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SUMMARY:The Rocky Horror Picture Show with RKO Army LIVE!
DESCRIPTION:  \nAt a Glance\n\n\n\n\nWhat: Interactive screening of the 1975 cult-classic musical comedy-horror film with a live shadow cast\nWhen: Sunday\, October 18\, 2026\, at 7 p.m.\nLocation: Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $26 per person\, plus applicable fees\nFeatured Performers: RKO Army\, performing alongside the film\nExperience: 4K digital projection\, surround sound\, audience participation\, costumes\, and sing-alongs\nIncluded: Audience participation prop bag with every ticket\nFilm Runtime: 1 hour\, 40 minutes\nRating: R\nConcessions: Movie snacks and alcoholic beverages available for purchase\nParking: Free weekend street parking and nearby municipal lots; paid parking garages also available\nAccessibility: Accessible orchestra-level seating and assistive listening options; contact the box office for arrangements\nBox Office: (860) 444-7373\, extension 1 \n\n\nEvent Description\nThe Rocky Horror Picture Show with RKO Army LIVE! brings one of cinema’s most enduring cult classics to the Garde Arts Center in New London on Sunday\, October 18. The 1975 musical comedy-horror film returns to the big screen with a live shadow cast\, audience participation\, costumes\, and plenty of opportunities to sing\, shout\, and become part of the action. \nPresented as part of the Garde’s Real Movie Palace Experience\, the screening combines 4K digital projection and surround sound with the theatrical antics of RKO Army\, a performance troupe specializing in bringing The Rocky Horror Picture Show to life. \nThis is not an ordinary night at the movies. Audience members are encouraged to dress as their favorite characters\, call out familiar lines\, and participate in the film’s most memorable moments. Every ticket includes a bag of props designed to help newcomers and longtime fans join the fun. \nThe Cult Classic That Refuses to Grow Old\nWhen The Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered in 1975\, it was hardly an immediate mainstream success. Adapted from Richard O’Brien’s stage musical The Rocky Horror Show\, the film initially struggled to find an audience before becoming a phenomenon through late-night screenings and word of mouth. \nThe story begins with Brad Majors and Janet Weiss\, a newly engaged couple whose car breaks down during a storm. Seeking help\, they arrive at a mysterious castle inhabited by an eccentric collection of characters led by Dr. Frank-N-Furter\, a flamboyant scientist with some decidedly unusual experiments underway. \nWhat follows is a collision of science fiction\, horror parody\, rock music\, and outrageous comedy. \nThe film stars Tim Curry in his career-defining role as Frank-N-Furter\, alongside Susan Sarandon\, Barry Bostwick\, Richard O’Brien\, and Meat Loaf. \nIts soundtrack includes enduring favorites such as Time Warp\, Sweet Transvestite\, Science Fiction/Double Feature\, and Hot Patootie – Bless My Soul. \nOver the decades\, the film has developed a devoted following\, becoming synonymous with midnight movies\, elaborate costumes\, audience callbacks\, and an unusually interactive moviegoing experience. \nRKO Army Brings the Film to Life\nOne of the defining traditions of Rocky Horror screenings is the shadow cast\, a group of performers who act out the film’s scenes in front of the screen while the original movie plays behind them. \nFor the Garde screening\, RKO Army takes on that role. \nThe troupe recreates characters\, costumes\, choreography\, and comic moments from the film\, transforming a movie screening into a hybrid of cinema and live theater. \nUnlike a conventional stage production\, the performers generally do not replace the movie’s original dialogue or soundtrack. Instead\, they synchronize their movements with the action on screen\, adding physical comedy\, visual gags\, and opportunities for audience interaction. \nThe result is a communal experience in which the boundaries between performers and spectators become part of the entertainment. \nFor anyone who has only watched The Rocky Horror Picture Show at home\, seeing it with a live shadow cast offers an entirely different perspective on the film’s appeal. \nCostumes\, Callbacks\, and Audience Participation\nAudience participation has been central to The Rocky Horror Picture Show for decades. \nFans traditionally shout responses to familiar dialogue\, dance during musical numbers\, and use props at particular moments throughout the movie. \nAt the Garde\, every ticket includes an audience participation prop bag containing items associated with scenes in the film. \nThe bag includes a newspaper\, noisemaker\, glove\, toilet paper\, party hat\, cardboard toast\, paper plate\, sponge\, cardboard hot dog\, and three playing cards. \nEach item has a specific moment in the film when it can be used\, from Janet’s rainy arrival at the castle to the Transylvanians’ unusual celebrations. \nCostumes are encouraged\, whether that means a full recreation of a favorite character or simply dressing for the occasion. \nFirst-time attendees are welcome\, too. In Rocky Horror tradition\, newcomers are affectionately known as virgins\, and discovering the audience rituals is part of the experience. \nGuests should use the provided props and follow the venue’s participation guidelines rather than bringing unapproved items from home. \nA Cult Movie in a Historic Movie Palace\nThe Garde Arts Center provides an especially fitting setting for a film whose reputation was built in movie theaters. \nOpened in 1926\, the historic Garde Theatre has been a New London landmark for a century. Its ornate interior and restored architectural details recall the era when going to the movies was an occasion in itself. \nThe theater’s modern projection and sound systems bring contemporary presentation quality to that historic setting. \nFor The Rocky Horror Picture Show\, the combination of a large screen\, live performers\, and an enthusiastic audience makes the Garde’s movie-palace atmosphere part of the attraction. \nThe October screening also falls during the theater’s centennial season\, adding another dimension to an evening celebrating a film that has remained a theatrical favorite for more than 50 years. \nTickets and What to Know Before You Go\nThe screening begins at 7 p.m. on Sunday\, October 18. The film runs approximately 100 minutes\, although the live presentation and audience activities may extend the total event time. \nTickets are $26 plus applicable fees and include a participation prop bag. \nThe film is rated R and contains mature themes\, sexual content\, and language. It is intended for mature audiences. \nThe Garde offers free weekend street parking on State Street and surrounding downtown streets\, along with several nearby public lots. Paid parking is available at the Cornish Parking Garage on Governor Winthrop Boulevard. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n\n\n\nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-rocky-horror-picture-show-with-rko-army-live/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
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SUMMARY:Harry Chapin’s Greatest Stories LIVE Featuring the Chapin Family
DESCRIPTION:At a Glance\nWhat: A live concert celebrating Harry Chapin’s music\, performed by two generations of the Chapin family\nWhen: Saturday\, October 17\, 2026\, at 8 p.m.\nLocation: Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nTickets: $39–$79\, plus applicable fees\nFeatured Performers: Tom Chapin\, Steve Chapin\, Jen Chapin\, Abigail Chapin\, and Lily Chapin\nBacking Musicians: The Harry Chapin Band\, including Big John Wallace and Howard Fields\nMusic: Cat’s in the Cradle\, Taxi\, W•O•L•D\, Mr. Tanner\, Mail Order Annie\, and Circle\nSpecial Feature: Food drive benefiting the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center\nDonations: Canned and packaged nonperishable foods\, preferably low in sodium and sugar\nParking: Downtown New London street parking and nearby parking garages\nBox Office: (860) 444-7373\, extension 1 \nEvent Description\nHarry Chapin’s Greatest Stories LIVE Featuring the Chapin Family brings two generations of one of America’s most celebrated musical families to the Garde Arts Center in New London on Saturday\, October 17. The concert honors the music and legacy of Harry Chapin\, the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter whose deeply human stories became some of the most memorable songs of the 1970s. \nHis brother Tom Chapin\, fellow family member Steve Chapin\, daughter Jen Chapin\, and nieces Abigail and Lily Chapin will share the stage\, accompanied by members of Harry’s original band\, including longtime collaborators Big John Wallace and Howard Fields. \nThe evening promises more than a collection of familiar songs. It brings together the musicians and family members who knew Harry\, grew up surrounded by his music\, and continue to carry his storytelling tradition forward. \nThe Songs That Made Harry Chapin a Legend\nHarry Chapin had a remarkable ability to build entire lives into songs. \nHis characters were ordinary people facing missed opportunities\, complicated relationships\, difficult choices\, and dreams that did not always come true. Rather than relying on conventional pop lyrics\, Chapin often wrote songs that unfolded like short stories\, complete with dialogue\, changing perspectives\, and endings that lingered long after the music stopped. \nHis breakthrough hit\, Taxi\, released in 1972\, tells the story of a cab driver who unexpectedly encounters a woman he once loved. The song’s conversational narrative and bittersweet conclusion introduced audiences to a songwriter willing to take risks with both subject matter and song structure. \nTwo years later\, Cat’s in the Cradle became his only No. 1 single on the Billboard Hot 100. Its portrait of a father too busy to spend time with his son\, and a son who eventually repeats the pattern\, remains one of popular music’s most recognizable reflections on family and regret. \nOther favorites include W•O•L•D\, the story of an aging radio disc jockey confronting the choices that shaped his life; Mr. Tanner\, about a talented singer whose confidence is shaken by criticism; and Mail Order Annie\, a portrait of companionship and loneliness. \nThen there is Circle\, a song that became closely associated with Chapin’s concerts and his belief in the enduring connections between people. \nThese songs form the heart of the Garde performance. \nTwo Generations of the Chapin Family\nThe Chapin family has a musical history that extends well beyond Harry’s own recordings. \nTom Chapin\, Harry’s younger brother\, has built a distinguished career as a folk singer\, songwriter\, and children’s entertainer. A three-time Grammy Award winner\, Tom has released numerous recordings for adults and families and remains an active performer. \nSteve Chapin\, another member of the family’s musical circle\, has spent decades working as a singer\, songwriter\, and musician. \nHarry’s daughter Jen Chapin has established her own career as a singer-songwriter\, combining jazz\, soul\, and folk influences with socially conscious lyrics and personal storytelling. \nAbigail and Lily Chapin perform together as The Chapin Sisters\, known for their close vocal harmonies and contemporary interpretations of American folk and roots music. \nEach artist brings an individual musical identity to the stage. Together\, they offer something particularly meaningful: a family performance that connects Harry’s original songs with the musicians who inherited and expanded upon his creative legacy. \nReuniting With Harry’s Original Band\nThe concert also features members of The Harry Chapin Band\, including Big John Wallace and Howard Fields. \nWallace was an essential part of Harry’s live sound\, known for his powerful bass voice and distinctive vocal contributions. His soaring performances were especially memorable during songs such as Taxi\, where his voice provided a dramatic contrast to Chapin’s storytelling. \nFields\, a drummer and longtime musical collaborator\, helped shape the arrangements and rhythmic character of Chapin’s live performances. \nTheir presence gives the concert an important connection to the original recordings and concerts that audiences remember. \nFor longtime fans\, hearing these musicians alongside the Chapin family offers a rare opportunity to revisit the music with performers who were directly involved in bringing it to life. \nHarry Chapin’s Other Legacy: Fighting Hunger\nHarry Chapin was as passionate about ending hunger as he was about writing and performing music. \nDuring the 1970s\, he became one of the entertainment industry’s most visible advocates for hunger relief\, using concerts\, public appearances\, and political engagement to raise awareness and financial support. \nIn 1975\, he co-founded World Hunger Year with radio broadcaster Bill Ayres. The organization\, now known as WhyHunger\, continues working to address hunger and its underlying causes. \nChapin also helped organize benefit concerts and devoted considerable time to charitable work. \nHis commitment continued until his death in a traffic accident in 1981 at age 38. \nThe Chapin family has maintained that commitment\, making hunger relief an important part of concerts honoring his memory. \nBring a Food Donation to the Garde\nIn recognition of Harry Chapin’s humanitarian work\, the Garde Arts Center is partnering with the Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center for a special food drive accompanying the concert. \nAudience members are encouraged to bring canned and packaged foods\, particularly low-sodium and low-sugar items. \nSuggested donations include canned meats\, vegetables\, fruits\, stews\, dry beans\, macaroni and cheese\, cereal\, rice\, pasta\, and granola bars. \nThe Food Center serves as New London County’s local food bank and is a signature program of United Way of Southeastern Connecticut. \nIts network includes 72 member programs\, among them food pantries\, shelters\, senior programs\, community meal sites\, childcare centers\, and after-school programs. \nAccording to the Garde\, the Food Center and its Mobile Food Pantry distributed the equivalent of more than 1.8 million meals during the previous year\, at no cost to recipients. \nFood donations can be dropped off at the Garde box office from Tuesday\, October 13\, through Friday\, October 16\, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Donations will also be accepted on Saturday\, October 17\, beginning at noon and continuing through the performance. \nFor concertgoers\, bringing a donation is a way to participate in a cause that Harry Chapin considered inseparable from his life’s work. \nA Special Evening at the Garde\nThe concert takes place during the Garde Arts Center’s centennial year\, adding another connection between musical history and one of southeastern Connecticut’s most treasured performance venues. \nOpened in 1926\, the Garde Theatre has welcomed generations of audiences for films\, concerts\, theatrical productions\, and community events. \nIts historic interior provides a fitting setting for a concert devoted to songs that have been passed from one generation to another. \nFor longtime Harry Chapin fans\, the evening offers a chance to hear beloved songs performed by members of his family and original band. For younger listeners\, it is an introduction to a songwriter whose observations about family\, ambition\, compassion\, and human relationships remain relevant decades after his death. \nDetails\nDate: Saturday\, October 17\, 2026\nTime: 8 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $39–$79\, plus fees\nPerformers: Tom Chapin\, Steve Chapin\, Jen Chapin\, The Chapin Sisters\, and The Harry Chapin Band\nFood Drive: Nonperishable food donations accepted before and during the concert\nAdvance Donation Drop-Off: October 13–16\, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; October 17 from noon through the performance\nBeneficiary: Gemma E. Moran United Way/Labor Food Center\nParking: Downtown street parking and nearby garages\nAccessibility: Contact the Garde box office for accessible seating and accommodations\nBox Office: (860) 444-7373\, extension 1 \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n\nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/harry-chapins-greatest-stories-live-featuring-the-chapin-family/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
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CREATED:20261010T222128Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261010T222128Z
UID:10009352-1792180800-1792188000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Comedian Harris Stanton Brings Stand-Up and Craft Beer to New London's Garde Arts Center
