Category: Connecticut Travel

Jack Levine of Beacon Falls is the next featured presenter for the 2ND ACT series at the Palace Theater’s Poli Club on March 3 at 6:00 pm. Tickets may be purchased at the Palace Theater’s Box Office, 100 East Main Street, Waterbury, online at palacetheaterct.org or by calling 203.346.2000.

The event includes a light supper with a cash bar available. Sponsors are the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute @ UCONN Waterbury, PEAK Physical Therapy and the Village at East Farms. Tickets are $25) and can be purchased online at http://www.palacetheaterct.org, by phone at 203-346-2000, or in person at the Box Office, 100 East Main St, Waterbury. OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Center and AARP members can enjoy a discount and pay$20., but must purchase by phone or in-person.

Levine is really LAUGHING OUT LOUD because he’s having the time of his life! He has truly reinvented himself in his 2ND ACT. AUTHOR, ACTOR, STANDUP COMEDIAN, IMPROV PERFORMER are now all titles that can be applied to Levine’s resume. Fearful of being bored in retirement he decided the key element in his life at this stage of his life had to include fun. So, when he finally retired as Chief Financial Officer of a School District at age 72, he decided to give his right brain a workout and dove into the performing arts and found the journey to be awesome. Jack will use standup comedy, improv, comedy sketches, personal storytelling, acting, and audience participation to entertain as he offers insights and inspiration to his audience to try something new, creative and fun in their own 2ND ACT.

About 2ND ACT
2ND ACT is a storytelling series created in 2018 by the Palace Theater’s Marketing & PR Officer, Sheree Marcucci and features ordinary people sharing the extraordinary things they are doing in the 2ND (half) ACT of their lives! Inspirational, experiential and comical, these after-50 life stories will ignite your own imagination to join the growing community of 2ND ACTers!

About the Palace Theater

The Palace’s primary purpose is to revitalize the Greater Waterbury community through the presentation of the performing arts and educational initiatives in collaboration with area cultural and educational institutions. Its mission is to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences.

For more information, visit: http://www.palacetheaterct.org.

Richter Association for the Arts is opening its spring season with a roar for the new roaring 20s. Join us at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 5, at Richter House, 100 Aunt Hack Road in Danbury for the Roarin’ Ramblers, a six-piece band to perform a Dixieland jazz style concert.

For decades, each member of the Ramblers has played in various incarnations of Dixieland/Roarin’ 20’s-style jazz bands, until coming together, this year, to form The Roarin’ Ramblers. Considered the cream-of-the-crop, in Fairfield County for this style of music, the band is looking forward to recreating the music that 100 years ago brought a recovering nation a new hope and spirit.

Bill Crow and Roger Post are considered to be one of the best swinging rhythm sections in the area and you may have heard them during Pizzeria Lauretano’s great Sunday-evening jazz series. They have also played together on the original Broadway production of “42nd St.” during the 1980s. With the addition of Gim Burton’s driving banjo rhythms, you won’t be able to stop tapping your feet – dancing in the aisles might be witnessed, as well.

Hearing the melodies and improvisations of Nick, Lewis, and Craig, on the horns, will have you fondly remembering those songs of days gone by, which brought a smile to your face, and had you singing along when no one was listening.

The Richter Arts Board invites you to come dressed for the 20s. Bring back the 1920 “roaring 20s” or show us the trend for the new “2020 roaring 20s”. What are this year’s looks, styles, and unique fashion? It is time for some Roaring FUN! Let’s dance our way into the new season.

Doors open at 2 p.m. Admission is free and donations are welcome. General parking is in the nearby golf course parking lot. Look for the shuttle service provided between the house and the parking lot, or take a leisurely walk to the house. Handicap parking available directly at the House. For further information, visit the Richter Arts website at www.richterarts.org.

Richter Arts is partially funded by the Danbury Cultural Commission.

February is often called the month of love – a time for Valentine’s Day and, the time to remember and emphasize the importance of love in our lives. In Native American culture the mind, the spirit, the love of one’s roots, the love of nature, and of others is ingrained culturally. Stories are one way of communicating the love of nature and of life and courting flutes are another way of expressing feelings of love and the appreciation of the beauty of nature.

