Category: Visual Arts

Palace Theatre presents The British Rock Experience

The Palace Theatre in Manchester is ready to welcome you back with free tickets to its next show, a theatrical musical paying tribute to British rock ’n’ roll from the ’60s through today. The British Rock Experience, a production from Palace Artistic Director Carl Rajotte and the second show of the Citizens Bank 2020-2021 Performing Arts Series, began last week and will continue every Thursday through Sunday through Nov. 14.
“We had the idea of making tickets free … so that people could have a chance to come out and have that firsthand experience to feel safe here,” said Palace Theatre marketing coordinator Caroline Eby, who’s also performing in the show as one of the dancers.
Rajotte said the two-act production combines his love of British rock with elements of fantasy and steampunk, featuring an original story interspersed with dozens of classic songs. The nearly hour-long first act is composed entirely of hits from The Beatles’ catalog, with four singers — two male and two female — who alternate between lead and backup vocals.
“For the first act, I had the idea of four children going up into an attic and exploring it, where they find things like old records, a record player and a video camera … and then the attic kind of comes to life in front of them,” he said. “You’ll probably fall in love with the singers right away, but then each of the four young performers are just as interesting, because they all have their own plotlines to follow throughout the show.”
The second act, Rajotte said, features live professional dancers performing to the music of other rock legends and contemporary artists from across the pond, like The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Elton John, Bonnie Tyler, David Bowie, Queen, The Police, Adele and The Kinks. The same four singers embark on a journey with the children from the first act, who have now come of age and are exploring aspects of adulthood. Each of them undergoes frequent steampunk-themed costume changes.
“The dancers start off in an enchanted forest, then fly into the clouds and land in a stylized, futuristic-looking London,” Rajotte said. “At the very last moment the dancers wave and run off the stage and the kids from the attic come back on holding albums, so it represents basically either a dream or their imagination.”
Members of the live band are placed eight feet above the singers and dancers to allow for proper social distancing, according to Eby. The dancers and musicians are also masked.
More than 45 songs spanning multiple eras are performed throughout the show, each one carefully chosen by Rajotte to fit within its overall storyline.
“I had this story in my mind first of these four kids … growing up into teens and adults, and then I tried to find songs to match what would be going on in that time of their lives,” he said.
Because the Palace Theatre is still operating at less than 50 percent capacity, with every other row left unoccupied, Eby said attendees are encouraged to reserve their tickets in advance. Up to eight tickets are available per reservation, on a first-come, first-served basis.

The British Rock Experience
Where: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester
When: Thursdays and Fridays, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., Saturdays, 2 to 4 p.m. and 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., and Sundays, noon to 2 p.m., now through Nov. 14
Cost: Free admission (advance reservations are recommended)
More info: Visit palacetheatre.org or call the box office at 668-5588

Exhibits

• “MOSTLY ANIMALS – SOME PEOPLE” Featuring work by New Hampshire Art Association artist Jef Steingrebe. NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. On view now through Nov. 1. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., but are subject to change. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “YOUR LEADER COULD BE A TYRANT, HOW TO TELL” Art exhibit at 3S Artspace, 319 Vaughan St., Portsmouth. On view now through Nov. 1. Gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Visit 3sarts.org.

• “SMALL WORKS – BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery’s annual holiday exhibit featuring small works of art in various media, priced affordably for gift buying. Virtual. Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

Tours
• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour.

Theater

Show
• NUNSENSE The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Oct. 25 through Nov. 8, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $48. Visit seacoastrep.org.

• THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY The Players’ Ring Theatre presents. 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth. Oct. 23 through Nov. 1, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $18 to $24. Visit playersring.org.

• THE NUTCRACKER Southern New Hampshire Dance Theater presents. Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Thurs., Nov. 19, and Fri., Nov. 20, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Nov. 21, 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and Sun., Nov. 22, noon and 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults and $25 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

Classical

• “POPS FOR PIPES IX” Presented by the First Music Concert Series, featuring organist Brink Bush. The First Church, 1 Concord St., Nashua. Sun., Nov. 8, 3 p.m. Visit first-music.org.

Books

• JEFF KINNEY VISIT The bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, will make two stops in New Hampshire during his book tour for the series’ 15th title, The Deep End. On Thursday, Nov. 12, at Lincoln Street Elementary School (25 Lincoln St., Exeter) and Friday, Nov. 13, at Rundlett Middle School (144 South St., Concord), from 5 to 7 p.m., Kinney will host Drive-Thru Pool Parties with activities like a lifeguard dunk tank, a tiki hut and an underwater venture. He will also give signed copies of the book to fans using a 6-foot pool skimmer. Tickets cost $14.99. Visit waterstreetbooks.com and gibsonsbookstore.com.

