Tap Dogs, NUTCRACKER, LOOPED and More Play The Bushnell's 2012-13 Holiday Season

The holidays will be here before you know it and The Bushnell is the place to celebrate the season!

Once again, The Bushnell is participating as a Toys for Tots drop location. Receptacles are located in The Bushnell’s Box Office Lobby during regular business hours (10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Saturday, and Sunday, on performance days only, beginning at 12 noon) and in the theater lobby area during performances through December 14th where patrons can drop off new, unwrapped toys to be distributed as Christmas gifts to needy children throughout the state of Connecticut.

The holiday spirit continues to shine brightly with a full range of festive holiday programming and more to celebrate the season! The 2012-2013 season is sponsored by Farmington Bank.

Breakfast with Santa
December 1-2, 2012
Autorino Great Hall
Part of the Robinson & Cole Family Series

Gather your family for an unforgettable morning at The Bushnell. Take a photo with Santa and visit with Santa’s elves and Mrs. Claus. Enjoy breakfast, storytelling, carolers, crafts and more. Christmas lists accepted!

Available Seatings: December 1st at 8:00 a.m. and December 2nd at 9:00 a.m. Reservations required.

Children $21.00; Adults $23.00

Lite 100.5 WRCH presents Jim Brickman: On A Winter’s Night
December 2, 2012 at 3:00 p.m.
Mortensen Hall

Two-time Grammy-nominated, platinum-selling pianist and songwriter Jim Brickman uses his engaging stage presence, blended seamlessly with the mood and music, to make powerful emotional connections with his many fans. His live performances strike the perfect balance between emotional, musical intimacy, compelling storytelling and audience interaction.

Tickets start at $35.00

The Temptations and The Four Tops
December 6, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Mortensen Hall
Part of the Bank of America Showcase Series

For more than 45 years, The Temptations and The Four Tops have been essential components of the Motown machine. The Temptations were born in Detroit in the early sixties and recorded hits like “My Girl,” “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” and “Beauty Is only Skin Deep.” The Four Tops, also from Detroit, scored hits with "Baby I Need Your Loving," "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)," and "Reach Out I'll Be There."

Tickets start at $35.00

Tap Dogs
December 8, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Mortensen Hall

Tap Dogs is set on a construction site in the steel work's town of Newcastle, just north of Sydney, Australia. There are 8 members of the TAP DOGS team: 6 dancers and 2 musicians, who combine their skills to create one incredible live theatrical performance. Performing against all challenges – whether in water, upside-down or jumping through scaffolding, the TAP DOGS move to the groove of their own beat as the team works together to bring the steel-works alive!

Tickets start at $25.00

The Nutmeg Ballet’s Nutcracker
December 8 & 9, 2012 at 12:00 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Part of the Robinson & Cole Family Series

The Nutmeg Ballet's Nutcracker returns to The Bushnell’s Robinson and Cole Family Series. Enjoy yourself this yuletide season as you travel with young Clara to the enchanted Land of Sweets. Delighting audiences young and old, this holiday favorite brings to life toy soldiers and dueling mice, princesses and sugarplums – a delicious treat for the child in all of us performed by one of the most respected classical ballet conservatory in America.

Find out more about Nutmeg’s Nutcracker: www.nutmegconservatory.org/nutcracker.

Tickets start at $23.00

Travelers Chorale Holiday Concert: Musical Moods of the Holidays
December 13, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Mortensen Hall

The 90 plus member Travelers Chorale (TC) sings a mixture of classical, contemporary and festive holiday music with piano accompaniment and soloists. This concert also features the Bristol Brass and Wind Ensemble, which will perform selected pieces in addition to accompanying the Chorale. At spring and holiday concerts each year, the TC teams with our generous Bushnell audiences to collect thousands of pounds of non-perishable food in support local food banks. You are invited to support this long-standing Chorale tradition in lieu of paid admittance. TC concerts are inspirational performing arts events perfectly suited to become a semi-annual family tradition. For more information, visit us at www.travelerschorale.org.

Free event with suggested non-perishable food donation.

