Autumn 2011 NOW Quarterly by The Music Hall

NOW The Music Hallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Quarterly Magazine

Autumn 2011

Lily

Tomlin's

Music Hall Debut Artist Interview page 21 plus, our new comedy series

PORTSMOUTH LOVES FILM!

Telluride by the Sea and NH Film Festival pages 4 & 15

MARTHA CLARKE's NEW DANCE PRODUCTION pages 8 & 13

JUST ANNOUNCED

Chris Matthews paula poundstone & more

page 3

NOW

Fall. I love the way Portsmouth smells and feels this time of year, the harvest moon, how the fog whispers down historic streets and alleyways. It’s a time for relishing our friends and families, and all that this special place has to offer. I can't wait for apple picking, harvest grill nights, taking in the foliage while walking through Strawbery Banke Museum, the Portsmouth Halloween Parade, and Restaurant Week. I’ve been thinking a lot about the word "flourish," and how being in the moment and appreciating what you have is key. This fall, I think it’s going to be very hard not to want what we have to offer you, our members and friends. Lily Tomlin and Paula Poundstone will make us laugh, Stephen Greenblatt will make us think, the Kings of Salsa will get our juices flowing, Madeleine Peyroux will put us under her spell. I'm excited to marvel at the soul-inspiring illumination of New England Shaker life in Martha Clarke's internationally acclaimed dance production, Angel Reapers, on October 22, and to bring my whole family to the Historic Theater on Thanksgiving weekend for Squirm Burpee Circus. The Music Hall connects us, and provides opportunities to laugh, mark special occasions, share the magic, and develop our—and our children's—imaginations. That's what flourishing is about. I look forward to spending our harvest season together. Please enjoy this new issue of NOW – here’s to living large and living local this autumn!

PATRICIA LYNCH

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/PUBLISHER

“ I look

forward to spending our harvest season together.” 1

Portsmouth photo: Ralph Morang/NewEnglandPhoto.net. Patricia Lynch photo: PernoldPhoto.com

AUTUMN

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011

Autumn 2011

2 Contributors 3 Just Announced 4 Telluride by the Sea

New shows added to our lineup!

Music Hall board member Kate Murray talks about why she loves Telluride by the Sea and the Patron Pass.

5 September Show Listings

EDITOR's PICK

Getting to Portsmouth Forget planes, trains, and automobiles. Take the bus! That’s my advice to NYC friends planning to visit the Seacoast. Specifically: C&J’s new non-stop executive coach between NYC and Portsmouth. I speak from experience. After moving to New Hampshire from The Big Apple more than 20 years ago, I’ve tried every possible means of transportation back and forth. Since C&J announced its new nonstop service, I’ve taken the bus twice, and found it reliable, comfortable, and stress-free. There is daily non-stop service for $75. Riding time is five hours depending on traffic, with Seacoast stops in Durham and Portsmouth. From the outside, it looks like the typical C&J bus, but the inside is a different story, with about 30 spacious seats (solo travelers should arrive early to snag a seat in the single row!); free wi-fi; electrical outlets at each seat; pillows and blankets; and a galley at the back with coffee, cold drinks, and a variety of complimentary snacks such as yogurt, fruit, and chips. Tell your New York friends to book early for Telluride by the Sea and other holiday weekends in Portsmouth! – REGINA BARABAN

“New England's most appealing city.” - Miami Herald

Visit Us The Music Hall campus is located in historic downtown Portsmouth minutes from Market Square in the center of town. Plan an easy daytrip, a fabulous weekend getaway, or a longer memorable vacation. Purchase your tickets at our box office; review the list of our hotel sponsors to make your reservations (many are located right downtown); and set your course for this vibrant historic seaport. Once you arrive, ditch the car and get ready to stroll this walkable city; dine in any of our great restaurants; and catch your show at either our Historic Theater on Chestnut or our new intimate Loft around the corner on Congress. After the show, drink in the downtown nightlife before turning in for the night or heading back home dreaming of your next visit to The Music Hall and Portsmouth. Easy to get to, impossible to forget!

Our new FILM MATTERS series kicks off with Beginning this fall, the high quality documentaries followed by a panel discussion and Q&A that have become the mainstay of the Wildcard Movie series are getting a series all their own!

Portsmouth photo top right: PernoldPhoto.com

Film Matters: Global Issues, Local Resources will bring the same caliber of interactive film experience that you have come to know and love, such as with Waiting for Superman followed by a panel of local education professionals, and Food Inc., followed by a panel of area experts involved with local food sourcing, slow-food, and sustainability. You may still see a Wildcard Movie pop up here and there—the rare, random, and relevant one-night-only films that are too good to let slip by. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17: Our Film Matters series kicks off with For the Next 7 Generations, a documentary about the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, women elders from around the world who have joined together to work towards a brighter future. Hopi Grandmother Mona Polacca will join us after the film to facilitate the discussion of the Grandmothers Council’s vision for healing our planet. Wildcard & Film Matters SERIES SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Cocked Hat Ventures, LLC; Fosters Daily Democrat; WSCA 106.1 Portsmouth Community Radio

