Wednesday, May 31, 2023

"Renewal: the Beman Project" premieres this weekend

 


Oddfellows Playhouse Youth Theater in Middletown is staging a new play exploring Middletown’s Black History in the 1800’s . The production, Renewal: The Beman Project, will run June 2 and 3 at 7 pm at Oddfellows, and Sunday June 4 at 5 pm at Cross Street AME Zion Church. 

Renewal was commissioned by Oddfellows to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Cross Street Church by investigating the Beman family, the Abolitionist Movement, and other less-known aspects of 19th century Black History in Middletown. The play begins in 2023. Three close friends have to do their final research presentation as middle schoolers on the significance behind the renaming of Woodrow Wilson to Beman Middle School. As they set out to find facts to support the legacy of the Bemans, they find themselves at the harbor in Middletown in 1830. This story follows their journey as they encounter some prominent figures, a lot of water, captivity, and inevitable evolution.

Written and directed by New Haven-based theater maker Jacqueline Brown, Renewal features scenic design by Amanda “Semente” Pereira , costume design by Carol Koumbaros, lighting design by Hilary Lang, sound design by Trey Moore, and properties design by Caleb Warner. 

Performances will be at 7pm on June 2 and 3 at Oddfellows Playhouse, which is located at 128 Washington Street in Middletown. The Sunday performance at Cross Street Church, 440 West Street, is at 5 pm. Tickets for the Oddfellows performances are $10 for adults and $5 for students. Admission is free for the Sunday performance at Cross Street Church. Tickets may be purchased at www.oddfellows.org or by emailing info@oddfellows.org or calling (860) 347-6143. 

Renewal: The Beman Project is made possible with generous grants from the Middletown Commission on the Arts, the City of Middletown Community Engagement Grant, and the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation. Additional support comes from the Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD; The Fund for Greater Hartford; Liberty Bank Foundation; State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Youth Violence Prevention); Middletown Youth Services Bureau; Thomas J. Atkins Memorial Trust Fund; Middlesex United Way; CT Humanities Cultural Fund; New England Foundation for the Arts New England Arts Resilience Fund; Middlesex United Way; and many generous individual donors.


Saturday, May 27, 2023

Happy Memorial Day! "Taps Across America"-A National Moment Of Remembrance At 3 P.M.




  

Happy Memorial Day, May 29, 2023!

 

What is Memorial Day? 

 

Memorial Day honors all those who died in the United States Military while serving their country according to History.com's article "Memorial Day." The original name was "Decoration Day”, and it began following the Civil War. It became an official federal holiday in 1971. "Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades," according to History.com. It is the unofficial start of summer.



Every year on Memorial Day a "National Moment of Remembrance takes place at 3 p.m. It is a time when Americans are asked to stop whatever they are doing at 3 p.m. to pause and reflect for one minute and “remember those who have died in military service to the United States," according to the "Taps Across America" website.



For the fourth year in a row "Taps Across America" will be asking everyone to play "Taps" on their musical instruments at 3 p.m. on their doorstep or balcony on Memorial Day to coincide with the "National Moment of Remembrance" at 3 p.m. Amateurs & professional musicians are encouraged to participate.  



 

For more information about how to participate please go to https://www.tapsforveterans.org/taps-across-america-2023/



Enjoy The Videos.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeT1ffPcRLY&t=2s

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/a-memorial-day-tradition-taps-across-america/#x








Thursday, May 25, 2023

National Public Works Week and A Salute to Middletown's Recycling & Public Works Crew

     From Middletown Recycling & Public Works Facebook page.

Middletown Recycling and Public Works

It’s National Public Works Week and we want to give a big THANK YOU to all of Middletown's Public Works employees! These dedicated employees work diligently behind the scenes to keep the community safe, improve our systems, build our projects, and keep everything in good working order!
City of Middletown, Connecticut Government: Public Works Rocks!
May be an image of 5 people and text that says 'CONNECTNG THE WORLD WORKS THROUGH PUBLIC NATIONAL PUBLIC WORKS WEEK MAY 27 2023'
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Friday, May 19, 2023

Anupama Bhagwat, Sitar, accompanied by Nitin Mitta, Tabla - Indian Classical Music

 Raga Club presents a Concert of Hindustani Indian Classical Music

When Strings Meet the Soul

Anupama Bhagwat, sitar
Nitin Mitta, tabla

4pm Sunday, May 21
CVHTS Narayana Auditorium
11 Training Hill Road, Middletown, CT 06457


Not to be missed! Sublime, emotional, beautiful music from two masters.