DESCRIPTION:At a Glance\n\n\nWhat: The Comedy Craft Beer Tour Presents Harris Stanton\nWhen: Friday\, October 16\, 2026\, 8–10 p.m.\nWhere: Oasis Room\, Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\nTickets: $27.50 plus fees\nSeating: General admission\, seating by section\nHighlights: Stand-up comedy from nationally touring comedian Harris Stanton\, craft beer and an intimate 100-seat theater\nOrganizer: Comedy Craft Beer Tour in partnership with Garde Arts Center\nParking: Downtown New London parking; confirm availability before arriving\nInformation: 860-444-7373\, ext. 1 \nA Night of Comedy in New London\nComedian Harris Stanton Brings Stand-Up and Craft Beer to New London’s Garde Arts Center on Friday\, October 16\, as the Comedy Craft Beer Tour continues its series of intimate performances in the theater’s Oasis Room. \nThe 8 p.m. show features Stanton\, a Brooklyn-based comedian whose career has taken him to clubs and theaters across the United States and overseas. Known for his experience on the national stand-up circuit\, Stanton brings nearly two decades of comedy experience to a setting where audiences can enjoy a performance without the distance of a large auditorium. \nThe Comedy Craft Beer Tour combines stand-up entertainment with a casual social atmosphere\, encouraging guests to arrive early\, find their seats and enjoy a drink before the show. \nFrom Baseball to the Comedy Stage\nStanton’s path to stand-up was an unusual one. After attending Spartanburg Methodist College in South Carolina\, he was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 52nd round of the 1996 Major League Baseball amateur draft. \nHe ultimately pursued comedy instead\, developing a career that included appearances on BET’s Comic View\, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend and Comics Unleashed. He has also appeared in a sketch on Saturday Night Live. \nHis work has brought him into the orbit of several prominent comedians. Stanton appeared in the opening lineup for Tracy Morgan’s Turn It Funny tour and recorded a comedy DVD with Patrice O’Neal. \nThose credits reflect a performer who has spent years working before different audiences\, developing material through live performances rather than relying on a single television appearance. \nComedy and Craft Beer in the Oasis Room\nThe Garde’s Oasis Room is a 100-seat performance space on the mezzanine level of the historic New London theater. Designed for smaller gatherings\, it offers a more personal experience than the Garde’s main auditorium. \nThat atmosphere is central to the Comedy Craft Beer Tour\, which has been pairing professional comedians with breweries\, wineries and other venues throughout the Northeast since 2016. \nThe Garde partnership brings that format to downtown New London\, offering an evening that combines live entertainment with the relaxed appeal of a night out with friends. \nGuests are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy a beverage before the performance. Tickets are $27.50 plus fees\, with general-admission seating organized by section. \nFor anyone looking for an alternative to a traditional Friday night at a bar or restaurant\, the Oasis Room offers an opportunity to experience professional stand-up in an unusually intimate setting. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n\n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n\n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/comedian-harris-stanton-brings-stand-up-and-craft-beer-to-new-londons-garde-arts-center/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261011T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261011T170000
DTSTAMP:20261006T014243Z
CREATED:20261006T014243Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T014243Z
UID:10009274-1791730800-1791738000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Fraggle Rock Comes to Life at the Garde With Puppets\, Music and a Search for the Celebration Stone
DESCRIPTION:Fraggle Rock Comes to Life at the Garde With Puppets\, Music and a Search for the Celebration Stone Sunday\, Oct. 11\, when Jim Henson’s colorful underground world takes over New London’s historic theater for the first live touring musical in the franchise’s history. \nFor parents who grew up singing “dance your cares away\,” this one carries a considerable dose of nostalgia. \nBut Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE isn’t simply a stage recreation of the 1980s television series. It’s a new theatrical production built around the Emmy-winning revival Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock\, combining classic characters and songs with newer music\, elaborate puppetry and a new story created specifically for the stage. \nAnd the Fraggles aren’t arriving alone. \nThe Garde is turning the afternoon into a larger family event\, with free pre-show activities beginning at 2 p.m.\, an hour before the curtain rises. \nThe Search for the Celebration Stone\nThe live show’s story is called The Search for the Celebration Stone. \nGobo\, Red\, Mokey\, Wembley and Boober learn of a legendary artifact known as the Celebration Stone\, which promises to make possible the greatest party in Fraggle history. \nNaturally\, finding it isn’t quite that simple. \nTheir journey becomes a story about cooperation\, friendship and community\, ideas that have been embedded in Fraggle Rock since Jim Henson introduced the world to the characters more than four decades ago. \nThe production brings together familiar residents of the Fraggle universe including the Doozers\, Marjory the Trash Heap\, Junior Gorg\, Philo and Gunge\, Sprocket and Uncle Traveling Matt. \nThis Isn’t Actors Wearing Fraggle Costumes\nOne of the most interesting parts of the production is how seriously the Henson organization has approached bringing Fraggle Rock to the stage. \nThe puppets and costumes were created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop\, the workshop descended from the team responsible for generations of Henson characters and creature effects. \nThe production also uses puppeteers\, scenic design\, projections\, lighting and theatrical effects to expand Fraggle Rock beyond the dimensions of a television screen. \nSeveral voices will be particularly familiar to longtime fans. \nDave Goelz\, whose association with Jim Henson stretches back more than 50 years\, voices Boober Fraggle and Uncle Traveling Matt. Karen Prell returns as Red Fraggle. Donna Kimball voices Mokey\, Jordan Lockhart voices Wembley\, and John Tartaglia performs Gobo as well as several additional characters. \nThat provides an unusual bridge between generations of Fraggle Rock. \nKids can encounter the characters through the newer television series while adults in the audience are hearing performers connected directly to the original Henson era. \nJohn Tartaglia Has Spent Much of His Life in Henson’s World\nThe man overseeing the production has a particularly interesting connection to puppetry. \nJohn Tartaglia wrote\, choreographed and directed the live show\, in addition to performing Gobo\, Architect Doozer\, Sprocket and Gunge. He’s also Vice President of Development and Production for The Jim Henson Company and serves as creative supervisor of the Fraggle Rock franchise. \nHis career extends well beyond puppetry. \nTartaglia was an original cast member of Broadway’s Avenue Q\, earning a Tony Award nomination\, and originated Pinocchio in Shrek the Musical. He also created and starred in Disney Channel’s Johnny and the Sprites. \nFor Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock\, Tartaglia has served as executive producer\, writer\, puppet captain and performer. \nIn other words\, the person responsible for translating Fraggle Rock from television to a touring theatrical production isn’t approaching the characters as borrowed intellectual property. \nHe’s one of the people responsible for their current lives. \nThe Music Connects Two Eras of Fraggle Rock\nThe show’s score does something similar. \nThere are 20 musical numbers across two acts\, including songs familiar from the original series alongside music from the newer Back to the Rock era. \nThe original show’s unmistakable “Fraggle Rock Theme” opens the production. \nThe program also includes “Wemblin’ Fool\,” “Doozer Marching Song\,” “Pass It On\,” “Follow Me\,” “The Rock Goes On” and other songs drawing from the franchise’s musical history. \nNewer material includes songs written by Harvey Mason Jr.\, Andrew Hey and Sam Ramirez\, while the classic material comes from Philip Balsam and Dennis Lee. \nThere is one brief intermission. \nA Broadway-Level Creative Team Builds Fraggle Rock\nThe production also has some substantial theatrical talent behind the puppets. \nScenic designer Anna Louizos was a three-time Tony Award nominee whose Broadway credits included In the Heights. Rob Denton designed the lighting\, Katherine Freer created the video design and Josh Liebert handled sound. \nThe production is presented by Heather Henson and The Jim Henson Company\, with puppets and costumes created by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. \nThe 2026 tour launched Sept. 18 in Wisconsin and is scheduled for more than 40 stops around the country. New London lands in the middle of that national run\, following performances in New Hampshire and before the production heads to Pennsylvania. \nCome an Hour Early\nThe Garde is making considerably more out of the afternoon than simply opening the doors. \nBeginning at 2 p.m.\, families can explore free activities throughout the theater’s historic lobbies. \nThe Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at UConn will introduce children to puppetry. The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra will host an instrument petting zoo\, giving kids a chance to explore musical instruments. \nThe Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center will bring a live-animal petting zoo. \nThere will also be Connecticut storytellers\, a book exchange and giveaway hosted by Rotary Club and Connecticut College’s Rotaract Club\, and coloring activities from Thames River Heritage Park and DATTCO Transportation. \nThen\, at 3 p.m.\, the doors to Fraggle Rock open for real. \nForty-Plus Years Later\, Fraggle Rock Still Has Something to Say\nJim Henson’s original Fraggle Rock arrived in 1983 disguised as a wonderfully strange children’s program about colorful creatures living underground. \nUnderneath the silliness was something considerably more ambitious. \nFraggles\, Doozers\, Gorgs and humans occupied different parts of the same interconnected world. They didn’t always understand one another\, and their actions frequently had consequences for groups they barely knew existed. \nHenson used that world to explore cooperation\, prejudice\, conflict\, environmental interdependence and the idea that seemingly different communities ultimately depend upon one another. \nMore than four decades later\, the new stage story sends the Fraggles looking for something called the Celebration Stone. \nThey ultimately have to figure out how to find it together. \nSome things about Fraggle Rock haven’t changed very much. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock LIVE\nDate: Sunday\, Oct. 11\, 2026\nShow Time: 3 p.m.\nPre-Show Activities: Begin at 2 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nLocation: New London\, Connecticut\nTickets: $29–$75 plus fees\nProduction: The first live touring musical in the Fraggle Rock franchise\nStory: The Search for the Celebration Stone\nCharacters: Gobo\, Red\, Mokey\, Wembley\, Boober and other characters from the Fraggle Rock universe\nMusic: 20 numbers across two acts\, combining classic Fraggle Rock songs with music from Back to the Rock\nIntermission: One brief intermission\nPuppets and Costumes: Jim Henson’s Creature Shop\nWriter/Director/Choreographer: John Tartaglia\nPre-Show: Storytelling\, book exchange and giveaway\, live-animal petting zoo\, instrument petting zoo\, puppetry activities and coloring activities\nVIP: An Ultimate Fraggle Rock Experience VIP package with a character meet-and-greet is available \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/fraggle-rock-comes-to-life-at-the-garde-with-puppets-music-and-a-search-for-the-celebration-stone/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Fraggle-Rock-Comes-to-Life-at-the-Garde-With-Puppets-Music-and-a-Search-for-the-Celebration-Stone.jpg
END:VEVENT
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261009T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261009T223000
DTSTAMP:20261006T021045Z
CREATED:20261006T021045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261006T021045Z
UID:10009275-1791576000-1791585000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Machine Brings Nearly 40 Years of Pink Floyd to the Garde
DESCRIPTION:The Machine Brings Nearly 40 Years of Pink Floyd to the Garde Friday\, Oct. 9\, with a band that has spent almost four decades doing something more ambitious than simply reproducing Pink Floyd’s biggest hits. \nThe New York-based quartet reaches across Pink Floyd’s entire career\, mixing the songs virtually everyone knows with album tracks and deep cuts that rarely turn up in conventional tribute shows. Just as importantly\, The Machine has developed a reputation for leaving room inside those songs for improvisation. \nThat distinction has helped keep the group on the road since 1988\, making The Machine one of America’s longest-running Pink Floyd tribute acts. \nAt the Garde\, that means a concert built for the people who know The Dark Side of the Moon\, Wish You Were Here\, and The Wall\, but also for the Pink Floyd fan who wants the band to keep digging. \nThis Goes Back to 1988\nThe Machine began with drummer Tahrah Cohen and guitarist and vocalist Joe Pascarell\, initially playing as a local cover band in the Rockland County\, New York area. \nPink Floyd wasn’t originally the band’s entire purpose. \nBut the response to its Floyd material helped push The Machine toward becoming a dedicated tribute act\, and by the end of the 1980s the group was pursuing it full time. \nThat puts the band’s history in an interesting context. \nThe Machine formed only a few years after Roger Waters left Pink Floyd and while David Gilmour\, Nick Mason and Richard Wright were still touring arenas as Pink Floyd. This wasn’t a tribute assembled decades after the original band’s story had ended. \nThe Machine has now been performing this music for nearly as long as Pink Floyd itself existed as an active band. \nThey Don’t Just Play the Obvious Songs\nA Pink Floyd tribute could easily build a set around Money\, Another Brick in the Wall\, Wish You Were Here and Comfortably Numb and call it a night. \nThe Machine has deliberately gone further. \nThe band describes its repertoire as reaching across Pink Floyd’s 15 studio albums\, pairing familiar material with obscure selections. Over the years\, it has performed complete albums\, taken audience requests and even staged what it calls an A-to-Z show\, selecting a Pink Floyd song for every letter of the alphabet. \nThat approach matters with Pink Floyd because the band’s catalog changed dramatically over time. \nThe psychedelic experimentation of the Syd Barrett years doesn’t sound much like the enormous conceptual records of the 1970s. Those\, in turn\, lead into the increasingly fractured Waters-era Pink Floyd and the later Gilmour-led band. \nThe Machine has enough material in its repertoire to move around inside all of it. \nAnd unlike a production constructed to reproduce the same set note-for-note every night\, improvisation remains part of the band’s identity. The group specifically points to the looser\, exploratory performances of early-1970s Pink Floyd as an influence on its live approach. \nFour Musicians Have to Create a Very Big Sound\nThe current Machine is a quartet. \nTahrah Cohen remains behind the drums as the group’s founding member. Scott Chasolen handles keyboards and vocals\, Ryan Ball guitar and vocals\, and Chris DeAngelis bass and lead vocals. \nThat’s a compact lineup for music famous for sounding enormous. \nPink Floyd recordings were built with layered guitars\, synthesizers\, tape effects\, backing vocals\, sound effects and studio experimentation. Later tours expanded that further with additional musicians\, enormous lighting rigs\, projections and some of the most ambitious concert staging in rock. \nThe Machine’s answer has been to combine musicianship with its own theatrical production. \nLighting and expanded visual elements are part of the show\, particularly drawing from the spectacle that became inseparable from Pink Floyd’s arena concerts during the 1980s. \nThe result isn’t intended to make four musicians physically resemble David Gilmour\, Roger Waters\, Richard Wright and Nick Mason. \nThe target is the sound and experience. \nThey’ve Played Pink Floyd With Entire Orchestras\nThe Machine’s history has taken the group considerably beyond the normal tribute-band circuit. \nIt has performed across North America\, Europe and Asia\, appeared at festivals including Bonnaroo\, Riverbend and Gathering of the Vibes\, and collaborated with major symphony orchestras. \nThat list includes the Atlanta\, Detroit\, Pittsburgh\, Jacksonville\, Charlotte and San Diego symphonies\, along with the Buffalo Philharmonic. \nThe orchestral collaborations make particular sense with Pink Floyd. \nAlbums such as Atom Heart Mother\, The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall were never constrained by the traditional guitar-bass-drums structure of a rock band. Orchestration\, choirs\, synthesizers and sound design were part of the vocabulary. \nThe Machine even released The Symphonic Side of the Moon\, built around a live performance of The Dark Side of the Moon with orchestra. \nThe Band Continues Without One of Its Founders\nThere is also a more personal reason The Machine continues playing this music. \nCo-founder Joe Pascarell died Jan. 21\, 2022\, at age 60. \nPascarell had been central to The Machine from its beginnings in 1988\, serving as guitarist\, vocalist\, musical leader and\, according to his bandmates\, teacher and creative force. \nThe band’s official memorial to Pascarell describes someone whose influences extended far beyond Pink Floyd\, from The Beatles and Glen Campbell to Emerson\, Lake & Palmer\, King Crimson and Jethro Tull. \nThe current band explicitly describes its continuing performances as both a celebration of Pink Floyd and a way of honoring Pascarell’s life and work. \nSo when founding drummer Tahrah Cohen sits behind the kit at the Garde\, there’s nearly four decades of The Machine’s own history sitting there with her. \nPink Floyd in a 100-Year-Old Movie Palace\nThere’s also something particularly appropriate about bringing this show into the Garde during its centennial season. \nThe Garde opened in 1926\, long before psychedelic rock\, concept albums or arena laser shows existed. A century later\, the restored movie palace has the scale and theatrical setting to accommodate music that was always about more than simply watching four musicians play instruments. \nThe Machine brings the other half of the equation: the lights\, atmosphere and sonic scale associated with Pink Floyd. \nThe Garde lists the Oct. 9 performance for 8 p.m.