Jamie Saft has collaborated with the greatest masters of music including Iggy Pop, Bad Brains, Roswell Rudd, Hamid Drake, Wadada Leo Smith, Steve Swallow, and Bobby Previte. The Jamie Saft Trio has performed at legendary venues in the US including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Village Vanguard. Saft’s trios have been featured at major festivals worldwide including in San Sebastián, Spain, Moscow, all over Europe, South America, Australia, Canada, and Japan. Saft was the pianist for the John Adams opera “Ceiling/ Sky” and has been featured on recordings by a diverse array of artists including the B52s, Beastie Boys, Marshall Allen, and Cyro Baptista.

For this special concert at The Dance Hall, Saft’s trio will feature a diverse array of music from the Great American Songbook including compositions by Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, and John and Alice Coltrane. This formation of the trio first played together in 1990!!! A rare opportunity to see the Jamie Saft Trio right here in Maine!   

Jamie Saft- Fender Rhodes

Tim Kelly- bass guitar

John Mettam- drums 

About Jazz Casual:

Jazz Casual is dedicated to the preservation of a distinctly American art form and related improvised musics. Showcasing an eclectic array of local, national and international talent, the series supports the advancement of this art form by programming artists who are writing original works and uniquely arranging traditional music in progressive and imaginative ways.

$15 advance | $18 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included ($3 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

THIS IS A DANCE PARTY!

We are a creative, inspiring collaboration of Rafa Moreno (singer and song writer) and Stephen E. Whitney (a longtime professional percussionist).

Rafael Moreno is a Panamanian singer-songwriter, arranger, producer, and educator. He started his professional career in 2000 and has recorded three studio albums; he was lead singer, songwriter, and producer for Orquesta Sociedad Anόnima from 2011 to 2019 and was an actor and TV host from 2010 to 2019 in Panama.

Stephen is a band leader who started Vibra Tropical as the house band for La Fabrica Central in Cambridge MA in 2017. Rafa and Stephen started working together in 2021. Vibra Tropical is an engaging 10 to 12 piece, international, intergenerational salsa band whose members are Berklee students and graduates plus professional musicians from all over New England. We perform Rafa’s original compositions and his arrangements of classic salsa standards and get audiences dancing!

Brad Smith – piano

Eduardo Ramirez - bass

Kristalis Sotomayer - flute

Yibran Aponte - trumpet

Mark Hamilton - trombone

Sam Padua - trombone

Luis Portalatin - baritone

Pedro Sanjur - timbal

Stephen E. Whitney - conga

$17 advance | $22 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included : $3 facility fee per ticket (cash sales inlc.) + cc processing fees

Darlin’ Corey features the singing and playing of three well known musicians of the thriving music scene of Portland, ME. Award winning and accomplished fiddler and singer Erica Brown on fiddle, guitar, vocals, notable songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Matt Shipman on guitar, vocals, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo and Portland’s favorite bass player, Kris Day.

Their music is a unique blend of folk with influences from bluegrass and old time music. Together they create an engaging performance of thoughtful originals, traditional songs and songs that influenced them along the way.

With recent highlights including performances at prestigious venues and festivals like Stone Mountain Arts Center, Ossipee Valley and collaborations with The Bangor Symphony Orchestra, they continue to captivate audiences across the Northeast and Canada.

High Range is a New Hampshire-based band playing both original and cover songs featuring fiddle, guitar, mandolin, banjo, upright bass and drums. Making music together since 1999.

"HIGH RANGE has forged a tight, compelling ensemble sound that is highly musical and thoroughly entertaining."

--David McCarty, Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine

Todd Jones – acoustic and electric guitar, banjo and vocals

Rob Kneeland – mandolin, drums and vocals

Ellen Carlson – fiddle and vocals

Steve Roy – mandolin and bass

Brendan Dowd – bass

Zac Francis – bass

*REMINDER: this show will be held across the street from The Dance Hall at the Kittery Art Association, #2 Walker Street.

Will Lawrence is a NY-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His fifth studio album, “Rooftops in the Centerfold,” is out on September 19th, 2025 on Triangle House/Sophomore Lounge Records. He is also a member of The Felice Brothers, Ryan Davis and the Roadhouse Band, and many more.

