Category: Visual Arts

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

• Last call for Piano Men:The Palace Theatre’s ode to the music of Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Freddie Mercury, The All New Piano Men, wraps up its run this weekend with shows Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2 p.m. The show is an original production of Carl Rajotte, artistic director at the Palace (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588), according to the website. Tickets start at $25.

• Wilkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome: Also at the Palace in Manchester this weekend, the Palace Teen Apprentice Company production performed by student actors ages 12 through 18, will present Cabaret on Sunday, Feb. 5, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults. See palacetheatre.org.

• Disney’s next generation: The Riverbend Youth Company will present a tale of the kids of Disney villains in The Descendants: The Musical, based on the Disney Channel movies, at the Amato Center for the Performing Arts (56 Mont Vernon St. in Milford; amatocenter.org) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 5, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $12 for adults, $8 for children and seniors.

• Get all shook up: Local artists will perform the songs of one Elvis Aaron Presley at “A Night of Elvis,” a variety show featuring songs, skits and more, at the Majestic Theatre (88 Page St. in Manchester; 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) on Saturday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $20.

• New show — and a slate of concerts: The Two Villages Art Society (Bates Building, 846 Main St. in Contoocook; twovillagesart.org) will present a new show — the work of The Secretive and Mysterious Order of the Crimson Sparrow — opening Thursday, Feb. 2, and running through Sunday, Feb. 19. Ty Meier, an artist and member of the Society’s board of directors, organized and curated the show and describes the 14 artists (which include painters, printmakers, illustrators and sculptors) as “a scrappy group of underground art ninjas,” according to a press release. The gallery is open Thursdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

On Saturdays Feb. 11, Feb. 18 and Feb. 25, from 4 to 6 p.m. the gallery will also host concerts featuring light refreshments (donations will be accepted at the door), the release said. The schedule includes Ariel Strasser (a Boston-based Minnesotan singer, songwriter and piano player) on Feb. 11, The Honeybees (Mary Fagan and Chris O’Neill with original songs, 1930s era jazz, Western swing, folk-rock and Americana) on Feb. 18 and Hydro-Geo-Trio (featuring George Holt, Dave McLean, Dan Morrissey and Mitch Simon with blue grass and new-grass) on Feb. 25, the release said.

• Small works and a silent auction: The New Hampshire Art Association’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St. in Portsmouth; nhartassociation.org) will hold its annual fundraiser silent auction scheduled to have started Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the gallery and online, according to a press release. The auction will run through Feb. 19. The gallery is also hosting a “Small Works” exhibit featuring works 8 inches by 8 inches or 8 inches by 10 inches, the release said.

• Underground Russian art: Moscow-born Nickolay Manulov, 88, now a resident of New Hampshire, will have his works and pieces by his wife, Ludiya Kirillova, displayed at the Mariposa Museum (26 Main St. in Peterborough; mariposamuseum.org), which is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is also having an artist reception for Manulov, known as “Kuk,” with a Q&A discussion on Sunday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. Admission to that event is $10. Manulov’s art, and that of his late wife, was illegal during the time of Stalin and wasn’t allowed to be exhibited in official venues even after Stalin’s death, according to a press release. Kuk emigrated during the Russian invasion of Crimea, bringing his and his wife’s work with him, the release said.

• Dream the impossible dream: The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St. in Portsmouth; seacoastrep.org, 433-4472) will present the musical Man of La Mancha, Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7:30 p.m. through Sunday, March 5. The show follows Don Quixote, a man who lives in a fantasy world of his own creation that baffles everyone he meets but changes the world for the better and inspires those around him, according to a press release. This show contains adult themes including violence. Tickets start at $35 and can be purchased at seacoastrep.org

• One-woman show: The Pontine Theatre will present guest artist Tannis Kowalchuk and her original one-woman show Decompositions at the Pontine’s 1845 Plains Schoolhouse Theatre (1 Plains Ave. in Portsmouth; pontine.org) on Friday, Feb. 3, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 4, at 2 p.m. A Feb. 5 show is sold out but an online show is available (it is accessible about a week after the performance, according to the website. Tickets cost $29. In the song-filled multimedia production Kowalchuk performs monologues and stories exploring the composting process as a metaphor for life, according to a press release.

