Archive for the ‘KIds’ Category

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

Friday, March 15, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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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 …

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

Friday, March 8, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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Fans of film, fans of France and fans of festivals are in such luck this weekend. Focus on French Cinema (see trailer below) will run throughout the weekend at Purchase College in Purchase, N.Y. The festival, which is in its ninth year, offers a mix of documentaries, comedies, dramas and animated films. Throughout the weekend, there also will be featured guests, who will participate in a discussion on Saturday morning. There also are student workshops. Here’s some additional information on schedule and festival passes.

Maybe it is not films, but fumes that you are seeking. Make haste, then, to get over to the Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport where Monster Jam will rev it up, big wheels time. Throughout the weekend, monster trucks will rumble through any number of contests.

This weekend also will offer a rich destination for those looking to learn how to spruce up their homes and yards. The Home & Outdoor Living Expo will take up shop at the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Stamford Saturday and Sunday. It is hoped those looking to learn more about indoor and outdoor projects make the stop to check out hundreds of exhibitors, as well special prize opportunities and giveaways.

If films, monster trucks and home improvement leaves you with a ho-hum feeling, don’t worry, the weekend is packed with other activities, too.

Music, a perennial if you will, once again delivers. Clint Black will be in Ridgefield on Friday. The sister duo the Nields will perform in Westport on Saturday. The Afro-Cuban All-Stars will be in Waterbury on Sunday. The Musicians from Marlboro will be in Greenwich on Sunday. Frank Mastrone will be in Stamford Saturday and Sunday. Andy Cooney will be in Elmsford, N.Y. on Monday. The Chieftains will be in the area on Tuesday. And, the Marshall Tucker Band will be in Ridgefield on Wednesday.

Ailey II dancers are coming to Westport to help raise funds for Neighborhood Studios, which are located in Bridgeport. And the Russian National Ballet Theatre will be in Fairfield. And the Juan Siddi Flamenco Theatre Company will be in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

Sandra Bernhard will be in Tarrytown, N.Y., while other celebrities will be on stage in Danbury.

For kids, Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo is hosting a Slither into Spring on Saturday, featuring some of the reptilian education ambassadors. Stepping Stones Museum for Children in Norwalk will be welcoming families of children with special needs for a special morning program that features free admission. The Berenstain Bears will be performed in Ridgefield, while young people will get a taste of the orchestra in Stamford. A WACky Family Day is set in Westport. In Greenwich, the Bruce Museum will host the Diane W. Darst Family Art Appreciation Day.

On stage, you can “Play With Your Food,” on Tuesday, or catch “39 Steps” in Darien. “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” opens in Stamford.

The forecast looks good, so those looking to check out late winter vistas should get themselves on out there. Spring, to the relief of many, I suspect, will arrive soon enough.

Until next time …

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

Friday, March 1, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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The sweet, the smooth, the sensational, the scalawaggy … you can find all that, and more, as they say, with another weekend soon to get under way.

The Stamford Museum and Nature Center will be presenting its 14th annual Maple Sugar Festival, with plenty of maple sugar, goodies, demonstrations and an “Iron Chef”-inspried cookoff. Maple sugar also will figure prominently at the Ansonia Nature Center and the Institute for American Indian Studies. Meanwhile, Jim Brickman will be bringing the sounds of the 1970s to Oakdale. Bowfire will bring its genre-mixing performance to Ridgefield. And, children, and adults, can travel to Westport where they can learn how to become a pirate.

Still not enough? Well, you can go and see the singer and songwriter Vance Gilbert over at the Westport Arts Center (check out a video of one of his performances below). Suzanne Sheridan and Friends in Shelton, Livingston Taylor in Bridgeport, Shawn Mullins in Farifield, Deep Banana Blackout in Port Chester, N.Y., The Saw Doctors in Uncasville, the Chamber Players in Greenwich, the Connecticut Master Chorale in Newtown, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

If you want to learn more about the former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, you get get a look at the life of the late politician in Neil Barsky’s documentary, “Koch,” which will have several screenings in our area. A documentary on rock will be in Danbury.

Want to learn more about the Reanimation Library? Then make sure to take a trip to the Ferguson Library this weekend.

