Archive for the ‘community events’ Category

Friday June 18, 2010 9pm-midnight
Founders Lobby Lounge

21+ Limited tickets
Get in, Get Underground

After the sun goes down, DJ Unseen Cinema spins rare grooves and classic cuts to kick off the summer – one night only in the city’s best downtown lounge, The Music Hall’s Founders Lobby, Friday June 18, 2010, 9pm – midnight. Limited tickets (150) to this 21+ event are on sale now – $8 in advance, $10 on day of – at The Music Hall box office at 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH, by phone at 603-436-2400, or online.

Saturday May 1, 2010 10am-3pm

by W. Garret Sholes

Self-guided tour in historic Seacoast towns of
Kittery and Kittery Point, Maine
“Settled in 1623, oldest incorporated town in Maine”

1,200+ visitors view modern, historic, waterfront homes

“all about fantastic kitchens” – NH Home Magazine

“something for everyone” – Portsmouth Herald

What could be better than spending a Spring day on the Seacoast, peeking into extraordinary kitchens and enjoying all that Kittery and Kittery Point have to offer?  The kitchens we all dream of – sleek and contemporary, cozy and traditional, packed with innovation and imagination – will become a reality for one day as The Music Hall presents its popular annual Kitchen Tour. Now in its 19th year, this benefit for the Hall will feature kitchens and dining spaces in the historic seacoast towns of Kittery and Kittery Point, Maine. The tour will be held Saturday, May 1, 2010 from 10am – 3pm.

Mary Horigan, Director of Corporate and Foundation Giving, at The Music Hall notes, “The seven homes on our tour in Kittery and Kittery Point are spectacular. It’s The Music Hall’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Each year, the tour attracts over 1,200 visitors, who come out to support The Music Hall and to gain inspiration for their own kitchens. Proceeds from the tour are used immediately toward operating costs to support The Music Hall, an American Treasure for the Arts. We owe so much of our success to our incredible hosts, loyal sponsors, over 100 volunteers, our creative and hardworking committee, and our visitors – many of whom have made this a tradition each spring.  Of course a warm, sunny spring day also helps!”

Betsy Cole, an eight-year veteran as co-chair of the Kitchen Tour Committee, says, “This year we have one of the most exquisite kitchens ever on the tour. Our patrons will love this one!” Photographer Greg West agrees. He’s been capturing the Kitchen Tour on film for years and has previewed a few of this year’s kitchens. “Visitors to this year’s Kitchen Tour will be privy to some exciting kitchens: down home cottage charm, and stunning views along the Piscataqua await.”

Ann Kendall, co-chair of this year’s event, says, “This year, we are confident that each Kittery and Kittery Point home will thrill and inspire everyone on the tour. The kitchens are so diverse; some are so sophisticated with all the newest equipment, while others seamlessly blend the old with the new. There are spacious kitchens and cozy kitchens and they are all wonderful. Some of us just dream about what we could do to our own kitchens, while others actually take notes and make plans for real changes. It is a spectacular day and each year is unique and exciting.”
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Michael Lewis

“How some of Wall Street’s finest minds managed to destroy $1.75 trillion of wealth” – that is the shorthand version of the new book coming out this week by celebrated author Michael Lewis, on The Music Hall stage Wednesday April 7 as part of the Writers on a New England Stage series. Lewis was interviewed on CBS’ 60 Minutes Sunday March 14. Here from 60 Minutes:

If you had to pick someone to write the autopsy report on the Wall Street financial collapse 18 months ago, you couldn’t do any better than Michael Lewis. He is one of the country’s preeminent non-fiction writers with a knack for turning complicated, mind numbing material into fascinating yarns. He wrote his first bestseller, “Liar’s Poker,” about his experiences as a young Wall Street bond trader when he was still in his 20s and has since followed up with seven more bestsellers on subjects ranging from Silicon Valley in “The New New Thing” to big time sports in “Money Ball” and “The Blind Side,” (made into a motion picture with Academy Award winner for best actress, Sandra Bullock.) His new book, called “The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine,” comes out later this week and it explains how some of Wall Street’s finest minds managed to destroy $1.75 trillion of wealth in the subprime mortgage markets. Check out the link below.