13 indigenous grandmothers

weaving a world that works TheMusicHall.org

NOW

OCTOBER 2011 As Martha Clarke’s new dance production Angel Reapers prepares to take the stage, Patricia Lynch talks with Funi Burdick, Executive Director of Canterbury Shaker Village, about how the Shakers’ unique vision of beauty and place endures in modern times. Discover Shaker Life Don’t miss the interactive discussion, Discover Shaker Life, at The Music Hall Loft on Tuesday, October 11 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm—before the breathtaking dance and theater piece, Angel Reapers (10/22), by the legendary Martha Clarke and Pulitzer Prize winner Alfred Uhry. Based on the life of Shaker founder Ann Lee (1736-1784), a visionary mystic and powerful spiritual leader, Angel Reapers is a mesmerizing montage of dramatic content and theatrical dance. Led by Shelburne Museum Curator Jean Burks—formerly the curator for Canterbury Shaker Village and the author of three books on Shaker furniture—Discover Shaker Life will open a window onto the utopian society of the New England Shakers. Burks will examine the nuances of Shaker life in a presentation with takeaways for those familiar with the Shakers as well as for those just learning about their unique society—with Shaker objects on hand lent from Canterbury Shaker Village. Another great Explore + Learn program from The Music Hall! Tickets: $10.00, on sale to members 8/19, non-members 9/2. 8

NOW

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Shaker Inspiration in Canterbury—and at The Music Hall A Community Partner with The Music Hall, Canterbury Shaker Village in Canterbury, NH is a National Historic Landmark dedicated to preserving the 200-year legacy of the Canterbury Shakers and to providing visitors a place to learn about the lives, ideals, values, and history through tours, programs, exhibits, research, and publications. It captures their unique heritage in 25 restored original buildings, four reconstructed buildings, and nearly 700 acres of forests, fields, gardens, nature trails, and mill ponds. This autumn is the perfect time to visit, before Martha Clarke’s Angel Reapers dance performance on October 22. Get inspired by a singular vision of New England history—read on for Patricia Lynch's interview with Funi Burdick. NOW: What do you think accounts for the enduring beauty of Shaker buildings, furniture, and music? FB: “Beauty rests on utility,” the Shaker adage goes. The Shaker’s every endeavor seemed to express an aesthetic economy of line, form, and function. They embraced spiritual order as a guiding principle and we see it reflected today in the simple clean lines of their furniture, the logical organization of their buildings, and even the unadorned melodies of their music. NOW: I’ve heard Canterbury Shaker Village described as one of the most beautiful spots in Northern New England. Why do people say that? FB: It’s no accident that our visitors leave with a sense of this place’s singular beauty. The Shakers of Canterbury purposefully sculpted their environment to function as a reflection of heaven on earth, replete with inspiring views and appealingly rational organization. The way the green, rolling hills precede the first vista of the far-off dwellings, the way the sun sets over the Meeting House, or the way the snow first melts over the granite walkways before the spring—all aspects of the Village seem unified in this enduring vision of beauty and peace. NOW: I’m wondering if a field trip to Canterbury this fall might be a perfect warm-up to Angel Reapers. How far is it from Portsmouth? FB: Anyone going to Angel Reapers would really benefit from taking the short, 50-mile drive for a more complete picture of the fullness and beauty of the Shaker lifestyle and the nourishing environment they fostered. What a lucky opportunity this New Hampshire audience has to be able to bring personal interpretations of Shaker life to the stage production, having themselves visited the spaces in which the Shakers worked, lived, and struggled. NOW: What are you looking forward to most about Angel Reapers? FB: Seeing how Uhry and Clarke derive a collection of modern narratives from their study of Shaker ideals and practices, and then in turn express Shaker sensibilities of rhythm and form through dance and movement. It’s going to be a powerful, aesthetic experience! – PATRICIA LYNCH

get r ticket for Angel Reapers and last ! Angel Reapers Perk! Buy you plies sup hile —w Life ker Sha complimentary admission to Discover

“An enigmatic personal style that is all her own” – NY TIMES

MADELEINE PEYROUX

Tuesday, October 4 • 7:30pm Historic Theater • Tickets: $44, $32 Opener: Nellie McKay Known for intimately arranged covers of early American blues and jazz standards, Madeleine Peyroux carries her jazz sensibilities as she moves into new rootsier territory as a songwriter. She returns to The Music Hall with her band touring behind their June release, Standin’ on the Rooftop.

SERIES SPONSORS:

EVENING SPONSORS: Clear Eye Photo; The Provident Bank; Weyland Capital Management

CHRIS BOHJALIAN

Thursday, October 6 • 7pm • Music Hall Loft Ticket package: $39, $36 members

Includes reserved seat, book ($25), bar beverage; and author presentation, Q&A, and book signing meet-and-greet The author of New York Times bestsellers Midwives and The Double Bind joins us with his latest novel, a riveting ghost story that hinges upon a basement door and a nightmarish airplane crash. The Night Strangers has all the hallmarks readers have come to expect from this awardwinning novelist. SERIES SPONSOR:

EVENING SPONSOR: Seatrade International Co., Inc.

“Bohjalian goes ghostly...” – LIBRARY JOURNAL

Corporate Partner Spotlight Exclusive offer for Music hall members only... The Best of

fresh Right to Your Door!

