L ove it or hate it (or just don’t care about it), there’s something for you this Valentine’s Day.
Monday, February 11
A new exhibition of Marcela Staudenmaier’s very fine 3D cut paper illustrations, which are often whimsical, profound or both, get a 6 p.m. opening reception at Mitchell Library (37 Harrison St, New Haven; 203-946-8117). Free.
Also at 6 p.m., Elm City Games (760 Chapel St, 2nd Fl, New Haven) hosts its weekly Puzzle Club, when people get together for some social jigsaw puzzling. $10, or free for members. “BYOB, BYOW, BYO snacks!”
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Tuesday, February 12
At 7 p.m. at RJ Julia (768 Boston Post Rd, Madison; 203-245-3959), Eric Burns discusses his book The Politics of Fame (2018) and the questions the book asks, like: “What elevates [celebrities] to the status of household names while their equally talented peers remain in relative obscurity? Is it just a question of charisma, or does fame depend more on the collective fantasies of fans than the actual accomplishments of celebrities?” Free.
Wednesday, February 13
Jackie Gleisner and Ryan Paxton, the Creatives in Residence at Ives Squared (133 Elm St, New Haven), are leading a high-tech craft session from 6 to 7:30 p.m., when participants will use a laser cutter and “a collection of historical” templates to create their own “bespoke valentines.” Free.
Thursday, February 14 – Valentine’s Day
Ironically, the earliest way to celebrate is an Anti-Valentine’s Day Party—the fifth straight year Ordinary (990 Chapel St, New Haven; 203-907-0238) has hosted one. Food and drink specials start at 4 p.m. and dancing starts at 9.
At 7, Anthony’s Ocean View (450 Lighthouse Rd, New Haven; 203-469-9010) fires up a very pro-Valentine’s Day party. $80 tickets, which bump up to about $96 when you include a fixed 20% gratuity, get you an all-night open bar, an hour of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and a four-course meal to go with a DJed dance floor.
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At Woolsey Hall (500 College St, New Haven), Cupid is shooting arrows laced with a love of musical theater. Starting at 7:30, “Broadway’s biggest divas”—Alli Mauzey and Julia Murney—and the Connecticut Gay Men’s Chorus join the New Haven Symphony Orchestra for Wicked Divas, a performance of “music from Wicked, Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera, Chicago, Funny Girl and more.” $15-74, with discounts for college students and youth.
A Cosmic Love edition of New Haven Ecstatic Dance—in which there’s no alcohol, no shoes and “no chitchat on the dance floor”—gets hearts pumping at Your Community Yoga Center (39 Putnam Ave, Hamden). Kicking off with a warmup at 8:30 and proceeding at some point to a DJed dance, there are other items on the agenda: “Minyan Zhu will serenade with his majestic Chinese harp and Sasha Simone will lead us in heartsongs to seal the evening in love.” Admission happens on a sliding scale between $12 and $20.
Friday, February 15
On the heels of V-Day, the vocalists of Yale Opera and musicians of Yale Philharmonia fill the Shubert Theater (247 College St, New Haven; 203-562-5666) with Eugene Onegin, “Tchaikovsky’s earnest treatment of Pushkin’s beloved verse novel about irrepressible love, heartless dismissal and tormenting regret.” Showtimes are 8 p.m. today and tomorrow and 2 p.m. Sunday, with tickets going for $19 to $54.
Saturday, February 16
Celebrating the Year of the Pig, which officially began February 5 with the Chinese Lunar New Year, this year’s Lunarfest commences with a 10 a.m. Lion and Dragon Dance Parade “down Whitney Avenue and Audubon Street (between Grove and Trumbull Street).” Then it fans out to 10 or so local venues—including the Yale-China Association (442 Temple St, New Haven), the New Haven Museum (114 Whitney Ave, New Haven) and Neighborhood Music School (100 Audubon St, New Haven)—for programming covering subjects like Chinese calligraphy, tai chi, lantern riddles and “one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera.” Free.
Sunday, February 17
Last night at 8 and this afternoon at 3, The State House (310 State St, New Haven) hosts The State House Cabaret, “a show that will bring you old-fashioned cabaret entertainment… through a magical journey of live music, comedy, magic, drag, aerial silks, burlesque, games and much more!” $20 in advance, or $25 at the door.
Written by Dan Mims. Image depicts detail of work by Marcela Staudenmaier. Readers are encouraged to verify times, locations and prices before attending events.
