Music Hall Presents 2009 - 2010

The Music Hall Presents 2009-2010

We bring the world to Portsmouth!

The Music Hall 28 Chestnut Street Portsmouth, NH 03801

2009-2010 Season Member On Sale: Saturday, May 30 11am walk-up sales begin 12pm phone & internet sales begin Public On Sale: Saturday, June 27 at noon.

Season Underwriters:

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

portsmouth, nh permit no. 202

Dear Members,

Welcome once again to The Music Hall, the landmark Victorian theater in historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire which has recently been ranked on National Geographic Traveler’s list of the globe’s “Historic Places” - #26 in the world, #6 in the U.S.

Having opened our new lobby last fall, we’re finding it’s more and more the place to be – before and after shows. And artists are coming downstairs after the shows to visit – a great experience for our patrons!

So let’s take a quick peek at next season – it all starts with the granddaddy of our signature series, Telluride by the Sea. Then our live season kicks off with the 50th anniversary of The Second City - the “comedy empire” as the New York Times says, followed up immediately with E.L. Doctorow. The year is all about truly “bringing the world to Portsmouth” as we’ll be featuring Brazilian Bossa Nova pianist Eliane Elias and Umalali, the Latin American female vocalists. All the hits are here: Joshua Bell, Natalie MacMaster and Pilobolus return. And, for the first time on our stage, Paula Poundstone. As always, watch for Writers on a New England Stage and Intimately Yours shows to be announced throughout the season. What’s on the top of my must-see list? Cirque Mechanics in Birdhouse Factory, with acrobats culled from Cirque du Soleil!

Off stage, Education @ The Music Hall will continue with the 15th Annual School Days Series, offering high caliber matinees to 80 Seacoast schools, homeschoolers and families, all at the same low $5 price. Our Masters in Learning offers master classes and “meet the master” opportunities, while our full schedule of Historic Tours take you backstage for a peek behind the scenes. Our Community Partners Program welcomes back area nonprofits which use The Music Hall for their fundraisers.

Thank you to you - our members - who make all this wonderful programming - on stage and off – possible. We need you more than ever as we bring The Music Hall into the 21st century while maintaining and improving the treasure for generations to come. Members are the key to everything we do and I’m so proud to be part of an arts institution that makes such a beautiful difference in the lives of so many. Thank you.

Stay in the know - sign up for Enews!

2009-2010 SEASON CALENDAR September 18-20 Telluride by the Sea 25 The Second City 30 Writers on a New England Stage: E.L. Doctorow October 10 The Met @ The Music Hall: Tosca 19 Writers on a New England Stage: Tracy Kidder 23 Diva Nation: Four Bitchin’ Babes 24 The Met @ The Music Hall: Aida 25 Kids RULE!: Ralph’s World November 3 Writers on a New England Stage: Barbara Kingsolver 6-7 Cirque Mechanics in Birdhouse Factory 14 The Met @ The Music Hall: Turandot 20 The Event 27-28 BLiNK December 5 Striking 12 featuring GrooveLily 13 Kenneth Kiesler conducts the Holiday Pops 19 The Met @ The Music Hall: Les Contes d’Hoffmann 20 Natalie MacMaster: Christmas in Cape Bretton 22 Messiah Sing!

January 9 The Met @ The Music Hall: Der Rosenkavalier 16 The Met @ The Music Hall: Carmen February 4 Joshua Bell with Jeremy Denk 6 The Met @ The Music Hall: Simon Boccanegra 10 Monterey Jazz Festival 14 Eliane Elias - Bossa Nova Valentine’s Day Concert 19 Umalali: The Garifuna Women’s Project March 14 25 27 28 31

Solas Tao The Met @ The Music Hall: Hamlet Moscow Festival Ballet: Cinderella Writers on a New England Stage: Jodi Picoult

April 9 Paula Poundstone

Best wishes, Patricia Lynch Executive Director The Music Hall

Photo: Pernoldphoto.com

May 1 2 8 21

Kitchen Tour 2010 The Met @ The Music Hall: Armida Circus Incognitus Pilobolus

Photo: Dan Gair/BlindDogPhoto.com

“A jewel...the beating cultural heart of New Hampshire’s Seacoast region.”

– BOSTON GLOBE (2009)

About The Music Hall: An American Treasure for the Arts The Music Hall is a 501c3 tax exempt, fiscally responsible nonprofit organization, managed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and a professional staff. This performing arts center entertains 100,000 patrons, including 20,000 school children, annually with acclaimed film, music, theater, and dance performances. Its historic 900-seat theater, built in 1878, is the oldest in New Hampshire and designated an “American Treasure” by the National Parks Service’s Save America’s Treasures Program. Living out its mission to be an active and vital arts center for the enrichment of the Seacoast community, The Music Hall presents diverse and relevant programming, including its signature series and innovative community outreach programs, and hosts numerous community fundraisers and celebrations for the benefit of more than 40 local nonprofits. A cultural anchor in a thriving Seacoast economy, The Music Hall and its patrons contribute $5.3 million annually to the local economy through show and visitor related spending. The historic hall is located in Portsmouth, the seaport city recently named a “Distinctive Destination” for 2008 by National Trust for Historic Preservation. For more information about The Music Hall and its schedule of events, visit www.themusichall.org.

