We may not have time machines to bring us back to the past, but we have music that allows us to relive those moments. This is what the audience will experience at the Back to the Eighties Show with New York City-based band Jessie’s Girl at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on Friday, Oct. 14.
Jessie’s Girl vocalist Mark Rinzel, who is originally from outside the Washington, D.C., area, moved to New York after college. He recalls walking the streets of Manhattan visiting his brother in the early ’90s and knowing that he, too, wanted to be there. Rinzel got involved with music when he was 5 or 6 years old. He started picking up instruments like the piano and the bass, and participated in musical theater.
Once in New York, Rinzel joined his brother’s band and auditioned for musicals. He started producing and performing with independent rock bands, became a professional thespian touring with Jesus Christ Superstar and, around 15 to 16 years ago, started performing in tribute bands.
Meanwhile, Jessie’s Girl had been doing an ’80s show at the now-closed Canal Room on West Broadway.
“It ended up being one of the most successful nights that the bar had. Once a week, hundreds of people would come, so clearly there was an audience for it,” Rinzel said.
Their lives collided when the members of Jessie’s Girl saw Rinzel performing in a Police tribute band.
“The guys from the ’80s show saw me doing this about a little over 10 years ago and they were looking to add new singers to the mix,” Rinzel said. “So they saw me singing all this Sting stuff and they were like, ‘Hey, do you want to join our ’80s band,’ and I said ‘That sounds fun.’”
Since then Jessie’s Girl has performed with some of the biggest names in ’80s music, like Colin Hay, Howard Jones and Berlin. They have also been a part of a popular weeklong ’80s-themed cruise, in which they are typically one of the favorite acts.
According to Rinzel, ’80s bands are not hard to come by, but coming across one that is on the level of Jessie’s Girl isn’t something you see every day.
“You can go … all over the country … even up and down the eastern seaboard, and you can find ’80s bands in every town. … [I always joke] we’re about 10 times better than we even need to be. I think that’s what people respond to,” Rinzel said. “Almost all of [the band members] are sort of veterans from the Lower East Side.”
The level of talent in conjunction with the high energy makes for a show that’s in a league of its own.
“It’s a mixture of … [a] high-caliber performance but also just a lot of spontaneity and fun, and I think people respond to that.” Rinzel said.
In 2020 the nights of performing came to a halt due to the pandemic.
“We had to put it away for a year and that was very painful for a lot of us, for everyone,” Rinzel said. “And of course there was so much suffering everywhere, and if the worst you can say is I didn’t get to sing in my ’80s band for a year, you did alright.”
For him, the opportunity to be on stage and make others happy has always been one of the things he’s loved the most about performing. But it’s the early post-Covid shows that rank high as his favorite part of his history with Jessie’s Girl.
“The show has become for me … just a lot more meaningful post-Covid. … When people started to come back to the shows, you kind of realize how much you missed something,” Rinzel said.
With the pandemic on a downward curve and safety precautions in place, the Back to the Eighties Show with Jessie’s Girl returns to New Hampshire for another ecstatic performance. “It’s not just bringing them back to the ’80s. It’s also just getting them out of their seats and having a lot of fun with it,” Rinzel said. “We play with hits. We give people what they want to hear.”
Back to the Eighties with Jessie’s Girl When: Friday, Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m. Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester Tickets: Tickets range from $35 to $42.50 More information: Visit palacetheatre.org or call the box office at 668-5588 to purchase tickets
Featured photo: Mark Rinzel of Jessie’s Girl. Courtesy photo.
Finding Hercule Poirot, becoming Mr. Toad and other tales of actors getting into their fall show roles
New Hampshire is in the thick of fall theater season, with professional and community productions filling the schedule with musicals, dramas, comedies and productions with young performers. We talked to several local actors from some upcoming shows who will be hitting the stage over the next month about how they are getting into character and what makes their shows a must-see.
Connor Weeks, as Mr. Toad
Connor Weeks. Courtesy photo.
The Community Players of Concord presents The Wind in The Willows, a children’s theater project featuring 24 young actors,at the Audi Concord (2 Prince St.). Showtimes are Friday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 15, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org.
What is The Wind in the Willows about?
The Wind in the Willows is about a group of animals, specifically a toad, a badger, a mole and a rat, [who] go on a bunch of wild adventures together.
Describe the character you’re playing.
I’m playing the role of Mr. Toad. He’s a very posh and very energetic toad who will spring for the new thing when it comes out. He’s a little self-centered but he doesn’t show it. He tries to pride himself on being Mr. Toadwithout sounding too cocky.
What attracted you to this show?
I [wanted] to be in this because I’ve done a ton of shows with the people who are working on [it] and they’re really nice. Also, my uncle had read the book and he said it was a really good show, so that’s why I’m doing the show.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
One of the challenging parts about being Mr. Toad is [that] I have to do an onstage costume change in a very short amount of time, and I haven’t really gotten the chance to practice that yet a lot, and that’s really kind of difficult.
What do you like most about playing this character?
What I like most about playing Mr. Toad is his enthusiasm, being around my friends and just being myself and singing.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
I’m most looking forward to being around all my family and friends, and being on stage and showing Mr. Toad off.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
They should come to the show and they might enjoy it because it’s really fun. It has a lot of songs that are really fun to dance to, and all of us worked so hard, and I believe the final outcome is going to be so much better than anyone had imagined.
— Mya Blanchard
Izzy Bedy, as Edgar
Izzy Bedy. Courtesy photo.
The Peacock Players (14 Court St., Nashua) presents Disney’sThe Aristocats Kids, performed by kids and teens in grades 2 through 12, from Friday, Oct. 14, through Sunday, Oct. 16, and from Friday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 23. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from $12 to $18. Visit peacockplayers.org.
What is The Aristocats Kids about?
It’s based on a Disney movie about a family of cats. They live with Madame, their owner, and Edgar the Butler, who is me, and Edgar is the bad guy. He wants to get rid of them so he takes them away and they have to try and find their way back to Paris.
Describe the character you’re playing.
[Edgar is] a Disney villain, so lots of the songs are … big songs about being evil, and he hates the aristocats. His goal in life is to get rid of them. Madame is his boss and he always tries to impress her. It’s a very fun role because you can be over the top and everything.
What attracted you to this show?
Well, I love theater. I’ve been doing it for five years. I was looking at the new shows, and I was in the age range for this one. I thought, ‘Oh, that might be fun. I think I have an audition song, so I might as well try out.’
What have you been doing to prepare?
Well, I’ve watched The Aristocats a couple times, like, clips from it, especially with Edgar in them … and I’ve read the script over more times than I can count. … If you think about the goal, your character’s goal in life, or like, what your character is thinking or probably doing in the moment, then it can really help you … decide how you’re going to say your lines and how you’re going to show the audience what you mean with those lines and those lyrics. Facial expressions are also everything. So if you practice how you’re going to look at the audience or who you’re going to look at when you’re saying a certain line, it really helps show the character and the personality of the character.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
The most challenging part is probably because it’s a character that’s very different from me, or from most people you will meet in real life. Disney villains are these evil people and they’re very, very over the top and exaggerated in their emotions. It’s hard to find exactly who that person would be in real life.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
I really look forward to our finale and our prologue or opening scene. We have almost the entire cast in both of those numbers and we’ve worked on them for a long time. It was [one of] the first things we started working on, and I think they look really good and everyone is doing a great job of showing their character and their … vocal and acting skills.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
Musicals are known for having these big over-the-top numbers and having these characters with very big personalities. There’s so much going on in a musical, and it’s a musical based on a Disney movie, so it’s [so] lively and energetic that it’s really hard to forget it.
— Katelyn Sahagian
Nancy Rosen, as Ida Straus
Nancy Rosen. Courtesy photo.
The Manchester Community Theatre Players presents Titanic — performed by actors playing both historical figures and characters that were invented by the show’s writers — at the North End Montessori School (698 Beech St., Manchester) on Friday, Oct. 14, and Saturday, Oct. 15; and from Friday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 23. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $20. Visit manchestercommunitytheatre.com.
What is Titanic about?
It’s a musical that was written around the time of the movie. … The subject matter is the Titanic, but it differs in that there’s no Rose and there’s no Jack. The musical is all about the music. … It’s a real musician’s musical. It’s all kind of classical sounding.
Describe the character you’re playing.
Her name is Ida Straus and she was born in the mid-19th century in Germany. She came over to America and married her husband, Isadore. He was a successful businessman. They were very much in love throughout their 40-plus years of marriage. They were traveling back from spending some time in the south of France. They were supposed to take separate ships coming home, but because of a coal strike, they ended up coming home together. They never made it home, because the Titanic hit an iceberg and sank. Isadore, even though he was an older gentleman, said, ‘No, there are younger people that need to go [on the lifeboats], not me,’ and Ida just says, ‘I’m not going, either.’ Their relationship kind of became a symbol to many at the time of true love and total dedication.
What attracted you to this show?
I was asked if I would be interested and I said absolutely. I thought that this is a nice challenge … of a role.
What have you been doing to prepare?
I look at the lines and then I try to think, ‘How do I parallel this woman?’ My parallels are [that] I’m not married 40 years, I’m married 32, and I try to envision how I feel about my husband. … So it’s just total dedication. I just try to make it real. You have to find elements of ‘How do you connect to the person?.’
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
Because it’s not a huge role and there might be a line coming in and out, [it’s] the one-liners when you’re walking across [and] just getting the timing of lights and the chronology of certain things.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
Just running it from top to bottom, [and] just getting the flow going with the music. We’ve been in a rehearsal process where we can start and stop a lot. But when the show starts, when we start doing actual performances, it’ll be nice just having a flow going, anticipating what happens next. Just being able to live in the show will be nice.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
I think they’ll be swept up by the music and the story. Most people know the story and they know, of course, the inevitability. And the music is the emotion of this grandiose ship. People will be swept up in the whole preparation of the launching of the thing and how it was once in a lifetime. They’ll be swept up in the story of it.
— Katelyn Sahagian
Sam Rogers, as John Proctor
Sam Rogers. Courtesy photo.
The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents The Crucible, which runs various dates from Oct. 13 through Nov. 5. Tickets start at $27. Visit seacoastrep.org.
What is The Crucible about?
It takes place in the Puritanical time. The girls are found in the woods at the beginning of the play and they’re doing some kind of dance so that they can talk to the dead. Mr. Paris, who is the minister of the church, catches them in the woods and then they start getting sick. So the girls are sick and everybody in the town is freaking out because they think it’s witchcraft. But the girls know the truth. They know that they were out in the woods and they were dancing naked around in the woods. So they say that it was because of witchcraft and that there were so many people in the town that were sending their spirits out on them and they’re just like these victimized girls. … Eventually things start going to court, and that’s when John and Elizabeth Proctor come in. Elizabeth’s name has been mentioned in court. John is livid. He fights in court as hard as he can, but the court there is just so bloodthirsty and they don’t want any sort of undermining to happen because they’ve sent so many people to death. … Eventually, John gets taken away even though he fights super hard.
Describe the character you’re playing.
I’m playing John Proctor. … He’s the kind of a character that I get really excited about as an actor because he has so many complexities. Something that I really like about him that makes him kind of easy for the actor is that he makes a very clear choice in the middle of the play, in terms of where his storyline is going to go. He has a very important choice to make and he makes it and then that fuels the rest of the play.
What have you been doing to prepare?
I think that something that really helps me prepare for a role as an actor is thinking about the relationships that the character has to the other characters. I know that there’s a lot of things that people can do, but for me, understanding where John’s heart lies with the other characters, like who he trusts, who he doesn’t trust, and who he has faith in.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
In terms of physicality, like, a personal thing for me is that … I’m pretty naturally inclined to … make faster, quicker movements. Like, you know I’ll move across a room quickly or I’ll make … just, like, quicker jolty or movements with my body. And that’s not really what this character is like. … Also just the last scene where he sees Elizabeth again in the jail is really difficult to get to that place emotionally.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
I just love to act. … I’ve been working on a bunch of musicals this whole year, which has been great … but obviously a musical is a different beast than a play. … I really love completing a character’s journey. I really like being in a different place at the end of a play than I was at the beginning.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
It is definitely a classic. Arthur Miller is a great writer, so people obviously just like it for that reason. However, it’s timeless because it kind of speaks on … our own history. I think that people like to see things that talk about what we’ve actually been through as a country and things that have happened for real. It’s like, you watch it and you’re like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t even believe that that happened.’
— Katelyn Sahagian
Sean Bushor, as Lord Farquaad
Sean Bushor. Courtesy photo.
The Epping Community Theater presents Shrek the Musical at the Epping Playhouse (36 Ladd’s Lane) from Friday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 23; and from Friday, Oct. 28, through Sunday, Oct. 30. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. on both Fridays and on Saturday, Oct. 22; and 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 23, Saturday, Oct. 29, and Sunday, Oct. 30. Tickets range from $15 to $20. Visit eppingtheater.org.
Describe the character you’re playing.
Lord Farquaad is a tiny tyrant who is an unscrupulous pragmatic opportunist, a charismatic bully who has gotten to the top with wit, charm and above all else, fear. He is ‘that’ boss who sweet-talks you into working the weekend of your child’s birthday, and angrily berates you for not being a team player, all while upper management or the home office hasn’t heard a peep of his antics. … On a deeper level, Lord Farquaad is that little voice inside all of us that keeps us from chasing our dreams, telling us that we are too little, too ugly to make it, that we should either conform to an impossible standard of perfection or wallow in an oozing mud pit in resignation.
What attracted you to this show?
Lord Farquaad is a funny little villain. If you look at all the great villains, most people will name one who is powerful, who is able to directly put the protagonist into mortal danger. Lord Farquaad’s power is completely illusory, a sham. Shrek goes along with Lord Farquaad’s demands because it is the path of least resistance, which I think is hilarious. … That’s the satire behind Lord Farquaad — we’re all pitted against each other to the benefit of tiny little men whose only power over us is itself a fairy tale. Therefore, the part needs to be played big and extra large to signify how Lord Farquaad is himself overcompensating for his own self-imposed limitations.
What have you been doing to prepare?
I’ve been watching as many different interpretations of Lord Farquaad as I can. I’ve always been a big fan of John Lithgow. … I also love Christopher Sieber’s performance on Shrek the Musical on Netflix. … I’ve pored through YouTube and watched a myriad of other interpretations, both to see how they actually moved [and] what props they used, and what I thought did and didn’t work. I’ve used some open-source audio software to record my lines and add in the rehearsal tracks, and instead of my normal music, I’ve been just listening to my lines on repeat while I work.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
I spend most of the show on my knees. … There’s also a part where I am practically running while singing. However, these challenges are also really fun to do, and I think the audience will really get a kick out of it.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
I have a few silly bits that I think the audience will love. It’s also super fun being in a show with my family. My kids are [playing the] fairy tale creatures, and my wife is working backstage. I have an older daughter who isn’t in the show, but I was in a different show [with her] before, so now I’ll have done a show with my whole family, which I think is pretty cool.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
There is this timeless aspect to Shrek that is hard to put a finger on. There are still memes being made about Shrek to this very day, for a movie that came out over 20 years ago in 2001! … Also, like an onion, Shrek the Musical has layers. We have simple slapstick comedy, which for me, never gets old. We have puns and dad jokes, and as a dad myself, that is also another genre that never gets old. There is comedy where we have to explain to the kids in the cast how to do the joke because they don’t get it, but we adults think it’s funny. … Aside from the jokes being funny, there’s also the underlying themes of the show, which I think really gives it that timelessness aspect — that heroes can be found in unlikely places, [and] that you can find true love even if you look like an ogre. The importance of standing up for yourself and not just waiting for wishes to come true. There is strength in diversity, unity, friendship, and in forgiveness. And sometimes, the people who speak out against fairy tale creatures the most are deeply in denial of being a fairy tale creature themselves.
— Matt Ingersoll
Hadley Harris, as Janet Van de Graaff
Hadley Harris. Courtesy photo.
The Riverbend Youth Company presents The Drowsy Chaperone at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St., Milford) from Friday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 6. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, and 2:30 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket sales are TBA. Visit svbgc.org/amato-center.
Describe the character you’re playing.
Janet Van de Graaff is a glamorous showgirl giving up the stage for marriage. She is incredibly dramatic and loves attention and praise. But Janet also has a soft, affectionate side and would do anything for love.
What attracted you to this show?
I’ve been participating in shows with the Riverbend Youth Company for about five years now, this being my final season as a senior in high school. I knew I would be in the fall musical, but when I saw the directing team and title, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. The Drowsy Chaperone is such a fun title because it combines elements of old Broadway, but possesses the entertaining qualities of a modern musical. And, of course, MaryEllen [Stevenson], Meg [King] and Henry [Kopczynskie] are such incredible directors to work with.
What have you been doing to prepare?
I’ve been doing a lot of stretching and endurance training. Before being cast as Janet, I didn’t know just how physically demanding the role would be. There is quite a bit of singing with high-energy dancing. Additionally, I’ve been researching 1920s fashion and performance to get a better sense of the show’s setting.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
While I’m similar to Janet in a lot of ways, we’re also quite different. I hope to have just half the confidence and presence she does. I also feel challenged by Janet’s fast-paced and upbeat numbers, which include lots of tricks and intense acting.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
I can’t wait to see it all come together. Undoubtedly, the costumes and lighting will be spectacular. The Drowsy Chaperone is such a layered show, so it takes time to come together. But, as with any production, once the pieces click, it’s like magic. The interactive set and fun direction — including roller skating, tap dancing, encores and a power outage — make this show so full of energy and joy.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
I can’t wait for audiences to share in the joy that is The Drowsy Chaperone. I love the “show within a show” trope and think our audiences will find it very entertaining. Ben Erdody, playing Man In Chair, is such a fantastic actor, and I think he is the piece of the puzzle that makes the story come alive. His skillful narration allows the audience to truly dive into the story with him. Altogether, this title builds such lovable characters that I’m ecstatic to share.
— Angie Sykeny
Hannah Shepherd, as The Chaperone
Hannah Shepherd. Courtesy photo.
Describe the character you’re playing.
The Drowsy Chaperone is an over-the-top performer. The world is her stage. The Chaperone is rough around the edges and does what she thinks is best.
What attracted you to this show?
I’ve been performing with the Riverbend Youth Company for many years. I was looking forward to the fall season, but I wasn’t familiar with the title of the show and was interested in learning more about it. I listened to the soundtrack, and I loved the 1920s setting and feel. This past March, I was in a production of Chicago where I realized how much 1920s musicals have to offer. Old shows are replete with grand dance numbers and musical ballads. These numbers make for fun choreography and impressive vocal tracks.
What have you been doing to prepare?
The directing team has compared my character of the Chaperone to many other characters in shows and other musicals. For example, Karen in Will and Grace. I’ve watched many clips of Megan Mullally as Karen to observe her acting style. When practicing my track, I’ll sing it to myself in the mirror, trying out different stances and facial expressions. Then, at rehearsals, I’ll try what I’ve worked on to see what feels the most natural.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
The most challenging part of playing The Chaperone is the fact that she pays no mind to the other characters on stage. In other words, their problems aren’t her problems. The Chaperone is also a very monotone character. Naturally, I have a bubbly personality and feel emotions deeply, so I’ve learned that I have to put Hannah aside for the shows in order to step into the character.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
I’m looking forward to seeing what we’ve rehearsed all put together. One of my favorite parts of any show is seeing what we’ve worked on for months finally together on stage. [With] this one especially, I feel each actor individually has put an immense amount of effort into making these characters come to life.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
I think audiences will enjoy this show because of its clever comedic timing and fun choreography. Meg, our choreographer, has worked hard to create amazing dances that challenge us as actors and entertain the audience.
— Angie Sykeny
Sean Damboise and Zakariah Tber, as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern
Sean Damboise plays Rosencrantz. Courtesy photo.
Lend Me a Theatre presents Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road, Concord) from Friday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 6; Friday, Nov. 11, through Sunday, Nov. 13; and Friday, Nov. 18, through Sunday, Nov. 20. Showtimes are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets range from $16 to $22. Visit hatboxnh.com.
What is Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead about?
Damboise: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are two … kind of small characters in Hamlet. Basically their role is just to kind of spy on Hamlet for the king and queen. Halfway into the show they have to take him to England. The original letter to the English king says, ‘OK, here’s Hamlet, you get to take his head off.’ Unfortunately, Hamlet got the letter twisted around so that when they show up in England, it says, ‘We’re supposed to cut your heads off.’ And Rosencrantz and Guildenstern die. … It’s basically Hamlet from their perspective. And at the same time, they’re kind of floating around going, ‘Something doesn’t seem right here. … We’re being pushed around and asked to be doing weird things,’ and they’re basically just trying to puzzle their way through it.
Zakariah Tber plays Guildenstern. Courtesy photo.
What attracted you to this show?
Tber: I like that both characters are constantly pondering their situation in the storyline and it’s almost weirdly metaphorical. They’re trying to talk about what’s the meaning of a person, what is existence.
Damboise: These guys are just sorting their way through trying to say, ‘OK, why were we chosen to die? Why can’t we actually change our destiny? Why is it that we have to die?’ But they’re still stuck.
What have you been doing to prepare?
