Merryall Center is an intimate theater and community center on a narrow back-country road in rural Litchfield County, Connecticut. Times sure have changed. Gov.
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When the Merryall Community Center was incorporated on Jan. 7, 1952, the corporate documents indicated it was to “establish a community center for social, educational and cultural exchange, and to sponsor such activities as will improve the educational, cultural and social life of Merryall.”
New Milford natives remember a private, club-like gathering place for Merryall residents, many of them wee
kenders. New Milford has grown from a sleepy rural community in 1952 to a central Litchfield County hub. The population has grown and the organization, now commonly known as the Merryall Center for the Arts, reaches out far beyond the Merryall district. But the mission remains the same. Originally, 10 inspired families purchased the building, and another 25 families joined in to clean-up, make over, and put the run-down structure to use as a simple but functional community center. By the time it opened, membership had risen to 80 families. In 1951, one purpose was to eliminate the barrier between week-end and full-time residents through gatherings to keep alive the community spirit. On July 5 and 6, 1952, the Center was dedicated with a ceremony theme of "hospitality and democratic living;” 16 U.N. delegates and families were guests for both days. Highlights of the ceremony, attended by 250 people, were a reading of the Declaration of Independence by actor and Merryall resident Fredric March and singing "The Star-Spangled Banner" by legendary contralto Marian Anderson. From 1953 to 1961, monthly events included garden tours, student programs, cook-outs, art exhibits, lectures, and panel discussions. The heating and plumbing systems were improved and lavatories, a terrace, and kitchen installed. In 1961, a stage was added. In the 1990s and early 2000s, additional building improvements were. Since 1962, programming and membership have changed. Membership is open, with programs offered from May through October. Today’s primary focus is on performing arts. In its history, the stage has hosted noted writers, politicians, scientists, dancers, and musicians, including Dr. Charles Atkins, Bill Baird, Adam Battelstein, Van Wyck Brooks, Joel Brown, Chris Brubeck, Stuart Chase, Norman Cousins, Malcolm Cowley, Bill Crofut, Skitch Henderson, Eartha Kitt, Gayle Martin-Henry, Margaret Mead, Greg Mertl, Nigel Mumford, Marlene Sanders, Rex Stout, William and Rose Styron, Dr. Warren Weaver, Peter Schickele (P.D.Q. Bach), Dr. William Sloane-Coffin, Isaac Stern, Liz Smith, Dr. Jeffrey Toobin, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, the Bershire Big Band and the Berkshire String Quartet. In 2008, it became apparent the summertime use of the building, winter occupancy by wild critters, and passage of time had taken a toll. Spurred by a $25,000 challenge grant from Bob Kostes, the Center raised $75,000. M. Jodi Rell, impressed by this effort, nominated the Center for a $150,000 grant, enabling a total rehabilitation of the building, which had achieved historic status through the efforts of Pat and Larry Greenspan.
Come see the art of Dorie Petrochko at Merryall Center!
"A Show of Feathers" will be on display at Merryall for the entire 2024 season. Come early to a show and enjoy Dorie's work, and consider taking a piece home with you.
All works are available for sale, with a portion of proceeds going to support the Merryall Center.
Lengendary Singer/Songwriter Cliff Eberhardt is coming to Merryall Center, Saturday, July 13th at 7:30 p.m. Tickets available online at www.merryallcenter.org
More from Nick Petrone at Merryall Center last night. What a beautiful night full of beautiful music and such heartfelt stories.
We loved hosting Nick Petrone tonight!
Merryall is SOLD OUT for Nick Petrone's Welcome to the Rainbow Room 🌈 tonight!
We love Pride Month!
🌈 Happy Pride Month from The Merryall Center! 🌟 As pioneers of inclusivity in the arts, we've always been a safe haven for LGBTQIA+ performers and patrons.
Join us this month as we honor our commitment to love, acceptance, and equality. Experience the brilliance of LGBTQIA+ talent at our annual Pride month celebration.
Visit Merryallcenter.org for details. Let's celebrate love in all its beautiful forms! 🏳️🌈
We are just one week away from our first show of the season!
Fresh off its 2022 and 2023 off-Broadway run, F*ck 7th Grade celebrates an adolescent romance and a brief rise to pop stardom. It's a q***r musical memoir about how we never really get out of middle school.
Conceived and performed by award-winning singer-songwriter Jill Sobule of “Supermodel” and the original “I Kissed a Girl” fame. Sobule's backup band, Antigone Rising (Julie Wolf, Kristen Ellis-Henderson & Nini Camps) join her for an encore performance at Merryall.
