Goodspeed Musicals to Present Outdoor Concerts in 2020 GOODSPEED BY THE RIVER - Riverside concerts

EAST HADDAM, AUGUST 5, 2020: 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.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Michael Gennaro, Goodspeed Musicals is dedicated to the preservation, development and advancement of musical theatre and is the first theatre in the nation to receive two Tony Awards (for outstanding achievement). Goodspeed produces mainstage musicals each season at The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn., and additional works at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn., which was opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals. Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre. Goodspeed gratefully acknowledges the support of Goodspeed’s official audio sponsor Sennheiser and official auto sponsor Hoffman Audi. Goodspeed is supported in part by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts.