Mid-November/December 2022 Magazine

COMEDY CAITLIN PELUFFO

Sat., February 18

8:30pm

The Lounge

This lovable loose cannon comedian has opened for Maria Bamford, Brian Regan, and Matteo Lane.

PETE’S BIG HOLLYWOOD ADVENTURE

Mon., March 6 • 9:30am & 11:30am

Historic Theater

Join Pete, Callie, Ethel the Apatosaurus, and Robo-Pete in this rockin’ musical adventure that features several fun-filled Pete the Cat books.

MISS NH USA & MISS NH TEEN USA 2023

THE ADVENTURES OF SLEEPYHEAD

Wed., May 10 • 9:30am & 11:30am

Historic Theater

From the brain of award-winning clown, Gemma Soldati, children and adults alike will delight in this adventure to the heart of dreamland as Sleepyhead fends off the Zzz...

BANFF CENTRE MOUNTAIN

FESTIVAL

Sat., Feb. 18

8pm & Sun., Feb. 19

2pm

Historic Theater

Theatre & Pageant

Thu., March 9

7pm

Theater

MUSIC AT THE HISTORIC THEATER & ELSEWHERE

Legendary

MUSIC

BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA WITH SPECIAL GUEST CHARLIE MUSSELWHITE

Sun., November 13 • 7pm • Historic Theater

The living legends, the Blind Boys of Alabama and Charlie Musselwhite bring their awardwinning talents to the stage for an outstanding night of blues and gospel.

EVENING SPONSORS:

Carpe Diem Coffee Roasting Co.; Donahue, Tucker & Ciandella, PLLC; River Wharf Hospitality Group

RESIDENT ORCHESTRA AT PORTSMOUTH HIGH SCHOOL PORTSMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA FAMILY HOLIDAY POPS

Sat., December 17 • 7:30pm & Sun., December 18 • 3pm

Portsmouth High School, 50 Andrew Jarvis Dr The festive program will delight audiences of all ages with a seasonal blend of music from beloved holiday movies and classic Christmas favorites.

NEW YEAR’S EVE CHAMPAGNE POPS WITH PORTSMOUTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Sat., December 31 • 8pm • Historic Theater

Guest conductor Dr. Dirk Hillyer and the PSO are pairing up again to ring in another New Year. They’ll be joined by special guest tenor Ben DiScipio, winner of Boston’s highest musical theater award, who brings a variety of talent in Broadway, operetta, and jazz to this year’s Champagne Pops!

COMEDY

JUSTON MCKINNEY: A YEAR IN REVIEW 2022

Mon., December 26

7pm; Tue., December 27

7pm; Wed., December 28

8pm; Thu., December 29

8pm

Historic Theater Juston has multiple appearances on the Tonight Show, Conan O’Brien, and both a half-hour special and a one-hour special on Comedy Central. Have the last laugh of 2022 with Juston as he uses multimedia to dish on his New England life and looks back at the year that was.

EVENING

SPONSORS: Eastern Bank; Harvey Family Dentistry; oHive

TALKS

THE

AN EVENING WITH MARY ANN ESPOSITO

Tue., November 15 • 7pm

THE

SARA SCHAEFER: GOING UP

Fri., November 18 • 6pm & 9pm

The

Sara Schaefer is a critically acclaimed stand up comedian, writer, and producer who has appeared on John Oliver’s New York Stand Up Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and Inside Amy Schumer.

MUSIC AT

MIDWEEK COMEDIC RELIEF: FEATURING JON RINEMAN

Wed., November 23 • 6:30pm

The Lounge

For this special Thanksgiving Eve show, bring friends and family for a good laugh before the holiday festivities kick in. Former late-night TV writer, Jon Rineman returns!

LOUNGE

BRIAN

Sun., November 13

The Lounge

Mary Ann Esposito, host of the nationally televised PBS series Ciao Italia and the author of 14 cookbooks, celebrates the publication of Ciao Italia: Plant, Harvest, Cook!

DISCOVERING MAGIC IN PORTSMOUTH

Fri., December 16 • 8:30pm

The Lounge

This interactive sleight-of-hand show from the award-winning Andrew J. Pinard strives to expand the audience’s experience of magic and is a favorite of audiences across NH.

Discover new

our Spotify Playlists!

7:30pm

LUCY KAPLANSKY

Sat., November 19 • 7:30pm

The

With a sound at once vintage and modern, Brian Dunne’s new album is dark and dreamy.

The

Lucy Kaplansky is an acclaimed singersongwriter of rare talent and one of the most sought-after harmony singers.