Tickets are selling out fast at https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/f-ck-7th-grade-featuring-jill-sobule-and-antigone-rising.
New Milford Pride
Kick Pride Month off right. Don't miss Jill Sobule & Antigone Rising. June 1 @ 7:30.
Come visit us today at the Kent Springfest! 🌼🌼 Win free tickets to a show on our prize wheel and enjoy a complimentary cocktail from Litchfield distillery! 🥃
Kick Pride Month off right. Don't miss Jill Sobule & Antigone Rising. June 1 @ 7:30.
ONE HOUR TO GO!
We have raised $2500 to keep the arts alive in Litchfield County. Can we reach $3000 before 7:00PM?!
Donate now at: https://www.givelocalccf.org/organizations/merryall-center-for-the-arts-51e9dae0-c2f0-499f-9c5b-e7e9cb450fd6.
Hey night 🦉’s!
It's not too late to make a gift to Merryall for our Give Local Day.
During Give Local, your money goes further thanks to matching gifts. For example, for all you late-nighters, if you make a donation close to midnight tonight, Merryall will gifted $500, no matter the size of individual donation!
So, if you are staying up tonight, please consider heading to https://www.givelocalccf.org/organizations/merryall-center-for-the-arts-51e9dae0-c2f0-499f-9c5b-e7e9cb450fd6 and making a late night donation so that we can ensure another 73 years of Merryall magic.
Merryall has been the place for extraordinary live music and theater for 73 seasons.
Help us ensure another 73 years of Merryall Magic by making a gift today during Give Local.
All donations made during this 36 hour event go even further thanks to matching gifts from the Connecticut Community Foundation.
We have already reached 10% of our goal, and we are just getting started.
Donate now at: https://www.givelocalccf.org/organizations/merryall-center-for-the-arts-51e9dae0-c2f0-499f-9c5b-e7e9cb450fd6
🎉 Give Local 2024 is Here! 🎭 Today is your chance to become a Champion of the Arts and support the Merryall Community Center For The Arts.
During this 36-hour event, every donation goes further with bonus dollars from the Connecticut Community Foundation. Your support helps us cover essential expenses like stage maintenance and landscaping, ensuring that Merryall can continue to offer extraordinary live music and theater for years to come.
👉 Head to www.givelocalccf.org to donate now and make a difference!
Join us in preserving Merryall's storied history and keeping the arts alive and thriving. Thank you for your generosity!
Support us on Give Local on April 24-25!
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We all have causes that are near and dear to our ❤️. Later this month, we have a special time to 🚿 them with our love and support. They all need a steady flow of 💵 to fulfill their missions - and we can do that April 24-25.
During Connecticut Community Foundation 's annual online giving campaign, Give Local Waterbury and Litchfield Hills, let's "show [them] the money!"
To learn more and see a list of Gaylordsville and New Milford nonprofits, visit https://www.newmilfordnow.org/stories?story=Giving-is-what-makes-these-nonprofits-run
New Milford Mayor - Pete Bass Pete Bass Jeff Kilberg Diane Eng Swanson Greater New Milford Chamber of Commerce
Come see the popular Off-Broadway Musical, 'F*ck 7th Grade, performed by Jill Sobule with Antigone Rising as her backup band, at Merryall Center on June 1st as our 2024 season debut!
'F*ck 7th Grade celebrates an adolescent romance, a brief rise to pop stardom, a q***r musical memoir (about how we’ll never get out of middle school) and was conceived by award-winning singer-songwriter Jill Sobule – whose 1990’s hits include “Supermodel” and the original “I Kissed a Girl.
Fresh off its 2022 and 2023 off-Broadway run, F*ck 7th Grade celebrates an adolescent romance and a brief rise to pop stardom. It's a q***r musical memoir about how we never really get out of middle school. Conceived and performed by award-winning sin...
No joke, folks!
We're thrilled to announce that tickets for the spectacular 2024 season at Merryall Center are officially ON SALE NOW!
Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of captivating performances, unforgettable experiences, and endless moments of joy!
Secure your seats now at merryallcenter.org.
The place for off-the-beaten-path entertainment A Bit About Merryall The Merryall Center is an intimate performance venue and community center located on a beautiful, narrow back-country road in rural Litchfield County, Connecticut.
Thank you to The Merryall Center for tabling. They had such a wonderful line up of artists for Pride month! Their website states, "The Merryall Center is an intimate performance venue and community center located on a beautiful, narrow back-country road in rural Litchfield County, Connecticut."
New Milford Pride presents Picnic for Pride 2023!
