The Colonial Performing Arts Center, self-described in a news release as one of the Northeast's premier nonprofit performing arts centers and a leader in both arts education and outreach, announced their 2022–2023 season on the organization's historic main stage.
The Colonial Theatre is reopening after major renovations to its lobby, concessions area, stage, and backstage, which provide improved audience amenities and a greater variety of programming.
Enhancements to the stage house structure and theatrical technologies at The Colonial allow the theater to stage nationally touring Broadway performances that have not previously presented in the Monadnock Region.
Stomp will bring their “inventive and invigorating” performance Nov. 29 and 30. And on May 2, 2023, Legally Blonde: The Musical! comes to town with its “high-energy [...] hymn to the glories of girlishness.” (New York Times).
With its calling to bring the cultural and creative spirit of their community to life, the 98-year old Colonial is proud to once again present a wide array of popular musical entertainment at the 95 Main Street venue, including, but not limited to:
Grammy-winning Lucinda Williams (Aug. 30); Richard Thompson (Sept. 23); Croce Plays Croce, with A. J. Croce paying homage to his father, Jim Croce (Oct. 15); all-vocal Country entertainers and YouTube performers, Home Free (Oct. 21); and the return of Led Zeppelin tribute band, Get The Led Out (Nov. 4).
Shows booked for 2023 include Rumours: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute (March 24); One Night Of Queen (April 25); and a musical journey through the career of David Bowie, with Space Oddity: The Quintessential Bowie Experience (April 28).
The Colonial will host performances that celebrate jazz and classical genres as well, with Scott Bradlee's Postmodern Jukebox, bringing the classic stylings and sounds of jazz and Motown to mainstream music (March 16); and Songs We Love, a journey through the first 50 years of jazz song presented by Jazz at Lincoln Center (March 31).
Throughout the season, The Colonial Performing Arts Center will again partner with The Metropolitan Opera to present The Met: Live in HD's 2022–23 Season.
Presented in The Colonial's Showroom, The Met Live performances “offer awe-inspiring singing and orchestration, lavish costumes, spectacular scenery, and one-of-a-kind backstage access to our nation's most celebrated operatic voices,” organizers say.
Family entertainment abounds in the 2022–23 season including the New York Theatre Ballet, presenting a kid-friendly version of the classic holiday favorite, The Nutcracker (Dec. 17); the puppets, dragons, and beasts from the creators of the smash hit Dinosaur World Live (Jan. 20); and a comedy dog spectacular, Mutts Gone Nuts (April 16).
The Colonial will present a variety of dance stylings throughout the 2022–2023 season as well. This includes Wings Dublin Irish Dance, portraying Irish heritage themes with dance and musical performances (March 25); the ballet dancers of ABT Studio Company (March 10); and Step Afrika! (May 12).
Also scheduled are Canadian comedian and TV personality, Howie Mandel (Sept. 10); the comedy stylings of New England-based Juston McKinney (Nov. 19) and the improv of Whose Live Anyway? (March 22).
The Colonial's Student Matinee Series will offer a variety of in-school programming and onstage performances this season. Serving more than 8,000 students each year, this educational outreach program introduces children to live theater while blending curriculum-based topics such as literature, music, social studies, science and math. The series is central to realizing the theater's vision to excite, educate and challenge audiences of all ages.
In addition to Colonial mainstage presentations, Showroom programming this fall includes: Canadian singer-songwriter Taylor Ashton and Maine-based indie duo Oshima Brothers (Sept. 30); the acoustic musicians of Jacob Jolliff Band (Oct. 21); Boston-based rising star Ali McGuirk (Oct. 28); Cuban-born, Nashville-based quintet, Sweet Lizzy Project (Oct. 29); the return of the Blues sibling duo, Jocelyn and Chris (Nov. 19); and American jazz quartet, The Bad Plus (Dec. 3).