Archive for the ‘Art’ Category

Out and About: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, April 19, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

 

Music will mark this weekend in many ways, from live performances to a national celebration that honors independent record stores. Among the performers coming through the area are Holly Williams, Ian Parker, Jose Andrade, the What Up Funk Band, Jarrod Spector, Alex Moutouzkine, Declan O’Rourke, Marc Anthony, Barbara Cook, Fleetwood Mac, and Scotty McCreery.

In Bridgeport, they will  be honoring Gustav Meier’s 41 years with the Greater Bridgeport Symphony (you can see the group perform in the video above.) In Stamford, the symphony will be presenting “Passion & Majesty.” “Saxofestivus” blasts off in Danbury.

Meanwhile, a number of locations across the state will be commemorating Record Store Day with limited releases and performances, including one by Prester John in Brookfield.

Some Earth Day events have been planned, as well, including a book event at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk with two local authors Jay Walshon and Susan Hood. There will be an event designed to remove an invasive species off the grounds at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. And the New Canaan Nature Center is having an Earth Day-Pitch in Day. Across the state, there are many events planned to honor the 43rd annual Earth Day.

On stage, “Les Miserables” stops for a few days in New Haven. “Cole” will close the season at the Music Theatre of Connecticut. On Monday, Curtain Call’s Musical Mondays series concludes the season with “Merrilee Mannerly.” In Bridgeport, performers take on the 70s in the musical revue “8-Track: The Sounds of the 70s.” “Guys and Dolls” continues in Elmsford, N.Y.. “The Mountain Top” rises in Hartford. While “The Complete History of America” gets under way in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Rounding out the weekend will be a Premier Ballroom dance show in Bridgeport, featuring U.S. champions. The “Art of the Northeast” exhibition continues in New Canaan. “What Is It? ” looks at discoveries of the Victorian era in Norwalk. And the Alvarez Gallery will host an affordable art show, which opens on Friday.

The buds are starting to bloom and there is a bit of green and yellow to the trees, so make sure to get on out for a bit this weekend, too

Until next time …

By the way, I know it is not a huge milestone in light of all things, but today marks the 100th “Out and About.” So, I want to thank all the readers who check out this posting each week.

 

 

 

Beyoncé keeps the beat with Weitzman-adorned feet

Wednesday, April 17, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

Don’t go looking for any glass slippers on the Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. But one is likely to find plenty of bejeweled pumps and military-inspired boots on the feet of pop’s reigning queen.

Beyoncé, who launched The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour Monday in Belgrade, Serbia, revealed a steady stream of Stuart Weitzman-designed creations, including black combat ankle boots, brass satin pumps (see photo above) and blue Swarovski crystal embedded pumps. Her backup dancers and band members also donned styles created by this famed craftsman and Greenwich resident.

Check out some of the sketches of the lace-up, military inspired boots and the blue pumps.

Weitzman has designed the shoes for Beyoncé’s last two tours, as well as special performances.

The shoes for this tour had to complement multiple costume changes, which have already attracted fans and some critics.

In a released statement, Weitzman commented on his more than six-year collaboration with the singer:

“Creating footwear for Beyoncé’s shows has been one of my most inspiring projects.  She and her entire team know exactly what they need, always focusing on the fashion and the function of the styles that will be worn.”

This has already been a high-profile year for Weitzman, who also put his stamp on Cinderella’s glass slipper for the new Broadway musical that opened earlier this year

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, April 5, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

Film fans will be treated to two festivals in Connecticut this weekend, with one focused on shorts and the other on the Jewish experience. The Brookfield Film Festival will bring a program of international shorts to the Edmond Town Hall in Newtown from Friday to Sunday, while the Mandell JCC Hartford Jewish Film Fest delivers an international slate of movies to five different venues throughout 10 days (Above, check out the trailer to the documentary “Welcome to Kutshers – The Last Catskills Resort,” which is making its Hartford premiere.) Other film events include a Holocaust Remembrance event in New Haven and a special screening of art shorts in Stamford.

