diagnosis and for the caregivers adjusting to the changing personalities of the patient.

For Caroline, she uses creatively restated scenes from Robert’s beloved old movies, with costumes and props, and dialogue, to try to reach him and pull him out of his emotional darkness and give him some of his old joy again. By contrast, Robert’s other caregiver Miguel does not share Caroline’s vision and wants to keep his treatment in a safer zone, more by the conventional books. Both must embrace patience if they can ever hope to succeed. They are the single resources most directly on the frontlines of this highly emotional battle.

This story and the devastating toll it takes on the patient and the family is all too familiar. The patient’s behavior can dramatically change, as a calm and loving person can demonstrate violence and anger. They can remember events and people from decades ago and forget what happened five minutes in the past, and ask again and again where they are and how they got there and how they will get home.

For actor Hugo Armstrong who plays Robert, the film is a learning lesson, a valuable lesson in its telling symptoms and how it affects the whole family irrevocably. Called “an actor’s favorite actor.” he has played every one from Uncle Vanya to a character on “Will Trent,” on “NCIS,” ‘Monk,” “Blacklist, detectives to lawyers, and also as writers and producers in the industry. Sam Burlington plays the young Robert, a Texas born actor and producer who fondly remembers growing up in front of a small tv watching movies. He too has been featured on such shows as “Will Trent” and “NCIS” and “Fallout.” Dominika Zawada’s Caroline is an international actress from Poland who captures the sensitivity of her role as caregiver in a sweet and charming manner. No person in her family has dementia but she was involved in the script at all the drafts. It opened her eyes to the different approach to care and now she is seeing the disease everywhere. For Luis Rizo, the male caregiver Miguel, he has known Dillon since being his roommate in college. They share a love of movies.

This project is clearly a labor of love. Dillon and co-writer Simon have already collaborated on films in the Netherlands and Australia. Dillon’s dad Autonius came to America from an old seafaring family in the Netherlands in 1993 and has been involved in pre- and post- editing. He even offered Dillon the use of his home in Guilford to film the movie, moving out with his wife for two months to make it easier. The set was so wonderful the house is like a character in the movie. When Dillon initially approached Hugo with the script, Hugo didn’t think he was right for the part. After reading the script and seeing its possibilities Hugo got to the last page and called Dillon to say it was “Wonderful.” Hugo found it “unexpectantly beautiful, achinging exquisite” and he couldn’t wait to go off to the races.

For Dillon Bentlage, this independent film set in one location, telling the story of one character and his personal struggle, shows his many lives and how he learns to know himself again. Watch for screenings across the country using links to watchingmrpearson and ktpictures.com. Let “Watching Mr. Pearson” open a door to dementia and how it affects the patient and the family and friends in profoundly personal ways.

"THE WEDDING SINGER" IS READY TO PARTY AT THE WARNER THEATRE IN TORRINGTON

Shakespeare once stated “If music be the food of love, play on.” But our love affair with music dates far beyond the Bard. Every society, past and present, has embraced music as a cultural constant, even back to isolated tribal groups and their primitive instruments. In 2008, a five-holed bone flute was discovered in a cave in Germany thought to be 35,000 years old. Think how colorless and silent our world would be without magical musical sounds.

The Warner Theatre in Torrington in general and the Nancy Marine Studio in particular are anything but colorless and silent as “The Wedding Singer” The Musical Comedy roars into town in party mode until Sunday April 26. For that popular and often confused Robbie Hart. love is a central theme of his life, after all he serenades brides and grooms at their marriages for a living. Is it wrong for him to desire that companionship and eternal romance for himself? Come watch the merry and energetic cast blow their bobby socks out of their sneakers with music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, book by Beguelin and Tim Herlihy, based on the 1998 film of the same name.

One of the hardest and most important decisions you must make in life is who to marry. This is a lasting and profound life answer with grand consequences. It may take years or even decades before you truly know whether the decision was truly correct or definitely a mistake. What answer could be so decisive in its scope? Who is the perfect one to bond with in marriage?

Ron St. John’s Robbie Hart has just suffered heartbreak when his fiancee Linda leaves him for her old flame Sammy. Meanwhile Robbie meets a lovely singer Julia, Julia Nelson, at a wedding venue and interesting sparks begin to fly. Poor, confused Robbie lives in Ridgefield, New Jersey with Rosie (Elyse Jasensky) a lively senior who believes in her heart her grandson will achieve his dreams, be a success in life and find true love. She is his number one fan club president.

Along the way, he has a short fling with Holly (Zayda), tries to reconnect with Linda (Katie Locascio), watches Julia select Glen (Paul Donovan-Lietz) as better husband material, has to see Holly hook up again with Sammy (Mike Zimmerman), and decide to join the financial firm run by Glen and quit his bandmates and his dream of being a rock star.