"With Rooftops in the Centerfold, Lawrence crafts more than just a collection of songs—he creates a reflective journey that lingers between reality and imagination. Through its blend of melancholic tones, dreamlike imagery, and occasional bursts of brightness, the album captures the fragile persistence of love and memory. 
By the time the final notes of True Love Don’t Disappear fade out, listeners are left with the reminder that even when love slips into the realm of dreams, its resonance endures."
- Tara Sharil, NYS Music

This special performance is sponsored by the Kittery Art Association.

$12 advance | $15 day-of  | $8 student
*fees not included

Building Hope : Ending Homelessness
Documentary

a film by Richard Kane and Melody Lewis-Kane

One of the worst societal traumas of this century “BUILDING HOPE: Ending Homelessness” puts a face on those experiencing homelessness and tells us it could happen to anyone. But there is hope. We can all make a difference. 

 "... it really nailed down all of the complexities of the unhoused, and the variety of solutions, told with the powerful honesty of individuals." Allison Hepler, Maine legislator 

“… told with compassionate honesty” Jane Field, Maine Council of Churches 

“…Full of dignity and community.” Alison Lovejoy, Preble Street 

“… a moving, informative, and inspiring documentary.” Bonnie Tai, professor College of the Atlantic

This powerful documentary shines a light on the human stories behind Maine’s homelessness crisis—stories of loss, resilience, and the possibility of change. From families displaced by the pandemic, to survivors of domestic violence, to people rebuilding after incarceration, Building Hope shows both the barriers and the breakthroughs in the fight for stable housing.

Featuring voices from community advocates, state leaders, and those with lived experience, the film explores the root causes of homelessness and highlights real solutions—from affordable housing investments to wraparound support services—that offer a path forward.

Join us for the screening and a panel discussion to learn, connect, and discover how together we can build hope and end homelessness—across Maine, New Hampshire, and beyond.

Moderator: 

Kara Rodenhizer - Director of Home for All

Panelists:

Emily Flinkstrom, Co-founder of Mainspring, Executive Director of Fair Tide

Michele Meyer, Maine State Representative

Anna Kay Vorsteg - Executive Director of Cross Roads House

Nick Taylor - Executive Director, Housing Action New Hampshire

ABOUT MAINSPRING:

Mainspring is a collaborative social service hub, co-founded by Fair Tide and Footprints, and designed to make it easy for individuals and families to get the support they need. By bringing partners together under one roof, offering centralized intake, and providing coordinated care, Mainspring seamlessly connects community members to essential resources that support every aspect of well-being.

ABOUT HOME FOR ALL:

Home for All (HFA) is a diverse coalition of more than 90 organizations and community leaders working to ensure that everyone in the Seacoast has access to safe, affordable housing. Serving York, Rockingham, and Strafford Counties, HFA brings partners together across state lines to prevent homelessness, reduce housing instability, and expand options across the full housing continuum, from emergency shelter to homes affordable for working families.

Free Reservation | $15+ suggested donation
Please be sure to reserve your seat (at no cost). Donations can be made in person on the night of the screening.

A personal narrative, dance-opera-play, and comic drama, She Remembers her Amnesia, based on true stories over the course of a lifetime, Ms. Brenner investigates and reveals her own bizarre forays and adventures all in relation to the head, the brain, and the circuitous, unintended paths we take that create who we are and ultimately become. Memory has long been a compelling subject matter in many of Ms. Brenner’s company works, and here it is a central motif in the trajectory of the theatrical "scenes.” Prolific composer Jerome Begin and Ms. Brenner, in their third collaboration, marry both recorded musical episodes with “live” vocal narration and original "arias" written for her particular vocal range and performance personas. Could the question we often ask, “Is it Nature or Nurture” be expanded to include “Isn’t it also Fate or Happenstance or that one moment of good or ill-fortune that guides our unique and unpredictable lives?” And what is a “normal brain" anyway? There is no moral, no culmination, no cathartic finish-- only a circuitous, unpredictable life on-going, as is each of ours. Be sure to stick around for a Q&A with Janis after the performance!

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING:

"Janis Brenner is one of our most brilliant and engaging storytellers--blending the evocative and the provocative. She transfixes and transports us with a sublime fusion of musical, physical, and textual poetry."
- D.K. Britt, Chatham Life & Style, NC.

