Category: Featured Content

News & Notes 21/03/25

Covid-19 updateAs of March 15As of March 22
Total cases statewide78,81380,750
Total current infections statewide2,0642,334
Total deaths statewide1,1991,217
New cases1,753 (March 9 to March 15)1,937 (March 16 to March 22)
Current infections: Hillsborough County640756
Current infections: Merrimack County211195
Current infections: Rockingham County509633
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services

Covid-19 news

On March 15, the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services issued a notice of potential community exposures connected to positive Covid-19 cases associated with the King of the Mat wrestling tournament, which was held on March 6 at The Rim Sports Complex in Hampton. Anyone who attended the tournament between 5 and 10 p.m. that day, according to health officials, should be monitoring symptoms and should seek testing.

The state launched its new Vaccine & Immunizations Network Interface website on March 17, at 8 a.m., according to a press release, just in time for Phases 2A and 2B vaccine appointment scheduling to begin. The new VINI platform is a state-run site, transitioning New Hampshire away from the federally run VAMS portal. During the state’s public health update in a March 18 press conference, Gov. Chris Sununu said the system was loaded with about 200,000 first-dose appointments through the month of April. He said the state is on pace to expand vaccine access to all adults over the age of 16 in New Hampshire within weeks. “We don’t have a firm date on that yet,” he said, “but it really is just weeks away that any adult citizen in the state of New Hampshire will be able to go to VINI and sign up for their vaccine as well.” As of March 18, about 12 percent of the state’s population has been fully vaccinated, according to Dr. Beth Daly, Chief of the Bureau of Infectious Disease Control of the New Hampshire Department of Health & Human Services. “To date, 31 regional clinics have been held with 6,500 people in Phase 2A vaccinated,” Daly said later during the press conference. “An additional 36 regional clinics are scheduled through the end of March, with plans to vaccinate another 20,000 people.”

Registration for Phase 2B, which includes people between the ages of 50 and 64, opened on March 22, with the first appointments beginning on March 25. Hundreds of thousands of newly eligible registrants encountered problems on the site as soon as they were able to log in at 8 a.m., according to a report from WMUR, with many others who called 211 not being able to get through on the phone. “An unprecedented volume of web traffic was experienced this morning, a good sign that Granite Staters are ready and eager to receive their vaccine,” Sununu said in the March 22 report. “Registrations have been accepted and continue to be processed at an increasing pace, with over 35,000 having scheduled an appointment within the first three hours.”

Funding input

The office of Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig issued a press release last week asking Queen City residents to share ideas on how to spend the federal funds that the city will be getting from the American Rescue Plan Act. According to the press release, Manchester will receive approximately $44 million over two years. Though it’s waiting for more guidance from the U.S. Department of the Treasury on how exactly the funds can be used, the idea is to help with local economic recovery, which includes things like assistance to households, small businesses and nonprofits, assistance to hard-hit industries like tourism, travel, and hospitality, premium pay for essential workers and infrastructure investment. Craig is asking residents to share their Covid-19 stories, specifically how it’s impacted them and how they’d like to see the funds used. “For over a year, our community has felt the widespread negative impacts of Covid-19. This is the first time the City of Manchester is receiving direct funding, and we want to ensure it’s used to best meet the needs of our community,” Craig said in the release. Contact the mayor’s office or fill out a form at bit.ly/ARP4MHT.

Homeless Assessment

Last week the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released its 2020 Annual Homeless Assessment Report Part 1 and, according to a press release, the report found that 1,675 people experienced homelessness in New Hampshire on a single night in 2020, which is an increase of 20 percent from 2019. HUD releases its report in two parts; Part 1 is a snapshot of homelessness on a single night, conducted during the last 10 days of January each year, so these numbers are pre-Covid. Other key findings in New Hampshire: Unsheltered homelessness increased 133 percent, with 199 people counted in 2019 compared to 348 in 2020. Also seeing increases were family homelessness, veteran homelessness and chronic homelessness. Youth homelessness is down 22.6 percent, according to the press release.

Rachel Budd from Bow High School has been selected as the alternate winner of the 2021 New Hampshire Poetry Out Loud High School Championship, according to a press release from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. Budd will fill in for winner Lilla Bozek from Newmarket High School if Bozek can’t participate in the national finals. Bozek received $200 and Newmarket High School got a $500 stipend for the purchase of poetry books, while Budd received $100, plus a $200 stipend for Bow High School’s poetry book collection.

