video courtesy of Portsmouth Patch
by Monte Bohanan
Moments after the performance on Monday Feb 13, members of the Soweto Gospel Choir performed at the site of the African Burying Ground on Chestnut St.
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The legendary singer songwriter, who catapulted to stardom in the 1970s with his hit, “Okie From Muskogee” and went on to win every imaginable country music award, makes his Music Hall debut on April 20. Haggard and his band, The Strangers, will launch the first Portsmouth Singer Songwriter Festival. Deputy Director of Programming/Curator Thérèse LaGamma interviewed him to get the backstory on his colorful past, what continues to inspire his music, and why his messages are more relevant than ever. Read on to discover why Haggard is arguably the coolest superstar of Americana music.
by Chris Curtis
What an amazing time last Friday’s Wildcard Movie was- The fundraiser/debut of In Danger of Being Discovered with reunion performances by Groovechild and Thanks to Gravity! When Monte Bohanan and I first heard about the film (at that time entitled only Portsmouth Music Documentary) we knew this had to be a Wildcard. We did not realize at the time what, in collaboration with producers Marc Dole, Mike Venn and Karlina Lyons, a huge event it was to become.
Comedy Central star Juston McKinney, performing his Merry Funny New England Christmas with Bob Lord and The Gaudy Baubles at the Historic Theater on December 8 and 9, comes clean to The Music Hall’s Thérèse LaGamma about humor and the holidays.
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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.
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KS: Hi this is Kathleen Soldati from the Music Hall in Portsmouth NH. We’re talking today with Meredith Vieira, the producer of Life in a Marital Institution and James Braly the renowned storyteller that we hear on NPR’s This American Life. Meredith and James are bringing their hit off-Broadway one-man comic monologue show to the Music Hall Loft September 9-11. So Meredith and James, welcome. We can’t wait to see the show!
KS: Meredith, our listeners are most familiar with you from The View and The Today Show and now you’ve moved into producing theater. Can you tell us a little bit about what brought you to that point in your career?
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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 Therese LaGamma caught up with her recently to get the backstory on her illustrious career and talk about what makes Lily, Lily.
by Chris Bohjalian
Not long ago, I was in my basement, which is the scariest place on earth. We’re talking “Silence of the Lambs” scary, “Night of the Living Dead” scary, “lion and tigers and bears, oh my” scary. It’s not merely that a sizable chunk of the floor is dirt, which means that with all the rain we’ve had this summer it’s like quicksand down there. 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.
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Summer House Furnishings has chosen The Music Hall as the beneficiary of its “Bags with Benefits” community partnership now through September 30, 2011.
No sooner had we opened the Music Hall Loft Center for Performing Arts, Literature and Education then we had a full slate of Explore & Learn programs the space was designed for: We kicked off with a master class with members of the “comedy empire” (New York Times) Second City and 18 students and two teachers from Cocheco Arts and Technology Academy (CATA) on April 15. According to Deb Pickett, House Manager/Coordinator of Volunteers, “the room was alive with creativity.”
Our goal is within sight. If you haven’t already given, now is the time. We are proud to share this video and to ask for your support of The Music Hall and its mission in the community.
See every SummerFilm. Receive admission, beverage and popcorn when you flash this baby! Seating not guaranteed. Show up early so there won’t be any tears. Get all the details after the jump.
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Dozens of cool films in the hot weeks between Memorial Day & Labor Day. Plus, a Wednesday genre series running right down the middle, this year’s theme: It’s About Time. Act fast, you don’t want to miss one! It all starts tomorrow with RANGO at 7:30. Right after our members Trailer Party. A digital copy of the entire SummerFilm schedule can be found after the jump.
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Is out. It is a benefit of membership to have one of these mailed to you. You can also pick one up at the Box office, or read it online after the jump.
We caught up with Ben Mezrich, author of The Accidental Billionaires (the basis of the movie The Social Network) in Las Vegas, where he was guest at “the ultimate bachelor party” for one of his friends…and one of the featured characters in his 2003 book Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions (made into the movie 21). He’s soon to be on the road for his new book Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind the Most Audacious Heist in History. coming to The Music Hall for Writers on a New England Stage on Thursday, July 21. Here’s his report from the fast lane…
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Celebrate the season by hitting the decks on Friday April 29, and win a pair of tickets to The Super Secret Project Full details after the jump.
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Momix Botanica: Info/tickets
Now that we have our new website up (hope you’re enjoying that!), watch for two new publications coming your way.
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Citizens Bank is the first corporation on board for early, major sponsorship of programming in The Music Hall Loft: The Center for Performing Arts, Literature and Education
The Music Hall, soon to expand from its Victorian landmark theater into a downtown Loft space, recently announced Citizens Bank has signed on as the presenting sponsor for one of the Loft’s new signature series, Writers in the Loft. The bank’s $10,000 sponsorship is the first major funding for a program in the new Loft space, which will open this spring with performances beginning in April, 2011.
“Citizens Bank’s early commitment is thrilling. They have stepped forward at a very exciting time for The Music Hall and for Portsmouth,” said Patricia Lynch, Executive Director of The Music Hall. “As one of the Loft’s first sponsors, the Bank has signaled powerfully their support of the arts and demonstrated its support of the community.”
Kathleen Reardon, SVP and Director of Public Affairs & Community Investment at Citizens Bank, got an early look at the Loft space and was impressed with the plan for programming. “The energy around the Loft space and its schedule is compelling. The Music Hall has debuted many successful programs during the past few years, and we feel confident that the soon-to-be-launched Writers in the Loft series will follow suit,” said Reardon. “This literary program and the Loft space overall will impact the community in very positive ways, giving readers access to authors and the literary arts which they can get nowhere else,” she added.
Read the rest of this entry »The Music Hall Loft: The Center for Performing Arts, Literature and Education gains final approval from City of Portsmouth’s Historic District Commission for work on building’s exterior Design Team Led by TMS Architects.
Read the rest of this entry »The new creative learning and performance space offering the same high quality programs in a smaller, more intimate, recycled space.
We recently interviewed Patricia Lynch, Executive Director. Read the interview after the jump.
Read the rest of this entry »Box office: (603) 436-2400 | 24-hour Film Line: (603) 436-9900 | Business Office: (603) 433-3100
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