It’s not unusual for stages to go dark for a few days between performances, say, from the end of a Sunday matinee to a Friday night show. But the Palace Theatre’s production of Mamma Mia! had a significantly longer hiatus — March 13, 2020, to Oct. 15, 2021, to be exact. Now, the show is heading into the final weekend of its second run.
“We brought the show back because it was interrupted … halfway through the schedule,” David Rousseau, director of marketing and sales for the Palace, said in an email. “On March 13, 2020, the show and the Palace virtually shut down.”
Bringing Mamma Mia! back this year meant re-auditioning some of the roles, re-rehearsing and celebrating a second opening night. But for a show that’s as popular as this one, it was worth bringing back to complete its run.
“We do the Mamma Mia! show because it is a definite patron favorite,” Rousseau said. “Thousands of people come to see it whenever it is performed here at the Palace. … We wanted all those who purchased tickets for the 2020 performances to be able to experience it as soon as possible.”
Mamma Mia! Photos courtesy of Palace Theatre.
Set to ABBA’s hits, the musical takes place in Greece and tells the story of Sophie, who’s about to get married and has invited the three men who might be her father to the wedding — which of course poses some problems for her mother, Donna.
“It’s lighthearted entertainment that is extremely humorous,” Rousseau said.
Megan Quinn, who plays Rosie — one of Donna’s two best friends — was part of the original cast in 2020, and she played Rosie when the Palace put it on in 2018 too.
“It’s such a fun part,” Quinn said. “I just get to go up there and be ridiculous.”
About half the cast is from the 2020 production, but many roles were left vacant because the original actors couldn’t commit the second time around. So they reopened auditions over the summer. Most of the cast is from New York City, Quinn said, though she’s local — she also happens to be the youth theater director at the Palace.
Quinn said one of her favorite parts to perform is the bedroom scene with Donna and their other friend, Tanya. It’s where they first sing the show’s best-known song, “Dancing Queen,” after a hilarious dialogue between the three friends — one of many scenes that is “tastefully raunchy,” Quinn said.
The production isn’t quite like the 2008 movie, so even if you didn’t like that, there’s a good chance you’ll still love the show, Quinn said.
“When you’re on stage, there’s such a different vibe,” she said. “You get to be a little more over the top. There’s this live theater element [with the] energy of people around you.”
For the cast, being back on stage has been a long time coming.
“Just being able to hear people laughing in the audience again … it’s so rewarding,” Quinn said. “They can come in and forget about what’s happening right now. … To hear people laugh and clap, it’s so nice to have that normalcy again.”
Rousseau called the Palace’s hiatus “economically devastating,” and Quinn said it’s important for people to see that theater is back and that the Palace isn’t going anywhere. And Mamma Mia! might be the perfect way to forget about the past year and a half.
“If you are somebody who wants to just escape for 2½ hours, to just go somewhere and feel like you’re taken away … then this is going to be for you,” Quinn said. “You’ll leave feeling good, I promise.”
Rousseau agrees.
“It’s a wonderful diversion from the real world,” he said.
Mamma Mia!
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester When: Thursday, Nov. 11, and Friday, Nov. 12, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 13, at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 14, at noon. Tickets: $25 to $46 Contact: palacetheatre.org or 668-5588
Featured Photo: Mamma Mia! courtesy of Palace Theatre.
Why races are great fundraisers and what it takes to make them succeed, plus fun runs for the end of the year
When the board of the Bow Athletic Club was brainstorming fundraising possibilities, they loved the idea of a community block party, but they needed another element that would draw people to the party. They decided on a 5K fun run and walk, and the first annual BACtoberfest 5K and Block Party was held last month.
“It was off-the-charts great,” Bow Athletic Club President Bryce Larrabee said. “It went better than our wildest expectations.”
Larrabee said that about 75 percent of the people who went to the party participated in the run first.
“The run brought people out,” he said.
Not only that, but about 80 percent of the work that went into putting on the fundraiser was for block party logistics. Putting together the 5K, Larrabee said, was “surprisingly easy.”
The club raised more than $10,000 to add to its coffers, which they draw from to support causes and needs in the community.
“We made a lot more money than we expected,” Larrabee said.
The BACtoberfest 5K and Block Party joins hundreds of other run-centric events that are raising money for charities throughout the state. Find out what makes runs good fundraisers, what it takes to make them successful and which upcoming runs you should sign up for, whether you want to support a specific charity, dress up as a turkey or get through a few miles for the post-race beer and pizza.
Money makers
“Fundraisers come in a lot of different shapes and sizes,” John Mortimer, founder of Millennium Running in Bedford, said, joking that “it’s probably easier to have a bake sale.”
But runs are profitable, as evidenced by the inaugural BAC 5K. A more established race, the Jingle Bell Run in Manchester, put on each December by the Arthritis Foundation for the past 30 years, raised well over $30,000 last year.
And then there are organizations like Millennium and Total Image Running in Manchester, which put on their own signature runs and provide services to other organizations that need support with logistics to put on a race.
“For every single one of [the signature races], we pick a nonprofit charity partner,” Mortimer said. “We’ve donated just north of $1.1 million.”
Photo courtesy of Millennium Running.
According to Christine Lewis, co-owner of Total Image Running, since it started in 2018, Total Image has donated and helped raise more than $200,000 for local charities. And Seacoast-based Loco Races has contributed more than $1 million to nonprofits and running clubs in the past decade, according to its website.
