THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE AT THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS
DECEMBER 1-19, 2021 EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT
Members save on previews, opening night, and mid-week performances. Promotion ends 8/31. More info on pg 11.
NOW MAGAZINE • MID-AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
Intimately Yours
Writers on a New England Stage
Intimately Yours
Intimately Yours
MELISSA ETHERIDGE 9/1 KITTEL & CO. 9/10* *ON THE COVER
SEASON SPONSORS
MONA AWAD 9/2
CHRIS BOTTI 9/23 *ON THE COVER
ON SALE NOW
INTIMATELY YOURS CHRIS
Be the first to know about Just Announced shows! Sign up for enews at TheMusicHall.org
THILE
INTIMATELY YOURS ELVIS
Mon., October 11 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater MacArthur Fellow and Grammy Award-winning mandolinist, singer, songwriter Chris Thile returns to The Music Hall.
INTIMATELY YOURS ABSENCE:
COSTELLO & THE IMPOSTERS
Fri., October 29 • 8pm • Historic Theater
TERENCE BLANCHARD
With an insatiable appetite for music, Grammy Award-winning Elvis Costello has over 30 albums to his name.
FT. THE E-COLLECTIVE & TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET
THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS NYE
Terence Blanchard celebrates the life and legacy of mentor, Wayne Shorter, with breathtaking strings alongside young musical pioneers, The E-Collective and Turtle Island Quartet.
Join the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra and The Music Hall for an effervescent New Year’s Eve Celebration as we welcome a fresh start together.
RENTAL PARTNERS
Sat., November 13 • 8pm • Historic Theater
PORTS. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FALL CONCERT
Sun., October 24 • 3pm • Historic Theater The full Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra returns for the Mainstage Season Opening Celebration.
CHAMPAGNE POPS WITH PSO
Fri., December 31 • 8pm • Historic Theater
PORTS. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA WINTER CONCERT Sun., March 13, 2022 • 3pm Historic Theater
PORTS. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SPRING CONCERT
Sun., June 5, 2022 • 3pm • Historic Theater Join the PSO for a vibrant Spring Mainstage Concert with a wide range of performances.
The PSO’s Winter Mainstage Concert features a sublime trio of rich works.
COVID-19 UPDATES For up-to-date information about what we're doing to keep you safe and what to do when you visit, go to TheMusicHall.org/CovidProtocols
EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
MAGAZINE
Monte Bohanan
Tina Sawtelle
Gail VanHoy Carolan
Wesley Lovell
Sara Turner
Brittany Wason
THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS
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DESIGN Kaitlyn Huwe
CURATOR’S CORNER KICKING OFF THE NEW SEASON WITH GUSTO! TINA SAWTELLE, Executive Director We’re well into our 2021-2022 season now and eagerly looking ahead to a packed Fall! Join us in celebrating the in-person return of beloved series such as Intimately Yours and Writers on a New England Stage, as well as Telluride by the Sea Film Festival (TBTS) and our holiday production in Credit: PizzutiPhotography.com
partnership with the Ogunquit Playhouse!
September marks the triumphant return of TBTS—settle into our plush red seats with some popcorn for the best of the best. The titles will be announced early in September alongside the Colorado Telluride so snag a pass for the whole weekend while you still can! Speaking of getting tickets in advance, don’t miss out on getting prime seats for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, back by popular demand! One of the best discounts is the Early Bird discount, running until August 31. Members can save up to $28 a ticket and give the gift of family fun this holiday season!
Thank Goodness for Grants A nonprofit, The Music Hall relies on a diversified income plan to ensure we’re able to fulfill our mission to serve our Seacoast community. Ticket income makes up 70% of that budget. Grant funding is another of our many income streams, a stream that’s become a river in the midst of the pandemic. The Music Hall is proud and grateful to be a recipient of grant funds from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, the official state arts agency, and the New Hampshire Charitable
Fall is full to the brim with new and rescheduled shows—there’s something for everyone! And
Foundation, a statewide community
as we forge ahead, I can’t wait to see what new series and events pop up as a result of our
foundation. Their multi-year funding
community’s resilience and return to live entertainment.
commitments allow The Music Hall to strategically invest in our organization
HERE & NOW
and enhance our programming.
Visit TheMusicHall.org/Blog for more behind-the-scenes info!
A Colorful and Bright New Season from PSO The Music Hall’s resident orchestra, Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra (PSO), will bring the full company back to our historic stage this year, and we’re so glad to see them all again! We were honored to host them on our Live Under the Arch stage twice this past summer (with their string quartet and brass quintet) but there’s nothing quite like getting the whole orchestra in the big room, where their perfect arrangements can
This year we were also the beneficiary of a grant from Jane’s Trust. A grant last year supported us as we undertook a leadership transition. This year’s award was unsolicited, a surprise. In this, its final year of grant-making, the Trustees awarded funds to a pool of frequent recipients “as a bookend to the initial grants made at the founding of the Trust.” The Music Hall will use these funds to bring our 19th century assets into the 21st century through upgrades to our lighting system and other infrastructure work.
shine. This partnership is made easy by our
The NH Community Development
mutual love and dedication to high-quality music and shows, and by working together, we bring
Finance Authority has also lent their
classical music to Portsmouth year after year.
support to this campaign, awarding
Witness the powerful and triumphant music all year long, led by John Page, PSO’s Music Director. In October, the Mainstage Season Opening Celebration will take us on a musical and emotional journey. On New Year’s Eve, raise a glass and toast with Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra and The Music Hall as we ring in 2022 together. March’s Winter Concert will showcase Rachmaninoff’s 2nd piano concerto, performed by internationally renowned pianist Ya-Fei Chuang. And the Mainstage season wraps with a colorful and vibrant concert in June.
The Music Hall $65,000 in tax credits that we can use to finance further upgrades to our lighting system, investments you will no doubt enjoy next time the lights shine bright on our stage. We offer our gratitude to these and all our supporters.
Be sure to get your PSO subscription at PortsmouthSymphony.org and join us for the elegant and grand return of the Mainstage Concert series! TheMusicHall.org
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FESTIVALS
MID-AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
GRATITUDE MUSIC FESTIVAL
Join us in thanking and honoring our community’s first responders and frontline essential workers! This multi-stage outdoor music festival celebrates the folks who kept us going through the pandemic; their resilience and dedication inspired and awed us.
NEIGHBOR
CARSIE BLANTON
With a diverse catalog of hundreds of songs, the musical juggernaut Neighbor has become one of the most exciting and unpredictable live bands on the music scene today.
Inspired by artists including Nina Simone and Randy Newman, Carsie Blanton’s songs encompass a wide range of genres, from sultry pop to punk-tinged Americana.
Sat., September 25 • 3:30pm • Portwalk Place*
Sat., September 25 • 1pm • Chestnut Street*
ANDERSON EAST
Sat., September 25 • 8pm • Historic Theater* The Alabama-born, Nashville-based singersongwriter’s seductively vintage voice is infused with R&B, gospel, and Southern soul.
TELLURIDE BY THE SEA FILM FESTIVAL
Fri., September 17 - Sun., September 19* One weekend festival of new movies fresh from their debuts at Colorado’s Telluride Film Festival. Films will be announced and individual tickets will go on sale Labor Day weekend. FILM SPONSORS: Beswick Engineering; The District; Jackson Lewis P.C.
