Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold

What could be more enticing to youngsters than Christmas that comes early? This summer Maine State Music Theatre invites families to experience Christmas in July at the Pickard Theatre and to share the magic of a musical never before presented here in Brunswick: Robin and Clark’s  THE STORY OF THE NUTCRACKER. Twinkling lights, myriads of trees, a market filled with goodies, and even a hint of snow …. all join forces to create an immersive experience for the Theatre for Young Audiences series. While Robin and Clark’s musical version of the Nutcracker story has been a Christmas staple for years in cities like Chicago and Lancaster, PA, It has not been presented here in Maine until now.  But after this debut series of performances, one can only hope it will become a new Maine tradition.

The thermometer in Brunswick Maine reads 85°F, but as one approaches the Pickard Theater, a band plays Christmas music outside, and inside the lights are twinkling; the halls are decked with garlands and wreaths; there is literally a forest of elegantly decorated trees, and there is a promise of snow in the air. This is, indeed, a white Christmas like no other. The brainchild of Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark, Maine Street Music Theatre has created “Christmas in July” with a spectacular production of Irving Berlin’s classic WHITE CHRISTMAS, directed and choreographed by Marc Robin as its centerpiece. This is a singular and sensational opportunity to experience a breathtaking Broadway musical in a beautiful fantasy setting. 

“There’s so much more to this show than just Christmas,” declares actress Kerry Conte, describing Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS, which receives its first ever production at Maine State Music Theatre beginning July 17.  “It’s one of those shows that has something for everyone,” adds co-star Will Ray.  “How lucky are we to spread a little Christmas cheer in July!” Ray, who plays Bob Wallace, and Conte, who portrays Betty Haynes, are enthusing about Maine State Music Theatre’s newest extravaganza: a spectacular, immersive production of the holiday classic that will transform the entire Pickard Theater and offer dazzling visual effects, breathtaking choreography, and stunning vocal and dance performances as it tells the beloved story in the irresistible language of live theatre.

Maine State Music Theatre’s second concert of the season is a high energy musical tribute to Sir Elton John, performed by pianist and singer Colte Julian. The adrenaline-pumping program, WONDERFUL CRAZY NIGHT, features a well-chosen setlist of songs spanning some sixty years of John’s colorful and complex career. These mega hits are interspersed with biographical tidbits and snippets of video as Colte and his four-piece band rock away the evening, recalling the many moods and milestones of the “Rocket Man’s” superstar career.

“We battle with other theatres to get the rights for shows.  We always try to get MSMT on the national radar as much as we can and get first rights if possible, but it is very competitive,” explains Curt Dale Clark, Maine State Music Theatre’s Artistic Director, as he recounts how the Brunswick theatre managed a virtual coup for this 2024 season by becoming the first regional theatre to receive the rights to produce FUNNY GIRL after it closed its recent revival on Broadway.  “In the case of FUNNY GIRL, Concord Theatricals was holding our money for a show that we planned to produce in 2020 before the pandemic shut everyone down. Since they do not return money, they were eager for us to choose another show from their catalog and clear their books.  I agreed if they would give us the first rights to FUNNY GIRL after the Broadway show closed.” Clark is sharing his thoughts with the audience at MSMT’s second Peek Behind the Curtain on July 3 at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, where he is joined by actors Sue Cella, Douglas Raymond Williams, and Michelle Beth Herman, as well as panel moderator, Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold.

Maine State Music Theatre’s new production of FUNNY GIRL is a triumph for its star and a coup for the company. Obtaining the first rights to produce the show after the closing of the recent Broadway revival is an unprecedented accomplishment for the theatre’s Artistic Director, Curt Dale Clark.  In addition, the production, itself, is arguably the first FUNNY GIRL anywhere to use the state-of-the art video technology, and perhaps the most thrilling feat of all: not only does the entire cast deliver stunning performances, but Jenna Lea Rosen, who makes her MSMT debut and role debut as Fanny Brice, is unquestionably a superstar. The result is an evening in the theatre that is as exhilarating and spellbinding as any you will see on any stage and an experience not to be missed!

“There was no one else like Fanny Brice!  Since I was a child, I have identified with her in so many ways,” enthuses Jenna Lea Rosen, who makes her MSMT debut and role debut this week in the first regional revival since the Broadway show’s recent closing.

For its first sold out concert of the 2024 season, Maine State Music Theatre presents the music of two vocal virtuosi of Pop, Celine Dion and Barbra Streisand.   Performed by twin sisters, Susie Pepper and Ali Butler, with guests and their band, Mixology, The Way We Were The Music of Celine & Barbra pays homage to both divas in electric and riveting arrangements of their greatest hits. 

“I feel a responsibility to both past and present,” declares MSMT Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark, who also serves, together with Marc Robin as Co-Director for the production which opens MSMT’s 2024 season.