Watch the Interview

BUY TICKETS

In the Founders Lobby
Wednesday March 24, 2010 5-7pm

photo courtesy Michael Winters

“Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart.” -Victor Hugo. Whether or not Mother Nature obliges, the end of March marks the start of Spring. To celebrate the season of hope, the all-star cast of local musicians from September’s “Fall Songs” show will be back to share their favorite songs, this time written in the key of Spring! It all takes place at Scene@Five, Wednesday March 24 from 5-7pm in the Founders Lobby at The Music Hall, the landmark Victorian theatre in downtown Portsmouth. Featuring covers and original songs by Guy Capecelatro III, Elsa Cross, Mary Dellea, Horchata, Nate Laban, Marc McElroy, Jon Nolan, Zach Tremblay, and Tan Vampires. this all-star cast of Seacoast musicians will be sharing the mic, performing their favorite Spring-inspired songs, both from the canon and their own repertoire. Please join us and share in the bounty of the season of great transformation and inspiration!

“celebrate the season…sample what our local music scene has to offer”
– Chris Greiner

According to Chris Greiner, Associate Producer of Scene@Five, “If the enthusiasm of the participating musicians is any indication – they came out in droves when I put out the call – this is going to be a really special evening of music. I know that everyone was pumped to figure out which song they’re going to play, and I can’t wait to hear what they’ve come up with. We’ve got a nice cross-section of the local music scene – there should be a little jazz, a little rock, plenty of acoustic, even some electronic and experimental music, something for everyone, for sure. And not only will it be a unique way of celebrating the season, it’s going to be a great way to sample what our local music scene has to offer.”

About Scene @ Five
The recipe for The Music Hall’s latest signature series is deliciously simple: take one part social mixer and combine with an equal part art happening, pour into the Founders Lobby and let the fun begin! Scene@Five is your chance to get up-close-and-personal with art and art-makers, bringing them down from the stage or the big screen and into the intimacy of a cocktail lounge. Whether you’re catching a glimpse of a short film, discovering an up-and-coming band, or rubbing elbows with a renowned director, Scene@Five is a unique opportunity to mix, mingle and make new friends in a comfortable and sophisticated setting, all while experiencing something creative and fresh. Scene@Five happens once each month, from 5 till 7pm; $2 cover charge, free to Music Hall members.

To purchase tickets
Scene@Five takes place every month in the Founders Lobby of The Music Hall. The March Scene@Five takes place Wednesday March 24, 2010 from 5-7pm. There is a $2 cover charge, free to Music Hall members. Tickets are available in advance at The Music Hall box office at 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH, by phone at 603-436-2400, or online at www.themusichall.org.

The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of The Suicide Brothers

Thursday March 18, 2010 7pm

“Six fantastic short films from talented filmmakers.”
– Chase Bailey, guest curator

Post film Q+A with the directors

The Music Hall’s Wildcard Movie for March is Shorts in Ports scheduled for Thursday March18 at 7pm. The night includes six award winning short films that will be shown on the big screen: Crooked Lane, The Continuing and Lamentable Saga of The Suicide Brothers, The Toll, Sniffer, Ana’s Playground, and West Bank Story. Actors such as Keira Knightley, Rupert Friend, Ann Cusack, and Brett Cullen star in the films.  According to Chris Curtis, Film and Outreach Coordinator for The Music Hall, “Our description of our Wildcard Movie series is: ‘Once each month. One night only.  Rare, random, relevant. Expect Surprises.’ For the month of March, we decided to lean towards ‘Expect Surprises’ and we’ve brought in a guest curator – local filmmaker Chase Bailey of Left Bank Films. Come get a taste of local filmmaking and culture at its best with this exclusive opportunity to view all these remarkable films the same evening.”

Of the March Wildcard, Chase said, “I am pleased to present six fantastic short films from some talented filmmakers, all of which have won awards, including an Oscar and a Palme D’Or. We are excited to bring to you this opportunity to see all of these amazing films, together, that you might otherwise not get to see.”

