May 2020 Magazine

NOW MAGAZINE • MAY 2020

Credit: Sydney Bilodeau

SEASON SPONSORS

Credit: PizzutiPhotography.com

JOIN US IN WELCOMING OUR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ED GARSIDE, President of the Board of Trustees

Credit: Sydney Bilodeau

STAY CONNECTED TO WHAT MATTERS MOST PATRICIA LYNCH, Executive Director For over 140 years, The Music Hall has withstood the test of time,

On behalf of the Board of

sometimes narrowly, sometimes only just barely, but still the

Directors, I am pleased to

majestic theater has persevered, thanks to the people who make up

announce that the Board

the organization—all of you, all of us, and the memories of those

has unanimously elected

who realized laughing, thinking, and experiencing things together

Tina Sawtelle as the next

are what makes for a rich life. A building is just bricks and mortar

Executive Director of The Music Hall effective July 1, Credit: Sydney Bilodeau

2020. The Board formed

without the souls that occupy it. We look forward to communing with you in our shared spaces soon.

a Search Task Force to manage the process of

In looking ahead, we will welcome Tina Sawtelle as the new Executive Director on

selecting a new Executive Director with the

July 1 (more on that exciting news in the sidebar). While I’ll be pursuing other interests, I

help of executive recruiter Margaret Genovese

am looking forward to watching the next chapter of The Music Hall’s story alongside all

from Genovese Vanderhoof & Associates. After

of you.

a nationwide search, we narrowed the field down to seven highly qualified candidates including our own internal candidates. The members of the Task Force were very proud to hear the many accolades from candidates around the country praising the quality of our

At the time of printing, we could not publish a calendar of events with certainty. I encourage you to check our website for the latest information and subscribe to our enews if you haven’t already. Although we’re temporarily closed, we’re working away as we tackle the logistics of rescheduling dozens of events and booking new ones for this summer and next season. Don’t worry, soon our calendar will be full again!

diverse programming and our beautiful historic

We are constantly inspired by the work of our sponsors and fellow community

hall.

members, who are raising awareness and collecting donations for causes near and dear

After much deliberation, the Search Task Force selected Tina Sawtelle as the best candidate to lead us through these unprecedented times, keep us financially stable, provide a new vision, and continue current successes. We look forward to seeing you all again at the theater as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Please join me in supporting Tina Sawtelle as our next Executive Director. She has big shoes to fill, as we will miss Patricia Lynch’s vision, inspiration, and leadership. Until July 1,

to us. When the Kitchen Tour moved to this fall, The Music Hall made heartwarming care packages for local hospitals with booties and gloves usually worn by patrons walking through kitchens and houses. This year, we’re hoping to collect twice as much food and funds for Gather’s Meals 4 Kids program at our sixth annual Fill the Hall event on Saturday, June 27. If you want to help before then, visit GatherNH.org or our website for ways to contribute to this critical organization.

Even with all of this, we are feeling the impact of this crisis along with everyone else.

Without shows, we have furloughed the part-time staff. The full-time staff has been working from home. A generous donor has stepped forward to match up to $50,000 in donations to help lessen the effects COVID-19 has had on The Music Hall. I hope you will consider donating to this emergency fund during this difficult time.

Patricia and I will be working on transitioning

All of this will only make coming together sweeter. I know I can speak for the whole

the leadership role to Tina. I very much look

staff in saying we are eager to see you in the theater soon! Thank you for your continued

forward to great things in the coming season!

support of arts and culture. Your home away from home will be here when you’re ready

Thanks for all of your support and stay safe!

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Credit: David J. Murray, ClearEyePhoto.com

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to return to it. Together we’ll see this through. The arts will sustain and uplift us, and their importance is ever-more present during this time.

NEW SHOWS ON SALE!

Be the first to know about Just Announced shows!

Sign up for enews at TheMusicHall.org HILARITY

BRIAN REGAN

Fri., July 10 & Sat., July 11 • 8pm • Historic Theater • $49; $59

Brian Regan is one of the best comedians performing today. His comedy is big enough for everyone, sharp enough for you, and keeps audiences coming back time and again.

