GAY BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN To Open At Players' Ring October 20

Just in time for the Halloween season, the Players’ Ring Theatre is bringing back its original comic-book rock musical, “Gay Bride of Frankenstein,” opening Oct. 20.

With music and lyrics by Butler, and book by Dane Leeman and Billy Butler, the “Gay Bride of Frankenstein” concept album was created by Butler and the Monster Makers during the 2008 RPM Challenge and premiered live on stage at the Ring that same year. The RPM Challenge is a global creative challenge to record original music in February. Any genre, any length, any level of experience, anywhere.

“Hearts will be broken, love will come back from the dead, and heads will bang to face melting guitar solos,” Butler said. 

“I'm excited for a whole new generation to see this show. It's strange to think that most of the current cast were toddlers when we first presented it. So much has changed in 15 years but I imagine this show is more relevant than ever.”

Butler said the first production at the Players' Ring was magical. 

“I've been a song writer for as long I as I can remember but had never thought I was capable of writing for theater,” he said. “I spent 29 days in February of 2008 writing 10 songs along with a first draft of the script with Dane. We then pitched it to the Ring. They accepted it into the season and we were off!”

The next step was the comic book they co-created with local comic artist, Katie Drew. The comics were incorporated into the stage show with projections, using them as actual characters along with real life actors. 

“The audiences ate it up and we sold out the entire run simply via word of mouth,” Butler said. “There were rave reviews and tons of buzz.”

It was a top selection in the 2009 New York Musical Theatre Festival, opening Sept. 28 and closing Oct.11, and played seven sold-out performances at the TBG Theater in New York City. It then played at Seacoast Repertory Theatre in 2010 with a professional equity cast and two concerts at Joe's Pub in New York City in 2011. 

That year Gay Bride was crowned as the Grand Marshall of the Portsmouth Halloween Parade. The cast, crew, and band all marched together. 

“We recorded an EP of the five new songs I wrote, and released the CD in 2011,” Butler said. 

“We then went into developmental productions for a few years, more rewriting and composing new songs. There was a lot of interest from producers and investors, but we were told a musical with two lesbians as the main characters would never make it to Broadway, especially, with the title, ‘Gay Bride of Frankenstein’.”

As the business goes, the buzz wore off and things went cold for a while. They did a concert version in 2017 at the Rochester Opera House and then decided to take all those years of writing and rewriting to solidify the story they wanted to tell. 

“We pitched it to the Ring last winter as the 15th anniversary production and they enthusiastically accepted,” Butler said. “It's pretty much a brand-new show now and we can't wait for you all to see how far we've come. This cast is all local and so good and we have the original line up of the Monster Makers – me on keys and vocals, Tim McCoy on bass, Jamie Perkins on drums, and Jon McCormack on guitar.”

The production is directed and choreographed by Adrienne Maitland-Laguda; set design by Dane Leeman and Billy Butler; illustrations by Katie Drew; lighting design by Quentin Stockwell; costume design by Sarai Kramer; hair and make-up by Patrick Dorow; sound by Billy Butler and Tomer Oz; props by Dane Leeman and Christa Wellmare and stage management by Lindsey Nelson.

Located in a historic building adjacent to Prescott Park in Portsmouth since 1992, the Players’ Ring strives to nurture creative freedom and artistic excellence within the local artist community, and to offer patrons inspiring theater experiences within its uniquely intimate performance space with just 75 seats.

The Puddle Dock Restaurant right across the street, and its sister restaurant Tour on Lafayette Road offer a 10% and 20% discount, respectively, on food to Players' Ring ticket holders. If patrons choose to take advantage of this offer at the Puddle Dock, they will be able to leave their cars parked in the restaurant's lot for the duration of the play (subject to availability.) 

The Players' Ring is grateful for the support of the Rochester Opera House as Show Sponsor and the Main Sponsors: The Puddle Dock Restaurant, Tour Restaurant, Southport Printing Company, Kennebunk Savings and MacEdge. 

“Gay Bride of Frankenstein” – a comic book-rock musical directed by Adrienne Maitland-Laguda

Where: The Players’ Ring Theatre

105 Marcy Street, Portsmouth, NH

Phone: (603) 436-8123

When: Oct. 20 through Nov. 5

Fridays: 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays: 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, 2:30 p.m.

*SPECIAL PERFORMANCE AFTER THE PORTSMOUTH HALLOWEEN PARADE ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31 AT 9 P.M.

Ticket Prices: General admission, $31; seniors (over 65) and students, $28

This show is included in the Players’ Ring subscription packages:

Four- and six -show subscriptions available ($92, $129, offering 20%, 25% off single-ticket prices.)

Visit www.playersring.org to order tickets and subscriptions.

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