Friday, November 6 – January 1, 2020

Celebrate the scenic history and architecture of Ridgefield! Use your imagination and ingenuity to build a LEGO® sculpture representing one of the town’s historic sites. Win prizes! Kids under 18 are FREE. Register and upload images by January 1, 2021. For complete information go to: https://ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org/events/lego

Overview

The Ridgefield Historical Society is hosting a creative LEGO^® Sculpture contest to celebrate our town’s history and architecture. As contestants you will be tasked with unleashing your imagination to build a historic Ridgefield structure from our list of 12 landmarks. Upload images of your finished project (including one with you in the photo) in the form below. All entries will be judged by a local panel for PRIZES!

Participants

To start, all participants must register using the form below. The LEGO^® Sculpture contest is FREE for Ridgefielders between the ages of 4 and 18. Adults and families may also participate for a small entry fee of $10 per sculpture. (Rules for the contest appear below the form.)

Rules

The FINAL DATE for PHOTO SUBMISSIONS is January 1, 2021.

Upload up to three photos of each sculpture entry. If you like, please include the artist in at least one of your photos.

All entries should have a maximum dimension of 18″ wide x 18″ deep x 24″ high.

Your sculpture will be based on one of the following buildings/structures in town:

• Ballard Park Gazebo
• BassamFellows Headquarters – Philip Johnson Building
• Cass Gilbert Fountain
• Keeler Tavern
• Lounsbury House
• Old Hundred (Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum)
• Peter Parley Schoolhouse
• Ridgefield Library
• Ridgefield Post Office
• Scott House
• St. Stephen’s Church
• Town Hall
• Train Depot (at Ridgefield Supply)

We’ve always said, “Art makes a great gift!” And this year is no different. Giving the gift of art is a way to express your love with originality and creativity. The holidays always enhance our feelings for family and friends, our love for fine food and spirits, and a real hope for the future.

This year the Guild presents this exhibition of works inspired by the gift of art theme, with pieces you feel could make a great gift. Submit up to two works in any medium and format for the Art of Giving in-gallery and online exhibition.

For further information and to apply online, please visit our website.

Get in the holiday spirit in Ridgefield by strolling through downtown and participating in our dining and shopping opportunities.

Stay tuned, more information to come!

A festive fundraiser for Lounsbury House with the Ridgefield Guild of Artists.

It’s the most wonderful time of year to visit Lounsbury House and Gingerbread Homes for the Holidays. Tour Ridgefield’s historic downtown with family & friends for holiday shopping & dining — then walk this way for a joyful look at locally-made gingerbread homes, uniquely displayed inside our ballroom windows for responsible outdoor viewing. See something you love? Email info@lounsburyhouse.org. And vote for your favorites by visiting here and make a small donation to support House preservation efforts. Thank you.

Check out our Glittering Garden Holiday Tree and Tina Sturges’ replica of Lounsbury House too!

January means the post-holiday stress has settled, and you can finally open and enjoy the board game that your neighbor gave you. It is a strange game that you haven’t heard of before, but you are eager to try it with family and friends for a low-key Game Night. Upon opening the game, you discover a bonus reward code! Neat! Expecting a video or maybe a freebie, you log onto the computer and enter the code, but…this bonus content was not what you were expecting.

Join your friends and family for the Game Night Escape Room by the Ridgefield Library beginning January 15, 2021. Combining the best aspects of a physical room with the flexibility of technology, this year’s Escape Room will be a unique experience with flexible scheduling.

Sessions for Ridgefield Library’s Annual Escape Room Fundraiser are available to purchase for $50 a session for 4-5 players/Zoom log-ins. Recommended for adults, teens and families with children ages 10 and up, this unique interactive puzzle game requires a computer with internet access and Zoom capabilities. Escape Room ticket sale donations help support the Library’s Annual Operating Fund.

Once you purchase tickets, you will be contacted to schedule your one hour, online game session with one of our Escape Room monitors and a time to pick-up a physical box of take-home materials that you will need to solve the clues and puzzles. Players are encouraged to pick up materials at the Library but can opt to have their Game Night Box mailed for the cost of shipping.

To purchase tickets for the Game Night Escape Room, or for more information visit ridgefieldlibrary.org.

Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra board, staff and fundraising committee is excited to present All Hearts Holiday Auction–an online auction to benefit RSO musicians who have been unable to perform with the orchestra since the global pandemic struck last spring.

The auction, which will be online from December 3rd-7th, will feature a unique selection of gifts from local merchants and service providers that are sure to delight an array of family and friends. From a night out on the town, to baubles, books, and toys, the auction will bring gift shopping right to your living room! 

