Category Archives: Stage – all

What Are Friends For

Theater Reviews, , , , , , , , , , ,

“Significant Other”
SpeakEasy Stage
Now Through October 8th

reviewed by Bobby Franklin

Significant Other  by Joshua Harmon, who’s Bad Jews was a great hit last year, opens with Jordan Berman (Greg Maraio) celebrating the news of his friend Kiki’s (Sarah Elizabeth Bedard) engagement to be married. Kiki and Jordan are joined by two other long time friends Laura (Jordan Clark) and Vanessa (Kris Sidberry). They are sharing a scorpion bowl and Kiki is feeling no pain. Soon the conversation turns to Jordan, who is gay, and how it is time for him to find a significant other. We learn that Jordan tends to obsess over romantic interests and is now attracted to Will (Jared Troilo) from his office, who may or not be gay.

Vanessa, Jordan, and Laura (Photo: Justin Saglio)
Vanessa, Jordan, and Laura
(Photo: Justin Saglio)

As the play progresses we watch as Jordan pursues Will both in real life and in fantasy. It is very interesting to see how this is staged, having Jordan speak to his friends while also in the moment with Will. It is almost as if the action pauses so he can update his friends. The effect works very well.

As time goes on we see that Jordan has not been able to make a connection with Will or any other man. Meanwhile, Vanessa and Laura join Kiki in walking down the bridal path. This leads Jordan to feeling a bit of a loser. He also begins to feel he is losing his friends and his sadness turns to anger when he confronts Laura at her bachelorette party. it was at this point Jordan started to get under my skin. Sorry, I just cannot feel sorry for someone that selfish.

At first I felt sadness for for Jordan, but my sadness turned to anger at him for his selfishness and inability to understand that life moves on and people have changes in their lives.It does not mean friendships end, but they do change, and he just cannot accept that.

It does not mean friendships end, but they do change

Throughout the play he pays visits to his elderly grandmother Helene (Kathy St. George) and hears advice about life and aging, though nothing  really seems to resonate with him.

Vanessa, Jordan, and Kiki )Photo: Justin Seglio)
Vanessa, Jordan, and Kiki
)Photo: Justin Seglio)

As I was watching Significant Others I couldn’t help but think about Company which I had seen last week. Company had a similar theme about people moving on with their lives and dealing with how these changes effect friendships. What I found striking was, even though the characters in Company are only a few years older than those in Significant Others, they are much more mature than Jordan and his friends. Company was written in 1970, and I think by comparing the two we see how much longer it takes people to grow out of adolescence today. There were times during this play when I just wanted to shout out “Grow up, the world does not revolve around you!”

Okay, so this is not a group of people I would want to spend time with. Having said that, the production is well done, though I feel the play have been shorter. A number of points were made and did not have to be repeated.

It is very funny, and all of the players are quite good.

Greg Maraio has terrific talent

Greg Maraio has terrific talent which is why I disliked his character so much. Unless, of course, he was going for sympathy. If that was the case, I missed it. But i don’t think so. I believe Mr. Maraio captured the frustration and anger that too many young people feel when they realize life is a bumpy ride.

It’s funny, but the SpeakEasy Stage has a way of leaving me thinking about their productions for days after I have seen them. Leaving the theater I felt I really did not like this play. But, I think i could spend hours talking about it.

Significant Other
Directed by Paul Daigneault
SpeakEasy Stage Company
Calderwood Pavilion
527 Tremont Street In The South End
speakeasystage.com
617.933.8600

A Dancing Feast At The Ogunquit Playhouse

Theater Reviews, , , , ,

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers

Through October 1st

reviewed by Bobby Franklin

I have to say I was not particularly excited by the thought of seeing Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. It has never been high on my list of movie musicals, though when it was released in 1954 it was a hit and earned an Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical and a nomination for Best Picture. In 1982 it was staged on Broadway but did not last long. It has been revived a number of times over the years with changes being made as it went along.

