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The Music Hall Names Markus Gottschlich as President & CEO

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Show & Tell: Nymphomaniac Vol 1 In Brief

Show & Tell: Nymphomaniac Vol 1

Tomorrow evening (Tuesday, May 13) at The Music Hall, there will be two movies playing. In The Historic Theater, folks will be watching a French film title On My Way starring Catherine Deneuve in which the aging beauty hits the road with her grandson. It’s the perfect kind of movie to have around for Mother’s Day and I hope it attracted lots of Moms, including some who were escorted by their aging sons, who, like me, were once hopelessly in love with la Deneuve. They will see the still-lovely Catherine and some wonderful French scenery and will, I suspect, have their hearts warmed. And I’m not going to be discussing it. Instead, I will be at The Music Hall Loft watching and discussing Lars von Trier’s latest outrage, Nymphomaniac Vol I. According to the critical surveys I’ve done, critics think Nymphomaniac I is a slightly better movie than On My Way, although not by much. And the scores may be a little skewed by the few critics who gave Nymphomanic a score of zero. The critics who like the film are alternately fascinated and baffled by it. Like most people who have access to the Internet, the film’s use of explicit sex wasn’t much of a shock. And many were holding off making any judgment at all until Nymphomaniac Vol. II showed up, letting us know where von Trier was heading with his philosophical sexplorations. (Looking at the average scores for Vol. II reveals very little. Those who hated Vol. I kept on hating.) But while Lars von Trier is a provocateur and a troublemaker and an imp of the perverse, very few people ever accuse him of being anything less than a brilliant filmmaker. He’s an abrasive guy, but he isn’t afraid to push hard in pursuit of an idea. From Breaking the Waves to Dancer in the Dark to Melancholia, he drives his stories, his actors and his audiences beyond the usual limits. So that’s why I’m forsaking my one-time girlfriend for a date with a Danish loose cannon. I approach Nymphomaniac Vol. I with trepidation. After all, I sat all the way through von Trier’s Dogville. But I can’t be a film person and not see what this guy is up to. If that appeals to you as well, I’ll see you at The Loft at 7:00 and we’ll find out what all the yelling is about. Nota bene: Next week we will be geeking out with the infinitely less controversial scientific documentary about the world’s biggest atom smasher with Particle Fever. And the week after that, we’ll be back in The Big Room for Omar, an edgy thriller about the Middle East, where even the romantic comedies (which this isn’t) are edgy thrillers. I hope to see you there. Read More Read More
Sneak Preview of The Met @ The Music Hall 14-15 Season Interviews

Sneak Preview of The Met @ The Music Hall 14-15 Season

Not an opera buff? Music Hall members can catch a fun, free talk by cultural historian, composer, and always-entertaining Dennis Neil Kleinman at the Loft on Thursday, May 8 and I guarantee you will be intrigued. “Opera, above all else, is about great storytelling,” says Dennis. “And in a culture that loves narrative—from news stories to fantasy fiction and everything in between—opera is experiencing somewhat of a boom and is starting to resonate with younger generations.” Read More Read More
Show & Tell: Gloria In Brief

Show & Tell: Gloria

I keep a lot of movie lists in my head, or at least I try to. I love the conversations that start with lines like: “What’s your favorite Tom Hanks movie?” Substitute almost any actor, genre or director for Tom Hanks, and you have a recipe for a usefully wasted hour for any film buff. But I’ll have to admit that I’ve never had an active list in my head labeled Favorite Chilean Movies of All Time. Until 2012. Read More Read More
Coming Home: Musings on Moth Mainstage In Brief

Coming Home: Musings on Moth Mainstage

One of my first excited thoughts, when I made the decision to move to Kittery, Maine was, “I will be so close to the Music Hall.” In fact, I am within walking distance, just over the Memorial Bridge. However, I did opt for the car when I headed out last Saturday night, in the March cold, to attend the Moth Radio show, and the following member appreciation party. Read More Read More
A Mesmerizing, Cross-Cultural Mashup: Meklit Performs at The Loft Interviews

A Mesmerizing, Cross-Cultural Mashup: Meklit Performs at The Loft

We are so excited to be bringing the amazing, Ethiopian-born singer Meklit to The Music Hall Loft on Friday, January 17. Her unique sound has been likened to that of Nina Simone, Joan Armatrading and Tracy Chapman. This January she will be touring the East Coast en route from NYC, where she has been invited by the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (one of the country’s biggest performing arts conferences) to perform several shows around the city including Joe’s Pub and Winterjazzfest. Read More Read More
Sweet Harmonies and Flying Fingers: Don’t Miss Arc Iris at The Loft Interviews

Sweet Harmonies and Flying Fingers: Don’t Miss Arc Iris at The Loft

I’ve been a fan of Jocie Adams ever since I first heard her sing nearly four years ago, late one night in Austin, Texas. My brother-in-law had been raving about her former band, The Low Anthem—this was just before their sold out performance as part of Lincoln Center’s The American Songbook Series and their appearance on “Late Night with Letterman”— so I gave it a shot. The music I heard that evening was mesmerizing- layered harmonies, guitar, clarinet, keyboards, acoustic bass, and drums. Jocie’s voice has a beautiful, strange, and playful child-like quality that instantly draws you in to her orbit. After following her career since that night in Austin, I can’t wait to hear Jocie again when she performs a special concert at The Music Hall Loft in Portsmouth, NH on Friday, December 6 as part of the Martingale Wharf Singer Songwriter Series. She’ll be in town showcasing her latest creative endeavor- Arc Iris. With Arc Iris, Jocie’s musical landscape is layered with mariachi horns, acoustic bass, guitars, keyboard, and clarinet— a much more adventurous terrain from that of her Low Anthem fame. I caught up with her recently to talk about her music, her memories, and her new band. Read More Read More
Paramount Pictures’ Labor Day to Open New Hampshire Film Festival Community

Paramount Pictures’ Labor Day to Open New Hampshire Film Festival

October 8, 2013, Portsmouth, NH— Labor Day, starring Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin and Gattlin Griffith, is making its New England premiere as the opening night film at the New Hampshire Film Festival later this month. One of the most anticipated films to screen at the festival, Labor Day is based on the book by New Hampshire native Joyce Maynard, who will be in attendance at the festival. The film is directed by Jason Reitman, who also wrote the screenplay for the film, based on Maynard’s novel. Starring alongside Winslet and Brolin are Clark Gregg, J.K. Simmons, Brooke Smith, James Van Der Beek and Tobey Maguire. Labor Day opens in theaters on December 25. Read More Read More
Social on the Seacoast: Go (see) Frances! In Brief

Social on the Seacoast: Go (see) Frances!

There’s still time to spend a (deliciously cool) few hours with Frances, the idiosyncratic heroine of the hip indie flick, “Frances Ha”—you’ll come out smiling. Greta Gerwig, who co-wrote the movie with Noah Baumbach (“Greenberg,” Margot at the Wedding,” “The Squid and the Whale”) plays a scattered, sometimes awkward, occasionally annoying, but always true-to-herself 27-year-old would-be dancer. At the start of the movie, Frances is living in New York with her best friend from college, barely scraping by. The plot centers on friendship, not romance. I loved this refreshing take on coming-of-age; ditto for the black and white palette which allows a laser-like focus on Frances herself. The film reveals surprising layers of a character who ultimately shows admirable perseverance and integrity as she takes the leap into adulthood. “Frances Ha” is at the Music Hall Historic Theater through Thursday, July 18. Tickets/Showtimes Reviews: The New Yorker - Richard Brody The Guardian - Emma Brockes Read More Read More

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