Charities like Veterans Count reap the benefits of these donations. Last weekend’s Manchester City Marathon, which Millennium owns and operates, has been supporting Veterans Count for several years and is just shy of raising $100,000 for that nonprofit alone.
“The expenses are so small compared to [the profit],” said Julia Moore, associate director for the Arthritis Foundation New England. “It’s maybe 10 percent to 15 percent of the event money that we raise.”
Raising awareness
For nonprofits like the Arthritis Foundation, an event like the Jingle Bell Run is a fun way to draw attention to a cause that affects more people than many realize — 1 in 4, with 54 million people diagnosed each year, according to Moore.
“It’s really a great way to champion those who [live with arthritis],” Moore said.
The Jingle Bell Run is also an opportunity to shine a light on some of the “amazing people” who have been touched by arthritis or helped those who have it, Moore said. Ella Souza is the youth honoree this year; she was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis when she was 7 and now at 14 plays at the highest levels of hockey and lacrosse (she was playing on the high school varsity hockey team when she was in 7th grade). Dr. Neil Dion, an orthopedic surgeon, is this year’s medical honoree.
“One of his patients who he performed surgery on will run with him at the event,” Moore said.
Photo courtesy of Millennium Running.
For Lewis and her Total Image Running partner, Lisa Misiaszek, helping charities is personal.
“Lisa and I are both cancer survivors, we both lost parents to cancer … [and] my brother’s fighting prostate cancer,” Lewis said.
Being able to give back to the nonprofits that have helped them during difficult times is especially meaningful, but Lewis said they support all kinds of charities, not just those that fight cancer.
“People are struggling everywhere,” she said.
Several upcoming turkey trots are asking participants to bring canned goods to donate to local pantries, bringing awareness to food insecurity.
Millennium has donated to — and promoted — nearly 100 charities, from New Horizons to the New Hampshire Food Bank.
“All of these are special in so many different ways,” Mortimer said.
How to get started
There are a couple of ways to go about organizing a fundraising race. One is to do it entirely on your own: your own marketing, finding sponsors, registrations, course setup and road closures, aid and water stations, timers, swag, volunteer recruitment. It’s a lot of preparation. Though Larrabee said the BACtoberfest 5K was easy to plan, his team has a lot of experience with fundraising, including finding sponsors and volunteers, and with marketing — plus they got a little help from Total Image Running.
That leads to the next option, which is to hire a company like Total Image or Millennium to take care of some of the logistics.
“Having a company that is so experienced in doing timing and working with you for your event, I definitely think it’s worth it,” Moore said.
The Arthritis Foundation hires Millennium to help with the Jingle Bell Run, but the cost is covered by the event’s presenting sponsor, Northeast Delta Dental, which allows more of the profits to go right to the Foundation.
“The cost [for Millennium] is less than $6,000,” Moore said. “We truly believe that it’s beneficial to hire a timing company to manage our run because they are professionals and have a lot of experience with road races.”
Moore said the Arthritis Foundation covers the cost of medals, T-shirts and swag.
“We tend to be very conservative when it comes to spending and plan to spend less,” Moore said. “Last year we raised $36,264.45 gross [and] our expenses were less than $3,000.”
“Expenses are going to be [any nonprofit’s] No. 1 concern, so getting sponsorships is always great,” Lewis said.
Larrabee also reached out to Northeast Delta Dental, specifically to CEO Tom Raffio, who is a runner himself — his first race was actually the Jingle Bell Run, according to Moore — and is part of races throughout the state. With advice from Raffio and a quick Google search of how to host a road race, Larrabee and his team moved forward with hiring Total Image Running, which handled the timing and registrations.
Mortimer noted that someone who’s never organized a run before might not think about things like portable toilets and permits for road closures.
“We have the know-how, the expertise,” Mortimer said.
For those who want to put on a race for the first time, he says to plan for several months of preparations, like doing research on the course, getting permits, marketing the event and finding volunteers.
Photo courtesy of Total Image.
“We always recommend having a confident race director, someone that understands the sport and wants to do it, first and foremost, and then surround themselves with great people [to help with things like] marketing and volunteerism,” Mortimer said.
Moore echoed the importance of having good people who are willing to help; the Arthritis Foundation has a run committee that handles the sponsorships, reaches out to businesses, schools and running clubs to encourage them to create teams, and does volunteer recruitment.
“I think having a great committee who really supports the run … really helps, [and] our ability to get new volunteers is extremely important,” Moore said.
Make it a success
If you want to raise money, you have to draw in as many people as possible, and doing that is all about providing a quality experience.
“We don’t produce races — we produce events,” Mortimer said. “We like to provide our customers, our runners, with the best possible experience.”
That experience includes everything from when and where the race takes place to swag and after-parties.
One of Millennium’s signature events is the Santa Claus Shuffle, which includes a full Santa suit with registration and has stops along the course with samples of holiday sweets.
Photo courtesy of Arthritis Foundation.
“Part of the equation on some events is, what does the runner want? Sometimes it’s the bling, or sometimes it’s the swag: the Santa suit, the kilt for our Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day [race],” Mortimer said. “Other people get that medal and it’s the most important thing — it’s their Olympic medal.”
And sometimes it’s not about the material things.
“Location and course is a big thing for people,” Lewis said. “We did a survey once and swag was actually not the No. 1 thing.”
To make these events a full experience, they usually don’t end when the runners cross the finish line, like the block party after the BACtoberfest 5K, and pretty much any signature run from Total Image or Millennium.
“Before Covid, we always had a huge after-party wherever the finish line was,” Lewis said.
