The Ballet Etudes Company returns to the Playhouse with a new production of the enchanted fairy tale ballet, Sleeping Beauty. This production will feature principal dancers from the American Ballet Theater plus a cast of 60 local dancers. Set to Tchaikovsky’s magnificent score, this timeless ballet is staged by Christina Fagundes, after Petipa’s original choreography. Opulent costumes from the former collection of American Ballet Theatre are complimented by elaborate set pieces and scenery, contributing to the magic of this delightful ballet. This 90-minute adaptation is “family friendly,” for ages 5 and up.

The Westport Downtown Merchants Association presents Band Together #16 "HeArt & Soul" at Westport Country Playhouse to benefit Save the Children. The event will showcase a variety of rock and soul classics performed by 20 of the area’s top musicians with a guest performance by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Ronnie Spector. Ronnie is the embodiment of the heart, soul and passion of 1960’s female rock and roll. As front woman of the quintessential “girl group” The Ronettes, Ronnie generated hugely successful singles including “Be My Baby,” “Baby I Love You” and “Walking In The Rain.” Ronnie’s reputation for charisma and attitude continues with her newly released CD, The Last of the Rock Stars (Bad Girl Sounds/Sony RED). "Saturday Night Live" Band singer Christine Ohlman, and soul singers Gisele Jackson and Elaine Caswell will also perform. The evening will also feature an extension of “HeArt for Haiti,” a sale of original works donated by local artists to support relief efforts in Haiti.

Join Westport Arts Center for their 40th Anniversary Gala, honoring Richard Pauker and featuring a concert by The Boys in Concert, with members of the original cast of the Tony-Award winning hit Jersey Boys. The awe-inspiring, toe-tapping and arm-waving concert will be performed by Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer. These four signers, stars of Broadway's Jersey Boys, will reunite to celebrate the music of an era that lights up every generation. Music from The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Neil Sedaka, The Monkees, Motown, and, of course, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. To keep the energy going, there will be an after-party in the Sheffer Rehearsal Studio with an open bar, D.J., savory snacks and plenty of dancing.

Beginning at 2pm please join us on the patio for a complimentary glass of Mionetto Prosecco- the official Playhouse Prosecco.

Join us for a post show discussion with She Loves Me creators Joe Masteroff (Book), Jerry Bock (Music) and Sheldon Harnick (Lyrics).

Enjoy family dinner on our campus and stay afterwards to watch our mainstage production of She Loves Me, appropriate for students grades 5 and up. For only $10 per ticket (order must include at least one student ticket), you'll get a chance to sit down to dinner as a family and enjoy live theater! Contact Angela Boerger for details and reservations at aboerger@westportplayhouse.org or (203)227-5137 x133.

Join us for our newest event, a pre-show lobby reception that will include passed appetizers from new area restaurant THALI of Westport, two new featured wines from Castle Wine and Spirits, new product samples and our newest performance - Dinner With Friends .

Tickets are $25 and include the pre-show reception and the performance.

For tickets call the box office at 203.227.4177 or email groups@westportplayhouse.org

Westport Country Playhouse

and

Harry's Wine and Liquor Market

present

Wine with Friends

hosted by

Gilbertie's Herb Gardens

Sample wines from around the world at 6pm at Gilbertie's at 7 Sylvan Lane in Westport, then head to the Playhouse for the performance of Dinner with Friends at 8pm.

Enjoy food samplings from A Dash of Salt, Fairfield Cheese Company, Garelick & Herbs and Collyer Catering to complement the wine tastings.

Tickets for for the tasting and the performance just $65
Tasting only tickets (6pm - 8:30pm) are available for $25

For more information contact Kim Maresca at kmaresca@westportplayhouse.org or call 203.227.5137 x 138.

2010 80th Season Sponsor:
Sun Products

Join us for a post-show discussion lead by Dinner With Friends director David Kennedy featuring members of the cast.

The symposium is open to all Dinner With Friends attendees, not just those attending June 6th. Please call the box office to see what time the show will end.

Join us for a pre-show reception featuring Prosecco by Mionetto compliments of Westport Country Playhouse.
Open to all Sunday June 6th ticket holders

Originally performed at the Playhouse in 1969, the hit comedy and its original stars return to the Playhouse for one night with Keir Dullea hosting the evening and Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents) playing the over-protective mother. Joining Danner on-stage will be Jonathan Groff ("Glee," Spring Awakening) as the self-reliant sightless man, Betty Gilpin (Ghost Town, That Face) as the kooky free-spirited actress who tries to help him break from his mother's smothering influence and Andrew Grusetskie (Around the World in 80 Days) as the playboy director who threatens their new-found love.

