The acclaimed trumpeter has earned both critical and mainstream appreciation for his singular combination of lush atmospheres and thoughtful improvisations. A veteran of both the contemporary jazz world and the mainstream pop studio scene, he’s worked with luminaries ranging from Sting to Paul Simon and Aretha Franklin to Natalie Merchant.
“the hip end of smooth jazz.” – New York Times
Met @ The Music Hall: La Cenerentola
Gran Torino
RUTH REICHL
Friday, May 1 • 7:30pm
Tickets: $13
Writers on a New England Stage
Join us in welcoming Ruth Reichl, the editor in chief of Gourmet and the author of three bestselling memoirs. The former NY Times critic will discuss her new book Not Becoming My Mother & Other Things She Taught Me Along the Way – just in time for Mother’s Day! Reichl will be interviewed by NHPR’s Laura Knoy and live music by Dreadnaught.
PARTNERS:
SPONSORS: Auger Building Company, Inc.; Piscataqua Landscaping; Popovers & Galley Hatch Hospitality Group; RMC Research Corp.; Calypso Communications; Haunted Milk Design; SeacoastNH.com. Underwritten by Citizens Bank Foundation.
THE 25TH ANNUAL
puTnAM counTy spellinG bee
Thursday, May 7 • 7:30pm • Tickets: $75-$30
north hampton & rye, new hampshire • a benefit for the music hall 18th annual kitchen tOUR
Saturday, May 2 • 10am-3pm
Tickets: $20 members; $23 non-members; $25 day of event Peek into our dream kitchens, from sleek to historic, and be inspired about the heart of your home!
Just Announced! Sizzling Summer Salsa Dance Party... SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA
Friday, June 26 • 8pm • Tickets: $34 General Admission
Get ready to dance with the Grammy Award-winning standard bearers of contemporary Latin music. With a sound both modern and historic and a swing that could revive the dead, this signature sound of 21st century Latin music will be driving patrons onto the dance floor. We’ve listened to our patrons and they want to dance! So, we’ll be taking out our front rows and putting in our dance floor just for this evening. You can choose – get hot on the dance floor, or stay cool in the balcony, surveying the scene!
SERIES SPONSORS:
In this Tony Award-winning musical comedy, six young people in the throes of puberty, overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, learn that winning isn’t everything and that losing doesn’t necessarily make you a loser. Spelling Bee has been hailed by the Wall Street Journal as “perfect in every possible way – that rarity of rarities, a super-smart musical that is also a bona fide crowd pleaser.” Watch for Guest Spellers!
SPONSORS: Centrix Bank; Prime Buchholz & Associates, Inc.; Seatrade International Co., Inc; WSCA-LP 106.1 FM
“Riotously funny and remarkably ingenious” – The NeW YOrk TiMeS Age Suggestion: 12+
Caution: Raging hormone episodes!
ATTenTion MeMbeRs! 09-10 TicKeTs on sAle...
The Met @ The Music Hall 2009-2010 season: Tickets on sale sunday, May 3 at noon (before The Audition)
The Music Hall presents 2009-2010 season Tickets on sale saturday, May 30. Walk-up sales begin at 11am, phone and internet sales begin at noon!
Photo:
Tickets available now: The Music Hall Box Office, The Cranberry Bog, The Greater York Region Chamber of Commerce, The Lollipop Tree, Lamprey Brothers. Day of Tour Tickets: Abenaqui Country Club
Sponsors: Accent Home & Garden; B&G Cabinet LLC; Dovetailed Kitchens; Drayco Builders Lifestyles; Michele Bitter Designs, NYC; Piscataqua Landscaping; Savi Systems; The Harbor Lights; The Lighting Center at Rockingham Electric. Lead Sponsors:
Meet celebrity guest RUTH REICHL on The Kitchen Tour!
STARTING
THURSDAY, MAY 21...
Foundersloungelobby
extraordinary cinema
Join us for cocktails, coffee and cake every Thursday-Saturday 5:30-midnight.
