Capital City Improv presents...Hallmark Holiday...unscripted

The comedy geniuses from Capital City Improv deliver the Hallmark movies you wish you could see!Capital City Improv returns to Johnson Hall with their improvised smash hit – Hallmark Holiday UNSCRIPTED. This show features holiday inspired short form improv in the first ......More

The comedy geniuses from Capital City Improv deliver the Hallmark movies you wish you could see!Capital City Improv returns to Johnson Hall with their improvised smash hit – Hallmark Holiday UNSCRIPTED. This show features holiday inspired short form improv in the first act, which includes audience participation and short form games. In the second act, the performers take audience suggestions and use them improvise an entire Hallmark holiday movie, right before your eyes! You know the stories. You know the plots. Now come watch us as we take your twists and turns and weave them seamlessly into a night of memorable comedy! This Show will take plase on the Logan Stage on the 1st floor.

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States

ELF (The Movie)

See this classic Christmas movie on the biggest screen in Gardiner!As an infant, Buddy accidentally crawls into Santa’s sleigh and is taken back to the North Pole, where he is adopted and raised by elves. Due to his human size, he eventually realizes he does not fit in ......More

See this classic Christmas movie on the biggest screen in Gardiner!As an infant, Buddy accidentally crawls into Santa’s sleigh and is taken back to the North Pole, where he is adopted and raised by elves. Due to his human size, he eventually realizes he does not fit in and, with Santa’s permission, journeys to New York City to find his father, Walter Hobbs.In New York, Buddy finds that his biological father, Walter (played by James Caan), is a cynical and grumpy children’s book publisher who is on the naughty list. Buddy’s childlike innocence and overwhelming Christmas cheer clash with Walter’s world, leading to a series of comedic events. Along the way, Buddy meets and falls in love with Jovie (Zooey Deschanel), a department store employee who initially shares Walter’s cynicism.Buddy’s unwavering belief in the Christmas spirit becomes crucial when Santa’s sleigh crashes in Central Park and is unable to fly due to a lack of Christmas cheer. Buddy, his newfound family, and Jovie must work together to save Christmas for everyone. Rated-PG-13 Run Time-1h-37min Doors will open at 5:30 PM EST Free Street Parking Available!

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States

A Motown Christmas with Pat Colwell & The Soul Sensations!

Ho, Ho, Ho, this is Soulful Santa inviting you to the Holiday Musical Event of the year!Ho, Ho, Ho, this is Soulful Santa inviting you to the Holiday Musical Event of the year! Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations are kicking off the Holiday Season at Johnson Hall Opera ......More

Ho, Ho, Ho, this is Soulful Santa inviting you to the Holiday Musical Event of the year!Ho, Ho, Ho, this is Soulful Santa inviting you to the Holiday Musical Event of the year! Pat Colwell and the Soul Sensations are kicking off the Holiday Season at Johnson Hall Opera House in Gardiner, Maine with a must-see concert event. A crowd favorite, their Motown Christmas Show is sure to teach kids of all ages how to be 100% Naughty and Nice! The Soul Sensations are Maine’s #1 Motown/Memphis Soul Revue and they’ll be celebrating with SOULFUL versions of classic carols by the Temptations, Booker T. and the MG’s, the Supremes, Otis Redding, and of course the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. This show features joyous arrangements of Silver Bells, Rudolph, The Christmas Song, Frosty, Merry Christmas Baby, and Hey Skinny Santa, to name just a few. It evens features a song Pat co-wrote with Bonehead brother, Bob Colwell – “Rocking With The Blues (And My Baby On Christmas Eve)”. You won’t just be singing along – you’ll be dancing in the aisles! Add “A MOTOWN CHRISTMAS” to your Spotify and Apple Music playlists and enjoy the FUN. The Holidays only come once a year so celebrate this special season with SOUL! This performance will take place on the Reehl Stage on the third floor. This venue is handicap accessable.

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States

New Year's Eve Spectacular

Join us for a New Year’s Eve celebration you won’t forget! Filled with comedy, music, mayhem & more!Join your host Michael Miclon as he and his cast of talented entertainers ring in the new year (sort of…the show ends at 9:30 P.M.). This show is a classic variety show t......More