"Brenner turns the full force of her artistic talents upon the experience of seeking meaning from troubling medical phenomena. In doing so, her show She Remembers her Amnesia offers a full-throated cry into the abyss —and we come up singing and dancing.”
- Cynthia Darling, Thinking Theatre, NYC

Tim Murray is WITCHES! is a mix of stand-up and original comedy songs about Tim's favorite pop culture WITCHES! Murray is like a gay Bo Burnham, but painted green and doing drag! The show is a tribute to LGBTQIA people and how we discover our magic once we find our coven. Murray speaks to the many queer people who feel like we have to hide ourselves to fit in and we our powers grow stronger once we find our queer family.

From The Craft to Wicked to the Sanderson Sisters to “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” and Angelica Houston's Grand High Witch, Murray celebrates famous sorceresses throughout herstory and uses their stories as a parallel to the queer witch hunt.

Tim Murray has performed stand-up all over the U.S. including SF Sketchfest, The Brooklyn Comedy Festival and DragCon. His new sketch comedy TV show ‘Wish You Were Queer’ produced by Trixie Mattel will debut in 2024. This show received several 5 star reviews at Edinburgh Fringe. It was nominated for an Off-West End award and WON Best Musical show from Entertainment Now.

With opener REBECCA DONOHUE:

Rebecca Donohue is a comedian, writer, and comedy producer. She has appeared on Comedy Central, VH1, and a variety of cable networks that no longer matter because we only watch things on our phone now. She won a spot on a USO TOUR for the US Navy through the Boston Comedy Festival and has performed in 30 out of the 50 states. As a writer, Rebecca received an Emmy nomination for her work on the Discovery+ show Book of Queer. As a producer, her digital series I Want My Stuff Back, also received an Emmy nomination. Rebecca currently creates originals and develops talent for The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – a top 10 comedy-sports show in the US.

Recommended for ages 18+; parental discretion is advised.

$20 advance | $25 day-of + fees

This performance has been postponed! We’ll announce a new date as soon as it’s been decided. Thank you!

(Film Screening) your love: beside me (2025) is a triptych of narrative dance films that captures the life cycle of love. These works are a film adaptation of three live performance duets created by Ali Kenner Brodsky and performed by Jessi Stegall & Ilya Vidrin with music composed by MorganEve Swain. These three duets premiered in 2023 as a part of evening-length work called moments and are referred to internally as the walking, bench, and floor duets. The film production team is composed of Ali Kenner Brodsky (co-director and choreographer), Rich Ferri (director of photography and editor), MorganEve Swain (composer), and Jessi Stegall and Ilya Vidrin (performers). 

These duets are tender and evocative. They are reflective and evoke memories of times passed. Stegall and Vidrin are present together in space but see each other as echoes of a past life. Each section of the triptych honors a different point in a relationship- from the giddiness of a first glance, to settling into a common rhythm, to the final good-bye. My work divulges movement stories that ask how we move through grief and relate to each other inside of and as we emerge from our dark cocoons.

This film was made possible with generous support from Movement Arts Creation Studio. 

Funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies.

$15 general admission | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Drawing on his extensive experiences in the jazz and Arabic music worlds, Gideon Forbes new project, Ploceus, showcases original music & arrangements that draw on the rich improvisational and compositional features of these two music traditions. Gideon's recent projects include Nortonk, which released its eponymous debut album on Biophilia Records in May 2021, and Orchestra Farha, an acoustic-electric ensemble that focuses on 1970's Arabic music from Egypt and around the Arab world. Gideon collaborates with the New York Arabic Orchestra, Takht al-Nagham, The Brooklyn Nomads, Habibi Gün, Firas Zreik, Sami Abu Shumays, and Karim Nagi.

About Jazz Casual: Jazz Casual is dedicated to the preservation of a distinctly American art form and related improvised musics. Showcasing an eclectic array of local, national and international talent, the series supports the advancement of this art form by programming artists who are writing original works and uniquely arranging traditional music in progressive and imaginative ways.

$15 advance | $18 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Liz Frame + the Kickers

Liz Frame wrote her first song at age nine and has been performing her own brand of Americana music since her early teens. Her efforts have paid off in exciting ways — nights in prestigious rooms and strong praise from respected sources — as she wins the hearts and minds of audiences and the industry alike. Giants like Patsy Cline and Linda Ronstadt have been evoked while describing her voice, and her writing has been compared to veterans like Dolly Parton and Lucinda Williams, among others. When not performing solo, she is backed live by her band, the Kickers — John Webb on lead guitar, Marjorie Senet on guitar and vocals, Jake Davis on bass, Max Chase on keys, and Jarrett Osborn on drums — talented friends whose musicianship help to deliver her material with distinction. 

