January 2019
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Vol 15 Issue 158 2019
A guide to finer living in Connecticut & abroad.
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Features
JANUARY 2019
Columns, Reviews, Events
ISSUE CONTENTS
“It’s Such a Joyful Society!”
Music Mirth & Mojo Tom “The Suit” Forst - Ambassador to the Blues Cardinal Points The Observer - Olive Baboon Crusty Old Diver Chinner for Chowder The Cheesemonger A Great Time for Raclett On the Vine Bordeaux Life on Sugar Home for the Holidays (and after) homage to Middletown, CT Food Thoughts from Italy Venice, before the Aqua Alta, or flood tides
pg. 16
January Events Upcoming Events in Connecticut
Researching the Soul The Passion Behind moreFIT pg. 8
Cuba Up Close
Theatre Buff Norma Terris: from Actress to Maverick to Loyal Patron and Trustee
pg. 26
Ross MacDonald “I Always Say ‘Yes,’ Then I Figure It Out”
pg. 22 pg. 36 pg. 58 pg. 68 pg. 70 pg. 74 pg. 76 pg. 78
INK is much more than a magazine. It is an illustration of Connecticut life. A drive down winding roads past innocent looking gravel driveways. There are big things happening at the other end of those driveways. Our state is filled with the most amazing people doing incredible things. Ingenuity and purposeful living abounds. You really never know who you are talking to. Artisanship is second nature here; art, culture, and commerce intertwine. Whether you call Connecticut home, or you’ve come to“get away from it all” one thing is for certain. You know what you love about being here. Our devotion is and always has been to capture the “Connecticut experience” one story at a time. “Your neighbor just designed a new postage stamp and the gentleman down the street discovered Machu Pichu.” For over a decade, Ink Publications has documented Connecticut residents and life here in the Nutmeg state. Today more than ever, we take great pride in telling these stories.
pg. 40
Happy New Year from all of us at Ink!
INK staff Starmaker Angela Bacari A Half Century of Songs, Celebs, & Stardo
pg. 50
Contributors:
Advertising:
Jeffery Lilly- originator/publisher
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Stephanie Sittnick - founder/publisher/sales design/account receivables Carolyn Battisa - editorial Susan Cornell - editorial Caryn B. Davis - editorial/photography Mark Seth Lender - Cardinal Points Nancy LaMar-Rodgers - editorial Barbara Malinsky - editorial Rona Mann - editorial
The Ocean’s Garden Incredibly Credabel Coral
pg. 62
We encourage the public to submit stories, poems, photography, essays, and all things creative. If you know of a person or place of interest, please submit your ideas to: submissions@ink-pub.com We will do our best to put your ideas in INK.
Paul Partica - The Cheesemonger A. Vincent Scarano - photography
Please direct your advertising inquiries and questions to: Stephanie Sittnick - Director of Advertising advertising@ink-pub.com - 860-227-8199 Cheryl Powell - Greater Connecticut cheryl@ink-pub.com - 860-608-5749 Rona Mann - Greater Connecticut six07co@att.net - 401-539-7762 Jacki Hornish - Litchfield jacki@inkct - 860-488-0393
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VA L E N T I N E H . Z A H N C O M M U N I T Y
G A L L E R Y
T H E GA L L E RY AT M I D D L ES E X H E A LT H S H O R E L I N E M E D I C A L C E N T E R
Gallery
Exhibit January 10 - March 8 Reception • Thursday, January 10 • 6 - 8 p.m.
Victor Filepp, Up and Down, photography (detail)
Experience the Community Gallery at Middlesex Health Shoreline Medical Center
An art exhibition featuring works by members of Gallery One Gallery open during regular business hours Sponsored by
250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT 06498 860-358-6200 • info@midhosp.org • middlesexhealth.org
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t takes a Village... to start the new year right!
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Shop. Dine. Stroll. through the best of Mystic, CT
FEBRUARY 23rd
Cabin Fever Festival and Charity Chowder Cook-Off
860.536.4941 | oldemistickvillage.com Exit 90 off I-95 | 27 Coogan Blvd. Mystic, CT
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Researching the Soul... The Passion Behind moreFIT by RONA MANN Energy. She is all about that, and so is her business which, not coincidentally, is her life’s passion. “She” is Maryla (pronounce it “ma-ril-uh”), and the business is moreFIT, a wonderful enclave, tucked away in East Haddam, just steps from the Goodspeed Opera House and wholly and passionately dedicated to the health and well being of people of all ages.
What kind of sports? “Anything,” she laughs. “All of them. I was always interested in movement, the human form, energy flow, and nature.”
It was not until she was in her mid-forties that Maryla decided to combine her penchant for art with her love of the human body. “I was researching my soul; how can I help people?” Maryla recounted. The answer initially was personal training, so she went back to Maryla school and thoroughly immersed herMaryla is a non-stop bundle of energy with self in the field. purpose written all over her face and success for her clients written all over her business. “But I didn’t learn it all,” she said. “I didn’t Maryla is Maryla Radziszewski, a native of learn enough. I had a desire to touch people as Poland, who came to the United States more well, so I enrolled in the Connecticut Center than 30 years ago. From earliest memory, her for Massage Therapy in Newington and background was always rooted in the arts; and became a certified massage therapist.” as Maryla explains, “My best subjects in high With both personal training and massage therapy school were art and sports.”
mastered, it was now time to begin offering services to clients. Initially Maryla worked from her home or traveled to the homes and offices of her clients, “but I realized soon enough I need to have a space. I can’t waste time driving everywhere. I had to bring them to me.” The petite Polish woman with the unstoppable energy and drive began looking for space, and on a tip from a client, found an old fish net factory in East Haddam. It had been closed for more than 20 years, and to say it needed a lot of work and renovation, was an understatement. “My husband said, ‘You’re a crazy woman, but if this is what you want in order to do what you want to do, then I’m here to help.” He wasn’t
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next level, as well as the person who just wants to lose some weight and feel really healthy in their own skin. Nutrition counseling is paramount to optimum health and strength, and moreFIT provides targeted, professional counseling to help their clients reach their goals with the help of a good and balanced eating plan they can live with forever, not a rigid, punishing diet they might soon abandon. alone in the effort. Maryla also enlisted the help of her two sons plus professionals to do the sheetrock and electrical work. It took a solid two and a half years to finally renovate the old fish net factory, but Maryla’s verve was not to be squelched.
“Referrals are our strongest advertising,” Maryla says. “Clients that I had before started telling other people about our new location, and once they came and saw what we could offer and make them feel so well, the people just kept coming.”
moreFit opened in May of 2015, now beautifully converted into a bright, airy, welcoming space with a giant fish net on one wall near the front door, so Maryla would never forget where this place came from and how it
What moreFIT offers is a full menu of services geared for people of all fitness levels...men, women, seniors, teenagers, even children. Maryla takes her time to personally meet with each person who comes to moreFIT for a free consultation and assessment. Whether it’s for rehabilitation after an accident or injury, personal training to reach specific goals, weight loss, pain management, or strength building, a personal individual plan is crafted. moreFIT is not a cookie-cutter approach, but a studio dedicated to Maryla’s passion of helping everyone get fit and feel their best. This free consultation is a way of determining how someone got to this point and where they should begin in the process in order to feel better and recapture their optimal health.
Craniosacral Therapy
evolved. Immediately she immersed herself in getting the word out, working hard to teach people the natural way to take care of their bodies. Maryla and her daughter, Klaudia, a professional personal trainer, began working 70 hours a week to promote their message and fuel their passion. It didn’t take long.
To that end, there are many diverse programs offered. Massages of all types, from sports and orthopedic massage, to clinical, deep tissue, oncology, and prenatal are on the menu. Massage can be restorative, relaxing, rehabilitative, or intense. Personal training is very popular at moreFIT, geared for both the serious athlete who has reached a plateau and wants to build to the
Maryla and her staff also offer acupuncture to pinpoint the root of problems and relieve pain, as well as CranioSacral therapy. “Two years ago I went back to school again to learn this,” Maryla says. CranioSacral therapy is a gentle hands-on approach that releases tensions deep within the body to help relieve
pain as well as promote total body health. It is also considered a preventive health measure as it also bolsters resistance to disease and is used for a wide range of medical problems. Maryla has come a long way since she and Klaudia were the only staff members at moreFIT. She now employs ten people ranging from trainers to massage therapists to an acupuncturist and four class instructors offering everything from yoga to zumba. Most important of all, each of these people is fully schooled in their discipline and fully certified. “My goal,” says Maryla with her characteristic easy smile, “is to be able to offer something for everyone who opens the door. We can meet people on all levels, and it’s all under one roof.”
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Asked if she’s satisfied, Maryla vehemently shakes her head. “I’m never going to be satisfied. I am always looking for more, always questioning. I want continuous growth. I want to continue teaching people the natural way to be healthy and that it works. Get a western diagnosis from a doctor, then come here. Don’t take pills and put chemicals in your body. We’ve grown because we do a good job.
If you’re passionate, it shows. I want people to get vibrant life inside them.” They display a wonderful tee shirt in the reception area, just perfect for yoga, running, or for general workouts. Its message is a simple one, but echoes the passion of the place and its owner. “You’re never too young or too old to be moreFIT.”
Sports Massage/Rehabilitation/Clinical Message
As Maryla might say in her native tongue, (Be well! Be healthy!) moreFIT is found at 62 Creamery Road in East Haddam, just over the swing bridge, across from the package store. Www.morefitct.com (860) 873-1860
Prenatal Massage
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19 If you are of a certain age, you may associate Cuba with Fidel Castro, with being an “enemy” of the United States, of being closed and unsafe. However all that has changed, and now Cuba is one of the most delightful places to travel and explore in the world.
“Such a Joyful Society!”
Cuba Up Close by RONA MANN “C’mon down!”
