Phantom Theater wraps 40th season with cross-cultural musical collab & storytelling shows

August 21, 2025  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

Trio member Greg Liszt (left) goes toe-to-toe with Bruce Springsteen in this file photo.

Phantom Theater’s 40th anniversary season is winding down with a busy final weekend ahead featuring an extraordinary musical collaboration and an evening of stories led by a national Moth storytelling host.

A series of performances on Aug. 28-30 will bring together cello, banjo, and tabla – a unique trio representing three distinct musical traditions – for unique arrangements.

The ensemble features bluegrass banjo master Dr. Greg Liszt from the band Crooked Still, renowned tabla virtuoso Upasak Mukherjee, and classically-trained cellist Miranda Henne, creating a sonic palette that spans continents and centuries. 

Cellist Miranda Henne and musical friends play as Henne and Company Aug. 30-31 at Edgcomb Barn in Warren. Courtesy photo

“These three instruments together create a sound that is simultaneously ancient and contemporary, familiar and revolutionary,” Henne explained.

Their program will include reimagined Western classical masterpieces, Indian classical compositions, British pop classics, including Beatles songs, traditional American fiddle tunes and bluegrass standards. They also will perform original compositions that they will have written during their 10-day residency at Phantom Theater and inspired by the natural beauty of the area and the theater's unique artistic environment.

“The sound of these three instruments is a sound I have dreamed of for over a decade,” Henne said. “You will not hear this music anywhere else in the entire world but in Warren, Vermont. We wrote, together, an original arrangement of Bach's Sonata No. 3 in C major for banjo, cello, and tabla. We are doing that for all the music on our program – taking a Beatles tune or traditional American fiddle tune and reimagining it for our unique instrumentation.”

The collaboration draws inspiration from the groundbreaking work of Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, and Béla Fleck, particularly their acclaimed album “Melody of Rhythm.” However, this trio forges entirely new territory, creating original arrangements that showcase the remarkable range possible when combining the deeply expressive tones of cello, the vocal and rhythmic complexity of the Indian classical tabla, and the driving, danceable energy of banjo.

Renowned tabla virtuoso Upasak Mukherjee will be one piece of the musical trio performing for Phantom Theater’s 40th anniversary. Courtesy photo

The trio's approach involves deep musical conversation – mimicking each other's phrases, blending their different cultural backgrounds, then emerging with their distinct voices to create something entirely new. The result is music that bridges Western classical, Indian classical, and American folk traditions in groundbreaking ways. This residency and performance series represents the innovative, boundary-crossing artistry that has defined Phantom Theater's four decades of cultural contribution to Vermont's artistic landscape.

Performances will take place at 8 p.m. nightly, Thursday-Saturday, Aug. 28-30, at The Edgcomb Barn in Warren. Advanced ticket purchase ($25) online is strongly recommended.

Aug. 31: Moth-Inspired Storytelling

Moth storytelling host Bobby Stoddard. Courtesy photo

National Moth storyteller and host Bobby Stoddard visits Edgcomb Barn for an evening of true stories told by your friends and neighbors. Inspired by Phantom Theater’s landmark year, the theme is Longevity and Anniversaries. 

This happens at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Audience members are invited to throw their names into the Moth “hat” for a chance to share their own five-minute true story. Stories must be told from memory—no notes, no reading—to present the pure magic of live storytelling.

The best stories have a few simple elements: a unique personal voice, relevance to the theme, a strong narrative arc, and a sense of timing. 

Stoddard reminds participants that storytelling is more natural than it sounds. “Tell the story the way only you can. Talk the way you talk,” he says. Imagine sharing a favorite story with friends at a dinner party.

Stoddard said he began storytelling on a porch with friends, swapping tales, exaggerating for effect, and finding joy in connection. “When I was in high school, my friends and I spent a lot of time arguing—about politics, history, anything. It was about overwhelming your friend with facts and intensity. Later, when we reconnected, we shifted from arguments to updates about our lives, but still in that same hyperbolic, playful way. That’s how storytelling manifested in my life,” he reflected.

A Moth event is unique—part documentary, part theater, always deeply human. The stories can be funny, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, or all three. And Edgcomb Barn’s intimate venue offers an apropos atmosphere. “When you’re telling a story, it’s a much more intimate experience than other forms of performance,” Stoddard said. “The audience gives you feedback in the moment, and you respond—it becomes more of a conversation.”

The community is invited to attend to both hear and share stories. “You never know what you are going to hear, and I love that,” Stoddard said. 

Tickets ($10) are available online in advance.