Special Thanks to:

Box Office 603.436.2400

www.themusichall.org

Music

Regina Carter Russell Malone

Kenny Barron

Joshua Bell with Jeremy Denk Thursday, February 4, 2010 • 7:30pm Tickets: $80, $65

Among the most celebrated classical and chamber musicians in the world, this multi-Grammy Award winning violinist performed in The Red Violin, which won the Oscar for Best Original Score. Joining him again will be award-winning pianist Jeremy Denk.

“Polished and secure…expressive flexibility… breathtaking ease…” – New York Times

Monterey Jazz Festival Wednesday, February 10, 2010 • 7:30pm Tickets: $54-$40

SPONSOR: Lamprey Brothers

Last year we hosted the Festival’s 50th tour. The tour was such a success, they’ll be back with even more amazing artists from Festival 2010. Chicago-based singer Kurt Elling is equal parts Frank Sinatra and Elvis Costello and a favorite of Renee Fleming’s. Also appearing are Regina Carter, Russell Malone, and Kenny Barron.

“taking the listener into the future of jazz.”

– TIME MAGAZINE

SPONSORS: Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café; Piscataqua Savings Bank

Pianist Jeremy Denk

Kurt Elling

Eliane Elias

Sunday, February 14, 2010 • 7:30pm Tickets: $30, $25 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.

“…superb, a sensitive and sexy walk through the Jobim songbook”– CADENCE

SPONSORS: Seacoast Rejuvenation Center; Fosters Daily Democrat

Tickets on sale to members Saturday, May 30! Walk-up sales begin at 11am, phone & internet sales at 12pm.

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Music

Umalali: The Garifuna Women’s Project Friday, February 19, 2010 • 8pm Tickets: $28, $22

Descendents of shipwrecked slaves who married Carib and Arawak Indians, the Garifuna create a unique brand of music and dance blending rock, blues, funk, African, Latin and Caribbean rhythms. Umalali is the Garifuna word for ‘voice’.

“extraordinary singers…a unique and wonderful world; once you enter, you will never want to leave” – THE GUARDIAN

Solas

Sunday, March 14, 2010 •7:30pm Tickets: $35, $28 Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day with the most popular, influential, and exciting Celtic band to ever emerge from the United States.

The Philadelphia Inquirer said Solas makes “mind-blowing Irish folk music, maybe the world’s best” and the Washington Post dubbed them one of the “world’s finest Celtic-folk ensembles.”

“the standard by which contemporary Celtic groups are judged.” – Austin American-Statesman

SPONSORS: Northeast Delta Dental; Nextera Energy Seabrook; New Hampshire Public Radio

Tao

Thursday, March 25, 2010 •7:30pm Tickets: $52-$20 Driven by explosive Taiko drumming and innovative choreography, these powerful acrobats, who have trained intensively in martial arts for years in the mountains of Japan, bring their extraordinary precision, energy, and stamina.

“Extraordinarily talented...incomparable muscular zeal” – Chicago Tribune

SPONSOR: Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc.

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Members save up to 20% off ticket prices!

www.themusichall.org

THEATRE

Four Bitchin’ Babes: Diva Nation Friday, October 23, 2009 • 8pm Tickets: $37, $29

GIRLS NIGHT OUT!

It’s Girls’ Night Out! The fabulous female folkestra from Hormonal Imbalance takes you on a hilarious new musical journey to a magical place where chocolate is a vegetable, wine is in the food pyramid, and shopping for shoes is medicinal.

Watch for whimsical, hip and sophisticated girl-group harmonies from these hysterically funny and multi-talented musicians!

“Together they tell humorously observant tales of modern urban life, and harmonize like a heavenly chorus” – The Chicago Tribune

SPONSORS: Brazo; LunaChics; Seacoast Rejuvenation Center; Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel; The Green Monkey

BLiNK Magic Show ALL AGES SHOW: Friday, November 27, 2009 8pm (full length version) • Tickets: $33, $24

The Second City

KIDS RULE! SHOW: Saturday, November 28, 2009 11am (one-hour version) • Tickets: $22, $17

Friday, September 25, 2009 • 8pm Tickets: $30, $23

Families! Join us Thanksgiving Day weekend for a hilarious fun-filled comedy-magic show! Chipper Lowell, who has been called a red-haired Eddie Izzard, has been named “Comedy Magician of the Year” and has received two “Merlin” Awards keeping company with David Copperfield, and Penn & Teller. Watch for unpredictable routines and a trio of special guest artists!

The most famous brand in live comedy brings its spontaneous, topical and insightful hilarity. Watch for classic scenes from its 50-year archive, material ripped from the day’s headlines and trademark improvisation. Alumni include Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, Mike Myers, Bill Murray, Chris Farley, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Alan Arkin and more.

“A Comedy Empire.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES SPONSORS: Best Western Wynwood Hotel & Suites; Leone, McDonnell and Roberts, CPAs; The Portsmouth Brewery; WSCA-LP 106.1 FM

2 SHOWS -

ALL AGES and KIDS RULE!

