The Bruce Museum was originally bequeathed in 1906 by its first owner, Richard Moffat Bruce, as a natural history, historical, and art museum, “for the use and benefit of the public.” Its current director, Peter Sutton, a world-class scholar of northern and Dutch paintings, has put the Bruce on the map, with major exhibitions that travel to other acclaimed …more…

Donated to Yale by banking scion Paul Mellon, and housed in the last building designed by eminent architect Louis I. Kahn, this collection of paintings‚ sculpture‚ drawings‚ prints‚ rare books‚ and manuscripts is the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. ...more...

This comprehensive museum originally opened in 1832 when Yale’s president arranged to buy paintings and miniatures from John Trumbull. Since then, the collection has grown primarily due to generous gifts from prosperous alumni. Well-known for this American collection, the museum also has several pre- and post-Impressionist paintings (including Van Gogh’s The Night Café) and a collection of modern (as in 1913-1929) art donated by arts patroness Katherine Dreier. ...more...

(May 4-12, 2012)

Carlotta Festival of New Plays Information

Public Transportation: Very Good (steps from CT Transit buses B, D, F, G, O, Q, and ZW at Chapel Street/York Street. You can also take the Metro North or Shore Line East Trains to the New Haven State Street Station, and catch CT Transit buses D, F, G, and Q, which will take you to the theater)
Handicapped Accessibility: Good
Performances/Programs: 3 new plays are …more…

(July 13 – August 5, 2012)

Connecticut Free Shakespeare Information

Venues: Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport); The McLevy Green (176 State Street, Bridgeport); The Guilford Green (Whitfield Street and Boston Street, Guilford)
Public Transportation: Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (a 5-minute walk from GBTA bus 9 at East Main Street/Noble Avenue; and a 12-minute walk from buses 6 and 17 at Boston Avenue/Noble Avenue). The McLevy Green (a 3-minute walk from Amtrak, …more…

The Long Wharf Theatre, named for a port on the New Haven harbor and not actually located on a wharf (in case you were wondering), is one of the most respected theaters in the Northeast. Though the company has done its fair share of classics since opening with The Crucible in 1965, the Long Wharf is most notable for launching new work. Its productions …more…

Ever since its birth in a big red barn in 1930, Westport Country Playhouse has embodied the perfect blend of theatrical professionalism and rustic New England charm. Some of the greatest performers of the 20th century—Bert Lahr, Laurette Taylor, Paul Robeson, Helen Hayes, Ethel Barrymore, and Jose Ferrer, to name a few—have trod those boards. In 1946, Thornton Wilder appeared as …more…

One of the country’s most important regional theatre companies, Yale Rep’s commitment to theatrical excellence, and the development of new and important works has resulted in over 100 world premieres, two Pulitzer Prize winners and eleven New York transfers (amassing 40 Tony Award nominations) since its debut season in 1966. Developed as a professional off-shoot of the top Yale School …more…

In 2010, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra released its first commercial recording in more than 30 years, featuring William Walton’s Symphony No. 1 and Violin Concerto, as part of its “William Walton Project.” The project is part of a three-year collaboration with the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University that will produce concerts, broadcasts, lectures and future …more…

The Yale Department of Music was established in 1889, but it wasn’t until 1894 that the Yale School of Music was officially founded. The Summer School of Music and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in the village of Norfolk supplement activities during the school year; live events at Yale can be streamed here.

While performance is an integral part of Yale’s musical life, the school’s profile as a top composition school—producing many …more…

With New York City just a car (or train) ride away, it’s hard to imagine a need for great performance spaces in New Haven-Hartford area. However, Firehouse 12 in New Haven saw an opportunity and has jumped on it. Originally a recording space, Firehouse 12 has transformed itself into a multi-faceted entertainment venture, combining a recording studio, a record label, …more…

Another great free event in Connecticut for jazz lovers, the New Haven Jazz Festival takes place over two consecutive Saturdays in August and features some of the finest talent in New England as well as up-and-coming young musicians from the area. The festival takes place on the historic downtown New Haven Green as a part of the city’s summer Music …more…

(June 16 – 30, 2012) It is fitting that New Haven, home to both a thriving art scene and the distinguished Yale University, should host an International Festival of Arts and Ideas. Established in 1996, this annual festival takes over the city each June for a two-week celebration of creativity and critical thinking that electrifies the community. Venues range from the grounds of Yale to the lovely New Haven Green, where there are concerts, theatrical productions, lectures, panel discussions, dance programs, film screenings, art exhibits, poetry readings, and family fare. ...more...

This cousin of Broadway’s Schubert Theater opened in 1914, two years after its New York counterpart, and quickly established itself as a haven for pre-premieres and showcases of shows tuning up before hitting the Great White Way. It rode high from the teens through the 1960s, playing host to the debut stagings of dozens of soon-to-be-legendary productions, including My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, A Streetcar Named Desire and Oklahoma! ...more...

