Shannon Thurston is the author and performer of “MEN: Things That Go Bump in the Night,” a musical comedy at Portland’s Good Theater. Steve Underwood
It may be billed as second stage, but it’s absolutely first rate. That’s my verdict on “MEN: Things That Go Bump in the Night,” an original musical comedy that’s running through this weekend at Portland’s Good Theater. It’s one of the funniest and cleverest shows of 2020 so far.
OURBIGBAND is a 17-piece jazz orchestra that’s playing this Sunday in Portland. It’s part of Dimensions in Jazz’s annual tribute to Maine musician Steve Grover.
Cherish the Ladies is an all-female quintet that specializes in traditional Irish music, a field that has traditionally been dominated by men. The fivesome motors into Portland on March 4.
‘MEN: Things That Go Bump in the Night’
When people turn 60, it’s normal to start to take life a little more slowly, a little bit easier. But not Brian Allen, southern Maine’s longtime theatrical director, producer and all-around impresario. When Allen turned 60 last fall – with lots of fanfare – he was about to launch the most ambitious season in the 18-year history of Portland’s Good Theater, which he co-founded.
The chief evidence of this is the company’s expanded second stage offerings for 2019-2020. One of the best of these wraps up this weekend. “MEN: Things That Go Bump in the Night” was conceived by Allen more than a year ago, then written and performed by Shannon Thurston as a one-woman musical comedy.
It is billed as a musical cabaret, but it could also be described as a jukebox musical, where songs from Broadway shows have been repurposed and reimagined.
Thurston’s script is very clever. Structured in three scenes, she assumes a different character for each, and each character has a different relationship and mindset with respect to the male species.
The first character is a sexually promiscuous woman who has signed up with a computer dating service and hopes to settle down and marry Mr. Right. The songs, accompanied by Victoria Stubbs on keyboard, showcase Thurston’s vocal versatility – from Broadway belter to operatic coloratura.
Her second character is a full-bore misandrist, a woman who never met a man she didn’t hate. Two of the songs for this second scene are famous Broadway numbers: Cole Porter’s “I Hate Men” and Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart’s “To Keep My Love Alive.” The latter is one of the funniest numbers in Broadway history, where a medieval queen murders a long succession of husbands.
Thurston’s third character has invited a new boyfriend to dinner, and the anticipation is full of worries and apprehensions about food, cooking and relationships, resulting in a very funny and heartfelt denouement.
Catch Good Theater’s “MEN: Things That Go Bump in the Night” through March 7 at the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St. (top of Munjoy Hill). Call 835-0895 or visit goodtheater.com.
OURBIGBAND
When jazzman Steve Grover died almost four years ago, Maine lost one of its most talented performers, composers, arrangers and music educators. Among his accomplishments, he co-directed the Maine Jazz Camp with Paul Lichter, another longtime stalwart of our local music scene.
Lichter, who curates the Portland Conservatory of Music’s Dimensions in Jazz concert series, keeps Grover’s memory alive with an annual tribute concert. This year’s is slated for Sunday in Portland.
Headliner is OURBIGBAND, a 17-piece jazz orchestra that’s based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. According to leader Chris Klaxton, OURBIGBAND will perform new arrangements of Grover’s work – pieces that were originally written for smaller jazz groups.
Sam Renshaw, an executive of the band’s recording company, commented: “OURBIGBAND grabbed my attention from the first time I saw them; they’re equal parts adventurous, creative and crisp, and above all they operate with the utmost musicality and feeling. Like all great jazz artists, they have both a reverence for the past and an eagerness to experiment.”
Catch OURBIGBAND at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 1, at SPACE Gallery, 538 Congress St., Portland. Call 828-5600.
Cherish the Ladies
Men have dominated traditional Irish music for decades upon decades. The Chieftains and Clancy Brothers are outstanding exemplars of the genre. But perceptions began to change 35 years ago, when a distaff side ensemble formed with the intention of challenging male dominance.
That’s the backstory behind Cherish the Ladies, an ensemble that motors into Portland on March 4, part of this enduring consort’s umpteenth international tour.
Led by All-Ireland flute and whistle champion Joanie Madden, this quintet creates an evening of entertainment that includes a wonderful blend of virtuoso instrumental talents, beautiful vocals, captivating arrangements and stunning step dancing.
Two years ago I attended a Cherish the Ladies concert and I was thoroughly captivated by these five women.
Catch Cherish the Ladies at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, at One Longfellow Square, corner of Congress and State streets in Portland. Call 761-1757.
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