Writing

• CALL FOR BLACK WRITERS New Hampshire-based New World Theatre announces an open call to Black writers to submit monologues that reflect their experience of living while black, to be published in an anthology titled “08:46.” The deadline for submissions is Jan. 1. Visit newworldtheatre.org/08m46s.

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

• ArtWeek continues: City Arts Nashua’s ArtWalk Weekend has been reimagined as ArtWeek, with virtual programming on social media and local television going on now through Sunday, Oct. 25. It features around 30 Nashua-area artists and performers through a series of spotlights on social media and video segments, professionally filmed in partnership with Access Nashua Community Television, in which artists give tours of their studios, show their artistic processes and provide an in-depth look at some of their works of art. The videos are being broadcasted on Access Nashua (TV channel 96, see accessnashua.org for programming times) and City Arts Nashua’s YouTube channel. “You can learn about the artists and see the work they’re creating [and hear about] how the pandemic has impacted them and how you can support them,” City Arts Nashua project manager Wendy Fisher told the Hippo earlier this month. “It’s just like meeting them in person, except instead of walking through downtown Nashua you tune in [virtually].” Videos and photos submitted by young artists and performers showcasing their talents and pandemic-era creations are also being featured. There is a scavenger hunt with clues posted on social media where kids can find art kits hidden around Nashua, then watch a YouTube video with instructions and inspiration for projects they can do with the art kits. On Saturday, Oct. 24, and Sunday, Oct. 25, Access Nashua will air the presentation of the Meri Goyette Arts Awards, which was recorded over the summer. The awards recognize three non-artist community members who have made outstanding contributions to the arts. Visit cityartsnashua.org.

• Virtual plays: Manchester-based theater company Theatre Kapow presents Natural Shocks, the second production in a series of three virtual one-person plays, Oct. 23 through Oct. 25, with livestream showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. The play by Lauren Gunderson is based on the famous “To be or not to be” monologue from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and follows a woman alone in her basement riding out a tornado as she reflects on other threats in her life. Rachael Longo performs, and Wanda Strukus directs. The virtual series is part of Theatre Kapow’s 13th season, titled “We Can Get Through This,” and explores themes like isolation, resilience, courage and conviction. The third and final play, A Tempest Prayer by Peter Josephson, will run Nov. 20 through Nov. 22 and is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest for today’s times. The plays are being shot in a small studio space in Manchester and are full theater productions with sets, costumes, props, lighting design and sound effects. “It’s still theater, not film,” Theatre Kapow artistic director Matt Cahoon told the Hippo in September. “If people were here watching [in the studio], it would look like a regular live theater performance.” Tickets cost $10 per streaming device. Ticket holders will be sent the link to watch the show. Visit tkapow.com.

• Music and poetry: The Poetry Society of New Hampshire has three virtual events coming up. Poet, essayist and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib will do a reading on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m. New England musicians Wendy Keith, Tara Greenblatt and Libby Kirkpatrick will present a night of music and discussion about writing lyrics on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. Poet Jennifer Militello will give a talk, “Language as Immediacy Instrument and Mystery Machine: Images/Metaphor/Music,” on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m. Events will be held over Zoom. Visit poetrysocietynh.wordpress.com or email [email protected].

• Supporting youth arts: The Currier Museum of Art in Manchester has established a new fund to support art education for young people, according to the museum website. The Tomie dePaola Art Education Fund honors the late New Hampshire children’s author and illustrator, who died in March at the age of 85. Tomie dePaola wrote and illustrated more than 270 children’s books during his 50-plus-year career, including the popular Strega Nona series, and nearly 25 million copies of his books have been sold worldwide. The museum featured his illustrations in a special exhibition in 2018. “Art is an important avenue of discovery and growth, as Tomie himself found,” the website said. “Tomie had a great affinity for bringing art to children of all backgrounds, a mission shared by the Currier Museum Art Center.” You can make a donation to the fund at currier.org.

Exhibits

• “POSSESSED” Six artists explore the ideas of possessions and obsessions through their personal relationships with things, both physical and conceptual. Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen. On view now through Nov. 1. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.

• “MANCHESTER’S URBAN PONDS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: A CELEBRATION OF THE MANCHESTER URBAN PONDS RESTORATION PROGRAM’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY Through its cleanup efforts, the Manchester Urban Ponds Restoration Program has helped restore the city’s ponds to their historic uses. The exhibit provides a look at the history of some of those ponds, including Crystal Lake, Dorrs Pond, Maxwell Pond, Nutts Pond, Pine Island Pond and Stevens Pond. State Theater Gallery at Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St., Manchester. On view through Nov. 28. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission costs $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 62 and up and college students, $4 for youth ages 12 through 18 and is free for kids under age 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum.

