Sometimes to defend your very soul you have to be savage, not average. This is the just kind of savage grace exhibited in Kinky Boots. It is the “in your face, I’m here and I’m staying just as I am” courage that no one should have to wear to live on.
Maine State Music Theatre’s second main stage production, perennial favorite, JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, takes the Pickard stage by storm, exploding with color, energy, and sheer irrepressible joy. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s early collaboration based on the Book of Genesis has as its central metaphor the coat of many colors, and like that kaleidoscopic garment, the show itself is a rich, eclectic tapestry that weaves together musical and choreographic genres, ancient and modern sensibilities, and perhaps best of all in this production – a diverse and deeply talented cast that is beautiful to behold.
What happens when one of the most beloved musicals in the canon comes to the stage at the very point in time when history and a harsh pandemic seem to intersect with an iconic story? Add to this serendipitous set of circumstances an assembly of creatives, cast, and crew that are nothing short of brilliant, and the result is a little like a theatrical miracle that will fill your heart with joy and hope and music.
On June 9, 2022, MSMT opened its first fully programmed Revival Season at its longtime home in the Pickard theater on Bowdoin College campus with a breathtaking production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s THE SOUND OF MUSIC. This last collaboration between these two giants of musical theatre is well known and loved, and though sixty years have passed since its creation, it is a story that continues to speak to our time - today more than ever. Read BWW's critic's review!