First Night of Funny
December 31, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Mortensen Hall

This New Years Eve say goodbye to 2012 with a hilarious night of laughter that everyone will enjoy, but that won't break the bank! The First Night of Funny showcases comedians Ross Bennett, Richie Byrne, Patty Rosborough and Johnny Rizzo, each with a unique and hilarious perspective on the world. With talent from Comedy Central, NBC's Last Comic Standing and The Tonight Show, this show provides non-stop laughter. Couple that with a ticket price of only $20 in advance, and a show that ends by 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve, and you can't miss this last chance to laugh!

Advance tickets: $20.00

Coming up in early 2013!
And if you’re looking for holiday gift ideas, we have a wonderful variety of programming coming up in the New Year as well! From big Broadway musicals, to comedy, to family programming, there’s something for everyone on your list. Gift cards are also available by visiting the Bushnell Box Office at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, by calling (860) 987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org.

Million Dollar Quartet
January 8-13, 2013
Mortensen Hall
Part of The Bushnell Broadway Series Co-Sponsored by Travelers and Webster Bank

Million Dollar Quartet is the new smash-hit musical inspired by the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. This thrilling musical features a score of rock hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "That’s All Right," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "Walk the Line," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Who Do You Love?," "Matchbox," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Hound Dog" and more.

Tickets start at $20.00

Jesse Cook
January 19, 2013 at 8:00 p.m.
Belding Theater

Award-winning Canadian guitar phenomenon Jesse Cook comes to Hartford with The Blue Guitar Tour 2012 in support of his eighth studio album. Cook has been recording and performing music internationally for over 17 years. He is a JUNO Award-winning artist and three-time recipient of the Canadian Smooth Jazz Award for “Guitarist of the Year.” With over one million album sales worldwide, the Toronto-based Jesse Cook has spawned a truly global fan base.

Tickets start at $35.00

LOOPED starring Tony Award-nominee Valerie Harper
January 24 - February 6, 2013
Belding Theater
Part of The Bushnell Broadway Series Co-Sponsored by Travelers and Webster Bank

Written by Hartford native Matthew Lombardo, Looped tells the story of Tallulah Bankhead, the internationally celebrated actress, being called into a sound studio in 1965 to re-record (or "loop") one line of dialogue for what would be her last film -- the dreadful Die! Die! My Darling! Southern, but by no means a belle, Ms. Bankhead was known for her wild partying and convention-defying exploits that surpassed even today's celebrity bad girls. Given her inebriated state and inability to loop the line properly, what ensues is an uproarious showdown between an uptight film editor and the outrageous legend.

Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner Valerie Harper will recreate her Tony Award-nominated performance as Tallulah Bankhead. Rob Ruggiero, who directed Looped on Broadway, will restage the show for Hartford and a subsequent tour.

Tickets start at $35.00

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
January 26, 2013 at 7:30 p.m.
Mortensen Hall
Sponsored by Fairview Capital Partners

Returning to The Bushnell for the first time in over 15 years, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today. Featured in all aspects of Jazz at Lincoln Center's programming, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs in New York, across the U.S. and around the globe. Led by master trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, this world-class ensemble is guaranteed to produce a swinging evening to remember.

Tickets start at $25.00

Tickets for all of these events are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting The Bushnell Box Office at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford or by calling (860) 987-5900. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.bushnell.org. Ticket prices do not include applicable fees.

Celebrating 80 years, The Bushnell® is Connecticut’s premier performing arts center, hosting more than 350 events yearly, including major Broadway tours, symphony orchestras, family presentations, local arts and community events. The Bushnell is home to two theaters- the historic 2,800-seat Mortensen Hall, and the 907-seat Belding Theater, a state-of-the-art performance hall that opened in 2001. The Bushnell’s nationally recognized, award-winning, arts-in-education program, PARTNERS® (Partners in Arts and Education Revitalizing Schools), now in its 19th year, continues to provide quality arts-in-education programs for schools and communities across Greater Hartford. The Bushnell opened in January 1930 and is a not-for-profit organization that is proud to serve Connecticut and its citizens. For more information, call The Bushnell at (860) 987-6000, The Bushnell Box Office at (860) 987-5900 or visit the website at www.bushnell.org.