HILARITY SERIES SPONSORS:

THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE AT THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS

THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE AT THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS

IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS THE MUSICAL December 2020 • Historic Theater

Back by popular demand, the Ogunquit Playhouse’s production of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas returns to The Music Hall this holiday season.

Packed full of dazzling dance numbers, iconic songs such as “Happy Holidays,” “Sisters,” “Blue Skies,” and the beloved title song, as well as actors straight from Broadway, you aren’t going to want to miss this “holiday card come to life.”

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS Get early bird discounts for the previews, opening night, and mid-week performances. Promotion ends July 25. Full details at TheMusicHall.org.

• 10% off for Friend level (save up to $9.90/ticket) • 20% off for Advocate-Patron level (save up to $19.80/ticket) • 30% off for Backer-Stakeholder level (save up to $29.70/ticket)

WILDCARD

THE LONGEST WAVE

Thu., June 11 • 7pm Historic Theater • $15 GA

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger travels the globe with legendary windsurfer and pioneering waterman Robby Naish, a 26-time world champion whose quest to master the world’s longest waves unexpectedly reveals his vulnerabilities as a competitor, mentor, and father.

A LIFE OF ENDLESS SUMMERS: WILDCARD

THE BRUCE BROWN STORY

Fri., June 19 • 7pm Historic Theater • $15 GA

The year is 1962, Bruce Brown, an ambitious young filmmaker had an idea for a new project— The Endless Summer. The concept: follow the summer season around the world with two surfers on a quest for the perfect wave.

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RESCHEDULED EVENTS HILARITY SERIES SPONSORS:

HILARITY

INTIMATELY YOURS SERIES SPONSORS:

WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY

INTIMATELY YOURS

MELISSA ETHERIDGE: 2020 TOUR

Wed., August 26 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater • $38; $45; $59

Wed., September 9 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater • $55; $84; $105

EVENING SPONSORS:

EVENING SPONSORS:

HILARITY

Beswick Engineering; Carpe Diem Coffee Roasting Company; Leddy Group

LEWIS BLACK: IT GETS BETTER EVERY DAY TOUR

29TH ANNUAL

Avery Insurance; Clear Eye Photo; Harbour Women's Health; Troiano Wealth Advisory Group

KITCHEN TOUR: NEW CASTLE

Credit: GregWestPhotography.com

Fri., September 11 • 8pm • Historic Theater • $58; $69

Sun., September 27 • 10am-4pm • $28 members; $30 non-members; $33 day-of

EVENING SPONSORS:

KITCHEN TOUR ANNUAL SPONSOR:

HILARITY

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Be the first to know about our rescheduled events!

Sign up for enews at TheMusicHall.org

Harbour Women’s Health

JUSTIN WILLMAN: MAGIC IN REAL LIFE TOUR

PREMIERE SPONSOR:

JOSH TURNER

Sun., September 27 • 7pm • Historic Theater • $36; VIP $86

INTIMATELY YOURS

EVENING SPONSORS:

EVENING SPONSORS: Clear Eye Photo; Daystar, Inc.; TD Bank; TMS Architects

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Digital Prospectors

Sat., October 24 • 8pm • Historic Theater • $55; $65; $78

RESCHEDULED EVENTS HILARITY SERIES SPONSORS:

Be the first to know about our rescheduled events!

Sign up for enews at TheMusicHall.org LIVE AT THE LOFT SERIES SPONSORS:

INTIMATELY YOURS SERIES SPONSORS:

Live Free Print & Frame

INTIMATELY YOURS

ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO: REMAIN IN LIGHT

INTIMATELY YOURS

THE TALLEST MAN ON EARTH

Sat., January 23, 2021 • 8pm • Historic Theater • $48; $62

Sun., March 7, 2021 • 7pm • Historic Theater • $35; $42

EVENING SPONSORS: Clear Eye Photo; Churchill’s Garden Center

EVENING SPONSORS: Clear Eye Photo; The Friendly Toast PRESENTING CINEMA SPONSOR:

