Through Aug. 26, Carousel Music Theater is staging something special. “Lights, Ladies, Legends!” is written by Bayville local (and New York City's) Elena Tarpley. The show is a tribute to the music of the 1960s as viewed through a contemporary lens, and is inspired by female artists of the era. Tarpley focused on societal significance and family lineage in writing the show. “I felt a rush of appreciation for these women, concentrating on more than just their singing; I was moved by the women's place in society at the time – they were in the thick of it – the emergence of rock and roll and R&B,” said Tarpley. “My goal in writing the show was not simply to impersonate these female artists, but to showcase women and girls today appreciating those who came before them.”

The result is a high-energy performance, 18 songs, all recognizable with the stellar music direction the Carousel's fans know Ashley Grace Ryan (original tracks, arrangements) will deliver, accompanied by Sean Cameron on sound. Add to the mix Kelli Leigh-Ann Connors’ signature flair for costumes, set design, art direction and stand-out choreography, and you’ve got a hot ticket in Boothbay. Opening night was near capacity, and the show is gaining momentum. Advance reserved seats are advised. Matinee shows have been added to the calendar. 

New to Carousel, Krista Farrell and her operatic, mezzo soprano, power vocals, on occasion, outshine the original artists’ recordings. Her voice is superlative – warm and deep with enough acoustic projection to fill the largest opera houses, or perhaps a couple of Midcoast peninsulas simultaneously. She balances dark and bright notes with fluid ease, and when her singing is paired with Carousel second-season soprano Meredith Charbonnet's, the audience is transported to the largest rock arenas. Charbonnet’s athleticism is a beauty to behold. She carries the choreography best – five minutes on her website will show you why. Awarded in tap, modern dance and hip hop, Charbonnet is the classic triple-threat performer.

In case you’re still looking for a reason to see the show: Cavontè Green. He’s part Dad, part narrator, and full-on brilliant. I’ve had the pleasure of covering him for three seasons at the Carousel. This is the most relaxed, in-his-element performance yet. On a stage full of women, singing female-empowering songs, Green and his basso cantante offer showstopping, mic-dropping excellence in Patsy Cline’s “Crazy” (Universal, 1961) and Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” (Atlantic Records, 1967). His sheer joy for music is contagious. He embodies the show’s themes: music as a great connector, the Golden Age of music and the birth of R&B as well as any of his female castmates. If you’ve been drawn to his pop stylings from previous shows, be prepared to see yet another rich layer of this young performer’s repertoire.

This is Tarpley’s first writing credit, specifically for the Carousel, and her character, Brenda, is a nod to her great aunt Brenda Lee, who topped the billboard charts several times in the 1960s including “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” (Decca Records, 1958) which sold 25 million copies globally, went platinum seven times and is the fourth most downloaded Christmas single in history with over one billion streams from Spotify according to Recording Industry Association of America. Thanks to Tarpley, fans of Lee will see several nods to her legacy in the show.

Because the show’s cast was unknown to Tarpley at the time of writing, she drafted four versions of the show, each one to accentuate different vocal styles and capabilities. Mostly her writing was guided by the intended emotional impact on the audience. She aimed to create a nostalgia that would leave people with the music stuck in their heads and a "groove" that stayed with them long after they left the show. “I always look for the overriding feeling, as in what the audience can take away, and this is a fun walk down memory lane, a shared experience everyone can come together and enjoy,” said Connors.

Paulette Carter is executive director. Garrett Carter is on lights. Special thanks to Leisha and Andy MacDougall, Mark Carter, Rob Barnard and Tom Dewey.