GHOST at Maine State Music Theatre

BWW Review: MSMT Fellowship Performers' Showcase Deep in Talent

In this last week of Maine State Music Theatre’s 2021 season, despite having to cancel several productions due to Covid-related issues, the 63-year-old company demonstrated its continued vitality and commitment to delivering the best in musical theatre. With two performances, held at Freeport’s Cadenza, MSMT showcased fourteen young professionals who, together with Music Director Ben McNaboe, created one of the most vibrant cabaret evenings in recent memory. The generous more than 90-minute program featured ta varied repertoire ranging from Broadway classics to more recent shows, to pop covers in a series of ensembles, duets, and solos. The program was crafted by McNaboe, who did all the vocal coaching and led the evening from the grand piano, where he demonstrated his own versatility and impressive musicianship.

BWW Interview: Rediscovering Our Joy - MSMT Stars Celebrate in Two Concerts

“This has been a tough year and a half for so many, and the arts can help us rediscover our joy,” says actress Charis Leos, speaking enthusiastically about her upcoming appearance in one of Maine State Music Theatre Stars Concerts scheduled to celebrate the theatre’s return to live performing this summer. “It is a special gift for me to be able to perform again at a theatre that holds such a special place in my heart. To me it signals a return to the joy of the shared experience of live performance,” Leos adds. Leos is one of eight stars, chosen by Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark, to perform two gala concerts, each with different repertoire and cast at the Pickard Theater in Brunswick in July and August 2021. The first runs from July 28-August 1 and features Charis Leos, Lauren Blackman, Robert Creighton, and Kingsley Leggs. The second runs from August 4-8 with Felicia P. Fields, Heidi Kettenring, David Girolmo, and Gregg Goodbrod. Both programs are directed by Curt Dale Clark, who says the concerts will “offer audiences a chance to revel in the songs and stories that have kept audiences flocking to the Pickard for decades.”

BWW Review: Scott Moreau Celebrates the Man in Black

Maine State Music Theatre kicked off its Monday Concert Series with three sold-out performances (June 15-17) of Scott Moreau's original Johnny Cash tribute concert, WALKIN' THELINE. Moreau's identification with Cash is deep and unerring, and he brings to his portrayal of the iconic singer not only a mellifluous bass-baritone, but also the skills of a fine actor combining them into a truly remarkable theatrical experience.

BWW Interview: Giving Back Some of the Magic: Felicia P. Fields

"It's the kind of music that makes you feel regal," actress Felicia P. Fields says, describing the genius of Duke Ellington. "The word 'sophistication' isn't used as much today as it was back then. There was an elegance in the period." Fields, who is one of the stars of Maine State Music Theatre's new production of SOPHISTICATED LADIES, which runs at the Pickard Theater from June 5-22, 2019, believes that the production, directed by Marc Robin with three individual choreographers and an eleven piece orchestra perfectly captures the 1920s and 1930s and the big-band era.

Tickets on Sale for Maine State Music Theatre's Summer Season

Tickets for Maine State Music Theatre's summer season go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, April 24 at 9:00 AM.