April 2011 NOW by The Music Hall

NOW

T h e M u s i c H a l l ’s M o n t h l y M a g a z i n e

Shows at The Music Hall Loft are on sale now!

April 2011

Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre Sunday, April 10 2pm & 7pm

Stew and the Negro Problem

“Funniest circus act I’ve ever seen” – JAY LENO, THE TONIGHT SHOW

Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre

Sunday, April 10 • 2pm & 7pm • Tickets: $25, $17

Jennifer Egan

i s r e t Wri

It’s the world-famous pet circus on stage at The Music Hall! Former Moscow Circus star Greg Popovich and his entourage of furry fourlegged performers bring their family-oriented blend of unique physical comedy, juggling, balancing skills and the extraordinary talents of the 26 performing pets – 16 cats and 10 dogs – all which have been rescued from animal shelters. Watch for special guest performers – ferrets, white rats, and trained doves. Bring the family! SPONSORS: Dos Amigos Burritos; Me & Ollie’s; Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital; Treehouse Toys; WERZ

Super Secret Project

Also in this issue... Rebirth Brass Band

Box Office 603.436.2400

Russian National Ballet: Swan Lake

20th Annual Kitchen Tour: Portsmouth, NH

www.themusichall.org

Wildcard Movie: Kings of Pastry

28 Chestnut Street • Portsmouth, NH

NOW

APRIL 2011

@ the music hall

A n A m e r i c a n Tr e a s u r e f o r t h e A r t s Barney's Version

live events april

SPONSOR: Clear Eye Photo

RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET: SWAN LAKE

REBIRTH BRASS BAND

MEMBERS! Join us for our annual member party and sneak peek of the Loft after Rebirth Brass Band. See back page for info.

Friday, April 8 • 8pm • Tickets: $32, $20

If it’s Spring, it’s time for ballet at The Music Hall! The Russian National Ballet was founded in Moscow during the late 1980s, a transitional period when many ballet institutions were exercising new-found creative freedom by starting vibrant new dance companies dedicated not only to the timeless tradition of classical Russian Ballet, but to invigorating this tradition. Composed by Tchaikovsky and premiered in 1877, this popular ballet is the story of a princess turned into a swan by a sorcerer’s curse.

It’s a New Orleans funk brass band party at The Music Hall! The nine-piece band features trumpets, trombones and saxophone backed by bass and snare drums. Best known for combining traditional New Orleans brass band music with funk, soul and hiphop, the band was discovered at the 1982 New Orleans Jazz + Heritage Festival. When they appeared on our stage in a Celebrate New Orleans performance, they nearly stole the show! Don’t miss this!

SPONSORS: Capezio Ballet Dance Foundation; New Hampshire Public Radio

PASSING STRANGE

4/7 @ 7pm • NOT RATED • 135 • USA • 1 SHOW ONLY!

RABBIT HOLE Rated PG13 • 91min • US • 4/1 - 4/6 daily @ 7pm • No show 4/3 • Discussion follows 4/5 show Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning play by David Lindsay-Abaire. A vivid, hopeful, honest and witty portrait of a family searching for what remains possible in the most impossible of all situations. Becca and Howie Corbett (Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) return to their everyday existence in the wake of a shocking, sudden loss. Also stars Dianne Wiest, Tammy Blanchard, Miles Teller, Giancarlo Esposito, Jon Tenney and Sandra Oh. "Kidman in Rabbit Hole is a revelation." – NEW YORK MAGAZINE

THE WAY BACK

RATED PG13 • 133min • USA • 4/9 - 4/13 daily @ 7pm • No show 4/10 Six-time Oscar nominee Peter Weir directs this epic story of survival, solidarity and indomitable human will. Starring Ed Harris (Appaloosa) and Colin Farrell (In Bruges) as prisoners of a Soviet Union labor camp who flee their Siberian Gulag and begin a treacherous journey across thousands of miles of hostile terrain. “grueling, inspiring, astonishing to look at. You come out feeling you've traveled half the planet." – BOSTON GLOBE

KIDS RULE!: Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole PG • 95mins • US • 4/17 @2pm • One show only! Acclaimed filmmaker Zack Snyder (300, Watchmen) makes his animation debut with this fantasy family adventure based on the beloved books by Kathryn Lasky. Young owl Soren is enthralled by his father's epic stories of the Guardians of Ga' Hoole, a mythic band of winged warriors who had fought a great battle to save all of owl kind from the evil Pure Ones.

