Beautiful at Pickard Theatre

Interview: Stewards of the Music: A Conversation with BUDDY HOLLY Cast

We are the stewards of the music. We are here to keep it alive and share it with as many people as possible,” says actor Jayson Elliott, who plays the Big Bopper in Maine State Music Theatre’s current production of THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY. Elliott joins Diego Guevara, who portrays Ritchie Valens, Angela C. Howell, director/choreographer/music director who also plays Vi Petty, and MSMT Artistic Director, Curt Dale Clark for a conversation about the musical with Broadway World’s Maine Editor, Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold at the second Peek Behind the Curtain series of the season. The record-breaking crowd attending the panel discussion mirrors the sold-out houses THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY has been drawing each night at the Pickard Theatre. They have come to celebrate the rock n’ roll legends and to explore what made Buddy Holly and his early colleagues such phenomena of music history.

An Exquisite Heidi Kettenring Opens MSMT's Concert Series

Chicago’s Leading Lady and beloved superstar of MSMT, Heidi Kettenring returns to the Pickard Theatre for three splendid concerts featuring the music of Carole King, Karen Carpenter, Linda Ronstadt, and Joni Mitchell. An exquisite chanteuse, Kettenring combines vocal richness and power, interpretive flair, and sheer elegance and class in an evening of song and sentiment that goes straight to the heart.

BWW Review: More Stars Brighten MSMT Galaxy

As a sequel to the first gala concert last week featuring some of the company’s most celebrated and beloved performers, MSMT presents two more special performances of its STARS #2 Concert on August 8-9. This second gala, directed once again by Curt Dale Clark with Ben McNaboe as Music Director, features four other nationally prominent artists who have been closely associated with the theatre - Felicia P. Fields, Heidi Kettenring, David Girolmo, and Gregg Goodbrod – in a program of story and song that dazzles and delights with its brilliance, humor, and warmth. One of Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark’s many talents is his ability to discover, retain, and nurture talent – from young artists to seasoned performers – and to create performances that tap into each individual artist’s best selves. This gala (as in the first) has been proof of that, as each artist is showcased in musical theatre numbers that have defined his/her careers. The evening is fast-paced, witty, and poignant by turns, allowing the audience to revel in the emotional ride that fine theatre provides.