Category Archives: Past

Stand Up Comedy at MLT

Marblehead Little Theatre in association with Silly Theatre Productions and Scamp Comedy present

Stand Up at MLT

Two Shows – Friday, August 20 – 6pm and 8 pm

Featuring comedians

Mark Scalia, Alex Giampapa and Jim Ruberti

BUY TICKETS $25

Professional stand up comedy returns to the Marblehead Little Theatre, 12 School Street, Marblehead on Friday, August 20 with two shows featuring three outstanding Boston comedians: Mark Scalia, Alex Giampapa and host Jim Ruberti.  

“We’re excited to be opening up to audiences again, and after what we’ve all been through, we can all use a good laugh,” said MLT Board member & co-producer Bruce Whear  “  

Stand Up Comedy at MLT  is presented by MLT, Silly Theatre Productions, and Scamps Comedy Productions, which has produced other notable stand-up shows at MLT including Steve Sweeney’s one-man show Townie and New Year’s Eve shows in 2018 and 2019.   

Due to public health concerns, the audiences for both shows will be limited to 50 patrons & will need to be masked & spaced. Show times are 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., and tickets are $25, available at Arnould Gallery and Framer, 111 Washington Street, at ScampsComedy.com, and and by clicking the TICKET link above .  

Headliner Mark Scalia, who lives in Salem, is a headlining comedian but many local people may know him best for his acting performances on local stages, or on the Salem Trolley during the holiday season. As a comedian, he has headlined across the United States and Canada at major comedy clubs, numerous colleges and universities, along with corporate, private, and religious venues. He has also performed at The Boston International Comedy Festival, Seattle International Comedy Festival and the New Orleans Comedy Festival. He’s also performed standup with the show How Men Think (Or Do They?).    

“The nicest cynic you’ll ever meet,” Alex Giampapa began performing stand up in Boston at the age of 19 and became a popular act across New England. Now splitting time between Boston and New York City, he’s shared the stage with legendary comedians such as Bill Burr, Hannibal Buress, and Gary Gulman as well as opening for Adam Devine and Erik Griffin of Workaholics fame. A 2018 selection for both the Big Pine Comedy Festival in Flagstaff, AZ and The Boston Comedy Festival, he’s also competed in The World Series of Comedy, was a three-time finalist in The Beantown Comedy Riots, and has been featured in The Salem Comedy Festival (Salem, MA), The Motor City Comedy Festival (Detroit, MI) and The Mutiny Radio Comedy Festival (San Francisco, CA).  

Jim Ruberti is a Boston comedian and actor who hosts Summer Comedy with Jim Ruberti & Friends at the Cotuit Center for the Arts. He has been entertaining people for over 30 years, starting as a child in the theaters of Cape Cod performing with Broadway actors such as John Raitt or Theodore Bikel. He has been a comic fundraising auctioneer and event host for more than 10 years, and a stand-up comedian working stages around New England. As a stand-up, he’s shared the stage with Boston headliners such as Lenny Clarke, Christine Hurley, Steve Sweeney, Paul Nardizzi, and Jimmy Dunn.   “This is going to be so much fun it’s ridiculous,” says Ruberti, who lives in Barnstable. “For someone from the Cape, there’s nothing more enjoyable than the ride up the coast through Boston on a Friday afternoon, waving at all the cars going in the opposite direction.   “Marblehead is wonderful, and the show will be great. Alex and Mark are both very funny, and we’re all very different from each other. The audience is guaranteed to have a great time.”  

Follen Angels

SENSATIONAL SONGS
OF SINATRA AND FRIENDS!

A Live Concert featuring
The Follen Angels

December 3, 2022
7:30 pm

International Cabaret and Jazz recording artists, THE FOLLEN ANGELS, joyfully return to Marblehead Little Theater with hip, new arrangements to celebrate music with lyrics that tell the various stories of Frank Sinatra and friends. The Follen Angels, take Center Stage at the charming Marblehead Little Theater for one special evening of song, stories, and sophistication.

Join HILDY GROSSMAN on vocals, SHINICHI OTSU on piano, KENNETH W. DANTZIG on drums, RICK STONE on sax/clarinet, MIKE BALL on bass and special guest, MILT REDER (composer and guitarist for featured Sex In The City music) for this fun- filled evening. The Angels guarantee you’ll have a smile on your face and be humming a tune for the rest of the night.

