The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House Announces 2025-2026 Season with the Off Stage Series

Facing several months of a dark stage due to the All Access Project construction, the Friends of the Vergennes Opera House (FVOH) decided to take the show on the road for most of their 2025-2026 season with the Vergennes Opera House "Off Stage" series.

The VOH Off Stage series is a schedule of Vergennes Opera House (VOH) sanctioned-procured-produced-promoted events taking place in surprising and wonderful spaces around Vergennes while the All Access Project construction is underway. During construction, the entire theater will be inaccessible, but this will allow for a new elevator tower to be built, creating an accessible entrance to the second-floor space along with a courtyard walkway to the new tower, and reconstruction of the stage and dressing room areas for accessibility as well. 

Artists will be performing at area restaurants, Bixby Library, Vergennes Grand Senior Living, and two churches. All of the events will be free (though donations to the VOH are greatly appreciated) with the exception of the very popular Broadway Direct show which will be held at the Vergennes Congregational Church. Tickets for Broadway Direct are available online.

The OFF STAGE series schedule is as follows:

Saturday, October 4, 6-8pm at Rockers Pizzeria – The Will Patton Quartet - Combine a jazz mandolinist with a symphony violinist who also plays bluegrass and swing; add a string bass player from the Chicago blues clubs, a lifelong guitarist, and a Brazilian percussionist; stir in a little rock & roll attitude. All in all, a great night of music! FREE

Saturday, October 18, 12noon at the Bixby Library – Tom Joyce Family Magician – Tom brings his unique blend of comedy and family fun to his magic shows. Tom was a resident magician for FAO Schwarz Toy Store in NYC and has been the Addison County Fair magician for 20 years. Bring the entire family for an afternoon of magical fun. FREE

Saturday, November 22, 2–6pm at Lulu Ice Cream and Rockers Pizzeria – Big Blue Trunk Balloon Fun – Mike Randall’s balloon twisting fun is something special for kiddos and adults alike. He’ll be twisting it up at Lulu first, then going next door to Rockers.

Sunday, November 23, 3pm at the Champlain Valley Christian Reformed Church – Thanksgiving Community Hymn Sing – Our 3rd annual celebration featuring the Champlain Brass Quartet and the Addison County Gospel Choir. An uplifting community event. Songbooks will be provided at the door. FREE

Friday, December 5, 7pm and Saturday, December 6, 3pm at the Vergennes Congregational Church – Broadway Direct 20th Anniversary Show – Broadway Veteran Bill Carmichael Walsh will once again be joined by friends directly from the Broadway stages. This show will also feature some amazing local talent. Two shows! Tickets ($20 adults/$10 Students) at VergennesOperaHouse.org

Saturday, January 10, 6-8pm at 10 Green Street Wine Bar – Duo Dulce Cello & Violin – The classic duet features John Dunlop on cello and Laura Markowitz on violin. Both are members of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra and play with the Eleva Chamber Players, the Opera Company of Middlebury and other unique ensembles. A beautiful night of music. FREE

Friday, January 23, 6-8pm at Rockers Pizzeria – The Hokum Brothers – Vermont’s premiere comedy band features Woody Keppel, Allan Nicholls, and Gus Ziesing. This is a playful band presenting a kitschy blend of ragtime, folksy tunes, vaudeville, and early jazz. FREE

Saturday, February 14, 2pm at Vergennes Grand Senior Living – Bill Walsh & Dan Levine – Two former Broadway veterans team up to perform popular loves songs and show tunes. FREE

Saturday, February 28, 6-8pm – Josh Clevenstine – This Adirondack folk musician is reminiscent of the great Johnny Cash, with his cross-picking guitar, deep voice, and honest lyrics. FREE

ON STAGE - The All Access Project is slated to be complete by March of 2026 and the FVOH have scheduled three events inside the theater to round out the 2025-2026 season

The schedule for events happening inside the Vergennes Opera House is as follows:

Saturday, March 28, 7:30pm – Gina Coleman & the Misty Blue Band Roadhouse Revival Gospel Blues Show – This is the PERFECT first show with the All Access Project completed. Misty Blues is an internationally recognized group recording and performing original contemporary blues music for the past quarter of a century. Over the past few years they curated their Roadhouse Revival Gospel Blues Review, which is a rousing non-secular celebration of tent revival classics. Tickets $20.

Saturday, April 18, 7:30pm – LC Jazz Free Community Concert – 17-piece orchestra with vocalists who warm up the hometown crowd in the dead of winter with great dancing music. Always a favorite and always a blast. FREE with donations at the door to benefit the band’s high school music scholarship fund.

Friday, May 1, 7:30pm – The Kruger Brothers – This group sold out quickly in 2024. A fixture in the world of acoustic music, the trio shares their unique ability to infuse classical music into folk music. Remarkable for their discipline, creativity, and their sincere (and often funny) stage presence, this will surely close out the 2025-2026 season with another sold out show. Get tickets early for this one! Tickets $40 advance/$50 door

The entire season is made possible by the generosity of the season and show sponsors. Our season sponsors are:  Vergennes Grand Senior Living, Mark & Julie Basol, Realtor® Sue Walsh, Berkshire Hathaway Vermont Realty Group, Vergennes Partnership, Geoff & Susan Nelson, ​​Ed & Beverly Biello, Vergennes Animal Hospital, Amanda Bodell & Jeffry Glassberg, Jackman Fuels, H.J. LeBoeuf & Sons Contractors & Builders, Mike & Maggie Catillaz, Ned & Lauren Pike, Philip & Roberta Puschel, Peter & Liz Markowski, Bob & Deb Hartenstein, The Schaefer Family, Connie & Bill Houston, Lizbeth & Timothy Ryan, Patricia Butler, Casella Waste Management, Otter Creek Awnings, and In Memory of Garry Simpson.