Known to most of the world as Lyle Lovett’s duet and back-up singer with his Large Band, Chicago born  Francine Reed solo brings the stage alive with gospel, Jazz, blues and R&B.  She’s appeared on stage with Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, Etta Jones and The Crusaders among others, and she has collaborated with Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and Delbert McClinton.  She’s a musical experience not to be missed.  Advance tickets $15, day of show tickets $20.  Performance at 8 pm, doors for seating open at 7:30 pm.  Contact the box office at 633-5159 or visit the website boothbayoperahouse.com for tickets and information.

CLICK HERE to hear Why I Don’t Know

CLICK HERE to hear One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show

Portland String Quartet
Tuesday, May 22 2012, 7:30pm

Coming together from musical training at Curtis, Eastman, Indiana, Juilliard, Oberlin, and San Francisco State College, the quartet members have played an important role in the artistic renaissance of the State of Maine, championing Maine and American composers both nationally and internationally. For over 40 years they have played together and for 20 years they served as the artists in residence at Colby College – join us as we welcome Paul Ross, Steve Kecskemethy, Ronald Lantz and Julia Adams back to the Opera House this spring.  Advance tickets $15, day of show $20.  Concert at 7:30 PM, doors for seating open at 7 pm.  Box office 633-5159.

86 Townsend Ave Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Tuesday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Online ticketing closes 4 pm the day prior to ticketed event

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Please support The Valley Voice by “LIKING” us on Facebook at the bottom of this post. Thank You!

A Night Out for All Ages with Mike Miclon

He has brought his high energy antics to some of the finest venues in the U.S. and beyond including The Kennedy Center, The WhiteHouse, The Keller Theater in Germany, and the FestaAmericana in Italy. He calls Maine home and for many years owned and ran the delightful Oddfellow Theater in Buckfield, ME where he nurtured many of the state’s most creative talents (including two of our favorites – Audiobody’s Tardy Brothers).  On this night Mike Miclon will bring his hilarious, inventive and deeply original physical comedy to our stage – expect a bit of Chaplin and Marx, juggling, sight gags, wacky characterizations and just maybe some of the funniest material you’ve seen on stage in a while.  This promises to be a fun night for all ages – come alone, grab a neighbor, bring the family, pick-up the grandparents along the way and come to this show.  Special advance purchase tickets on sale now – $5 for under age 18, $12 for adults.  Tickets are $15 for all ages on the day of the performance.

R&B with Francine Reed
Saturday, May 19 at 8 PM

Known to many as Lyle Lovett’s duet and back-up singer with his Large Band, Chicago-born Francine Reed brings the stage alive with gospel, jazz, blues and R&B. She’s appeared on stage with Miles Davis, Smokey Robinson, Etta James, and The Crusaders among others and has collaborated with Willie Nelson, Roy Orbison and Delbert McClinton.  She’s a musical experience not to be missed.  She comes to the Opera House tonight thanks to the urging of her band of Maine-based musicians.  Special purchase advance tickets $15, day of show tickets $20.  Call for yours today.

Portland String Quartet Spring Concert
Tuesday, May 22 at 7:30 PM

Each spring and fall we welcome the return of some of our favorite musicians, the members of the Portland String Quartet.  While they haven’t yet told us what their program will be, we are confident that it will be another memorable performance. Advance tickets $15, day of concert tickets $20.

Adults Only! Okay, kids always get the deals, and we have already deeply discounted the ticket price for young people to attend our May 11th performance with Mike Miclon.  Youth tickets are $5 in advance and adult tickets are $12 in advance.  Buy why should the kids have all the fun?  Take a chance, come to this show.  In return for your leap of faith, or leap towards fun, we offer our members and email subscribers a special discount.

ADULT TICKETS FOR THE MIKE MICLON SHOW will be $6 each, no limit, for anyone who stops by the box office or calls us and mentions this special.  It expires soon, so don’t wait.

Box Office open Tuesday-Friday from 10-4.  Phone in your tickets order to 207-633-5159.

Offer Expires: Friday, May 4 at 4 pm

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Please support The Valley Voice by “LIKING” us on Facebook at the bottom of this post. Thank You!

Mike Miclon

Friday, May 4 at 7:30 PM

A night of swing and big band music by the Maine-based Breakers Jazz Band led by Jim Stormont, being performed as a fundraiser for the Opera House.

Mike Miclon

Friday, May 11 at 7:30 PM

Inventive, original physical comedy.  Mike Miclon has brought his high energy antics to some of the finest venues across the U.S. & Europe including the Kennedy Center, The White House, the Keller Theater in Germany, the Victoria Jungfrau Hotel in Switzerland and the Festa Americana in Italy.  With everything from wacky characterization and sight gags to juggling and plenty of costumes, props and audience participation, Miclon’s performances provide “laugh til you cry” fun for all ages.

CLICK HERE to see a promo of Mike Miclon

To buy tickets, contact the Opera House box office at 633-5159, or visit us online at boothbayoperahouse.com.

86 Townsend Ave Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Please “Like” The Valley Voice on Facebook at the bottom of this page. Thank You for you support!

39th FISHERMEN’S FESTIVAL 2012!

If you are looking for a great community event, celebrating the time long tradition of local fishermen, then make you vacation plans to the Boothbay Harbor Region for the Fishermen’s Festival. This three day event is packed full of fun events for all ages to enjoy.

Times are Approximate and Events Subject To Change

Pot Buoy Decorating: By age groups: Young Children and Adults. Stop by The First, pick up your plain pot buoy, decorate it and drop it back off at the First in Boothbay Harbor. You’ll need to use your own supplies for the decorating. Buoys will be judged by the community downtown all weekend. Prizes awarded for different age groups. (Pot Buoys are $5.00). This year we will hold a live auction for the Pot Buoys just before the Tug of War to raise money for the Fisherman’s Memorial.

FRIDAY, APRIL 27TH 2:30 PM Scramble @ the Boothbay Country Club

18 holes with cart, prizes and award ceremony following.
$49.00 Guest & $30.00 members.
Contact the pro shop at 207-633-6085 to register.

5:00-9:00 P.M. – Pier One Hospitality Tent – Geary’s Festival Kickoff Party

7:00 PM Shrimp Princess Pageant Boothbay Region High School. Young ladies between the ages of 9 and 12 participate and show us their fine talents. Admission $5.00 adults and $2.00 children under 12. Tickets on sale at the door. Benefits the Fishermen’s Memorial Fund. 50/50 raffle with the winner announced during the pageant. Contact Brenda Blackman 633-6280 or 633-5149.
9:00P.M. – 1:00A.M. Grand Opening of Mine Oyster Night Club with The Jason Spooner Band out of Portland

9:00P.M. to 1:00A.M.- Jehovah and the Wholly Mackerels@ McSeagull’s

SATURDAY, APRIL 28TH

6:00 AM Pancake Breakfast Boothbay Region Lions club Hall, Lakeview Road, West Boothbay Harbor. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, home fries. Tickets sold at the door.

7:30 AM Coffee and Doughnuts On sale at the Waterfront during morning events by Project Graduation.

8:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. Events for the children in Fisherman’s Wharf parking lot. Lots of fun stuff for all ages. Kids Games, Face Painting, Bouncy House for Kids and other fun things as well. Jump Roping and Hula Hooping for all ages.

