This week's Spotlight

1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003

		Cover Story: December 30, 1999 The Year in Arts It's a wrap. The 1999 arts season is over. Those that attended many of the events can attest to '99 being one of the most varied, as well as one of the best years yet. There were numerous art shows, a rush on poetry readings, the coming and going of art venues, and impressive, new collaborations between artists and businesses.

		Cover Story: December 23, 1999 First Night Portsmouth If ever there was an organization under EXTREME pressure to perform, this season that would be Pro Portsmouth, organizers of the New Year's Eve First Night celebration. After a year of preparation, Executive Director Peter Hamelin, who is grateful he thrives under pressure, thinks he and his crew have things under control and that the year 2000 will be rung in with style _ not to mention, lots of fun and spectacular fireworks.

		Cover Story: December 16, 1999 Preserving Holiday Traditions It's all three Christmas spirits wrapped up in one _ the past, present and future. On Wednesday, Dec. 22, the musical quartet Nowell Sing We Clear will present their 11th holiday concert at The Music Hall, singing to keep the season's true spirit alive. It's an event pleasantly anticipated by audience members and presenters alike, one that Nowell member Tony Barrand hopes to see go on for a long time into the future.

		Cover Story: December 9, 1999 A Christmas Carol overview A holiday season without "A Christmas Carol" would be a "Bah, humbug!" indeed. Yes, audiences already know the story. Yet for this, as for so many other holiday traditions, audiences fill the theaters. "A Christmas Carol" is a staple for many local and regional theater companies who are creating traditions of their own through the evolution of their productions.

		Cover Story: December 2, 1999 The Nutcracker It's the season of magic, peopled by warrior rats, dancing flowers and prancing sheep. For those that make the "The Nutcracker" part of their holiday tradition, this year offers a bumper crop. There is much to choose from, or perhaps it's the year to take in more than one version, for they all promise to be magical.

		Cover Story: November 25, 1999 A jungle of fun Ballet Theatre Workshop is about to present the first production of their season, an original, collaborative ballet called "Carnival of the Animals" at The Music Hall on Sunday.

		Cover Story: November 18, 1999 Lifting their voices Once again it's the season of song. Time to deck the halls, light the menorahs, don gay apparel and head out for a night of neighbor entertaining neighbor at any one of the numerous choral concerts to be performed on the Seacoast over the next few months.

		Cover Story: November 11, 1999 Kiddie concert Sunday's annual fall concert is The Children's Museum of Portsmouth's "biggy" event of the year, according to Patty Fitzgerald, the organization's marketing and events manager.

		Cover Story: November 4, 1999 Uplifting Entertainment When Up With People performs on Friday and Saturday at the Winnacunnet High School, 21 students of the local Seacoast Civic Dance Company will take to the stage in a dance collaboration with the international group.

		Cover Story: October 28, 1999 Portsmouth's got the blues It rained for the second straight day in Portsmouth last week. It was a grey, ugly, depressing kind of day, and a Wednesday. Rain ran down Congress Street and the water kicked up, wetting the backs of pant legs and hosiery. Men and women raced by trying to save the last of their business day hairdos with umbrellas or the day's wilted newspaper.

		Cover Story: October 21, 1999 A full range of movement Since 1977, the artistic directors of Pontine Movement Theatre, M. Marguerite Mathews and Gregory Gathers, along with a company of nine actors, have developed and presented more than 40 original works. In doing so, they have introduced the uniqueness of movement theater to an ever-growing audience. Their original work has been described by critics and fans alike as "engaging and innovative."

		Cover Story: October 14, 1999 Music Hall kicks off another season The Music Hall's 11th season brings color and life back into the fading fall season.

		Cover Story: October 7, 1999 Piscataqua Faire returns Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away, men lived by the edge of their swords, fish mongers smuggled government secrets to enemy spies, and court champions dueled in the streets.

		Cover Story: September 30, 1999 Living for the next tune Even guitar virtuoso Leo Kottke is hesitant to label his own music.

		Cover Story: September 23, 1999 Guys and Dolls The Seacoast Repertory Theatre, now entering its 12th year on Bow Street in Portsmouth, has mapped out its Millennium season. Theyre calling it Celebrate the Century, and its a full, rich plate of seven Mainstage shows, beginning September 23, 1999 with the exhilarating classic musical Guys and Dolls.

		Cover Story: September 16, 1999 Telluride by the sea After a five year conversation it's here _ and worth the wait according to The Music Hall's Executive Director Jeffrey Gabel

		Cover Story: September 9, 1999 Edwin Booth opens in Dover With a self-proclaimed "new level of confidence," Edward Langlois is eagerly preparing for the opening of his new artistic home, The Edwin Booth Theater on the corner of Central Avenue and Hale Street in Dover. And while it's unusual for a theater to be located in a storefront, the kind of place where passersby can just peak in the front windows or drop in to check out the goings on, its tenor, somewhat makeshift yet aesthetically pleasant and artsy, seems perfect for this new beginning.

		Cover Story: September 2, 1999 A lyrical "Ulysses" In the famous decision allowing James Joyce's "Ulysses" to be published in America, U.S. District Court Judge John M. Woolsey wrote that, while the book contained several passages and words that might be considered "dirty" _ Woolsey's word _ the novel was not written with the "leer of the sensualist." In other words, the book was not pornographic and therefore could be published legally and booksellers could sell it without fear of prosecution. This was 1933. Within days Prohibition was also repealed.