Total Image’s Ugly Sweater 4-miler is a fan favorite, Lewis said, and this year she’s expecting it to be especially fun since it’ll be the first event with a real after-party since Covid started.
The last two months of the year tend to be especially festive.
“We really love to do [the Jingle Bell Run] because it’s so festive and fun,” Moore said. “People dress up and get really into the holiday spirit. … It’s such a great family-friendly event.”
Runners talk races We reached out to runners via Millennium Running Club’s Facebook page to find out what it is about a race that draws them to it. The race environment is huge, and yes, the swag matters too. Here are some of the responses we got from local runners.
“Unique courses [are] a must for me. I’m particularly drawn to races along water or with nice scenery. I love the Stonyfield Earth Day 5K because they have the best T-shirts and free yogurt. Nice shirt that I will actually wear is a big plus.” — Sarah Goodrum
“I run in races that hold some level of significance for me and that I can connect with on a personal level. I ran a 10k earlier this year because it supported building sidewalks in my daughter’s community. … Running has had such a profound impact on my life, my recovery and my mental health, so it’s usually something about the race I connect with on a personal level that draws me to it.” — Stephan Burdette
“[A] well-run event with accurately measured course and female sizing swag.” — Maureen Sproul
“As a ‘runner’ who does it for the exercise rather than the enjoyment, this is what motivates me to do certain races: 1. Motivation to exercise/meet a training goal 2. Swag! Particularly the long-sleeved quarter zips. 3. Big races that have lots of pre-race and post-race excitement and festivities! 4. Millennium’s Anytime 5k let me run in the evening when I’m at my best! There aren’t many nighttime races out there and for us night owls [so] it was awesome!” — Joy Junior
“A road race is one BIG fitness party. There’s some pretty kewl swag, medals and bib designs, too. Who doesn’t like a nice T-shirt or fleece-lined quarter zip-up with thumb holes?” — Donna Dostie
“Short answer: the environment! … There’s an energy that can’t be described! Whether you’re an elite runner or a walker completing your very first 5k, there’s an excitement and even more, there’s a community … a community where we all share a common goal, cross that finish line and celebrate!” — Krystal Bessette Jervis
“I will run any race because I love the race environment. It really is amazing to run a race with hundreds of people [of] all paces and most are people that you know who cheer each other on.” — Tracy Dunchus Lennon
“I am a back-of-the-pack runner. Races are a way of motivating myself to keep moving and the swag/rewards for mileage and completion are huge in building my confidence.” — Kathleen Olden
“My 12-year-old daughter … loves the race environment, she loves running against the adults, and yes, she loves the swag!” — Jess Janowski
Runs for the rest of the year
Pre-Thanksgiving runs
The annual Walk and Wag for Veterans 5K will be held at Mine Falls in Nashua on Saturday, Nov. 13, starting at 9 a.m. The cost is $35, or $30 for the virtual option. There will be awards for top finishers and light refreshments after the event. One hundred percent of the proceeds will benefit Operation Delta Dog. Visit walkandwagforveterans.com.
The Deerfield Community School (66 North Road, Deerfield) hosts its Turkey Trot 5K on Sunday, Nov. 14, at 9 a.m. The cost is $25 for pre-registration or $30 day of. The top three overall male and top three overall female runners will each take home a frozen turkey. Funds raised support the 8th-grade class trip to New York City. To register ahead of time, visit running4free.com and search for the race.
The Gobble Wobble 5-Miler will start at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20, at Goffstown Parks and Recreation (155 S. Mast Road). Registration is $40 for ages 12 and up and $35 for runners under 12, with prices increasing after 9 a.m. on Nov. 19. The cost is $40 for the virtual option, with registration open through Nov. 27. The official charity of the Gobble Wobble is American Legion Auxiliary Wesley Wyman Unit 16. Visit totalimagerunning.com.
The 23rd annual Novemberfest for Nashua Children’s Home will be held Sunday, Nov. 21, at 11:33 a.m. at Mines Falls Park in Nashua, near the Pine Street Extension entrance. The 4-mile race is followed by post-race fun at Martha’s Exchange (185 Main St., Nashua). The race benefits the Nashua Children’s Home. Registration is $25 and closes on Nov. 19. Visit gatecity.org.
Thanksgiving Day runs
The Bow Turkey Trot 5K will be held at Bow High School (55 Falcon Way) starting at 8 a.m. Sign up before Nov. 13 to get an official BAC Turkey Trot Dri Fit Hoodie. Day-of registration will be available for $30. Visit runsignup.com and search for Bow Athletic Club Turkey Trot.
The Dover Turkey Trot 5K will be held at 8:30 a.m. at Shaw’s Lane in Dover to benefit the Garrison School PTA. The cost is $20, or $10 for grade 4 and under; both prices increase by $5 on race day. Visit doverturkeytrot.com.
The Free Fall 5K, hosted by the Rochester Runners of NH, will be held at the James W. Foley Memorial Community Center (150 Wakefield St., Rochester), starting at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $25 for ages 18 and up, $20 for ages 13 to 17 and $15 for ages 7 to 12, with prices increasing by $5 on race day. Kids 6 and under run free. Race proceeds benefit the Homeless Center for Strafford County, Gerry’s Food Pantry, End 68 Hours of Hunger. and SOS Recovery. Visit freefall5k.com.
The Fisher Cats Thanksgiving 5K will start at 9 a.m. at Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Registration for ages 12 and up is $30 until Nov. 12 at 11:59 p.m. and $35 until Nov. 24, and $30 for the virtual option. Registration is $15 for kids 11 and under, for both virtual and in-person. Race day registration is not available. Registration includes one free ticket to Fisher Cats Opening Day for the first 1,500 registrants, and a T-shirt for the first 750 adult runners. The race’s official charity is the New Hampshire Food Bank. Visit millenniumrunning.com.
