Ogunquit Playhouse

About

The Ogunquit Playhouse produces five (sometimes more) musicals each season, with each season running mid-May through mid-October with performances Tuesday through Sunday. Each show is cast for its audience, and shows are produced and rehearsed onsite or in New York City.

Children's Theatre Program

The Children's Theatre Program began in the late 1990s, now offering children from ages 5–18 an opportunity to learn and perform on the Playhouse campus and stage.It gives these children a real-life experience, working with professional mics/makeup/wigs as well as the professional Ogunquit Playhouse Crew. As of 2016, the Workshop program has come back, providing students an ability to work on specific parts of the theater world.

Education and outreach

With the expansion of the season from 10 to 24 weeks, the Playhouse was able to offer more educational opportunities to middle and high school children. With the children's theater program and at least one kid-friendly performance each year, students are able to see Broadway-quality shows and meet the actors backstage in a professional theater close to home.

Beginnings

The Ogunquit Playhouse was established by Walter and Maude Hartwig in 1933 in a renovated garage in the center of Ogunquit, Maine. As part of the Little Theatre Movement of the 1920s and early 30s, Walter Hartwig organized an annual theatre tournament in New York. When the Depression put an end to the tournament, Hartwig started the Manhattan Theatre Colony and brought it to the town of Ogunquit. In 1937, the theatre moved to a new building at its present-day location on Main Street in Ogunquit, Maine. The Ogunquit Playhouse was the first, and remains the only, summer theatre from the summer stock era built exclusively as a seasonal theatre. After Walter's death in 1941, Maude carried on his legacy at the Playhouse.

1950s

In 1950, John Lane became the general manager and eventually took ownership of the Playhouse with his business partner, Henry Weller. Together they focused on modernizing and improving the building and grounds, and through John Lane's direction, audiences enjoyed the brightest stars and finest professional actors performing in Broadway's best shows. After a long and successful career, John Lane retired in 1994. He transferred ownership to the Ogunquit Playhouse Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation that currently oversees the Ogunquit Playhouse. John Lane died in 2000.

1990s

In September 1999, Roy M. Rogosin was hired as Producing Artistic Director to help usher the Playhouse towards a new era. During this transition, the playhouse began producing its own shows, designing and building sets, designing costumes and bringing back the stars. The old Manhattan Theatre Colony building was restored as a rehearsal space. At the same time, the Children's Theatre Program began, and continues today. The program provides a number of educational opportunities for children and teens interested in theatre, both as performers and behind-the-scenes.

2000s

In 2006, Bradford Kenney came on board as the new Executive Artistic Director. With his guidance the Playhouse continued a tradition of excellence, bringing regional premieres and stars of the stage and screen to Ogunquit. With help from grants from the Maine Arts Commission and the Donato J. Tramuto Foundation, improvements were made to both the sound and lighting systems. Audiences were growing, and soon the theatre expanded from a 10-weeks to a 21-week season. In 2010, a new steel support system for the stage house section of the theatre was installed to support the building and a new rigging system. In 2013, a state-of-the-art sprinkler system was installed.

75th Diamond Jubilee Anniversary Season

The Ogunquit Playhouse celebrated its 75th year in 2007 with seven shows that performed to record-breaking audiences. The season included a revival of 2006's Menopause the Musical, The Full Monty (musical) with Hunter Foster and Sally Struthers, Crazy for You (musical) with Rue McClanahan, La Cage aux Folles, The King and I with Lorenzo Lamas, Hairspray (musical), and closed with a revival of The Full Monty (musical) with Hunter Foster and Sally Struthers.

80th Anniversary Season

The Playhouse celebrated 80 years in theatre with the most successful season to-date that included Sally Struthers in Always, Patsy Cline and 9 to 5 (musical), Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific (musical), Carson Kressley in Damn Yankees (musical) The Boston Red Sox Version, and Ballroom with a Twist featuring celebrity pros and talents from Dancing with the Stars, American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance, including Anna Trebunskaya and Jonathan Roberts. The season closed with what became the theatre's most popular musical ever, Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story starring Kurt Jenkins. The demand was so high that the show was brought back the following year as the season closer. This feat was achieved again two years later with the Playhouses production of Million Dollar Quartet.

Shows

Shows by season for the last 11 seasons:

* - Brought back by popular demand

** - Regional premiere of production

Stars

Stars that have appeared at the Ogunquit Playhouse includes the following:

New England Theatre Conference (NETC)

Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards

South Pacific (2012)

Miss Saigon (2011) (nominations)

Spamalot (2010)

Sunset Boulevard (2010)

My Fair Lady (2009)

Singin' in the Rain (musical) (2009)

BroadwayWorld.com Maine Awards

Billy Elliot the Musical (2014)

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (2013)

ecomaine Awards