The Middletown Press (Middletown, CT)
This week’s calendar of concerts, readings, theater and more
CALENDAR BRANFORD Dance
Holiday Open Dance Party, Dance in Rhythm, 19 S. Main St. 2fl. Dec. 10, 7:30-10 p.m., $20. Group lesson, 7 p.m. danceinrhythm.com
Holidays
Holiday Arts Market, Branford Arts & Cultural Alliance Gallery, 1004 Main St. Dec. 10, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. branfordarts.org
Music
David Chevan and his swing project Bassology, 1928 Cocktail Club, 1016-1018 Main St. Dec. 8, 7:30-10:30 p.m. 1928ct.com
BRIDGEPORT Holidays
“The Golden Gays-Thank Yule For Being a Friend,” Bijou Theatre, 275 Fairfield Ave. Dec. 9, 7 p.m., $40-$25. bijoutheatrect.net
“The Santa Story,” Downtown Cabaret Theatre, 263 Golden Hill St. Dec. 10, 11, 17, 18, 28, 29, 30, noon & 2:30 p.m. dtcab.com
“The Nutcracker,” Benefit Performance presented by Dance Factory Ridgefield, Klein Memorial Auditorium, 910 Fairfield Ave. Dec. 10, 6:30 p.m., Dec. 11, 4:30 p.m., $30. theklein.org
Music
Andrea Bocelli, Total Mortgage Arena, 600 Main St. Dec. 11, 8 p.m. totalmortgagearena.com
BRISTOL
Holidays
Holiday Lights, Lake Compounce, 185 Enterprise Dr. Through Dec. 31. lakecompounce.com
CENTERBROOK
Holidays
“Let There Be Love — A Holiday Exhibit,” Spectrum Art Gallery, 61 Main St. Through Jan. 14. spectrumartgallery.org
CLINTON
Stage
Opera Theater of Connecticut’s production of “Hansel and Gretel,” Andrews Memorial Theater, 54 East Main St. Dec. 4, 1 p.m., $25 adults, $10 children 13 and under. operatheaterofct.org
Shoreline Theater Academy Advanced Musical Theater Troupe: “Les Miserables,” Shoreline Theater Academy, 61 E. Main St. Dec. 9, 7 p.m.; Dec. 10, noon & 7 p.m., $20. kidzkonnectionct.org
DANBURY
Holidays
The Yale Whiffenpoofs Holiday Concert, Palace Danbury, 165 Main St. Dec. 11, 2 p.m., $35. thepalacedanbury.com
Ride a Vintage Train to Visit Santa Claus — All Aboard The Snow Clipper for the First Gift Express, Danbury Railway Museum, 120 White St. Through Dec. 18. Sat & Sun, noon-7 p.m., $25. danburyrail.org
Western Connecticut State University Department of Music live events at Veronica Hagman Concert Hall in the WCSU Visual and Performing Arts Center, 43 Lake Ave. ext. Lineup: Holiday Pops, Dec. 10 & 11, 3-5 p.m. wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com.
Jen Durkin’s Steal Your Funk Holiday Show, Sugar Hollow Taproom, 66 Sugar Hollow Road Suite 8. Dec. 9, 8 p.m.