Tber: I watched the movie. I took a look at certain scenes. This show is so heavy on lines, and this show is so heavy on [the question of] what is the true meaning of what they’re trying to say. Every rehearsal, I figure out why I’m saying certain things. Sometimes I don’t know why I’m saying certain things in this show because the language is different.
Damboise: And it does shift from modern speech to actually reciting lines from Hamlet. So now they’re jumping from, ‘Hey, what’s going on here,” to iambic pentameter, and then back again to the regular speech. The constant shifting is a little difficult.
What is the most challenging thing about playing these characters?
Tber: Unless I’m flowing, unless I start the scene and then I move from a motion to a motion seamlessly, I can’t start back up again. So, if I pause and then we give it a director’s note or if I pause and then we resituate something, I’m going to lose it and then I’m going to have to come back.
Damboise: The hardest part for me is [not that it’s] difficult to … flow through the emotions so much as actually trying to pull them out. Going from frustration to happiness, and there are a couple of scenes where he has to shift. It’s very difficult to try and make such a dramatic shift so quickly.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
Tber: There is a director’s note that says there’s only two times this show has failed. And it was when they decided to make it serious. Yes, it’s supposed to be a comedy.
Damboise: Yeah, it’s a comedy at heart. If you go deep, you’re not going to have a decent show because it’s way too much. These characters are not deep. They’re just incidentals in Hamlet’s. And now they’ve got a little bit of depth and background and they’re trying to figure themselves out. But if you try to go too deep, you’re just going to lose the point, which is following these two schlubs through Hamlet.
— Katelyn Sahagian
John Jenks Seymour, as Claudius
John Jenks Seymour. Courtesy photo.
John Jenks Seymour, playing Claudius, will also perform in Lend Me a Theatre’s production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
Describe the character you’re playing.
The character I’m playing is Claudius. He’s the king. He’s not a really nice guy. Just kind of a person who’s out for his own interests.
What have you been doing to prepare?
My training was as a method actor. I try to find some feelings that I’ve had, that I can recall. That’s a lot of fun when doing a character who’s a really nasty, rotten guy.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
I haven’t really been in the rehearsal process that long, so honestly it’s really just kind of fun.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
It’s a very, very funny play, and it’s a lot of just crazy humor, but it’s also very intelligent humor. You can take things at a couple levels. There’s some stuff that’s just silly and kind of slapstick, but there’s also some very deep humor.
— Katelyn Sahagian
TreVor Nantel, as Spike
TreVor Nantel. Courtesy photo.
Bedford Off Broadway presents Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the Old Town Hall (3 Meetinghouse Road) from Friday, Nov. 4, through Sunday, Nov. 6; and from Friday, Nov. 11, through Sunday, Nov. 13. Showtimes are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and at 2 p.m. on Sundays (doors open one hour before curtain). Tickets are $15 general admission, and $12 for children, students and seniors. Purchase them at the door or at brownpapertickets.com.
What is Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike about?
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike is about three adopted siblings in their 50s, two of which — Vanya and Sonia — live a miserable life together, while their other sibling, Masha, is a very … renowned, famous actress. … Enter Spike, and he is a 29-year-old stud that Masha has picked up across the way, and she introduces Spike to already regretful siblings. The family goes through some hardships and they learn to live and love each other along the way.
What attracted you to this show?
This is my first ever play, but I consider myself to be a natural actor. … My dad, Rick Nantel, has performed [in] many shows here [throughout] the years. He read this script hoping to get Vanya, and suggested that I audition, as he thought I fit this role perfectly. I decided to give it a shot on the last night of auditions. … What attracted me to do the show was the kind of character Spike is. I feel like he is a very fun role.
What have you been doing to prepare?
I had some fun nights out with a friend and my girlfriend, and we would read lines and I’d constantly get scrutinized for getting them wrong, yet they were very supportive. … It came down to my girlfriend reading lines with me, and me sitting in my work van during the day and constantly reciting them in customers’ yards. … I was hoping they wouldn’t look out the window and see me talking to myself in a dramatic manner.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
The most challenging part of playing Spike is the expectation of fulfilling who he really is in the playwright’s eyes, but I’m having fun and the cast has been amazing.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
To be able to impress the audience, while making my friends, family and girlfriend proud.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
I think the audience will enjoy the show for the raw comedy, and the fact that they will be able to relate to a lot of the content.
— Matt Ingersoll
Greer Danzey, as Curly
Greer Danzey. Courtesy photo.
The Kids Coop Theatre presents Oklahoma! at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway). Showtimes are Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7 p.m., and a matinee on Sunday, Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. Tickets are $15. Visit kidscooptheatre.ludus.com.
What is Oklahoma! about?
Oklahoma! is a musical that was made [in the] late 1940s through 1950s by Rodgers and Hammerstein. It is about a cowboy during 1906 who is in love with [a] farm girl named Laurey Williams, and [he] wants to get her to marry him. [Laurey is] described as [being] the most beautiful girl in town, [and] she doesn’t know much about him. [The town is] very small, [and] everybody knows each other. With her being known by everybody, many people are after her in a romantic way. She has a love triangle with the lead, Curly McLain … and her farmhand named Jud Fry. Now, this farmer and the cowboy do not get along very well and it’s made very apparent throughout the whole show that they are romantic rivals. On the other side of the story you have a … different cowboy [named] Will Parker, [who’s] in a love triangle as well with this girl named Ado Annie … and a peddler [named] Ali Hakim. The story is a romantic comedy drama [about] these two love triangles happening in early America. It’s very interesting, [and] some parts are darker than others. Overall it’s quite an experience.
Describe the character you’re playing.
Curly is a curly-headed cowboy [with] a big ego. He’s very energetic, [and is] always trying to pitch in on a conversation. He likes to be engaged, [and is] very prideful. His biggest strength is also his biggest weakness [because] it’s what gets [him] in trouble, but it’s what people love about him. Not everybody always agrees with what he does [because] he’s very sporadic, but that energy is what makes him lovable, yet annoying.
What attracted you to this show?
I had seen Oklahoma! once before and I enjoyed the show. I saw the movie version [and] I thought the characters were really fun. The lead cowboy, Curly McLain, was very funny because he has a very big ego, and my friends always made fun of me for having a big ego, so I [decided I’d] go try for it. When I was researching, I started [to get] more into the show, I learned more about it, and I started to feel more connected to it.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
He has a more serious tone to him and when it’s used it’s hard to separate that from his energetic side. You only see it a few times, but when you do it’s like you’re seeing a whole other person. It almost feels like you’re playing two different characters [and] it’s hard to understand that he’s the same guy that everybody loves, but he has this much darker, serious tone to him. Then there’s also the accent that goes with it. They have a silly Southern accent that makes it sound ridiculous so it’s hard to portray a serious tone when you’re talking like you just got scared.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
I’d probably say I’m [most looking] forward to having stage interactions with a lot of my friends. [My friends and I] have been this little group who have been doing shows [together] for a while. [We] always audition for the same shows and always get characters that … interact with each other, and it’s always been really fun. Having that chemistry with each other and getting to put it on stage is always so much fun. We’ll talk to each other about who’s going to get this role, who’s going to get that role, and then if our predictions come out right everything just works out because in our rehearsal process we’ll just feel comfortable with each other and we know that in the end our stage production will feel very true to all of us.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
It’s funny [because] it’s very different from today. It seems like a lifetime ago which, really, it was. It takes place over a century ago, but the story itself has been adapted [into] so many other ways that it seems very relatable. Oklahoma! is very similar to the plot of West Side Story, which is another very popular musical. It’s similar to Grease, which is another great show. It has that classic spin to it that a lot of audience members would feel connected to and just be able to catch on [to] very easily.
— Mya Blanchard
Jim Gocha, as Hercule Poirot
James Gocha. Photo by Karen Bobotas
The Community Players of Concord present Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express at the Audi Concord (2 Prince St.). Showtimes are Friday, Nov. 18, and Saturday, Nov. 19, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 20, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults and $18 for kids and seniors. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org
What is Murder on the Orient Express about?
It’s a murder mystery. … It’s a story about a murder that takes place on a train. One character, a man named Sam Ratchett, is stabbed in the middle of the night multiple times … and then it becomes a matter of who did it.
Describe the character you’re playing.
I am playing Hercule Poirot, the main character [and] the very famous detective. [The investigation] turns to me, and so I’ve got to try to figure out what the heck happened.
What attracted you to this show?
Oh my gosh — who would not want to perform as Hercule Poirot? I mean, he’s one of the most famous detectives in all of literature. I couldn’t pass that up. … He’s such a great character, so iconic, and it’s just a matter of putting your own little twist on playing him. So I jumped at the chance, and I was actually surprised that I got it. … I went to school for theater for a while, but … eventually I switched to teaching English. That’s my main job now, but I’ve been doing theater again for probably a good 10 to 12 years now.
What have you been doing to prepare?
I did some background [research] on Poirot, not only from the original text written by Agatha Christie, but also looking at other versions of the character. There’s a famous film with Albert Finney playing him and, more recently, Kenneth Branagh, and also David Suchet on television. … So I looked at all the different versions that they did and how they put their own little twist on a character that is so iconic. … I also read some other information about him from the other Agatha Christie books, just to get an idea of who he is, and how he functions and how he is, not only physically but also just his background. He’s actually from Belgium, not France. … A lot of people make that mistake because he speaks French. But he’s from Belgium, and that actually becomes a joke throughout the show.
What is the most challenging thing about playing this character?
The most challenging thing for me is getting everything right about him. … For example, he has a limp and he walks with a cane. So it’s making use of that physical attribute, along with making sure that I get the accent right. … I’m a stickler for accents, and if you’re going to do an accent, you’d better do it right. … I’ve actually been working on that quite a bit, just looking up videos on how people speak with a French accent and, in particular, how Poirot would speak with a French accent, since he is Belgian.
What are you most looking forward to about being in this show?
As with any show, I look forward to the group that we work with. We’ve got such a really fantastic group of actors, and [I love] the camaraderie that takes place when you’re putting a show together that is such an ensemble piece. … Yes, Poirot is … supposed to be the main [character], but it doesn’t matter what I do if I don’t have these other people to rely on. … So that’s the part I look forward to the most, is interacting with the other folks on the stage.
Why do you think this is a show that audiences will enjoy now?
I think this show in particular is one that people would enjoy anytime, partly because it is such a well-known show. … I mean, Hercule Poirot and the story itself … are so well-known that it’s almost like visiting an old friend. … I think people will have a good time seeing that, remembering and comparing our show to somebody else’s but also [seeing] the twist that we’re going to add. It’s written by Ken Ludwig, and he added a few twists here and there. … So people [will] enjoy the little changes that he has made to the story.
— Matt Ingersoll
Featured photo: The cast of Murder on the Orient Express, to be performed by the Community Players of Concord. Photo staged by Nora McBurnett.
