Meet Lyric Theatre's New Executive Director, Andrew Britt

Andrew Britt Credit: Courtesy of Jenn Adams, Studio 2n Portrait Photography

Lyric Theatre will mount its first major production under new executive director Andrew Britt in two weeks, when the company joins Vermont Symphony Orchestra for the second year in a row to present the concert version of a Broadway musical. “Oklahoma! in Concert,” staged in the meadow at von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort, runs August 13 through 15.

Britt joined the community theater company, now in its 52nd season, on April 28. He takes over for Erin Evarts, who left the post after nearly six years to become director of development at Mercy Connections, a Burlington nonprofit educational and social services organization for adults.

Though Britt had never been to Vermont before arriving in March for his final interview, the job brings him full circle. The 36-year-old North Carolina native grew up in community theater. He built a New York City-based career working with directors on and off Broadway and in regional theater, as well as producing reality shows for HGTV and We TV.

In 2020, he and his partner, former Broadway producer James Valletti, moved to Palm Springs, Calif., to sell real estate. They “did well,” Britt said, “but just realized … this isn’t what we wanted to do. We wanted work that made us want to jump out of the bed in the morning.” Valletti is now senior entertainment manager for Disney Cruise Line.

Born in Smithfield, N.C., Britt started acting when he was 10 years old at Neuse Little Theatre, a 110-seat community theater in a log cabin by the Neuse River in his hometown. Despite his first play’s dark storyline — Britt played a child murdered by his mother — he was hooked. The company stages five shows a year, and Britt worked on as many as he could until he left for college. “I was a stage manager,” he said. “I ran the lights, directed, acted, handed out programs, moved scenery.” He joined the board of directors when he was 16.

He spent college summers working on The Lost Colony, the massive outdoor drama that the Roanoke Island Historical Association has staged on North Carolina’s Outer Banks since 1937. “It’s a long, hot summer at the beach wearing Elizabethan clothes, and it’s a lot of fun,” Britt said. Andy Griffith, Terrence Mann, soap star Eileen Fulton and NPR’s Carl Kasell all performed there before becoming famous. “It’s just such a great training ground,” Britt said.

“It’s very rewarding to feel like I’m back where I belong.” Andrew Britt

After graduating from East Carolina University in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in theater, Britt moved to New York and, one week later, was hired as associate director on the first national tour of the musical Elf. His Broadway credits include Breakfast at Tiffany’s, where he gave director’s notes to actors George Wendt and Emilia Clarke; Waiting for Godot and No Man’s Land, performed in repertory by a four-person cast that included Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen; Bright Star, a musical created by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell; and The Present, starring Cate Blanchett. He worked with directors Sean Mathias, John Crowley and Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie.

After his real estate detour, he is thrilled to be working in theater. “It’s very rewarding to feel like I’m back where I belong,” Britt said. At Lyric’s South Burlington headquarters on a recent Friday — while summer camp kids rehearsed Finding Nemo in one part of the building and roofers repaired a leak above — he sat down with Seven Days to talk about his ideas for Lyric and a valuable lesson he learned from McKellen.

What sparked your love of theater?

It was the community that I developed working in the theater. You show up for day one of rehearsal, and you suddenly have 50 new friends, and everybody has a very unified goal. The applause is great. The awards are nice. People knowing who you are is cool, but it was really the group of people that I developed — and continued to develop with every show, every new theater company, every professional group that I became involved with.

You have said you learned so much working with Ian McKellen for a year and a half. What did he teach you?

He’s so dedicated and cares so much about the audience and the people he’s working with backstage, his fellow actors onstage. It was really a special experience. We had to cancel one of our Broadway performances because Patrick Stewart had to do a reshoot for one of the X-Men movies. Ian had the night off, so we were going to go see another show that night. But he said, “Meet me at the Cort,” the theater we were performing at. And I get there, and he’s in the lobby, and he’s greeting all the ticket buyers that came to the show — not realizing that it was canceled — to say, “I’m so sorry that we had to cancel this production tonight. But let’s take a picture, and there’s the box office, and they’ll get you a ticket for another night.” He didn’t have to do that.

After working in professional theater, what attracted you to Lyric?

I was impressed with the work that I saw, what I saw online, the quality of the productions, the size of the membership, and the volunteers and the audience. And the fact that they have been alive for 52 years. You’re doing something right if you’ve lasted 52 years. Even though I had wonderful professional experiences, some of my favorite experiences were when I wasn’t paid for the work and it wasn’t a job. It was just doing it for the love of it. So I came in very passionate about continuing that for other people.

What plans do you have for Lyric?

I don’t know yet. The board is really the one that sets a lot of the plans for the organization. I have some things that are important to me and I think important to the board, as well: attracting new volunteers and reenergizing our audiences to keep coming to the theater or to come to the theater for the first time. Part of the strategic plan that exists through 2028 involves expanding programming and making it more accessible. I’m exploring what other programming options this community might support.

Any specific ideas so far?

One of them, for audiences, is offering a season ticket, which hasn’t been done for many years. It’s on sale now. Through August 24, if you buy a season ticket, it’s 15 percent off. It’s such a vital act of support for us, for somebody to commit to our season.

What can audiences expect from “Oklahoma! in Concert”?

It’s going to sound remarkable. Those big, beautiful voices with the VSO playing that golden-age music — it’s going to sound wonderful.

What character from a musical do you most identify with?

Probably Charley Kringas from Merrily We Roll Along. I got to play the role in college. So it’s Franklin Shepard and Charley Kringas. They’re musical theater writers in the show. Franklin writes the music, and Charley writes the lyrics. And Charley is very concerned with the work and very concerned with meeting the deadlines and making sure that it’s quality, what they write. And he’s sort of nervous, but everything always works out. So I very much relate to him.

What Broadway songs are you singing in the shower?

“Oklahoma” from Oklahoma!

This interview was edited for clarity and length.

‘The Sound of Music in Concert’ Returns Next Summer

‘The Sound of Music in Concert’ Credit: Courtesy of Lyric Theatre Company

Lyric Theatre and Vermont Symphony Orchestra will bring “The Sound of Music in Concert” back to the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort concert meadow in Stowe for three performances next summer. Show dates are August 5 through 7, 2026. Tickets go on sale on September 5.

Those holding tickets to this summer’s collaboration, “Oklahoma! in Concert,” will be allowed to purchase tickets early, starting on September 1. They will also be entered in a raffle to win free tickets to next summer’s show.

As in 2024, VSO music director Andrew Crust will conduct a full orchestra accompanying solo and ensemble singers from Lyric as they present the Rodgers and Hammerstein work. The performances last year marked the first time the score of the von Trapp family-inspired musical was performed live at the family’s Stowe resort. Tickets sold out months in advance, but rain forced three of the performances to move inside to the Flynn in Burlington.

The Sound of Music in Concert, August 5 through August 7, 2026, at von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort in Stowe (rain location: the Flynn in Burlington). $79-149. Tickets available on September 5, with early access beginning on September 1. flynnvt.org

“Oklahoma! in Concert,” presented by Lyric Theatre and Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Wednesday, August 13, through Friday, August 15, 7:30 p.m., at the von Trapp Family Lodge & Resort concert meadow (rain site: the Flynn in Burlington). $39-125. lyrictheatrevt.org

The original print version of this article was headlined “Cain’t Say No | Lyric Theatre’s new executive director, Andrew Britt, speaks to the lure of live performance”