Lively tunes like “It’s Your Wedding Day,” “Casuality of Love,” “Come Out of the Dumpster,” “Saturday Night in the City,” “All About the Green,” “Right in Front of Your Eyes,” “Single,” and “Grow Old With You” keep the action jumping. This big hearted musical is directed and choreographed by Travis Kendrick-Castanho.

For tickets ($32-37), call the Warner Theatre, 84 Main Street, Torrington at 860-489-7180 or online at warner theatre.org. Performances are Friday at 7:30 p.m, Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Get your dancing shoes on, wrap a wedding present, and buy hop over to the Nancy Marine Studio Theater for some jazzy fun as orange blossom bloom and love fills the air. Let’s get this party started!

WHAT IS "THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT" AT PLAYHOUSE ON PARK

How important is the truth? Must it be accurate? Does anybody really care? Will the world revolve around news that is almost factual? Is what you read in the newspapers and magazines, see on the tv news channels, or hear on the radio. an estimate of the truth or a wild guess of what might really be occurring? How would you even know?

Playhouse on Park in West Hartford is offering you a real and dramatic entry into the publication world of veracity with an intriguing foray into fiction vs. fact, the rabbit hole of “false news,” the option of exaggeration to make the writing more enticing, the difference between truth in journalism and creativity in an essay. Based on the true book by essayist John D’Agata snd fact checker Jim Fingal, come see the play by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell and Gordon Farrell, “The Lifespan of a Fact” playing until Sunday May 3rd.

John D’Agata has penned a powerful piece about a young man, a teenager who commits suicide in Las Vegas by jumping off a tall building. Emily Penrose is the editor of a literary magazine wishing to publish John’s piece, but only if her newest hire Jim Fingal can fact check its accuracy. Suddenly with Jim’s attentiveness the fifteen page writing mushrooms to over one hundred pages.

Edward Montoya’s Jim wants to be perfect and accurate at his assignment. He questions everything: the boy’s name, his parents’ reaction to the deed, every comment John makes, the color of the bricks on the building, the seconds of the fall, every minute detail. Shannon Michael Wamser’s John is not amused by the excessive investigation, while Suzanne O’Donnell’s Emily is the referee in charge of the two men not resorting to fisticuffs and whether the “article” even gets pblished. The volcano is about to explode with hot lava in danger of burning the trio. Matt Pfeiffer directs this cauldron of controversy.

For tickets ($38.50-58.50), call Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Road, West Hartford at 860-523-5900 ex. 10 or online at playhouseonpark.org. Performances are Tuesday at 2 p.m., Wednesday 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 2 p.m. Morning shows are at 10:30 a.m.and cost $25.

Come see the power struggle that wages between the three opinionated individuals and the controversial piece of writing that may help save a magazines’s future or destroy its integrity forever.

WORKING "9-5" WHAT A WAY TO EARN A LIVING AT MTC

Who would want to work for a mean and demeaning boss, one who dictates deadlines and uncompromising rules without consideration? Is the almighty paycheck and health insurance worth the daily punishment? What if you had the power to turn the tables (or desks) and get some satisfying revenge? Would you cringe away from the satisfaction or seize the opportunity? The moment for decision is now as Music Theatre of Connecticut in Norwalk launches the stellar musical “9-5” weekends until Sunday, May 3.

Come glory in the music and lyrics of the grand Dolly Parton paired with the delightful book by Patricia Resnick as three downtrodden female coworkers decide they have had enough guff and disrespect and they can’t take it any more. With a clever scheme and some heavy handed plotting, this trio of lady coworkers decide they have to take command of the copy machine and the coffee maker and take a stand for justice, women and the American way so watch out Franklin Hart the lines of battle have been drawn in the mimeograph machine.

Come watch as Gina Lamparella as Violet, Hannah Bonnett as Doralee and Elissa Demaria as Judy take on Joe Cassidy's Franklin Hart, with the help of Robin Lounsbury as Roz, Matt Mancuso as Joe, Christian Libonati as Dick, Scott Ahearn as Dwayne, Emma Kops as Maria, Alyssa McDonald as Kathy, Tyler Brian Miranda as Josh and Lucy Moon as Margaret and Missy. This cast is super enthusiastic and great on their feet. Tucked inside the plot for revenge, you might even discover a little romance.

The show is set in the late 1970’s, way before the #Me Too Movement got started. The stellar creative team is led by Director Amy Griffin and includes Choreographer Clint Hromsco, Music Director Zachary Anderson, Costume Designer Diane Vanderkroef. Lighting Designer Scott Borowka, and Scenic Designer Starlet Jacobs. Great fun songs keep the action jumping.

