<p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><p>Award-winning Pantochino Productions Inc., a not-for-profit, professional theatre company in Milford has added a new performance of “Dorothy’s Christmas in Oz” on Sunday, December 22 at 5:30pm&nbsp;at the Milford Arts Council, The MAC on Railroad Avenue in downtown Milford.</p><p>The new musical mash-up by Bert Bernardi and Justin Rugg find Dorothy in Kansas longing for the excitement, friendship and magic of her previous journey to Oz.&nbsp;This time, she travels over the rainbow on a mission to celebrate the holidays and find what she misses most—family. All of Oz’s familiar characters return along with some new ones like the jolly old elf in the red suit! There’s all kinds of unexpected moments, sight gags, jokes and plenty of memorable music.</p><p>“It’s a hot ticket,” says co-producer Bert Bernardi. “Performances have seen capacity crowds and all of our upcoming shows are all nearly full—the demand for tickets prompted us to add one more performance,” he added.&nbsp;Co-producer Jimmy Johansmeyer said “We’re so happy to be able to add one more performance and give audiences of all ages the chance to take a holiday trip over the rainbow with some favorite Oz and holiday characters.”</p><p>The cast includes Pantochino company members Mary Mannix, Shelley Marsh Poggio, Maria Berte, Don Poggio, Valerie Solli,&nbsp;Jimmy Johansmeyer and Rugg. They are joined by Killian Meehan, Chad Celini, Leanne Onofrio, Justin Amaro and Katie Durham. Three young actors join the company for this production, Ella Bedenbaugh, Davis Burke and Brennan Simonelli. The production also features the ‘quintessence of effervescence’ herself, Victoria Sautee.&nbsp;</p><p>The musical features sets by Von Del Mar, costumes by Johansmeyer, lighting by Jakob Kelsey, sound by Tyler Kittleman and Christina Ronquillo will stage manage. The production is sponsored by Berchem Moses PC.&nbsp;</p><p>“Dorothy’s Christmas in Oz ” features cabaret seating. Audiences are invited to bring their own food and drink to enjoy during the performance. The Milford Arts Council, The MAC is located at 40 Railroad Avenue South on the east bound side of the Metro-North tracks. Free parking is available in the train station lots at showtime. Further details and tickets are available at&nbsp;<a href="http://pantochino.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pantochino.com</a>.</p>

<p>The Connecticut Hope Collective is a group of friends and songwriters trying to put something beautiful in the world by helping our neighbors in need. This new project from veterans of the Connecticut singer-songwriter community has released an inspired and hopeful song, “Just Get To It” exclusively on Bandcamp to raise money for the Beth El Center in Milford, CT. Beth El is the beneficiary of the Thursday December 19 concert at Milford Arts Council, supporting efforts to battle hunger and homelessness. One hundred percent of all song purchased will go to Beth El. <a href="https://theconnecticuthopecollective.bandcamp.com/track/just-get-to-it" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Listen here.</a></p><p>The song was co-written by Frank Critelli of The Bargain and Erik Rabasca of Light Warriors over the summer. The “kitchen table” sessions brought up many questions. How many songs have been written about the basic needs of humanity? Why is there this endless inequality? How many concerts do we have to have before we solve for basic human needs? Those questions framed the theme of the song, which captures the energy and spirit of community in the season of giving.&nbsp;</p><p>Recorded at Bonehead Studios in Cheshire on October 30 by Tom Boudreau, The Connecticut Hope Collective features Frank Critelli on lead vocals, Denise Jones of Inner Groove on backing vocals, Muddy Rivers (The Bargain) on Nashville acoustic guitar and backing vocals, Brian Larney on keyboards and backing vocals, Shandy Lawson (The Bargain) on mandolin and backing vocals, Jim Stavris on drums, percussion and backing vocals, Bobo Lavorgna on bass and backing vocals and Erik Rabasca on electric and acoustic guitars and backing vocals. Everyone had a hand in its production which was completed in a few hours. Lighting was indeed caught!&nbsp;</p><p>Listen to Just Get To It <a href="https://theconnecticuthopecollective.bandcamp.com/track/just-get-to-it" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">on Bandcamp</a>. It will be available on all streaming services in January 2025.&nbsp;</p><p>Follow The Connecticut Hope Collective on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/cthopecollective" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/connecticuthopecollective" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Facebook</a></p>

