“I regard the theater as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” – Oscar Wilde

The staff, volunteers, and actors of City Theater are all looking forward to the day when the lights go down, the seats are full, and our Artistic Director, Linda Sturdivant, takes the stage and starts with her iconic line, “I’m Linda Sturdivant, and I have the best job in the world!”

While City Theater makes plans for what the rest of our 2019-2020 season will look like, we, like many of you, are unsure of what the short-term future will bring. With cancellations and closures being extended and all of us facing uncertain times, we wanted to share what information we know and to help resolve some of the uncertainty in the world.

Therefore, City Theater is doing the following:

• City Theater is giving an automatic refund (more information about refunds below) to anyone who purchased a ticket for “Little Women: The Broadway Musical,” originally scheduled for March 13 — March 29.

For our patrons who have their “Little Women: The Broadway Musical” tickets “parked”/on hold, have show coupon passes, or received a comp ticket for the show, please see additional information below.

• City Theater is postponing the production of “On Golden Pond,” originally scheduled for May 8 — May 24.

“On Golden Pond” is the love story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, who are returning to their summer home on Golden Pond for the 48h year. He is a retired professor, nearing eighty, with heart palpitations and a failing memory — but still as tart-tongued, observant and eager for life as ever. Ethel, 10 years younger, and the perfect foil for Norman, delights in all the small things that have enriched and continue to enrich their long life together. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who then go off to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. The boy quickly becomes the “grandchild” the elderly couple has longed for, and as Norman revels in taking his ward fishing and thrusting good books at him, he also learns some lessons about modern teenage awareness  — and slang — in return. In the end, as the summer wanes, so does their brief idyll, and in the final, deeply moving moments of the play, Norman and Ethel are brought even closer together by the incidence of a mild heart attack. Time, they know, is now against them, but the years have been good and, perhaps, another summer on Golden Pond still awaits.

This beautiful story will be seen on the City Theater stage at a yet to be determined date in the future. Until that date is announced, City Theater is suspending sales of “On Golden Pond” tickets and anyone who has purchased a ticket will receive an automatic refund (more information about refunds below).

For our patrons who have their “On Golden Pond tickets” parked/on hold, have show coupon passes, or received a comp ticket for the show, please see additional information below.

• We are suspending ticket sales of “La Cage Aux Folles,” originally scheduled for July 17 — August 2.

After 20years of un-wedded bliss Georges and Albin, two men partnered for better-or-worse get a bit of both when Georges’ son (fathered during a one-night fling) announces his impending marriage to the daughter of a bigoted, right-wing politician. Further complicating the situation is the ‘family business’: Albin and Georges run a drag nightclub in St. Tropez, where Albin is the star performer ‘Zaza.’ Georges reluctantly agrees to masquerade as “normal” when he meets the family of the bride-to-be. But Albin has other plans, with hilarious results.

Once more information for “La Cage Aux Folles” is known, ticket sales will resume for “the schmaltziest, most old-fashioned major musical since Annie. Highly enjoyable.” -New York Times

Refund Information

City Theater patrons who purchased tickets for “Little Women: The Broadway Musical” or “On Golden Pond” will receive automatic refunds processed through our ticketing system. Therefore, we ask these patrons to know that refunds will take between five to seven business days to process and credit to show on your debit or credit bank statement.

City Theater patrons who have tickets parked/on hold, show coupons, and valid comp tickets will be able to use your tickets or show coupon codes for our upcoming 2020-2021 season.

Additional information on how to use your tickets and show coupon codes will be shared once we announce the 2020-2021 season.

Like all of you, City Theater is making plans as state and Federal officials update and notify the public of our current situation. Once City Theater knows more information as to when operations can continue, we will finalize and announce the scheduled dates and shows for the rest of our 2019-2020 season.

Donations

City Theater in Biddeford, Maine is a nonprofit, community theater that relies heavily on the support of patrons of the arts and theater lovers across Southern Maine. The theater is a fully restored 1890s Opera House offering community theater, music, dance and more to the surrounding southern Maine communities. The mission of City Theater Associates is to foster an appreciation for the performing arts by using creative avenues to increase community involvement.

Therefore, we need your help to continue our tradition of presenting outstanding performing arts and to support the maintenance of our historic opera house.