FILM CLUB SERIES SPONSOR: Solari Salon & Spa

WILDCARD SERIES SPONSORS: Cocked Hat Ventures; The Hippo; RAM Printing FILM CLUB

TO DIE FOR (1995) Tue., May 19 • 7pm • Loft • $15 GA BADLANDS (1973) Tue., June 16 • 7pm • Loft • $15 GA BODY HEAT (1981) Tue., July 21 • 7pm • Loft • $15 GA THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS

THE MOTH MAINSTAGE

WILDCARD

Sat., March 20, 2021 • 8pm • Historic Theater • $48; $55

WOMEN’S ADVENTURE FILM TOUR

Thu., May 28 • 7pm • Historic Theater • $15 GA

EVENING SPONSORS:

RENTAL PARTNERS

The Friendly Toast; The Hilton Garden Inn and Homewood Suites; Riverworks Printing; Petersen Engineering

Bottomline Technologies presents TALENT SMASH Thu., June 4 • 5pm • Loft

DSP Shows WAILIN’ JENNYS Fri., November 13 • 7:30pm • Historic Theater

HILARITY

LIVE AT THE LOFT

Sat., August 29 • 7pm & 9pm Loft • $32

Thu., October 8 • 7:30pm Loft • $16

ROY WOOD JR.

ALEX CUBA

HILARITY

HILARITY

Sat., December 12 • 8pm Loft • $26

Sat., April 17, 2021 • 8pm Loft • $18

HARI KONDABOLU

STEVEN ROGERS

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COMMUNITY

Visit TheMusicHall.org/Blog for more behind-the-scenes info!

Needed Items Include: Canned Diced Tomatoes Canned Black Beans Canned Kidney Beans Squeeze Jelly (low sugar) Peanut Butter (16-18oz) Snacks:

No child should dread summer vacation because they are unsure where their next meal is coming from. Now more than ever, those most vulnerable in our community need our help! On June 27 from 9am - 3pm, we’ll be accepting donations of food and other nonperishable items at

• Granola Bars

the Historic Theater (at least that’s the plan as of right now). Volunteers will be assisting with

• Peanut Butter Crackers

curbside drop-off, but the real magic – as always – happens inside the theater.

• 6-pack Raisins

This is our sixth year partnering with the good folks at Gather who have been providing

• Fruit Snacks

emergency food aid to the Seacoast region for over 200 years. Their mission has never been more

Condiments: • Mayo • Mustard • Ketchup

important than right now. More than 600 children throughout the Seacoast from Rochester to Seabrook participate in the Meals 4 Kids (M4K) each week throughout the summer. M4K participation rates are twice the national average for children’s hunger-relief programs, and we expect participation rates to grow this year as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the greatest sights is a bustling theater with dozens of volunteers lining the rows with

Pancake Mix (32oz box)

bags of food and kiddos peeking out behind a fort of banana boxes for a much deserved break.

Cereal

It’s the groups representing schools, businesses, neighborhoods, and organizations taking time

Oatmeal Canned Tuna Personal Care: • Toilet Paper • Shampoo

out of their weekend to help their community. The familiar faces of families who return year after year to help out, cementing the need and belief in this annual food drive.

We’re challenging ourselves and you, our fellow community members, to fill The Music Hall twice with donations of food. Bring a bag (or two!) of nonperishables and drop it on a seat in the theater. Don’t forget to snap a pic of your contribution! If you don’t have time to raid the pantry or run to the store, you can donate right inside the lobby; the money will go directly to Gather to

• Oral Care

get the things they need. If you can’t make it, you can donate from the comfort of your home. If

• Bar Soap

you don’t want to wait until June, you can donate now at GatherNH.org and tag your donation

• Dish Soap Juice Boxes (100% Juice) Gluten-free items Shelf Stable Milk & Milk Alternatives

Thank you to our Corporate Partners 6

Let’s Fill The Hall (Twice)

Credit: David J. Murray/ClearEyePhoto.com

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Fill the Hall 2020.

A special shout out to Service Credit Union for underwriting Fill the Hall this year. Their support is essential to making sure that all food and monies collected go to the people who need it and that the event continues to be a success.