\, with tickets priced from $45 to $65 plus fees. CTvisit lists the performance running to approximately 10:30 p.m. \nFor casual listeners\, there should be plenty that’s familiar. \nFor the person sitting nearby who can identify a Pink Floyd song from three seconds of keyboard noise\, there’s a good chance The Machine knows that one\, too. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: The Machine Performs Pink Floyd\nDate: Friday\, Oct. 9\, 2026\nTime: 8 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State St.\, New London\, CT\nTickets: $45–$65 plus fees\nBand: Tahrah Cohen\, drums; Scott Chasolen\, keyboards and vocals; Ryan Ball\, guitar and vocals; Chris DeAngelis\, bass and lead vocals\nMusic: Pink Floyd favorites\, album tracks and deep cuts drawn from across the band’s catalog\nProduction: Concert lighting and theatrical stage elements are part of The Machine’s performances\nEstimated Length: CTvisit lists the event from 8–10:30 p.m.\nParking: Downtown New London parking is available around the theater; allow additional time before the performance\nTransit: New London Union Station is within walking distance of the Garde \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-machine-brings-nearly-40-years-of-pink-floyd-to-the-garde/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/The-Machine-Brings-Nearly-40-Years-of-Pink-Floyd-to-the-Garde.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261004T180000
DTSTAMP:20260930T032507Z
CREATED:20260930T032507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T032507Z
UID:10009207-1791126000-1791136800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Manhattan Short Film Festival Turns the Garde Audience Into the Jury
DESCRIPTION:Manhattan Short Film Festival Turns the Garde Audience Into the Jury Oct. 4\, New London moviegoers watch the same 10 short films being screened around the world and then help decide which film and actor should win the festival’s top awards. \nThere is no jury of filmmakers\, critics or industry executives making the final decision. \nThe ballot goes to you. \nEvery audience member at the Garde receives one\, watches the complete slate and votes for Best Film and Best Actor. Those New London ballots are then combined with votes from audiences at more than 500 participating venues across six continents. \nThe winners are scheduled to be announced the following morning\, Oct. 5. \nThat makes Sunday’s screening something considerably different from simply watching a collection of festival shorts. The people sitting inside the Garde become part of a worldwide jury. \nTen Countries. Ten Films.\nFor the first time in Manhattan Short’s 29-year history\, its 10 finalists represent 10 different countries. \nThe program moves through science fiction\, mystery\, comedy\, drama and animation\, with stories coming from the United States\, Ireland\, Australia\, South Africa\, the United Kingdom\, Moldova\, Russia\, Cuba\, Georgia and Mexico. \nHere is what New London audiences will be judging: \nSmall Talk — USA — 9 minutes\nDirected by Eduardo Moral. In a neon-lit future where artificial intelligence has eliminated nearly every profession\, a cab driver holds onto one increasingly rare human behavior: talking to people. His passengers include workers whose jobs have disappeared to automation\, turning ordinary conversation into a story about identity and what happens when society decides it no longer needs your work. \nMary Is Missing — Ireland — 22 minutes\nDirected by Aisling Byrne. A care worker disappears and Detective Foley arrives at the Yellow Tree Day Service to find out what happened. The problem is that the witnesses’ accounts become increasingly contradictory and strange. The mystery gradually becomes as much about who gets believed\, and why people tell stories\, as it is about finding Mary. \nCandy Bar — Australia — 6 minutes\nDirected by Nash Edgerton and written by actor Damon Herriman. A grieving young girl encounters a man in a cinema candy-bar line and tells him that he looks like her father. What begins as an awkward encounter develops into something unexpectedly emotional. The film premiered at Sundance in 2026 and stars Herriman alongside Andrea Demetriades\, Zumi Edgerton and Caitlin Burley. \nVultures — South Africa — 15 minutes\nDirected by Dian Weys. In the chaotic minutes following a car crash\, a desperate tow-truck driver tries to protect his claim to the wreck before authorities arrive. Competition and desperation escalate the situation beyond his control. The Afrikaans- and English-language film also screened at the 2026 Tribeca Festival. \nLife Goes On — United Kingdom — 19 minutes\nDirected by Kat Butterfield and Daniel Audritt. Bill is in end-of-life care and ready to die. There’s just one problem: every time his heart stops\, the day starts over again. The dark comedy turns the familiar time-loop premise into a story about mortality\, unfinished business and the things people wait too long to say. The cast includes David Bradley\, Maggie Steed\, Matt Berry and Laura Checkley. \nHai Davai — Moldova — 16 minutes\nDirected by Vlad Gradescu. Nina is about to leave her rural Moldovan village for a new life abroad when a black cat crosses the road. Her grandmother sees the old superstition as a warning and refuses to let her continue. The comedy pits the possibility of a different future against family\, tradition and the beliefs people carry from one generation to the next. \nPickup — Russia — 3 minutes\nDirected by Viktoriia Lapushkina. At a workshop where women are assigned exercises in flirting\, shy Di gets what sounds like a simple task: persuade a man to buy her coffee. Instead she reaches a rooftop smoking area and encounters Alex\, who is preparing to end his life. It’s the shortest film in the competition\, packing its reversal into just three minutes. \nNorheimsund — Cuba — 12 minutes\nDirected by Cuban filmmaker Ana A. Alpizar. A girl’s long-distance relationship with an older Norwegian man appears to offer both her and her mother a way out of an austere life in Cuba\, until she begins discovering that the man she has imagined may not match reality. The Spanish-language film previously screened at both Venice and Sundance and won the Fiction category at the 2026 Sony Future Filmmaker Awards. \nWhen the Sea Was Calm — Georgia — 18 minutes\nDirected and animated by Mamuka Tkeshelashvili. This dialogue-free\, handcrafted animation returns to Sokhumi on the eve of war in 1992\, where a 13-year-old boy experiences first love before violence forces the girl to flee. Decades later\, he returns to a city transformed by war and memories of a childhood that disappeared with it. Tkeshelashvili uses cut-outs and puppets rather than conventional live action or computer animation. \nNever Give Up! — Hungary/Mexico — 20 minutes\nDirected by Tamás Yvan Topolánszky. After a deadly border crossing separates a young boy from his mother\, he is left alone in the desert with a damaged phone and the words she taught him to remember: never give up. An unexpected encounter changes the direction of his attempt to survive. \nTogether\, the films create a roughly 2½-hour international program\, with subjects ranging from AI and automation to aging\, migration\, war\, superstition\, grief and human connection. \nFrom a Truck in Little Italy to Six Continents\nManhattan Short began on a considerably smaller screen. \nFounder Nicholas Mason launched the festival in 1998\, gathering roughly 200 people on Mulberry Street in New York’s Little Italy to watch 16 short films projected onto a screen mounted on the side of a truck. \nThe following year it moved to Union Square Park. \nWhat developed from there wasn’t simply another film festival. Mason created a model in which the same finalists would be shown during the same period at participating venues around the world. \nBy 2026\, Manhattan Short says the festival reaches more than 100\,000 moviegoers at more than 500 venues on six continents. \nAnd those audiences still perform the job that normally belongs to a festival jury. \nYour Vote Actually Counts\nEveryone attending receives a ballot. \nAt the conclusion of the program\, audience members select their choice for Best Film and Best Actor. Participating venues tally their ballots and send the results to Manhattan Short headquarters. \nThe worldwide totals determine the winners. \nThere’s another reason the competition matters to the filmmakers. \nSelection as one of Manhattan Short’s finalists also makes each of the 10 films Oscar-qualified\, putting them in position to be considered for an Academy Award nomination. \nThere is precedent for the festival becoming part of that path. \nIn 2024\, four Manhattan Short selections reached the Academy’s shortlist and two went on to receive Oscar nominations. I’m Not a Robot ultimately won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film. \nThat means Sunday’s audience isn’t necessarily watching obscure films destined to disappear after the festival circuit. Some of the filmmakers and actors on the Garde screen could be appearing in the Academy Awards conversation a few months from now. \nA Global Film Festival Inside a 100-Year-Old Movie Palace\nThere’s also something particularly appropriate about where New London’s screening is happening. \nThe Garde opened in 1926 as a movie palace\, designed for an era when going to see a film was itself an event. \nExactly 100 years later\, during the theater’s Centennial Season\, the Garde is again gathering an audience around a movie screen\, except this time that audience is simultaneously connected to people watching the same films around the world. \nThe screening is part of the Garde’s Real Movie Palace Experience\, and it arrives one day after the theater’s elaborate centennial recreation of its original 1926 opening night. \nThe 2026 festival also includes music during intermission from featured artist Madeline Rosene\, whose song Love & Algorithms was selected for this year’s program. \nBy the time the lights come back up Sunday afternoon\, however\, the important piece of paper isn’t the program. \nIt’s the ballot. \nTen filmmakers have already convinced Manhattan Short that their work belongs among this year’s finalists. \nNow New London gets a vote on what happens next. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Manhattan Short Film Festival 2026\nDate: Sunday\, Oct. 4\, 2026\nTime: 3 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $15 plus fees\nProgram: 10 international short films\nCountries Represented: United States\, Ireland\, Australia\, South Africa\, United Kingdom\, Moldova\, Russia\, Cuba\, Georgia and Mexico\nAudience Participation: Attendees receive ballots and vote for Best Film and Best Actor\nFestival Dates Worldwide: Sept. 24–Oct. 4\, 2026\nFestival Reach: More than 500 venues across six continents\nWinner Announcement: Monday\, Oct. 5\, 2026\nFeatured Intermission Artist: Madeline Rosene\nContent Note: Some films contain adult themes and strong language\nGarde Box Office: 860-444-7373 \n  \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/manhattan-short-film-festival-turns-the-garde-audience-into-the-jury/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261003T230000
DTSTAMP:20260929T031152Z
CREATED:20260929T031152Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260929T031152Z
UID:10009202-1791050400-1791068400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Garde Turns Back the Clock 100 Years to Recreate Its 1926 Opening Night
DESCRIPTION:The Garde Turns Back the Clock 100 Years to Recreate Its 1926 Opening Night Oct. 3\, when New London’s surviving movie palace celebrates its centennial by attempting something considerably more ambitious than a birthday party: recreating the kind of night audiences experienced when the theater first opened its doors a century ago. \nFor five hours\, the Garde Arts Center will become a version of itself from 1926. \nClassic automobiles will line the street\, with cocktails and strolling entertainers in the lobby\, tarot readers and a wandering magician\, an organ processional\, vaudeville\, a jazz orchestra\, dancing\, a vintage-style newsreel\, and a silent movie with live organ accompaniment. \nThen\, after the theater presentation ends\, everyone is invited onto the stage for a speakeasy with live jazz and dancing until 11 p.m. \nThe evening is called A Night to Remember\, and it’s the centerpiece of the Garde’s Centennial Season. \nThis isn’t simply a Roaring Twenties-themed party being held inside an old theater. \nIt’s a party about this particular theater and the night New London first discovered it. \nImagine State Street in 1926\nThe Garde opened on Sept. 22\, 1926\, during the great American movie-palace boom. \nMovies were silent. Television didn’t exist. Going to the movies could mean far more than sitting down\, watching a feature and going home. \nThe grand urban movie palaces were designed to make the entire evening feel like an event. \nThe Garde was built as a “photoplay house” under the direction of Arthur S. Friend\, a New York movie-industry attorney associated with the company that became Paramount Pictures. New London architect Arland W. Johnson designed the theater\, which was named for businessman Walter Garde. \nInside\, audiences entered an elaborate world of Moroccan and Middle Eastern-inspired decoration\, murals and architectural ornamentation. \nThe opening attraction was The Marriage Clause\, a silent romantic drama starring two major screen names of the era\, Francis X. Bushman and Billie Dove. \nBut a night at the Garde wasn’t necessarily just a movie. \nLike other theaters of its era\, the Garde combined motion pictures with live entertainment. Vaudeville performers could share the program with feature films\, comedy shorts and newsreels\, giving audiences a variety show and a movie in the same visit. \nOne hundred years later\, that’s the experience the Garde is trying to bring back. \nThe Night Begins Before Anyone Takes a Seat\nThe centennial celebration starts at 6 p.m. with a cocktail reception\, and the theater itself becomes part of the performance. \nGuests will encounter classic automobiles\, strolling performers and a wandering magician\, along with photo opportunities and a mystical lounge with tarot card readers and live piano music. \nIt’s meant to create the sense that something is happening everywhere rather than asking guests to arrive\, find their seats and wait for a curtain. \nPeriod dress isn’t required\, but 1920s-inspired clothing is encouraged for anyone who wants to become part of the scenery. \nThen\, at 7:30 p.m.