a r t s & c u lt u r e
starring roles FILM, MUSIC, ART AND THEATER—WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED ON A HIGH NOTE
GRACE NOTES
thegracenotes.com
Here’s an a capella singing group that’s really been around—for fifty-plus years. But no one else in the Greenwich area has yet to match the talent and popularity of the Grace Notes. Now fifteen strong, these ladies have sung in cities from Boston to Denver— even once at the White House. Their main mission is to brighten the lives of people in senior centers, schools and hospitals. But did you know that for a donation, they’ll send you a quartet or octet to sing at a cocktail party or wedding shower? They’ll customize a tune for a birthday boy or deliver a singing telegram? You can make that special occasion very special indeed.
ART SCHOOL
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THE ALDRICH CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM
aldrichart.org
Tucked away in the center of Ridgefield’s charming Main Street, you’ll find Connecticut’s one and only contemporary art museum, The Aldrich. Bring the whole family for a day at the museum — they’re currently showcasing a stunning outdoor sculpture program. On display are works like Nari Ward’s Apollo/Poll, a thirty-foot tower that recreates the sign on Harlem’s iconic Apollo Theater, and Tony Tasset’s Deer, a twelve-foot-tall, twenty-foot-long, true-to-life white-tailed deer. Inside you’ll see an amazing new exhibition, Sara Cwynar’s Gilded Age, the artist’s first East Coast museum presentation. Her work spans photography, video, installation and bookmaking. Don’t leave before taking the kids to The Studio, an art-supply haven for anyone feeling inspired enough to create their own works. You can’t bring food or drinks into the museum, but you can easily walk to town for a late lunch after your visit. Adults are $12; kids under twelve are free; admission is free every third Saturday of the month.
STARRY NIGHTS
CURTAIN UP! LIGHT THE LIGHTS! 21
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MONDAY NIGHT MOVIES
CURTAIN CALL
Sure it’s blockbuster season, but when summer in Fairfield County practically calls for spending as much of the season outdoors as possible—it will get chilly soon enough—it’s fun to learn that Stamford Downtown partnered with the Avon Theatre to host Monday Night Movies at Latham Park. New this summer, the festival began in June with screenings of Office Space and Anchorman and will continue in July and August with the movies Liar Liar, Clueless and the much anticipated singalong that will inevitably happen with Bohemian Rhapsody. Movie time is at dusk but come as early as 5 p.m. for beer from the Half Full Brewery Beer Garden and entertainment by Kunjan Collective. Bring blankets, lawn chairs and a picnic dinner or book your reservations at any of the restaurants surrounding the park. There’s little like dinner under the stars on a summer evening followed by a great movie with a nice cold one in hand.
Broadway may be just an hour away, but it’s a hassle getting there and, oh, those ticket prices! Why bother when we have Curtain Call right in our own backyard? This is Stamford’s longest-running, only nonprofit live theater and one of the few in Connecticut operating year-round. Actually, it’s two theatres—the Kweskin with its 184-seat auditorium and the Dressing Room, a smaller cabaret-style BYO-everything venue. Together, they can mount a dozen full-scale productions a year like Annie and Mamma Mia! Underway this month is the (free) Shakespeare on the Green presentation of Much Ado About Nothing; Grease opens in September. Tickets hover around $30, and the shows are outstanding, since Fairfield County is filled with top talent. How special is it to see someone like Ted Yudain as the Man of La Mancha sing the soulful “Impossible Dream”? It’s hard to believe he’s a local lawyer in real life. Also year-round are writing, acting and dance workshops for kids and grown-ups. Watch out: The whole family could become addicted to this place.
curtaincallinc.com
stamford-downtown.com
stamfordmag.com
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FILM MATTERS
No.
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AVON THEATRE
avontheatre.org
… and if you go to the Avon Theatre in Stamford, you’ll find out why. Here, you can enjoy the finest of films: Hollywood classics (like The Wizard of Oz), documentaries (RBG), independents (Moonlight), and foreign (the French A Man and A Woman). Often there will be a director or producer on stage for a Q & A. To encourage the use of film in classrooms, fourth- to twelfth-grade teachers are offered free membership to this nonprofit film center. And for ten years, the Avon has held an essay contest for high school seniors going off to college—a grand total of $68,000 to date. The subject of their essays? Why Film Matters, of course.
GRACE NOTES: DARRYL ERSKINE; AVON BY GARVIN BURKE
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