Frank (Jeff Smith) Challenge Dance Photo: Jay Goldsmith
Frank (Jeff Smith) Challenge Dance
Photo: Jay Goldsmith

The production now playing through October 1st at the Ogunquit Playhouse has original choreography by Parker Esse, a man with no shortage of talent. And it is the dancing that makes this an enjoyable evening of theatre. Oh, the scenery, as usual at the Playhouse, is lovely, and the cast is strong, especially Analisa Leaming as Millie playing opposite Nathaniel Hackman as Adam.Ms Leaming is tall and beautiful with a lovely voice

Ms Leaming is tall and beautiful with a lovely voice

and she knows how to command the stage. Mr. Hackman fits the part of the strong and stubborn mountain man in search of a wife with his deep and full voice. But it is ultimately the dancing that makes this worth seeing.

A nice touch is having members of the orchestra come out onto the stage in costume for a number of the songs. The very lively Challenge Dance number is outstanding with amazing physicality. It is really something to see the potential brides being tossed over the heads of their suitors. The dancers were in perfect sync.

I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw, but I should never underestimate what the team at the Playhouse can accomplish with  Artistic Director Brad Kenney in charge. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a terrific old fashioned musical that makes for a fun time at the theater. This is one for the entire family to enjoy. It will make you feel like dancing down the aisle on the way out of the theater.

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers at the Ogunquit Playhouse
Directed by BT McNicholl
Through October 1st.
Box Office: 207.646.5511
OgunquitPlayhouse.org

You’re In Good Company At The Lyric Stage

Theater Reviews, , , , ,

Stephen Sondheim’s Company

Directed by Spiro Veloudos

The Lyric Stage Boston

reviewed by Bobby Franklin

Bobby (John Ambrosino)
Bobby (John Ambrosino)

I am embarrassed to admit it, but in all the years I have been attending theatre I have, until now, never seen Stephen Sondheim’s “Company”. Well, I guess the theatre gods wanted me to wait for the Lyric Stage’s production directed by Spiro Veloudos. The gods were smiling on me as I doubt I could have seen a better staging of this wonderful play anywhere else. The wait was worth it.

The play which was considered groundbreaking when it first appeared in 1970 takes on the subject of marriage, commitment, and non commitment. It centers around Bobby, the one person in his circle of friends who has not been in a committed relationship. His friends are concerned that Bobby is not in a relationship, and they are trying to fix him up or convince him that “A person is not complete until married.”

At the same time, we get to explore the question of just how happy Bobby’s married friends are. The songs “The Little Things You Do Together” and “Sorry-Grateful” capture the conflict many couples have using an on the one hand, on the other hand theme.

“Company” is a play that, while dealing with a subject, marriage and commitment that can be touchy and emotional, and is something we all have experienced in some way, it never makes you feel uncomfortable. The music is classic Sondheim, meaning it is simply wonderful. There is humor, and

the cast, without exception, is a joy to watch

the cast, without exception, is a joy to watch.

As I was leaving the theatre two moments stayed in my thoughts. One is when Amy, who is engaged to be married but is getting cold feet, tells Bobby “You are afraid not to get married, and I am afraid to get married.” The other was the song “Marry Me A Little” sung by Bobby. He is onto something.

April (Adrianne Hick), Marta (Carla Martinez), Kathy (Maria LaRossa)
April (Adrianne Hick), Marta (Carla Martinez), Kathy (Maria LaRossa)

There is not a bad seat at the Lyric Stage, but they are limited. I recommend you get tickets soon before it sells out as it most certainly will. Don’t wait. who knows when the gods will send us another production as fine as this one.

Company now through October 9th at The Lyric Stage, 140 Clarendon Street, Copley Square, Boston. 617.585.5678
lyricstage.com

Photos: Mark S. Howard

“45 Plays For 45 Presidents” Opens At Merrimack Repertory

Theatre Announcements, , , ,

“45 PLAYS FOR 45 PRESIDENTS” OFFERS BOTH HUMOR AND INSIGHT TO KICK OFF MRT SEASON
227 YEARS OF AMERICAN HISTORY IN 2 HOURS
SEPTEMBER 7 – OCTOBER 2, 20

45PlaysFor45Presidents 470x470_0Just in time for the general election, Merrimack Repertory Theatre (MRT) offers offers a one-of-a-kind take on the epic sweep of American history with “45 Plays for 45 Presidents.” In just two hours, through nearly every theatrical device imaginable, we see the highs and lows our country has hit over decades and centuries. With each commander-in-chief in the spotlight for two minutes, we experience not only their lives, but the distinctive American eras in which they served. And ultimately, we appreciate that our nation’s story is one that we all have written—and continue to write—every time we vote.