On stage, one can find “Distracted” in Stratford, “The Fox on the Fairway” in New Canaan, “Spring Awakening” in Danbury, “In the Heights” in Elmsford, N.Y. (where it just received an extended run), “American Idiot” in Hartford, “Curse of the Starving Class” in New Haven, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in Stamford, “Rounding Third” in Newtown, and “Sister’s Easter Catechism: Will My Bunny Go to Heaven?” in Wilton.

The 46th annual Darien Antiques Show will bring dealers from around the area to the First Congregational Church throughout the weekend. On Monday, the Greenwich Antiques Society will take a look at how Irish craftsmen made their marks on American period furniture.

If you are hungry, there are some deals going on in the restaurants in our area too, including those in Stamford, Darien, Greenwich and Port Chester, N.Y.

Make time for laughter, too, as several venues are hosting comedy nights, including Marisa’s in Trumbull, Port Chester, N.Y., New Haven, Mamaroneck, N.Y., Mashantucket and Uncasville.

If you want to catch some art, there are multiple opportunities. The work of Henriette Simon Picker comes to Stamford, which is where you can also find the work of young artists. Bridgeport also will be the scene of artists who are still learning.

For kids, there are opportunities to see some of the wonders of nature. Creatures of the sea are the stars in Greenwich. And kids can have a night out at the Coastal Center at Milford Point.

Until next time …

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

Friday, February 22, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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The Harlem Globetrotters will be dribbling, dunking and causing mayhem up and down the court when the team comes to the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport Friday night. The team is currently on a four-month North American tour that asks the fans to make the rules.

After 87 years, they gang remains as spry and fleet of foot as ever. They go up against the Washington Generals at 7 p.m. Just be prepared that at any moment you may become part of the action.

From basketball to blooms, this upcoming weekend and the days ahead feature diverse programs and activities to keep all ages entertained.

The Connecticut Flower and Garden Show brings spring’s colors and scents to Hartford, while bluegrass will be in the air when Del McCoury and Sam Bush visit Norwalk. Local musicians will come together to raise funds for Newtown. And the Rennie Harris Puremovement dancers will bring a dynamic performance to Fairfield.

Comics from throughout New England will be trying to rise to the top of the ranks at Mohegan Sun.  Lewis Black promises to bring the rant when he performs in Stamford. And, Linda Belt brings her humor to a spirited lunch.

Music, as always, will sound from across the area. The Nutopians will be in Bridgeport as will Kung Fu, Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang. Gunsmoke, The Grapes and Mars Project are in Stamford.  Meanwhile Stamford’s Richard “Cookie” Thomas will be in Westport. John Corbett will be in Fairfield. John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey perform in Purchase, N.Y. The Pears come to Pawling, N.Y. And, Fairfield’s Brian Dolzani travels to Pound Ridge, N.Y.

Maroon 5 and Chubby Checker perform two separate nights at Mohegan Sun. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals will be at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., this weekend. Tickets remain for the Sunday show (Bridgeport-based The Stepkids are the opening band.)

Gospelfest takes place in Fairfield and the Walkingwood Mandolin Quartet performs in Milford. Connecticut Master Chorale will have a concert this weekend in Newtown.

Western Connecticut State University hosts the final film in its African Film Festival, while the New Canaan Library screens “Searching for Sugarman.” The Avon Theater in Stamford will host an Oscar night on Sunday, as will Milford’s Center for the Arts and the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center in Old Saybrook..

For kids, “Freckleface Strawberry the Musical,” plays at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport, and the Fairy Wedding Tea event at the Barnum Museum celebrates the 150th anniversary of Tom Thumb and Lavinia Warren’s wedding. And, in Trumbull, a Purim Carnival is set to go on Sunday.

Several art exhibitions have opened or are currently in their run. “Aesthetic Expressions” is now on view in Danbury. New exhibits open at Silvermine Arts Center.

On stage, “The Curse of the Starving Class,” continues its run in New Haven (see the trailer below). The Ridgefield Playhouse hosts an evening with Stephen Sondheim. “In The Heights” is featured at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. “Adrift in Macao” will be staged in New Milford. An interactive murder event is revealed in Stamford (there is one in Southbury, too.). And the Town Players of New Canaan bring a story about love and golf to the stage.

