‘Seussical the Musical’ Romps at CT Rep

Built around the doctor’s giant successes, “The Cat in the Hat” and “Horton Hears a Who,” “Seussical the Musical” at Connecticut Rep is a madcap entertainment and celebration of musical styles for all ages. It previews Thursday night, June 16, and opens Friday, June 17, and runs through June 26 at the Nafe Katter Theatre at UConn.

Master comedian Steve Hayes and international performance artist Bradford Scobie lead the cast, which also includes original puppets from UConn’s famous Puppet Arts program. The music ranges from Latin to pop, swing to gospel and R&B to funk.

Tickets for students and children are just $10. Evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Single ticket prices range from $10 to $39. Call 860-486-4226 or visit the Connecticut Repertory Theatre Web site for tickets and additional information.

Make a point also to visit the free Dr. Seuss art exhibit at the Benton Museum, also on campus. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 1-4:30 p.m.

A Magical Evening for the Benton

The Benton Museum at UConn offers its exhibits, films and programming for free. To support this work, it will stage a benefit on Saturday, June 18, at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts. “A Magical Evening for The Benton Museum” will feature jazz by Earl MacDonald & Friends, comedy by Steve Diamond and magic illusion by Matt Roberts.

The evening, which will cost $60, $50 for museum members or $75 at the door, will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction of art, travel, wine, food, golf and cultural experiences, and end with coffee and desserts. Festivities start at 7 p.m. and end at 11 p.m. For tickets, go to the Benton or call 860-486-4520. To see auction items, visit the Benton Web site.

‘The Gambler’ Sings His Best Advice at Foxwoods

It seems only fittin’ that the man who sang, “Know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away, know when to run,” should play at a casino.

Grammy-winning country crossover great Kenny Rogers, winner of the recording industry’s prestigious Diamond Award for breaking 10 million sales with his “Greatest Hits” album, will appear at MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods at 8 p.m. Saturday, June 18. Rogers has recorded 65-plus albums that have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

His down-on-your luck hits “(You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me,) Lucille,” “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town,” “The Gambler,” “Lady,” and the more upbeat “She Believes in Me,” yield lyrics that even his former First Edition fans can sing. He’s recorded more than 120 single hits that have crossed musical genres and topped both country and pop charts.

He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All-Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of USA Today and People. He has received hundreds of awards, including American Music Awards, Grammys, People’s Choice, Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association Awards, and, in 2003, a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades.

Tickets are $30-55. For information, call 1-800-200-2882 or visit the Foxwoods entertainment site.

Summer Carnival at East Catholic

What’s the draw of a summer carnival? The rides. The games. The food. The cow chip raffle.

The cow chip raffle? Yeah, when the cash prizes total $3,500.

All will be on tap at East Catholic High School in Manchester now through Saturday, June 18. Attractions will include the scrambler, Ferris wheel, fun house, tilt-o-whirl, Gravitron and swings and rides for small children.

Two student pop/rock bands will perform beginning at 7 p.m. Friday night.

The cow chip raffle in the lower field will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday when three cows are released to decide which of 2,000 squares will receive their deposits. Tickets are $10 each and coordinate with a certain numbered square, but this is no cheap enterprise: First prize pays out $2,000, second is $1,000 and third is $500.

The carnival also boasts a chili cook-off among amateur chefs from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, with local judging and people’s choice honors. For $5 you can sample the chilies.

Local rock band Stealing Jupiter will perform from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday.

The chili cook-off and cow chip raffle (really?) are rain or shine. Wristbands are $22 and will entitle you to ride all the rides.  Single tickets are available for $1 each or $22 a sheet. Most rides require 3-4 tickets. 

The carnival hours are 6-10 p.m. Thursday, 6-11 p.m. Friday, and 2-10 p.m. Saturday. The school is located at 115 New State Road. For information, visit the school Web site or call 860-649-5336.

School's Out Concert on Bolton Green

Bolton knows how to celebrate the end of school. For the third time it is bringing in the local teen band Midnight to headline its School's Out Concert, at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, on the town green. A younger band called Decision will open the show.

Five Bolton musicians make up Midnight, which plays a range of classic rock, alternative music and pop cover songs. They bring extra mics and invite audience members to join them onstage, plus they provide DJ service when they’re on break. The music doesn’t end. And “School’s Out for Summer” is on their play list.

The School's Out Concert kicks off the town’s summer concert series every Wednesday on the green, 206 Bolton Center Rd. For information call 860-649-8066, ext. 109.

A Flower Garden Musicale Graces Stafford

A trio of musicians will play light classical, world music and even a little ragtime at the lovely Haymarket Common on Main Street in Stafford this Sunday, June 19. Clarinetist Heather Thon, a member of the Aeros Quintet, has gathered two musician friends, Irena Momchilova on viola and Andrew Janss on cello, to join her from noon to 2 p.m. Sunday at the free event, called a Flower Garden Musicale and sponsored by the Stafford Arts Commission.

Feel free to bring a chair and enjoy takeout brunch from one of the several nearby downtown eateries.

In case of rain, the concert will move indoors to the Ben Muzio Town House (Old Town Hall) at 221 East St., Stafford Springs. For more information, call 860-684-5211.

Fab Fathers of Any Species

The male of the species is to be celebrated, whether they know Sunday is Father’s Day or not. And so the Lutz Children’s Museum in Manchester is holding three events at week’s end for children to do so.

On Friday, June 17, children, ages 2-3 and accompanied by a caregiver who might even be Dad, can learn about papa penguins, seahorses and finches at one of two sessions – 10-10:30 a.m. or 11-11:30 a.m. Kids will be free to make Dad a craft to take home.

A similar event for kids, ages 6-10, will be held from 4-5 p.m. on Thursday, June 16. They also will make a takeaway gift for Dad. Kids, ages 3-5, will meet some of the coolest animal dads – penguins, frogs and foxes – in hour-long sessions on June 16, at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.

For registration and cost information, visit the Lutz Web site or call 860-643-0949.

Folk on Fridays Returns to Cheney Hall

This Friday, June 17, marks the return of Folk on Fridays, the popular open mic event at Little Theatre of Manchester in Cheney Hall. Brave folksingers can sign up beginning at 6:30 p.m. to perform 10-minute segments starting at 7 p.m. Admission is free, but donations will be welcomed.

For information, visit the Cheney Hall Web site. Folk on Fridays will continue through July every other Friday, skipping August, and ending Sept. 9.

Strawberry Festival in Willimantic

The Covenant Soup Kitchen is repeating its Strawberry Festival, Saturday, June 18, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jillson Square in Willimantic. The festival will serve up games, entertainment and door prizes for $5 a head, with children younger than 12 admitted for free. Food and drink will be on sale at the site; proceeds go to Covenant Soup Kitchen. For information, call 860-423-1643 or e-mail kgandabc@rocketmail.com.