Cirque Mechanics in Birdhouse Factory Friday, November 6, 2009 • 8pm • Tickets: $42, $29 Saturday, November 7, 2009 • 2pm • Tickets: $42, $29

“Feverish, frenetic and hilarious! A definite crowd-pleaser!” – The LA Times

Paula Poundstone Friday, April 9, 2010 • 8pm Tickets: $35, $28

Circus acrobatics and inventive early 20th Century machines come together to tell a story of laughter, love, flight, loss and birdhouses. Inspired by Diego Rivera’s Detroit industry murals, Rube Goldberg illustrations and Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times, Chris Lashua directs his talented international cast, gathered from Cirque Du Soleil and the Pickle Family Circus.

It’s impossible to attend a Paula Poundstone performance without marveling at her ability to interact spontaneously with audience members in conversations bound to garner riotous laughter. Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula’s ability to create humor on the spot has become the stuff of legend.

“Intelligently conceived, expertly executed, exceptional, evocative, eye-catching, ear-catching, engrossingly entertaining, excellent.”

– THE NEW YORK TIMES

“a great comic…a disarming ease in her craft…quick on her feet” – Boston Globe

SPONSORS: Albert P. Stowe, CPA, PLLC; Auger Building Company, Inc.; The Port Inn; Whole Life Health Care; Travelhost of New Hampshire Magazine

SPONSORS: Carpe Diem Coffee Roasting Company; Dowling Corporation; TMS Architects; WSCA-LA 106.1 FM

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Experience the Magic...

Celebrate the Season with Shows, Strolls, and Stayovers...in collaboration with Strawbery Banke Museum.

Striking 12 featuring GrooveLily Saturday, December 5, 2009 • 8pm • Tickets: $34, $26

Back by popular demand – the straight from New York anti-holiday show with Seinfeldesque humor. With a brilliantly witty score that combines pop, rock, jazz, and showtunes, GrooveLily brings to life the holiday season for anyone too cool for your typical holiday show. Directed and co-written by Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Tony Award winners, this laugh out loud holiday musical stars Valerie Vigoda, a star of Patti LuPone proportions. If you missed it in 2007, don’t make the same mistake this time!

“first rate - this one is terrific.” – NEW YORK TIMES

SPONSORS: West Branch Construction; WHOM

Kenneth Kiesler Conducts The Holiday Pops

Sunday, December 13, 2009 • 2pm & 4:30pm • Tickets: $44-$20 We heard you loud and clear – MATINEES! So, ring in the season with gorgeous music! Enjoy timeless and heartwarming holiday classics performed by a full orchestra, and special guests.

“Mr. Kiesler’s ability…is nothing short of astonishing” – Atlantic Monthly

SPONSORS: Federal Savings Bank; Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café; Nextera Energy Seabrook; Sheraton Harborside Portsmouth Hotel; WHOM

Natalie MacMaster: Christmas in Cape Breton Sunday, December 20, 2009 • 2pm & 7pm • Tickets: $43, $34

The Cape Breton fiddler brings foot-tapping rave-ups, heart-wrenching ballads, world-class step dancing and fiddling fireworks on Celtic melodies and Christmas carols. Equally at home on the concert stage or at a Folk festival, Natalie is one of the most versatile and exciting young musicians on the Folk and Celtic music scenes, often performing with Alison Krauss, the Chieftans, Paul Simon, and most recently, Yo-Yo Ma.

“Irresistible” – LOS ANGELES TIMES

SPONSORS: Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown; Regal Limousine Service; WHOM

Messiah Sing!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 • 7:30pm • Tickets: $14 Messiah Sings are a tradition in many communities during the Christmas season. Singers of all ranks are invited to sing the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah in the Seacoast’s largest ever Messiah Sing. It’s a “happening” - great fun and one of the best ways to celebrate the true meaning of the holidays. So, bring your friends and family and your own score and join best-loved area choruses and conductors in a transcendent community sing in our glorious hall.

Guest soloists and string accompaniment.

“The audience members were the stars” – The PORTSMOUTH HERALD Photo above: Jeremy Heflin Photography Header photos: Ralph Morang/NewEnglandPhoto.com

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Sponsoring all of our holiday shows...

SPONSOR: WHOM

Vintage Christmas: One of the “Top 10 Things Not To Miss in December in New England” – The Boston Globe

DANCE

The Moscow Festival Ballet: Cinderella Sunday, March 28, 2010 • 3pm • Tickets: $52-$20

Our Spring ballet – the well known timeless classic folk tale. With sumptuous sets, exquisite costumes and spectacular dancers, this captivating young company of leading dancers from across Russia brings together the highest classical elements of the great Bolshoi and Kirov Ballet companies. As the Las Vegas Review Journal said, they “deserved ‘bravos’ within minutes of the opening steps.”

“An impressive performance…energized with dramatic expression and sensational steps.”

– The Chronicle, Durham, NC

SPONSOR: Dos Amigos Burritos

Pilobolus

Friday, May 21, 2010 • 8pm • Tickets: $52-$20 The pioneering troupe that captured our imaginations on their last visit. From performing at the Academy Awards to choreographing the Rockettes, this radically innovative and acclaimed dance company is renowned the world over for its imaginative exploration of what the New York Times called “a conversation between art and athletics.”

Note: Some pieces include partial nudity.

“the purest Pilobolus experiences: metamorphosis - where acrobatics are liquefied into poetry” ­– New York TIMES

SPONSORS: The Lollipop Tree; PainCare; Seatrade International, Inc.; Sanger Communications, LLC Sanger Communications, LLC

Kids RULE!

SE R IES S

:

PONSOR

2 SHOWS -

ALL AGES and KIDS RULE!

