That’s Entertainment

Whether your tastes run to comedy or drama, country or classical, great entertainment awaits you in North Central Massachusetts!

Love the theater? Get ready to enjoy a full season of shows on stage throughout the region. Community theater is alive and well here! You’ll want to check out Theatre at the Mount, located on the campus of Mt. Wachusett Community College in Gardner; the Stratton Players, who have a new venue at Christ Church in Fitchburg; the Barre Players Theater in Barre; Cannon Theatre at Devens; and the New Players Theatre Guild or StageWorks, both in Fitchburg.

Is music your thing? The region is a treasure-trove of offerings! The Groton Hill Music Center is not to be missed—a 126,000 square foot music venue, complete with a 1,000-seat concert hall, 300-seat performance hall, teaching spaces and more. The Center has a fabulous schedule of performances planned this year, from bluegrass to traditional Latin, contemporary jazz and Celtic holiday fare.

The Winchendon Music Festival will be returning for a fall season in two venues—and the Murdock-Whitney House alone is worth a venue to this community on the northern border of the region. The WMF is a non-profit organization that showcases performances by international artists from a variety of genres including (but not limited to) classical, folk, jazz, historical performance, and world music.

And here’s a plus: the concerts are free to the public. In addition to the historic (and stunning!) Murdock-Whitney House, fall concerts will be held at the Beals Memorial Library.

For a truly unique experience, head to Ashburnham for a visit to the Frederick Collection of Historical Pianos, and a series of concerts like nothing you’ve ever heard. Musicians come from around the world to perform with these pianos, lovingly restored by the Fredericks. What’s so unusual about that? Each concert features music played on a piano from the era in which it was written—so you’ll hear the music just as the composer would have heard it, a century or more ago!

September

• 8 Saturday, 5 pm. Live on the Lawn: Fabiola Mendez. Traditional, Latin sounds at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 14 Saturday, 8 pm. Michael Cleveland & Flamekeepers perform Bluegrass at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 24 Friday, 8 pm. BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet at Groton Hill Music Center. Enjoy some of the most potent and popular Cajun music on the planet.
• 28 Saturday, 8 pm. Cécile McLorin Salvant performs at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 29 Sunday, 3pm. Classical music with Amanda Mole, organ. At Groton Hill Music Center.

October

• 3-5 and 10-12. Poe at New Players Theatre Guild.
• 4 Friday, 8 pm. The Jacob Jolliff Band, bluegrass, at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 4-5 and 11-13, Friday & Saturday, 7:30 pm. Steel Magnolias at Theatre at the Mount.
• 5 Saturday, 7:30 pm. Opening Night 2024 for the Vista Philharmonic Orchestra at Groton Hill Music Center. Special guest–Joshua Mhoon, piano.
• 6 Sunday, 7 pm. Singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega presents Old Songs, New Songs and Other Songs at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 10 Thursday, 8 pm. Celebrity Series of Boston presents Emanuel Ax at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 17 Thursday, 8 pm. Country Music star LeAnn Rimes performs at the Groton Hill Music Center.
• 17-19 and 24-26. The Rocky Horror Show at New Players Theater Guild.
• 18 Friday, 8 pm. The Lone Bellow at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 19 Saturday, 2 pm. Ivy Bean, a children’s musical, at Theatre at the Mount.
• 19 Saturday, 7:30 pm. Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas at the Groton Hill Music Center.
• 20 Sunday, 7 pm. Danilo Perez, John Patitucci, Brian Blade – Legacy of Wayne Shorter featuring special guest Mark Turner bring an evening of jazz to the Groton Hill Music Center.
• 25, Friday, 8 pm. Singer-songwriter Dar Williams performs at Groton Hill Music Center, with Special Guest, Lila Blue. 

November

• 9-10 Saturday, 7:30 pm. Sunday at 3 pm. Vista Philharmonic Orchestra presents Ode to Joy at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 10 Sunday, 7 pm. Jane Monheit, jazz and contemporary vocalist, performs at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 17 Sunday, 7 pm. Hanneke Cassel & Dave Wiesler /Keith Murphy & Yann Falquet present an evening of Celtic music at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 29-30 Friday & Saturday, 7:30 pm. The Sound of Music at Theatre at the Mount. 

December

• 1 Sunday, 2 pm. The Sound of Music at Theatre at the Mount.
• 6-8 Friday & Saturday, 7:30 pm. Sunday 2 pm. The Sound of Music at Theatre at the Mount. Special Sensory-Friendly performance on December 7 at 2 pm.
• 7-8 Saturday, 2 pm & 7:30 pm. Sunday, 3 pm. Christmas Magic! at Groton Hill Music Center.
• 21 Saturday, 8 pm. A Celtic Holiday with Lúnasa at Groton Hill Music Center.