Park concerts

• Concord holds concerts in Eagle Square on six Thursdays at 7 p.m., and the Nevers’ Band performs at different parks throughout the summer.

• The Londonderry Arts Council plans Concerts on the Common, mostly on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. at the bandstand on the Londonderry Town Common at Mammoth and Pillsbury Roads. They also run the monthly open mic Nutfield Sessions.

• New Boston’s Recreation Department organizes summer concerts on alternate Sundays at 6 p.m. (New Boston’s Blues Association’s “Barnful of Blues Festival” Aug. 1 is at the county’s 4H Youth Center.)

• Derry uses their MacGregor Park bandstand for Tuesday and Thursday night summer concerts.

• Milford’s “Sounds on the Soughegan” concerts run Wednesdays for about 10 weeks this summer at Emerson Park.

• Merrimack holds concerts mostly Wednesdays at 7 p.m. through Aug. 26 at the Abbie Griffin Park bandstand. (The form to request use of the bandstand is here.)

• Community Events, LLC, is running outdoor family film series at Veterans Park in Manchester and Greeley Park in Nashua this summer.

• New Thalian Players produces Disney’s High School Musical at Veterans Park and Nashua Theatre Guild produces Shakespeare’s The Tempest at Greeley Park (July 17-July 26). (The application to use Veterans Park is here.)

• For information about concerts and other events at Nashua’s Greeley Park’s bandshell see Nashua’s “SummerFun” calendar and check for updates here.

• For more downtown Manchester events, also see Intown Manchester.

• Not outdoors, or in a park, but still free, the SummerSundays Concert Series is at the Hillsborough Center Congregational Church.

~Let me know what else to list…

More summer stock

“A mysterious Scottish village appears out of the mists for one day every hundred years. On that fateful day, two American hikers stumble into the village, where a wedding is about to be celebrated–an arrival that threatens the very existence of Brigadoon,” according to The Barnstormers Theatre (323-8500).

The Tamworth professional company opens their 79^th summer with the musical Brigadoon, running July 7 through July 11. Bob Shea is the Barnstormers artistic director, and also a familiar face in Manchester where he heads the Dana Center at Saint Anselm College.

Brigadoon is by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe, (My Fair Lady, Camelot) and hit Broadway in 1947.

Summer Shakespeare

If I’m reading their season description correctly, Shakespeare in the Valley is actually producing four of Shakespeare’s plays in the outdoor Theatre Under the Stars, at 3 Noon Peak Road, Waterville Valley (726-0098), plus a few dates in Plymouth, through July and August. They have family shows planned, too.

Summer stock in Laconia

The Winnipesaukee Playhouse closes a romantic comedy by Woody Allen, Play it Again, Sam, on July 4. The professional summer season at Alpenrose Plaza, routes 3 and 11B in Weirs Beach, Laconia (366-7377) $19-$21, continues with Crimes of the Heart, a comedic drama by Beth Henley July 8–July 18; Around the World in 80 Days, a new adaptation by Mark Brown (that’s not recommended for children under 8 ) July 22-Aug. 1; Sleuth, a thriller by Anthony Shaeffer Aug. 5–Aug. 15; and Driving Miss Daisy, by Alfred Uhry featuring Broadway veteran Carolyn Kirsch, Aug. 19–29.

Performances Monday-Saturday at 8 p.m., and Mondays at 2 p.m.

Summer stock in Peterborough

The Breath of Life, a drama by David Hare opens today, and runs through July 12 at Peterborough Players. Performances by the professional company are mostly Tuesday or Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m., at 55 Hadley Road, Peterborough (924-7585) $38-$45. Student rush tickets cost $15. There should be a “Rush for all” $15 ticket deal tomorrow, July 2, because the Players’ usually have a “Rush for all” deal on the first Thursday of each show. Up next is: musical comedy I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change July 15-26; Little Shop of Horrors July 29-Aug. 16; Heartbreak House, a comedy by George Bernard Shaw Aug. 19-Aug. 30; Copenhagen, a drama by Michael Frayn Sept. 2-Sept. 13; and The SantaLand Diaries, a comedy by David Sedaris adapted by Joe Montello Sept. 16-Sept. 27.

Summer stock in New London

She Loves Me, by Joe Masteroff, Sheldon Harnick and Jerry Bock is running through July 5 at the New London Barn Playhouse, 84 Main St., New London (526-6710). Performances are Tuesday though Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 5 p.m.; Wednesdays at 2 p.m.; and selected Mondays and Saturdays at 2 p.m. ($20-$35.50).

Next up: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific July 7-July 19; Art, by Yasmina Reza July 21-July 26; Mel Brooks’ The Producers July 28-August 9; Anything Goes, by Cole Porter Aug. 11-Aug. 23; The Fantasticks, by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones Aug. 25-Sept. 6. Suds plays Mondays June 29, at 8 p.m.; and July 13, Aug. 3, and Aug. 17, at 2 & 8 p.m.

Summer stock time

North Country Center for the Arts up in Lincoln heads into their 23^rd season with Smokey Joe’s Café opening July 2 at the Papermill Theatre (745-2141). It plays in repertory through Aug. 22 with You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, which opens July 15 and On The Town, which opens July 23.

This is the Papermill’s last season as a theater – it will be demolished in the fall, and “Jean’s Playhouse” named for Jean Hallager, will be built. There’s a capital campaign to raise $2.6 million for the venue going on, according to the company.

Try out

A new company, S.P.A.T.S., holds auditions for its first show, Les Miserables, Monday, March 9, and Wednesday, March 11, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Adams Memorial Opera House in Derry. It’s for actors between ages 13 and 21 (because School Edition rights were available).

V-Day still

While V-Day events are often associated with Valentine’s Day, there’s a few more opportunities to see productions of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues this week, and help support the V-Day mission to stop violence against women and girls.
Local women are producing it at the Milford Town Hall, Friday, March 6, at 7 p.m. and the Wilton Town Hall Theatre, Sunday, March 8, at 4:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 (654-6201), and proceeds benefit Bridges, RAINN and the Village of Hope Project in the Congo.
V-Day Lowell presents The Vagina Monologues during Lowell Women’s Week, Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 8, at 4 and 7 p.m. at the 119 Gallery Proceeds benefit The Rape Crises Services of Greater Lowell.
Tickets cost $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Tranced

I haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but I can tell you that the Bob Clyman play I did see at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre, Secret Order, was intelligent and thought-provoking. MRT is closing their run of Clyman’s Tranced Sunday, March 8. Shows are Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m, Saturday at 4:30 and 8:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m.  (Students, try for rush tickets.)