A bit of the dramatic comes to the historic upstairs bar at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor at month's end with back to back shows featuring some of the best of Broadway and Maine. An evening of Cabaret featuring Michael-Leon Wooley will fill the upstairs bar on Friday, February 29 while the following evening the bar will serve as the backdrop for the hit Maine musical What Is This Life? Both performances begin at 7:30 pm.

Wooley is known for his recent performance as Tony Joe Dixon in the movie "Dreamgirls," as well as for his numerous Broadway appearances including as the voice of the man eating plant Audrey II in "Little Shop of Horrors." He was last seen on Broadway in "The Music Man" as Olin Britt. He's appeared on television in "The Knights of Prosperity," "Cosby," "Now and Again" and "Law and Order SVU." An accomplished pianist and vocalist, Wooley made his Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops as one of "the New Faces of 2004" under the baton of Skitch Henderson.

East Boothbay resident Kevin Kiley will provide piano accompaniment for Wooley during the Cabaret and reports that "there is no one better at singing cabaret and telling stories in a bar than Michael." Kiley is looking forward to performing with Wooley again; they first worked together on the national tour of Little Shop of Horrors. Kiley was the plant and Wooley the voice of the plant. Friday, February 29 provides an opportunity for all in the midcoast to hear this duo, brought together again for an evening.

There are no advance tickets for the night of cabaret, but a $10 donation is requested at the door. All funds raised from the cabaret will be used to help offset the expense of this June's musical The Taffetas, opening at the Opera House on June 5.

As the cabaret moves out the cast of Bob Lovelace's "What Is This Life?" will move into the bar for a special one night performance of this popular musical on Saturday, March 1. The show premiered in Skowhegan in October 2007, sold out, and received rave reviews. Director Lovelace, describing the musical as one about "an evening of romance and chance, inside a bar in central Maine. It's a love story with a little tragedy and very funny." The original plan was to stage the musical downstairs on the main stage at the Opera House, but when Lovelace saw the old Knights of Pythias meeting room upstairs he changed his mind. Rather than building a bar as a theater set downstairs on stage, the cast and crew will use the upstairs bar as their actual set. Before the show and during the intermission, drinks will be available at the bar for ticket holders. Using the bar as a theater set is a first for the Opera House.

The original cast of the show will be traveling to Boothbay Harbor to perform, drawn from the Lakewood Theater, The Colby College Drama Department, and the In Spite of Life Players. The cast includes Jade Fortin, Richard Roberts, Chris Wright, Mary Stewart, Phoebe Larkin, Bob Lovelace and Jamie Simpson. Five musicians provide accompaniment for the cast. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12, if available, at the door. Student tickets are $5.

Tickets for this special midwinter performance are available by contacting the Opera House box office at 633-5159, or purchasing online at boothbayoperahouse.org.