McGRATHPR.com – The warmer winds of summer usher in the finest arts, entertainment and cultural opportunities in the Greater Boston, South Shore, and Cape Cod regions and beyond. Enjoy all that’s ahead this season:
The James Library & Center for the Arts
jameslibrary.org
Exhibit: Color Noise ~ by Artist Dina Brennan
Opening Reception Friday, May 9, 6 to 8 pm
On view May 9, through June 14
James Library & Center for the Arts, 24 West Street, Norwell
Free admission, all are welcome
Artist Dina Brennan shares that her creativity was sparked by COVID, of all things, and coined her “Quarantine Creative.” “I started taking out all of my art supplies and playing with watercolor landscapes which I called ‘colorscapes.’ The idea was letting the water move how it wanted against the page to create a loose and abstract visual of what I saw on my daily walks. I was also taking black and white photos every day, which focused on line and texture. I like the idea of playing with lines that emulate horizons and layering values that create depth. Working abstractly is something that is new to me and I have had a lot of fun experimenting with new painting tools and different types of acrylic paints, mediums and soluble artists’ crayons.”
In her new body of work, each piece is focused on limiting my color palette and pushing color relationships while maintaining a balance in tone and movement. “With that movement, I really want to explore what sound looks like, particularly in nature. My love of color motivates me most in creating my art. I’m endlessly caught up in the colors found and created in nature, no matter where I am in the world. Growing up and living in New England has been very influential because of the ever-changing seasons, the continuous moving landscape found along the coast and the way the light makes everything seem different from day to day. The naturally occurring color combinations found while spending time outdoors inspires me to try and create those connections while painting. I am working to see if can visually depict sound within a landscape. Does sound have a color? Does color make a noise?”
Dina has worked with local artists, serving 25 years in her role at the Frame Center, where recently enhanced showroom and gallery spaces showcase original art by local artists. “Our goal is to create a safe space for the community to enjoy and celebrate their art without the pressures of a traditional gallery.”
Exhibit: Structure to Sculpture ~ by Sculptor Jared Hadfield
Opening Reception: Friday, June 20, 6 to 8 pm
On view: June 20, through August 8
James Library & Center for the Arts, 24 West Street, Norwell
Free admission, all are welcome
Jared Hadfield is a sculptor whose work bridges craftsmanship, architectural influence, and a deep appreciation for form and material. Born in Wisconsin in 1978 and raised in Olathe, Kansas, Jared showed an early passion for building and creating—constructing forts, bike ramps, and anything else that allowed him to work with his hands. This instinct for making would become a lifelong throughline in both his artistic and professional journey.
“My work is rooted in a lifelong fascination with structure, materials, and the built environment. Whether I’m carving wood, casting concrete or assembling salvaged elements, I approach sculpture as both an act of construction and discovery. My background in architecture, fabrication, and home restoration deeply informs my process—each piece is a dialogue between raw material and refined form,” Jared shares.
Jared earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sculpture from the University of Kansas. While a student, he worked in various roles in the vibrant Crossroads Art District of downtown Kansas City, gaining experience as an art handler, gallery assistant, and even helping build out gallery lofts. These experiences gave him a deep appreciation for both the creative and operational sides of the art world, as well as the architectural/design world.
Jared traveled across the country, eventually founding a concrete fabrication company in Boston, specializing in custom countertops, fireplace surrounds and anything that he could build or create a mold for. Over the next eight years, Jared built a thriving business—merging form, function, and artistry in every project.
In 2014, Jared moved to Marshfield with his wife, Michele, a native of nearby Duxbury. While raising a family, Jared continued to create art sporadically building custom furniture and participating in occasional juried exhibitions. In 2017, Jared and Michele purchased a new home in Marshfield, renovated it, and then he designed and built what would become his private studio, Forest Street Studio. This 2,000+ square foot contemporary structure was completed in 2021 and now serves as the heart of his full-time studio practice.
