The Swellesley Report

More than you really want to know about Wellesley, Mass.

Holiday happenings in Wellesley

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There are lots of opportunities around Wellesley to get into the holiday spirit:

Town of Wellesley has kicked off the festivities

The Town of Wellesley has draped trees with holiday lights from the Hills to the Square. The tree lights and wreaths throughout Town are made possible by very generous donors and businesses in the community and are hung by Wellesley’s own Municipal Light Plant workers, all to make Wellesley festive during the holiday season.

In addition, look in front of Town Hall for the menorah, the Christmas tree, and the crescent to appear soon. And of course, the high holy tradition of free metered parking has been put in place.

Details on free 2-hour parking in Wellesley:

The Board of Selectmen has waived parking fees at all two-hour street meters in Town through Tuesday, December 31. This includes two-hour meters in all municipal-owned parking lots.

Parking fees are NOT waived at four-hour meters, private parking lots and commuter rail lots.

Wellesley Free Library activities for kids, teens, and adults

The Wellesley Free Library has a full roster of fun holiday activities planned including a holiday wrapping station at the Hills branch; a holiday jazz concert with the Kareem Sanjaghi Band; gingerbread houses construction with graham crackers and icing; Sankta Lucia story and craft; holiday sing-a-long with David Polansky; a LEGO Winter Village set-up; Giant Snowpeople craft; and more.

Details here.

Every neighborhood has that one over-the-top holiday house — nominate it for Town contest

Wellesley Holiday House

Wellesley Theater Project, Frozen, Jr., Dec 13-15

Wellesley Theatre Project, FrozenWellesley Theatre Project (WTP) will present Disney’s Frozen, Jr. Friday, December 13th at 5pm and 8pm and Saturday, December 14th and Sunday, December 15th at 2pm and 5pm. All performances will take place at the Sorenson Center at Babson College, located at 19 Babson College Drive, Wellesley, MA 02482.  Tickets are priced $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online at http://wellesleytheatreproject.org in advance, or at the door for $18 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

Breakfast with Santa at The Cottage, Dec. 14

The Cottage, WellesleyThe Cottage will host the 8th Annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday December 14th at 8am and 9:45am. Call 781-239-1100 for reservations.

Brunch with Santa at the Wellesley College Club, Dec. 14

The Wellesley College Club will host its annual Brunch with Santa. December 14, 10am – noon. Spend a delightful and fun Saturday morning enjoying a wonderful brunch buffet, while the children are entertained with holiday activities. Don’t forget to bring your camera and skip the hassle of the crowded mall to get your most memorable pictures of your child with Santa. Call 781-283-2700 for reservations.

Wellesley Symphony Orchestra, Holiday Pops, Dec. 15

Get into the holiday spirit with the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, December 15, at 3pm at MassBay Community College, for its presentation of Holiday Pops.

Community Messiah Sing, Dec. 15

Professional soloists and orchestra will perform the Christmas portion of Handel’s Oratorio, joined by audience members singing the choruses, on Sunday, Dec. 15, 1:30-2:30pm.  Scores available, though attendees are encouraged to bring their own.  Light refreshments served after the event.  Co-sponsored by UU Wellesley Hills and the Wellesley Village Church.  At UU Wellesley Hills, 309 Washington St. For more information, uuwellesleyhills.org or 781-235-7423

MassHort Festival of Trees

Festival of Trees, WellesleyThrough December 15, Mass Hort will display over 60 beautifully decorated trees, which will be raffled off on December 15. During the festival, visitors may purchase tickets for a chance to win the tree(s) of their choice. It’s fun, and for many it has become a family tradition. Also garden lights, visits from Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, the Snow Village, model railroad display, and a fire pit with s’mores.

Following the tree raffle on December 15, Festival of Trees will continue for two more weekends, December 20 – 22 and December 27 – 29, with the Snow Village and garden lights

DATES TO VIEW TREES: through December 15
DATES FOR TRAINS AND LIGHTS: December 20 – 22 and December 27 – 29
LOCATION: Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 900 Washington St., Wellesley, MA
HOURS here.

[Read more…]

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Linden Square

Wellesley Theatre Project presents “Frozen, Jr.”

