Deertrees Theatre announces lineup for 87th season of summer entertainment

Deertrees Theatre in Harrison is a unique and rustic theater nestled in the woods, a favorite summer destination for visitors and locals alike. Ray MacGregor Photography

Deertrees Theatre has a full lineup of events for its 87th season. Deertrees will present theatrical productions, comedies, exhibits, family shows, and concerts from June through early September, at 156 Deertrees Road, in Harrison. The complete season schedule and tickets are available at deertrees-theatre.org.

Since 1936, Deertrees Theatre has valued the performing and visual arts as an essential part of life in Western Maine. The theatre’s staff and board of directors are dedicated to the cultivation and active participation of a wide range of artists and audiences of all ages – locally and beyond – and to preserving Deertrees’ national historic landmark building.

“This year, we’ll continue to bolster our connection with performance and fine artists, creators, and teachers in our local community,” shares Deertrees’ Executive and Artistic Director Gail Phaneuf. “Our 2023 season is very ‘Maine focused,’ featuring Maine-themed shows and local artists from a vast array of talent. Our gallery will exhibit stunning pieces by community artists, as well as an Oxford Hills High School student exhibit.”

Artist Reception: Friday, June 23, 6:30 p.m.
Admission is free

A gathering of Deertrees Art Gallery’s exhibiting artists. This night of food and artistic beauty enables attendees to honor and engage with visual artists. Entertainment features Dan Fox, saxophone, and Gail Phaneuf, piano, in Deertrees’ cozy Salt Lick Cabaret – a great, social event to kick off the summer season.

Gong Show – Open Mic Night: Saturday, June 24, 7 p.m.
Entry fee is $5
Audience admission is $10

A fun-filled night of music, song, storytelling and comedy. Performers are invited to showcase their talents in Deertrees’ Salt Lick Cabaret space. The caveat? If the audience chooses to gong your act – you get the hook! Bring your best, quirky, unusual, and astounding talents for a fun night of surprises. All are welcome, whether performing or just enjoying the show from the audience.  Hosted by Sami Sabbagh; beer, wine, canned cocktails, and snacks are available in the Café. Please schedule a performance time slot at deertrees-theatre.org/gong-show-open-mic-night.html.

Magic Bus – The Who Tribute Band: Friday, June 30, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $27

The Who, one of rock’s most iconic bands, made the charts in 1964 with their hit song, “Can’t Explain,” launching their amazing journey to fame.  With five decades of performances under their belt, The Who’s music can be heard in commercials, television theme songs, and on the radio. Magic Bus, a tribute band based in Portland, Maine, captures The Who’s authentic original sound and feel. Band members take the audience on a musical tour of the rock band’s discography, covering top tracks from “My Generation” to “Who Are You,” and select songs from rock operas “Tommy” and “Quadrophenia.”

Almost Maine – A Real Romantic Comedy: Fridays, July 7, 21, and 23, and Saturdays July 8, and 22, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25

Maine native John Cariani’s play “Almost, Maine,” comprises nine short plays exploring love, loss, and a little bit of magic in a remote, mythical almost-town named “Almost,” Maine. On a cold, clear midwinter night, under the northern lights in the sky above, Almost’s residents are falling in and out of love in the strangest ways. Love is lost, found, and confounded, and life for the people of Almost will never be the same.

“Almost, Maine,” premiered at Portland Stage Company, where it broke box office records and garnered critical acclaim. Playwright John Cariani released a new novel based on the play in 2022.  The warmth and humor of the Mainers populating this story are truly extraordinary.”

Tipping Points: The Halcyon Quartet (A Benefit Concert for The Center for an Ecology-Based Economy): Sunday, July 9, 4 p.m.
Tickets range from $5 to $60 (pay what you can)

The Center for an Ecology-Based Economy presents a multimedia performance featuring The Halcyon Quartet, raising awareness for environmental challenges. CEBE engages the community in addressing the climate emergency. The nonprofit organizes, educates, takes direct action, and implements practical, ecological solutions for a just transition to a thriving, regenerative economy. Located in Norway, Maine, CEBE welcomes volunteers to support its greatest potential as a community, creating a future where all can thrive. Performance proceeds benefit The Center for an Ecology-Based Economy. Learn more at ecologybasedeconomy.org, or follow @ecologybasedeconomy on social media.

Sebago Long Lake Music Festival: Tuesdays, July 11 through August 8, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $35 per concert, season passes are $135

Deertrees hosts to Sebago Long Lake Music Festival’s 51st annual season, offering five Tuesday evening classical music concerts as the signature event of the Festival’s season. Deertrees’ setting at the top of Long Lake complements the Festival’s stunning chamber music under the summer stars.