Ralph’s World

Sunday, October 25, 2009 • 2pm • Tickets: $22, $15 Grammy nominated Indie rocker, songwriter, playwright and children’s book author Ralph Covert is the hottest property in kids’ music these days. Like Dan Zanes, he started out writing songs for rock bands before making the leap into kids music. His high-energy McCartney-esque style has won him legions of three-feet-and under fans and their parents.

“One of the freshest, funniest, most original new kids’ artists out there” – FAMILY FUN

SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; WERZ Ages 2-8

Ages 8 & up

BLiNK

ALL AGES SHOW: Friday, November 27, 2009

8pm (full length version) • Tickets: $33, $24

Circus Incognitus

KIDS RULE! SHOW: Saturday, November 28, 2009 11am (one-hour version) • Tickets: $22, $17

A natural clown in an unforgettable one-man circus comedy, Jamie Adkins’ failures often end up being his greatest successes. His clowning and acrobatic feats on the ground and on a slack wire are brought to life in a story of a man who has something to say, but can’t quite get it out.

Families! Join us Thanksgiving weekend for a hilarious fun-filled comedy-magic show! Chipper Lowell, who has been called a red-haired Eddie Izzard, has been named “Comedy Magician of the Year” and has received two “Merlin” Awards keeping company with David Copperfield, and Penn & Teller. Watch for unpredictable routines and a trio of special guest artists!

“A dexterous clown walks a daffy line” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

“Feverish, frenetic and hilarious! A definite crowd-pleaser!” – The LA Times

SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Robert’s Maine Grill; WERZ

SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Calvert Investments; WERZ

Saturday, May 8, 2010 • 2pm • Tickets: $22, $17

Ages 5 & up

About Kids RULE! Big City Fun for the Pint Size Crowd!

We’ve showcased Dan Zanes and Friends, Kennedy Center’s: Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka, A Year with Frog & Toad, They Might be Giants, and Tomas Kubinek.

Over 20,000 school children are inspired each year by programs at The Music Hall!

www.themusichall.org

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Chris Botti

Tuesday, June 2, 2009 •7:30pm • Tickets: $65, $50 This Grammy Award nominated trumpeter with the golden sound has worked with an unparalleled group of pop, jazz and classical superstars. His ten solo albums rank him as one of the world’s top selling instrumentalists. Film critic Rex Reed has called him “the sexiest trumpeter since Chet Baker.”

The best concert experience in New England!

“the hip end of smooth jazz” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

Photo: Aaron Leclerc Photography/aaronleclercphoto.com

NEW SHOWS ANNOUNCED THROUGHOUT THE SEASON!

“My favorite place in the world to play...”

– Brandi Carlile, singer/songwriter

“Easily the most gorgeous venue I’ve ever been to...”

Spanish Harlem Orchestra

SERIES SPONSORS:

Friday, June 26, 2009 • 8pm • Tickets: $34 General Admission

Get ready to dance with the Grammy Award-winning standard bearers of contemporary Latin music. Both modern and historic, this is the signature sound of 21st century Latin music. We’ve listened to our patrons and they want to dance! So, we’ll be taking out our front rows and putting in our dance floor just for this evening. You can choose – get hot on the dance floor, or stay cool in the balcony, surveying the scene!

– Nicole Bedard, concert goer

SHOW SPONSORS: Agave Mexican Bistro; Brazo; Bid2Win Software, Inc.; LunaChics; Secure Planning, Inc.; The Portsmouth Brewery; The Provident Bank; Smuttynose Brewing Company; The Green Monkey; The Lighting Center at Rockingham Electric; The Red Door

“Designed for the dance floor – first-rate New York salsa” ­– ITUNES

SPONSOR: Agave Mexican Bistro; The Portsmouth Brewery

Writers on a

New England Stage

“Writers on a New England Stage has given a normally stodgy literary exercise the rock-star treatment…the evening is a confluence of literature, music, architecture, and history.

It’s also the hottest ticket in town.” – YANKEE Magazine

Presented by The Music Hall and NH Public Radio in collaboration with RiverRun Bookstore

E.L. Doctorow

Wednesday, September 30, 2009 •7:30pm • Tickets: $13 One of America’s preeminent writers, the author of such epic works as Ragtime, Billy Bathgate, and The March, joins us to discuss his new novel set in 20th century America, Homer and Langley.

“E.L. Doctorow is a national treasure.” – St. Louis Post Dispatch

SPONSORS: Smuttynose Brewing Company; Optima Bank & Trust

Tracy Kidder

Monday, October 19, 2009 • 7:30pm • Tickets: $13 The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains and The Soul of a New Machine joins our celebrated writers series to present his latest work of nonfiction, Strength in What Remains, “the extraordinary true story of a young man’s remarkable American journey and of the people who helped him.”

Each literary evening features an author presentation and an onstage interview with Laura Knoy, NPR veteran newscaster and host of New Hampshire Public Radio’s “The Exchange.”

The house band Dreadnaught provides live music. The show is later broadcast on NH Public Radio.

“the master of nonfiction narrative…” – BALTIMORE SUN

Barbara Kingsolver

Tuesday, November 3, 2009 • 7:30pm • Tickets: $13 The acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Poisonwood Bible, The Bean Trees and, most recently, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, takes the stage to discuss her first novel in nine years, The Lacuna.

