Good Theater Opens New Home With Grand Reopening Concert Series

After more than two decades as the theater-in-residence at The Hill Arts (formerly St. Lawrence Arts) on Munjoy Hill, Good Theater begins a new chapter with its long-awaited debut at the newly renovated and renamed Stevens Square Theater, a 500-seat venue located on the historic campus of the former Catherine McAuley High School. The company's grand re-opening concert, I'll Drink to That!, will mark the first public performances in the space and runs from April 30 through May 4, 2025.

The renovations were made possible through a partnership between Good Theater, Developers Collaborative, and the generous support of Good Theater patrons and donors. Together, they've created a revitalized venue that will serve as a cultural hub for Portland and beyond. The space will host Good Theater's full season of five mainstage productions, four cabaret concerts, and nine summer programs, as well as performances by other cultural organizations from across Maine.

I'll Drink to That! is a two-hour cabaret concert featuring 100 years of Broadway music, from classics like "The Night They Invented Champagne" and "Demon Rum" to rarities rarely heard live. Created, directed, and hosted by Good Theater Artistic Director Brian P. Allen, with musical direction and arrangements by Victoria Stubbs and choreography by Ray Dumont, the production features four acclaimed Broadway stars alongside 21 Maine-based performers and a live band of five local musicians.

Says Brian P. Allen: "Toasting, whether alcoholic or nonalcoholic, is the way we mark milestones in life. What better way to christen our new home than by raising a glass to the patrons, partners, and community that made all of this possible? This concert is a celebration of where we've been and where we're going."

Headlining Broadway performers include:

• American Idol's LaKisha Jones (The Color Purple, Queens of Rock & Soul)
• George Dvorsky (Brigadoon, Cinderella, Passion)
• Valerie Perri (Evita, Jerome Robbins' Broadway, Indecent)
• Kevin Smith Kirkwood (Kinky Boots, Spelling Bee, Classic Whitney: Alive!)