Family & Movie Musical Songs – with Susie Pepper, Ali Butler, and Mixology: Thursday, July 13, 3 pm, and Friday, July 14, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $15

Performing artist Susie Pepper and her twin sister Ali Butler bring their voices and energy to two concerts geared for families and kids. Attendees are encouraged to enjoy making costumes to dress up as their favorite movie character and attend the concert in high-style.

Donor/Sponsor Dance Party – featuring The Cobblestones Band: Saturday, July 15, 6:30 p.m.
Suggested $10 donation, free admission for all sponsors, donors, and volunteers

Sponsored by Deertrees’ Board Members Jane Curran and Gail Bowen. Dance the night away in honor and appreciation of the generous donors, volunteers, and sponsors that support Deertrees Theatre. The popular Cobblestones Band performs tunes to sway and dance to all night long. Enjoy complimentary bites and a cash bar, mingle with friends, listen to great music and explore Deertrees’ Art Gallery, Salt Lick Café and cabaret setting.

Camp Encore Coda’s Faculty Ensemble Concert: Monday, July 17, 6:30 p.m.
Admission is free, donations gratefully accepted

The talented staff of Camp Encore Coda present a 20-piece chamber orchestra concert. Camp Encore Coda’s unique combination of incredible faculty and teachers in a traditional camp setting makes Camp Encore Coda a true masterpiece for musicians.

Phil ’n the Blanks: Thursday, July 27, 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10

Phil Allen sings and plays his guitar all around southern Maine as a solo artist and as the front man of Phil ‘n the Blanks. Studying music, theatre and opera as a young man, his vocal training comes through in his tight intonation and dynamic control. Allen learned to talk with the crowd and improvise melodies while playing the street corners of Key West and New Orleans. His gratitude for living his dream comes through in his stage presence and soulful guitar solos. His original songs reflect lessons hard learned and the joy that comes from a life dedicated to his art.

The Piano Men: The Music of Elton and Billy: Saturday, July 29, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $34

“Piano Men – The Music of Elton and Billy” is a tribute to the amazing songs of Billy Joel and Elton John, featuring Joe Boucher on piano and vocals with arrangements by Christopher Eastburn. Elton John and Billy Joel have collectively sold more than 350 million records worldwide and for four decades they have been at the top of the world’s musical landscape, with continuous radio airplay, topping album charts and performing to sold out audiences.

An Evening at Dave’s Sauna: Friday, Aug. 4, and Saturday, Aug. 5, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $29

The “Rated N for Naughty” musical is back by popular demand. All bets are off in this tale of a Saturday night in 1980 at the legendary Dave’s Sauna in South Paris, where hippies, rednecks, bikers, townies, swingers, and all kinds of folks would come for a sauna (and maybe more). This original musical is based on true accounts of the sauna back in its heyday. Meet Weird Rob, Bearded Hippie, Off-Duty Waitress, 9-5 Guy, Neighbor Not Happy, Local Town Cop, Trailer Park Woman, MassHole, Dave’s best friend Saul, his wife Nancy, her best friend Josephine, the seductive Sauna Sirens and many other colorful characters.

Lobster Roll Fundraiser: Friday, Aug. 11, 12 to 4 p.m.
Preorder for $25 at deertrees-theatre.org/lobster-roll-fundraiser.html

Preorders accepted online through Saturday, Aug. 5, to enjoy delicious lobster rolls (chock full of tail, knuckle, and claw meat), a bag of chips and a cookie, all in support of Deertrees Theatre.  Purchasers pick up their order at United Parish UCC located at 77 Main St., Harrison.

Midnight Breakfast: Saturday, Aug. 12, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $22

Admission includes a glass of bubbly (attendees must be age 21+ up). Five-piece indie-soul band Midnight Breakfast, draws inspiration from across the rich, multiethnic pantheon of American musical traditions. The Maine band aspires to honor their pioneering predecessors by continually creating musical concoctions with new invigorating flavors and flair. Improvisational live performance style, commanding stage presence, and groovy melodies make each Midnight Breakfast show unique, energizing, and ultimately unforgettable.

3 Day Funk: Thursday, Aug. 17, 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10

Enjoy 70’s to 90’s-era hard classic rock in Deertrees Salt Lick Cabaret setting. 3 Day Funk is a classic rock trio paying homage to the great bands of yesteryear. With a music catalogue of familiar songs – whether blues, hard rock, or a little funk – attendees are sure to enjoy a rockin’ good time.

Susie Pepper Sings Carole King and Bonnie Raitt: Friday, Aug. 18, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $35

Susie Pepper & Mixology present a one-of-a-kind concert featuring the beloved songs of Carole King and Bonnie Raitt. Pepper is a dynamic and highly sought-after vocalist throughout the region. Her talents led to her win Fox23’s “Maine Idol” competition and become Miss Maine in 2009. She has been featured in Portland Symphony Orchestra’s Magic of Christmas series, in addition to countless other performances.

