Category Archives: Entertainment

Roundup: Shawarma, Shonda, Stories …

Posted on June 5, 2026 | 10 comments

If life hands you lemons, make lemonade.

And if life hands you antisemitism, make shawarma.

Last month, someone across from The Blondinit restaurant yelled “F— Israel! You’re committing genocide” as Jonny Daniels left the Israeli restaurant. He posted about the incident on social media. The video went viral.

Now, The Blondinit invites the community to come together on Thursday (June 11) for “Stars, Stripes & Shawarma.”

The day and evening are dedicated to raising awareness about antisemitism, and its growing impact it on communities here and abroad.

Daniels — a British-Israeli activist and advocate for Jewish communities and the State of Israel — will be at the event.

Organizers say, “While the incident was deeply troubling, it also sparked a conversation about the importance of education, dialogue, and community engagement in confronting hatred and misinformation.

“Rather than allowing the moment to divide, The Blondinit and Daniels chose to transform it into an opportunity to bring people together, raise awareness, and support organizations dedicated to preserving Jewish history and combating antisemitism.”

Guests are encouraged to gather with friends and family for dinner at The Blondinit. Daniels will discuss modern antisemitism, the importance of education and remembrance, and the need for meaningful conversations rooted in understanding and humanity.

A portion of proceeds from sales throughout the day will be donated to From The Depths, an international organization dedicated to Holocaust remembrance, Jewish heritage preservation, education and humanitarian initiatives.

To make a reservation, learn more or support the initiative, click here.

“Stars, Stripes & Shawarma”

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Shonda Rhimes gives plenty to Westport. She supports many great causes — some publicly, others behind the scenes.

We’re in good company.

She’s just given something to the Obama Presidential Center Museum: the Oval Office set from “Scandal.”

It’s the same one — noted here and below in this Bluesky post — used by “President Fitzgerald Grant” for 7 seasons.

Not gonna lie, this is a badass museum donation.🇺🇸 Shonda Rhimes donated the Oval Office set from Scandal, the same one fictional President Fitzgerald Grant called home for seven seasons.Now it’s part of the Obama Presidential Center Museum

— Christopher Webb (@cwebbonline.com) 2026-06-04T13:07:37.855Z

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The Long Lots School Building Committee offers a presentation of the elementary school and Stepping Stones pre-school project next Wednesday (June 10, 7 p.m., Town Hall auditorium).

The opening date has been pushed back to January 2028.

Artist’s rendering of the new Long Lots Elementary School. 

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For many people, the Westport Library is a home away from home.

And “home” is the theme, as Storytelling Sundays returns to the Library on June 28 (2 p.m.).

Five great storytellers will share their interpretations of home: Jennifer Munro, a National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence recipient; Nina Lesiga, Women’s Storytelling Festival and Generation Women participant; Wendy Mages, professor at Mercy University; Rona Levine, yoga teacher, energy healer, and herbalist, and ChaChanna Simpson, curator, host and writer. For more information, click here.

ChaChanna Simpson

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Also at the Westport Library: a Pride Month combination of stand-up comedy and life story, on the big screen.

“Miss Personality: An Evening of Big Laughs, Big Heart & Big PRIDE” (June 18, 6:30 p.m.) with Mina Hartong is “a hilarious and heartfelt look at identity, reinvention, community, and finding your voice.”

Following the screening, Mina will join writer Susan Rukeyser and comedian/ activist Jamie Machotka in a conversation about storytelling, comedy and LGBTQ+ experiences. Click here for more information.

Mina Hartong

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Westonite Chris Fuller’s “Cheese Fries & Chili Dips” — a moving and hilarious 2-person cabaret-style show — comes to the Westport Woman’s Club next Friday (June 12, 5:30 p.m. reception, 6:30 show).

The production follows Chris as he chases his lifelong dream of playing on the PGA Tour while navigating the challenges of bipolar disorder, and the nonstop commentary inside his own head.

A talkback immediately after the show with mental health experts will focus on healing, and breaking stigmas.

Tickets are just $5. Proceeds help fund the WWC’s many philanthropic projects. Click here to purchase, and for more information.

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In 1993, Representative Town Meeting member Andrew Colabella’s cousin John DiGiovanni was killed in the first World Trade Center bombing.