\, everyone heads into the theater. \nVaudeville\, Silent Film and a Mighty Organ\nThe feature presentation is constructed as a recreation of a 1926 theater program rather than a conventional stage show. \nAn organ processional and audience sing-along open the proceedings. Historical figures Arthur S. Friend and Walter Garde make appearances as characters in the evening\, reconnecting the celebration to the men behind the original theater. \nA symphonic jazz orchestra supplies the sound of the period\, while an Arthur Murray dance showcase and vaudeville performances bring back forms of live entertainment that would have been familiar to audiences entering a movie palace in the 1920s. \nThere’s even a vintage-style newsreel. \nAnd then the clock rolls all the way back to the era before movies talked. \nA silent film will be presented with live organ accompaniment and Foley sound effects — the sounds created to accompany actions on screen. \nThat’s particularly fitting inside the Garde. \nThe theater’s history spans the enormous technological transition that transformed movies at the end of the 1920s. Just three years after the Garde opened\, Warner Bros. purchased the theater as part of its expansion during the arrival of talking pictures. \nThe reported purchase price in 1929 was $1 million. \nThe building celebrating silent film in 2026 survived the revolution that made silent film obsolete. \nThen Everybody Gets Invited Onto the Stage\nAt 9 p.m.\, the formal presentation ends. \nThe party doesn’t. \nThe Garde will turn its stage into a speakeasy\, with guests invited up for a live jazz quartet\, dancing and additional surprises until 11 p.m. \nThat final portion changes the relationship between audience and theater in a wonderful way. \nFor most of the past century\, generations of New Londoners have looked at the Garde’s stage. \nOn this night\, they’ll get to party on it. \nThe building they’re celebrating almost didn’t make it to its 100th birthday. \nAfter decades as one of southeastern Connecticut’s major movie theaters\, the Garde closed in 1977 amid the enormous changes reshaping downtown movie houses across America. The nonprofit Garde Arts Center was established in 1985\, beginning the long process of saving and restoring the theater rather than losing another movie palace to demolition or redevelopment. \nToday\, the Garde once again hosts concerts\, movies\, comedy\, theater and community events beneath the elaborate interior created for audiences a century ago. \nThat makes A Night to Remember more than an exercise in nostalgia. \nOn Oct. 3\, people won’t be celebrating a vanished theater by looking at old photographs of it. \nThey’ll be standing inside it. \nAnd for one night\, the Garde gets to be 1926 again. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: A Night to Remember: 1926 Opening Night Reenactment\nDate: Saturday\, Oct. 3\, 2026\nTime: 6–11 p.m.\nLocation: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $26 and $126\, plus fees\n6–7 p.m.: Cocktail reception with signature cocktails\, classic automobiles\, strolling performers\, wandering magician\, photo opportunities\, tarot readers and live piano\n7:30 p.m.: Opening Night Reenactment and feature presentation\nFeature Presentation: Organ processional and sing-along\, Arthur S. Friend and Walter Garde appearances\, symphonic jazz orchestra\, Arthur Murray dance showcase\, vaudeville\, vintage-style newsreel and silent film with live organ accompaniment and Foley effects\n9–11 p.m.: Speakeasy on the Garde stage with live jazz quartet and dancing\nAttire: 1920s-inspired clothing encouraged but optional\nVIP: Includes additional benefits such as a drink ticket and live caricature portrait\nPhone: 860-444-7373\nEmail: info@gardearts.org \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-garde-turns-back-the-clock-100-years-to-recreate-its-1926-opening-night/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Garde-Turns-Back-the-Clock-100-Years-to-Recreate-Its-1926-Opening-Night.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261001T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261001T210000
DTSTAMP:20261001T013303Z
CREATED:20261001T013303Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001T013303Z
UID:10009212-1790883000-1790888400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Randy Travis Brings His Songs Back to the Stage Without Singing a Note
DESCRIPTION:Randy Travis Brings His Songs Back to the Stage Without Singing a Note when the Country Music Hall of Famer arrives at New London’s Garde Arts Center Thursday\, Oct. 1\, for a concert unlike the tours that made him one of country music’s defining voices.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThe important thing to understand before buying a ticket is also what makes the More Life Tour unusual: Randy Travis does not sing during the concert. \nAfter the massive stroke that nearly killed him in 2013 severely affected his ability to speak and sing\, a conventional Randy Travis concert was no longer possible. \nInstead\, Travis is onstage as his longtime band performs the songs that built his career\, with singer James Dupré handling the lead vocals. Travis participates in the evening\, interacts with the audience\, and watches the musicians who spent years on the road with him bring his catalog back to life. \nIt is less a replacement for a Randy Travis concert than a celebration of the music\, the musicians who made it with him and the fact that Travis himself is still here to experience it. \nThe Band Is Randy Travis’ Band\nThat distinction is important. \nThe musicians aren’t a newly assembled tribute band playing approximations of Travis’ records. The More Life Tour reunites members of his longtime touring band\, which had not been on the road with him since before his 2013 stroke. \nThe lineup includes Steve Hinson\, David Johnson\, Lance Dary\, Bill Cook\, Joe Van Dyke and Herb Shucher\, along with longtime tour manager Jeff Davis. \nThey knew Travis’ arrangements from the inside. \nThe tour is built around his 16 No. 1 songs\, with Dupré singing a catalog that includes “On the Other Hand\,” “Forever and Ever\, Amen” and “Three Wooden Crosses.” \nFor people who grew up with Travis’ records\, that makes the evening something more personal than a conventional tribute show. \nThe Voice Belongs to James Dupré\nDupré has the difficult job at the center of the production. \nHe isn’t there to impersonate Travis. He’s there to sing songs so closely associated with one of country’s most recognizable baritone voices that separating singer from song initially seems almost impossible. \nThe connection between the two men predates this tour. \nDupré appeared with Travis in the 2015 film The Price\, and the Travis family later chose him to perform the catalog on the More Life Tour. \nDupré had already established his own country career. The Louisiana native gained a national following through online performances\, released his debut album It’s All Happening in 2010 and later competed on NBC’s The Voice. \nOn this tour\, however\, the material belongs unmistakably to Travis. \nDupré’s job is to give those songs a live voice while the man who originally made them famous shares the stage. \nRandy Travis Helped Change Country Music\nIt’s difficult to overstate how significant Travis was when he broke through during the 1980s. \nCountry radio had increasingly embraced polished crossover production\, but Travis arrived with a deep baritone and a traditional style rooted in artists such as George Jones\, Lefty Frizzell and Merle Haggard. \nHis 1986 major-label debut\, Storms of Life\, became a landmark of country’s neotraditional movement. \nSongs including “On the Other Hand” and “1982” established him almost immediately. Then came “Forever and Ever\, Amen\,” “I Told You So\,” “Deeper Than the Holler\,” “Hard Rock Bottom of Your Heart” and a succession of records that helped move traditional country back toward the center of the genre. \nLater\, “Three Wooden Crosses” became another defining song\, connecting the country and gospel sides of a career that eventually earned Travis seven Grammy Awards\, multiple CMA and ACM honors and membership in both the Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame. \nHis lifetime record sales exceed 25 million. \nThen Everything Changed\nIn July 2013\, Travis suffered viral cardiomyopathy and congestive heart failure and subsequently experienced a massive stroke. \nHe survived\, but the neurological damage profoundly affected his speech and ability to sing. \nWhat followed was a long rehabilitation rather than a conventional comeback story. \nThat history changes the emotional context of the More Life Tour. The audience isn’t waiting for Travis to suddenly step to the microphone and sing “Forever and Ever\, Amen.” The Garde explicitly tells ticket buyers that he will not be singing. \nHis presence is the point. \nThe audience gets Travis\, his musicians and the songs together in the same room again\, even though the relationship among them has necessarily changed. \nTechnology Has Given Him Another Way to Record\nTravis’ inability to perform his songs conventionally hasn’t completely stopped him from making new music. \nIn 2024\, “Where That Came From” became his first newly recorded song in more than a decade through the use of artificial intelligence and voice technology. \nThe project began with a guide vocal recorded by Dupré. Technology was then used to transform that performance using a model trained on Travis’ earlier recordings\, with Travis and his team participating in the process. \nThe result raised larger questions about artificial intelligence and music\, but Travis’ project differed substantially from unauthorized AI songs that imitate living performers without their participation. This was undertaken with Travis’ approval as a way of restoring a musical capability his stroke had taken away. \nHe subsequently released “Horses in Heaven\,” extending that experiment with technology-assisted vocals. \nOnstage in New London\, however\, there is no attempt to use technology to make Travis appear to be singing. \nDupré sings. \nTravis is Travis. \nOne of the Final Stops for the More Life Tour\nThe New London performance also comes during the announced final stretch of the More Life Tour. \nAfter more than two years on the road\, covering more than 50 cities and two dozen states\, the fall 2026 dates were announced as the final run of this particular tour concept. \nNew London begins a four-night New England stretch. \nAfter Thursday night’s Garde performance\, the tour travels to Keene\, New Hampshire\, on Friday\, Plymouth\, Massachusetts\, on Saturday and Northampton\, Massachusetts\, on Sunday. \nThat puts the Garde near the end of a project that found an unexpected way to put Randy Travis and his music back onstage together. \nFor a performer whose career was built around one of the most instantly recognizable voices in country music\, it’s an unusual proposition. \nThe singer can’t sing. \nThe songs haven’t gone anywhere. \nAnd neither has Randy Travis. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. To purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Randy Travis: The More Life Tour\nDate: Thursday\, Oct. 1\, 2026\nTime: 7:30 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nTickets: $72–$122 plus fees\nFeatured Artist: Randy Travis\nGuest Vocalist: James Dupré\nImportant: Randy Travis appears and participates in the show but does not sing\nMusic: James Dupré and Travis’ longtime touring band perform his catalog\, including his 16 No. 1 hits\nBand: Steve Hinson\, David Johnson\, Lance Dary\, Bill Cook\, Joe Van Dyke and Herb Shucher\nVIP: Meet-and-greet passes with Randy Travis are expected to be available at the show\nBox Office: 860-444-7373 \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/randy-travis-brings-his-songs-back-to-the-stage-without-singing-a-note/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Randy-Travis-Brings-His-Songs-Back-to-the-Stage-Without-Singing-a-Note.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260927T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260927T160000
DTSTAMP:20260924T144010Z
CREATED:20260924T144010Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260924T144010Z
UID:10008597-1790517600-1790524800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Felicia Rose Brings Sacred Song\, World Rhythms and Electronic Trance to the Garde
DESCRIPTION:Felicia Rose Brings Sacred Song\, World Rhythms and Electronic Trance to the Garde Sunday\, Sept. 27\, for an afternoon that moves between singer-songwriter intimacy\, Sanskrit chanting\, percussion\, world music and the electronic transformation of songs originally written as spiritual music. \nPresented by Mezza Stage + Studio\, the 2 p.m. performance pairs Rose with percussionists Tam Zezulka and Kevin Gallagher II\, musicians associated with The Omies and Shakti Ma and the Rainbow Serpents. The concert is being presented as an afternoon of meditative\, devotional\, and electronic world music. \nBut this isn’t simply a concert. \nPsychic mediums and readers from Mystical Horizons will be available before and after the performance\, with short readings offered for an additional charge. Guests can also arrive early or remain afterward to meet the musicians. \nThe afternoon will include a tribute to Verline Eldrige\, a longtime spiritual teacher and medium who died earlier this year after more than 50 years of spiritual work. \nFrom Folk-Rock Songs to Sanskrit Chants\nRose describes what she creates as conscious music\, a broad category that allows her to move between musical forms without separating the music from its spiritual purpose. \nHer repertoire includes romantic ballads centered on love for the Divine as well as more rhythmic chants performed in both English and Sanskrit. \nMusically\, the originals draw from folk rock\, world beat and gospel\, while kirtan and mantra are also central to her performances and workshops. \nKirtan comes from the devotional traditions of India and commonly uses repeated chants or mantras in a communal setting. Rather than the audience remaining completely separate from the performer\, repetition can turn the room itself into part of the music. \nThat helps explain the unusual range represented in Sunday’s program. \nA singer-songwriter ballad\, Sanskrit chant and percussion-driven piece may sound like they belong in entirely different concerts. Rose approaches them as different routes toward the same meditative and emotional experience. \nThen She Put the Sacred Music on the Dance Floor\nRose’s music has recently taken another turn. \nIn 2026\, she collaborated with electronic producer DJ JackEL on Deep Elevation\, Vol. 1\, reworking spiritual songs as deep-house and melodic electronic tracks. \nThe project takes material originally associated with meditation\, yoga and sacred performance and places it inside an electronic framework suited to movement and dance. \nAmong the 2026 releases are remixes of songs including Repetition\, Through the Sound\, Rain Falls\, Longing and Let It Go. \nIt’s an interesting collision of purposes. \nElectronic dance music is built around repetition. \nSo is mantra. \nIn one setting\, repetition keeps bodies moving on a dance floor. In another\, repeating words or sounds can become a meditative practice. \nRose’s recent work deliberately puts those ideas together. \nKevin Gallagher II Builds the Rhythm From Several Traditions\nPercussionist Kevin Gallagher II brings another set of musical traditions into Sunday’s performance. \nThe Lyme musician has studied and performed West African\, Latin and kirtan rhythms\, with experience ranging from Nigerian ceremonial mask performances and West African dance classes to rock\, jazz\, jam and fusion bands. \nHe currently plays mridanga and percussion with Connecticut kirtan groups The Omies and the Rainbow Serpents. \nThe mridanga is a double-headed drum closely associated with devotional music from India\, giving Gallagher a way to connect rhythmic traditions that stretch far beyond the conventional Western drum kit. \nThat percussion becomes particularly important in music intended not merely to be heard\, but sung\, chanted or moved to. \nA Memorial Within the Music\nThe concert will also pause to remember Verline Eldrige. \nOrganizers describe Eldrige as a beloved spiritual teacher and medium who spent more than half a century doing that work before her death earlier in 2026. \nHer inclusion gives Sunday’s gathering a memorial dimension alongside its musical and spiritual elements. \nThe presence of readers from Mystical Horizons extends that atmosphere beyond the stage. Short individual readings will be available at an additional cost before and after the concert\, while the musicians themselves will also be available for a meet-and-greet. \nSo the two-hour advertised performance is only part of the experience. \nAn Intimate Project Inside a Very Big Theater\nThe afternoon is presented by Mezza Stage + Studio\, a queer-led performance project built around intimate\, small-scale arts events. \nRather than committing itself to one discipline or permanent venue\, Mezza produces spoken word\, theater\, dance\, music\, comedy\, film and other performances\, shaping individual events around the rooms in which they happen. \nSunday brings that philosophy to the Garde Arts Center\, the historic State Street performing arts venue now celebrating its centennial season. \nAnd the pairing is an unusual one. \nA theater created during the age of grand movie palaces becomes the setting for Sanskrit chants\, world percussion\, spiritual singer-songwriter music and songs newly reinvented through electronic dance music. \nSomewhere between concert\, meditation\, remembrance and gathering\, Felicia Rose’s Sunday afternoon doesn’t fit neatly into one category. \nFor Mezza Stage + Studio\, that’s pretty much the point. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Felicia Rose\, presented by Mezza Stage + Studio\nDate: Sunday\, Sept. 27\, 2026\nTime: 2–4 p.m.\nLocation: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State St.\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $27–$32 plus fees\nFeatured Artist: Felicia Rose\nPercussion: Tam Zezulka and Kevin Gallagher II\nMusic: Devotional and meditative music\, folk rock\, world beat\, gospel influences\, Sanskrit and English chants and electronic music\nAlso Featured: Meet-and-greet with the artists and psychic mediums/readers from Mystical Horizons before and after the concert\nReadings: Short readings available for an additional charge\nSpecial Tribute: The late spiritual teacher and medium Verline Eldrige\nPresented By: Mezza Stage + Studio\nBox Office: 860-444-7373 ext. 1 \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/felicia-rose-brings-sacred-song-world-rhythms-and-electronic-trance-to-the-garde/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Felicia-Rose-Brings-Sacred-Song-World-Rhythms-and-Electronic-Trance-to-the-Garde.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260926T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260926T220000