Derry’s 48th annual Turkey Trot 5K Road Race starts at 9 a.m. at Gallien’s Town Beach on Beaver Lake. Shuttles will be available to the race site from the parking area at Pinkerton Academy (no parking along Route 102). Face coverings are required on the buses. Pre-registration for ages 13 and older is $25, and $10 for kids 12 and under. A non-perishable canned good or dry food item, or small cash donation, is requested for all entries, with food donations going to food pantries in the Greater Derry area. Visit runningintheusa.com and search for the Derry Turkey Trot.
The Hampstead Turkey Trot 5K starts at St. Anne’s Church (26 Emerson Ave.) at 8:30 a.m. Registration is $15 for ages 5 to 17 and for seniors 62 and up, and $20 for ages 18 to 61. Day-of registration is available between 7 and 8:15 a.m. at the Hampstead Meeting House next to the starting line. Non-perishable food for the St. Anne’s Food Bank will be collected on the day of the race. Leashed animals are welcome.
The 15th Lake Sunapee Turkey Trot at the Ben Mere Gazebo in Sunapee Harbor features a 1K Chicken Run for kids starting at 8:15 a.m. and a 5K Turkey Trot starting at 9 a.m. The cost for the Turkey Trot is $20 for ages 13 to 64, $10 for ages 65 and older and free for kids under 13. The Chicken Run is $10 for ages 13 and up and free for kids under 13. Proceeds will benefit the Sunapee Recreation Department’s new skateboard park on Route 11. The Sunapee Parent Teacher Organization will also hold a pie sale, with pies for $10 each. Visit sunapeeturkeytrot.com.
The Gilford Youth Center Turkey Trot 5K Race and Family Walk begins at 9 a.m. (8:45 a.m. for walkers) at the Gilford Youth Center (19 Potter Hill Road). Registration is $26 per person or $90 for a family of up to five. The first 100 registered participants will get a long-sleeve T-shirt. Visit gilfordyouthcenter.com.
The Rotary Club of Merrimack’s 5K Turkey Trot starts at 8 a.m. at Merrimack Middle School (31 Madeline Bennett Drive). Advance registration is $20 for adults and $15 for ages 13 and under. Online registration ends at 6 p.m. on Nov. 21. Race day registration is available (price increases to $25 for adults). The first 160 registrants receive a free T-shirt. Proceeds from this year’s event will be used to purchase coats for kids, holiday gifts for those less fortunate and for soup kitchen donations. Participants are encouraged to bring a canned good for donation. Visit merrimack5k.com.
The Seacoast Rotary Club Turkey Trot will be held at Strawbery Bank (66 Marcy St., Portsmouth) at 8:30 a.m. Registration costs $35 for ages 20 and up, $25 for ages 13 to 19 and $15 for ages 12 and younger. Online registration deadline is Nov. 23. Day-of registration is an additional $5. Visit runreg.com and search for the race. Proceeds benefit Connor’s Climb Foundation, which provides suicide prevention education, and the Seacoast Repertory Theatre.
The Thanks for Giving 5K and 10K, presented by the Exeter Run Club, starts at the Talbot Gymnasium Lot (40 Linden St., Exeter) at 8 a.m. The $30 for the 5K and $40 for the 10K. Online registration is available until Nov. 21. The race benefits Annie’s Angels Memorial Fund, Red’s Good Vibes and ERC community initiates for all ages. Visit exeterrunclub.com.
The Windham Turkey Trot features a 1-, 3-, or 5-mile walk or run. It starts at 74 Blossom Road at 9 a.m. The cost is by donation, and past donations have ranged from $10 to $1,000 (event expenses are covered by our generous sponsors). All proceeds benefit the Shepherd’s Pantry. Visit windhamturkeytrot.org.
Final runs of 2021
The Amherst Junior Women’s Club is hosting its annual Trot Off Your Turkey 5K and 1-mile Fun Run on Friday, Nov. 26, with the Fun Run starting at 9 a.m. and the 5K starting at 9:30 a.m. at the Amherst Town Green (11 Church St.). Registration is $10 for the Fun Run and $25 for the 5K. Online registration closes at noon on Nov. 23. The first 300 registered runners get a free mug.
Bishop Brady High School (25 Columbus Ave., Concord) will host its Galloping Gobbler 4-Miler on Saturday, Nov. 27, starting at 9:45 a.m. The cost is $20 for ages 15 and under and $30 for ages 16 and up. The first 300 registrants get a free T-shirt. To register, visit raceroster.com and search for the event. Proceeds benefit the tuition assistance program at Bishop Brady.
The Jingle All the Way 5K returns on Saturday, Dec. 4, at Cisco Brewers in Portsmouth. The Greg Hill Foundation hosts this event, which starts at 10 a.m. Holiday outfits are encouraged and best dressed runners will be awarded. Standard registration is $40 and includes a race long-sleeve shirt and medal, while the $100 Santa Special adds a quarter-zip pullover to the swag. There is a $30 virtual option that also includes the long-sleeve shirt and medal. Visit ghfjingle5k.com.