In addition to the Oscar and a Palme D’Or, these films have received accolades at festivals around the country. At the end of the evening, the audience will have the rare opportunity to speak with many of the films’ directors and producers during the Q&A, providing the chance to get a more in-depth analysis of the films, and a real feel for the local talent that surrounds the Seacoast. In attendance will be film directors:  The Toll – J. Zachary Pike and Marc Dole; Crooked Lane – Chase Bailey; Ana’s Playground – Eric Howell; and film producers: Sniffer – Glen Gardner (and Chase Bailey).

About the directors and producers

Chase Bailey, Guest Curator, and Crooked Lane
Chase Bailey is both a filmmaker and an artist with a passion for storytelling. The owner of Left Bank Films, based in Portsmouth, NH and Paris, France, he wrote and directed the paranormal short drama Crooked Lane, and has produced such films as The Libertine and The Life Before Her Eyes. As a painter, he currently has work being showcased in a traveling exhibit focused on artistic interpretations of the Dalai Lama.

Marc Dole, The Toll
Founder, CEO, Hatchling Studios, a multi award-winning New England based Animation and Interactive studio serving corporate and entertainment clients since 1999. Since starting in the industry, he has consistently pushed the merger of computers, video, film, and interactivity. Hatchling is a convergence of these skills and of talented artists and technicians that bring the projects to life.
Producer – “The Toll” – CGI Animated short mockumentary interview with a bridge troll. Winner of 9 Animation awards and 1 Comedy Award
Producer – “Endurance Challenge” – Webisode series starring voice actor Billy West

Zachary Pike, The Toll
Producer currently working on contract gigs while pursuing a new short, and possibly higher education. Former Creative Director, Animation, Writer, VP of Animation Services, Hatchling Studios. Worked on developing the majority of Hatchling’s properties for film and TV. Wrote and directed spots for Reebok, Liberty Mutual, NBC, Charmin, Signiant, and Duracell. Specialties include:
3D Animation, Directing, Screenwriting, and Creative.
Wrote and Directed “The Toll,” a mockumentary short that has attended over 60 festivals worldwide and won 10 awards.
Wrote and Directed Signiant: Media Rush, a trade show animation that won a 2007 Silver Create Award.
Co-Created, Wrote, and Co-Directed Hatchling’s Endurance Challenge: Mordred’s Isle, starring Billy West.

Eric Howell, Ana’s Playground
Immersed in film since the age of 10, Eric was a pioneer in the industry when his film The Interview became the first to be shot on film and debuted online. With Ana’s Playground he has taken a fresh look at the effects of war on children, bringing that awareness to the screen.

With Valentine’s Day on Sunday, here’s what we’ve got planned for the weekend.
Tonight: The Founders Lobby Lounge opens at 5:30. Enjoy a cocktail, and a wine tasting.

Mike McDonald surfs into the Music Hall

At 8pm Cuzin Richard Entertainment Presents: Mike McDonald’s 9th Annual Comedy Xxtravaganza Funnyman Mike McDonald offers the best in Stand-up Insanity with his 9th Annual Comedy Xxtravaganza. So join Mike and Kelly MacFarland, Robbie Printz, Frank Santorelli and surprise mystery guest–all heavyweight comedy ninjas–as they rip powerhouse punchlines into your funnybone. Music by the rockin’ Boston Naturals.

A Prairie Home Companion On Stage

Saturday 2pm. The first ever HD Broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion Each week, A Prairie Home Companion is heard by more than 4 million listeners of every age, on more than 600 public radio stations across the country. The show is performed live on stage in front of an audience. The Music Hall will record the February 4 LIVE broadcast to be played on Saturday, February 13 at 2pm.

Emily Blunt and Rupert Friend in The Young Victoria

Saturday 7pm. The Young Victoria Golden Globe Nominee Emily Blunt stars, along with Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany and Miranda Richardson in this story of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria’s rule. Her uncle, King William (Jim Broadbent), is dying and Victoria is in line for the throne. Everyone is vying to win her favor. However she is kept from the court by her overbearing mother (Richardson) and her ambitious advisor (Mark Strong). Victoria hates them both. Her only friend is her doting governess.

