Free Performance of Messiah at St. Joseph's Cathedral



The Cathedral Schola Cantorum at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph at Christmastime. Photo courtesy of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. 

Sacred Sounds CONCERT SERIES: MESSIAH

Friday, Dec. 9, 2011 • 7:30 p.m.
Featuring: New Haven Symphony Orchestra; William Boughton, conductor; Sarah Asmar, soprano; Judith Bowers, mezzo-soprano; Joshua Kohl, tenor; Dashon Burton, bass; Cathedral Schola Cantorum
Cathedral of Saint Joseph (Farmington Avenue, Hartford)

Saturday, Dec. 24 • 11 pm
Featuring Jeffrey Douma, conductor; Soli Deo Gloria Orchestra; Sarah Asmar, soprano; Judith Bowers, mezzo-soprano; Joshua Kohl, tenor; TBA, bass; Cathedral Choir
Cathedral of Saint Joseph

Free Admission, with a free-will offering accepted at the door. For more information, visit www.cathedralofsaintjoseph.com/music-sacredsounds.

Quick (Center) Notes

• Away in the Basement: A Church Basement Ladies Christmas will be presented 8 pm Friday, Dec. 16 at Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. This all-new holiday show is the third installment in the musical comedy series inspired by the books of author/humorists Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson. 
• “Babes In Toyland” will be performed by American Family Theater 1 and 3 pm Sunday, Dec. 18.
• National Theatre Live in HD “Collaborators” 7 pm Thursday, Dec. (encore performance). Because of a schedule change, the 2 pm live performance originally listed will not be broadcast. All 2 pm ticket holders will have their tickets honored at the evening encore performance. Call the box office to exchange tickets .

The Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located at 1073 North Benson Road . Tickets and information are available at 203-254-4010,  toll-free at 1-877-278-7396 or at www.quickcenter.com.

Favorites Return for 14th Christmas Carol at Hartford Stage

Marley pays a visit. Photo: T. Charles Erickson

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas returns to Hartford Stage for its 14th season. Adapted and originally directed for the stage by MichaelWilson, and now directed by Hartford Stage resident director Maxwell Williams, Dickens’ timeless inspiring masterpiece runs from through Dec. 30.

Hartford Stage favorite Bill Raymond returnsfor his 12th turn as Scrooge for all evening and 2 pm performances and Gustave Johnson again will play Scrooge at student matinees.

A Christmas Carol – A Ghost Story of Christmas is the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, the heartless miser who discoversthe true meaning of the holiday season after a Christmas Eve haunting.  Featuring all of Charles Dickens’ well-knowncharacters (Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present,and Future), the story of love and redemption is both a chilling ghost story and a heartwarming holiday event for children ofall ages. 

Original cast member Noble Shropshire (Milton,NY), returns to play the Ghost of Jacob Marley and Scrooge's housekeeper Mrs. Dilber.  Since 2004, Robert Hannon Davis (West Hartford) returns in the roles of Bob Cratchit and Mr. Fezziwig.  Rebecka Jones (Hamden) returns in the roles of Mrs. Fezziwig and Mrs. Cratchit. Michael Bakkensen (New York) returns in the role of Scrooge’s warm-hearted nephew, Fred, and Michael Preston (Hartford) makes his A Christmas Carol debut as Mr. Marvel. 

Cast members who have performed in all 14 seasons are Johanna Morrison (WestHartford) as Bettye Pidgeon and the Spirit of Christmas Past, Alan Rust (West Hartford) as Bert and the Spirit of Christmas Present, and Michelle Hendrick (Hartford) as Belle.