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

• Stories of ballooning: Hear the stories of balloonists who explored New Hampshire skies in the 19th century at the presentation “Lighter Than Air” on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; aviationmuseumofnh.org, 6699-4877). Leah Dearborn, the museum’s assistant director, will discuss balloonists such as Eugene Goodard, Thaddeus Lowe (an aeronaut for the Union Army during the Civil War) and others, according to a press release. “Early pioneers of local skies took to balloons and other lighter-than-air vessels for a host of reasons. Some were intended to pursue military reconnaissance and scientific inquiry, while others were simply daredevil stunts designed to attract a crowd,” the release said. Admission costs $10.

• Paint night: Katrina Reid will lead the “Bearly Winter Paint Nite” at Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) on Friday, Jan. 27, at 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Reid brings the materials and the know-how to teach the art of painting, according to the website. Admission costs $35; reserve a spot online.

• Call for art: The Lakes Region Art Association is looking for pieces for its upcoming exhibit “Love, Passion & Chocolate,” which will run Thursday, Feb. 2, through Friday, Feb. 25, at the Lakes Region Art Gallery (120 Laconia Road, Suite 300, in the Tanger Outlets, Tilton), according to a press release. An artists reception will be held Saturday, Feb. 11, from 4 to 8 p.m. featuring chocolate from Rocky Mountain Chocolate, the release said. The rules for submission: Each artist can submit up to five unframed pieces no larger than 8 inches by 8 inches, artwork music be dry and ready to be bagged, all artwork must be for sale, there is an entry fee of $25 and artwork must be received by Jan. 28 by mail or dropped off on Wednesday, Feb. 1, from noon to 6 p.m., the release said. See LRAANH.org.

• Upcoming auditions for Cue Zero:Cue Zero Theatre Company will hold auditions for its April production of The Wolves, a gritty drama by Sarah DeLappe directed by Erin Downey, on Monday, Jan. 30, and Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire in Salem. All characters in the production are female/female presenting, according to the press release. Sign up for an audition slot at CZTheatre.com and those auditioning should prepare a one-minute dramatic monologue and be prepared to read sides on request; callbacks are Sunday, Feb. 5, the release said. Get information about the character breakdowns on the website.

Other Cue Zero auditions on the horizon include for Be More Chill, which is based on the novel by Ned Vizzini, and the CZT Lab Series productions Empathy and Join, original pieces. Auditions for Be More Chill, which will be presented at the Derry Opera House on Friday, June 23, through Sunday, June 25, will be Wednesday, March 8, and Thursday, March 9, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire in Salem. Auditions for the Lab pieces, which will be presented in August, will be Sunday, March 12, also in Salem. See cztheatre.com for all the details and to sign up for auditions.

• “Winter Frost” winners: The Seacoast Artist Association announced the winners of its “Winter Frost” show, which can be viewed through Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Association’s gallery at 130 Water St. in Exeter (the gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m.), according to a press release. Martin Lamon of Stratham won Best in Show for his painting “Winter Sunset” and Mark Leavitt won the People’s Choice Award for his watercolor “New Snow in Vermont,” the release said.

The Seacoast Artist Association’s next show is “Let Me Show You What I Love,” with a dropoff for local artists to submit their works on Saturday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (see the rules and find the application at seacoastartist.org), the release said. A reception for that show will be held Friday, Feb. 10, from 5 to 7 p.m.