Yesterday — in the aftermath of the victory by New Jersey congressional candidate Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon whose life-saving work in the Army has been contrasted with his former association with a Muslim cleric who masterminded the attack — Colabella was interviewed on Fox News’ “The Faulkner Focus.”

He called Hamawy’s victory “a disheartening threat to democracy,” and “an insult to injury” for victims’ families. Click here for the full segment.

Screenshot of Andrew Colabella on Fox News.

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“Looking for History: Rick Shaefer, Ellen Harvey & Michael Borders” — MoCA\CT’s next exhibit, exploring how history is remembered, imagined and contested through monument, memory, and labor — arrives just in time for America’s 250th anniversary.

An opening reception — celebrating Shaefer’s “Colossi” and Harvey’s “The Disappointed Tourist” — is set for June 25 (6 p.m.).

The show — with 3 different artists — runs through November 15. For more information, click here. 

 

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Father’s Day is June 21.

Three days later (June 24, 6 p.m.), the Westport Book Shop’s Short Story Club selections are — discusses selections about fathers and children. They are “Midair” by Frank Conroy, “Today Will Be a Quiet Day” (Amy Hempel) and “The Hare’s Mask” (Mark Slouka).

Registration is required. Call 203-349-5141, or email RSVP@westportbooksaleventures.org.

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“Stressed Self to Best Self” — co-written by Westport author Nick Propper — will be published in October.

But it’s already available for pre-order.

Propper works with senior leadership teams at leading organizations like Procter & Gamble and Goldman Sachs. He is also a high-level advisor and facilitator in the US Air Force and federal intelligence community, on building sustainable human performance.

The book focuses on “how to show up at our best, for the people and things that matter most to us, in today’s highly volatile world.” It introduces practical frameworks and tools to help readers manage stress, recover more intentionally and optimize their human energy. Click here for more information, and to order.

 

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Photographer Yulee Aronson calls today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo “The Gourd and the Appleseed.”

If you’ve got a different interpretation, and would like to add your own title, click “Comments” below.

(Photo/Yulee Aronson)

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And finally … on this date in 1968, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was killed.

That night, he won both the California and South Dakota primaries. He told supporters in Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel ballroom, “My thanks to all of you, and it’s on to Chicago and let’s win there.”

Walking through the kitchen, he was shot 3 times by 24-year-old Sirhan Sirhan. Five other people were also wounded. Kennedy died 25 hours later.

(“06880” is where Westport meets the world. We rely on readers like you to support all that we do. Please click here to make a tax-deductible contribution. Thank you!)

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Posted in Arts, Education, Entertainment, Library, Local business, Politics, Restaurants

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Roundup: Savvy Smoker, SoHo Pizza …

Posted on June 1, 2026 | 10 comments

There’s one less place to get vapes and other paraphernalia — plus, according to police reports. joints, canisters of THC flower, cannabis resin and edibles — in town today.

The Savvy Smoker — a scourge of neighbors, and an unwelcome neighbor of fashion designer Christian Soriano, who opened a store in the same Post Road East mini-plaza, back when Subway occupied the space — has closed.

All signage has been removed. (Hat tip: Christian Hunter)

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The smoke shop may be closed, but across town another pizza place is coming.

Or “comming,” as their sign promises.

Let’s hope that the New York-based restaurant — which already rubbed a few residents the wrong way, when they painted over the decades-long iconic King’s Texaco sign — bakes better than they spell.

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Scores of Westporters took advantage of nice weather — and a special invitation — to tour Prospect Gardens yesterday.

The magnificent  9-acre arboretum-style Greens Farms space is open to the public only twice a year.

Main garden designers Cindy Shumate and Judy Gardner were there all day, telling stories and answering questions.

Greens Farms Garden Club members explained how they plant, tend and harvest the 3-tiered vegetable garden. Last season, their harvest of over 1000 pounds was donated to local organizations that feed families in need.

The next public event is set for September.

One view of Prospect Gardens … 

… and another. (Photos/Candice Cardenas)

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We’ve got a new header photo for “06880.” William Weiss took this great image of Ned Dimes Marina:

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Kerri Kenney-Silver is an actress, comedian, writer, singer, and musician. As Trudy on “Reno 911!” she was nominated for 4 Emmys. She was the only female cast member on MTV’s “The  State,” she’s been on “Superstore,” “2 Broke Girls,” “Love” and “The Ellen Show,” and she fronted the all-female rock band Cake Like.