Kids RULE

MR. TER BUS

“The animation itself is startlingly beautiful, as is the ancient owl world it imagines." - LA TIMES

"Rebirth can be precise whenever it wants to, but it’s more like a party than a machine.” – NEW YORK TIMES SPONSORS: The 106 Kitchen & Bar; IOS Business Centers

With Stew and Heidi of Stew and the Negro Problem coming to The Music Hall Loft on April 16 for Live @ The Loft, we wanted to bring in a teaser film: Spike Lee’s documentation of Passing Strange, a tour-de-force of creative collaboration and inspiration. Capturing Stew’s eponymous Tony-winning Broadway musical live using multiple cameras, including backstage, Lee unites revelatory theater with superb filmmaking.

Sunday, April 3 • 4pm • Tickets: $50-$20

extraordinary cinema

“a cut above its rivals” – WASHINGTON POST

BIUTIFUL

RATED R • 148min • MEXICO • 4/17 - 4/21 daily @ 7pm Javier Bardem stars in this love story between a father and his children. Uxbal struggles to reconcile fatherhood, love, spirituality, crime, guilt and mortality amidst the dangerous underworld of modern Barcelona. His livelihood is earned out of bounds, his sacrifices for his children know no bounds. In Spanish with subtitles. “[Director] Gonzalez Inarritu creates a feeling of raw, sprawling intimacy.” – NY TIMES

POETRY A 60-something woman, faced with a crippling medical diagnosis and the discovery of a heinous family crime, finds strength and purpose when she enrolls in a poetry class. Lee Chang-dong's follow-up to his acclaimed Secret Sunshine is a masterful study of the subtle empowerment – and moral compass – of an older woman. Winner of Best Screenplay at Cannes. In Korean with subtitles.

Kings of Pastry 4/28

“a tour de force of emotional complexity.” – NEW YORK TIMES

BARNEY'S VERSION Rated R • 134min • CAN • 4/29 - 5/5 daily @ 7pm • 2pm matinee 5/1 • Discussion follows 5/3 show Take a ride through the life and memories of Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti), a hard-drinking, cigar-smoking, foulmouthed 65-year old hockey fanatic and television producer, as he reflects on his life's successes and (numerous) gaffes and failures as the final chapters of his own existence come sharply into focus. With Dustin Hoffman, Minnie Driver and Rosamund Pike. “A master acting class, courtesy of Paul Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman.” – RICHARD ROEPER

Sat., May 7 10am-3pm

EARTH DAY 4/22 @ 7pm • NOT RATED • 1 SHOW ONLY! Celebrate Earth Day with an evening of environmental and adventure films. A national selection of short films documenting the splendor of, and the challenges facing our planet in addition to the work communities are doing to protect our environment. These fun, beautiful, and evocative shorts will inspire, educate, and move you to change the world! Panel discussion lead by local experts follows. In partnership with the Southeast Land Trust of New Hampshire. EVENING SPONSORS: Clif Bar; Grist; Klean

Kanteen; Osprey; Patagonia; Sierra Nevada

Kings of Pastry

4/28 @ 7pm • NOT Rated • 87min • NETHERLANDS • 1 SHOW ONLY!

NOT Rated • 139min • SOUTH KOREA • 4/23 - 4/27 daily @ 7pm • 2pm matinee 4/24 • Discussion follows 4/26 show

Wildcard Movie:

Wild and Scenic Film Festival

In conjunction with our 20th Annual Kitchen Tour, we present a film which takes us into the kitchen as 16 contenders seek the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France ("MOF"), France's highest honor in the sublime art of patisserie, employing vast amounts of sugar, butter and eggs – not to mention adrenaline – to create gorgeous, fantastical, delicious creations. It's a suspenseful quest for artistic perfection – brimming with passion, sacrifice, disappointment, and joy – to become one of the Kings of Pastry. In English and French with subtitles. "No one should dare watch this film on even a half-empty stomach." – LA TIMES

