LEBANON — Almost every year since 1975, the performers and musicians in Upper Valley theater company Revels North have gathered together to cast off the winter darkness and welcome in the light with a celebration of music from around the world.
That tradition is now drawing to a close as performers prepare to take their final bow this weekend at Lebanon Opera House.
One of nine chapters across the country, Revels North has faced financial strain since 2020, when COVID-19 restrictions forced the organization’s leaders to cancel programming. On top of that, renovations to Lebanon Opera House in 2023 meant that the company wasn’t able to use the venue for their midwinter production, which caused ticket sales to plummet.
“Not being able to have a consistent show for the last five years has been very difficult,” Julia Hautaniemi, Revels North’s executive director, said.
Grant funding also is not as robust as it once was due to cuts at the federal level, and Revels has struggled to drum up the money needed to fund its programming.
While the company seemed to be making a comeback after launching new education programming earlier this year, it wasn’t enough to alleviate its financial troubles.
But “the idea of fizzling out was not something that I feel like would have been very Revels,” Artistic Director Alex Cumming said.
Instead, Revels will go out with a bang this weekend with its midwinter production of “A Scottish Celebration of the Winter Solstice.”
Shows with a Celtic theme have been among Revels’ most popular productions over the years, and “we wanted something that we knew would sell well, being our final production,” Hautaniemi said.
The team also wanted a show that would reflect the Twin States’ strong Celtic music scene, Cumming said.
Revels’ leadership appears to have chosen well as tickets to the three-show run are just about gone.
JENNIFER HAUCK / Valley News
“A Scottish Celebration,” a revised version of Revels’ midwinter show from 2015, revolves around a community of islanders who get together to celebrate the winter solstice and soon become engrossed in a tale about a daring heroine who sets out to rescue her beloved, a magical figure from Scottish folklore named Tam Lin, from the clutches of a fairy queen.
Community (and audience) participation has always been at the heart of Revels’ programming, and it’s not uncommon for an entire family to take part in a production.
“They treat the children as a very important part of the cast,” Rich Brown, of Lyme, said. He and his wife, Lin Brown, started acting with their kids in Revels shows back in 1993.
Performing with Revels gave them an opportunity to meet other families in the area and expand their social circle.
“It was a community that I had no idea existed, and I’m very glad that I got into it,” Rich Brown said.
Today, the couple’s kids have families of their own, and they’re returning to the Upper Valley this weekend to watch their parents perform in Revels’ final show.
Rich Brown is disappointed that Revels is coming to an end, though he noted that there’s far more theater programming to experience in the Upper Valley now than when he and his family started performing with the company in the ’90s.
People today have “more things to think about and things to occupy their time,” he said. “And then, you know, the internet is there.”
Still, the Browns doubt they’ll try their hand at acting with another troupe.
“We wouldn’t pass the audition,” Lin Brown joked.
For dancer Sharon Gouveia Comeau, performing in Revels was an opportunity to spend time with her kids while pursuing the work she loved.
“It’s an incredible way to express creativity and enjoy each other,” said Comeau, who was involved with Revels on and off for about 15 years starting around 2003.
Even though Revels North’s time is coming to an end, Cumming pointed out that the Upper Valley’s traditional music scene has grown immensely since the company’s early days, citing programming at the Upper Valley Music Center as one example.
“That spirit of Revels and that community is going to continue in a new, different way…which fills me so full of joy and hope,” they said.
Revels North’s production of “Midwinter Revels: A Scottish Celebration of the Winter Solstice” is up at Lebanon Opera House at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20 and 11 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21. For tickets ($18-$56.50) and to learn more, go to lebanonoperahouse.org or call 603-448-0400.
Solstice walk
A spiral garden walk is scheduled for 3:45 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21 in Chelsea’s South Commons, near the town’s courthouse, to celebrate the solstice. Visitors are invited to sing winter songs and walk a spiral of evergreen branches. Lights will be provided for participants to place along the spiral path. Contact Eve Desjardins at eveofthegardens@gmail.com or 802-685-1065 to learn more.
Celtic songs
Braintree, Vt. fiddler Beth Telford and Barnard guitarist Justin Park will perform a selection of traditional Celtic music from Cape Breton Island, Canada, alongside some holiday classics at 2 p.m. this Sunday at Chandler Center for the Arts in Randolph. For tickets (sliding scale $15-$30; $10 for students; free for kids 12 and under) and more information, go to chandler-arts.org or call 802-728-9878.
Conniptions
Upper Valley rock band the Conniption Fits is slated to perform at Sawtooth Kitchen, Bar and Stage at 9 p.m. on Friday in Hanover. To purchase tickets ($10 in advance; $12 at the door) and learn more, go to sawtoothkitchen.com.
The band will play a second show at the Public House’s Ugly Sweater Holiday Party at 9 p.m. on Saturday in Quechee. For tickets ($12.51) and more information, visit the restaurant’s Facebook page: facebook.com/Publichousevt.