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7-DAY ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FORECAST
Wed 05/16 – Tue 05/22
Veer your week in new, interesting directions by unleashing your creative spirit. Break up your after-work routine with an artsy, inventive sidestep into Creative Cocktail Hour at Real Art Ways. Looking to appreciate ingenuity from afar? Watch the fusion of imagination and dance as Dance Connect and Elm City Dance Collective perform at Charter Oak Cultural Center. However you decide to unlock your creative side, make sure to get fantastical with the arts!
When you see [UA] in the heading, it means the organization is supported by the contributions made to the Arts Council's Annual United Arts Campaign.
 MUSES AND SANDWICHES [UA]
Wed May 16, noon, Little Theatre of Manchester at Cheney Hall, 177 Hartford Rd, Manchester. Looking for a lunch away from your cubicle? Open up your mind with local Wethersfield playwright Anne Pie as she shares the sources of inspiration behind her stories and characters at this Lunchtime Lecture. Free. 860-647-9824, cheneyhall.org.
 MCLEAN ENTERTAINMENT [UA]
Wed May 16, 5pm. Festival through May 19, Artists Collective, 1200 Albany Ave, Hartford. Take pART in a long weekend of exciting artsy events as part of the Jackie McLean International Arts Festival. The celebration kicks-off with the exhibition opening and reception of JoeSam’s “Art for the Rest of Us” on Wednesday and concludes with Candido’s 91st Birthday Celebration on Saturday at 8pm. Check out Artists Collective’s website for a thorough listing of events and details. Price varies. 860-527-3205, artistscollective.org.
 A LABORIOUS ENTERPRISE
Wed May 16, 7pm, La Paloma Sabanera, 405 Capitol Ave, Hartford. Deconstruct the intricacies and simplicities of your workday through prose, poetry and peppermint cocoa at Syllable: The Reading Series: Labor!. Listen to readings by the best local writers as they explore whatever labor means to them and don’t be afraid to bring your own pieces to share! $5 (suggested). 860-596-5003, syllableseries.com.
 RUSSIAN RAGS TO ISRAELI RICHES
Wed May 16, 7:30pm. Additional performances through Jun 3, Playhouse on Park, 244 Park Rd, West Hartford. Unravel the mysterious and breathtaking lifetime of Golda Meir from her impoverished childhood in Russia to her stint as Prime Minister of Israel at Golda’s Balcony. Step into the heart and mind of one of the 20th century’s greatest leaders at this intimate and compelling one-woman show. $22.50-$32.50. $20-$30.50 w/ Let’s GO Arts! 860-523-5900x10, playhouseonpark.org.
 HOMEGROWN TALES
Thu May 17, 5:30pm, Hartford Public Library, 500 Main St, Hartford. Sometimes the best stories are in our own backyards. Find out firsthand at Telling Stories in the Center for Contemporary Culture. This session features two short documentaries about renowned textile artist Ed Johnetta Miller by Shana Sureck, award-winning Hartford photojournalist and multimedia storyteller, and Nandi Dixon Smith, founder and director of Sankofa Kuumba Cultural Arts Consortium. Free. 860-695-6300, hplct.org.
 A BOUNTY OF CREATIVITY AND CAPITALISM [UA]
Thu May 17, 6pm, Real Art Ways, 56 Arbor St, Hartford. Creative compatriots—heed this rallying cry to attend Creative Cocktail Hour. This month’s event features Steve Lambert’s “Capitalism works for me!” True/False Project,” an interactive portable public art piece that lets people voice their opinions about Capitalism, as well as Dennis Maher’s “The House of the Unmaker,” which explores the concept of “home” by constructing narratives about the anatomies of houses. Sip on a unique drink, sample some apps and get artsy to the sounds of DJ Love Migraine. $5-$10. 860-232-1006, realartways.org.
 FIBERS ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL
Fri May 18, 1pm. Festival through May 20, Nathan Hale Homestead, 2299 South St, Coventry. Spinners, knitters, weavers and quilters—enrich your passion at the Fiber Arts Festival. Bring your hard work and stay as long as you’d like for a weekend including raffles, children’s activities and refreshments. Free. 860-742-6917, ctlandmarks.org.
 DIVERSE DANCE MYSTICISM [UA]
Fri May 18, 7:30pm, Charter Oak Cultural Center, 21 Charter Oak Ave, Hartford. The imagination and magic of dance combine with the unique and historic Charter Oak building at “Float.” Dance Connect and New Haven’s Elm City Dance Collective join forces to offer an engaging, multifaceted and colorful evening of dynamic dance. $10-$25. $15 w/ Let’s GO Arts! 860-249-1207x100, charteroakcenter.org.
 BOYS NIGHT OUT! [UA]
Fri May 18, 7:30pm, The Studio @ Billings Forge, 539 Broad St, Hartford. Prepare for first-class “dude-prov” as the ladies of Sea Tea Improv are out of town for this installment of The Longform Showcase. Bro-down with your buds as an improvised play of extended scenes and structures unfolds based on your suggestions. $9-$10. 860-578-4832, seateaimprov.com.
 CHORAL RAINDROPS
Fri May 18, 7:30pm, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, 166 Capitol Ave, Hartford. Don’t grab your red umbrella for Travelers Chorale’s 88th Annual Spring Concert entitled Singin’ in the Rain. This seasonal specialty features selections from Les Misérables, spring waltzes, Broadway favorites and angelic choral pieces. Attendees are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to support local food banks. Free. 860-954-2756, travelerschorale.org.