“a gifted magician of words” – TIME

Jodi Picoult

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 • 7:30pm • Tickets: $13 You know her bestselling novels – Change of Heart, My Sisters Keeper, Nineteen Minutes, The Tenth Circle, The Pact – now you can get to know Jodi Picoult as she presents her new work of fiction, House Rules.

“It is impossible not to be held spellbound…”

– WASHINGTON POST

SPONSOR: Bid2Win Software, Inc.

Anita Diamant and host Laura Knoy

Look for writers to be announced in e-news alerts and our monthly newsletter to members, NOW @ The Music Hall.

PARTNERS:

SPONSORS: Auger Building Company, Inc.; Bank of America; Calypso Communications; Piscataqua Landscaping; Popovers & Galley Hatch Hospitality Group; RMC Research Corporation; Haunted Milk Design

ON SCREEN Behind the scenes inside The Music Hall’s projection room.

extraordinary cinema

Friday, May 29 – Saturday, September 5, 2009 • Individual Tickets: $8.50

Great films. Enormous screen. Unrivaled ambiance. Our film curator Bill Pence brings you an experience unlike anything else on the Seacoast. Featuring a new title every week between September and May. Presented in The Music Hall’s restored historic auditorium on our enormous screen in glorious Dolby Digital Surround Sound.

Dozens of cool films in the hot summer months. The very best from independent and foreign cinema to the latest from Hollywood, with a unique Wednesday genre series running right down the middle – this year, films that are “Best Seen on the Big Screen.” Air conditioned auditorium.

Enormous screen. Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Great popcorn.

SPONSORS: Wells Fargo Advisors; Harbour Light Strategic Marketing; Popovers & Galley Hatch Hospitality Group; The Wire

Introducing...a new partnership

MIFF @ the music hall the maine international film festival comes to portsmouth

Once each month.

Rare, random, relevant.

Expect Surprises.

“Films with a flair” – a happening before or after that engages audiences, inspires dialogue, and informs our Seacoast community.

Ocean Voyagers

Sunday, June 14, 2009 • 3pm • Tickets: $8.50 We bring this humpback whale documentary in collaboration with the Seacoast Science Center and its June exhibition “Tofu: The Journey of a Humpback Whale.” Post-film panel discussion with filmmaker Feodor Pitcairn and other special guests.

8 films. Seminars. Special Guests. Summer Fun. Original, smart, deep. MIFF is a rare and quiet jewel in the world of American film festivals. For 12 years, MIFF has brought its vision of film and culture to as wide an audience as possible. Now, MIFF @ The Music Hall will bring unique and great films and filmmakers to an appreciative, intelligent, sympatico audience.

SPONSOR: The Portsmouth Brewery

MIFF on screen in Waterville, ME

Photos: Aaron Leclerc Photography/aaronleclercphoto.com

SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Cocked Hat Ventures; Hawthorn Publications; New Hampshire Public Radio

Friday, July 17 - Sunday, July 19, 2009 Festival Pass: $120; Weekend Pass: $82; Individual Tickets: $11

A Weekend Celebration of Cinema

September 18-20, 2009 • Tickets: Patron Pass $200; Weekend Pass $85; Individual Tickets: $12.50 Six Films. Three Days. One Weekend Celebration of New Cinema. The latest international cinema fresh from their Colorado debuts at the Telluride Film Festival.

“It’s not often that we Northern New Englanders can beat our brethren in bigger metropolises to the cinematic punch!” – Port City Life Magazine

SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Flygare, Schwarz & Closson, PLLC; Harbour Light Strategic Marketing; Isles of Shoals Steamship Company; Radici; Seatrade International, Inc.; Secure Planning, Inc.; Smuttynose Brewing Company; Veris Wealth Partners; New Hampshire Public Television; The Wire Stay in the know – sign up for e-news online at www.themusichall.org!

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ON SCREEN

2009-2010 Season Tickets: $27.50; 18 & under $15

October 10: Tosca (Puccini)

Famous opera singer (Karita Mattila). Free-thinking painter. Sadistic chief of police. Glorious music.

October 24: Aida (Verdi)

Ancient Egypt. Heartbreaking love. Epic drama. It’s all here.

the met @ t he music ha ll

During the 09-10 season, nine matinee performances of the Metropolitan Opera will be broadcast from Lincoln Center and shown on The Music Hall screen in High Definition. The program is enhanced with live backstage interviews and behind-the-scenes action. “Opera box-lunches” are available in the lobby and pre-opera talks begin an hour before each show.

“The best of big city life.” – Wall Street JournaL

A New International Partnership The National Theatre of London HD Broadcast Series

November 14: Turandot (Puccini)

Director Franco Zeffirelli’s breathtaking Met favorite.

December 19: Les Contes d’Hoffmann (Offenbach)

South Pacific’s Bartlett Sher directs Anna Netrebko in a fascinating psychological journey.

January 9: Der Rosenkavalier (Strauss)

Renée Fleming in the comic masterpiece of love and intrigue in 18th-century Vienna.

January 16: Carmen (Bizet)

Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna in this “great work of art…sexy…shocking.”

February 6: Simon Boccanegra (Verdi)

Plácido Domingo in this moving, tragic story of a father and his lost daughter.

March 27: Hamlet (Thomas)

Simon Keenlyside and Natalie Dessay - extraordinary acting and singing!