COMMUNITY Membership Makes Our World Go Round With your support, The Music Hall brings national and international artists and scholars to the region who offer experiences that enlighten and entertain. By providing 52 weeks of diverse programming each year, The Music Hall contributes to the vitality of our community and engages nearly 130,000 patrons in the arts and learning. Included in those numbers are nearly 10,000 students, elementary-age children from more than 80 schools and 30 homeschool groups, as well as at-risk teens. You make it possible. You, our members, patrons, staff, volunteers, and sponsors. Thank you for your generosity.

If you’re not yet a member, if you’re considering an upgrade, or if you’ve let your membership lapse, now is the time to be part of the family. We can see a strong future for The Music Hall once we navigate these rough seas. Please be part of our journey!

JOIN THE MUSIC HALL FAMILY! Tax-deductible annual memberships start at just $50 for the entire household.

Join today at TheMusicHall.org!

Become a New Member or Upgrade Your Membership in the Month Of May! Have Twice the Impact We have a match—if you upgrade or become a new member in May, a generous donor is willing to match up to $50,000 in donations. See the sidebar for further details!

Be Entered in One of Our Weekly Membership Drawings and Win: • A pair of tickets to the Kitchen Tour on Sunday, September 27 • A pair of tickets (Gold level seating) to two Met at The Music Hall HD Broadcast shows of your choosing during the 2020-2021 season • A Telluride by the Sea Weekend Pass • A holiday package including four center orchestra seats for Opening Night of Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. BONUS: Special invite to the post-show opening night party with the cast.

Join the Club Get the most out of our Music Hall community! Join fellow bibliophiles for a moderated discussion of selected literature at Book Club. Gain insight and meet favorite authors at Writers on a New England Stage receptions. Gather with other arts supporters and discover new places around the Seacoast at lively Director’s Club events throughout the year. We’ve added a new benefit for Director’s Club members; learn more about Early Boarding at TheMusicHall.org/ earlyboarding.

Discounts for Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Get early bird discounts for the previews, opening night, and mid-week performances.

Promotion ends July 25. Full details at TheMusicHall.org.

• 10% off for Friend level (save up to $9.90/ticket) • 20% off for Advocate-Patron level (save up to $19.80/ticket) • 30% off for Backer-Stakeholder level (save up to $29.70/ticket)

Visit TheMusicHall.org/Blog for more behind-the-scenes info!

Generous Match Launches Fund The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They inspire us, they bring us joy, they help us to grow and express ourselves, and they build bridges. The coronavirus has had a devastating impact on the nonprofit arts sector, a $166 billion industry, and we are sure to feel the effects for years.

We have an opportunity. A generous donor has stepped forward, willing to match up to $50,000 in donations to help mitigate the effects this pandemic has on The Music Hall. This support will be essential, as more than 70% of our annual operating budget of $5 million is what’s known as “earned income.”

That’s income from tickets, concessions, and rentals of our space, which we earn by offering an average of 50 events a month, bringing thousands of patrons to downtown Portsmouth. That source of income has been cut, but our expenses have not been eliminated. We ask that you consider making a gift now, as your support, doubled by this matching donation, will be essential to our future.

Beyond stabilizing the health of this cultural institution, supporting The Music Hall is a substantive step in the effort to ensure stability for our region during this difficult time. When you support The Music Hall, you support our artists, employees, and vendors, as well as local restaurants, shops, and more. Your dollar is recycled repeatedly throughout the community.

There’s nothing more exciting for us than the moment before an artist takes the stage. The lights dim and the crowd quiets down. We miss the crowds. We miss you! This will end at some point, and we need The Music Hall to be there when it does.

Donate at TheMusicHall.org/donate to support The Music Hall during the COVID-19 crisis and beyond.

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HERE & NOW

Visit TheMusicHall.org/Blog for more behind-the-scenes info!

We’re All In This Together Don’t despair—there is always a way to help! If you are able, consider donating to those in need or buying gift certificates from your favorite restaurants and retailers. And if funds are a little tight, share posts on social media (we’ve been sharing lots of good news on our social media channels, if you need some ideas) to spread goodwill. Below are some stellar examples of helpful folks: • Our friends over at PARMA Recordings have started an artists’ relief fund for working musicians around the world.