KAT WRIGHT

Sat., December 3 8pm The Lounge

Kat Wright with Bob Wagner and Josh Weinstein showcases the trio’s stripped down folky/rootsy music.

GREAT

PHILHARMONIC

ROCKSPRING’S

SPONSOR

Spreading Cheer to All Who Are Near

This time of gratitude and goodwill provides the perfect opportunity to honor all of you, The Music Hall’s friends and family, as well as our Corporate Partners, including Novocure, the Presenting Sponsor of our Holiday Programming. We have much to celebrate this season: It is thrilling to mark the second year of Novocure’s three-year commitment with the return of the Ogunquit Playhouse production of Elf The Musical.

The Music Hall’s collaborations with the Ogunquit Playhouse have become a Seacoast tradition. By bringing a Broadway-quality production to our stage, we aim to provide a shared experience that will inspire magical memories and bring families, friends, and neighbors closer together. That’s just one of the many ways we work to fulfill our mission and serve our community!

Our friends at Novocure are also on a mission, striving to extend survival in some of the most aggressive forms of cancer. As William Burke, Novocure’s Chief Human Resources Officer has said, “Along with aspiring to make a difference in cancer, we believe it’s important to make a difference in the communities where we live and work. Portsmouth is a special part of Novocure’s past, present and future, and we are proud to be a part of and support our community.” Together, we are thrilled to spread cheer this holiday season with the return of Elf The Musical

bringing the arts home...

The Ar T s A re T he A nswer to vibrant and prosperous communities where we treasure our heritage, celebrate our diversity and nurture our ingenuity.

UPCOMING

MEMBER EVENTS

BOOK CLUB

Portwalk Place, Portsmouth

BOTH/AND by Huma Abedin moderated by Tina Sawtelle Mon., 11/14 • 6pm

AMERICAN RASCAL by Greg Steinmetz moderated by Bill Proskow Mon., 12/12 • 6pm

DIRECTOR’S CLUB SOL

Wed., 12/7 • 5:30pm 111 State Street, Portsmouth

For more info, contact Wesley Lovell at WLovell@themusichall.org

DIRECTOR'S CLUB SPONSOR: Newburyport Bank

BOOK CLUB SPONSOR: Sheehan Phinney

Blake Hammond and Steven Booth in the Ogunquit Playhouse 2018 production of Elf The Musical Photo Credit: Julia Russell

proud supporters of t he Music h all

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2023

Your Gift Makes a Difference

As 2022 comes to a close, now is the perfect time to think about your yearend philanthropy. We hope you will consider donating to The Music Hall; as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, we rely on your generous contributions to realize our mission to serve our community.

Membership is incredibly valuable to us, and we appreciate the opportunity to recognize your generous support with a host of benefits. We are also grateful to receive gifts to our Annual Fund, which helps underwrite programs including our School Days Series, allowing us to offer scholarships of complimentary tickets and transportation to schools struggling with limited budgets.

Our Give the Gift of Magic program, also supported by Annual Fund gifts and generous sponsors, runs year round but is quite popular around the holidays. Through this program, we provide tickets to families in need for our collaboration with the Ogunquit Playhouse, as well as films and visits from musicians, comedians, authors, and scholars.

We are always in need of more than just financial gifts. Consider donating your valuable time as a part of our volunteer corps. Resolve to join us in 2023!

The School Days Series is sponsored by Meredith Village Savings Bank, D.F. Richard Energy, The Fabulous Find, and the French Foundation. Give the Gift of Magic, inspired by Morgan & Tara Rutman, is sponsored by BankProv, Hampton Ford Hyundai, and the Fuller Foundation. To secure tickets through these programs, contact the Box Office.

Maintaining An American Treasure

Bringing a Historic Theater Built in 1878 Into the 21st Century—It Takes a Village

THE PAST

We live in an area rich with history and tales to tell, and our Historic Theater has an abundance of stories. Built in 1878 by shipwrights, we are proud to be one of the last remaining “hemp houses” in the country, still using the original rigging system from 1901 that depends on rope, block and tackle, and counterweight to raise the curtain and create theatrical magic like making Santa’s sleigh fly in Elf The Musical. Our acoustically rich space has inspired the work of artists like The Indigo Girls and Brandi Carlile.

