'Shoebert' Mini-Operetta Coming To Beverly Council On Aging

BEVERLY, MA — The story of Shoebert — the famed Beverly celebrity seal whose residence in Shoe Pond helped spur a spirit of community unity in 2022 — be reimagined in a musical performance set for the Beverly Council on Aging this weekend.

"Shoebert's Unfinished Journey" was designed as an interactive, intergenerational, creative story capturing the sense of belonging that Shoebert's story brought out in residents across the North Shore two years ago.

The performance will be held on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The performance is recommended for those 4 years old and older.

The operetta will be performed by Aurora Martin, soprano and narrator, Andrea LeBlanc, flute; Thomas Carroll, clarinet; Emily Hale, violin; Anna Seda, cello; and April Sun, piano.

The musicians of Arpeggione will be performing on instruments from Schubert's time, including a 1827 Broadwood square piano.

Arpeggione will collect feedback from the audience to help create a new work of performance art that will take place in Fall 2025.

In the operetta, Shoebert's ancestors also travel inland along rivers in search of adventure and a name, encountering little-known stories from the Lowell textile mills; the Folly Cove designers of Cape Ann; and the shoemaking industry of Beverly and Lynn.

Registration to attend the performance is required. Call the Beverly Council on Aging at 978-921-6017 to reserve seats.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)