Join us for a New Year’s Eve celebration you won’t forget! Filled with comedy, music, mayhem & more!Join your host Michael Miclon as he and his cast of talented entertainers ring in the new year (sort of…the show ends at 9:30 P.M.). This show is a classic variety show that has something for everyone and eveyone of all ages. Great music, hilarious comedy, amazing magic and loads of mayhem that leads to a night filled with many surprises (so many, even the cast dosen’t know yet). It is a great way to close out the year and you will be home before the ball drops! Stay tuned for a full roster of artists. Michael Miclon- Your Host with the Most! Michael Miclon is the Executive/Artistic Director of Johnson Hall but in his former life he traveled the world as a physical comedian. As an entertainer, Michael has built an international reputation that has brought him to some of the finest theaters and special events across the United States and Europe, with such highlights as the Kennedy Center and the White House in Washington D.C., The Keller Theater in Germany, The Victoria Jungfrau Hotel in Switzerland and the Festa Americana in Italy. The Portland Phoenix called him a “comedic genius.” As host of The Early Evening Show, Maine’s longest running variety show, which CBS Sunday Morning called “must-see reality,” he has written and appeared in more than 250 performances over the past 27years. This show is general admission. Doors open at 6:30-Showtime is 7:30 This is an all ages show.

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States

On A Winter's Night

On A Winter’s Night- featuring Cliff Eberhardt, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty LarkinPresenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decade......More

On A Winter’s Night- featuring Cliff Eberhardt, John Gorka, Lucy Kaplansky, Patty LarkinPresenting the Reunion Tour of “On A Winter’s Night” from veteran singer-songwriters that remain among the brightest stars of the singer/songwriter movement for the past three decades. In 1994 Christine Lavin gathered them together, along with folk and Americana artists to showcase music of the Winter Season on the now-classic On A Winter’s Night CD, followed by several years of touring collaborations. These artists have released dozens of recordings and toured steadily through the decades, with fond memories of their touring days together. The winter season is again celebrated by these unique and popular performers, back together by popular demand. PATTY LARKIN She redefines the boundaries of folk-urban pop music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising lyrics and vocals. Acoustic Guitar Magazine hails her, “soundscape experiments” while Rolling Stone praises her, “evocative and sonic shading.” She has been described as, “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly), and a “drop-dead brilliant” performer (Performing Songwriter). Recently an Artist-in-Residence at Berklee College of Music – and now on the faculty at Fine Arts Work Center – Larkin reflects, “I have been energized by the poets, writers, and artists I have met while teaching, and find myself on a journey to break down some of the predictable pathways that songs can travel.” Bird in a Cage, her 14th CD now available, puts poems from ten notable poets to song, including US Poet Laureates William Carlos Williams, Stanley Kunitz, Kay Ryan, Robert Pinsky, and Billy Collins, for a new and haunting collection that pulses with the magic of lyricism. Poems are made to be shared aloud, and with Bird, Patty takes up that tradition and sets it aglow. CLIFF EBERHARDT One of the most original songsmiths currently on tour, Eberhardt is a highly intelligent, articulate artist whose penetrating and profound lyrics are sometimes overshadowed by his extraordinary guitar playing. Upon close listening, the Philadelphia-born singer’s gift for the English language is abundantly clear. The words that tumble from his mouth are framed by a raspy yet deeply elegant voice. Like John Hammond and Richie Havens, Eberhardt continues to carry the torch for traditional and contemporary folk music through his strong live shows. Whether he’s out on tour solo or with a small band, Eberhardt’s guitar playing, singing, and original folk songs and blues make for a compelling, thought-filled, emotional roller coaster of a concert. JOHN GORKA Hailed by Rolling Stone as “the leading singer/songwriter of the New Folk movement,” John Gorka is perhaps the quintessential singer-songwriter of the 90’s folk scene. Originally from New Jersey, John served an apprenticeship at Godfrey Daniels coffeehouse in Bethlehem, PA, then the Greenwich Village Fast Folk scene. Winning the prestigious New Folk award at the Kerrville Folk Festival, in 1984, he was then signed to Red House Records on which he released his landmark first of 17 recordings, I Know. Boston Globe penned Gorka “for the sophisticated intelligence and the provocative originality of his songs.” Recent accolades include 2016’s Indie Acoustic Project’s Best Singer/Songwriter CD of the Year for Before Beginning (Red House Records). 2018 brought his latest release, and 14th of his career, True In Time (Compass Records). True In Time (Compass Records). LUCY KAPLANSKY “A truly gifted performer…full of enchanting songs” (New York Times). Blending country, folk and pop styles, Lucy has the unique ability to make every song sound fresh, whether singing her own sweet originals, covering country classics by June Carter Cash and Gram Parsons, or singing pop favorites by Lennon/McCartney and Nick Lowe. Lucy’s iconic voice has been featured in film and on television, including commercials like Chevrolet’s iconic “Heartbeat of America” jingle. A Billboard-charting singer and one of the top-selling artists on Red House Records, she has topped the folk and Americana radio charts and has been featured on shows throughout the world from NPR’s Weekend and Morning Editions to BBC Radio to CBS Sunday Morning. One of the most in-demand harmony singers, Lucy has sung on countless records, performing with Suzanne Vega, Bryan Ferry, Nanci Griffith, and Shawn Colvin.   TICKET LINK- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/on-a-winters-night-tickets-1469992299539?aff=oddtdtcreator