The Institute of American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Road in Washington has organized a program on the magic of courting flutes that allows visitors to delve into traditional Native American Music. It is a wonderful way to top off Valentine’s Day week. On Saturday, February 15, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Ojibway artist, and musician Allan Madahbee will explain the cultural significance and the hauntingly beautiful sound of the Native American courting flute. The legend of the courting flute will be told highlighting these beautifully made instruments that are deeply rooted in the traditions of Eastern Woodland indigenous peoples. Participants will see and hear a variety of courting flutes and will have the chance to examine them as they listen to their soothing sound. Courting flutes are available in our gift shop and there will be a limited selection of courting flutes available for purchase on the day of this event. If you already own a flute, feel free to bring it along!

About Allan Madahbee

Today, makers of Native American Flutes like Ojibway artist and musician AllanMadahbee craft their personal style and sound into their creations. Madahbee began to research the Chippewa flute culture and was influenced and mentored by Joseph Firecrow of the Cheyenne Nation. “We became friends and he provided guidance and feedback and explained some of his methods of flute making. With his passing last year, we have all lost a great Native American flute maker and musician. I am proud to continue our flute making traditions.” The sound of the courting flute that is usually made of cedar has an uncommon scale for Western music and is entrancing.

Born on the shores of Lake Huron, Allan Madahbee is a member of the Ojibway (Chippewa) Nation that has pursued the traditional arts and crafts of his ancestors. He has been making Native American flutes for about ten years. “I had always thought they were a product of the Southwest Indian tribes, but a book that I found that was written during the 1800s about Chippewa culture, had a passage about the Chippewa flutes, along with pictures. This made me realize that they were indeed a part of my Chippewa culture. Knowing that my ancestors constructed these flutes for hundreds of years has inspired me to continue this tradition. Also, the haunting sound from these mystical instruments is a large part of my inspiration.”

Along with constructing Woodland flutes, beaded moccasins, woodcarvings, Native American regalia, and rock sculptures, Madahbee always returns to his artistic roots in paintings and weavings. Mainly self-taught, Madahbee attended school with fellow Ojibway artists Blake Debassige and James Simon – two well known Anishnawbe artists that are respected and have their paintings displayed around the world.

Space is limited and reservations are suggested. To make sure you get a spot call the Institute for American IndianStudies at (860) 868-0518 or email general@iaismuseum.org to reserve your spot. The program is included in the price of admission: $10 adults; $8 seniors; $6 children; IAIS Members free.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located on 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

White Memorial Foundation in Litchfield is hosting two very interesting programs this week that is sure to chase away the winter blues. The first program takes place on February 11 from 9 am – 11 am with a focus on instinctive birding. Join birder Kristi Dranginis (founder of Bird Mentor: http://www.BirdMentor.com) on the second Tuesday of each month for a golden opportunity to dive deep into the practice of Instinctive Birding. Winter is a wonderful time to participate in this nearly lost art. Learn to interpret the subtle signs and voices of the birds while also becoming more proficient with your bird ID skills.

You will begin observing the unfolding story of the landscape with a bird sit. Please bring something to sit on (camp chair, cushion, etc) and a blanket to keep you warm if you like. Minty hot cocoa will be provided, so bring your mug. We’ll then transition inside where we’ll warm up and peel away the layers of the mysteries that presented themselves to us during our sit. The sessions will average about 2 hours, but feel free to head out whenever you need to. Open to all experience levels. Dress for the weather! Will take place snow or shine! Head on over to www.birdmentor.com/birdwalk

The second program takes place on February 15 and begins at 2 p.m. Participants will meet Lavender the Virginia Opossum and her friends Pam and Bill Lefferts from Ferncroft Wildlife Rehabilitation in Woodstock! There is a wonderfully interesting reason why the Lefferts chose this day for their program celebrating this most misunderstood mammal! Learn fascinating fun facts about North America’s only marsupial during a one-hour presentation that will also address the rescue center’s work in wildlife rehabilitation and how you can make your backyard into a wildlife sanctuary.

And, if you have children ages 12 and under, February 16-22 is museum children free week when accompanied by an adult.