Imagine fresh from the farm dairy products delivered to your door by Music Hall Corporate Partner Coastal Creamery! Rich creamy milk and a pantry full of provisions such as eggs, cheese, bread, yogurt, and juice can be on your doorstep when you sign up for Coastal Creamery’s home delivery. And, we’re delighted to announce that if you sign up for home delivery before November 30, Coastal Creamery will make a $20 donation to The Music Hall for each new account they receive! On top of that, as a special thank you for your Music Hall membership, Me and Ollie’s Bakery, another of our Corporate Partners (known for award-winning breads and granola) will put a special treat in your first two deliveries. “We share many of the same values as The Music Hall: going local, sustainability, supporting the community. It was a natural fit for us to partner with The Music Hall and offer its members this special avenue to support all the good things happening there.” – Amy Ferris, Owner, Coastal Creamery

Get your own milk man and sign up now for this limited offer for Music Hall members only! For more information and to sign up, go to CoastalCreamery.com or call (603) 373-6659.

TheMusicHall.org

NOW

National Theatre of London HD Broadcast The Kitchen

Friday, October 7 • 7pm • The Historic Theater • Tickets: $27.50

A tour de force spectacle. A darkly funny examination of life lived at breakneck speed—in a kitchen! While actually cooking/preparing food, an ensemble of 30 actors—playing chefs, waitresses and porters from across Europe—put the workplace center stage in this brilliant work by director Bijan Sheibani. SERIES SPONSOR: Seatrade International Co., Inc.

NH Association for the Blind Presents Voices of vision

Saturday, October 8 • 8pm • Historic Theater • Tickets: $25, $35 day of show A delightful evening of folk, blues, and pop music featuring Scott MacIntyre, the first blind performer to become an American Idol finalist, folk artist Laurel Brauns playing hits from her brand new album, and veteran roots band Wooden Eye performing favorite ballads.

KINGS of SALSA

Wednesday, October 12 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater • Tickets: $50, $35 Intoxicating. Exuberant. Nine “gods and goddesses of the dance floor” (Bangkok Post) backed by a nine-piece band sway to high voltage Havana classics, street salsa, and hip hop. Cool, contemporary Cuba pays homage to its musical legacy with a mind blowing modern twist.

SPONSORS:

New Hampshire Film Festival

Thursday, October 13 - Sunday, October 16 Historic Theater and Music Hall Loft • Tickets: TBD The best in recent independent cinema from the region, nation, and world presented in an inspiring, four-day celebration. NHFF unites professional filmmakers and screenwriters with industry experts, students, educators, and film lovers through panels, workshops, screenings, and networking events, all to support the art of filmmaking.

“Sizzling eroticism and feverish euphoria” – Culture & Media “Portsmouth – the film center of New England” – Moviemaker Magazine

Adrian Grenier at last year's NHFF

EDITOR's PICK “Don't miss opera's hottest star, Anna Netrebko, in The Met @ The Music Hall season opener Anna Bolena.” 10

NOW

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The Door That Led to a Novel by Chris Bohjalian

Not long ago, I was in my basement, which is the scariest place on earth. It’s not merely that a sizable chunk of the floor is dirt. It’s not the fact that there is a Gordian Knot of tubes and pipes along the ceiling (which is little more than a crawlspace in some sections), some of which carry water and some of which carry LP gas to heat the house. It’s the door. Along one of the basement walls, below ground, is a door about 5 1/2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It’s made of wooden planks and when my wife and I moved into the house it was nailed shut. Yup, nailed. There was a moldering pile of coal beside it, so I told myself it was just an old coal chute — though the site of the exterior entrance was a mystery. I would live in the house ten years before I would have the courage to pry it open, only to discover that behind it was an area the height and width of the door and about a foot and a half deep. The back wall was made of wood, and behind that there seemed to be nothing but solid earth. It looked nothing like the basement side of a coal chute. It did, however, seem like a perfect spot if you wanted to wall someone

up alive, so I quickly nailed the door shut and vowed never to go near it again. I am telling you all of this because it helped to inspire my new novel, The Night Strangers [see page 9]. Fingers crossed I have used this basement material well. See you at the Loft October 6.

To read the full interview text, visit TheMusicHall.org

SNAPSHOT

Photo: David Murray/Clear Eye Photo.

t inspired the book co6!ver... tha or do l tua ac the e's Her the Loft, October don't miss Chris Bohjalian at

Member support makes each live performance, film, and educational opportunity possible! Here, we caught up with members Catherine Newick and Mason Newick at the Writers on a New England Stage: David McCullough reception.

Catherine Newick and Mason Newick Canterbury, NH and York Harbor, Maine

NOW: How long have you been members of The Music Hall? Three years. NOW: What is the biggest benefit of membership? Getting tickets early, especially for Writers on a New England Stage. NOW: Who was your favorite recent writer? Isabel Allende. We also loved David McCullough.

TheMusicHall.org

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One night onlyâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Bill Cunningham New York returns to The Music Hall for Portsmouthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fashion Night Out! Thurs., Sept. 8

(603) 436-2400

Brandi Carlile returns to our stage for a solo acoustic show Sun., Nov. 6 touring behind her new CD, Live at Benaroya Hall with the Seattle Symphony.

Stay tuned for our new, 12-day Vintage Christmas Pop-Up Market at The Music Hall Loft! There will be info, refreshments, and a sampling of holiday gifts. P.S. Music Hall Gift Certificates on sale now.

Brandi Carlile & Vintage Christmas photos: David Murray/Clear Eye Photo

Visit TheMusicHall.org and enter your email address on the homepage.

