Riverside Concerts with The Playbillies

Riverside concerts featuring The Playbillies, Broadway's Bluegrass Band scheduled for August 20 - September 6 on the Goodspeed lawn.

EAST HADDAM, CT - Nothing says musicals like Goodspeed and nothing says summer like an outdoor concert. We’ve put the two together to create “Goodspeed by the River” – an outdoor concert event you won’t want to miss. The concerts will be held on the Goodspeed lawn overlooking the scenic Connecticut River and feature songs, stories and plenty of live music from some of our favorite performers. Pack your picnic basket and lawn chairs and bring the family for a safe, fun and enjoyable Goodspeed evening.

The concert event will feature the boisterous, Broadway-inspired bluegrass quartet The Playbillies with Andrew Crowe, Matt Cusack, Mike Rosengarten and Sam Sherwood. Motivated by their love of bluegrass music and Broadway classics, the group set out to “bluegrassify” every show tune they could – the result is a boot-stompin’, smile-inducing, gotta sing-along good time!

“We are proud to be performing at Goodspeed,” the group shared, “especially because our very first Bluegrass cover featured a tune that was born onstage in East Haddam.“ They continued, “It’s a tune that bears a lot of weight during these times of quarantine and social distancing and it’s an adage we firmly believe in, ‘The sun will come out Tomorrow!’”


Goodspeed’s Executive Director Michael Gennaro shared, “Since we are not able to produce great musicals in our theaters this year, we are pleased to offer something special during this time – Goodspeed by the River. We are thrilled to welcome our Members and audience back to the Goodspeed campus for a joy-filled night of entertainment and fun. Goodspeed by the River concerts may be a new experience for our audiences but the quality of the musical performers on stage combined with the work of our dedicated staff in this glorious setting will be equal to the great performances Goodspeed has been known for.”

Beginning August 20 through September 6, concerts will be held Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings. All performances will be at 6:00pm and are weather permitting.

All tickets are $25. Tickets are on sale now to all Goodspeed Members and will go on sale to the public beginning August 11, 2020. Tickets are only available by calling the Box Office at 860-873-8668. The Box Office is open Monday – Thursday from 10:00am – 5:00pm.

An exclusive outdoor dinner and concert package is available which includes a two-course meal and reserved table seating on the Gelston House lawn for just for $49 /person. Call the Goodspeed Box Office for details and to purchase. Box Office Hours will be

Concerts on the Goodspeed lawn will have designated seating areas. Each seating area has space for up to six people (from the same party) and will be a minimum of 15 feet from other designated seating areas as required by Connecticut Reopen guidelines.

Please note that Goodspeed follows state and CDC guidelines for safety. Face masks are required at all times, except when seated in your Designated Seating Area. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrances and at portable restrooms. All guests are asked to maintain a 6 foot distance from other guests and Goodspeed staff at all times while attending the event. A complete list of audience guidelines, seating plan and event information can be found at goodspeed.org

All guidelines are subject to change by federal, state, or local authorities. Please review all posted signage upon arrival for the most updated requirements.

What To Know Before You Go

Designated Seating Areas: This event takes place on the Goodspeed Lawn. You will choose a Designated Seating Area when you purchase your tickets (4’ x 6’ for up to four people; 6’ x 8’ for five or six people). Please try to stay within your area. We are following state guidelines and all Designated Seating Areas will be a minimum of 15’ from other Designated Seating Areas. A seating map is posted on the Goodspeed website www.goodspeed.org.

Tickets: No physical tickets will be used. Your Designated Seating Area will be noted by row and seat numbers which will appear in an email confirmation when you purchase your tickets. When you arrive at the event, an usher will check you in based on your last name and direct you to your Designated Seating Area. All members of your party must enter together.

Timed Entry: In order to minimize lines, you will be assigned a 15 minute arrival time window (e.g. 5:00-5:15) when you will be allowed into the event area. Please wait in your car until your assigned time. Your entry time will be emailed to you one week prior to your event.

Running Time: The concert will last approximately one hour and 15 minutes, with no intermission.

Rain Policy: If a performance is cancelled due to weather, we will contact you by email at approximately 3:00pm on the day of the show as well as post it on the Goodspeed website and on our Facebook page. You will receive a full refund for your tickets if the event is cancelled.

Bathrooms: Portable bathrooms will be provided at the event. They will be cleaned and sanitized on a regular basis. Hand sanitizer will be provided for your use before and after using the bathroom. One of the portable bathrooms will be accessible.

What Can I Bring? Blankets, lawn chairs, picnic baskets and small coolers are allowed. Blankets should not be larger than 4’ x 6’ for a group of four people or 8’ x 6’ for groups of five or six. You may bring your own food and beverages. Please plan to remove all trash and take it with you when you leave. No umbrellas or pets allowed.