“45 Plays for 45 Presidents” runs approximately 2 hours, including one intermission. Performances are September 7 – October 2. Press performances are at 8:00 pm on Saturday, September 10 (Opening Night), and 2:00 pm on Sunday, September 11. All performances will be held at the Nancy L. Donahue Theatre, located at 50 East Merrimack Street in historic downtown Lowell. Tickets range from $70 – $26 and are on sale now at www.mrt.org or by calling 978-654-4678.
The evening ends with the audience voting on who the 45th president—and what the 45th play—will be; each audience will see either a Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump play to close the show. MRT is partnering with Rock the Vote and Lowell Votes to encourage voter registration in the lobby.

About Play and its Creators
The Neo-Futurists, whose legendary “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” has been a staple of the Chicago theatre scene since 1988, first presented this presidential play in 2002, then called “43 Plays for 43 Presidents.” Four of its five writers were members of the troupe, which is renowned for an in-the-moment aesthetic and innovative, multi-modal storytelling. The writers—Andy Bayiates, Sean Benjamin, Genevra Gallo-Bayiates, Chloe Johnston, and Karen Weinberg—created the show not as a series of impersonations, but rather as a set of fully realized theatre pieces that explore the thoughts, feelings, triumphs, and failures of the individuals we have chosen to lead our country—as well as of their families, colleagues, and adversaries.

One of the playwrights, Andy Bayiates, is a Billerica native, who was born at Lowell General Hospital. He is credited as the “Founding Father” of the play for the major role he played in its creation.

MRT Artistic Director Sean Daniels has been directing the play every presidential election season since 2004, and returns to direct again here. When he directed the play in at Dad’s Garage Theatre Co. in Atlanta, Georgia, Jimmy Carter attended (and really enjoyed the Reagan play) and subsequently invited the cast to perform at the Carter Center. Daniels later directed the play at Actors Theatre of Louisville in Kentucky and Geva Theatre Center in Rochester, NY. Of the original Chicago production, Daniels recalls: “I thought it was so smart, and so well-done. How often do you get to see a full American civics lesson in less than two hours? To see the choices we’ve made as a country, over and over again?”

More About the Production
One thing Daniels loves about “45 Plays…” is that it keeps changing, as public perceptions of certain presidents evolve. This year, Barack Obama and George Herbert Walker Bush will both have their plays rewritten. “You find that we all share the same opinions about the first 16 presidents. Everyone loves George Washington… but suddenly when we talk about Reagan, everyone feels very strongly, one way or the other, about what it all means… One thing that’s exciting for me is that the writers have to continually update it, because public ideas change.”

Audiences at MRT’s production will be immersed in diverse storytelling approaches, both comical and serious: ballet, puppetry, personal narrative, prop-driven physical theatre, and Schoolhouse Rock-style musical numbers all converge into a cohesive whole. The set will use projection panels and light boxes scattered across the MRT stage, and costumes will be crafted to represent changing American fashion across the eras. Scene change music will transform as the show progresses to reflect the popular music of each president’s tenure.

Creative Team and Cast
The five-person cast includes Veronika Duerr (MRT’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” and “Home of the Brave”), Nael Nacer (MRT’s “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play”), and Terrell Donnell Sledge (MRT’s “The Realness: a break beat play”), as well as newcomers Celina Dean and Aaron Muñoz.

Director Daniels is joined by a creative team that includes Wendy Seyb (Choreography), Michael Raiford (sets), Brian J. Lilienthal (lights), A. Lee Viliesis (costumes), Stowe Nelson (sound), and Ido Levran (projections programmer).