The cast also features more than two dozen local children Tiana N. Bailey (Bloomfield), EliBaker (South Glastonbury), AilieBednarz (Deep River), Tailanse Brantley (Springfield), Natalie Castonguay (Avon), Olivia Coe (Simsbury),Jordan Cyr (Cromwell), Jacrhys Dalton, Lorenzo Dalton, Rachel Dalton (Branford), Clareight Ellis,Seanan Ellis (West Simsbury), Yoni Haller (West Hartford), Jonathan Hammond (Farmington), Andrew Holland (West Hartford), Daniel Kemple (Hartford), Daniel Madigan (Avon), Emily May (Ivoryton), Michael Oliver (Avon), Ethan Pancoast (Rocky Hill), Maiya Pascouche (Simsbury), Thomas Ranttigan (West Hartford), Abbi Rice, Katie Rice (Avon), Ankit Roy(East Hartford), Laura Spineti(Higganum), Fred Thornley (Hartford,and Garet Weirdsma (New Hartford); as well as several “stars of tomorrow” making their Hartford Stage debut – members of the BFA Acting Program at The Hartt School.

Acting students include Ben Cole (Hartford), Alana Fallis (Hartford),Mark Ford (Hartford), Nicholas Giuliani (Hartford), Morgan Hammel (Hartford), Laura Helm (Soughborough, MA), Tom Rash (Hartford), Timothy Rizzo (Hartford), Alex Saffer (Hartford), Charles South (Hartford), Kirsten Tarczynski (Hartford), Sophia Watt (Hartford), and Salvatore Zullo (Bronx).

Hartford Stage’s presentation features settings by the Tony Award-winning scenic designer Tony Straiges, costumes by Zach Brown, lighting by Robert Wierzel and original music and sound design by John Gromada. Hope Clarke is choreographer, Ken Clark is musical director.

Tickets are $24 - $69; children 12 and under save $10. For other discounts, activities and to purchase tickets, call 860-527-5151 or visit the box office at 50 Church St., Hartford or visit www.hartfordstage.org.

Yale School of Drama presents Shakespeare's Cymbeline at the University Theatre, 222 York St., New Haven Dec. 10-16. Louisa Proske directs. Seating is limited. All shows are at 8 pm:

Saturday, Dec. 10 (Opening)
Monday, Dec. 12
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Wednesday, Dec. 14
Thursday, Dec. 15
Friday, Dec. 16 
               
Tickets, starting at $10, are available online at www.drama.yale.edu, by phone at 203-432-1234, and in person at the Box Office (1120 Chapel St. at York Street).

Warm Up with Hot Christmas Shows at the Palace

The Nutcracker. Photo courtesy of the Palace Theater.

Warm up with a hot show this December at the Palace Theater. Tickets and gift certificates can be purchased by phone at 203-346-2000 at www.palacetheaterct.org or in person at the box office, 100 East Main St., Waterbury. Groups of 15 or more qualify for discounted rates and should call the group sales hotline at 203-346-2011.

Christmas at the Palace
Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 pm
The Waterbury Chorale and the Waterbury Chorale Festival Orchestra present a program of secular and religious Christmas music that will delight and inspire audiences of all ages.
Tickets: $25/ $30/ $45

WaterburyArts Magnet School presents A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Thursday, Dec. 8 at  7 pm; Friday, Dec. 9 at 7 pm; Saturday, Dec. 10  at 2 and 7 pm.The timeless tale of Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation from a bitter and disillusioned creature into the most caring and generous of men comes alive. Tickets: $12

After Work Smooth Jazz R&B
Friday, Dec. 16 at 5:30 pm
Kick-off the weekend right with smooth vibes on a Friday night! ACTJamsProductions.com presents an after-work social event featuring performances by The Ron Howard Experience, R&B vocalist Marquist, and Jazz vocalist Andrea Deyo, who will celebrate the sounds of Christmas during the event’s “Tis the Season” segment. Hors d'oeuvres and drink specials will be served.
Tickets:$10

Woodbury Ballet presents The Nutcracker
Saturday, Dec. 17 at 4 pm
Enjoy a family holiday tradition where Sugar Plums dance, Flowers waltz and Snowflakes leap across the stage weaving a splendid tale of a little girl’s dream of first love.
Tickets: $28/ $38/ $48
                                                                                                                            