A portion of proceeds will be donated to “Upstage Lung Cancer”, using the performing arts to raise funds for cancer research.)

Tickets are now on sale – Purchase Tickets 3 Ways

  1. ADVANCE DISCOUNT for first 50 tickets (or until theatre sell out) by PHONE CHARGE ONLY 800-418-7771 (Prime Time Promotions) $35
  2. ARNOULD GALLERY AND FRAMING
    111 Washington Street; Marblehead. 781 631-6366 $38
  3. Marblehead Little Theatre Box Office, NIGHT OF SHOW ONLY
    12 School St. Marblehead, MA 01945 Based on Availability $40

All sales are final
Please visit the Follen Angels website, theFollenAngels.com

Our goal is to provide a joyful evening in a safe environment.
Masks will be available at the entrance for this very special performance.


Enjoy wonderful songs and Start spreading The News ! Sensational Songs of Sinatra and Friends is here ! Your favorite composers, lyricists and performers. The Follen Angels bring their own unique styling to such tunes as, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, “Come Rain or Come Shine”, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”, “How High The Moon”, “New York, New York”, “My Way” and many more. The Angels also dive into the lives of the iconic artists who originally brought these songs to life. Hear what has made these timeless artists and their music a national treasure. You’ll long remember this musical evening of and some of the greatest jazz standards ever written, performed lovingly by The Follen Angels. The music is fabulous; the energy high!

The Follen Angels last East Coast Tour included taking center stage at the renowned “Metropolitan Room” in New York City, Knickerbocker Café in Warwick, RI, and Holiday Inn, Brookline. Over the years, they have filled concert halls and radio airwaves, and brought enthusiastic audiences to their feet from Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, Acton Jazz Café, Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge, Don’t Tell Mama’s in New York City, Mechanics Hall in Worchester, Columbia Station in Washington, DC, and other outstanding venues. Their six CDs represent a range in style from Gershwin and Cole Porter, Broadway showstoppers, to 1970’s pop!

Reviews include:

The Boston Globe acclaims the Follen Angels music as,” heavenly sounds”.
Stacey Marcus, of the Marblehead Reporter, wrote: “I was instantly smitten with the Follen Angels and their unique presentation of music. The group has the robust talent of a big band coupled with the intimate charm and allure of a glamorous piano bar entertainer from a sequined era. All in all, it was a toe tapping good time that made me want to don an evening gown, color my lips ruby red and sip a bubbly glass of champagne”
New York Producer Andy Skurow writes of a New York performance, “The Follen Angels provide fresh arrangements to familiar classics…Their repertoire sounds unique and fresh…never sounded so good with a twist of funk. This was the MOST FUN I’ve had in the cabaret in a long time. The Follen Angels are a Must See !”

Love Scotland 2, Reprise

On February 9, 2019 the cast of Love, Scotland 2 returned with a brand new edition of their sell-out Valentine’s weekend show which debuted in 2018. Again, the two-night run sold out.

Now they invite MLT friends and their friends to reprise the experience with hitherto unreleased video of the Saturday night performance as it happened.

The video will be presented on YouTube and HERE (below) beginning on February 9, 2021. The show features music from the contemporary Scottish songbook and some cutting edge Celtic instrumentals, as well as several of the greatest traditional melodies of the country collected and set to brilliantly memorable words by Scotland’s national bard Robert Burns. And along the way, poems and stories of growing up in Scotland.

The company are; operatic soprano Julianne Gearhart, in-demand keyboardist and Cape Breton step dancer Neil Pearlman, guitar-fiddle-bagpipes-penny whistle playing star of the Afro-Celtic punk band Soulsha Elias Alexander, and former BBC radio presenter and Marblehead resident Rhod Sharp.

Wishing everyone a Happy Valentine’s Day, a speedy and safe return to live theatre at MLT, and roll on, Love, Scotland 4!

Valen’times’ to spread the love

A Virtual MLT Valentine Party

Saturday, February 13

Watch the video of the show on Facebook at https://fb.watch/3ETczoRgn7/

Spread the Love with Songs, MLT Trivia, Prizes, Special ‘MLT to Broadway’ Guests, and Frivolity.