However, film is not the weekend’s only diversion.

The music landscape will be populated with Boz Scaggs in Bridgeport, Audra McDonald in Stamford, The Wallfowers in Uncasville, Elton John and Billy Joel tribute artists at the Downtown Cabaret, Three Phantoms in Fairfield, and Englebert Humperdinck in Ridgefield.

But, as they say, that’s not all. Mike DelGuidice and Big Shot (which features members of Billy Joel’s band) will perform at an autism benefit on Saturday at the Quick Center. Kung Fu will be at the Fairfield Theatre Co. The Nutopians will be in Mamaroneck, N.Y., Vance Gilbert will be in Old Saybrook. Enjoy a “Piano Bar…n!” in Ridgefield. Michael Jovovich and Friends make it to the Dressing Room Theatre. The Angel Choir performs in Greenwich. For the Heart covers Broadway in Westport. The award-winning composition team of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul bring songs and tales to Wilton. Joe Crookston will perform in Ridgefield. And the Greenwich Chamber Players will bring “Winds of Change – from Beethoven to Gilbert,” to two venues this weekend.

For the younger set, there is music, too, with the performance of Dog on Fleas set for Sunday in Norwalk. Up in Hartford, the Bushnell Center will be the scene for ERTH’s Dinosaur Petting Zoo. The “Little Engine That Could Earns Her Whistle” chugs into Westport. “Click, Clack Moo” plays at the Emelin. The New Milford Historical Society and Museum will host a children’s tea party. Enjoy a Kaleidoscope Ball in Norwalk. And the Loft Artists Association will be putting on a “Draw On” workshop on Saturday, and next.

On stage, “The Marvelous Wonderettes” belt it out in Shelton, while area performers take a trip to “Oklahoma.” “Guys and Dolls” are on stage in Elmsford, N.Y. “Ride the Tiger” continues at Long Wharf Theatre. Play with Your Food returns on Tuesday. “The Red Mill” opens in Norwalk. And, Shakespeare on the Sound hosts a gala on Saturday. “The Importance of Being Earnest” comes to White Plains, N.Y. “Run For Your Wife” opens in Sherman. And the Carriage House Arts Center in Norwalk begins its eighth season with  V-Day Norwalk 2013’s benefit production of “The Vagina Monologues.”

Art is around, too, with the opening of “Strange Invitation” at the Franklin Street Works art space in Stamford. Later in the week, the Westport Library will host a program on the Federal Art Project. Heather Sandifer’s “Spring Notebook,” is at Les Beaux Arts Gallery in Greenwich. An opening reception is planned for Friday for the “Eric von Schmidt—A Life in Art,” exhibition at the Westport Library. Across the Saugatuck, Westport Arts Center opens its SOLOS 2013 members show, also on Friday evening.

Those looking to learn the value of their antiques can head over to Newtown. Finds also may be found at Adopt-A-Dog’s first Rummage for Rescue Tag Sale in Greenwich. The Vintage Clothing, Accessories, Textiles & Jewelry Show returns to Danbury this weekend for its eighth year. Print fans should make a stop at Norwalk’s Center for Contemporary Printmaking where the second annual Connecticut Printmakers Invitational kicks off. Chef Claire comes to Stratford. And Greg Mort, whose art is currently on display at Stamford Museum and Nature Center is expected to visit an Astronomy Night event on Friday at the site’s observatory. And Dan Aykroyd will be at Total Wine & More in Norwalk on Saturday.

Until next time …

Arthur Murray to get his day in Greenwich April 4

Tuesday, April 2, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

Above, dancers perfect their steps at the Arthur Murray Grande Ballroom of Greenwich. By official proclamation, April 4 will be Arthur Murray Day in Greenwich

Last year’s 100th anniversary of Arthur Murray’s entry into the world of dance instruction spun out multiple celebrations throughout the year, including a worldwide dance party that marked his birthday, which falls on April 4.