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States

Reggie Watts

Reggie Watts is an internationally renowned Musician/Comedian/Writer/Actor who most recently starred as the bandleader on CBS’s The Late Late Show with James Corden. Using his formidable voice, looping pedals, and his vast imagination, Watts blends and blurs the lines b......More

Reggie Watts is an internationally renowned Musician/Comedian/Writer/Actor who most recently starred as the bandleader on CBS’s The Late Late Show with James Corden. Using his formidable voice, looping pedals, and his vast imagination, Watts blends and blurs the lines between music and comedy, wowing audiences with performances that are 100% improvised. He was recently the DJ at the 2021 Emmy Awards, which saw a 15% ratings boost from 2020. Watts’ first Netflix special Spatial released to massive critical acclaim, with the New York Times calling it “a giddy rush of escapist nonsense” and dubbing Watts “the most influential absurdist in comedy today.” The A.V. Club described Spatial as “signature Watts, meaning it’s alternately exhilarating, silly, exhausting and transcendent,” and Exclaim! Magazine called his performance “engaging, absurd, thoughtful and, most importantly, wholly unpredictable.” As a solo performer, Watts brand of musical/comedy fusion has led to sold out headlining tours in the U.S. and Europe, including festivals such as Bonnaroo, SXSW, Bumbershoot, Just For Laughs, Pemberton and more. In 2020, Watts released his own content app called, WattsApp, a techno-savvy look into his life, work, and techno junk drawer. WattsApp has all original content including a show called, Droneversations where he interviews guests while it’s filmed by drones along with other fun content. In 2010, Watts released his debut comedy special, Why Shit So Crazy? on Comedy Central Records, and is now available to stream on Netflix. Why Shit So Crazy? featured Watts in live performances at New York venues such as Galapagos, The Bellhouse, and Le Poisson Rouge, bookended with brief sketches and music videos. Later that year, at the invitation of Jack White, Watts recorded Reggie Watts: Live at Third Man Records which was released in limited edition vinyl. In 2012, Watts recorded his second comedy special, Reggie Watts: A Live At Central Park, which was released by Comedy Central. TICKET LINK- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reggie-watts-tickets-1693066380119?aff=oddtdtcreator This performance will take place on the Reehl Stage (3rd Floor) This space is handicap accessable Doors open at 6:30/Show Time is 7:30

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States

The Second City-Laugh Harder Not Smarter

The world’s most influential name in comedy! The Second City presents Laugh Harder, Not Smarter! Laugh Harder, Not Smarter is a celebration of legendary American comedy, 65 years in the making. Featuring a hilarious array of classic sketch comedy and songs from the comp......More

The world’s most influential name in comedy! The Second City presents Laugh Harder, Not Smarter! Laugh Harder, Not Smarter is a celebration of legendary American comedy, 65 years in the making. Featuring a hilarious array of classic sketch comedy and songs from the company’s rich history, fresh new favorites, as well as the signature brand of irreverent improv that The Second City is famous for. This innovative and interactive performance, brought to life by the dynamic Second City Touring Company, is a celebration of the comedic genius that has graced our stages for six and a half decades. With alumni such as Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Keegan-Michael Key, The Second City has an unmatched track record of launching the careers of comedy superstars. About The Second City The Second City opened its doors in 1959 as a small comedy cabaret and has since grown to become the world’s most influential name in improvisation and comedy. Celebrating its 65th year in business on December 16th, 2024, The Second City’s stages, Touring Companies, and Training Centers across North America have proudly been the launch pad and artistic home for many of the funniest performers, writers, directors, and comedic minds on the planet. For more information, visit SecondCity.comOurillustrious alumni list includes names such as John Belushi, John Candy, Chris Farley, Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key, Eugene Levy, Tim Meadows, Bill Murray, Mike Myers, Suzy Nakamura, Catherine O’Hara, Amy Poehler, Gilda Radner, Sam Richardson, Joan Rivers, Amber Ruffin, JasonSudeikis Ticket Link- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-second-city-touring-company-presents-laugh-harder-not-smarter-tickets-1761419837149?aff=oddtdtcreator

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States

Take a Seat & Create a Legacy

Honor a loved one, contribute as an individual or family, or promote your business. Name a seat for a permanent place in Johnson Hall.LINK- https://www.eventbrite.com/e/take-a-seat-create-a-legacy-registration-1492353773309?aff=oddtdtcreator

Johnson Hall Opera House, 280 Water Street, Gardiner, ME, 04345, United States