WILL AQUARIUM HARBOR SEAL GET SUPER BOWL PICK WRONG AGAIN?

WHAT:   Her pool mates have gone 0-3, so Polly gets the call this year to make the

                 harbor seals’ pick in Super Bowl XLIX.

WHEN:   11:45 a.m. Thurs., Jan. 29 at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk, 10 Water Street, Norwalk, CT

HOW:      Polly is trained to leap straight out of the water and touch a suspended yellow ball

                  with her nose. This Thursday, during the Aquarium’s first public seal feeding, Polly

                  will be given a choice of suspended pennants representing the New England Patriots

                  & Seattle Seahawks.   Two out of three will determine her choice.

                  NOTE:  both yellow balls will be measured in advance to ensure that they are not

                  under-inflated.

WHO:       Vicki Sawyer, Ellen Riker and Azzara Oston, the aquarists who will be feeding the

                   seals (and helping Polly with her choice).

To date, the Aquarium’s seals are 0-3 in their picks. (Rasal the seal picked New England two years ago. Orange the seal chose the 49ers in 2013 and the Broncos in 2014.) Will an Aquarium seal finally get a pick right?  Or should you just bet on the team that Polly doesn’t  pick?

ABOUT POLLY:  Polly is 27 years old. She was born at Mystic Aquarium in 1987 and came to The Maritime Aquarium in 1994.  She weighs in at 175 pounds, just a bit less than elusive Patriots receiver/kick returner Danny Amendola.  Polly actually prefers baseball over football. Her favorite players are Mike Trout and Hall of Famer “Catfish” Hunter.

For more information about the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk visit http://www.maritimeaquarium.org

The Millionaires' Unit Documentary Film Screening

On January 29, the Greenwich Historical Society is hosting the screening of The Millionaires' Unit Documentary from 3 pm to 5 pm. at the Vanderbilt Education Center on the grounds of the Society.  The tickets are Members: $10; nonmembers: $15 and can be purchased at http://greenwichhistory.org or by calling 203-869-6899, Ext. 10.

The Millionaires' Unit is the story of an elite group of college students from Yale who formed a private air militia in preparation for America's entry into World War One. Known as the First Yale Unit and dubbed "the millionaires' unit" by the New York press, they became the founding squadron of the U.S. Naval Air Reserve and were among the first to fight for the United States in the Great War. Using the squadron members' letters and diaries, the documentary chronicles the coming of age of these young pioneers against the backdrop of an event that signaled America's emergence as a world power.

The film focuses on their service and sacrifice and chronicles a great, untold story of early aviation in America. The documentary was inspired by the book The Millionaires' Unit by Marc Wortman. After seven years in development and production by co-producers Ron King and Darroch Greer, the film is being presented to the public to commemorate the centennial of World War I.

"About Like So: The Influence of Painting" at Franklin Art Gallery

"About Like So: The Influence of Painting" is a group exhibition that explores how the histories, forms, materials and other qualities associated with painting inform conceptual art practices today. The show is on view at Franklin Street Works located on 41 Franklin Street in Stamford Connecticut  through February 22, 2015.

Polly Apfelbaum, Split Station Stop, 2014, Fabric, string bead, safety pin, Courtesy of Clifton Benevento

The exhibition, curated by Terri C Smith, aims, in part, to challenge expectations of painting, which are often attached to historic movements, decorative qualities or romantic notions of the artist in his or her studio. "About Like So" features works that use paint in unorthodox ways or bypass the medium all together to reveal how the "language of painting" can invade, obstruct and enhance other art forms. This exhibition asks, "In an era where painting no longer has the art historical primacy it once did, what can it contribute to the dominant art practices of today – art that is often not medium specific and is rooted in the theory-driven practices of conceptual art?"

The works include sculptures, videos, photographs, sound installations, and digital prints. Loose and disjointed narratives involving the histories and materiality of painting are found in several videos. Several works speak to painting through audio components and a handful of artists in the exhibition reference particular art historical figures or classic painting genres. Paintings are also included in the exhibition, but the artists use strategies that challenge our expectations of painting's forms or the artist's role as author.