MEDIA PARTNER: Photo: David J. Murray/ClearEyePhoto.com
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*Check website for ticket package details
ON STAGE INTIMATELY YOURS SERIES SPONSORS:
H A M P T O N F O R D
MID-AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
WRITERS ON A NEW ENGLAND STAGE IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN:
MEDIA PARTNER:
SERIES SPONSORS:
H Y U N D A I
INTIMATELY YOURS MELISSA
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
ETHERIDGE
Wed., September 1 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater Known for her confessional lyrics and raspy, smoky vocals, Grammy-Award winner Melissa Etheridge returns to The Music Hall. EVENING SPONSORS: Avery Insurance; Harbour Women’s Health; Troiano Wealth Advisory Group
WRITERS ON A NEW ENGLAND STAGE MONA
AWAD
Thu., September 2 • 7pm • Historic Theater*
From the author of Bunny, which Margaret Atwood hailed as “genius,” comes a dazzling and darkly funny novel about a theater professor who is convinced staging Shakespeare’s most maligned play will remedy all that ails her. TheMusicHall.org 5 *Check website for ticket package details
ON STAGE
MID-AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
INTIMATELY YOURS SERIES SPONSORS:
H A M P T O N F O R D
H Y U N D A I
INTIMATELY YOURS KITTEL
& CO.
Fri., September 10 • 8pm • Historic Theater Kittel & Co. inhabits the space between classical and acoustic roots, Celtic and bluegrass aesthetics, folk and jazz sensibilities.
INTIMATELY YOURS CHRIS
BOTTI
Thu., September 23 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater There’s nothing like a Chris Botti concert. See him live and you’ll understand why musical stars from Sting to Paul Simon to Joni Mitchell have been eager to share his stage. EVENING SPONSOR: UNH Conferences & Catering 6
603.436.2400
ON STAGE
MID-AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
INTIMATELY YOURS SERIES SPONSORS:
H A M P T O N F O R D
H Y U N D A I
MEDIA PARTNER: Live Free Print & Frame
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH DEB
TALAN (OF THE WEEPIES)
Sun., August 15 • 5pm & 7pm • Chestnut Street
Deb Talan was known as a singer and songwriter in her own right before forming Hummingfish and eventually the long-running duo the Weepies with Steven Tannen. EVENING SPONSORS:
L AKE S T R EE T A
D
V
I
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH AJ
S
O
R
LEE & BLUE SUMMIT
Drawing from influences such as swing, folk, blues, jazz, country, soul, and rock, their undeniable talent and insatiable passion for bluegrass harks back to traditional classics while remaining uniquely modern. EVENING SPONSORS: Carpe Diem Coffee Roasting Co; Leone, McDonnell and Roberts, PA
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH RIVER
SISTER
Fri., August 27 • 6pm & 8pm • Chestnut Street Portsmouth’s own River Sister delivers “a fresh, cathartic addition to the indie-folk cannon.” (EDGE magazine) L AKE S T R EE T A
D
V
I
S
O
R
S
SERIES SPONSORS: Atlantic Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine; Bangor Savings Bank
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH MIGUEL
ZENÓN QUARTET
Tue., August 17 • 6pm & 8pm • Chestnut Street
Widely considered as one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists of his generation, Miguel Zenón is perfecting a fine mix between Latin American Folkloric Music and Jazz. EVENING SPONSORS: TMS Architects; Whole Life Health Care
S
Thu., August 19 • 6pm & 8pm • Chestnut Street
EVENING SPONSORS:
INNOVATION + LEADERSHIP PRESENTING SPONSOR:
Mad*Pow
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH SHARON
JONES QUARTET
Sat., August 21 • 6pm & 8pm • Chestnut Street
Portsmouth gem Sharon Jones lights up the historic stage with riffdriven, high-energy R&B and Blues tunes will have you dancing in your seat! EVENING SPONSORS: oHive; Primmer Piper Eggleston & Cramer
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH JOCELYN
& CHRIS
Sat., August 28 • 6pm & 8pm • Chestnut Street The siblings’ performances are a perfect blend of high-energy AAA rock and incredible audience engagement, anchored by Jocelyn’s astonishing vocals. EVENING SPONSORS: AC Hotel Marriott; BANKW Staffing, LLC TheMusicHall.org
