THE 1932 CRITERION THEATRE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HARPER HOUSE MUSIC FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES “NATALIE MERCHANT: FROM COMMUNITY TO CONCERT” TWO VERY SPECIAL EVENTS SET FOR SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11 AT CRITERION
A CELEBRATION OF MUSIC AND IMAGINATION TO FEATURE: FREE COMMUNITY SCREENING OF MERCHANT’S ORIGINAL FILM, CABINET OF WONDER; AND INTIMATE LIVE BENEFIT CONCERT PERFORMANCE SUPPORTING MERCHANT’S INN
BAR HARBOR — The 1932 Criterion Theatre, in partnership with Harper House Music Foundation, is proud to announce “Natalie Merchant: From Community to Concert,” a full day of events set for Sunday, October 11 at Bar Harbor, ME’s historic Criterion Theatre on Mount Desert Island. A celebration of music, imagination, and community, the program will feature a free community screening of Merchant’s original multimedia project, Cabinet of Wonder; and an intimate live benefit concert performance by Merchant supporting the ongoing work of her innovative public arts project, Cabinet of Wonder, as well as helping to sustain the preservation and programming of the 1932 Criterion Theatre, one of Maine’s most treasured cultural landmarks.
For ticket information or to RSVP for the free community screening, please visit criteriontheatre.org. In addition, a limited number of exclusive sponsorship opportunities are available; for sponsorship opportunities, please contact Criterion Theatre Executive Director Courtney Sale at courtney@criteriontheatre.org.
“We are honored to celebrate multiple generations through the extraordinary artistry of Natalie Merchant. Her work reflects the creativity and sense of wonder that meaningful arts experiences can spark in all of us,” says Criterion Theatre Consulting Director Allison Sullens.
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“NATALIE MERCHANT: FROM COMMUNITY TO CONCERT” SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11
Cabinet of Wonder Free Screening Party | 10:30 am
“Natalie Merchant: From Community to Concert” includes a free community celebration with breakfast snacks and a special film screening of Cabinet of Wonder, an innovative multimedia production that sees Merchant playing a dual role: a modern-day librarian-teacher figure named Miss Natalie with a passion for nursery rhymes, and an 18th-century fashioned Mother Goose who introduces the children, through song and dance, to the characters in her rhymes. The Cabinet of Wonder Screening Party is free and open to the public thanks to the generous support of Harper House Music Foundation (HHMF). This is a ticketed event. RSVPs are required.
SUNDAY OCTOBER 11
An Evening with NATALIE MERCHANT
A Special Acoustic Performance with Guitarist Erik Della Penna
A Benefit Concert for Cabinet of Wonder and the 1932 Criterion Theatre
Donor Reception – 5:30 pm | Concert Performance – 7:00 pm
Natalie Merchant will take the historic Criterion stage for a rare and intimate live performance benefiting two non-profit organizations dedicated to expanding access to the arts and nurturing creativity in communities of all ages. A range of giving levels is available, with extras including premium balcony seats, an exclusive post-show meet-and-greet with Natalie Merchant, and in-concert hospitality.. For complete details, please contact Criterion Theatre Executive Director Courtney Sale at courtney@criteriontheatre.org.
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ABOUT NATALIE MERCHANT:
Over her four-decade career, Natalie Merchant has earned a place among America’s most respected artists, with a reputation as both a songwriter of quality and a captivating stage performer. Merchant has also distinguished herself as a social justice and environmental activist through her work with a wide variety of non-profit organizations, performing countless benefit concerts and creating documentary films and large-scale community arts projects.
