Van-ar-chy Comes Home: Billy B. Van's Lost Silent Comedies

The Newport & Sunapee Historical Societies
present

Van-ar-chy Comes Home:

Billy B. Van’s Lost
Silent Comedies

Sunday, November 1, 2026
2:00 PM
Newport Opera House

More than a century after it was filmed in and around Newport and Sunapee, a long-lost silent comedy starring vaudeville entertainer and local filmmaker Billy B. Van is coming home!

Presented by the Newport Historical Society and the Sunapee Historical Society, Van-ar-chy Comes Home: Billy B. Van’s Lost Silent Comedies, offers audiences a rare opportunity to see the Lake Sunapee region as it appeared more than a century ago while rediscovering a fascinating chapter in early American filmmaking.

The program will feature digitally restored presentations of two Billy B. Van comedies from 1919—Van-ar-chy and the role-reversal farce Where Are Your Husbands? Both films were rediscovered more than a century after they were made.

A historical introduction will explore Van’s unusual New Hampshire filmmaking venture and the rapidly developing motion-picture industry of the 1910s.

Making the afternoon even more special, Van-ar-chy will feature new piano accompaniment composed and performed live by pianist Bob Merrill, recreating the experience of seeing a silent film accompanied by live music.

Join us at the historic Newport Opera House for a unique afternoon of local history, silent-film comedy, and live music as Billy B. Van’s lost films return home to the community where they were made.

Please Note: This event is not a Newport Opera House Association (NOHA) production. The NOHA is providing technical and ticketing services for this event.

Please select a performance

Sun, Nov 1st, 2026 at 2:00 pm

Advance Sale Tickets

General Admission: $15.00
(Price includes a $2.00 ticket order fee.)

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At the Door

General Admission: $17.00
(Price incudes a $2.00 ticket order fee.)

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Cafe tables (seating up to 4) and theatre style seating will both be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

* Accessible seating is available on the Main Floor.

* The balcony will not be open for this performance.

Handicapped entrance: Ramp at rear door of the building accessible from the Central Street parking lot.