Exhibiting artists include:  Polly Apfelbaum, Paul Branca, Taylor Davis, Tim Davis, Marley Freeman, Ragnheiour Gestsdottir, Michael Graeve, Dave Hardy, Alex Hubbard, John Knuth, Sophy Naess, Tameka Norris, Peter Nowogrodzki/Max Kotelchuck, Seth Price, Paul Theriault, Brad Tucker, Siebren Versteeg, Augustus Thompson, Leslie Wayne, and "in actu: music & painting" (K.R.H. Sonderborg, Wolfgang Hannen, Günter Christmann and Paul Lovens).

For more area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com.  For information on Franklin Street Art Works visit http://www.franklinstreetworks.org.

Chocolate Expo at the Maritime Aquarium Norwalk

Once again, on January 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.  the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk located on 10 North Water Street is hosting one of the one of the largest consumer-oriented chocolate events in the United States.  Chocoholics will have the opportunity to sample chocolates from 30+ vendors that will offer FREE tastings and sales of their products. They'll be set up throughout the Aquarium's galleries.

This event is for people that are serious about chocolate and unique specialty foods.  It has been suggested that you think of the chocolate tastings in the way you might think of a wine tasting at a winery: you get a small sample to try and you often get to talk with the person who made the product.  If you like what you've tasted, you can purchase that product directly at the show for yourself or to give as gifts.

Expo/Aquarium visitors will find not only traditional and gourmet chocolates, but also unique offerings like chocolate tarts, chocolate-covered pretzels, chocolate balsamic dressing, chocolate-covered bacon and even chocolate-scented bath soaps. But Chocolate Expo isn't entirely about chocolate. Vendors also will present baked goods, specialty foods and even fine soaps and bath products.

The Maritime Aquarium exhibits will be open on Jan. 25 – and will stay open two hours longer than normal: from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Please note that our new "Jiggle a Jelly" jellyfish touch adventure will not be open on Sun., Jan. 25 during Chocolate Expo because of the crowds expected. Jiggle a Jelly will be open Saturday, Jan. 25, and weekends and holidays and school vacation weeks after Chocolate Expo.

Admission to this event is $15 for adults and $10 children ages 3-12.  These are discounted admissions that include chocolate, the aquarium and free chocolate samples.

For more information visit http://www.maritimeaquarium.org.  For area information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Greenwich Historical Society -- Greenwich Faces the Great War

World War I marked the beginning of modern nation states, modern warfare technology and the emergence of the United States as an international power. Commemorating the centennial of the 1914 onset of that shattering event in Europe, the Greenwich Historical Society will launch a multi-faceted project beginning with an exhibition mounted in the Storehouse.

Compelling images, artifacts and documents will illustrate the diverse experiences of military personnel, volunteers, and civilians alike. For the first time in the Storehouse Gallery, touch-screen technology will be used to enhance the visitor experience through supplementary shared audio and visual resources including personal remembrances, photographs, newspaper reports, wartime letters, popular songs and more.

The project will also include a special tour and temporary installation in Bush-Holley House demonstrating how Greenwich inhabitants supported the war effort at home, along with a World War I-period, patriotic home vegetable garden (on view during the 2014 growing season). Online resources for educators and students and a menu of public events featuring lectures, workshops, and performances will round out the program.

From the discourse preceding the war to the actions and influence of its citizens once engaged, Greenwich provides rich material and multiple perspectives on a conflict that to this day influences international politics and continues to shape history.

The exhibition hours are noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.  Admission is free to members and $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors.  Admission is free the first Wednesday of each month.  For more information visit http://greenwichhistory.org  For area information and more events on Fairfield County http://www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com 

Magical Musicals at the Warner Theatre this January

The Warner Theatre located on Main Street in Torrington is presenting a series of performances sure to warm up January in the Litchfield Hills.

