It makes sense that a certain magical nanny is flying in on her umbrella to transform the Penobscot Theatre Company stage this week into London in 1910, given the fact that the Bangor Opera House itself is unveiling its own kind of transformation.
“Mary Poppins,” the theater’s summer musical, opens this weekend for a month’s worth of shows featuring a cast of both longtime local performers and New York theater professionals. At the same time, the theater has opened its other latest production: The Stage Door, a new cocktail bar located directly next door to the opera house.
To say it has been a whirlwind few months at the theater would be an understatement.
“We managed to build a beautiful new bar and mount an incredibly ambitious production, all at the same time,” said PTC executive director Jen Shepard. “I’m pretty proud of everyone, to say the least.”
Just one door over from the Bangor Opera House, a PTC crew has been hard at work transforming the building at 115 Main St. into The Stage Door, a cocktail bar owned and operated by the theater.
The space, which until January of this year was home to the now-closed Valentine Footwear, is owned by local property developer Louie Morrison. PTC executive director Jen Shepard expected Morrison to say no to her crazy idea when she approached him with it over the winter.
“I figured he’d say no to the idea of knocking a hole into the wall between this building and the opera house, but to our delight, he said absolutely,” Shepard said.
That hole is now a set of double doors that lead from the right side of the opera house directly into The Stage Door. The bar, designed by longtime PTC set designer and architect Chez Cherry, is decked out in rich jewel tones and highlighted by art deco accents referencing the opera house’s original designs from the 1920s. A long community table runs through the main seating area, while in the back, a cozy area lit with atmospheric lamps provides an intimate spot for conversation.
A full cocktail menu including specialty drinks inspired by PTC’s 50-year history in Bangor will be served, alongside wine and local beer and a small menu of snacks. It’ll be open two hours prior and for at least one hour after all PTC shows, with regular non-show hours planned for Wednesdays-Saturdays as well.
Meanwhile at PTC, “Mary Poppins,” the musical, is based on both the beloved 1964 Disney film and the original books by P.L. Travers, with songs by Disney’s Sherman Brothers along with a few new songs, and a book by Julian Fellowes, the creator of “Downton Abbey.” It premiered on Broadway in 2006, and in the original Broadway cast was Janelle Robinson as Mrs. Corry, who joins Penobscot Theatre in the same role for this production.
The character of Mrs. Corry sings the show stopping “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” a number Robinson has sung countless times over the years. Robinson, a veteran of regional theater stages across the country who was also seen in PTC production of “9 to 5” last year, said she always finds some dimension to any longtime character she plays, thanks to the diversity of people found on regional theater stages nationwide.
“With ‘Mary Poppins’ especially, every actor always gives each character their own special spin. The kids playing Jane and Michael are always so different, and Ben Layman is playing Mr. Banks here, and it’s so special and unique to him,” Robinson said, referring to longtime PTC actor Layman, and Stella Burns and Derrick Johnson as Jane and Michael, respectively.
The PTC crew has been busy turning the stage into 17 Cherry Tree Lane, with the added challenge of making it so Mary Poppins — played with effervescent charm by New York actor Stephanie Bacastow — can fly. The theater partnered with On The Fly, an aerial effects company that has worked with Cirque du Soleil, Broadway shows and many others to create the illusion of flight.
“Mary Poppins” opens on June 15 and runs through July 16, with shows set for Wednesdays through Sundays. For tickets and more information on that show and on The Stage Door, visit penobscottheatre.org.
