What if King Friday — the long-reigning puppet monarch of the kiddie TV show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” — came upon hard times? What if he was now living in squalor beneath a vaudeville house, where other strange or eccentric puppets hang out and behave in bizarre ways? That’s the premise behind a puppet show scheduled […]
Ray Routhier
Staff Writer
Ray Routhier has written about pop culture, movies, TV, music and lifestyle trends for the Portland Press Herald since 1993. He is continually fascinated with stories that show the unique character of Maine’s people and places. He’s written about why so many businesses use the made-up word “Mainely” in their names, how you can trace Portland’s history through its various smells and why Mainers lament the loss of Portland-made B&M baked beans. He’s interviewed a wide variety of filmmakers, actors, musicians and authors, including Patrick Dempsey, Tony Shalhoub, Richard Russo, Tess Gerritsen, Tony Bennett, Anna Kendrick, and Stephen King. His passions, besides writing, include baseball history, old movies and “Jeopardy!” A native of Manchester, New Hampshire, he graduated with a degree in political science from the University of New Hampshire. He lives in South Portland with his wife and two children.
Posted inNews
New director at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens
Willilam Cullina has been named new executive director at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
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Posted inLife & Culture
‘The Sing-Off’: Portland singertwo weeks away from a dream
Michael Odokara-Okigbo turns in another standout performance to advance closer to the grand prize.
Posted inLife & Culture
Warming trend in Maine homes
Winter’s approach finds more Mainers considering a growing array of supplemental heating options.
Posted inUncategorized
Off Beat: Group emphasizes joy of dance without club scene distractions
You don’t have to be drunk to dance. There’s a revelation that could have saved many of us a lot of hangovers. And it’s one of the core tenets of a nonprofit Portland group called Ecstatic Dance ME, which has been hosting Sunday-morning dance parties for the past few months. The idea is for people […]
Posted inLife & Culture
Straight talk
Straight No Chaser’s Tyler Trepp tells what it’s been like for the popular a cappella group, in Portland on Tuesday, to try to make it the music biz.
Posted inLife & Culture
Designing an in-law apartment
The space Paula Armstrong and her husband occupy at her daughter’s Scarborough home is no cramped extra bedroom or suite atop the garage – it’s a thoughtfully designed, private cottage home.
Posted inArts & Entertainment, Books
Author Q&A: Storm Chaser
Intrigued by an episode from her family’s past, Maine writer Barbara Walsh investigates, only to find much more: A tale of loss, love and redemption.
Posted inNews
Pining for Maine: A celebrity haven
Maine is wild, beautiful and worlds removed from bustling metropolitan centers like New York City and Los Angeles. So it’s the perfect place for frazzled and sought-after celebrities to get away from everything. Except other celebrities. Maine has long been an escapist destination for the rich and powerful. More than 100 years ago, the Rockefellers […]
Posted inLife & Culture, News
Maine TV show gets new host
Alan Bradstreet will make his debut on MPBN’s “incredibleMAINE” on Nov. 12.