Tickets ($ 50-60 ), call the MTC, 509 Westport Avenue, Norwalk at 203-454-3883 or online at musictheatreofct.com. The production will run on Fridays at 8 pm, Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm. and Sundays at 2 pm.

Whether your boss is the nicest person in the world or a close relative of a monster, you will have an In box of joy watching this musical comedy of office politics play out on the stage of the MTC. Your desk chair and Rolodex, your rope and gun are waiting. Watch friendship and revenge battle against a sexist, egotistical bigot and cheer on the winners!

COME LEARN ABOUT NEW FILM "LADY PARTS"

When Bonnie Gross was only 13, she experienced a sharp, burning, stabbing pain in her stomach that escaped diagnosis for years, across four states by twenty different doctors. She was told she was crazy, that it was all in her head, and that she was making it up. This condition was isolating and was brought about when she rode a bicycle, tryed to use tampons, and later had sex. The problem was in her female genitalia, a body part that has been given such strange names as fufu, vajayjay, pussy, kitty, muff, fandango, hoo ha, down there, lady garden, pocketbook and happy clam. You may know it better as vagina.

After ten years of searching, and being told to use more lube and to stop concentrating on her symptoms, Bonnie found a doctor, Dr. Andrew Goldstein, who diagnosed her condition in five minutes and told her she needed surgery: a vulvar vestibulectomy. She discovered 16% of women suffer from this condition, but little is taught about it, little research is being conducted, and very few people are even talking about it. It was even more disturbing to learn the $10,000 surgery was not covered by insurance because the procedure was considered cosmetic.

All of this was happening while Bonnie was being offered her dream job and the length of her recovery would take a year to complete. Luckily for her, her parents were very supportive, had her move home to Philadelphia and were wonderfully helpful through ever step of the operation. This life changing validation occurred in 2016. By some miraculous stroke of fate, Bonnie Gross possesses skills that made it perfect for her to tell her story to the world in the form of a film, a documentary, a dramedy, a comedy. Her story is now “Lady Parts,” filmed in New York and Los Angeles, giving her a diagnosis and a platform to make a difference, to show how she was to finally find answers, to use her mother’s similar medical issue to expand the conversation for other women, to raise public awareness and create a community conversation.

With director Nancy Boyd and producer Bonnie Gross, the pair have used their personal and painful experiences, honestly and brutally truthfully, what they each went through for medical treatment, when having a sense of humor, surrounded by family and friends was critical. Come meet Paige, a brave Valentina Tammaro, on the verge of her dream career in Los Angeles and moving home to her parents, recovery a year over. The film won festivals, same resources with majestic connections like Tight Lipped, Intimate Rose, Hellocina, The Pelvic People, Isswsh and Our Body Justice Project and she will prepare for another surgery this summer.

Now thirty-two Bonnie Gross has championed to challenge her cause to research, education and treatment, to give the vagina "a voice,” and an ideal writer, filmmaker and comedian to make a major difference.

SAY HELLO, JERRY TO "JERRY'S GIRLS" COURTESY OF CENTER STAGE IN SHELTON

Composer and lyricist Jerry Herman is known for being one of the most successful composers on Broadway starting in the 1960’s. His upbeat and optimistic hit musicals, characterized by Herman for their “simple hummable show tunes” like “Hello, Dolly!,” “Mame,” and “La Cage aux Folles” won him the 2010 Kennedy Center Honors. His 1964 hit “Hello, Dolly!” was at one time the longest-running musical in Broadway history. He is the only composer to have a trio of musicals that ran for more than 1500 consecutive performances. In 1983 he wrote the first musial about a gay couple, “La Cage aux Folles.” In 2009, he received the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre.

To marvel in Jerry Herman’s parade of hits, skip on over to the Center Stage in Shelton for a musical visit with a trio of delightful singers as “Jerry Girls” until Sunday, April 19. Come hear Sandra Fernandes, Mackensie Massey and Emerson Raymond belt out thirty-six tunes that mark Herman’s genius and tribute as a composer and testify how and why Herman won so many Tonys, Grammies, Olivier, Dram Desk, Johnny Mercer, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, Frederick Loewe, Songwriters of Fame, Theater Hall of Fame and Kennedy Center Honors.

For example, “Hello, Dolly!” was based on Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker.” The title song by Jerry Herman became a hit for Louis Armstrong when he recorded it to publicize the play and it became his biggest hit when it climbed the charts as a “natural” in 1963. His fans made it the number one hit, so successful it pushed the Beatles off the top of the charts.Satchmo and his trumpet made it the biggest seller of his lifetime when it went gold.