MARTHA CLARKE'S ANGEL REAPERS

Saturday, October 22 • 8pm • Historic Theater • Tickets: $65, $48 What do you get when you combine Pulitzer, Tony, and Academy Award winning writer Alfred Uhry, MacArthur genius director/choreographer Martha Clarke, traditional Shaker music, and sexual repression? A lively song and dance piece, inspired by the life of Ann Lee, founder of the Shaker movement. Mother Ann, as she came to be known, was a visionary, mystic, and powerful spiritual leader. Her categorical denial of sexuality and determination to erase it from herself and her followers inspires the stunning, rhythmic, and often hilarious choreography. Inspired by the Shakers' deep roots in New England communities, this world class exploration of sexual repression, faith, and inspiration comes to Portsmouth for one stunning performance. Don’t miss it!

“Angel Reapers is riveting” – Herald Sun

Discover Shaker Life

Tuesday, October 11 • 5:30pm-6:30pm • Tickets: $10 • More info page 8 On sale to members: noon Fri Aug 19. To non-members noon Fri., Sept. 2.

Funded in part by the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts. NDP is supported by lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, with additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Community Connections fund of the MetLife Foundation, and the Boeing Company Charitable Trust.

THE MET @ THE MUSIC HALL: ANNA BOLENA (DONIZETTI)

Sunday, October 23 • 1pm • Historic Theater • Tickets: $27.50 Anna Netrebko opens the Met season with her portrayal of the illfated queen driven insane by her unfaithful king. She performs one of opera’s greatest mad scenes in a production that also stars Elina Garanca as her rival, Jane Seymour, and Ildar Abdrazakov as Henry VIII. Marco Armiliato conducts. Series Sponsor: NHPTV Evening Sponsors: Beswick Engineering Company, Inc.; Tate and Foss Sotheby's International Realty; Avery Insurance Agency

WoMEN FULLY CLOTHED

“The performances are wonderful, and the venue makes the experience special.” - Barbara T. Cooper, Music Hall member and UNH professor

“...funniest women in Canada!” – Eugene Levy

Girls Night Out!

Friday, October 28 • 8pm Historic Theater • Tickets: $29, $22

Four Second City vets riff on career and family: Kathryn Greenwood of "Whose Line Is It Anyway;" Robin Duke of "Saturday Night Live;" Jayne Eastwood from My Big Fat Greek Wedding; and Teresa Pavlinek of "The Jane Show." The Toronto Star calls them "an all-estrogen comedy dream team!” Series Sponsor: Kennebunk Savings Bank; WHEB EVENING SPONSORS: Carpe Diem Coffee Roasting Company; Harbour Women's Health; Secure Planning, Inc.; Whole Life Health Care; WSCA 106.1 Portsmouth Community Radio

THE MET @ THE MUSIC HALL: DON GIOVANNI (MOZART)

Saturday, October 29 • 1pm • Historic Theater • Tickets: $27.50 Mariusz Kwiecien brings his youthful and sensual interpretation of Mozart’s timeless anti-hero to the Met for the first time, under the direction of Tony Award-winning director Michael Grandage and with James Levine conducting.

We know you have choices for your Met broadcast theater – our restored landmark theater is THE place to see the Met!

Series Sponsor: NHPTV Evening Sponsors: Beswick Engineering Company, Inc.; RiverWoods at Exeter; Tate and Foss Sotheby's International Realty; Avery Insurance Agency TheMusicHall.org

NOW

EXPLORE + LEARN

Just announced! EXPLORE + LEARN PARTNER OF THE YEAR This year we will work with the girls of Arts in Reach (AIR) to widen their horizons. Visit TheMusicHall.org and ArtsInReach.org. 14

NOW

(603) 436-2400

Then, on Jazz Day, May 6, (in conjunction with Jazz Night @ The Music Hall Loft), instructors from Portsmouth Music and Arts Center performed for 130 students from Little Harbor School in Portsmouth, followed by a discussion and workshop. And on May 14, students from the University of New Hampshire and Great Bay Academy of Dance participated in a thrilling master class with the legendary dance troupe Momix, then watched Momix perform on stage at The Historic Theater. “It’s always a great experience when an organization such as The Music Hall reaches out to local artistic students to offer them such a positive and personal opportunity to benefit their education and training,” says Ashleigh Tucker, General Manager, Great Bay Academy of Dance. Our programming concluded with two in-depth postfilm discussions: with officers of The Seacoast Beekeepers Association of New Hampshire, after Queen of the Sun: What are the Bees Telling Us?; and with film expert Paul Goodwin and a group of Russian guests after My Perestroika. The momentum continues this fall with more unique Explore + Learn programs. For more info: TheMusicHall.org/explore_and_learn. Explore + Learn Sponsor: FairPoint Communications

Photos of Momix and Second City master classes: David Murray/Clear Eye Photo. Photos of Paul Goodwin's My Perestroika film discussion: PernoldPhoto.com

The Seacoast’s largest performing arts classroom is bigger and better than ever! With the opening of the Loft last spring, our dynamic Explore + Learn programs have grown exponentially—bringing a host of new learning experiences to the community. In April, we held a master class with members of the comedy icon Second City for students from Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy. “The room was alive with creativity,” says Deb Pickett, House Manager/Volunteer Coordinator. Later that month, we launched the Opera Circle at the Loft, where local opera experts Susan Tuveson and Angelynne Hinson discussed the 2011-12 Met @ The Music Hall season.