Photo by: LindseyVictoriaPhotography
https://www.facebook.com/LindseyVictoriaPhotography
Get your tickets today for this thought-provoking documentary.
www.merryallcenter.org
SATURDAY, OCT 7 @ 7 - Proceeds benefit New Milford's Animal Welfare Society.
THE DOG DOC poses a serious question about whether we are over medicating our pets, our children, and ourselves, while offering an immersive view into a seldom seen world to paint a complete picture of the dedication and rewards of being a veterinarian.
A founding father of integrative veterinary medicine, Dr. Marty Goldstein and his colleagues in South Salem, NY have created a mecca for holistic care, offering hope to scores of previously hopeless animals (and their owners). Combining conventional medical training with cutting edge alternative therapies, Dr. Marty’s deeply empathetic philosophy offers a vital example of how improving overall health rather than merely treating disease is transformative for all living things.
As Goldstein and his staff interact with animals, the stakes are high and it is often touch and go as we watch the owners, some who have traveled great distances, struggle with the reality of whether or not their pets will live to see another day.
Join filmmaker/director Cindy Meehl and integrative veterinary medicine practitioner, Dr. Jenna, for a post-film talkback. (Film Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes)
Tickets are available at merryallcenter.org.
This event is a benefit for the Animal Welfare Society of New Milford.
Frank Brocklehurst Gypsy Jazz Quartet and Kenneth Meyer, Solo Classical Guitar Concert. Two recent amazing events at Merryall Center.
8 Chapel Hill Rd
New Milford, CT
06776
| Friday | 7:30pm - 9pm |
| Saturday | 7:30pm - 9pm |
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We loved hosting Nick Petrone tonight!
Merryall is SOLD OUT for Nick Petrone's Welcome to the Rainbow Room 🌈 tonight! We love Pride Month! #Pride #LoveisLove
We are just one week away from our first show of the season! Fresh off its 2022 and 2023 off-Broadway run, F*ck 7th Grade celebrates an adolescent romance and a brief rise to pop stardom. It's a queer musical memoir about how we never really get out of middle school. Conceived and performed by award-winning singer-songwriter Jill Sobule of “Supermodel” and the original “I Kissed a Girl” fame. Sobule's backup band, Antigone Rising (Julie Wolf, Kristen Ellis-Henderson & Nini Camps) join her for an encore performance at Merryall. Tickets are selling out fast at https://www.merryallcenter.org/event-details/f-ck-7th-grade-featuring-jill-sobule-and-antigone-rising.
Merryall has been the place for extraordinary live music and theater for 73 seasons. Help us ensure another 73 years of Merryall Magic by making a gift today during Give Local. All donations made during this 36 hour event go even further thanks to matching gifts from the Connecticut Community Foundation. We have already reached 10% of our goal, and we are just getting started. Donate now at: https://www.givelocalccf.org/organizations/merryall-center-for-the-arts-51e9dae0-c2f0-499f-9c5b-e7e9cb450fd6
🎉 Give Local 2024 is Here! 🎭 Today is your chance to become a Champion of the Arts and support the Merryall Community Center For The Arts. During this 36-hour event, every donation goes further with bonus dollars from the Connecticut Community Foundation. Your support helps us cover essential expenses like stage maintenance and landscaping, ensuring that Merryall can continue to offer extraordinary live music and theater for years to come. 👉 Head to www.givelocalccf.org to donate now and make a difference! Join us in preserving Merryall's storied history and keeping the arts alive and thriving. Thank you for your generosity! #GiveLocal2024 #ChampionOfTheArts #SupportMerryall
THE DOG DOC poses a serious question about whether we are over medicating our pets, our children, and ourselves, while offering an immersive view into a seldom seen world to paint a complete picture of the dedication and rewards of being a veterinarian. A founding father of integrative veterinary medicine, Dr. Marty Goldstein and his colleagues in South Salem, NY have created a mecca for holistic care, offering hope to scores of previously hopeless animals (and their owners). Combining conventional medical training with cutting edge alternative therapies, Dr. Marty’s deeply empathetic philosophy offers a vital example of how improving overall health rather than merely treating disease is transformative for all living things. As Goldstein and his staff interact with animals, the stakes are high and it is often touch and go as we watch the owners, some who have traveled great distances, struggle with the reality of whether or not their pets will live to see another day. Join filmmaker/director Cindy Meehl and integrative veterinary medicine practitioner, Dr. Jenna, for a post-film talkback. (Film Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes) Tickets are available at merryallcenter.org. This event is a benefit for the Animal Welfare Society of New Milford.
The grand finale of our Fall Gala featuring Caravan of Thieves! It isn't too late to join in the fun at Merryall- we have 3 more shows left this season! Learn more at Merryallcenter.org!
