Saturday, we’ll be opening up the Historic Theater for our annual Community Open House and Fill The Hall food drive. We’ve received a number of questions about this event so today I thought I’d share some helpful hints with you.Read More
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Well, it finally happened yesterday, the official first day of summer and the longest day of the year. And that means that the New England race to pack as much gardening, drinks on the deck, beach time, lobster rolls, kayaking and other forms of merriment as humanly possible into about 10 weeks is in full swing. (It also means that the day will be getting shorter from now on, but I don’t want to depress anyone.)Read More
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This week, I caught up with Sara Turner, our new Institutional Giving Manager and Corporate Liaison. We took a tour of her desk (it’s full of fun objects), chatted about her position here, and even discussed what her spirit animal is.Read More
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Blending folk, soul, blues, and Appalachian traditional elements into a refreshingly timeless sound that sits outside any particular musical era, Valerie June stands in a long and storied line of unique performers in Memphis, a city with a still vibrant music scene even into the 21st century. Deputy Director of Programming, Thérèse LaGamma, caught up with her before her recent performance at The Music Hall.Read More
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As I sit down to write this week’s blog, I realized that today marks my two year anniversary here at The Music Hall. As I think about my time here at the theater, I’m reminded of so many great shows that I’ve seen, amazing books that I’ve read and then heard their authors discuss, and most importantly getting to be a part of an organization that doesn’t just strive to entertain but actively works to make the world a better place. Incidentally enough, I’m also coming up on the year anniversary of my weekly Wednesday blog. As I took my trip down memory lane, I realized that I began this series talking about the First Fill The Hall event and I felt that today, it was fitting to do the same.Read More
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We don’t hear much from filmmakers in Greece these days (and no, I don’t count My Big Fat Greek Wedding), but given that country’s position at the foundation of Western Civilization, that seems like a shame. A country that gave us The Iliad and the Odyssey and a dysfunctional family of gods that could go straight onto reality TV—The Real Gods of Mount Olympus!—might tap into some interesting places in our collective psyche.Read More
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At the Shadows Fall North premiere, from left: Burt Feintuch, UNH English professor & Director, Center for the Humanities, UNH; Valerie Cunningham, historian & founder, Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail; JerriAnne Boggis, Director, Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail; Brian Vawter, Director & Editor of Shadows Fall North; Nancy Vawter, Producer, Atlantic Media Productions; Jason Sokol, Associate Professor of History, UNH & panel moderator; Chris Curtis, Music Hall Programming Coordinator
No one expected a Tuesday night documentary exposing hard truths about African American history in New Hampshire to be a sellout event.
Yet, nearly 700 people came to see the world premiere of Shadows Fall North in The Music Hall’s Historic Theater on May 26. Produced by UNH’s Center for the Humanities and Atlantic Media Productions, the film features the key players responsible for Portsmouth’s African Burying Ground memorial park, honoring the centuries-old souls discovered beneath city sidewalks more than a decade ago. And it delves deep into the overlooked history of racism in Northern New England. A rallying cry to acknowledge untold stories and set history straight, it brought the house to a standing ovation.Read More
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In our second installment of Life Backstage we sat down with Mokoomba, who hail from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Their sound is vibrant and distinct, combining traditional Tonga and pan-African music cultures with dashes of Rap, Ska, Soukous, and Afro-Cuban music. They appeared as part of our Live @ the Loft series. Our Deputy Director of Programming, Thérèse LaGamma caught up with them just before their show.
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