The Marion Art Center is pleased to present a full roster of musical talent this autumn. Tickets for all events are available at marionartcenter.org/events. The MAC is located at 80 Pleasant Street, Marion.
Don’t miss Jazz Jam @ the MAC on Friday, August 30 starting at 7:00 pm in the MAC’s Anne Braitmayer Webb Theater. Be part of the long tradition of the jazz jam session complete with participation from community musicians. Our house band – Matt Richard on piano, Dave Zinno on bass, and Gary Johnson on drums – will support the improvisers as they interpret many “jazz standards” in various style formats. Learn about the inner workings of a jam session as trombonist Phil Sanborn leads a question-and-answer session and explains how the songs are structured and how the “road map” for each selection helps the improvisers. The cost to attend is $20 for MAC Members, $25 Nonmembers and free for participating musicians (donations gladly accepted).
Our popular Unplugged in the MAC Gallery series continues on Friday, September 13 with house regular pianist Matt Richard and the exceptional trombone skills of Dr. Michael Rocha. Our informal series invites you to sit back, relax and ease into the weekend. With limited seating, early registration is strongly recommended. Tickets are just $12 for MAC members and $15 for nonmembers. There will be two separate performances during the night (7:00 pm and 8:15 pm), and each set will last about 45 minutes. Find a spot at a cabaret table to listen to a mix of jazz standards and original compositions by both artists. Guests will enjoy a refreshing setting at this “unplugged” performance featuring mainly acoustic sound, without the volume and density often experienced during larger concerts in the MAC Theater.
For our fall Unplugged series and selected events, we’ve partnered with Savor the Spread, a local business specializing in custom charcuterie boxes. Our patrons can add on a personal charcuterie box which will be delivered to them at the performance. Boxes contain crackers, cheese, fruit, nuts, and cured meats. We offer the following options: 1-person appetizer box: $16, 2-person appetizer box: $23, 4-person box: $40. Add-on boxes can be selected with event tickets at marionartcenter.org/events.
Merrick Brannigan returns to the MAC Theater stage on Friday, September 20 at 7:30 pm for his first ever EP release concert, featuring guest musician Putnam Murdock. Brannigan is a 16-year-old singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Over the past year, he recorded original music at Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn, NY, and released his debut singles “The Reason” and “The Breeze” in 2024. In addition, he often performs with his longtime friend Cole Corper on Nantucket Island and in New York City. They have played together for nearly three years with undeniable chemistry, adopting an indie-folk style and writing many songs as a duo. A special ticket price of just $10 is available for students 18 and under, while MAC member tickets are $20 and nonmember tickets are $25. View more at marionartcenter.org/events.
Another Unplugged event is scheduled Friday, November 15 with Donn Legg and Marcus Monteiro. Tickets are just $12 for MAC members and $15 for nonmembers (marionartcenter.org/events).
Legge is a busy performer on the South Coast of Massachusetts. He can be seen playing with Blues Train, South Coast Jazz Orchestra, Patrice Tiedmann’s Seaglass Theater, Dori Rubbicco, NB Rude Boys, and Kareem Sanjaghi on Cape Cod. Donn was featured in a duo with jazz pianist Matt Richard at the first Unplugged at the MAC in April of 2023.
Praised as being a “force to be reckoned with” by Shaquille O’Neal, saxophonist Marcus Monteiro continues to impress his audience with intensity, interpretation, and consummate improvisational skills. In recent years, Marcus has shared the stage with The O’Jays, The Rebirth Brass Band, George Clinton, Tavares, and Cirque du Soleil among many others. Marcus has also traveled throughout the world performing in festivals in Cape Verde, Guatemala, Panama, Indonesia, Canada, and countless others throughout the United States.
Stay tuned for more Music at the MAC, including Putnam Murdock and Friends on Saturday, November 2, plus the presentation of a silent film, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, scored and performed by musician Jeff Angeley (cello, accordion, guitar, and mandolin) and emerging musician Leon Stanley (violin) of Marion, on Saturday, November 16. View all events at marionartcenter.org/events.