Musicals – Salem Happenings

Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market: Cole Porter

There’s a pretty good chance that, unless you’re a huge Broadway fan, you probably haven’t heard of Cole Porter. However, Cole Porter is the man behind many of the musicals (or at least the songs in many of the musicals) that have truly stood the test of time, including Paris, Fifty Million Frenchmen, and the show that he is best-known for, Kiss Me, Kate. As a result, the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market in Salem MA, has decided to celebrate what would be the Broadway songwriter’s 125th birthday if he was still alive.

This celebration, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow (Saturday, June 18, 2016), will bring together a number of local vendors that will be selling antiques, art, collectibles, handmade goods, jewelry, vintage clothing, vintage furniture, and a whole lot more. If you’re wondering what the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market actually is, it is a monthly pop-up market that occurs throughout the summer, and each market has its own theme. The theme of this month’s market, as you might have already guessed, is of course Cole Porter and some of the things that might be associated with him, including cocktails and garden parties. For more information on the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art Market, please visit the Derby Square Flea Salvage Art website.

Photo credit: GWP Photography via VisualHunt / CC BY

Boston’s Alive with the Sound of Music

You may hear people saying may day today, but there’s no reason to panic. They’re not talking about a potential crash. They’re talking about the age-old celebration of the warm weather and all the things that warmth brings to the world around us. In fact, the only crash you will probably have to worry about this weekend is the crash on your couch after you check out all of the music and merrymaking that’s happening in the Boston area.

First, what do you get when you combine an improvisational comedy troupe in the style of “Whose Line Is It Anyway” with a Musical? Well, you would probably get something along the lines of Boston’s Unscripted Musical Project. Boston’s Unscripted Musical Project, or B.U.M.P. for short, is an improvisational musical performed at 8:00 P.M. on the first and third Friday of every month at the Catalyst Comedy Club on Melcher Street in Boston. This show will allow you and your fellow audience members to suggest a title for the show that the cast will then use to create a unique set of characters and songs on the fly. There’s no rehearsing, no script, and virtually no rules, so the only guarantee is that most of the audience will be laughing. For more information on B.U.M.P, please visit the Catalyst Comedy Club’s Website.

Secondly, if you’re a big fan of jazz and you’re looking for something that may be a little more rehearsed, you may want to check out all of the festivities surrounding Jazz Week. Jazz Week, which takes place at a number of locations throughout Boston, is a weeklong jazz festival that ends this Sunday. This festival will give you the chance to see over 200 live performances by jazz musicians from around the world, and most of these performances are completely free. For more information on Jazz Week, including where each performance is, please visit Jazz Boston’s Jazz Week page.

Finally, if you’ve always been a fan of 80’s movies and you love the idea of going to a musical, but you’re looking for something a little more scripted than B.U.M.P., you may want to check out the Emerson Colonial Theatre. This is because Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage is playing at the Emerson Colonial Theatre from now until May 10, 2015. This show features almost all of the hit songs from the classic movie and a number of special effects that are beyond anything you’ve probably seen in a stage production before. For more information on the show and/or to order tickets, please visit the Broadway in Boston website.

Photo credit: raphaelstrada / Source / CC BY

The Musical Season

If you’re a big fan of musicals, there’s no better time to indulge in one of your favorite activities than now. This is because many of the theatres and schools that perform musicals begin their musical seasons in the early to late spring. As a result, if you’ve been hoping to catch a show that you haven’t seen before, introduce your kids to musicals, or find a new way to enjoy music with other individuals who are a little less musically-inclined than you are, this is the time to do it. In fact, there are several events this weekend that are sure to help you have a good time no matter what your musical preference may be.

