2016-01-15 22:06:17
February 2016
REACHING THE HIGHEST HEIGHTS
The Northeast’s best ski jumpers will flock to Salisbury on Feb. 12-14 for the 90th annual JumpFest. Practices and competitions will fill the weekend, as well as plenty of non-ski events. Taste test at a chili cook-off and watch human dog sled races on Friday and don’t miss the ice carving and bonfires on Saturday.
JUMPFEST feb. 12-14 | SATRE HILL, SALISBURY (860) 850-0080, jumpfest.org
New Orleans Heat
New Orleans’ own Trombone Shorty and his band, Orleans Avenue, are an “unstoppable force” in today’s music scene, according to the New York Times, and we couldn’t agree more. The group’s unique brand of “supafunkrock” has had audiences on their feet across the country and promises to do the same at UConn’s Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Feb. 4. This Mardi Gras Dance Party will feature high-voltage music, plus food and drinks available for purchase. jorgensen.uconn.edu
Ten/Forty
The Florence Griswold Museum is celebrating a few of its personal achievements this spring—director Jeffrey Andersen’s 40th anniversary and curator Amy Kurtz Lansing’s 10th anniversary at the museum. To mark the occasions, a new exhibit titled “Ten/Forty: Collecting American Art at the Florence Griswold Museum” will reflect the museum’s evolution over the last several decades. It opens on Feb. 13 and runs through May 31. Many recent acquisitions and selections from the permanent collection will be included and examined in terms of how the museum has changed its approach in the last four decades. florencegriswoldmuseum.org
Spring Blooms
Take a break from winter at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford Feb. 18-21 at the Connecticut Flower & Garden Show. Peruse more than 300 booths filled with plants, flowers, fertilizers, garden tools and more, and don’t miss the array of floral and garden artisans. Emmy-nominated TV host, best-selling author and lifestyle expert Mar Jennings will headline this year’s seminar lineup. ctflowershow.com
Laughing Out Loud
Legendary sketch and improv comedy group The Second City is coming back to the Shubert Theatre to bring the laughs on Feb. 4. “Hooking Up with The Second City” is a must-see new show featuring sketches, songs and improvisation, all about relationships. The Chicago-based group is celebrating 55 years of satirical revues and has produced comedy superstars including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell and others. shubert.com
Find Her
A psychological thriller comes alive on Feb. 12 as part of Mohegan Sun’s Winning Authors series. New York Times best-selling suspense writer Lisa Gardner will share her latest novel, “Find Her,” in a discussion in The Cabaret Theatre at 7:30 p.m. and a book signing in The Shops concourse. This latest work tells the story of Flora, a victim of unspeakable things who may also be a vigilante. The lines are blurred and the suspense is real. mohegansun.com
| this month | science
A Man Before His Time
The original Renaissance man, Leonardo da Vinci was one of the world’s great thinkers, creating works of art and imagining machines long before his time. He was a renowned artist, scientist, engineer and philosopher. The contributions and discoveries he made in the 1500s are still revered today, and this year the public will get an up-close-and-personal look at his most amazing machines.
The internationally heralded traveling exhibit Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion opens for a year-long stay at the Connecticut Science Center on Jan. 30. Models of 40 of da Vinci’s most amazing inventions—including a printing press, an armored vehicle and an ornithopter (a winged glider)—have been meticulously built by a team of engineers for visitors to observe and interact with.
“[da Vinci] believed in stimulating innovation, and that’s one of our core beliefs,” says Hank Gruner, vice president of programs at the CT Science Center. “He’s definitely an innovator, and we’re all about opening folks’ eyes to innovation and the possibility of innovation.”
The machines will be divided into four categories—fire, water, earth and air—all fascinations for da Vinci. The fire group includes constructions for machine warfare, including cannons and a forerunner to the machine gun. Inventions that employ the force of water, such as a webbed glove akin to a flipper, will be featured in the water category. Machines that utilize natural materials, elements and chemistry are all part of the earth group, while all of da Vinci’s flying machines can be found in the air category.
In addition to the different categories, the CT Science Center will recreate da Vinci’s workshop, plus there will be a playhouse space where interactive programs in art and science will be staged.
“We envision not just the exhibit and the 40 works there but programming in the space that goes along with it,” says Gruner. “Like most exhibits we bring in, there are interactive components. That was one of the goals to add on the programming—to go deeper into the creative process.”
Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion was created by the Worldwide Museum Activities, a group of leading scientists in Florence, Italy, in association with the Leonardo da Vinci Museum. It was curated by Emmanouil Koutsourelis, and has traveled around the world, including appearances in Athens at the Cultural Center Hellenic Foundation and in Istanbul at the Rahmi M. Koc Museum.
Gruner assures that it’s a perfect show for all ages.