Todd Hearon

Hearon is an award-winning poet, songwriter and dramatist whose two albums, Border Radio (2021) and Yodelady (2023), have garnered accolades from American Songwriter magazine and the 2024 International Acoustic Music Awards.  Writes Chris Hislop in Seacoast Online, “Todd Hearon is proof that good folkin’ country singers still walk among us.  Somewhere from the great beyond, Townes Van Zandt has happened on Todd's tunes . . . and felt his cheeks go flush with envy.”  His third album signals a new musical departure, mixing his love of traditional roots music with more contemporary alt-country and Americana sounds.  It was produced by the legendary Don Dixon and recorded in Mitch Easter’s iconic Fidelitorium Studio in North Carolina.  Stay tuned for singles releasing this summer!

Hearon will be joined by a full band including Andrew Blowen (keyboards, accordion), Lindsay Garfield (vocals, percussion), Alex Keenan (pedal steel), Rick Habib (drums), Ralph Sneeden (electric guitar) and Geoff Taylor (bass). 

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Burst & Bloom is a small, independent record label and book publisher based in Kittery and Bath, ME. They have been consistently supporting the local music scene and building community around the arts for 15 years. Acting as a hub for a roster of talent, Burst & Bloom organizes shows, creates opportunities for artists, and brings people together. Come show your support for local entrepreneurship and celebrate the work of Burst & Bloom artists!

Featured Artists:

Guy Capecelatro III
Justin Carloni
Sam Carp
Hello Shark
Jim Rioux
Winston Plum

$17 advance | $22 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

After the passing of the great Astrud Gilberto, bossa nova pioneer, Josie set out to honor the late singer through writing original compositions based on her life. So came her debut album, Komorebi. From up-tempo sambas to eerie bossa ballads, Komorebi displays a beautiful range of Brazilian jazz through the lens of original compositions. Join us to hear these originals by her jazz quintet, plus a mix of jazz standards and bossa nova classics.

Josie Lawrence vocals
Clifford Cameron piano
Asa Meyer-Waldo bass
John Suntken drums
Jesse Beckett-Herbert tenor sax, flute

About Jazz Casual: Jazz Casual is dedicated to the preservation of a distinctly American art form and related improvised musics. Showcasing an eclectic array of local, national and international talent, the series supports the advancement of this art form by programming artists who are writing original works and uniquely arranging traditional music in progressive and imaginative ways.

$15 advance | $18 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Hangdog
91 Minutes / USA / English / Comedy-Drama

Anxiety-riddled Walt embarks on a comic odyssey through Portland, Maine to retrieve his stolen dog before his girlfriend, Wendy, returns from her business trip, or risk losing them both.

In their debut narrative feature, husband-and-wife creative team Matt Cascella (Director and Editor) and Jen Cordery (Writer) “capture the little moments, human connections made and humans connections re-established” (Richard Propes, The Independent Critic) in a film that is “highly delightful” (Staff, Letterboxd) and “charming, original, and sweet in its own deliberately shaggy way” (Ken Eisen, MIFF Programming Director).

Matt and Jen will attend the event and will hold a Q+A after the screening.

SYNOPSIS

Walt (Desmin Borges, PRIVATE LIFE, FX's YOU'RE THE WORST) is a fish out of water in his own skin. He’s now also a fish out of water in Portland, Maine, having recently moved with his girlfriend, Wendy (Kelly O’Sullivan, SAINT FRANCES), to be closer to her parents. Without a job or a plan, and with a new dog competing for Wendy’s affections, Walt has reached peak anxiety. When Wendy leaves town for the most important business trip of her career, she entrusts Walt with one task: taking care of her fur baby, Tony. After a careless mistake gets Tony stolen, Walt embarks on a wild goose chase to retrieve the dog before Wendy returns, or risk losing them both. Along the way, he connects with locals Marianne (Barbara Rosenblat, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK), a wisecracking nonconformist, and Brent (Steve Coulter, OPPENHEIMER, A LITTLE PRAYER), a recent widower, who force him to confront his anxieties and embrace human (and canine!) connection.

$15 general admission | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Special thank you to Maine Humanities Council and Vacationland supporting the screening of this film!

