Year: 2024

On The Job – Graham Gifford

Program & Marketing Director

Graham Gifford is the Program & Marketing Director of the New Hampshire Telephone Museum in Warner (nhtelephonemuseum.org).

Explain your job and what it entails.

Oh my goodness, I’ll try to keep it under three days. As a museum employee, there’s a ton that we have to do. Primarily I am, of course, the director of programming. I’m also the marketing director, so the day is quite filled with those things. We take in a variety of artifacts. We are a registered nonprofit, a 501(c)3. We do a tremendous amount of collaboration, so we’re doing off-site exhibits as well as new exhibits in-house. We actually do a lot of programming. We have both free and for-charge programming, depending on if people are members of the Telephone Museum or not…. We’re not just about telephones, we’re about telecommunications and communications. We’re doing a code talker presentation … and in years past, one of the huge successes is our animal programming, whether it’s with falconry or canine. There’s always tours that have to get done and there’s walls that need to be patched and painted. I could go on for days.

How long have you had this job?

I’ve been here for 12 years.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

It was very serendipitous. I was hired to improve the marketing for the museum and it’s so fun I never left.

What kind of education or training did you need?

At the time I simply needed to know marketing. Since the I’ve had to undergo a variety of education, but I do have my master’s, so that served me well in learning.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Something incredibly casual which includes sneakers because I am either giving a tour or I am patching a wall.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

Trying to juggle so many varied tasks at once can be incredibly difficult. It’s the nature of the work so you just have to keep a smile on your face and be positive. I know that sounds like such a kitschy answer but that’s the truth.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

That it is non-stop, continuous, 24 hours a day.

What is the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

Work well with your teammates. They’ll make all the difference.

—Zachary Lewis

Five favorites
Favorite book: anything by Ryan Holiday\
Favorite movie: Lord of the Rings
Favorite music: Hozier
Favorite food: sushi
Favorite thing about NH: There’s so much to do.

Featured photo: Graham Gifford. Courtesy Photo.

Kiddie Pool 24/06/06

Family fun for whenever

Bugs!

• Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen) will be offering a free Little Ladybug Make & Take on Saturday, June 8, between 1 and 3 p.m., at which kids can learn how to make an adorable paper ladybug, according to a press release. All supplies will be provided to make this paper craft, according to the same release. The gallery is handicapped-accessible. Visit TwiggsGallery.org

• NH Audubon and Steve Mirick, an avid birder and expert butterfly enthusiast who has guided birding and butterfly communities, will lead an exploration of butterfly habitats in the capital area on Tuesday, June 11, starting at 11 a.m. A similar program on Tuesday, June 18, at 11 a.m. will be led by Mike Thomas, a retired entomologist and butterfly enthusiast. Both will be at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, nhaudubon.org). Participants will learn how to identify butterflies in various habitats. All skill levels are welcome. Space is limited and registration is required.

On stage

• The Community Players of Concord with their Children’s Theatre Project will be holding auditions for Charlotte’s Web, which is based on the book by E.B. White, by appointment only on Sunday, June 9, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or on Monday, June 10, from 4 to 8 p.m. at The Community Players Studio ( 435 Josiah Bartlett Road, Concord) for those between the ages of 8 and 18. Kids ages 6 or 7 can audition to be baby spiders or baby Wilbur. To schedule an audition slot, contact Director Karen Braz at [email protected]. For more information visit communityplayersofconcord.org.

Library fun

• Nashua Public Library (2 Court St., Nashua) will allow kids in grades K-5 to explore simple printmaking techniques using everyday materials on Monday, June 10, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in their Activity Room. Objects include apples, leaves, Legos and more, and participants will dip, press and create their own prints on paper or fabric in this interactive art activity, although supplies are limited, according to the website. Visit nashualibrary.org.