Detective Justin Breton has been named 2020 Officer of the Year for the Manchester Police Department, where he’s served since 2010, according to a press release. He has been a patrol officer, a juvenile detective, a detective with the Investigative Division and a SWAT negotiator, he is the director of the Manchester Police Critical Incident Stress Management Team, and he’s the primary handler of Manchester’s comfort dog, Patch.

Beth Greenwood of Amherst is the first American-born female catcher of an NCAA baseball team. According to a report from WMUR, Greenwood is a junior at the University of Rochester in New York, and she has earned a spot on the roster of her school’s baseball team. She has never played softball; she was on the baseball team at Souhegan High School, according to the report.

The CHaD NH East-West High School All-Star Football Game, which will feature more than 80 of New Hampshire’s best football players taking the field to raise money for Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, will also be a tribute to Londonderry High School football captain Jacob Naar, who was killed in a car accident on March 12. According to a press release, his family has chosen to fulfill his wishes of fundraising for the game, and his team will not replace Naar on the roster; instead his teammates will honor his memory at the game, which is scheduled for July.

Frayed social circles

Walking and talking is the new coffee date. I’m glad; I relish any opportunity to combine fresh air, movement and conversation. By necessity, though, many interactions now take place online, either Zoom meetings where you can’t really talk, even when unmuted, or FaceTime chats. This got me thinking about who I have or have not been keeping up with during the pandemic. 

To our surprise, a professional friend and I recently found ourselves bemoaning the loss of rubber chicken dinners. If you haven’t had the pleasure, these were large-scale annual meetings, fundraisers and award ceremonies hosted by organizations from nonprofits to political groups to media outlets. In spring there were a handful of must-attend events where leaders and lobbyists, mentors and movers, accomplished honorees and ambitious newcomers alike would gather. Frequent flyers might run into each other at functions every week or two in the fall. We used to grumble mildly about lukewarm food or lengthy speakers; nowwe yearn for a chance to mill around in a room full of even tangential acquaintances. In this year of social distancing, we’ve been keeping up pretty well with our family and close friends, but our circle has frayed at the edges. 

Why does this matter? The Atlantic’s Amanda Mull recently explored the issue. While close relationships have long been recognized as essential to well-being, the pandemic has underscored that casual friends are important, too. They make us feel part of a community, part of the world. They make mundane errands enjoyable. They introduce us to new business and recreational opportunities, information, issues and ideas. “Peripheral connections tether us to the world at large; without them, people sink into the compounding sameness of closed networks.” 

Even before the pandemic, surveys by StayWorkPlay, the organization that helps New Hampshire attract young workers, revealed many found it hard to make friends here. Some cited a lack of gathering places, others the lack of diversity. They felt a sense of “aloneness.” The pandemic has exacerbated this. When asked what she seeks going forward, a college student I know from church said, “If I could change something, [it would be] getting those little intimate connections back, the ones that make us a community, the greetings on the street, catching up with an old friend, the feeling that you are intimately part of a larger group.” 

It’s time to rekindle our acquaintanceship. Want to go for a walk?

Susan Hatem, former Director of Programs and Grant Making at New Hampshire Humanities, is a CASA of NH guardian ad litem and a connector, mentor and writer. Email her at susanh8m@gmail.com.

Eats for Easter

Where to go for dine-in or takeout brunch for Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is fast approaching (Sunday, April 4), and if you’re wondering where to go to celebrate it this year, check out this list of local restaurants, bakeries and homestead companies offering specialty items. Many that are accepting dine-in reservations for brunch or dinner are also offering takeout orders to go this year. Do you know of a local eatery offering Easter specialties that’s not on this list? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

• 603 Charcuterie (Derry, 603charcuterie.com) is taking orders for Easter-themed charcuterie boards, featuring Bell and Goose Cheese Co. cheeses, assorted meats, preserves, jams and jellies, nuts and candies. A larger-sized option also includes Easter-themed cupcakes and doughnuts from the Bearded Baking Co. of Manchester. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3, and Sunday, April 4, at Creative Chef Kitchens (35 Manchester Road, Derry).

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call to make a reservation.

• Ashley’s Eats & Sweets (Raymond, ashleys.eats.and.sweets@gmail.com, find them on Facebook) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Easter, like macarons, iced sugar cookies, crinkle cookies, M&M cookies, cookie kits and cocoa bombs. Specialty Easter baskets are also available, featuring one cocoa bomb, three iced cookies, three crinkle cookies and three M&M cookies. Order by March 30.