Websites of the artistes:
http://anupamabhagwat.com/
https://nitinmitta.com/

Raga Music concerts - Ticket policy:
* RAGA member and 3 more persons from immediate family (spouse and two additional immediate family members) are allowed free to RAGA concerts. Co-sponsored concerts and special concerts may have different ticketing arrangements.
* Other guests accompanying a RAGA member should buy tickets at $25 per person
* Non-Raga Members - tickets are $25 per person, purchase at the door
* Students - Free admission

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ragaclubct/
Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/raga_ct/
Website: http://www.ragact.org/ 



Friday, May 12, 2023

Shakespeare' s Much Ado About Nothing at Oddfellows

 

Oddfellows Playhouse Teen Repertory Company presents Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing May 18 - 27. All performances will be held at Oddfellows Playhouse, 128 Washington Street, Middletown.

Much Ado About Nothing, written in 1599,  is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and accessible comedies. The play, which in this production is done in an early 1920’s vaudeville style,  interweaves two eccentric love stories with music, dance, clowns, villains, princes and, of course, a disaster narrowly averted.

The play, which features a cast of 19 performers ages 14 - 20,  is directed by Oddfellows Artistic Director Dic Wheeler, with original choreography by Marcella Trowbridge. Costume Design is by Christine Quinones, Scenic Design by Tony Palmieri, Sound and Music by Joseph Getter, Lighting Design by Joaquina Guevara and Henry Owens, Properties Design by Pam Lang, Mask Design by Artemisia Omani and Vocal Coaching by Liz Lalor.


Tickets are $18 for adults and $10 for kids and students. “Big Heart” tickets are available for $25 for anyone who really loves and values theater and its impact on the lives of young people.

Thursday, May 18 is a “Pay-What-You-Can” Preview

For tickets, or more information, call (860) 347-6143, email info@oddfellows.org, or go to www.oddfellows.org.

Much Ado About Nothing is made possible thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. Additional support is provided by the Maximilian E. & Marion O. Hoffman Foundation; City of Middletown; Liberty Bank Foundation; Middletown Commission on the Arts; Connecticut Office of the Arts/DECD; GOS for Theaters; The Fund for Greater Hartford; State of Connecticut Judicial Branch (Youth Violence Prevention); Middletown Youth Services Bureau; Thomas J. Atkins Memorial Trust Fund; Middlesex United Way; CT Humanities Cultural Fund; New England Foundation for the Arts/New England Arts Resilience Fund; George & Grace Long Foundation; many generous individual donors; and you, supporting youth arts in Connecticut by purchasing a ticket for this performance.

Photo below of Julia Weston as Beatrice and Artemisia Omani as Benedick in rehearsal for Much Ado About Nothing.



Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Boukanack, UNESCO Stars: AFRICAN WOMEN in JAZZ

From UNESCO (2022) 
JAZZWOMENAFRICA

    UNESCO [celebrated] jazz women in Africa with a concert on 30 April, which is streamed online, here:

♭♮♯𝅘𝅥𝅰𝅘𝅥𝅲𝆔𝇥:  African Women in Jazz - Boukanack    ♭♮♯𝅘𝅥𝅰𝅘𝅥𝅲𝆔𝇥

     On the occasion of the 11th edition of International Jazz Day, UNESCO is partnering with Anya Music (Morocco) to produce the second edition of the JazzWomenAfrica concert, with the financial support of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the Moroccan Office of Copyright (BMDA) and the Hiba Foundation. In partnership with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the concert will be distributed by its members and will be promoted through its sister broadcasting unions in Africa and other regions of the world.

     Excerpts of JazzWomenAfrica [were] broadcast on 30 April 2022 during the
 All-Star Global Concert produced by the Herbie Hancock Institute for Jazz.



Saturday, May 6, 2023

ZOOM Genealogy Club - Saturday, May 20, 2023

  

"Death Records at the Godfrey & Beyond"

May 20, 2023

1:30 PM (ET)

Carol Ansel, Library Director, will be giving a talk on the many types of death records that can be found online, with an emphasis on the Godfrey Library's resources. She promises she will not bore you to death.

The Zoom presentation will take place at 1:30 pm (ET) on May 20. Please register by 4:00 PM Friday, May 19. The invite will be sent out on that Friday.

Godfrey Premium members can register for free at the following email: zoomregistration@godfrey.org

If you are not a Godfrey Premium member and want to attend the presentation, you can pay $10 via PayPal (https://www.paypal.com/us/home) with the payment sent to Godfrey Memorial Library.  Then register using the above email.