Westport Journal

Mutts Gone Nuts
2026-06-21 16:00 - 17:30 (America/New_York) | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Come see a half dozen of the world’s most talented four-legged performers, in an uproariously funny, comedy dog spectacular that is leaving audiences everywhere howling for more! The all-star lineup includes a Guinness World Record holder, and an America’s Got Talent fan favorite, and a host of amazing dogs that will dance, prance, flip, and skip their way right into your heart.

Art Adventures! – Saturday Drop-In Art Class for Kids
2026-06-20 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-13 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-06-06 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-05-30 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-05-23 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-05-16 12:00 - 13:30, 2026-05-09 12:00 - 13:30 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Your child can join us every Saturday for a relaxed and inspiring drop-in art class at the museum! Whether your child is an experienced artist or just looking to have fun, our multi-media classes offer a creative space to explore new techniques and expression through art. Each session is designed to be fun, interactive, and hands-on, with a focus on encouraging your child’s unique artistic voice.
Each class will feature a new theme or project, including painting, drawing, sculpture, and collage so they can come back week after week to try something fresh and create their own masterpieces.
Materials are provided. Come create, connect, and have fun with art!

Golf, Mahjong, Canasta Tournaments
2026-06-15 09:00 - 17:00 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Westport Country Playhouse hosts golf, mahjong, and canasta tournaments at Birchwood Country Club in Westport on Monday, June 15. Fundraiser in support of Westport Country Playhouse.

Pinkalicious
2026-06-07 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-06-07 13:00 - 14:00 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Back by popular demand in Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities series… Pinkalicious The Musical!
Pinkalicious can’t stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor’s office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe – a dream come true for this pink-loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure out a way to get out of this predicament.
Audience members are encouraged to dress as their favorite “Pinkalicious” character!

MoCACT Presents: Endea Owens + The Cookout
2026-06-06 19:00 - 20:30 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Experience an electrifying evening with Grammy, Peabody, and Emmy Award-winning bassist, composer, and bandleader Endea Owens, one of jazz’s most exciting contemporary voices. A member of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s house band Stay Human, Owens has performed with icons including Wynton Marsalis, Diana Ross, and many others.
Joined by her dynamic ensemble, The Cookout, Owens brings a high-energy performance rooted in jazz, soul, and community spirit. With music from her acclaimed albums Feel Good Music (2023) and Caught Up in This Illusion (2025), this is a powerful, feel-good concert not to be missed.
VIP Tickets (limited to 40) include:
– Table Seating (tables of 4)
– Carafe of wine + water per table
– Light snack
– One signature cocktail
General Admissions Tickets include:
– General Seating
– One drink ticket (includes wine or sparkling water)

Free First Saturdays
2026-06-06 11:00 - 17:00 | Westport Museum for History and Culture, 25 Avery Place, Wesport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
First Saturdays are a great opportunity to experience what we have to offer at the Westport Museum free of charge on the first Saturday of each month.
Young visitors can enjoy a scavenger hunt in the museum, the diorama of Westport featuring an audio tour by Joanne Woodward, coloring pages, colonial games and more. Adult visitors will enjoy our wide array of exhibits.

Grainger Historic House + Peony Garden
2026-05-30 13:00 - 14:30 | The Glass House, 199 Elm Street, New Canaan, 06840, United States
As part of the national commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, The Glass House will, for the first time, open the 1783 Grainger House and its celebrated peony and iris garden for public tours. The house sits on one of New Canaan’s earliest registered land parcels and was originally known as the Finch House, named for the early New Canaan family who farmed the land.
Purchased in 1990 by David Whitney, partner of Philip Johnson, the house has been carefully restored to its 18th-century form. Whitney furnished the home with significant modernist art and design, elements that remain on view today, including a striking window etching by artist Michael Heizer. He also created a remarkable garden, planting a rare collection of perennial peonies and irises, and installing a sculpture by artist Alessandro Twombly.
Together, the house and garden vividly illustrate the dialogue between early American architectural traditions and the 20th-century art and design that define The Glass House.

