You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown!

Photo from last year's production of Shrek

Photo from last year's production of Shrek

Artful Living is proud to present their 2014 Summer Musical, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown!
This is the story of an average day in the life of the famous comic strip child hero, Charlie Brown and the whole Peanuts Gang. Experience those great moments – some will fill you with uproarious laughter, others will give you a lump in your throat, but all are guaranteed to please. Join Charlie Brown, Linus, Schroeder, Lucy, Patty, Snoopy and all your other favorite characters in this heartwarming musical comedy. After all, there’s a bit of Charlie Brown (and sometimes Lucy) in all of us, don’t you agree?


August 1,2,3,8,9,10 Fri/Sat: 7:30 pm Sun: 2:00 pm
Tickets: $18 Adults, $15 Seniors and Children
Tickets and information at www.ArtfulLivingCT.com or call 860-389-1363
Performances at HK Middle School, 451 Route 81 Killingworth

Artful Living is truly the Community Theater experience. They strive to utilize the many gifts and talents from people of all ages who want to volunteer their time to create the best theater experience possible. The production process winds up giving back ten-fold in wonderful ways – new and lasting friendships, developing and honing creative talents, many laughs and good times – all while learning the craft of acting, singing, movement and theatrical production.

Artful Living has produced many family-friendly musicals that feature children, teens and adults. The synergy of working with a multi-generational cast is fantastic. When the lights go down and our professional orchestra tunes up, audiences from the entire CT area know Artful Living will deliver another smash hit!

Beatlemania Coming to the Guilford Green

 Guilford Parks & Recreation has chosen The British Invasion as a theme for its free summer Concerts on the Green.  The Town of Guilford is celebrating its 375 anniversary this year.  Founded in 1639 by a group of English settlers the town has been hosting a series of events and activities since New Year's Eve 2013. 
On Sunday August 3, at 6:30pm the first of these three concerts will feature Beatlemania. 

The Beatles music set the pop rock standard for most of the 1960's. Now, in the 2000's, The "Cast" of Beatlemania recalls the memories of that excitinera when the Fab Four ruled the world of rock 'n' roll.

In the early 1960's, The Beatles not only became a musical force but a sociological entity as well. Their hair, clothes and humor all contributed to their amazing impact.

Probably the most celebrated of rock groups, The Beatles dominated rock music from the early 1960's until they formally disbanded in 1970. Originally inspired by such U.S. performers as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly, The Beatles recaptured most of the freshness and excitement of the earliest days of rock 'n' roll.

Even today, The Beatles remain universally popular in a music culture that thrives on look-alike and sound-alike bands. They were and remain unique in time through the artistry and talents of The "Cast" of Beatlemania.

Bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners (alcohol not permitted on the Green) and enjoy an evening with Beatlemania. Rain location is Guilford Community Center, 32 Church Street.

About the Cast:

Carlo Cantamessa as JOHN

Besides being the manager of the group, Carlo will perform on rhythm guitar and lead vocal. He has performed in this role for 30 years, and has toured extensively, both nationally and internationally, receiving worldwide praise for his sound-alike/look-alike impersonation. Carlo's sound-alike quality to that of John Lennon is purely natural, yet dramatic enough to convince the most avid Beatles fan.

Lenie Coacino as PAUL

Lenie Colacino was in the original Broadway production of Beatlemania and it’s first left-handed member. With a voice that naturally captures McCartney’s range and tone and his physical resemblance to the original, Lenie combines all the elements that have made him so respected in the Beatle biz. Lenie has been the singing and speaking voices of dozens of National TV and radio ads and has provided three of the four voices of the “Beetles” on "The Wonder Pets”.








 

James Filgate as GEORGE

Jim will perform on lead guitar and lead vocal. Jim has been the heart of the show for 13 years bringing a lifetime of musical experience to his role nationally and internationally. Jim has a successful music instruction school when at home and actually can play every instrument in the group with uncanny perfection.

John Delgado as RINGO

John will perform on drums, percussion and lead vocal. John has been an integral part of the show for 7 years with a successful background in theater and music. He has toured nationally and internationally, offering a stunning rendition of RINGO'S drumming, singing, mannerisms and energy.

Mark Templeton -
Music Director

Mark will perform on multi-keyboards and percussion. Mark, a resident of Woodbury, CT, has toured nationally and internationally as a world-renowned Jazz Pianist. He is a studied classical arranger and creates his own sound patches for each instrument, copying the sound and feel perfectly. He is solely responsible for the orchestra sounds and arrangements in the show.

Brubeck Brothers Quartet - New Haven Green

The New Haven Symphony Orchestra invites you to experience an exciting free summer concert with the dynamic Brubeck Brothers Quartet, Saturday, August 2 on the New Haven Green. An NHSO Jazz Quintet will open at 6:00pm and the Brubecks will take the stage at 7:30pm. Presented by NHSO and Jazz Haven in cooperation with Mayor Toni Harp, the New Haven Board of Alders, and the Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism.

