Once again 2014 was a year to revel in the diversity and accomplishments of the theatrical scene in Maine. The summer and winter seasons yielded a nice balance between adventurous programming and classics. Here is my personal list for 2014, grouped by theatre company and show.
1. MAINE STATE MUSIC THEATRE once again receives my vote for the finest company in the region. Their 2014 season offered four dazzling main stage productions, including the remarkable revival of Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance, a daring and moving music theatre piece, beautifully realized by director-choreographer Marc Robin together with stars James Patterson and Kathy Voytko.
The Encores! Special Event The Band Wagon stars Tony Award winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, seven-time Emmy Award winner Tracey Ullman, Academy Award nominee Michael McKean, Tony Award nominee Laura Osnes, Tony Award nominee Tony Sheldon, Tony Award nominee Michael Berresse and Don Stephenson. The Band Wagon officially opened last night, November 9, and BroadwayWorld brings you photos from the curtain call below!
Tonight, October 30th, Broadway Sessions is a DRAG- A Hallo-Queen Hootenanny. Featuring Broadway and Musical Theater gentlemen taking the stage as their glamorous female alter ego's.
This Thursday, October 30th, Broadway Sessions is a DRAG- A Hallo-Queen Hootenanny. Featuring Broadway and Musical Theater gentlemen taking the stage as their glamorous female alter ego's.
Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT)'s 2014 season is 'still rockin' with their remarkable season closing production of the high-energy dance musical, FOOTLOOSE, running August 6 - 23. Check out a first look at highlights below!
Early in the first act of the Tom Snow - Dean Pitchford 1998 musical Footloose, Ren declares his passion for dancing - 'I can't sit still' - and, indeed, by the end of the evening at the Pickard Theatre, the audience for Maine State Music Theatre echoes his mantra. They are cheering, swaying, and shouting to the music, and embracing the exuberant, touching message of this show. Directed and choreographed brilliantly by Patti Colombo (assisted by Karl Warden) and performed by a dynamic cast, this fourth and final production of MSMT's 2014 season dazzles and delights.
Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT)'s 2014 season is 'still rockin' with their remarkable season closing production of the high-energy dance musical, FOOTLOOSE, running today, August 6 - 23.
Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT)'s 2014 season is 'still rockin' with their remarkable season closing production of the high-energy dance musical, FOOTLOOSE, beginning tonight, August 6, and continuing through August 23.
'Dance is a metaphor for expression, for freedom. In Footloose we use dance to express ourselves when we have no words. [As characters] we are all closed off, and finally at the end of the story, we are loosened; we become individuals again.'
Speaking is Kristen Martin, who plays Ariel in Maine State Music Theatre's final season production of Footloose, which runs from August 6-23. Her co-star, Eric Sciotto, agrees that his character, Ren, is 'on a journey to find himself after being abandoned by his father. Ren sees in Ariel a troubled soul who reminds him of himself. They recognize immediately that they are kindred spirits.'
Maine State Music Theatre (MSMT)'s 2014 season is 'still rockin' with their remarkable season closing production of the high-energy dance musical, FOOTLOOSE, running August 6 - 23.
For its third production of the season, Maine State Music Theatre has staged a dazzling revival of the beloved 1954 classic, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The company, under the direction of Patti Colombo, delivers a joyous, heartwarming, foot stomping, breathtaking extravaganza of brilliant dancing, convincing characterization, and first-rate production values.
California Musical Theatre released casting for the remaining shows in the 64th Music Circus season, a roster of actors including Broadway veterans, Tony nominees and audience favorites from previous Music Circus seasons, as well as actors with Sacramento-area ties. The five-show season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion includes the Music Circus premiere of the beloved Disney classic Mary Poppins, which runs through July 13, as well as other Tony Award-winning shows including Rodgers and Hammerstein's lush South Pacific, Lerner and Loewe's mystical Brigadoon, Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein's hilarious La Cage aux Folles, and the singular sensation A Chorus Line, which ended its week-long run on June 29. Music Circus casting for the season is determined after auditions are held in New York City, Los Angeles and Sacramento.
The nine-time Tony Award®-winning singular sensation A Chorus Line, conceived byMichael Bennett and featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, kicks off the 2014 Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for the venerable Sacramento institution. Performances are June 24 - 29. Check out a first look below!
The nine-time Tony Award®-winning singular sensation A Chorus Line, conceived byMichael Bennett and featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, kicks off the 2014 Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for the venerable Sacramento institution. Performances are June 24 - 29. Check out a first look below!
Audiences may expect a slow build up to the grand "One" finale of A Chorus Line, the only number with sparkled costumes and bright lights. But what they actually get is one singular sensation of a musical, especially in Sacramento Music Circus' unique staging in the round.
The nine-time Tony Award®-winning singular sensation A Chorus Line, conceived byMichael Bennett and featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, kicks off the 2014 Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for the venerable Sacramento institution. Performances are June 24 - 29. Check out a sneak peek at rehearsals below!
The nine-time Tony Award®-winning singular sensation A Chorus Line, conceived byMichael Bennett and featuring music by Marvin Hamlisch, kicks off the 2014 Music Circus season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the 64th season for the venerable Sacramento institution. Performances are June 24 - 29. Check out a sneak peek below!
