Tag: Fairfield County

Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum Hosts Victorian Tea May 6

Lookwood Mathews Mansion

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum at 295 West Avenue will host its fourth Annual Victorian Tea, May 6, 2012 at 2 p.m. in the Rotunda of the Mansion. The event will feature English tea ceremony expert and celebrity caterer Carol Timpanelli, owner of the Royal Tea Company of Trumbull, CT. She has catered for Martha Stewart and Tommy Hilfiger among others. Ms. Timpanelli’s English tea will include a wide selection of desserts, sandwiches, traditional scones and cream and her signature chocolate toffee trifle.

The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is one of the most significant Gilded Age mansions in the U.S. and a very elegant venue for a formal tea,” said Publisher of Cottages & Gardens Publications, Marianne Howatson, event chair. “LMMM’s annual Victorian tea is also a delightful event where families and friends get together to enjoy a cherished tradition while supporting a National Historic Landmark.”

The event will also feature harpist Katie Critelli. Katie has received two prestigious Gold Cup awards for excellence from the American Harp Society at Fairfield University’s Young Musicians Festival. Before leaving Darien to attend University of Pennsylvania, she was a harpist with the Norwalk Youth Symphony Concert Orchestra for three and a half years, played in the Western Regional Orchestra in 2009 and was a member of the Darien High School Orchestra.

For reservations contact: info@lockwoodmathewsmansion.com or call 203-838-9799 ext. 4. Admission: $45 non-members $35 members.

About Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

During the season, full tours at the mansion are $10 for adults, $8 for seniors and $6 for children and young adults ages 8-18. Children under 8 are admitted free. Tour hours are 12- 4 p.m., Wed.-Sun. Tours are on the hour, and the last tour starts at 3 pm. For additional information visit: www.lockwoodmathewsmansion.com.

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Westport Country Playhouse Opens Season With “Into the Woods”

Into the Woods Laren Kennedy, Erik Liberman and Danielle Ferland

A 25th anniversary production of the imaginative, fractured-fairy tale musical “Into the Woods” by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim will be staged at the theater where Sondheim was an apprentice in 1950, Westport Country Playhouse, in Westport, CT, May 1 through May 26. Directed by Mark Lamos, the Playhouse’s artistic director, the musical will open the historic theater’s 82nd season. It is co-produced with Baltimore’s CENTERSTAGE.

A multiple Tony Award winner, “Into the Woods” takes the audience to a beguiling and dark place inspired by the Grimm fairy tales. Among the classic characters that wander the woods searching for fulfillment of their wishes are Cinderella and her wicked stepsisters, Little Red Ridinghood and the Wolf, Rapunzel and her Prince, and Jack of beanstalk fame. As their fanciful tales intertwine, they are forced to confront the harsh reality of what actually happens after “happily ever after.”

Director Mark Lamos, who also serves as Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, has helmed Playhouse productions of “Twelfth Night, or What You Will”; “Lips Together, Teeth Apart”; “Happy Days”; “She Loves Me”; “The Breath of Life”; “That Championship Season”; and “Of Mice and Men.” His extensive New York credits include “Our Country’s Good,” for which he received a Tony Award nomination. A former artistic director at Hartford Stage, he received the 1989 Tony Award for the theater’s body of work.

The performance schedule is Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Special series feature A Taste of Tuesday, Previews, LGBT Night Out, Opening Night, Thursday TalkBack, Sunday Symposium and Backstage Pass. In addition, the Playhouse will offer an open captioned performance on Sunday, May 13, 3 p.m., for the hearing impaired.

For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at http://www.westportplayhouse.org.

About the Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse is a nationally recognized, not-for-profit, professional theater under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management leadership of Michael Ross. The Playhouse creates five live theater experiences, produced at the highest level, from April through November. Its vital mix of works—dramatic, comedic, occasionally exploratory and unusual—expands the audience’s sense of what theater can be. The depth and scope of its productions display the foremost theatrical literature from the past—recent as well as distant—in addition to musicals and premieres of new plays. During the summer, the Playhouse is home to the Woodward Internship Program, renowned for the training of aspiring theater professionals. Winter at the Playhouse, from November through March, offers events outside of the main season—Family Festivities presentations, Script in Hand play readings and a Holiday Festival. In addition, businesses and organizations are encouraged to rent the handsome facility for their meetings, receptions and fundraisers.

As an historic venue, Westport Country Playhouse has had many different lives leading up to the present. Originally built in 1835 as a tannery manufacturing hatters’ leathers, it became a steam-powered cider mill in 1880, later to be abandoned in the 1920s. Splendidly transformed into a theater in 1931, it initially served as a try-out house for Broadway transfers, evolving into an established stop on the New England straw hat circuit of summer stock theaters through the end of the 20th century. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse became a state-of-the-art producing theater, preserving its original charm and character.

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Earth Day Celebrations Provide Plenty of Family Fun!

Party for the Planet Beardsley Zoo

Earth Day, originating in 1970 has continued to grow and evolve throughout the United States. This movement lead to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Act. Today, Earth Day is an important focal point for people world-wide to demonstrate their commitment to the environment. In Connecticut there are many Earth Day events to choose from.

Celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 22 with a visit to Bartlett Arboretum & Gardens and view their beautiful grounds and listen to some incredible jazz from 2PM to 4 PM. This concert will feature a performance by four renowned Jazz performers; guitarist Gene Bertoncini and special guests drummer Joe Corsella; violinist Sara Caswell and bassist Michael Moore. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members; space is limited. Call 203-322-6971 or visit www.bartlettarboretum.org.

The Sharon Audubon Center on 325 Cornwall Bridge Rd. in Sharon CT is hosting a free session at 2:00 PM on Rain Gardens and why every drop of water counts. Participants will learn why you should plant a rain garden and how one can help your property and the environment. To register for this event, or for more information call 860-364-0520 or visit www.sharon.audubon.org.

The Darien Nature Center located on 120 Brookside Rd. will celebrate Earth Day with the Opening Reception of Earthworks, a collaborative exhibit by area artists Heidi Lewis Coleman, Lucy Krupenye and Nancy Woodward and curated by Ann Hart. The reception will be held on Earth Day, Sunday, April 22 from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. and will be on view through June 8th in the Nature Center’s Wetherstone Gallery. In this stunning exhibit inspired by nature, each artist pays homage to the beauty of the current, the remnants of the past and the wonder of the unknown future. The assembled works are a celebration of nature’s simplicities and complexities. For more information call 203-655-7459 or visit www.dariennaturecenter.org.

At the Institute for American Indian Studies on 38 Curtis Rd. in Washington, visitors are invited to celebrate Earth Day with Atka, a live artic gray wolf at 1PM. Atka is being welcomed back from the Wolf Conservation Center of South Salem, N.Y. and is their oldest and most traveled ambassador wolf. The center staff will share facts, history and dispel many misconceptions about wolves and our role in protecting the future of wolves. There is limited seating so reserve and pay in advance. The fee is $10 for adults and $6 for kids. For information, call 860-868-0518 or visit www.iaismuseum.org.

Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo located on 1875 Noble Ave in Bridgeport is celebrating Earth Day by throwing a Party for the Planet! As part of the 42nd anniversary of Earth Day, the Zoo is offering environmental education activities, amazing animal encounters, and fun for the whole family. This conservation themed bash will take place on Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 from 9:00 am until 3:00 pm and will shine a light on initiatives that make our planet a more sustainable place to live. This event is FREE with paid admission to the Zoo. For more information visit www.beardsleyzoo.org.

Stepping Stones Museum for Children on 303 West Ave. in Norwalk, is celebrating Earth Day on Sunday, April 22, with drop-in activities in the Community Garden 10 am – 1 pm. Go on a nature scavenger hunt, experiment with tools to measure weather, paint en plein air and plant seeds to take home and watch grow. At 11 am the museum presents The Attainable Sustainable Energy Show, a wacky, action-packed live science show that will inspire excitement in renewable energy. Free with $15 museum admission. For more information, call (203) 899-0606 or visit www.steppingstonesmuseum.org.