Admission
Tickets range from $70 – $26 and are available at www.mrt.org or by calling 978-654-4678. A senior discount is offered for 10% off adult ticket prices. Student tickets are $15. Group discounts are available for groups of six or more by calling 978-654-7561. $5 Night: Wednesday, September 7 at 7:30 pm. Patrons may purchase tickets for $5, cash only, at the Box Office between 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm. Limit 2 tickets per person. Lowell Night: Wednesday, September 14 at 7:30 pm. Lowell residents may purchase tickets for $10 at the box office from 4:30 pm-7:30 pm. Proper ID required, limit 2 per person. A Military Discount of $10 off per ticket (up to four tickets per production) applies to any performance for active duty, retired, veteran, and reservist members of the military.

Seven Brides for Brothers Bursts onto the Ogunquit Playhouse Stage

Theatre Announcements, , ,

The Rip-Roarin’ Musical Comedy Classic Runs From September 7 to October 1

2016_Seven-Brides_Thumb-3Pull up your boots and hold onto your hats when this all-dancing, all-singing, all-new production of the rip-roarin’ musical comedy classic bursts onto the Ogunquit Playhouse stage September 7 to October 1. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is a big, brawling, rollicking show filled with rambunctious energy and set in 1850s Oregon Territory with a book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, music by Gene de Paul, and new songs by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. This beloved musical based on the glorious MGM hit film and Stephen Vincent Benet’s short story “The Sobbin’ Women” tells the story of Adam Pontipee and his backwoods brothers’ unusual pursuit of brides. When Adam goes to town to get a wife, he miraculously convinces the beautiful and feisty Milly to marry him that same day, and then she immediately starts reforming her six rowdy brothers-in-law. When her plan to marry off the boys backfires, this exuberant rousing musical kicks into high gear with a combination of daredevil dancing and wonderful songs like “Goin’ Courtin,” “Sobbin’ Women,” and “Wonderful, Wonderful Day.”

Nathaniel Hackman
Nathaniel Hackman

Broadway performers will headline the Ogunquit production. Starring as Adam Pontipee is Nathaniel Hackmann who is making his Ogunquit Playhouse debut. Mr. Hackmann has appeared on Broadway in Les Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, and Paint Your Wagon. He has also performed in many regional theatres throughout the U.S. in shows that include Oliver!, Sweeney Todd, Oklahoma!,

Analisa Leaming
Analisa Leaming

Camelot and many more. Also making her Ogunquit Playhouse debut is Analisa Leaming who is cast as Milly. Ms. Leaming recently appeared on Broadway in the Lincoln Center production of The King and I and in Roundabout Theatre’s production of On the Twentieth Century starring Kristin Chenoweth. She has performed in regional theatres in shows including Mary Poppins as Mary, The Sound of Music as Maria, The Music Man as Marian Paroo, and many others.

Adam’s brothers are played by Kevin Munhall (Broadway: Anything Goes; Ogunquit Playhouse: West Side Story) as Benjamin, Colin Bradbury (Broadway: Come Fly Away) as Caleb, Brian Martin (Nat’l Tour: Bullets Over Broadway) as Daniel, Abe Hegewald (Sir Tim Rice’s North American Premiere of From Here to Eternity) as Ephraim, Jeff Smith (Ogunquit Playhouse: West Side Story; Damn Yankees) as Frank, and Justin Schuman (1st Nat’l Tour: Nice Work If You Can Get It) as Gideon. The brides are played by Kelly Berman as Alice, Becky Grace Kalman as Sarah, Shelby Putlak as Liza, Maria Cristina Slye as Dorcas, Chloe Tiso as Martha, and Lizz Picini (Ogunquit Playhouse: West Side Story) as Ruth, who is also the Assistant Choreographer for the Ogunquit production.

For ticket information visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org or call the Ogunquit Playhouse Box Office at 207-646-5511.