Swanlake
Wednesday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 pm; Thursday, Dec, 22 at 7:30 pm
The State Ballet Theatre of Russia, from the city of Voronezh, bringsTchaikovsky's beloved ballet to  life. Tickets: $28/ $38/ $48/ $58

SHEN YUN PERFORMING ARTS                                                                         
Monday, Dec. 26 at 7:30 pm; Thursday, Dec. 29 and Friday, Dec. 30 at 7:30 pm. Inspired by the spirit of ancient China, Shen Yun Performing Arts presents a bygone culture with a gloriously colorful and exhilarating show of classical Chinese dance and music. Tickets:$50/ $70 / $90/ $120

The Palace Theater recently announced it is the recipient of a Broadway League $5,000 grant to support that after-school character developmentprogram “Find Yourself, Be Yourself, Reveal Yourself.” Based on the Blue Man Group stage show, this month long program utilizes theBlue Man Group’s social commentary and performing arts concept to enhance students’ language arts curriculum while cultivating a youth voice regarding relevant social issues.

HSO Holidays. Photo: Steven Laschever

HSO MASTERWORKS SERIES: HOLIDAY MASTERWORKSwith Richard Coffey, guest conductor; Stephanie Gilbert, soprano; Eric Barry, tenor; Eric Downs, bass-baritone; Hartford Chorale- Richard Coffey, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus- Stuart Younse, artistic director.

Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 pm
Friday, Dec. 2 at 8 pm
Saturday, Dec. 3 at 8 pm
Sunday, Dec. 4 at 3 pm
Belding Theater │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
Program: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Suite No. 1 from The Nutcracker, Op. 71; Ralph Vaughan Williams: Hodie; Mikhail Glinka: Overture to Russlan and Ludmilla

Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $35.50-$70.50. Student tickets are $10. On Dec. 3 patrons age 40 and under may purchase $25 tickets. 

HSO POPS! SERIES: HOLIDAY POPS! SPECTACULARwith Carolyn Kuan, music director; Connecticut Children’s Chorus- Stuart Younse, director; The Klezman
Saturday, Dec. 10 at 3 and 8 pm 
Mortensen Hall │ The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts

Program: Holiday Favorites including Sleigh Ride; The Nutcracker, Suite; Hava Nagilah; Riu Riu Chiu, Gong Xi Gong Xi, Radetzky March, and an audience sing-along featuring  Frosty the Snowman, White Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

Ticket Information: Tickets range in price from $20-$67.50. Student tickets are $10.

For tickets or more information, call 860-244-2999 or visit www.hartfordsymphony.org.