Come hear some immortal tunes like "‘Put on Your Sunday Clothes,” “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes a Moment” from “Hello, Dolly!” and “We Need A Little Christmas,” “If He Walked Into My Life,” “It’s Today” and “Bosom Buddies” from “Mame.” From “La Cage aux Folles.” delight in “I Am What I Am,” and “The Best of Times,” and from “Mack and Mabel “ such favorites as “Time Heals Everything,” and “Movies Were Movies.” Pianist and Music Director Jane Best performed on a revolving stage while Sandra Fernandes and Liz Muller created a colorful fashion show, Brandy Bailey and Michael “Beetle” Bailey kept the ladies on their dancing toes and Liz Muller served as a merry musical director and stage director. My personal regret was the lack of stories about the composer himself.

For tickets ($20-50), call Center Stage, 54 Grove Street, Shelton at 203-225-6079 or online at https://go-event.com/3570448-0. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Come enjoy the music of Gerald Sheldon Herman, better known as Jerry, famous for “upbeat and optimistic outlook and his simple, hummable show tunes.” And what hummable tunes they are.

"DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST" WALTZS INTO THE BUSHNELL

Come witness the first North American touring production of the beloved musical "Disney's Beauty and the Beast" in over a quarter of a century. If you are 6 or 86, you’re invited to enter the magical world of Belle, the book loving adventurous maiden, a luminous and lovely lass who would enjoy reading her precious books from dawn to dusk, as long as she doesn’t have to fend off the affections of the vain and egotistical Gaston, a tower of vanity, who imagines himself to be a desirable gift to womankind. Please open the fairy tale book that features a sweet maiden and the monster who frightens the little village where she lives. As fairy tales go, “Beauty and the Beast” is one of the enchanted best.

Meanwhile in a castle in the forest, an enchantress, for displeasing her, has cast a handsome prince into a hideous beast. Only a love that is pure and true can release him from his spell, and only before the last petal falls from a bewitched rose. Time is running out and he and his household are in danger of being cursed for all eternity. The Beast is cloaked in the persona of a challenged and unhappy soul.

Enter the fascinating musical and magical world of "Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” waltzing into the Hartford’s Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts for eight performances, April 7-12, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Follow the brave heroine Belle hoping to rescue her father Maurice who, after getting lost in the woods, sought shelter at the castle of the Beast and becomes his prisoner. The angry Beast, who guards his privacy, locks her father, an inventor, in a dungeon.

Belle discovers the castle and a troop of unlikely helpers in Lumiere the candelabra, Mrs. Potts the teapot, her son Chip the teacup and Cogsworth the clock. To free her father, Belle offers to stay in the castle with the Beast if he will just let her father go home. In a wild adventure, Belle and her father escape, Gaston and the villagers attack the castle, the Beast is grievously wounded and Belle learns the meaning of true love.

For tickets ($50.50 and up), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org. Come early and attend the “Roses of Love” tribute by writing the name of a loved one on a rose. The rose will be displayed at the theater and for each rose Max Cares Foundation will donate a $1 to My Sister’s Place, a Homeless Shelter, Thrift Store and Donation Center, up to $2500.

With spectacular new sets and glamorous costumes, this timeless tale will enchant and amaze. With classic tunes like “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast,” this new production will feature members of the original Tony Award-winning artistic team including composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, book creator Linda Woolverton, with choreography and direction by Oliver Award nominee Matt West, scenic designer Stanley A. Meyer, costume designer Ann Hould-Ward and lighting designer Natasha Katz.

Discover for yourself how the magic spell is broken, how the enchanted objects become human again and how “happily ever after” is the way all fairy tales are supposed to end.

WELCOME TO IVORYTON'S CHARMING TRIBUTE TO "I'M CONNECTICUT"

Connecticut is like Mississippi in being a challenge to spell correctly. Its uniqueness may begin and end there. Luckily it’s bigger than Rhode Island and can boast great basketball teams from the University of Connecticut for both men and women teams. Go Huskies!

But as exciting, romantic or sexy states go, Connecticut wouldn’t rank at the top of the continental 48 and especially not if you add in Alaska and Hawaii. Connecticut is known as the Insurance Capitol of the World, thanks to Hartford, and also the Land of Steady Habits, The Constitution State and The Nutmeg State. Connecticut doesn’t enjoy the glamour of its neighbor to the south and west, New York, or the mystic of its northern bordering Massachusetts with its rich political history.

Yet do not give up hope. Connecticut born playwright Mike Reiss is coming to your rescue with a prideful play, a special comedy, “I’m Connecticut,” enjoying its new light of day at the Ivoryton Playhouse until Sunday, April 19 in Ivoryton.

