“Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger,
You may see a stranger across a crowded room … “
Some people reading those words will immediately start humming the tune from “Some Enchanted Evening,” the signature song from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s immortal Broadway classic, “South Pacific.”
Maine State Music Theatre Artistic Director Curt Dale Clark recently saw “South Pacific” several times at the Fulton Theatre in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
“When the music for ‘Some Enchanted Evening’ started up, I’d always see someone put an arm around his partner,” Clark said.
That’s the magic of musical theater and that’s what will come to MSMT directly from the Fulton Theatre starting on June 5 at the Pickard Theater at Bowdoin College.
Clark brims with enthusiasm when he previews the upcoming season.
“Ticket sales are booming for both the main stage events and the concert series,” he notes. “And some shows are already sold out.” He urges people to purchase tickets and not wait until the last minute.
Everything is in place for a banner summer season. The audience-friendly main stage shows include: “South Pacific,” “Funny Girl,” “White Christmas” and “Beautiful, the Carole King Musical.” Incidentally, Marc Robin, the executive artistic producer of Fulton Theatre, will direct “White Christmas,” a musical he describe as “a celebration of tap dancing.”
The concert series will showcase the sounds of an array of prodigious musical talents, such as Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Elton John, Jerry Lee Lewis and Pink Floyd.
Again this year, Clark has lined up an impressive roster of MSMT singers, eight talented young people in their early 20s selected from among over 2,500 hopefuls from across the United States. Clark notes that many young talents who later attained success on Broadway and at regional theaters across the country got their first big break by spending a summer at MSMT.
Strong ticket sales ease the financial challenges facing Clark and the rest of the MSMT leadership team. Clark notes, however, that “the increased prices of goods and services have outpaced the revenues from ticket sales. We can never just sit back and rest.”
For Clark, the rewards of serving as artistic director at MSMT far outweigh the challenge of maintaining a healthy bottom line.
“I love making people happy, and I love this community. People come up to me all the time and say, ‘What would Brunswick be like without MSMT?’ ”
Happily, Clark is blessed with an extraordinarily dedicated group of volunteers.
“I consider them my team. They are awesome human beings who are as passionate about MSMT and musical theater as I am.”
MSMT regulars eagerly await the start of the new season. Those who’ve yet to savor the superb offerings of MSMT (“Bringing Broadway to Brunswick”) would do well to start now. Everyone in Midcoast Maine should be thankful for the extraordinary artistic and economic impact the organization has made on the region since its founding in 1959.
“Once you have found her, never let her go,
Once you have found her, never let her go.”
David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcome commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns at dtreadw575@aol.com.
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