OGUNQUIT, Maine — There's a certain pressure that comes with presenting a play that’s never been staged before. The performers at Ogunquit Playhouse know that feeling and welcome it.
"Pressure makes diamonds," Krystal Joy Brown said. She's the actress with the lead role in "My Best Friend’s Wedding," the musical now playing at Ogunquit. The show was adapted from the 1997 hit movie of the same name starring Julia Roberts, Cameron Diaz, and Rupert Everett.
"I actually think that with the pressure we've had and the compressed time we've had," Brown said, "we managed to create something really, really special."
After COVID derailed the original plan to debut the show in London, the actors in Ogunquit are clearly looking forward to bringing this production to audiences for the world premiere.
"It's fun to be in the wings and watch each other do the show," Telly Leung said. "To be in a show that we actually enjoy watching and cheering on our mates, that's the best experience."
As she's about to make her entrance on stage at each performance, Brown is tingling not just with energy but with happiness. That’s not always a given for an actor.
"I'm standing back in the wings and I’m smiling," she said. "And that drum roll happens, and I’m just like, 'This is about to be fun."
"My Best Friend’s Wedding" is the last show of the season at Ogunquit. It runs until Oct. 28.