• Our Innovation + Leadership Presenting Sponsor, Alnoba, opened up their beautiful property for visitors to explore instead of being stuck indoors. Reserve your spot today!

• Writers on a New England Stage Series Sponsor, Tuscan Market is donating 25% of all gift cards sold to its staff who rely on gratuities and are unable to work.

• Souvenir Cup Sponsor Atlantic Grill is waiving room rental fees for all remaining 2020 dates for wedding-related events affected by COVID-19.

• Shout out to our friends at AC Hotels by Marriott Portsmouth Downtown Waterfront for their great work providing meals to Cross Roads House!

• The Music Hall works closely with many local restaurants. Flip through that Playbill you keep on the coffee table for ideas and contact information and order yourself a treat for curbside pick-up.

Credit: David J. Murray/ClearEyePhoto.com

Check out our blog for more ideas, information, and links so you can give back right away.

NHCF: Our Community Foundation The Music Hall has long had a close relationship with the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, but things blossomed this spring when we were officially welcomed into the “2019 Cohort of Grantees.” The Music Hall received this coveted recognition because the Piscataqua Region Advisory Board of the NHCF awarded us a prestigious three-year, $60,000 grant through the Community Grants Program, an initiative to provide multi-year operating support to nonprofits working all over New Hampshire.

The security and generosity of this award is reassuring, and will allow us to plan for strategic outlays in the coming years as we enter a leadership transition. As another example of their consideration, to ease cash flow concerns caused by the COVID-19 crisis, the NHCF has offered to make these grants funds available to The Music Hall and all grantees immediately. The NHCF’s commitment will play a key role in ensuring that The Music Hall is able to contribute to the vitality of the Seacoast in the long-term.

The NHCF is New Hampshire’s statewide community foundation, founded in 1962 by and for the people of New Hampshire. The Foundation manages a growing collection of nearly 2,000 funds created by generous individuals, families and businesses, and awards nearly $40 million in grants and more than $6 million in scholarships every year. For more information, visit NHCF.org.

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Bruce Hornsby, March 2020 Credit: David J. Murray/ClearEyePhoto.com

SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT Our Corporate Partners Spread Hope There’s a lot of uncertainty out there but at The Music Hall we are feeling hopeful. Artists are excited to work with us to reschedule. You, our members, are renewing your memberships in anticipation of a busy fall season. And our corporate sponsors, the most steadfast group of supporters, are already committing their support for 2020-21.

Each year, we rely on the support of 80 corporate partners, some of whom have been supporting The Music Hall for almost 20 years, to provide the critical funding that keeps our programs available and accessible. Thanks to their generosity, thousands of individuals from across the region are able to attend our School Days Series of matinees for young people, experience artist access opportunities for middle and high school students as well as college students, and participate in literary programs and panel discussions for learners of all ages.

Sponsor funds also underwrite the distribution of complimentary tickets to school groups and an array of community partners for programs that range from films to live performances.

We are grateful to have such committed friends. Through the generosity of our community, The Music Hall has weathered many storms over its 140+ years. And with your help, we will weather this one too. As we wait to reopen our doors to the public, we are working on programming for the future. When it’s time to welcome everyone back, we will be ready with a full roster of artists, films, educational programs, and events. We thank our incredible sponsors—and you our members—for your contribution to this effort. We hope to see you all again soon.

Bobby McFerrin with Portsmouth Music and Arts Center students Credit: David J. Murray/ClearEyePhoto.com

proud supporters of the Music hall

bringing the arts home...

The ArTs Are The Answer to vibrant and prosperous communities where we treasure our heritage, celebrate our diversity and nurture our ingenuity.