Winter Craft Fair, Danbury Community Center, 12 Boughton St. Dec. 10, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Free to enter to shop additional cost for raffles and other activities. 203-456-1413, angorak@cifc.org
Stage
“Student-Directed Ten-Minute Plays,” Western Connecticut State University’s Visual and Performing Arts Center Mainstage Theatre westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. ext. Dec. 8 & 9 p.m., 7 p.m. wcsuvpac.eventbrite.com
Visual Arts
“Danbury (Re)Discovered: Eighty Years :: Eighty Objects :: Eighty Stories,” Danbury Museum, 43 Main St. Through Dec. 17. danburymuseum.org
DEEP RIVER
Holidays
River Valley Artists Holiday Show, Promethea Potters, 68 Main St. Through Dec. 24. Fri 3-7 p.m.; Sat noon-7 p.m.; Sun noon-4 p.m. Related events: Holiday cocktail provided by Highclere Castle Gin, Dec. 10, 4-7 p.m.; Variety of Chilis, Dec. 17, noon-3 p.m. rivervalleyartists.com
EAST HADDAM
Holidays
“Christmas in Connecticut — A New Musical,” Goodspeed, 6 Main St. Through Dec. 30. goodspeed.org
Wreath Design Night with Staehly Farms, Yankee Cider Company, 23 Petticoat Lane. Dec. 9, 5:30-7 p.m., $70. Advance registration required. No at the door allowed. staehlys.com/events-signup
EAST HAVEN
Holidays
Shore Line Trolley Museum, 17 River St. Holiday Lineup: Visit Santa, through Dec.18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. shorelinetrolley.org
EAST WINDSOR
Holidays
Winterfest & Tunnel of Lights, Connecticut Trolley Museum, 58 North Road. Through Dec. 30. ct-trolley.org
ESSEX Holidays
Connecticut River Museum, 67 Main St. Lineup: Holiday Train Show, through Feb. 19. Mistletoe & Martinis, Dec. 8, 6-9 p.m. ctrivermuseum.org
FAIRFIELD Comedy
Fairfield Comedy Club, Fairfield Circle Inn, 417 Post Road. Lineup: Paul Virzi, Dec. 10, 7 & 9 p.m., $25; Erin Maguire, Dec. 17, 7 p.m., $25; Holiday Show featuring Beecher, Dan Altano, Dan Kalewhite, Alyssa Goggi, Nick Scopoletti, Dec. 23, 8 p.m., $29. fairfieldcomedyclub.com
Holidays
Sacred Heart University Community Theatre, 1420 Post Road. Lineup: New York City Opera perform “All is Calm,” Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m., Dec. 9, 8 p.m., Dec. 10, 11 a.m.; Judy Collins Holiday and Hits Show, Dec. 10, 8 p.m.; Sweet Honey in the Rock Christmas Show, Dec. 16, 8 p.m. shucommunitytheatre.org
SHU Orchestra performs “A Classic Holiday,” Sacred Heart University Community Theatre, 1420 Post Road. Dec. 11, 3 p.m., $10, free SHU students, faculty, staff with ID. shucommunitytheatre.org
Sacred Heart University Theatre Arts Program Presents “A Christmas Carol — A Family Ghost Story,” Sacred Heart University’s Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts, 5151 Park Ave. Dec. 16-17, 8 p.m.; Dec. 18, 3 p.m., $22, $15 senior citizen, alumni, $10 students, $5 SHU students. edgertoncenter.org
Holiday Express Train Show, Fairfield Museum & History Center, 370 Beach Road.
Through Jan. 2. Free with regular museum admission. fairfieldhistory.org
New Paradigm Theatre Company Holiday Show, Fairfield Theatre Company StageOne, 70 Sanford St. Dec. 10, 8 p.m., Dec. 11, 3 p.m., $35-$20. fairfieldtheatre.org
Holiday Caroling Party, Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Ave. Dec. 9, 5-7 p.m. Crafts, choirs, treats, horse-drawn carriage rides, cocoa with Coco Bunny, visitors from the North Pole, and a holiday market.
Music
Fairfield Theatre Company, 70 Sanford St. Lineup: Alternate Routes, StageOne, Dec. 9, 7:45 p.m., $45, $35; Alternate Routes with Mountain Laurel, Warehouse, Dec. 10, 8 p.m., $35; Moon Hooch with Jackson Whalan, Warehouse, Dec. 11, 8 p.m., $28; Son Little with Lizzie No, StageOne, Dec. 13, 7:45 p.m., $28. fairfieldtheatre.org
Visual Arts
“Moving Lines” artwork by Mary Manning and Charles Douthat, Fairfield Public Library Bruce S. Kershner Gallery, 1080 Old Post Road. Through Dec. 10. fairfieldpubliclibrary.org
“Shape Shifting” by Tommy Fitzpatrick, Debbi Kenote, Osamu Kobayashi, Kelly Worman, and Hayley Youngs, Hollis Taggart, 330 Pequot Ave. Through Dec. 31. hollistaggart.com
Fairfield University Art Museum and the Art Museum, University of Saint Joseph: “Gladys Triana: A Path to Enlightenment 1971-2021,” presented in the Walsh Gallery in
the Quick Center for the Performing Arts, 1073 N. Benson Road. “Out of the Kress Vaults: Women in Sacred Renaissance Painting,” presented in Bellermine Hall Galleries. Through Dec. 17. fairfield.edu/museum
“Painting the Border: A Child's Vision” exhibit of 32 paintings by migrant children at the U.S-Mexico border, Fairfield University’s DiMenna-Nyselius Library, 1073 N. Benson Road. Through Dec. 17.
