Audi 150th season

From the inbox:

THE 105TH SEASON AT CONCORD CITY AUDITORIUM OPENS WITH A GALA CELEBRATION SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13

The Concord City Auditorium opens its 105th year as the heART of the capital area with a GALA celebration on Sept. 13, previewing over 105 public events planned for the 2009-2010 season.

The Season-Opening event is GALA IXX – the 19th Annual -- presented by The Friends of the Audi as a “preview of coming attractions”. Here’s the program:

At 6pm – The AUDI pARTy and ARTS FAIR, held outside – and under a Taylor Tent if the weather is cranky -- features displays of area arts organizations to let the public know what’s coming to town this season and how to join in the excitement of the area’s growing “Creative Economy”. It’s free and open to all, as a gift to the community.
ARNIE’S ICE CREAM SOCIAL is a traditional part of the Fair, as Tom and
Tootie Arnold generously serve their delicious homemade ice cream to the crowd. Favorite local musicians serenade the fairgoers at this old-time down-home event..
Special guests at the Fair include THE CONCORD COACH, as the city’s famous stagecoach drives up Prince Street to the city’s historic stage, thanks to the Concord Coach Society. The GALA offers a rare chance for the public to be close to a coach and greet costumed drivers and passengers re-enacting the city’s past.
A favored part of the Fair is the GALA RAFFLE, which offers 10 prizes -- jumbo mugs filled with over $3,000 worth of restaurant certificates and show tickets. Result:
Everybody wants to be a winner!

Then, at 7pm – the action moves inside the theatre for GALA VARIETY SHOW – a fast-paced dazzling revue of the music-dance-film-lectures-comedy coming to the Audi stage in 2009-2010. Allwynne Fine, the show’s director, invited all the groups booked in the theatre this season to present a three to eight minute sample of their coming attractions…and what a line-up she has listed, including – The kick-off show for the Walker Fund’s 113th season: THE 1944 BIG BAND COMEDY CANTEEN.
Scenes from upcoming shows: GODSPELL, Steve Martin’s THE UNDERPANTS, ADVENTURES OF TOM SAWYER – Children’s Theatre, JUDY’S SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS, BIG – The Musical, A DICKENS CHRISTMAS, Dance for this “Dancing Town”: Concord Dance Academy’s Holiday Spectacular, Miss Gen’s National Championship performers, The Rhythm of the Night, A Musical Sampler: The Strathspey & Reel Society of New Hampshire, Concord’s 50th Annual Barbershop Festival, The NH Opera Idol, and The 9/11 “Singing Policeman.”
Plus the start of the Auditorium’s FLYSPACE PROJECT, which will bring our hemp fly system house into the 21st century . The Audi’s call to “Come Fly With Us” will be highlighted by the Cindy Flanagan’s dynamic dancers and extraordinary harmonies of THE FOUR GRIPS – created by Martha and Robert Kuepper.
The community’s A&E will be introduced by a community Emcee -- STATE SENATOR SYLVIA LARSEN. A large company of volunteers is working behind the scenes to produce the event, led by David Murdo heading the Gala Variety Show, Candy Brehm organizing the Arts Festival, and Sharon Sweet as Stage Manager.
Tickets for the GALA – which is a friend-raiser rather than a fund-raiser – are just $5, and are on sale now at Ballard’s Novelty Shop on Broadway and Gibson’s Bookstore on South Main Street, or by mail order to Audi Friends, PO Box 652, Concord, 03302.
For information, please call 225-7474 or visit www.theaudi.org
For further information, please contact: Director – Allwynne Fine, 225-6497; allwynne@aol.com; Producer – David Murdo, 225-7474, nhdm40@comcast.net.