Kerri is also a 1988 Staples High School graduate.

On Friday, the Wall Street Journal profiled her. She notes the first time she felt noticed — in 4th grade, when she teased a substitute teacher — as well as feeling “miserable and inadequate” in middle school.

Staples was different. She discovered Players — the theater company. “I knew immediately I fit in,” she says.

Click here for the full story. (Hat tip: Maria Freeman)

Kerri Kenney-Silver (Photo/Ari Michelson for Wall Street Journal)

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Looking both ways — and keeping their young ones together — these Canada geese parents look just like Westport moms and dads, out with their kids at Compo Beach.

Well, not “just like.” Those outfits are sadly lacking in aura.

(Photo/Mary Sikorski)

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And finally … following up on the news about Savvy Smoker (story above):

(From pot to pizza, “06880” has the local business scene covered. If you enjoy these daily Roundups — or any other feature of our hyper-local blog — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Posted in Beach, Entertainment, Environment, Local business, Restaurants, Staples HS

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Friday Flashback #505

Posted on May 29, 2026 | 3 comments

Westport does not lack for musical entertainment.

VersoFest turns the Library into a rockin’, rollin’ concert hall. Across the parking lot the Levitt Pavilion offers dozens of concerts, of all kinds, from spring to fall.

For a decade or so, the Levitt was the site of an annual Labor Day Blues, Views & BBQ Festival.

Before that though, Westport hosted another Blues Festival.

It ran for only 2 years: 1993 and ’94. But it some great local talent.

The Slo Leak band, for example, starred Charlie Karp (the guitar phenom who left Staples High School at 16 to play with Buddy Miles and a couple of years later, Jimi Hendrix); Harvey Brooks (the Westport bassist who played on Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” and the Doors’ “Touch Me,” and with Miles Davis and many others), and Danny Kortchmar (another Westport resident and session musician with Don Henley, Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, David Crosby, Carole King, David Cassidy, Graham Nash, Neil Young, Steve Perry, Carly Simon and more).

The event was produced by Mark Naftalin, the Westporter inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for his keyboard work with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Eric von Schmidt — a musician muse for Bob Dylan, and a noted artist too — created the t-shirts and poster.

Naftalin’s wife Ellen helped him. She remembers the logo included Westport’s iconic Minute Man — but “with a guitar instead of a gun in his arms.”

She adds, “When Eric first drew it he had a tightly rolled joint in the Minute Man’s mouth. But I was worried that the powers that be in Westport would object, so I asked him to make it look more like a cigarette.

“Eric snipped off the rolled end. Now it looks more like a joint than it did in the first place.”

(Friday Flashback is one of “06880”‘s many regular features. If you enjoy this — or anything else on our website — please consider a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Lost Kids, Unvaccinated Kids …

Posted on May 28, 2026 | 1 comment

The Swag Lab — Stacey Levkoff’s Westport-based branding and design business — wants to keep kids safe at this year’s fireworks.

They’ve partnered with Westport PAL, sponsors of the July 2 event. The Swag Lab is donating wristbands. Parents can write emergency contact information on them, then fasten them around their children’s wrists.

They’ll be available free at the Westport Police station and Parks & Recreation Department office, where fireworks tickets can be purchased beginning June 1 and June 3, respectively. You can contact email stacey@theswaglab.com for them too.

Levkoff will eave some at the lifeguard station too, the afternoon and evening of the big event.

Meanwhile, watch “06880” for more fireworks news!

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Today is World Hunger Day.

It’s a global event. But it hits home, right here in Westport.

Every single week. Homes with Hope’s Gillespie Center food pantry serves over 300 households facing food insecurity.

That’s not an abstraction. Those are neighbors in need.

But the work can’t happen without help.

Many Westporters donate food, and help stock shelves. But on World Hunger Day you can help right now, right here.

Homes with Hope’s Amazon Wishlist allows you to browse what’s needed most. Just click here,  and pick your items. Your donation ships right to the Gillespie Center.

For more information on Homes with Hope, click here.

Homes with Hope, Westport Rotary Club and Westport Police members unpack food, at the Gillespie Center. You can send supplies directly there, through Homes with Hope’s Amazons Wishlist.