Mark Twain House News

• How did Hartford's own William Gillette go from the well-heeled Nook Farm neighborhood of movers and shakers to the New York stage and beyond? How and why did this fine Victorian actor go from farce to historical drama to his defining role of Sherlock Holmes? Find out Dec. 8 and 9 at 7:30 pm when the Mark Twain House & Musiem and the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center present the East Haddam Stage Company's original one-act play Sherlock Holmes: From Page to Stage. Follow Gillette (whose Gillette Castle in East Haddam, is a major tourist attraction) from Hartford to San Francisco to New York and London as he plays in and writes quintessential Victorian comedies. Then hear how the stars align for his fateful meeting with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and how Gillette brought to life the super-sleuth Sherlock Holmes. Four actors portray 12 characters in the life of Gillette. Written and directed by Artistic Director Kandie Carle, the play features Jay Selavka of Meriden, Michael Vernon Davis of Niantic, George Lombardo of Wethersfield and Rayah Martin of Hartford. All tickets are $20. To purchase tickets, call 860-280-3130.
• The Mark Twain House is decorated for the holidays through Jan. 2. In the spirit of the season, the admission prices for this one-of-a-kind Gilded Age holiday experience remain the same as for the rest of the year: $16 for adults and $10 for children ($14 for seniors). A Servant's Wing Tour -- in which the kitchen can be seen made ready for holiday entertaining -- may be added for the complete experience at a nominal charge of $6 ($4 for children).
• The  31st Annual Friends of The Mark Twain House & Museum Holiday House Tour is Sunday, Dec. 4, from 11 am to 4 pm. The Mark Twain House and six other decked-out area homes are on display. Tickets $30 advance, $35 the day of the tour. They can be purchased by calling 860-280-3130.
• Cabaret Lulu presents "A Holiday Celebration" with Lucille Gould, the original Cabaret Lulu herself, along with Robert Aberdeen from the original cast of Fiddler on the Roof, Cheryl Alexander (Dreamgirls, Once on This Island), and Glenn Turner (High Society, Five Guys Named Moe). Lunch will be served at 11 am with the show at 2 pm. Tickets are $45, and groups are welcome, with discount packages available for parties of 10 or more. For information, reservations and group discounts, call  212-308-8050 or 1-866-LULU-USA (585-8872).
• The Fall Series of Sunday Jazz Brunches, presented by Cafe Eiko at Japanalia, concludes Dec.  11with acclaimed vocalist Kitty Kathryn. Seatings  at at 11:30 am and 1:15 pm.The $35 admission includes the performance, full brunch, soft drinks and hot beverages. Alcoholic beverages are available at an additional charge. Call 860-280-3130 for reservations.
• Tickets still are availble for Juan Williams' Dec. 2 Clemens Lecture. Call 860-280-3130. There will be a booksigning after the lecture. 
• Steampunk, a cultural movement devoted to the playful union of Victoriana and Science Fiction, will invade the Mark Twain House & Museum in the form of an old-fashioned tea party in the Great Hall on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 pm. Guests are invited to come in costume, try some tea, and hobnob with delightful members of the Steampunk community. Miss Kitty will be on hand to host the party. Music will be provided by Dr. Grymm. Admission is $10.

Lyle Lovett, Miranda July, Dave Eggers to Discuss Creativity at CT Forum

Music Legend Lyle Lovett will join a celebrated panel of creators and thinkers at The Connecticut Forum for a live, unscripted conversation about creativity.

The Creative Minds Forum will take place 8 pm Friday, Nov. 18  at The Bushnell. Panelists include writer, publisher, advocate and innovator Dave Eggers; filmmaker, artist, and writer Miranda July; and journalist, Rhodes Scholar and best-selling author of "How We Decide" Jonah Lehrer. 

Randy Cohen, humorist, ethicist, and former New York Times columnist, will moderate this discussion, which asks “Where does creativity come from?” For ticket information visit www.ctforum.org or call 860-509-0909.

CT Arts News Updates for the Week of Nov. 14

John Malkovich (at right, photo by Nathalie Bauer) 8 pm Tuesday, Nov. 15 The Infernal Comedy: Confessions of a Serial Killer. Malkovich stars in a sold-out drama for one actor, two opera singers and an orchestra at Fairfield University. To get on the waiting list call the Quick Center Box Office: 203-254-4010, or toll-free 1-877-278-7396. 

Also on tap: On the Spot, Fairfield University’s premiere long-form improv troupe:  7 and 9:30 pm Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19 at The PepsiCo Theatre, on the campus of Fairfield University, 1073 North Benson Road, Fairfield and Aquila Theatre Company: Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest 3 pm, Sunday, Nov. 20l  Fairfield University’s Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Two intriguing authors – Rachel Basch and Pete Nelson – will be the next speakers in Fairfield University’s Inspired Writers Series, a program of Fairfield’s M.F.A. in Creative Writing. The pair will discuss their work at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the new Fairfield University Bookstore, 1499 Post Road, Fairfield. This event is free and open to the public.

