Art Exhibits____ _____

Avancé Esthétiques Day Spa, Sand Hill Plaza, 228 Main St South/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-270-8911.

Through Feb 27: watercolors by award-winning New Fairfield artist Susan Holden-Sagona incl still lifes, florals, figure studies & landscapes of New England & Sedona, Ariz.

Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown;

203-426-4533.

Through Feb 13: Scherenschnitte (intricate paper cuttings) by Sandy Hook resident Theresa Berryman. 

Danbury City Hall, 155 Deer Hill Ave, Danbury.

Through Feb 16: “2012 Accessible Art Project: Photography,” images by Kateleen Foy of Newtown, Deanne Komlo of Brookfield & Aparna Phadnis of Brookfield.

Institute for American Indian Studies, 38 Curtis Rd, Washington; 860-868-0518.

The Artist’s Corner (in Museum Shop, can be visited without paying full museum adm) — Through Feb 29: wampum jewelry by Allen L. Hazard Sr & Craig Spears St, both members of Narragansett Nation.

Koenig FrameWorks, 97 Main St South/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-270-1887.

*(new show) Feb 10-March 17: “Stone Soup,” works by Judith Secco, Mally DeSomma & Thomas Nackid, diverse artists producing interpretive takes on famed folk art story that shares exhibition’s name, exhibition also celebrates recently created partnership between FrameWorks Gallery & Housatonic Valley Cultural Alliance; Feb 10, opening reception, 5-8 pm.

Mattatuck Museum, 144 West Main St, Waterbury;

203-753-0381.

Through Feb 26: “Toys!” vintage dolls, toys & games from museum’s collection & private collections incl portion of Bill Brinley’s hand carved miniature circus.

Stone River Grille, 1 Glen Rd, Sandy Hook;

203-270-1200.

Through March 31: “Art About Town,” works by Society of Creative Arts of Newtown (SCAN) members Pam Danneman, Adele Moros, Margaret Moss, Glen River & Roberta Shea, in special events room (non-diners welcome to visit show any time restaurant is open); Feb 12, opening reception, 2-4 pm.

Auditions, Juried Events ____

Beautiful Baby Contest c/o Lois Barber, 33 Zoar Rd, Sandy Hook CT 06482.

Entries sought for competition that will invite residents to vote for beautiful child’s photos of their choice, though $1 donations, raising funds for Homes For Our Troops, entrants can be local residents newborn to age 4, send non-returnable photo (wallet-size to 4 x 4 inches) to Mrs Barber at above address, voting to open June 8 during Sandy Hook LobsterFest, one winner & parents will ride in chauffer driven convertible in 2012 Newtown Labor Day Parade & also receive gift basket.

CT Free Shakespeare, Bridgeport City Hall Annex (first floor), 999 Broad St, Bridgeport; www.CTFreeShakespeare.org.

Feb 21-23: Auditions for Equity and non-Equity adults & teens for summer production of Romeo and Juliet, 11 am-5 pm, no appointment necessary, prepare brief monologue from Romeo & Juliet, rehearsals will be during day, performances will be July 13-Aug 5, Equity principals will be paid, send email to ellen@CTFreeShakespeare.org or visit website for addt’l info.

Midsummer Fantasy Renaissance Faire, auditions at Ansonia Armory, 5 State St, Ansonia; 203-910-2743, www.MFRenFaire.com.

Feb 11-12: Auditions for 2012 faire, Sat 12:30-7 pm, Sun 11 am-5 pm (no appt necessary), those seeking scripted cast or wandering cast should prepare short monologue (1 min max), sing short song if want to sing, also bring resume & head shot (photo if available, not required) & ID, dressing in garb optional; professional acts must perform short pc of act & bring promotional material (press kit, CD, DVD, etc); those hoping to volunteer during festival also asked to visit during auditions, bring ID; festival to be presented June 23-24 & 30, July 1, 7-8 in Warsaw Park, Ansonia, call Daniel GreenWolf at above phone # or visit website for addt’l info.

Newtown Cultural Arts Commission, c/o Koenig FrameWorks, 97 South Main St, Newtown;

203-270-1919, NewtownArtsCommission.org.

Through Feb 29: Submissions due for 2012 Newtown Arts Festival promotional artwork for Sept 15-16 event at Fairfield Hills, open to Newtown residents only, must be original & professional quality following “Life In Newtown” theme, work will be used on posters, shirts, tote bags, etc, artists limited to 2 submissions, deliver original work & entry form (available on NCAC’s website) to Koenig FrameWorks, see NCAC website for full details & entry form, contact Donna Mangiafico at above phone # for addt’l info.

Concerts, Musical Events ____

Feb 10: An Evening of Cabaret with Francine Wheeler, C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown, $10, doors open at 6 for refreshments, performance at 7, early standards/The American Songbook to contemporary folk, rock & vocals performed by Sandy Hook resident, attendees welcome to bring snacks, library also providing refreshments, registration requested;

203-426-4533.

