Fall, ahhh… Sure the resplendence of the fall foliage is admirable, but don’t forget the glories of sweater-weather, students back in school and a whole new line up for local performance-seasons. It’s a time of abundance, for sure.

Middlebury College’s Mahaney Arts Center and the Vergennes Opera House both have recently released their performance line-ups for fall 2024 into spring 2025… so, open up that calendar and get ready to save some dates!

MAHANEY ARTS CENTER

Middlebury College’s Mahaney Arts Center, affectionately known as MAC, is proud to announce the Performing Arts Series’ 105th season, as well as departmental events that shine a spotlight on the work of Middlebury’s own talented students, faculty and staff. This year features a dynamic and diverse line-up of artists for all to learn from and enjoy.

Audiences can expect a mix of exciting return visits and cutting-edge Middlebury debuts. The season’s performances will run the gamut from smoky jazz to full-throttle dance, and from innovative chamber music to thought-provoking theater and more.

“It’s an exciting season with something for everyone — Classical music, African traditional music, storytelling, cutting-edge dance, jazz,” said MAC Director Liza Sacheli. “We’ve diversified our offerings and it shows. And it’s important for me to remind folks: we’re open to the public, as well as to on-campus folks!”

MAC’s Performing Arts Series launches on Sept. 27 this year with “Cocoon,” a popular annual evening of live storytelling inspired by The Moth. The very next night, cellist Sophie Shao takes the stage with a world-class, all-female ensemble playing classical music. Performances continue in October with the revered African master musician duo BALA BILA, and the cutting-edge Sō Percussion ensemble with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and singer Caroline Shaw. November brings the Jerusalem Quartet, followed by Sean Dorsey Dance with “The Lost Art of Dreaming” and the Theatre Department’s epic production of Shakespeare’s classic “King Lear.” Jazz firebrand Bria Skonberg (trumpet, voice) and her Quintet close out the first half of the season with a Dec. 4 holiday concert. Winter and spring 2025 bring delights from vocal ensemble Choral Chameleon, the first-ever touring production of August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running,” a free concert by the internationally-renowned Isidore String Quartet, and more.

Tickets will be open to the general public (starting at 10 a.m.) on Sept. 17. More events are added continuously throughout the year. For the latest updates, visit middlebury.edu/arts, call 802-443-MIDD (6433), or email questions to [email protected].

VERGENNES OPERA HOUSE

The 2024-2025 season at the Vergennes Opera House kicks off on this Friday, Sept. 13, and ends on Saturday, Feb. 8. 

“Our programming team planned a great season once again,” said Gerianne Smart, president of the Friends of the Vergennes Opera House. “It is a nice mix of some familiar and popular events and other performances that will attract audiences from well beyond Addison County… The season is slightly shorter than usual in order to make way for the groundbreaking of the All Access Project the week of Feb. 10.”

The all-volunteer team that manages the Vergennes Opera House, is dedicating the profits from all of the shows to the organization’s All Access Project. When complete, the project will provide an elevator tower to the second-floor theater space and will also make the stage and dressing room accessible. The work will be completed in time for the start of the organization’s 2025-2026 season in October 2025.

This season’s line up starts with the screening of the thriller film “Brooklyn 45” on Sept. 13. Then a renowned Texas-based band led by Waltham’s own Leroy Preston will perform Saturday, Oct. 12, followed by the deep soul sounds of the Dave Keller Band on Saturday, Nov. 2. Thanksgiving will be hailed by a Community Hymn Sing on Sunday, Nov. 24, and the 19th annual Broadway Direct will ring in the holiday season on Friday, Dec. 6 and Saturday, Dec. 7. Rounding the new year, Hard Scrabble — a Vermont-based acoustic band — will perform on Saturday, Jan. 11; and the season will close on Saturday, Feb. 8 with the LC Jazz Winter Thaw Free Community Concert.

All tickets and information for the Vergennes Opera House-produced shows can be found at VergennesOperaHouse.org/events.