Celebrate Earth Day on the front lines of global warming at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, as new IMAX® movie “To the Arctic” takes you to one of the most hostile, and beautiful, places on earth. Opens Friday, April 20th on the Aquarium’s six-story-tall screen. Follow a mother polar bear and her twin baby cubs as they struggle to survive, coping with diminishing pack ice and changes in seasons. Also includes amazing footage of walruses and migrating caribou. A MacGillivray Freeman film by Academy Award Nominee Greg MacGillivray. Narrated by Meryl Streep with songs by Paul McCartney. Shows daily at 11 am and 1, 3 & 5 pm. Tickets are $9 adults, $6.50 child. Call 203-852-0700 or visit www.MaritimeAquarium.org for more.

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SHERATON STAMFORD HOTEL AWARDED NEW BUILDS & TRANSITIONS HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Newly Renovated Lobby at the Sheraton Stamford Hotel

This month at their Annual Meeting, Starwood Hotels & Resorts awarded the Sheraton Stamford Hotel as the“New Builds & Transitions Hotel of the Year.” The hotel, owned by RockBridge Capital and managed by Davidson Hotels & resorts, converted to the Sheraton brand on July 12, 2011.

With the hotel’s increase in revenues and RevPar Index, their compliance to Brand Standards, and high loyalty scores, it is understandable why they won this prestigious award.

Just a few blocks from the new Starwood Hotel & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. global headquarters, the 379-room Sheraton Stamford Hotel is considered the headquarters hotel for those visiting Starwood corporate offices and is the site for numerous Starwood corporate meetings.

Located at 700 Main Street, the hotel is within walking distance from the shops and restaurants in the recently opened Plaza at Stamford Town Center, the University of Connecticut Stamford campus and the headquarters of numerous major corporations and fortune 500 businesses.

From the Sheraton, there is convenient access to several multiplex cinemas, night clubs and Stamford’s key performance venues – Rich Forum and Palace Theatre. The hotel is just 20 minutes from the Westchester County Airport Hotel and a 45-minute train ride from New York City.

Stylish and comfortable, guest rooms and suites at Sheraton Stamford Hotel are equipped with an oversized work desk, custom-designed ergonomic chair, high-speed Internet, LCD flat panel television, iPod home docking station and the all-white Sheraton Sweet Sleeper® bed.

Hotel facilities include full-service dining; an indoor pool and fully equipped fitness facility featuring the brand’s revolutionary new health and fitness program, Sheraton Fitness, Programmed by Core Performance; and 20,000 square feet of state-of-the-art meeting space.

For more information about the hotel visit www.sheratonstamford.com.

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The Great Egg Hunt & Spring Celebration New Canaan Nature Center March 30 & 31

The New Canaan Nature Center’s annual Egg Hunt is back again this year! On Friday, March 30 and Saturday, March 31 the Nature Center will host a series of egg hunts for small groups of children ages 2-10. The one-hour programs will take place at 2:30pm and 3:30pm on Friday and 11am, Noon, 1:30pm and 2:30pm on Saturday. The Nature Center is located on144 Oenoke Ridge in New Canaan (203-966-9577).

Each program will include a spring scavenger hunt to identify signs of spring as well as a chance to meet the baby chicks that just hatched at the Nature Center. Kids will learn all about the magic of eggs from NCNC naturalists and then hunt the grounds for hundreds of eggs filled with goodies. Representatives from Hop-Along-Hallow will also be at the Saturday events with their real bunny rabbits. Hop-Along-Hollow is dedicated to helping educate people on proper care of small pets and to create better living environments for rabbits and other small animals.

Volunteers from the class of 2014 National Charity League Canaan Parish collected candy donations from league members and stuffed 2,359 eggs that are used for these special egg hunts!

The programs will take place in rain or shine, with the egg hunt-taking place in the tropical greenhouse in the event of rain. These events do sell out and advance registration required: please call (203) 966-9577×20 or register online. The program is $10/child for members and $15/child for non-members.