We loved having Caravan of Thieves preform at our annual Gala last week! They brought an incredible energy to the venue that had everyone up and dancing for the entire night!
Join us on Sunday, September 17th, for Brunch on the deck at Merryall, followed by a Frank Brocklehurst Jazz Quartet performance! From Gypsy Jazz to the Beatles and everything else in between. This quartet of talented musicians is sure to please just about everyone that hears their unique sound. As leader and bass player, Frank Brocklehurst provides the foundation for the other musicians to weave their musical tapestry. Featuring Luke Hendon and Ben Wood on guitar. Ben Dean on violin and special guest Ysanne Marshall will be joining us on vocal. Tickets are available at merryallcenter.org #music #kentctchamber #newmilfordct #merryallcenter #fallfun #newmilfordchamber #songwriter #happeninginthehills #localmusic #litchfieldmagazine #yankeemagazine #newmilford #litchfieldcounty #kentct #localarts #supporthearts
Ellis Paul's 30th Anniversary Tour is Coming to Merryall Center on Saturday, August 19! Though some may refer to him as a folk singer, he is more, for lack of a better word, a singular storyteller, a musician whose words reach out from inside and yet also express the feelings, thoughts, and sensibilities that most people can relate to in one way or another, regardless of age or upbringing. “Despite his success and sense of history, Mr. Paul remains an artist with his eye on the future and an interest in discovering the transformative potential in his music.” - The New York Times. Tickets are available at merryallcenter.org.
David Roth is coming to Merryall Center this Saturday! As a singer, songwriter, recording artist, keynote speaker, workshop leader, and instructor, David has earned top honors at premier songwriter competitions – Kerrville (TX) and Falcon Ridge (NY) – and taken his music, experience, and expertise to a wide variety of venues in this and other countries full-time for three decades. You don't want to miss this! #localmusic #localartist #localart #music #songwriter #litchfieldcounty #litchfieldmagazine #happeninginthehills #KentChamber #newmilfordchamberofcommerce #newmilfordct #kentct
Kerrville New Folk winner John John Brown brings giant comics, iconic photographs, and moving panoramas to Merryall Center on July 8th! Titled Songs, Stories, & Art- Lessons from Strangers, this original project weaves together storytelling songs and the visual arts in a live performance. Throughout the concert, Brown takes the listener inside the lives of 14 unique characters while strumming his guitar and singing beside a projected graphic story. Unfolding is an imaginative and colorful world revealing the idea that all people, strangers alike, have a story we can learn from. Tickets are available at Merryallcenter.org. #newmilfordchamberofcommerce #Newmilford #summerfun #localart #kentchamber #yankeemagazine #newmilfordct #newmilford #happeninginthehills #localmusic #kentct #summermusic #litchfieldmagazine #supporthearts #KentChamber
Fresh off an extended off-Broadway run, Sugar Daddy was hailed as “the best new show in New York...” (The Daily Beast). Sugar Daddy comes to Merryall on June 10th! Tickets are available at merryallcenter.org
Namoli Brennet, dubbed the best folk-rock artist in the U.S. by Tucson Weekly, is coming to Merryall on Saturday, June 3rd! Tickets are available at merryallcenter.org. #localmusic #localart #pride #pride2023 #transpride #supporthearts #litchfieldmagazine #happeninginthehills #KentChamber #kentct #newmilfordchamber #newmilfordct #summerfun #summermusic #lgbtqia
Short excerpt from the one-man show "Temples of Lung and Air", written and performed by Kane Smego. See the whole show this weekend at Merryall Center. Tickets are available at Merryallcenter.org
This year, for Merryall's GiveLocal campaign, we are raising money to purchase a new laptop for use in our productions. Please donate today to help support the arts in Northwest Connecticut. https://www.givelocalccf.org/organizations/merryall-center-for-the-arts-51e9dae0-c2f0-499f-9c5b-e7e9cb450fd6
Sunday, August 14. Jazz Brunch @ Merryall 11-1 Brunch on the Deck 1-3 pm Frank Brocklehurst Gypsy Jazz Quartet Tickets still available online, but hurry www.merryallcenter.org
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! Ali Ryerson!! Coming to Merryall!!! Doesn't Get Much Better Come experience the Ali Ryerson Jazz Quartet, July 16, 2022, 8 P.M. And check out Merryall's other amazing events, still to come. www.merryallcenter.org
Not to late to get tickets. Bring food and drink and enjoy our spectacular deck opening at 7:30. Tickets at https://www.merryallcenter.org/full-event-calendar/
John Denver Singalong starts at 8:05