Writer-director Matteo Garrone’s adaptation of a best-selling investigative account of Naples’ Mafiosi (a book that made author Roberto Saviano both a national figure and a mob target). Don Ciro, an exhausted, frightened bag man, buys mob control over paralyzed slum-dwellers; the tailor Pasquale hopes to get his designs out of a mob-owned factory; and the entrepreneurial Franco trades in garbage and toxic waste. Vivid, fast-paced and unsettling, Gomorrah is one of the most ambitious visions of the mob yet put to film. In Italian with subtitles
“Gomorrah takes the time-honored Mafia genre and gives it an all new twist.”
– NeW YOrk POST
GRAn ToRino
Rated R • 116min • USa • 5/8 - 5/14 daily @ 7pm • 4pm matinee 5/10 • no Film 5/9
Set in contemporary Detroit, Gran Torino tackles the shifting cultural landscape of not only the Motor City, but of America as well. Clint Eastwood directs and stars as an unabashed bigot who never heard a racial insult he didn’t love. Bitter, haunted, and full of pride, Walt refuses to abandon the neighborhood he’s lived in for decades despite its changing demographics as he clings desperately to a mindset long since out of step with the times.
“Gran Torino made my day.” – rOLLiNG STONe
eVeRlAsTinG MoMenTs
nOt Rated • 113min • denmaRK • 5/15 - 5/21 daily @ 7pm • no Film 5/16 & 5/17 • discussion follows 5/19 show
In this breathtaking film from renowned Swedish director Jan Troell, a woman experiences an artistic awakening after being introduced to photography. Based on real-life events, the story opens at the start of the 20th century and centers around Finnish housewife Maria Larrson who struggles to care for her large family and manage her alcoholic husband. Despite the bleak world the characters inhabit, the film is a moving affirmation of life’s beauty and the strength of the human spirit. in Swedish and Finnish with subtitles.
“This is artful filmmaking of the old school.” – SAN FrANCiSCO ChrONiCLe
K ids RULE! Movie: CORALINE
Rated PG • 100min • USa • 5/24 @ 2pm • One SHOW OnLY!
Henry Selick’s (The Nightmare Before Christmas) Coraline is an eye-popping stop-motion animation tale. When Coraline Jones (voiced by Dakota Fanning) and her family move into a new home, Coraline discovers a mysterious hidden door and embarks on a frightfully magical adventure that will give the whole family plenty to shriek, cheer, and talk about!
“creepy, wonderfully strange and full of feeling.” – NeW YOrk TiMeS
DEFIANCE
Rated R • 137min • USa • 5/22 - 5/27 daily @ 7pm • 4pm matinee 5/23 • discussion follows 5/26 show
everlasting Moments
“A movie like Everlasting Moments comes along maybe once in a decade.” – PHILADELPHIA
WilDcARD MoVie: slAcKeRs nOt Rated • 43min • USa Sat., 5/9 @ 8pm • 6:30pm VJ SET 1 SHOW ONLY!
INQUIRER
We’re teaming up with neighbor Identity Footwear and Apparel to present a highenergy evening of life on the decks – as in turntables and skateboards. At 6:30, vj Mike Marchand (aka Datajockey) will be live mixing music and vintage skateboarding footage on The Founders Lobby screens. We premiere SLACkerS, the first-ever locally-produced skateboarding film. Filmed in and around Portsmouth, and featuring more than a dozen up-and-coming skateboarders, SLACkerS is solid proof the Seacoast has no shortage of four-wheeled talent.
The true story of a group of Jews in Eastern Europe who fought back during WWII. On the run from the Germans, three Russian Bielski brothers, Tuvia (Daniel Craig), Zus (Liev Schreiber), and Asael (Jamie Bell), hide out deep in the forest, their numbers growing as more refugees join them. Directed by Edward Zwick (Glory, Blood Diamond) and based on the nonfiction book by Dr. Nechama Tec, Defiance is a powerful thriller filled with human emotion. “A war story told with passion...has the power to inspire.” – rOLLiNG STONe
HD BROADCAST: THE AUDITION sunday, May 3 • 3pm Program to be previously recorded. Host Renee Fleming introduces a suspense filled documentary about the intense pressures young opera singers face as they try to become opera stars.
