Paul Melone

North Shore Music Theatre in Trouble

Please let "Too Big to Fail" apply here: the largest non-profit theatre in New England has hit the skids.

Boston Globe Article: New funds or curtains for North Shore Music Theatre

Yesterday afternoon the phone started ringing with rumors that North Shore management called an all-staff meeting with with dire news of layoffs and possible closing. North Shore helped SpeakEasy Stage Co. with our production of Caroline or Change by Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori.  NSMT  helped bring the show to Boston and supported us with assistance in marketing, inviting their very large subscription base to venture out to see the show.  Caroline was a banner show for SpeakEasy, a success that showed our little company could fill our new home at the Roberts Theatre.

I don't get out to Beverly very often, and the last NSMT production I saw was "Abysynnia" the musical staged downtown at the Wilbur theatre, as it opened right after the tragic fire that destroyed North Shore's stage.  The piece was a well done, achingly earnest story of a girl who rebuilds her spirit after a soul-crushing event.  North Shore held up their end of the bargain to their subscribers, hiring busses to meet patrons at the parking lot of the ruined theatre in Beverly and driving them downtown.

Let's hope the patrons, businesses, and government on the North Shore repay the Music Theatre in kind, contributing the money needed to keep them around for another fifty five seasons.

I got the press release in my e-mail at work this morning, click to read the whole thing.

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in Memoriam, Paul W. Melone

My grandfather, whose name I share, passed away on August 12th. He was a lifetime creative professional, a man for whom art and aesthetics were inseparable from daily life, who also conceived, planned, and brought to life many big projects in his community. You can tell by this brief epitaph that he gave me more than just is name.

Here's both of us after a performance of Little Dog Laughed last winter at SpeakEasy Stage.

Obituary here.

William Finn at SpeakEasy benefit

We at SpeakEasy had our annual fundraising bash last Tuesday, the 18th, and invited Willian Finn as an honored guest.  He came and was awesome.  That is all.

Playwright Douglas Carter Beane

Playwright, author of The Little Dog Laughed, came to the show last Saturday January 26th. The Boston Globe was gracious enough to host him as part of their Arts and Entertainment Weekend. We took him out to lunch afterwards. Cobb salads were ordered but with the utmost humility and grace.

Here's some pictures of him with the cast. Amazing writer and a really nice guy, it was great to meet him. Thanks to Eric Hess for the photos.

The Little Dog Laughed

My current directing project at SpeakEasy Sage Co. This one is in the larger of the two theatres in the Calderwood Pavilion, the gorgeous 350 seat Virginia Wimberly Theatre.

Come check it out: info and tickets available at SpeakEasy and at the Box Office. Thanks to Mike Lovett for the photo.

A Christmas Celtic Sojourn

I'm currently in production for my other regular freelance gig. Not satisfied with a Ten camera HD-TV shoot in the beautiful Cutler Majestic Theatre last season, this year we are taking the show to The Town Hall in New York for two performances.

More info at the Maj show page.

Where Elephants Weep

My current freelance project, just completed yesterday, production managing this original Cambodian-American Opera.

Very cool stuff, with 11 musicians in from Cambodia to play the show, cast and design team up from NY. Goal is to develop the show for eventual full production in Cambodia.

Check out this story broadcast on NPR national.

Elliot Norton Nomination

I've been nominated for an Elliot Norton Award for "OUTSTANDING DIRECTOR, MIDSIZE COMPANY" for my direction of Fat Pig.

Other nominees are Scott Edmiston for The Women at SpeakEasy, and David R. Gammons for Titus Andronicus for Actors' Shakespeare Project.

Two other members of the Fat Pig creative team have been nominated: Lilian Klein for her performance in Fat Pig, and Jeff Adelberg, my LD for Fat Pig, although he was nominated for his Lighting Design for Titus.

UPDATE

So I didn't get it. Congrats to David Gammons for the win.

StageSource

I've joined the board of StageSource.

What we do:

StageSource provides leadership and services to advance the art of theatre in the Greater Boston region.  Our mission is to unite theatre artists, theatre companies, and related organizations in vision and goals that inspire and empower our community to realize its greatest artistic potential.