Culture
Comedy, Music And More Headed To Peoples Bank Theatre This Month
< < Back to comedy-music-and-more-headed-to-peoples-bank-theatre-this-monthThe historic Peoples Bank Theatre in downtown Marietta, Ohio, has a full calendar in store for September featuring musical entertainment, stand-up comedy and behind-the-scenes tours.
On Sept. 3 at 8 p.m., Peoples Bank Theatre welcomes tribute band Dark Side of the Moon for an evening of rock classics by Pink Floyd with a mesmerizing laser light show.
“The band’s performance can be described as nothing less than brilliant,” writes one reviewer for Examiner.com. “ All six members displayed true mastery of their instruments as they beautifully reproduced a myriad of Floyd classics including “Time,” “Learning to Fly,” “Wish You Were Here,” and “Another Brick in the Wall.”
On Sept. 9, as the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival weekend gets into full swing, Peoples Bank Theatre will host an open house. Those who stop by the theatre can enjoy free popcorn, a slideshow on the big screen showcasing the theatre’s restoration, discounted prices on Spotlight Series tickets, and concessions. The open house coincides with the Ohio History Connection’s “Ohio Open Doors” event, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act with tours and talks at historic sites and buildings across the state.
By mid-September, the theme changes to good laughs, as stand-up comedy icon Steven Wright steps into the spotlight on Sept. 16 at 8 p.m.
Know for his distinctly lethargic voice, deadpan delivery, and one-liners, Steven Wright is an iconic comedian, actor, and writer. He has appeared in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan, Canadian Bacon and Coffee and Cigarettes, and also lent his voice to the Quentin Tarantino-directed film Reservoir Dogs as the voice of DJ K-Billy. Wright has also been a regular guest with Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel among others, and continues to tour internationally.
The following Friday, Sept. 23, at 8 p.m., stand-up comedian Jessica Kirson takes a turn at the microphone.
Kirson’s appearances include Comedy Central’s South Beach, Montreal and HBO’s Las Vegas comedy festivals. She was awarded “Best Female Comic” by the MAC association in New York City and recently accepted the Nightlife Award for “Best Stand-up Comedian” in New York City. Her YouTube channel “The Jessy K Show” has more than 100 videos with a combined total of over 2.5 million views. In 2013, she launched her own podcast titled, “The Jessica Kirson Podcast.”
Jessica has been featured on various television shows, including, The Travel Channel, Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend” and “Fresh Faces,” Nickelodeon’s “Sixth in the Suburbs,” Noggin’s “LOL,” VH1’s “Awesomely Bad” Shows, Oxygen’s premier game show “Can You Tell?,” Bravo’s “The Great Things About Being,” The Women’s Television Network’s “She’s So Funny,” NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” Seasons 2 and 3, NBC’s “Last Call With Carson Daly,” Fox’s “The Dr. Oz Show,” appearances on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” appearances on ABC’s “The View,” Showtime’s “White Boyz in the Hood,” and NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice.” She also has a one hour special on the Logo Channel called “My Cookie’s Gone” and has appeared on “The Joy Behar Show” on CNN-HLN numerous times. She made her big screen debut in Nick Cannon’s “School Dance” and has also been heard on “The Howard Stern Show.”
On Saturday, Sept. 24 at 8 p.m., old friends reunite on stage for a special album release concert. Grammy-winning musician Tim O’Brien shares the spotlight with long-time friend and mentor J.D. Hutchison. O’Brien produced this new release from Hutchison, titled You and The World Outside.
The Hutchison-O’Brien friendship began in the early 1970s in Wheeling, just across the Ohio River from Belmont County, where Hutchison grew up and based his band at the time, the Hutchison Brothers. Hutchison’s father was a renowned old-time fiddle and guitar player in the Barnesville area.
O’Brien, a solo artist and leader of the award-winning and internationally renowned bluegrass band Hot Rize worked with Hutchison in April of this year to record the “legacy” album with Hutchison and his band, Realbilly Jive, at Peachfork Studios in Meigs County.
The album, and its release concert at Peoples Bank Theatre, brings together O’Brien and Hutchison, as well as a number of Athens area musicians who Realbilly Jive.
The month concludes with a behind-the-scenes tour of the nearly century-old theatre on Sept. 25. Conducted by Hidden Marietta Tour Company, participants will get to explore parts of the theatre seldom seen by the general public. The guided, one-hour tours will take place between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Space is limited, so reservations are required and may be made by calling 740-590-1987 or visiting hiddenmarietta.com.
Full event details and ticket information are available online at peoplesbanktheatre.com or by calling the box office at 304-371-5152. Walk-up hours at the box office are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday through Friday and two hours prior to most performances.
Located at 222 Putnam Street in historic downtown Marietta, Peoples Bank Theatre is managed by the nonprofit Hippodrome/Colony Historical Theatre Association.