Hosted by the incomparable duo – Erik and Ursina Rodenhiser

Donate to MLT. Support Live Entertainment – Until We Meet Again

Spoon River Anthology in 3 episodes

Excerpts from Edgar Lee Masters’ classic Spoon River Anthology streaming on Vimeo in three episodes.

One password give you access to all three episodes. Purchase your PASSWORD to all 3 episodes with a suggested minimum donation of $10, as we continue to bring theater workshops to our local youth community and virtual theater to our extended community.

Directed by Anne Marilyn Lucas and Trudi Olivetti
With video editing and technical assistance by Chris Clark and Doug Cowell
Violin accompaniment by Susan and Ben Ruth

Episode 1
Spoon River Anthology – Episode 1

With: “The Hill” John Fogle and Gale Argentine

Featuring:

Henry Phipps – David Scannell
Ralph Rhodes – Les Tarmy
Mrs. George Reese – Jennifer Hurley
Nicholas Bindle – Bruce Whear
Thomas Rhodes – Mark Shasha
Ollie McGee – Gale Argentine
Fletcher McGee – Bobby Kerrigan
Doctor Meyers – Stephen Wallace
Mrs. Meyers – Laura Smith
Minerva Jones – Meghan Holtz
Indignation Jones – Doug Cowell
Dorcas Gustine – Barbara Lasovick
Mrs. Kessler – Sarah Cowell
Jack McGuire – Ted Merritt
Town Marshall – Chris Clark
Mabel Osborne – Julie Korzenik

Episode 2

With: “The Hill” John Fogle and Gale Argentine

Featuring:

Lois Spears – Stanis Ames
Willard Fluke – Bobby Kerrigan
Aner Clute – Meghan Holtz
Mrs. Charles Bliss – Trudi Olivetti
Judge Somers – Ted Merritt
Rev. Lemuel Wiley – David Foye
Russian Sonia – Alex Alexander
Benjamin Pantier – Steve Faria
Mrs. Benjamin Pantier – Sarah Cowell
Reuben Pantier – Gary Ames
Emily Sparks – Sharon Mason
Eugenia Todd – Kaitlin Eggers
Tom Merritt – Chris Clark
Mrs. Merritt – Dayle Persons
Elmer Karr – Mark Rolli
Cassius Hueffer – Stephen Wallace

Episode 3

Spoon River Anthology – Episode 3

With: “The Hill” John Fogle and Gale Argentine

Featuring:

Amos Sibley – Mark Shasha
Mrs. Sibley – Emily Grove
Margaret Fuller Slack – Nina Groom
Pauline Barrett – Anne Lucas
Village Atheist – John Fogle
Elsa Wertman – Nora Falk
Hamilton Greene – Gary Ames
Widow McFarlane – Julie Menard
Lillian Stewart – Kaitlin Eggers
Louise Smith – Julie Korzenik
Herbert Marshall – David Scannell
Fiddler Jones – David Foye
Amanda Barker – Stanis Ames
Nancy Knapp – Sharon Mason
Lucinda Matlock – Betty Lautner
Davis Matlock – Jim Wrynn
Richard Bone – Steve Faria

About Spoon River Antology

Spoon River Anthology, originally published in 1915, is a collection of more than 200 poetic monologues Edgar Lee Masters spoken by the people buried in the town cemetery.

The village of Spoon River is based on the two Illinois towns where the writer grew up and all the characters are drawn from people he knew or had heard about. This town has good people and bad people, and the graveside pronouncements reveal the secrets of those thought to be good who may have actually been bad; and bad people who wish they had been better.


About Chris Clark

All of us at MLT extend our heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of Chris Clark who passed away on November 28, 2020.

Chris’s editing talent gave us this beautiful Spoon River Anthology – Episode 1 video presentation. Chris’s compassion and artistry will be sorely missed.

The artistic team of MLT’s virtual production of Spoon River Anthology has been most fortunate to include graphic designer and video editor Chris Clark. Chris patiently collected all the film clips provided by the actors, with all the predictable variety of audio and video elements, and put together an elegant and entertaining piece.

Chris had also been an actor for many years, with many different organizations, including MLT. He lived in Salem with his wife of 25 years and their two children.