The Rumford Meteor » Theater

Auburn’s Community Theater Production Of “Imamsense” To Be Performed Via Closed Circuit From A Bunker In An Undisclosed Location

Aubuchon Connery — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:41:26 +0000

AUBURN — Are you new to “Nunsense”? Or do you eagerly claim a seat at every new production of this perennially popular musical laugh-fest? Either way, Community Little Theatre’s current staging of the show is sure to delight with its outstanding comedy and songs. A talented five-woman cast delivers all of the outrageous convent antics with skill and mile-a-minute enthusiasm. Nancy Durgin as Sister Mary Regina, the Mother Superior at Mount St. Helens convent, sets a high standard in that demanding role. From her solo rendition of “Turn Up the Spotlight” to her side-splitting slap-stick turn in the show’s hilarious under-the-influence routine, Durgin anchors another memorable presentation of “Nunsense.” The other four nuns bring forth a variety of entertaining characters, all ably performed under the direction of Jon Carr. As Sister Mary Hubert, Nakesha (Kay) Myrick does an excellent job with a sort of Abbott-and-Costello relationship with the Mother Superior. Their duet on “Just a Coupl’a Sisters” is lots of fun, and Myrick leads the cast in a rousing rendition of “Holier Than Thou” that showcases her spectacular vocal gifts. (read more at Lewiston Sun Journal)

Garrison Keillor Doesn’t Want Anyone To Be Able To Prove He Was in Bangor

Aubuchon Connery — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:40:00 +0000

Beloved public radio program “ A Prairie Home Companion” last visited Bangor in 2008, and five years later it will roll into town once again. Garrison Keillor and company will offer a special non-broadcast performance at Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion on Saturday, July 27. Tickets for the performance are $27.75 to $57.75, and are available online at waterfrontconcerts.com, at all Tickermaster outlets, by calling 1-800-745-3000 and locally at Mark’s Music in Brewer. (read more at Bangor Daily News)

First Rehearsal Of “As You Like It” By Homeschooled Acting Troupe Took Fourteen Hours Because The Kids Kept Stopping To Correct The Spelling

Aubuchon Connery — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:50:27 +0000

Samuel Richards fell for William Shakespeare after an English teacher at Fryeburg Academy encouraged Richards, a budding poet, to study the playwright’s use of words. “She said, ‘Listen to the music of the language,’” Richards recalled. “I stuck on that for a while. I caught from Shakespeare a love of language. I also caught his innovative edge, which is to say I make up words that don’t exist and expect everyone to understand them.” Richards, pastor of the of the East Winthrop Baptist Church, has spent the past 20 years sharing his love of language and the Elizabethan-era writer who is widely considered to be among the best ever at using it, with hundreds of children in the Southern Maine Association of Shakespearean Home-schoolers, known as SMASH. “I teach Shakespeare through performance, so you learn it not just off the page but by acting it out,” Richards said. The most recent production by SMASH, “As You Like It,” was performed last weekend and continues with shows today, Friday and Saturday at Cumston Hall in Monmouth. Almost all the actors and crew members range in age from 9 to 18. (read more at Kennebec Journal)

Penobscot Theater Production Of “Annie” Expected To Be A Heartwarming, Must-See, Musical Extravaganza, At Least Until The Pit Bull Mauls Annie

Aubuchon Connery — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 09:01:43 +0000

There are certain things in the life of a young, theatrically inclined girl that are landmarks. That first-ever part in a play or musical. That first speaking role. The first song ever sung on stage. The first — gasp! — stage kiss. But there’s one role so juicy, so big, so iconic that there’s an elite force of preteen girls that have been welcomed into its club. That’s the role of Annie, in “Annie.” In musical theater, that’s considered one of the biggest fish for a young female performer. Penobscot Theatre Company’s holiday production of the beloved 1970s musical about the spunky Depression-era orphan has cast two local Annies — 12-year-old Kate Fogg of Holden and 11-year-old Lana Sabbagh of Brewer. Next week, they’ll don curly red wigs and red dresses and alternate performances of the title character, when the show opens in previews on Tuesday, Dec. 4 at the Bangor Opera House. (read more, TOMORROW, at the Bangor Daily News)

Rustic Theater Operators At A Loss To Explain Why Vacationers Don’t Want To See Portly Actors In Plaid Flannel Shirts Singing Damn Yankees

Aubuchon Connery — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 10:28:06 +0000

HARRISON – Like the aged hemlock timbers that form the exterior of the Lakes Region’s iconic cultural center set deep in the woods, Deertrees Theatre & Cultural Center in Harrison has survived all kinds of storms, both natural and economic, in its 76 years in business. This summer, it is facing another one. Due to what has been called overspending on past management’s part and the realization that it needs to rethink the way it does business, the theater is offering a reduced slate of shows in an attempt to recover financially and prepare for a profitable 2013 season. According to Al Glover, president of Deertrees’ 12-member board of directors, the theater ran into some money troubles when expenditures outpaced revenue. While closing was an option, it was never seriously contemplated, Glover said, given the cultural importance of Deertrees. (read more Bulwer-Lytton reporting at LakesRegionWeekly)

Owner Tells Theater Company To Hit The Yellow Bricks

Aubuchon Connery — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:40:19 +0000

