SEUSSICAL is based on the books of Dr. Seuss that debuted on Broadway in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books.

"I can see that you’ve got quite a mind for your age!
Why, one Think and you dragged me right onto the stage!
Now, I’m here, there is no telling what may ensue
With a Cat such as me, and a Thinker like you!"

So says the mischievous Cat in the Hat at the onset of this fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza! Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Once On This Island, and Ragtime) have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie and all of the Whos of Whoville!

These classic, colorful tales are seamlessly brought together by Jojo, a young boy and “thinker of strange and wonderful thinks”! As each story unfolds you will marvel at how relevant and profound Seuss’s subtle themes are; making this musical one that appeals to all ages.

The score emerges as a Seussian gumbo of musical styles, ranging from Latin to pop, swing to gospel, and R&B to funk! So let your toes tap, your fingers snap, and your imagination run wild, for "If you open your mind, oh, the Thinks you will find lining up to get loose! Oh, the Thinks you can think! Oh, the Thinks you can think when you think about Seuss!!"

*SPECIAL SATURDAY MATINEE PERFORMANCE AUGUST 8, 2009 AT 2:00PM

Stephen Karam's hilarious 2007 off-Broadway hit comes to Hartford's TheaterWorks!  Three high school students in Salem, Oregon go on a modern day witch hunt involving sex, lies & YouTube videos!

Artist Reception May 1, 6 - 8 p.m.

Chet Kempczynski

retro:works

Hartford Public Library opens ARTWALK, a new exhibition space in Downtown Hartford.  The ARTWALK will draw from a diverse community of artists to showcase the creative spirit of Metro Hartford.  The inaugural show features Hartford native Chet Kempczynski.  Kempczynski attended the Hartford Art School and the Paier School of Art, Connecticut, where he studied with the realist painter Ken Davies. Over the last four decades, he has exhibited extensively in the U.S., Spain and France.  This retrospective show captures the transitions in his work from small and precise still life images in oil to oil monotypes that capture the exterior and interior light, color and essence of landscapes. The ARTWALK is made possible through the generosity of our donors, including the Beatrice Fox Auerbach Foundation Fund at Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.

…Age is a dynamic public art collaboration between Greater Hartford cultural organizations.  Created under the banner of the national Age in America project, the exhibition represents a conversation between generations of artists, poets, and community members and showcases the unique contributions of participating organizations working together with the theme of age and aging in our region.    

Main Street walkway between Hartford Public Library and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art

Thursday, May 14 through Friday, August 28

Opening Reception, 5:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Hartford Public Library, Hartford History Center, 3^rd Floor

Capital Classics Shakespeare Festival production of "The Tempest."  Professional, family-oriented, classical theater.  Outdoor setting in beautiful weather.  Indoor theater when raining.

Plant Clinic Open for the Season

Monday, May 11, 9:00am- 12 noon and 12:30- 3:30pm

Having a plant or gardening dilemma? Bring any questions or plant samples to the UCONN Master Gardeners for help. The Plant Clinic is open Monday through Friday throughout the growing season.  This is a FREE service. Call 203-322-6971 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email visitorservices@bartlettarboretum.org

 Opening Reception: Friday May 15, 6-8pm & Film and Multimedia Project Screenings begin 7pm

The annual Arts and Media Festival showcases projects produced by MxCC’s Broadcast Communications, Fine Arts, Graphic Design and Multimedia students.  In addition to the student film and multimedia projects screening, student works are displayed throughout the Jean Burr Smith Library, Pegasus Gallery and the Niche.  This exhibition allows each instructor to share the most accomplished examples of student skill, ingenuity and creativity with our entire campus and local community.

The Jean Burr Smith Library is located on the first floor of Chapman Hall,Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:30am-8:00pm Friday 8:30am-4:30pm & Saturday 8:30am-1:30pm when classes are in session.

Pegasus Gallery, Hours: Monday & Wednesday 5pm-8pm & Saturday 9:30-1:30pm when classes are in session.

The Niche is located on the first floor of Founders Hall and open: Mondays through Thursdays 8:30am-6:00pm, Fridays & Saturdays 8:30am-4:30pm when classes are in session.

Discover the world of creative movement with your children. This workshop will lead you on a journey in movement, exploring shapes, sounds, animals, improvisation and storytelling. Learn new games to play together at home! Music, poems, stories and props add to the fun. 11am-12:30pm

Saturday, July 25, 2009
7:30 pm to 9:30 pm

See the chemistry involved in our colorful fireworks displays and learn about the natural fireworks that streak through the atmosphere each night. We’ll talk about meteors and comets and the best times to see them for ourselves. As always, we’ll have our telescopes ready to study the sky. To register, please call 860.231.2830 x44 or e-mail Events@TheChildrensMuseumCT.org.

Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. $8/person for The Children’s Museum/ RBNC Members, $10/person for non-members.

Begins Wednesday, June 24, and operate every Wednesday from 10:00am-2:00pm ending on September 9th. Our market will be held on the Great Lawn area and features local, grown products from CT. Have lunch at the Bartlett. Buy a sandwich made with fresh, local produce. Collection D'Objets D'Art. A special market addition featuring a table of gently used, new and surplus items with 50% of the proceeds being donated to the Bartlett. Call 203-322-6971 for questions, visit www.bartlettarboretum.org or email visitorservices@bartlettarboretum.org for information.

Trinity College will host the 60th Annual Plumb Memorial Carillion Concerts and the 35th Annual Chamber Music Series as part of the 2009 Summer Music Series.  The music series, held annually at the College, features performances every Wednesday during the summer, over a nine-week period.  The performances are free and open to the public and will be held rain or shine.  Attendees are encouraged to bring a picnic.  For a complete schedule, please visit: www.trincoll.edu.  