Please note this event is currently sold out

Board of Trustees Script in Hand Sponsor

Michele & Marc Flaster

Westport Country Playhouse's Young Professionals Network invite you to join them for a pre-show party (tons of free food and free beer & wine) with live music from Rambunction and great food from Burger Bar & Bistro! After the party, join us for the evening's performance of Connecticut playwright Donald Margulies' Pulitzer Prize-winning play Dinner With Friends.

Tickets: just 30 bucks (for the party and the show)

To get your tickets please call Jenn Bond at 203.227.5137 x 120 or email events@westportplayhouse.org

A special post show discussion with the Dinner With Friends author.

"It's been a privilege to be able to seek Donald's advice and counsel during the process of directing his extraordinary play," said Playhouse associate artistic diretor and director of Dinner With Friends David Kennedy. "And I cannot wait until we can share in a conversation with our audience. It will make for a rare evening of insight into the working life of one of Connecticut's great writers."

Join New York Times bestselling author
JANE GREEN
To launch her new novel
PROMISES TO KEEP
At a fundraiser to benefit The Whittingham Cancer Center, Norwalk Hospital
In memory of Heidi Armitage

A light lunch will be served

$35 regular tickets; $75 Heidi's Angel tickets

To purchase tickets and/or make donations, go to www.janegreen.com

All proceeds for this event will be donated to The Whittingham Cancer Center, Norwalk Hospital.

2010 marks the 80th Anniversary Season of both Westport Country Playhouse and Doncaster, and to celebrate we're teaming up for a Sample Sale Extravaganza featuring:

* Over 600 samples of the current Doncaster spring/summer collection
Available in sizes 2-24 including petites and women's sizes, and will include apparel and accessories for business, casual and special occasions.

* Doncaster style consultants will be available to assist in making selections!

* Items will be priced at 40-50% off retail

* 10% of the evenings proceeds will benefit Westport Country Playhouse.

Special Opening Night event Tuesday 6/29 6p-9pm in the Smilow Lounge at Westport Country Playhouse. Admission $20 and includes wines selected by Sandra Muller and light appetizers from The Epicurean Caterers and door prizes.

Can't attend Tuesday - stop by the Smilow Lounge Wednesday 6/30 anytime between 10am and 8pm. Admission Wednesday is free.

To purchase a ticket for the Tuesday evening opening night event, please call the box office at 203.227.4177

Join us for a pre-show lobby reception that will include passed appetizers from Black Rock Tavern, two new featured wines from Castle Wine and Spirits, new product samples and our newest production - Happy Days.

Tickets are just $25 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 203.227.4177 or by emailing marketing@westportplayhouse.org.

Tickets are not available for sale online at this time. Please call or email today to reserve your space

Join hosts Meg McAuley Kaicher, Rachel Konstantin, Darlene Krenz and Scott La Du for a pre-theater event at Agabhumi The Best of Bali followed by Samuel Beckett's Happy Days 20% of all purchases will benefit Westport Country Playhouse!

Hors d'oeuvres and wine provided by Finalmente Trattoria.

No RSVP necessary for the shopping event. Click Buy Now to purchase your ticket to Happy Days

Join host Annie Keefe, Westport Country Playhouse Artistic Advisor, for an exciting evening of food from Cafe Madeline, wine provided by Horseneck Wines, a custom perfume experience presented by Scenterprises Ltd. and Connections PR and the latest Playhouse production - Samuel Beckett's Happy Days!

Tickets are $50 and include pre-show reception and ticket to the show.

To purchase tickets, call 203.227.5137 x 116 or email marketing@westportplayhouse.org

Seating is limited so please reserve your spot today!

Join us for a special Open Caption performance of Happy Days.

A screen will be mounted at the front side of the stage and audience members can follow along as the words scroll across.

If you are coming specifically for the Open Caption performance please tell the box office when you purchase your tickets.

As Agnes and Michael prepare for their special day in I Do! I Do!, you too can learn about the fabulous wedding registry and gifts available at LCR with host Mary Ellen Marpe.

Hors d'oeuvres and wine will be provided and 15% of all purchases will benefit Westport Country Playhouse.