Since 1874, The James Library has served the South Shore community as a warm gathering place. Housed in a landmark Victorian in historical Norwell Center, The James is dedicated to serving the community by providing high-quality programs, resources and materials through a concert hall, art gallery and the operation of a free lending library. As an independent, non-profit arts center we foster a mission for the creation, appreciation, and enjoyment of the arts for residents of all ages on the South Shore, while preserving the historic character of our home. The James Library is located at 24 West Street, Norwell and is open to the public Tuesday through Friday from 1 to 5 pm and on Saturday from 11 to 1 pm. For more information, please call 781-659-7100, visit jameslibrary.org or follow The James Library on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
A Swingin’ Affair All-Star Big Band
aswinginaffair.com
The Best is Yet to Come – A Swingin’ Affair’s Tribute to Sinatra
Sunday, June 22, 3 to 5 pm
Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 ½ Court Street, Plymouth
Tickets: $40 general seating at: spirecenter.org/event/sunday-serenadesa-swingin-affair/
In honor of Frank Sinatra’s timeless music returning to Billboard 200’s “Top 10” albums in 2025, A Swingin’ Affair presents 25 of Sinatra’s top hits, the voice of a generation, dovetailed among captivating stories of the “Rat Pack,” a little ol’ blue-eyes banter, and tunes served straight up with a twist from the Chairman of the Board’s swoon music anthology. “The Best is Yet to Come” features greater Boston’s all-star professional performing artists, convened in captivating swing and song – a rare opportunity! Revel in 16 inspired instrumentalists as they dive into the toe tappin’ Great American Songbook, showcasing the legendary tunes of Frank Sinatra and more. Swoon over the huge swingin’ sound of professional frontman vocalist Donnie Norton, and special guest vocalist Loren Benn, as bandleader Steve Bass brings all the class, fun, and excitement of Sinatra’s soundstage to you! Hit songs include “Fly Me To the Moon” and “I’ve Got The World On A String,” “New York, New York,” and so much more, delivered with a twist from the circa-authentic stage set. No big band concert would be complete without a little dancing in the aisles, so wear your dancing shoes, and sway the night away!
The Satuit Band
satuitband.com
2025 Free Summer Concert Series
Charles A. Shaffer, Music Director
Friday, May 30, 7:30 pm
Indoors at Scituate Center for Performing Arts, 606 Chief Justice Cushing Highway, Scituate
Friday, June 20, 7:30 pm
Indoors at St. Mary’s Parish Center Great Hall, 2 Edward Foster Road, Scituate
Friday, June 27, 7:00 pm
Outdoors on the lawn at Rockland Memorial Library, 382 Union Street, Rockland
Friday, July 4, 7:30 pm
Outdoors at the Bob Morrill Bandstand, Cole’s Parkway, Scituate Harbor
Friday, July 11, 7:30 pm
Outdoors at the Bernie King Pavilion at Nantasket Beach, Hull Shore Drive, Hull
Friday, July 18, 7:30 pm
Outdoors at the Bernie King Pavilion at Nantasket Beach, Hull Shore Drive, Hull
Saturday, July 19, 6:30 to 8:00 pm
Outdoors on the lawn at Proprietor’s Green, 10 Village Green Way, Marshfield
Friday, August 1, 7:30 pm
Indoors at St. Mary’s Parish Center Great Hall, 2 Edward Foster Road, Scituate
Friday, August 8, 7:30 pm
Outdoors at the Bernie King Pavilion at Nantasket Beach, Hull Shore Drive, Hull
Saturday, August 9, 2:00 to 3:30 pm
Outdoors at The Village at Duxbury, 290 Kingstown Way, Duxbury
Friday, August 15, 7:30 pm
Outdoors at the Bob Morrill Bandstand, Cole’s Parkway, Scituate Harbor
Friday, August 22, 7:30 pm
Outdoors at the Bernie King Pavilion at Nantasket Beach, Hull Shore Drive, Hull
Friday, August 29, 7:30 pm
Outdoors at the Bob Morrill Bandstand, Cole’s Parkway, Scituate Harbor
An enduring community instrumental concert ensemble, The Satuit Band has been centered in Scituate, MA and performing around the South Shore since 1932! This diverse ensemble spans performers from amateur musicians in their teens through seasoned professionals in their eighties, and everyone between, performing endless genres of live music.
The Satuit Band’s free summer concert series is the centerpiece of its performance roster, generously supported by many of the region’s local cultural councils (LCCs), facets of Massachusetts Cultural Council. Concerts are performed indoors and outside at venues around the South Shore, subject to weather limitations. Cancellations due to weather are announced on The Satuit Band’s Facebook page. Learn more at satuitband.com.
The Company Theatre
companytheatre.com
Rave On
Saturday, June 7, 7:30 pm
The Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell
Tickets are $34, available at companytheatre.com
Inspired by some of the most influential music of the 50’s & 60’s, Rave On will take you back in time when Rock & Roll was emerging, and the jukebox and dance floor were all that was needed for a good time!
Rave On’s talented singers and musicians celebrate Buddy Holly, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Etta James, Richie Valens, Bobby Darin, Johnny Cash, Dion, and other amazing artists, all in one show! Rave On will have you dancing in your seats, and singing along as we dance the night away!
Divas With A Twist
Tuesday, June 10, 7:30 pm
The Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell
Tickets are $34, available at companytheatre.com
These powerhouse female vocalists create a dynamic night of musical entertainment performing decades of pop favorites with tight harmonies and original arrangements that are fresh and exciting. This is one show you do not want to miss!
