It was a thrill of a lifetime today for Westport Coleytown Middle School (CMS) students as Justin Paul (l), the Academy and Tony Award-winner and onetime CMS student, returned to the school to give some pointers on the Coleytown Company’s forthcoming production of “James and the Giant Peach.” It was a nod to his former CMS theater teacher Ben Frimmer. Paul and partner Ben Pasek created the score for “James and the Giant Peach” based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name. Earlier, Paul met with Staples Players and talked about his role in the Staples Players 2003 production of “Merrily We Roll Along,” which the current Players will present beginning March 16. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Helen Klisser During for WestportNow.com

By Susan Granger

Following “Ex Machina,” writer/director Alex Garland delivers “Annihilation,” an ominous sci-fi thriller drenched with a pervasive sense of foreboding and dread.

It begins as a professor of cellular biology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Lena (Natalie Portman), is interrogated by Lomax (Benedict Wong) in a hazmat suit. Displaying no emotion, she calmly explains how her military husband, Kane (Oscar Isaac), was dispatched on a secret mission and disappeared.

Almost a year passes before he returns, looking bizarrely catatonic and experiencing convulsions. When Lena summons an ambulance, she’s mysteriously kidnapped along with her now-comatose, dying husband, who is placed in quarantine by federal authorities.

According to psychologist Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), after a meteorite strike, the swampland around a lighthouse on the Florida coastline has been surrounded by a glistening, inexplicable force field called the Shimmer, which is rapidly expanding. Although other teams have been sent in, Kane is the only one who ever emerged.

A number of local residents were involved tonight in the opening reception at Stamford’s Samuel Owen Gallery Studio for the “Up in Arms” exhibit of guns in art created by contemporary artists in conjunction with #UNLOAD, an arts-based initiative that seeks to drive consensus around the topic of gun violence. They included Keri Cameron, (Greenwich); Kelly Copeland (Westport); Darcy Hicks, (Westport); Natalia Feinstein (Westport); Helen Klisser During, co-founder #UNLOAD (Weston); Mary Himes,co –founder, #UNLOAD (Greenwich), and Papri Harkey (Fairfield). They are pictured with Cindy and Lee Milazzo, owners, Samuel Owen Gallery Studio, 583 Pacific St. The exhibition was organized by Milazzo and among its features is a screen showing guests’ texts in response to the works on display. The exhibit continues through March 30. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Linley Himes for WestportNow.com

Despite power outages and closed streets, the Westport Artists Collective
annual group show, with 110 works of art, attracted a large crowd tonight at the Westport Arts Center. For those unable to make it, the show continues Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Katherine Ross for WestportNow.com

Participants rehearse for tonight’s “Letters to our Daughters” presentation of essays and poems, written and read by women, in honor of International Women’s Day at the Westport Country Playhouse. Curated by Samantha Goober and Anne Keefe, the participants include Najla Said, Elise Kibler, Joanna Gleason, Aleta Mitchell, Pearl Sun, Judith Ivey, Pamela A. Lewis, Wilhelmine Hartong, Danielle Davenport, Melissa Joan Hart, Farah Bala and Patti Russo. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

Westport’s Justin Paul and partner Benj Pasek (lower r) applaud tonight as the Oscar for Orginal Song went to “Remember Me” from “Coco,” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (lower l). Paul and Pasek were nominated for “This is Me” from the P. T. Barnum biography picture “The Greatest Showman.“CLICK TO ENLARGE) WestportNow.com photo from ABC-TV

UPDATE The Westport Cinema Initiative tonight hosted its first Oscar viewing/fundraiser/gala event at the Birchwood Country Club. Guests were able to vote for their Oscar choices during the almost four-hour long ceremony, but those hoping for a win for Westport native Justin Paul and partner Benj Pasek were disappointed when they failed to win in the Original Song category. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) J.C. Martin for WestportNow.com