JUST ANNOUNCED!
the met @ the music hall: L A CENERENTOLA (Rossini) saturday, May 9 • 12:30pm
Hot on the heels of her triumphant Met debut as Rosina in last season’s il Barbiere di Siviglia, the glamorous Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca portrays another Rossini charmer in this bel canto Cinderella story. Lawrence Brownlee is her Prince Charming. Veteran baritone Alessandro Corbelli demonstrates his impeccable comic timing to match the gravitas of Met favorite John Relyea.
SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Cocked Hat Ventures, LLC; Portsmouth Brewery; Brown and Company; Experience Magazine; New Hampshire Public Radio; PortsmouthNH.com
MeMbeRs only suMMeRfilM tRaileR paRty! Friday, May 29 • 5:30pm
Be the first to see the previews for SummerFilms! Free popcorn, cash bar, and a chance to win raffle prizes!
5:30pm Doors open to mingle in our Founders Lobby 5:45pm-6:30pm onscreen, a rolling preview of the 2009-2010 season of live shows, on sale to members May 30th! 6:30pm Raffle drawing and film trailers. Please note, trailers for R-rated films may be included. 7:30pm Stay for the
May
Come to
Lobby, grab a drink and snack and settle
a look at the upcoming season from the woman who curated it
In her inimitable style, Patricia Lynch will give a rollicking season overview –complete with audio/video clips. Just in time for the new season to go on sale May 30!
SPONSOR:
Here&Now
the Music hall and the seacoast Community
London Calling!
by PATRICIA LyNCH, Executive Director
i took time out recently on holiday to visit with a new partner, The National Theatre of London. On a beautiful April day overlooking the Thames I met with David Sabel, the Producer of NT Live our new partners for the National Theater of London HD Broadcast Series at The Music Hall. David told me that they were looking for performing arts centers with sophisticated yet accessible programming to partner with and The Music Hall fit the bill. They describe it as a grand new adventure and we’re thrilled to be taking part in it along with prestigious US venues like BAM in Brooklyn and the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. There will be As You Like it by Shakespeare and a
Got MIFF?
by KATHLEEN soLDATI, Director of Marketing
When we got word of the latest Music hall partnership with the Maine international Film Festival (MiFF to those in the know!) we had to find out more. We checked in with our film curator to get the scoop.
new play by Alan Bennett in the upcoming season. The NT Live director Nicholas Hytner will be doing backstage interviews and behind the scene footage as part of the HD broadcasts. The filming and camera angles for the shows being filmed will be such that the Music Hall audience will have the best seat in the house in London, David Sabel explained. We’ll be putting up links on our website, www. themusichall.org, so folks can take a tour of the London theater with its storied costume and prop shops. I can almost hear Big Ben chiming in the background and the guard changing at the Palace. Welcome to London, Portsmouth!
Here’s bill pence:
“When we began the Telluride Film Festival 35 years ago, there were only a handful of film festivals. Today virtually every city of any size has a film festival. There are a few that command our respect, and MIFF is among that small number.”
Wow – what makes MiFF so special?
“First and foremost, its artistic directors – Beth and Ken Eisen – are experienced and knowledgeable in international film history and business. They have a passion for cinema that permeates the festival that they created more than ten years ago. And while MIFF is truly abreast of the newest and best in International and American cinema, it also holds dear rediscoveries and tributes to films and artists of cinema’s past.”
so why did Ken and beth choose portsmouth? And why The Music Hall?