COMMUNITY PARTNER SPOTLIGHT New Hampshire Film Festival Great cinema and great times continue in Portsmouth in October, when the 11th Annual New Hampshire Film Festival takes place October 13-16. The festival offers a total immersion into an international feast of entertainment, enlightenment, gastronomy, and socializing. The Music Hall is a proud sponsor and host of the NHFF, which presents the best in recent independent narrative, documentary, and short-subject cinema. Directors, writers, producers, cinematographers, actors, and film buffs of all ages descend upon downtown Portsmouth to catch exclusive screenings, meet-andgreets with filmmakers, interactive panel discussions, and lively after-parties. A Community Partner with The Music

Portsmouth Loves film!

Hall, the NHFF is an event that is best experienced from beginning to end. Generous sponsors, including Francis Ford Coppola Winery, Moet, Absolut, Stella Artois, Vital Design, and the best of Portsmouth’s hotels and restaurants, make the event even more enticing. Festival attendees take great pleasure in checking into a downtown hotel, leaving the car behind, shutting off the cell phone, and picking up a VIP AllAccess Pass from our box office. Founded in 2001, NHFF began as a small, grassroots event to support local, regional, and student filmmakers. It now holds a coveted place as a highly recognized event that showcases the brightest talent on the international film festival

Actor Adrian Grenier at last year's NH Film Festival

scene. It encapsulates over a dozen exciting locations around Portsmouth, including four state-of-the-art screening venues ranging in size from 65 to 900-seat theaters, all within walking distance. To learn more about what this year’s event has in store, visit the official website: www.nhfilmfestival.com.

The Music Hall is a vital part of the Seacoast and the Seacoast is vital to The Music Hall!

NHFF photo: Ralph Morang; Love Song photo: David Murray/Clear Eye Photo

Community Partner Harbor Light Stage presents Love Song in The Music Hall Loft.

At The Music Hall, we embrace this belief and we show it daily through the relationships we foster with our valued Community Partners. We provide crucial infrastructure for community-wide events such as New Hampshire Film Festival, Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth with Strawbery Banke Museum, and the Portsmouth Herald’s Spotlight on the Arts Awards. We also share our access to world-acclaimed artists with such groups as Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) and New Outlook Teen Center. This creates a ripple effect throughout the community, helping to foster love for the arts and provide unforgettable experiences for so many who would not otherwise have the opportunity.

The Music Hall also offers free Writers on a New England Stage tickets to local students and discounted rental rates and services to local nonprofit Community Partners. Our staff serves as liaisons and mentors to a wide variety of local arts groups and nonprofits. Our Film Matters (formerly part of Wildcard) series connects The Music Hall with dozens of local experts each year and provides a community forum for discussing global issues presented in high quality documentaries. We know we can only thrive in a community which is also thriving. By reaching out and giving back to our Seacoast community, we find that what we get in return enhances our organization in countless and unique ways!

WHO ARE OUR Community Partners? Art-Speak • Arts In Reach • Berwick Academy • Business Committee for the Arts • Canterbury Shaker Village • Cocheco Arts and Technology • Granite State Choral Society • Great Bay Academy of Dance • Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce • Green Alliance • Harbor Light Stage • The Housing Partnership • Identity Footwear and Apparel • Leadership Seacoast • Mt. Washington Observatory • NH Association for the Blind • NH Citizens for the Arts • NH Theater Project • New Outlook Teen Center • Piscataqua Sustainability Initiative • Portsmouth High School • Portsmouth Music and Arts Center (PMAC) • Portsmouth Pro Musica • Rain for the Sahel and the Sahara • Seacoast African American Cultural Center • Salvation Army • Seacoast Beekeepers Association of NH • Seacoast Choral Society • Seacoast Community Chorus • Seacoast Eat Local • Seacoast Local • Seacoast Repertory Theater • Seacoast Science Center • SMG Spotlight on the Arts Awards • South Berwick Community Chorus • Southeast Land Trust of NH • Strawbery Banke Museum • Tidewater Waldorf School • UNH Dance Department • UNH Internship Program • UNH Office of Sustainability • WSCA Portsmouth Community Radio 106.1 FM • York High School TheMusicHall.org

NOW

November 2011

Art, food & liquor Seasonal Delights

Come check out our new autumn menu at The Music Hall Loft, including a new “long plate” with mission figs, olives, and artisan cheese; new sweets and savories include a killer individual vanilla bean cheesecake. All cost under $10. During Restaurant Week November 3 – 12 (presented by the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce), wine and dine, shop and gallery hop, visit the theater, make it a getaway! Participating restaurants feature special three-course prix fixe menus for lunch and dinner. Among them, check out Rudi’s fresh fare; Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Café, voted best seafood in New England; The River House with Portsmouth’s best chowder; The Green Monkey’s noted cuisine and designer martinis; and The Portsmouth Brewery’s artisanal ale. For fine dining with a view, visit the Sheraton Harbor’s Edge restaurant, or The Oar House on historic Ceres Street. For more info: PortsmouthChamber.org 16

NOW

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NOW: Jay, your places must see plenty of action from the lively cultural scene in Portsmouth. Why do you think people who like to eat out also like to participate in the arts? JM: I think people like to make a night of it—creating a special evening or even a mini-vacation. And this is made possible in Portsmouth with so many choices of where to eat dinner, and such fantastic and varied entertainment at The Music Hall’s Historic Theater and Loft. There is so much to choose from that it feels like you are transported to an international city for the night. NOW: People come to The Music Hall for special occasions. On show nights, the restaurants in town are packed. This tells me that more is more. What’s your sense? JM: Yes, I agree that more is more...sort of a rising tide lifts all boats analogy. People are drawn to Portsmouth because it has so much going on. If they don't get into a specific restaurant they still have plenty of options. I always joke with friends when they come to Portsmouth that they are coming to the BIG CITY but in fact Portsmouth has a lot of big city amenities such as The Music Hall, great shopping, and fabulous restaurants—without all the big city hassles like expensive parking and traffic jams.