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The 2026-27 Westport Country Playhouse season features 6 shows — and 2 are world premieres.

Artistic director Mark Shanahan introduced the plays yesterday, before an enthusiastic Sheffer Barn crown.

Speaking passionately about the importance of live theater, as the historic Playhouse enters its 96th year, he praised the variety of the upcoming offerings. In a “dour world,” he said, all 6 productions will be “filled with possibilities, and lift people up.”

Three will be 3 weeks in length; the others will be shorter runs. They are:

  • “Ken Ludwig’s Pride and Prejudice Part 2: Napoleon at Pemberley” (world premiere; October 20-November 7)
  • “A Sherlock Carol” (written and directed by Shanahan, returning for a 4th season: December 12-20)
  • “Murder For Two” (musical comedy mystery; March 4-7)
  • “The Pancake Club” (world premiere; a Script in Hand selection, now staged by popular demand; April 20-May 8)
  • “The Goldsmith” (another Script in Hand selection; May 19-22)
  • “The Legend of Georgia McBride” (July 13-31).

For more information on the 2026-27 season, click here.

 

Mark Shanahan introduces the 2026-27 season. (Photo/Dave Matlow)

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“Unvaccinated Under God” is the title of a compelling book just published by Dr. Kira Ganga Kieffer.

It’s also the focus of a special Westport Library discussion on June 4 (7 p.m.).

The event — part of the “Saugatuck Scribes” series spotlighting Westport authors — features a conversation with primary care physician Dr. Caroline Andrew.

Both graduated from Staples High School and Brown University.

Vaccine hesitancy in America is not new. In her book, Kieffer ties debates over vaccine safety and mandatory vaccinations with “existential concerns about justice and morality.” She says that vaccine hesitancy here is a religious expression — not the product of scientific misinformation.

Kieffer is a scholar of American religions, history, culture and politics. She is a visiting assistant professor of religious studies at Fairfield University, after teaching at Boston University, the University of Vermont and Wesleyan University. The Brown University graduate now lives in Westport with her husband and daughter.

Click here for more information.

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Spring paving begins Monday (June 1). It continues all month.

These roads will be paved (though not in this order):

  • Kings Highway North
  • Maple Avenue South
  • Whitney Street
  • Bayberry Lane
  • Cross Highway
  • Park Lane

Questions? Call the Public Works Office: 203-341-1120.

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Sure, the Levitt Pavilion (Tedeschi Trucks, Cyndi Lauper) and Westport Library (Wyclef Jean, The Wallflowers)) rock the music world.

And the Westport Country Playhouse regularly showcases stars like Audra McDonald and Judy Collins.

But don’t overlook the VFW. Post 399 — on the river, at the Riverside/Saugatuck Avenue split — hosts some legendary names too. (Most recently: Corky Laing, former Mountain drummer.)

On June 27 (6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 music), it’s Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Mark Naftalin.

The Paul Butterfield Band keyboardist — and longtime Westport resident — joins Connecticut Blues Hall of Famer Paul Gabriel, Connecticut Blues Challenge winner Mark Zaretsky, and bassist Paul Opalach, drummer Nick Longo and singer Washboard Slim, in a must-see show.

Tickets are $20 (cash only), at the door.

Mark Naftalin (Photo copyright DinkinESH Fotografix)

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Speaking of entertainment: “Music at the Barn” — The Weston History & Culture Center’s 11th annual summer concert series — returns June 7 (5:30 p.m.).

Steely Dan cover band Logical Pretzel headlines the show. Guests can bring a lawn chair, picnic and bottle of wine

Tickets are available at the door or online ($15 members, $20 non-members; 12 and under free).

Coming up: One Bad Oyster (ska and surf music, June 28) and Faded is the Crimson (acoustic Grateful Dead tribute, July 26).

Music at the Weston History & Culture Center barn.

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Westport Police made 1 custodial arrest between May 13 and 26.

A 19-year-old Trumbull man was charged with reckless driving, engaging police in pursuit, interfering with an officer, improper passing, failure to drive right and failure to display plates, following a May 19 incident. The motorcyclist cut in front of an officer on Post Road East, past a vehicle in a no-passing area, then cut between traffic when signaled to stop. The officer provided a description; a Westport detective observed the biker at Sasco Beach in Fairfield. He attempted to flee, but dropped the motorcycle in the sand. He was released on a $6,000 bond.

