Mahon About Town Nantucket Blog

The first Nantucket Comedy Festival launches on Monday, July 28 through Saturday, August 2, with major performances at Jetties Beach. New York and Nantucket comedian Kevin Flynn has joined with summer resident Bonnie (Block) Levison, Tim Braine, Biff and Lynda Levy, Karen Watkins, Judy Seinfeld, Bill Ferrall, New York’s Gotham Comedy Club founder and owner Chris Mazilli, and founding sponsors including N Magazine to bring this festival to life. The focal point of this year’s Festival will be a roast and tribute to Nantucket residents Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, with N Magazine as the lead sponsor. More information next week.

(With thanks to N Magazine for providing this update)

Arts and social events: Friday (4/25) through Thursday (5/1):

DAFFOLDIL WEEKEND

With a less than ideal forecast, (15 - 20 mph east-northeast winds, a high of about 47), here’s what’s happening for the weekend.

The first cars start lining up on and filling up Main Street at 9:30 on Saturday. At noon, the Antique Car Parade begins, proceeding to ‘Sconset for the Daffodil Tailgate Picnic from 1 to 3.

While out there in ‘Sconset, stop by at the Country Village Real Estate Open House at 10 Main Street. There, you’ll also be able to meet writer Scott Simonsen, producer Tim White, and director Trevor White of an independent film called “Tides of Summer”, expected to be shot on island at the end of the summer or early fall.

While the cars are lining up on Main Street, head over to Children’s Beach (new location) for the Daffodil Children’s Parade at 10 am, with decorated bikes, wagons, skateboards, baby carriages, and always a few surprises. Every entrant earns a ribbon. Details.

The parade is followed at 10:45 by the Daffy Hat Pageant. Then the newly established Dog Parade gets going just after the cars leave town, at 12:30 at the corner of Main and Federal.

All events above are sponsored by the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce.

The “Rainbow of Daffodils” themed 34th Annual Nantucket Daffodil Show is open Saturday from 2 to 5, and Sunday from 10 to 5 at the Coffin School. Details.

BENEFITS

Spring Down the House benefits Small Friends, Saturday, April 26 from 5 to 10 pm at the Chanticleer and Casino. Details.

Seaside Shakespeare’s presents a CD Release & Shakespeare’s Birthday Party, Sunday, April 27, 5 to 7 at the Brant Point Grill at the White Elephant with champagne, live music, and birthday cake. Details.

The Clothesline Project, presented by A Safe Place Nantucket, enables women affected by violence to.express their emotions by decorating a shirt and hanging it on a clothesline. Saturday, April 26, from 10:30 to 4 at the Atheneum. Details.

Maxxtone is at the Box Friday and Saturday night.

At the Rose & Crown, it’s Poker Night on Monday’s, Trivia Quiz Night every Tuesday (at 7 pm), Karaoke on Thursday (9 pm), and DJ Bri Guy on Fridays and Saturdays.

THEATER AND PERFORMANCE

Doubt, A Parable, a play by John Patrick Shanley, continues its run at the Methodist Church. The performance is directed by Michael Feeney, and features Ciaran Byrne, Pam Murphy, Callahan Keever, and Tina Hoskins. Curtain at 7:30. Thursday April 24th - Saturday April 26th; Thursday May 1st - Saturday May 3rd. Details.
Indy article.

Coffee House for Music and Poetry: Friday, April 25, 6 to 9 pm at The Bean. Open mic. Bring a poem, bring your guitar. Featuring music from Vince Veilleux and poetry from Wyatt Leske. Master of Ceremonies - John Luttman.

ART & CRAFT

Nantucket Handmade features 16 island artisans showing pottery, textiles, jewelry and more. Opening Reception: Friday, April 25, 4 to 7 pm at the Preservation Institute. Show hours Saturday are 9 to 4.

The Artists Association presents the First Members Show Opening Reception on Friday, April 25, 6 to 8. Next Thursday is the Junior Artist Show Opening Reception for elementary school students from 4 to 5:30.

The Gallery at Four India Street’s opening reception for “Fine Art and Daffodils” is Saturday from noon to 3.

BOOKS, TALKS & WORKSHOPS
It’s Herbs Through the Ages at Bartlett’s Farm - history, superstitions, magic lore and medicinal and health uses of commonly used and easy to grow herbs. Saturday, April 26, 10:00 am. Details.