The Wedding Singer
Thursday, July 10 through Saturday, July 12, 7:30 pm
The Company Theatre, 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell
Tickets: $37 Premium, $30 Standard, available at companytheatre.com
This musical comedy is based on the 1998 comedy of the same name which starred Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore as a singer and a waitress engaged to be married to the wrong people. Robbie Hart is New Jersey’s number one wedding singer and the life of every party until his own fiancée strands him at the altar. Bitter and broken, Robbie begins to make every wedding as disastrous as his own until a warm-hearted waitress named Julia intervenes. Only trouble is, Julia’s about to be–you guessed it–married! Can Robbie pull off the performance of the decade and win the girl of his dreams?
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Friday, July 25 through Sunday, August 17
The Company Theatre 30 Accord Park Drive, Norwell
Tickets $60 Premium, $56 Standard, available at companytheatre.com
Inspired by Victor Hugo’s classic novel and the acclaimed Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame follows Quasimodo, the gentle bell-ringer of Notre Dame, and his journey to find acceptance and love in a world that shuns him. Alongside the courageous Esmeralda and the conflicted Claude Frollo, this epic French tale unfolds with themes of compassion, justice, and the resilience of the human spirit. Alan Menken (Sister Act, Beauty and the Beast) and Stephen Schwarz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin) teamed together to create a truly rich and unforgettable score!
Founded in 1979 by Zoe Bradford and Jordie Saucerman, The Company Theatre (TCT) is an award-winning regional theatre, a true treasure of Boston’s South Shore. The destination center for the arts produces 4 musicals, 1 play, 5 youth productions, and a concert and special event series annually, attracting more than 35,000 patrons. The Academy of Company Theatre (ACT) offers year-round technical training in voice, acting, dance, film and more to both youth and adults, and the heart of ACT – its renowned summer workshop.
The Company Theatre’s widely acclaimed integrity is rooted in presenting highly trained and dedicated actors, live music performances, lavish costuming, elaborate set work, as well as its outstanding educational programs. Its staff and artistic team are on a continuous quest for excellence by producing passionate, energetic, and professional quality performances. TCT attributes its success to its long-time dedicated staff and artisans who are proud to bring their craft to loyal patrons.
The Company Theatre’s box office is open on Mondays from 10 am to 5 pm, Thursday from 11 am to 6 pm, and two hours before each performance. For more information, visit companytheatre.com, email boxoffice@companytheatre.com, call 781-871-2787, or follow The Company Theatre on social media.
Pilgrim Festival Chorus
pilgrimfestivalchorus.org
Opus 25 – A PFC Journey ~ featuring the Pilgrim Festival Singers, a Pilgrim Festival Chorus ensemble
Saturday, June 21, 7:30 pm
The Church of the Pilgrimage, 8 Town Square, Plymouth
Friday, June 22, 4 pm
St. Bonaventure Parish, 803 State Road, Plymouth
Artistic Director William B. Richter; conductor, accompanied by Artistic Director Elizabeth Chapman Reilly, piano.
Tickets: $20 adults, children ages 14 and under free admission, at pilgrimfestivalchorus.org/tickets
Over the past 25 years, PFC has performed more than 500 choral works – a staggering amount to contemplate! Their annual summer concerts will include favorites from the Great American Songbook, contemporary masterpieces, and a medley from the musical, Les Mis. It’s a fitting way to close out PFC’s 25th season, and a perfect segue into the next stage of the journey.
Celebrating its 25th anniversary concert season, Pilgrim Festival Chorus, one of the region’s premier, community choral ensembles, has been dedicated to presenting diverse choral works that educate, enrich, and engage both its members and its South Shore audiences. PFC is comprised of approximately 100 members of all adult ages from 20 local communities with skill levels from amateur to professional. In addition to the summer concert, PFC presents a festive holiday concert in early December, an annual Messiah Sing in mid-December, and a spring concert typically featuring a major work with orchestra and soloists. Smaller volunteer groups serve the community by engaging in appearances at local events.
PFC is proud to participate in the Card to Culture Program, a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program, and the Massachusetts Health Connector, by broadening accessibility to cultural programming. This program is supported in part by a grant from Plymouth Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.
Pilgrim Festival Chorus is a volunteer, nonprofit choral ensemble dedicated to presenting diverse choral works that educate, enrich, and engage both its members and its audiences. PFC performances are funded in part by grants from Plymouth and Middleborough Cultural Councils, as well as other regional cultural councils, local agencies supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency. PFC performances are produced in part by cooperation with See Plymouth and Plymouth County Commissioners. For more information, visit pilgrimfestivalchorus.org, or follow Pilgrim Festival Chorus on Facebook and Instagram.