• “PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT” Exhibit features photography from the Civil Rights protests in the 1950s and 1960s. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. On view now. Museum hours are Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Monday through Wednesday. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and free for children under age 13. Reserve in advance online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “OPEN WORLD: VIDEO GAMES & CONTEMPORARY ART” Exhibit explores how contemporary artists have been influenced by the culture of video games, through paintings, sculpture, textiles, prints, drawings, animation, video games, video game modifications and game-based performances and interventions. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. On view now. Museum hours are Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Monday through Wednesday. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and free for children under age 13. Reserve in advance online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “SMALL WORKS – BIG IMPACT” Creative Ventures Gallery’s annual holiday exhibit featuring small works of art in various media, priced affordably for gift buying. Virtual. Nov. 1 through Dec. 31. Visit creativeventuresfineart.com or call 672-2500.

Tours
• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour.

Theater

Shows
• NUNSENSE The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Oct. 25 through Nov. 8, with showtimes on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $48. Visit seacoastrep.org.

• NATURAL SHOCKS Theatre KAPOW presents. Virtual, live stream. Oct. 23 through Oct. 25, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit tkapow.com.

• THE SAVANNAH SIPPING SOCIETY The Players’ Ring Theatre presents. 105 Marcy St., Portsmouth. Oct. 23 through Nov. 1, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $18 to $24. Visit playersring.org.

• THE BRITISH ROCK EXPERIENCE The Palace Theatre presents. 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Oct. 23 through Nov. 14, with showtimes on Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon and 5 p.m., with an additional show on Wed., Oct. 28, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $39 to $46 for adults, $30 for seniors age 60 and up and veterans and $25 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

Classical
• “POPS FOR PIPES IX” Presented by the First Music Concert Series, featuring organist Brink Bush. The First Church, 1 Concord St., Nashua. Sun., Nov. 8, 3 p.m. Visit first-music.org.

Books

Discussions
• LANGUAGE AS IMMEDIACY INSTRUMENT AND MYSTERY MACHINE: IMAGES/METAPHOR/MUSIC A discussion with poet Jennifer Militello. Virtual, via Zoom. Tues., Oct. 27, 7 p.m. Visit poetrysocietynh.wordpress.com.

Poetry

• HANIF ABDURRAQIB Poet, essayist and critic reads. Virtual, via Zoom. Fri., Oct. 23, 7 p.m. Visit poetrysocietynh.wordpress.com.

• A NIGHT OF MUSIC AND LYRICS DISCUSSION Featuring New England musicians Wendy Keith, Tara Greenblatt and Libby Kirkpatrick. Virtual, via Zoom. Sat., Oct. 24, 7 p.m. Visit poetrysocietynh.wordpress.com.

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

• Floral art: Local artist Kevin Kintner has a pop-up exhibit of floral-themed paintings he has done during the pandemic, on view now through at least the end of October, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 814 Elm St. in Manchester. “The world had become full of anxiety and fear, and my first instinct was to paint those stressed-out emotions on canvas,” Kintner said in an email, “but it turned out what I needed to paint was escape. I wanted bright color and energetic light and joyous movement and something alive.” Call 682-0797.

• Authors online: The Toadstool Bookshops present a virtual author event with Julia Munemo on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 2 p.m. Munemo will discuss her new book The Book Keeper: A Memoir of Race, Love, and Legacy. The memoir is “equal parts love story, investigation, and racial reckoning” and recounts how Munemo “unravels and interrogates her whiteness, a shocking secret, and her family’s history,” according to a press release. The event is free and will be held over Zoom. Visit toadbooks.com/event/bookkeeper or call 352-8815.

Merrimack Public Library presents a virtual author event over Zoom with sports journalist Marty Gitlin on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6:30 p.m. Gitlin, who has covered baseball for nearly two decades, will discuss his new book The Ultimate Boston Red Sox Time Machine Book, a history of the baseball team’s greatest and most fascinating players, events and moments. He will tell stories, show photos and game highlights, share trivia and answer questions. Registration is required. Visit merrimacklibrary.org or call 424-5021.

The Pembroke Historical Society and the Pembroke Town Library present a virtual author visit with Maine author Leslie Lambert Rounds on Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. Lambert Rounds will discuss her book I Have Struck Mrs. Cochran with a Stake: Sleepwalking, Insanity, and the Trial of Abraham Prescott, which comes out on Oct. 20. The book looks at the 1833 Pembroke murder of Sally Cochran and the trial of Abraham Prescott. The event will be held on the platform WebEx Meetings. Registration is required. Visit pembroke-nh.com/library or call 485-7851.