No RSVP necessary, simply stop by and enjoy!

Join us for a pre-show lobby reception featuring appetizers from Tawa, new wine selections from Castle Wine and Spirits, new product samples and the 8pm performance of the joyous musical I Do! I Do!

Tickets are just $25 and can be reserved by calling 203.227.4177 or emailing marketing@westportplayhouse.com. Tickets to this event are not available online

In honor of the upcoming musical I Do! I Do! we're celebrating the importance of marriage!

In 300 words or less, tell us how you were asked or how you asked someone to say I do!

The top 5 finalists will be receive two complimentary tickets to the 2nd Annual Date Night on Friday, August 13th, where the winner will be announced.

The winning couple will receive:
An overnight stay at the new Delamar in Southport
$100 gift certificate to Da Pietro's in Westport
Use of a Lexus from New Country Lexus of Westport for a weekend
and Two tickets to a Westport Country Playhouse production of their choice.

To Enter:

Email your name, phone number, address and 300 word (or less) propsal story, with photo if possible, to marketing@westportplayhouse.org. All entries must be received by noon on Tuesday, August 10th.

Join members of the WCP Young Professionals Network and members of the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender communities and allies for a pre-show cocktail hour, featuring appetizers from Burger Bar & Bistro and select beverages. Then stay and enjoy the joyous musical I Do! I Do!.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased by calling 203.227.5137 x 116 or by emailing marketing@westportplayhouse.org. Tickets to this event are not available online

Celebrate the one you love this month as Valentine's is only 6 months away! Join us for a special pre-show reception that will include light fare provided by Da Pietro's, select beverages, sweets and the 8pm performance of the joyous musical I Do! I Do!

The evening will also mark the announcement of the Playhouse's Perfect Proposal Contest winners!

Tickets are $50 and can be reserved by calling 203.227.5137 x 116 or emailing marketing@westportplayhouse.org. Tickets to this event are not available online

Enjoy a complimentary glass of Mionetto Prosecco, the official Prosecco of the Playhouse, before the 3pm performance of I Do! I Do!.

This event is open to all Sunday August 15th ticket holders

Join Associate Artistic Director David Kennedy for a post-show discussion with Tom Jones, one of the creators of I Do! I Do!

The symposium is open to all I Do! I Do!attendees, not just those attending August 15th. Please call the box office to see what time the show will end.

Bring your family and join us for a buffet dinner prior to the show. Tickets are $10 (less than a movie!) and include dinner and the performance. $10 ticket price is valid only for the purchase of two or more tickets, including at least one student-age audience member.

Tickets for this event are not available online. Please call the box office at 203.227.4177 to reserve today!

After the 2pm performance, Playhouse production staff will join you in the theater to explain how the production of I Do! I Do! happens. From moveable scenery and lighting effects to trapdoors and design renderings, you never know what you'll see.

Join Associate Artistic Director David Kennedy after the show for a lively Q & A with members of the cast.

Join us at The Plumed Serpent Bridal for a pre-show reception beginning at 6:30pm that will include appetizers from Collyer Catering, floral design by Botanica Floral Studio, sweets from CakeSuite, champagne and more!

Pre-show reception is included with purchase of a ticket to the evening's performance at 8pm but please let the box office know you plan to attend.

Tickets for this event are not available online. Please call the box office at 203.227.4177 or email marketing@westportplayhouse.org and reserve your space today!

Critically acclaimed novelist Francine Prose will discuss her latest non-fiction effort, Anne Frank: The Book, the Life, the Afterlife, which the New York Times described as “an impressively far-reaching critical work, an elegant study both edifying and entertaining.” Making an impassioned argument for Anne Frank’s literary genius, Ms. Prose tells the story of Frank’s refuge, the discovery of her diary after her death, and the global phenomenon that it eventually became.

Produced in collaboration with the Westport Public Library, the event is free-of-charge, open to the public. Registration is required at www.westportlibrary.org or 203-291-4818. Seating at the Playhouse is unreserved.

Parallel Paths is a first-hand account of the Holocaust as seen through the eyes of survivors, witnesses and rescuers who had experiences similar to that of Anne Frank.

In The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank, Anne’s surviving friends tell the horrifying story that begins where her famous diary leaves off, and for the first time the concentration camp experiences of Anne and her family are recounted. The screening will be followed by a discussion.

This event is free and open to the public.

