PORTSMOUTH Summer@The Music Hall it's three months chock-full of live and on-screen offerings at the landmark Victorian theater in downtown Portsmouth.
According to Chris Curtis, film and outreach coordinator, "Summer has just gotten cooler as we expand our summer programming at The Music Hall. Long the home of the beloved SummerFilm, we'll also be offering some of the live on stage programming we're so well known for year round, such as Intimately Yours concerts for the best concert experience in New England hot pop/jazz trumpeter Chris Botti on Tuesday, June 2; and a sizzling summer salsa dance party with Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Friday, June 26. In addition, we're bringing the Maine International Film Festival to Portsmouth for a weekend of great cinema and conversation at MIFF@The Music Hall July 17-19. As always, we'll be conducting our Historic Tours of our hall. Also new this summer, our Founders Lobby Lounge will be open late Thursday-Saturday nights. It's all presented in The Music Hall's air-conditioned restored theater. It's the place to be all summer long! Stay cool!"
About SummerFilm '09
Friday, May 29 Saturday, Sept. 5
A comprehensive three-month calendar featuring dozens of cool films in the hot summer weeks. The very best from independent and foreign cinema to the latest from Hollywood, with a unique Wednesday genre series running right down the middle this year:
"Scope! Must be seen on the BIG screen," which will include films such as the original "King Kong," "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Gone with the Wind." It's all presented in The Music Hall's air-conditioned restored historic auditorium on our enormous screen in Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Summer goes by fast no film will show more than three days be quick or you'll miss it. All films start at 7:30 to allow for dining in Seacoast restaurants.
SummerFilm tickets are $8.50 and are on sale starting Saturday, May 23 at The Music Hall box office, 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, by phone at 436-2400, or online at www.themusichall.org. Golden Single Ticket is $150 and provides admission to all SummerFilms (HD broadcast series excluded), one fountain drink, one medium popcorn.
Golden Double Ticket is $300 and provides admission for two to all SummerFilms (HD broadcast series excluded), two fountain drinks, one large popcorn.
About Intimately Yours: Chris Botti
Tuesday, June 2, 7:30 p.m.
This acclaimed Grammy Award-winning trumpeter with the golden sound has worked with an unparalleled group of pop, jazz and classical superstars ranging from Sting to Paul Simon and Aretha Franklin to Natalie Merchant. A veteran of both the contemporary jazz world and the mainstream pop studio scene, Botti is ranked as one of the world's top selling instrumentalists with 10 solo albums. Film critic Rex Reed has called him "the sexiest trumpeter since Chet Baker." He has earned both critical acclaim and mainstream appreciation for his singular combination of lush atmospheres and thoughtful improvisations.
About Rain: A Tribute to The Beatles
Thursday, June 11, 7:30 p.m.
From the early days on The Ed Sullivan Show through the Sgt. Pepper era to the Abbey Road years, Rain's performance captures it all flawlessly in a multi-media, multi-dimensional event that features the full range of The Beatles discography live onstage (including songs The Beatles never performed outside the studio), historical video footage from the '60s, incredible costumes and scene changes. An experience not to be missed.
About the National Theatre of London HD Broadcast Series
Premier HD Broadcast Phedre starring Helen Mirren
Thursday, June 25, 7 p.m.
In our new international partnership, the world's leading theater producers of Shakespeare, international classic drama and contemporary playwrights the National Theatre of London is offering an exciting new initiative: broadcasting live performances of plays in high definition onto cinema screens worldwide. Broadcasts will also feature behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with artists.
About Intimately Yours: Spanish Harlem Orchestra
Friday, June 26, 8 p.m.
The renowned Grammy Award-winning ambassadors of NYC Classic Latin Salsa Sound tour behind their latest Grammy nominated CD, "United We Swing." According to Patricia Lynch, executive director of The Music Hall, "We've listened to our patrons and they want to dance! So, we'll be taking out our front rows and putting in our dance floor just for this evening. It's general admission you can choose get hot on the dance floor, or stay cool in the balcony, surveying the scene!"
Tickets for Chris Botti, "Rain," Spanish Harlem Orchestra and the National Theatre of London HD Broadcast Series are on sale now and can be purchased at The Music Hall box office at 28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth, by phone at 436-2400, or online at www.themusichall.org.
About MIFF@The Music Hall
The Maine International Film Festival in Portsmouth
Eight films. Seminars. Guests. Summer fun.
Friday, July 17 Sunday, July 19
Original, smart, deep. It's the Maine International Film Festival a rare jewel in the world of American film festivals. For 12 years, The Maine International Film Festival has brought its vision of film and culture to as wide an audience as possible. MIFF@The Music Hall will bring unique and great films and filmmakers to an appreciative, intelligent, sympatico audience in Portsmouth in this exciting new partnership.
Ticket information:
MIFF Festival and Weekend Passes on sale now.
MIFF individual tickets on sale to all June 27.
Source: http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090512-ENTERTAIN-905120308