“I’m Connecticut” tells the charming tale of a nice guy named Marc, played with spirit and sincerity by Quinn Corcoran, who while born in Simsbury, has transplanted himself to the Big Apple. His lack of success with women he blames on geography: he comes from a boring and beige state.

With clever dialogue and amazing visual effects by John Horzen on a colorful set by Starlet Jacobs, we follow Marc’s quest for love, much as we would Don Quixote’s search for the Impossible Dream. After an unsuccessful, substitute disastrous, speed dating event, Marc meets Diane (Deanna Ott), a Georgia peach who has come north for adventure.

A secondary love story blooms when Diane’s mom Polly, a delightful Bonnie Black, meets Marc’s grandfather, a spry R. Bruce Connelly. The speed dating manager (Kenneth Robert Marlo) and Marc’s work buddy Kyle (Michael Barra) run interference in this lively game of love mating directed by Artistic Director Jacqueline Hubbard. Others in the cast include Nathan Szymanski, Alexis Trice and Stephanie Wasser andJohn C. Baker as Mark Twain and Canada.

Mike Reiss, the Aetna 2011 Writing Fellow at UCONN, wrote this comedy only a few years ago. He is no stranger to the world of humor, having written scripts for “The Simpsons” for more than twenty years, co-wrote “The Simpsons Movie,” “Horton Hears a Who!,” “ Ice Age,” and “Dawn of the Dinosaurs,” the screenplay for “My Life in Ruins,” fourteen children’s books, as well as writing for “It’s Gerry Shandling’s Show,” “ALF” and “The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.”

A native of Connecticut, Reiss is uniquely suited to pen a romantic tale about our state and infuse it, just like he does his hero Marc, with pride, enthusiasm and patriotic spirit. Unfortunately he also makes Marc a liar, a trait that derails him from his true path to passion.

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

Root for your home team, in this case Marc and the entire Nutmeg state, as we cheer him on to find boasting rights and true love, all in seventy-five fun-filled minutes.

THE PALACE IN WATERBURY INVITES YOU TO LISTEN TO "STEREOPHONIC"

Can you ever imagine living life on the cusp? The cusp is where you balance precariously on the edge, of either victory and defeat, success or failure, triumph or disaster? It is not a comfortable place to be, but oh, how exciting and nerve wracking. To experience the agony and the ecstasy of this dangerously exciting predicament, settle back with a young up and coming band on the verge of superstardom or utter oblivion in “Stereophonic” coming to Waterbury’s Palace Theater for one night, Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Put yourself in a music studio. It’s 1976. Imagine you are a member of a rock and roll band recording your second album and anything and everything is ecstastically possible. Will you soar to greatness? Will you crash and burn, miss the spotlight and fade into obscurity to never be heard from again?

For three hours and ten minutes your fate and future hang in the balance. Will creativity consume you and lead you heavenward or will it abandon you and force you to desert all your hopes and dreams? Written by David Adjmi with original music by Will Butler of Arcade Fire, “Stereophonic” follows a ficticious 1970’s band recording a rock and roll album in Sausalito, California. Praised for its energy and realistic depiction of the creative process, with all its messy and emotional aspects, the play exposes the interpersonal conflicts, and the ambitions and anxieties of the band members, as they seal their own fate. What is at stake is highlighted, balanced against the pressure of success, the sexual tensions and the detrimental effects of drug abuse, like cocaine and alcohol. This, the most Tony-nominated play of all time, is directed by Daniel Aukin.

For tickets($49-89), call the Palace Theater, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury at 203-346-2000 or online at palacetheaterct.org.

Engage yourself emotionally and intimately with an exciting new musical group that could easily reach stardom or just as easily explode into nothingness, trapped as it is in a creative process of its own making.

THE BUSHNELL INVITES YOU TO DON SOME "KINKY BOOTS"

Family businesses rarely survive to the second generation, especially when the son does not want what his father created. Just ask Charlie Price who inherited his dad’s shoe factory as it was three shoelaces away from bankruptcy. Luckily for the audience “Kinky Boots”gets a first rate resurrection, thanks to a powerhouse book by Harvey Fierstein and sensational music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and the great National Touring Cast bringing it to the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts until Sunday, March 22.

Think quirky, exotic, bizarre, slightly deviant, provocative and definitely unconventional. Hold on to your shoe horns because “Kinky Boots” is strutting into town with all its high heeled splendor and The Bushnell in Hartford will be decked out in red sequined glamor and open for business, kinky business that is.

With on fire direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, 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 who is less than thrilled by the inheritance he receives when his father dies: a shoe factory on the verge of bankruptcy. He had thought he was successful running off to London for a new career with his girlfriend Nicola (Emma Dean) when he is pulled back to Northampton and Price and Son.

