After the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869, a trip from coast-to-coast that used to take months was shortened to just under a week, allowing for the transport of goods and ideas across the continent in ways previously inconceivable. Profit-seeking corporations and the American government financed it, but the people who actually built it and who were most affected by it are the focus of this program of music – Indigenous and African Americans as well as Irish, Chinese, Japanese, and other immigrant laborers whose contributions have been largely erased from history. Silkroad’s American Railroad seeks to right these past wrongs by highlighting untold stories and amplifying unheard voices from these communities, painting a more accurate picture of the global diasporic origin of the American empire.

The American Railroad tour program includes commissioned pieces by jazz artist Cécile McLorin Salvant and film composer Michael Abels, as well as Silkroad artist and renowned pipa player Wu Man and Silkroad artist Layale Chaker. It also includes re-envisioned arrangements of folk songs by Silkroad artistic director, Rhiannon Giddens, and fellow Silkroad artists Haruka Fujii and Maeve Gilchrist.

Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

BLUES ICON ANNOUNCES SHOW IN WESTPORT, CT!!

We are delighted to announce that Mark Naftalin & Friends are coming to VFW Westport on Saturday November 8th, 2025! Noted keyboardist, producer and radio host, Mr Naftalin rose to international renown as the keyboardist with the influential Paul Butterfield Blues Band, with whom he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

For this appearance, Naftalin's band of "Friends" features guitarist/vocalist Paul Gabriel (Blue In The Face, Paul Gabriel Blues Band, Connecticut Blues Society Lifetime Achievement Award); singing harmonicist Mark Zaretsky (Cobalt Rhythm Kings, The Chicago Dawgs/Finalist 2025 Connecticut Blues Challenge) and guitarist/vocalist JD Seem (Faster Things - Allman Brothers Tribute, Southern Fried, JDs Jam at The Granite).

Pathbreakers in the 1960s blues boom, the inter-racial Butterfield Band opened doors for blues masters like B.B. King and Muddy Waters, and Naftalin went on to record and/or concertize with a host of blues stars, including Michael Bloomfield, James Cotton, Lowell Fulson, John Lee Hooker, Etta James, Percy Mayfield, Carla Thomas, Irma Thomas, Otis Rush, Big Mama Thornton, Big Joe Turner, and many others. 

Living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area, Naftalin produced more than 1,300 blues radio broadcasts on three FM stations and more than 30 blues festivals. His Blue Monday Party, a weekly blues show and dance in the Bay Area (1979-83) featured more than 60 blues artists and groups and was the scene of 86 live radio broadcasts and three TV specials. 

In 2002, Mark and his wife, Ellen, moved to Westport, which is Ellen's hometown. His monthly broadcast, The Mark Naftalin Show, is now in its tenth year on Bridgeport's WPKN (89.5 FM, streaming world-wide at wpkn.org). 

Advance Tickets are on sale NOW at https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/buy-tickets-here/mark-naftalin-friends

The VFW Westport is located at 465 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT. 203-227-6796 https://vfw399ct.org

All Ages Welcome! Total Mortgage Arena is a cashless venue. All major credit cards are accepted. Patrons 2yrs and older require a ticket. Artist(s) subject to change. Due to security enhancements, please arrive at least 45-60 minutes prior to event time. Please only bring essential items with you. Bags will not be permitted at entry to Total Mortgage Arena, except for bags used exclusively for medical equipment or diaper bags for the care or infants and toddlers. Guests will still be permitted to bring a clutch purse into Total Mortgage Arena, provided they are 8" x 5" x 1" or smaller. There is no check-in location for prohibited bags or items at the Arena.

Come play music, recite poetry, tell a story, or show off another talent!

Keep in mind this is an all ages event in a public venue. We trust you to make good choices about appropriate material.

This is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcoming event series. No cover fee but minimum one drink purchased required (show Molten some love, y’all!)

Performance slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis IN PERSON. No times will be held or assigned before the event starts. Get there early to grab your spot!

yMusic is a genre-leading American chamber ensemble. Now in its 16th season, the group is renowned for its innovative and collaborative spirit. yMusic has a unique mission: to work on both sides of the classical/popular music divide, without sacrificing rigor, virtuosity, charisma, or style. They were recently praised by NPR Music as “deeply, profoundly skilled. They’ve formed a language all their own.”

