The fun doesn’t stop after the sun sets at Mystic Seaport this summer. For 2012, the Museum is offering a selection of evening programs and performances for families looking for activities at the end of a busy summer day.
Barefoot Truth Concert
Close out Independence Day this year with a concert on the Mystic Seaport Village Green by the local rock band Barefoot Truth. Mixing the sounds of folk, rock, jazz, and reggae, this up-and-coming band has crafted a distinct sound that should appeal to the whole family. Bring a blanket or chair. Picnicking is welcome and the Galley Restaurant will be open late to provide dinner. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.
The concert begins at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 4. Tickets are $15 ($10 for Mystic Seaport members). Ages 12 and under are free.
Plays on the Green
Soak up summer’s twilight hours on the Green and enjoy a theatrical performance from the Mystic Seaport TaleMakers, the Museum’s talented group of professional performers. Bring a blanket, chairs, and a picnic and be entertained by a classic tale. All performances last approximately one hour and are appropriate for all ages.
July 6 and 7: “The Magic Fishbone,” by Charles Dickens. This is the story of Princess Alicia, who is given a magic fishbone by her fairy godmother and then uses the fishbone to improve the fortune of her parents, the King and Queen, and her 18 brothers and sisters.
July 20 and 21: “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County,” by Mark Twain. Hear the legendary story of braggart Jim Smiley, who makes his fortune betting on anything and everything, including his remarkable jumping frog.
August 10 and 11: “The Reluctant Dragon,” by Kenneth Grahame. This is the story of a young boy, a brave knight, and a peaceful dragon.
Shows begin at 7 p.m. Tickets for each performance are $12 per person ($10 for Mystic Seaport members) and are available for purchase at the gate or online. Children ages 4 and under will be admitted for free.
Summer Music Sundays
Mystic Seaport is extending the summer weekend experience and will offer free after-hours Museum admission to all Sunday evening visitors from July 8 through August 26.
Stroll through the Museum’s historic grounds and 19th-century village, walk along the picturesque waterfront, and listen to live music performed by local musicians from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. This year will feature Bruce Foulke, Geoff Kaufman, and Bob Levalley.
Outdoor dining will be available at Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern, located in the heart of the Museum’s village and overlooking the Mystic River. A full tavern menu and beverages will be available for purchase.
Please note all exhibits will be closed after 5 p.m.
Planetarium Shows
The Treworgy Planetarium is pleased to announce a new summer program series for 2012. Programs begin with updates on current events in the evening sky followed by an extended presentation of the topic for that evening. Afterward, if weather permits, the indoor program will be followed by an outdoor observation session using the Planetarium’s telescopes.
July 6, 2012 – ”The Zodiac”
July 20, 2012 – “The Milankovitch Cycle and the Earth’s Climate”
August 3, 2012 – “The Moon and Tides”
August 17, 2012 – “Extrasolar Planets”
All programs begin at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $7.50 per person, $6 for Mystic Seaport members, and $3 for children ages 15 and under. Tickets are purchased at the Planetarium on the evening of the program.
Visitors are asked to use the Museum’s administrative entrance at 75 Greenmanville Ave. For more information, please contact Jeff Dunn, supervisor of the Treworgy Planetarium at 860.572.0711 extension 5150 or Jeff.dunn@https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
“HMS Pinafore”
For two nights only, Friday and Saturday, August 24-25, the troupe Opera Comique will perform Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic “HMS Pinafore” onboard the Museum’s full-rigged ship, the Joseph Conrad.
“HMS Pinafore” was the fourth collaboration of librettist W. S. Gilbert (1836-1911) and composer Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900). The opera tells the tale of Josephine, the daughter of Captain Corcoran of the Royal Navy, who is due to be betrothed to the First Lord of the Admiralty. Josephine, however, is in love with Ralph Rackstraw, an Able Seaman under her father’s command. This opera, with a surprise ending, opened in 1878 and ran for 571 performances. It was Gilbert and Sullivan’s first international smash hit, poking fun of the class system and social order.
Shows begin promptly at 7 p.m. Tickets are $45 per person and can be purchased online. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit the Charles W. Morgan restoration.
About Mystic Seaport
Mystic Seaport is the nation’s leading maritime museum. Founded in 1929, it is the home of four National Historic Landmark vessels, including the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan, the oldest American commercial vessel still in existence. The Museum is located one mile south of exit 90 off I-95 in Mystic, CT. Admission is $24 for adults and $15 for children ages 6-17. Museum members and children 5 and under are admitted for free. For more information, please visit https://mysticseaport.wpengine.com/.