May 2: Armida (Rossini)

Fanciful, magical tale: a sorceress (Renée Fleming) enthralls men in her island prison.

SPONSORS: Secure Planning, Inc.; Beswick Engineering Company, Inc.; Ristorante Massimo; RiverWoods at Exeter; Rudi’s Portsmouth; Tate & Foss SERIES SPONSORS: The Senior Times; Classical 99.5 Boston; New Hampshire Public Television

Phedre

Thursday, June 25, 2009 • 7pm • Tickets: $27.50; 18 & under $15 Watch for more National Theatre of London shows to be announced!

One of the world’s leading theater producers of Shakespeare, international classic drama and contemporary playwrights, the National Theatre of London is offering an exciting new initiative – broadcasting performances of plays in high definition onto cinema screens worldwide.

Consumed by an uncontrollable passion for her young stepson, Phedre confesses her darkest desires and enters the world of nightmares. Academy Award winner Dame Helen Mirren stars.

SPONSOR: Hilton Garden Inn Portsmouth Downtown; Seatrade International, Inc.

Photo: Pernoldphoto.com

Photo: Jamie Wade Photography

SPECIAL EVENTS THE EVENT

19th Annual Kitchen Tour

Join us at our downtown dance party to benefit The Music Hall. Last year, we partied onstage to the sounds of DJ Logic!

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.

Friday, November 20, 2009 • 8pm

“I am constantly asked when we’re doing our next Event. People want a place to dance!” - Joanne Francis, Portsmouth Brewery

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Saturday, May 1, 2010 • 10am - 3pm

“The Music Hall’s Kitchen Tour is all about fantastic kitchens” – New Hampshire Home Magazine

“this meticulously restored theater holds its own with the best venues in Boston...” – YANKEE MAGAZINE

Photo: Dan Gair/BlindDogPhoto.com

MEMBERSHIP

Members make the difference!

Who…

...has the opportunity to purchase the best seats?

...is the first to know about upcoming events?

...gets discounts on Music Hall special events?

...has the chance to meet select artists?

...attends Scene@Five, our monthly art happening?

...gets discounts at local shops and restaurants?

Members.

Members join to support culture on the Seacoast – bringing the best films and performing arts to the Seacoast is a big undertaking. Each year 100,000 patrons, including 20,000 school children, experience the arts in our theater. 500 volunteers devote their time and 175 businesses and corporations and 2,400 households contribute funds. All are passionately invested in the cultural health of our community.

Ticket sales cover only 60% of the cost of presenting shows...

Members join for the past…and the future - The Music Hall has been an important gathering place since 1878. Members take particular pride in the stewardship of this historic building in order to pass it on to future generations. In supporting The Music Hall, members are supporting the future cultural health of the Seacoast.

Join or renew your membership with a tax-deductible donation, and count yourself in. Use the order form below, or visit www.themusichall.org. For more information call (603)433-3100x28.

2009-2010 season ticket order form

The Music Hall Box Office Information 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Phone:

(603) 436-2400

Hours: 12 noon to 6pm, Monday - Saturday, closed most holidays.

On performance days - open until 30 minutes after curtain time.

For Sunday matinee performances - open at noon.

For Sunday evening performances - open at 4pm.

4 easy ways to order tickets:

By Phone: Online:

By Mail: In Person:

Address:

603-436-2400 www.themusichall.org fill out form and mail 28 Chestnut St.

Ticket Sales Tickets may be purchased in the following manner: Online:

At www.themusichall.org. Online purchases are subject to a $4 per ticket nonrefundable surcharge.

By phone: Call (603) 436-2400 and charge to your Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express card. Phone orders are subject to a $4 per ticket nonrefundable service fee (up to five tickets).

Mail completed forms to: The Music Hall Box Office 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801

By mail: With a completed order form to The Music Hall Box Office, 28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801.

In person:

BUY AS A MEMBER AND GET DISCOUNTED TICKETS!

MEMBERSHIP Levels and Benefits: • Opportunity to purchase tickets for Music Hall Presents performances before the general public • Home delivery of NOW @ The Music Hall • Receipt of e-newsletter • Season playbill recognition • Invitation to members-only special events • Discounts on Music Hall special event tickets • Discounts at local restaurants and merchants Advocate $75 – $149 Friend level benefits plus…

• 10% discount on Music Hall Presents performances • Two complimentary film passes

Discounts - Discounted tickets for most shows are available to members (Advocate level and above, see Membership/Benefits info at left), children (under 12), students, and senior citizens (age 60 and over).

Patron $500 – $999 Supporter level benefits plus…

Friend $40 – $74

Group Rates - Group rates may be available for certain performances. Call (603) 433-3100 x25 to make arrangements. Call early to ensure the best possible seating.

• Two complimentary tickets to a Music Hall Presents performance (up to $75)

Last Call Tickets - Where applicable, discounted tickets for Music Hall Presents performances may be purchased on a first come, first served basis at the box office, 15 minutes prior to curtain time.