The New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office, with the National Fire Protection Association, celebrates the 100th anniversary of Fire Prevention Week, which is nationally observed Oct. 9 through Oct. 15. According to a press release, more than 20 events have been planned throughout the state to educate the public on this year’s Fire Prevention Week campaign, “Fire won’t wait. Plan your escape.” “It’s important for everyone to plan and practice a home fire escape,” Sean Toomey, New Hampshire State Fire Marshal, said in the release. “Everyone needs to be prepared in advance, so that they know what to do when the smoke alarm sounds. Given that every home is different, every home fire escape plan will also be different. Have a plan for everyone in the home.” Check with your town or city fire department to see how they’re participating, and visit the Fire Prevention Week website, nfpa.org/fpw, for tools to help you create your household’s fire escape plan.
Community health grants
The Department of Health and Human Services will award more than $2.2 million in federal grants to improve access to community health and support services in New Hampshire, including a $1 million grant awarded directly to One Sky Community Services, a statewide network that supports individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities or acquired brain disorders. According to a press release, U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured the funding through a congressionally directed spending request through the fiscal year 2022 omnibus package passed earlier this year. Sen. Shaheen also requested and received approval for more than $5 million in federal funding to assist New Hampshire law enforcement. Those funds, which are allocated through the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing’s Technology and Equipment Program, will support the New Hampshire Department of Safety’s Division of State Police for Statewide Digital Law Enforcement Equipment and Technology Training and radio and communications infrastructure upgrades for the Merrimack Police Department, the Durham Department of Public Safety, the Cheshire County Sheriff’s Office and Strafford County, according to another release.
Help for kids
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division for Children, Youth and Families announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Children’s Bureau’s Administration for Children and Families has approved its Family First Title IV-E Prevention Plan. The five-year plan focuses on family strengthening and providing services to families whose children may be at risk of entering foster care, according to a press release, and allows DCYF to secure federal reimbursement for the funding of those services. “Through Family First, we have an incredible opportunity to get services to vulnerable families in their own homes and communities, making them more resilient and reducing the risk of abuse, neglect and separation of children from their families,” DCYF Director Joseph E. Ribsam said in the release. “We are well on our way to implementing many of the new services designed to keep kids safe and keep families strong and together.”
Vax vans
Mobile vaccination clinics and the Homebased Vaccination Program have resumed in New Hampshire as part of the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ initiative to make Covid vaccines, including the updated booster doses, more accessible to all residents. “As we move into the fall and winter, we want to make sure everyone has access to the updated Covid-19 booster doses that better protect against the most recently circulating Covid-19 variants,” Patricia Tilley, director of Public Health Services, said in a press release. “We know there are barriers to vaccine access, and the homebased and mobile vaccination clinics, once again, will help to close that gap.” Three mobile vaccination vans providing free Covid vaccines — both the primary series and the updated booster dose — are available upon request to groups, organizations, workplaces and community events throughout the state. Visit on-sitemedservices.com/van. Additionally, the Homebased Vaccination Program will visit and provide free Covid vaccines and booster doses to residents throughout the state who have challenges leaving their home or have been advised by a medical provider to remain in their home. Visit on-sitemedservices.com/vaccine. Both programs are federally funded through the American Rescue Plan and will run through March 2023, according to the release.
NH National Guard
Two New Hampshire Army National Guard units have been deployed to the southern border for one year, according to a press release from the governor’s office. One unit of approximately 44 soldiers will provide command and control over four subordinate units — approximately 500 soldiers total — across around 250 miles of border extending to the Gulf of Mexico. The other unit of approximately 120 soldiers will serve at surveillance sites along the border, according to the release.
The New Hampshire Insurance Department will host its annual hearing on health insurance premium rates and cost driving factors on Friday, Oct. 20, at UNH Law School in Concord. An opening reception will begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the program starting at 9 a.m. and concluding at 12:30 p.m. The event is open to the public and can also be watched online. To register to attend, in person or online, email andrew.e.demers@ins.nh.gov.
The Bow Business Expo is happening on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Baker Free Library (509 South St., Bow). According to a press release, attendees will have an opportunity to connect with Bow small businesses and entrepreneurs in a casual setting and enjoy free samples and demonstrations. It’s free and open to the public. Visit bowbakerfreelibrary.org.
Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig joined city Director of Parks & Recreation Mark Gomez, representatives from the Board of Aldermen and members of the Shaw family at Brown & Mitchell Park (229 W. Mitchell St., Manchester) on Oct. 5 to rededicate the park in honor of Representative and Alderman Barbara Shaw. According to a press release, Shaw, who died in December 2021, was a teacher and education administrator who served on the Manchester Board of Mayor and Alderman for 11 years, from 2010 to 2021, and served in the House of Representatives for 11 terms.
With the February release of Singularity, Denver-based power trio Evanoff gave its signature “dream rock” sound a harder edge. Though not the stuff of nightmares, the new album reflects the many discontents brought about by technology and its ubiquity. Each track on the all-instrumental effort ends with a statement about what lead guitarist J.J. Evanoff said in a recent interview is “a very special point in humanity, where technology and us have become nearly inseparable.”
Singularity is not all techno dystopia, however, though the music is often jarring. It’s more metal than the arena rock cum jamtronica that made Evanoff a headliner in their hometown and a big draw in places like Manchester. They appear in the city for the second time this year on Friday, Oct. 7, at Jewel Music Venue.
“We need to be aware of how technology is affecting us and our perception of reality, both good and bad,” keyboard player Brennan Forrester explained as the band headed toward Ohio after shows in Chicago and Grand Rapids. “People talk a lot about how addicted we are to social media, but information has never been accessible like this. If you use it for your benefit, it’s like a superpower.”
However, their first studio effort after several live releases was inspired less by Big Tech angst than by a need to make a cohesive statement that speaks loudest as a force of musical power. Evanoff noted he and Forrester came up with the record’s spoken word vignettes during a six-hour mezcal-fueled writing session. Its songs, on the other hand, took months of development in open-ended jam sessions to find their form.
“Getting to finally create a real concept album is something I feel like I’ve dreamed of since I was 10 years old,” Evanoff, who cites the Who’s Quadrophenia and Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon as influences, said. “So the fact that we were actually able to do that was extremely creatively fulfilling.”
It also spurred a burst of new music, much of which they’re playing on the current tour. Along with fresh songs is a better stage show than they’d previously been able to mount on the road. “The set we’re running has a unique, almost storyesque-like flow to it, mixing in all these monologues and different pieces from our debut,” Evanoff said. “It showcases what the album was all about essentially, in a more long-form musical piece.”
Forrester added, “we spend a lot of time just thinking about what’s going to make the show the most fun and entertaining for the audience, and for us. So we’re getting away with a lot of things that we wanted to do for a while now; it’s super fun to play.”
The new music, Evanoff said, “definitely has a more aggressive, heavy sound … but I’d say on Singularity, apart from the heavy guitars and rock elements, there’s a lot of lush spatial things. I feel like that’s where we’ve drawn a lot of inspiration from for the new stuff.”
Far from being a different direction for the group, “for us it was really going back to our roots a little bit,” Evanoff said. “We all grew up listening to heavy rock music. It was really powerful to channel where we came from as musicians.”
Headier still is merging it with their well-honed sound. Lately, the band has taken to revamping earlier songs with their newfound edge. “During our live show, it gives this beautiful contrast,” Forrester said. “It speaks to the narrative of Singularity, the dark and light side of the technological revolution that we’re all experiencing in the world right now.”
Asked about the quick return to the Granite State — the band played a sold-out show at Shaskeen in mid-April — Evanoff answered, “We can’t stay away, man. We love Manchester. It really is becoming like a second home. When we’re on the road, it’s like a little island among all of our tour dates. I know we’re going to have a great time just because of the people. They are so much fun and bring so much energy.”
Forrester agreed. “We’ve developed a real community there,” he said. “I look forward to it every single year; that’s one of my favorite shows.”
Both stressed that even local fans who’ve seen the band before will be surprised this time around. “There’s going to be parts of the show that I don’t think people will expect,” Evanoff said. “We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves Manchester hasn’t seen yet.”
Evanoff When: Friday, Oct. 7, 7:30 p.m. Where: Jewel Music Venue, 61 Canal St., Manchester Tickets: $20 at azpresents.com
Billy Eichner plays a man who is perfectly happy by himself, absolutely doesn’t want a relationship but uncertainly navigates a possible romance with the very handsome Aaron in Bros, a sweet, genuinely laugh-out-loud funny rom-com co-written by Eichner.
I feel like I’ve seen a run of movies lately where I think “ha, funny” but don’t actually have the spontaneous reaction of laughing. That I actually out-loud laughed is one of the delights of this movie.
And Eichner, of course, gives his character Bobby the mix of clever dialogue and solid delivery that allows for plenty of comedy. Bobby is working to open a museum of LGBTQ+ history in New York City; he has a popular podcast, a solid group of friends and all the casual hookups he wants. He has no need for some conventional-style coupledom, he emphatically explains. But when he sees Aaron (Luke Macfarlane) at a club, he finds himself not just awkwardly flirting but interested enough to be hurt when Aaron seems to walk away from him. He is excited when he and Aaron go on a date but seems sort of pre-angry at the rejection that he thinks is coming from Aaron. Bobby keeps setting Aaron up to tell him that Bobby is not Aaron’s type, but Aaron, who is also wrestling with an unfulfilling career choice, is intrigued by and attracted to the confident Bobby.
This is not your standard Hollywood romance, Billy and Bobby (both Eichner and his character) argue, because gay relationships and the relationship dynamics are different from straight relationships. The movie works to examine that, while also, with a bit of a wink at the Hallmark movie conventions, hitting a lot of the classic romance beats. (Macfarlane has a baker’s dozen of Hallmark movie credits on his filmography, with names like The Mistletoe Promise and Sense, Sensibility and Snowmen.) We get real — or real enough — people navigating relatable emotional stuff with specifics to the community Eichner is portraying, which is always a solid recipe for creating an appealing story.
Even the slightly stilted moments — including some of Eichner’s performance, which at times reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld’s Seinfeld Jerry — work because the movie is able to root itself in believable characters who give some dimension to their rom-com-trope-ier elements. Guy Branum is a standout in the movie’s supporting cast but there are lots of note-perfect smaller roles and cameos, including the always excellent Bowen Yang.
And then surrounding all of that are just pleasurable moments of fun — from your Debra Messing cameos to your jabs at online culture. The office politics of Bobby’s museum, Aaron’s skill at dealing with what he calls weird rich people — it all makes for some highly enjoyable silliness.
Bros mixes just enough tartness and broad comedy, plus some moments of honest introspection, to balance the sweetness of its swoony romance. B+
Rated R for strong sexual content, language throughout and some drug use, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Nicholas Stoller and written by Billy Eichner & Nicholas Stoller, Bros is an hour and 55 minutes long and distributed in theaters by Universal Studios.