As conscientious Noah Verman’s Charlie walks on wobbly feet trying to rescue the family business, 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 a truly creative one-of-a-kind Omari Collins ‘Scarlett D. Von’Du” Lola. Lola, a cross dressing performer of spectacular height and talents, can’t find a pair of sturdy and stylish stilettos to dance in for her/his act.

Lola’s problems are solved when the two conceive of a unique plan: retool Price & Sons to make a line of high heels for the mature male performer parading in boas, bustiers and beads. Tucked into every tall and tapered red patent leather boot 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 tickets ($36-132), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org. Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 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, with an angel of a girlfriend Sophia Gunther’s Lauren in the process.

A GRAND IRISH MUSICAL AT MUSIC THEATRE OF CT UNTIL MARCH 22

Without packing a suitcase or buying a ticket to the Emerald Isle, you can bring Ireland right to your doorstep. That magical land of leprechauns and pots of gold can all be yours without kissing the Blarney Stone even once. Forget counting sheep or hunting for a four leaf clover. After all isn’t this the best time of year to put an O’ in front of your name and pretend to hail from that glorious greenery?

What better time than St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy a hearty corned beef and cabbage dinner, a riotous parade of frivolity all dressed in green and a merry musical about the Emerald Isle. Thankfully Music Theatre of Connecticut is providing a charming version of Frank McCourt’s love letter to his homeland in “The Irish and How They Got That Way” until Sunday, March 22 for your enjoyment and edification.

Author and playwright Frank McCourt has woven the history, traditions and music of his people through letters, paintings, journals, folk songs and memories to create a charming and ironic portrait of 150 years of the Irish struggle to succeed in America. Come enjoy songs like “Danny Boy,” "Finnegan’s Wake, “Galway Bay,” “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye,” “Mother Machree," “No Irish Need Apply,” “Who Threw the Overalls in Mrs. Murphy’s Chowder” and “Give My Regards To Broadway” to mention a few.

With laughter and emotion and sentiment, three men and two women, Zachary Anderson, Hillary Ekwall, Jeff Raab, Joseph Torello and Erin Margaret Williams take you on a journey thanks to Frank McCourt’s memories in both story and songs showing both his wit and his pride. Called "a fiting tribute to everything Irish,” you will note the blarney, the magic of leprechauns, the toll of the Potato Famine, the pride of everyone from James Cagney and George M. Cohan to John F. Kennedy, even if you can’t taste the flavor of a pint of Guinness.

The Irish migrant story is captured with reverence revealing the injustices suffered both in the homeland and in their adopted country, all with honesty and humor, knowing in your heart that being Irish is not an easy fate. Each of the actors is skilled at a slew of instruments from guitars to tambourines, violins to piano, spoons to washboards, complete with Irish jigs, in great thanks to the Irish director Kevin Connors.

For tickets ($ 50-60), with a special Guinness and such available at the bar, call MTC, 509 Westport Avenue, Route 1, Norwalk at 203-454-3883 or online at admin@musictheatreofct.com.

Performances are Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Even if your name isn’t Danny, Paddy,Timothy or Shawn, everyone is Irish, thanks to Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Angela’s Ashes” Frank McCourt and the “honey lips” of these enthusiastic and energetic performers who wish a Top o’ the Morning to you.

"RHINOCEROS" ON THE LOOSE AT YALE REP

You’ve probably heard of the dangers of a bull in a china shop and the chaos it can cause but have you ever witnessed what damage a rhinoceros in a cafe can deliver. Just ask Reg Rogers’s Berenger as he meets for a drink with his good friend Phillip Taratula’s Gene. The pair tease and ridicule each other as only old friends can, with Gene accusing Berenger of having a hangover before noon. Their squabbling is rudely interrupted by the appearance of a dangerous rhinoceros running pell mell through the cafe, scaring the waiters and patrons who quickly run for cover. Is it a dream, an animal from the circus or the zoo who escaped or an inhabitant from a nearby swamp? Gene and Berenger are perplexed and flabbergasted. How can this happen in their great town on a Sunday morning of all times?

Enter the Theater of the Absurd created by Eugene Ionesco when he wrote his tragicomic “Rhinoceros” in 1959,about a small French town, where this wild animal crushes everything in its path. Yale Repertory Theatre at 1120 Chapel Street in New Haven will entertain you until Saturday, March 28 in this intriguing play directed by Liz Diamond, with text translated by Derek Prouse, adapted by Frank Galati and choreography by Emily Coates, According to Liz Diamond who has been at the theater for thirty four years and directed twenty productions, this play is “insanely funny and terrifying.”