First, if you’re looking for a show you haven’t seen before, you may want to consider seeing the Neverland Theatre Company’s production of the Wizard of Oz. Yes, I know, you’ve probably seen the Wizard of Oz or the musical Wicked, but this isn’t the movie and it certainly isn’t a musical from the Witch’s point of view. This production is a stage adaption of the original film, the Wizard of Oz, which is being performed at the Temple B’Nai Abraham Theater in Beverly, MA from tomorrow (April 5, 2014) to Sunday, April 13, 2014. This means that if you’ve always wanted to see Munchkins or Flying Monkeys on stage rather than on screen, you will finally have the chance. For more information on the Neverland Theatre Company’s Production of the Wizard of Oz and/or to order tickets, please visit the Neverland Theatre Company’s website.

Secondly, if you’re looking for a way to introduce your kids to musicals, the North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) may have exactly what you’re looking for. This is because the North Shore Musical Theatre in association with Theatreworks USA is presenting a musical version of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tomorrow (April 5, 2014) for one show only at 11:00 A.M. This production, which is aimed at a much younger audience than your typical musical, will allow you and your children to experience the story of four children traveling through the magical land of Narnia like you have never seen it before. For more information and/or to order tickets, please visit the North Shore Music Theatre’s Children’s Show page.

Finally, if you’re looking for a musical experience that, as Meatloaf might say, has a twist and a bit of spin, the Dane Estate at Pine Manor College in Brookline, MA has the event for you. This is because the Dane Estate at Pine Manor College is hosting an event entitled “Gilded Nights: Masquerade Soireé” tomorrow (April 5, 2014) at 6:30 P.M. However, this soireé is not just a masked party, but is instead a murder mystery with a Phantom of the Opera theme. For more information on Gilded Nights: Masquerade Soireé and/or to order tickets, please visit the Gilded Nights website.

Photo credit: Simon & His Camera / Foter / Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

Friday Fun: The Power of Music

“Music has charms to sooth a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” “Music is the voice that tells us that the human race is greater than it knows.” These quotes from William Congreve, Victor Hugo, and Napoleon Bonaparte, respectively, are from three very different people. However, all of these individuals had one thing in common — they all understood the power of music.

The power of music is something that we see on a day to day basis because music, as these three individuals suggested, has the power to soothe us, to express things that we don’t know how to say, and to demonstrate the strength of the human spirit. As a result, it’s important to remember that music is so much more than some simple words put to a pleasant tune, and if you’re looking for a way to soothe your mind and escape the trials and tribulations of the world around you, you may just want to know about some of the musical events that are taking place in the Boston area this weekend.

First, if you’re a fan of the opera or you want to be able to tell all of your friends that you have some serious “class”, you may want to check out the Boston Lyric Opera’s production of The Flying Dutchman. The Boston Lyric Opera, which is the largest and one of the most well-respected opera companies in the Northeast, is performing the original version of Richard Wagner’s tale of a cursed sea captain and the woman who loves him tonight at 7:30 P.M., Sunday afternoon at 3:00 P.M., Wednesday (5/1/2013) at 7:30 P.M., next Friday (5/3/2013) at 7:30 P.M., and next Sunday afternoon (5/5/2013) at 3:00 P.M. To find out more about the show and to purchase tickets, please visit the Boston Lyric Opera’s website.

Second, if you like musical theater, but the opera is not really your thing, you may want to look into attending the Berklee College of Music’s production of Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical. Students from the Berklee College of Music are performing James Rado and Gerome Ragni’s well-known stage show about peace, social injustice, rock and roll, and the hippie movement tonight at 7:30. For more information on the show and to purchase tickets, please visit the Berklee College of Music’s event page

Finally, if you’re looking for something a little more current than music from 1841 or 1967 and you don’t mind waiting until Wednesday, Radio may have what you’re looking for. Radio, which is a relatively new club in Somerville, is hosting a fundraiser for the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing called Radio Loves Boston at 5:00 P.M. on Wednesday (5/1/2013.) This show will feature 20 independent bands playing every type of rock known to man, and all of the proceeds from the show will go to the One Fund Boston. If you’re interested in finding out more about the show, visit Radio’s Facebook page.