Cindy Houghton, author of ‘Out of The Fog: Tragedy on Nantucket’ will speak about surviving a plane crash on Nantucket in 1958. Monday, April 28, 7 to 8:30 pm at the Atheneum. Details.

Atheneum Used Book Sale: Saturday, April 26, 10 to 4, in the Lower Gallery.

See the Arts & Social Calendar for additional details on the events listed above.

For a more comprehensive listing of ALL Nantucket events, pick up the Nantucket Independent for my Community Calendar, or click here.

Latest news from the upcoming 13th Annual Nantucket Film Festival, June 19 - 22:

• Meg Ryan will be here to receive the first annual Compass Rose Acting Tribute Award.
• Writer/director Judd Apatow will be on island to receive the “Suzanne and Bob Wright Screenwriter’s Tribute Award.”
• “Transsiberian” will open the Festival, co-written by islander Will Conroy.

Executive Director Jill Burkhart and Artistic Director Mystelle Brabbée have announced that Meg Ryan will be the first ever winner of the newly established Compass Rose Acting Tribute, given to an actor who has inspired writers to create roles especially for them. Meg will also present the Adrienne Shelly Excellence in Filmmaking Award to a promising female writer/director.

Writer/director Judd Apatow will receive the Suzanne and Bob Wright Screenwriter’s Tribute Award, presented by NBC Universal. Judd Apatow wrote and directed “The 40 Year Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up”. Past tributees have been Steve Martin, Charlie Kaufman, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Jay Presson Allen, Paul Schrader, Walter Bernstein, Ring Lardner Jr., James Schamus, Robert Benton, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor.

The opening film of this year’s festival is writer/director Brad Anderson’s “Transsiberian”, starring Woody Harrelson, Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley, Kate Mara, and Eduardo Noriega. The film will be accompanied by a making-of documentary and panel discussion with writer/director Brad Anderson, writer Will Conroy, and producer Michael Williams.

Late Night Storytelling returns with hosts Anne Meara and Peter Farrelly. Participants will include surprise guests and audience members. Past storytellers have included Jim Carrey, Tina Fey, Mos Def, Rosie Perez, Laird Hamilton, Olympia Dukakis, Paul Rudd, Alan Cumming, and Brian Williams.

Morning Coffee With will be hosted by film critic Leonard Maltin.

The Festival will partner with Nantucket’s Seaside Shakespeare for a reading of the Billy Wilder classic “Some Like It Hot”.

Closing the festival will be “The Wackness”, written and directed by Jonathan Levine and starring Ben Kingsley, Famke Janssen, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, and Mary-Kate Olsen.

Other films in this year’s festival include:

• American Teen
• Baghead
• Choke
• The Deal
• Flow: For Love of Water
• Frozen River
• Goodbye Baby
• Of All the Things
• Operation Filmmaker
• Secrecy
• Sleep Dealer
• Stranded: I Have Come from a Plane that Crashed on the Mountains
• Trouble the Water
• Wellness

The website will be up within the next few days.

The 2008 Nantucket Wine Festival web site has just gone live, and tickets are now on sale. Remember that the best events sell out very quickly, so if you don’t want to miss something, buy now. This is a world class event, with something for everyone.

The Festival Opening Reception is on Wednesday, May 14th, a chance to greet winemakers and sip Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label. Music by Nantucket guitar virtuoso Jim Sulzer.

Plum TV’s will debut it’s latest film, Coming of Age, a tour of some of Spain’s best wineries and restaurants - with Denis Toner, Mark Donato, and featuring Jorge Ordonez of Fine Estates from Spain who hosted a benefit dinner at Cinco last year for the Nantucket Arts Council. Wines from some of the featured wineries will be served at the event. Ticket information here.

New this year will be the Luncheon Symposia, a series of three one-hour wine symposium/luncheons featuring winemakers discussing their wines. Guests will then enjoy a four-course luncheon featuring the wines of the guest winemakers. All three symposia will take place on Friday, May 16th, from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. At Straight Wharf Restaurant, The Stars of Stag’s Leap, featuring the cuisine of Chef Gabriel Frasca. At the Nantucket Golf Club, Burgundy Master Class, featuring the cuisine of Chef Steven Polowy of the Nantucket Golf Club. And at Cinco, the Soaring Wines of Spain, featuring the cuisine of Jean-Luc Matecat. For the winemakers who will be at each event, click here.