8:00 AM Cod Fish Relay Race Four person teams of the Boothbay Region High School run a course beginning at the public parking lot (adjacent to Fisherman’s Wharf Inn) dressed in foul weather gear, including hip boots and carrying some slippery fish. Contact Lesley and Brian Blethen at 633-0700. Maximum: 15 persons.

Immediately Following: Small Fry Cod Fish Relay Race Boothbay Region Elementary School Students grades 5 thru 8. Contact – Kathleen Pearce at 687-6677.

Approx. 8:15 AM – Bait Shoveling Race (coming back this year).
Contact Ryan Casey at 207-380-3166.

8:45 AM Trap Hauling Competition Race begins at the town dock, where competing lobster boats tie up. Captain and Stern man race down the ramp, untie their boats and speed toward the string of traps in the inner harbor to haul, bait, and reset their traps, return to the dock, and race up the ramp, trying to turn the fastest time. Contact Mark Carter 633-5762.

9:00-12:00 C.L.I.C.K. will be doing the Chalk Art on the Hill

9:00AM-4:00PM Arts and Crafts Show The Boothbay Harbor Fire Department, 11 Howard Street. Over 50 crafters participate in this fabulous craft show. Contact Vicki Huskins at 207- 633-2404.

9:00AM-12:00PM Blood Pressure Clinic Courtesy Boothbay Region Ambulance at the Boothbay Harbor Fire Department, 11 Howard Street.

9:45AM Lobster Crate Running Participants will demonstrate their agility in running along the tops of the lobster crates strung out between the two town docks. Contact Brandy Pottle at 633-2045 or 380-5169. Limit 15 contestants.

10:30AM Dory Bailing Teams of three will compete to bail their dory the fastest.

Contact Whitney Hurley @ 843-847-1278 or email:whurley14@gmail.com

11:15AM Tug of War competition at the Waterfront. Ten men, women or co-ed teams vie for championships. Lively, spirited competition. Get your teams together to do a business to business challenge. Contact Sarah Brewer at 380-7722 or Ashley Lowery at 633-3913.

Small Fry Tug of War competition immediately following (3rd and 4th graders) Contact Kathleen Pierce at 633-4194 or 687-6677.

1PM Bubble Gum Contest For the youngsters in the Fisherman’s Wharf Parking Lot.

11:00 to 4:00 FISH FRY HAS MOVED THIS YEAR! Fish Fry at Pier One (formerly Hawke’s) now Mine Oyster. All proceeds to benefit Fishermen’s Memorial Fund. Fish sandwiches served inside or outside until they are gone.

12:00-4:00 Dunk Tank on Pier One: If you want to be part of the Dunk Tank for a great cause contact Brenda Blackman 380-7770.

1:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M. Rock The Dock with D.J. on Pier One

1:00-3:00 Oyster Shucking contest at Mine Oyster (different categories for competition and everyone that enters gets a prize).

12:00P.M. to 3:00P.M. in the raw bar of Mine Oyster- Three oysters paired with tastes of great wines for $6.00.

1:00-9:00PM McSeagull’s- Geary’s Draft Beer specials, dinner & drinks @ McSeagull’s. Come on over and enjoy the food and get to mingle with the local lobsterman.

ALL DAY ALL NIGHT McSeagull’s Lobster Bake- all day- all night with additional seating under the big tent.

5:00PM Church Supper Congregational Church, Townsend Avenue, Boothbay Harbor. Two seating’s: 5pm and 6pm. Fabulous home cooking with great desserts. 633-4757.

9:00 to 1:00P.M. Mine Oyster Night Club the Jason Spooner Band.

SUNDAY, APRIL 29TH

9:00 a.m. BLOODY MARY MORNING BAR UNDER THE TENT AT MCSEAGULL’S!

12PM to 4PM Tent reopens for beer specials and outdoor fun

12PM Burnt Island Lighthouse Tour. Board the Novelty at Pier 8. Scenic cruise to Burnt Island to spend an hour touring the island and lighthouse buildings. The coordinator will talk about the lighthouse’s history and significance to our region. On the return, the Novelty will be watching the blessing of the fleet service in the inner harbor. Space limited to 75, tickets must be purchased in advance. Advance tickets available Monday-Friday at The First NA, Oak Street, Boothbay Harbor Maine. 207-633-5149 Adults $10, children (under 6) $5. NO REFUNDS. Remaining Tickets Available At 11:30 AM – Pier 8, First Come/First Served Basis.

1:30 PM Memorial Service Outdoor at the Fishermen’s Memorial on Atlantic Avenue (East Side of the Harbor across from Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church) in honor of area fishermen lost at sea. As the bells toll, the names of the lost fishermen will be read.

2:15 PM Blessing of the Fleet Blessing of the commercial fishing fleet. Fishing boats circle the inner harbor and pass the Fishermen’s Memorial to receive the blessing for a safe and profitable year. Miss Shrimp Princess and area clergy are in attendance. If you are unable to get on a boat to watch the blessing of the fleet, the tent on the pier of McSeagull’s & Knot Gray’s will be open from 12:00 to 4:00. You can watch the blessing from the dock as they come into the inner Harbor.

Watch the Blessing of the Fleet from the Fisherman’s Memorial on the East Side, or Grab a drink and watch from the Deck of McSeagull’s or the deck of Knot Gray’s.

4:30p.m. Fishy Fest Finale @ Knot Gray’s with 50/50 raffle, half of the proceeds benefit Fisherman’s Memorial Fund. There will be stories told and a lot of Greg Power’s fun. Come and enjoy the humor and fun with special guests, open mic, gags, awards and karaoke.

Event Location Boothbay Harbor Region, Waterfront Park, Boothbay Region High School, Pier One
Please check schedule of events for times and location

Contact Information

FMI Contact Brenda Blackman, 207-633-5149

Fees/Admission

Free!

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Saturday, April 14 at  8 PM

Known for their 60′s era-inspired harmonies and adventurous musical energy, their music is descibed as “a lavish, layered pop sound atop the sound of a Nashville string band.”  Think young Beach Boys’ harmonies and Avett Brothers’ energy. This young band is rising fast, having just recently made thousands of new fans at Austin’s SXSW Festival in February 2012. Come check out this group that is stacking up critical accolades right and left. Special advance priced discounted tickets are $15.  All ages.

CLICK here to listen to The Farewell Drifters

2012 Membership

Our membership mailing has been sent (thank you volunteers!), detailing the benefits of Opera House membership at various levels.  Some of the benefits include early admission for best seat selection, reserved seats, and complimentary tickets.  While becoming a 2012 member helps you, it helps the Opera House too.  We remain committed to keeping our ticket prices as low as possible and making our live performances affordable, BUT we can only keep our ticket prices within reach with the support of our members and donors, advertisers and sponsors.  Please do what you can to help the House this season.  If you did not receive a membership brochure in  the mail please contact Rachel Yacouby at 633-5159 or at boxoffice@boothbayoperahouse.com.  She’ll be happy to get the information to you pronto!.