Eliane Elias

Sunday 8pm. Eliane Elias: A Bossa Nova Valentine’s Day. Celebrate a Bossa Nova Valentine’s Day with the sensual Brazilian jazz pianist, singer-songwriter whose distinctive musical style blends her Brazilian roots, her sensuous, alluring voice with her impressive instrumental jazz, classical and compositional skills – a triple Grammy nominee with 18 albums.  Valet Service available for this event. Details

Third/final weekend:

Shows, Strolls, Stayovers + Free Heated Trolley
Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth

Invites Seacoast residents to
“Rediscover Your New Hampshire Holiday Traditions”

Jazz Nutcracker, Met Opera, Natalie, A Christmas Carol + Stroll
“One of the top ten things not to miss in New England” – Boston Globe
Look for red Vintage Christmas map/calendar!

Full Moon Over Market Square © David Murray, Clear Eye Photo

As they head into the final weekend of Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth, organizers were reflecting on last weekend. Amy Moy, Director of Marketing at Strawbery Banke Museum said, “This weekend’s colder temperatures did not deter over 2000 people from enjoying the warmth of the holiday season at the Candlelight Stroll. There was a great crowd at the crackling bonfire, standing-room-only in the toasty warm cider shed with live music keeping everyone entertained, and the warm glow of hundreds of candles to light the paths to the historic houses, exhibits, and entertainment. The Vintage Christmas trolley was filled with happy visitors from all over enjoying the free ride around town in the heated and distinctive trolley complete with decorations and holiday music. Magical holiday memories were made for the Vintage Christmas visitors this weekend. Come experience it for yourself in the final weekend of Vintage Christmas!”

Since it’s so close to the holiday, this third and final weekend of Vintage Christmas is focused on encouraging local residents to “Rediscover Your New Hampshire Holiday Traditions.” Seacoast residents have so many options to choose from this weekend! At The Music Hall, MaD Theatricals is gearing up for “Clara’s Dream: A Jazz Nutcracker” running through Saturday December 19, the Met@The Music Hall: Offenbach’s Les Contes D’Hoffmann about the author of the Nutcracker, the afternoon of Saturday December 19. Then on Sunday December 20, for two shows, Natalie MacMaster brings Christmas in Cape Breton to Portsmouth. Natalie is clearly looking forward to her visit to the Hall, “This place is like an extension of my living room; inviting and musical.  And the roar of the crowd is wondrous.” And, at Seacoast Repertory Theatre, A Christmas Carol will be playing.

Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth –is brought to you by The Music Hall, the landmark Victorian theater, and Strawbery Banke Museum, the ten-acre living history museum, both in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Joining the two nonprofits this year are Presenting Sponsors the City of Portsmouth and Centrix Bank; Lead Sponsors: Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown, Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth, Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Weather Partner, WERZ; and Community Partners Great Bay Academy of Dance, MaD Theatricals and Seacoast Repertory Theatre. A handy calendar/map is available to visitors to make it easy to get around town.

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2^nd of 3 weekends: Shows, Strolls, Stayovers + Free Trolley

Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth

A Family Weekend: Nutcracker + Pops + Stroll

“One of the top ten things not to miss in New England” – Boston Globe

Look for red Vintage Christmas map/calendar!

Costumed Family at North Church © David Murray Clear Eye Photo

Imagine brick sidewalks sprinkled with snow. A man in a cape with a lantern on the corner asks if you know how to get to The Music Hall. He points up a darkened street, where a Victorian theater glistens, with wreaths and lights. Inside it’s warm and merry, children and parents thronging together up the grand staircases and into the hall decked with greenery and bows, a cluster of holiday dressed teddy bears greet you in the lobby. You smell rich pastries, mulled wine, and hot chocolate—mmm, time to get to your seat, the show is about to begin. The red curtain rises the rest is pure magic. Back out into the cold, a bright red trolley stops at the corner – you hop on and ride through the historic streets and gaily lit shops onto Strawberry Banke. You suck in your breath in surprise as big draft horse pulls a wagon of people into a lane lit with candle lanterns. The historic properties are all lit up with twinkly lights and lanterns. Carolers voices drift across the green, with a big bonfire in the center. The sound of fiddler coming from the cider shed, it’s all just bright and warm, and too much fun to miss. A vintage Christmas indeed!