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Wellesley Theatre Project, FrozenSnow and ice will be here soon as Wellesley Theatre Project (WTP) presents Disney’s FROZEN, JR Friday, December 13th at 5pm and 8pm and Saturday, December 14th and Sunday, December 15th at 2pm and 5pm. All performances will take place at the Sorenson Center at Babson College, located at 19 Babson College Drive, Wellesley, MA 02482.  Tickets are priced $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online at http://wellesleytheatreproject.org in advance, or at the door for $18 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

Based on the 2018 Broadway musical and the 2013 Disney film, Disney’s FROZEN, JR brings Elsa, Anna, and the magical land of Arendelle to life, onstage. A story of true love and acceptance between sisters. When faced with danger, Princesses Anna and Elsa discover their hidden potential and the powerful bond of sisterhood. With a cast of beloved characters and loaded with magic, adventure, and plenty of humor, it is sure to thaw even the coldest heart!

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LINX Theater program spotlight: The Year of the Underdog

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SPONSORED POST: LINX Theater program has themed its 2019 – 2020 season “The Year of the Underdog!” and selected Aladdin, Peter Pan, James (from James and the Giant Peach), and Marliana as the underdogs everybody will love to root for. While the underdog is a character traditionally expected to lose, the underdogs in these LINX Theater productions triumph over extreme odds through their powers of kindness, wit, imagination, and intuition.

The underdog theme clearly resonates with families because Broadway, Company, and recreational classes are fully enrolled. Additional classes have been opened for James and the Giant Peach JR and Marliana, which begin the week of February 3rd, 2020. Auditions for these productions take place on November 15th and 16th, and registration for the 15-minute, supportive audition process is free. Sign-up to audition

LINX Wellesley
Actors of the Company program strike a pose in Sherwood forest, ready for whatever adventures await in Robyn Hood.

“It is important that our students see themselves in the characters they play,” says Director of LINX Theater Ari Chernoff-Lamb. “So often, children feel less than powerful in the face of a big world full of big adults and big ideas. The stories that we have chosen to explore on stage this year, demonstrate to our young performers that your size and origins do not matter if your heart is pure and your mind is open.”

The underdog theme clearly resonates with families because Broadway, Company, and recreational classes are fully enrolled. Additional classes have been opened for James and the Giant Peach JR and Marliana, which begin the week of February 3rd, 2020. Auditions for these productions take place on November 15th and 16th, and registration for the 15-minute, supportive audition process is free. Sign-up to audition

LINX, Wellesley
LINX Broadway performers live it up in London in last season’s production Mary Poppins.

The underdog theme extends to all of the 2019-20 LINX Theater junior (3 years old – 1st grade) and recreational (2nd – 12th grades) classes. Participation in these programs does not require an audition. Learn more

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The Tempest—and 11 tons of sand—coming to Wellesley

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Wellesley Theatre Project’s edition of Shakespeare’s The Tempest to be performed this month will feature 12 students between the ages of 11 and 15, and nearly 1 ton of sand per each cast member.

One of Shakespeare’s last plays, The Tempest takes place in a single day on a deserted island—a 22,000-pound island in the Wellesley Theatre Project’s case.

The show will run from Oct. 24-27 at the Wellesley Community Center,  219 Washington St., in Wellesley Hills. It will take place at 7pm Oct. 24-26, and 2pm on Sunday, Oct. 27.

Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online at http://wellesleytheatreproject.org in advance, or at the door for $18 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

In the play, 12 years before we got to the deserted island stage, Prospero was Duke of Milan. But he left management of his state to his brother Antonio, who took control of Milan himself, and sent Prospero and his baby daughter Miranda out to sea. Now, an angry Prospero seeks revenge – using his powers, with the help of the spirit, Ariel, to create a powerful storm that shipwrecks a boat carrying Antonio and some of his family and friends on an island. What will happen to the characters on the island? Will Prospero get his revenge? Will his daughter, Miranda, find love? Will anyone make it out alive? Attend the show to find out.

 

the tempest rehearsal
The cast of The Tempest rehearses. From left: Hayden Morken (Adrian/Spirit), Mary Litterio (Gonzalo), Zachary Green (Stephano).
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Business Buzz: Sue Brady Hartigan to chair event; Newton-Wellesley hospital pres to depart; The Cashmere Sale softly slips back to Wellesley; author visits at Wellesley Books

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Wellesley’s Sue Brady Hartigan to co-chair Boston Arts Academy event

Sue Brady Hartigan, Wellesley
Wellesley’s Sue Brady Hartigan

Wellesley resident and radio personality Sue Brady Hartigan has been announced as co-chair of the annual Boston Arts Academy (BAA) Honors celebratory event alongside Lee Michael Kennedy, president and CEO of Lee Kennedy Co., Inc. The event, which supports Boston Arts Academy – Boston’s only public high school for the visual and performing arts – will take place on Saturday, May 2, 2020.