Former contestants of the hit Fox cooking competition series MasterChef Junior hit the road last month for the “MasterChef Junior Live” tour, an interactive show packed with cooking demonstrations, unique challenges and audience participation throughout. Locally, MasterChef Junior Live will make a stop at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord on Thursday, Oct. 13.
Season 8 of MasterChef Junior premiered on Fox in March and concluded on June 23, but it was actually filmed back in 2019, prior to the pandemic. Each week young chefs between the ages of 8 and 13 from across the country perform in a number of challenges and present their own prepared dishes to celebrity judges Gordon Ramsay, Aarón Sánchez and Daphne Oz.
The Oct. 13 show in Concord will feature live appearances from Season 8 winner Liya Chu of Scarsdale, New York, who was just 10 years old at the time of the show’s filming, as well as runner-up Grayson Price and fan favorites Molly Leighninger and A’Dan Lisaula.
“The fun part of our show … is that we end up with about 10 people that we randomly choose from the audience that can come onstage and taste the actual food they cook,” tour manager Marti Ramirez said. “People get to be tasters and they judge the appetizer part, and then we have four people that are volunteers, also from the audience, that are sous chefs. … At the end, kids get to come up on stage and help decorate the dessert part of our show, which is cupcakes.”
Chu, now 14 years old, recently spoke with the Hippo via phone about her experience being on MasterChef Junior, as well as what attendees can expect ahead of the Concord show.
Can you tell us about your cooking background and interest in cooking at such a young age?
I started cooking around 5 years old. … My first dish was making dumplings, and it’s kind of a family tradition, since my mom learned how to make them from her mom, and her mom learned it from her mom. So it has kind of been passed down through many generations. … My parents own two restaurants, so I’ve kind of been involved in the restaurant life since I was young. … One restaurant is in Bronxville, New York, and it’s called Dumpling + Noodle, and then the other one is called Fantasy Cuisine and it’s in Hartsdale, New York.
What was the audition process like for getting on MasterChef Junior?
My friend was actually on Season 7, so that was when … I was like, ‘Oh wait, I could go on the show as well.’ … [The audition] started around, like, February [2019] or so, and then it was back and forth for two months of Zoom interviews. Sometimes they’d ask you to cut red peppers or onions or, like, cook an egg 20 different ways. … After those two months, many of us … wondered if we were even still in the audition, because they wouldn’t answer us for like two or three weeks. … Then, May 20 was when they confirmed and we flew all the way to L.A., but at that time it was still [in the] Top 50, and then they started to cut it down to the Top 16 and then the Top 10, the Top Five and then that whole process was another two months. … [The show’s airing] got delayed many times, so after a while, since it was three years, it kind of felt like it was a dream.
Do you remember which dishes you made while on the show? What was the most challenging dish that you prepared for the judges?
Yeah, I do remember a lot of the dishes, because they are all really important to me. Every dish I made was something that … represents my family, my background and what I’ve learned since I was young. … I think the hardest dish was either the sweet bread or the eel dish, or maybe the duck dish that I made last. … Duck is a pretty hard dish to cook, because you have to time it just right in order to get it medium rare. The eel was also hard because it was my first time cooking on the show, and I was really nervous that time.
What is Gordon Ramsay like in person?
Gordon is a very tall man. I mean, of course, we were all very tiny at that time. But he was really nice to us. Of course, he would get mad at us sometimes, but when he did, I think [it was] because he was only trying to teach us and trying to get us to push ourselves. … I was definitely nervous to see what he was like, but he was really nice. He wasn’t mean.
What was your personal favorite thing that you made on the show?
It was definitely my semi-finale dish, which were the dumplings. … When I was around 5 years old, my mom every weekend or every two weekends or so, she’d cook dumplings for my brother and me. … I remember I would run around the house and I would always try to peek around the corner and say, ‘Hey, Mom, can I help you out?’ But it would never work out well because [the dumplings] would always just flop over or they wouldn’t even close. … My mom would still teach me. She never said, ‘Oh, Liya, you’re too young,’ or anything. … She still always tries to help me improve.
Tell us about the MasterChef Junior Live tour. Will the challenges be happening in real time?
Yeah, so it’s kind of like being in the show, in a way, just actually seeing it front and center and being part of it. … We’re cooking on stage, and so yeah, it’s all happening in real time. We don’t know who’s winning, because it’s the audience who is doing the judging. It’s more about just having fun and letting the audience be able to experience it. … It’s definitely fun and family-friendly, and something that I would encourage everyone to come watch.
What’s next for you? Is cooking something you think you’d want to pursue as a career?
I’m very interested in art and being creative, and cooking is definitely a type of art form, for sure. … I don’t really know what I want to do yet, of course, I still have a lot of time to think of what I want to do. But yeah, definitely art and maybe even culinary will be part of my future.
MasterChef Junior Live When: Thursday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Where: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord Cost: Ranges from $23.25 to $58.25. Optional VIP add-ons are $75 and include a pre-show Q&A, meet-and-greet with photo opportunities and a signed poster. Visit: mastercheflivetour.com
Find the local roller derby or kickball team to root for, local boxing matches with crowd appeal and the high school and college teams to inspire your young athletes
The thrill of watching a live sporting event does not require a long drive and a big payout.
If you want that “Friday night lights” experience, you can check out a team at your local high school — Hippo sports writer Dave Long has some suggestions for football and men and women’s soccer games worth saving the date for. Or head to a local college to introduce your budding athlete to big-kid basketball, ice hockey and lacrosse games. And remind yourself that sports aren’t just for students by checking out amateur adult competition, from high energy roller derby bouts to an upcoming disc golf tournament.
Time to find your team and start cheering.
Cheer on the home team
Dave Long recommends high school games to delight sports fans & inspire the kids
By Dave Long
news@hippopress.com
One of the great things about the local high school sports season is that it gives those who love to sit outside and watch a game all sorts of options. You can watch a game in the daylight on a beautiful afternoon, or watch under the lights on a Friday night.
Ditto for kids at the beginning of their sports journey. Fall schedules give ample opportunities for them to watch and learn from the big kids — who likely seem like grown-up stars to them — while also giving them room to throw or kick a ball around while the game is going on or at halftime.
Here are some upcoming local games where high schoolers will be competing.
Football — Bishop Guertin at Londonderry, Friday, Oct. 7, 7 p.m. (Londonderry High School, LHS Stadium Field, 295 Mammoth Road in Londonderry)
It’s the defending D1 state champion Lancers taking on the perennially contending Cardinals on a Friday night in Londonderry. The competition for entertainment would have to be pretty good for football fans to pass on this one.
Girls Soccer — Portsmouth at Goffstown, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m. (Goffstown High School, 27 Wallace Road in Goffstown, the field behind the school)
This offers a chance to see top-ranked-in-Division 1 Portsmouth in their last local game of 2022.
Boys Soccer — Memorial at Nashua North, Tuesday, Oct. 11, 4 p.m. (Nashua High School North, 8 Titan Way in Nashua)
Our second great boys’ match-up, where two of the top teams in Division 1 square off for the second straight week in Nashua.
Girls Soccer — Oyster River at Hollis-Brookline Saturday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m. (Hollis Brookline High School, 24 Cavalier Court in Hollis)
This must be the year for teams from the coast, as the visitors from Durham sit atop the D2 standings. This game features teams with only one loss between them as they entered October. While the drive out west is nice, out-of-towners may need the GPS to find the field once they get there.
Football — Bedford at Bishop Guertin Saturday, Oct. 15, 6 p.m. (Bishop Guertin High School plays its varsity football games at Stellos Stadium, 7 Stadium Drive in Nashua)
If the first three weeks of 2022 are any indication, this will be an offense-vs.-defense battle. Bedford takes Route 3 to Nashua after giving up just 29 points in its three games, while the Cardinals scored 128 in three wins, which included a 68-3 thumping of Goffstown.
Boys Soccer — Central at Nashua North, Wednesday, Oct. 19, 6 p.m. (Nashua High School North, 8 Titan Way in Nashua)
For the third week in a row we’re in Nashua, this time for Manchester Central’s clash with Nash North.
Boys Soccer — Bedford at Bishop Guertin, Thursday, Oct. 20, 6 p.m. (Bishop Guertin High School plays its varsity soccer games at Stellos Stadium, 7 Stadium Drive in Nashua)
Finally a game outside the Gate City, but it does include one team traveling from there. Given the high level of talent in D-1 it’s hard to say who’ll have the upper hand in the standings. But each team will be trying to cement its seeding for the playoffs ahead.
Girls Soccer — Bishop Guertin at Bedford, Friday, Oct. 21, 4 p.m. (Bedford High School, 47 Nashua Road in Bedford)Arivalry game where both teams are in the thick of the playoff race. Given that, it may not be the last time they see each other, so it could be a playoff preview.
Football — Central at Pinkerton, Friday, Oct. 21, 7 p.m. (at the Pinkerton Academy campus, 5 Pinkerton St. in Derry; the game is played at Memorial Field)
Are you a fan of uniforms? These teams have the two best in the state. At first glance the Astros make you think for a second you’re in Columbus, Ohio, watching RyanDay’s Buckeyes, while the silver and green of Central just look cool. Then there’s the familiar feeling that it seems like these teams have played each other a million times, many in big games, and this could be another.
Girls Soccer — Playoffs start the week of Thursday, Oct. 27, to Thursday, Nov. 3 at the site of the higher seed.
Boys Soccer— Playoffs start the week of Thursday, Oct. 27, to Thursday, Nov. 3 at the site of the higher seed. With Memorial, Nashua South and Concord looking strong entering November there will likely be action in the three major southern New Hampshire cities.
Football — Souhegan at John Stark, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2 p.m. (John Stark Regional High School, JSR Football Field, 618 North Stark Highway in Weare) This is a game for folks who like high-scoring football, as if the trend continues for the Sabers after scoring 60, 41 and 41 in their 3-0 start that’s what could be in store in each team’s regular season final.
Football—Playoffs in all divisions of football will be getting started Friday, Nov. 4, and end on Saturday, Nov. 12.
Thanksgiving Day football— Not quite the draw it once was, when 10,000 spectators would pack Gill Stadium for the unofficial Manchester city championship contest between the schools with the two best regular season records. But the tradition continues as there are festive mid-morning rivalry games played all over southern New Hampshire on the big day. All offer fun for returning alumni and regular team followers before they scatter to be on time to enjoy turkey and the fixings with family and friends.
Then it’s on to the winter sports season.
Be part of the crowd cheering for student athletes
New Hampshire’s colleges offer inspiration for the next generation of players
By Hannah Turtle
hturtle@hippopress.com
You don’t have to go to a college to be a fan of its teams.
