Fagan in Dickens' knew how to deal with a down economy. He formed a merry band of orphans to do his thieving for him. And then a dozen decades later, Lionel Bart added the music and lyrics to createSo, if you consider yourself well in, catch one of four performances of the musical this weekend, starting tonight (Thursday, Nov. 18), at Storrs Congregational Church, the same outfit that brought you a sold-out run of in 2008.The 60-person cast and crew, including 23 children, boasts members of the Storrs church, volunteers from the wider community and students and faculty from the University of Connecticut and Eastern Connecticut State University. Church member Laura Blum, 12, of Mansfield, plays the lead role.The production is directed by Allison Burchell-Robinson of Ashford, a graduate of Connecticut College with credits on and off Broadway. She is also co-founder of New York children theater company, the Prince Street Players Ltd. Music director is David H. Vaughn, and choreography is by Erin Scholes. The set was built by design tech students from UConn under the guidance of Michael Anania.Proceeds will go to Storrs Congregational Church, which bags food for families at Thanksgiving, among other programs, and Silver Lake Conference Center, which each year provides a church camp for up to 1,300 youngsters from grades four through 12. All performances are dedicated to the late Frank and Adah Ruth Ballard, members of the church and local icons in theater and puppetry. Some of Frank's puppets from the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry at UConn will be on display at intermission.Louise Wright, co-producer who happens to be head of the church's lay council, says it's a true community event, with donations for the set from O.L. Willard Co., soda from Pepsi and other offerings. she says.Performances are Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 18-20, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 or $10 for limited view. For tickets, stop by the church office, 2 N. Eagleville Road, Storrs, during business hours, call 860-429-9382 or buy them at the door 45 minutes ahead of curtain time.Except for limited-view seating, Saturday night's performance is sold out. So, hurry. (There must be someone who will buy the other performances.) Tolland Author Gets His Characters Locally Prolific children's author Andre J. Garant, who finds his plots through school-age advisers in the region, will chat with fans, sign his recent book and even give away three books to winners of a trivia contest at an appearance tonight, Thursday, Nov. 18, at 6 p.m. at Tolland Public Library.His latest tale features seven kids, including the real 10-year-old Tolland fifth-grader, Jake Robertson, who create an after-school club in said tree house. Even though initiation to the club requires the candidate to eat a live worm, the place becomes ultra popular. But, when the town says it needs to be torn down, the kids rally to save it.Garant says he focuses on themes for boys, who are often not as avid about reading as girls. He writes a lot about sports, bullying and adventure, and infuses humor in the ideas from his many muses in the area. One of his books focused on a class of Rockville students who go to lengths to save their school from closing. And an upcoming plot will center on a worldwide Nerf tournament, a big topic among boys ages 8 and up.The event is free and his books will be on sale.� For information, call the library at 860-871-3620, or visit Galant's website, authorguy.com. A Trip to India, but Only as Far as Storrs It's an old story. A young rebel seeks to break with family tradition and go his or her own way. But this family's tradition is dance, and dance as it was in the Hindi film industry called Bollywood. Add your name to the 2 million others who have delighted in a colorful dervish of a production that showcases, not only dance, but the musical hit songs from popular Bollywood films. Choreography is by Vaibhavi Merchant, the true-to-life granddaughter who clashed with her iconic grandfather.Performances are Friday and Saturday, Nov. 19-20, at 8 p.m. at Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts at UConn. For tickets, call 860-486-4226 or visit ?Jorgensen.uconn.edu?. Nearby free parking is available. You Gotta Eat in the Winter, too Fresh food is not just a summer seasonal thing. More than 30 local farmers and specialty food producers will offer their goods at this year's WinterFresh Farmers Market in Coventry, Sunday, Nov. 21, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside Coventry High School. This popular market offers the best chance to support your local growers and eat well, even on a brisk November weekend. About this column: Stephanie Summers serves as your guide to the best weekend events in Tolland County and beyond. Summers is a longtime Connecticut journalist who was formerly managing editor of Northeast magazine, features and specialties editor at The Hartford Courant. She now coordinates media coverage for Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts and hosts a weekly interview show for Charter Cable Channel 14 called She sings in local choral groups and is an active participant in the arts. Stephanie lives in Willington.?
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