Celebrating the Third Night of Hanukkah
Three burning candles marked the third night of Hanukkah for the community at the Schneerson Center for Jewish Life’s community menorah outisde of Compo Acres shopping center.
Joyful Light Brightens Kings Highway North
A home on Kings Highway North, near Woodside Avenue, brightens the evening commute with its archway of light over the driveway. WestportLocal.com photo
“A Merry Little Christmas Carol” Comes to Playhouse with Script-in-Hand Playreading
Westport Country PlayhouseFor the holiday season, Westport Country Playhouse will present a Script in Hand playreading of “A Merry Little Christmas Carol,” based on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” before a live audience on Monday, December 13, at 7 p.m. The performance will be captured on film for on-demand streaming at home, from Thursday, December 16 through Sunday, December 19.
Part ghost story, part celebration, “A Merry Little Christmas Carol” is written and directed by Mark Shanahan, adapted from his play of the same name. Shanahan is curator of the Playhouse’s Script in Hand playreading series and Playhouse Radio Theater.
“It’s the holidays at the Playhouse! And we wanted to celebrate by presenting the greatest ghost story of them all!,” said Shanahan. “The tale of Ebenezer Scrooge is always a powerful reminder that it is never too late to become the best version of ourselves. Of course, these days, the message of Dickens’ story seems more powerfully resonant than ever.
“As the Playhouse once again opens its doors to in-person events, we are excited to host our Script In Hand reading of ‘A Merry Little Christmas Carol.’ Narrated by artistic director Mark Lamos and featuring a cast of six actors playing multiple roles, this highly theatrical adaptation of the novel is tailor-made for the Playhouse stage, offering the chance to tell the classic story in a very personal and - dare I say it? - very spirited way,” Shanahan added.
“A Merry Little Christmas Carol” brings to life the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, the curmudgeon everyone loves to hate; the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Future; and the darling Cratchit family with the ever-hopeful Tiny Tim.
The cast features Jeffrey Bean as Ebenezer Scrooge (Broadway revivals of “Amadeus” and “Bells Are Ringing”; 2020 Drama League Award nomination for Distinguished Performance in Off-Broadway’s “Dublin Carol”); Brittany Kathryn Allen as Belle (New York’s “Gloria: A Life”; “Minor Character,” recipient of the New York Innovative Theatre Award for Best Ensemble; “Tartuffe”); Amy Jo Jackson as Christmas Present (New York’s “Company XIV,” “Exit, Pursued by a Bear”; dialect coach for Broadway’s “Kinky Boots”); Patrick Halley as Bob Cratchit (Westport Country Playhouse’s Script in Hand playreading of “Miracle on South Division Street”; New York’s “The Misanthrope,” “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”); Kavin Panmeechao as Jacob Marley (author of “the Return,” presented by Westport Country Playhouse Radio Theater; Lincoln Center Theater’s “The King and I”; national tour of “25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”); Theo Adamson as Tiny Tim (Broadway Method Academy’s “Newsies”; second grader, studies piano, voice, tap); and Mark Lamos, Westport Country Playhouse artistic director, as Narrator.
Mark Shanahan, playwright/director, appeared at Westport Country Playhouse in “Around the World in 80 Days,” “Tryst,” “Sedition,” “David Copperfield,” “Journey's End,” and over 20 Script in Hand playreadings, and directed readings of “Butterflies Are Free,” with Blythe Danner and Jonathan Groff, and “The Greatest Gift” by Weston playwright David Wiltse. He is the creator and curator of Westport Country Playhouse Radio Theater and writer/director of the Playhouse radio adaptation “A Merry little Christmas Carol.” New York acting credit includes “The 39 Steps,” “Small World,” “Checkers,” “Tryst,” “The Shaughraun,” “As Bees in Honey Drown,” and “The Internationalist.” His directorial work has been seen at Alley Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Virginia Stage, Arkansas Rep, White Heron, Fulton Opera House, Weston Playhouse, Florida Rep, Penguin Rep, Merrimack Rep, The Cape Playhouse, and many more. He has written numerous radio plays for White Heron’s Ghost Light Series (featuring Christopher Plummer and Judith Ivey, among others), and is the author of the Off-Broadway and regional hit comedy, “The Dingdong“; “A Merry Little Christmas Carol”; “A Murder at Fernly Hall”; and “A Sherlock Carol,” which premiered this fall Off-Broadway at New World Stages. www.mark-shanahan.net
Run time is 80 minutes with no intermission.
Tickets to attend the playreading in person are $20. Patrons must be masked and fully vaccinated with an FDA-authorized vaccine to attend an indoor performance and must show proof of vaccination with their valid ticket to enter. For updates on Covid-19 health and safety protocols at the Playhouse, visit https://www.westportplayhouse.org/visit/covid19safety/
Tickets for on-demand streaming are $20 individual, $40 pair, and $80 household. Each purchase entitles the ticket buyer to one individual link.