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ears ago, that was the rallying cry advertising the Florida tourism industry. And while few people need little prodding to travel to Florida either as a snowbird or vacationer, there is now yet another, different “C’mon down!” that will take you to a safe, alive, colorful, musical, artistic, joyful society. It’s Cuba...accessible, safe, wonderful, and opening their arms wide to American tourism.
Five years ago, President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced the beginning of a process known as the Cuban Thaw, a process that would normalize relations between Cuba and the United States. Many travel restrictions were lifted, the U.S. embassy in Havana (closed since 1962), reopened, and there was music and dancing in the streets...and it’s still going on! So c’mon down, and do so with Cuba Up Close, the travel company that is based in New England and expert in safe, fun, eye-opening travel to Cuba.
Cuba Up Close is a company started by Jean Fuller Gest and two Cuban partners. Although Fuller Gest was not originally in the travel industry, she knew everything about hospitality and how to please people as she had spent nearly 30 years in the restaurant business. Her most memorable ownership was Boom Restaurant at Pilot’s Point in Westbrook. Jean’s introduction to Cuba came when she served as part of a food delegation made up of chefs and restaurateurs who traveled to Cuba in 2013 just before Obama formally opened the doors. “I fell in love,”Fuller Gest says enthusiastically. “I knew I had to go back.” An understatement to say the least, since in the last five years Fuller Gest has traveled to Cuba some 48 times! She knew she wanted to share with others what she herself found in this wonderful little country and within the heartbeat of its people, so Cuba Up Close was formed and
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Vinales Valley
specializes in personally escorting tours of any size to this warm and welcoming Caribbean island nation. Cuba Up Close is by no means a pre-arranged itinerary taking you where the tour directors want you to go. It is a company that specializes in designing tours to fit where YOU want to go, what YOUR interests are, and what YOU want to do. “Last year we took a group of young Chinese American students there, and all they wanted to do was learn hip hop dancing,”Jean laughs. It is therefore the company’s mission to provide the most authentic and “up close” experience that Cuba has to offer. Cuba Up Close designs tours for artists, attorneys, doctors, architects, marine biologists, scuba enthusiasts, groups, or even just
Santiago
one or two people who want to immerse themselves in the culture, the art, the music, the cuisine, and all that is Cuba. Fuller Gest points out that while individuals are not prohibited from traveling on their own, there are many advantages to a Cuba Up Close tour with people who intimately know the country, the laws, and the specific regulations imposed upon tourism. For example, there are no ATM machines in the country, no travelers checks accepted; so rather than having to walk around with a large wad of cash in your pocket, everything with Fuller Gest’s trip is pre-paid before you leave the United States. She also points out that there is a shortage of internet hot spots in hotels, and those that are available are costly and don’t always operate properly. “There is also no GPS nor street signs, so it is difficult to get around if you don’t know where you’re going, and public transportation is virtually nil.” But that’s why you have Cuba Up Close to show you everything you want to see, even things you didn’t
know could be seen. “Everywhere,” says Jean, “there is music, dance, and art. Cuba also has some of the most varied architecture in the western hemisphere: neo-classical, art deco, baroque. It’s beautiful.” Cuba Up Close takes visitors everywhere from the pastel buildings and pulsating streets of Havana with their vintage ‘50s cars, to the
tobacco growing region; and if you want to snorkel, they’ll direct you to the clear water cenotes - natural pits that tunnel directly to the ocean in the Bay of Pigs area. Is Cuba safe? “I have traveled all over the world including the Middle East, and Cuba is the safest country I’ve ever been to. There are no guns in the country, no drugs, and crime
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Speaking of airfare, you could not find easier access. Travel from Logan Airport in Boston, and you’re booked on a direct flight, arriving in Havana in just three hours and 45 minutes. Or fly from Providence or Hartford to Ft. Lauderdale where there are several daily flights that only take 45 minutes to transport you to this beautiful island.
against visitors is a huge offense because there is so much tourism here, and they want to protect that. Their literacy rate is higher than that of the United States, most people speak English; and should you have any kind of medical issue, your health insurance is automatic, included in your airfare.”
Everyone always inquires about cuisine when they travel. Not only does Cuba offer a varied menu extending from traditional fare to fine dining, but the cost will astound you. “On one of my last trips I had two women who wanted an upscale restaurant,” Jean relates. “They each chose the fine dining fish special, each had two glasses of wine, and dessert. The bill
was just $32 dollars total. If you want to experience traditional Cuban fare without frills, you’ll only pay about $5-$6 per person.” Travelers with Cuba Up Close are introduced to, and mingle with, the Cuban people (“It’s such a joyful society!”), stay in premium boutique hotels or apartments with private baths, and come home smiling, knowing they have been thoroughly immersed in a happy culture that pulsates with music, laughter, and extends open arms to tourists. So while others opt for the same old, same old Caribbean cruise this year, do something different. Explore, laugh, eat, sip authentic rum, dance like a local, and be steeped in awe when you “C’mon down” to Cuba...that’s truly Cuba Up Close! Contact Jean Fuller Gest at (508) 789-4892 or jeanfullergest@cubaupclose.com More information: www.cubaupclose.com
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OF COLOR THE YEAR 2019
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Ambassador to the Blues
Tom“The Suit� Forst 2018 was a BIG year for Tom "The Suit" Forst. December marked 10 years exactly since he traded his corporate suit for flashy blazers, Converse High-tops and took on the music business full time, igniting his passion for the blues. This is also the year that Tom was inducted into the Connecticut Blues Hall of Fame and went to China for his first overseas
to complete and was produced by Grammy winner Paul Nelson, (Johnny Winter Band). This lovingly created work contains eight originals and three classic cover tunes. I can tell you from first-hand experience that the shows in support of this album are spirited, to say the least. Tom pours it all out on stage, plays several guitars during the performance and likes to go out into the audience to connect with his appreciative fans. The success of this album caught the ear of a well-known promoter in China and through Both the venue owners and the fans that came to see the shows! Truly an amazing experience.". Tom traveled there solo and a band consisting of guitar, bass and drums were provided for him. They had only a couple of days of 8-hour practices together before hitting the road, but clearly, it was enough,
tour. Literally living the dream, after a 25-year stint as VP of Cox Communications out of Atlanta, Tom made the gutsy move to go for it and hasn't looked back. The 2017 blues-based rock release "On Fire" on the Factory Underground label took a year
Factory Underground in Fairfield, an overseas tour was born. While Tom had been to Shanghai many years before to complete his MBA, this visit was a whole different ball game. 10 flights, 6 trains, and countless highspeed subway rides later, he raves about the experience, "They treated us like Rock Stars!
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gauging from the response of the crowds that showed up. They played rooms that had 100 to 400 capacity, and those audiences were made up of mostly 20 to 30-year-olds. "It was like nothing I had seen, they loved every note, even the mistakes!" Tom enthusiastically shared with me. An extended return visit in the spring is already planned, and that trip will include a recording session with some of the musicians he met on this trip. Mr. Forst expertly navigated the language barriers but did mention that their custom of toasting with Baijiu every time he turned around left him toasted! The highly anticipated next release will be coming out in the first quarter of 2019 and has, as of this writing, 4 songs done out of 10 that will eventually complete the album, again recorded at the Factory Underground. The difference with this one will be the musicians, personnel will consist of Pedro Broughton, aka " Big Thurrsty" on drums and vocals, David Stoltz,(Jaimoe's Jasssz Band), on Bass and Vincent Brike on keys. The familiarity these artists have with Tom will most certainly add a "mature" feel to the
"Many of the people that come to see me, (in China), are hearing the blues for the very first time, I want to make sure I leave them wanting more." Though not fluent in Chinese, "barely fluent in English!" Forst quips the international language of music is something we all understand and are lucky to have such a brilliant representative spreading the good word. Cheers to another decade of blues, grooves, and funky moves! Tomthesuitforst.com
music they play on the yet untitled work. Look for Tom on the festival circuit during the season as well as gigs throughout CT, NY, and RI. The incredible response from the China tour makes it likely that there will be more farflung adventures including breaking into the European scene playing in Croatia, France, and Germany. More Asian shows are on the horizon as well, including the possibility of South Korea. While Tom is never at a loss for getting a laugh or making a joke, in private and on stage he takes his role of being an ambassador of the blues very seriously.
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Emil Carlsen’s Quiet Harmonies Study for Hillside Landscape, circa 1905. Oil on board, 5-1/2 x 7-1/4 inches. Collection of Thomas Minckler and Abigail Hornik.
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On view through March 24, 2019 Featuring Carlsen’s compelling landscape and seascape paintings.
Lyman Allyn ART MUSEUM
625 Williams Street New London, CT 06320 www.lymanallyn.org
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– Theatre Buff – Norma Terris: from Actress to Maverick to Loyal Patron and Trustee By Caryn B. Davis / Photos by Diane Sobolewski
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orma Terris began her career in vaudeville as a singer. She was adept at impersonating celebrities, which caught the eye of Florenz Ziegfeld of the famed Ziegfeld follies. In 1927, she appeared in Ziegfeld’s original Broadway production of Show Boat in the role of Magnolia. Both Show Boat and Terris were an instant hit, rendering Show Boat a ground-breaking piece of theater. It redefined musicals from that era as it was the first time comedy and drama were combined, compared to the trivial style of storytelling that had been customary up until that point. Terris was renowned for her performance but ultimately overshadowed by the success of actress Irene Dunne, who went on to perform the role in the Hollywood film. Photo courtesy NTT
Nonetheless, Miss Terris went on to appear in two films, Married in Hollywood and Cameo Kirby and onstage at the Municipal Opera Company in St. Louis, Missouri, where she performed for 10 seasons. In 1970, she landed a role in Little Mary Sunshine at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut where she first became acquainted with the 1876 theater built by local banker and merchant, William Goodspeed. Terris was a big supporter of Goodspeed Musicals for the remainder of her life, as well as a loyal patron and trustee. She was also an advocate for the development of new musicals. In 1984, an old knitting needle factory located in Chester, Connecticut was transformed into a 200-seat theater, and the Norma Terris Theatre was established, named in her honor. Terris created a fund “to expand the talents of individuals and to foster the vitality, excellence, and diversity of musical theatre,” which remains the theater’s mission to this day.