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Drive, Atkinson, 362-8700, atkinsonresort.com) is accepting Easter Sunday reservations now for both Merrill’s Tavern and the Stagecoach Grille, featuring specialty menu items like baked ham, baked haddock, prime rib, stuffed filet mignon, seared scallops, grilled vegetable ravioli and more.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet in its Great Hall on Sunday, April 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., as well as a three-course prix fixe dinner from 2 to 7 p.m. The brunch menu will include chef-attended omelet and Belgian waffle stations, charcuterie and cheese displays, smoked ham and roasted leg of lamb carved to order, and other assorted breakfast and lunch items. The dinner will include your choice of a first course (celery root bisque, New England clam chowder, pea tendril and watercress salad or spring bean and arugula salad); an entree (grilled tournedos, pistachio and matcha-crusted Icelandic cod loin, smoked North Country ham, herb crusted leg of lamb, herb-marinated Scottish salmon, or house-made casarecce); and a dessert (Irish cream torte, vanilla bean creme brulee, buttermilk panna cotta, strawberry Charlotte royale, or lemongrass ice cream). The cost for the brunch buffet is $65 for adults and $32 for kids ages 10 and under. The cost for the dinner is $65 for adults and $34.95 for kids ages 10 and under. Reservations are required for both.

• The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery (212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, theblackforestcafe.com) is taking orders for a variety of items for Easter, including pies (apple, Dutch apple, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, grasshopper or chocolate cream); cakes (carrot, coconut, chocolate mousse, lemon daisy and Black Forest gateaux); Easter egg or bunny shortbread cookies, lemon tarts and more. Order by March 27. Pickups will be on Friday, April 2, or Saturday, April 3.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5929) and Buckley’s Market & Cafe (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522) are taking orders for several items for Easter, including cakes (carrot, hummingbird, double chocolate or gluten-free lemon blueberry); and pies (chocolate cream, key lime or mixed berry crumble); as well as assorted breakfast and dessert pastry trays, Parker House rolls, cinnamon rolls and hot cross buns. Order by March 31 via phone or online at buckleysbakerycafe.com.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will be open on Easter (Sunday, April 4) from noon to 5 p.m.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for dinners of either maple-glazed pork loin or herb and Dijon-encrusted leg of lamb for Easter, both of which can come in two sizes (servings of four or of six to eight) and feature shallot whipped potatoes, lemon honey caramelized carrots and sauteed asparagus. Order by March 29 at 2 p.m.

• Castleton Waterfront Dining on Cobbetts (58 Enterprise Drive, Windham, 898-6300, castletonbcc.com) is taking orders for a variety of to-go items for Easter, including dinner packages of spiral glazed ham or roast leg of lamb with herbs. Both serve eight to 10 people and come with various sides, like roasted red bliss potatoes, spring peas, pan gravy and dinner rolls. Other a la carte items include tenderloin of beef, roast pork loin with cranberry apple stuffing, sides by the quart, assorted hors d’oeuvres like scallop and bacon skewers and crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, and desserts like carrot cake or ice cream pie with Kahlua sauce. Order by March 31 at noon. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3, from 9 a.m. to noon.

• City Moose Cafe & Catering Co. (30 Temple St., Nashua, 943-5078, citymoosenh.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners featuring maple-glazed ham, garlic mashed potatoes and buttered tri-colored carrots, as well as a “rabbit munch” salad with local hydroponic greens, strawberries, feta cheese, sunflower seeds and balsamic vinaigrette, and pineapple upside-down cake for dessert. Order by March 29 at noon. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3, from 1 to 2 p.m.

• The Coach Stop Restaurant & Tavern (176 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-2022, coachstopnh.com) is taking reservations for dine-in Easter meals on Sunday, April 4, with seatings at 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., as well as takeout pre-ordering and free delivery. Items include first courses like French onion soup, spinach and artichoke dip and bacon-wrapped scallops; and entrees like chicken marsala, roast prime rib of beef, seafood linguine alfredo and lobster macaroni and cheese.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a three-course prix fixe dinner menu for Easter, with seatings on Sunday, April 4, between noon and 6 p.m. Items include your choice of a first course (lemon chicken noodle soup, slovak beet and buttermilk soup, spring greens salad, asparagus and chioggia beet salad, local farmer’s cheese and spinach pierogi, or red beet deviled eggs); an entree (Greek-style roasted leg of lamb, maple and cider mustard glazed ham, prime rib, scallops, rabbit pot pie or carrot spaetzle) and a dessert (Easter chocolate trio of a chocolate mousse, mini chocolate peanut butter cake and a chocolate bunny, maple walnut carrot cake, strawberry rhubarb pie, lavender creme brulee or rose sorbet).

