Mark Tran Russ

SPAMALOT Comes to The 5th Avenue Theatre This February
by Stephi Wild - Jan 7, 2026

The 5th Avenue Theatre Company has announced Monty Python's SPAMALOT, the outrageously hilarious, Tony Award-winning musical comedy that lovingly celebrates the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Review Roundup: SPAMALOT Embarks on North American Tour
by Stephi Wild - Dec 17, 2025

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical Comedy Monty Python’s SPAMALOT is now on its North American Tour. Read the reviews and learn more about the show here!

Video: Meet the Company of MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT North American Tour
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Nov 18, 2025

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical Comedy Monty Python’s SPAMALOT is launching a North American Tour, and BroadwayWorld's Richard Ridge went behind the scenes with the cast to get a sneak peek! 

Major Attaway and More Will Lead MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT North American Tour
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 31, 2025

Full casting has been announced for the North American tour of the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Comedy Monty Python’s SPAMALOT. The production will launch at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio, beginning performances Monday, December 1.

Review: THE CHER SHOW at Straz Center
by Deborah Bostock-Kelley - Jan 17, 2025

Whether you're a lifelong fan or new to Cher's legacy, The Cher Show, currently running at the Straz Center through this Sunday, is a musical that doesn't just celebrate her life—it captures the enduring spirit and resilience of one of the greatest icons of our time, making it an unforgettable theatrical experience.

Cast Announced For The 24-25 National Tour Of THE CHER SHOW
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 23, 2024

THE CHER SHOW's 2024-2025 national tour cast has been announced. The tour officially reopens in Orlando, FL on November 12, 2024, following previews in Duluth, GA, and Clemson, SC. We have all the details on who will star in the show.

Review: MSMT Celebrates Community
by Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Aug 15, 2024

On August 14, the Brunswick Town Mall brimmed full with spectators, all eager to enjoy Maine State Music Theatre’s annual free Concert on the Mall, presented in collaboration with the Brunswick Downtown Association. For MSMT, the performance is a meaningful opportunity to give back to the community that has supported the theatre all summer. Stars of the final main stage show, BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, together with the MSMT singers and several other favorite artists, treated the enthusiastic crowd of all ages to an evening of Broadway favorites and covers of popular standards.

Review: Beyond the Rainbow: MSMT Presents THE WIZARD OF OZ Youth Edition
by Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Aug 12, 2024

When Dorothy, swept away by the tornado, finds herself transported beyond the rainbow to a land of vibrant color, the audience at Maine State Music Theatre’s final Theatre for Young Audiences production gasps in wonder. The production of the children’s version of the Harold Arlen/Yip Harburg musical with a cast of young professionals and local youth, directed by Betsy Puelle, has transformed the Pickard Theater into a land of pure fantasy and imagination using all the theatrical elements at their disposal. MSMT serves up an evening of song, dance, puppetry, and visual wizardry that is one of the most stunning and enchanting TYA performances seen there in recent years.

Video: First Look At WHITE CHRISTMAS At Maine Street Music Theatre
by Joshua Wright - Jul 30, 2024

Get a first look at MSMT's enchanting summer production of Irving Berlin’s timeless classic, Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Running from July 17 to August 3, this heartwarming musical promises to bring festive cheer to the Pickard Theatre with its captivating performances, dazzling choreography, and unforgettable melodies. 

Review: Into the Land of Magic: MSMT Presents THE STORY OF THE NUTCRACKER
by Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Jul 22, 2024

What could be more enticing to youngsters than Christmas that comes early? This summer Maine State Music Theatre invites families to experience Christmas in July at the Pickard Theatre and to share the magic of a musical never before presented here in Brunswick: Robin and Clark’s  THE STORY OF THE NUTCRACKER. Twinkling lights, myriads of trees, a market filled with goodies, and even a hint of snow …. all join forces to create an immersive experience for the Theatre for Young Audiences series. While Robin and Clark’s musical version of the Nutcracker story has been a Christmas staple for years in cities like Chicago and Lancaster, PA, It has not been presented here in Maine until now.  But after this debut series of performances, one can only hope it will become a new Maine tradition.