Merchant began her musical career as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the band 10,000 Maniacs and released two RIAA Platinum and four Gold records with the group: The Wishing Chair (1985), In My Tribe (1987), Blind Man’s Zoo (1989), Hope Chest (1990) Our Time in Eden & 10,000 Maniacs MTV Unplugged (1993). Merchant left 10,000 Maniacs in 1994 and has subsequently released 10 albums as a solo artist with combined sales of more than 7M copies: Tigerlily (1995), Ophelia (1998), Natalie Merchant Live (1999), Motherland (2001), The House Carpenter’s Daughter (2004), Leave Your Sleep (2010), Natalie Merchant (2014), Paradise is There (2015), Butterfly (2017), and Keep Your Courage (2023)
Merchant has collaborated, both on stage and in the studio, with an impressive array of artists including Philip Glass, Wynton Marsalis, David Byrne, The Chieftains, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Mavis Staples, REM, Daniel Lanois, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Tracy Chapman, Kronos Quartet, Lokua Kanza, The Klezmatics, Lúnasa, Yungchen Lhamo, Chris Botti, Dan Zanes, Billy Bragg and Wilco, to name only a few.
In 2007, Merchant was appointed to a five-year term on the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). In 2013, she spearheaded an effort to stop the advance of hydraulic fracturing in New York State with a concert film, Dear Governor Cuomo. Again, in 2013, she used the same concert-film format to address domestic violence with Shelter. Merchant spent 2017-2019 as Artist-in-Residence with the Head Start Program in Troy, NY, creating a multi-disciplinary arts curriculum for preschoolers called The Mother Goose Project. In November 2022, Senator Chuck Schumer on New York appointed Merchant to a six-year term on the board of trustees of The American Folklife Center at The Library of Congress.
Merchant’s awards for artistic excellence and philanthropic work include The Library Lion Award from the New York Public Library (2011), The American Society of Authors, Composers & Publishers (ASCAP) Champion Award, and The John Lennon Real Love Award.
ABOUT CABINET OF WONDER:
Created by singer/songwriter and performer Natalie Merchant with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Children’s Theatre, along with Manual Cinema, a collective of artists, and a team of early childhood educators, Cabinet of Wonder is a free online curriculum, with resources and teaching guides, for early childhood educators nationwide. With a collection of professionally produced musical recordings and inventive videos, this multimedia public arts experience reimagines Mother Goose and her famous canon of rhymes for a new generation. Cabinet of Wonder is designed especially for young children ages 3-6 and is available online, free of charge. For more information, please visit cabinetofwonder.org.
ABOUT THE 1932 CRITERION THEATRE:
The 1932 Criterion Theatre brings the Mount Desert Island community together through distinctive performances. The Criterion champions creativity while preserving its historic venue for the enjoyment and cultural enrichment of generations to come. As the leading arts organization of Mount Desert Island, Criterion aims to enhance the quality of life in Downeast Maine by creating space for connection, shared experiences, and joy. The738-seat Art Deco performing arts venue is one of only two remaining Art Deco theatres in the state and the only one to retain its original auditorium, including its iconic floating balcony. In 2025, through the support of Harper House Music Foundation,the Criterion reopened with a renewed vision to present nationally acclaimed musicians while strengthening the region’s cultural landscape. For more, please visit www.criteriontheatre.org.
ABOUT HARPER HOUSE MUSIC FOUNDATION (HHMF):
Harper House Music Foundation seeks to be an agent of change by facilitating efforts that help artists share their work, lead stable and healthy lives, and preserve their unique legacies. As a public charity, it is centered around grantmaking to organizations serving musicians and investments that address infrastructure and funding gaps, and is dedicated to supporting a diverse music landscape. HHMF has collaborated with and contributed to vital music nonprofits such as the Bob Dylan and Woody Guthrie Centers, Americana Music Foundation, Backline, Neal Casal Music Foundation, and Newport Festivals Foundation, while also working with notable artists including Natalie Merchant, T-Bone Burnett, Rosanne Cash, and Rhiannon Giddens. For more, please visit www.harperhousemusicfoundation.org.
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CONNECT WITH NATALIE MERCHANT
NATALIEMERCHANT.COM | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
CONNECT WITH THE 1932 CRITERION THEATRE
CRITERIONTHEATRE.ORG | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE
CONNECT WITH HARPER HOUSE MUSIC FOUNDATION
HARPERHOUSEMUSICFOUNDATION.ORG |FACEBOOK |INSTAGRAM