• Painting and photography: The new exhibit by Center for the Arts in New London will open Friday, Feb. 3, at Bar Harbor Bank and Trust (321 Main St. in New London) as part of the Center’s First Friday Gallery Stroll. The show, “Where Painterly Art and Photography Converge,” will feature 15 paintings and one sculpture displayed with photographs used as reference images, according to a press release. The exhibit will hang at Bar Harbor Bank for three months, the release said. The exhibit will feature the works of 12 painters and four photographers, the release said.

The February First Fridays from the Center for the Arts (centerfortheartsnh.org/first-fridays) will run from 5 to 7 p.m. and include four other galleries: the New London Inn with the work of Kim Schusler, the New London Barn Playhouse Fleming Center Gallery for Contemporary Art, the Tatewell Gallery and the Candita Clayton Gallery; the Blue Loon Bakery (open from from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.) also features the work of Susan D’Appolino, the release said.

• Sculpture: 3S Artspace (319 Vaughan St. in Portsmouth; 3arts.org) will feature the architectural sculptures of Frank Poor in the exhibit “Relics,” which opens Friday, Feb. 3, and runs through Sunday, April 2. There will be an opening reception on Feb. 3 from 5 to 8 p.m, according to a press release.

Music at the Andres
Support the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline; andresinstitute.org, 673-7441) with a night of music from the Soggy Po’ Boys on Sunday, Feb. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Institute’s welcome center. General-admission tickets cost $25; a five-seat table in the first row costs $200 per table, according to a press release. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served before the show and a cash bar will be available, the release said.

• Circus with a Chance of Meatballs:The High Mowing School middle schoolers (Pine Hill Campus, 77 Pine Hill Drive in Wilton; highmowing.org/hilltop, 654-6003) will show off their circus skills with their show Circus with a Chance of Meatballs Thursday, Feb. 16, at 4 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 17, at 6:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 18, at 1 p.m. Admission is a suggested donation of $10 for adults, $5 for children; bring a donation for the Wilton’s Open Cupboard Food pantry for free popcorn, according to a press release.

• “Comic thrill ride”: That’s how the Community Players of Concord describe their production of The 39 Steps, a comic riff on the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock movie, which will run Friday, Feb. 17, through Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St. in Concord). Tickets cost $20 for adults and students, $18 for seniors. The performances are slated for 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday, according to a press release. See communityplayersofconcord.org for tickets.

• Music at the Andres: Support the Andres Institute of Art (106 Route 13 in Brookline; andresinstitute.org, 673-7441) with a night of music from the Soggy Po’ Boys on Sunday, Feb. 19, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Institute’s welcome center. General-admission tickets cost $25; a five-seat table in the first row costs $200 per table, according to a press release. Light hors d’oeuvres will be served before the show and a cash bar will be available, the release said.

• The faculty presents: The Manchester Community Music School’s Faculty Performance of “Chanson d’Amour” featuring Harel Gietheim on cello and Piper Runnion on harp has been rescheduled (it had been slated for Jan. 19) for Thursday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. at the school, 2291 Elm St. in Manchester. Admission is free but pre-register at mcmusicschool.org to attend in person or online.

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

• Opening weekend: The Palace Theatre’s new show The All New Piano Men opens Friday, Jan. 20, at 7:30 p.m. The show features the music of Billy Joel, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Freddy Mercury and is an original production of Carl Rajotte, artistic director at the Palace (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588), according to the website. The show will run through Sunday, Feb. 5, with showtimes on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $25.

• Last chance to see the show: It’s the final weekend for Scene Changes, a play about a traveling theatrical production,at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315). The show runs through Sunday, Jan. 22, with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.

• A trip to the Pond: The Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s production of On Golden Pond wraps up this weekend with shows Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 21, at 2 p.m. Tickets start at $37 (plus fees). The Seacoast Repertory Theatre is at 125 Bow St. in Portsmouth. See seacoastrep.org.