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; Lakehouse Grille, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; Foster’s Boiler Room, 231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; Lago, 1 Route 25, Meredith, 279-2253; Italian Farmhouse, 337 Daniel Webster Hwy., Plymouth, 536-4536; Lakehouse Grille, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; Camp, 300 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3003; Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; thecman.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners for four to go, featuring oven-roasted ham with honey glaze, creamy leek scalloped potatoes, roasted asparagus, cider-infused mashed sweet potatoes, maple-roasted Brussels sprouts, house baked rolls and carrot cake for dessert. Additional optional a la carte items include oven-roasted turkey with pan gravy, macaroni and cheese and a Sriracha deviled eggs kit (makes one dozen). Order by March 29. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) is taking orders for several specialty items for Easter, like pies (apple, apple crumb, blueberry, chocolate cream, pumpkin, lemon meringue and many others), as well as pastries, like muffins, doughnuts, cinnamon buns and Danishes; assorted pastry platters, cookies, cheesecakes, and savory offerings, like gorton, meat pie with pork and beef, salmon pie and Boston baked beans. Order by March 31 for pickup on Friday, April 2, or by April 1 for pickup on Saturday, April 3.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) is taking orders for several specialty baked goods and sweet treats for Easter, like hot cross or cinnamon buns, pies (flavors include coconut cream, chocolate cream, lemon meringue, apple streusel, forest berry crumb and many others); cakes (flavors include carrot, blueberry lemon mousse, raspberry coconut and flourless chocolate torte); and quiches available with a variety of filling options, like bacon, sausage, marinated tomato, onion, cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Pepper Jack cheese or goat cheese. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, with seatings every half hour from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Reservations are required due to limited seating availability.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring an egg and omelet station, a carving station with slow-roasted prime rib of beef and baked ham with a honey and maple glaze, various other breakfast and lunch options, and assorted drinks and desserts. Reservations are required.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like assorted Easter egg cookies, cottontail bunny cakes, carrot cake cheesecake or cheesecake cups, cupcakes, mini pies, cream puff pastry trays and more.

• Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steakhouse Butchery (62 Lowell St., Manchester, 669-9460, gauchosbraziliansteakhouse.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, with seatings from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a variety of breakfast and lunch items, a salad bar, pastries, parfaits and more. Reservations are required. Starting March 28, Gauchos will also be opening for brunch every Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like blue, pink and lavender marshmallow Peeps, milk, dark or white chocolate Easter bunnies and eggs, and Easter baskets of assorted chocolate.

• Just Like Mom’s Pastries (353 Riverdale Road, Weare, 529-6667, justlikemomspastries.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty baked goods and sweet treats for Easter, like cakes (carrot, spring sherbert mousse, lemon cheesecake with strawberry topping or raspberry coconut cake); assorted breakfast pastries, like sticky buns, cinnamon sticks and filled croissants; quiches (ham and Swiss, bacon, tomato and onion, spinach and feta or broccoli and cheddar); and fruit pies (strawberry rhubarb, three-berry, raspberry or cherry). Other specialty pies include the Elvis, with peanut graham cracker, chocolate pastry cream, Bananas Foster and a whipped peanut butter topping); and a blueberry and strawberry pie with an oat almond crumb topping. Order by March 27. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 3.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898; 14 Route 111, Derry; labellewinerynh.com) will serve a three-course plated brunch for Easter on Sunday, April 4, with seatings from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Amherst and one seating at 11 a.m. at its new location in Derry. Menu offerings include your choice of herb-marinated Statler chicken breast, mustard-crusted Atlantic salmon, apricot-glazed smoked ham, and spring vegetable and goat cheese quiche, as well as multiple optional add-ons, like an artisan cheese and charcuterie board, smoked salmon or freshly sliced fruit. Reservations are required. The Easter Bunny will also be in attendance to take socially distanced photos.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurantnh.com) is taking reservations now for Easter, offering special meals that include your choice of one appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. Menu staples include appetizers like tomato bisque, Swedish meatballs, fresh fruit plates with sorbet; Caesar salad or garden salad with blue cheese, house ranch, raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic vinaigrette dressing; entrees like roast leg of lamb, baked honey glazed ham, baked stuffed jumbo shrimp, maple salmon or vegetarian baked eggplant Parmesan; and desserts like lemon mascarpone cake, chocolate ganache cake, carrot cake, tiramisu cake and bread pudding.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) will be open on Easter (Sunday, April 4) from noon to 5 p.m.