BWW Q&A: Charis Leos on Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS at Maine State Music Theatre
by Joshua Wright - Jul 2, 2024

We spoke to Charis Leos about appearing in Irving Berlin's White Christmas at Maine State Music Theatre!  Charis is a familiar face at MSMT, appearing in dozens of shows over the years,  beginning with Nunsense in 1997. Some favorite MSMT roles include Roz (9 to 5), Rose (Gypsy), Louise (Always, Patsy Cline), Paulette (Legally Blonde), Maggie (42nd Street), Madame Thenardier (Les Miserables), Chaperone (Drowsy Chaperone) and Dolly (Hello, Dolly!).

Review: MSMT's FUNNY GIRL: Bold, Beautiful & Star-Studded
by Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Jun 28, 2024

Maine State Music Theatre’s new production of FUNNY GIRL is a triumph for its star and a coup for the company. Obtaining the first rights to produce the show after the closing of the recent Broadway revival is an unprecedented accomplishment for the theatre’s Artistic Director, Curt Dale Clark.  In addition, the production, itself, is arguably the first FUNNY GIRL anywhere to use the state-of-the art video technology, and perhaps the most thrilling feat of all: not only does the entire cast deliver stunning performances, but Jenna Lea Rosen, who makes her MSMT debut and role debut as Fanny Brice, is unquestionably a superstar. The result is an evening in the theatre that is as exhilarating and spellbinding as any you will see on any stage and an experience not to be missed!

BWW Q&A: Kenny Ingram on FUNNY GIRL at Maine State Music Theatre
by Joshua Wright - Jun 18, 2024

Maine State Music Theatre is the first - and only - regional theatre to be granted the rights to produce Funny Girl since the Broadway National Tour launched. We chat with Kenny Ingram about the upcoming production.

Review: Maine State Music Theatre's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
by Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Jun 10, 2024

In a colorful, imaginative retelling of this “tale as old as time,” MSMT opens its 2024 TYA series with a revival of Robin and Clark’s version of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. The production, directed by Betsy Puelle, not only offers a contemporary twist on the classic fairytale, but also layers onto that version another dimension of fantasy and fun. Setting the ancient story as a play within a modern play, Robin and Clark create the dual perspective that characterizes many of their musicals and allows the actors to break the fourth wall and engage the youngsters directly. The narrator, a schoolgirl named Cindy, fashion – often improvises - her version of the story, lobbies to have it produced, and eventually plays a pivotal role in the work. Employing MSMT’s exciting new video technology, a stellar cast of young professionals, and incorporating large-scale, whimsical puppetry into the mix, this BEAUTY AND THE BEAST proves the resilience of the source material and the creative genius of the company

Feature: Lucky To Be Me: MSMT Singers Perform Around the State
by Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Jun 8, 2024

“We perform in parking lots, restaurants, tents, bandshells, and lovely venues like this one,” declares Maine State Music Theatre’s Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark. He is addressing a full house in the Lunt Auditorium at Oceanview at Falmouth on May 30. It is only one of over 95 free public outreach events that MSMT offers in the course of each year,  but today is special because it introduces the new 2024 crop of MSMT Singers in their second public performance since arriving in the state. An outgrowth of the company’s former intern program, the MSMT Singers are an elite group of young (college age) professionals selected by Clark in an annual nationwide search that has holds over 3000 auditions for eight spots. “These young artists have to sing, dance and act on a scale of at least an 8 out of 10 when they come here,” Clark explains, “and when they leave, I expect that they will have grown into the stars they are going to be.”  

Photos: The Cast of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the John W. Engeman Theater Takes Opening Night Bows
by Genevieve Rafter Keddy - Nov 19, 2023

The John W. Engeman Theater's production of DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST opened last night, and BroadwayWorld was there to capture the festivities! Check out photos of the opening night bows here!

Photos: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the John W. Engeman Theater Celebrates Opening Night
by Genevieve Rafter Keddy - Nov 19, 2023

The John W. Engeman Theater's production of DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST opened last night, and BroadwayWorld was there to capture the festivities! Check out the photos below!

Photos: First Look at DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at the John W. Engeman Theater
by Blair Ingenthron - Nov 18, 2023

The John W. Engeman Theater has released production photos for DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Performances run through Sunday, December 31, 2023. Check out the photos below!

The John W. Engeman Theater at Northport Announces Cast and Creatives for DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 2, 2023

The John W. Engeman Theater announces the cast and creative team of DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Performances begin on Thursday, November 16, 2023, and run through Sunday, December 31, 2023.