In a colorful, imaginative retelling of this “tale as old as time,” MSMT opens its 2024 TYA series with a revival of Robin and Clark’s version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. The production, directed by Betsy Puelle, not only offers a contemporary twist on the classic fairytale, but also layers onto that version another dimension of fantasy and fun. Setting the ancient story as a play within a modern play, Robin and Clark create the dual perspective that characterizes many of their musicals and allows the actors to break the fourth wall and engage the youngsters directly. The narrator, a schoolgirl named Cindy, fashion – often improvises - her version of the story, lobbies to have it produced, and eventually plays a pivotal role in the work. Employing MSMT’s exciting new video technology, a stellar cast of young professionals, and incorporating large-scale, whimsical puppetry into the mix, this BEAUTY AND THE BEAST proves the resilience of the source material and the creative genius of the company

“We perform in parking lots, restaurants, tents, bandshells, and lovely venues like this one,” declares Maine State Music Theatre’s Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark. He is addressing a full house in the Lunt Auditorium at Oceanview at Falmouth on May 30. It is only one of over 95 free public outreach events that MSMT offers in the course of each year,  but today is special because it introduces the new 2024 crop of MSMT Singers in their second public performance since arriving in the state. An outgrowth of the company’s former intern program, the MSMT Singers are an elite group of young (college age) professionals selected by Clark in an annual nationwide search that has holds over 3000 auditions for eight spots. “These young artists have to sing, dance and act on a scale of at least an 8 out of 10 when they come here,” Clark explains, “and when they leave, I expect that they will have grown into the stars they are going to be.”  

Respectful of the show’s legacy and sensitive to contemporary context, Maine State Music Theatre has mounted a stunning revival of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, SOUTH PACIFIC.  Marshalling the company’s considerable artistic resources, this 75th anniversary production is musically glorious, visually lush, and packed with emotion and talent.

“SOUTH PACIFIC is a masterpiece, and the role of Emile de Becque is an important one.  He is a man who hates war, has found his slice of peace, and is willing to fight for love.  It is such a joy to play the part and be able to fall in love eight times a week.”  Baritone William Michals is sharing his thoughts about MSMT and Fulton Theatres’ new co-production of SOUTH PACIFIC which opens MSMT’s 65th season on June 6, 2024 (Previews June 5).  His enthusiasm for the project is shared by his co-star, Carolyn Anne Miller, who plays Ensign Nellie Forbush. “I have fond memories of the show from the records my grandmother, who was an actor, used to play.  I knew all the songs by heart, and it is a thrill to play the role for the first time.”

Portland Stage joins forces with the Dramatic Repertory Company to revive Tony Kushner’s multiple award-winning 1991 drama, ANGELS IN AMERICA, in a production that Artistic Director Anita Stewart proudly calls “all Maine-made.”  The company has shouldered the huge task of presenting the sprawling seven-hour epic in two parts, the first of which “Millennium Approaches” proves its ability to create a powerful emotional impact long after its premiere.

“The world is coming back online, and people are getting back to who they were before the pandemic,” declares MSMT Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark. “Ticket sales are as close as they have come to pre-pandemic levels, and there is an extraordinary buzz surrounding the upcoming 2024 season.” 

What did our critic think of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Merrill Auditorium?

Maine State Ballet revives one of its favorite classics, CINDERELLA, in an elegant and ageless production with the choreography of Linda MacArthur Miele and the design wizardry of Gail Csoboth.  The production, grounded in the Balanchine tradition in which Miele was nurtured, is eloquent in its disarming simplicity of narrative and timeless traditionalism of its dance.  Set to Serge Prokofiev’s stirring score, Miele’s eighty minutes of dance offers an afternoon of enchantment.

Portland’s Good Theater poetic, poignant revival of the Ahrens/Flaherty musical, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, exquisitely directed by Brian P. Allen, marks several memorable milestones for this company which has been a jewel in Portland’s theatrical scene for twenty-one seasons.

Katie Forgette’s bittersweet memory play about a Catholic childhood in the 1970s takes the stage at the Public Theatre in Lewiston in a gently funny and touching production directed by Janet Mitchko.  INCIDENT AT OUR LADY OF PERPETUAL HELP focuses on the O’Shea family, a prototypical middle class Irish-American Catholic family, who grapple with the daily struggles of making ends meet, raising two daughters, and caring for each other within the context and constraints of their Catholic upbringing and community. The universality of the characters, and their quest for compassion and forgiveness gives the work its heart.

Portland’s Good Theater newest production is a side-splittingly funny, perfectly timed farce with ancient roots in Italy’s Commedia dell’Arte, Richard Bean’s ONE MAN TWO GUVNORS.