Dueling 'Nutcrackers'; Laser Light Shows; Usher at XL Center

Nutcracker Mania

Call it the Nutcracker-palooza. Here, there and everywhere, productions of the holiday ballet classic abound.

The Connecticut Concert Ballet moves its production of The Nutcracker to Manchester High School for performances on Dec. 18 and 19. The production features 250 of the Connecticut Concert Ballet's local students alongside professional dancers from the Newport, Rhode Island-based Island Moving Co. 

Performances are Dec. 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $22 to $28; $15 students and seniors; and $10 ages 4 and under. For tickets or more information, visit www.connecticutnutcracker.com or call 860-418-7294.  Manchester High School is at 134 East Middle Turnpike, Manchester.

And wait, there are more! With performances of the Nutmeg Ballet's The Nutcracker coming up Dec. 18 and 19 at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford (see last week's ArtsPatch column or visit www.bushnell.com), two more versions of the classic holiday ballet open this week.

The West Hartford-based Ballet Theater Company debuts a Nutcracker choreographed by the company's new artistic director Roman Baca. Founder of the New York-based dance company Exit 12, Baca is a former U.S. Marine. He brings his military experience to the world of ballet, and his interpretation of the tale of dueling mice, dancing sugar plum fairies and a Nutcracker doll invents a past for Drosselmeyer, making him a military veteran who is loath to see his nephew go off to war. The Ballet Theater dancers are a mix of local and New York-based talents.

Performances are Dec. 16 through 19 at the Hoffman Auditorium in the Carol Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities at St. Joseph College, 1678 Asylum Ave., West Hartford. Ticket prices range from $20 to $30. For tickets or more information, visit www.dancebtc.org or call 860-570-0440. At each performance, the company is collecting new, unwrapped toys as part of the U.S. Marines' Toys for Tots program.

At the Hartt School in West Hartford, the Community Division presents The Nutcracker Suite featuring American Ballet Theatre dancer and Hartt Community Division alumna Meaghan Hinkis in the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The Tchaikovsky score will be played by the Connecticut Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dan D'Addio.

Performances are Dec. 18 and 19 in the Millard Auditorium at the University of Hartford's main campus, 200 Bloomfield Ave., West Hartford. Tickets cost $25, $15 for students and seniors. For tickets and more information, visit http://harttweb.hartford.edu/tickets.aspx or call 860-768-4228.

Movie Madness at Suffield Library

The folks at Kent Memorial Library in Suffield know it's vacation time for lots of people – and especially for school kids. They are offering a schedule of free movie screenings with various age groups in mind. Screenings are held in the library auditorium. 

The library is at 50 North Main St., Suffield. For more information, visit www.suffield-library.org or call 860-668-3896. (The library's auditorium will be closed throughout January and February during which time the wooden seats are to be cushioned.)

The movie schedule is as follows:

Dec. 17 at 1:30 p.m. – Inception – Leonardo DiCaprio and Ellen Page star in this drama about "inception," the process of planting an idea in your subconscious while you dream. Rated PG-13.

Dec. 27 at 2 p.m. – Toy Story 3 – Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen) is back along with Woody (Tom Hanks) and all your favorite toys for a third installment. 103 minutes. Rated G.

Dec. 28 at 2 p.m. – Shrek Forever After – Will the big green troll and his beloved Fiona live happily ever after? 93 minutes. Rated PG.

Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. – Ramona and Beezus – Based on the Beverly Cleary book Beezus and Ramona, the film (which inverts the title) is a family comedy starring Joey King and Selena Gomez. 103 minutes. Rated G.

Dec. 29 at 6:30 p.m. – Bomber – Shane Taylor and Benjamin Whitrow star in the 2009 British comedy-drama bout a family road trip to Germany. 84 minutes. Not rated.

Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. – Vampires Suck – Whether you love or hate Stephanie Meyer's vampire series, you'll enjoy this spoof of the Twilight Sage movies. 82 minutes. Rated PG-13.

Dec. 31 at 2 p.m. – The Last Airbender – M. Night Shyamalan's action-adventure features Aang (Noah Ringer) as an Air Nomad with bending abilities. 103 minutes. Rated PG.

What To My Wondering Eyes Should Appear . . .

. . . A laser light show, set to music ranging from Christmas classics and holiday offerings to today's pop, rock and country. The all-ages digital extravaganza is being offered Dec. 17 through 19 at the Children's Museum in West Hartford. Show times are 5:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Arrive early to stroll the museum's decorated halls and participate in craft activities. Step outside to enjoy a yule log, and (weather permitting) to see Jupiter, the Pleiades star cluster, and the Orion nebula through museum telescopes. Tickets are $11, $5 for corporate or reciprocal members, and free for members of the Children's Museum/Roaring Brook Nature Center. Online registration is recommended as space is limited. The Children's Museum is at 950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford. Visit www.thechildrensmuseumct.org or call 860-231-2824.