Favorite Moments During the Past Month

In case you missed March at the Opera House, here are a few of our favorite moments from the month just passed…

All the musicians who gathered to lend their talents to the Hometown Hootenanny.  We are especially grateful to Garry Blackman for pulling it together again this year.  The Opera House raised $3400, and we had a blast.  Special thanks to Kristi Viltrakis for baking the pies for the Hootenanny Pie Raffle. Unfortunately this writer was not a winner despite buying many raffle tickets….

Listening to the young voices performing here during the Maine Children’s Choral Festival – kids from Isleboro (a Maine island) to Troy, NY, and many places inbetween came here, to Boothbay Harbor, to sing.  And sing they did.  Thank you Genie O’Connell for organizing it.

Irish songwriter Declan O’Rourke would have been delightful to have on his own, but as an added plus he was traveling with his Uncle Eddie, who charmed us all.  Declan left Boothbay Harbor and headed to Nashville, where he talked up the wonders of the Opera House with Jerry Douglas and John Prine.  Both Declan and Uncle Eddie will be back someday, perhaps with Jerry and John.

Adam Ezra put on a great show opening for the always fun Enter the Haggis.  Adam loves the Opera House and helps spread the word about us as he travels.

Every day good things happen here, thanks to you.  We hope to see you in April or May or June.  Or soon!

To buy tickets, contact the Opera House box office at 633-5159, or visit us online at boothbayoperahouse.com.

86 Townsend Ave Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Please “Like” The Valley Voice on Facebook at the bottom of this page. Thank You for you support!

Friday, March 16 2012, 7:00pm

Each year the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor comes alive with the talents of Maine musicians from near and far for the annual Hometown Hootenanny.  It is a fundraiser, but tickets are only $10 in advance and priced to sell.  While it helps raise funds for the non-profit Opera House, it is most remembered for raising the roof and much laughter. This event featuring the country sound of The Wildhorse Band, alongside numerous midcoast musicians always sells out.  It is the ultimate good-time night out.  All ages.

Music starts at 7 pm, doors open at 6:30 pm, upstairs bar opens at 6 pm for ticket holders.  Advance tickets $10, day of show $15.

Box office 633-5159.  Online tickets at boothbayoperahouse.com

2012 Sponsors are:

Harold Bishop Agency – Page’s Towing – Cressey Builders – Coastal Pool Service – Midcoast Payroll and Accounting – Timbers Tire and Auto – Slick’s Boutique – Don S. Sewell Co. – Garry’s Heating – Pat Farrin and Sons

TICKETS

To buy tickets, contact the Opera House box office at 633-5159, visit us at 86 Townsend Avenue, or online at boothbayoperahouse.com.

86 Townsend Ave Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

The Maine Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association  presents the 2012 Children’s Honors Chorus under the direction of Dr. Sandra Babb of Queens College, CUNY.  Treble voice  singers aged 9 and over will gather to rehearse a pre-determined repertoire with Dr. Babb and will conclude the day at 3 PM presenting a free concert.  The concert will include performances by individual choirs from throughout Maine and will conclude with the Festival Chorus.

This is a FREE community event.  Doors for seating open at 2:45 pm, with the music beginning at 3 pm.  Refreshments available.  Donations to support the Opera House welcome.

Please take a moment and “Like” The Valley Voice on Facebook. Thank You!

Declan O’Rourke
March 02 2012, 8:00pm

Singer-songwriter Declan O’Rourke is a name not known to many U.S. music fans, but his music is known to millions.  The song ‘Galileo” from his debut album Since Kyabram, has been performed by Josh Groban and Paul Weller and Maura O’Connell among others.  In fact, during Maura O’Connell’s most recent performance at the Opera House she told us that she felt Declan was one of the best new talents in the world.  This spring marks his entry into the U.S. market with televised appearances from New York, sessions in Nashville and appearances at The Birchmere in Virginia and a number of other legendary venues.  The Opera House in Boothbay Harbor is thrilled to include this rising Irish talent on our 2012 schedule.  You may not have heard of him, but he is worth hearing.

Tickets $15 advance or $20 on the day of the show.  Doors open at 7:30 pm, concert at 8 pm.  Opera House box office 633-5159 or online tickets at boothbayoeprahouse.com

Primo Cubano
March 03 2012, 8:00pm

Formed in 2006 by bandleader Paul D’Alessio after an inspiring visit to Cuba, Primo Cubano recreates the authentic feel and flavor of Cuba’s national music…the SON. Primo Cubano plays traditional Cuban dance music dating back to the turn of the 20^th Century.  Son is the most popular style to come out of Cuba and is the primary contributor to the blend of Latin styles today known as Salsa.  It was first a music of the country people and eventually migrated to Havana, where it was urbanized and began to draw a wider audience.  The 5 members of Primo Cubano always transport us to a steamy dance floor somewhere south of here.

Tickets $10 in advance or $12 on the day of the show.

Doors open at 7:30, music at 8 pm.

To buy tickets, contact the Opera House box office at 633-5159, visit us at 86 Townsend Avenue, or online at boothbayoperahouse.com.

86 Townsend Ave Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Please, If you haven’t done so yet make it a point to “Like” The Valley Voice on Facebook. Thank You!

Renowned Baritone, John David Adams

Acclaimed concert and stage artist John David Adams presents an afternoon program of selected works from the bass and baritone repertoire accompanied by Sean Fleming at the piano, with rarely-heard works of beauty, drama, and humor. Highlights include Mozart’s concert aria Per questa bella mano, K.612, Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, and John Duke’s powerful setting of Maine-born poet Edward Arlington Robinson’s Luke Havergal. Also on the program are classics by Purcell, Handel, Loewe, and Schubert, as well as English and American songs by Vaughan Williams, Ireland, Finzi, Bernstein, Hoiby, Bowles, Blitzstein, and Weill. These midcoast musical luminaries are consistent audience pleasers and this program promises not to disappoint.

This special afternoon concert begins at 3:00 pm, with doors for seating opening at 2:30 pm.

Refreshments available. Advance tickets $15, day of show tickets $18. Special $5 student tickets for those 18 and under. Contact the box office at 633-5159 or online at boothbayoperahouse.com

More about John David Adams

A versatile and accomplished artist, bass John David Adams is acclaimed as a powerful and communicative concert soloist, and praised for his portrayals in diverse opera and stage roles. His rich tone, musicianship, and flexible vocal range adapt to a wide variety of repertoire, Baroque and Romantic literature in particular, and combine with insightful interpretive skills to create distinctive performances on both the concert and dramatic stage.

Among his concert repertoire are numerous Bach sacred cantatas, as well as his Coffee and Peasant cantatas, Magnificat, and Christmas Oratorio; the Monteverdi Il Ballo delle Ingrate, Handel Messiah, Acis and Galatea,Judas Maccabaeus, Alexander’s Feast, and Dettingen Te Deum; MozartRequiem and Coronation Mass; Haydn The Creation, The Seasons, andLord Nelson Mass; Beethoven Mass in C; Schumann Requiem; BrahmsGerman Requiem; Verdi Requiem; Bruckner Mass in D minor; Mahler Das klagende Lied; Amy Beach Mass in E-flat Major; Vaughan Williams Five Mystical Songs, Fantasia on Christmas Carols; Duruflé Requiem; and WeillMahagonny Songspiel. In addition, he has appeared as concert narrator for works including Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s Tale, Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, and orchestral arrangements of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas andHow the Grinch Stole Christmas.