The first show performed at the Norma Terris was a new musical entitled Harrigan ’n Hart. It opened on July 10, 1984. Since then, the Norma Terris Theatre has continued to delight audiences with three neverbefore-seen shows annually, many of which go on to Broadway such as Amazing Grace, The Story of My Life, 13, All Shook Up, and others. Prior to the opening of the Norma Terris, new musicals were developed and performed at the Goodspeed Opera House such as Shenandoah, The Man of La Mancha, and Annie, which remains the most successful new musical in Goodspeed history. “It often feels to people that the Terris is the new musical spot and the Opera House is the place for revivals, but we’ve done as much work at the Opera House as we have done at the Terris over the years. The developmental aspect of Goodspeed’s mission was taking on a different
Photos by Caryn B. Davis
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2018’s production of “Cyrano” starring Peter Dinklage and Haley Bennet
Hilton travels frequently to see shows that are in production, reads scripts that may go on to be developed, and along with the creative team, facilitates the Johnny Mercer Writers’ Colony which takes place at the East Haddam campus each January. “We have 40-50 writers in residence working on projects. Some are brand new ideas. Some are rough drafts. Some are pieces commissioned by other theaters to whom we offer help. It provides us with an opportunity to hear 30 musicals in 3 weeks and be in the room with the writers creating them to decide if these are people we want to continue working with,” says Hilton.
dimension; and we outgrew the ability to use it as a rehearsal hall because it was a small space to begin with,” said Donna Lynn Cooper Hilton, Producer of Goodspeed Musicals at the Goodspeed Opera House and Norma Terris Theatre. The Norma Terris is never at a loss for discovering new material to develop. Because of their esteemed reputation for developing new work, many writers, directors, and producers come to them. “Generally the shows find us because we have a reputation of being a safe and nurturing environment for new work, and we are very close to New York,” said Hilton. That said, new work is chosen in a variety of ways. Hilton, and Executive Director, Michael Gennaro; Artistic Associate. Anika Chapin; and Resident Music Director, Michael O’Flaherty are constantly curating a list of work that is of interest to them collectively, but also individually as a group of artists. They, of course, take into consideration work they think will be satisfying to their audiences and will sell tickets because they do need income to continue generating new plays.
Because the Norma Terris is a smaller run operation than the Goodspeed with more limited resources, they have to be confident in the shows they select. It is rare for them to take a script to production without having seen a reading or workshop. “We are now almost exclusively moving forward with developmental projects that are coming out of The Colony,” Hilton said. Their most recent show, Cyrano, was directed by Erica Schmidt and starred Peter Dinklage from the Station Agent, the Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and the Game of Thrones, for which he won an Emmy and Golden Globe. The idea began
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2010’s production of the musical “Band Geeks.”
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The Cast of Goodspeed Musicals “Amazing Grace.”
“The Story of My Life.”
Harriet D. Foy (center) with Tyrone Davis Jr., and Rachael Ferrera in Goodspeed Musicals “Amazing Grace.”
“Radio Girl”
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Chris Peluso as John Newton (center) with The Cast of Goodspeed Musicals “Amazing Grace.”
as a conversation between Schmidt and Gennaro 12 years prior, before reaching the stage. Schmidt attended the Writers’ Colony in 2016, and it was during this time that Cyrano really began to take shape and evolved into the show that was performed September 2018 to sold out audiences.
“It’s an old story, but as a piece of musical theater it had never been seen by an audience before. It’s a unique experience and an interesting obligation for an audience to participate in that process because until they come in and see the show and react to it, we have no idea what we really have,” said Hilton.
Conversely, they don’t often receive the accolades they should for the incredible work they produce because it is not widely reviewed in major newspapers and magazines. “One of the great things about my job is I get to support works in process. Michelangelo painted some things before he painted the Sistine Chapel. These writers have to have the opportunity to work at their craft before they are going to create their masterpiece. A lot of audiences understand that. They’ll come to see something and may say it’s too dark for me or too light, but I absolutely understand why they chose to support this work. It’s an important part of what we do at Norma Terris,” says Hilton. The Norma Terris Theatre is located at 33 Main Street in Chester (860) 873-8668 www.goodspeed.org/about
Hilton was equally pleased with last year’s shows, Deathless by Zack Zadek and Darling Grenadine by Daniel Zaitchik because in both cases, the writer wrote the music and the lyrics. “We are proud to be able to showcase emerging writers. It’s an important part of what we do,” said Hilton. “Those pieces are the future of musical theater.” The Norma Terris Theatre does not invite critics to their shows because it is vital to protect the work while it is still in such a delicate state and has not been seen by an audience beforehand. This has been a longstanding policy and is one of the reasons a lot of producers want to work with them and why they are so well regarded in the industry. “Someone could come in after a bad day and trash the work, and the next step of that development could possibly not take place because of a bad review,” explains Hilton. “Band Geeks”
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38 was made for him. His back is upright. His aspect… thoughtful. An arm drapes past his knee. One hand holds to the smoothed nob of wood that forms the seat. One foot is placed conveniently on the footrest below him. With the benefit of an unobstructed view his bright eyes, unblinking, look wide and far. He turns his head, all the way left. He turns his head all the way right. Then straight, towards the marshes. Then leans, cocking head, neck, torso to the side as if trying to see past some obstruction. And to the right again.
The Observer Olive Baboon Photos and editorial © Mark Seth Lender We are closely related to the primates. The great apes look like us, so do the monkeys even though they have tails. After watching a baboon in the Maasai Mara, Living on Earth’s Explorer in Residence Mark Seth Lender has come to believe this resemblance has to with something more subtle than physical appearance alone. The river bends back and back and back upon itself. A ribbon, tangled in the narrow fabric machinery. And then there are the woods. And then the dried-out grasses, cropped low. And the dead trees. And the marshes, spread like spores, lying dark and wet and tangled with reeds. On one of the dead trees, toppled long ago by elephants, there sits a baboon. The roots of the tree like an overlarge Victorian chair, suit him. He is comfortable there. As if it
The woods behind him he all but ignores (they only merit a glance) this even though there are leopards there, to a certainty. Even though leopards are his lethal enemy. Mostly they hunt at night; he is depending on that. But there are also lions about. Many lions. And they have no use for quotidian conventions. Ensconced amid the constant certainty of lions and the hidden certainty of leopards, the baboon also relies on the open space between him, and them, and in particular that his eyes are not the only ones watching... At a distance from the baboon a black and white hornbill sits among the gnarled limbs of a leafless tree, and preens himself. His bill is half the length of him, curved like the sheath of some exotic sword. It tucks and strops the feathers of his wings folded along his back. But one black eye stays open. And keeps watch. Not just up, towards where the great danger might be, some unseen bird of prey that comes soundlessly from the blind direction of the sun but also, he looks out. A saddle-billed stork, his black and red and yellow beak like a soldier signaling in semaphore, stands to, ready and alert.
Black and White Hornbill
Likewise the black-headed heron high in the uppermost branches where he roosts, and waits, until some signaling device of his own tells him: “Spread your blue wings: Now leap!” For the birds as for the baboon, it is about more than what is there. It is making sure… about what is not there. Whether they intend it or they don’t they watch for themselves and also for each other. The baboon is the last to leave. He climbs down from his chair grasping with hands, and feet. And on all fours walks away. What seemed familiar about him now dissipates; but not very much. Like a snare! - SNAP! - Unbound! And from the cradle of my arms the bird – Flies!
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story at all. So that, it is not the way the baboon looks – so similar to us in form – but the manner of his looking that is the connection. It is his bright-eyed alertness with which we identify. And we do that because, following his gaze (if we do so with patience and acuity) we develop a very good idea of what he is thinking.
Field Note: The Musiara Marsh and the riverine forests and planes that surround it are as rich in wildlife as anyplace on earth. Everything lives here, one close upon the other. Rather than familiarity breeding contempt, here it breeds awareness. A community of eyes that is always watching. In that sense, every creature is looking out for the other. What this points to is the difference in the relationship between those who are only neighbors, and the hierarchical connection of predator and prey. These two states can be interchangeable, neighbor to predator or prey, and back again. We humans are neither, and therefore we have the
Wattled Hornbill
choice to see in a third and unique way: Through the eyes of the Other. The baboon watches; watching him we see through his eyes. Without us watching the watcher, there is no
I would suggest to you that our thoughts – if one of us was alone and unprotected in his space - would be much the same as the baboons. Mark Seth Lender is a producer for wildlife content at Living on Earth ( LOE.org ), the only program on US Public Radio exclusively dedicated to wildlife and environmental reporting.
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“I Always Say ‘Yes,’ Then I Figure It Out” Ross MacDonald: The Guy’s Got Props by RONA MANN
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t might have been his father’s philosophy. “I have six kids, so why would I ever hire anybody to get anything done?” But it wasn’t that alone that shaped the multi-faceted talent who ultimately became Ross MacDonald. It might have been dropping out of high school and needing to find some way of making a living while making a way through life, but it wasn’t that alone either. Or, it just might have been...experience, a bit of serendipity, a healthy dose of sheer bravado, and a little fib now and then that never hurt either. Ross MacDonald grew up in the backwoods of Canada, where if someone asked if he could do something, he always answered, “Yes” whether he could or not. He’d figure it out later on. Case in point: one of his first jobs in the printing business. The teenager had been working for an artist creating handmade paper, but when the opportunity arose at a printing firm to run a press, the brash young man who had never even seen a printing press in his life said,“I can do it.” MacDonald must have been very convincing because the boss said, “You start tonight,” escorting him to a Heidelberg Press, a formidable instrument on which to begin something of which he knew absolutely nothing. He was left alone with the sheet-fed letter press behemoth, told to print a book of poetry overnight. Somehow MacDonald figured it out, but had no idea whatsoever of how to clean the press when the work was complete. The next morning he caught hell for it, but that was the first and last time. Cleaning a printing press? “I just figured it out.” MacDonald continued at the press for nearly two years, leaving at age 19 for another adventure he could “figure out.” It was his own printing business called Dreadnaught Press; and together with his brother, they published poetry, books, and whatever jobs they could get. Photo by Greg Preston
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Prop containers created to hold the rat poison that was put in the coffee in Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 film “The Hateful Eight.”
