The production runs through Oct. 28 at the West Springfield theater.
Actors (from left) Ben Ashley (of Southampton), Cate Damon (of Holyoke) and Robert Lunde (of Springfield) are pictured in a scene from "Blood Brothers" at West Springfield's Majestic Theater. Three actors who performed in the Majestic Theater’s original 1997 production of “Blood Brothers” are reprising their original roles at the start of the West Springfield theater’s 16th season.
Christine St. Amant Greene has stepped back into the shoes of Mrs. Johnstone, while Doug Major of New York City and Ben Ashley of Southampton returned as the “blood brothers.” The play runs through Oct. 28.
Set in Liverpool, England, the play is about fraternal twins separated at birth – one raised in a privileged home and the other in poverty – whose paths cross later in life. After becoming friends, they fall in love with the same girl, causing a rift in their relationship which ends in tragic circumstances.
“The play is the perfect show to unveil our 16th season. I directed and designed the original production and it was a monster hit for us, audiences just loved it. Ben was in it, and he had just done ‘Buddy,’ so our audience knew and loved him. It was actually Ben who recommended that we do the play. He had just come back from London and had seen it there. I was unfamiliar with it, checked it out and got the script and CD and fell in love with it,” said Danny Eaton, founding director, Majestic Theater.
After the “Buddy Holly Story,” Eaton said “Blood Brothers” has been the most requested play to bring back to their schedule.
“I was talking with Christine one day and the topic turned to ‘Blood Brothers.’ She told me that she would love to do the play again. Then I had a chance to talk with Ben, who also said he would love to reprise his role, and that now was the right time to do it while the role was still age-appropriate for him,” said Eaton.
“Blood Brothers” opened in London’s West End at the Lyric Theatre in 1983 to critical acclaim. The musical, written by Willy Russell, won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical and Best Actress in its first year. Today, nearly three decades later, it has become one of the longest-running musicals on the West End. The Broadway production opened 10 years later in 1993 at the Music Box Theatre and closed after 840 performances. Petula Clark made her Broadway debut as Mrs. Johnstone with David Cassidy and Shaun Cassidy as her sons the ‘blood brothers.’
“It’s one of my favorite roles, really a dream role, and I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to play Mrs. Johnstone once again,” said St. Amant Greene.
“Mrs. Johnstone is just very fun-loving, a hard worker who tries to do right by her kids, and I can relate to that,” she added about the impoverished mother, who gave up one of the twins in an effort to provide a better life for them.
Musical direction for the play is being provided by Mitch Chakour, who will lead a four-piece combo during the performances.