Scottish Folk Band Talisk Brings Packed MoCA House To Their Feet
MoCA Westport kicked off its 2023 Music at MoCA Series on Saturday night with a lively performance by Scottish folk band Talisk. Band Members Mohsen Amini (BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards’ Musician of the Year), Graeme Armstrong and Benedict Morris (BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year) fused concertina, guitar and fiddle to produce a ground-breaking, multi-layered signature that captivated the audience.
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More than 170 guests completely filled the gallery space and the appreciative crowd was charged by the band's high energy performance, giving them standing ovations and even dancing in the aisles.
The packed performance took place within the context of the Museum's current Paul Camacho: El Ritmo y La Unidad exhibition. Delicious drinks were served by The Cup Bearer and food was available from Marcia Selden Catering.
Next up in the Music at MoCA Series is the buzz-worthy jazz saxophonist Eddie Barbash on Friday, April 21 at 7 PM. A founding member of pianist Jon Batiste’s Stay Human, the house band for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Barbash has also performed with Lenny Kravitz, Wynton Marsalis and Yo-Yo Ma.
Tickets for all concerts are available on mocawestport.org
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Staples Hockey Back In The Win Column With 5-0 Shut-Out Over Wilton
Staple's senior goalie Aaron Kail on one of his 29 saves in Friday's big win over the Wilton Warriors.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Staples Hockey faced off against Wilton on Saturday on Wilton's home ice looking to break this season's 1-1 tie in matches this season and they brought their "A" game on both offense and defense holding the Warriors scoreless. Both teams were roughly the same in scoring attempts with Staples and Wilton firing 29 and 31 shots on goal respectively, however Staple's senior goalie Aaron Kail was perfect in stopping the Warriors on every attempt.
The first period saw strain defense from both squads until 2:00 left in the period when #19 junior forward, Co-Captain Tyler DiMaio found the net with assists from junior forward Derek Wolgast and junior forward Jameson Russell. The Wreckers returned from the break fired up when five minutes into the period #25, sophomore Levi Nevstad gave Staples a two goal lead with assists from Petrosinelli and senior forward Nikos Ninios.
The offense was quiet for the remainder of the period but exploded in the 3rd with a third goal. That score was followed by a 4th goal, this time by #13, sophomore defenseman Harry Goodburn, assisted again by Ninios and also by Petrosinelli.
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The icing on the cake was goal number five, this time by #10, sophomore forward Paul Cooper with help from junior defenseman Jacob Gomez scored less than two minutes into the period.
Coach Matthew Bohn could not have been happier with his team's performance, telling WestportLocalPress "The boys really put it together today. We've had a tough streak for the past several games. We understand that no one's going to give us anything. So it was good to earn it today and get back into the win column. We really have been playing good hockey the past two weeks, buying into our systems and working for each other. This time of year it's all about peaking at the right time. We're taking it one day at a time, doing our best to just keep getting better.The Wreckers hope to continue their success in their next game, away against Southington Coop on Monday with two more games to follow before FCIAC championships begin in March.
Photos and Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge and open gallery.
Morning Weather Report
Today
Cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 58. South wind 8 to 17 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 43. Southwest wind 8 to 11 mph.
Tomorrow
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. West wind 6 to 8 mph becoming south in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tomorrow Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 49. Southwest wind 10 to 18 mph, with gusts as high as 28 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Westport Teen, Ryan Overly-Ryan, Takes the Stage at New Canaan’s Powerhouse Theatre
Actors Cooper Smithers (L) and Ryan Overly-Ryan (R). Contributed photoHigh school students are typically busy even without the excitement and pressures of community theatre rehearsals and performances. But four intrepid teens from Fairfield County, including Westport’s Ryan Overly-Ryan, have taken on the challenge. They have been cast in the upcoming production of Ordinary People which opens this Friday, Feb. 17, at New Canaan’s Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park, and runs weekends through Sunday, March 5. The show, a powerful and moving drama, is a production of Town Players of New Canaan.
Based on the book and Oscar-winning 1980 film directed by Robert Redford and starring Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland, Ordinary People is the searing yet heartwarming story of an ordinary family struggling to heal from an unexpected tragedy. The script plumbs the depths of our most profound and intimate relationships. As such, it is challenging to cast, requiring versatile, serious young actors to play the parts of young adults whose lives have been disrupted by loss and grief.
Deborah Burke, Ordinary People director, reflected on the casting process: "It was not an easy search but I am grateful to have found four remarkably talented and committed young adults with whom it is a pleasure to work.” Burke added that the participation of Dr. Michael Groat as an advisor to the cast helped immensely. Groat is the chief clinical officer of Silver Hill Hospital, a nationally recognized psychiatric hospital in New Canaan. He assisted the actors with understanding the myriad emotions of the play and portraying their characters with empathy and authenticity.
Overly-Ryan said: "Being in Ordinary People has been such a unique experience. I've never played a character like Jeannine before. I'm grateful to be in a production with such complex characters, and I hope that people who watch it can appreciate it just as much as those of us who are in it."
In producing Ordinary People Town Players aims to reduce the stigma of talking about mental health and to raise awareness of mental health resources in Fairfield County. It is partnering with multiple community organizations in this effort.
Overly-Ryan attends Staples High School. The three other teen actors of Ordinary People are Norwalk’s Laszlo Balazs and Tyler Nuzzo-Dozzier and Darien’s Chandler Hall. Balasz attends Brien McMahon High School where he participated in theatre productions not only as an actor but as a music director and accompanist. Nuzzo-Dozzier is a singer and songwriter in addition to acting. Hall attends the Fitch Academy at Darien High School. Despite their age, all four actors are seasoned veterans of community and professional theatre productions.
Ordinary People opens this Friday, Feb. 17 and runs through Sun., March 5, 2023, in New Canaan at the Powerhouse Theatre in Waveny Park. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM.
A FREE performance for TEENS will be held Saturday, March 4 at 2 PM. It will include a post-show audience discussion with the director and cast, led by Dr. Andrew Gerber, president and medical director of Silver Hill Hospital. Adults are welcome to attend (with a regular ticket purchase) as long as they’re accompanying or invited by a teen. To reserve teen seats and purchase adult tickets visit here.
For tickets and more information, visit https://tpnc.org/shows/ordinary-people/.