Danny Gay played Will Parker and Megan Record played Ado Annie in “Oklahoma!” in the spring of 2017 at Cumston Hall in Monmouth, which was the show where the couple met. In this scene, Will has just returned from Kansas City and is trying to steal a kiss from Ado.
For Danny Gay and Megan Record, first came “Oklahoma!”, then came marriage, just last month.
We asked the couple, who will be back on stage at Cumston Hall next year, all about their love story.
Names: Danny Gay and Megan Record
Ages: Danny, 33, Megan 28
Hometown: North Monmouth
Let’s skip straight to the romantic part: You met doing “Oklahoma!”? Please set the stage. We met in February of 2017 at auditions for “Oklahoma!” The production was with the Monmouth Community Players at Cumston Hall in Monmouth. We were then cast opposite one another as Ado Annie and Will Parker in the production.
Danny, what jumped out about Megan? One of the things that I liked a lot about Megan is that she was very friendly and outgoing. I’m somewhat of an introvert, so it was nice to be able to have someone that I could talk to so easily. I also quickly found that we had lots of things in common and could talk about just about anything. Another thing that I saw was that though she was young, she had a 4-year-old son, James, and she worked really hard to balance her time between what he needed and what she loved to do, and she was really great with him.
Megan, what jumped out about Danny? It was easy to talk to him. He was also incredibly kind and willing to help with anything.
What are both of your theater backgrounds?
Danny: I started performing, I believe, in pre-K where we did a performance of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.” I continued during grade school with Odyssey of the Mind and then acted throughout high school in musicals and straight plays, as well as worked on lighting, sets and other behind-the-scenes activities. I then pursued my BA in theater arts at the University of Southern Maine and have worked in community and professional theater since 2015. I am a director, actor and theatrical designer as well as acting as the artistic director and education director for the Monmouth Community Players. I started our MCPKids! education program in 2019 and we’ve seen some great success despite COVID interrupting things. I love all parts of theater!
Megan: I started acting in elementary school. I have always been on the acting side of things. We started doing shows like adaptations of “Magic Tree House” books and child-friendly versions of Greek mythology and then in high school, we started doing more mature works, like Arthur Miller shows. I did one musical in high school, due to lack of availability, and then pursued working in musical theater in my community after high school. Musicals are my favorite type of show, though I have also acted in several non-musicals.
Did the proposal involve any theater?
Danny: No, the proposal was very simple. I proposed at home with her family there, a few days before Christmas. My original plan was to propose at Disney World, because it is a place very special to Megan, but due to COVID, we had to postpone our trip. Luckily, we were able to have our wedding at Disney and experience the magic together. We also spent a week as a family at Disney after the wedding, and the entire experience is a type of theater in itself. It was my first trip to Disney and I couldn’t imagine a better pair to share it with than Megan and James.
We are gearing up for another long, cold Maine winter. Two musicals we should all check out for a nice, warm evening in?
Danny: This is a hard question. There are so many to choose from. I think one musical that I love, which is very underrated, is the musical “Aida.” It’s a story about a Nubian princess that is captured by Egypt as a slave. The Egyptian prince falls in love with her, though he is promised to another. One of the things I love most is the music. It’s written by Elton John and Tim Rice. It is a more modern retelling of the original opera of the same name. I saw a production of the show at Maine State Music Theater many years ago. A second musical I would recommend is “Newsies.” “Newsies” is a great coming-of-age musical that is fun for all ages. The music for this one is also great, by Alan Menken, and the characters are fun and lovable. Our son loves this musical, and he is 9. We saw a wonderful community theater production of the show two years ago at Windham Center Stage Theater.
Megan: I would say “Hamilton” and “Newsies.” They are both shows with powerful messages, high-energy performances and amazing music, which can warm you right up on a cold winter night.
What’s up next for you both on the stage? We look forward to reprising our song “All ‘Er Nothin” from “Oklahoma!” this spring in MCP’s 30th anniversary concert. Danny will also be acting in the upcoming production of “Let It Be” at Community Little Theatre (in Auburn) in January and Megan will be seen in the upcoming production of “You Can’t Take It With You” at Community Little Theatre in June.
It’s 2031 and your 10-year wedding anniversary. What production would you like to both be in? I think we’d pick the production of “Guys and Dolls.” Danny would want to play Nathan Detroit and Megan would want to play Adelaide. It’s a classic musical and those roles are comedic roles, suitable for older couples. In “Oklahoma!”, our characters were also comedic, and it would kind of be like paying homage to the roots of our relationship together.
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