Hartigan is a radio host on 100.7, WZLX, Boston’s Classic Radio. She also co-produces The Public Affairs Show for WBMX-Boston and is a contributor for Boston Common. She is involved with various organizations throughout Boston, including Boston Children’s Hospital, BAA, The Bruins Foundation, Boston Medical Center, Red Sox Foundation, Rosie’s Place, and more. She is a strong advocate for mental illness affecting children, and is the proud daughter of a veteran.

 “As a performer myself, I’m proud to be a part of this event that celebrates the amazing Boston Arts Academy students, alumni and faculty,” said Brady Hartigan. “My career in radio started at 15 years old when Boston Radio Legend Sunny Joe White hired me to work for Kiss 108FM, so I am thrilled to support the passion for the arts that is so clearly visible in each and every student at Boston Arts Academy.”

 Newton-Wellesley hospital President leaving for Boston Scientific

Dr. Michael R. Jaff, President of Newton-Wellesley Hospital since 2016, announced that he is departing Newton-Wellesley to pursue a new role with Boston Scientific to continue his career-long focus on improving the health of patients with vascular diseases. A letter from Dr. Jaff to his colleagues reads in part:

It is with a true sense of emotion that I share with you that I am leaving Newton-Wellesley Hospital. I will be joining Boston Scientific as Vice President of Clinical Affairs, Innovation and Technology, Peripheral Interventions. On many levels, this was a difficult decision to make. I have a deep connection to you and Newton-Wellesley. Yet I feel that now is the time for me to leave the organization and pursue this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My new role at Boston Scientific will allow me to refocus on
my roots as a vascular physician and to have an even greater impact on patients with vascular diseases around the world—whose health I have been committed to improving for several decades.

I recognize my decision may come as a shock. Of course, no time is the right time to step away, but I leave with the confidence that you are well on your way to achieving the collective vision we have been working toward together.

Got other Wellesley business tips on openings, closings or whatever, feel free to email us here: [email protected]

You can also email us if you’re interested in underwriting our weekly Wellesley Business Buzz roundup.

 

The Cashmere Sale to re-warm up to Wellesley

After taking a year off from Wellesley, The Cashmere Sale is cozying back into town at 25 Central Street (the former LF location, next to Winston Flowers) starting Thursday, October 17.

The Cashmere Sale, WellesleyThe pop-up is know for its cashmere sweaters, wraps and accessories that run in the $50 – $250 range.

The Cashmere Sale is one of 25 across the country in areas where the populace understands the need for the kind of warmth that can only be sourced from the goats of the Gobi Desert.

The shop will be keeping things soft, warm, and cozy in Wellesley through December 16, Monday – Saturdays 10am – 6pm and Sundays noon – 5pm.

Author visits at Wellesley Books

Here are the upcoming November author events at Wellesley Books. Please note that some events are free, some are free and require an RSVP, and some are ticketed.

11/5 Ann Cleeves, The Long Call [TICKETED]
11/7 Joanne Chang, Pastry Love: A Baker’s Journal of Favorite Recipes [TICKETED]
11/12 George Howe Colt, The Game: Harvard, Yale, and America in 1968 [FREE]
11/14 Jenna Bush Hager & Barbara Pierce Bush, Sisters First (picture book) [TICKETED] 
11/18 Adrienne Brodeur, Wild Game: My Mother, Her Lover, and Me [RSVP/FREE]

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Wellesley Theatre Project Cone Crawl will be September 7, 2019

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Wellesley Theatre Project’s (WTP) Seventh Annual Cone Crawl will be held on Saturday, September 7, noon-3pm.

Community supporters, students, parents, and folks wanting to have a crazy fun time visiting the best cone shops around are invited to purchase Cone Crawl tickets for $10 each. Each WTP Cone Crawl ticket will entitle the bearer to visit JP Licks, Truly Yogurt, Baskin Robbins, The Linden Store, and Express Gourmet and enjoy a small ice cream (think tasting size!). Participants will also receive a 2019, “I Conquered the Cone Crawl” T-Shirt that can be picked up at the Wellesley Theatre Project studio.