DTSTAMP:20260928T002153Z
CREATED:20260920T191833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260928T002153Z
UID:10008476-1790452800-1790460000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Magic Rocks Brings Illusionist Leon Etienne’s Rock-and-Roll Magic Show to the Garde
DESCRIPTION:Magic Rocks Brings Illusionist Leon Etienne’s Rock-and-Roll Magic Show to the Garde on Saturday\, Sept. 26\, combining large-scale illusions\, sleight of hand\, and comedy with the pace and attitude of a rock concert. \nEtienne brings his touring Magic Rocks! production to New London for an 8 p.m. performance at the Garde Arts Center. The family-friendly show runs roughly two hours and is designed less like a traditional magician standing behind a table and more like a theatrical spectacle built around music\, lighting and high-energy stage illusions. \nMagic With the Volume Turned Up\nLeon Etienne calls himself “America’s Rock Illusionist\,” and the description fits the approach he has taken to modernizing the traditional magic show. \nMagic Rocks! mixes close-up skills and sleight of hand with much larger theatrical illusions\, comedy and a rock-and-roll presentation. Rather than slowing the evening down to demonstrate individual tricks\, Etienne builds the show around speed\, surprise and spectacle. \nIt is an approach that has taken him considerably farther than the touring theater circuit. \nEtienne has performed at Radio City Music Hall and appeared internationally in countries including England\, Ireland\, France\, China and Australia. His career has also included performances at casinos and entertainment venues around the world. \nFrom America’s Got Talent to Penn & Teller\nTelevision brought Etienne’s magic to an even larger audience. \nHe has appeared on America’s Got Talent\, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon\, Masters of Illusion and Penn & Teller: Fool Us. \nThose appearances are particularly suited to Etienne’s style. Television magic has to move quickly\, establish the premise of an illusion almost immediately and deliver a payoff before an audience has time to lose interest. That same rapid-fire approach carries into Magic Rocks!. \nBut the touring show gives him something television can’t: a full stage. \nThat allows the performance to move between smaller demonstrations of sleight of hand and the grand illusions that have become a signature of the production. \nA Family Show Without the Kiddie-Show Treatment\nThe Garde is presenting Magic Rocks! as an all-ages\, family-friendly performance\, but this isn’t being packaged solely as children’s entertainment. \nThat’s an important distinction. \nThe production is built to work for children seeing theatrical magic for the first time while still delivering the larger illusions\, humor and showmanship expected by adults. The result is one of the relatively uncommon Saturday-night theater events that can work for multiple generations without being specifically aimed at young children. \nThe historic Garde should also provide an appropriately theatrical setting. The State Street venue originally opened in 1926 and celebrates its centennial this year\, giving Etienne a nearly century-old movie palace-sized stage for a show deliberately built around spectacle. \nA Touring Show With a Long Reach\nNew London is one stop on an extensive Magic Rocks! tour. \nEtienne performs in Natick\, Massachusetts\, the night before his Garde appearance\, followed by dates in Ohio\, Illinois\, Wisconsin\, California\, New York\, Florida and Canada into 2027. \nThat touring history helps explain the scale of the production coming to New London. This isn’t a locally assembled magic program or a collection of individual tricks brought together for one appearance. Magic Rocks! is Etienne’s established touring stage show\, developed for theaters and large entertainment venues. \nOn Saturday night\, the next one happens to be downtown New London. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \nDetails\nEvent: Magic Rocks! — Illusionist Leon Etienne\nDate: Saturday\, Sept. 26\, 2026\nTime: 8 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nRunning Time: Approximately two hours\nAdmission: $39–$79 plus applicable fees\nAudience: Family-friendly/all ages\nShow: Grand illusions\, sleight of hand\, comedy and rock-and-roll-style theatrical production \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/magic-rocks-brings-illusionist-leon-etiennes-rock-and-roll-magic-show-to-the-garde/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Magic-Rocks-Brings-Illusionist-Leon-Etiennes-Rock-and-Roll-Magic-Show-to-the-Garde.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260911T213000
DTSTAMP:20260908T002558Z
CREATED:20260908T002452Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260908T002558Z
UID:10007507-1789153200-1789162200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Guardian (2006) presented by the CT Maritime Heritage Festival
DESCRIPTION:The Guardian (2006) presented by the CT Maritime Heritage Festival brings Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher’s Coast Guard rescue drama back to the big screen at New London’s Garde Arts Center on Friday\, September 11. \nThe 7 p.m. screening serves as a cinematic opening to a weekend devoted to Connecticut’s relationship with the sea. The Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival takes over the New London waterfront Saturday and Sunday with military and private vessel tours\, Coast Guard demonstrations\, living history\, maritime competitions\, children’s activities and other events. \nThat makes The Guardian an unusually appropriate choice for the night before the festival. Although its central characters are fictional\, the 2006 film was made with extensive cooperation from the U.S. Coast Guard\, used real Coast Guard personnel and equipment during production\, and drew heavily from the culture and training of the service’s Aviation Survival Technicians\, better known as rescue swimmers. \nKevin Costner Goes Into the Bering Sea\nCostner stars as Senior Chief Ben Randall\, a legendary Coast Guard rescue swimmer whose career has been built around going into the water when almost everyone else is trying to get out of it. \nAfter a catastrophic rescue mission leaves members of his crew dead\, Randall is sent away from active rescue operations and assigned to train the next generation of swimmers. \nThat’s where he encounters Jake Fischer\, played by Ashton Kutcher. \nFischer is a gifted young competitive swimmer with the physical ability to excel and an ego to match. He arrives at rescue swimmer school convinced that his speed in a pool will translate naturally into saving people at sea. \nRandall has other ideas. \nWhat follows uses a familiar mentor-and-student structure\, but places it inside a profession rarely given a starring role in a Hollywood movie. Randall pushes Fischer beyond athletic performance and toward the central idea behind the Coast Guard rescue swimmer mission: the person in the water isn’t there to win a race. He’s there because somebody else may die if he doesn’t reach them. \nThe relationship eventually moves from the training pool to the Bering Sea\, where lessons that seemed theoretical on land become matters of survival. \nHollywood Went to the Coast Guard for Help\nThe Guardian wasn’t produced with the Coast Guard merely supplying uniforms and a few helicopters for background shots. \nThe filmmakers sought the service’s cooperation before production moved forward and were given access to Coast Guard facilities\, personnel and equipment. Screenwriter Ron L. Brinkerhoff researched rescue swimmers and their culture\, while actual rescue swimmers worked as consultants during production. \nReal Coast Guard rescue swimmers\, pilots and other personnel also appear in supporting roles. \nThat involvement gave the movie something Coast Guard veterans noticed when it arrived in theaters. \nA review published in the U.S. Naval Institute’s Proceedings praised the film not simply for its rescues but for capturing smaller details of Coast Guard life: the humor between enlisted personnel\, the strains that an around-the-clock military career can put on a marriage\, the personalities found inside a training command and even the language surrounding an aviation accident. \nThe film takes Hollywood liberties\, and some rescue procedures were dramatized. But the underlying rescue culture was taken seriously. \nEven two decades later\, Coast Guard aircrews reviewing Hollywood rescue scenes have singled out portions of The Guardian as surprisingly authentic\, including its depiction of rescue-basket procedures. \nMaking a Bering Sea in Louisiana\nCreating the movie’s violent ocean rescues presented another problem: filmmakers needed a controllable version of some of the most dangerous water on Earth. \nDirector Andrew Davis\, who had previously directed The Fugitive\, wanted the rescues to feel physical rather than relying entirely on visual effects. \nProduction built an enormous indoor wave tank in Shreveport\, Louisiana\, capable of generating the rough water needed for the rescue sequences. Sets\, including vessels in distress\, could be placed inside the tank while actors\, stunt performers\, camera crews and safety personnel worked in the water around them. \nThe production also used a ship mounted on a hydraulic gimbal to simulate a vessel being thrown around by heavy seas. \nScenes set at the Coast Guard’s Kodiak\, Alaska\, station were partly created at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City in North Carolina. Reproducing Alaska there reportedly required about 60\,000 pounds of ice. \nThe rescue-swimmer training pool was the natatorium at Louisiana State University Shreveport. \nThe result is a movie in which water has real physical weight. Costner and Kutcher aren’t simply performing against a digital ocean. Much of the danger surrounding them was created with enormous quantities of moving water\, practical sets and performers actually getting wet. \nHurricane Katrina Changed the Movie\nReal events overtook the production before filming was complete. \nThe Guardian was preparing to shoot in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in August 2005. A nearly completed water tank at Camp Villere was lost\, and the production eventually relocated much of its work to Shreveport. \nThe move reportedly cost millions of dollars. \nMore importantly\, Katrina changed the context of a movie about Coast Guard rescuers. \nCoast Guard crews conducted extraordinary rescue operations across the flooded Gulf Coast following Katrina. The filmmakers revised The Guardian to acknowledge the disaster\, adding references to the hurricane and incorporating actual imagery of Coast Guard helicopters conducting rescues around New Orleans into the end credits. \nA fictional story about people willing to enter dangerous conditions to save strangers suddenly had a very real example unfolding while the movie was being made. \nAndrew Davis Returns to the Action Drama\nDirector Andrew Davis came to The Guardian with considerable experience putting characters into dangerous situations. \nHis best-known film remains the 1993 thriller The Fugitive\, starring Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. Davis also directed Under Siege with Steven Seagal\, A Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas and Gwyneth Paltrow\, and the 2003 adaptation of Louis Sachar’s Holes. \nWith The Guardian\, Davis shifted the action away from gunfights and pursuits and into an environment that can’t be negotiated with. \nThe ocean becomes the film’s primary antagonist. \nThe movie runs 139 minutes and mixes large-scale rescue sequences with the relationship between Randall and Fischer\, Randall’s troubled marriage and the psychological cost of a career built around repeatedly encountering people on what may be the worst day of their lives. \nSela Ward plays Randall’s wife\, Helen\, while Melissa Sagemiller and Clancy Brown round out the principal cast. \nThe movie opened nationally on September 29\, 2006 and ultimately earned nearly $95 million worldwide. \nFrom a Coast Guard Movie to a Coast Guard Weekend\nWatching The Guardian in New London gives the film a local context it wouldn’t have in most theaters. \nThe city is home to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy\, while the Thames River and New London Harbor have been tied to military\, commercial and recreational maritime activity for generations. \nThe screening leads directly into the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival on Saturday and Sunday. \nThe 2026 festival is spread between New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park\, with free transportation connecting festival locations. Visitors can tour military and private vessels\, meet the people who operate them and watch maritime skills put into practice. \nThe Coast Guard connection continues with a helicopter search-and-rescue demonstration and Sunday’s Sea-Service Showdown\, which pits Coast Guard and Navy teams against one another in a friendly competition of maritime skill\, strength and teamwork. \nElsewhere during the weekend are colonial encampments\, children’s maritime activities\, a fishing clinic\, live music\, local vendors and Saturday night’s Burning of Benedict Arnold procession. A 300-drone show over the Thames River follows Saturday evening. \nSo while Friday night’s movie tells a fictional Coast Guard story\, the weekend that follows brings some of the real people\, vessels\, skills and maritime traditions behind that story to New London’s waterfront. \nSee It in a Movie Palace\nThe screening is part of the Garde’s Real Movie Palace Experience\, which brings films back to the theater’s giant screen with 4K digital projection and surround sound. \nThe Garde opened in 1926 as a movie and vaudeville palace and celebrates its centennial in 2026. Its restored Moroccan-style interior provides a considerably different experience from watching The Guardian at home. \nMovie concessions and adult beverages will be available. \nTickets are $15 plus applicable fees\, with an important exception for the people whose service the movie celebrates: active-duty military members\, retirees and veterans are admitted free. \nDetails\nEvent: The Guardian (2006) presented by the CT Maritime Heritage Festival\nDate: Friday\, September 11\, 2026\nTime: 7 p.m.\nFilm: The Guardian\nYear: 2006\nDirector: Andrew Davis\nWriter: Ron L. Brinkerhoff\nStarring: Kevin Costner\, Ashton Kutcher\, Sela Ward\, Melissa Sagemiller and Clancy Brown\nGenre: Action/Drama\nRating: PG-13\nRuntime: 2 hours\, 19 minutes\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $15 plus fees\nMilitary Admission: Free for active-duty military members\, retirees and veterans\nPresentation: Giant screen\, 4K digital cinema projection and surround sound\nConcessions: Movie concessions and adult beverages available\nPresented By: Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival\nGarde Arts Center: 860-444-7373\nConnecticut Maritime Heritage Festival: Saturday\, September 12 and Sunday\, September 13 at New London Waterfront Park and Fort Trumbull State Park \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n  \n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-guardian-2006-presented-by-the-ct-maritime-heritage-festival/