His opera and musical stage credits range from Mozart to Sondheim and include Lucrezia Borgia (Opera Boston), Carmen (Granite State Opera),Romeo et Juliette (PORTopera), Tosca (San Francisco Lyric Opera), Cosi fan tutte (Apollo Opera), The Magic Flute (Livermore Valley Opera),Trouble in Tahiti (Goat Hall Opera), The Medium and The Telephone(SOLO Opera), The New Moon (New England Light Opera), The Desert Song (Maine State Music Theater), Sweeney Todd and A Little Night Music(Heartwood Regional Theater Company), and the U.S. premier of Karl Amadeus Hartmann’s Simplicius Simplicissimus, to name a few.

John was raised in the Boston area, and studied voice and opera at Hart School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His voice teachers have included Leopold Simoneau, William Metcalf, Dr. Edwin Barlow, Eric Howe, and Malcolm Smith.

86 Townsend Ave
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

If you haven’t done so yet, please take a moment and “Like” The Valley Voice on Facebook. Thank You!

Saturday, February 11 2012, 7:30pm

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, the Opera House is pleased to present Portland String violinist Ron Lantz in concert with pianist Laura Kargul.  The evening will feature a wide selection of French romantic music and will combine the Maine premiere of a little known masterpiece, the sublime Sonata for Violin and Piano by early 20^thcentury composer Jacques de la Presle, with a fresh look at the well-known and universally beloved work, the great Sonata in A Major by Cesar Franck. Complementing these two large scale works will be a set of smaller gems, among them several passionate songs by Liszt and Faure that Lantz and Kargul have transcribed for violin and piano. There will be plenty of sweet desserts on hand tonight, champagne too.  Come celebrate the season with us

Doors for seating open at 7 pm, show begins at 7:30 pm.

Tickets: $15 in Advance, $18 Day of Show for All.  Purchase tickets at the box office, open Tuesday-Friday from 10-4 in person at 86 Townsend Ave or by phone at 207-633-5159. Purchase tickets ONLINE 24 hours a day by clicking the “Buy Tickets Online Now” link on this website. The online ticket vendor does charge a larger handling fee than purchasing directly from the Opera House box office.  Please be aware that the Online Box Office closes 24 hours in advance of each event whether or not tickets are sold out.  For ticket purchases on the day of the event call or visit the box office.

More About the Opera House

Performance Calendar

Nearby Hotels & Businesses

Directions & Maps

Support the Opera House

Contact Us

Home

86 Townsend Ave Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

The Holy Mackerals

2012 OPENING EVENT – SATURDAY, JANUARY 21

THE HOLY MACKERELS and CATTLE CALL and THE McCARTHYS.  Three bands, one great night of music, guest musicians, dancing, and good times.  The McCarthys will appear on Maine Channel 6 (WCSH) on the program 207 on Thursday night (7pm) – warm up with them in your living room and then come hear all the bands live.  CD release party for The McCarthys new album. Advance tickets only $8 (until 4 pm on Friday – tickets at the door are $10, but either way it’s a bargain).  The upstairs bar opens at 6:30 pm, the doors for seating in the performance hall open at 7 pm, music starts at 7:30 pm. All ages. Stop by or call the box office at 207-633-5159 for tickets.  Help us launch the 118th year of the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor!

The Hold Mackerels

More about the Holy Mackerels here:

http://thevalleyvoice.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=46249&action=edit

Cattle Call

Click here to view the embedded video.

song by Cattle Call (a Maine band)
photo’s arranged by Brandy Maddocks
some pics borrowed from the web but most taken by Mitch and I of people and places here in Maine

The McCarthys

Mor about the McCarthys here:

http://thevalleyvoice.org/2011/11/12/cd-release-party-for-the-mccarthys-third-cd-the-way-life-is-to-be-held-november-18th-at-bayside-bowl/41895/

More About the Opera House

Performance Calendar

Nearby Hotels & Businesses

Directions & Maps

Support the Opera House

Contact Us

Home

86 Townsend Ave Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Phone Numbers:
Administrative Office 207-633-6855
Box Office 207-633-5159

Box Office Hours:
Monday through Friday
10 am to 4 pm

Mailing Address:
The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
PO Box 800
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

UPCOMING SHOWS

Saturday, January 21        Holy Mackerels & Friends

Saturday, February 11      Ron Lantz & Laura Kargul,                            
A Valentine to French Romanticism

Sunday, February 26     John Adams & Sean Fleming

Friday, March 2                                Declan O’Rourke

Saturday, March 3                                Primo Cubano

Saturday, March 10                          Enter the Haggis

Friday, March 16                    Hometown Hootenanny

Happy New Year!  It’s particularly cold today as we write this, but soon things will begin to heat up again in the House.  Thank you for all your support in 2011, and please join us again in 2012.  The Opera House works because audiences come.  So come on out and enjoy this year’s performances. We are still busy booking 2012, but it looks as though we have some great shows coming our way. The Opera House website is always the best place to go for the most current listings and information. See you soon.

Season Opening Event
Saturday, January 21
Holy Mackerels with
Cattle Call & The McCarthys

The Holy Mackerels have just unpacked from their wildly successful Caribbean Tour, and after heating up audiences in the tropics they have returned home to kick off the 2012 season at the Opera House.  They’ve invited the top flight musicians of the bands Cattle Call and The McCarthys to join them for what promises to be a great night of music and midwinter fun.  Special advance priced tickets are $8 and day of show tickets (if not previously sold out) are $10.  Do not wait, this will be a great show and we expect a full house. Music starts at 7:30 pm with doors for seating open at 7:00 pm, upstairs bar opens at 6:30 pm for pre-concert good cheer.

Volunteering at the Opera House

The staff of the Opera House remains small and as we launch into the new season the pace picks up with each passing month.  The ONLY way that the House is able to bring as many performances to the stage as we do, especially in the summer, is with the steadfast support of legions of volunteers.  If you’ve been think about getting involved, now is a GREAT time to start before the crazy season arrives.  Learn the ins and outs of the House, help usher and set up for shows, assist with ongoing maintenance if that’s your thing, help garden come spring, get involved with the Friends dessert sales, and more.  Now is when we have time to train new volunteers, so if you are interested give us a call (633-5159) or stop by the front lobby offices.

2012 Membership

We don’t begin our membership drive (which means a mass mailing to everyone we know and even to some that we don’t know) until March, but those who know the benefits of membership often jump the gun and join before the brochures are printed. Obviously it saves us the time of mailing them to you, and your benefits begin the day you join so please think about joining now!  Benefits include early admission for best seat selection, complimentary tickets, reserved seating and more.  We’ve kept the rates the same as 2011 so if you want your member benefits NOW just call us or drop by the office.  If you haven’t met Rachel Yacouby yet, she is our new box office and membership maven – call her to join up at207-633-5159.

INFORMATION

BOX OFFICE

207-633-5159

BUY TICKETS ON

OUR WEBSITE

COMING IN 2012

BRENT MCCOY

LIVINGSTON TAYLOR

FRANK VIGNOLA

HOT CLUB OF COWTOWN

ALASDAIR FRASER

PRESIDIO BRASS

DELFEAYO MARSALIS

DECLAN O’ROURKE

PAN FRIED STEEL DRUMS

JOHNNY TILLOTSON

ENTER THE HAGGIS

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT

MAKEM & SPAIN’S HOLIDAY SHOW

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

PRIMO CUBANO

and much more!