WILDCARD SERIES SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Cocked Hat Ventures, LLC; WSCA 106.1 FM; Homewood Suites by Hilton in Portsmouth, NH; Fosters Daily Democrat

A benefit for The Music Hall

Portsmouth, NH Peek into our dream kitchens, from sleek to historic, and get inspired about the heart of your home! Tickets: $20 members, $23 non-members, $25 day of tour;$75 Gourmet Ticket, see website for details. Tickets available now and on day of tour: The Music Hall Box Office 20th Anniversary Sponsor: Dovetailed Kitchens, Inc. Gourmet Sponsor: Kennebunk Savings Bank Presenting Sponsors: Coastal Home Magazine; Construction Services of NH; Exciting Windows! by Verticals Etc.; D.F. Richard, The Harbor Lights, Lamprey Brothers; The Lighting Center at Rockingham Electric Leading Sponsor: Advanced Solar Protection; Avery Insurance; Clear Channel; Dann Norris Batting Architect; Portico Fine Tile and Design Photo: www.gregwestphotography.com

Friday, April 15 • 8pm • Tickets: $30, $23 50 years of funny: sketch comedy and improvisation delighting audiences for half a century. Taking its name from A.J. Liebling’s tongue in cheek reference to Chicago, The Second City has grown to be the most famous brand in live comedy with a to-die-for roster of alumni from Tina Fey to Alan Arkin. Hilarious, spontaneous, topical and insightful – don’t miss this return engagement! “A temple of satire”– New York Times SPONSORS: Barbara Henry; DTC Lawyers; New Hampshire Public Radio; TMS Architects

Box Office 603.436.2400

t h e m e t @ t h e m u si c h al l

Champagne, chocolate and the original Opera Box Lunch – superlative amenities at your local, independent theatre! LE COMTE ORY (ROSSINI)

CAPRICCIO (R. STRAUSS)

IL TROVATORE (VERDI)

Saturday, April 9 • 1pm Tickets: $27.50; 18 & under $15

Saturday, April 23 • 1pm Tickets: $27.50; 18 & under $15

Saturday, April 30 • 1pm Tickets: $27.50; 18 & under $15

Rossini’s vocally dazzling comedy soars with bel canto sensation Juan Diego Flórez in the title role of this Met premiere production.

Renée Fleming dazzled audiences when she sang Capriccio’s final scene on Opening Night of the 2008–09 season. Now she sings Strauss’s entire diva showcase, with Andrew Davis conducting.

David McVicar’s popular production returns with Patricia Racette, Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Željko Lucic.

“the most beautiful love music [Rossini] ever wrote.” – Director Bartlett Sher

SERIES SPONSORS:

EVENING SPONSORS: Beswick Engineering Company, Inc.; RiverWoods at Exeter; Tate + Foss Sotheby's International Realty

www.themusichall.org Box Office 603-436-2400 www.themusichall.org

NOW

@ the music hall

APRIL calendar of events

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

27 The Music Hall Presents

28 The Music Hall Presents

SCHOOL DAYS SERIES PRESENTS GIGGLE, GIGGLE, QUACK 9:30AM & 11:30AM

GAELIC STORM 7:00PM

3 The Music Hall Presents

WRITERS ON A NE STAGE:

JOYCE CAROL OATES

extraordinary cinema

SOMEWHERE

7:30PM

7:00PM

extraordinary cinema

RABBIT HOLE

4:00PM

7:00PM

10 The Music Hall Presents

RABBIT HOLE 7:00PM CORPORATE SPONSORS: 2011-2012 SNEAK PEEK 5:00PM

7:00PM

HISTORIC TOUR 5:30PM

THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL BALLET: SWAN LAKE

extraordinary cinema

RABBIT HOLE

7:00PM

SCHOOL DAYS SERIES PRESENTS BEAKMAN ON THE BRAIN 9:30AM AT THE MUSIC HALL LOFT: MT. WASHINGTON OBSERVATORY FILM: BRUSH & PEN... 6:30PM Wildcard Movie

7:00PM

PASSING STRANGE

extraordinary cinema

LIVE @ THE MUSIC HALL LOFT:

RABBIT HOLE 7:00PM

BUFFALO TOM

8 The Music Hall Presents

8:00PM & 9:30PM

THE MET @ THE MUSIC HALL:

LE COMTE ORY 1PM extraordinary cinema

THE WAY BACK 7:00PM

REBIRTH BRASS BAND 8:00PM

LIVE @ THE MUSIC HALL LOFT:

Post-show Member Party!