Westport Police also issued these citations:

  • Failure to obey state traffic commission regulations: 16 citations
  • Traveling unreasonably fast: 13
  • Failure to obey stop sign: 9
  • Failure to renew registration: 7
  • Texting while driving: 6
  • Distracted driving: 2
  • School zone violation: 3
  • Operating an unregistered motor vehicle: 2
  • Failure to insure motor vehicle: 2
  • School zone violation, 2nd offense: 2
  • Improper passing: 2
  • Failure to drive in the proper lane: 2
  • Improper turn: 2
  • Improper use of markers: 2
  • Speeding: 1
  • Following too closely: 1
  • Failure to grant right of way: 1
  • Failure to obey traffic control signals: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle under suspension: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle without a license: 1
  • Operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance: 1
  • Failure to carry registration: 1

It’s not a good idea to cut in front of a police officer.

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Every dog has its days.

And these (at least 6) had theirs — a “Westport … Naturally” day — recently, in Greens Farms.

(Photo/Bob Weingarten)

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And finally … happy 82nd birthday to Gladys Knight, and 81st to John Fogerty!

(Another day, another Roundup, another chance to learn all about Westport — what to do, how to help. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 work, please click here to support this hyper-local blog. Thank you!)

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Posted in Entertainment, Library, Local business, Police, Westport Country Playhouse

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Staples Players Rewind: “Guys & Dolls” (2000, 2009)

Posted on May 26, 2026 | 2 comments

“Guys and Dolls” was the first show David Roth directed, after taking over as Staples Players director in 2000.

He staged it again, 9 years later. And once more, in 2023.

Players’ second director, Al Pia, also did “Guys & Dolls” in the 1980s. The award-winning troupe has done it at least 6 times in total, making it perhaps the most-produced show in their 68-year history.

Today, retired media teacher Jim Honeycutt offers the 2000 and ’09 “nutshell” versions. He edited both in almost exactly the same way.

Click here or below for the 2000 show.

Click here or below for the 2009 show.

The cast of both shows were very impressive.

Guys And Dolls 2000

Shira Hofmekler (also known as Shira Gregory) (Adelaide) is best known for her role in the original Broadway cast of the Tony-Award-winning play “Frost/Nixon.” She also appeared in independent films like “Breaking.” She wrote the player “Helen Unbecoming,” a 2025 semifinalist in the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference.

Peter Duchan (Nicely-Nicely) wrote the book of the musical “Dogfight” (based on the 1991 film). He was a 2011-2012 Dramatists Guild Fellow and a 2014 recipient of the Robert Chesley Playwriting Award. Peter co-wrote the screenplay for “Breaking Upwards” (with Staples graduates Daryl Wein and Zoe Lister-Jones), and co-wrote the short “Unlocked” with Wein, an official selection of the Tribeca Film Festival, Gijon International Film Festival, and many others.

Justin Miller (Benny Southstreet) is a former Staples director of choral activities. He is a choral conductor, composer and arranger, known for his work in the Barbershop Harmony Society and his academic choral teaching. He led the Westminster Chorus and Masters of Harmony to international championships.

Justin Paul (Rusty Charlie) is a composer, lyricist, and half of the acclaimed songwriting duo Pasek and Paul. They wrote the music for “Dear Evan Hansen,” “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman.” In 2024, Pasek and Paul achieved EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) status after winning an Emmy for their song in “Only Murders in the Building.”

Joanna Gang is a voiceover artist based in New York. She is also a non-profit administrator and fundraiser.

Guys And Dolls 2009

Peter Molesworth (Rusty Chalie) is a writer, actor and filmmaker. Acting credits include “Pear,” “How to Catfish Your Ex” and “Fix.”

Max Stampa-Brown (Nathan Detroit) appeared in “The Third Man,” “FREUD” and “The Garret East,” after the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Eva Hendricks (Miss Adelaide) is a lead singer, and Dan Shure (Nicely-Nicely) plays bass, in Charley Bliss, a successful New York band. Their current release is “Back There Now.”

Jake Yarmoff (Sky Masterson) is a Philadelphia-based singer/songwriter. His song “City of Love” can be heard on YouTube.

