SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER FILM SERIES PREMIERE
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Sneak preview june 29 - opening june 30 - Tickets on sale now!
JUST ANNOUNCED!
Friday, September 22 – Pinky Patel – New Crown Who Dhis
Originally from Illinois, Pinky Patel is a PTA mom turned creator, comedian, and personality with a fan base of over 5 million. She is best known for her hilarious commentary and viral videos from her glam cave that have garnered over 89 million likes on TikTok. She has worked with brands such as Clorox, Pfizer, Pure Leaf Tea and many more.
18+
Part of the Comedy Series.
Saturday, June 3 – Judy Carmichael
WSHU is the presenting media sponsor for this event
Grammy nominated pianist/vocalist Judy Carmichael first made her name in the 1980s as a svelte, blonde bombshell who played stride piano—a virtuoso jazz style made famous in the ‘20s and ‘30s by Count Basie and Fats Waller. Jazz critic Gary Giddons commented, “How ironic that the last man standing is a woman, as this kind of playing was long considered the private, competitive domain of people who smoked cigars and wore derbies. Judy’s new release I Love Being Here With You is her first all-vocal CD boasting an all-star line-up headed by multiple Emmy and Grammy winner Mike Renzi on piano, (who served as Music Director for Peggy Lee, Mel Tormé and countless others) along with celebrated tenor saxophonist Harry Allen (who’s recorded with Tony Bennett and many others) and bassist Jay Leonhart (whose collaborations range from Judy Garland to Sting!)
There will be a pre-show book talk for her book “GREAT INSPIRATIONS — 22 Years of Jazz Inspired on NPR,” at 6:30pm followed by the concert at 7:30pm!
“GREAT INSPIRATIONS — 22 Years of Jazz Inspired on NPR,” Description:
“I hate jazz, but I love you.”
“Well, what do you listen to?”
“Certainly not jazz. Something more like Louis Armstrong.”
More than twenty-two years ago, this exchange sent jazz pianist Judy Carmichael on a mission. Knowing that most people find jazz and the arts mysterious, Judy decided to record conversations with fellow artists from all fields, using jazz as an entry point into a discussion on inspiration and creativity — essentially producing a podcast before podcasts existed.
Part of the Thought Leader Series and the First County Bank Jazz Series.
Friday, September 29 – Marc Ribot – Live Solo Guitar Score for Chaplin’s The Kid
Commissioned and premiered in Jan 2010 by the NY Guitar Festival at Merkin Hall. Marc Ribot’s delicate and at times haunting solo guitar score contemporizes this classic Chaplin film to a story relevant to the economic and social conditions following the housing market crash of 2008 (which occurred shortly before the commissioning of this work).
“I did not use Charlie Chaplin’s score as a reference. I admire his score greatly, and his writing greatly, but I did not want to use that as a reference because my interest in this, as with everything else, comes from doing a particular reading. And my particular reading of this film is as a contemporary film. This is kind of striking to me. When I first saw the film as a kid — like 45 years ago — it seemed really old. It seemed ancient. It was kind of walled off in this ghetto of the past. So much so that the content of the film seemed funny even when the characters weren’t being intentionally funny. It seemed inherently funny for something to be that old. Whereas, when I watch it now, I don’t see old. I see a contemporary story about a single father in economically really hard conditions.”
Thursday, May 25 – Cooking by Heart with Chris Sarandon Featuring Susan Sarandon
Oscar®-nominee Chris Sarandon’s popular ‘Cooking By Heart’ podcast is, as ranked by Listen Notes, already among the top 5% of all podcasts globally- and Chris’ next live event will be with the renowned actress (and Chris’ first wife) Susan Sarandon!
The extremely versatile SUSAN SARANDON brings her own brand of sex appeal and intelligence to every role – from her fearless portrayal of Annie Savoy in Bull Durham to her Oscar®-nominated performances in Thelma & Louise, Lorenzo’s Oil, The Client, and Atlantic City to her Academy Award®-winning and SAG® Award-winning role as Sister Helen, a nun consoling a death-row inmate in Dead Man Walking. Sarandon made her acting debut in the movie Joe in 1970, which she followed with a continuing role in the TV drama A World Apart. Early film credits include The Great Waldo Pepper, Lovin’ Molly, Billy Wilder’s The Front Page, the 1975 cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Louis Malle’s Pretty Baby. She went on to receive her first Oscar nomination in Malle’s Atlantic City.
Additional film credits include The Hunger, The Witches of Eastwick, A Dry White Season, White Palace, Light Sleeper, Bob Roberts, Little Women, Stepmom, Cradle Will Rock, Igby Goes Down, The Banger Sisters, Moonlight Mile, Shall We Dance?, Alfie, Elizabethtown, Romance & Cigarettes, Enchanted, The Lovely Bones, Jeff Who Lives at Home, Robot & Frank, Arbitrage, Tammy, The Meddler, Blackbird, and The Jesus Rolls.
Media Sponsor WSHU and CT Bites.
July 10 – July 28 or July 31- August 18 – MovieMaker Summer Film Program
Aspiring filmmakers (GRADES 9-12) will immerse themselves in the world of making movies with Sacred Heart University’s fun and informative summer program, MovieMaker.
MovieMaker is a fun and informative summer film program aimed at empowering young people who want to tell their personal stories through the medium of film. Guided by independent filmmakers, this 3-week course inspires its members to mine their own lives and experiences as the basis for their work.
