Darien Arts Center Cabaret Presents World Premiere of New Musical 'FAMILY' 4/24 - 26

The Darien Arts Center's Cabaret presents the world premiere of "FAMILY," a new musical by Cici Hunt and Carole Claps, a Stamford native, with music and lyrics by Cici Hunt and the late Wes Caswell. Performances are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25 at 8 pm, and April 26, at 4 pm (talk back with cast and authors) at the DAC's Weatherstone Studio. The cast includes John Congdon (Milford), Bob Filipowich (Fairfield), Karen McCormick (Westport), Michael Messina (New Canaan), Lou Ursone (Stamford), Morgan Wilson (Fairfield), and Gail Yudain and Ted Yudain (Stamford).

As you might expect, the musical "Family" celebrates the high and lows of contemporary family life. Cici Hunt began writing the show more than twenty years ago, when her children were in their teens. "I watched and spoke with people of all ages," she explains. "The stories they shared with me were special, very inspirational and became the genesis of "Family." Indeed, Hunt has earned the nickname the "musical Erma Bombeck" due to her ability to draw humor and pathos from tales told to her by ordinary people and incorporate that into her songs.

"It's an unusual musical," says Carole Claps, "Similar to "A Chorus Line" in that it integrates real stories to make it ring all the more true."

Hunt began as a performer in one of the original casts of "Up With People." She has sung on Broadway, at the Met, at Carnegie Hall, Baltimore's Meyerhoff Symphony Hall and appeared as a voice artist on "Sesame Street." Her music has been sung in the General Assembly at the United Nations.

"Family" is being produced in conjunction with C.A.R.E. (A Community of Accountability and Respect for Everyone) Darien, a groundbreaking campaign that encourages all who live, work and play in our community to be accountable for personal actions and respectful of one another so that kindness prevails over selfishness and "we" becomes more important than "me."

DAC's Weatherstone Studio is located at 2 Renshaw Road, directly behind the Darien Town Hall, off of US 1. Tickets are $25. for adults; $12.50 for full-time students. Call the Darien Arts Center's box office at 655 5414 to reserve early, or order tickets online at arts.darien.org.