In Ogunquit, Maine, the world premiere of Small Town, the new musical built on the songs of John Mellencamp, is into its second week at Ogunquit Playhouse. Performances began on October 1, and the run ends on November 1.
The Playhouse has posted footage from the production on its YouTube channel, and stage photographs by Nile Scott Studios are up on its website. The musical sets 23 Mellencamp songs, among them Small Town, Pink Houses, Hurts So Good, Cherry Bomb, Paper in Fire and Jack & Diane, inside a story set in the 1980s, in a small community watching its American Dream come apart. The young lovers at its center are, inevitably, Jack and Diane.
The book is by Naomi Wallace, the MacArthur fellow and Obie winner, and the production is directed by Lisa Peterson, who directed Wallace's The Trestle at Pope Lick Creek and Birdy Off-Broadway and Good Night, Oscar on Broadway. Richard J. Hinds choreographs, returning to the Playhouse a season after directing and choreographing Come From Away there.
Dillon Klena plays Jack and Morgan Higgins plays Diane, with Ron Bohmer as Jack's father, Sean, and Matt Saldívar and Luna Lauren Velez as Diane's parents, Sergio and Maria. Kathy Fitzgerald is Box and Annie Golden is Lou.
The band side of the show comes straight from Mellencamp's own camp. Andy York, his guitarist for the past 30 years, is music supervisor and co-orchestrator, and Jason Hart is music director, arranger and co-orchestrator. Sets are by Klara Zieglerova and costumes by Haydee Zelideth.
Small Town runs at Ogunquit Playhouse, 10 Main Street, Ogunquit, through November 1. The show runs 2 hours 40 minutes, with matinees at 2pm Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday and evening performances at 8pm Wednesday through Saturday. The cast holds a talkback after the 2pm matinee on October 14. Details are on the Playhouse's website.