On January 17-25, the Warner Stage Company is presenting "The 39 Steps".  Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have THE 39 STEPS, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre!

Also on January 17 & 18 Momix is celebrating it's 35th anniversary with a Celebration of company and audience favorites, reating a show that breaks the bounds of the conventional and enters an aesthetic orbit all its own.

The film Rocky will be shown on the Warner's 50' screen at 8 p.m. on January 23 and the tickets are just $5.  ROCKY tells the rags to riches American Dream story of small-time boxer Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), an uneducated but kind-hearted debt collector for a loan shark in the city of Philadelphia, who gets a shot at the world heavyweight championship.

To end the month, Met Opera Live in HD presents Offenbach's Les Contes D'Hoffmannon January 31, at 1 pm. The magnetic tenor Vittorio Grigolo takes on the tortured poet and unwitting adventurer of the title of Offenbach's operatic masterpiece, in the Met's wild, kaleidoscopic production. Soprano Hibla Gerzmava faces the operatic hurdle of singing all three heroines—each an idealized embodiment of some aspect of Hoffmann's desire. Thomas Hampson portrays the shadowy Four Villains, and Yves Abel conducts the sparkling score.

A complimentary pre-opera lecture will be presented by Dr. Marguerite Mullee and offered to all ticketholders two-hours before broadcast begins in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre lobby.

For ticket information and show details visit www.warnertheatre.org.

For event information on Litchfield Hills visit www.litchfieldhills.com

Silvermine Guild of Artists’ New Exhibition through Feb. 15

Several of the Silvermine Guild of Artists’ newest members will be exhibiting work through February 15 that explores the territory between two media.  Photography and glasswork, video and sound, drawing and collage, and painting and sculpture are a few of the disciplines that inform each other in this new exhibition.  Silvermine’s new artists are also a surprisingly international group.  Two are Brazilian artists, born in Belo Horizonte; one is from Gunma Prefecture, Japan; another was born and educated in the Croatian capital, Zagreb.  

The Game Dora Tomulic

Silvermine Galleries are open Wednesday through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, call (203) 966-­9700 ext. 20 or visit the website: www.silvermineart.org.  For area event information www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com

Opal Growth ceramic sculpture,_Joan_Zagrobelny

Criteria for new members for the Silvermine Guild of Artists include excellence of technique; cultural or social relevance, clarity and continuity of style, and professional accomplishment.  These artists have exhibited their work regionally and nationally, some internationally.  All are exploring new territory in their particular disciplines or media. They join a distinguished group of professional artists comprised of over 300 members who work in a wide array of media and are represented in prestigious museums and private and corporate collections.

Windows, photography_Cris_Xavier_&_Edhu_Nascimento.

Moshe Bursuker is drawn to photography and blown glass and often explores the relationship between the two.  In some of his work, digital images become patterns that are carved into the glass. His art lighting and his pendant and droplet lighting designs are inspired by nature. Born in Israel of parents who emigrated from Russia, he moved with his family to the U.S. when young and received degrees in sculpture and photography from the Hartford Art School.

 Robert Calafiore was born and raised in New Britain, Connecticut. His first generation Italian-American experience continues to significantly influence his work. Cultural traditions and visual icons of his childhood have merged with a critical interest in the impact of new technologies on our society, particularly social media and communication platforms. He received his MFA in Photography from the State University of New York at Buffalo and his BFA in Photography from Hartford Art School. Currently he lives, works, and teaches in West Hartford, Connecticut. His work is regularly featured in both solo and group exhibitions.

Susan Cox is a Columbia-educated architect who has shifted her focus to smaller objects that evoke larger structures and landscapes, real or imagined.  Her work is a blurring of what is real and what lives in our memories.  A painter and sculptor, she was educated in the fine arts at California State University, Long Beach, and lived in England for 14 years.  She is a resident of Pound Ridge, New York.

