Our Coffee Houses are intended to be inclusive events that forge connections between musicians, singers, poets, comedians, storytellers, and enthusiastic audiences.
On July 14th from 7:00 – 9:00 pm, the Palace Theater will present our second Coffee House, Summer Vibes II: Find Your Voice, an open mic night for local artists in the Waterbury region. Our Coffee Houses are intended to be inclusive events that forge connections between musicians, singers, poets, comedians, storytellers, and enthusiastic audiences.
Participants have an opportunity to try out new material in a supportive and open environment. This event is part of the Theater's CommUNITY Series and supported in part by the Connecticut Community Foundation, the Rourke Insurance Agency, and Tim & Mary Ellen Rourke.
“What I loved most about our last Coffee House was the wide range of content and the diversity of the presenters,” says Sheree Marcucci, Director of Special Projects & Curated Events for the Palace Theater. “Our goal is to foster creativity and build an inclusive community where participants have an opportunity to try out new material in an encouraging setting.” This year, the Palace is working collaboratively with Silas Bronson Library in Waterbury, the Mattatuck Museum, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UCONN Waterbury to support the Connecticut State Library Summer Reading Program theme Find Your Voice. Each organization will be supporting the initiative in their own ways. Marcucci explains, “the Find Your Voice theme, lends itself quite naturally to our Coffee House event.”
The evening is hosted by spoken-word writer, Fiona de Merell. De Merell is also the Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UConn Waterbury. Her professional background is in education, project management, and community outreach. She has an undergraduate degree in Classics and a Master's degree in Adult Learning. She has organized spoken-word events and shared her work at events throughout Western Connecticut.
Looking for a space to showcase your work? Summer Vibes II is looking for you! Performers should be over 18 and may be musicians (e.g. singers, songwriters, and rappers), spoken-word artists (e.g. poets, comics, and storytellers), or may include other types of performers like dancers and magicians. All performances should be appropriate for a PG13 audience. Each performer should be prepared to present one 5-7-minute-long set. There is no cost for performing, but registration is required. Sign up to perform by clicking here.
Tickets to attend are $12 and may be purchased at the Box Office: 203-346-2000 or palacetheaterct.org.
Located in Downtown Waterbury, Connecticut, the Palace Theater is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit performing arts center with a mission “to preserve and operate the historic Palace Theater as a performing arts center and community gathering place that provides a focal point of cultural activity and educational outreach for diverse audiences.”
The Palace Theater gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support by Rourke Insurance Agency, Timothy W. & Mary Ellen Rourke, the Connecticut Community Foundation, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UConn Waterbury, Skyline Financial Federal Credit Union, and WATR 1320 AM.
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