Make a

Night of it!

NOW: How has the restaurant scene in Portsmouth changed in the past five years? JM: Great question because it really has changed a lot! Some of what we’ve experienced in Portsmouth is in line with national trends, such as restaurants offering “farm to table” menus with more food sourced from local farms and local fishermen. More specifically to Portsmouth, we have had an increase in the number of restaurants, and restaurants are busier year round. This is due in part to Music Hall events bringing people into town. I expect the robust restaurant scene to continue with the addition of the Loft, and with local events such as the New Hampshire Film Festival, Restaurant Week, and the Seacoast Half Marathon. NOW: Any thoughts on the next big thing in restaurants? JM: Current trends around the country include gastro pubs, small plates, and hamburgers. In Portsmouth, we always have something new cooking (no pun intended!) I can count seven new restaurants that opened in town between May and July. NOW: Any tips on the perfect combination of food, drink, and show? What to order, where to go? JM: Depending on the season, my preference for food and drink changes. If I’m looking for a quick bite before a Music Hall show, I might go to Popovers—they have nice light dinner options and the service is fast. Or, I might grab a seat in the lounge at the Library Restaurant and share a steak and a couple of sides cooked to perfection. Then there is also Brazo and The Green Monkey for a great meal—and I would be crazy not to include Jumpin' Jay's Fish Café, now open for dinner and lunch! – PATRICIA LYNCH

Photo: David Murray/Clear Eye Photo

Jay at the Library Restaurant

"Art, food, and liquor is a potent 21st century trend, with people wanting a full experience when they go out for the evening,” says Patricia Lynch. She caught up recently with noted Portsmouth restaurateur Jay McSharry (Jumpin' Jay's Fish Café, 106 Kitchen & Bar, The Red Door, Dos Amigos Burritos) to talk about the restaurant scene in Portsmouth.

CHUCK PALAHNIUK

Writers on a new england stage.

Thursday, November 3 • 7:30pm EVENING SPONSORS Historic Theater • Ticket price: $13 SERIES SPONSOR: Clear Eye Photo; Aphrodite Photo Book $24.95; $22.45 in advance with voucher Presented by The Music Hall & NH Public Radio

The bestselling author of Fight Club and Choke (both made into movies) and Survivor takes the stage with a tale of adolescence...which we all know is a form of hell! Don't miss this brilliant bad boy of American fiction. Live music by Dreadnaught; rebroadcast on NH Public Radio.

SERIES PARTNERS: SERIES SPONSORS: Calypso Communications; New England Audio Tech; Piscataqua Landscaping Company, Inc.; RMC Research Corporation; Haunted Milk Design

“Outrageous...hilarious” – NEWSDAY

Harbor Light Stage Presents: Mitch Albom's Tuesdays With Morrie Nov. 4-20 (Thu at 7:30pm, Fri at 8pm, Sat at 3 & 8pm, Sun at 2 & 7pm (no 3pm show on 11/12; no 7pm show on 11/20) Tickets: Thu, Fri, Sat matinees and Sun evenings: $28. Sat. evenings and Sun. matinees: $33 (Rush tickets may be available for $17 on dates TBD) Tickets on sale: Sept. 6 The stage version of the runaway best seller is brought to The Music Hall Loft by Harbor Light Stage. Tuesdays With Morrie is the story of journalist Mitch Albom's reconnection with former professor Morrie Schwartz. What begins as a simple visit becomes a weekly pilgrimage, and a final class in the meaning of life.

THE MET @ THE MUSIC HALL: Siegfried (Wagner)

Saturday, November 5 • 12pm • Historic Theater • Tickets: $27.50 In part three of the Ring Cycle, Wagner’s cosmic vision focuses on his hero’s early conquests, while Robert Lepage’s revolutionary stage machine transforms itself from bewitched forest to mountaintop love nest. SERIES SPONSOR: New Hampshire Public Television; Avery Insurance Agency

Met@The Music Hall— easy parking, stunning ambiance, and delicious concessions.

LILY TOMLIN

Wednesday, November 9 • 7:30pm Stay for post-show Q&A with Lily! Historic Theater • Tickets: $68, $64 One of America's foremost comediennes, Lily Tomlin burst on the scene with Laugh-In and continues to pick up awards: six Emmys, two Tonys, and one Grammy. Her Music Hall debut! Series Sponsor: Kennebunk Savings Bank; WHEB Evening Sponsors: Carpe Diem Coffee Roasting Company; Homewood Suites by Hilton in Portsmouth, NH; Barbara Henry, Hampton, NH; Permanent Cosmetics by Jamilla

THEN @ The Music hall: Community Partners Span 130+ Years Gilbert & Sullivan’s operas were commonly used as entertainment fundraisers for community organizations in Portsmouth around the turn of the 20th century. We hosted 24 different Gilbert & Sullivan productions between 1878 and 1903—including Pirates of Penzance, which benefited The Children’s Home in 1889, and HMS Pinafore, which benefited the YMCA in 1903. TheMusicHall.org

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Q & A: Chuck Palahniuk Chuck Palahniuk has been amazing readers with his writing for almost two decades, starting with his 1996 debut, Fight Club, right up to his 2010 release, Tell-All. Palahniuk’s books are gritty and gripping, and his new one, Damned, is no exception. The novel follows Madison, a young dead girl assigned to an afterlife in Hell, as she journeys to confront Satan about her situation. Chuck will be appearing at The Music Hall on Thursday, November 3, as part of the Writers on a New England Stage series. He recently took the time to answer a few questions about Damned, the afterlife, and the future of print books.