The Stevens-Frisbie House in Cromwell Connecticut is open each Sunday afternoon for visitors. The House is a museum of Cromwell history and features exhibits about the Frisbie and Ranney families.  Admission is Free.

For the fifth consecutive year, IAIS will present its Village Interpreter Program. Weekends only from 12:00 Noon to 4:00pm!  Members from a variety of Eastern Woodland Tribes staff our outdoor village and offer visitors a better understanding of the history, culture and social values of the Algonkian and Iroquois Peoples.   The Native interpreters of Abenaki, Mi’Kmaq, Shinnecock, Mohawk and Cree descent will demonstrate traditional activities and lifeways skills as well as be available to answer questions concerning history, culture and contemporary NativeAmerican issues.  Funded by the Leever Foundation of Waterbury. 

Enjoy the sounds of a local band, R.O.A.D. (formerly The New Polish Cowboys), on Saturday, July 25 at 7:00 pm. Visitors are encouraged to bring a blanket or chair and a picnic supper. Cosponsored by Roseland Cottage and the Woodstock Recreation Commission.
 

This exhibition offers a rare opportunity to explore the process of fine arts conservation, uncovering the relationship between curators and conservators and the objects entrusted to their care. Each of the works in the exhibition, which includes Asian ceramics, African ritual objects, ancient statues and mosaics, and American and European paintings and decorative arts from the Gallery’s collection, illustrates a different conservation dilemma. What does cleaning a painting’s surface reveal? Should fragmented objects be displayed as pieces or reassembled into a convincing pastiche? Should damaged objects be repaired for aesthetic reasons? The passage of time impacts not only the physical state of an object but also the techniques used to preserve it. Time Will Tell examines the evolving science of conservation and the questions that arise in preserving works of art while staying faithful to the artists’ intentions.

Cheshire cartoonist Ron Gagliardi will teach participants ages 5 and up how to draw cartoons using a numbers and letters technique. Gagliardi has taught cartooning in schools, libraries and museums statewide and designed cartoons for newspapers, books and television. The event is set for 10-11 a.m.

Directed by JASON SIROIS and CHRISTA PIZZOFERRATO
Starring the students of NCTC's SUMMER STAGES program

Based on the popular books of Dr. Seuss, Seussical takes its audience on a journey where any think is possible: “an elephant up in a tree, a person too tiny to see…from the Planet of Who and the smallest of small, to the jungle of Nool and the largest of all.” When Horton the Elephant goes out on a limb to save Whoville and protect the egg of his neighbor Mayzie La Bird, adventure begins in the Jungle of Nool. And it’s going to take the Cat in the Hat, the smallest of the Whos, and a flock of Seuss favorites to save their world!

Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m.
Friday, July 24 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 25 at 2 & 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m.

Tickets $10 for adults; $8 for children, all students, and seniors.

Call 860-666-NCTC (6282) for tickets today!

On Saturday July 25, Connecticut’s Old State House will pay tribute to Hannah Watson, publisher and editor of the Connecticut Courant during the Revolutionary War. Now the Hartford Courant, Ms. Watson’s work during her life is the reason why the paper is today’s oldest continuously published newspaper in the nation, having never missed a scheduled publication. With a live history interpretation of Ms. Watson at the museum, visitors will be able to hear her story in her own words.

The Shufflers

A rock night at Merryall? You bet!

This talented trio — Dean Lindenmuth on drums, Hank Milligan on keyboard and Jason Perkel on guitar/vocals — will entertain with the timeless music of Elvis, the Beatles and others. Dance, mill around or sing along for an enjoyable evening.

July 10 - September 19
Experience “one brief shining moment" that was Camelot.  Relive the enduring legend of King Arthur, Guenevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table in an enchanting fable of chivalry, honor and brotherhood. Dazzling and spellbinding with sweeping romance and historic grandeur, this classic musical speaks to our time and for all time.  The celebrated score includes the classics “If Ever I Would Leave You,” “The Simple Joys of Maidenhood,” and “Camelot.”  Winner of 4 Tony Awards.
CURTAIN TIMES:
Wednesdays at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
Thursdays at *2 pm and 7:30 pm
Fridays at 8 pm
Saturdays at 3 pm and 8 pm
Sundays at 2 pm and *6:30 pm

860.873.8668
goodspeed.org

 
SPECIAL EVENTS & OFFERS
Girls’ Night Out: Friday, July 10, 7 pm.  Come celebrate Opening Night in style! Gather the girls for glitz and glamour Broadway-style with our Ticket ‘n’ ‘Tini special Package includes one ticket to Camelot and a specialty martini – a hot deal at $44 per person.

Wine Tasting: Sunday, July 12, 5 pm.  Treat yourself to a sampling of fine wines hosted by Shore Discount Liquors of Deep River with complimentary hors d’oeuvres from the Gelston House of East Haddam.  Only $10 with your ticket to the 6:30 pm performance. Reserve in advance through the Box Office. 
Teen Nights: July 15 & 16, 7:30 pm; July 17, 8 pm.  Introduce your favorite young person to the magic of musical theatre.  Each adult who buys a regular-priced ticket on the specified dates may purchase a $15 ticket for a child ages 10 to 18.  Meet the cast after the July 17 performance for autographs.

First Friday Happy Hour: July 17, 7 pm.  Mingle at our Friday night Happy Hour.  Enjoy an introductory talk by a member of our creative staff, appetizers courtesy of La Vita Gustosa of East Haddam, and specially priced beverages.  Free with your ticket to the performance.

Backstage at Goodspeed: A lively audience discussion with the cast is offered after the Thursday evening performances on Aug 6 & 20 and Sept 3.