Become a part of the game with the Harlem Globetrotters

Friday, February 22, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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At right: Bull Bullard finds himself above the action during a recent Harlem Globetrotters game. The team will be making a stop in Bridgeport Friday, Feb. 22, at the Webster Bank Arena for a 7 p.m. game.

It’s quite not as fun as coaching your favorite Harlem Globetrotter from the sidelines, but with the team’s “You Write The Rules” tour, which bounces in to Bridgeport Friday, Feb. 22, you at least get a chance to say how the game is played.

At each quarter, a new rule is rolled out, based on the online votes of the fans. And, for one quarter, the audience gets a chance to choose based on its applause. The tour continues the team’s more than 85-year legacy of bringing showmanship, athleticism and community outreach to places around the world.

Will you choose two-ball basketball, double points, the four-point shot, six on five or the penalty box? You can make your picks here, and then go to the game at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard and see if your vote stuck.

Just don’t be surprised if the Globetrotters manage to pull off a win despite what is thrown at them.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call 800-745-3000 or visit http://www.ticketmaster.com.

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

Friday, February 15, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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Cathy Rigby reprises her role as Peter Pan for a production that arrives at the Palace Theater in Waterbury this weekend. At 60, Rigby is still up for the demands of playing the part of a boy who is loath to grow up. With some preparation, she told my colleague Joe Meyers that she is well prepared to add on even more performances to the more than 3,000 she has already logged as James Barrie’s classic character. Shows will run through Sunday.

It is a varied weekend when it comes to entertainment, from a gathering of outdoor enthusiasts to those who like a good yarn. Events continue through the weekend to honor the holiday of love. A new art exhibit in Stamford will honor the spectacle and beauty of the night sky. A Redding artist’s cardboard creation will get another look in another medium. An author brings a tale of corruption to the Ferguson. Images of varied landscapes will be on view in Danbury. And some “Stars With Their Cars” will open in Newtown.

As always, music fans have myriad events to attend. There will be a musical adventure at Yale, the arrival of 3 Doors Down and Daughtry in Uncasville, Stefon Harris and Blackout to Fairfield,  Donna Ullsse and the Poor Mountain Boys to Mamaroneck, N.Y., piano virtuoso George Li in Stamford, the dual piano performance of Igor Lovchinsky and Jonathan Coombs, the Blues Brothers Revue in Ridgefield and plenty of acts throughout the clubs of Fairfield County.

Oscar fans have multiple opportunities to check out some of the movies that are up for honors, with series set in Bridgeport, Stamford and Trumbull.

On stage, “The Kid Who Would Be Pope,” arrives at Curtain Call in Stamford. “In The Heights” continues in Elmsford, N.Y. “Curse of the Starving Class” plays at Long Wharf Theatre. “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” adds dates in Stamford. “Big River” courses through Shelton. And “Rabbit Hole” plays out in Westport.

Of course, there is plenty of snow to keep avid sledders busy, too.

Until next time …

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

Friday, February 1, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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Undoubtedly, there will be Super Bowl fans among the Souper Bowl fans at the fifth annual Chowdafest at the Webster Bank Arena at Harbor Yard, but one not need be a fan of the big game to come out for a tasty competition. Organizers are hoping to draw the crowds on Sunday, which will not only determine the day’s top soups, but also raise funds to benefit the Connecticut Food Bank.

You can get a look here at participating restaurants and the kind of frothy goodness you will find (such as chicken Marsala soup, Sengalese peanut soup and oyster pork belly chowder). May the best soup win!

If chocolate is your thing, Sunday is the day for the 20th annual Chocolate Lovers’ Expo in Soutbury. Bring those appetites, since vendors will be sampling items.

There is plenty more to this weekend, however, beginning with today’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of Grand Central Terminal. If you have not already made it in to New York City, there are plenty of activities planned during the day to honor this busy transportation hub. If you want to mark another anniversary, you can make your way to the Stamford Center for the Arts Palace Theatre where Paco Pena and his flamenco dancers and musicians will help the Namaskaar Foundation celebrate a quarter century.