Box Office  Tuesday-Friday  10:00-4:00
Box Office  207-633-5159
Administrative  207-633-6855
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Come enjoy the wonderful holiday decorations one last time in 2011!

You are invited to the Opera House Potluck, Tuesday, December 20 at 6 pm.

Bring yourself (and a friend or two), something to share, flatware and utensils and come on down to the House on Tuesday to enjoy the decorations and company of others in a relaxed setting.

questions? Call 633-6855

Don’t forget…tomorrow is the Boothbay Region High School Holiday Concert. It is at the Opera House and starts at 7 pm.

This is a FREE community event.

See you there!

The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor | 86 Townsend Avenue | Boothbay Harbor | ME | 04538

5th Annual Gingerbread Spectacular!

This weekend – December 9-11

Sponsored by The First

The gingerbread festivities kick off this Friday night with the Dough Ball! Dress up or dress down, come prepared to feast on great hors d’oeuvres and dance to the music of The Four Snowmen (if you are a dancer), bid wildly on some terrific silent auction items and be on hand when we announce the winning entries in this year’s Gingerbread Spectacular.  The Dough Ball is a fundraiser, helping to underwrite the Spectacular and other free Opera House events in December.  Advance Tickets are $20, if you wait and buy them at the door they are $30.  Don’t wait – this is a hilarious night celebrating dough, both of the gingerbread and green type.  Join us, doors open and music begins at 7 pm. Call the box office for tickets at 633-5159.  We’re open Tuesday-Friday from 10-4.

For those who are inclined to bribe the judges, know that all cash bribes become the property of the Opera House, but your bribe may influence the judge to award your colleague or best pal one of the many prestigious awards.  This year’s judging team includes Chef Craig Andrews, Spiritual Advisor Kit Sherrill, the Youngest and Most Charming Maya Schwehm, Police Chief Bob Hasch, and builder Dick Perkins overseeing gingerbread construction methods.  There’s no telling what this team will do on Friday night!

The Gingerbread Spectacular is our annual exhibit of gingerbread creations, both large and small – houses, cabins, windmills, lighthouses, castles, cottages, stadiums, barnyards – if you can imagine it, someone may have built it.  Come see what this year’s gingerbread bakers have created.  The Spectacular is free and open to all.  If you want to create a gingerbread house, there’s still time.  It just needs to be delivered to the Opera House by 2 pm on Friday, December 9.  Call us and let us know if you are planning to enter, call 633-6855. Prizes and bragging rights abound.  Some of the gingerbread houses are auctioned off, so even if you don’t make one, you can bid high and bring one home for the holidays.  The Friends of the Opera House will also once again host their fabulous holiday bake sale throughout the Spectacular, and there will be entertainment on both days.  And free cocoa too.  The Spectacular doors are open 10-4 on both Saturday, December 10 and Sunday, December 11.  Come and see it.  It’s magical.

Entertainment includes Kevin Kiley & his piano students (age 8-92) on Saturday morning beginning at 10:30.  Genie O’Connell & the BRES Chorus will take to the stage at 2 pm.  On Sunday, Dominic Garvey will play the piano throughout the afternoon.

Still looking for gift ideas this season? Opera House gift certificates are the answer for almost anyone on your list – they can be redeemed for tickets to 2012 performances including Livingston Taylor, Alasdair Fraser, Hot Club of Cowtown, Delfeayo Marsalis, Enter the Haggis, the Holy Mackerels with Cattle Call and the McCarthys, Primo Cubano, the Pan Fried Steel Drum Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Loudon Wainwright, Breakers Jazz Big Band, Colin Hay, Ed Gerhard, Bob Milne, Jimmy Webb and dozens of others.  Or perhaps a gift of 2012 membership?  Call the box office at 633-5159 to wrap up your holiday gift giving!

Box Office  Tuesday-Friday  10:00-4:00
Box Office  207-633-5159
Administrative  207-633-6855
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Dough Ball 2011

Friday, December 09 2011, 7:00pm – 11:00pm

This annual winter fundraiser is our preview party for the Great Gingerbread Spectacular – come tonight and be the first to see this year’s creations, dine on wonderful hors d’oeuvres, dance to the sound of The Snowmen, and kick off the holiday season in style.  Cash bar. Dress is anything from casual to your best holiday garb!  Advance tickets $20.  If you wait until the day of the event it will cost you $30, so buy your tickets now!

Location : The Main Performance Hall at the Opera House
Contact : Information call 207-633-6855

Gingerbread Spectacular

Saturday, December 10 2011, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Sunday, December 11 2011, 10:00am – 4:00pm

This annual exhibit of gingerbread houses is nothing short of magical – come see the creations made by young bakers and old professionals!  The competition to be named “Most Spectacular” even results in bribes to our judging team at times.  Prizes also for Best Representation of a Local Landmark, Most Delicious Looking, Best Holiday Spirit, Largest, and more!  Hilarious fun and holiday magic.  The Friends of the Opera House will also host their annual bake sale throughout the weekend.  This is a free event, intended for all ages.  It’s free to enter the competition, free to wander the exhibit. Handicapped accessible.  Music and entertainment throughout the weekend as well.  Join us!

Location : Main Floor at the Opera House
Contact : For Information call 207-633-6855

If interested in creating a confectionery structure for this year’s event call the office at 633-6855 for information. All structures must be delivered to the Opera House by 4 pm on Thursday, December 8th.

Box Office  Tuesday-Friday  10:00-4:00
Box Office  207-633-5159
Administrative  207-633-6855
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Tis the season to be jolly!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year……
The question is……
Have you been naughty or nice? 

Schedule of Events

FRIDAY- DECEMBER 2ND
10am – 5pm FESTIVAL OF TREES BEGINS!
The Opera House is the setting for “All That Glitters”, the sparkly theme for the Festival of Trees brought to you by the Boothbay Region Garden Club.  Walk through the forest of trees and bid on your favorite one to take home.
The Opera House- 633-6855

SATURDAY- DECEMBER 3RD

9am-4pm CHRISTMAS CRAFT SHOW
Boothbay Harbor Fire Station, 11 Howard St. invites you to view hand crafted items, exhibits and sales.  Food and baked goods.  If you are interested in reserving a table, please contact the Chamber.

10am-2pm BOOTHBAY REGION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OPEN – SCOUT EXHIBIT
Boothbay Region Historical Society – 633-0820

10am-2pm      CHRISTMAS FAIR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Enjoy a hearty homemade soup, bread and brownie luncheon.  Walk the “Cookie Walk” and find your favorite holiday treats.  Shop the International Bazaar for unusual gifts.  Purchase homemade delicacies at the Pie Table.  Bid for bargains at the Silent Auction Table.  207-633-4757

10am – 3pm LIGHTS UP AT MEMORIAL LIBRARY
4 Oak St. Open House, old-fashion Groaning Board, holiday crafts and refreshments served.
Boothbay Harbor  Memorial Library

10am – 5pm FESTIVAL OF TREES
The Opera House.  The magic continues!  633-6855

1pm                  SANTA, MRS. CLAUS AND ELVES ARRIVE ABOARD THE NOVELTY!
What all the little kiddies have been waiting for!  Join with friends and family at the Town Landing, Commercial St. Boothbay Harbor.  Join the fun in welcoming Santa and his North Pole family. Novelty-Balmy Day Crusies

1:15pm Y-ARTS WELCOME SANTA AND ANNOUNCE THE $10,000.00 RAFFLE WINNER
The Y-Arts will be there to great our guests as they head up the town landing.  Ginny Bishop and singers will also announce the winner of the $10,000.00 raffle. Tickets are $100.00 each and there are still some available.  Can be purchased by contacting the Boothbay Region YMCA at 633-2855.