LOCATION:CT
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/The-Guardian-presented-by-the-CT-Maritime-Heritage-Festival.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260823T210000
DTSTAMP:20260820T164156Z
CREATED:20260820T164040Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T164156Z
UID:10007239-1787511600-1787518800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Revisiting Creedence at the Garde Arts Center
DESCRIPTION:Revisiting Creedence at the Garde Arts Center brings one of rock’s most recognizable catalogs to New London on Sunday\, August 23\, with a band that has a much closer connection to Creedence Clearwater Revival than the typical tribute act. \nThe concert begins at 7 p.m. at the historic Garde Arts Center. Tickets range from $42 to $62 plus fees. \nExpect an evening packed with CCR classics including “Fortunate Son\,” “Proud Mary\,” “Bad Moon Rising\,” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain\,” “Green River\,” “Born on the Bayou\,” “Down on the Corner\,” “Who’ll Stop the Rain” and “Up Around the Bend.” \nThis Isn’t Your Typical CCR Tribute Band\nThe distinction between Revisiting Creedence and a conventional tribute act is worth explaining. \nCreedence Clearwater Revival’s original run was remarkably short. The band released its first album in 1968 and broke up in 1972\, but during those few years created an extraordinary string of songs that became part of the American rock songbook. \nDecades later\, original CCR bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford formed Creedence Clearwater Revisited\, taking the music back on the road without singer\, guitarist and principal songwriter John Fogerty. \nThat group toured for approximately 25 years. \nAnd that’s where the musicians coming to New London enter the story. \nRevisiting Creedence lead singer Dan McGuinness and guitarist Kurt Griffey toured the world alongside Cook and Clifford as members of Creedence Clearwater Revisited. When the two original CCR members retired from touring\, McGuinness and Griffey continued performing the music they had already spent years playing alongside them. \nSo while audiences aren’t seeing original members of Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Garde\, they’re seeing musicians who were chosen to stand onstage and perform this material with them. \nThat’s a considerably stronger lineage than most tribute shows can claim. \nMeet Revisiting Creedence\nDan McGuinness — Lead Vocals \nMcGuinness toured internationally with original CCR members Stu Cook and Doug Clifford as lead vocalist for Creedence Clearwater Revisited. He now takes the lead role in carrying that material forward with Revisiting Creedence. \nKurt Griffey — Lead Guitar \nGriffey also toured with Cook and Clifford in Creedence Clearwater Revisited. His résumé extends well beyond the CCR catalog\, including performances with Carlos Santana and musicians associated with the Eagles\, Journey\, Foreigner\, Lynyrd Skynyrd\, The Moody Blues and Wings. \nRon Wikso — Drums \nWikso’s connection is equally interesting. Doug Clifford personally selected him to substitute on drums in Creedence Clearwater Revisited. Wikso has also performed with major acts including Foreigner and the Steve Miller Band. \nMick Mahan — Bass \nMahan brings another direct connection to the Creedence story. He was recruited to record CCR material by John Fogerty himself and spent more than three decades touring with Pat Benatar. \nPut those four résumés together and the result isn’t a group of musicians who simply decided they liked Creedence songs. \nThey’ve already lived with this music professionally. \nA Remarkable Catalog Built in Just a Few Years\nPart of the appeal of a show like this is realizing how many familiar songs Creedence Clearwater Revival produced during such a compressed period. \n“Proud Mary.” “Bad Moon Rising.” “Green River.” “Down on the Corner.” “Fortunate Son.” “Travelin’ Band.” “Run Through the Jungle.” “Who’ll Stop the Rain.” “Lookin’ Out My Back Door.” “Have You Ever Seen the Rain.” \nThe songs blended rock and roll\, country\, blues and Southern roots influences into the swamp-rock sound associated with CCR\, despite the original band coming from California. \nRevisiting Creedence’s repertoire reaches deeply into that catalog\, including not only the biggest radio standards but songs such as “Long As I Can See the Light\,” “The Midnight Special” and “Suzie Q.” \nFor anyone who grew up with classic-rock radio\, there’s a decent chance you’ll recognize the opening bars of one song after another. \nContinuing the Creedence Live Tradition\nRevisiting Creedence isn’t presented as a recreation of CCR circa 1969. \nInstead\, the band’s history follows a fairly unusual path. \nCCR ended in the early 1970s. Cook and Clifford eventually returned to the road as Creedence Clearwater Revisited\, where McGuinness and Griffey became part of the live presentation of those songs. Revisiting Creedence grew from that experience after Cook and Clifford stepped away from touring. \nIt creates a direct musical connection between the current show and the musicians who originally recorded the songs more than half a century ago. \nClassic Rock Inside a Classic New London Theater\nSunday’s concert also arrives during a milestone year for the Garde Arts Center. \nThe State Street theater opened in 1926 as a vaudeville house and movie palace\, making 2026 its centennial year. After surviving decades of changes in downtown New London\, the restored theater has become one of southeastern Connecticut’s major performing arts venues. \nIts approximately 1\,400-seat main theater also creates a considerably more intimate environment than many of the large outdoor festivals and venues where this music has been performed over the years. \nThere’s something fitting about that combination: songs that have survived for more than half a century filling a New London theater celebrating a century of its own. \nEvent Details\nEvent: Revisiting Creedence\nDate: Sunday\, August 23\, 2026\nTime: 7 p.m.\nTickets: $42–$62 plus fees\nLocation: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State Street\, New London\, CT 06320 \nAudiences can expect music from throughout the Creedence Clearwater Revival catalog\, performed by musicians with direct professional connections to the original CCR members and Creedence Clearwater Revisited. \nMore information is available at the Event Website link below. \nTo purchase tickets\, click the Event Ticketing link below. \n\n  \nFeatured image is an artistic representation inspired by the event and may not depict the actual people\, location\, or activities shown.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/revisiting-creedence-at-the-garde-arts-center/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Revisiting-Creedence-at-the-Garde-Arts-Center.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260816T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260816T220000
DTSTAMP:20260812T031028Z
CREATED:20260812T031028Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260812T031028Z
UID:10007162-1786906800-1786917600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Our House: The Music of Crosby\, Stills\, Nash & Young at the Garde Arts Center
DESCRIPTION:Our House: The Music of Crosby\, Stills\, Nash & Young at the Garde Arts Center brings together musicians with direct ties to David Crosby\, Graham Nash and CSN for a celebration of one of rock’s most influential catalogs on Sunday\, August 16. The 7 p.m. concert features songs including “Déjà Vu\,” “Wooden Ships\,” “Helpless” and “Carry On\,” performed by an ensemble whose connection to this music extends well beyond being fans of the original band. \nOur House was created in 2024 around musicians who had actually worked with David Crosby and others in his musical circle. Guitarists Steve Postell and Jeff Pevar now lead the project\, joined for the 2026 tour by Kipp Lennon\, Teresa James\, Michael Visceglia and Clint de Ganon. Legendary rock photographer Henry Diltz adds another dimension to the show\, using his photographs and stories to take audiences inside the world that produced the music. (Jeff Pevar) \nThe setting adds another layer of history. The Garde opened in downtown New London in 1926 as a movie and vaudeville palace and celebrates its 100th anniversary during the 2026–27 season. Its restored Moroccan-inspired auditorium provides a fitting room for a concert built around songs that have survived for more than half a century. (Thames River Heritage Park) \nMore Than a Traditional Tribute Show\nOur House has an unusual advantage over most bands devoted to the music of Crosby\, Stills\, Nash & Young: several of these musicians have lived inside the music they’re performing. \nThe project debuted in 2024 with a lineup assembled largely from musicians who had performed with David Crosby over the years. Jeff Pevar and Steve Postell continued the project after that initial tour\, reshaping the ensemble while maintaining those musical connections. \nThat gives the concert a different starting point from a conventional tribute show. The goal isn’t to dress like Crosby\, Stills\, Nash or Young or recreate their stage mannerisms. Instead\, the musicians approach the catalog through their own experiences playing alongside some of the people who created it. \nThe Musicians\nSteve Postell serves as guitarist and musical director. He played guitar with David Crosby and contributed to Crosby’s Sky Trails album. Postell also co-wrote a song for Crosby’s final studio album\, For Free\, and his long list of collaborators includes John Oates\, Jennifer Warnes\, Kenny Loggins and Pure Prairie League. (Penn Speak) \nJeff Pevar may have the closest connection to the CSN family. The guitarist worked with David Crosby\, Graham Nash and Crosby\, Stills & Nash and was a member of CPR\, Crosby’s band with keyboardist and son James Raymond. Pevar has also performed with Phil Lesh & Friends\, Ray Charles and Marc Cohn. \nKipp Lennon handles vocals and guitar. His career includes work with David Crosby\, Roger Waters and Ambrosia. \nTeresa James\, singer and pianist with The Rhythm Tramps\, adds another lead voice to the ensemble. \nMichael Visceglia plays bass and is known for his longtime work with Suzanne Vega. \nClint de Ganon handles drums\, with a résumé that includes work with Stevie Wonder and Art Garfunkel. (Appell Center For The Performing Arts) \nTogether\, the lineup has the vocal and instrumental range necessary for music where harmony isn’t decoration. It’s the foundation. \nThe Music of CSNY\nCrosby\, Stills\, Nash & Young created a remarkably deep catalog despite spending relatively little time together as a four-member group. \nDavid Crosby\, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash released their first album as Crosby\, Stills & Nash in 1969. Neil Young joined shortly afterward\, and Déjà Vu followed in 1970. \nThe combination produced some of the defining music of its era\, blending folk\, rock\, country and intricate vocal harmony with songs that could be intensely personal one moment and openly political the next. \nOur House draws from that larger catalog rather than a single album or period. \nThe New London program is expected to include classics such as “Déjà Vu\,” “Wooden Ships\,” “Helpless” and “Carry On.” (Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce) \nThat opens a considerable amount of musical territory\, from acoustic harmonies and reflective songwriting to electric guitar-driven rock. \nHenry Diltz: The Stories Behind the Photographs\nThere’s another member of the production who doesn’t play an instrument. \nHenry Diltz was there with a camera. \nThe legendary rock photographer documented many of the musicians who defined the Laurel Canyon era and photographed the cover of Crosby\, Stills & Nash’s 1969 debut album. \nFor Our House\, Diltz contributes photographs and stories that appear as part of the performance\, turning portions of the concert into a visual history of the musicians and the world surrounding the songs. \nThat makes the evening part concert and part firsthand remembrance. Instead of simply hearing music from the period\, audiences see images created by someone who was standing nearby when much of that history was happening. \nThe Garde Turns 100\nThe concert arrives at a particularly appropriate moment for the Garde Arts Center. \nThe Garde Theatre opened on September 22\, 1926\, originally presenting both movies and vaudeville. Built during the golden age of American movie palaces\, the theater became known for its elaborate Moroccan-inspired interior. (Wikipedia) \nWarner Bros. purchased the theater in 1929 as Hollywood moved into the era of talking pictures. Decades later\, changing moviegoing habits took their toll\, and the Garde closed in 1977. \nThe building might have disappeared altogether. \nIn 1985\, local community leaders created the nonprofit Garde Arts Center to save the historic theater and return it to use. The restoration preserved one of Connecticut’s few surviving movie palaces while transforming it into a modern performing arts venue. \nToday\, the Garde is again an anchor of downtown New London\, presenting concerts\, theater\, comedy\, film and community programs. Its Centennial Season begins in 2026–27\, marking 100 years since audiences first walked into the State Street theater. \nFor a concert devoted to preserving and reinterpreting music from another era\, it’s hard to imagine a more appropriate room. \nTickets\nTickets range from $39 to $79 plus fees. \nThe performance begins at 7 p.m. and is scheduled to run until approximately 10 p.m. \nEvent Details\nDate\nSunday\, August 16\, 2026 \nTime\n7:00 p.m. \nLocation\nGarde Arts Center \nAddress\n325 State Street\nNew London\, CT 06320 \nAdmission\n$39–$79 plus fees \nFeatured Performers\nSteve Postell – Guitar\, vocals and musical director\nJeff Pevar – Lead guitar\nKipp Lennon – Vocals\nTeresa James – Vocals and piano\nMichael Visceglia – Bass\nClint de Ganon – Drums \nSpecial Feature\nPhotography and stories from legendary CSNY photographer Henry Diltz \nFeatured Music\nThe music of Crosby\, Stills\, Nash & Young\, including songs such as “Déjà Vu\,” “Wooden Ships\,” “Helpless” and “Carry On.” \nVenue\nThe restored historic Garde Theatre\, originally opened in 1926 and entering its Centennial Season in 2026–27. \nMore Information\nFor more information\, visit the event website using the Event Website link below. \nFor ticket purchases\, click on the Ticketing link below. \n\n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/our-house-the-music-of-crosby-stills-nash-young-at-the-garde-arts-center/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Our-House-The-Music-of-Crosby-Stills-Nash-and-Young-at-the-Garde-Arts-Center-Sunday-August-16-at-7pm.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260731T210000
DTSTAMP:20260726T022947Z
CREATED:20260726T022947Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260726T022947Z
UID:10007028-1785526200-1785531600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:NOW That's What I Call Opera
DESCRIPTION:NOW That’s What I Call Opera comes to the Oasis Room at Garde Arts Center on Friday\, July 31\, at 7:30 p.m.\, bringing together some of the most beloved music ever composed for the operatic stage. Presented by Connecticut Lyric Opera\, the concert celebrates opera’s greatest hits with unforgettable arias\, duets\, and ensemble performances by acclaimed professional singers and rising young artists. \nInspired by the popular NOW That’s What I Call Music! compilation albums\, the program features timeless masterpieces by Puccini\, Verdi\, Mozart\, and other legendary composers. Audiences will hear iconic selections including “Nessun dorma” from Turandot\, “Vissi d’arte” from Tosca\, and the dazzling Queen of the Night aria\, “Der Hölle Rache\,” from The Magic Flute. Additional highlights include music from La Bohème\, Carmen\, Così fan tutte\, La Traviata\, and Don Giovanni\, offering an evening that showcases the emotional power\, vocal virtuosity\, and dramatic beauty that have made opera endure for centuries. \nThe concert features longtime Connecticut Lyric Opera performers Jūratė Švedaitė\, soprano; Steven Fredericks\, bass; and Daniel Juárez\, tenor\, alongside emerging artists mentored through the company’s educational programs. The performance also marks the first production under Connecticut Lyric Opera’s new leadership\, with Anastasia Rege serving as Artistic Director and Kelly Whitesell as General Director. Now entering its 22nd season\, Connecticut Lyric Opera remains the state’s only full-season professional opera company\, bringing world-class productions and performances to audiences throughout Connecticut. \nEvent Details\nEvent: NOW That’s What I Call Opera \nDate: Friday\, July 31\, 2026 \nTime: 7:30 p.m. \nLocation: Oasis Room at Garde Arts Center\n325 State Street\nNew London\, CT \nAdmission: $25–$100 (plus applicable fees) \nTickets\nTickets can be purchased by clicking the Event Ticketing link at the bottom of this page. \nMore Information\nAdditional event information is available by clicking the Event Website link at the bottom of this page. \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/now-thats-what-i-call-opera/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/NOW-Thats-What-I-Call-Opera-Friday-July-31-at-730-pm.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260721T203000