 CARIBBEAN UNDER THE SEA
Fri May 18, 7:30pm. Additional performances through May 20, Saint Joseph College, Hoffman Auditorium, 1678 Asylum Ave, West Hartford. The course of true love never did run smooth, especially in Connecticut Family Theatre’s production of the worldly musical Once On This Island. After Ti Moune, a peasant girl, falls in love with Daniel, a wealthy boy, the fantastical gods of the island test her affection by guiding her on a quest against the powerful forces of prejudice, hatred and death in this Tony-nominated Caribbean adaptation of The Little Mermaid. $10-$12. $8-$10 w/ Let’s GO Arts! 860-233-2238, connecticutfamilytheatre.org.
 AN ENDER OF A MUSICAL AGE
Fri May 18, 7:30pm, St. Mark’s Episcopal Chapel, 42 North Eagleville Rd, Storrs. Seize the chance to listen to a work that ended an era in Russian music as the Vernon Chorale performs Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Vespers. Written from texts from the Russian Orthodox All-Night Vigil, this historically significant piece is considered one of Rachmaninoff’s finest achievements. $10-$15. 2-for-1 w/ Let’s GO Arts! 860-375-0545, vernonchorale.org.
 THESE ARTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING
Sat May 19, 11am, Simsbury Town Center, Simsbury. Stroll along to the sites and sounds of over 75 performers and artists at ArtWalk Simsbury!. Benefiting the Simsbury ABC house, experience an artistic bounty of entertainment ranging from pottery, ballroom dancing and chamber music to interactive activities for children. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to celebrate this vibrant community art scene. Free. artwalksimsbury.com.
 SYMPHONIC TEAMWORK IS THE BEST WORK [UA]
Sat May 19, 8pm, Theater for the Performing Arts at the Learning Corridor, 359 Washington St, Hartford. Feeling some Jazz & Strings this weekend? Award-winning composer Jimmy Greene joins the Hartford Symphony Orchestra’s Jazz & Strings for a collaboration of original music sure to impress. $20-$40. $5 off w/ Let’s GO Arts! 860-244-2999, hartfordsymphony.org.
 THE HUMOR OF RELATIONSHIPS
Sat May 19, 8pm, Trinity-on-Main, 69 Main St, New Britain. Hilarious comedian Joey Vega is back by popular demand. Explore the delights and woes of Sex, Love and Marriage in this one man comedy show that dilvulges answers to questions you always wanted to know about relationships but were too afraid to ask. $20-$25. 860-229-2072, trinityonmain.org.
 A FAMILY ART AFFAIR [UA]
Sun May 20, noon, New Britain Museum of American Art, 56 Lexington St, New Britain. Come one, come all to Arts for All Day! With storytellers, musicians and visual artists throughout the galleries, people of all ages and abilities can wander and dive into the enjoyment, enlightenment and education the arts bring. $8-$10. 2-for-1 w/ Let’s GO Arts! 860-229-0257, nbmaa.org.
 LIGHT ART
Sun May 20, 7:30pm, Wilson-Gray YMCA Youth & Family Center, 444 Albany Ave, Hartford. Let there be light in Hartford! The Wadsworth Atheneum unveils its third Artist Residency project entitled “Lighten Up: A Public Art Project” with an opening reception. Composed by MATRIX 164 artist Jan Tichy and The Amistad Center’s Teen Advisory Group, these light-based works feature organizations along Albany Ave and adjacent neighborhoods in Hartford’s North End. Free. 860-278-2670, wadsworthatheneum.org.
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LET'S GO ARTS! DISCOUNT PACKAGE OF THE WEEK:
Dream big! The artsy world is your oyster—take all of it by force without bankrupting your savings with your Let’s GO Arts! card. As always, these discounts are our way of saying “Thank you!” for your contribution to our United Arts Campaign.
Delight your ears to the harmonies of the Vernon Chorale at Rachmaninoff’s Vespers. Let’s GO Arts! members receive 2-for-1 admission.
You Save: ~$10-$15.
Get in shape for the summer at Downtown Yoga Studios in Hartford. Let’s GO Arts! members receive 10% off monthly membership passes.
You Save:~$8.
Treat the whole family to storytellers, musicians and other artists at New Britain Museum of American Art’s Arts for All Day. Let’s GO Arts! members receive 2-for-1 admission
You Save: ~$8-$10.
TOTAL WEEK’S SAVINGS: ~$26-$33.
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FREE SUMMER CONCERTS
Gear up for the summer with some sun and fantastic music throughout Greater Hartford.
Click here for a thorough listing of events.
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THE EVENTS
DON'T STOP HERE!
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There are a lot of events we can't fit into the "7 Day A&E Forecast" each week. But there is a place you can find them all: the Arts Council's fully searchable online cultural calendar at LetsGoArts.org/Calendar
It's the region's most comprehensive cultural calendar, with no advertising or log-on procedures—just thousands of performances, exhibitions, sporting events, workshops, galas and other activities. You can search by date, venue, event type, town and keyword. You'll find all the event information you need, plus some helpful links and money-saving ideas.
Funded through a grant by the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving Catalyst Endowment.
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