Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold - Page 10

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.”

'There is something so simple, so wholesome about the story and the characters. When Curly made his entrance on opening night at the St. James Theatre in 1943 and sang 'Oh, what a beautiful morning,' the whole audience took a huge sigh of relief. There in the midst of war was a breath of optimism and that beautiful music.' And, indeed, when the speaker, actor Stephen Mark Lukas makes the same entrance seventy-five years later on the stage of the Ogunquit Playhouse in the company's new production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic Oklahoma, the entire audience reacts in exactly same way. With a smile as expansive as the territory and a voice as luminous as the bright morning about which he sings, Lukas establishes immediate affection and rapport for the character of Curly, as does his co-star, the lovely, radiant Taylor Quick.

"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."

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.

For actor Scott Moreau, playing Johnny Cash in the opening production of Maine State Music Theatre's 60th anniversary season is a very special homecoming. The Maine native who grew up in Litchfield says this is the fifth time he will have done the Million Dollar Quartet in Maine (previously in Portland and Bangor on the national tour and twice in Ogunquit), but that "Brunswick is much different!"

For actor Scott Moreau, playing Johnny Cash in the opening production of Maine State Music Theatre's 60th anniversary season is a very special homecoming. The Maine native who grew up in Litchfield says this is the fifth time he will have done the Million Dollar Quartet in Maine (previously in Portland and Bangor on the national tour and twice in Ogunquit), but that "Brunswick is much different!"

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.

'When I was growing up, I wanted to be a writer, a novelist, and that's what eventually drew me into acting and then directing and writing for the stage. It was always about storytelling.' Hunter Foster is reminiscing about the aspirations that led him to seek a life in the theatre. The award-winning actor, director, writer is taking a short break from rehearsal at Maine State Music Theatre, where he is about to open his twelfth production of Million Dollar Quartet on June 7th.

John Willey's Bath, Maine -based Shakespeare on the Kennebec is presenting an ambitious, completely uncut production of the Bard's "Scottish play"- aka Macbeth at the Chocolate Church. The twenty-six person ensemble rendered the full text of Shakespeare's play - with many often cut scenes now heard - while at the same time Director John Willey takes a fresh conceptual look on the work.

To close its 2017-2018 season Portland Player's has mounted one of its most ambitious productions in recent memory. Titanic The Musical with book by Peter Stone and music and lyrics by Maury Yeston receives an affecting and effective performance by the forty-nine actors and thirteen musicians.

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.

Portland Stage's current production of Eleanor Burgess's two-character drama, The Niceties, is a intense, searing, often exhausting theatrical experience. The play, written during the last Presidential campaign, probes a plethora of contemporary issues from race in America to the meaning of revolution, feminism, the impact and influence of history, the struggles for power between the elite and the voiceless. Set at an Ivy League Eastern college, The Niceties explores the intellectual and emotional journeys of a respected history professor and her rebellious African-American student.

The last offering in the Good Theater's current season is cause for celebration! Ken Ludwig's 2015 comedy, A Comedy of Tenors, serves up a frothy concoction of revolving door farce, sophisticated irony and broad parody, witty double entendres, and a breathlessly wacky plot line that makes the evening speed by joyously.

The Maine State Ballet unveiled its charming, colorful production of Alice in Wonderland this weekend in Falmouth to the delight of its multi-generational audience. The lavish and lovely production with choreography by Linda MacArthur Miele is faithful to Lewis Carroll's tale and brings to life the author's principal characters.

Stephen Sondheim's musical Company made a sensation when it premiered on Broadway in 1970, winning six Tony awards and being nominated for a record-breaking fourteen. Savvy, urbane, with a brilliant score and dazzling lyrics, Sondheim's exploration of the joys and travails of marriage remains a masterwork of the musical stage. The current revival, directed by Linda Sturdivant, at Biddeford's City Theater gives a classy account of this complex work.

Portland Stage's current production of Michael Hollinger's 2000 noir comedy set in the Cold War era skillfully weaves a tapestry of three love stories and one murder against the backdrop of McCarthyism, nuclear bombs, 50s pop culture, and zany shenanigans - all of which makes for a delightful, fast-paced evening of nostalgic wit.