“Together, with the support of the Plymouth community, town officials, and generous arts supporters, we have made a dream come true for the region,” says Robert Hollis, president of GPPAC’s board of directors, “this is a celebration not only of the vibrant arts mecca that Plymouth has become, but also of a supportive community that has ensured our success.”
GPPAC was founded in 2010 as the foundation to accomplish a mission: to launch a performing arts center to serve the Greater Plymouth region. The active organization spent several years in search of the perfect venue for their plan, which was discovered in the dormant Congregation Beth Jacob’s community center, formerly a Methodist church, across from the 1820 Courthouse in downtown Plymouth, built in 1886. In October, 2012 the Plymouth Town Meeting voted overwhelmingly to appropriate $650K in Community Preservation Funds to acquire and renovate the building at 25 1/2 Court Street in downtown Plymouth. The Town of Plymouth has graciously entrusted GPPAC with the building, now widely known as “The Spire”, with a 100 year near free-lease of their treasured property. GPPAC supports the commitment of the Community Preservation Committee in ensuring the facility’s preservation for future generations.
The Spire’s 3-story, 225-seat impressive performance hall and a custom built stage, boasts tremendous acoustics, sightlines, and an architecturally beautiful interior as its trademark. An adjacent reception room, studio spaces and resident Seasound Recording Studios makes the venue an attractive musical and theatrical destination and resource. Plymouth Community Theatre takes up residence this spring as the house theatrical organization, broadening the spectrum of their production opportunities.
Grand opening celebrations kick off with a Community Open House on Saturday, April 5 from 11 am to 2 pm. The public is welcome to enjoy guided tours of the facility, peruse membership, sponsorship and view the full entertainment calendar in store for the opening season, admission is free.
The cornerstone event of the celebration series, a Gala Variety Show will be held on Friday, April 11. At 7 pm, public officials, members of the community and VIP guests will gather for an official ribbon cutting ceremony at The Spire’s front entrance. At 7:30 pm, the Gala Variety Show hosts short acts of all performing arts genres that represent The Spire’s vibrant entertainment lineup, including the Johnny Souza Trio, Bay Colony Shakespeare Company, Plymouth Community Theatre, comedy acts, singer/songwriters Mark Whitaker, Haley Sabella, and Jake Hill and Deep Creek Band.
On Saturday, April 12, 8 pm, Folk-pop duo The Sea The Sea, featuring vocal artists Chuck E. Costa and Mira Stanley, recently release their debut full length album Love We Are We Love. The Sea The Sea blends vocals with acoustic/electric guitars, banjo, ukulele, piano, and percussion. Smooth, intricate harmonies weave an unmistakable, magnetic sound, reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel.
On Friday, April 18, 8 pm, local rising folk/pop/indie star Hayley Sabella launches her latest singer/songwriter CD in concert. A popular local artist hailing from Plymouth, Sabella was recently described as “the music that makes me happy” in a Red Line Roots review, admiring how “the orbiting of Hayley’s voice creates a sort of sonic cage which finally frees you”.
On Friday, May 16, 7:30 pm The Spire hosts their premiere Benefit Concert featuring a program first produced as part of Carnegie Hall’s Neighborhood Concert series. Locally grown, nationally renowned baritone Andrew Garland performs with legendary pianist Warren Jones featuring a diverse program of works including Ralph Vaughn Willams’ Songs of Travel, eclectic selections by Franz Schubert, Ravel’s Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, Steven Mark Kohns selections from American Folk Set, and Mitch Leigh’s The Impossible Dream from Man of La Mancha. Widely acclaimed for sparkling, exhilarating performances, Andrew Garland launched his career as a student from Kingston, successfully rising to national recognition today. Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “the single finest accompanist now working,” pianist Warren Jones is a renowned performer, prominent teacher, collaborative pianist, and chamber musician, performing in concerts festivals around the world, previously having served as assistant conductor at the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera.
On Sunday, May 18, 2 pm, critically-acclaimed children’s “kindie” act The Stacey Peasley Band brings their signature pop/rock/soul style to the stage. This singer/songwriter and her band offers original tunes from a melting pot of genres including classic rock, pop, disco and oldies. Their second family music album Lucky Day is a tribute to quintessential songs that capture real-life family experiences, such as “Summer Day”, “Catching Joy” and pop/rock anthem “Little Soccer Player”, delivering what’s hot on today’s family forefront.
Wrapping up the grand opening series, The Spire premieres Plymouth’s first-ever annual Plymouth Rock Assurance Jazz Festival, hosted by by local jazz trumpet legend Johnny Souza. On Saturday, May 24 at 7:30 pm, headline act The Rebecca Parris Trio performs in concert, along with Berklee-based group The Bebop Guitars and The Johnny Souza Quintet. On Sunday, May 25 at 2:30 pm, high energy jazz act Kubota Power Jazz Unit, the Greg Abate Quartet and The Amanda Carr Quintet appear, featuring interviews and live performances. Several partner social and reception events are in the works with local companies and restaurants. The Plymouth Rock Assurance Jazz Festival has been made possible through the generous sponsorship of Plymouth Rock Assurance Company, and sponsorship of Eastern Bank.
Tickets for the Gala Variety Show and reception are $20, Hayley Sabella are $10, The Sea The Sea are $20; tickets for the Celebrity Benefit Concert featuring Andrew Garland and Warren Jones are $40; and $25 for each day of the Jazz Festival. Tickets for The Stacey Peasley Band are $10 for adults, $8 for children under 12. Advance ticket purchases are recommended, seating is limited due to capacity. Individual and corporate sponsorships are also available, benefits include ticketing privileges and more. The Spire is handicap accessible, public parking is available streetside, and in public lots in close proximity. For more information, to order tickets online, or to learn more about The Spire, please visit our website (currently under construction) at www.spirecenter.org, call (508) 746-4488, or follow Greater Plymouth Performing Arts Center or Spire Center for Performing Arts on Facebook.