MAHANEY ARTS CENTER 2024-2025 season line up

Cocoon

Friday, Sept. 27, 8 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Inspired by the popular storytelling phenomenon The Moth, Cocoon is a special evening of true stories told live without notes. This year’s edition, on the theme of “Awe,” will feature six storytellers drawn from the student body, faculty/staff, and the community, including students Sammy Jo Serell ’27.5 and Ben Wagner ’25, art history professor Katy Smith Abbott, and community member Alex Messinger. Come early to see the museum exhibition “An Invitation to Awe,” and stay for a reception with the storytellers and organizers after the show.

Tickets: $15/10/8/5, streaming tickets $10/5

Sophie Shao and Friends

Saturday, Sept. 28, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Perennial favorite cellist Sophie Shao returns to open the Performing Arts Series’ 105th season with an accomplished, all-female ensemble performing a stunning program of sonatas and piano trios. Violinist Jennifer Frautschi and pianist Christina Dahl join Shao in an evening featuring Nadia Boulanger’s Three Pieces for Cello and Piano, Marguerite Canal’s Sonata for Violin and Piano, and Schubert’s beloved Piano Trio No. 1 in B-flat.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5; streaming tickets $15/5

BALA BILA

Friday, Oct. 4, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

This world music duo brings together two African master musicians—Balla Kouyate on balafon, calabash, bass guitar and voice, and Matchume Zango on timbila, mbira, percussion, and voice—for an intimate, living-room style concert and intercultural musical conversation. Kouyate hails from the West African country of Mali, and Zango calls the East African nation of Mozambique home. They are leading exponents of their respective principal instruments, BALAfon and timBILA—two world heritage instruments that will be played together in harmony.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

NER Out Louder

Thursday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Dance Theater

Fresh poetry, prose and the voices of Middlebury College students come together in this warm and inviting event. Students from Oratory Now read selections from the New England Review, lending their voices to the work on the page, and student writers read their own poetry and prose for an audience of students, faculty and community members. Everyone is invited to a reception in the lobby after the show.

Free, live and streaming

Sō Percussion with Caroline Shaw

Friday, Oct. 25, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Sō Percussion has redefined chamber music through their commitment to the creation and amplification of new work. The four-man ensemble is celebrated for its dazzling and surprising live performances as well as its contributions to education and community. In its Middlebury debut, they four musicians will collaborate with Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, featuring songs and highlights from their co-composed albums “Let the Soil Play Its Simple Part” and “Rectangles and Circumstance.”

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

Jerusalem Quartet

Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Celebrating its 30th season, the Jerusalem Quartet embodies the pinnacle of chamber music excellence, renowned worldwide for its passionate performances and impeccable precision. With a repertoire spanning the classical to contemporary, they captivate audiences with spellbinding interpretations, blending technical virtuosity with profound musical depth. The Jerusalem Quartet returns to Middlebury with a program of Haydn, Shostakovich and Dvořák.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

King Lear

Thursday, Nov. 14-Saturday, Nov. 16, showtimes TBA

Wright Memorial Theatre

The Middlebury College Theatre Department presents Shakespeare’s classic drama in an epic production starring Alex Draper ’88 and a large cast of Middlebury students. Directed by Michole Biancosino ’98.

Tickets on sale in November: $15/10/8/5

SEAN DORSEY DANCE

Sean Dorsey Dance, “The Lost Art of Dreaming”

Friday, Nov. 15 & Saturday, Nov. 16, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Dance Theatre

Sean Dorsey is an Emmy Award-winning choreographer, dancer, writer, educator and activist. Long recognized as the U.S.’s first acclaimed transgender modern dance choreographer, Dorsey brings his newest work—and his explicitly trans-positive pedagogy—for his Prforming Arts Series debut. The Lost Art of Dreaming is a fusion of full-throttle dance, intimate storytelling, intricate costuming, and exquisite queer partnering, all performed with Sean Dorsey Dance’s signature technical precision, guts and deep humanity.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

BRIA SKONBERG

Bria Skonberg Jazz Quintet

Wednesday, Dec. 4, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

New York based, Canadian born musician Bria Skonberg stormed onto the jazz scene with her smoky vocals, blistering trumpet, and compelling compositions and arrangements. She’s been described as one of the “most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” (Wall Street Journal.) Skonberg sold out Robison Hall almost a decade ago, and returns to Middlebury just in time for the holidays with a new program entitled “Jingle Bell Swing,” featuring her take on seasonal favorites including her hit cover of “All I Want For Christmas is You.”