DTSTAMP:20260714T015154Z
CREATED:20260714T015154Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260714T015154Z
UID:10006776-1784658600-1784665800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Lisa Scottoline (This Changes Everything) Author Talk and Signing
DESCRIPTION:Lisa Scottoline (This Changes Everything) Author Talk and Signing brings the bestselling thriller author to the Garde Arts Center in New London on Tuesday\, July 21\, for an evening of conversation and book signing presented by Bank Square Books and the Garde Arts Center. Fans will hear Scottoline discuss her newest novel before having the opportunity to meet the author and have copies of the book signed. \nScottoline’s latest novel\, This Changes Everything\, follows Julia Pritzker\, whose peaceful life in Tuscany is shattered when her best friend\, Courtney\, discovers her grandmother has been murdered on a Pennsylvania farm. As the two women search for the truth behind the crime\, they uncover long-buried secrets and find themselves caught in a deadly conspiracy. Blending suspense with themes of friendship\, resilience\, and personal empowerment\, the novel continues Scottoline’s tradition of fast-paced\, emotionally driven thrillers. \nA #1 bestselling author and Edgar Award winner\, Scottoline has written 38 novels with more than 30 million copies in print worldwide. A former trial lawyer\, she is president of Mystery Writers of America and has been named a Thriller Master by International Thriller Writers. Her legal background and talent for crafting compelling characters have made her one of today’s most popular suspense writers. \nEvent Details\n\nEvent: Lisa Scottoline (This Changes Everything) Author Talk and Signing\nDate: Tuesday\, July 21\, 2026\nDoors Open: 6:30 p.m.\nAuthor Talk: 7:30 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State St.\, New London\, CT 06320\nAdmission: $44\n\nAbout This Changes Everything\nJulia Pritzker returns from Tuscany after her best friend discovers her grandmother has been murdered. As they investigate the crime\, the women uncover dangerous secrets that place Julia in the path of a deadly conspiracy\, forcing her to rely on her own strength to survive. \nThemes include: \n\nMystery and suspense\nFemale friendship\nJustice\nPersonal empowerment\nSmall-town secrets\n\nAbout Lisa Scottoline\n\n#1 bestselling author\nEdgar Award winner\nAuthor of 38 novels\nPresident of Mystery Writers of America\nNamed a Thriller Master by International Thriller Writers\nFormer trial lawyer\nCo-author of several memoirs with her daughter\, Francesca Serritella\nMore than 30 million books in print worldwide\n\nBook Signing\nFollowing the author talk\, attendees will have the opportunity to meet Lisa Scottoline and have copies of This Changes Everything signed. \nTickets\nTickets are required for this event. \nTickets can be purchased by clicking the Event Ticketing link at the bottom of this page. \nMore Information\nAdditional event information is available by clicking the Event Website link at the bottom of this page. \n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/lisa-scottoline-this-changes-everything-author-talk-and-signing/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Lisa-Scottoline-This-Changes-Evrything-Author-Talk-and-Signing-at-the-Garde-Arts-Center.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260709T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260709T130000
DTSTAMP:20260707T220200Z
CREATED:20260707T220200Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260707T220200Z
UID:10006542-1783594800-1783602000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Real Movie Palace Experience: Ratatouille
DESCRIPTION:The Real Movie Palace Experience: Ratatouille invites families to enjoy a heartwarming morning at the historic Garde Arts Center on Thursday\, July 9. Presented in collaboration with the New London Parks & Recreation Department\, the family-friendly screening brings Pixar’s beloved animated classic to the big screen\, celebrating imagination\, perseverance\, and the idea that anyone can achieve their dreams. \nSet in Paris\, Ratatouille follows Remy\, a talented young rat with an extraordinary passion for cooking. As he pursues his dream of becoming a chef despite the odds stacked against him\, the film delivers a charming story filled with humor\, memorable characters\, and an inspiring message about believing in yourself and embracing your unique talents. \nThe screening is part of The Real Movie Palace Experience\, a series that gives audiences the opportunity to enjoy family favorites in the grandeur of the Garde Arts Center. Partial funding for the program is provided by P:ACE (Partners: Arts. Community. Education.)\, an initiative that supports arts education\, accessibility\, and community engagement throughout southeastern Connecticut. \nEvent Details\n\nEvent: The Real Movie Palace Experience: Ratatouille\nDate: Thursday\, July 9\, 2026\nTime: 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.\nVenue: Garde Arts Center\nAddress: 325 State St.\, New London\, CT\nPresented in collaboration with: New London Parks & Recreation Department\n\nAbout the Movie\nRatatouille follows Remy\, an aspiring chef whose love of cooking leads him on an unforgettable adventure through the restaurants of Paris. Filled with humor\, colorful animation\, and memorable characters\, the Academy Award-winning film encourages audiences of all ages to follow their passions and believe that talent can come from unexpected places. \nWhy Families Will Enjoy It\n\nInspiring story about following your dreams\nFamily-friendly humor\nColorful Pixar animation\nPositive messages about creativity and perseverance\nFun for children and adults alike\n\nAbout P:ACE\nPartial funding for this program is provided by P:ACE (Partners: Arts. Community. Education.)\, which supports programs that connect the arts with education\, accessibility\, and community engagement throughout southeastern Connecticut. \nP:ACE also supports youth initiatives including: \n\nPassport to Literacy\nYEP! (Youth Engagement Partnership)\n\nContact\nGarde Arts Center \n\nPhone: (860) 444-7373\n\n  \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-real-movie-palace-experience-ratatouille/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The-Real-Movie-Experience-Ratatouille-Thursday-July-9.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260627T220000
DTSTAMP:20260615T021453Z
CREATED:20260615T021142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T021453Z
UID:10005966-1782590400-1782597600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
DESCRIPTION:Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis brings one of the world’s premier jazz ensembles to southeastern Connecticut on Saturday\, June 27. The performance is part of the lead-up to Marsalis’ final season as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and Music Director of the renowned orchestra\, making this a particularly meaningful opportunity for jazz fans to experience one of the most influential figures in American music. \nLed by Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter\, composer\, educator\, and cultural ambassador Wynton Marsalis\, the 15-member Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra has served as the resident orchestra of Jazz at Lincoln Center since 1988. Known for its extraordinary musicianship and versatility\, the ensemble performs everything from historic jazz masterworks by Duke Ellington\, Count Basie\, Thelonious Monk\, Charles Mingus\, and Dizzy Gillespie to contemporary compositions and original works created by members of the orchestra itself. \nMarsalis\, a New Orleans native and graduate of The Juilliard School\, is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in modern jazz. Through thousands of performances across more than 60 countries\, he has become a leading advocate for jazz as an American art form rooted in creativity\, collaboration\, discipline\, and optimism. Audiences can expect an evening of world-class musicianship featuring some of the finest soloists and ensemble performers in jazz today. \nFeatured Artists\nWynton Marsalis – Music Director\, Trumpet \nAlongside the acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra\, featuring: \n\nRyan Kisor\, Kenny Rampton\, Marcus Printup (Trumpets)\nVincent Gardner\, Chris Crenshaw\, Elliot Mason (Trombones)\nSherman Irby\, Alexa Tarantino\, Chris Lewis\, Abdias Armenteros\, Paul Nedzela (Saxophones\, Clarinets & Flutes)\nDan Nimmer (Piano)\nCarlos Henriquez (Bass)\nObed Calvaire (Drums)\n\nEvent Details\nDate: Saturday\, June 27\, 2026\nTime: 8:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. \n\n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/jazz-at-lincoln-center-orchestra-with-wynton-marsalis/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Jazz-at-Lincoln-Center-Orchestra-with-Wynton-Marsalis-at-the-Garde-Arts-Center-June-27-8pm-to-10pm.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260620T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260620T150000
DTSTAMP:20260617T005900Z
CREATED:20260617T005900Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260617T005900Z
UID:10005984-1781960400-1781967600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Broadway Kids & Company Presents: IGNITE
DESCRIPTION:Broadway Kids & Company Presents: IGNITE brings an afternoon of dance\, music\, and youthful talent to the Garde Arts Center on Saturday\, June 20. The annual student showcase highlights the hard work\, dedication\, and creativity of performers who have spent the year training and preparing for one of the studio’s most anticipated events. \nAudiences can expect a dynamic program featuring a wide range of performance styles\, including ballet\, tap\, jazz\, contemporary\, acro\, lyrical\, musical theater\, hip-hop\, and vocal performances. Each number showcases students’ growth and accomplishments while celebrating the artistry and confidence they’ve developed throughout the season. \nFrom energetic group routines to expressive individual performances\, IGNITE offers family\, friends\, and community members an opportunity to support local young performers while enjoying an entertaining afternoon at one of southeastern Connecticut’s premier theaters. \nEvent Details\nDate: Saturday\, June 20\, 2026\nTime: 1:00 p.m.\nLocation: Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London \nFeatured Performance Styles\n\nBallet\nTap\nJazz\nContemporary\nAcro\nLyrical\nMusical Theater\nHip Hop\nVoice\n\nTicket Information\n\n$40\n$45\n\nAdditional fees may apply. \nn\n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/broadway-kids-company-presents-ignite/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Broadway-Kids-and-Company-Presents-IGNITE-Saturday-June-20-at-the-Garde-Arts-Center-1pm.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260618T160000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260618T180000
DTSTAMP:20260609T192738Z
CREATED:20260609T192738Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260609T192738Z
UID:10005913-1781798400-1781805600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Aesthetic Illusions: An Afternoon of Poetry and Literary Prose By Randall Horton at the Garde
DESCRIPTION:Aesthetic Illusions: An Afternoon of Poetry and Literary Prose By Randall Horton at the Garde brings together literature\, music\, and conversation for an engaging exploration of creativity and human experience. The event features Randall Horton\, Ph.D.\, Professor of English at the University of New Haven\, whose work examines themes of identity\, place\, community\, and personal transformation through poetry and prose. \nThe afternoon begins with a reading from Horton’s acclaimed work\, Definition of Place\, offering audiences an opportunity to hear selections reflecting on the relationships among people\, memory\, and the environments they inhabit. Following the reading\, the ensemble Radical Reversal will perform music from its latest release\, Aesthetic Illusions\, blending jazz\, spoken word\, and contemporary performance into an immersive artistic experience. \nThis program is ideal for readers\, writers\, music lovers\, students\, and anyone interested in the intersection of literature and the arts. The event concludes with a question-and-answer session\, giving attendees the opportunity to engage directly with Horton and the members of Radical Reversal about their work\, creative process\, and artistic influences. \nAdditional Details\n\nDate: Thursday\, June 18\, 2026\nTime: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.\nFeatured Guest: Randall Horton\, Ph.D.\nProfessor of English at the University of New Haven\n\nProgram Highlights \n\nReading from Definition of Place\nPerformance by Radical Reversal\nMusic from the ensemble’s latest release\, Aesthetic Illusions\nAudience Q&A session\n\nThemes Explored \n\nIdentity\nCommunity\nPlace\nArtistic expression\nLiterature and music\nHuman experience\n\nFeatured Ensemble \n\nRadical Reversal\nPerformance blending jazz\, poetry\, and spoken word\nSuitable for literature enthusiasts\, music fans\, students\, and lifelong learners\nEvent concludes with audience discussion and questions for the presenters
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/aesthetic-illusions-an-afternoon-of-poetry-and-literary-prose-by-randall-horton-at-the-garde/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Aesthetic-Illusions-An-Afternoon-of-Poetry-and-Literary-Prose-at-the-Garde.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260613T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260613T220000
DTSTAMP:20260511T235515Z
CREATED:20260511T235515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T235515Z
UID:10001191-1781380800-1781388000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:The Comedy Craft Beer Tour presents Mike Hanley
DESCRIPTION:The Comedy Craft Beer Tour presents Mike Hanley at the Oasis Room inside Garde Arts Center\, bringing a night of fast-paced stand-up and laid-back craft beer vibes to downtown New London. Built around the idea that comedy works best in intimate spaces with a drink in hand\, the series transforms the Oasis Room into the kind of cozy venue where audiences feel close enough to be part of the act. It is less a giant theater spectacle and more a packed-room energy\, with laughs bouncing wall to wall as comics feed off the crowd throughout the night. \nThe Comedy Craft Beer Tour presents Mike Hanley\, a comedian known for high-energy storytelling and brutally funny observations about relationships\, marriage\, parenting\, and everyday chaos. Hanley first gained attention after winning “Funniest Person on Campus” at UCONN before building a career that led to appearances on CBS’s “Funniest Comedians in Boston\,” SiriusXM\, and national television programs including “Today” and “Good Morning America.” His stand-up style comes fast and loud\, the kind of performance where one story tumbles into another while the audience barely has time to recover between punchlines. \nThe Comedy Craft Beer Tour has built a following across the Northeast by pairing nationally touring comedians with breweries\, wineries\, casinos\, and intimate venues that feel more personal than traditional comedy clubs. That atmosphere should fit perfectly inside the Oasis Room\, where audiences can settle in early with drinks before the show and enjoy a more up-close comedy experience than larger casino theaters or arenas usually offer. For anyone looking for an easy summer night out in New London with good beer\, sharp stand-up\, and a crowd ready to laugh hard\, this one checks all the boxes. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/the-comedy-craft-beer-tour-presents-mike-hanley/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/The-Comedy-Craft-Beer-Tour-Presents-Mike-Hanley-at-the-Oasis-Room-Inside-the-Garde-Arts-Center.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260613T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260613T170000
DTSTAMP:20260603T000538Z
CREATED:20260603T000538Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260603T000538Z
UID:10005221-1781352000-1781370000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Connecticut Open House at The Garde Arts Center