The magazine world continued to attract and serve as a canvas for Ross’ growing portfolio. “In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, magazines were the equivalent of what the internet is now. It was a great time.” As a freelancer, he worked for SPY Magazine, Vanity Fair, Time, Newsweek, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.
Childrens book created for John Huges 1994 “Baby's Day Out.”
A move to a bigger city, Toronto, led to being part of a completely different culture. “In the ‘70s Toronto was a hothouse of draft dodgers from the States - of ashrams, and biker gangs, and theatre people,” says MacDonald, a twinkle in his eye and a smile playing about his lips, reliving the memories. The big city also enabled Ross to both live and work in a sort of a “print commune” that “six or seven of us inhabited along with our own printing company.” About this same time MacDonald’s interest turned to illustration, fascinated by Toronto’s thriving magazine scene. “I learned illustrating
when there was no digital nothin’. You had to draw every single line [of an illustration] yourself.” But the work captivated him, and with both talent and patience it made him hungry for more. Although its magazine culture was booming, Toronto was still a small market in the shadow of New York, facilitating the young Canadian’s move to the States where almost immediately he was hired as a freelancer to create an illustration for Esquire. The woman in the art department who gave him the work ultimately also gave him her hand, and he married Lucy Handley.
It was a casual encounter at a party that introduced MacDonald to someone who was working on a John Hughes movie, “Baby’s Day Out.” They needed a special prop - a faux 1930s kids’ book, similar to the Dick and Jane series; and MacDonald characteristically assured him he could deliver. That was Ross’ first movie job doing props and meant six months on set in Chicago, separated from his wife. “It was fun, but I’ll never do it again.” MacDonald conveys how much the art department in a movie has changed since those days. “It used to be a bunch of set designers sitting around drawing boards in a trailer; now it’s all computers.” Ross continues, “A prop is anything an actor touches. There are prop houses that can send things, but I do custom work. If anyone asks if I can do something, I always say ‘yes.’ Then I figure it out. Total ignorance never stopped us.”
Props created for Disney’s 2004 film “National Treasure” starring Nicolas Cage.
Continued on page 46 xx
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Above: Patton Oswalt holding up the “Pawnee Charter” while he filibusters a proposal for a Star Wars Episode VII on season 5 of Parks & Recreation. Below: Props created for Quentin Tarantino’s 2015 film “The Hateful Eight.”
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Props created for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.”series about an Atlantic City, New Jersey politician who plays both sides of the law while conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
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A prop copy of Barron’s created for HBO’s “The Wizard of Lies” (2017) depicting the fall of Bernie Madoff, starring Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer.
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Creation of “The Book of Shadows” for Fox’s Television series “Bones.”
From that first vintage book he created for “Baby’s Day Out,” MacDonald has gone on to a long and storied career custom designing props for movies and television shows. Just a look at the short list yields recognizable credits such as The Alamo, Silver Linings Playbook, five seasons of Boardwalk Empire, Madame Secretary (he created the series’ Presidential Seal), John Wick, The Knick, Parks & Rec, The Assassination of Gianni Versace...the list is long and formidable, but MacDonald is nonplussed. However the man is a total perfectionist. “Everything’s high definition today, so it’s very important to get it right. You can always freeze frame something and look at the detail, so it has to be exact.”But often all his painstaking work is edited out and winds up on the cutting floor. MacDonald merely shrugs, allowing that “it’s part of the game.” Then he adds, “modern stuff is not as much fun as period stuff which is much more interesting.” Today the artist’s workshop is not set in a tony New York studio, but in an old two story barn on his property in Newtown, Connecticut.”Everything I need is right here.”
In this cozy space surrounded by everything he loves, MacDonald is more impressed with his collection of old ephemeral than starstruck from his successes. He treasures spelling primers and the Dictionary of the English Language penned by Noah Webster in the
What’s next? MacDonald’s plate is always full. He’s especially excited about illustrating sequels to Tara Lazar’s award-winning children’s book, 7 Ate 9, and he’s also been commissioned to illustrate a comedy book penned by humorists Dave Barry, Alan Zweibel, and Adam Mansbach, the working title of which is How to Jew. “It’s hilarious,” Ross offers. And then there’s work on the upcoming Call of the Wild movie with Harrison Ford and Greyhound, a soon-to-bereleased WWII film that’s a Tom Hanks production.
Ross MacDonald is nothing if not affable; yet when you look at his finely chiseled features, there is something behind that smile. He looks directly at you Cast of “Bones.” when he speaks, yet you feel 1800s, and prizes stuff he found at flea markets. he can look right through, all the while details Here also troll his constant companions, Chip dancing around in that brain of his, seemingly and Milo, two perfectly likable dogs who greet planning his next project. It might be illustrating every visitor, continuously climb the rickety a children’s book, penning an irreverent stairs to the barn’s second floor, and are seem- humor piece, creating a vintage prop for a ingly involved in everything that Ross is doing. movie or television show; but whatever it is They believe it’s their duty to be intrusive, and he’s got in mind, he can do it. He knows he MacDonald is not telling them any different, can, and he’ll make you a believer, because not even when CBS Sunday Morning with Jane long ago Ross MacDonald figured it out. Pauley shot a feature right at MacDonald’s No matter what it took. Newtown workspace with dogs underfoot.
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Starmaker
Angela Bacari’s Half Century of Songs, Celebs, & Stardom by RONA MANN / Photos by Jeffery Lilly
How do you keep the music playing? How do you make it last? How do you keep the song from fading too fast?
and Deana Martin (daughter of Dean), catapulted Billy Gilman to fame in Nashville and on The Voice, and coached her own grandson, Nicolas King, all the way to Broadway where he starred with Tom Selleck and Carol Burnett in two hit shows before launching his own career singing the Great American Songbook. Not bad for the little Italian girl from Westerly with the big voice.
...James Ingram “I was always singing. As long as I can remember, I was singing. I never wanted to do anything else.” And she never did. Little Angela Bacari was born and raised in Westerly, Rhode Island. She never left this seaside town during her 50 year career except….to cut a record with RCA that went gold (“Baby, I’m Yours”), to perform on the Playboy circuit all over the world, to sing on cruise ships, and to headline in the Catskills and Las Vegas with Rodney Dangerfield, Pat Cooper, Shecky Green, Freddie Roman, Stewie Stone, Don Rickles...you get the idea, right? Little Angela, who began singing when she was just five years old on “Buddy and the
Gang,” a local talent show on a tiny Westerly radio station, also studied and perfected her technique with an Italian music instructor, served as a vocal coach for both Liza Minnelli
Bacari’s style has often been compared to that of Connie Francis, the enormous singing star whose fame soared in the 60’s. “I wanted to be Connie Francis,” she says recalling her youthful ambition. Ambition is what Angela had and still has, along with personality, drive, and creativity. It's what powered her as a young girl and what continues to drive her now some 50 years later to promote undiscovered talent to stardom.
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work and perseverance in addition to raw talent. “Billy’s grandmother called me when he was just eight years old, telling me her grandson could sing and was very special. I thought, sure, every grandmother thinks that.” Still Bacari extended them a courtesy, inviting them to come to her home and let the little boy sing for her. “He absolutely blew me away,” she said. “I knew right then I could make him a star.” It didn’t take long because the child from the rural burgh of Hope Valley, Rhode Island had it all. He could perform, he could sell a song, he could charm an audience. “I had to meet his parents first,” Bacari related. “Because I had to let them know all that would be involved. I
Billy Gillman’s Billboard Video Award for “One Voice.”
She also gained both national and international attention when Liza Minnelli had serious vocal troubles and could no longer perform.“I worked with her and coached her from 20002014, as she made her big comeback in New York. Then we toured together all over Europe.” Minelli attributes the rebirth of her career to Bacari. Angela still performs and serves as a vocal coach, assisting both aspiring and established
vocalists, but spends the lion's share of her time managing the careers of Billy Gilman and Nicolas King. The story of how Gilman rose from being a little boy who could sing to a major recording star is nothing short of magical; but Angela knows that the secret to magic is hard would manage him, I would travel with him, but it was a tremendous commitment. They listened, they understood, and they trusted me with their son.” Angela became not just Gilman’s vocal coach and manager, but his guardian as well. Billy wanted to sing country, so Bacari introduced him to Nashville where Sony records signed him, and he went double platinum with his first recording,“One Voice.” That launched a 90 city tour and a spot in the Guinness Book for being the youngest singer to have hit #1 on the Billboard Country Music Chart. “Billy was a phenomenon.” It appeared there was no end to his fame; but then puberty hit, and Gilman began to tell Angela that it "hurt to sing." Many predicted the career of the wunderkind was short lived, but Bacari knew different and proved it. For the next six years Billy worked tirelessly with Jerry Lewis and the MD Telethon, becoming the National Youth Chair of the
Marquee when Nicolas King performed with Liza Minnelli at The Hilton in Las Vegas
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Nicolas and Billy with Barbara Streisand back stage at Madison Square Garden.
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Clockwise from top left: Foyer with Billy’s recordings from SONY. Angela, Connie Frances and Nicolas after he performed in Florida. A framed thank you gift from Deana Martin commemorating Angela’s performance at The Friars Club, NY. Angela with her husband and biggest supporter Albert Lorenzo Jr. Angela and Billy at the filming of The Voice. Liza and Nicolas back stage before he opens for her in New York.