“I think we’re saying 6 years and up,” says Gruner. “The process of a child playing with building blocks, it’s similar to what [da Vinci] was doing and thinking in a mathematical way. The processes are the same. I think children will very much enjoy seeing these [machines] and interacting with them.
“For adults, there’s the arts perspective,” he continues. “The exhibits will include sketches and replicas and notes. We think it has broad appeal across many audiences.” | k.h. |
| this month | theater
Battle of good, evil
Does love conquer all? It’s a classic question that actor and director Lou Diamond Phillips, best known for the films La Bamba, Stand and Deliver and most recently The 33, is asking in his stage play, Burning Desire.
Phillips began writing the play decades ago after a bad breakup and is now seeing it through to a world-premiere professional production at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury this February.
“It’s interesting because it’s been a long time coming,” says Phillips. “In the ’80s and ’90s, I did a lot of writing, and now I’m getting back to that. I’ve never had anything produced professionally, but this begged a theater treatment.”
It all became possible after a staged reading of Burning Desire at The Actors Chapel in New York City, one of many he’s produced over the years. “It absolutely killed at the staged readings,” he says. “The Actors Chapel and the Seven Angels Theatre, there’s something in the kismet of it all,” Phillips says with a laugh.
Burning Desire tells the story of Lucifer, played by Phillips, and a modern-day Adam and Eve who fall in love under the devil’s behest. But then Lucifer creates havoc for them.
“It’s about the dating world, so there are a lot of truths in it,” says the author. “I had a nasty breakup back in the early ’90s that led to this idea. I wrote the opening monologue, but I didn’t know how to finish it. I didn’t know if Lucifer won or if love conquers all, so I put it in a drawer for a while.”
He pulled it back out after being stirred by a stint on the Broadway stage. Today he says he’s “extremely happy with it.” The universal themes make it accessible for all kinds of audiences, and he hopes to see it debut off Broadway eventually.
“[The play] is incredibly easy to mount,” Phillips say, explaining why he sees a future for the work. “We will add some things for the Connecticut show.”
The show’s run, which will include a two-week rehearsal period prior to the open, has fallen perfectly into Phillips’ schedule. In March, he will return to work on the A&E television show Longmire, which was renewed by Netflix for a fifth season in October.
Burning Desire will play at the Seven Angels Theatre in Waterbury from Feb. 18 through March 13.
| this month | art
And Still We Rise: A visual conversation on race, culture
Story quilts are an essential part of American history, telling in vibrant color the African-American experience over time. Comprised of fabric, paint and other mixed media, story quilts are designed to relay the experiences of individuals with few words. Instead they utilize images—dynamic, sometimes polarizing and always personal. Story quilts do exactly what their names profess: they tell stories.
Through the end of April, the Bruce Museum in Greenwich will present a nationally touring exhibit titled, And Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Conversations, that includes 40 of these stunning quilts.
Nearly four centuries of African-American history is encapsulated in this exhibit, “from the first slave ships to the first African-American president and beyond,” states the museum’s press release about the show. The exhibit is curated by Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi, an accomplished artist, writer and former aerospace engineer, and is presented by the Women of Color Quilters Network, in partnership with the Cincinnati Museum Center and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. It is underwritten by First Republic Bank, Committee of Honor and the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund with support from the Connecticut Office of the Arts.
And Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Conversations, narrates the stories of important people including Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American woman to have her work published in 1773; baseball legend Jackie Robinson; Academy Award-winning actor Hattie McDaniel; Congresswoman Shirley Chisolm and the recent tragedy of Trayvon Martin.
“The exhibition gives voice to personal, authentic and unique histories of African-American men and women—from relating painful stories of enslaved ancestors, to highlighting contemporary political leaders and drawing attention to social challenges our nation continues to face today,” says Mazloomi, who founded the Women of Color Quilters Network.
Alongside the exhibit, the Bruce Museum is presenting a series of programs including Monday Morning Lectures, which are free for members and $7 for non-members. Listen to textile artist Ed Johnetta Miller on Feb. 29, art historian and quilt artist Dr. Myrah Brown Green on March 7, Artistic Director of the Rubin Foundation Sara Reisman on March 14 and Yale Ph.D. student Ruthie Dibble on March 21.
The Craft in America Screenings, the Peabody Award-winning series originally broadcast on Public Television, will also play throughout the exhibit’s run. Go to the Bruce Museum’s website for specifics.
And Still We Rise: Race, Culture and Visual Conversations opened at the Bruce Museum on Jan. 16 and will run through February and March, closing on April 24. | k.h. |
Building for the Future. Big Dreams in a Small Town.
A well-known family-owned business in Ellington is creating hometown opportunities with cutting edge technology that will produce the strongest timber frame post-and-beam structures in the world.