To Berenger’s dismay, soon friends and neighbors and even his co-workers are quickly sprouting hides and horns. He must determine where his own fate lies: should he join the rampage or stand up, indepentently, to fight the invaders? In Ionesco’s mind, he must resist the urge to follow the crowd. In this cautionary tale, Berenger becomes disoriented and the comedy turns stark and dark. Even his good friend Eugene gets caught in the transformation. The dangers of power loom large. How easily the townspeople accept these new political ideologies, like Nazism and Communism and all except Berenger, who remains human in the face of great odds. How can one man, one who drinks too much and secretly loves his co-worker Elizabeth Stahlmann’s Daisy, warn the villagers and safely survive?

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

Come make the acquaintance of this endangered species, native to Asia and Africa, whose name means horn on the nose. They are valued on the black market for their horns in China and Vietnam for use in traditional Chinese medicine. One of the largest living land animals, they average 1700 pounds and are mainly vegetarians. Witness how Berenger courageously stares down his giant foe and refuses to give up being human.

SEVEN ANGELS THEATRE WELCOMES ST. PATRICK'S DAY WITH A MOVING IRISH PLAY

What better time of year than St. Patrick’s Day to conjure up the flavor of Ireland and the Emerald Isle than a new play by Joseph Bravaco, in its New England premiere. Waterbury’s Seven Angels Theatre is proudly presenting “The One Good Thing or “Are Ya Patrick Swayze?” until Sunday, March 22. Have a hearty corned beef and cabbage dinner with a side of Irish soda bread, and wash it down with a pint of cold Guiness and come enjoy this tale of two brothers, set in rural Enniskillen.Ireland in the present day.

Tommy, a conflicted John R. Howley, and Jamie, a revealing Nick Roesler, enjoy a nice companionable relationship as they live together, that is until the morning Jami declares he is a ghost. This is a clear reference to Patrick Swayze’s acting tour in “Ghost.” They have both just endured and barely recovered from their mother’s death, a loss Tommy feels he didn’t deal with well which Jamie helped more successfully and handled much better.

Tommy’s guilt is troubling him and he prays for Jamie to forgive him. He should have helped more with their ma. He also feels that he will not be a good father to the baby he and his wife Josie are expecting. They have already lost one child before it was even born, so Tommy is allowing his grief and guilt to overwhelm him.

This is a play about life and death, compassion and forgiveness, the memories we hold on to and the love that connects us. Once the baby arrives, a little girl they name Jamie, Tony finds his heat fills with love and he works to rescue himself from sadness. Meanwhile Jamie is comforted by his relationship with his lover Gabriel and their eventual reuniting in heaven.

Their father is a hard man to love wut his new wife Margaret is wonderful with the baby and although Tommy finds the little one’s crying makes it hard for him to complete his painting of portraits, the way he makes his living, he is so glad she is in his life. The cycle of life and death continues. In the end, Jamie hugs Tommy and all is forgiven. The play is sensitively directed by Sasha Bratt.

For tickets($ 30-45), call Seven Angels Theatre, 1 Plank Road, Waterbury at 203-757-4676 or online at boxoffice@sevenangelstheatre.org. Performances areFriday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Check for specialty nights.

Here is a play of tenderness and compassion and love, that melds the memories of the dead with the joys os new life, how we need kindness to each other to survive, and how our existence is a blessing of pain and pleasure, grief and gratefulness, and how we need to acknowledge that life is a measure of both with family and friends who support us.

TAKE AN ADVENTUROUS SAIL ON AUGUST WILSON'S "GEM OF THE OCEAN"

The playwright August Wilson has been called “theater’s poet of Black America” for his stories of his home in Pittsburgh and most especially his cycle of ten plays that chronicle decade by decade his Century Cycle of the twentieth century. Thanks to Long Wharf Theatre, you have the privilege of witnessing the first play of this Pittsburgh Cycle with “Gem of the Ocean” at the Canal Dock Boathouse, 475 Long Wharf Drive in New Haven until March 15.

Come make the acquaintance of Aunt Ester, a majestic Denise Burse, who lives at 1839 Wylie Avenue in Pittsburgh's Hill District and has been a matriarch in the community for all her 285 years, a former slave and known for her ability to cleanse souls, a keeper of traditions and guardian of her people’s history. As ruler of the household, she is revered and respected. Aunt Ester has not left her home in two decades but people in need continually knock on her door seeking help. The latest one to ask for her assistance is Citizen Barlow (Matthew Elam) who has a troubled soul that is crying for release so he is no longer haunted by guilt. Aunt Ester will eventually lead him to travel on the legendary slave ship Gem of the Ocean so he can visit the City of Bones but only after he has proven himself worthy of her aid.