 Visual artist Edhu Nascimento was born in Brazil, in Belo Horizonte.  He works in photography and painting “with occasional wanderings into other media.” His work is both evocative and playful. His modus operandi is to reframe and capture, in order to preserve the poetic materiality of a place or point of view. He and artist Cris Xavier have collaborated on the “Windows” series in which they worked separately (with separate cameras) and then edited images together, allowing each of their sensibilities to contribute to the final work.  Cris was also born in Belo Horizonte.  Her work has included “ephemeral skylines” and tree interventions, as well as the “Windows” series.  A painter and photographer, she seeks to displace common perceptions and reflect on transience, impermanence, and the passage of time.  Xavier and Nascimento live in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Painter Kyoshi Otsuka grew up in the mountains in Gunma Prefecture, Japan, and studied in Paris at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière.  Though he explores nature in an abstract arena, his abstractions develop directly from his experience of the landscape.  In his words, “Water is the elemental aspect/concept, the organic forms of roots and trees, shrubs and flowers, the inspiration.”  His work offers deep color and space as well as a tangible impression of natural form.  He maintains a studio in the ArtsWestchester building in White Plains, New York.

 Gina Piccirilli-Hayden’s textured and life-like ceramics often take their titles from Greek mythology.  She sees her subject as the beautiful imperfection of nature, and she is especially interested in the way the natural world’s strength and frailty parallels human nature. Trained in fine arts and advertising at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she is known as a mural painter as well as a sculptor and ceramicist. She lives in Cold Spring Harbor, New York.

 Ronnie Rysz uses a variety of methods and materials to achieve a distinct style somewhere between futurism, pop and graffiti art. “I distill music, movies, news and advertising into representations of American culture. My mixed media collages, drawings and prints incorporate multiple layers of methodically constructed forms, dense textures, explosive patterns and crisp fluid lines.” Born in Stamford, Connecticut, Rysz studied at The Lyme Academy College of Fine Art and the School of Visual Arts.  He lives in New Haven.

 Michele Shibley is drawn to the human experience of sound.  “We have a psychological response to it,” she says. “My practice involves an investigation into representations of discontent in domesticity, representations of memory, and psychoanalysis. My process is one of viewing daily life as subject matter, commenting on the seemingly every day aesthetic ‘values’ of wifehood and motherhood. My installations have employed sound, video, and objects to question how these ideas can be presented through various media.” Shibley teaches at Springfield Central High School in Massachusetts.  She earned her MFA at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

 Painter Dora Tomulic was born in Croatia and educated at the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb and the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany.  She explores--in vibrant color--patterns of movement and dynamic systems of chaos.  “I see chaos not as an antonym of order, but as a prerequisite of order,” she writes of her paintings.  She also sees chaos as an infinite source of spatial relations.  Her work has been exhibited in solo shows in Zagreb, Sri Lanka and at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

 Joan Zagrobelny lives and maintains a studio in Newtown, Connecticut.  Like the work of Ken Price, Zagrobelny’s ceramic sculpture is layered, rubbed and abraded, each stage of the making revealing itself.  Pieces appear to strain and twist upward, striving to move past obstacles that block their growth yet, ironically, also create their beauty.  She is inspired by natural objects that maintain their beauty—because of or in spite of the patina of age, erosion, or weathering. Her work has been exhibited in L.A., New York, and Boston.

Pequot Library Mid.-Winter Booksale

Pequot Library's Mid-Winter Book Sale takes place Saturday, January 17 – Sunday, January 18, 2015, runs from 9:00am - 5:00pm daily. Held in Pequot Library's Auditorium/Concert Hall with free admission, the sale is open to the public. All Sale proceeds help fund Pequot Library's over 375 annual programs and events for all ages.

Pequot's annual Mid-Winter Book Sale is the little sister of Pequot Library's nationally known Summer Book Sale, which is considered, "The best book sale in New England." The Mid-Winter Sale is smaller but more intimate with many treasures and bargains to be had, including the two new categories added, Cookbooks and Classics.