Film Screening: "Jazz on a Summer's Day" with Q+A
2026-05-28 18:30 - 21:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Film Screening of 1959 Jazz on a Summer’s Day
Followed by a Q+A with Brian Kane
Thursday May 28 from 6:30–9:00PM
Film duration: 1h 25m
Registration: $20 general admission, $10 seniors, $10 students, and free for members
Experience the intersection of jazz history and visual art at MoCACT on Thursday, May 28, at 6:30 PM for a screening of the 1959 documentary Jazz on a Summer’s Day directed by photographer Bert Stern. The film captures the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, documented in vibrant color and high-fashion style. Rather than a standard concert film, it unfolds as a visual poem that interweaves legendary musical performances with scenes of the coastal crowds and the America’s Cup yacht races. This landmark documentary serves as a cinematic extension of our current exhibition, Art, Jazz + the Blues, bringing the same energy and rhythm found in our galleries to the screen.
The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Brian Kane, a scholar of music theory and philosophy who specializes in the intersection of sound, improvisation, and 20th-century jazz. Kane brings a unique perspective to the film’s legacy, exploring how these legendary performances continue to resonate within the history of American art. Brian Kane is Professor of Music and Film and Media Studies at Yale University. He earned his PhD from UC Berkeley and was a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University before joining Yale University. He teaches and writes about jazz, sound, media, and technology—and how the ways we listen influence how we understand the world. He is the author of two books published by Oxford University Press: Sound Unseen: Acousmatic Sound in Theory and Practice (2014) and Hearing Double: Jazz, Ontology, Auditory Culture (2024). Kane leads Yale’s Sound Studies Working Group and is a founding editor of nonsite.org, an online journal of arts and ideas.
As you watch the film, you will recognize the very figures who served as direct muses for several artists in our exhibition. The film features Louis Armstrong, a vital inspiration for Richard Hunt, Faith Ringgold, and Tracy Sugarman, alongside Thelonious Monk, whose improvisational genius influenced Sam Gilliam and is captured in John H. Nichols’ Pianorama in our larger gallery space. Additionally, the appearance of Mahalia Jackson highlights her profound impact on the work of Romare Bearden. Join us for an evening of legendary film and insightful conversation.

Sound Bath Meditation with Hummingbird Healing Arts
2026-05-26 18:00 - 19:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Lisa’s unique immersive Sound Bath Meditations are multi-instrumental soundscapes designed to reset your nervous system. They typically begin with a short guided meditation to relax the participants as they lie down on yoga mats with blankets, bolsters and eye pillows. As the soothing sounds wash over the participants—hence the term “sound bath”— Lisa allows the Himalayan bowls, gongs, crystal bowls, drums, rainsticks, percussion, nature sounds and her voice to work their magic. Coming out of the Sound Bath, the participants often feel more relaxed, reset and refreshed.
*Please bring a yoga mat and pillow

MoCACT Sessions: Chris Brubeck's Triple Play
2026-05-19 19:00 - 20:30 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Triple Play unites three exceptional American musicians — Peter “Madcat” Ruth, Joel Brown, and Chris Brubeck — whose collective roots stretch back nearly 40 years through rock, jazz, folk, blues, and classical music, including world tours with the legendary Dave Brubeck and a recording at Abbey Road Studios with the London Symphony Orchestra. Together they bring what Downbeat calls “good-time rhythm, unbridled joy, and the sweet release but bittersweet aftertaste of the blues” to concert halls, clubs, and festivals across the country, including a celebrated appearance at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Don’t miss this rare and boundary-stretching evening of virtuosity, humor, and pure American spirit.

An Evening with Audra McDonald
2026-05-19 19:00 - 20:30 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 7PM
An Evening with Audra McDonald
with Andy Einhorn on piano

Opera Meets Broadway! May 17 4 pm Weston Public Library
2026-05-17 16:00 - 18:00 | Weston Public Library, 56 Norfield Rd., Weston, CT, 06883, United States
“OPERA MEETS BROADWAY!” MAY 17 WESTON LIBRARY
At 4 pm on May 17 the Friends of the Weston Library present “Opera Meets Broadway!” as the latest in their Sunday Soundscapes series of concerts. Three outstanding New York City musicians will serve up the vocal delicacies; Melanie Spector, soprano, Joseph Sacchi, tenor and LeAnn Overton, pianist and musical director.
Ms. Overton serves on the staff of the Metropolitan Opera, where she is responsible for the “Met Titles”, and on the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music and Montclair State University. She has been active as in a number of summer music programs in Italy, and presides over Respiro Opera, a similar program in NYC.
Prize-winning soprano Melanie Spector is a native of NYC, and has been heard around the country, performing with the Detroit Opera, Opera Eugene, Opera Tampa and at the Apen Music Festival. She is also a frequent panelist on the Metropolitan Opera Quiz feature, broadcast internationally.
Tenor Joseph Sacchi has a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music and is winning accolades as a young dramatic tenor. He has performed with Opera Maine, St. Petersburg Opera and Opera North, and is a prize winner of the Lotte Leyna Competition and the Wagner Society of New York.
The three artists will present favorite arias and duets in Italian and German, along with operetta and Broadway numbers, including selections from Kurt Weill’s “Street Scene” and Leonard Bernstein’s “Candide”.
Admission is free, with a donation suggested, but not required. Seating is limited, so please make your reservation in advance on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/opera-meets-broadway-may-17-at-weston-library-tickets-1985369276952?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