Living with Aunt Ester is her housekeeper and likely successor Black Mary (Grace Porter) who tries to do everything right but never seems to please her mistress and Eli (Thomas Silcott) Aunt Ester’s protector and caregiver who served in the Union Army and the Underground Railroad. Frequent visitors are Black Mary’s brother Caesar Wilkes (Bjorn Dupaty) who fancies himself the official upholder of the law, a strict policeman who has no problem killing a man even if he only committed a petty crime. Rutherford Selig (Mike Boland) is a peddler and friend of Ester’s who sells rocks and cobblestones, pots and pans and crockery, and powerful SollyTwo Kings (Terrence Riggins) who is no longer an Alabama slave, has been a conductor on the Underground Railroad, a scout in the Union Army, and now collects “pure,” dog debris he uses to tan leather. Solly carries a large walking stick as well as a love of Aunt Ester, bearing a name that refers to both King David and King Solomon.

This intriguing tale concerns a man accused of stealing a bucket of nails who didn’t do it, the man who actually stole the nails, a mill that holds the city together and is burned down and the hunt for the person who committed that crime, the role played by the slave ship the Gem of the Ocean, a visit to the City of Bones, the deadly search for the arsonist, a wall that is built, how Citizen Barlow’s soul is cleansed, and Aunt Ester’s verdict that love goes a long way to make you a good person, with the profound hope that God keeps you in the palm of his hand. Cheyenne Barboza directs this amazingly involving tale where trouble is manmade and follows you to the grave, where truth, confession and forgiveness live side by side and you die by how you live.

For tickets ($45 and up), call Long Wharf at 203-693-1486go to long wharf.org. Performances are Wednesday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.,Thursday at 10:30 a.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. and 7 p.m. Allow extra time for parking.

Discover who is really free and how citizens survive the injustice in the community, how to travel with Aunt Ester on a mystical journey to the City of Bones, with the poetic dance of Citizen Barlow as he finally finds love and forgiveness. It is a tribute to August Wilson’s incredible storytelling. Thank you, Long Wharf Theatre, we’re ready now for the next nine in the Century Cycle.

,

"DEATH OF A SALESMAN" A LITERARY CLASSIC AT HARTFORD STAGE

Expectations and unrealized dreams are disappointments that can shadow a world with gloom. Just ask Willy Loman, a sixty year old stockings salesman who considers himself hopelessly inadequate and a failure in life. In Arthur Miller’s Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winning maserpiece “Death a Salesman” now gracing Hartford Stage until Sunday, March 29th we meet Willy and the Loman family as Willy struggles with his life in Brooklyn in 1949 and why he is so desperately unhappy. Despite the comfort and support of his loyal wife Linda, Willy can’t seem to overlook his troubles and find pleasure in his work or in his family.

Once upon a time Willy’s son Biff seemed to be on top of the world, poised for success as a high school football star but his big chance was lost and his opportunity to grab the gold ring on the merry-go-round was gone forever. Now Willy is struggling to travel for his sales job but his ambitions are going unrealized and he wants and needs to settle at a desk and quit the road work. He is sure his boss will grant his request, but he is devastated when he gets fired instead of being granted his wish. His worries for himself spill over to his ambitions for his sons Biff and Happy and color his dreams for their success. With unrealistic hopes for them. Willy compares them to the triumphs of his friend’s sons and finds himself wanting by comparison.

Biff has been out west, working outdoors, in an occupation Willy disapproves of, but Biff doesn’t see himself in business. Willy feels both boys have turned their backs on him and all Willy wants is for them to be “just a little boat looking for a little harbor,” finding a modicum of success to make Willy proud. Willy envies the achievements of his friends and longs to share in his own success. Desperately he wants good news, to have his life add up to something, because he feels more dead than alive. Linda fears he will do something terrible like kill himself. In flashbacks, we see how Willy sabotages himself with the wrong dreams, feeling if he is only well liked his problems will be over.

Peter Jacobson is strong in the role of Willy, a man who agonizes over what he cannot have, despite the love of Adrienne Krstansky as his wife Linda and the best efforts of his sons Biff, Samuel H. Levine, and Happy, Max Katz. He looks with envy at the choices of his brother Ben, Michael Cullen, who takes risks and adventures in his life choices. Director Melia Benussen helps Willy grab your soul and squeeze it with compassion. The excellent cast includes Stephen Cefalu, Jr., Nora Eschenhelmer, Paul Michael Valley, Rebecca Strimaitis and Patrick Zeller.

For tickets ($20 and up), call Hartford Stage , 50 Church Street, Hartford at 860-527-5151 or online at hartfordstage.org. Performances are Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m.

Witness this American tragedy as Willy Loman struggles to overcome the disappointments that mark his failures and inability to realize his dreams when others so clearly achieve theirs.