Wendell Scott Purrington Joins Ogunquit Playhouse's 'HUNCHBACK' as Chorus Master

The Ogunquit Playhouse is thrilled to announce that Wendell Scott Purrington has signed on as chorus master for the two 32-piece choruses that accompany the cast in the upcoming production of the brand new musical THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME on stage July 13 through August 6, 2016.

Mr. Purrington will be on site for chorus auditions helping to select the final chorus members, and then will oversee all chorus rehearsals. He will work directly with Brent-Alan Huffman, the Conductor and Music Director to review the notes, rhythms, phrasings and dynamics of the music, develop an appropriate blend and balance within the chorus, refine the tone quality of the ensemble, review and refine the pronunciation of the Latin texts, and offer some interpretive suggestions. The chorus performs during the musical numbers set within the Cathedral of Notre Dame to heighten the intensity of the music's orchestral power and choral beauty.

Mr. Purrington exclaimed, "I'm tremendously excited about being a part of this incredible production of Hunchback! The entire score is brilliantly crafted and thematically unified. It is of monumental, operatic proportions! The choral portions quote melodic motifs of the principle characters while using liturgical Latin texts and adding to the setting in the cathedral. This will be one of the grandest productions the patrons of the Playhouse will have ever seen or heard!"

Wendell Scott Purrington recently retired as Performing Arts Department Chair for the Portsmouth, New Hampshire School District. Currently he is Choral Director at Dover High School, co-director of the Fourth Street Jazz Choir in Dover, the Director of Music Ministries at York First Parish Church, and is a member of the American Choral Directors Association and the American Guild of Organists. This year marks his twenty-third year as Musical Director and Conductor of Seacoast Community Chorus. In addition, Mr. Purrington has been the guest conductor for many choral ensembles including Amare Cantare and the Manchester Choral Society on its concert tour of Italy in 1999, has conducted many festival and All State choirs throughout New England as well as the musical director for six summer productions at the Prescott Park Arts Festival. He has performed as a tenor soloist with several ensembles in Northern New England and helped establish the annual Messiah-Sing at the Portsmouth Music Hall.

Brent-Alan Huffman conducted the recent Billboard #1 cast recording of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, as well as served as Musical Director for the original U.S. companies in 2015, and was seen last year conducting Ogunquit Playhouse's production of Sister Act. On Broadway he conducted Leap Of Faith, Sister Act, Disney's The Little Mermaid, and Disney's Beauty and the Beast, and played keyboards for Disney's The Lion King, and Grease! ('94 revival.) His National Tours include Conductor/Music Director for Sister Act, Little Shop of Horrors, and Beauty and the Beast. He has worked as the Music Supervisor for Annie and Beauty and the Beast (Mexico City); Associate Music Supervisor for THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (U.S. and Tokyo), and Sister Act (Sao Paulo); and Production Music Coordinator for The Music Man (ABC Television); and Associate Music Producer for A Christmas Carol (NBC/Hallmark.) Mr. Huffman's singing voice is heard in the Disney movies Enchanted and Tangled.

The Ogunquit Playhouse is holding auditions for individuals to join the choirs that perform with the cast of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. Auditions will be held on Saturday, March 19 from 10am-6pm and Sunday, March 20 from Noon-4pm at the Ogunquit Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center, 36 Main Street (Route One), Ogunquit, Maine. Appointments must be made in advance by emailing Norman Levey at bnlevey@aol.com. For more information visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/auditions.

Mark your calendars now and get ready to see every show this year. Season tickets are on sale now and are the best way to guarantee the best seats for the lowest price, starting at only $215 for a five-show or $129 for a three-show Super Saver package. Individual tickets are on sale now, prices start at $47 each. To learn more about becoming a Playhouse member, or to purchase tickets and gift cards, visit www.ogunquitplayhouse.org or call the Ogunquit Playhouse Box Office at 207-646-5511.

Opening the Ogunquit Playhouse season is the international musical sensation Let It Be - A Celebration of the Music of The Beatles, rocking the stage from May 18 to June 11. This exciting tribute show follows the Fab Four's meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool's Cavern Club, through the heights of Beatlemania, to their later studio masterpieces. Next on stage is the delightful Anything Goes, June 15 to July 9. This splendid and saucy musical comedy is one of the most enjoyable stage musicals ever created, as well as the winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is on stage July 13 to August 6. The Ogunquit Playhouse is also proud to produce the regional premiere of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, on stage from August 10 to September 3. Get ready to put your glitter on and take the ride of your life with the hilarious and heartwarming Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, based on the Oscar winning film, that follows the fabulous journey of three performers who hop on board a battered old bus and take their show to the Australian outback. Pull up your boots and hold onto your hats when Seven Brides for Seven Brothers hits the stage September 7 to October 1. This all-dancing, all-singing, all-new production of the rip-roarin' musical comedy classic bursts onto the stage with rambunctious energy. Elvis, Jerry Lee, Perkins and Cash return by popular demand! Million Dollar Quartet, the best-selling show in the history of the Playhouse, hits the stage October 5 to November 6 with the 2015 cast to once again to rock out the season with one mega-hit song after the next.

The Ogunquit Playhouse is America's Foremost Summer Theatre, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization, producing the finest Broadway musicals each season, with performances Tuesday through Sunday, from mid-May to November. Follow the Ogunquit Playhouse on Twitter (@OgunquitPH) and become our fan on Facebook (facebook.com/OgunquitPlayhouse) for behind-the-scenes info, photos and fun throughout the season.

To post a comment, you must register and login.