Imagine a sultry day outside of the local cigarette factory. Out from the factory come the girls on their break.

“Love is a rebellious bird that no one can tame…” sings Carmen to the soldiers and townspeople in the square. And it just heats up from there.

You can see all this, and Seville’s famous Barber by Opera North at the Lebanon Opera House, but not on the same day!

Carmen, by Georges Bizet, plays on August 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22.

The Barber of Seville, by Gioachino Rossini, plays on August 13, 15, 19, 21, and 23.

Two operas you must see in your lifetime, and right here in NH.

Personal note: I’ve sung in the chorus in both operas. The Barber is a lot of fun, but the tessitura is quite high for the first tenors. Carmen has one of the worst entrances for chorus ever written. You’ve got to be awake and ready for this one: “Carmen! sur tes pas, nous nous pressons tous!” It comes with no lead-in right after the Habanera, and you know how you can be mesmerized by that, especially if your Carmen is all she’s supposed to be, as ours was in the Palm Beach Opera. Whoof!

Don’t miss either one!

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Currier Museum of Art

 Turning Wood into Art - The Jane and Arthur Mason Collection; on view until September 27.

The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire

Teddy Bear Clinic & Tea Party
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
10 am - 12:30 pm

Sharon Arts Center

The 4th Annual Paint Out

Reception with the Artists and Wet painting Show & Sale in the scenic village of Harrisville, NH

Friday, August 21, 2009 from 5 to 7 pm

($5 donation to attend the reception)

• Chow Down! 25th Annual Chowder Festival at PPAF on June 6, starting at 11:30 am. Tickets are$10 for adults, $5, 12 and under.
• And get some GREASE, opening June 26 on the outdoor stage

Millbrook Gallery & Sculpture Garden

•  St. Paul’s School Art Faculty Exhibit - May 25 to June 14
• First People of North East Exhibit - Honoring Native American and multicultural heritage, June 19 to September 20 - Traditional and contemporary paintings and crafts by Native Americans and others that are so inspored. Reception: Sunday, July 12 from 1-4 pm
• Invitational Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit - June 21 to October 18

Seacoast Repertory Theatre

•  Urinetown - May 8 to May 31
• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying - June 12 to August 9
• Gypsy - June 26 to August 23

Canterbury Shaker Village

•  Thunderama - June 14 from 10-3, New England’s vintage Thunderbird Club classic car show
• Strawberry Jamboree - June 20 from 10-5, strawberries, plants, shorcake, sangria for sale; garden and craft vendors; strawberry bake-off!

Claremont Opera House

•  Rumpelstiltskin - June 2, 10 am
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - June 29, 10 am

Thorne-Sagendorf Art Gallery

•  100 Years of Academic Community (exhibit of photographs andmemorabilia) - June 5 to August 2

New Hampshire Farm Museum

•  Farm Kitchen Series - June 6 (All About Butter) and June 13 (Cooking With Spring Greens)
• New Hampshire Dairy Day - June 20
• Archeology Workshop - June 27 and 28

Leisure Travel Plans Down, Spending Down, but Vacationing Still Important

The Harris Poll of 2,401 U.S. adults surveyed online between April 13 and 21, shows that 35% of Americans are not planning on taking any leisure trips this summer. 77% are anticipating that they will not travel on business in the next four months. But not everyone is planning to stay home…  65% of adults are planning a vacation this summer, including 17% who are anticipating making three or more trips this summer.
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=107050

! Be sure to wear your flapper dress or zoot suit - the best costume will win a prize!

The Lamont Gallery at Phillips Exeter has just signed on. Be sure to see this exhibit:

Writers: Photographs by Nancy Crampton

Thursday, April 2, 2009 - Saturday, May 9, 2009
Opening Reception: Friday, April 17, 6:30-8pm
Gallery Talk: April 18, 10-11am

The good news is that many of the craftspeople have been in the business a long time and will weather the storm. So have many of the shops. But don’t let the doom and gloom of the Wall Street Wonders hold you back.

Remember, “When you have only two pennies left in the world, buy a loaf of bread with one, and a work of art with the other.” (I substituted “hyacinths for the soul”…)  But art really is a hyacinth for the soul. And as someone once said to me, “What’s wrong with getting something you like when times are tough?” OK, that’s good advice. Then again, it might just be the “stimulus” our economy needs. And if you’re buying something or visiting one of the attractions in our Map & Guide, you know the money is going to stay local.

Speaking of local, take a look at all the events coming up on our site. We’re adding new ones weekly. Who says you have to travel far to see top drawer stuff? NH has it all!

Featured site: Jenny-Wren Gallery

This is a chance to see some of New Hampshire’s home-grown arts up close and personal. Of course, you won’t get the full effect of being in a gallery setting, but the pieces and their creators (for the most part) will be there to see and talk to.

If you’ve been around for a while, you’ll know that NH is, and has been for many years, a mecca for the creative minds in our country. From the summer visitors to Lake Winnepesaukee in the mid-1800’s to this very show at the National Guard Armory in Manchester, the magnet of real arts and crafts made by real people is hard to resist.

Take a trip to Manchester, by all means.

Featured site: Kalled Gallery