7PM

FRAZEY FORD 8PM & 9:30PM

15 The Music Hall Presents

WRITERS IN THE MUSIC HALL LOFT:

ANDRE DUBUS III - SOLD OUT!

POPOVICH'S PET CIRCUS

extraordinary cinema

2:00PM & 7:00PM The Music Hall Loft Community Open House, 2pm-8pm

THE WAY BACK

7:00PM

SEACOAST MEDIA GROUP PRESENTS THE SPOTLIGHT AWARDS 7:00PM

extraordinary cinema

7:00PM

THE WAY BACK 7:00PM

ARTBEAT, INC. PRESENTS IN THE MOOD 3:00PM & 7:30PM

THE SECOND CITY

LIVE @ THE MUSIC HALL LOFT:

8:00PM

STEW & the Negro Problem 8:00PM & 9:30PM

23 THE MET @ THE MUSIC HALL:

Kids RULE! Movie

LEGENDS OF THE GUARDIANS

CAPRICCIO 1PM

2:00PM

extraordinary cinema

BIUTIFUL

7:00PM

BIUTIFUL

7:00PM

extraordinary cinema

POETRY 7:00PM

Wildcard Movie

7:00PM

Wild and scenic film festival 7PM

LIVE @ THE MUSIC HALL LOFT:

28 The Music Hall Presents

PATTY LARKIN 8PM & 9:30PM

THE MET @ THE MUSIC HALL:

IL TROVATORE 1PM

extraordinary cinema extraordinary cinema

extraordinary cinema

Wildcard Movie

POETRY

Kings of Pastry

2:00PM & 7:00PM

7:00PM

7PM

BARNEY'S VERSION 7:00PM C U R R E N TS @ THE M U S I C HA LL LO F T:

SUPER SECRET PROJECT 7PM & 9PM

Box Office 603.436.2400 • www.themusichall.org

extraordinary cinema

BARNEY'S VERSION 7:00PM C U R R E N TS @ THE M U S I C HA LL LO F T:

SUPER SECRET PROJECT 7PM

Show & Tell: Post-show film discussion with Paul Goodwin

Enjoy the benefits.

PAID

portsmouth, nh permit no. 202

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

Photo by Gary Langley/Blind Dog Photography

ANNUAL MEMBER PARTY & LOFT SNEAK PEEK

Hey Members!

Friday, April 8th: ALL members are invited to a party at The Music Hall Loft immediately following the Rebirth Brass Band performance on Friday night, April 8th. Meet the band. Have a beverage. Enjoy snacks from 106 Kitchen & Bar. Check out the newly opened Music Hall Loft: Center for Performing Arts, Literature and Education. The party begins when the concert ends at approximately 9:30pm. If you would like to purchase tickets to Rebirth Brass Band contact the Box Office at (603) 436-2400, or order online at themusichall.org. RSVP to Lauren Lenox by April 5th, so we can properly prepare for the group: llenox@themusichall.org or (603) 433-3100 x3014.

Community Open House @ The Music Hall Loft Sunday, April 10 • 2-8pm Admission: Free

David McCullough Thurs., June 23

Tickets for both shows on sale to members 4/1. On sale to public 4/15.

The Music Hall thanks our American Treasure Sponsor Writers on a New England Stage:

Jennifer Egan Mon., May 16

Writers in the Loft:

Become a member.

JUST ANNOUNCED!

28 Chestnut Street, Portsmouth, NH 03801

Support The Music Hall.

NOW

@ the music hall

Share in the magic.

Or renew your membership today!

This was printed on an FSC Certified paper containing 25% post-consumer waste. FSC Certification ensures responsible use of forest resources.

The Music Hall is a 501c3 tax exempt, fiscally responsible nonprofit, managed by a professional staff with the assistance of a dedicated volunteer Board of Trustees.