Wellesley Cone Crawl

All proceeds from the Cone Crawl will go to support WTP programs such as Theatre Arts Classes and Camps, Fully Realized Productions, Workshops and Master Classes, Outreach and Community Programs and Events, and the WTP Scholarship Fund.

The Cone Crawl is sponsored by the Wellesley Bank Charitable Foundation, London Harness,  The Swellesley Report, Roche Bros., and Needham Bank.

If you are interested in participating in the Cone Crawl, you can get your tickets online at www.wellesleytheatreproject.org/tickets or at the WTP Studios, located at The Wellesley Community Center at 219 Washington St Wellesley MA.

Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and a Wellesley nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.

Registration is open for WTP’s Fall productions of Frozen, Jr. (Grades 2-12) and CLUE (Grades 6-12), and weekly classes in theatre, acting, musical theatre dance, tap, improvisation, private voice lessons, private dance lessons, and musical theatre for students Pre-K through 12th grade.

For more information on the Cone Crawl or upcoming classes and productions, please visit www.wellesleytheatreproject.org or call 781- 235-1550.

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Wellesley Cultural Council seeks grant applications

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The Wellesley Cultural Council will be accepting applications beginning Sept. 1 from artists, educators, performers and organizations for community-oriented programs that will enrich the cultural life of the residents of Wellesley. Applicants may request funding for programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences, including (but not limited to) performances, lectures, workshops, exhibits, and festivals to be presented in 2020,. All applicants must have a confirmed venue for their project for their application to be considered. Applications must be completed online and must be submitted by October 15, 2019.

To apply for a grant, applicants should go to www.mass-culture.org, click on “Applicants,”  and type “Wellesley” into the left side bar.  All the information and online forms required can be found there.  Before filling out the application, applicants are strongly urged to read what is written under the “Council Priorities” tab in order to ensure that your application will comply with the Wellesley Cultural Council programs guidelines.

The Wellesley Cultural Council is part of a network of 329 local cultural councils which provide cultural programming to all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Funding for these local cultural councils comes from an annual appropriation from the state legislature to the Massachusetts Cultural Council, which then distributes those funds to its local cultural councils.

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Wellesley is on Hawaiian cultural and history theater program’s circuit

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“My Name is ʻŌpūkahaʻia” by Moses Goods is coming to Wellesley Hills

Sunday, October 13 at 11:30am-1pm (following church service that morning at Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, 207 Washington St.)

Hawaiian Mission Houses Historic Site and Archives is presenting a Bicentennial Hawaiian cultural and history theater program in New England between Sept. 29-Oct. 23.  The play “My Name is ʻŌpūkahaʻia” will be on a month-long tour of museums, churches, and historic sites. It brings the story of Henry ʻŌpūkahaʻia, the Native Hawaiian man who travelled to New England and inspired the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Mission (ABCFM) to send Protestant missionaries to the Hawaiian Kingdom, to a new audience.

This is the first time Hawaiian Mission Houses is taking the program to the continental United States.

The play is written by and stars Hawaii’s Moses Goods.

“My Name is ʻŌpūkahaʻia” will be at the following venues in Massachusetts:

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Wellesley Theatre Project presenting Bright Star for limited engagement

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Wellesley Theatre Project (WTP) presents Bright Star, a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against a backdrop of the American South in the 1920s and ’40s, on Aug. 15 and 16 at 7pm and Aug. 17 at 2pm. All performances will take place at the The Katherine L. Babson Auditorium at Wellesley High School, located at 50 Rice St, Wellesley.  Tickets are priced $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased online at http://wellesleytheatreproject.org in advance, or at the door for $18 for adults and $12 for students and seniors.

bright star theatre production
Margo (Molly Gandler) and Billy Cane (Danny O’ Leary) Photo Credit: Sandy Sandwich Productions

 

Inspired by a real event, and featuring the Grammy-nominated score by Steven Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star tells the story of literary editor Alice Murphy, who meets a young soldier just home from World War II who awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out to understand her past – and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives.

Bright Star features a cast of 30 students between the ages of 13 and 18.

Wellesley Theatre Project is an arts academy and a Wellesley nonprofit devoted to providing students (PreK – 12th Grade) with the opportunity to study and experience theatre and performing arts through year round classes, staged productions, workshops and summer camps.

For more information about Bright Star or other Wellesley Theatre Project classes and productions, please visitwww.wellesleytheatreproject.orgor call 781- 235-1550.

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