Theaters and Live Music Venues of the Merrimack Valley

The Merrimack Valley holds New Hampshire's three largest cities, Manchester, Nashua and Concord, and with them a wide choice of stages. On any given weekend you can choose between a touring concert in a brand-new hall, a musical in a theater that opened in 1914, an independent film in a downtown basement cinema, or a new play from a company that exists to give first-timers a chance. This guide covers theater in Manchester NH and the surrounding valley, with the venues and companies from our directory.

None of these venues sponsors or endorses this site. Schedules change constantly, so use each venue's own website for current shows and tickets, and buy from the venue directly where you can.

Manchester: the Palace Theatre and its sister stages

The Palace Theatre is the anchor of the performing arts in New Hampshire's largest city. It stands on Hanover Street in downtown Manchester, was built in 1914, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Athens Building.

Today the Palace is the flagship of a small family of venues. The organization's website lists the Palace Theatre itself, the Rex Theatre, Forever Emma Studios, the Spotlight Room and the Singer Center for the Arts. Programming covers theater, concerts and community events, and the organization runs the Palace Youth Theatre with camps, auditions and an academy for young performers.

A practical note from the Palace itself: it warns that third-party sites often resell Palace and Rex tickets at inflated prices, and it recommends buying through its own website, at the box office or by phone. That advice applies to most venues in this guide.

Making a night of it in Manchester:

• Pair a show with dinner downtown. The Palace's own site has an eat-and-stay page with suggestions.
• Arrive early enough to park, find your seats and settle in before curtain.
• Look at the Palace's other stages too. A smaller room like the Rex Theatre or the Spotlight Room can make for a more intimate evening than the main house.

Nashua: a new hall on Main Street

The Nashua Center for the Arts is the newest major venue in the region. According to its history page, planning began in 2015, and in December 2018 the Nashua Board of Aldermen approved a $15.5 million bond for the project. Nashua Community Arts, a nonprofit formed in 2018, led fundraising with a goal of $4 million. Construction began on April 6, 2021, with the demolition of the former Alec's Shoes building at 201 Main Street, and the venue's name came with an anonymous $1 million gift from a local family.

The design was meant to fit its block. The center says the gray exterior echoes the limestone of its neighbors, and the windows are meant to let people on the street see activity inside. The result is a modern hall in the middle of downtown Nashua, a city of 91,322 at the 2020 census.

The center describes itself as a state-of-the-art live entertainment venue in downtown Nashua. Because the hall sits on Main Street itself, a show is easy to combine with dinner or a walk through downtown before or after the performance. Check its listings for what is on.

Concord: independent film and a nomadic stage

Concord is the state capital and, with 43,976 residents in 2020, the third most populous city in New Hampshire. It has two very different options for a night out.

Red River Theatres is a nonprofit, independent, three-screen cinema on South Main Street, in the lower level of the Capital Commons building. It opened in October 2007 after a seven-year community effort and a $1.8 million capital campaign, bringing a movie theater back to Main Street after the Concord Theater, which showed films there from 1933 until 1994, closed. Red River describes itself as the region's only nonprofit independent cinema. It shows new releases, classics and cult favorites, hosts film festivals and panel discussions, sells locally sourced goods at the concession stand, and shows local artists in its community gallery.

Hatbox Theatre is an intimate performance company whose stated mission is to develop unique, intimate experiences for audiences and artists. Its website says it is searching for a new home and has gone nomadic, staging productions in different spaces, including the Carriage House at the Kimball Jenkins Estate on North Main Street. Check the website for where each production is playing.

Concord also has the Capitol Center for the Arts, a 1,304-seat theater with an Egyptian motif that opened in its current form in 1995 after renovation of the 1927 Capitol Theatre. It hosts Broadway tours and well-known performers.

Derry: a school theater with a public season

The Stockbridge Theatre is at Pinkerton Academy in Derry. Pinkerton is the largest high school in New Hampshire, a privately incorporated academy on a 120-acre campus that serves as the public high school for several surrounding towns. The theater runs a public season with family favorites and local talent alongside visiting performers, including a Made in New Hampshire Series that features artists and organizations from around the state. Stockbridge is a good reminder that some of the region's best stages are not downtown.

Small companies to watch

Cue Zero Theatre Company, listed in our directory in Auburn, describes itself as built on the ideas of "New," "Challenging" and "Growth." It was founded in December 2013 and produced its first show, Project Zero: A Night of Original One Acts, in July 2014. Every Cue Zero show includes something new, whether an original script, a first-time director or an actor in a first lead role. It is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you want to see new work and catch performers early in their careers, follow this company.

Small companies like Cue Zero and Hatbox often perform in borrowed or shared spaces, so the venue may change from show to show. Always confirm the address on the ticket.

How to choose a night out

• Big touring act or concert. Start with the Nashua Center for the Arts, the Palace, or the Capitol Center in Concord.
• Classic musical theater in a historic room. The Palace Theatre in Manchester.
• Independent or foreign film. Red River Theatres in Concord.
• New and experimental work. Cue Zero and Hatbox.
• Family-friendly season close to I-93. The Stockbridge Theatre in Derry.

Tips for theatergoers

• Buy direct. Several venues warn about resale sites with inflated prices.
• Look for youth and community programs. The Palace runs youth theater, and Red River hosts community events and discussions.
• Combine stops. Manchester, Nashua and Concord are close enough together that one weekend can include shows in more than one city.

FAQ

What is the oldest theater in Manchester, NH?

The Palace Theatre on Hanover Street was built in 1914 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Athens Building.

When did the Nashua Center for the Arts open?

Construction began in April 2021 at 201 Main Street. Check the venue's site for its current programming.

Is there an independent movie theater in Concord, NH?

Yes. Red River Theatres is a nonprofit, three-screen independent cinema on South Main Street that opened in October 2007.

Where can I see new plays in the Merrimack Valley?

Cue Zero Theatre Company focuses on original work and first-time artists, and Hatbox Theatre stages intimate productions in spaces around Concord.

Sources

• Palace Theatre (Manchester, New Hampshire), Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palace_Theatre_(Manchester,_New_Hampshire)
• The Palace Theatres (venues, youth theatre, ticket advice): https://palacetheatre.org/
• Nashua Center for the Arts, history page: https://nashuacenterforthearts.com/history-nashua-community/
• Nashua, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashua,_New_Hampshire
• Concord, New Hampshire, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concord,_New_Hampshire
• Concord Monitor, "At Red River Theatre, lights are staying out, for now" (opening, campaign, Concord Theater): https://www.concordmonitor.com/2020/07/09/red-river-theater-concord-nh-35098101/
• Red River Theatres profile, GuideStar (mission and programming): https://www.guidestar.org/profile/02-0521681
• Capitol Center for the Arts, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitol_Center_for_the_Arts
• Hatbox Theatre: https://hatboxnh.com/
• Stockbridge Theatre, Pinkerton Academy: https://www.pinkertonacademy.org/stockbridge-theatre
• Pinkerton Academy, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkerton_Academy
• Cue Zero Theatre Company: https://cztheatre.com