This year in Greenwich, it will be a quieter, but no less festive celebration of the man who brought dance into the lives of many people. Before he died in 1991, at the age of 95, Murray had built up the largest chain of dance studios in the world, which includes several locations throughout Fairfield County.

On the anniversary Murray’s birthday this year, the Arthur Murray Grande Ballroom of Greenwich will join First Selectman Peter Tesei in celebrating “Arthur Murray Day,” which will become official with the reading of the proclamation at a ceremony at 12:30 p.m. at the Town Hall.

Christine Georgopulo, president and owner of the Greenwich dance studio, said she is planning to have some dancers at the event, which is scheduled to be held outdoors, and has planned festivities at the studio located on Lewis Street.

Georgopulo, who also is a Greenwich resident, switched gears two years ago and opened the studio, after a 30-year career in real estate development. She said she was spurred to do this based on her experience of becoming a competitive dancer.

“I started as a student … and fell in love with it,” she said. She began dancing in earnest about four years ago.

“I always wanted to be a dancer and an entertainer, but that didn’t pan out,” she said, laughing. “This way, I have an opportunity to have a little piece of that.”

In addition to instruction, she said she has enjoyed community outreach programs, including a class for cancer patients at Greenwich Hospital. Georgopulo said its been a busy time at the studio. She and a couple of her instructors are participating in Curtain Call of Stamford’s Dancing with the Stars fundraising event on May 18 and her dance studio will host a bridal event on April 28.

She said for many, the process of learning about dance and sticking with it can be transformative, not to mention stress-reducing. She said there are other benefits, as well. For instance, she said it can help bolster social skills and ensure you will not be sitting on the sidelines when it comes to weddings, cruises or fundraising galas.

“It put me in the best shape of my life,” she said. “It was just a soul-changing experience. …. You have to be 100 percent present.”

Acclaimed actress, singer Audra McDonald to perform in Stamford

Monday, April 1, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

During the next two months, there will be little time for five-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald to rest. A packed performance schedule, multiple appearances and honors are expected to keep her busy. She also is working to complete her latest album, “Go Back Home,” which is set to be released next month.

However, area audiences will have a chance to catch her before she is off and running during an April 6 performance presented by the Stamford Symphony. This actress and musical theater star will present an evening of songs and stories beginning at 8 p.m. at the Palace Theatre.

It has been about 20 years since McDonald had her first professional appearance on stage, while still a student at Juilliard. Since the early 1990s, McDonald has transitioned from stage to screen (and back again) successfully, showcasing her talents in musicals, Shakespeare and on television. She played, and won a Tony, for her role as Bess in “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess,” has performed Shakespeare (“Twelfth Night” and “Henry IV”) and is known for her roles on “Private Practice” and “Grey’s Anatomy.”

About a week after she performs in Stamford, she will introduce “Josh Groban: All That Echos,” as host of “Live from Lincoln Center,” which will premiere on PBS’ Thirteen/WNET in New York on April 12. Later this month, on April 22, she will be honored by New York Women in Communications at a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria.

On May 20, she will participate in the Washington, D.C.-based Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Classic Conversations series with its artistic director Michael Kahn (Weston resident Christopher Plummer has been invited to join Kahn on June 3). And later in the month, on May 24, she will perform in the final broadcast of this season’s “Live from Lincoln Center.”

If you are interested in attending the Stamford performance on April 6, visit the Palace’s website. Above, you can see her performance of the Arlen-Harburg song, “Down With Love.”

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, March 29, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

For those who like to celebrate the Easter holiday with a bit of action, a number of egg hunts and “egg-stravaganzas” are scheduled this weekend. Meanwhile, a new exhibition is on display at the Bruce Museum that “unscrambles” the long history of the egg.

Of course, there might be some out there who are looking for a different kind of entertainment during the holiday weekend (and beyond). At Bridgeport’s Discovery Museum, for instance, “The Ultimate Laser Light Show Experience” will run Friday and Saturday evenings through May 26, bringing lasers, lights and rock music to the Henry duPont Planetarium.

