 The third annual Greenwich International Film Festival (GIFF) held
in Greenwich,
Connecticut from June 1 - 4, 2017, was an incredible experience that featured
over 60 international film premieres and screenings, educational panels and
workshops, and parties that celebrated the art of film. It was a continuous
round of excitement that educated, amused, and delighted audiences.
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 Playwright Peter Shaffer's play, Lettice & Lovage at
the Westport
Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut, is smashingly brilliant! Directed by Mark
Lamos with a fabulous foursome of a cast - Kandis Chappell, Mia
Dillon, Sarah Manton, and Paxton Whitehead, - Lettice
& Lovage hits all the right notes for an immensely enjoyable
evening of theatre. The play runs from June 1 until June 17, 2017.
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 2017 Best Latin Jazz Album Grammy-nominee Nilson Matta (for Trio de Paz 30) and his Brazilian Voyage Trio transported the audience at the Southampton Arts Center, located in Southampton, New York to Brazil via their inspired music. Renowned composer and musician Nilson Matta is considered to be one of the top bass players in the world, and together with the talented multi-Grammy winner Oriente López on piano and flute, and award-winning Mauricio Zottarelli on drums, they created a spectacular evening of Jazz, Brazilian-style.
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 Grammy-nominated Blues Rocker singer, songwriter, musician Beth Hart rocked the house at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut, together with the talented singer, songwriter, musician Rachael Sage as part of their U.S. Tour, (February and March 2017), which brought the audience to its feet where they remained for most of the evening.
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 Jazz vocalist, composer, and arranger Carmen Lundy dazzled the audience at the famed Birdland Jazz Club in New York City, New York for her release party for her latest album, Code Noir. A voice equal to the legendary ladies of Jazz: Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington, Carmen Lundy delivered a powerful performance on Saturday, February 4, 2017, her last night of a 5-night, 2-show nightly gig, and what a night it was!
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Grammy® award winning, multi-platinum Colbie Caillat presented The Malibu Sessions Acoustic Tour with Special Guests Justin Young and High Dive Heart at The Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield, Connecticut, which was an exceptional evening of pop music. Colbie Caillat’s golden vocals and inspired lyrics along with sets from the opening bands kept the audience thrilled for a nearly 3-hour performance.
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 Multi-Grammy nominated Mariza brought an exciting evening
of
Portuguese fado music to the Quick Center for the Arts at
Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Singing in
Portuguese and engaging the audience in both English and Portuguese, she added
to her fan base with her dynamic vocal range, passion, and beautiful stylings.
Amazing, is the best word to describe her thrilling performance!
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 Magical, best describes the Westport Country Playhouse's performance of the Lerner and Loewe musical, Camelot! The play shines brilliantly under the direction of Mark Lamos and its exceptional cast lead by Tony award winning actor Robert Sean Leonard, with Stephen Mark Lucas, Britney Coleman, Patrick Andrews, Michael De Souza, Mike Evariste, Brian Owen, Jon-Michael Reese, and Sana "Prince" Sarr. Camelot is the perfect finale for the Westport Country Playhouse's 2016 play season, and should definitely be on your "must see" list. Camelot runs from October 4 until November 5, 2016 at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut.
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 The New Riders of the Purple Sage (NRPS): Buddy Cage, Michael Falzarano, Ronnie Penque, and Johnny Markowski and friends: Rob Wilson and Ron Harrison took the audience on a memorable journey of country rock at Fairfield Theatre Company's StageOne in Fairfield, Connecticut. Although David Nelson was not with the band due to a serious injury, the band and friends performed the songs that we have all come to know and love.
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 Playwright Joe Orton's play, What The Butler Saw at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut, is brilliantly funny, fast-paced, non-stop, witty British humor at its best. Directed by John Tillinger with an exceptional cast - Julian Gamble, Chris Ghaffari, Patricia Kalember, Sarah Manton, Robert Stanton, and Paxton Whitehead, the play runs from August 23, 2016 until September 10, 2016.
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 Jeff "Tain" Watts Quartet heated up Jazz Standard in the Flatiron district of New York City with a memorable evening of improvisational Jazz with Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums, Troy Roberts on saxophone, Benito Gonzalez on piano, and Orlando LeFleming on bass.
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 Ayad Akhtar's political thriller "The Invisible Hand" will keep you on the edge of your seat at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. The play directed by Westport Country Playhouse's Associate Artistic Director David Kennedy, features the talented ensemble of Jameal Ali, Eric Byrant, Fajer Kaisi, and Rajesh Bose, and runs from July 19, 2016 - August 6, 2016.
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 Actor Michael Urie shines brightly in the "must-see" hilariously witty, fast-paced, award-winning one-man play Buyer & Cellar at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. Written by Jonathan Tolins and directed by Stephen Brackett, the play runs from June 14 until July 3, 2016.
