February Happenings at the Mark Twain House

Enjoy a Valentine treat as Jill Eikenberry and Michael Tucker perform a one-time-only reading of Mark Twain's humorous and touching "Diaries of Adam & Eve" Saturday, Feb. 12.

The performance, which begins at 8 pm at The Mark Twain Museum Center, will be followed by a romantic champagne and chocolate reception and a book signing.

With extensive stage and screen credits, including an eight-year stint as married law partners Ann Kelsey and Stuart Markowitz on the popular television series "L.A. Law,"Eikenberry and Tucker are one of the best-loved couples in the entertainment industry. Between them they have won a Golden Globe and two Obie awards, as well as three more Golden Globe nominations and seven Emmy Award nominations. Michael has published three books: "I Never Forget a Meal," "Living in a Foreign Language" and "Family Meals - Coming Together to Care for an Aging Parent."

Tickets are $50 ($40 for members) and can be purchased by calling 860-280-3130. The ticket price includes the post-performance champagne and chocolate reception, as well as the book signing. More information can be found at http://www.marktwainhouse.org/.

Other happenings:

• An appearance by Roy Blount Jr, author, humorist and star of "Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me" was postponed because of the weather and has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6:30 pm.
• A new exhibition at The Mark Twain House & Museum, American Storytellers: Norman Rockwell & Mark Twain, will open March 11 and unites their work with a wealth of artistic images and rare items brought together for the first time.
• Ghost Hunters and investigator Adam Berry return to the Twain House Feb. 19 at 4 pm in museum store. In conjunction with Berry's visit, The Mark Twain House & Museum is offering a series of early 2011 dates for the popular Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours. This "Winter Chills Edition" of the Graveyard Shift tours offers the opportunity for intrepid souls to take a nocturnal journey into the home of the Clemens Family. Highlights of the tour include Victorian traditions surrounding Spiritualist séances and death, some of the darker chapters of Mark Twain's history, information on paranormal investigations of the house and stories of run-ins with the unexplained.

Hour-long Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours are offered at 6, 7, 8 and 9 pm on the
final weekend of each month now through August. Upcoming "Winter Chills" dates
for tours (which include the Main House, Servants' Wing and the basement, which
is normally off-limits to visitors) are as follows: Friday, Feb. 25:; Saturday,
Feb. 26; Friday, March 25; Saturday, March 26; Friday, April 29; and Saturday,
April 30. Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours are by reservation only. Tickets are $18
for adults 17 and up; $15 for members of The Mark Twain House & Museum; and
$13 for children 16 and under. Tickets can be purchased by calling 860-280-3130
or visiting the ticket desk at The Mark Twain Museum Center, 351 Farmington
Ave., Hartford. Graveyard Shift Ghost Tours are not recommended for children
under the age of 10.

• For one night only, The Mark Twain House & Museum meets Sundance when the museum screens the rough-cut of the new Hartford-based independent feature film "Rising Star." Written and directed by Connecticut filmmaker Marty Lang, Rising Star is a romantic dramedy that follows a young insurance executive as he pursues the object of his affections through Hartford over the course of a day. On Friday, Feb. 25, The Mark Twain Museum Center will offer local cineastes the opportunity to get a first look at this work-in-progress. There will be a reception with the filmmakers at 6:30 pm. The screening will occur at 7:30 followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew where audience members can ask about the process of making the film and share their thoughts on how the "Rising Star" team can continue to develop the film.
• Direct from the heart of Broadway, Cabaret Lulu invites audiences to celebrate Black History Month at The Mark Twain Museum Center with their musical program "I Feel the Spirit!" Featuring a cast of Broadway stars and R&B recording artists, this special event will be a fun afternoon spent delighting in the spectrum of contemporary, inspirational and traditional African-American music.Hosted by the Northend Agent's newspaper, the museum will offer a family-friendly Splendid Afternoon package on Saturday, Feb. 26 that will include a delicious catered lunch by T&J Catering at noon (soft drinks and hot beverages, included) followed by a 2 pm. Cabaret Lulu performance of "I Feel the Spirit!" in the Museum Center's elegant Lincoln Financial Auditorium. Tickets for the lunch and show Splendid Afternoons package are $40 and can be ordered by calling 860-280-3130. Included in the cost is a coupon good for a discounted tour of the Mark Twain House that can be used that day or on a later date. Groups of 10 or more and bus tours are being offered a $42.50 all-inclusive package exclusively through Cabaret Lulu. This package includes lunch, show and a tour of The Mark Twain House and can be reserved by calling 1-866-LULU-USA (585-8872) or 212-308-8050. For more information about Cabaret Lulu, visit www.cabaretlulu.com.