An Evening with Groucho at Chandler May 2

Randolph, Vermont - Award-winning actor, director and playwright Frank Ferrante recreates his acclaimed portrayal of legendary comedian Groucho Marx in a fast-paced 90 minutes of hilarity at Chandler Music Hall on Friday May 2.

Accompanied by his onstage pianist, Jim Furmston, Ferrante portrays the young Groucho of stage and film and reacquaints us with the likes of brothers Harpo, Chico, Zeppo and Gummo, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields, Greta Garbo, and MGM's Louis B. Mayer.

The two-act comedy consists of the best Groucho one-liners, anecdotes and songs including "Hooray for Captain Spalding," and "Lydia, the Tattooed Lady." The audience becomes part of the show as Ferrante ad-libs his way throughout the performance in grand Groucho style.

Frank Ferrante has been described by The New York Times as "the greatest living interpreter of Groucho Marx's material." Animal Crackers and A Night at the Opera co-author Morrie Ryskind called him "the only actor aside from Groucho who delivered my lines as they were intended." Discovered by Groucho's son Arthur when Frank was a drama student at the University of Southern California, Frank originated the off-Broadway title role in “Groucho: A Life in Revue” – written by Arthur – portraying the comedian from age 15 to 85.

For this role, Ferrante won New York's Theatre World Award in 1987 and was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award. He reprised the role in London's West End and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for 'Comedy Performance of the Year.' Frank played the Groucho role in the off-Broadway revival of The Cocoanuts and has played Captain Spalding in several productions of Animal Crackers winning a Connecticut Critics Circle Award for his portrayal at Goodspeed Opera House and a Helen Hayes nomination in Washington D.C. at Arena Stage. In 2001, Frank starred in, directed and produced the national PBS television program Groucho: A Life in Revue. Frank currently stars as the comic lead in the European cirque Teatro Zinzanni in San Francisco and Seattle.

Musical Director and pianist Jim Furmston enjoys a versatile career as recitalist, accompanist and composer. He is a native of Canada and a graduate of the U.S.C. Thornton School of Performing Arts. His performances have garnered international acclaim in both the classical and popular music worlds. For many years, Furmston was a studio pianist for many leading teaching artists of our time including Gwendolyn Koldofsky, Janos Starker, Zvi Zeitlin, Peter Pears, Jascha Heifetz and Brooks Smith. He was invited to perform a debut recital at New York's Lincoln Center and also performed on the inaugural program of the Arnold Schoenberg Institute. Furmston began his collaboration with Frank Ferrante in 1983 and has accompanied him in An Evening with Groucho since its premiere in 1984.

Reserved tickets can be ordered online at www.chandler-arts.org or through the Box Office by calling 802-728-6464 between 3 and 6 PM weekdays. Student prices and a discounted advance adult ticket price are offered, and a limited number of deeply discounted tickets are available through the box office only. Visit Chandler's Facebook page to get a special code for a free student ticket for every adult ticket purchased through the Box Office. Please refer to Chandler’s website for local discounted dining options for Chandler patrons.

Chandler’s entire 2013-2014 season has generous support from the Vermont Arts Council and National Endowment for the Arts. Chandler Music Hall is wheelchair accessible and an assisted listening system is available.

Shumlin Administration announces public-private visitors center partnership

Randolph center on I-89 would showcase Vermont products
Randolph, Vermont - Gov. Peter Shumlin, key members of his administration, lawmakers and local officials joined Randolph developer Sam Sammis January 16th to officially sign off on construction of the state’s first public-private visitor center serving both north- and southbound travelers on I-89 in Randolph. The facility is part of Sammis’ 172 acre plan for the site off Exit 4 that includes residential units, manufacturing space, a hotel, fitness center and more.

Under the 30-year agreement, Sammis will pay for construction and operation of the visitors center, which will be open 365 days a year from at least 7 a.m. until 9 p.m. The site will offer rest rooms, complimentary coffee, Vermont tourism information, as well as Vermont-made products from across the state – some for purchase in the Vermont Products Showcase portion of the facility that will also highlight Vermont businesses and state-wide attractions. The building is designed to resemble a barn to blend into the Vermont landscape. One end of the building will host the State sanctioned visitor center, the other end housing the Vermont Products Showcase.  

