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Family Festival, despite the hurricane
Posted on June 22, 2009 by cohare
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- Anna Bertini and Irene Kucinski, chairwomen
It must be hurricane season
in Massachusetts, even though weathermen
usually expect it to begin later in the summer. But, just look outside — another day of wind and rain.
Miraculously, the skies cleared for the Champagne Gala Friday night, which kicks off the annual Danvers Family Festival. And, although the Firemen’s Muster was cancelled, Saturday was great for the Endicott Park Day and the Strawberry Festival over at the Rebecca Nurse Homestead. Although not part of Family Festival, we assume people had a grand time at the Connor’s Farm Strawberry Festival, too.
Somehow, the Dog Party on Sunday went on as planned, if soggy. I’m not sure about the Mike Gordon Memorial Fishing Derby, because I decided not to go check on such a rainy morning.
Harmony, Hot Dogs and Hits, which is run by the Danvers Historical Society, is a washout tonight. It’s been rescheduled for next Monday, June 29.
Here’s hoping the Red Cross Drive, which is going on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Rosewood Center, will see some kind folks. The Danvers Fire Department is a sponsor, as is Danvers Honda North. The latter is giving special prizes, and the Firefighters will be cooking up some tasty goodies on Saturday. Make an appointment to give blood by calling 1-800-give-life, or logonto givelife.org.
Thursday is supposed to be a fine day, but I’ll just keep crossing my fingers. That’s the night of the Rotary sponsored band concert featuring the U.S.Air force Bank of Liberty.
Family Festival
Posted on June 19, 2009 by cohare
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I hope the weather will perk up soon, since tonight Family Festival begins, the time of year when residents gather for food, songs, and lots of fun. We at the Danvers Herald will be attending many of the events, and we’ll try to get pictures up online in a timely fashion.
Myrna Fearer, our community editor, won’t be able to go to as much as in the past. She had cracked three ribs, but pushed herself to come to work last week, despite her editor’s chastising. Now, she’s back home for at least a week. So, she is very sad to be missing the Champagne Gala tonight at Glen Magna, when Mike Powers will be the recipient this year of the Baron Mayer award.
She won’t even be able to take part in the annual pie tasting contest tomorrow at Endicott Park Day. So, her friends will have to let her know how it all went.
The editor (me, Cathryn) will be out and about, as will our photographers and freelancer Christine Marmen. Say hello, and enjoy the good times and any sunshine that decides to make its way through the clouds.
Horribles Parade: a question of movies
Posted on June 17, 2009 by cohare
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Viki Watson has asked if anyone has any movies of the Horribles Parade from the 1960s. Does anyone?
Maybe NSMT’s Kimball should take some blame
Posted on June 16, 2009 by cohare
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The North Shore Music Theatre announced today that it will close its doors for good, after more than 50 years on the North Shore entertaining residents with music and stories, laughter and tears. But, it also grew from a music “circus,” under a tent, like the one on the South Shore is still today, to an enclosed triumph, under the artistic and executive direction of Jon Kimball for 25 years, ending Jan 31, 2009. Could it be the famous man was running away from the problems? Could he be to blame for some of them, at least? Here’s a story written when he announced his retirement….
Reprint from a Danvers Herald story written by Myrna Fearer, Feb. 14, 2008, when NSMT executive producer and artistic director Jon Kimball announced he was leaving after 25 years.
For the last 25 years, Jon Kimbell has called the North Shore Music Theatre home. But on Jan. 31 Kimbell is leaving the nest.
Kimbell, the artistic director and executive producer of NSMT, will be leaving this post. Barry Ivan, who has worked extensively with the Beverly theater in the past as a director and choreographer, takes over as the new artistic director and executive producer.
For Kimbell’s part, he said, there is no sadness about leaving. Rather, he said, he’s excited about the future knowing that he’s leaving NSMT in good hands.
“It’s really, for me, spending 25 years of my life doing something I loved. I really was blessed. I don’t feel like I go to a job every day,” Kimbell said. “I am excited (about the future). I am not the kind of person who looks back. It’s been 25 years. I want go get back to working on projects. I no longer want to run a large organization. I want to get back to the stage. I want to do more directing.”
One reason Kimbell said he could leave now and feel good about the decision is because NSMT is in good standing.
“We have secured this organization for the next 25 years locally and nationally,” he said.
Many people who have worked with Kimbell in the past two-plus decades say that fact will be part of his legacy. Don’t forget, when Kimbell first came on the scene NSMT had a budget of $1 million and 7,000 season ticket holders. It was more of a summer theater with touring companies bringing their shows here. Today, NSMT is a year-round theater with a budget of $14 million and 20,000 season ticket holders, Kimbell said.
“There are so many actors who think of this theater so fondly. The reputation is very strong,” Kimbell said. “It started happening in 1989 when we went year-round and then by 1994 we were doing our own productions,” as opposed to having touring companies come in. “Everything we presented, we were producing.”
One actor who has a long association with NSMT and Kimbell is David Coffee. He is probably best known to audiences for playing Ebenezer Scrooge in “A Christmas Carol.” He said being able to produce their own shows is something Kimbell strived for during his tenure here.
“He got them into a producing mindset,” Coffee said. “When they went to a full season they got great recognition all around the country.”
The reason so many members of the artistic community want to come to NSMT — including composers, lyricists, directors and actors — is because of Kimbell’s style, Coffee said.
“I would say that he’s an old-time producer. Nowadays you get money raised and you sign contracts,” Coffee said. “He’s old style. He’s concerned with the artistic end of it. He’s always kept interested in that end of it. He’s thinking, we can get so-and-so to play this part. He’s not just looking at the X’s and the O’s.”
Ivan said what he’s discovering about his new job is that “there are a lot of elements to being the artistic director and the executive producer. It’s two side of the brain. There’s the artistic side and the business side.”
Kimbell juggled these sides well, Ivan said. One example that clearly illustrates this is the devastating fire at NSMT in June 2005. After assessing the damage, it became obvious the theater needed major repairs. Quite literally, the show could not go on there.
Kimbell quickly went into cleanup mode. While the renovations and repairs were made to the theater, he worked with the Shubert Theater in Boston as a new temporary stage for NSMT.
Again, Kimbell didn’t look at back. He looked toward the future.
“It was pretty devastating for the organization and everyone who worked here,” Kimbell said of the fire. “Personally, it was a bad night. The next day there was no time to sit down and fret. I did what I could to salvage what I had. Everyone pulled together.”
In the end, he said, “It proved how important the organization was to the community. It secured our position in the community. Some good things came of it.”
In with the new
In addition to Kimbell’s reaction following the fire, something else he is surely known for during his time as NSMT is developing new works. It is his passion.
“It is exciting,” Kimbell said of developing and producing new works. “I did it for the artists who work here. They want to be part of tomorrow’s classics. The actors, directors and choreographers feel they have had a hand in the creation of it.”
Joe DiPietro, who wrote “Memphis” with David Bryan of Bon Jovi fame, said he loves telling the story of when he first met Kimbell. “Memphis” was having its first-ever presentation at a new musicals festival near Palo Alto in 2002. About 100 people were in the audience to see the first act. At intermission Kimbell came up to DiPietro.
DiPietro recalled that Kimbell said, “I want to put ‘Memphis’ on my main stage next year.”
That struck DiPietro, as well as this: Kimbell told him he couldn’t stay to see the second act because he had a plane to catch.
DiPietro said that he told Bryan, “This is not the way this business works,” but 13 months later “Memphis” — which loosely follows the story of a Memphis DJ, Dewey Philips, one of the first white DJs to play black music in the 1950s — was running at NSMT.
Now, DiPietro said, it’s on its path to Broadway, in large part because Kimbell saw enough in that first act to take a chance on it.
“He said it was exactly the type of show I want on this stage,” DiPietro said. “To be a good producer of a new musical takes guts.”
Some of the new works Kimbell is most proud of in addition to “Memphis” are “Honk!” and “Abyssinia.”
Mary Kelley, the former executive director of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, said Kimbell’s desire to produce and develop new works is commendable.
“It’s very courageous,” she said. “I think it is really hard. You have to keep your operation going. You are taking a chance. He brings his audience along. It’s courageous and he did it very smartly.”
She went on to describe Kimbell as “the consummate professional.”
“He has been a terrific cultural leader in the community.”
I never heard of it ….peas to the rescue
Posted on June 5, 2009 by cohare
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Myrna Fearer just told me today that she used her bag of frozen peas last night, Thursday, to ease the pain from her fall on her front steps.
Yes, she fell. She cracked three ribs. She’ll be aching lots for some time, I guess, so we all have to wish her well and not expect to see her out and about as much. But, we all know it’s hard to keep her down for long, so maybe she’ll surprise us and be back circling the square very soon. I’ll keep you posted.
However, back to the peas. You can use frozen corn, too, but peas are her preference. I had never heard of this, and she talked about it as though it were commonplace. My family has blue stuff in plastic bags that we keep in the freezer. So, are peas as compress more common that I realize?
You are free to respond. In fact, I encourage it. If I knew more people cared about this blog, I might be more likely to write!
Cheers!
On the GM bankruptcy:
Posted on June 1, 2009 by cohare
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What would you say?
Posted on May 18, 2009 by cohare
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The band plays on
Posted on May 14, 2009 by mfearer
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Danvers High School band director Ron Parsons is once again playing host to a VIP contingent from the Tournament of Roses Parade.
This is the third time the DHS marching band will be playing in the Rose Parade, the first such band in Massachusetts to do so. And we are so proud of Ron and the kids.
What a class act he and his band are.
I can remember the first time Ron accepted the prestigious invitation. After the band’s successful appearance on New Year’s Day, 2001, rumors circulated that Ron wanted this achievement on his resume so he could apply for a bigger job in another community.
Well, it never happened. Certainly not after the first parade or the second one that took place in 2006 midst the worst rainstorm in 51 years. Not only did it rain on the parade, it came down in torrents.
Now Ron has a third go at it. Though the rumor mill hasn’t gone into full swing yet, I’m sure it will. However, I don’t think Ron has any intention of leaving. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see DHS on the map again in four years when they accept an almost unheard of fourth invitation. We’ll just have to wait and see. In the meantime, let’s enjoy the pride and prestige the kids and their director instill in our community.
Should T drivers be allowed cell phones?
Posted on May 11, 2009 by cohare
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Christine Moody recognized for her service
Posted on April 23, 2009 by cohare
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We heard from proud husband Dick Moody about his wife, Christine, winning recognition from the Department of Massachusetts American Legion. Well, not just recognition; she was chosen the Community Service Volunteer of the Year. Dick referred to it as a “prestigious” honor, which will be conferred on Christine at a dinner in Sutton on Sunday, April 26th.
Dick writes: “The award is given to the American Legion or American Legion’s Ladies Auxiliary member who gives the most to his or her community, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the country during the past year. Christine was selected because of her many activities, including her huge contributions to the American soldiers through Operation Troop Support.”
For those of you who don’t remember, be sure to go to the OTS Giant Yard Sale on Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Holten-Richmond School and wish Christine congratulations!
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