The New Canaan Nature Center is an environmental education center and sanctuary dedicated to helping people of all ages better understand, appreciate and care for the world of nature. Visitors Center open: Monday – Saturday 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. Grounds open dawn to dusk daily. www.newcanaannature.org.
For more information about Fairfield County visit: www.visitfairfieldct.com.

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Downtown Cabaret Theatre Presents GARY PUCKETT and The Union Gap March 31

Gary Puckkett

Gary Puckett and The Union Gap will take the stage of the Downtown Cabaret Theatre for two performances (5pm & 8pm) ONLY on Saturday, March 31 (2012). The Downtown Cabaret Theatre is at the located at 263 Golden Hill Street in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Gary Puckett and The Union Gap is one of the most successful musical groups of the 1960s and over the years achieved worldwide prominence. With Gary’s powerful and unmistakable signature voice, the group garnered six consecutive Gold Records and Top 10 Billboard hits and sold more records in 1968 than any other recording act…including The Beatles. In addition, Gary is one of the few artists whose first five releases went gold…not even Elvis accomplished this.

Among the group’s hit singles are “Woman Woman,” “Young Girl,” “Lady Willpower,” “Over You,” “Don’t Give Into Him” and “The Girl Is a Woman Now,” among numerous others.

“Young Girl” was re-issued by popular demand in England where it reached #1 and achieved a Silver Record Award for the second time…a full six years after the song was initially released.

Gary Puckett performs at the Musicians Hall of Fame awards show at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, Tenn.

The group’s “Greatest Hits” album continues to be one of CBS Records’ best-selling “Collector’s Series” albums today.

Gary was a founding member of the incredibly successful “Happy Together” tour that played to sold-out performances in over 100 cities nationwide. Later, Gary was invited to tour with The Monkees on their national reunion tour, which established itself as the major box office success of the 1986 touring season.

In 1992, Gary went to Europe and recorded “In Europe,” which was released there almost immediately, but was not released in the US until 2001.

Gary Puckett and The Union Gap are schedule for two performances ONLY on Saturday, March 31 at 5pm and 8pm.

The Downtown Cabaret Theatre is located at 263 Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Reserved tickets are $39-$49-$59-$69. Tickets can be reserved: By Phone: Box Office: 203.576.1636 In Person: at box office located 263 Golden Hill Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut Online at www.downtowncabaret.org


About Downtown Cabaret Theatre:

Box Office Hours: 11am to 5pm – Tuesdays thru Fridays. The Box Office is open 90 minutes prior to performance times
Mondays, Saturdays and Sundays – Closed

The Downtown Cabaret Theatre is a direct descendent of the Sacred Heart University Cabaret. After several successful seasons in an academic setting, the entire company, under the artistic direction of Claude McNeal, moved to its present home in 1975. Alexander Hawley, Samuel Hawley, Norwick Goodspeed, Mayor Nicholas Panuzio, Leete Doty, and other business and civic leaders believed that a professional theatre company in a resident home was essential to the development of the downtown area. As part of this move, the assembly room of the former YWCA was converted to a theatre, including the addition of a balcony and air conditioning.

Since the Theatre’s official opening with VAUDEVILLE TROUPE on February 27, 1976, over one million adults and children have enjoyed musical productions in the unique “Bring Your Own Picnic” cabaret atmosphere. It is now recognized as an important regional theatre and cultural resource.

Drawing upon both Connecticut and New York talent, the Downtown Cabaret has proven to be a marvelous opportunity for theatre professionals to showcase their talents and it has created a perfect environment for the seasoned and up-and-coming artist.

The Downtown Cabaret Theatre is incorporated as a not-for-profit tax-exempt regional theatre that offers year-round musical theatre and entertainment. As with all non-profit arts organizations, the Downtown Cabaret must rely on the support of the public and private sectors.

In 1995 the Cabaret underwent a $1.3 million renovation to the facility. Renovations included the construction of a fly house over the stage, the remodeling of the backstage bathrooms, lobby and house, as well as major upgrades to lighting, sound, and air conditioning equipment. These renovations were funded by a $900,000 grant from the State and a capital campaign the Theatre undertook. The newly renovated theatre now holds 290 people.

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