TCAN Teams Up with Walnut Hill School for the Arts

The two organizations hope that they can be one of the leaders in the arts in Massachusetts by working together.

Walnut Hill School for the Arts and the Center for Arts in Natick have formed a new partnership that will allow them to share their expertise, according to Boston.com. Both organizations are hopeful that working together will increase the success of the Natick Center Cultural District. TCAN and Walnut Hill have collaborated on a number of things over the past 10 years, according to the Boston.com article. Now they're expecting to collaborate more often, and also to increase the number of programs they offer, including children's programming and teen theater workshops. Walnut Hill has plans to expand their performing space on campus, and TCAN is planning to complete some renovations, further enhancing their desirability.

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IMAGE GALLERY: Guitar Legend Martin Taylor Visits Natick

A trio of international guitarists including Martin Taylor performed at TCAN on Saturday.

Guitarists from as far away as Madagascar were at TCAN on Saturday to delight the crowd with their 6-string melodies.  The concert featured Martin Taylor, who is world-renowned for his intricate melodies and technical skill.  Check out our photos from the event above. If you were at the concert, leave a comment below and tell us your favorite part of the performance. 

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IMAGE GALLERY: Broadway Stars at TCAN Fundraiser

Musicians from the Broadway play RENT performed to raise money for TCAN Saturday night.

Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, stars from the Broadway play RENT, performed with their bands to bring popular covers, broadway tunes and original songs to a crowd of donors. 

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Broadway Stars Headed to TCAN for Annual Fundraiser

Musical stars from the musical RENT will be performing at TCAN this weekend to raise funds for the Natick stage.

Courtesy Center for Arts in Natick A special concert featuring Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, iconic stars of the Tony Award-winning musical sensation RENT, will mark the 15th anniversary of The Center for Arts in Natick. These two dynamic artists will perform individually and together, with a finale reprise featuring several memorable songs from RENT. TCAN Executive Director David Lavalley calls this event “a significant milestone in TCAN’s history and a tribute to the spirit of our mission.” Walnut Hill School for the Arts will provide the host venue for TCAN’s 2012 benefit on their nearby Natick campus. Earlier in the day, Adam and Anthony will present a master class to seniors studying theatre at Walnut Hill.  “We are thrilled to host …

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5 Things: Joe Robinson at TCAN

Robinson was recently voted Best New Talent by Guitar Player Magazine.

1. Voted Best New Talent by Guitar Player Magazine, Joe Robinson will take the stage at TCAN tonight performing his signature acoustic work in the rock, jazz and blues genres. Tickets to the 8 p.m. event are $20.  2. Are you retired or about to retire and wondering how you are going to pay for health care? Certfied volunteers will be at the Senior Center today to give you advice from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Call 1-508-647-6540 to make an appointment.  3. Have you ever wanted to ask Gov. Deval Patrick a question? Today may be your chance. He will be taking your questions live on Patch today starting at 1:30 p.m. Be sure to stop in to chat with him live.  4. The new Natick Community center is in the final stages of construction. We took some …

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Downtown Natick Named Cultural District by State

The downtown area will be the Massachusetts Cultural Council to increase tourism to the area.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council voted downtown Natick into the state cultural district program yesterday, which aims to increase tourism to thriving towns.  Natick is one of 10 Massachusetts towns home to a cultural district. The downtown area will now be promoted on the Office of Travel and Tourism and Massachusetts Cultural Council websites. The cultural district will include the Morse Institute Library, Natick Common, and Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN). "This is a driver for organizations to work together to create branding to attract more people," David Lavalley, Executive Director of The Center for the Arts in Natick, (TCAN) said.  Lavalley said an array of entertainment venues coupled with dining and a common area in downtown …

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TCAN Nominated for 7 Regional Theater Awards

Natick's community theater was nominated for awards including best production and best stage design.

The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN) Players, who have presented more than 20 plays since 2001, were recognised by the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theatres with seven award nominations.  "You could say that in regional community theatre, this is similar to winning a Tony award nomination," David Lavalley, Executive Director of TCAN, said in an email. The nominations are as follows:  Best Production (Play) Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (TCAN Players)  Best Supporting Actress (Play)  Kate Forrestall in Proof (TCAN Players) Best Supporting Actor (Play) Stephen Turner in Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure (TCAN Players) Todd Sandstrom in Proof (TCAN Players)  Best Set Design (Play)  Tom Powers for Sherlock Holmes: …

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Grant to Improve TCAN's Fundraising, Structure

A nonprofit foundation is helping the Center for Arts in Natick build up its organizational structure.

Information submitted by the Center for Arts. The Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation, a nonprofit, private foundation that carries out the philanthropic mission of the bank, has provided $15,000 to The Center for Arts in Natick to strengthen and increase TCAN’s impact on the community by improving its organizational capacity. “We are pleased and honored to receive this grant from Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation, an organization with a long history of supporting our mission to enhance Metrowest through the arts,” said David Lavalley, TCAN’s executive director. “Improving TCAN’s fundraising infrastructure will help sustain TCAN for future generations, and also allow us to continue providing program access to local public schools…

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Sherlock Holmes, Tom Rush Head to Natick

The June calendar at the Center for the Arts in Natick is filled with musical performances and shows.

  Each month, The Center for Arts in Natick brings you music, theater and more. The following are events scheduled for June: Sherlock Holmes, The Final Adventure Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays from June 1 through June 10 The TCAN players will present this 2007 Edgar Allan Poe Best Mystery award-winning play by Stephen Dietz on weekends through June 10. In this show, Sherlock Holmes comes back from near retirement to solve one last case when a famous opera singer blackmails the King of Bohemia. Tickets are $18 for non-members and $16 for members. Seniors and students pay $9.   Folk Open Mic Night June 12, 8 p.m.: Mark Stepakoff will host this evening of performances from local musicians. Singer-songwriter Sam Otis Hill is scheduled to perform…

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Struggling Families Get a Taste of the Arts–For Free

The new Smile in Every Seat campaign at the Center for the Arts in Natick is raising money for complimentary seats for those who cannot afford them.

Soon even individuals in town who are struggling financially will be able to enjoy Natick's arts programs for free. The Center for the Arts in Natick announced its new Smile in Every Seat campaign to raise money to provide complimentary seats at most of the venue's events. The program, made possible by the Natick Service Council, will provide more than 300 complimentary tickets in 2012. Several organizations and businesses in town, such as the Rotary Club of Natick and Tilly & Salvy's Bacon Street Farm, have already helped to get the ball rolling by donating to the program, according to a TCAN statement. Berklee College of Music will also match new donations to the campaign this year. “For many local families facing financial hardship, it’…

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