'Million Dollar Quartet' to launch Theatre By The Sea's first full season since 2019

Susan McDonald
·3 min read

In 89 years, Theatre by the Sea has endured catastrophes like hurricanes and the drain of male actors and spending money during world wars. While the pandemic can be added to that list of challenges, it also marks the latest victory for the company, which opens again May 25.

“It’s an icon — people want to get back in here,” says Bill Hanney, who brought Theatre by the Sea in 2007 after it was closed for several years. “We’re just ready to have people in those red seats, looking at the stage.”

While the facility offered a brief run of “Mamma Mia!” and a few concerts last summer, it has basically been shuttered since 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic set in just six weeks before the 2020 season was set to begin.

More: You will want to check out Trinity Rep's 2022-23 season. Here's the inside scoop.

Theatre By The Sea will present a typical four-show lineup of Broadway musicals this year for the first time since 2019, starting with "Million Dollar Quartet" on May 25.
Theatre By The Sea will present a typical four-show lineup of Broadway musicals this year for the first time since 2019, starting with "Million Dollar Quartet" on May 25.

This year’s four-show lineup is almost exactly the one planned for 2020, Hanney says. The only “disappointment” was not being able to include “Funny Girl,” the Broadway show that turned into a 1968 movie starring Barbra Streisand.

“We were the only one in the country to get rights to ‘Funny Girl’ in 2019, and then we didn’t have a season,” he says. “Now, as everyone knows, it’s on Broadway, so we couldn’t secure it. But, we added ‘Footloose,’ which everyone always loves.”

More: Hungering for live shows? This bold lineup coming to the Gamm Theatre won't disappoint

Theatre by the Sea typically stages four Broadway musicals — only the lighthearted ones, because Hanney knows no one wants heavy drama in the summertime. This year kicks off with the Tony-nominated “Million Dollar Quartet” from May 25 to June 18. The show centers on a “twist of fate” in 1956 that drew musical legends Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together at a Memphis recording studio for a jam session.

Here's the rest of Theatre By The Sea's 2020 lineup

“Footloose,” another rock 'n' roll musical based on the Oscar-nominated movie and earning a Tony nod, follows from June 22 to July 16. A rocker teen who moves into a conservative community that prohibits dancing launches a community revolution while falling in love with the daughter of the minister responsible for the dancing ban.

From July 20 to Aug.13, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s version of the fairytale “Cinderella” sweeps in for a magical production featuring a live orchestra and all the trappings of the love story, including the pumpkin and glass slipper.

The season winds up with “Kinky Boots” from Aug. 17 to Sept. 11. Winner of a Tony for Best Musical, the show includes songs by pop star Cyndi Lauper and a book by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein. Inspired by a true story, the show transports audiences from a factory to the Milan fashion world.

“We wanted uplifting and upbeat, and these are that,” Hanney says.

“We’re just ready to have people in those red seats, looking at the stage," says Bill Hanney, Theatre By The Sea’s owner and producer, of this year's return to a regular season after two years of COVID closures and disruptions.
“We’re just ready to have people in those red seats, looking at the stage," says Bill Hanney, Theatre By The Sea’s owner and producer, of this year's return to a regular season after two years of COVID closures and disruptions.

Producing every show himself, he revels in creating tailored sets, laughing when people ask if trucks transport sets in for each show, as they do at other companies. Because Theatre by the Sea is such a small venue, that would be impossible, he says. It’s just one part of the experience that he enjoys.

“I love doing live theater and making people happy," Hanney says. "My greatest reward is watching the audiences during a show.”

Onsite restaurant under new management  

At some point during the “Million Dollar Quartet” run, the onsite restaurant at Theatre by the Sea will also reopen under new management. Hanney entered into an agreement with principals from Dig In Dining & Entertainment, which operates two Thirsty Beaver locations and Huck’s Filling Station in East Greenwich. The restaurant, which will also serve as a backdrop for the popular cabaret nights Hanney organizes, will be called Bravo by the Sea.

If you go ...

What: "Million Dollar Quartet"

When: May 25-June 18

Where: Theatre By The Sea, 364 Cards Pond Rd., South Kingstown

Tickets: $59 (previews)-$84

Info: theatrebythesea.com, (401) 782-8587

History of Theatre By The Sea, Act I: Birth of 'the Barn'

History of Theatre By The Sea, Act II: The Golden Age of the 1950s

History of Theatre By The Sea, Act III: Tommy Brent ushers in the swinging '60s

History of Theatre By The Sea, Act IV: A new team puts down roots

History of Theatre By The Sea, Act V: With the Barn on the brink, Bill Hanney plays the hero

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI's Theatre By The Sea back to full season for first time since 2019