 

SpeakEasy Stage Presents “Significant Other”

Theatre Announcements, , , , ,

From September 9 to October 8, 2016, SpeakEasy Stage Company will proudly present SIGNIFICANT OTHER, a sharply observed new comedy about the challenges of finding love and letting go, written by Bad Jews playwright Joshua Harmon.

so-website_bannerSlated to begin previews on Broadway in February, 2017, SIGNIFICANT OTHER tells the story of Jordan Berman, a 29 year old single gay man whose life up until now has revolved around BFF’s Kiki, Laura, and Vanessa. But as singles nights suddenly turn into bachelorette parties, Jordan starts to worry about his romantic prospects, and sets out on a journey to find his own Mr. Right.

SIGNIFICANT OTHER is the latest from playwright Joshua Harmon, whose play Bad Jews was the third most-produced play in the United States during the 14-15 theatre season. A recent graduate of Julliard, Mr. Harmon has received fellowships from MacDowell, Atlantic Center for the Arts, SPACE at Ryder Farm, and the Eudora Welty Foundation.  He is currently at work on commissions for Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, and Manhattan Theatre Club.

SpeakEasy Founder and Producing Artistic Director Paul Daigneault will direct this New England premiere production of SIGNIFICANT OTHER. Mr. Daigneault’s recent SpeakEasy directing credits include the acclaimed productions of Violet, Mothers & Sons, Big Fish, The Color Purple, In the Heights, and Next to Normal. Mr. Daigneault is the recipient of three Elliot Norton Awards, including the 2014 Norton Award for Sustained Excellence.

Norton Award nominee Greg Maraio and Norton Award winner Kathy St. George head the cast, which also includes Sarah Elizabeth Bedard, Jordan Clark, Eddie Shields, Kris Sidberry, and Jared Troilo.

The design team is Christopher & Justin Swader (scenic); Tyler Kinney (costumes); Daniel H. Jentzen (lighting) and Lee Schuna (sound).

SIGNIFICANT OTHER will run for five weeks, from September 9 through October 8, in the Roberts Studio Theatre in the Stanford Calderwood Pavilion at the Boston Center for the Arts, 527 Tremont Street in Boston’s South End.

Ticket prices start at $25, with discounts for students, seniors, and persons age 25 and under.
For tickets or more information, the public is invited to call the box office at 617.933.8600 or visit www.SpeakEasyStage.com .

 

 

Hartford Stage Announces Cast and Creative Team For Queens for a Year

Theatre Announcements, , , ,

Cast Features Local Actress and Broadway Veterans

September 16 through October 2

show-queensHARTFORD, CT — AUGUST 23, 2016 — Hartford Stage Artistic Director Darko Tresnjak and Managing Director Michael Stotts announced today the cast and creative team for Queens for a Year, written by T.D. Mitchell and featuring local actress Vanessa R Butler.

The first show of Hartford Stage’s 2016-17 Season, Queens for a Year is a world premiere directed by Lucy Tiberghien, whose recent Off-Broadway credits include Don’t Go Gentle and Blind.

“We’re delighted to have Lucie Tiberghien and such a terrific cast joining us for this timely new play exploring the lives of women serving in the military,” said Elizabeth Williamson, Associate Artistic Director.

Butler’s credits include Gross Domestic Product and Jimmy and Lorraine at HartBeat Ensemble; Juliet in Romeo & Juliet at Capitol Classics; and Freedom: In 3 Acts at Bated Breath Theatre Company.

The cast also includes Heidi Armbruster, Time Stands Still on Broadway; Mary Bacon, Arcadia on Broadway; Alice Cannon, James Joyce’s The Dead on Broadway; Sarah Nicole Deaver, Henry V at Rutgers University; Mat Hostetler, the War Horse national tour; Charlotte Maier, God of Carnage on Broadway; and Jamie Rezanour, Romeo & Juliet at the Classical Theatre of Harlem.

In addition to Tiberghien, the creative team includes set design by Daniel Conway (Horton Foote’s Lily Dale Off-Broadway); lighting design by Robert Perry (Love in Afghanistan at Arena Stage); costume design by Beth Goldenberg (Engagements at Second Stage Theatre); sound design by Victoria Toy Deiorio (Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre); and dramaturgy by Elizabeth Williamson (Anastasia, The Body of an American).

