MANSFIELD — The Mansfield Playhouse is in the midst of a $5.9 million capital campaign to build a new home.
But as the non-profit community theater prepares to launch its 101st season in September, it still has bills to pay and an aging building to maintain and make ready for local theater lovers.
That’s where the Lincoln Highway Bluegrass Band comes in.
The increasingly popular north central Ohio music group, led by Scott Osborne, plans a two-hour fundraising concert Aug. 29 at the 95 E. Third St. theater — with every dollar in proceeds going to benefit Playhouse operations.
“We know the folks at the Playhouse are trying to raise money for a new building,” Osborne said. “We wanted to help out in any way we can with just the day-to-day operations. People hear about trying to raise funds for a new theater — they can lose track that there are everyday needs for the place.
“I don’t have a lot to offer,” he said with a laugh. “But we do play music and we had a good turnout the last time we were there (for a show in 2024).
Doug Wertz, artistic director and board president at the Mansfield Playhouse, said the timing of the benefit concert is good. The show starts at 7 p.m.
Lincoln Highway players
Lee Rachel – Guitar and lead vocals
Scott Osborne – Banjo, guitar and band leader
Randy Sutter – Mandolin and vocals
Canaan Nichols — Bass and vocals
Jon White – Dobro and vocals
“We’ve got some big things working in the background. We have so many expenses at the end of our seasons to get ready for the new season. We have to pay all of our (show) royalties up front for the new season before we can even announce and publicize them,” Wertz said.
“That happens at the end of our seasons when we have no more revenue coming in. We have this big chunk of money that goes out and then we’re dark most of the summer,” he said.
Osborne, a banjo/guitar player and vocalist, said the band had a great time at the Playhouse when it performed there two years ago.
“The one thing we can do is play music, so we offered our services. I really like Doug and what they are doing at the Playhouse. It’s been around a long time and the community needs it. So we thought we would volunteer our time and efforts and do what we can to help,” he said.
Bluegrass music roots extend back to performers like Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys and The Stanley Brothers, Appalachian musicians who began to combine traditional Scottish, Irish and English folk music with African-American blues and jazz influences in the 1940s and 1950s.
Monroe’s music, characterized by its high-pitched vocals, quick tempo, and banjo and fiddle instrumentation, became the foundation for the bluegrass genre.
Modern bluegrass music is found in the more rebellious sounds of performers such as Billy Strings and The Dead South.
Osborne said he believes the five-member Lincoln Highway Bluegrass Band has players talented enough to work through nearly all of it — and do it at a fast pace.
The first performance under the current band name was in April 2023 at the Hayesville Opera House. The band has been busy ever since with gigs “all over the place,” according to Osborne.
Osborne is the oldest member of the band, whose own roots trace back to the Stone Mountain Boys in Ashland in the 1970s/1980s. He is also the only band member who has retired, meaning everyone else still has a day job.
“Bookings have really picked up and we’re getting into some big venues now. We are playing on stages with touring bands at some of these big festivals,” Osborne said. “We have been mixing it up with the best.
“It’s some of my heroes that I grew up listening to. I have gotten to meet them, talk with them, play each other’s instruments. It’s been fun taking photos with them,” he said.
“When you play a festival, it could be (a band) I’ve listened to on the radio for 20 years that has had No. 1 after No. 1 bluegrass hit.
“We come on, we’re a non-touring band, but we’re using the same microphones, same stage and have the same audience, so we have to make sure that we are on our game to make sure we belong and fit into the show,” Osborne said.
Recent performances have been at the Industrial Strength Bluegrass Festival in Xenia, the 7 Mile Bluegrass Festival in Circleville and the WaterWorks Bluegrass Bash in Carey. The band also recently performed at the Kingwood Center Gardens in Mansfield, a show that attracted a huge audience.
The band recently booked the huge Remington Ryde Bluegrass Festival in Reedsville, Pa.
(Below, the Lincoln Highway Bluegrass Band performs at the Mohican Bluegrass Festival in 2024.)
Despite the success of outdoor festivals, Osborne said he still prefers playing smaller theaters like the Mansfield Playhouse.
“It’s got a large stage. Doug puts up a nice background behind us and the acoustics are really good. It’s an intimate sound,” he said.
“I’m not sure what happened (during the 2024 Playhouse show), but it was a lively audience that showed up for that. It was unbelievable, really. They were just into it from the first note to the end,” Osborne said.
Tickets for the show are $15 and are available online at the Mansfield Playhouse website. It’s the same price as the 2024 concert. The doors open at 6 p.m. and the concession stand will be open, including wine and beer sales.
“That $15 (ticket) goes straight to the Mansfield Playhouse,” Osborne said.
Wertz said every dollar will be appreciated.
“We are getting ready to start season No. 101 and this past week has been nothing but maintenance. We had a faucet that was broken. The truck broke down. The ladies’ toilet in the dressing room had been leaking and I didn’t know it. We had to pull it and replace the floor.
“Now I am back on the stage building the set for ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ (which opens Sept. 11). There is no question operational funding would be great assistance,” Wertz said.