An important part of the All Hearts fundraiser is promoting shopping local by highlighting the merchants, service providers and other non-profits who are supporting the event. “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity from those who have offered an item, service or experience for the auction. We currently have about 50 participating partners, with more added every day.” says Amanda Dranow, RSO Director of Development. “We hope everyone has started to see the All Hearts logo on windows around town!”

In the coming weeks, the RSO looks forward to publishing short features on our auction donors, as well as continuing our social media posts on Instagram and Facebook @ridgefieldsymphony.

The auction will be available on the RSO website at www.ridgefieldsymphony.org/auction. Look for item previews coming soon!

After the shocking suicide of their friend, a group of thirtysomethings reunite for his funeral and end up spending the weekend together, reminiscing about their shared past as children of the sixties and confronting the uncertainty of their lives as adults of the eighties. Poignant and warmly humorous in equal measure, this baby boomer milestone made a star of writer-director Lawrence Kasdan and is perhaps the decade’s defining ensemble film, featuring memorable performances by Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. And with its playlist of sixties rock and R&B hits, The Big Chill all but invented the consummately curated soundtrack.

The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield is excited to announce that they are one of their favorite holiday traditions right to you home! Enjoy Breakfast with Santa in your pajamas – and you will even have an opportunity for a virtual Meet and Greet with the big man himself!

*Breakfast with Santa kits will be delivered straight from the North Pole to your doorstep on Friday, Dec. 4. Your virtual Meet and Greet with Santa time slot will be scheduled with BGCR Santa’s Helpers once you complete your registration form.

Your Breakfast with Santa kit will include everything you need to cook your pancake breakfast at home and all your favorite BGCR Breakfast with Santa activities – arts & crafts, reindeer food, cookie decorating, and more!

Be on the lookout for more information next week, including registration links and information on how you can provide a Breakfast with Santa kit to a Club family in need this holiday season.

Until then spread the word – Santa is coming to town (virtually) and he can’t wait to help spread some much needed holiday cheer!

Visit the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield online here.

TWO SHOWS

This was the groundbreaking broadcast that launched the Met’s heralded Live in HD series, seen by opera lovers in movie theaters around the world. Adults and children alike were enchanted by the whimsical humor and breathtaking puppetry of Julie Taymor’s hit production, presented in a shortened English-language version. Under the baton of Maestro James Levine, a winning ensemble cast – including Nathan Gunn, Ying Huang, Matthew Polenzani, Erika Miklosa, and René Pape – brings fresh life to Mozart’s timeless fairy tale.

The Ridgefield Playhouse is following Connecticut Safety Guidelines in order to continually serve and protect our patrons and community. We ask that you observe the following:

Purchase concession via our mobile site ridgefieldplayhouse.ordernext.com. Available up to two hours prior to the start of the movie- you can pick up your concessions on your way in! The app will be open throughout the film as well.
Ushers will seat you – All tickets are General Admission.
Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the lobby and bathrooms.
And remember: FACEMASKS ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES! Please maintain a 6 foot distance from others.

In recent seasons, Christine Goerke has summited some of the greatest heights of the Germanic soprano repertoire, appearing as the Dyer’s Wife in Die Frau ohne Schatten, the title character of Elektra, and Brünnhilde in the complete Ring cycle. She has also wowed audiences as Turandot, the icy princess at the heart of Puccini’s grand final masterpiece. In this performance from the 2019–20 Live in HD season, Goerke stars alongside tenor Yusif Eyvazov (as Calàf) and soprano Eleonora Buratto (as Liù) in Franco Zeffirelli’s classic staging, which dazzles with its opulent visions of mythic China. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is on the podium, drawing a vivid array of musical colors from the incomparable Met Orchestra and Chorus.

Runtime: 2hrs 23 mins

The Ridgefield Playhouse is following Connecticut Safety Guidelines in order to continually serve and protect our patrons and community. We ask that you observe the following:

Purchase concession via our mobile site ridgefieldplayhouse.ordernext.com. Available up to two hours prior to the start of the movie- you can pick up your concessions on your way in! The app will be open throughout the film as well.
Ushers will seat you – All tickets are General Admission.
Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the lobby and bathrooms.
And remember: FACEMASKS ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES! Please maintain a 6 foot distance from others.

Wednesday Class Series: November 4, 11, 18, December 2 and 9; 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum is thrilled to announce the return of the popular series “Getting” Contemporary Art this fall exploring a new roster of exhibitions and artist ideas. This 5-session virtual course provides a roadmap to central themes and ideas that have influenced artistic practice since the 1960s. Designed to be intimate, dynamic, and thought-provoking, participants will build skills to analyze, interpret, and discuss contemporary art while looking closely at the Museum’s current exhibitions. This course includes a unique behind the scenes opportunity to meet with exhibiting artist Judith Eisler virtually and explore her studio and practice on December 2. “Getting” Contemporary Art is led by Danielle Ogden, M.A., Ed.M., Adjunct Professor at Fairfield University and Museum Specialist, Adult Learning at The Aldrich.

