Over the last three years, Harbor Light Stage has established an ethos at once quirky and sophisticated, known for unusual locations — a 19th-century barn, the ceremonial chamber of a Masonic lodge dressed up as a funeral parlor — and virtuoso performances. That said, it's safe to say that its current offering is even more sui generis than the company itself: A world-premiere musical extravaganza by, about, and performed by a Grammy-nominated accordion player eco-activist, whose extra-musical hobby involves long-distance mid-winter swims in the tidal creeks of the Piscataqua River basin, during which he has collected a slew of artifacts dating to the 17th century.
This singular man's name is Gary Sredzienski (you might also know him from his Portsmouth 1960s rock/ethnic band The Serfs, or from his long-running WUNH Polka Party radio show), but "Creek Man" is how he's known to many in the Seacoast region. It's also the name of his theatrical epic: Creek Man: The Unforgettable True Story of the Accordion-Playing Merman. It premieres Thursday before luxurious ocean views (and, for those who so choose, drinks and dinner) in the York Harbor Reading Room.
Accompanied by Sredzienski's original music (including songs such as "Get Yourself a New Hobby" and "Tidal River"), Creek Man will offer tales of, among other things, a youth in vaudeville, harrowing mid-winter swims, and intimate encounters with fish and accordions.
Creek Man: The Unforgettable True Story of the Accordion-Playing Merman | written and performed by Gary Sredzienski | Produced by Harbor Light Stage, at the York Harbor Reading Room | through May 17 | For dinner-theater or rush tickets, call 207.439.5769, ext. 4
