‘Brigadoon’ Transformed at Pasadena Playhouse — Donna Vivino Discusses the Bold New Adaptation

Only a select group of musicals carry the enduring legacy of Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon, which premiered on Broadway in 1947, but Pasadena Playhouse’s latest production makes a compelling case for reinvention. In a bold new adaptation by Alexandra Silber, the familiar premise — a mystical Scottish village that appears for just one day every century — is reexamined with greater emotional texture and cultural specificity. Directed and choreographed by Katie Spelman, this contemporary-leaning staging retains the celebrated score while reshaping the inner lives and motivations of its characters in ways that may surprise even longtime admirers.

At its core, Brigadoon follows two American travelers, Tommy Albright (Max von Essen) and Jeff Douglas (Happy Anderson), who stumble upon the titular Scottish village and its 18th-century inhabitants, including Fiona MacLaren (Betsy Morgan) and Charlie Dalrymple (Daniel Yearwood), all living within the constraints of a mysterious, time-bound existence. The village, according to legend, appears for only one day every hundred years. Yet Silber’s adaptation, among its many surprises, leans less on romantic inevitability and more on the communal and historical forces that bind Brigadoon together, reframing relationships and personal stakes with a more grounded and empowered sense of purpose. With Tyne Daly as Widow Lundie and a richly drawn ensemble populating the village, this version emphasizes connection, ritual, and the preservation of identity as much as it does love across time.

Among those anchoring this reimagined world is Donna Vivino as the sprightly villager of Meg Brockie, a role that, like the production itself, has been meaningfully reshaped. A veteran of the stage since her Broadway debut at age eight as Young Cosette in Les Misérables, Vivino has since built a career spanning Wicked (Elphaba), Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis, and recently Hell’s Kitchen on Broadway. Here, she steps into a Brigadoon that feels both rooted and renewed.

Vivino recently spoke with LAexcites about what rehearsal has been like, rediscovering Meg through a new cultural and historical lens, and how this adaptation reframes both character and story for a modern audience.

Rehearsals have just begun — what has stood out to you so far about stepping into this newly reimagined Brigadoon?

Vivino: Yes, we’ve done a week of rehearsals so far! First of all, the book has been completely rewritten by Alexandra Silber – it’s a Brigadoon no one has seen. The reimagining is fantastic, although the music is the same. And stepping into this world that (director and choreographer) Katie Spelman has created, in conjunction with Alexandra Silber, embraces the Scottishness of it and this idea of community, which we’ve been building with Scottish dances called ceilidh (pronounced kay-lee). We were learning these traditional dances just yesterday, and it’s been a blast and really exciting to form this town of Brigadoon through the week.

This world-premiere adaptation promises a deeper and more colorful premise centering around the mystical Brigadoon village in Scotland. Your character Meg, described as a fairymaid with a joy for life, has historically fallen for one of the American travelers from New York, Jeff (Happy Anderson), and sings a few numbers, including “Love of My Life” and “My Mother’s Wedding Day.” Is there anything you’re particularly excited about?

Vivino: I have to correct you and say that’s how it used to be with Meg and Jeff, but it’s different now. Does she still have a joy for life? Yes, she does, though in this version, she’s the keeper of Scottish culture which is such an important thing — and it’s less about falling in love with a man, and kissing as many guys as possible, and embodying life for the living while we’re here with dancing, singing, hugging, talking, and drinking. And it’s this idea of preserving the Scottish culture, because if you look at what’s happened historically to the Scottish people in the 1700s, you had the Jacobites happening to Scottish people, destroying their Highland culture, and so (given this), Meg chooses to live life and be happy every day. But her goal is not getting a man anymore [laughs]. I don’t know the original script, but I know that Meg and Jeff are completely rewritten. Are there still scenes of happiness? Yes. Do our characters fall in love? You’ll have to find out!

What I’m excited about is this new Meg we’ve developed, which is a Meg you haven’t seen and not centered around finding a man as it’s about her mission — to make sure that people are smiling, laughing, and enjoying life while it’s still here. She says something in the show: ‘Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead,’ which she says partially in Scottish Gaelic. Many may not know this, but Scots have their own language — one that was dying before they put it back into their educational system.

