A Short Visit From The Wizard
“The Wizard of Oz” peeks out from behind the curtain April 6 to 8 at the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Ave., Hartford. The show is closely based on the 1933 MGM movie version of the original L. Frank Baum book, but the live show adds a song, “The Jitterbug,” that was cut from the film. It also adds more comedy overall to the family-friendly story. Emily Perzan, the Hartt School grad who plays the Wicked Witch of the West, says her favorite line in the show is one that wasn’t in the film. It takes place when she sees that a house has fallen on her sister: “Of course I recognize her — who else would wear ruby slippers with those socks?”
There are five Bushnell performances: Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $42.50 to $103.50. 860-987-5900 and bushnell.org. The national tour will also be at the Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London, for a single performance May 3 at 7:30 p.m. 860-444-7373 and gardearts.org.
April In Paris Film Fest
The theme of this year’s April in Paris film festival, the annual French-language cinema series that runs April 8 to 14 at Cinestudio in Hartford, is “Ties That Bind.” Schedule and show dates and times here.
Eat Out In The Elm City
New Haven Restaurant Week returns April 8 to 13, with two-course prix-fixe lunch menus for $17 or three-course dinners for $34.
Participants include 116 Crown, Adriana’s, Atelier Florian, Barcelona Wine Bar, Basta Trattoria, Caffe Bravo, Caseus Fromagerie & Bistro, Cask Republic, Christopher Martins, Fornarelli’s, Geronimo, Goodfellas, Harvest Wine Bar & Restaurant, Heirloom, Jack’s Bar & Steakhouse, John Davenport’s, L’Orcio, Lenny & Joe’s Fish Tale, Miya’s Sushi, Olea, Olives and Oil, Pacifico, Prime 16, ROIA, Shell & Bones, Soul de Cuba, Tarry Lodge, Tre Scalini, Union League Cafe and Zinc. Menus and information: infonewhaven.com/dining/nhrwinfo.
Sun Whiskey
The Sun Whiskey Union event returns to Mohegan Sun April 6 at 8 p.m., with liquor and cocktail tastings, food samples and live music. Tickets are $50; hotel packages with event tickets are $349 to $419. mohegansun.com/sun-whiskey-union.html.
Greenhouse Beer Festival
MiKro Beer Bar and Michael’s Greenhouses team up April 8 at 1 p.m. for the fourth annual Greenhouse Beer Festival at the Cheshire venue, 300 South Meriden Road. The event features beer tastings, live bluegrass music and food for purchase from NoRA Cupcake Company, Caseus Cheese Truck and Chief Brody’s Banh Mi. $60 for general admission; $30 for designated drivers. Proceeds benefit the Smilow Cancer Center. mikrobeerbar.com/event
Free Cone Day
Ben & Jerry’s celebrates Free Cone Day on April 10, offering a free scoop of ice cream at its scoop shops between noon and 8 p.m. Participating Connecticut stores are in Canton (Shoppes at Farmington Valley), Glastonbury, Mashantucket (Foxwoods Resort Casino), New Haven, Old Saybrook, South Windsor (Evergreen Walk), Uncasville (Mohegan Sun) and West Hartford. benjerry.com.
Puppy Party
Glastonbury’s Riverfront Park on Welles Street hosts an after-Easter egg hunt for dogs with more than 6,000 eggs on April 7 at 10 a.m. at the park on Welles Street. $10 per dog. Rain or shine. Every egg contains a treat or prize for you and your dog (donated by Melzen Pet Supply) including gift certificates and other surprises. Dogs must be on leash with up-to-date rabies tag or certification. No aggressive dogs please. 860-652-7679 and glastonbury-ct.gov
Yard Goats At Bat
It’s finally time to play ball. The season at Dunkin’ Donuts Park opens April 5 with seven games in a row at home, the first four against New Hampshire Fisher Cats, the next three against Richmond’s Flying Squirrels. Thursday and Friday games start at 7:05; Saturday at 6:05 p.m. and Sunday at 1:05. Monday through Wednesday games also start at 7:05 p.m. Tickets start at $6. Tickets and information: milb.com
NASA Space Day
Hartford’s Connecticut Science Center lets kids step into the shoes (and spacesuit) of an astronaut with hands-on space- and solar-themed activities, astronaut ice cream and science presentations on April 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regular admission rates apply. ctsciencecenter.org/
Merry Times
The Hartford’s Bushnell Park Carousel re-opens to the public on April 7 offering 3-1/2-minute spins for $1 on one of its 48 wooden horses. Prepaid ticket books good for 30 rides are also available for $25. Popcorn, ice cream, and soft drinks are available for purchase. Spring hours will be Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Also returning are the Princess Teas, which can be booked for April 15, May 6, June 10, July 15, Aug. 19, Sept. 23, Oct. 21, and Nov. 11. These parties, which include guest princesses, storytelling and snacks, run from 1 to 3 p.m. Reservations required. $20 per child, $5 adults; members $15, adults free. 860-585-5411 and thecarouselmuseum.org. More information here.
The 2018 Hartford Improv Festival, organized by Hartford’s Sea Tea Improv company, has more guest performers and more performances overall than previous festivals. There’s also a headlining attraction: North Coast, from New York City. The festival runs April 5 to 8 at several locations in downtown Hartford. Tickets to individual performances are $10. Day passes are $20 for Thursday, $30 for Friday, $70 for Saturday and $30 for Sunday. A four-day pass good for all shows is $135. See story here.
Do you have an event our readers should know about? You can submit details at ctnow.com/events and email kuse@courant.com, aellis@courant.com and lbukowinski@ctnow.com at least 10 days before the date of your event. And high-resolution jpegs help us to get the word out.
![OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A bus carrying farmworkers in central Florida overturned on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said. The bus was transporting 53 farmworkers when it collided with a truck in Marion County, north of Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Authorities say the bus swerved off a […]](https://www.courant.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Farmworker-Bus-Accident-Florida_24060.jpg?w=620 "OCALA, Fla. (AP) — A bus carrying farmworkers in central Florida overturned on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring about 40 other passengers, authorities said. The bus was transporting 53 farmworkers when it collided with a truck in Marion County, north of Orlando, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Authorities say the bus swerved off a […]")
