The Friday BDB Arts Section

The Weekend in The Arts

This weekend continues with the second of the three gallery showing of Art For All. This weekend's gallery is in the newly renovated Hispanic Center.

From the Mercurial Gallery website:

The Art-for-All is an art event to the power of three: three venues, weekends, juries and prizes.  A portion of the proceeds from all art sales will be donated to the Hispanic Center of Greater Danbury. A $500 prize will be awarded for the best in show at each venue, to be determined by an outside juror(s).  Submissions are open to all.  Venue and submission information is below.  Juror: Christine Rose (Come say hello!), Opening reception: 3/3/12, 6 - 9pm.  Exhibit through 3/30. 87 West St, Danbury

Ella & Me: The Songs of Ella Fitzgerald

Blue Skies, Lullaby of Birdland, Miss Otis Regrets, Mack the Knife... These are the songs of Ella Fitzgerald. On March 3, jazz vocalist Sue Matsuki will pay tribute to the “First Lady Of Song” when she performs her award-winning show,  Matsuki, a former Miss Waterbury, has played in almost every jazz club and cabaret in New York City– legendary places such as The Village Gate, The Iridium, Birdland, Feinstein’s, and The Metropolitan Room. The 20-year veteran singer, songwriter, producer and teacher, is as well known for her outstanding voice as she is for her comedic stage presence.Ella & Me will be performed at The Palace Danbury on Saturday, March 3, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 advance and $25 at the door. Senior discounts are also available. Tickets can be ordered online at www.thepalacedanbury.com or bought at the door starting at 7 p.m. the evening of the performance. For special senior discount rates, please contact carol@thepalacedanbury.com. 

"Locally Grown Artists" Exhibit at the Danbury Museum and Historical Center in partnership with the Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance.  The museum is proud to be a NEW venue for the Accessible Art Project..." an effort to provide more opportunity for artists to show their work in alter...native spaces and to make art more accessible to the general public."

The DMHS is the first Accessible Art Project venue that will allow for the showing of 3-D works as well! Sculpture - Photography – Painting will be the featured medium for this special exhibit that will run through March 10th This event is FREE & Open to the Public! 43 Main St, Danbury, CT 

 Western Connecticut State University Department of Theatre Arts brings Lysistrata, a comedy about withholding love and affection as told by Aristophanes in 411 BC to the stage for its spring production.

 WCSU will stage an adaptation of “Lysistrata” by Aristophanes for two weekends in February and March. Performances will be at 7 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 29 and March 1; at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 2; at 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 3; at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 4; at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 9; at 2 and 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 10; and at 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 11, in the Berkshire Theatre in Berkshire Hall on the university’s Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. The public is invited. Tickets will be $20 plus ticketing fees. WCSU students with valid I.D. will be admitted free. Because of the subject matter, the show is recommended for mature audiences.

For tickets or more information, call the Box Office at (203) 837-TIXX or go to www.wcsu.edu/tickets.

The Bethel Cinema Movie Schedule for this weekend:

A SEPARATION
(PG13) Running Time 2:13
1:10p 4:10p 7:00p 9:35p 

DESCENDANTS
(R) Running Time 2:05
1:15p 4:00p 6:45p 9:10p 

THE ARTIST
(PG13) Running Time 1:51
12:10p 2:35p 5:00p 7:15p 9:30p 

THE IRON LADY
(PG13) Running Time 1:55
12:00p 4:25p 7:30p 

THIN ICE
(R) Running Time 1:44
2:20p 9:45p 

COMING SOON!

The Palace Danbury will present "The Brothers Grimm and a Showgirl" for two performances, on Saturday, March 31st. The new family musical is the latest production from Pantochino Productions Inc, Connecticut's ridiculously entertaining, award-winning, theatre company.

"The Brothers Grimm and a Showgirl" features book and lyrics by Bert Bernardi and music by Justin Rugg. The show is a super fun, wildly imaginative family musical featuring spoofs and goofs of favorite fairy tales such as Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and many others. In the play, the Brothers Grimm themselves arrive to perform their best-loved stories and are joined by a sequined and feathered Showgirl who helps tell the tales in her own special way.

"It's a great musical for all ages" said Bernardi. "Young audiences are going to love this one, and I know grown-ups will enjoy it just as much" he added.

"The Brothers Grimm and a Showgirl" will be performed at The Palace Danbury Theatre located at 165 Main Street in Danbury. Performances are Saturday, March 31st at 2:00 pm and 7:00pm. All seats are $15, with discounted rates available for groups of 10 or more. For tickets and more information about the show visit www.thepalacedanbury.com or call 203 794-9944. For group rates, please contact carol@thepalacedanbury.com

Grease Sing A Long One Night Only!  Grease is the original high school musical. Now, 34 years after it was first released by Paramount Pictures, the hit film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, is back in theaters in a newly restored sing-a-long version. It's like having karaoke at the movies!

 On March 24 at 8:00 p.m., for one night only, The Palace Danbury will host a special screening of the film, Grease, customized with animated subtitles. The entire audience can join in the fun by singing along with some of the most memorable songs in motion picture history--songs like “You’re The One That I Want,” ”Hopelessly Devoted To You,” and “Go Greased Lightning.”

To complete the Grease Sing-a-Long experience, audience members are invited to dress in their fifties finest. It's time to iron your poodle skirt and shine up your saddle shoes, roll up those dungarees and put on your black leather jacket. You can even wear your prom dress, because The Palace will be choosing their own Palace Prom Queen and King!

Grease premiered in 1978 and continues to be one of the highest grossing movie musicals of all time. The film is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 110 minutes. The Sing-A-Long version has sold out in Austin, Los Angeles, New York, Ocala, San Diego, and San Francisco. Not bad for a 34 year old movie!

Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the night of the show. Discounted group rates are available for those coming with their own crew of Pink Ladies or T-Birds.