• Printmaking on display: The Art Center (1 Washington St. Suite 1177 in Dover; theartcenterdover.com, 978-6702) has its “Worldwide Printmaking Exhibition” on display now through February. The exhibit features works of more than 40 artists from 11 countries, according to a press release. The gallery is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. An artist reception will be held for the exhibit on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 6 to 9 p.m.

CATS: Young Actors Edition
See the brief adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical made just for younger actors — CATS: Young Actors Edition — at the Derry Opera House (29 West Broadway in Derry) Friday, Jan. 27, through Sunday, Jan. 29. Presented by the Majestic Academy of Dramatic Arts, the shows will run Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $13 for 65+ and $10 for 17 and under. Call 669-7469 or go to majestictheatre.net for tickets, which are also available at the door before the performance, according to a press release.

• Craft for gardening: ManchesterMakerspace(36 Old Granite St. in Manchester;manchestermakerspace.org) has a class called “Woodshop 101 — Cedar Plant Box” scheduled for Friday, Jan. 20, from 1 to 5 p.m. or Saturday, Jan. 28, from 1 to 5 p.m. Registration starts at $150. Go online to register in advance.

• Work out your theater skills: Theatre Kapow will hold its monthly “Training” session, open to participants age 16 and up with any level of experience and working on “acting, movement, improvisation, voice, speech, object work, viewpoints, and more,” according to tkapow.com. The session will take place at Studio 550 in Manchester on Saturday, Jan. 21, from noon to 2 p.m. and the cost is $5. Register via the website, where you can also download and fill out the waiver from the website in advance.

• Hunchback of Notre Dame auditions: Community theater organization Actorsingers is holding auditions Sunday, Jan. 22, and Monday, Jan. 23, from 6 to 9 p.m. each night for their May production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Auditions will be held at Actorsingers Hall (219 Lake Ave. in Nashua); see actorsingers.org for audition requirements, character details and the audition form.

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

• MLK Day: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; 669-6144, currier.org) will hold a free community celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. New Hampshire artist Richard Haynes will lead a public discussion and mural project (starting at 11 a.m.; the community mural painting will start at noon and go through 4 p.m.), according to a Currier newsletter. Tours will meet in the lobby at 1 and 2 p.m., a reveal of the mural will be at 4 p.m. and there will be a screening of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in the auditorium at 4:15 p.m., the newsletter said. The Currier will also be collecting new socks, comfortable clothing and personal hygiene items for Waypoint, according to the website.

• Also at the Currier: The Currier is slated to start a series of conversations over Zoom examining a piece of artwork from the museum’s collection and exhibitions on Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 1 p.m. (with “Cityscape with Mill” by Tim Portlock). The free 30-minute program, geared to adults, runs Wednesdays at 1 p.m. The Wednesday, Jan. 18, focus is “Boy Holding Grapes and Hat” by Judith Leyster; on Wednesday, Jan. 25, the focus will be “Yellowave” by Jiha Moon from the exhibit “State of the Art 2020: Locate,” according to a museum newsletter. Registration is required and accepted until noon on the day of the event; see currier.org.

The Sky Within
The Concord Chorale will present “The Sky Within,” a concert celebrating the themes of sky, flight and letting go and showcasing musical styles including works by Brahms, Renaissance madrigals and contemporary works, on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 22, at 3 p.m. The concerts will take place at South Congregational Church (27 Pleasant St. in Concord) and the Sunday show will also be livestreamed. See concordchorale.org for tickets, which cost $20.

• Two actors, 19 roles: Kari Buckley and Maria Jung play 19 roles — including two best friends — in Is Edward Snowden Single?, a “volcanic comedy about pretty lies and ugly truths” at the Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St. in Portsmouth; playersring.org, 436-8123) Friday, Jan. 13, through Sunday, Jan. 29. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $27 general admission, $24 for students and 65+.

• Mandy Patinkin: Tickets are still available for “Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive” at the Capitol Center for the Arts (Chubb Theatre, 44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Saturday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $40 through $95 (plus fees).