It’s the second weekend of Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth -  all brought to you by The Music Hall, the landmark Victorian theater, and Strawbery Banke Museum, the ten-acre living history museum, both in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Joining the two nonprofits this year are Presenting Sponsors the City of Portsmouth and Centrix Bank; Lead Sponsors: Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown, Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth, Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce, Weather Partner, WERZ; and Community Partners Great Bay Academy of Dance, MaD Theatricals and Seacoast Repertory Theatre. A handy calendar/map will be available to visitors to make it easy to get around town.

The focus of the second weekend is families. According to Amy Moy, Director of Marketing at Strawbery Banke, “Make new holiday family memories by enjoying music, family-friendly activities, horse-drawn carriage rides, a gingerbread house contest, costumed role-players in historic houses, and the glow of hundreds of candles at the Candlelight Stroll at Strawbery Banke Museum. Ride in eco-friendly style aboard the free Vintage Christmas trolley to downtown Portsmouth and choose from a wide variety of local restaurants to enjoy a family dinner. Shop for a special gift in our unique sales-tax-free downtown stores. Enjoy An 1836 Portsmouth Nutcracker or the Holiday Pops at The Music Hall, or A Christmas Carol at Seacoast Repertory Theatre. Tuck your family in at either the Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel or the Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown and enjoy all that Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth has to offer!”

Ken Kiesler, conductor of Holiday Pops on Sunday Dec 13 at The Music Hall, talks about his memories of Portsmouth, “I have a warm place in my heart for Portsmouth which is why I do the work on the Holiday Pops and return there every year and why I’m delighted to be asked. I started coming to Portsmouth when I was eight years old when my brother was a UNH student. We would stay in Portsmouth three to four times a year at the Rockingham when it was a hotel. Then I lived on Marcy Street for several years before I went off to graduate school and to a career in conducting. It’s just a joy to be there and to see everyone and to be greeted at holiday time!”

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Great live shows + film for evening entertainment!

The Portsmouth Brewery photo by: Marianne Pernold Young

Restaurant Week is a bi-annual event which spotlights our Seacoast as a culinary destination with a vibrant arts and cultural scene, and a wealth of historic attractions. At The Music Hall, we’ve got a week filled with live shows and films to entertain patrons before or after checking out our Restaurant Sponsors. We kick off the week with a Monday evening showing of Afghan Star, the documentary about the “American Idol” program; then Tuesday 11/10, Lyle Lovett and his Large Band roll into town. Thursday 11/12 country noir star Neko Case makes her debut. On Friday, AM Productions Presents. Comedy Central’s Steven Lynch. Saturday, 11/14, Met@The Music Hall presents a matinee of Turandot and that evening we start a run of Julie + Julia, a perfect film to see on our big screen. Restaurant Week closes out Sunday 11/15 with Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra’s “American Landscapes.”

So what’s the best place to go before and after The Music Hall? Check out what our board/staff has to say:

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By Margaret Talcott

As we thought about the Four Tall Ships sailing into Portsmouth August 7- 9, we were reminded of the shipbuilding connection to the founding of The Music Hall and thought we’d go backstage to speak to our historian ZHANA MORRIS about her Historic Tours…

Who comes on The Music Hall’s Historical Tours and what do they come to see?

The majority are long-time patrons. There is always at least one person who has very fond memories of coming to the theater when it was known as “The Civic” and was primarily a movie house (circa 1945-1985).  In the summer months we get people less familiar, including tourists. Some are connected to theaters in their home community.  They come to experience the place and the special energy of an historic theater.

Where do you go on the tour?

We travel everywhere on the tour and through every ‘when’ . The tour starts in our gorgeous Founders Lobby. It’s the newest space, but it also pays homage to all 135 years of the theater. From there we jump around through time, entering the upper lobby, which shows the changes made after the 1945 auction. From the balcony we see up close the dome restored to its 1878 splendor and the antique projectors still used in the production booth.  Before heading backstage, we take a closer look at the 1901 proscenium arch, which everyone loves.  Some come on the tour because they’ve heard stories about the 1901 owner Frank Jones. The image of his face is in the middle of the arch. We finish backstage looking at the old stage workings which connect The Music Hall to ship building. There’s a universal connection between sailing and theater operation. The technology for both is the same.

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