Here’s Ken and beth:
Music Hall, we feel that there’s an incredibly solid organization we can rely on to implement MIFF’s programs on the ground, and to reach an appreciative, intelligent, sympatico audience. We are thrilled to be entering into what we think will be a long and fruitful partnership with MIFF@The Music Hall, a partnership that will help us bring unique and great films and filmmakers to New Hampshire, northern Massachusetts and southern Maine as an integral part of the Maine International Film Festival.”
bill pence has had a chance to watch Ken and beth firsthand:
“The Maine International Film Festival has, in the 12 years of our existence, been eager to bring our vision of film and culture to as wide an audience as possible. Over that time, we’ve had several offers of partnership from worthy organizations, but we’ve never committed to such a linkage—until now. With The Music Hall in Portsmouth, we feel that we have finally found a truly like-minded organization, one whose roots are firmly embedded in their community, yet whose vision of art, culture and film looks outward to the world. And with The
Intern-national Karolien Coussement joins The Music Hall
The Music hall Marketing Department was contacted last year by a Belgian college student seeking an internship. karolien arrived in March and we fell in love with her instantly! here’s her story:
As a Communication Management student in my last year, I had to do a three-month internship in order to graduate. Since I wanted to do it at a nonprofit – and preferably in the arts – my sister in New Hampshire suggested I look up The Music Hall. When I received a positive answer, I was ecstatic! I prepared myself by doing some research so I would knew something about the history and
“On a personal level, MIFF is really fun. Ken and Beth bring to the event their warm and welcoming manner, and, while affording the works of film art the gravitas they deserve, the two directors keep their senses of humor and light hearted approach to the event. There is not a whiff of pretension, elitism, or the endless push and shove of paparazzi.” so, the bottom line for bill pence?
“MIFF is original, smart and deep – a rare jewel in the world of American film festivals.”
Don’t miss Miff @ the Music Hall: friday, July 17 – sunday, July 19, 2009
Miff festival pass on sale to members May 2, 2009
Miff festival pass on sale to public May 5, 2009
Miff individual tickets on sale to all June 27, 2009
SERIES SPONSORS: BayRing Communications; Ocean Properties
SPONSORS: Calvert Funds; Dos Amigos Burritos; Northeast Credit Union; WERZ
the great shows offered. But the workload was a big question mark, which made me rather nervous Once I arrived, this nervousness quickly went away, and before I knew it I found myself rolling along with this fast-paced organization. So far it has been a great experience that really exceeds my expectations. Not only do I work at this beautiful historical building, I’m also part of a great staff that is one big happy family. I’m writing press releases, helping to organize events, and updating online calendars. The Music Hall is a great learning school. This experience will benefit me in many ways and I’ll be able to put my knowledge towards a good cause!
Patricia Lynch on London’s chilly South Bank.
William hurt on screen at MiFF in Waterville, Me
The Secret of On Sales?
i sat with Box Office Manager Chris Greiner recently as he ate his lunch and asked him to divulge any secret strategies for getting the best seats when tickets go on sale to members in the merry month of May.
– kathleen Soldati
What is the story with May “on sales”?
“We have two really big On Sales in May. The first is for what’s turned out to be one of our most popular and beloved offerings at the Hall – the Met opera broadcasts on Saturday afternoons. The 2009-2010 Met opera season goes on sale Sunday, May 3, before The Audition, an HD broadcast that’s sort of the Met Opera meets reality TV. We decided to put the Met season on sale that day since we thought it would be most convenient for opera audiences. The Box Office will open at noon – three hours before the show.
so, what’s the next big on sale?
The entire 2009-2010 season goes on sale Saturday, May 30. If you haven’t been down to The Music Hall yet for a new season on sale, you’re missing an event! We do our best to make it special for the people who come down – we always have snacks and refreshments. I’ve been doing this for seven years and it’s pretty cool because people make an occasion out of the day. We see a lot of the same faces each year – early in line, order form in hand, eager to get the best seats.
What’s the secret to getting the best seat?
People are always asking me that – figuring there must be one way that is better than another. We sell tickets four ways – online, over the phone, in person, and by mail. But honestly we’ve worked hard to create a system that’s as fair as possible for everyone, so it really is just a matter of what works best for you…of course, if you’re looking to get to the head of the line, I do like a double tall Americano, black, from Caffe Kilim, and the chocolate macaroons from Popovers are delicious.
Will food bribes actually work on chris Greiner?
I guess you’ll just have to come in on May 3rd or 30th to find out!