Speaking of music, the area will again be full of singers and songwriters and big bands and small ensembles. Fairfield’s Kristen Graves will be in South Norwalk on Friday. The second annual Bijou Blender will kick off on Saturday in Bridgeport. There will be an ABBA  tribute act in Ridgefield this weekend. Mandy Patinkin will be in Tarrytown on Saturday. The Highland Rovers will be in Uncasville on Sunday. That’s the same day Maydie Miles performs in Westport. The Revivalists (see the New Orleans-based band’s video of “Criminal” above) and Otis Taylor Band come to the Fairfield Theatre Company this weekend. Alex Bleeker and the Freaks are part of a free show at BAR in New Haven on Wednesday. Glen Matlock, the former Sex Pistols bassist, will be in New Haven on Sunday. And, Pink Floyd’s album “Dark Side of the Moon” will be performed at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport on Saturday.

This weekend you also have the chance to catch the fastest talking woman, who also happens to be funny. Families can get all creative in Fairfield. Visitors can enjoy a Persian New Year event at Sacred Heart University later in the week. Or, you can take a trip to Oklahoma and never leave the area. “Guys and Dolls” take the stage in Elmsford, N.Y. You can learn how best to track birds in Greenwich.

Art abounds, too, with a new show opening in Bethel this weekend. Mother Nature’s work will be on display in Danbury. Stamford’s Loft Artists Association will show the power of “Transformations 2.” The Katonah Museum of Art puts its focus on quilts. The works of guild members and solo artists are on view in Silvermine. A solo exhibition by Max Weisen continues at the Stamford Art Association. Works by Eric von Schmidt go up on display this weekend in Westport.

Until next time …

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, March 22, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

Bassist Joe “Bearclaw” Burcaw first got the music bug as a teen growing up in New Milford. Time spent in high school and college bands paved the way for  a professional career with different groups, including the New York City-based band Black 47.

It is with that band that Burcaw will return to familiar stomping grounds this weekend. The Celtic rockers are scheduled to perform at the Fairfield Theatre Company, Saturday, March 23. The band’s high-energy live performances continue to draw fans who have followed the group since its formation more than 20 years ago.

If you want to hear a band that mixes traditional Irish tunes with rock, reggae, folk, jazz and the blues, this is a night for you. (Above, you can see a video of the band performing “Rockin The Bronx” at the 2011 Joey Ramone Birthday Bash)”Rockin The Bronx” at the 2011 Joey Ramone Birthday Bash.)

Other musicians will be making a stop in our area, too. David Bromberg will be in Ridgefield. AJ Swearingen and Jonathan Beedle will channel Simon and Garfunkel in Bridgeport. Walter Lewis Blues Trio will perform in Redding. Ratso comes to Stamford. The Good News Choir raises their voices in Westport. The Sacred Heart University Concert Band will give a free concert in Fairfield. Beethoven will sound for two days in Stamford. Caroline Doctorow will open Richter’s season. Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul will be in Old Saybrook. Rickie Lee Jones takes the stage in Tarrytown, N.Y. Sir James and Lady Jeanne Galway will be in Purchase, N.Y. Meanwhile, “Uncle” Gerry Dignan will perform at a Sandy Hook benefit in Norwalk.

An afternoon of music, meditation and dance is set in Greenwich on Sunday, as a way to celebrate the Indian festival of Shivrati. In Fairfield, it will be a celebration of home. There are still a few St. Patrick’s Day parades in the area, including one in Danbury and another in Mystic.

Funny guys are coming to the area, too, including Dom Irrera, Billy Winn and Artie Lange. And a more serious topic, thieves and forgers of the art world, will be addressed in a lecture Sunday by Noah Charney in Fairfield.

Artists will be represented with a couple of Draw On! events happening in our area, as will those who love the Easter Bunny, or, more specifically, the Easter Bunny on a train.

