New Canaan Answer Book
Entertainment
Apr 23, 2007

Where is the nearest movie theater?

The New Canaan Playhouse is at 89 Elm Street. To find out what’s playing, call 966-0600, or check the Arts & Leisure section of The Advertiser.

Where can I rent films?

Gramophone Video, 99 Main Street (972-0002/gramophone.myvideostore.com), rents and sells VHS and DVD movies. Under the same roof is The Gramophone Shop, which sells CDs and cassette tapes.

There is also New Canaan Video at 26 Cross Street (972-1200).
You may also borrow films from New Canaan Library at 151 Main Street (newcanaanlibrary.org).

Is there an amateur theatrical company?

The Town Players, which call the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park home, produce five “main stage” shows (including a holiday show and summer show) each year. All shows are cast by open auditions. Call the office at 972-0094 or visit the group’s Web site at tpnc.org. For tickets, call 966-7371.

Stage II brings new talent to the Town Players. It is an opportunity for new actors, directors, playwrights and technicians to learn by doing. Several events are offered each year. For information or to offer a production idea, e-mail info@tpnc.org.

Are there any local orchestras?

There are none in New Canaan but four are nearby: the Greenwich Symphony Orchestra (869-2664), Stamford Symphony Orchestra (325-1407), Norwalk Symphony (866-2455), and Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra (438-3889). There is also the Norwalk Youth Symphony Orchestra (866-4100) and the Ridgefield Symphony Youth Orchestra (438-3889). Concert details for all the orchestras appear in The Advertiser Arts & Leisure section.

New Canaan High School offers performances by the Jazz Band, Wind Ensemble, Madrigal Singers and Symphony Orchestra.

What about chamber music?

The Waveny Chamber Music Society offers four concerts throughout the year in September, October, April, and May featuring elite chamber music groups from around the world. All concerts take place on Sundays at 4 at the Carriage Barn Arts Center. The September concert always includes a wine and cheese reception. You may purchase a four-concert subscription or pay for individual tickets at the door.

For information or to have a concert schedule mailed to you, call George McEvoy, society president, at 966-5976.

Information on other chamber music events may be found in the Arts & Leisure Section of The Advertiser.

Where can I go to hear jazz?
The Silvermine Guild Arts Center (966-9700) offers a Sunday afternoon jazz series in winter.

Silvermine Tavern (847-4558), 194 Perry Avenue, Norwalk, serves up Dixieland jazz with its buffet on Thursdays from 6 to 9:30. A program called Live Inn Late Jazz is offered on Fridays from 9 to 11:30.

Where can I go to hear folk music?

The Carriage Barn Arts Center offers a concert series of contemporary folk and acoustic music. For the schedule, visit carriagebarn.org. For reservations, call 972-1895 or e-mail barnmusic@aol.com.

The Good Folk Coffeehouse offers monthly concerts at Rowayton United Methodist Church. For information on performances, visit goodfolkcoffeehouse.com.

Are there any free concerts?

Summer brings open-air music on the patio at Waveny House on Wednesday evenings at 7:30 beginning in June. Picnicking is welcome. A schedule will be announced in June. Call 594-3600 for details. In case of inclement weather, call 594-3610 to see if the concert is canceled.

Is there a singing group I can join?

The Park Street Singers is a women’s choral group. Rehearsals are held every Monday afternoon at the Congregational Church, October to December, and then again January to June. Two programs are prepared each year, a spring-fall program and a holiday program, which are performed at nursing homes, senior centers, etc. No auditions are required. For information, call Alice Schweitzer at 655-7275.

The Stamford Chorale rehearses every Tuesday, 7:15 p.m., at Sterling Glen in Stamford. Auditions are not required. Visit online at stamfordchorale.com.

The Fairfield County Chorale rehearses Monday evenings at 7:45 in Norwalk City Hall. Auditions are the first Sunday after Labor Day and after any rehearsal; call 254-1333. Visit online at fairfieldcountychorale.org.

Where can I go dancing?

The Cranbury Country Dancers participate in contras and country dancing on the first and third Friday of the month (except July and August), at the Cranbury Community Chapel in Norwalk. All dances are taught and partners are not necessary. For details, call 226-6681 or 373-9320.

For American contra dancing, there are the Round Hill Country Dances on the second Saturday of the month (except August) at Round Hill Community House in Greenwich. The basics are taught and there is a live band and caller. For information, call 381-9509.

You can also check The Advertiser Arts & Leisure section for new listings.

Where can one take music lessons?

Merit Music at 33 East Avenue (966-9519) offers instruction on “just about every instrument you can think of,” especially those the shop offers for sale or rent.

Music Together offers an interactive program for young children and parents in New Canaan. Call 256-1656 or visit online at mtfcinfo.com.

Is there a performing arts school?

The Performing Arts Conservatory of New Canaan (966-6177/performingartsconservatory.com) offers a professional multi-disciplined performing arts program. There are classes for young people and adults in voice, acting, piano, musical theater, dance, creative dramatics, singing and recording.

Is there a town band?

Founded in 1831, New Canaan’s Town Band is the oldest, non-church musical group in town. It is comprised of approximately 50 musicians from New Canaan and the surrounding area and provides music for the town’s annual Memorial Day parade, Fourth of July and other special occasions, as well as local outdoor summer concerts.