57 hotels in Florida, on high end cruise ships, and internationally. Additionally, Bacari has two daughters, Christina King (Nicolas’ mother) and Lisa Ferraro, who has her own band, performing all over New England in addition to often joining Angela onstage. Today Angela’s schedule is overflowing. She still travels with Gilman who’s now 30, is always in the audience for 27 year old Nicolas who frequently brings her up onstage for a duet, and then delights in telling the audience, “This my grandma,” and has a small group of students. “I evaluate them before accepting them. Today you don’t need a great voice. It’s all about style; and they either have it, or they don’t.” The diminutive woman who’s lost none of her own pizzazz over the last 50 years, looks around the spacious Westerly home she shares with her husband, Al Lorenzo, who served as tour manager for Billy Gilman’s 90 city tour. Bacari smiles as she gazes at her Yamaha Baby Grand, walls filled with photos of Broadway marquees, billboards, major stars, and family. Everywhere there are not only memories, but validation of her ongoing commitment to music.“Every now and then I get this big urge to do my own show again, only this time produced by Nicolas and Billy. I think I just might do it. I never wanted to do anything else.” And she never did. Contact Angela at: angelabacari7@gmail.com
Angela with Barbara Bush backstage when she was working with Liza in Washington DC
Muscular Dystrophy Campaign. He also worked hard at developing his “new voice,” never entirely leaving the country music he loved, but now fully embracing pop and thrilling audiences once again. Angela kept after him to audition for the TV mega-hit, “The Voice,”but Billy resisted until 2017. “Competing on that show is a boot camp like you have no idea,” Angela says. “It’s rigorous what they put them through.” With Adam Levine, front man for the rock group Maroon 5 as Billy’s on-set coach and both Angela and his mother flying from Rhode Island to Los Angeles week after week, Gilman blew the competition away, eventually becoming runner-up and launching yet another national tour. About the same time little Billy’s star was ascending, Angela's grandson was coming into his own. She knew this little guy had "it" when she came to her daughter's home one
day when Nicolas was still in the high chair. "Sinatra was playing, and Nicolas was eating his Cheerios, but snapping his fingers in perfect time to the music. I knew then we were on to something." Little Nicolas met Liza Minnelli, and by age three was singing, "You Gotta Ring Them Bells" right along with her video. At four he starred on Broadway in "Beauty and the Beast" for a year, then appeared in a commercial for Oscar Mayer. That led to an appearance on the Jay Leno Show where he met Tom Selleck who "absolutely fell in love” with the precocious little boy, insisting he co-star with him on Broadway in “A Thousand Clowns.” By the time he was 11, King was opening for Liza in venues throughout the country. Today he performs The Great American Songbook frequently at Birdland on Broadway, in nightclubs and major Angela with her beloved Bischon Sammy
PLEASE JOIN US FOR FIRST FRIDAY, JANUARY 4th, 2019 FROM 5 - 8 pm FOR AN EHHIBIT OF NEW PAINTINGS FROM HIS HOME & TRAVELS BY LEIF NILSSON WITH LIVE MUSIC BY ARROWHEAD. Arrowhead strings along on most Sunday afternoons. Find out about the Concerts in the Garden, First Fridays, Leifs paintings, prints and more at
www nilssonstudio com
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Chinner For Chowder By John Tolmie / Underwater Photos by Dave Gleason and Savas Vallas
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arly winter is a great time to dive in Southern New England where one of the best tasting fish still lurks about. Tautog, commonly known as blackfish or simply tog, congregate along jetties, reefs and other rocky structures. Lore has it that the name tautog comes from the Narragansett language meaning the “Preferred Fish”. I couldn’t agree more. Blackfish are stout meaty fish that can be prepared in innumerable ways. However, my favorite fare comes in the form of fish chowder! So on a cold early winter morning I headed out to harvest this prized northeastern fish. Today I planned a shore dive at one of my secret spots. In the warmer months I would don my wetsuit at the dive site, however due to the cold I decided to gear up at home and drive to the site. After parking my Jeep it’s a short walk to a small jetty where the water is
only 17 feet deep. I clamore down a rocky decline and found a nice flat stone to don the rest of my gear. Since I would be hunting in rocky holes I chose my shortest speargun custom made for this type of spearfishing. After sliding into the water I immediately regret the dive as the cold salty water seeps into my suit. However, after a few minutes my body warms the water between my suit and skin. Still, I only have about an
hour before the cold overcomes me and I’ll be done for the day. As I descend I try and make as little noise as possible. Though the fish are getting ready to hibernate they are still alert for predators. Some smaller fish swim over to see what has invaded their space. I was glad to see these little guys as this is a good sign that some of the bigger ones are still lurking about. I start poking into the holes made by the stacked boulders and after searching I finally see a big white chin
61 easing out from between the crags. It’s a huge male blackfish! The males have this telltale feature and are affectionately known as “chinners”. I wait for the fish to stick its head out a little more so I could get a solid shot but it decides to back away and go deeper into the rocks. Out of breath I head back to the surface to get some much needed air. Big blackfish are extremely skittish and are very difficult to land via spearfishing. Many are familiar with divers and know enough to hide when they see or hear us. So I was pretty sure that this particular fish would be off the menu for the day.
I work my way along the breakwater and was able to harvest two nice fish for the pot but the big ones were all holed up. At this point I had been diving for over an hour and was chilled
to the core. However, I needed one more fish if I was going to make that giant pot of holiday chowder I had been boasting about to my dad. I swam back to the hole where I had seen that monster chinner earlier in the dive. I held my breath and coasted on the surface till I was just over its hovel and dove silently down. I checked three holes and on the forth one I looked in and there it was. It had pressed the side its body to the underside of a rocky shelf in order to remain unseen. However, I was able to slowly bring my speargun up and take aim. Conservation of these prized fish is one of my utmost concerns. If my shot wasn’t true it could shake itself off the spear and swim away injured. This is a loss that I could not accept. It was either a head shot or no shot at all. I pulled the trigger and the shaft landed perfectly and instantly dispatched the fish. I worked myself and the fish out of the hole and headed to the surface. This would most likely be my last dive of the season as the tautog would all soon be hibernating for the winter. As I climbed out of the water and walked back to my Jeep I was stoked that my father and my family would be feasting on fresh holiday chowder from the sea!
Note: Any traditional New England clam chowder recipe will do for fish chowder. I substitute sweet potatoes vice white potatoes as this gives the chowder a bit more of a holiday flair and of course I use tautog vice clams. Cheers!
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The Ocean’s Garden
Credible Coral - New London By Nancy LaMar-Rodgers / Photos by A. Vincent Scarano
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lacklights and blowfish, 3D paintings, and neon signs. It’s like a psychedelic bohemian scene that also happens to grow coral. But they don’t just grow coral. They breathe coral. They nurture, cultivate, and cherish this vibrant hard and soft tissue. To the naked eye, it is a kaleidoscope of color and movement but to Justin Credabel Grabel and Dr. Michael Gerdes, coral is not just the organic elements of cellular structure and skeletal design; coral has a beauty and rapture that is ethereal. I am entranced as I stare into one of the living tanks that is brimming with hundreds of varieties of corals. The Snow Patrol lyrics go off in my head... “show me a garden that’s bursting into life.” The coral sway like tiny tentacle trees and
spread their neon leaves. They breathe and pulse like billowing sunset clouds as they dance petite waltzes beneath their salt water stage. These magically, mesmerizing, misshapen loofah sponge-like creatures have a very important role in our Justin Credabel Grabel and Dr. Michael Gerdes planet’s marine ecosystem, and it is species. Justin Credabel Grabel and Michael one of the many reasons Gerdes come from different arenas, but their both men are dedicating passion for keeping this animal alive and their time to the propagation thriving on the planet has brought them together in a collaboration of both mind and of coral. spirit. Separated by a decade in age, the two Credabel Coral in New men hail from different backgrounds and London is a laboratory, it is a experience, yet their mutual love of coral has farm, it is an art gallery, it found them exploring not only the world is an experiential, educational classroom beneath the water, but also the potential of environment...it is just a really cool place to their combined knowledge at work here on hang out. Once inside, you find yourself the surface and in the lab. charmed by the irresistible beauty of the
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tells me about Justin and his work with keeping Goniopora alive - an incredibly difficult type of coral to keep alive - and I said to my friend, yeah I need to meet him.”
Dr. Michael Gerdes holds a PhD in cellular molecular biology and has worked for The National Cancer Institute and GE Global Research, as well as The Department of Justice. Michael is the epitome of the intellectual professor, with his long graying ponytail, his curious eyes, and the demeanor of a man humbled by the awe found in our natural world. His fierceness in the cellular research field has garnered the man 23 patents; within his community of scientists, he is one of distinction. These days, Dr. Gerdes spends his time divided between his work as an adjunct professor in Albany and his work with Credabel Coral, raising awareness of the delicate nature of the world’s island infrastructure. The younger, Justin Credabel Grabel, recalls his first foray into anything aquatic. “My parents just let me have at it with fish. Me and my sister had tanks in the basement, and I just became fascinated.” It is obvious that a young man’s fascination with the colorful fish would one day translate into the more sophisticated coral species, although it would take a few years of exploring other beautiful things, like music.“I spent a great deal of the late nineties and early 2000s playing in my rock and roll band. It was amazing because I could be out playing gigs every night and still maintain my day job.”