Backer $1,000 – $2,499 Patron level benefits plus…

• Invitations to Writers on a New England Stage VIP receptions • 20% discount on Music Hall Presents performances • Two additional complimentary tickets to a Music Hall Presents performance – total of 4 (up to $150) • Two Advocate gift memberships

1

Contributor $150 – $274 Advocate level benefits plus…

Founder $2,500 – $4,999 Backer level benefits plus…

• Two additional complimentary film passes total of 4

• Spring sneak preview of upcoming season • Two additional Advocate gift memberships total of 4

Supporter $275 – $499 Contributor level benefits plus…

Stakeholder $5,000+ Founder level benefits plus…

• Two complimentary tickets for a Kids RULE! performance

• Invitation to Stakeholders’ Annual Round Table

Membership

o I am currently a Member of The Music Hall. o I would like to join, renew, or upgrade my membership at the following level: o Friend ($40 – $74) o Advocate ($75 – $149) o Contributor ($150 – $274)

o Patron ($500 – $999) o Backer ($1,000 – $2,499) o Founder ($2,500-$4,999)

o Supporter ($275 – $499)

o Stakeholder ($5,000+)

Gift Certificates - Available in any denomination at the box office, redeemable toward any Music Hall Presents performances.

Refunds & Exchanges - Tickets to Music Hall Presents performances may be returned no later than 48 hours before the event for a Music Hall credit only. Members will not be charged for this service. Non-members will be charged a $2 fee per ticket.

Within 48 hours of an event, tickets may be returned to the box office as a tax-deductible donation to The Music Hall.

If The Music Hall cancels or postpones a performance, a full refund of the printed ticket price will be available through the box office (phone and internet service fees are non-refundable). The Music Hall does not close for inclement weather, and does not give refunds or exchanges to those unable to attend an event because of weather. The Music Hall does everything in its power to remain open for all performances.

Parking - The Music Hall does not offer private parking, however a drop-off area located at the main entrance to the theater provides access to the lobby. The Portsmouth Parking Garage is located on Hanover Street (with additional entrances on Fleet and Ladd streets), a short walk to The Music Hall.

Disabled Access - The Music Hall is a multi-level historical facility. A staffed elevator provides direct access to the theater’s orchestra level of the auditorium and the concessions lobby on the second level. A limited amount of accessible seating is available to patrons with disabilities and their family or friends. Our staff makes every effort to assist and accommodate all patrons. The Music Hall is equipped with an FM assisted listening device available to patrons who are hard of hearing. A unisex accessible restroom is located on the street level. For specific ticket or access information, please call the box office at (603) 436-2400. One-month advance notice for sign language interpretation is requested. For individuals who do not use traditional print, please call to request large print or Braille formats. The Music Hall thanks the Rye Lions for providing a wheelchair for use by our patrons. Please make any special seating requests when ordering tickets.

All show dates and times are subject to change.

603.436.2400

Visit www.themusichall.org for more information.

NOTE: Ticket discounts apply to Advocate level and higher.

www.themusichall.org

Your information NAME ADDRESS

CITY/STATE/ZIP

PHONE – DAY

EMAIL ADDRESS (Address will not be shared with third parties)

EVENING

o Please mail my tickets to the above address

At the box office window at 28 Chestnut Street (cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, Discover & American Express).

o Please hold my tickets at the box office

We bring the world to Portsmouth!

Bring your group to The Music Hall!

For details, call the Box Office

11

EDUCATION

@ The Music Hall

“These opportunities are priceless...”

– Russ Grazier Jr., Executive Director, Portsmouth Music and Arts Center

School Days Series and Masters in Learning As the Seacoast’s largest performing arts classroom, we strive to educate “students” of all ages including lifelong learners, and serve more than 20,000 school children annually.

Our 15-year old School Days Series welcomes children from 80 local schools to affordable high caliber matinee performances. Our Masters in Learning program offers in-depth, highimpact educational opportunities – customarily enjoyed in larger metropolitan areas – which include master classes and performances with world-renowned Grammy, Pulitzer, Tony Award-winning artists, panel discussions, and “Meet the Master” opportunities.

2009-2010 season ticket order form

Tickets on sale to members Sat., May 30. On sale to the public Sat., June 27.

Performance

Date

Select Performances

Time

Cost

10%

20%

8:00PM

$65

$59

N/A

Intimately Yours: Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Thurs., Oct. 2, 2009

8:00PM

$34

$31

N/A

The Second City

Fri., Sept. 25, 2009

8:00PM

$30

$27

$24

Backer level members and above, please use the 20% discount price.

If you wish to purchase B or C seating, please contact the box office directly at 603-436-2400 or purchase online at www.themusichall.org.

A B

GOLD

A B

A

BALCONY

B

C

C B

B

B

B

B

GOLD

Qty

Cost

Qty

Qty

Cost

Qty

Cost

10%

20%

$59

N/A

N/A

N/A

$34

$31

N/A

N/A

N/A

$30

$27

$24

$27

$24

$65

Fri., Oct. 23, 2009

8:00PM

$37

$33

$30

$37

$33

$30

$33

$30

Fri., Nov. 6, 2009

2:00PM

$42

$38

$34

$42

$38

$34

$38

$34

Sat., Nov. 7, 2009

8:00PM

$42

$38

$34

$42

$38

$34

$38

$34

8:00PM

$33

$30

$26

$33

$30

$26

$30

$26

Striking 12 featuring GrooveLily

Sat., Dec. 5, 2009 Sun., Dec. 13, 2009

8:00PM

$34

$31

$27

$34

$31

$27

$31

$27

2:00PM

$44

$40

$35

$40

$36

$32

$36

$32

4:30PM

$44

$40

$35

$40

$36

$32

$36

$32

2:00PM

$43

$39

$34

$43

$39

$34

$39

$34

Natalie MacMaster: Christmas in Cape Bretton

Sun., Dec. 20, 2009

7:00PM

$43

$39

$34

$43

$39

$34

$39

$34

Messiah Sing!