The Grand Tastings will showcase more than 150 wineries at the Nantucket Yacht Club, a Nantucket landmark built in 1870. There will be four two-hour sessions Saturday, May 17th, and Sunday, May 18th, with the same wines and foods available at each session (cooking demonstrations will vary). Sessions are from noon to 2 pm, and 3 - 5 pm.

Sample great food from some of Nantucket’s great restaurants and the culinary offerings of special guest celebrity chefs, and enjoy delicious wines presented and served by their winemakers, at the Nantucket Wine Festival Gala at the White Elephant Hotel on Thursday, May 15th at 6:00 pm. Features at least 30 stations, each with a winemaker or winery representative and a restaurant chef (from on or off-island) whose cuisine is chosen to match the wines. Also a Silent Auction benefiting the Nantucket Historical Association. Tickets are $175. List of wineries and restaurants here.

The Celebrity Chef and Wine Auction Dinner of rare wines, large-bottle formats, and lifestyle packages, is on Saturday, May 17th, at 7:00 pm at the White Elephant. It features David Daniels of Topper’s at The Wauwinet, and the critically-acclaimed wines of Maison Alex Gambal, presented by Alex Gambal, who is an old friend of the wine festival and one of Burgundy’s most respected winemakers. For Oenophile and Vigneron ticket holders, beginning at 6:00 p.m. there will be a VIP cocktail party with hors d’oeuvres and a glass of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne. People with Connoisseur tickets are invited to join this party at 7:00 p.m. Diners will be seated at 7:30. The Auction benefits the Nantucket Historical Association. Tickets are $250 per person. Details.

Other features (click for details):
Wine and Food Seminars
Great Wine in Grand Houses: Exquisite wines will be tasted with the guidance of experts in rarely seen surroundings at these special tastings that are limited to a maximum of 20 people. Tastings require two hours of time.

A late addition to the calendar, but a big one - the legendary Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson with the Magic Rockers is coming to the Muse on Saturday night, October 6th, from 8:00 to 11:00 pm. Luther is one of the best blues musicians to emerge from Chicago’s music scene, where he started playing in the 50’s. Johnson played and sang with Muddy Waters’ band from 1973-79, when his front and center solos for that band got the world’s attention. This is the real thing folks. Don’t miss it. Admission only $15.

Summer resident and MSNBC’s Hardball moderator Chris Matthews returns to the island to talk about his new memoir ‘Life’s a Campaign: What Politics Has Taught Me About Friendship, Rivalry, Reputation and Success’. Saturday, October 6th, 5:00 pm, Unitarian Church. Book signing at Mitchell’s Book Corner follows.

live&local, just one facet of the Nantucket Arts Festival, presents Dave Provost, Mike Kopko, Andy Bullington, Cary Hazlegrove and Chris Westerlund, Friday, October 5th, beginning at 7:00 pm, at the Preservation Institute, Upstairs at 11 Centre Street. Al Louderer and Ben Briere will open the evening. Saturday night it’s Amy England and Susan Berman, same time, same place.

One of the centerpieces of the Nantucket Arts Festival is the Organ Crawl, this year the 15th annual, on Saturday (6th), from 9:15 am to noon. See the complete schedule here.

The traditional Arts Fest wrap is the Artists Association Wet Paint Live Auction, this year on Sunday, October 7th. Preview at 4, auction at 5, at the AAN Gallery. Click here for a complete list of participating artists.

The Village People takes the stage this Sunday night at the Nantucket AIDS Network Friendship Gala at the White Elephant, August 30th beginning with cocktails at 5 p.m. This always popular annual fund raiser features both a silent and live auction with auctioneer Rafael Osona, with trips to Hawaii and France, art from of the island best known artists, and much more. Tickets are still available by calling 508-228-3955. For more on the Gala, see the Nantucket Independent.

