Vergennes Opera House to Celebrate Grand Reopening with Concert in March 2026

Gina Coleman and the Misty Blues Band is returning to perform at the Vergennes Opera House on Saturday, March 28. This event is a celebration of the reopening of the little city's theater after its closure last year to accommodate the installation of a new elevator and other access improvements, aka the All Access Project.

Gina was first introduced to the Vergennes Opera House audience in 2021 when she appeared as a guest vocalist in the final performance of Bob Stannard and Those Dangerous Bluesmen. She was invited back in March of 2022 to perform the “Queens of the Blues” show with the Misty Blues Band. That show sold out completely. Gina and the band were invited back to perform in November of 2024 when they wowed the crowd with their original songs, another packed house! This time, Gina's fourth visit and the full band's third, the audience will be enjoying a very special presentation of their Roadhouse Revival Gospel Blues Review, a non-secular celebration of tent revival classics.  

“We knew we needed a group that would get us back into the groove after being closed for so many months due to the construction, and Gina and the Misty Blues Band were at the top of the list,” said Gerianne Smart, President of the Friends of the Vergennes Opera House, the all-volunteer group that manages the theater. “This will be an inspiring performance that will warm up the old bones of the historic theater and the hearts of everyone in attendance.”

Gina Coleman, lead singer of the Misty Blues Band, founded the group in 1999, which is based out of Berkshire County, MA. They are known for their exceptional original and traditional blues music and songs with hints of jazz, soul, funk and tent revival gospel. They have recorded with Eric Gales, Charles Neville and Joe Louis Walker, and opened for contemporary blues artists like Tab Benoit, James Montgomery, John Primer, Roomful of Blues, Albert Cummings and Michael Powers. They have performed extensively throughout New England and toured the continental U.S., Canada and recently completed a tour in the UK. The band recently earned an Independent Blues Music Award nomination for the best contemporary blues song. The band's original recordings have wide radio airplay in the U.S. and UK.

The band recently celebrated 25 years together by releasing their 15th album and followed it up with two more releases, all through Guitar One records. Two of the releases (Outside the Lines and Misty Blues) were up for Grammy nominations in seven categories.

The full band features Gina Coleman, lead vocalist, Bill Patriquin, bass and vocals, Rob Tatten, drums, trumpet and vocals, Aaron Dean on saxophone, and Seth Fleischmann, guitar and vocals.

Opening the special celebration event will be the Helen Hummel Trio, taking the stage at 7pm. Helen is a seasoned solo performer who played on the Opera House stage a few years ago when she opened for Dwight & Nicole. Today Helen Hummel brings new depth and emotion to her dynamic sound with the addition of Sturgis Cunningham on drums and Chris Whearty on bass. Originally from the Green Mountains of Vermont, Helen's songwriting reflects the rural landscape of her upbringing. She explores classic and original songs while filling out the limits of her vocal range and accompanying herself on bright and playful guitar. The trio is based in Western Massachusetts and performs throughout greater New England.