As proud as we are of our historic roots, modern amenities are necessary to keep up with the times. A decade ago, we celebrated the completion of a restoration and renovation that included our award-winning restrooms and the lower lobby. In 2020 we replaced the Historic Theater’s HVAC with a state-of-the-art system complete with hospital-grade MERV13 filters. Our lighting system was updated in 2021 and the backstage green room and dressing rooms were renovated in summer 2022, which provide artists more creative comfort. None of this would have been possible without the generosity of our donors.

THE FUTURE

We strive to ensure that The Music Hall is here for future generations. There is always going to be more to do—just ask anyone living in a historic home! From the roof to the brick walls, there are continuous maintenance expenses that need to be covered, and sometimes surprise issues pop up that need an immediate solution. Through our Strategic Planning survey process, you and other patrons shared great ideas to enhance our venues that we are looking to implement. Thank you! We want everyone in our community, both today and in the future, to be able to comfortably enjoy our performances.

Thanks to our members and donors, we will be able to maintain this historic gem, honoring the past while offering entertainment, education, and inspiration today.

Want to Learn More? Check Out Bite-Sized History

J. Dennis Robinson and filmmaker Jay Childs produced eight short videos, weaving together the history of Portsmouth, musical roots in the community, past performers, and prominent local figures. Watch the full series at YouTube.com/MusicHallNH

Credit: Monte Bohanan

NOVEMBER 2022

Music

Blind Boys of Alabama with special guest Charlie Musselwhite Sunday, November 13

7pm

Music Brian Dunne Sunday, November 13

7:30pm Book Club Both/And** Monday, November 14

Talks

6pm

An Evening with Mary Ann Esposito Tuesday, November 15

7pm

Comedy Sara Schaefer: Going Up Friday, November 18 • 6pm & 9pm

Music

Lucy Kaplansky Saturday, November 19 • 7:30pm

Comedy Midweek Comedic Relief ft. Jon Rineman Wednesday, November 23 • 6:30pm

DECEMBER 2022

The Ogunquit Playhouse at The Music Hall presents Elf The Musical

Wednesday, November 30Sunday, December 18

Music Kat Wright Saturday, December 3 • 8pm Director’s Club Sol** Wednesday, December 7 • 5:30pm

Music

Antje Duvekot Thursday, December 8 • 7:30pm Music

Great Bay Philharmonic Quartet Friday, December 9 • 8pm

Music

Thanks to Gravity

Saturday, December 10 • 8pm & Sunday, December 11 • 7pm

Book Club

American Rascal**

Monday, December 12 • 6pm

Comedy

Discovering Magic in Portsmouth Friday, December 16 • 8:30pm

Music

A Sinatra Christmas with Rich DiMare Saturday, December 17 • 6:15pm & 8:30pm

Resident Orchestra

Ports. Symphony Orchestra Family Holiday Pops Saturday, December 17 • 7:30pm & Sunday, December 18 • 3pm

DECEMBER 2022 CONT...

Music

Nat Zegree Thursday, December 22 • 7:30pm

Cinema Miracle on 34th Street (1947) Friday, December 23 • 1pm

Cinema Love, Actually Friday, December 23 • 7pm Cinema Arthur Christmas Saturday, December 24 • 1pm

Cinema

Adam Sandler’s Eight Crazy Nights Saturday, December 24 • 4pm

Comedy

Juston McKinney’s A Year in Review 2022 Monday, December 26 • 7pm; Tuesday, December 27 • 7pm; Wednesday, December 28 • 8pm & Thursday, December 29 • 8pm

Music

New Year’s Eve Champagne Pops Saturday, December 31 • 8pm

Music Rockspring’s New Year’s Eve Party Saturday, December 31 • 10pm

JANUARY 2023

Met at The Music Hall The Hours (Puts)

Saturday, January 7 • 12:55pm Book Club West with Giraffes** Monday, January 9

6pm Opera Connection Fedora Saturday, January 14

11:30am Met at The Music Hall Fedora (Giordano) Saturday, January 14

School Days Series Llama Llama - Live! Tuesday, January 24

12:55pm

9:30am & 11:30am

FEBRUARY 2023

Rental Partner Miss NH USA & Miss NH Teen USA 2023 Saturday, February 18

8pm & Sunday, February 19

2pm

Comedy Caitlin Peluffo Saturday, February 18

8:30pm Music Griffin House Saturday, February 25

Music

8pm

Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy Sunday, February 26

4pm

MARCH

On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins gathered at Sun Records in Memphis for one of the greatest

of all time.

Million Dollar Quartet brings that legendary night to life, featuring a score of rock hits that includes “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Walk the Line,”

and more!

THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE AT THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS

Tanya Tucker

Brandi Carlile,