• Nelson’s Candy and Music (65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like handmade chocolate egg “boxes” and assorted Easter baskets filled with chocolate foil eggs, gummy bears, jelly beans and other assorted candies.

• Oak & Grain Restaurant (Inn at Pleasant Lake, 853 Pleasant St., New London, 873-4833, innatpleasantlake.com) will serve a three-course prix fixe brunch menu for Easter on Sunday, April 4, with open seating between 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., followed by a five-course dinner menu from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Takeout is also available.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) is taking orders for a variety of seasonal items for Easter, including pizzagaina (ricotta pie with Italian meats), wood-fired lamb tips, brown sugar glazed ham, chicken Parmesan and shrimp and scallop scampi, plus desserts through its sister company Custom Eats & Sweets, like giant breakable chocolate eggs filled with gourmet treats, Easter egg-sicles, fresh filled cannolis and assorted Italian cookie platters. Order by March 28. Pickups will be on Friday, April 2, and Saturday, April 3.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) has several specialty seasonal offerings available for Easter, like milk chocolate-dipped marshmallow Peeps, milk, dark or white chocolate bunnies, and chocolate Easter baskets filled with a variety of treats.

• Wolfe’s Tavern (Wolfeboro Inn, 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016, wolfestavern.com) will serve an Easter brunch on Sunday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring items like pancakes, eggs Benedict, croissant French toast, roasted half chicken, sangria ham, deviled eggs, shrimp cocktail, coconut cream pie, lemon curd bars and more.

• Woodstock Inn Brewery (135 N. Main St., North Woodstock, 745-3951, woodstockinnbrewery.com) is offering a two-night Easter getaway package, with an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, that will include an omelet bar, a waffle bar, a carving station with ham and prime rib, and other items like eggs Benedict, vegetable lasagna and salmon. Reservations are accepted but not required.

• Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 4, with seatings at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. Offerings will include a carving station with slow roasted prime rib of beef and apricot-glazed Easter ham, plus assorted warm croissants and pastries, stuffed crepes, pan scrambled eggs, smoked bacon and maple sausage, and a dessert display with assorted seasonal cookies and brownies, miniature carrot cupcakes with coconut frosting, bite-size filled cannolis and house made personal-sized pies and tartlets.

This story was possible with the generous financial support of Hippo readers. Hippo is very grateful to have the support of its readers. If you haven’t contributed yet, please consider a small contribution. Your contributions allow Hippo to write more stories and gets you access to additional stories and columns. 

A new twist

Take3 on a mission to the mainstream

Classical music is rigorous and demanding, its top purveyors virtuosic — but it’s box office anathema. Charity, not ticket sales, provides the majority of revenue for most American orchestras.

Enter Lindsay Deutsch. She launched her group Take3 to change the genre’s perception. The violin, piano and cello trio performs modern songs like “Despacito” and “Yellow” with the same musical discipline Deutsch learned when she was classically trained at The Colburn School in Los Angeles.

It’s an approach familiar to fans of Netflix’s Bridgerton, which offered string quartet renditions of Ariana Grande and Maroon 5 hits, among others, but Deutsch arguably got there first. Beyond that, her kinetic stage presence is singularly unique. She’s to the violin what Ian Anderson is on the flute with Jethro Tull, stalking the boards like a dervish.

The idea for reimagining pop songs as classical pieces came from frustration with the medium’s strict rules.

“The thing about Bach, Brahms and Beethoven is you have to play in a box, so to speak,” Deutsch said in a recent phone interview. “As an artist, I felt like … I have this huge voice, and people keep asking me not to use my voice, but to try and figure out what this dead, old white guy wants.”

Deutsch’s light bulb moment came when she traveled to Saudi Arabia for a last-minute spot playing with Yanni. The New Age superstar had found her on YouTube; she’d never heard of him until he called to say his regular violinist was leaving to have a baby. She had three weeks to learn the material; it would be her first time performing with amplification and in-ear monitors.

During her initial solo, Deutsch couldn’t hear anything and feared the worst was happening.

“I’m just fingering the violin, I can’t hear one note, I don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “My thought is, OK, this is my first and last performance with Yanni, because I’m gonna for sure be fired.”

