BWW Reviews: Theatre Weekends In Brunswick, Maine

Considered the gateway to Maine's lovely Mid-Coast region, Brunswick has a number of advantages as a vacation getaway - it's close to Portland, which has an airport; it has its own Amtrak station, and it's an easy, if slightly long, drive from Boston. It's the home of Harriet Beecher Stowe; of Bowdoin College, which is home to a number of events and festivals (and is well-known to fans of GRAY'S ANATOMY, THE SOPRANOS, MAD MEN, and THE GOOD WIFE); and, during the summer that is the high point of Maine coastal visits, Brunswick is home to - at the Bowdoin campus theatre - Maine State Music Theatre.

The primary considerations for anyone deciding to spend a weekend, or, preferably, a long weekend, in Brunswick are, of course, how close you are to LL Bean (answer: half an hour at worst), where to stay, and where to eat (in other words, is there life beyond pizza and beer in a college town?). What you'll do, on the other hand, is simple: if you're not trekking to LL Bean - and you know you will at some point while you're there - you'll be at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, at any or all of the shops and galleries, catching art films at Eveningstar Cinema, and at the theatre.

For convenience to Bowdoin and to Maine State Music Theatre, as well as to downtown, and for sheer comfort, The Inn at Brunswick Station is a wise choice. The Inn has theatre packages including show tickets during the Maine State season, as well as bed-and-breakfast packages, a bar whose selections are smaller than some but extremely well-chosen (you'll find no Scotches you'd refuse to drink), and a restaurant whose chef, Kevin Cunningham, prides himself, as he should, on outstanding local cuisine.

Visiting The Inn, we found that a common theme among guests was just how comfortable the beds are - in fact, one of our group, investigating the matter, decided that the best use of morning time was staying in their bed to continue enjoying it. The bathrooms are also comfortable - reasonably roomy, disability-accessible, and well-lit, with premium bath amenities. The suites are extremely roomy and have fold-out sofa beds, as well as armchairs and wet bar facilities. Refrigerators and microwaves are in all rooms, and the hotel's free Internet works well. The Inn also has its own parking on premises, included in the price (a relief for those used to paying high prices for city hotel parking fees).

Housekeeping services are outstanding, as well as scrupulously polite, in keeping with the high quality of service throughout the hotel. Rooms were cleaned promptly and properly. When a guest during our visit required having bed linens changed quickly, a maid was at the room within five minutes of the request and offered more service than had been requested in order to assure the guest's comfort. The true measure of a quality, and particularly of a luxury, establishment is not so much that everything is perfect at all times, but that if something is wrong, the staff responds correctly and thoroughly, and guests can hardly be disappointed in this.

An on-site fitness room features current TRUEfitness equipment, flat-screen television, water dispensers, and large quantities of towels that are of the same quality as the guest-room towels.

The Tavern's menu includes vegetarian (and vegan) menu options as well as a gluten-free menu. Breakfasts, included in bed-and-breakfast packages, are substantial as well as delicious: proper oatmeal with fresh berries, various egg dishes including Eggs Benedict with a particularly fine Hollandaise sauce (the chef is justifiably proud of that Hollandaise), and classic French toast with various twists headline the menu. Lunch and dinner feature fresh local and artisanal products, including a fresh creamy lobster stew - not a bisque - with vegetables and copious quantities of lobster, a crab and artichoke dip large enough to share, and sandwiches including Reubens with artisan Swiss cheese and roasted vegetable paninis. Dinner specialties include a grilled Atlantic salmon, slow-cooked short rib available with lobster mashed potatoes, and the Tavern's signature grilled scallops with lobster risotto.

In the area of Bowdoin, of The Inn, and of many of the Maine Street shops, locally roasted coffee, tea, and locally made gelato can be found at Bohemian Coffee House on Railroad Avenue. Along with the free Internet access that should be required of all coffee houses and cappuccino parlors, Bohemian features local Wicked Joe coffees and espressos and baristas who know what to do with them, as well as such gelato features as Honey, I'm Nuts About Chocolate (dark chocolate, honey, and chopped nuts) and BoHo Coffee (made with their own coffees). For more substantial fare, or for drinks, away from The Inn but still in the neighborhood, Scarlet Begonias features soups, pasta, pizzas, and a full bar; like the Tavern at The Inn, it's placed for maximum convenience for post-Maine State Music Theatre drinks.

