PLAN ON IT
Best of the arts in the weeks ahead
Music Blues greats
Renowned blues pianist Mark Naftalin, original keyboardist with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, will be joined by blues singer- harmonicist James Montgomery, of the James Montgomery Band, at a Westport gig. Montgomery grew up in Detroit, where his early musical activities included playing acoustic blues in a jug band. The jug band “went electric” after hearing the Paul Butterfield Blues Band at Detroit’s legendary Chessmate Coffee House. 323 Restaurant and Bar, 323 Main St. Wednesday, Sept. 19, 7: 30 p. m. 203- 222- 0323.
Keeping time
The Norwalk Symphony will open its latest season with a look at time through the works of a contemporary composer, an early modern period master and a classical titan. “3 Stitches in Time” features works by Estonian composer Arvo Part, Finnish composer Sibelius and German composer Beethoven. The concert features violinist Francisco Fullana. The Spanish musician is a rising star, having won the 2018 Avery Fisher career grant. Spend some time with the symphony as it explores the passage of time through sound. Norwalk Concert Hall, 125 East Ave. Satuday, Sept. 29, 8 to 10 p. m. $ 50 to $ 10. norwalksymphony. org, 203- 956- 6771.
Still rockin’
They began as the D- Men and quickly shot out of Stamford, a group of young musicians who found success with a national hit and an appearance on the television program “Hullabaloo.” They would go on to perform on Murray the K’s top- rated New York radio show and “The Clay Cole Show,” a studio dance program on WPIX- TV in New York. By the mid- 1960s they changed their name to The Fifth Estate, which was their name when their song “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead,” hit No. 11 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. In a case of rock ’ n’ roll never dying, the band continues to perform, as it will do when it gathers in Fairfield this month. FTC StageOne, 70 Sanford St., Fairfield. Saturday, Sept. 29, 7: 45 to 11 p. m. $ 28. 203- 259- 1036, fairfieldtheatre. org
Food
Spoon out the fun
With ladles at the ready, some three dozen restaurants are set to gather and show off their best soups. The 11th annual Chowdafest competition returns to Westport at month’s end, with categories and slurpers aplenty. Since its start, the public has served as judges for the best New England clam chowder, traditional clam chowder, creative chowder and soup or bisque. The competition is brisk, with a mix of new and returning restaurants from across the tri- state area. Sherwood Island State Park, Sherwood Island Connector, Westport. Sunday, Sept. 30, 11 a. m. to 3 p. m. $ 20 to $ 5 ( ages 6 to 12). Free parking. 203- 216- 8452, chowdafest. org
Exhibits Focus on fairs
The adventures of Greenwich Mike and Sally Harris have largely been captured by their cameras. Photographers, they have traveled around the United States and abroad and documented places and people, often undergoing daily tasks. Their latest exhibition of their work celebrates the beauty and magic of a small- town carnival or country fair. “Fair Play” allows summer to linger a bit more through the images that will fill the Greenwich gallery where they will hang until the leaves begin to turn. Les Beaux Arts Gallery at Round Hill Community Church, 395 Round Hill Road, Greenwich. Through Oct. 18. Sunday, 11: 30 a. m. to 12: 30 p. m.; Monday to Friday, 9 a. m. to 3 p. m.. 203- 869- 1091, roundhillcommunitychurch. org
Stage Spectral sounds
“Phantom” returns for a run at the Westchester Broadway Theater, where it attracted more than 120,000 people during its first appearance in 1992. With visits 1996 and 2007, it remains a popular show. This is not Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera,” but rather a musical by Arthur Kopit, with music and lyrics by Maury Yeston. Based on the same Gaston LeRoux novel, this version includes dialogue and songs — a more traditional musical. A more than 20- member cast will bring to life this most unusual love story. Westchester Broadway Theater, One Broadway Plaza, Elmsford, N. Y. Through Nov. 25; returning Dec. 27 to Jan. 27. $ 89 to $ 53. 914- 592- 2222, broadwaytheatre. com
Religion & politics
A play about a politician’s crisis of faith and conviction will launch the 2018- 2019 season at Stratford’s Square One Theatre. “The God Game” by Suzanne Bradbeers is about a Virginia senator who is a rising star in the Republican Party. An old friend makes an offer to the politician that causes his marriage to hang in the balance. Stratford Academy, 719 Birdseye St. Thursday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 18. $ 20-$ 19. 203- 375- 8778, squareonetheatre. com
Film Bohemian musical
A 1977 Agnes Varda art house hit is getting a special showing in Stamford. “One Sings, the Other Doesn’t” is Varda’s ode to female friendship, tracking more than a decade in the relationship of two women. Their lives become very different, but the women remain staunch friends. Varda uses music as a key element in the storytelling. The screening, sponsored by the Alliance Francaise of Greenwich, is part of Hearst’s Movie & A Martini series. Avon Theatre, 272 Bedford St., Stamford. Tuesday, Oct. 16 at 7: 30 p. m. $ 13-$ 8. 203- 967- 3660, avontheatre. org
Cult comedy
The 2009 British comedy, “Pirate Radio,” is being shown in Bridgeport as part of WPKN’s music movies series. The film deals with the 1960s phenomenon of eclectic disc jockeys who broadcast rock and pop music from a ship in the North Sea, eluding British broadcasting license restrictions. The ensemble cast features Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bill Nighy and Rhys UIfans. The original British title for the film was “The Boat That Rocked.” Bijou Theatre, 275 Fairfield Ave., Bridgeport. Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7 p. m. $ 12. 203- 2969605, bijoutheatrect. com
Etc. Billy Boyle returns
James R. Benn will be talking about his new World War II mystery, “Solemn Graves,” at Mohegan Sun. Benn, who is from Southington, has written 13 highly praised novels about Billy Boyle, a Boston cop who becomes a military policeman during World War II. The new book follows Boyle’s investigation of the murder of an American officer in a Normandy mansion. The combination of history and solid mystery plotting makes Benn’s novels irresistible. Cabaret Theatre, Mohegan Sun, 1 Mohegan Sun Boulevard. Thursday, Sept. 27 at 7 p. m. $ 28.66-$ 5. 888- 784- 4877, mohegansun. com
Cumberbatch ‘ Frankenstein’
The very popular 2011 live transmission of “Frankenstein” from the National Theatre in London is getting an encore screening in Ridgefield. Danny Boyle staged the adaptation of the Mary Shelley novel with film and TV star Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor Frankenstein and Jonny Lee Miller — star of the CBS series “Elementary” — as Frankenstein’s creation. Staged to mark the 200th anniversary of the book, the original transmission of the London production proved to be a hit in theaters all over the world. Ridgefield Playhouse, 80 East Ridge. Wednesday, Oct. 10 at 7 p. m. Free. 203- 438- 5795, ridgefieldplayhouse. org
Religion & politics
A play about a politician’s crisis of conviction will launch the 20182019 season at Stratford’s Square One Theatre. “The God Game” by Suzanne Bradbeers is about a Virginia senator who is a rising star in the Republican Party. An old friend makes an offer to the politician that causes his marriage to hang in the balance. Stratford Academy, 719 Birdseye St. Thursday, Nov. 1 through Sunday, Nov. 18. $ 20-$ 19. 203- 375- 8778, squareonetheatre. com