Ghost Brothers About to Thrill Maine Audiences
A Southern supernatural musical written by Maine’s king of horror will begin its 2014 fall tour at the University of Maine.
Ghost Brothers of Darkland County, a haunting, gothic musical set in Mississippi and penned by best-selling author and UMaine alumnus Stephen King, will be presented Nov. 8 and Sunday, Nov. 9, at the Collins Center for the Arts.
King, who has won hundreds of writing awards, including an O. Henry Award and the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, co-conspired with two other legends — Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp and Grammy Award-winning T Bone Burnett — to create the tale of fraternal love, lust, jealousy and revenge.
Mellencamp created the music and lyrics and Burnett provided musical direction for Ghost Brothers, which has an ensemble cast of 15 actors and a four-piece live band. Billy Burke (“Twilight Saga,” “Ladder 49,” “Along Came a Spider,” “24,” “Monk,” “The Closer” and “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”) and Gina Gershon (“Pretty in Pink,” “Cocktail,” “Showgirls,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Ugly Betty”) play the lead roles of Joe McCandless and Monique McCandless, respectively.
In the musical, Joe McCandless reflects on a 1967 tragedy in which his two brothers fought over a girl, which resulted in the deaths of all three. In 2007, McCandless witnesses a familiar scenario playing out between his two sons so they travel to the family cabin in Darkland County, Mississippi, where he shares with his boys the story about his brothers.
Prior to the Saturday night performance, Fogler Library will be the site of a sold-out gala reception at 5 p.m. and a Southern-inspired dinner at 6 p.m. King is expected to deliver remarks at the gala. Fogler Library is where King met Tabitha Spruce when they were students at the university; they married in 1971.
The curtain rises on Ghost Brothers at 8 p.m. Saturday and at 2 p.m. Sunday. For tickets, visit the CCA website or call 207.581.1755.