Curt Dale Clark News

The very first number in the stage version of Saturday Night Fever is an ensemble piece, Stayin' Alive, which sets the tone for the raw, realistic musical drama which follows. 'This show gave us a little bit of an edge and by bookending it with Beauty and the Beast and Singin' in the Rain, which are sweet and a little sugary, this enabled us to do something a bit different - something with an edge, bite and grit,' says Maine State Music Theatre's Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark. Clark, together with cast members Jacob Tischler (Tony Manero), Alexandra Matteo (Stephanie Mangano), Christina Carlucci (Pauline), and Anthony J. Gasbarre III (Joey), are speaking to BWW's Carla Maria Verdino-Sullwold in the season's third Peek Behind the Curtain panel discussion at Curtis Memorial Library, devoted to the exploration of the company's current main stage production of Saturday Night Fever, playing on the Pickard stage until August 4.

Maine State Music Theatre's collaboration with Portland Stage continues with a production of Nunsense by Dan Goggin beginning August 14th has been extended to September 2nd by popular demand.

"Beauty and the Beast is the essence of that Disney magic! It brings people together and it is such a joyful experience!" Actress Lexi Rabadi plays Belle in Maine State Music Theatre's new blockbuster production of the Disney classic which closes its run July 14th. She and fellow cast members Darick Pead (the Beast) and Matthew Ragas (Gaston), together with MSMT Managing Director Stephanie Dupal are talking with Broadway World's Carla Maria Verdino-Sullwold about the experience of creating this timeless fairytale on stage. The panel discussion, the second in the annual Peek behind the Curtain Series at the Curtis Memorial Library drew a full house, as audience members and patrons listened to the group explore the factors they believe make this show a classic and make this particular production a work of incredible enchantment.

With what is arguably the largest production in Maine State Music Theatre's history, the company brings a level of opulence, sophistication, and magic to the Pickard stage that makes this production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast a fitting jewel in the Diamond Jubilee Crown. It is no secret that the company has used every single ounce of its resources (and overcome a number of unforeseen obstacles along the way) to create this magnificent production, but the result has been entirely worth the effort. This beloved fairytale dazzlingly comes to life in all its heartfelt beauty.

“I love telling stories; it doesn't matter what the form is. I like the struggle, the journey, the narrative,” says actor Darick Pead. Pead, who is about to open in Maine State Music Theatre's Beauty and the Beast in the title role of the Beast, has enjoyed a fascinating personal journey of his own in pursuing his dream of becoming an actor. Born and raised in Utah in a large Mormon family – he was the seventh child among ten – Pead says, “Except for doing my Mormon mission in Pennsylvania for two years, I had never been outside the state of Utah until I was twenty-seven.” Pead remembers that “I always enjoyed theatre, and I would go to watch my older siblings in school plays and think what fun that must be. Then in fifth grade my teacher suggested that I should try out for Wizard of Oz. I wanted to play Toto and get to bark onstage, and I was super disappointed when I was cast as the Scarecrow . But that was the start of it all.”

"As an actress I believe in pounding the pavement with positivity. One of my biggest things is knowing that I am a whole person with family, friends, and interests. Theatre is a passion and a life style, but it is one piece of the pie. My job is to make sure all the other pieces of the pie are just as delicious. So I keep a home for myself, surrounded by loved ones; yoga is a big thing for me in maintaining mental clarity and spiritual health, and I am a vegan because I feel that is a kinder way to eat. It may sound corny, but if you put out positive vibrations, they will come back to you."

Maine State Music Theatre steps back in time for its second show of the season, Disney's Beauty and the Beast. This revered fairytale runs from June 27 - July 14. Due to popular demand, the theatre has added performances on July 7 and July 14 at 2 PM.

MSMT's all-singing, all-dancing tribute to Irving Berlin, I Love a Piano, blew the Pickard Theater audience away at two Monday performances with its steady stream of classic hit tunes, its high energy choreography, and the dazzling virtuosity of its youthful cast. This was an afternoon and evening to sit back and revel in the rich history of American popular music and to celebrate a composer whose work provided the soundtrack for the American experience for almost seventy years. It is exciting to watch MSMT's cast of young professionals perform this material with so much connection and commitment. Though this is the music of past generations, the eleven-person ensemble of remarkable triple threat actors brings it vibrantly to life for a contemporary audience, affirming the truism that longevity is what makes great music.