• Live theater: Don’t miss the final performances of The Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) youth theater’s Beauty and the Beast Jr.on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Oct. 17, at noon. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for children. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

The Seacoast Repertory Theatre (125 Bow St., Portsmouth) presents the musical comedy Nunsense from Thursday, Oct. 15, through Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 8. When a nun accidentally poisons and kills 52 of her sisters, she and the surviving sisters at the parish put on a variety show to raise funds for the burials. Showtimes are on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $30 to $48. Visit seacoastrep.org.

• Virtual travels: The 34th annual Omer T. Lassonde juried exhibition, presented virtually by the New Hampshire Art Association, is on view now through Friday, Oct. 16. It features works by NHAA members and non-members in a variety of media following this year’s theme, “Travels Near and Far.” The exhibit honors Omer T. Lassonde, who helped found NHAA in 1940 to exhibit the work of contemporary artists throughout the state. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

Exhibits

• “MOSTLY ANIMALS – SOME PEOPLE” Featuring work by New Hampshire Art Association artist Jef Steingrebe. NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. On view now through Nov. 1. Gallery hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m., but are subject to change. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “POSSESSED” Six artists explore the ideas of possessions and obsessions through their personal relationships with things, both physical and conceptual. Twiggs Gallery, 254 King St., Boscawen. On view now through Nov. 1. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Call 975-0015 or visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com.

• “MANCHESTER’S URBAN PONDS: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE: A CELEBRATION OF THE MANCHESTER URBAN PONDS RESTORATION PROGRAM’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY State Theater Gallery at Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St., Manchester. On view now through Nov. 28. Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission $8 for adults, $6 for ages 62 and up and college students, $4 for 12 through 18 and free for kids under 12. Call 622-7531 or visit manchesterhistoric.org.

• Crafts online: The Craftworkers’ Guild’s first-ever Virtual Harvest Fair is going on now through Oct. 12. The Guild has suspended its in-person events in Bedford until further notice and is inviting people to shop online. The virtual fair features work by more than 30 artisans and craftspeople, including seasonal decor, photography, fine art and prints, cards, gourmet treats, woodworking, fiber and fabric, sewn and knitted specialties, stained and fused glass art, mixed media and jewelry. “As the oldest craft-related organization in New Hampshire, it has been a challenge to take our historic shop online for the first time,” Carol Davis, president of the Craftworkers’ Guild, said in a press release. “We are excited to be able to share our new virtual shop with our friends and fans.” Items purchased at the virtual shop will be available for curbside pickup in Bedford daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., for the duration of the event. Visit craftworkersguild.org.

• Music in the gardens: Symphony New Hampshire will perform an outdoor concert featuring its String Quartets on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Beaver Brook Association’s Maple Hill Gardens (117 Ridge Road, Hollis). The gardens will open at 4 p.m., and the music will begin at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $15 per person, $25 per couple and $5 for children age 12 and under. Seats are limited. Purchase tickets online in advance at beaverbrook.org.

• Call for artist members: The New Hampshire Art Association’s fall jurying for new members will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25, and Monday, Oct. 26. The oldest statewide artist association in the state, NHAA provides many opportunities for New England artists to exhibit and sell their artwork throughout the year. Prospective members will drop off four original works of art in the same medium that “reflect the artist’s voice and are representative of their body of work,” according to the NHAA website. A jury of established NHAA artist members with backgrounds in a variety of media will review and judge the work. The jury looks for “maturity of artistic concept, mastery of the medium, composition, consistency of artistic concept and presentation,” the website said. Fill out an application, available on the website, and mail it, along with $25 for the application fee, to New Hampshire Art Association, 136 State St., Portsmouth, NH 03801, by Thursday, Oct. 22. Instructions for the drop-off will be emailed to you. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• Pandemic poetry reading: Gibson’s Bookstore presents a virtual reading event for COVID Spring: Granite State Pandemic Poems on Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. on Zoom, featuring 12 of the book’s poets. The poetry anthology, edited by New Hampshire Poet Laureate Alexandria Peary and published by Hobblebush Books, features original poems submitted by 54 New Hampshire writers. The poems “provide a thirty-day snapshot of what life was like in the Granite State in April of 2020” and explore topics like Covid-related “job loss, loneliness and love, masks, social distancing, surreal visitors, uncertainty, graduations deferred, grief, neighborly and less-than-neighborly acts, observing the beginning of the pandemic and making projections about the future, recalibrating or confirming what it means to be human, to be a resident of this region,” Peary said in the anthology’s introduction. Visit newhampshirepoetlaureate.blogspot.com to register and receive an email with the link to the Zoom event. The book can be purchased at Gibson’s and other local bookstores, Hobblebush Books (hobblebush.com), Small Press Distribution (spdbooks.org) and Amazon, and the publisher will donate $2 from every copy sold to the New Hampshire Food Bank to support New Hampshire residents impacted by the pandemic.