As a new semester begins at Keene State, the Colonial Performing Arts Center on Main Street kicks off its fall season by introducing a Student Rush program to welcome more students to see select shows each month at a discounted price.
The Student Rush program includes offering discounted tickets to full-time college and high school students. Students can purchase tickets for designated shows through a specific page on the website.
Katharine Temmallo, a senior at Keene State, said she believes this new program will bring a younger audience and put more attention on the Colonial Theatre.
“I am excited to get tickets more often now that some shows will be cheaper,” Temmallo said.
Martha Haas, the theatre’s director of marketing and communications, spoke about some of these selected shows and other upcoming ones for the 2024 season.
One of these is a live performance where A.J. Croce, son of folk singer Jim Croce, will play his father’s songs on Friday, Sept. 13. This multimedia performance will include photos of Jim Croce singing the same songs his son will be playing on stage.
Emmy award winner Andy Grammer is also coming to town on Sept. 15 to share his pop songs and some new releases. Grammy winner country singer Josh Turner will perform two weeks later on Sept. 29.
Haas said, “The exciting thing about Andy Grammer and Josh Turner is that they’re very popular, very popular musicians in a kind of a genre that we don’t necessarily normally get into, the country and the pop kind of thing. And so they bring in a whole bunch of patrons who have never been here before.”
The Colonial will also be presenting live comedy shows this fall. For example, Lewis Black is on his final stand-up tour, “Goodbye Yeller Brick Road” and will be in Keene on Friday, Sept. 20.
In addition to these featured live shows, the Colonial Theatre continues to host showings of movies in their showroom, which includes their Friday night series once a month. The September screening is “Friday the 13th” on Sept. 13.
Haas mentioned one of these movie showings that was done in the past, “The Muppet Movie,” played in the afternoon for the local kids.
“I was downstairs when people were coming in, and I was really amazed at how many people, of your age and a little older, were coming because they’d never seen it on the big screen, but they saw it when they were kids,” Haas said.
Haas also discussed the impact the theatre has on the community, “We’ve been here for 100 years. When there is a sold-out show, you can’t get into a restaurant in town; it just brings a huge amount of business to town.”
Tickets for all shows at the Colonial Theatre can now be purchased on their website or at the box office on 95 Main Street.
Lillian Hendel can be contacted at
lhendel@kscequinox.com