When asked why, two long-time book sale volunteers responded, "Cookbooks do well and people want different categories. We listen to the public's requests; there have been requests for cookbooks at the Mid-Winter Book Sale, plus more classics." In addition to the fiction category which is the highlight of the Mid-Winter Book Sale, there will be: Hundreds of hand-picked LP records; Vintage paperbacks; Audio books, CDs, DVDs; Children's books; Biography; History; Books celebrating Town of Fairfield; Large collection of comic books, 1970s - 1990s; Magazines; Cookbooks; and Classics.

Please visit www.pequotlibrary.org to learn more about this vibrant library, educational, arts and cultural institution. All classes and programs are open to everyone. For information: (203) 259-0346 ext. 15. 

A trio of Jazz concerts hosted by the Westport Arts Center

The Westport Arts Center located on 51 Riverside Ave. is once again hosting a series of jazz concerts in January, February and March.  

The new year kicks off with the sounds of Brazilian Samba and Bossa Nova as performed by Ali Ryderson and Joe Carter on January 11 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Jazz flutist Ali Ryerson teams up with longtime duo partner, guitarist Joe Carter, along with bassist David Finck and Brazilian percussionist Ze Mauricio, to perform an exciting program of Brazilian favorites from master composers Antonio Carlos Jobim, Luiz Bonfa, Carlos Lyra and more. Admission is $30.

On February 1 from 3 pm to 5 pm, the Westport Arts Center is hosting a "Jazz Jam." Admission: $15.00 WAC Members and $30 for non-members.  Guests are invited to join the Center's Artistic Director Brian Torff, for a free-wheeling jam session with some of the community's most active musicians. The sessions are intended to be a spontaneous exploration of Jazz, Blues, and other music styles. The Center encourages students and semi-professionals to drop in and jam for free!

On March 22, the Center is hosting  the Hartford Jazz Orchestra at the Pequot Library on 270 Pequot Ave. in Southport from 3 pm - 5 pm.  The Hartford Jazz Orchestra will perform songs from the great American songbook with vocalist Nicole Pasternack. Since it's inception in 1965, the Hartford Jazz Orchestra has performed concerts with the Woody Herman, Stan Kenton band along with joint appearances with jazz greats Zoot Sims and Clark Terry. Among its notable band members was Chic Cicchetti, who joined them as a trombone player and later rose to lead the HJO.  Admission is $30 for non members and $25 for members of WAC.

For more information and to register for these events visit http://westportartscenter.org/programs/jazz

Momix 35 Anniversary at the Warner Theatre

On Saturday, January 17, 2015 and Sunday, January 18, 2015 the Warner Theatre will once again welcome the irrepressible Moses Pendelton and the internationally acclaimed dancer-illusionists troupe, MOMIX, as they celebrate 35 years of presenting works of exceptional inventiveness and physical beauty.

In this performance, the MOMIX 35th Anniversary Celebration features a collection of company and audience favorites, creating a show that breaks the bounds of the conventional and enters an aesthetic orbit all its own.

MOMIX is a company of dancer-illusionists based out of Washington, CT and under the direction of Moses Pendelton. Known internationally, MOMIX performs on stage world-wide and recently appears in nationally-televised commercials. With nothing more than light, shadow, props and the human body, MOMIX has astonished audiences on five continents for over 30 years.

Performances are Saturday, January 17 at 8 pm and Sunday, January 18 at 2 pm. Tickets start at $43 and are available by calling the Warner Theatre Box Office at (860) 489-7180 or online at www.warnertheatre.org

LEGOS AND LIGHTHOUSES BRIGHTEN THE SEASON

There’s no merrier place to be this season than Fairfield County in Western Connecticut where two of the most original exhibits in New England brighten the season at local museums.

A lavish moving landscape made of a billion LEGO® bricks delights visitors to the Stamford Museum and Nature Center while the 13^th annual Festival of Lighthouses contest at the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk shows off dozens of fabulous new miniature creations.