Named for Generation Y, yMusic has lent their instantly recognizable sound to commissions and projects by a dizzying array of artists including Andrew Norman, Anohni, Missy Mazzoli, John Legend, Paul Simon, and Caroline Shaw.

yMusic is Alex Sopp, flute; Mark Dover, clarinet; CJ Camerieri, trumpet; Rob Moose, violin; Nadia Sirota, viola; and Gabriel Cabezas, cello. The group was founded by Rob and CJ in 2008, who chose its unique instrumentation based on their friendships and the players' adaptability.

PROGRAM

Judd Greenstein: Together (15')

yMusic: select compositions (20')

Gabriella Smith: Aquatic Ecology (40') [commissioned by Cal Performances, Tippet Rise, Carnegie Hall, Walker Arts Center, Yale Schwarzman Center, and Hirshhorn Museum]

Come discuss a book on the 3rd Saturday of each month. We alternate between fiction and nonfiction books. There will be a catch up session at end of the year to review everything from the year!

January: Queer Privacy

Feb: A Lady for a Duke- ALexis Hall

March: Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique

May: Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes

June: Man O'War by Cory McCarthy

July: Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity

August: Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

What do you deserve?

A fractured family squats in a wealthy beachfront home to give 13-year-old Alisha a chance at a better life in an elite school. As Alisha’s academic success stirs suspicion among her teachers and peers, the family’s precarious situation begins to unravel. 

A world premiere play by Tony Meneses. Appropriate for ages 14 and up.

Join us on the first and third Mondays of every month for a new release/popular movie!

Check out other library events

Come play music, recite poetry, tell a story, or show off another talent!

Keep in mind this is an all ages event in a public venue. We trust you to make good choices about appropriate material.

This is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcoming event series. No cover fee but minimum one drink purchased required (show Molten some love, y’all!)

Performance slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis IN PERSON. No times will be held or assigned before the event starts. Get there early to grab your spot!

Come play music, recite poetry, tell a story, or show off another talent!

Keep in mind this is an all ages event in a public venue. We trust you to make good choices about appropriate material.

This is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcoming event series. No cover fee but minimum one drink purchased required (show Molten some love, y’all!)

Performance slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis IN PERSON. No times will be held or assigned before the event starts. Get there early to grab your spot!

This powerhouse tribute to the Allman Brothers Band has been earning rave reviews from fans and venues alike. Their performances capture the spirit, energy, and musicianship of the original band, leaving audiences thrilled and wanting more.

Their top-tier vocals and instrumental skills bring the Allman Brothers’ music to life with passion and authenticity. Fans consistently praise their ability to create an electric atmosphere that gets the crowd dancing and fully immersed.

Their growing & loyal fanbase travel to multiple shows, urging others to experience this incredible act.

Join us on the first and third Mondays of every month for a new release/popular movie.

Check out other library events.

Come play music, recite poetry, tell a story, or show off another talent!

Keep in mind this is an all ages event in a public venue. We trust you to make good choices about appropriate material.

This is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcoming event series. No cover fee but minimum one drink purchased required (show Molten some love, y’all!)

Performance slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis IN PERSON. No times will be held or assigned before the event starts. Get there early to grab your spot!

Come play music, recite poetry, tell a story, or show off another talent!

Keep in mind this is an all ages event in a public venue. We trust you to make good choices about appropriate material.

This is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcoming event series. No cover fee but minimum one drink purchased required (show Molten some love, y’all!)

Performance slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis IN PERSON. No times will be held or assigned before the event starts. Get there early to grab your spot!

Join us on the first and third Mondays of every month for a new release/popular movie!

Check out other library events

Come play music, recite poetry, tell a story, or show off another talent!

Keep in mind this is an all ages event in a public venue. We trust you to make good choices about appropriate material.

This is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcoming event series. No cover fee but minimum one drink purchased required (show Molten some love, y’all!)

Performance slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis IN PERSON. No times will be held or assigned before the event starts. Get there early to grab your spot!

Come discuss a book on the 3rd Saturday of each month. We alternate between fiction and nonfiction books. There will be a catch up session at end of the year to review everything from the year!

January: Queer Privacy

Feb: A Lady for a Duke- ALexis Hall

March: Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique

May: Body Horror: Capitalism, Fear, Misogyny, Jokes

June: Man O'War by Cory McCarthy

July: Black on Both Sides: A Racial History of Trans Identity

August: Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

Come play music, recite poetry, tell a story, or show off another talent!