Lori M. Doyle (The Visit on Broadway) will serve as production stage manager.

In Queens for a Year, Molly Solinas, a young Marine Corps Officer, unexpectedly returns to her family home in Virginia, bringing with her an even younger female Private. Four generations of women who’ve served their country in the Marines clash during what at first appears to be a post-deployment vacation – but is revealed to be much more.

“I am grateful to Queens for a Year for telling this difficult story and shedding a light on women in the military,” said Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator, New York.

Mitchell, best known as a writer on the popular Lifetime series “Army Wives,” has earned accolades for many works, including her plays Beyond the 17th Parallel (National Endowment for the Arts Artistic Excellence Grant, soon to be adapted for film), A Gray Matter, In Dog Years and the upcoming VRTU-L.

 

Previews begin at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, September 8
Opening Night: 8 p.m. Friday, September 16
Closes: 2 p.m. Sunday, October 2

Tickets & Performances

Tue, Wed, Thu, Sun at 7:30 p.m.—Fri, Sat at 8 p.m.—Sat, Sun at 2 p.m.
Wed matinee at 2 p.m. on September 21 only
Weekly schedules vary. For details, visit www.hartfordstage.org.

Tickets for all shows start at $25. For group discounts (10 or more), contact Theresa MacNaughton at 860-520-7114.

For all other tickets, please call the Hartford Stage box office at 860-527-5151 or visit www.hartfordstage.org.

Special Events

Sunday Afternoon Discussion, September 18

Enjoy a lecture from artists and scholars connected with the production immediately following the 2 p.m. matinee. Free

AfterWords Discussion

Tuesdays, September 20 and 27 & Wednesday, September 21

Join members of the cast and our Artistic staff for a free discussion, immediately following select 7:30 p.m. performances on Tuesday or the 2 p.m. Wednesday matinee.

 

 

 

THE KINGSTON TRIO JOINS AMERICAN A CAPPELLA AT OCEAN STATE THEATRE

Theatre Announcements, , , ,

the Kingston TrioWARWICK, RI – The Kingston Trio, the groundbreaking, Grammy Award-winning American Pop-Folk group, joins 15-Time District Champions, Narragansett Bay Chorus, along with senior quartet champions, Trade Secret and up and coming collegiate stars, Curtain Call, for a very special American A Cappella show on Saturday, September 10, 2016 at 2:00 and 7:30pm.

In 1957, The Kingston Trio emerged from San Francisco’s North Beach club scene to take the country by storm, bringing the rich tradition of American folk music into the mainstream for the first time. During the late 50s & early 60s, the Trio enjoyed unprecedented record sales and worldwide fame, while influencing the musical tastes of a generation. Through changing times, the Trio has played on, remaining popular for a simple reason…great songs that sound as good today as the first time you heard them.

…great songs that sound as good today as the first time you heard them.

And fifty-eight years after Tom Dooley shot to the top of the charts, the Trio is still on the road thirty weeks a year, bringing back all the great memories and making new ones.

The Narragansett Bay Chorus is the performing unit of the Providence Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society – the largest male singing organization in the world! Competitively, the chorus has been the Society’s District winner on fifteen separate occasions.

Based in the Greater Providence area since 1949, the Narragansett Bay Chorus is a premier chorus that sings popular music a cappella in four-part harmony. They perform, primarily in the New England area, but have also performed in England, Canada, and across the United States. Membership includes men of all ages from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

American A Cappella featuring The Kingston Trio will be presented on Saturday, September 10 at 2:00 pm and 7:30 pm. The theatre is located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI. Tickets are $50 for premium seating, $40 for standard seating and $25 for value seating and are on sale at the box office Monday through Friday from 12 noon – 6:00 pm, Saturdays from 12 noon – 4:00 pm and performance days from 12 noon – curtain. Tickets are also available online 24 hours a day at www.OceanStateTheatre.org and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 921-6800.

The Ogunquit Playhouse Welcomes New Development Director Dan Breen

Theatre Announcements, , ,
The Ogunquit Playhouse welcomes Dan Breen as the new Development Director for the historic theatre.
The Ogunquit Playhouse welcomes Dan Breen as the new Development Director for the historic theatre.