Box Office: 603.436.2400

TICKETS on sale NOW!

All tickets on sale at The Music Hall Box Office in the historic theater 28 Chestnut Street and online at themusichall.org. All Loft shows are 18+.

ENJOY GOURMET FOOD & COCKTAILS AT EACH SEAT “modern and sleek”

– Jeanne McCartin, Portsmouth Herald

“Heaven”

– Rachel Forrest, Portsmouth Herald

If you like Intimately Yours, you'll love Live @ the Loft! Whether you come to the broadcast or the late-night set, you're going to have the time of

your life!

STEW AND THE NEGRO PROBLEM

Saturday, April 16 • 8pm broadcast; 9:30pm late-night set • Tickets: $25; $22

Jackie Gleason meets Kurt Weill meets Burt Bacharach. Stew and partner Heidi Rodewald present rock theater tracing their careers from dive-rock clubs to the Great White Way. Best known for their Broadway musical, Passing Strange. See Spike Lee's film version April 7! “a fascinating and hilarious stage show” – Seattle Examiner

Ever wanted to be on the radio live with some of the hippest, coolest singer-songwriters with music wizard Bob Lord as your host, well you can! Watch as Live@the Loft brings incredible concerts to Portsmouth, with you in the room, in the know, and everyone else listening to the broadcast. Brought to you by The Music Hall and NHPR. More of a night owl? Get a ticket Series sponsor: to the 9:30 show and then hang out with the artists after.

BUFFALO TOM Saturday April 2 • 8pm broadcast; 9:30pm late-night set Tickets: Table seats $22; Fixed seats $18

FRAZEY FORD Saturday, April 9 • 8pm broadcast; 9:30pm late-night set Tickets: Table seats $22; Fixed seats $18

PATTY LARKIN Saturday, April 23 • 8pm broadcast; 9:30pm late-night set Tickets Table seats $22; Fixed seats $18

With pummeling rock and aching ballads, this band masters sharp and poignant songwriting on its eighth CD, Skins.

This rising star, Vancouver singer songwriter, infuses Americana with soul and gospel on her debut solo CD, Obadiah.

Inventive guitar wizardry, uncompromising vocals and lyrics. Patty is touring behind her latest CD, 25.

“An alternative rock treasure – distinctly Boston." – BOSTON PHOENIX

“Folk Music’s New Queen" – THE DAILY BEAST

“a drop-dead brilliant performer" – PERFORMING SONGWRITER EVENING SPONSOR: Barbara Henry

in s r e t i Wr Akin to The Music Hall’s anchor author series, Writers on a New England Stage, Writers in the Loft features best selling authors in a smaller, more intimate space. Produced as a partnership between The Music Hall and RiverRun Bookstore with Presenting Sponsor Citizens Bank, the series will bring audiences today’s top writers, the best of fiction and nonfiction.

Andre Dubus III – SOLD OUT! Wednesday, April 13 • 7pm

EVENING SPONSOR: Sandy Domina, Olde Port Properties

JENNIFER EGAN Monday, May 16 • 7pm Package: $29, $26 (members), includes reserved seat, A Visit from the Goon Squad (trade paperback $14.95), bar beverage, author presentation, Q+A, and book signing meet-and-greet. The bestselling author of The Keep presents her latest novel, A Visit From the Goon Squad, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award – an honor just announced!

A curated series of music, spoken word, dance, comedy and integrated arts aims to deepen audience experiences with top notch regional artists.

"Don't miss these viral video black belts!" – Chris Curtis, Film & Outreach Coordinator Super Secret Project Friday, April 29 • 7pm & 9pm AND Saturday, April 30 • 7pm • Tickets: Table seats $23; Fixed seats $19 Following the success of last year’s show in the historic theatre, Super Secret Project returns with its multimedia comedy show featuring classics and their latest material. The self-described “comedy trio hell-bent on conquering the internet” is known for such viral spoof hits as "Granite State of Mind" and "Middle Class in the USA." Hit the Decks! Portsmouth's decks are officially open April 29!

www.themusichall.org

Here&Now

The Music Hall in the Seacoast Community

Spotlight on Rental Partners in the Music Hall Loft by KATHLEEN SOLDATI, Director of Marketing Mt. Washington Observatory

What is it about Portsmouth that makes this ideal and how does partnering with The Music Hall help? Scot: With such easy access to the White Mountains, the Seacoast region is full of people who hike, ski, and paddle “up north.” The nonprofit Mount Washington Observatory enjoys tremendous support from members and donors in the greater Portsmouth area, and we hope to boost our presence in the Seacoast over the next few years. Guitarist Bryan Bergeron Killough performing at PMAC's Jazz Night.