Justin’s day job was at Fin and Feather. He spent a great deal of his time taking care of the fish and learning everything he could about the aquatic community. In the evenings, he played rock and roll, and during the day he immersed himself in the beauty of the ocean’s creatures. His natural intellectual curiosity and obsession with these plant-like looking animals led Grabel to the development of his own line of food for keeping alive a particular type of coral known as Goniopora, which Gerdes points out was an incredible feat. “I was in the midst of organizing a conference for Aquarium enthusiasts, and a friend of mine
Grabel would go on to develop a food for the Goniopora coral which is now sold in 14 countries under his Credabel name. As we continue, both men bounce off each other in this sort of symbiotic manner, each extolling the talents of the other. Their interaction is animated, and I can’t help but notice that both seem to possess the characteristics of the mad scientist as well as the rebellious nature of the forever young rock star. Although the friendship started in the early 2000s, the collaborative effort of bringing the coral farm to life and to New London happened after the partners realized in 2015 that they had something to offer on many fronts. “It really started out as an idea for a few different parts to the business,” explains Gerdes. “We wanted to farm the coral, obviously, and be able to supply the coral to businesses, but we also wanted an educational component where
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we could work with these local school systems, especially the Science and Tech schools and the Marine Science based schools. The art gallery aspect became a fortuitous outcome of the larger whole.” Grabel adds that, “this is such an art rich town, and I’ve known so many of the local artists, that the gallery piece just naturally unfolded. I mean coral is art in itself; it’s incredibly beautiful to look at.” The educational component was imperative for both men when they began the talks about farming coral. The key was to find an area that would allow for lab research, growth, and education. Justin, having already secured an inroad with New London’s Science and Tech Magnet School, was able to elicit the support of his friends in academia. “I had been working with the school already and trying to develop programs or curricula around the scientific research of the coral, and I just really wanted to be able to offer a hands-on sort of experience for students, to have them be in a space where it would all just be real for them.” Gerdes, having been part of academia his whole career, knew that his research work and
the letters after his name, would give them another layer of legitimacy needed to garner the support of the higher education institutions in the area. The connection to the community was also essential, and although Gerdes is not originally from New London, he was inspired by the intimacy of the art community and the city’s regard for what they wanted to bring to downtown via this unique collaboration. Justin, having been born and raised in the area, knew that New London was the perfect spot in that it has always maintained its support of the art community. Also, he knew so many of the local people, that it therefore was a natural connection not only with the schools and the arts, but with the hub of stakeholders looking to revitalize the downtown.
As we move into one of the back rooms where there are several tanks of coral growing, I watch as both men move in sync toward their vibrant creatures. We gather together over the tank as both Michael and Justin talk, sometimes in unison, sometimes finishing each other’s sentences. I don’t understand any of the scientific jargon, nor do I pretend to. I am completely enthralled by the spindly animals swaying beneath the surface. I put my hand in gingerly as to not make waves and stroke the tops of one particularly animated fellow. The coral is rough to the touch, yet the sensation is a soft one. I continue to listen but am charmed by the delightful beings, swaying beneath my fingers. Michael points out that this is what it’s like on any given weekend. “People leave a restaurant and walk past our window thinking, ‘hey, let’s check out this art gallery.’ They don’t usually understand what they just walked into, and it’s been our experience that most people end up staying way longer than they planned and leaving with more information they could have imagined about coral. They come in completely unaware of what we do here, and they stay because they are usually quite fascinated by what we do here.” Justin concurs, moving back to his tank of precious sessile creatures. The two men are once again preoccupied with the enchanting wonders beneath the lights and beneath the surface. Credabel Coral is located at 153 Bank Street, New London
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The Cheesemonger Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, Centerbrook CT
A Great Time for Raclette I am always impressed when a customer requests a whole wheel of Raclette, or even a half wheel. These requests are rare when you consider that this cheese is hardly ever sold as just an eating cheese. Raclette cheese’s main function is to be melted and served as the dish called Raclette.
What, then, is Raclette? The name comes from the French verb racler, which means to scrape. The original dish required a fireplace that you could sit next to. The cheese would be placed in a metal device that cradled the cheese. It worked much like that old pot of stew hinged to the fireplace in yesteryear. You would then swing the cheese closer to the heat of the fire and watch it melt. When melted enough, you would scrape the melted
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The art of actually using a fireplace is becoming a lost one. However, I must say that I just recently sold a wheel to a customer who was going to do just that. Today’s cookers are mostly electric, and there are even small devices that use candles for their heat source. If you choose the latter, I would not be in a hurry to eat. Additionally, these would be more suited for a side dish or an appetizer. You can still purchase cookers that will hold a half wheel or a quarter wheel. The most popular Raclette cookers I find today are an electric device that you can place right on your dining room table and cook as you go. I sell a lot of them. They are convenient, very functional, and they offer a twist to the original meal. This annoys the traditionalists who prefer only the cheese, potatoes and pickles on the menu. I can appreciate their feelings, much the same way I feel when someone makes a fondue using cheddar cheese. Melting cheddar creates a sauce, not a fondue, right? Hey, whatever works for you is right. There seems to be no limit as to what you can cook on these new-style grills. Chicken, pork, beef, bacon, shrimp, potatoes, every kind of vegetable, and even eggs, are on the ingredient list. The advanced design and function capabilities of the new cookers allow for this. The new-era Raclette cookers come with two main functions – a top grill to cook all of those previously mentioned ingredients, and a lower section to melt your cheese. In many respects it reminds me of beef fondue, without the pot of hot, dangerous cooking oil. Very similar to cheese fondue, you can prepare all of the “to be grilled items” in advance, so when meal time comes you can sit and enjoy it along with the others. These new style cookers are designed for eight people and come with eight individual heating trays to melt your cheese. There is also a fourperson cooker available. Even if you are fewer than eight, the extra cooking trays are nice, so you can cook more than one selection at the same time. I like to cook different meats and vegetables on top. Then when finished, place them in the small pans, top with cheese and melt underneath. You can only imagine how good this is. You can now add additional sauces, in the way you would serve beef fondue, for extra flavor.
Some Do’s and Don’ts It is best to lightly oil the grill and heat it for several minutes before cooking. part off of the wheel and serve it on a plate with boiled potatoes and cornichon pickles. There are mainly two types of Raclette cheeses available today, coming from Switzerland and France. They vary slightly in taste, which is mostly due to the age of the cheeses. It would be best to taste each before you buy. There are many types of cookers available today.
Avoid placing herbs directly on the grill as they will stick and burn. Instead, add them to the Raclette dishes. Prepare all items before dinner time. Be extra careful with raw meats; keep them separate from other foods, including utensils. Use separate utensils for cooking and eating. It would be a good idea to use a different type (or color) utensil, especially for the raw meat
items as to avoid confusion. The best solution is to par-cook raw meats, to eliminate the health issue. Then everyone can finish them off to their preference – rare, medium or well done. Don’t overload the small pans and do try to keep ingredients level. This will help stop items from burning. When preparing cheese, slice in advance if you can, and remove all rinds. You need approximately 5-7 oz of cheese per person for a meal, and much less for an appetizer. Don’t be afraid to experiment with your own favorite foods. Do try cold white wine or beer with this dish. Sparkling waters are a nice addition to whatever your beverage of choice is. One of the things I like most about the new Raclette cookers is that they can be used all year long. A summer barbecue gains new appeal when everyone seated at the picnic table is grilling fish, meat, vegetables, etc. to their own liking. Now add the countless number of dipping sauces, oils and herbs available, and you give all-new meaning to the term “cookout.” As with most recipes, Raclette has evolved to accommodate modern tastes.
Paul Partica, The Cheese Shop, (860) 767-8500 33 Main Street, Centerbrook, CT 06409 www.cheeseshopcenterbrook.com
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Sauternes is the most sought after dessert wine made. Of course with these wines comes quite a high price point.