Ogunquit, ME – The Ogunquit Playhouse is pleased to announce the appointment of Dan Breen to the position of Director of Development. Mr. Breen has 30 years of fundraising experience at educational and arts institutions including the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Middlebury College. “The Ogunquit Playhouse is a treasure not only for the seacoast region, but for everyone who loves the highest quality musical theater,” said Breen.

Helping to preserve this powerful art form while working to secure and strengthen the physical plant of the Ogunquit Playhouse are two of the overarching goals Mr. Breen will work to achieve. Through building fundraising efforts, his plans are to increase the Ogunquit Playhouse membership program, expand the Hartwig Legacy Society and to work with the Board of Directors and the community to raise funds for the capital needs of the iconic National Historic Register theatre and campus.

Executive Artistic Director Bradford Kenney stated, “We are thrilled to have Dan Breen as part of our growing company to lead us in the area of fundraising in order to help insure our treasured Playhouse will be here for generations to come. As the Ogunquit Playhouse productions continue to reach new benchmarks within our industry, it is more important than ever to raise the funds necessary to preserve our historic building, and to enhance and equip our theatre to accommodate both our artistic goals and to enhance our public areas in order to create the best possible experience for our visitors.”

Dan Breen and his family have relocated from the Philadelphia area to Kittery Point. Please join us in welcoming Dan to the Ogunquit Playhouse.
About the Ogunquit Playhouse: 
The Ogunquit Playhouse, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization listed on the National Historic Register, is located on Route One in Ogunquit, Maine and produces the finest Broadway musicals each season with performances Tuesday through Sunday, from May 18 to November 6. Follow the Ogunquit Playhouse on Twitter (@OgunquitPH) and on Facebook (facebook.com/OgunquitPlayhouse) for behind-the-scenes info, photos and fun throughout the season. For a complete list of show times, pricing and more information about the season visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org.

 

Ogunquit Playhouse Presents Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

Theatre Announcements, , , , , ,

 

Get Your Glitter On for the New England Premiere of 
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Ogunquit Playhouse August 10 to September 3.

Ogunquit, ME — Get your glitter on and take the ride of your life with the hilarious and heartwarming Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, based on the Oscar-winning film on stage at the Ogunquit Playhouse August 10 to September 3. The Ogunquit Playhouse is one of the first regional theatres in the U.S. to stage this outrageous international and Broadway smash hit, with book by Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott, complete with a non-stop dazzling array of over 500 imaginative and outrageous Tony Award-winning costumes and 200 headdresses designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner. Rounding out the fun is a hit parade of infectious dance songs from the 70s and 80s by Tina Turner, Cyndi Lauper, Donna Summer, The Village People and many other pop-stars and include “I Will Survive,” “Hot Stuff,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “True Colors,” and “I Love The Nightlife.” Don’t miss the bus! Hop on for a journey to the heart of fabulous!

Jarrod Emick
Jarrod Emick

The story follows the adventure of friends Tick, Bernadette and Adam who board a party bus named Priscilla and take their outrageous drag show on the road through the Australian Outback to unite Tick with his young son. Starring as Tick is Jarrod Emick who won a Tony Award, Drama Desk and Theatre World Award for his role as Joe Hardy in the 1994 Broadway revival of Damn Yankees. Mr. Emick has performed in many other Broadway shows as well, including Miss Saigon (Broadway debut), Rocky Horror Show, The Boy from Oz opposite Hugh Jackman, and Ring of Fire. He also appeared at the Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End premiere of The Full Monty. His regional theatre productions include Next to Normal, Guys and Dolls, Sweeney Todd, Bus Stop, Picnic, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Contact, Hands on a Hard Body and The Sound of Music.