Have you been to Scotland?

Vivino: I’ve been there for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe — lots of theater people [laughs], although I would love to go back and discover more.

You’ve inhabited such a wide range of iconic roles across your career, including Mary Flynn in the widely acclaimed Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis in 2016, which was such a fabulous production. Hopefully, at the time, you knew how special it was. Where does Meg fit within your personal artistic journey and have there been any challenges so far?

Vivino: I did [realize how special it was at the time], and my heart is still broken that New York didn’t get to see it. (Director) Michael Arden’s vision for that was very special. I hoped that we could bring that version to Broadway but sometimes things just don’t work out. That was a special time, and it was the last time I did a show in Southern California.

Brigadoon is only the second Golden Age musical I’ve been in. I tend to be cast in contemporary pieces like Wicked, Next to Normal, Dear Evan Hansen, etc., which are contemporary shows, and even Merrily to an extent is contemporary. When I did a regional production of Guys and Dolls a few years ago, it was my first time being cast in a Golden Age musical. While Brigadoon is Golden Age, it also feels contemporary.

I also love getting into the Scottishness and the accent — getting deep into the language and culture. And while I won’t use the word ‘challenge,’ it’s an exciting adventure and Meg allows me to recreate her as she’s always been this 21-year-old girl — a can’t-say-no fun character — and while her fun and love of flirting is still there, it’s not about needing to find a husband; it’s about being a strong woman in her own right, being confident in her age, body, sexuality, and all of it, which is very exciting. Roles weren’t written that way in the 1940s when this first happened, and I love that about Alexandra’s reimagining of this.

Meg Brockie is often played for humor. Are you approaching it a similar way or are you rethinking how the character can be depicted?

Vivino: She’s still very funny, don’t worry [laughs]. She’s actually genuinely funny, especially as someone with no filter in a petticoat and with no corset. She’s unabashedly forward in every sense of the word, not in a sexual manner, but in a ‘wow, look at life’ manner who says everything she’s thinking.

This production leans into authentic Scottish history and ritual — have you incorporated any specific research or techniques into building Meg’s world?

Vivino: I’ve done some research. Just to bring it back to Alex Silber — she’s given us an 80-page packet of dramaturgical work and, even as you work on dialect, you’re finding YouTube videos and looking up Scottish culture. I’ve done some digging on what the landscape would’ve been like then — the weather and heather — and what life would have been like.

What’s your process for getting fully absorbed into a character like Meg?

Vivino: I like to get memorized early. I usually have the music lyrics down before I come in. This [production] is different because I’m trying to work on dialect and it’s a different muscle. I just don’t have to memorize words but feel them differently in my mouth and face — I want it to be innate. There are so many dialects in Scotland, and different characters say the words differently. I’m still discovering Meg, which is what I prefer, since I don’t want to know how I’m going to play something fully before coming into a role. It’s been a very collaborative effort.

For audiences who think they already know Brigadoon, what do you hope surprises them most about this version?

Vivino: They’re going to be surprised, but it’s really that no matter what time it is in the world — whether it’s 2026 or 1726 — the idea of light and darkness, or joy and sorrow, should be felt. This is very Meg of me to say this, but it’s important to say this and that love, along with joy and sorrow, transcends time, and I hope that people leave feeling very human and feel that human connection. You’re traveling to a time with no cell phones — they’re just people connecting with each other and, in Meg’s case, connecting over a pint of ale. And I hope that people leave feeling that they should embrace life.

Have you found yourself incorporating Meg’s philosophy into your own life?

Vivino: I’ve had a tendency to be a more glass-half-empty person, but Meg is making me a more positive human being. I hope people are inspired to dance like we will on stage.

Cover image caption: Donna Vivino portrays Meg Brockie — a cheerful, flirtatious, and independent character in Pasadena Playhouse’s production of Brigadoon. Photo is by Jeff Lorch.

Pasadena Playhouse’s production of Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon runs from Wed, May 13th through Sunday, June 14th. For tickets and more information, visit pasadenaplayhouse.org.