The Santa Claus Shuffle will be held Saturday, Dec. 4, at Veterans Park (889 Elm St., Manchester). The Lil’ Elf Runs start at 2:30 p.m. and the 3-mile Shuffle starts at 3 p.m. The run precedes the Manchester City Christmas Parade, which starts at 4 p.m. The cost for adults ages 12 and up is $30, youth ages 12 to 20 is $25 and kids ages 11 and younger is $10. Registration closes at 9 a.m. on Dec. 3. The virtual option is $25. Santa hats and suits are included with registration. The official charity of the Santa Claus Shuffle is Safe Sports Network. Visit millenniumrunning.com.
The 2021 Jingle Bell Run will be held Sunday, Dec. 5, at 8:30 a.m. at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester). Registration is $35 and includes a T-shirt and jingle bells. A virtual option is available for $30. All proceeds benefit the Arthritis Foundation. Visit events.arthritis.org.
Run through the Gift of Lights display during the Yule Light Up the Night 2.1-mile run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1122 Route 106, Loudon) on Sunday, Dec. 12, at 4:30 p.m. Registration is $25 for ages 12 and up, $15 for ages 4 to 11 (costs for those age groups increase $5 on race day) and $10 for kids 10 and younger. Proceeds benefit Speedway Children’s Charities NH.
The 6th annual Ugly Sweater 4 Miler will be held Saturday, Dec. 18, at 9 a.m. at Backyard Brewery (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester). Wear your ugliest sweater for the 21+ event. The cost is $40 and includes a Tito’s Handmade Vodka ugly sweater for the first 75 registrants. All registrants get a unisex fit long-sleeve shirt and one Tito’s Handmade Vodka signature cocktail. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Greater Nashua, the Animal Rescue League of NH and Pope Memorial SPCA Concord. Visit totalimagerunning.com.
The What’s Perry’s Age Again 4-mile run will be held Saturday, Dec. 18, at Bishop Brady High School (25 Columbus Ave., Concord) at 11 a.m. The cost is $25; register by Nov. 19 to get a long-sleeve T-shirt. The run supports Bishop Brady Habitat for Humanity. Visit runreg.com and search for the run.
Featured photo:Photo courtesy of Millennium Running.
Exhibits, make-and-take crafts, demos and more on the Route 3 Art Trail
Building on a small but successful inaugural event, the second annual Route 3 Art Trail returns with more artists, more demonstrations and more hands-on activities at three anchor locations — Kimball Jenkins, Twiggs Gallery and MakingMatters — plus a cluster of small studios in between. The event takes place Saturday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Adele Sanborn, owner of Twiggs Gallery in Boscawen, came up with the idea last year to create the art trail as sort of a replacement for NH Open Doors, which the gallery used to take part in.
Doug Egounis handcrafts furniture and holiday decorations. Courtesy photo.
“We are connecting [the public] with local artists this way instead,” Twiggs Gallery Manager Laura Morrison said. “The ultimate idea is to create an arts corridor that’s north of Concord.”
During the event, Twiggs will open its annual holiday exhibit Sleighbell Studio for the season.
“During November and into mid-December we kind of turn it into more of a shop for people to pick up gifts,” Morrison said.
If weather permits, the gallery will also host a bonfire from 1 to 3 p.m., where people can roast marshmallows, drink hot chocolate and listen to caroling, and it will offer free kits for making holiday cards.
MakingMatters in Penacook is another of the tour’s anchor stops, and MakingMatters Treasurer Sandra May said they’ll have 10 or 11 demonstrators.
“We’ve more than doubled what we had last year,” she said. “We [also] have a full house of resident artists.”
Some of the demonstrations will be done by non-resident artists, including a bowl turner and a wood carver from the Guild of New Hampshire Woodworkers and a sculpturist. There will be some hands-on activities, including happiness rocks, collage painting and two free classes: posca pen paint art for all ages, and cyanotype image printing for mature kids and adults. For the posca pen class, people are welcome to bring objects from home to paint on.
Jo Shields incorporates recycled objects into her work. Courtesy photo.
May said she’s looking forward to “sharing the energy of the arts community that’s north of Concord.”
“I think Penacook doesn’t always get the love it deserves,” she said.
Also in Penacook, mixed-metal artist Jo Shields is back on the art trail after getting a lot of traffic last year at her studio, located inside her house. Shields was just juried into the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen and is starting to get some of her pieces into the League stores. She uses all kinds of recycled objects in her jewelry, including old knitting needles, pieces of metal she’s found on the road, old porcelain dolls and cut-up silver-plated trays.
“I like to work with copper, and I make a lot of earrings. I love making necklaces. My stuff is very different, kind of funky and fun,” she said.
Also at Shields’ studio will be her friend Diane Fishel of Ofishel Designs!
“She makes some of the most awesome handbags,” Shields said.
Both will be doing demonstrations; Shields will be doing repousse, a metalworking technique, while Fishel will be painting on fabric.
Back in Boscawen, glass artist Karen Mehos will open her studio and home retail shop, Gadzooks Glass, for tours and shopping, as well as demonstrations if the weather is warm enough. Mehos makes fused glass ornaments, bowls, votive holders and night lights. Up until now it’s mostly been just for fun, but she was intrigued by the idea of opening up her home and studio for the tour.
“I’ve never done this before, [but I thought] I should really sell [my work] because it’s piling up,” she said. “I just want to make pretty things that other people can enjoy.”
Mehos has been working with fused glass for about eight years, having done stained glass in college.
Small glass bowl by Karen Mehos. Courtesy photo.
“Life happened, then I [eventually] moved into my own place with my own little shed, and that’s where I work,” she said.
Mehos will have something for every price range; most will be less than $50, and many are in the $10 to $25 range.