Shakespeare comes to The Dance Hall as part of a Pop-Up Bar(d) Crawl in collaboration with Theater in the Open on September 26th! Before the event begins, you’ll be asked to vote for one of two plays to be performed– Twelfth Night or Much Ado About Nothing. The ensemble of actors will be at the ready, and once you vote they’ll grab their cue scripts moments before we begin, and together we’ll dive into one of Shakespeare’s delicious comedies… which one we do is up to you! Doors open an hour before showtime to choose your play, choose your pint, and prepare for a tragically funny night of theatrical mayhem. 

$15 advance | $20 at door | $8 students
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Dancing Through Motherhood:
A Healing Creative Workshop For Caregivers (Virtual)

*Registration to the virtual workshop is FREE, but it's necessary to reserve your spot in order to receive the link to participate! Click "Buy Tickets" to reserve.

An opportunity to explore, through movement, the idea of motherhood and connect within a chorus of mothers sparking a sense of support, embrace, and empowerment. Participants will be guided through different expressive exercises.

Laura Sánchez is an award-winning flamenco artist, creator, choreographer and educator originally from Cádiz, Spain. She began her flamenco education as a child and received professional training from the Dance Conservatory of Madrid. Laura holds a Professional Certificate in Expressive Arts Therapies from Lesley University where she developed an emerging therapeutic dance practice, Expressive Flamenco©. She presents this work internationally and continues to serve annually as Guest Professor for the Lesley University Expressive Therapies Master’s Program. Her most recent research work was published at the Journal of the American Dance Therapy Association in 2021.

This workshop is funded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Fou

Clifford Cameron's Vinyl Quartet plays music almost exclusively from the 60s and 70s reimagined in a modern improvisatory setting. Any genre is on the table and each take of every song is unique. Played in a beautiful, mellow and contemporary context, music from The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, Bob Marley, serve equally as artistic inspiration and as a cornerstone for the Vinyl Quartet's repertoire.

Listen and download their debut full length album HERE.

Emma Jane Page vocals

Nicholas Thompson-Brown bass

Alex Ouellette drums

Clifford Cameron on piano.

About Jazz Casual: Jazz Casual is dedicated to the preservation of a distinctly American art form and related improvised musics. Showcasing an eclectic array of local, national and international talent, the series supports the advancement of this art form by programming artists who are writing original works and uniquely arranging traditional music in progressive and imaginative ways.

$15 advance | $18 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Hailing from the Boston area, The New Grown-Ups are an octet taking a modern twist on American Roots music. They blend Traditional Folk, Country, Blues, Celtic, Old time, Originals, Bluegrass, and Pop into a snafu of contemporary acoustic music. The band has toured regionally around New England, and has an infectious onstage energy that comes with loving to perform, and being around each other. 

"...Skilled musicians with electrical rollicking enthusiasm..."
-Bluegrass Today

Dearest Dear: Helen Kuhar (guitar, vocals, harmonium) and Rose Jackson (fiddle, vocals) come together to bring you driving traditional tunes from New England, Quebec, Ireland, and France, old songs with contemporary relevance, and contemporary songs with traditional sensibilities harmonized with voices, fiddle, guitar, and harmonium.

$18 advance | $23 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Swing Dance with Annie & the Fur Trappers! A Boston based traditional jazz and blues band originally founded in 2016 in St. Louis, Missouri, Annie and the Fur Trappers is dedicated to performing and preserving the music of the 1920s and 30s today. The band plays traditional jazz, delta blues, ragtime, and swing music. 

**Jen & Ray of Lindy Maine will be teaching the basics of swing before the show, so come early and learn a few steps! Open to all, 7:00pm. 

$17 advance | $22 day-of | $12 student

The culmination of jazz music and tap dance is a tradition that has been passed down through the music. Enjoy an evening of Jazz and Tap Dance through the American songbook and Bebop era compositions.

Jett Tachibana - Sax
Asa Meyer-Waldo - Bass
Zak King - Drums
Ayan Imai-Hall - Tap Dance

About Ayan Imai-Hall:
Ayan is a tap dancer from New Hampshire. Ayan has toured across North America over the years with numerous companies and shows, most recently with Jumaane Taylor’s “Supreme Love” and Christina Carminucci’s “Solidarity Series.” In 2012 Ayan was awarded an NHSCA Traditional Arts Grant with Blues musician, TJ Wheeler. Since then, Ayan has strived to bring the dance to the music throughout the New England Seacoast.