1:30pm-3:30pm    LAP TIME WITH SANTA & MRS. CLAUS
Hot coco, cookies, candy canes and time with the Mr. and Mrs. Claus.  Workshop will be at Gimbel & Sons Country Store, Commercial St.
Gimbel & Sons Country Store 633-5088

1pm – 4pm        FREE WAGON RIDES
Stillbrook Acres’ Farm festivally decorated horse-drawn wagon, courtesy of the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber and the Town of Boothbay Harbor will cruise the downtown streets in true holiday spirit.  Ride route begins at Fisherman’s Wharf with drop off at the Opera House and the Craft Fair.

3:15pm HARBOR PRINCESS CHRISTMAS CRUISE
Enjoy a winter sunset cruise and particpation in the Lighted Boat Parade aboard the Harbor Princess.  Heavy Hors-d’oeurves, hot cider, coffe and cash bar.  Trip to benefit the Edgecomb Congregatinal Church.  TIckets $35.00 ea. availability is limited.  Please call 207-882-4060.

4pm-            TREE LIGHTING CERMONY & COMMUNITY SING ALONG!
Meet with friends on the Boothbay Harbor Region Library Lawn with Santa, Mrs. Claus and elves for caroling with the Boothbay Region Alumni Community Band.

4pm – 6pm       ‘art in the square’ ARTIST & PUBLIC RECEPTION
Boothbay Region Art Foundation welcomes you with refreshments and to their scholarship fundraiser with “canvas squares”.
Boothbay Region Art Foundation

4:30 pm        LIVE NATIVITY!
Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church invites you to the annual celebration of the Nativity Scene.  Follow the Three Wise Men as they make their way from the Library Lawn across the footbrige to the church.  Hot chocolate and cookies served.

5pm-     THE SPECTACULAR LIGHTED BOAT PARADE
Local fisherman, lobsterman, tour and sail boats circle the harbor with festive decorations.  And let’s us not forget:  The United State Coast Guard!  All competing for the title, “Best in Fleet”.  Winners will be announced immediately following the parade at McSeagulls’s Restaurant.

SUNDAY – DECEMBER 5TH
11am-3pm FESTIVAL OF TREES
The Opera House fun continues!

Event Location

Boorhbay Harbor, Boothbay, East Boothbay, Southport and Edgecomb!  Welcome to the region.

view a map

Date/Time Information

9am-whenever!

Contact Information

633-2353

send an email

Asleep at the Wheel, the famed western-swing, boogie, and roots-music outfit that’s, amazingly, still on the upswing. That’s saying something, too, considering the group’s been around for nearly 40 years, turning out an incredible 25+ albums while playing an unrelenting schedule of one-nighters that would make a vaudevillian dizzy. The Nine time Grammy winning Kings of Texas Swing.

Doors for seating open at 7:00pm, show begins at 7:30pm.

Tickets: $25 in Advance, $30 Day of Show.  Purchase tickets IN PERSON at the BOX OFFICE during normal business hours. Purchase tickets OVER THE PHONE by contacting the BOX OFFICE at 207-633-5159.  Purchase tickets ONLINE by clicking the “Buy Tickets Online Now” link on this website.  Please be aware that the Online Box Office closes 24 hours in advance of each event.

For additional information visit www.asleepatthewheel.com.

BIOGRAPHY: ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL

Can a wheel reinvent itself while it’s still rolling?

Sounds like an impossible task — but you never want to say “impossible” to Asleep at the Wheel, the famed western-swing, boogie, and roots-music outfit that’s, amazingly, still on the upswing. That’s saying something, too, considering the group’s been around for nearly 40 years, turning out an incredible 25+ albums while playing an unrelenting schedule of one-nighters that would make a vaudevillian dizzy.

“In terms of how many people we played for, what we accomplished, and how much money we made – well, we didn’t make any money – this year was absolutely our best year ever,” says Wheel founder and front man Ray Benson with a chuckle.

And even as the Wheel rolled on, the reinvention had begun. You could see and hear it in their live shows, where new vocalist Elizabeth McQueen invited comparison with the classic female vocalists of the band’s earlier era, and fiddler-singer Jason Roberts gave the band a second male lead voice to complement Benson’s immediately identifiable baritone.

These days, the reinvented Wheel is also rolling down a couple of new avenues. One involves to the critically acclaimed musical play, A Ride With Bob, which stars Benson as himself — encountering the ghost of Bob Wills on a tour bus – Roberts as the young Wills, and McQueen as Minnie Pearl and other famed entertainment figures, with the rest of the band members featured as well. Originally designed as a one-off celebration of Wills’ 100^th birthday in ’05, A Ride With Bob quickly took on a life of its own and, notes Benson, “it’s absolutely a part of what we do now.” Another success has been the adaptation of the Wheel’s repertoire for pops symphony. Performances with Dallas, Austin, Fort Worth & Amarillo symphonies have drawn record crowds.

The Wheel’s new look is also spotlighted in several new discs – the first called, appropriately enough, Reinventing the Wheel. The 12-cut celebration of American – particularly Southwestern – music features guest appearances by gospel’s Blind Boys of Alabama (with a splendid reworking of the old Wills tune “The Devil Ain’t Lazy”) and banjoist Rolf Sieker, along with lead vocals by McQueen and Roberts as well as Benson, whose voice has been synonymous with Asleep at the Wheel for decades.

The second is 2009’s Willie and the Wheel; a collaboration with Willie Nelson that was originally envisioned by famed producer Jerry Wexler in the 1970s. Unfortunately before they had a chance to cut it, Nelson had left Atlantic Records. But over the ensuing decades Wexler kept the idea alive and even gave Ray his entire collection of western swing vinyl that included his notes on song choices and treatments. In late 2007 the idea was revived and Jerry and Ray reconnected by phone. Always the producer with a vision, Jerry was involved in every way. He insisted that some of the tracks should include horns as well as a return to traditional fiddles and lap steel guitar associated with western swing.  As the sessions concluded and Willie finished his vocals the tracks were sent to Jerry. “To my delight and relief,” says Ray, “he loved them.” In fact, Wexler heard most of the finished tracks prior to his passing in August 2008. “Jerry wanted us to do this album and I’m glad we got to do it for him, “says Willie Nelson. “And that he heard it before he passed on.”

The success of the Willie and the Wheel album release was quickly followed up by a tour and even a taping of the 35^th anniversary of Austin City Limits for PBS (for broadcast in Fall of 2009), a fitting double-bill as Willie had taped the pilot and Asleep at the Wheel appeared in the very first regular episode of the legendary live music television program.