“The more complex they get, the price goes up,” she said. “I can spend anywhere from an hour to a day just putting the glass in place and making it go the way I want it to.”
Her priciest item is a bowl that features a sunset, which she spent three months working on.
“That bowl is a labor of love and passion,” she said. “That image popped into my head and it was my job to get that image out of my head and into the glass.”
Several other artists will open up their shops for the Route 3 Art Trail, as will the third anchor location, Kimball-Jenkins, which is in the northern part of Concord. It will have its Salon 2021 exhibit open for viewing.
Each of the locations will have an item to raffle off; pick up your Passport at your first stop, then visit at least five more sites to be eligible to participate.
Route 3 Art Trail
When: Saturday, Nov. 6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Various locations throughout Boscawen, Penacook and northern Concord More info: For a map, visit route3arttrail.com.
Trail stops
On King Street in Boscawen:
Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St.
Twiggs Gallery’s holiday exhibit Sleighbell Studio will open for the season. Weather permitting, there will be a bonfire from 1 to 3 p.m. for roasting marshmallows, plus hot chocolate and caroling by the Boscawen Congregational Church Choir. Take home a free kit to create a unique holiday card.
Gadzooks Glass, 232 King St.
Glass artist Karen Mehos will open her studio for tours and demonstrations, weather permitting, and she will have her retail space open to sell her small ornaments, night lights, votive holders, platters and bowls.
Susan Douglass, 231 King St.
Susan Douglass will have a tent set up outside her home to showcase the sculptures and whimsical items she creates for the home and garden. Everything is made from upcycled objects.
Chadwick Hill Rustic Furniture, 187 King St.
Furniture craftsman Doug Egounis creates log furniture made from a variety of wood such as black birch, white birch, maple and pine. He will be making a bench and some small reindeers during the tour.
Marshall’s Flowers & Gifts, 151 King St.
Marshall’s Flowers & Gifts features New Hampshire-made gifts, fresh, dried and silk arrangements and dish gardens. Stop by to watch the florist designing fresh flower arrangements.
In Penacook:
Dreamland Machine Quilting, 15 Fowler St.
Quilter Tracy Szanto provides custom machine quilting, custom-made T-shirt quilts and other quilted items and gifts. Tracy will have her quilting machine set up to do demos and will also demonstrate how she paints on fabric.
Jo Shields Studio, 5 Steeple View
Jo Shields is a mixed-metal jeweler; she invited Diane Fishel of Ofishel Designs! to join her for the day. Jo will be demonstrating repoussé, a metalworking technique, and Diane will be demonstrating painting on fabric.
MakingMatters NH, 88 Village St.
MakingMatters NH is Concord’s makerspace and artist/business incubator. It will be offering facility tours, artisan and equipment demos and children’s make-and-take craft stations. There will be two free classes: Explore Posca Paint Pen Art from 11 a.m. to noon and Cyanotype Image Printing Workshop from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Sign up at makingmattersnh.wildapricot.org.
In Concord:
Kimball Jenkins, 266 N. Main St.
Kimball Jenkins Salon 2021 exhibit will be open for viewing. The exhibition explores the diversity of studio practices and media from a range of regional artists and is hung floor-to-ceiling, salon-style.
Featured photo: Susan Douglass upcycles glass objects for home and garden. Courtesy photo.
Local artist paints spiderwebs, leaves, grains of rice
It started with leaves. After 40 years of building stone walls and fireplaces, Tom Abruzese of Londonderry turned to more delicate endeavors, picking up a paintbrush for the first time in his life and experimenting on traditional canvas. He was good at it, but he got bored quickly. So he started painting on leaves instead.
“I just had a knack where I could paint anything on a leaf, [and] it took off,” he said.
There is, presumably, a leaf with a painting of the White House somewhere in D.C., or possibly in the possession of former President Barack Obama.
“[I figured] no one’s ever going to buy the White House on a leaf, so I mailed it to the president,” he said. “About seven weeks later, I got a letter from the president, thanking me for the unique gift.”
The leaf painting of the Old Man on the Mountain that he sent to Gov. John Lynch when he was in office might still be in the Statehouse, Abruzese said, and he sent one to Sen. Kelly Ayotte’s office in Manchester too.
Abruzese makes prints of the leaves as soon as he’s done painting them, because eventually the colors of the leaf fade. He sells the prints at local craft fairs, and he said he gets a lot of commissioned work as well.
“The leaves are the big sensation,” he said.
Despite their popularity, after a while Abruzese wanted a new challenge.
“You can only paint so many leaves before you get bored or crazy, and I was borderline crazy,” he said.
Seeing a woman on TV painting feathers who said it was nearly impossible, Abruzese had found his next canvas. He uses turkey feathers and typically paints birds and other wildlife on them.
“Most of my [subjects are] from nature, because I use materials from nature,” he said.
Abruzese then turned to small rocks, painting them for use as jewelry.
“Everything I do, people seem to like,” he said. “I’m always looking for something else to create from.”
The latest something else? Spiderwebs, naturally. Abruzese lives in an old house with a carriage house attached, so they’re plentiful, and he thought it might be a bigger challenge than feathers or leaves. He was right ― but he’s figured out how to make it work.
It starts with a bottle cap that he pushes through the web, which clings to the sides of the cap so the web is suspended and not touching the front or back of the cap. Once it’s secure, it’s ready for acrylic paints.
“Because the web is sticky … I wet the brush just a little bit so the paint actually slides across the web; otherwise the paint would tear the webbing,” he said. “Once you get the first coat on, then it becomes a little easier.”