In addition, Sammis plans to add 274 residential units, 280,000 square feet of office space, 236,000 square feet of light manufacturing space, and a 180-bed hotel and conference center on land he owns near the visitors center. Sammis is required to secure proper permits before construction can begin. The project is to be completed in the Spring of 2019 or earlier.

“In the past, during tough budget times, we have seen visitor centers closed and hours of service reduced.  This doesn’t make any sense to me in a state so reliant on tourism,” Gov. Shumlin said. “Vermont hosts six

Bow Thayer CD-Release Party at Chandler January 19th

Randolph, Vermont - Central Vermont’s favorite rocker, Bow Thayer, and his band the Perfect Trainwreck will debut music from their much-anticipated album Eden, performed in its entirety by Perfect Trainwreck and special guests in a multi-media event at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph. The show takes place Saturday January 19 at 7:30 PM. Audience members are invited to an “after party” in the Esther Mesh Room of Chandler’s Upper Gallery following the show. A cash bar will be available.

The Chandler show pre-dates the official release, giving the audience a first glimpse and a chance to purchase the album before it hits stores and the airwaves. The show is a benefit for BALE – Building a Local Economy, a community resource center for local economy initiatives that emerge from the people and communities of the White River Valley.

Early ticket purchasers can get a free meal before the show if they are one of the first 100 people to reserve a place. The community meal will take place in the Esther Mesh Room of Chandler’s Upper Gallery at 5:30 p.m. BALE will ask for donations for the meal to help support its work in the area. A cash bar will be available. For tickets and dinner reservations, please call the Chandler Box Office at 802-728-6464. Concert tickets can also be ordered online at www.chandler-arts.org.

Thayer was inspired to plan this event at Chandler as “a small token of appreciation to the community that supports this group of musicians so well”. The performance will be recorded and filmed for eventual film production. The multi-media event features sets by Trish McDonough and choreography by Rutland’s Cobra Dance Troupe.

Thayer has been singing and writing songs for as long as he can remember. Making music defines who he is. He incorporates it into all he does, while striving to live up to his “reputation as a sublimely gifted artist” with

“Origami Tales” with Kuniko Yamamoto

Randolph, Vermont - Japanese storytelling and mime artist Kuniko Yamamoto comes to Chandler Music Hall as part of Chandler’s Daytime Performance Series on Tuesday December 11 at 10 AM. The hour-long performance will feature dramatic storytelling using myths and fables from ancient and modern Japan, spiced with social revelations to educate and amuse.

Using origami, character masks, traditional Japanese music, and audience participation, the storyteller provides a magical entry into Japanese culture.  The artist weaves together traditional Japanese music, handcrafted masks, stylized movement and a touch of magic to create an artistic balance between illusion and reality.

A native of Japan, Kuniko Yamamoto received her Bachelor of Psychology from Otani University of Kyoto in 1983. She began performing professionally in her hometown of Osaka where she grew up studying traditional dance, music, and theater. She received national attention performing Japanese Storytelling at the Silk Road International Exposition and on Kansai National TV in 1985.

Starline Rhythm Boys at Chandler

Randolph, Vermont - Dance the night away with The Starline Rhythm Boys on Friday October 26 at 7:30 PM. This popular Vermont band brings its spirited country and juke joint sounds to the Esther Mesh Room as part of Chandler’s Live & Upstairs series. A cash bar will be available.

Three talented musicians comprise the band that’s been rocking venues across the state for more than a decade with music that evokes the Texas honkytonks of the 40s and 50s.

Danny Coane has fronted bluegrass, country and blues bands, but the rockabilly, rock ‘n roll act, The Throbulators, gained him national exposure. Danny led the “Throbs” across the country and across the border. Coane writes and sings with relentless enthusiasm, and picks a banjo and guitar with equal ability. He is the singer and rhythmic foundation for the band he now fronts.

Billy Bratcher holds down the beat for the trio on upright bass. He toured with Texas Juke Joint King Wayne Hancock and became well known throughout the US for mastering the unique “slap bass” style. He can be heard on the title track of Hancock’s “That’s What Daddy Wants” CD. In addition to his high-energy playing and flamboyant showmanship, Billy is a consummate songwriter. He writes most of the band’s songs, and their latest CD, “Honky Tonk Livin’”, features 13 originals that are well on their way to becoming classics.

Al Lemery gets a sound out of his well-used Fender “widow maker” that can be spine tingling. After stints in Albany, NY with the likes of Johnny Rabb’s Jailhouse Rockers, Al made his way north to Burlington. He’s in his element with The Starline Rhythm Boys. When “Big Al” croons out a ballad, everybody listens. His powerful harmonies round out the trio’s high lonesome and hot rockin’ sound.

Advance discounted tickets can be ordered for $13 by calling the Chandler Box Office between 3 and 6 PM weekdays. Tickets on the day of the show are $16. Chandler’s Upper Gallery is wheelchair accessible.

Bluegrass Gospel Project at Chandler October 20

Randolph, New Hampshire - The Bluegrass Gospel Project brings its stunning vocal harmonies to Chandler Music Hall in Randolph on Saturday October 20 at 7:30 PM.

Having moved far beyond the music from which they drew their name, the band’s repertoire has comfortably morphed into an eclectic mix of songs that exhibit a wide stylistic range within the acoustic tradition. There still remains a thread of spiritual sensibility throughout their playlist in songs that express common values held by people of all faiths and backgrounds and songs in which both serenity and optimism are found amidst struggle.
With folk, pop, and bluegrass songs that range from U2 to Stanley Brothers, from Dylan to Louvin Brothers, from Sam Cooke to Steve Earle, from Bela Fleck to Brett Dennen, the BGP's repertoire now defies easy categorization and continues to thrill audiences with their impeccable vocal and instrumental performances. Seven Days called them “one of New England’s premier concert arts”.

Formed in 2001, the ensemble’s personnel have changed as its music has evolved. Current members include Colby Crehan, Taylor Armerding and Paul Miller on lead and harmony vocals. Steve Light rounds out the tight harmonies with his bass voice. The vocals are supported by fine instrumental work featuring Armerding on mandolin, Light on banjo and Dobro, Miller on guitar, and Gene White, Jr. on fiddle and percussion.

The Boston Globe gave them high praise. “Whether your interests are sacred or secular, their music ripples with human emotion and imponderable mystery, beautifully evoking the plaintive pilgrim that wanders, yearning and hopeful, through the heart of American musical tradition.”

The group has appeared at hundreds of concert halls, festivals, and churches, including Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Boston’s Old South Church, Emelin Theater (Mamaroneck, NY), Flynn Center, and Québec’s Festival Memoire et Racines.

Reserved tickets are $19 in advance or $22 on the day of the performance. They can be ordered online at www.chandler-arts.org or by calling the Chandler Box Office at 802-728-6464 between 3 and 6 PM weekdays. Their performance at Chandler has generous sponsorship support from Northeast Delta Dental, Gifford Medical Center, and The Point. Chandler Music Hall is wheelchair accessible and an assisted listening system is available.

The Things They Carried at Chandler October 9

Randolph, Vermont - The American Place Theatre brings its acclaimed production of Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried to Chandler Music Hall in Randolph on Tuesday October 9 at 10 AM.

Performed by Billy Lyons and developed and premiered at Playhouse Square in Cleveland in collaboration with the author, the performance features five of the short stories from the book including “The Rainy River” and “The Man I Killed”. The show opens with a 15-minute pre-show interactive discussion. The hour-long performance is followed by more opportunity for led discussion.

This masterpiece of contemporary American literature is a collection of short pieces about the character, Tim O’Brien, and his experiences surrounding the Vietnam War. Adapted for the stage in 2004, this Literature to Life original features sixty minutes of verbatim performance by Billy Lyons. The production is directed by Wynn Handman.

With original cello music as underscoring, the audience lays witness to the complex issues of war and the universal struggle of the soldier. Surrounded by pre- and post-show interactive discussion, the audience will explore themes including ethics, making choices, and violence.

The American Place Theatre is a not-for-profit, off-Broadway theater committed to producing new plays by American playwrights and bringing theater to a diverse audience. Its performance-based literacy program presents professional staged verbatim adaptations of significant American literary works. The educational Literature to Life program gives students a new form of access to literature by bringing to life the world of books with performances that create an atmosphere of discovery and spark the imagination.

Due to the story’s mature content and language, the performance is recommended for ages 14 and up, but mature younger students are welcome. The public is warmly invited.  All seats are $8 and reservations can be made by contacting Emily Crosby, Chandler’s at 431-0204 or outreach@chandler-arts.org.

