Holiday happenings in Wellesley

December 20, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

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

Holiday worship schedules in Wellesley, 2019

Happy holidays, Wellesley. By now you’re probably ready to slow down, set aside the to-do list, and contemplate the reason for the season. Some of Wellesley’s houses of worship celebrate with all the formality you might expect from historic churches with Puritan roots, while others have a more casual flair or take a non-denominational approach to the holidays. All the services bring people together, and all are welcome. Here’s a list of upcoming Wellesley services.

Town of Wellesley, Holidays schedule

The Town of Wellesley will follow a holiday schedule on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, and on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Here’s the breakdown.

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.

MassHort Festival of Trees

December 27 – 29, Snow Village and garden lights

DATES FOR TRAINS AND LIGHTS: December 27 – 29
LOCATION: Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 900 Washington St., Wellesley, MA
HOURS here.

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Wellesley Theatre Project presents “Frozen, Jr.”

December 6, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

Wellesley Theatre Project, Frozen Snow 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

November 7, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

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 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

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

October 20, 2019 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

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).

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

October 15, 2019 by Deborah Brown Leave a Comment

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

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.

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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 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]

Wellesley Theatre Project Cone Crawl will be September 7, 2019

September 5, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

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.

Wellesley Cultural Council seeks grant applications

August 22, 2019 by admin Leave a Comment

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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