MiddleburyÂ's Town Hall Theater Announces NYE Events

There's no need to travel far on New Year's Eve, as Middlebury's Town Hall Theater offers two completely different events to ring in 2013.

For those who want a rockin' New Year's Eve, THT is bringing back The Horse Traders. "They played here last New Year's," says THT executive director Douglas Anderson," and they blew the roof off the place. The dance floor was packed all night." The group plays a wide mix of music, from classic rock to modern pop, soul and country. Local favorite Deb Brisson handles the vocals, backed by Rick Marshall, Jon Rooney, Pete Ryan, and John Wallace.

A special part of the evening comes at midnight, when a free champagne toast happens on the porch of theater, as the Great Bell of Middlebury rings in the New Year. Bar and snacks are available. Music begins at 8:00 pm, and the party continues until 1:00 am. Tickets are only $15.

For those who want an elegant New Year's Eve, THT is partnering once again with historic Middlebury Inn. "The idea is to do something very classy, very elegant," says Anderson. "The Inn is preparing a sumptuous dinner, and I'm pulling in the best talent I can find to present a very special show."

The evening begins at 6:30 with a reception in the lobby of the Inn. Dinner is served in the beautiful Founder's Room at 7:30. Over dessert, Douglas Anderson will present a specially created entertainment called Sad Songs: The Glittering Evolution of the Torch Song. "It's funny that many of the greatest songs ever written have been sad songs, like 'The Man That Got Away', 'Stormy Weather' and 'Am I Blue?'. Some of them are quite funny, like 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore'." Anderson has packaged these songs into a dazzling cabaret starring some of Vermont's best singers. Bill Bickford, who starred in The Music Man at THT, appears with his wife Mindy Bickford, who starred in The King & I. They're joined by Abigail Nessen, the big-voiced singer who has appeared in Night Fires and many other area shows, and tenor Karl Klein, who recently performed in The Mystery of Edwin Drood at the Skinner Barn in Waitesfield. "It's an all-star cast," says Anderson, "singing some of the greatest songs ever written. It will be the perfect New Year's Eve entertainment." Anderson himself will be at the piano.

The event at the Middlebury Inn will end around 10:00 pm, but everyone at the inn can walk across the street and get free admittance to the dance at Town Hall Theater, which will be in full swing. Tickets to the Middlebury Inn event are $80, plus tax. The ticket price includes the reception, the show, the meal, gratuities, and wine with dinner.

Tickets may be purchased at www.townhalltheater.org, 802 382-9222, at the THT Box Office (Mon-Sat, Noon-5 pm), or at the Middlebury Inn 802 388-4961.

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