About Jazz Casual:

Jazz Casual is dedicated to the preservation of a distinctly American art form and related improvised musics. Showcasing an eclectic array of local, national and international talent, the series supports the advancement of this art form by programming artists who are writing original works and uniquely arranging traditional music in progressive and imaginative ways.

$15 advance | $18 day-of | $10 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Welcome to SOME Fest — a bold, family-friendly celebration of music, art, and community in the heart of Kittery, Maine. Set against the charm of this coastal town, SOME Fest brings together an eclectic mix of sounds and visuals for a day that’s all about creativity and connection.

From gritty indie/punk bands to seasoned rockers, the lineup spans local talent and well-known names. You’ll also find a pop-up gallery and multimedia arts market, including Wrong Brain, a NH based nonprofit arts collective known for championing emerging voices. Kit Supply + Co. will have a kids corner set up for the little ones. 

This year, we’re proud to showcase music from students at PMAC (Portsmouth Music and Arts Center), along with other rising stars from across New Hampshire.

It’s loud. It’s creative. It’s community.

FIRST HALF: MUSIC & MARKET 11am-4pm

PMAC 
Kate Possi
Peter Squires & Friends 
Liza of Planet Parlor
Lily Seabird
Qvickdraw
Fiveighthirteen
Winkler

SECOND HALF: MORE MUSIC 5pm-8pm

Grub Lord
Rong
Rick Rude
Washer
Oceanator

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $15 student (12-18 y/o) | Free under 12

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket {even for cash sales} + cc processing fees)

SOME Fest is funded in part by New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
Thank you to our supporting partners and collaborators: Wrong Brain, Kit Supply + Co. and Portsmouth Music and Arts Center

As this eclectic group of songwriters makes their way to the Star Island Writers in the Round Retreat, they are excited to come together for an intimate evening of performances.

The show is in the round, 3 performers will be on stage at a time, taking turns singing songs and sharing stories. With songwriters Shiloh Hawkins, Jonathan Fraser Lessard, Craig Werth, Jocelyn Mackenzie, Peter Squires, and Guy Capecellatro III.

$15 general admission | $8 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Portsmouth Athenaeum Presents: Neave Piano Trio

The GRAMMY®–nominated Neave Trio has earned praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances. New York City’s WQXR explains, "'Neave' is actually a Gaelic name meaning 'bright' and 'radiant', both of which certainly apply to this trio's music-making." 

Formed in 2010, the Neave trio includes violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov, and pianist Eri Nakamura. Their 2022 album Musical Remembrances was nominated for a GRAMMY in the Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble category. Musical Remembrances features Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Ravel. It is the Neave Trio’s fourth album with Chandos Records. 

Neave has performed at many esteemed festivals worldwide, including Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart Festival, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 92nd Street Y, Rockport Chamber Music Festival, Norfolk and Norwich Chamber Music Series (United Kingdom), and the Samoylov and Rimsky Korsakow Museums' Chamber Music Series in St. Petersburg (Russia). 

The concert is a presentation of Portsmouth Athenaeum Chamber Music 2025.

The Program:

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Trio élégiaque No.1 in G minor
Dora Pejačević:            Trio in C Major, Op. 29
Cecile Chaminade:     Trio No. 2 in A minor, Op. 34

$30 General Admission | $10 Student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

The Dance Hall, in partnership with Seacoast Jazz Society, is excited to host the first ever "Kickoff Concert" for this year's (42nd Annual) Seacoast Jazz Festival.

Jesse Taitt Trio Featuring Jesse Taitt (piano), Tyson Jackson (drums) and Greg Loughman (bass). Mr. Taitt is a multifaceted pianist, composer, arranger, and educator with a rich musical journey.  Jesse is Assistant Professor in the Harmony and Jazz Composition Department at Berklee College of Music and Lecturer of Jazz Piano at Dartmouth College.

Band of Primates Longtime collaborators Josh Gagnon and Hunter McKay are excited to bring their new group, Band of Primates, to The Dance Hall. From big bands to ska bands, the two seacoast natives have been making music together since 2010. This project combines a variety of distant yet harmonious influences: ‘90s Alternative, bands like Kneebody and the Bad Plus, and Free Improvisation of the mid-twentieth century. The group explores original music and covers in an electrified, chordless quartet setting.

