Who’s Who in the Who’s Who? — An Ogunquit Playhouse Experience
Photo by Austin Sorette
In the director’s notes section of the playbill, James Gray included a postscript written by Mel Brooks. It reads, “If you like the show, tell everyone. But if you think it stinks, keep your big mouth shut!” Because the musical is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, it seems like there’s been an awful lot of yapping about it.
The Ogunquit Playhouse produced Brooks’ 2001 musical comedy, “The Producers,” for its 2026 season. Though its run has ended, given that we’re about a year away from the anticipated start date of the Playhouse’s $62 million renovation project, it’s worth documenting the last productions from the original storied stage.
Tell people you’re attending the Ogunquit Playhouse for the first time, and they’re bound to tell you the same thing: “You never know who’s going to show up there.”
Even when opening the playbills to read the list of the “who’s who” of American theater who have performed onstage, it’s almost shocking to see the list of stars who have made the pilgrimage to the quaint York County town. The playbills are like a puzzle book, a “Where’s Waldo?”-type search for stars across stage and screen. Names like Clay Aiken, Sally Struthers, Betty White, Judd Hirsch and Steve McQueen jump out among the many talented performers who’ve set foot here. At one point, someone standing in line at the concession stand and reading the booklet gasped.
“Holy s***,” he said. “John Denver performed here?”
But as attractive as it is to see a production for the star value, it’s equally thrilling to attend a show blind. Not so much taking a seat and pulling an eye mask down over your face, but showing restraint by avoiding the cast list and subsequently poring over their IMDb pages.
When you go in blind, you absorb the energy of Max Bialystock, a lead protagonist who perfectly encapsulates Brooks’ signature characters with his cartoonish wit and a hyperbolic sense of irony. Only after tearing the house down by portraying Bialystock’s painfully tragic Napoleon complex to the audience should we learn that the performer is Jason Kravits. A familiar face in several television roles, Kravits might be most recognized as the unapologetic Richard Bay in ABC’s “The Practice,” a stark departure from the absurdly wacky Bialystock.
You also get to witness the juxtaposition of the co-lead character Leo Bloom. Contrasting Bialystock’s sleazy self-assuredness, Bloom balances the duo with his childlike innocence and borderline pitiful naivete. But the actor behind the character — who routinely pulls on a long strip of blue blanket during times of high anxiety — is Dan DeLuca, a fearless veteran of the Playhouse stage. DeLuca has worked with theatrical legends including Stephen Schwartz, Alan Menken and Martin Charnin.
Without exposition, Ulla, the lead actress and secretary for Bialystock and Bloom, draws attention from the moment her long, stunning Swedish leg steps into the spotlight. Her strong stage presence and perfect musical pitch exude the experience of a professional. But after the final bow, it’s magical to learn that Gabriella Scarpace, the understudy for the role of Ulla, had taken the reins that night. Who knows how long she’s performed in place of Stephanie Gibson, the original Ulla. But the lasting impression of the performance is amplified by Scarpace’s natural portrayal of the role.
As characters are introduced over the course of the production, there’s barely any time to think, “Hey, I’ve seen that person somewhere.” Their commanding stage presence sends shockwaves of laughter echoing around the venue. The cast includes the ex-Nazi-turned-passionate-playwright/pigeon-papa Franz Liebkind (Jim Borstelmann, “Crazy for You”), the cross-dressing diva director Roger De Bris (John Scherer, “By Jeeves”) and the show-stealing comic powerhouse of De Bris’ partner, Carmen Ghia (Nathan Lee Graham, “Zoolander”).
Still buzzing after the energy of the performance (and the anxiety of finally leaving that parking lot), poring over the playbill post-performance adds so much more to the memory of the show. Reflections of the performance become new again; revelations about the actors add context to their performances; and reading in some of the cast’s bios that this was the first time they had performed in Ogunquit inspires hope that the audience made enough of a ruckus to encourage them to return.
With respect to Mr. Brooks’ request, you should keep your mouth shut even if you liked the show. Because if the tradition is upheld that newcomers will never really know who’s going to show up at the Ogunquit Playhouse, then let the raising of the curtain be like unwrapping a present. After all, a theater like this is really a gift.