Max Samuels (Sky Masterson) is a New York-based stage and screen actor known for his roles in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” He also appeared in “George Kaplan,” “Angry Young Man,” “The Winter’s Tale” and “The Brothers Karamazov.”

Nora Kennedy is a New York-based stage and screen actor and writer, recognized for her film work (“Prom King” and “Taken”), and her one-woman cabaret shows.

Matthew Van Gessel (Harry the Horse) is an actor, director and writer based in New York.  He played Isaac Goodenow in the “The Sudbury Devil,” appeared in the film “Bookworm,” was featured as an actor in the project RedDrop, and was cast as Father Rand in “The Vampires of New Orleans.”

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Posted in Arts, Entertainment, Looking back, Staples HS

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Roundup: Y’s Men Float, Summer Ticks, Clarence Jones …

Posted on May 26, 2026 | Leave a comment

For the first time in years, the Y’s Men did not win the Memorial Day float competition.

There’s a good reason: The parade was canceled, due to weather.

Like many organizations, the Y’s Men of Westport and Weston spent weeks preparing their float.

Unlike many, they filmed the process.

So, disappointed parade-goers: Take heart. Just click here or below, to see what you missed.

And — this being the Y’s Men — the video is as intriguing as the float itself.

Credit goes to photographer Ted Horowitz; videographer Rick Godin, who created the finished product very quickly; John Brandt and Dick alt.

The voiceover was done by noted actor and Weston resident James Naughton. He’ll be honored Thursday at the Y’s Men’s annual meeting (Compo Beach pavilion, 9 a.m.).

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Summer is (almost) here.

Time for warm weather! Outdoors! Ticks!

No sweat. The Westport Library has you covered.

On June 10 (7 p.m.; free), Andrew Wilk’s Medical Series continues with “Ticks, Mosquitoes and Sunburn, Oh My! The Hazards of Summer.”

Longtime local internist Dr. Robert Altbaum will discuss how to prevent and treat mosquito bites, bee stings and sunburns. If time allows, heat-related illness will also be reviewed.

Infectious disease specialist Dr. Zane Saul will focus on tick-borne illness like Lyme disease, as well as babesiosis and anaplasmosis.

Lyme disease tick.

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Clarence B. Jones — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. advisor and speechwriter, who helped plan the March on Washington and drafted part of the famed “I Have a Dream” speech — died Friday in California. He was 95.

Jones inspired Westporters 2 years ago, when he was the keynote speaker for the town’s Martin Luther King Day celebration. Click here or below, for that memorable speech. Click here for a full obituary.

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Grammy Award-winning drummer/composer Dan Pugach headlines this Thursday’s Jazz at the Post (May 28, 7:30 and 8:45 p.m.; dinner at 7; VFW Post 399).

He’ll be joined by trumpeter Dave Smith, pianist Nitzan Gavrieli, bassist Sam Weber and saxophonist Greg “The Jazz Rabbi” Wall. Click here for tickets and more information.

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Summer may bring ticks (item above).

But it also brings joys, like this little blue heron. Matt Murray snapped today’s graceful “Westport … Naturally” image at Sherwood Mill Pond.

(Photo/Matt Murray)

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And finally … on this date in 1864, Montana was organized as a US territory.

(“06880” is where Westport meets the world … including Montana. If you appreciate our 24/7/365 hyper-local coverage, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Roundup: Wexler, Wet, World Cup …

Posted on May 25, 2026 | 4 comments

Lisa Wexler has been endorsed unanimously by the Democratic Party to serve as the probate judge for Westport and Weston for another 4-year term. She was elected previously as both a Democrat and Republican.

After being chosen in a special 2013 election, Wexler has been re-elected 3 times since. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the New York University School of Law, she has lived in Westport with her husband Bill and family since 1989.

Lisa Wexler

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The final day of the 53rd annual Fine Arts Festival began wet yesterday.

Fortunately, the rain eased around noon, before starting again. It was not a total washout for the 160 artists, from around the country.

Before the crowds arrived, photographer Tom Kretsch — one of 6 Westporters in the show — helped make the area presentable.

The things artists do, that most of us never see …

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The weather was blustery yesterday.

But after church, longtime Westporters Janine and Pietro Scotti (former owner of Da Pietro’s) and their daughter Lucia headed to Compo Beach. She reports:

“The poor lifeguards were in the pavilion, and hanging out.