Join Westport Country Playhouse Associate Artistic Director David Kennedy for a conversation with Lawrence L. Langer, one of the most prominent literary and cultural scholars of the Holocaust and author of the critically acclaimed books Using and Abusing the Holocaust, Admitting the Holocaust, Preempting the Holocaust and Holocaust Testimonies: The Ruins of Memory. Mr. Langer will discuss the evolution of Anne Frank’s story over the last half century and the history behind its cooption as a “universal” story of hope and redemption. This is sure to be a thought-provoking take on The Diary of Anne Frank. .

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 3pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th for a more exact start time.

Join Molly Ephraim, the actress playing Anne Frank, at Barnes and Noble of Westport as she reads selections from Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, after which she will be interviewed by Westport Country Playhouse Associate Artistic Director David Kennedy about her work on this famous role. Ten percent of all proceeds from book purchases at Barnes and Noble of Westport this day will be donated to the Playhouse.

This event is free and open to the public and will take place at Barnes and Noble of Westport, 1076 Post Road East, Westport CT.

Charles Small, Director of the Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Antisemitism, a founder of the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy, and one of the leading experts in his field, will give a talk on the history of antisemitism from the early twentieth century to today, with a particular emphasis on its contemporary manifestations. This will be followed by a moderated discussion with the audience.

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 8pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th to get a more exact start time.

From Outrage to Advocacy: Raising Public Awareness of Genocide

The history of genocide in the twentieth century has a parallel history of advocacy, daring men and women who made it their mission to raise awareness of these extraordinary crimes. Learn about the history of advocacy and what today’s advocates are doing to avert tomorrow’s next human rights catastrophe.

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 8pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th for a more exact start time.

During the run of The Diary of Anne Frank , the Education Department will host two Family Nights as part of our Together at the Table program. These Family Nights allow families to enjoy a communal dinner in our rehearsal barn and a casual conversation about the show before attending a mainstage performance. This program aims to make live theater accessible to more families, and to introduce young audience members to Westport Country Playhouse in a warm and informal atmosphere.

$10 ticket price includes the dinner and the performance. Tickets to Together at the Table are not available online. Please call the box office at 203-227-4177 to reserve.

$10 ticket price valid only for purchase of 2 or more tickets, including at least one student-age audience member.

Join Molly Ephraim, the actress who plays Anne Frank, as she recites Anne’s powerful words, and then create your own story in a mixed-media diary using a range of innovative art materials.

Recommended for ages 6-12 years.
This event is free and open to the public and will be held at Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport CT.

A Brief Life Illuminated: The Power of Anne Frank’s Words

Peter Nelson, Director of the New York Regional Office of Facing History and Ourselves, will lead a post-show discussion about The Diary of Anne Frank, addressing the question, "Why does Anne Frank continue to speak to us with such power?"

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 3pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th for a more exact start time.

Words of Defiance: Writing as Resistance during the Holocaust

Ellen M. Umansky, Director of the Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies at Fairfield University, explores diary writing as a form of non-violent resistance during the Holocaust, contrasting Holocaust diaries, including Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl, with memoirs and other forms of literature.

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 8pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th for a more exact start time.

During the run of The Diary of Anne Frank, the Education Department will host two Family Nights as part of our Together at the Table program. These Family Nights allow families to enjoy a communal dinner in our rehearsal barn and a casual conversation about the show before attending a mainstage performance. This program aims to make live theater accessible to more families, and to introduce young audience members to Westport Country Playhouse in a warm and informal atmosphere.

$10 ticket price includes the dinner and the performance. Tickets to Together at the Table are not available online. Please call the box office at 203-227-4177 to reserve.

$10 ticket price valid only for purchase of 2 or more tickets, including at least one student-age audience member.

Join the cast of The Diary of Anne Frank as they discuss the creative process, the historical research required of them as actors, and the responsibility inherent in bringing this story to life on the stage.

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 8pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th for a more exact start time.

Living to Tell: A Discussion with Child Survivors of Genocide

The magnitude of the crime of genocide can overwhelm us with the statistics of the sheer numbers of people who are brutalized, displaced, or murdered. But genocide, while being one large crime against a national, ethnic, racial or religious group, is also many single crimes committed against countless individuals, even against the youngest and most defenseless. This panel discussion will focus on the individual experience of genocide, as we hear the remarkable stories of several people who survived it as children.

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 3pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th for a more exact start time.