Abruzese puts his spiderweb paintings inside clear plastic containers so the whole thing is sealed.
“It’s so easy to forget that it’s a spiderweb,” he said. “One misplacement of your finger and the spiderweb is gone.”
Plus, he said, the sticky nature of the webs mean they collect dust if they’re not covered.
Abruzese said he paints whatever comes to mind, usually things in nature. But he couldn’t resist one obvious choice.
“Spider-Man ― how corny is that? You gotta put Spider-Man on a spiderweb!” he laughed.
As part of his repertoire, Abruzese also paints caterpillar webs, which are bigger and thicker, plus moose or deer antlers, birch bark, mushrooms, butternuts and grains of rice.
“My wife asks, ‘Why do you paint things people can’t see?’” he said. “To me it’s the challenge. [And] you can see it with a magnifying glass.”
The smallest he’s gotten is a sesame seed. The trick with these tiniest canvases is to use the very tip of the paintbrush and keep the brush in motion so only a finite amount touches the surface. Having a steady hand is key too.
“I don’t drink anything that has caffeine [when I paint],” Abruzese said. “The blood going through your finger makes it like a jackhammer.”
He hasn’t attended any craft fairs recently ― mainly because there haven’t been many to attend ― but Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20. He said none of his items have price tags because he wants his prices to be flexible for kids who are looking to buy gifts.
“The kids don’t have much money, [and] I do it for the pleasure and challenge,” he said. “I’m not there to make money.”
Still, he sold just about everything on his two tables at this fair two years ago.
“Someone looking for a Christmas gift, they can pick up something that is unique,” he said.
For those who can’t make it to the fair, Abruzese accepts requests for personalized art.
“I’ll have people bring in deer antler or moose antler [and ask me to] do something specific on it,” he said. “Once it’s done it’s one of a kind.”
Find Tom Abruzese’s art
Abruzese will be at the Londonderry High School Craft & Vendor Fair on Saturday, Nov. 20, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can also email him at tomsleaves@yahoo.com to see more of his collection or to commission a piece.
Featured photo: An array of Tom Abruzese’s work. Courtesy photos.
Heathers the Musical brings dark high school drama to the stage
Gritty, shocking, vulgar, an emotional roller coaster — those are some of the words that come up when Director Dan Pelletier and cast members talk about Heathers the Musical, on stage Friday, Oct. 22, through Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Derry Opera House.
Photography by Paula T. Trout.
When Pelletier explains Heathers to younger generations, he describes it as “Mean Girls if Lindsay Lohan murdered Rachel McAdams.”
Heathers is based on the 1988 movie, about a girl in high school named Veronica who is trying to survive her senior year and sells out to the popular clique, all of whom are named Heather. Veronica also starts to pursue the mysterious new kid, JD, which upsets the lead Heather, Heather Chandler. When Veronica and JD accidentally kill Heather Chandler, they cover it up by making it look like a suicide.
“It’s a dark comedy,” Pelletier said. “It doesn’t cut corners. It’s very gritty. … There are moments in the show where … you laugh and then you’re upset with yourself for laughing. [But] you have to laugh at these awful things. It’s a coping mechanism.”
He said it would be the equivalent of an R-rated movie.
“There are explosives and drugs and very creative swearing,” Pelletier said. “We didn’t let anyone under 18 audition [because of] the sexual nature of some scenes, drugs, violence.”
Despite the over-the-top drama, Pelletier calls the show a “very human piece.”
“It’s about [transitioning] from adolescence to reality and learning that the world isn’t black and white and how complicated things can get,” he said. “You think every day of your life is the most important day of your life and you’re really unsure of who you are.”
Brooke Wolz, 21, of Bedford, plays Veronica.
“She has a good head [and] a big heart,” Wolz said. “When she gets thrown into this crazy world of … the popular girls, she just doesn’t know what to do.”
Wolz calls Veronica a “very naive lovesick teenager.”
“When JD comes around, she’s just very taken back by the fact that this guy is showing her attention,” she said. “She falls very quickly for him.”
JD is played by Joel Michael King, 23, of Tamworth.
“He’s definitely a very complex character with a lot of deep-rooted issues,” King said.
Both Wolz and King said these are their dream roles. Wolz said she throws a lot of herself into Veronica, and the experience has been emotionally draining but worth it.
“It’s such an emotional roller coaster that it’s difficult every time we do the run,” Wolz said. “She’s on stage the entire show and it just goes from this cute innocent naive [teen] to a murderer in a toxic relationship.”
The fact that the stage version of Heathers is a musical simplifies some things, Pelletier said — and gives it a very ’80s rock ’n’ roll vibe.
“Our pit is legitimately a rock band that plays musical theater,” he said.
The show has been a long time coming for Cue Zero Theatre Co. It was originally supposed to be the 2020 season-ender. The show had been cast and they were about to start working when the pandemic postponed it for a year. Only six of the 16 cast members were able to stay on — including Wolz and King — so they held auditions again in July.
“It’s been an adventure,” Pelletier said. “This is our first real production since February 2020.”
He said it’s been a bit of a challenge working around safety precautions, but the cast and crew are excited to be back.
“This is our big return to the main stage, to real theater,” he said. “The arts need support to come back, and we’re trying to come back with a vengeance.”
If that means bringing the unexpected to the stage, mission accomplished.
“It’s shocking, honestly,” King said. “You go to kind of have your views reexamined.”