Yesterday Once More – Music of The Carpenters: Thursday, Aug. 24, 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20

Performing artists Katie Connor, Gail Phaneuf, and Patti Hathaway sing (with Sam Levy on electric guitar and Dan Fox on saxophone) your favorites and lead a cabaret performance of some of The Carpenters’ most famous hits.

Dark Side of Somewhere Dance Immersion: Friday, Aug. 24, and Saturday, Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25

“The Dark Side of Somewhere” is the world premiere of a unique and immersive multimedia dance and circus arts experience brought to life by sisters Nettie and Hannah Gentempo. This new, exciting production is set to mark the 50th anniversary of Pink Floyd’s album “Dark Side of the Moon.” Conflict, greed, time, money, life, death, and a deep dive into the imagination are all themes explored through this production that includes a full cast of dancers and flow/circus artists, puppets, costumes, and a stunning, large-scale video backdrop.

A Tribute to Jeff Buckley with Sami Sabbagh: Thursday, Aug. 31, 7 p.m.
Tickets are $10

Join first-time Deertrees artist and theatre intern Sami Sabbagh as he makes his solo debut and carries listeners through the history and meaning behind one of the world’s most enchanting artist’s songs. Explore a retrospective of the life and times of Jeff Buckley, son of famous folk singer Tim Buckley, whose life was cut short by a riptide in the Mississippi River. In a Salt Lick Cabaret performance, Sabbagh covers multiple songs from Buckley’s albums “Grace” and “Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk.”

Kippy – Pray for the Dead and Fight Like Hell for the Living!: Friday, Sept. 1, 7 p.m.
Tickets are $20

A one-woman theatrical imagining of Kip Tiernan, “Kippy – Pray for the Dead and Fight Like Hell for the Living!” explores the life of social justice hero and founder of Boston’s Rosie’s Place, The Greater Boston Food Bank, Healthcare for the Homeless, The Poor People’s United Fund, and many others. Tiernan was an extraordinary character and a force of nature who changed the face of social justice in Boston. Passionate and salty-tongued, she engendered outrage and empathy for the plight of poor and homeless women in crisis. Tiernan founded Rosie’s Place in 1974, the first ever homeless shelter for women in the United States. Written and performed by playwright and Deertrees’ Artistic Director Gail Phaneuf.

“Don’t Shoot Me, I’m Still Only the Piano Player!” – David Sheel, Comedy/Piano: Sunday, Sept. 3, 7 p.m.
Tickets are $24

It’s no small wonder that his style is often compared with the late, great Victor Borge. Comedian and pianist David Sheel welcomes audiences to spend a night alternating interludes of hysterical laughter with technically brilliant piano performance. Sheel was titled “A master of the keyboard,” by The Times, Critics’ Choice, London, and lauded for his “Brilliant mayhem! He is a master of improvisation, accents, comedy, and down-right beautiful music,” by Adelaide Advertiser, Australia. Constantly evolving with fresh material, Sheel enjoys enormous success worldwide.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Friday, Sept. 8, and Saturday, Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $20

A modern staging of this Shakespeare classic, set during 1960’s America – a nation in transition, in the real-world city of Athens, Georgia. Serving today as a safe haven for queer and genderqueer persons, in the 60’s, Athens was full of tight-knit townsfolk in one of the most conservative towns in America. The setting transforms the faerie characters from fey spirits to queer and genderqueer aliens, whose interaction with conservative Athens fundamentally changes the city for the better. From the minds of Shakespeare veterans Rob Faucher and Hal St. Louis comes a night of love, magic, and robots unlike anything you’ve seen before. Brace yourselves to experience something otherworldly – the extraterrestrial universe just got a whole lot bigger in this fabulous frolic.

Deertrees’ Salt Lick Café opens two hours before each event, and is home to Deertrees Art Gallery curated by Artist Karen Pettengill. The café offers beer, wine, canned cocktails and a variety of sweet and savory snacks. The Salt Lick Cabaret space has art gallery table seating for up to 65 people, serving as a cozy, intimate space for Deertrees’ smaller performances.

For more information, visit deertrees-theatre.org/salt-lick-series-events.html.

Founded in 1936 as an opera house, Deertrees has been serving the Greater Maine region since 1936 offering an eclectic summer season of entertainment, featuring theatrical productions and comedies, family shows, concerts annually from June through early September. Deertrees is home to the Sebago-Long Lake Music Festival on Tuesday evenings in July, The Backstage Art Gallery featuring the works of local artists, and The Salt Lick Café, offering cabaret acts, small bites, beer and wine.

Deertrees Theatre, located at 156 Deertrees Road, Harrison. For more information, visit deertrees-theatre.org, email [email protected], call 207-583-6747 or follow Deertrees Theatre on Facebook and Instagram.

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