DESCRIPTION:Connecticut Open House at The Garde Arts Center invites visitors to explore one of southeastern Connecticut’s most iconic cultural landmarks during a day of free community programming on Saturday\, June 13. As part of Connecticut Open House Day\, the historic downtown New London theater will open its doors from noon to 5 p.m.\, offering guided tours\, hands-on activities\, film screenings\, art exhibits\, and opportunities to experience the rich history of the nearly century-old venue. \nGuests can take part in free guided tours at noon and 1 p.m.\, where they’ll learn about the Garde’s stunning Moroccan-inspired architecture\, fascinating history\, and role as one of New London’s most treasured cultural institutions since 1926. Visitors can also stop by the ECSO Instrument Zoo\, where children and adults can try instruments such as violins\, cellos\, and clarinets. Additional activities include a free screening of The Connecticut Story on the theater’s giant screen and access to the Unseen Stories photo exhibit and Radio Mitchell art installation. \nWhether you’re a history enthusiast\, architecture lover\, arts supporter\, or simply looking for a family-friendly outing\, Connecticut Open House at The Garde offers a rare opportunity to experience the theater from a new perspective. The day concludes with a special evening comedy performance featuring Mike Hanley in the Oasis Room\, offering visitors the option to cap off the festivities with a ticketed show. \nEvent Schedule\n12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. \n\nConnecticut Open House activities throughout the Garde\n\n12:00 p.m. Guided Tour \n\nExplore the Garde’s historic Moroccan-inspired architecture\n\n1:00 p.m. Guided Tour \n\nSecond opportunity to tour the theater\n\n12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. \n\nECSO Instrument Zoo\nTry violins\, cellos\, clarinets\, and other instruments\n\n12:00 p.m. \n\nFree screening of The Connecticut Story\n\n12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. \n\nUnseen Stories photo exhibit\nRadio Mitchell art installation\n\n8:00 p.m. \n\nMike Hanley Comedy Show (Paid Ticket Required)\n\nLocation\nThe Garde Arts Center\n325 State Street\nNew London\, CT \nAdmission\n\nConnecticut Open House Day activities: Free\nComedy performance: Ticket required\n\ns
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/connecticut-open-house-at-the-garde-arts-center/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Connecticut-Open-House-at-The-Garde-Arts-Center-June-13-12-pm-to-5-pm.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260601T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260601T210000
DTSTAMP:20260430T003134Z
CREATED:20260430T003050Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260430T003134Z
UID:10000128-1780340400-1780347600@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Planet K-Pop The Ultimate KPop Tribute Concert
DESCRIPTION:If you’ve ever wanted to feel like you stepped into a full-on K-pop concert… this gets pretty close. Planet K-POP brings together the sound and style of artists like BTS and BLACKPINK\, along with music inspired by *KPOP Demon Hunters* and more\, all performed live by a cast of singers and dancers who lean all the way into the energy. It’s loud\, fast\, and built to feel bigger than just a stage show. \nWhat makes it stand out is how much movement drives the experience. The choreography isn’t just background… it *is* the show. Tight formations\, sharp transitions\, and those instantly recognizable K-pop-style routines keep everything in motion\, backed by dynamic lighting and pacing that rarely lets up. It’s part concert\, part dance showcase\, and part visual spectacle\, all rolled into one continuous flow. \nAnd it doesn’t stay contained to the stage. Between on-stage dance battles\, surprise moments\, and cast interactions that pull the crowd in\, the whole thing starts to feel more like a shared event than something you’re just watching. If you’re into K-pop or just want something high-energy and different from the usual night out\, this one goes all in on the vibe and doesn’t hold back. \n*Disclaimer: Planet KPOP is not affiliated with the artists\, films\, or composers referenced. All trademarks remain the property of their respective owners.*
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/planet-k-pop-the-ultimate-kpop-tribute-concert/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Planet-K-Pop-At-The-Garde-Arts-Center.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260517T170000
DTSTAMP:20260514T160254Z
CREATED:20260514T160254Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T160254Z
UID:10001624-1779026400-1779037200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Community Clothing Swap at the Garde
DESCRIPTION:Community Clothing Swap at the Garde invites people to refresh their wardrobes\, reduce waste\, and spend an afternoon trading styles with neighbors inside the Garde Arts Center on Sunday\, May 17. Built around the idea that fashion can be both community-driven and sustainable\, the event encourages guests to bring clothing they no longer wear and exchange it for pieces that feel new\, useful\, or more reflective of their current style. Instead of traditional shopping\, the experience leans into reuse\, discovery\, and the excitement of unexpectedly finding something great among the racks. \nThe atmosphere of a clothing swap tends to feel part treasure hunt and part social gathering\, with attendees browsing through everything from casual everyday pieces to more unique finds while chatting\, comparing styles\, and giving clothing a second life. Hosting the event inside the Garde Arts Center adds another layer of personality to the afternoon. The historic downtown New London venue has become one of the city’s most recognizable cultural spaces\, regularly hosting concerts\, performances\, films\, and community-focused events that bring different groups of people together under one roof. \nBeyond the fashion aspect\, the event also carries a strong community-centered purpose. Organizers note that any clothing not swapped during the event will be donated directly to organizations\, including women’s shelters\, homeless shelters\, and other support centers serving people in need. Community Clothing Swap at the Garde takes place Sunday\, May 17\, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and offers a simple\, low-pressure way to update a wardrobe while participating in something that feels both environmentally conscious and locally connected. \nRules and Suggestions:\n• Clothing not swapped during the event will be donated to local support organizations\n• The event takes place Sunday\, May 17 from 2–5 p.m. at the Garde Arts Center\n• Guests are encouraged to bring clothing they no longer wear to exchange with others \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/community-clothing-swap-at-the-garde/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Community-Clothing-Swap-at-the-Garde-Arts-Center.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260515T193000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260515T210000
DTSTAMP:20260503T024025Z
CREATED:20260503T024025Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260503T024025Z
UID:10000217-1778873400-1778878800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Bored Teachers Comedy Tour
DESCRIPTION:Bored Teachers Comedy Tour brings a night of classroom-inspired comedy to the Garde Arts Center\, turning everyday school chaos into a full live show. Built around the experiences teachers know all too well\, the performance blends stand-up\, storytelling\, and sketch-style humor that pulls directly from life in the classroom. It’s designed as a night out that trades lesson plans and grading for laughs and shared experiences. \nCreated by Bored Teachers\, the tour has grown into a global hit\, selling out theaters across the U.S.\, Canada\, and beyond. With more than a billion video views and a massive online following\, the group has built a reputation for delivering relatable\, high-energy comedy that resonates with educators. The material covers everything from student behavior and staff meetings to the small moments that only teachers fully understand\, creating a show that feels both specific and widely relatable. \nLive\, the Bored Teachers troupe keeps the pace fast and the tone light\, mixing new material with crowd-favorite themes that consistently land with audiences. The result is a performance that balances humor with recognition\, giving teachers and school staff a chance to unwind and connect through shared experiences. As part of their “Is It Friday Yet?!” tour\, this stop offers a focused\, comedy-driven event tailored to the education community.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/bored-teachers-comedy-tour/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Bored-Teachers-Comedy-Tour-Garde-Arts-Center.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260514T210000
DTSTAMP:20260502T235352Z
CREATED:20260502T235321Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260502T235352Z
UID:10000195-1778785200-1778792400@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Cinderella at Garde Arts Center by World Ballet Company
DESCRIPTION:Cinderella at Garde Arts Center by World Ballet Company brings a Broadway-style ballet production to the stage at Garde Arts Center\, reimagining one of the most recognizable fairy tales through a blend of classical dance and theatrical storytelling. Produced by the World Ballet Company\, the performance combines traditional ballet technique with large-scale staging\, creating a visually rich experience designed to appeal to both longtime fans and first-time audiences. \nThe production features elaborate sets\, more than 150 hand-sewn costumes\, and choreography that moves between elegance and high-energy theatrical moments. Set to music by Johann Strauss II\, with a contemporary “Time” theme composed by Anna Drubich\, the show balances classical influence with modern elements. The story follows Cinderella’s journey from hardship to transformation\, with each scene structured to highlight emotion\, movement\, and visual detail. \nKnown for its cinematic style\, the performance emphasizes accessibility alongside artistry\, making it suitable for a wide range of audiences. The combination of humor\, romance\, and sweeping choreography creates a production that feels both familiar and refreshed. As a touring ballet experience\, *Cinderella* offers a polished\, large-scale presentation that brings a timeless story to life on stage.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/cinderella-at-garde-arts-center-by-world-ballet-company/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/World-Ballet-Company-Cinderella-New-London.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260511T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260511T170000
DTSTAMP:20260512T000514Z
CREATED:20260512T000514Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T000514Z
UID:10001192-1778486400-1778518800@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis at the Garde
DESCRIPTION:Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis at the Garde Arts Center brings one of the most celebrated ensembles in American music to the stage during a pivotal moment in jazz history. The performance arrives as part of the lead-up to Marsalis’ final season as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and Music Director of the orchestra he helped shape into a worldwide ambassador for jazz. For longtime fans and newer listeners alike\, the concert carries the feeling of both a masterclass and a milestone\, showcasing musicians who continue to preserve and expand the tradition of big band jazz at the highest level. \nJazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis features a 15-piece ensemble filled with internationally respected soloists and arrangers\, from powerhouse trumpet sections to richly layered saxophone and trombone arrangements. Under the direction of Wynton Marsalis\, the orchestra moves fluidly through classic works and modern compositions\, drawing from legends like Duke Ellington\, Count Basie\, Charles Mingus\, Dizzy Gillespie\, and Thelonious Monk while also performing newer arrangements written by members of the orchestra itself. The result is not just a concert but an immersive exploration of jazz history\, improvisation\, rhythm\, and collaboration. \nThere is a certain electricity that comes with hearing a world-class jazz orchestra live. The sharp brass hits\, the slow-building piano passages\, the sudden bursts of improvisation\, and the quiet moments between notes all land differently inside a concert hall than they ever could through headphones. Marsalis has spent decades championing jazz as both an American art form and a way of life rooted in creativity\, discipline\, and resilience. That philosophy runs through every performance by the orchestra\, creating a night that feels sophisticated\, emotional\, and deeply alive from the opening note to the final standing ovation. \n 
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/jazz-at-lincoln-center-orchestra-with-wynton-marsalis-at-the-garde/
LOCATION:CT
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Jazz-at-Lincoln-Center-Orchestra-with-Wynton-Marsalis.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260508T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260508T210000
DTSTAMP:20260506T232656Z
CREATED:20260506T232656Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T232656Z
UID:10000301-1778263200-1778274000@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:RMMS Multicultural Dance Festival
DESCRIPTION:RMMS Multicultural Dance Festival brings a community-centered celebration of culture and performance to Garde Arts Center on May 8\, with doors opening at 5:30 PM and the event beginning at 6:00 PM. Hosted by Regional Multicultural Magnet School\, the festival reflects the school’s focus on diversity\, inclusion\, and creative expression\, using dance as a way to connect people across backgrounds. \nThe performance showcases a variety of cultural dance styles\, highlighting the traditions\, rhythms\, and movements that represent the community’s diversity. Each piece contributes to a broader experience that blends education with entertainment\, offering audiences a chance to see different cultures expressed through choreography and performance. The event emphasizes participation and representation\, creating a welcoming environment for families\, students\, and the wider community. \nSet in one of the region’s premier performing arts venues\, the festival provides a structured but accessible evening built around celebration and shared experience. The RMMS Multicultural Dance Festival brings together students\, families\, and audiences for a performance that focuses on culture\, movement\, and community connection.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/rmms-multicultural-dance-festival/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/RMMS-Multicultural-Dance-Festival-at-the-Garde.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260502T220000
DTSTAMP:20260425T214657Z
CREATED:20260425T214657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260425T214657Z
UID:10000043-1777752000-1777759200@thectbeacon.com
SUMMARY:She - Garde Arts Center
DESCRIPTION:SHE – Song. History. Energy. The Women of Music is a powerful and soul-stirring musical revue that celebrates the unforgettable voices\, stories\, and legacies of groundbreaking women who transformed music—and the world. This electrifying production takes audiences on a journey through time\, spotlighting the trailblazers who sang with fire\, lived unapologetically\, and dared to be heard in a world that often tried to silence them. \nFrom the commanding soul of Aretha Franklin to the disco dynamite of Donna Summer\, the rhythmic passion of Gloria Estefan to the smoky vulnerability of Amy Winehouse\, the timeless elegance of Natalie Cole to the genre-defying brilliance of Whitney Houston—SHE honors the women who not only lit up the stage but ignited cultural revolutions with their fearless artistry.\nRooted in musical history and driven by the spirit of empowerment\, SHE is more than a concert—it’s a celebration of bold expression\, fierce individuality\, and the transformative power of female voices. Through dynamic live performances\, rich storytelling\, and captivating visuals\, this show uplifts the essence of women who stood tall\, sang their truth\, and inspired millions with their passion\, resilience\, and fire. \nJoin us for an unforgettable night that honors the soundtrack of strength and liberation. Featuring vocalists Sarah Martin and Becky Bass backed by the 10-piece Gold Label Groove Band\, SHE is a tribute to the legends—and a celebration of every woman who refuses to be anything less than iconic.
URL:https://thectbeacon.com/event/she-garde-arts-center/
LOCATION:Garde Arts Center\, 325 State Street\, New London\, CT\, 06320\, United States
CATEGORIES:Garde Arts Center
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://thectbeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-25-174359.png
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END:VCALENDAR