Members, Start Your Engines...
by DoNNA RyAN, Music Hall board Member
100 new members in May. That’s our goal. And we need your help! You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeatingticket sales and other earned revenue account for 60% of our operating budget. The other 40% comes from our beloved members and sponsors. And like most nonprofits in this current climate, we’re challenged to meet our goal for the end of the fiscal year, June 30th. The staff, board and committee members have rolled up their sleeves, and now we turn to you – our members! You already understand the value of The Music Hall – can you imagine the Seacoast without it?
You have first-hand knowledge of the benefits of membership, like buying tickets before the general public, discounts and member-only events.
Now, we hope you’ll help us spread the word and meet our bottom line. May is “Membership Month” at The Music Hall, a great time to recruit new members since they’ll be able to take full advantage of the 2009-2010 Season On Sale on Saturday, May 30. So, we’re holding a good old fashioned Membership drive!
To make it a little more interesting, Laura Smith, Director of Institutional Advancement and Lauren Lenox, Membership Manager, have come up with some great incentives – see sidebar at right Perhaps the best incentive of all is knowing that you are actively supporting the anchor arts organization in the region and a community resource of tremendous value.
I sincerely thank you for your support of The Music Hall, in its many forms, and know that this membership drive will not only help The Music Hall meet its operating goal for the year, but will also bring a little joy into these trying times.
Thank you for joining us in this challenge – I look forward to reporting success in the July NOW!
– Donna Ryan (pictured), Music Hall Board Member, Chair of the Major Gifts Committee, owner of Anneke Jans Restaurant, and Music Hall Member since 2001.
Foodies Unite!
On Saturday, May 30, tickets for our 2009-2010 season go on sale to members. The Box Office opens at 11am for walk-up customers only. Phone and internet sales begin at noon.
“May is a great time to recruit new members...they’ll be able to take full advantage of the 2009-2010 Season On Sale on May 30.”
-Donna Ryan, Board Member
Bring ‘em in & sign ‘em up!
During the month of May, if you sign up:
1 new member…receive 2 complimentary movie passes
2 new members...receive a limited edition Music Hall umbrella
3 new members...receive 3 VIP, backstage passes to meet author Barbara Kingsolver (oops, let the cat out of the bag!) in November
4 new members...receive a feature article in a fall edition of the NOW...about you, your family, your business, and why you support the The Music Hall
5 new members...receive a private, VIP tour of the theater with Patricia Lynch!
Please sign up new members in person at the box office or by phone with Lauren Lenox, Membership Manager, (603) 433-3100, x28 to receive your incentives.
Gourmet editor visits our restaurant rich region
We were bowled over when we learned that there are almost 250 restaurants in our fair city. What a perfect fit then that Gourmet editor Ruth Reichl will be in town for two days of events for The Music Hall. We caught up with both Margaret Talcott and Mary Horigan who are coordinating Reichl’s visit here for both the Friday, May 1 Writers on a New england Stage appearance and her Saturday, May 2 visit to the 18th Annual Kitchen Tour.
We love the Food Focus for the first weekend in May. What’s the foodMusic Hall connection all about?
Here’s Mary:
“Recently, for Restaurant Week we reached out to 20,000 of our patrons and 350 reporters with special communications encouraging them to take a night out downtown for a show and dinner. It was such a success we wanted to do it again, and we have reached out to our partnering restaurants including our corporate and Kitchen Tour sponsors and, as well, our Playbill advertisers – in short, all the restaurants we work with. In the case of such a star food critic as Ruth Reichl, truly this type of promotion benefits all of us, and we’re delighted to be able to make it happen again.”
so The Music Hall promotes the restaurants and the restaurants promote The Music Hall? sounds like a win/win for everyone, right? Here’s Margaret:
“Yes, that’s true. And, to have it revolve around this particular celebrity is perfect. If ever one woman held
the secret to success in dining in and dining out, it would be Ruth Reichl. She is a celebrated critic and editor known for her witty writing and humor. If you’re a foodie – a chef, a gourmet eater, a lover of life or simply a lover of good books, you want to be part of this weekend!”
Wonder where Ruth Reichl will be dining when she arrives for her two-day stint with The Music Hall? Hmmmm...
Chris Greiner in the Box Office with his favorite chocolate macaroons.