Building on a 30-year tradition of hard work and craftsmanship, The Barn Yard & Great Country Garages, well-known for its high quality buildings, has launched a sister company, Great Country Timber Frames, specializing in the production of large-scale, custom timber frame homes and commercial projects.
Great Country Timber Frame’s brand-new, 12,000-square-foot manufacturing and design facility, which was designed, built and engineered by The Barn Yard, is already attracting much attention. The facility was recently the subject of a Beautification Award presented by the Tolland County Chamber of Commerce. Not only does the structure reflect the company’s fine workmanship, timber frame construction, and unique western inspiration, it also features many environmentally-friendly elements, including reclaimed lumber, LED lighting, and an efficient radiant heat system.
“We are very proud to have Great Country Timber Frames in our community and that the Skinner family has the confidence in this community to build this wonderful new manufacturing facility here. They are a community-minded company,” said Candice Corcione, Executive Director of the Tolland County Chamber of Commerce.
“Ellington is thrilled to have this new addition to our business community and with it a building that fits perfectly into the town. They have made the corner of Lower Butcher Rd. and Windermere Ave. into something special,” said First Selectman Lori L. Spielman.
Housed within the facility is a state-of-the-art CNC timber processing machine, which was shipped from Italy and is one of only three in use within the United States. The CNC machine cuts mortise and tenon joinery with great precision. In yet another effort to maintain a “green” facility, waste from the machine, including sawdust and wood scraps, are transported via a dust collection system and compressed into bio fuel briquettes. The facility also houses a conventional framing shop for Great Country Garages, the leading garage manufacturer in New England.
Like The Barn Yard, Great Country Timber Frames is owned and operated by the Skinner Family. The Skinners, who started the third-generation family business back in 1984, were born and raised in Ellington and can’t think of a better place to serve as the headquarters for their new company.
For more information about Great Country Timber Frames, please visit gctimberframes.com or call (860) 454-9103.
| this month | front row
William Shatner has long been a part of the American pop landscape — actor, singer, author, director, comedian and perhaps most importantly, cultural icon James T. Kirk, captain of the USS Enterprise, from the Star Trek franchise. It’s all due to his impressive work ethic, as he’s constantly busy, from Broadway to television and films to novels.
Between it all, Shatner has long touched base with his unique one-man show, Shatner’s World. Part storytelling, part music, part comedy—it’s unlike anything else and audiences will get to see it for themselves when it beams down at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Feb. 6.
Have you performed in Connecticut before?
I’ve been to Connecticut, performing a lot. In the past, it was in summer theater. Early on, I’d come up every summer and do a week in as many theaters as I could get to. I also opened a show on Broadway, and when that closed, I did a 40-city tour, so I imagine I was in Connecticut then, but I’ve never been to your casino there.
How did you come up with the idea for Shatner’s World?
It’s probably, if not unique, it’s unusual. The thrust of the show, the position [it takes] is, “say yes to life.” I give you these moments in which I try to say “yes” to opportunities. [The outcomes] are amusing and sad and funny and poignant because I said “yes.” There were numerous stories to tell. I did a lot of culling of material that’s central to the theme I just mentioned.
What keeps you coming back to this show between your other projects?
It is, in part, a story of my life, but it is also part of a philosophy, a modus operandi in my life. It’s about trying to take a positive approach, and to see the amusement that life offers. The basic joke that’s being played on all of us, all the time. In addition to everything else, the laughs and the tears and the strange subject matter like gorillas and motorcycles, it’s also a part of my life. I hope it has a poignancy that communicates to the audience.
What else are you working on?
I have a novel coming out on Leonard Nimoy. It’s a book on friendship. Leonard died and it occurred to me that he was the one friend I had in the world, and what is the definition of a friend? How do you make a friend and keep a friend and lose a friend?
I’ve also got another novel called Zero-G that will come out later in the year. It’s a science fiction novel. There is also a unique cinematic graphic novel, as we’re calling it. It may be a unique invention. It’s a moving camera over a comic book. [It’s based on] a novel that I wrote with music and sound effects. I wanted to do a comic book, but I wanted to do more than that with this novel. I’ve also been doing a lot of documentaries of late, one called The Ride. I drove a motorcycle I helped design from Chicago to Los Angeles this summer and raised funds for the American Legion Scholarship Fund. I wanted to shoot a documentary in which so many lives were going to be changed as a result of the ride. I’m in the process of selling that. The opportunities present themselves. In my mind, it would be a tragedy to let them go.
Are you excited to bring Shatner’s World to Connecticut?
I played the show in Las Vegas and it went very well, and I suspect that it will be just as wonderful — I expect it will get the same wonderful reception at Foxwoods. I’m looking forward to meeting the audience.
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