A side effect of the coronavirus pandemic: Artists, artists, chefs and other city dwellers fled Broadway, Hollywood and other places to go back to their roots and wait.
If we enter Phase 3 of the reopening here in Massachusetts, it means that events of star power and world-class talent are practically popping up in our own backyards.
Take Plymouth – in the coming weeks, two Broadway performers will be pampering the audience with a dinner concert at an outdoor restaurant, and a “hacked” star will be hosting what will hopefully be the first of their many pop-up beer dinners on the South Coast.
First the beer dinner. Chef Stephen Coe lives in Plymouth (he also trained in Johnson and Wales for some time and runs The Mirbeau) and is known worldwide for some epic moments on the popular “Chopped”.
JULY 16, 2020 – Chef Stephen Coe is cooking at America’s Hometown Throwdown 2019. Photo by Pedro Blanco Photography, courtesy of Stephen Coe
Coe recently started building a fleet of food trucks, one of which has been converted from a SWAT truck and the other is dedicated to Hummer.
JULY 16, 2020 – A visit to Plymouth offers scenic, dining and entertainment delights this summer. Getty Images
On July 27th, Coe and his team will pitch under tents in the Mayflower Brewing Co. parking lot. There he shows his “chopped” chops by serving a four-course dinner with dessert beer.
“The theme will be summer and we will play with summer flavors paired with Mayflower beers,” he said. Picnic tables are set up at a reasonable distance. Guests can look forward to summer and seafood like shrimp toast, pigs in a blanket, and freshly caught stripers, all of which are paired with beer.
The dessert will be a game with Mayflower’s newest beer brewed with blueberries and lemon.
“Working with Stephen is a wonderful feeling of excitement. Every time he calls, I know something new and different needs to be put on the table, ”said Sarah Annis, retail and event manager at Mayflower Brewing. “Staying relevant during these tough times was a challenge, but Stephen’s exploration of new concepts was wonderful to create an interactive experience for everyone.”
“We recently released a new version of our Kettle Sour Ale range called Resistance is Fruitile. This version is brewed with blueberries and lemon and offers a slightly acidic and refreshing drink that goes well with the meal, ”said Drew Brosseau, President and Owner.
“We are excited to see how Stephen combines this release with his dessert course.”
JULY 16, 2020 – Resistance is fertile sour beer from Mayflower Brewing. Photo courtesy Mayflower Brewing
Mayflower Brewing was anything but quiet during this time. First, they debuted a special release for this year commemorating the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower journey and landing in Plymouth, called the Mayflower 400 Double IPA.
“We’re sad that all of the celebrations planned for this year have been postponed, but we hope the beer will help people celebrate alone,” said Brosseau.
And to raise funds for the Plymouth One Fund to help local businesses, May’s virtual concert called Couchella sold out in one afternoon. Coe has also helped the community by feeding first responders with his food truck.
Dinner requires reservations. Tickets are available for $ 65 at mayflowerbrewing.com.
Coe will be planning more pop-up events in the coming weeks and months.
Broadway is coming back to Plymouth
In times without a pandemic, you’d have to travel to Broadway or take a top national tour to see Jeremy Morse and Alex Tripp.
But the now married couple fled their New York apartment to Tripp’s motherhouse in quiet South Plymouth. For a while, they thought, Broadway would wait. But as the reopenings there were pushed back, the couple decided to take matters into their own hands.
On July 17th, they’ll be performing Broadway show music, pop songs, and some surprises.
“At first we didn’t feel like performing because we were just so sad and we missed it so much,” said Tripp, who grew up in Plymouth. “But with all of Broadway still closed, we only just felt ready.”
Morse starred Ogie in “Waitress” on Broadway and on the National Tour. Alex accompanied him on the National Tour in the choir (which had three members) and as Mrs. Pomatter, the doctor’s wife.
Morse was supposed to play the Duke of Weselton in “Frozen” when the pandemic hit.
JULY 16, 2020 – Broadway artists Jeremy Morse and Alex Tripp are entertained at an outdoor restaurant in Plymouth. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Morse and Alex Tripp
The evening will take place at the Farmer’s Table, owned and operated by Tripp’s mother, Lynn (who was Coes’ professor at the cooking school) and her sister, Olivia. They serve flatbread pizza and have a bar.
“It’s really great to find a way to safely perform and make people enjoy it,” said Morse. “We’ll be outside and aloof.”
While they expect tickets will sell out quickly, they plan to do the show again. For more information, please visit Farmernstableplymouth.com.
Morse said they expect many of their artist friends to start doing things like this.
“People are itching to come back to it,” he said, “whatever we can.”