Today is the first day of the 15th Annual Nantucket Arts Festival, presented by the Nantucket Arts Council, 10 days of art, demonstrations, performance, book signings, music, lectures, walking tours, poetry, and photography. Three trunk shows give artists and craftspeople who don’t have retail space a chance to show their work. Festival headquarters is at the Preservation Institute, upstairs at 11 Centre Street, where the music, trunk shows and exhibition are held. The latest information can be found on weekends at the Main Street table in front of Congdon and Coleman’s. The free 24 page program, available all around town, is a comprehensive listing and schedule of all events.

Read the complete story in the Nantucket Independent.

The Festival needs volunteers to sit the Preservation Institute exhibition all week long. Call 508-325-8588 for information.

Friday, September 28th Highlights:

The first Farm & Fields Exhibition opens at the Hayloft at Bartlett’s Farm tonight from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Local artists will display their landscape paintings and photography of Bartlett’s fields and farm truck. The exhibit will be open 10 - 5 through October 2nd.

The 2007 Maria Mitchell Woman in Science Award will be given to former island resident Cynthia Brossman, Director of Learning Resource Network at Boston University, and once a teacher in the Nantucket Public School System. The Dinner and Award Ceremony begins at 6 pm. Coffin School, 4 Winter Street.

Maeve Hughes and Gokh-bi System are at The Muse tonight, beginning at 9. Maeve Hughes is a singer, pianist and composer, and plays jazz, R&B, and soul. The Gokh-Bi System originates from Senagal, and plays African hip-hop, mixing African rhythm with American urban beats.

Saturday, September 29th Highlights:

The official Opening Reception for the Nantucket Arts Festival, with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants while viewing a compilation of island artists’ expressions including photographs themed ‘Wind-blown on Nantucket.’. Free. 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm. Preservation Institute, Upstairs at 11 Centre Street.

The Festival live&local presents Jonathan Thayer and Jim Shaw, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Preservation Institute, Upstairs at 11 Centre Street.

The last Comedy Improv of the season, 8:30 pm - 10:00 pm downstairs in the Methodist Church.

The 25th Annual See Ya Later Alligator Party with free BBQ and raw bar, apps, and live music at the Chicken Box, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am.

Click here for the complete Mahon About Town/N Magazine Arts and Social Calendar.

Tomorrow’s (Friday the 24th) benefit for the Nantucket Film Festival, a screening and cocktail party, still has some tickets left. The film is “Row Hard No Excuses”, directed by Luke Wolbach.

In this film, John Zeigler and Tom Mailhot, in the fall of 2001, jumped into a rowboat
and spent 58 days over 3000 miles chasing a dream, from the Canary Island to Barbados. Among the oldest competitors to ever participate in the Atlantic Rowing Challenge, they spent three years preparing, but once on the water, were confronted with sleep deprivation, seasickness, isolation, boredom and cramped living conditions. But they discovered inner resources they didn’t know existed while wondering if their seemingly noble quest wasn’t more lake an ill fated nightmare. An exciting sports and adventure story on the surface, Row Hard No Excuses delves deeper, illuminating an intimate portrait of two middle-aged
American men as they explore a deeply personal quest.

The movie runs from 4 to 5:30, followed by a talk led by MSNBC’s Chris Matthews and documentary subject Thomas Mailhot, followed by a cocktail reception. It’s all at Westmoor Farm’s Green Barn on Pilgrim Road. Call 212-708-1261 for reservations.

11th Annual Boston Pops with Natalie Cole, to benefit Nantucket Cottage Hospital, gets going at 7 p.m. Saturday night at Jetties, with conductor Keith Lockhart and host Tim Russert, sponsored by Nantucket Island Resorts Jill and Steve Karp. Ticket information and availability at 508-825-8181. Always a spectacle, the annual town beach party.

Best Bets for Music (Check calendar for all listings)

• Nantucket School of Music student Junyi Fitzgibbon is quite simply a child prodigy on piano. Here’s a fairly rare chance to see her perform Monday from 12:15 pm - 12:45 pm at the Methodist Church, performing solo works of Liszt and Scarlatti. Junyi also appears later in the week with “Young Pianists on Nantucket”, Junyi Wang Fitzgibbon, Samantha Reis, and Martina Ivanova, Thursday, 12:00 pm - 12:30 pm at the Unitarian Church.
• Spookie Daly Pride at the Box tonight, Saturday. Not touring anymore, this wacky eclectic group comes together only to play at the Box. Each time could be their last.
• Livingston Taylor plays the Methodist Church Thursday night at 8:00 pm to benefit the Two Centre Street Preservation Project.
• I’ve written about Jamaican singer Nicole Miller before, and her synergy with singer/songwriter Jeff Ross. They’ll be playing together on Thurday and Sunday nights for the next few weeks at the Starlight from 9:30 to 1.