Feb 12: Intergenerational Valentine’s Cabaret, Southbury Senior Center, 561 Main St South/Rte 6, Southbury, 1:30-3:30 pm, free, performance by 6-member Newtown-based jazz band Boplicity, refreshments in cabaret setting, recommended for ages 9 & up; 203-262-0651.

Feb 17: Lecture & Musical Performance by Roberta Flack, Meeting House of First Congregational Church on The Green, 6 Kirby Rd, Washington Green, 7 pm, free (first-come, first-served limited seating), presentation by the Grammy Award-winning artist, humanitarian & mentor in celebration of Black History Month, part of The Gunnery’s Speaker Series; wojcikj@gunnery.org.

Newtown Friends of Music, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown; 203-426-6470, www.NewtownFriendsOfMusic.com.

Concerts at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, start times as noted, tickets $20, free ages 5-14 w/ ticket-holding adult, reception follows performances: Feb 12, Trio Solisti, 3 pm, works of Mozart, Moravec Hubay & Dvorak.

For Kids & Families _________

Feb 10: Friday Bingo Night, St Rose of Lima Gathering Hall, 46 Church Hill Rd, Newtown, doors open 5:45 pm, games begin 6:30, $17 incl all regular & most special games, baked goods & dinner items available for purchase, sponsored by St Rose of Lima Home School Assn, also March 9 & April 13, all ages welcome;

203-426-5102.

 

Miscellaneous ___________

Feb 10: Friday Bingo Night, St Rose of Lima Gathering Hall, 46 Church Hill Rd, Newtown, doors open 5:45 pm, games begin 6:30, $17 incl all regular & most special games, baked goods & dinner items available for purchase, sponsored by St Rose of Lima Home School Assn, also March 9 & April 13; 203-426-5102.

Feb 11: Turn Nickels Into Gold: NHS Varsity Winter Guard Fundraiser, Newtown High School front parking lot, 12 Berkshire Rd/Rte 34, Sandy Hook, 9 am-noon, team will be receiving donations of returnable cans & bottles, to be turned in & used to defray costs of team attending Winter Guard International Championships in April (addt’l collection date March 10); 203-304-1339, 203-426-3742.

Feb 11: Turn Nickels Into Gold: NHS Varsity Winter Guard Fundraiser, at Newtown Middle School, 11 Queen St, Newtown, 9 am-noon, see details above (within listing for NHS).

Feb 11: Turn Nickels Into Gold: NHS Varsity Winter Guard Fundraiser, at Reed Intermediate School, 3 Trades La, Newtown, 9 am-noon, see details above (within listing for NHS).

Feb 11: Dog & Puppy Adoption Event, Youth Healthy Pet, 224 Main St South/Rte 25, Newtown, 10:30 am-12:30 pm, meet some of the dogs and puppies available for adoption through The Animal Center; 203-270-0228, 203-270-7387.

Feb 11: PMC demonstration, A Bead of Roses, 274 South Main St/Rte 25 (Plaza South), Newtown, 3-5 pm, free demo by artist Lisel Crowley on Precious Metal Clay & its myriad uses, optional workshop follows (registration suggested); 203-304-9264.

Feb 11: Wine Tasting Event at St Peter’s Episcopal Church, 175 Old Tannery Rd/Rte 111 (at the green), Monroe, 6-8 pm, $20/person, $35/couple, wines paired w/ food offerings by members of church, proceeds to assist in community ser-vice & missions; 203-268-4265.

Feb 11: Midwinter Feast of St John’s, St John’s Episcopal Church, 78 Green Hill Rd (opposite green), Washington Green, 6:30 pm, $50, dinner featuring recipes from St John’s Cookbook, live entertainment by Episcopalian comedian Mark McGougan, proceeds to benefit St John’s Outreach Committee; 860-868-2527.

Feb 11: Valentine’s Event at Fat Cat Pie Company, 9 Wall St, Norwalk, 7-10 pm, $30, adult celebration w/ pizza, artisan cheeses & wine tastings, live entertainment by Charles Keating & Family, fundraiser for Housatonic Valley Waldorf School; 203-364-1114.

Feb 17: Lecture & Musical Performance by Roberta Flack, Meeting House of First Congregational Church on The Green, 6 Kirby Rd, Washington Green, 7 pm, free (first-come, first-served limited seating), presentation by the Grammy Award-winning artist, humanitarian & mentor in celebration of Black History Month, part of The Gunnery’s Speaker Series; wojcikj@gunnery.org.

Feb 21: 55th Annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Supper, St John’s Episcopal Church, 5 Washington Ave, Sandy Hook, 5-7:30 pm, $8, $4 ages 3-10 (free age 2 & under), traditional meal of pancakes, corned beef hash, country sausage, applesauce & beverages, all welcome, take-out available; 203-426-3112.

C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown;

203-426-4533.