• Hitchcock comedy: The New Hampshire Theatre Project will present The 39 Steps, a comic riff on the Alfred Hitchcock movie, Friday, Jan. 20, through Sunday, Feb. 5, at the company’s 50-seat black box theater at 959 Islington St. in Portsmouth. The show, which is directed by Blair Hundertmark and stars Shawn Crapo and Courtney St. Gelais, will run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $30 general admission, $26 for students, seniors and veterans. See nhtheatreproject.org.

Guys and Dolls
The Educational Theater Collaborative (based at Plymouth State University) will present Guys and Dolls at the Flying Monkey Performance Center (39 S. Main St. in Plymouth; flyingmonkeynh.com, 536-2551) Wednesday, Jan. 18, through Sunday, Jan. 22. Showtimes are at 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Tickets start at $25.

• Be a jellicle cat: The Palace Youth Theatre will hold auditions for performers in grades 2 through 12 for Cats: Young Actors Edition on Friday, Jan. 20, with sessions at 5, 6 and 7 p.m., according to a press release. “Expect to stay for your entire one-hour audition slot. You will learn a dance and be asked to sing after,” said the release, which instructed auditioners to come prepared to sing a short section of a song a cappella (musical theater or Disney preferred). The show will run at the Palace Theatre in Manchester Tuesday, March 7, through Wednesday, March 15. To schedule an audition time, email [email protected] with performer’s name, age and preferred time. The auditions will be held at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester).

• Looking for Wolves: Cue Zero Theatre Company will hold auditions for its April production of The Wolves, a gritty drama by Sarah DeLappe directed by Erin Downey, on Monday, Jan. 30, and Wednesday, Feb. 1, at the Arts Academy of New Hampshire in Salem. All characters in the production are female/female presenting, according to the press release. Sign up for an audition slot at CZTheatre.com and those auditioning should prepare a one-minute dramatic monologue and be prepared to read sides on request; callbacks are Sunday, Feb. 5, the release said. Get information about the character breakdowns on the website.

• Camp Encore: The Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth has announced the dates and productions for its three multi-week summer camp sessions. Session 1, Theatre Creatures, will run three weeks, Monday, June 19, through Sunday, July 9, and feature Disney’s 101 Dalmatians Kids and The Aristicats Kids with public productions Saturday, July 8, and Sunday, July 9 at 11 a.m. Session 2, Stage Folks, runs two weeks, Monday, July 10, through Sunday, July 23, with productions on Saturday, July 22, and Sunday, July 23, at 11 a.m. Sessions 1 and 2 are open to ages 7 to 17. Session 3, Prescott Teens (Teen Musical Theatre Intensive), runs two weeks, Monday, July 24, through Sunday, Aug. 6, with shows Saturday, Aug. 5, and Sunday, Aug. 6, at 11 a.m. See prescottpark.org for pricing, including sibling and multi-camp discounts, and to register.

Toy planes and model aircraft
The “Holiday Festival of Toy Planes and Model Aircraft” exhibit has been extended at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road in Londonderry; nhahs.org, 669-4820) through Sunday, Jan. 22, according to the museum’s newsletter. The exhibit features more than 2,000 aviation toys and models. The museum is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission costs $10 per person ages 13 and up, $5 for ages 6 to 12 and ages 65 and up; ages 5 and under and veterans and active military get in free, the release said.

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

• New exhibit at Art 3: “Multi-Mediums,” an exhibit featuring works on canvas and panel, wall reliefs in ceramic and metal and sculptures in stone and wood, is open now at the Art 3 Gallery (44 W. Brook St. in Manchester; 668-6650), according to a press release. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and a virtual exhibit should be available soon, the release said.

• Photo exhibit: The 23rd annual New Hampshire Society of Photographic Artists Member Exhibit and Sale will open Saturday, Jan. 7, with a reception from noon to 4 p.m. at the Exeter Town Hall Gallery (10 Front St. in Exeter), according to a press release. Some of the photographers with works in the exhibit will be on hand to answer questions, the release said. The exhibit will run through Sunday, Jan. 29, and the gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m.