The Script in Hand Playreading Series is supported by the Burry Fredrik Foundation and the White Barn Program of the Lucille Lortel Foundation. 2021 Season Sponsor is the Eunice and David Bigelow Foundation. 2021 Season Media Sponsors are Moffly Media and WSHU Public Radio.
All dates, titles, artists, and formats subject to change.
To purchase tickets, visit westportplayhouse.org, call (203) 227-4177, or email boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse)
Westport Upgraded to Silver Certification Status with Sustainable CT
(L-R): Harris Falk, RTM Representative; Jennifer Tooker, First Selectwoman; Matt Mandell, Earthplace Board Member; Gately Ross, Sustainable Westport; Johanna Martell, Sustainable Westport; Peter Boyd, Sustainable Westport; Jim Marpe, Former First Selectman; Ralph Chetcuti, Westport Human Resources Director. (contributed photo) After being certified as a Bronze community in 2018, Westport was upgraded to Silver Certification status after a ceremony celebrating the accomplishment was held today alongside local officials. The certification, which lasts three years, is certified by Sustainable CT and aligns with their mission to: “foster inclusive, resilient, and vibrant Connecticut municipalities that provide opportunities for all to thrive by: providing a menu of sustainability actions that build local economies, support equity, and respect the finite capacity of the environment; offering technical assistance to help advance sustainability initiatives; and recognizing and certifying municipalities for their achievements.” Silver status recognizes Westport’s ability to collect 400 or more action “points” - which include actions such as “improve air quality in public spaces” or “Provide resources or support to local businesses.”
Westport COVID-19 Cases Up 1; State Positivity Rate, Hospitalizations Up
The Westport-Weston Health District reported 1 new COVID-19 cases for Westport over the past day. The State’s daily test positivity rate was up to 5.96% while hospitalizations were up 11.
Westport total positive or probable cases: 2,210 cases.
Westport total COVID-19 Deaths: 32 deaths.
State Daily Test Positivity: 5.96% [up from 5.25%]
State Hospitalizations: 365 patients [+11]
Morning Weather Report
Today
Increasing clouds, with a high near 42. Wind chill values between 25 and 35. Calm wind becoming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning.
Tonight
Partly cloudy, with a low around 30. West wind 3 to 6 mph.
Tomorrow
Partly sunny, with a high near 46. Wind chill values between 25 and 35 early. West wind 6 to 9 mph.
Tomorrow Night
A 30 percent chance of showers after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Light southwest wind.
From the Westport Weston Chamber of CommerceOn Saturday, December 4th at 7:30 pm, Chris Frantz of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club fame will kick off his new series, Chris Frantz Presents: Emerging Musicians at the Westport Library. The inaugural concert will feature New York City’s Lulu Lewis and New Haven, Connecticut’s The Problem with Kids Today.
This is another music collaboration and production by Verso Studios at the Westport Library and the Westport Weston Chamber of Commerce. The series will feature up and coming regional, national, and international talent, hand-picked by Frantz, with the goal of bringing new music to new ears and be an incubator for rising talent.
“It’s fantastic to see Lulu Lewis shape up into such a groovy, dark, post-punk band,” said Chris Frantz. “I’m particularly excited to catch The Problem with Kids Today who have caught my eyes, ears, love and attention. If this night doesn’t take us straight back to the CBGB’s days, I don’t know what will.”
“Verso Studios at the Westport Library is thrilled to be aligning local and regional talent for a night to remember,” remarked Westport Library Executive Director Bill Harmer. “With our amazing friend Chris Frantz curating the talent, and our performance space, state-of-the-art equipment, and outstanding staff, this is going to be a killer night of sights and sounds.”
“Bringing new music and bands to people’s attention is our goal,” said Matthew Mandell, Executive Director of the Chamber. “You never know if you’ll be seeing the next U2 when you come. Steps like this can really propel a band forward.”
Straight from the soul of the Bowery, Lulu Lewis brings a multi-faceted offering in the world of modern rock. Founded by Dylan Hundley (Metropolitan) and Pablo Martin (Tom Tom Club), Lulu Lewis’s influences are far and wide but can best be aligned with post-punk, gothic, soul, and new wave. Their debut LP, Genuine Psychic, arrived in July 2019 on Ilegalia Records. The Vinyl District exclaims, “…album highlight ‘Intelligent Life’ manages to blend Mechanical Man era Devo with the Tubeway Army and the joyous Saturday afternoon B-movie matinee energy of the early B-52’s, all while wielding social commentary with a sense of humor. And if that’s not punk, then go eat a sock.”