“For the student athletes, they absolutely love playing in front of a larger crowd,” said Eric Coplin, director of athletics communications at Southern New Hampshire University. All regular season Penmen games on campus are free to attend, he said, and most of the teams participate in youth programs, such as camps, that help to connect the Penmen athletes to kids who play those sports in the community. The men’s soccer team, for example, has designated youth soccer nights at most home games — the Oct. 8 game is Manchester North soccer night (find the complete schedule at snhupenmen.com). The kids from those sports programs get to accompany the SNHU players onto the field, Coplin said. The little kids get to see where they could be in 10 or so years and the Penmen get to remember where they came from, he said.
“Our guys feed off that energy,” Coplin said.
Karen Pinkos, head women’s basketball coach for the SNHU Penmen, runs camps in the summer for girls in grades 2 through 9. Penmen players work at the camp, which gives them an opportunity to give back to the community and gives the girls strong confident women to look up to, she said.
When kids come to a women’s basketball game, “they’re going to see [the Penmen team] work hard … work hard in terms of teamwork, working together,” Pinkos said. And, especially for girls watching the women’s team, they get to see these young women being strong.
SNHU women’s basketball. Courtesy photo.
Many SNHU basketball games are played as double headers, with the men’s games following the women’s games. Pinkos said that over the years some in the crowd have started to come for both games. In the days before Covid, the games also often featured youth groups who would come and play the court at halftime or act as ball girls, which offered more opportunities for players and young fans to interact.
New Hampshire has two NCAA Division I schools — Dartmouth College in Hanover and the University of New Hampshire in Durham. Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester competes at the Division II level, and New England College in Henniker competes at the Division III level.
“It means everything for [student athletes] to represent the state and university and to have fans backing them,” said Mike Murphy, associate athletic director of marketing and communications for UNH. “It’s a real fun time to be out on a college campus and experience what UNH sports are all about.”
New sporting events such as esports (short for electronic sports) have cropped up in recent years for schools to battle each other in various multiplayer video games. Games between schools and tournaments are not usually held in person but can be streamed online via Twitch. To view esports schedules and stream games for SNHU, visit twitch.tv/snhuesports, and for NEC, visit twitch.tv/necesports.
Katelyn Sahagian, Amy Diaz and Matt Ingersoll contributed to this story.
Southern New Hampshire University
Regular season games for Penmen teams on campus are free to attend. See snhupenmen.com
Ice hockey The SNHU Penmen hold home games at the Ice Den Arena (600 Quality Drive, Hooksett). • Friday, Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Saint Anselm College • Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Post University • Saturday, Nov. 26, at 1:40 p.m. vs. Tufts University
Men’s basketball SNHU holds home games at the Stan Spirou Field House (2500 N. River Road, Manchester). • Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Bentley University • Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Adelphi University • Saturday, Dec. 31, at 3:30 p.m. vs. Assumption University
Women’s basketball SNHU holds home games at the Stan Spirou Field House (2500 N. River Road, Manchester). • Friday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. vs. Saint Anselm College • Saturday, Nov. 12, at 6 p.m. vs. Dominican University of New York • Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Bentley University • Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Adelphi University • Friday, Dec. 9, 5:30 at p.m. vs. Post University • Sunday, Dec. 18, at 1 p.m. vs. Franklin Pierce University • Saturday, Dec. 31, at 1:30 p.m. vs. Assumption University
Women’s field hockey SNHU holds home games at the Dr. George J. Larkin Field (2500 N. River Road, Manchester). • Saturday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m. vs. Mercy College • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. vs. University of New Haven • Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 4 p.m. vs. St. Michael’s College • Saturday, Nov. 5, at 4 p.m. vs. St. Thomas Aquinas College • Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. vs. American International College
Men’s soccer SNHU holds home games at Penmen Stadium (Victory Lane, Hooksett) • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. vs. Bentley University • Saturday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. vs. Southern Connecticut State University • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. vs. Franklin Pierce University • Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. vs. American International College
Women’s soccer SNHU holds home games at Penmen Stadium (Victory Lane, Hooksett) • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 4 p.m. vs. The College of Saint Rose • Saturday, Oct. 15, at 4 p.m. vs. University of New Haven • Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. vs. Saint Anselm College • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. vs. Pace University
Women’s volleyball SNHU holds home games at the Stan Spirou Field House (2500 N. River Road, Manchester). • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. vs. American International College • Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. vs. Saint Anselm College • Friday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. vs. Le Moyne College • Saturday, Nov. 5, at 1 p.m. vs. The College of St. Rose
Men’s and women’s lacrosse The season typically runs from February or early March through the end of April. See website for updates on the spring 2023 season.
Men’s baseball The season typically runs from February or early March through early June. See website for updates on the spring 2023 season.
Women’s softball The season typically runs from February or early March through early May. See website for updates on the spring 2023 season.
Saint Anselm College
Tickets for Saint Anselm Hawks sporting events are $10 each and available online or at the door. For more information, visit saintanselmhawks.com. Stay tuned for announcements regarding their basketball seasons for the year.
Men’s football Saint Anselm hosts its football games at Grappone Stadium (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). • Saturday, Nov. 5, at noon vs. Assumption University
Men’s ice hockey Saint Anselm hosts its hockey games at the Sullivan Arena (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). • Saturday, Oct. 29, at 4 p.m. vs. University of Southern Maine • Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. vs. Assumption University • Friday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. vs. Southern New Hampshire University
Men’s basketball Saint Anselm hosts its basketball games at the Stoutenburgh Gymnasium (73 College Road, Manchester). • Saturday, Nov. 19, at 3:30 p.m. vs. Bentley University • Sunday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. vs. Franklin Pierce University • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. vs. Adelphi University • Saturday, Dec. 17, at 1 p.m. vs. Jefferson University • Monday, Dec. 19, at 3 p.m. vs. University of Bridgeport
Women’s basketball Saint Anselm hosts its basketball games at the Stoutenburgh Gymnasium (73 College Road, Manchester). • Friday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. vs. Southern New Hampshire University • Sunday, Nov. 13, at 1 p.m. vs. Dominican College • Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Bentley University • Saturday, Nov. 19, at 1:30 p.m. vs. Adelphi University • Friday, Dec. 2, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Le Moyne College • Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Franklin Pierce University • Sunday, Dec. 18, at noon vs. Daemen University
Women’s field hockey Saint Anselm hosts its field hockey games at Grappone Stadium (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. vs. Southern Connecticut State University • Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m. vs. Southern New Hampshire University • Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7 p.m. vs. Franklin Pierce University • Saturday, Nov. 5, at 5 p.m. vs. Molloy College • Monday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. vs. Assumption University • Friday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. vs. Southern Connecticut State University
Women’s ice hockey Saint Anselm hosts its hockey games at the Sullivan Arena (100 St. Anselm Drive, Manchester). • Friday, Oct. 7, at 3 p.m. vs. Quinnipiac University • Friday, Oct. 14, at 7 p.m. vs. Sacred Heart University • Saturday, Oct. 15, at 3 p.m. vs. Sacred Heart University • Friday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. vs. Long Island University • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 2 p.m. vs. Long Island University • Friday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. vs. Stonehill College • Saturday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m. vs. Franklin Pierce University • Saturday, Nov. 26, at 4 p.m. vs. Dartmouth College • Saturday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m. vs. Merrimack College
Men’s soccer Saint Anselm hosts its soccer games at Melucci Field (100 St. Anselm Drive, Manchester). • Saturday, Oct. 8, at noon vs. Adelphi University • Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 3:30 p.m. vs. Franklin Pierce University
Women’s soccer Saint Anselm hosts its soccer games at Melucci Field (100 St. Anselm Drive, Manchester). • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 3 p.m. vs. American International College • Saturday, Oct. 15, at noon vs. Adelphi University • Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 3 p.m. vs. Southern Connecticut State University
Men’s and women’s lacrosse The season typically runs from February or early March through the end of April. See website for updates on the spring 2023 season.
Rivier University
Tickets to Rivier Raiders events cost $3 for adults (free for children). See rivierathletics.com.
Men’s ice hockey Hockey games take place at the Conway Arena (5 Stadium Drive, Nashua). • Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. vs. SUNY Canton • Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7:10 p.m. vs. Southern New Hampshire University • Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. vs. SUNY Morrisville • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. vs. Framingham State University • Tuesday, Dec. 6, at 7:10 p.m. vs. Westfield State University
Women’s ice hockey Hockey games take place at the Conway Arena (5 Stadium Drive, Nashua). • Friday, Oct. 28, at 6 p.m. vs. Curry College • Saturday, Nov. 19, at 3:40 p.m. vs. Nichols College • Saturday, Nov. 26, at 6:20 p.m. vs. Assumption University
Men’s basketball Basketball games take place at the Muldoon Fitness Center (440 Main St., Nashua). • Thursday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m. vs. Lesley University • Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. vs. Plymouth State University • Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. vs. UMass Boston • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. vs. Dean College • Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 7 p.m. vs. Norwich University
Women’s basketball Basketball games take place at the Muldoon Fitness Center (440 Main St., Nashua). • Thursday, Nov. 10, at 7 p.m. vs. Nichols College • Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. vs. Framingham State University • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. vs. Dean College • Wednesday, Dec. 7, at 5 p.m. vs. Norwich University
Men’s soccer Soccer games take place at Joanne Merrill Field (420 S. Main St., Nashua). • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. vs. Anna Maria College • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 3:30 p.m. vs. University of St. Joseph • Sunday, Oct. 23, at 1 p.m. vs. University of Maine at Presque Isle • Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Lasell University
Women’s soccer Soccer games take place at Joanne Merrill Field (420 S. Main St., Nashua). • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 3:30 p.m. vs. Albertus Magnus College • Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Emmanuel College • Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 5 p.m. vs. Lasell University
Men’s and women’s lacrosse The season typically runs from February or early March through the end of April or early May. See website for updates on the spring 2023 season.
New England College
Visit athletics.nec.edu for details on New England College Pilgrims teams.
