Portland Ovations

Name: Portland Ovations
Address: 120 Exchange Street, Portland, ME, 04101, US
Telephone: +12078420800
Rating: 4.7

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Portland Ovations

Portland Ovations is a nonprofit cultural organization based in Southern Maine dedicated to gathering communities to share in the power of live performance.
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09/02/2026

Portland Ovations opens the 2026-2027 season with events and activities, celebrating q***r art, history, and joy!

⭐️ Sasha Velour's "TRAVESTY", September 25
Through a series of jaw-dropping lip-sync performances, Sasha Velour transforms into a cast of unforgettable charismatic characters, inviting audiences into a cycle of existence, resistance, and camp that IS drag. Tickets and information at PORTLANDOVATIONS.ORG

⭐️ Portland's Q***r History Walking Tour, September 26
Join Ovations and Stepping Out creators Dr. Wendy Chapkis and Megan MacGregor for a FREE walking tour of significant Congress Street sites, followed by a conversation on q***r placemaking led by Dr. Theodore Greene at the Equality Community Center - ECC Equality Community Center.

⭐️ Celebrate 200 years of the First Parish Portland Unitarian Universalist historic meeting hall! Weeklong events September 20 - 27 including a benefit concert on the 23th featuring performances from Christian Clough, David Lone Bear Sanipass, Palaver String Quartet, Samuel James, and more. Tickets and information at FIRSTPARISHPORTLAND.ORG

09/01/2026

Encounter "territory", an immersive VR experience from disability arts organization Kinetic Light! Free to attend, register today to experience a disability-centered, accessible universe through a lush combination of immersive cinematography, dance, animation, visual effects, science fiction, fantasy, and even a touch of horror.

"Presenting companies that work at the intersection of innovative artmaking, social justice and who inspire us to think, and feel are hallmarks of the kinds of companies Ovations is excited to introduce to Maine audiences,” says Aimée M. Petrin, Portland Ovations Executive & Artistic Director. “Kinetic Light’s territory offers something truly brand new and unexpected.”

To participate, a reservation is required as space is extremely limited. The experience is approximately 20 minutes long, with rolling start times from 5 – 8 PM. Seen entirely through VR headset while seated, guests may experience disorientation or motion sickness.

🗓️ October 2 • 5 - 8 PM
📍 Portland Ovations
🎟 FOR TICKETS & MEMBERSHIP - PortTIX Box Office - The trusted box office for purchasing Portland Ovations tickets.

📷️ Still from "territory", courtesy Double Eye Studios/Kinetic Light.
PHOTO ID: A golden sun: two figures fly through the air, bodies horizontal, hands clasped, wheelchair wheels facing out. They are encircled by interwoven barbed wire.

08/31/2026

The original Tony® & Olivier Award-winning musical sensation, Jersey Boys has officially announced the complete casting for the upcoming 20th Anniversary North American Tour. Tickets are on sale now for three performances coming to Portland's Merrill Auditorium in March!

Leading the company as the legendary ‘Four Seasons’ are Coby Oram as ‘Frankie Valli,’ Peyton Schoenhofer as ‘Bob Gaudio,’ Harry Sperduto as ‘Tommy DeVito,’ Owen McCredie as ‘Nick Massi,’ and Andrew Martin McGuire as ‘Frankie Valli, at certain performances.’

They are joined on tour by Alexis Aponte as ‘Lorraine,’ Sarah Coleman as ‘Francine,’ Ryan Hurley as ‘Norm Waxman,’ Sam Joseph as ‘Hank Majewski,’ Eliza Levy as ‘Mary Delgado,’ Nicholas Dion Reese as ‘Barry Belson,’ Andrew Sattler as ‘Bob Crewe,’ Grant Weathington as ‘Joe Pesci,’ and Jason Winfield as ‘Gyp DeCarlo.’ Sam Alan Johnson, Ryan Koch, and Lexie McEntire are Swings.

🗓️ March 26 & 27 • 7 PM
📍 Merrill Auditorium
🎟 FOR TICKETS & MEMBERSHIP - PortTIX Box Office - The trusted box office for purchasing Portland Ovations tickets.

08/30/2026

We’re so grateful to UNUM for supporting Portland Ovations’ School-Time Programming and helping bring meaningful performing arts experiences to Maine students. Your support gives young people the opportunity to connect with artists, experience live performance, and discover the joy of the arts.

Thank you, UNUM, for investing in Maine students and helping us make these powerful experiences possible!

08/28/2026

Over the past 10 months, Ovations participated in a new technical assistance program through the Onion Foundation for its grantees: The Cultural Accessibility Peer Learning Community. Led by Dani Rose, Director of Cultural Access at Open Door Arts, this professional development program included representatives from arts and culture organizations across Maine, at all stages of their work deepening access and inclusion for patrons with disabilities across the spectrum.