This special public matinee performance will provide an opportunity for student artists at the Neighborhood Studios in Bridgeport, CT to attend The Diary of Anne Frank, as well as for other local students to attend the performance with their families at a discounted ticket rate. This matinee will be followed by a talkback featuring a panel of the Neighborhood Studios student artists whose work has been featured at the Playhouse.

$10 tickt price includes lunch and performance. Tickets for Together at the Table are not available online. Please call the box office at 203.227.4177 to purchase.

$10 ticket price valid only for purchase of 2 or more tickets, including at least one student-age audience member.

This specially discounted matinee performance will be followed by a discussion for the whole family exploring the fascinating history of how Jewish traditions, practices and artifacts were preserved during the Holocaust. Come early, and enjoy a pre-show reception of light refreshments in the lobby.

Discounted tickets for this special matinee are not available online, please call the box office at 23.227.4177.

Discounted ticket price of $15 valid for students only.

This event is sponsored by UJA/Federation Westport Weston Wilton Norwalk

So the World Will Know: Attempts to Document Genocide

Scholars and activists work to collect and preserve the unique voices of survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides. In written histories as well as audio and video recordings, these documents aim both to preserve testimonies in danger of being lost and to raise world awareness of atrocities suffered. Attempts to document such personal histories are accompanied by unique challenges of methodology, access and preservation. The panelists will address these questions and discuss the role of documentation in inspiring personal activism.

This event is free and open to the public and will begin immediately following the 8pm performance. Please call the box office after September 28th for a more exact start time.

In conjunction with the The Diary of Anne Frank, the Playhouse will display a sculpture created by students at the Neighborhood Studios in Bridgeport. The Attic Sculpture, which will remain on display in the Playhouse lobby through the end of October, will be the collective result of each student’s individual artistic responses to reading the diary. The project is guided by Steffi Friedman, a sculptor and teacher who was a Jewish teenager in Nazi Germany. When her family fled Germany two weeks before Kristalnacht in 1938, they escaped to Amsterdam and settled one block away from the famous annex where Anne Frank and her family went into hiding.

Window onto History: Perspectives on The Diary of Anne Frank

Westport Country Playhouse would like to thank the following for their support of Window onto History: Perspectives on The Diary of Anne Frank:
* Anti-Defamation League of Connecticut
* Anne Frank Center USA
* Barnes & Noble
* The Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judiac Studies, Fairfield University
* Connecticut Coalition to Save Darfur
* Facing History and Ourselves
* The Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies, Yale University
* Holocaust Child Survivors of Connecticut
* Neighborhood Studios
* PROOF: Media for Social Justice
* UJA/Federation Westport Weston Wilton Norwalk
* Voices of Rwanda
* Westport Arts Center
* Westport Public Library
* Westport/Weston Chapter of Hadassah
* The Yale Initiative for the Interdisciplinary Study of Anitsemitism (YISA)

Join the Mikey's Way Foundation in celebrating our 5th year anniversary. The first ever comedy night to be held at the Westport Country Playhouse is a perfect way to mark the occasion.

World-renowned comic, Mr. Robert Klein, will be performing for one night only to benefit the work of Mikey's Way Foundation. The Foundation supplies electronics to children going through life threatening illnesses with long-term treatments.

Come early and enjoy the silent auction. Bid on some fantastic and exotic packages. i.e. Caribbean Vacation, West Coast Getaway, etc

All proceeds will benefit the Mikey's Way Foundation.

Please note this is not a Westport Country Playhouse production.

Curated by Helen Klisser During

This exhibition explores the importance and fragility of memory, and asserts that documenting one’s own experiences is a valuable undertaking that will have significant impact on future generations. Work on display will include drawings, paintings, lithographs, film, and sculpture by Christian Boltanski, Sophie Calle, Anselm Keifer, Mayer Kirshenblatt, Leo Kok, and Ursula von Rydingsvard, among others. All of these artists address collective memories surrounding events both pre-and post-World War II, but through the medium of art embellish and abstract them, so that the resulting images exist in a space between fact and fiction.

As part of the exhibition, visitors will be encouraged to document their own memories through writing, speaking, drawing, or painting—proving that all of us have stories worth sharing and recording. The exhibition is intended to complement and build upon the powerful memories conveyed in the Westport Country Playhouse’s fall production of The Diary of Anne Frank.

Memory will be on exhibit at the Westport Arts Center, 51 Riverside Avenue, Westport CT September 24th - November 28, 2010.