A financially troubled community theater company is looking for a new home, but the group’s organizers have pledged this week that this is not the final curtain call for a company that has been performing in Sanford for nearly three decades. Sanford Maine Stage, which for years has operated at 1 Hilltop Lane in Sanford, has been asked by the building’s owner to vacate the premises. According to a statement from the theater, the owner has other plans for the building, but theater organizers declined to speculate on what those plans may be. “It’s very, very sad, but I’ve always believed that when one door closes, another one opens,” Mary Stair, a member of the group’s board of directors, said this week. (read more at KeepMeCurrent)

If There’s A Mime In The Cereal Aisle, He Gets The Pepper Spray, Local Shopper Mutters

Aubuchon Connery — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 13:23:33 +0000

WINDHAM – After two decades teaching Christian middle school students, Rick Hagerstrom knows how to catch an audience’s attention. And for the last few years while teaching at Windham Christian Academy, Hagerstrom, a Bridgton resident, has led a club made up of students who use juggling, magic and other performing arts to grab audiences’ attention while sharing the Christian message. The LOL Club, based on the Internet slang abbreviation for “laugh out loud,” aims to entertain and enlighten audiences at nursing homes, stores and churches. In February, the 15-member club, comprising Hagerstrom’s class of seventh- and eighth-grade students, served as a welcoming committee at Shaw’s supermarket in North Windham by performing for incoming shoppers. The team, which began with little juggling talent at the start of the school year but through weekly practice has quickly gained skill, will perform in a fundraiser at Walmart in Windham in April. (read more at SacoChronicle)

Attorney General Cautions Parents About Dropping Off Their Youngsters At Disney Auditions Held In A Van Down By The River

Aubuchon Connery — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 15:27:01 +0000

AUGUSTA – Attorney General William J. Schneider is warning parents about a series of acting auditions for Maine youngsters scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday at the Clarion Hotel in Portland.

Advertisements on a local radio station tell parents to bring their children ages 6 to 16 to the hotel for “Disney” auditions. One Maine mother called the toll-free number given in the advertisement. She was asked for her name, the child’s name and age, and told to arrive at the hotel with the child “dressed for success” and with two of the child’s photographs. She was not informed of any fee for the audition.

Consumers who have attended similar auditions in other locations complain that the “free” event ultimately could end up costing thousands of dollars. Once at the audition site, up-front registration or consultation fees may be required, or expensive acting classes and subsequent paid events may be offered after the audition.

“Many parents want to believe that their child could be the next Hollywood sensation,” said Attorney General Schneider. “The truth is that the odds of this happening are remote. A legitimate audition will not require up-front fees.”

Attorney General Schneider offers the following tips for families interested in pursuing modeling and acting careers for their children:

Be very careful about any requests for up-front payments in the form of registration, consultation or administrative fees.
Understand that this is a competitive business and a paid seminar or event may not be the best way to get agents or others to notice your child.
Be wary of any promises of guaranteed employment or high earnings.
Be cautious of companies that try to convince you to pay them money by using names of known celebrities, motion picture studios or recording companies.
A legitimate production company will provide information about their business, their employees and their practices. Research company and agent names.
Disney affiliates will be able to provide credentials demonstrating their association with Disney. Parents should ask for a telephone number of their contact at Disney Studios in Burbank, California.

If you think you have experienced an acting or modeling audition scam, call the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at (207)626-8849.

January 6, 2012
Attorney General’s Office

Ogunquit Playhouse Wins Award For Finding Three Trombones For Their Big Parade

Aubuchon Connery — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:37:06 +0000

For the second year in a row, the Ogunquit Playhouse has won a prestigious regional award that recognizes artistic excellence. The theater, which will mark its 80th season in 2012, received the Moss Hart Award for Best Professional Production in New England for its summer 2011 version of “The Music Man.” The award recognizes outstanding theatrical productions throughout New England. In 2010, Ogunquit won a Moss Hart Award for outstanding achievement as a theater company. “I am thrilled that the Ogunquit Playhouse is getting this kind of attention,” said the theater’s executive artistic director, Bradford Kenney. “The theater deserves it. It has a storied past.” The New England Theatre Conference gives the awards annually. The awards honor the memory of Moss Hart, the Broadway director who was best known for directing “My Fair Lady” in 1956. He won a Tony Award for his work on that show, which ran for seven years. (KennebecJournal)

“The Marvelous Wonderettes” Marred By Cast With Legs On Upside-Down

Aubuchon Connery — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:48:50 +0000

Penobscot Theatre Company’s production of “The Marvelous Wonderettes” has all the necessary elements for a hit musical. Fantastic voices, clever choreography and a hit parade of classic pop songs. Christie Robinson, Brianne Beck, Melissa Hammans and Sara Dobrinich as the four-piece singing group from the 1950s and 60s all can deliver the goods. So why does the show feel a little underwhelming? Perhaps it’s due to the fact that other musicals about a four-piece singing group from the 1950s that just finished a revived run at the theatre (the smash hit “Forever Plaid,” if you weren’t lucky enough to see it) set the bar a bit too high. Perhaps it’s the pacing, which clips along quickly in places, and drags in others. Or — and this may be the best answer — the show itself is just not that good.(BangorDailyNews)