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ON STAGE/CINEMA WRITERS ON A NEW ENGLAND STAGE IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN:
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
MEDIA PARTNER:
MID-AUG./SEPT. INTERCONNECTIONS PRESENTING SPONSOR:
SERIES SPONSORS:
EXTRAORDINARY CINEMA
BEST SUMMER EVER
Sat., September 4 • 3pm • Historic Theater (18 & Under Free)
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH A
NIGHT OF SINATRA WITH RICH DIMARE
Fri., September 3 • 6pm & 8pm • Chestnut Street
Rich DiMare is an American jazz singer who specializes in the Frank Sinatra songbook. EVENING SPONSORS:
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH KERRI
Piscataqua Savings Bank
ARSENAULT
Thu., September 9 • 6pm • Chestnut Street* Maine native Kerri Arsenault presents an environmental and moral reckoning of three generations in a Maine paper mill town in her galvanizing and powerful book. EVENING SPONSORS: Harbour Women's Health; Mad*Pow
LIVE UNDER THE ARCH TIGER
SAW & THE REASONS WHY
Tue., September 21 • 6pm & 8pm • Chestnut Street
Exploring a multitude of sounds ranging from folk and funk to country and soul, Tiger Saw & The Reasons Why make for a captivating collaboration. EVENING SPONSORS: Petersen Engineering; Wells Fargo Advisors 8
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ONE OCEAN FILM TOUR
Sat., September 4 • 7pm • Historic Theater
GODSPEED: LOS POLACOS
Sat., September 11 • 3pm • Historic Theater
LYDIA LUNCH: THE WAR IS NEVER OVER Sat., September 11 • 7pm • Historic Theater
INTIMATELY YOURS LINDSEY
BUCKINGHAM (ALMOST SOLD OUT)
Sun., September 12 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater
Fleetwood Mac’s former guitarist and singer, Lindsey Buckingham is one of the most inventive and electrifying musicians of his generation. EVENING SPONSORS: The Friendly Toast; Harbor Advisory; Leone, McDonnell and Roberts, PA; Wells Fargo Advisors
Photo: RayaOnAssignment.com
INNOVATION + LEADERSHIP CREATIVEMORNINGS
PKX
Fri., September 24 • 8:30am • Livestream • Free, RSVP required CreativeMornings Portsmouth is a local chapter of the global breakfast lecture series for the creative community. Every meeting will feature a local speaker on the month’s topic and is free and open to the public. *Check website for ticket package details
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT Season Sponsors Shine On The Music Hall and our fellow arts and cultural organizations are proud to contribute to the Seacoast’s distinct atmosphere. Our sponsors, especially our lead sponsors, B2W Software; Carey & Giampa, Realtors; Portwalk Place; and the Labrie Group, recognize that we bring people downtown and make Portsmouth a desirable place to live, work, and play. The Labrie Group, our first and longest-standing Season Sponsor, is now joining us in that work—and enhancing West Congress Street’s reputation as an arts district—with the opening this fall of their jazz and blues club, Jimmy’s on Congress. We are thrilled to announce that all four of our lead sponsors have renewed their support of The Music Hall for the 2021-22 Season, as have many of our other dedicated fans and friends. We look forward to welcoming many sponsors who had to step back last year, and thank you and those sponsors who were able to continue sponsoring uninterrupted for filling the gaps. Because of you, we are emerging from the pandemic in a healthy place, ready to contribute to the renewed vitality of the Seacoast region. Visit our website to see the full list of our Corporate Partners, or learn more about them through our Playbill (available in person and online), and be sure to thank them on our behalf the next time you patronize their
UPCOMING MEMBER EVENTS DIRECTOR'S CLUB:
JIMMY'S ON CONGRESS Wed., 9/8 • 5:30pm 135 Congress St., Portsmouth
BOOK CLUB:
THE EXILES BY CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE Mon., 9/13 • 6pm Portwalk Place, Portsmouth For more information, contact Wesley Lovell at 603.766.2182 or WLovell@themusichall.org
businesses!
TheMusicHall.org
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proud supporters of the Music hall
bringing the arts home...
