MUSIC HALL

A history of the iconic Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, which is one of New England’s oldest theatrical venues.

Portsmouth-based historian Robinson (Mystery on the Isles of Shoals, 2019, etc.) captures the history of New Hampshire’s only port city by telling the story of its landmark theater, built in 1878. This sumptuously illustrated coffee-table volume also presents an often compelling history of early American entertainment in general, starting in 1630, when Portsmouth was called Strawbery Banke. The book continues through the Civil War era, detailing the entertainers, jugglers, and local notables who played prominent roles in the evolution of the historical Portsmouth theater scene. The book effectively uses a discussion of the first Music Hall show in January 1878 as a springboard to discuss the history of theater entertainment in the town and region and, by extension, in the United States as a whole. “Buffalo Bill” Cody, Gen. Tom Thumb, John Philip Sousa, Mark Twain, and many other major entertainment figures of the late 19th century make appearances in Robinson’s narrative. Later, “After four decades as a declining old movie house,” the author writes, “the Music Hall stage exploded with live action once more.” By the late 1980s, the hall began to feature popular musical entertainers, such as Dizzy Gillespie, the Persuasions, and Steppenwolf. The book’s focus eventually narrows to discuss the now-nonprofit Music Hall, which may be of primary interest to Portsmouth locals. The book is replete with color photographs and period illustrations; at one point, however, it confusingly presents a montage of photos of modern performers in the middle of a section on the late 19th century. Despite this anomaly, this book provides lots of intriguing material that will appeal to aficionados of American live entertainment.

An engaging overview of a classic New England town and its historic theater.