Brothers star in new City Theater play

Biddeford City Theater will present Willy Russell’s award-winning musical “Blood Brothers” July 17 to Aug. 1.

“Blood Brothers” tells the tragic story of twins (Mickey and Eddie) who are born into an impoverished Liverpool family and separated at birth. One twin leads a life of privilege and the other a life of poverty and hardship. They are reunited as children by a twist of fate, and these best friends grow up unaware that they are brothers until the dramatic and tragic conclusion.

Real-life twins Kevin and Michael Lynch will star as the ill-fated twins. Currently residing in Gorham, the twins are University of Southern Maine students studying music performance and music education. 

Jason Phillips of Buxton will play the role of the narrator. The narrator, as the embodiment of fate, constantly reminds the audience that events put into motion cannot be taken off their inevitable track. 

Mary Bastoni of Fryeburg, a veteran of the Mt. Washington Valley Theatre Co. and Port Opera, will play the role as the twins’ mother, Mrs. Johnstone.

“Blood Brothers” began nearly 30 years ago as a secondary school production. Since then, the musical has broken records with Broadway and West End runs.

Performances will be Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 26. All seats are $15. Tickets are available on line www.citytheater.org, or call 282-0849 for reservations.

Seaside Arts Festival in OOB

The second annual Seaside Arts Festival, co-sponsored by the Saco Bay Artists and the Libby Memorial Library, will be Saturday, July 25, from noon to 7 p.m. in the Memorial Park in downtown Old Orchard Beach. 

Artists working in pastels, watercolor, oil, acrylic, photography and fiber will show their work. The event will include music bythe Salvation Army band and a raffle to benefit the library’s building fund. Admission is free. The rain date is Sunday, June 26.

Library to hold book sale

The Friends of the Old Orchard Beach Library will have its annual summer book sale Friday, July 24, and Saturday, July 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The sale includes hardcover and paperback books, books for children, CDs, DVDs, videos and jigsaw puzzles. 

The sale will benefit the town’s Libby Memorial Library located at 27 Staples St.  The sale will be held behind the library, under the awning and in the book shed. 

String group at Jordan series

The Wednesday Evening at Jordan series in Ocean Park will feature Karla Kelley and Friends on Wednesday, July 22.

The group includes Nancy Leinonen Howells, soprano; Nancy Warren Roderick, violin; Kallie Ciechomski, viola; and Karla Kelley, piano.

Admission is free to the concert, which will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the historic Jordan Hall, 46 Temple Ave.

World of Narnia on stage 

Maine residents and tourists alike are invited to enter the magical world of Narnia Saturday at Seaside Pavilion during a theatrical performance of “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” by David Payne Drama of Nashville, Tenn.

The play is based on C.S. Lewis’ 1950 children’s book set in World War II when bombs are dropping on London. For their safety, four children are sent to the country house of an eccentric professor. It is a large house with many rooms, one of which contains a large mysterious wardrobe – a portal to a snow-filled world, inhabited by talking animals, mystical creatures and giants.

After the show, the costumed cast will meet the audience to answer questions, pose for photographs and give autographs. A facilitated dialogue surrounding symbolism of the play also will follow the performance. 

Tickets for performance are $10 in advance, $12 the day of show and $8 per person for groups of more than 10. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 934-2024 or visit www.seasidepavilion.org. To view a trailer of this performance and to learn more about David Payne Drama, visit www.davidpaynedrama.com.

Author Lisa Barstow to speak

The Union Church on Stonecliff Road in Biddeford Pool will present an evening with Lisa Barstow as part of its author’s talk series on Tuesday, July 21, at 7:30 p.m.  Recently published by Rainbow River Press, Barstow’s new memoir, “Don’t Go Back to Sleep,”  is partially set in Biddeford Pool at Stonecliff, the family’s estate.

 The story unfolds as the seemingly perfect world of privilege – growing up in the 1950s in Manhattan, summers in Maine, nannies, and debutante cotillions – gives way to a series of painful losses. Doors open at 7 p.m., and admission is free with an optional donation.