Bow Thayer and Perfect Trainwreck CD-Release Party at Chandler January 19

Randolph, Vermont - Bow Thayer, Central Vermont’s favorite rocker, and his band Perfect Trainwreck debut music from their much-anticipated album EDEN at Chandler Music Hall in Randolph on Saturday January 19 at 7:30 PM. The record will be performed in its entirety by Perfect Trainwreck and several special guests in this multi-media event. The Chandler show predates the official release, giving the audience a first glimpse and a chance to purchase the record before it hits stores and the airwaves.

Thayer was inspired to plan this event at Chandler as “a small token of appreciation to the community that supports this group of musicians so well”. The performance will be recorded and filmed for eventual film production. Bow urges people to “buy tickets in advance and be part of this epic event”!

Reserved tickets go on sale October 1 and can be ordered online at www.chandler-arts.org or by calling the Chandler Box Office at 802-728-6464 between 3 & 6 PM weekdays.

Paula Poundstone Chandler Date Announced

Randolph, Vermont - Paula Poundstone, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me panelist par excellence, brings her spontaneous, intelligent humor to Chandler Saturday April 27 at 7:30 PM.

Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula’s ability to create humor on the spot has become the stuff of legend. Little wonder people leave Paula’s show complaining that their cheeks hurt from laughter, wondering whether the random people she walked to were “plants” – which, of course, they never are.

The comic’s off-kilter sensibility and impeccable timing made her a perfect fit for NPR’s “oddly informative”, weekly news quiz program, Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me, which she joined as a regular panelist seven years ago. Paula Poundstone was the first woman to win an ACE Award for Best Standup Comedy performance and the first woman comic to be invited to perform at the distinguished White House Correspondents’ dinner.

Staff expects tickets to go quickly, and urges patrons not to miss an opportunity to see this uncannily gifted comic in action in Chandler’s intimate setting. Reserved tickets go on sale October 1 and can be ordered online at www.chandler-arts.org or by calling the Chandler Box Office at 802-728-6464 between 3 & 6 PM weekdays.

Aoife O’Donovan Band at Chandler September 8th

Randolph, Vermont - Aoife O’Donovan, a rising star on the Americana scene, brings her prodigious talents and her band to Chandler Music Hall in Randolph on Saturday September 8 at 7:30 PM.

When USA Today predicted that Aoife O’Donovan would soon become “the newest darling of the Americana set”, it had already been true for quite some time. Aoife is renowned for her ability to breathe magic into anything she sings. Chandler audiences discovered this when she performed with Crooked Still in 2006. She appears in September with her band: Ryan Scott on guitar, Robin MacMillan on drums and Jacob Silver on bass.

O’Donovan grew up in a musical family, immersed in folk music. She studied contemporary improvisation at the New England Conservatory of Music in her hometown of Boston. Since her first professional engagement singing lead for the folk group The Wayfaring Strangers, she has maintained a wide variety of side projects and collaborations, working with numerous other artists including Ollabelle, Sometymes Why, Karan Casey and Seamus Egan, Jerry Douglas, Jim Lauderdale, Darol Anger, Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins, Christina Courtin, Noam Pikelny and Chris Thile (The Punch Brothers). Most recently she has recorded and performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, Stuart Duncan and Chris Thile as a guest vocalist on The Goat Rodeo Sessions.

For the past decade, Aoife has been fronting the alt-bluegrass/string band Crooked Still, which she formed when she was 18. Despite her young age, Aoife has toured in ten different countries, performed with the Boston Pops and the Utah Symphony Orchestra, and has appeared on countless radio and television programs.

Her natural talent for songwriting recently came to the attention of Alison Krauss, who recorded Aoife’s song Lay My Burden Down, which is included on Alison’s album Paper Airplane (2011 Rounder Records) and can also be heard in the film Get Low (2010 Sony Pictures). Aoife’s crystalline voice has also been heard on True Blood (HBO) and Private Practice (ABC).

In June 2010, Aoife released her first solo recording in the form of a limited edition 7” vinyl.  Featuring two original tracks, it garnered rave reviews from audiophiles worldwide.

Advance discounted tickets can be ordered online at www.chandler-arts.org or by calling the box office between 3 and 6 PM weekdays at 802-728-6464. This performance has generous sponsorship support from Vermont Public Radio and The Point. Chandler is wheelchair accessible.