There is a moment in Robin and Clark's musical version of Cinderella when the scullery maid screws up her courage and hurls a self-affirmation back to her abusive stepmother and sisters, saying, "No! I've always done everything you asked and now it is time for me to do something for myself!" The audience young and old erupts into spontaneous applause for this very contemporary heroine. Though Marc Robin and Curt Dale Clark's musical is more than twenty-five years old, it speaks with a freshness and an appeal that are as lasting as the fairy tale itself, and Maine State Music Theatre's most recent production captures all the delightfulness and the darkness of the story and serves it up with customary flair.

The Theatre for Young Audiences program at Maine State Music Theatre opens with Robin and Clark's Cinderella June 13 (10 AM, 12:30 PM) and June 16 (11 AM). 

When Rock n' Roll burst onto the scene in the late 1950s, it brought with it a veritable revolution in American popular music. Seen by some as 'the Devil's music,' by others as a passing fad, this vibrant, electric sound proved itself a lasting phenomenon. So perhaps it is fitting that more than sixty years later a musical celebrating four of the greatest legends of early rock should open Maine State Music Theatre's 60th anniversary season. And what an opening this is! Million Dollar Quartet explodes onto the Pickard stage with the energy of a mega concert and the intensity of a high-stakes drama. It is a tale that is at once about the music itself and the men who made it, about dreams and determination, about stumbling and success. In a dazzling production directed by Hunter Foster, MSMT scores the perfect kickoff to its own milestone season.

The Theatre for Young Audiences program at Maine State Music Theatre opens with Robin and Clark's Cinderella June 13 (10 AM, 12:30 PM) and June 16 (11 AM). 

For most of us who love the theatre, attending a performance is an exciting, stimulating, anticipated event, but for some children with sensory issues, going to the theatre can be fraught with anxiety; a room full of strange people, new sounds and fantastical characters - all can make this experience overwhelming. And yet, once immersed in the magic of the play, the children can find delight and connection. To encourage this journey of discovery and to provide families with a safe viewing experience, Maine State Music Theatre last year initiated a program of sensory friendly rehearsal performances of the Theatre for Young Audiences shows. MSMT uses its large rehearsal hall as the performance venue - a space less daunting than the 600-seat Pickard main stage. The hour-long shows are presented with piano (not full orchestra), in full costume with relevant props, and include interaction among the cast, crew, and directors with the young audience. The families have access to a quiet room, are free to move about during the performance, enjoy a snack break, and receive a study/activity guide and some small gifts to take home.

To an audience used to the likes of today's television talent show formats -The Voice, American Idol with their fiercely competitive, instant celebrity emphasis and often abrasive judging - the annual Midcoast Maine's Got Talent seems to hark back to a gentler era and a more positive model to showcase aspiring performers. Each year the Brunswick Rotary Club puts together this gala as a fundraiser for its social and civic programs, but also as a community service to help nurture the arts in Maine and to create an audience for the creativity and expression that artists provide.

Maine State Music Theatre opens its 60thseason with a new title to the Pickard Stage. Million Dollar Quartet is produced in association with the Fulton Theatre and is the electrifying story of how four stars made music history! Million Dollar Quartet runs from June 6 to June 23. 

Maine State Music Theatre's Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark has been elected as Vice President of The National Alliance for Musical Theatre (NAMT).

In preparation for their 60th summer season at the Pickard Theatre, Maine State Music Theatre will host three special Teaser Tuesday films on May 8, 15 and 22 at Brunswick's Curtis Memorial Library this May.

Anniversaries are customarily times to reflect on the past, but for Maine State Music Theatre's Artistic Director, Curt Dale Clark, the 2018 gala celebration of the company's sixty years is not only a time to celebrate history, but also to use the significant milestone as an opportunity to look to the future. 'We are thinking forward and not resting on our laurels. We are accentuating what works, trying to fix what doesn't, and trying to find new ways to engage the community and make them happy,' Clark explains his philosophy about the Brunswick-based theatre's upcoming historic season.

Only a week ago, in my review of The Mousetrap, I praised the Fulton in their decision to bring a drama back to the mainstage. I will now 'double-down', and share how much fun it was to attend a musical in their intimate fourth floor theater.