MoCACT Sessions: Karisa Chiu, violin and Frederic Chiu, piano
2026-05-16 19:00 - 21:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Experience an evening of expressive brilliance with internationally acclaimed violinist Karisa Chiu—celebrated for her “distinctive and fascinating intellect” and prizewinning virtuosity—and renowned pianist Frederic Chiu, whose expansive career and imaginative programming have captivated audiences worldwide. Together, they bring depth, nuance, and electrifying artistry to a program spanning Fauré’s elegance, Prokofiev’s intensity, and Bright Sheng’s evocative contemporary voice.

Click Clack Moo
2026-05-16 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-05-16 13:00 - 14:00 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 1PM & 4PM
Click Clack Moo
A TheaterWorksUSA Production
Recommended Ages: Pre-K through 4

Camp MoCA Open House
2026-05-16 09:30 - 11:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Summer camp families—both returning and new—are invited to a special Camp MoCA Open House for a sneak peek at all the creativity and fun in store this summer! Explore our art studio, teaching garden, sculpture garden, galleries, and museum grounds, and get a feel for the inspiring spaces where campers will create, play, and grow.
Kids can enjoy a hands-on art activity, meet some of our camp counselors and teaching artists, and get comfortable in the museum setting before camp begins. It’s a fun, relaxed morning for families to connect, explore, and get excited for an unforgettable summer at Camp MoCA!

Sorry for Laughing
2026-05-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Monday, May 11, 2026 at 7PM
Sorry For Laughing
by Evan Zes
Part of the Barnstormer series, held in the Lucille Lortel White Barn Center.

Mothers Know Best starring Laura and Linda Benanti
2026-05-09 16:00 - 17:30 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Saturday, May 9, 2026 4PM
Laura and Linda Benanti:
Mothers Know Best

A Better Chance of Westport: Dream Event
2026-05-07 18:30 - 21:30 | House on the Hill, Norwalk, 27 Seir Hill Road, Norwalk, CT
A Better Chance of Westport will host its annual Dream Event on May 7th from 6:30–9:30 PM at the beautiful House on the Hill in Norwalk. This special evening celebrates the achievements of ABC scholars—especially graduating seniors—and the network of supporters who help them pursue and realize their dreams.

One Degree of Separation: Jazz in Connecticut A Community Conversation with Tom Duffy and Wayne Escoffery
2026-05-07 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
In conjunction with Art, Jazz + the Blues, One Degree of Separation: Jazz in Connecticut celebrates the state’s jazz legacy and its global resonance. Join composer and conductor Thomas Duffy and Grammy-winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery of the Yale School of Music for a lively conversation on mentorship, collaboration, and Yale’s jazz heritage—punctuated by a live saxophone performance and reflections on how jazz connects the university, the community, and the wider world.

One Degree of Separation: Jazz in Connecticut A Community Conversation with Tom Duffy and Wayne Escoffery
2026-05-07 18:00 - 20:00 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
In conjunction with the exhibition Art, Jazz + the Blues, One Degree of Separation: Jazz in Connecticut explores the vibrant lineage of jazz in Connecticut and its influence on the global stage. This community conversation brings together two titans of the Yale School of Music, composer and conductor Thomas Duffy and Grammy-winning saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, for an intimate look at the history of jazz at Yale and beyond.
The program will weave together personal stories of mentorship and collaboration with a live musical interlude featuring Escoffery on the saxophone. Against the backdrop of jazz’s social and political history, Duffy and Escoffery will discuss how the genre serves as a bridge between the university, the community, and the world.

One Slight Hitch
2026-05-04 19:00 - 21:00 | Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
Monday, May 4 at 7PM
Script In Hand: One Slight Hitch
by Lewis Black
Directed by Kevin O’Rourke
Series curated by Mark Shanahan
Recommended Ages: 13+

Intuitive Painting: Awakening Your Creative Flow with Melissa Benedek
2026-05-03 11:00 - 14:30 | MoCA CT, 19 Newtown Turnpike, Westport, Connecticut, 06880, United States
This immersive experience invites you to connect deeply with your emotions while discovering your own artistic rhythm. Whether you’re a seasoned artist or a curious beginner, you’ll leave feeling refreshed, inspired, and connected to your creative flow with abstract paintings that are uniquely yours.
*Materials included
