Vermont arts calendar stacks holiday musicals and farewell tours
Burlington, Rutland, and Stowe host a dense week of performances and exhibits, ranging from a Will Ferrell-inspired musical to a spoken-word tour by a Rock Hall inductee.
By Rosa Wojcik ·
Lyric Theatre opens its holiday season in Burlington with a staged adaptation of the 2003 Will Ferrell film "Elf." The production runs from Thursday, November 12, through Sunday, November 15, at the Flynn Main Stage. The musical follows Buddy, a human raised as an elf, as he travels to New York City to locate his father. The show marks the start of the winter performance schedule for the company.
In Rutland, Judy Collins performs her final concert series on Saturday, November 14, at the Paramount Theatre. The Grammy Award winner, a central figure in the 1960s folk revival, presents her "Sweet Judy Blue Eyes Farewell Tour." She will be backed by the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. The event serves as her closing performance in the state before she steps away from live touring.
Middlebury College hosts Ukrainian singer-songwriter Maryna Krut on Friday, November 13, at the Mahaney Arts Center. Krut, a finalist in the Eurovision Song Contest, performs traditional music on the bandura, a 64-stringed instrument. She gained international recognition for playing for soldiers on the front lines after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Burlington’s Fletcher Free Library holds its fifth-annual Non-Fiction Comics Festival on Saturday, November 14. The event features panel discussions and workshops focused on graphic narratives in history and health care. British cartoonist Gemma Correll participates in the lineup, which emphasizes the artistic value of non-fiction comics.
The Voices of Ireland, a trio consisting of Ger O Donnell, Trevor Sexton, and Don Stiffe, perform at the Barre Opera House on Saturday, November 14. The group plays traditional Celtic songs and original tunes. They are known for their harmonies and instrumental skills.
Stewart Copeland, a cofounder of the band the Police, presents his spoken-word tour "Have I Said Too Much?" at Spruce Peak Arts in Stowe on Sunday, November 15. Copeland, who is ranked in the top 10 of Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Drummers of All Time, shares behind-the-scenes stories and photos from his career.
A solo exhibit by Nathan Catlin is currently on view at the Extra Special With Cheese gallery in Burlington. Titled "Fever Dream," the collection uses paint and stained glass to depict human connection. Catlin, a New York City artist and educator, focuses on intimate moments of physical closeness in the work.