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

Choral Chameleon Ensemble

Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

This incredibly dynamic ensemble is renowned for its innovative programming and fearless exploration of vocal artistry. Called “America’s Test Kitchen for choral music,” the singers boldly experiment and champion unexpected and new combinations of music. In demand since their recent sound bath and concert performances at Middlebury, Choral Chameleon returns to campus for a dynamic mixed-repertoire concert.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

Choral Chameleon Ensemble

Wednesday, Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Choral Chameleon deepens its campus connection with an exciting mixed-repertoire concert performed alongside Middlebury students, featuring a new work written just for Middlebury by Founding Artistic Director Vince Peterson. The rich harmonies and adventurous spirit redefine what it means to experience choral music today.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5; streaming tickets $15/5

August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running” performed by The Acting Company

Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m.

Wright Theatre

From the acclaimed writer of The Piano Lesson, Fences, and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom comes the story of Memphis Lee, a diner owner in Pittsburgh in 1969 who must decide if he should allow the government to take over his building, or sell the property to a ruthless businessman. Directed by Lili-Anne Brown.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

Iyad Sughayer, piano

Friday, March 7, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Acclaimed Jordanian-Palestinian pianist Iyad Sughayer embodies a captivating blend of exceptional skill and profound musicality. A prize-winner with the Young Classical Artists Trust International Auditions, he was named a ClassicFM Rising Star Artist, and “One to Watch” by International Piano Magazine. His performances traverse the gamut of classical repertoire with spellbinding precision and emotive depth, captivating audiences worldwide.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

Isidore String Quartet

Friday, March 28, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Making their Middlebury debut, the Isidore String Quartet is winner of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 14th Banff International String Quartet Competition. The quartet’s concert program “Unrequited” explores the intersection of treasured classics and contemporary perspectives, providing a winding path into the complicated labyrinth of human compassion and love, featuring works by Mozart, Beethoven and Billy Childs. Thanks to the Sunderman Family Concert Endowment Fund, this concert is free and open to all.

Free, live and streaming

ISIDORE STRING QUARTET

Steven Osborne, Piano

Friday, April 4, 7:30 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

Pianist Steven Osborne, OBE (Office of the Order of the British Empire), is one of the U.K.’s most treasured musicians. His performances exude an immense depth of musicality and exceptional refinement of expression across diverse repertoire, be it in Beethoven or Messiaen, Schubert or Ravel, Prokofiev or jazz improvisations. His many honors include The Royal Philharmonic Society’s Instrumentalist of the Year, two BBC Music Magazine Awards, and two Gramophone Awards.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

Alina Ibragimova, Violin and Cédric Tiberghien, Piano

Sunday, April 27, 3 p.m.

MAC, Robison Hall

The closing event of the Performing Arts Series’ 105th season pairs violinist Alina Ibragimova and pianist Cédric Tiberghien. The two developed a tremendous rapport during their term as individual BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists, where their unique partnership was observed by The Times of London: “Both of these players have the potential to conquer the world.” During this Middlebury return, Ibragimova and Tiberghien will play Janácek, Enescu, Gerald Barry’s vivacious Triorchic Blues, and Beethoven’s iconic “Kreutzer” sonata.

Tickets: $25/20/10/5

VERGENNES OPERA HOUSE 2024-2025 season line up

Brooklyn 45 (film/Vermont Premiere)

Friday, Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m.

A Shudder original, “Brooklyn 45” is a 2023 American real-time, supernatural thriller, written and directed by Ted Geoghegan about a group of military veterans holding an impromptu séance in the parlor of a Brooklyn brownstone at the close of World War II. Geoghegan penned the screenplay with assistance from his late father, a disabled Air Force veteran-turned-history teacher. Uncover the darkest secrets of war and friendship as five military veterans confront the ghosts of their pasts. Starring: Anne Ramsay, Ron E. Rains and Jeremy Holm (of Vergennes!) Special meet and greet with actor Jeremy Holm after the film. This show is sponsored by Gaines Insurance.