By Art LiPuma, General Manager SeaSide Wine & Spirits, Old Saybrook, CT
Bordeaux is one of the most well known areas for producing wine in France. The climate here is on the mild side due to the influence of the Gulf Stream and the Atlantic. This prevents frost on the vines in the winter. In the summer it is hot with moderate rainfall. The red wines are blend of 2 to 5 grapes which can be any of these following grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. The whites are typically, a bend of Sauvignon Blanc, Sĕmillion, and Muscadelle. Most of the red wines are age worthy due to their high tannins and great acidity. Bordeaux is divided into three major regions know as the left bank, right bank and Entre-Deux –Mers. Within these areas are many subregions. Starting with the Left Bank the growing regions are Graves, Haut Medoc, Listrac-Medoc, Margaux, Medoc, Moulis, Pauillac Pessac- Lĕognan, St. Estephe, St. Julien and Sauternes. This area is well known for growing a large portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, follow by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot for red grapes and Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Mucadelle. The red from this area are quite dry and medium in bodied with mild to medium fruit but far from jammy. Some of the well known producers in these are: Chăteau Cos d’ Estournel, (St. Estephe) Chăteau Lynch Bages (Paulliac) Château Lĕoville-Barton (St. Julien) and Chăteau Margaux (Margaux). The handful of wineries just listed are by far some of the best producers on the left bank. Chăteau d ‘Yquem from
Entre- Deux - Mers is in the lower portion of Bordeaux between the left and right bank. Although this area produces a lot of red wines it is most noted for its whites.The white wines are blended with Sauvignon Blanc, Sĕmillon and frequently muscadelle.The wines are crisp with a little soft fruit and a dry finish depending how they are blended. Sauvignon Blanc gives it bright fruit and crispness. Semillon gives it roundness and a soft quality. The muscadelle grape adds a little fresh fruitiness and some tanginess. From this area you have wines that are labeled Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superior Bordeaux Superior are better quality wine; this type of wine is harvested a little later to produce a full bodied wine. It also has to be at least 75% from the property. Bordeaux from Château Bonnet, Château Thieuley, and Château de Reignac, Château Penin, for Bordeaux Superior are some great example of wines from Entre - deux – Mers. Lastly to include in the great wine area of Bordeaux is what people refer to as the right bank. The major wine growing areas are: St - Emilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, Lalande-dePomerol. The grapes that are grown are Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot. Most of these wines are Merlot driven. The wines can be medium bodied to very complex. and most of them can age for many years. Some of the most famous wineries are: Château Beau-Sejour Bĕcot (St.- Emilion Grand Cru), Chăteau Belair (St. Emilion Grand Cru), Chăteau Pavie (St. Emilion Grand Cru), Chăteau Lafleur (Pomerol), Chăteau Petrus (Pomerol). The Bordeaux reds wine are going to pair well with big meat dishes and Roasts. White wines have a medium brightness to them but dry which are excellent with any seafood dish! Cheers! Art LiPuma, General Manager at SeaSide Wine & Spirits, 118 Main St, Old Saybrook, Connecticut www.seasidewineandspirits.com
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Written by Heather Kelly Director of Operations, NoRA Cupcake Company Photos: Karla Hesseltine
Home for the Holidays (and after) A NoRA Cupcake Company homage to Middletown, CT Ok, ok, we get it. It’s 2019, new year, new you. Hittin’ the gym, meal preppin’, you’re off to a good start. You deserve that one cheat day to reward yourself and get you through the winter, and we’ve got just the place for you to do it. We’ve been slingin’ sugar at our bakery on Main Street Middletown for the past seven years, but have been working and playing up and down the street long before that. Our beautiful Main Street has been recognized for many things - but if there is one thing it has, it’s FOOD. Middletown has been holding its weight in the foodie community for several years, and just when you think it has it all another gem pops up. So let’s get right to it - here are our top spots for how to eat your way up and down the street. We know this can’t be the first time you’re hearing about our neighbors at O’Rourke’s Diner, but we would be doing you a disservice if we didn’t mention them as THE place to get breakfast in town. The little diner with a big menu has been featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’ and can be described as “featuring dishes with a strong Irish influence, as well as traditional American classics”. Customer chatter in our bakery on weekend mornings definitely always includes a few very full customers who are raving about the fantastic breakfast they just ate next door. Get there early, get a seat, and enjoy. Hopefully you’re in town on a balmy January day where you can walk down to the other end of Main Street and work up an appetite for PIZZA. MONDO has been a Middletown staple for the past 8 years. Their pies are what your pizza dreams are made of - a New York style thin crust made in a brick oven. Always cooked to crispy, cheesy perfection. Not only pizza, we tend to eat their salads and paninis MULTIPLE times a week for lunch. If you’re lucky - you’ll be there on a day when their SWEET POTATO BISQUE is on the menu. You can thank us later. OSA Restaurant is your next stop. Brought to you by our neighbors at KRUST, Richie and Kevin opened OSA in the Fall of 2017 and it has been pushing out unique and creative yet approachable dishes
since. Their menu fluctuates from week to week giving them the ability to use the freshest seasonal ingredients from around New England. Their plates give you the ability to try things that you usually don’t see on other menus and keep you coming back for more. And if you needed any further convincing - the Connecticut Restaurant Associated just named OSA as BEST NEWCOMER for 2018. Grab yourself one of their craft cocktails and you won’t be disappointed. Back to the NoRA district and over to Eli Cannon’s Tap Room for the BEST beer selection in the state. We know everyone claims themselves as a “craft beer bar” these days, but Eli’s has been exclusively “saving the ales since 1994” when NO ONE was serving craft beer. Their rotating tap list heavily features local Connecticut brews often including ones that you can’t find anywhere else. End your night here for the best pub food around - we highly suggest the chicken nachos and “two in the pool” wings. We have yet to find anywhere else where we crave the wings like we do at Eli’s. CLEARLY you’re ending your night by popping across the street to NoRA Cupcake Company to pick up some sweet treats! You can check what flavors we’re featuring in store for the month and daily menu on our website www.noracupcake.com. Feel free to ask us for some more dining tips when you stop in, we’ve got plenty! Pro-tip : plan your visit for the week of January 14th - 20th and take advantage of THE 4TH ANNUAL TASTE of MIDDLESEX COUNTY. Tasting menus are being added and updated on the Middlesex County of Chamber’s website!
NoRa Cupcake Company (860) 788-3150 700 Main St, Middletown, CT 06457 noracupcake.com
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Written and Photos by Bob Zemmel, Owner of Alforno Trattoria Bar
Venice, before the Aqua Alta, or flood tides With the crowds on the Piazza San Marco side, it is a battle to fight your way forward through the tourists like ourselves and the “restaurant hawkers” trying to lure you to eat in their second-rate places. Avoid these places. On the other side of the Grand Canal, it is much less crowded. Here we rented a dazzling restored apartment, close to attractions such as the Guggenheim Museum, the former residence of Peggy Guggenheim during her Venice years. You stand face to face with Jackson Pollock paintings showing his evolution to splatter painting. For a modest 15 Euro entry, this is your key rainy-day activity. The next day, the sun shines boldly, and the temperature has climbed back into the 70’s. We head off to, what is clearly the highlight of a food person’s Venice visit, the island of Burano. The island, filled with pastel colored buildings, historically was built on lace manufacturing.We are here not to shop for lace, but to visit the historic Trattoria da Romano, featured on Anthony Bourdain’s TV show. On this beautiful mild day, we eat outside under the awning. A trattoria is supposed to be an informal eating establishment, less elegant than a ristorante. Nonetheless, whether in the inside dining room or outside, da Romano’s tables are covered with beautiful linens, clearly made in Italy, the likes of which we do not see even in some of Manhattan’s most expensive restaurants. On our last visit, we ate the normal multi-course meal. This visit we eat only two courses: risotto di mare followed by spaghetti alle vongole. The risotto di mare at Da Romano is the authentic version, made without the usual array of shrimp, mussels and assorted other fish on top. Here it is made with the broth of the tiny bony fish called “Go,” collected in the lagoon. The essence of the Go is cooked out and the carcasses are strained from the broth. It is only the broth and the Venetian rice which form this dazzling rendition of the truly ultimate seafood risotto. The four of us shared a giant platter. Then, out came a platter of spaghetti with the tiniest, tiniest clams. Tricky to eat, my method is to separate all the tiny morsels of clam meat from the shells at once. Now we have a plate of perfectly cooked al dente spaghetti and bits and pieces of clam in garlic butter and olive oil. This was the best meal we ate in Venice. A walk in the dining room reveals the walls covered in original artworks that the struggling artists bartered to Da Romano over the years in exchange for their meals.
Later, still too full for a restaurant dinner, we stopped at the Rialto vegetable market to buy eight pieces of artichoke bottoms. There was an elderly gentleman who sits on a stool, peeling full-sized artichokes down at an amazing clip until nothing remains but the heart. You buy these ready to cook in a variety of Venetian recipes. This was the only meal of sorts that we prepared in the fully outfitted kitchen of our apartment, nothing more than artichoke bottoms sautéed in olive oil with a garlic clove. As I ate this artichoke, I texted to Ben back home that I almost cried because this was an item that we could never source in America. Ben’s reply was, that sometimes you just have to accept that some things are not available outside of Italy. Unfortunately, our remaining meals in Venice were eminently forgettable. In one meal, on a recent trip to Venice, I asked the restaurant hawker if he had a fresh whole sea bass. He replied in the affirmative, and we sat down to what certainly was a large fish for two. That was the good news. The bad news was that he had run next door to another restaurant, bought the fish and then charged us the equivalent of $150. My tourist bad for not inquiring about the price first. Despite this sobering experience, Venice is still a must go as part of our trips to Northern Italy. It is as if the streets are paved with water, just dazzling each time one arrives. When our son, Ben was finishing his nine month stay in Italy, including a stint in the kitchen of our favorite restaurant in Fano, I asked him in a phone call if he had made it to Venice. With a no for an answer, I booked a flight to Bologna, where we rented a car and drove to Venice. At this point in his life Ben had traveled pretty extensively for a 27 year old. But as the vaporetto motored onto the Grand Canal, I grinned as a young man’s jaw dropped in amazement as he took in the views of this one-of-a-kind city. Finally, our vacation ends and we head for the airport, shoulder bag stuffed with meat-filled Panini, purchased at the Venice airport. I planned to fool the American custom agent’s dog into missing the assorted truffle products in the bottom of the suitcase Successful, we went on our way from Boston to Old Saybrook truffles and all.