The Society recently established a permanent studio space at the Kimball Jenkins School of Art in Concord that gives members access to studio lighting, printers and more. See nhspa.org for membership information.

• Sing! The Rockingham Choral Society will hold an open rehearsal on Tuesday, Jan. 10, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Exeter High School for its spring concert, which will feature works by Beethoven and Brahms, according to a press release. The group is open to singers age 16 and up and a brief placement audition for new members will take place at the end of the rehearsal; dues are waived for high school and college students, the release said. See rockinghamchoral.org.

• January at Gibson’s: Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St. in Concord; 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) has several recently announced events on the January schedule. James T. McKim Jr. will be at the bookstore on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 6:30 p.m. to discuss his book The Diversity Factor: Igniting Superior Organizational Performance; the event is free and no registration is required.

On Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 6:30 p.m, Honorable John T. Broderick Jr. (former chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court and current senior director of external affairs at Dartmouth Health) will be at Gibson’s to discuss his book Backroads and Highways: My Journey to Discovery on Mental Health.

On Friday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m. the bookstore will be part of a virtual event featuring author and director Joyce Chopra discussing her book Lady Director: Adventures in Hollywood, Television and Beyond with journalist Annie Berke. See the store’s website for a link to the event page, where you can purchase a ticket/book bundle.

Save the date for Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 6:30 p.m. when Farzon A. Nahvi, MD, an ER physician at Concord Hospital, will be at Gibson’s to discuss his book Code Gray, a memoir about his life in medicine.

New Art Show
“Beginnings,” the first group show at the art studio Girl from Mars (135 Route 101A in Amherst), is opening on Friday, Jan. 6, with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Melissa Richard, the owner and chief artist at the studio, said she was excited to have 14 local artists showing 24 pieces of new work.

“Some are artists I knew; some I met through other galleries and shows along the way,” Richard said, adding that she’s “hoping to rotate between group and solo shows in the space.”

All of the artwork on display will be available for purchase either online at the gallery’s website or at the show. The show will run from Jan. 6 through the end of February. The Gallery’s hours are Thursday through Saturday by appointment. Visit marsartstudio.weebly.com.

• Book and film: Eva’s Promise, a documentary about Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss (whose mother married Anne Frank’s father after the war), will have its New England premiere at the Park Theatre (19 Main St. in Jaffrey; theparktheatre.org, 532-8888) on Friday, Jan. 13, at 7 p.m. The film’s director (Steve McCarthy) and the producer (Susan Kerner) will attend the Sunday, Jan. 15, 4 p.m. screening of the film and hold a discussion after the film that will include a special video message from Eva Schloss, according to a press release. When Eva and her brother Heinz Geiringer were put on a train to Auschwitz in 1944, Heinz, who was 17, told her that he’d hidden paintings and poetry he’d created in the family attic and asked her to retrieve them if he didn’t survive the war, the release said. Eva (who is 93 and lives in London) wrote a book, The Promise, in 2006, and signed copies will be available at the theater (as well as at Toadstool Bookshops), the release said. Tickets for the Sunday event cost $10 to $15; tickets for regular screenings cost $8 to $9. In addition to the Friday and Sunday screenings, the film will also screen Saturday, Jan. 14, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Tuesday, Jan. 17, through Thursday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m.

• Jazz and classical: The Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra will head to Jimmy’s Jazz and Blues Club in Portsmouth with their “Up Close & Personal” chamber music and dinner series on Sunday, Jan. 15, at 5:30 p.m. The PSO Brass quintet will explore the boundaries between jazz and classical music, according to a press release. The show will feature a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, music from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, selections from Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller and the score to George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, the release said. Tickets cost $90 per person and include the concert, appetizers, dinner and dessert, the release said. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. See portsmouthsymphony.org to purchase tickets.