• The Children’s Room staff at Manchester City Library (405 Pine St., Manchester) have announced a storytime program in collaboration with the SEE Science Center where once a month kids between the ages of 2 and 6 are invited to join Ms. Yvonne and Ms. Helene from the SEE Science Center for Storytime Science, with hands-on activities afterward the story-reading, according to their website. This month’s reading will take place on Wednesday, June 12, from 10 to 11 a.m. with I Am Not A Fish by Peter Raymundo. Registration is required to ensure enough materials for everyone, according to the same website. Storytime Science is a program of the SEE Science Center’s First Steps in Science Initiative presented by Dartmouth Health Childrens, according to the same website. Call the library at 624-6550, ext. 7628.

Treasure Hunt 24/06/06

Hi, Donna,

These boat lanterns were in our camp at the lake, which was built in 1910. I’m not sure of the history, other than that my grandfather did have an old single-cylinder Laker boat in the 1920s, which the two oil lamps may have been on. Or it’s possible he obtained them from someone for possible use on his boat.

I would be very interested to know what you think their value might be.

Thank you.

Larry

Dear Larry,

Your boat lights all appear to be in great condition,all the glass intact. Maritime items are always collectible. Some more than others, and values fluctuate.

I found values for yours to be in the range of $100 to $200 each. Less for the electric ones. The value is priceless to find out if they were on your grandfather’s boat. Stories they could tell, right?

Thanks for sharing with us, Larry, and I hope this was helpful.

Donna

Donna Welch has spent more than 35 years in the antiques and collectibles field, appraising and instructing. Her new location is an Antique Art Studio located in Dunbarton, NH where she is still buying and selling. If you have questions about an antique or collectible send a clear photo and information to Donna at [email protected], or call her at 391-6550.

Have improv, will travel

Colin Mochrie takes the show on the road

By Zachary Lewis
[email protected]

Described as a hardworking and imaginative mammal in his bio on the show’s website, Colin Mochrie (Hilaritycus smoothius, as it says), known for his improv expertise on Whose Line is it Anyway? will be taking the stage in Portsmouth with Brad Sherwood, a fellow Whose Line-er at the Music Hall on Thursday, June 13, at 7:30 p.m. as part of their “Asking for Trouble” tour.

“It’s like a live version of Whose Line,” Mochrie said. “There’s a lot of games that would be familiar to a Whose Line fan … some games that we just made up ourselves…. We don’t have a host, we don’t have other people to work with. It’s just two hours of goofy fun.”

Audience members will have a good idea but will never know exactly which improv games to expect at the unscripted show.

“We do start off with a basic foundation but it can easily change…,” Mochrie said. “We do a new one that’s kind of fun, just because it scares me; we do sort of a musical tribute to the town that we’re playing, so it’s going to be a musical about Portsmouth, we’re hoping.”

Mochrie and Sherwood met on the hit television show.

“It was actually his idea to go on tour,” Mochrie said of Sherwood.

Every Super Bowl Sunday, Drew Carey, the former host, would take the cast to perform in Vegas in multiple shows leading up to the big game. Sherwood popped the question during one of these marathon improv sessions.

Afterward, they gave the idea a test run, and it worked. The tour has been running over 20 years.

“We’ve been friends, God, over 30 years now. It really helps when you’re working with someone, especially in improv, somebody you trust and you like. We both have sort of the same viewpoint on improv and what we like to do with it,” Mochrie said. Although nothing lasts forever. “So far. It could always turn, of course, because, you know, he has problems, but so far, so good.”

The Scottish-born Canadian improvisational comedian was drawn to the craft at an early age and referenced comedian Jonathan Winters and Robin Williams, as improv influences.

“I just saw this demonstration … that had been invented by this Englishman in Calgary called theater sports, and it was improv in sort of a sports setting where this referee would issue challenges and then you would improvise. I thought, ‘Oh, well this could be fun.’ It was something I enjoyed doing. I never thought, ‘Oh, this is going to be my career,’ just because there wasn’t an outlet.”

If Mochrie isn’t producing laughs on stage with Sherwood, he most likely will be on another stage doing the same.