WIDE WORLD OF LEGOS®

Trains and planes.  Cars, tractors and trucks.  Ships, shuttles and monorails. Helicopters and spaceships

Just about anything that moves on land, sea, air and space will be seen as colorful LEGO® sculptures, moving through a three-dimensional imaginary landscape at the Billion Bricks 2 exhibit at the Stamford Museum & Nature Center.  Everything in the amazing exhibit is made of LEGO blocks.

Master builder Bill Probert & I LUG (LEGO® Users Group) NY return to the Museum Galleries for a sixth season of their popular displays, promising a LEGO world that is even bigger and better this year. The exhibit runs  to January 25.

Starting in January, families are invited to make their own LEGO® creations in weekend workshops. 

Participants on Saturday, January 3 will build and race a LEGO® car while the group on Sunday January 4 will build and fly a Lego helicopter or space ship. Lights! Camera! Action! Animation 

Workshops on Saturday and Sunday January 17 and 18 for ages 10 and up will be led by Alex Kobbs, of KooberzStudios. Kobbs will teach techniques for film stop action animation using LEGO® creations and mini figures.

Workshops are limited in size and advance reservations are required.  Phone 203-977-6521 to register and see www.stamfordmuseum.org for more information.

LIGHTHOUSES LIGHT UP THE SEASON

Some are funny. Some are clever. Some are beautiful.

For the 13^th year, artists and would-be-artists will compete for the most original entry in the Festival of Lighthouses at the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk from November 22 through January. 19.
The rules are simple.  Entries must be three to six feet tall and have a working light. They may not include animal remains such as shells. Beyond that, it’s up to the creators’ imaginations and the results are guaranteed to amaze. Past entries have been made of stained glass, stone, yarn, clay, candy and tiny coffee cups. One entry was made of holiday greeting cards, another included computer animation. One memorable entry featured all the makings of the 12 days of Christmas.

 This year's exhibit will showcase 24 lighthouses and there is no telling what the creative results will be. Aquarium visitors will follow these one-of-a-kind beacons through the galleries and then cast a vote for their favorite.  The winner takes home the $1,500 first prize. Runner-ups divide the rest of the $3300 in prize money.  To learn more, see www.maritimeaquarium.org.

For more information about holiday events and a free copy of Unwind, a full-color, 152-page booklet detailing what to do and see, and where to stay, shop and dine in Fairfield County as well as in the Litchfield Hills, contact the Western Connecticut Visitors Bureau, PO Box 968, Litchfield, CT 06759, (860) 567-4506, or visit their web site at www.visitwesternct.com.

/x

Housatonic Museum of Art Presents David Hayes: Modern Master of American Abstraction

The Housatonic Museum of Art is exhibiting the work of David Hayes: Modern Master of American Abstraction in celebration of this important Connecticut sculptor whose career spanned six decades.

David Hayes continued to paint, sculpt and exhibit until his death on April 9, 2013. The drawings and maquettes on view here are studies for his monumental sculptures and include the biomorphic and geometric forms that comprise his signature style. The exhibit will be on view through February 8, 2015.

Born in Hartford, he maintained a home and studio in Coventry, CT where dozens of his sculptures are situated throughout fifty-plus acres of bucolic farm and woodlands. The influence of his mentor David Smith and his friend Alexander Calder are visible in the playful welded steel polychrome works on display in the gallery. Hayes drew his inspiration from nature, translating delicate foliage into lyrical, brightly painted industrial strength sculptures.

David Hayes (1931-2013) earned his MFA from Indiana University where, as noted above, he studied with internationally renowned Abstract Expressionist sculptor David Smith. He was the recipient of a Fulbright Award and a Guggenheim Fellowship. His works are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, the Brooklyn Museum, Everson Museum, Carnegie Institute and Fitchburg Museum, Detroit Institute of the Arts, and the Wadsworth Atheneum as well as numerous corporate and private collections.

