Maine State Music Theatre Announces Diamond Anniversary 60th Season

Maine State Music Theatre recently announced the titles that will be headlining a milestone season marking the company's 60th year in Brunswick. 2018 promises to be a celebration year with main stage titles including Million Dollar Quartet, Beauty and the Beast, Saturday Night Fever and Singin' in the Rain.

The first show of the season will roll in on June 6 - 23 with a high dose of rock and roll. Elvis Presley... Johnny Cash... Jerry Lee Lewis... Carl Perkins - a historic quartet brought together by an extraordinary twist of fate on a December evening in 1956. This meeting at Sun Records would become one of the greatest jam sessions ever! Based on a true story, the Tony®Award-winning hit sensation, Million Dollar Quartet brings that momentous occasion to vibrant life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal, and celebration that is both poignant and funny. Relive the era through the Billboard genres of rock 'n' roll, gospel, R&B, and country with an unbelievable score and unforgettable numbers that every generation knows, including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "Walk the Line," "Great Balls of Fire," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Hound Dog," and many more.

The second show ushers in a beloved tale that was last seen on the Pickard stage in 2006. This revered fairytale - a timeless family favorite - is one of the largest of the season, with expansive sets, beautifully crafted costumes, a large chorus with a robust sound, and more! Disney's Beauty and the Beast comes to Brunswick on June 27 through July 14 to remind us to look beyond one's exterior and find the beauty from within. All of the fanciful characters, such as a talking tightly wound clock (the butler), adorable tea cup (a young boy), and a kindhearted candelabra (maître d'), are trapped in this spellbound form until the beast, who is actually a young prince, can learn to love and have his love returned. Beauty and the Beast is based on the Academy Award- winning animated feature, with all the cheerful songs we know and love, including "Be Our Guest," "Gaston," and of course "Beauty and the Beast."

Positioned in the third slot of the season on July 18 - August 4, Saturday Night Fever promises to bring the music of The Bee Gees back in full force. Based on the 1977 blockbuster film, Saturday Night Fever whisks you back to the 1970s, where open shirts, bell-bottoms, and disco were all the rage. Tony Manero, a talented street-wise kid from Brooklyn, yearns to escape his dead-end job and become a "disco king" at the local club. He meets a young lady who can help him achieve his dance dreams, but will she accept his advances and help him change his world? Packed with legendary hits from The Bee Gees including: "Stayin' Alive," "You Should Be Dancing," "How Deep Is Your Love," and many more, Saturday Night Fever sizzles with a compelling story and explosive dance. Songs from the original movie soundtrack, one of the most successful movie albums of all time, are included in the stage musical.

Closing the Diamond Jubilee season on the Pickard Stage on August 8 - 25 is Singin' in the Rain - faithfully and lovingly adapted by Broadway legends, Betty Comden and Adolph Green, from their original award-winning screenplay for the stage. Each unforgettable scene, song, and dance is accounted for, including the show-stopping title number! Singin' in the Rainhas all the makings of a Tinseltown tabloid headline - the starlet, the leading man, and a love affair that could change lives and make or break careers. In silent movies, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a hot item, but behind the scenes, things aren't always as they appear on the big screen! Meanwhile, Lina's squeaky voice might be the end of her career in "talking pictures" without the help of a talented young actress to do the talking and singing for her.

In addition to its main stage shows, MSMT will offer three Monday Concerts. For the first time ever, this series will also be offered as a subscription. First up in the series on Monday June 18 is I Love a Piano, the celebration of the music and lyrics of Irving Berlin. On Monday July 30 is a loving send-up of the 1960s, small-town America: Bye Bye Birdie. Ending the season's Concert Series on August 13 is a celebration of MSMT's last 60 years as we welcome audiences favorite Maine State Music Theatre performers - past and present - as they present a star-studded tribute to the past six decades of bringing "Broadway to Brunswick."

Theatre for Young Audiences shows for 2018 include Cinderella on June 13 and 16 and Pinocchio on August 20.

MSMT's will once again end the summer with a co-production with Portland Stage. Nunsense on August 14 - 26 follows the crazy antics of five nuns from the Little Sisters of Hoboken convent. When their cook accidentally serves up some tainted soup, 52 of the sisters are poisoned and die, leaving only five living nuns who were not at home the day of the toxic meal. When the convent's first in charge, Reverend Mother Regina, splurges on a plasma TV, the sisters find themselves strapped for cash, as they still have four dead nuns to bury (whose bodies are being stored in the kitchen freezer!). The nuns decide to put on a benefit performance of the musical Grease in order to raise the rest of the money before the health department discovers their secret. Brimming with humor, this zany musical is the winner of Four Outer Critics Circle Awards including Best Off Broadway Musical.

Maine State Music Theatre's 2018 Season is sponsored by Highland Green and OceanView at Falmouth.

Subscriptions are available over the phone by calling (207) 725-8769, or in person by visiting the Box Office located at 22 Elm Street, Brunswick. Single tickets for the 2018 season will go on sale in April. Visit www.msmt.org for more information.

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