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Good Theater, the professional theater in residence at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress Street, Portland, will close its 13th season with HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN - Streisand's 60's Songbook. The show is created and directed by Brian P. Allen, Good Theater's Artistic Director. It stars Lesley McKinnell a veteran of the national tour of Wicked where she played the leading role of Glinda. Victoria Stubbs is the musical director/arranger and pianist for the show.
HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN plays April 8-26 with performances on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 ($20), Fridays at 7:30 and Saturday matinees at 3:00 ($25), and Saturday evenings at 7:30 and Sunday matinees at 2:00 ($28). For tickets and more information, call the Good Theater box office at 207-885-5883 or go to the company's website www.goodtheater.com .
Director/creator Brian P. Allen has long been a fan of Streisand's early work. "I fell in love with Barbra's voice in the mid-1960's. It is that decade of her career that fascinates me and features some of the greatest music ever written." During the 60's, Streisand went from being a recent high school graduate to conquering nightclubs, Broadway, television, recordings and the movies winning eight Grammy Awards, 3 Emmy Awards, an Oscar and an honorary Tony Award as "Star of the Decade." It is a fascinating journey and one Allen will explore as host/narrator of the show. "It is a little bit dishy, but in a good way," says Allen.
Lesley McKinnell spent two years with the national tour of Wicked first playing Nessarose and then assuming the role of Glinda. She starred in Young Frankenstein at the Ogunquit Playhouse and has been seen in productions of Side by Side by Sondheim, Guys and Dolls as well as Les Miserables at the Hollywood Bowl. You can learn more about Lesley by going to her website www.lesleymckinnell.com or check out her YouTube video singing one of the songs from Happy Days Are Here Again, "Starting Here Starting Now," http://lesleymckinnell.com/media_starting2014.html.
Victoria Stubbs is the resident musical director for Good Theater. In addition to creating the arrangements for Happy Days Are Here Again, she has been the musical director for Striking 12, The Spitfire Grill and many editions of Broadway at Good Theater.Happy Days Are Here Again takes a look at the meteoric rise of Streisand from her early days singing in small clubs in NYC to her Broadway debut, to the career defining role in Funny Girl, to her television specials and her numerous recordings, to her film debut which won her the Oscar for Best Actress. It is a decade unmatched by any star.
Previously this season, Good Theater presented The Rainmaker, Mrs. Mannerly, Broadway at Good Theater, Regrets Only and The Other Place. Still to come is Underwaterguy, the new edition of Steve Underwood's one-man multi-media show running in rep with Happy Days Are Here Again.
Recently Good Theater announced plans for its 14 season: Good Theater on Tour launch, the world premiere Mama's Boy by Rob Urbinati, the Maine premiere of the international hit Shear Madness by Paul Portner and the Maine premiere of Act One by James Lapine adapted from Moss Hart's autobiography which was nominated for five Tony Awards last season on Broadway including Best Play.