Kent Stephens, Founding and Artistic Director, Harbor Light Stage While many of our staff have worked with you and you’ve participated in other things here, this our first collaboration. How does The Music Hall Loft’s downtown Congress Street location spark your plans and imagination?

Editor’s note: This spring we’ll be working with three organizations, The Mount Washington Observatory, Portsmouth Music and Arts Academy (PMAC), and Harbor Light Stage. I’ve asked their leadership to sit in a roundtable to discuss what attracts them to The Music Hall Loft. Doug Nelson, board member at The Music Hall and The Mt. Washington Observatory You got this partnership rolling, what was it that made you think this would be great fit to open our Rental Partner program at The Loft? Doug: Both The Music Hall and the Mt. Washington Observatory are iconic regional institutions with friends and supporters in a wide geographic area. The synergies of the two organizations seem like a natural fit to me; I am very excited about the Seacoast premiere of the PBS documentary Brush & Pen, Artists & Writers in the White Mountains, a project which honors the creative genius of those artists and writers who came to New Hampshire to celebrate our natural environment. The Loft is the perfect place to present this event. Scot Henley, Executive Director, Mt. Washington Observatory Scot, this is going to be a new type of event for your organization in Portsmouth – combining a reception at the Banks Gallery and a presentation in The Loft.

Top 10

Russ Grazier, Executive Director, PMAC Russ, we’ve collaborated with you over the years – what do you think the Music Hall Loft will bring to your organization and the community? Russ: The opening of the Music Hall Loft will further enrich an already vibrant history of collaboration between The Music Hall and PMAC. Together, we have been able to inspire the youth of the Seacoast with unique educational workshops that introduce music students to many of the world's top performers. Having access to this new educational facility and performance space creates unique opportunities to provide community youth with interactive clinics, workshops with guest artists who are visiting Portsmouth to perform on The Music Hall stage. The Music Hall Loft also provides a chance for PMAC students to go behind the scenes of a working theater to learn about production and the creative economy, opening doors to future careers in the entertainment industry. We’re looking forward to many magical collaborations in the new space!

things to do in The Music Hall Loft

Denise Poirier and Blair Hundertmark in Harbor Light Stage's SHOOTING STAR, directed by Kent Stephens

Kent: We immediately saw in the Loft a space that would have a dynamic relationship with the downtown life of Portsmouth. We love its transparency, accessibility, and its hip style that will attract new audiences who may not be regular theater goers. We picked Love Song for a lot of reasons (first and foremost because it is a stunningly beautiful and very funny play!), but prominent among those was a "Loft" script: edgy but warm; something that grabs you by the collar, only to hurtle you into joy; brain food that you can laugh and cry over while splitting the Artist's Chocolate box. How do you think the off-Broadway experience you are offering at Harbor Light Stage will work in the Loft? Kent: Love Song is an American play that met with great acclaim from London critics, but has yet to have a major New York City production. As we often do with our ongoing reading series, we're introducing a script that's going places, that will give the audience bragging rights – and for that reason will work perfectly with the Loft, which is all about encouraging audiences to try something new and different.

1. Artist’s Chocolate Box 2. See Stew in Live broadcast

3. Catch Patty Larkin in her late night show 4. Check out Opera Circle on April 27

5. Try a specialty drink 6. Groove to the hip Loft vibe 7. Grab your friends and get a table seat

8. Show your friends from NYC that Portsmouth really does have it all 9. Bohemian Picnic + specialty beer at your seat at Frazey Ford

10. Take kids to Popovich…and the Community Open House April 10 – make a day of it in Portsmouth! Box Office 603.436.2400