About Housatonic Museum of Art:

The Housatonic Museum of Art (HMA) is home to one of the premier college art collections in the United States. Its collection offers students and the community alike the opportunity to view works that span the history of art from the ancient to the contemporary. Unique to the Housatonic Community College campus, this permanent collection is on continuous display throughout the 300,000 square foot facility, offering a rare opportunity for both art enthusiasts and casual observers to view and interact with the art on a daily basis. The Museum, founded by Burt Chernow, Professor Emeritus (1933-1997), is dedicated to the presentation, preservation and interpretation of objects of artistic or historic value. The collection provides a basis for exhibitions and educational programs for faculty, students and the public; for research and study by scholars, historians and curators, for special lectures and symposia, and for cultural and educational enrichment of the academic community and public-at-large. Under the direction of Robbin Zella, the Museum also presents lectures, programs and changing exhibitions in the Burt Chernow Galleries, and continues to be recognized as a major cultural resource for the Greater Bridgeport area and the region.

Start Your New Year at the Palace

Stamford's Palace Theatre 2015 season, features artists from all genres. The winter- spring season serves up an exceptional lineup of comedy, music, children's programming and holiday shows, suitable for patrons of all ages.

This season's selection includes superstars such as Jay Leno, beloved favorites such as Bill Cosby and Mannheim Steamroller, fresh-faced kids' shows such as "Sid the Science Kid" and "Dinosaur Train Live!" and shows the entire family can enjoy such asAmy Grant and "Haunted Illusions."

The Palace has an incredibly rich history of world-class artists performing at The Palace and this year they are continuing to expand their programing with new series like 'Laughtrax,' which will bring the best up-and-coming comedians from across the country, presented in the cozy, club-like UpStage space for an up-close-and-personal audience experience.

To buy tickets, visit http://palacestamford.org or call the box office at 203-325-4466. See PalaceStamford.org for a full list of upcoming events.

Below is a round up of shows from January - May, 2015. 

Comedy on the HARMAN Stage

Nobodies of Comedy Saturday, March 21, 2015 – 8 p.m.; tickets: $40, $30, $25 The funniest comics you've never heard of! Hand-picked as the nation's best up-and-coming comedians, they're about to hit the big time – say you saw them at The Palace first!

Jay Leno – The Palace Theatre's Annual Gala Saturday, May 2, 2015 – 8p.m.; tickets: $165, $125, $75, $65; Gala tickets: TBD On sale to members Jan. 15, 2015; to the General Public Jan. 22, 2015 After a triumphant run on The Tonight Show, where do you go? The Palace! Master comedian Jay Leno will make history on our stage at our annual Gala!

Bill Cosby Saturday June 20, 2015 – 8 p.m.; tickets: $85, $70, $60, $45 Beloved by all of America – from tweens to seniors – Bill Cosby delights with his signature storytelling and comic observations that have had us laughing for decades.

Laughtrax – UpStage @ The Palace

Bring a date and the whole gang to our cozy, relaxed UpStage space; get a table, have a drink and laugh out loud!

David Pendleton Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 – 7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.; tickets: $25 Ventriloquist David Pendleton's flawless technique makes you believe anything can talk, and his razor-sharp comedy brings you right into the act!

NYC Comedy Night Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 – 8 p.m.; tickets: $15.50 Current, hip, and straight from the city's smartest clubs! You're on the cutting edge of comedy with these about-to-break-out stand-ups.

Music on the HARMAN Stage

The Hit Men Featuring the former stars of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons! Friday, May 15, 2015 – 8 p.m.; tickets: $55, 35, $25 Oh What a Night it will be! The glory days of rock & roll will have you on your feet when these former members of mega-star acts share fascinating stories from their days on the road and perform your favorite songs!

Songbook Cabaret Series – UpStage @ The Palace

Tony DeSare Friday, March 6, 2015 – 8 p.m.; tickets: $65, $55 A "Rising Star" Male Vocalist and the talk of the cabaret world in New York, Tony DeSare brings his fresh take on old-school style to the intimate UpStage club-like venue at The Palace. A crooner for the new century!