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 Actors Stephen Rowe and Patrick Andrews give gripping performances as the artist Mark Rothko and his assistant in Playwright John Logan's Tony award-winning dramatic play, Red, at Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. Directed by Mark Lamos, Red runs from May 3 - 29, 2016. If you love art, do go to see the play!
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 Art, the Tony award-winning comedy by French Playwright and Novelist Yasmina Reza at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut, is brilliant! Plato said "Beauty lies in the eyes of the holder," which could be applied to the play whose plot is the purchase of an expensive painting and the reactions to it by three friends. Fast-paced witty dialogue makes for an evening of hilarity. Directed by Mark Lamos, Art runs from May 4 - 28, 2016.
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 The Westport Country Playhouse celebrates Arthur Miller's 100th birthday with his play Broken Glass, a late Miller work that is a powerfully, intense drama that takes place in a Jewish home in 1938 Brooklyn, New York, centering on Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in Berlin, Germany, and how its impact rippled across the world. This brilliant production of Arthur Miller's masterpiece left us with goose bumps at the play's conclusion! Director Mark Lamos elicits the best from the impressive cast of John Hillner, Merritt Janson, Felicity Jones, Angela Reed, Stephen Schnetzer, and Steven Skybell. The play runs from October 6 - 24, 2015.
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 The Westport Country Playhouse's cast of the Alan Ayckbourn play, Bedroom Farce hit it out of the ballpark with their stellar performance in Westport, Connecticut. Billed as "Four couples, three bedrooms, consider the possibilities..." it is a delightful, light-hearted, fast-paced play with witty dialogue that kept us laughing from its hilarious start to its uproarious finish. Tony-Nominated John Tillinger directs the talented cast in this delicious summer romp. The play runs until September 13, 2015.
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 Devon Allman and his band comprised of Bobby Schneck, Jr. on guitar, Anthony Nanney on drums, Steve Rice on bass, and the "new kid" Brendan Moore on keyboards, rocked the house with their rollicking Southern Blues Rock performance at Fairfield Theatre Company's StageOne in Fairfield, Connecticut.
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 And a Nightingale Sang at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut is stunning! Set in Northern Britain in World War II, C.P. Taylor's play focuses on the lives of three generations living together in one household amidst the backdrop of war. Touching, engaging, with moments of sadness intertwined with humor and romance, this beautiful play shines with its talented cast of Scott Cullen, Matthew Greer, Richard Kline, Jenny Leona, Deidre Madigan, Brenda Meaney, and John Skelley. The play runs until June 27, 2015.
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 The Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut, opened its 2015 season with The Liar by David Ives, adapted from the delightful comedy by Pierre Corneille, and directed by Penny Metropulos. This brilliant adaptation is an evening of pure fun and gaiety delivered by a talented cast: Monique Barbee, Philippe Bowgen, Rebekah Brockman, Aaron Krohn, Kate MacCluggage, Brian Reddy, Rusty Ross, and Jay Russell. The play runs until May 23, 2015.
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 The legendary singer, songwriter, arranger, producer, musician, rocker Leon Russell and his band, Jackie Wessel, Brandon Holder, and Beau Charron rocked the house at Fairfield Theatre Company's StageOne in Fairfield, Connecticut with a commanding standing ovation from an appreciative sold-out house.
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 Imagine listening to the renowned Charles McPherson Quintet at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola with the twinkling lights of New York City as a background! It was an incredible evening of instrumental Jazz with the Charles McPherson Quintet featuring Charles McPherson on alto saxophone, Steve Nelson on vibraphone, Yotam Silberstein on guitar, Kiyoshi Kitagawa on bass, and Chuck McPherson on drums. We were fortunate to catch them play on the last evening of a 4-night sold-out gig, and what a performance it was!
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 It was an exciting evening of Flamenco music with three time Latin Grammy® winner Diego El Cigala at the Palace Theatre in Stamford, Connecticut presented by the Namaskaar Foundation. Backed by his touring band comprised of Jaime Calabuch "Jumitus" on piano, Dan Ben Lior on electric guitar, Yelsy Heredia on double bass, and Isidro Suarez on percussion, Diego El Cigala's passionate vocals captivated and inspired the audience during the 2-hour performance.
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 “The Godfather of British Blues” John Mayall and his band consisting of Rocky Athas on lead and rhythm guitar, Greg Rzab on bass guitar and percussion, and Jay Davenport on drums delivered an exceptional evening of music at City Winery in New York City, New York. Great music and a working winery with great wines available in the heart of New York City made for a very enviable and delightful pairing.
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 Excellent from start to finish, do go to see the play Intimate Apparel at Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. The play by the Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage is directed by Mary B. Robinson and features the talented cast of Leighton Bryan, Isaiah Johnson, Aleta Mitchell, Tommy Schrider, Heather Alicia Simms, and Nikki E. Walker, and runs until November 1, 2014. The play is the finale of the 2014 Westport Country Playhouse season and is one definitely worth seeing.