“I thought I’d eat lunch from the new Sandbar concession stand there, but would up on one of the side counters.

“We had the chicken souvlaki, and a side of fries. Really good tzatziki, and the fries were delicious. Great quality.

“I felt for them, because they really hustled to get open for this weekend. I’m glad Nikki Glekas has other businesses. I’ve heard a lot of good things about her. A friend from Stamford said her restaurant is phenomenal.

“We’re really lucky they’ve come in.”

From left: Lucia, Janine and Pietro Scotti, and The Sandbar staff.

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The rain also postponed last night’s 2026 Levitt Pavilion kickoff concert.

Charlie Hall’s “Get Up With It” — a Miles Davis centennial celebration — is rescheduled to August 24.

All original tickets will be honored. To purchase tickets for the new date, click here. 

Looking ahead: The West Point Concert Band takes the stage June 9. They’ll honor America’s 250th anniversary with everything from Broadway classics and bluegrass to marches. Clck here for free tickets, or go to the box office.

Click here for a Levitt Pavilion calendar, and more news.

Charlie Hall’s Get Up With It.

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Congratulations to Ryan Smith!

The 2019 Staples High School graduate, and 2-time defending Pequot Turkey Trot winner, won the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon yesterday morning.

He shattered the course record — and his time of 2:15.52 qualifies him for the 2028 Olympic trials.

Amazingly, it was his very first marathon.

At Bates College, Smith competed in 2 NCAA cross country championships. He now lives and works in Boston.

The Burlington event is Vermont’s biggest single-day sporting event.

Screenshot from yesterday’s finish.

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Club203 gets into the World Cup spirit, at their final gathering of the year (June 9, 6:30 p.m., Ned Dimes Marina).

Westport’s social organization for adults with disabilities promises soccer-inspired art led by MoCA\CT, along with food from the Super Duper Weenie Truck, and more. Wear a team jersey, and enjoy the fun. For more information, click here.

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It’s been a gray holiday weekend in Westport.

But today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo, from Terra Nova Circle near the Norwalk line, offers a burst of much-needed color.

(Photo/John Maloney)

The rest of the week will be partly cloudy. Temperatures will be in the 70s — and, on Wednesday, the 80s.

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And finally … on this date in 1961, President Kennedy told a joint session of Congress that the US “should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to the Earth.”

Eight years later, it happened.

(We’d be over the moon if you click here, to make a tax-deductible donation supporting our work. Hey, a boy can dream …)

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Fine Arts Festival Is On!

Posted on May 23, 2026 | 1 comment

A little rain kept a few folks away from this weekend’s 53rd annual Fine Arts Festival.

But plenty of others headed to Main and Elm Streets, for one of the top shows in the Northeast.

There’s all kinds of art, in every style and medium imaginable. Plus music, food trucks, kids’ activities — even a chance to paint a BMW.

The Fine Arts Festival — sponsored by the Westport Downtown Association – is on through 5 p.m. today. It run tomorrow too: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(All photos/Dan Woog)

 

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Buckle Up And Boogie: “Immersive Horror Experience” Comes To Library Stage

Posted on May 21, 2026 | Leave a comment

Artists like Wyclef Jean and the Wallflowers don’t know what to expect when they’re booked for concerts at the Westport Library.

But when they take the stage, plug into the great sound system and look out at hundreds of fans packed into the Trefz Forum, they get it. Our library is also a music hall.

Westporters have grown used to the venue — maybe even a bit blasé. We’re proud though that Library director Bill Harmer had the vision, creativity and chops to make it happen.

Wyclef Jean, at Verso Fest. (Photo/Kerry Long)

However, this is not his first rodeo — er, round as a concert promoter.

He’s done it for nearly a quarter century, since the start of his library director career in Michigan.

And on May 30 (7 p.m.) those two worlds meet, in a special, multi-media event.

Josh Malerman brings his show “From Bird Box to the Stage: A Live Horror Experience” from the Midwest to Westport.

He’s an author. But this is the furthest thing from a book reading imaginable.

Malerman is also a musician. The evening features an immersive horror performance based on his new novel, “Incidents Around the House.”