Food and Beverages: You may bring your own food and beverage to the event. Food and beverages are not available for sale at the event. Please plan to remove all trash and take it with you when you leave.

Entrances, Exits and Guest Traffic Flow: Entrance and exit will be from 2 locations – at the footbridge from the main Goodspeed parking lot and from the walkway in front of the Opera House. While waiting in line to check in or to use the bathroom, please maintain a distance of 6 feet from other people. You may review a map of the event area at goodspeed.org

Safety Policies: Please note that Goodspeed follows state and CDC guidelines for safety. Face masks are required at all times, except when seated in your Designated Seating Area. No one will be admitted to the event area without a mask. Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrances and bathrooms. All guests are asked to maintain a 6 foot distance from other guests and Goodspeed staff at all times while attending the event. More information can be found at goodspeed.org

Health Questions: Before you leave for the event, please ask everyone in your party to review the following questions.

1. Do you, or anyone traveling with you, have a temperature of 100.4 of higher OR any of the COVID 19 symptoms? If yes, please call the box office to cancel your tickets and receive a full refund.
2. Have you, or anyone traveling with you, been in contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID 19 in the last 14 days? If yes, please call the box office to cancel your tickets and receive a full refund.
3. If you are travelling from out of state and the CDC, or any other division of federal or state government, issues any travel advisory that clearly prohibits your trip to Connecticut, please call the box office to cancel your tickets and receive a full refund.

Changing Guidelines: All guidelines are subject to change by federal, state, or local authorities. Please review all posted signage for the most updated requirements. Failure to adhere to posted guidelines will result in all party members being asked to leave the event grounds. No refunds will be given.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

The original Playbillies are Matt Cusack, Mike Rosengarten, Sam Sherwood and Douglas Waterbury-Tieman. The quartet was formed when one day Mike turned to Matt and Douglas and said "Man, these show tunes are great but I just wish there were more banjo?" They readily agreed, grabbed their friend Sam and took off on an adventure to “bluegrassify” every show tune they could!

But seriously...The Playbillies formed in 2016 when founding members Matt, Mike and Douglas were performing as part of the onstage band for Roundabout Theatre Company’s production of The Robber Bridegroom. Between weekend matinees and evening performances they started making YouTube videos featuring their own unique arrangements of musical theatre songs reimagined as Bluegrass tunes. Soon after RBG closed they made the best possible decision they could make and invited their friend Sam into the band; instant Bluegrass magic.

Over the past four years they have continued to share original arrangements on their YouTube channel and via social media. They have also had the great privilege to perform concerts in New York City and at several weddings, although why anyone would want bluegrass covers of musical theatre songs at their wedding is beyond them. For Goodspeed by the River, Andrew Crowe will be performing in place of Douglas Waterbury-Tieman.

ANDREW CROWE is an actor, fiddle player, and songwriter from Raleigh, NC. He returns to Goodspeed where he previously appeared as Robert Haweis in the 2012 world premiere production of Amazing Grace at The Terris Theater. Andrew’s theatre credits include the National Tours of Sweeney Todd, Cabaret and Stand By Your Man; The Public Theatre NYC’s Shakespeare in the Park production of Twelfth Night and Fiddler on the Roof at The Muny in St. Louis. Andrew is currently focusing on his songwriting from his recording studio in North Carolina. Andrew lives in an RV on a little piece of land he calls Narnia. Visit www.AndrewCrowe.net for more information.

MATT CUSACK is an actor, musician, songwriter and music producer, who has been performing in theatre for over a decade. He has been in productions on Broadway (One Man, Two Guvnors; Bandstand), Off-Broadway (The Robber Bridegroom), regional productions, and national tours. He is a founding member of The Playbillies, and extremely grateful for the opportunity to perform these songs at the Goodspeed Theatre during these uncertain times.

MIKE ROSENGARTEN is true definition of a gentleman, he knows how to play the accordion, but chooses not to. Mike was last seen on Broadway as the Associate Music Director as well as Guitar 2 / Keys 2 player for The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, and before that played Guitar 1 for the viral smash hit Be More Chill. He plays regularly with several bands and artists, both live as well as in the studio. You may also recognize him from his recurring TV appearances on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. A New York native, he now lives in Manhattan with his wife, daughter, dog, and a cat. He is allergic to the cat, but she is family now, so what can you do?

SAM SHERWOOD is a New York City based actor and musician. He’s travelled the world performing in the theatre and with bands. As an actor he’s portrayed Woody Guthrie off-Broadway in Woody Sez, Johnny Cash in the European premiere of Ring of Fire at Vienna’s English Theatre as well as many other great musicians of the 20th century including Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins and John Lennon to name a few. It’s a thrill to be back making music with his Playbilly buddies in beautiful Connecticut. Check out Sam’s original music on Spotify or wherever you get your tunes!