“I improvise with a lot of different improv groups around the country,” he said. He also does an improv tour with his wife, Debra McGrath, as well as a tour with a hypnotist called Hyprov. “The beauty of improv is you’re kind of open to everything.”

Mochrie was open to the idea of a Whose Line live tour and noted that they had shot enough so that another season with host Aisha Tyler will be able to air: “It’s just a show you can’t kill, it keeps coming back.”

Mochrie is quite fond of the television show.

“I think the beauty of it was, we only shot two weekends a year so … unlike shows that go on forever and ever, we didn’t have a chance to get on each other’s nerves, so everybody still really enjoyed each other…,” he said. “We’re all good friends. We’re constantly tweeting and emailing and keeping in contact with each other. It is a good group.”

Not only has Mochrie been on both British and American versions of Whose Line is it Anyway; he’s also performed in numerous film and television roles and most recently in the film Villains Inc., which came out in April. He is also an award-winning writer , performer and producer.

“I do have fun doing scripted stuff on film and television. What I enjoy about stage more, I think, is that we are the architects of our own fate,” he said. That sense of autonomy is a driving force behind his work: “Doing improv and doing our show, we’re in charge. If the show sucks, it’s because we suck. If it went great, it’s because we were good. There’s no one else to blame and I like having that pressure.”

“I just love [that] every show is different. Every show is for that audience. No one else will ever see it again,” Mochrie said. “So it keeps it fresh for us. I think that’s part of the reason we’re still enjoying each other and the show after all this time.”

Asking for Trouble
• Thursday, June 13, 7:30 p.m. at The Music Hall, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, themusichall.org
Tickets $44 to $88

• Sunday, Oct. 6, 5 p.m. at the Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, palacetheatre.org
Tickets $49 to $75

colinandbradshow.com

Featured Photo: Colin Mochrie. Courtesy Photo.

The Art Roundup 24/06/06

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Music outdoors: Concerts on the Common is put on by the Londonderry Council of the Arts at the Town Common (265 Mammoth Road, Londonderry) on Wednesday evenings in the summer from 7 to 8:30 p.m., totaling 11 free and family-friendly performances that will run until Wednesday, Aug. 14. On Wednesday, June 12, Jessica Lynn will perform. In case of rain the show will be held at Matthew Thornton Gym. Visit londonderryartscouncil.org.

• More music outdoors: The 13-week Tuesday night Henniker Summer Music Series starts off with a local six-piece acoustic Americana band featuring strings and shared vocal harmonies called Peabody’s Coal Train on Tuesday, June 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Angela Robinson Bandstand in the Community Park, according to a press release. The show is free but donations are welcome. In case of rain, the concert will be held inside the adjacent Community Center. Food can be acquired at the venue or can be brought in for picnics. The series, featuring new acts each week, will run until Tuesday, Sept. 3. Visit Facebook.com/HennikerConcert.

• Art outdoors: The Concord Arts Market, an outdoor artisan and fine art market, will run one Saturday a month from June through October, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Market dates are June 8, July 13, Aug. 10 and Sept. 14. Visit concordartsmarket.net.

• On stage: Paradise Now! will be presented by Theatre Kapow at the Bank of NH Stage (16 S. Main St., Concord, ccanh.com) on Friday, June 7, at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 8, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, June 9, at 2 p.m. A group of women join a pyramid selling scheme promoting a range of essential oils in this U.S. premiere of the funny new play by Margaret Perry about ambition, exploitation and the search for connection in a fractured world, according to their website.See tkapow.com.

• The Currier Museum of Art will be holding its annual Member Appreciation Week from Wednesday, June 12, through Sunday, June 16, which includes private tours, special discounts, giveaways, an extensive raffle and more, according to their website. Starting from 1 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12, there will be a members-only art-making activity in the Green Studio to get creative energy moving for all skill and experience levels, and there is no fee or registration required, according to the same website. At 3 p.m. there will be an exhibition tour with Chief Curator Lorenzo Fusi, who will give an overview of their newest installation, Elisabeth Kley’s “Cymodocea,” in the museum’s Welcome Gallery, as well as a guided discussion of the current exhibition “Filippo de Pisis and Robert Mapplethorpe: A Distant Conversation,” according to their website. Registration is required since capacity is limited, and is just the beginning of the Currier’s Member Appreciation Week. Visit currier.org.

