April Spain

Internationally acclaimed one woman show BETTE DAVIS AIN'T FOR SISSIES has been one of the success stories of the pandemic era. Just before COVID lockdowns began, writer/performer Jessica Sherr was in negotiations for the official Off-Broadway debut of her touring show.

Just before COVID lockdowns began, writer/performer Jessica Sherr was in negotiations for the official Off-Broadway debut of her touring show. Her first livestream of BETTE DAVIS AIN'T FOR SISSIES on April 3, 2020 via Facebook proved that there was interest in Davis and watching solo performances from home.

Stephen Flaherty's catchy and powerful melodies and Lynn Ahren's poignant lyrics 'It was the music of something beginning, an era exploding, a century spinning. In riches and rags, and in rhythm and rhyme. The people called it Ragtime.' can be heard at Maine's very own Ogunquit Playhouse running now until August 26th. I was lucky enough to sit down and chat with ensemble member Megan Lione to talk about how the story of Ragtime is more important than ever, as it is a piece of theatre that discusses diversity, inclusion, and love. Lione says 'The cast is incredible, all ages and backgrounds. It's really amazing.'

In a bold, beautiful, and powerful production of Ragtime, the Ogunquit Playhouse gives its audience a compelling reminder that, as E. I. Doctorow once said, 'history is the present.' The 1996 musical with book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lyn Ahrens resonates perhaps even more strongly today than it did then with its raw grappling with the issues of race, prejudice, hope and violence and the struggle to define and achieve the American dream. Set in the volatile melting pot of pre- World War I America with its booming industrialization, the influx of vast waves of immigrants, and the social norms challenged by tenuous race relations, Ragtime weaves together the stories of three very different families as each seeks to find his place in the American tapestry.

One of the most popular movie musicals adapted for the stage, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers has enjoyed several notable regional productions in the past few seasons, and the Ogunquit Playhouse's current staging demonstrates once again the nostalgic appeal of this sweet and folksy romantic tale set in America's pioneer days. The Kasha/Landay/Mercer/DePaul/Hirschhorn 1954 movie musical based on a Stephen Vincent Benet story, though it proved a disappointment when first adapted for the musical theatre stage in 1982, seems in the turbulent first decades of the 21st century to have struck chords in audiences who may hunger for the innocence and vibrant energy at its core.

The Ogunquit Playhouse in southern Maine has been setting the bar higher and higher with each new production under Bradford T. Kenney, artistic director. What used to be a quintessential ocean-side summer stock house now operates from May through November, often mounting New England, and occasionally national, regional premieres. Its current musical, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, is the company's most ambitious venture yet. Adapted from the 1996 Disney animated film which was based on the classic Victor Hugo novel "Notre Dame de Paris," the Ogunquit production boasts a towering vaulted set design, a 21-member cast of Broadway veterans, and a tremendous 32-member choir. This HUNCHBACK delivers soaring vocals as big as its epic themes.