As with every weekend, music fans have plenty to choose from, including a performance by Sixpence None the Richer in Fairfield, the Blue Oyster Cult in Ridgefield, Stephanie Blythe at the Quick Center, The Temptations and the Four Tops in Stamford, Mystic Bowie, Lindsey Stirling, School of Rock, The Zamboinis, Darik and the Funbags, Bfunked, The Bernadettes, Ryan Monbleau, the U.S. Coast Guard Band, Fairfield County Children’s Choir, and Brother Sun and Sister Sun. Concerts also continue to benefit victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy.

There is no lack of movies, from the 007 Red Carpet Festival at the Avon Theatre in Stamford or “Body of War” at the Ridgefield Playhouse. On stage, you can catch some “Ancestral Voices” at the Music Theatre of Connecticut in Westport or “The Addams Family” in New Haven. “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” opens in Stamford. Some community productions get under way as well, including “The Yellow Dress” in Wilton, “Big River” in Shelton, “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” in Milford and “Rabbit Hole” in Westport.

Dave Kane aims to make audiences chuckle in Danbury, while Margaret Cho arrives at Foxwoods. Connecticut-based Treehouse Comedy also has a full lineup in multiple venues this weekend. You will not go wanting for comics.

You also can check out the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut’s first visual art show of the year or have a “Brush with Magic” in Fairfield.

This weekend also marks the “Take Your Child to the Library Day,” with various towns and cities, such as Bridgeport, Norwalk, Greenwich, Stamford and New Canaan planning special events. “The Tortoise and the Hare” will be performed in Fairfield. And a “Look and See” program will be held next week as part of the “Chinasaurs” exhibition now open at the Bruce Museum.

You also may want to sharpen some pencils (or tuck a pen into your pocket if you are that good) and high-tail it over to the Westport Library. The 14th annual Crossword Puzzle Contest gets under way Saturday.

1-2-3 Hut! Until next time ….

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

Friday, January 25, 2013 by:Christina Hennessy
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The area will soon be filled with singers, musicians, actors, authors, artists and other performers, ready to provide an eclectic mix of entertainment. It begins tonight with several musical performances, including the Pink Floyd tribute band The Machine, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Michael Dunham Trio, What Up Funk Band, Dylan Connor and the Epic Poets, The Fred Eaglesmith Traveling Steam Show, Groove Time, City Express Band, Marilyn Manson and others.

On Saturday, the music continues with Greenwich Symphony, Bang on a Can All-Stars, Chris Trapper, Great American Ghost, Tom Crowley and the Speakers, Aaron Lewis, a Johnny Mercer tribute, Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, Lita Ford, Jeremy Denk, Kashmir, Wynton Marsalis and a Hot & Cool jazz session.

On Sunday, one can check out Kate Liu, Christine Ebersole, the Mendelssohn Choir of Connecticut, Tokyo String Quartet and others. And, one can see the intersection of jazz and art during a special performance at the Old Town Hall Museum (175 Atlantic St.) in Stamford, Sunday, 2 to 5 p.m.

There are some tasty treats in store as well, including a “Chocolate World Expo” in Norwalk on Sunday. The 10th annual Winefest will take place in Uncasville.

On stage, “Next to Normal” comes to Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport. “Almost Maine” visits for a spell in Hartford. The Clockwork Repertory Theatre takes on a murder-mystery. And next Wednesday, stage fans can get a behind-the-scenes view of Broadway with the one-night only screening of “One Night Stand: Creating a Play in a Day.”

Author Fran Lebowitz will come to share her view of things during an evening at Fairfield University on Monday. A celebration of the lunar new year will kick off on Sunday. Graveyard shift tours are set at the Mark Twain House. The artist William Wegman will show work in Westport inspired by his travels (see right). Bruce Museum’s Chinasaurs opens this weekend. And “Texas Chainsaw” fans will be gathering in Norwalk.

Kids may want to check out “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” at the Emelin Theatre. “Yo Gabba Gabba Live” comes to Port Chester, N.Y. Stepping Stones Museum in Norwalk hosts a night for “The Lorax.” Trumbull Library will host a concert for the whole family. “Fancy Nancy” comes to Westport and the “Jungle Book” will be in Waterbury. Several night hikes also are planned in Ansonia and New Canaan.

There’s plenty to do, as always. Plan ahead, get started early and enjoy!

Until next time …

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