Maine theaters are seeing strong interest in this summer’s shows

Portland Stage is bringing “The Play That Goes Wrong” back for a second run this summer. From left to right, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper (Actors Equity Association), Ross Cowan (Actors Equity Association) and Erica Murphy. Photo by James A. Hadley and courtesy of Portland Stage

Is this the summer that ticket sales and show attendance really rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic? In Maine, early signs at some theaters point to yes.

Curt Dale Clark, artistic director at Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick, said ticket sales are looking strong so far.

“Last year at this point, I was optimistic, and we did make major strides last year,” Clark said. “This year, I’m giddy with excitement because it feels like 2019 to me.”

Brad Kenney, executive artistic director at the Ogunquit Playhouse, said the preview week for season opener “Waitress” sold out, something he’s never seen before.

“Things are looking good,” he said. “We’re thankful because we know it’s not the same for everybody. It can be hard to get audiences back. We’ll see if this is our recovery year.”

Ogunquit Playhouse

The season is already underway with the hit Broadway musical “Waitress” (through June 8), and the Ogunquit Playhouse has partnered with Bread and Roses Bakery in Wells to sell hand pies to the audience.

Ogunquit Playhouse is presenting the hit musical “Waitress” through June 8. Photo by Nile Scott Studios and courtesy of Ogunquit Playhouse

“Crazy for You” (June 13-July 13) is a tap-dancing extravaganza with beloved songs by George and Ira Gershwin, and the cast will include Sally Struthers as Lottie Child.

Then, Stephen Sondheim’s classic “A Little Night Music” (July 18-Aug. 17) takes audiences to the countryside for romance and laughs. (“It’s a bit naughty, like ‘Bridgerton,’ ” Kenney said. “Think adult aristocrats behaving badly, but with some of the most gorgeous music ever written.”)

The playhouse has been hoping to stage “Little Shop of Horrors” (Aug. 22-Sept. 21) for years. Director Hunter Foster starred as Seymour in the original Broadway production in 2003; now, he will return to Ogunquit to put his own touch on the show.

Tickets start at $50. For more information, including children’s productions and dates of shows with ASL interpretation, visit ogunquitplayhouse.org or call the box office at 207-646-5511.

Maine State Music Theatre

The main stage season will start with the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic “South Pacific” (June 5-22) set during World War II. Clark described it as “a lush, gorgeous musical” with a stunning set.

Then, Maine State Music Theatre will tell the story of celebrated entertainer Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” (June 26-July 13), which recently closed a revival run on Broadway.

For the first time ever, the Brunswick theater will host “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” (July 17-Aug. 3). Clark, a self-proclaimed “Christmas fanatic” who has more than 30 Christmas trees, said the theater doesn’t have the opportunity to stage holiday shows because it only operates in the summer. Ticket sales so far have indicated strong interest, Clark said, some local businesses will be partnering with the theater on “Christmas in July” promotions.

The season finale is “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” (Aug. 7-24), which has been immensely popular across the country.

Tickets range from $74 to $96. For more information, including details on children’s theater and a concert series, visit msmt.org or call 207-725-8769.

Carolyn Anne Miller and William Michals in a scene from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific at Maine State Music Theatre in Brunswick. Photo by Kevin Feraci and courtesy of Maine State Music Theatre

Portland Stage

Portland Stage will present “Manning” by Benjamin Benne (June 5-16). The play won the 2023 Clauder Competition, a playwriting award hosted by Portland Stage and open to all New England playwrights. A father and his two sons are mourning the death of his wife and their mother when a giant zucchini sprouts overnight in their backyard garden.

“The Play That Goes Wrong” is coming back for a second run (Aug. 14-Sept. 8) after big laughs and sell-out shows earlier in the season. The story follows the cast of ‘The Murder at Haversham Manor” as they meet one disaster after another on opening night.

Tickets cost between $20 and $72. For more information, visit portlandstage.org or call the box office at 207-774-0465.

Theatre at Monmouth

The Theatre at Monmouth will present its 55th season “Tragedy Tomorrow, Comedy Tonight!” this summer. Dawn McAndrews, producing artistic director, wrote that the program “celebrates and lampoons Shakespeare” with classic and contemporary comedies.