And now in contemplating the 40^th anniversary of Asleep at the Wheel in 2010, Ray remains focused on the original concept. “I carried the load for many, many years, but I’ve always just wanted to have a band, as opposed to Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel,” Benson explains. “That’s what we had in the ‘70s – a band, a revue kind of deal, which was the whole concept. But trying to replace a Chris O’Connell was very difficult. And then Elizabeth walks up, and boom – here’s my girl singer. And then I kept pushing Jason, both through the play and through the band, saying, `Man, you’ve got talent. You can sing. You’ve got the golden ear – just apply it to your singing and songwriting.’”

Roberts, who’s been the Wheel’s full-time fiddler since early ’96, welcomed the opportunity to be a part of the revamped, revue-style Wheel. “I think everybody got a chance to put their two cents in, and bring to the table what they had, ” he adds. “God bless Ray Benson for allowing us to do that..”

Adds McQueen, “One of the things about Asleep at the Wheel is that they always have great musicians. That’s what they’re known for. So for them to ask me to join and then to keep me in the band, and to let me step out a little more and stand in the shoes of Chris O’Connell and Maryann Price, who were amazing singers – that’s an incredible honor. It’s above and beyond my greatest expectations.”

So, whether your next encounter with Asleep at the Wheel is at a dance or concert, or backing up Willie Nelson via the new disc, or at a live production of A Ride with Bob, you’ll be witnessing something very special — a band that’s not only been entertaining audiences with its own genre-busting music for four decades, but also a group that’s never been afraid to try something new — including a reinvention, inspired by the past, that rolls joyously toward a long and shining future.

Box Office  Tuesday-Friday  10:00-4:00
Box Office  207-633-5159
Administrative  207-633-6855
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Michael Kaeshammer

Friday, November 04 2011, 8:00pm

This is a night of boogie woogie that you won’t soon forget. Michael Kaeshammer arrives at the Opera House with his trio and may just undo all the renovation work when he blows the roof off the old place. Come hear this intensely fun piano player!

Doors for seating open at 7:30pm, show begins at 8:00pm.

Tickets: $12 in Advance for Under 18, $17 in Advance for Adults, $22 Day of Show for All.  Purchase tickets at the box office, open Tuesday-Friday from 10-4, or by phone at 207-633-5159.  Purchase tickets ONLINE by clicking the “Buy Tickets Online Now” link on this website. The online ticket vendor does charge a larger handling fee than purchasing directly from the Opera House box office.  Please be aware that the Online Box Office closes 24 hours in advance of each event whether or not tickets are sold out.  For ticket purchases on the day of the event call or visit the box office.

More About Michael Kaeshammer

On 2011’s KAESHAMMER (Alert Music/Universal), Michael Kaeshammer doesn’t simply wow you with his chops; he invites you in and talks to you. Yes, he’s a gifted singer and songwriter, a highly trained technician and interpreter and an incendiary piano player. But also, on stage and off, he’s a consummate host.

Recorded at Toronto’s Drive Shed and Keen Studios in 2010 and produced by Ron Lopata (Jacksoul, Ron Sexsmith) KAESHAMMER plays like a love letter to life – A set of original songs as playful as they are contagious. Literally, a feast for your ears that blends ingredients from Kaeshammer’s vast store of jazz, soul, pop and R&B influences, served up fresh, piping hot, and with a huge helping of joy on the side.

That joy is clear from the first note of KAESHAMMER, as is Kaeshammer’s uncanny ability to take ‘a bit of musical this’ and ‘a touch of musical that’ and create a sound that is uniquely his own – A singular brand of pop tinged jazz that owes as much to Billy Joel and Paul McCartney as to Professor Longhair and Albert Ammons on hook laden love songs like ‘A Little Bit Of Love.

But while Kaeshammer’s fiery style incorporates elements of his early influences – the New Orleans sound of Fats Waller, Art Tatum and James Booker – on tracks like ‘Kisses In Zanzibar’ and the high-energy, boogie fuelled romp, ‘Rendezvous’, he also takes his cue from one of his own all-time favourite records, Robert Palmer’s Sneakin’ Sally Through the Alley, recorded in New Orleans with influential local funk outfit, The Meters, in 1974. In short, it’s the musical equivalent of Gumbo.

No great surprise then that Kaeshammer is as passionate a cook as he is a performer and songwriter. As he told lifestyle writer, Monique Savin: “I love music and food… At home I have dinner parties where I invite some friends and everyone cooks together. The day or occasion doesn’t matter. I go shopping just for that meal and I don’t start cooking until people actually arrive — preparing food is part of the party.” (Globe and Mail, Dec. 16, 2010)

Similarly, at his shows, the joy is in the sharing, the process of getting where you’re going, not just the end result. As the Montreal Gazette’s Bernard Perusse says: “He’s a showman. And showmanship is what makes people talk… If you haven’t seen him live, you haven’t really experienced him in his true element.”

“Technically Brilliant and a spectacle…” says Calgary blogger, Tim Tamashiro. “Like taking a Ferrari for a drive through winding mountain highways and then going for a gourmet meal. It excites all of your senses.”

Like the dinners he whips up for friends in his East Toronto loft, Kaeshammer’s shows are prepared with your full participation, and never from a set menu. They’re a party, constantly evolving and likely to explode in a wild flurry of joy that’s as undeniable as it is contagious at any second. While no two shows are exactly alike, here’s a breakdown of how a typical night with Kaeshammer might play out…

When Michael steps on stage he’ll greet you warmly, as an honoured guest. He’ll play a song like ‘Rendezvous’. A comfortable start, to showcase his fiery piano chops and make you feel at home – The equivalent of taking your coat and hat and showing you around the place.

You’ll settle in and he’ll introduce you around – First to his longtime rhythm section, drummer Mark McLean and bassist Marc Rogers, and then to his horn section who’ll then rip it up with him on a tune dictated as much by his mood as by what direction he believes you and his other guests would like the party to head in. Getting there is more than half the fun.

Just about the time you’re getting curious about how this guy learned to do what he does so well, he’ll tell you. Not just about himself, but about the musical family on stage with him, illustrating the fluid dialogue they share with a tune like their signature cover of Curtis Mayfield’s ‘People Get Ready’, long a Kaeshammer staple live, only recently recorded for KAESHAMMER.

Next you’ll be invited to take a close up look at the raw ingredients of this musical feast – treated to a ‘cutting session’ between McLean and Kaeshammer. They will dazzle and you will roar in approval. And they’ll roar right back – continuing with a set of songs drawn from Kaeshammer records past and present. From covers like Peter Tosh’s ‘Stop That Train’, to the title track of 2009’s Lovelight, to his latest work. Breaking it down with freshly recorded, pop-inspired tracks like ‘The You and Me’ and the classic R&B fuelled ‘Heartbeat’.

At this point, even though the party has been in full swing for some time you’ll be having such a great time it’ll feel like you’ve just arrived. And when the show comes to a close with you clapping along with the band on the grand finale, you’ll still want more, and you’ll get it.

And when you get up to go, you will leave satisfied – not stunned or worn out, but exhilarated.