The current production at Maine State Music Theatre is LES MISERABLES, running through July 13 at Pickard Theatre on the Bowdoin College campus, across the street from The Inn. Maine State has been noted for over 50 years for its extremely high-quality productions; it's one of the best of the summer-only theatres in the country, and its current LES MIS (sets, costumes, and director Marc Robin's efforts, along with, possibly, some of its cast, will be seen again at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, PA next year at the end of the Fulton's season in June) is the second-best production in this reviewer's memory. Considering that the production in first place was in 1987 at the Imperial Theatre in New York, that's not exactly a put-down - rather, this is one of the few LES MIS that could transfer to New York in its entirety without effort, which might save the new Broadway revival plans some time and effort.

This LES MIS has been reviewed extensively on the Maine page for Broadway World, but a short review is still in order. Gregg Goodbrod, a MSMT veteran as well as a veteran of Papermill Playhouse and of the national tour of Dolly Parton'S 9 TO 5, is an outstanding Valjean whose high tenor on "Bring Him Home" had audience members wiping their eyes, as did the final scene; his is one of the few truly unflawed portrayals of the former convict. Javert, the inspector of police determined to bring him back to justice, is voiced by Curt Dale Clark in a characterization with just a touch of Severus Snape (of Harry Potter fame) in it at moments, but with a fine portrayal of bitter obsession accompanying it. If there is any song besides "Bring Him Home" that's a test in this show of vocal brilliance, it is "Stars," Javert's anthem to order in the universe, and Clark delivers it with exactly the tension and brittle determination that the infamous film version lacks. Outside of Broadway, Goodbrod and Clark are the finest Valjean/Javert pairing this reviewer recalls.

The third part of LES MIS is Fantine, and Chicago actor Heidi Kettenring is a delightful one. When David Garrick said, famously, "Dying is easy, it's comedy that's hard," he wasn't talking about dying on stage (portraying a death onstage, that is, not giving a performance so bad it can be smelled outside the theatre). Kettenring is a miracle of restraint in portraying a character for whom it's easy to go overboard in the major scenes, and that makes the entire characterization of the victim who keeps her own sense of dignity at even her worst moments a joy to watch.

Comic relief, in the form of the Threnardiers, played by Gary Troy and Abby Smith, is exactly on point. Although Troy's portrayal of the innkeeper who comes down in the world has a dash of Sascha Baron Cohen in it, which is no problem, Smith keeps Madame Threnardier a completely fresh character. He is creepily debauched, she blowsily overbearing, and together they are greater than the sum of their parts, a force to be reckoned with not only in the famous "Master of the House" number but in "Beggars at the Feast" in the wedding scene.

Alec Shiman as Gavroche is one of the finest younger actors on regional stage at the moment, and deserves special notice. He's present, he's effective, and his performance enhances the show rather than drawing attention from other cast as many young performers do.

Marc Robin's direction keeps one of the longer musicals around moving tightly and rapidly, with no need or desire for audience members to check their watches. His vision for the show as a tale of redemption and ultimate salvation is clear and plainly drawn, and he executes it as if Hugo had intended his tale to look just like this from the moment he began to write. In short, this is one of the most perfect productions of LES MISERABLES that's been offered in some time. That the run is so short is unfortunate.

However, if you're able to weekend in Brunswick but are unable to catch LES MISERABLES, MSMT has beloved East Coast regional actor Charis Leos playing Mama Rose in GYPSY from July 17 through August 3, and the Disney/Cameron Mackintosh MARY POPPINS on stage from August 7 through August 24, as well as a concert by Suzanne Nance and the children's production of Robin and Clark's CINDERELLA.

For information on The Inn at Brunswick Station and on The Tavern at Brunswick Station, visit innatbrunswickstation.com; for reservations call 207-837-6565. The Maine State Music Theatre schedule and other information are available at www.msmt.org. Bohemian Coffee House can be discovered at bohemiancoffeehouse.com, and Scarlet Begonias at www.scarletbegoniasmaine.com (there are a few other establishments in other regions also named by Jerry Garcia fans).

Photo Credit (top): The Inn at Brunswick Station

To post a comment, you must register and login.