(207) 594-4401 or (800) 559-4401
BELFAST — The Belfast Maskers will present the Maine premiere of The Big Bang, a new musical by Boyd Graham with music by Jed Feuer, directed by Peter Clain and music-directed by Ruth Gelsinger, on July 11 through 28.
Sophisticated and slapstick at the same time, The Big Bang tells the story of two would-be producers who invite potential investors (the audience) to a backers’ audition in some very posh (and very borrowed) Park Avenue digs, where they proceed to pitch their latest concept — a musical rendition of the entire history of the known world — projected to come in just under $83 million! Everything on stage, from the Warhol on the wall to the Steinway baby grand, get in on the act as the two pitchmen sing and dance their way through the ages, progressively trashing the apartment as they go. The production features unusually clever writing, catchy tunes and outrageous lampshade-on-the-head-style humor, designed as a fun summer’s evening for all.
Audience members will be treated to drinks and hors d’oeuvres at each performance and invited to mingle onstage prior to the show as Ruth Gelsinger tickles the ivories, just as if they really were arriving for an elegant cocktail party at a fancy Park Avenue address.
Dan Cyr and Cole Lundquist, the two pitchmen in the piece, will circulate with silver trays, chatting up their guests during what basically serves as a pre-curtain intermission. The performance itself runs 90 minutes without intermission and features 21 original songs.
Mark Martelon of Landmark Antiques in Belfast designed the production, which features an elaborate Manhattan penthouse packed with modern art and artifacts.
The Big Bang formally opened Friday, July 12. Performances continue for three weekends only, Thursdays through Sundays, through July 28. All Thursday performances begin at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday shows are at 8 p.m., and Sunday matinees begin at 5 p.m.
Advance tickets are currently available at Fertile Mind Bookshop in Belfast, and may be purchased by charge by calling 338-9668. Tickets are $15 for general admission, with a special discounted admission price of $12 for students and seniors (65 and over) at Thursday and Sunday performances only. Tickets are also available at the door beginning 1 hour prior to showtime.
The Big Bang contains some adult language and themes and may not be appropriate for children under 12. Children under 5, as always, will not be admitted. For information, call 338-9668.
Satire defuses censorship in foreign films series
BELFAST — The Foreign Film Series continues its summer program at Belfast Free Library with six films that cover 1962 to 2001 and range from China and Australia to Czechoslovakia, Italy and France.
The series began Friday, July 12, with the recent Divided We Fall, directed by Jan Hrebejk. In some ways, the story resembles the great films of the “Prague Spring” by virtue of its setting in the days of the Nazi invasion and occupation of World War II. Film directors used this technique as a way to criticize the Russian occupation without risking imprisonment. This film’s satiric touch is lighter, more gentle and leads to the important contemporary realization that any future in which mutual tolerance is possible must be reached through forgiveness.
On Friday, July 19, the series brought back Federico Fellini’s political and musical satire The Orchestra Rehearsal. Utilizing the music of Fellini’s favorite composer, Nino Rota, the unionized players confront the authoritarian director in a tale of organized chaos. In 1979, that meant the confrontation of Nazi and Communist allegiances.
And on Friday, July 26, Maurizio Nichetti’s Bicycle Thief showed just how many levels a story can take in the world of film.
On Friday, Aug. 2, the series returns to the work of the great Chinese director Zhang Yimou and his most recent film, which stars the young princess Zhang Ziyi of Crouching Tiger.
After a week’s break, the series continues on Friday, Aug. 16, with Bruce Beresford’s last great film before he left Australia for film-making in America and other parts of the world: Breaker Morant. Based on a true story of a miscarriage of military justice during the Boer War, the film is a story of courage and integrity up against a system of self-protective power.
And on Friday, Aug. 23, the series winds up with the 1962 Oscar-winning French film, Sundays and Cybele, with a theme as modern as the latest child abuse news story — and with a warning against prejudgment. The story is of a shell-shocked war veteran and his friendship with a young girl who helps to put him back in touch with the world, but with tragic results.
The Foreign Film Series is held in the Abbott Room of the library on Fridays at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Professor Baird Whitlock will lead a discussion following the film for those who wish to take part.
For information, call 338-3884.
Lovin' Lobsters: From trap to table •History of brine • How to eat a lobster • Lincoln County • Waldo County • Knox County