Summer Concerts Under the Stars

The Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, which offers free, summer-long, outdoor entertainment, celebrates its 37th season this year.

Each season, the pavilion holds ticketed fundraisers to help support the 60 nights of free programming offered from June through August. This year, three ticketed events will be offered.

The first event will take place Saturday. Arrival, an internationally acclaimed ABBA tribute band, will perform the Swedish group's top hits, including "Dancing Queen," "Voulez-Vous," "Take a Chance on Me," "Fernando," "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!," "The Winner Takes It All," "Knowing Me Knowing You" and more.

Arrival, which hails from Sweden, began in 1995. Today, the group is the largest touring ABBA show in the world, having performed in more than 20 nations around the globe including France, Holland, Sweden, the UK, Australia, Vietnam and China. It is the only show in the world with exclusive rights to identically create exact versions of ABBA's original clothing; the exclusive permission was approved by the costumer who originally created and designed all ABBA clothing.

The show features 12 people on stage, performing all the songs made famous by the legendary Swedish group on which the Broadway and movie hit Mama Mia! was based.

 To purchase tickets online or for information on the optional pre-concert cocktail party sponsored by RBC Wealth Management, visit the pavilion's website: www.levittpavilion.com.

The second fundraising concert will feature the music of Huey Lewis & the News, on Thursday, July 8.  The group's award-winning hits include "The Power of Love," "If This Is It," "Workin' for a Livin'," "The Heart of Rock & Roll," "Stuck With You," "Jacob's Ladder," "Hip to Be Square," "Heart and Soul," and "Perfect World."  Tickets for this event, which is sponsored by Tiffany & Co., are now on sale.

The band is perhaps best known for its third album, Sports,  and their contribution to the soundtrack of the 1985 feature film Back to the Future.

The third ticketed event will feature Blues Traveler, sponsored by TD Bank, on Friday, Sept. 24.  The Grammy Award-winning band, with its blues infused with rock, jazz and funk, will serve as the kick-off to the Downtown Merchants Association's "Blues Views & BBQ Festival." 

"It seemed like a particularly good marketing strategy for the pavilion and the Downtown Merchants Association to work together to expand this already successful two-year old festival," said Freda Welsh, executive director of the Levitt Pavilion. "I think the joint promotion is a win-win opportunity for the pavilion and for the DMA, and for our downtown businesses."

60-Plus Nights of Free Performances

The Levitt's season officially begins June 27 and runs through Aug. 29.

"We are delighted that even in these still challenging economic times, we are still able to fulfill our mission of presenting 60-plus nights of fun and diverse performances to suit all ages and tastes to our area residents at no charge," Welsh said.

 A different format of programming takes place each evening to suit all ages and tastes.  The public is invited to bring picnics, blankets and beach chairs to enhance the experience.

The division of performances is as follows:

Sundays – Jazz and Big Band music, beginning at 7 p.m.

Mondays (August only) - TeenFlix, starting at 8:30 p.m.

Tuesdays – Potpourri, beginning at 8 p.m.

Wednesdays – Children's Series, starting at 7 p.m.

Thursdays - Classical and Cabaret music, starting at 8 p.m.

Fridays - Party Bands beginning at 8 p.m.

Saturdays – Blues/Folk/Rock starting at 8 p.m.

Upcoming free acts include the Westport Community Band (June 29),The Hall Family and Friends (June 30), the Air Force Band of Liberty (July 1), Geils/Gerry Beaudoin Quartet (July 4, Connecticut Chamber Orchestra (July 6),  VooDoo Carnival (July 10), Joe Carter Brazilian Jazz Quintet (July 11), Connecticut Ballet (July 13) and Gunsmoke (July 16).

 The Children's Series will include Bounce, Ooo La La & Daniel -- a smorgasbord of juggling, acrobatics, music, mime, and stupid pet tricks (July 7), The Magic of Lyn (July 21), Tom Chapin & Band (July 28) and Rebecca Frezza & Big Truck (Aug. 11)

All currently scheduled performances are subject to change. An up-to-date calendar and rain date locations are available throughout the season at www.levittpavilion.org

 Returning sponsors for the 2010 season include the Adolph & Ruth Schnurmacher Foundation, Poland Spring, Melissa & Doug, Weston Capital Management LLC, Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, Westport Young Woman's League, Evi Allen Special Program Fund, Downtown Merchants, New England Foundation for the Arts, Stew Leonard III Water Safety Foundation, Matsu Sushi, Little Gym and Westport Parks & Recreation.

After 36 years in operation, it's heartening that the Levitt continues to be embraced by the community, Welsh said. "We get tremendous support from the community … local businesses, corporations, foundations, individuals, the media ... they all help to make it happen at the pavilion," she said. "We are also extremely proud that we now attract regional sponsors who have deemed us worthy of support, which allows us to set our artistic bar and outreach goals even higher."

For additional information, call 203-226-7600.