<p class="ql-align-center"><strong style="color: black;">Come to Pass the Guitar on Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 7:00pm at Milford Arts Council 40 Railroad Ave. in Milford to support the Beth-El Center!</strong><span style="color: black;">&nbsp;</span></p><p class="ql-align-center"><span style="color: black;">Pass the Guitar, hosted by the Milford Arts Council and Frank Critelli, member of The Bargain Band and host of WPLR's The Local Band Show, will showcase 20 local performers on the MAC stage, sharing one guitar. As they "pass the guitar", volunteers from Beth El Center will be passing the basket for donations.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="ql-align-center"><span style="color: black;">Entrance is free but please bring your generosity to this fundraiser to support those in our community experiencing homelessness and hunger.&nbsp;</span></p><p class="ql-align-center"><strong style="color: black;">Come to a preview party at Stonebridge at 5pm to meet the performers and enjoy hors d'oeuvres- $50 per person.</strong></p><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p><p class="ql-align-center"><br></p>

<p><strong>Community Message from Milford Mayor Tony Giannattasio</strong></p><p>The City of Milford is excited to host its annual tree lighting ceremony on Friday, November 29. The festivities will begin at 3:00 PM with a screening of <em>Home Alone</em> at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium in the Parsons Government Building. At 5:00 PM, the Milford Concert Band will perform on the Green, leading up to the arrival of Santa Claus, ushered in by the Milford Fire Department at 6:30 PM for the tree lighting ceremony.</p><p>To ensure the safety of attendees, some downtown roads will be restricted to pedestrian traffic only between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM. Motorists are encouraged to plan alternate routes during this time.</p><p>On Saturday, November 30, Milford celebrates Small Business Saturday. Residents and visitors are encouraged to support the many wonderful shops and restaurants that make Milford a vibrant community.</p><p>Additionally, the Fire Marshal has lifted the burn ban due to improved conditions and reduced forest fire risk across the state. For further details, please visit the Milford Fire Marshal’s website - <a href="https://www.ci.milford.ct.us/fire-marshals-office" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.ci.milford.ct.us/fire-marshals-office</a></p><p>Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season!</p><p>Learn more about Milford's holiday festivities by following along on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MilfordCityHall" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/MilfordCityHall</a></p>

<p>Lauralton Hall will host <em>Christmas in the Mansion</em> on Sunday, December 8, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at 200 High Street, Milford, CT. Admission is $10 at the door, and children ages 12 and younger are free of charge.</p><p>At <em>Christmas in the Mansion</em>, visitors are invited to tour the school's decorated Victorian Gothic mansion built in 1864, shop for holiday gifts from among more than 65 vendors offering items ranging from handcrafted goods and modernized vintage jewelry to designer fashions and upcycled decorative pieces. Guests can also visit the crèche in Lauralton's century-old chapel in Mercy Hall, bring children to see Santa in his workshop, and enjoy crafts facilitated by Lauralton student "elves." Be sure to bring your camera to capture a photo with Santa.</p><p>Visitors can also view curated displays of student artwork along with additional special collections on loan from Friends of Lauralton. This year’s event features guest author Michael C. Dooling, an archivist, former news librarian, and author of works including <em>Milford Lost and Found</em>.</p><p>For those who want to shop early, a reservation-only Preview Party will be held on Saturday, December 7, from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM. The party includes hors d'oeuvres, a light dinner buffet, dessert, libations, Christmas music, and much more. For details and to purchase Preview Party tickets, visit <a href="http://www.lauraltonhall.org/christmas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.lauraltonhall.org/christmas</a>.</p><p>"For more than 20 years, Lauralton has welcomed the greater community for <em>Christmas in the Mansion</em>," said Lauralton Hall Director of Advancement Kathleen Donahue ‘80. "We are delighted to welcome the community to Lauralton as they enjoy many beloved time-honored traditions. We look forward to sharing Christmas cheer and hospitality as our campus is transformed into a showcase of the season, decorated in classic Christmas colors to match this year’s theme of <em>Deck the Halls</em>.”</p><p>All profits from <em>Christmas in the Mansion</em> support educational programming and scholarship opportunities for our students.</p><p>For more information or to purchase tickets to the Preview Party, visit <a href="http://www.lauraltonhall.org/christmas" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.lauraltonhall.org/christmas</a>. For questions, email Christmas@lauraltonhall.org.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p>

<p>Join us on <strong>Wednesday, November 20 at 6:30 pm</strong> as we welcome back Lauralton Hall Alumna and NYT Times bestselling author Krystal Marquis '05 as she shares her journey to writing her award-winning book series, <em>The Davenports</em>.</p><p><strong>This is a FREE event; please use the link to RSVP:</strong><a href="http://www.lauraltonhall.org/events" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong> www.lauraltonhall.org/events</strong></a></p><p>___</p><p>*Instant New York Times Bestseller*</p><p>"The perfect read for fans of escapist historical fiction.” —NBC’s TODAY</p><p>The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked.</p>