Keep in mind this is an all ages event in a public venue. We trust you to make good choices about appropriate material.

This is an LGBTQIA+ inclusive and welcoming event series. No cover fee but minimum one drink purchased required (show Molten some love, y’all!)

Performance slots are assigned on a first come, first served basis IN PERSON. No times will be held or assigned before the event starts. Get there early to grab your spot!

The streamers are hung, the punch has been spiked, and the cake is just begging to be eaten! Now all Bill has to do is wait for his guests to arrive. Bill’s 44th is an original comedic show created by puppeteers Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck to create one very worried leading man – Bill. Many styles of puppetry, raucous balloons, and a cheeky piece of crudité all collide to examine the pitfalls of impatience, the wonder of loneliness, and the universal passage of time.

This performance runs 55 minutes.

More about the work from creators, Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck:

Bill’s 44th was originally conceived in 2016 as a five-minute slam-piece for Puppet Homecomings. The prompt: “They are coming,” inspired us to throw a birthday party where no one ever comes. But then, due to scheduling conflicts, we weren’t able to attend the slam and we stuffed Bill’s head (lovingly) into a box on a shelf.

Two years later we were asked by our friend Rowan Magee, who was curating one of the nights for Dixon Place’s Puppet Blok, if we wanted to revisit the idea. We did, and (10 minutes of) Bill was born! What followed next was a whirlwind that culminated in a 20-minute workshop at Dixon Place in 2019, where we shared the bill with the ingenious Shayna Strype, applying and receiving a Production Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation, planning a workshop performance at the New York State Puppet Festival, being a part of Puppet Lab at St. Ann’s Warehouse, and readying for a premiere at Dixon Place in 2020!

Of course, things changed. While many of our ideas came to a screeching halt, Bill’s journey continued. Thanks to the New York State Puppet Festival in October of 2020 we were able to create Bill’s 44th (A Zoom Birthday), a 30-minute ‘zoom’ show performed live in our apartment. And finally, in June of 2021, Bill found his way to his premiere at Dixon Place as part of a puppetry series alongside artists Shayna Strype, Justin Perkins, and Maria Camia.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Bill’s 44th would like to thank The Jim Henson Foundation, Cheryl Henson, St. Ann’s Warehouse, the New York State Puppet Festival, and Dixon Place. Without their support the show would simply not exist.

The streamers are hung, the punch has been spiked, and the cake is just begging to be eaten! Now all Bill has to do is wait for his guests to arrive. Bill’s 44th is an original comedic show created by puppeteers Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck to create one very worried leading man – Bill. Many styles of puppetry, raucous balloons, and a cheeky piece of crudité all collide to examine the pitfalls of impatience, the wonder of loneliness, and the universal passage of time.

This performance runs 55 minutes.

More about the work from creators, Dorothy James & Andy Manjuck:

Bill’s 44th was originally conceived in 2016 as a five-minute slam-piece for Puppet Homecomings. The prompt: “They are coming,” inspired us to throw a birthday party where no one ever comes. But then, due to scheduling conflicts, we weren’t able to attend the slam and we stuffed Bill’s head (lovingly) into a box on a shelf.

Two years later we were asked by our friend Rowan Magee, who was curating one of the nights for Dixon Place’s Puppet Blok, if we wanted to revisit the idea. We did, and (10 minutes of) Bill was born! What followed next was a whirlwind that culminated in a 20-minute workshop at Dixon Place in 2019, where we shared the bill with the ingenious Shayna Strype, applying and receiving a Production Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation, planning a workshop performance at the New York State Puppet Festival, being a part of Puppet Lab at St. Ann’s Warehouse, and readying for a premiere at Dixon Place in 2020!

Of course, things changed. While many of our ideas came to a screeching halt, Bill’s journey continued. Thanks to the New York State Puppet Festival in October of 2020 we were able to create Bill’s 44th (A Zoom Birthday), a 30-minute ‘zoom’ show performed live in our apartment. And finally, in June of 2021, Bill found his way to his premiere at Dixon Place as part of a puppetry series alongside artists Shayna Strype, Justin Perkins, and Maria Camia.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Bill’s 44th would like to thank The Jim Henson Foundation, Cheryl Henson, St. Ann’s Warehouse, the New York State Puppet Festival, and Dixon Place. Without their support the show would simply not exist.