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

About Seacoast Jazz Fest The festival has a tremendous history on the seacoast. The first festival was held in 1983 under the name, Portsmouth Jazz Festival. For over 25 years, it was known as the Tommy Gallant Jazz Festival, to honor legendary local jazz pianist and composer, Tommy Gallant. In recent years it has become the Seacoast Jazz Festival in the hopes to expand the jazz festival’s reach in the future as a destination event featuring acclaimed jazz artists from around the globe. The Seacoast Jazz Society was formed in 1990 and its mission is to promote jazz through community outreach and education, to support local musicians, and to provide scholarships for young artists.

Roots-based, raise-the-rafters Rock My Soul comes to The Dance Hall! Join us for a spirit-soaring evening of spirituals, Civil Rights songs, soul, blues, pop, and Americana. Hear all flavors of American music influenced by the African American tradition, and learn about how they all connect.

For over 20 years, Rock My Soul has established itself as a musical force in northern New England. With its unique brand of rousing, raise-the-rafters music, the group has garnered an ever-growing following and has performed to packed houses throughout New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts. Rock My Soul has been featured on TV shows NH Chronicle and 207, as well as Maine Public Radio, and one of its songs was included in the PBS documentary Freedom Songs: Music of the Civil Rights Movement.

Rock My Soul’s concerts attract hundreds of fans, who often dance in the aisles to a sound that is at once traditional and contemporary. The group is tight and polished, yet has the immediacy and soulfulness of the old-school roots sound it seeks to revive. Guaranteed to be a foot stomping, hand clapping good time.

$20 advance | $25 day-of | $12 student

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

A NIGHT OF STAND-UP debuts at The Dance Hall for an incredible evening of Headliner-focused stand-up comedy. RACHEL FEINSTEIN, star of two Netflix specials– Big Guy (about her marriage to an NYC Fire Chief) and Only Whores Wear Purple– will close out the show, with Comedy Central comic (and now Kittery local) REBECCA DONOHUE opening the event.

Recommended for ages 18+; parental discretion is advised.

About RACHEL FEINSTEIN:

Rachel Feinstein is a nationally touring comedian and actress. AV Club says “Feinstein’s acute observations create silly, sympathetic characters keeping her subtly, exquisitely attuned to her audience." Rachel’s NETFLIX one-hour special, “Big Guy”  premiered in the top ten in 2024.  Rachel also recurred on the Steven Soderbergh Amazon series RED OAKS and on Judd Apatow’s HBO comedy CRASHING. Her past credits include TRAINWRECK, TOP FIVE, CONAN, THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON and she has co-hosted THE VIEW on multiple occasions, and several appearances on INSIDE AMY SCHUMER for which she won a WGA award. You may also remember Rachel co-hosting alongside Shaq on UPLOAD WITH SHAQUILLE ONEAL. Feinstein has also lent her voice to Adult Swim’s VENTURE BROTHERS and the phenomenally successful GRAND THEFT AUTO video game franchise.

About REBECCA DONOHUE:

Rebecca Donohue is a comedian, writer, and a comedy producer. She has appeared on Comedy Central, VH1, and a variety of cable networks that no longer matter because we only watch things on our phone now. She won a spot on a USO TOUR for the US Navy through the Boston Comedy Festival and has performed in 30 out of the 50 states. As a writer, Rebecca received an Emmy nomination for her work on the Discovery+ show Book of Queer. As a producer, her digital series I Want My Stuff Back, also received an Emmy nomination. Rebecca currently creates originals and develops talent for The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz – a top 10 comedy-sports show in the US.

$25 advance | $30 advance | $20 student  

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Prepare for a night of unpredictable adventure as Dorks in Dungeons takes The Dance Hall’s stage! This hilarious, fantasy-inspired, improv comedy show brings dragons *and/or* dungeons, goblins *and/or* ghouls, wizards *and/or* snakes wearing top hats—we let the dice decide.

Follow a team of perfectly capable adventurers through spontaneous challenges, bizarre encounters, and epic (or disastrous) quests—all made up on the spot. And hey, you might even help shape the story! Will the heroes triumph? Will chaos reign? Roll in and find out!