GUILFORD
Holidays
Holiday Expo, Guilford Art Center, 411 Church St. Through Jan. 8. Events: Prosecco & Presents reception, Dec. 8, 5-7 p.m.; Men’s Shopping Night, Dec. 15, 5-7 p.m. guilfordartcenter.org
Music
Wayne Escoffery & Friends with the Guilford High School Jazz Ensemble, Guilford High School Performing Arts Center, 605 New England Road. Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., Free. fb.me/e/pwWQca0y1
HAMDEN
Holidays
Choose to Include Holiday Auction to benefit Special Olympics Connecticut, through Dec. 12, at noon. Bid online at Choose2Include.givesmart.com. soct.org
Music
Space Ballroom, 295 Treadwell St. Lineup: Cro-Mags, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.; Local H, Dec. 9, 8 p.m.; The Warped Tour Band, Dec. 10, 8 p.m.; Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio, Dec. 13, 8 p.m. spaceballroom.com
HARTFORD
Holidays
“It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,”
Hartford Stage, 50 Church St. Through Dec. 24, $30. hartfordstage.org
“Christmas on the Rocks,” TheaterWorks, 233 Pearl St. Through Dec. 23. twhartford.org
Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts Mortensen Hall, 166 Capitol Ave. Holiday Lineup: HSO POPS! Series: Holiday Cirque!, Dec. 10, 2 & 7 p.m. Featuring Cirque de la Symphonie; Travelers Chorale Free Holiday Show, Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m. hartfordsymphony.org
Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts Belding Theatre, 166 Capitol Ave. Holiday Lineup: CT Ballet’s “The Nutcracker,” Dec. 10-11, 1 & 5 p.m.; Canadian Brass Holiday Show, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Glenn Miller Orchestra, Dec. 17, 3 p.m. bushnell.org
Pratt Street Winter Village open-air outdoor holiday market in Downtown Hartford, through Dec. 18. prattstreetwintervillage.com
Magic of Lights, Pratt & Whitney Stadium, 615 Silver Lane. Through Jan. 1, 5-10 p.m., $18 standard vehicle weekday advance online, $22 any day advance online. magicoflights.com/events/easthartford
Glow Hartford Holiday Light Festival & Market, Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd. Through Jan. 1. glowgardens.com/hartford-christmas
Festival of Trees and Traditions, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St. Through Dec. 11. Festival of Lights, Dec. 18, noon-2 p.m. thewadsworth.org
Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus “Holiday Hijinx,” Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St. Dec. 10, 2 & 8 p.m.; Dec. 11, 3 p.m., $36-$51. hgmc.org
CONNetic Dance perform “The Nutcracker Suite & Spicy,” Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, 600 Main St. Dec. 16 & 17, 8 p.m.; Dec. 18, 2 p.m., $40-$50. conneticdance.com
Music
Infinity Music Hall, 32 Front St. Lineup: Pink Talking Fish, Dec. 9, 8 p.m.; Javier Colon, Dec. 10, 8 p.m. infinityhall.com
ImprovisationsNOW Music Series with Angelica Sanchez on piano, Hery Paz on tenor and soprano saxophones and clarinet, Juan Pablo Carletti on drums, Kenneth Jimenez on bass, and Joe Morris on guitar, Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St. Dec. 11, 2:30 p.m., $15, $12 Real Art Ways members, $5 full time students.
Stage
“Cirque du Soleil Corteo,” XL Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza. Dec. 15, 16, 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 17, 3:30 & 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 18, 1 p.m. xlcenter.com
Visual Arts
“bitter melons/bitter pills,” solo exhibit by Joe Bun Keo, Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St. Through Dec. 11; “Specific Matter,” solo exhibit by Howard el-Yasin, through Jan. 8. Admission is free. realartways.org
“Extrusions” by Oscar Rene Cornejo, Res, Jessica Vaughn, and Anne Wu, Trinity College Widener Gallery, 300 Summit St. Through Dec. 12.
IVORYTON
Stage