Comfortably Numb Under Laser Lights

Fans of rock 'n roll and laser lights, West Hartford's Children's Museum presents several laser rock shows on Dec. 17 and 18. On Dec. 17, two of the museums' most popular shows – Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, which includes the entire album, and Pink Floyd's The Wall, which includes all hit songs from the album – take place at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., respectively. On Dec. 18, it's Laser Green Day, a retrospective of the band's greatest hits, at 8 p.m., followed by Laser Guitar Hero, featuring favorite guitar classics set to light images, at 9 p.m.

The laser rock shows are suitable for adults and children ages 13 and over. Online registration is recommended as space is limited. Tickets are $9 for each show, $8 for members of the Children's Museum/Roaring Brook Nature Center. Tickets for both shows in the same evening can be purchased for $16; $14 members. The Children's Museum is at 950 Trout Brook Drive, West Hartford. Visit www.thechildrensmuseumct.org or call 860-231-2824.

Singer/Songwriter Deni Bonet in Simsbury

Classically trained violinist Deni Bonet quit the classical world because she hated having to wear black and sit still. Since then, the singer/songwriter has performed as part of the Lilith Fair, and performed or recorded with REM, Sarah McLachlan, Chris Whitley, Cyndi Lauper, and Daniel Lanois, among others. Bonet comes to the Simsbury Public Library Dec. 17 for a free concert starting at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. For more information about Bonet, visit www.denibonet.com. 

The Simsbury Public Library is at 725 Hopmeadow St., Simsbury. For more information, visit www.simsburylibrary.info or call 860-658-7663.

Women Artists at the New Britain Museum of American Art

What happens when two curators, art historians and University of Hartford faculty members search through a museum's permanent collection looking for art produced by American women? A lot if inspiring discoveries – and a new exhibition called Women Artists @ the New Britain Museum of American Art. Professors Sherry Buckberrough and Nancy Noble dug deep into the museum's collection, uncovering works by artists as familiar as Mary Cassatt, Dorothea Lange, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Lee Krasner and more contemporary names including Lalla Essaydi, Nina Bentley, and Mary Dwyer. Eight main themes are explored: abstraction, identity, modernity, city, narrative, nature, nudes, and portraits. The works represent a variety of media, eras, ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds, and points of view. 

Women Artists @ New Britiain Museum opens Dec. 18 and runs through March 20. An opening reception is Jan. 7, 2011 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The New Britain Museum of American Art is at 56 Lexington St., New Britain. For more information, visit www.nbmaa.org or call 860-229-0257.

Holiday Comedy at Long Wharf

You think your family is dysfunctional? Steve Solomon returns to New Haven's Long Wharf Theatre with his one-man show My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm Home for the Holidays. "His childhood growing up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, is his jumping off point for all the humor and trauma that makes his life so much like our own," writes Bonnie Goldberg in the Middletown Press.

The show runs Dec. 21 through 23. Tickets cost $40. For tickets and more information, visit www.longwharf.org or call 203-787-4282.

It's a Wonderful Life at Cinestudio

It's an annual holiday tradition at Hartford's Cinestudio to screen Frank Capra's classic Christmas tale It's a Wonderful Life. James Stewart stars as the married man and community pillar whose faith in his fellow man is tested. The film might be hard to escape on your cable channels this season, but there is no substitute for seeing it on the big screen. The 1946 film is especially poignant this year when persistent economic turmoil – and the greed of a wealthy few – have caused trouble for so many. Who won't feel heartened by the story of a banker who is reawakened to the importance of his good deeds on behalf of the community?

Screenings are Dec. 19 through Dec. 23. Cinestudio is on the campus of Trinity College, 300 Summit St., Hartford. For times, ticket prices and more information, visit www.cinestudio.org or call 860-297-2463.

Extending Olive Branches in the Middle East

Budrus, a documentary by Julia Bacha, is named for the village in Palestine where a nonviolent protest succeeded in pushing back Israeli attempts to erect a security barrier. The mayor of the beautiful village, Ayed Morrar, enlists women and even members of Hamas and Fatah, who join together to fight for the preservation of Budrus, its olive trees, cemetery, and citizens' way of life. New York Timescolumnist Nicholas Kristof calls Budrus "the must-see documentary of the year."

Hartford's Real Art Ways brings the film to Hartford with screenings from Dec. 17 to 21. Several of the screenings feature post-film discussions with special guests. For a complete schedule, visit www.realartways.org or call 860-232-1006. Real Art Ways is at 56 Arbor St., Hartford. 

Usher in Hartford for Jingle Jam

Multi-platinum recording artist Usher stops in Hartford on Dec. 18 to lend his talents to the 10th annual 93.7 Jingle Jam. Usher's appearance is part of his acclaimed OMG Tour, which began in November in Seattle. The OMG / Jingle Jam lineup also features Trey Songz and Miguel.

Tickets range from $26.50 to $96.50 and can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000 or the automated only, self-service Ticketmaster Express at 866-448-7849. For more details about Usher, check out www.Usherworld.com. The concert is at the XL Center, 225 Trumbull St., Hartford.