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet features two members of one of America’s first family of jazz, Dan Brubeck (drums) and Chris Brubeck (bass and trombone). They are joined by the talented Mike DeMicco (guitar) and Chuck Lamb (piano). Although the quartet’s style is rooted in “straight-ahead” jazz, their concerts reveal an inherent ability to explore and play intriguing time signatures while naturally integrating the influences of funk, blues and world music. The group’s creativity, technique and improvisation can be heard in their incomparable music, which reflects their dedication to melody, rhythm, culture and the spontaneous spirit of jazz.

The NHSO Jazz Quintet is comprised of Symphony members Millie Piekos and Stephanie Hug, violin, Gretchen Frazier, viola, Rebecca Patterson, cello, and Tim Moran, saxophone. They will perform an all-Gershwin program that includes hot summer tunes like Someone to Watch Over Me, Fascinating Rhythm, I Got Rhythm, The Man I Love, and Embraceable You. The highlight of the program will be Scenes from Porgy and Bess, with its immortal song Summertime. These tune were arranged by saxophonist Fred Hemke, who appeared as a soloist with the Symphony this past season.
Add some jazz to your summer, live on the Green August 2! For updates and more information visit www.NewHavenSymphony.org.

(Press release from NHSO)

Why Lear? Why Now?

Why Lear? Why Now?
(Notes by Dic Wheeler, Executive Director, ArtFarm)

King Lear is a challenging play to produce. It is not produced nearly as often as the other great Shakespeare tragedies.  Until recently.


Suddenly, King Lear is everywhere. Shakespeare in the Park in New York is doing Lear. Royal Shakespeare Company. Stratford Festival Theater in Canada. England’s National Theater. Frank Langella was just Lear at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Theater for a New Audience in New York. Shakespeare on the Shoreline is producing Lear in Guilford in August. And, of course, Middletown’s ARTFARM is opening a two week run of King Lear starting July 17.


Why is King Lear suddenly the Romeo and Juliet of the 2014 Season?  

The two word answer is Baby Boom, which has matured into the Grayby Boom. Lear is about aging and the decisions that people make around aging. It starts with a poor decision made by an aging, ailing monarch in regard to his three daughters. The initial act of wrathful poor judgment – disinheriting his youngest and favorite daughter for failing to express her love for him with enough sugar – leads to a series of decisions by his family, friends, rivals and caregivers that ends (...) tragically.


Raise your hand if issues around aging are a part of your life right now. Your own aging? Your aging parents, grandparents, mentors, friends? We are living in the first years of the Age of Aging, an Era in which terms like Assisted-Living, End of Life Decisions, Palliative Care, Dementia, Probate, Do Not Resuscitate and Power of Attorney are suddenly becoming as prevalent as productions of King Lear.


Lear was written over 400 years ago, and the story is set in pre-Christian Britain, yet the proud, disoriented and unpredictable King is as recognizable today as our own aging father. The chaos created by the powerful monarch’s abdication and descent into dementia is a mirror of what so many families are coping with today. As the German writer Goethe said, “An old man is always a King Lear.”

King Lear is being produced all over the place right now because it is a reflection of what our society is going through right now.


Connecticut Lear productions this summer:


ARTFARM’s Shakespeare in the Grove on the campus of Middlesex Community College in Middletown, featuring 80 year old actor John Basinger as Lear. July 24 – 27. www.art-farm.org

Shakespeare on the Shoreline on the Guilford Green, featuring Dr. David Richman (who has been blind since birth) as Lear. August 6 – 10. www.shorelinearts.org

The Shoreline Jazz Collective presents Trumpeter, Composer & Arranger Michael Philip Mossman

Guilford Parks and Recreation Department brings Shoreline Jazz Collective with special guest Michael  Philip Mossman to the Guilford  Town Green on Sunday, July 27, 6pm.  The concert is free and audience is encouraged to bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners (no alcohol) and enjoy an evening of wonderful family fun on this historic green.  The concert will feature the SJC Community Big Band, SJC College Prep Big Band as well as the Shoreline Jazz Collective Big Band.  The latter is a group of dedicated professional musicians from the CT Shoreline, Massachusetts and New York City under the direction of James Antonucci.

Michael Philip Mossman was nominated for a 2013 Grammy Award for "Best Instrumental
Arrangement" for his Afro-Latin Ellington Suite.  Michael has composed and arranged music for the films Bossa Nova and Chico and Rita, which was nominated for an Academy Award in 2012. Mr. Mossman has conducted the Bilbao Symphonic Orchestra in Spain, and has composed and arranged scores for the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Tri-Cities Symphony, Joe Henderson's Grammy winning Big Band album, the Carnegie Hall jazz Orchestra, the Count Basie Orchestra, The Charles Mingus Orchestra, Tito Puente, Mario Bauza, Slide Hampton and the Jazz Masters Orchestra, and Paquito D'Rivera, to name a few.  Following stints as lead trumpeter with the Machito Orchestr, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Michael became the musical director of Blue Note Record's "young lion" group, Out of the Blue.  He has toured and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson Jon Faddis, Benny Carter and the Count Basie Orchestra among others.

He is a conductor, composer and arranger and a Yamaha Artist and is currently Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College in New York City.  Michael's music is publixhed by the Hal Leonard Corporation.