William Selby
William Selby

William Selby joins the cast as Bernadette. He most recently enjoyed a long run of Laughing Matters, Vol. 5 at Florida Studio Theatre in Sarasota. Off-Broadway he has performed in many editions of Forbidden Broadway, The Daring Duo, Nerds, Forbidden Hollywood, Juba, and The Apple Tree. Mr. Selby has also performed in regional theatres throughout the U.S. in many shows including South Pacific as Luther Billis (for which he received Broadway World and Connecticut Critics Circle Award nominations for Outstanding Featured Actor), Barrymore, The Presidents, Hot n’ Cole, and All Night Strut. Playing Adam is Matthew Marks who is taking a break from his five year run in Broadway’s The Book of Mormon. Among his credits are the Broadway production of West Side Story

Matthew Marks
Matthew Marks

and the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof. Lisa Helmi-Johanson, Coleen Sexton and Debra Walton join the cast as the three Divas along for the fabulous ride. Ms. Helmi-Johanson has performed in regional theatres in the U.S. in Avenue Q, Waterfall, Taming of the Shrew and …Spelling Bee as well as many others. Ms. Sexton has performed on Broadway in Forever Dusty and the National Tours in Wicked as Elphaba, in Legally Blonde as Brooke Wyndham, and various roles in Chicago. Ms. Walton has performed on Broadway and Off-Broadway in many shows including The Pajama Game, Storyville!, The Bubbly Black Girl and Cookin’ At the Cookery: The Life and Times of Alberta Hunter, which earned her a Drama Desk Nomination and a Barrymore Award. Mitch Poulos, who has also performed throughout the U.S., most notably in the National Tours of Billy Elliot the Musical, is cast as Bob.

Helming the Ogunquit production is David Ruttura who is currently the Associate/Resident Director of School of Rock on Broadway. He has worked as Associate Director for many Broadway productions including Spider-Man, Follies, Lombardi, Million Dollar Quartet, White Christmas and A Man for All Seasons. Mr. Ruttera has also directed many shows for regional theatres across the U.S. including the Kennedy Center, La Jolla Playhouse and Gateway Playhouse.

Gerry McIntyre returns to the Ogunquit stage to choreograph Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. He was last at the Ogunquit Playhouse in 2012 to choreograph 9 to 5 the Musical and in 2010 as the Director/Choreographer for Chicago. Mr. McIntyre’s long career, both on the stage, as director and choreographer has included many regional, Off-Broadway and Broadway productions including, the Dreamgirls National Tour, One Man Two Guvnors, My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line, Oklahoma, Candide, Legally Blonde, Urinetown, and Hairspray.

Michael McAssey is the Musical Director for the Ogunquit production. He has conducted and music directed the Broadway National Tours of Avenue Q and Titanic: The Musical, and toured with Donny Osmond playing piano for Liventʼs Joseph…Dreamcoat. He has music directed at theatres throughout New York and the U.S. for various productions that include Chicago, Man of LaMancha, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, White Christmas, Ragtime, Sunset Boulevard, Gypsy, Violet, Smokey Joe’s Café among others. He appeared with Barbara Cook and Patti LuPone in Paris and toured with Ms. LuPone in her nightclub act, The Argentina Turner Revue.

Set design for the Ogunquit Playhouse production is by Stanley A. Meyer and Jason M. Curtis. Mr. Meyer’s set designs have been seen in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, Aida at the Alliance Theatre, Treasure Island at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, and From Here to Eternity and Saturday Night Fever at Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival. He has been recognized for his work by the League of American Theatres and Producers, National Broadway Award, Drama League Awards, American Theatre Wing Award and New York Outer Critics Circle Award, as well as the Los Angeles Ovation Award. Mr. Curtis has been the assistant designer for International Tour of Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever and From Here To Eternity at Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival among others.

Sound Designer for the Ogunquit production is Don Hanna whose regional theatre credits include Million Dollar Quartet and Billy Elliot, as well as the National Tours of Million Dollar Quartet and Smokey Joe’s Cafe 20th Anniversary. Lighting Designer is Richard Latta who has created the lighting for dozens of Ogunquit Playhouse productions, including most recently The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Sister Act, Victor Victoria, Nice Work If You Can Get It, Million Dollar Quartet, Saturday Night Fever and White Christmas in addition to many regional theatres in the U.S.