Blake Hammond News

A heightened comic sensibility makes this old classic feel fresh to even the most cynical viewer (namely, me).

The legend of the Titanic is a haunting, yet uplifting tale of dreams and hubris, unfinished stories and transcendent moments. It is a story that has been told from so many perspectives for more than a century since the unsinkable ship did, tragically, go down on her maiden voyage in 1912. But perhaps no retelling of the events captures both the scale of the drama and its intimacy as perfectly as the Maury Yeston/Peter Stone musical, TITANIC, with its majestic score and tightly woven book. Now in an epic and astonishingly beautiful new co-production created by MSMT with the Fulton Theatre, this masterpiece comes to life with a sensational cast in a dazzling visual production that focuses on the profoundly touching humanity of the saga – of the lives lived and lost, the lessons learned and remembered.

As the curtain is about to rise on Pittsburgh CLO's 2023 Summer of Musicals at the Benedum Center between June 13 - August 27, 2023, now is your chance to meet the cast and creative teams!

Maine State Music Theatre will present Titanic this summer. Learn how to purchase tickets!

Three years after the initial cancelation due to the pandemic, Fulton Theatre will produce Titanic. The production runs from April 20th through May 21, 2023.

Fulton Theatre’s current production of the tepid White Christmas is an excellent example of the old adage “there are no small parts, only small actors”. Fulton Theatre?

The Fulton Theatre has announced complete casting of their holiday production of Irving Berlin's White Christmas. Will Ray (Bob Wallace) and Hanley Smith (Betty Haynes) join forces once again.

Kinky Boots is a show about acceptance, friendship, and making the best of a situation when faced with adversity.  Fulton’s current production exemplifies all of those facets and makes for a great night of theater.

The Fulton Theatre announces the casting for their production of Kinky Boots which opens the 2022/2023 Season.  

With its bold, brilliant, sassy, urbanely funny, and warmly heartfelt production of KINKY BOOTS, Maine State Music Theatre has chosen the perfect vehicle to close its main stage season. The irresistible musical by Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper is given a spectacular, big-hearted production that pulls out all the stops and showcases MSMT at its Broadway best.

JACK DYVILLE founder of Friends Always Creating Theatre passed away July 6th at age 77. Jack produced a play entitled STAGE DADDY, an autobiographical play which most recently played at the Thespis Festival. 

Maine State Music Theatre’s second main stage production, perennial favorite, JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, takes the Pickard stage by storm, exploding with color, energy, and sheer irrepressible joy. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s early collaboration based on the Book of Genesis has as its central metaphor the coat of many colors, and like that kaleidoscopic garment, the show itself is a rich, eclectic tapestry that weaves together musical and choreographic genres, ancient and modern sensibilities, and perhaps best of all in this production – a diverse and deeply talented cast that is beautiful to behold.

“This production is new, fun, fresh,” says actor Blake Hammond who plays Jacob and Potiphar in Maine State Music Theatre’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT that runs from June 29-July 16. “The show is pure joy,” concurs his castmate Jeff Max, who plays the role of Pharoah. “There is something in it for everyone.” This praise, coming from Hammond and Max, has a special resonance. Both actors have a long history with this show and the parts they play, and both have worked together in memorable previous productions. Recounts Hammond, “I first played Jacob and Potiphar thirty-five years ago in summer stock and since then have also played Napthali and the Baker as well, so it is fun to come back to the original track of Jacob/Potiphar in this production. [Director/choreographer] Alex Sanchez doesn’t have a lot of experience with this show, so he has fresh eyes for it; he’s not repeating anything else he’s done; it is as if we are learning for the first time.”

What did our critic think of MSMT's Sound of Music? What happens when one of the most beloved musicals in the canon comes to the stage at the very point in time when history and a harsh pandemic seem to intersect with an iconic story?

AT THIS PERFORMANCE…  returns to The Green Room 42 featuring Standbys, Understudies and Alternates from A STRANGE LOOP; HADESTOWN; MR. SATURDAY NIGHT; MRS. DOUBTFIRE; THE BOOK OF MORMON;  GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY and ROMEO & BERNADETTE on Monday, June 20th at 7 PM.   

Stephen DeAngelis will continue his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with the next edition of AT THIS PERFORMANCE…™ to be held on Monday, June 20th  at The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM.

Stephen DeAngelis will continue his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with the next edition of AT THIS PERFORMANCE…™ to be held on Monday, April 18th  at The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM. 

The Fulton's The Sound of Music is easily the best production in Lancaster County since live theatre opened back up. The show's dazzling sets, impressive singing, and memorable characters come together to provide the audience with a spectacular night of entertainment. Director and choreographer, Marc Robin, must be congratulated for overseeing this gift.

Fulton Theatre opens Rodgers and Hammerstein's last collaboration, The Sound of Music. A story about finding a place in the world and connecting with family; its themes are just as universal as its music is memorable. This production holds special significance for the Fulton as many cast members, designers, and crew were part of previous Fulton productions of The Sound of Music.

 Stephen DeAngelis continues his ongoing salute to Broadway and Off-Broadway Standbys, Understudies and Alternates with the next edition of At This Performance…™ to be held on Monday, December 13th  at The Green Room 42, Green Fig, Fourth Floor, Yotel NYC, 570 Tenth Avenue (at 42nd Street), New York, NY 10036 at 7 PM.