Anyone with band experience is welcome as a member. Some instruments are available for players who do not have their own. Interested musicians should call the band secretary, Patty Beyer at 831-0210.

What is the New Canaan Society for the Arts?

The New Canaan Society for the Arts is a member-supported, nonprofit community cultural organization. It sponsors the Carriage Barn Arts Center in Waveny Park, home to art exhibitions and a variety of performances.

The society offers art classes for adults and after-school classes for children. One of the society’s new programs is Creative Community Connections, which brings creativity, imagination, and problem-solving techniques through the arts to children in schools where the arts curriculum has been eliminated.

Art exhibitions are held in the Betty Barker Gallery (see below).

Membership is open to all. Call 972-1895 or visit carriagebarn.org.

What is the Silvermine Guild Arts Center?

The Silvermine Guild Arts Center promotes art through exhibitions (see below), classes and special events. Art instruction is offered to young people and adults in a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and photography. Summer art camps are also offered.

Membership is available to artists who are also expected to volunteer time at Silvermine. New member jury days occur in the spring and fall. The center also welcomes volunteers and offers internships for scholastic credit and/or professional development.

The arts center is at 1037 Silvermine Road. Call 966-9700 or visit silvermineart.org.

Are there any art galleries around?

The New Canaan Society for the Arts operates The Betty Barker Gallery at the Carriage Barn Arts Center in Waveny Park. It holds several annual exhibitions a year including the judged Photography Show in February, the juried Spectrum Show in April and the Annual Members Show during September. Invitational exhibitions are held during the rest of the year.

The gallery is open from noon to 4, Tuesday through Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5. Call 972-1895 or visit carriagebarn.org. Admission is free.

The Silvermine Galleries is a complex of five galleries presenting more than 20 shows a year. The highly regarded Art of the Northeast is offered each spring. Free artists’ talks are held each Wednesday at 12:30. Visitors are welcome to bring a brown bag lunch. The galleries are open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 to 5, and Sunday from 1 to 5. For more information, call the Silvermine Arts Guild at 966-9700.

For  information on galleries in the area, the Arts & Leisure Section in the New Canaan Advertiser lists what is being exhibited.

What museums are in town?

With five vintage buildings, seven museums and a library, the New Canaan Historical Society, 13 Oenoke Ridge, has preserved one of the most important collections of “relics and curiosities” in the Northeast.

Founded in 1889, the New Canaan Historical Society, features the Town House, which houses the Society’s offices, as well as the Library, Costume Museum, Cody Drug Store, Exhibition Room and archival wing.

The costume Museum is on the second floor of the Town House and features a presentation of 18th, 19th and 20th Century clothing and accessories in changing exhibitions.

The Cody Drug Store is an 1845 shop interior adjacent to the Town House. It is complete with its original fixtures, store merchandise and bottles.

The Society’s library, in the rear of the Town House, contains more than 4,000 volumes on genealogy and area history, along with a collection of manuscripts, deeds and documents, as well as local newspapers on microfilm and bound volumes of the New Canaan Messenger, Era and The Advertiser.

Other highlights on the Historical Society grounds include the Hanford-Silliman House; the Tool Museum; the New Canaan Hand Press — a recreation of a 19th Century printing office — the John Rogers Studio and Museum, built in 1878; and the Rock School, a one-room school house built in 1799.

Hours for the New Canaan Historical Society are as follows: Town House and Library; Tuesday-Friday 9:30-4:30, and Saturday 9:30-12:30 and 2-4:30. For the Hanford-Silliman House, the Tool Museum, John Rogers Studio and Museum and the Rock School, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 2-4 p.m. Summer hours for these attractions are Tuesday-Friday and Sunday, 2-4 p.m.

The Little Red School House in Carter Street is open by appointment only. Call 966-1776 to arrange a group tour.

What does the Maritime Aquarium offer?

The Maritime Aquarium on North Water Street in South Norwalk has a variety of aquatic exhibits from harbor seals to sharks. Permanent exhibits feature a habitat for river otters and a “pet a live shark” display.

Next door to the aquarium is an IMAX theater. Visitors may buy a ticket to either or gain admission to both the aquarium and the theater with a combination ticket. For information, call 852-0700.

Is there a guide to interesting places to go?

In the spring, the New Canaan Advertiser publishes a guide called 100 Things to Do, which list activities and places to visit within a one-hour radius of New Canaan.  For a copy, send $2.50 to cover postage and handling to 100 Things to Do, Box 1019, Ridgefield, 06877.

Visitors or people new to the area may call The Coastal Fairfield County Tourism Convention and Visitor Bureau in Norwalk for tourism information. The agency publishes seasonal calendars of events in the area. Call 853-7770 or visit online at visitfairfieldcountyct.com.

Can I rent a local hall for a party or a reception?

At Waveny Park, Waveny Mansion and Lapham House are available through the department of recreation. Call 594-3600 for information. The Carriage Barn may be rented for cultural events or functions by nonprofit organizations; no private-party rentals. Call the New Canaan Society for the Arts at 972-1895. Silvermine Galleries may also be rented for special events. Call 966-5617, ext. 20 or e-mail gallery@silvermineart.org.

© Copyright 2007 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers