Membership May Profile: Todd and Julie Black
Todd and Julie Black are Patron-level members and avid Music Hall supporters. For May Membership Month, they talked to Ticket and Member Services Manager Wesley Lovell about Director’s Clubs, the beauty of the Seacoast area, and memories from some of their favorite shows.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your involvement with The Music Hall.
We come from very similar backgrounds – our fathers were both in the military, so Todd grew up all over the United States, and Julie lived half her childhood in Germany before moving back to the States prior to middle school. Julie’s family finally settled in the Seacoast area when she was in the 8th grade. Todd was recruited to play basketball for UNH where we met, fell in love, and got married. We love everything about this area: the beauty of the landscape, the ever-changing weather, the people, the history, the culture, and the small-town communities. The Music Hall is the perfect representation of where we live. When you walk into The Music Hall, it takes your breath away. You feel like you are walking into history.
How did you first get introduced to The Music Hall? What drew you to become a Music Hall member?
Julie remembers walking around Portsmouth when she was in high school and college and always thought it was a beautiful old theater, but didn’t start to appreciate how special the theater was until she was older. We started to attend more events, and the more time we spent with friends and families at the theater, the more we felt a connection to it and wanted to support it. So we became members a few years ago!
You are a part of our Director’s Club! What do you love about it? What event has been the most memorable?
We love being part of the Director’s Club and being able to meet and socialize with other supporters at the special events. Getting to know other members of The Music Hall community has been so much fun. We have met some amazing people who have become very close friends.
One of the most memorable events was being able to meet astronaut, bestselling author of Endurance, and national hero Scott Kelly. We first attended the event at The Music Hall where Mr. Kelly shared the most amazing photos and experiences of his time out in space. We were simply in awe of the brilliant and dazzling pictures of our earth from the space station and listening to what it was like to live in isolation and so far from home and family. We then walked across the street to The Loft for a special meet-and-greet. The atmosphere at the event was electric, and Mr. Kelly was warm and friendly and took time to meet everyone there. It was certainly a special night.
What would you tell others who are considering joining The Music Hall?
We are so lucky to live in the Seacoast area of NH. There is beauty everywhere we look and nothing more than right here at The Music Hall. All anyone has to do is to walk through the doors and see the amazing lobby, the bathrooms that look like an enchanted forest, and then step into the Hall. The stunning interior alone is worth seeing, but add the quality of the shows and events, and it is an absolute must-see. We are so proud to be able to support The Music Hall and know that we are helping to keep this treasure around for generations to come.
The other bonus you get when you become a member of the Music Hall is the community that surrounds it. You will meet some of the most friendly and warm people, all who share your love of the arts.
We see you at the Hall for a variety of events. What has been your favorite show or what moment sticks out in your mind?
There are so many moments that stick out to us but there are two that always come to mind when people ask. The first is going to see The Beauty and the Beast several years ago. We have gone to many shows in New York, London, and many other big cities where the quality of the acting, singing, set, props, and costumes were top notch. The Music Hall and Ogunquit Playhouse production was just as amazing. You really felt like you were on Broadway, but instead, it was in our backyard, right here in Portsmouth! We couldn’t stop talking about the show for months.
The other event was just this past December when we took our youngest daughter, Cassidy, to one of the Stage Door Cabaret performances with Sharon Jones. We sat at a small table in the corner up on stage with two other friends, drinking wine and listening to Ms. Jones sing and tell stories of her life. It was so intimate and sweet. It felt like we were sitting in our living room with friends listening to great music. Our daughter, who is 24, thought it was amazing. She was mesmerized by Ms. Jones and has even added her to her playlist. Being able to share these experiences with our family is priceless.
What upcoming show are you most looking forward to?
There are so many different types of shows and events that we like to attend. We love attending the literary events and getting to hear the authors speak about their books: why they wrote them, details on the characters of the books, why the characters acted a certain way, and what inspired them to write about the events in their books.
We also love going to the concert series, the comedy shows (especially The Capitol Steps), and the movies. The Music Hall is such a beautiful theater, what better place to listen to great music or see a movie in the middle of the historic Music Hall.
A perfect evening for us is to walk around Portsmouth’s many shops and boutiques, then have a bite to eat at one of the wonderful restaurants, and end the night at The Music Hall.