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

• Join the Bee: The Palace Youth Theatre is holding auditions for performers in grades 2 through 12 for its upcoming Small Cast production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, according to a press release. Auditions will be held on Monday, Jan. 2, at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. at Forever Emma Studios (516 Pine St. in Manchester) with rehearsals starting the second week of January for performances at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester) on Wednesday, Feb. 22, and Thursday, Feb. 23, the release said. Performers will learn a dance and be expected to sing (come prepared to sing a short section of a song of your choice a cappella), the release said. To schedule an audition time, email [email protected] with the performer’s name, age and preferred audition time; if cast (not all who audition will be cast) there is a $125 production fee, the release said.

• An exhibit of printmaking: New Hampshire Art Association fine printmaker Kate Higley will have her work on display at the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center (49 S. Main St., Suite 104, in Concord) Friday, Jan. 6, through Friday, March 3. The gallery hours are general Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Behind the Carol: The play Scene Changes will open at the Hatbox Theatre (270 Loudon Road in Concord; hatboxnh.com, 715-2315) on Friday, Jan. 6. In the show, a traveling production of A Christmas Carol loses its Bob Cratchit when he gets ill in Burlington, Vermont, and the show has to hire a new actor when it comes to Concord, causing “a clash of wills,” according to the website, which also says that the play contains adult language. The show will run Friday, Jan. 6, through Sunday, Jan. 22 with showtimes at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets cost $22 for adults and $19 for students and seniors.

Recycled Percussion
Recycled Percussion was slated to begin its 13-show run at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Wednesday, Dec. 28. Tickets start at $37 for what’s billed as an all new show that “brings music, comedy and off the charts energy.” After opening night, the show will hit the stage Thursday, Dec. 29, through Sunday, Jan. 1, at 3 and 7 p.m.; Monday, Jan. 2, at 3 p.m.; Friday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 7, at 11 a.m.

• Call for actors: The community theater group Nashua Theatre Guild will hold auditions for its spring show, Pandemonium, described as a “modern mythology mystery” according to a post on the Guild’s Facebook page, on Saturday, Jan. 7, and Sunday, Jan. 8, at Broadway Bound (501 Daniel Webster Hwy. in Merrimack) from 1 to 4 p.m. on both days. The audition will be a cold reading, the post said. For more on the group, see nashuatheatreguild.org.

• More voices in theater: Theatre Kapow will continue its “Expanding the Canon” playreading circle focused on highlighting Black, Latinx, indigenous and global playwrights, according to tkapow.com. The event will be Sunday, Jan. 8, from 2 to 4 p.m. over Zoom. Register on Kapow’s website.

• A Neil Simon: The Epping Community Theater (performance space is the Epping Playhouse, 38c Ladd’s Lane in Epping; eppingtheater.org) will present Neil Simon’s Rumors Friday, April 14, through Sunday, April 16, and is holding auditions Thursday, Jan. 19, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Saturday, Jan. 21, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Watson Academy (17 Academy St. in Epping). Go online for signup information and a rundown of the characters.

•Teens on skates? Teen performers ages 14 to 18 can schedule in person (or virtual) auditions for the Peacock Players’ upcoming production of the musical Xanadu. Go to peacockplayers.org to schedule an audition for Sunday, Jan. 22, or Tuesday, Jan. 23, from 6 to 8 p.m. on either day at the 14 Court Street Theater in downtown Nashua. The production will run Friday, May 12, through Sunday, May 21, with night performances Fridays and Saturdays and matinees Saturdays and Sundays.

• Next generation of theater: Registration is open now for the Peacock Players (peacockplayers.org) April vacation camp, which will run Monday, April 24, through Friday, April 28, at the Peacock Players space in downtown Nashua, 14 Court St. The camp runs daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for grades 1 through 8; tuition costs $350.