The quartet, originally called the Four Aims, made their first single for Chess in 1956, and spent seven years on the road and in nightclubs, singing pop, blues, Broadway, but mostly jazz—four-part harmony jazz. When Motown’s Berry Gordy Jr. found out they had hustled a national “Tonight Show” appearance, he signed them without an audition to be the marquee act for the company’s Workshop Jazz label. That proved short-lived, and Stubbs’ powerhouse baritone lead and the exquisite harmonies of Fakir, Benson, and Payton started making one smash after another with the writing-producing trio Holland-Dozier-Holland.

In 1990, with 24 Top 40 pop hits to their credit, the Four Tops were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Though they would no longer have hits on record, the group continued to be a hit in concert, touring incessantly, a towering testament to the enduring legacy of the Motown Sound they helped shape and define. Following Payton’s death in 1997, the group briefly worked as a trio until Theo Peoples, a former Temptation, was recruited to restore the group to a quartet. When Stubbs subsequently grew ill, Peoples became the lead singer and former Motown artist-producer Ronnie McNeir was enlisted to fill Payton’s spot. In 2005, when Benson died, Payton’s son Roquel replaced him.

In 1965, the first ever “Peanuts” animated special took place. It was a landmark event and it was the start of a tradition that would continue year after year. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” is a tradition enjoyed around the world by fans of all ages. Now, over 50 years later, Contemporary Jazz Piano Legend, David Benoit along with distinguished Vocalist, Courtney Fortune, is paying tribute to this incredible piece of entertainment history, with a “David Benoit Christmas Tribute to Charlie Brown With Special Guest Courtney Fortune”.

Safe Haven Ballet is thrilled to bring our spirited, full-length ballet of The Nutcracker to Nashua Center for the Arts! This dynamic performance includes all of your favorite characters including a strong-minded Clara to the eccentric Drosselmeyer, the spooky Rats, as well as our beloved Sugarplum Fairy danced by artistic director, Lissa Curtis. In the Land of Sweets you will be introduced to a variation unique to Safe Haven Ballet called The Brave American. Come sing and clap along to this spirited, patriotic piece! 

SHB is located in beautiful Portsmouth, New Hampshire and exists to offer free trauma sensitive classes to survivors of sexual/domestic violence and trauma. Many of these brave survivors will be in the production as they help bring the magic of the season to you. We would love your energetic applause!