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 Dana Fuchs, the sultry siren of Blues Rock gave an outstanding performance at Fairfield Theatre Company's StageOne in Fairfield, Connecticut. Back in Connecticut for a 2-night gig at StageOne before heading back out on the road on her European tour, Dana Fuchs played to sold-out shows.
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 Detroit native Virtuoso Jazz violinist Regina Carter gave a rousing performance at Jazz Standard in New York City with her band, Marvin Swell on guitar, Will Holshouser on accordion, Chris Lightcap on bass, and Alvester Garnett on drums, playing select cuts off her latest release entitled, Southern Comfort.
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 The British are here! Be ready for an evening of witty repartee and laughter with Alan Ayckbourn's romantic comedy Things We Do For Love at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. The play directed by Tony Award nominee John Tillinger, stars Geneva Carr, Matthew Greer, Sarah Manton, and Michael Mastro and runs until September 7, 2014.
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 Director David Kennedy deftly puts his mark on the adult content play, Nora; Ingmar Bergman's Adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House, translated by Frederick J. Marker and Lise-Lone Marker, at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. The play runs until August 2, 2014.
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 Wayne Barker, Mark Lamos, and Deborah Grace Winer hit it out of the ballpark on opening night with their original musical, Sing For Your Shakespeare performed at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. The play features Karen Akers, Britney Coleman, Darius de Haas, Stephen DeRosa, Constantine Germanacos, and Laurie Wells and runs until June 28, 2014. While many theatre companies perform Shakespearean plays during the summer, make no mistake, you have never seen Shakespeare performed quite like this, baby! Sing For Your Shakespeare, making its world premiere, is definitely a hit in the making! Bravo!
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 We attended the opening night of the Noël Coward play, A Song at Twilight at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. The play directed by Mark Lamos, starring Broadway Veterans Mia Dillon, Brian Murray, and Gordana Rashovich, with Yale School of Drama Graduate Nicholas Carrière runs until May 17, 2014. The 2014 season, which marks the 84th season of performances at the Westport Country Playhouse, looks to be another stellar season of solid line-ups with plays A Song at Twilight, Sing For Your Shakespeare, Nora, Things We Do For Love, and Intimate Apparel. We cannot wait to experience the rest of the 2014 season!
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Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys rocked the Fairfield Theatre Company's StageOne in Fairfield, Connecticut to a most appreciative audience. The first time that we heard Alejandro Escovedo was several years ago on WFUV radio 90.7 FM out of New York City, and we remembered thinking what a cool name he has, that it just rolled off the tongue, and thought wow, not only a cool name, but that guy can play. When we finally had the opportunity to hear him play live at StageOne, his coolness still reigned supreme.
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 We have not stopped laughing since we saw the play, "Room Service" at the Westport Country Playhouse in Westport, Connecticut. Written by John Murray and Allen Boretz, and directed by Mark Lamos, the play runs from October 8 - 27, 2013. The stellar cast includes David Beach, Jim Bracchitta, Eric Bryant, Donald Corren, Michael McCormick, Richard Ruiz, Ben Steinfeld, Hayley Treider, Frank Vlastnik, Peter Von Berg, and Zoë Winters.
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 After reviewing Blues Rocker Dana Fuchs' latest CD, Bliss Avenue, as well Love To Beg, released on the Ruf Records label, we thought that we knew what to expect from a Dana Fuchs concert at Stage 48 in New York City for the official launch CD party in late August 2013. Wrong, although the releases are sensational, they did little to prepare us for experiencing Dana Fuchs' live. The woman is an energetic powerhouse, a seemingly tireless dynamo who commands the stage with her impressive vocal range, able to belt out the messages behind her evocative, and oft times emotional lyrics, or slow the pace and work her lower vocal register, all while charming the audience and gathering new fans along the way.
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 Jon Cleary's Philthy Phew brought a little bit of New Orleans Funk and Soul to the Quick Center for the Arts at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut, all that was missing was the jambalaya and beignets. Described as "born in England, bred in New Orleans" pianist Jon Cleary nailed the ‘Nawlins feeling with his band, Philthy Phew, playing with drummer Raymond Weber and bass player Cornell Williams.
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 Jazz pianist Henry Butler performed four-evenings at Jazz Standard in New York City, two nights solo, and two nights as a trio, with drummer Will Calhoun and Conrad Korsch, performing Roots & Beyond music. Longtime Henry Butler fans, it was a definite pleasure for us to watch this talented singer, composer, and pianist, work his magic.
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 GRP Founder Dave Grusin on piano and keyboards together with Lee Ritenour on guitar, and special guests Tom Kennedy, Will Kennedy of The Yellowjackets, and Diane Schuur adding her sultry vocals to the mix, created a magical night at the Blue Note in New York City.
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