LIVE EVENTS
Friday, June 2 – Bill Frisell Trio ft. Thomas Morgan & Rudy Royston
Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 40 years and many celebrated recordings, whose catalog has been cited by Downbeat as “the best recorded output of the decade.”
Part of the First County Bank Jazz Series.
Sunday, June 4 – Cooking by Heart with Chris Sarandon Featuring Lidia Bastianich
In this podcast series, the discussions with well-known actors, directors, authors, chefs, politicians, business figures, and comedians will center on memories of the meals or favorite foods we all grew up with, from the exotic to the mundane, dishes that still tickle or tantalize us as adults and, most importantly, we’ll discuss the stories and people that accompany those memories. We’ll also post our guests’ favorite recipes on our website.
Actor Chris Sarandon is best known for his roles as Prince Humperdinck in “The Princess Bride,” as the lead speaking voice of Jack Skellington in Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” the cunning vampire in “Fright Night,” and his Academy Award-nominated role in “Dog Day Afternoon.” He grew up working in his Greek immigrant father’s restaurant in West Virginia. Both of his Greek grandfathers owned diners and coffee shops, and his son is a trained chef, the family business. (BTW, his daughters are also accomplished cooks!) Sarandon was initially taught to cook by his mother and various cooks in his father’s restaurant. He combines his love of food with an actor’s keen ear for human stories.
Lidia Giuliana Matticchio Bastianich is an Italian-American celebrity chef, television host, author, and restaurateur. Specializing in Italian and Italian-American cuisine, Bastianich has been a regular contributor to public television cooking shows since 1998.
CT Bites is the Media Sponsor.
Part of the Thought Leader Series.
Thursday, June 8 – An Evening with Mike Birbiglia benefitting Circle Of Care
This year, Circle of Care’s signature event CARE to Laugh: An Evening with Mike Birbiglia is inspired by the healing nature of laughter.
We are thrilled to have Mike Birbiglia, master storyteller and comedian, join us. With a sold-out show on Broadway and a cameo appearance in Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” music video, Mike is on fire right now! He artfully shares his life story in a humorous adventure – one we can all relate to. This evening begins with a cocktail hour and hors d’oeuvres for all guests. We guarantee Mike’s performance will make you laugh. After the performance, guests who purchased “Meet and Greet” tickets, will get to meet Mike on stage!
The cost of your tickets benefits families of children with cancer in Connecticut, Westchester County New York, and Springfield Massachusetts.
Saturday, June 10 – David Cross
18+
Emmy Award winner and two-time Grammy Award nominee, David Cross is an inventive performer, writer, and producer on stage and screen. In November, Cross taped a comedy special to be released in 2022. He makes guest appearances in the new, critically-acclaimed HBO Max miniseries, Station Eleven, which premiered on December 16, and in the HBO Max film, 8-Bit Christmas, which premiered in November. In March, Cross starred in the National Geographic series, Genius: Aretha, portraying famed music producer, Jerry Wexler opposite Cynthia Erivo as Aretha Franklin.
Cross received rave reviews for his starring role in the dramatic film, The Dark Divide. Based on the beloved book, “Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide,” by Robert Pyle, one of America’s premiere nature writers, the film recreates Pyle’s perilous 1995 journey across one of America’s largest undeveloped wildlands.
Two dollars of each ticket goes to The Innocence Project.
Part of the Comedy Series.
Saturday, June 24 – Eaglemania – World’s Greatest Tribute to The Eagles
EagleMania has been dazzling audiences for over a decade by spectacularly reproducing the music of The Eagles. EagleMania thrills internationally sold-out audiences with their stunning five part harmony, virtuoso guitar work and uncanny ability to emulate the distinct sound of The Eagles. The EagleMania show consists of the Eagles’ greatest hits, as well as select Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Joe Walsh solo efforts.
If you like The Eagles you simply must experience the world’s greatest Eagles Tribute, EagleMania!
Friday, Sept. 8 – Gary Gulman
Over 25 years in comedy, Gary Gulman has established himself as an eminent performer and peerless writer. It’s no wonder the New York Times wrote, “Gary is finally being recognized as one of the country’s strongest comedians.” A product of Boston, Gulman has been a scholarship college football player, an accountant, and a high school teacher. He has made countless television appearances as both a comedian and an actor and is one of only a handful of comedians to perform on every single late-night comedy program.
Part of the Comedy Series.
Saturday, October 21 – An Evening With Richard Shindell and Lucy Kaplansky
Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell are delighted to announce a limited run of shows together in the Northeast in October 2023, a reboot of concerts canceled at the beginning of the global pandemic over three years ago. The two songwriters, both with successful solo careers, have been singing together for over 30 years. First meeting when Richard hired Lucy to sing harmony on his first album, they became life-long friends and mutual fans. In addition to singing harmonies on virtually all of each other’s solo albums, they’ve collaborated on two celebrated projects. In 1998 they teamed up with their friend Dar Williams to record Cry Cry Cry. In 2015 Lucy and Richard recorded an album of duets, Tomorrow You’re Going.
The two voices have always somehow understood each other. When it comes to dynamics and the actual harmonies (which intervals, and when), they put their faith in their vocal sympatico, in which one voice instinctively finds its resolution (or intentional irresolution!) in the other. The simple pleasure of blending voices has been a constant for each throughout all the twists and turns of their respective careers. For these upcoming concerts, Lucy and Richard will perform songs from the aforementioned projects as well as material from their individual repertoires.