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AT A GLANCE

B2W BOX OFFICE @ THE HISTORIC THEATER: 28 Chestnut Street

At the Historic Theater At the Loft

JUNE

JULY

SEPTEMBER

Rental Partner

Hilarity

Intimately Yours

Friday, July 10 & Saturday, July 11 • 8pm

Wednesday, September 9 • 7:30pm

Bottomline Technologies presents Talent Smash (NEW DATE)

Brian Regan

Thursday, June 4 • 5pm

Intimately Yours

Straight No Chaser

Live at the Loft

The Rad Trads

Thursday, July 16 • 8pm

Friday, June 5 • 8pm

Film Club

Body Heat (1981)

Live at the Loft

Amy Black

Tuesday, July 21 • 7pm

Saturday, June 6 • 8pm

Innovation + Leadership

Rental Partner

DSP Shows presents Gordon Lightfoot: 80 Years Strong Tour Tuesday, June 9 • 8pm

Sunday, September 27 • 7pm

Live at the Loft

Friday, July 31 • 8pm

Kevin Nealon

Teddy Thompson

AUGUST

Friday, June 12 • 8pm Film Club

Badlands (1973)

Live at the Loft

Tuesday, June 16 • 7pm

Nefesh Mountain

Saturday, August 1 • 8pm

Wildcard

A Life of Endless Summers: The Bruce Brown Story

Hilarity

Whose Live Anyway? (NEW DATE)

Friday, June 19 • 7pm

Wednesday, August 26 • 7:30pm

Intimately Yours

Innovation + Leadership

Wednesday, June 24 & Thursday, June 25 • 8pm

Friday, June 26 • 8:30am

Fill The Hall

Saturday, June 27 • 9am - 3pm Live at the Loft

The Blue Ribbons

Saturday, June 27 • 8pm

Sunday, September 27 • 10am-4pm New Castle, NH

Writers in the Loft

Hilarity

CreativeMornings PKX

29th Annual Kitchen Tour (NEW DATE) Hilarity

Friday, July 24 • 8:30am

Thursday, June 11 • 7pm

Innovation + Leadership

Friday, September 11 • 8pm

Justin Willman: Magic in Real Life Tour (NEW DATE)

Thursday, July 30 • 7pm

The Longest Wave

The Mavericks

Hilarity

Lewis Black: It Gets Better Every Day Tour (NEW DATE)

CreativeMornings PKX Martha Ackmann

Wildcard

Melissa Etheridge: 2020 Tour (NEW DATE)

CreativeMornings PKX

Friday, August 28 • 8:30am Hilarity

Roy Wood Jr. (NEW DATE)

Saturday, August 29 • 7pm & 9pm

SEPTEMBER Intimately Yours

An Evening with They Might Be Giants Thursday, September 3 • 8pm THE OGUNQUIT PLAYHOUSE AT THE MUSIC HALL PRESENTS

OCTOBER Live at the Loft

Alex Cuba (NEW DATE)

Thursday, October 8 • 7:30pm Intimately Yours

Josh Turner (NEW DATE)

Saturday, October 24 • 8pm

NOVEMBER Rental Partner

DSP Shows: Wailin’ Jennys (NEW DATE) Friday, November 13 • 7:30pm

DECEMBER The Ogunquit Playhouse at The Music Hall presents

Irving Berlin's White Christmas the Musical December (dates TBD) Hilarity

Hari Kondabolu (NEW DATE)

Saturday, December 12 • 8pm

Back by popular demand— you aren’t going to want to miss this “holiday card come to life.”

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNTS Get early bird discounts for the previews, opening night, and mid-week performances. Promotion ends July 25. Full details at TheMusicHall.org.

DECEMBER 2020

• 10% off for Friend level (save up to $9.90/ticket) • 20% off for Advocate-Patron level (save up to $19.80/ticket) • 30% off for Backer-Stakeholder level (save up to $29.70/ticket) TheMusicHall.org

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PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY:

Friends of The Music Hall 28 Chestnut Street Portsmouth, NH 03801

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

PORTSMOUTH, NH PERMIT NO. 202

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 5

MAY 2020

MELISSA ETHERIDGE 9/9

More rescheduled shows on pgs 4-5

NEW SHOWS & EVENTS ARE ADDED ALL THE TIME! Sign up for enews at TheMusicHall.org Be the first to know about: Just Announced shows • Last-minute schedule changes • Special offers for our subscribers!