Bradford Kenney News

Following guidelines released this week by Governor Janet Mills in response to the reopening of Maine's businesses, and responding to the safety challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic and COVID19, Ogunquit Playhouse has announced that it will halt productions on all scheduled 2020 shows at its historic theatre and cancel its 88th season.

The Ogunquit Playhouse has announced an exciting lineup of shows for its 88th season that includes the Northeast regional premiere of the hilarious dark comedy The War of the Roses, a new play based on the novel by Warren Adler and helmed by Tony Award-winner Jason Alexander, and the world premiere of the funny and heartwarming musical adaptation of Mr. Holland's Opus, helmed by Tony Award-winner BD Wong. The season opens with the high-energy musical sensation Dirty Dancing -The Classic Story on Stage based on the smash-hit film, then continues with a stunning revival of the Tony Award-winning, all-Gershwin, tap dancing extravaganza Crazy for You, and the exhilarating Broadway hit musical based on the lives of Grammy Award-winning husband-and-wife team Gloria and Emilio Estefan, On Your Feet!. The season will stretch to the holidays once again with the return of the hit show White Christmas in collaboration with The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

Ogunquit Playhouse is honored to receive nine BroadwayWorld Maine Awards in the professional theatre category including Best Play and Best Musical for 2019. 

The Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation has announced that is has been awarded an Art Works grant of $10,000 for the development of the film-to-musical adaptation of Mr. Holland's Opus by Tony-winning theatre, television, and movie actor BD Wong, as part of the theatre's New Works Program. Art Works is the Arts Endowment's principal grantmaking program. National Endowment for the Arts Acting Chairman Mary Anne Carter has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the Arts Endowment's second major funding announcement for fiscal year 2019. The agency received 1,592 Art Works applications for this round of grantmaking, and has awarded 977 grants in this category.

Broadway's Ruth Gottschall has returned to the seacoast to step into the role of Miss Hannigan in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of Annie now on stage at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

As evidenced by the breadth of nominations for Broadway World's Annual Audience Choice Awards, Maine's theatrical landscape seems to grow and flourish with each new season. For a state as remote as we are, we boast two prestigious regional theatres now in their second half centuries a?" Maine State Music Theatre and Ogunquit Playhouse a?" which are leaders on the national regional scene and which have become destinations for travellers from far flung places. Add to these an array of countless other companies of every size and philosophic bent, and you have a colorful, rich artistic arena that grows more interesting each year. I am privileged to get to sample these performances as Broadway World's Maine editor and to be able to compare many of them favorably with shows I see across the country, in New York and London. These are my personal choices of the best in Maine for 2019, grouped by theatre company and show.

All aboard! Ogunquit Playhouse announces the first non-musical production at the theatre in over 12 years, Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, on stage August 14 through August 31.

In a first-of-its kind partnership for professional regional theater in the US, the Tramuto Foundation and the Ogunquit Playhouse are teaming up to transform the theater experience by eliminating barriers that prevent participation in the performing arts.

The legendary Ogunquit Playhouse is thrilled to announce a sensational lineup of shows for audiences in 2019. For the first time in over a decade the Playhouse will stage a non-musical play in addition to five musicals, including the return of the multi-Tony Award-winning, international sensation Jersey Boys; the quintessential tap dancing extravaganza 42nd Street; and the iconic and powerful jazz musical Cabaret. The play that will ignite the stage with murder and mystery is the beloved Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express. Closing out the season is a hilarious musical comedy that will be announced soon and a Tony Award-winning, smash hit musical which will be announced in May.

Fasten your seat belt, it's going to be a grumpy ride! The Ogunquit Playhouse is proud to produce the U.S. premiere of the new musical-comedy, Grumpy Old Men the Musical on stage through September 1 - just in time to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the hit film that starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. This hilarious new show was penned by Dan Remmes, with music by Neil Berg and lyrics by Nick Meglin. Director for the Ogunquit production of Grumpy Old Men the Musical is Matt Lenz.

Fasten your seat belt, it's going to be a grumpy ride! The Ogunquit Playhouse is proud to produce the U.S. premiere of the new musical-comedy, Grumpy Old Men the Musical on stage through September 1 - just in time to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the hit film that starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. This hilarious new show was penned by Dan Remmes, with music by Neil Berg and lyrics by Nick Meglin. Director for the Ogunquit production of Grumpy Old Men the Musical is Matt Lenz.

Fasten your seat belt, it's going to be a grumpy ride! The Ogunquit Playhouse is proud to produce the U.S. premiere of the new musical-comedy, Grumpy Old Men the Musical on stage from August 8 to September 1 - just in time to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the hit film that starred Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret. This hilarious new show was penned by Dan Remmes, with music by Neil Berg and lyrics by Nick Meglin. Director for the Ogunquit production of Grumpy Old Men the Musical is Matt Lenz.

The Stage 42 box office (422 West 42nd Street) is now open for the new production of Smokey Joe's Cafe: The Songs of Leiber & Stoller, which begins preview performances on Friday, July 6 and officially opens on Sunday, July 22. Box office is open Monday - Sunday from Noon - 6pm. If there is an evening performance, the box office will remain open until curtain.

Smokey Joe's Cafe is grooving across the stage at The Ogunquit Playhouse (Bradford Kenney, Executive Artistic Director) through June 9 prior to the New York production. Performances at Stage 42 begin on Friday, July 6. Visit www.smokeyjoescafemusical.com for more information.

Over the course of a 61-year partnership, Jerry Leiber (d. 2011) and Mike Stoller created enduring classics in a variety of genres including rhythm & blues, pop, country, jazz, cabaret, and-perhaps most notably-rock & roll. Elvis Presley and the Coasters are only two of the many acts whose careers skyrocketed because of Leiber and Stoller's creative partnership.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's great American classic Oklahoma! bursts onto the Ogunquit Playhouse stage June 13 to July 7. The Playhouse is thrilled to create an exciting new production of this beloved classic as part of its 75th Anniversary since first opening on Broadway. This groundbreaking musical was Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration, and in many ways their most innovative, having set standards for musical theatre that are still being followed today. The lively musical features the timeless classics, 'Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin',' 'The Surrey with the Fringe On Top,' 'I Cain't Say No,' 'People Will Say We're in Love' and of course the triumphant 'Oklahoma!'

Smokey Joe's Cafe is grooving across the stage, get a first look at the production below! The show is currently playing at The Ogunquit Playhouse (Bradford Kenney, Executive Artistic Director) through June 9 prior to the New York production. Performances at Stage 42 begin on Friday, July 6.

Smokey Joe's Cafe is grooving across the stage, get a first look at the production below! The show is currently playing at The Ogunquit Playhouse (Bradford Kenney, Executive Artistic Director) through June 9 prior to the New York production. Performances at Stage 42 begin on Friday, July 6. Visit www.smokeyjoescafemusical.com for more information.

Smokey Joe's Cafe is grooving across the stage, get a first look at the production below! The show is currently playing at The Ogunquit Playhouse (Bradford Kenney, Executive Artistic Director) through June 9 prior to the New York production. Performances at Stage 42 begin on Friday, July 6. Visit www.smokeyjoescafemusical.com for more information.

There's everything to love in Smokey Joe's Cafe the first show of the Ogunquit Playhouse's 86th season.