Feb 10, An Evening of Cabaret with Francine Wheeler, $10, doors open at 6 for refreshments, performance at 7, early standards/The American Songbook to contemporary folk, rock & vocals performed by Sandy Hook resident; Feb 15, Independent Film Series: screening of The Human Resource Manager, at 1 pm; Feb 15, Good Reads For Cold Nights: Regeneration by Pat Barker, 7:30 pm, Julie Stern will lead discussion in Antiques Room.

Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-2475.

(FILM) Feb 10-12: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, Fri-Sat 7 & 9:10 pm, Sun 7 pm, mat Sat 1 & 4 pm.

Feb 13-17: Young Adult (R), Mon-Thurs 7 pm, Fri 7 & 9 pm, mat Tues 1 pm.

Flagpole Photographers Camera Club, C.H. Booth Library lower meeting room, 25 Main St, Newtown; 203-270-0483, FlagpolePhotographers@yahoo.com, www.FlagpolePhotographers.com.

Meetings 3rd Thurs/month, 7:30 pm, non-members always welcome, free: Feb 16, photo competition Assigned Subject: Ice, open color, open black & white.

Newtown Chess Club, at C.H. Booth Library, 25 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-4533.

Weekly games, Sat 1-5 pm, drop-in chess open to all skill levels, sets & boards provided, hosted by US Chess Federation expert Glenn Budzinski.

Newtown Hikers. Call 203-788-1398 (Ester Nichols), 203-270-4340 (Newtown Parks & Rec).

Hikes leave from lower lot @Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main St, Newtown, 10 am, free, all welcome (children must be accompanied), bring bag lunch/beverage, wear sturdy shoes, destinations & leaders (in parentheses) as follows: Feb 11, Seth Low Pierepont State Park, Ridgefield, main entrance on Barlow Mt Rd (Mark Jones, 203-894-9534); Feb 18, Fairfield Hills & Governor’s Horse Guard, Newtown (Sally Cox, 203-426-9903); Feb 25, Bent of the River Audubon Center, South Britain (Lynn Vela, 617-335-9678).

Newtown Toastmasters, Town Hall South Parks & Recreation Conference Room, 3 Main St, Newtown; 203-313-5507, NewtownToastmasters.FreeToastHost.cc.

Local chapter of international organization meets 1st & 3rd Wed/month, guests & newcomers welcome.

Newtown VNA Thrift Shop, Edmond Town Hall (lower level, use rear parking lot), 45 Main Street, Newtown; 203-270-4377.

Shop is open every Wed 12-3 pm & Sat 9 am-noon, access is from town hall's back parking lot, shop carries discounted items from local businesses & pri-vate donors incl clothing, sm home accessories & more.

Shepaug Eagle Observation Area, Shepaug Housatonic Hydroelectric Station, River Rd, Southbury;

800-368-8954.

Observation area open to March 14 for 2011-12 season, Wed, Sat-Sun 9 am-1 pm, free adm but reservations absolutely required.

Society of Creative Arts of Newtown, Inc. (SCAN), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-6654, www.SCANart.org.

Programs 2nd Wed/month, 7:30 pm, free, public welcome, artist demonstrations, refreshments: Feb 22, pastel still life by Clayton Buchanan.

Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS), Newtown Meeting House, 31 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown; 203-426-6224 (ask for Betty) or 203-264-3728 (ask for Krista).

Non-profit weight loss support group meets every Mon 6:30-7:30 pm (weigh-ins 5:45-6:15, meetings 6:30-7:30), meetings $2/week, membership $24/year.

Theatre ______________

Center Stage Theater, 54 Grove St (former Lafayette School), Shelton; 203-225-6079.

Through Feb 11: Guys and Dolls, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, mat Sun 2 pm, $25, $10 students.

Long Wharf Theatre, 222 Sargent Dr, New Haven; 203-787-4282.

Mainstage: Through Feb 12: Macbeth 1969, curtain Thurs-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat 3 pm, Sun 2 pm, $40-$70.

Stray Kats Theatre Company, Edmond Town Hall Alexandria Room, 45 Main St/Rte 25, Newtown;

203-514-2221.

Staged readings, 7:30 pm, $25/adv, $30/door, Q&A w/ actors & reception follows: Feb 25, Edward Albee’s Seascape.

TheaterWorks Hartford, 233 Pearl St, Hartford;

860-527-7838.

Through Feb 26: The Sty of the Blind Pig, curtain Fri-Sat 8 pm, Tues-Thurs 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2:30 pm, tickets $50, $17 student rush.

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Events that appear by date have Newtown items listed first, with additional events listed by their start time.

EXPANDED CALENDAR ONLINE

Want to know about more regional events? Find an expanded edition of this calendar online at www.NewtownBee.com. Click on the Features tab and look for Enjoy/Regional Calendar of Events.

 Shannon Hicks is the calendar editor for The Newtown Bee. To submit an item for the Enjoy Calendar, send her an email at shannon@thebee.com no later than Tuesday at 5 pm for each week’s calendar. For the Community Calendar (on page A-2 each week), emails must be received no later than 5 pm Wednesday.

For additional information contact Miss Hicks at

203-426-3141.