Dark Star extras

Director Mitchell Ganem and producers Tracey Becker (“Finding Neverland”) and Mark Constance will be filming the crowds at the upcoming Dark Star Orchestra shows at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on Friday, June 1, and Saturday, June 2, for the final scene of their upcoming film, “Losing Jerry” (www.losingjerry.com). The film follows the personal journeys of three close friends from their happy-go-lucky days following the Grateful Dead to the day of Jerry Garcia’s death, 15 years later. On the day of Garcia’s death, his Grateful Dead bandmate Bob Weir played a solo concert at the Casino Ballroom, which became the site of an impromptu pilgrimage for thousands of fans. The Dark Star Orchestra shows will be used to recreate that infamous evening for the film. 

country, choral, Motown, folk and jazz coming to Great Waters Music Festival

The Great Waters Music Festival in Wolfeboro has announced its list of performers for the summer season. 

Country singer and songwriter Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers Band will open the festival on Saturday, July 14, with an opening set by Laura Bryna. Gatlin, the oldest of three boys, hails from Seminole, Texas, and is known throughout the Nashville music industry. In addition to many years touring with his brothers, he had the lead role in the Tony award-winning musical, “The Will Rogers Follies” and has written two books. Bryna studied at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts and is now a resident of Nashville.

The Masterworks Concert, directed by Dr. Gerry Mack, will follow on Saturday, July 21, and will feature three facets of choral art: classical, musical theater and spirituals. The chorus, directed by Mack and accompanied by the Festival Symphony Orchestra, will present Poulenc’s “Gloria.” Written in 1959, “Gloria” is scored for soprano solo, featuring Michelle B. Johnson, a graduate student in opera at Boston University. She will also perform in a “Porgy and Bess” medley, written by George Gershwin. The final choral facet will be a soulful cycle of spirituals arranged by John Rutter and featuring baritone Tom Jones, who has appeared several times with the Masterworks chorus.

On Thursday, July 26, the Fabulous Motown Revue will perform. The group has been performing together for 25 years, with the likes of Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Mary Wilson, The Four Tops and many others.  

The Great Waters Folk Festival, Aug. 3 through 5, will include The Barra MacNeils, Alison Brown, Greg Brown, Slaid Cleaves, Jonathan Edwards, David Jacobs-Strain, Northern Lights, The Roches, Chris Smither and more.

Jazz fans should note that Dianne Reeves will perform on Thursday, Aug. 9, and the third annual evening jazz festival takes on Saturday, Aug. 25. The program will include pianist Eldar Djangirov, The Peabody Ragtime Ensemble and the Artie Shaw Orchestra under the direction of Dick Johnson

On Saturday, Sept. 1, the Festival will close with Marta Gómez. Marta and her quintet perform compositions based on the rhythms of Latin America, South America and the Caribbean.

Great Waters Music Festival performances take place in an acoustic tent on the campus of Brewster Academy. For additional information and tickets, visit www.greatwaters.org or call 603-569-7710.

Meadowbrook gets new name, announces summer season

U.S. Cellular recently signed a three-year sponsorship agreement with Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center in Gilford. As part of the company’s sponsorship, U.S. Cellular established naming rights to the Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion, which seats 3,200 people with a covered concert stage.

The Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion summer lineup includes Foghat with Molly Hatchet and Blackfoot (Bike Bash, June 14); Willie Nelson with Shooter Jennings (Bike Bash, June 15); Vince Neil with Skid Row and Slaughter (Bike Bash, June 16); Reba McEntire (June 23); Lynyrd Skynyrd with The Doobie Brothers (June 28); Rick Springfield with Eddie Money and Scandal (July 1); Kanye West with Lupe Fiasco (July 12); Vince Gill with Amy Grant and Del McCoury (July 20); 311 with Matisyahu and Ozomatli (July 24); Clay Aiken with the Nashua Symphony Orchestra (July 25); Poison with Ratt ,Dokken and White Lion (July 26); The Volunteer Jam with Charlie Daniel’s, Marshall Tucker and The Outlaws (July 27); Bill Cosby (matinee and evening performances, July 28); Steve Miller Band (July 29), The Moody Blues (July 31); The Allman Brothers Band with The North Mississippi All-Stars (Aug. 3); Alison Krauss with Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas (Aug. 7); The Beach Boys with The Reminisants (Aug. 9); Weird Al Yankovic (Aug. 10); Hippiefest 2007 Featuring The Turtles, The Rascals, Mountain Zombies and Country Joe McDonald (Aug. 12); andTrace Adkins and Gary Allan (Aug. 26).