		Cover Story: August 26, 1999 Prescott Park Unplugged What began as pleasant conversation in the parking lot of Pic'n Pay is now one of the Seacoast's most anticipated festivals.

		Cover Story: August 19, 1999 Singing the Blues A wide variety of blues styles, a veritable "gumbo" if you prefer, will be on display on Saturday at the Strawbery Banke Museum grounds when the 14th annual Portsmouth Blues Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

		Cover Story: August 12, 1999 Weed Inc. What do you get when you mix heaven and olive and a cause? Weed Inc. of course. If you don't get the punch line then a small history lesson might help.

		Cover Story: August 5, 1999 Celebrating 25 Years Twenty five years ago, Elaine Gatchell had a dream. It was 1975. Gas prices were high, the economy wasn't the greatest, and the church in Epping that Gatchell was the choir director for had to move its services into its basement because fuel was too expensive.

		Cover Story: July 29, 1999 Housing History When the longing for a more gentle, quieter time period overcomes you this summer, you might want to indulge it hy immersing yourself in the closest thing to it, even if for just a day.

		Cover Story: July 22, 1999 Meet six influential citizens from New England’s past through three days of lectures and workshops WANTED: Mark Twain, Abigail Adams, Daniel Webster, Ralph Waldo Emerson, William Lloyd Garrison and Phillis Wheatley for three-day appearance in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

		Cover Story: July 15, 1999 Arts and crafts vendors will fill Bow Street for Seacoast Repertory Theatre’s annual fundraiser That slightly shell-shocked look on the face of Maurice Richard, first-time director of the 33-year-old Bow Street Fair, clears some as he talks about the upcoming event scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

		Cover Story: July 8, 1999 Seacoast Jazz Festival brings a mix of local and national talent Most of the large international festivals take place during the summer and many of them take place near water.

		Cover Story: July 1, 1999 ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ starts a summer of events in Prescott Park It’s pretty much business as usual for the last days before the Prescott Park Arts Festival’s opening show.

		Cover Story: June 24, 1999 Kick up your heels They’re expected to be the most raucous to hit the Seacoast in years, set off by some serious toe-tappin’ and heel-slappin when the second Portsmouth Percussive Dance Festival

		Cover Story: June 17, 1999 The Scharff Brothers’ land a spot on the Donny and Marie Show The Scharff Brothers first laid eyes on one another when they were respectfully a mere 3 days and 3 years old...

		Cover Story: June 10, 1999 From food to music to the Keebler Elves, Market Square Day has something for everyone t’s June on the Seacoast and that means it’s time for the ever better, ever bigger 22nd annual Market Square Day. So break out those walkin’ shoes, the plaid Bermudas and SPF 15 and haul it down to the center of town Friday and Saturday...

		Cover Story: June 3, 1999 Local theater groups come out of hibernation with packed summer schedules ...to help you get back on track, here’s the inside info on three of the region’s finest summer theaters.

		Cover Story: May 27, 1999 Prescott Park Arts Festival has been filling the park with events for 25 years. The mother of all chowder festivals can only mean one thing: the Prescott Park Arts Festival is ready to bloom into life yet again.

		Cover Story: May 20, 1999 With a new look, The Elvis Room hopes to become a place for everyone And in this corner the resilient scrapper — Miss Dawn Marie Pierre of the World Famous Elvis Room. A tough little package, weighing in at 115 pounds (“of pure muscle”), at 5’4” (“unoppressed”). In the other corner is life and the challenges of running your own business.

		Cover Story: May 13, 1999 The Hampton Beach Casino has spent a century bringing quality acts to the Seacoast “It goes back to the days of ballroom dancing,” says general manager Fred Schaake. “All the old big bands used to play here. Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw. Once we get into the ’60s, I mean you name it. Led Zepplin, Jethro Tull, Janis Joplin, The Doors, they’ve all played in the room.

		Cover Story: May 6, 1999 The 1999 Spotlight Awards in the music category see a mix of the familiar and the new Established stars like Carri Coltrane and Mighty Sam McClain, and up-and-coming talent such as Mambo Combo and Weed. Not only are the old favorites going from strength to strength, but there is something fresh and exciting sprouting up all the time.

		Cover Story: April 28, 1999 Going once, going twice … Buy some great local art at the YMCA’s annual fund-raising art auction On May 7 and 8 the Seacoast Family Y (Okay, okay, it isn’t actually called the YMCA) presents its 13th annual Artsource Fine Art Auction and Show. And trust me, the key word is f-u-n.

		Cover Story: April 21, 1999 After 19 years and more than 70 productions, Generic Theater continues its mission of producing community theater The angry voices trying to out-shout one another were easily heard in the hall outside the architectural firm. With each exchange the conversation’s tone grew more heated...

		Cover Story: April 14, 1999 Lucie Arnaz steps out of her parents’ shadows to earn her own place in the acting world It never hurts to ask, so the saying goes. No doubt Roy Rogosin, founder of the Seacoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, would drink to that old saw. In what amounts to a real coup for Rogosin and his theater...

		Cover Story: April 7, 1999 Carpe Diem’s new play is a wacky romp through the twisted world of politics George Hosker Jr.’s production company Carpe Diem Inc. has, for six years now, had a two-fold purpose: to produce thought-provoking theater and to help local charities. It is an admirable ethos and an effective one.