Back in the Theater, Together Once Again
I’d love to take a moment to bring you back into the theater with me at our show with Tom Rush.
Mid-day on a lovely Sunday afternoon and The Music Hall is a buzz for its first live indoor show since March, with 200 tickets sold! Volunteers and staff members greet folks at the door, smiles crinkling their eyes beneath the masks. People wait in line along Chestnut, socially distanced from their fellow concert-goers, with tickets in hand, and are waved along to the next person who will shepherd them along the paths to their destination—the cushy seats of the Historic Theater. Popcorn has been popped, drinks slid under the plexiglass protectors.
I finished the first welcome speech inside the auditorium in months and took my seat as the show was underway. Tom took the stage amongst his collection of acoustic guitars, his accompanist Matt Nakoa seated at our black baby grand piano. As I took a sip of my drink, I took a look around, the entire audience mesmerized, all eyes on Tom Rush. I then took a deep breath and started to listen to Tom, a performer I had never heard of until recently, and I was so happy to discover…Wow, this guy is a lot like the late and beloved John Prine!
Tom moved with grace from one song to the next, sharing anecdotes between, and in those brief moments, the weight of the world and pandemic was gone. We all just clapped, nodded, danced in our chairs—back in the theater, together once again.
What we learned is that where there is a will, there is a way. We were able to safely entertain 200 people, and with the social-distanced seating, the house felt full and lively. My team and I spoke with patrons as they entered and left the show, and all reported feeling safe and sound! Here are a few of my favorite quotes from that show:
“Great show! We were impressed with the high level of organization and steps taken to provide a safe environment.”
“I think your crew did an AMAZING job in every way. The show was incredible, and the staff and their work ethic and kindness were fantastic. You even offered concessions! Thank you, thank you, thank you, for bringing us live music during these incredibly strenuous times. Thank you.”
“This was my 1st post-covid indoor event. I thought that the staff did an exceptional job with the restraints that they had to comply with.”
“Thank you so much! We felt so welcomed and safe! You guys are the best, as is live music!”
“It felt like you were “right on top” of everyone’s welfare.”
“Wonderful job! It was so great to hear live music again!”
“We thought everyone did such an incredible job to make this as Covid-19-proof as possible. The setup at the seats was phenomenal (no room for errors on the patrons’ part!), and moving us physically distanced when the show ended worked really well. We didn’t actually use the ordering food/drink online, but that’s an excellent idea! I SO appreciated the mask policy, along with all the other processes you implemented. There were plenty of hand sanitizer stations—also very welcome. WELL done, and thank you. That was such a great concert—I’ll go back to see Tom Rush any time! You all did a wonderful job—I hope you felt it was a success. Thank you.”
“Thank you for all the effort you have made to bring live music back into our lives. It was wonderful!”
As if that wasn’t enough to make us all happy, a week later Chris Trapper came to play the Historic Theater and also had some nice things to say!:
“Special thanks to the Portsmouth Music Hall for doing an incredible job putting on an indoor concert while taking every precaution necessary to make the audience feel safe and comfortable. Not only did I sing from further back on stage than ever before, but everyone was seated with plenty of distance from one another, and best of all, drinks were brought directly to the audience in their cushy theatre seats (to prevent congregating). Anyhow, obviously it was different from normal, but at the same time, it was majestic to feel the interaction with a live audience. Kudos to the staff for working so hard to make it happen.. If anyone is missing live music, I would highly recommend this venue.”
For all the things we’re doing to keep you, our staff, and the artists safe, check out our reopening page and more info on our brand-spanking-new HVAC system! Be well!!!