We’ve all heard the phrase “we’re all in this together” countless times in the last two years, and now we can hear it in a joyful, new way: in the Lincoln middle school performance of Disney’s “High School Musical Jr.,” featuring many familiar songs from the movie, including “We’re All in This Together.” The show will feature a cast and crew of 60 creative and dedicated students in grades 5–8. Shows will be on Wednesday, March 30 at 3 p.m., and Thursday and Friday, March 31 and April 1 at 7 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door ($10 for adults $10, $5 for students/seniors/LPS employees). Running time is approximately one hour with no intermission.
Kristin Hall, the show’s director, did two shows with the middle schoolers during the pandemic. The first, “Charlotte’s Web” in April 2021, had the actors record their scenes while apart, and everything was then edited together and streamed to ticket holders. Then in December 2021, the students did “A Wrinkle in Time,” where the actors performed masked and together (but distanced) and ticket holders were again able to watch over a weekend.
The First Parish Church’s racial justice journey continues on Thursday, April 7 at 7 p.m. on Zoom with a screening of the award-winning PBS documentary “The Power to Heal.” Central to the struggle to secure equal and adequate access to healthcare for all Americans is how a new national program, Medicare, was used to mount a dramatic, coordinated effort that desegregated thousands of hospitals across the country in a matter of months. Before that less than half of U.S. hospitals served black and white patients equally, and in the South. It raises questions that resonate today: Is healthcare a human right? Must the federal government intervene to ensure equality? Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 981552).
March with the Lincoln Minute Men along Battle Road at 2:45 p.m. or meet at the capture site at 3 p.m. where Paul Revere’s ride ended in Lincoln. See Revere, Samuel Prescott, William Dawes, Mary Hartwell, Catharine Louisa Smith, and Major Mitchell tell the true story, despite poetic efforts by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to tell a different tale. Music and musket fire. For all ages.
- Evacuation scenario at the home of William and Catharine Louisa Smith, 9:30 a.m. – noon.
- Battle reenactment at Parker’s Revenge, MMNHP, noon–1 p.m.
- Battle of Tower Park, 1200 Massachusetts Ave., Lexington, 4 p.m.
Families prepare to evacuate their homes on April 19, 1775. Later, hundreds of British and Provincial soldiers recreate the running battle along the deadly stretch of road through Lincoln, from Elm Brook Hill to the Lexington border. Then both sides regroup to battle again at Tower Park in Lexington.
A Lincoln resident during the Revolutionary War reminisces about the fateful early hours of April 19, 1775. Capt. William Smith arrives on horseback to alarm the citizens of Lincoln. Bells ring, drums roll, and families say anxious goodbyes, as the Lincoln Minute Men assemble for musket drill and firing, and receive their orders to march.
The Lincoln Minute Men salute the Patriots buried in the Old Meeting House Burying Ground as they emerge from the mists for roll call. Fifers play a lament and the muskets fire a volley. Then join the Minute Men on their walk to Concord along Sandy Pond Road (three miles) amid colonial music and musket fire for the parade in Concord starting at 9 a.m. All ages welcome.
The Lincoln Library Film Society will host an in-person screening of “The Lives of Others” on Thursday, April 21 at 6 p.m. in the library’s Tarbell Room. Click here for a synopsis. Rated R. Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Film in 2007.
The Lincoln Minute Men host fife and drum groups from far and wide in a musical performance for your enjoyment. Bring your picnic basket and lawn chairs for rousing entertainment. In case of rain, see the Parks and Rec website.
March with the Lincoln Minute Men and British Regulars from Pierce House to the Old Burying Ground on Lexington Road to honor the Patriot dead and the five British soldiers killed in Lincoln along the Battle Road. Mary Hartwell and Catharine Louisa Smith tell their stories of burying British soldiers, an enslaved soldier tells how he gained his freedom, and a British mother laments the loss of her son. Ceremonies include music and musket salutes.
With little more than a loaf of bread, brick of cheese, and a notebook, Ben Shattuck set out to retrace Thoreau’s six walks through the Cape’s outer beaches from the elbow to Provincetown’s fingertip. Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau is a resounding tribute to the ways walking in nature can inspire us all. Join us for a reading and conversation about the book on Thursday, April 28 from 7–8 p.m. with Shattuck, moderated by National Book Award Winner Nathaniel Philbrick. Click here to learn more and register.
The Delvena Theatre Company will present a free performance of “Murder à la Carte” at Bemis Hall on Sunday, May 1 at 2 p.m. This live, comedic, interactive murder mystery performance set in Luigi’s Ristorante features Lynne Moulton, Joseph Zamparelli and Fran Baron in multiple roles. Put on your sleuthing hat — token prizes will be awarded. “Murder à la Carte” is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. For more information, call the Council on Aging & Human Services at 781-259-8811.
Melvin Edwards, “Ukpo. Edo,” 1993/1996. Courtesy Alexander Gray Associates, New York; Stephen Friedman Gallery, London © 2021 Melvin Edwards/ Artists Rights Society, New York. Presented by Public Art Fund at City Hall Park, New York City, May 4–Nov. 28, 2021. Photo: Nicholas Knight, Courtesy of Public Art Fund, NY.
Lincoln residents, students and employees are invited to a special open house at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum on Sunday, June 5 from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Join deCordova in celebrating new additions to its Sculpture Park, including “Melvin Edwards: Brighter Days” and “Prowse” by Rosemary Laing. Throughout the afternoon, deCordova’s curatorial team will offer guided tours exploring “Brighter Days,”a focused look at Edwards’ accomplishments in large-scale sculpture and public art through six sculptures from 1970 to today. Complimentary treats from Twisted Tree Café at deCordova. No RSVP required.
Artworks by participants in Lincoln Parks and Recreation’s Open Studio will soon be on display in the Lincoln Public Library gallery, with an opening reception for the exhibit on Thursday, May 19 from 4-6 p.m. Open Studio meets weekly in a large, light-filled room during the school year on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Hartwell Pod A. For more information, call 781-259-0784 or contact Sarah Chester at schester636@gmail.com.
Gather on the grass for a benefit for St. Vincent de Paul of Lincoln & Weston (SVdP) featuring music by Brian Moll, Mara Bonde & Sandra Piques Eddy, and the Kemp Harris Band on Tuesday, May 24 at 6 p.m. in Pierce Park (rain date: May 25). Bring your own chair, drinks, and picnic. Suggested donation: $50 (or more). Buy raffle tickets for great prizes. Interested in becoming a sponsor? Email svdplincolnweston@gmail.com. The Ogden Codman Trust is challenging SVdP to raise $15,000, which it will match. Help support the SVdP’s work running the food pantry, providing emergency financial assistance and awarding scholarships.
The Lincoln Public Library will host a virtual LGBTQ+ author panel on Wednesday, June 1 at 7 p.m. via Zoom with Emery Lee, Timothy Janovsky, Katee Robert, and Olivia Waite. Join us for an inside look into the writing process and how the authors connect with the LGBTQ+ community with their words and stories. Free and open to all but advance registration is required.
Lincoln Sudbury Friends of Music (LSFOM) invites all parents of music students and community members to its annual meeting on Tuesday, June 7 at 7 p.m. at LSRHS in the Chorus Room (A211). Join us to get information, talk to board members, have questions answered, meet fellow music program supporters, and learn about opportunities to get involved. There will be committee reports, a review of open positions, nominations, and elections. Board members may be elected from among LSFOM members and the community at large. For more information, visit www.lsfom.org.