Men’s ice hockey Hockey games take place inside the Lee Clement Arena (38 Grove St., Henniker). • Tuesday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. vs. Stonehill College • Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. vs. Skidmore College • Saturday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. vs. Castleton University • Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. vs. Anna Maria College • Saturday, Nov. 26, at 4:40 p.m. vs. UMass Dartmouth
Women’s ice hockey Hockey games take place inside the Lee Clement Arena (38 Grove St., Henniker). • Friday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. vs. Neumann University • Friday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m., vs. UMass Boston • Saturday, Nov. 19, at 3 p.m. vs. Worcester State University • Friday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. vs. University of Southern Maine • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m. vs. Salem State University • Friday, Dec. 9, at 4 p.m. vs. Chatham University
Men’s basketball Basketball games take place inside the Bridges Gym (14 Grove St., Henniker). • Saturday, Nov. 12, at 4 p.m. vs. Lasell University • Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 7 p.m. vs. Clark University • Tuesday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m. vs. Rivier University • Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Colby-Sawyer College
Women’s basketball Basketball games take place inside the Bridges Gym (14 Grove St., Henniker). • Tuesday, Nov. 8, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Husson University • Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 5 p.m. vs. NVU Johnson • Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Westfield State University • Thursday, Dec. 1, at 5:30 p.m. vs. Plymouth State University • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. vs. Mount Holyoke College
Men’s rugby Rugby games take place at Laurie Cox Memorial Field (121 Western Ave., Henniker). • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 1 p.m. vs. Nichols College • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. vs. Merrimack College • Saturday, Oct. 29, vs. Curry College; time TBA
Women’s field hockey Field hockey games take place at New England College’s Field House (64 Grove St., Henniker). • Saturday, Oct. 8, at noon vs. University of Maine Farmington • Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. vs. Nichols College • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 11 a.m. vs. Husson University • Saturday, Oct. 29, at 4 p.m. vs. Thomas College
Men’s wrestling • Friday, Dec. 2 (time TBA) and Saturday, Dec. 3, at 9 a.m., New Standard Corporation Invitational (location TBA)
Women’s rugby No more home games remain for the 2022 season. Check back on the website for updates.
Men’s and women’s lacrosse The season typically runs from February or early March through the end of April or early May. See website for updates on the spring 2023 season.
University of New Hampshire
Wildcats hockey home games take place at the Whittemore Center Arena (128 Main St., Durham), while football, soccer and lacrosse games all take place at Wildcat Stadium (155 Main St.). Basketball games take place inside the school’s Lundholm Gymnasium. Tickets vary in priceby sport. To reserve tickets for games, visit unh.edu.
Football • Saturday, Oct. 8, at 3:30 p.m. vs. Stony Brook University • Saturday, Oct. 22, at 1 p.m. vs. Elon University • Saturday, Nov. 12, at 1 p.m. vs. University of Rhode Island
Men’s hockey • Saturday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. vs. Boston College • Friday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. vs. Army at West Point • Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. vs. Harvard University • Friday, Nov. 18, at 7 p.m. vs. UMass Amherst • Friday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. vs. Boston University
Women’s hockey • Friday, Oct. 14, at 6 p.m. vs. Boston University • Friday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. vs. Providence College • Saturday, Oct. 29, at 2 p.m. vs. College of the Holy Cross • Friday, Nov. 4, at 6 p.m. vs. Northeastern University • Friday, Nov. 11, at 5 p.m. vs. Merrimack College • Saturday, Nov. 19, at 2 p.m. vs. Boston College • Friday, Dec. 2, and Saturday, Dec. 3, at 2 p.m. vs. UConn
Men’s basketball • Monday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. vs. Brandeis University • Sunday, Nov. 20, at 1 p.m. vs. Boston University • Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7 p.m. vs. Sacred Heart University • Monday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. vs. St. Joseph’s College of Maine • Monday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. vs. College of the Holy Cross
Women’s basketball • Monday, Nov. 7, at 5 p.m. vs. Colby-Sawyer College • Saturday, Nov. 19, at 1 p.m. vs. Northeastern University • Sunday, Nov. 27, at 1 p.m. vs. Boston University • Saturday, Dec. 3, at 1 p.m. vs. Stonehill College • Monday, Dec. 5, at 5 p.m. vs. Wagner College
Play on
Amateur sports offer just as much fun as professional sports
By Katelyn Sahagian
ksahagian@hippopress.com
With the advent of fall comes the beginning of several competitive sports seasons. Basketball, football and soccer games, as well as baseball playoffs, will consume fans’ attention. But while these most popular sports have plenty of spectators, there are other sports that are growing in New Hampshire. One of those sports is roller derby.
New Hampshire Roller Derby game play. Photo by Todd Grzywacz.
“[It] started out as the [World Wrestling Entertainment] of women’s contact sports,” said Lily Fritz, a member of the Concord-based Granite State Roller Derby, who has been playing the sport for 10 years. “It was an overly exaggerated production.”
Fritz got her start playing roller derby in California after watching a bout. She said that after the event, she got to talking to some of the players.
When Fritz said she wanted to start, one of the players brushed her off, implying that Fritz’s short stature and slight build would make her a bad player. It was those words, she said, that motivated her to be involved even more.
When Fritz started in 2012, roller derby was still a somewhat cliquey experience, she recalls. But today, she said, the sport is anything but; it’s more inclusive than it’s ever been. There are groups including transgender and nonbinary players as well as co-ed teams, men’s teams and youth teams.
“There’s no judgment,” Fritz said. “You come in [how] you are … and let everything go when you’re out on the track.”
Fritz, whose derby name is “Nor’Eastah,” started playing in Boston but later moved to the West Coast and kept at the sport. In California, she said, it’s hard to visit any town and not find at least one bout going on.
While roller derby is not that pervasive in New Hampshire, it has been around here for a couple decades, and it’s growing in popularity thanks to organizations like Granite State Roller Derby and the Manchester-based New Hampshire Roller Derby.
Jena McClary — known as “Pixie Bruiser” with the New Hampshire Roller Derby — met her husband through roller derby. McClary has been playing for 15 years.
“It’s not just a hobby anymore. It’s become a part of my life,” said McClary, adding that her husband and stepchildren also play, the family always heading out to practice or play in bouts. “Every weekend is something derby.”
McClary said that back in the 1970s and ’80s roller derby was more like professional wrestling as a sport. Often the action would be for show and there would be a predetermined winner. Now the sport has official rules, hits and scoring.
According to Fritz, the goal of a team is for their jammer to lap the blockers and jammer on the other team. Fritz is a jammer on her team and said that it’s common for her to get hit hard, but that’s one of her favorite parts of playing.
McClary advises people new to the sport to do some research. There’s a lot of action at a fast pace; she said it can get confusing for people who are new. Today’s roller derby is “based on the old roller derby of the ’70s when that was popular,” she said, “but they took basics from that and turned it into a real sport,”
“Watch some YouTube videos before you head out,” McClary said.
Fritz said a good way to learn the sport is to talk with players when teams go out for beers and pizza or burgers after a bout.
Another sport in its popularity infancy in New Hampshire is boxing. Julio Peña runs the only golden gloves boxing gym in the state, Thrive Boxing & Martial Arts Center, in Londonderry.
Peña said that he’s one of the few people running any type of boxing shows in the state. His first show, five years ago, was a struggle to get off the ground.
But since then Peña has hosted shows with amateur teens and adults as well as semi-professional matches. One of his students, Jaydell Pazmino, who won his weight class in the New England Golden Gloves competition in 2020, has decided to become a professional.
“Jaydell started his career and in his mind he wants to be a world champ. He came to me when he was 15, and he just turned 21 and has won pretty much everything in New England,” said Peña, adding that the matches are better between amateurs because they are passionate about the sport.
While boxers will throw punches to win rounds, there are strict rules in place to protect a fighter during a match. According to the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports, boxers will be penalized for intentionally or unintentionally injuring their opponents, and if a match is stopped after the fourth round, the boxer causing the foul will be declared the loser of the match.
Peña said that he wants people to realize that boxing isn’t just about fighting, throwing punches, and knocking heads together. He believes the sport teaches discipline, respect and confidence.
“Sometimes people look at boxing as some low type of sport where you’re just doing violence,” Peña said. “It’s way more than that. The more you know in boxing, the less you fight in the street. Your level of self-confidence goes up because you don’t have to prove anything anymore.”
Pick your team
Find a local team to cheer on at these area amateur sports. Know of a sport that welcomes a cheering crowd not mentioned here? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.
Basketball • New England Sports Center’s Men’s Basketball League Where: 7 A St., Derry When: Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 to 11 p.m. Visit: nesportscenter.com
Bowling • My Social Sports Co-Ed Bowling League Where: Yankee Lanes, 216 Maple St., Manchester When: Mondays; games typically start at either 7 or 8 p.m. Visit: mysocialsports.leagueapps.com
Boxing • Thrive Boxing & Martial Arts Center Where: 109 Hillside Ave, Unit J, Londonderry When: An amateur night match is coming up at the end of October. More information about it will be posted on the website closer to the event. Visit: thriveboxinggym.com
Cornhole • Manchester Sports and Social Club Cornhole League Where: Murphy’s Taproom, 494 Elm St., Manchester When: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays with match start times from 6 to 9 p.m. Visit: manchesterssc.com
• My Social Sports Cornhole League Where: Chunky’s Cinema & Pub, 707 Huse Road, Manchester When: Tuesdays, starting at 6:30 p.m. Visit: mysocialsports.leagueapps.com
Football • New England Sports Center’s Men’s Flag Football League Where: 7 A St., Derry When: Sundays, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit: nesportscenter.com
Hockey • Power Play Hockey Southern New Hampshire Men’s League Where: Locations vary; see website for full schedule When: Games vary throughout the week, with the regular season running through December Visit: powerphockey.com • Power Play Hockey New Hampshire Women’s League Where: Locations vary; see website for full schedule When: The season ended in August. The 2023 season will start next May. Visit: powerphockey.com
Kickball • Manchester Sports and Social Club Kickball League Where: Brown & Mitchell Field, 229 W. Mitchell St., Manchester When: Wednesdays; games start at either 7 or 8 p.m. Visit: manchesterssc.com
• My Social Sports Co-Ed Kickball League Where: New Hampshire Sportsdome, 10A Tower Lane, Goffstown When: Tuesdays starting at 6 p.m. Visit: mysocialsports.leagueapps.com
Roller Derby • Granite State Roller Derby Where: Douglas N. Everett Arena, 15 Loudon Road, Concord When: Right now, the team is holding rookie training. The roller derby season starts in April. Visit: granitestaterollerderby.org • New Hampshire Roller Derby When: Contact the team through the form on the website. Right now, the team is not having any bouts. The roller derby season starts in the spring Visit: nhrollerderby.com
Soccer • New England Sports Center Co-Ed Soccer Where: 7 A St., Derry When: Thursdays, 6 to 11 p.m. Visit: nesportscenter.com
Softball • Manchester Sports and Social Club Softball League Where: New Hampshire Sportsdome, 10A Tower Lane, Goffstown When: Thursdays, game start times are between 7 and 8 p.m. Visit: manchesterssc.com • My Social Sports Co-Ed Softball League Where: West Junior Deb Field, 1 Electric St., Manchester When: Mondays; times TBA Visit: mysocialsports.leagueapps.com
Volleyball • Manchester Sports and Social Club Volleyball League Where: New Hampshire Sportsplex, 68 Technology Drive, Bedford When: Wednesdays; game start times are between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Visit: manchesterssc.com
The New Hampshire Department of Education recently released data revealing that $10.2 million has been distributed over the past two years to fund the formation of five new Board of Education-approved public charter schools in the state. According to NHPR, the funds come from a $46 million federal grant allocated for charter school startup costs, such as renovating buildings and recruiting staff and students, as part of an initiative to double the number of New Hampshire charter schools over five years. The newly approved schools include Heartwood Chartered Public School in Jefferson, Gathering Waters Charter School in Keene, Northeast Woodlands Charter School in Conway, Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies in Manchester and Lionheart Classical Academy, which opened in Peterborough this fall. Since 2020, four existing charter schools in New Hampshire closed their doors, the article said. The New Hampshire Department of Education expects to award another round of grants this month.