Q Your new book, Damned, is about Satan and the afterlife. Do you believe in an afterlife? A It seems so arrogant to NOT believe in an afterlife—as if I knew everything there was to know. But it seems equally as arrogant to assume to know the details of the afterlife. As is, I'll just focus on the being-alive-now part.

Q Do you have any hopes about Damned that are different than you’ve had for past books? A I hope it's the book that replaces Fight Club and Choke, and the short story Guts in people's minds.

At the Historic Theater Nov. 3!

May I find my redemption by going to Hell. My book Snuff is being banned overseas. I hope Damned gets banned. Everywhere.

Q Many contemporary authors have tried their hand at writing for a younger audience— A

ever given this any thought?

Why not write for an adult audience and trust that young people will also like your work? When I was a child, the only young adult book we had was Flowers in the Attic. It was dirtier than The Other Side of Midnight. Frankly, I don't think I'm perverted enough to write for young adults.

Q How do you feel about the future of print books? A I think readers will want paper copies of the books they love. Cheap books, the fast-food kind of

books that people read once and discard, those might go completely digital, but beautifully produced paper books will stay around, if only because people want square objects which are easy to wrap at Christmas. Ever wrap a tennis racket? Good luck with that. – LIBERTY HARDY

Things We Love 18

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Warming up with hot mulled cider before a performance at The Music Hall

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Thanksgiving weekend fun for the whole family at Squirm Burpee Circus

Back by popular demand! Don't miss Paula Poundstone's unique comedy at the Historic Theater.

NATIONAL ACROBATS OF THE PEOPLe'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA – Direct from beijing

Thursday, November 10 • 7:30pm Historic Theater • Tickets: $40, $30

“A show the whole family will enjoy!” – STATE THEATER, NJ

Daring feats. Extraordinary flexibility. A dizzying, colorful theatrical spectacle of an ancient Chinese art from international award winners who set the standard for acrobatic excellence.

SPONSOR: Allergy Associates of New Hampshire; Piscataqua Savings Bank; Robert’s Maine Grill; RAM Printing; 107.1 WERZ

THE MET @ THE MUSIC HALL Satyagraha (Glass)

Saturday, November 19 • 1pm • Historic Theater • Tickets: $27.50

From classic movie concessions to a full service bar, The Music Hall has it all!

The Met’s visually extravagant production is back for an encore engagement. Richard Croft once again is Gandhi in Philip Glass’s unforgettable opera, which the Washington Post calls “a profound and beautiful work of theater.” Series Sponsor: NHPTV Evening Sponsor: DTC Lawyers, Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC

PAULA POUNDSTONE

Sunday, November 20 • 7:30pm Historic Theater • Tickets: $38; $24

“A great comic” – BOSTON GLOBE

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—her spontaneity and razor-sharp wit have made her one of the most popular panelists on NPR's "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me."

Series Sponsor: Kennebunk Savings Bank; WHEB

WARREN MILLER ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS ...LIKE THere's no tomorrow

Monday, November 21 • 8pm Tuesday, November 22 • 6pm & 9pm Wednesday, November 23 • 6pm & 9pm Historic Theater • Tickets: $22

This fall, Warren Miller Entertainment brings you its 62nd winter sports film, Warren Miller’s . . . Like There’s No Tomorrow. Hosted by skiing icon Jonny Moseley and shot on location in India, New Zealand, Chile, Alaska, British Columbia, and beyond . . . Like There's No Tomorrow is your annual reminder that winter is on its way and, with it, four months of an adrenaline-fueled dance with gravity. Check warrenmiller.com for details.

TheMusicHall.org

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Handsome Little Devils Present Squirm Burpee Circus

A Vaudevillian Melodrama

Friday, November 25 • 8pm Historic Theater • Tickets: $32, $25 This exhilarating, one-of-a-kind theatrical experience features classic Vaudeville comedy, high-skill circus acts and American Melodrama. An eye-catching cast, with a beautiful, Cirque-like aesthetic, perform explosive acts like The Human Cannon, and Chainsaw Juggling!

“Can outjuggle, outdance and outbalance any of the energetic acts that used to drive the Ed Sullivan Show in its heyday” – NEW YORK TIMES

SPONSORS: NHPR

An evening with GILLIAN WELCH

Saturday, November 26 • 8pm • Historic Theater Tickets: $32

“A leading voice in American roots music” – Wall street journal

From Berklee College of Music to Nashville to winning a Grammy Award for her collaboration with Allison Kraus on the T. Bone Burnett soundtrack for the hit film, O Brother, Where Art Thou, this singer/ songwriter/guitarist has received critical acclaim for her new Southern sound—a blend of Appalachian, Bluegrass, and Americana. She has collaborated and recorded with Emmylou Harris, Ani DiFranco, and The Decemberists. She will appear with her longtime partner David Rawlings, touring behind her new album, The Harrow and the Harvest. EVENING SPONSORS: Clear Eye Photo

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

SERIES SPONSORS:

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...MSNBC host Chris Matthews coming to Writers on a New England Stage on December 2!