—Zachary Lewis

In the money

Palace season finale 42nd Street shines

By Michael Witthaus
[email protected]

The final musical in the Palace Theatre’s 2023-2024 season is far and away its best. From the tap-tastic overture that begins the show, with the curtain rising just enough to reveal 20 pairs of legs in full dance, to the triumphant ending number that gives it a title, 42nd Street is a gem, packed with dazzling dancing, classy choreography and standout stars.

The show about show business won a Best Musical Tony when it debuted in 1980. Set in the Depression era, it follows rehearsals for Pretty Lady, a fictitious production that holds a few fortunes in its hands, including director Julian Morse (Dan Fenaughty), a Broadway legend looking to reverse his latest losing streak, and Peggy Sawyer (Jenna Bienvenue), fresh off the bus from Allentown with hopes of a spot in the chorus line.

Dorothy Brock is Pretty Lady’s star, due to a financial marriage of convenience. Her goofy but rich boyfriend financed the show on the condition that she be the leading lady, though she can’t dance and is past her prime. Larissa Klinger plays the role with nuance and grace; her performance is an understated gem.

Early on, different cast members offer scene-stealing turns — Megan Quinn as Maggie Jones, the brassy co-writer of Pretty Lady, and Ashton Lambert, playing high stepping tenor Billy Lawlor as the kind of person who treats a trip to the store as an audition — his over the top efforts to charm Peggy produced repeated out loud laughs from the audience.

Ultimately, however, 42nd Street’s lead actors carry the day, with Fenaughty commanding in a role originally played by Jerry Orbach. The cynical stage titan softens on the way to singing “Lullaby of Broadway” to remind Peggy of why she should hold on to her dreams. For her part, Bienvenue perfectly portrays her ingenue’s transformation from a chaos agent who can turn dance practice into a bowling alley in an earthquake, to finding her inner star.

Also, high marks are due to director and choreographer Carl Rajotte, for rising to the challenge of a production that has dancing in almost every scene. In particular, “Shadow Waltz” and its use of the Palace’s multimedia screen system was breathtaking. Closing extravaganzas in both acts are also stellar, all a reminder that technical investment in the theater is paying off handsomely.

With classic songs like “We’re In the Money” and “I Only Have Eyes For You” along with the infectious numbers “Go Into Your Dance” and “Dames,” it’s understandable that 42nd Street was the first film musical adapted for Broadway to succeed; it’s been produced hundreds if not thousands of times since.

It’s also director Rajotte’s favorite, for both its entertainment value and sentimental reasons.

“This is my fifth time doing 42nd Street,” he said during rehearsals. “I love Golden Age shows, but they tend to be a little out of date or sometimes the flow of the show is a little bit slower. This one was written in 1980 so it has that fast pacing, but with that charming Golden Age feel … it’s the best of both worlds.”

It’s also the show that brought Rajotte to Manchester. Twenty-five years ago, his father moved here after his mother had passed. One day he called his son, an actor in New York City, and told him about a professional theater company in his new home town. “I said, no, I would have heard of it,” Rajotte recalled.

In a wonderful bit of kismet, just a couple of days later Rajotte picked up a copy of Backstage, a newspaper for actors, and saw an announcement for auditions in New York for a production of 42nd Street at the Palace. He answered the call and was cast as Pretty Lady choreographer Andy Lee.

After that, he left on tour with another show.

“I figured I probably won’t be back again, but then Peter Ramsey called me while I was on tour and said, ‘Hey, how about you come back and choreograph and direct for us?’ I did a couple of shows, and then took the job full-time. This was really the intro, this show. So it’s dear to my heart.”

42nd Street
When: Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through June 23
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
Tickets: $28 to $49 at palacetheatre.org

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