• The Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra and Connecticut Lyric Opera (CLO) will present French composer Jacques Offenbach’s famous opera Les Contes D’Hoffman (Tales of Hoffman), at the Palace Theater in Waterbury Nov. 19, at 8 pm. Tickets are $65, $45, and $20, and are available online at www.palacetheaterct.org by phone at 203-346-2000 or in person at the box office, 100 East Main St. Also, ace Theater is the recipient of a $5,000 Broadway League grant to support the after-school character development program “Find Yourself, Be Yourself, Reveal Yourself.” Based on the Blue Man Group stage show, this month-long program utilizes the Blue Man Group’s social commentary and performing arts concept to enhance students’ language arts curriculum while cultivating a youth voice regarding relevant social issues. Students will participate in series workshops in which they will create various art projects, write original poetry and develop a social awareness project based on the themes of conformity vs. non-conformity, diversity and community. Students will also receive complimentary tickets to attend the theater’s May 2012 presentation of Blue Man Group and meet the performers in a question and answer session. Schools and students from the Greater Waterbury area interested in participating in this program may contact Educational Programs Manager Dawn Alger at 203-346-2002.
• Screening of Documentary at the Bijou Theatre, Bridgeport  "Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone," One night only East Coast Tour Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 8 pm. Post Screening Q & A with the filmmaker, Chris Metzler. General Admission Ticket Price: $10. Directed by Lev Anderson and Metzler narrated by Laurence Fishburne featuring Fishbone, Flea, Ice-T, Gwen Stefani, Perry Farrell, Bob Forrest, Branford Marsalis, and George Clinton.
• On Wednesday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 pm watch Southside Johnny and The Poor Fools embark on a stripped down journey through Southside Johnny Lyon's eclectic version of the Great American Songbook at the Katharine Hepburn Cultural Arts Center. Playing the music of Dylan, Mose Allison, Muddy Waters, NRBQ, Richard Thompson, Emmylou Harris, The Band, George Jones, Tom Waits, and more, The Poor Fools will also dive into some of the legendary Asbury Jukes material--revisiting the classics and the underperformed deep track. Tickets are $50. For more information please visit www.thekate.org or call 860-510-0473.

Nook Farm Book Talks Session Examines New Book on the Mark Twain House

The Mark Twain House itself is celebrated in the Nook Farm Book Talks session on Thursday, Dec.1, as participants in this book club-style monthly event discuss a brand-new work: 'The Loveliest Home That Ever Was': The Story of the Mark Twain House in Hartford by Steve Courtney.

Courtney will be present at the session to talk about his book, a lavishly illustrated work that treats Samuel Clemens' early life and beginning career; his and his wife Livy's move to Hartford; the house's design by architect Edward Tuckerman Potter; and its construction, furnishing and decoration.

Come for refreshments at 5  pm in the Mark Twain Museum Center, 351 Farmington Ave., Hartford. The discussion begins at 5:30. Reservations are recommended: info@stowecenter.org or 860-522-9258, Ext. 317. The event is free.

The book describes the Clemens household's 17 years in the house and the major literary work Clemens did while he lived there (including "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court").

It provides glimpses of family life  -- how young Clara Clemens once screamed so loud and persistently after a pet calf had been been sold that her parents had to buy it back; how Twain had news bulletins piped up to his third-floor billiard room/study through a speaking tube; how daughter Susy wowed the family with her grasp of ancient history. 
And it relays the sad circumstances surrounding the family's abandonment of their beloved home, along with the house's amazing rescue from destruction, and rebirth as a world-class house museum.

"The Loveliest Home That Ever Was" includes a guided tour through the house's rooms and hallways, pointing out the exquisite details that decorate the entry hall, drawing room, dining room, library, conservatory, bedrooms, nursery, billiard room, butler's pantry and kitchen. Published by Dover Publications, it is illustated with numerous new color photos of the house exterior and interior by John Groo; rare archival images from the museum's collection; and a Foreword by the famed stage portrayer of Mark Twain, Hal Holbrook.

Steve Courtney, the publicist and publications editor at The Mark Twain House & Museum, is a journalist and author. His biography "Joseph Hopkins Twichell: The Life and Times of Mark Twain's Closest Friend," won the Connecticut Book Award in 2009.

Nook Farm Book Talks are a collaboration between The Mark Twain House & Museum and The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center.  Nook Farm Book Talks are supported in part by the Connecticut Humanities Council. For more information, call 860-247-0998 or visit www.marktwainhouse.org.