The Problem with Kids Today is a hot trio of rock ‘n’ roll delinquents with Tate Brooks leading the charge on guitar/vox/mic head-butting, Stone-Cold-Silas Lourenco-Lang on low end bass/vox, and Reena Yu pounding on drums. TPWKT’s fun, wild shows and feverish, fashionable following evoke the Mercer Center Arts era of the New York Dolls. Fast, combustible, lewd and spontaneous – they have all the gems of a fantastic live act. With a debut album recorded at Sans Serif Studio in New Haven on the way this winter, teaser tracks like You’re in Love With Junk and Fly Boy can be found on the band’s Bandcamp site as well as major streaming platforms.
To purchase tickets go to https://bit.ly/3vbdmh2
Yale Looks Back on First In-Utero Spina Bifida Procedure, Performed in the Midst of the Pandemic
Contributed by Yale New Haven Health In April 2020, as the world shuttered and health systems were laser-focused on fighting a novel coronavirus, 25 year old Tianna Borst and her unborn daughter prepared to undergo a transformative surgery at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital (YNHCH) to correct a rare form of spina bifida.
Tianna and her daughter Savera, now 17 months old. At 20 weeks pregnant, Tianna was told her baby had a condition in which the fetus’ backbone and spinal sheath fail to close, exposing the spinal cord and its connecting nerves. “I had never heard of spina bifida,” said Tianna. “I was given the results and left to think the worst. I thought I would lose my baby.”
Tianna, a vet tech at an animal hospital in Michigan, began researching the condition and her options. “I was surprised to learn that every form of spina bifida is its own special snowflake and no other experience would necessarily match mine.” It was during this time that Tianna and her mother separately came up with the perfect name for her daughter, Savera – which translates in Hindi to “new beginning.”
Tianna temporarily moved in with her mother in Connecticut who recommended she connect with providers at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Little did Tianna know, the team at YNHCH had spent the past two years studying and training for a case just like Tianna’s, which would be the first of its kind in Connecticut.
Historically, when a fetus is diagnosed with spina bifida, the closing of the spinal cord is done after birth. This doesn’t protect against potential damage that can occur in the womb, including brain damage from too much or too little cerebrospinal fluid and damage to exposed nerves. Many babies who are treated for spina bifida after birth cannot control their bladder or bowels, need lifelong shunts in their brain to drain fluid and cannot walk without crutches.
However, a multicenter study published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that when the spinal repair is performed before birth there is a greater chance the child will be able to walk, go to bathroom independently and have a reduced risk of cognitive issues. This is because a lot of the damage that occurs in the womb is prevented and there is a chance for damaged nerves to repair.
There are other factors for a family to consider when opting for this surgery. The baby could be born prematurely or still need a shunt. There are potential complications of future births for the mom because surgical incisions could rupture, and the pregnant person needs the ability to be on bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy.
“The moment the initial study on this procedure came out our team and our colleagues in Fetal Care Center knew this was something we had to pursue,” said Ozan Bahtiyar MD, director of the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital Fetal Care Center. “We trained and studied and waited for the appropriate case to come along. For the right person at the right time this in-utero spinal-repair can give a baby the best possible outcome.”
Tianna had a support system, the ability to take the necessary weeks to recover and her baby’s particular case showed a positive risk-reward profile for this delicate procedure. When the day of surgery arrived, Tianna, then 26 weeks pregnant, felt prepared. “Everyone made me feel comfortable and informed.”
There were 22 people in the operating room including maternal fetal medicine specialist, pediatric neurosurgeons, pediatric surgeons, obstetrical and pediatric anesthesiologists, pediatric cardiologists, nurses, and an ultrasonographer, for the 4-hour surgery. Tianna remembers Eye of the Tiger coming through the speakers to lighten the mood before she was given a deep anesthesia to relax the uterus. It was opened with a technique to keep the fluid surrounding Savera intact and expose only what is necessary. In this case, the repair was needed in the lower spine where the spinal cord was outside the spinal canal and bowed out to attach to the skin. During the surgery the cord was separated from the skin and put into proper position. The hope is that the nerves then begin to repair.
Tianna was sent home to rest. Her outings were restricted mainly to doctor’s appointments. At 36 weeks, Savera was born via C section. “Seeing my daughter for the first time was pure bliss,” said Tianna, who was prepared for a long stay in the neonatal intensive care unit, but Savera was discharged after passing all her tests only four days after delivery.
Savera is now 17 months old and living in Michigan with her mom and dog named Odie. She loves to swim and paint. She speed-crawls, stands and enjoys her biweekly physical therapy sessions.
Tianna requested a video of the surgery that changed her family’s life.
“It was amazing to watch – I have to remind myself that it is me and my daughter on that table. “It was all worth it. Kids surprise you,” said Tianna.
About 1,500 babies are born each year in the U.S. with the type of spina bifida that Savera has, called myelomeningocele. Its severity is dictated by several factors including how high on the spinal cord the opening is located and the type of nerves that are exposed. The medical community is uncertain as to what causes spina bifida. The addition of folate in grains has cut the rate in half since the 1990’s. This research is still ongoing along with research around a combination of environmental and genetic risk factors.