Cyrille Aimée Friday, April 10, 2015 – 8 p.m.; tickets: $65, $55 Thrill to the glorious voice of Cyrille Aimée, an unforgettable artist whose musical outlook is reflected in her love of the guitar, an instrument that displays the diverse influences on her music.

Family on the HARMAN Stage

Sid the Science Kid Friday, Feb. 6, 2015 – 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; tickets: $35, $25, $15 Join Sid and his friends from the hit PBS KIDS television series as they explore interactive moments with the audience that will bring out the curious scientist in your kid.

Dinosaur Train Live! Buddy's Big Adventure Friday, April 24, 2015 – 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; tickets: $35, $25, $15 Jim Henson's hit TV show comes to life in this dynamic show that embraces and celebrates the fascination that children have with both dinosaurs and trains, taking them on a grand adventure!

The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Thursday, May 21, 2015 – 11 p.m.; tickets: $10 The musical stage adaption of Jeff Brown's beloved children's book is a fun, Broadway-style musical comedy about the value of being different and the importance of family.

Variety

Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 – 8 p.m.; tickets: $50, $40 Just in time for Valentine's Day, this hysterical show will have husbands and wives elbowing each other all evening as they see themselves on stage. Based on the sensational best-seller that started it all!

The Pequot War and the Founding of Fairfield

The Fairfield Museum and History Center presents a new exhibition, The Pequot War and the Founding of Fairfield, 1637-1639, on view through January 18, 2015, concluding a full year of exhibits, programs and events that celebrated Fairfield's 375th anniversary.

A collaboration with the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, this exhibit presents the story of the Pequot War in 1637, which led to Fairfield becoming established as an English settlement 375 years ago. Roger Ludlow, then a member of the Windsor Settlement, came south to join the fight. He was so taken with the area and its beauty, he returned in 1639 and founded the town of Fairfield.

An Algonquian-speaking people, the Pequot had been living in southeastern Connecticut for thousands of years prior to European contact. Before the arrival of the Europeans, roughly 13,000 Pequot lived in villages along Long Island Sound and the estuaries of the Thames, Mystic, and Pawcatuck Rivers, raising food through farming, hunting, and gathering

The Pequot War (1637-38) was the first serious conflict in New England between European colonizers and the indigenous population. Historians have referred to the war as a seminal event in early American history, as it paved the way for English control of southern New England and the subjugation of the region's Native people.

Among the many objects displayed in the exhibit is the sword of Captain John Mason, on loan from the Stonington Historical Society. Mason was the leader of the Connecticut troops during the Pequot War, and he most probably used this sword to fight the Pequot.

The exhibit also includes an original copy of John Underhill's Newes from America (1638), on loan from the Connecticut Historical Society, rarely on public display. Captain John Underhill led the Mass Bay troops during the war and later published this account of the events. It is not only one of the most important primary sources of the war, but the publication also includes a remarkable woodcut of the attack on Mistick Fort that has become an iconic image. Also on view are other early 17th century examples of English arms and armor, including a helmet and matchlock gun, as well as a period bale seal and religious book, all on loan from the Plimoth Plantation.

Also featured is a photograph of George Avison's artwork, commissioned during the Great Depression by the Works Progress Administration to paint a series of five murals depicting Fairfield's history, including one of the Swamp Fight. When he completed them in 1937, they were hung in the Roger Ludlowe High School building, now known as Tomlinson Middle School, where they remain today.

About the Fairfield Museum and History Center 

The Fairfield Museum and History Center is a nonprofit, community cultural arts and education center established in 2007 by the 103-year old Fairfield Historical Society. The 13,000 square-foot museum includes modern galleries, a research library, a museum shop and community spaces overlooking Fairfield's historic Town Green. The Fairfield Museum and History Center believes in the power of history to inspire the imagination, stimulate thought and transform society. Located at 370 Beach Road in Fairfield, CT, the Museum is open seven days a week, 10 am – 4 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors. Members of the Museum and children are free. For more information www.fairfieldhistory.org.

For area information visit www.visitfairfieldcountyct.com