Kaeshammer’s performances, on record and on stage, are an invitation to join the party. He doesn’t play at you. He plays with you. At one of his shows, you’re all in it together – not only part of the story, but virtually part of the band.

“For me the performance is as much about the energy coming off the stage as the energy coming from the audience. It’s about being myself, writing from the heart and showing my love for life. That’s what I want to convey. After the show, people ask me, ‘do you really have that much fun?’ And I say ‘you don’t know the half of it. It’s even more exhilarating than it looks’.”

A night with Michael and his band isn’t the kind of show where you just sit, watch and applaud politely every now and then. Their goal isn’t to intimidate you with the scholarly depth of their music, it’s to entertain, inform and include you – A wild ride with no fixed destination except where he feels he and the crowd want to go.

On stage and on record it’s all about drawing the audience in. That’s where the joy is, pure and simple. And while joy is something Michael Kaeshammer has never had difficulty expressing, on KAESHAMMER, his third record on Alert Music, the German born, Canadian bred pianist expresses it more enthusiastically than ever.

CLICK HERE to watch Michael perform “Hamps Boogie”
CLICK HERE to watch Michael perform “Lovelight”
CLICK HERE to watch Michael perform “Rendevous”

More About the Opera House

Performance Calendar

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Box Office  Tuesday-Friday  10:00-4:00
Box Office  207-633-5159
Administrative  207-633-6855
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, Maine

Sierra Hull

Saturday, October 22 2011, 8:00pm

She is young but has already amassed scores of fans and has performed at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.  Sierra is a full-fledged virtuosic instrumentalist, singer and songwriter and her mandolin playing possesses clarity and fleet-fingeredprecision. Come see this fast rising star.

Doors open at 7:30pm, Music begins at 8pm.

Tickets: $15 in Advance, $20 Day of Show.  Purchase tickets in person at the BOX OFFICE during normal business hours.

Purchase tickets over the phone by contacting the BOX OFFICE at 207-633-5159.  Purchase tickets online by clicking the “Buy Tickets Online Now” link on this website.

Please be aware that the Online Box Office closes 24 hours in advance of each event.

For additional information visit sierrahull.com

U.S. Army Band Jazz Ambassadors

Wednesday, October 26 2011, 7:30pm

From Dixieland to Latin Jazz this 19 piece big band brings their very big sound to the Opera House this fall.  Expect a little patriotic music too from these ultra-talented musicians in the U.S. Army Band.  This is a free community presentation but tickets are required.  Tickets are available through the Opera House now.  Limit of 4 tickets per person.

Tonight’s program to include the music of Count Basie, Billy Strayhorn, Gerry Mullian, Jerome Kern and many others.  Vocalist Master Sargent Marva Lewis will join the band tonight, along with local musicians including Meredith Duke and Paulette Carter.

For additional information on the band visit armyfieldband.com .  Or follow the group at facebook.com/JazzAmbassadors.

Location : Main Stage at the Opera House
Contact : Box Office 207-633-5159

FREE, but you will need tickets – call or visit the box office today to reserve yours!

In The Blood

Saturday, October 29 2011, 7:30pm

Film and Music by Sumner McKane.

A film uncovering the life, skills and character of the turn of the century Maine lumbermen and river drivers.

Tickets are available at the door for $10.

A live score by Sumner McKane will accompany the film.

More About the Opera House

Performance Calendar

Nearby Hotels & Businesses

Directions & Maps

Support the Opera House

Contact Us

Home

Box Office  Tuesday-Friday  10:00-4:00
Box Office  207-633-5159
Administrative  207-633-6855
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, Maine

The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor
86 Townsend Avenue
Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

Times

Doors open at 7:30 pm, Music begins at 8 pm

Fees

Tickets: $15 in Advance, $18 Day of Show. Purchase tickets in person at the BOX OFFICE during normal business hours. Purchase tickets over the phone by contacting the BOX OFFICE at 207-633-5159.

Contact Information

Website
www.boothbayoperahouse.com/

Name
Rachel Yacouby

Phone
(207) 633-5159

More About Sierra Hull

good chunk of popular music’s real estate has been carved up along lines of age these last half-dozen decades, and we’re used to seeing young musicians aim exclusively for young audiences then flounder as they outgrow teenaged listeners’ tastes and concerns. Pan-generational mentoring and mingling has done much to insulate bluegrass from this coming-of-age quandary. Still, Sierra Hull is the rare soul to make it through these years entirely unscathed.

Secrets—the debut album she recorded at 15, and released at 16—struck the ear with sensibilities that seemed both seasoned and fresh; kids’ stuff this was not. Three years and a move from her family’s home in tiny Byrdstown, Ten. to Boston’s Berklee College of Music later, she’s followed with one of the most surefooted transitions into early adulthood put to record. Thirty seconds into the opening track, she sings a line that puts a fine point on it: “I’m not a child anymore.”

Of course, the evidence of Sierra’s uncommon maturity—musical and personal (one might say she embodies the perfect balance of humility and capability)—has been there all along, and won her formidable fans: by age 11, Alison Krauss had called with an invitation to the Opry stage; by 12, Rounder was expressing interest; first Ron Block and now Barry Bales have served as co-producers, and her studio bands have featured the cream of the contemporary bluegrass crop—Stuart Duncan, Randy Kohrs and Bryan Sutton this time, alongside members of Sierra’s own crack band Highway 111. Then there’s the fact that Berklee gave her the school’s most prestigious award, the Presidential Scholarship, a first for a bluegrass musician; her choice to accept it, to delay her dream of hitting the road full-time after high school in favor of expanding her musical worldview, was hardly a light one.

If ever the “child prodigy” label did Sierra justice, its usefulness has completely fallen away and a distinctive new identity emerged. What you hear on Daybreak is one of bluegrass’s few full-fledged virtuosic instrumentalist/singer/songwriters, and one who’s gracefully grown into her gifts. While her mandolin playing has always possessed clarity and fleet-fingered precision, here she attacks her solos with newfound spontaneity and depth of feeling; she calls it “playing with a point to prove.” Her singing—always straight and true—has more heartfelt power behind it, to results Bales describes, simply, as “doing the songs justice.”

As for the songs, Sierra’s first album held just a few originals, but she wrote seven of these twelve, a collection that stands up quite well next to the outside material. There’s a pair of sprightly instrumentals, her first-ever western swing number and several that show her emotional sophistication: in songs that fall squarely in the bluegrass tradition, feelings are out in the open; during country-leaning compositions, she ponders relationships from more introspective angles; and the title track—a breathtaking pop ballad—is the most ruminative moment of all.

Boundaries—age, genre or otherwise—don’t hamper an artist like Sierra. She’s already earned considerable respect in the bluegrass world, the IBMA’s voting members having nominated her for no fewer than five awards over three years—there’s a good chance she’ll be the first woman to win the mandolin category. But as a player, a singer and a songwriter, she also has remarkable range, the potential to win over ears unfamiliar with Bill Monroe and give performances of broad cultural importance, as she’s done at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and the National Prayer Breakfast. Matt Glaser—head of Berklee’s American Roots Music Program—put it this way: “She has no limitations as a musician.” Daybreak is certainly a noteworthy arrival; you can’t help but feel it’s also just the beginning.

- Jewly Hight, Nashville, Tennessee, January 2011

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=hY_Lfm75P2c