The season opens with the playwright’s witty “Much Ado About Nothing” (June 27-Aug. 11). “Souvenir” (July 5-Aug. 9) tells the story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a real-life socialite who tried and failed to become an opera singer. Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife, is the central figure in “Shakespeare’s Will” (July 11-Aug. 10). “The School for Husbands” (July 18-Aug. 10) is a funny Molière adaptation about two buffoonish brothers.

This year’s family show is “The Velveteen Rabbit,” adapted by McAndrews (May 25-26). Tickets start at $40 with discounts for seniors, students, groups and subscriptions. For more information and to buy tickets, visit theateratmonmouth.org or call the box office at 207-933-9999.

Opera Maine

Opera Maine’s 2024 Studio Artist Program will present two performances of “Rappahannock County” on June 28 and 30 at Portland Stage. The story was inspired by true events during the Civil War and draws from diaries and letters. The opera is sung in English.

Later in the summer, Opera Maine will stage Giuseppe Verdi’s tragic opera “Aida” on July 25 and 28 at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. The opera, which will be sung in Italian with English translation over the stage, is a timeless story of love across ancient borders.

Tickets for both shows start at $35 with discounts available and are free for anyone 25 and under. For more information and tickets, visit operamaine.org or call 207-879-7678.

Deertrees Theatre

Deertrees will present “On Golden Pond” (June 28-30), the beloved 1979 play by Ernest Thompson, set in Maine and now staged at the Harrison theater in the Lakes Region. The theater said the play “strongly resonates” with their local audience, “many of whom have cherished their families’ multi-generation lake homes – that special place where they’ve gathered for years, enjoying the beauty and respite of Maine summers.”

Then, “The Producers” (July 26-Aug. 4) brings a musical comedy to the stage based on the 1968 film. And the wacky “Monsters! A Midlife Crisis Musical” (Aug. 16-18) is an original work written by Deertrees Artistic Director Gail Phaneuf and Broadway lyricist Ernie Lijoi.

For the full summer schedule at Deertrees, including tribute concerts and “The Dark Side of Somewhere” dance and circus arts experience by Nevaeh Dance Circus (Aug. 30-31), visit deertrees-theatre.org or call 207-583-6747.

Footlights Theatre

Comedy is on stage this summer at Footlights Theatre in Falmouth. The main stage production is “Women On The Edge: Too Late For Coffee, Too Early For Wine,” a comedic celebration of women. The show will play Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7 p.m. from July 24 to Aug. 29.

Good Theater, which had to leave its longtime home on Munjoy Hill this year, will set up shop at Footlights on Friday nights from July 5 to Aug. 30 for “Killer Comfort,” directed by Brian P. Allen.

Footlights will also present Maine humorist Susan Poulin in “Makin’ Whoopie! Ida LeClair’s Guide to Love and Marriage” (July 2-30) on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. The schedule also includes a concert series, comedy nights and family events.

For a complete listing and to reserve seats, visit thefootlightstheatre.com or call 207-747-5434.

Hackmatack Playhouse

The longtime theater in Berwick will present three main stage shows this year. “Into the Woods” (July 5-20) by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine retells classic fairy tales. “Proof” (July 25-Aug. 10) is a Tony Award-winning play that follows the daughter of a brilliant but troubled mathematician. And “Little Women” (Aug. 15-31) is based on Louisa May Alcott’s Civil War-era classic about the March sisters.

Tickets are $40 for adults, $35 for seniors, $25 for students and $15 for youth ages 12 and under. Discounts are available for season passes. For more information, including about live music and events at Hackamatack Playhouse this summer, visit hackmatackplayhouse.org or call 207-698-1807.

Fenix Theatre

Shakespeare in Deering Oaks Park in Portland will return with Fenix Theatre’s production of “Love’s Labor Lost” (July 11-Aug. 3). The playwright’s early comedy centers on four young men who attempt to swear off women to focus on their studies. Tickets are free with a suggested donation of $20 per person or $40 per family. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit fenixtheatre.com or call 207-615-4020.

Portland Ovations

Circus Smirkus is back this summer on Aug. 5 and 6 at the Cumberland Fairgrounds. The Vermont-based company and its professional coaches bring youth performers, ages 1o-18, and a big-top tent on the road throughout New England. This year’s show, “The Imaginarium,” is set in a magical toy shop that comes to life with tumbling teddy bears, high-flying marionettes and a mischievous Jack-in-the-Box. Tickets are $40 for adults and $25 for children under 12 years old. For more information, visit portlandovations.org or call the PortTix box office at 207-842-0800.