Friends present ‘A Night of Sinatra Celebrating Chevalier’ Dec. 14
Friends of Chevalier Auditorium & Gene Mack Gym is proud to present “A Night of Sinatra Celebrating Chevalier,” a special event at 7 p.m. on Thursday, December 14, to toast both the organization’s 30th anniversary year, and a resurgent Chevalier Theatre in Medford Square.
Medford native Rich DiMare and The Ron Poster Trio will return to the Chevalier stage for “A Night of Sinatra,” delivering a variety of Frank Sinatra’s iconic and beloved songs that include “My Way,” “New York, New York” and so many more. The program will also include some holiday season songs in the Sinatra style. Rich and Ron’s understanding of the Sinatra songbook, coupled with their interactions on stage, makes this Old Blue Eyes experience something Rat Pack lovers won’t forget.
A seasoned showman, Rich DiMare has 20 years experience in providing entertainment across America. Along with being a talented singer, he also DJ’s at Red Sox games throughout the season. Rich spent 15 years live on-air at Boston’s highest rated morning show, KISS 108’s Matty in the Morning, and as a host on Boston’s Fox25 TV.
Ron Poster is the organist for the Boston Bruins and has played at home games for the past 20 seasons. He toured in the 1990s and early 2000s with the band Missing Persons. Ron attended the internationally renown Berklee College of Music and has played for a wide variety of engagements throughout his career, including accompanying dancers at the Boston Conservatory.
General admission tickets for “A Night of Sinatra” are $30 and may be purchased online through the Chevalier Theatre website/Ticketmaster. To avoid online ordering fees, purchase tickets at the Chevalier Theatre Box Office, which is open on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., as well as two hours before every Chevalier Theatre show.
Founded in 1993, Friends of Chevalier is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering financial and community support for the City of Medford’s historic theatre/gym complex. By promoting arts and cultural, civic, youth and recreation programs, the Friends strive to enrich the quality of life in Medford.
Friends of Chevalier Hold 30th Annual Meeting
Friends of Chevalier Auditorium & Gene Mack Gym celebrated our three decades of supporting Medford’s arts and youth at our 30th Annual Meeting on October 26, in the Community Room at the Maple Park Condominiums, 65 Valley Street, Medford.
Several founding and early members attended and reminisced about their determined efforts starting in 1993 to transform the city’s neglected theater and gym into the thriving arts and recreation/youth center our community enjoys today.
The evening’s program also featured updates from Chevalier Theatre operator Bill Blumenreich, as well as from the Medford Recreation Department and Mystic Valley YMCA/Medford Youth Center, which operate in the Gene Mack Gym.
Also at the meeting, the Friends presented a check for $5,000 to Debbie Amaral, CEO of the Mystic Valley YMCA, to further support the Medford Youth Center’s Literacy Initiative.
Friends of Chevalier Receive Second Cummings Foundation Grant for Medford Youth
Bill (left) and Joyce Cummings (right) with Friends of Chevalier Treasurer Ken Krause and Boys & Girls Clubs of Medford and Somerville Executive Director Lindsay Smythe.
The Friends of Chevalier Auditorium and Gene Mack Gym were delighted to receive a second grant from Cummings Foundation on May 3, 2018, in support of the Medford Boys & Girls Club [now the Medford Youth Center, operated in the Gene Mack Gym by the Mystic Valley YMCA]. The grant, part of Cummings Foundation’s new Sustaining Grants program, will provide the Club with a total of $250,000 over 10 years and support a broad new Literacy Initiative. The Sustaining Grants program builds on Cummings Foundation’s $100K for 100 program, through which the Friends of Chevalier obtained a $100,000 grant for the Medford Boys & Girls Club in 2014. Read the full press release on the Cummings Sustaining Grant and visit the Cummings Foundation website for details on the 33 Sustaining Grants recipients from Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk Counties.
Blumenreich Presents bringing talent to Chevalier Theatre Under 5-Year Management Contract
The City of Medford rang in 2018 with a new operator for its historic Chevalier Theatre! Bill Blumenreich Presents, Inc. (BBP), the company that manages the popular Wilbur Theatre in Boston, was retained in October to manage, operate, maintain, and make improvements to the 1,800-seat Chevalier, which was built in 1940 as an addition to the old Medford High School on Forest Street in Medford Square. Bill Blumenreich, BBP’s owner, has more than 30 years of experience in the entertainment industry. BBP has already lined up nearly 70 events at Chevalier, ranging from music, comedy, children’s shows, author talks and podcasts. BBP has a five-year contract with the city, giving the firm time to make various improvements to the theater. Visit the Chevalier Theatre website for the event schedule. Bill Blumenreich with Medford Mayor Stephanie M. Burke.
Proud and grateful recipient of a Cummings Foundation $100k for 100 grant
and a Cummings Foundation Sustaining Grant for the Medford Boys & Girls Club.