Bob Zemmel Alforno Ristorante 1654 Boston Post Road, Old Saybrook, CT 06475 860 399 4166
Month of January- Westbrook Tuesday, 1/1/19 – New Year’s Day Brunch. 9am-3pm. Adults $49, Children under ten $22 Saturday, 1/12/19 – Cabaret Style Dinner Show: A Tribute to Rod Steward. 6pm-10pm. $49++ Tickets available online or by calling the front desk 860-399-5901. Saturday, 1/19/19 – Cabaret Style Dinner Show: A Tribute to Steely Dan. 6pm-10pm. $49++ Tickets available online or by calling the front desk 860-399-5901. Sunday, 1/20/19 – Cabaret Style Dinner Show: A Tribute to ABBA. 6pm-10pm. $49++ Tickets available online or by calling the front desk 860-399-5901. Saturday, 1/26/19 – Cabaret Style Dinner Show: A Tribute to U2. 6pm-10pm. $49++ Tickets available online or by calling the front desk 860-399-5901. Repeat events: Prix Fixe Lunch and Dinner Specials every Monday through Friday Lobster Boil Specials and Trivia every Monday Taco and Tequila Specials every Tuesday Wine specials and extended happy hour every Wednesday Burger specials every Thursday Sushi and Sparkling wine specials every Friday Live music every Friday and Saturday night Award winning Brunch every Sunday
January 1 - 31 Making Our Mark. Contemporary Artists at Work. Curated by C. Dianne Zweig, Making our Mark is a unique group exhibit that features abstract artwork by multimedia artists who revel in the art of Contemporary Mark-Making. Contemporary Artists at Work Using both convenDECEMBER 2 – JANUARY 31, 2019 | CHASE FAMILY GALLERY tional and improvised tools, this show celebrates the creativity, ingenuity and skill of "master scribblers." Inspired by mid-century designers, the dynamic rhythms and movements found in music, dance and nature, this diverse collection of artwork is an exciting celebration of artists who have "made their mark" in fine art. JCC of West Hartford C. Dianne Zweig, who teaches “Mark Making in Contemporary Abstract Art” at The West Hartford Art League will be showing her artwork accompanied by 11 outstanding artists from Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York at the spacious Chase Gallery, which is part of the Mandell JCC in West Hartford. What all the exhibiting artists have in common is their passionate and skillful use of marks, lines, scribbles, scratches, layers and textures in their abstract work. Artwork shown include works on paper, fiber, canvas and board and include a variety of sizes and formats including framed, murals and series. Participating artists include: Debra Cantor, Jennifer Davies, Jon Eastman, Anne Doris-Eisner, Nancy Eisenfeld, Amy Furman, Lynn Gall, Sue-Ellen Landwehr, Jill Pasanen, Michelle Peterson, Susan Spaniol. JCC Chase Family Gallery West Hartford , Contact: C. Dianne Zweig Dianne@cdiannezweig.com 860-655-3825
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Water’s Edge Resort and Spa, 1525 Boston Post Road, Westbrook, CT For info, call 860-399-5901 or visit www.WatersEdgeResortAndSpa.com
January 1 Middletown New Year's Day Open House. Steve Cleary has been performing since 1992, playing original Rock, Jazz, Folk, Funk, Blues, Progressive, RockA-Billy, Reggae and Celtic music. He is a singer and sometimes songwriter that plays guitar, mandola, mandolin, ukulele, bass, harmonicas and tenor banjo. He’s currently performing weekly throughout Connecticut as a solo acoustic act, in a guitar & vocals duo with Dave Smith called Time Between Us, a guitar & violin duo with Denise Yost called High Strung and in an Irish/Celtic band called Clan O’Cleary. Horse Drawn Carriage Rides – 1:00pm to 3:30pm Mansion History Tours with Docents – 1:00pm to 3:30pm Lite Refreshments – 1:00pm to 3:30pm Visitors are encouraged to walk the trails surrounding the Mansion. www.wadsworthmansion.com. Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estate, 421 Wadsworth St. Middletown, CT 06457
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Month of January- Branford January at Lennys Indian Head Restaurant! New Year's Day Live Music- Celebrate 2019 at Lenny's January 1, 2019 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Liz Curtain - January 6, 2019 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Timmy Maia - January 20, 2019 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm Rubber Band - January 27, 2019 @ 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Sunday Bloody Mary Bar - 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm. we’ll pour the spirits, and you build your own cocktail with a selection of tomato juices, hot sauces, bacon, stuffed olives, pickled veggies and more! Lennys 205 South Montowese St (Rt. 146) Branford, CT 06405 www.lennysnow.com 203-488-1500
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January 5- 6 Hartford 34th Annual Connecticut Wedding & Bridal Show. Connecticut Convention Center. The largest bridal show on the east coast with a proven format of combining fashion shows with huge vendor presence. This show provides couples the unique opportunity to shop for every facet of their wedding needs in one location. With a format of combining fashion shows with a huge vendor presence, the briday show offers couples the unique opportunity to shop for every facet of their wedding needs in one location. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (860) 365-5678 Connecticut Convention Center, 100 Columbus Blvd. Hartford, CT 06103 January 10 East Hartford Sound Meditation Concert. An evening of relaxed sonic bliss. Find comfort on the memory foam padding, or reclined in the provided ZeroGravity chairs. The soothing orchestration envelops a room where deep meditative states neutralize the tumultuous setting of everyday life. The Conduit musicians use instruments such as; ancient Himalayan singing bowls, planetary gongs, aromatherapy, and other tools- to guide attendants through a landscape of sound. The gongs and singing bowls will help you reach a state of deep relaxation and take you on a sound journey to help you retune and rebalance. 7 p.m.- 8:30 p.m. $25 in advance, $30 at door. The Conduit Center, 1227 Burnside Ave. Suite 1 East Hartford, CT 06108 - (860) 888-4314
January 10 – March 8 An art exhibition featuring works by members of Gallery One at the Valentine H. Zahn Community Gallery at Middlesex Health Shoreline Medical Center. Meet the artists at a reception on Thursday, January 10 from 6 – 8 p.m. The Gallery is open during regular business hours and is located at 250 Flat Rock Place, Westbrook, CT. For more information, contact Middlesex Health at 860-358-6200 or zahngallery@gmail.com.
River January 11 Deep for a Perfect Event Venue Perfect
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JANUARY EVENTS
(860) 526-4445
CLOUD WINE AT THE LACE FACTORY- An evening of wining and dining with Cloud Nine Catering andContact Terra d’Oro winery us. featuring, passed hor d'oeuvres, a four course dinner, five wine pair2016 discounts on featured wines, and bring ings, exclusive Best of non-perishable food items to be entered in a raffle for great prizes! the knot thelacefactory.com 6:30pm - $65pp++ /OR $58pp++ (groups of 6 or more)*Reservat info@cloudninecatering.ne tions Required (860)526.4445 / www.thelacefactory.com / 161 River RIVER DEEP • SAYBROOK OLD St. Deep River, CT
860-388-9999
January 11 Hartford Riders on the Storm. Infinity Music Hall & Bistro (Hartford) Based out of New York City, Riders On The Storm have played to thousands of Doors fans, both young and old. They have played in historic places, The Doors once toured such as the Isle of Wight, London, Amsterdam, and regular appearances in New Haven, Connecticut. The audience includes people who have seen The Doors and people who weren't born when Jim died in 1971. 8 p.m. $19-$34. Infinity Hall - Hartford 32 Front St. Hartford, CT 06103
January 9 thru February 3 New Haven "Miller, Mississippi" Set in volatile Civil Rights-era Mississippi, Miller Mississippi is a Southern Gothic tale of one family’s devastating descent into ruin. As the country lurches towards a future of racial equality, the Miller family is poisoned by its own legacy. A highlight of LWT’s 2016 Contemporary American Voices Festival, Killebrew’s play shows how world-changing events affect individuals in deeply profound and personal ways. (203) 562-5666 Call for a schedule of performances. www.shubert.com Shubert Theater, 247 College St. New Haven, CT 06510
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January 12 Middletown Indigo Soul. Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center Indigo Soul is a stripped down rhythm and voice trio serving up a tasteful repertoire of R&B, soul and light pop. This tidy little trio hails from the vibrant artists village of Chester in the beautiful CT River Valley. Featuring Carol Piro on lead vocals and shakers, Jeremy Coster on bass and Steve Fava on percussion and supporting vocals. 8 p.m. $10. Buttonwood Tree Performing Arts & Cultural Center 605 Main St. Middletown, CT 06457
January 18 New London STOMP. Garde Arts Center STOMP is an explosive, inventive, provocative and unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments – matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps – to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms The international percussion sensation has garnered armfuls of awards and rave reviews and has appeared on numerous national television shows. 8 p.m. $39-$52. (860) 4447373 gardearts.org Garde Arts Center 325 State St. New London, CT 06320
January 18 - March 1 Old Lyme Associate Artist and Newly Elected Artists Lyme Art Association This juried show is open to the Lyme Art Association's Associate Artists: members who are regular exhibitors but not yet Elected Artists. It is open to all mediums and subject matter, so visitors and buyers will see landscapes, sculpture, still lifes, and portraits. Work from the most recent inductees to Elected Artist will also be on display. All work is for sale. Opening reception on January 27, from 2 p.m.-4 p.m. Wed.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and by appointment. Lyme Art Association 90 Lyme St. Old Lyme, CT 06371
January 19 Branford Thimble Island Comedy Night. Thimble Island Brewing Company New England's best comics get paired with the area’s finest craft beers in this hilarious and delicious show. Come laugh with some of the best comics from all over the northeast and wash it down with a pint, or two. And your first house beer, wine or well drink is free. Food and drink specials all night. The Comedy Craft Beer Show is always a good way to Live, Laugh, and Drink so join us for an unforgettable evening. Tonight's show features Ryan Brauth, Richie Redding, and Napoleon Emill. 8 p.m.-10 p.m. $25. Thimble Island Brewery 16 Business Park Branford, CT 06405 January 26 - April 20 Greenwich Masterpieces from the Museum of Cartoon Art Bruce Museum. Exhibit showcases more than 100 original works celebrating the history of this unique art form in America. Among the many items on display will be an early editorial cartoon by Thomas Nast, a spectacular Prince Valiant Sunday page by Hal Foster, and a witty New Yorker gag by Peter Arno, as well as classic Peanuts, Doonesbury, and Calvin and Hobbes comic strips. Treasures from this rich and varied repository represent all of the cartoon genres, including comic strips, newspaper panels, comic books, editorial cartoons, magazine cartoons, caricature, illustration and animation. The artwork is on loan from The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. The centerpiece of the exhibition will be a recreation of the Museum of Cartoon Art’s Hall of Fame. Thirty-two artists were elected to this prestigious group between 1975 and 1997 including Walt Disney, Milton Caniff, Chuck Jones, Rube Goldberg, Al Capp, and Herblock. Each honoree is represented by a superlative example of their work and a handsome brass plaque. Masterpieces from the Museum of Cartoon Art promises to provide an entertaining and educational experience for visitors of all ages and, for those who remember the institution during its time in the area, a nostalgic rediscovery of what the museum had to offer. The exhibition will also feature displays documenting the formative years of the Museum of Cartoon Art, the European roots of cartoons and comics, and a video presentation of classic animation. Tue.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults $10, seniors (65+) and students (5-22 with valid ID) $8, museum members and children (under 5) free. Bruce Museum, One Museum Dr., Greenwich, CT 06830
The Shoreline’s Premier Entertainment Destination
A Tribute to
A Tribute to
A Tribute to
A Tribute to
January 12
January 19
January 20
January 26
Performed by Rick Larrimore
Performed by Hey Nineteen
Performed by Dancing Dream
Performed by Joshua Tree
Rod Stewart
U2
Weekend of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
A Great Getaway in Your Own Backyard For Details and Reservations: watersedgeresortandspa.com 1525 Boston Post Rd Westbrook, CT 06498 (860) 399-5901