LEROY PRESTON, NEW Haven, Vermont. Caleb Kenna Photography

Leroy Preston with the Unknown Blues Band and Special Guests

Saturday, Oct. 12, 7:30 p.m.

Leroy Preston, most notable as co-founder of the renowned Texas-based band Asleep at the Wheel, and for his multiple #1 and top 10 hits covered by various artists, is ready to premiere his collection of new songs with the debut of his “Vermont Sessions” album! In 2023, Leroy Preston enlisted the services of Unknown Blues Band veterans to record “a songwriter’s album” —an album that is performed by the songwriter himself giving guests the opportunity to hear the music the way the writer intended. Performers include Waltham’s own Preston (vocals), Unknown Blues Band members Paul Asbell (guitars), Chas Eller (keyboards) and Clyde Stats (bass). Joining them will be Jeff Salisbury (drums), Michael Zsoldos (saxophone) and Taryn Noelle (vocals), a Western Swing Female Vocalist of the Year (2019). This is a very special concert. Media support provided by Hall Communications radio stations WIZN and WOKO.

DAVE KELLER BAND

Dave Keller Band

Saturday, Nov. 2, 7:30 p.m.

One of the premier torchbearers of Deep Soul and Roots music, Dave Keller’s dynamic, high energy performances have earned him a legion of fans throughout the U.S. and Europe. Three-time BMA nominee for Best Soul Blues Album, Keller and his “tighter than tight” band (Blues Music Magazine) have performed in almost every state east of the Mississippi river and quite a few west of it. Keller knows how to fill dance floors. But just as importantly, he connects with his fans in a real way, breaking down the barrier between performer and audience, creating an experience that everyone remembers long after the show is over. Keller’s home base is in Montpelier.

Thanksgiving Community Hymn Sing

Sunday, Nov. 24, 3 p.m.

A packed house full of thankful hearts at last year’s Thanksgiving event demanded a second annual community hymn sing. Local musicians from over a dozen area churches unite on the VOH stage to lead the audience in singing along to traditional favorite hymns and popular contemporary worship songs. The Champlain Brass Quintet, the Addison County Gospel Choir & Worship Team, and featured soloists promise to lift your spirits as we reflect on all that we are thankful for. Song books will be provided at the door.

Broadway Direct

Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m.

This show is so popular it always sells out, so we are opening our doors for TWO performances this year! The 19th annual Broadway Direct show is brought to you once again by Bill Carmichael Walsh, Broadway veteran and VOH board member. Bill will be joined by friends directly from the Broadway stages, as well as some amazing local talent to bring this powerhouse show to the Little City. This show is sponsored by Gaines Insurance.

Hard Scrabble

Saturday, Jan. 11, 7:30 p.m.

Hard Scrabble is a Vermont-based acoustic band, characterized by tight vocal harmonies and sprightly instrumental solos, creating a beautiful blend of bluegrass and acoustic covers. Locals will recognize Stacy Raphael (guitar and lead vocals), Dave Riley (vocals, dobro, banjo, guitar, ukulele, harmonica), David Goodrich (vocals, fiddle, guitar), Allen Gratton (vocals, mandolin), and Andrew Albright (vocals, upright bass). Since their formation in 2009, Hard Scrabble continues to entertain audiences throughout Vermont.

HARD SCRABBLE

LC Jazz Winter Thaw FREE Community Concert

Saturday, Feb. 8, 7:30 p.m.

Shake off those winter blues and grab your dancing shoes! An annual favorite event in the Little City, this fun show features all your favorite jazz standards with vocalists Corina Ellis, Liz Cleveland and Tony Panella backed by the incredible 17-piece band of local talented brass and rhythm musicians. You won’t be able to keep your feet still! This event is free with donations gratefully accepted for the LC Jazz Student Scholarship Fund.