Regional Theater of the Week: Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine

BroadwayWorld.com, the largest theatre site on the Internet, is excited to announce a new feature to its comprehensive regional coverage - the Featured Regional Theater of the Week! Each week, BWW will introduce its readers to a regional theater located in one of our (over 130!) coverage cities. By exploring these different venues, their history and showcasing the production seasons, BWW continues its commitment to expand our presence in communities and cities across the United States.

This Week's Featured Regional Theater: John Lane's Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine

The Ogunquit Playhouse produces five exciting Musicals each season, with performances Tuesday through Sunday from late-May to late-October. The Ogunquit Playhouse, a not-for profit organization, remains unparalleled in its commitment to provide the highest quality musical theatre, with the best talent in the industry!

The Ogunquit Playhouse is one of Maine's cultural jewels and a cornerstone of America's theatrical heritage. Over its 80-year history of producing the highest quality theatre, it has earned the title of "America's Foremost Summer Theatre" and is one of the last of the great Summer Theatres from the Straw Hat Circuit still producing traditional live musical theatre.

Broadway showman Walter Hartwig and his wife Maude established The Playhouse in a small renovated garage in the center of Ogunquit in 1933 and four years later built the state of the Art Theatre in its present day location. In 1950, a young actor, John Lane, became General Manager and eventually took ownership of the Ogunquit Playhouse bringing in business partner Henry Weller to oversee the operations. Through their dedicated direction, professional integrity and impeccable taste, the Ogunquit Playhouse legacy of excellence continued through the twentieth century. John Lane retired in 1997 after transferring ownership to the not-for-profit foundation that oversees the Ogunquit Playhouse today. John Lane passed away in 2000, however The Playhouse continues to thrive as a dynamic testimony of his commitment to live theatre.

Since its beginnings the Ogunquit Playhouse attracted show businesses legends - a list of stars that reads like a who's-who of Broadway and Hollywood, including Bette Davis, Myrna Loy, William Powell and Van Johnson from the early days and more recently, Sally Struthers, Stefanie Powers, Rue McClanahan and Charles Shaughnessy. For 80 years, the Ogunquit Playhouse has been creating shows in Southern Maine and bringing the best talent from Broadway, television and film to its stage. The Ogunquit Playhouse's shows are produced and rehearsed onsite, and each show is uniquely cast for its audience. Come see a show at The Playhouse and experience as-big-as Broadway productions in a unique National Historic Register building in its original pastoral setting, with stellar casts and each show, a once-in-a-lifetime performance!

The mission of the Ogunquit Playhouse is:

- Maintaining and preserving the Ogunquit Playhouse facilities in conformance with the National Register of Historic Places standard, and insuring its continuation as a functioning playhouse.

- Providing and promoting high-quality ongoing performing arts programs in keeping with Ogunquit's historic tradition.

- Promoting education and cultural programs and events for the public that will benefit the performing arts.

- Raising and soliciting financial and other resources necessary to accomplish our objectives.

The 2013 Season includes:

The Rat Pack is Back
May 22 - June 8

You'll get a kick out of this award winning tribute show that brings to life the era of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin and Joey Bishop from their days at the Sands Hotel's famed Copa Room in Las Vegas. The combination of pitch-perfect music and side-splitting comedy, the show includes classics like "Fly Me To The Moon," "New York, New York," "That's Amore" and many more like only Frank, Sammy and Dean can perform them, with a twelve person swing orchestra on stage>

Thoroughly Modern Millie
June 12 - July 6

It's 1922 and small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, heads to New York City to start a new life. Millie finds herself in a city filled with intrigue, jazz and a whole new set of rules for love! Her new flapper lifestyle encounters trouble when she checks into a hotel owned by a dragon-lady villainess audience are sure to love to hate and played by none other than Ogunquit's favorite, Sally Struthers, in the Tony Award winning role! This musical comedy is based on the Mary Tyler Moore, Julie Andrews, Carol Channing film. It opened on Broadway in 2002 where it garnered 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical. The Tony Award winning costumes will be featured in the Ogunquit production. Musical theatre has found a new heroine for the ages - Thoroughly Modern Millie!

Mel Brooks' Musical Young Frankenstein
July 10 - July 27

IT'S ALIVE! The hilarious musical comedy is a wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend based on Mel Brooks' film masterpiece. The story follows young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to bring a corpse to life, but not without scary and hilarious complications. Don't miss the kooky cast of characters delivering all your favorite moments from the classic film - hunchback sidekick Igor (that's Eye-gor),the curvaceous lab assistant Inga, the stern housekeeper Frau Blucher, madcap fiancé Elizabeth and of course, the tap dancing monster. Ogunquit will recreate the Broadway production complete with the Tony nominated sets by Robin Wagner and the William Ivey Long original costumes. With eye-popping special effects on all new show-stopping numbers including, "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' On The Ritz," you'll have a monstrously good time!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
July 31 - Aug 25

The Playhouse is going Technicolor with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's irresistible story of Joseph, his jealous brothers and one very colorful garment. The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable. Joseph, his father's favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged. The musical is set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock 'n' roll, that includes the popular songs "Go, Go, Go Joseph" and "Any Dream Will Do." With a cast that includes thirty children, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless filled with surprising humor for adults and dazzling delights for children.

Ballroom with a Twist (non-season tickets)
August 27 - 31

Back by popular demand for one week only! If you can't get enough of "Dancing with the Stars," "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance" this is your chance to take your obsession to the next level with these popular reality TV shows live on the Ogunquit stage! Ballroom With A Twist features celebrity pros from "Dancing with the Stars," "So You Think You Can Dance" and "American Idol" singers. Ballroom With A Twist brings a frenzy of sizzling dance moves by professional international dancers spanning the hot moves of Samba, Waltz, Foxtrot, Quickstep, and Jive. It is a spectacular dancing and singing extravaganza that is fun entertainment for the whole family - live at the Ogunquit Playhouse!

West Side Story
Sept 4 - Sept 28

More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever and continues to mesmerize audiences today. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time and remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as "Something's Coming," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere." As the Associated Press says, "West Side Story remains Broadway's best dance-driven musical. Five decades have not dimmed the extraordinary choreography or the score that pulsates throughout."

Buddy, The Buddy Holly Story (non-season tickets)
Oct 2 - Oct 20

The most popular musical in Ogunquit Playhouse history returns by popular demand! If you are one of the few who missed it last year, or you can't wait to see it again, get your tickets today to this smash hit! Buddy rocks The Playhouse for three weeks only! Follow the incredible journey of Buddy's meteoric rise to fame to the top of the record charts during the golden days of rock 'n' roll, to his untimely death in 1959 in this popular tribute. You'll be cheering for more, with such rousing fifties favorites as "Peggy Sue," "Oh Boy," "Maybe Baby," "That'll Be the Day," "Raining In My Heart," Ritchie Valens' "La Bamba" and the Big Bopper's "Chantilly Lace." This joyous celebration of a musical legend will have you dancing in the aisles!

For tickets or more information about the Ogunquit Playhouse, visit: http://www.ogunquitplayhouse.org/

Know of a theater we should feature? Send your suggestion to christina@broadwayworld.com.

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