Cabaret Artist Francis Garner
youtube.com/@FrancisGarnerBaritone
Miss Otis Regrets
Sunday, June 8, 7 pm
Post Office Cafe and Cabaret, 303 Commercial Street, Provincetown
Tickets: $35 General Admission, $40 Preferred Seating
Saturday and Sunday, June 14 and 15, 8 pm
The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Tickets: $25 General Admission
6/14: https://www.dancecomplex.org/event/miss-otis-regrets/2025-06-14/
6/15: https://www.dancecomplex.org/event/miss-otis-regrets/2025-06-15/
Emerging cabaret artist, Francis Garner, has been applauded on Boston stages (Club Cafe), Provincetown (Post Office Cafe and Cabaret). New Bedford (The Gallery Bar), and New York City (Don’t Tell Mama, PANGEA). Critic John Amodeo described him as “one of the Boston-area’s most promising performers.” Cabaret Scenes Magazine admired his show “Over The Hill: Dating Gay Over 30” as “wonderfully creepy and marvelously theatrical.” Lavender After Dark also commended this work, noting “for the most part, Garner alternates between two personas throughout the show…the two parts of Garner’s persona are unified by one thing: talent.”
Garner delivers his new show “Miss Otis Regrets,” taking its title from the classic Cole Porter song by the same name. This captivating, one-hour-one-man musical is a dark comedy styled after both 1950’s-era radio broadcasts and modern-day podcasts, exemplifying the Mark Twain adage “history doesn’t repeat itself but it often rhymes.” Timed to perform coinciding with the Boston Pride Festival, this show embraces a celebration of progress in the face of societal oppression.
Americana Theatre Company
americanatheatrecompany.org
Peter and the Starcatcher
July 5,10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, and 19, 7 pm
July 6, 13, 19, and 20, 2 pm
Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court Street, Plymouth
Experience the Tony Award-winning play based on the bestselling novels by Dave Barry. Peter and the Starcatcher is a wild and magical swashbuckling adventure about the orphan boy who would become the legendary Peter Pan! In true Americana Theatre fashion, audiences will enjoy a funny, creative, poignant, fun-for-the-whole-family evening of theatre featuring some of the South Shore’s top storytelling and acting! Peter and the Starcatcher is written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson and adapted for the stage by Rick Elise.
Studio Americana’s Willy Wonka, an elementary school student production
Saturday, July 12, 2 pm
Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court Street, Plymouth
Tickets are $5 (cash or Venmo) at the door
In Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka” and its adapted versions, several children are featured who find golden tickets and gain entry to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. The most well-known among them are Charlie Bucket, Augustus Gloop, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregarde, and Mike Teavee. Each child represents different aspects of human nature, such as greed, entitlement, and obsession, which are explored in the story.
Studio Americana’s Into the Woods Jr., a middle/high school student production
Thursday, July 24, 7 pm
Spire Center for Performing Arts, 25 1/2 Court Street, Plymouth
Tickets are $10 (cash or Venmo) at the door
“Into the Woods Jr.” musical centers on a baker and his wife, who wish to have a child; Cinderella, who wishes to attend the King’s festival; and Jack, who wishes his cow would give milk. When the baker and his wife learn that they cannot have a child because of a witch’s curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse, and wind up changed forever.
To purchase tickets, or for more information about Americana Theatre Company, visit americanatheatre.org/tickets, or call 508-591-0282. For the latest updates, follow Americana Theatre Company on Facebook and Instagram.
Cranberry Research Foundation
cranberries.org/crf
27th Annual Benefit Golf Tournament
Monday, July 14, 12 noon check-in, 1 pm shotgun start
Southers Marsh Golf Club, 30 Southers Marsh Lane, Plymouth
Foursome: $620 (including dinner), dinner reception single: $60
Sponsor and golfer registration: tinyurl.com/5n6eyex2
Cranberry Research Foundation’s annual fundraising tournament welcomes the public to enjoy a day of golf, camaraderie, food, and fellowship while raising vital funds for cranberry research. Foursome teams are welcome. Contests offer special prize gifts including hole in one, 50/50 and raffles. Mulligan bundles are also available. Banquet, recognition and an awards presentation immediately follows the tournament. Sponsor packages are available through June 27.
The Cranberry Research Foundation (CRF) was founded in 1996. It is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization that raises and invests funds for the future support of cranberry research projects in the Massachusetts growing region. These projects promote and protect the unique environment of the cranberry system and maintain the viability and heritage of cranberry farming. Learn more about Cranberry Research Foundation at cranberries.org/CRF.
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