All sessions will be recorded with lecture materials emailed after each class.

November 4: Re-writing the Rules: Learn new approaches to art history and looking at contemporary art. In this class we will survey a diverse range of issues that motivate artists and uncover the various ways they consider and comment on the world we live in.

November 11: “We are All Made of Stars”: This class will explore contemporary art as an interdisciplinary practice and dive into the star motif exhibited in Frank Stella’s Stars, A Survey and art inspired by the sky, astronomy, geometry, and more.

November 18: The Art of Reflection: What is the relationship between art and healing? Can works of art be transcendent? In this class we will investigate how artists such as Mark Rothko, James Turrell, and exhibiting artist Rudy Shepherd have used art as a vehicle for deep reflection, healing, and transformation.

December 2: Virtual Studio Visit: Join us for a behind-the-scenes visit with Twenty Twenty artist Judith Eisler in her studio in Vienna, Austria and a discussion on her work on view at the Museum, including portraits of women captured by media in profound public appearances such as Nancy Pelosi captured during President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address and an essential health care worker wearing a double layer of mask and visor during the pandemic.

December 9: Absurdity, Surrealism and Pop Art: This class will use the themes, techniques, and processes in Dada and Surrealism as a lens to explore Genesis Belanger’s exhibition, Through the Eye of a Needle.

The Founders Hall-iday Light Fight is a new event. Ridgefield homeowners and businesses will sign up to decorate the exterior of their home or commercial location with holiday lights.

The public is invited to view the lights between December 10^th to 20^th, from 6:00 – 9:00 pm, and vote for their favorite(s) by making a monetary donation to Founders Hall. The location that raises the most money will be the winner, to be announced on December 22^nd.

There has been a great deal of interest in the Light Fight. Here are answers to some commonly asked questions. Also, visit founders-hall.org/light-fight to read additional FAQ’s.

Will my name and address be given out if I sign up?
Residential addresses will be published, not homeowners’ names. For businesses, we will publish both the business name and the address. The winner’s name and address will be published on December 22, even if it is a residence.

Is there a limit to how many homes or businesses can sign up for the Light Fight?
No. Everyone who wants to sign up can. But there is a deadline – see below.

How do I sign up?
Visit founders-hall.org/light-fight to read the Contest Rules, FAQ and Entry Form (which includes the waiver.) You can sign up online or print, fill out and mail in the Entry Form.

Is there a deadline to sign up for the Light Fight?
Yes! Registrations must be received on or before Sunday, November 1.

Will the biggest, fanciest light display win?
Not necessarily. The address that raises the most money in donations to Founders Hall will be the winner. Competitors can encourage friends, family and neighbors to vote for them via a donation to Founders Hall. (Hint: there is no requirement that donors live in Ridgefield.)

Do I have to have a holiday theme? What if I want a religious theme?
Light displays and corresponding decorations can have any theme or no theme at all. There are no limits put on the decorations.

I want to sign up to decorate my house, and I live on a private accessway. Is that allowed?
All houses participating must be easily viewed from the road. We do not want to encourage the public to drive on private property. So, if your house can’t be seen from the road, you can participate by viewing the light displays between December 10 and 20 and voting for your favorite(s).

I would like to talk to someone before signing up.
Cindy Nesbitt, the director of development at Founders Hall, is happy to answer all your questions. She can be reached at 203-431-7000 or cindy@founders-hall.org.

Many thanks to lead sponsor Fairfield County Bank for making this event possible.

Kinky Boots winner of every major “Best Musical” award including the Tony, Grammy, and London’s Olivier Award features 16 original songs by Grammy® and Tony® winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray) and book by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles).

This joyous sensation “struts its stuff with sparkles, stilettos and heart!” (Sydney Morning Herald) and celebrates a story of Brit grit to high-heeled hit, as it takes you from the factory floor of Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan!

‘Dazzling, fabulously sassy and uplifting’ (Time Out).

Captured live from the London stage.

The Ridgefield Playhouse is following Connecticut Safety Guidelines in order to continually serve and protect our patrons and community. We ask that you observe the following:

Purchase concession via our mobile site ridgefieldplayhouse.ordernext.com. Available up to two hours prior to the start of the movie- you can pick up your concessions on your way in! The app will be open throughout the film as well.
Ushers will seat you – All tickets are General Admission.
Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the lobby and bathrooms.
And remember: FACEMASKS ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES! Please maintain a 6 foot distance from others.