On stage (through the power of technology), the London stage hit “People” will be live telecast at the Quick Center. At Long Wharf in New Haven, “Ride the Tiger,” a story about some of President John F. Kennedy’s tabloid-ready tales, will open next week.

Families may want to check out “Eggs-hibition: Unscrambling Their History” in Greenwich or the train and toy show in Trumbull.

The sun should be shining, too, on this first weekend of spring, so get on out there. But, don’t let it fool you. You will still need a coat.

Until next time …

Out and about: Things to see and places to be this weekend

Friday, March 15, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
Comment
Comments
|
|

You don’t have to be Irish, nor do you have to wear green to enjoy events going on this weekend. However, the observance of the St. Patrick’s Day holiday is coloring the flavor of entertainment throughout the region. From bars and clubs, to music halls and downtown streets, be ready to be part of the fun through Sunday.

Once you get your fill of cultural celebrations, there will be plenty of performers set to entertain through a variety of genres. Music acts making their way through the region include Jewel, Ada Pasternak, Soilwork, CT Bluegrass All-Stars, A Faylene Sky, Helen Money, the Choir of the College of William and Mary, Fairfield County Chorale, Jill Sobule and Julia Sweeney, The Phantom Pluckers, El Gran Combo, Rita Coolidge, Daniel Bernard Roumain, Peter Mulvey and Jeffrey Foucault, John Farrell, Drive-By Truckers (check out their video below), Cowboy Junkies, Rain, the Greater Bridgeport Symphony, the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra, American Brass Quintet, Cassatt String Quartet, Della Mae, the “Saxtet” and the Doc Wallace Trio.

There will be a melding of words and music, by the way, at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Stamford this weekend when author Geraldine Brooks is teamed with the Dessoff Choirs. And, James Naughton helps to support the troops in Westport.

You will find opportunities to catch some comedy with Ron White, Bill Cosby, Isaacs & Baker, Demetri Martin, and Joey Kola and Vincent McElhone in the area.

Have you been suffering from identity crisis? The Connecticut Science Center might be able to help you with its latest exhibition, “Identity: An Exhibition of You.” It is a good family diversion, as is the Zany Science Lab tea set at Stamford Museum and Nature Center or the royal meet-and-greet getting under way at Bridgeport’s Bijou Theatre. Or, get a some quality on the ground airtime when the New England Air Museum hosts Open Cockpit Day.

One also can look toward the stars this weekend, too, or possible spy a few birds during events in Greenwich and Trumbull. Kids, meanwhile, get a night out in Milford.

Maybe you are looking to catch a movie or two or three. The documentary “Mothers of Bedford,” will get a screening in Ridgefield, while the Wild and Scenic Film Festival will run for an evening in Westport. The New Perspectives Film Series also continues in Wilton this weekend.

If the idea of checking out art is what draws you out this weekend, then make way to the Mark Twain Library where sculptor Edward Marshall Boehm’s work will be on display. The 96th annual juried exhibition of the Greenwich Art Society continues. And, a special event is planned in connection with Paul Larson’s exhibition on view now at the Loft Artists Association. Meanwhile, Franklin Street Works will be helping to make an art-friendly habitat. Art for everyone is available, too.

On stage, “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie,” continues at Curtain Call;. “The 39 Steps” plays out in Darien. “And Then They Came for Me … Remembering the World of Anne Frank” will run for a couple of days in Fairfield. “In the Heights” continues in Westchester. “Sh-Boom, Sh-Boom Life Could Be a Dream” is realized in Ivoryton. “Hamlet” will be staged in New Haven, which is where you can find The Blue Man Group, too. “Adrift in Macao” stays anchored in New Milford. “All My Sons” plays in Ridgefield. The “Sound of Music” gets a run in Greenwich. “Rounding Third” comes to a close this weekend. “SPANK! The Fifty Shades of Parody,” arrives in Tarrytown. And a reading is set in Westport for “Beau Jest.”

Well, there’s plenty to do so get to it!

Until next time …

Page 2 of 29123Last »