When she glanced at the bandleader, however, he was smiling broadly at her.

“I look up further and see a sea of people on their feet, cheering. That’s when I realized my in-ear monitors are fine; it’s the sound of the crowd that is so loud.”

For Deutsch, it was a revelation.

“In classical music, we don’t have audiences that make that kind of noise,” she said. “It was something that I realized I was really missing. … I became kind of addicted to that passion and to that fire the audience was giving me in response to this crossover style. After that moment, I just never looked back.”

Though the group’s material is accessible, it remains musically challenging.

“Take3 never felt that just playing the tune was good enough, because we had the chops to play big concerti with an orchestra,” Deutsch said. “We were not going to be happy with just playing single notes and easy renditions. So we made this stuff super hard, and we added double stops all over the place and cool techniques. … We wanted to really show off what we learned.”

After a few lineup changes, Take3 is currently Deutsch, Juilliard-trained pianist Jason Stoll and fellow L.A.-based cellist Mikala Schmitz, who studied at Cleveland Institute of Music.

“It’s very rare to find serious classical musicians that have the chops needed who can also let their hair down and have fun. … It’s been beaten into us since we were 5 years old to read the music, play exactly you see,” Deutsch said. “I’m saying the music is a guide, and if you want to diverge from that, have a little fun and do something different, by all means go for it. We’re on stage to have a good time.”

Though she’s playing a violin that’s over two centuries old, Deutsch knows she’s competing with 21st-century distractions like movies and video games.

“These amazing things that people are used to seeing … if I just walk out on stage and plop myself down in a chair, it doesn’t matter how good it sounds, I’m never going to compete with modern-day entertainment.”

A livestreamed show sponsored by the Palace Theatre in Manchester on March 26 will feature Take3 performing a wide selection of material.

“It’s just all our favorite tunes that we’ve been playing over the last three years,” Deutsch said. “Anything from Justin Bieber to The Beatles to Coldplay, Pirates of the Caribbean and Game of Thrones. All good stuff.”

Take3 Virtual Stream
When: Friday, March 26, 8 p.m.
Where: Hosted by The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
Tickets: $15 at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Take3. Courtesy photo.

Have an Oscar movie night

Where to see the 2021 nominees

We finally have the Oscar nominees for 2020 films.

Announced March 15, it’s a pretty solid list for such a weird year (films from first two months of 2021 were also eligible; the Oscar ceremony is scheduled for April 25). Most of the early-2020 hopefuls (Elisabeth Moss for The Invisible Man, anything for First Cow or Never Rarely Sometimes Always or The Forty-Year-Old Version) didn’t make an appearance on the list but late-season favorites like Minari, Promising Young Woman, Judas and the Black Messiah and Nomadland have heavy award presence.

And now the fun really starts: seeing all the nominees. Many of this year’s big nominees had their “opening weekends” on streaming services so most are relatively easy to find. Here’s how to see the films in the big feature film categories:

Best picture

• The Father — This movie is in theaters (as close as the AMC Methuen, according to Fandango) now and will be available via video on demand on Friday, March 26. The movie also received nominations for lead actor (Anthony Hopkins), supporting actress (Olivia Coleman), film editing and production design.

• Judas and the Black Messiah — This Fred Hampton biopic was on HBO Max for a month when it was first released and is now in theaters. It also received two supporting actor nominations (for Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield) and nominations for cinematography, original song and original screenplay.

• Mank — This Citizen-Kane-behind-the-scenes tale of old Hollywood is available on Netflix and also received nominations for lead actor (Gary Oldman), supporting actress (Amanda Seyfried), cinematography, costume design, directing (by David Fincher), makeup and hairstyling, original score, production design and sound.

• Minari — This beautiful story of a Korean American family is in theaters (in the Boston area) and available for rent via VOD. It also received nominations for lead actor (Stephen Yeun), supporting actress (Yuh-Jung Youn), directing (Lee Isaac Chung), original score and original screenplay.

• Nomadland— This tale of a woman dealing with her losses while living as a nomad (she travels from job to job living in her van) is in theaters (including in Keene Cinemas) and on Hulu. It also received nominations for lead actress (Frances McDormand), cinematography, directing (Chloé Zhao), film editing and adapted screenplay.

• Promising Young Woman — This searing (but at times bleakly humorous) tale of grief and vengeance is in theaters (in the Boston area) and available for rent via VOD. It also received nominations for lead actress (Carey Mulligan), directing (Emerald Fennell — and yes you read that right, two female director nods this year!), film editing and original screenplay.