The Bruce Museum was originally bequeathed in 1906 by its first owner, Richard Moffat Bruce, as a natural history, historical, and art museum, “for the use and benefit of the public.” Its current director, Peter Sutton, a world-class scholar of northern and Dutch paintings, has put the Bruce on the map, with major exhibitions that travel to other acclaimed …more…

Donated to Yale by banking scion Paul Mellon, and housed in the last building designed by eminent architect Louis I. Kahn, this collection of paintings‚ sculpture‚ drawings‚ prints‚ rare books‚ and manuscripts is the largest and most comprehensive collection of British art outside the United Kingdom. ...more...

This comprehensive museum originally opened in 1832 when Yale’s president arranged to buy paintings and miniatures from John Trumbull. Since then, the collection has grown primarily due to generous gifts from prosperous alumni. Well-known for this American collection, the museum also has several pre- and post-Impressionist paintings (including Van Gogh’s The Night Café) and a collection of modern (as in 1913-1929) art donated by arts patroness Katherine Dreier. ...more...

(May 4-12, 2012)

Carlotta Festival of New Plays Information

Public Transportation: Very Good (steps from CT Transit buses B, D, F, G, O, Q, and ZW at Chapel Street/York Street. You can also take the Metro North or Shore Line East Trains to the New Haven State Street Station, and catch CT Transit buses D, F, G, and Q, which will take you to the theater)
Handicapped Accessibility: Good
Performances/Programs: 3 new plays are …more…

(July 13 – August 5, 2012)

Connecticut Free Shakespeare Information

Venues: Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (1875 Noble Avenue, Bridgeport); The McLevy Green (176 State Street, Bridgeport); The Guilford Green (Whitfield Street and Boston Street, Guilford)
Public Transportation: Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo (a 5-minute walk from GBTA bus 9 at East Main Street/Noble Avenue; and a 12-minute walk from buses 6 and 17 at Boston Avenue/Noble Avenue). The McLevy Green (a 3-minute walk from Amtrak, …more…

The Long Wharf Theatre, named for a port on the New Haven harbor and not actually located on a wharf (in case you were wondering), is one of the most respected theaters in the Northeast. Though the company has done its fair share of classics since opening with The Crucible in 1965, the Long Wharf is most notable for launching new work. Its productions …more…

Ever since its birth in a big red barn in 1930, Westport Country Playhouse has embodied the perfect blend of theatrical professionalism and rustic New England charm. Some of the greatest performers of the 20th century—Bert Lahr, Laurette Taylor, Paul Robeson, Helen Hayes, Ethel Barrymore, and Jose Ferrer, to name a few—have trod those boards. In 1946, Thornton Wilder appeared as …more…

One of the country’s most important regional theatre companies, Yale Rep’s commitment to theatrical excellence, and the development of new and important works has resulted in over 100 world premieres, two Pulitzer Prize winners and eleven New York transfers (amassing 40 Tony Award nominations) since its debut season in 1966. Developed as a professional off-shoot of the top Yale School …more…

In 2010, the New Haven Symphony Orchestra released its first commercial recording in more than 30 years, featuring William Walton’s Symphony No. 1 and Violin Concerto, as part of its “William Walton Project.” The project is part of a three-year collaboration with the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Yale University that will produce concerts, broadcasts, lectures and future …more…

The Yale Department of Music was established in 1889, but it wasn’t until 1894 that the Yale School of Music was officially founded. The Summer School of Music and Norfolk Chamber Music Festival in the village of Norfolk supplement activities during the school year; live events at Yale can be streamed here.

While performance is an integral part of Yale’s musical life, the school’s profile as a top composition school—producing many …more…

With New York City just a car (or train) ride away, it’s hard to imagine a need for great performance spaces in New Haven-Hartford area. However, Firehouse 12 in New Haven saw an opportunity and has jumped on it. Originally a recording space, Firehouse 12 has transformed itself into a multi-faceted entertainment venture, combining a recording studio, a record label, …more…

Another great free event in Connecticut for jazz lovers, the New Haven Jazz Festival takes place over two consecutive Saturdays in August and features some of the finest talent in New England as well as up-and-coming young musicians from the area. The festival takes place on the historic downtown New Haven Green as a part of the city’s summer Music …more…

(June 16 – 30, 2012) It is fitting that New Haven, home to both a thriving art scene and the distinguished Yale University, should host an International Festival of Arts and Ideas. Established in 1996, this annual festival takes over the city each June for a two-week celebration of creativity and critical thinking that electrifies the community. Venues range from the grounds of Yale to the lovely New Haven Green, where there are concerts, theatrical productions, lectures, panel discussions, dance programs, film screenings, art exhibits, poetry readings, and family fare. ...more...

This cousin of Broadway’s Schubert Theater opened in 1914, two years after its New York counterpart, and quickly established itself as a haven for pre-premieres and showcases of shows tuning up before hitting the Great White Way. It rode high from the teens through the 1960s, playing host to the debut stagings of dozens of soon-to-be-legendary productions, including My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, A Streetcar Named Desire and Oklahoma! ...more...