Tues., Dec. 22, 2009

7:30PM

$14

$13

$11

$14

$13

$11

$13

$11

Joshua Bell

Thurs., Feb. 4, 2010

8:00PM

$80

$72

$64

$80

$72

$64

$72

$64

Monterey Jazz Festival

Wed., Feb. 10, 2010

7:30PM

$54

$49

$43

$54

$49

$43

$49

$43

Eliane Elias

Sun., Feb. 14, 2010

8:00PM

$30

$27

$24

$30

$27

$24

$27

$24

Umalali: Garifuna Women’s Project

Fri., Feb. 19, 2010

8:00PM

$28

$25

$22

$28

$25

$22

$25

$22

Solas

Sun., Mar. 14, 2010

7:00PM

$35

$32

$28

$35

$32

$28

$32

$28

Tao

Thurs., Mar. 25, 2010

7:30PM

$52

$47

$42

$46

$41

$37

$41

$37

Moscow Festival Ballet: Cinderella

Sun., Mar. 28, 2010

3:00PM

$52

$47

$42

$46

$41

$37

$41

$37

Paula Poundstone

Fri., April 9, 2010

8:00PM

$35

$32

$28

$35

$32

$28

$32

$28

Pilobolus

Fri., May 21, 2010

8:00PM

$52

$47

$42

$45

$41

$36

$41

$36

Kids RULE! (GOLD & A SEATING) B

Adult Non-member

Performance

A B

Date

Time

Adult Member

3

Child under 12

Fri., Nov. 27, 2009

B

A A

B

B

Qty

Senior/ Student

Cost (circle one)

BLiNK Magic Show

Holiday Pops

Advocate to Patron level members, please use the 10% discount price.

Adult Member

Cost (circle one)

Tues., June 2, 2009

Cirque Mechanics

Adult Non-Member

Member

Intimately Yours: Chris Botti

Diva Nation

3

A S E AT I N G

G O L D S E AT I N G

NonMember

The Music Hall Presents

Qty

Child under 12

Senior/Student

Cost (circle one) Cost

Qty

Qty

Cost

Subtotal ($)

Qty

Cost

10%

20%

Ralph’s World

Sun., Oct. 25, 2009

2:00PM

$22

$20

$18

$18

$18

BLiNK Magic Show

Sat., Nov. 28, 2009

11:00AM

$22

$20

$18

$18

$18

Circus Incognitus

Sat., May 8, 2010

2:00PM

$22

$20

$18

$18

$18

Qty

Subtotal ($)

ORCHESTRA The Met @ The Music Hall (RESERVED SEATING ONE PRICE)

Date

Time

Non-Member Cost

Qty

Member Cost (10%)

Age 18 & Under Cost

Qty

GOLD SEATS: The very best seats in the house, center orchestra and side aisle, front center balcony.

Tosca

Sat., Oct. 10, 2009

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

Aida

Sat., Oct. 24, 2009

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

A SEATS: Full view seats in the orchestra and balcony.

Turandot

Sat., Nov. 14, 2009

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

Les Contes d’Hoffman

Sat., Dec. 19, 2009

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

B SEATS: Sight lines affected by distant posts or slight angular view of the stage.

Der Rosenkavalier

Sat., Jan. 9, 2010

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

Carmen

Sat., Jan. 16, 2010

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

C SEATS: Behind posts or increased angular view of the stage.

Simon Boccanegra

Sat., Feb. 6, 2010

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

Hamlet

Sat., Mar. 27, 2010

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

Armida

Sat., May 1, 2010

1:00PM

$27.50

$24.50

$15

Select Payment

o Check enclosed (payable to The Music Hall) o VISA o MC o American Express o Discover

CARD NUMBER

EXPIRATION DATE

Writers on a New England Stage (RESERVED SEATING ONE PRICE)

Time

Non-Member Cost

Writers on a New England Stage: E.L. Doctorow

Wed., Sept. 30, 2009

7:30PM

$13

$11

Writers on a New England Stage: Tracy Kidder

Mon., Oct. 19, 2009

7:30PM

$13

$11

Writers on a New England Stage: Barbara Kingsolver

Tues., Nov. 3, 2009

7:30PM

$13

$11

Writers on a New England Stage: Jodi Picoult

Wed., March 31, 2010

7:30PM

$13

$11

Time

Weekend Pass Cost

SIGNATURE

Date

Date

Telluride by the Sea

Fri. - Sun., Sept. 18-20, 2008

TBA

$85

Qty

Qty

Member Cost

Patron Pass Cost

music • theatre • dance • cinema

Subtotal ($)

Qty

Subtotal ($)

Qty

Subtotal ($)

$200

MaiL your completed ticket order to: The Music Hall Box Office 28 Chestnut Street Portsmouth, NH 03801

Qty

Show Total Only 60% of our live event expenses are covered by ticket sales – MEMBERS make the difference!

Membership Total

Grand Total

www.themusichall.org