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"A brilliant mash-up of Cinderella and Pygmalion, narrated from a Mummer's clubhouse on Dock Street
in South Philadelphia, The Three Maries is a fictional account of an historical event. The year is 1926,
Queen Marie of Romania announces a visit to the City of Philadelphia for the celebration of the
sesquincentennial, changing the lives of one South Philsadelphia family forever." - Prince Theater
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THE CAST
Franklin Anthony – Ensemble
Rachel Brennan – Little Marie
Jeffrey Coon – Count Frederick/Moon
Kathy Deitch – Big Marie
Mindy Dougherty – Penny Wanapacker
Deirdre Finnegan – Dorcas Waterhouse
Neill Hartley – Bud/Ensemble
Mary Martello – Queen Marie of Romania
John Monforto – Banjo Eddie
Paul L. Nolan – Mr. Waterhouse
Jenna Rogalski – Ensemble
Josh Totora – Al/Ensemble
THE ARTISTIC TEAM
Producers: Monica Horan Rosenthal, Philip Rosenthal, Julianna Schauerman, Michael
Ogborn
Playwright/Composer/Lyricist: Michael Ogborn
Director/Choreographer: Peter John Rios
Musical Director: Ryan Touhey
Scenic/Lighting Designer: Thom Weaver
Costume Designer: Janus Stefanowicz
Conductor/Show Pianist: Charlie Gilbert
Production Stage Manager: Ed Robins
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The Cultural Critic
"It’s fun to hear these folks declaim their Philly dialect: sit daln for sit down, doon for doing, wooder glazz for water glass, and when ordering takeout, “a cyouk and a hyougie to go.”Ogborn’s script jokes about Philadelphia institutions — City Hall, the Mummers, Horn & Hardart’s — while his score contains 1920’s Jazz, Tin Pan Alley and the Mummer’s string band sound.Ogborn adds enjoyment by referencing other songwriters. His “M-A-R-I-E spells Marie” is homage to George M. Cohan and his “Mary Is a Grand Old Name/but with propriety, society will say Marie.” And Ogborn pays tribute to Cole Porter by writing a beguine ballad that includes the repeated lyric from Kiss Me, Kate, “Marry me, marry me.” - Steve Cohen
Curtain Up
"This is the latest creation by the guy who brought us the inimitable musical Baby Case, which, 13 years later still ranks among the top musicals I've ever seen. He's also the talent behind Cafe Puttanesca and Tulipomania among other highly entertaining nights at the theater. Early this year he premiered Field Hockey Hot, and he does the scores for the popular pantos at Peoples Light and Theatre, including their Christmas season's The Three Musketeers (The Later Years). The music rocks in its old fashioned, classic musical way. Director and Choreographer Peter John Rios... accommodates not only dancing actors, changing scenes, and props including large architectural cutouts of the modern mismatched City Hall tower, but also the six-member band along with at least 11 instruments including drums, piano and a glockenspiel. The assortment of visuals sprawling across the huge screen in the background adds to the packed scene. - Kathryn Osenlund
Broad Street Review
"Ogborn crafts — alone, impressively, since most musicals are written by teams — a genial romantic comedy about Little Marie toiling for a City Hall suit who dumps responsibility for Queen Marie of Romania's brief 1926 visit. Ogborn doesn't let history interfere, though, focusing on Little Marie's mother, Big Marie's insistence that she find a husband. Mummers are involved humorously, as Little Marie's dad and his pals whip up her evening dress overnight. Most theater created in Philadelphia (i.e., everything but the tours booked by the Kimmel Center) follows the nonprofit regional model, but The Three Maries dares to be different. Producers Monica Horan Rosenthal (a Darby native widely known for her role on TV's Everybody Loves Raymond), husband Phil Rosenthal, and Julianna Schauerman have created No Attytude Productions with the hope of running The Three Maries "for years to come," says their mission statement. "Creating a brand" seems more business than art, but it's easy to like the idea of this quality feel-good celebration becoming both a local favorite and a tourist destination. See the show for its lovely songs, its lowbrow silliness (yes, there's a "Sal Manella" joke that elicits happy groans), and its great performers. The one thing not to say is "I haven't seen it." - Mark Cofka
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PhillyMag.com
"What a sense of nostalgia I felt, entering the Prince Theater for the first time in years! I haven’t been in the main auditorium since the days when it was our leading venue for developing musical theater. So I was especially joyful to be there to see a new musical: The Three Maries, by Michael Ogborn...its tuneful, good-natured, boosterish Philadelphia charm is pretty irresistible. The Three Maries, set in the 1920s, is a historical fantasia built on a grain of fact – the visit of Queen Marie of Romania to Philadelphia for the sesquicentennial. The other two Maries are a mother and daughter (Big and Little Marie), residents of South Philly, and part of its Mummer culture. What follows is, in the words of the show’s Mission Statement, “a love letter to Philadelphia”—also, “a mash-up of Cinderella and Pygmalion.” It is indeed all those things and more. Ogborn’s music and lyrics are unfailingly tuneful and clever. The show is at its best when evoking the quirks and follies of our home city, especially the local accent. (Ogborn’s best song is “A Diction Lesson,” this musical’s “The Rain in Spain” – it’s reprised several times, and I’d welcome even more.)" - David Fox |
