KEENE, N.H. — The Colonial Performing Arts Center, a nonprofit leader in both arts education and outreach, announced the 2023–24 season of their organization's main stage.
The Colonial Theatre, with recent major renovations to its lobby, concessions area, stage, and backstage, will be celebrating its 100th birthday in January 2024 and will be offering special birthday events all season.
Enhancements to the stage house structure and riggings at the Colonial accommodate nationally touring aerial acts that have not previously performed in the Monadnock Region.
The internationally touring dance company, Momix, will bring their live-action psychedelic production of Alice (inspired by Alice in Wonderland) to the stage on Oct. 14. And on April 11, 2024, Cirque Flip Fabrique presents Blizzard, a show of exciting circus performers and aerial acrobats set in scenes of wintry wonder.
The Colonial will once again present popular musical entertainment at the 95 Main St. venue: Scheduled acts include 20-time Grammy Award-winning Pat Metheny in a special solo show (9/15); the return of quintessential Led Zeppelin tribute band, Get The Led Out (11/10); the Hybrid Tribute Fusion Act of Pink Talking Fish (12/2); the singer-songwriter ensemble of On a Winter's Night, with Patty Larkin, Cliff Eberhardt, John Gorka, and Lucy Kaplansky (1/26); The Machine, performing the music of Pink Floyd (2/24); The Queen's Cartoonists, playing a brilliant blend of jazz and classical music to bring energy to 100 years of animation (3/15); and a high-energy trip back in time to the music and events of the 1960s with The Sixties Show (4/19).
Also scheduled to appear at the Colonial are Leon Etienne's family-friendly show Magic Rocks (9/30); comedian Brian Regan (10/19); Maria Bamford with her deeply personal and experimental stand-up comedy (11/17); the improvisers of Broadway's Next Hit Musical (4/6); and John Cameron Mitchell with cabaret star Amber Martin presenting Cassette Roulette, a witty night of songs and stories (5/18).
Throughout the season, the Colonial Performing Arts Center will partner with The Metropolitan Opera to offer The Met: Live in HD's 2023–24 season. Presented in the Colonial's Showroom, The Met Live performances offer singing and orchestration, lavish costumes, spectacular scenery, and one-of-a-kind backstage access.
Family and cultural entertainment abound in the 2023–24 season, including the Irish Christmas celebration, Christmas in Killarney, combining Irish dance with traditional Christmas classics (12/16); The National Dance Company of Ireland with Rhythm of the Dance (3/8); the wadaiko drums of Drum Tao (3/23); and Dinosaur World Live, the puppetry of life-like dinosaurs (4/26).
The Colonial's Student Matinee Series will offer a variety of in-school programming and on-stage performances this season. Serving more than 7,000 students each year, this educational outreach program introduces children to live theater while seamlessly 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 musicians Echoes of Floyd (9/16), the Maine-based Soggy Po' Boys (11/3); and the irreverent humor of Robert's Dubac's Stand-Up Jesus (9/22).
Tickets for the Colonial's 2023–24 season will be available to current, new, and renewing members beginning this week at the box office. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, June 27, at noon. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 603-352-2033 or visit thecolonial.org.