The first Nantucket Farmers and Artisans Market, sponsored by Sustainable Nantucket, opens today, Saturday, from 9 to noon at the Nantucket New School, 15 Nobadeer Farm Road, and will run for 9 Saturdays. The market, completely run by local vendors, will feature locally grown vegetables, berries, herbs, plants and cut flowers, eggs, baked goods and locally, hand-crafted pottery, jewelry, crafts and more. The market’s mission is to provide fresh, native produce directly from local growers to residents, to promote local cottage industry and to educate the community about the personal benefits of healthy eating and the economic benefits of supporting local entrepreneurs.

The Nantucket Arts Council Shakespeare by the Sea Festival kicks off on Saturday night with Seaside Shakespeare Company’s Twelfth Night, featuring a cast of on and off-island actors including Susan Burns, Ciaran Byrne, Tom Butler, Laurel Devaney, Christy Kickham, Chas Libretto, Len Germinara, Susan Lucier, Susan McGinnis, Adam Skogen, Amy Stiller, and AT Wilce, with original music by Kim D. Sherman, played by Robert Behrman and Armen Ghazarian. Saturday (11th) at the Unitarian Church at 5 p.m.; Saturday at 5 p.m. at Children’s Beach; Sunday and Monday at Children’s Beach at 6 p.m.

Films shown this week as a part of the Festival are: Richard III, 8:00 pm Monday, Nantucket Whaling Museum, and “Henry V” with Kenneth Branagh, released in 1989: Tuesday 8:00 pm Whaling Museum.

Marjorie Garber, the author of “Shakespeare After All”, speaks at the Coffin School on Wednesday night at 7:30 pm. Book signing to follow. Mick Hales, author of “Shakespeare in the Garden”, appears Thursday night at 6:00 pm at the Coffin School, with a book signing to follow.

Fashion shows are more frequent with higher energy this season. Sunday night I expect the best yet. It’s at the Box, with live southern rock by the Christopher Robin Band, and it’s called Live Music Couture, presented by Cisco Brewers, Triple Eight Vodka, and Nantucket Vineyard. Models will wear clothes from the Lauren Di Nardo Collection, Cheryl Fudge and Current Vintage. Admission is $20 at the door, $15 at Cisco Brewery, the proceeds to benefit Sustainable Nantucket. It all gets going at 9.

Authors and Speakers

Suzy Welch will moderate a Q&A session with Jack Welch on the topics of Winning and Leadership today at the High School Auditorium, Wednesday night at 8:00 pm.

You don’t often see Corey Sandler, but he does live here. Corey writes books. Lots of books. Look him up on Amazon. 164 entries there, some duplicates I’m sure, but it’s got to be 100 books under various categories: Business & Investing (29), Entertainment (19), History (6), Computers & Internet (70), Home & Garden (8), Professional & Technical (47), Science Fiction & Fantasy (7), Sports (13), Travel (49). I joined WNAN radio’s host of “The Point”, Mindy Todd, (9;30 am weekdays on 91.1) when she interviewed Corey about his new book ‘Henry Hudson; Dreams and Obsession. The Tragic Legacy of the New World’s Least Understood Explorer’ back in the middle of May. Here’s a podcast of that interview.

Corey calls Henry Hudson the “least known of the great explorers who went to the ends of the known world, though he profited nothing.” He describes Hudson’s trip to the North Pole when he tried to find a way from Europe to Asia, thinking it would not be frozen in summer, with no navigational cues (compasses are not accuarte that close to the magnetic pole, and there are no stars in 24 hour daylight. And in a later quest to reach the Bering Straight by sailing up the (now named) Hudson River, sailed just south of Nantucket on August 6, 1609.

Corey is speaking Monday night at 8 pm at the Atheneum, cosponsored by Nantucket Bookworks and the Atheneum. Pictured are Corey, Corey showing Mindy photos from the trip, and the interview.