Sunday, October 18, 2026

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Arts and Leisure

Put Your Hands in the Air

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Tonight’s Levitt Pavilion crowd joined in “Shake, Rattle, and Roll” as Early Clover and the Collateral Damage band performed some oldies but goodies. Las Vegas-based Clover was lead singer for the Coasters. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo

Mystic Bowie Takes in Levitt Show

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Reggae recording artist Mystic Bowie was among those in the Levitt Pavilion audience tonight for the performance by the Anthem Reggae Band. Since the 1980s, Bowie has entertained audiences from New York to Japan with his vibrant music and high-energy performances. A resident of Fairfield, he has worked steadily with the Tom Tom Club since 1992. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) J.C. Martin for WestportNow.com

Susan Granger at the Movies: ‘The BFG,’ ‘The Free State of Jones,’ ‘The Conjuring 2’

By Susan Granger

Special to WestportNow

Blending live action and computer animation, Steven Spielberg has adapted Roald Dahl’s fantastical tale “The BFG” with Oscar-winner Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”) as the titular character, The Big Friendly Giant.

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Scripted by the late Melissa Matheson (“E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial”) and directed by Spielberg, it’s set in London in the early 1980s and revolves around 10 year-old orphan, Sophie (Ruby Barnhill), a lonely insomniac who - at 3 a.m. - spies a 24-ft.-tall giant lurking about the cobblestone streets, collecting and dispensing phosphorescent dreams to unsuspecting sleepers.

She sees him and he sees her. Reaching his hand through an open window, the grandfatherly-looking BFG gently plucks Sophie out of bed because - if word got out that giants roamed the city - that would end their nocturnal visits.

So the BFG whisks terrified Sophie off to Giant Country, where sinister Fleshlumpeater (voiced by Jermaine Clement) and Bloodbottler (voiced by Bill Hader), constantly bully him.

Celebrities Shine on Playhouse’s 85th Anniversary

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Among those seeing tonight’s performance of Michael Urie in “Buyer & Cellar” at the Westport Country Playhouse were (l-r) Anne Keefe, Playhouse associate artist; actors Chris Sarandon and Joanna Gleason; “Buyer & Cellar” playwright Jonathan Tolins; and 2016 Tony Award winners Stephen Karam (“The Humans” playwright) and Thomas Kail (“Hamilton” director). Gleason was in a New York production of Karam’s play “Sons of the Prophet.” Today marks the Playhouse’s 85th anniversary.  Co-founders Lawrence Langner and wife Armina Marshall opened the first show at the Playhouse on June 29, 1931. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Don Rebar for WestportNow.com