by Will Gottlieb
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — My initial response to Maine State Music Theater’s production of “Annie” was, that never before has a dog had such a supporting cast – but that’s hardly fair. Mikey, who plays the role of Sandy, does a hell of a job, but he doesn’t do any singing, or not much. And the singing is at least half of the draw here.

But Mikey’s presence onstage brought to mind an entire raft of show biz lore that has to be acknowledged, or at least recited. For example, one of the recurring gags in the John Madden’s “Shakespeare in Love” is that everyone wants The Bard to write something with a dog in it. “You see,” says Geoffrey Rush’s character, “comedy, love, and a bit with a dog – that’s what they want.” And of course that’s exactly what we have here, and in generous portions. 

Laura Neiva in "Adrift"by Kurt Frost
Special to the Coastal Journal

BATH — The following DVDs are now available at River Bottom Video in Bath, located at 221 Water St., next to the rear entrance for Reny’s. 

“Adrift” (dir: Heitor Dhalia). If you search for this movie on the internet, chances are you’ll find a listing for “Open Water 2: Adrift,” which actually looks pretty cool. It’s all about these people who are floating in the middle of one of our two oceans. And they are floating there for, like, days until these sharks show up to hang out. Anyways, “Adrift” isn’t anything like that. It’s some kinda Brazilian movie instead.

“Battle: Los Angeles” (dir: Jonathan Liebesman). Is the San Andreas fault line movie too slow for you because you absolutely hate California and you are waiting for it to get dragged into the ocean? Do you find yourself daydreaming about an alien invasion that starts and ends in Los Angeles? Is it your dream to finally see the dynamic duo that is and always will be Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez? Well, you’ve probably got a lot on your mind, I guess.

From left to right: Brittney Morello as Betty Jean, Lara Seibert as Cindy Lou, Morgan Smith as Missy, and Danielle Erin Rhodes as Suzy.by Will Gottlieb
Coastal Journal staff

BRUNSWICK — The Maine State Music Theater’s production of Roger Bean’s “The Marvelous Wonderettes” opened last week to a very appreciative audience, proving once again that you can’t go wrong with good material. The musical score features 30 of the biggest hits of the ‘50s and ‘60s – talk about pre-sold audiences – and the cast, choreography, direction and musical accompaniment are all first-rate. 

The cast includes Danielle Erin Rhodes (Suzy), Morgan Smith (Missy), Lara Seibert (Cindy Lou), and Brittney Morello (Betty Jean). Rhodes, Smith and Seibert have a number of MSMT credits between them, and Brittney Morello is of course the person who was on her way out of town last year when Kate Fisher, the scheduled lead for “My Fair Lady,” developed laryngitis and was unable to perform. Director Charles Abbot raced to the bus stop to press Morello into service – and the rest, as they say, is highly localized show biz legend.