This show will be socially distanced at 40% capacity in the theater. Although we are allowed 50% capacity, we are limiting each performance to 180 people. Face masks are required at all times. Please maintain a 6 foot distance from others.

After an electrifying performance in January of this year, “Taz” returns to The Ridgefield Playhouse stage with TWO socially distanced, limited capacity shows! Seventeen-year-old Brandon Niederauer, nicknamed “Taz” for his ferocious guitar playing, is taking the music scene by storm. Having performed in some of the most legendary venues in America with many of the most prominent musicians of our time, the young guitarist, singer, and songwriter has already earned himself a national audience and a signature D’Angelico Guitar. Taz has shared the stage with multiple members of the Allman Brothers Band, as well as a variety of other notable musicians, including Slash, Lady Gaga, Buddy Guy, Stevie Nicks, Jon Batiste, Dweezil Zappa, Eric Gales, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, and countless others. In October he was featured in a new Bootsy Collins track, “Jam On,” alongside Snoop Dogg.

Taz may be best known for his role of guitarist “Zack Mooneyham” in the Tony Award-nominated Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway production, School of Rock the Musical. Since making his national television debut on The Ellen DeGeneres Show at just ten years old, Brandon has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Good Morning America, and The View. In 2018, Brandon reunited with Andrew Lloyd Webber, performing in January with Sarah Brightman at The Phantom of the Opera’s 30th Anniversary celebration, and in April alongside Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper, and John Legend in NBC’s live broadcast production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Brandon is currently featured in Spike Lee’s Netflix series, She’s Gotta Have It, and performs concerts for audiences across the country and around the world.

In director Norman Jewison’s boisterous cinematic adaptation of this international Hal Prince-Jerome Robbins smash-hit stage musical, we find ourselves in the picturesque Ukrainian village of Anatevka, in which resides Tevye ([Chaim]Topol), an impoverished milkman with a sharp-tongued wife, Golde (Norma Crane), and five unmarried daughters to support. But family troubles will soon become insignificant. The corrupt Czarist regime turns against the pious and highly moral Jewish population of the Ukraine, and violent pogroms sweep across the land. Tevye, his family and their neighbors and friends are faced with the choice of losing their lives or losing their homeland… Musical score by John Williams. The violin music of Isaac Stern is featured on the soundtrack. Based on stories by Sholem Aleichem.

Make it a tradition to see this wonderful family film at a special event that includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies.

4pm and 8pm

This show will be socially distanced at 40% capacity in the theater. Although we are allowed 50% capacity, we are limiting each performance to 180 people. Face masks are required at all times. Please maintain a 6 foot distance from others.

Starring Alli Mauzey (Hello, Dolly! Wicked), Dee Roscioli (Wicked, The Cher Show), Sam Gravitte (Wicked) and Tony Award-winner Bryce Pinkham (A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, Holiday Inn)
Celebrate the holiday season with some of Broadway’s best at The Ridgefield Playhouse in a brand new holiday show that’s perfect for the entire family! We’re bringing Broadway to YOU, with a socially distanced, limited seating performance while the Great White Way is closed. Cast members of Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen, Holiday Inn, Phantom of the Opera and more – will perform some of your favorite holiday classics along with Broadway tunes highlighted by selections from the Tony Award-winning musical Wicked! Grab your tickets now and put a “Wicked” spin on your holidays!

Teed & Brown Broadway & Cabaret Series

Sponsored by Atria Senior Living

With support from Christine O’Leary, Daniel C. Levine-ACT Theatre, and The Toy Chest

TWO SHOWS

Academy Award® winner and Best Picture nominee, Babe is the inspirational story of a shy Yorkshire piglet who doesn’t quite know his place in the world. But when Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) wins him at the county fair, Babe discovers that he can be anything he wants to be –even an award-winning sheepdog! With the help of a delightful assortment of barnyard friends, the heroic little pig is headed for the challenge of his life in this endearing and fun-filled tale the whole family will love. Celebrate the 25th anniversary of this heartwarming classic at a special event that includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies.

Rated G
Run time 1 hour, 31 minutes

The Ridgefield Playhouse is following Connecticut Safety Guidelines in order to continually serve and protect our patrons and community. We ask that you observe the following:

Keep it “contactless” and save money! Tickets purchased online are only $10! Please purchase your tickets online and you’ll save $2!
Purchase concession via our mobile site ridgefieldplayhouse.ordernext.com. Available up to two hours prior to the start of the movie- you can pick up your concessions on your way in! The app will be open throughout the film as well.
Ushers will seat you – All tickets are General Admission.
Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the lobby and bathrooms.
And remember: FACEMASKS ARE REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES! Please maintain a 6 foot distance from others.