'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

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kport
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'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

Post by kport »

I had the good fortune of attending 'The Big Maine Event' hosted by Thommie Retter at the Portland Players Theater in South Portland on Saturday July 12th. It was a fun assortment of sketches, reviews, singing and dance by thirty young (and a few not-so-young) talented stars of stage, both local and further afield, including a number of BETM alumni, including Trent Kowalik (and his mother, Lauretta), Tommy Batchelor, Brianna Fragomeni, Annabel Kempf, Kara Oates, and Mark Page.

A most enjoyable event and a chance to see so many familiar faces helping a very worthy local community theater raise funds. All thanks to Thommie, and Marieta and Peter French, for putting together such a gem of an event (and I even got the T Shirt!). In all, six Forum members were there, 'we'll be supporting the Arts'!
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ERinVA
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Re: 'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

Post by ERinVA »

So how about a review, or at least a summary, of what you saw for those of us who couldn't make it?
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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CJ-Rochester
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Re: 'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

Post by CJ-Rochester »

JohnfromVermont was one of the fans at the Ogunquit Playhouse on July 10 when cast members from BETM Broadway, Chicago, and Ogunquit all met. He has uploaded some excellent photos from the event and given me permission to share them here.

Note, after clicking on any photo just use the right or left arrow key to move through them all. There are quite a lot of them!

http://www.yogile.com/billyCasts#41s
:/
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maria
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Re: 'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

Post by maria »

OK, so here goes a quick review of the Big Maine Event... I was hesitant about going, as my wallet was still in recovery from the Big London Event in May, but in the end, I could not resist the opportunity. And am I ever glad I went. I had a ball! And with BETM playing just down the road in Ogunquit, this was just too good an opportunity to miss.

As kport mentioned above, the event was hosted by Thommie Retter. It came about as an outgrowth of the friendship between Thommie and Peter and Marietta French, who met each other after the Broadway closing of BETM. The Frenchs are HUGE supporters of the Arts, and this event is made possible largely by their generosity.

There is some amazing local talent in and around Portland. Augment that with some BETM Broadway and Tour talent, and you have yourself a delightful show.

The show got off to a rousing start with "Let's Bring Broadway to Maine," a show tune written by Portland's own Matt LeBerge, who was also the music director for the Big Maine Event. He is incredibly talented, and I found myself singing this tune for days afterwards - all the players participated and it was a lively and enthusiastic beginning to the show.

What followed were a number of solo show tunes and dance numbers - they were all terrific. Tommy Batchelor did two dance numbers - one a tap dance number, one a modern dance. Let me tell you, this kid (young adult really!) can dance - smooth and easy and cool and acrobatic! And he choreographed both numbers and wrote the song for at least one of them. And on top of that, he is just so charismatic and engaging on stage - he was that way as Billy, and he has NOT lost his touch. Trent Kowalik danced two Irish dances - one a tap number, the other not. I had heard he was a world champion Irish dancer before he ever did Billy, and I had seen a sample or two on youtube, but WOW!!! It was amazing to witness in person - the leaps, the ease with which he danced - completely breath taking. Brianna Fragomeni (also an original BETM broadway cast member) did a tap number that was just AMAZING!!! As a surprise for Thommie Retter, she, Tommy B. and Trent did a tap number and it was also amazing!

There were lots of solo pieces from various musicals (Shrek, Les Miz, Cabaret, 9 to 5, Wicked) and more that were not show tunes.

And then there was Mark Page, small boy from BETM Chicago - he did a comedy skit (!) and he was absolutely terrific - SMALL BOY SPEAKS!! Not only does he speak, but he held the audience in the palm of his hand with a skit written just for him all about being ten years old and getting ready to go into the 5th grade. He had everyone on the edges of their seats - and he did it with such dead pan delivery - and he is only TEN YEARS OLD!!! This kid is going places!!!

There were also three short skits written by Anthony Giunta (of "Contest" fame) and they were all sweet - the first one was the younger performers (elementary school age) and was a story about saying good bye, and how it is easier to hide sad feelings behind anger and meanness. The second was for the the middle/high school crowd, and was more about peer pressure and the challenges it puts on young folks, and the third was for the college age group and was about staying in touch with old friends even as we move away from home and make new friends. All three were sweet and wonderfully acted by a mix of local talent and our Broadway friends. Hats off to Anthony Giunta for creating three very engaging stories in such short skits!

The show ended with a Thommie Retter original "Our Time" with the whole cast singing and dancing their way to this super catchy tune that I still find myself singing.

It was a wonderful time. Mostly, I just enjoyed the talent and enthusiasm and energy and joy expressed by all these young folks in their love of music and dance.
<- A new use for the Billy Bag!!!
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ERinVA
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Re: 'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

Post by ERinVA »

Thank you for that, maria. Wish I could have been there!
Ellen



"I don't want people who want to dance; I want people who have to dance.”
-George Balanchine 1904 -1983


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kport
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Re: 'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

Post by kport »

Thanks for the comprehensive review, Maria! We were unable to see the entire event, since we had to return to Ogunquit for the evening performance, so it is great to be able to read about the items we missed!
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CJ-Rochester
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Re: 'The Big Maine Event' with Thommie Retter

Post by CJ-Rochester »

This year's Big Maine Event will take place on Saturday, August 12th.

https://www.portlandplayers.org/the-big-maine-event
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