• Sound of Metal — This movie about a musician who loses his hearing is available via Amazon Prime and was also nominated for lead actor (Riz Ahmed), film editing, sound and original screenplay.

• The Trial of the Chicago 7 — Aaron Sorkin’s very Sorkin-y movie about the 1968 Democratic Convention protests is available on Netflix and is also nominated for supporting actor (Sacha Baron Cohen), cinematography, film editing, original song and original screenplay.

Other movies with acting nominations

• Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom — This Netflix release based on an August Wilson play garnered nominations for lead actress (Viola Davis) and is the last chance to honor Chadwick Boseman, who was nominated for lead actor. The movie also received a nomination for costume design and production design.

• One Night in Miami… — This Amazon Prime movie based on a Kemp Powers play got Leslie Odom Jr. a supporting actor nominatinon as well as an original song nomination and an adapted screenplay nomination.

• The United States vs. Billie Holiday — This biopic of Holiday is a bit of a mess but Andra Day’s performance as the singer makes it worth watching; it’s available now on Hulu.

• Pieces of a Woman — Vanessa Kirby is excellent in this Netflix release about grief (at least she is in the hour and 40-ish minutes of the movie I watched; I guess now I need to make myself watch the harrowing first 30 minutes of the movie).

• Borat Subsequent Moviefilm — I think, years from now, this movie, available on Amazon Prime, is going to be a time capsule of weirdness, with all the Trump and Covid and political conspiracy stuff crammed into this “hidden” camera comedy. Maria Bakalova, who plays Borat’s “teenage” daughter, is nominated for supporting actress, and the movie also received a nomination for adapted screenplay.

• Hillbilly Elegy — Glenn Close gets her eight Oscar nomination (no wins yet) for her role in this mess of wigs and accents and arm’s-length storytelling. I think we all agree she deserves an award for a movie. See Hillbilly Elegy if you want, I guess, like if you’re an Oscar completist, on Netflix.

Animated feature films

• Onward — This movie opened right before Everything but quickly made its way to Disney+ early in the pandemic, which is probably why I had completely forgotten about this Pixar movie about suburban-y magical creatures (elves, centaurs, cyclopses, etc.) and two teens brothers on a quest to have their late father back for one day.

• Over the Moon — It’s another movie about a kid dealing with the loss of a parent. For reasons I can’t remember, I only made it about halfway through this movie during my one attempt to watch it (though I do remember some very pretty visuals). The movie is available on Netflix.

• A Shaun the Sheep Movie: Farmageddon — This might be my favorite of the category. This G-rated movie is beautiful to look at, fun for adults (sci-fi pop culture jokes) and kids (burps!) and manages to be extremely clever and sweet while also not really having any dialogue. The mischievous but kind Shaun the Sheep meets a lost alien in this Netflix release that felt pretty all-ages friendly (a rarity even among kid fare).

• Soul — This late-2020 Pixar release, available on Disney+, looks and sounds absolutely beautiful and while it’s probably OK for most kids, scary-stuff-wise (there are some creatures that might freak out some of the youngest movie viewers) my middle-elementary-school-aged kid did get bored with some of the parts where the main character agonizes about his career and what constitutes a life’s purpose.

• Wolfwalkers — This Apple TV+ movie is definitely not for the littlest kids — the wolves can be scary, the British officials ruling Ireland are scarier. But for middle-elementary and up this movie with picture-book-like illustrations and feisty girl central characters (one is an English girl who has come to Ireland with her wolf-hunting father; one is an Irish girl who can also turn into a wolf) is beautiful and thoroughly engrossing.

Featured photo: Minari

Yes Day (PG) | Cherry (R)

Yes Day (PG)

Jennifer Garner stars in Yes Day, a delightful family comedy about wacky hijinks on a day when kids pick the fun.

Or put another way, Jennifer Garner plays a mom in a waking nightmare of a horror story about a lady going through some stuff personally and professionally who is bullied by her family into participating in some internet nonsense to prove she can still loosen up and have fun — you know what would be fun how about someone else do the laundry for a change, dishes don’t wash themselves, don’t want to see Mom erupt in a rage volcano when she steps on a Lego how about you PICK UP THE LEGOS.

It is possible this movie touched a nerve.