The ArTs Are The Answer to vibrant and prosperous communities where we treasure our heritage, celebrate our diversity and nurture our ingenuity.
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AT A GLANCE
B2W BOX OFFICE AT THE HISTORIC THEATER: 28 Chestnut Street
LEGEND: At the Historic Theater | Offsite/Online
AUGUST 2021
SEPTEMBER 2021
OCTOBER 2021
Live Under The Arch
Live Under The Arch
The Music Hall Presents
Sunday, August 15 • 5pm & 7pm
Thursday, September 9 • 6pm
Friday, October 1 • 8pm
Deb Talan (of The Weepies)
Kerri Arsenault
Masters of Illusion
Live Under The Arch
Intimately Yours
Hilarity
Tuesday, August 17 • 6pm & 8pm
Friday, September 10 • 8pm
Friday, October 8 • 8pm
Miguel Zenón Quartet
Kittel & Co.
Whose Live Anyway?
Live Under The Arch
Intimately Yours
Intimately Yours
Thursday, August 19 • 6pm & 8pm
Sunday, September 12 • 7:30pm
Sunday, October 10 • 7pm
AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Lindsey Buckingham
Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox
Live Under The Arch
Rental Partner
Intimately Yours
Saturday, August 21 • 6pm & 8pm
Wednesday, September 15 • 8pm
Monday, October 11 • 7:30pm
Sharon Jones Quartet
Gordon Lightfoot: 80 Years Strong Tour Telluride by the Sea Film Festival
Live Under The Arch
River Sister
Friday, August 27 • 6pm & 8pm
Friday, September 17 - Sunday, September 19 Live Under The Arch
Tiger Saw & The Reasons Why
Live Under The Arch
Jocelyn & Chris
Saturday, August 28 • 6pm & 8pm
SEPTEMBER 2021
Tuesday, September 21 • 6pm & 8pm Intimately Yours
Chris Thile
Intimately Yours
Josh Turner
Friday, October 22 • 8pm Rental Partner
Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra Fall Concert Sunday, October 24 • 3pm
Chris Botti
Intimately Yours
Innovation + Leadership
Tuesday, October 26 • 7:30pm & Wednesday, October 27 • 7:30pm
Thursday, September 23 • 7:30pm
The Mavericks
Intimately Yours
CreativeMornings PKX
Friday, September 24 • 8:30am
Intimately Yours
Wednesday, September 1 • 7:30pm
Gratitude Music Festival
Friday, October 29 • 8pm
Melissa Etheridge
Writers on a New England Stage
Neighbor
Thursday, September 2 • 7pm
Gratitude Music Festival
Mona Awad
Saturday, September 25 • 1pm
Live Under The Arch
Carsie Blanton
Friday, September 3 • 6pm & 8pm
Gratitude Music Festival
A Night of Sinatra with Rich DiMare
Elvis Costello & The Imposters
Saturday, September 25 • 3:30pm
LOOKING FOR MORE? See our full calendar at TheMusicHall.org
Anderson East
Saturday, September 25 • 8pm
THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE AT THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT Members save on previews, opening night, and mid-week performances. Promotion ends August 31. • 10% discount for Friend level (save up to $9.50/ ticket) • 20% discount for AdvocatePatron level (save up to $19/ticket) • 30% discount for BackerStakeholder (save up to $28.50/ticket)
DECEMBER 1-19
GIVE THE GIFT SPONSORS:
H A M P T O N F O R D
H Y U N D A I
TheMusicHall.org
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PUBLISHED EVERY SIX WEEKS BY:
Friends of The Music Hall 28 Chestnut Street Portsmouth, NH 03801
NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
PERMIT NO. 609 MANCHESTER, NH
VOLUME 9, ISSUE 6
UPCOMING SHOWS
MIGUEL ZENÓN QUARTET August 17
JOCELYN & CHRIS August 28
MID-AUG./SEPT. 2021
GRATITUDE MUSIC FESTIVAL ANDERSON EAST 9/25
More info on pg 4!