Heathers the Musical
Where: Derry Opera House, 29 W. Broadway, Derry When: Friday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 24, at 2 p.m. Cost: Tickets must be purchased online. Every audience member must present either proof of a Covid-19 vaccination or a negative Covid test from the past 72 hours to enter the building. Masks are required. There’s also a virtual livestream option. All tickets, for in-person or livestream, are $15 plus a $1.25 fee. Visit cztheatre.com to buy tickets.
Featured photo: Photography by Paula T. Trout. Courtesy photo.
For the second year, ArtWeek Nashua is going to be a mainly virtual event, but organizers are doing everything they can to foster the connection between artists and the public, with professionally filmed TV segments, live Facebook feeds and an in-person mural painting to kick it all off.
“Last year, in 2020, there were so many performers, musicians and actors and actresses, all types of performers who got off their game. A lot of people ended up learning a lot about how to use [virtual media] … and create content that would be engaging for people even if it’s not in person,” event coordinator Asia Scudder of City Arts Nashua said.
ArtWeek begins Saturday, Oct. 16, and runs through Sunday, Oct. 24, coinciding once again with KidsWeek Nashua.
KidsWeek Nashua
The scavenger hunt returns, with 50 mini art kits filled with painting, sewing or sculpture projects will be hidden at various public sculpture locations throughout the city. With a little help from Access Nashua Community Television and Nashua-based photographer Sid Ceaser, Woz Watts and Sid the puppet are going undercover as superheroes, hiding the art kits, five of which will have an exclusive “creativity stone” that will give its finder unlimited creative power. “The art kits are the size of like an Altoid box, but they’re really cute,” Scudder said. Hints will be revealed through City Arts Nashua social media, and maps of sculpture site locations will be available at The Picker Artists Studios, at 3 Pine St, Nashua.
Eric Escobar will help get things started, painting a graffiti-style mural on cellophane at 30 Temple St. beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and the public is encouraged to come down and watch him at work. It’s the only in-person event of the week; the rest will be on TV and online.
The video segments were filmed by Access Nashua Community Television, and Scudder said the ones she’d seen so far looked great. She watched one with Damien Rigden, a multimedia artist who writes children’s books and poetry.
“The interview process was just so interesting, to see him really come alive [as he talked about] the process of his creativity,” Scudder said.
She also saw a video of a mother-daughter duo who are from India and just moved to Nashua. Mom Sumeet does food photography and has photos of food from Nepal and India, as well as from Nashua restaurants, and her 8-year-old daughter, Gracelynn, wrote about the importance of food and culture to accompany the photos. Scudder said that during a normal ArtWeek, those photos would be on display in restaurants, but the video allows viewers to get to know the story behind the art, and the artists.
“My hope is that we really encourage people to support artists who have been isolated, alone, not sure about their careers, just show support for these creative individuals,” Scudder said.
Scudder also hopes that the public will interact with artists using social media, even if it’s simply liking a Facebook post.
“The most exciting thing for me is the interaction and hoping that we can inspire people to give a thumbs up to an artist or a shout out,” Scudder said. “It’s difficult having to do this virtually again … but it’s good in terms of keeping momentum going [for the artists].”
Engage in ArtWeek
Each day on Access Nashua Community Television (Comcast Channel 96), City Arts Nashua’s website (accessnashua.org/stream.php) and social media there will be profiles of artists and their works, and posts about each artist will be displayed on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, along with Twitter and LinkedIn.
In-person events
Artist Eric Escobar will hold a live artmaking performance to help kick off ArtWeek and create our ArtWeek installation piece at 30 Temple St. on Saturday, Oct. 16, starting at 10 a.m.
Take a self-guided public sculpture tour of the works of the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium. Maps are available at Picker Artists Studios at 3 Pine St. or using the free Distrx app, which will also be available at cityartsnashua.org.
View artwork on display in the windows of downtown Nashua business locations, with QR codes accompanying the pieces for viewers to see and learn more about the artists:
• Bar Harbor Bank will display the works of artists Janice Donnelly, Madeleine LaRose, Carol Lake, Nona Angelini and Joseph Bryant at 188 Main St., on the East Pearl Street side of the building
• DesignWares will show work by Brenda McDougald at their 206 Main St. location
• The Nashua Area Chamber of Commerce will be showing art from Gate City Charter School for the Arts students in their windows at their 60 Main St. location
ArtWeek artists and performers
• Eric Escobar, live artmaking performance
• Tim Foley, paintings and drawings
• Positive Street Art
• Damien Rigden, interdisciplinary artist
• Robert Lembree, fine art photographer
• Nancy Goodwin/UpbeatNH Youth Orchestra
• Carol Lake, live special events painter
• Ruth Boland, League of NH Craftsmen basketmaker
• Sumeet and Gracelynn Mehta/myllyynnis, food photography
• Teresa Moler, watercolor artist and puppeteer
• Madeleine LaRose, local landscapes in pastels and acrylics
• Bonnie Guercio, mixed-media collages
• Lisa Culpa, landscape photographer
• Karina Mitchell/Membit, interactive artist
• Nona Angelini, painting, mixed media figure drawing
• Nashua Community Music School
• Leslie Pasternack/Lemon Punch Theatre Lab
• Ricardo Cortez, dark abstract to soft whimsical photography
• Douglas Huntley, abstract mixed media artist
• Janice Donnelly, bright, colorful and happy landscapes
• Olivia Powell, imaginative writing
• Loretta Hubley, etching and painting
• Quint-Essential Winds, musicians performing works by American composers
• Brenda McDougald, landscape photography
• Bitter Pill, rhythm and bluegrass band from New Hampshire