When the Torres children — young teen Katie (Jenna Ortega), tween Nando (Julian Lerner) and young Ellie (Everly Carganilla) — complain that their mom, Allison (Garner), always says “no” to everything they want to do, she makes a deal with them. If they approach their kid duties (chores, homework) with more gusto, they will earn a Yes Day, a 24-hour period where the parents won’t say no to any of their plans or desires, within legal, geographical and financial limits. (Their “mom says no” complaints are documented both in a haiku Katie writes for school and a movie Nando makes calling his mom a dictator for, among other things, losing her cool when she steps on Legos.) And even though that sounds exhausting, Allison approaches the day with excitement because it means spending non-nagging time with her family, most significantly with independence-seeking Katie and with work-absorbed husband Carlos (Edgar Ramírez). Allison, a former sky-dive and backpack-the-world type, is also under some stress outside the home as her attempts to reenter the workforce have not been successful.

A lot of cute giant ice cream sundae-eating and paintball-ish game-playing ensues. The actors here have good family chemistry, with Ortega believably walking that teen line between having fun with siblings and parents while still wanting to do mature things with her friends, and the other kids turning in cute but not cloying performances. Ramírez turns in a completely fine “likeable dad” performance, even if his character gets the least to do of the bunch. Perhaps because of movies like Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and her Capital One ads, I’ve come to think of Garner more as a mom character than as her Alias action hero but here she reminds you can she can pull off physical comedy and action-y moments as well as more sitcom-y moments of humor.

Even with a side plot involving Katie and her plans to go to a music festival with some friend’s cousin and some older-dude friends, the movie is basically focused on wholesome goofiness. Wholesome goofiness and carpet-destroying foam — but I don’t think everybody who watches this is going to spend quite as much time thinking “how are they going to get that out of the car upholstery” and “does homeowners insurance cover that” as I did. But then maybe that’s a sign that I need a Yes Day. (No.) B

Rated PG for some rude and suggestive material, and brief language, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Miguel Arteta with a screenplay by Justin Malen (based on the book by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Tom Lichtenheld), Yes Day is an hour and 26 minutes long and is available on Netflix.

Cherry (R)

Tom Holland plays a young man who falls into addiction in Cherry, a movie directed by Russo brothers Anthony and Joe of Marvel movies fame.

Specifically, they directed the Captain Americas Winter Soldier and Civil War and two Avengers — Infinity War and Endgame.I mention this because it’s hard not to watch this movie as “Anthony and Joe Russo show they can do something not Marvel” or maybe as “Anthony Russo and Joe Russo bring popcorn movie flash to a downbeat story.”

We first see Holland, whose character isn’t called by name in the movie, as he prepares to rob a bank, explaining his actions to us in narration that is weaved through the movie. The bank robbery serves as bookends to his short (in years) life story, starting when he is aimlessly attending college and meets Emily (Ciara Bravo), the girlfriend who quickly becomes his wife, through a stint in the Army and into his post-Army years of PTSD, heroin addiction and crime.

The bare bones of Cherry are a thoroughly depressing story that the movie manages to add humor (dark humor) to and that is warmed up by Holland, who I think does an above average job as a kid who seems a little bit like he’s blown by the wind through his life.

Bravo, whose Emily feels more like Holland’s character’s projection of her than she does like a fully formed person, feels sort of sleepy throughout. Their relationship is one of the cores of this movie but her wispiness prevents us from ever really understanding why she stays with Holland or why the relationship is so important to him.

I wasn’t bothered by the movie’s general storytelling showiness, all strange comic/tragic asides, stylized shots and fourth-wall-breaking narration. Perhaps at a runtime shorter (significantly shorter) than two hours and 22 minutes the style of the movie and the general solid-ness of Holland’s performance would be enough to keep things moving and to make the movie’s points (assuming the elements about the military, the war, careless opioid prescription and the socioeconomics of a gray-looking Cleveland are points the movie’s trying to make and not just, like, story-telling accessories). But you feel this movie’s lengthy runtime and it doesn’t always provide you with a good reason why you are lingering in this or that moment. As a result, a lot of the more stylish elements end up feeling like padding.

Cherry isn’t a bad movie but the result of all this moviemaking style put on a relatively thin story is that you feel like you’re getting about four inches of elaborate frosting on one inch of cake. C+

Rated R for graphic drug abuse, disturbing and violent images, pervasive language and sexual content, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo with a screenplay by Angela Russo-Otstot and Jessica Goldberg (from the novel Cherry by Nico Walker), Cherry is two hours and 22 minutes long and is available on Apple TV+.

Featured photo: Yes Day

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