...bring the kids to a Kids RULE! movie or make a date to take in a Screen Classic, each featuring a different title every month. Visit TheMusicHall.org for schedules.

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Writers on a new england stage.

Presented by The Music Hall & NH Public Radio

Market Square & Patty Larkin photos: David Murray/Clear Eye Photo

...make plans now to attend December's Vintage Christmas in Portsmouth events.

Comediénne Lily Tomlin a conversation

From Laugh-In to The Music Hall stage, Lily Tomlin has had audiences in stitches for more than 30 years. Our Deputy Programming Director/Curator Thérèse LaGamma caught up with her recently to get the backstory on her illustrious career and talk about what makes Lily, Lily. NOW: You have made millions laugh. How did you come to your vocation? LT: I think it helps to come to comedy if you are thrown together with different kinds of people. My neighborhood in Detroit, where I spent my first 14 years, was working class and racially diverse. There were some more educated than others. In my apartment building we had a botanist and a French teacher as well as factory workers. You only had to go a few blocks and the houses would increase in size. Those kids would be from families of doctors and lawyers. I was infatuated with the entire range of humanity. NOW: Your career encompasses movies, theater, stand-up, and television. What medium do you enjoy most? LT: I prefer the stage. It's like a second skin to me. I like to perform personal material in the sense that you’re trying to reflect something about society that you feel or perceive, and be funny and entertaining at the same time. I'm able to get very personal and create a solo performance—then I can be a master of that form. NOW: What was it like to perform with so many astonishing female actresses in Tea With Mussolini? LT: I was a huge fan of Maggie Smith's for many many years, and then became a fan of Judi Dench’s too as she proceeded to become more well known. Of course they are great friends. We checked into the Eden Hotel in Rome, Italy as LADY Plowright, DAME Dench, and DAME Smith. When I told them my name, they misheard ‘Lily,’ then they sent flowers to all of us and mine said LADY Tomlin. That was hilarious. I was sort of like a teenage groupie for Maggie and Judi and I'd run around with tea cups trying to serve them tea and I'd be out in the Italian mid-day sun holding an umbrellla over Maggie because she was so fair…I know they were thinking, 'Here comes that American girl again!' NOW: How was it to be directed by Franco Zeffirelli? LT: Out of sight. He was unbelievable, irrepressible, totally spontaneous, and willful. Our scriptwriter was Angela Allen, who was John Houston's script supervisor for years—she did African Queen and many other major movies. She was very English and of course the director was so Italian and she'd say, “But, Franco, you don't have the shot! You don’t have the shot!” Her accent was so thick that you could hardly understand her. And Zeffirelli would respond, “I don't want to hear! I don't want to hear!” He didn't care if he had the shot or not. He was just so alive and in the moment. We were shooting at the Uffizi and the Fascist police were supposed to be there throwing the canvases and teacups of the older English women out the window and they had no barriers to protect pedestrians below! You know typically on movie sets they clear the way for people down below—but not in this case. And yet, despite this, the director would throw everything out the window with great abandon! NOW: We’re looking forward to having you here in November. Will this be your first time in Portsmouth? LT: I’ve never played Portsmouth but I had friends who lived there for years and I visited them several times. I especially remember the Children’s Museum and the giant witch puppet—and being surprised to learn Colonial Williamsburg is a reproduction of the authentic Colonial-era homes in Strawbery Banke. And how can you not love a waterfront like you have in Portsmouth? Or Prescott Park? – THÉRÈSE LAGAMMA To read the full interview text, visit TheMusicHall.org

The Music Hall’s new live comedy signature series is designed to provide the most therapeutic treatment known to man or woman: laughter! The series features top national acts, improv troupes, comedy dynasties, and discovery acts in both the Historic Theater and the Loft. This November alone brings two of the country’s top comediennes to the Historic Theater: Lily Tomlin on November 9 and Paula Poundstone on November 20. Be ready to laugh your head off at their hilarious yet insightful one-woman shows! And go to TheMusicHall.org to check for new Hilarity @ The Music Hall performances in upcoming seasons. Series SponsorS: Kennebunk Savings Bank; WHEB TheMusicHall.org TheMusicHall.org

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SEEN @ THE MUSIC HALL TERS: RI W T A GE GH BACKSTA AVID MCCULLOU D The esteemed author David McCullough met fans backstage at a Writers on New England Stage VIP reception following his remarkable words about Paris, America, and his #1 bestselling book The Greater Journey. One fun fact of the night? Turns out he was also a fan…of The Music Hall and this community. Said McCullough, “I can’t get over this theater and its presence, its aura, and the privilege of being on stage here. One of the lessons of history and certainly one of the lessons of life is that not very much of consequence is ever accomplished alone. Good things get done when good people get together and work together, and obviously the resurrection of this theater and the use of it for such worthy community activities is simply wonderful—and a measure of the kind of place Portsmouth is. So good for you, Portsmouth!”

“Upgrade to a Backer membership or above and get invited to all of the Writers on

a New England Stage VIP receptions—you can meet some of today’s most famous authors and gain unexpected insights. We’ll meet you there…” 22

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Photos: David Murray/Clear Eye Photo