Lottery sales record
The New Hampshire Lottery broke its all-time sales record in the fiscal year 2022, generating more than $536.5 million in total sales, an increase of 3.3 percent, or $17.6 million, from the previous year, when it set a record high of $519 million. According to a press release, the New Hampshire Lottery also delivered a record high amount of $146.3 million to support education in the state in the last fiscal year. “We are pleased to break our sales and revenue records this year, as our success directly benefits schools statewide,” Charlie McIntyre, executive director of New Hampshire Lottery, said in the release. “Over the past year, as we worked to continuously engage current players and new audiences, we have launched countless new games, expanded and enhanced current offerings, introduced the state-of-the-art NH Lottery app, and have continued to build strong momentum with sports betting, all of which supports our ongoing efforts to maximize revenue for education.” New Hampshire Lottery sales have increased by nearly 60 percent, or nearly $200 million, over the past five years.
Underground Railroad site
The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire announced in a press release that the National Park Service has accepted Ona Judge Staines’ burial site in New Hampshire as part of its National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The site is one of 17 sites added to the Network from its 44th round of applications and joins more than 700 sites, facilities and programs across 13 states that represent that diverse experiences of freedom seekers who escaped slavery and the allies who helped them. Ona “Oney” Judge Staines was enslaved at the plantation of first U.S. president George Washington in Mount Vernon, Virginia and escaped to Philadelphia, where the free Black community assisted her in relocating to and starting a new life in New Hampshire as a free woman. Information on the location of the site is restricted from the public to protect its historical integrity. Visit blackheritagetrailnh.org.
Pop-up pantries
United Way of Greater Nashua’s Pop-Up Pantries will transition from 13 outdoor locations to five indoor locations during the colder months, starting on Oct. 31, according to a press release. The weekly pantries distribute food, provided by the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter, around downtown Nashua to families experiencing food insecurity. The indoor pantries will be located at Arlington Street Community Center at 36 Arlington St. on Mondays; at Girls Inc. at 21 Burke St. on Tuesdays; at Harbor Care at 45 High St. on Wednesdays; at Nashua Community Music School at 2 Lock St. on Thursdays; and at Crossway Christian Church at 33 Pine St. on Fridays. All pantries distribute food on a first come, first served basis starting at 11 a.m. and ending when all food has been distributed, except for Wednesday, when the pantry starts at 2 p.m. Visit unitedwaynashua.org.
Skydiving educators
A group of New Hampshire educators joined Commissioner Frank Edelblut of the New Hampshire Department of Education for a skydiving excursion at the Lawrence Municipal Airport in North Andover, Mass., on Sept. 28. Each participant was paired with a soldier from the U.S. Army’s Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, for a tandem jump at 12,500 feet. The jumps serve as an exercise in teamwork, courage, discipline and training for the soldiers, according to a press release. “The U.S. Army provides students with a number of life-building opportunities, including numerous educational benefits like tuition assistance for postsecondary education, and leadership and career development opportunities, to name a few,” Edelblut said in the release. “It was an honor to be here today and skydive with some of our great soldiers who are committed to bettering their academic and career paths while serving as role models for our youth.”
CPR kits donated
The Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon recently received a donation of 500 infant CPR home training kits from the American Heart Association, funded by the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation, and is distributing the kits to families of babies treated in the hospital’s intensive care nursery upon discharge. According to a press release, the kit contains tools to help new parents learn lifesaving infant CPR and infant choking relief skills in as little as 20 minutes, including a self-directed learning program that allows the user to practice the skills on a manikin while observing a video demonstration. “Learning CPR is one of the most important things all of us can do. You never know when a hero may be needed,” Lauren G. Gilstrap, MD, MPH, a cardiologist at the Heart & Vascular Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, said in the release. “These training kits will allow parents to feel confident and empowered to perform CPR successfully should an emergency occur with their child.”
The New Hampshire Transportation Council will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 9 a.m. at NHDOT, 7 Hazen Drive, Room 114, in Concord, to discuss the New Hampshire Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan recently approved by the Federal Highway Administration. The purpose of the meeting, according to a press release, is to explain the plan to the public, discuss public comments received during the plan’s development and answer questions from the public. The meeting will also be attendable via Zoom. Visit dot.nh.gov.
The Upper Room, a family resource center located at 36 Tsienneto Road in Derry, will host a three-part “Active Parenting for 0- to 5-year-olds” educational series for parents of young children. The series will run weekly on Wednesdays for three consecutive weeks, starting on Wednesday, Oct. 12, and sessions will run from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will learn skills such as how to identify what a baby’s cry might mean, how to manage the “terrible twos” and more. Visit urteachers.org or call 427-8477, ext. 124.
UpReach Therapeutic Equestrian Center in Goffstown is looking for volunteers to assist in mounted programming, including Therapeutic Riding, Hippotherapy and Carriage Driving; unmounted (no riding) programs, which involve working with horses from the ground; and barn chores, such as mucking stalls, turnout, cleaning buckets, hay distribution, sweeping and more. Volunteer training sessions are scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29, from 9 a.m. to noon, and Tuesday, Nov. 1, from 1 to 4 p.m., with an additional training required for those working directly with horses offered on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., and Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. Volunteers must be at least 14 years of age, and horse experience is helpful, but not required. Visit upreachtec.org.
We were thrilled to learn last year that our daughter and her family living in Florida were relocating to New Hampshire. Our grandson would be nearby, and his parents too. Plans were made, houses were sold and bought, and the relocation process began. Imagine everyone’s shock when it was quickly discovered that there was no daycare available for our grandson in New Hampshire. No center within a reasonable geographical distance had availability, and in fact most had lengthy waitlists. The pause button was hit, and a Plan B evolved.
A recent article in NH Business Review, “In search of childcare solutions,” addresses the child care shortage. The article notes, “The reasons behind the waitlists are part of a vicious cycle. Workers are leaving childcare centers due to low pay. In turn, the centers are not able to take in as many children, because they lack staff and can’t meet the required teacher-child ratios. In an attempt to solve this, childcare centers raise their rates, so they can pay workers a higher wage and retain them. However, this results in some families having trouble affording childcare.” Lather, rinse, repeat.
In 2014, as part of my Leadership NH program, Steven Rowe, who at the time was President of Endowment for Health, gave a compelling presentation. He noted that the developing brain is like a sponge, and by age 3, 80 percent of the neural construction is complete. What happens in those first three years is critical in terms of early childhood development. He noted that investments in early childhood development yield, by far, the greatest returns. Yet as a society we invest the least at the time of greatest impact. NH Business Review confirms this in its recent article. It notes according to nhchilddata.org, the average annual pay of the state’s child care workers is $24,490 compared to the average annual income in New Hampshire of $59,270 (not even half).
This year the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services created the Child Care Strengthening Plan, funded through American Rescue Plan funds (see dhhs.nh.gov). Its goals include building a better child care system, helping more families afford quality child care over the next three years, and ensuring equal access to child care programs, services and activities. It’s a start in addressing a glaring problem for New Hampshire families. In addition to delivering on the details of this plan, we should also be planning for what’s beyond it. As we prepare to vote in November, this is a great topic to discuss with the candidates when they ask for your vote.
See movies and join the festival jury at Manhattan Short
See 10 movies and then vote for your favorite film and favorite actor at the Manhattan Short film festival, which will screen all over the world but locally at NHTI in Concord from Friday, Sept. 30, through Sunday, Oct. 2.
Admission costs $10.
The films range in subject matter from serious historical and political issues to short stories with a sense of humor that deliver almost punchline-like conclusions. The films come from around the world: Scotland, Spain, Australia, Finland, Lebanon, Czech Republic, Slovakia, U.S. and France.
Two movies use different styles of animation to examine a family’s history: In Freedom Swimmer sketch-like illustrations (often white on black or dark backgrounds) illustrate a conversation between a granddaughter, uncertain about her future in modern Hong Kong, and her grandfather, who fled China for Hong Kong in the 1950s. Love, Dad uses a style of animation that blends collage and stop-motion, with figures frequently appearing as the cut-out shape in a letter or as “animated” photos.
Another standout for me (I was able to see a screening of the films thanks to local festival organizers) is Don vs Lightning. We all have flaws, a neighbor tells Don. She has an extra toe; Don happens to frequently get struck with lightning. This Scottish movie rolls a lot of charm into his tale.
Fans of Cobra Kai will recognize Peyton List (she plays Tory on the Netflix show), who stars in the quirky violent comedy Save the Bees with Jackson Pace (whose credits include 9-1-1: Lone Star). Spanish film The Treatment is a perfect amuse bouche of cleverness ending in a fun punchline. Freefall highlights a grim moment from the book Swimming with Sharks by Joris Luyendijk, about finance bros in London (spoiler alert: the finance bros do not come off as good guys). Both Fetish and The Big Green basically use a woman’s internal monologue, with Fetish going for broad comedy and The Big Green something a little quieter and more reflective.
I’m not usually a fan of kid-in-peril short films (what happens to the kid? How do I prevent this from happening to my kid?!?) but The Blanket does a good job of giving us a little girl with her little-girl playfulness and her big-sister task to go get some milk for her family set against war in Finland in 1939. Luckily, you can calm down with Warsha, a slice of life of a man who works construction and has no space for himself in the apartment he shares with what appears to be like a dozen guys. He finds a somewhat terrifying but oddly peaceful spot to let himself relax and dream.
This year’s finalists range in length from 9 minutes (the delightfully pithy The Treatment) to just over 19 minutes, with most of them hitting the 10-to-15-minute range. I’ve seen shorts collections (think the Oscar documentary shorts in particular) with films that stretch beyond 30 minutes but the overall shorter runtimes of these films makes them an ideal experience for those who are new to short films screenings.
After the screenings, viewers will get to vote for their favorites, picking a best film and best actor. The winners, as picked by international audiences, will be announced at manhattanshort.com on Monday, Oct. 3.
Manhattan Short Where: NHTI, 31 College Drive in Concord When: Friday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m; Saturday, Oct. 1, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Oct. 2, at 2 p.m. Tickets: Admission costs $10. More info: manhattanshort.com