His troupe, Wow Town, will offer what Harmer calls “something between a radio play, concert and stage production.” Wow Town has performed almost all of Malerman’s launches, in chapels, gyms, theaters, bars (and libraries).

Wow Town shows include actors, live music, props, backdrops and original scoring. Malerman takes center stage.

This giant head — part of the Wow Town show — is operated by Josh Malerman’s wife, Allison Laakko.

When Harmer first met him, Malerman had been on the road for years with his band, The High Strung. The group opened for another one, who Harmer had hired to perform for teenagers in the library where he worked.

That meeting sparked Harmer to create a “Rock & Roll Library Tour.” For 3 summers, The High Strung played 220 concerts in public libraries around the country. They performed in 48 states (and Cuba).

The project garnered plenty of press, and was featured on “This American Life.”

All along, Malerman wrote. He stashed unpublished manuscripts in a seaman’s chest.

“I’ve never met a harder-working artist, or a more persistent and committed optimist,” Harmer says.

As the band’s life on the road wound down, Malerman kept writing. His persistence led to the 2014 publication of “Bird Box.”  The post-apocalyptic horror novel became a Netflix film, starring Sandra Bullock.

Harmer says that Malerman’s cross-media work is compelling. “It brings together literature, music, horror, performance, and the kind of creative risk that has become central to what we do here.”

Meanwhile, Malerman admires Harmer’s work as director.

Bill Harmer (Photo/Ryan Allen)

“I’ve followed his ascension in Connecticut,” the writer/musician says. “I’m not surprised he’s involved in a great library, doing things like Verso Fest and hosting Keith Richards.”

That’s not all. Harmer hopes to sign The High Strung to a deal with Verso Records — the Library’s studio arm — and work with the community to produce an album.

“That may sound a little crazy,” he admits. “But so did sending a rock band to perform in libraries around the country.”

(“From Bird Box to the Stage: A Life Horror Experience with Josh” Malerman will be performed at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 30 in the Westport Library’s Trefz Forum. The free event is supported by the Irma Schachter Legacy Venture Fund, which makes innovative and community-responsive Library programs possible.)

 (“06880” regularly covers the Westport Library, entertainment — and their intersection. If you like stories like this, please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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Staples Players Rewind: “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying”

Posted on May 19, 2026 | 3 comments

Every Staples Players show is special.

But the fall 2008 production was especially special.

For “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying,” directors David Roth and Kerry Long made an inspired cast choice.

Principal John Dodig delivered a tour de force — and, to some audience members, unexpected — performance, near the end of the musical.

Many did not know that the popular educator had experience in community theater. Watch his “Brotherhood of Man” number here, or below — taped and edited by former media teacher Jim Honeycutt — to see.

Dodig retired a decade ago. But some fellow cast members — all decades younger — have gone on to remarkable careers, in the entertainment world. For example:

Max Stampa-Brown appeared in “The Third Man,” “FREUD” and “The Garret East,” after studying acting at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He now works as a mixologist at Borochito in NYC.

Eva Hendricks is a lead singer, and Dan Shure plays bass, in Charley Bliss, a successful New York band. Their current release is “Back There Now.”

David Ressler is an actor and singer currently performing in a Bay Area Opera Collaborative production of “Pirates of Penzance.”

Chris McNiff is an actor, singer, dancer and choreographer based in New York. Notable credits include Phil Davis in “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas,” Don Lockwood in “Singin’ in the Rain,” and Claude in “Hair.”

Brittany (Uomoleale) Baron is an actress, best known for her role as Justine Biagi in the TV series “GLOW,” and for voicing Tifa Lockhart in the “Final Fantasy VII Remake” franchise, for which she received an award for Best Supporting Performance.

Zoe Apoian is a model, an actress and dancer. She starred in the 2015 movie “Karina Jones: Lazy.”

Matthew Van Gessel is an actor, director and writer based in New York.  He played Isaac Goodenow in the “The Sudbury Devil,” appeared in the film “Bookworm,” was featured as an actor in the project RedDrop, and was cast as Father Rand in “The Vampires of New Orleans.”

Max Samuels is a New York-based stage and screen actor known for his roles in “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.” He also appeared in “George Kaplan,” “Angry Young Man,” “The Winter’s Tale” and “The Brothers Karamazov.”

(If you like these nutshells — or any other “06880” feature — please click here to support our work. Thank you!)

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