About Dorks in Dungeons:

Dorks in Dungeons is an internationally renowned fantasy improv troupe. Following the traditions of tabletop Role-Playing Games (RPG’s), Dorks in Dungeons uses comedic long-form improvisation to create memorably hilarious characters who face challenges brought to them by a pit of improv actors. Audience members have the power to change the course of the show with their suggestions and the coveted Reroll Token.

$13 advance | $18 day-of
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

DARWiN’S WAiTiNG ROOM (DWR) returns to the Seacoast for an epic night of sketch comedy! DWR is a collection of veteran actors and comedians who perform original scripted comedy for general audiences. Enter the unique DWR playground of silliness and laughter where you’ll meet talking slugs, ambassadors from the Silly Provinces, mole men, and more.

$15 advance | $20 day-of | $10 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Little Wings w/Special Guest Ben Troy

Kyle Field is a visual artist and the songwriter behind the 25-years-running group Little Wings. Over the course of more than a dozen albums, he has written a classic cannon of songs that continues to gain listenership to this day. Working without the help of powerful record companies, the songs have earned their place viscerally, person by person, creating a cherished and loyal following around the world. Little Wings continues to release records at an incredible clip and shows no signs of slowing, the songs keep growing. His latest and greatest High on the Glade was recorded with legendary producer Kramer. 

October’s Yankee Charms IV is Little Wings’ fourth tour with the New England rhythm section of bassist Nat Baldwin and drummer Peter McLaughlin. It celebrates the limited edition vinyl-only “Little Wings: Live in New York,” available exclusively at merch tables on this tour and through the Tandem Coffee Good Thing Vinyl club. 

"...Kyle Field, the Golden State’s mercurial troubadour, is back with a vengeance—songs of vaudeville and villainy, renewal and rebirth."

-Perpetual Doom

$17 advance | $22 day-of

*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)

Details

Come enjoy a fun-filled, belly-laugh-inducing evening with a PLAY READING of the award-winning comedy Sharp Dressed Men by G Matthew Gaskell, local playwright. To add to the fun, since this play is centered around a wedding day, we decided to offer some wedding reception vibes!– after the show, enjoy a complimentary glass of bubbles AND a wedding cupcake deliciously made by Bizzy Bee’s Sweet Treats… all included with the price of your ticket! 

About the play:

Back in high school, Bill and Lorraine fell in love. Then came Henry. Then came George. Then came Tom. Now, after 30 years it's time for Mom and Dad to finally tie the knot. Today's the big day. Everything must be perfect. We're at the church... there's 90 minutes... and their sons are in charge.

About this event:

This is the farewell performance of this version of Sharp Dressed Men, as playwright G Matthew Gaskell will be rebooting this play– and the entire Sharp Dressed Men series composed of multiple comedies.

For this farewell play reading, we’re elated to be bringing back some of the original cast from early productions… 

Featuring: 

G Matthew Gaskell as Henry
Andy Fling as Tom
Christopher Savage as George
Becky Fowler as Rhonda
Jamie Bradley as Victor
Meredith Caple as the Minister
Scott Caple as Bill/Dad

What people are saying:

"The style of this comic marathon is somewhere between Seinfeld and Monty Python... This comedy is wild throughout."
-Maine's Journal Tribune

“The laughs are about circumstances and personalities colliding in a believable manner; and that's the charm this piece seduces you with, the element of familiarity. You're sure you know a few of these folks.  And thanks to the performances, you WANT to.”
-Seacoastonline.com

“Gaskell, a keen observer of the human condition in his role as a playwright (the SHARP DRESSED MEN trilogy, AS TIME GOES BY, YE MERRY GENTLEMEN, RAY OF LIGHT, WHERE'S WALDO, BACKGROUND CHECK and more) just can't write his plays any other way: he serves up the funny until you expose your soft underbelly laughing, then comes up from the dark depths and slides the point home with something that's keen enough to cut, but not blunt enough to bludgeon. If it bedevils us, Gaskell's not afraid to write about it: whether a key moment in one of his plays turns out funny, poignant, or a bit of both, is anyone's guess as to what's going to come at you- but that's also part of the fun.”
-Caught In The Act Blogspot, Michael J. Curtiss

Save the Date:

Don’t miss the next offering by Gaskell– the newly minted version of the holiday comedy Ye Merry Gentlemen at the Players’ Ring in Portsmouth this coming November 2025!

$17 advance | $22 day-of | $12 student
*fees not included ($2 facility fee per ticket + cc processing fees)