Throughout the course of the program, each participating organization was supported in the completion of a 300-question organizational Accessibility Self-Assessment across 5 focus areas (organizational values, space, communications, programming, and access services) and the creation of an Accessibility Action & Accountability Plan detailing concrete next steps and goals that will carry us into the next stages of this work.

Ciara (our Artist & Production Services Coordinator) and I participated in a mix of professional development and peer learning sessions, including small group “office hours” with Dani where she answered specific questions related to our organizations and the assessments we were taking. Our peer cohort included friends from arts orgs across Portland—including the Portland Symphony Orchestra, with whom we’ve already discussed some collaborative next steps!

✏️ By Katelyn Manfre, Director of Community Programs & Partnerships, Accessibility Coordinator

08/27/2026

COME SEE HOW THE WORLD COULD BE.

Hadestown is an uplifting and aspirational new musical that instills a profound sense of hope for positive change in the world. Intertwining two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — "Hadestown" is a haunting, hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.

🗓️ November 17 - 19 • 7 PM
📍 Merrill Auditorium
🎟 FOR TICKETS & MEMBERSHIP - PortTIX Box Office - The trusted box office for purchasing Portland Ovations tickets.

This performance is made possible thanks to support from Kennebec Savings Bank and Bath Savings.

08/26/2026

The bold and powerful Sasha Velour returns to Portland with her newest production "TRAVESTY"!

A multimedia artist, director, writer, and drag queen, Velour has been an icon for over a decade. Gaining international attention in 2017 after competing and winning the 9th season of "RuPaul's Drag Race", Velour is a fearless creative with projects including “NightGowns" a theatrical drag variety show in NYC, the best-selling book 'The Big Reveal: An Illustrated Manifesto of Drag' (2023), touring shows "Smoke & Mirrors" (2019-2020), and "The Big Reveal" (2023-2025), and more!

Her latest production "TRAVESTY" premiered earlier this year at Woolly Mammoth in D.C. and was praised as “point blank one of the most outstanding performances presently on stage.” (Broadway World). We are thrilled to be one of the precious stops on this upcoming tour, and can't wait to see you in the audience!

🗓️ September 25 • 8 PM
📍 State Theatre, Portland, Maine
🎟 FOR TICKETS & MEMBERSHIP - PortTIX Box Office - The trusted box office for purchasing Portland Ovations tickets.

Co-Presented with State Theatre, Portland, Maine and in collaboration with First Parish Church.

This performance is made possible thanks to support from Puelle Design and the New England Foundation for the Arts.

08/25/2026

As part of our commitment to arts-based learning, each year, Ovations selects School-Time Performances not only for their artistic merit, but for the meaningful connections they offer to what students are learning in the classroom. These performances are designed to complement English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science curricula, while fostering social-emotional growth.

This season’s School-Time Performances reflect that commitment. "Con Alma y Fuego" with JazzReach brings Afro-Caribbean history and music to life, while "Sacred Fires" created by Firefly explores Wabanaki art and culture. "Once Upon a Storytime" with Lindz Amer and "The Giver" by Literature to Life invite audiences into the craft of storytelling. And MOMIX’s "Botanica", Kaki King’s "BUGS", and our Maine Artist in schools, little house dance, consider environmentalism, ecosystems, and our responsibility to the natural world.

While the performances themselves are chosen for their curriculum connections, we also provide educators with resources to embed learning in their classrooms like Educator Guides, pre and post-performance workshops for students, and professional development for teachers. Together, these resources offer tools grounded to deepen student engagement through arts experiences.

We take pride in knowing that these performances do more than entertain—they enrich the educational experience of the students who fill our theaters throughout the school year. We aim to create an educational culture in Portland where the arts are a vital part of every school’s curriculum and every student’s learning.

✏️ By Liz Schildkret, Director of School & Family Programs

08/24/2026

Are you ready to sing your heart out at Mystic Pizza On Stage? Bursting with laugh-out-loud moments, heartfelt storytelling, and chart-toppers including “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “Hold On,” and “Manic Monday,” Mystic Pizza is a joyful celebration of chasing dreams, lifelong bonds, and finding your place in the world.

🗓️ October 28 & 29 • 7 PM
📍 Merrill Auditorium
🎟 FOR TICKETS & MEMBERSHIP - PortTIX Box Office - The trusted box office for purchasing Portland Ovations tickets.

🍕 Mystic Pizza premiered at Ogunquit Playhouse in September of 2021 and received productions at La Mirada Theatre in January of 2024, Riverside Theatre in January of 2025, and Paper Mill Playhouse in February of 2025.

08/21/2026

⭐️ "I learned that creativity can get you far in life." - Falmouth Elementary student

⭐️ "I learned about being a true friend." - Margaret Murphy Center for Children student

The impact is visible. Attending live arts performances have an impact on the young people who attend. Ovations is proud to present a School-Time Performance Series that engages and inspires while promoting arts integration in our schools and learning communities.

Address

120 Exchange Street
Portland, ME
04101

Telephone

+12078420800

Website

https://portlandovations.org/

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