Interview: 'No Spiel...The Show Must Go On!' - MSMT Panel Explores FUNNY GIRL
“We battle with other theatres to get the rights for shows. We always try to get MSMT on the national radar as much as we can and get first rights if possible, but it is very competitive,” explains Curt Dale Clark, Maine State Music Theatre’s Artistic Director, as he recounts how the Brunswick theatre managed a virtual coup for this 2024 season by becoming the first regional theatre to receive the rights to produce FUNNY GIRL after it closed its recent revival on Broadway. “In the case of FUNNY GIRL, Concord Theatricals was holding our money for a show that we planned to produce in 2020 before the pandemic shut everyone down. Since they do not return money, they were eager for us to choose another show from their catalog and clear their books. I agreed if they would give us the first rights to FUNNY GIRL after the Broadway show closed.”
Clark is sharing his thoughts with the audience at MSMT’s second Peek Behind the Curtain on July 3 at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, where he is joined by actors Sue Cella, Douglas Raymond Williams, and Michelle Beth Herman, as well as panel moderator, Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold.
Review: MSMT's FUNNY GIRL: Bold, Beautiful & Star-Studded
Maine State Music Theatre’s new production of FUNNY GIRL is a triumph for its star and a coup for the company. Obtaining the first rights to produce the show after the closing of the recent Broadway revival is an unprecedented accomplishment for the theatre’s Artistic Director, Curt Dale Clark. In addition, the production, itself, is arguably the first FUNNY GIRL anywhere to use the state-of-the art video technology, and perhaps the most thrilling feat of all: not only does the entire cast deliver stunning performances, but Jenna Lea Rosen, who makes her MSMT debut and role debut as Fanny Brice, is unquestionably a superstar. The result is an evening in the theatre that is as exhilarating and spellbinding as any you will see on any stage and an experience not to be missed!
Video: Get A First Look At BEAUTIFUL THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Paramount Theatre in Aurora
Get a first look at Paramount Theatre’s production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Before she was the Carole King we know today, she was a young songwriter from Brooklyn trying to make a name for herself. Beautiful tells the inspiring true story of her remarkable rise to stardom with her husband and songwriting partner, Gerry Goffin, and how she went on to become one of the most successful singers, songwriters and musicians in contemporary music history.
Interview: MSMT in 2024: Raring to Go & Bursting at the Seams
“The world is coming back online, and people are getting back to who they were before the pandemic,” declares MSMT Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark. “Ticket sales are as close as they have come to pre-pandemic levels, and there is an extraordinary buzz surrounding the upcoming 2024 season.”
Photos: First Look At BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL At Paramount Theatre
Not so far away is Paramount Theatre’s 2023-24 season finale, the Broadway smash hit Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Nominated for seven Tony Awards, with two wins, plus a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album, Paramount will pull out all the stops in this season-finale jukebox musical celebration of one our most beloved music icons ever. See photos from the production!